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Roll the dice, pull the lever and envision Elvis, Sinatra and Jimmy the Greek - you got it - we're in Vegas, baby! The celebrities may have changed, but the action and excitement is still there plus more.

The “Violino d'Oro”, which translates to “The Golden Violin”, is that gem in Venice that you just wish someone would share with you. That's how I found out about it. Friends of mine who own a time share in Venice and travel there every year told me to be sure and check it out for my clients.

Where can you go to leave the country but not really leave the country? San Juan, Puerto Rico of course where U.S. Citizens do not need a passport, because Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Susie is always looking for great places for pets to stay and one of her friends told her about this great bed and breakfast in West Central Massachusetts. Restful Paws really got her attention because it might be classified as people-friendly because it is geared to pets first. Susie said what with “Great Name!”

Susie has been talking to her British cousins about great places for dogs in the UK so we can provide recommendations for places our European readers can visit with their best friends. One of her pals from across the water brought a whole bunch of hotels and B&B’s to our attention in the United Kingdom. Susie and Beau are ready to hop on the Cunard Queen Mary II to visit them.  This option was featured in a recent pet patrol article entitled “Cruise with your Pet?: The Options are Limited.”

Start your engines and head to Indy! That’s Indianapolis for those who aren’t from the area. This is a city that has blossomed and grown to become a center for sports, shopping and entertainment and deserves a visit. While making the trek, check out one of the new kids on the block for hotels, The Alexander - I highly recommend it. This is a boutique style hotel with modern décor and millions of dollars of artwork displayed throughout the facility curated by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

West Baden Springs Hotel is a world-class spa built around a mineral springs in the middle of rural Southern Indiana. Built in 1902, it consists of a six-story domed atrium that is 200 feet in diameter. When you first see this unique structure, you are sure to wonder how and why it is located in Southern Indiana. 

I think anyone that has been in business for over 30 years and is involved in travel deserves to be checked out. I ran across the Evergreen Club (for people over 50) and found it to be a bit unusual, so it caught my eye and I decided to speak to the owner. It turns out Linda's mother started the company 30 years ago and she is now the keeper of the flame.

It's actually a take on the idea of a Bed and Breakfast, but it has a twist. This is a people to people set up in a person's spare guest room that also includes breakfast. I know – a bit quirky, but cool at the same time.

Recently we had the unfortunate need to travel to Beaumont, Texas for a family funeral.  Since this amounted to a journey of 950 miles each way, it was imperative for us to stop for the night along our route.  We were looking for somewhere to divide up the trip into a two day drive, and Grenada, Mississippi was a little more than half-way.

Looking for an incredible place to enjoy luxury accommodations for both you and your pet, the Allison Inn & Spa in Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a great place to stay. The Inn is listed as one of the top pet friendly hotels in the United States.  There is a one-time fee of $50 per pet whether you stay a night, weekend or spend a week enjoying the Spa and Oregon’s wine country.

If you want a great Florida get-away for you and your dog at a reasonable price, check out the Low-Key Hideaway at Cedar Key, Florida. Cedar Key is an island off the west coast of the Florida peninsula on the Gulf of Mexico. Cedar Key is 57 miles southwest of Gainesville and 143 miles north of Clearwater and Tampa.

If you've stayed in enough hotels over the years, you pick up a few clues along the way. 

Accommodations come in all varieties and I promised to cover as many options as I can – Yurts in Turkey were on the list, so let's go!

Huzur Vadisi is a Yoga Retreat situated on the coast of Turkey referred to as the Turquoise coast. By definition, “a yurt is a portable tent dwelling structure traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.”

Here at Huzur Vadisi, the yurts come equipped with either twin or double beds, electricity, wooden floors and bedside lights for reading. The roof is open to the sky and referred to as the “eye of heaven” so as you fall asleep, you are gazing at the stars.

So why am I telling you about a place in Florida that's not on the beach? Because it's really cool and is located in the “best walking town” in America according to “Walking Magazine.” Dunedin sounds like it should be in Scotland, but it is about 45 minutes from the Tampa Airport and believe me, you'll be pleasantly surprised at what this area has to offer.

Quick – when I say beach and lake resort, what's the first place that comes to mind? If you said Iowa, frankly, I'd be shocked, but for this review, you would be correct!

Raise your hand if you love, wine, great food and truffles. Well, then this is the place for you. Le Moulin du Roc is a unique property overlooking the Dronne River in the Perigord region of southwest France. It is just northwest of Bordeaux between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees – go ahead and look it up on Google maps – we have a link to the maps at the bottom of the homepage. This area is well known for its truffles – in fact, there is even a Truffle Museum, so you really must check it out.

Who says you have to have palm trees to be on a beach? Well, it certainly is a plus, but there are many ways to enjoy summer fun on the water when you are on a lake and not on the ocean.

So here's a spot you probably haven't thought to explore in Paris – the area known as Bercy. This is actually a great place to spend a few nights especially if you are traveling with your grandchildren. The Pullman Paris Bercy is one of the most reasonably priced hotels while visiting the City of Lights. Granted, you are not in the heart of Paris, but a mere 15 minute Metro ride into the center. The hotel has a very modern feel with amenities the kids will like – it is child and pet friendly. The beds are very comfortable and the food and service is quite good. The bathrooms are equipped with amenities and are quite large – all of which is hard to find in the center of Paris.

On Saturday, June 8, 2013, we arrived at the hotel at 3:45 in the afternoon. We selected the location south of Montreal because the rates are less outside of the city and the hotel was listed as pet friendly. At this property there was no additional charge for Susie. 

Here's my question – do you think you can stay in a boutique hotel in mid-town Atlanta for under $200? The answer is a resounding YES! Now is it going to be 5 star – no, but how about 3 star in the best possible way? Check yourself into the Artmore Hotel built in 1924, sitting among the high rise buildings across from a MARTA station. Their address is 1302 W. Peachtree St., so you are close to the High Museum of Art, lots of great bars and restaurants and in the center of Atlanta's Cultural Arts District. It has an old Hollywood vibe with lots of black and white framed art of music and movie star icons.

It's always great fun to tell you about these hidden treasures that I find in various locations. This one happens to be in sunny Florida – Ft. Myers to be exact. I find the gulf side to be more serene and I am partial to white sand.

I am also partial to great hospitality and that's exactly what you'll find at the Mango Street Inn. Here you arrive as a guest, but leave as a friend and let's face it, as Boomers, these types of experiences sometimes mean more than fancy amenities.

Susie was delighted to find a unique travel and vacation experience in northwest England. The Farmhouse at “A Corner of Eden” is located near Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria and is another pet friendly property that can be easily accessed in particular by our European patrol members.  Kirby Stephen is 94 miles north of Manchester and 75 miles southwest of Newcastle.

Toronto is an amazing, exciting, cosmopolitan city and for those of you that are lovers of art, I suggest you spend at least a couple of nights at the Gladstone Hotel in the Queen Street West area. It is a boutique hotel with 37 rooms, all designed by local artists - each one is designed by a different artist. The rooms tend to be on the small side and they vary in size, but they come equipped with free WiFi, flat screen TV, Samsung Galaxy tablets for free internet surfing and all natural Canadian bath products.

On Saturday, June 1, the team left Erie to drive to Albany, NY to be close to the camp the night before our arrival in Vermont. Albany was a good stopping point because it put us within 70 miles of Marlboro for an easy drive to registration between 12:30 and 2:30 pm on Sunday.