I mean no disrespect to Veterans’ Day by not covering it in a post, but this year blogger Michelle Hamilton wrote about some great ways to commemorate the holiday—and if you want even more info on Veteran’s Day, feel free to re-read my post from last year in the archives.

Instead, this year I thought I would offer 3 suggestions for long holiday weekend vacations, or for those of you who find yourselves in the enviable position of having “use or lose” leave time—and would prefer to use it than to lose it.

The most important thing to keep in mind for these “shorty” getaways is this: Don’t make a big deal out of getting ready for them.  If it takes you longer to pack than the length of the planned getaway, you are doing something wrong.

Following are some regional ideas to use up that vacation time, relax, and refresh:

• Northeast Getaway: Why not Washington, D.C.?  (full disclosure, I live there—but I DON’T operate a B&B yet, so you will have to stay in a hotel).  There are usually very good airfares into this region; the most expensive being into Washington Reagan and the least expensive into Dulles and Baltimore. There are many hotel deals in Washington this time of year because there are many hotels that are no longer full of summer tourists. If you want to stay in the heart of the action in a boutique hotel, try the Hotel Monaco, right next to the Spy Museum downtown—but don’t get spooked!  If you haven’t been to Washington since your high school trip, you will be surprised what a livable city it has become, full of interesting neighborhoods such as Adams Morgan.  It is far more than museums and monuments these days.

• Midwest Getaway: Remember the Alamo!  If you have never been to San Antonio you are missing a lot—the colorful Riverwalk; the Alamo, THE best Tex-Mex fare at reasonable prices, and the beautiful Hill Country with its many sprawling spa resorts.  If you are taking the little ones, there is also a SeaWorld.  You can pretty much bet that the weather will be nice.  Try the Drury Lane right on the Riverwalk—so after that 3^rd margarita you don’t have to drive to your hotel!

• Farther West Getaway: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Recommendation for Santa Fe; it is so beautiful, and so romantic—so try to leave the kids with the grandparents (they will consider that a getaway from you!). If you love beautiful landscapes, rejuvenating spas, art galleries (more than 250) and Native American culture, then this is for you. With world class restaurant and hotels with kiva fireplaces, you will truly feel you have been whisked away to a “happy place”. See if the Inn on the Alameda has any deals this time of year. And try to show some self-restraint if you are partial to beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry.

Wherever you choose, remember to turn off your iPhone or Blackberry.  It will make your 3-day escape seem more like a week!

‘Til next time,

Blogger Bob

With most of North America facing temperatures in the triple digits, pause for a moment. Now imagine a cool breeze tickling your face as crimson, maple-leafed-splendor fills your gaze. Ah, isn’t that better?!

So now let’s make that dream a reality. There’s no time like the present to start planning a “fall foliage” trip. Whether you prefer to lace up your hiking boots or slide behind the wheel , options abound for viewing the glory of autumn. Today we’ll concentrate on Canada.

Take a look below at five of the top destinations to take in the changing colors of fall leaves.

Algonquin Park, Ontario – One of the most popular parks in Ontario near Toronto. Best time to go: late September/early October.

Niagara Parkway, Ontario – Winston Churchill’s, “Prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world,” best between Queenston and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Best time to go: early October.

The Laurentian Mountains, Quebec – Mother Nature’s mountainous splendor explodes in gold, ruby reds and fiery oranges. Best time to go: late September/mid October.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia – A magnificent highway carved into ancient highlands where eagles soar above you, seals splash below you and moose wonder alongside. Best time to go: early October.

Johnston’s Canyon, Rocky Mountains, near Banff, Alberta – Spectacular waterfalls, rushing streams sparkling with the gold reflections of aspens and sub-alpine larch. Best time to go: September/October

For more information, see http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/tp/fallfoliage.htm.

Do you have a favorite Canadian spot to watch the leaves change? If so, tell me all about it!

Watch for future blogs on U.S. fall foliage destinations.

You probably considered skipping over this blog because you thought I was just going to lecture you on how to be a patriotic American this Independence Day.  Well, you’ll be glad you didn’t—because I have no intentions of doing that.

Instead, my mission with this blog will be to make you appear like the smartest, wittiest person at whatever Independence Day party (s) you go to.  Pretty rad, huh?  (I have no idea what that means, really).

Yes, in this blog you are going to learn all sorts of little known facts about Independence Day with which you can shock and awe your friends (or even make some new ones).  For example, did you know that:

• On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote to his beloved Abigail, “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.  I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.” He got it wrong by two days.  He thought Independence Day would be celebrated on the day the Continental Congress signed the resolution of independence from England.  Rather, it has always been celebrated on the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
• Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.
• Calvin Coolidge, the Thirtieth President, was born on July 4^th, 1872, and thus was the only President to be born on Independence Day.
• Since 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City supposedly started as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic.
• Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States
• Grilling up a hot dog or sausage for your July 4th barbecue this year?  Chances are better than 1 in 4 that it originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 19.0 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2011. This estimate represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s estimated total.

Well, that should get you through several barbeques this July 4^th.  After that, you are on your own.

Many of our Canadian readers will be heading to parades, fireworks, and outdoor celebrations this weekend in honor of Canada Day this Friday, July 1.

Canada Day marks the anniversary of Canada’s Constitution Act of 1867, which united Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada Province (now known as Ontario and Quebec) into a single country.  The Constitution Act provided Canada a substantial amount of independence, but it wasn’t until 1982 that Canada gained complete independence from the United Kingdom through the passage of the Canada Act.  It was that year that the holiday, which was formerly known as Dominion Day, was officially observed as Canada Day.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Canada Day!

As I sit here writing this, I am reminded of how many blizzards have started just outside my window this year. If you’re not into winter sports like skiing or snowboarding, it can be tough to enjoy 15 inches of snow.  So what can you do to pass the time and enjoy some snow?  Well the key is finding things to do that don’t require any real “skill” – meaning you can go out and just do it.

Whether you have kids or not, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the snow after a blizzard has passed.  I think snow tubing is an under-utilized good time.  Most ski resorts offer tubing, making it easy to enjoy the same slopes without having to painfully learn a skill.  Pretty much anywhere that gets snow has a snow tubing park in its vicinity, and a quick Google search will show the one nearest you.

Sledding.  Honestly, don’t think I need to talk this one up, but remind yourself it’s not just kids that enjoy this.  Get a few friends together, find a decent hill, maybe build a small jump, grab a cheap saucer and let the good times roll.

My final suggestion may take some creative thought on your part, but the benefit here is no need to leave your front yard. I say creative though because we need think outside of the “snowman” box.  Living in the city of Chicago I don’t even have a yard, but I could see building some kind of “snowman” next to the sidewalk being a great time. Here are a few suggestions:  snow reindeer, snow kids, snow Christmas tree, snow Chihuahua with a sweater on it, etc.  I could honestly keep going, but I think you get what I’m saying.

After Snowmageddon passes over, I’ll let you know if I take any of my own suggestions.  Maybe an urban Chicago igloo.