Seeing the World One Step at a Time
Levitated Mass LACMA Los Angeles This 340 ton giant boulder was moved from Riverside County in early 2012 to its final resting place at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Museum Row along Wilshire Blvd. As you enter the driveway for the parking garage you will see the rock – it looks like its resting on the ground – but a closer inspection will reveal that its actually perched above a concrete walkway. The concept for this the Levitated … [Read more...]
For a beautiful escape from Bucharest, especially in the heat of summer - drive about 2.5 hours to Transylvania - up in the Carpathian mountains and spend some time enjoying and touring Peles Castle. The castle built to be a summer residence and was inaugurated in 1883. It was home to the King and Queen of Romania - eventually it was closed during the Communist period - but reopened in 1990. Guided tours are available daily and take one … [Read more...]
Lake Ohrid is one of Macedonia's true natural gems. The lake was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 - the lake itself is visually stunning but then you add a historical town such as the old city of Ohrid perched on hills and cliffs overlooking the lake, along with its picturesque architecture and you have a recipe for a truly beautiful spot. Small rocky beaches dot the edges of the cliffs - the old city of Ohrid boasts of a number … [Read more...]
Rila Monastary is located about 2 hours outside of Sofia, the capital city. You can hire a taxi (be sure to bargain - and note that hiring taxis from public transportation places such as bus or train stations are usually higher in price), take a bus or go with a number of Bulgarian based tour companies that visit the monastery (Traventuria, Tandem Travel, Bulgaria-Guide). The road past the small village of Rila is narrow and winds up a river … [Read more...]
Saipan has certainly gotten some bad press in the last number of years with its sweat shops (now closed), Jack Abramoff scandal with the Northern Mariana Islands as a client, high joblessness rate etc, gambling & alcohol addictions etc. This aside, the small island has a unique variety of outdoor activities and attractions that will appeal to the outdoor enthusiast. The Grotto, a deep dive spot connected to the ocean by several tunnels is … [Read more...]
Palau is truly the remote destination for nature lovers and outdoor and marine enthusiasts. It is not an easy destination to reach from Europe or the states. Non stop flights connect in Japan or Guam - this is part of Micronesia - about 800 km as the crow fly's from Manilla, Philippines.This island nation has not yet been overly developed with strip malls, high rise condo's, fast food restaurants that plague many island nations. This is uniquely … [Read more...]
An adventurous man from New Zealand was traveling overland through Southern Africa when he came across the Zambezi River. He never left. This man, "Bottles" now runs Jet Extreme along a remote rugged stretch of the Zambezi River just down from the Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls National Park & World Heritage Site. Bottles designed a Cable Car and had a group of International engineers build it and fine tune his designs. The jump off point on the … [Read more...]
This luxury resort is located in the middle of the bush on the edge of the great Chobe National Park. The lodge is perched on the edge of a steep plateau and features eight well appointed suites - each with excellent views overlooking the Namibian plains far below. You come here for both luxury and relaxation, yet the biggest draw is Chobe National Park and its prolific wildlife. The lodge itself is small and low key yet one becomes pampered … [Read more...]
This hip and urban backpackers hangout features friendly folks, a variety of area activities, private and dorm rooms - but most of all is a central meeting point for adventurous travelers from around the world. It was founded in 1995 by backpackers. Long are the days of basic accommodation for backpackers. This place has wifi, a swimming pool, a restaurant on site, a nice kitchen and some of the tastiest mangoes that drop on the roofs during … [Read more...]
Swaziland is the smallest country in the Southern Hemisphere - but small does not mean "little to do and see". The eastern part of the country is little developed and populated while most of the people live in and around Mbane and Manzini. Old is a key description of the landscape here. Remnants of the oldest living organism on the planet have been found in the country - blue green algae dating back 3.5 billion years ago, a mere billion years … [Read more...]