My Visit To The Lone Star State

Over Spring Break I visited my friend D who lives in Houston, Texas. I spent a long weekend there and had a spectacular time. On Thursday I spent the morning laying out by the pool in the 80 degree weather (Chicago was 55 and raining). I really need to move to a city in which you can go to the pool ten months per year... In the afternoon I went shopping at #1 in the photo collage below, The Houston Galleria . It is widely recognized as the number one shopping and tourist destination in Houston. It has stunning architecture, a huge selection of stores including Neiman Marcus, Gucci, Macy's, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Express, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton and Nordstrom. And it even has an ice skating rink! I sat on a bench overlooking the rink and watched little girls take ice skating lessons for a few minutes. The only other mall I have seen with an ice skating rink was in Australia. The Galleria attracts over 24 million annual visitors. That night for dinner we went to #2 Niko Niko's, an authentic but affordable Greek food restaurant. It has wonderful Greek food in a very causal atmosphere. We ate outside on the patio. This place was very busy, I could tell it was a local favorite. I had a chicken kebob sandwich which was served in warm pita with creamy tzatziki sauce. Yum. As a side I had herb french fries, which were honestly to die for. I definitely recommend Niko Niko's if you ever find yourself in Houston, Texas.

As most people are, I was curious about what Texan/country music bars were like. So D took me to #3 Rebels Honky Tonk. It definitely had the cowboy feel with many people dressed in jeans and boots, a mechanical bull and line dancing. I didn't know what two-stepping was, but it is definitely fun to watch. My personal favorite moment was when D's dancing partner tucked her clutch into the back of his pants, and put his beer in his back pocket in order to swing her around the dance floor. I also saw a guy put his dance partner's purse around his neck! These guys were definitely serious about their dancing, and I had a great Texas time. On my last morning in Houston we went to #4 Tacos A Go-Go for breakfast. It had funky decor and amazing breakfast tacos. 

 

On Friday during the day I went to work with D who is a 4^th grade teacher. Hanging out with 4^th graders all day made me miss my own students. I had a great time helping the students write research questions about places near Washington D.C. Some of the places were the Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Smithsonian. These lucky kids are going on a trip to D.C., so cool! After work we took a road trip to Austin, Texas about three hours away from Houston. With more live music performances per capita than anywhere else, Austin is known as the “Live music capital of the world”. Austin was so much fun. The city is very spread out and almost rural, with lots of boutiques and non chain restaurants. It reminded me a little bit of Madison, WI. On our way to our hotel we stopped to eat at #1 Eastside Cafe, a restaurant that has its own organic vegetable garden. It is located in the interior of an old house, each room holds several tables which gives the space a cozy and intimate ambiance. Instead of a break basket they served mini cornbread jalapeno muffins. I was a bit skeptical at first, but they were amazing!That night we went out on 6^th Street, #2 on the collage below.. Traffic is blocked for seven blocks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings to allow the crowds to walk unhindered to the many venues that line the street. It reminded me of Bourbon street with people everywhere in the street going from bar to bar. Sixth Street (formerly known as Pecan Street) is lined with many historical houses and commercial buildings dating from the late 1800's and early 1900's. The storied old buildings now house numerous bars, a host of live entertainment venues, tattoo parlors, art galleries, casual cafes, upscale restaurants, and the elegant Driskill Hotel. Sixth Street is Austin's entertainment area with bars such as Aquarium, Library, Maggie May's, Chuggin' Monkey's, the Jackalope and Mugshots. If you visit Austin you have to spend a night out on Sixth Street, you won't regret it! 

On Saturday morning we hiked up to the top of Mt. Bonnell, #3. It has been a popular tourist destination since the 1850s. The mount provides a vista for viewing the city of Austin, the Lake Austin portion of the Colorado River, and the surrounding hills. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969. The view from the top of Mt. Bonnell was very scenic and worth the climb, we also took some gorgeous pictures. #5 Downtown is home to some of Austin's most unique, unusual, eclectic, independent retail businesses. There are more than 300 retailers in the Downtown area. Whether you are looking to outfit yourself, decorate your home, or give a loved one a unique and thoughtful gift, shopping in and around downtown at one of the many stores and boutiques can provide you with a great experience. We spent a few hours shopping at the boutiques, but we could have spent all day. Adorable, unique stores line the street one after another, you won't be able to stop yourself from stopping in as many as you can. 

#4 The next time you are in Texas Grab your cooler of beer and your sunblock, and rent a tube and float down the Guadalupe or Comal rivers. Don't forget to get a tube for your cooler too! This was hands down my favorite thing I did in Texas. You drive to one of the tubing companies and rent an inner tube, a cooler, and of course a tube for the cooler to float in. Next, you tie yourself and your companions to the tube that has the cooler on it. After that you float down the river basking in the sun and drinking some cold beer from your cooler. It takes 2-3 hours to get to the end, and you go over a few small rapids (where you almost, but not quite flip over). Then you get on the bus at the end and it takes you back to your car. I had so much fun floating the river. We saw a few bachelor/bachelorette parties, made up an awesome drinking game and met some incredibly interesting people... It was a unique experience that I would definitely try again.

 

 Have you ever been to Texas? What fun things did you do?

BAS

My Great Australian Adventure

 

Ever since I learned about Australia in a grade school social studies class I have been hooked. I am fascinated by this unique island continent. It is home to the Great Barrier Reef, a famous natural wonder, the vast and rugged Outback, enchanting Uluru (Ayer's Rock), kangaroos and miles and miles of breathtakingly beautiful coastline. I have an obsession with oceans, of any kind. Perhaps this is why I felt and still do feel compelled to visit this exotic country in the Southern Hemisphere. My first trip to Australia was in July of 2007, the summer after my Sophomore year of college.

Surf Camp

I was traveling there for a study abroad Semester at Macquarie University just outside Sydney. My semester got off to a great start with a surfing trip up the coast with other study abroad students from all over the world. A month into my time in Australia I injured my rotator cuff playing softball, and sadly had to return home. Since I assumed I had seven months to spend in Australia, I did not even do all of the things I wanted in Sydney, let alone the rest of Australia. I feel like I was given one night of an amazing ice cream cone, while the rest of ripped out of my hand. That little taste of Australia has made me eager to return, and finally this summer I will be able to go back to Australia.

My Kangaroo Buddy

I will be taking a 20 day solo backpacking trip to Australia, departing July 5th and returning August 3rd. One of my biggest regrets is that I did not get to finish out my study abroad semester, so I figured I might as well travel while I am young or I might not get the opportunity to go. Fortunately for me I work at a school and have two months off for summer vacation, unfortunately not very many other people can take off work for a month to come with me. So solo travel it is... For the first two weeks I will be Staying in hostels in Sydney and spending two nights in the Blue Mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Area about an hour outside of Sydney. The Blue Mountains are on the top of my list of places I was going to go when I was in Australia in 2007. On July 17th I am going on a tour of the East Coast of Australia through the company Ozxposure for 15 days. This tour company specializes in small group tours with 14 to 25 people, with many solo travelers. I decided to give it a shot, even though traveling for over two weeks with people I do not know is pretty daunting. Their slogan is 'One van. One leader. Many adventures!' I am hoping to meet some interesting people on this tour, as well as see some amazing Australian places. 


(http://www.letstrekaustralia.com/tours/EDX.html) <~~~ Eastern Dream Tour

Tour Route

The tour starts in Sydney, we then head up the east coast to surf camp for a few days, the next day we arrive and spend the night in picturesque Byron Bay. Next, we cross the border into the state of Queensland and visit Steve Irwin's famous Australian Zoo (very excited for this!). Day 4, 5 & 6 are spent at Rainbow Beach and exploring the unique  Fraser Island ,a World Heritage site as well as the largest sand island in the world.Days 7 & 8 we head to the outback and stay on a working cattle station, where our meals are cooked over an open fire and we get to partake in a goat rodeo. Next, we head to the coast and Airlie Beach. Here we board our private chartered yacht for a 2 Day/2 Night Whitsunday sailing experience. The Whitsunday Islands are a collection of continental islands of various sizes off the tropical coast of Queensland, and in the midst of the great barrier reef. Days 12, 13 & 14 we head to Mission Beach and then to Cape Tribulation and the rainforest before heading back down to the city of Cairns. Day 15 we  board our sailing yacht  for a full day exploring the Outer Barrier Reef. I will then spend two more nights in Cairns before I fly back to Sydney and the following day return home. I am very excited for my trip, and will keep updating with posts about how I am going to pack for 30 days in a suitcase that cannot exceed 33 lbs, what I am going to do with my time since I discovered that my 18 hour flight from LA to Sydney does not have personal T.V.'s like the last one I took, and how I picked which hostels out of the hundreds Sydney, Katoomba and Cairns that I am going to stay at. As well as the intersting wish list/ packing list I have come up with. I am pretty sure over half of it is not going to fit...

Great Barrier Reef

Has anyone visited Australia? Wants to visit Australia?

BAS

The Magical City of Petra, Jordan

I have been always been intrigued by the city of Petra in Jordan since I saw a documentary on the travel channel about it when I was fourteen. Petra is the treasure of ancient world, hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, boasting incomparable scenes that make it the most majestic and imposing ancient site still-standing in modern times. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, a place where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture. It looks like nothing I have ever seen before. I sincerely hope to visit Petra at some point in my life. Traveling in the Middle East at this point in time for Americans, especially American women is tricky at best and perilous at worst. However, I am hoping that someday I will have the opportunity and feel safe enough to make this journey, as well as to visit Egypt, a place on the top of my traveling bucket list.

Petra was first established sometime around the 6th century BC, by the Nabataean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area and laid the foundations of a commercial empire that extended into Syria. Motorized vehicles are not allowed to enter the site. Once inside the site, you can hire a donkey, or for the more adventurous, a camel ( I would SO go for the camel, I have always wanted to ride one... and an elephant). Both come with handlers and take designated routes throughout the site. Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1km in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80m high cliffs. The Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments, including buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, and colonnaded streets, that were mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic sandstone by the technical and artistic genius of its inhabitants. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, and was designated as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. You may have seen Petra in the city's Hollywood debut in the 1989 “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” movie starring Harrison Ford.

Have you ever heard of the city of Petra? Would you visit if you had the opportunity?

BAS

http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=63

Happy 50th Birthday!

Happy 50^th birthday to my wonderful mother. I sincerely hope I  inherit her skin, because she still looks wonderful and she is definitely fabulous at 50. A half century ago things were very different. President John F. Kennedy had just been inaugurated, the Space Race had begun, the United States is in the midst of  the Civil Rights Movement and Elvis, The Shirelles and Ray Charles were at the top of the music charts.

Here is a snapshot of life in 1961:

• Cost of a gallon of Gas was 27 cents
• Average yearly income: $5,735
• Cost of a new home: $12,500
• Cost of a new car: $2,850
• Federal hourly minimum wage: $1.15
• Life expectancy: 70.2 years
• The Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup
• Pampers, the first disposable diaper, are introduced
• Barbie gets a boyfriend when the Ken doll is introduced
• Ray Kroc buys out the McDonald brothers and takes control over the hamburger chain
• The last episode of I Love Lucy is aired
• FM stereo is introduced
• Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin makes the first manned space flight
• Navy Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. becomes the first United States man in space
• U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
• Fidel Castro declares Cuba is to adopt Communism and bans free elections
• "Freedom Riders" test the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia by riding racially integrated interstate buses into the South. Some are attacked and beaten by white supremacist supporters of racial segregation.
• Construction of the Berlin Wall begins.

BAS

2011 Top 10 Places to Visit in the United States

Springtime in Savannah, Georgia

I came across an article on Lonely Planet's website about the top United States destinations for 2011 (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/travel-tips-and-articles/76390). I am curious to see who has been to some, all or none of these places so I created a poll you can vote on below.  I have visited three of these destinations over the years. I went to New Orleans in 2004 for an Irish Dancing competition, it would be interesting to take a trip there now and see the post- Katrina changes first hand. I also imagine it would be an entirely different trip being of legal drinking age... I have also been to New York City several times. Most recently in November I visited one of my college friends A, who is volunteering with the Jesuit Volunteer Core (JVC) in Brooklyn. This time in NYC I had the opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Musueum of Art, the Gugghenheim and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Once upon a time when my sisters were in grammar school my parents thought it would be a great family vacation to fly into San Francisco and then spend twp weeks driving down the coast on HWY 1 to fly out of Los Angeles. Despite spending way too much time in the car together, it was a spectacularly beautiful drive. We saw the Golden Gate Bridge, Big Sur, rode horses on Monterey Bay, went to the National Redwood Forest and visited Sonoma Valley wine country. I would love to return there as an adult, especially to San Francisco. However, if I could pick one of these places to visit in 2011 it would be Savannah, Georgia. I fell in love with Charleston, S.C. when my friends and I rented a house there on the beach for Spring Break 2009. I have heard that Savannah has many of the same qualities I love about Charleston, history, beaches and southern charm. Perhaps I will have to plan a trip there soon.

Have you visited any of the 2011 Top 10 places to go in America?
	Southern Utah
	New Orleans
	New York City
	Austin/West Texas
	Savannah, Georgia
	Denver, Colorado
	Northern California
	Grand Canyon
	Palm Springs, CA
	Hawaii
pollcode.com free polls

Where have you been?
Which one of these places would you like to visit in 2011?

BAS

Why Don't More People Watch Parenthood?

Parenthood: Tuesdays 9pm CST on NBC

I have a busy life this year with work, school, babysitting, and teaching Irish Dancing among other things. I watch very few shows on a weekly basis. Usually I DVR everything, and catch up on shows a few weeks or months later. However, the one show that I watch religiously every week is Parenthood. I absolutely cannot figure out why more people are not watching this amazing show. My mom watches parenthood every week as well, it is rare for us to find a TV show that we can both enjoy and relate to. Parenthood is a compelling and interesting drama with three-dimensional characters and amazing actors.

One of my favorite things about Parenthood is that it is told from the point of view of the grandparents, parents and children equally. I can relate to the coming of age problems fifteen year old Haddie Braverman is dealing with, but at twenty-four I can also understand and relate to the fears and behaviors of her parents, Kristina and Adam Braverman. Parenthood is a unique show on television, it portrays families, not in the cookie cutter, house in the suburbs with a white picket fence kind of way, but in a real way. Families are messy and challenging, everyone experiences it. Parenthood more than exemplifies it, but is also shows the strong bonds that families have. A family that is there for you through divorces, medical issues, infidelity and betrayals. Parenthood does not shy away from any topic no matter how uncomrfortable or awkward. It deals with readl issues that face families such as Asperger's Syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder), substance abuse, divorce, teenage rebellion, interracial relationships and many more relevant topics.

Parenthood chronicles the trials and tribulations of three generations of the very large, very colorful and imperfect Braverman clan. It was developed for television by Friday Night Lights’ Jason Katims (love him!) and based on Ron Howard’s 1989 film. Parenthood is now in it's second season hasn’t attracted a ton of viewers which is such a shame. If you are not watching you are missing out on a poignant and powerful show that celebrates the family itself in a hilarious and completely relatable way.

The cast absolutely bursting with talent from Craig T. Nelson playing gregarious patriarch Zeek Braverman (Coach, Blades of Glory, The Proposal) and Lauren Graham playing the quirky, devoted single mom Sarah Braverman (Gilmore Girls, Evan Almighty, Because I Said So) to Mae Whitman (Independence Day, One Fine Day, Hope Floats) portraying intelligent and sensitive but rebellious Amber Holt and Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, We Don't Live Here Anymore, Dirty Sexy Money) as dependable eldest son Adam Braverman.

If you have never watched this brilliant show I hope you go online and watch a few episodes or catch it on Tuesdays. Give it a chance, you won't regret it. I am sincerely hoping this is not going to be another show that I enjoy watcing that gets canceled without a decent ending.

                                                                                   

Do you watch Parenthood?

What are some shows you watch every week?

Are there any great shows you think are under watched? 

                                                                                    BAS



Photography: Digital vs. Film Discussion

“Computer photography won't be photography as we know it but it would be something else. I think photography will always be chemical.” 

-- Annie Leibovitz

A quote by one of my favorite photographers, Annie Leibovitz, got me thinking about film versus digital cameras. There seems to be a war going on right now between digital and film photography. In the year 2011, digital photography appears to be winning. It is used as the norm for most people from newspaper photographers and photojournalists to parents taking pictures of their children at birthday parties. However, there are several advantages and disadvantages to both film and digital.

Digital photography allows the photographer so much freedom. You can take virtually as many photographs as you would like. You can click click click and take one thousand photographs and store them on a memory card that that is smaller than a matchbook. Exposing or ruining the film is no longer a concern. Also, while you are taking the pictures you can instantly review them. If mom has her eyes closed in the once in a lifetime panoramic shot with the Grand Canyon in the background you and immediately re shoot it. It goes without saying that if you are planning on putting your pictures on the web or your computer, it is much easier to do so with digital pictures. 

Whereas film cameras can have manual backups for electronic and electrical features, digital cameras are entirely dependent on an electrical supply. Many digital sensors have less dynamic range (the range of luminosity that can be reproduced accurately. Highlights of the subject that are too bright are rendered as white, with no detail; shadows that are too dark are rendered as black.) Film is still the standard for landscape photographers and large prints because film records and reproduces a broader range of color than digital images.

I had the opportunity to take two photography classes in college. One class I took at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and the other one at Marquette University. For my MIAD class we used 8 x10 view cameras. Picture the type of camera that Ansel Adams used… completely manual and needs a drop cloth over your head to take the pictures. I had to lug this camera around in a box as well as a tripod (all over Milwaukee it seemed) and I could only take eight pictures on every trip. 

Everything on the camera had to be adjusted aperture, ISO,
shutter speed etc. It was not unusual for me to spend a half hour focusing, positioning the camera and framing my shot before taking even one picture. After that, I had to spend many hours developing my negatives, and then hours upon hours printing and developing my photographs. 

For the first month almost all of my negatives came up blank because I had done something wrong in the complicated process. It was the hardest, most frustrating and most time consuming class I have ever taken. However, I learned more about photography in five months than I had learned in my entire life. Even mixing the developer and fixer and making test strips became automatic. I loved the control I had in the darkroom. 

I could crop my image however I wanted and make it any size. 

I had complete control over the focus, contrast and highlights. Dodging and burning (a concept I never grasped in high school photography club) where you either hold back light by dodging or cover part of the photograph and add light to the rest which is called burning. 

My end of the semester project was to shoot and develop twenty photographs focusing around a theme. I chose architecture, and took pictures of buildings and houses all over Milwaukee. These photographs are definitely not perfect, or always in focus. Nevertheless, I still get a sense of accomplishment when I look at them, they are the work of blood sweat and tears. I have included a few pictures from my final project, let me know what you think of the photos.

  

        

The photography class I took at Marquette was focused on digital photography. We used digital SLR cameras that could be used in automatic or manual mode. Each week we had an assignment due with a different purpose.

Motion

Light

 

Portrait

Final Project

(I chose Marquette)

We spent many classes fine tuning our knowledge of Photoshop and digital manipulation. I learned many valuable things in this class, especially involving motion because showing motion was almost impossible for me to achieve on the view camera. While I appreciate black and white pictures, it was nice to be able to capture some color.

In the end I have come to the conclusion that digital and film photography each serve a different purpose. They really are completely different mediums, as different as oil paints are from watercolors. I prefer to use a digital camera on vacations and out on the weekends. However, if I want to take my time to be a little more artistic or shoot some nature shots I grab my film camera. 

I hope you enjoyed the post as well as some of the pictures. Do you prefer film or digital? Which one of my pictures was your favorite? Who are your favorite photographers?

BAS

Blog Beginnings

 

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that 

you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

     Explore. Dream. Discover."

— Mark Twain

I have thought about writing a blog many times over the years, and finally decided to just go for it. A few years ago when I joined Twitter I came up with LiveDreamTravel as my username. Since then it has become my personal mantra, so I thought it would be a fitting title for my blog. LiveDreamTravel will feature things I am passionate about such as travel, books, photography, feminism, Australia and animals. Thought provoking things that I read about, or hear on the news will also likely make appearances. 

One of the most influential and exciting things in my life is travel. The quotation above, by Mark Twain, is one of my absolute favorites. Any time I find myself getting too comfortable with my life, or wondering if traveling is worth all of the money that I am saving I read it and am instantly inspired. The quote reminds me that while using my travel fund to move into my own apartment seems like a great thing to do right now, in comparison to a solo backpacking trip I am taking across Australia this summer there is no contest. In twenty years I probably won't even remember the apartment address, but I know I will always remember what I have experienced in the places I have traveled and the adventures I have embarked upon. 

I came across a few travel statistics recently. According to the U.S. State Department in January 2011 only 37% of United States citizens have valid passports. This means that two out of every three Americans cannot even drive up to Canada, let alone travel anywhere else in the world. This statistic is mind boggling to me. I obtained my first passport at 15 months old and am currently on my third one. I definitely thought we would be leaning more towards the 71% of United Kingdom citizens that have passports, or at the very least over the 50% mark.

I don't think anyone reads this blog yet, nevertheless I thought I would ask a few questions about the topic. I would love to hear any and all responses! Did these statistics surprise you? Do you have a valid passport? Do your parents/siblings? Why do you think so few Americans have passports?

BAS