To wrap up the month of May at Sunday Stills, let’s share our favorite vacation spots. As more of the world gets vaccinated against Covid-19, masks are coming off and the world is opening up! Hallelujah!
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
John Muir
This week, I am sharing my favorite vacation images from my archives. Now, some of you world travelers, like Sarah, will have to choose your favorites, (aren’t they all though?).
“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.”
Seneca
While you think of your favorite vacation spots, remember why we take vacations. In my retired world, every day seems like Saturday and I’ve been on a perpetual vacation for a few months. But think of a vacation in broader terms, like leisure and travel, and how they are all connected. My point (finally) is this: How do the concepts of leisure, vacation, and travel make you feel? Would you say that these words invoke healing when you experience their manifestation?
According to Marsha at Always Write, her newest WQWWW (Writer’s Quote Wednesday) is “healing” and I suggest this is what time off does for us in the form of a vacation, leisure time in a hobby or physical activity, or travel! This quote speaks volumes:
“In matters of healing the body or the mind, vacation is a true genius!”
Mehmet Murat Ildan
Join me as I share my galleries of trips down memory lane and hum along to the song titles. I apologize in advance for any earworms created. You will notice how many of my favorite vacation spots feature the colors blue and green, which ties in nicely to Tina’s Lens-Artists challenge this week!
I Left My Heart in … a US National Park
“Within National Parks is room–glorious room–room in which to find ourselves, in which to think and hope, to dream and plan, to rest and resolve.”
Enos Mills
My family spent a LOT of time visiting national parks, notably Yosemite and Sequoia, since they were in California. Last July, I spent a couple of hours in Sequoia with Marsha, when she lived 30 minutes away in Central California.
Yosemite Valley 
South Rim of the Grand Canyon 
Meandering Black Bear in Sequoia 
Terri and Marsha
Down In Mexico
“Never underestimate the healing power of these three things – music, the ocean and the stars.”
Unknown
My windsurfing husband dragged me to Baja, Mexico three times to the La Paz area. In nearby La Ventana is incredible windsurfing and kite boarding. I took my turns windsurfing in the Sea of Cortez as well as some stand-up paddling. A great vacation spot!
Swimming with Whale Sharks 
Windsurfing Sea of Cortez 
Early Baja Sunrise
California Dreamin’
“Nature itself is the best physician.”
Hippocrates
Because I lived in California most of my life, I spent the first 20 years in San Diego and the rest in Sacramento (Northern California). On two San Diego vacations, I met fellow blogger, Janis, for lunch twice, and one lunch there with Liesbet, who I met in Sacramento! Since 2009, my vacations consisted of summer weekends at the Sacramento River Delta, with occasional visits to Yosemite. It has been my goal to stand-up paddle on every significant body of water on vacations!
Paddling Mammoth Lakes 
Finishing a SUP race in the delta 
SUP session in Lake Tahoe 
Morning stand-up paddle session in Mission Beach, San Diego. 
Enjoying Mono Lake, didn’t bring the SUP 
Three new windsurfers enjoying a light-wind day
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
“Walk in nature and feel the healing power of the trees.“
Anthony William
Arizona was and still is a winter vacation choice. Not only did we meet fellow blogger, Ingrid and her husband in North Phoenix two years in a row, my brother and recently my stepdaughter now live in the Phoenix area. Winter roadtrip 2022 is in the works!
Gorgeous Red Rocks of Sedona 
Snow on Red Rock of Sedona 
Beautiful Cave Creek 
Saguaro Cactus 
Walking through the Phoenix Botanical Gardens
Blue Hawaii
“Leisure, some degree of it, is necessary to the health of every man’s spirit.”
Harriet Martineau
I’ve been lucky to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii in 2018 and 2019 with the goal to fix up and sell my husband’s house on the Hilo side. The house is dilapidated and needs work that we just cannot do at this time in our lives. This year we will make final arrangements for its sale. During these weeks, we did manage to do a bit of relaxing and exploring after taking care of the home. Hilo is not the tourist mecca like Kona is, but it serves as the county seat where most of the government infrastructure is housed. Hilo is also the wettest city in the US. In 2018 we visited Volcanoes National Park before the last eruption took place. In 2019, I got to visit the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Gardens with fellow blogger, Graham. We had a blast taking tons of photos!
Black Sand Beach, Hilo 
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory 
Lonely fisherman casts his net on Hilo Bay 
Overlooking Hilo Bay 
Entrance to the magical gardens! 
“Blue Bayou” Hibiscus hybrid
Viva Las Vegas
“Life’s short. Eat dessert first, work less and vacation MORE!!”
Lia Mishell
Las Vegas, Nevada is known for its casinos and nightlife. It’s also a great place for winter RV camping. In 2018, our winter roadtrip to the Southwest was cut short by unseasonable cold and snow, so we high-tailed it to Las Vegas as our last stop and enjoyed a pleasant week. Unable to visit Antelope Canyon that borders southern Utah and northern Arizona, we stumbled on the Valley of Fire State Park just an hour northeast of Las Vegas. I still got my slot canyon fix and plenty of hiking! In 2018, we met up with fellow blogger Maria, formerly of Sagittarius Viking, still on Instagram.
Sams Town RV Park 
RV camping at Sam’s Town 
Entering the Narrows of Valley of Fire 
Driving through Valley of Fire 
Petroglyphs in white domes area, Valley of Fire 
White Domes Area
I sum up my vacation experience thus far with this meme I created when I was teaching leisure education and management at Sacramento State University. These surfboards were situated at a windsurf resort. I took the picture and added this thought to help make the point about taking time off of work or other obligations and enjoying leisure time!
You Are My Home
“Come to the woods for here is rest.“
John Muir
One year ago almost to the day (May 2020), my husband and I stood together on our property for the first time.
We’ve come a long way in one year, figuratively and literally! We are moved in and enjoying everything that goes along with building! All during a pandemic, no less.
Our vacation of choice in 2021 will be a “staycation” since we are new to our home and hoping people visit us as we continually move in. Will the unpacking and getting everything just right never end?
If camping in an RV counts as a vacation, then our 2-month stay in North Spokane RV Park was quite lovely despite winter/early spring-living while we waited for our home to be ready.
Like this Canada Goose family enjoying their home near a local lake, we expect to enjoy all the area has to offer. Submitted for Lisa’s Bird Weekly.
We plan to take some local overnight and weekend trips to the German/Bavarian town of Leavenworth; the Columbia River Gorge near Mt Hood, Oregon—motivated by windsports; and Sandpoint, Idaho; and beyond.
I know several bloggers who live near these areas, so lets meet up when the time is right!
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
- Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
- Title your blog post a little differently than mine.
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post. I also recommend adding your post’s URL into the comments.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Use hashtag #SundayStills for sharing on social media.
June Themes are on my Sunday Stills Photography Page
Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Each week I share the links from the previous post so you can continue to meet and support each other. And with that…
Good Gray Matter in these Blogger’s Links
- Away We Go
- Always Write
- Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
- Cee’s Photo Challenges
- Deb’s World
- Denyse Whelan Blogs
- Easin’ Along Image in comments
- EquipoiseLife
- Geriatrix Fotogallerie
- Graham’s Island
- Hugh’s Views and News
- Jacquie Biggar, Author
- JP The Wide-Eyed Wanderer
- Kamerapromenader
- Life Lessons
- Light Words
- Loving Life
- Musin’ with Susan
- Natalie the Explorer
- Now At Home
- Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After
- Picture This
- Photos By Jez
- Travel with Me
I am looking forward to seeing your favorite places where you vacation and relax! Speaking of relaxing, Sunday Stills is taking a break next Sunday as my family celebrates a long Memorial Day weekend. See you in June and have a great week!
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