Tag Archives: Travel

Beef Jerky, Blow Pops, and Big Gulps: Road Trip Essentials for the Girl Next Door

Tomorrow marks the start of another adventure.  Photographs will follow…but in the meantime, I leave you with this:

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” ~Borrowed from Susan Sontag and most certainly one of my new favorites…

 

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , , , |

NOLA: The Land of Booze and Beads (and Surprising Beauty)

While on a recent trip to New Orleans, I had the pleasure of not only partaking in *the best* raw oysters I’ve ever had (Thanks Acme!), but also of visiting a plantation.  While the city certainly has its charms, so does the country…

NOLA-9.gifNOLA-5.gifNOLA-1.gifNOLA-10.gifNOLA-4.gifNOLA-2.gifNOLA-6.gifNOLA-3.gifNOLA-7.gifClay.gifNOLA-8.gif

 

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , |

New York: Home of the Buffalo Bills, Some Really Big Lakes, and a Bunch of Future Floridians

New York is not simply filled with bright lights and rude people.  There’s a whole other side to the state, and I am grateful I had the opportunity to see that side on my last visit there.  Sure, the city is fabulous with its iconic landmarks and fancy shopping, but outside the city is where it’s at.  Don’t believe me?  Please see below.  (P.S.  Canada isn’t so bad, either…Thanks for the super fun baseball game!)

NY-2.gifNY-1.gifNY-3.gifNY-4.gifNY-5.gifNY-6.gifNY-7.gifNY-8.gif

 

 

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , |

Saint Helena, California 94574: Home of World Famous Wines, Delicious Olive Oil…and My Fabulous Family

Florida is my home, but California is my second home. (So blessed!) Not only is the scenery gorgeous, but they’re Gator fans around, too. Florida. California. It’s all the Gator Nation. Home Sweet Home.

California-22.gifCalifornia-21.gifCalifornia-27.gifc49-CA-19.gifCalifornia-20.gifCalifornia-23.gifCalifornia-24.gifCalifornia-25.gifCalifornia-26.gifCalifornia-28.gifCA-1.gifCA-11.gifCA-13.gifCA-15.gifCA-17.gifCA-18.gifCA-19.gifCA-2.gifCA-4.gifCA-7.gifCA-8.gif

 

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , , , , |

Key West, Florida: No Need to Leave Home Without Your Walking Shoes and a Boat

Key West.  Home to authors, artists, alcoholics.  A great place to kick back, relax, and take in the sights.  While there isn’t a sweet beach to speak of, the water is warm, the streets are crowded, and the scenery is hot.  I’ll spare you the documented evidence I have of this, but instead, I’ll leave you with these.

Key-West.gifKey-West-2.gifKey-West-1.gifKey-West-3.gifKey-West-4.gif

 

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , , , |

A Few More Reasons to Visit Paradise…Andros: Land of the Crabs and Home of the Happy

As if you needed any more reasons to visit Andros…but just in case, here are a few images from my most recent trip to paradise.

 

Pretty perfect, right?  Any questions?

 

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , |

Andros Crab Fest 2012: Food, Fun, and Well, Just About Everything Else but the Kitchen Sink, too…

The Bahamas. A country made up of over 3,000 bits and pieces of land sprinkled North of Cuba and Southeast of Florida. They’re known for many things. Things like giant starfish.

This guy was as big as a globe. He was thrown back about three minutes after this picture.

And adorably kind and funny families.

Brittany, Brandi, BJ, Bradley, and G. The life of the party right there, folks.

And in Andros, they have this little gathering once a year. A little gathering called “Crab Fest.”

Okay, so maybe it's not so little...

Remember those parts in the movie Forrest Gump when they’re talking about all the different kinds of shrimp they can make?  Bubba says, “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.”  In Andros, that’s pretty much how they see crab.  And it’s all delicious.

During my visit to Crab Fest, however, one thing kept popping up in my mind.  Every time I’d look around, in any direction, I saw something that made me think: OMG.

There’s a man drinking beer out of a large, empty stewed tomatos can.  OMG.

This stuffed crab (literally) is delicious.  OMG.

There’s a rather large woman wearing a bikini underneath an entire body suit of black lace…leaving not a whole lot to the imagination.  OMG.

That is one of the most adorable babies I’ve ever seen.  OMG.

People bring babies to this event?  OMG.

This Bahamian music makes me want to open a beer and dance.  OMG, how fun!

There are amazingly talented, half-naked male dancers on the stage.  OMG.

Did those amazingly talented, half-naked male dancers really just do that?! OMG.  (Those amazingly talented, half-naked male dancers looked like they were having some X-rated fun with the air.)

And so the night continued.  After about 30 seconds of mentally processing one OMG moment, another one came right along after it.  For a girl who grew up on a farm in the country, that’s one heck of a long night.  While Crab Fest was certainly an experience I’m sure I’ll never forget, I’m thinking once in my lifetime is just about right.

I think I’ll stick with traveling to the Bahamas for all the other reasons I love going there (the people, the fresh conch salad, the Kaliks, the great fishing with great guides, the almost hot-tub-like temperatures of the crystal clear water, the fresh conch salad, the starfish as big as cookie cakes, the traffic-stopping (literally) crab-parades across the streets, the fact that they serve almost anything with grits, the children who look at my long hair as if it’s Christmas, oh, and did I mention the fresh conch salad?)…Yes, I think I’ll stick with those reasons.  For all the other 361 days of the year.

Posted in From Behind the Lens Also tagged , , , , , , |