The Beauty of Sunset

I remember where I took this photo. This was the parking lot of Jimmy Buffet, it was the last time that we went to Margaritaville. This casino was closed you know. The newest casino in Biloxi but, the first one to go. Jimmy Buffet/Margaritaville did not come to an agreement with their landlords. They are supposed to build a hotel come 2015, it's needed so they can stay in business. They can't compete with other casinos in the area if they don't have a hotel. They were closed at 10 PM on a Monday, September 15, 2014. Only 2 years since they opened in 2012.

On this particular day, we dine in one of their restaurants overlooking the Biloxi Bay. It was gorgeous. As we head home, we saw the parking lot empty and was a bit sad. 

When I saw the beautiful sky, I said a prayer that the workers in this company will find a new job easy.

Plan a Vacation for the Family

Are you planning to have a holiday vacation? If you are working so hard to provide for your family, you need a week or two to enjoy a quality time with them. Take a break from the hustle and bustle in the city and away from your work. Book a vacation away from the city and start looking for Holiday Houses in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Would you like to wake up with beautiful scenery like the photo below? This place is surrounded with mountains and located in a resort town in Otago and the lake is called Wakatipu, an inland lake along the South Island in New Zealand. This lake is the country's longest lake and the habitat of longfin eel, trout and salmon to name a few. If your family loves fishing, this place is ideal for that activity.

If you plan for a vacation in this location, activities will be aplenty such as paragliding, bungy jumping, tramping tracks, and more. Did you know that Queenstown and the surrounding areas were used in the filming of the Lord's of the Ring? Not only that, this place was also used in the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Anyway, book your reservation right here and enjoy the breath taking view every day.

There are instances that vacations turned ugly like one member of the family got sick because of the weather. Do not worry because this place is not away from the civilization in fact; shopping center is just nearby. If untoward incident happen like all of a sudden, you got a toothache. The  dentist tauranga nz will be there for you so; there is nothing to worry. Check out this place now and do not worry for anything else.

Do you like pets? There are Puppies For Sale in New Zealand which are cute so; would you like to buy? What breed would you prefer? I like Shih Tzu, Chihuahua and Airedale Terrier Puppy. One of my friends has a Chihuahua. It was super cute and tiny. I like his hair color which is brown.

 

Anyway, when you plan a vacation and you have a pet, you should hire a sitter. Make sure that they are from a reputable company. That way they can take care of the puppy the right and professional way.

Dolphins by the Indian River

After the mass last Sunday, hubby and I took the route in NASA Parkway and we then went to the boat dock along Port Saint John to watch the dolphins or manatee.

Luckily, we saw 4 dolphins swimming near the riverbanks. I wish they would jump but, they were just swimming towards the lagoon.

Only the fins were showing as they swam further away from where we were.

Hubby and I watch them for few minutes.

I tried to zoom my camera hoping to capture a nice photo but, these all I got. I am happy with all these photos.

Small Sharks Caught

Here in Florida, the shark population is totally diverse. Shark species range in sizes from few feet to more than 40 feet in total length according to a study. All sea-goers are being warned about this fact. Sea-goers should beware of sharks 6 feet or longer because the damage they can cause in a single bite is really dangerous.

Among the species that grow big and have been known to attack humans are bull sharks, tiger sharks and great white sharks. Unfortunately, that is the reason that I am chicken to go swimming on the beach. According to the experts, these type of sharks are not predominant so; beach-goers or sea-goers are unlikely to come across these sharks in Florida waters.

Anyway, I am not an expert with sharks so; I do not know what species these were. I forgot to ask the man in-charge. I heard him say that these sharks will never grow more than what they are. Meaning, these are not baby sharks and these are fully grown sharks in their species. Most of the passengers/guests were requesting them to fillet the sharks. Yes, these can be eaten.

Blockhouse Beach at PAF Base in Florida

About 20 minutes away from our place, we have few beaches that we can choose to go to. We were trying to explore further down South towards the Satellite Beach. As we drove down the South Atlantic Avenue, we saw quiet a few cars parked on the parking lot so; we decided to go and look at this place.  Blockhouse Beach is clean and a nice beach to hang out. ,

Hubby enjoyed walking along the shoreline barefoot while I was having a comfortable siesta on my beach chair and taking some photos. If you are in Orlando vacationing, come to the Space Coast. The beach is just an hour away.

First Sunset of February

I grabbed my Samsung camera when I saw the sky turns red orange. I was sitting by the gazebo in our backyard and waiting for the sunset. I love to go to the Indian River and capture a good shot but, the temperature on that day was chilly so; I stayed here and took this. What do you think?  

I wish there's no cable wire in there. Anyway, I love this area in our backyard. There are so many birds here infact, we have frequent visitors :-) the woodpecker, cardinals and quail. Awesome huh?

By the Beach

We live nearby the beach but, it's been weeks that we have not visited Cocoa. We were very busy for the holiday. On the first week of January, we were caught up with a minor problem with our renter. She moved with no payment for a week and did not give us a notice. We were relieved really. The condo was vacant for 4 days, someone moved on the 13th. Glad that we were done cleaning and re-painting the condo before the viewing. And today, is a movie Monday. Boy, I am so glad! Have you seen the new Les Miserables?

Anyway, we will be heading to the beach any day this week. I miss walking on the sand and enjoying the sea breeze. I have a new DSLR and never tried it. This week is the biggest test for my photography prowess.

With these pictures, I am only using my Blackberry phone and no special feature whatsoever. I still think it was alright. What do you think?

I can't wait to use my DSLR and take some good shots by the beach. Thanks for stopping by and please visit here next time.

Palawan's Hidden Hills Getaway Giveaway

Any plans to travel to the Philippines this year? I have good news for you. You can cut a big chunk of expenses if you join this giveaway. It is easy to join and you might be the big winner. Read the information below and make sure you like the pages and follow all the required links. Good luck!

Welcome to Palawan's Hidden Hills Getaway Giveaway which is hosted by The Travel Bug and in cooperation with What’s Up  |  Henry’s Mom Blogs  |  My Own Travels  |  Sporadic Thoughts  |  It’s My Party  |  Home Is Where The Heart Is  |  Red Lips and Pinky Toes  |  The Bunny’s Review  |  Boracay Resorts Bookings

You can enjoy this free accommodation and relax in the tranquility of Palawan when you win in this amazing getaway sponsored by the generous owner of Hidden Hills Private Resort. The whole prize will total to $400 excluding transportation and yours free when you win the amazing getaway prize!

Hidden Hills is your exotic vacation home in the Philippines, situated in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The exclusive villa is a lovely rustic chalet which sits on top of the hill with an additional loft built downhill to accommodate additional guests.

The whole villa is a masterpiece and truly a place to enjoy a quiet time, to de-stress and marvel at Mother Nature's best! To get more info about the property and view the gallery, please visit: http://www.flipkey.com/puerto-princesa-villa-rentals/p132853/

The Prize:

1 winner will be chosen to avail the 2 nights/3 days free accommodation. The prize is for 2 persons in one accommodation.

Prize includes:

• Accommodations : Exclusive use of the entire property 
• Welcome Drinks 
• Welcome Pack / Fruit Basket 
• Daily Freshly Picked Flowers From the Garden FREE 
• Unlimited Coffee or Tea&nbsp
• Mineral Drinking Water 
• Eat-All-U-Can Fruits & Veggies in season whatever grows in the farm FREE!!! 
• FREE FRESHLY PICKED BUKO (YOUNG COCONUT JUICE) ON ARRIVAL. 
• Cutleries & beddings / towels/ flip-flops / rain boots / beach mats provided for use 
• ONE BOTTLE OF WINE (Seasonal Welcome Compliments) 
• Cleaning services (daily) 
• Cooking Assistance

NOT INCLUDED: Transport. The winner will shoulder his/her plane/boat/land fare and visa for a foreigner winner must be the sole responsibility of the winner.

Important notes:

• The dates chosen by the winner will have to be discussed with the owner of the Hidden Hills for the availability.

• The prize is NOT convertible to cash and is valid for a year upon winning

• The winner is responsible for his/her plane/boat fare, if applicable. Visa formalities, if required, will be the sole responsibility of the winner.

This will run from 15 January to 15 February 2013 (12:00 a.m. Dubai, UAE local time or +4 GMT and close at 11:59 p.m.), and a single winner will be chosen via rafflecopter.com after all the entries have been verified.

This giveaway is open WORLD WIDE.

Join now and next thing you know, you may just find yourself relaxing in Hidden Hills!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclaimer:

MUSIC and INSPIRATION did not receive any payment from the sponsor to host this event.
The prize will be awarded by the owner of Hidden Hills as soon as the entries are verified.

Chick-Fil-A Visit

Chick-fil-A and Dan Cathy became a household name in the US for the past weeks. I am not a fan of Chick-Fil-A and I do not know Dan Cathy. But, when some politician started bashing on this good business for making a stand on "traditional family", hubby and I made our decision to visit Chick-Fil-A and support them for having the courage to stand for "traditional marriage". If that is their stand, let us respect them.

I have so many gay friends and I love them dearly. I wanted them to be happy too and I respect their choices. As long as they love each other and live in harmony with everyone, I am happy for who they are. They raised good children and they are good parents to their children and I admire them for that.

I just don't understand why some politicians had to jump into conclusion that Chick-Fil-A's stand on " traditional marriage" is hating gay's rights.

Here is Chick-Fil- A's Response to Recent Controversy:

Chick-fil-A is a family-owned and family-led company serving the communities in which it operates. From the day Truett Cathy started the company, he began applying biblically-based principles to managing his business.

The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect –regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 Restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators. Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.

Our mission is simple: to serve great food, provide genuine hospitality and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.

Farmlands and Hillside Adventure at Pennsylvania

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PA Tourism for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Who would want that? I can name some of my friends who love camping and thrilled to travel to farmlands. It's an adventure because it's not every day that we can pick and buy watermelons from the farms right? Picking oranges from the orange trees or even the experience of milking the cow is truly out of the ordinary especially for the people who grow up in the city. To get away from the hustle and bustle of city noise, it's always nice to travel to the country and experience the local tradition in the place.

Two days ago, I was browsing visitPA.com and this Website is a good resource site for travelers. If you plan for pa-roadtrips anytime soon, check out Roadtrip-a-Matic because they gather all the information you need to know about the State of Pennsylvania. My husband and I want to have roadtrips down the East Coast and would like to go further to the State of Pennsylvania.Keystone Country is a good place to have an adventure because of the farmlands. My husband is excited to see those farms. It would be an interesting vacation especially when we stay in a Farm Guest House or in a Bed and Breakfast by the Ranch. Roadtrip-a-Matic provides all the details and information as to where to stay, what activities to do, maps, events for certain months and more. This travel Website is one of the most informative sites I saw online for it provides complete information about Pennsylvania. Click the link and check it out now. Did you find an interesting PA trip? Please share your thoughts in the comment section. Enjoy your travel.

Educational Tour for the Family

When I was growing up, my brother and I were not exposed on traveling outside the city except summer time where I spent my whole vacation in the province. I like spending time with my cousins especially when we go swimming in the nearby waterfalls. Picking wild fruits in the forest was pretty exciting for me.On school days, I can't really remember that I attended an educational tour. I only started traveling when I was in college and I learn a lot from it. I believe that acquiring knowledge is not limited in the four corners in the classroom.Last Valentines Day, I treat my brother and his family for a trip to Manila for 5 days. I shouldered the plane ticket, food, entrance fee to some parks and museum, hotel stay and gave my mom some pocket money. All 6 of them deserve to have a bonding vacation. The pictures here were taken at Museo Pambata in Manila, Philippines.My brother made it sure that their itinerary was focused for the kids. It was an educational tour for the kids because they went to the museums, Manila Zoo, and travelled to some of the major attractions in the Manila. Well, the adults enjoyed their vacation too.

The Final Ride of the Discovery Space Shuttle

Hubby and I woke up at 6AM and started the day early. We wanted to see the world's greatest piggyback ride of the space shuttle Discovery. We stayed on the boat ramp on our main street along US 1 just across the Kennedy Space Center area. For the naked eye, the sight of the orbiter back riding the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is really amazing.Just click on the pictures to zoom in.The view of the Indian River is truly wonderful this morning. The sunshine was hidden by the thick clouds. The weather was nice and cool but, it never change a thing.....the Discovery has retired.In this area, we are less than a hundred but, the whole parking lot was occupied. Besides, not too many people come to Kennedy Space Center to witness this big event.When the Boeing 747 left the Kennedy Space Center, it fly over Cocoa area and came back to KSC for one last time. It was flying so low and it was a surreal experience. Anyway, NASA has offered Discovery to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum for public display and also preservation. Discovery will replace Enterprise in the Smithsonian's display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Discovery was transported to Dulles International Airport today, and will be transferred to the Udvar-Hazy on April 19 where a formal welcome ceremony is planned.

Fort Matanzas

Hello Travel Tuesday travelers! How was your Easter Sunday celebration? Fun , I hope! Few weeks ago we travel to Castillo de San Marcos, here's another cool place to visit in Saint Augustine. Let us travel to Fort Matanzas which is less than 2 hours drive from our place. If you are visiting Orlando for Disney or Universal Studio parks, set aside a day and have a road trip to Saint Augustine. You will be enjoying the view of the beach when you travel the scenic route and it's absolutely beautiful.

There are so many things to do while you are in the Sunshine State. Of course, you probably would visit Orlando for the Sea World, Universal Studios and Walt Disney World but, you should visit Saint Augustine because it is the Oldest City in the Nation (USA).

Before you reach the old town, you will arrive Fort Matanzas first.

You will take the ferry ride accross the inlet and it's free of charge.

The picture above is the Fort Matanzas up close.

This is a wooden stairs, the entrance to go up to the observation deck.

That's one room served as the sleeping quarter in the watch tower.

canons on the deck...

Showing you the Fort Matanzas...

Ron and other guests waiting for us to come down from the tower roof.

I was at the tower roof. The view in 360 degrees was beautiful. I wonder what it is like to watch the sunshine and sunset here.

I took this photo while I was on the ferry.

One of the photos that I took at the tower roof. I will be seeing you in your blogs soon. Thanks for traveling with me.

Chester M. McPhearson, Jr. Pier in Ocean Springs Mississippi

Hello Travel Tuesday hoppers. Thanks for the comments last week, I enjoyed reading them. Today, I would like to show you the view of the Gulf Coast. I took these photos while we were at Chester M. McPhearson, Jr. Pier in Ocean Springs Mississippi. According to my husband, he was the mayor in this city at one time and year's ago, he own a hardware store in the middle of the town.
That's me feeding the birds at sunset. Hubby and I love going on the beach which is just 5 minutes or less from the house.

There are so many birds here and people would come by to feed them. Birds and animals are protected so; no one is allowed to hurt them and definitely, no hunting in this area.

This beach is open for public and it is Free.

This is located in Beach Boulevard in the city of Ocean Springs right off the Highway 90. Oh, the beach is few miles long so; if you drive down the Gulf Coast, you would see this amazing view too.

We came here at the Pier to go fishing and crabbing. Sometimes, we move to the harbor.

That's hubby looking on the Bay of Biloxi and that building is the Isle Hotel.

There was a damage on this Pier during Hurricane Katrina so; they build them back that is why, it looks so new.

We pass by here every morning too right after I logged out from work. I work in the casino at night (graveyard shift) and by 7 am we pass here on our way home. A good area to see the sunset, sunrise and just have a picnic.

Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney

Living in Florida is fun and exciting. Both Disney World and Universal Studios are here and the endless attractions inside are breath taking. Not only that, the newly opened Lego Land is here too. Water parks such as Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World, Aquatica, Discovery Cove are all amazing places where family can enjoy and have fun together. For me, it is more fun if my family back home can come and see all these amazing theme parks.Last Friday, I wanted to eat Turkey Leg and I know that Downtown Disney has it. Hubby is a real Floridian who does not like traffic but, je just go with me anyway just to satisfy my cravings.I was already hungry when I saw the Planet Hollywood so; I told my husband that I will treat him for dinner. But, there were diners on the line and it's long so; we left and head back to the main purpose of buying a turkey leg. By the way, the Planet Hollywood has three levels decorated with movie memorabilia. There are props from some of Hollywood's hottest films and TV shows too.Diners can gaze the display in the iconic planetarium-like ceiling. After you dine, you can enjoy buying movie-themed souvenirs at the merchandise area