We’re going to Canada in the spring, and I keep thinking about all of the walking I’ll get to do around the cities we’ll be staying in - that counts for training, right? We’ll be staying in Toronto a few nights, and I plan to visit the CN Tower with the family and go to the top. I wonder if they’ll let me take the stairs? Good for the gluts! I’ve already looked at hotels downtown - I want to be in the middle of it all, within walking distance to lots of sites and attractions. The Delta Chelsea is close to the theaters, shopping, and all of the other Toronto hot spots. It also features a health club facility with weights, cycles, treadmills, saunas, and a sundeck. Hmm…wonder if they offer massages?

We travel quite a bit, and with a family our size (2 adults, 3 kids) we usually try to get a bigger hotel room. Typically, it’s not a problem when we go to Orlando - lots of hotels have suites there, so we can get a hotel room with a pull out sofa and kitchen and a separate bedroom area. I’ve noticed a disturbing trend though. A lot of hotels think that if they put a small kitchen area in the room, it counts as a suite. Nope. I don’t want a BIGGER room, I want 2 separate rooms! This is a great website listing nothing but two room suites - not these regular hotel rooms with extra stuff!

Every time I go out of town with my husband, my mom watches the kids. And when she does, she wants to make sure that if there was an emergency and we couldn’t be reached, that she would be able to get medical attention for our kids. I’ve always just typed up a generic form on the computer stating that we’re out of the county until such and such a date, and that she has permission to seek medical care for my kids, blah blah. This online power of attorney form is a much better option. If there were a true emergency, I’m sure a doctor or hospital would take that a lot more seriously than the word doc I came up with. I don’t like to think about what could happen, but it’s better to be prepared, especially when we’re so far away from home we couldn’t do a darn thing to help.

I didn’t start skiing until I was 15. I had the chance to go on a youth group trip to North Carolina, and we spent 2 days on the slopes. I absolutely LOVED it. When I visited Colorado in 2001, I knew I had to go skiing again. It was a much different experience, because the runs and mountains were much bigger and better than North Carolina. Now my husband wants to go to ski in the Canadian Rockies, at perhaps Whistler or Blackcomb. Why? Whistler is probably the best place in North America to ski, because it’s home to the continent’s 2 greatest vertical rise ski mountains, and the largest terrain for skiing in North America. Now THOSE are some mountains!

That must be why Whistler Resort will be used in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. One thing I love - at the base of the mountain are clubs, shopes dining, and spas. It’s nice to know that after a full day of skiing, there’s still plenty to do and see. Or you can hop (or hobble) to the spa for a back massage and get all of the kinks out.

And Whistler has tons of accomodation options, like Whistler Condo Rentals. I actually prefer a condo over a hotel since you not only have more room, and privacy, but you have your own kitchen if you feel like dining in. Most come with a private hot tub too. And here’s another reason why Whistler is tops - some of the condo rentals are ski in / ski out! No need to drive to the lift, just ski out of your condo to it. Now THAT is luxury!

Speaking of luxury - this Whistler condo even features heated floors and an indoor hot tub! Where do I sign up for that vacation? I’m bookmarking this site to go back when we’re ready for another skiing vacation!

To rent, that is! We were lucky enough to join friends at a beach house down south of here a few years back - the Bradenton/Sarasota/Anna Maria Island area is SUCH a beautiful place to visit! One of these Bradenton vacation rentals is on Anna Maria Island, which is a great place to see wild dolphins. The whole island is very cozy and it’s own little community - it’s not a place for wild nights and high rise resorts…which is just the reason I like it. There’s also a 96 acre park there. We really enjoyed our time there - walking down the streets at night to the quiet local bars, or driving to Siesta Key, shelling in the mornings, lounging in a hammock in the afternoon…I could get used to that kind of life.

I just got off the phone with Deb, our 3 day coach. I was inquiring about when “out of towners” should plan on flying in, where to stay, etc. She told me they have not firmed up the route yet, and when they do that they will release some travel aids with walk route, times, and recommended hotels. She did mention that opening ceremonies are at 6 AM (That’s OH-SIX-HUNDRED for those of you who do not like to get up!) , and closing ceremonies are around 4:30-5pm, and they shuffle you along on the last day to keep that time firm. So anyone who is flying in, plan on being there Thursday night, and flying out late Sunday night or on Monday. I don’t know about the rest of you, but Dana and I are planning on getting a hotel room close to the walk site for Thursday night.

Just spent a 4 day weekend at Disney, but that did not deter me from training. Our hotel, Disney’s Caribbean Beach, had an insert in the paperwork with a marked jogging/walking trail, including mileage! Dana and I did 3.6 miles on Saturday morning around the lake before everyone else was up…include all of the “Park walking”..and we probably covered a good 15 miles this weekend!