Archives for January, 2010
Posted on Jan 20, 2010 under Animals, Travel |
Carol had heard that he could experience some of the greatest birding opportunities of his life at Cape May, New Jersey. So, he finally convinced his wife to go with him and last summer they spent two full weeks in one of the hotels Cape May. His wife Bonnie enjoyed the beautiful afternoons on the beach and actually developed an interest in Carol’s fascination with the different bird species. This is something that she just couldn’t understand before and always thought her husband was a bit odd, for being so obsessed with the migratory bird populations and their habits. However, finding herself in a more receptive mood their on the beautiful island paradise, she listened to his endless chatter and even found herself paying attention and taking an interest.
Determining bird species and following their migration patterns had been a hobby/quickly turned passion of Carol’s for about five years. He had always been interested in birds, though and experience with a work associate five years ago really inspired him to pursue it. Bonnie bought him a book that year for his birthday and it turned out to be one of the best guides he could get. Of course he thought that meant his wife supported his hobby and had even taken an interest in it. It couldn’t be further from the truth.
However, as they watched the birds and Carol explained the species to Bonnie that summer, she actually began to try and do it on her own. The next morning Carol disappeared for twenty minutes and returned to present Bonnie with a binocular harness. Bonnie wasn’t sure what to do with it, but Carol explained that he was going to buy her her own set of binoculars, but instead thought she should pick them out herself. He would go with her and they could get her some that afternoon, and Bonnie was actually very excited. She even tried on her brand new harness.
Posted on Jan 08, 2010 under Travel |
While the city of Phoenix is quite expansive, filled with many residential sub-divisions, shopping malls and high rise buildings, there are many locations throughout the city for hiking and adventure. For some, the hike alone is worth it, such as the shorter but very steep climb to the top of Squaw Peak, or the longer journey up the side of Camelback Mountain, and the winding paths for biking and climb through the South Mountain Range. For others though, it is a quest, a mission for a legendary treasure that draws not only the residents of Arizona, but treasure seekers from around the world. This is the hike through the Superstition Mountains and the search for the legendary Gold Mine of the Lost Dutchman.
For more the one hundred and twenty years, this beautiful range of mountains has enticed people and has haunted the minds of everyone who happens to take a hike through the Superstitions. Many believe this to be one of the most famous and sought after treasures of all time. Anywhere you go in the city you will find information regarding this, from the plethora of books written on the subject in the bookstores, to the pamphlets handed out by travel agents and the staff at the front desk of many of the hotels in greater Phoenix areas surrounding the mountains.
For a few years now, many have been making speculations that this is much more than legend. Of course the treasure seekers have always believed this, but now there appears to be scientific evidence that yes there does appear to be gold in them there hills. Apparently, a man named Pegleg has been corresponding with the magazine, “DesertUSA” with facts that he states reveal not only that the legend is fact, and not fiction…but that he has evidence as well, of exactly where the gold is located. So far though, no one has come out of the superstitions with it, so as has been going on for years, the seekers will keep seeking for the treasures of the Lost Dutchman.
Posted on Jan 07, 2010 under Travel |
Being in New York City again was reinvigorating and I was looking forward to having a few days unfold before me. I had booked accommodation at a New York boutique hotel that I thought gave me the best advantage of being centrally located. After I got a good night’s rest, I headed off to explore the East Village. It was a crisp October morning and during my stroll, I noticed that as I crossed from 1st Avenue onto Avenue A, this seemed to be the demarcation of those in New York who have money and those who aren’t so fortunate. The streets were suddenly filled with graffiti, weeds, high-rise housing projects and lifeless playgrounds.
From Avenue A, I headed off to Chinatown in search of the apartment featured in ‘Flight of the Conchords’ a TV series on HBO. I took a few photos and waited around in hopes that I’d run into someone from the show, but no such luck. So, a headed back through Chinatown and made my way to Little Italy for some lunch. On my way, I saw a man with two gutted pigs slung over his shoulder. Quiet a site and truly unexpected. After a great lunch, I continued my search for locations featured on TV shows. I made my way over to the corner of Broadway and 112th street to have a cup of coffee in the restaurant in which Seinfeld was filmed.
Later in the evening, I checked out the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. I know I was chancing it, but I thought I’d give it a try anyway. My earlier attempt, two days ago, there was a queue going around three city blocks. This time though, I arrived an hour-an-a-half before the 7pm church service and was lucky to be granted a free tour of the history of the church. The church, at one time, had 15,000 members. I was so thrilled to experience this gospel church service, it will go down as the best highlight of my trip. All the spontaneity, the music, the positive experience was a very uplifting moment. I can’t explain the experience, but it was a true celebration of life. The sermon touched me so deeply, that I can actually say I was a changed person and changed for the better.
Posted on Jan 06, 2010 under Travel |
The Lowell National Historical Park preserves the history of America’s early working life; it’s essentially a series of museums in the middle of Lowell, just about thirty miles outside Boston. This small city, founded in 1820, was created as a center for textiles. To learn about the Industrial Age in America, all you need do is check into one of the hotels Lowell has to offer, and set out among the trolleys and canals to the various museums that will grant any visitor a window nearly two hundred years into the past. From the Textile Museum to the Working Peoples and Immigrants Museum to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, you’re certain to learn the way people lived and worked in the 19th Century.
The Boott Cotton Mills were certainly a part of that history, whose doors were open for over a hundred and twenty years, not shutting down until 1955. The museum now features exhibits of the mill equipment and allows guests to experience the look of a working mill. In the “Weave Room,” there are industrial grade looms, fully active, operating at its highest speed. The roar of the looms illustrates what workers had to endure on a daily basis here. You’ll find the museum gift shop next to the Weave Room, where there’s much more information about Lowell and the Mills.
Walking along the grounds of the Boott Cotton Mills, you’ll stroll past the Merrimack River, and may pass the cotton storehouse. The museum itself contains three floors, two occupied by the museum, and the third by condominiums and lofts which have a view of the waterfront. Throughout the park, you’ll also may see The Boardinghouse, a place where the women who worked in the mill lived. The Boardinghouse now is known as the Mogan Cultural Center, which provides historical exhibits, educational programs and celebrates communities and their urban roots.
If you’re a history buff, but also want a scenic place to relax, Lowell, Massachusetts, with its proximity to Boston, may be a pefect choice for a visit.