As I mentioned not long ago in my post about the HGTV Green Home in Tradition, we vacationed in a timeshare condo on the beach on Hilton Head Island and had an absolute blast.

We had a great time doing absolutely nothing the entire week because when it comes right down to it, isn't 'doing nothing" the point of a relaxing vacation. I mean...we did stuff like fly kites, spent ample time in the surf, picked up (and released) a nice selection of sea creatures off of the beach, absorbed our fair share of sunrays, read books and walked for miles and miles on the beach...but we didn't have to be anywhere at any time that we did not choose to be. Now that's a vacation in my book!

Although, there was one exception to that rule...a timeshare tour with Resort Condominiums International, better known as RCI. It wasn't pre-planned at all. Rather it was a sales call to our timeshare unit the morning after our arrival. Yes...there was a bit of bribery involved to get us to 'come on down'. I looked at it as a little extra cash for a very nice dinner that only required an hour of our time so I decided it couldn't possibly be painful enough not to endure for "an hour"...or could it???

If you enjoy home garden tours, this is the post for you. We attended the Sandy Springs Society Seventh Annual Garden Tour at the beginning of this month that featured 5 extraordinary private home gardens. All proceeds were to benefit the Sandy Springs Society, a philanthropic organization, so it was a win-win for everyone involved. Homeowners got to show off the results of all of their hard work, patrons were allowed to gawk in amazement while gathering landscaping ideas and local charities benefitted from the event.

This was our first Sandy Springs garden tour and it tops our list as one of the best home garden tours we've ever attended. I suppose you'd like to have a viewing. I don't blame you one bit...I'm with you!

I think you know what to do next...

HGTV recently gave away a multi-million dollar dream home in Islamorada, FL and now they're giving away their very first eco-friendly Green Home located in Bluffton, SC near Hilton Head Island. My persistent daily entries DID NOT pay off for the Islamorada giveaway but maybe they will for this one. It won't hurt to try and it would be well worth the effort.

I must admit...I admire much of what HGTV does. And why wouldn't I? They provide an abundance of informative programs and great website DIY-type reference material for homeowners and for folks that just want to gather ideas (pssst...The Fun Times Guide To Homebuilding is a great homeowner idea source, too!).

This is part 2 of our experience attending the Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour from 2007.

Here is the first part of our visit to the Marietta Pilgrimage: A Christmas Home Tour if you want to begin there first and then come back here afterwards.

The Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour is an annual event showcasing historical private homes and buildings decorated for the Christmas holiday season...inside and out. The homes and buildings vary from year-to-year (this is the 21st year of the tour) so the Pilgrimage is one of the highlights of the season for many. This year the six private homes on the tour were concentrated in the Northwest Marietta Historic District and ten historical buildings were featured, as well.

As you may have guessed, I've got a few photos and details to share of the 2007 Marietta Pilgrimage.

While in Orlando recently, I took time to visit the The New American Home show home built specifically for the 2007 International Builders Show.

This house is a spectacle of cutting-edge green homebuilding techniques, technologies, design and materials.

Here are just a few of the numerous beneficial green homebuilding items of note.

The Tate House, a.k.a. The Pink Palace, in Tate, Georgia has so much history and character that I had to give it a second look. I recently made a trek from Dallas (GA) to Dawsonville (GA) and it took me right past the Tate House. You will definitely do a double-take if you happen to be driving down Georgia state route 53 through Tate. There's no way that you can miss it. I'm talking about a huge, old mansion constructed of very rare pink Etowah marble and solid granite blocks!

I was told that the gardens on the left side of the home were created in an Italian theme and the gardens on the right side were created in an English theme. The Italian side, to me, looks more Greek than Italian but I'm no expert on either subject.

If you have the time (and a high speed connection), I invite you to take a look at my photos of the exterior of the Tate House. It is a truly unique home simply because the vein of Etowah marble from the quarry (on the property behind the home) is exhausted and there is no more to be mined anywhere on the planet.

Looking for a haunted inn to stay at? Have you seen your share of T.A.P.S. - Ghost Hunters on the Sci-Fi channel and want to get a taste of the real deal? The Buxton Inn, located in Granville, Ohio, is one of the most notorious in the great state of Ohio. Originally built in 1812 by Orin Granger, The Buxton Inn is the oldest continuously operated Inn in Ohio. The building itself originally served as a post office and stagecoach stop between Columbus and Newark.

The Inn's namesake, Major Horton Buxton, operated the Inn from 1865-1905 and his picture hangs in the lobby to this day. Major Buxton's image has been claimed to have been seen in various parts of the Inn. Then there's Ethel Bounell. She was the innkeeper from 1934-1960 and she died in room #9. Guess what?! Yes...she's been seen, too...ahem...after her demise. There are more ghosts in the basement where the help used to dine and sleep. I had a couple of beers in the basement tavern and didn't see a darn soul (Ha!) except the friendly barkeep. OK...I'm not a believer of ghosts and paranormal activity...normally. That's just me. Other folks would argue their case, until they turned blue in the face, claiming that this place is haunted.

It is said that you'll have a better chance of "seeing or hearing" something if you stay in room #7 and/or room #9. Go for it!