…If it had not been for winning the sweepstakes, I may have never tired snorkeling. My snorkeling trip began on the Barefoot lll Catamaran. Our first snorkeling spot was just off shore of a tiny uninhabited island in the Caribbean. It was very relaxing and the fish and underwater scenery were beautiful. On our second location for snorkeling the waters were much deeper and I got a little over confident with my newly learned skill; I came very close to brushing up against fire coral.

…class, I went to a local high school and pleaded with the football coach to recommend a couple of his star players to train me. Of course I paid the squad members for their help and with a little coaching I was clearing the goal posts! The big day arrived and I was called to the field at half time. I had practiced a little too much for this opportunity to take home a bundle. With all the practice I could hardly lift my legs to walk out to the field. With a drum roll I approached the ball, mustarded up a good kick, but the ball fell a foot and a half under the goal post! Even with out the cash, I won some great consolation prizes and it was an event to remember!

…at Bernard's restaurant in the Biltmore Hotel. I only entered the sweepstakes once, with a large decorated envelope. My role in the play was that of a passenger on the Cotton Blossom boat in the first scene, and before I stepped on stage, the stage manager made an announcement to the audience that I was joining the cast for the performance. And there I was, in a costume from the 1880's, waving at the cast members on the shore from the bow of a mechanical boat. After my appearance, I quickly changed into my civilian clothes and joined my friends in the audience. After the play, we were all invited backstage to meet the actors and actresses and to tour the set.

One of the most fascinating trips that I won was a trip to Berlin, Germany to see the Rolling Stones perform at the Coliseum.  Included in the trip was round-trip transportation, accommodations at the Hilton in what used to be East Berlin, special events, meals, tours, and the concert. The concert was sponsored by Budweiser beer. I  found the entry forms while shopping at my local drug store. There was a gigantic display of Budweiser beer with an eye catching big cardboard cut out with entry forms attached. I took a couple of forms back home and filled them out and mailed them in. I noticed that there was an alternative way of entering by calling into the radio station. As I was seeing the historic sights of Berlin and watching the Stones concert, I kept thinking to myself all it took to get here was an entry form and a stamp! The concert was a blast, especially since I am a big Stones fan! The seats were terrific and being apart of the sold out audience was very exciting. The Stones played many of their standard favorites such as "Brown Sugar," "Satisfaction" and "Angie." It was fun singing along with the familiar songs while watch Mick Jagger entertain with his high energy, electrifying performance. The concert was part of the Stone's Voodoo Tour. Even though the seats were fantastic and close to the stage, the sweepstakes sponsor included high powered binoculars as an extra prize. It was an exhilarating and memorable evening.

DODGER FIRST PITCH. In June of 1998, I won a contest sponsored by Miller Lite- a search for the biggest Dodger fan. To enter, I had to write a paragraph on my qualifications as the Dodgers' biggest fan. My letter was chosen, and I realized that I had not thrown a baseball in years. The few days between my notification and the big game were filled with impromptu practice sessions, and when I couldn't find a friend who would sit in as catcher, I practiced by throwing at the trunk of a tree. The big day finally arrived, and I was introduced to a crowd of 38,000 over the stadium's PA system. As I walked out to the pitcher's mound, I could see my face on the super-sized Dodger television screen. Now that's thrilling! My practice paid off, and I threw a strike pitch to the Dodger catcher, and despite the fact that the Dodgers were having a losing season, they won that game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

CATALINA ISLAND. Through the Daily News I won an all expense trip to Catalina Island, just an hour and a half boat trip off the coast of L.A. It was a perfect getaway and felt like a mini trip to an exotic island. In addition to 2 nights accommodations, a tour of the island, boat trips and kayaking were included. One of the most spectacular sites was watching the flying fish on the evening boat ride.

HAWAII. Through the Los Angeles Times I won the Rediscover Hawaii sweepstakes and had a week's vacation in Maui. Included was round trip air fare on Hawaiian Airlines and town house style accommodations. The beaches, food and beautiful scenery were fantastic. All possible through my filling out just a few entries!

SAN FRANCISCO. Some times the short trips can be the most action packed and exciting. Through Miller Lite Beer I won a 2 day trip to San Francisco to watch the Dodgers play the Giants. Accommodations were great at the Hilton Hotel located in the Union Square section of San Francisco. After the game the sponsor provided a personalized tour of the city! The previous year I won another trip to San Francisco sponsored by United Airlines.

CARIBBEAN. I always wanted to go on a cruise and thanks to my sweepstakes hobby I won a Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Cruise which was sponsored by Diet Coke. Every now and then I will enter sweepstakes and contests sponsored by a product I am unfamiliar with. But in this situation the sweepstakes was sponsored by my favorite beverage! Part of the prize was appearing in a Diet Coke Commercial which was filmed aboard the ship! The winners were filmed on camera answering the question why they love Diet Coke. Being a big Diet Coke fan I didn't have a problem answering the question. There were many excursions to sign up for at ports of call. One of the excursions I took was to the Mayan ruins of Tulum Yucatan Peninsula. It was interesting to learn about the Mayan people and it was one of the most beautiful locations I've ever seen. Another beautiful area was Grand Cayman. There I took a submarine ride where I had spectacular views of fish, plant life and coral reefs.

Always check out "Steve's Blog" for latest updates on prizes that I've won!