I dreamt I walked through the blooming Flower Fields of Carlsbad. A sea of pink, white, red and orange flowers in rows of waves as far as I could see. I stepped into a painting with the breezes blowing off the ocean and could see the ocean from atop the hill. I realized I wasn't dreaming. This was a dream come true.

"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will...

Take an LA day trip to Solvang If you are looking to really feel like you are escaping Los Angeles. The picturesque Danish village is right of out a fairy tale storybook and the beautiful scenic drive through mountains will transport you into another land.

We received a lot of advice about getting to Yosemite early, parking in one of the main lots and then taking the Shuttle, which takes you to just about every popular place, or you can hike from those popular places to where you want to be. This was our plan until my 14-year-old daughter sprained her ankle literally two days before our trip and ended up on crutches.  Our plans for hiking now had to be adjusted to Plan B: driving and parking as close to the sights as possible.

The saying goes..." it's not the destination, it's the journey". This begins my tale...