Summer is an awesome time for travel…and for Guest Posts. This month, my husband and I will spend a few days with our grandson on the beach in Tofino. Next month, we have friends arriving from Singapore. We will then visit with family and friends in the Okanagan (and take a side trip to a friend’s cottage in Oroville). That will be followed by visiting relatives in Alberta then doing some hiking in the Canadian Rockies. And that will lead into our annual autumn trip to Southern California!
These are our ‘smaller trips’ until we choose and plan our next big adventure. You can read more about that on my Guest Post at one of my favourite travel/wellness blogs, Natalie the Explorer. I look forward to meeting you there and hearing some of your travel-related suggestions.
See you at Natalie’s!
Feature Photo: Richard and our Grandson in Tofino, 2017.
Retirement Reflections 
Sounds like a busy time for enjoying yourself Donna. Spending time with your grandson will be the highlight. Have a wonderful Summer.xx
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Hi, Sue – You are fast! Richard and I are greatly looking forward to enjoying summer with our friends, family (and grandchildren). If only the rain would finally stop!! 🙂
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Yes, I’m speedy! Must be all that running! 🙂
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Funny, I was thinking the same thing (and had thought of mentioning that in my original comment). 🙂
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Enjoy your summer travels, and your grandson, Donna! Got a few short trips planned, too! Hans is meeting his baby grand-daughter for the first time this weekend, he’s so excited!
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Congratulations on your new baby granddaughter. That is very exciting! Enjoy your summer travels. Fingers crossed that our paths meet up again one day soon! 🙂
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Thank you Donna! We’re excited, I’ll get to see her next month!
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No travel plans here. We mostly see friends and family in November/December. Summers are when everyone stays at home– or goes to their cabins/cottages with their immediate families. Enjoy your gadding about, I shall live vicariously through you. Stay safe, have fun, take pics.
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HI, Ally – The last two summers, Richard and I were on the Camino Trail. As much as we loved both trips, we are happy to be home for most of this summer. The summer trips that we have planned will be much closer to home and will all involve family and friends. I will be taking a blogging break in July but will definitely post pics when I am back in August. Enjoy your summer!
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That’s quite an itinerary, Donna! I’ll look forward to all of your photos and tales. With aging parents, I’ll be staying close to home this summer, so I’ll live vicariously through you! Be safe! xo
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Hi, Jill – Thank you for your ongoing friendship and support. I hope that your parents are doing well. Sending warm thoughts your way!
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Thank you, Donna. ❤
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Beautiful picture of Richard and your grandson, Donna, I’m inspired by your summer to fall travel plans. The scenery in that part of Canada is spectacular and to spend time with family and friends is wonderful. We’ll be going to Quebec city in July and France in August, also to meet up with friends and family.
Thank you so much for your guest post on my blog today despite your busy schedule. I look forward to reading the comments for more travel ideas 🙂
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Hi, Natalie – Thank you for inviting me. I am never too busy for friends like you! Enjoy Quebec City and France. Please keep us updated on both trips!
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Wow, that is some itinerary! Sounds wonderful.
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Hi, Anabel – Our Canadian Rockies trip was partly inspired by your travel posts. I’ve driven past several times, but have never stopped and hiked there. Your posts reminded me that I needed to change that!
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Excellent! I hope you gave a wonderful time (or I will feel terribly guilty 😉).
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Thanks, Anabel – I’ll keep you posted!
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I love the picture of Richard and your grandson… pure love. I go back and forth about preferring slow travel (extended stay in a single location) or seeing many places of interest along the way. Your list includes a few travel to-dos that I have… maybe we’ll run into each other along the way! (Back here on Reader because I can’t seem to leave a comment on your site or on Natalie’s.)
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Hi, Janis – Thank you for commenting on that photo. It is definitely pure love! I am so sorry to hear that you have not been able to comment on my site. (That’s so maddening!) I wrote to Jetpack about this last week, but have not yet heard back. Fingers crossed that it will be resolved soon. BTW – I definitely plan to see you again in my upcoming travels (unless you plan on hiding). 🙂
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Not a lot of long distance stuff planned for the summer but you never know. As always I will live through your travels!
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Hi, Kate – Richard and I originally planned to stay on the Island for most of the summer. With family and friends in other parts of BC, as well as Alberta, we will mix our travel up a bit… but still spend time on the island. Summer is lovely here. Wishing you a wonderful summer there as well.
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Sounds wonderful (and busy). 🙂
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Hi, Lynette – Thank you so much for stopping by. I am off to visit your site now.
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Thank you! 🙂
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What a great summer you’ve got lined up 🙂 Enjoy !!!
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Thanks, Aimer – That’s one of the (many) great things about blogging. As many of our summer trips are informal and separate from each other, before this post I hadn’t written them all down on the same page. When I saw them together, it was a bigger line-up than I had originally planned! Thanks so much for stopping by.
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Wellllll – it sounds like someone has a nice few months ahead of them! Those of us down in the Boonies will be hunkered down for the cold, wet months of Winter (which you’d scoff at compared to your Winters!) and I’ll be thinking of you enjoying all that sunshine and family and friends time xx
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Hi, Leanne – In the midst of our wet, wet, wet winters, I am always envious of your warm and sunny summers. Hopefully your winter will smile kindly on you this year! 🙂
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Made a lengthy reply Donna on Natalie’s post (also on previous one of Leanne’s) but in both instances the prompts for signing in, French for Leanne, Portuguese for Natalie, had me foxed and I messed up. This post keeps the travel bug alive and well, stirred and shaken. Machu PIcchu was wondrous though we did it the difficult way hiking and sleeping overnight ( 4 or 5) in tents in the freezing cold but so worth it. EVer thought of hiking the Amalfi coast? SLackpacking? ie the days spent hiking but overnighting in delightful hotels .. MT Kilimanjaro – in Africa? A long time ago … I’d love to do it again but in my dreams I think. We’ve done a fair amount of travel … I reckon when we’re properly retired I’d really like to travel in my own country and border countries like Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana …
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Hi, Susan – You are brilliant! I just did a quick search of hiking the Amalfi coast…and I immediately fell in love. I had just finished adding Leanne’s suggestion of doing the Lake District B&B to B&B hike (English). I have now added the Amalfi Coast hike as well. Returning to Italy has remained on my husband’s travel wish list — so this trip would fit in perfectly.
I am sorry to hear that you had such difficulty commenting on Leanne’s and Natalie’s sites (both are Blogger sites). I greatly appreciate your perseverance in returning and commenting here.
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Safe travels and have a blast! Just came back from visiting with family and friends and know how happy those trips can be.
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Hi, Karen – I LOVE trips that involve visiting family and friends. To me, there is nothing better.
On my Extended Travel Wish List, I would love to do some hiking on the Appalachian Trail (A Walk in the Woods in my favourite book….and your posts are very inspiring). The only problem for me is that I am more of a lodge-to-lodge hiker (simple hostels are fine), than a set-up-camp hiker. If you have any suggestions for this, I would love to hear them.
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You have a full itinerary. Enjoy
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Thanks, Antoinette – I actually hadn’t realized how much travel we had planned for this summer…until I wrote this post. Blogging does have a way of showing some things very clearly!
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What a great itinerary! You have some fun places on your list💕
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Thanks! Summer here we come!
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That picture–a hammock over the ocean, big smile on a relaxed face–that says it all, doesn’t it?
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Hi, Jacqui – Thank you so much for stopping by. Yes, that is one of my favourite photos. I plan to take a similar one this year for comparison!
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See you at Natalie’s. It sounds like you’ve planned a busy summer. We’re hoping to swing by the Rockies as well, on the way to Vancouver this summer
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Thanks, Liesbet – I hadn’t realized how busy our summer had become until I wrote it all down. I hope that you and Mark get the chance to swing by the Rocky Mountains on your way to Vancouver. Breathtaking!!
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Hi Donna, I just visited Natalie’s blog and commented. Enjoy your travel.
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Thanks so much, Pradeep – I greatly appreciate you doing that!
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Always fun to travel…love the pic of your grandbaby in the hammock! Ok, on my way to read your post ♥
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Thanks so much, Dee!
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Lovely photo at the top of your post. Glad you are guest posting for Natalie. That’s kind of fun. Hope you have a wonderful time at the beach with your grandson. Had to look up Tofino. Sounds Italian to me! Enjoy!!
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your kind words. The name ‘Tofino’ comes from Vincente Tofiño, a rear-admiral in the Spanish navy. Tofino is now a district of approximately 1,876 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island, It is a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer. My husband and I have just returned from there and it was truly stunning!
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