Travel Buzz

Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise 16--Another Week In Paradise

2012-01-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

Cruiser Log:

Day 1--Set Sail From Tampa Florida, January 10, 2010
The weather is cold in Tampa, but the excitement is hot as cruisers look forward to another week in music and cruising paradise. The gangway is raised, we do the drill, and we are on our way.
Nick Connolly, Wayne Toups, Marcia Ball, Mingo Fishtrap, Big Joe, host Delbert McClinton, and the first night jam kick off the week-long music fest.

Day 2--Day at Sea
A day at sea is a day in music heaven for the Sandy Beach cruisers. Concerts, dancing, noshing, imbibing, reveling make it a nonstop party. And of course mingling with your favorite artists and catching up with friends from cruises past. Everyone is so happy that Delbert provides this opportunity. (I overheard someone say that she is very grateful--that the cruises have changed her life because she has met so many lifelong friends over the years.)

On the schedule today: the singles mixer, Seth Walker, Teresa James, Cyril Neville, Nick Connolly, Clay McClinton, Tab Benoit, Raul Malo, Big Joe, Fred Eaglesmith, Jimmy Hall, the Songwriters panel, and of course, the jam session.

Day 3--Cozumel

I was excited about Day 3, because not only do I love the music, I love the sightseeing too, and I have wanted to go to Cozumel for a long time. The order of the day was to figure out how to get the most out of the day. Do we rent mopeds or a jeep? Consensus was a jeep, and five of us went tooling around the island. Of course, we took time out for margaritas and a little shopping too.

When they say the gangway is raised at 4:30, boy do they mean it. If you are late, too bad! Mingo Fishtrap provided the sailaway concert, and other performers that night included Nick Connolly, Raul Malo, Doyle & Debbie comedy show, Paul Thorn, Mike Farris, Foy Vance, and Marcia Ball, as well as a songwriter-o-rama and the nightly jam session.

Day 4--Costa Maya
Seemed like a hop, skip, and a jump to Costa Maya in Mexico. It was still a little cool to swim and rain threatened, so many of us stayed close to the pier where the ship was docked. Plenty of things to do there. Good food and great drinks. A market for shopping. What else do you need?

Dick 50 did the sailaway cruise that evening, and Nick Connolly did his nightly Ocean Bar gig. The lineup also included Wayne Toups, Fred Eaglesmith, Cyril Neville, Big Joe, Mingo Fishtrap, Songwriter's panel, and jam session.

Day 5--Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Honduras
The excitement of going to Honduras was tempered by learning more about the grim results of the earthquake that occurred in Haiti on Tuesday while we were in Cozumel. Oddly enough, Haiti was really not that far from where we were.

Some cruisers ventured into Roatan, but others stayed on Mahogany Bay. The weather was warm enough to swim for the first time, so some of us jumped in,. There was a great bar by the beach and rumors have it that some were dancing on the bar!

Music that night included Tommy Castro for the Sailaway concert, Nick Connolly, Gary Nicholson, Clay McClinton, Jimmy Hall, Raul Malo, Teresa James, Songwriters panel, and jam session.

Day 6: Another Day at Sea
Sailing and music make a perfect combination. Concerts included Mingo Fishtrap, Pianorama, Wayne Toups, Delbert, Nick Connolly, Clay McClinton, Doyle & Debbie, Seth Walker, Paul Thorn, Whitey Johnson, Fred Eaglesmith, Cyril Neville, and of course the jam session.

In addition to our special music, cruisers also get to enjoy more standard cruising fare during the week, such as fitness classes, spa and health workshops, champagne art auctions, digital workshops, blackjack tournaments and casino, etc.

Day 7: Final Day at Sea
Day 7 is always bittersweet. Everyone enjoys another day at sea, relaxing and listening to music, but it also signals the end of the cruise. Oh no! I want a couple more days.

Music on the last day included Mike Farris, Tab Benoit, Teresa James, Nick Connolly, Jimmy Hall, and Marcia Ball, and our grand master, Delbert.

Usually on the last night, you see more of the ship's personnel out and enjoying the concerts too. I think they are sorry to see it end as well. See you next year!

Words With Friends

2011-12-31T08:15:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Lemuel Craft

I was watching the news on DirecTV Illinois and saw a really funny story. I was booking my flight to Los Angeles to visit some friends for the New Year and started bursting out laughing. Alec Baldwin had gotten kicked off Twitter because of a Twitter war that had gotten started with American Airlines today at a tarmac. Alec Baldwin was asked to put his iPad up while waiting for others to board a flight today. He said that he agreed to put it up but wanted to finish a few things. He was playing the game, “Words with Friends”. If you have never heard or played it, it is a Scrabble like game that you can download on you iPad and iPad. You can play with friends if you know their screen names or start games with people that you don’t know through clicking a random opponent button. Who knows, if you sign up, the next time that you play, you could be playing against Alec Baldwin. How funny would that be!

Eurotrip

2011-11-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

Written by my friend Teodoro Martin

We upgraded to High Definition Satellite just in time to watch a few travels shows before we made our trip to Europe. We were gone for four weeks. We started in London because we had both never been. We loved the city and the history, but the weather was lousy for the few days we were there. We took the famous Chunnel to France. We spent time in my absolute favorite city in the world, Paris. We had so much fun together there. We splurged and stayed in a fancy hotel for a few nights. I felt like Carrie on Sex in the City when she wore couture, went to Paris, and stayed in a fine hotel. The only difference was that I was really excited to be there. On a travel show we watched, it suggested taking a day trip to Normandy. It was truly a highlight of the trip. The beach and the history is extremely moving. We traveled to Monaco, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.

Trying out my new car on a roadtrip

2011-10-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

There is really nothing like getting in your car on a pretty day and heading down the road. I had a long distance trip scheduled this past week, and in addition to looking forward to getting out of town, I was anxious to try out my new car on its first roadtrip. The stereo system is very nice, and the interior of the car is quiet, unlike my previous car, so I was happy to find out I could listen to music without having to crank it up to split eardrum level. All was well until I got back into my car after lunch and headed back to the highway.

A few seconds later, the absolute worst noise surrounded me. I couldn't hear the radio anymore. The sound was indistinct--almost seemed like a pulse that was getting louder and louder. Then I noticed a squeezing pressure on my eardrums. I became frightened, thinking, what is this? The noise just came out of nowhere. The car still seemed to be driving all right, and there were no warning lights on the dashboard. I pulled off at the next exit and got out to look at the exterior auto parts. I thought maybe I had a flat tire, even though it didn't seem like that was the case. And no one passing me had been pointing at the tires, like people do when you have a flat.

I circled the car--no flat tire. I didn't see anything wrong--not that I would have known what to do if I had. I got back in the car, hoping miraculously it had disappeared. I started the car up and drove off, and it was fine--for a second. Then the loud, almost sonic boom started again. I felt dismayed. The car was driving OK, and I had an appointment that I had to keep. Is there anyway I could drive 250 more miles under this condition? Do I dare consider that? No, I didn't think I could. And what if continued driving hurt the car? It is driving fine now, but what about tonight? Maybe it would strand me in the middle of nowhere.

I looked around at the surrounding billboards, hoping to see an auto parts store advertised, but no luck. The best I could hope for would be to get to the next town, find an auto repair place or an auto parts store to see if they could figure out what was wrong. And fix it quickly!

Just as I was about to despair, I turned my head around and looked into the back seat. My right rear window was down. I must have hit the automatic window button by accident. Could that be the problem? Holding my breath it was, I hit the button to roll it back up. Success! How could a rolled down window have caused that racket? And that weird sonic boom feeling? Well it did. I continued down the highway once again a happy camper. And my car was a 10 on the road.

Vote For Your Favorite Cool Small Town

2011-10-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Budget Travel Magazine is again running its Coolest Small Town Contest. Only towns with a population under 10,00 are eligible. And they must have that je ne sais quoi. Plus neat independent shops. Culture. Good energy. And good coffee! You can vote once a day. My favorite small cool town is Franklin, PA.

http://www.budgettravel.com/contest/coolest-small-towns-2012-nominations,8/

Irritated by hotel internet fees? You're not alone

2011-10-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Checking into a nice hotel a few months ago, I held my breath. I regularly use my netbook and was hoping there was not an internet fee. I asked the clerk, and she said no. I was a happy camper!

But more and more nice hotels are charging as much as $14.95 a day for connection, and some charge per computer. That could add to some some hefty extra fees if multiple people in the room have a computer.

Mid-range and lower priced hotels tend not to charge for internet connection, because they want to entice you to stay there and don't assume their guests have big expense accounts.

Hopefully more luxury hotels will drop the fee. They assume their guests can afford the fees or are on expense accounts. It is what the market can bear, says one person quoted in the article below. But even so, that doesn't mean they want to pay it. Guests may pay the charge, but stay somewhere else the next time.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/09/16/hotel.internet.fees/index.html?hpt=hp_bn12

Gaylord Opryland Hotel Is Back In Business

2011-10-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a while to get out to the reborn Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. You may remember that it sustained a great deal of damage in the 2010 Nashville flood, with water 10 feet deep inside the hotel. Closed for approimately six months, it reopened about a year ago. To the casual eye, you can't really tell that anything is different. It looks wonderful, just as it always did. Except for one major change. The main entrance is no longer the Magnolia entrance but the Cascades.

Photo from the Gaylord Opryland Website

To the uninitiated, Magnolia and Cascades refer to major parts of the hotel, along with Delta and Garden Conservatory. Each of these arms of the hotel have distinguishing features. Cascades, as you may suspect, has waterfalls, Delta has a lazy river with boat rides, the Garden Conservatory is like walking through one of the largest greenhouses, and Magnolia is the original part of the hotel. In addition, there is a gigantic convention center.

Sitting in the Cascades dining area this afternoon, I soaked up the afternoon sun coming through the glass roof and watched conference attendees come and go. And I listened to the indoor waterfall just to my right. It is just like being outdoors, exept you are indoors!

The Cascades

You can find almost anything here in the hotel--shops, food, entertainment, even indoor boat rides. It truly is a little city under a roof. Those from out of town must feel like they have stepped into hotel heaven. So many things to do and no reason to leave the hotel. Those in Nashville, however, may hesitate to go out there, because of the steep parking fee ($18). But just grab a meal while you are there, and you can get your parking ticket validated.

Delta Boat Rides

From the Cascades, you can walk through the Garden Conservatory to get to the Delta or Magnolia areas. There are both lower and upper walkways through the Garden Conservatory. Are you in a greenhouse, an arboretum, or the jungle? A little bit of all of it. Some guest rooms overlook the conservatory area.

Views from the Garden Conservatory Walkway

There are buildings inside the hotel. Below is the Old Hickory Steak House.

Old Hickory Steak House

Magnolia Area

The Magnolia area is the original area at the hotel and has its own convention rooms and ballrooms. Luckily, the great murals in Magnolia, such as the one above of the original Kirkland Hall at Vanderbilt University, were left unhurt by the flood.

There are a number of fine dining restaurants at Gaylord Opryland Hotel, as well as some quick eating options. There are also a number of nightlife spots and retail stores. Buy a pair of cowboy boots while you are there!

Guests have access to a couple of pools, a spa, and a video arcade. The Grand Ole Opry House is next door and a golf course is in the neighborhood. Downtown Nashville is less then 15 minutes away.

At the end of the day, how did the new hotel compare with the older version? As a Nashvillian, I spent many hours in the past at Opryland Hotel attending various functions. I always had trouble finding my way around. But today it seemed like a breeze. What made the difference? Was it that I am older and wiser? That I finally picked up a hotel map for the first time today at the concierage desk? Or is it because they must have reworked the hotel to some degree to make it more navigable? Probably all of it.

Passenger Bill of Rights: What it means for you

2011-09-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

The new airline passenger bill of rights was supposed to go into effect around the end of August-- about a month ago.

What is supposed to be different? Well, hopefully there will be no more 8 hour delays on the tarmac. Domestic flights are supposed to have a three hour limit for being stuck on the tarmac, and international flights a four hour limit, before the passengers can deplane.

H.R. 729 states that airline carriers must implement at a minimum a plan for :

1) Essential needs for passengers on aircraft that is delayed taking off or delayed in disembarkation including

adequate food and potable water
adequate restroom facilities
cabin ventilation and comfortable cabin tempertures
access to necessary medical treatment

2) The right for passengers to deplane and return to the terminal if:

three hours after the passengers have boarded, with cabin doors shut, the aircraft has not taken off, or
three hours after landing, the passengers have been unable to deplane
these options will be available to passengers at least once during every three hour successive stay on the tarmac
exceptions to this are if the pilot determines that letting passengers deplane would jeopardize passenger safety or security, OR, if the pilot determines that the plane will take off, or the passengers will deplane not more than 30 minutes after the three hour delay

Also incuded in the bill is the establishment of a passenger complaint hotline.
Passengers are also supposed to see other developments such as being refunded baggage fees if your luggage is lost, higher compensation if you are bumped from your flight because of overbooking, and to make taxes and fees on airline tickets more visible to purchasers.

Nashville's Exit/In Celebrates 40th

2011-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

If you are familir at all with Nashville's live music scene, you have heard of the Exit/In. Chances are your favorite group or musician has played there at some point. Check the photo above of the wall outside the establishment to see some of the greats who have graced the stage: Eddie Money, The Police, REM, Steve Martin, Waylon Jennings, The Talking Heads, Billy Joel. And that is only part of the wall displaying names of those who have played there over the past 40 years.

This week, Exit/In is celebrating its big birthday with a series of concerts benefiting MusiCares, a foundation that provides musicians in need with housing, emergency financial assistance, addiction recovery, and other services. Standing tickets are only $15; seats up front are more.

Check out the schedule below and come here some of the best music around.

Tuesday, Sept. 6:

Buzz Cason, Barefoot Jerry, Mac Gayden and Skyboat, Dianne Davidson, Tracy Nelson, and Marshall Chapman.

Wednesday, Sept. 7:
Cowboy Jack Clement, Roger Cook, Lee Clayton, Denny and the Jets, Ballhog!, and Ranch Ghost.

Thursday, Sept. 8
The Babushka Brothers, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, Old Union, Alex Harvey, Tom Kimmel, and James Talley.

Friday, Sept. 9
Matthew Perryman Jones, Drew and Ellie Holcomb, Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, Griffin House, and Daddy

Saturday, Sept. 10
Walk the West, The Cadillac Black, The Weeks, Buffalo Clover, and New Pleasure.

Couch Surfing--Seeing The World One Sofa At A Time

2011-06-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Have wanderlust, but a travelbust budget? Try couch-surfing, the best way to bring your hotel costs down to $0. Coachsurfing is an honest to goodness international nonprofit network that connects hosts willing to share their couches with world travelers. Not only does it save big bucks in hotel costs, but it helps develop one-on-one friendships around the world.

Sounds risky, you think? Well, members are verified and can vouch for each other. And references are left on the site. If you trash someone's couch, well then everyone is going to know about it. You can sign up as either a host or a surfer or both. According to the sites TOS, you are not allowed to make money from the process, but a surger may want to buy the host a gift or a meal, or do something nice like help clean the house.

The top 10 couch surfing countries are United States, Germany, France, Canada, England, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and China. The topc 10 couch surfing cities are Paris, London, Berlin, Istanbul, Montreal, Vienna, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, New York, and Barcelona. Couch surfers range in age from 18 to 89.
Check it out here.

500 days and counting: London 2012 Olympic tickets on sale today

2011-03-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Olympics are never a budget travel proposition, but many people including me have a fascination with the games and hope to go someday. For those wanting to attend the London 2012 Games, tickets went on sale today. Order here. Ticket prices range from $44 to more than $3000, but never fear, supposedly there are some free viewing areas for the marathons and the cyling part of the triathlon.

Tickets are on sale until April 26 and are not processed until that time, so are not first-come, first-served. Events that are over-subscribed will be handled by random ballot. And if you go, don't forget to take your Visa card!

Cruises: thumbs up or thumbs down?

2011-02-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

Despite many people saying they don't like cruises, the number of people sailing keeps multiplying. For those who haven't cruised in a long time, you might want to try one again. Even the cheap rooms are nice now, and not the prison cells of yesteryear. It is an easy way to travel and see multiple ports. It is just one way to travel that you might want to put in your repetoire.

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-28/travel/cruise.ship.divide_1_wave-season-cruise-travel-agent?_s=PM:TRAVEL

Why Americans Don't Travel Abroad

2011-02-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

Only about 30 percent of U.S. citizens have passports, a number way too low for such a rich country.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/02/04/americans.travel.domestically/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Love Letter To The Gulf

2010-06-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

The oil spill is so sad for many reasons--environmental, economic, and just plain emotional.

Many of us have never lived along the gulf, but have vacationed over the years at the beaches with the world's whitest sand and feel it to be ours.

Waiting is hard--no one knows yet how bad the oil is going to be if and when it does reach Destin and surrounding beaches. It could happen at any minute. It has already reached Pensacola. TV reports show tarballs on the beach there, but people enjoying themselves anyway. I guess that could change tomorrow.

Also hard is knowing that those who live there are going to be negatively impacted economically, amounting to a double whammy in this already tenuous economic time.

Dear Gulf, I wish I were there now. I miss your white sand, your clear, sparkling water, invigorating sea air, your seashells, your seagulls, and yes even your occasional seaweed and, gulp, jellyfish. The dolphins in the morning and late afternoon. Your calm demeanor, but also your very strong waves when storms kick up. Hoping things stay this way. Sending good thoughts your direction; we'll keep a vigil. And we won't buy BP gas.

Follow this link to read a wonderful CNN iReport titled "Dear Gulf, I'll Miss You," written a few weeks ago. The author, a local, fears the region will never be the same.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-439533?hpt=C2

Vacationers Sued Over Negative Online Hotel Review

2010-05-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

If you have a negative experience at a vacation spot, you might want to think twice before posting a negative review online. The link below talks about a Murfreesboro, TN man who posted a negative vacation condo review online and may be sued for $15,000. He says he had a crappy hotel experience; the owner denies his allegations and says it cost her a lot of business.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation, but the internet is still considered the wild wild west when it comes to these kind of issues. First amendment advocates are afraid this will chill speech of those with valid complaints. There is sure to be litigation from both sides on these issues.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100516/NEWS01/5160350/Online+review+of+condo+triggers+libel+suit+against+Murfreesboro+man

Gaylord Opryland Hotel Flooded

2010-05-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Nashville's largest hotel, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, closed its doors temporarily because of the recent flood in Nashville. Guests were safely evacuated to a local high school before water from the nearby Cumberland River inundated the hotel, rising as high as 10 feet inside. Company executives expect the hotel to reopen in about six months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfL5j9ckcyo

Museum of Bad Art: A Tribute to the Best of the Worst

2010-04-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

You've heard of MoMA, but what about MoBA?

Do you get tired of only going to "good" museums? Tired of only seeing flawless masterpieces? Have a taste for the quirky and weird? If so, the Museum of Bad Art might be just your thing.

I learned of the museum when I went to visit my sister Laura in Dedham, MA. We went to see the movie The Road (based on the book by Cormac McCarthy) in the Dedham Community Theater. She said we might stop by the Museum of Bad Art after the movie. We didn't have to go far, as the museum is in the basement of the theater, located outside the men's room. Scattered around the one-room gallery is a hilarous collection of art mishaps.Some of the pieces produce a giggle, some a scratch on the head.

The art is bad in the way that something went wrong--very wrong-- in the creation of each piece. Some artists have a modicum of talent but just couldn't pull it off. Other artists.....well, we're just not sure what happened there. Check out the collection and see what I mean:
http://www.museumofbadart.org/collection/index.php

There is now a second MOBa gallery in the basement of a theater in Somerville, MA. If you are in the area, you must stop by. But if not, you can experience it via the website. You can even donate your own art, donate money, or become a guest interpreter.

Everyday Is St. Paddy's Day at Silky O'Sullivans

2010-03-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

If being Irish once a year just isn't enough for you, head to Silky O'Sullivan's in Memphis where everyday is St. Paddy's Day. Located on Beale Street, the restaurant is a blend of Irish and the blues, shamrocks and barbecue. The service can be a little slow, but sitting on the patio in the afternoon sun listening to live music is definitely a delight. Make sure you check out the live goat on the patio! http://www.silkyosullivans.com/index.html

Dirtiest Hotels In The U.S.

2010-01-31T17:52:00.000-08:00

We've all stayed in a dirty hotel room once or twice or more. My worst experience occurred at a hotel near New York LaGuardia airport. I had just returned from an overseas trip and was grossed out by the gum in one of the glasses in the bathroom, dirty trash can, and other obvious signs of an uncleaned room. But jet lag and lack of other available alternative rooms kept me from checking out and going elsewhere. I was only going to be there for a few hours, so I decided to put up with it. Here are the top ten dirtiest hotels based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews.

1. Heritage Marina Hotel, San Francisco, California
2. Days Inn Eureka/Six Flags, Eureka, Missouri
3. Tropicana Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, Virginia
4. Super 8 Virginia Beach/At the Ocean, Virginia Beach, Virginia
5. Quality Inn, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
6. New York Inn, New York City, New York
7. Parisian Hotel & Suites, Miami Beach, Florida
8. Capistrano Seaside Inn, Capistrano Beach, California
9. Desert Lodge, Palm Springs, California
10. Continental Oceanfront Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida

Live, Love Pittsburgh. Experience the Warhol

2009-09-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

All eyes will be on one of my favorite cities this week. The G-20 Summit meets in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25 and the world will get a glimpse at the Burgh voted "Most Livable City." Pittsburgh, clean and green, has long shed its steel mill and rust belt image. I can't count the times I have visited
Pittsburgh, but it has to be in the hundreds, and
everytime
I see something new. On my last trip this past May,
my aunt and I visited the Warhol Museum
in honor of its native son Andy Warhol. It was
wonderful.
The museum, housed in a renovated warehouse on the north side, is one of four Carnegie Museums in the city and the single largest museum in the
country devoted to a single artist.

But what is the very best part of Pittsburgh? It is hard to miss: the point where three rivers--the Allegheny, Monongohela, and the Ohio come together. Make sure to view it from a high vantage point.

About Pittsburgh: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/14/AR2009091402672.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

About the Summit: http://www.pittsburghsummit.gov/

Blues Cruisin'--Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise 15

2009-06-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

I had not been on a cruise in many years and was dying to get shipboard again. So when I had
the chance to go on Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise 15, I made my reservation faster than you can say "Book my flight!"

Actually, I did pause for a moment to think whether it was a wise decision. The cruise was leaving out of San Diego January 17 and sailing down to Ixtapa, Zihuatanego, and Manzanillo, Mexico, returning to San Diego January 24. I had a unique situation: I was taking the bar exam exactly a month later on February 24-25. Should I take the risk of going on vacation that close to the exam date?

Never having turned down the possibility of a vacation before, I wasn't going to start now. Armed with my Law Decks flashcard set, one BarBri question book, and my paper outlines, I did set out for adventure. I worked out a schedule as to how many flashcards I would study every day. My motto is why study at home when you can study in a really fun place? (Find out if I passed or not at the end of this post.)

The long flight enabled me to do a full-day test on the plane. Didn't do too badly, which reinforced the idea that I had made the right decision to go. I stayed that night with my friend Alice in Coronado. Coronado, of course, is lovely, but I wouldn't have much time to see it this time. That's OK, because I have been there before and am sure I will come back.

(Molly, Delbert's merchandise queen,

holds up the shirt I bought.)

Alice drove me to the shipyard the next morning, and I waved goodbye as I got in line to enter the ship. The MS Oosterdam was lovely. I was getting more excited by the minute.

My cabin was fantastic--a verdanah with my own private balcony. I took full advantage of the luxury and ordered fresh fruit and coffee every morning, and put on my bathing suit and sat on my balcony and did MBE questions. Could life be any better?

Being on the Sandy Beaches Cruise is like being on a floating Beale Street. So much talent and you can just wander around the ship and hear different performers. There were 20+ acts performing during the week, and they all performed at least twice. I made a point of hearing everyone.

The first act I heard was Marcia Ball. She is self-described as groove-laden New Orleans R&B and driving Gulf Coast blues. She performed a lot from her latest CD: Peace, Love & BBQ.

I was a newbie in the blues cruisin' world, but

it didn't take me long to find out the names of the legends. Four such guys are pictured right. Being

from Nashville, I of course knew Gary Nicholson,

second from left, and Delbert McClinton, second from right, and our host. At left is Raul Malo, and "Big Al" Anderson, at right. Nicholson, whose style is blues and country, pop and rock, has won 26 ASCAP awards, plus a string of other achievements. Anderson, whose vocals range from country to rock, was 2000 BMI Writer of the Year and has amassed many other awards.

Malo, performing right, performs multiple genres, including country, pop, and opera. He performed his song "Moonlight," which caused anyone not already on their feet to jump up and start dancing. He has a lively fan club to say the least.

"Hey Baby." Who doesn't like that song? No one apparently, as it received BMI's Two Million Radio Plays Award. Bruce Channel, below left, shown singing on the lido deck stage with Delbert(in red shirt) wrote and recorded that song in 1962. He sang it numerous times during the cruise to the delight of all the passengers. Delbert calls his own style "feel-good music, Texas roadhouse, rocking country blues." Delbert's achievements include the 2005 Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Grammy for Cost of Living; the 2001 Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Grammy for Nothing Personal; and the 1992 Grammy for duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Man, Good Woman."

Plus he puts on this really cool cruise. He claims the Sandy Beaches Cruise 16 in 2010 will be the last. We need to convince him otherwise.

Many of the acts were performed on the Lido Deck stage. Night or day, it was the perfect place to relax and have a drink and listen to your favorite music or kick up your dancing heels. We even saw whales one day.

I had the world's prettiest margarita to celebrate a hard day of swimming with the dolphins in Ixtapa. Not only did we get to swim with them, but we got to ride on their stomachs as they swam on their backs, and also got to do a manuever, where they pushed us upright from a floating position by our feet, simulating water skiing. Hard to picture, I know.

At the right is a city sculpture in Manzanillo. I had wanted to sign up for the shore excursion to the Santiago Bay Resort, where the movie 10 was filmed, but it was cancelled. Good excuse to stay in town and have some more margaritas.

The music would start everyday about noon and go non-stop until about 11 p.m. or so, and sometimes continue in informal jamming sessions until 6 a.m. But on the cruise you could also find other activities--you could exercise, watch almost first run movies in your cabin, gamble, get a makeover, swim, and of course, eat! I wish I had learned about the free back and neck massage offered every afternoon before my last day on the cruise! Being a theme cruise, it was more informal than regular cruises, and you didn't have to dress up for dinner or eat at assigned times.

A late night session in the Crow's Nest.

Molly and Patti enjoying late-night music in the Crow's Nest.

Cyril Neville & Tribe 13 pumped us up late night on the Lido Deck stage. The youngest of the Neville brothers, he describes his music as a Funk and Jam Band, "The gumbo spillin' into the chili."

Roger Blevins, Jr., right, with Mingo Fishtrap

The schedule also contained star-studded performances by Geoff Achison, Tab Benoit, Big Joe & Bill, Nick Connolly, Bob DiPiero, the Doyle & Debbie Show, the hilarious Fred Eaglesmith, Mike Farris, Jimmy Hall, Paul Thorn, Tom Hambridge and the Rattlesnakes, Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps, Clay McClinton, Whitey Johnson, and Seth Walker.

The weather was perfect; the seas calm. All in all, delightful. I met a lot of new people, had a blast, and gained an even greater appreciation for blues music.

Back in San Diego, I sat on the patio of the coffeeshop across the street from the dock and felt sad as I looked at the beautiful Oosterdam. I wish I just had a few more days. My friend Alice was picking me back up, and we were going for a manicure. I was heading back to Nashville the next day.

And yes, I passed the bar exam. Remember to always say "yes" to vacation!

Thumbs Down On Nashville Airport's WiFi Charges

2009-06-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

BOINGO! That is the sound of me thumping the Nashville airport officials on their heads. Nashville's airport seems to be about the only one around that charges for using Wifi. If you want to work on your computer, you have to pay about $6 through Boingo, an annoying service whose icon I still can't get off my computer. You can't even use your AT&T wireless in the Starbucks there. It is unfortunate as you only have to fly to the next airport on your itinerary to be able to use its wifi for free, and to realize how poor BNA's policy is.

Don't Miss White Tiger Cubs At Nashville Zoo

2009-05-29T14:23:00.001-07:00

If you haven't already seen the two beautiful six-month-old white tiger cubs at the Nashville Zoo, don't despair; you still have about two weeks until they are moved to their permanent home in Florida. But if you go see them, be prepared to get feline frenzy. The two sister cubs, Benwa and Taboo, are mesmerizing, and you might find it hard to pull yourself away from their enclosure. Check it out:

http://www.nashvillezoo.org/animals_habitats.asp

Charlotte's U.S. National Whitewater Center--Fun Even For Bystanders

2009-05-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

I recently visited Charlotte, N.C. for the first time on a trip to visit my friend Mary Alice. I couldn't believe I hadn't been there before. My friend drove me around, and then we took the train from her suburb to downtown. The downtown is neat and clean, and there is also an "artsy" part of town. We didn't stop there, but it looked very interesting as we rode by.

My biggest surprise came when we went out to the U.S. National Whitewater Center. It is a U.S. Olympic training site, but anyone can go there to have fun whitewater rafting, kayaking, wall climbing, riding trails, or doing the zipline. We grabbed a chair down by the water and enjoyed watching people raft or kayak in the rapids. Just watching the rapids was relaxing. The zipline looked very promising--I am sure we will go back to do that sometime. A one-day pass for an adult participant is $49, and an adult season pass is $139. Wall climbing by itself is $15, and the zipline is $10. But watching is free!

Country Music Marathon--A View From The Row

2009-04-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

I woke up at an ungodly hour this morning, made coffee, walked the dog, and headed to the street behind my house for one of my favorite events: the Country Music Marathon. The course runs both ways down famed music row-- 16th and 17th Avenue South. I live right near there so I get to see the runners and walkers twice without moving more than a few feet. They come up 17th Ave. South, wind around the Belmont and 12 South neighborhoods, and then head back on 16th Ave South. on their way back downtown. Bands are located at strategic points along the route, and from my vantage point, I get to hear two. Randy McClellan (warming up above before the marathon started) played this year at the 17th and Wedgewood spot, and Jessica Miller at 16th and Wedgewood. They played great music today, and it wasn't all country music. The tunes included music by Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, among others. It was a real party, and I loved it.

This year was the marathon's 10th anniversary, which is awesome because in the early years they had trouble attracting enough participants, and there was a fear it would not continue. But for the last year or so, more than 30,000 people have signed up, the majority running the half marathon.

I donned one of my purple leukemia and lymphoma T-shirts and went out to root for my fellow fundraisers who are helping to stamp out leukemia. When I ran my three marathons for leukemia in the '90s, it meant a lot to me that others wearing the purple shirts were on the sidelines cheering us on, so I always try to reciprocate in my home city. The crowd support near my house gets better every year. I hear the support in the latter miles of the race is not so good---maybe we can work on that in coming years.

I always stake a place on the sidewalk in time to see the frontrunners. They come up 17th Ave. preceded by a police escort and the media truck, and every time it takes my breath away.

Below are the leaders of the pack. There is one other runner ahead of them.

This morning when I walked outside at 7 a.m., it was already warm, and I was comfortable in a sleeveless shirt. I thought to myself that may not be a good sign for the runners and walkers, as usually it is cool enough in the morning to wear a jacket. Even a few degrees difference in temperature can cause problems for marathoners. During the course of the day, the temperature got up into the mid-80s, which is almost 20 degrees hotter than the average temperature on that day. Sure enough, it did take a toll on the runners and walkers, and one man died after finishing the half marathon.

This marathon, like all of them, had its light moments. Some participants dress up in costumes or do funny things. One person was wearing a bear mascot suit, which I am sure was discarded in record time due to the heat. One man was jogging and juggling at the same time. The group above was hulahooping and walking at the same time!

Watching the marathon always puts me in the best mood. Everyone doing a marathon is at some interesting point in their life, and it is inspirational to see them push toward their goal. My dog Stuey really enjoyed it too. He can run like the
wind. He knew that if he could off his leash, he
would be the winner.

Nashville Film Festival

2009-04-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Lordy, lordy, Nashville's Film Festival is 40! That is good news for Nashville as it shows the city remains serious about showcasing quality film. It also means it is the 4th longest running film festival in the U.S.

I have not been able to attend for the last five years, as the festival always hits in April when I was studying for law finals. This year I am done with that and will attend two screenings. One is Girlfriends. When I lived in Knoxville many years ago, and HBO was in its infancy, this film seemed to be about the only movie the channel offered. I must have watched the film a million times, just because nothing else was on. (Why did we pay for HBO in this case then--oh yeah--my roommate was in TV, and we had to "check it out.") I remember it being very good though and starred Melanie Mayron, who later starred in one of my favorite TV shows of all time, Thirtysomething.

(Note: I stayed for director Claudia Weills' talk after the showing last night, and she mentioned something interesting--that Melanie Mayron's character in Thirtysomething was patterned after her character Susan in Girlfriends! I love symmetry!)

The other film I'll see is Big River Man about Martin Strel, a Slovenian man in his 50s, who drinks two bottles of wine a day and has swum some of the longest rivers in the world--the Mississippi, Danube and Yangtze, and now the Amazon--as a way to bring attention to pollution. My kind of film. Watching the film reminded me how much I would love to go to the Amazon. But I would stay inside the boat rather than in the water. The difficult elements really took a toll on Strel and his crew. Boo on the talk show hosts who wouldn't have Martin on their shows.

Between you and me though, I still miss the days when the festival was called Sinking Creek Film Festival. The name was considered provincial by those in the know, but I thought it was unique and wonderful.

Flights From Hell: You're Not Alone

2009-04-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Finally there is a place to vent about our flying travails. Check out http://flightsfromhell.com/. It will make you laugh; it will make you cry; it may make you want to stay out of sky! But it is a lot of fun to read and commiserate with others. Not to miss: The post about "Mr. Poopy Pants."

I am a very tolerant traveler, but I do have a couple of hellish stories of my own.

I used to travel quite a bit to Pennsylvania to visit my grandmother. It was cheaper to fly to Detroit on Northwest and take a commuter flight into a town near hers than to fly directly into her small town on another airline. So, over the course of several years, I flew this particular route a lot. The same flight attendant often worked the commuter leg. She was an older, attractive woman who was very pleasant while on the ground. But once we were airborne, she would become, dare I say, wicked witch-like???

She only picked on one traveler each time, and she would become very strident and almost hateful to whomever was in her crosshairs at the moment. One time I was sitting next to a gentleman who became her victim. She started arguing about his coat or something else trivial. She became demanding and obnoxious--I don't remember their exact exchange, but he was in the right and was very taken aback. At one point, he muttered "You have got to be kidding!" I sat there silently enjoying the display and witnessed several others on other flights.

Little did I know I would be caught in her web on a subsequent flight! I had just started law school, and was traveling to visit some other relatives. I had a torts test looming, and my notes and cases in my bag were my lifeblood, so much so that I would have run into a burning building to save them. If I lost those papers, I was sunk. I had a set of notes out to read during the flight, but the rest of my material was in a bag nicely tucked under the seat in front of me. Well, FA didn't think so. She kept trying to take the bag upfront. I told her I really needed to keep the bag with me. She kept on and on and was getting hateful. I showed her that the bag fit fine under the seat. But on and on she kept harassing. I told her that if the bag went up front, do did I. I was not to be separated from that bag! Somehow it wasn't so enjoyable when I was the butt of her problem. She really should not be an FA. I wonder if she is still working.

Another situation: I really don't like it when people ask you to switch seats. For the most part, it is an imposition. I usually book my seat way in advance and choose the seat that I want. I am sorry if you can't sit with your SO, BFF, or whoever else you are traveling with, but that is not my problem. On a flight from Europe a while back a couple didn't have seats together. The man asked if I would change seats so they could sit together. He was asking me to give him my great seat and sit in his awful seat. I said no. Then he asked another passenger, who did agree, but who was going to get a better seat out of the deal. Why did they not ask him to begin with? I would never ask someone to change their seat unless they would get a better seat out of the bargain. And the icing on the cake: The girlfriend glared at me for the entire flight! Grow up!

David Cassidy: "I think I love you"

2009-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Former teen idol David Cassidy to perform this Friday at the Barrow Civic Theatre in Franklin, PA. I would love to go to this concert. If I could run up there, I definitely would. I used to go to movies as a child in this theater. Apparently it is a sell out. Come on get happy!

http://www.barrowtheatre.com/

Rotary's Group Study Exchange Program--A Look Back On A Month In Patagonia, Argentina

2009-03-07T19:57:00.001-08:00

I recently learned that a group from Nashville participating in Rotary's Group Study Exchange program will be heading to Argentina soon. This made me think about my own GSE experience to Argentina 11 years ago , and I pulled out my journal that I haven't looked at since my trip to relive my wonderful experience.

The Prelude
As a travel hound and budget traveler, Rotary's Group Study Exchange (GSE) was just my thing. The program offers a month in a foreign country with all expenses paid. Can't beat that deal! During the month, team members generally stay in private homes of Rotary members in the host country, and attend Rotary meetings, which fits in with Rotary's mission of building goodwill and better friendships. The idea is that building one on one friendships around the world can only lead to good things.

I found out about the program through an article in the local paper and that the trip that year for our Rotary district was to Patagonia, Argentina in mid-March. I showed up at the interview location along with the other candidates. We were told to expect the interview to last the greater part of the day.

Shortly after arriving in the lobby of the hotel where the interviews were to occur, Emily, David, Patrick, and I congregated in the middle of the room and began talking. We were the only ones really interacting with any of the others--we were laughing, talking, and already bonding. Later, after the four of us were selected as the team, we asked some of the committee members if they had noticed that--that we had already formed our group--and they said no, that it was just a coincidence. But maybe they saw the same qualities in us that we saw in each other--friendliness, a sense of humor, an outgoingness--that served us well on our extended trip.

Part of the deal with the GSE is that you also get free language lessons. Very cool! We met every Saturday for a while to study their version of Spanish, what they call castellano. Reading and writing a foreign language is easier for me than speaking or aurally comprehending it, so I was struggling quite a bit with the lessons. We each had to prepare about a 5-7 minute presentation about our lives and occupations, complete with slides, which we would have to present in castellano at the various Rotary club meetings we would attend. For these meetings, we were to wear uniforms of blue blazer and khaki pants.

We were also supposed to get a gift for each of our host families, and we came up with some creative ideas. Since we are from Music City, I thought I would approach some record companies to see if they would donate some CDs for me to take. One of the record companies was very interested in me distributing some CDs of a little known group at that time--the Dixie Chicks--that they wanted to promote in South America. None of us at the time knew who they were, but of course later they became a household name.

Last but not least, each of us had to make our individual plans to be gone for a whole month. There is a lot to think about: We had to get work caught up a whole month ahead, or plan for someone else to do it, pay bills in advance, arrange for pet or child care, etc. I had so much to attend to I didn't have time to get excited about the trip until right before we left.

Day OneThe four of us and our team leader, Sonny, met at the Nashville Airport and flew to Dallas, then to Miami to catch the plane to Buenos Aires. However, a delay on one of the legs caused us to miss the flight in Miami, and American Airlines instead flew us to Santiago, Chile. We arrived the next morning in Chile and then caught a flight to Buenos Aires, rather than going as originally planned to Ushuaia at the very southern tip of the country.

The airlines put us up in a hotel for the night in Buenos Aires, which turned out to be a lucky break actually, because we got a chance to rest and clean up before starting on the rest of our journey. We took a walk around the city, and Sonny found the apartment he had lived in 30 years earlier when he worked in Buenos Aires. The next day, a member of one of the Buenos Aires Rotary Clubs came by the hotel to tell us that we were in store for a wonderful time and some beautiful scenery on our trip. He wondered how we could be in Rotary however, since we were not Italians???? That struck us as humorous and is a testament to how many Argentines are of Italian descent.

Ushuaia
My favorite part of the trip was probably the very beginning: Ushuaia. Known as "the end of the world," Ushuaia appealed to my sense of fancy. We knew that Ushuaia is not that far from Antartica, so we packed our warmest clothes. How surprised we were to find it was fairly warm there and we didn't even need our coats.

Rather than staying in homes, we stayed in a hotel owned by one of the Rotary members. Ushuaia is a quaint city with some nice shops, and it immediately struck me as a very pleasant place. We went to a park, where you could look out at the water, and to the "end of the earth." They told us that many times rainbows would appear and people would make wishes. Sure enough, on cue, a rainbow appeared, and I made several wishes, some of which actually came true.

Part of our obligation as team members was to meet with people in each town who worked in our same professions. We had to improvise some, as not every profession was represented. For example, I was an editor of an alumni publication at a university, but universities in Argentina do not have such publications. So instead, I met with people from the local newspapers. In fact, I had earlier worked at a newspaper myself.

In Ushuaia, we were first introduced to mate, the national drink of Argentina. Drinking mate is a ritual there, and some of our guests had elaborate bong-like apparati they would use to drink it. To me, it tasted and looked like green tea, but they would get upset if you said this. Ushuaia was a very good beginning to our journey.

Rio Grande
We left Ushuaia by bus for Rio Grande and started on our journey back north towards Buenos Aires, which would be our final destination at the end of the month before heading back to Nashville. During the bus ride, we had our first taste of the expansiveness of Argentina. The scenery reminds me of areas in the western U.S. During our bus ride, we started to really bond as a group. We discovered we had all brought John Grisham novels to read!

Rotary members met us on arrival, as they did in each of the locations, and showed us where we were going and gave us the lay of the land for the next few days. In Rio Grande, we once again stayed in a hotel rather than private homes.

We spent the next day at a school where one of our hosts worked as an information officer. The school served as an elementary school by day and a technical school by night. We were treated to a barbecue at that same man's home that evening. Our schedule included a stop at the newspaper, where we were interviewed and photographed. It reminded me of when I worked at a newspaper and interviewed the GSE team from another part of the world that came to tour Tennessee.

Rio Gallegos
We left for Rio Gallegos a couple of days later in a little commuter plane we weren't sure was going to make it. But it did, and we were grateful! For the first time, we stayed in private homes, and Emily and I stayed with a doctor and his wife. They did not speak English, and our castellano was not good enough to communicate with them, which made it difficult. The doctor had a son who did speak English, and other people dropped by who did as well, so we very able to communicate then.

We were beginning to feel our fatique as we had stayed up late every night since the beginning of our trip to socialize with our hosts or attend Rotary meetings, and events were always planned again for early in the mornings. We all had good stamina but were starting to feel the need to rest a bit. Rest time was not included in the schedule, however, so that had to wait.

We took a city tour and saw a home that had been brought over from the British Isles. Not only are there a lot of people of Italian descent in Argentina, but of English and Irish descent as well. There are little hot spots in Argentina where people talk with Irish accents, but they have lived their whole lives in Argentina! Very interesting.

Here, we visited a kindergarten school that Rotary sponsors. The kindergarten was celebrating its third anniversary, and we took part in the celebration. We also got a chance to visit an estancia, the largest sheep shearing farm in the world. It reminded me of Drogeda from The Thorn Birds.

El Calafate
We took a side trip to El Calafate, which has amazing blue glaciers, and is a neat resort town. The glaciers there seemed to be larger than the ones I had just seen in Alaska the year before. This was definitely a highlight of our trip. As we rode to a lake near there called Lago Roca, we saw a gaucho on a horse. We are really in Argentina.
That night at the Rotary meeting, rather than giving our individual presentations, we sat around at tables and talked with whomever wanted to meet with us. Unfortunately, the club was confused about what I did for a living and thought I worked in book publishing rather than in magazine editing. Members of a local writing group came to the meeting and were asking me questions about how to publish a book, and I answered them the best I could but explained that I was not in that business. Interestingly enough, we also got a lot of questions about Bill and Hillary Clinton and of all things, the U.S. jury system. I was able to answer the questions about the jury system pretty well, because at that time I was the editor of a law publication, and I had just published a pretty in-depth article about our jury system. During our stay here, we also got a private ecology lecture on ecosystem paradigm shifts from a professor Jerry Franklin. See http://www.endgame.org/trillium.html
Another highlight of this part of the trip was a climb to the top of a lighthouse and then going on a mission to find penguins. I was so excited--I had always wanted to see penguins. These penguins were shy, however, and stayed in pairs under bushes and did not come out and waddle around as they do in other locations. Up close, I was surprised to see how "birdy" the penguins looked. I expected them to seem a little more like mammals for some reason. If we did happen to see one up and walking, they would dart away before we got too close.
We had lunch at an estancia that also served as a small hotel. It had some of the most beautiful fireplaces I have ever seen! After lunch, we saw both sheep herding and sheep shearing operations. There was a young woman from the states who was working there temporarily. That would have to rank as one of the best summer jobs ever, I thought.
Comodoro Rivadavia
This stop occurred halfway through our month in Argentina and a couple of shifts occurred here. Argentina is very proud of its red meat and red wine, and we had had more than our share of both up until now. And as I mentioned before, we were also fatigued. Here in Comodoro Rivadavia, we got a little relief. There was a shift here toward lighter eating--more salads and fish and vegetables, and less red meat. Still plenty of wine and that was fine! And things slowed down some, and we got some much needed rest. As a matter of fact, the family I stayed with had a separate apartment across the hall from them, used normally for their inlaws, that they offered me. For a few days, I had my own space for a while that was utter luxury. You can't be that!
While there we visited a petrified forest. We also went to an asado, or Argentinian barbecue, at a ranch and played with a litter of border collie puppies. The only awkward part to this visit was that we were scheduled to go to a slaughterhouse. I had to say no. They were gracious and said that was OK. That was very nice of them. I think that was the right thing to do, because if the tables were turned, I would not want to insist on my guests doing something that made them uncomfortable. Back at my hosts' apartment, I watched the most popular soap opera on TV with them. Even though I could not understand what they were saying, I could tell from the actors' body language what was going on. That was a fun and bonding experience for us.
Puerto Madryn
We traveled to Puerto Madryn in a very nice bus and were delighted to find that we were staying in a condominium on the beach. How nice! We got in a lot of walks on the beach during our stay here. We were treated to a boat ride, during which we saw a submarine, an abandoned Russian ship, and a Korean boat. A lot of cute sea lions were swimming close to our boat and sunning themsevles on nearby rocks. Our tour guide loved the word "excellent" and pointed at everything along the way, calling it "excellent!" We thought that was funny. We ate most of our meals at the Rotary office, and one of our hosts, Juan Carlos, was quite a card.
Trelew
Next stop on our itinerary was Trelew. While there, we visited a textile manufacturer which delighted Emily since she is a weaver. Around this time, we also visited a museum that has the only dinosaur egg with minerals in it and also went to a national park with some wonderful rock formations. http://www.welcomeargentina.com/paleontologia/museos_i.html
In Trelew, I stayed with a nice family, but again had trouble communicating with them. Luckily, their eldest daughter, who was in law school, had a friend who was very fluent in English, and she basically camped out with us. Like me, she was addicted to the show Melrose Place. However in Argentina, they were a few seasons behind, so I was told not to talk about the next two seasons to not spoil it for her!
Bariloche
Continuting north, we soon came to Bariloche. We stayed in a wonderful home that looked down on this lake. A little bit of heaven. 'Nuff said.

Esquel
We traveled to Esquel on an all night bus trip. It was hard sleeping on the bus, in no small measure because the bus almost hit a pack of wild horses that ran across the road in front of us, causing the driver to do some tricky manuevering to avoid hitting them.
The End of A Great Thing
My notes in my journal unfortunately end there, even though we still had at least another week of our trip left. Along the way, we joined up with another GSE team from Pennsylvania from a district where some of my relatives used to live. I enjoyed talking about PA with them. We also met the team from Argentina which later came to tour our district in TN. It was nice to get to know them there, and later upon their arrival in Nashville, I took the two women team members out to lunch.
On our last leg in Argentina, we and the other GSE teams arrived at the district conference, where we reunited with Rotary members we had met along the way. Some members in the audience smiled at me when I was onstage giving my presentation in castellano for the last time, silently giving their approval at how much I had improved since the last time they had heard my talk.
Back in Buenos Aires, we had a couple of days free. At that point, we were not doing Rotary activities anymore, and we were free to tour the city as we wished. Even though I caught a 24 hour stomach bug, I did walk around and see the sights, including the presidential palace and pictured Eva Peron there.
It was a wonderful experience, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel, learning about other cultures, and learning about themselves.

Headin' For The Hills + Glenstone Lodge Review

2009-02-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

What is the best thing you can do for yourself after finishing the bar exam? Get out of town, at least for a couple of days. I decided to go to Gatlinburg, in the Smoky Mountains, because it is close to Nashville and a perfect weekend getaway.

I invited my friend P up to join me, and we were looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend. Dinner at the Bubba Gump Seafood restaurant was good. The wait staff know how to take birthday celebrations a notch above.

Breakfast at the Log Cabin Pancake House was also good. You can never go wrong with pancakes, and like many pancake restaurants, this one offers any variety imaginable. Back to the hotel room to play on the computer and read a novel that has been on my shelf for too long. This afternoon we will go downtown and shop a little and find a nice steakhouse for dinner. Tomorrow we will leave at checkout and see what else we want to do before we meander out of town.

In other words, the perfect getaway after finishing the bar exam is to find a good place to do nothing. Some place that forces you to relax.

On the Glenstone Lodge: I stayed here many years ago and I have to say it is faded from its former glory. The centerpiece of the hotel is its great indoor two-level pool with a waterfall going from the top level to the bottom level. It is certainly wonderful, but like the rest of the hotel needs a facelift. Sitting in the hot tub connected to the pool you can see rust and chipped plaster (or whatever the material is) on the area right above the hot tub.

The lobby and hallways definitely need to be updated. There was a problem with getting hot water too. Twice I had to call the front desk and say there was no hot water to take a shower. The woman answering the phone told me sometimes you have to leave the water running for as long as 20 minutes before you get hot water. "Hmmm? "I said. "The $70 price tag for the room seems a little high for that." "But your room normally goes for as high as $110, and the hotel was built in the '70s," she answered. "Hmmm, even more so," I replied. "And a lot of hotels were built in the '70s, or earlier, and they don't have this problem."

Gatlinburg can charge high rates, especially in the summer, because a ton of people come here and want hotel rooms, so it is a seller's market. But Glenstone should take some of those profits and update the hotel so it is worth the money.

Bear Naked Vanderbilt Alum Appears In Survivor Tocantins

2009-02-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

I am always up for a big travel adventure and would love to go to the Brazilian jungle. But for 39 days? Hmmm. That might be a bit much with the temps over 100 degrees and torrential downpours and dangerous wildlife. But Brendan Synnott, Bear Naked co-founder and CEO, and Vanderbilt alum (class of 2000), is up for the challenge and is competing in this season's Survivor. It is hard to believe that this is the show's 18th season. As a fellow Vanderbilt alum and previous employee of the University, my bets are on Brandon. Wonder if he will get to sneak in any of his wonderful health snacks?

http://www.dingorue.com/2009/01/14/brendan-synnott-survivor-tocantins/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocantins_(state)

Bonnaroo For You

2009-02-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

If the chance of seeing the Beastie Boys and Nine Inch Nails doesn't entice you to Manchester, Tennessee, June 11-14, for the 2009 Bonnaroo Festival, how about Bruce Springsteen or Al Green. Merle Haggard, anyone?

http://www.bonnaroo.com/artists.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnaroo_Music_Festival

How 'Bout Them Steelers? Getting To The Point

2009-02-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

I am not a football fan, but I do love my Steelers. And boy did they shine tonight. (And wasn't Springsteen fabulous?)

But getting to the Point, do you know about the Point in Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh is my kind of town and it probably is your kind of town too. Click on the link to get to the Point. I have spent many an hour in the Steel City, and you should too.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-3001539-action-imgsearch-point_state_park_pittsburgh-i

Snowfall in Franklin, PA

2009-02-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. I had to feature this photo from the Jan. 29 edition of the Derrick., the newspaper for Venango County, PA. It's a picture of the main street in downtown Franklin, PA, my old hometown. Isn't it wonderful? It almost looks like a painting.

Photo by Jerry Sowden

Univ. of Tenn. Band Heads To D.C. For Fun Times At the Presidential Inauguration Parade

2009-01-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

I am a UT Pride of the Southland Band nut and am not alone. There are many of us. I was a member of the band and continue to be an avid supporter. The band will be performing for the 12th consecutive time in the presidential inauguration parade in Washington D.C. next Thursday. They will have a blast. I know--I performed in one of the previous parades. There is nothing like riding up in one of the buses in the caravan and checking into the hotel (Ours had a mental hospital on the top floor. Hmmmm. We never could figure that one out.). The whole city is abuzz with excitement. Going to parties and sightseeing. Practicing marching the parade in a parking lot covered with solid ice. The fancy restaurants, the people, the fun, the memories that stay with you forever.

Ask any Pride member about their trip to the Inauguration and you will invariably hear two things: the bitter, ass numbing cold that besets the city like clockwork for every Inauguration, and the memories. Yes, the memories. There is nothing like passing the grandstand and playing Rocky Top.

List of Events for the Inauguration:

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/Inauguration.htm

Brokedown Palace--A Nightmare Travel Story

2009-01-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

I am watching Brokedown Palace again today, and once again it is giving me the willies. It is the story of two American girls who go to Thailand for an adventure. They meet up with a charming and good looking Australian (Yes, young American women always have charming and good looking, and some not so good looking men, wanting to befriend them on trips abroad.) and he invites them to travel to Hong Kong. Gosh darn, he just forgot to mention he had slipped some heroin into one of their bags, and they get caught at the airport. They may have to spend the rest of their lives in a Thai jail. What also gives me the willies is the behavior of the father of one of the girls toward the other girl when he arrives at the Thai jail. His comments to the other girl are just creepy and mean at that point in the story.

The scariest thing is how easily this could happen, and I am grateful it never happened to me. I never traveled to Thailand, but I did travel to Mexico, Greece, Spain, and Egypt, etc., sometimes just with another young woman, and this could have been our story too. I have a good sense about people, and I always seemed to know what was in our bags, but I guess these drug smugglers are just really good at setting people up.

I remember when a friend and I traveled to Egypt, I was 25. When I came back through U.S. customs, the custom agent spent an inordinate amount of time rifling through my bags. "Egypt--that is a wierd place to go," he said, watching me closely, as he went through my things with a finetooth comb. "Not really, I said." I was mad that he was taking so much time going through my things. I was tired and thought he was being a jerk. I guess he thought I might be a "mule," the name for young women, such as those in Brokedown Palace who bring drugs in and out of countries, often without knowing they are doing so. Egypt is one of those countries. Luckily, that wasn't my situation and I could move on. But I feel for those who have been trapped in these kind of situations.

Neil Young At The Ryman

2008-12-27T21:30:00.001-08:00

I stopped watching VH1 a while ago. After I ran through the spate of Where Are They Now shows, the channel didn't offer anything that interested me. OK, I confess--I have watched the Bret Michaels reality dating show and Dr. Drew in recent times, but the channel is not really on my radar screen. Until tonight. I was checking out the cable menu, and it listed "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" on VH1. Young has always been under the radar screen, and I never bought one of his albums, but I have always liked him. One of my friends many years ago made fun of his voice and imitated him with dripping sarcasm. But I love his voice. It is one of a kind. Not only does it bring back great memories, but it is soothing like a long lost friend or a trip home. What made this show even better was that it was filmed at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman is a must-see if you come to Nashville. And I must buy a Neil Young album.

http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2006/02/10/young/

One Positive To The Slumping Economy: Cheaper Hotel Rooms?

2008-12-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

The article below has some good news for travel junkies: The recession may actually give us cheaper hotel rooms. One of the hotels it mentions is the Bahama Atlantis, which nows gives two dolphin interaction sessions free with your room, instead of charging $110 a session as it did previously. I have seen those commercials on TV and it looks fun..........

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=734847

Dr. Beach Got It Right: Caladesi Is the Best Beach

2008-09-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

I've only been to Caladesi Beach once, a long time ago, but I have never forgotten it. My sister Laura and I were visiting relatives in the Clearwater area, and they mentioned we might want to go to Caladesi for a day. The beach is in a state park, and you get there by ferry. And then you can only stay four hours. The ferry ride is fun, and once you are there, you experience a pristene beach that seems far away from the city. There is only beach, nothing else.

Dr. Beach is professor at Florida International University and has compiled this list since 1991. He gave Caladesi the top slot in his survey; see what other beaches float his boat: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/05/22/best.beaches.ap/index.html

Steps Across the Cumberland

2008-08-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to cross the pedestrian bridge spanning the Cumberland River in Nashville for some time, so when my sister Laura was in town and suggested we do that, I jumped at the chance. It starts on 3rd Avenue So. near Symphony Hall and ends up at LP field. It was great fun. The best part was seeing the Nashville skyline lit up, and especially the famed WKDF sign. Sometimes it is fun to be a tourist in your own town.

Five Minute Vacation

2008-08-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

In my mind, everything comes down to travel--and the easier and cheaper the better. So when I saw an article titled "The 5- Minute Vacation," I had to check it out. With the amount of money and time I have available right now, a 5-minute vacation may be all I can manage.

The article talks about how our bodies are designed for intermittent, not constant stress, and that even taking little mini breaks can be good for us. Their recommendations: Post pictures of your vacation on your computer, so you can relive the experience. Talk about your vacation to your friends and family, so the experience lodges in your brain. Spend time outdoors, as you probably did on vacation, and recreate the sounds of vacation, i.e., listen to a tape of ocean waves. And breathe deep. Breathing deep alerts your mind that you want to relax. Their last suggestion was to recreate the scents of vacation. Not sure how to do that one!

http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/just-dreaming/articlebl.aspx?cp-documentid=8800301&GT1=32001

Country Music Marathon

2008-05-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

I did Nashville's Country Music Marathon again this year. By doing it, I mean watching the runners and cheering them on. It is not that I probably couldn't do the marathon myself; I have actually done three--the ones in Anchorage, Chicago, and San Diego--all as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training fundraising program. It is just that I haven't had time to train for another one and for now I am content to be part of the cheering section.

Since I have done three marathons, I know the importance of having people out there, yelling such encouragement as "You can do it! Loooooking good!" Of the three I did, Chicago was the best in that regard. Cheering fans three and four deep lined the route mile after mile. I did both Anchorage and San Diego during their inaugural marathon year, so the crowd support was minimal. Apparently it takes a while for a city to develop that kind of support. I think Nashville has started to catch on, as the cheering section here gets bigger and bigger every year.

Who would think that a marathon is fun to watch? I never would have thought so until I got involved. It is great people watching--everyone is in a good mood and it is quite an event. If you are going to do a marathon, think about coming to Nashville. It is always held the last weekend in April, and there are country music bands every mile. They even sneak a rock and roll tune in once in a while. Two of the bandstands are right by my house--they run past my house and then circle back a block away. Nothing like an outdoor concert at 7 a.m.! And I get two different bands--one on each of the corners near my home! But it is a lot of fun for those of us who live here. And for participants, it is a great way to see the city, and you get invited to a A-list concert the night of race. I know at this point I wouldn't miss the chance to cheer on the runners and walkers. Go walkers!

World's Largest Hotels

2008-04-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Nashville's own Gaylord Hotel (previously known as Opryland Hotel ) placed ninth in a list of the world's 10 largest hotels. AOL mentioned that the behemoth, with 2,881 rooms, contains under its roof not only a restaurant in an antebellum mansion but a river with boat rides, and other attractions. I go out to the hotel once in a while but not enough not to get lost. It is like a little city under one roof. The arborteum is wonderful. My favorite time to go out is during the workday when everyone is at their meetings and it is not crowded. The only problem is their $10 parking fee, which is cumbersome for the locals. http://information.travel.aol.com/news-and-tips/biggest-hotels?icid=100214839x1200315781x1200012709

Travel Survey???

2008-04-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of requests to take surveys. Some of them offer rewards such as cash or points that can be redeemed for prizes, or a chance to be entered into a sweepstakes. I ignore most of them, because I don't have time to take them. One that came to me this week was titled "What Kind of Traveler Are You?" So I thought I would give it a shot. I know a little about how research surveys are designed. But sometimes you just have to wonder. Although this one was titled a travel survey, I couldn't see anything about travel in the questions. It mainly asked about the kinds of restaurants you like. While you would eat at restaurants while on a trip, I don't understand why this survey was not titled something about restaurants instead. Oh well. At the end, they did ask you to name your two favorite restaurants. I have a lot of favorite restaurants, but decided to mention Tin Angel in Nashville, and Bella Cucina in my old hometown of Franklin, PA. While I have only eaten there a few times, it is really nice, and I thought maybe they would get some publicity out of it somehow.

http://www.bellacucinapa.com/

http://www.tinangel.net/

My Yearly Gatlinburg Fix

2008-04-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has lived in or around Knoxville, you know what I mean when I say I need to get my occasional Gatlinburg fix. I went to undergraduate school at the University of Tennessee, and spent many days and weekends in the G-burg, which sits at the mouth of the Smoky Mountains. It is definitely a tourist trap, as is its even cheesier sister city Pigeon Forge. But you can't help but love it. The streets are often crowded, both with pedestrian traffic and bumper to bumper cars. Lining the streets are wedding chapels and stores selling airspray T-shirts and little trinkets and the like. But there are also some very nice stores selling local crafts, some good outlet malls, and nice restaurants. And it is good people watching.

What I love best about Gatlinburg is the chance to get away for a few days--to stay in a chalet or cabin and to be up in the mountains smelling the fresh air and hearing the bubbling brooks. Some friends and I did just that last weekend. I have hiked all around there before, so I didn't mind staying in the cabin and studying constitutional law (for my law school final) while my friends took a short hike in the mountains. Dinner that night at the Park Grill was nice. I wish we could have had another night there, but the getaway was good for us. After I get out of school I hope to get back there more. Not to miss: Old Smoky Candy Kitchen caramel apples.

Fly Away--I Hope

2008-04-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

I saw on the news today that American Airlines said their flights should all be back on schedule by tomorrow or Monday. My sister Laura and her husband Glenn were scheduled to fly today on American Airlines from Boston to Los Angeles. They are going to meet Glenn's parents and fly to Japan on another airline. I hope all went well, and their flight from Boston went out on schedule. They didn't have that much in between the flights. More on their trip later.

Down to the Wire

2008-04-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a bad day for flying. American Airlines cancelled 1,000 flights, having a ripple effect on as many as 100,000 travelers. The cancellations came as a result of a mandate from the Federal Aviation Administration to inspect wire bundles in auxiliary hydraulic systems on MD-80 jets. The mandate given in September 2006 had a deadline of last month, and just a few weeks ago, Southwest, Delta, and United also had massive delays as they too inspected their wires. The fear is that the wires could rub against each other, causing a short or fire. An article today on MSNBC.com reported the FAA saying that shorted wires could ignite fuel vapors and cause a fuel-tank explosion that could destroy a plane.

It is no idle worry; the explosion of TWA 800 off Long Island in 1996 was blamed on fuel vapors ignited by wiring, but that disaster involved different wiring from the bundles, the article continued. Despite the inconvenience, and I know it was greatly inconvenient, it is good this scrutiny is taking place to ensure that air travel is safe.