Thanksgiving was so much fun! I am very lucky that some of my best girlfriends are also my family. We enjoyed some wonderful gal pal time at Rafter T Ranch and took an afternoon buggy ride around the property to enjoy the amazing wildlife and stunning sunset. I cannot wait until next year.
Sad news! Key West legend Capt. Tony recently passed away at the age of 92. He was friends with Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Buffet. In fact, Buffet pays tribute to him in his song "Last Mango in Paris." Capt. Tony owned the famous bar named after him, which was the original location of Sloppey Joe's. He was mayor of Key West from 1989-1991. He was married four times and has 13 children.
The Girls Getaway Guide is pleased to announce The Getaway Girl’s™ second annual “12 Days ‘til Christmas” holiday promotion. In an effort to help all girls beat the holiday madness and Leave Your Baggage at Home™, the Girls Getaway Guide will host a countdown to the big day. Women everywhere can visit the Girls Getaway Guide online at http://www.girlsgetawayguide.net/ to sign up for nearly $7,000 in fabulous giveaways, which are sure to provide welcome holiday cheer during this stressful time of year. The winners will be selected on each of the 12 business days starting Dec. 8-23, with the Grand Prize selected on Dec. 24. Each day leading up to Christmas, a terrific Girls Getaway Guide prize will be given away to a randomly-selected entrant.
The Junior League of Winter Haven's Merry Market Girls Night Out (GNO) event Friday night was awesome! From wine tasting to manicures to shopping, this event had it all. The Getaway Girl™ was there for a special book signing and got to witness Jen Myers sport a Balloon Dress, which was created by Mark Byrne (http://www.balloonguy.net/). 
People often ask me about travel writing and how they can get involved, so I asked travel writing expert Wendy VanHatten to share some information about her new ebook, Travel Writing as a Freelancer. Here's what she had to say:
Everyone had a terrific time at the Little Black Dress Party at The Kennedy in Tampa on Thursday. Girls indulged in spa and salon treatments, makeovers, complimentary champagne and a dessert bar. Many thanks to Brian and Dustin for taking care of my lighting and refreshment needs, as well as Larissa for making it all happen. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Cannot wait until next time!
Join me tonight, Friday, Nov. 21, for a fabulous Girls Night Out (GNO) at the Junior League of Winter Haven's Merry Market. Shop more than 10,000 square feet of retail space with just one stop!
Join me tonight from 7:00 - 10:00 PM at the Little Black Dress Party at The Kennedy in Tampa. Guests are invited to indulge in spa and salon treatments, sip complimentary champagne and enjoy sweets from the dessert bar.
Thank you to everyone who attended the FPRA PRowl in Lakeland last night. It was great to see everyone and catch up with the girls. Many thanks to Susan Black for putting this wonderful event together and for Bonefish Grill for hosting us.
station 1190 WAMT Orlando from 9:00 - 11:00 AM to listen!
Thank you very much to Elizabeth Durrance at Cats On Main for a great event yesterday. I had so much fun meeting everyone and exchanging girl getaway stories! Be sure to visit this fabulous store for all your holiday shopping!
I am thrilled to announce that I am a new contributor to the fabulous website www.GirlfriendCelebrations.com. This site is packed full of helpful tips and great stories for celebrating life's special occasions and the everyday joys we get from our girlfriends.
For anyone who has watched MTV’s Laguna Beach show, you’ve seen snippets of this quaint seaside community. Although I have seen the show, I never realized that Laguna is such an artist haven. Locals say that artists began arriving more than a century ago, as they were inspired by the wonderful weather and picturesque beauty of the area. Visitors (and celebs) from around the world come to Laguna Beach to enjoy the numerous art galleries, cozy restaurants, and idyllic resort atmosphere. During our time in town, we stopped by the flagship Wyland Gallery (www.wyland.com). Wyland is the world’s leading marine artist and has been internationally recognized for his marine conservation efforts. I was aware of Wyland due to his gallery in Key West, and the opportunity to check out this gallery was not to be missed.
As we trekked down to the ocean from the resort, we made new friends and enjoyed the scenic flora and fauna of the area. Despite the cold temperatures, we wanted to make sure our toes hit the water. After running in and out of the tide, we made friends with some surfers to get the surfing scoop. Sean the Surfer was gracious enough to answer our questions (and even be interviewed on video…stay tuned for the video clip). As we had our fill of surf and sand, we hiked back up to the hotel and convinced ourselves that the hike up was strenuous enough to be our daily workout. We sadly packed up, said our goodbyes and headed to the town of Laguna Beach.
Located about an hour south of Los Angeles, the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/) is an amazing property with every bit of the perfection you expect from the Ritz Carlton brand. Situated on top of a 150-foot bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the grounds and view could not be any more serene and wonderful. On a clear day (which we enjoyed), you can even see Catalina Island. Guests on a girls’ getaway will enjoy the on-property spa, which features 12 treatment rooms (each one features a crystal chandelier and tranquil water amenities. There is also a salon and (for the die-hard exercise queens) a fitness center complete with gorgeous views of the ocean. Highlights for us (in addition to ENO) were the Adirondack chairs on the back lawn of the hotel that overlook the ocean, as well as the dining room with a complete view of the ocean via floor to ceiling windows. Both were perfect for total relaxation and for checking out the hundreds of surfers in their wet suits. The resort also offers wellness classes, such as yoga, pilates and T’ai Chi. For the adventurous girls, the resort can also arrange for surf lessons and whale watching excursions during the peak whale migration season. Does it get any better?
We arrived at LAX Wednesday afternoon and were looking forward to getting down to Laguna Beach to the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel. After a little bit of traffic, we made our way onto the Pacific Coast Highway. Unfortunately, it was already dark so we did not have a fabulous scenic drive alongside the ocean.
No Halloween is complete without a costume party with some of my favorite girlfriends, the "Hos." We inherited our name from an abbreviation of Bunco, but we make it a point to get together about once a month, with Halloween and Christmas being our big celebrations! Much love to my Hos. It was great seeing you this weekend.
I cannot wait to arrive in Laguna Beach this week for a fabulous girls getaway. We are staying at the gorgeous Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. Stay tuned for more details!
Thank you to the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando for using the Girls Getaway Guide to Orlando: Leave Your Baggage at Home to celebrate their Girlfriends "Frightenly Pink" Getaways! Super cute!
