For a taste of New York in Atlanta, go to ‘Slice’, a pizza bar where you can get a big slice of pizza, a good mixed drink and have a great time socializing. Any night at Slice is a good night; the DJ spins the hottest and latest eclectic neo soul hip-hop tunes. At the same time the atmosphere is laid back but plush; cutting edge but technology, sleek furniture and warm lighting, and the best place to have great conversations with the well-healed, friendly and very fashionable locals.

Slice is located at 59 Peters Street SW in the Castleberry Hill section of town and also in downtown at 85 Poplar Street, but the one in the Castleberry Hill area feels as if it’s a hidden secret in the city while being well known. The joint gets packed and the pizza is constantly good. If you’re staying at any of the Atlanta hotels , check out Slice and try the Double Decca Becca slice, which pretty much has every topping, or the Raging Agee, which has chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese and pepperoni, you won’t be sorry you did; it’s very tasty. If you’re into sweet and salty, order the KP on a Platter, which is apricot, cream cheese, smoked turkey and mozzarella, this slice of heaven will satisfy your palette for days!

If you go to Slice during the day, there will be seating available, but on the weekend nights, it’s standing-room-only, but still order a slice of pizza! It’s worth standing up for.

Scottsdale has some of the premiere cultural attractions in the greater Phoenix area, and the Center for Performing Arts is a great example of them. It is located in one of the prime cultural centers of the city and the center is surrounded by great restaurants and popular nightclubs. It is also conveniently close to some of the city’s best shopping and the old town art gallery district. Popular contemporary restaurants like AZ 88 are the perfect place to enjoy a great meal before walking across the promenade to enjoy a performance at the center.

The five star hotels Scottsdale will have excellent information on the upcoming performances at the Center as well as other top establishments in the city. Some of the Center’s featured performers include Hiromi, The Manhattan Transfer, as well as Steve Martin and John Lithgow. Some of the top performances scheduled for this fall include a concert by the Venice Baroque Orchestra, Doc Severinson and Viver Brasil. And don’t forget there are also some great nightclubs in the area and you may be inspired to go dancing after some of these dynamic performances. Or you might want to wind down and talk about your evening over a nice glass of wine at the Backstage Bistro and Bar.

Miami has some great areas to shop while visiting the city. For the avid shopper, this is a must do while staying in the city. Take a break from the wind blown beaches and spend some time browsing the shops in areas like Lincoln Road South Beach . If you are staying in the south beach area of Miami you will have a straight shot walk to the Rodeo Drive of Florida.

South Beach’s Lincoln Road has become the very vision of what the original developer, Carl Fisher, had in mind. He wanted a shopping area that was filled with luxurious stores and galleries. It has always been a top shopping are for the city since the 1930′s. Each generation makes the street front more luxurious than the last.

It is a street that is closed to driving traffic allowing people to walk freely without the worry or the  noise of car traffic. There are many wonderful shops as well as restaurants, cafes and clubs. This is a great spot to find a nice out door cafe for lunch or a romantic dinner. If you decide to make a whole day of it there are some spa salons, movie theatre and free WiFi if you need it. Take a break from the beach front of the 5 star hotels miami is known for and get some shopping done.

Miami has been rising consistently over the past decade as a world class city in terms of art. There are galleries and events in town that serve the local population, bringing them beautiful objects and provocative ideas. They also serve out of town guests, staying to enjoy the Miami luxury hotels and to check out what else the town might have to offer. More frequently, too, the work here has been pushing for international recognition, and it’s getting it.

That’s good news for the city’s artists, as well as for the audiences that benefit from a thriving art scene. It does take a village to make this kind of thing happen, and places like Miami’s Eazy Street Gallery are here to make it happen with style and energy. Eazy Street is a non-traditional space, and its rooted in the community in deep and exciting ways.

Last February, they participated as the first city for the 9th annual Art Battles Live . This event puts artists against each other to create work side by side in front of a live audience. ArtBattles is a larger collective that works to break down barriers among artists and galleries from all over. Miami’s connection to this operation is just another wonderful way of making something happen, in a city where wonderful things happen all the time.

New York City is a tough place to raise kids, but there’s something about the city that makes everyone at least a little bit funny. It’s impossible to live here without a sense of humor, and if one doesn’t have it, experience will build it in to the hard wiring. When it starts to happen, it’s a wonderful thing to see, because anyone who has an appreciation for life’s little absurdities is destined to live at least a little bit longer, or fuller.

The rising star that keeps on rising, Regina Hall was born in Washington, DC, but went to school in Manhattan, where NYU put her on the road toward a very busy life on movie and television sets. The time in New York was just enough to make her love it. Like anything that turns out well, New York would probably like to take credit for her sense of humor, too, but it’s apparent that her particular gift for provoking laughter is entirely self-propelled.

She’s been on a rather impressive roster of television shows, including Alley McBeal and NYPD Blue, but it’s her time spent on the sets of the Scary Movie movies that have gotten her the most recognition. It also may be what’s gotten her a boyfriend, as she and Damon Wayans have been seeing each other for what’s almost a decade now.

Visitors to the city can certainly come equipped with their own senses of humor, but they’re not a requirement for visiting the five star hotels Manhattan boasts. The city does start to rub off on everyone, just a little, even in a short amount of time. While few people might turn out leaving the city as funny as Regina Hall, or with the same apparent secret connections with the fountain of youth, there’s plenty of magic here that everyone will love.

Seattle, Washington, is a theater town. With at least 125 companies operating in the area, Seattle has the greatest ratio of theaters to person than just about any other city in the nation — from the Actors Theatre of Orcas Island to the Young Americans Theater Company. The area even has its own organization, known as Theatre Puget Sound , formed thirteen years ago in 1997 to promote a healthy theater community and to strengthen that community through various resources and programs, working hard to raise theatre visibility of the region to local, national, and even international levels. The honor of the oldest theater in Seattle, though, goes to The Moore Theater .

The Moore Theater, just blocks away from the Pike Place Market and some of the top Seattle hotels , was built in 1907 on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Virginia, establishing that area as the film and theater district of the city. The architecture of this building may be simple on the outside, but the inside retains an opulence that confirms its reputation as one of the nation’s most beautiful theaters. There’s a grand lobby containing marble, onyx, stained glass, carved wood and mosaic floors. A fresco of the Muses of Drama and Music is on the ceiling, with rose and gold colors. On opening night, in 1907, 2,500 people attended a performance of a play titled “The Alaskan,” which was a comic opera written and produced locally. Later, the play moved on to Broadway for a short run.

Over the years, the Moore Theater’s fortunes waxed and waned; it hosted the Orpheum vaudeville circuit, presenting performers from across America and Europe. During the 50s and 60s, the theater was the place for travel films, boxing matches, and special events. Still struggling in 1974, the venue was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and local film lovers remodeled and reopened the building as the Moore Egyptian Theater, and it became a place to show foreign and revival movie theaters and became the first home to the first Seattle International Film Festival .

Today, the oldest theater in Seattle is a place for community events, such as lectures and meetings, local performances as well as touring comedians and musicians. For those who love theater and architecture, the Moore is well worth a look.

Everyone goes on vacation to feel relaxed but some times the idea of traveling brings a lot of added stress. This is especially true for the LGBT community . Usually as long as one is in their home element they know how others will perceive them and don’t have to consider the opinions of strangers. Everyone has a right to enjoy their vacation and thankfully many cities have become much more accommodating to those individuals with alternative lifestyles. Whether you are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender there is certain to be a perfect destination spot for your tastes.

Miami is just such a city. It’s not as well associated with the community as San Francisco or New York but there’s a growing local community. Miami’s residents tend to be very open-minded and very receptive. Where there is a local community there’s generally wonderful places that have developed to cater to the needs of them. In the case of the LGBT community this means an abundance of clubs, bars, festivals, and other events and businesses that promote pride.

The South Beach gay community is one of the largest in the United States, so Miami tourist attractions and services specially tailored to suit the communities needs have been developed. This has helped Miami, Florida to become one of the primary tourist destinations for homosexuals in the world. In fact, scattered throughout South Beach are many things to do geared towards the gay and lesbian population of Miami and events occurring every day of the week. Just some of the businesses you’ll find catering to the LGBT crowd are night clubs, bars, shops and a handful of boutique Miami hotels .

There are a handful of events year round that are popular destinations for those who come to Miami to network with like minded individuals. Though most of these happen early in the year there is the annual White Party in November where participants enjoy a week of fundraisers and parties in the spirit of raising HIV awareness and funding the fight against it. You don’t have to wait until then though to come out and show your pride or just come to meet people and relax.

Palm Springs, California is one of the beautiful and famous, though also quiet and peaceful communities in the southern portion of the state. It also happens to be one of the popular tourist destinations and attracts people from all over the world. The city has a large number of galleries and museums and there are numerous cultural attractions and entertainment options. In addition, the geography that surrounds Palm Springs is extremely enticing for hikers, climbers and off road recreational drivers. And while a Palm Springs best hotel is the perfect place for a quiet getaway, there is just too much to do and see in this city to stay in your hotel room for long.

One of the great things about vacationing in Palm Springs is that it is extremely family friendly. There are plenty of attractions that are suited for and intended specifically for the maximum fun of children. Boomer’s Park and the Children’s Discovery Museum are great places to take the kids while young adults, as well as adults of all ages and levels of maturity, will enjoy an afternoon horse ride and a walk through the Living Desert. And Joshua Tree National Park is just outside of the city and easily accessible for a day trip.

Boomers Park provides acres of fun and activities for people of all ages. There is a great miniature golf course and the bumper boats are extremely popular. There is a climbing wall for those interested in giving it a try and the game room in Boomer’s will keep the entire family entertained for hours. The Children’s Discovery Museum is a great way to inspire the imagination and creativity young people and also to introduce them to the wonders of the desert. Many of the exhibits are interactive and the rope maze and gravity ball fall are particularly popular. There is even a wall for young people to learn the sport of rock climbing.

With so much to do in Palm Springs, it is difficult to imagine going there to relax, though many people do.

This coming year is a very important mark in the history of theater in the Southwest, with a silver anniversary pending. There’s little doubt that they’ll make it to 2011, even though it’s a time when a lot of theaters are forced to close their doors forever. Borderlands Theater will survive at an unusual time, because it’s an unusual place. By recognizing their geography, demographic, and history, they’ve been able to construct art forms that speak to the place, people, and moment. That’s one of the tricky things about a theater, but the founders of Borderlands had an idea that happened to mesh with all of the right conditions to make it work.

It hasn’t been an easy time, and there’s never been a season without its enormous challenges, and concerns about survival. That’s part of the whole plan, however, and doing work that’s challenging and provocative always means there’s going to be difficulties. It’s one of the most remarkable things about the company, and Barclay Goldsmith, one of its founders and the artistic director, is himself a kind of metaphor for the company. One would never expect that the mild-mannered, thoughtful, and kind leader would also be up for a fight of any kind. But real artistic vision needs to be able to challenge and push through to get to the gold, and he’s got vision.

Here the gold is a metaphor, and at Borderlands , one gets the sense that it’s related to identities, to living in a place where there are multiple identities, and learning how to take them all in. Here, right action is engaged with the community, and there are historical precedents for everything, and it’s theater’s mission to keep people from forgetting. Tucson is a favorite spot for visiting the Old West and hiding out from the world. With its exciting downtown scene, and luxury Tucson hotels , there are splendid distractions from the world at large. But this theater is a place that provides brilliant entertainment, and when one leaves the theater, a way to recognize that the world at large is indeed right here.

Killeen, Texas is generally considered to be a city with a moderate atmosphere and a tendency to remain calm and under the main Texan spotlight radar. Fort Hood is located just outside of the city and is one of its main claims to fame. Of course when Elvis Presley was stationed there he lived in Killeen for a short period of time and quickly became the most famous resident that city had ever known, or probably ever will. Really, how many cities are there out there that can claim a resident of the same celebrity status as Elvis Presley ? He was after all the king of rock and roll. And while many of the guests who are staying in one of the hotels Killeen may be unaware of this fact when they arrive in town, it is likely they will know of it by the time they leave. Among all of his other impressive traits, Elvis Presley tended to leave his mark on all of the places he stayed.

Presley was only at Fort Hood for six months during training after which he left for Germany. And aside from the occasional rock star that comes through basic training, Fort Hood is a standard military base. Well it is also one of the largest United States military installations in the world, which also sets it apart. And prior to the official breakup of the Soviet Union, it was recognized as the largest military base in the entire free world. The base and Killeen are located between Austin and Waco and are about an equal distance from both. The post was named after the Confederate General John Bell Hood. It is structured in three basic sections that consist of the main cantonment, North Fort Hood and West Fort Hood. The main cantonment is on the Killeen side and could almost be considered that edge of the city’s boundary.

Traveling outside of your hotel can be hard. You don’t know where to look or what to do. There are so many sights to see and things to do in New York that it is hard to choose any one thing to do. There is an easier way to travel about New York though. It is the Essential New Yorker Pass and for around seventy five US dollars you get free admission into a number of tours which you can hop on and hop off of at will. These tours get you all over the city, to various events, sights and to all the tourist things any person could ever want to see.

Included in the package is also a chance to do the Night Tour or the Holiday Lights tour if it is that time of the year. This isn’t a hop on hop off tour, but it is still a lot of fun. The night tour takes you around New York, in and out of neighborhoods and shows you all the glimmering lights of the city that never sleeps. The cool thing about this is that it happens after the other tours have ended, so by jumping on this tour you aren’t missing out on anything else.

The three hop on hop off tours and the uptown loop, the downtown loop and the Brooklyn Loop. There are a number of stops between the three of them that any tourist would want to go to, and finding a stop onto one of the loops is easy from most boutique Manhattan hotels . Some of the main stops include Central Park, the Theater district, Rockefeller Plaza, Fifth Avenue, American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Botanic Garden, Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, Financial District, and Times Square but there are so much more on top of just that. There are stops that are bridges between the tours, and although each full sized loop is around two hours each there are numerous buses that go by every ten to fifteen minutes or so to pick people up so there is never any worry about missing a bus.

Although sailors just don’t seem to see mermaids as much as they used to, they’re still around. The notion that the sirens of the sea, who would call to men from the water, and make them have dreams that would drive them crazy out on the open ocean, is one that is both charming and a little curious. Is it really, as some theorize, a hallucination, where manatees are confused with people, because of their size, and their sounds that carry so strangely over distances? Or is it something else entirely, causing the hallucination, born out of some desire to see something seductive on the open waves? Or perhaps it speaks to something else, something much older that remembers something we no longer have access to?

The answers to these questions can run in multiple directions, but the popularity of entertainers like the Miami Mermaids suggests that it’s still pretty strong in the minds of the general population. For that act, there are 2 women and 1 man who dress as mermaids and can entertain at parties, in swimming pools and on land. They were also the winners of a vampire viral video competition, again suggesting that the appetite for myth is still very strong.

It is something that’s much more frequent in places near the ocean, so Miami is the perfect place for popularity of the image. Excellent clubs and five star hotels in Miami are built to make people feel calm and comfortable, and this makes for a fantastic daydreamy atmosphere, when the idea of mermaids sounds perfectly wonderful. There are also cultural myths at work here that contain images of mermaids from a very ancient time. The notion of a goddess that rises out of the waves, bringing out the romance in everyone, is one that goes back thousands of years, and it’s time has not run out, not by a long shot.

Philadelphia is a great city to explore vast reservoirs of world culture. There are plenty of neighborhoods with enormously rich and complex histories, and it’s a kind of feeling of vertigo to see a past and a present in one glance. What’s happening now, culturally, in the city, is a logical progression from its past. At first glance, however, there’s nothing logical about it, because the roots are underground, or in the bricks.

It has fascinated visitors for generations, and today, as one of the largest cities in the country, has room for infinite new fascinations. That’s just one reason why, for anyone planning a vacation and looking for a great hotel, Philadelphia has something worth investigating. It’s always been a great city for music, with a very diverse ethnic mix that brings all their traditions to a very energetic scene. New things get discovered all the time, where innovations of the here and now mix with the best of the last generation.

It’s also vibrant and young enough that new artists are able to find some support in trying out new things. It is a tough town, however, and there are residents here with very worldly tastes, so only the cream rises. That seems to be exactly what is happening with the local band head . They’ve been performing to the amazement and satisfaction of local audiences for a couple of years, and seem to have it honed to where national exposure is in the works.

Their album Look without Seeing got fantastic critical acclaim, reinforcing what the fans have known all along. It’s on the heavier side of rock, and the blaring is as tight as blaring can get. There is also an enormous sophistication here, thanks in no small part to the exquisite voice of Lexi Greene. Her complex and angst-ridden lyrics also resonate with a literate crowd along with the usual suspects, making for a lovely ride.

Pattaya became popular as a tourist destination in the early 1960s, and it hasn’t faltered since. It’s one of those perfect dream settings, a tropical city with a lot of beach. Thai culture is a fascinating thing all on its own, but when it starts to mix with the other cultural traditions, brought by travelers and expats, it becomes something very complex. This is just one of the many interesting things about Pattaya, and it’s easy to lose a day watching people interact, and getting the feel of the place. The best way to see it, however, is to just jump in and start enjoying. It’s not difficult.

It’s almost something of a cliche to mention the motorcycles and scooters in Thailand. They are everywhere, and all the time. Like in many other parts of the world, the idea of riding two-up is just the beginning, and it’s not at all unusual to see whole families on one little scooter. It’s also not unusual to see large men and women, clad in leathers, riding Harleys and other bikes around the city and the back roads. Motorcycle culture is very big all over this part of the world, and Pattaya has a number of motorcycle clubs .

Don’t be alarmed, because the clubs here are by and large rather friendly, and devoted to riding to the next big beach party, rather than enacting scenes from the Wild One. With names like the Bandidos , Mad Dog , and the Jesters, however, it does seem like something out of the post-beatnik era. The members are composed of expats, and often locals, too, and there is the same love of freedom and adventure that life on the road can offer. Here, however, there are very local twists, where the love of pleasure is much more good-natured, and they even do charity events.

One can also find plenty of places to rent a bike here. And it’s kind of a wonderful feeling to wake up in a hotel in Pattaya , come downstairs, and start up your bike to begin another day in paradise.

Once you arrive in Copenhagen, you’ll notice that its a place full of zest and life, and you’ll want to experience this pulsating cosmopolitan capital of Denmark with the cOPENhagen Card. With the cOPENhagen Card, you’ll be on the move constantly and will get to see the most fasinating sites this city has to offer without hassles of booking or buying.

With a cOPENhagen Card you’ll get free entry over 60 museums and attractions, like the Demarks Aquarium, the Falkonergarden, the Louisiana , the Thorvaldsens Museum, Tivoli, the Frederiksborg Slot National Historical Museum and Castle, and so much more. You’ll also get free transportation by bus, Metro, train and to and from the airport. The Card will get you discounts on restaurants like the Encore Cafe and Brasserie or the O’Leary’s Sportsbar, rental cars, bike shops, the Hop-on Hop-off bus tours and the canal tours.

Many hotels , camp grounds and youth hostels sell the cOPENhagen Card as well as this main website , if you order your Card online, you’ll need 10 days minimum to receive it in the mail. You can also purchase the Card at tourist offices located all through Denmark like the tourist information offices that is across from Tivoli, or at the airport and all the major train stations. The cOPENhagen Card has two options to choose from, a 24 hour card and a 72 hour card. Adults (16 and older) $31 DKK ($6 US), $16 ($3 US) children for a 24 hour card and for a 72 hour card – $ 62 DKK ($11 US) for adults and $30 ($5 US) for children. The cOPENhagen Card comes with a comprensive guide for free, which includes a map of the city and detailed informations on all the museums and attractions. The cOPENhagen Card is the best way to explore and will help you find that this city is full of suprises and contrasts.

Everyone knows that it is one of the biggest problems in California, and they happen every year. Wild fires kill many people and it is time to increase the number of people and amount of equipment available to respond to thee fires. Schwarzenegger made a very nice speech before signing a bill to do just that.

Well the summer is coming up and it is time to check out what Manhattan is offering up in the way of entertainment. There are always the Broadways shows as well as lots of Off Broadway theatre to catch. These can be enjoyed all year round. Now that it is summer how about some outdoor action.  There are lots of free concerts held in Central Park. Check out the Central Park SummerStage which is at the Rumsey Playfield at 69th Street and 5th Avenue. For other free concerts in New York in the summer get up really early and head over to the Rockefeller Center on a Friday morning. This is were they host the Today Show Summer Concert Series and one can see some amazing performers. Looks like the summer of 2010 they will have Christina Aquilera, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry and many more.

There are some great summer deals that can be found in print like the New York City Summer Event Guide. They can clue you into some great restaurant deals that are going on. Nice to be able to get some good deals even if you are a visitor staying at one of the many hotels around Manhattan. The deals to just apply to the locals. One just has to know were to look for them.

The Lincoln Center is also throwing out some great show with the Mozart Orchestra as well as other orchestras that are visiting. They open their stage up to all sorts of ensembles, solo performers as well as dance and opera. Check out some of the line up for the summer of 2010 here .

During the day and evening there are some great street festivals that are happening all over Manhattan. The Fourth of July seems to be the time when they kick off most of the festivals in the city. For two months it seems there is a never ending stream of festivals going on every where. The nice thing here is that its free to wander and enjoy.

There has been a lot of debate lately since the photos were first put up as to whether this was the real 4G Iphone, a cheap knockoff, or a hoax all together. Photos were posted up saying that a normal person had found an iPhone, and that it wasn’t like any iPhone we had seen yet. Other people offered that it couldn’t possibly be the real thing and have been berating the poster ever since, but there are a few people who stand with him. The real question is how likely is it really for this to have happened.

One of the nicknames for the city of Charleston, South Carolina is the Holy City. This is a pretty incredible nickname and one that most cities wouldn’t dare to touch. However, Charleston is affectionately referred to as such due to the amount of churches that exist on its streets and the prominence of steeples that dot the low rise cityscape. This is really an incredibly symbolic aspect of the city and is somewhat representative of the fact that Charleston, originally known as Charles Towne, was one of the few cities that was established during the colonial period and was part of the original thirteen and tolerated religious freedom for the French Huguenot Church . In addition, the city was one of the only ones from the thirteen colonies that allowed Jewish people the right to freely practice their faith. These aspects alone could account for such an impressive nickname, though the churches found within it certainly support the idea. The beautiful churches, temples and synagogues of the city are one of the first things noticed by tourists staying in one of the local hotels .

It is no surprise that some of the churches located in this city are incredibly beautiful and many of them are also historic landmarks. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the French Protestant Church are just two among the many. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is an amazing building that has stood tall as a beacon to many throughout the years. The church building itself was built, or rather the cornerstone to it was placed in 1850, though the land was purchased for it in 1821. The French Protestant Church, also known as the French Huguenot Church is another amazing building and it is located on the corner of Queen and Church Streets. The congregation is made up of individuals from all denominations and it is an independent church. They embrace all believers in Christ and do not restrict their services to those of Huguenot ancestry.

One of the most romantic trips I’ve ever taken occurred exactly three years ago. Well, three years ago on the fifteenth of March, that is. It was my third anniversary and my husband and I actually returned to our honeymoon location. It was in Miami, Florida, and while we had an incredible time on this trip and Miami is a beautiful and dynamic city, I have to say that our honeymoon was still the best vacation we have ever been on. Of course a lot of that had to do with the simple fact it was our vacation, but there was actually a lot more to it than that.

For starters, my husband had booked a great room in a luxury villa and it was so quiet and romantic I could have spent the entire week right there. Plus there was a great lounge right there on the property that featured a cool piano player who performed every night. But of course we didn’t want to spend our entire trip at the villa, thought it would have been incredible, and we ventured out to some of the fabulous clubs and cultural attractions of the city. One of the places we found was a nightclub called Nocturnal . It was a major dance and party atmosphere club, which was a lot of fun though we also enjoyed some of the quiet and less populated places we encountered.

One of our favorite activities, which we actually just repeated, was a cruise around the bay. It was absolutely gorgeous and it occurred on this double level yacht that gave the tour a sense of elegance and refinement. After the tour we walked around the beach and then found a great little Cuban restaurant for dinner. Maybe that was part of the reason that first trip was so awesome. We just sort of wandered around for the most part and kept stumbling across these incredible places. The Cuban place was called Versailles and it was in the Little Havana neighborhood. It wasn’t that fancy and actually the food was pretty inexpensive. It was great though. And we arrived just as the sun was beginning to go down. It’s odd, I had forgotten about that place until just now. I really wish we had gone back, but maybe next time. I love the idea of just letting things roll and being surprised by our unexpected and great encounters.

Most people have great memories from their school age years. Think back to your earliest memories. Most people can still remember playing in the schoolyard during recess; eating lunch in the cafeteria and trying to sneak pass the hall monitors when late to class. How about the day’s lesson? What? Yes, the day’s lesson, you know, what the teacher was talking about while she was standing up n front of the class all day. Most people have no recollection of what their teachers tried so hard to beat into their brains every day. Can you recall the names of the different types of rain clouds? How about the different species of trees in the forest? All of these things went in one year and out the other, and for those that were lucky, stayed in long enough to pass the test.

Now that the new generation is here and fighting the same boredom in the classroom, it is time to get innovative and bring something new to the table. Lets face it, with the number of children diagnosed with spectrum disorders, ADD , ADHD, and learning disabilities, it is time to reach them on their level. It is not the time to stick our heads in the sand and let the chance of a real education pass our youth by. The Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii is making a change and bringing excitement back into the classroom! Students are guaranteed to pay attention to their innovative and lively presentation. The Zoo offers a variety of ways to get children, and students involved. You can sign up your child for ‘backstage’ classes twice a year to learn about the care of the animals as well as diet and habitat. You can book a hotel Click Here and give your child a great vacation and educational experience. A Zoo representative can also come out to the classroom and give a presentation for any grade level. All presentations are in line with state curriculum guidelines . It has never been easier for a teacher to add a little to their lesson!

When I was in college I was a member of a food co-op.  The place was called the Gentle Strength Health Food Coop, and until about ten years ago it was the only place to find organic fruits and vegetables, as well as anything else one would want to buy from the grocery store.  The one catch, the one element that made this place different from all the other stores in the city at the time, was that nothing was sold and no products were carried, which contained artificial anything.  For many years, a large portion of the population still bought their fresh produce in corporate markets, unaware that there was an option to pesticides.  The years past and the larger, corporate health food chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s moved into town, and the co-op and its organic market went out of business.  There is a parking lot there now, where the forty year old small store used to stand.

I needed to get back to this kind of life.  I wanted out of the city, and although Trader Joe’s is great, I wanted a real garden, a real farm.  I had heard of the Terhune Orchards in Princeton, New Jersey so I booked a flight and booked a hotel and was off.  During the two generations of Terhunes who ran the farm, it had had only three kinds of fruit trees, apples and peaches with a few pear strewn here and about.  But in 1975 a Pam and Gary Mount bought the orchard and turned it into a farm.  Now everything from fresh herbs to tomatoes to squash and peas can be bought here.  The catch is though…you won’t find your produce polished to a nice shine.  You won’t be hit by the tiny sprinklers as you pick out the best zucchini and you won’t smell dirt.  At the Terhune Orchards and Farm, you “pick your own”.

You pick your produce from the plants and the trees, and you dig your potatoes out of the dirt.  The couple had spent many years in the Peace Corps, and the notion of sustainability is something they brought back with them when they returned to the States.  When traveling through Princeton in the summer time, this is a great place to stop off and pick a basket of strawberries.  For working vacations, many people take a few weeks, live on the farm and work the fields.  In the ever growing corporate world, it gives one peace of mind to know that there are still places to get away from it all, in order to get back to what is real and to what is important.

The Burnham Tavern is located in Machias, Maine and is one of the many historical sites located in any of the towns and cities of the state.  This tavern was built during 1770, and was the meeting point for the local and regional patriots during the times of the American Revolution.  Today there aer exhibits that illustrate the history of the region during the 1700′s through the 1800′s.  The furniture is the furniture of a time when the United States was in its infancy as a nation, and the design is a great example of the technology and style of the time period.  And just as the tavern does on the whole, many of the individual pieces have their own unique stories and histories.

Many great hotels in the town reflect this same sensibility and give one the feeling that they may be stepping back in time.  The time of the Tavern’s early days, marked a time when the people of the country were put into difficult situations, often times forced to sell goods and services to the British troops, of which the American soldiers were at war.  If they did comply with this, they faced the wrath of the British commander, Lieutenant Moore and faced a live of poverty and starvation.  However if they did comply they were seen as traitors.

Originally called the Tap Room, the tavern was owned by Job Burnham.  This is where the American settlers would gather to have discussions and debates, over the actions that should be taken against the British troops and against Commander.  This establishment is now on the list of the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Historic Site.  It is open to the public, to the history buffs who are not only interested in the history of Machias, but in the history of the birth and the development of the entire country of the United States.

In Los Angeles, there’s a home above Hollywood built in the early 20th Century that’s a private club for magicians.  It’s known as the Magic Castle, and features five unique performances a night of magic and comedy.  It’s a place all magicians revere, and a place the public loves to come — if they can find a magician to give them a ticket to get into the exclusive club.  If you don’t have a coupon from a magician, or are at least accompanied by a magician, you don’t go inside.  However, on the other side of the country, in Miami, Florida, you’ll find magic and comedy available just by going on line and purchasing a ticket.  Known as one of the best shows in Miami, it’s Kevin & Caruso’s Magic and Comedy Show.

Augustine “Gus” Caruso and Kevin Jeffrey met each other in school and began doing street performances, later giving way to the Magic and Comedy Show.  Caruso is known for his choreography and constantly changing costumes that he constructs from scratch.  He maintains over 100 costumes and headdresses, all meticulous in detail.  Kevin has worked in magic for over fifteen years and has performed all over the globe his mix of comedy and magic.  Most magicians, by the way, also work in comedy, as its one of the best ways to disarm your audience, relaxing them enough to make the illusion seem perfect.  Raised in Reno, Nevada, his gravitation to show business seems almost an instinctive thing to happen.  He’s constantly putting together new shows.  Like any artist, he considers his work not quite finished, everything a work in progress.

The two performers work out of the Collins Avenue Theater, an intimate venue of only 220 seats and a entrance way that’s hidden.  The little theater has been used for stars of the past who wanted to perform privately for VIPs and officials of the city.  There’s rumors that this place was once a movie house, once a strip club, and who knows what else in-between.  Today, though, it’s the proud home of magic, mystery, and comedy.  All you need do is come to Miami and its fine hotels and reserve a ticket for, as the site proclaims, one of the best shows in Miami.

One of the great things about Rome is its history and significance throughout the centuries. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and certainly ranks among the oldest in the Western world. There are various aspects of the city and society that are reflected in this though it is extremely easy to see in the architecture and art, which represents the greatest artists and architects in world through various time periods. Another historical aspect of Rome that is often extremely enticing to tourists is the dramatic and theatrical history that is associated with it. Seeing one of the ancient Roman plays live and in the city is a great experience for many of the guests in hotels in Rome. And while the ancient works of the Greek and Roman playwrights are often confused and combined into one period and genre, they are in fact two distinct periods of culture and drama, though it is true that Rome borrowed many of the stories and plays from the Greeks, this is a fundamental aspect of all societies throughout history. And there is now denying that the Romans made the theatre and mythology of the time all their own, regardless of where some of the stories may have originated.

One of the signifying differences between Greek and Roman tragedy is the fact that the Greeks did not display major violence on the stage and the Romans loved it. The gruesome details of some of the gory events in Greek plays would occur offstage while the Romans would bring it on in full force. This is a sensational difference that may intrigue some of the audience members at a contemporary performance. And while productions can and will do whatever they want, you can be relatively sure you’ll see more gore from a Roman play than from a Greek. Seneca and Plautus are the two most well known of the Roman playwrights though they were working and living centuries apart. Plautus is well known for his comedies and is believed to have lived between 254 and 184 BC while Seneca is know more for his tragedies and was working much later and in a different social and political environment in the first century AD.

I have been planning this backpacking trip to Europe for some time. I was even given a wonderful map of Europe as a birthday gift by my mom when I first told her of my plans. I had a long list of places I was going to go, but I was absolutely going to start out by traveling to England first. London to be exact. I wanted to see all the tourist attractions, and maybe catch a glimpse of Bob Dylan’s first painting. Next I was going to Cambridge before a stop in Salisbury with Stonehenge. I know it sounds like a whirlwind now, but I’m planning on a more leisurely pace, and finding thing I had never expected as I walk down the streets and through the markets. From there it is France, where as much as I love Paris, I would really rather wander into some of the small towns, and really explore the countryside.

I am most excited about having decided to add some extra time for some of the eastern European countries including Hungary and Romania. Both of these places were inhabited by the Romans, and have some of the most exquisite bath houses you have ever seen. Because many of these places don’t get visited except by the locals, the prices stay really cheap and you can have a whole day of water fun jumping between heated pools, and ice cold ones. The water is always natural and many of them use the same technique to draw it out of the ground as the Romans did when they built the bath houses, even though they have been renovated and given more modern conveniences.

I will be ending my journey in Italy, where I would explore Vatican City, and the great history of artwork that is housed around there. In Rome I will probably explore the Jewish ghettos and There was only one problem with this trip so far, and that was leaving for it. On my drive down to Los Angeles, I began to realize, I really need a map of California. I got lost three times in my one hour drive.

I once heard that there is always something to do in Fort Lauderdale. I think I must have been about twelve when I first heard it. A few of my cousins were over for Thanksgiving, well and other relatives too, and they were all older than I was. I remember one of them talking about his recent trip to Florida and staying in a really cool hotel in Fort Lauderdale. He was a student at the time and went with a few friends for a summer trip between sessions, my cousin always had to catch up some hours over the summer. That was my cousin Bob. I remember I always looked up to Bob and he always seemed to look out for me. He’s married now with three kids and working as a shop foreman back east I think.

Meanwhile, I’m now the college student who continually has to make up hours over the summer and am currently trying to figure out where I can go during my one week off from class this summer. I have two friends, Carl and Terry who want to take a trip too but they’re both talking about going to places like Greece and Spain. Not only can I not afford that but I also don’t have the time. Needless to say neither of them is taking any summer classes. So, I was trying to come up with an agreeable place that they would be happy going to and somewhere that I could actually swing. Suddenly yesterday afternoon my cousin Bob came to mind and I remembered what he said about Fort Lauderdale. Oh yeah, the only thing he said you couldn’t do in Fort Lauderdale was sleep. Gotta love Bob.

So, tomorrow I’m supposed to meet Terry and Carl at the library and I’m going to suggest we go to Fort Lauderdale. I found out the beaches are incredible and we should have a great time even if we did nothing else. And I also noticed that Las Olas Boulevard seems to be the main entertainment hub. We have to visit the Elbo Room. I found it in my searches and now I think I can remember Bob talking about it. The more I look into Fort Lauderdale the more excited I become about going there. Maybe I can make it a college tradition in my family and pass on the great stories to the next generation. Meanwhile I can’t wait to tell Bob that I’m going.

It’s Saturday afternoon in Colorado. After a boys night out, we had to get up very early because Cameran and his guest had to fly back. After a delicious German breakfast, boiled eggs, fruit, bread, jam and coffee we all left our wonderful guest home, thanks Cameran for letting us stay the night. Rene and I had packed our car once again and headed onward north.

A little bit after Denver, which gave us a beautiful view of the Great Plains to our right and to our left the Rocky Mountains, we stopped at Fort Collins where the Colorado State University is located. We stopped here for the night, because this college was Rene’s parents Alma-mater and where they married back in 1970. We walked around campus and we’re pretty sure we found the apartment complex where they first lived after they got married.

We found a coffee shop called the Alley Cat Cafe, which is open 24 hours and we decided to book us a room for the night, so we took advantage of the free wi-fi offered by the coffee shop and found this wonder site: hotel fort collins, and managed to find a great hotel not far from where we were and at a great rate.

Tomorrow, we plan to drive on to Yellowstone National Park, but we knew there’s no way we’d make it there by today. After we spent some more time at the coffee shop, we walked around a bit more. Fort Collins is really a great college town. It was great to see where Rene’s parents met and married. Now that her parents have passed-on, I could tell this little side trip to Fort Collins made Rene feel reflective and oddly enough at peace. I think it will be a great time for me to propose to Rene tomorrow morning, before we leave.

If you are an outdoor sport enthusiast than you would think that David Edward Jackson was famous. He is one of the trappers that originally found a good hunt in the Grand Teton Mountain area called Jackson Hole. There are some fabulous hotels in Jackson click here to rest up for some amazing outdoor adventures. The area is famous for its hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, skiing and any other outdoor sport for any season you can think of. The old down town is famous for its deer antler archways and old western town restaurants and saloons.

It all made me think of famous people that have put there mark on the world named Jackson. In the early years you have names like Stone Wall Jackson who was a Confederate General in the American Civil War. He was born Thomas Jonathan Jackson and got is Stonewall name after his performance in the First Battle of Bull Run. Andrew Jackson is another famous American who was of course the seventh President of the United States. Another political character in modern times is the Reverend Jesse Jackson. He is a Baptist minister that has been a loud voice for civil rights.

You can’t talk about famous Jackson’s without mentioning the entertainers that have this last name. There are some actors such as Kate Jackson who played the character Sabrina Duncan on the popular 70s show Charlie’s Angels.  Samuel L Jackson is an actor that has been seen in over a 100 films with blockbuster names like Die Hard with a Vengeance and Jackie Brown. Then you have musicians such as Joe Jackson and Jackson Brown. The Jackson five were a brother band of singers that had an extra bright star Michael Jackson. Then there was their little sister Janet Jackson who made a name for herself a pop diva.

A few years ago, my East Coast grandmother visited from Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  My sister and I picked her up at the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, and when she stepped into our view we knew we were in for one crazy week with grandma.  She was dressed in full “cowgirl” regalia, a bright red shirt with fringe, a red cowboy had, white polyester bell-bottomed pants, and red cowboy boots.  We love our grandmother, but at that moment we were both very pleased to know that she would be staying in one of the best Phoenix hotels, and not with either of us, as grandma in small doses was good, but grandma 24 hours a day would be a bit much.

She seemed to be caught in time long past when she thought about Phoenix.  She had never been to the city before and was seriously expecting Cowboys and Indians to be riding their horses along next to our car as we sped down I10.  She made it perfectly clear that she wanted to do “Western” things during her visit, so that night my sister and I planned out a bit of our itinerary with grandma.  We went the first day to the Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle monuments.  We hiked a bit, but for the most part wandered through the museums at both locations.  The next day we gave her a bit of a thrill by taking a drive along the Apache Trail, a winding road that takes you past the Tonto National Monument, Saguaro Lake and the Gold Field Ghost Town.

The next two days we spent in town, taking a tour of the Heard Museum, and then walking through the galleries of Scottsdale during the Thursday night Art Walk.  We also looked into a Scottsdale fasting retreat.  Our last night with her, we spent at a place called Rawhide.  This is a replica of an old time western town, with stage coaches and staged gun fights in the street.  The real life cowboys were everywhere, and she was overwhelmed by it all.  As we took her to the airport the next day she claimed how she thought that the my sister and I were real live cowgirls, which made both of us smile on the drive home.