I just returned from a wonderful week long vacation in Northern Michigan.  I was born in Grand Rapids, but my  family moved to Miami Beach when I was just three months old and I've never been back to the Great Lake State.  What a gorgeous area of the country! I spent the week reunioning with a treasured group of college pals from Florida State University that I've enjoyed close friendships with for the last 35 years.  We had a blast catching up, sharing meals, eating cherries, drinking Michigan wine and exploring the Traverse City region. The state motto is "if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." So true! There's 11,000 inland lakes and more than 36,000 miles of streams. You're never more than six miles away from one of them. During my visit, I only got a glimpse of what Michigan has to offer and what I saw was beautiful.

When it was time to come home, I was sad to leave behind the people I love and to say goodbye to such a lovely place, but I was -- and ALWAYS am -- happy to return to Seattle. No post-vacation blues here! And why would there be? Seattle is stunning! The "Emerald City"  always takes my breath away with its lush green hills surrounded by snowcapped mountains and sparkling blue waters. Then there's the people...diverse, open and friendly.  As for things to do and see, there's something for everyone -- from sightseeing to sports, bicycling to boating, arts to architecture. ( www.visitseattle.org/visitors/). I love Seattle and can't imagine living anywhere else or another American city that's as beautiful.

As my plane was making its final descent into Seattle I thought about making my next vacation a staycation and letting Puget Sound be the location for the next reunion of my group of dear friends. I feel quite certain I won't get any objections to the concept.   

 - Ricklie Stone