BUCKET LIST TRAVEL

  I still have an adventurous spirit, although as I get older it's not as easy to move at a fast pace but last week I did it. I pulled an all nighter on a ten hour bus drive from Traverse City to Marquette . I managed to survive a near fire on the bus when we made a ten minute bathroom/shopping stop at a gas station and the bus driver realized one of the tires was ready to set fire. A half hour later the fire department was gone and another passenger and I were on the our way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on another bus with a new driver.  It was still dark outside when I arrived in Marquette. I got off the bus walked into the bus station and a helpful employee at the service desk informed me of a free city bus into downtown Marquette . Thirty minutes later the darkness turned into light and a friendly bus driver dropped me off on West Washington Street in downtown Marquette.  Marquette is a stunning city. It's a hilly city built on the shores of gorgeous Lak...

Today is my birthday June 12th and let me tell you I really wanted to be in another country for my birthday and add another country to my bucket list but it just didn't work out because I was looking after my Mother while she was in hospice this year. My precious Mother died on the 11th of May 2025 (Mother's Day in the U.S.A.) and I had to go to New York State to have her buried next to her parents and after five days in New York State and five days in the province of Ontario, Canada it was time to return back home and to my stressful job. When our dreams don't work out there are alternatives. I adapted and adjusted my plans on the day of my birthday and headed north of where I live and found out that sometimes we can find contentment right in our own backyard. Thanks to my boyfriend, my birthday turned out just fine with impromptu local travel. My boyfriend did all the driving on this road trip on the 12th of June. Heading north on U.S. 31 our first stop was Charlevoix , t...

The Dominican Republic, a Spanish speaking country in the Caribbean shares its island with Haiti. With extensive beaches, evergreen forests, fertile valleys, and even some desert zones, the Dominican Republic  is a popular Caribbean tourist destination, especially when you want to destress. When my department was outsourced at a major hotel that I worked at in Manhattan, New York, I was depressed and in denial because I loved my job. Now was the time to take a vacation and regroup. I was able to get an amazing deal to the Dominican Republic for my mother and myself. We stayed at Iberostar All- Inclusive Resort in Puerto Plata and it was awesome! Why an all inclusive resort? It's a hassle free vacation. You pay an upfront cost for accommodations, meals, drinks, and a variety of activities. My mother and I had such a happy seven days of swimming in the beautiful pool, receiving a splendid spa treatment, taking a free Spanish language course, walking on the nature trails, en...