Turn Five

There is so much to do and see in Manila that it can be difficult to decide where to begin. With that in mind, the Manila Ocean Park is always a great option and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. It is the first state of the art Oceanarium in the country and also features an amazing open water marine habitat zone and some great restaurants and shopping opportunities. It is located at Rizal Park , which in itself is a popular city attraction, and it can be found behind the Quirino Grandstand.

Continued expansions of the park are in progress, though the official and soft opening of its first had occurred on the first of March, 2008. The new park is larger than the famous and also respected Sentosa Underwater World and one of the favorite features of the new park is the eighty two foot acrylic underwater tunnel. In addition to the exciting and dynamic exhibits and other features, the park is active in conservation programs and one of its main intentions is to provide marine life education to people of all ages and support respect for and an ongoing study of this diverse world. Information on this and other great attractions is available at the front desk of the best Manila hotels .

The Gas Lamp district in San Diego is a great area to spend some time while visiting the city. There are plenty of great places to shop, eat and be all around entertained. They are always having street festivals with lots of local and traveling musical talent. The night clubs are hopping with some of the best DJ’s in the world and there are some great 5 star hotels san diego has become known for right in the area.

Before you loose yourself on the dance floor a fabulous club you are should have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the Gas Lamp district. You have your pick of any kind of cuisine and atmosphere. There are over 6 Japanese restaurants, 8 Mexican and Latin restaurants, 23 American cuisine restaurants, 5 Irish pubs, 3 Asian food places, 23 breakfast stops, 9 International cuisines, 13 Italian style places and so many more.

Some of the local award winning restaurants in the Gas Lamp district include Acqua Al 2 Restorante for best Italian cuisine, Bandar Restaurant for best International cuisine and Croce’s Restaurant and Jazz Bar for the most favorite American cuisine. They also have some of the best live entertainment in the area. Croce’s was name in memory of musician Jim Croce and was created by his wife who is the executive chef of this amazing restaurant.

Just setting foot into the wonderful north west city of Seattle stirs up the need for getting out into nature. There is so much water all around as well as many mountain trails to explore. The wild life is abundant in the lakes, sea and on land. After doing some traveling it may be tempting to sleep the day aways in one of the best seattle hotels but don’t give in. Get out.

Get out on to a ferry boat or hit the Northwest Trek Wild Life Park for a day with nature. Get a front row seat to see the bears, moose, mountain lions, wolves and all the smaller creatures that live in the woods. This is a large park filled with lakes, rivers, meadows and lots of animals. Visitors move through the park on a tram to catch the many animals in their own habitat.

There is something going on for every season including winter when the animals shine out in the snow sporting their winter coats. The spring brings with it lots of baby animals to enjoy. Summer turns that baby into teenagers interacting with their parents in the pastures. The fall is of course a colorful wonderland filled with large racked elks.

This beautiful park has been around since the early 1970s and is a splendid animal reserve.

Denver’s nightlife has a lot more to it than the average city. When you visit you shouldn’t feel limited to just the generic bar or dance club for enjoying your drinks with friends or to meet a few locals. If you want entertainment that you can be certain you’ll be bringing home stories to share with those who missed the trip you should really check out the Hi-Dive, a remodeled dive bar, and Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret . And by “cabaret” they mean it in the classic stage shows and cocktails not just a label.

Located underground in the historic D&F clock tower, Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret is in the heart of the Denver hotel and shopping district. Making it perfect for booking a room at one of the Denver five star hotels in the area for your bachelor/bachelorette or even birthday party. This isn’t a strip club this is a true cabaret with Vaudeville variety acts along side the occasional Burlesque thrill and musical act.

While not as risque as the previous venue at Hi Dive , a popular Denver music club you can catch up and coming local bands or maybe an indie-rock sensation you’ve already started to hear make waves as well as the occasional interesting stage show. August 15th you can come see the Super Happy Funtime Burlesque show where you can see fantastic costumes and enjoy a campy Sci-Fi storyline.

Miami, it really is the perfect city to visit year round. No better time than the Autumn. All of the college kids have headed back to school leaving the gorgeous beaches less crowded and giving you your pick of the best Miami resorts that are lining the white powder beaches to choose from for your stay.

Speaking of those gorgeous beaches, the other upside to visiting while everyone else is busy working or back to school is that Miami has one of the most beautiful nude beaches in the United States, Haulover Beach Park. This short, it’s only 0.4 of a mile, stretch of beach on the northern portion of the park is clothing optional and clearly marked. Haulover Park draws people from all over the world, as well as, people from all walks of life. Cameras aren’t banned on this beach though it is polite and a good way to avoid attracting unwanted attention not to take any photos in the direction of anyone who hasn’t expressly agreed to them. Photographers and models often frequent this beach for artistic nudes.

If you’re tired of the sun or managed to run out of daylight you can head to the clubs many of which are 24 hour and cater to a wide variety of musical tastes. You are certain to find something to your liking whether you’re more of a Rock-a-billy or just want something with a nice rhythm you can move to. Some trendy nightspots are even connected to the resorts. If you plan your trip for October you might even get to experience Halloween festivities with a Caribbean flavor.

Dallas, Texas is the home of the Dallas Cowboys and they are frequently considered to be America’s football team and have fans across the nation in addition to those that are based in the team’s hometown. And while the Cowboys and their cheerleaders are one of the most famous aspects of this city, there is actually a lot more to it than football fans might expect. Great establishments like the Dallas Zoo with the World Aquarium the Arboretum, and the Dallas Museum of Art continue to fascinate families and tourist alike. The five star hotels Dallas are great places to get information on these and other city attractions while you’re visiting the city.

The Dallas Zoo and the World Aquarium are a combination of organizations that represent the diversity of animal species, and includes other marine life of course and each part of the establishment has a strong focus on preservation, education and conservation. Thirteen acres have been added to the available space and one of the most popular exhibits in the zoo is the Giants of the Savannah, which is also relatively new and features lions, elephants, giraffes and more. The Aquarium is one of the favorite city attractions for children, and also for adults. From the entrance, also known as the 200 foot Wilds of Borneo, which is covered in plants and animals from the region, captivates the interests and imaginations of all who visit.

The Arboretum and Botanical Garden has a diverse selection of programs that are geared toward the interest and education of youth. The summer has numerous activities and events for patrons of all ages and the summer camp is an incredibly fun and educational experience for young people. The Dallas Museum of Art has a great permanent collection and the exhibit title Ten Treasures, which highlights some of the museum’s key features, is a great introduction to all that it offers. In addition, there are great traveling exhibits that are always present in the museum and are part of the reason Dallas residents continue to return to it throughout the year.

For some people a vacation is a time to get into a spa, rest and relax, others feel that it is a time to go spend time with family. For other people a vacation is the time to go out, find a new place they have never been and find an adventure. Those are the type of people who need to go to Orlando, Florida.

If you have ever wanted to fly, Orlando has a number of opportunities to do just this. You won’t even need any experience before hand to take on these great adventures. Try out hang gliding with a skilled instructor at the Wallaby Ranch Hang Gliding Flight Park . You will only be in the air for about twenty minutes, but you will remember those for the rest of your life.

If you would rather dive into the water try out the Fun 2 Dive Scuba and Snorkeling Tours which offer a daily manatee tour. They are required to be small tours, but that ensures that you will be able to interact with these peaceful creatures as you learn about them. The tours are designed to allow you to experience these creatures without causing further stress on them or their natural habitat.

It is possible to stay on land if you really want to while you are in Orlando. It should be no surprise that you can even find an adventure in this swamp turned city. Forever Florida has an eco-tour that will let you explore the wilderness of Orlando along with gators, deer, and if you are lucky you will also see some wild hogs, panthers of even coyotes.

When you are done seeking adventure, go back to the five star hotels in orlando and relax pool-side, or in your cushy bed as you watch some television. Even if you seek adventure during your vacation it is nice to get a little bit of pampering when you are done.

Portland has an image of being one of the quiet and friendly cities of the Pacific Northwest. It is frequently overshadowed by its attention gaining neighbor to the north, which of course is Seattle, but it also has some incredibly interesting cultural attractions and excellent entertainment options. It is a vibrant city and full of unique attractions and intriguing cultural establishments. The Portland luxury hotels are frequently full of visitors who are interested in exploring one of the beautiful gardens the city is known for. There are also some great museums, theatres and live music venues that are attractive to tourists and part of the lifestyle of residents.

Some of the incredible gardens in Portland include the Classical Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden and the various rose gardens that are located in and near the city. The Classical Chinese Garden is an authentic representation of an actual Suzhou style walled garden. It exists in the China town area of the city and includes 40,000 square feet of space. There are various garden areas that represent the classical Suzhou style and this is one of the popular places to spend some time while you’re enjoying the features of Chinatown.

The Portland Japanese Garden is located in Washington Park, which is the most popular recreational area of the city. It opened to the public in 1967 and was designed by Professor Takuma Tono. It was ranked first by Journal of Japanese Gardening out of three hundred public gardens that existed outside of Japan. The International Test Rose Garden, Peninsula Park and Ladd’s Garden are the main rose gardens in town. The Test Garden is the oldest public garden of its kind and continues to entice people from all over the world. Portland is known for growing some of the most beautiful roses and they are represented in the various gardens.

It could very well be the most upbeat place in the country. Cincinnati has enjoyed a very high quality of life, due to the civic-mindedness of its citizens, and the enormously livable city they’ve worked so hard to create. Part of the charm comes from a sense of the classical midwestern town that they seem to cultivate, and even enhance. But even without any kind of gloss or recommendation from the locals, it is a pretty nice place to visit. It’s a town that’s small enough that there are plenty of neighborhoods where the residents know each other by name, but large enough to find an excellent luxury hotel. Cincinnati is perfectly charming, and it has a very charming history, too.

It also has its share of myths and legends, and in all of this, one would reasonably that there are a couple of good ghost stories. Some of these are spooky enough to put even more chill into the Halloween celebrations, but there’s one that’s simply elegant. Among the usual tales of strange presences in areas where there have been unfortunate incidents, there is a certain ghost who seems to be around only to continue his work as a classics professor .

At the University of Cincinnati, in the rare book room of the Blegen Library, the rumor has it that an unnamed classics professor has been haunting the place since the 1960s. He’s not been particularly active in frightening the students or the staff, although they say that late at night, it can get a little unnerving, because it feels like someone reading over your shoulder. The most charming detail is that he’s still a snappy dresser in the afterlife, sporting a tweed jacket and sometimes a tweed cap . The idea that someone so devoted to the life of the mind that they would continue their devotion even after life, is a level of dedication that rings true for the Cincinnati character. Time enough at last!

Phoenix, Arizona is located in the desert, we all know that. But in addition to the fact it means that summers can get hot, very hot, and stay hot for months on end, there are other aspects of the climate and desert atmosphere that may be less well known but are significant aspects of living there. The sunsets as well as the sunrises that are present on a regular basis, in fact every twelve hours, are absolutely some of the most stunningly beautiful in the world. They tend to be full of color and permeate the entire desert atmosphere. In addition, Phoenix is in a valley and it is easy to look out in extended directions and get a panoramic view of the sunsets, which sometimes encompass the entire three hundred and sixty degree horizon.

In addition and since Phoenix is in the Valley, just a short drive out of town, well okay, there is no such thing as a short drive out of town since Phoenix and the surrounding metropolitan area is huge, so a figurative short drive out of town means you can find yourself in great hiking areas and mountain summits. The Superstition Mountains are just one of the great ranges that lie at the edge of the Valley and they are one of the most popular places to hike, explore nature and historic ruins and relics. There is even a great deal of legend attached to the mountains, which might be inherent to their name.

The Superstition Mountains are located on the eastern edge of the Valley and can be viewed from much of the Phoenix area. Weaver’s Needle is one of the prominent area landmarks and is also a popular place for rock climbing and hiking. The legend of the lost Dutchman is centered in the Superstition Mountains and deals with the story behind a German immigrant miner who was searching for and found a huge mine died before being able to get it out. Numerous prospectors and attempts to located this lost gold mine continue to this day and visiting the area is a popular tourist destination. The luxury hotels Phoenix will have great information on these mountains and various legends that are attached to them.

Choosing a vacation destination for your family can sometimes be a complicated manner. This is particularly true when you have multiple children and they fall into different age brackets. Young people in their early teens are not going to be interested in the same places as and attractions as children who are between four and six years old. Or are they? As it turns out the various attractions and cities in Florida just happen to be attractive to all, okay at least ninety nine percent of people, will have one of the greatest times of their lives in Florida. One of the standard associations to vacationing in Florida is all of the amazing theme parks that exist there. However, that is not the only thing that draws millions of people to this state every year. More than one five star hotel Florida is packed with people who are their to enjoy the beautiful beaches and take part in some kind of water sport activity.

In addition, the nightclub scene and some of the amazing performance and entertainment venues that are located in some of the main Florida cities such as Miami appeal to the cultural and artistic sensibilities of many of the city’s visitors. The Miami Symphony Orchestra offers a high standard of excellence and attending one of their concerts is a popular option for many people who visit the city. In addition, with a short day trip outside of the city you can visit the Corral Castle, which continues to astound and amaze visitors as well as scientists, engineers and architects. This is truly an amazing complex of stone structures and if you’re in southern Florida you should make an effort to visit it. Meanwhile, who doesn’t enjoy a day on the beach? That was a rhetorical question as of course there is someone out there who would rather stay inside, but for beach and water sport lovers, there is beautiful coastlands all across Florida and each has its own regional appeal. Take a guided sail boat tour of the gulf and get your feet wet in the Atlantic. Learn to scuba dive or simply relax in the sun. Whatever the members of your family are interested in doing, Florida is the answer to a fabulous family vacation.

While visiting Manhattan, you have to at least go to one of the New York Mets or the New York Yankees baseball games. Both have a history of being World Series winners, both teams have pitched their way to the top of Major League Baseball, so no matter which stadium you’ll end up at, either the Yankee Stadium or Shea Stadium, you just might get the opportunity to catch the next home run ball.

You’ll have to leave the luxury of one of the hotels Manhattan, USA which you’ve booked and head out to the Bronx to catch the New York Yankees play ball. This team, with 27 World Series (the latest in 2009) and 40 American League Pennants, will be one of the best experiences you’ll have while visiting in New York. In June, the team plays at the Yankee Stadium 11 times, 13 time in July and 16 times in August, so there’s no excuse to miss out on watching one of the best baseball teams ever to play the game, and where you might just get a chance to have Derek Jeters, Alex Rodrigues, or A.J. Burnett sign that baseball you caught.

If you’re not a Yankee fan, then there’s always the New York Mets, winners of 2 World Series and 4 National League pennants. This team isn’t as popular as the Yankees, but they are just as thrilling to watch. The Mets historic roster is astounding with the likes of Nolan Ryan, Yogi Berra, Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. The Mets will have 11 home games in June and 11 in July; August 13 home games.

Being in Manhattan makes it hard to pull yourself way from the excitement of all the hubbub, but if you’re vacationing with your family, they will always remember a day out at a baseball game, especially if you attended either the Yankees or the Mets. You enitire family will always remember the time you took them to see some of the best baseball being played in both leagues; especially if you go on the tour of the stadiums before hand. There’s nothing better than seeing the Yankees locker room or walking out onto the pitchers mound at Shea Stadium and getting your photo with a baseball player. The memories you’ll bring home will be priceless.

Switzerland has long been known for its long history of neutrality and is home to Geneva , a city known as the worldwide center for diplomacy. Not a huge surprise that this makes for a great place to go for a relaxing vacation. The natural borders of the city are formed by Lake Geneva and the Rhone River which provide both stunning views and activities to enjoy year round. Geneva is located in the French speaking region so brushing up on your French is just as wise as learning a few key phrases in Swedish.

Your first stop in this city if it’s your first visit should definitely be to the Geneva Tourism office, inside the post office, on the Rue du Mont-Blanc just in case you missed something truly worth while when planning your trip and want to pencil it in. In the city center you’ll find an astounding variety of activities from white-water rafting in the middle of the city to giant chessboards .

Old Town, or Vieille Ville, is popular with tourists of all sorts. Whether you’re looking for hand crafted trinkets or to sample the local cuisine at a street market or festival this is where you should head. You can see a live performance at the Geneva Opera House at Place des Volontaires, climb the steep North Tower of St. Peter’s Cathedral , and follow up with lunch or dinner at one of the cafes on the Bourg-de-Four.

The Lac Loman or Lake Geneva district of Geneva is the city’s primary tourist attractions and dominates the city The lake itself offers a wide range of activities for tourists and locals alike. Whether you are visiting in the summer for the swimming and the beaches or in the winter to see the ice you won’t be bored. From here you can take a boat to nearby city of Lausanne, Switzerland or the town of Evian-les-Bains in France, where Evian mineral water actually comes from.

Located on the northern side of the city center is Les Paquis, where you can find a diverse variety of ethnic foods in a relaxed bohemian atmosphere. Both close to the Gare de Cornavin and also Lake Geneva, many of the best hotels in Geneva are located in this district, such as the Hilton and the Beau-Rivage. In Les Paqis one will also find Grand Casino and other places to spend an evening relaxing.

The Cologny District of Geneva, Switzerland is famed for it’s exclusivity and spectacular views. This is where the rich and famous choose to live in Geneva. On the eastern side of the district is Villa Diodati the former home of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein . Though if that doesn’t fascinate you the water skiing course probably will whether you’re just a spectator or are signing up at the Wake Sports Center to have fun.

The lovely rose garden of Geneva is located in Les Eaux-Vives. This district is a scene straight from a painting where one can stroll along the lake among the roses at ‘La Roseraie’. If you’re a shopaholic this district also has some of the best fashions at the Rue des Eaux-Vives or even take windsurfing lessons, available from May to September.

It’s only natural for New Orleans to have a Jazz National Historical Park but few visitors are aware of it. Located at 916 N. Peters Street, by the Mississippi river and across from the infamous French Quarter . This park is the development of not only numerous musicians, but a majority of neighborhoods and many families who all played a key part in the shaping, creating and in keeping up the progression of this Historical park. A New Orleans hotel can be booked within walking distance of this significant Historical Park.

The Jazz National Historical Park , also offers self-guided walking tours, where you’ll get a map that highlights many New Orleans neighborhoods, venues, homes and businesses and informs you about their connection to jazz history. In addition, there are 2 separate jazz history audio tours along the ‘Jazz Walk of Fame’ that takes you through the French Quarter and past a series of lampposts dedicated to all the influential jazz musicians. Make sure to drop by the Visitor Center and grab a complimentary brochure. To reach the Visitor Center by car: Travel on Interstate 10 going towards New Orleans, take the Orleans Avenue exit # 235A and head south to the Vieux Carre in the French Quarter, eventually, Orleans Avenue turns into Basin Street. Continue on Basin Street and turn left on Conti Street. Turn left on North Peters (it’s the last road before the Mississippi River). The Visitor Center underneath Galvez Restaurant.

The Historical park also offers on-going Jazz performances, featuring some of New Orleans finest musicians, from guitarist Steve Masakowski and pianist Tom McDermott to the velvety vocal talents of Jane Brown and Sista Teedy. If all of the above still hasn’t whetted your appetite for New Orleans jazz, then check out the National Park Service’s development of a jazz CD, which spotlights the significant efforts of early New Orleans players, featuring a specially assembled group, the ‘Arrowhead Jazz Band’, appropriately named after the Park Service’s logo.

If your idea of old-world charm in a new-world setting is walking on cobblestone sidewalks and enjoying first-class contemporary dining, then Bethesda has some spectacular offerings. Most visitors are delighted and stunned by the quaint but active culture in the city, and repeat visitors find more to discover each time they set foot in the city. Close to DC, it has all the appeal of a cosmopolitan population but with a much more intimate feel. It’s the perfect spot for enjoying time away from it all, and the fall season has some wonderful events.

With a city as affluent as Bethesda, one could reasonably expect that some of the residents have pretty high tastes in art. That’s absolutely true here, but there are also more down-to-earth events that can appeal to art lovers of all shapes and sizes. One of the most delightful events in town is the Bethesda Row Arts Festival . This year it will be in its 12th incarnation, which is ample time to get the details worked out for a very smooth and invigorating event. There are typically 45,000 visitors each year, so it’s not only a chance to get to see how the arts and crafts communities celebrate, but also get to know the local culture as well.

The festival takes place in the four-block area known as Bethesda Row. This is one of the most popular gathering spots for the locals, as well as those who are staying in Bethesda hotels to get the full flavor of a vacation here. There are 180 artists represented, and these include local artisans as well as nationally-known artists. All kinds of media are represented, from sculpture to painting to photography, and there are also activities for the kids. On the Row, there are also plenty of exquisite restaurants, galleries, and shops, so there’s always something to do here.

There’s a lot of Atlantic City in every memory of New Jersey. At least, that’s how it works for some people. It’s got something for everyone, with attractions and lots of events all around the seasons. For fans of film, there are lots of locations here that will feel very familiar, not least of which is the waterfront and boardwalk.

This is one of the most picture-postcard perfect Boardwalks in the country, and there are lots of memories contained in this old wood. In fact, it’s probably seen lots of beginnings of great love affairs, and not just a few endings either. It was a great place for couples, and still is. For couples looking for film locations, the boardwalk is that same place where Kenny and Wordman are talking in Eddie and the Cruisers .

That film was nostalgic for the 1960s even before it became fashionable to be nostalgic. There are lots of places all around South Jersey, too. A lot of different memories running through this film. But for all the places to visit, Altantic City is the one that people keep getting drawn to. It’s a pretty reasonable thing. There’s so much of it here.

The original Palace , outside of Atlantic City, in Vineland, makes an appearance, too, with the movie theatre featured prominently. Of course, here this isn’t the original, because the original was burned by vandals after a bad rap went sour for George Daynor, before the film is even set. It’s a great nod to the past of Jersey, and what makes it even better, and a bit of a kick at that, is that the Palace in the film is really just the ticket booth, and the rest of it was built as a duplicate for this movie, and is in Atco, not Vineland.

So whether or not you’re coming to Atlantic City to enjoy the casinos, or the memories of the boardwalk, or to capture something that you might have thought was lost, it’s all still right here waiting for you. There are plenty of terrific rooms to make for a beautiful place to rest and rejuvenate, and the rest is up to you.

For my next family vacation and reunion this summer I have it all planned out. We’ll be going to Dallas, Texas. At first the family wasn’t too keen on this plan but they warmed up to it after I told them of some of the attractions we’d be squeezing in with our aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Starting off I’ve booked a room with Allendale hotels for the week, it’s easy driving distance from all the planned activities without putting us smack dab in the center of the city. We’ll arrive Monday afternoon and get settled in before heading to the nearby restaurants to meet up with the rest of the family for dinner. Tuesday mom, my sisters and I are going to send our husbands off to Six Flags with the kids while we reacquaint ourselves over tea at Into My Garden Tearoom in Plano, it’s been nearly 3 years since we had a chance to all be in the same spot and I’m not about to miss a chance to hear how everyone’s been. Afterward we’ll have to hit the Allen Premium Outlets and drop our finds off at the room before joining the kids and everyone for dinner again.
Wednesday the guys plan to go off on their own agendas I know Dad wants to enjoy some of the fishing the Dallas area has to offer . We’re planning to take the kids to the Dallas Zoo over at Fair park they have some interesting rare animals on display, like the okapi. Provided we aren’t rained out on Thursday I’m looking to finish off the vacation with some barbecue in the park with everyone. Friday we’ll head back home and get ready for the chaos of the next approaching school year.

Today, we woke up to some nice fresh powder outside our hotel room window in Denver. We immediately got online to see how much snowfall was reported in Colorado . Vail, Colorado Reported 4 inches! We had the option of going to any of the resorts, but we decided on Vail because it’s the biggest of the places we’ve been to, plus, when we were there last week, the snow was somewhat crunchy, so we thought it would be nice to experience Vail with fresh powder.

Since we slept in this morning and didn’t get out of bed until 8am, we didn’t make it to Vail until 9:30am, but there was still plenty of time to experience and enjoy all the fresh snow, and the snow was still falling! Sweet! We didn’t waste anytime, and hopped on the chairlift to the Back Bowls to enjoy the fresh snow there. We found out that the report of 4″ of snow in Vail wasn’t for all of Vail, only for the main part of the hill, because when we got to the Back Bowls, there was way more than 4 inches!

We floated around playing in the snow and cruised through the powder everywhere we went. We spent the most amount of time in the Blue Sky Basin , winding through the trees and we were the first to make tracks in the snow. There were a few times where we didn’t know where we were, but that didn’t bother us a bit, because the paths were unique, making our snowboarding all that more adventuresome. Eventually, we became hungry and decided to eat dinner at one of the cool hotels . After dinner, we decided, since there was still fresh snow that we missed, and that it was still snowing, to book a room at the hotel, so tomorrow, we’ll get another chance to play in the snow all day long and once again experience the first ones to make tracks in the snow.

At some point on your stay in one of the lovely hotels available on Marco Island, you will have to get out of bed, thrust open the curtains, smell the fresh air and decide you have slept enough. It is time to get out and enjoy the day. There are plenty of things to see and do while staying on the island. If you are still groggy you could just grab a towel, beverage and book and head down to put your toes in the sand and maybe take a dip in the water. As the day progresses on you may start feeling your energy coming back and hunger kick in and decided it is time to find a nice cafe for lunch.  

Wondering into the Marco Town Center Mall area is a nice way to go. There are all sorts of cafes to choose from like some great Mexican food at Margarita’s it is quite fitting for the surrounding area and has some great food. If you are craving some great seafood you may want to hit The Crazy Flamingo . They offer up all sorts of seafood dishes from all different cultures. Visitors can have some good old fish and shrimp fry or Sushi. How about some oysters on the half shell or peel and eat shrimp. It is a seafood fest.  

After you have had a great lunch you may have even more energy to walk around some of the shops. There are all sorts of small boutiques and galleries filled with treasures. You will find a gift for your family and friends of all ages and tastes. Maybe you will find a new pair of sandals that will take you back to the white sandy beaches, near the beautiful hotels , along the Gulf of Mexico where you can lay your body and spirit for renewal.

There’s a number of thrilling, adventurous things to do in Miami, whether its diving under the water or through the air, but some days you want to stop and literally smell the flowers.  That’s something easy to do at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, which contains 83 acres of tropical plant life.  You’ll have a choice of either a tram or a walk, you’ll be able to stroll around the sole tropical rain forest inside the United States.  You’ll find a place for bird watching, a butterfly garden, and a pavilion for tropical fruit trees, as well as a 13 acre collection of palm trees, and a green house filled with orchids.

The Gardens have been in operation since 1938, for 72 years, and it has an amazing variety of tropical plant life, with an emphasis on palms, flowering trees, cycads, vines, shrubs, and fruit trees.  The collections are important to world studies in horticulture and a place that provides conservation, research and education opportunities.  Year round, there are special event which focus on different areas of the collection, such as the International Mango Festival in July.  Most of us won’t be able to pronounce the names of some of these plants — such as Senna polyphylla, Pimenta racemosa, or Tecomanthe dendrophilia — but everyone will be able to appreciate their incredible beauty.

Miami offers plenty of places to stay and activities for all ages, from the Miami Science Museum and Miami Seaquarium to riverboat cruises and scuba diving among the reefs.  While exploring your options, do not forget that some days it is nice just to be able to walk around in a place of great natural beauty and recollect your thoughts, especially if you have just jumped out of a plane for the first time in your life!

The dream is always the same.  I am standing on a corner of a street that I don’t recognize.  There are no people, and no cars, but there is a strange sound from far off, a kind of muffled roar, the kind of stereotypical sound you hear in a dream sequence right before you hear a louder sound.  The louder sound is the roar, only louder because it is not muffled.  This is a crowd, crowd sounds in the street, in the empty street, and I understand that I am having a dream, but it doesn’t seem to matter too much to anyone else.  The street is suddenly populated, and I can see that I’m in a parade.

The dream doesn’t return, and there isn’t any kind of hint about a Chinese restaurant at the beginning of an evening in Singapore.  It would be a perfect place, however, to be right before Chingay, the big New Year’s festival in town.  This is one of those big street parties that everyone always talks about.  There are lots of floats, because that was really at the origins of the festival at the turn of the 20th century, with paper dragons, and lots of fireworks.  The fireworks have been an on-again off-again part of the week, with concerns about the crowds.

Today, this celebration of Chinese New Year has all the makings of a waking dream.  There are spectacular things to see, and some of them are as colorful as anything that animation can do.  These are the big moments when people come together to make a metaphorical celebration of life, and the cycles of time, paying honor to the way the big wheel turns.  We prepare for another year, shedding the skin of the last year and wondering about the future.  Our metaphorical celebrations would have to be similar to dreams, because they come from the same place.

The Sonoma County Museum is just one of the great cultural attractions that is found in the city of Santa Rosa, California. It is located on 7th Street and is just a short walk from the Historic Railroad Square and the downtown area. It continues to maintain its strong mission centered on celebrating the Sonoma region’s rich artistic and cultural history and serves as an inspirational gathering space to display, educate and engage its visitors. In addition, the museum can be rented out for private parties, business meetings and other special events. This is great to know for people who are planning to be in town for these occasions and that happens to be you the reader, you can get information here about places to stay.

Richard Shaw is one of the artists who is currently being displayed by the museum. His exhibit Four Decades of Ceramics is demonstrates his amazing ability to turn porcelain into a wide variety of objects and he is one of the leading artists of the tromp l’oeil ceramics genre. He has lived in Marin County for a number of years and his artistic style has been associated with the Bay Area Funk, which is a movement focused on a general irreverent and sometimes even surreal assemblage of seeming random objects from everyday life.

He has been intricately connected to the Bay Area art and culture scene and has also been a long time collaborator with Robert Hudson. He has also worked with other prominent Bay Area artists. The exhibit at the Santa Rosa Museum contains approximately 40 pieces from the 1960s through to the present. This exhibit opened in January and will remain at the museum through late May. Other exhibits currently being displayed by the museum include Paintings by Martha Shaw and Fiber Art by Adela Akers. You can contact the museum for hours and other information.

It was a dream that brought me here, and a dream that’s convinced me to stay.  Sometimes there’s no more than an occasional blast of lightning in the middle of the darkest forest on the darkest night.  It’s just enough illumination to tell you that you’re on the way, but not enough to know where it’s going.  There’s just a hint in you that this is the right thing, and it’s matched by a few fleeting signs.  Some are enough to remain convinced, and this particular flash of lightning was a dream where there was a woman with fire in her tongue, and her hands were open, revealing a small scar between the finger and the thumb on the left hand.

I’ve spent the entire trip, then, just following signs, moving here and there throughout the city, wondering what might happen if I decide to act on a sense of direction that seems to be always shifting.  But there are plenty of moments that also tell me this is leading somewhere, and that’s the case today.  This Italian restaurant is one of those dream places at the edges of the world, where you can apparently, have anything you want.  The food is splendid and there’s something to go on every part of the tongue, and in unusual combination, along with coffees and liqueurs.

As I’m eating, there’s a very strange sense that time is starting to spin in all directions, and I’m not sure why this is happening, or even if it’s important.  But there’s a sense that time is spinning backwards and now forwards, and suddenly it slows.  There is a moment when I am sitting, and my mouth is full of salt and sweet.  The table next to me is moving.  A woman coughing.  She holds up her hand to stop the waiter.  She is not choking.  Her mouth is burning from a pepper.  She is fine.  She holds her hand to stop him.  She has a scar between her thumb and finger.  It is on her right hand, however.  This might not be her.  I better check.

With all the attitude that someone can muster, walking in New York City can feel like chasing an elusive dream, one that constantly runs away.  Those that find it here are usually so distracted or so jaded that they convince themselves they must have the wrong dream, and start chasing something else.  It’s sort of a built-in side effect of the city, and it’s something that keeps people working, creating, and discovering new ways to make interesting things happen in the world.

Coming to New York to visit can be a different thing altogether.  If there’s no intention to stay, then there’s nothing elusive to chase, it’s all right here on display.  You can find anything in New York, and it all begins from the comfort of New York’s four star hotels where luxury and hospitality meet with practical amenities.  It all adds up to a very exciting time, and there’s always something new to explore here.  Those that follow the local music scene as it unfolds no doubt understand that punk started in three cities, London, Melbourne, and here.  The local group Interpol has helped it move forward another notch.

They hit it big with Our Love to Admire in 2007, but have been playing together since 1997.  This is very dark and broody stuff, but it’s also extremely catchy.  The sound is extremely distinctive, as it lingers and echoes, there is also a menacing humor than underlies everything.  They’ve had radio hits, and they’ve been developing a strong core of fans since their origins, and the next year looks promising for the next album.  They’re already talking about returning to their earlier sound, marking an era where invention meets remixing, and the promise sounds splendid.  This is where punk left off, and this is where it picks up, where we can all go roaming in the night.

Chicago is one-of-a-kind, offering a gorgeous sense that you’re in a big city, but still somewhere in the mid-west.  The mid-western sensibility isn’t only from the extremely cold winters that could make a polar bear edgy, but from the atmosphere and ambiance.  There’s a sense of history here, of ties that bind, and walking down any street in nearly any neighborhood reveals layers and layers of human memory in the concrete and the dirt.  Those who come from Chicago are rather fiercely loyal to the place, and everyone has some fond memories.  Those who haven’t ever visited are usually very impressed, and some are so impressed that they decide to stay.

Coming to Chicago for business, or pleasure, is always a positive thing.  You can find excellent hotels by clicking here, and there are a number of other pleasant distractions that may convince you it would be a nice place to live.  Or at least to visit again.  For evening to late-night fun, there are a myriad of possibilities.  The town seems to really live for the night, and although the days are buzzing, the nights are simply hopping.  If your tastes run toward pubs and hot tunes, then you just might become a fan of Durty Nellie’s.

In Palatine, this suburban bar is a place that starts to look like heaven to those who love pubs in general.  They have an excellent and rather extensive offering of stouts, pilsners, and ales, and there is also an excellent food menu.  This is a great place to go to grab a pint and a bite before seeing a show.  It’s also a great place to see shows.  They have a great line-up of music here, having hosted bands like Big Head Todd and the Violent Femmes, and also highlight other kinds of music, too, like country.  This is also a good place to go after the show is over, and it might sometimes make sense to just decide not to leave.

Payday loans can come in handy when the unexpected…happens. The economy is such these days, that many people do not have the financial stability they once may have enjoyed. It is a time when the breakdown of a car, can throw the budget off for months. So many people are opted to go for the “payday loan”. This is a short term loan, that is extremely easy to qualify for, and will provide one with the necessary quick cash to fix the car, repair the roof of the house, or to simply go to the doctor.

One thing that must be considered, is the lender of the loan. Finding a reputable and honest payday loan company is necessary as there are really so many choices out there. Many companies are listed in the phone book, and many more are to be found online, so taking steps to make certain you are dealing with the right provider is essential. There is really no other way to do this except for thorough investigation. Take note of information and make the most informed decision based on that information.

The United States government has begun to take steps to ensure that the consumers and the American public are not being taken advantage of, and the lending companies are required to meet the guidelines that were set out in the United States Truth in Lending Act. Companies are required by law to answer any questions customers may have, the must disclose the information or they will run the risk of gaining unsavory reputations. One way to make it through the abundance of choice online, is to check review sites. Look for posts that previous customers have written, and the reviews and the comments about they have made about their experiences when dealing with the different companies and lenders.

When I was wondering where to book a hotel in New York, a friend of mine suggested that I find one located close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, knowing that once I stepped into the museum, I would most likely be spending a lot of time there, and he was right.  I thought it was funny when I was younger, and I did not really understand it when I would see people in movies, just standing in front of one painting for an extending period of time.  I wondered just what they were looking at for so long.

But as I grew older, I became involved with painting, and as such, spent a lot of time flipping through art books at the paintings that were part of museum collections thousands of miles away.  Famous paintings that I did not know if I would ever see in person.  And that first time I walked into the Met, was my first time being in the same place as some of those paintings I had only before seen in photographs.  I found myself in the room with the Impressionist paintings.

I did not have a map of the museum, and I was not really sure of just what work was housed there, and as I strolled along taking it all in, I caught sight of something that took my breath away.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. There were a couple reasons my heart started pounding and hands started sweating.  First, reproductions of this painting are everywhere, on everything from tee shirts to coffee mugs to computer mouse pads.  Non of them do it justice.  I had no idea that the colors were so…so there, so vivid, and that the paint was oh so thick.  The paint was so thick that as I stood there looking at it, I noticed a hair from an oil paint brush.

And this is the second reason my heart was pounding…that hair was attached to the brush that was in Van Gogh’s hand as he laid that paint down.  A man that today, some make jokes about his sanity, or alleged lack there of.  A man that although he was starving, kept on painting.  I must have stood there for an hour, just looking at the brush work, and wondering about the day he painted the piece.  I didn’t realize it until a small girl tugged my jacket and handed me a Kleenex, that I had tears on my cheeks.  I smiled and thanked her, I gestured towards Starry Night and said to her, “Amazing huh?”…and she said, “Truly it is.”  She knew why I was staring at the one painting for so long, she was a NY little girl, and she had one-up on a little girl from a small town in the middle of nowhere.

The West has long been known for its independent thought; it’s certainly true of Texas, and so it’s not surprising that some of the more unusual museums and artifacts in the world may be found in San Antonio.  Long known for The Alamo, its Riverwalk, and luxury San Antonio hotels, the city also contains such unusual sites as the world’s biggest wooden nickel.  Remember the phrase, “Don’t take any wooden nickels”?  It would be almost impossible to take this one, which is thirteen feet and four inches in diameter and five and a half inches thick and weighs a total of two thousand five hundred pounds, over a ton of nickel (no matter if you calculate that in US tonnage [2,000 pounds] or United Kingdom tonnage [2,240 pounds]).  There’s also a mighty big pair of boots in town, too, measuring forty feet tall and thirty-five feet wide, also the world’s largest.

But in all the states, perhaps nothing quite beats Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum.  Perhaps it’s not so strange if you consider that Mr. Smith used to be a master plumber; he worked at transforming toilet seat lids into art for over thirty years and has now over 800 pieces of art, which are displayed in a private garage.  Recent reviews of the work from July of 2009 remain enthusiastic about the art and passion that went into it.  Why would one work with wooden toilet seats as an art form?  Mr. Smith started out by looking for a place to mount a deer antlers.  Inspired by the world around him, both personally and internationally.  One toilet seat lid depicts the international time zones and a map of the world, along with the words, “Time keeps ticking wherever you are.”  Another seat contains a real leaf of marijuana and a skull and crossbones to indicate poison, with the words, Stop Drugs, “Say No.”

While you can view them, even take a group tour of the garage, Mr. Smith would not sell the works, considered too personal to part with.  The Chief of San Antonio police has even signed the back of the seat, providing legal permission for the leaf for the purposes of education.

No matter where you choose to go on your visit to San Antonio, whether its to look at big shows, big nickels, painted toilet seats, or more established fare, such as the Riverwalk, the Alamo, and related festivals, you’re sure to have an interesting time.

I know what it means to miss New Orleans.  All it takes is one visit, and the energy there will hook you in.  It’s everything Andrei Codrescu says, and it even has that same mad, manic lyricism that characterizes his descriptions.  There are moments in any visit that are just outrageous, rather impossible to replicated anywhere else on earth, and also very funny.  It’s a funny city.  There are more than a few stories of tragedies that have passed through here, too, of course, and they give a very definite bite to the sweetness here, and that’s probably part of the charm.  There are plenty of luxury hotels in New Orleans that are perfect for anyone with a more discerning taste in accommodations, and plenty of hospitality.

The history of music in the U.S. has its pattern echoed here.  It’s been home to some of the greatest musicians the past century has seen, and the rest of them seem to pass through here at one time or another.  It’s impossible to talk about the city and the music without mentioning the great Buddy Bolden.  He’s considered by most to be the real Father of Jazz, and it’s actually difficult to see exactly why.  His work was never recorded, but everyone who plays the style will admit their enormous debt to him, and his life is as mysterious as the city itself.

His instrument was the cornet, and he played by ear, picking up pieces from memory and then infusing them with other styles, including blues and gospel, and developed something that would change the history of music.  He also died a pauper.  After playing for only a few years, less than a decade, he was hospitalized for dementia related to alcohol, although schizophrenia was also part of the diagnosis.  His story is remarkable, and has been told a few times with deftness, but I personally like Gus Edwards version of his life the best, capturing the elusiveness of the quest to find his traces, along with some fantastic stories about one of the great figures in New Orleans.

For those who harbor any hope of seeing Manu Chao perform in New York City this year, now is the time to start working the bandwagon.  There’s a good deal of public talk on this, and another voice is always welcome.  Especially because it would work beautifully with the populist leanings of this amazing musical artist.  New York seems like the perfect place for him, too.  In the midst of all the fine Manhattan business hotels, there are many different voices working in different mediums, and from any kind of perspective, the city is a barrage of multiple rhythms that don’t stop.

It suits his music perfectly, and it only makes sense that he performs again here as he makes his way around the world.  With things as they are, we need his voice here now more than ever.  The madness in the music has always been the perfect dada response to a world gone wrong.  On the sunniest days, it can make you feel the juiciest rhythms of the soul, combining influences from French and Italian sources, with a spirit that is wholly Latin.  And on rainy days, it can strike a wonderfully absurd chord in the back of the heart, to remind you that laughter is something that no one can ever take away from you, even if it has to be a cackling, insane giggle.

The man is as interesting as his music, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his multi-layered, chaotic, and sometimes surprisingly simple works.  He was born in Paris in 1961, and both of his parents are from Spain.  His formative years were spent in France, and when punk came to town with the Clash, Manu Chao started to find his calling.  He would eventually play as the front man for Mano Negro, where you can hear a lot of the multiple languages and cultural influences present in his recent work.  His solo career has been a very exciting one to watch, earning him the respect of other artists, the music industry, as well as the multiple alternative communities he crosses into and out of with a radical deftness.  It’s a remarkable feat for anyone.  He should play New York.