August 2007

A different perspective..

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American then asked, "What do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs . . . I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.

You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps 25 years," replied the American. "And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, That's when it gets really good," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like and enjoying your friends."

Featured Travel Book - Living and Working in Australia

A recent book just sold today after posting from our partner site Southpointbooks through Buybundle, is this interesting book on moving to the land down under.
 

Browse here also for more travel books available.

A unique B&B hideaway - Bear Creek Retreat

Next week, we visit Bear Creek Retreat in the Texas hill country. Austin is only 15 miles to the northeast. The whole house is yours when staying here, surrounded by 100 acres of exceptional views where wildlife is abundant. The retreat is reported to have the largest bed in Texas. Look for our special accommodation feature on this interesting retreat.

Cruising on the high seas Elvis style

With the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death this month, Elvis events and memorabilia are at an all time high.

For the true Elvis fan, why not honor his memory in style?
Hop aboard the Carnival Celebrity for an all week Elvis cruise from Aug. 30-Sept. 3.
The ship will depart from Jacksonville, Florida, with stops in the Bahamas, before returning to Jacksonville. Jerry Schilling, a long-time friend of Elvis will be your host. His residence in West Hollywood was given to him by Elvis back in 1974. Entertainment scheduled will include the Imperials, Ronnie McDowell, the Jordanaires, the Dempseys, Joe Guercio (music director for Elvis), and more. During the cruise, there will be four shows commemorating the life of the King in song and $10,000 in prizes given away.
Pricing for the cruise is from $750 to $2,499, depending on cabin location. Spacing is still available.
If interested, contact us for details and to register.

And for the conspiracy fan, check out this book recently sold from our partner site at SouthpointBooks.com -

Elvis Undercover: Is He Alive and Coming Back?

New features - Honky Tonking at Billy Bobs | Splashing at SeaWorld

As we add to our local Texas features to include more destinations, we have now posted two new Feature Attractions in our Texas guide. Also, look for new destination features on historic areas we have visited in Williamsburg, Jamestown, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are also in the process of adding a content management system to allow easy addition of ratings and many other member services.

We make a return visit to the historic Stockyards to visit the expansive Billy Bob's Texas, and hear the rascally sounds of Kevin Fowler.
Also, we stop in at SeaWorld in San Antonio, and get quite a splash.
 

Post Katrina 2 Years Later: Finding ways to help the Ms. coast

With the two year anniversary looming for when Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi coast, I have read of some progress. See this news article.
New Orleans is another topic for another day.

Hurricane Katrina was the third-strongest hurricane on record to ever hit the United States. Given the extent of widespread damage done over such a large area, the Mississippi coast needs the help of many. Ninety percent of the buildings along the coast were destroyed. There is so much that needs to be done that is beyond the scope of federal, state, and local governments to handle.

As a Mississippi native, I spent many summers visiting the coast and enjoying the one-of-a-kind heritage and culture.

Several of the places that we featured within our Mississippi coast guide were destroyed, including the old house above which housed the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce, which was located behind the Biloxi Lighthouse (which survived intact with minor damage to the interior).

In a fitting tribute, the new license plate has the lighthouse, which stands as a beacon of hope for those that survived the hurricane.

The city of Biloxi has been leading other area communities in rebuilding efforts. In time, the area will recover, and be a tourist mecca again. One of the key problems right now for homeowners and businesses is recouping their losses through insurance claims, and the high cost of insurance for new buildings and cost of construction materials as a result of hurricane damage. Ways must be found to streamline agencies such as FEMA in responding to crisis, and not stand in the way of progress.

Volunteers are needed now more than ever. If you can help in any way, please visit the following links below (compiled courtesy of www.photosfromkatrina.com).

Mississippi Hurricane Recovery

Mississippi Department of Health (List of Donation & Volunteer Options)

Mississippi Home Again (MHA): A Non-Profit Organization Established to Help Mississippi Gulf Coast Residents with Limited Financial Resources

Operation TLC Volunteer Center for Jackson County, Mississippi

eSchool News: How to Help

GulfCoastNews: What Bay St. Louis, Mississippi Needs

GulfCoastNews: What Waveland, Mississippi Needs

Mississippi Beyond Katrina: How to Help

American Red Cross: For Hurricane Katrina

The Salvation Army
(from studies, the Salvation Army has found to be the most efficient operation as far as using the most of donated funds to directly benefit those in need)

In a future post I will note what RVers are doing to help, our future trip to the area to help, and what tourism venues (hotels, b&bs, etc.) have re-opened and are now welcoming vacationers back to the area.

Looking for the "ultimate" stay for your next anniversary or event?

Looking for that special place for your next anniversary or to have that one-of-a-kind party that no one will ever forget?

Situated in Las Vegas overlooking the strip, the The Palms Fantasy Suites offers an eye popping 9,000-square-foot, three-bedroom suite in their Two Story Sky Villa. The suite comes complete with your own jacuzzi, an indoor Playboy pool, gym, media room, an 8 foot rotating circular bed, and much more. If looking for celebrities, this is the place. The hotel also is home to the world's only Playboy Club.

The price tag for the suite? A mere $20,000 a night...

Featured travel book - The Place No One Knew - Glen Canyon

Now available from our partner site Southpointbooks through Buybundle, is the illuminating photography book on Glen Canyon -
Edit - This book has now sold. Look for more unique travel books being featured soon.
 

This rare, out of print book shows glimpses of the Glen Canyon area prior to being flooded for a dam near the Grand Canyon in 1956. Page, Arizona was founded at the same time. The photographs are stark in their beauty, and makes an interesting read of the history now beneath the waters.