San Francisco is of the major tourist destinations in the US.  It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and features wonderful bay views of the Pacific as well as extensive hilly areas.  It is a liberal city and is a melting pot of cultures.  The city has a rich sporting history and it is renowned for its beautiful Victorian architecture.   It’s a relatively small city with a population of under a million.  However the greater metropolitan area population is over seven million.  The city comprises of a series of districts all with their individual atmospheres.  Some of the popular ones are listed here and are worth including on your driving tour.

No visit to San Francisco would be complete without a trip to the Golden Gate Bridge.  The Presidio Park is nearby for sightseeing.  Heading back into town a stop at Fisherman’s Warf is a necessity.  A walk around the area includes many great restaurants, Pier  39, chocolate at Ghirardelli Square and ferry rides to Alcatraz Island and the famous prison.

Chinatown is nearby and a must for some great food and wonderful sightseeing.  As well as Chinatown, Little Italy is close by for some more amazing food.  Ig you fancy some climbing then Nob Hill and Russian Hill are also within walking distance.  If its shopping and the arts that interest you then head to Union Square.  This is also the financial district.  If something a bit more ‘street’ is to your liking then the Tenderloin is worth a visit.

Moving away from the center the Haight area was famous in the 1960 as being a major hippie area.  This area is still bohemian in many ways and has a fine range of small shops, restaurants and coffee houses.  Close to the Haight district is the Castro a well known gay center and was featured in the movie Milk.

These are just a few ideas if you are thinking of touring around San Francisco.  There are also plenty of options nearby if you fancy driving further afield.  San Francisco is an colorful exciting city and worthy of a visit.

Article provided by San Francisco DUI Attorney

A visit to Banff in Alberta, Canada must include a ride on the Gondola. During the daylight hours, the Gondola offers stunning views of the surrounding Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park as riders climb to the summit of Sulphur Mountain.

At the summit, tourists can visit the summit center which features a restaurant and a giant interactive compass as well as 360 degree views of the Park from the highest viewpoint on the summit. They can also explore the mountaintop in a leisurely fashion. A popular route is the scenic SkyWalk which winds visitors through a one kilometer trail featuring amazing views and the chance to see some of the area’s plant and animal life. More experienced hikers can choose to take the South East Ridge Trail to really explore the area. The mountain is also home to the Cosmic Ray Station National Historic Site of Canada and the Sanson’s Peak Meteorological Station . both of which offer insights into Canada’s past.

For an exciting evening experience, visitors can partake of the Alpine Lights. The package includes a nighttime gondola ride, dinner and musical entertainment. It features a nightly light show which spotlights Banff as well as the incredible mountain in the area.

If you’re planning to go overseas anytime in the near future you need to spend some time investigating visitors insurance . Don’t even consider skipping this part of travel planning. The chance that you may end up needing medical treatment during your trip may be slim, but can you really afford to risk having to pay for that treatment out of your own funds?

You need to focus not on whether to buy insurance, but rather which policy is right for you. Find a reputable insurance company that has been working with overseas travelers for years. They should offer global coverage that is valid in every country as well as policies designed for specific continents or countries for those who know they won’t be globe trotting . There should be special plans available for students, multi-country travel, for senior citizens and for families.

There are common features to all plans, such as emergency treatment for injuries and illness as well as provisions for transfers to other institutions or even evacuation to another country. Those on extended trips should look for plans that include wellness checkups, mental health treatment, and even maternity coverage, if needed. In fact, long term plans should be no different than what you’d expect to buy to cover you at home, because your risk is going to be the same there as here.

The city of New Orleans is one whose reputation always precedes it. Its remarkable, and often very troubled, history is one that can never be fully unfolded. Like the streets in the French Quarter, it is tightly packed and filled with details that spill into every corner of the human story. The nature of the place, with its rich cultural heritage and unique present moment, often means that it is ripe for ghost stories.

Most travelers who come through looking for the best New Orleans hotel do have a taste for the spooky, or at least the unusual. It certainly is one of the most unusual places on the planet, with a lively character that is rather unforgettable, and a draw that is more than a little alluring.

Although some of the ghost stories in the city are rather hair-raising, it’s fortunate that guests can’t stay at Griffin House . The house has a long history of strange events, from captive slaves who were nearly starved to death, to the story of two confederate soldiers who came to a very grim end.

The house on Constance Street doesn’t end here, however, as the ghosts of these two men have been seen for a number of generations now. It’s one of those legacies of the place, where the ghosts provide a spooky backdrop to a city that never stops revealing its remarkable character.

Boston is known as a city of history and education. One of the original 13 colonies, the greater Boston area is home to dozens of universities and colleges as well as countless historic buildings and sites. Most people use the city’s public transportation or walk from place to place, even visitors in Boston boutique hotels have been known to eschew cabs or rental cars to explore the city by foot.

The city has committed itself to becoming more cycle-friendly and the recent Hub on Wheels is a sign the campaign is making tremendous progress. A celebration of cycling, the event drew an estimated 4,700 cyclists as well as supporters and bike enthusiasts. Riding events included pro Criterium races, both mens and womens, as well as 10, 30, and 50 mile rides for amateur bikers. An associated bike expo showcased local bike shops as well as family activites, music, food, and souvenirs. There was a race for kids ages 3-9 and the event included the 2nd Annual Mascot Race

Cyclists who participated in the longer runs were treated to a course that traveled through many of the city’s beautiful and historic neighborhoods and sites such as City Hall Plaza , the Arnold Arboretum, Franklin Park and Stony Brook Reservation. the mens pro race was won by Daniel Holloway of Bissell Pro Cycling, who is the US National Criterium champion. Lauren Tamayo (Peanut butter & Company) won the women’ event in a close sprint.

The 2010 Hub on Wheels was the 3rd annual event held at City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston.

September is the usual month for fiestas. Most are timed to celebrate the anniversary of Mexican independence, September 16th. In Sydney, the Darling Harbour Fiesta is scheduled for October 1st through 4th. This free event will present 70 of the best Latin bands and dance groups, more than 800 performers gracing three stages, as well as parades, food, and much more.

Fans of Latin culture will gather from around the area in Sydney hotels to hear local, national, and international singers and musicians and watch exhilarating dance performances, perhaps even taking to one of the many dance floor themselves. There will even be fifteen different classes in dances from zumba and salsa for those who want to really get into the music. Expect to enjoy flamenco , tango, salsa, rumba, and more. Cecilia Noel , the Latin Tina Turner, is a featured performer, or check out Spain’s Diego Guerro Quintet. Australian performers are led by the Mucho Mumbo Latin Big Band and Son Veneno. The event reaches a highlight with a live performance of Mi Tierra backed up by a dazzling fireworks display.

Other highlights include performances of Capoeira Topazio — Brazilian martial art acrobatics and a daily parade on th eeastern promenade of Cockle bay featuring Capoeira Brasil’s batucada drummers and giant puppets.

When most people think of Las Vegas today, they think slot machines, poker tables, showgirls and great Las Vegas hotels brimming with all walks of life. But, over Labor Day weekend, Vegas came to be known for something unusual: Anime Vegas 7.

The Anime Vegas 7 convention was a great success. Even though it was a smaller Con than the better established Anime Con’s such as the one in San Diego and Los Angeles, this Anime Convention made up for their smallness in other ways. During the 3-day extravaganza, one could see an array of cosplayers (costumed Anime players) braving the 105 degree weather and showing up in their best Anime outfits and costumes. Most Anime Con attendees wore costumes, so much so that if you weren’t wearing a costume, you’d be the odd-one-out.

The Anime Con has an attendance of mostly younger people, late teen to early twenties, but there was a wide range of ages represented. The crowd, even though being mostly young, was very friendly, mellow and all had a great camaraderie with everyone else. Next time you’re in Vegas during one of the Anime Conventions, drop on by, the vibe is warm, supportive and there’s no attitudes being dished out. People were there to have fun and participate in panel discussion, concerts and their mutual love for Japanese animation.

Parents don’t need to worry if their children would like to participate, Anime is all about code-of-conduct, plus children could do a lot worse things in Vegas, so letting them participate all encourages social interaction, which is becoming almost a thing of the past.

Besides all the attractions that the city of Boston can offer its visitors, many people are booking Boston hotels due to it being a significance home to hundreds of universities. Boston seems to be more ancient than the republic, but at the same time it is a very modern hub of high-economy and advance technology.

Students prefer to join any of the colleges and universities of Boston due to the fact that several of them have top world ranking. For example, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): it’s 9th in the world ranking and it pulls thousands of students from the whole world. Harvard University: is the oldest university in the United States and is definitely is on the top of the world ranking with 9 faculties, libraries, a museum and research centers. Boston University: serves approximately 30,000 students with 4,000 faculty members and is considered one of the biggest universities in the world. Boston College : consists of a chain of 9 colleges and schools, it comes in at No. 16 in the world ranking. Boston College offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.

Every college age student dreams to become a part of any of these universities that provide excellent standards of education, which produces leaders and top executives for the world.

It’s a very charming place by the sea, and the town of San Diego has a way of working its magic into the hearts of all of its visitors. It’s a difficult place to forget, because the pace of life here can be more easy. That’s easy to say, however, when one is on vacation, and it’s even easier when the vacation is at a San Diego boutique hotel . There are plenty of things to do to keep busy if one wants to spend some time having a night on the town at a fast pace, and it’s got a good track record for interesting residents who’ve lived interesting lives.

It’s an excellent place to unwind, a fine place to retire, and also, following the tracks of famous stars like Cleavon Little , a great place to get started in a brilliant career. He was born in Oklahoma, but grew up here. He went to San Diego City College, and then onto SDSU for his theatre degree. These college years that followed the formative ones were enough to convince him to move to the east coast and start pushing the limits. His starring role in Blazing Saddles is what people remember most, but there are plenty of television roles, and a lot of theatre work that he left to antiquity.

The art scene in Miami has always been considered promising, with the idea that it’s very young, and that the biggest moment in the past has yet to arrive. Although it might be radically optimistic to think that suddenly the city is on the verge of a big transformation, there might be something worth waiting for. And perhaps it is very soon. For anyone who’s studied alchemy, it seems apparent that the process of turning base matter into gold is fairly consistent, and this city probably is just around the corner from something amazing. It would certainly seem that way when looking at artists like Nicole Soden , who’s track record in making waves in the city is fairly well established.

It’s also an interesting story that’s continuing to develop. Her work has been all over the map, in sculpture, performance, and photography. She’s also the It girl at the Vagabond, and her work with Miami’s Independent Thinkers is taking some provocative directions. For a city that’s used to drawing a large number of visitors to the best Miami hotels , the potentials in art have always been high. It’s always seemed like things could really get going if the young people in town could figure out how to pool resources. It’s starting to happen. And the mysteries of salt are starting to make themselves known, or at least there are hints of patterns here.

Usually religion and science don’t mix unless you’ve traveled to one of the world’s most sacred cities and decided to pay a visit to the Bloomfield Science Museum Jerusalem . This museum is geared to families and schools, and draws on its special location in Israel to tell the story of science.

In the exhibit, “Science is the Story,” children’s literature that was published in Israel (and in the pre-State Israel) over the last 80 years has been brought together to demonstrate principles of technology and science, combining interactive science displays that relate to the literature’s characters and actions. It’s an entertaining way to introduce visitors to scientific notions and the local culture. In other exhibits, children may explore how water is pumped and lifted, or how electricity is the main source of much of technology today.

The museum opened to the public in 1992 and was the result of a collaboration between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Foundation. While many of th one million and three-quarters visitors staying in Jerusalem hotels often visit for spiritual reasons, there’s no reason for them not to make room for an exploration of science, too.

While closed on Sundays, the museum is open Mondays through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; on Fridays and Saturdays it opens at 10 a.m. but closes at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

Most people who visit San Diego are unaware of ‘Old Town’ San Diego. With all the water parks and an internationally famous zoo, Old Town is a destination point easy to miss, but shouldn’t be. Old Town is a beautiful little town with wonderful unique shops and restaurants. It’s the kind of place that lets you relax and take your time as you browse and eat. You can talk directly with the owners of the shops and bargain your way to a great deal.

Old Town is located on San Diego Avenue, right off Interstate 5 and is within walking distance from a great San Diego luxury hotel , history, fun and food. There are about 37 restaurants, an abundance of artisans, galleries, mariachis and a professional theatre. Old Town can boast that Kit Carson helped raise the first American flag in 1846.

Come visit Old Town when all the hype, noise and tourist are driving you crazy. You’ll have a wonderful, peaceful time strolling by jewelry shops, glass shops, Mexican dress shops and then sitting down to eat at Cafe Coyote Mexican Grill Restaurant . Or, if you’re tired of walking, take the Trolley around Old Town, which is free to the public, and operates between 9am to 3pm. You won’t have to fend off the crowds and the view of San Diego ‘new town’, is stunning. Old Town is well worth a visit and a great place to get old style Mexican culture and souvenirs.

The great folk music legend, Christine Lavin, is due back in the Boston area this fall. The concert’s set for September 17, at Center for Arts in Natick , and anyone who’s even slightly familiar with her work is in for a rollicking good time. She may not be a household name, as few folk musicians ever are, but her pedigree in the folk music scene is long and rather illustrious. She taught Dylan a new verse for “This Land is Your Land,” one that she learned from Pete Seeger. She turned down Lawrence Ferlinghetti for a pick-up, and she’s been the kind of person everyone wants to get to know.

That’s not to say famous in the Hollywood sense, where someone’s credentials and contacts offer a promise of some coat-tail riding to the spotlight, but famous in being respected as a person to hang out with. If nothing else, she’s enormously funny, and has never pretended to be anything that she wasn’t. This is old school folk music, and she has a few nods to Boston in her work that makes her something of a local favorite. She writes about so many other things, and places, though, that out of town guests staying at a Boston hotel will also find a bit of themselves in her songs.

Her recent memoir, Cold Pizza for Breakfast has spurred a lot of new, and deserved, interest in her life and her work. The book is a wonderful way into the mind and heart of the singer-songwriter, even though the final picture is a kind of what-you-see-is-what-you-get portrait. She comes off as entirely down to earth, and that’s also how she comes off in concert. And also in person. The down-to-earth quality is, in fact, one of the great trademarks of folk musicians of this school of art. It’s entertainment for the enlightened, and the events are as much about the gathering of people as they are about the person in the spotlight. It’s rather refreshing, and it’s a tradition worth reinventing.

There are a large number of fascinating and intriguing cultural attractions in Atlanta, and they are major enticements to the numerous tourists who visit the city every year. People come from all over and while they have different reasons and main points of interests for their trip, they are usually interested in some of the standard main attractions. The Georgia Aquarium is one of the main attractions and most important establishments in the city. The importance is based on the various conservation and educational programs it has as well as the quality services and events its hosts and supports.

The Aquarium is one of the most popular places to visit for the guests in one of the hotels Atlanta USA . It is located in the downtown area and is easily accessed from the local resorts as well as those that are situated throughout the city. It is a great idea to plan an afternoon of great shopping, dining and sight seeing on the day you visit the Aquarium as this is a vital and progressive downtown region. Keep in mind, however, that you will want to spend a nice chunk of time at the aquarium and you won’t want to cut your stay short.

There are numerous exhibits and galleries in the Aquarium that captivate the imaginations of visitors of all ages. Tropical Diver is one of the new exhibits and it has quickly caught on as one of the most popular attractions. The lecture series at the Aquarium is extremely interesting and also educational. The Breakfast with Biologist series provides a great introduction to marine life and various aspects of working with the fish and animals. Each of the morning lectures focuses on different species and topics, while always providing quality background information. There are also some programs, exhibits and events at the Aquarium that are specifically oriented toward the interests and needs of children. This is definitely one of the best Aquariums in the nation and one of the main attractions for people who are visiting Atlanta.

For a city that offers so much in terms of excellent live entertainment, it’s been difficult at times to find something that can be called the essential New York experience. It’s not that there’s a lack of it, but that it’s been a bit uneven. These are uncertain times, though, and some places open and close quickly, while others are just doing what they can to survive. It’s always been a good deal for the tourist, however, since the performances are geared toward pleasing them. The larger the crowd, the better off the spaces are.

Except. There seems to be a kind of cliched idea of the artist who doesn’t want to make any money, doesn’t want an audience, and doesn’t care. Sometimes that does suggest an attitude that’s just an excuse for making bad work. There is something to the idea of staying small, however, and in Manhattan, the Tank is one of the spaces that’s done a tremendously successful job at avoiding large success. Here, the artistic experience is meant to be very intimate, and one where the delight at seeing something unexpectedly, jaw-droppingly amazing is possible. It’s not that the work of the companies who do spectacles on large scales are bad, it’s just different.

The Tank is certainly different. There are elements of all kinds of performance work going on here, theatre, dance, media, and lots and lots of music. The curatorial team is very honed in on each other and their audience, and selects work that will not only further the artist’s vision by giving it an audience, but also furthers the audiences’ ideas of what art can be. It has a definite air of class that will appeal to out of town guests staying in the five star hotels Manhattan offers, but also a certain element of the hand-made and do it yourself that will keep the thing local. Sometimes small is beautiful.

We all know that Austin is the capital of the state of Texas and it is also frequently considered to be the music capital of the world. And those are both incredibly impressive aspects of the city. However, there is actually a lot more to Austin than what those two primary cultural designation titles would indicate. And when you visit the city it is highly recommended that you check out some of the other fabulous entertainment and cultural attraction options. Of course, it is also recommended you experience some of the city’s live music and even tour the capital building if you like impressive architecture. Meanwhile, here are some examples of other great things to do and see while you enjoy your stay in one of the luxury Austin hotels .

One of things you will probably want to do while you’re in town is to journey along the mains strip of Sixth Street. There are plenty of galleries, great clubs and dining options and the latter two should also cover your introduction to the live music scene. Meanwhile, and on to the other cultural aspects of Austin, there are interesting historic buildings and landmarks such as the French Legation Building . This is one of the oldest homes in Austin and in 1956 it was designated as a museum. Today it remains devoted to sharing and demonstrating the diverse historic culture and society of Austin.

In addition the Austin Zoo and the Botanic Gardens are both impressive, educational and interesting places to visit. The zoo is home to over three hundred animals that represent more than one hundred different species. In addition to the conservation efforts of the zoo, it is also focused on education and is a rescue sanctuary for many animals in need. The Ziker Botanic Gardens is a beautiful area that displays a diverse collection of plant and flower life. The gardens as well as the Austin Area Garden Center, a non profit organization devoted to supporting the botanics, have an ongoing educational mission that is intended to further the love of gardening.

Coral Springs, Florida is one of the state’s southern cities that is continually gaining interest as a primary tourist destination. It is located about twenty miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale. It is within easy access to Lauderdale and other well known south Florida cities and regions and in itself is a beautiful place to visit and plan a family vacation or romantic getaway. Hotels Coral Springs are well accustomed to visitors with various interests, backgrounds and demographic orientations and all populations of people are attracted to it.

It’s easy access to cities like Miami are part of the reason it is so attractive not only to live in but also to visit. It is easy to attend great performances at the Miami Symphony Orchestra or to visit one of the popular night clubs in the city, while returning to Coral Springs for some quiet beauty and relaxation. It is also popular place for residents in the surrounding larger cities to get away for a great weekend. In addition, most of the region is supportive of Miami’s major sports teams and it is a great idea to attend a Dolphins game while enjoying a stay in Coral Springs.

One of the fun local attractions that is based in Coral Springs is the annual Our Town Festival , which occurs during the Christmas season, though sometimes takes place during the spring. The festival features a beauty pageant, a car show and carnival rides, as well as great food and plenty of fun. A larger parade takes place during the festival which is a favorite for many of the attendees. The event was originally established in 1979 and the festival has taken place every year since then. In addition to this, there are numerous other festivals that occur throughout the year and all of them draw large crowds and many of the attendees are from outside the city.

Florida is a romantic state and it is hard not to fall in love over and over again in this state. Despite all the romantic things that can be done in this state, it can still be hard for some people to think of what they want to do for that special moment. Here are a few ideas that can help you find the perfect moment to propose to your significant other.

If you are both Disney fanatics like many of the people these days, one of the best places to do it might be on their favorite ride in Disney World or just propose while you two are watching the fireworks show. This can be done either at the park or from the balcony of one of the 4 star hotels in Florida .

If Disney isn’t really your thing you might want to take a drive down to St. Augustine and stay in a romantic bed and breakfast. Take a horse drawn carriage ride around the small sleepy town and down to the beach where you can set up a small picnic with champagne and propose to her as the sun sets.

Rent out a boat for a few hours. There are a number of great ways that you can turn this moment into the perfect proposal. You can either make the proposal on the bow of the boat, or while on a deserted island populated by just the two of you while the boat sits out in the water. If you can’t afford to rent out the whole boat just take a sunset dinner cruise and propose in the waning evening light or hide the ring in her drink.

If none of these seem like a good idea to you then go to a nice restaurant, or at very least one you know she will like. There are some great restaurants in Little Havana. Use the fun atmosphere as a spring board for asking the question.

Because romance is based on imagination, do you have any imaginative ideas for someone wanting to propose in Florida?

When Shakespeare’s Hamlet tells Ophelia to “Get thee to a nunn’ry,” it’s likely he wasn’t thinking of the Chi Lin Nunnery in Hong Kong, but if he had taken his own advice and spent some time contemplating in the Nan Lian Garden , perhaps he might have had a better time at the end of the play. All he would need do is take the metro and stop at Diamond Hill on the Kwun Tong line. The gardens is only 100 meters away at that point, and there’s no entrance fee. To see it all, the visit should take about an hour and a half, and that includes time at the nunnery, which travelers will find connected to the gardens by a bridge.

Video and picture-taking in the gardens is permitted, although it’s not allowed on the nunnery grounds because the site is an active place of Buddhist worship. The temple complex covers a space of over 33,000 square meters and in addition to the nunnery, there are temple halls and a vegetarian restaurant.

In the temple hall, there are statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the goddess of mercy, Guanyin, and other bodhisattvas. The statues found here are composed of clay, wood, stone, and gold. The nunnery, founded in 1934 was rebuilt in 1990, in the style of the Tang Dynasty (which reigned from 618 A.D. to 907 A.D., preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period). The buildings are wood-frames without any iron nails, using traditional architecture of the Chinese that employs an interlocking system that’s cut into the wood to hold the pieces together. In fact, the Chi Lin Nunnery buildings are the only ones to be built in this style in contemporary Hong Kong.

If you’re not staying in a nunnery, but a Hong Kong hotel , then at least you can visit one and take some peace of mind from the garden, which is designated as a public pleasure ground under the management of the Chi Lin Nunnery. The Garden is separated into five areas, a multi-purpose function room, a vegetarian food restaurant, a Chinese tea house, and an area for light vegetarian refreshment as well as souvenirs from the Tang Gallery. The Garden was built around the idea of water, with fresh water ponds, brooks and falls. You’ll find here rare species of golden carps as well as lotus and ancient rocks that have been taken from riverbeds in China and polished by water over millions of years. Certainly, it is place for even Hamlet to find peace of mind.

You never know who you might run into in Las Vegas. It’s one of the great vacation spots in the world, and it’s never difficult to convince a friend to go when the moment arises. Its location in the desert also means that it’s accessible any time of year, and a very light rainfall makes it easy to enjoy the strip at night during all the seasons. It’s a meeting place for old friends, and it’s also a great place to do a little star-gazing.

The celebrity contingency is always pretty strong here, where there are many famous people doing shows nightly, but it’s also a place where the Hollywood social set likes to go to unwind and escape the pressures of Los Angeles for awhile. Most everyone enjoys spending time at the five star hotels Vegas is famous for, offering a great vantage point to observe who’s who in town on any particular evening.

It’s also a place that attracts aging celebrities, who want to be close to the glitz and the glamour, but at a more reasonable place. Bob Denver, of Gilligan fame, used to live in nearby Henderson, which is also the home of Tony Curtis these days.

His story is truly spectacular, and evolves along many lines like a snake changing skin. Born in the Bronx to Hungarian parents , Curtis had a pretty fast rise to fame in films because of his handsome looks, tough guy accent, and ability to transform into many different characters. He also had a way with his co-stars, where his natural charisma brought out theirs for some amazing performances.

Now well into his 80s, his dark locks are now gone, and he’s looking his age, but he’s also looking as though he’s gracefully moved into it. He makes paintings now instead of films, and the bright colors and Matisse-like style makes him a popular catch for celebrity art collectors. His work is seen in town, and in museums in other cities, marking a brilliant passage from one form into another, with the same energy and charm running through each.

There’s always more to Cincinnati than meets the eye. The roads are easy to navigate, the other drivers have interesting idiosyncrasies that are charming to someone in a very good mood, and the strangest time to be here is during locust season. Fortunately, that only comes every seven years, and the rest of the time there are plenty of fun things to do, and lovely neighborhoods. And never let it be said that there’s no sense of humor in the midwest, because Cincinnati knows how to laugh at things, including itself.

The city holds a number of fantastic attractions, and also has a constant menu of strip malls and Skyline Chili joints. If you’re in the old part of town, you might notice the metal fences in front of the more affluent houses. It’s not a design choice, really, but the remnants of a time when the city was the center of activity for the pork belt, and pigs would be run through the streets on the way to the slaughterhouse. That’s one of the things that earned it the nickname Porkopolis .

It may not be the first thing locals talk about in the usual small talk, and some might not like to admit it, but it’s fun to ask the concierge at the luxury hotel. Cincinnati was in part founded on the love of bacon, even before Proctor & Gamble. It’s not a secret of the city, and in fact, it’s something that becomes very obvious once you start looking for signs of the pig in town.

Ten years ago, when cows started appearing as large art sculptures, the pig started appearing here as well. Called the Big Pig Gig it was a way of competing with the Windy City in a pretty playful way, but also helped to give local artists the chance to make statements and help charities. For some, the pig is hard to shake, and for others, it’s just another instance that proves that they really can fly.

Sentosa Island is a spectacular place by all accounts. Today, it is a major tourist attraction, serving the people of Singapore, and guests from all over the world, drawn by its golf courses, fabulous water parks, Universal Studios, and the incredible luxury hotels on Sentosa Island . It’s been a big tourist attraction since 1970, but before that, it has a very colorful history. Its position was perfect for protecting Singapore, and it was therefore used as a military outpost during the Second World War.

The fighting forces from India and Nepal known as the Gurkhas have a particularly vivid reputation in the world, and any boy interested in soldiers has certainly come across their name. The reputation does precede them, and their courage and skill is rather famous. Their history is even more remarkable. Their participation in aiding the causes of the British crown goes back two centuries, but there’s something about their status that suggests a value system that goes back much further.

Some of the stories of their service suggest an obligation to the crown, and at times speaks to a history of colonial strategies of domination. However, with the Gurkhas, it seems that the impetus to protect and to serve their allies was absolute, speaking to a code of honor that dates back much further than British rule, and comes directly from a spirit of the Nepalese that still exists today. So much so that, in 1940, when the cause seemed all but lost, they committed their forces in acts of extreme generosity of spirit.

Their legendary status is immortalized in a cigar brand , which had been re-invented in recent years to commemorate a time when, over a century ago, the fighting forces would make their own cigars that they shared with the British troops. The fact that these forces were active here, in Sentosa Island, gives the island even more depth and complexity, and makes it well worth the visit.

When the new Johnny Depp version of Alice came out, there was a strange phenomenon in many parts of the world. Shopping malls, fast food joints, and especially movie theaters were plastered with images and covered with sculpture. This was all backwashed with the colors from the film, and it was hard not to get the sense that one was walking in Alice’s world. Or perhaps, a nearby version of the world, separated only by the looking glass preventing people from deciding to just jump in, and forget about the usual worries. What makes a hotel in Singapore so appealing, then, is that the city-state often feels like that anyway.

And all the time, too. It’s a fabulous city, where the confluence of cultures in earlier times has produced a very interesting place to call home away from home. And the confluence of cultures that come through in contemporary time don’t leave untouched, and don’t leave without making an impression on Singapore. True enough, there are still places referencing the Burton film , but there are also references here that have been around forever. Perhaps some even preceded the idea of Lewis Carroll.

Whatever the genealogy of daydreams might illuminate, it’s refreshing to see the more overt references. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was a great source of fun for those who follow them, and we’re still kind of wondering what happens next.

It’s an interesting saga, too, making up the band, causing even more reverberations with the wonderland idea. The couple met across the ocean, and began making music together. It’s the beginning of a very exciting adventure, and that it happens in Singapore, no less, means that there are many directions to go from here. In a port city, it’s hard to not look elsewhere, although looking inward also has its rewards.

There are so many fabulous entertainment options in New York that deciding on what to do on any particular evening can be as difficult decision as what it is to come up with something to do in other cities and towns across the country. In both cases there is likely to be a sacrifice involved. The difference here is that the sacrifice will be having to give up one great performance attendance opportunity so that you can experience another equally excellent show. In other cases the sacrifice is typically the time and effort it takes to even come up with one exciting event to experience on an evening out.

Okay, that probably sounds a little biased and is also untrue in many cities across the nation and credit should be given where it is deserved. So, perhaps the comparison is inappropriate, if you live in San Francisco. Otherwise, New York will stand out as the cultural and entertainment capital of the country. It’s that simple. But that brings us back to the original dilemma of choosing a singular event or performance on a given evening. That is never a simple mater.

Many tourists in New York are amazed at all there is to do and see even though they have planned a great deal of visitations and attendance options on their agenda prior to arriving in the city. However, descriptions, advertisements and stories cannot compare to the actual experience of being in the city. With this in mind, there are still some extremely common landmarks and events that continually get the largest population of visitors. These include the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Central Park, Times Square and one of many Broadway plays. And while all of these are great things to do and see, and definitely should not be missed, they are just the beginning of all you can see and do in New York City.

On one side of Times Square and New York’s Theatre district, you’ll find Central Park, but on the other side, you’ll find a park not as large or as well known to tourists, but certainly worthy of notice: Madison Square Park . This park is where baseball was born in America. The New York Knickerbockers, the first baseball club, was established here in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright; but baseball is not the only historic occurrence.

Nearby, in 1873, P.T. Barnum began his circus to the north of Madison Square in an empty train depot. This same block was also host to the first two Madison Square Gardens , from 1876 to 1889, then again from 1890 to 1925.

The park is also connected to the Statue of Liberty. For six years, starting in 1876, the arm and torch were on display here as a means of fund-raising to construct the statue itself and its base. In 1908, one hundred and two years ago, the New York Herald placed a gigantic searchlight among the girders of the half-constructed Metropolitan Life Building, which rose up directly across from the park, in order to signal the results of an election. Not unlike the Bat Signal from television’s Batman, a beam of light shot out over the metropolis. If the beam were aimed to the north, it would mean a victory for Republicans; if the beam illuminated skies to the South, it would mean the same for Democrats. In that year, the beams went northward as President William Howard Taft was elected. The following year, as the Met Life Building was completed, the park was in the shadow of what was then the world’s tallest building.

Madison Square Park has been a public space for the city since 1686, and was eventually named after the fourth president of the United States, James Madison. It became a park formerly in 1847, a hundred and sixty-three years ago. From baseball to circuses, politics and high-rises, the park is a vital part of New York City. If you’re visiting a few nights in the city , then it may be a place you’d like to try, if just to say you’ve been to where baseball began.

Austin Texas has plenty of fascinating cultural attractions that are included in the overall societal establishment of the city. And while the live music scene is the dominant factor that is also recognized throughout the country and much of the world, it is definitely not the only thing Austin has to offer. The Blanton Museum is just one of the many cultural attractions that is a pleasant discovery for many of the people who visit this Texan city . The museum is located at the University of Texas Austin, which is also a major supporter of and contributor to the culture of the region.

The current exhibit at the museum is titled Desire and is a collection of works by various artists that relate to a fundamental aspect of the human experience. This exploratory exhibit considers various aspects of the emotion and its effects on individuals and society. The Exhibit includes an accompanying illustrated catalog which contains a selection of texts by art writers, poets, fiction writers and visual artists. All of the writings were done in direct response to the works included in the exhibit. The works represent themes and different ideas and span the spectrum of connotations. Sculpture, photography, video, drawing and painting are some of the mediums used to display a direct emotion.

Other exhibits included in the calendar at the museum and are also part of its public and educational programs include Picasso: A Graphic Inquiry . This exhibit will run through April 1st and highlights seventeen of the artist’s significant graphic works. European Paintings is another exhibit and this one showcases some of the museum’s most prominent works from European artists. Included in this exhibit are about one hundred and forty selections from the Baroque and Renaissance periods. These are just a few of the ongoing works and touring exhibits that are part of the museum’s standard mission oriented shows.

We got into Napa very late the night before, but we somehow managed to wake up around 8am. After we got ready for the day, we headed down to the lobby of our great hotel to catch the free continental breakfast, which to our surprise was really very nice. Their continental breakfast included, eggs, waffles, fresh fruit, cheese, sweet breads and pastries, bagels, yogurt, cereal, coffee, juice and a cappuccino/mocha machine! We were used to a continental breakfast that only offered a pastry and coffee. We really hadn’t expected a marvelous breakfast for free, we were really pleased.

After stuffing ourselves with the breakfast banquet, we headed out to see what Napa has to offer, we stumbled upon the Ox Bow Market , an artisan, local food and wine farmers market. The place was wonderful, a real gem. It’s located in the heart of downtown and by the river. We found the place welcoming and warm. Even though we were full from breakfast, we enjoyed a glass of wine and a plate of artisan cheese as we sat down at a table overlooking the river. We found so many interesting and unique pieces of art, freshly prepared meals that could be eaten there or taken home, tons of produce and great live entertainment. We have a farmers market back home, but we’ve never bothered to visit it, so now that we’ve experienced this market, we can’t wait to get back home to see what our market offers.

After walking around and enjoying the Ox Bow for almost two hours, we drove 30 minutes outside of Napa to Sonoma. The day was perfect, there were no clouds in the sky, and the scenery was immensely gorgeous, ranging from ubiquitous vineyards, to vast rolling fields to random cows. Everywhere we looked was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. We were trying to figure out how to move and live here permanently. Napa Valley is a hidden treasure.

When we reached Sonoma, we headed to the center of town and found a large park full of old mature trees. Surrounding the park are small cafes, quirky boutiques and very, very old homes. We found that Sonoma also has a farmers market, located a few blocks off the plaza. But, we were really very disappointed with their farmers market, they only had a few rows of stalls. There really wasn’t anything else to keep us, so we left. Sad how different the atmosphere’s can be from farmers market to farmers market. We just hope the one back home is at least better than the one in Sonoma and closer to the farmers market in Napa.

If you want to explore nature from the comfort of great hotel suites, Las Vegas may just be the place to go. In addition to lively entertainment and gambling, the city is also close to a variety of nature preserves and sanctuaries, such as the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary and the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. It’s also close to great natural and man-made wonders, such as the Hoover Dam and, by plane, the Grand Canyon. Whenever you’d like to take a break from the casinos and breathe a little fresh air, you don’t have to go far to find it.

The Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary is the sole non-profit, wildlife refuge in Southern Nevada that exhibits both indigenous and exotic animals and birds in a park-like environment. If you want a place to see ostriches, emus, cows, mules, miniature horses, goats, and a variety of birds, such as canaries, finches, Amazon parrots, Macaws and Cockatoos, you might wish to explore this sanctuary, which has existed in the Vegas area for forty years. Altogether, this animal sanctuary houses 1,500 abandoned barnyard animals and birds. It began as a private sanctuary when the Gilcrease family began taking in abandoned birds in 1970. It became non-profit in 1991, and recently has received from a private donor a grant in order to improve the cages and overall facilities on the eight acre lot. Five thousand students a year come to the sanctuary to work with the animals.

The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve is owned by the nearby city of Henderson, and is home to 200 species and thousands of birds, which viewers may see in a man-made environment, which provides natural sources of food for birds which reside or nest there, or are simply migrating through to other areas. The Preserve contains nine ponds, which are circled by paved and soft surfaces; the paved path is about three quarters of a mile in length and is wheelchair accessible. Check their website for times of operation.

If you have a desire to see spectacular scenes in natural settings, then Hoover Dam is a short distance away, but so is the Grand Canyon, relatively. While it takes about an hour and a half to travel the three hundred miles to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, it’s only one hundred and twenty miles east of Las Vegas to arrive at Grand Canyon West , where travelers will find a U shaped glass walkway hanging about 4,000 feet above the canyon floor, and about 70 feet out from the canyon’s rim. A number of tours from the canyon are available here, and provide an excellent day trip when using Las Vegas as a base.

In ancient times when Rome was more than a city, which of course it still is today, it was an entire empire and it ruled much of the world. This was its status at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, which has forever changed the course of history and remained a fundamental aspect of the evolution of the city of Rome and its church. However, at the time of Christ’s birth, the standard religion was what is now referred to as paganism. Prior to the conversion to Christianity, which didn’t actually occur until over three hundred years after Christ’s death, the major belief system incorporated numerous gods and stories about them and related them to circumstances of human life on the planet. Now these beliefs are studied as Roman mythology and they continue to capture the imagination and inspiration of many people. There has also been a resurgence in belief in these figures, which is known as neo-paganism, or a new paganism.

Most of the tourists who visit Rome will be aware of some of the major gods from ancient Roman mythology. Larger than life figures such as Jupiter, Apollo and Bacchus still tower over us in films and epic mythological stories. It is no wonder that their dynamic personalities and lifestyles figured so prominently in the experience and emotions of humans. The Romans interacted regularly with their gods and many of their daily encounters were attributed to direct influence by them.

To a large degree the Roman gods were based on those from the earlier Greek civilization. In popular culture today, the names are sometimes mixed and interchanged though it is accepted that the Romans took the basic gods and story lines from the Greeks and adapted them to their own circumstances. For instance Jupiter was know as Zeus by the Greeks, and to a large extent this is how he is better known to many people today. Apollo retained his original Greek name and was called this by both empires. Bacchus was known by the much more contemporarily famous name Dionysus, who remains a popular favorite. Evidence of the significance of some of these gods remains in the architecture and art of contemporary Rome .

For years when I would fly into McCarran International Airport or drive up from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, I would think only about the Strip and its massive casinos — from New York, New York to Caesar’s Palace — I would travel along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, and not even consider heading north to the oldest parts of Nevada’s 105-year-old city. But it’s not a gamble to choose a hotel north las vegas provides to its customers. Downtown Las Vegas is filled with old school thrills along Fremont street, including a massive five-block canopy of lights, offering nightly images of music and shows, known as the Fremont Street Experience. There’s also a huge building known as Neonopolis , a 300,000 square foot shopping center, which contains three miles of neon lights and a courtyard festooned with neon signage from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The center is at the edge of the Fremont Street Experience; if you don’t have enough neon at Neonopolis, then you may also find more at the Neon Museum. But neon may not be the only reason to find your way to Fremont Street.

In 2010, the Neonopolis is scheduled to become the new home of Star Trek: The Experience, a live action and 3-D motion ride, formerly housed to the south. When the Star Trek: The Experience shut down, fans of Star Trek (and motion rides), bemoaned its fate. But now the talk is that the Experience will reopen on May 8th, 2010, with the Neonopolis as its new home. Once again, Trek fans will make their way into the desert as a means of experiencing what it’s like to go into outer space aboard the Starship Enterprise. For those who aren’t fans of one of the most famous science fiction franchises on the planet (with four live-action spin-off television series and one animated spin-off half hour program, countless books and comic books, and eleven feature films, and counting), there’s plenty of old fashioned things to do and see in Vegas, such as gambling and live entertainment. Whether your head is in the stars or your feet firmly on the ground, north Las Vegas is a great change of pace.