Read more about the article An Overnight Stay at Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain, GA

An Overnight Stay at Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain, GA

One of my favorite getaways is Callaway Gardens. People sometimes laugh when they hear this as it’s only 90 minutes from Atlanta. However, in the mid-1970’s and early 80’s my parents took me there (over 600 miles from my hometown of Shreveport, LA) for a one-week vacation every summer for many years. I loved it because they offered a day-camp for kids led by Florida State University (FSU) students. The students also participated in the FSU Flying High Circus which performed during the summers. My parents joined planned activities for adults including water skiing, sailing, a trip to near-by Warm Springs, fishing, tennis and golf. We stayed in cottages, rode bikes everywhere, made new friends and ate delicious food. It was the southern (and mostly non-Jewish) version of the Catskills resorts in New York. Because it holds many fond memories, I often return for a respite from city life.

A few azaleas remain from the spring.

I needed such a respite last May so I booked a solo overnight trip. However, I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d visited until I noticed half of the Mountain Creek Inn disappeared. (more…)

Read more about the article Fairfield Place B&B – Shreveport, LA
Fairfield Place Bed & Breakfast

Fairfield Place B&B – Shreveport, LA

We had a delightful experience staying at Fairfield Place Bed & Breakfast a few weeks ago in my hometown of Shreveport, LA.

First I have to tell you about Shreveport lodging – or lack thereof. The first night I spent in a Shreveport hotel was after I got married. Located downtown, we stayed at a hotel surrounded by 7 off-ramps from I-20 outside our window. At the time, that was one of Shreveport’s premier downtown hotels.

Most newer hotels sit near the Shreveport airport or along the interstate in Bossier City. Neither locations are convenient to my old stomping grounds. In recent years, a couple of hotels have cropped up near LSU-S, but they have gotten expensive due to proximity to the campus and one of the larger hospitals.

On this last trip, I decided to try one of the bed & breakfast places in the Fairfield Historic District. I’d always heard about Fairfield Place since it was one of the first historic houses that converted to a B&B in the early 1980s. Also, Chef John Carriere of Monjuni’s fame bought the place around 10 years ago.

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Read more about the article A Day in Santa Fe
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

A Day in Santa Fe

At the expense of a day in Santa Fe, we spent one of our two allotted days skiing at Taos. Although I wouldn’t trade the opportunity to snow ski on a perfect April sunny day in uncrowded conditions (rare), we didn’t get to explore Santa Fe as much as I hoped.

We arrived at the Sante Fe Plaza, the heart of the 400-year-old city around dusk. Not only is it the oldest US capital city it’s also the highest elevation US capital city at 7,000 feet (surpassing Denver by over 1,000 feet). No wonder visitors flock here during the hot summer months.

Historic Santa Fe

Although the plaza was quiet, we walked around the historic district taking in the adobe architecture. Soon, we came to a park and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis Assisi.

The Romanesque Revival style cathedral felt more European than American Southwest. Although the site of a church since its founding. Santa Fe’s first bishop, Father Baptist Lamy, replaced the 1714 structure with the new cathedral in the 1870s honoring his French roots.

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