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Culture: Chowda – The Best Soup in New England
After a red-eye flight from the West Coast, we arrived in Nantucket on a foggy May morning. The weather felt like very late Winter for us Californians, although to someone from New England, it must of been rather pleasant. My luggage had not arrived with me… we were tired, weary and in desperate need of some good comfort food. What we needed was a nice big bowl of chowda! New England Clam Chowder is one of those dishes you must order when in any of the Northeastern states. It’s a tradition. When my steamy, creamy, thick bowl of soup arrived– I could see why. This was not just any soup……
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Wanderlust Bookclub: Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder and the Amazonas Theatre
Although I have not traveled to Manaus, Brazil, when I read Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder, I felt immediately transported to this exotic city, located at the convergence of 2 rivers and the gateway destination to travels on the mighty Amazon. Ms. Patchett’s writing drew me into a city filled jungle bugs, unbearable heat, and third-world conditions, yet, glaring out with irony and wonder was the majestic classic colonial opera house, the Amazonas Theatre. With a glistening gold leafed interior and Verdi classic being sung, this opera house seems to be quite a contrast to it’s neighboring world of the jungles of the Amazon. State of Wonder is the story…
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Time+Place: Warwick Castle – A Visit to Medieval England
If you want a taste of Medieval England without having to give up modern amenities like plumbing, I would highly recommend a day at Warwick Castle in Warwickshire England. While on a trip through England, we stopped here for an afternoon with our 2 kids. Since our kids were pretty young, we weren’t sure how much “castle ruins” they would enjoy… it’s quite hard to convince a 4 year old that a princess truly lived here, if the place is in ruins. To our surprise, we were happily mistaken. Touring Warwick Castle is a great blend of walking through an old castle, filled with crumbling spiral stair cases, turrets, arrow…
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Type+Place: County Fair Rides
There’s nothing like a county fair! The rides, the food, the ribbons, the animals, the people watching… In the past, I would imagine it was highly anticipated yearly gathering to head to the fair. Although times have changed quite a bit, I do still love going to county fair. There are aspects that can be a little run down and a tad bit seedy… but if you look past the dust, grime, very unhealthy food– it definitely has it merits. These photos are of the rides at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles. Just some great, bright colorful type– lightbulbs and all. When these light up at night, it’s total…
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Textures+Place: The Sands of Hawaii and a Free Download
There’s nothing like Hawaii. Being from California, I’ve been lucky to have been to many different Hawaiian islands. They all offer amazing tropical beaches, warm waters, and palm trees swaying– but each have their own uniqueness which means a trip to Oahu, say, is very different than a trip to Kauai or the Big Island. This texture sampling of sand from the Big Island, Oahu, and Maui is a great example of how each island can vary. I love taking pictures of sand. It seems so mundane at first, but when you see it in pictures afterwards, and start to compare sand in different locations– you can really see how different…
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Palette+Place: Roussillon, France
We came to Roussillon after a long leisurely French lunch filled with delicious food and wine, so, needless to say, we weren’t in the best condition to start a touring adventure… but once there, we were in for such a rich colorful treat our eyes became wide open! A town in the Luberon area of the South of France, Roussillon is at the base of Monts de Vaucluse. It is quite unlike many of the typical Southern French hill towns in that it is painted in rich reds, rusted oranges, golden yellows, and dark greens of the pine trees. With the striking Provençal blue skies, it offers quite a feast…