Recently in Misc Category

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is accepting nominations for its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations list. This year's list included nearby Lititz.

A York woman is part of a picture on display now at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. It's a painting by artist David Lenz that pays tribute to Eunice Shriver's work with the intellectually disabled.

Here's a story about it from Smithsonian magazine. If you're down in D.C., stop in and check out the York link.

I stumbled across this song and video by a musician from Halifax, Canada, who came up with a creative way to vent his anger and frustration at bad baggage handling by United Airlines.

How sad that it takes thousands of hits on YouTube to get corporate bigwigs to pay attention to a situation that should have been taken care of way before the thousandth phone call.

What's your worst baggage handling experience?

I didn't realize that the Venezuelan rainforest -- and Angel Falls in particular -- are the inspiration behind Pixar's latest animated hit, "Up."

I haven't seen it yet, but now I definitely want to.

Look at these two pictures at right -- one from the film, the other of the real Angel Falls. Pretty good, eh?

Angel Falls is another one of those places I've been so close to, but never got to visit. (I lived and studied in Venezuela during college -- pre-Chavez -- but never got to the rainforest part of the country.)

Check out this story.

Anyone seen the film? What do you think?

My sister gave birth to her second little girl late last night. This morning, I stopped by the hospital to meet my new niece and see Lilyana's reaction to her new little sister, Lucia Beatriz. Here is a short video of Lily singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to Luci.

For those of you who enjoy collecting travels more than possessions, check out this list of the 100 Greatest Places to Stand on the Planet. Anyone can go to the site and vote for their favorite places through Dec. 1. Or, upload a picture of yourself visiting a particular spot.

I found it rather depressing to go through the list and realize that, at age 31, the only place I've been to is New York City's Times Square. And that was just in passing during a daytrip to the city -- not even for the big New Year's Eve celebration it's famous for (of course, I don't know that I'd deal well with such a crowd though).

I've come close to some others. Why didn't I take the trip to Angel Falls when I was studying abroad in Venezuela? If only I had more time in Argentina to get up to Iguazu... And neither of my trips to Ecuador have included Galapagos (very pricey).

Have you been to any of these places? What do you think of the list?

West Manchester Township native and 1999 West York grad Meagan Hess is now in NYC working for On Location Tours, which offers daily tours of locations from TV and the movies.

Next month, they'll add a Gossip Girl tour to the line up, which includes tours for fans of Friends, Seinfeld, Ugly Betty, Ghostbusters, The Cosby Show, Sex and the City and The Sopranos.

If you're planning a trip to the Big Apple, they might be worth checking out.

I haven''t gone off topic with any cute-kids posts in a while, so I figure it's about time. Pictured below is my niece, Lily, in her Easter finest, in front of the magnolia tree in my back yard, which bloomed without me doing anything (now that's my kind of plant!)

Enjoy...

Warming up the facial muscles for a smile:

This is the best you're going to get in bright sunlight:

Ahh, enough of this silly picture-taking!

You probably aren't thinking beach yet, but Ocean City, Md. -- a popular vacation destination for many York County residents -- is already kicking off its 2009 season with some events that just may merit an early weekend trip to the shore.

Here's a peek at a few things coming up:

*Delmarva Birding Weekend, April 23-27. Billed as one of the most popular bird-watching events in the mid-Atlantic region, visitors to OCMD this weekend can choose from more than 40 day, night and on-water excursions.

*Maryland International Kite Exposition, April 24-26. This kite festival features multi-level precision flying events using brightly colored dual- and quad-line kites. Internationally known flyers will make magic in the air between North Division and 6th streets on the beach.

*Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition and Festival, April 24-26. Carvers and visitors from around the world gather to showcase sculpted bird carvings, house decor and hunting decoys. It's at Convention Center and 40th St. on the bay.

*Springfest, May 7-10. Live entertainment and beach eats kick off the season in the inlet.

*Cruisin', May 14-17. This show features thousands of cars, from hot rods and classics to street machines and muscle cars. Find it in the inlet parking lot.

As always, if you head out and hit one of these events, snap some shots and send it here to be part of our Wish you were here feature.

The way you spend your money on vacation says a lot about your travel style.

I'm the type who:

*Will suffer a few hours of an airport layover for a cheaper flight. I look at it as time to catch up on reading, journaling and browsing in the bookstores.

*Seeks out lodging that is basic and clean with only the things I need (hot water, decent water pressure, doors that lock, private bathroom, decent mattress) After all, the only time I plan to spend there is bathing and sleeping.

*Usually prefers public transportation over pricey tours and cab rides because it's cheaper and gives you a window into the local culture. (Although there are definitely cases when I think it's better to ditch this philosophy -- such as when traveling long distances rather than within a single city)

*Tends to splurge on food and activities. When else but on vacation can you walk on hanging bridges through a rainforest canopy, soak your weary bones in hot springs or stuff your face with fresh seabass and passionfruit juice?

Here's the spending breakdown for my week in Costa Rica: