The year is 1954. For the first time in six years, the New York Yankees are not in contention for the world series. But I don't care - I spent the early school year racing home to watch my heroes on our tiny black-and-white TV. I not only know all the players - Andy Carey on third, Mickey Mantle in center, Hank Bauer in right, Moose Skowron on first, Yogi Berra catching - but their batting averages and other stats. I was obsessed. I was also a 10-year-old girl.

Catalina is not just an island paradise; it’s a very close island paradise, which makes it a perfect day or weekend getaway for Southern California residents. In fact, at only 22 nautical miles across the sea from Long Beach, the island can be reached by boat in one hour. With this in mind, the family and I recently escaped to the island for a memorable getaway.

I'm sitting on the beach doing nothing. I did the same thing yesterday. I also did nothing sitting on my hotel balcony. Okay, I was listening to the waves but certain do nothing things are allowed. Reading, for instance. I have a couple of days left to my vacation and I plan to do nothing in them also. It's not that easy to do nothing.

The sweat running down your brow, as you gently puff into the blowpipe attached to the amorphous blob of molten glass at the end of said pipe-which is inserted in a furnace-is not from the 2,300-degree fire in front of you-it's from your nerves! You just don't want to make a "mistake" on your very first piece of (what will assuredly be museum-worthy) art glass. Phew.

Our getaway to the Catamaran Resort began recently when we checked into a gorgeous Bayfront Suite overlooking San Diego’s stunning Mission Bay. Spanning 438 sq-ft, the room was highlighted by a large patio that is literally steps from the sandy beach. The suite also boasts a big private bedroom, with two queen beds and a large TV; a separate living area with another big TV, a pull-out sofa, a wet bar with a refrigerator, and a dining area. A large, spacious bathroom with a walk-in shower, completes the room’s layout.

After years of long winter months of Seattle's nonstop stop rain and a sun which refused to shine, I packed up my car and followed the sun to the warmth of San Diego. I was not disappointed; the city was blessed with 12-months of sunshine with an an average temperature between 55 to 75 degrees.

Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa has everything the family and I need for a memorable getaway. The place has a great lake-front location, a gourmet restaurant onsite, a game room for the kids, pool and jacuzzi, spa and fitness center, a bar and coffee house, its own private beach and much more. All we had to do on a recent visit to the resort was park the car, check into a comfortable room and let the fun begin.

Welcome to Savannah, Georgia's Prohibition Museum, the only museum of its kind in the country, where you don't just learn about prohibition, you actually re-live it. The visit is only one of the many enticing excursions aboard American Cruise Lines Intra-Coastal Waterway Cruise from Amelia Island, FL to Charleston, SC - also the only cruise of its kind in the country.

I looked tentatively at the load of shrimp, blue crabs, gar, sea trout and other nameless denizens of the deep as they were dropped into the boat. I volunteered to hold one even more tentatively -- much more tentatively. But then I was making eye contact with a very cute sting ray and I'm pretty sure we had a moment.

Forty pairs of eyes scan the countryside looking for movement, any movement. With binoculars and cameras at the ready, we hoped for a bear or a moose, but were willing to settle for some Dall sheep high up the mountain. Not a passenger aboard the bus maintained a semblance of composure. We scurried like kids from one side to the other, eager to be the first to announce the next sighting. Such was my introduction to the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a 5-5 1/2 hour excursion into Denali National Park& Preserve, one of the highlights of my Gray Line Adventure Tour through interior Alaska.