Ponte Vecchio Overlooking the Arno River

In May 2009, we (Rolle, My Mama, Her Friend, & Me) went on a 17 day European Vacation. We started out in London, stayed there for four days then we hired a car to take us to Southampton for the start of our 11-day Mediterranean cruise. The ports of call on the cruise were (in this order) Vigo, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Gibraltar, UK; Cagliari, Sardinia; Rome, Italy; Pisa & Florence, Italy; Villafranche & Cannes, France; Barcelona, Spain; which is where we disembarked and spent an additional 3 days. During this vacation, I took over 1500 photos, and 300 plus video clips. Just to be “safe” I downloaded the photos at the end of every day to my laptop. The plan was to make informative 3 – 4 minute video postcards for each destination.

When we got home, I put some photos on Facebook, but just a few teaser shots, as I wanted to save the best for my videos. Then one day, the weirdest thing happened, I went to turn on my 10-month new MacBook Pro, and I got this flashing folder symbol, and my computer wouldn’t boot up. After calling Apple Care and going through all of the troubleshooting, I was told I would need to take it into a Mac Store. Since I’m currently residing in Saudi Arabia, I decided to wait until I returned back to the states in November. Up until that time, I tried not to think about my computer. Because every time I did, I felt somewhat nauseous. Immediately upon arrival in the states, that same day, about 3 hours after landing, I take it to the Apple store. They tell me the dreaded words that I was hoping for the past two months I would not hear, “Your hard drive has to be replaced.” ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (that’s me screaming)

They replaced the hard drive, and the ethernet port (this also had died about 2 days before the hard drive), and gave me back the computer along with the damaged hard drive. Being the optimist that I am, I still thought there was some hope. They gave me a card and told me to call Drive Savers. The Apple Genius told me, “They may be able to forensically remove the data, but it will be expensive.” Well what’s considered “expensive?” It’s all relative, right? So, I make the call.

Of course, they cannot give me a quote over the phone. They need to see the hard drive. So, they send me a box to send them the hard drive, and if they were unable to retrieve the data they would send it back at no cost me. I send it in. The next day, I receive a call. The quote I received was a range from $1700 – $2400. Sh*t!! That is expensive. After a few conversations back and forth (over a few days), they offered a price of $1000. I felt desperate, and I was willing to pay $1000.00 to get my stuff off of this hard drive. I told them the photos were the most important thing. About a week goes by, and I receive the dreaded phone call that they could not recover anything. I was pretty much devastated all-over again. Because, even though I was trying not to get my hopes up, inside I was hoping.

The only photos I have from this vacation are the few (about 10 – 20 pics per city) are on FB (Facebook). And since I had uploaded them to FB, they are so compressed that I couldn’t pull them off to make a slide show because it would look horrible. The obvious lesson here is to back up your photos!! So now I back up my photos to an external hard drive and I upload to Dropbox. It doesn’t matter if you have a new computer. Trust me after saving, and spending dang near $2500 for my Mac, to have the hard drive crash beyond repair at 10 months in, is horrible. I would have never thought it. The obvious lesson from this tragic story is to backup your photos.

Following is one of only two photos that I have from being at the Cannes Film Festival:

Terri and Rolle at Cannes Film Festival

Below are links to the few photos I have from this vacation.

London, England: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82812&id=544363929&l=f938a3ad56

London2: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82812&id=544363929&l=f938a3ad56

Vigo, Spain: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82818&id=544363929&l=dead38f400

Lisbon, Portugal: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82823&id=544363929&l=e0cc9b9a8c

Gibraltar, UK: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82825&id=544363929&l=79ce6bfedc
BTW:  Crusing into Gibraltar was awesome, we saw the northern coast of Africa and a pod of dolphins.  This stop was a pleasant surprise.

Cagliari, Sardinia: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82826&id=544363929&l=41b29efb0c

Rome, Italy: We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Rome: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82842&id=544363929&l=106d4170c2

Pisa & Florence, Italy: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82845&id=544363929&l=73d4a26188

Barcelona, Spain: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82871&id=544363929&l=4ca7059693

]]> http://www.blackchickontour.com/protect-your-family-vacation-photos/feed/ 6 http://www.blackchickontour.com/photo-tour-chihuly-garden-and-glass-seattle/ http://www.blackchickontour.com/photo-tour-chihuly-garden-and-glass-seattle/#comments Sun, 12 May 2013 22:59:38 +0000 BCOT http://www.blackchickontour.com/?p=2478

Chihuly Sun with Glasshouse

The Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition is a true feast for the eyes. Located at the base of the Space Needle, the homage to Tacoma Washington native Dale Chihuly, is one of Seattle’s newest sights. Opening in May 2012, it showcases decades of his most significant works.

The vibrancy of colors, the reflection of light, blew me away the moment I walked into the first gallery, the Glass Forest. However, I could not stop and ponder. I was on a mission.

As I made my way from gallery to gallery on my way to the garden, I passed the most incredible installations that I dared not look at for more than a second for fear of becoming distracted and missing the opportunity of having the gardens to myself.

I stepped out of the galleries and into this incredibly majestic greenhouse. This light-filled space is home to one of Chihuly’s largest installations with over 1300 red, orange, and yellows Persians that twinkle as the sunlight reflects off of them.

Chihuly’s Sun, an explosion of yellow, demands your attention the moment you step out into the garden. The garden, lush with flowers and plants, is the setting for four monumental sculptures. The pathway’s are lined with trees, and the glass installations seem to belong there naturally.

After a good 20 minutes of alone time in the garden, people finally started to trickle in. It was time to go back inside. The galleries were no less magnificent on my second time through.

Chihuly Garden:

Chihuly Garden

Chihuly Garden

Chihuly Garden

Chihuly Garden

Chihuly Garden

Space Needle on Chihuly Balls

Space Needle on Chihuly Balls

Space Needle on Chihuly Balls

Space Needle on Chihuly Balls

The Glasshouse

Chihuly Glasshouse

Macchia Forest

Chihuly Macchia Forest

Chandeliers

Chihuly Chandelier

Chihuly Blue Chandelier

Ikebana and Float Boat

Chihuly Ikebana and Float Boats

Mille Fiori

Chihuly Mille Fiori

Chihuly Mille Fiori

Persian Ceiling

Chihuly Persian Ceiling

Sealife Room

Chihuly Sealife Room

Chihuly Sealife Tower

Chihuly Sealife Room Drawings

Northwest Room

Chihuly Northwest Room with Glass Baskets

Chihuly Northwest Room

Glass Forest

Chihuly Glass Forest

Chihuly Close Up

Chihuly Pink Chandelier Close Up

Chihuly Garden Sun Close Up

Chihuly Green Chandelier Close Up

]]> http://www.blackchickontour.com/photo-tour-chihuly-garden-and-glass-seattle/feed/ 6 http://www.blackchickontour.com/skagit-valley-tulip-festival/ http://www.blackchickontour.com/skagit-valley-tulip-festival/#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:14:51 +0000 BCOT http://www.blackchickontour.com/?p=2428

Skagit Valley White and Yellow Daffodils

Tip toe through the tulips during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. This is the perfect springtime day trip out of Seattle. Millions of tulips, and daffodils in a rainbow of colors. Every spring hundreds of thousands of people come to Skagit Valley to appreciate the celebration of spring as millions of tulips burst into bloom. There is fun for the entire family.

This year is the 30 year anniversary for the Skagit Vally Tulip Festival, and they’re celebrating 30 Days of April with 30 days of prizes. Each day during the Festival, they will feature an item that a visitor to the Festival can win. Also, for the first time they are also having a photo contest. The winning photographer will have his or her photo published in the 2014 Official Brochure and win a prize package.

Besides flowers, there are helicopter tours, photo tours, bike tours, art shows showcasing local artists, wineries, breweries, and museums. There is so much happening, a few of my favorites are listed below, but I highly recommend downloading the brochure: The 2013 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Brochure  

• Downtown Mount Vernon Street Fair: April 19-21, Fri & Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 10 am-5 pm. Featuring 100s of arts and crafts vendors from more that 8 states. Live entertainment at multiple locations, children’s activities and a tremendous variety of food concessions to choose from. More info at www.mountvernondowntown.org.
• Art Gallery At Tulip Town: Tulip Town Art Gallery showcases art from previous and current Skagit Valley Tulip Festival poster artists and other notable Pacific Northwest artists. Originals, prints and other merchandise available for purchase.
• Tulip Run – 28th Annual: 9:30am start on April 6. This scenic 2 or 5 mile course is flat and fast on gravel packed trails. It’s an experience the whole family will enjoy. Info and registration on-line at http://www.tuliprun.com.
• Kiwanis Salmon Barbeque: April 6-April 28 11am – 7pm Daily. Alder grilled salmon with baked potato, coleslaw, garlic bread, beverages and ice cream. Reg/large plate $12, medium/small plate $10. More info also at www.kiwanismv.net/.
• Pick up a lunch basket at the Skagit Valley Coop.
• Drive (or bike ) along the Tulip Route, a 15-mile triangle bordered by Highway 20, the Skagit Valley River, and the Swinomish Channel. The valley is gorgeous, and the tulips are in all their glory. Along the way, check out a few of display gardens. RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town appear to be the largest and RoozenGaarde delivers when it comes to their display garden. They have planted 300,000 bulbs, and the garden is beautiful.
• Visit a few of the farms with display gardens; RoozenGaarde (15867 Beaver Marsh Road, Mount Vernon; 360-424-8531); Tulip Town (15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon; 360-424-8152); Azusa Farm and Gardens 914904 Highway 20, Mount Vernon; 360-424-1580); Christianson’s Nursery (15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon; 360-466-3821).
• Visit Pasek Cellars Winery Tasting Room and taste the official wine of the Tulip Festival.

Winding Dirt Road with Yellow Daffodils

Yellow and Red Tulips

Yellow Tulips under Tree

White and Yellow Daffodils in Field

Skagit Valley Geese on Water

Spring Color Hyacinth

Skagit Valley Yellow Daffodils with White House

Skagit Valley White and Yellow Daffodils Rows

Skagit Valley Daffodils Guy on Tractor

Red Tulip

Purple Tulips Under Tree

Purple Tulips

Mt. Vernon City Center 1st Street

Muscari Grape Hyacinth

For over sixty years, Mother Nature has transformed the rolling hills of North San Diego County into one of the most spectacular and coordinated displays of natural color and beauty anywhere in the world. The nearly fifty acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that make up The Flower Fields® at Carlsbad Ranch, in Carlsbad, California, are in a full bloom for approximately six to eight weeks each year – from early March through early May – literally bringing the famous fields back to life. This annual burst of color, which has become part of the area’s local heritage, is also one of nature’s official ways of announcing the arrival of spring here in Southern California.

To Enlarge; click on the image, then click again. 

The Flower Fields of Carlsbad

Yellow Ranunculus with Red Flowers

White Flower with Yellow

Pink Water Lily

Pink Ranunculus Flower Field

Yellow Ranunculus Flower Field

Flower Fields of Carlsbad

Flower Field Close Up

Pink Lily with White Flower

Tickets are available for purchase onsite and online

Hours:  March 1, 2013 – May 12, 2013 9:00AM – 6:00PM

Prices: $11,00 for Adults, $10.00 for Seniors 60+, $6.00 for Children 3 – 10, Children 2 and under are Free

Season Passes: $20.00 for Adults, $18.00 Seniors 60+, $10.00 for Children 3 – 10

Wagon Rides: $5.00 for Adults, $3.00 for Children 3 – 10

Information Line: (760) 431-0352

Cedar Hill is the last home of former slave, author, orator, publisher, abolitionist and women’s rights activist, Frederick Douglass.  Born into slavery, he never knew his mother, and it goes without saying that he lived in extreme poverty.  He died a free man, with a home that boast impressive views of the nation’s capital, Washington D.C..  One can see The Capitol Building and the Washington Monument while lolling in the rocking chairs on the front porch.

On display are some his belongings. Including Abraham Lincoln’s cane given by Mrs. Lincoln after the assassination, several of his hats, tons of books, and a leather rocking chair by the people of Haiti.

Travel tips for visiting Cedar Hill:

• Go in the early part of your day. Cedar Hill is located outside of the DC city center in what most would consider a rough neighborhood. I didn’t feel unsafe, but personally I wouldn’t want to be caught there after dark. I’m just saying.
• Take the guided tour for an enhanced experienced.
• Hire a car or a taxi that will wait or come back to pick you up. Getting a taxi to come to this neighborhood after the fact can be a nightmare.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Words from Theodore Roosevelt

Cedar Hill

View from Cedar Hill

Bedroom in Frederick Douglass’s House

Dining Room

Meeting Room

The Library

Frederick Douglass’s Bedroom

Washboard in kitchen

Stove

Statue in museum

View from upstairs hall window

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 is part of my Hometown Tourist Series. It features The Flower Fields of Carlsbad. For over sixty years, Mother Nature has transformed the rolling hills of North San Diego County into one of the most spectacular and coordinated displays of natural color and beauty anywhere in the world.

Hometown Tourist: The Flower Fields of Carlsbad

#2 is a photo tour of the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. I tend to get a lot of hits on anything I write about Saudi Arabia. And, yes, the sand dunes really are that red. The colors vary because of the position of the sun, and some were taken through a bus window.

Photography: Shaybah, Ash Sharqiyah, Saudi Arabia

#3 is not even a blog post. It’s a photo. This photo has been blowing up in recent months. I get tons of hits daily on this photo.

Central Park and Fall Leaves

#4 comes from on of my favorite cities; Stockholm, Sweden. I spent a few days touring Stockholm’s Metro which has art in more than 90 of the stations, featuring over 150 artists, in what they like to call “the world’s longest art exhibition.”

Tunnelbana Tour: Art In The Stockholm Metro

#5 funny enough is a recap of my favorite travel photos from 2011.  And, when I look back over these photos, I see why they were my favorites.

My Favorite Travel Photos From 2011

So there you have it.  My 2012 Top 5 Most Popular Posts.

Happy New Year and Much Travel Goodness In 2013!!

My trajectory this year started in January with me leaving Saudi Arabia and hitting up the following:

DMM > AMS > SEA > LAX > SAN > ATL > SAN > SEA >  SAN > LAS > Road Trip > SAN > SEA > AMS > DMM. All this, with a few day trips to LA and Portland, Oregon thrown in.

I rested up for  2 months then I was at it again:  JED > DMM > AMS > SEA > SAN > JFK > Amtrak to DC > SAN > SEA > AMS > DMM; with a few trips to Bahrain thrown in.  Whew!!  I’m exhausted just trying to remember it all…and the thing is, I’m about to hit the road again in a couple of weeks.  So I thought I would share some of my favorite photos before the year is out.

Each photo is a favorite for its own reason, which is typically related to how I felt when I took the photo or when I reminisced over that event.  And, some are my favorites because I liked the look once I got it out of the camera.

Following are my favorite photos from my travel adventures in 2012:

*To enlarge the image, click on it; then click again.

Enjoy!!

The following photo is my all time favorite from 2012.  It’s not the best from a technical standpoint.  However, its become my favorite because these guys are the coolest guys I’ve ever met in Saudi Arabia.  I was in Jeddah, taking tourist photos, and these guys invited me over to take a photo.  This just does not happen in Saudi Arabia, most people don’t want to you get them in your photos so for these guys to be so open, was just awesome.  I felt so grateful, and thankful that every time I see this photo and think of the encounter, I smile.  People this is how you live forever, by touching peoples lives.

Guys Playing Dominoes next to the Upper Jadeed Gate Al-Balad Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Though I didn’t take the following photos they made the list because it captures the pure exhilaration that I felt after I did my first skydive.  I say my first because I loved it so much, that I plan to do it again.  This really was a milestone.  I’ve always thought I was brave, but now I know it.  And, when I find myself fearful over little things I remember, “Girl, please!  You’ve jumped out of a plane and loved it.”

Skydiving The Most Exhilarating Feeling Ever

My First Skydiving – Soaring Like An Eagle

I took a few photography workshops this year.  One of them was a workshop on Night Photography.  It was the best $75 I could have spent.  It improved my skills in this area so much that two of those photos made my Best of 2012 cut:

The San Diego Skyline from Coronado

Seattle Skyline from Beacon Hill At the merge of Interstate 5 & Interstate 90

Seeing the Grand Canyon truly is an awesome experience, and I took a ton of photos.  However the best photos are the ones you capture right when the sun is rising.  Yes…that means getting up early.  In our case,we I had to get up at 4:30AM to make it to the park in time.  It was painfully cold and windy, but totally worth it.

Sunrise at the Grand Canyon

Seattle always makes the cut when it comes to great photos.  Why?  Simply put, this city is beautiful.  I’ve said it before, but I’m saying it again, I love Seattle.  Though I’m from San Diego, I’ve adopted Seattle as my hometown.  Yes, it rains a lot.  But, the plants need to eat and the payoff is those spring and summer months when it’s just gorgeous.

Seattle from Lower Queen Anne Kerry Park

I spent four days in Amsterdam while the Gay Pride Festival was in full swing.  OMG!!  The best daytime outdoor party I think I’ve ever been to.  The whole city gets involved in this event; gays, straights, young, old, public service personnel, the whole nine.  The lanes along the canals were packed with people watching the Naughty Boat Parade.  The people watching itself was spectacular; locals were hanging out their windows or chilling on the roof tops with drinks in hand.  This photo, though not the best, when I saw it later I smiled because it captures the fabulous vibe of the that afternoon.

Fabulous Queen On Her Boat Cruising The Canal Along Prinsengracht.

I’ve been to San Francisco more times than I can remember but when I went in August it was probably one of my favorites.  I was staying with friends, who are awesome and showed me a good time.  And, the fog was just the right amount of perfect for me to get this great photo of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco

Last by not least is this Black and White at the Lincoln Memorial.  I don’t know what was going on with me on this trip.  This was a double city tour.  We went to NYC then took the train to DC.  I LOVE DC!!  However, I don’t really like any of the photos.  When in NYC I took a ton of photos in Harlem that promised to be grand, but I accidentally deleted them (Argh!!!!!!!).  Then I got to DC and the photos I took during the day weren’t as vibrant as the could have been do to the filter I had on my lens.  And, I didn’t notice it until it was pretty much too late.  So, I’m not thoroughly satisfied with any of the photos I took on this trip.  But…the quick fix was making some of them Black & White, which lead to my Washington DC Black and White Series.

The Lincoln Memorial in Black & White – Washington DC

So…there you have it, the best I have to offer of 2012.  2013 is around the corner with promises of more favorite photos from my travel adventures.

Wishing you Health, Happiness, and Prosperity in the New Year.  Happy New Year!!

The Capitol Building

Bald Eagle on Pillar

The Washington Monument

The Lincoln Memorial in Black & White – Washington DC

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

*To enlarge photo, click on photo, then click again.

What was at one time the world’s longest bridge, built in 1888, is now the world’s largest elevated pedestrian bridge. The bridge sits 212 feet above the Hudson river, is 1.28 miles long, and offers fantastic views across the Hudson river and the city.

I showed up a little early for the best of the best in regards to leaf pepping, but was fortunate.  The sun was out, with the perfect clouds (puffy cumulus clouds) so I was able to still catch some great photos.

For more information regarding hours of operations, events, the park, etc. check out their website: http://www.walkway.org/visit-walkway

To Enlarge: Click On The Image, Then Click Again

Fall Foliage New York Rt US 9

Fall Foliage New York Rt US 9

Walkway Over The Hudson

Houses and Foliage – Walkway Over The Hudson

View from highway US 9 – Walkway Over The Hudson

Thru The Grate – The Husdon River

Walkway Over The Hudson – North Facing View

Mid-Hudson Bridge – South Facing View from Walkway Over The Hudson

Downtown Poughkeepsie – Walkway Over The Hudson