Category Archives: Destinations

Attractions, Nature, South Carolina, Tours, USA

Dolphin Cruise on the Sea Thunder in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

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For April vacation this year we needed something fun and kid friendly, and when it comes to the kids, especially our daughter, the thought of dolphins is never too far from the tip of the tongue.  We were spending the week at a resort in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and there are a number of options available.  We chose a ride on the Sea Thunder.

How to get to the Sea Thunder

Getting there wasn’t too difficult – it’s a short drive from the beach, less than ten minutes from our resort.

Be careful if you’re using Google Maps, though – it will send you to the wrong location.

Sea Thunder is at the Harbourgate Marina, directly behind the Harbourgate Resort, and the dock for the Sea Thunder is almost directly under the Rt. 17 bridge.

Google Maps will put you on a residential street on the other side of Rt. 17.

Instead, you should go down Little River Neck Road, and go past the entrance for the resort (even though the sign does say “Harbourgate Resort & Marina”). The turn for the Marina parking lot is just before you go under Rt. 17.

Do NOT turn down Sea Mountain Hwy, or you may end up stuck in traffic while an interesting drawbridge (which is actually a swivel bridge) lets the boating traffic pass in front of you.

location of the dock for the Sea Thunder Dolphin Cruises
location of the dock for the Sea Thunder Dolphin Cruises

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Attractions, Europe, Historic Sites, UNESCO, United Kingdom

Before Visiting Stonehenge, Learn a Bit of its History

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The grey stones covered with greenish and orange lichen look like a giant child’s play area.

Some stones still stand upright, in a circle. Others are on the ground, as if knocked down in a moment of frustration. There are gaps in the circle as if some pieces were taken away, or have not been put in yet.

Bright green grass separates the stone circle from a rounded path along which people walk around the monument, their faces turned toward the stones.

Beyond the path a herd of sheep pays no attention to stones or humans, concentrating on finding the juiciest bits of grass.

sheep grazing in the field next to Stonehenge
sheep grazing in the field next to Stonehenge

This is Stonehenge.

An ancient place of … well, we don’t really know what.

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Attractions, Massachusetts, Tours, USA

In the footsteps of movie stars: Boston TV & Movie Sites On Location Tour with Javier

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The top requirement for the Boston TV & Movie Sites On Location Tour guides states: “must be working actors or actresses [… ] with television and film experience. Stand-up comedy, singing and improv experience is a plus.”

That is correct. The tour that takes you all around Boston, to places the other tours won’t take you, such as Southie (South Boston) and Charleston, is not just a tour, it’s a one-man show, and a very entertaining one at that.

I was impressed at how our tour guide, Javier, could talk nearly non stop for the whole tour, while at the same time operating the buttons of a DVD player remote to cue in relevant movie clips, just at the right moment.

As you tour the locations with Boston TV & Movie Sites Tour you also get to watch clips from movies shot at the locations you are passing by
As you tour the locations with Boston TV & Movie Sites Tour you also get to watch clips from movies shot at the locations you are passing by

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Attractions, Museums, USA, Washington DC

America by Air Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, in Washington, DC

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When my sister was hired as a stewardess by the Polish Airlines LOT back in the 1980s, before she flew anywhere she had to attend trainings not only about airplane layout and duties and responsibilities of her job, but also complete a training on proper make up and behavior.

That’s why I stopped when I saw a big sign asking “Could You Be a Stewardess in the Early 1950s?” while wandering around the huge Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

"Could You Be a Stewardess in the Early 1950s?" display, part of the America by Air Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
“Could You Be a Stewardess in the Early 1950s?” display, part of the America by Air Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

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Europe, Mérida, Spain, Spain Mérida, Where we stayed

Apartamentos en Merida (Spain) – A Review

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If our post “Roman Sights in Mérida, Spain” made you want to see this interesting city, you might be wondering where to stay while you’re there.

Even though we were stopping in Mérida for just one night, we still wanted to get a place bigger than just one hotel room, and luckily for us Apartamentos en Mérida, available through TripAdvisor, had a vacancy at that time and allowed us to stay just one night, even though in the summer they usually require a two-night stay.

The apartment is just a short walk from the Teatro and Anfiteatro Romano, and while it does not have a designated parking spot, we found parking on Calle Pizarro within the same block. Make sure you have a map or a GPS with you while you make your circles looking for a parking spot – most of the nearby streets are one way, and not all are in a square pattern.

Distance from Apartamentos Merida to Teatro and Anfiteatro Romano
Distance from Apartamentos Merida to Teatro and Anfiteatro Romano

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Canada, Europe, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Mexico, Nature, Portugal, Prince Edward Island, South Carolina, Spain, USA

My Favorite Beaches: Photo Essay

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I love beaches.

I love walking barefoot along the shore, water lapping at my feet, my toes squishing the wet sand, leaving footprints that will be gone with the next wave.

I love listening to the slow rhythm of the ocean or the sea, like breathing,receding its surf on the in breath, and swelling out onto the shore with an out breath.

All of it – the warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze of the wind tickling my face,  and the sound of the moving tide calms me, and while I love sightseeing, big cities, and beautiful museums, I feel most relaxed on a beach, the longer and the more empty the better.

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