_______________________

My ultimate family vacation – the Grand Canyon

Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Maybe it was that “Grand Canyon or Bust” episode of the Brady Bunch, when Cindy and Bobby ran off with the Native American boy, Jimmy. Or maybe it’s that I’m a bit of a geology geek and it amazes me that “only” wind and water formed such a beautiful canyon. I’ve flown over it numerous times and I’m always amazed how large it is! Whatever the case may be it’s been a place that has fascinated me.

I’ve been close a few times, having taking a bus tour of Navajo and Hopi reservations back in college with my Native American Studies professor, his family, a bunch of retired teachers, and my mom. It was an amazing trip, but we never got close to the canyon rim.

It’s not that I haven’t seen some spectacular natural places in my lifetime. Heck, I live smack up against the Rocky Mountains and have honeymooned in Yellowstone and the Black Hills. But if I was given an order to, “Go on vacation right now!” I’d head for the Grand Canyon.

AAA has a really cool “Rails to Rim” vacation package, which is pretty reasonable price wise considering it covers four days and three nights and includes a vintage train ride (complete with cowboys and robbers) along with meals and lodging. (You can book excursions through the Grand Canyon Railway, if you’re not a AAA member.)

Of course, I’d bring my husband and the kids and we’d drive to Williams, Arizona from where we live in Colorado. It’s a 13 hour trip through New Mexico and Arizona, so we’d stop halfway and see friends in Albuquerque. Then on the way back, we’d stop in Santa Fe, go to the Georgia O’Keefe museum and then stop at the closest Trader Joe’s to our house.

Seeing friends, getting inspired by an awesome natural sight, going on train rides with cowboys, seeing beautiful paintings, stocking up at Trader Joe’s, and spending time with family? Sounds like an ultimate family vacation to me!

_______________________

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

One way around this is to shop online for wine, especially for those rarer varieties you may read about in wine or food magazines. If you live near Yaphank, New York, one online wine shop you should visit is Sokolin.com.

Sokolin’s customer service

Sokolin has been around since 1934. Their mission is to bring you the world’s most sought-after wines from impossible-to-find back vintage treasures to exciting new releases at the lowest prices on the market.

Sokolin is also a big believer in customer service. They have wine concierge services through every phase of wine collecting or can simply help you find the right bottle for a special occasion, including over the phone or online chat consultations with a wine specialist. For wine collectors, they offer storage services or help you sell your wine collection. They also sell Bordeaux futures if you are interested in investing in wine.

You can order all your wine online and then pick it up at the Sokolin Yaphank facility or have your order shipped to their liquid asset storage facility in Bridgehampton, New York.

Not in New York? Their website also features educational information like Staff Tasting Notes where you can read the latest from Sokolin’s wine experts as they swirl, sniff and sip at industry events, private tastings and dining with family and friends.

Choosing your wine

If you’re a person who loves bargains, look in the On Sale section and then sort results from low to high. If you love a particular country’s or region’s wines, sort by that and then put in other criteria like wine ratings and price. You have the option of buying by the bottle or by the case.

You can also do a search to fine wines. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any listing for organic wines or vintages from Colorado, where I live. But Sokolin does carry wines from all over the world as well as California, New York, Long Island (really!), Oregon and Washington.

Pricewise, Sokolin has a large range. The cheapest wines were $4.95 and the most expensive was a 1961 Latour A Pomerol that sells for $19,995. At the time I checked, they carried 229 wines under $25 and 360 wines in the $25 to $50 range.

Sokolin also sells books on wine, and wine accessories like decanters and glasses. They also offer the guaranteed lowest price on their accessories and free ground shipping.

Go to www.sokolin.com for more information about Sokolin’s wine offerings and services.

___________________________________
This is a post. Please see my review policy.

It’s guilt free chocolate at it’s best – and only 90-100 calories per bar!

Get a $2 off Attune bars coupon

I still have some $2 off coupons on a seven-count box of Attune Probiotic Chocolate or Granola Bars. If you want a coupon, just leave a comment below and make sure you include your email in the appropriate box or in your comments. I will then email you to get your full name and mailing address so I can mail out your coupon.

This offer is good until the coupons are all gone and only for US residents. (I’m not sure that the coupons are good in other countries anyway.)

To learn more about the benefits of Attune Chocolate Probiotic bars, check out:

• the Attune website
• the Attune Food Twitter page
• the Attune Facebook page

________________

Disclosure: I received a paid sponsorship from Attune to attend Fitbloggin and EVO on their behalf.