Category Archives: Travel Journal/Blog

Waverly, Georgia Welcomes the Horse Stamp Inn

Land Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, , , ,
Horse Stamp Inn, Waverly, Georgia
Horse Stamp Inn, Waverly, Georgia

The opening of a new bed and breakfast created big news in Waverly, Georgia.  Reckon that’s because Waverly (population 1,500) dozes like a Southern belle in the heat of the day. Waverly’s a laid back kind of place and until recently, a little off the beaten track.  But, a new exit off Interstate 95- Horse Stamp Church Road- may change those statistics.

Welcome Gate at the Horse Stamp Inn
Welcome Gate at the Horse Stamp Inn

 

Kris and Tom Hutcheson courageously decided to become innkeepers while living in Denver. They bought a grand home and moved to Georgia. Not ones to waste time, they landscaped the grounds, made luxurious upgrades to the interior and added a mix of classic and antique furniture to the property. All with four months, no less.

 

The Horse Stamp Inn offers 5 gorgeous suites each named after a famous horse. Seabiscuit Suite is the largest and offers access to the upper terrace. The bedroom feels wedding night romantic. Actually, the Horse Stamp Inn would make an ideal location for a wedding. They maintain a pristine barn, 16-acres of tranquil meadows and an artesian pond.

Living Room- Horse Stamp Inn
Living Room- Horse Stamp Inn

 

Guests looking for something beyond relaxation or simple pleasures like walking or playing cards, may swim in the saltwater pool or fish the pond. Tom also arranges boat outings along the Georgia coast on a private 21-foot vessel. Cruising to Jekyll Island takes less than an hour but a full day is needed for an excursion to Cumberland Island- a National Seashore Park managed by the National Park Service.

 

Overnight visitors delight with the plentiful breakfast Kris prepares. She incorporates fresh produce from the garden when available. I was served blueberry cornmeal pancakes bursting with homegrown berries, bacon and quiche. Guests may gather the eggs for their omelet, if desired. As you might expect, two horses also make their home at the Horse Stamp Inn, along with the egg-laying chickens.

The Barn
The Barn

Sumptuous dinners can be arranged with a private chef using the Inn’s dining room or guests can hop in their car and drive over to one of the many restaurants on nearby St. Simons Island.

 

The Horse Stamp Inn makes a great getaway for folks from Jacksonville and Savannah or anyone traveling Interstate 95.

 

 

Breakfast at the Inn
Breakfast at the Inn

For reservations or information call: 912 882-6280

2418 Horsestamp Church Rd

Waverly, GA 31565

 

Slimmer Seats Soon on Southwest – Why?

Adventures, Air Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, , , ,
Southwest Airlines Seating
Southwest Airlines Seating

Obesity is a major problem in the United States and Americans are larger than they’ve even been before. Yet, Southwest Airlines (whose routes are all domestic)  began a $60 million overhaul of airline interiors.  This includes a new seat that reduces total weight on each plane by 635 pounds thus saving the airlines millions of dollars on fuel costs.  The newer seats have less cushioning and will sport mesh seat-back pockets.

 

Each 737 jet gains six seats, raising the capacity from 137 to 143 by squeezing in one more seat row. The seat recline is reduced to two inches from three. This might be okay since the person in front can barely intrude on your precious space, but bring a neck pillow for napping.

 

Seat pitch – the space allotted to each row, including the seat and legroom — will drop to 31 inches from 32. Southwest claims the lighter seats are more comfortable and have more room underneath for luggage.

 

Guess we will find out soon.

Painting with Pasta in the Keys

Land Adventures, Travel Journal/Blog, , , , , ,
Art by Pasta Pantaleo

I am not an artist; the closest I come is through photography.  However, I recently found myself in Key Largo and was offered a painting class with Pasta.  Hmm. My thoughts ran to my grandkids and those colorful necklaces and bracelets they make with painted pasta shapes.

No noodles here. I entered a fabulous artist’s studio and gallery where I met Roberto Pantaleo, a.k.a. Pasta, my instructor.  Pasta is an artist who paints vibrant scenes of the Keys, mostly fish and marine life. I adored his lines and design in the above fish and was drawn to the peacefulness of this mangrove tree with criss-crossed  roots.

Pasta Pantaleo and the Mangrove Tree

I was to paint a Leatherback turtle–okay!  First, I sketched oval egg shapes on a piece of paper and Pasta showed me how to blend those into the turtle’s head, body and limbs.  Next, I drew a similar animal on canvas.  So far so good.

Painting the water

Now it was time to pick up the brush- a daunting task.  “Just mix blue and green together and drab them onto the canvas like Monet,” said Pasta.   Sure, I thought.

“Lovely colors,” he said. “Do the same thing with beige and browns to create the beach.”

Amazingly, my little turtle was coming to life better than I expected and the thing was — I was having a blast.  I forgot about time and felt like I was floating in the water with my tortoise.  I was literally living in the moment.

When I tried painting my turtle’s shell, my efforts didn’t achieve much depth. But, a few strokes from the master greatly helped the cause. I ended up with a painting I’m rather proud of. Sure, I know it’s a  primitive work but I had fun. Wish I could take another class.

Turtle by Debi

Pasta Pantaleo is the ideal teacher; he’s encouraging and helpful, never demeaning and an all-around happy person. Might be the island’s aura, but the Keys seem to bring out art in everyone.

Pasta Signature Gallery

Mile Marker 81.5

Islamorada, Florida 33036

www.ArtByPasta.com

305 849-3968

954 290-4262