Debbra Dunning Brouillette

In a previous post, “Why I love islands: beachcombing (sand and shell collecting),” I shared how I became fascinated with combing the beaches for shells. As you’ll read in my earlier article, I began to display my collection in small glass bottles, labeled on the bottom with the name of the island where the sand was collected. I often refer to shell guides like this one (below), as well as online shell identification sites to identify and learn more about shells. The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Sanibel Island, Florida, offers a free shell guide on its website, as well as an app for iPhone users ($1.99 on the App Store under Shell Museum).

An April 2019 trip to Fredericksburg, Texas, often referred to as “Hill Country,” included visits to several wineries included in the area of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County that boast more than 40 wineries and tasting rooms. You can read my article, which includes suggestions of where to stay and dine, on the Food Wine Travel magazine website: Fredericksburg, Texas: Wildflowers and Wine (Peaches, too!) in Texas Hill Country. ’s most award-winning winery, Dr. Konstatin Frank Winery, the oldest in the region, Pleasant Valley Wine Country, established in 1960, and newer ones, award-winning in their own right, that feature German-style and French-style wines. A stop at the International Balloon Museum, attending a flamenco performance, eating great New Mexican food, and visiting several award-winning wineries (who knew New Mexico had good wine?), are all covered in my article: Expect the unexpected in Albuquerque, New Mexico 2020 has been a very different travel year for all of us.

I am honored to be the recipient of a SILVER AWARD in the 28th Annual North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) My photo of a nurse shark circling a submerged table at Havaiki Lodge, Fakarava, Tuamotus, French Polynesia, was selected for the cover of the Destinations Issue, Summer 2019, Food Wine Travel magazine’s ISSUU version (publication of International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association). I feel very honored to have received various levels of recognition in NATJA’s annual awards competition for the fifth consecutive year: 2016 A Welcome Addition to Cancun’s Hotel Zone,” JohnnyJet.com – Special Focus Travel Articles – Internet: Resorts

Talking Tahiti” with Dan Schlossberg on Travel Itch Radio! Learn more about my Windstar Cruises 10-day Tahiti-Tuamotus cruise, our stay in an overwater bungalow at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, as well as a little about recent trips to Visit Fredericksburg TX and Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys. One more time, here’s the link: Tropical Travel Girl “Talking Tahiti” on Travel Itch Radio Dan Schlossberg is the creator, host, and executive producer of Travel Itch Radio, a weekly Thursday night broadcast with an interview format that is heard on BlogTalkRadio.com and iTunes and posted online in perpetuity. Check out my French Polynesia Destination Page for more information and links to all my posts about our 10-day Windstar.