Good news for me! I've booked a getaway for next month. I am STOKED. I haven't had a getaway in... oh my goodness... it must be half a year now. This is going to be the year we travel again. :) We'll be getting a more reliable vehicle, and I'm taking a break from renovating the home this year. Although... I JUST may attempt converting the garage into living space. It will not disrupt the rest of the house, so I can go at my own pace with that. We'll see. With four almost-grown kids in the house, it's getting a tad crowded. Some of the kids need their own space, now.

Anyway, the travel plans-- I plan on going out to the Finger Lakes for a few days. A very sweet bed and breakfast establishment is going to host my stay (It's the Three Tree Inn in Geneva, NY, an absolutely gorgeous inn), and we hope to see the Montezuma Winery. I don't know what else I will be doing. I'd like to see the Seneca Falls Women's Hall of Fame, or perhaps enjoy the lake and listen for the Seneca Drums or something, hee hee.

I'm so happy that the inn is helping to sponsor my stay. I'll be giving them a review on my websites. I hope they get some great visibility from it. You know, I should start printing my own GOPromos promotional items or promotional pens or something. I've considered making a car door magnet, to advertise my travel blog a bit. While I certainly prefer going "incognito" when I travel, sometimes it is very helpful to let the tourist establishment know that I will be blogging about them. Some places are very nice when I inform them of our visit and hand over my business card. They make offer a free hot dog, or a promotional pencil or what have you. Others look at me as if to say, "What's a 'blog'?"

Oh well. I'm finding that more and more businesses are going on Twitter, which is very helpful because I am able to make contacts. I'm really looking forward to my stay in Geneva.

You know, many bed & breakfasts are not much more expensive than the hotel chains. And with the growing problems of bed bugs and other sordid hotel problems, it's much cleaner to stay at a B&B, and many B&B's are more conscious of taking care of the local community, like using green cleaning supplies and promoting local businesses. The B&Bs are also friendlier-- the hosts are very hospitable and really go out of their way to make you feel welcome. You can also discover some local history and local attractions off the beaten path (which is my kind of travel).

I just can't wait to go! I'll have plenty of photos for you. :D