7 days and counting

Hi everybody,

It has been a long time since I posted a blog but have no fear, I've not disappeared.  I'm still traveling.

I'm putting a dent in my celebrating 50 years in 50 states and I've been having a great time, a real good time.  Since I last wrote in my blog, I've been to Hawaii, New Jersey, North Carolina, and now I'm headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico!!!!  It has been a great journey for me and I've modified my quest I will continue with reaching my goal of celebrating 50 years in 50 states but I will not stop when I turn 50, on September 20th, but I will enjoy the entire year celebrating and traveling.  I'm so excited about joining this newly respected club. The 50s club is a true honor to be a part of.  I have lost some great people in my life who never so 50.  I love you Brenda and Teresa.  You are truly missed.  So if God says the same, I will be an official card bearing member (just asked AARP I got the card in the mail already.)  So we will have some fun traveling together.  Thank you everybody for your support.  I have to tell you, that turning 50 has me reflecting a lot especially on the things that are most important to me as well as how I will not waste any of my time with fear and anger.  That's wisdom.  I'm going to be taking a 7 day cruise to the Southern Carribean and dock at St. Lucia, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Barbados and St. Martin.  I'm so looking forward to that part of my celebration.  Until next time.  Bon Voyage y'all.

Beep!! Beep!!! - Road Runner - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Me and Lucille

Hola friends and family,

I am still feeling the great weekend I just had in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  My adventures started off with just being something I wanted to do in celebration of my turning 50 and now I have to admit, this is grander than I ever imagined it would be.  I learned something about myself this past weekend, November 13, 2010.  There are more good in people then not.  I knew this but I really got it this weekend.  The folks of Santa Fe's kindness did not go unnoticed by me.  I traveled to Santa Fe by myself but clearly, I was not alone.  From the welcome to Santa Fe when I arrived to the small little airport that I received from Susan my shuttle driver, to my new 80 year old friend Lucille who let me ride home with her as she told me more about Santa Fe then I could have asked for.  I definitely felt at home.  I was very lucky to have them both give me an awesome tour of Santa Fe and El Dorado.  Thank you ladies.  Once I arrived at my hotel, the kindness didn't cease there.  First of all I want to give a shout out to my Aunt Cherry Robinson for hooking a niece up with the discount of the hotel, Auntie my experience could not have been all that without your kindness.  Holiday Inn in Santa Fe is simply beautiful (I have photos to prove it) any way where was I, oh yeah the folks at the hotel were very helpful as were the guest.  One of the best parts of my trip was riding on the shuttle to the Buffalo Thunder a casino on one of the reservations but its funny because I thought I was just going to gamble but I ran into two guys that were so sweet to me Phillip and Sharz, hi guys.  They actually recommended that I have dinner upstairs from the casino.  It was great because I ate at Red Sage @ Hilton and without realizing it, This was the Hilton Santa Fe Gold Resort & Spa.  The restaurant was fabulous but it was better than that, the food was amazingly delicious.  I didn't have my camera with me as it was being charged in my hotel room but let me just say two thumbs up to Chef Chris and his staff.  First I met another Chris who created me an awesome salad.  You will notice that I will be using the word awesome and amazing a lot on this blog because that was truly my experience in Santa Fe.  When you have eaten fine food you just know that it created and not just thrown together.  The Filet Mignon was incredibly delicious (okay I changed up on my words - LOL) anyway, the icing on the cake for me was even though it is not technically my birthday, they honored me by presenting me with an homemade dessert that including peanut brittle and marshmallow and a nice piece of chocolate with a candle in the middle with Happy Birthday bordering my plate.  Well my trip included a lot of eating, I spent breakfast at Flying Tortillas and I had for the first time stuff Sopaipilla (deep fried tortilla) man was that good and tasty.  Then I rounded out my stay by taking the local city bus to downtown and the Plaza where I was able to visit St. Francis Cathedral which was built based on the cathedrals in Europe.  I had never been inside of a cathedral before and it was so beautiful.  I took pictures inside and I saw the fountain with the holy water and I thought I was supposed to drink it but I saw that everyone else was placing it on their heads and making a cross.  So I did that and I felt blessed. 

I have more to share and I took pictures and took videos.  I discovered that I definitely need someone to be with me since trying to be the director, producer, host and get great video and photos is almost too difficult to perform but since you guys are my friends and family I thought you would be a little patient with me while I'm learning about blogging.

November 9, 2010 - Santa Fe, New Mexico

Hi all,

Today I will try and not get to excited okay too late, I'm so excited.  I will be traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I understand that Santa Fe is the oldest capital of the United States and it is my next trip in celebrating my 50th birthday.  I hope to have a great video to share and thank you again for your support and until next time.  I love you guys.

Time is fast approaching

Hello everyone,

I've been a bit busy living and doing what I do best keeping busy.  I'm getting real close to deciding where I will visit next.  However, I will have a few detours along the way.  First detour is a trip to NYC tomorrow night to see John Legend and The Roots http://wakeup.johnlegend.com/.

Lucky me I won tickets to a private showing in NYC and I'm so delighted since I never win anything.  I would like some more feedback on which city I should visit in Washington State and New Mexico.  I have my thoughts but I would love to hear where you've been or where you would suggest.  On November 13th I will be traveling again and moving closer to my dream and goal.  To visit all 50 states by the time I turn 50 years old.  That's right on September 20, 2011 (if God says the same) I will be celebrating my 50th birthday.  However, I'm starting the celebration now by taking trips to all of the states that I have yet to visit since being alive. 

Now I have girlfriends who are celebrating their birthday in November and I can't be with them all and you know who you are so I say Happy Birthday girlfiends and celebrate like you just don't care, I know I will but on the 20th of November me and one of my ace coon boons, okay my co-worker friend (lol) will be hitting the road to San Francisco.  Now I've been but she hasn't and I have a very dear friend in San Francisco that I would love to see and have lunch with as well.  Life is grand.  I should be video blogging real soon.  I have some videos but I think they are so goofy that I'm not sure if I will post it or not.  What the heck, I'm goofy enough to post the very first one I did.  Now keep in mind this was done by myself and of course I need a script but it was from my heart.  Enjoy but the better I get at this the more I hope you will join in the celebration. 

Okay until next time.  Safe travels.  Wanda

It's what I do.

Hello to all my followers.  Well I'm still excited and to tell you the truth I never imagined that this would get the response that it is getting.  It keeps growing daily.  Now I've got an idea of where I want to go.  But I'm waiting on my new Sony blogger to arrive, yes I'm an online shopper.  It's what I do.  Smile.  I think once you see the excitement in my face you will get on board and start sharing with me and telling me what city I should be traveling to.  Right now its between New Mexico and Washington state for my November 13th trip.  I realize that I will not be able to go to all of the many places that each state has to offer or for that matter even the city that I travel too but I will be able to share my adventure and what I'm learning about me and what is becoming of my new blog, Where is Wanda - Celebrating 50 Years in 50 States.  Blog with you later. :)  I just made that up.  Okay I'm a goofy traveler what can I say.

How could I forget about Florida

Well today as I'm still overly excited about my new quest.  I reviewed the states that I have already visited and there it was as big as day. I had somehow not listed Florida.  Was I subliminally forgetting Florida or better yet was I really wanting to go back again?  Hmmm. I think so because some of my fundest memories are those times I spent it Florida.  I've visited Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Aventura and yes just last month, Kissimmee.  Yes I truly can't understand how I forgot about Florida.  But I have to go forward and get to all of the states that I have yet to visit.  Part of this journey will be about me learnimg a lot about me and what I like and how much fun is really warranted by me.  I want to thank my followers for really helping me with my blogging.  I am so encouraged by many of you and I want to encourage you to blog your travel experiences here too.  I love that many of my friends and family are even thinking about taking some of the trips with me. WooHoo that would be great.  However, if I have to travel alone. I'm okay with that too.  So now I'm in the pre-planning stage of my quest.  It is very interesting because while I'm looking for places to go.  I'm also learning a lot about the states that I have not traveled to yet.  I want to be spontaneous but the Virgo in me, won't let me.  So I have to plan some of the trips.  I do know that my next trip will be on Saturday, November 13th.  Again, this will totally be an adventure for me.  Some times I will be flying and recording it and some times I may be driving, or busing it.  I don't care how I get there I just want to get there as quick as I can!!!!!  Yes I feel like singing and dancing that's how much excitment I have tonight.

Each blog will be about sharing and I'm really open for feedback and suggestions.  I can't do every city but with your help and what I decide based on the information I get from you and the internet, I think we will have a blast following Where is Wanda - Celebrating 50 Years in 50 States.  As of today, I have 30 more states to visit.  As I close my blog this evening, I want to share with you that I've never made a big deal about my birthday ever and celebrating my birthday until I reach my 50th state which will be a big celebration for me is priceless.  Until next blog. :)

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my very first post on my new blog.  This blog has been created in hopes of having the best birthday wish ever.  I have always wanted to travel all over the USA and now that I'm getting close to 50 I thought why not do it before I turn 50.  I basically will be exploring states that I have yet to visit.  I would like my friends and family to help me pick the city in the state that I will be visiting.  When I get the feedback I will decide where I will go and then we will have some fun.  When I get to the state that I have yet to visit, I will most likely be getting there in time for lunch.  So yes I will also be sharing with you some of my spots that I will be eating and videotaping my adventures.  I'm still working on figuring out how to upload my videos.   Now let me just say this.  I have a lot of friends and family and so I expect to get a lot of folks following me and helping me celebrate turning 50.  I know its not until next year but I've reminded of the saying, tomorrow is not promised.   With that being said, here are the states that I have visited already and I'll keep you in the loop as to Where is Wanda?  Celebrating 50 years in 50 States. 

I've been to California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, New York, Maryland, Colorado and yes I've been to District of Columbia.  I'm looking forward to sharing my adventures with everyone and until my next blog.