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My good friends down in Georgia started planning this new year's festivities back in August of this year. They had the great idea of renting a cabin up in the north Georgia mountains for our group of friends.

We'll have 8-10 people gathering to enjoy lots of food, friends, games, ping pong, hot tubs, and merriment. What a great idea to enjoy and celebrate the new year!

Cleveland Georgia is known for Babyland General Hospital, where the Cabbage Patch Kids are born, Unicoi state park, and the nearby German influenced town of Helen.

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2009!

My sister and I took a tour of this sustainable organic spice farm right outside of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica in November of last year. You'd be really surprised of what they are able to grow and produce there at the plantation with nothing but natural resources and the land surrounding them.

The secret of pollinating the vanilla plant (which is an orchid) remained a mystery to most of the world until the mid 1800's. Pre-columbian mesoamerican's knew how to pollinate vanilla way before the 1500's. Villa Vanilla grows will let you sample the vanilla beans they grow.

The farm offers samples of everything and even a small store that sells real vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, vanilla extract, and more. The tours are absolutely enlightening, you get to experience everything that is grown hands on and get a great idea of what it is like to work on the farm.

Henry runs the farm, he is a great resource and a wealth of knowledge about everything there. He is an expert in the field and can be relied upon for any information about spices or biodynamic agriculture.

Villa Vanilla

When you first see the 'Spoonbridge and Cherry' by Claes Oldenburg, you won't believe your eyes. The scuplture is a huge spoon with a cherry at the end spraying a fine mist above you. Set infront of the Minneapolis skyline, it makes a great scene to snap a photo.

Walking around, you'll see some interesting artwork including a hare on a bell, a nautilus, and various other projects. It's quite the place to take a weekend stroll to just enjoy being somewhere different and take in new shapes and objects.

You can also find all sorts of events happening at the center, including an artist designed mini-golf course, public tours, and virtual tours. While you are at the park, you can also call 612.374.8200 on your cell to listen to some of the artists and their interpretations.

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While touring Minneapolis, we stopped by the Lyndale Peace Park in uptown for some outdoor enjoyment and a little nature intake.

The park is a tranquil sanctuary that requires everyone to silence their phones before entering. Walking along the gravel paths, you notice all types of flora and fauna growing on the rocks below. Gorgeous flowers and trees surround the area as you slowly stroll through the pathways.

At one point, a statue of an origami crane guides you through the folding process to create your own crane. Paper supplied, the folding instructions are illustrated by a circle of stations outlining each step. My sister was the only one that was able to successfully fold her crane.

As we were leaving, we saw a few entourages of newly married couples coming to take their pictures in the beautiful scenery. This is definitely the place to take beautiful photos.

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• Google Image results - Some photos of the Peace Crane and flowers
• Lyndale Park
  

My family and I made the trek from Minneapolis to Stillwater, Minnesota to scope out some new scenery. The small river town is quite the spot to find a local festival happening on the river; We were there during Lumberjack Days. Right along the border to Wisconsin, you can find antique malls, quaint shops, bookstores, and families just enjoying being outside.

When we arrived, there just happened to be a severe thunderstorm gathering strength in the area. We felt gusts of warm and cool air moving swiftly along the streets. We then looked up and noticed the dark, ominous clouds swirling, and eerily circling upwards. The tornado alarm sounded, so we took shelter in the local Starbucks.

After the storm passed, we walked along the strip downtown, got some food, and enjoyed watching the boats along the river. Stillwater is a great place to relax, enjoy the outdoors, and simply just be. I highly recommend for anyone to visit as a short trip away from the Twin Cities area.

• Stillwater, Minnesota Google images results
  
  

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