This has been such a great month! There are lots of new Lifestylist® Designed projects happening, and three of them are in one of my favorite areas of the world - Western NY. Part of what we do that makes us so unique is spending a lot of time understanding what makes the community we are working on so unique, and what type of lifestyle the new residents can expect. I like to go out without a lot of suggestions, and just see what I can stumble on to.

Sonnenberg Gardens is one of those magical discoveries. I've been down to Canandaigua Lake a few times looking at the @home Builders communities Covington Place and Canandaigua Classics, and saw signs for the gardens but never stopped. Now that Riedman Communities is building The Hammocks at Canandaigua and we will be doing the design and merchandising I decided it was time to check it out.

I can't stop thinking about this very special place, and now I can't wait to go back and spend the day there. It is a NY State historic park, and is "one of the nation's most extensively preserved country estates from the Victorian era". The rock garden with this nymph sculpture was truly a magical place, and there weer lots of knowledgeable volunteers that were happy to share their wealth of information.

What is also so special about this gem is that because it is about the gardens, it will never be the same from visit to visit. I've already booked my next trip and I've added in a day to be able to explore and enjoy even more.

Let 2012 begin! It’s looking like a very busy year for this Lifestylist®– I’m already working on trips to Michigan, New York, Las Vegas and Florida. All of these are to work with clients, and I’m always very frugal as to where I stay when I’m on the road.

The first destination for me when I’m trying to get my travel reservations in order is Travelocity. This has been such a great time saver for me, and I’ve discovered really cool hotels I never would have known (or Gnome) about without their help. I was fortunate enough to spend some quality time with that cute little guy sporting the pointy red at the past few years at Savor Dallas, and he shared some great tips with me.

One of the best ways to save is to book everything together on their site. Not only can it save you money, it’s easier to keep up with to have your reservations  all in one place.

Thanks to their help, I discovered what I consider the best travel deal I’ve ever found. I needed a last minute room in the Tampa Bay area so I looked on Travelocity to see what I could find, and there it was – The Postcard Inn. Right on the beach, cool and funky, and amazing restaurant, Snack Shack and bar right on site, and under $75.00 a night! I liked it so much my daughter and grandkids joined me there to celebrate my birthday.

The next time you are thinking about heading out of town and experience something different, try Travelocity and trust their suggestions. Hopefully you’ll be able to find your own Postcard Inn to enjoy.