Viaggiare Giornalismo

San Juan Wrap-Up

2010-06-11T21:25:00.010-04:00

Day 1: Arrived in the afternoon and checked into the Ritz - off to the pool! We did stop by The Ocean Bar and Grill seaside. After a light lunch the pool was great for a knap. Felt great to just relax and watch the sun set. Headed out to dinner and enjoyed a fine evening with my bride.

Day 2: Woke up to San Juan sunshine! Headed to breakfast and then a drive to Ponce the iPhone GPS with Google Maps worked like a champ! Stopped by Parque de Bombas and took a few pictures enjoyed a nice downtown walk. Stopped to see Plaza Las Delicias because as we drove by looking for parking the fountains looked awesome – however as we stopped the fountains were off :-( Back to San Juan we go with an afternoon of beach and pool.

Day 3: Headed off to El Yunque – Puerto Rico’s Rainforest. Stopped for a cheese and chicken burger at Yuquiyu-Delights. It was so good we picked up some barbeque sauce to enjoy later. Headed back to the hotel and the pool to enjoy our final sunset. Dinner was at Il Mulino New York awesome meal and exceptional service.

San Juan

2010-06-10T17:51:00.005-04:00

Oh yeah, fun in the sun. Made it to San Juan and it feels great to relax! Staying at the Ritz, and the pool is to die for, to bad it won't last forever.

It's Fronkensteen

2010-01-10T12:29:00.007-05:00

Last Night my bride and I attended Young Frankenstein at the Kennedy Center – Awesome show. The classic Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein is ALIVE in a spectacular new musical production direct from Broadway. The Tony-winning trio behind The Producers teams up for this wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend. It was hard to pick the best scene so the three I enjoyed the most were ACT ONE Scene 3: Hudson River, Pier 57 “Please Don’t Touch Me”, ACT ONE Scene 5: A Hay Wagon “Roll in The Hay: and ACT TWO Scene 5: A Theatre in Transsylvania “Puttin’ on the Ritz”. Great evening! Each Scene in detail.

We had dinner, yes I know not that fancy at The Italian Store in Arlington! TO DIE FOR!

Happy New Years!

2010-01-01T08:35:00.006-05:00

My bride and I spent the evening in Downtown D.C. and were able to catch C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters at the Lansburgh Theatre. We had Spanish tapas at Jaleo and did a good job ordering (however we did miss Shawn’s expertise). Back home by midnight to watch the ball drop in NYC, a great evening out.

South Africa/Seychelles Follow-up

2009-11-09T15:31:00.010-05:00

10/28 - Day 1: We left on our adventure, a long flight to Johannesburg with a layover in Dakar. Funny one to tell you as we left Dakar I guess it's South Africa policy to "spray" the inside of the plane prior to take-off with an insecticide - WOW what a stink, but as the PA announcer put it "it's not harmful to humans" yeah right!

10/29 - Day 2: Arrived in Johannesburg in the early evening! Picked up our car and GPS and headed out to The Michelangelo. Nice room, bed was rather hard but a nice place to rest our heads. We had dinner at a pizza joint in Nelson Mendon square - O.K. meal not the greatest. We then proceeded to book a full day trip to Lion Park and game drive to Pilanesberg National Park for tomorrow.

10/30 - Day 3: 9 A.M. comes early when you've been in the air for 18 plus hours, we found a great little coffee shop called lattelicious and had a quick breakfast and met our guide Carlo for the day. The first stop was Lion Park where we got to pet a few lion cubs as well as drive around the park and see the big lions. It was a blast. After leaving Lion Park we headed out a stopped at a traditional African roadside curio/craft market, not a bad place to shop, however the vendors were very aggressive. Next stop was Bakubung Bush Lodge in Pilanesberg National Park for lunch, good food and a relaxing view to take in. From lunch we headed to Sun City, could have skipped that! Not really our taste. Around 3:00 or so headed back to the park for our game drive. What a great time, we saw a ton of wildebeests, zebras, giraffes and a hippo and rhino even charged our "van" on the way back. Our adventurous day ended with a long two hour drive back in the rain to the Michaelango Hotel where I thought several times we were going to die as our driver Carlo zoomed across the road, but we made it back to the Michaelango Hotel save and sound. Great Day!

10/31 - Day 4: Happy Halloween! Today we headed out to Pretoria the capital; the GPS put us right at the Church Square. We then headed to the Transvaal Museum, where we didn't stay long. Funny story about our next stop Voortrekker Monument as we were going to walk from the Museum however I'm glad we decided to drive and the GPS said on 1.5 miles but I wouldn't have wanted to do that walk! The Monument was pretty kool, we were able to walk to the top and see a great view of the city. We then headed to the Paul Kruger Museum, pretty neat place. The day ended with a drive back to the Michaelango Hotel and dinner at a little cafe at Nelson Mendon Square.

11/1 - Day 5: Midnight flight to Seychelles, however the flight was delayed until 1 :30 A.M of course we didn't know this until we got to the airport after a great drive in the country side to Maropeng an exhibit on the Cradle of Humankind. The museum was O.K. thought the fossil exhibit would be a bit better then it was. There was a neat boat ride at the beginning of the museum which made my day!

11/2 - Day 6: After a late departure from Johannesburg Airport we arrived to Seychelles via Air Seychelles. Amazing view as we fly into the airport. Pickup up our rental car and headed out to the Four Seasons which was located in the other side of the island. Didn't know at the time of booking (at least that my story ;-)) that each Villa had a plunge pool, AWESOME! My first stop after breakfast was da plunge pool! We then took a four hour knap awoke and there was a bottle of Champaign on the door step so we headed out to the balcony and took in the amazing sunset with a few classes of Champaign. Once the sun set we headed to dinner on the resort, expensive meal but it hit the spot.

11/3 - Day 7: Breakfast buffet that was included began today's adventures which included a trip to downtown Victoria the capital where we had lunch at A bit of walking around, saw the one and only stop light and the clock tower. Afternoon return to the resort and a trip to the beach for a quick dip in the Indian Ocean, salads for dinner at the resort and off to sleep.

11/4 - Day 8: We tried to book a snorkel trip for today, but no luck as there weren't enough people interested so it was cancelled. We decided to drive around the island today to see a few sites. A lot of driving and no sites! Breakfast was at the ARC , my bride and I had coffee and crepes, yummy! An afternoon return to the plunge pool awaited and was GREAT. Dinner this evening was at the Opera House -less expensive than resort. We stopped at the Anchor Cafe for desert and met the Project Engineer for the Four Seasons resort. A private villa starts at $7.5 million, not bad, yeah right not on my salary. It was nice to "chat it up" with him.

11/5 - Day 9: A day at da beach it was at the resort, a little sunburn but not too bad. Have to head back to D.C. with some sun! Dinner was going to be at the Anchor Cafe; however they were closed so we went to the Opera house again. Early to bed for an 8 AM flight home :-(

11/6 - Day 10: We left the resort early and headed to the airport, a long, long, long flight was ahead. We arrived home on 11/7 Saturday at 6 A.M. A layover in Johannesburg where we had lunch at Nandos and desert at Fournos Bakery. We picked up the boys from the kennel and a few food items and spent the day relaxing and unwinding from our adventure.

South Africa/Seychelles Pictures

2009-11-07T16:55:00.012-05:00

South Africa and Seychelles pictures. Will add a follow-up to our adventure in a few days. Ready to take a knapp after a long, long flight.

See you in ten days, maybe...

2009-10-28T16:37:00.001-04:00

U2 Live - bit blurry, more pics later

2009-09-30T00:43:00.000-04:00

Luray Caverns, VA

2009-09-07T19:43:00.010-04:00

Today we headed off and met some friends at Luray Caverns; a 1.5 mile guided tour looking at stalagmites and stalactites, but best of all it was with some wonderful friends. Afterwards we headed to the local Pizza Hut for a meal and on down the road. More Pictures at Photobucket. Annapolis and Luray Caverns in one weekend; it was local attractions this weekend.

Annapolis, Maryland

2009-09-06T12:39:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we headed out to Annapolis with a friend we haven't seen in awhile – what a great time. Walked the streets and had a chance to catch up. BTW Helly Hansen was having a 50% off sale and you can’t beat that. On our way up we stop by Edgewater and visited with a few other friends that we’ve haven’t seen since the wedding; they both look great! Stop and had dinner at Boatyard Bar and Grill – the food was great. A wonderful way to spend a Saturday on Labor Day weekend!

GRRR, We are out of here!

2009-09-03T19:58:00.006-04:00

We're off!! Just booked three days in Johannesburg and five in Seychelles later this fall, can't wait!

Polo Wrap-Up, Middleburg VA

2009-08-16T09:37:00.009-04:00

Awesome evening! My bride and I along with some great friends headed out to The Plains, VA for some Twilight Polo. We will definitely have to do this again, but next time pre-grill or dinner. (Thanks Eric for saving the day!) Pictures and movies posted at Photobucket.

Polo Match, Middleburg VA

2009-08-15T20:17:00.001-04:00

"Sunday Drive" Middleburg, VA

2009-08-02T19:51:00.006-04:00

My bride and I headed out this morning to Mibbleberg Virginia. Wondered downtown with an umberrla in our hand. Stopped Market Salamander for lunch, the butterscotch scones were really good! Picked up a few things of chesses for later in the week. On our way home we stop at Bella Villa Antiques kool shop. Maybe this weekend we'll head to Wild Wild West Night for a Polo match. See you around.

Turks and Caicos ATV

2009-07-09T19:04:00.003-04:00

Turks and Caicos

2009-07-09T17:21:00.002-04:00

July 3:

Arrived on island during the afternoon after a rather quick flight, WOW it was hot! Picked up our rent a car and headed out to The Regent Palms, great room and place to stay. After checking in my bride and I headed to the pool, and relaxed actually fell asleep there poolside, relaxing in the sun under an umbrella. Later that evening we decided to head out to dinner at Hemingway's – but after waiting for 1 ½ hours for a table (which included 30 -45 minutes at the bar after we decided there was no way we were going to get a table) we left and headed back up the beach. Dinner was a miss this evening but no big deal; we headed up for the night.

July 4:

Waking up around 9 or so, we headed down to a good continental breakfast I’ll have to admit wasn’t too sure about an included breakfast, but it was good spread of fruit, pastries, cereal and even bagels, English muffins and toast. From breakfast we booked our adventures for the stat, and ATV ride with Froggy’s and Big Blue Unlimited snorkel tour; more about those later in the post. Off to explore some local shopping and lunch at The Conch Shack. Dinner this evening was at Graces Cottage; not too bad however lunch was better!

July 5:

ATV morning at Froggy’s – awesome time – movie posted; pool time and afternoon nap and dinner at Danny Bouy’s Irish Pub – fish and chips were O.K. for the islands.

July 6:

Easy day of shopping and driving around, we did head to Coral Gardens for a little snorkeling, but nothing like what we would see tomorrow! Dinner was at The Tiki Bar & Grill it was a pizza and salad night, I’ve had better.

July 7:

Big Blue Unlimited snorkel tour today, what a day – three stops the best by far in all our trips! Tons and tons of fish and even an octopus, sting rays and even a shark! Dinner was at the Horse Eyes Jacks – best dinner yet- shrimp on the grill and conch fritters for my bride.

Pictures posted at photobucket!

Until next time, later!

Prince William Park, VA

2009-06-14T18:10:00.005-04:00

Today’s walk was good as we met up with great friends we haven’t seen in a few weeks. It was good to “catch-up”. Good hike in the shade which was nice to walk in as the direct sun was hot. No ticks here today – yea.

Battlefield Walk, Manassas VA

2009-06-07T16:30:00.004-04:00

What a great morning for a walk with the boys. We headed out early morning as it was still cool out. I think our boys are pretty tired as they haven’t raised their heads other than to walk and get a drink. Manassas Battlefield Park.

And We're Off, Turks and Caicos

2009-06-02T20:44:00.004-04:00

We're Outta Here! Da beach for 5 days....

Coldplay, Bristow VA

2009-05-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

Great Grapes, Reston VA

2009-04-26T13:15:00.002-04:00

Awesome day! Tons of laughs and great friends! Next up Father's Days Wine Festival in Manassas. Great yearly traditions!

Prince William Park, VA

2009-04-18T23:42:00.003-04:00

Great day for a hike with a few friends - awesome weather! Next weekend it's the Reston Wine Festival, see you all there.

The Melting Pot, VA

2009-03-29T09:18:00.004-04:00

Yesterday afternoon a few of us headed to The Melting Pot for an afternoon brunch I guess you could call it. Wow what a meal to say the least. The best part was the dessert!

Photobucket

2009-03-12T22:22:00.007-04:00

Changed photos over to Photbucket as there is no limit on number of pictures to store. Select the specfic album of interest from the left.

Love This Picture

2009-03-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

Paris, France

2009-03-10T20:09:00.012-04:00

Day 4 Cont: After checking into the hotel, my bride and I headed to the Eiffel Tower. What an amazing structure to see in person! We purchased two tickets to the first level and up we went. Dinner the evening was the worst yet at a restaurant suggested by the concierge Chez Andre – $80 spent on duck and chicken, best part was the French fries. Oh in our walk to the Effil Tower we croseed the tunnel that Princess Diana died in, thought this was neat.

Day 5: Once again we purchased tickets to the “Hop on Hop Off” tons of great pictures from all the sites at Photbucket . During the afternoon we went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa (rather small painting to cause such a fuss) and walked around the Egyptian exhibits. This evening a simple pizza was good for dinner. Of course there was a bit of window shopping all day. Evening we headed to Moulin Rouge, next time we're catching a show!

Day 6: Great day to just relax! My bride and I didn’t do too much but walk around Paris, I know hard life!

Day 7: Today we headed back to London for our flight home the following day! Stayed at the Baglioni, best place yet, awesome bed as my back was tore up and I’m not that old! Dinner was at a local pub Gloucester Arms awesome fish and chips!

Day 8: Flight home and back to reality! So where to next……………

London, UK

2009-03-10T19:52:00.010-04:00

Day 1: Arrived Sunday morning and checked into the La Meridian Piccadilly, great location central to all the action. The hotel didn’t have a room ready as we expected due to arriving before check-in so my bride and I headed out for some breakfast. Found a great coffee and croissant place! Around 12:30 headed back to the hotel and took a long afternoon nap – which by the way is the best part of a vacation. After our nap we headed out and found a great place for dinner called Cote I had the chicken dish and my bride had the salmon, let me tell you this was the best meal throughout the stay.

Day 2: Today we headed out and purchased a 24 hour ticket to The Original London Sightseeing which is the best way to see the city. Numerous pictures posted at Photobucket! During the afternoon we did Jack the Ripper Tour, which was fun!

Day 3: Late start to the day, but all in all a great relaxing day. During the afternoon my bride and I headed to Harrods where we did a bit of shopping nothing major but some snacks. Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, which is always a safe bet!

Day 4: Today we took the Eurostar to Paris which was only a two hour or so ride. Once we arrived took a taxi to the Hotel Prince de Galles - Paris Champs Elysees watch out for the pesky “kids” at the train station who want your money! ;-)

Guess Where We Are?

2009-03-05T14:11:00.003-05:00

Picture taken "live" from Paris.

Valentines Day, Old Town

2009-02-15T12:53:00.003-05:00

Spent the evening at The Warf on Valentines Day great food, should try it out.

London & Paris, UK

2009-02-03T19:03:00.001-05:00

Train and hotels booked! Just waiting on time to pass until we’re outta here!

Italian Dinning, Old Town

2009-02-03T18:54:00.003-05:00

Few days late here, but a group of friends, my bride and I headed out to Il Porto Saturday evening in Old Town Alexandria. The food was great and not to mention the atmosphere and great laughs we all had. A few bottle of wine later and a feeling “tipsy” we headed to The Chart House a few blocks away to have an after dinner drink (figures Italian serves no ports) and dessert. Great evening had by all!

London & Paris

2009-01-02T18:13:00.002-05:00

Here we come, booked the airline tickets this evening!

Mont Tremblant, Canada

2008-12-19T15:09:00.004-05:00

Great quick trip for some skiing! We arrived Sunday evening and the weather was rather rainy and cold. Monday was a wash out for skiing due to the rain, but Tuesday was great. Ended up moving hotels as the Westin Mont Tremblant was a nightmare, don't stay there. The Fairmont was better and cheaper, so you can't beat that!

Tuesday was ski day. The conditions were O.K. we've had better. Tuesday afternoon we took a snow boarding lesson, oh what fun that was. I now know how my bride felt learning how to ski, one fall I took was just about it and my tailbone still hurts!

Wednesday was snowmobiling and it was just my bride and I and the tour guide. Great two hour ride in the mountains and around. A bit chilly, but O.K.

Thursday we left and arrived home safe and sound in the evening, picked up the boys and today's a day of rest and naps.

Great trip, and a great get away well needed. Not sure where we are off to next, but it will only be a few months away, thinking London and Paris?!?

Mont Tremblant View, Canada

2008-12-17T11:11:00.005-05:00

"Live" view from hotel room.

Manassas Battelfield, VA

2008-11-02T13:35:00.005-05:00

Great Day for a hike. We headed out with our boys to Manassas Battelfield and walked for I would say 2-3 miles. The views were exceptional from the top of the hills. Great time and out boys are sound asleep.

PWC Park

2008-10-26T16:36:00.004-04:00

Had a great morning/afternoon with some friends hiking at Price William County park. Think we probably hiked around 2 miles, maybe more? Afterwards stop and had some soup and sandwich at panera bread. Great afternoon for all.

Ski Trip

2008-10-19T22:50:00.004-04:00

Well its on, Mont Tremblant here we come!

Virginia Scottish Games Sheaf Toss

2008-09-14T19:32:00.002-04:00

The sheaf toss originates from one of the most practical and common farm chores: Throwing sheaves of hay up into the barn loft. Traditionally contested at county agricultural fairs, the sheaf toss has made its way into the Highland Games over the last 100 years, becoming a fan favorite along the way. Using a traditional 3-tyne hay fork, the athlete attempts to throw a burlap bag stuffed with materials such as straw or bailing twine over a horizontal bar. Each athlete gets three attempts at each increasing height until there is a winner, with misses being counted against them should two or more athletes tie at a height.

Virginia Scottish Games

2008-09-14T19:25:00.006-04:00

Great day! Today we headed out to Delaplane VA and attended the Scottish Games with some great friends and had a blast. Watched a few of the events and drank a few beers of course. Afterwards we headed back into town for dinner and ended the day with some ice cream. Awesome day with some wonderful friends! More pictures at Photobucket.

Grand Cayman Wrap-up

2008-08-25T08:12:00.004-04:00

What a great time!

Arrived on Tuesday Aug 19 and check into our room at the Westin, not too ba a place, little out dated but O.K. Had Lunch poolside, GREAT food here and enjoyed the Gecko's and beautiful views of Seven Mile Beach.

Day Two: We headed off to a long day at the Beach and Pool. Ah, what a wonderful way to relax. Wednesday evening we tool a sunset cruise, images of the sunset post on Photobucket. Oh, and breakfast at the Eats Cafe, a must for breakfast. Cheap and great food! Had dinner at teh Cracked Conch, and must as well!

Day Three: We took a morning Snorkel trip to three local areas to snorkle. Saw a barracuda rather kool and a bunch of other fish. Relaxed in the evening at the pool and a few drinks!

Day Four: Happy Five Anniversary to my bride. Breakfast at Eats Cafe, and a long lazy day. We went downtown to George Town Grand Cayman and walked around to see the sites.

Day Five - Six: Pretty lazy, but that's what a vacation is for. A few knapps, pool, and beach!

All and all a great place Grand Cayman rocked. Prices were not too bad and very relaxing!

Da-Beach, Grand Cayman

2008-08-24T19:35:00.003-04:00

Picture takenwith cell phone on Seven Mile Beach.

Travel Widget

2008-07-30T20:22:00.003-04:00

Found this on the Internet and had to post; now this is kool!

Trip Countdowngreat free widgetsWidgetbox

I-Phone Published

2008-07-26T21:54:00.005-04:00

Check it out, published on the I-Phone; Casa de la Panadería and Teatro de la Maestranza. Same pictures as before, but this time for I-Phone display. Kinda kool. Later!

Fathers Day Wine Festival

2008-07-20T14:09:00.006-04:00

Another late entry. June 17th the Historic town of Manassas hosted their 3rd annual Wine and Jazz Festival from 11am to 6pm under Loy E. Harris Pavilion. This year my bride and I attended again and invited a few friends. Afterwards we grab some grub at a local restaurant. Great day to be out and about with our friends.

Next Trip, Grand Cayman

2008-07-20T13:59:00.005-04:00

A much needed trip to da beach is on the horizon. My bride and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary as well during our stay. The picture to the left is the main entrance of the Westin where we will be enjoying a luscious five night vacation. Plans are da beach, a catamaran/snorkel trip and 9-10 odds of a great sunburn. Later!

NYC Trip

2008-07-20T13:54:00.005-04:00

Totally forgot to log our trip to NYC last weekend.

We left Friday morning and drove up to the city for the day and left later that night and stopped off at a hotel in NJ for a few hours of sleep. Arrived back to Northern VA later in the day Saturday.

Prince William Park, VA

2008-05-26T10:25:00.003-04:00

What a great weekend for a walk in the park. My bride and I took our two boys (dogs) out to the park walked a few of the winding trails. Our buff cocker spaniel was in the water most of the way. He loved it, even swam out and fetched a few sticks here and there. Our black and white one decided that the trail was enough and only went in the water to grab a drink. On the way home they sat in the backseat with there dad and fell fast asleep. I believe they had a great day!

Adams Morgan, DC

2008-05-17T22:05:00.005-04:00

Friday evening we were going to head to the Mt. Vernon wine festival but decided not to due to the weather and threat of thunderstorms so instead we wondered our way down to Adams Morgan. Ended up walking around for a bit an having dinner a a few margaritas at Alero's. On or walk around we crossed the Taft bridge and wondered down embassy row and passed the monument of George B. McClellan. All in all a great night hanging out with some kool friends who also make us laugh!

Wine Festival Reston, VA

2008-05-03T12:12:00.005-04:00

Last weekend my bride and I and a view friends went to eh Great Grapes in Reston VA. We had a great time. Good stories that will last forever. There are a few pictures but nothing exciting, yeah right! They won't be posted.

Cherry Blossom, DC

2008-03-30T09:00:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful Saturday day. My bride and I went along with a great friend to the Cherry Blossom Festival Washington DC and we picked the perfect day! Did the 2.1 mile hike around the Tidal Basin. More pictures at Photobucket!

Afterwards we went to The Chophouse and had dinner. Our friends birthday was on Friday so we extended it a bit with a suprise cake for her. What a great day!

A bit of history:
The blooming of the cherry trees around the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation's capital city. Hundreds of thousands of city residents and visitors from across the nation and around the world come here to witness the spectacle, hoping that the trees will be at the peak of bloom for the Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, D.C.'s rite of spring.

The famous trees, a gift from Japan in 1912, signal the coming of Spring with an explosion of life and color surrounding the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in a sea of pink and white. Exactly when the buds will open is not an easy question to answer, but the National Park Service Regional Horticulturalist Robert DeFeo has been fairly accurate in his forecasts over the past several years. Once the buds begin to expand in late February, they can be monitored and the days counted before they can be expected to bloom. The forecast is based upon the weather forecast, and close inspection to determine the stage of bud development.

Great Falls, VA

2008-03-15T19:58:00.007-04:00

Beautiful day for a hike! My Bride and I went to Great Falls with a great friend from work and hiked a trail that followed the waterline I would say about 2-3 miles or so between all the hills. Great time had by all, more pictures posted on Photobucket!

BTW, canceled our trip to Tampa, had a few other things come up, think we might hit Colorado and do some white water rafting instead?

Tampa, Florida

2008-03-11T18:11:00.006-04:00

Back on the road again!! ;-) My Bridge and I are heading out to Tampa next week for a few days, a well needed break. Will post pictures when we return. Hasta la vista…….

Map at above taken from Story of Tampa.

Published Picture

2008-01-19T15:51:00.000-05:00

We're famous! Just kidding, but some of the pictures we took on our trip to Spain at Teatro de la Maestranza and Casa de la Panadería have been published to Schmap an online map/guide to places all over the world. Really neat I thought.

Snowshoe Ski Trip

2008-01-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

No snow, yeah whatever! Wednesday we enjoyed a day on the slopes and skied all day. Awesome conditions and it was not too busy. My bride is getting really good at skiing and we made a bet on our next ski trip to toss the skis to the side for a day and take a snowboarding lesson together and learn to ride. It will be a blast! It was my birthday as well, so it rocked. The best b-day by far, except the Miami Heat tickets last year. ;-) Man I’m spoiled!!

Thursday we hung out in the resort area and walked around also booked a snowmobile trip for the evening, which was a blast as well. Up and down the ski trails we rode for about a hour. To top it off it snowed all day, and the conditions rocked.

It was a much needed break from reality and the hectic work life; it’s also a three day weekend, so we couldn’t of planed this vacation from work better.

We'll catch up with everyone as soon as we're off to our next adventure. Not sure where that will be?

Sking Snowshoe, WV

2008-01-12T18:08:00.000-05:00

It's been just under five months from our last adventure. Three days to go and we're off to Snowshoe for a few days of sking. Conditions look good; according to today's mountain report, "Winter has returned to Snowshoe! Cold temperatures allowed snowmaking to occur overnight, and we'll restart as temperatures allow today, continue to have 46 trails open and every green trail on the mountain is open, there are plenty of blues to explore."

See you on the mountain!

Family Suprise

2007-12-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

Traveled to New York this weekend to see my Grandma, Dad, and Mom; had a good time. It was a surprised Christmas present for all. The picture is the main street in Utica which happens to be receiving a massive snow storm as I type. Will be heading back south in a few days.

Yankees Baseball

2007-09-30T12:07:00.000-04:00

Is it October yet? Yankees baseball in October, you can't beat it!

My bride and I went to the Saturday night Yankees vs Orioles. What a game as it turned into a "slugfest". The boys from NY came out on top 11 -10 and their off to the playoffs as the wildcard vs Cleveland.

NYC Subway Dancing

2007-09-24T10:55:00.001-04:00

NYC Subway at 42 Street stop the music started playing. The kids danced and away we went. At the end they went around to collect money for "their show", I didn't give them any money and one of them cursed me out in his native language, unreal!

NYC Subway Sign

2007-09-24T10:26:00.001-04:00

I saw this, and had to take a picture of it. Freelancers Union is health insurance, who would of thought? Anyways, thought it was pretty funny. LOL NOVA.

NYC Trip Follow-Up

2007-09-24T09:45:00.001-04:00

We left Friday for a quick visit to NYC and the Yankees game! Oh and by the way only 1.5 back. Boston here we come! And we won Sunday too. Friday and Saturday night we stayed at the Westin Times Square which was perfect. Parking right across the street, great food, and much more. Friday evening we went to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.

Started off on Saturday with breakfast at Shulas Steakhouse, great place and then got on the Subway (have a funky video and picture to post from the subway as well) and wondered off the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Really neat place. Got a little wet from the rain, but well worth it. We took the "Piecing it Together, Immigrants in the Garment Industry" tour. Saturday night we met up with a cousin and had dinner at the Ruby Foo's, good eats, took a tour of the Ripley's Believe It Or Not and ended or evening with a some ice cream from Cold Stone.

Sunday we ventured off to the Yankees game, and watch them take care of business with Toronto. This weekend it's off to Baltimore to watch the Yanks take on the Orioles. I feel for my bride, but it's October BABY!!!!

NYC Ripley's Video

2007-09-21T22:39:00.001-04:00

In NYC for the weekend. Check out this movie from the Ripley's Believe Or Not!

Video From Madrid

2007-08-31T08:36:00.000-04:00

Thought this was pretty kool, took it from the street adjacent to our hotel on Madrid. First "Blog Video". ;-)

Barcelona

2007-08-31T08:01:00.000-04:00

August 27-29 we spent in Barcelona Spain, had a blast. Walked the town both days and saw the Sagrada Família Church, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, and of course walked La Rambla.

The cites of Madrid and Barcelona are a must see for all.

Andalucia Spain

2007-08-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

We spent the last few days in Andalucia Spain travling to Seville, Granada, and the Alhambra. The Picture to the left in the view of the Serria Navada Mountain Range from our hotel room.

Have picutres of downtown Seville, Granada, and the Alhambra which I will post to Flickr in a few.

Spain Photbucket Photo's

2007-08-23T14:08:00.001-04:00

Pictures are up at Photobucket. Take a look.

Today we arrived in Granada with no problems. The hotel Barceló La Bobadilla isn't too bad. It's a long haul from the Airport, about 70 kilometers. Recommend getting a car that way you can go off and explore the area on your own, Malaga, Seville, and Marbella.

Happy Anniversary

2007-08-23T03:22:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary to us as yesterday August 22 is our four year anniversary, nine years together! We headed Toledo this afternoon, will add picture soon and this morning we wondered to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina. There we saw Salvador Dali, and many wonderful paintings by Pablo Picasso, epically Guernica, spent around 4 hours and then headed back to our room for the afternoon knap. Had a great tour of the town and ended our day with dinner at the Westin restaurant! My bride had a seafood pasta dish and I had good old bologna spaghetti. A wonderful day! Off to Granada bright and early! See you there...;-)

One Way To See Madrid, Walk!

2007-08-21T16:25:00.001-04:00

We began our day with an American Breakfast at the Palace Hotel which was included in the room. Walked to the Museo Nacional del Prado where we saw numerous famous paintings by Goya, Patinir, Bosco, and others. Six Euro entrance fee, good deal! After the Prado, walked to Parque del Buen Retiro where we entered through the Parque de la Independencia and saw the Estanque, Fuente de la Alcachofa, Palacio de Cristal (pictured above), and El Angel Caido. Upon leaving the park, hiked to the Plaza Mayor where a statue of Felipe III sits in the center and the Casa de la Panaderia. Oh and can’t forget Spanish Spiderman, check him out in the Flickr photos! Had the traditional Mixed Paella for dinner with Sandgra (spelled correctly this time) and Chocolate con Churros at Chocolateria San Gines. Tomorrow we’re off to Toledo, no rest for the feet.

City Streets In Madrid

2007-08-21T05:28:00.001-04:00

We spent the evening on the Madrid VISION enjoying the sites on the “hop-on” “hop-off” shuttle service for 30 euros. The shuttle offers two different routes; we enjoyed RUTA 1 (Madrid Historico) vice RUTA 2 (Madrid Moderno). Started out at stop number 12 on RUTA 1, the Museo del Prado, which we are going to see today, and our first stop was the number 21 Templo de Debod. The picture above is a view from the far end of the Templo. We then walked up to the T.G.I. Fridays, yes I know your in Spain and you have T.G.I. but the fresh salad and cheese nachos tasted ohhhh so good.

From TGI we jumped back on the shuttle and completed RUTA 1 seeing the Palacio Real, Catedral de la Almudena, and Puerta del Sol. We took a ton of pictures but the internet connection is rather slow via the blackberry, will post to Flickr once a solid connection is available. Completed RUTA 1 and hopped onto RUTA 2 around 9 p.m. It was still day light and sunny! Saw Madrid’s “Mini Manhattan” as the tour guide put it. Pretty kool, have some great pictures of the skyscrapers at sunset!

Completed RUTA 2 and begin to wonder back to out hotel but couldn’t resist the Tapas Bars temptations. Enjoyed the calamari rings, fires, and a few glasses of Sandrinha (believed I spelled it right). The entrainment around the bars is amazing. Ended the night around midnight and enjoyed a few ITune downloads on the laptop before falling fast asleep. Spanish T.V. stinks BBC and CNN only; all other channels are in Spanish, go figure but we didn’t come all the way to Spain to watch T.V. did we, LOL? A great first day!

Madrid Spain

2007-08-20T04:57:00.001-04:00

Arrived safe and sound; the weather is Philly kind of scarred me, but is awesome here; a little chilly as a matter of fact, but just right for exploring the streets of Madrid. Checked into the Palace Hotel, Westin and as a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) early check in is free and we got upgraded to a premium room with an awesome a view. From the third floor to the main street, the picture is the Plaza de Canovas del Castillo. This is going to be great, well needed vacation!

Plane To Spain

2007-08-19T17:12:00.000-04:00

What a plane! Made it to Philly, let's hope the weather in Spain is better! ;-)

Where To Next

2007-08-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

Found this on Google Gadgets, and it's kool. Give it a try

Omaha In Two Hours

2007-08-14T10:06:00.001-04:00

Never could have thought this up, fly to Omaha for two hours, spent approx. eight hours in the air and touched down in three different states in 17 hours! Had an overnight trip planned, but decided to fly back late last night.

Had lunch at the Wendy's (number 8 on the link) on 72nd street for lunch. This had to be one of the weirdest Wendy's I've been to. If you're out in Omaha stop in and see for yourself.

FIVE days until SPAIN! Can't wait. It seems just like yesterday we got back from the Bahamas, but I need another break.

I know some of you may think...right NOVA you have a hard life, but work has lately been insane. It's has made me step back and think there has to be a better way...

Quick UK Trip

2007-08-04T05:28:00.001-04:00

My bride is back from the UK, she mentioned that it's a good thing I didn't go because we would be moving. It's nice to have her home. We slept for 12 hours straight, her "jet lag" must of caught on.

18 Days!

2007-08-01T07:13:00.000-04:00

Our big trip to Spain is just two weeks away, I can't believe it seems just like yesterday we booked it. I was watching Passport to Europe last night and yesterdays show was on Mallorca, looks like an interesting place to see. We were going to stay on this island a few days, but decided against it. Sounds like its the new "hot spot".

Stuck At The Airport

2007-07-29T16:19:00.000-04:00

Here I sit, waiting for my flight back, I guess there is really bad thunderstorms. Hopefully it will be in a few. Latest status is 5:20 pm, we shall see.

Flew north to see relatives, had a good time. My bride is leaving to the UK this evening as well. We were hoping to have dinner at the airport before she left, but I don't think that is going to happen. Hopefully her flight leaves on time. The little airport I'm at has free Internet, but no cell phone reception, go figure?!? LOL...

Snorkeling

2007-07-25T09:39:00.000-04:00

A few days ago at lunch some of my co-workers and I were talking about diving, snorkeling, water sports, etc we like to do on vacation and I mentioned the last time I went snorkeling in the Bahamas with my bride. I came in to the office today and had this awesome cartoon on my white board, I had to post it. ;-)

Alhambra Tickets

2007-07-23T07:05:00.001-04:00

Getting closer!! Today we purchased our tickets for the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain occupying a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada.

Buying advance tickets was recommended by a year in europe podcast.

White House

2007-07-14T15:26:00.000-04:00

July 14: Finally got to tour the White House, only took approx. 7 months to get on the list our congressman provides. No pictures, everything prohibited. Items include handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, tobacco products, personal grooming items (make-up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons/devices, or knives of any size.

We arrived at 11:00 or so for our 12:00 tour time. The line was relatively short, but I could see how it might get long. The best time to go on a sunny day is earlier as you enter from the east and the sun is beaming down on you. We only waited about 10-15 minutes in line. Once past security the walking tour take you about one hour. It was neat. Lots of oil paintings of many formal presidents and first ladies, and even from the visitor entrance once inside you can look out onto the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and see a magnolia planted by Andrew Jackson, kool I thought. At the end of the tour the staff had removed the oil painting of Lady Bird Johnson from one of the rooms, passed away July 11 2007, and posted in on isle at the entrance with a basket of yellow flowers.

Spain Tickets

2007-07-11T23:30:00.000-04:00

Picked up our tickets to Spain today! It's going to rock. Three days in Madrid, four in Granada, and three in Barcelona!

Booked with Classic Travel awesome group of girls to work with, they'll hook you right up.

Bahamas

2007-07-09T17:32:00.001-04:00

Bahamas here we come!

Stayed Four Nights at The Cove, Atlantis Paradise Island.
What a place, water slides, tube rides, and the sun, you can't beat it for July 4th!

Day One, July 3rd: Arrived at The Cove around 4 pm from the airport. It's easy to get around, just catch a cab, cost is $30 US or so, you can negotiate the total price, there is a dollar fee to cross the bridge into Paradise Island. Checked into our Ocean View Suite 11th floor, what a view, perfect for the fireworks the next night. We walked the resort in search of a place to grab a quick bite to eat, and stumbled upon Bimini Road in the Marina Village. A bit of history here on Bimini Road is an underwater rock formation near North Bimini island in the Bahamas. Discovered in 1968 , it is generally assumed to be of natural origins The Road consists of approximately one half-mile of limestone blocks, lying in a semi-rectangular pattern, with the blocks themselves appearing to being rectangular in shape. Awesome food, had a good old burger and my bride enjoyed the shrimp salad sandwich. After dinner, we called it an early night.

Day Two, July 4th: Spent the entire day at the pool and beach, listening to the music and reading "Working on The Edge". Great book about the Alaska crab season by Spike Walker. Enjoyed a few cold ones and the hot sun! Returned to the room around 5 took a siesta (the best part about vacations) and went to dinner at the Seafire Steakhouse. Expensive meal, not too bad, I had the chicken and my bride had the fish, we shared a side dish of asparagus, the butter was a bit "fishy". A thunderstorm passed by, so we missed the fireworks, but caught a few from a few nearby hotels from or balcony, like I said a great view of the harbor. Turned in for the night after that! Oh yeah we had breakfast at Sea Glass, great place for an Ala Carte muffins, cereal, coffee, etc... not a bad price either.

Day Three, July 5th: Got up and took the shuttle to the One and Only Resort to check it out. Not a bad place, that's the place to go if you want to be totally isolated, very quiet. Didn't stay long, and took a cab to town for lunch. Ate at a local fish fry place, can't remember the name, it wasn't too bad. Took the jitney "bus" for a dollar the the main shopping area. Tons of souvenirs to by there. Walked up and down the streets. The Bahama Rum Cake Factory. Took a cab back and and went to the pool. Rode a tube to the Power Tower, that was fun. Atlantis is a great place for kids and water rides, it will definitely keep you kool!

Day Four, July 6th: Booked a Power Boat adventure with Island World, book directly and save 10%! What a great time, bring a ton of sunscreen. Got to feed the sharks, iguanas, and a pretty good lunch, well worth the price. On the way out of the harbor, you see Michael Jordan's, Tiger Woods home, WOW is all I got to say. Did I mentioned Shaq's boat "Man of Steal" was in the harbor, that thing is huge! We ended our evening with a pizza and salad from the Marina village in our room.

Day Five, July 7th: Flew home, our baggage was "delayed" as US Airways put it. Long story short I had to go back to the airport to pick them up, but everything made it home.

A much needed "mini" break from life in the fast lane. Onto Spain in August. More to come then! ;-)

More Pictures: http://photobucket.com/viaggiaregiornalismo