A few weeks ago, I head to Carlsbad, California, for a weekend retreat with the staffs of TBEX and NMX. We stayed in a beach house along the Pacific Ocean coast which offered a wonderful view to stir up lots of creativity. I love quiet mornings looking out at the ocean.
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Postcard from Seattle: It Doesn’t Always Rain Here
On a warm Seattle day, I’m happy at home just walking around the neighborhood. See – it doesn’t rain here all the time.
Read MoreJP Patches & Gertrude Statue
Many cities have statues honoring their founders, heroes, and statesmen. In Seattle, we have a statue of JP Patches and Gertrude. JP (Julius Pierpont) Patches was played by Chris Wedes. I hesitate to say “played” because in many respects the real person was lost in the larger-than-life persona of his television character. His was the first live show to air on then fledgling station KIRO (a CBS affiliate) and was as unscripted as they come. That was a rarity back in 1958 when the show first aired. The JP Patches showed aired twice daily and I remember watching it before school every morning at then again after school. JP lived in the City Dump, and had crazy friends like his best pal Gertrude, Ketchikan the Animal Man, Sheriff Shot Badly, and Boris S. Wort (the world’s second-meanest man) all played […]
Read MorePostcard from Maui: Beach View
If you think a beach view isn’t important, just think about how relaxing it is to enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee and look at this view from your hotel balcony.
Read MoreHollywood Bowl Concerts: Amphitheater Beneath the Stars
An evening of music under the stars doesn’t get much better than when you’re sitting in one of the most legendary natural amphitheaters — the Hollywood Bowl. And if your California holidays permit, scheduling in a concert or visit to this venue is a wonderful summer treat. The Hollywood Bowl was originally built in 1922 and it first consisted of simple wooden benches set against the natural hillside of Bolton Canyon. That same year the first Hollywood Bowl concerts were scheduled when the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra began its first season of “music under the stars,” a tradition that continues today as the Bowl serves as the summer home of the orchestra. Fast forward to today: With seating of about 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl is the largest natural amphitheater in the United States. It is still the summer home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and […]
Read MorePostcard from Seattle: Lake Union Floating Homes
Some of the hundreds of floating homes (don’t call them houseboats) on Seattle’s Lake Union. Permits are limited, space is at a premium, and these homes go for hundreds (and hundreds) of thousands of dollars.
Read MorePhoto Essay: A Day at Woodland Park Zoo
While Seattle may not be fully engaged in Spring, let alone tiptoeing into summer, there’s no denying that it’s been a lovely holiday weekend. So with the sun peeking through, I headed off to Woodland Park Zoo, one of my favorite things to do in the nice weather. Plus, the zoo has a few new exhibits that I hadn’t seen yet including Warthogs and the endangered Warty Pig. First stop was the Family Farm, a kid friendly stop just to the left of the South Entrance. It’s mostly farm animals, like this goat, with a few other animals rounding things out. I love watching the little kids pet the small animals; for many it’s the first glimpse at rural life. Wandering about the family farm were a few peacocks and pea hens. This guy spent some time preening before his admiring audience. […]
Read MoreFREE Things to do in Little Rock, Arkansas
If you’re watching the budget, it’s no problem in Little Rock, Arkansas. The largest, and capital city of Arkansas, got its name from a small rock formation – la Petite Roche – that was once used as a landmark for traffic on the river. Today Little Rock offers a vast number of FREE activities that will keep you entertained for days and days. Take a look — History Learn about Civil Rights History with a visit to the circa 1927 Gothic-style Central High School, which received international attention during the Civil Rights Movement, and stop in at the museum in the restored service station across the street. The interactive exhibit “All the World is Watching Us” tells the story of the nine black students who made civil rights history when they entered Central High in September 1957. Location: 2125 Daisy […]
Read MoreBrand USA: Land of Dreams by Rosanne Cash
Brand USA officially launched at this past week’s USTA PowWow in Los Angeles. Brand USA was created in 2010 to encourage travelers from all over the world to visit the United States. The public-private marketing entity works in close partnership with the travel industry to maximize the economic and social benefits of travel in communities around the country. Through its website, Discover America, Brand USA will inspire travellers to explore America’s boundless possibilities. As part of the new branding campaign, Brand USA commissioned Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash to create a song that could serve as a new anthem for America. An anthem that represented the diversity of this country and that would invite and welcome visitors from around the world to our country. Featuring guest artists that include Los Lobos, Bebel Gilberto and TREME, I think the video captures […]
Read MorePoverty Point State Historic Site on UNESCO Nominee List
The U.S. Department of the Interior is nominating Poverty Point State Historic Site in northeast Louisiana for the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. The 3,500-year-old site is considered one of the most culturally significant American Indian sites in the U.S., and is already designated a National Historic Landmark, National Monument and Smithsonian Affiliate. Poverty Point is the largest, most complex U.S. archaeological site of its age. No other site in the country matched its size until 2,500 years later. In addition to its impressive size and design, the site is outstanding because of its widespread trade network. The site’s design is unlike any other site in the world, including a massive earthen complex, with five mounds (the largest in photo above), six concentric, C-shaped ridges and a large, flat plaza. Archaeologists believe Native Americans moved millions of basket-loads of […]
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