And the holidays -- with all their family demands and gift-giving stresses -- are just around the corner.

I'm looking for a bit of a break. A peaceful retreat where I can go to unwind, relax, rejuvenate and basically escape the insanity of life. And I'll bet I'm not the only one.

A woman who used to work here once suggested I write a story about places of peace in and around York County -- where local folks prefer to go when they need to get away from it all.

Surprise, surprise, I was a little too busy then to pursue the story idea. But I think its time has come. And so, I'm asking you, faithful readers of this blog, to help me out and offer some suggestions. Where do you go when you're in search of peace? Why there? What makes that place so wonderful?

Is is a park or lake? A church? A bookstore or library? Someplace totally unlikely? Please post a comment and share, or send me an e-mail.

If you'll have out-of-town relatives in the area for the upcoming holiday, I'll give you a game plan for a couple of day trips to keep you away from the dinner table and TV set -- and far, far away from any shopping malls.

Unless, of course, you want to join in Black Friday madness -- in which case, I can point you to some places where you can search out bargains while strengthening your ability to withstand crowds of people you'll be glad aren't staying at your house for the weekend.

Stay tuned.... and feel free to chime in with your thoughts, opinions and suggestions!

I drove a bit of the National Military Park auto tour, and was pretty impressed. Even though the chilly, rainy day kept me from wandering around on foot, I could still imagine the troops walking over this landscape in 1863. It felt like sacred ground.

Well, until I finished the loop near East Cemetery Hill and was exiting onto Baltimore Pike. That's when I saw this:

Almost.....

I'm thinking the writer isn't so much making a statement about life in Amish country as he or she is referring to the recent success of Philadelphia sports teams.

Still, the thought is nice...

If you haven't yet gotten your annual dose of color, you had better do it soon. I was out this past weekend and noticed that the leaves are disappearing fast!

Now that Barack Obama is officially our country's next president, the places he has links to are working to capitalize on their piece of the story. Anyone who listened to him during the campaign knows his father is from Kenya, his mom from Kansas. That he was born in Hawaii, raised in Indonesia and went to school in Los Angeles, Boston and New York City. Now, he and his family live in Chicago.

If you want to include some Obama sightseeing in your next trip, here's a story that will tell you what you need to know before you go.

Chicago especially is hyping up the places Obama and his family frequent.

What do you think about this?

Handcrafted items ranging from folk art to ceramics, textiles, baskets, jewelry and musical instruments will be on sale. In addition, sample cookies from around the world, provided by the chefs of Chartwells Dining Service, York College's food service provider.

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for this stuff. It's so unique and I know that every penny I spend is going to support artisans in other countries.

For details, call 815-1916.

His travel tips: October/November is a wonderful time to travel It's still comfortable enough to travel outdoors, but without the crowds. Niagara Falls was empty of tourists (not that we spent much time around all the souvenirs anyway).

Many motels have dropped their prices, and gas prices are dropping like a rock. In Ohio, we're looking at 2.19. And the U.S. dollar is finally worth more than the Canadian dollar again.

To see more of Bil's photos, visit his blog, Bil's Eye View.