Karen’s Opinion

My husband and I are vacationing in Breckenridge, Colorado. We have been enjoying ourselves although it took a little bit of time, water and ibuprofen to get over the altitude sickness we felt our first day here.

We have been walking a lot and have to be careful because there is ice on the sidewalks. The weather was a beautiful 70 degrees today. We actually got hot wearing our heavy coats. We went on a search today to find souvenirs for our family. There are tons of t-shirt shops. It reminds me of Pigeon Forge, TN and Myrtle Beach, SC. Every shop has the same thing! The trick is to find the best price.

We ate lunch at a French Bakery. We had a ham and cheese crepe. I didn’t know there was another type of crepe besides sweet ones. The one we had was made with buckwheat flour. It was yummy. We enjoyed talking to the baker about his business. He pays $4800 per month in rent for his shop! He must have to sell a lot of pastries to pay that kind of rent each month. He said that is how it is in Breckenridge.

Here is a picture of the French Bakery:

We are supposed to have record breaking cold temperatures beginning tomorrow. I don’t know if I am ready. I want to escape!

I would love to visit Branson again. (That’s me in the photo above).

Branson is the entertainment capital of the Midwest and offers so many shops and boutiques that you can shop until you drop. There are as many restaurants that would enable you to visit a different one every day of the week. During the winter months, their Hilton Branson Escape Package offers many exciting programs that make winter a lot more inviting. The Polar Plunge is a great event that raises money for charity. I doubt I would participate in that but it sure would be fun to watch others plunging their warm bodies into freezing water in the name of charity.

The Winter Escape Package available at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel also offers a different type of art festival. Branson holds an Annual Ice Carving festival. I would love to see the beautiful sculptures that the artists produce. I have heard that they are amazing.

Although the events would be fun, I would be as happy to settle in at the Hilton Promenade and read a book. I love getting away and relaxing. Not having to cook is another lure for me. Branson has a beautiful river walk that is fun and lets everyone enjoy nature’s beauty. That’s the wonderful thing about Branson. You can be as busy as you want or relax in ways that fit your needs.

We enjoyed the holiday season by getting together with our family. It is becoming harder to do that though because our kids are beginning to move away from their home towns. I have been thinking about trying to get together in Tennessee or Ohio at a theme park or somewhere that offers different types of entertainment. I want to find a place that has something for everyone, old and young.

For the past few years, my mom has talked about going to Branson, Missouri. She has heard about the beautiful views and comfortable weather they have there. I have been there before and know she would love the shows. I still remember the look on my mother in-laws face when Andy Williams took her hand and sang directly to her. I didn’t think she would ever wash that hand. The shows are fabulous and are geared towards young and old alike. With 49 theaters, I think we can find something to see that suits us all.

The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is a terrific spot to book rooms for all of us. Their holiday packages make it most affordable to visit during the holiday season. It is within walking distance of all the shows and shopping areas. Because the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is in the heart of historic downtown Branson, it would give our history buffs a chance to satisfy their curiosity and still let us shoppers shop til we drop.

Branson is a wonderful vacation spot any time of the year.

I knew that this week would go by much too quickly. Our daughter has been here this week. She lives in Florida and flew, in an airplane, to visit us before she is deployed. We have been having fun just goofing around. This is a picture of her downloading tunes to my computer. Isn’t she nice? I was telling her all about a “new” singer that I like, Duffy and that she needed to check out her song, Mercy. She let me know that she had put that song on a cd for me the last time she was home and that the cd is in my car. Wow! I need to pay more attention. Stacy was able to get my credit card out of the dash of my car. I talked about my predicament on my other blog in case you are wondering what the heck I am talking about.

One of the most memorable vacations we ever took was when we went to Vegas last year. We had not been to Vegas in a while and boy had it changed. There is a wonderful wax museum called, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Wax Museum. Located at the beautiful Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino, visits to the museum are a one of a kind experience. It was exciting, yet eerie to be in a museum where the characters seem so real. Can you imagine standing next to Johnny Depp?

Las Vegas is one city that I think every one should visit at least once in their lifetime. Even if you do not gamble, it is interesting to see all the magnificent architecture. The fountains and walkways are thrilling to see. The Eiffel Tower is beautiful. I loved seeing the light show on the water fall at the new Wynns hotel. Even the restrooms are filled with beautiful paintings and ceramic tile. The floral arrangements are out of this world. I admire how all the hotels come together to make Vegas such a showplace. It is like no other place in the world.

Online travel guides from Trusted Tours are useful when planning any vacation. They have the experience to get you where you want to go at a price you can afford. When you check out their site, you will be astounded at all the choices of tour packages. While you are at their website, be sure to sign up for their newsletter. Signing up for their newsletter will give you a chance to win a win a handheld GPS. Wouldn’t that be fun?!