Glad you made it over here Happy. I'm bumping this so someone will see it. There are at least 2 people from GJ so hope they respond. David is right, so much has changed over there and with this time of year there is the Wine Festival, Peach Festival, a huge week of country western stars and oil is moving in production heavily. Perhaps a search for a B&B and definitely plan ahead. You can look at Fruita, Palisade or even go south a bit. If you consider white water rafting, call the companies and they can suggest hotels too.

Thank you susan and purpleinopp for your suggestions. I leave in a week for my vacation. I had to plan so far ahead because where I live, the choice of gardening supplies and plants in winter is very small. I bought an "egg-crate" from the hardware store and capillary matting online. I'm testing a system where I fill a tray with water, layer several egg-crate pieces and lay the capillary mat across the top, with its sides hanging into the water. So far it seems to be working, although the top of the soil in my 4 inch pots dries out after a few days. I wish I could turn the heat down more, but my pipes would freeze. This post was edited by timetraveler on Sat, Jan 12, 13 at 12:17

There are also beaches east of Panama City, FL that have remained untouched and pristine during the oil disaster. There is Mexico Beach (about 30 miles east of Panama City) and St. George Island (about 30 more miles further east). These are slower paced beaches with miles and miles of beautiful public beaches and there are no high rise condos. We visit fairly frequently during the "high" season because it is quieter. Closest airports would Panama City International or Tallahassee airport. Panama City also has beautiful beaches and emerald water. There's a multitude of dining and entertainment choices. I'm sure kayjones could probably fill you in on some of the many choices and give you some "local" tips. We don't spend as much time in that area since we sold our place there but like to visit during the "low" season. Just a few miles west of Panama City beaches are Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, and Seaside. All these are within easy driving distance from the Panama City International airport. Not far further west is Destin and Ft. Walton Beaches. We enjoy visiting along that area but if visiting there you have to be prepared for teeth clenching traffic when getting to and from places because there is only one main through highway. Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Perdido Key are beautiful. It's easy to travel and there are many places to eat and/or drink. I think the closest airports for there would be Pensacola, FL or Mobile, AL. I guess I should confess that my second career is beach bum. LOL Cheeky, the Gulf coast locals and businesses need and appreciate people like you. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful vacation wherever you choose to visit along the Gulf.

The nothern Ca coast is perfect for a road trip, with many sights along the way. To make it easy on yourself, fly into the small Santa Barbara airport(if possible), and rent a car from there. Santa Barbara itself is a lovely, wonderful, bustling little village with plenty of shops, great food, the pier, and of course the magnificent beach! Oh, and USB is right on the ocean. You'll only be about an hour(a gorgeoous drive!)from San Simeon where Hearst Castle is located, but you would need to book your tours online beforehand~we dId two, one after the other, but don't recall which. I swear the views from the estate are a look into heaven! You will also be close to San Luis Obispo, a great little village with a ban of fast food chains. There's a tree~lined street you can't miss, which is reminiscent of a scene out of Gone With the Wind with the mighty Oaks and also the college with it's gorgeous grounds. I can't remember how far you will be from Solvang, but it's a short drive and well worth seeing this bit of Sweden-in-America! Monticeido and Summerland, are other small villages worthy of a bit of time, and close to each other. As an aside, i'm also somewhat of a 'food snob' and was happy to learn the majority of the small restaurants along the way have their own organic gardens and if not, the produce is bought locally from organic farmers/farmers markets. It's definitely a trip i'm planning to do again, and will take in Monterey and Carmel, possibly as far as San Fran/Sausilito. As for San Diego, I lived there for 27 years before moving to Austin, and it can get crazy on the freeways. Parking places at the beach are rare, restaurants can be a 2 hour wait, and if there's a baseball game, traffic can be at a standstill in every direction. The Del Mar Fair is in late June ending on July 4th, but two weeks later horse racing season starts~all this creates more traffic, etc in SD. Just a heads up, as it can become frustrating(and overwhelming!)and may be more than you bargained for. Just something to keep in mind if you plan a visit. Looking forward to your decision. You've been given some great ideas!