Vroom! Mural in Lafayette, La., Oct. 2008
October 2008 I took an amazing trip to Lafayette, Louisiana. I confess to eating my way through the heart of Cajun Country and was pleasantly surprised at all the things to do and see. One of which were the amazingly cool murals in downtown Lafayette.
ME! by Peter West Carey, July 2009, Chicago
When I attended Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) this past summer I met photographer Peter West Carey, a talented shutterbug – OK, he’s more than a shutterbug, he’s a photog pro. He kindly took head shots of conference attendees to help us have a more professional image. See, this is me working it as though I was on America’s Next Top Model. Anyway…
It makes me feel good when I can help others, especially those who I know. Peter has outlined a travel photography project titled, “People, Places & Patterns Project,” (aka: P4). It’s a photo expedition through Spain, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, and Nepal from February through May 2010. Peter will then take the resulting photos and stories and share them with U.S. students and community groups to educate and excite people about the world beyond our borders. Or as I like to say, help create pockets of peace. (more…)
Last year I spent Christmas up in Buffalo with family. Enjoy these shots from the Millard Fillmore House in East Aurora, N.Y. and the cafe called Taste (634 Main St, East Aurora, NY Tel: 716/655.1874) where I thought the neatest thing were the s’mores.
Merry Christmas! (more…)
ICE! ICE! Baby! Sorry, couldn’t resist…
Gaylord Palms (6000 W. Osceola Parkway) in Kissimmee, Fla., has a pretty COOL exhibit running since Nov. 14 through Jan. 3, 2010, called ICE! It’s two million pounds of frozen water carved into amazing sculptures in which visitors can admire but not touch nor lick. (There was a sign warning about this bad behavior.) Although in its seventh season, this is the first year I’ve been able to enjoy the balmy 9 degrees Fahrenheit temps in the resort’s convention center. It’s what my friend Annette and I did during her fourth day in the Sunshine State. (more…)
Dining with BeachHouse Restaurant Sarasota-Manatee Originals Restaurant, Jan. 2009
Does anyone ever win those Twitter contests? Indeed they do, I finally won one! Not that I enter many but when I saw the Sarasota-Manatee Originals were giving away $25 dining certificates every weekday between Dec. 1 and Dec. 24, knew I had to enter and I won!
How can you win? It’s pretty easy but you need a Twitter account and follow @the_originals. Then, Tweet this message: (more…)
New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple, April 2008
Yes, this choice of photo is random but I do love me some voodoo! Took this while visiting New Orleans in April 2008 during a Tourism Cares project. Read the notes, I could have spent all day in there reading notes and looking at all the tokens of hope.
During my friend Annette’s Florida visit, I created an itinerary for a first-time Florida visitor that could be done in four days. Following is day three of her visit and check out day two here.
Disney adventures began at the Magic Kingdom. My friend has never visited Florida and EVERYONE visiting the Sunshine State needs to spend at least one day at Walt Disney World Resort. While most adults suggest Epcot as being the best park (for reasons I’m not sure of), everyone’s first visit to Disney needs to be the Magic Kingdom. (more…)
Thanksgiving in Tlaquepaque, Mexico, 2008
Thanksgiving this year was the first time in three years I celebrated the American holiday in the United States. Last year was Mexico – Tlaquepaque (outside Guadalajara) to be exact and in 2007 was Italy (Florence). Enjoy these two-for-one margaritas from the Quinta Don Jose.** I sure enjoyed them!
**FTC Disclosure: Selecting hyperlinks indicated with “**” results in revenue.
Should politics and travel mix? Having recently read Rick Steves Travel as a Political Act **, if traveling to enrich the mind and spirit, it’s inevitable politics will play some role. For me, travel isn’t always about sleeping in lush beds and lounging by pools sipping cocktails (although that’s nice). It’s about experiencing, broadening my horizons, and making connections with people which is part of the reason I traveled to Kabul in March 2006. And traveling to a war-torn country means politics will play a role. (more…)
