Indianapolis – A sports lover’s dream

By Cindy Bolton – Freelance Writer

Drivers start your engines. For every race fan those are the words we long to hear. The fans at the Indianapolis 500 are no different. Every May 250,000 fans converge into the 253 acre track to cheer on their favorite driver. This is one of those events that is a must do. You can purchase a seat around the track or you can bring a blanket and lawn chair and sit in the middle of the track. This is an event that the average Joe can take his family to. While in Indianapolis for the race make a point of attending the Indy 500 parade which takes place through downtown. Another stop that should be on your to-do list is the NCAA Hall of Champions on Washington Street. This is a great way to spend the day and test your skills. Then first floor you will find displays of the top schools and athletes in every NCAA sport. Upstairs is where the fun begins. They have agility tests, trivia games and a basketball court where you can play a game of horse with your family. Bottom line Indianapolis is a great vacation destination for all sports lover’s young and old alike.

Destination America

By: Cindy Bolton

My husband and I had a dream to retire before we were 40. He had a very good job in an industry that he has been a dominate force for twenty years. We had two young children and wanted to be able to show them all this country has to offer. Six years ago we did just that. We did a lot of research as to the best places to move to within the United States, taking into consideration taxes, education as well as recreation. After narrowing down our choices to Texas, Tennessee or Florida we ventured out on our first trip to see where we were being called to go. Our first stop was Tennessee; it was also our only stop. We fell in love with the people, the culture and the location. Our desire to travel the country made Middle Tennessee a perfect place to live, and that is just what we did. After a whirlwind tour of the Nashville area we found a church and we found the house. We flew back to California and sold everything, house, cars the works and took off across our great nation to explore and see as many sites as we could see. That was the beginning of our travel bug. Since then we have spent six to eight weeks every summer traveling across America with our children in a 37 foot RV. If you want to bring your family together as a cohesive group, stick them in a tin can on wheels for the summer. The kids become best friends, because they either talk and play with each other or have to hang out with mom and dad. You also really get to appreciate each other as a family. Discovering who you are as a family helps to everyone to become closer as a family unit. It has a way of teaching everyone the art of compromise. There is only so much time in a day and only so many places to visit before everyone is ready to drop

Thinking of vacation destinations your mind can go to the ends of the earth and back. There are so many places near and far that you can visit. There are tropical islands, mountain hideaways, big cities and small towns. There is something for everyone. For those lucky enough to live in the United States we have all of those locations right here in our own backyards. We have the tropical islands of Hawaii and mountain hideaways of Lake Tahoe in northern California. We have the big cities like New York and Chicago, not to mention Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are the small towns like Bird-in-Hand Pennsylvania in the heart of Amish country and Key West at the tip of the Florida Keys. There is something and someplace for everyone

For the past six years we have traveled as a family visiting, witnessing the sights and sounds that make this nation so great. We have seen the sun rise on the coast of Maine and the sun set from the tip of the Florida Keys. We have been fly fishing in the mountain streams of Montana and watched a rodeo championship in San Antonio. Big and small, exciting and relaxing you can do it, see it, and experience it right here in this great nation of ours.

Stay tuned as I take you on an adventure across America discovering places and sites you have never known about. I hope it gives you a desire to step out of your comfort zone and experience what this great country has to offer. It doesn’t take an extraordinary amount of money just some planning and a desire to travel. Come with me as we discover the back roads and the hot spots of America.