It’s been a few weeks since we’ve returned home from Hawaii.  I’ve had time to reflect on the many beautiful and touching experiences that we had on the islands of Oahu and Maui, what many refer to as paradise. Countless moments come to mind that I shared with my husband, Darrell, and our daughter, Erika. Daily we ventured out, explored, and descended the winding hills of the mountain where we stayed for entire visit on Oahu. 

From high atop a mountain, our home for many days was a gorgeous private residence overlooking Honolulu and the Pacific Ocean. What was so remarkable was that the home was offered to us by a friend of Erika’s. I’m not accustomed to this kind of generosity. I’ve not been the recipient of someone saying, here’s the key, enjoy. In all of my years, there have been few instances where I’ve experienced this.

Kindness, thoughtfulness and generosity do exist in the world. Sometimes, we are so consumed by much of the world’s happenings that they overshadow acts of goodwill, benevolence, and love. 

To bring this full circle, I was again amazed and touched when another friend, having heard that we would be visiting a city that they once lived, offered us the key to make their vacation home, our home while visiting next month. There’s so much kindness in the world. 

During a recent weekend trip to Chicago we visited the Chicago Botanic Garden. Although we have visited the Windy City countless times over the past 20 years, and I normally make it my business to make my way to these types of outdoor spaces , I’ve never visited this beautiful space. For me, visiting beautiful gardens is exhilarating, wondrous, and calming.

As we wandered throughout the gardens, our eyes feasted on one beautiful plant after another. We contemplated on how such beauty could be formed and exist in such harmony. Oh, how I would love to wake up and walk through gardens such as this to begin my days! It occurred to me that I do not have to go to far-away places to way up and look at beauty. I only need to look around me wherever I wake up, and and actually see the beauty that us present.

C

On a beautiful weekend, we traveled up to the mountains of North Georgia to a city by the name of Dahlonega. This town conjures up in my mind the type of place it has become known: southern, quaint, and historic with rolling hills and mountains. In the past, Dahlonega was famous for being located on top of the largest gold deposits east of the Mississippi, with gold having been discovered there in the late 1800’s. These days, Dahlonega has relevancy and another connection with California as being the epicenter of North Georgia’s wine country.

When one thinks about visiting vineyards, we often think about going to faraway places. We envision Sonoma, Napa Valley, Italy, South Africa, and the like. Very seldom do we think of places almost in our backyard. Being only 65 miles north of Atlanta, it’s just a short drive to a world so different from the hustle and bustle of big city life. One enters rural settings with tall pines, mountains, farm houses, animals grazing, and hills and hills of vineyards.

Home to 12 tasting rooms and eight wineries (and counting), Dahlonega is an enjoyable getaway for wine enthusiasts or anyone just seeking breathtaking views in relaxing spaces. Several of the wineries have restaurants, which is especially nice for those who might not be as interested in wines. Some of the wineries allow pets who seem to enjoy the atmosphere as much as their owners. During this visit, we allowed a professional transport service to pick us up at home and do the driving for us. That was so much fun. An alternative might be to have a designated driver.

Hope that you are inspired to travel to the mountains!