Travel postcards: June 2013

A collection of images from our readers’ recent vacations.

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YOUR VACATION

We want your vacation postcards and photos! Mail postcards to:

Travel Editor
The Roanoke Times
201 W. Campbell Ave.
Roanoke, VA 24011

Or email your photos and a brief explanation to travel@roanoke.com.

Don’t forget your name, address and daytime telephone number.

The Roanoke Times

Sunday, June 30, 2013

June 30, 2013: Mother, daughter trip to Australia

Vicki Gudger of Moneta and her daughter Jaime Moorman went to Australia in April to visit Gudger’s other daughter (and Moorman’s sister), Lindsey Davis, and her family. “While in their hometown of Austinmer, we also saw my son-in-law, Jason Davis, and my grandchildren, Evan and Avery Davis,” Gudger wrote. “We were treated to a four-day vacation on Hamilton Island — on the Great Barrier Reef — and then a private catamaran daytrip to the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach. It is the most unspoiled beach I have ever witnessed and the sand is soft and pristine.

“The Davis family is living there for three years, while my son-in-law gains international experience through his company, Peabody Energy.

“What a wonderful place to be stationed. The Australians are so friendly and definitely embrace the ‘no worries mate’ lifestyle. I think we could learn something from them.

“It was magical for us to be together again in such a gorgeous setting! It was the vacation of a lifetime!”

June 23, 2013: Dan Henderson's 10 day in Havana, Cuba

In March, Dan Henderson of Blue Ridge spent 10 days in Havana, Cuba, as part of a person-to-person cultural exchange. During his time there, he and 13 other photographers from the United States met and worked with several Cuban photographers. Henderson said he went to Cuba expecting to find many scenes to photograph as part of his body of work titled "Entropy." But along with those images he said he was surprised by the many buildings and cars that have been carefully and lovingly restored and maintained over the years of material shortages.

Henderson said he gained a deep appreciation for the people of Cuba. "Cubans have endured colonialism, dictatorship and deprivations for centuries," he said, "yet they are some of the warmest, friendliest and most vibrant people I have ever met."

June 16, 2013: The Bakers visit Dollywood

Betsy Baker of Roanoke and her son, Carson, 6, went to Dollywood on April 13. “We had a great time and it was Carson’s first time riding ‘big roller coasters,’ ” Betsy Baker wrote. Their snapshots are of the pair driving the 1950s cars (left) and standing in front of the cut-out pie sign at The Country Fair.

June 9, 2013: Roanoke Studio School's trip to Italy

In October 2012, Vera Dickerson and Robin Poteet of The Studio School in Roanoke led a group of 19 to Umbria and Tuscany, Italy, for two weeks of travel and painting.

In the first week, the group was based at La Romita in Terni, a convent-turned-art school, and they toured several small hill towns. In the second week, they were based in Cortona and took trips on the local train to Florence and Siena.

June 2, 2013: Loren and Regina Bratzler's anniversary trip to Costa Rica

In March, Loren and Regina Bratzler of Vinton celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in Costa Rica. “We stayed in the Guanacaste region,” says Regina. “This picture is of us taking a hike down the beach to see the wildlife and to find the howler monkeys.”

Rocky and Shelia Rockburn's Mexican cruise

Rocky and Shelia Rockburn of Fairfield are pictured in Cozumel, Mexico, aboard the Norwegian Dawn, their ship for an eight-day cruise in April. The couple said their trip through Roatan, Honduras; Belize; Costa Maya; and Cozumel was great and was their sixth cruise in the past five years.

Monday, August 12, 2013