Just a ferry ride away from Bali are the beautiful islands of Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno. I stayed on Gili “T”, where I put my new scuba certification skills to the test. And this was the absolute perfect location to do it! The water visibility was amazing and the ocean was teaming with an incredible variety of coral and fish. When I arrived and checked into Gili Yoga, I was half-drugged from the dramamine I had taken, just … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2015
3 Easy Ways to Save Time Before You Fly
We all know that getting to the airport on time can be a hectic experience. When you’re not frantically turning the house upside down looking for your passport or trying to find your wallet, your loved ones are doing their best to make sure you have an aneurysm before you’ve even set foot outside the front door. In between shouting from the bottom of the stairs to the top, your youngest child has gone missing in a heap of laundry and the … [Read more...]
The Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival 2015
The Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival has quickly become one of the city's most prominent food and wine events; it is a big deal - you probably saw the billboards scattered around town leading up to the festival. This event recently celebrated it's 5th year in a row with three nights of culinary excellence combined with world class wine. Each day features a number of events including cooking demonstrations by celebrated chefs (this year a … [Read more...]
Get off the resort! Rivera Maya Mexico
Drug lords, bacteria-filled water, pick-pocketers. Mexico sounds like a scary place. All-inclusive, sandy beaches, endless buffets. Mexico sounds dreamy. But how much do you actually know about Mexico? I knew that when a group of friends booked an all-inclusive resort in Rivera Maya, I wanted to get off of that resort. I wanted to see the real Mexico. Were my friends up for it? I didn’t know, but that wasn’t going to stop me. The next … [Read more...]
The Top 5 European Holiday Destinations & What You Need To Take With You When You Go
Europe offers a wealth of stunning locations, vistas, cultural treasures and everything in-between. Whatever you’re looking for in a holiday, be it time away with the kids or time away from them, you can almost always find what you’re looking for nestled away somewhere in the EU. We’ve taken a look at some of the best places in Europe and believe it or not, the list of things to bring with is almost always the same no matter which destination you … [Read more...]
The Winemaker, by Dr. Richard G. Peterson
This is Dr. Richard Peterson's first book - and you wonder why it took him so long to write a book - until you finish it. Then you will understand perfectly. Throughout his career he has done everything but sit idle. If one grows up with a connection and appreciation of the land, one keeps that throughout his entire life. Dick's upbringing was during the Great American Depression outside of Des Moines, Iowa. From the outside, his family was … [Read more...]
Fall in Love with Albany’s Foliage
Get excited for our Fall Season which will bring vibrant colors to the area,as well as many fun family friendly events! Albany, NY – Fall is a wonderful time in Albany to experience the leaves changing over to beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges. Albany and it's surrounding areas offer some breath-taking opportunities to experience the burst of color, whether it's by car, bicycle, or foot. Taking a hike through Thacher Park will offer Fall … [Read more...]
Broken Bridge, Dandong China – September 2015
The iron "Broken Bridge" was built over the Yalu River in 1911 by the Japanese. It was the first iron bridge over this river - later it was partially destroyed by USA military forces during the Korean War in 1950. The Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge sits right next to the "broken bridge" and is the only bridge in Dandong to connect both countries and is in fact one of the few ways in and out of North Korea. A Beijing Pyongyang passenger train uses … [Read more...]
Crawling Around Dublin from Pub to Pub
The only thing I figured out how to do during my short stay in Dublin was crawl from pub to pub. In fact I am writing this now from the standing room only interior of Grogans Castle Pub. Everyone is drinking beer out of Guinness glasses but I am drinking a Swedish Cider. And apparently a cheap one at that. Speaking of cider I've finally discovered a country that can give Sweden a run for the money on the matters of quality cider; that would be … [Read more...]
Bali Sea Temples
Bali is home to thousands of Hindu temples, also known as Puras. I never got tired of the beauty of these holy places, whether it was a small temple on a family’s private compound, or a majestic temple towering on a mountain top. During my travels, I was able to visit two of the seven sea temples, Tanah Lot and Uluwatu Temple. Each of the temples is said to be (in theory) visible from the next, forming a chain around the island to honor the … [Read more...]