Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois

The "Windy II" is a boat docked at the Navy Pier in Chicago. It's likely this boat was named after Chicago's nickname of the "Windy City", which has a couple of backstories. The first reason is in relation to the weather and it being very windy, but with some research, I discovered that it was also likely referring to verbose politicians boasting about the city while they were bidding for the World Fair in the 1800's. Because New York was also in the running, a New York newspaper claimed that Chicago was a "windy city" because of all the "wind" coming from the politicians there - this nickname managed to stick. With views of downtown, the Navy Pier was a bustling area complete with rides, bars, restaurants, gift shops, along with the hustle and bustle of tourists and locals alike. The pier opened in 1916 and in 1927 it was renamed to the Navy Pier in honor of World War I veterans. We stayed at the pier until the night and were rewarded with a spectacular fireworks show over Lake Michigan. The city of Chicago was a fun city with activities to do around the clock!

Elephant Adventure, Thailand

On our way to Pattaya, Thailand, we stopped by for an Elephant Adventure where we were given the opportunity to ride elephants through the forest and through rivers like this one. This photo is of the man that helped guide our elephant through the charted trail. He even offered to get off the elephant a couple times to take pictures of us. In Thailand, elephants are known as the national animal because of their importance in the history and customs of Thailand. They were important because they were used as transportation both in peace and battles, and were revered by monarchs. Lots of fun!

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

The small island of Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) is located about 8 miles northeast of the picturesque city of Cancun. It was named this because it was once an island dedicated to the Mayan Moon Goddess. We took a short ferry there and spent the day visiting the Turtle Farm, snorkeling, swimming with sharks (friendly ones), eating fresh seafood and relaxing on the beach. This photo was taken as the sun was setting on the island, and the boats were retreating to land. The walks on the white sand and steps into the turqouise-blue waters felt like bliss. This is what you call paradise!

Yo quiero ir a la playa! (I want to go to the beach!)

Silhouettes and Sunset Painting, Los Angeles, California

I'm doing something a little different today. While this is a photo, it is also a photo of a painting I did a few months ago. I used acrylic paints on the canvas and my imagination ended up with this scene of the sun setting, creating a medley of orange, pink and purple colors. I really enjoyed doing the silhouettes and I'm planning on doing a series of these paintings with different colored skies and different nature elements. Good night (or good morning), all! :)

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California

I have yet to step inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall, but from the outside, this downtown LA masterpiece is visually stunning. This is the home of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. This building was designed by Frank Gehry and his other works may be more familiar - the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, the Experience Music Project in Seattle and the Dancing House in Czech Republic. His designs are modern and are fascinating to look at. It opened not too long ago - in October of 2003. I loved the views of this building by night with the LA skyline surrounding it!

The Reichstag, Berlin, Germany

Through the gates of the famous Brandenburg Gate is the German Parliament Building, called the Reichstag. We stood in line in the freezing cold for over an hour to get inside this building. The glass dome had a walkway circling all the way around it so that you could walk to the top of it and see the views of Berlin. This building was renovated in the 90's and this dome was built to symbolize the reunification of Germany. The center of the dome was a towering set of mirrors, one on top of the other. Through the glass, the German flag can be seen from the surrounding skyline. The wait in the cold was well worth it!

Rue du Petit Champlain, Quebec City, Canada

Quebec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec. Being here reminded me fondly of my days in France - it had a very European feel. Not to mention, the official language here is French. This part of town was considered the "Old Town" and it certainly had the feeling of being one of the oldest cities in the country. We strolled along the street and went into the little shops selling all types of clothes and trinkets. This is probably my favorite city in Canada! This photo was converted to black & white after it was taken.

The 1000 Teddies Project, Coldsprings Fine Arts, Los Angeles, California

We happened upon the 1000 Teddies art exhibition as we walked around photographing downtown LA. We stepped inside the gallery and were met with the eyes of hundreds of the teddy bears familiar from our childhood. But, these teddy bears weren't the same ones that we knew as children - each one seemed to convey a different, deeper emotion than the cuddly bears of our past. The artist, Philipp Jordan, put careful thought into each of the colorful, different sized bears displayed here and the result was a fun and interesting display!

Gatlinburg Sky Lift, Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Hi everyone! I was out of town camping this weekend at Big Sur (possibly posting a picture from there soon) and since I didn't have internet, I couldn't post a photo yesterday. So, I'm going to do 2 today!

The Gatlinburg sky lift slowly carried us to the top where we were able to see for miles away. At an elevation of over 1,800 feet, the view from the top was so nice because the sky was so clear. These lifts were nestled within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the state of Tennessee. Overall, offered great scenery!

Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles Union Station is a hub for transportation for the metro and the Amtrak train system. Even though it was a Saturday, the fast flowing motion of people captured in this photo fits well with the notoriously fast-paced lifestyle of Los Angeles that I've become accustomed to. The city has never been known for its great public transportation system, but this station's architecture sure did make it seem like it was. I felt like the station was a scene out of a classic 1920's film in all its grandeur and that's certainly why so many movies have been filmed here! 

Good night!