Tulips at The M, Las Vegas
These giant tulips caught my eye in the lobby of The M Resort in Henderson, NV. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
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05, 2016
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04, 2016
Souvenir Saturday: Tile Art of Mexico
The drive from Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá is about 3 hours one way. So it helps to stop a few times along the way. At the first rest stop, I saw a man on the side of the road painting. I like to get a piece of nice artwork when I find it, and so purchased this for $20 from him. Its quite small, but the quality seemed good. I was a bit shocked when he handed it to me and it was much heavier than I anticipated. I didn't open the back of the box until I got
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03, 2016
Travel Missteps: The Best Bar That I Never Went To
After my strange “tour” of the Santa Clara ruins, I met a member of my G Adventures group, Tony. I relayed to him what had happened, and he offered to come with me as we went to find something to do that night. I really wanted to check out a bar that someone had recommended called Café No Sé. It is supposed to be a great ex-pat bar where all the travelers go. It was described as a bit bohemian with live music, and so sounded like a lot of fun. So we set off. I pride myself on my
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03, 2016
Alfombras during Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala
Visiting Antigua, Guatemala right before Semana Santa (Easter Holy Week) was great. I got to see the floats being made, as well as the unique tradition of Alfombras, colored sawdust carpets! These are made on the streets and pathways that will be taken when the models of Jesus and the stations of the cross are performed.This one was in the main Antigua Guatemala Cathedral and featured a beautiful fuchsia sawdust Alfombras in front of a statue of Jesus. In addition offerings of mangos, cantaloupe, corn, oranges, and pineapple helped to complete the display. And then fresh flowers lined the walkway. Some will be made
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03, 2016
Pacific Arch at the National WWII Memorial
I only had a quick stop at this memorial. It was so pretty I wish I had more time. Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.
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02, 2016
Antigua, Guatemala: Santa Catalina Arch
Santa Catalina Arch One of the most recognizable sights in Antigua, Guatemala is the Arch of Santa Catalina. This yellow-orange clocktower was built in the 17th century and connected the convent of Santa Catalina to a school, allowing nuns to pass from one build to another without leaving the confines of their convent. In the 1830’s the clocktower was added to the arch. You can find it on 5th Avenue North, and is free to see. If you are on your way to/from La Merced Church, you'll pass right underneath the arch. And
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01, 2016
Breathtaking Crystal Maiden at Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave
One of the most breathtaking experiences I have ever had while traveling was when I visited Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM). The name means “Cave of the Crystal Sepulcher” but it could be more accurately described as the physical embodiment of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. This is a cave system in Belize, where you can see actual Mayan sacrifices and offerings to the gods. It is believed the Mayans first found the cave around 300-600 AD, but didn’t move into the further reaches until 700-900 AD. Beyond seeing ceramic or stone pots and plates you will also see skeletons. They are
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01, 2016
Travel Missteps: Don’t Look Under the Ledge
As a young child, my favorite movie was The Little Mermaid. I loved swimming and spent my childhood on the beaches of California and the Great Lakes of Michigan pretending to be a mermaid. On my first trip to St. John USVI, it was my first time snorkeling in years and I was excited to try out my new equipment and underwater camera. I swam out to a rocky outcropping near Little Maho Bay Beach and got a little snap happy as I hadn't expected the water to be so clear or to see so many fish so close to the
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01, 2016
Museum Monday: Triceratops Horridus at the Smithsonian
In the summer of 2013 I was able to visit many of the wonderful free museums of Washington, DC. One of my favorite was the Natural History museum, mainly because of their large Triceratops fossil. Triceratops are my favorite dinosaur, but before this trip I had never seen the fossils of the body! All the ones I had seen before were the head only. So it was a treat to see this exhibit. Sadly, in 2014 the Fossil Hall is undergoing renovations until 2019...which is a long time away from now. They do have a smaller exhibit elsewhere in the
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01, 2016
Wowfactor at CES
A few years ago I was at the CES show in Las Vegas. It was hard work, and on the last day I had 20 minutes to wander the show floor. I snapped this photo of I think the Toshiba or Logitech booth, not knowing what the cool massive sculpture was. It wasn't until I got home and looked at the photo that I realized the entire thing was made out of computers, tvs, and smart phones! Every Friday Lili shares her favorite photography & the stories behind the photos.