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In Hawaii, it’s sometimes difficult to find things to be anxious about. At least that’s true for those who come for vacations, enjoying all the beauty and splendor of a place that’s been a major travel destination for generations. Although there have been many attempts to minimize the carbon footprint, there are still many reasons for visiting, and there’s more to see beyond the gorgeous sand and sea. Those are pretty good reasons for coming, however, along with a very lively culture, and some interesting philosophies of the world that make for a complex and endlessly fascinating vision of how things are, and where there might be going.

It makes sense to go for the full experience and stay in hotels like these , so that luxury and hospitality rule your days and nights. You might get to wondering about the culture here, and how the multiple cultures came to form the modern Honolulu. Where there are many complicated layers of social structure and human development here, it almost makes perfect sense that one of Honolulu’s most influential architects was a Russian. Vladimir Ossipoff was born in Vladivostok in 1908, and lived here from 1931 until his death in 1998.

He was recently remembered and honored in the exhibition Hawaii Modern , which the Honolulu Academy of Arts organized so that his contributions would be noted on a larger scale, and to put it in a proper context. Here, the proper context was in the realm of art, because although his notions were very functional, they were also rather beautiful. He’s one of the generation of artists to bring aesthetic appeal back to architecture, in fact, and there is an attempt to integrate the beauty of nature with structure. That’s no small task in a place that’s as overwhelmingly lovely as Honolulu. Public buildings, businesses, churches, houses, and the airport here all have his stamp on them, and there is a uniform sense of space in all of them. They are marked with an airiness that is absolutely refreshing, and even breathtaking, so that at times going from beach to interior is made into a seamless gesture, filled with graciousness.

There are fifteen Presidential Libraries in the United States, scattered from California to Maine.  The two in California are Nixon and Reagan; in Texas, you’ll find three, Lydon Baines Johnson, George Bush, and George W. Bush.  The rest of the states have one each: JFK in Maine, FDR in New York, Gerald Ford in Michigan, Herbert Hoover in Iowa, Harry S. Truman in Missouri, Dwight D. Eisenhower in Kansas, and William J. Clinton in Arkansas.  That’s fourteen listed.  If you want to find the library of the 39th President of the United States of America, then you’ll need to go to Atlanta, Georgia. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is one of the many sights you might see while staying in luxury at a number of hotels in Atlanta.

The museum and library are hosts to a number of interesting events.  If you’re looking for something different to do, then you might try out a President’s Library.  Recently, they held a performance by Gene Griessman who played the role of Abraham Lincoln.  In future events, Bill and Sue Wills will portray Lyndon & Lady Bird Johnson on February 27th, at two in the afternoon.  The show will focus on their lives together of “Lady Bird” and the “Master of the Senate.”  On March 4th, there will be a lecture and book signing of Betty Glad’s “An Outsider in the White House,” a book considered by some to make significant contributions to diplomatic history and presidential studies.  It’s not all lectures and plays at the library and museum, there’s photography, too: On March 17th, a photographic exhibition titled Life Through the Lens — Photographs by Senator Howard H. Baker will open, featuring a collection of fifty large-format photographs.

Many cities offer a variety of attractions to its guests, and Atlanta has more than most, from The World of Coca-Cola Museum to the Georgia Aquarium to Underground Atlanta.  Take time, too, to investigate a little Presidential history for Jimmy Carter.

The idea of New York is one that is radically open and flexible, and simultaneously it is extremely determined, an ultimate always already that refers to itself with an unusually vibrant, and sometimes aggressive dexterity.  It’s one of the most attractive things about the city, making it seductive and elusive.  Just when it seems that you’ve got the city figured out, it becomes something else altogether different.  From a distance, geographical or temporal, its faces are consistent and do reveal an order, although at the time it might seem all too random.

The business hotels in New York are great places from which to contemplate how this all fits together.  Even if there are no answers, which are probably misleading anyway, there is a sense that these ideas all collapse into each other and constantly expand to become something else.  Every point of view gets caught up in the fold, and if you were to see this visually represented, it might look something like Hypermusic/Ascension, the inner text of the site-specific monodrama presented at the Guggenheim in March.

This collaborative dream team, composed of Lisa Randall, Héctor Parra, and Michael Ritchie, has put together this new opera that utilizes an experimental score.  The attempt is to capture something of the 5th dimension, and this is a tall order.  As part of the museums Contemplating the Void exhibition, tall orders are very welcome here.  Interventions into the space have produced some fantastic experiments, with works by Cai Guo-Qiang, Matthew Barney, Nam June Paik, Jenny Holzer.  This is a good opportunity to participate as an observer, and to push the barriers of quantum theory until it begins to look like waking life.

She was in New York because her cousin had told her that she knew some people who were looking for singers.  She wasn’t a singer, but had a feeling that she might like to be.  This was back in those days when it was easier to try things in public, and no one would remember your experiments, so it was possible to grow in outward directions.  New York has shifted in many ways since those days, but there are still great luxury hotels here where you can hole up and make some decisions about these kinds of life changes.  In those days, the only real improvement over today was in the freedom of choice in expression.
So she was in New York, living in the glory days of Nico, who became a certain kind of role model for her, and a stuttering dream for me.  Everything stuttered then, because we were always wide awake and getting wider as the day wore on.  My face was usually somewhere tattooed on the inside of her head, and she said she would focus on that, and sing to that.  She hadn’t started singing yet, but when she did start, that’s what she was going to do.  There weren’t very many of us in those days with our strange combination of genuine heart and deep suspicion.
Or perhaps it’s better to say that everyone in those days had that strange combination.  But people of our tribe didn’t talk to each other, because of the mistrust, and that can make it difficult for a tribe to ever get to know their own numbers.  For a few short moments, though, she had my number in her brain, and I had hers, and those numbers were the only numbers that would matter.  Nico would perform at the Knitting Factory, and when we would go, we would float, close to the bodies we’d been born with.

My good friend Mike is visiting me this weekend from Sacramento, California and we have had a great time. Today we spent most of the day in Tempe. He has only been to Phoenix once before and that was actually only for a day. He’s not at all familiar with the Valley so I wanted to take him around and visit some of the standard popular areas. Of course one of these had to be Mill Avenue in Tempe, and it was a beautiful day to be down there. We actually started out with a stop at the Wild Flower Bread next to Changing Hands Bookstore because he wanted to find a book on gluten free cooking for his mom. It was nearing lunch so I had one of their salads and he had a chicken sandwich.

After he found the book he was looking for we headed down to the Mill Avenue area and parked close to Tempe Town Lake. There was some kind of an event happening at the beach park there was a live cover band playing though I don’t know the name of the band. There were quite a few people down there and we listened to the music and walked along the water’s edge. We also walked up Mill Avenue stopped in at some of the shops. There’s a place that sells bamboo based clothing and I bought a cool t-shirt there. Around the corner there was another small store where Mike bought a small ASU themed toy basketball and hoop for his sons.

Mike love’s hotel lounges and we were going to stop at one of the Tempe hotels but needed to get back into Phoenix because we had tickets for a show at Space 55 downtown. We spent quite a bit of time walking along through old town and thought about getting some food at Monti’s on our way back to the car, but like I said, time was short so we didn’t do that either. Mike’s leaving tomorrow and while we had a great time, it’s always kind of sad to have guests like this because the more fun you have the more emphasis it puts on the departure. Oh well, I’ll visit him this summer.

If you’ve come to Florida and its many beautiful beaches, why go to a water theme park?  Isn’t there enough water all around us, anyway?  Well, the oceans don’t have River Rapids or the Tree Top Drop, but Shipwreck Island Waterpark does.  This park has a little something for everyone: thrill rides, family rides, even toddler rides, for that matter.  There are size restrictions on some of these attractions (48 inches for the Tree Top Drop, for instance), so a visit to the theme park’s website may help to determine who in your family may ride which ride.  You’ll also find that this Panama Beach, Florida, water park sells its tickets according not to age, but to height!  For guests fifty inches or taller, it’s thirty-two dollars.  For guests between thirty-five and fifty inches, it’s only twenty-seven dollars.  Anyone under thirty-five inches, the park is free!  Apparently, there are some advantages to having a shorter stature!

Once inside the park, there’s a generous array of rides from which to choose, and they’re divided into categories based on the amount of excitement one might receive.  In the thrill ride category, you’ll find River Rapids, Tree Top Drop and the Pirates Plunge; the latter two look especially daring, considering the heights involved.  The family rides include everything from White Knuckle River to Lazy River, from the Ocean Motion Wave Pool to the the Great Shipwreck, Flume Zoom, and Skull Island.  The tadpole rides is presumably for those on the shorter end of the scale (or at least the very young),  with names such as Silly Sub, Pelican and Frog.

If you’re planning a trip to Panama City Beach, then you might want to find a room, grab your swimsuits, and head out to the water park!  Of course, you might actually like to go to the real beaches, too.  They’re not bad, either!

For something different, when choosing hotels in New York City, the boutique variety may be the way to go.   It’s a unique way in which to experience one of the world’s great cities, and one of the best ways to relax after exploring all that Manhattan Island has to offer, from the neighborhoods of Soho and Tribeca, to Downtown Midtown and Upper Manhattan.  All of these places offer great places to stay, but also excellent places in which to experience the culture of the city, from cuisine to clubs, from theater to perhaps one of the most famous parks on the planet, Central Park.

Central Park started out when New York City was only a half million strong (as compared to today’s population of eight million plus) around 1844, one hundred and sixty-six years ago.  The editor of the Evening Post, William Cullen Bryant, wanted to establish a green, open space in the city; otherwise, the fast-growing town would eradicate the natural surroundings.  The land was purchased for five million dollars between Eighth and Fifth Avenues and from 106th to 59th Street.  In 1857, a competition was held in order to design the new park.

As the 19th Century continued, engineers and architects tried to figure out a way to turn the purchased land, which was muddy and swampy, into a place people actually wanted to visit.  The solution was to bring in topsoil from New Jersey, about five hundred thousand cubit feet of it.  Boulders were blown apart with gun-powder.  Bridges and arches, thirty-six in all, were constructed, as well as six bodies of water.

Today you can enjoy over 843 acres of parkland, including woodlands and lawns (136 and 250 acres each ), as well as seven bodies of water (150 acres).  You may dine at the Tavern on the Green or visit the Belvedere Castle (created in 1872 — at one time you were able to go to the castle to view the Croton Reservoir, but this reservoir was filled in to become the Great Lawn decades ago.  The Park is one of the key features of the city, with about 9,000 benches and 58 miles of paths for pedestrians.  Check out the Carousel, as well as all the sculptures (51 in all).

Central Park is an excellent tonic for whenever the city’s concrete and skyscrapers become overwhelming, a fact for which you may thank William Cullen Bryant.

Spending any amount of time on the coast in Spain is bound to bring new ideas, and a very old and necessary sense of calm.  It’s one of the most romantic places in the world, no doubt, and although there are places where it seems as though time stood still, there are many more places that are thriving and buzzing with energy.  Malaga is one of the towns where there’s a generous combination of both.  That’s one of the reasons why it makes such a delightful destination, because there are so many choices for what you can do with a day, and how you might want to re-invent yourself this time around.

There’s also fantastic places to stay.  Check out this site here for some of the nicest accommodations.  It’s in the center of the action, as long as you’re looking for action that also includes experiencing a sense of time that is slower and much more luxurious than most of us are used to.  It’s a great place to enjoy the water as well as the city, and you might catch a glimpse of some local starts.  Antonio Banderas grew up here, and is often seen in these parts, and then there’s the famous actress Amparo Muñoz, whose life off camera is often as interesting as it is on camera.

Be that as it may, I’d rather let those skeletons in the closet rest, because they get dragged out all too often, and unfairly eclipse her extraordinary body of work.  She was the winner of Miss Universe in 1974 but was soon even more famous for renouncing the crown, and even throwing it out the window.  After that, she started to make films, and her presence on the screen has made for a very iconic life.  It’s difficult growing up in public, but she’s managed to pull it off with an exceptional grace.

I had many ideas, many myths, legends and stories going around my head when I would think of three words, the Hudson River.  I thought of black and white films depicting various late night epic tales of gangsters and mobsters, some wearing “cement boots” and others, the lucky ones, not.  My first trip to Manhattan was during the summer of 1996.  It was hot.  I grew up in Phoenix, but the August heat in New York was something to be reckoned with as the air was so thick I had to swim along the streets to my hotel.  I was lucky to find a great hotel with central air.  I mean, I knew I was lucky once I felt the heat outside and then felt the cool of the lobby.  I really had no idea that it would be so hard to breathe. 

My friend had suggested my hotel, as she had found it the year before by checking here.  And I was very appreciative of her suggestion.  The funny thing about traveling, is the small differences.  In Phoenix, once it’s hot for the summer…well, it’s hot for the summer, even at midnight.  But in places such as Chicago and Manhattan, the weather changes on a dime, sometimes catching you off guard but always providing unexpected relief.  This is what happened on my second night in NY.  My friend Robert grew up in the city, and he suggested we take a walk that second night, scheduled to begin at midnight with a cup of coffee in hand.  I said, “Cool”, he said, “Meet me in the lobby at 11:45″….I asked, “Where are we going?”…He replied, “Just wait and see.” 

With our cups of coffee in hand we headed west.  He wanted to take me down the walkway that runs parallel to the Hudson River.  I found that in the mist of that cooler evening the Jersey shores were in view.  I found that people were still out and about at midnight, something that in Phoenix really only happens in bars and night clubs.  I found that sometimes, the city of Manhattan is truly, quiet.  The one thing I didn’t find was evidence to support the myths, legends and the stories. He said to give it another hour, as those things tend to happen around 3am.  I would have believed him, had he not raised his eyebrow just before smiling and turning his head.

I woke up quite late today, well maybe that was because I got into my room around 2am! That’s not late, that’s early! I got dressed for the cold weather, and went stepped outside of one of the New York top hotels in the city. I went for a walk along Broadway, and even with this cold weather, there were tons of people out on the streets and in the shops, it was pretty manic if you ask me. I bought a ticket for the City Sights Tour Bus and rode the upper open deck, it was freezing, but how else could I get a true feel for the city?

The bus tour was terrific, we went around Times Square, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Soho, Chinatown and then back to Times Square. I found it interesting how all of Broadway was filled with food vendors, which I thought was pretty cool market stalls. I had a corn-fritter and a delicious chocolate crepe, both were very tasty. I then went shopping for the usual souvenir gift to bring home to all my friends and family, like an ‘I LUV NY’ t-shirt, small Statue’s of Liberty, a Yankee’s and a Met’s baseball cap and other great New York trinkets.

I went back to my hotel and dumped off my shopping bags, and headed back out to Central Park. I was cold, but again, that didn’t stop anyone from being at the park; it was full of people. I sat and people watched, and then walked to a ice-skating rink and watched people enjoying themselves in this wonderfully cool weather. It was beginning to get too cold for me, so I found a bar not far from the park and warmed up with a nice shot of bourbon. This did the trick, several times. I had a very nice conversation with an Australian, who just flew in today. She was staying at a hotel not too far from me, she asked if I’d be interested in meeting her tomorrow to go see a Broadway show. I said sure, I’m not much of a Broadway kind of person, but she was really fun to be with and I really didn’t have any set plans. Even though she’s not a New Yorker, I can’t help but think just how friendly everyone is in the vast city.

There are many claims around the country of places being haunted and Huntsville Alabama also makes that claim. One of the stories told from Huntsville seems to be an imaginary friend turned real. This story really captured my attention. Apparently, there was a couple who had a year old son who was a normal infant. When this boy was one his mother noticed that when she put him down for naps or bed she would often hear him laughing and giggling as if someone was playing with him. At one point, she put the baby down to sleep and then listened through the door until he began to laugh and giggle. Then she would open the door and catch the boy laughing, reaching and interacting with the wall. It didn’t make sense. She told her husband and he just passed it off. Over the years, the giggling turned into talking with some imaginary friend. The mother was trying to get the boy to let her in on his friend. Who was this friend. The boy was very protective and secretive. The mother got professional help but the doctor said the boy was fine.

When the boy was about four he was able to speak better about things so she asked him again. Turns out it is a man who visits him each day and this has lead to him being distant with his father. The mother would peek in on him and catch him having full on conversations as if there were someone in the room. She got more frightened and began to press the issue even more. She threatened to move away from this home and the boy got upset and blurted out that he didn’t want to leave daddy. Now the boy thinks this “friend” is his daddy. So they separated him from the room but the boy would sneak back in. At one point the mother was looking through some old photos and the boy came in. She got tears in her eyes as she looked at one of the photos and the boy asked her why. She showed the picture to the boy and he said that that was the man from his room. That was his real father. She was shocked to learn that the boy knew how he died. The new husband had killed his father to get the mother and the dead daddy was now visiting the boy. Wow.

There are other ghost stories to learn about while getting out of your room from one of the fine hotels located in Huntsville.  See if you can sneak around the park where the ghost children giggle, sing, swing and play. You could get yourself ready for the spook by reading some great ghost books written by authors like Kathryn Tucker Windham and Margaret Gillis Figh. They wrote 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey together. Or watch a spooky movie like Amityville Horror before you visit.

There are some beautiful hotels nestled around Fort Collins Colorado to stay in while you visit the area. It’s not far from Denver and is mainly a college town filled with some great microbreweries and pubs. So you know what you will be up to at night based on that information. If you like micro brew beers you are in the right place. In fact, there are tours of the breweries that beer enthusiasts can take part in. They will show you around the breweries and you will have a chance to taste some of the different styles of beer made by the different companies. New Belgium Brewing Company has a nice tasting room and guided and self guided tours offered Monday-Saturday.  Coppersmith’s Pub and Brewing also offers tastes and tours as well as a nice place to play a game or two of pool.

If you want to learn more about the area there are a couple museums that can be visited. The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Fort Collins Museum. The contemporary art museum is filled with wonderful modern art ranging from a few of the classics to some new emerging artist. They do change their exhibits through out the year and sometime they are closed for the changes so check ahead to see what they have going on while your there. When the Fort Collins Museum started it was a Pioneer Museum built in 1941. It was moved in the mid seventies and is now inside the old Carnegie Library building. It has matured in its information on the history and culture of the area as time has pasted. In its decent collection of artifacts from the surrounding areas you will learn many things about the people who came before you. In the late 1980s they added the Discovery Science Center which has become a great feature in exciting people of all ages around science and stars.

There are many reasons to visit the New York neighborhood of Little Italy.  From the history of the neighborhood and the historical points of interest, to the plethora of authentic Italian restaurants, bistros and cafes.  This has long been a favorite spot in a city with so many different neighborhoods to choose from.  One of the best times to find a small, NY boutique hotel in this neighborhood and to make plans to stay for at least ten days, is during the month of September and the 10 day festival, The Feast of San Gennaro.  This is not only the longest festival in the entire city of Manhattan, but the most long running and famous of them as well.  2010 will mark the 83rd Annual Festival, and will donate all of the proceeds, as they have done for the last 13 years, to the Children of San Gennaro, which is a non-profit organization that benefits the well being and the education of the children of Little Italy.

San Gennaro is the patron saint of the Italian city of Naples, and the newly arriving immigrants continued on with this traditional feast upon their arrival to the city beginning in the 1920’s.  Originally, this was a one day celebration, but now has become ten days of celebration, religious ceremonies, feast and parades that wind through the neighborhood, along Mulberry and Mott, between Houston and Canal.  Once the parade has commenced, everyone attends Mass at the Most Precious Blood Church, which houses the national shrine in honor of San Gennaro.  The atmosphere is that of a large party, but it is imbued with the religious traditions of the early immigrants and ancestors.

This is a time when the more than forty of the most famous restaurants in Little Italy literally roll out the red carpet, for those in the neighborhood as well as the many visitors who travel here to celebrate.  Along with the fine meals to be found in the restaurants, the streets are filled with food stalls, all set in the decorative banners and colorful flowers, offering food, merchandise and goods.  It seems odd to say that this is one of the best times to visit the city, as many times throughout the year can be considered “the best time to visit” the city, however it is a truly wonderful time to experience the traditions and the flavor of the neighborhood of Little Italy.

Carrie had worked hard all last year. She was twenty-three and a recent college graduate who was eager to make her mark in the world and establish herself as case worker in the social service system. She always had a strong belief in the power of social change and the services provided to individuals who were in crisis and desperate need of life transition assistance. Throughout the past year she realized that her work was actually a lot more emotionally and personally demanding than she had imagined it would be. Carrie spent much of the last year learning how to cope with the stress of her job and maintain a balance between self-care and client support. It was difficult for her to care about her work without becoming so emotionally involved that it was unhealthy.

She began working right out of college and last July marked her one-year anniversary with her first agency. To celebrate this she decided to take a full week long vacation and visit her good friend Joyce in Florida. They had gone to school together and were roommates their senior year. They hadn’t seen each other since graduation and Carrie couldn’t wait for the trip. Joyce was excitedly waiting for her as she landed at the Miami International Airport and the two of them talked non stop on their way back to Joyce’s apartment. The next day they took the Metromover downtown and Carrie was impressed with the free transportation service. She also thought it provided a nice tour of part of the city. They visited the Miami Art Museum while they were downtown and Carrie enjoyed touring the recent acquisitions exhibit and was totally enthralled by the NeoHooDoo: Art for a Forgotten Faith.

The next day the two of them planned to take a trip along the coast and spend the night in one of the Florida beach hotels. It was a beautiful day and they enjoyed a great lunch at one of the outdoor patio cafes. Later they relaxed on a blanket out on the beach and Carrie thought about the three dimensional work titled Storm at Sea, which was part of the exhibit from the day before. This was a great trip and was definitely what she needed after her year of challenging hard work. The two friends made a pack to take turns visiting each other at least once every year.

Nestled in the southeast area of the San Francisco Bay lies Fremont California. This area has some interesting history and is thriving with life today. Join many business travelers and tourists and stay in one of the hotels Fremont California has waiting for you and come see what this area has to offer. John Charles Fremont is who the city is named after. It consists of five communities each with their own distinction. Warm Springs, Mission San Jose, Irvington, Niles and Centerville.

Centerville is the largest community of the city. The cemetery houses the remains of the founding pioneers. It is become a large Afghan community. It is called Little Kabul in some circles. It is so rich with this culture that some of the movie The Kite Runner was filmed in the area. You can see the biggest representation of the culture at 99 Ranch Market. This area started when George Lloyd refreshed the stage coach passengers with cold beer from his tent in 1850.

Niles has been able to hang on to its small town feel. The old town area even has a silent movie theater. You can take a walk around town and see the post office and library. Step into a craft or antique store and snoop around. The town got its name from Addison Niles who was a railroad attorney. Some if the towns claim to fame is that it was an early motion picture companies. Some of the most famous silent movies by Charlie Chaplin were filmed here. Broncho Billy Anderson also created some films here. Visitors can see more about this industry at the Niles Essanay Film Museum.

Irvington is small and rather rural but there are some shops and restaurants that where established around the 1800s. The town was named after a railroad executives birth place, Irvington New Jersey. The Mission San Jose is centered around one of the oldest Spanish missions in all of California. This is of course where it gets its name. Part of the mission houses a museum. Asian Americans have made quite a community out of the area. Warm Springs has been able to get some of the bustle from Silicon Valley because it is very close to that area. Here is were you may share a hotel with a traveling computer whiz.

With equal parts mystery and pop culture, Singapore is a fascinating place.  Like many urban centers, it is constantly in motion, and constantly in the act of defining itself.  In terms of exciting urban culture, the moments of definition in Singapore seem to be much more spectacular than anywhere else.  This is undoubtedly due to the very creative and innovative minds of the people who live here, who seem to be just a bit on the edge of culture at all times, and also a little bit nostalgic about real and imaginary pasts.  It makes for a terrific mix, and anyone who is fortunate to spend time in Singapore hotels understands the pleasures inherent in such a combination.

It’s a fantastic place to visit for the very first time, and it’s also a fairly unusual place that bears up very well to multiple visits.  There is so much to see here, and so many different layers of culture and society, that it’s difficult to prepare for a visit, except in preparation to be quite amazed at the splendid offerings.  In the art world, it is very much in step with the global art scene, being home to a stunning number of extremely creative and talented artists.  In technology, there is an equally magnificent scene, with designers and technicians developing and making use of some exciting new methods of creating worlds.  These two, art and technology, sometimes come together in films, such as Legend of the Sea.

This 2007 release might be a great introduction to Singapore for many different reasons.  Seeing how art and technology come together is certainly enough to make it worth a watch, and there is no doubt that the younger viewers will find a lot to like in this little tale.  But it also features the vocal talents of local superstar Lin Jun Jie, and this brings a rather delightful film into the realm of pop culture.  There are multiple levels to any film, and this one might seem to hold less surprises than others, but a closer look will reveal many complexities, and this is really what lies at the heart of Singapore.

I’m on my way to Siena from Florence and I’m in a kind of a stupor. I don’t quite have a hangover, but I’m really very tired. I have one more week of checking out all the bars and pubs and then I’ll sleep for a week!

When I arrived to Siena, I took a little power nap on a park bench in an attempt to gain some much needed vitality. I only slept for 15 minutes, but that was enough for me to feel all refreshed. Sienna is really very pretty, I enjoyed strolling around the narrow streets and grabbing a quick lunch at an outdoor cafe. Then checking out Piazza del Campo, which has been described as the most beautiful main square on the continent. I wouldn’t go that far with my description, but it is pretty stunning. I saw more Cathedrals, Italy must have the best Cathedrals in the world. The is one here in Sienna in which Wagner, when he first caught a glimpse, began to cry, it’s the Siena Cathedral, that’s just how beautiful it is.

The Stadio Comunale Artemio Franchi is located right next to the bus station and weirdly, you can just walk around it for free. I imagined seeing AC Milan playing here, and got all kinds of goose-bumps. Siena was really worth the visit and I would’ve liked to have spent the night there, but I decided to drive back my Florence hotel. When I got back to Florence, I purchased a train ticket to France. I managed to find a regional route that would save my 20 pounds. I would have to change a few times, go via Bolongna and it will take 90 minutes longer, but it feel saving 20 pounds is worth it.

I then spent the 20 pounds I just saved, plus another 10 on a v-neck blue jumper. It’s getting quite nippy at night, and I didn’t pack any warm clothes. France in late November will be a blast. But, for now, my agenda for the night is to stay awake long enough for me to swim and give a Turkish bath a try, but even before I do that, I’m going to grab a salami and pepper pizza at this canteen just down the street from my Florence hotel. I really like Florence, but with all the day trips I’ve been taking, I actually haven’t seen much of it. But, all this does is give me a good reason to come back to Tuscany again.

No matter how much ground I’ve covered, there always seemed to be more to explore in San Francisco. I for some reason, always thought of the Golden Gate Park to be San Francisco’s largest park, it’s definitely large, just besting New York’s Central Park in overall area and bison, but the Presidio is larger and while it’s not a park in the traditional sense, it does have miles of hiking trails, a log cabin, historical buildings, George Lucas and a pet cemetery. Oh, and some pretty breathtaking views in the entire state.

I just had to explore the unfamiliar parts of the Presidio, but that dang Golden Gate Bridge emerging from the fog made me take a detour to take some photos. I don’t think it’s possible to tire of the Golden Gate Bridge and I doubt I’m the only one thinking that all the fog surrounding it only increases its beauty. As I walked out along the ridge-line to get a better view, I found that I was right above Fort Point. Fort Point is one of my favorite places in the Presidio. I said good-bye to the Golden Gate bridge and went for a long overdue visit to one of my very favorite spots in the entire world. Fort Point is located directly on the south side of the Golden Gate and it overlooks the narrow strait from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco bay. By-the-way, Golden Gate refers to the land on either side of the strait and not the strait itself.

Since the gold rush made San Francisco wealthy and populous, Fort Point was developed by the US Army around 1850 to be the key defense point along the Pacific coast just in-case invaders materialized, which they never did. As I headed back to one of the best hotels San Francisco has to offer, I remembered that Fort Point was the setting for the Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller ‘Vertigo‘ starring Jimmy Stewart. I wonder if I can order that movie in my hotel room?

The town of Lindau Germany is a beautiful little island in the  eastern area of Lake Constance of Bavaria. It has a lot of holy history and some landmarks to prove it. It was first named a monk St. Gallen by way of a document written in 882. He thought that there was a nunnery found on the island. The very first inhabitants were of the early Roman Empire based on the ruins that were found. The island got its first church with Saint Stephan’s in 1180. Then the Franciscans founded a monastery on the island in 1224. Visitors can see a few old churches still standing on the island like the Protestant parish Saint Stephen and the Minster of Our Lady.

After driving over one of the two bridges visitors can check into one of a few Lindau hotels and then get out for a walk. There is a museum that is housed inside the Zum Cavazzen mansion. It is set right along the shore of the Lake and is one of the most beautiful homes in the area. The  New lighthouse is also a great place to go for more history of the city as well as the best views. It was built in the 19th century and is a splendid hello to the visitors who are coming and going from the harbor. It can be found right along the promenade at the harbors entrance. There is also the old light house which can be found a long the promenade. They call it Mang Tower and it was built in the 13th century. It also offers some great views of the area.

It is also fun to the the Bavarian Lion in the harbor. A great piece of advertising for the Lowenbrau beer. It has been standing in the harbor watching over things for over 130 years.

We have reached our final stop on a whirlwind 5 month world tour, Singapore. We only stayed here two nights at this fabulous boutique hotel in Singapore, before we fly back home. We didn’t know much about Singapore and we didn’t have a guidebook, so we really weren’t sure as to what to expect. We purchased a guidebook at Cairns airport and it mentioned how Singapore had a previous reputation of being dull, but after only spending two days here, we found that statement to be completely false.

Singapore is a somewhat small island off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. It used to be a very dense and swampy rain-forest, but now it’s a thoroughly modern metropolis, which was first colonised by the British during the 19th century. Singapore became home to migrant communities, mostly from China and India. So, this makes the city very diverse and one that produces fantastic food. Singapore was actually planned out and this in turned created various communities, like one for the British, called The Colonial District, one for the Chinese, called Chinatown, and one for the Indians, called Little India. Our hotel was next to Little India, so we had more time to explore there than in the other communities.

But, we did make it to Chinatown and explored all the shops, the Buddhist temples and the fabulous restaurants. We ate at one of the street hawkers stall for lunch, which was a confusing experience in trying to figure out how to order and what to order, we just pointed at pictures, which worked and proceeded to devour our very tasty meals. I bought a new digital camera at what we considered a steal.
The sun was setting as we just sat on a park bench and people watched. Two days is definitely not enough time in Singapore. There’s literally too much to do here, too many sights to see and too many hawkers food stalls to eat at.

I’ve never traveled so far and been so close to home. Adelaide is a country town of over one million people a some skyscrapers. It would be unfair of me, maybe even rude to say that the best thing anyone could do in Adelaide is leave. South Australia’s humdrum capital is in desperate need of the benefit of doubt. Probably because I pulled into town, in the middle of winter. Or, perhaps, it has more to do with the city being a 9 to 5 city, which rolls up its sidewalks and forces everyone to hang out in the suburbs. For me in Adelaide, it’s TGIM (thank Gd it’s Monday). It is winter they tell me. Stick around, they urge me. It’s not as bad as you think it is.

So, I think I’ll see if Adelaide’s options extend beyond white bread, vanilla ice cream and wait to see if a more substantial whole wheat or a nice scoop of pistachio. I hop on the very clean, tubular city bus for a 50 minute ride into downtown from one of the best Adelaide hotel where I’m staying. With any other morning commute, I notice passengers actively cordon themselves from each other with books and Ipods. I had no one to talk to, nothing to learn. This made me miss Broken Hill, Elaine, the Black Lion and all the unconventional characters. I miss walking under the verandas and window shopping on Argent Street. Here in Adelaide, I’m surrounded by 1.1 million people and I feel like a drifter, a rogue destined to be alone.

Then, as I stepped off the bus, all despondent, the sun was out and shinning on the frost that made the city sparkle into life. The air was fresh and crisp. As I walked about, stunned and in awe, all the people heading to work would stop to see where I was looking, they too began to smile and come alive. I heard the noise of dishes in a sink and smelled bacon on the grill. I walked into a morning cafe’ and everyone I made eye contact with smiled, like they knew all along that I’d see the beauty of the city, it just took patience. I no longer felt homesick, I felt at home. I guess those who urged me to stick around, was right. I sat up at the counter and ordered breakfast. I read on the menu that they serve us a nice pistachio pie.

Traveling in India always offers amazing opportunities to escape the usual boundaries of geography as well as identity.  Every city is enormously individual, and there are many cultures living here at any one time, and often it’s dizzying the amount of perspectives and influences that exist in the space of one block.  This is as true in the open areas as well, and Goa has an awful lot of complex history in its present make-up, as the Portuguese architecture can attest to.

There are plenty of chances to get away from the so-called contemporary world and get in touch with some essential ideas of living, and it might be possible to discover transcendence at a Goa resort spa, and that might be true for anywhere.  But at a spa, you’ll have a lot more pleasure instantly available to you, and it’s in one of the most spectacular settings anywhere.  They’re chosen and crafted for their proximity to the healing waves, along with their ability to mesh with the gorgeous land here, and offer so many wonderful amenities, that it’s almost difficult to imagine coming here over the pain of having to leave after it’s all over.

But people that visit Goa tend to like to return, so if you don’t find everything you’re looking for while you’re here, then plan on making new plans.  However, there are spectacular opportunities to get in touch with a natural rhythm that can’t be found on any trance record.  Or if it is, it’s an accidental event.  There are many musicians here besides electronic artists who have worked with the waves, and some of the more interesting poets try to match their cadence with the sound of the sea.  But the ocean here changes more often than any metronome can keep up with, and when you’ve started to feel completely connected to the place, the heartbeat will tell you when you’re home.

How do you take the city of Bangalore in the country of India and share the thousands of years of history. This city has been under the control of so many rulers and empires. How about a quick rundown. Let me see, in 1638, Bangalore, was known as Bengalooru and it was captured by the Marathes. They went along with their slow building business and then the city became apart of the Mughal Empire in 1687. The Mughal Empire was a super power back then of Islamic and Persian people. 1759 brought more changes to the area with Haider Ali governmental take over putting Bangalooru under the Kindom of Mysore’s rule. Haider Ali was the leader who put the famous glass house into the beautiful garden of the city. It is absolutely breath taking. Haider Ali’s son, Tipu Sultan, takes the throne after his death in 1782.

Tipu Sultan was defeated and killed in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The British East India Empire then took control all in 1799. In 1868, the Karnataka High Court, Attara Kacheri, was built under orders of Sir Mark Cubbon. He was commissioner of Mysore. Sadly, the bubonic plague runs rampid through Bengalooru and truly cripples the city. But this didn’t stop the city all together. They made a recovery and ended up being the first city to have electricity in India in 1905. A little over 40 years later the city showed its muscle and gain independence with the rest of India and becomes Mysore State. An incorporated state of the union. Mysore State was renamed at some point in 1973.

Now Bangalooru is called Bangalore and has become one of the technology hubs of India. There are many monuments around the city that will show visitors a piece of history left behind by all the ancient activity. So find one of the finest luxury hotels Bangalore has created, check in, leave your bag and get out to see some of this ancient Indian history.

Delhi, a melting pot of noise, traffic, heat, electricity pylons, dust, pollution and an unbelievable amount of people who, if not on the road, are in the process of doing their business at the side of the road. One sign in particular caught my attention while I was in my taxi heading to my hotel: ‘Mortuary Available’ was posted outside of a hotel. My five star hotel India only took a 40 minute drive and is was very luxurious.

I headed to the center of Delhi and to my western surprise, my first few experiences of being approached were recommendations to a great restaurant, which I happily took up. I had my first curry dish and it was scrumptious. I’m worried about eating the food here, I’ve heard all kinds of stories about Delhi Belly, but so far so good. After my nice meal, I headed to the tourist office in search of some free maps. An hour later, I was booked for two weeks in Rajasthan with my own driver and 3 train journeys. It was great to have someone else arrange my trip, it really did relieve much stress about how to get about India.  When I left the center, I got this feeling that I was being ripped off, but I put that in the back of my mind.

After the tourist center, I headed into Old Delhi where things were more like what I imagined India to be, more authentic (as if being in Delhi wasn’t authentic). The streets are narrower and very uneven. There was advertising signs everywhere, there virtually was no open wall space. Honking horns, bike bells ringing as the bikes inched past speeding off when they had room, people rushing about and me largely tootling about with no one harassing me.

I picked up my train tickets from the tourist office and went to scope out the train station for tomorrow’s ride up north. The entrance was crowded and this very stern station official asked to check my tickets and check their validity. He asked where I bought them and how much I paid for the trip and what the trip included. After I heard myself tell him the what and the how, I felt ridiculous and prepared myself for the worst. The official paused and then said ‘Wow, this is a good deal…you went to a government approved office.’  Whew! I wasn’t ripped off! That was such a relief. Later, I found out that the government have placed unmarked helpers to try and change the city’s reputation for harassing and scamming the tourist.

Travelling for an hour a day in one of those tuk-tuks, in and out of the city was extremely fun. Squeezing through the four lanes of manic traffic, narrowly missing other tuk-tuks, rickshaws, buses, lorries, taxis, cars and coached that where all vying for space and everyone trying to get ahead of the next. I came to the conclusion that all this chaos was somehow organized. These Indians are the best drivers in the world.

Once I had come home from my travel to Oahu, I was already planning my next trip.  There is something in the atmosphere of the islands that gets into your soul and makes it impossible to not want to go back.  Days of walking along the tropical beaches, the sunsets over the ocean, the local food and the local people invite you into the world of peace, a world wherein you know that you are on vacation.  One activity I had wanted to partake in, but did not have the chance to do so, is the Hawaiian luau.  I had long been fascinated with the hula dancers and the movements of their hands.

I was first introduced to the music of Hawaii, by a CD of Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole.  I looked into Maui vacation packages and booked my holiday vacation for next year.  I also looked into the Old Lahaina Luau one of the best and the most traditional on the island.  This festivity offers the some of the finest of Hawaiian cuisine, crafts of the local artists, traditional dance performances and wonderful live music.  All of this takes place as the sun sets, the rich cultural history of Hawaii is perfectly experienced through visual means, auditory means and the means of wonderful flavor through the roasted Kalua pig, coconut pudding and Poi all served up buffet style with open bars dotting the beach.

This luau takes place each and every night, however the starting times may vary so be sure to check on that before you head down to the beach.  Reservations are necessary and can be arranged by the staff at the concierge desk of your hotel.  They arrange the seating ahead of time and there are two choices, either on the grass sitting upon pillows, picnic style and the traditional seating for a luau. Or you may request a table with comfortable chairs.  When you walk up to the luau, you will receive the traditional greeting of a beautiful fresh lei placed around your neck, and of course a cocktail in a coconut containing tropical and fresh sweetness.  Upon reading about this, I could not wait for my next adventure to Hawaii, and now perhaps you cannot wait either.  Aloha, and have fun!

Melaka is a gorgeous city, unfortunately, all we got to see was within a span of four hours! That’s all the time we had before we caught the bus back to Singapore. The journey from Melaka to Singapore was only suppose to be four and a half-hours, but because the bus was modern and comfortable, it only felt like an hour. Really! We got off at the Malaysian border city of Johor Baru and went through immigrations, then hopped back on to make it across the bridge to Singapore and had to go through Singapore’s immigrations! That’s a lot of check points.

When we finally got into the main city, we headed to the nearest Exchanger and swapped our Malaysian Ringgits for Singapore dollars. A very friendly policeman helped us find the nearest branch, which was unexpected due to all the officials we dealt with during our two immigration check points. After that, we headed to find room at a five star hotel Singapore offers its many tourists. We found one located in the city center and it was right next to the golden mile shopping district and close to the bus depot. After we checked in and got unpacked, we headed right down to the MRT station and jumped on three tubes that took us into the residential area where we were to hook up with an old friend of mine now living in Singapore.

Then, after about a hours visit, my friend drove us back to the area known for the best street hawker food. Once there we were overwhelmed with which food vendor to choose from. Luckily, my friend knew the best ones. We picked the one that served chicken and noodles soup with a coconut milk based sauce. We passed up the tiger meat place. After walking about for a bit, my friend then took us back to our hotel and dropped us off. It was so nice to see her again. She told me that I should move here and that I could stay with her until I found work and a place to stay. Sounded ideal, I really like Singapore, but my heart belongs to Australia.

Well you better not bring food to Elephanta Island or you may be swarmed with monkeys. Before you go to Elephanta Island pick the best Bombay restaurant you can find. After having a wonderful curry dish head over to the must see Gateway of India. This is one of Mumbai’s most famous sights. A massive monument Arch to commemorate the triumphant visit of King George V and Queen Mary. With very detailed lattice work of basalt stone this is the symbol of victory.  Here is were you can by your tickets, walk down the steps to the waters edge for a boat ride of the natural harbor. One of the many rides of course, take you to Elephanta Island.

So quiet with the sound of monkeys wrestling in the trees you will find the entry to the caves on the north entrance to a large hall. The hall is supported by large pillers which is were the massive Mahesamurti statue is kept. This 18 ft. sculpture is Shiva in his three head pose. Shivas is known to be the Creator which is the head facing right, the protector which is the face in the center and the Destroyer which is the head facing left. Other sculptures near by are all of Shivas contributing to different things. He brings down the Ganges River to Earth. He is shown as both male and female which symbolized the unity of opposites.

The sculptures and artists of this area are believed to date back to the 17th century. Know one knows who they are. They have remained anonymous over the centuries. The Portuguese seem to have made last main statement. They are the ones who named the island after they found a large statue of an Elephant. This statue fell at one point and was taken off for repair. One can now find it at the Victoria Gardens where it was reassembled. Sadly, the Portuguese had no regard for the spiritual statues and used them as target practice. So take care when visiting this wonderful cultural island. It would be a shame to loose any more history.

My friends Mark, Tom, Martin and I use to go skiing as much as we could while we were in college in Colorado. If the conditions were right we had no problem skipping classes and heading for the slopes. The stories we made up for our professors about missing class seem ridiculous now but weather the professors believed the stories or not they seemed to work and we all made though to graduation.

It has been 20 years since college graduation and we have not seen all that much of each other over the years since but have remained in touch. So to mark our 20th anniversary of our collage graduation we have decided to come together this winter in Salt Lake City, UT for a week of skiing.

Mark and Tom will be flying in from the east coast, Martin is flying down from Washington State and I will be flying up from Arizona. It will be great to see each other and have all of us together again on the ski slopes.

It has always been a great time skiing in Utah. It is almost always sunny the snow is powder and the slopes good and fast. Just the way we like them. That is why I suggested that we meet in Salt Lake City and everyone was in agreement.

This is kind of a special year for us on top of being 20 years since college graduation we all have turned 40. We will be looking at this as a birthday celebration too.

We will be there for six days and will be skiing every day we are there. Our Salt Lake hotels reservations have been made and our lift tickets purchased. I’ll be on the look out for a good deal on a flight and then I will be all ready to go. It should be an amazing experience to be all together again after all these years.

When Steve found out that Penang had four golf courses his mood immediately perked up. He had been feeling a little disappointed that his friends were only interested in visiting the museum, the colonial buildings in George Town, the Botanic Gardens and other places of cultural and historic importance. It wasn’t that Steve was uninterested in these locations, he just felt he needed a break from all of the hardcore tourist activities and wanted to enjoy a relaxing day on the green.

He had to convince his friend Troy to go with him to the Penang Golf Resort. That morning the four of them sat in the breakfast café at one of the luxury hotels Penang where they were staying and Tim and Greg were making plans to visit the City Hall Building and assumed the other two would want to go with them. Steve took the opportunity to bring up the golf course. He knew that Tim and Greg would not be interested but that Troy was an avid golfer. The plan worked and Troy suggested that the two of them go golfing while Greg and Tim went to the City Hall Building. Steve couldn’t have been happier when Tim and Greg agreed to the plan and they all decided they would just meet later for dinner.

Troy and Steve found their way to the Penang Golf Resort and geared up for the 36 hole course. They loved the view, which is something they only paid attention to when they were at a new course. This was proved to be a perfect day for Steve and Troy and later when they met up with Greg and Tim they found out they had enjoyed their day as well. The four of them discussed their plans for the next day over appetizers and drinks. Tim suggested they take the ferry back over to George Town and Steve was happy to go along with whatever his friends wanted to do. He knew he had the golf course he could always default to if necessary.

My first experience with Dim Sum was in Chinatown in Los Angeles.  What I did not know at the time was that those Hong Kong restaurants were the models for the American restaurants their dim sum, the Chinese restaurant in LA would not have been there if it were not for those that came before on the other side of the world, where it is hand down the best of the Dim Sum.  All Dim Sum restaurants are usually large wide open rooms, filled with the waiters pushing the carts around and a noisy clang and clatter.  It is a bit of a chaotic experience.

When it is your first experience at Dim Sum, it may serve you well to bring a group of friends along with you.  This is after all a group meal traditionally, and in this way, you and your friends order a bit of everything, allowing you to taste more of the variety that is offered on the menu.  One of the restaurants that is known throughout the city as being one of the best of the best is Cuisine Cuisine.  Many of the top chefs of Hong Kong are making the dishes here that are traditional Dim Sum recipes.  However, the setting is very modern, set atop one of the skyscrapers of downtown, close to some of the best Hong Kong hotels, and the view of the harbour is spectacular.

Menus have become more popular in Dim Sum restaurants, and the push carts are no longer as commonly used as they once were, so the menu could be a bit intimidating for anyone who does not speak the language.  Most restaurants now operate in the same way that sushi restaurants do, by handing you a card that you tick off what it is you would like to order.  The menus, written in a foreign language, are also quite expansive, and while some may offer English translations, many do not.

At Cuisine Cuisine most of the staff are fluent in English, so for the English speaking customers this is a plus.  There are many dishes that are vegetarian, however there are many that are made with a variety of meats.  So it is best to consult the waiter, for you may not be interested in accidentally getting a plate of deep fried chicken feet set in front of you.  There are of course many other restaurants to choose from in Hong Kong for Dim Sum, this is the birthplace of the traditional feast, so you really can not go wrong with any choice you make.