As San Francisco Bay Area locals living just south of the city, we have many opportunities for great day trips and getaways. One of the well-known areas within our reach for short visits is the Napa Valley wine region. Recently, we took a ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train and had a tour of Long Meadow Ranch during a two night stay at the Napa River Inn. I'd previously heard very positive reviews of the hotel and can now understand why it gets … [Read more...]
Disneyland for Romance
Having recently married, (an unlikely side effect of Obamacare) I seem to find my brain stuck in amorous overdrive - the unlikely beneficiary being my husband, with an impromptu trip for two to the Magic Kingdom. It’s true that many react incredulously to the idea of adults wanting to frolic in a place so firmly aimed at the juvenile but, as a child from Southern California, I have always loved Disneyland and my affection hasn’t waned one bit. … [Read more...]
Biscuits, Booze, and Bodies – 36 Hours in the Florida Keys
Normally, I'm not big on cocktails before 10am. But when we blearily wandered in at 8am to the Blue Heaven, one of Key West’s signature restaurants, that’s what our server suggested. Sitting in the crazy-quilt courtyard, with its rustic artwork and scurrying chickens, looking up at the former bordello on the second-floor, and knocking back some booze seemed in keeping with all things Keys. I opted for the pancakes, which I found just as … [Read more...]
T Up: Thank God for the Oil Companies!
JOHN M. EDWARDS, part owner of a privately held oil and natural gas concern based in Houston and New Orleans, gushes on about one of nature’s most valuable resources: petroleum! You can’t get to a rainforest without any transport to get you there. Luckily most major oil companies like Chevron and Shell have absolutely no interest in damaging the primary rainforests of the Amazon and Congo, although there is always some drilling on the edges … [Read more...]
Investigating Legendary Party Thrower Jim Haynes
It was through my fellow American expat friend, “The Famous Zack,” a black Christian science-fiction writer originally from Ohio, with a short story coming up back then in the now-defunct “AMAZING STORIES,” that I first heard about the wild parties thrown by the legendary Jim Haynes, whom some sour-grape artists deemed an apocryphal “traitor.” So well known was Haynes as a manic socialite host that he even felt propelled to write a … [Read more...]
Dispatch: Austin Cafe Limits – Cooling out at Quacks
An American Poet, Instead of Texas T, Fuels up on Texas C (Oily high octane Joe), and in Austin's most famous Coffee Stop... In Austin, Texas, while vaguely visiting UT (The University of Texas) in The Lone Star State’s lively livable capital, I decided to pursue the art of doing absolutely nothing at all. My college chum from years back at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Jen Harmon, an art photographer and Aikido expert, … [Read more...]
Let Les Bons Temps Roules in Red New Orleans
John M. Edwards discovers New Orleans unique cuisine to be out of this world, not just Creole and Cajun clichés (“Gumbo” and “Jambalaya”), but also, well, nothing beats an Oyster Poboy! At the legendary Napoleon House in New Orleans, Lousiana, I found myself expectantly dreaming of a dressed “Oyster Poboy,” especially since they had not even one of them on their menus. (Hurricane Katrina had literally wiped out many of the oyster beds way back … [Read more...]
Sometimes You’re Not Lost. And THAT’S the Greatest Lesson of Them All
“Can you do me a solid, Madame Laveau?” I whispered, so close I could have sworn I felt her lean in. There was no response. Not yet anyway. The months before heading to New Orleans was a chaotic mess. I had lost my job. Or rather, my career. A career I had studied for. A career I took pride in. I’m a teacher. But as I left the office the day I was let go, I remembered what my former boss said to me before my dismissal: “Your. Students. Love. … [Read more...]
New Orleans: One of the Country’s Largest Urban Parks Launches Family Fun Pass
New Orleans City Park welcomes visitors with bundled package of top family attractions New Orleans, LA (May 30, 2013) – With 1,300 acres of sprawling oak trees and green space, winding bayous and lakes, walking paths and more, New Orleans City Park is recognized as one of the largest, most expansive urban public parks in the country. Nestled inside the park are a number of amusement-style family attractions where visitors can do everything … [Read more...]
Orbitz Survey Names Cancun the #1 International Destination for Summer Travel
STR Also Reports Increasing Hotel Occupancy in Cancun Cancun, Mexico (May 8, 2013): All signs point to a glorious summer season as Cancun is named the top international destination for summer travel by Orbitz. Orbitz Summer Travel Insider Index analyzed air and hotel booking data from Orbitz.com and picked the 10 most popular summer destinations. Cancun was ranked number three behind Orlando and Las Vegas and was the only international … [Read more...]
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