Blogging is something I have wanted to do for several years now...just never seem to find the time. With one daughter married (and a new mom) one a full time student (also a mom) and the youngest now working full time in...tourism. I find I have a few more moments to dedicate to my passion.

After several years I have penned rambling accounts of cruises, land vacations, extended weekends and short local get-aways. You see I work in Tourism, so Monday through Friday I am working on promoting a STATE the size of many nations. But it's the weekend and holidays that I enjoy blasting off to some exotic or historical location with my husband and favorite travel companion Richard.

Research is so important to developing a great travel experience. I learned to research from my mom, who has traveled the globe, to places on nearly every Continent and developed extensive and specific itineraries. After each trip my mom would clip from the tour books and magazines, retain receipts and notes and develop a scrapbook (one of the original ones before it became a fad.)

My husband is also a fabulous researcher. Leaving no stone unturned he wades through web pages and pages of information and background. I guess I am more "Big Picture." I love the planning and sharing of ideas and I am always looking for anything beyond the beaten path.

I think of my travel experiences as "what happens along the way." For as I see it, the journey starts when you get the idea of where you want to go. The planning, research, packing, and arriving is all part of the journey.

So with this blog I plan to write about travels...And the first trip is a well planned trip in Northern California that I affectionately call NorCal FAM (that is until I come up with a better name.)

Thanks for reading,

JOnelle'