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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Where did your travels take you in 2008?
Tell us your favorite getaways from the year or discuss where you would like to go in 2009
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For most of us, the holidays are over. We still have New Year’s Eve to celebrate and, depending on how rockin’ that is, a New Year’s Day headache to suffer. But the winter holidays, like the year 2008, are basically over. Many of us are back to work, and the school kids are painfully aware that homework starts again in a few days.
As this year draws to a close, I thought I’d ask you to share your favorite travel stories of 2008. (Click here to send your photos!) Over the past 12 months, so many Atlantans have sent in beautiful photos of weekend trips and family vacations that I’m looking forward to seeing which journeys topped your list - and why. And, as we stand on the precipice of a shiny new year, I am imagining all of the travel possibilities the future might hold. Even if the economy confines most destinations to dream status, it’s still pretty to think about. So I’m also asking you to tell us where you would like 2009 to take you.
I’ll start…
Because of work and the increasingly complex schedules of our three kids, our family didn’t take as many little trips in 2008 as we have in the past. Many of the quick getaways of yore couldn’t be squeezed in between basketball, gymnastics, running, tennis and job demands. Still, we did manage a couple of beach trips, a few jaunts into the mountains and a handful of “explores” around the region.
My favorite had to be our big vacation to Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks, NC. The beaches were beautiful, the waves were huge, the island not too crowded, and the Blackberries were off for 10 days. But I also loved the day trip we took to southwest Georgia to explore Providence Canyon State Park (Georgia’s Little Grand Canyon) and Lake Walter F. George. Though I have covered the state of Georgia pretty well in my travels, this is the area I had explored the least. A tour of Rome and Mount Berry in northwest Georgia also earns an honorable mention.
Realistically, 2009 will hold the Still family’s first big trek out West. We are taking the girls and meeting up with old friends from D.C. for a week in Yellowstone National Park. William worked in Yellowstone during college, and is itching to take the kids out now that they’re old enough to appreciate the park. When he won two free (domestic) flights a few weeks ago, we decided to cash in frequent flier miles and plan the trip.
While we can always count on breaks to St. Simons and middle Tennessee to visit family, I am hopeful that we will be able to squeeze in a few other outings around the region. My wish list for 2009 includes a springtime visit to Mobile to see Bellingrath Gardens in full bloom; my first trip to Baton Rouge, La., to see two different sets of friends who moved to the city this month; and a step back to Colonial times in Old Salem in Winston-Salem, N.C.
And on the “you’re dreaming” list for 2009…a journey to New Zealand’s South Island; a long-promised trek to visit friends in France and family in Austria; and a fortnight at Wimbledon this summer.
Now it’s your turn. What were your favorite vacations, getaways or day trips this year? Why? Where would you like to go in 2009 - realistically or just in your dreams?
Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve, and I wish you all the best as we travel into 2009.
• Click here to send your favorite 2008 vacation photos
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