Last day at Paws Up

Sunday was my last full day here, and we had a nature hike scheduled for 10 AM. Paulette (my new friend from ProTravel in Beverly Hills) and I got to the Wilderness Center after another great breakfast and met our guide, Dean. We went by van and were dropped off at a trail head about a mile from the center. We hadn't been walking for very long when I heard a branch snap, we stopped, and I saw a big black bear, and then another smaller, cinnamon bear....we were able to watch them run off for a few seconds and were thrilled with the sighting! The wildflowers along the trail were gorgeous and in full bloom. The weather was perfect for a hike, warm and sunny. We walked the trail though woods and fields, and at another brief stop, I looked down and saw some "poop"...I asked Dean what he thought left it, and he said, Mountain Lion...I'm counting that as an animal sighting! We then saw a mother turkey and her brood of chicks, and a coyote not too far from them. After 2 hours we were almost done with our hike, and as we waited for the van to pick us up, a bald eagle flew above us. All in all a very successful nature hike! I spent the rest of the afternoon reading a book and getting my last bit of relaxation of my vacation. Monday is a long travel day and it's back to work first thing Tuesday morning. I am very pleased with everything at Paws Up. From the electric vehicles available for visitors to use, to the no plastic bottles policy, to the extremely attentive staff, this resort will be highly recommended by me for a long time to come. Make sure to take the opportunity to visit this most beautiful "Last Best Place".

More Paws Up

Today was a Chamber of Commerce day...the bluest skies I've seen in a long time, temp around 75 degrees, cool wind. I got a book and sat on the deck in my bathing suit, got some sun, then hit the hot tub for a bit...my legs still were sore from my horseback riding day...then I did the most wonderful thing...I had a hot stone massage, in a tent, looking out at snow capped mountains. First of all, I've never had a hot stone massage, and I must say, it's the best massage I've ever had. And with the fresh mountain air...amazing. My legs no longer are sore and I've finally realized that I'm in Montana. What a beautiful awe inspiring country...I feel not only refreshed, but ready for my next adventure here at Paws Up...a little wine, great company from all across the country and even the time change isn't bothering me any more. For dinner tonight I'm trying the Bison...all the food here is amazing. Tomorrow, we are taking a 2 h our guided hike throughout the countryside. I'm really looking forward to it. See you then!

Paws Up Day 2

I really enjoyed the horseback ride yesterday, even though I had a problem with a saddle that didn't fit and my butt is really sore today! We had a great bar-b-Que dinner with the owner, Nadine, last night, with a jazz band, kids playing outside and really good company. Local residents also joined the dinner and it was interesting to hear how much they appreciated the local support Paws Up provides, from artists to farmers. The fireplaces were roaring, since the weather has gone from hot to cold to rain to sun 7 or 8 times during the day. I love it. I fell asleep so fast and as always was up with the sun, which here is 5 AM...oh, it doesn't get dark until 10 PM so my internal clock is a little screwed up. Today I am going to relax this morning, read a book and wait for my 1 PM massage...what a perfect was to spend the day. I'm sure I'll find time to walk around and look for animals. Yesterday I saw a skunk, a fox, a coyote, plenty of deer and ground squirrels. I'm still looking to see elk. Maybe today. The staff here is so accommodating, your really want for nothing. I'm looking forward to great meals again today. And who knows what tonight will bring. There's always something to do...or in my case, since I choose to...nothing. Check out my Facebook page for lot's of images.

Paws Up Day 1

My first night at Paws Up was so cozy...it's about 30 minutes from the airport in Missoula, and a beautiful drive. The mountains are awesome! They've had a lot of rain up here lately so everything is very green. Once I got to the resort, I checked in at the beautifully rustic main office, then was brought to the house I'll be staying at for the next 3 days. This is a huge 3 bedroom, 3 bath ranch style house, (think Ponderosa) with huge private bedrooms, bathrooms en suite, a massive fireplace in the living area and a fully stocked kitchen. The bathrooms have tubs and showers and great etched glass. Cocktails were in the bar, Trough, and on the deck overlooking the fields going off into the distance, where the horses were grazing. Dinner was magnificent. Brown butter for the bread, a watermelon, tomato, olive salad...( I never thought of that combination before and it was delicious) and the best elk I've ever had. A subtle red wine, and nice light desert put me completely ready to get into bed after my 10 hours of travel, even though it doesn't get dark here until after 10 pm. The bed is dreamy, soft, comfortable, warm, all those superlatives that describe my first great nights sleep. Today, we start with a site inspection that will take all morning. Then my horseback ride. I'll continue later tonight.....

The Resort at Paws Up-Montana

I've been waiting to to to Montana all my life. The Northwest is one of the few places I haven't been, so going to The Resort at Paws Up is really exciting for me. First, getting away from the heat for a few days will be marvelous, and I understand it's been in the 40's at night, 70's during the day. And I'll get some good horse time for the first time in over 6 months...and riding inn the mountains will be breathtaking, I'm sure. I will keep up this blog over the next 4 days and give detailed descriptions about the property, food, activities and surroundings. I'm sure there will be lot's of good things to say about Paws Up. Until tomorrow

Travel Agents Experiences funny stories

I don't know who these are from...I received them in an email...and even if they're not all true, they are just too funny to ignore. As travel agents we hear all kinds of silly things, but these take the cake.

Subject: US Travel Agent Experience

US Travel Agent ExperienceA DC airport ticket agency offers some examples of 'why' our country is in trouble!
1. I had a New Hampshire Congresswoman (Carol Shea-Porter) ask for an aisle seat so that her hair wouldn't get messed up by being near the window. (On an airplane!)

2. I got a call from a Kansas Congressman's (Moore) staffer (Howard Bauleke), who wanted to go to Capetown. I started to explain the length of the flight and the passport information, and then he interrupted me with, ''I'm not trying to make you look stupid, but Capetown is in Massachusetts .'' Without trying to make him look stupid, I calmly explained, ''Cape Cod is in Massachusetts , Capetown is in Africa ''. His response -- click.

3. A senior Vermont Congressman (Bernie Sanders) called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what was wrong with the vacation in Orlando . He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried toexplain that's not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, 'don't lie to me, I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state!'' (OMG)

4. I got a call from a lawmaker's wife (Landra Reid) who asked, ''Is it possible to see England from Canada ?'' I said, ''No.'' She said, ''But they look so close on the map.'' (OMG, again!)

5. An aide for a cabinet member(Janet Napolitano) once called and asked if he could rent a car in Dallas . I pulled up the reservation and noticed he had only a 1-hour layover in Dallas . When I asked him why hewanted to rent a car, he said, ''I heard Dallas was a big airport, and we will need a car to drive between gates to save time.'' (Aghhhh)

6.An Illinois Congresswoman (Jan Schakowsky) called last week. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:30 a.m., and got to Chicago at 8:33 a.m. I explained that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois , but she couldn't understand the concept of time zones. Finally, I told her the plane went fast, and she bought that.

7. A New York lawmaker, (Jerrold Nadler) called and asked, ''Do airlines put your physical description on your bag so they know whose luggage belongs to whom?'' I said, 'No, why do you ask?' he replied, ''Well, when I checked in with the airline, they put a tag on my luggage that said (FAT), and I'm overweight. I think that's very rude!'' After putting him on hold for a minute, while I looked into it. (I was dying laughing). I came back and explained the city code for Fresno , Ca. is (FAT - Fresno Air Terminal), and the airline was just putting adestination tag on his luggage.

8. A Senator John Kerry aide (Lindsay Ross) called to inquire about a trip package to Hawaii . After going over all the cost info, she asked, ''Would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train toHawaii ?''

9. I just got off the phone with a freshman Congressman, Bobby Bright (D) from Ala who asked, ''How do I know which plane to get on?'' I asked him what exactly he meant, to which he replied, ''I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these planes have numbers on them.''

10. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) called and said, ''I need to fly to Pepsi-Cola , Florida . Do I have to get on one of those little computer planes?'' I asked if she meant fly to Pensacola , FL on a commuter plane. She said, ''Yeah, whatever, smarty!''

11. Mary Landrieu (D) La. Senator called and had a question about the documents she needed in order to fly to China . After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded her that she needed a visa. 'Oh,no I don't. I've been to China many times and never had to have one of those.'' I double checked and sure enough, her stay required a visa. When I told her this she said, ''Look, I've been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express!''

12. A New Jersey Congressman ( John Adler) called to make reservations, ''I want to go from Chicago to Rhino, New York ..'' I was at a loss for words. Finally, I said, ''Are you sure that's the name of the town?'' 'Yes, what flights do you have?'' replied the man. After some searching, I came back with, ''I'm sorry, sir, I've looked up every airport code in the country and can't find a Rhino anywhere." ''The man retorted, ''Oh, don't be silly! Everyone knows where it is. Check your map!'' So I scoured a map of the state of New York and finally offered, ''You don't mean Buffalo , do you?'' The reply? ''Whatever! I knew it was a big animal..''


Now you know why the Government is in the shape that it's in! Could anyone be this DUMB? YES, THEY WALK AMONG US, ARE IN POLITICS, AND THEY CONTINUE TO BREED. I don't write it, I just offer it for your consideration. Like manure, you just gotta spread it around.

10 ways to keep your figure on a cruise

A common concern for travelers is not how much they bring with them, but how much they bring back...on the hips and thighs. To help keep away the extra weight that comes with luxury vacation splurges, Crystal Cruises has come up with 10 ways to stay fit aboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony.
1. If you're not busy practicing your golf swing, walk or jog around the 360-degree promenade deck.
2. Opt for fresh fruit or salads at the Trident Grill. Keep in mind that all dining options are trans fat-free.
3. Instead of heavier dinner foods, dine at Nobu for light and healthy sushi or sashimi.
4. Book time with a private trainer.
5. Take advantage of the complimentary bottles of water.
6. Try an aerobics or yoga class.
7. Pamper yourself with detoxifying body wraps at the Crystal Spa.
8. When the ships dock engage in physical activity like kayaking, hiking or snorkeling.
9. Swim laps in the pool.
10. Rejuvenate your body with onboard acupuncture and shiatsu massages.