The city that saw the birth of contemporary art continues to see new births every day. Florence is a place where the weight of the past seems to infuse the present with new energy and meaning, rather than overwhelm it. The locals seem quite capable of picking up the charge to make something new, and explore unknown territories in art, food, and many other things.

One would imagine that it would be something of a challenge to be born in the city that once houses Dante, Da Vinci, Donatello, and so many others who carved their names in greatness. For Rose McGowan , it just seems par for the course, and the actor has inherited an enormously cosmopolitan persona. In part this is surely from the city of her birth, as well as the influence of her parents, French and Irish, who had her living in communes with them from an early age.

In larger degrees, though, one can’t help but recognize it also comes from an immense life force, and an intellectual curiosity about the world. Having once been partnered with Marilyn Manson, and then Richard Rodriguez, also wouldn’t hurt for building a biography that adds up to an interesting life. Guests in Florence hotels may not catch a glimpse of her except on television and in the movies, but the air of sophistication here helped her to embrace the worlds she’s encountered.

There are many fun things to do when visiting Mazatlan Mexico from exploring the historical lands near by to speeding across the coastal waters. Mazatlan is a very important and busy port along the pacific coast and it brings in many people each year to enjoy all of the activities it has to offer.

If you like golf you can head over to one of the many nice golf courses in the area. Most of them are right along the waters edge so you won’t miss any ocean time. They have incorporated the ocean right into the challenging golf courses. Just check with any of the five star mazatlan hotels for information on where to play.

You can also go on an adventure in the mountains near by with a wonderful rock climbing day trip. Creston’s peak has the second tallest lighthouse on its formation. You are guaranteed great views if you make it up to the top for a visit.

Connect with a company like Mazatlan Tours for vacation fun for everyone in the family. They have a line on everything from horseback riding to bass fishing. Even something as simple as a sunset cruise.

All the people who travel to Bermuda find a charm and grace not experienced on the other popular islands in the Caribbean. Their practicality, simple island lifestyle and integrity show up in all aspects of their daily living. Bermuda is technically a British territory , but the locals consider themselves very much an independent nation.

There is literally no unattractive place in Bermuda, which all the five star Bermuda hotels have taken full advantage of by utilizing the best views of the turquoise waters or of the multi-million dollar homes that are strung all along the pink sandy coastline. Bermuda is simply elegant, relaxing and full of activities that keep tourist busy.

Golfers will greatly enjoy Bermuda’s Golf at Tucker’s Point. Not only is it one of the best golf resorts, it also has one of the best restaurants in the entire Caribbean. The course offers professional and beginners golfers some of the most breathtaking views on the island. After playing the challenging 18-holes, the Clubhouse has one of the best ‘Dark and Stormy’ drinks on the island. There’s no drink a Bermudian loves more than a great Dark and Stormy . The drink is a mix of Black Seal rum and ginger beer. The Dark and Stormy is considered the national drink of the island.

St. George’s town was Bermuda’s first settlement and once its Capital, but now is a great place to see some fantastic historical architecture. As you’re walking around, you’ll see some reenactments of some of Bermuda’s high-points in history.

Once you’ve been to Bermuda, you’ll want to keep coming back year after year.

For all the appeal of the superb nightclubs that dot the urban landscapes of Miami, there are some moments when one needs a bit of a break. Even on a short vacation, where the time spent in Miami luxury hotels flies by and Monday’s coming again, too many late nights can get a little bit exhausting. There are other options in town for fun. And those who are never going to want to give up the clubs, at least until they turn 30, can usually do a few things in an evening.

A great warm-up, then, or a fine main event, is long-form improv. Going out for a laugh by paying someone to make you laugh is usually pretty rewarding. In big cities like Miami, the level of talent is usually pretty high, and stand-ups have been trying out their material for discerning audiences for awhile. And Just the Funny has been doing improv for over ten years.

The styles and deliveries are very polished, but the nature of the thing means that it’s entirely fresh every night. In long-form, the audience will make suggestions about what they want to see, in terms of setting, the characters, and often the plot, and the players take it from there. It’s a technique that’s been around for awhile, and it can make an evening out as splendid as any club, or as a great beginning.

Boston has a pretty remarkable reputation for all of the arts. It’s the home to some of the country’s most prestigious universities, and that attracts some of the best artistic minds in the world. Professional and student artists have the opportunity to work together and learn from each other. Outside of the university, there are plenty of arts organizations that do regular performances of theatre, dance, music, and multiple combinations of any of these. That’s one of the reasons why people like to check the hotel rates Boston is offering at the moment, because it’s so exciting to visit here.

However, outside of the university, there are few forums where artists can continue to learn. Visual artists need viewers, and playwrights need audiences. Even for brand new work that’s not ready for a stage yet, the writer needs to hear their words read out loud so they can see where they are going. That’s part of the idea for the Playwrights Platform , an organization that’s entirely devoted to development for the writers.

They have an annual festival , and are active throughout the year in championing writers and their plays. This is a very necessary stage of a play’s birth and growth, and the organization is doing a favor for the writers, but also for the entire theatre-going community at large, by giving the works a breath of life.

Denver is a wonderful place to visit any time of the year. And while most people have their standard vacation time scheduled for the summer, many people also make a strong effort to visit Denver during the winter. This is due not only to all of the great cultural attractions that exist in and around the city, but also because there are excellent opportunities for fantastic skiing adventures just outside of Denver. Regardless of the time of year or season in which you choose to visit this mile high city , the best Denver hotels will have a room for you.

Skiing is not the only great winter sport and outdoor recreational event that occurs around Denver and throughout the state of Colorado. Snowboarding , and even just enjoying the beautiful white ground covering while sipping hot chocolate is great fun for many people However, a large number of winter tourists are there specifically for the slopes and there are plenty of great ones. And if you don’t know how to ski there are some extremely qualified and professional instructors that will not only show you the ropes and a few tricks but will help to ensure your safety and overall satisfaction. There’s a variety of slope angles, lengths and terrain difficulty levels that will fit the interests and abilities of skiers of all ages and levels of experience.

Lots of people learned a little bit about the neighborhoods in Brooklyn, when Marisa Tomei came out in “My Cousin Vinnie.” She’s already been having a fine and dandy career, doing the work that she wanted to do, but the way she played the role of the girlfriend who knew so much about cars, it captured everyone’s heart for awhile. Then, when the “Wrestler” came out, she reminded everyone that she still had it, and never let it go, and never would.

People always scramble after a movie of hers is released, to find out exactly where in the city she was born and raised, and maybe even consider booking Brooklyn cheap hotels and think about star-gazing in the city. She’s from Midwood, and of course has come a long way since. But Brooklyn has also come a long way since she lived here. It’s been through a number of changes, and no one likes to hear the “gentrification” word around here, but there is some of that going on. As people start to get away from the other borough, looking for cheaper rents here, it became very obvious to a large number of people that Brooklyn really was as cool as everyone said it was.

Old neighborhoods, of the kind that made New York famous everywhere, were still intact, and there were areas where grandfather-looking men played chess and smoked cigars on the sidewalk, and any block could boast its own history of famous gangsters, dancers, and obviously, actresses. This is the kind of environment that Tomei grew up in, and it was one that sharpened her senses so that she could see the bigger picture in all things. It’s one of the things that makes her so stunningly compelling. She really doesn’t seem to care about the things most folks do, and likes the work because she likes the work. It’s an unusual thing for Hollywood, not so much for Brooklyn.

David Byrne of the Talking Heads once asked the question, “How Did I Get Here?” which might be a fair question for the cloisters of an ancient Spanish monastery that now lies in North Miami Beach. At the St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church, you’ll discover the medieval building, first built somewhere between 1133 to 1144 in the 12th Century. How did the oldest building in the western hemisphere, a building over 800 years old, find its way to Florida?

The Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux first found a home in Sacramenia, located in the province of Segovia, Spain. Canonized by a Cistercian monk named Bernard of Clairvaux, the monastery was named after him, and remained the home to Cistercian monks for almost seven hundred years. Then, in the mid-1830s, the cloisters were seized and converted into a granary and stable. Almost a hundred years later, William Randolph Hearst bought the cloisters and the monastery’s out-buildings. These buildings were then taken apart, piece by piece, placed in cushioning hay, packed into about 11,000 crates, and shipped to America. Then hoof and mouth disease broke out in Segovia.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture quarantined the shipment, broke open the crates, and burned the hay as a precaution against the disease, but failed to replace the stones back into the right, numbered boxes. Soon after, Hearst suffered financial problems and the stones sat in a warehouse for over 25 years. The year after Hearst’s death in 1952, the stones were purchased with the intention to use them as a tourist attraction. They were reassembled over a period of 19 months and 1.5 million dollars (in 1950s dollar value), and soon became first a savings and loan building, and then “The Mission of St. John the Divine,” from 1963 to 1964. Soon after, the mission became the Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux.

One of the last pieces of this long, strange journey, occurred in 1964, when the church was purchased for the Diocese of South Florida, but financial troubles caused them to sell it to a multimillionaire banker and philanthropist who then gave it to the Episcopalian parish of St. Bernard de Clairvaux.

Southern Florida is filled with unique attractions and places to stay, such as the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, or a boutique Miami hotel in the Art Deco district — but few places have had such a long history as St. Bernard’s Spanish monastery. The cloisters are available for weddings and other special events, or just a general tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m., on Sundays.

Water is the way to travel or enjoy Amsterdam, because water and Amsterdam are inextricably linked. Amsterdam was founded on water and still plays an important part not only for the city’s commerce, but for tourism as well, with the canals and beaches respectively.

The Canal Bus is an ideal mode of transportation through the canals of Amsterdam, highlighting the best parts of the city. The bus is a comfortable boat that offers three routes with a fixed timetable. All the stops are at major attractions, like museums, shopping and are conveniently located near most major hotels in Amsterdam . While traveling on board, tourists will get to listen to interesting information about the places they are cruising by. The best part about this particular mode of transportation is that anyone can get on and off at anytime, and as often as they want; the Canal Bus ticket is good for 24 hours, is valid on all 3 lines, and is easily purchased at any Canal Company kiosk , at the Rijks museum, the Leidseplein, the Wester Church and many hotels. The ticket costs 20 Euros, but that price also gives the purchaser more than 133 Euros worth of discounts on a majority of tourist attractions and restaurants. Children under 4 may get on for free and children 5 to 12 only have to pay 10 Euros per ticket.

Also, in Amsterdam, while traveling up and down the canals, the Velsen-IJmuiden beach is located along the North Sea canal, which flows into the sea through huge sluices. The beach area affords a peaceful landscape of dunes and wide sandy areas for the locals and tourist a like who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Amsterdam. Velsen beach, no matter what time of the year, besides relaxing in the sun, offers something for everyone, like outdoor music concerts to trampoline parks to educational farms.

New York City is considered by many people to be the best city in the world. Most of the people who think this are from New York City, but it’s still an idea worth chewing over. It is one of the major intersections for culture in the world, and a place where all cities find some kind of familiarity. Nearly everyone here is from somewhere else, and there are a vast number of languages spoken, and the languages are sometimes a bridge back to a different city at a different time. Memory is found in the speech patterns, and in this respect, New York is never very far from Dublin, Rome, or Berlin.

Berliners may not find themselves perfectly at home here, but they never find themselves at home anywhere. The peculiar feeling of not being at home is peculiar to that city. It also has perfect resonances here, and for this, the new exhibition, Mooring finds a fantastic temporary home.

Terrell James is showing her new works at Jason McCoy, and it’s a wonderful way to get to see what the Houston-based painter is up to. The abstracts are magnificent windows into her version of Berlin, which necessarily becomes her new version of herself. Artists typically have a hard time finding a home in the world, and their paintings often contemplate that as much as anything. Great artists allow us to see these same things in ourselves, and that’s exactly what James’ work is up to.

For the visitor in the city, the temporary convenience that’s so valuable here in the city can be found in a perfectly lovely hotel . Convenience in thought is rarely found in a gallery, where there is more of an escape into something that’s ironically close to home. That’s one of the things that makes her show so striking, where the idea of Berlin, in all of its beauty, and all of its destruction, and all of its terrible history, overlap constantly, and the effect is impossible to put into words, but can be found in the brilliant minds of some of the artists who find themselves lost there.

Fans of Mah Jongg will be happy to know that the Museum of Jewish Heritage (MJH) – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust , will open ‘Project Mah Jongg’ on May 4th, 2010, and continues through December. Mah Jongg, ever since the 20’s has ignited the imagination with its beautiful tiles, communal spirit and mythical origins. The project explores the history and meaning of this well played game, which has not only been a favorite game in Asia, but has become a well established Jewish-American tradition. Its more than curious that this ancient Chinese table game, which is attributed to Confucius in 500 B.C., but the true origins are uncertain, would become a tradition among American Jews.

The National Mah Jongg League has made this exhibition possible with generous support, and with additional support by Sylvia Hassenfeld. This exhibit promises to be a dissecting cultural examination of the game and a destinctive opportunity to engage with the ritualistic practice of Mah Johgg, which has had an exciting resurgence through Mah Jongg social groups and on the Internet.

The ‘Project Mah Jongg’ exhibition, which was designed by Abbot Miller, will be in the 1,000 square foot hexagonal gallery of the MJH in Battery Park, and will include games, printed material, scorecards, photographs of people playing Mah Jongg, tiles, aprons, packages and an audio component relaying the clatter of plastic tiles and random chattering. The game itself, will be played in the middle of the gallery.

So, if you are a Mah Jongg fanatic visiting and staying in one of the New York luxury hotels , or if you are a local Mah Jongg fanatic, check out the exhibit, where, if only for a time, you’ll get your Mah Jongg fix and be amongst fellow Mah Jongg admirers.

If you’ve ever had your flight cancelled the last minute at JFK, you know what it’s like to have to search for a New York airport hotel . At first glance, an unscheduled delay in your travel plans may seem like a bad thing, but what if you could turn the delay around, especially if the delay is for at least twenty-four hours? You now have the opportunity for a quick one day trip through one of the world’s great cities. What can you do in a day? You should have time for a quick orientation of some of the top tourist attractions in the Big Apple.

Get out the most comfortable traveling shoes you own and pick up a 1-Day Fun Pass, allowing you to use any subway or bus for a day. Grab a street map, too, just to make life a bit easier. If you’re up early enough for breakfast, try an authentic New York bagel, especially from H and H Bagels at Broadway and 80th Street. You can easily spend most of the morning taking a walk through Central Park and exploring your choice of museums, either the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the American Museum of Natural History. For lunch, stop in at a pizza at one of the oldest establishments in town, Lombardi’s , and then stroll through the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village. For dinner, try out Chinatown, and then later in the evening, to get a spectacular view of the city, take a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. If you want a drink for the night, then you might step into the oldest bar and restaurant in town, Pete’s Tavern , which has been in business continuously since 1864.

Of course, if you’ve only got half a day, try the morning or afternoon suggestions, and then head back to the airport. With any luck, there won’t be any more delays.

There are many reasons people come to Minneapolis. Some come for an adventure and some come because they have work to do. If you find you only have a day to catch up on the view and history of this old city than check out a really unique way to see it with the Segway Magical History Tour . How fun to get around a large loop of many of the history of the area in a way that won’t be so exhausting. The new Segway’s have become a great way for people to get around larger areas with out killing themselves on rollerblades or getting saddle sore on a bike. This tour company has really created a great way to enjoy Minneapolis. It shouldn’t be to far from your Minneapolis hotel and it will be a great way to spend an afternoon. If you have never been on a Segway than your in for a treat. They will teach you how easy it is to use. If you think your company would be interested, they can also schedule a company picnic and tour for large parties. People can also rent the Segway and then take their own tour of the area, however, there are many things the guides will teach you about what you are seeing as you float by the sights. They are a lot of fun and are often seen is some of the local seasonal events like the State Fair. The history tour takes a group along the riverfront to some favorite Minneapolis places like Saint Anthony Main which is the main destination entertainment area of the city. The Segway’s will also zip past the Mill City Museum with a stop to learn about the early mill life of the city. The Stone Arch Bridge is along the way. It is also a great piece of history for the city ti was built over the Saint Anthony Falls in 1883.

Many people have a strong primary association to the city of Tampa, Florida. And while this can vary with the individual there are typically a few themes that are consistent with most people’s thoughts. Great beaches and thrilling theme parks are two of the most common associative thoughts related to visiting Tampa. Of course that idea only applies to tourists as the residents will have an entirely different perspective, though they too enjoy their beaches and theme parks. However, one of the other great features this city has to offer is entirely loved by the residents and usually only enters the mind of a tourist if they happen to be a golfer.

Obviously this aspect of the city is its great golf courses. This beautiful coastal city is an ideal location for great golfing opportunities and aficionados of this sport are more than aware of that fact. There are also great golf tournaments and activities in the area and this is actually one of the more enticing reasons many people are staying in one of the nice Tampa hotel rooms .

From the Champions Tour Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am to a quiet afternoon on a secluded course, as if that’s possible, golf is one of the featured main attraction activities for many people who visit Tampa. There are also quality schools and training opportunities for those who would like to begin the sport or simply improve your skills. The Arnold Palmer Golf Academy and the Ben Sutton School of Golf are two of the premier training establishments. There are numerous quality golf courses strewn throughout Tampa and the surrounding area. Most of these have incredible views and the local weather typical makes for great golfing opportunities. It is important to determine that your intended course is open to the public if you’re looking to play some golf while you’re there. Of course if you are invited as a guest you can go to most of the private clubs as well. Rocky Point and Terrace Hill are two public courses.

Florida is so unique in that there are some places that are built on tiny little plots of land that just happen to to be popping up from the ocean. The builders have made the most out of the paradise of Florida in places like Marco Island. The hotels are stacked right on the edge of the sandy beach which would give feeling of floating in the water when looking out of the window. There are also many homes that are built on either reclaimed land or tiny little islands and they all have boats parked right up to the back patio. It is really fun to be able to just hop on a boat and get a great sunset cruise to some fun oyster bar on the waters edge instead of always taking a car. The boat makes it more of an adventure. Marco Island is also near the Everglades were people travel from all over to get in some great fishing. The Everglades are mysterious sub tropical forest filled with all kinds of interesting creatures and birds and it is the only wilderness of its kind in America. The Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is also a tropical forest but it is filled with a combination of fresh water, plants and animals rather than ocean water. The Fakahatchee Strand has many tropical trees such as the bald cypress trees, palm trees and many rare tropical plants that are actually on the endangered list. This park has many types of terrain like swamp land, prairies and pine rock lands. The animal life ranges from black bear to indigo snakes. There are also some panthers in pursuit of the white tail deer on the upland area. This would be a great tour to get on if there is a chance. Check with the   hotel. Marco Island has a number of great places to start your adventure.

One of the common associations many of the world’s citizens’ have for Rome, Italy is related to the Catholic religion . This has been a standard association element for just short of the last seventeen hundred years. That’s a pretty impressive legacy, and while many people credit this to Jesus Christ, and how could we not after all, some of the credit should go to, yes his followers Biblical creators, and also to the first recognized Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine I , also known as Constantine The Great.

He is actually the central figure in the transition of Rome to a Christian state, which had been an ongoing conflictual process for the last three hundred years. That’s a difficult transitional period to imagine, particularly for contemporary citizens of the United States because our own country has not even been in existence that long, technically speaking.

And while Jesus Christ is undoubtedly a familiar name to all of the visitors to Rome , many of the tourists will also be aware of the Emperor Constantine and the role he played in the historical significance of the city and the world. Constantine was Emperor from 306 until his death in 337 and he was the sole official office holder from 324 on.

It was late in his rule that he made the conversion himself and for the state, and while the exact details have been the subject of debate, this is the recognized beginning of Christianity being the major religious belief system of the Empire and its territories. His life and ruler-ship has many controversial aspects associated with it and while he is greatly recognized for the conversion of Rome, his entire career is extremely complicated and dynamic. He remains to be a focus of Biblical scholarship as well as an incredibly interesting and intriguing historical figure. This is one name and period in Roman history that will never be forgotten.

Moving is not something most people would necessarily describe as “fun”. Yeah, looking for a new place is fun. Picturing how to decorate, is fun. The thought of clearing away old things, may not be fun but it is a nice way to think about starting over fresh. The planning for a move may seem overwhelming, and may consume a lot of brain time, of life time. It may cause some stress and anxiety, but it does not have to be that way.

There are a few things that one can do to ensure that most of the stress is taken out of the picture before the picture even comes into focus. It’s all in the planning stages, these are the moments when it is possible to choose the aspects that will affect a person, and the person can make the conscious decisions, to remove the aspects that are just not working. If it is possible to get access to the new place , then going in and taking care of necessary cleaning will help. It will ensure that the new place is a welcome place. A homey place, for which to bring one’s belongings into. Plus, it provides the opportunity for a bit of forward and proactive planning to take place.

One can begin to visualize the “best spot for the couch” or where to put the dining room table. With so much to consider when packing, it may prove to be helpful and may serve to relieve stress, knowing ahead of time, where the objects one is packing will eventually end up. It is a great way to organize the packing process. It is a way to look towards the future, while dealing with present, especially when the present seems a bit overwhelming. Moving really should be kind of fun, it’s a new start, a new beginning in many ways, and whatever can be done to take the stress out of it all, is so worth it in the long run.

There is a popular alternative-country band famous today, well–famous to those who love the genre, not big time famous like Elvis Presley and his mansion, Graceland of Memphis, but famous in the smaller Nashville way.  This band is called the Old Crow Medicine Show and one of the lines in their songs refers to pickin’ a barrel of Dogwood flowers.  I had never known the significance of the line until I booked a room I found on this site, www.hotelsknowxville.com. Now, Nashville isn’t Knoxville, but the vegetation is the same and what I learned, is just what a Dogwood flower is.

In Knoxville, Tennessee the Dogwood tree is celebrated in many ways.  One of those ways is to be found in the Dogwood Arts Festival that runs each year during the last three weeks of April.  This timing of the festivsl is not random.  It coincides with the blooming of these trees.  A few years ago, a tour was added to the calender of events, a calender that includes art, live music shows, and Southern home style, good for the soul kind of cooking.  This tour is called the Granddaddy Dogwood Tour,  and is a celebration of some of the oldest Dogwood trees in the city.  One of the main characters included on the tour is a Champion Black Oak, an oak that was standing before the Civil War and and oak which has a trunk measurement of eighteen feet around.

The tour continues on a trail through the city, noting the different trees on the different street corners.  I took this tour and not only was it a great way to see the city of Knoxville, I understood why the blooms of this tree made it into a Tennessee band’s song lyrics.  This is a fascinating concept for a tour.  New York offers a similar tour, a tour of trees.  In this day and age, when so much of the old is destroyed to build up the new, it is nice to know that, just as trees still stand in Brooklyn, New York…so too, do they still stand in Knoxville, Tennessee.

There are many luxurious hotels around Georgia www.luxuryhotelsgeorgia.com to stay in while you are searching out the history of the state and our country. Being one of the first states of the union, Georgia has a rich history of people and events that happened there. During the Revolutionary War, British troops invaded the state in 1778 and most of it was lost to them but a few years later the situation would change and the settlers of Georgia started to fight back regaining their homeland.

The next wave of battles came out of the Civil War eighty years later. Some of the bloodiest battles fought in the war were fought in Georgia. The battle at Chickamauga was a really bad one. Visitors can visit the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park to see the memorial and hear the battle story that happened there. General Leonidas Polk lead his men into battle here against George Thomas by the end of the fight here 18,000 Confederate soldiers and 16,000 Union soldiers were killed and the area was named Chickamauga which means River of Blood in Cherokee.

There was a great battle for the railroad in the Allatoona Pass Battlefield. General John Bell Hood led his army in to take back the Western and Atlantic Railroad that ran between Chattanooga and Atlanta. The best area they thought to accomplish their goal was in the Allatoona Mountains which were east of  Cartersville. Visitors can see the path of the Confederate assault moving up the hill to the star fort. It is interesting at the star fort to see how the camp was run and were things were stored. There is also the grave of the unknown soldier by itself and also another grave for 21 Confederate soldiers who were killed in the battle.

We wanted to spend our Valentine’s Day in Austin, so we booked a night at a luxury hotel in Austin and drove over on Saturday. A friend of ours told us about a local Mexican restaurant called Polvo’s. She told me that it was a bit of a hole-in-the-wall eatery, but that the food was really authentic and would I bring her back a taco?

After we checked into our hotel, which was really a luxury hotel (my first time staying at one) and we were treated like royalty, the staff really spoiled us. We took a taxi to the recommended restaurant. Polvo’s was brightly painted on the outside, even the name was painted across the outside wall. Inside, they strung Christmas lights everywhere they could. All the tables and chairs were mismatched and the paint was chipping and pealing off the walls, but it did appear to be clean and the wait staff were very friendly, they actually seemed to be having fun!

Polvo’s was the first Mexican restaurant that we’ve been to that had a salsa bar! We sampled many different types of salsa and the wait staff kept our chip bowl full. We were becoming full on the chips alone! I ordered the chili rellenos and my husband ordered the vegetable enchiladas. I scarfed my dish down, but my husband wasn’t too impressed with his enchiladas. He did like the cheese sauce on top. We also had several margaritas and we were feeling pretty frisky.

We wanted to see a bit of downtown Austin before we headed back to our hotel room, but being February, it was bitter cold outside, plus we found out that most of Austin closes on Sunday, which is nice, I guess, for Austin, but not for tourists! We managed to find a coffee shop open not far from the restaurant. I ordered a mocha and my husband pointed to the sign saying the coffee shop closes at 7pm, it was 7pm. So, I downed my mocha and we called up a taxi to take us back to our sweet luxury hotel. Needless to say, our Valentine’s day turned into a great Valentine’s evening.

After my visit to Snoqualmie Falls, which is located about 40 minutes away from Seattle by bus, I wanted to go see the Jimi Hendrix memorial. Getting there took a lot longer than expected, I had to change buses 3 times, but it was well worth the trouble. (Thank goodness for the travel directory!) The memorial, which is located in Renton, is very impressive. I could see lip marks on Jimi Hendrix’s image of his face. There were a lot of messages written around the monument commending Jimi for his work to promote peace, love and freedom; it seems that a lot of people not only loved him for his music, but for his beliefs.

I returned back to downtown Seattle and headed to some bars. I really like how many Microbreweries are here, their pub like qualities made me feel at home. I stopped off at the Pike Brewhouse, which is located underneath the Pike Fish Market, it was just like being in an English pub and the beer was really good. I walked back to my hotel, which I booked online just before I arrived here, I found my Seattle hotel, at this site and I got a great deal on my room because I booked it online. I took a quick shower and grabbed a short nap, then headed back out to Seattle Central.

There are a few museums there, the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project. I bought tickets for the EMP and that place is wicked cool, I loved it. Especially the Jimi Hendrix exhibit, which was very extensive and informative. Plus, they had a great collection of Hendrix memorabilia, like the costumes he actually wore on stage, his smashed guitars and many other items. I also liked the exhibit that showed the evolution of the guitar, there were hundreds of models showing the changes since its inception.

My ticket to the EMP also got me into the Science Fiction museum, which is right next door, but I’m not much for science fiction, so I wasn’t to interested in the exhibits. Needless to say, I didn’t stay long. The Space Needle was next to that, so I thought I’d check it out and maybe get some lunch. The revolving restaurant is at the top of the Space Needle and since I purchased a ticket for the observation deck, I also got to have lunch. The view would have been amazing, I’m sure, but it was a pretty cloudy and foggy day, so I really couldn’t see much. My lunch was good though.

It was time to go back to my hotel and pack, I’ll be catching a flight to San Diego at 7pm.

I know that most people associate the city of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with that incredibly destructive battle that occurred during the Civil War and of course also with the famous Gettysburg Address that was delivered by President Lincoln following the battle to honor the fallen soldiers, however from now on I will have to associate the city with falling in love. That’s a pretty odd combination of associations I know, but hey Pat Benatar said it best, love is a battlefield. Anyway, it all happened in one of the Gettysburg hotels, oh wow, did that add a certain element of intrigue to the whole story? Well, it shouldn’t that’s not actually the most significant part, though I will say that it was a great hotel and the accommodations and additional offerings were fabulous.

It turns out that I was in Gettysburg as part of a special field trip for school that some of the honor school students were able to take part in. Oddly enough while we were there I noticed that Travis, another student in the program, was looking particularly attractive and I started to develop a slight crush. The reason this was odd is because I had never thought of Travis in the romantic sense, nor had I ever thought he was particularly attractive. So, naturally when I started to feel and think that he was I wondered what on earth was going on in my head.

Then, on our last day in town we were having lunch at a place called Dunlap’s Restaurant, and Travis and I ended up sitting right next to each other. Oh, on side note, it’s actually a great restaurant. I had the grilled chicken sandwich and Travis had a mushroom and Swiss hamburger. I think everyone really liked their food and it was a super friendly atmosphere. Anyway, we started talking about some of the things we had seen and we just started making jokes and laughing and then suddenly it felt like we were the only two there. Afterward my friend Rene told me that everyone noticed the connection that happened between us and they all thought it was surprising. Travis and I started hanging out a lot after that and it just seemed natural that we started dating. I still don’t understand it, but I don’t’ really care.

The words, “Roadside Attraction”, make me think of a book I read years ago, by Tom Robbins –”Another Roadside Attraction”.  It was a book that left me feeling a bit strange, as though I had walked through a carnival of freaky things, but for some reason those “freaky things” felt normal.  It was the normalcy that made me feel strange.  Well, that is the feeling I left with after visiting what is known as the original “Roadside Attraction of Florida”, Gatorama.  This is a trip I was not intending to take, but a friend of mine had come to my hotel in Tampa,  and offered a road trip that I would never forget.  How can you possibly say no to an offer like that?

So we headed out, just a short trip from Tampa actually, took about an hour.  And when we pulled into the parking lot I had to question just what it was that I had gotten myself into.  Alligators?  Come on…I mean I know they are all over the swamp lands of Florida, and so to have a park dedicated to them made sense.  But the truth is that they scare the life out of me.  They are too prehistoric and have too many teeth for my comfort.  However, the park was crowded with naturalists and photographers, so I decided to push those fears away and enjoy this day…I was “in Rome” and I was fulling prepared to “do as the Romans do”.  This is the largest breeding facility for captive ‘gators’, and there where many shows throughout the day, with alligators performing in their own ways with their trainers, much scarier than the seals bumping beach balls in Sea World, but fascinating none the less.

There are also many other animals throughout the park such as peacocks, bobcats, and crocodiles.  The love of the animals is all around.  We stopped for a bit of lunch, some Florida barbecue.  I had made my way through my second rib when my friend asked how it was…I said, “Delicious!”…he said, “BBQ Alligator ribs!”  This is where the strange kicked in.  It was a bit like going to the zoo and then eating a lion or an orangutang for lunch.  Images of brightly faded carnival paint and dancing elephants popped into my head.  I mean, it was a park for ‘gators’ and I had just eaten a ‘gator’.  It was bizarre, and yet it was so normal.  So if you’re the type that cherishes the bizarrely normal, or the normally bizarre, take a little drive outside of Tampa on your next trip.  You will not be disappointed in this…another roadside attraction…

“Have you ever been to Irvine, California?” That was actually the first thing my husband ever said to me. And since he’s now my husband and we didn’t know each other when he said it at a club one night, I guess that makes it one of the greatest pickup lines in history. Oh, well I guess that also depends on what you consider to be the point of a pick up line. If it’s to gain the ultimate commitment and introduce you to the love of your life well than it wins. However, if the point is to meet as many women as possible on the no strings attached agenda, well than this line is definitely a flop. At any rate, it worked for us and we are now happily married.

And the reason he asked about Irvine is actually kind of simple and came about honestly. He went to UC Irvine and swore I looked exactly like a girl in his biology class. Of course that’s when I thought it was a total line but six months later when we were dating I happened to be at his house and he showed me his yearbook. He remembered the girl’s name and found a picture of her. It’s true, we were total ringers. Oh well, the whole thing still could have been made up I guess, but in that case I guess it makes it one of the most elaborate pick up lines, right? Well, my husband is nothing if not committed to detail and thoroughness.

That’s partially why he also made me take a trip to Irvine with him to tour the campus, and yes, of course a visit to the science building where he had the fateful biology class was part of the agenda. It’s actually a beautiful campus and I had a great time there. We stayed in a really cute little hotel near the campus and walked over to it in the morning. You can find information here on places to stay in Irvine if you’re planning a trip. It happened to be in October when we visited and the Global Village Festival was going on. This was a really cool festival and there were performers from all over. There was also great food and a lot of arts and crafts and other merchandise. I had never heard of it before but had a great time at the festival.

Fifteen miles to the Northwest of Atlanta and South of the North Georgia mountains, you’ll find the town of Marietta.  Founded in 1834, one hundred and seventy-six years ago, the town enables travelers to take a look at the Civil War and the Confederacy through a number of sites, such as the Marietta Confederate Cemetery, the Marietta Museum of History, and the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.  However, a quick check of the area will show any prospective visitor that Marietta is also the home of a number of amusement theme parks, such as Six Flags White Water and American Adventures Park and Mountasia Family Funcenter.  For classic movie lovers, though, one of the most interesting places to see in Marietta must be the Gone with the Wind Museum.

Most people have seen the film, Gone with the Wind, and some have even read the Margaret Mitchell novel.  James Cameron’s Avatar may now be the record holder for the most money ever made by a film (somewhere in the range of two billion and climbing, at the time of this writing); however, Gone with the Wind still holds the record for the most tickets sold; in a time of inflation and recession, isn’t that a more reliable method of determining the success or popularity of any given film?  In 2003, the Gone with the Wind Museum was established to give people a place to celebrate this beloved work of fiction.  It features primarily the collection of one man, Dr. Chris Sullivan.

Sullivan saw the film when he was in sixth grade and from that moment on he began collecting artifacts, such as a 1936 printing of the book signed by the author.  He’s collection hundreds of items related to the film and book, including the bengaline gown that Vivien Leigh wore as Scarlett O’Hara.  Sullivan decided to display his collection in order to share the items with the rest of the world.  The museum draws in international patronage, with visitors from all fifty states and forty-one countries finding their way to the museum.  In the last seven years, the passion of this endocrinologist from Akron, Ohio, has given the fans of one of the great movies of the twentieth century a place to call home.  To experience it yourself, come to Marietta, stay a few days and see all that the town offers.  For the best places to stay, click here.

Tommy wanted to be a pilot from the time he was ten years old and he received a small glider for his birthday. It was basically a toy and never really got off the ground but it felt like to Tommy that he was soaring through the sky and wanted to be on that thing from the moment he woke up until the moment he went to bed. It was his uncle that gave him the gift and at first his mother thought he was a hero because it was an excellent tool for occupying the active boy that Tommy was. However, once it became nearly impossible to remove him from the glider and he threw fits every time he had to leave it, Tommy’s mother was no longer a fan of his uncle. This was all in good humor and they were actually all rather amazed with the amount of attention and love little Tommy gave his glider. It was actually the glider that taught him how to properly care for his belongings.

Naturally, when Tommy entered Junior high and his friends and teachers began talking about career decisions Tommy didn’t have to wonder about his possibilities. Without hesitation he announced that he would be a pilot when the class survey came around to him. When Tommy was fifteen his uncle invited him to go with him on a business trip he was taking to Dayton, Ohio. They would stay in the hotel room provided by his company and explore some special features of the town when he was off work. Tommy and his uncle were close so he accepted without question. The true reason for the invitation, however, was so his uncle could take him to the home where the Wright Brother’s grew up. In addition to flying Tommy had a fascination with history and loved to tour museums and various historical sites. He also planned to take him to the Dayton Aviation Heritage, a National Historic Park dedicated to the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers and other early aeronautic pioneers.

Austin, Texas is a bike friendly city, which is a good thing considering the champion rider and worldwide inspiration Lance Armstrong calls this city his home when he is not on his bike in some far away land.  Travelers will find that when they bring their own bicycles along with them, a myriad of options open up before them.  To find a bike friendly hotel, click here. To find the best places to ride and to get a map for the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, visit Armstrong’s own bike shop, Mellow Johnny’s.  This is an incredible project, the bikeway. 

Eric Anderson conceived of the idea, he is a local activist and an avid cyclist.  His vision of a boulevard for bicycles, that will run through the heart of the city from the east to west, which will link up with pathways heading off to other parts of Austin, much in the same way subway or an elevated train system is designed.  This was proposed by Anderson to the 1999 Transportation Enhancement fund for the state of Texas, and received the approval for the funding at the beginning of 2000.  This was the only program of the city of Austin to receive funding that year.  Anderson and his Lance Armstrong Bikeway project received 3.2 million dollars to begin work on the bicycle highway. 

A few years later, in 2007 Austin was awarded with a level of Silver for being one of the most bike friendly cities in the country, by the League of American Bicyclist.  The city was evaluated in several areas including the encouragement and promotion of cycling, the educational programs and the engineering of safe bike paths for bicycle commuters and enthusiasts. The western section was recently open and provides a quick and safe way through that portion of the city.  More cities across the country are stepping up their participation in ensuring that their residents and visitors have access to safe transportation routes when they chose to pedal their way through town, and the city of Austin is right up their amongst the top.

Atlanta is a stunningly beautiful city, and one of the most appealing things about it is its modesty.  You get the feeling that it’s been cool for a very long time, and no matter how much word gets out about its coolness, it still refuses to cater to any sensibilities other than its own.  It is very diverse, culturally, and attracts visitors from all over the world.  At one time, it was only frequently visited because of the airline, but today people come here to experience the city.  There’s always a lot to see.  The local talent is very high, and there’s a lot of interesting new work in theatre, visual art, and music.  There are also some great acts that come through here.

In March of 2010, one of the more anticipated concerts of the season will be Rodrigo y Gabriela.  This would be a perfect time to book your Atlanta Hotel.  Luxury is always high, and you can learn for yourself why Southern hospitality is so widely regarded.  It’s an art form that they’ve really honed to an elegant perfection.  It also has a kind of homespun flavor that isn’t overwhelmed by its ability to cater to an international audience.  The same thing could certainly be said about the music of Rodrigo y Gabriela.

The duo hails from Mexico City, where they met while playing in a heavy metal band.  They discovered a mutual interest, and talent for, playing complicated guitar riffs at high speed.  They started to collaborate, and found that together they made something with a very charming energy.  It’s always a hard world for artists, and so when they discovered that Dublin had a reputation as a decent place for touring musicians, they went overseas.  They’ve been based there ever since, and have enjoyed success in Europe while seeing their fan base rise on this continent as well.  This is a great opportunity, then, to see how the music has evolved, and should be a fantastic evening.

Not too many swimming pools can lay claim to being on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, but if you travel to Miami, Florida, you’ll find one nearby in Coral Gables: The Venetian Pool. Created in 1923 from a coral rock quarry, this pool is fed with 820,000 gallons of spring water each day and contains two waterfalls, grottoes and coral caves. It’s surrounded by Venetian-style designed buildings and was a way for the uncle of the man who founded the city of Coral Gables to morph an ugly rock quarry into one of the most gorgeous swimming pools on the planet, including an island of palms, a beach, a bridge of cobblestones and porticoes and loggias.

If you visit, you’ll want to find a place and stay more than one night to truly appreciate this amazing place. In 1989, sixty-six years after it was built, the Venetian Pool underwent a major restoration. The pool obtains its waters from underground artisan wells; through a lot of effort, the pit was transformed into the Venetian Casino. During that period in the 20s, gondolas floated in the pool, and the world’s most famous swimmers, Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller (one of the original Tarzans), used it. Orchestras played poolside, and dancers moved under the night sky on outdoor dance floors. The place drew in dignitaries, bathing beauties, even William Jennings Bryan, a three time presidential nominee, gave speeches here.

Over a hundred thousand visitors arrive at the Venetian Pool each year. Many generations of locals learned to swim in this amazing Florida pool. You may wonder about whether there’s a waste of water, considering that the pool each summer night is drained and refilled with so many gallons of water. There’s no need to worry about that. Twenty-two years ago, in 1988, a new technology allows water to be drained and recycled, preserving the natural resources. If you’re in Miami and want to take a dip, then what better place than an official historic place?