Page 3 of Tesha Travel Blog Posts


Central America Caribbean » Puerto Rico December 10th 2009

OUR VILLA You can see the ocean from our rooftop. Framed by a line of rooftop patios, it’s a gorgeous scene. Our villa is as large as a house. Set off a gated street, its one of about 10 that line up side by side. Each is a different color. The brightness extends into the villa. Walls are yellow, green and red. It is vibrant and tropical. The first floor is mostly an open living room, with a small galley kitchen and half-bathroom. Part of the main level is taken up by the garage, which is a great place to store kayaks. The wide staircase leads up to two bedrooms with double-size bunks on the left, a bathroom, a large laundry room, and a spacious master bedroom suite. The same tile runs through the home tying ... read more
Street view
Our villa
Patio


BYE, BYE SNOWY MINNESOTA It’s hard to come up with something good to say about a day spent in an airplane. We woke up at 4 a.m., showered, and headed out into a snowstorm. Brr. Ordinarily, I would have hunkered down at home. Instead, I wrapped the nine-month-old baby up and out we went. She was less than thrilled. It was the first time a cold, winter wind had whipped across her face. I put her into the truck and she started to cry. Poor baby. She didn’t know what was going on. She knew it was out of the ordinary though, and had trouble napping the two days prior. My sister-in-law was right on time (thanks so very much!). Off we went. Despite the slippery, snowy roads, we made it to the airport in less ... read more
Breakfast at McD's
Peek-A-Boo
More Peek-A-Boo

North America » United States » Minnesota » Saint Paul December 8th 2009

Built inside a historic train repair shop, this Best Western is the most unique hotel I've stayed at. The original train tracks run through the floor! The original wooden ceiling beams are still there, as well. The rooms are all situated around a lobby with a platform that replicates a train stop along a train route. How fun is that? Get wireless high-speed Internet and a free continental breakfast. There is also complimentary parking, an indoor pool and whirlpool, a kiddie pool and exercise room. Although we didn't get a full night's rest there because of our early morning flight, I would recommend the place to anyone. We'll be back. 1010 Bandana Boulevard West St. Paul, MN 55108 (651) 647-1637 http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=24130... read more
Best Western
Train station platform
Lobby

North America » United States » Minnesota » Alexandria August 30th 2009

Find peace without driving to the Minnesota-Canada border. I’ve always gone up to Voyageur National Park to center myself. I’ve found that a dose of wilderness brings calm back to my soul. But with a five-month-old baby, I wasn’t up to boating into a remote campsite. I discovered that at some state parks, you can “cart in.” These campsites are slightly off the beaten track. I was a bit hesitant knowing how much stuff I bring camping now because of the baby. I wasn’t sure we wouldn’t be trekking back and forth between the truck and campsite. But it worked great and we’d do it again. I loved not hearing the constant hum of vehicles circling round us like we had at Forestville State Park earlier this summer. Glendalough was tranquil. Relaxing. Minnesota’s newest state park ... read more
Relaxing
Snack at DQ
Clues

North America » United States » Minnesota May 31st 2009

Today we’re heading home. After waking up and making what’s left of the bacon, we pack up. We’ve got one more place to see before we turn the truck back north. It’s actually the reason we came to Forestville. MYSTERY CAVE The name itself is enough to entice me. I’ve always been interested in going underground to see what wonders have been carved into stone by centuries of dripping water. I’ve been in caves outside Monterrey, Mexico, in Tennessee, South Dakota and Missouri (the Mark Twain Cave). It could have been Mark Twain himself who inspired my love of caves with his book, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Until recently I had no idea there were two caves in Minnesota. Both are near each other: Mystery Cave is within a 15 minute drive of Forestville State ... read more
Bend River
Bend River in park
Dandelion

North America » United States » Minnesota May 30th 2009

While away an afternoon in Historic Forestville. Guides bring you back to 1899. Shop in a general store with original merchandise left on the shelves. Then head over to the kitchen to sample tasty bread cooked that day. Bring the kids out to the barn to try wood carving. Located in southern Minnesota inside Forestville State park, the historic site is managed by the Minnesota Historical Society.... read more

North America » United States » Minnesota May 30th 2009

I love the sound of rain on a tent, and the fresh smell it brings. Although the weather man said rain was in the forecast for Saturday night, it came on Friday. Figures. But we didn’t sweat it; our tent was leakproof so we just snuggled down deeper and kept sleeping. I was worried about the baby, but she was fine. She seems to really enjoy this camping thing. She’s been sleeping better and longer than she has in weeks. BABY GEAR Well, I learned that you don’t need much baby gear for a 2 1/2 month old baby. We didn’t need the pack N play; she slept in her car seat with a wool blanket draped over it for warmth. And we only used the strolled once; I preferred to put her in the sling ... read more
Bridge in Park
Bridge details
Travelers

North America » United States » Minnesota May 29th 2009

Bring the kids to Zollman Zoo in Oxbow Park. Located about 20 minutes west of Rochester, this county-run zoo and park is free. Check out owls, prairie dogs, badgers, bald eagles, cougars, river otters and more.... read more


With a two and one-half month old baby, we knew we couldn't undertake a long road trip for our first anniversary. But I had a hankering to go someplace. My hubby gave me these perimeters: 3 hours or 200 miles. I knew I wanted to go south, having gone north and froze too many times in early summer. I dug out one of my favorite books, "Backroads of Minnesota", and starting reading. Forestville State Park caught my eye. It sounded like a great place to camp with fun things to do nearby. We could be as busy or as relaxed as we wanted to be. Sounded perfect. Being a vacation our way, we didn’t get started until mid-morning on Friday, May 29. Baby was fed and ready for a nap right about then. Things didn’t start ... read more
Zollman Zoo
Cougar at Zollman Zoo
Info sign

Asia » China » Beijing August 31st 2008




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