June 7th, 2008
With millions of people, all eager to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s best Fourth of July fireworks, where does a visitor – or for that matter – a local New Yorker go to catch the show?
It’ll be my first visit to New York during the 4th of July, and I wanted to do this visit up right. I have already done Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day – so I am expecting great things from New York City on Independence Day.
But I am glad I did the research first. Here’s what I discovered about how best to enjoy the Fourth of July in New York City.
Read on . . .
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Tags: independence day in new york, macys fourth of july fireworks, new york city fourth of july, roosevelt island, watching fireworks from roosevelt island
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Holiday Celebrations, New York, Photography tips, Travel photography, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | No Comments »
June 3rd, 2008
Okay, count me in. I’m hooked.
When I began my initial research into Philadelphia, I wasn’t expecting to find, of all things, pirates. But lo and behold, yes, indeedy, matey, I am on my way to see pirates.
Or rather what is left of them. This July. On a day trip from New York City.
I have decided to ignore pre-arranged babysitting tour company all-in-one tours, and arrange the trip myself on the Amtrak train. It’ll save my husband and I a bundle of money. And I am a sucker for the unexpected.
So, the pirate exhibit in Philly was a most delightful unexpected surprise. I can hardly keep my timbers from shivering.
Read on . . . Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: city of brothery love tourist attractions, john king boy pirate, liberty bell, Philadelphia, philly cheesesteak, pirate folklore, real pirates at the franklin institue, rocky steps, whydah ship
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Food and Wine, Philadelphia, Tourist attractions, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
June 3rd, 2008
We are off to New York City in a few weeks, but we’ve been there lots of times. And, while we LOVE the Big Apple, we are adventurous travelers. So, it’s time to step out of our comfort zone once more.
The “City of Brotherly Love,” – that’s Philly, for those of you not in the know, is just under 2 hours away, by train. This historical hub of the USA sounds very intriguing.
But how to get there? And what to do? And how long do you have to do it?
Read on . . . Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: city of brotherly love day trip, new york city train trip to philadelphia, side trip to philly, train travel to philadelphia
Posted in Adventure Travel, Family Vacations, Food and Wine, Philadelphia, Tourist attractions, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel tips, Travel with kids, United States, Variety | Comments Closed
June 2nd, 2008
A man ran up to our table at the local farmers market, and boom, he and his camera were in my granddaughter’s face. No preamble, no “Hi. How are you?” No nothing. Just wham, bam . . . you get the picture (pardon the pun).
I was stunned. It was all I could do not to grab the guy by his camera cord and demand that he erase the picture. He stupidly bobbed his head, mumbling something about how he “hoped I didn’t mind,” but I knew he wasn’t asking permission. He was just reacting to the look on my face.
He scuttled away like the vermin he had proven himself to be.
Do you photograph people this way? If so, you are WRONG! And worse, you are a coward.
As a photographer, I am very opposed to this grab-and-run style of thievery. In my estimation, it is a type of violence, a rape, if you will. Without some form of permission, be it a slight nod of acceptance or a full model release, modern day shutterbugs should NOT be zooming in on people, and taking their photos.
Here are some suggestions to ensure you remain civilized when shooting photographs of strangers. Read on . . .
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Tags: how to photograph strangers, photographer safety when traveling, photographing people while traveling, taking pictures of children, travel photography tips
Posted in Adventure Travel, Celebrities, Cruise Ship Travel, Digital Cameras, Family Vacations, Photography tips, Ports of call, Travel - General Advice, Travel photography, Variety | No Comments »
May 31st, 2008
Malaria?
It’s a word I have heard, but I never really spent much time thinking about it. That is until I began researching Belize (I am tripping there end of August).
I thought Malaria was prevalent only in far away countries like Africa and India, not the Americas. But I was wrong. Malaria is also common in South and Central America.
Yikes, I thought, what do I do? Read on . . .
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Tags: bednetting, Belize, central america, cure for malaria, deet, malaria drugs, malaria prevention, malaria vaccine, mosquito bites
Posted in Adventure Travel, Beach Vacations, Family Vacations, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Travel Products, Travel safety, Travel tips, Tropical Destinations, Variety | No Comments »
May 26th, 2008
Monster truck jumps cars
I am a huge fan of both monster trucks, and my new little Fuji F50 12MG compact digital camera.
I sat at the top of the stands, opted for the Top 3 shots instead of a single shot, set my ISO to 200, chose a medium aperture, pre-focused on the spot where I thought the truck would be, and fired away.
Great jobs done by both “Sheer Insanity” (the truck), and my wonderful tiny camera. Gotta love ’em.
Caught the monster truck show, recently, at the Rainmakers Rodeo held in St. Albert, a city just a few minutes drive from my home of Edmonton, Alberta.
Cheers,
Sheree Zielke
Tags: airborne, Alberta, edmonton, extreme sports, jumping cars, monster trucks, st. alberta rainmakers rodeo, tricks
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Digital Cameras, Family Vacations, New Technology, Photography tips, Sports | No Comments »
May 22nd, 2008
Look Ma, No Hands!
As Edmonton, Alberta prepares for its first Edmonton Indy this July 24-26, here’s a look back at some of the entertainment provided at the city’s last Grand Prix events.
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Tags: Alberta, dangerous tricks, dirt bikes, edmonton indy, extreme sports, grand prix, motorbike trick riding
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Family Vacations, Sports, Tourist attractions | 2 Comments »
May 22nd, 2008
Boardwalk to beach on South Padre Island
Originally uploaded by Hadassah28
I just started using a feature on Flickr called, “Picnik.” It is so handy and so much fun to use, that it stunned me.
You can make any changes you want to your uploaded photographs. And the best part? Picnik is so user-friendly, with its helpful tabs, explanations, slider bars, and undo options.
This is one great site!
Cheers,
Sheree Zielke
Posted in Variety | No Comments »
May 20th, 2008
Horses and Wagon
Alberta embraces the simpler life, and some farms (like Sprout Farms) offer wooden wagon rides pulled by draft horses. It’s one way to spend a summer day in Alberta, but the Edmonton area has so much more to offer. Here are some suggestions of things to do, when you travel to Alberta’s capital city, Edmonton.
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Tags: Alberta, alberta farms, edmonton, grain elevators, horse and wagons, international airport, north saskatchewan river, northlands, st. alberta, valley zoo
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Budget Travel, Canada, Family Vacations, Tourist attractions, Travel with kids, Variety, Zoos | Comments Closed
May 19th, 2008
Rocky Mountain Sheep
Alberta is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I should know. I live here. Yes, I travel to other parts of the world, and I do so frequently; I would go nuts if I didn’t. But I love traveling in Alberta, too.
Alberta is home to the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Two of the most visited ski towns are located here, too: Jasper and Banff.
Travelers along the mountain highways will often be treated to the sight of flocks Rocky Mountain sheep (yes, they look like goats – but they are sheep).
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Tags: Alberta, calgary stampede, edmonton, rocky mountain sheep, things to do in alberta, traveling in alberta, west edmonton mall
Posted in Adventure Travel, Alberta, Canada, Family Vacations, Skiing Vacations, Tourist attractions, Travel - General Advice, Travel Destinations, Variety | Comments Closed
