Blues Traveler at Culture Room

Calling all John Popper fans out there! Blues Traveler is coming to Fort Lauderdale's Culture Room on April 23 and 24th. For all of you Bluegreen owners staying at Solara Surfside, just hop on Route 95 and head north for a half hour to get to Culture Club. The venue is pretty cool, with an intimate setting where you can really feel the music. Should be a rockin' time...

Repeat Offender Richard Marx is back

For all those music lovers planning a vacation to Orlando, set aside some time to go see Richard Marx in concert. The singer/songwriter with those great 80's hits like "Right Here Waiting" and "Satisfied" is planning a solo acoustic set on March 19th at the Plaza Theatre. It's nice to see him back in action. Looking for a great Bluegreen Resort to rest your head after the concert? Check out The Fountains or Orlando's Sunshine Resort.

I remember getting his Repeat Offender Album in 1989. On a trip to Puerto Rico, I remember lying down on my grandparents' hammock and listening to my Walkman, playing the songs over and over. Cassette tapes?? Walkman?? Seems like the stone age now...

Alicia Keys in Vegas

Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Alicia Keys hits Las Vegas for a stop during her Element of Freedom tour. She will perform at the historic Mandalay Bay Resort on April 9th. Element of Freedom is the songstress' fourth studio album. The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and sold 417,000 copies in its first week. For a place to stay, Bluegreen owners should try Bluegreen Club 36 in Las Vegas. Spending a few days in Las Vegas and want to avoid the casinos? We've got your covered with our Las Vegas Travel Guide!

Jenny from the Block

Anyone catch last night's Saturday Night Live episode? I watched bits and pieces, and overall, I was under-whelmed. I wondered out loud to my friends why J-Lo was hosting, and I guessed that either she had a new movie or she had a new album coming out. I will say that I've always been a fan of J-Lo's music back to the days of Waiting for Tonight and Jenny from the Block. She belongs in the category of catchy dance music singers (like Madonna, Britney)who make music that I enjoy. Her singing efforts last night confirmed that she does NOT belong in the category of those artists with the best vocal skills i.e. Christina / Mariah.

Wonder why her her label dropped her last week?

On a positive note, the Besos Y Lagrimas skit was hilarious. Laughed out loud - repeatedly.

John Mayer Hits New Orleans

Listen up, music fans. The Daughters singer / songwriter, who has dated a string of Hollwood beauties like Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson, heads to the Big Easy on March 10th for a concert at New Orleans Arena. Bluegreen owners looking for a place to stay should check out Club La Pension for a wonderful stay in the French Quarter.

Dawg

So, I caught last night's episode of American Idol. Wow, I was not impressed at all. It was guys' night. I have watched American Idol for the last few years. I even thought about trying out a few times. A few years back they had tryouts in Orlando. I most likely would have booked a stay at the Fountains, but from what I gather, it's a needle in a haystack chance of making it. I literally had to change the channel and put the Olympics on. It's a shame, really, for a television show that claims to be a "talent competition."

Smooth Operator

Apparently, Sade is back and she's back on top of the charts. Who knew? I kind of dig that Smooth Operator song, though I was 3 when it came out. It seems to pop up in movies here and there, and it immediately puts me at ease. Soothing, though I don't really relate to the jet set lifestyle she's singing about...

Picture Perfect

I was doing some research today for an article I was writing and came across a great site that gives tips on taking vacation photos. Check out this cool site. This will really help me out when I take my maiden journey to New Orleans at the end of next month. I am psyched about my trip the Big Easy and about staying here.

One of the things I learned about taking great photos on your trip is that you need to tell a story - create a narrative. That got me thinking about the stories of my past - the ones that I learned only through pictures. I never knew my grandmother. She died when I was three months old from ovarian cancer. Aside from stories my family has told me, what I cherish most are the old pictures that painted a picture of what her life was like.

When I was a little kid, I used to sneak into my parents' bedroom and take out the old family photos from their dresser. I can still remember the smell of the pictures. It had a strong scent, which was oddly familiar, even though the pictures were taken before I was born. There were pictures of my parents' wedding. My grandmother looked so proud on that day. There were pictures of my grandmother at family parties, laughing and carrying on. She looked like she enjoyed life to the fullest. She was definitely the life of the party. There was one picture of my grandmother dancing on a checkered dance floor, lit up with a dozen colors. I'm pretty sure that was the 70's. That must have been a fun decade!

One of the last pictures that I remember was taken a few months before my grandmother died. It could have been around the time when I was born or just before. My grandmother, sadly, looked sick - like she had lost some weight. Still, through it all, she had a smile on her face. Despite the pain she must have been feeling, she still managed to have a smile on her face.

That picture was so powerful, and the collection of pictures told the story of my grandmother's great life. For me, the pictures live on in my mind and in my heart. That is what pictures can do. They capture the moments of our lives or they tell the story of the loved ones who have come before us.

Stomach in my throat

Last month, one of my friends had a birthday and we all planned a Road Trip. Normally, I love these. I love getting away from the ritual - the routine - of my daily life. We all decided to go to Orlando to visit the Parks. I get to Orlando a few times a year, whether it's to visit a great resort or stay with family or friends. It's the perfect drive-to destination from where I live in South Florida. How I used to drive 8 hours each way from home to college (New York to Virginia) back in the day amazes me still.

Anyway, I will admit that I have never been a fan of amusement parks in general. I don't really get afraid of things. What gets me is that "stomach in your throat" feeling. I hate it. Just thinking about it gets me queasy. So, of course, I agreed to the trip with a bit of trepidation. Never one to be a drag at the party, I knew I would force myself to go on every ride. I was not going to be that loser sitting on the sideline missing the action.

So, we go on some of the regular rides and I do fine. Then, we get to ‘Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit’ - the new ride they opened last year. There is no Express Lane for the ride because it was new. I CANNOT believe this. I had to endure 90 minutes of waiting – time for me to think about the ride and how I was going to get through it. My palms were sweating. I was feeling dizzy. I see kids around 10 or 11, laughing with their friends. How can these little pipsqueaks be fearless? Here I am almost done with my twenties and I’m scared out of my mind.

I’m buckled into my seat – in the first row of course. It’s the best spot to enjoy the death drop. The ride begins and there is the ascent up to the top and then the usual drop straight down before the twists and turns. That’s when the “stomach in my throat” feeling usually hits. For some reason, this time was different. I didn’t get that feeling. Maybe it was because I kept my eyes open. It is definitely true that when you close your eyes, it makes it worse. After the ride was over, one phrase reverberated through my head.

“THAT WAS AWESOME.”

I was happy to face my fears. I just needed a little nudge from my friends. Sometimes that is all you need. All I needed to do was take a short car trip to Orlando.