This post is just a look back at my travels during 2015.  I chose my top five trips and a few of my personal favorite photos.  I do believe that Oahu and Vermont made the list only partially because I have friends there and that tends to make vacations more fun!  I will say that Bora Bora / French Polynesia were at the top of my bucket list and I finally made it in February and March 2015.

Lake Garda,  Italy

Ko Olina Oahu Hawaii

Curacao

Burlington, Vermont

Bora Bora - French Polynesia

 Sorry this is a photo only post.  If you've been following along you've probably seen these photos already.  Thank you for the visit.  Happy new year to all and I hope 2016 is your best year yet! 

~Michelle

 I took this photo at Smuggler's Notch ski resort about five years ago.  I know many of you are still enjoying summer and the last thing you want to see is snow at this point.  This post will compare photos at the same area in Vermont during the summer and the winter.  All photos on this blog were taken by you's truly.

Or maybe I should say the "white mountains" since depending on the season their color changes.  I lived in the "Green Mountain State", also known as Vermont until I graduated from college.  I've lived in four states and have now lived in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the past seven years.  Both Vermont and Florida have their own albeit very different natural beauty.  Vermont has four seasons and the gorgeous mountainous landscape while Florida has palm trees, flowers all year and the beaches.
People used to ask me which state I lived in until Ben and Jerry's became famous - seriously!  This photo was taken on Church Street in Burlington Vermont.  This store is not far from their original "shop" that they started in a garage about thirty years ago.
Here are a few more photos taken on Church Street in Burlington at various times of the year.  There are many designer boutiques and fine places to eat on Church Street.  The "Church Street Christmas Tree", however, is well known and people visit Church Street just to see this tree.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the beautiful decorations when I visited in February.  It was below zero when I took these photos.  I was sitting inside the the Church Street Tavern trying to stay warm.  I would run out for sixty seconds or less over and over again trying to capture the scene.

Here are a couple of photos of my Alma Mater the University of Vermont.
The University of Vermont is known for it's beautiful campus as well as it's academic standing.



The following is a lovely colonial style home that is very representative of the architecture you will see around the state of Vermont.  I was able to capture it in the sunlight and during some very cloudy weather before a storm.  I personally love taking photos with dramatic looking clouds.  I get many chances to take photos of some pretty sensational cloudscapes in Florida.
The photo above and below were taken at the "Mark Reeves Memorial Park" in Jericho.  The park was created in memory of a young boy who passed away.

Vermont is known for it's covered bridges.  This particular bridge can be seen in Underhill, Vermont at the Mills Riverside Park.
I do wish more of the bridge was visible the summer photos, but I suppose the green and red look good together.
The above is a view from inside the covered bridge - in the summer time of course!

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Do you prefer the wintry photos of Vermont or the ones taken in the summer?  I personally prefer most of the ones taken in the winter as I never get to see snow where I live.  Most of my friends in Vermont prefer the summer scenes which I understand completely!  Have a great week everyone!

~Michelle

Can you guess where I'm going this week?  I will be packing for some cooler temperatures than where I live in Southwest Florida.  I will be visiting family and friends and taking photos of course!  I've posted five photos as hints which I doubt will leave many of you guessing!

Here is my alma mater where I had way too much fun!
This mural is seen in the downtown area of the state's biggest city which isn't that big! 
I think this photo will be a definite giveaway!
I'm looking forward to some cooler weather!
Thanks so much for visiting.  I'd love to here your guesses below!  If you guessed have you visited this state in New England?

~Michelle

"When I was in high school I moved from the big city to a tiny village of 500 people in Vermont. It was like The Waltons!" ~Daphne Zuniga

I lived in Vermont until I finished my Bachelors and Masters degrees in Education.  I left when I was 24 years old and moved to Virginia.  I return at least two times a year to visit family including my 93 year old grandmother :)  I love the lush green mountains and the seasons.  I love visiting when there is a big snow storm!  It's fun sitting in front of a fireplace watching the snow fall drinking hot chocolate, but driving on icy roads and getting bundled up - NOT so much!

My grandmother and I:

View from a Condo in Smuggler's Notch ski resort about 3 years ago:

While in Vermont I had many friends and family to visit fortunately I made it down to Church Street and the Burlington waterfront which I think is stunning this time of year.  

Here is Church Street a few weeks before Christmas this past year:

A view of downtown Burlington from the top of a parking garage:

Here is a picture of Ben & Jerry's ice cream which I think helped put Vermont on the map.  Until they became famous people used to ask me which state Vermont was in. 

  I found some photos of some graffiti that I actually thought was beautiful.  I am usually not a fan of any form of graffiti, but I thought this was well done and seem to fit in in the Church Street area. 

Here are some photos of the University of Vermont which is my Alma mater.

The Echo Lake Aquarium is a great place to visit if you are in the Burlington area on the waterfront:

 The Lake Champlain waterfront in Burlington:

This covered bridge is in Wolcott, Vermont in an area known as the Northeast Kingdom:

A few more photos of the Vermont countryside.  That is Mount Mansfield in the distance:

The following photos were taken in the fall of 2012 at Smuggler's Notch with a cell phone:


Thanks so much for visiting.  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions.  Have a wonderful week!

~Michelle