Nikki Key - Louisville actress, host, web video, spokesperson

Ask anyone who knows me even slightly and they will tell you how much I love to travel!  I'm not sure you can classify traveling as a hobby, but if you can, that would rank #1 on my list!  I would pick traveling to a new, exotic location or a fun, favorite spot any day over a new bag, a great pair of shoes, or a fabulous outfit.  There's something to be said for visiting places you've never been, getting immersed in a new culture, and making new friends.

Between my travels for work and my travels with my family and friends, my suitcase gets packed about every 2-3 weeks.  Sometimes even a bit more!  But one of my favorite things about traveling is not only getting to meet new people, but also catching up with old friends.  God has richly blessed me with so many wonderful opportunities in my life and people I have met during those times. From living in Austria for a summer, to working at Walt Disney World on the college program, to my studies at Oxford, I have friends across the globe; and with technology in this day and age and my amount of travel, it has allowed me to keep in touch with friends I otherwise may have lost touch with over the years. 

For Christmas this year my family spent a week on the beautiful island of Barbados.  Waking up on Christmas day and walking out to a beautiful beach with 85+ degree temperature is my idea of Christmas weather!  While we had many adventures during our time on the island, one of my favorites was attempting to surf.  Or I should say I attempted to surf, my brother, Jarad, was successful...on his first try!  Little athletic guy!  Well, he's actually 6'4", but he definitely won on this venture!

Our first day we rented a surf board for the week.  I wanted to buy us surfing lessons as part of my Christmas gift to my brother, but he was adamant that he had watched several YouTube videos on surfing and could easily pick it up.  And he did.  After he spent an hour perfecting and learning what he was doing, I decided to give it a go!  And while I had fun, I couldn't seem to be quick enough on the popping up part.  Balancing on the board, paddling, even pushing up didn't give me trouble, I was just slow on bringing my feet up.  I made several attempts and Jarad decided maybe I should practice on the beach....

"Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd!"  There's nothing like Opening Day at a MLB stadium to know summer is just around the corner!!  And it doesn't get much better than spending opening day at Dodger Stadium!  Take the atmosphere and the fans, mix in a hot dog and soft pretzel and it's a great day at the ballpark!  And while I enjoyed the game, the pre and post-game activities were really fun!  Getting to meet Tommy Lasorda definitely ranked high on the memorable moments that day, as well as taking pretend batting practice in the Dodger dugout! 

Throughout all my travels I have amassed a list of favorites:  restaurants, hotels, fun locations on the town, and activities.  However, there is one spot on my list that is a "must do" every time I am in Las Vegas and that is a stop for dinner at Battista's Hole in the Wall.  I make it to Vegas at least once a year and this Italian restaurant always makes the list!  What keeps me coming back for more year after year is the character of this unpretentious place and a tiny, perhaps 4' 10" older gentleman named Gordy!

Battista's entrees come with salad or soup, garlic bread, red and white wine for the table, and a cappuccino for dessert.  The menu's are posted on the wall and the restaurant offers about 20 different dishes.  I typically go for the chicken parmigiana, but always sample the entrees my friends order!  Battista's Hole in the Wall is located right off the Vegas strip behind Bally's.  If you're planning on dinner after 7pm I would call ahead for reservations.  While I enjoy the family tradition and old Vegas ambience of Battista's, the highlight for me is Gordy!  Gordy has been a mainstay at Battista's for many years.  He makes his rounds through the restaurant, accordian in hand, crooning favorite songs of the past.  As he visits your table he'll ask, "Where you guys from?"  to which we always reply, "We're from where your wife is from!"  A huge grin spreads across his face as he exclaims, "You know where my wife is from!?!" and he starts to serenade us with "My Old Kentucky Home."  It's these little things in life that I enjoy and it's not an official trip to Vegas without seeing Gordy and hearing him sing to us! 

Every family has its own traditions.  Some families tour various baseball stadiums around the country, while others cook pancakes together on Saturday mornings.  My family's tradition involves summer vacations!  From a young age, my parents and grandparents made a point to take me to new and exciting places and exposed me and my brother to many different cultures and situations.  Even as adults, we vacation together every year and enjoy traveling to a new location. This year we decided on the beautiful island of St. Maarten in the Netherland Antilles.  After researching various places, we decided on Villa Suzanne as our home during our stay.  Located on the border of the Dutch side of St. Maarten, the villa overlooks beautiful Dawn Beach.  Each completely private bedroom had an en suite luxurious bathroom with walk-in shower.  It was beautifully decorated and a nice surprise was the owner's photo with the Dalia Lama.  That was unexpected!  We spent the mornings having breakfast and enjoying coffee overlooking the infinity pool and beautiful Caribbean ocean with the tradewinds wiping away any hint of stress.  Most evenings were spent playing cards, retelling stories of the day, and always involved plenty of laughter!!

During our time in St. Maarten, we bravely navigated the island - which is an adventure itself!  There are no marked maps of the island and no street names.  Just signs to point you in the general direction!  My brother became very proficient at following where it looked like we were on a road and navigating us to our destination.  And no, a GPS didn't even pick up a road!