Honolulu Spam Jam

On March 28, 2010, in Travel, by laura
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The Hawaiian love for spam is really rather legendary, and for those who like it, it makes sense, and those who don’t like it will never understand, and both sides probably feel all right with it. There are perhaps more important things to be concerned with, and visiting Hawaii is a good idea for almost anyone, and there are probably few who come for the canned lunch meats alone. However, it’s not a bad excuse to come and enjoy some time in a lovely hotel , and take in all that Honolulu has to offer.

If the timing is right, guests can come not only for the perfect waves, wonderful hospitality, glorious views of the most glorious gifts of nature, and a festival entirely devoted to Spam. That’s right, it’s called the Spam Jam , and this won’t be the first year. It’s soon to go into decades, as this event began in 2001, and is held in Waikiki, where people can come for the all day event, and enjoy all sorts of fun. The main events, however, revolve around eating, as you might imagine. There are usually a couple of entertainment stages, and a lot of the local restaurants pitch in to participate and promote their own recipes for the extremely versatile food. The canned meat, made by Hormel, made its first appearance in public consciousness in 1934, and has had a very interesting and wild history since then.

This event is for a very good cause, too. Typically, the proceeds from the event that has free admission go to the Hawaii Foodbank . Started in 1981 by John White, the food bank helps thousands of people, providing emergency food for those who might suddenly find themselves in need. Although the event revolves around fun, it’s got a very serious purpose, and one that gives back to the people of Hawaii.

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Metal Roots in Fort Wayne

On March 25, 2010, in Travel, by laura
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Fort Wayne boast a lot of interesting things. The city that is known as one of the great cities in the heartland of the country also has some pockets of culture and counter-culture that are always surprising, but always inviting. There are plenty of good reasons to check out one of the great hotels here and find out what the city is like, and these little pockets and corners make it even more interesting as a place to explore the heart of the dream. The music scene here is fairly lively, and many of the world’s great musicians pass through here on a tour.

There are also some greats who pass through here with a special fondness, because they also hail from these parts. That’s the case with Joey Allen , whose claim to musical fame has been the time he’s spent playing as the lead guitarist for the glam-metal band Warrant . Most headbangers remember this band for their Cherry Pie song and video, as well as some of their other hits that surfed into public consciousness on the metal wave in the late 80s. Joey was the guitarist in its first incarnation, playing from 1987-1994, which many fans feel were the band’s greatest years.

What some of even their truest fans might not realize is that they are playing again, having reunited to tour in 2008, and they’re still playing strong. In the 90s, there was a number of troubles in the group, including the death of a manager, and several changes in line-up that saw the last of Joey Allen. But not for long. He did get the day job that every musician dreads, working for Microsoft for awhile, but eventually the distance from the music got the better of him, and he rejoined in 2004. The time and the miles in between have added texture and complexity to the music, perhaps, but they’ve also added that kind of absence that makes the heart grow fonder, and these guys are back.

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Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Other Major Landmark Venues

On March 22, 2010, in Travel, by laura
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Los Angeles has a great deal of entertainment venues that house performances by some of the top professionals as well as those who are eager to break into the system and begin their careers. This diverse collection of performers contributes to the vibrancy of the city’s establishments. You never know if you are watching or working with the next great actor or director, and sometimes you find yourself actually watching or working with one of the greats. Tourists love this exciting aspect of many of the performances and are aware that the actors they see onstage one night may wind up on the Oscar list in a couple of years. How could this not ad to the dynamics of any city’s performance scene? In addition, many of the hotels in the city have also been frequented by celebrities. It makes one wonder if everything in Los Angeles isn’t a bit charmed.

Of course in the midst of the smaller and more experimental performance venues there are some of the landmark establishments. If you see a show at the Hollywood Bowl, The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or the Walt Disney Concert Hall you can be pretty assured you are seeing a major talent. These are the venues that the performers in the lesser-known establishments hope to work in someday.

The Hollywood Bowl is one of the most famous landmarks of the city. It is a bowl shaped amphitheatre and is famous for its band shell. The famous Hollywood sign can be seen above it to the northeast. In addition to some of the great performances that have been staged there, the Bowl has been featured in numerous movies. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has a few distinctions to its name. It is the only stadium to have hosted the Olympic games twice and is also the only Olympic stadium have hosted the Super Bowls and World Series. It is registered as a National Historic Landmark. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the city’s newer icons. This amazing building was finished the spring of 2003 and has already figured prominently in many pop culture productions.

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The Boston Athenaeum is one of the Nations Oldest Libraries

On March 18, 2010, in Landmarks, by laura
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Boston is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and it is one of the oldest cities in the nation. The historic nature of this city is reflected in some of its architecture and there is also a distinct atmosphere that is representative of its contemporary society, its cultural heritage as well as its historic routes. Tourists notice this almost immediately as they arrive at the luxury hotels boston and begin their stay. And true to the great atmosphere of this city, the cultural attractions and major events and performances that take place there are equally impressive.

The Boston Athenaeum is one of the historic cultural landmarks of the city and is also one of the oldest independent libraries in this country. This is representative of many things Boston and can only be fitting for a city that predates the establishment of the nation. The building was designed by Edward Clarke Cabot and the institution was founded in 1807. The library has in interesting literary history and was established by the members of an Anthology Society. The society itself was first established due to the efforts of a Harvard graduate Phineas Adams who created a magazine called The Monthly Anthology or Magazine of Polite Literature.

The Athenaeum includes in its mission statement an intention to serve scholars across the world by preserving and increasing its volume of works as well as maintaining the conservation of the building. Today it is one of sixteen membership libraries. This means that the members pay an annual fee for the use of the services.
It is open for visits and these can occur at specified times during the week. Throughout its history the building has been used for additional purposes and once displayed the exhibits of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts while the museum’s building was being constructed. In 1966 it was declared a National Historic Landmark.

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The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia

On March 15, 2010, in Health, by laura
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Everyone knows that Philadelphia is known as the City of Brotherly Love, but has everyone heard about its Giant Heart? At the Franklin Institute , there’s a heart you can’t walk on, but certainly one you can walk through. It was constructed out of paper mache in 1954 as a temporary exhibit. Fifty-six years later, it’s still here, and still a favorite in the Institute’s health gallery. This human heart, a two story tall walk-through experience, still beats with a deep pulsing sound, the largest exhibit of its kind in the United States.

Inside the heart, you may climb stairs that wind its way through the various chambers and arteries, which are labeled along the way. In one section of the walk, you’ll find yourself in a part of the lungs, then dive back inside the heart again. Except for the addition of some sound and lights, the exhibit has hardly changed over the years, becoming a piece of Philadelphia lore and Americana.

After walking through a giant sized heart, take a look at real human-sized brains, also at the Franklin Institute. The internationally renowned exhibit, Bodyworlds 2 , where real human bodies are put on display, features a special section on the brain. It’s a follow-up to the 2005 Bodyworlds. Both exhibits allow patrons to discover the complex nature of the human body. In this second exhibit, you’ll learn about the latest discoveries in the world of neuroscience, about the development of the brain, how it functions in health and disease, providing a greater insight into how our brains operate.

The Franklin Institute is an excellent destination, once you’ve checked into one of the city’s luxury hotels. Philadelphia has a great deal to offer tourists — Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell Center, and so on — but history is not the only reason to come here. As a city that was home to one of the great inventors of the world, Benjamin Franklin, it’s a place to investigate the sciences as well. You’ll find that exploring the heart and mind will make for a fascinating afternoon.

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Wonders of the French Quarter

On March 8, 2010, in Travel, by laura
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If you only see a small portion of New Orleans on a visit make it the French Quarter. This district has been a cultural melting pot for centuries. French, Spanish, African, and a touch of every other culture under the sun combine into a neighborhood with enough personality to be an entity itself. Food, shopping, entertainment, historical sites all right at the steps of any number of hotels that are parts of this city’s history in of themselves.

Sitting at the Cafe Du Monde you can enjoy beignets and a delicious cup of coffee or hot chocolate while watching the street performers of Jackson Square . The streets of this area hold unimaginable surprises not just the famed bars of Bourbon street. Around the corner from the St. Louis Cathedral is Maskarade a gorgeous shop to find one-of-a-kind Carnival masks or further up on Royale you’ll find Rumors another stunning shop for not just masks but jewelry and other unique artisan crafted articles. Just a quick walk from the cathedral, at Dumaine and Bourbon, you’ll start to see interesting chalk art on the ground, a sure sign you’re getting close to the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum.

Never fear, if you’re a night owl, the Quarter never rolls up its sidewalks. At 2am you can still hit any number of restaurants lining the spiderweb of streets. French and Creole cuisine won’t be all you find there’s food from all over the globe represented down these alley ways, from African to Vietnamese. A personal favorite is Angeli’s serving all manner of Mediterranean dishes but specializing in pizzas many with some very unique twists. The nightlife never stops, clubs only usher their patrons out when dawn is peaking over the horizon and Bourbon street never sleeps.

Don’t expect to see all of this district in one day; it would probably take a year to see all the wonders it offers.

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