Another benefit is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Some tours, such as New York’s Big Apple Greeter, actually pair travelers with resident New Yorkers based on language, neighborhoods requested and interests. All that, and it’s free of charge.

Your Walking Guide:

• There’s a tour for that. Is your passion architecture, food, history, gardens or neighborhood culture? Chances are, in most cities and towns, a walking tour awaits. Some tours, such as those offered by Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program, or the Coronado Historical Association in San Diego, are also offered on bicycle.
• Take a foodie tour and skip lunch. Sign up for a stroll through Pittsburgh’s Strip District with ‘Burgh Bits & Bites or San Francisco’s Chinatown with Wok Wiz, and you’ll eat your way through colorful storefronts selling everything from homemade sausage to Peking duck.
• Calling all preservationists. PreservationDirectory.com is a great resource for history buffs. The website is a clearinghouse for history-focused strolls, both guided and solo. Searching by state and region, you may find a route through bewitching Salem, Mass., or along the Art Deco facades of South Beach in Miami.
• Dabble in the weird. If you’re looking for the offbeat, Weird Chicago fits the bill. Follow in the steps of serial killer H.H. Holmes, relive the bloody St. Valentine’s Day mob massacre or chase elusive ghosts for a few hours. With its voodoo-laced past, New Orleans is another city that loves to make you shiver. Explore the shady and sinister side of the Vieux Carré with Haunted History Tours or trek to an above-ground cemetery for a lesson in Big Easy burial customs and a gander at Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau’s final resting place. (Or is it?).
• All by yourself. Sites like City Slicker (Charleston, S.C.), GPSmyCity (multiple, including Indianapolis and Portland, Ore.) and Trek Exchange (multiple, including Philadelphia and San Antonio) offer self-guided tours you can download to your smartphone and do on your own schedule. Check the city’s local tourism or convention and visitor’s bureau sites for more, and sometimes even free, options. Your job is just to show up with a curious mind and a good pair of walking shoes.

• New York’s Adirondacks. The Lake George area in New York’s Adirondack Mountains is bursting with yellow, red and amber hues each fall. Get a close-up view of the beautiful scenery as you hike one of the many trails winding through the mountains. Or enjoy the peaceful lakes and charming towns that dot the countryside. This region is known for its fine wines, and you’ll get a souvenir bottle and two tickets to the Adirondack Winery as part of the romance package at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Lake George.

• North Carolina High Country. Wildflowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway and fall foliage against the Carolina-blue sky greet you in Boone, N.C. Relax in a rocking chair and do some people watching at the famous Mast General Store downtown. The mild autumn weather is ideal for taking a hayride at The Orchard at Altapass. This 102-year-old apple orchard is a cultural hub where you’ll find local art and plenty of mountain music and storytelling. For a panoramic view of the mountains, head to Grandfather Mountain and cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge. At the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Boone, your romance package includes a Jacuzzi Suite, a bottle of champagne and breakfast in bed!

• Discover Denver. The Mile-High City offers restaurants and attractions to keep you and your loved one busy. Browse the fascinating American Indian art collection at the Denver Art Museum, which includes Pueblo ceramics and Plains beadwork, or look through more than 150,000 titles at the Tattered Cover Book Store. If your sweetie has a sweet tooth, be sure to visit Hammond’s Candy for a complimentary tour. Hammond’s has been making homemade lollipops and candy since 1920. If craft beer is more your style, stop at one of the city’s many local breweries to enjoy a pint. After your day of exploring, watch a complimentary pay-per-view movie as part of your romance package at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Denver.

• Escape Into Bass Country – There’s nothing more relaxing than hitting the open water and passing the day away fishing with friends and family. Head to Portage, Ind., and test your bassing skills before checking out the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. This package includes:
  • $50 gift certificate to the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World (per stay)
  • Complimentary gift bag
  • Complimentary upgrade

• Dam Release Whitewater Rafting – Get ready to get soaked! Paddle on over to Lehighton, Pa., and take on 17 rapids while screaming, laughing and having an excellent day. Enjoy 12 miles and five hours of Class III whitewater rafting on this exciting package.
  • Admission for two on the whitewater raft trip

• Escape in Town Trail Ride – Hit the trails by horseback in Shoreview, Minn., and encounter a true north woods experience. Begin at Bunker Park Stable-Anoka County Parks for a one-hour trail ride before taking the plunge on the giant weekend water slide, pool and whirlpool at the Country Inn & Suites Shoreview. This package includes:
  • $10.00 discount trail ride ticket

Sunny San Diego
Southern California is beautiful year-round, and San Diego has cultural attractions and sandy beaches to make everyone happy. The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, San Diego North is 7 miles from downtown and is a great home base for your trip.

Take a picnic to Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Zoo and 15 museums. The grounds of the park are free to explore, and you can choose to visit the attractions based on your interest and budget. The park also has miles of hiking trails, a miniature railroad and a carousel.

San Diego also has beautiful beaches close to downtown. Drive or take the ferry across the bay to Coronado and enjoy one of the wide, family-friendly Coronado Beaches. And while you’re there, stroll the charming shops and restaurants of this lovely seaside town.

Action-Packed Atlanta
This southern city is brimming with attractions and events for families or couples. And there are plenty ofCountry Inn & Suites By Carlson^SM locations to choose from, all convenient to major sites.

Enjoy the warm, late-summer weather by exploring Piedmont Park, more than 180 acres in the city center with a lake and walking trails. It’s adjacent to the Atlanta Botanical Garden where you can spot native birds and walk through the treetops on a canopy bridge.

But before heading off on your Montana adventure, make sure you add these must-see sites to your itinerary:

• Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument – Take in the sites of one of the most significant battles in American history. At Custer’s Last Stand, in 1876, 263 soldiers were killed in combat with several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. Admission is $10 per vehicle, and $5 for pedestrians and motorcycle riders.
• Billings – Bordered on the north by distinctive rock formations known as rimrocks, Billings was established in 1882 and is where Montana Territory began. Don’t miss the Western Heritage Center, Zoo Montana and MetraPark. After a long day of exploring the city, rest up at Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Billings, where you can curl up by the fire with a book from the Read It & Return Lending Library^SM, relax in the whirlpool or enjoy some fresh cookies before bed.
• Yellowstone National Park – Teddy Roosevelt declared Yellowstone the first national park in 1872. Home to hundreds of varieties of wildlife (elk, bison, grizzly bears and wolves), the park also includes geysers and hot springs, geological wonders that are more spectacular than words can describe. Drive through the park yourself or enjoy a guided bus tour. Prices range from $29 to $68 per person.
• Glacier National Park – Picture wide, open and rugged landscapes. Craggy peaks jut into the sky that the resident mountain goats climb. A gravity-defying two-lane road named, appropriately enough, the Going-to-the-Sun Road, stretches 50 miles while clinging to the edge of the world as cars—and bikes—cross over the Continental Divide. With wildflowers, alpine vistas and waterfalls along the way, prepare for an experience you’ll never forget.

• Visit America’s oldest city and enjoy the great weather in sunny St. Augustine, Florida. With this hotel package from Country Inn & Suites – St. Augustine, Florida you’ll be treated to:
  • Two tickets per reservation for either the Red Sightseeing Train or the Old Town Trolley, which include unlimited on-and-off privileges for shopping, attractions and restaurants at more than 20 stops
• Tour New Orleans’ waterways by airboat. Country Inn & Suites New Orleans is proud to offer this Airboat package where you’ll ride through the depths of nature and experience a unique, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. This hotel package includes:
  • Two passes to Airboat Adventure
  • Pick-up and drop-off from hotel
• Explore Stone Mountain Park and enjoy this great family vacation destination from Country Inn & Suites – Stone Mountain, Georgia. Located on 3,200 acres of natural beauty, Stone Mountain Park features a wide variety of fun family activities. This offer includes:
  • Four all day, all attraction passes to Stone Mountain Park
• All Aboard! Take the trolley tour of Watertown. Enjoy VIP perks at all of Watertown’s Trolley stops with this hotel package from Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Watertown, South Dakota. This package includes:
  • One-night stay in a single king or double queen room for two at the newly renovated Country Inn & Suites
  • Free trolley fare and VIP perks at all Watertown trolley stops
  • Two tickets to Bramble Park Zoo
  • Keepsake cookie cutter and Mellette fan from the historic Mellette House
  • Terry Redlin exclusive edition print from the Redlin Art Center

And, as always at Country Inns & Suites, enjoy complimentary hot breakfast and free high-speed Internet in the U.S. and Canada.

Make this Fourth of July one to remember forever!

Quirky St. Augustine

There’s more to St. Augustine than meets the eye. With its strategic coastal location, once a magnet for plundering pirates, and deep Spanish roots, St. Augustine offers a Florida experience best suited to visitors interested in something beyond the usual. Yes, this town of 12,000 has great beaches, restaurants, historic sites and plenty of shopping. But wouldn’t you rather go gator tracking? Or see the world’s oldest rug? Sure you would.

Don’t Miss

•          Villa Zorayda, a Moorish castle and museum patterned after the Alhambra in Spain, complete with a cursed Egyptian rug woven from the hair of the sacred cats that used to roam the Nile.

•          Adrenaline Alligator Adventures, an interactive gator adventure that almost always gets its reptile. Sign on and you’ll be in the middle of the action, helping the pros snag and snare the beast while keeping those sharp teeth at bay.

•          Yarrr! The new timber-shivering interactive St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum transports your family back in time to the pillaging and plundering Golden Age of Piracy, complete with gold doubloons and treasure maps.

Springtime in DC

The cherry blossoms are in bloom until the end of April in America’s hometown, an ideal multi-generational destination. Between the grandeur of the national monuments, the Smithsonian complex and the National Zoo, home to giant pandas Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Tai Shan, Washington D.C. has all the bases covered. Just keep in mind that the distance between wherever you are and the Washington Monument is farther than you think. The Mall — the heart of D.C. main attractions — is almost two miles long. And here’s a tip — if there’s a line to climb the Washington Monument, head for the Pavilion at the Old Post Office (Pennsylvania Ave., between 11th and 12th Sts. NW), where the clock tower affords an equally dramatic view. A food court on the main level offers snacks to keep everybody’s spirits high.

Don’t Miss

•          The Newseum, with its section of the Berlin Wall, gallery of Pulitzer Prize winning photos and an interactive newsroom, which gives kids the chance to be an on-camera TV reporter.

•          The National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall showcases some 8,000 artifacts including totems and both historic and contemporary art.

•          Fly high at the National Air and Space Museum, home to the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock sample that kids (of all ages) can touch.

Jazzfest in New Orleans

There’s always a party going on in the Big Easy but especially during Jazzfest, the annual music, roots and heritage fest held this year April 29-May 8 at the Fair Grounds Race Course.  What’s so special about this music event?

Depending on whom you talk to, it’s a tie between the 12 stages of music and the food, followed by, in no particular order, the people watching, the after-fest shows around town, and did we mention the food? With 2011 headliners including Jimmy Buffett, The Roots, local trumpet sensation Kermit Ruffins and Jersey boy Bon Jovi, Fest is an annual tradition for a legion of locals and music fans of all ages coming together for love of jazz and blues, Zydeco and gospel, and cochon de lait po’boys. Despite the thrumming crowds and weather that can range from gorgeous to blistering and torrential, the vibe is pure love fest.

Don’t Miss

•          Catch a Fest parade by the Mardi Gras Indians, a feathered and bejeweled tribal tradition that dates back more than a century.

•          New Orleans still needs a helping hand. With the sixth anniversary of Katrina approaching, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities to aid in the city’s rebuilding. For a full list of options, visit Volunteer Louisiana.

By Annette McGivney, Cyril Manning and Larry Rice
 

 

Grand Canyon National Park

You’ve marveled at scenes like this on postcards and in coffee-table books, but when you actually lay eyes on the Grand Canyon—with its sea of red and orange rock towers rising from the abyss—it is almost too spectacular to be real.

Protected as a national park in 1919, the Grand Canyon exposes more of the Earth’s history than anyplace else on the planet. As you stand at various overlooks in the park, you can take in canyon views that are a mile deep and 18 miles wide, giving you a glimpse of more than 2 billion years of geology.

Tourists have been coming to gawk at this giant geologic phenomenon for more than a century, ever since the Grand Canyon Railway first made the remote landscape accessible to the general public in 1901. Today, with too many cars and too few parking spaces in Grand Canyon National Park, the train is still the ticket for getting to the heart of this natural wonder. 

Your journey begins at the Grand Canyon Railway depot in Williams, 30 miles west of Flagstaff. You’ll arrive at the national park’s historic Grand Canyon Depot around noon. You’ll have a little more than three hours of exploration time before boarding the train for the return ride. The depot is located in Grand Canyon Village and just a stone’s throw from canyon overlooks, shops and restaurants. Consider packing a picnic lunch and stretching your legs on the Rim Trail. This mostly flat path winds through pine forest and leads to spectacular overlooks. Keep your eyes peeled for ravens riding canyon thermals. 

For a pleasant three-mile round-trip hike, pick up the Rim Trail, due north of the train station, and follow it northwest to Maricopa Point. From the point—an excellent picnic spot—you can watch hikers directly below snaking down the switchbacks of the Bright Angel Trail. And about 2,000 feet farther down on the Tonto Plateau, you’ll see the cottonwood-lined oasis called Indian Gardens. If you peer some 5,000 feet down to the canyon’s bottom, you’ll catch the glint of the Colorado River’s green waters. Stare at this canyon panorama long enough, and it can play tricks on your sense of scale. Landmarks on the North Rim, 20 miles away, will look closer than features right next to Maricopa Point.

After your hike, get something cold to drink back in Grand Canyon Village. Or shop for Native American crafts, such as turquoise jewelry, at Hopi House, a pueblo-style building next to the rim just north of the train station. Before you know it, the whistle is blowing and it’s time to board the afternoon train.

Author Bio: Annette McGivney is the Southwest editor for Backpacker magazine.

Cape Cod National Seashore

On Cape Cod at this time of year, every smell says summertime—from the lobster rolls and clams served up at countless roadside shacks, to the sweet smell of coconut sunscreen and the cool, salty air that takes the edge off the sun-baked days. But Cape Cod National Seashore offers far more than beach umbrellas and sandcastles. These 40 miles of pristine coastline envelop a delicate, 40,000-acre ecosystem defined by its relationship to the sea.

Your gateway to the Seashore is a two-hour drive from downtown Boston. Salt Pond and Nauset Marsh introduce you to the beauty of this crooked peninsula, where more than 350 glacial freshwater ponds coexist with the rolling tides. Here you can pick up information on lighthouse tours and the area’s heritage of pirates, shipwrecks and sea rescues.

From here, take a leisurely hike along Nauset Trail and watch blue heron, osprey and other shore birds swoop through the grassy fields and swampy forest, plucking their meals from the streams and tidal creeks that cut through the land. By mid-morning, the trail will bring you to Coast Guard Beach, where you can survey the dramatic march of marshland toward the sea, enjoying the view in relative solitude.

Next, head to Wellfleet, where you can lunch on lobsters, oysters and clams at Beachcomber, just steps from the silky sand of Cahoon Hollow Beach. To explore this part of the shoreline, rent a kayak from Jack’s in Wellfleet and launch from the town pier. The mellow water here makes it easy to glide across the bay to Great Island, one of the park’s best-kept secrets. You won’t run into many other visitors as you skirt the sandy dunes and sloping stands of pine that mark this shoreline, but you’ll see plenty of shore birds, hawks and red-winged blackbirds.

You’ll also find plenty of quiet landings to beach your kayak, rest in the sun and hunt for fiddler crabs. This is the seashore at its most intimate; paddling back to town, now backlit by the dipping sun and framed against the immaculate harbor, your sense of the Cape is far richer than sunscreen and sandcastles.

Back on dry land, you’ll find no better place to wind down than at Race Point Beach, an old seafarers’ outpost at the tip of the Cape. Here, watch the setting sun wash the sky in tangerine and pink—locals and tourists alike attest that this is the most spectacular show on the Cape.

Author Bio: Freelancer Cyril Manning specializes in adventure, travel and health articles.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Heading northwest out of the Mile High City, you’ll soon reach the gateway
to “Rocky,” as the Rocky Mountain National Park is known to locals. The air is suddenly cool and sweet with the aroma of pine and spruce. And moving on—whoa, flatlander!—just as suddenly, you become aware that you’ve entered a very special place, a mountain kingdom to rival anywhere on this planet.

The temptation is to see everything—right now! But take some time to orient yourself before you set out to explore the park’s 416-square-mile wilderness.

First, stop in at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, near the park entrance. A free movie there gives an overview of the park’s features. Be sure to browse the bookstore for natural and cultural history books, as well as games and toys for the kids. (The Trail Ridge Road Adventure Sticker and Game Book is a favorite.)

Now you’re ready for the adventure to begin. Strap on those seat belts and get ready to take one of the most breathtaking drives in the national park system. Stretching 48 miles between Estes Park Village on the park’s eastern edge to Grand Lake on its western side, Trail Ridge Road (U.S. 34) is the highest continuous paved road in the United States. Eleven miles of this highway wind above the tree line, the elevation near 11,500 feet where the area’s evergreen forests come to an end, replaced by a rocky alpine world. Climbing to its high point at 12,183 feet elevation, Trail Ridge Road provides views of dozens of peaks, glimpses of animals (bighorn sheep, mule deer and elk are commonly visible), and dramatic wildflower displays, all from your comfortable car.

Set aside at least a half-day for the road trip, but leave time to stretch your legs. With 359 miles of trails, Rocky Mountain is a haven for hikers. The most popular trails begin along Bear Lake Road. Although most of the hikes in this area are short, the rewards are many. From the Bierstadt Lake trailhead, it’s an easy 1.5-mile jaunt to Bierstadt Lake, where the 19th century painter Albert Bierstadt created one of his dramatic images. Farther up the road is the Glacier Gorge Junction trailhead.

A lure here is Alberta Falls, a half-mile in. A little over one mile from the Bear Lake trailhead is Dream Lake, a favorite of photographers. 

Indeed, there’s so much to do in Rocky you will surely want to return on another day in the not-too-distant future, ready to renew your exploration of America’s mountain roof.

Author Bio: Writer, photographer and outdoor enthusiast Larry Rice has traveled to seven continents from his home in Buena Vista, Colorado. 

It was another adventure-filled day for our 1K Country Crew!   Our fabulous road trippers woke up, snug in their beds in our beautiful Naperville, IL hotel and (cookies in hand), departed for destinations unknown.  At the end of the day, they arrived at our historic St. Charles, MO hotel.

There are a few pictures above highlighting their adventures – but take a minute to check out the beautiful camera work of the Suite Stops below, and have an adventure without ever leaving your chair. 

A good morning to our weary travelers… first stop ? The clock tower in Fredenhagen Park, Naperville, IL.  From there, off to experience the Route 66 Experience and Joliet Area Historical Museum!  After spending some time with the Blues Brothers, they headed off to find the “Beardless Bunyan” in Atlanta, IL – and grab a blue plate lunch at the Palms Grill Cafe.  With full bellies, our road warriors continued on to the iconic Soulsby’s Gas Station where, judging from the pictures above, it looks like the travelers weren’t the only ones in need of refueling!   The final Suite Stop of the day?  Our stunning St. Charles, Missouri hotel. 

If you don’t have time to view all those Suite Stops, you can see the “Cliffs Notes” version here.  And don’t forget to visit the blogs for a more intimate look at each family adventure!

Kara Williams / The Vacation Gals
Sharlene Earnshaw / Trekaroo
Ross Sveback / Kon-tent

And of course… follow them all (and me!) on twitter: @karasw, @thevacationgals, @trekaroo, @sveback, @doubleadventure, and @CountryInns, or by following the list CIS-1K-Country.

Final thoughts  from Em? 

I think you’ll all agree that viewing these videos and pics is a heartwarming reminder of the big, beautiful place we live.  I hope we can all take some time this summer to explore and appreciate all this amazing country has to offer…  to “disconnect and reconnect” with our families and friends.  Even though our ”adventure families” aren’t exactly disconnecting, they are definitely reconnecting with each other — and with us!. 

From the bottom of my heart — and all of us at Country Inns & Suites — thank you for sharing your family with ours.

Stay tuned for Day 4!

I love this Country.
~Emily

PS: Big highlight from today?  Kara’s daughter lost a tooth on the road… and didn’t even know what state she was in when she lost it!

I’m not even really sure where to start – so much to share and say, and today is only day 3 of the 1K Country Adventure.  It’s been a whirlwind of fun so far, and I have a bit of a “techno-glazed” expression on my face from spending the lst 72 hours glued to the computer, watching twitter, facebook, and our participant blogs.  The stories, pictures, and videos have been so heartwarming that I wish Iwas on the roadtrip adventure!  Make sure you click on “MORE” to see all the various multi-media gems that have already cropped up, courtesy of our adventure families!  A sampling?  Pictures of a giant orange moose, Ross riding a giant deer, kids reflection in the Chicago Bean, a Kare 11 news clip, and a “meet the bloggers” video segment, in addition to the SWEET Suite Stops that are guiding the travelers along the unknown roadtrip path!  I’m exhausted from just writing this post!

Let’s go back to Saturday: Our three families arrived at the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Mall of America property, where I FINALLY got to meet them and their fabulous kiddos – let me tell you, after months of talking to these families via web and phone, I felt like I was hugging old friends -  for the first time!  An Avis representative was on site to explain all the features and benefits of the Ford Flex vehicles they’d be driving, and our fabulous staff and agency partners talked the families through the structure of the roadtrip, and how to best utilize their JVC Everio HD Cams and Sprint Samsung  Momentsmartphones, and how to use the Duracell chargers to stay connected on the road!

After many photo opportunities, we all departed… but unexpectedly got the call to regroup at 9 AM the next morning because Kare 11, the Minneapolis NBC affilliate, told us they were going to show up to shoot a segment for the 5 o’clock news!  Awesome! 

KARE-11_1KCA

And after that… they were off.  First stop?  Mall of America!  It’s a little known fact to anybody outside of Minnesota that the MOA was built on the grounds of the old Metropolitan stadium, which was later torn down when Minneapolis decided to build the Metrodome, current home of the Minnesota Vikings football team, and former home of the Minnesota Twins baseball team!  So after they found the plaque commemorating the OLD home plate:

they were off to see the new:  since Target Field opened in Minneapolis this April, baseball in Minnesota has never been more exciting.

 
 (Can you say “Christmas card”?)

Whew!  And once they’d all completed their Minnesota Suite Stops, they were off to Wisconsin:   

Amidst rolling fields peppered with barns and cows, their stops included Cady Cheese Factory, a giant orange moose (what?), the state capitol, and a few other Suite Stops before settling into the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Madison West property for a long slumber.

That comes PRETTY close to wrapping up day 1, but to be honest, there is so much to talk about I feel that I can’t even do it justice (going forward, these posts won’t be as long – I’ll do one day at a time – but this Saturday, Sunday, AND Monday are all rolled into one recap).

Are you still with me? 

Moving on to Day 2, the families journeyed to Milwaukee and Chicago where they took in sites such as Miller Park, Northpoint Lighthouse, and finally — after battling some rush hour traffic — Millenium Park and the beloved Bean sculpture (officially called the Cloud Gate sculpture).

Again, so many pictures and memories to share:

And after a long day of exploring, adventuring, and battling rush hour traffic, they snuggled in for a long sleep at the Country Inns & Suites Naperville property, where I’m told the adults enjoyed some beverages in our on-site lounge, while the kiddos drifted off to sleep.

Reminders:
Follow @countryinns, @karasw, @sveback, and @doubleadventure on twitter… to make it easy, we created a list – www.twitter.com/countryinns/CIS-1k-Country!  You can also become a fan on Facebook in order to see all the fun pics, videos, and posts that I put up daily as I follow these families on their adventure.

And don’t forget their blogs — well, you can always visit our Facebook page for the latest and greatest, but if you’d like to add the blogs directly, make sure you add Ross, Kara, and Sharlene to your feed readers, in addition to Sharlene’s writings at Trekaroo!

ALSO – I know you’re all dying with anticipation to know their final destination.  Got a guess?  You can visit The Vacation Gals blog to give a guess and the winner will receive a cookbook, courtesy of Kara Williams!  But my lips are sealed… until Saturday, anyway! 

WHEW – I’m exhausted just from writing this, so I can’t imagine how tired our travelers must be.  On that note – I’m signing off for now… but I’ll be back tomorrow to give you a Day 3 update!

I love this Country!
~Emily

PS: You can watch Day 1 and 2′s Suite Stops here,  here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here!  Happy viewing!

PPS: Avis donated use of the vehicles, JVC donated the Everio HD Cams, and Sprint donated use of the Samsung Moment phones.  Duracell donated chargers for all contestants, and we’ve comped their rooms at Country Inns & Suites.