CEEEELTIIIIC!!!!!!!!!! Missed you, too. We have a date then...next time you're in town. Tuppence,bob, shillings, haypenny and crowns

Meredith, had no idea you live so close to the beaches. And so close to Disney Land! Bet Louise envies you for that. And I envy you for living so close to the beach. I’d probably pack my lap top and a picnic and go at least every week. Are you a beach person?

Lola, I love touring cities by foot. One of the most interesting cities by foot was Seattle. They actually have sewerage lids, with maps engraved on them with a red dot showing the tourist the spot where he or she was standing.

I’m sure London couldn’t even be done in 6 months. I think the challenge is in choosing what to do, when so much is offered. Warm beer? Okaaay, I’ll take a diet coke please. Do you think I could make one of those guards laugh? How about between you and me?
Oh, the Jack the ripper Walk at night sounds prickling! Would love that! Got to admit, I’m not a Shakespeare fan, although I had Shakespeare courses in college. I’d rather go to a raunchy English pub at night, and sing "Um pa pa, um pa pa that's how it goes,...um pa pa um pa pa everyone knows...." remember that from Oliver Twist?

Celtic I think it’s romantic to go on a Ferris wheel in the middle of a city. How far do you live from Belfast? And how far are you from London? A portibellow mushroom burger? Yes, I would try that. After I eat it, the name would probably have to be changed to pointybelly mushroom burger, ...

Where will the next virtual tour be? Hey and my feet aren't even hurting!

Wot? Cor blimey, Hannelore! Um pa pa at a raunchy English pub with a diet coke? We'll have to order you something with more raunch. Gawd, if me bladder ain’t ‘alf twitchin’...(my very poor take on Cockney slang). Oh, those guards are botoxed quite well, they would'nt twitch even if we moonied them

If you were for a visit, there are a few places I would take you....
We'd take lunch and go to Pemaquid Point. These were my stomping grounds for years. Whenever life got difficult, I'd walk out on these rocks and sit for hours. The sound of the ocean is deafening, the smell of the salt air exhilerating! It would clear my head every time.

Here is a shot of Damariscottia, one of my favorite little towns on the coast...just beautiful!

Louisa has spoken about Ogunquit many times...Kennebunk is also nice and very close to Ogunquit. Here you'll see a few photos and even a slide show.
There are too many to describe and I'd want to take you everywhere!

http://www.visitthekennebunks.com/Pages/media_room.html
http://ogunquit.com/about.cfm

Some great places where some of us call home. Hannelore, I love that city of fountains. So Germany has the wonderful old architecture...and we have the bears, whales.... (I understand the bears are nearly non-existent in Germany?)

Wonder if mrs. madness is reading any of this..wonder where she is...

Hannelore, I'm going to try to describe the Pacific coastline here. It goes on a meandering diagonal, from northwest to southeast. So if I go due west 50 miles, I hit Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Venice Beach is in all the movies where they show the crazy beach scene, the chainsaw juggler and everyone rollerblading with very little clothing.

North of Santa Monica is Malibu. Rich Hollywood types with beach houses. Due South of Santa Monica (or 40 miles due SW of me) is Palos Verdes. I don't know if you've heard of these or not. Then the coast goes east for a while -- Long Beach, then Huntington Beach which has international surfing contests in the summer. Newport Beach (20 miles due south of me) and then the coast goes a little east but more south. Are you confused yet?

35 miles SSE is Laguna Beach, a neat artsy town with tons of galleries and 3 different summer-long art festivals.

Laguna is my favorite shopping beach town, because of all the galleries. Venice is the best for people-watching and to take out-of-town visitors who want to see the freaky SoCali. San Clemente is my favorite beach to actually walk on the beach.

In the summer, beach towns are 10-20 degrees cooler than we are inland.

25 miles due north of me are the foothills and then the mountains. Mountains have snow right now! We never snow down here. Kathy (of Rick and June) lives in those mountains, but further up a bit.

This whole area is beautiful to me! Mountains and beaches, and 75 miles east is full desert, then Palm Springs at 90. Of course, we're known for our high housing prices -- especially beach towns! -- expensive shopping, and women who get plastic surgery every 6 months. (Yes, men get it too.)

You ladies are so blessed! Beautiful places, indeed!
We'd have to venture farther than 30 miles to hit the hot spots here.
We'd go to NASA.
We'd spend an evening in the Ft. Worth Stockyards.
We'd raft down the Guadalupe River.
We'd catch the bluebonnets in bloom.
We'd get a houseboat and fish the Rio Grande.
We'd take a trip on a steamboat through the swampy piney woods of Northeast Texas.
We'd take a trip on foot through the Big Thicket.
We'd visit the Texas wineries.
We'd catch a few hoe-downs and blue grass festivals.
We'd go to Corpus Christi and feed the seagulls while playing on the beach.
We'd make a trip to Busch Gardens and dance with the butterflies.
Or, we could rent a condo on my hometown's lake and just sit and talk.
Yeppers, you'd have to stay six months, 'cause I only listed a small bit of what we'd be doing.

Ladyjane, I got goosebumps looking at the beautiful pictures and listening to the cool music accompanying them. Just two years ago Hubby and I vacationed in Conway Maine! I particularly remember the antique old 5 and 10 cent store.
I would love to go with you on the cliffs and breathe in the salt air and listen to the ocean roar. We could sing together “ I am woman, hear me roar!” Bet we’re louder. Lol , thanks sooo much for posting these.

No, I’m not confused Meredith, because I have been in your area as well! When our sons were 13 and 15 we took a trip along the California coast and spent a day at Venice Beach. I still have the t-shirt I bought there. It’s the best quality t- shirt I’ve ever owned.I just pictured you roller-skating with purple hair along the wide walks.
We missed Laguna Beach, darn darn … I could eat up artsy towns. Just love ‘em.. You got it all, beaches and mountains. How perfect is that!

Gimster, you’re right. 30 miles is nothing in the big old USA. Catching bluebonnets in bloom? What fun! I’ve never been on a Steamboat before. A trip through the Big Thicket sounds wild. I bet you got bears there, and a hoe down? I haven’t visited your corner of the world yet; Sounds enticing.

Gosh this world is beautiful.

You know what...
we could all do a piece on places to visit collect them.
Leave our impression of what being a host(immaginary)
would share.
MA

Hannelore, nice to know you came so close 2 years ago...Conway (which is actually in New Hampshire just over the Maine line) is only about 40 minutes from where I live! MA, please elaborate on your suggestion...sounds good but I'm not sure if I understand.
When I added my "tour" I concentrated on the coastline because I love it the most! Then we have the mountains, so I thought I'd add this...so many nice places here....
http://www.bethelmaine.com/