Washington DC Tours

We gather up the family and head out for a 4th of July picnic of burgers, hot dogs and watermelon, or perhaps something more nouveau and color-coordinated – strawberry salsa, sun-dried tomato and roasted pepper dip, white ceviche, blue corn cakes, blueberry ice-cream and coconut macadamia truffles.

Totally stuffed with picnic fare, we settle in to watch what we know will be a fabulous show in the summer nighttime sky. We stretch out on  blankets, lounge in lawn chairs, take our place in bleachers, lean on riverboat rails and look up, eagerly anticipating the first burst of sound and color.  Suddenly out of the darkness, streaks of gold, green, purple, red, white, or blue shoot up, exploding overhead in spectacular shapes –  starbursts, chrysanthemums, cascades - each ending in golden sparkles drizzling down in glittering rain.  Old or young, cynic or starry-eyed, we are dazzled.  And, as we eargerly anticipate the next rapid-fire surprise we tell each other that this is the best ever.

Year after year, we take part in this purely American ritual:  picnic followed by fireworks, often with stirring music thrown in.  There is a security in sameness.  It’s a way of putting aside our differences, of reminding ourselves of who were are.  It’s about feeling the pride, in unison.  But, why do we celebrate in this particular way?  The really interesting fact is that over two centuries later, we celebrate in much the same way we did soon after our independence was declared on July 4, 1776.

It all started with spontaneous public celebrations as the Declaration of Independence was read out to the public, one community at a time, across the 13 United States of America.  Word of the event didn’t reach everyone all at once as communication was slow, by horseback, carriage or boat.  But, when the news did arrive in cities, small towns, rural burghs, and farm communities, citizens and militia gathered to hear the reading of their Declaration of Independence.  The excitement was spontaneous and celebratory. Muskets fired volleys, often one for every state in the union,  cannons bellowed and belched, church bells called out joyously, and everyone jubilantly shouted “huzzah!”

Ever since, America’s great anniversary festival  has been celebrated in public gatherings, mostly held in her great outdoors – parks, river banks, lakefront  lawns, public squares. Early Independence Day celebrations were filled with patriotic readings and oratories, often delivered by civic or military notables, church bells rang, and in harbor-front cities, ships flying the American flag and colorful streamers fired artillary salutes.  There were parades and processions, stirring music, booming cannons and blasting muskets.

Food was served after the ceremonies, laid out on long tables for all the enjoy, much as we do today.   A favorite early Independence Day food was turtle soup.  Conservation efforts diminished this tradition with veal stew meat becoming a substitute for the popular, rich delicacy.  You can still find the authentic turtle soup (made from farm raised turtles) at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans.

Our penchant for outdoor grilling began early.  Pig roasts were immensely popular in the early 1800s, as was roasting huges sides of beef and oxen.  A favorite early dessert was Baked Indian Pudding, made of milk, sugar, eggs, cornmeal, flavored by molasses, cinnamon and ginger.  And, as early as 1798 in Charleston, ice-cream became wildly popular and the dessert of choice, just as it is today.

In well over 200 years, our celebration hasn’t changed much.  We’ve substituted cannon and musket fire with more picturesque, planned pyrotechnics, put togther with great skill and showmanship.  Our picnic choices have certainly, and thankfully, evolved into something simpler, lighter and summerier!

We gather, as we always have, as citizens.   Our celebrations, big or small, are special and they are uniquely ours.  We flock to celebrate in small-town squares, where families cook out enjoying pot luck dishes and watch fireworks funded by the local Rotary.  We line up by the thousands along the banks of the Hudson River for New York City’s over-the-top Macys Fourth of July Fireworks accompanied patriotic music performed by the New York Pops.

In sultry bayou air, we watch the spectacular Dueling Barges Fireworks Extravaganza from the banks of the Mississippi or on one of many steamboats dancing around each other on the big, ancient river, so long the lifeblood of our country.  We enjoy hot dogs and all the fixings in Charleston’s Patriots Point, a prelude to the fireworks screaming off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown.

Washington D.C., is spectacular on the 4th.  Events go on all day, all around the National Mall, beginning at noon with a parade along Constitution Avenue.  There’s a Folklife Festival at the Smithsonian, celebrations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives, concerts on the Capitol lawn and on the grounds of the National Monument, all capped off by the spectacular 4th of July Fireworks on the National Mall.  The setting is lovely in its simplicity and stirring in its symbolism - our Monuments and Memorials glow white against the nighttime sky as fireworks shooting up from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool light up the sky directly over the spire of the Washington Monument.

We opt for a simpler version in the Florida Keys.  It’s smaller in scale, but equally as memorable.  In the soft, purple-hued tropical dusk we head out  in our boats to join a flotilla of similar family craft anchored in bays and cuts.  As the sky darkens we are treated to simultaneous shows put on by island communities up and down the coast.  We see them, way off in a distance, diminuitive in size and without the bang as the sound doesn’t travel that far.  It’s quiet on the water and as the fireworks give way to stars in this peaceful setting, the shared family experience is incomparable.

At your venue of choice this 4th of July, enjoy this special time with family and friends, fill up on favorite picnic food, marvel at fireworks bursting in air, get goose-bumps listening to the orchestral fullness of  John Philip Sousa and, just maybe, shout out “huzzah” in tribute to those with the wisdom, the courage and foresight to know what we could be.

Chicago Tours and Attractions

This Saint’s day is wonderfully all-inclusive - for saints and sinners!  In the days and sometimes weeks surrounding March 17, we all celebrate our Irish roots – real or imagined!  Everyone, real Paddies, Plastic Paddies and Paddie wannabees, celebrates – one way or the other, or both.

Why is Saint Patrick’s Day so popular?  Because around 15% of us are Plastic Paddy’s – descendents of the Famine Irish who immigrated to America in massive numbers during the great Irish Famine of 1845-1850 and who lived in great poverty, in deplorable conditions, and endured intense discrimination.  Yet, they survived it all, rising one generation at a time to success, prominence, and assimilation.  Saint Patrick’s Day celebrates the pride of that achievement and deeply rooted cultural heritage.

For these celebrants, it’s a time of tradition, honored in special Masses and heralded in festive parades where clans proudly wear their colors and Irish bands perform.  Families in huge numbers line the streets of cities with a deep Irish heritage, cities like Chicago, New York, Boston, Savannah, to listen to bagpipes, enjoy marching bands, marvel at the flying feet of traditional Irish dance groups. Irish bands perform on street stages set up along the way, there’s dancing in the street, and the strains of Celtic folk music is everywhere.   Brigades of neon green fire trucks rumble by and even Irish Setters and Irish Wolfhounds strut their stuff and.  It’s festive and fun!

In these cities, everything paint-able turns green; anything remotely Irish is on display.  Shamrocks fly proudly on flags and are pasted on windows; people wear green creations; green beads are thrown from floats by leprechauns of all shapes and sizes; fountains and even rivers run green!

Crowds line up to get into Irish pubs to down Guinness Stout as well as other creations, mixed especially for the occasion, some green – The Frogger, The Dancing Leprechaun, the Dublin Handshake, the Irish Car Bomb - or Irish brews, by the pint – Guinness, Murphy’s, Harp, dark or light.  Corned beef and cabbage and shepherd’s pie are on every restaurant menu, Irish or not.

Boston has the distinction of being the first city to celebrate the Irish, way back in 1737.  Here, the parade is always on the Sunday before the actual Saint’s day. This year it’s on March 15 from 1-5pm in South Boston, the most Irish of Irish neighborhoods, and it’s filled with tradition and fun.

Savannah’s parade, the 2 nd largest in the country, was first held in 1813, and the luck of the Irish still shines.  Savannah’s celebration lasts a month and it’s big!  It’s kicked off by the Savannah Irish Festival in mid-February, and Irish-themed events go on throughout town, culminating in the parade on March 17.  The Greening of the Fountain in Forsyth Park is the first of the March events.  The water flowing from the impressively beautiful fountain in Savannah’s biggest park is green, as is the water in all of the many other fountains within Savannah city limits. This Saturday, March 14, Emmet Park at the east end of Bay Street is transformed into the Emerald Isle during Tara Feis Irish Celebration.  A real crowd pleaser, the setting is wonderful and the entertainment spectacular.  There are continuous live performances by well-known Celtic groups, traditional Irish bands, including this year’s headliners, Cherish The Ladies.  For kids, there’s music, dance, the telling of wonderful Irish folktales, and lots of food.  The day of the grand finale, the big parade, begins with a celebration of Mass in the Cathedral of John the Baptist.

Green Chicago River

The New York City and the Chicago parades tie for first in terms of attendance, nearly 2 million each! Chicago’s starts at noon on Saturday, March 14, just after the much anticipated Dyeing of the Chicago River – green, of course.

Marching for the 248 th consecutive year is the New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which has the honor of being reviewed by His Eminence Cardinal Edward Egan, Archbishop of New York, from the steps of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.  As the nation’s first recorded parade (1762), this one is pure pageantry and tradition as politicians, proud clans, Irish nationalist societies, and police and firemen walk the route along 5 th Avenue, from 44 to 86 streets.

This is the traditional side of Saint Patrick’s Day.

Then there’s the revelry.  For these celebrants, be they true Irish, those with a wee bit of Irish, or those without a drop of Irish blood, it’s party time!

They dress in wild green outfits, don a silly hats with a glittery shamrock pasted on the front, paint their faces green and nails green, wear green wigs, and partake in things Saint Patrick never envisioned – pub crawls and all-night drinking in Irish and not-so-Irish places.  In some cities, entire streets are closed allowing revelers to walk from bar to bar and mingle with green-tinted spirits in plastic cups.  We do this without really knowing why.

Where’s the connection?  The shamrock and the green first: As legend has it, St. Patrick wore a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish pagans he was trying to convert to Christianity.  Green is also said to be the color of growth, renewal, and abundance, and with spring just around the corner,  why not celebrate!

And the drinking part? Blame it on Pota Phadraig or Patrick’s Pot, also the stuff of legend. As the story goes, while visiting an inn during his travels, Patrick was served a glass of whiskey which was less than full, and he saw his chance to teach the lesson of generosity.  He told the innkeeper that a devil lived in his cellar who fed off his dishonesty and in order to get rid of the cellar-dwelling devil the innkeeper had to change his ways. When Patrick returned to the inn, the keeper was gladly filling his patrons’ glasses to the brim. Patrick found the devil emaciated from the landlord’s generosity and banished him.  Thereafter, St. Patrick proclaimed that everyone should have a drop of whiskey on his feast day.

So today, hordes of people line up ready to partake in Pota Phadraig, not by the drop, but by the gulp.  St. Patty’s “Luck of the Irish” Pub Crawl 2009 in New York City is as advertised: three days of wearing green and drinking cheap beer – over 5 miles, 3 days and 100 bars!  Looking something not quite as roudy?  Make the rounds of top 5 Irish pubs in New York.

Boston revelers take over on March 17, at about 5pm.  Huge lines queue up at bars, Irish or not, all over the city, and a lot of drinks go down in places like the Black Rose, arguably the most famous Boston Irish bar, Hurricane O’Reilly’s, Purple Shamrock, Green Dragon Tavern, Coogan’s, Clery’s, Tiernan’s Irish Pub, Kitty O’Shea’s, Ned Divine’s, and any bar in and around Fanuiel Hall and on Union Street.  This is the time to try the top 10 Irish beers.

Savannah’s City Market is the scene of constant activity – bars and more bars; bands and more bands.  This year, the first Battle of the Bagpipes is happening in front of Molly McPherson’s, with guests pipers from the NYC Police and Fire Department, Ireland, Boston – and more.  This may get wild and crazy with all those guys in kilts!  And, as if this were not enough, the length of River Street is closed off for the plastic to-go-cup brigade, and a stop at Kevin Barry’s is a must.

Regardless of where you are, celebrate to your liking with gusto.  Listen to Celtic music, attend a special mass, watch a parade.  Wear a touch of green, bring green bagels to work, try corned beef and cabbage,  And just maybe, partake in Pota Phadraig.  Saint Patrick said it was OK.

Do what the real foodies do - seek out Restaurant Week, usually happening twice a year in an increasing number of US cities. It’s smooth on the palate, easy on the wallet.   

Restaurant Week in participating cities is fun and festive, and everyone wins. Cities showcase their dining options; restaurants feature signature dishes and try out new ones; diners experience the city’s restaurant scene, feast on regional cuisine, sample creations by acclaimed chefs, dine in delightful ambiences, from glam to intimate -all for a great price! 

Restaurant Week usually happens in off-peak months - January through March in cold weather destinations; July and August in hot weather destinations. Initially a marketing ploy by chambers of commerce in concert with local restaurants to entice visitors to a city during slower tourist seasons, Restaurant Week has become wildly popular in cities that host them. For visitors in the know, a week of great dining at great prices is reason alone to visit a city; for locals it’s a chance to try restaurants which might otherwise be outside their budget. 

For the price and the experience, it’s a steal!  The norm for participating restaurants is to offer a special 3-course prix fixe lunch or dinner menu, usually including a choice of appetizer, salad, or soup, an entrée and a fabulous dessert.  Depending on the city, lunch runs around $15-$20 per person; dinner is in the $30 to $40 per person range.  In some high-end restaurants, dinner can run in the $50 per person range, a bargain compared with their usual prices.  All prices exclude beverage, tax, and tip. 

In cities that have them, Restaurant Week has become a celebratory special event, a food festival with hundreds of restaurants participating and thousands of people enjoying.  Besides great food at bargain prices, some cities have enhanced the experience with wine pairings, tasting menus, cooking classes, and celebrity chef book signings.     

Traveling to Washington DC in February?  Great timing!  The recent inaugural festivities postponed the normally scheduled January event until February 16-22.   The list of participating restaurants is huge.  Some are big time politico spots; others smaller, more intimate places; all have wonderful menus.  Scattered as they are throughout DC’s distinctive neighborhoods, trying out several is a great way to really see the Washington DC that lies beyond the museums and monuments.  Can’t make it to DC just now, plan a visit there in August to take advantage the summer one.

Miami’s Winter Miami Spice lasts a whole month!  It’s going on now, but you have just until February 12^th to sample Miami’s eclectic, diverse culinary style, creatively infused with tropical and Latin influences. Check out the great variety in SoBe hot spots, sophisticated places in downtown Miami, intimate ones in charming Coral Gables, and trendy ones in artsy Coconut Grove.  If you miss the winter event, you’ll have a chance to sample Cuban picadillo, Argentine parrillada, Peruvian ceviche, yucca fritters, conch, stone crab during Summer Miami Spice in August/September. 

If snowy vistas are more appealing than sunning on the beach, Denver’s Restaurant Week takes place from February 21-27.  It’s so popular that almost 200 restaurants across the Mile High City are participating in the 5th year of the festive event. 

Sample all different takes on Boston’s traditional “chowda” and more in this historic colonial city of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Taste Italian with a modern twist; spicy Indian exotically prepared; Mediterranean small plates; fresh, succulent, signature seafood; comfort food served with good cheer in a friendly Irish pub.  The 2-week run of Restaurant Week Boston’s winter version is coming up March 15-20 and then again March 22-27.  Besides indulging in wonderful food, it’s a great way to explore Bostons’s charming neighborhood places, as well seaside spots with great views. 

New York City, arguably the best and most ethnically diverse culinary city in the world, is a big player. Not-to-be-missed NYC Restaurant Week happens in both winter and summer with menu selections that span the globe  This year’s winter event just ended, but plan now to attend the equally splendid summer sequel in July. 

In San Francisco, winter Dine Around Town (DAT) just concluded after a fabulous 2 week run.  If you’re salivating at the thought of fresh seafood and regional vegetables straight from California farms paired with great California wines, plan ahead to June for the summer version. 

Cutting-edge, creative California cuisine served in over 100 participating restaurants during dineLA throughout the greater Los Angeles area, in places like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Malibu, Woodland Hills, Redondo Beach, Brentwood, Hollywood, just concluded. However, look for it again at the end of January 2010.  

Just like LA, Philadelphia’s Center City District Restaurant Week wrapped up on February 6^th.  If your plans take you to Philly next year, the offerings are delightfully varied – Nuevo Latino, savory Mexican, seafood classics, and French cuisine. 

Honolulu recently jumped on the culinary bandwagon, holding its 1^st annual Restaurant Week last November.  It was so successful they’re repeating it next year.  Glittery Las Vegas has one in September; San Diego’s concluded in mid January. Charlotte’s 2009 winter culinary extravaganza, Queen’s Feast, just ended, but the Queen’s holds court again in July. Restaurant Week is so popular in Atlanta there’s a friendly summertime rivalry going on between the Downtown Dining District in July and Midtown in August! 

Coral Gables, a lovely smaller city with a distinct European feel within the Greater Miami area, participates in Miami Spice and holds its own summertime event.  Try it for the food and the ambience, much of it al fresco.  On Florida’s west coast, acclaimed chefs have found a receptive home in Sarasota.  They’ll showcase their culinary expertise during Savor Sarasota at the end of May. The weather is great that time of year, and choices range from edgy continental cuisine in sleek, elegant surroundings to seafood specialties in a casual beachfront places.

In New Orleans, the melodious name alone, Reveillon Dinners, is the first clue that these are something special.  Similar in structure to Restaurant Week in other cities – discounted prix fixe menus offered in participating restaurants – they are true feasts which take place during the Christmas season in restaurants throughout a city where dining is a sensual pleasure.  A Creole tradition since the mid- 1800s, Reveillon Dinners were family celebrations following Christmas Eve mass, featuring breakfast-like menus of egg dishes, breads, and smooth  puddings.  Today’s Reveillon menus have broadened to include New Orleans favorites.  Imagine savoring signature Creole cuisine – gumbo, shrimp remoulade, jambalaya, bread pudding soufflé - in marvelous old world French Quarter places: Bombay Club, Commander’s Place, Broussard’s, Galatoire.  Newer restaurants like Emeril’s NOLA, serve a creative contemporary take on Creole favorites for New Year’s Eve Reveillon Dinners.

Helpful tips to fully enjoy Restaurant Week:

• Check online to see if and when your destination city has them.
• Check to be sure that your restaurant of choice is participating.
• Reservations are a must.  Reserve early. You can book online through opentable.com, but not all participants are on their list.
• When making the reservation, let them know that you are reserving for the Restaurant Week menu.  Some restaurants limit seating for Restaurant Week patrons in order to ensure table availability for patrons preferring the full menu.
• The well-known restaurants are sure to draw crowds. Check out the smaller, chef-owned places.  You’ll be delighted.
• Tip well.  Keep in mind that your bill is discounted, but your server is providing the same service they would give if your lunch or dinner were the regular price.  

Restaurant Week – delicious excess, exquisite preparations, and choices, choices, choices in tastes and ambience.  Save on $, if not on calories!

• Garden District Ghosts and Legends of New Orleans
• New Orleans Cemetery Tour
• New Orleans Ghost Tour
• New Orleans Original Garden District Walking Tour
• New Orleans Vampire Tour
• New Orleans Voodoo Tour

• 2 Day Naples Trolley Tour
• Naples Segway Tour
• Naples Trolley Tours
• Sanibel/Captiva Island Tour

• Old South Charleston Carriage Tour

• Do-It-All Party Boat Tour of Key West
• Key West Snorkel Safari Tour
• Smathers Beach Snorkel Tours (Key West)
• Sunset Watersports Sunset Cruise (Key West)

• Chicago Legoland Discovery Center

• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library (Boston)

• San Francisco Local Tastes of Chinatown
• San Francisco Local Tastes of Fisherman’s Wharf
• San Francisco Local Tastes of North Beach
• Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf (San Francisco)

• Full Island Cruise of Manhattan
• Semi Circle Cruise of Manhattan

• Savannah Historic Homes Walk
• Savannah Civil War Walk
• Savannah Ghosts Tour
• A Walk Through Midnight Tour of Savannah
• Savannah Gates and Gardens Walk
• The Savannah Stroll

A cornfield maze, aka corn maze or maize maze, is a labyrinth cut out of a cornfield solely for use as public entertainment, an idea that began with the hedge design in the formal gardens of English castles.  Today, across America, negotiating the detours and dead ends of paths cut through 10′ cornstalks waving gently high overhead is a great way for families to have fun together in the crisp, fall air.  It’s also a way for family farms to generate additional income.

Corn mazes are a wonderful form of pop art.  Seen from the air, they are creative and intricate themed carvings, many featuring seasonal or widely recognizable characters.  The journey from conceptual drawing to corn maze, often encompassing many acres, takes a lot of work – and a good GPS.  Family farms with a creative staff can develop smaller ones the old-fashioned way, with graph paper, a tape measure, and poles; the really big ones are usually the work of maze designers and maze creation companies.

Big or small, corn mazes are magical, memorable, old-fashioned family fun, and they stretch from coast to coast, many within easy drives of major tourist destinations.  Several online corn maze directories, with descriptions and directions, assist in finding them.

Visiting Boston, drive west about 50 miles to Sterling, and “Go for the Gold” at Davis Farm, New England’s oldest and largest cornfield maze!   If this big one seems daunting, they’re lots of smaller ones throughout the New England autumnal countryside.

For a change of pace when visiting Washington, D.C., just 45 minutes out of the city in pastoral nothern Virginia’s Fauquier County, the fall colors are glorious, the wineries, plentiful, and the “Virginia is for Lovers” 9-acre maze at the family-owned Cows-n-Corn is a must see.

On a drive down the east coast through the Carolinas and Georgia, get off the interstate for a trip down side roads through a countryside dotted with picturesque rural towns. Tucked in and among them are many small, family-run corn mazes. On a larger scale, just minutes outside of Charleston, S.C., in Mt. Pleasant, take on the challenge of the largest corn maze in the southeast, this year in the shape of an 8-acre scarecrow, on the grounds of historic Boone Hall Farms, which also offers interesting guided tours of America’s oldest working plantation.  

Even Florida has corn mazes!  There are a couple just beyond the Georgia border in small, rural, north Florida towns, and a even a few near sprawling Orlando, home of Disney World, in the horse country of Ocala and around the vineyards of Mt. Dora. 

Corn mazes are plentiful throughout the Midwest.  Minnesota, with huge family farms, boasts some of the largest.  This year, in Ohio, always in the forefront of national politics, even the corn mazes get into the act!  Outside of Toledo, at the Butterfly House, Sarah America is a 16-acre corn maze in the image of the Republican Vice-presidential candidate!  Believe it or not, another political corn maze cropped up on CNN’s website on October 14, 2008, just days after this article was published.  What a great get-out-to-vote from Oregon!

On the west coast, the vast, fertile valleys of California are loaded with farms, big and small, with open-to-the-publice pumpkin patches, a myriad of fall farm activities, and some wonderful corn mazes.  Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, 25 miles out of Sacramento, boasts the largest corn maze in the world, over 40 acres!  In Fresno, midway between Sacramento and Los Angeles, the maze at historic Cobb Ranch, leads you on 2 ½ miles of “twists, turns and trailers.”

All over the country, corn mazes are the centerpieces of fall festivals featuring everything from treasure hunts to Halloween events; mini mazes and farm animals; hay wagons and hay pyramids; pumpkin patches, farm-fresh picnics, and country stores. 

This fall, wherever you travel, get lost in an amazing maze!   Be sure to catch them during October, or by November, they’ll be cut down!

Roseate Spoonbills

There are several reasons why the state of Florida is so popular with bird watchers. Birding in Florida contributes to the tourism economy of the area and brings in 2 million bird watchers each year. The diversity of habitat, its mix of temperate zones and its fortunate position as a point on migration routes have resulted in the documented sightings of over 500 species of birds, many of which are rare.

The most famous trail was introduced by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to encourage conservation and to attract visitors. Named The Great Florida Birding Trail, it runs for 2,000 miles across 489 sites. There are guide books with maps and highway signs to guide visitors along the trail. Various eco-tours like Everglades Day Safari play an important part in birding in Florida, by educating the public and touring the natural habitats of various species.

The range of birds seen in the state encompasses the tiny Hummingbird, up to the majestic Bald Eagle and other hawks. Most North American birds on the east choose Florida as their winter home, just like people! On Lloyd’s Tropical Bike Tour in Key West, there is the opportunity to see Whooping and Sandhill Cranes, Osprey, Pelicans, and Roseate Spoonbills up close and personal. Birding in Florida is enjoyable throughout the year with resident birds and migratory species. The residents are spotted all of the year and migrating birds are usually seen from mid-April to mid-May or in October.

Everyone can get involved with this fascinating hobby. Both state residents and non-residents can participate in Wings Over Florida, a program that awards people according to the number of different species they observe. The idea is to identify as many native birds as possible and win a certificate at five different levels. The first level is for 50 birds and the last level is for 350. This brings the competitive spirit to birding in Florida. The state bird, the Northern Mockingbird may appear on the list.

Florida is to be commended in its work towards conserving bird species and encouraging residents and visitors to celebrate the wide range of bird life. There are several refuges and sanctuaries to this end, and which you can tour, including the J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island,

Who else wants Summer fun? Here are 7 Awesome Summer Vacation Ideas for the whole family. So get out there and make a splash!

Do-It-All Party Boat Tour of Key West

Can’t decide how to enjoy the turquoise waters of Key West, Florida? Then explore the water 11 different ways! On this six hour adventure you can go Snorkeling, Sailboating, Water Skiing, Rafting, Banana Boat Riding, Wind Surfing, Kayaking, Knee Boarding, Climbing the 20ft Ice Berg Mountain, Mini-sliding off the boat and riding speedy Wave Runners. Perfect.

Miami Seaquarium- Swim with the Dolphins

Nothing tops a close encounter with Dolphins and here is your chance in Miami, Florida. Spend two hours touring the Seaquarium, learning about dolphin behaviour and then suiting up for time in the water with these magnificent creatures. You’ll touch, feed and train these gentle giants. Inspiring.

Sanibel/Captiva Island Tour

Sanibel and Captiva Island, Florida offers some of the best shelling in the World. This six hour Eco tour experience takes you inside the The J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge for a 90 minute tram tour of the local wildlife followed by a stroll on the beach for shelling, lunch at the Hungry Heron, a view of the Historic Lighthouse and more beach time to find that last special shell. Nice.

Boston Whale Watching Cruise

Looking for a whale watch that requires less travel time, offers the most comfortable ride available and gives you more time viewing some of the world’s most fascinating and magnificent creatures? Look no further! The 3-hour Whale Watching Cruise in Boston, Massachusetts uses high speed catamarans to whisk you to the best viewing spots and back. Professional researchers from the Whale Center of New England narrate your briny adventure.

Whale Ho!

The DC Ducks

Splash down in Washington, D.C. for a river adventure like no other. From Union Station the DC Ducks waddle down to the mall where you’ll see the awe inspiring monuments and fabulous Smithsonian Museums. Then at the Potomac River you’ll splash in for a whole different look at the Nation’s Capital with a scenic river cruise. From the land to the water, it’s all in the same Vehicle! Cool.

Segway Night Tour of Chicago

Roll out Segway style in Chicago, Illinois for an After 5 Glide. Learn the amazing history, unique stories and fascinating tales of the Windy City while seeing the best sites on your own fun and easy to operate Segway vehicle. Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, The Field Museum, Millineum Park and more. What a blast!

Stone Mountain Park Adventure Pass

Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia is a green oasis listed in Frommer’s 500 Places to Visit with Your Kids Before They Grow Up and cited by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of ‘35 Natural Wonders in Georgia You Must See Before You Die’. Stone Mountain Park offers a variety of attractions, entertainment and recreation activities.  Join the Paddlewheel Riverboat Cruise, ride the scenic Mountain Train and take the Sky Hike to adventure. Awesome.

So there are 7 Summer Vacation Ideas to get you started on making great summer memories. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Enjoy your Independence Day this year in 5 historic cities that know how to celebrate.

Here are 4th of July vacation ideas and things to do while enjoying the long weekend in star-spangled style.

Boston

The Cradle of Liberty brings us the traditional Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the Esplanade. The Oval opens at 9am for this popular celebration hosted by Craig Ferguson and featuring music by Rascal Flatts. More than twenty thousand pounds of explosives create a pyrotechnic display like no other. It’s wicked good.

New York City

The Big Apple offers three prime locations for fireworks this year sponsored by Macy’s. While many locals head to the seashore for the weekend, you can catch the festivities downtown. The East River in Midtown, South Street Seaport and Liberty State Park will kick off together for this extravaganza. For an extra treat, spring $20 for the Roosevelt Island Festival in the East River for great views, music and activities. Dollars to donuts you’ll have a ball.

Washington D.C.

As you would expect, The Capital City puts on one of the best Independence Day celebrations in the country. A Capitol Fourth begins with a Parade down Constitution Avenue with events throughout the day including concerts by the United States Air Force Band and the National Symphony before amazing fireworks at night.

Balance your budget and don’t miss this one!

St Augustine

The Oldest City features a great celebration of Independence Day with fireworks on the bay front over the Castillo de San Marcos Fort. You can extend the celebration with a fireworks display at the World Golf Village on July 3^rd. You look younger already.

Philadelphia

 Yo! The City of Brotherly Love offers a weekend of celebration in the Birthplace of America. The Philadelphia Museum of Art showcases events all day on the Fourth of July along Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Penn’s Landing is the place to be on the 5^th with the Taste of Philadelphia followed by a Boyz ll Men concert and more fireworks over the Delaware River.

St. Patrick’s Day is a popular Holiday in the United States. In 1737, Irish immigrants in Boston celebrated the Day for the first time. In 1766, the original St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held in New York City. Since then the Green wearing, Guinness drinking, corned beef eating revelers have made March 17th a day to remember.  Here’s a list of the 10 most popular St. Patrick’s Day Parades to attend.

If you’re jaunting out to celebrate like a leprechaun this year make sure to bring a Shamrock for good luck, a Shalale for good measure and a few Irish toasts for good manners.

Here are some of my favorites:

“May you have warm words on a cold evening,
A full moon on a dark night,
and the road downhill all the way to your door.”

“I drink to your health when I’m with you,
I drink to your health when I’m alone,
I drink to your health so often,
I’m starting to worry about my own!”

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.”

“As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.”

“May the hinges of our friendship never grow rusty.”

“Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again.”

So grab a Black and Tan, put on your favorite green outfit and dance like no one is watching…   Slainte!

Ripe Strawberries, Whipped Cream and Cake…need I say more?

The Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City near Tampa, Florida is in full swing. Where else can you eat chocolate dipped strawberries, watch livestock being judged, hear the Charlie Daniel’s band and watch Robinson’s Paddling Porkers race on any given day? Exactly!

The Festival started in 1930 and has grown into an amazing slice of Americana. It’s like a county fair, music concert, 4-H expo and flea market all rolled into one for 11 glorious days and you still have time to get there. Fly, drive or crawl but you can’t miss this nostalgic gathering filled with corn dogs, midway rides, contests, music, shows, animals, merchandise and did I mention Strawberries? Y’all come!

Here’s a tip: for the best prices and selection of strawberry related items seek out the local service clubs and their fundraising booths. You’ll mostly find these in and around the Parke Building. The festival ends March 9, 2008.

More Pics here.