An atoll is a wide area of shallow water surrounded by low, sandy islands. As such, one could be forgiven in calling Sarasota an atoll. It consists of five sandy keys (in true Florida fashion, connected by soaring bridges and rod-straight causeways) and a stretch of the mainland. The John Ringling Causeway has a 1000-metre…
Category: FUN STUFF
FUN STUFF
How We Found Our New Dog
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
In the old days, if you wanted a dog in a rural area, you just put the word out in the community; somebody always knew somebody who…you know how it goes. The first dog Linda and I got, we used the city technique of the time: we saw an ad in the newspaper. For our…
FUN STUFF
Touristy Stuff in Yucatan
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
I wrote at length about our travel experience of the last two weeks, but enough sociology. Here’s the stuff potential tourists might want to know, or armchair travelers might enjoy. Tulum Archeological Site Linda and I had been to Chichen Itza a couple of years back, and while we were impressed at the size of…
FUN STUFF
In or Ex: How Do You Want Your Holiday? Part 2, Gordon’s All-Exclusive
by renaissanceadmin • • 0 Comments
On Facebook, this picture would say, “If you remember hotel room doors like this, you are OLD.” Nope, this is present-day hardware at the Hotel Casa Balam in Mérida. That fob is hand carved. Full Disclosure: When Linda and I travel, we don’t expect our standard of living to increase. We don’t take holidays to…
FUN STUFF, Social Commentary
In or Ex: How do you want your holiday? Part 1, All Inclusive
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
Linda and I spent the last week in an all-inclusive resort in Yucatan. We were with a group of very good friends, tagging along with a larger high school reunion group. It was a first for us, and we were interested to see if we’d like it. Putting aside the fact that sometimes it seemed…
FUN STUFF
The Rest of New York (in one week)
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
Bethesda Fountain, Central Park Our primary objective on this trip was Carlos and Matthew’s wedding, but we were in New York for a week, so we got to catch a nibble of what the Big Apple has to offer. What amazed me was how much New York is ingrained in our culture. Every time we…
FUN STUFF
Wedding Day in New York
by renaissanceadmin • • 3 Comments
Tuesday, July 11, a new milestone in the Long family calendar, started out hot and sunny. We got up early, had breakfast and got dressed and out of the hotel by 9:40. It was a beautiful day, not too hot yet, with a bit of a breeze blowing light mistings of spray from the…
FUN STUFF
The New York Experience: Washington Square Park
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
We checked into the Marlton Hotel on Friday, and it was a nice day — hazy sun but not too hot — so we wandered over to the park to check out the venue for the wedding on Tuesday. To put it mildly, it was a never-ending scene. Washington Square has been a place to…
FUN STUFF
A Trip with a Plan
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
When people ask my how our last trip went, I have discovered that I am giving an unusual answer: “We were successful in all our objectives.” Not the standard response, I suspect. Did we have good time? Of course. Was the weather good? Better than we had any right to expect. Will we go back?…
FUN STUFF
Google Maps: European Failure
by renaissanceadmin • • 1 Comment
Google Maps has been a stalwart supporter of my navigating for almost two decades, and I get around pretty well with it, if I do say so myself. But on this trip to Europe ,I have noticed a few cracks in the old façade. Namely, Google Maps just can’t handle the European road system and…