Moon Petal

The Grotto , a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city of Portland, located on 62 acres of botanical gardens, at 8840 NE Skidmore Street, is a Catholic sanctuary that is internationally renowned and offers a place for quiet reflection and peace of mind. There are over 100 exquisitely sculpted statues and shrines nestled among flower-lined pathways that wind under towering fir trees. Award winning architecture, spectacular cliff side vistas, peaceful reflecting ponds offers inspiration for all who visit. The Grotto is open all year around, group tours given daily, and has a gift shop. You’ll find that The Grotto well worth fitting it into your visit to Portland, especially if you’re on a business trip.

The beautiful environment is not only welcoming; it’s conducive to peace, spiritual inspiration and reflection. The Grotto strives to serve all people and offers support, understanding, compassion and hope through a variety of ministries including counseling, spiritual advise, and education. But, it’s the heart of the shrine, ‘Our Lady’s Grotto’, a rock cave carved into the base of the 110 foot cliff with a life-size marble replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta where most visitors find their comfort.

The botanical gardens of The Grotto provide a respite for the locals and for the more than 200,000 visitors each year from all walks of faiths and all walks of life. Visitors are thrilled to have discovered this green space sanctuary just minutes from downtown and the best Portland hotels around, and astonished to find out that this place is a not-for-profit organization solely supported by the proceeds of its gift shop and donations.

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Whether you’re a young celebrity recently sentenced to ninety days in jail, or a traveler who has never once been accused of a crime, you might enjoy a trip to Melbourne, Australia, where you can go back in time and find out what it was like to take that last walk to the gallows in a 19th Century prison, or to be arrested in a contemporary police station, all possible with a ticket to the Old Melbourne Gaol Crime and Justice Experience .

Constructed in the mid 1840s, the Old Melbourne Gaol used to be the dominant feature of the city’s skyline. It operated between 1842 to 1929, closing as a prison 81 years ago, and is considered a landmark site, the centerpiece of vital moments in history. One hundred and thirty-five people were hanged here, including an infamous bushranger known as Ned Kelly.

Coming from troubled parents, Kelly was the son of an Irish convict who became a fugitive in 1878; he was hunted by police and captured in a shootout in which the rest of his gang were killed. The revolver he used in that gun battle is still on display at the jail to this day. He was hanged in 1880, and he spent his days here while his mother served time in the women’s wing. You’ll also find Ned’s death mask, a stark reminder of where crime may lead.

If you’re free to travel to a Melbourne hotel now or in ninety days, you’ll find a fascinating experience waiting inside the Old Melbourne Gaol, the historic Magistrate’s Court and former Police City Watch House on Russell Street.

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The coastal and gulf areas that surround the southern part of Florida are some of the more popular tourist destinations all year long. Meanwhile other centrally located cities like Orlando enjoy great popularity and are a favorite vacation destination due to the great theme parks that are located there. Meanwhile, some of the favorite activities for tourists take place off the shores of Florida and including fishing, sailing and other water sport activities in the Gulf of Mexico as well as on the other side of the panhandle.

One of the interesting features of that area of the ocean has captivated the imaginations of people and writers for decades and while the Bermuda Triangle has caused fear and concern in the hearts and minds of people in the past, it is rarely a worry for people who are enjoying the waters that exist there, if they are even aware that’s where they’re at. And while the triangle actually extends from a point on the coast of Florida out into the Atlantic Ocean, this is at best a thrilling piece of information for people who are enjoying a beautiful day in the water. The triangle extends out to Bermuda to the north and down to Puerto Rico and then back to the tip of Florida.

Most of the disappearances occurred prior to the twentieth century or early in it, which likely accounts for the lore factor of the stories and a lack of active concern for current travelers. Part of the reason for the fantastic stories that surround the area deal with the numerous aircraft and ships that have disappeared in that area through the years. The disappearances have all been unexplained and no trace of the craft or passengers is ever found. There are numerous stories and mythological based legends attached to the area and the lost city of Atlantis. And while many of the guests in five star hotel Florida may be extremely interested in some of the stories and legends about the area, they are extremely unlikely to alter their vacation plans that include some afternoon offshore fishing.

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There is so much to do and see in Austin, Texas, that it’s possible to visit this city off and on for decades and still not get to all the places one should; quickly, you might develop favorite places, such as Magnolia’s, a 24-hour breakfast restaurant in two locations, or Mozart’s Coffee Roasters on the shores of Lake Austin, and never strike out and explore the history of this university town, and its historically rich museums, such as the French Legation museum .

In 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico, and Sam Houston officially became the first President of the Republic of Texas. Three years later, King Louis Phillipe of France sent a representative to investigate whether or not Texas should become recognized as a sovereign nation; this representative was Jean Pierre Isador Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, who was a secretary at the French Legation in Washington DC.

By September of 1839, Dubois was instrumental in a Treaty of Amity, Navigation and Commerce with Texas, recognizing it as an independent nation; he was promoted to “charge d’affaires” to the Republic of Texas, and when the capital of Texas moved from Houston to a city known as Waterloo, and later as Austin, he moved with it. In the mid-1800s, Austin consisted of little more than some log cabins and tents and unpaved streets. In 1841, though, the French Legation house had been built; however, Dubois left Austin before he could move in.

Then, as history and politics continued their course, the capital moved again to Houston, then the country of Texas became a state of the union, and all French diplomats left for Washington DC; however, the home remained, serving as the residence of private families well into the 1940s. The last family owned the home for over a hundred years, and decided to turn the building into a museum, selling the house to Texas in 1949.

From 1952 to the present, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have been responsible for preserving this historic residence, and have made an effort to make sure the place is an accurate reflection of the Dubois and Robertson eras. At the museum, you’ll discover a French country kitchen, with eighteenth and nineteenth century equipment.

The French Legation Museum is a place for reunions, parties, fundraisers, or, if you’re of a romantic frame of mind, weddings. Have your own wedding on the gardens, lawns, or veranda of this historic site, then retire to one of several Austin boutique hotels for the honeymoon. Such an experience could only increase your appreciation for this great city.

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Just minutes away from downtown Seattle, in the neighborhood known as Phinney Ridge, you’ll discover the Woodland Park Zoo , 92 acres that feature almost 1, 100 animals and 300 different species. From the smallest to the largest creatures, insects to the African elephant, you and your family will be able to explore a number of intriguing spaces, such as the Tropical Rain Forest Building, the Northern Trail, the Day Exhibit, and the Zoomazium.

The 92 acres are divided into various bioclimate zones, simulating different habitats, including the humid conditions of tropical rain forests, to coastal deserts, to more temperate rain forests, such as the ones in the Pacific Northwest. In the Tropical Rain Forest Building which contains the Tropical Rain Forest dome, you’ll witness birds from South America freely flying, ocelots, snakes and poison dart frogs; you’ll find outdoor exhibits of red ruffed lemurs, colobus monkeys, gorillas, and jaguars. In the temperate rain forest, you’ll find exhibits of red pandas, Chilean flamingos, and Asian cranes, as well as wetland waterfowl, Bug World, and the Family Farm exhibit, which features miniature cows, sheep, goats, and chickens.

Along the Northern Trail, you’ll see a replica of Alaska’s tundra and Taiga region, including an inside viewing area for river otters that play and swim underwater, as well as bears that hunt for trout. In the Tundra Center, there’s a 70 foot long curving mural that displays the Alaskan tundra and a video about native people in the area. The Day Exhibit focuses on reptiles and amphibians, featuring creatures from gila monsters to king cobras.

While it might be a matter of debate if toddlers like king cobras, everyone from the toddler to children eight years old, should enjoy the Zoomazium, which is a nature-themed play space. Kids can climb a “mountain,” here, climb a gigantic tree and meet animals, and enjoy special presentations and performances specifically designed for them.

After a full day of the zoo — summer hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily; winter hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — it’s a good thing to return to some of the top Seattle hotels , either for a well-deserved night’s rest or to prepare to go out to enjoy Seattle’s night life.

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There are many good reasons that people in Florida are smiling. It’s the abundant sunshine that can be a boon to any bad attitude, changing a dark mood into a bright disposition (it’s not an accident that such dispositions are called “sunny”). It’s the proximity to the ocean, which has enormous benefits, not only for its sheer beauty, but the gravitational pull on the tides can actually help to readjust the inner rhythms of the body. It could also be the clubs, the restaurants, and the reputation for having some of the world’s best resorts. Florida has a lot to offer, but for some, it has everything to do with the coconut.

There are plenty of places in the world where one can find the fruit, to be sure, but it also seems apparent that all of these places are known for the sunny dispositions of the people. In Florida, it’s no different, and there are cooks and chefs here who can do things with the meat that are close to heavenly. The coconut patty treat is possibly so close to paradise that it’s halfway in another world, and one can find it all over the state. It’s made by combining shredded coconut with butter, sugar (it has no natural sucrose, although it’s wonderfully sweet on its own), and vanilla, pressed into balls and then usually covered with chocolate.

There are other ways of encountering the coconut here in its natural habitat, however. Florida coconuts , like anywhere else in the world, start off green. At this stage, they are useful for the juice, which is plentiful, and it’s a fantastic treat to try a fresh one cut open right on the beach. They gradually turn brown as the juice is drying out, and when it’s not completely dry, they are ready for the meat to be consumed. The husks can be messy, and also very useful, where the fiber can be woven into cloth and rope, and they have a number of other valuable uses. It’s an all-purpose fruit, and their ubiquity here is enough to make anyone smile.

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Well every real city has to have some sort of night life going on and Orlando Florida definitely has some great places to enjoy some entertainment. There is always something going on at the Hard Rock Cafe with its impressive stage hosting the top performers of the world. Then there is the Downtown Disney are with its many live stages filled with all styles of music and other forms of entertainment.  

If you are in the island mood head over to the Bahama Breeze . They are serving up island style cuisine and hosting up some local reggae music nightly. Speaking of dinner shows, Orlando has some very unique dinner shows. Check out the Mark Two Dinner Theater. They have been putting the best Broadway musicals and comedies for years becoming Orlando’s Finest Dinner Theater. The food is great and so is the service.  

Country music can be found at Cowboys Orlando . This club is having a good time because everyone in it is having a good time. The bands are great and the beer is flowing so check it out.  

Ask your Orlando hotel ‘s concierge to point you in the right direction for a night out on Universals City Walk. There are all sorts of fun live performances going on along city walk. It is a great place to people watch and hang out with your family and friends. They have performances from jazz legends to the young rising stars of Orlando. They even have a club called Rising Star Club which features you. If you have to guts. Pick a song and sing it with a live band and back up singers for the house. See if you have what it takes to entertain an audience.  

Another thing all of Florida is known for is their Cuban heritage. There are some great clubs like the Cuba Libre Restaurant and Orlando Rum Bar for some great dancing and food. But, if you are only looking for the best, head over to Orlando’s House of Blues. They have got premier entertainment every night. You can find it at Downtown Disney.  
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Nearly everyone who spends any time on Corsica has had moments of an uncanny feeling that this gorgeous and exotic terrain has been visited before in the dreams of the travelers. Even those who come to Corsica to get away from it all and enjoy a few days lost in recreational bliss get the sense that this has all been explored before. Of course, it’s all true, the place has been inhabited for a very long time. The contemporary Corsican culture is at once hospitable and baffling, with a nearly-impenetrable language, and customs that speak to another world at another time.

But Corsica is not simply an idyllic land that has remain unchanged over time. It has gone through an amazing number of evolutions, and is always on its way to becoming something else. Today, the fine cuisine, derived from local customs and supplemented by fantastic twists from the French, Italian, and Spanish, is some of the richest and most delicious food that a traveler could ask for. And its generous hospitality is certainly on display in the gorgeous local hotels , offering a stay that is somewhere this side of paradise.

The landscape is certainly haunting, there’s no question of that. For such a small island, there are infinite variations in terrain, with beaches that are both accessible and impossible, and mountains that seem so dense that they might serve as the perfect training grounds for the French Foreign Legion. Any notion that there have been multiple civilizations making their lives here is not unmistaken. Ptolemy wrote extensively on Corsica, although the writings still seem to give maddeningly scant information about who actually lived here.

Even more mysterious are traces of what some of the places may have held as a function for these earlier civilizations. The megaliths do speak of a sacred function from another time, and they certainly refer to a religious cosmology that is probably lost forever. Or perhaps it can be found somewhere in the music, the polyphonous choruses that hint at a world view that includes endless plays of mystery between the hidden and the revealed.

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Visiting New South Wales is contending with history and the future while enjoying a particularly splendid moment in a present that we all share. It’s a particularly lively part of a particularly lively continent, where multiple cultures collide and collaborate, and this makes for some rather exciting conversations. Having time booked at one of the lovely hotels here means that there is a chance to join in on these conversations in a very direct way.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy time spent here, and it’s all very well spent. For those who might be looking for a bit of a rest from the hectic pace of the city, there are places of unearthly beauty. Ironically, this is some of the most iconic geography on the planet, and has struck the imaginations of human beings here for thousands and thousands of years. For those looking for some urban distractions, there’s also plenty, and it all comes together in the art. It’s been said before that the visual art of a culture can be a key to its history, as well as its future, and in New South Wales, there are keys to be found in Aboriginal Art .

There are many places where the works of the local Australian indigenous peoples are displayed, but one of the most accessible to wide audiences is surely the Campbelltown Arts Centre . For the greater Sydney region, this is one of the more remarkable spots to see all kinds of visual art, along with music, performance, and other art forms that tell stories of the area, as well as stories that reflect the history and future of the planet at large. There is a focus on Aboriginal Art, too, which helps to locate some of the more unique qualities of the place. There are artists working here in a variety of mediums, and all contribute to a very large and complex puzzle, which at times begins to look as looming as the land itself.

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A great league night is a beautiful thing, although it can be a little difficult when you’re in town just visiting. So you sometimes have to improvise and find the next best thing. For me, there’s no bigger bang for the buck than 2-for-1 bowling, and in Monterey, the place to be is Monterey Lanes . Here, the word on the street is that it can be a little spendy, but it’s also the only game in town right now, and it will certainly do.

The sign in the front is one of those great historic emblems, speaking to a time when everyone bowled together. It has a retro appeal that is more than enough for me. Whenever things get complicated, I go bowling. There’s something very simple about throwing the ball down the alley, and trying to do the same thing you did last time, when things were working out and life was good. And it only takes a few frames to realize that life is good right now. Good company can help, and it’s easier to make new friends when you’re on vacation. People are just naturally social creatures, and on a Tuesday night, when it’s after nine, life can be more of a banquet when everyone starts to realize that this is the party, right here.

Going from a nice hotel straight to the bowling alley can be a lesson in social behavior. There’s all sorts of people in town, brought here by many various and fantastic dreams, some of them realized, and some that are still in process. And bowling is a place where the most serious concerns of the day can take a back seat. The sounds of the alley, and the sounds of the music that kids today like, all add to make for a rather beautiful kind of symphony. For variety, there’s also Valley Center , out in Salinas, with a different kind of vibe, but it’s still all about the magic of bowling.

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