St. Augustine, FL-A Great Place To Get Away To

Castillo de San Marcos, St.  www.oldcity.com

As much as I like the 'city life', it can be exhausting. Between traffic, crowds and noisy neighbors, it's not hard to see how being in the city can make you want to pull your hair out. Sometimes you just want to go to a place that is smaller and quiet, but where you can still have a good time. If you've just gone through something stressful like planning your wedding, you'll need to get away to preserve your sanity! My husband and I found such a place-St. Augustine, Florida. I hadn't heard of it before, but it's really just a great place to relax. If you want to go to a charming town with lots of stuff to do, that's a good place to start.

     If you ever visit St. Augustine, I highly recommend staying near the bay. My husband booked the honeymoon suite at a bed and breakfast called the Bayfront Marin House. Their 'honeymoon package' included a nighttime ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Since Florida has mild winters, the fact that our wedding was in January wasn't a problem! It was actually quite beautiful. There are all kinds of great restaurants within walking distance-High-end Cuban, Irish pub, seafood, you name it. I think our favorite was a 'mom-and-pop' seafood restaurant across from our suite. Having grown up on the beach, I have an appreciation for seafood that isn't from one of the 'big chain' restaurants.  The fact that it was on the end of a pier made it even better, because you had a beautiful view of the bay! I've never seen a Red Lobster with a view like this...have you? :)

     St. Augustine is also a lot of fun for history buffs. Being an early Spanish settlement, it's the oldest city in the United States. You can go on narrated historical tours of the town if you'd like, but you can also wander around on your own. The Spanish watchtower at Fort Matanzas and the Castillo de San Marcos (the government center of the empire) are very well-preserved, so you can get a good idea about what life was like in the early days of the city. The architecture is simply stunning, especially considering that it's over 400 years old! There is also the Lightner Museum and the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, which are good places to go if you have an affection for the truly unusual. I'd suggest skipping the 'shrunken head' exhibit if you've just eaten, but the stained-glass and crystal items are simply gorgeous! If wax figures are your thing, there is also Potter's Wax Museum. The figures of people are so life-like that you just want to go up and touch them. We have a friend who is a dead ringer for Earnest Hemmingway, so it was kind of creepy seeing that statue! :)

     For people who just like to shop, St. Augustine has a very nice historical district with all kinds of small shops and eateries within walking distance. Like many waterfront towns, there are the cute little shops that sell gaudy souvenirs, salt-water taffy and homemade fudge. What was exceptional, though, was that some of them held classes on how to pull your own taffy or make your own candies! If you're into the paranormal, you can take one of the 'ghost tours' through some of the haunted buildings and alleys. They aren't 'silly-scary' like the haunted houses at the county fair, but there is definitely a fun 'creepiness' in the air!

     If you want a great honeymoon destination or just a fun place to relax, St. Augustine is a quiet Florida town with plenty of variety. Unfortunately we were only able to stay a few days, so we didn't get to do everything. If you want to know more about the city or plan a vacation, visit www.oldcity.com.

Annual Motorcycling Events

  

If you've read one of my earlier posts about motorcycling (http://www.womensoutdoorlife.com/2011/11/womans-guide-to-motorcycling.html), you've seen that it isn't as scary as one might think. It can actually be a lot of fun! If you're wondering where or when you'd use your newfound steel horse, there are plenty of events each year where bikers from all over get together to socialize, 'talk shop' and even raise money for charity.

Each year, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation holds its Ride For Kids in various parts of the country. Along with corporate sponsors such as Honda Riders' Club of America and GEICO Insurance, riders raise money toward research for a cause and cure for childhood brain tumors. The minimum donation to participate is $35, but there are all sorts of premium items (hats, t-shirts, helmets etc) for people who raise more money. Even if you don't want a hat or t-shirt, however, you can take home with you the fact that you've helped fund a cure for brain tumors in children. Since the events are held in areas ranging from south Florida to Los Angeles to Puget Sound, WA, it's easy to find an event near you. For more information, check out http://www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/.

One annual event that I find particularly interesting is Myrtle Beach Bike Week. I like these events because the Myrtle Beach, SC area is a very nice place to take a vacation. While the name would imply that it only happens once a year at the same time every year, this isn't true. In order to avoid the madhouse that is Myrtle Beach in the summer, they alternate years between having it in the fall and in the spring. It also spans areas from Florence, SC to the NC/SC line, so there are plenty of places to stay outside of the city. There are live bands, specials on accommodations and restaurants, and even a Mothers' Day ride to honor the 'biker moms' in our lives! My father and uncle have ridden in this event a few times; I grew up about an hour away, so it's not much of a trek. Myrtle Beach and the surrounding area is home to some of the best restaurants and hotels you'll ever see, so it's definitely worth your while to visit! For more information, go to http://www.myrtlebeachbikeweek.com/.

If you've always wanted to see the whole country, there is the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. Named after the battle cry of Sioux warrior Crazy Horse, this annual race takes participants through 48 states and some parts of Canada. For example, the 2012 route will go from Las Vegas, NV to New York City. The route is less than 6000 miles, but you can join at any stop if you don't want to go the whole way. There's one rule, though-no speeding! This is not for the faint of heart, but can be a very rewarding experience for those with a strong sense of adventure! For more information and to register participants, visit http://www.hokaheychallenge.com/index.html.

These are just a few of the many annual motorcycle events you can join if you want to get outside with your bike and see the country in the process. If you'd like to find out if there are any rallies or events near you, check out http://www.motorcyclelife.net/ and http://www.lightningcustoms.com/. If you are more interested in a charity ride, visit http://www.travelingbikers.com/charities.html for a list of events and receiving charities. If nothing else, it's a great way to meet people!

Skiing safety tips

The summer's over, and fall has begun. The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and winter is on its way. This would be the perfect time to start planning for that holiday trip or weekend stay at the ski lodge. Such trips are fun, but they can also be dangerous if you don't take the right precautions. Whether you've skied before or not, here are a few tips to make sure your trip is safe and fun for all.

• Start getting into shape now. Some vacation activities involve sitting back, relaxing and doing as little as possible. Skiing is not one of them. While there are many opportunities throughout the year to get into shape, you will need to be sure you are in good physical condition before you hit the slopes. Skiing a pretty strenuous workout, and you will need to be ready to handle it.
• Take skiing lessons. Even if this isn't your first time skiing, it's still a good idea to sign up for lessons. You can never go wrong with brushing up on your skills.
• Be prepared for the weather. While the need for cold-weather gear probably seems obvious, some people will skimp on it because they think that wearing too many clothes during exercise will make them 'too hot'. Do not do this! Wear layers and bring extras of things such as hats and gloves. You will need the layers in case you get wet, which is very likely to happen when dealing with snow. A hat and ear protection are essentials in keeping warm and preventing frostbite.
  Also, just because it's cold doesn't mean that you don't still need sunscreen or eye protection. These things are actually more of a priority during this time of year because the sun reflects so strongly off of the snow and can easily give you a sunburn or hurt your eyes. Also, you need to wear protective goggles to keep the UV rays away from your eyes and make sure you can see properly. You definitely don't want to be going down a slope at several miles an hour without being able to see where you are going!
• Be sure you have the proper equipment. Well-fitting boots, helmets and wrist or knee guards are essentials, as well as a good pair of goggles.
• Follow the rules. Each lodge will have its own rules and courtesy guidelines. These are for your safety, so you definitely need to pay attention to them.
• Know your limits! As tempting as it may be to show off to your friends, you need to be aware of the limits of your body and skiing skill. Some of the worst skiing injuries come from pushing your limits too far.

These are only a few of the things you would want to know before embarking on a skiing trip. For more information, About.com and 'ABC of Skiing' (http://www.abc-of-skiing.com/ski-safety/before-hitting-the-slopes.asp) are good sites to visit. 

Have fun, and be safe!

Tournament Time

Challenge Yourself By Engaging In Friendly Competition

There are plenty of opportunities for women to test their casting and catching skills by fishing in a tournament or two. Tournaments are a great way to connect with other female anglers, learn more about the sport and, most importantly, enjoy some time out on the water. It's always a good idea to attend the captain's meeting prior to the tournament if at all possible. The organizer will review the rules at the captain's meeting and provide a forum to ask questions if any of the rules or regulations are unclear. Knowing the rules will help avoid lost time, lost fish and confusion during the actual event.

Here are a few of our favorite women's tournaments in the state of Florida:

May - Women's Professional Tarpon Tournament Series (WPTTS), Boca Grande, FL
Contact Joe Mercurio, PTTStv@gmail.com

October - Hooked On Hope, St Petersburg, FL
Contact Lori Deaton, hookedonhope@gmail.com

December - Chix-N-Stix, Cape Coral, FL
Contact Kristi Riley, kristiriley@gmail.com