Travel

Into Africa

My latest posts have included a bit of history and background on a few countries my family called “home” for a period of time. Kenya is one such place. When my family left India in 1954, we moved to Kenya. The 1950’s – 1970’s were arguably some of the best times of my formative years evoking fond memories. Kenya straddles the Equator and as a result enjoys some of the finest weather year round. It’s amazing how much we took for granted back then when the weather was never a topic of conversation.

(more…)

Celebrating Black History Month and my 100th post

I’ve been working on this post for quite sometime now, and seeing as we are almost nearing the end of February, when America celebrates “Black History Month” I thought of speeding it up before the month came to an end.

When we lived in Texas, we visited Louisiana often. I had always wanted to visit a plantation home and experience a swamp tour on some of our visits there, but we never quite made it. However, this past Fall, some of our British friends were visiting parts of the USA and invited us to join them on the southern tour. We were able to visit 2 plantation homes and of course a swamp tour was on the itinerary. There was a lot to take in on the plantation homes, it truly gives you an idea of what life was like and takes you back in time.

(more…)

The Laurels Preserve with a sweet ending!

Fall is the second most favorite season for me, Spring being my first. Every Fall, nature showcases a brilliant display of colors and leaf-peeping trips are planned all over to take in a glimpse of nature’s splendor. There are many factors that can impact the leaves, such as a sudden drop in temperature or a violent storm that blows the leaves off the trees before they have a chance to fall. The Northeast United States probably has the most splendid display of colors. Reds, yellows, and orange hues seem to fire up the sky, in places it almost seems like the sky is ablaze and indescribably beautiful. The cooler, crisp nights bring better results.

(more…)

The Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee

On a very recent trip to Memphis, Tennessee, we did what most tourists do. We joined the flocks of visitors to Graceland the home of Elvis Presley, we meandered to Beale Street where one is in the heart of the country’s live Blues scene. Sun Studios, the birth place of Rock N’ Roll, is definitely a must-see, it is a small museum but holds a lot of music history. The Soul and Rock n’ Roll museum is also very interesting. However, what remained most poignant in my memory, was The Lorraine Motel that is part of the complex of The National Civil Rights Museum. On my return home, I became curious about that era of American history and proceeded to research more about this great man and the iconic motel. I’ll show you the photos and the history of that era which the museum covered.

(more…)

Islands for all tastes

On a very recent trip to Toronto, we made a getaway to a whimsical place we used to frequent when we lived there. It used to be our special time together, hand-in-hand we’d walk through this unusual and quirky little island called Ward’s Island. He was not my husband then, but we always went off the beaten path to explore and wander away from the crowds. The Toronto Islands as a whole are a refreshing escape from downtown with a beautiful view of Lake Ontario on one side, and the city skyline on the other.

(more…)

Île d’Orléans – Off the beaten path in Quebec

It had been a while since we visited our friends Art and Nicole on this beautiful island, about a twenty minute drive from Quebec City. So when we decided that it was time to re-visit, we picked up the phone re-connected, and before you knew it, we were packing our bags. Don’t you just love it when you can pick up where you left off with good friends and get right into it? This was our 4th visit to the island, the anticipation and excitement of the 12 hour road journey also brought with it a heightened buzz. I love road trips and I was definitely looking forward to being in classy Quebec again.

(more…)

Picture-Perfect Florida!

When our Canadian snowbird cousins invited us for a getaway to sunny Florida, I did not hesitate to check on flights and calendar dates to make sure we could make this happen. What can be better than trying to beat the winter blues in mid-February? When I saw a picture of the villa, I was sold, there was no stopping me, I needed warmth on my skin, I longed to bathe in the sunshine, sit by that beautiful pool and sip on tropical drinks :).

(more…)