DJ Trava

Archive for the ‘Fun’ Category

Florida is one of the nation’s most diverse and popular states. It attracts people from all demographic backgrounds and ages and this is due to a variety of reasons. Some of the southern beach towns and cities are popular Spring Break destinations for college aged tourists, while these same areas constitute some of the nation’s most popular retirement destinations .

One thing that most residents will agree on is that living is pretty one the eyes in Florida. This is also something that the guest in the Florida beach hotels will have no trouble confirming. In fact, the views that the beach hotels offer rival that of those found anywhere else in the world. And the enormous amount of recreational activities available on the beaches and the water sports that take place just off the shores contribute to some of the best vacations most people experience in their lifetime.

Meanwhile, not everything about Florida is so extreme and elaborate. The state is also known for having some of the most laid back restaurants and overall atmospheres and this is just one of the attractive features. It is extremely common to see tourists and residents alike relaxing with a margarita while they wait for the shrimp to boil . Okay, that line might be borrowed, but it holds true. And the seafood found along the southern shores of Florida is incredible. It is possible to have one of the most laid back and quiet vacations or one of the most faced paced and culturally adventurous trips possible. All of this and more is found in the great state of Florida.

There are some who might argue that to meet a real cowboy, one would have to begin by living an extremely hard life, far from the maddening crowd. There might be something to that, because it isn’t the easiest way to be in the world, and never was. But for visitors in the old west towns, they don’t really want to meet the ones who live on the edges of culture, and want to see a good approximation instead. This isn’t to say that there are no real cowboys at the Elk-sponsored Helldorado Days , held in Las Vegas at the beginning of summer since the 1930s. There certainly are real characters here, but there is a certain sense of social decorum that makes it rather family friendly.

This means that the usual guests at Las Vegas hotels can head on over and taste the Vegas version of what the west was like. It’s also how people still live, so there’s some standards like a rodeo, along with the contemporary pleasures of a golf tournament. One of the most fun events here last year was Whiskarino , where men sporting mustaches and beards are judged on their authentic western appearance. Men with facial hair is always interesting, and a contest makes it something that could only happen here.

Traveling with children takes a bit of planning.  From finding kid friendly restaurants that also appeal to the adults, to locating kid friendly hotels, there are just some things that need to be considered.  In Boston, this is not a problem.  There are many restaurants in the various neighborhoods that cater to the palates of the younger ones as well as the adults, and to find a listing of wonderful options for hotel accommodations, check here.

Once in the city, there are fun things to do such as the New England Aquarium, Aqua World and believe it or not, the Museum of Massachusetts Institute of Technology has quite a few programs.  The children enjoy the experience while they learn about the scientific world.  The mission of MIT’s Museum has always been to bring the public in, to make them aware of the technology and the sciences that many of the brightest minds study at the university.  Through their programs, children will find about about the world in which we live in today, as well as the discoveries made in the past and throughout history.  There is the history itself, and there is the history of the pursuit of those discoveries.

One of the annual events that takes place each April is the Cambridge Science Festival. The festival runs for nine days and includes more than two hundred events in which to take part.  Last year was the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, as well as the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo’s Mission to the Moon.  Programs during the year cater to various age groups.  One such program available for older children is the Robotics Program.  Another program is titled “Why Towers Stand Up and Bridges Don’t Fall Down”.  This is a workshop in the wonders of technology and engineering and is interesting and informing even for the adults.  In all, one of the greatest places to visit when in the city of Boston is the MIT Museum.  One never knows what one may discover there.

This is a story I want to try to tell without using brand names, and it should be pretty easy, at least the way that I’ve been thinking it in my head.  This is a story about shoes, and generations, and how material things sometimes do make a difference.  The differences they make, however, are usually radically different than the value one originally puts on them, perhaps.  When I was a kid, I loved red shoes.  I suspect it has its origins not somewhere in hiphop culture or punk culture at all, but in Bugs Bunny.

This character, Gossamer, was the one who had the red hair all over its body, and big tennis shoes.  It was a monster, too, and was involved in some kind of plot to make the rabbit into dinner, ultimately settling for sending him, sleeping, down the moat and back home.  I loved that monster, and I wanted to be that monster, but I was turning into a very tall and skinny kid.  If I’d known about the Ramones then, maybe that would have been an outlet, but for now, this was it.  I always wore a lot of white clothes, because my mom had some interesting beliefs that included white clothes, so in my mind I pictured that with my white clothes and big red tennis shoes, I’d be like the monster in a reverse color kind of situation.  It wasn’t as successful as my 7th grade dreams promised, and I wasn’t the cool guy, but it worked out all right.

I had forgotten about that until one night, thinking about a trip to New York.  The top hotels look interesting.  I showed a site with a picture of a room to my daughter, who was ten, and all she could say was, “When can I have red high tops?”  I guess my wife was showing her my childhood photos, and she saw the big shoes on my big feet, which was easy when contrasted to my skinny body in white cloth.  That’s all that she talks about these days, so I’m not going to try to make New York important to her.  Maybe we’ll pick up some new shoes at the airport.

Two Panamas are in the world, one lies at its center, the thinnest part of the connecting land between North and South America, home of Panama City and the Panama Canal, one of the great engineering achievements of the early Twentieth Century.  The other Panama rests a bit higher on the globe, also on a narrow strip of land, a peninsula known as the state of Florida.  If you’re looking to stay in the latter, check here.  You may see a description of the former Panama, but if you click on the hotels, they’ll bring you back to places you can stay in Florida.

This second North American city, Panama Beach, contains a great deal to see and do for the entire family.  It’s a place in which you might play miniature golf one hour and swim with dolphins the next.  There’s amusement parks, waterparks, and museums.  For instance, take a look at Gulf World and Zoo World to explore marine and animal life.  In Gulf World, you can swim with dolphins, discover what it’s like to train seals, even experience a magic show.  Zoo World also provides safe encounters with everything from a parrot to a wolf.  You may dive underwater in Dive Locker and explore the waterways on the Betsy Ann River Boat or the Swamp ‘Vette and its Airboat Adventures.

The Panama at the middle of the Earth has been used as a trade route for nearly five hundred years.  When the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, ninety-six years ago, but Panama City Beach, Florida, began its history in 1936, founded only seventy-four years ago.  The slogan for this city is the “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches,” which is hard to argue once you see them and the brilliant white sands.

From celebrations dedicated to peaches, chocolate, watermelon and wine, the state of Virginia has it all.  Culinary festivals occur throughout the state year round, to any time is a really great time to plan a visit to this beautiful state in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Aside from the incredible natural splendor of the region, you will find hospitable and warm folks where ever you travel, from the wineries, to the chocolate factories, to the welcoming warmth of some of the most incredible bed and breakfasts and hotel accommodations in Virginia.

The first festival of the New Year is the Virginia Wine Showcase, taking place for two days in February, the 6th and the 7th, which offers the opportunity to sample more than three hundred wines that are produced locally.  This is also a great time to view, and perhaps purchase, incredible works of art by local artists of the region.  In April, the annual Shad Planking activities get under way.  This is more like a political rally, that of course involves food and a bit of fun as well, and has become a very important aspect in the political arena of the state.

On May first, get ready for the “Blacksburg Fork and Cork”.  This is a culinary festival of the arts, visual and performing arts, as well as the artistic creations of the chefs of the area, and the makers of regional wines.  Cooking demonstrations, and of course-scrumptious tastings, as well as live entertainment serve to make this one of THE places to be to celebrate May Day in full form and fashion.  For the 12 and the 13th of June, head to Richmond, Virginia if the glorious dishes of Italian cuisine are to your liking.  The Saint Joseph Italian Festival provides food and fun, and oh-so delicious and traditional Italian fare.

October in Virginia?  Bring in the oysters and get ready to shuck.  The Chincoteague Oyster Festival marks the beginning of the season.  This is an all you can eat affair, with oysters prepared in numerous ways, along with crabs, clams, spirits and entertainment.  The state of Virginia.  They love food, and they love to share it, so if you are lucky enough to be traveling through during the times of a festival, your belly will be full and your taste buds will thank you!