The ads are cheesy. An iPhone rings and the caller I.D. says Asheville, N.C. The tagline from this tourism board commercial is “Asheville’s calling. Will you answer?”
Asheville has been calling me for a while but not because of the ad campaign. I have not been able to get out of town for a while and I am desperate for a mountain fix. I need a change of scenery and a day trip is just what my inner travel junkie negotiated with my wallet.
For me, planning a journey is as much a part of the trip as the actual travel. Preparation gets the anticipation juices going. In addition to researching a destination online, I love the now antiquated exercise of going to the library and borrowing as many travel books as possible to map out that next dream trip. Yes, I am a travel geek.
Normally, I don’t take advantage of travel agents. But, travel agencies do serve a useful purpose. Take Mann Travels, a large travel agency headquartered in Charlotte, NC. They saved me the cost of ridiculous bank fees when I needed dollars exchanged for Chilean pesos for a trip to Easter Island (Money, Money, Money)
Because of that experience, my curiosity is piqued when I see numerous ads promoting a Mann upcoming travel show. On a chilly Sunday in January, I drag my husband along to check it out promising we’ll stay no more than one hour. Continue reading
One of Showtime’s Homeland Shoots in Charlotte
The year has flown by and it’s time for the annual weekend visit from my nearly lifelong friend Bill. Although Bill would be content to spend the two and a half days sitting on a couch yacking, that is not my idea of a good time. Prior to his arrival, I make up a list of interesting places to visit.
Bill’s visits were never a challenge when Mike and I were gypsies moving from city to city. There was always something new to explore. But, now that we’ve been in Charlotte for 12 long years, my self-imposed rule of not repeating anything is making that to-visit list more of a challenge.
Most of the must-see Charlotte-area tourist destinations have already been covered: the U.S. National Whitewater Center, the Levine Museum of the New South, the Latta Plantation. We’ve been to the mountains; we’ve been to the sea – road trips to Asheville and Charleston were checked off early on. Last year had an international theme. (Read about that trip here.) So what to do this year?
Charlotte has a pretty active film community because of North Carolina’s generous 25% refundable tax credit for productions done in the state. Add to that a diverse choice of typical looking locations that stretch from the ocean to the mountains with small towns, big cities and farm land in between. Crew costs are cheaper than L.A. and New York. It’s also a heck of a lot easier to close streets, businesses, or a university campus for a shoot here. Continue reading
The Mutt and the Moai at Tongariki
A trip to Easter Island is the trip of a lifetime. A trip to Easter Island is long and expensive.
But if you are one of the 50,000 or so people who make this trek every year, you will be well rewarded for your efforts. Don’t shortchange yourself on time, and don’t put off doing it. I should have bumped it to the top of my to-do list a long time ago. I really loved this incredibly special place. Continue reading
The hottest tickets in town dropped in my lap at a business meeting. Tracy could barely contain her excitement and concentrate on the purpose of the meeting. She had just gotten her hands on tickets to a taping of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” I said, “I would kill to get tickets to The Daily Show!” There were two extra tickets! Tracy generously offered two tickets to me and my husband.
My fabulous employer told me to go and have fun! We tried to concentrate on the business at hand and all raced home to tie up loose ends. Unfortunately, Mike couldn’t get the afternoon off.
A friend who went the day before said we needed to be in line no later than 2:00 and assured me that I could bring a backpack. With permission to pack, I wanted to make sure I was ready for rain. I filled my backpack with the poncho from the media party, a pair of waterproof sandals so I wouldn’t have to stand around in squishy, wet shoes again, a phone charger in case I had an opportunity to plug-in and my iPad to pass any boring time in line. I wore comfortable walking shoes in case we had to park miles away but my mistake was to wear clothes that were way too hot to wear standing in the hot sun. Continue reading
Train to Uptown Charlotte’s CarolinaFest for the DNC 2012
The Charlotte in 2012 host committee threw another fun party for the Democratic National Convention. CarolinaFest drew a diverse group of delegates, dignitaries and a mob of Mecklenburgers (Charlotte is in Mecklenburg County) to the heart of the city. Continue reading
Notice that we are cruising right through the red light.
The night started with a police escort! No, it wasn’t a funeral. We were on one of the many chartered city buses headed for the Democratic National Convention’s Media Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.
*To fully appreciate the pictures, click on them to see them full size*
It’s 6 am and Edith is rattling our door. Scared out of a dead sleep, we are a bit alarmed and confused until we figure out that the owner of the Hotel Taura’a thinks we are part of the group on an early fight. Before we can respond, she realizes her mistake and moves on.
Our flight doesn’t leave until 5:40 this evening. We still have plenty of time to play. Wide awake, now. We decide, “What the heck!” Let’s go record an Easter Island sunrise.
We pick Anakena Beach because we can race there on paved roads. Well, not really race. Time is of the essence to make in time for the sunrise. But there are so many loose animals on the island lurking around every other corner, that we are afraid we will hit a cow or horse in the dark if we go too fast.
Furry Beast in the Dark
There is no moon so it’s still pitch black when we arrive and can’t see a thing. I open the car door a smidge and it’s pushed open by more than one furry creature that I can’t see. The interior car light is not set to turn on so in the inky darkness I push whatever they are away with my tripod legs and get the door closed. We shine a light and realize that the car has been surrounded by a pack of dogs. Mike and I freak out a bit. What should we do? Continue reading
*To fully appreciate the pictures, click on them to see them full size*
The day is just getting away from us. Taking the unexpected cave tours with Bill threw off our timing for the rest of the day so when we finally arrive at the gate of Rano Raraku, it’s already 5:30. The sign says they close at 6:00 but the ticket says they close at 7:00.
Whatever the time, there is no one around. The souvenir shop is closed and no one is at the ticket booth. Out of nowhere, a man appears. We ask if we can go up to the quarry and he looks at our stamped tickets.
These are the tickets we bought at the airport where the sign said they were only good for one entrance at Rano Raraku. We stopped here yesterday on our tour with China. The man hesitates for a moment and then tells us we can go if we promise to be back by 6:10. We swear we will and race up the path.
The Path (from yesterday when there were people on it)
No one is around so we are free to stop and shoot video of the moai unobstructed. It’s incredible to have the place to ourselves! And then we spot a lone 20-something guy from an undetermined English-speaking country off the path TOUCHING a moai! Continue reading
*To fully appreciate the pictures, click on them to see them full size*
Our second night on Easter Island is blissfully quieter than the first. The barking from the strays who wander the island is much more subdued. Could someone have transported the roosters to the other side of the island? Their crowing’s a bit less incessant and doesn’t seem as loud. Of course, earplugs help.
