In the northern Tampa Bay Area, a little piece of Greece is less than an hour north of downtown. Here you can explore the sights, sounds, and aromas of Greece. Dodecanese Boulevard is the spine of the Greek sponge docks of Tarpon Springs.
The top Groupon coupon provider in the state of Florida is the cruise ship Victory. It leaves twice a day, seven days a week, and travels all of three miles out into the ocean from Port Canaveral.
Picturesque beaches, endless fiestas, and bottomless tequila are usually what come to mind when people think of Mexico. But nestled in the hills of Baja California is the hidden gem that is Valle de Guadalupe.
The word desert does not usually conjure up the word enchantment, but there is one section of desert that can be considered akin to enjoying a beach all to yourself on a bright, sunny day. The temperature feels perfect—in the upper sixties with zero humidity and not a cloud in the sky. You lie on one of the numerous sand dunes while feeling the gentle breeze. This momentary getaway is so refreshing, so relaxing, you do not want to leave.
Last winter, an invitation was extended to my friend and me to travel to Mexico for a stay at his hostel in Mazatlán. We were anxious to escape Colorado’s hostile freezing temps. We packed up and headed south, ready for anything. After a relatively easy border crossing at Juarez Mexico, our excitement started to mount as we entered the great Sonoran Desert of Central Mexico.
Have you heard about Vieques, Puerto Rico, or as many Puerto Ricans know this island, Isla Nina, Little Girl Island? It’s a small island located 8-miles east of the main island of Puerto Rico. It is commercially accessible by water ferry leaving from Ceiba. Fly there from San Juan International airport or the smaller local airport of Isla Grande. English and Spanish are both widely spoken on Vieques.
No, not Ohio where it’s pronounced toe-lee-doe, but Spain where it’s pronounced toe-lay-doe. Toledo is a UNESCO World Heritage city so there is a lot to see and really deserves more than the few hours we spent.
Shops stocked with beautiful handicrafts made by local artists line the main streets of Tulum Mexico. You can spend hours wandering through tiendas (shops) searching for that unique gift item to take home. There are also plenty of synthetic, artificial, and machine-made look-alikes. If you don’t know what to look for, you may end up with a collection of imitations made from cheap materials.
Majestic live oak trees with sprawling branches dripping silver Spanish moss surrounding stately white-columned mansions. The dazzling Ashley and Cooper Rivers meandering their ways to the sea. Long-necked, lanky egrets perusing the swampy marshes where cypress knees eerily protrude from the murky water. Alluring gardens with fragrant flowers bursting forth no matter the season. When you envision Charleston South Carolina, is this what you see?
Darioush Winery immediately captures your attention and imagination with its stunning, unique architecture, and landscaping. Lily ponds with bubbling fountains and palatial, double bull topped stone columns flank wide steps to the visitor center and are reminiscent of royalty and architecture of an era long past.
