The Carnary Islands

Say hi to my quest blogger, Nikolai Rudenko, a freelancer in advertising and marketing who enjoys travel and photography and sharing experiences with friends  Please enjoy his travel post on The Canary Islands, with information about Lanzarote and Tenerife.   It sure makes me want to pack my bags and head out for some adventure.  Look at those views!

The Canary Islands: Top Outdoor Excursions
If you’re looking for a summer break that involves more than just lazing on a perfectly formed beach, the Canary Islands would be the perfect choice for package holidays in the sun. While they’re certainly inundated with fabulous beaches, they also have plenty of outdoor excursions on offer which will bring you closer to the vast and breathtaking landscapes of these volcanic isles. Whichever Canary Island you choose to base your holiday on, there’ll be an outdoors adventure for you.

Lanzarote: Timanfaya National Park
Located on the southwest coast of the island, the Timanfaya National Park is a sight to behold. While you may be used to its beaches, watersports and tourist-clad resorts, a short coach ride will bring you closer to a side of Lanzarote you have never witnessed before.
While there hasn’t been any major volcanic activity recently, its volcanic past can be seen clearly as you cast your eyes over the barren landscape, with steam geysers being of particular interest to tourists.

Tenerife: Mount Teide
Mount Teide is a volcano in the heart of Tenerife’s Teide National Park. Considered to be sacred to the island’s aboriginal people, the volcano can be reached via public road, with a cable car ride taking avid visitors to its summit.
Gran Canaria: Maspalomas Sand Dunes
Located in the popular resort of Maspalomas on the south coast of the island, these sand dunes are vast, expansive and well worth a visit. Choose to explore them via a unique camel ride, or hop on a dune buggy to kick up some sand dust for an exhilarating trip!

Alternatively, the island of Fuerteventura was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, and provides plenty of fabulous outdoor excursions including the unique black sand beach at Ajuy. Wherever you choose, you can be sure to be within easy reach of memorable outdoor adventures that will add another facet to your Canary Island break.

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Cyprus

Say hi to my quest blogger, Nikolai Rudenko, a freelancer in advertising and marketing who enjoys travel and photography and sharing experiences with friends  Please enjoy his travel post on Cyprus, it sure makes me want to pack my bags and head out for some adventure.

Captivating Cyprus

There's so much to love about Cyprus. For starters, it's the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, the legendary goddess of love, and it's clear that she left her mark here. This captivating island is a beautiful place that's home to glorious seascapes, gorgeous golden sands stunning mountains, so as destinations go, Cyprus holidays are pretty close to perfect.

Anchored in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus offers a wonderful climate that regularly peaks in the early 30s during the summer season, and hovers around 20-25 during spring and autumn. Even during the winter months, temperatures on this lovely sunny island make t-shirts and shorts a possibility while the rest of Britain is shivering in winter's icy grip.

So, sunshine aside, what else can you expect from Cyprus holidays? Its resorts are plentiful and enormously varied. You've got party-mad Ayia Napa for non-stop nightlife and energetic clubs that will keep you dancing 'til the small hours. This is a great spot for 18-30s style getaways and, as well as a buzzing nightlife, it's also home to some cracking beaches. So make sure you pack your swimwear and plenty of Factor 30 - because sunburn and blisters are never a good look!

For something a little quieter, Nissi beach is located just a few miles away from Ayia Napa and makes a great spot for anyone who fancies being within reach of the nightlife, without compromising a good night's sleep. Or if you fancy soaking up a bit of classic Cypriot culture, head to the town of Paphos. This is a great place with a lovely harbour and stacks of historical sights nearby, including Aphrodite's Rock and the ancient Tombs of the Kings.

You'll find holidays here and in many other locations by flicking through the holiday brochures of major tour operators, like Thomas Cook. Even better, get online and search the website for all the latest moneys-saving deals and inspiration on where to go. One thing's for sure, Cyprus holidays are pretty special - and one visit to this captivating island is never usually the last...

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Scotts Brats on Palm Beach, Aruba

Meet Scott and Leslie.  Scott and Leslie formerly of Wisconsin here in the United States now make their home in Aruba, One Happy Island.  After vacationing in Aruba for a good number of years, they got married on the beach, and the rest if history.  Scott and Leslie serve up an awesome breakfast, and lunch right on the beach in Aruba on Palm Beach.

They're located at the Playa Linda Resort, a very popular spot on the beach.

You can have a quick bite without breaking the bank.  The food is good, the service is fantastic, the  people are friendly, and the prices are reasonable.

You can walk right up and order and take it with you, to the beach, or the pool area.

You can eat while you're walking on the beach.

For breakfast and or brunch, you can enjoy the Bloody Mary Bar

I highly recommend Scotts Brats and Leslie Bunz (take another look at the pictures), for breakfast and or lunch.  We would have eaten here more then twice, but only found it on our last 2 days...this trip.  We will be back, and we will visit with Scott and Leslie and enjoy both breakfast and lunch with them.

AND as a bonus, folks they play great music.  Check it out and tell them Sandy and Ernie (Buckeye's) sent you.

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Braves All Star Grill in The Atlanta Airport

 When you get up around 3 am to catch an early morning flight, having a Bloody Mary with your breakfast seems totally in line.........by this time we'd been up about 5 hours already.  Braves All Star Grill in the Atlanta airport is a must.  Good food, good Bloody Mary's and a really fun atmosphere.  Everyone was upbeat and fun........and they were far more awake then we were.  Hubby and I both had an omelet, toast, and fried potatoes with our coffee and Bloody Mary's.  Somehow a Bloody Mary for breakfast always signifies the beginning of vacation from our perspective.

 Braves All Star Grill is located in concourse D.  If you're tight on time, not to worry Carolyn and the other wait staff will get you in quickly.  Things were hoping with people coming and going.  We had some time to kill before our next flight so we got to relax and enjoyed the friendliness and efficiency afforded to all.

This was our wonderful, fun, and super waitress...Carolyn.  Please look her up she'll make your day.  Generally, you make do in most airports grabbing whatever you can; this was not such an occasion.  We enjoyed our breakfast, and we will return on our next flight through Atlanta's airport.  Have your phones powered up when you get there, they have a deal for you using your phones which results in your getting a discount.

Thank you Carolyn and Braves All Star Grill for a great start to our vacation!

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Sunrise on Board Air Tran

 It's time for Travel Tip Thursday.  When you take an early morning flight...don't go sleep as soon as you get on the plane.  If you do.........you'll miss this.

 Don't pack your camera where you can't get to it.  I keep my small point and shoot nothing fancy camera in my purse, in my purse under the seat so I knab it quickly.

Not pictures you could put in a contest, but was happy not much of a reflection.  Held the camera close to the window, took the first picture with the flash, the other 2 without the flash.    This sunrise was taken out the window of my Air Tran flight heading from Columbus to Atlanta on my way to Aruba.  Do pop back in for photo's and information about Aruba, one of my favorite places to travel.

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Stewart's Root Beer, Marion Ohio

Stewart's RootBeer Stand in Marion, a step back in time.  Stewarts is located at 1036 North Main Street in Marion, Ohio  43302.  1-740-382-6807.  There are open seasonally.

 Frank Stewart was a school teacher who needed to supplement his income and started making Stewart's Rootbeer back in 1924.  He blended 20 varieties of roots, herbs, and berries to come with the famous and delicious Stewart's Rootbeer.  His first location was in Mansfield, Ohio.

 It is now a franchise with locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and many places on the East Coast.  It truly is a step back in time when you ordered from your car and your meal was delivered by a car hop on roller skates.  Though the roller skates are missing, this location in Marion does still deliver to your car and hooks the tray right on your rolled down car window.

 Some locations are open all year and have grown into a sit down style restaurant, but I'm happy to say this Marion location hasn't!  It's so unique to sit in your car or at the picnic table and enjoy your foot-long hot-dog and root beer like my friend Wendy.

 Or a grilled balogna sandwich and root beer float like I did.

And look at that nice frosty mug!  A fun nostalgic spot for lunch or dinner that's easy on your purse strings.  I highly recommend you pack up the family and give it try.........next year, as they are now closed for season.

Spend some time at Linns Old One Room School House
Tour The Harding Memorial

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St. Mary's Cemetery in Marion, Ohio

Look at this beautiful sculpture of Jesus on the Cross.  It's taken in St. Mary's Cemetery in Marion, Ohio.  When I was a child we lived in Marion and would cut through this beautiful cemetery to get to The Park and to Harding's Memorial.  I don't think as a child I paid much attention to the beauty there.  Now, I enjoy traveling to cemeteries and find them interesting both for the artistic older stones, the history you can learn while there.  Sometimes the names you see will match those you see on street signs, sometimes other things jump out at me.

 Look at the dates here, born in 1844, Domenico Sansotta.  This jumped out at me for two reasons, the date and the name reminded me of what I thought I heard a woman I work with say was her maiden name.

 This jumped out, as it was nearby and is the same name, but look carefully...this is a Bronze Star Medal World War II Veteran.  I always love to honor our Veterans.  And certainly with the name of Dominic and the above Domenico there are related.

 Goodness this family truly served our country.  Joseph here was in The Navy, while above Dominic was in The Army; both in World War II.

And another beautiful Sansotta stone.  As it turns out, this is indeed family to my co=worker, so I was so pleased I had photographed these stones.  Makes me feel closer to her, honoring her family.  I was visiting this cemetery with a childhood friend who also remarked about how beautiful the cemetery was and how differently we feel about it now as adults vs a cut through when we were children.

When hubby and I travel, I almost always visit an interesting cemetery.  You learn so much about differently areas of the country, or other cultures if not in the U.S.

Did a little research and found Domenico immigrated here in September of 1921 on the San Giorgio ship from Naples Italy to the port in New York before settling in Marion, Ohio.  His parents were Diego and Pellonia (Pisane) Sansotta.  He was born in Cimina, Italy.  He lived to be 86.  I have his last address noted and hope to be able to photograph the house this interesting Italian Immigrant lived in.  He was an American Citizen.  I think I would like to have known this interesting man.

Related some of this to people who live in Marion, I also learned that Marion had a very strong and rich Italian history...I didn't know that before I took these photographs in St. Mary's Cemetery.

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