Vaca” in the U.S.A. by OTM’s Travel

from Our Town Monthly March 2021

Real Estate expert Deborah Ratchford

By Heather Meliski

As you may have heard, the CDC recently announced required COVID testing and potential quarantines when traveling outside of the United States. Due to this change, a number of my clients have asked for great domestic travel options in lieu of international travel for their spring break vacations. If you are comfortable with traveling right now here are a few of my top choices.

My most-requested destination, by far, has been the Florida Keys. There are so many wonderful resorts, tons of outdoor activities and a real sense of escaping. Each Key has its own personality – Key Largo has some of the world’s best diving, Islamorada is the Sport Fishing Capital of the World, and Marathon is a family-friendly destination where you can swim with the dolphins or tour the Turtle Hospital. Key West is the most well-known of the Keys and is a unique mix of history, art, quirkiness, and fun. No matter which of the Keys you visit, they all share the same super laid-back vibe.

Another great option is South Beach in Miami. Known for its amazing beaches, great dining and happening nightclubs, it’s a great option to soak up the sun. You can stay in one of the famous Art Deco-inspired hotels or one of the high-end, luxe hotels South Beach is known for. Insider tip - make sure to sneak away to Little Havana for a meal at Versailles and make sure to order a cortadito.

If you’re looking for a ski destination, there are a number of great locations out West. I recommend Jackson Hole as it is a family-friendly destination with a great mix of good skiing, great food, and shopping. Grand Teton National Park is practically next door and offers a variety of outdoor activities such as wildlife safaris, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing. In summer months you can also visit nearby Yellowstone

National Park (the roads accessing the park from the south are closed to vehicles from October to May but are accessible by snowmobile).

Sedona, Arizona is a fantastic desert vacation option. Famous for its stunning red rocks, Sedona is a great location for hiking and biking, has a vibrant arts community, offers a number of great resorts and spas, and is a spiritual mecca. Make sure to take a red rock Jeep tour while you’re here and check out the stargazing.

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If you want to escape the mainland to somewhere more tropical, then hop on a flight to either Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. Both are gorgeous destinations that offer a variety of activities, have great resorts, beaches, and food. Because both destinations are in the Caribbean, they are a great choice for a true island vacation.

Heather Meliski writes Our Town Travel keeping us in the “know”. Heather is a travel agent specializing in the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, Australia, the South Pacific, cruises, theme parks, and more. She lives in Smyrna with her husband two sons. Heather@yellowshoetravel.com FB @heatheryellowshoetravel IG @yellowshoetravelheather

Losing a hero or an icon or your favorite ball player in its own right is difficult enough. Losing three Braves Hall of Famers, including one Mt. Rushmore type legend, that are attached to your franchise, in less than a month was excruciating.

First, Phil Niekro passed away on December 26th. Then, a few weeks later, came the news of the versatile Don Sutton’s death and finally just four days after that, on January 22nd, the gut punch of all gut punches as Hank Aaron, the home-run king and a transcendent larger than life figure, had left us as well.

Niekro and his slow and slower knuckleball was as unique as they come. The right-hander had that gray hair, seemingly from when he first came into the league and in no way, shape or form represented the appearance of a professional athlete. Yet Niekro won 318 games in an amazing 24 year career. He just kept pitching and pitching and pitching, accumulating an insane 121 wins after his 40th birthday and retiring at the age of 48. Many of us went to our backyards and tried to mimic the man they called Knucksie.

Don Sutton was a 324 game winning Hall of Fame pitcher who never threw a pitch for the Braves. But none of his on-field greatness had to do with the greatness of his post baseball Atlanta Braves career.

“Black and Decker”, as many called him, had a way of telling the game story and meshing brilliantly with the other Atlanta TV and radio legends in Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren and Joe Simpson. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2015 and just had that knack for painting the game picture, with loads of colorful information, while being very relatable to the viewer. For 28 years many of us went to bed listening to one of the best in the business, his analysis and overall story telling ability will be sorely missed.

And then on January 22nd the damn of tears broke.

The legend of all legends, the Zeus of our franchise, Henry Louis Aaron, had passed. Aaron played from 1954-1976 and is widely known as one of the greatest baseball players of all-time. He was, and many still say is, the Home Run King, surpassing Babe Ruth in 1974 with his 715th career long ball en route to a whopping 755. Those baseball feats were obviously amazing as nobody had ever climbed to such extreme heights but when factoring in the numerous death threats and racism involved in the chase you can see the tremendous character and mettle this man possessed.

Aaron, who worked in the Braves front office and in our communities after his baseball career, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award from George W. Bush along with the Presidential Citizens Medal from Bill Clinton. But with all that Aaron has accomplished both on and off the field his most impressive characteristic might just have been his humbleness and respect for others. One cannot think of Hank Aaron without a warm smile coming over his or her face, remembering this incredible man for who he was.

Thank you to Phil Niekro, Don Sutton and Hank Aaron. We are all much better for “knowing you”!

Justin Hanover is a sports reporter/analyst who has worked in the business since 1996. His stops have included ESPN, CNN, 790 The Zone and 680 The Fan. He has also done play-byplay analysis and color commentary ranging from the high school level all the way through the professional level. Justin lives in Smyrna with his wife and three children.

3/31/21

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