Recently in Wish You Were Here Category

Irene and Lynn Dietz of Springettsbury Township sent this picture of the Bahamas' Half Moon Cay, owned by Carnival Cruise Lines. They say it was by far the best beach they've been to in their travels.

The couple took a five-day cruise from June 29 to July 4 on the Carnival Destiny (pictured) with their children to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. They also visited Grand Turks and Nassau.

Their travel tip: If you need shade you best take the first tender over, as the shade trees are taken fast.

Steve Smith of Spring Garden Township visited Davis, W.V., and the Canaan Valley in October. They watched rock climbers scale the 900-foot face of Seneca Rock, visited Blackwater Falls State Park and Canaan Valley State Park, where they saw many deer.

His travel tip: Beware mountain weather in October. Temperatures went from the 60s on Sunday to the 20s with snow on Tuesday. By Friday, the snow was gone and temperatures were back near 60.

Dave & Carol Brady of York sent in this picture from a 10-day trip to Egypt they took earlier this month with seven other York County residents. They toured ancient pyramids and tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Queens, as well as more modern marvels such as the Aswan Dam.

The trip, sponsored by the Smithsonian, also included a four-day excursion on the Nile River from Luxor to Aswan.

In this photo, eight members of the group stand on the deck of the MV Mirage: (from left) Dave Brady, Judy Skouras,Pat Kurz, Sally Thompson, Carol Brady, Beth Updegrove, Tamara & Ben Leas.

Their travel tip: Temperatures in Egypt in early March were in the 80s and 90s...but high winds stirred up lots of sand and dust. Sunscreen and moist towelettes are a must!

From left, Don and Doris Myers of Fresno, Calif., and Irene and Lynn Dietz of Springettsbury Township enjoyed three days on Catalina Island near Long Beach, Calif.

They write that it was a "beautiful, quaint, friendly island" with golf carts and bicycles the only means of transportation: "We took a golf cart up the hill to the Wrigley Mansion (which is now a bed and breakfast). Wrigley is the chewing gum magnet and also owner of the Chicago Cubs. Cubs would come to the island for spring training. A must-see if ever in California."

Don and Lynn have known each other since they were boys in Hellam Township.

Her travel tip: You need to take a ferry to the island, so if you're prone to seasickness, take a pill first.

Irene and Lynn Dietz of Springettsbury Township vacationed in Jamaica in September. They took this photo at Rick's Cafe, where people dive from cliffs for money.

"We went there to see the diving, but also to capture the beautiful sunset that goes along with the trip," Irene wrote.

Their travel tip: The divers will hound you for money so just ignore their pleas.

From left, Alice Klinedinst, Phyllis Mangold, Gay Rezin, Frances Stump, Boots Horn, Becky Simmons, Donna Rae Becker and Bradine Meckley pose for a photo during a September trip to Cape Cod, Mass.

The eight ladies are members of The Crazy Eights card club and have been meeting monthly to play cards for 52 years. For the past 40 years, they have taken an annual trip together.

Travel tip: Do not miss the whale-watching trip. It was wonderful

-- Submitted by Bradine Meckley of West Manchester Township

Richard and Patricia Meckley of West Manchester Township pose for a photo in January with David Cole, director of the Golden Princess cruise ship. The Meckleys were crusing to Hawaii when they met Cole, who they learned was from Dover.

Their travel tip: Make sure you take a light jacket or sweatshirt when cruising to Hawaii as the weather from California to Hawaii is rather cool.

Tara Baker of Windsor Township took this photograph in the town of Doolin while visiting County Clare, Ireland in September.

Her travel tip: Pack a rain jacket. I used this more than anything else on my trip. It can go from warm and sunny to cool and drizzly in a matter of minutes.

Terry Lazarus of York Township took this photograph of an iceberg in Dunfield, Newfoundland, in late July while traveling through Canada in a small motor home with his dog, Sprocket. It was the last iceberg of the season.

He writes: "The provinces of Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland) are stunning in their beauty, the people are incredibly friendly, and the pace of life is like going back in time 50 years."

His travel tip: When traveling in Canada, make sure you always stop at the visitor center when entering a new province. The centers are a wealth of information, with maps and guidebooks that give you information on "out-of-the way" places, and routes other than the main highways.

In August 2008, eight members of the York Hiking Club, pictured above, traveled to the Canadian Rockies for 10 days of hiking and exploring between Banff and Jaspar in Canada's Alberta Province.

They visited the Athabasca glacier and ice fields, Edith Cavell glacier, Lake Louise and Johnston Falls. They also journeyed into the back country where they saw more glaciers, ice fields, mountains, flora, and fauna -- including one grizzly bear.

From left to right in the photo: Kim Herbst, Phyllis Morley, Tom Morley, Alice Frick, Bernie Frick, Gwen Loose, Jim Hooper, and Joyce Hooper.

The picture was taken at an Alpine Hut above Bow Lake. Access required a seven-mile hike and a climb to 8,400 feet where they spent two nights. It snowed that night.

Their travel tip: Pre-planning your lodging using hostels makes for an interesting trip. Plan for all types of weather and walk in, don't drive by.

Submitted by: Phyllis and Tom Morley of Manchester Township