Here are two miracles of nature that I highly recommend visiting not only for the breathless beauty of their rugged landscapes which makes for great hiking, but for the spiritual connection.
Arches National Park, Utah
300 million years of patient erosion has resulted in unbelievably dramatic landscapes. Here you will find the world’s largest concentration of natural stone arches. This National Park is a red, arid desert, punctuated with oddly eroded sandstone forms, balanced rocks, and arches. The 73,000-acre region has over 2,000 of these “miracles of nature.”
Monument Valley, Arizona.
Look familiar? You’ve seen it many times in many westerns (John Wayne spent a lot of time filming here).
Monument Valley provides perhaps the most enduring and definitive images of the American West.
from photo shoot Bazaar Magazine
One of the grandest – and most photographed landmarks (just look at these two magazine pages) in the United States, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is a sprawling, sandy preserve that spans the border between Arizona and Utah, bathing the region in rich red hues.
Dominated by crimson mesas and surreal sandstone towers – some as tall as 1,000 feet – the area is also known for dramatic, mesmerizing lighting, with the sun illuminating the towers and casting long shadows on the valley floor.
Bazaar Magazine
Alamo, *San Antonio, Texas
Located in the heart of one of the Nations top 10 largest cities, the Alamo is a must-see. In 1960, the story of the Alamo became bigger than life when John Wayne starred as Davy Crockett in a movie about the battle.
The History of the Alamo – a timeline:
The March 6, 1836 Battle of the Alamo was preceded by many battles between the newly arrived Texas colonists, called Texians, and the Mexican military. Texas was Mexican territory, following Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1821, and the settlers arriving from the United States wanted their independence from Mexico. But the story of the Alamo itself began more than 100 years earlier. Find out more at:http://visitsanantonio.com/english/Explore-San-Antonio/
*San Antonio has a lot of other things going for it besides “the Alamo.” It has a happening music scene, art museum and the beautiful River Walk with a host of attractions like restaurants, shops and hotels.
“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild.
So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.”
– Stephen King, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons.
Photos: d. king
“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence” – Robert Lynd
Well said – that is even more true for photographing them.
When you just want to RELAX with no outside interruptions – the very essence of a perfect vacation…you might want to go to Jake’s Treasure Beach, Jamaica.
Jamaica is a great place to unwind but when you think of places to travel in Jamaica what usually comes to mind? Is it fast paced and touristy Montego Bay, Ocho Rios for newlyweds and honeymooners or Negril for miles and miles of white sand beach and many all-inclusives?
When I travel I love to explore places off the beaten path and find little hidden treasures. If you drive for one hour outside Montego Bay you will find a beautiful tropical countryside with breathtaking views of fishing villages, beaches, centuries old great houses, natural waterfalls and wetlands. You’ll find the South Coast of Jamaica.
Stumbled upon this stylishly funky hotel/spa by accident while driving along the South Coast. It’s a world away from the island’s high-pressure resort towns. A welcome opposite of Ocho Rios while still maintaining tropical charm with a beautiful low-key seafront setting and lovely gardens. The brightly painted cottages stretch along the water’s edge, in the sleepy settlement of Treasure Beach in south-west Jamaica. Centred on a lovely open-air dining ‘room’, the pool and Dougie’s bar, Jakes has really lovely, raffish Jamaican charm.
The Bar
The PROS:
Friendly staffers who know every guest by name
On-site art classes for everyone, all ages
Daily yoga and Pilates workshops
One of Jamaica’s best spas
Excellent restaurant with fresh, locally produced Jamaican fare.
No nearby tourist attractions or nightlife
THE CONS: Remote location on the South Coast No nearby tourist attractions No nightlife Coarse black-sand beaches less desirable for swimming A hike – two hour drive ($120 by taxicab) from Montego Bay’s airport No in-room TV, phone, or Internet
In a NUTSHELL:
With just 30 hippy-chic cottages in secluded Treasure Beach, Jake’s is a member of Bespoke Hotels, a trendy, luxury hotel group. Guests come to unplug — there’s no phone, Internet, or TV in the cottages (but there are CD players and CD’s in each room with an extensive CD library). The black-sand beaches aren’t Jamaica’s most impressive, but the Driftwood Spa, on-site painting classes for all and yoga/pilates workshops, and excellent locally prepared food make this a particular favorite.And that is exactly why I recommend Jake’s.
And if you’re lucky there may be some other hidden treasures…but we can’t discuss them here. If you catch my drift wood.
Unfortunately I’m only kidding….but I can imagine wearing this Quilted Versace Helmut (price upon request). versace.com on my little scooter.
AND then there are the Italian Stallions who Scott Schuman for “the Sartorialist” sums up very eloquently:
A lot has been written about “Italian style.” A number of “facts” have been detailed: the Agnelli-isms of unbuttoned shirt collars, unbuckled monkstrap shoes, ties over the sweater – your general *sprezzatura minutiae. But when it comes down to it, these things border on gimmick. To me, that’s not really about what Italian style is about, or what people relate to in my photographs.
Photos: Scott Schuman for The Sartorialist
What I think people are actually aspiring to is something much trickier to attain. It’s the same kind of thing that you’ve seen in all classic menswear icons, most perfectly embodied by Cary Grant and Fred Astaire. It’s grace.
Why people react to Italian style is the grace with which these gentlemen inhabit their clothes.
Now, some people will discredit this and call it “effortless style,” or write it off by saying, “These Italians are just born with it.”
But it’s quite the opposite. There is nothing effortless about their style, or their look. What’s unique is that they put an extreme amount of effort into their look when they buy the clothes, when they have the clothes altered by their tailor, and when they put them on in the morning. But once they put them on, they don’t think about them until they take them off again at night. It’s that graceful thoughtlessness that is so seductive.
Do me a favour. Look at these photos above. Look at the shoulder line. Look at how relaxed these guys are. Their shoulders aren’t uptight and around their ears. These guys are having fun. Then take a look at your typical Savile Row-tailored gent. Refined (read: restrained) to within an inch of his life, shoulders straight as a board and typically looking like they’re having as much fun as an American wearing a suit.
If there is one piece of advice that I could give to someone who wants to embody, in their own way, the very best of Italian style, it would be: take an extra half an hour when buying the clothes, and extra half an hour at the tailor to make sure they perfectly fit you, and an extra half an hour in the morning to make sure you are confident in your choices.
Then think about food, think about women, think about cars – and only think about your tie when you buy the next one.
*Word of the day: sprezzatura: a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it”.
The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman (Penguin) is out now. £19.99. amazon.co.uk
It’s pretty straightforward. I want to live like an Italian.
There are too many likes. From the Renaissance paintings and sculptures of artists like Michaelangelo and Botticelli in Florence, to medieval villages, historical towns, castles and country churches scattered all over a vast territory of rolling hills. Romantic architecture abounds.
the house that was used to film “Under the Tuscan Sun”
Simply prepared delicious food: lunch on the terrace overlooking ancient vines and olive groves, wine, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Aceto Balsamicos, and Gelatos.
Vespas and fast luxury cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani & Maserati.
Style in general which includes a well-tailored desire to look alla moda.
I want to live like an Italian.
I’m sure I missed a few things but this pretty much sums it up.
Among all the wild animals we found this wild Lily in a pond in S. Africa
“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” – John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in.
“A weed is but an unloved flower.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
No, silly. Llamas can’t talk but if they could they’d say “We want to go back to Peru and walk the Inca Trail because it’s so much nicer than being kept in this pen with funny people staring and wanting to touch us.”
At the PNE D. King
Llamas are special. Here are a few things you may not know about them:
Q: What’s more amazing than a talking llama? A: A spelling bee!
Q: What do you call a very fast llama? A: a Llamagini
Q: What’s llama’s favourite film? A: Llamadeus
Q: Who is the llama spiritual leader? A: The Dalai Llama
Q: What do you get if you stand between two llamas? A: llamanated
They can be creative
They like to enjoy a good night out (until things go bad):
A man and his pet llama walk into a bar. It’s about 5pm, but they’re ready for a good night of drinking. They start off slowly, watching TV, drinking beer, eating peanuts. As the night goes on they move to mixed drinks, and then shooters, one after the other. Finally, the bartender says: “Last call.” So, the man says, “One more for me… and one more for my llama.” The bartender sets them up and they shoot them back. Suddenly, the llama falls over dead. The man throws some money on the bar, puts on his coat and starts to leave. The bartender, yells: “Hey buddy, you can’t just leave that lyin’ there.” To which the man replies: “That’s not a lion, that’s a llama.”
Okay…..that’s enough (but must say I do love llamas).
It may be snowing in Calgary but here in Vancouver it turned out to be a picture PERFECT DAY for a bike ride and a picnic. We’re so lucky.“Never plan a picnic‘ Father said. ‘Plan a dinner, yes, or a house, or a budget, or an appointment with the dentist, but never, never plan a picnic.” – Elizabeth Enright, The Four-Story Mistake.
It wasn’t really planned so it was perfect!
An ordinary picnic can be made extraordinary simply by doing it with the right furry friends.
You are so funny. No…you are!
Gotta enjoy it while we can!We are brothers and can learn from each other! D. KingWe enjoy the ride and the fresh air.
When was the last time you went for a PICNIC?
A little too big for my bag? Oh well.
Photos: Ping (Lynn) Li
Of course it didn’t end here….there was also happiness (thank you to whoever invented happy hour) sitting outside enjoying the view at Kits Boathouse.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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