As a huge fan of traveling, I think there’s never a wrong time for travel-themed gifts. But the circle I buy for at this time of year falls into two distinct groups: those who always travel, and those who never do. And this presents a problem. The ones who do it a lot have such a practiced routine that they’re reluctant to disrupt it by trying something new. And the ones who never leave their own zip code are often baffled by the process of … [Read more...]
Speedy Fun in Finland – Try Extreme Driving on Snow and Ice
Driving in Finland means extreme conditions, and on winter driving tracks, anyone can test their skills on slippery surfaces. Put the pedal to the metal in regular cars, rally racers and snow karts! Formula 1 and Rally world champions like Kimi Räikkönen, Mika Häkkinen and Juha Kankkunen have all honed their skills in the extreme driving conditions of Finland. In the white wilderness of Finnish Lapland, several companies offer winter … [Read more...]
On Location at the Napa Valley Film Festival
Wine, camera, action! Luscious wines and innovative independent movies in enticing venues on a gorgeous fall weekend in the Napa Valley? The Napa Valley Film Festival gets two thumbs up from my husband (“Mr. TWS”) and me! As film buffs and wine enthusiasts with a special affection for Northern California wine country, Mr. TWS and I indulged our senses at the third annual (but our first) Napa Valley Film Festival, which ran from November … [Read more...]
New Zealand Brings World’s Largest Pop-Up Book to Hollywood
BEVERLY HILLS -- As movie fans await the imminent release of the second film of The Hobbit Trilogy – and another epic dose of Middle-earth landscapes – New Zealand has taken a cue from Hollywood by unveiling a giant pop-up book of New Zealand in Los Angeles. The country that provided the epic scenery that backdrops The Hobbit Trilogy movies has installed the world's largest pop-up book - occupying an area roughly the size of two tennis courts … [Read more...]
Please Pass the Pommes Frites: My Dinner with Martin Amis’s Son
Ex-expat John M. Edwards is invited as a “standby” to a sumptuous Parisian dinner party near Passy, where perforce playing the devil’s advocate comes with no pricetag at all. . . . “Hello John, how would you like to come to a dinner party tonight,” queried fair friend and picnic partner Julie, a fellow Servas member. A world peace organization affiliated with the United Nations, “Servas,” we joked with devil-may-care abandon, should … [Read more...]
Later “Louise”!: Hurricane Season in Tortola, BVI
John M. Edwards hunkers down in the hallway of his Caribbean concrete-block hotel to sit out a hurricane tempest more powerful than Peter Potamous’s “Hippo Hurricane Howler”! “BEE-HEE-HEE-HAW-HAW!” I impressively bellowed like Peter Potamous, the cartoon hippo on the Hana-Barbera animated series “Peter Potamous and So-So” (1964). I had every right to howl, now that almost all of the tourists on Tortola--in the British Virgin Islands (or … [Read more...]
Kon Tiki Museum, Oslo Norway – December 2013
The Kon Tiki Museum in Oslo Norway is a tribute and summary of International explorer Thor Heyderhahl's life. Thor and his crews sailed the world in primitive vessels to prove that during ancient times people could have crossed the oceans and settled "new" lands. The original vessels that Thor sailed are on display in the museum including the famous Kon-Tiki balsa raft that Thor built from natural resources in Peru. He and his crew sailed from … [Read more...]
A Million Steps, by Kurt Koontz
Life certainly takes a winding road sometimes - Kurt Koontz was a successful sales executive for a Fortune 500 company. "Retiring" fairly early he is now a newly minted author and gives lectures and presentations on his life lessons learned. The name of his book, A Million Steps" reflects the amount of steps he estimated he took over nearly 30 days hiking the famous Santiago Compestela route - all 490 miles of it. This book is not merely a … [Read more...]
Walking with Polar Bears: The Next Great Safari
You can’t drive here; you can’t boat here; you can’t even walk here...you’d be eaten. We’re somewhere in the back end of nowhere, some 300 kilometers from the closest paved road; 1500 kilometers from the nearest Whole Foods. If you cry wolf here, everyone believes you. It’s the third day of a week-long safari. Not in Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia or anywhere in Africa. We’re in the sub-Arctic, on Cape Tatnum, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, 57 degrees … [Read more...]
Press Conference for our Favorite Boxer Andre Ward and Serious Vehicle Troubles!
I headed out on the 10, East to Ontario, California recently to help cover a press conference between at the time two undefeated boxers, Andre Ward (26-0) and Edwin Rodriguez (24-0). A friend and I have been following Andre's professional career for some time - he took America's last gold medal for boxing at the Olympics and has had a stellar professional career so far. We've run a fan site promoting his career since his 10th professional fight … [Read more...]
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