virtualDavis's blog

Quick, Easy Tips for Better Travel Photos

Better Travel Photos Made Easy, by Rob Sheppard [PC Photo Magazine]

If you haven't already, pick up the current issue of PC Photo Magazine and read the article by Rob Sheppard called "Better Travel Photos Made Easy". In addition to tips on how to improve the lighting in your travel photos; how to pack photography equipment effectively and selectively; how to ensure battery power when you need it; and how to choose memory, storage and backup hardware Sheppard also covers some helpful guidelines for composing a good travel shot. So helpful that I'd like to quote these five obvious, but often overlooked travel composition tips:

Orient Express Bike Tour: From Paris to Istanbul

From Paris to IstanbulThe company that brought the world Tour d'Afrique, the world's longest and toughest bicycle race, now introduces the Orient Express Bicycle Tour - the first bicycle journey from Paris to Istanbul.

"Living Piggy Lives" in New York City

Barbecue, Bar-B-Q or Bar-b-que? Need your New York City culinary fix?

I received a savory lead from my gastronomically inclined mother yesterday. An invaluable lead, I should add, on where to find the perfect pig snoot sandwich!

Perhaps you already salivated through Eleanor Randolph's "On Being Unable to Resist Heart-Stopping Barbecue", but if you missed it and are yearning for "a retreat to the earliest and most basic human cravings", then it's time to plan your next visit to New York City. Randolph has found some real gems. "These smoky food dens seem antiurban and faintly uncivilized,... [they] have the feel of a fraternity house basement."

Aquarium Diving

Earning their Finns At the Monterey Bay Aquarium [Copyright Randy Wilder/Monterey Bay Aquarium]

"In a sudden swoop, an eight-foot-long, 150-pound spotted eagle ray descends, flapping her wings excitedly. With a seismic crunch that carries very audibly underwater, she gobbles the clams from my hand, tailed by a motley crew of orange-banded surgeonfish, yellow tangs and various jacks, wrasse and snappers that bump up against me as they vacuum up the crumbs."

Sound like just your thing? Bonnie Tsui's article, "Diving Into the Fishbowl", from the New York Times' Travel Section exposes a curious trend still in the relatively early phases: scuba diving in tanks at aquariums.

Web's First "Travel Size It!" Store

Launched in July, 2004, Minimus.biz has become "the" destination for travel size items. You'll find toothpastes, shampoos, and shaving creams included in their online offerings, as well as a wide variety of snacks, coffee, tea, condiments, salad dressing packets, pharmacy items, topical medications, laundry detergents, and more - all in individual servings and convenient travel sizes. For orders over $20 they offer free domestic ground shipping.

Airlines Add More Nonstop Flights

Good news this morning in the NYTimes Business section. According to Micheline Maynard's "In Airline Shift, More Nonstop Flights Make Schedule" it's not just a promise; the biggies are already scheduling nonstops where only days ago travelers would have been condemned to the hub-transfer system.

Affordable Luxury in Puerto Vallarta

Playa del Sol Grand - Nuevo Vallarta Hotels

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico (April 20, 2005) - What key ingredients make a dream beach vacation come true? Comfortable lodging, excellent personalized service, affordable prices and of course, amazing beachfront location.

Now a savvy hotel development consortium, Playa del Sol Group (PDSG), is making waves for getting back to these basics. Their philosophy is simple: offer spacious, family-style suites at competitive prices in a variety of well-run properties on stunning beach locations around Puerto Vallarta, the ultimate tropical destination.

Pristine Montana Mountain Yoga

What: Taoist and Hatha yoga retreats When: July 20-24; July 29-31; August 5-7, 2005 Where: Runamuk Guest Ranch, Bull Mountains of Roundup, Montana Who: Featuring Master Paulie Zink and Jennifer Pisle Cost: $1525 July 20-24; $375 July 29-31 and August 5-7 *Preregister by June 1 or bring a friend and receive a 10% discount (yoga instructors receive a 15% discount).

"Running of the Nudes" in Pamplona, Spain

Running of the Nudes, July 5, 2005, Pamplona, Spain

You've heard of the annual “Running of the Bulls” in Pamplona, Spain, right? Well, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has taken on the challenge of ending it. This year they are promoting their fourth annual "Running of the Nudes" to draw attention to their disaproval of the historic celebration preceding the bullfights and the bullfights themselves.

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