Hideaway Island Resort, Vanuatu
Just a short jetty ride from Vanuatu’s main island of Efate, Hideaway Island is home to both beautiful beaches and a charming resort. But it’s most famous for something you can’t see in this picture -the world’s only underwater post office. That’s right, don your snorkel gear and swim out a bit from the shore to mail a postcard home from this unique sunken postal facility. Waterproof postcards are sold in the gift shop along with the special pencil you’ll need to address it. On days when a cruise ship is in port, the resort has a diver who acts as postmaster general to accept your postcard. On other days, just dive down deep enough to drop it in the box yourself. My postcard took about 2 weeks to make it back to me in Atlanta and is one of my favorite souvenirs!
Posted 4 weeks, 1 day ago at 11:49 am. Add a comment
Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse (covered passage) - Old Town
Known for its Belle Époque architecture and wide tree-lined boulevards, the Bucharest of the 1900′s was given the nickname of “Little Paris.” Today, it’s the 10th largest city in the European Union and this bustling metropolis bears only a passing resemblance to the famed “City of Lights.” Bucharest’s old historical center, known as the Lipscani district, has been mostly a construction zone in recent years, but elements of that Parisian charm can still be found in the U-shape pedestrian passageways of Macca-Vilacrosse. Elegantly-protected by an arched glass and wrought iron roof, these quaint walkways are lined with shops, restaurants and cafes and are the place to be on a summer Saturday night. This part of Europe is far more budget-friendly than western Europe and one of the few options for cheap holiday deals on the continent this summer.
Posted 1 month ago at 12:26 pm. Add a comment
Manuel Antonio National Park
Just south of the city of Quepos along Costa Rica’s wild Pacific coast lies one of the country’s best natural treasures, Manuel Antonio National Park. Once named one of the world’s 12 most beautiful national parks by Forbes, the park encompasses four unspoiled beaches and hosts more than 150,000 visitors a year. At just under 10 square miles, it may be Costa Rica’s smallest national park but it’s unmatched in biodiversity with 109 species of mammals and 184 species of birds. Three of Costa Rica’s four monkey species – the Mantled Howler monkey, Central American Squirrel monkey and the White-Headed Capuchin monkey – can be found at Manuel Antonio and that’s why this park was my favorite spot on my visit to Costa Rica.
Posted 1 month ago at 12:16 pm. Add a comment
The Stone Bridge - Skopje, Macedonia
My first impression upon arrival in Skopje last summer was that the entire town was a construction zone. And I wasn’t far off. Macedonia’s largest city and home to one third of the country’s population is undergoing what you might call a Renaissance. Located in the center of the Balkans, about halfway between Belgrade and Athens, Skopje is currently expanding in all directions at a frenetic pace thanks to the “Skopje 2014″ project. The massive, 500 million-euro, government renovation of the capital aims to give it a more monumental appearance by erecting fountains, bridges, museums and – most notably – giant statues of national heroes throughout the town center. A controversial project due to its great expense, some residents claim the project has turned the once-quiet town into a theme park of nationalistic kitsch. The jury’s still out on what the finished product will look like by 2014 but, for now, it’s safe to say that Skopje is a work in progress.
Posted 1 month ago at 12:09 pm. Add a comment
The nighttime view of the Las Vegas Strip
Yes, I’m back in Las Vegas! Or, I guess I should say still in Las Vegas. Like almost all of my visits to this sensory-overload hot spot, I’m in town on business. This time it’s for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual convention. This is one of my favorite events to work each year because it combines my event management business with some of my favorite TV industry people! Several of my ESPN crew members will be in town for the show and I haven’t seen any of them since our last bowl game on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. I’ll be in Las Vegas through Saturday then (after 15 days away) I’m finally headed home.
Posted 1 month ago at 12:19 pm. Add a comment
Beachfront at the Westin Regina and Club Regina Resort, Los Cabos
The 20-mile stretch of trans-peninsular freeway that connects the sleepy town of San Jose del Cabo and the nightlife capital of Cabo San Lucas is home to some of the Pacific’s most beautiful coastline. Known simply as “The Corridor,” it’s lined with dozens of exclusive hotels and resorts and a haven for those seeking sandy shores, spas, golf courses and the occasional margarita or two. And if that’s not enough to lure you south of the border, between the months of January and March, migrating grey whales put on a daily show easily visible from the shoreline.
Posted 1 month ago at 11:30 am. Add a comment
Cafes line Knez Milhailova in Belgrade
Its unique location at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers – on the border between the East and the West – has earned the Serbian capital the fitting nickname, “Gateway to the Balkans.” Belgrade’s turbulent history has seen numerous wars and destruction across the centuries as one of Europe’s oldest cities and the 3rd largest in Southeastern Europe after Istanbul and Athens. Today, a re-invented, vibrant Belgrade is a youthful city with more than 40% of residents between the ages of 15 and 44. That youthful zest for life translates into one of Europe’s most energetic nightlife scenes. Peace in the Balkans has led to the emergence of tourism and an increasing number of Danube River cruises now make stops in Belgrade so that visitors can enjoy sights like the Belgrade Fortress and the cobbled streets of the Old Town.
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 12:17 pm. Add a comment
Ruins of the ancient city of Carthage
Built on a promontory with inlets to the north and the south, Carthage’s strategic location made it the master of Mediterranean trade in Hellenistic times. All ships crossing the sea had to pass between Sicily and Tunisia giving the city of Carthage tremendous power. Uncovering the history of this once-great city has been difficult because its culture and records were destroyed by the Romans at the end of the Third Punic War. Carthage’s coveted location meant constant power struggles with nearby Greece and Rome and most of the recovered records of the city are limited to literary works written by these enemies who, no doubt, took a more hostile view of the culture.
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 12:09 pm. Add a comment
The view of Lake Mead from atop Hoover Dam
Located on the Colorado River about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. Its formation by the Hoover Dam in 1936 forced the evacuation of several nearby towns, most notably St. Thomas, Nevada. The ruins of St. Thomas are occasionally still visible when the lake’s water level is unusually low. At the current water level, the white ring sometimes referred to as a “bathtub” ring caused by mineral deposits is clearly visible in photos of the shoreline. Today, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers year-round activities and is especially popular with Las Vegas residents.
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 12:19 pm. Add a comment
Overlooking Hoover Dam on the Nevada-Arizona border
Straddling the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona across the Colorado River, Hoover Dam is one of the world’s great engineering feats. Constructed during the Great Depression and dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935, the dam was built to control floods, provide irrigation water and produce hydroelectric power. At the time, such a large concrete structure had never been constructed before and some of the techniques were unproven. Today the dam provides power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona and California and is one of the top tourist attractions for visitors to Las Vegas attracting nearly one million tourists per year. Built as part of the Hoover Dam Bypass Project, the Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge opened in 2010 and is the area’s most recent addition. The pedestrian walkway across the bridge (where this photo was taken) offers – no pun intended – some of the best dam vantage points around.
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 10:35 am. Add a comment
