Category Archive: Photos

Driving the Crookedest Street in the World

For one block, San Francisco’s Lombard Street is the crookedest street in the world.  You may have seen that one block in photographs, movies, or on television, but the full length of the street is much more than just that one block. The street runs east and west, and starts at The Presidio, runs through Cow Hollow, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, and finally ends at The Embarcadero.  For much of that distance, it’s a pleasant, but relatively boring street.  That one crooked block between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets (on Russian Hill), however, is what’s made Lombard Street famous. The crooked block is paved in brick, and has eight S-turns, in a switchback design, and was originally designed to ease the natural grade of the street.  Houses and townhouses line both sides of the street, and despite the incredible driving and pedestrian […]

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The Famous & Exclusive Avenue des Champs-Élysées

If the thought of a beautiful bag, a decadent pair of heels, or the luxurious feel of the fabric of a finely crafted suit make you swoon, then an afternoon on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris may be your definition of heaven. The  Champs-Élysées is not only one of the most recognized street names in Paris, but in the entire world, and is lined with luxury and specialty shops, theaters, cafes and restaurants.  The street itself is a little over a mile and a quarter long, running from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe in the 9th arrondissement. The name translates to “Elysian Fields” a reference to the “place of the blessed” in Greek mythology.  With the prices you’ll see at most of these shops and cafes, you’ll need to be blessed, indeed, to make […]

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Travel to Argentina to Visit your Wine

If travel, just for the sake of travel, seems too decadent for you, how about this excuse:  I have to pop down to Argentina to visit my vineyard and check on my wine. OK, I might be overstating things just a bit, but with the Algodon Wine Estates Barrel Ownership program you can combine your love of travel with your love of wine. Algodon Wine Estates is located in Mendoza, Argentina, an area known as the Napa Valley of South America, and home for production of some top wines.  Now, you can get a barrel of your own.  Purchase it solo, or get together a group of friends, then choose your grape or varietal preference:  malbec, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, bonarda, or chardonnay. Here’s how it works — You choose your grape or varietal, and then choose a  French or […]

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The Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome is Worth a Stop

The imposing cylindrical Castel Sant’Angelo, situated along the Tiber River in Rome, was built between 123 and 129 AD.  It was first known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, serving as the resting grounds for the ashes of the Roman emperor.  Ashes of Hadrian’s family, as well as subsequent emperors, joined him there. The tomb was ransacked during one of Rome’s less civilized periods, and the Castel Sant’Angelo was later used as a fortress (Popes hid out here), castle (connected to St. Peter’s Basilica by a covered corridor), and prison (executions were held in the interior square). Today it is the location of the National Museum’s collections of weapons, ceramics, furnishings, and Renaissance paintings, and is still a formidable presence on the Rome’s skyline. It’s worth stopping by to look at the architecture and history of the building, and the great […]

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Udvar-Hazy Center Near Dulles Airport

If you find yourself with spare time while waiting for your connection at Dulles Airport, consider getting off property for a few hours at the  Steven F. Udvar- Hazy Center.  A part of The Smithsonian Institute, the Center is a companion facility to the National Air and Space Museum (map), and is located near Washington Dulles International Airport (map).  The two locations have the largest aviation and space collection in the world. Udvar-Hazy is the President and CEO of International Lease Finance Corp. (a major player in the commercial aircraft business), and the major donor to the Center.  The name honors his efforts to the funding side of the Center in addition to his career in aviation. The facility is immense, and full of displays, large and small, famous and relatively unknown.  Among the famous are:  the Enola Gay, the SR-71 […]

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President Warren G. Harding Home & Museum

Since it’s President’s Day, I thought a fitting theme for today’s post would be something about one of our Presidents.  There were some obvious presidential choices, but never being one to make the obvious choice, I looked at some that might typically get overlooked.  And that led me to President Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States. With a rousing speech from the front porch of his home in Marion, Ohio, Warren Gamaliel Harding launched his campaign for the presidency of the United States.  Historians may argue that Harding was one of the least effective Presidents, but he was certainly an interesting and colorful man, who, right up to his death, led an administration filled with scandal. The Harding Home, located at 380 Mt Vernon Avenue in Marion, Ohio (map) has been restored to its original Victorian […]

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REVIEW: Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs

If you’re looking for a romantic spot for Valentine’s Day, the newly re-opened Riviera Resort & Spa offers several options that are worthy of your consideration. The Palm Springs resort covers 24 acres, and was once the playground for the famous and infamous.  Elvis Pressley and the Rat Pack spent time here, and back in the 60’s this was the largest and most famous of the Palm Springs resorts. Re-opened in 2009, the resort has a vibe reminiscent of its former glamour days.  Sleek line, bold graphics, abstract details and vivid colors combine with retro furnishings and mirrored walls to make this a hip place to see and be seen. I love the improvements that have been made, and the efforts to restore the Riviera to its rightful place in hotel lore.   You enter the resort through a bright […]

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Celebrate Our Love Affair with the Car

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is one of the largest museums in the world dedicated to  chronicling the evolution of the car and exploring our love affair with them.  The museum was founded by Robert E. and Margie Petersen in 1994, and was originally located within the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.  It is now in its own permanent location along museum row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood. You’ll find over 100 vehicles on display, covering topics that include the history of the automobile and its impact on popular culture globally as well as on Los Angeles. Here’s a little bit about what you’ll find at at the museum: The first floor is an interactive presentation of the history of the car and its impact and influence on our popular culture. The second floor has permanent […]

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The Roman Coliseum: Birthplace of Civilization

Of all the wonderful things that I saw in Rome, and there were lots of impressive sights, the Coliseum was the highlight.  It was my first glimpse of the city as I came up from the train station.  I stood for a minute clearing my head and getting my bearings, and then I looked up.  There was the Coliseum directly in front of me.  I stood there, across the street from history, and it simply took my breath away. The Coliseum in Rome is the largest remaining monument of Imperial Rome, and is the top landmark in a city that’s full of landmarks. Built between AD 72-80, the Coliseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater and was the center of the city of Rome.  It was the first and the largest (it covers about six acres) permanent amphitheater built in […]

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Making Money: Bureau of Engraving & Printing

It’s all about the money.  Always has been.  Apparently always will be. At least it is at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). The BEP prints all the Federal Reserve notes (translation:  Money) at facilities in Washington DC and Ft Worth, Texas.  Coins are produced by the US Mint.  The BEP also prints other specialty items, including engraved White House invitations, and other security documents for various governmental agencies. Free tours are offered at both facilities, and provide an overview of the steps in the money making process.  I toured the Washington DC facility on a rainy mid-week afternoon.  There were no lines, and even though the tour group dawdled a bit, it still only took about an hour to watch stacks and stacks of large pieces of paper become ready-to-be-spent hundred dollar bills.  There is also a short […]

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