Gorilla Chooses Kitten Playmate

Who would of thought that a gorilla could have a pet friendships can be made no matter what species you are!

Next Stop, South Korea!

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South Korea

I am so so so excited for my trip to South Korea next month! We planned our trip a few months ago and I can’t believe it’s finally going to happen! This will be my first trip to Asia so I am really looking forward to it. My sister is planning the itinerary so I can’t wait to see what surprises she will have in store. Just thinking of all the pictures I am going to take of this beautiful city is getting my very excited. I will be posting them up I was wondering have any of you been to South Korea before? Any recommendations or must see places?

 

Caine’s Arcade

I love watching videos like these! A 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade with cardboard and small prizes in his dad’s used auto parts store is about to have the best day of his life. If you have some time I suggest you watch this video

Best Hotels in Britain, and Ireland

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Britain, Hotels, Ireland, Switzerland, travel

Drommoland Castle, one of Ireland’s finest castle hotels, offers guests the experience of living like landed gentry, surrounded by luxury, beauty and service. Dromoland is one of the few estates tracing its history to native Gaelic Irish families of royal heritage. Today, blending old world elegance with modern day comforts, the castle serves as one of the most desired destinations in Europe. Dromoland Castle encourages its guests to explore the woodlands by foot or horseback nearby stables offer horse riding lessons. Guests can also spend time fishing at Dromoland Lake for trout or perch. On the castle’s 375-acre estate, guests can enjoy numerous activities including hunting, fishing, horseback riding, golf, tennis and much more. Through your bedroom window, the grounds of the estate are spread magnificently before your eyes.

The Old Course Hotel enjoys a spectacular location overlooking the famous links courses, the West Sands beach and the beautiful Scottish coastline. Discover the historic university town of St Andrews, just a short stroll from the resort, and explore the surrounding countryside of the ancient Kingdom of Fife.  With a combination of classically elegant and contemporary interiors, the hotel offers quietly confident service, luxurious facilities and a warm welcome in the finest traditions of Scottish hospitality. This prestigious five-star hotel has 144 rooms including 35 suites and is recognised as one of Europe’s leading resorts.

The Old Course Hotel offers an exceptional choice of bars and restaurants from the chic informality of the Sands Grill to the fine dining in the acclaimed Road Hole Fine Dining Restaurant. In addition, the hotel’s traditional pub The Jigger Inn serves fine home cooked food and The Duke’s Bar & Grill offers a traditional Scottish golfers’ menu.  And their award winning Road Hole Bar offers Scotland’s finest malt whiskies from over 200 distilleries!

Isle of  Eriska Hotel, Spa, and Island, Benderloch, Argyll Situated on the scenic west coast of Scotland, Eriska´s secluded setting makes it the perfect place to relax in tranquil surroundings. There is a range of individually decorated bedrooms to choose from, furnished with every amenity. Enjoy spectacular views and delicious cuisine in the Conservatory Restaurant, take a pre or post drink in the luxurious drawing room. Work out, grab a snack or treat yourself to a pampering session at The Stables Spa. If you are feeling really energetic, you can choose from a host of outdoor activities around the island!

The White Way To Dine

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beverly hills, Villa Blanca

If you ever get the chance to visit Beverly Hills, I suggest you make a stop by Villa Blanca! Villa Blanca combines Mediterranean and Italian cuisine with Asian touches and influences. This beautiful eatery is close to major Beverly Hills boutiques and shops and is the perfect place to grab lunch on the patio. With grandiose mirrors hanging on the walls as well as exotic and elegant flower arrangements everywhere, Villa Blanca offers brunch, lunch, dinner and a fancy bar area for all your drinking and dining needs.

A took two of my friends here for a mini bridal party brunch and they absolutely loved it! The food was delicious, and the dining experience was splendid. Whether you are going on a date, with your family, or a group of friends, they will accomodate to your requests! I love how everything is white, even the flowers and decorations. The decor is absolutely exquisite and classy. Villa Blanca is lovely and cozy place to visit so next time you are in town be sure to check it out. It is two blocks away from Rodeo Drive so why not after a walk around the famous fashion street, relax and enjoy this delicious place!

Lunch and the Pacific Ocean

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Geoffrey's, Malibu, Ocean

I am so excited to go here this weekend! My aunt’s birthday is this Saturday and I am going to surprise her and take her to lunch at this beautiful restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s going to be a surprise she won’t know where I am taking her  the restaurant is called Geoffrey’s Malibu. This cozy fine dining restaurant located in the California coast line along the Pacific Coast Highway, has a classic style that makes for a truly special experience! I have never been to a restaurant where you overlook an ocean and gaze at a spectacular view. I will tell you guys about it over the weekend! 

Higher Window

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Beach, Ocean, water

At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour, but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides, and follow the sun.

Best Spring Trips

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, South Korea, Spain, spring, Vacation, Washington DC

Ready for Spring break? Here are some picks voted by National Geographic!

National Cherry Blossom Festival, Washington, D.C.

Blooming pink and white blossoms have heralded spring’s arrival in the nation’s capital since 1912 when the people of Tokyo gifted Washington, D.C., with 3,000 ornamental cherry trees. The living gift spawned the nation’s signature springtime celebration called the cherry blossing festival which extends for five weeks (March 20 to April 27) for the 2012 centennial edition

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

Over 800 square miles of terrain and more than 800 miles of hiking trails spread across some of the oldest mountains on Earth, there is plenty of room for everyone to roam and explore! Spring is prime wildlife and wildflower viewing season in this international biosphere reserve. Spot wild turkey, deer, black bear, and elk in one of the park’s least visited areas in western North Carolina’s Cataloochee Valley.

Temps de Flors Festival, Girona, Spain

Spring paints Catalonia’s sunshine-laced Costa Brava region in vibrant colors: Bright umbrellas shading café patios in seaside Calella de Palafrugell, turquoise waves lapping white pebble beaches in Cap de Creus Natural Park, and flowers cascading down cathedral steps during Girona’s annual Temps de Flors festival, May 12-20.

Wander the old city’s labyrinth network of steep, cobbled lanes where unexpected urban gardens and bloom-inspired art installations adorn monuments, stone-walled courtyards, and city squares. Beyond the festival, hike along Girona’s ancient Roman walls, explore Europe’s best preserved Jewish quarter, and indulge in the experiential cuisine of El Celler de Can Roca, named the second best restaurant in the world in 2011 by Restaurant magazine.

From Girona, hop an early train to Figueres, where native son Salvador Dalí conceived or designed every aspect—from the giant white rooftop eggs to the geodesic dome of the Dalí Theater-Museum. The surrealist masterpiece houses the world’s single largest and most diverse Dalí collection, as well as the artist’s crypt.

 

World’s Best Picnic Spots

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California, Ireland, Peru, Photography, Picnic, Rome, travel

Huayna Picchu, Peru

At an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet, the view from atop this peak, which towers over the 15th-century ruins of Machu Picchu, is breathtaking in a number of ways. A steep, slippery climb to this rocky summit is a nerve-racking effort—one instantly rewarded with a panoramic perspective of the Urubamba River Valley and the famed city of the Inca. Don’t linger too long—the hike down is a doozy.

Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome, Italy

The Villa Borghese gardens, near the Piazza del Popolo, is a picnic-perfect landscape for escape. The Spanish Steps lead up to this English-style garden, but the romantic feel of the urban park is all-Italian—a fact reinforced by the sculptures by Bernini and paintings by Titian, Raphael, and Caravaggio housed within the Galleria Borghese on the broad expanse of these scenic gardens.

Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, California

This spectacular nature preserve located on a 70,000-acre peninsula north of San Francisco is rich in wildlife. Hikers, backpackers, and beachcombers ply the trails, especially the wildflower-wild Chimney Rock hike, while picnickers head to the nearby Point Reyes Lighthouse for prime whale watching in January and March and coastal beauty year round.

Jardin des Tuileries, Paris, France

Fountains, sculptures, two museums (the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l’Orangerie—which houses famed water lily paintings by Monet) and countless comfortable chairs make this garden on the perimeter of the Musée du Louvre a surprisingly tranquil space for staging your own déjeauner dur l’herbe. With the Seine on one side and Rue de Rivoli on the other, the park is a well-placed rest stop. Stop by patisserie Angelina (226 Rue de Rivoli) to pick up a Mont Blanc cake!

Aran Islands, Ireland

Embarking on a scenic ferry ride to the karst limestone landscapes and rough green terrain of Inishmore island. Explore some of Ireland’s oldest archaeological remains and landmark monasteries and then head to the Iron Age fort of Dun Aengus to savor a summertime picnic while gazing over the Atlantic Ocean!

Hotel Wonders

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Architecture, Hotels, Photography, travel, Vacation

All of these hotels have opened within the last four years, and each is an example of awe-inspiring design in its own right. You can stay in a wave-like skyscraper in Chicago, a stack of cantilevered cubes in Portugal, or a hotel tucked into the wild cliffs of an Australian island. And, even better, it won’t cost a fortune to spend a night in these architectural wonders.

Southern Ocean Lodge (Kangaroo Island, Australia)

This hotel opened in 2008 and consists of 21 suites cascading down a windswept slope, following the natural curve of the land, each with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sweeping views of the Southern Ocean. Suites were constructed from lightweight materials steel screw piles, timber framing, iron cladding that could be carried in to create minimal disturbance to nature, and which also could handle the challenge of building on precarious soil conditions. $1,000 per person per night.

Marina Bay Sands (Singapore)

This trio of 55-story towers opened in 2010 and hold an incredible 2,561 hotel rooms, plus a museum, casino, convention center, waterfront promenade, shops, and restaurants. Architect Moshe Safdie has said that his challenge “was to create a vital public place at the district-urban scale-in other words, to address the issue of megascale and invent an urban landscape that would work at the human scale.” The towers are connected at the top by the cantilevered, two-and-a-half-acre SkyPark, home to gardens, 250 trees, a public observatory and a 492-foot swimming pool all perched high in the sky. $350 per night.

Axis Viana Hotel (Viana do Castelo, Portugal)

The 88-room Axis Viana Hotel was a striking addition to the folkloric village of Viana do Castelo when it opened in 2008. The exterior is made up of reflective aluminum, black glass, and green stone, and the cantilevered design changes the shape of the hotel depending upon your vantage point. The contrasting interior consists of white finishes and materials including wood and stone. It’s all edged by a shimmering outdoor pool and surrounded by views of the Lima River and Mount St. Luzia. $100 per night.

Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel (Chicago, Illinois)

Architect Jeanne Gang literally made waves in a city full of iconic skyscrapers with her showstopper building. The 82-story glass structure’s exterior has undulating concrete balconies resembling the swirls and ripples of nearby Lake Michigan. Such a unique design brought with it a unique construction challenge each floor plate is a different shape, which means a different concrete pour was required for every story. To manage it, the concrete was poured into a specially designed flexible metal edge that was reused over and over again an important detail for green architecture.