Do It Go

There are so many things to see while vacationing in London it is hard to fit it all in. Luckily, many of the great sites are in sections of the city and close together in those section. After seeing some of the top sights such as the Buckingham Palace and Houses of Parliament with Big Ben. Taking the time to wonder through Westminster Abby and see the statues in the neighborhood parks. Heading over to the London Bridge and maybe the London Eye to see another perspective of the city and the Thames River. How about hitting some of the amazing and informative museums that are through out the city. Check with your   London hotel for information on local museums.

If you are an art and architecture enthusiasts you may want to check out the National Gallery They have some great exhibits like Painting History which features Paul Delaroche including his most famous painting the Execution of Lady Jane Grey. He was the most celebrated artist of his time in his works of Neo-classicism and Romanticism. There are some Delaroche  drawings and sketches that show the development of his painting. There are also famous paintings by their famous artists such as Bellini, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Monet and Van Gogh. What a treat to see them in all their glory.  

The Imperial War Museum is also an very interesting experience. There are a few of them but the one in London has focused there exhibits on the 1939 an the Holocaust as well as showing how wartime affected different groups like the children’s point of view and the stories of the West Indian people’s experience’s during war times. There is also an exhibit dedicated to the stories about the life lived in the trenches of WWI. It was a very harsh life in a harsh environment and here is your chance to experience it. It is an interactive exhibit allowing people to try on the clothing, climb through mining tunnels and seeing the inside of an officers’ dugout. They even give out the smell of the stench these brave men endured.

Tags: imperial war museum
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Someone once told me that life is like a chapter book. Each chapter has its own theme and specific drama. Each chapter has a beginning and ending, but there is a single thread that is woven through all of the chapters of the book that hold it together. This single thread is you, and your way of being, your personality. Although it seems like the chapters are already written for us before we even turn the page, we can determine the ending to each chapter and how that thread travels through the story. One chapter that is important in everyone’s book is college. This chapter can be a pivotal point in the novel of your life.

Picking a college is a very big decision. Staying in your local area is always a good idea if you need family support. Many times it is hard to find housing that is suitable for your budget and lifestyle needs. If you are looking for a little adventure, or you know you’re your time to get away, there are plenty of colleges throughout the state of Texas that can help you find the independence and education you desire.

Speaking of independence, if you have a disability, do not let that keep you from getting an education, you can still attend college. Amarillo College has a program called LITE (Living Independently Through Educatuion) that is designed to help students with disabilities attend college. This organization holds an annual luncheon in April to raise money for their various scholarships.

Amarillo is a wonderful place to get your education. Located in the Northern part of Texas, it is close to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Colorado. It is easy to find a Great Place to Stay in Amarillo, and begin the next chapter of your novel. Imagine yourself sitting in the park studying for a psychology test Underneath the Amarillo sky .

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What has brought you to need a place to stay in Palmdale California? Are you just driving through the area which looks like the set of an old Tom Mix movie or did you fly in for business? It has a small town feel but there are some big things going on in town. There are some very large corporations conducting business in Palmdale. There is really only about 150,000 people who live in this town of Antelope Valley. Just over the San Gabriel Mountain range one will find Los Angeles. Believe it or not this city ranks in the top 25 fastest growing cities in the U.S. It is the largest desert city in California. With that growth comes some more things to do and more facilities to accommodate all the peoples needs. Where did it all begin?  

Before there were big companies and great hotels in the area there was the migration of the first European settlers who came from Americas mid west looking for warmer climate. The railroad and post office helped to solidify the town and new settlers tried to get some farming going in the desert. It only took a few years of drought for them to realize that farming in the desert was hit or miss. So some of the settlers left the area and others moved closer to the railroad to get a piece of the action. The Wells Fargo stagecoach line also stopped in the area as it made its way between San Francisco and New Orleans. Visitors can see the only remains of the original settlement in the Palmdale Pioneer Cemetery on Avenue S and 20th Street East. The city is reclaiming some of the history with a historical park and an old schoolhouse in McAdams park. In the early 1900s a man named William Mulholland brought in an Aqueduct system which gave new life to the area with apple, pear and alfalfa crops. Lake Palmdale came along a few years later and added more water to the area for agriculture and the community needs.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the leading NBA basketball team in the Eastern Conference. They have a current record of 49 wins and only 15 loses which lands them far ahead of Orlando, which is the conference’s number 2 team. In fact, the Cavaliers are even ahead of the Western Conference leader the Los Angeles Lakers . This is a pretty impressive status, though it’s not uncommon to the recent years’ success rate of Cleveland’s team. And while it’s unlikely that many of the out of town guests staying in some of Cleveland’s finest resorts will be routing for the Cavaliers, they may enjoy a game at Quicken Loans Arena while they are in town. However, the room accommodations and fresh linens on the beds will be just as comfortable regardless of what team the occupant may route for.

However, for Cleveland fans, these statistics are extremely thrilling, though non too surprising. After having gone through several seasons of difficulty and great losses, the team seemed to have a turn around at about the same time they acquired a new number one draft pick. This of course is LeBron James , whose arrival on the team happened to correspond to a change in team colors. Their uniforms when from orange, blue and black to gold and wine, and the combined ingredients seemed to do much for the moral and success of the Cavaliers.

Most recently the team underwent some major transitions in 2005. Not only did they have a new owner, Dan Gilbert, but a new head coach was hired, Mike Brown as well as a new general manager, the former Cavalier forward Danny Ferry. They have seen winning seasons since that time and this year it looks like they have a good chance of bringing home a Championship title. They won the Conference title in 2007 and their divisional title in 2009. Of course there’s quite a bit of the regular season left, and there are some strong opponents in the Western Conference, but Cavalier fans have their eyes on the prize and are hoping their team finally brings it home.

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The dessert is usually something with cream or syrup, and the thicker the better.  There has never been a sad customer after eating a dessert as decadent as these, so they say.  These days, however, it’s never too late to begin, but because I was on a roll, I decided to go with the flow, and the flow here was definitely going uphill.  This kind of backwards logic was certainly getting to be enough for me, and I started to feel a bit like a letter in a poem by Vattacharda Chandan.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, is another one of those witticisms that are really not altogether witty, when you get right down to it.

The curries were always a process, however, and when that part begins, there’s no telling where the world will go.  You can usually depend on something that, for me, is like heaven, but there might be someone taking you up on your request for extra spice, and throwing in a touch of something rather difficult, but always enticing.  The restaurant with Indian food is always going to be my favorite, no matter which one it turns out to be.  Somewhere in the middle of things, however, I was sensing that I was part of a literary experiment, where things were in reverse order.  It seemed a bit odd, like that episode of that tv show about Harold Pinter, where George was stuffing saris in sacks, and the rest was a sneeze or so.

Time is certainly a different element in poetry, in all cultures.  It is certainly connected to its relationship with music, one that’s been getting further and further away with some of the new experiments.  However, with Vattacharda making work, there was also a sense that the music  was back, even in the highest experiments that worked for the greater good of the avant garde.  India or Singapore, we are all in this together, after all.

Tags: restaurant with Indian food, Vattacharda, Vattacharda Chandan
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Hawaii is a great place to travel with kids. There are lots of hotels which have made a point of making sure there are kid friendly activities. You may not be able to take one of those cruises to Hawaii, but you will at least be able to check out one great island all weekend and there are lots of things to do in Hawaii. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa is one of these hotels. They provide activities for a fee that will keep your kids attention the whole day long with educational activities and excursions, even providing lunch. The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa is really neat with it’s large pool areas full of slides, and secret lagoons scattered around the salt and fresh water swimming pools. There is also an electronics room where your teenager can play games of all kinds. At nights in the summer when you are all together, there is a theater program that everyone can enjoy right after eating at any number of the restaurants right nearby. The best one by far, however, is the Kona Family Resort. Their children’s activities are free, last all day, and they will even take them off your hands for dinner if you have romantic plans for just the two of you.

If you stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa in Maui you will probably need to look into some things to do Maui while your kids are enjoying a range of activities including Olympic games and scavenger hunts. If you wanted to you could bike across the island, looking at the beautiful landscape as you do, even find one of the many wonderful restaurants as a place to take lunch. You will also be able to find a number of great operators who will be happy to teach you how to dive and operate the diving equipment so you can explore the oceans in a whole new way. At the end of the day, when you have your kids back, Maui is known for it’s legendary Luaus and is a perfect family friendly place to eat dinner and celebrate with each other the wonders of the island. If you later want to all go see some history together, this is the place to do it, with some wonderful nostalgic plantation towns. Hawaii has a great atmosphere for the whole family.

Tags: cruises to Hawaii, Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Luaus, things to do in Hawaii, things to do Maui
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If you’ve gone to the trouble to rent a room in one of the boutique hotels in New York City, arranged for theater tickets on Broadway, even looked into a few tours of the city’s sights, all you may have left to worry about is food.  Where to eat?  Obviously, New York is one of the great places in the world to find food; there are restaurants on every corner, many of which are already categorized by price, by cuisine, by service, and so on.  But if you want to do something unique, why not try a food tour?

Maybe it’s not surprising that in a city that offers everything from tours of the Statue of Liberty to ghosts, that food is included.  There’s several options here.  Foods of New York Tours is just one of them.  With this company, you’ll find guides who are friendly and knowledgeable, who will take you around to the best culinary treats of New York while walking through the streets.  These tours last from two to three hours and are conducted weekdays and weekends.  You might like to try an East Village Food Tasting and Cultural Tour, or a Taste of Chinatown.  How about an Exotic Southeast Asian Tour.  There’s even a Multicultural Wine and Beer Tour, and, for the health conscious among us, a Vegetarian Tour.

Other companies also offer up food tours, which you can easily look up, such as the Food on Foot Tours.  Many food tours are about gourmet offerings; Food on Foot is about good but inexpensive food.  It’s a highly rated attraction that combines a walking tour with some subway travel to allow you to find the variety possible in the East Village, a tour called the Midtown Mix, and its world famous Sweet Tooth Tours.  Each one of the places have included an option for vegetarians, so no one’s left out.  it’s a great way to see New York and get something to eat at the same time

Tags: boutique hotels in New York City, Food on Foot Tours, Foods of New York Tours
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Phoenix’s rather uneven performance art scene is still a scene, no matter what the disenchanted locals might say.  There are many who live here who complain that no one is doing any interesting and innovative work, with a few exceptions.  These exceptions will vary from individual to individual, but the general consensus is that Jeff Falk and Leslie Barton have been the most interesting artists in the past, and still are today.  But there are always a dozen more to add to the list, so something interesting is happening here, and it’s enough to warrant venturing out for some art weekend and getting a reservation in one of Phoenix’s best hotels.

Most people are surprised to find a thriving scene, and everyone changes their mind about the place being a cultural desert.  There are some who are mining the desert to find flakes of gold still, and there are also a few diamonds in the next generation of artists.  One of these, surely, is Natalia Jaeger.  She’s just finishing an MFA from the School of Art at ASU, and her exhibition, Visibly Quotidian runs up until Valentine’s Day weekend.  In Arizona, that’s also statehood day, and that’s an interesting interjection into the local identity.

Any attempts to broaden the scope of the locals is met with great resistance on the surface, but there is a solid core that breathes a sigh of relief and rebellion.  Jaeger’s work is challenging, and extremely erudite.  With a broad vocabulary in philosophy and theory, along with an astounding knowledge of the tropes of art and culture, she expands notions of just about anything that comes into her artistic gaze.  The worlds she creates speak of otherness, nourishment, and longing, and reflect a deeply felt view of knowledge and things.  There are more reasons why she is an exception, but those are necessary and sufficient.  Her work in live art is a tremendous experience in destablization, and she is so charming and vicious that we don’t even notice the rug has been pulled, or sometimes, never existed at all.

Tags: Natalia Jaeger, Phoenix's best hotels, Visibly Quotidian
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Do you want to know what is one of the most romantic places in the country, if not the world? I would have to say that it’s West Palm Beach, Florida. And oh sure, I know that you may not believe me or that you might even stop listening, or reading as the case may be, at this point but if you’re willing, or should I say really interesting in finding out why this is true, stay tuned. Exactly, I thought I’d have your attention. Or maybe your just being curious, who knows, but whatever your motivation for continuing you’re about to understand why West Palm Springs could jump start your love life.

So, it turns out that a dear friend of mine, and I stress the friend aspect of the relationship. We were never romantically interested in each other and I stand witness to the fact that two heterosexual members of the opposite sex can have a platonic, in the laymen’s definition, relationship with no complications from romantic attractions. Anyway, Steve, my friend, wanted someone to go with him to Palm Springs where he needed to make the final agreements on the sale of his grandparents house. Since we could always count on each other for anything, and I had nothing else to do, I agreed to go. Plus West Palm Beach sounded exciting and I thought a few days in the Florida sun would be great. And believe me they were. We had separate but adjoining rooms, which was great for privacy and also inspired late night conversations.

So, it turns out one night we were free to just kind of do whatever and we decided to go see an outdoor jazz concert at the Meyer Amphitheatre. What an amazing night that was. The sky was clear, the stars were out and the jazz was incredible. Great jazz always had a way of reaching right into your passionate heart and it certainly did this to both Steve and me that night. It was like something unexpected struck and infected us. We saw each other in a different light and it’s like all of my friendship love and affection for him burst into this romantic attraction that I couldn’t deny nor understand how I had never felt it before. And I could see in Steve’s eyes, that were completely new and different that night, that he felt the same. And it was so powerful that we can never take it back or see each other any differently than we did that night.

Tags: adjoining rooms, Great jazz, Meyer Amphitheatre
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For a perfect escape from winter and for true relaxtion, there are few better places than South Florida and the city of Miami.  With just the click of a mouse, you’ll find a place to stay that provides luxurious spas and some of the world’s most dazzling beaches just outside the doors.  You might be content to stay at the hotel all day and never venture out to the internationally known South Beach and its Art Deco District.  You might be perfectly content to stay by the pool all day and not even see the ocean; however, for those who like to explore the world a bit, you’ll find that Miami has a great number of fascinating places to experience.  Here’s five places you should take a look at while in Miami.

The first place would be South Beach itself; this isn’t just about the beach, but about shopping and entertainment.  It’s quintessential Miami.  For number two, I’d say take a trip out into the Everglades.  This National Park is one of the nation’s most unusual, with 1.5 million acres of swamps and jungles and prairies, it’ll definitely take more than an afternoon!  Three and Four?  Go check out the wildlife at the Sequarium and the Miami MetroZoo.  It’s ideal for families, as is the Miami Museum of Science.  I’m a big proponent of this fifth place to go.  If I have a chance to promote the world of science, I want to take that opportunity.  Currently, the museum is featuring Cabaret Mechanical Theater, which are about forty mechanized and amusing puppets that activate at the touch of a button.  There’s also the planetarium here, too, which has some amazing programs that provide a look into outer-space, with over five different planetarium shows a day.

Whether you lounge in your room, hit the beach or the stores, or take a hovercraft into the Everglades, Miami has something for just about everyone.  If these five spots don’t work for you, there’s plenty more.  And doesn’t a trip to Florida sound pretty good, especially in February when the temperature outside is thirty-three degrees, and in Miami, it’s hovering in the seventies!

Tags: Everglades, http://www.hotelsmiami.com, Miami Museum of Science
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Cape May is such a beautiful city in an amazing environment. It is well known as one of the best birding locations in the nation and reports of over 400 different species of birds have been documented. The population greatly bulges during the summer months when vacationers and bird watcher fill the Cape May resorts and hotels. The beaches become filled with shoppers and café diners who are enjoying the views and local offerings. One of the popular activities many tourists are interested in participating is finding a Cape May Diamond. This is frequently considered to be one of the special souvenirs found there and they make great gifts to bring home to friends and family members.

The diamonds are actually quartz crystals that have arrived on the beaches by courtesy of the Delaware River. These small pebbles begin in the rough and tumbling waters of the river and as they make their journey toward Cape May the are smoothed and softened in the process. However, it is common for finders to take their “diamond” to a polishing shop and really shine it up for jewelry or other display options.

It was originally believed that the diamonds were pieces of glass that were a byproduct of the numerous glass manufacturers in New Jersey. It was thought that the shards and or discarded pieces found their way into the river and turned up on the Cape May shore. This however is incorrect and it is accepted that the diamonds are actually quartz crystals that have been partially smoothed and polished for the eager pebble seekers in Cape May. And while most of them remain in their found state there are a few that are able to be polished to the point of bringing out a brilliant natural shine. Most of these crystals are about the size of a baby’s tooth when they are found though there have been some that are reported to be as big as or even slightly larger than an average sized marble. Whatever size and condition of the quartz crystal you might find on your vacation in Cape May they are certainly exciting to discover in the sand and they make a great souvenir.

Tags: Cape May resorts and hotels, Delaware River, quartz crystals
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Every city has its legends.  Baltimore is one of the most historically rich cities in the United States, and therefore, is filled with myths and legends, some of recent origins, and some of times very long past.  In the summer of 1951, one such legend created the catalyst for an episode of what could be called mass hysteria in the city.  People who lived in the neighborhood of O’Donnell Heights were locking the doors of their houses, and staying in their Baltimore luxury hotels the minute the sun went down.

There were many newsworthy stories at this time in history, the Cold War and the Korean War had been in the headlines for months.  But during the summer of ’51, news of a mysterious stalker bumped everything else off of the first page.  The two newspapers, The Evening Sun and The Sun, may have been in part to blame, as the two competing papers fanned the flames of the community’s panic.  Ask anyone today who is familiar with this time, and no one has been able to understand the furor that was caused, how it got just so big.  By the time police investigators began looking into the reported sightings, the entire town was in a panic, and the mysterious stalker was blamed for everything from minor break-ins to stealing children from their beds in the middle of the night.

On any given night police would receive more than 200 phone calls of alleged sightings, but no one was ever actually attacked.  Some teenagers were arrested that summer, for petty pranks, but no phantom.  People who have looked into the case years later, speculate that there never was a phantom, that the mass hysteria was fueled by the dueling newspapers, and that peoples’ imaginations took over and ran a muck.  It’s like the old boogey man story, no one has ever seen the boogey man, but small children will behave when the boogey man is mentioned.  It’s the power of the imagination, and what a strong power that is.

Tags: Baltimore luxury hotels, power of the imagination, the neighborhood of O'Donnell Heights
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With its proximity to beaches as well as other spectacular natural spots, with gorgeous possibilities for gold, snorkling, or just exploring the great unknown, Cape Town has it going on.  It’s been a major center for world culture and industry for some time, and recent years have seen a rise in its popularity as a tourist destination.  Those who have known about the splendors of the place have probably been wondering why it’s taken the rest of the world so long to catch on, but the word is definitely out.  It has everything, including great hotels: check these out.

There is a fantastic night life, of course, and just about everything else big cities have to offer.  But there’s definitely something that’s hard to find in New York.  Penguins.  Cape Town has one of the most active conservation movements in the world, and it’s certainly taken the penguin cause under its wing (pun perhaps intended).  The Penguin Conservation Centre rehabilitates penguins who have been victim to oil spills, among other things, and has taken care of thousands and thousands of these fascinating birds since it opened in 1968. Sanccob is another center that rehabilitates penguins, with similar success rates, and a similar history.  The focus is not strictly on penguins, but all of South Africa’s seabirds, which include penguins, along with Gulls, Gannets, Cormorants, and Oystercatchers.

The focus is not entirely on oil spills, of course.  They work with injured or otherwise endangered birds as well.  The focus is on conservation and preservation, so that the lives of South Africa’s penguins can be saved and protected, and so that future generations can understand the delicate balance where we live.  In the global scheme of things, South Africa has been at the forefront of environmental awareness, and the green world owes a lot to the people doing excellent work here.

Tags: http://www.capetownhotel.net, Penguin Conservation Centre, Sanccob
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This song came out somewhere in a state of amnesia for me, and when I finally did hear it, it had been something even old fans already loved for a couple years.  I’m like a lot of their original fans, I followed them from Murmur up to Life’s Rich Pageant, and even though Green got me through some hard moments, it was only a few moments.  It may be that the angst I felt when I was 23 had already started to diminish by the time I turned 23 1/2, but there’s something about this group that wakes up an old feeling somewhere.  A couple of songs later, and I’m nursing some forgotten pain like a new toothache, and the world is suddenly very bright.

R.E.M. was something my girlfriend and I would listen to while having one of those long, life-changing talks where you discover there’s another interesting person in the world besides yourself.  We’d talk about how we wanted to find our way to a cheap hotel in Los Angeles where we could hole up and practice our art.  Maybe we could call Michael Stipe by then, maybe we’d be friends, and he’d want to work with us on a new project.  We had ideas about an installation about poisoning in history, and he would be a kind of Mortimer Brewster figure with a shaved head and a lot of darkness.

Those things are still coming somewhere in the future, but for now, I had the chance to listen to Electrolite on my way to L.A. one summer night, and the result was kind of stunning.  This was a new R.E.M. all right, with new ideas and new textures.  The deep and often unintelligible critique of the American Dream was very solid in this, and it still had that weird way they have of making you want to cry a little bit while you’re eating.  The most sensational time I had, however, was another trip, riding my friend’s motorcycle down Mullholland Drive, looking at the Hollywood Bowl, and this song came up on the car stereo next to me at a stoplight.  It would have been so much more poetic had the driver been my old girlfriend, but much more like R.E.M. that it was a middle aged man in a Hawaiian shirt, who looked a lot like me.

Tags: cheap hotel in Los Angeles, Electrolite, R.E.M.
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You can’t find absolutely everything in New York, but if you try, you can always find something that’s pretty close to what you’re looking for.  Sometimes it’s the search that’s the only thing that matters, the process of gathering clues together, and thinking about what will happen when the day comes.  It can become a kind of obsession, and some of these, if they are invoked voluntarily, and with a heavy dose of good humor, can be more fun than a real obsession.  They can also work to keep that strange reptilian part of the mind occupied, convinced that it’s doing something enormously important.  

Except sometimes, for me, I get carried away, even when it’s clearly just a game.  I was at a party and someone was talking about Where’s Waldo, and I remembered being in the Where’s Waldo Fan Club very briefly.  I understand it was only a club for a year.  They said something about how difficult it would be to find the character in New York, because there are too many people.  Also, it seemed unlikely that anyone would decide to dress up like Where’s Waldo there, because it seems as though it might be an extraordinarily risky thing to do.  So I booked a hotel here and set off for the Big Apple.

It has changed a lot in the past few years, and it actually does seem like a place where you could dress like anything, and no one would mind, and these days, perhaps not even hassle you.  It’s a different city than I remember, but that’s always been true.  I started looking, but before I could make any headway, I got lost in my own thoughts.  I was reflecting on the appeal of Waldo to me, and how I always like matching games when I was little.  There was something about that in this.  And it also seemed significant in how my own sense of balance has shifted to discover that, when I did see Waldo it didn’t surprise me at all.

Tags: http://www.newyorkairporthotel.com, Waldo, Where's Waldo Fan Club
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Ben was too excited to catch his breath after his best friend and also bass player in their band told him that they had just received their first invitation to play live in a club in Austin. This was the first major goal their band Rear View had developed since they first came together six months ago. In addition they believed in taking their development slowly after a month of playing together. They felt they had real potential and were writing original music and lyrics and they didn’t want to overexpose themselves too early or get stuck in an immediate rut. So, they gave themselves a year to get their first Austin gig and while Ben was breathless at the news, Troy, the more rational and calm of the two, had his concerns that the band may be moving too fast.
The members of Rear View had driven into Austin numerous times in the past and had seen bands play at clubs such as the Carousel Lounge, The Dirty Dog Bar and The Warehouse Saloon and Billiards. Each of these places were among their favorites whenever they came to town. Last year they reserved some rooms in one of the hotels Austin and spent the whole weekend there and went to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. They had such a great time there that they decided to make a special trip every year and stay the entire weekend. And while it was definitely a great time they decided they should be allowed to go every year because it was work related and they would study some of the bigger musician’s performances.

The Carousel Lounge was Ben’s favorite club in Austin. He liked it for many reasons, such as the atmosphere and staff, but also because they hosted an assortment of performances and every time they went there he was guaranteed to see something different. And he always had a great time at the Carousel. Troy, however, had a strong preference for The Dirty Dog Bar. He greatly appreciated the warehouse feel of the building and he also loved that it was a combination of sports and live music. This was something he always felt would be a good blend and it allowed alternative bands to gain new audiences. It was also unique in Austin as the only extreme sports themed live music place. Troy had ambitions of using the three eight foot screens as part of a live music show someday. But for now, he felt the need to keep the other band members tamed down and use this upcoming performance in Austin simply as experience performing together. They weren’t ready to burst onto the scene and he knew it.

Tags: hotels Austin, The Dirty Dog Bar
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Miami was the place where I saw Oshun for the first time, or knew I was seeing her, for the first time.  She’s the African goddess of love and all the fine things in life, and related to rivers, too, they tell me.  I caught a glimpse of her one night when I was dancing.  It was very late.  You could say that I really didn’t know what I was seeing, and at the time, that was certainly true, but I know for sure I saw something that couldn’t have been anything else.  I was there to visit an old friend, he’d invited a few old college buddies down to visit him the week before he was getting married.  We were supposed to spend the weekend entertaining him, then help pitch in with the wedding ceremony.

I love Miami’s luxury hotels, they have a spirit of true accommodation that speaks to my own taste for refined things.  I love waking up with nothing but possibility ahead, and in truth, it makes me so excited I can also get a little nervous.  So it was good that we were there with something specific in mind.  We had to entertain Joey.  His favorite places in Miami are way too numerous to mention, and even more troubling to remember, because I am still very unclear about everything that night.

We started off at a local pub, a nice place that serves a pretty likable crew of regulars.  This was a real boys night out, but we decided we weren’t going to do the traditional bachelor party thing.  He was really devoted to this girl, and didn’t want any of the usual kinds of fun that you see in films.  So a pub lead to a few games of pool, and somewhere in there was a dinner, and then a club.  Between the dinner and the club is where things started to shift. I hadn’t had much to drink, so I can’t put it to that, but there was something strange when I started to smell cinnamon and clove in the air.  And oranges, too.  I thought it was the city, and the citrus.  The smell was much, much stronger in the club, and in one moment, the woman that I had been dancing with turned into something else.  She told me later that was Oshun I was seeing.  I can’t describe her very well, other than saying I saw something in her eye that was more than a sparkle.  And their wedding was blessed from that moment on.

Tags: cinnamon and clove, Miami's luxury hotels, Oshun
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A city this large is bound to have a lot of ghosts, and a lot of memories.  It doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the most vital centers of culture in the world, attracting artists from every nation, and every generation births another batch of young and talented people who see this city as their destination to begin or complete a life work.  It’s particularly exciting to find footprints of your most beloved icons somewhere in the city, and it’s almost dizzying to realize how many famous writers, poets, and musicians have been here.  You can try booking a hotel in Central Park near where your hero once walked.

Or jogged, as the case may be.  In a particularly absurd death, Bob Marley had his last run here, suffering a stroke while jogging at only 36 years of age.  Fans often overlook the very mundane details of such a spectacular life, but it was cancer that was discovered when he’d had a toe removed that eventually took his life.  He was born under a rising star, and rode it as far as he possibly could.  His achievements were no less than legendary, giving a remarkable depth to a music that moved millions, and inspired change.

It still inspires change.  Every generation that gets enchanted by Jamaica’s home-grown music discovers the influence of Bob Marley.  Although there are scores of excellent musicians who follow in his footsteps, both in terms of musical talent and revolutionary fervor, none can match his enormous impact, and perhaps that’s exactly how it should be.  In Central Park, these are enormously significant footprints, and they cannot be erased by time, and there’s no signs of willingness to forget.  The beat goes on, and the lyrics are poignant reminders of a visionary who was not afraid to stomp the terra.

Tags: Bob Marley, Central Park, hotel in Central Park
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For not getting hardly any sleep, I got up pretty early and headed out on a bus to South Beach, Florida. Stepped of the bus and headed straight into the water. It was so nice! Being from the west coast, the warm waters of the Florida ocean is a real treat, I stayed in for hours, even when it started to rain. But, was was so unbelievable, was when I looked further out, I saw a water sprout! It was pretty far away, but it was still cool!

I got out of the water and had nothing to dry myself off with, forgot to bring a towel. But, I figured it didn’t matter when I went in search of food. There were plenty of beach side restaurants that I’m sure caters to all types of beach people. I got a slice of New York style cheese pizza and then caught the bus back to my accommodations, really one of the best resort hotels Florida has to offer to be honest about it. When I got back, I headed straight for the resorts pool for a few hours. There were only a few guests poolside, so it was really great to almost have the pool to myself.

After cleaning up, I went to the restaurant in my hotel for dinner. I didn’t recognize most of the dishes, but I’m the adventurous type so I just pointed to an entree and hoped for the best. I lucked out, the dish was called Veal Oscar, and man, was that the most tastiest meal I’ve ever had. Later, when I got back home, a friend of mine told me what veal was, and I felt a little sad, but it tasted so good, so I didn’t stay sad for long.

One of the hotel guest invited me out to this Booze cruise where there was an open bar. I drank way too much and danced with some of the funniest people I’ve ever met, all the while the boat took us to a place called, well I really can’t recall, but I didn’t stay there for too long, because I was pretty much out of it. Luckily, the guy who invited me on this booze cruise, made sure I made it back to my hotel. Nice guy.

I had no idea that Florida would end up being one fun filled day and night after another. I really thought it might be boring, I really did. But, boy, was I ever wrong.

Tags: resort hotels Florida, Veal Oscar
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Mom was joking on my phone the day of my arrival to Seattle, she said it rains a lot in Seattle. Coming from the UK, that’s not surprising and it didn’t surprise me that upon my arrival, it was raining, actually pouring, not that light mist I read about in the travel guides.

After finding one of the Seattle luxury hotels where I have reservations, and checking in, I headed to the library. I took a quick look in the Lonely Planet guidebook for Seattle. They say Seattle has only about 55 days without rain and the other 310 days have some fog or MIST or a presents of clouds. Again, another guide book not mentioning a down pour. Luckily, it only lasted a few hours and then it changed to the well known cloudy mist. I couldn’t see any of the top of the skyscrapers.

I went to the Experience Music Project after the library, and found out the Seattle was the home town of Jimi Hendrix, but it was in New York where he was spotted and in London where he made it big. The EMP complex cost $450 million to create by one of the Microsoft co-founders. The building is the weirdest thing I’ve seen to date. Apparently, it is controversial among the Seattlites because it was inspired when the architect bought many guitars and smashed them all up and used this pile of broken guitars as the inspiration for this building.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the EMP complex. I learned a lot about the history of music, about the guitar, the West coast music scene, and tons about Jimi Hendrix. The founder is a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix, and actually, this building was to be all about Jimi, but thankfully, he expanded upon the idea. There was a section where I could mess around on a few instruments. The EMP provides a MEG (an electronic guide) that I could point at an exhibit, or key in a number, and the MEG informed me, via headphones, about the exhibit I’m looking at. Got to give kudos to the Microsoft co-founder to have up-to-date electronics in his building.

Tomorrow, I’m off to Portland, but first I’ll check out the Seattle music scene tonight.

Tags: Experience Music Project, Jimi Hendrix, Seattle luxury hotels
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Who doesn’t like the heated, relaxing waters of a thermal spa?  Who wouldn’t like to bask in those waters in a city that can trace its roots back to the Mesolithic era, let alone the Middle Ages?  In the hills of the Valdinievole, in Italy, you’ll find all of this simply by checking into one of the Montecatini Terme hotels.  Montecatini Terme, the town and district, contain about twenty two thousand people, and lies in the province of Pistoia, Tuscany.  Its spas attract a number of tourists, as does its theatres, restaurants and casino.  The city focuses on its travelers, as they have about two hundred hotels, who are there not only for the amenities the city offers, but also for the short trips one might take to the nearby art cities, such as Florence.  While in town, though, Montecatini Terme offers concerts and ballrooms, fairs and art exhibitions as well as other festivals.

The city can easily operate as a point of departure for other internationally known art and architecture, such as Michelangelo’s David in Florence or the Leaning Tower of Pisa in, well, Pisa.  You may also check out an interesting walled city, Lucca, and Pistoia, too, is an old town that’s not very far from Montecatini Terme.  In fact, there a number of interesting walled cities dating back to Medieval times, such as Siena or San Gimignano or Vinci.  Renting a car and driving to these places won’t take long at all.

Within driving distance, too, is Cinque Terre.  These are five cities on the water, and a ferry or a train may deliver you from one city to the next.  There are steep hills in the cities, but the view of the water and cities are tremendous.  In about a one hour ride, you can also take the train or bus into the city of Florence, too.

But don’t think this means that there’s nothing to do or see in Montecatini itself.  Of course, there are internationally famous spas, but there’s also a Funicular to Montecatini Alto, where you can have incredible views of the area.  You can even stay at the top for dinner.  This area is part of the original Montecatini settlement, above the relatively “new town” below.  Check out the Piazza Giusti here for bars and restaurants, and enjoy a Medieval village.

Tags: Montecatini Terme hotels, Pisa
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Just as Seattle has an underground city (a few blocks scorched away in the Great Fire of Seattle in 1889, then rebuilt one story higher, paving over that part of town like a forgotten memory), so does Atlanta, Georgia.  In Seattle, the buildings were constructed on tideflats, and in times of rain (which was often, of course), mud would cover up anything standing still.  Today, the area may be toured, taking a look a saloon from the 1890s.  In Atlanta, the story was a bit different.

Atlanta began life as a railroad in 1836, with tracks built from Chattanooga to Atlanta next to mile markers, 138 of them.  The Zero Milepost marker is still standing, and its in Underground Atlanta at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot.  As the Civil War approached, Atlanta grew to a city of ten thousand.  The area next to the Zero Milepost marker was the city center, on Alabama Street, from Peachtree Street to Central Avenue, and also the area destined to become Underground Atlanta.

In the fire that Margaret Mitchell described in Gone With the Wind, the area was destroyed.  The residents rebuilt around the Zero Milepost, doubling the city population to twenty two thousand.  As the century turned from the nineteenth to the twentieth, after Coca-Cola was born and electric streetcars were introduced, the railroad grew, serving a hundred trains a day by 1900, and, by 1910, iron bridges were built to cross the rail tracks at Union Street.  Eventually, concrete bridges replaced the iron bridges, and a mall at bridge level joined together these viaducts of concrete, creating public plazas.  As the viaducts were built, shops moved to the second floor, leaving behind the lower level for storage and services.  From the thirties to the seventies, Underground Atlanta was virtually forgotten.

At last, in 1968, the five blocks of Underground Atlanta were declared an historic site.  In 1989, the area opened to the public after a restoration project of about 142 million dollars.  Today, if you stop in at Atlanta and stay over in one of the hotels Georgia offers, you’ll find in this particular area of town a place designed for families, including shops for retail and gifts and specialities, as well as fast food, fine dining, and entertainment, a veritable focal point for the community.

Tags: hotels Georgia, Margaret Mitchell
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In Bad Gastein hotels are quaint and luxurious. They are filled with all the amenities fit for a king. This is a beautiful rich spa town that beckons visitors into its relaxation and recreation. They are nestled in the small valley of the Hohe Tauern National Park, some absolutely beautiful Austrian mountains. Here you will find some amazing things to do all in the fresh mountain air that is free of fog. The buildings are built in the Belle Epoque style and give such a nostalgic feel to one experience of the area.

Spend some time during the day taking in a favorite sport. If it is summer time there is hiking and mountain climbing up to thermal waters were visitors can soak and relax. There are eighteen springs that bubble up from the ground. These waters have been known to heal or diminish the affects of ailments such as gout and stones, inflammations, arthritis, asthma, and back problems. The waters are accessible even if you are visiting in the winter. The skiing is fantastic. The snow is always good and there are lots of downhill and cross country trails. Take the kids out for some family fun on the sleds.

When you have had all the physical activity you can handle its tie to relax again with a massage and steam. Get cleaned up for dinner at one of the local gourmet restaurants then catch a ride in a horse drawn sleigh up to the casino. If it is winter time you wont mind it getting dark early. You many need the extra time to win you money back. Have a great time with it. Dress up to the standard of royalty and throw some dice in elegant style. So come and visit the place where King George V and Queen Mary visited in 1913. You will have it better then they did, by far.

Tags: Bad Gastein hotels, King George V, snow
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We attempted a night out in San Francisco, but as you can imagine, San Francisco on a Tuesday night isn’t particularly happening. We did manage to find a group of cute boys trying to park their Lexus. We thought we’d try the ol’ English line on them and see if it was true about what they say how Americans just love our accent, but it didn’t work, they were meeting up with their girlfriends at a restaurant. Looks like it isn’t as easy as the film ‘Love Actually‘ makes it out to be. So, we decided to go back to our room in one of the best hotels in San Francisco and crash for the night.

We woke up late in the morning and then decided to see some sights that we haven’t seen yet. San Francisco is a small city in comparison to other cities we’ve been to, so we were able to walk to most of the sights. Chinatown was impressive, but what was weird were all the Indian electronic shops there. I did get a great deal on a new camera lens, after I haggled for about an hour! Then we went to check out Little Italy, wondering if there were Indian electronic shops there as well, but there weren’t, only a few Italian restaurants with a lot of Italians living there.

Lastly, we jumped on a bus to the Haight Ashbury area. This was were the hippy movement started, so it was being like in a time-warp. We even passed by a street-bum with a sign asking for weed instead of money. This was the funniest thing we’ve seen during our whole trip, we ended up giving him money anyway.

So, this was our San Francisco in 48 hours. I love it here, even though it would be quite expensive to live here, it seems to be worth it. The people are so very friendly, the weather is doable, at least from what we could tell in two days, and for a city that’s supposed to be the Gay capital of the world, we didn’t see many gay people, well, at least people that ‘looked’ gay.

Tags: best hotels in San Francisco, Haight Ashbury area, Love Actually
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Kelly and Tom were both students at the College of William and Mary and decided that they needed to take a break from their intense schedule of weekend studies and enjoy themselves a little. After all, this was probably the last time they would be able to because they were graduating in May and then they had to join the work force and have careers and families and stuff like that. So, for that afternoon the friends returned to their boyhood favorite activities and headed to Colonial Williamsburg.

They both grew up in the area and this historic triangle of Virginia was there childhood stomping grounds. They used to try and fish in the river but were never able to. They did enjoy taking the Jamestown Ferry every chance they got and that’s what they did that afternoon. When they were young they used to follow the tourists as they left their hotels Williamsburg just to see what they found so interesting, now they knew. They found there way to Queen’s Creek and sat down with a sandwich, chips and coke. All they wanted to do was rest on the ground and listen to the trickle of the water and enjoy the light breeze. That wasn’t too much to ask they thought.

After a while, the Kelly got out his Frisbee and the two threw it back and forth for a while. This replaced the football they threw back and forth when they were young. Sometimes a group of kids would gather together and play a friendly game of tackle football beside the creek. This had always been one of both of the boy’s favorite spots and they wondered how often they would be able to come back there after they finished school. That thought reminded them that they had a paper due on Monday and needed to get back to the library. They headed back to school but decided to take one last ride on the ferry before they did. It felt good to be young again.

Tags: hotels Williamsburg, Jamestown Ferry, Queen’s Creek
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After you’ve checked into at a Singapore hotel resort, the first thing you might look to do is step out and take a walk; if you find yourself in Chinatown, you’ll come across a number of small, interesting sights.

Let’s start out at Cross and Club Streets.  Walking up, you’ll find yourself at Club.  This area was home at one point to Chinese social clubs, shops, and brothels, which have all given way to boutiques and clubs and bars.  You’ll still find Chinese clubs here, but you might find more in the way of Italian restaurants and sneaker shops.  If you walk to the end of Club, turn left on Ann Siang Road, turn right at the hilltop, then right on Erskine Road, down the street, and then left onto South Bridge Road.  Cross the street and walk left to find Neil Road.  Here, at the corner of Tanjong Pagar and Neil, you’ll find brick building, two stories, that once was the center for the city’s rickshaws, a place filled with activity — craftsmen, rickshaw pullers, port walkers, and, on the darker side, opium smokers and ladies of the evening.  Across the street, you’ll find the Maxwell Road Food Center, famous for it hawkers and often packed on any given evening.  It’s neoclassical facade was relatively recently renovated, in 2001.  Walking down Maxwell until it turns left around Telok Ayer Park, you’ll eventually find the Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church.  This building was constructed in 1924 and it’s notable as one of the more unsual churches in Singapore, owing to its large Byzantine windows and traditional Chinese roof.

Keep walking along Telok Ayer, and you’ll cross McCallum Street.  Here, on the left corner, you’ll find the Al-Abrar Mosque.  It’s a small building, constructed about 1850 and contains both Islamic and Indian touches.  This humble place may have had an even more humble beginning, starting out as a small, thatched hut.  Farther up the street, you’ll reach the Thian Hock Keng Temple.  This is perhaps the oldest temple in Singapore and important for Hokkien Chinese Buddhists.  There’s also a statue of Ma Zu Po here, goddess of seafarers.  In 1840, the statue was imported from China.  Up the road and on the corner at Boon Tat Street is a  one hundred and eighty-one year old shrine, the Nagore Durgha Shrine.  If you turn right here and walk to the end of Boon Tat Street, you’ll see Lau Pa Sat (also known as the Telok Ayer Market).  It has an 1894 ornate cast-iron facade made by a Scottish architect firm.  In the early parts of the 20th century, this was a place for fishmongers; today, it’s a festival market for hawkers — excellent for dining after a long walk around Chinatown!

Tags: Singapore hotel resort, Telok Ayer Market
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No matter were are in the world, there is always a group of people taking the time to raise money and awareness about cancer. Cancer affects all genders, race and ages. In Marbella Spain, they have come up with an interesting way to raise money for the local cancer hospice centers. The call it the Wow Factor and it is a talent contest that takes place in front of a live audience. It has been a phenomenal success with some of the best turnout of performers and audience attendence in the history of its developement.

In the finals there are twelve groups competing. There are four judges and about 600 people in the audience all there to watch each performer give everything they have in three minutes. The are all there to raise money, put on a great show and to become the next WOW Factor champion. Talk radio talent, Maurice Boland of Talk Radio Europe, was there as the presenter along with Hannah Murray. There were some notable judges like Steven Jones who is a British Consul, Rowetta Satchell who was a X Factor Finalist, Laura Krier of Fame Games and Jason Gardner who judged the Dancing on Ice show. He made the grandest entrance swinging in on a trapeze.

The contests came out one after the other putting on a great show. They came in form Gibraltar to Almuneca, stayed in one of the best luxury hotels Marbella had to offer, came into the theatre and put on a stellar show. Between the songs they sang, the judges would pause the show with some advice on their performance. There were a few favorites to win like Rebecca Tate and possibly Corrine Cooper. They both made it to the final 6 performers in the middle of the evening. On top of the wonderful talents of the evening, there was also a strong heartfelt enphasis on the cause that has brought this event to happen.

Tags: luxury hotels Marbella, Maurice Boland, WOW Factor
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When Gus and Gita arrived in New York for a lecture Gus was to present at an astronomy club, both of them were extremely hungry. It as all they could do to put down their luggage and extras in the their hotel room without fainting from hunger. They were both passionate individuals with a zest for life and everything in it. This included great cuisine. So, even though they felt like they were starving, neither Gus nor Gita was interested in compromising quality of service and tasted so they set about inquiry into the greatest and best New York City restaurants.

After they freshened up the couple headed down to have a quick conversation with the concierge. They got the basic scoop on their neighborhood offerings and attractions and Gus was provided with the best route to his lecture facility. As the efficient concierge began suggesting various dining options, Gita stopped her when she heard Kellari Taverna. This sounded familiar to her and she quickly scanned her memory until she recalled a friend of hers had once dined there. As she remembered it, Kellari was well known for great Greek seafood. The concierge confirmed this and always being slightly skeptical of recommendations both Gus and Gita were satisfied to try Kellari. This is due to the cross referenced appraisal on both a personal and professional level. And the couple left their resort eager to partake in the expected great cuisine.

And they were not disappointed. From the moment they walked into the restaurant they loved it. It had a fabulous aroma, great décor and a pleasant atmosphere. They began their meal with a couple of appetizers, the tartare and the melitzanosalata, which was a roasted eggplant spread. They also shared a Greek salad before moving on to their main course. Gus had the fire roasted Salmon with pumpkin puree. He thought it was delicious and loved the spinach and beets. Gita had the corfu shrimp, which was pan seared with asparagus and a mushroom risotto. They shared an order of the lemon potatoes. Both Gus and Gita loved their meals and while they wanted to try a couple of the desserts they just didn’t have the room. However, they definitely planned on coming back.

Tags: best New York City restaurants, fire roasted Salmon, Kellari Taverna
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Cape Town South Africa was originally built up by the Dutch East India Company around 1652. This interesting city on the shoreline of Table Bay quickly turned into busy port of ships. It was the supply station for many Dutch ships that were working their way up and the coast of Africa, India and the far east. The first permanent settlement made here by the Europeans was by Jan Van Riebeeck. It quickly became the economic and cultural center of the whole Cape Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush,  made Johannesburg grow, Cape Town was the largest city in South Africa. Now modern day Cape Town has about 3 and half million people living in it. Fortunately, the square mileage of the area is rather large so there is more room per person to live here.

The area is such old land who knows how long people have been coming and going from here. Archeologists have been digging away here for many years and have found a few interesting things. The farthest back they can find so far dates 12,00 to 15,000 years ago. The Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias left some written literature in 1486. Vasco da Gama recorded seeing the Cape of Good Hope back in 1497. Then the Dutch arrived. They had a hard time developing the area because there was not enough labor. Slaves were brought in from Indonesia and Madagascar to work for the Dutch company and now they are the ancestors of the first Cape Colored community.

From then on you have the history with the British trying to take over the Dutch colonies and how that affected the town. Of course, Britian capture Cape Town in 1795 but then give back in a treaty to the Netherlands in 1803. The British came and took the town again in 1806 after the Bloubergstrand battle. Because of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, the British gained permanent control and the town has expanded along with the whole colony substantially during the 1800s. So find one of the best Cape Town hotels and take in all the city has been built up too.

Tags: Bartolomeu Dias, best Cape Towm hotels, Portuguese, Witwatersrand Gold Rush
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Joni wanted to go to Connecticut. She had been born and raised in New York City and had always heard that Connecticut was the place to retire and sometimes to raise a family. She didn’t know how many times she heard people in the city referring to a desire to move there. Throughout her childhood she didn’t understand what all of the hype was about and developed a strong desire to discover it for herself. So, at her high school graduation when her parents asked her what she would like to do to celebrate Joni quickly announced that she would like to go to Connecticut.

Her parents thought this would make a nice family adventure and they made reservations in one of the Hartford hotels for the following weekend. And although she was now and adult and had even graduated from high school, Joni was still not quite sure what to expect. She did notice that the scenery was beautiful and thought that Connecticut must have an amazing geography. She wondered if that’s what impressed everyone.

When they arrived in Hartford she loved the historic feeling of some of the buildings and also noticed that it too was located along a river. She decided that New Yorkers must have a sense of home away from home there. However, she also noticed that Hartford felt much more open and spacious than New York, but then most cities do. While they were there the family toured most of the major attractions including the Elizabeth Park Rose Garden which Joni discovered was the oldest in the United States of its kind. They also went to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Research Center and Joni was very impressed with this as well. She greatly enjoyed her time in Hartford and the family celebrated her graduation at Grant’s Restaurant. This may have been Joni’s favorite part of the trip and she absolutely loved her filet mignon. She decided then that this would be a nice place to retire.

Tags: Elizabeth Park Rose Garden, Hartford hotels
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