A view from the Chair

Do you have the winter doldrums? Here is what you do. Go on a vacation to a warm weather destination. It is an enjoyable fix. The winter is interrupted and it makes spring come sooner.

A place that did it for me this year was Tahiti. We did a cruise of the French Polynesian Islands for 10 days. The trip was organized by Go Next, the travel agency that the ISBA uses. It included all your food and lodging. The food on the Oceania cruise ship has been rated #1 by a travelers magazine. It was not as expensive as you would think.

Some of the highlights of the Islands were the Bora Bora Lagoon and Matira Beach. The lagoon is one of the most spectacular natural wonders on earth. It is ringed by coral reefs and the snorkeling is some of the best in the world. We had a glass bottom boat experience where the driver of the boat jumped out and began to feed the fish who then swarmed around the boat. He also played with a big black eel who seemed to be his friend.

We spent one afternoon at Matira Beach, voted the 8th most beautiful beach in the world by CNN. The blue water was as clear as the sky and approximately 82 degrees, perfect for me. The white sand was as fine as powdered sugar. The beach was not crowded and everybody on it was extremely friendly. Almost everybody spoke English. However, it is a long way to go for a beach.

Hopefully you can get away this cold winter. It will boost your spirits. Some other relatively inexpensive warm weather destinations are Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and New Orleans. ■