Archive for March, 2010

Charleston Charm

Author: Gina

Mar 31

Charleston South Carolina is really one of the most charming places. From all of the old Victorian Style buildings and the Plantation homes to the very nice and warm people this city is a great place to spend some time. One of my favorite things to do in Charleston is take a tour of the Historic District. Catch a ride on a horse drawn carriage with the Old South Carriage Co. and see what makes this one of the most historic cities in America. This tour take you back to the good old Colonial days when the city made its start. There is over 300 years of history along the many cobblestone streets that remain. I liked seeing the old harbor where the big trading ships would pull up and unload its goods. You can really picture it as you move along. The guides are really knowledgeable and have fun ways of sharing the history. It is easy to find the Old South Carriage Co. from any one of the charleston luxury hotels available. Just ask the concierge for some help.

One can’t miss the opportunity to see the famous Fort Sumter were you can explore the grounds and bunkers that held soldiers starting with the Civil War Battle of Fort Sumter. It was named after a Revolutionary War hero General Thomas Sumter and was built in 1827 but wasn’t finished until 1860. They built the sand bar, for which it sits, with tons of granite that was imported from New England. The original fort had five sides of brick walls that were five feet thick and up to 190 tall. It was used briefly in conflicts such as the Spanish-American War, WWI and WWII after that it was closed down to military use and opened to tourists. It became a national monument in 1948. The wars were always sold as charming in the movies and the nostalgia of Fort Sumter makes it a great place to run with a first date or loved one.

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History and the Ukulele in Honolulu

Author: Gina

Mar 29

The ukulele is a fascinating instrument, and has had a strange and fascinating history. For a period, after World War II, it was somewhat scorned in the cultural playing field, and the reasons for this are a little vague. It could be that the enormously compact instrument was appealing to those who wanted to play guitar and didn’t want to learn, giving it a bit of a band name only due to their own inability to play it. However, it has begun to regain its rightful place in the scheme of things, because of the efforts of many Hawaiian musicians working to bring the important contributions of their music into public consciousness.

Today, it’s something that can be heard in the streets as well as at the luxury hotels. Honolulu is a place where the real gifts from the ukulele players can be known, because here the history is a living and breathing thing.

The instrument does have origins in Hawaii, although the history isn’t all that long. Portuguese immigrants brought their stringed instruments, called machetes, or rajaos, which may have been precursors to the Venezuelan cuatro, an instrument that’s played an important part in many performance art installations among diasporic artists. This was modified by the native Hawaiians and turned into the ukulele in the 19th century.

It didn’t take long before there was a mastery of the instrument. The Royal Hawaiian Troubadors , under the direction of Ernest Kaleihoku Kaai were considered to be among the best, and the leader spent time devising lessons to teach the complexities of the instrument to new generations. He had been recognized in his lifetime, but it was still a nice feather in his cap when the Ukulele Hall of Fame inducted him into its ranks in 1998. He had already been gone for a couple of decades, but his influence lives in the instrument.

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New Orleans Bed and Breakfasts

Author: Gina

Mar 25

While the French Quarter and its surroundings are most visitor’s destinations for hotels in New Orleans , some prefer staying in nicer parts of town among the locals. These are just a few of the bed and breakfasts along St. Charles Avenue, and in the Garden District area.

1415 Creole Gardens is a group of buildings with a colorful history. This building has stood at 1415 Prytania St. since the 1840′s, and is located just one block from the parade route, and the St. Charles streetcars, and a few blocks from Magazine Street. Each room is decorated and named after a famous madam of the Storyville era, such as Miss Egypt Vanita and Miss Lulu White. A rare find among the local bed and breakfasts this location offers a honeymoon suite.

At 1539 Fourth St., the elegant Castle Inn is just a few steps off of St. Charles Avenue. With spacious, 13-foot ceiling rooms, tall windows, and wood floors you won’t feel cramped. The Inn has a little something extra most other bed and breakfasts don’t offer, ghosts. The spirits at this haunted bed and breakfast are reported to be mischievous and like to hide things, occasionally appearing to spook guests.

Avenue Inn Bed and Breakfast is located at 4125 St. Charles Avenue. In this lovely home, Period furnishings and decor grace the rooms, making one feel as though they’ve gone back in time.

Southern Comfort Bed and Breakfast, located at 1739 Marengo Street, boasts splendid architectural details. Even though there are just three rooms all have private baths and offer a more intimate get away with friends if you book all three. There is a large veranda, and a garden in the back.

Maison Perrier is located at 4117 Perrier St. in the Uptown/Garden District area . This Victorian “Painted Lady” has 16 rooms with luxury baths, in addition to offering a full southern breakfast, and on happy hour weekends serves wine and cheese.

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Golden Girls Gone to Miami

Author: Gina

Mar 22

Girls Gone Wild is infamous for its scandalous content. A film crew hits the beaches every summer and spring break to catch girls doing crazy things. The more scandalous, the better. These tapes make Kate Perry’s ‘I kissed a girl’ lyrics sound like a nursery rhyme. Nonetheless Girls Gone Wild has become a household name and its producer has built an empire around it. Some favorite filming beaches are Cabo San Lucas, Miami Beach, Malibu, Lake Havasu, and many others. Florida is known for its miami hotel suites and beach party scene. Stay a few days and see that scandal is not all Miami has to offer. There is an enormous amount of culture and class embedded in Miami.

The Golden Girls T.V. sitcom was anything but scandalous. Four elderly women living in a condo together reminiscent of their college years. They would meet in the kitchen to have coffee and pie and talk about whatever issue they were having. Poor Rose had everything flying above her head and never really understood much of what was being said. Blanche had an appetite for life that could not be suppressed no matter how old she wasn’t. Sophia was the oldest and wittiest. Every college dorm needs a mom. And Dorothy, well, Dorothy was the tallest. Well the Golden Girls have come full circle. Golden Gals Gone Wild is the latest exhibit at the World Erotic Art Museum in Miami, Florida. In this exhibit you can see the Golden Girls show off their erotic sides in suggestive poses and leather garter belts. Artist Lenora Claire, from Los Angeles, is presenting her second installment of the Triple X foursome. In the first installment the girls were depicted in bikinis and spread eagle poses. Opening night is march 20 and kicks off with a reception dinner at 7 p.m.; the show will run through April 30th, 2010. It is sure to be an amazing experience.

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History of Illinois Crime Scene Fascinates Tourists

Author: Gina

Mar 17

Chicago, Illinois is well known for having been one of the nation’s biggest organized crime cities. While that label might not actually be fair, or even accurate, it is frequently applied to the city. However, it might be more appropriate to say that Chicago is well known for having experienced a great deal of organized crime activity and has had a large population of mafia members. And while this was an incredibly disturbing part of its history, it has become more fascinating and intriguing in recent years. In fact, much of the history of organized crime has become romanticized in popular culture with movies like The Godfather and Goodfellas, among many others, entering the mainstream consciousness. This has actually provided an increase in both awareness of and concern for while also increasing a popular fascination with the lifestyle. And while New York is frequently the setting for mafia stories, Chicago is generally second on the list and has had a major history associated with it.

Organized crime in Chicago dates back to the late 1800s and these early stories are particularly intriguing to many of the city’s guests. It is actually popular to tour some of the known mob hangouts and many of the guests in some of the city’s historic hotels like to imagine the possibilities involving some of the guests that may have stayed in the same room. One of the earliest recognized organized crime associations with Chicago involves John ‘Mushmouth’ Johnson who began the first reign of Chicago’s south side Policy King after he opened the Emporium Saloon, which was a gambling establishment. This establishment grew to be one of Chicago’s premier places for entertainment and gambling and Johnson became extremely successful and enjoyed about a twenty-year career in this lifestyle. He and several other figures are part of the early development of Chicago’s organized crime scene.

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Poe House in Baltimore

Author: Gina

Mar 14

If you have an interest in the macabre, of stories about talking ravens and tell-tale hearts, of people buried alive behind brick walls, and of pits and pendulums (or just a healthy interest in 19th Century literature), then you shouldn’t overlook one particular house on 203 Amity Street in Baltimore, Maryland: The home of famed short story writer and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. In 1833, at the age of 23, Poe moved into this house with his aunt’s family, and moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1835, two years later. The building was preserved in 1941 by the Edgar Allan Poe Society .

During the time in which he lived at the house, Poe penned some works that most people may not be familiar with, including MS. Found in a Bottle, The Visionary, Lion-izing: A Tale, Morella, and Hanns Pfaall. His poetry during this time included Latin Hymn, Enigma (on Shakespeare), Serenade , Fanny, To Elizabeth, and The Coliseum. No one is certain that he actually wrote these poems and stories in this location; all that is known for certain, is that the literature was published during this time period, in the Baltimore Saturday Visitor and the Southern Literary Messenger. It’s entirely possible that he wrote this material at an earlier time.

Although the home is the main exhibit here, there are items displayed which relate to Poe — for instance, some glassware and china that belonged to his foster father, a telescope Poe used, his sextant, and a lap desk which he may have used while at the University of Virginia. On the second floor, you’ll find illustrations for Poe’s the Raven, made by Gustave Dore in 1884. Certainly, if you’re a fan of Poe, you’ll want to go here and find a hotel that places you within a few miles of the building in which he once lived.

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How To Build Good Credit

Author: Gina

Mar 4

There are a few easy things you can do to help you improve your credit score. The first thing you should know as you begin is don’t be afraid to look at your credit score once a year. You are allowed one free personal credit check per year. This means that only you can look at your credit. You can do it through a website or a company, but you can not give this right away. You can’t have a lender or anyone else look at your credit in your place. The reason you need to do this is because there are a lot of mistakes that can be made and only fixed if you are monitoring your credit regularly. These things can be benign and usually easily sorted out like a stranger’s information becoming entwined with your own, or very malicious such as becoming a victim of identity theft. If either of these have happened to you, the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft site can help you.

From there you need to open a checking and savings account if you don’t already have both. These are a sign of stability and will make your credit scores go up a little bit. This will also allow you to do a number of things. If you are a student, there is no better time to get a credit card, or take out a couple of student loans . If you make regular payments and keep your spending well below the credit limit usually 30% or less, the lower the better, pay credit cards off the same month, etc you will get credit really fast.

If you are not a student, credit cards can work for you, but if you already can’t get one because of your credit, try using an alternative method such as regularly taking out small cash advance loans. These work really well because they don’t ding your credit to apply for the loan and give a good boost to your credit when you pay them back on time. If you need more information on these, try www moneymutual com . You can also try applying for a secured credit card. You want one with no application fee and a low annual fee, it should convert to a regular, unsecured credit card after no more than 18 months of on-time payments and it should report to all three credit bureaus. If you can find one that will give you all three, you will be able to boost your credit very quickly. You should however be aware that there are a lot of people who are only in it for the money offering these types of cards, so look over all information very carefully.

If you take these suggestions know that, many banks will do automatic bill pay from the Internet. If yours does it can be very beneficial to look into this as an option to keep you on track.

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