Vacation or Staycation?

Vacations are usually a way to get away and relax. Getting away from the daily grind is something that people wish to do as much as possible. Sometimes getting away may cost too much and not affordable especially in hard economic times. It has become more common to stay at home, and this is where the the term "staycation" came into play. I just too a recent trip to San Diego, only 2 hours away, and realized that I enjoyed myself thoroughly without going too far.

Upon my return home, I started looking up local tourist attractions and recommendations. Using travel websites, and the internet in general, you can find out about your local town. Most people do not even know what is in their own backyard. On time off you can take short day trips or the weekend and you may not even need to get a hotel.

One of the best ways to find out about the best parts of your town is to pretend you are a tourist. Just do some research online about tourist attractions and points of interests. Print out a few sheets of information, a camera and some maps, if needed. Head out to have fun and enjoy everything local. There are festivals, and events that are local to your town. It is always good to know what a tourist would want to see. Family, friends or anybody is planning to visit and you want to show them the best parts of your town.

There also hidden tours and not always advertised as much. Behind-the-scenes tours may be available. If asked nicely, a few doors may be opened. Movie theater projection rooms, television stations, radio stations, and newspaper production facilities also offer tours.

Hopefully this blog may get you thinking about your town in a different light. Do not be afraid of exploring your local area and have fun.

Here is a great site to start and there are many more out there if you just search the internet. Searching the web for "staycation" brings up other blogs and sites with ideas.

Trip Advisor: Restaurants, things to do, forum and more!

-Luis Tobon

First Trip to the Big Apple

My usual vacations include a State or National Park, and this one was no exception. I was not aware that the Statue of Liberty is considered a National Park. She was a gift to us from France and has become an international icon for freedom and liberty. I officially became an American Citizen on January 29, 2009 and seeing her for the first time took my breath away.

My wife and I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Manhattan. There were a few visits to Times Square and other important places in New York. We made our way to The Empire State Building, Radio Music Hall, Rockefeller Plaza, Central Park, and a few others. There are so many things to see in the city and it is difficult to make everything in only 4 days. We got in pretty late on Thursday night, but did manage to make it to FAO Schwartz, the Apple Store and Times Square. We turned in for the night after that and got ready for whatever the Big Apple had in store for us.

Friday was a pretty busy day and we tried to pack in as much as possible. Learning the ticketing process for the subway was not too difficult and with the help of travel books, it made it easier to get around. The books include countless maps of the subway system, which definitely came in handy. We made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, enjoying the art the city had to offer.

Along the way we found ourselves in Central Park and the Central Park Zoo. A bicycle tour through Central Park was nice and relaxing. The tour included great information about Central Park and its fame in movies and tv shows. If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen my tweet about never having been to a zoo. That is no longer true as we visited the Central Park Zoo. This is a small zoo but it was a great new experience for me. I have the pictures to show for it!

There were two celebrity sightings on this trip, as you may have read on my Twitter updates. The first sighting was in Central Park. Steve Carell was sporting black sweats and a purple shirt with his running shoes. Jogging through Central Park is a very popular NY activity that sometimes includes one’s dog. The second sighting was at Katz’s Deli that is in the lower eastside. While we enjoyed our dinner, Ms. Sherri Shepherd came in and sat right behind us. We did not say anything to either one of them and just went on our way.

This will not be our last vacation and we may make it back to New York some day. Overall it was a very enjoyable trip but tiring nonetheless. New York is a great city but not for everybody. We got somewhat used to the fast walking and having to be somewhere at all times. Most vacations are a bit tiring at points but if you have been infected by the Travel Bug, nothing holds you back. I look forward to more trips and sharing my experiences with everybody by posting photos, and keeping up on the blogs.

Photos are on Flickr.

-Luis Tobon

Haas Design

There are many companies out there that design promotional material, wedding announcements, and the like. Haas Design is one that stands out. Their website states: “Wedding and Corporate Design and Everything in Between” and they really do it. They are out of Pennsylvania and are coming up in the industry. They offer videography services, logo design, design services and more.

They are also helping other parts of the industry get more exposure. The new feature of their site is HD Weekly. Weekly features will be used to help promote photographers, venues and employee/business. If there is a need for a photographer, just check the photographer’s list and find them. The list is growing everyday and includes photographers from 14 different states. If you are a photographer and wish to be added, just e-mail your website url and contact information to contact@haasdesign.net. They also have a Twitter and MySpace pages. Tweets include promotions for logo design and other great information and the MySpace pages have samples of previous work.

Next time you need design services, give Haas Design some thought.

http://www.haasdesign.net/

-Luis

Social Network Sites for Photographers

Social networking has been around for a while and it is going to stick around. Networking websites are sometimes geared toward certain professions or themes. Looking for sites for photographers took to me other blog postings about the subject and here are some sites I like.

Photography Network
http://www.photography-network.net/

Picture Social
http://www.picturesocial.com/

My Shutterspace
http://www.myshutterspace.com/

These are just a sampling, but there are others out there. If there are others that I should check out, please let me know. I do have a few more on my "Links" page on my website.

http://luistobonphotography.com/?goto=links

-Luis Tobon

Grand Canyon Photos!

Hello everybody,

You have been waiting for them. The Grand Canyon photos are now online. Click here to see them.

-Luis

We Love Long Beach BBQ!

Hello out there!

Here to let you know what I will be attending the We Love Long Beach BBQ tomorrow!

Click for more info!

I am donating a free framed print for the raffle! Join us for the fun!

Mi Ama - My Mom

Hello everybody!

For those of you in Southern California I'm here to let you know that there is a great Colombian-Peruvian restaurant in Lawndale. No need to travel too far from home!

The restaurant has been featured in the "Daily Breeze" and it lives up to the hype. It is a bit hidden but a gem.

Mi Ama
4605 S. Prairie Ave
Lawndale, CA 90260
(310) 675-7323