Travel Blog

This picture was taken on the Ottawa River during a boat cruise in June of 2013. The picture shows the Rideau River Falls were it enters into the Ottawa River were the two major rivers congregate. There are two actual falls at this point in the river and there’s an island in the middle of the Rideau river that separates the two falls. This cruise can be taken any time in the summer from the Quebec side of the river. Large groups can also book the cruise and patrons can enjoy food on beverages while they view the river, the parliament buildings and both the city of Ottawa and Gatineau.

Rideau River Falls

We enjoyed the boat cruise and spent two hours on the boat with drinks and a buffet meal. There were about 45 to 60 people on the boat and it departed from St. Jacques Park on the Hull side of the Ottawa River. This cruise lasts about two hours, traveling up the river to see the falls and the parliament buildings. It then turns around and heads down river for several kilometers. Finally it returns back to the dock just as the sun is setting.

If it cools off and you do not want to be on the open deck on top, patrons can always  go below the main deck to one of the lower decks, still above water, and get away from the cooler weather.  Sometimes in June the nights can still be quite cool and if there is a bit of wind, you may need to get a bit of shelter. Many people brought jackets for that purpose.

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If you are going on a Puerto Vallarta honeymoon, you have picked a great place for your vacation. Your spouse will enjoy a great time on your honeymoon. Pick a resort that has great pools, clean rooms and close to the bars. There are some places that are not so great so you have to be picky! But there certainly lots to do in Puerto Vallarta on your honeymoon. You also want a location close to downtown so that you can easily walk to the restaurants and bars and enjoy the beach at the same time.

Puerto Vallarta Honeymoon – Things to Do

There is lots to do in Puerto Vallarta as well as in the surrounding towns and villages. There are some pretty nice beaches along Banderas bay to spend time on and they are only a bus ride away.

Take a bus to one of the little seaside towns and spend time at the beach. This picture shows what some of these beaches are really like. There is always a nice restaurant and bar close by to enjoy. The buses are inexpensive and easy to get around on. Just check the schedules and make sure that you do not miss the last one.

The Beaches

Some of these beach side towns have built palapas along the beach which are really thatched umbrellas to sit under with a small table where you can sit back, catch some sun, have a few beers and have a very nice meal brought right to you on the beach. We have spent many an afternoon doing just this on several beaches along the bay. The swimming is also very nice with warm water and shallow sandy beaches. Whenever you are swimming, always swim with a partner and always check out the rip currents. You do not want to be pulled under and out to sea in one of these rip currents. The locals can help you understand the best location to swim and the time of the day as well when it is safest to swim.

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Can you imagine going down the Colorado river in the grand canyon in a raft like the one in this picture? The view is beyond belief. Although they say a picture is worth a thousand words, even this picture does not do justice to the scenery. You will see fantastic scenery in the Grand Canyon from the vantage point of the Colorado river on a raft. We recently spoke to a person who used to guide trips that would last up to two weeks through the Grand Canyon. He never got used to the beauty and the grand views that a trip like this would provide. He enjoyed his time as a guide very much and goes back every year to take in this great view.

Grand Canyon Raft – Trip of a Lifetime

Grand canyon rafting with a properly outfitted team can be exhilarating. Something that you and your friends will talk about for many years. The scenery is one thing, the exhilarating rides through the rapids is another and the evening camp life under the stars is another. With no lights to blind your eyes, you will be able to see millions of stars on a clear night. They will equally enthrall you as much as the river does during the day.

The Water is Cold

One word of caution is warranted if you are planning in taking one of these trips. The water is very cold and comes from snow melt a long ways up in the mountains. Ice cold water such as what is in the Colorado River is also very fast moving and people have succumbed to hypothermia very quickly. They have been swept away before anyone could do anything about it. When you guide tells you to stay out of the water, he is not doing this to be mean. He is probably saving your life. Follow his advice, because if you do not one of two things will happened.

If he is a strong guide, he is going to call in a helicopter and have you removed at your expense. Although you will be very upset and probably threaten lawsuits etc, he will have most likely saved your life. If he is a weak guide, he will tell you what can happen, but then you will go and do it anyway. You probably will end up dead in the cold Colorado river water. Grand canyon rafting can be a lot of fun, just follow your guides rules and recommendations to remain safe.

Enjoy the Trip

This is really a trip of a lifetime and why would you want to ruin it by not following the guidelines of your guide. He or she has been doing it for years, knows what works and what does not and also what is safe and what is not. Follow his instructions and I am sure you will have a really great trip.

The Fantasy Springs Hotel and the casino is located on I10 near highway 86 in the Coachella Valley east of Palm Springs in California. The Fantasy Springs Hotel is a first class hotel with everything that every customer would appreciate. It is probably is a class 4 hotel compared to hotels such as the Wynn or Bellagio in Las Vegas. Which are class 5 hotels in our opinion. They also have a nice buffet and a great casino floor. They have all of the modern games that many people look for.

We also enjoyed the Fantasy Springs Casino and the buffet at the Fantasy Springs Hotel. We enjoyed both very much, and will go back to there in the near future. The casino has been upgraded in recent years and looks very nice. This was not a winning day for us at the casino, so from that perspective we are not as enamored with the place. However we will definitely be going back to this location in the near future.

Fantasy Springs Hotel – Rooms

We have not stayed at the Fantasy Springs Hotel and would appreciate any comments on what the rooms at the Fantasy Springs Hotel are like. The rooms are supposed to be very nice. They also are rumored to have a very nice pool area were you can relax and enjoy the sun. On our next visit, we will do some more snooping. We will try to get some pictures to show readers more of this property.

If anyone reading this post has stayed at this hotel, and would like to leave a comment about the rooms, we would appreciate it. It will help our readers get a complete idea of what the Fantasy Springs Hotel is like to stay at. Sorry still no comments or room pictures when we updated this post about the Fantasy Springs hotel in Palm Springs California.

Fantasy Springs Casino, located in Palm Desert near Palm Springs just off  I10 where it intersects with highway 86. As a result it is easy to get to from all points in the valley and also from riverside.  The Fantasy Springs Casino has been upgraded since we last visited and has all of the latest slot machines that everyone is looking for. We ate at the buffet which was very nice and reasonably priced.

Fantasy Springs Casino – Competition

The Fantasy Springs Casino is competing with several other local casinos in the area. These include the Aqua Calientie casino located at Ramon road, Bob Hope drive and I10. Depending on where you are staying in the valley, these casinos can be a bit of a drive. However they are easy to get to as long as you have easy access to I10. We will be going back to both of these casinos again in the future.

We are staying in the Palm Springs area. It was about a 30 minute drive to get to this particular hotel and casino. We headed out Ramon Road to I10 and then east on I 10 until we got to the exit near I10 and 86 junctions.

Casinos in the Valley

There are between 10 and 15 casinos in the Coachella Valley. It is about midway down the valley along I10. Depending on where you’re living or vacationing in the Coachella Valley you can usually get to all of these casinos within about 30 minutes by car. Some casinos are full service casinos with restaurants and hotels while others provide gaming services only. check before you go in case you are looking for a full service casino. Fantasy Springs is a full service casino, with restaurants and a hotel for patrons to enjoy.

This is another fad diet that we came across and do not support. It is called the fast diet. However we wanted to write about on our blog and provide our comments for people to consider. Your comments on the “The Fast Diet” are welcome. Both success and failures are useful to help people understand what can be possible with these diets. In addition what the impacts may also be. Basically you need to eat only 500 calories a day for two days a week.

This is exactly what the latest blockbuster diet from Britain recommends. It is authored by London-based doctor Michael Mosley and writer Mimi Spencer. It outlines a weight-loss plan that limits a person’s daily intake to 500 calories twice a week (men get 600 calories, women get 500 calories). But allows dieters to eat whatever they want on the remaining five days of the week.

Fast Diet

You suffer during two days of the week. You eat normally during the other days of the week. During the two days were you are only eating 500 calories a day, there is a chance you are going to feel faint, weak. You may also have headaches. This situation creates potentially dangerous situations for a person when they are operating a vehicle for example. Or trying to perform at work and participate in every day life. Concentration can be very difficult if you are distracted due to hunger, low blood sugar and general weakness. If you are susceptible to low blood sugar situations, you may not want to follow this diet. Or at least follow it under the supervision of a doctor or at the very least a family member.

Also when you fast for two days or only eat 500 calories, many people will eat many things they might normally deny themselves. They might actually over indulge on these days when they are allowed to eat normally. Some people may over eat the night before that they are supposed to cut back on calories. They do this with the idea that they will eat enough to carry them through to the end of the two days were they can eat again. We think this just defeats the purpose. If you are following this diet, the best results will be gained by eating normally before and after the 2 day diet of 500 calories.

Changes in Food Intake

With these drastic swings in food intake, there is a good chance that some harm can be done to the bodies systems. Regular bowel movements can be upset for example. This can cause constipation etc. In fact if you are already susceptible to this health related issue there is a good chance that this condition could be aggravated. The same applies to many other health conditions.

We feel that before you embark on a diet like this one, consumers should really consult their doctor. Assess the impact and concerns that the doctor might have regarding this type of diet. In addition we believe that a balanced weight loss program is far superior to any of these fad diets. By balanced we believe that a weight loss program should involve your current health. Also anaging your food intake and also increasing your activity level within proper health levels. Consumers need to consider all of the facts before they embark on a diet of this sort and also take into account their own health situation as well. If you are already struggling with some health issue, there is a good chance that this type of diet will only make it worse. Be careful and use your common sense when dieting.

For more information on this sort of diet program, please refer to some of the other posts on this website. Remember the best diet is the balanced diet and exercise program over a longer period of time where you form the correct eating and exercise habits that fits your lifestyle and personal objectives. For more diet related articles, click here.

We have traveled a lot over the years. Travel Tips for Busy Parents will help you prepare for your next trip. We have found that there are a number of steps you can take to make your travel more enjoyable and a lot less stressful. This post is an attempt to help other people who love to travel. They want to be organized and enjoy their trips at the same time without feeling the need to take a huge amount of clothing, or have problems with lost luggage etc. This is our list of Travel Tips for Busy Parents and what works for us. If you feel that some additional items should be added, feel free to leave us a comment. We will be happy to add your item to the list if it makes sense for travelers. Here we go:

Travel Tips for Busy Parents

Keep the wardrobe simple – pick one or two colors and stick with that for your tops and bottoms. Mix and match so there is something different every day and only take enough business clothes for five days. Most hotels have a cleaning service if you need that. Take two days of casual clothes as well and then rotate your clothes to keep looking your best. If you feel you need something more, a quick trip to a shopping store can usually do the trick.

Call home – and send text messages to your kids and spouse. Try to have quick catch up calls with your family in the morning and evening. Don’t forget they are usually on a schedule as well with school and work as well as activities.

Adapt to Local Time – stick with the local time and adjust your sleep pattern to the whatever time zone you are in. the first night may be difficult, but then you will be better for it as the week goes on.

Make use of WiFi

Uuse your smart phone and WiFi to keep up with emails and home office / customer requirements as well as emails from the family.  It is amazing how many emails you can go through while standing inline for the elevator or waiting for your colleagues to arrive. Make use of your time and be efficient with emails. Same thing in airports or other places where you may find yourself waiting for someone or some thing such as an airline or train.

Fly early or very late – Red eyes are great, especially if you can sleep on the plane. You get home early to see your family and you can still spend a full day at work. Fly early to allow for meetings in the late morning or early afternoon at your destination.

Use Carry On – even if you have to check a bag, always take carry on and always make sure you have everything you need in your carry on for at least one days worth. If they lose your bag or it is late, you can still complete your schedule without having to wear the same things for twos days in a row and you have your toiletries with you.

Do not use energy Drinks – they can keep you up at night and make adapting to a new time zone more difficult .

Plan your trip – avoid leaving everything to the last minute. Make sure your schedule is well planned and all reservations that are needed are finalized. There is nothing that wastes time more than scrambling to get ready for a trip.

Emergencies – will occur and our motto is as long as we have our passports, money  and tickets, we can usually adapt and / or replace whatever we need.

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Tonight we are staying at the Drury Inn Springfield Missouri,. If you’re not familiar with the Drury Inns, they are a very nice hotel chain. They are mainly in the southwest and northeast of the United States. They offer normally fantastic prices for a hotel room In addition they also offer a hot breakfast. The best feature is the kickback hour or happy hour in the evening.

This includes three drinks beer, wine, and liquor plus a hot bar food that includes chicken fingers, pasta, potatoes, chips, popcorn, soup, and salad.

Drury Inn Springfield Missouri – Price

All of this for a price that is less than the normal price that you would pay at a Hampton Inn, or the Holiday Inn express. We strongly recommend that you look at the Drury Inn this as an alternative for your travel reservations. You can save the price of a dinner meal just in the hotel room reservation. Enjoy their kickback hour and enjoying a few drinks.

If you really do not want to eat at the Drury Inn, they seem to always have a local bar next door. It is usually one of the chain bars / restaurants. You can get a decent meal in a relaxed atmosphere.

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Cell phone coverage at the Akwesasne casino for AT&T services is not very good. Our cell phones virtually did not receive any signal whatsoever while we are in the casino. When we went outside the casino our coverage was normal. We had five bars but inside the casino there was zero bars of coverage. We could not make phone calls at all. There may have been a few locations in the casino where we may have received one bar of service, however we did not do a full coverage test at this location since we were so frustrated in trying to make a call. The hotel and casino is closed on Monday and Tuesday as of 2022,07,22.

Akwesasane Casino – Reported the Cell coverage Problem

I spoke to several managers at the casino and none of them were very interested in doing anything about it. They said that we should just get another cell phone carrier. Or we should walk outside and user cell phones. When I said to them that the customer service for the casino was not very good and that they really did not want us going outside the casino they seemed to get it and they said that they would talk to the management about it. However they might have just been saying that to appease me.

It is interesting that the casino has just updated the casino and the hotel, updated to the buffet, and added many more machines,. However they have not thought about improving the cell phone coverage within their building. This is something that they should tackle and most casinos around the country have in fact made sure that all carriers signals will work within their casinos so that people do not have to leave the building. Anytime a customer leaves the casino, this is potential revenue that they will be missing.

Since this post was written in June of 2013, they have taken steps to improve the service by installing repeaters throughout the casino. Much better service now. For more posts about this casino, click here.

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Can you imagine sending a robot to your work place to represent you at work! This is called, Virtual Presence Through Robots. The robot could even have the same facial image as you! He or she or iI guess it would look like you and be your eyes and ears at the office. Employees would be connected to their virtual robot and be able to see and hear everything while at home or on the other side of the world. This is really futuristic and it would take a lot of adaptation by everyone involved.

This is something out of the future. Robots have already replaced people on assembly lines, but could they replace people at work in an office? Could one human manage several robots doing routine tasks interacting with other humans and only intervening when needed? The answeer is yes and it will happen within the next few years.

Virtual Presence Through Robots – Other Scenarios

This and many other scenarios are being considered and thought about now. There are trials taking place and we may see over the next 20 years many more developments such as this one. Some futurists are suggesting that as many as 40% of current jobs. This will be a major disruption to our civilization as we currently know it. Many people will be out of work, unable to get jobs because the robots have replaced them. There will be new jobs as well, however these will be highly skilled jobs requiring extensive education.

This is the stuff of science fiction but more and more ideas will be forthcoming in the near future. We talked about robots providing health care and companionship in a previous post. What if these robots were managed by some central agency with one human managing several robots remotely?

The Drury Inn in Terra Haute Indiana is part of the Drury hotel chain. This chain is unique among hotels of this class. $99 for two people gets you a room, kickback and a hot breakfast! A pretty good deal if you looking to minimize your budget for dining as well as a hotel room.

The kickback special is unique to most hotel chains. The Drury Inn kick back includes 3 alcoholic drinks per person and a buffet which includes salads, soup, baked potato, pasta and hot dogs!  Depending on the evening and the hotel they will also include chicken fingers or some other kind of finger food.  You can enjoy your dinner, although it may not be the most nutritious unless you just stick to the salad and soup combo, but it is certainly filling and something for everyone. What a deal? All of this included in the price of the hotel room which is also very competitive..

Asking as you do not need or want to go out to eat, this us a great alternative to eating out at a restaurant. And you usually meet people from all over as well. This Drury Inn fully met our expectations, was very clean and included laundry machines which you can use if needed  as well!

Drury Inn – Tips to remember

If you stay at any of the Drury Inns, always ask for a room on the upper floor on the opposite side to the highway. Although we have never had a noise problem when staying at one of these hotels we tend to make sure we stay on the opposite side of the highway to minimize the possibility of too much noise from outside.

We also found that the beds are not quite as good as other hotels. They are comfortable, but tend to move when your partner shifts their position in the middle of the night. It was enough to wake the other up during the night. We all want to get a good nights sleep.

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We spent two months in Puerto Vallarta on a Puerta Vallarta Vacation. This was one of the best vacations we ever had. From riding the wild buses to drinking beer on a beautiful beach or eating fresh caught fish that was caught in the morning and cooked right on the beach, we enjoyed it all! Puerto Vallarta is a different kind of place and if you do not visit and experience all that it has to offer then you are missing out.

Puerta Vallarta Vacation

Zip Lining in the Jungle

We also went zip lining in the  jungle, road burrows bare back in the mountains and drank seven different kinds of tequila at a tequila factory! The owner of the tequila factory really enjoyed his job and drank right along with us. He either drank water or has an incredible ability to absorb all that tequila and not show the effects.

Whale Watching

Whale watching on Banderas bay  is another great past time and many people will go out on boats to catch a closer view of the whales as they prepare for their trip north along the coast to California and beyond. We went  swimming in the ocean, the water is warm and there are lots of waves to surf and enjoy. Swimmers do need to be careful at some locations due to the undertow.

Puerta Vallarta Vacation- Night Life

There are lots of bars and great restaurants and most serve tequila with your meal! We ate in many places were they bring a beer and a shot of tequila with every beer we ordered. You have to be careful with how much you drink since it is quite easy to get drunk. There is nothing better than sitting on the beach under a pallapa (a straw covered or thatch covered umbrella) with a pale of beers on ice. We tried to enjoy it all and found the people were really friendly and helpful as well. They depend on the tourist trade and want to make sure the gringos are enjoying themselves.

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We saw this particular joke being circulated by email and decided to include it on our web site to add a little diet humor to the entire dieting subject. If any one is offended just let us know and we will remove it.  It pokes fun at ourselves and the governments who are trying to deal with health care and the epidemic of over weight people in the country! We all need to enjoy a little diet humor once and awhile even if it means poking fun at ourselves.  We also tend to be a little like this short poem from time to time as well. Hope you enjoy.

Diet Humor

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and
red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Creme Donuts. And Satan said, “You want chocolate with that?” And Man said, “Yes!” and Woman said, “and as long as you’re at it, add some sprinkles.” And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the
wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14

So God said, “Try my fresh green salad.” And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery crotons and garlic toast on the side.
And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

Healthy Vegetables

God then said, “I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.” And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and
chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof. God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it “Angel Food Cake,” and said, “It is good.” Satan then created chocolate cake and named it “Devil’s Food Cake.”

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the
starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald’s and its
99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, “You want fries with that?” And Man replied, “Yes! And super size them!” And Satan said, “It is good.” And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then Satan created Cuts to the Health Care System.

Amen

While this is a little short story or poem depending on how you look at it there is a lot of truth to this story in terms of the foods that we eat. We can chose to eat the high calorie rich foods or the good foods that we know that we should eat to keep us healthy and also avoiding gaining more weight. It is really up to us regarding what we decide to eat and how we look. We have to learn to avoid the temptations that we all deal with. For more diet information, click here.

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White water rafting camping trips require much different preparation than camping trips where you are backpacking for example or where you are driving around in car stopping at various campsites. White water rafting camping trips allow you to bring more things with you than a backpacker would be able to carry and yet you are more limited than you would be if you were travelling by car. In addition if your white water rafting camping trip is being supplied by a company who offers these kinds of services, they may provide some form of transportation in addition to the raft you are in.

You will have all of the usual requirements such as food, water, sleeping bags, clothing and tents. However rafters will also need to have waterproof gear. Gear that will keep all of their items dry while they are navigating rapids. As well as any rain that might fall during the day or evening. You will also need to have flashlights, or lanterns that will last for the length of your trip for even reading or just navigating to the outdoor loo. You may decide to rely on camp fires or you may also decide to bring along a camp stove for cooking. There are some really good small units that work very well.

Clothing

In terms of clothing, chances are you are going to get wet several times during the day and depending on the temperature and the general weather you may need to change often into dry clothes. At night you can dry your wet clothes near the camp fire. Take care not to burn them and place them up wind to avoid sparks burning holes in them and taking on that smoky smell that camp fires provide.

If you are rafting there is always lots of water around, however it may not be drinkable. You will either have to bring sufficient drinking and cooking water with you or you will have to boil all of your water to sterilize it before you use it for drinking water or even for cooking. This is just the nature of camping and in particular white water rafting camping trips.

White Water Rafting Camping Trips – Essentials

We have included a list of essentials that may be of interest :

• Aluminum foil
• Cooking oil
• Corkscrew
• Cutting board
• Flatware
• Herbs and spices
• Knives
• Measuring cups
• Napkins
• Paper plates
• Paper towels
• Plastic cups plastic trash bags
• Pot holders
• Salt and pepper
• Tongs and a spatula
• Waterproof matches
• Ziplock bags

For a more complete list refer to one of our other posts about camping essentials.

Palm Springs restaurants are among the best in the country! There is literally all kinds of food types to choose from and there are many places with happy hour as well. Most have out door patios and excellent service to go with excellent food. We have been coming to Palm Springs for years and have our favorite restaurants. We also like to try new restaurants every year as well. The following is a short review of our favorite places in Palm Springs to dine !

Palm Springs Restaurants

The Falls – located in down town Palm Springs beside the Match box on the second floor above Ruby’s. the Falls is known for three things – smoking Martini’s, really great food and dining on balconies that overlook Palm Canyon street. This is one of our fav’s!

Kaiser Grill – also located on Palm Canyon street in down town Palm Springs. Really great food, dine outside overlooking the street and of course happy hour.

Tyler’s – this is the best burger place in Palm Springs and it is only open for lunch. Customers begin lining up at 11:00 am and the restaurant closes at 2:30 pm. Sliders, full burgers, coleslaw, fries and much more. This is a must. They are located in downtown Palm Springs in the plaza on Indian Canyon.

Bill’s Pizza – served really great pizza with at least 20 different pizzas to choose from. They have great pizza and 75 cent beer all day on Mondays! What more can you ask for, pizza and beer? They are located across the street from Tyler’s.

More Restaurants

The Matchbox – they are downtown in Palm Springs on the second floor. They have a really great patio area that over looks the street and the outdoor area of Ruby’s. we like happy hour and their food, but not their main restaurant.

Ruby’s – we have only been here for breakfast, but they serve a really great breakfast with lots of coffee. Two great patios to dine in with heaters and umbrellas to cover all kinds of weather!

The Village Pub – the last pub on the south end of the street, with two floors and outdoor heaters on the patio. Their claim to fame is the $2 beers. We did not like the food so much.

Lulu’s – this is an extremely popular restaurant in down town Palm Springs. Very modern, great food, the place to hang out in the city. It is always packed every night and they have happy hour all day at the bar.

Trio – in up town, this is another classy bar. We have only been to this restaurant for a glass of wine but based on the atmosphere and the happy hour prices, we will be back!

Three Sixty – also in uptown, this is a new restaurant for us. Great happy hour and entertainment on the weekends. The night we were there they had a jazz group playing.

Chipotle – a fast food chain, but clearly the best fast food Mexican style restaurant in the area.

There are many more places to visit in Palm Springs. We will add more reviews as we visit them.

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We visited the new Akwesasne Casino Hotel and Casino on May 28th for the first time in 5 months. This was the first time for us since the hotel portion of the reconstruction of the casino was completed.  This is now a modern casino and hotel that rivals many other casino hotels in the state. We spoke to several people about how they liked the new hotel and they mentioned a few things we thought might be of interest to our readers. Basically everyone loves the new hotel and the convenience of staying at the casino hotel.

Everything is new of course and this is always a great time to visit a hotel. Our visit was during the week when it would be normally a slower time for the hotel, however the hotel was sold out and there was a bus load of people arriving as we entered the casino. All of these people were staying at the new hotel. It is also rumored that the Comfort Inn, next door which is also very nice was sold out as well.

The Comfort Inn has a no smoking rule for all of their rooms. We do not know what the policy is for the new hotel, although they do allow smoking in the casino including cigars which is a huge negative for us and many other people. These new pristine rooms will be quickly ruined if they allow smoking in the rooms.

Akwesasne Casino Hotel – Pool

There is also a very nice pool facing south so the room will be kept warm by the afternoon sun and be in full sun even in the winter time. It is large and bright with lots of windows. The lobby is just off the main entrance of the casino making it easy for everyone to find and check in.

Unfortunately the elevators are down a long hall from the check in counter. It is a bit of a walk. But the hallway has a rich thick carpet on the floor which is a bit of a drag for anyone pulling a heavy suitcase. We mention this since most of their clientele are older seniors. They sometimes just do not have the strength to pull their suitcases over a carpet. Marble is far better for this purpose.  The pool is just off the elevators making it convenient for anyone who wants to go swimming.

There are multiple choices for dining at this complex. You can choose the Native Harvest Buffet, a Sports Bar, a fast food court or a full top of the line restaurant. There are also several bars and drinks are still very inexpensive as well. This is a nice place to spend one or two days enjoying the ambiance of the hotel. Of course also doing a little gambling at the slot machines or the tables. They have a full complement of all of the popular slot machines  and a new bingo hall as well.

For more up to date posts about the Akwesasne casino, click here.

Two died, a mini van and two trucks , all lanes closed for four hours, east bound closed for more than 11 hours. We were Driving on I40 near Albuquerque and 8 miles from our destination for the night! We could not go anywhere and spent a lot of time sitting on the road without a whole lot of gas in the gas tank either. The following is a summary of a short chat we had with our kids about what happened to us.

Driving on I40 near Albuquerque

Missed it by ten minutes because mom had to go to the bathroom! Too bad we had to stop, if we had not maybe we would have passed the location before the accident happened.

On the side of the road >> Nothing to eat >> Yes >> >> Just woke up, I am so hungry , >> Will call later. We were stuck and went to the bathroom on the side of the road.

OH MY GOD! Where did you go to the bathroom? Did you have anything to eat? You must be so upset! >>> —— Pretty annoyed.

Just got into our hotel room, stranded on the highway for 10 hours, big accident blocked both lanes. >>> >>> Going to sleep now. We only slept for 4 hours and then woke up. Had breakfast and continued on our trip.

I’m a bit stranded in Amsterdam because of the fog.. Worst places to be I suppose! >>>> >>>> Flight Yesterday was cancelled and today is over booked. Still waiting to see if I can get on… >>>> >>>> Hope the drive is going well. Once we got a good nights sleep we were ok, but it waas a long 48 hours. We had a thanksgiving dinner to get too in Washington. Still a long way to go. They have delayed the dinner by one day so we could still participate.

For more posts about New Mexico, click here.

We have all heard of robots in the factory building cars and other electronic parts, but now they are beginning to make the way into our private lives. We like many people are wondering what form they will take and how will they change our lives. Will they help us or will they take some of our freedoms away from us? How intelligent will they be and how will we treat them? We read an article recently that discussed some of these concepts. This is what peaked our interest in this subject. Helper robots are part of our future. We decided to write a post about this subject giving our own opinion. We are ondering what other people think of these ideas. Let us know if you have thoughts and comments either way.

Helper Robots are Part of Our Future

There are robots that are under development that is designed as a helper around the home. His name is Herb. He is being designed to fetch things around the home such as cups and even clean up the kitchen. Another robot, Hector, is designed to remind patients to take their medicine. In addition to help them keep track of things like eyeglasses. Even assist in the event the person they are looking after falls.  Finally there is a robot named Cody, who can help you bathe and is gentle enough to help elderly patients.

While the technology is pretty close for production, do we really want these robots looking after us? Some people will be talking to their robots and treating them as if they are a human being. Will they in turn carry on a conversation with us? Will we begin to think that they care about us. Also will they provide emotional comfort in the same manner that a pet will be a friend to many elderly patients?

We Need More Experience with Robots

These are all questions that are being asked and will only be answered once robots are introduced into homes around the country. Many people will adopt them to make their lives easier and many will steadfastly refuse to use them. Only time will tell how well they work, how well they are adopted and how many uses we can use them for in our homes.

The more human we can make them look, in terms of form factor and even dressing them with clothes will probably enhance their use and make us more comfortable with having them around. We are looking forward to hearing more about the use of robots in our homes.

There are quite a few casinos along the Mississippi river south of Memphis. Memphis is actually in Tennessee and the border with Mississippi is just a few miles south of the city. The majority of casinos are located along the river just north of Tunica and there is a number south of the town as well. Casino patrons can visit any of these casinos coming south from Memphis, north from Jackson, or across the bridges from Indiana. As far as we are aware at this time there are no casinos in Indiana along the river, however, we must say that we have not had the time to visit this area.

At one time we had an objective to visit every casino in the country, however, over the past 10 years many states have approved new casinos, large and small and it is virtually impossible to visit all of these casinos. In one state alone along route I40, we counted 15 casinos just along this highway. Many were on Indian reservations and they were actually quite small. They are sometimes even attached to gas stations and convenience stores. One of these days we will build a post that lists all of the casinos that we can find in every state, so stay tuned for that post.

Tunica Casino Locations – Major Location

With so many casinos to choose from, we are focusing on casino properties that are in the top four locations such as Vegas, Atlantic City, Laughlin, and Tunica. Other properties will be included if we have visited them or if they are notable and interesting. For example, we included the Windsor Casino and hotel in our blog. It is part of the Total Rewards Harrah’s slot program and it is a very nice place to stay for a few days.

Head south on highway 61 towards Tunica and after about 30 miles you will see the signs for the various casinos. Alternately take Interstate 25 south from Memphis, then head west along interstate 69 towards Tunica. This same route can be taken from Jackson as well coming north on Interstate 25 and then exiting onto 69 as previously mentioned. Patrons can drive to any of these casinos, take a flight into Memphis and rent a car or utilize a limo to transfer to these locations. There is ample parking on surface parking lots as well as in parking garages located on the properties. They are also monitored by roving security guards on bicycles.

Topics we will be covering in this post include the following:

• Listing of Tunica Casino Locations
• A Mini Vacation in the Tunica Area
• On the Top 10 List of Casino Locations
• Use Your Slot Cards In Tunica and Across the Country
• Competition for Your Gambling Dollar
• Smoking is Still a Problem

Listing of Tunica Casino Locations

This is a partial list of the casinos located in the Tunica area. We have visited all of these casinos over the last couple of years.

• Gold Strike Casino & Hotel
• Horseshoe Casino & Hotel
• Roadhouse Casino & Hotel
• Fitzgeralds Casino & Hotel
• Hollywood Casino & Hotel
• Harrahs Casino & Hotel

A Mini Vacation in the Tunica Area

Many people come to Tunica every month to visit one of the casinos in the area. Some will just come for the day and many others will stay at one of the casinos for several days. Most people use their slot cards when they are playing and will receive invitations, as a result, to stay for free at many of the casino hotels that they frequent.

There are lots to do while in Tunica in addition to gambling. If you looking for a few days of relaxation, some nice meals, maybe take in a show or two, and share a couple of drinks at the bar, all of the casinos and hotels in the area can meet this need.

Tunica is easy to get to by car, since it is less than half an hour from Memphis and several hours from Jackson, Mississippi. We have run into people who are making a road trip across the country or heading south on their way to their winter vacation home. Tunica becomes a great stop-over point on the way to Biloxi, Golf Port, and New Orleans as well as points east and west of these cities.

We have included another post on this website that outlines all of the activities that can be of interest to people visiting the area. These include museums, music, and even Elvis’s mansion. We have personally gone to visit this location and we can vouch that it is well worth the money to take the time and visit his home and grounds.

There are also golf courses in the area for those people who are so inclined.

On the Top 10 List of Casino Locations

Las Vegas is obviously at the top of the gambling locations in the country. Next, you have Atlantic City, which is now recovering from a devastating storm in the fall of 2012. Laughlin in Nevada and Tunica in Mississippi are the next two locations that can be considered among the top 10. Both are on opposite sides of the country and both have approximately the same number of casinos. Most other locations around the country are more isolated and do not have much competition from each other.

Windsor/ Detroit and Niagara Falls are two other locations with small numbers of co-located casinos. Tunica is obviously 3^rd or fourth on the top 10 list of locations to visit in the USA. It is easy to get to by highway as well as by air and is located in the central part of the US. There is also competition from the concentration of casinos in these top four locations.

Use Your Slot Cards In Tunica and Across the Country

One of the advantages of using slot cards from the main casino companies such as MGM and Harrahs is that their slot cards are good right across the country and in many of their properties. They do track your visits and your usage. From that, they develop offers of free room visits, free entertainment to shows, free meals and other comp’s that may be interesting to you from time to time. These offers are available online as well as they can be sent to you in regular mail.

Both Harrahs and MGM have casinos and hotels in all of the major centers and the most popular locations across the country. Tunica is no different with both companies having several casinos that they run in the Tunica area as well as in other areas of the state of Mississippi such as Biloxi on the coast. The Gold Strike Casino is part of the MGM group and accepts the MLife card. The Horseshoe, the Roadhouse, and another hotel in the area (Harrahs) are part of the Harrahs chain and accept the Total Rewards slot card.

Competition for Your Gambling Dollar

As we mentioned earlier in this post, Tunica is on the top 10 list of casino locations in the country. We feel that this is a good thing because it means that there is competition for your gambling dollar on many levels.

None of the casinos advertise their payback ratios, however, there are various ways that they compete for your dollars. These include free rooms while you are staying at their location, free meals in terms of write-offs, express comp’s, free play, and point play. Some days are better than others in terms of how many points you are allowed to collect each time you play.

These comp’s can be like mini jackpots for some people. For example, if your room is free or they write off all of your food and room costs, this is the same as winning a small jackpot and is really money that you save on your vacation. This is part of your overall compensation in terms of what you win or lose.

Payouts are Lower

Many people have mentioned to us in passing that they do not win like they used to. We have noticed this as well and even though there is lots of competition, the casinos appear to have tightened up their payouts. Large wins seem to be fewer and the cost of rooms and meals has gone up. The only way to deal with this is to make sure that you always collect all of your comp’s before you leave.

We always speak to the slot host and let her know that we are checking out. They do not always write off our expenses, but it happens often enough to make it worthwhile. The worst that can happen is that they decline and you just have to accept that decision. It is all calculated by computer anyway and they have very little discretion to go outside the guidelines that have been established by management.

Smoking is Still a Problem

In all of these casinos, smoking is still a problem. It continues to amaze the writer that they still allow smoking in the casino when there are so many issues associated with smoking from a personal level as well as a business level. They even allow people to smoke cigars inside the casino which annoys everyone including smokers since the atmosphere is polluted by some of the stronger cigars.

For the casinos, cleaning of the rugs, and the machines, and maintenance of the machines would be drastically reduced. No more ashes everywhere and no more nicotine getting on everything including the moving parts of the slot machines. The air would smell much better and more people who do not smoke would come to these casinos.

Banning Smoking

In other locations, they have banned smoking altogether inside the casinos. They have built smoking rooms for smokers to go to and take a break. Some of these rooms are actually outdoors when the weather permits. If they are inside, there is ample air circulation to accommodate the smoke. A key decision was made by the casino management which in our mind makes this work.

Patrons are allowed to place their slot machine on hold while they take a break and go for a smoke. They are allowed to do this for a short time, 5 or 10 minutes while they take a smoke break. The economics are much better in terms of less cleaning. Also less maintenance on the machines which makes up for the downtime of these slot machines during busier times in the casino. Placing a napkin or something similar over the screen is all that is generally needed. Speak to someone playing beside you to ask them to keep an eye on the machine for you. Never leave any more than two or three dollars in the machine. Patrons have lost large amounts by leaving too much in the machine while they went for a smoke break.

We have found that these casinos that do not allow smoking on the casino floor are busier than ever. People who traditionally stayed away because the smoke was too bad are now coming to these properties. They play the machines and enjoy an evening at the casino. The smokers seem to be happier and the nonsmokers are definitely happier.

We watched a show last night about Person of Interest. Not the show or series that is actually  called by that name, but another one called 20:20 last night. It is a news show that does video narratives about a variety of topics. Last night they covered an interesting topic that looked at the subject of combining video surveillance with computing technology. This technology  automatically identify people for various reasons.

If you are not already aware, you are probably on camera many times a day. Particularly if you go into down town areas or you enter a store etc. All government offices and entertainment locations have surveillance with video. It is all recorded for future reference in case it is needed. We have known this for several years now. It is increasing as more and more people add video surveillance capabilities. Some people even have this technology in their cars and can match the police with video capabilities.

Person of Interest – Facial Recognition

Now the government and corporations are using this technology combined with facial recognition software to recognize and track people. Governments are working in computing capabilities that will recognize a person from a video taken of them from some location,. Identify them and then alert who ever needs to be informed. This is useful in finding people who are avoiding police. Or who have escaped or who have committed a crime.

Companies are developing their own software to do something a little more capitalistic in nature. You may you walk up to a store and are on video. The store wants to be able to confirm your sex, your age and even your preference in clothes for example. They will use this information to display advertising on monitors near were you are passing with the hopes that they will catch your attention.

Who knows where all of this will go. It certainly is interesting and we will be watching just were this new technology takes us.

Would you go on a Colorado rafting trip and not follow the instructions of the rafting guide? Probably not but according to one Colorado rafting guide we talked to, some people will do just that. Occasionally they end up dead because they failed to follow the instructions their guide gave them. Some guides are not forceful enough. Although they will tell their customers not to go swimming in the fast cold water of the Colorado, they will not enforce this rule.

As a result some people will have a little too much to drink. Or just ignore what they have been told. They go swimming in the water which is ice cold. It is melt water from the mountain snows. Next thing you know they are experiencing hypothermia. They may fall into the water and get swept away by the fast flowing water.

Colorado Rafting – Use a Guide

Colorado rafting can be a lot of fun especially if you follow the guidelines laid out by an experienced guide. Avoid drinking a lot, follow the rules for camp that your guide provides. Avoid going into the water unless it is specifically approved by the guide and you have someone with you who can swim and rescue you quickly.

A guide we talked to said that if his guests would not follow his directions, he would call in a helicopter and have them taken out at their expense. He would rather have a mad customer than a dead one. Which is exactly what would happen if they went into the water in places where it was really unsafe.

Some guides are young and although experienced on the river are not experienced in handling people. In situations like this when older adults who should know better start talking down to the guide and use their older adult influence, the guide may give in. This is the worst thing that can happen for everyone concerned. If you end up in the water you are going to get hypothermia very quickly and you may not even realize what is happening to you until it is too late.

Falling down in the water only makes it worse and if your body is dashed against rocks in the fast flowing water you will have little chance of getting out alive. Follow your guides instructions, they know what they are doing and what is safe for them and their guests. This is so important and it could be your life that you save simply by following your guides instructions.

The writer of this post has been using a CPAP machine for the past seven months and has really gained a lot of benefits from using the machine. Not only have I slept much better, I breathe fresh filtered air all of the time. The air is humidified, so there is no dry throat problems any more. We are vacationing in southern California which is very dry. Previously I used to get a bloody nose quite often because the membranes of my nose got very dry.

Since I have a humidifier on my CPAP machine, my nose and throat, lungs etc are kept humidified and do not dry out at all. This is a great benefit which many people may not be aware of. It is this issue though that prompted me to write this post.

Supplies for CPAP machines are hard to find, particularly distilled water.  I have been to several pharmacies and grocery stores to no avail. They all claim to carry distilled water, however when you read the fine print on the bottle, many of them have messages indicating that minerals have been added to improve the taste or they have added electrolytes to the water to improve the taste for drinking. None of these are any good for CPAP machines for a couple of reasons.

Supplies CPAP Machines – Distilled Water

First of all you really do not want anything going into your lungs except pure water vapor. Since we have no idea what actually has been added to the water, I am very concerned about breathing this stuff into my lungs in a vaporized state. It is probably ok but then why take the chance when you can buy pure distilled water with nothing added back in.

The second reason that I want to stick with pure distilled water aside from the fact that the instruction book tells you to, is that the minerals and salts that are added to the water will build up in the evaporator over time and leave a scaly deposit. This then has to be cleaned with vinegar and adds more impurities to your system. It is far simpler to just add pure distilled water to the CPAP machine and not have deal with any of these other issues. That’s my take on it anyway.

Finding Distilled Water

The only place that we found pure distilled water with nothing added back in was actually at Walmart. They had by far the largest supply of various bottled water suppliers and in this case one supplier of pure distilled water supplies for my CPAP machine. Supplies for CPAP machines are hard enough to find without adding or using water with additives in it. Who knows what that would do to the machine, the hose or the other components, let alone your lungs?

There are not a lot of places that actually sell CPAP supplies, such as replacement hoses and masks. This is probably why there are so many web sites advertising CPAP supplies on line. If this is the first time you will be using a CPAP machine, we suggest that you go to a physical store. Make sure you are  properly fitted for one.

The masks come in different sizes. You really need to have one that fits your face properly. In addition the machine needs to be set up. The air pressure must deliver air to you so that it does the job that it is supposed to. Mine is set at 8 while a friend has his machine set at 15. It delivers a much higher pressure. If they are not set to deliver strong enough pressure, you will not receive the benefit you need. You probably will continue to snore and have sleep apnea.  Buying replacement CPAP supplies should be fine as long as you purchase the same hoses and masks.

For more information about CPAP machines and CPAP supplies, click here.

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Have you ever used the valet parking services at hotels or other venues that offer such services? Many people have and most are more than satisfied with the service. You have the convenience of not having to find a place to park your car. Or deal with the weather if it is out door parking. Also the cold if it happens to be winter time. We have used these services quite a few times and usually were satisfied with the service. We would tip $5 for the service and felt that our car would be parked in a safe place. It would be returned to us in the same condition that we found it in.

In every case but one it came back in exactly the same condition. In the one instance that it did not, we feel that it was no fault of the parking attendant. However we really cannot be sure. We will discuss each of these instances which has led us to never allow valet parking attendants to park our car ever again.

Valet Parking – Experience

The first instance actually did not involve our car at all. We were waiting for our car to be brought up to us so that we could leave the place we had spent an nice evening at. As we watched other cars being delivered to other people we noticed that the attendants would bring the cars up from underground, turn left and then have to drive about a 1000 feet to where everyone was standing. We watched them rev the engine and roar up to the pickup point. Much too fast in our opinion to be actually unsafe and they were revving an engine that was still cold. Not the way I want my car to be treated.

Another situation that we encountered involved our car being dropped off at a major hotel. We assumed that it would be stored in covered garage which was protected and inspected from a security perspective. They drove it to an open parking lot and left it unprotected in any way. Now the car would not start the next morning due to mechanical problems, which we subsequently resolved, however I wonder how a perfectly good car could suddenly develop mechanical problems!

New Orleans Valet Service

The last example was in New Orleans and I really did not have a choice as to using valet. There was no self parking nearby. The car came back to us in one piece, no damage and everything that was in the car was still there. The service was definitely worth it in this case. What I am objecting to was that the attendant was well over 300 pounds and I was worried whether my seats in my car would sag due to the weight.

In all cases, these three above and those that we have not discussed, we had to wait a long time to get our car. It was busy, but then I really do not want to wait 30 minutes in one case to get a car that I could have just parked myself and got to it in five minutes. So I really do not want to tip valet parking attendants for poor service.

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This picture of one of the bays near Puerto Vallarta is just absolutely beautiful. This is a great place to consider for Vacations to Puerto Vallarta. This picture really represents the idyllic life that makes up a vacation in this area of Mexico.  We spent two months in this area of Mexico and thoroughly enjoyed the entire time. It is a different culture. Their processes and ways of doing things are different from what you might be used to. But you have to remember that you are in a different country. We enjoy getting to know different cultures and traveling so this time was well spent.

Explore Puerto Vallarta – Vacations to Puerto Vallarta

We got out every day and traveled to a different part of the area around an in the city of Puerto Vallarta. We explored old town Puerto Vallarta, we walked along the malecon every day, we stopped at many of the bars on the beach and enjoyed the sun and a cold beer. The malecon is a walkway that goes along the beach almost all the way along in old town Puerto Vallarta. It is a very nice way to spend your day or just a few hours.

There are small bays all along the coast with small towns and places for tourists to spend their time. We found many were very quaint with lots of little restaurant and bars to spend your time at. We love to explore and that is one of the reasons we went to many of these beaches.

Modern City

They also have many of the modern conveniences that many North Americans have come to expect. Good grocery stores, lots of places to purchase clothing and jewelry and there is even a Costco to shop at. We were able to find great food deals and cheap booze at the Costco.  One of the foods that we really liked where barbecued chickens with jalapeño’s and small potatoes. The flavor was fantastic and these chickens were always well done and still moist.

If you have a chance to go to Puerto Vallarta, make sure that you take the time to ride the buses and go exploring. You will experience much more than just staying around your hotel’s pool!

For more information about this beautiful vacation destination, click here.

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On Friday, May 17, 2013, a protest was staged on Cornwall Island. Indians’ Blockade of the Canadian Border caused the bridge from Canada to the US to close at the Cornwall crossing of the Canadian Border. We support the notion that free people can conduct peaceful protests to draw attention to whatever cause they have. There are a couple of things we did not like about this situation. There is the obvious inconvenience it caused us personally when we could not complete our trip.

First, they are disrupting a major border crossing, which means a lot of commerce and other activities are being delayed. This also increases the cost to everyone, including the average consumer. Second, they are really trying to blackmail both governments into letting them do whatever they want to do. Many of them smuggle guns and cigarettes across the border. This is a rumor that everyone in Cornwall seems to know about.

Canadian Border

But what really got us upset was the poor organization of the Cornwall police.  The street and all access points were closed well before the bridge, even though there is just one lane along the approach route that you need to block access to.

Why not block this entrance instead of forcing much of the traffic to go through the local mall and exit at the back? Why not put up signs well ahead of the blockade so drivers can make appropriate decisions before getting stuck in traffic?

It seems that no one thinks about the convenience of the drivers in Cornwall. They really do not care about the tractor-trailers, the tourists pulling campers, and the RVs. This entire thing caused a major traffic headache that could have been managed much better. But of course, that would require someone to think before they blocked a road!

For more posts about Canada, click here.

This is the view I have sitting at the Starbucks Cathedral City location in the mornings! Mountains , palm trees, warm comfortable temperatures and a good cup of coffee. What more could you want? The sky is a deep blue color with no humidity and no dust in the air. The birds are singing and I just spent an hour riding my mountain bike to get to this location to sit down and enjoy my coffee and also a bagel! For your information, this particular Starbucks is located along highway 111 that runs the length of the Coachella valley through all of the valley cities including Palm Springs.

Starbucks Cathedral City – AGM Tour

This is the same route that the recent AGM Tour of California took on its way to Palm Springs and the Tram road. Fortunately for me the temperatures are in the low 60’s at the moment which is ideal for riding your bike. For the tour, they had to deal with 108F and riding up the Tram road for the last 2 miles is a killer with the heat and the elevation rise of over 2000 feet. However I am digressing.

This particular Starbucks faces east at the front of the store and west at the back of the store, so you always have a choice between sitting in the sun or shade depending on the time of day. At the back of the store which faces 111, they have a few tables, umbrellas and a comfortable area to enjoy your coffee. Same with the front area of the store, however it is slightly smaller and faces the parking lot.

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If you have been to Dublin Ireland, then you already know how nice a place it is and how friendly the people are. I have been to Ireland three times, twice on business and once for a sports tournament.  I had the opportunity to visit many of the pubs in downtown Dublin as well as go out into the country side and visit a castle that dates back at least 500 years. We took a city tour and explored the castle as well. My week on vacation there was really great and I would recommend Dublin as a vacation any time for people who are interested in the history of the Irish.

Dublin Ireland – Visit Castles

One of the times that I went to Dublin Ireland, I was bused out to a castle just outside the city of Dublin. Nortel Networks took us to this castle for a dinner evening of entertainment and camaraderie with other customers. We walked into the Castle Main ball room. We were served beer and wine and liquor. There were cocktail foods served as well. This room was as large as a two story home just on its own. The castle was really quite huge. In this particular room on one wall a set of antlers from a deer was mounted.

This set of antlers was at least 14 feet across. It had been dug up from one of the peat moss bogs on the property. The room was so large that these antlers really did not look out of place which gives you some idea of the size of the antlers and the room itself. They were huge and added a rustic look to the room which was amazing and enjoyable at the same time.

The room we dined in was large enough to fit 50 people comfortably seated at 6 or 7 tables with room for a harpist to play during our dinner. One of the guests had brought his wife with him and they got up to waltz to one of the tunes. It was all quite entertaining and very nice. The meal was excellent although my thoughts were so engrossed on the surroundings, I really do not recall what we ate.

Explore the Castle

We were allowed to wander around a bit so myself and another guest went upstairs in the castle. The stair well was well lit. But very narrow and the steps which were built of stone were well worn from all the years of traffic up and down these stairs.  This was an even well worth attending and I am so glad that I was able to attend.

This was the first time I had ever been to a castle. I have no idea if it was typical or not, but it sure was an impressive building. Castles were built as a place for the king or for local lords to live. They were also places were the local people could live and work.

They provided all kinds of goods to the castle owners as taxes. In return received protection from marauding bandits and other lords who might attack them. It was a tough life back in those days. Yet commerce and protection for one’s material items along with your life was in practice much as it is today.

We were bused back to Dublin later that evening after thoroughly enjoying this diversion from our day long meetings. Again if you ever have a chance to go to Dublin, it is highly recommended as a place to go.

More posts about Dublin and Belfast, click here.

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One brother has been charged with rape, forcible confinement, captivity and numerous other charges. There is no doubt that this man is the Cleveland monster. He should be put away for life, or even put to death if he’s given the death penalty. This is based on terminating at least five children with one of the women.

This is a terrible thing that is happened and should be dealt with appropriately. However this post is not about this particular crime for this particular brother. Instead we wanted to talk about the other two brothers who were initially arrested. They were let go and now not being charged with anything. Apparently they were not involved in any of the rapes or confinement activities.

Cleveland Monster

This man’s two brothers have apparently not been involved in any of these crimes. They deny all knowledge of anything to do with the crimes. They  had no idea that if he was going on. These brothers claim that they have been at the house. They had to follow specific rules when they were at the house. They had no idea that were three women plus a little girl at this home.

The writers on this blog happened to think that these two men, these two brothers, who have been at the house, may have been involved in someway. More information is going to come out over the next few days and certainly the women involved would be able to identify them if they were involved. At the very least they had to have had some idea that something strange was going on and should have challenged their brother quite strongly to confirm what was going on and then deal with it accordingly. They will carry guilt for the rest of their life regardless of whether they were involved or not or had suspicions or not. More information will become available over time as we listen to this ongoing sad story

A factory collapse in Bangladesh killing 400 or more people and it hits the news for a few days and then they move on to other news that has become available. But what about those people who died. Also why were they working in the factory? This is where our clothes are made!

It turns out that they were working in a clothing factory turning out cheap clothing. They are sold to Europe and North America along with other countries around the world. Living in North America we really like to have a lot of new clothes. As a result we routinely throughout clothes before they are hardly worn. We can buy new shirts etc for low prices. Deals are great and we love low prices. The only way that clothes at these prices can be sold is that they are manufactured in places like Bangladesh. People work for pennies an hour. This is where our clothes are made.

Where Our Clothes are made – Low Prices

As long as we are not willing to pay higher prices, these factories will continue to proliferate. They will continue to be sweat shops for many of these people in other countries. It turns out that 98% of our clothes are made overseas in places like Bangladesh. This situation is not going to change anytime soon. As Americans are we willing to pay higher prices for clothing so that we can move some of these jobs back to our shores. We think that this is highly unlikely!

What ever happened to the days when the jury announced you were guilty? The sheriff put handcuffs on you and led you away to be transported to jail! Not with Jodi Arias apparently! She was told she was guilty and them she gives a Jodi Arias Guilty interview against her lawyers guidance!

Arizona is one of the toughest states and yet she gets away with conducting an on-screen interview. Again she trashes Travis Alexander which she has done throughout the trial. This writer really did not think it was possible to be allowed to give interviews after being convicted of 1st degree manslaughter!

Jodi Arias Guilty

The twist of course is that she asked the jury to give her the death penalty. Which automatically put her on a suicide watch! There is a lot more to come yet . We have not seen the last of Jodi Arias! With all of the extreme news and actually much more important news, why do we spend so much time on this case.

The reason is that is a pretty young white woman who apparently has completed a very bad crime by killing her boyfriend in the shower no less. She also took pictures which she forgot to erase and then took the cops on a several wild goose chases before finally admitting she might have had something to do with it.

It is really a shame that the court system must deal with such a ridiculous case, spend millions on it. There is a much better use for out tax dollars. She is guilty and let’s get on with it.