BONNIE’S EYE ON –

Once or twice a year my “Girls” and I like to jump in the car and head out on a ROAD TRIP! One such trip was to the “Las Vegas of the South,” Tunica, Mississippi!

We had planned to drive straight through and timed it out to be around 8 hours.  We were doing well until we pulled off for gas in Southern, Illinois and saw the two words that changed our time frame completely, YARD SALE!

We decided to follow the sign and stop for just a few minutes before continuing on our way.  45 minutes later and 4 bags of “Key Buys” we were back on the road with a new agenda.  We had so much fun being spontaneous, we decided that with every gas stop, if we saw a yard sale sign we would stop.  The new plan was to hit a yard in each state between Illinois and Mississippi.  We had a great time meeting new people, seeing new sites, traveling roads we wouldn't have normally, and buying other peoples treasures.

Turning our road trips into adventures made the trip more exciting.  

One of my favorites was a mini road trip scavenger hunt on our way from Chicago to Omaha, Nebraska.  We plotted our route to take a little longer route so we could make the stops we wanted.  We listed everything out and decided that everything had to be free or no more than $10.

1^st stop – Normal, Illinois – Illinois State University Student Union (We all graduated from ISU) – Get a button that had a Red Bird on it. Found one for $2.00. We each took turns wearing it.

2^nd stop – Peoria, Illinois – Gondola Sandwich for Avanti's Italian Restaurant (Yum) We got one and split it four ways.

3^rd stop – Galesburg, Illinois Visitor Center – We all sat in the Big Blue Chair, together.

4^th stop – Wasn't really a stop. We drove through the Quad Cities. We had to name all of the cities (not as easy as you think). Davenport and Bettendorf (in Iowa) and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline (in Illinois) All of us got stuck on Bettendorf.

5^th stop – Des Moines, Iowa - JOHN AND MARY PAPPAJOHN SCULPTURE PARK.  We had to jump out the car and visit 3 of the 21 sculptures before hitting the road again.

6^th and final stop – Joe Tess restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska for their famous fish sandwich

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We were all  tired and along the way we almost decided to skip some stops but in the end we had a great time and lots of memories.  Plan your own road trip scavenger hunt or take the road less traveled for your next Road Trip.

I would love to read what some of your favorite road trip experiences were. Please feel free to comment or email me at bonnie@thetravelingeye.com

Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!

Bonnie DeShong

Co-host of The Traveling Eye

BONNIE'S EYE ON - A Spiritual Journey

One of our recent The Traveling Eye shows was on “Spiritual Travel.”  I find that when I travel there is always a space in time to connect.  When I am at a place near the ocean I like to, at the beginning of my stay, spend some time on the beach and think about all the things I mentally brought with me on the trip. I then walk into ocean, dunk all the way in and release all the stress and baggage.

One of my most memorable journeys was at the ROYAL RESORTS in Cancun, Mexico.  They have a sweat lodge associated with their Spa, but don’t think this is light weight, it isn’t. It’s the real thing complete with a Shaman who will take you on the spiritual journey.  I committed to the experience because I was curious.

The Hut looks like an igloo with a hole in the top and one door to enter.  The Shaman explained that if I felt the need I could leave the hut at any time, however, to try and do it as to not disturb the spirits/feelings inside the hut.

 Before we could enter, the Shaman asked permission from the North, South, East and West.  He then cleansed me with the smoke from herbs. Now it was time to for us to enter the hut. This was when I became a little nervous.  The hut was small, dark, hot, and, did I say SMALL?  I took a deep breath and in I went and sat on the floor around a bed of hot coals.  He then closed the door. Okay, I’m cool.  There was still a hole in the top of the hut that was letting in light and air that is until he closed up the hole and we were in darkness.  The Shaman’s calming voice told me to close my eyes and take several very deep breaths. With each breath I relaxed, my senses heightened, and I was ready for the journey.

The Shaman talked to me about the journey. He asked me questions and I answered. He asked about my dreams and I told him. Sometimes we chanted, sometimes we spoke in silence. We sweated, a lot. By the end of our journey together, I felt as if I tapped into another part of me that I had forgotten or maybe never knew.

After an hour or so it was time to release and leave the hut.  Again, there was a cleansing but I felt different. I can’t explain it, nor do I want to. It is personal and yes, I would do it again.

Sweat Lodge is not for everyone and make sure you do your research on the person, organization and place that is conducting the ritual.  If you decide to step into the dimension, I hope you have a fulfilling experience.

Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!

Bonnie

Co-host of The Traveling Eye

Ja'Vonne's Travel Tips

Hey Guys,

I've recently done my Travel Minutes from our radio show on tips.

Here are some of my "Travel Tips & Minutes"

Little known facts and tips to assist you in your travels.

• Did you know that mustard can relieve leg cramps?  Well it does! Yellow mustard contains turmeric acid which is an anti-inflammatory. Actually, turmeric has many health benefits.  Check them out at turmerichealthbenefits.org.  So put some of those yellow mustard packets in your bag for those long flights.
• Fellas, if you forget your shaving cream, don’t fret because you can use the hair conditioner that most hotels provide.  It acts the same as shaving cream and softens the hair.  For extra care use it with a hot towel compression.  Ladies, we can use this as well for our shaving needs.
• Whether or not you’re a germaphobe, pack some cleansing towelettes and wipe off those airline trays and arms rests.  I don’t know how often they clean them but I’ve seen some really dirty ones during my travels.
• Don’t throw away those plastic covers that sheets come in, use them for your dirty or wet clothes when you travel.
• I use my phone to take photos when I travel and on my recent trip my phone malfunctioned.  This was a reminder to me to download my photos each day and to have a cloud app.  The cloud app automatically sends your photos to the cloud for safe keeping.
• Put your shoes in shoe bags to keep the street dirt from your clothes in your luggage or you can use old socks.
• Umbrellas take up space and are cumbersome, so I travel with a foldable rain hat instead and hotels often have umbrellas that you can borrow for those downpours.
• Whether or not you have a sensitive stomach, trying new foods and spices can cause some irritation. Eat yogurt each day starting a week before your trip to help with digestion.  The cultures & enzymes in yogurt help fight bacteria.  If your stomach becomes upset eat ginger to help settle it.  I like to use candied ginger or simply place fresh ginger in hot water and drink like tea.
• The Left Behind, Lost and Found. When we travel, we pack up the things we need but often we lose them or leave them behind.
• If you find yourself with a prohibited item at TSA screening and it’s something you’re not willing to leave behind, you can have it mailed to you.  TSA screening stations have the means to ship your item to you at your own expense.
• I have so many cellphone charges because I have often left it behind only to purchase another one at the airport.  Well, a remedy to that is the hotel’s lost and found.  Cell phone chargers and lap top power cables are often left in hotel rooms and end up at the hotel’s lost and found.  Even if it’s not yours, you just find one that works with your phone because the chance of them being claimed after the guest checks out is very little.
• Traveling internationally means you need adapters for your electronics.  This too is an item that I’ve forgotten or left behind and once again, the hotel to the rescue.  Hotels often have a small supply of adapters that they will loan to you during your stay.  They may request a deposit to ensure you return it.

Ja'Vonne Harley

Co-Host, The Traveling Eye

Owner, Advantage International