If you’re watching the budget, it’s no problem in Little Rock, Arkansas.  The largest, and capital city of Arkansas, got its name from a small rock formation – la Petite Roche – that was once used as a landmark for traffic on the river.  Today Little Rock offers a vast number of FREE activities that will keep you entertained for days and days.

Take a look –

History

Learn about Civil Rights History with a visit to the circa 1927 Gothic-style Central High School, which received international attention during the Civil Rights Movement, and stop in at the museum in the restored service station across the street. The interactive exhibit “All the World is Watching Us” tells the story of the nine black students who made civil rights history when they entered Central High in September 1957.  Location:  2125 Daisy L. Gaston Bates Dr.  Hours: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Enter a War Zone at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History which highlights the state’s military heritage from Territorial days to the present.  Located in the Tower Building of the old U.S. Arsenal, it was also the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur.  Location:  503 E. Ninth St., in MacArthur Park.  Hours:  10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

Visit the landmark for which the city was named, La Petit Roche, located at the north end of Rock Street in the History Pavilion and the new La Petit Roche Plaza in Riverfront Park. This first outcropping of rock along the Arkansas River above its mouth was known to pioneers and early explorers traveling the river in the early 19th century as “La Petit Roche” to distinguish it from the big rock upstream. The little rock on the south bank marked the transition from level lands of the east to the rugged hills of the mountain ranges and offered a natural landing for those traveling by boat.  And so the city got its name.

Capitalize on your visit with a stop at the State Capitol. Designed in the Neoclassical style, and modeled after the U.S. Capitol, the building features Arkansas granite and six bronze doors and three chandeliers crafted by Tiffany’s of New York. Free guided tours and audio tours available. Location:  One Capitol Mall, Capitol Avenue and Woodlane.  Hours:  Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., and weekends and holidays, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Stop off at the Old State House, the state’s first capitol and the oldest standing state capitol building west of the Mississippi River.  Today is houses a museum of Arkansas history.  Bill Clinton announced his campaign for presidency and celebrated his victory, both in 1992 and in 1996, on election night in front of the building, and his saxophone is on display here.  Location:  300 W. Markham St.  Hours:  9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

Get Political.  Discover the people and places that helped shape the state in an Arkansas Political History walking tour.  The tours hits 23 locations throughout historic downtown Little Rock.  Download the free audio tour.

Step back in time at the Mosaic Templars of America.  Established in 1883 as a fraternal organization, the Mosaic Templars of America provided insurance and other services to black businesses during the era of segregation.  By 1900, Mosaic Templars industries grew to include an insurance company, a building and loan association, a publishing company, a business college, a nursing school and a hospital. The original headquarters building was destroyed in a fire in March 2005, and was rebuilt to preserve the history.

Arts & Culture

Enjoy the Art of it all at the recently expanded Arkansas Arts Center in MacArthur Park.   The museum includes a world-renowned art collection. Location:  9th & Commerce Streets, near the River Market District.  Hours:  10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Snap a Shot with the Sugarbakers! Considered a local Little Rock landmark, the circa 1881 Villa Marre, a Second Empire/Italianate home gained fame when, in the 1980s, home’s exterior to depict the Sugarbaker design firm on the CBS television series “Designing Women.” Formerly a house museum, the Villa Marre, is now a private residence and no longer open for tours, but you can take of photo of its famous exterior.  Location:  1321 S. Scott Street.

Historic Quapaw Quarter in Little Rock, Arkansas

View the Victorians and the city’s early history in the nine-square-mile area known as the Quapaw Quarter.   The area includes MacArthur Park Historic District featuring the city’s oldest homes (some from before the Civil War) and the Governor’s Mansion Historic District with homes dating from about 1880 to 1920. All of the district’s restored buildings serve as private homes or businesses. Although they are not open to the public, they can be enjoyed from the street or sidewalk via driving or walking tours. Pick up the walking tour brochures available at any visitor information center.

Step back in time in the lobby of the historic 1876 Capital Hotel and you’ll travel back more than a century. The marble columns and breathtaking skylight alone are worth the stop.  Location:  111 West Markham.

Find Inspiration in the Shadow of a Bridge.  Stroll through Riverfront Park and let your mind and soul become enriched by the many works of art place along the path to the Clinton Presidential Center and Park.  “Art Along the Riverfront” was inspired by the themes of President Clinton’s acceptance speech at the 1996 Democratic Convention.  These sculptures illustrate common values and the wonderful quality of life to be found in Arkansas.

The H.U. Lee International Gate and Garden is an oasis of Korean culture in the heart of downtown Little Rock.  The gate and garden are not only tributes the founder of the American Taekwondo Association, but also educates people about South Korea and martial arts.

Outdoors

Feed the Ducks in MacArthur Park, adjacent to the Arkansas Arts Center.  Bring a loaf of bread and head to the lake to feed the ducks, or bring a picnic lunch for yourself.  Location:  9th and Commerce Streets.

Stroll the warehouse district, once nearly abandoned but now undergoing a revival.  Located along President Clinton Avenue, this stretch of Little Rock’s downtown has come back to life as the River Market District. The area is filled with restaurants, museums, and retail shops as well as the Little Rock River Market, featuring an array of owner-operated shops and stalls and a seasonal farmers’ market in the warmer months.

Climb a Mountain! Nothing’s more satisfying than taking on a mountain and reaching the top. Pinnacle Mountain State Park, just west of Little Rock, offers a great challenge for adventurous outdoors types.  Location: 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road.

Just Mill around at The Old Mill, the same one, with its turning water wheel, that appears during the opening credits of “Gone with the Wind.”  The reproduction of an 1800s water-powered grist mill is situated on a 3-acre site officially known as the T.R. Pugh Memorial Park and Pugh’s Mill.  But mostly it’s referred to as the Old Mill. The mill, with a water wheel constructed of concrete but treated to look like wood, is surrounded by a road resembling an old wagon road and a rustic footbridge made of black locust tree limbs. Bring a picnic lunch a spend the afternoon.  Location:  Lakeshore Drive & Fairway Avenue in North Little Rock. Hours:  Dawn to dusk.

Go green at the park.  No matter where you are in Little Rock you’re only minutes from the wide open spaces of a city park. The city is nestled among a profusion of green open spaces and natural areas set aside for recreational, educational, ecological and aesthetic benefits of the city’s residents and visitors.  Little Rock’s parks system is not only a source of pride for the city, but it’s also been recognized for excellence nationally.

Big Dam Bridge, Little Rock, Arkansas

That a Big Dam Bridge!  Cross over the longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in the world – the Big Dam Bridge.  The 4,226-foot bridge, elevated up to 90 feet above the Arkansas River, links 25 miles of bike-hike trails in the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, as well as connecting two recreation areas –Murray Park and Cooks Landing.  The bridge is part of the Arkansas River Trail, a pedestrian and bike trail reaching from downtown Little Rock to Pinnacle Mountain State Park on the southern shore, and from downtown North Little Rock to Cook’s Landing on the northern shore. A fourteen-mile loop is created by the Big Dam Bridge and the new Junction Bridge.

Bridging the Gap.  The Junction Bridge, constructed in 1884 as the primary railroad bridge connecting the northern and southern railway lines, is now a pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting Little Rock and North Little Rock.  Whether you ride the elevators to the top or take the stairs, the views of the two cities and the Arkansas River are breathtaking.

Watch the wildlife at Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center.  The nature center is focused on the wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities that Arkansas’s fish and wildlife resources provide. The location along the Arkansas River allows many watchable wildlife activities within an urban area. Basking water turtles, butterflies and migrating pelicans are common sights. The grounds of the center include beds of native plants found throughout the state.

Catch an outdoor movie every Wednesday night in June and July.  Sit along the banks of the Arkansas River in Riverfest Amphitheatre for Movies in the Park.  Bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic baskets and enjoy a free night of entertainment.

And for Something Different

Have some feathery fun at the Peabody Hotel as you watch the famous Peabody Ducks waddle the red carpet from their Duck Palace to the fountain in the lobby.  The only shooting around allowed here is with your camera.  Location:  Three Statehouse Plaza.  Hours:  The red carpet parade is daily at 11 a.m., followed by fountain frolicking until 5 p.m., and then the ducks retire for the day.

Book it at the new main library in the River Market.  Or enjoy the special events – from puppet shows and used book sales to art exhibits. Location:  The Central Library is at 100 Rock Street.

Have a grave experience at Mount Holly Cemetery.   Established in 1843, the cemetery features Victorian-era statuary ranging from angels and cherubs to a unique pair of two young girls (memorializing two sisters who died in childhood and are buried there). Those buried in Mount Holly include at least 10 Arkansas governors and three U.S. senators, five Confederate generals, 20 Little Rock mayors, composers, newspaper editors, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Quatie Ross, wife of Cherokee Chief John Ross, who died while traveling on the Trail of Tears.  Location:  12th & Broadway Streets.

Learn how one person can make a difference at Heifer Village, an indoor interactive exhibit experience that offers creative, hopeful and effective solutions to some of our planet’s biggest challenges – ending hunger while caring for our environment.  Heifer Village will spark commitment in all who experience it, furthering Heifer International’s mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth.

Photo credit:  Skyline and Quapaw mansion courtesy of TravMedia; Big Dam Bridge via wikimedia;

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One of my favorite Seattle area events is coming up.  Well, the event isn’t until fall, but the tickets are going on sale in just a few days, so you’ll want to scoop yours up right away before it sells out. What am I so darned excited about?  The Fourth Annual Tate of Tulalip!

The weekend kicks of with a Friday night tasting reception that proceeds the Celebration Dinner, featuring premium wine pairings from Sparkman Cellars, Roederer Estate, Vignalta, Penner Ash, La Sirena, Chateau de Beaucastel, and Woodinville Wine Cellars.  Tickets for the reception/dinner are $150 per person.  Seating is limited to 400 people.  A Platinum pass is also available; it includes overnight accommodations, some private events, wine seminars, early admission to events, and a special gift.

Saturday is the Grand Taste, featuring over 120 wineries from Washington, Oregon, California, France, and Italy.  Food stations featuring Tulalip Resort’s award winning chefs are spaced throughout the floor layout, and if you’re hankering for a beer, you’ll find a craft beer selection in the pool area.  If you can drag yourself away from the tasting, you can catch a Rock-n-Roll Cooking Challenge judged by “Thirsty Girl” Leslie Sbrocco and visiting guest chefs.  Tickets for the Grand Taste are $85/person.  Tickets are limited to ensure a comfortable tasting environment.  Don’t think too long about this – it sold out last year, and there were lots of disappointed wine fans.  A Saturday All Access pass is also available ($225/person) that provides admission to wine seminars, cooking demonstrations, and early admission into the Grand Taste.

While last year’s Grand Taste was sold out, it was still easy to navigate the space without feeling like you were always on top of someone.  Wine makers were eager to talk about their selections, pour tastes, and talk about wine.  Food stations were plenty, with a variety of delicious menu items.  I spend the afternoon wandering and tasting, always on the look out to discover a new winery or selection.  Had I planned better – listen up and learn from this mistake, people – I’d have made a room reservation so I would have to limit for tasting.  Although we put ourselves on a standby list, just in case of a last minute cancellation, no such luck.  So I had to stop my tasting all too soon.  Don’t make my mistake!  Book your room right away.

One feature I’m hoping they’ll have again this year are giant screens with the twitter feed.  Of course it’s fun to see your own tweet up on the screen, but when the wine maker would see a tweet about their wine, their eyes would light up.  I’m not sure how many completely understood Twitter, but they did understand that people people loved their wine.  And I loved learning what my fellow tasters were discovering.

So who wants to go this year?

Location:  Tulalip Resort, Quil Ceda (take exit 200 off of I-5)

Date & Time:  November 9-10, 2012

Tickets:  On sale at 9 am (PDT) on May 11th, 2012.

NOTE:  This is a 21 and over only event.  ID required.

Photo credit:  SXC

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From Sorrento, a visit to the island of Capri is a short boat ride away, making it an easy day trip.  In high season, reservations may be important, but otherwise just head down to Marina Grande, figure out your timing, and buy a ticket.  The ticket will depend on the time of boat service and the current Euro exchange rate, but figure about $15-17 and allow 20-30 minutes transport time.

Before you go to the island, though, learn how to correctly.  It’s pronounced CAH-pree.  The often heard cuh-PREE is a pair of pants.  Locals will know what you’re talking about if you say it incorrectly, but what not try for a little authenticity.

Once on the island, visitors typically either head off for a tour of the famous Blue Grotto, or take the funicular up to Capri Town.  The town is walkable, although there are plenty of steps that can make it a bit of a climb.  but with plenty of cafes to stop off in it’s a pleasant afternoon.  This walkway was one of the many draped with wisteria, adding a bright splash of color to a spring day.

Photo credit:  author

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Today is May 1st, and depending on where you are in the world, the significance of the day runs for substantial to relatively unimportant.

When I was a kid, growing up in a small town, May day was a day of leaving flowers – anonymously – on neighbor’s doorsteps.  We’d gather up brightly colored construction paper, draw and decorate it, then roll and tape it into a cone.  As a final touch we’d attach a thin strip to make a long handle.  Once complete, we’d fill the cone with flowers from my grandmother’s garden.  I’m not exactly sure what flowers we’d put in it, but grandma’s garden always seemed to have an abundant supply of blooms to fill a dozen or so May baskets.  As I got older, the May baskets went from that rudimentary cone to woven ones, and then at some point to a true basket.

Once the cone was filled, the plotting began.  We would draw out a route through the neighborhood, targeting houses where we knew someone was home.  (This was a small town and we pretty much knew who’d be at home).  We tip toe to the front porch, hanging the cone of flowers over a door knob or carefully placing it on the welcome mat (again, smal town – we all had front porches and welcome mats), and then ring the door bell.  Quick as flash, we’d then run away to hide behind a fence, car, or other obstruction that was big enough for us to peek around and watch as someone answered the door.  Rather than having neighbors who were annoyed that someone was ringing the doorbell and taking off, there would be a gasp of appreciation as the neighbor glanced around, looking for who had left the flowers.

May Day is celebrated in many ways around the world.  Some notable celebrations include:

• In Great Britain – Traditional celebrations include the crowning of a May Queen and dancing around a maypole.  The first Monday in May (not always May 1st, obviously) is a bank holiday, although there’s talk of abolishing it.  Across the commonwealth, small towns have festivals and celebrations to honor the coming of summer and the fertility of the season.
• In France – The lily of the valley is the flower representing May Day and it goes back to the mid 1500s.  It’s customary to give a sprig of lily of the valley on May Day as a symbol of spring time.  It’s equally customary for the recipient of the flowers to give a kiss in return.  Dog rose flowers are often substituted for lily of the valley.
• In Germany – In rural parts of the country, bonfires and the wrapping of a maypole occur on the evening before May Day.  Depending on your age, it’s either a relaxing custom or a chance to party.  Other traditions include the delivery of a streamer-wrapped maypole on May Day, delivering roses or heart to a loved one, or decorating the home with hearts.  Anonymity is optional.  Political parties and unions also host May Day activities, usually related to labor issues.
• In Finland – May Day is a public holiday in Finland, with a street fair like quality about it.  Towns are decorates, people dress up, and celebrating spills out into the streets.
• In Sweden – Most of the celebratory events move to the day before May Day (also called Walpurgis Night), and May 1st is celebrated as International Workers Day.
• In Hawaii – May Day is also known as Lei Day as is a celebration of island and native Hawaiian culture.

Many countries celebrate May Day with an emphasis on labor traditions, whether as International Workers Day or other observance.  In some countries it’s called Labor Day (Jordan, Bolivia, and Belgium, for example).  In other countries (Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, among others), it’s called Workers’ Day.  And in other countries, despite no formal name, it’s a day to recognize and appreciate the contribution that labor makes (Canada, India, Portugal, and more).

Today is more than the first of May.  It’s May Day – full of a variety of observances and meaning.  For me – decades later – a part of me wants to make pretty construction paper cones and fill them with flowers, although I know that in my neighborhood, no one is home during the day to appreciate the gesture.  But still. . . I can’t help but hope they’ll be flowers on my doorstep some time during the day.

Do you celebrate May Day? What are your traditions?

Photo credit:

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Brand USA officially launched at this past week’s USTA PowWow in Los Angeles.  Brand USA was created in 2010 to encourage travelers from all over the world to visit the United States.  The public-private marketing entity works in close partnership with the travel industry to maximize the economic and social benefits of travel in communities around the country. Through its website, Discover America, Brand USA will inspire travellers to explore America’s boundless possibilities.

As part of the new branding campaign, Brand USA commissioned Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash to create a song that could serve as a new anthem for America.  An anthem that represented the diversity of this country and that would invite and welcome visitors from around the world to our country. Featuring guest artists that include Los Lobos, Bebel Gilberto and TREME, I think the video captures the diversity of our people, culture, and geography.  It really shows how the USA is a “Land of Dreams.”

I heard the song at PowWow, have listened to it several times since then, and in a catchy sort of tear-in-your-eye kind of way, I think it captures the best of our country – the best of ourselves and the best of what we have to offer the world.  If you find the tune as enjoyable as I did, take advantage of the free download and share this “Land of Dreams” with your family, friends, and the world.

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You may not necessarily think of Toronto as a city with a rich sports culture, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! Toronto has had a sports team of some sort since the 1800s with the Granite Club, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, the Argonaut Rowing Club, and the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club. The Toronto Argonauts football was established in 1873 and is still around today!

Professional sports continue to develop and change, depending on the popularity of the particular sport and the success of the franchise.  Whether you’re staying in one of the city’s hotel, or in one of the extended stay Toronto furnished apartments, you’ll be within easy access to one of the team.

Here’s a quick guide to Toronto’s professional athletics to bring you up to speed:

Hockey – If Toronto is known for one thing, it is the Maple Leafs, the most financially successful sports franchise in the country. Toronto has hosted several international hockey tournaments, and is home to the Hockey Hall of Fame (in photo above), which opened in 1961. Hockey is the heart and soul of the city, earning it the title of the “Hockey Capital.”

Baseball – Baseball has been popular in Toronto since the 1890s with the minor league team the Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, on September 5, 1914, Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run and pitched a complete game one-hitter at Hanlan’s Point Stadium against the Maple Leafs. The city’s current team, the Toronto Blue Jays, started in 1976, and placed last in the American League East for the first three years. The team began to get better, and won consecutive World Series’ in 1992 and 1993.

Football – The Toronto Arognauts are the oldest professional football club in North America, having won the Grey Cup Championship 15 times. The Argonauts have the highest per-game attendance of any sports team in Toronto and have the second highest per game TV ratings of any Toronto sports team after the Maple Leafs hockey team. There have been several attempts to bring American football to Toronto, but  it’s always been opposed.   In 2008, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed a plan for the New York Buffalo Bills to play several games at the Rogers Centre over the next five years – and that may just be the only way American football heads north.  Toronto also has seven different Australian rules football teams:  Broadview Hawks, High Park Demons, Central Blues, Etobicoke Kangaroos, Lakeshore Rebels, Toronto Downtown Dingos, and the Toronto Eagles.

Basketball - The Toronto Raptors joined the NBA with the 1995-1996 season, one of the two expansion teams that season.  The other team, the Vancouver Grizzlies, has since moved to Memphis, Tennessee.

Lacrosse – The Toronto Rock, which play in the National Lacrosse League, were founded in 1998 as the Ontario Raiders, and moved to Toronto the following year. They have since become a dynasty, finishing first every year from 1999-2005, winning the league championship in five of those seven seasons.

Auto Racing – Every July, Toronto hosts the Honda Indy Toronto, a street circuit race running through Exhibition Place and Lake Shore Boulevard. Toronto also hosted the 1958 Jim Mideon 500, a NASCAR Spring Cup Series in which legendary Lee Petty defeated his son Richard (in his Cup Series debut) to win the race.

Tennis - Every other year Toronto is also home to the Canada Master tennis competition, which alternates between Toronto and Montreal.

Horse racing - Horse racing is held at Woodbine Racetrack, and hosts two of the three legs of the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

What’s your favorite sporting event or team in Toronto?

Photo credit:  City of Toronto via flickr

NOTE:  If you’re looking for Toronto corporate housing, please consider patronizing our sponsor.

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Travel product development is a big industry, with every product hoping to be the next HOT item.  Cool-it-Caddy, however, isn’t interest in HOT, it’s interested in helping you keep your  cool.

How?  With their Icepops line – an insulated cosmetic bag that you pop in the freezer till frozen.  The coolant is self contained, so there’s no drippy mess, and then when you’re ready to head out to the pool,  golf course, on the water, or any other sun activity, the bag will keep your lipstick, medication, sunscreen, and healthy snacks at a cool temperature for up to 7 hours.  No more melted lipstick or other cosmetic products.

A few things to know:

• You can store the empty Icepops in the freezer, keeping it ready for use.
• Putting a small towel or wash cloth inside the Icepop when in the freezer will help to maximize the interior space.
• For best results, do no keep in direct sunlight or leave in a hot car.  If out at the beach, cover with a tower or place beneath a chair, umbrella, or in the shade.
• The poly-canvas fabric surface is washable, but do not immerse in water.
• If storing medication, be sure to monitor temperature.

Icepops come in three bright colors:  pink, yellow, and orange.  You can find it in retail locations around the U.S. (it’s frequently found at PGA shops at golf courses), and is also available for purchase online.

Purchase price:  $24.95

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Cool-it-Caddy

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I’ve been busy with a few travel-related projects, and I’m excited to fill you in on one of them.  I’ve been named the Conference Director for TBEX.

I’m going to take this minute to brag on this opportunity a bit, and to fill in many of you unfamiliar with TBEX, and so will just publish the press release announcement.  I’m VERY excited about this opportunity, and hope that some of you will consider attending the awesome event at Keystone Resort in Colorado (in photo above).  It will be a great opportunity to learn about travel blogging from some of the best in the business, as well a chance to network with travel industry representatives.

SAN DIEGO, April 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Recently acquired by BlogWorld, TBEX ’12, the world’s largest gathering of travel bloggers is taking place at the Keystone Resort & Convention Center in Keystone, Colorado, June 15-17, is excited to announce the addition of a new conference director, Mary Jo Manzanares. The appointment of Manzanares, one of the most experienced and connected travel bloggers and publishers in the industry, is one of several operational changes BlogWorld has made to empower and energize TBEX and the travel blogging community to grow in size, content quality and its ability to monetize.

“We are thrilled to have Mary Jo joining our team,” said Rick Calvert, CEO and co-founder of BlogWorld & New Media Expo. “With her experience and passion for the community, we think she is the perfect conference director for TBEX and will help continue its amazing growth.”

As conference director Manzanares is responsible for developing the TBEX ’12 conference program and schedule, selecting session topics and speakers and bringing diversity into the program by recruiting new speakers, exploring new travel blogging niches and topics and maintaining TBEX’s commitment to providing quality educational sessions.

“The 2012 conference in Keystone is a turning point for TBEX, and we’re sending a message that travel bloggers are ready to step up and be taken seriously as an undeniable part of this trillion dollar travel industry,” said Mary Jo Manzanares, conference director for TBEX ’12. “TBEX will be THE event for travel bloggers and the travel industry to learn, connect, and have fun and I’m energized to be a part of this significant moment in TBEX’s event history.”

Manzanares is the founder and the editor-in-chief of The Traveler’s Way, an online travel magazine providing informational and inspirational travel recommendations for curious Baby Boomer travelers. She also publishes the MJ Travel Network, a network of niche travel blog sites, and a founding member of Value Luxury Travel. Manzanares speaks at various industry events on topics ranging from travel blogging as a second career to copyright issues to how the travel industry can best work with travel bloggers. She is also a past Travel track leader for BlogWorld & New Media Expo.

The fourth annual TBEX conference takes place June 15-17, 2012 at Keystone Resort & Convention Center in the beautiful town of Keystone in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. TBEX registration is close to selling out, but limited passes are still available online by visiting, http://tbex12.com/register.html.

About TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) Events

The TBEX conference has grown into the most popular annual gathering of bloggers, writers and new media content creators in the travel and lifestyle sphere today. TBEX also attracts some of the world’s best-known brands, as well as various tourism bureaus as sponsors who are eager to connect with bloggers and web writers. American Express, TripAdvisor, Vail Resorts, Expedia, Hyatt and HomeAway support the conferences alongside tourism offices such as those of Canada, Australia, Croatia,Dominican Republic, Denver, Virginia, British Columbia, and worldwide resorts and hospitality companies.

TBEX’s goal is to mobilize and assist bloggers with promoting, monetizing, improving their work and influence, as well as helping PR and Industry professionals to connect with the right content creators to benefit their brands and destinations.

TBEX ’12 will take place June 15-17 at Keystone Resort & Convention Center in the beautiful town of Keystone in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. To register for TBEX ’12 please visit, http://tbex12.com/register.html and follow @TBEXEvents on Twitter for updates.

About BlogWorld & New Media Expo

BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of new media.  Thousands of attendees learn about Content Creation, Distribution, Monetization and Social Media Marketing strategies, including step-by-step techniques and leading-edge tools from the most successful and influential Bloggers, Podcasters, Vloggers, Web TV & Radio Broadcasters, Social Influencers, New Media Pros and Online Journalists.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo’s eastern U.S. event will take place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, June 5-7, 2012.

For upcoming event info and announcements, subscribe to e-news at http://www.blogworldexpo.com and get the latest new media industry news at http://www.blogworld.com.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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The U.S. Department of the Interior is nominating Poverty Point State Historic Site in northeast Louisiana for the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013.  The 3,500-year-old site is considered one of the most culturally significant American Indian sites in the U.S., and is already designated a National Historic Landmark, National Monument and Smithsonian Affiliate.

Poverty Point is the largest, most complex U.S. archaeological site of its age. No other site in the country matched its size until 2,500 years later. In addition to its impressive size and design, the site is outstanding because of its widespread trade network. The site’s design is unlike any other site in the world, including a massive earthen complex, with five mounds (the largest in photo above), six concentric, C-shaped ridges and a large, flat plaza. Archaeologists believe Native Americans moved millions of basket-loads of dirt to build the earthworks.

Programs and tours at the site are offered daily and show visitors how life might have been for the prehistoric inhabitants of the area.

The World Heritage List recognizes the world’s most exceptional natural and cultural properties. There are 21 World Heritage List properties in the United States. Poverty Point’s nomination will be submitted to the World Heritage Center in January 2013, and international experts will review the nomination.  The World Heritage Committee will announce World Heritage Site additions by July 2014.

How many of the U.S. UNECO sites have you been to?  I regret to say that I’ve been to very few here at home.

Location:  6859 Highway 577, Pioneer, Louisiana

Hours:  9 am-5 pm daily.

Admission: $4 for adults; children under 12 and seniors are admitted free.

Photo credit:  kniemla via flickr

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You know how there are those moments when you get to re-live your travel experiences all over again?  Well tonight is one of those nights for me.

For the last few years that we’ve been in Italy, we’ve made a point to send a case (or two) of wine home.  The process isn’t difficult, we head off to Montepulciano where we have a favorite wine shop, do a little tasting, select a nice combination of favorites and new discoveries, and let the shop take care of the packing, shipping, and customs part of things.  We look for a combination of wines that we love, wines we cannot get at home, and choices that represent good value.  It’s not a precise science or art, but I choose wines I like and that’s most important to me.

Tonight I opened a bottle that we sent home nearly two years ago – a 2008 Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione – and it brought back memories of Tuscany and was almost. . . almost. . . like being there.

The 2008 Il Carbonaione is not available here at home, but does have some limited availability via online ordering through companies that ship to Washington.  (Available for $74.99 through Wine.com).  Il Carbonaione gets its name from “carbone,” which means charcoal pit, because it’s believed that a charcoal pit existed on the spot where the vineyard was planted some 75 years ago.  The 100% Sangiovese wine is rated a 92 from the Wine Spectator and a 93+ from The Wine Advocate, very high ratings from a rather lackluster year, and it’s believed that aging will bring out even more from the wine.  It’s a good thing I have another bottle and I’ll lay it up for another few years as it’s expected to reach it’s peak sometime after 2014.

Some tasting notes, from the winemaker:

Il Carbonaione has generous aromas of blackberries and currants. This is a full-bodied, rich wine with an exuberant personality. Recommended with red meats, such as Bistecca alla Fiorentina (grilled T-bone steak), braised short ribs, venison or lamb, and aged cheeses.

And from the critics:

Layers of smoke, tar, licorice and beautifully integrated French oak wrap around the deep fruit. . . . An extracted style, dark and jammy, showing blackberry, plum and oak spice flavors.

Regardless of how the winemaker or critics explain it, from the very first sip it took me back to Tuscany.  It took me back to outdoor cafes in small hill towns, to lingering meals with great conversations, to being in a country where food and wine are made such a high priority.

Do you send wine home from your travels?  Is opening them as pleasurable experience for you as it is for me?

Photo credit:  Courtesy of wine.com

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