Many people like to do what the Karankawa Indian Tribes used to do a long time ago which was migrate to South Padre Island for the winter. It is a small sliver of land off the coast of Texas and it is filled with warm sandy beaches and beautiful sunsets. The waters are calm and great for fishing. In 1804, Padre Jose Nicholas Balli came to the area and decided to make the first permanent settlement and was given a land grant by the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. He first called it Rancho Santa Cruz. They established a ranching business and raised cattle, mules and horses on the island.

There are many stories about the island. In fact, it is one of the most legendary islands for tales of Spanish shipwrecks and treasure. Could there still be some hidden treasure on the island? One of the more famous stories told on the island is called, The 1554 Shipwrecks. People still hunt for the ocean floor and sandy beaches for any remains of Spanish silver that may be still buried.

The Mexican War was not just fought on the mainland it also was fought on South Padre Island. Many troops were stationed on the island and the near by Port Isabel. It was a great way to trade and move supplies for the U.S. Military. There were some very famous men stationed on the island like future president Zachary Taylor when he was a soldier, Robert E Lee, Abner Doubleday who was the created Baseball, and James K. Polk. Another uprising with the American Civil War also brought action to the island. Many military men would hide there prised possessions on the island. There are still some coins and jewelry hiding in the sand dunes from the Singer family because the ever changing sand concealed the hiding place when they came back for it. So when you come for a visit at one of the tranquil hotels on South Padre, bring your metal detector.

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Imagine you’ve arrived in Williamsburg, Virginia. You’re out for a few thrills at the local amusement park, but mainly you’re in town for the history of the place. Williamsburg, of course, is one of the oldest colony settlements in America, alongside such places as the Jamestown Settlement. Like Jamestown, Williamsburg also provides its version of a living history museum in the form of Colonial Williamsburg, where you may wander the streets of historic homes and ask questions of costumed performers. How did the the restoration of this area begin? There’s a home that’s off the regular path that may answer this question: Bassett Hall.

The two story Bassett Hall is a frame house from the 1700s, situated on 585 acres of woodlands and gardens, owned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. They lived here during the restoration of the historic area of Williamsburg, which the Rockefellers financed. Most of the items in the house belonged to the Rockefellers. You’ll note that the home now looks like it did in the early 20th Century, from the 1930s and 40s, when the Rockefellers restored and furnished it. Conservation work was performed on the gardens, adding 5,000 trees and shrubs and ground cover. Trails the Rockefellers created in the woods are also maintained today. You’ll see a short film in a reception building that tells the story of the Rockefellers and the restoration. The home itself is fascinating. In each room, Mrs. Rockefeller used her collection of folk art to create a theme. You’ll find the guides in the home extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

A stop at this home is almost a requirement to understanding Colonial Williamsburg itself. Before you go, though, you should be aware that the place is only open three days a week, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Further, it’s closed from February 22nd until March 5th. Keep in mind that you’ll need to pick up an admission pass from Colonial Williamsburg before being admitted to the house. There are no ticket sales at the house itself. So, before you leave your local hotel, head to Colonial Williamsburg first, and then on to Bassett Hall.

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Fireplaces are famous just on there own. They are a house hold name that will never loose its flame. Before history was ever chiseled on a slate or written on walls or paper there has been fireplaces of some form. It ranks only second to language in its importance to the human race. Whether a person is on an open prairie or in a huge castle, a fireplace is a very simple and effective way to contain and control a fire for the purpose of safety, heating and cooking. There is a wonderful progression from the old fire pit to the more modern day in home fireplaces.

Originally fireplaces were made of a few stones places in a circle with a sort of roof around it with a hole in the top for the fums to escape. I think of the Indian Tee Pee as a great early fireplace option. Sadly much of the heat would escape this design not to mention the indoor pollution and ash dust. But this was a necessity to live in the cold winter time of the year. At some point in the 18th century the fireplace went from just a necessity to a major centerpiece of the home. The form of the fireplace was as important as the function. This is when new materials and ways of making fireplaces started to show up. Abraham Darby was an early inventor of making a stronger metal. His work led to iron as a very important part of construction. Cast iron fireplaces became the norm as a longer lasting and better heat dispersing fixture. Iron really holds the heat well.

Now after many years of perfection the fireplace has so many styles to choose from. They are named after famous people like the Napoleon fireplace. There are people becoming famous because of the fireplace like the fireplace whisperer, Walter Moberg. Written about in major classic novels and photographed for the coffee table book, fireplaces really do carry such a physical and emotional hold on the humans that live in there light today.

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Swansea Wales is well known for its outstanding university and great beaches as well as many seaside attractions. What might be lesser known, however, is that it is also the birthplace of famous film actor Catherine Zeta Jones. She is not the only world famous person to have been born here, though she is certainly one of the most popular. Guests staying in a Swansea hotel may be unlikely to run into her in person, however they may be likely to encounter and image or dedication to the fine performer.

Zeta Jones was born in Swansea in September of 1969, though she is now based in the United States. Her mother was a seamstress of Irish descent and her father was a Welsh sweets maker and factory owner. Jones left school early to pursue her acting ambitions and attended moved to London to attend the Arts Educational Schools. While she was there in Chiswick, West London, she took part in a three year full time musical theatre program. Jones had been featured and stared in multiple television and small film roles in the United Kingdom before making her transition to Hollywood.

Her early work in Hollywood brought her solid critical acclaim and initiated her prominent status in the industry. These early films included The Mask of Zorro, Entrapment and The Phantom. One of her most famous performances came in 2002 with the film adaptation of the musical Chicago. This performance gained her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. In addition, she did win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in this film. Other major performances of hers include her role opposite of George Clooney in Intolerable Cruelty as well as Ocean’s Twelve, which is the sequel to the popular Ocean’s Eleven. Jones has become a daily figure due to her multiple appearances in commercials for T Mobile cellular services.

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Many years prior to the arrival of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Arab traders were traveling to Singapore, along the coastlines from Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula. Raffles first came to Singapore in 1819. By then, some of the Arab traders had moved to the city, bringing their culture and their religion. Most Malaysians on the island at that time were Muslim. Throughout history, the people have made religion the center of their lives, and their villages are centered around these ideas and beliefs. The word used for the villages is ‘kampong’. The houses were made of wood and had very pitched roofs, made either from thatch or corrugated tin and iron. They were built in a circle with a center area left open and were often elevated if they were in the middle of a marsh. This served as a communal gathering center, as well as a safe place for the children to play, as all houses face inward and the children are constantly in the eye of not only their own mothers, but the whole community as well. The men of the community worked in the farms or on the boats, fishing in the sea. Gardens of flowers and vegetables were often covering the area around the houses.

Although the times have changed, there are a few of these kampongs that now sit amongst the Singapore luxury hotels and entertainment centers. Most were cleared during the development of Singapore, but in the Arab district of the city they remain. Their strict religious view and practices have held them together, for the kampong is not just a place of residence, it is considered a holy or spiritual community. When one visits this neighborhood one is filled with the peace that the slower pace provides. There are not many automobiles driving on the streets. Most of the residence walk or ride bikes, and this is one reason this is a wonderful place to wander through. The beautiful fabric stores, the markets and the dramatically decorated mosques are just a few reasons one will not want to miss this tiny treasure of Singapore.

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On the island of Mallorca, just a few miles from the capital of Palma, is the city of Santa Ponsa. Once a fishing village, and in 1229 the landing location of King Jaime I in response to the occupation of the island by the Moors, Santa Ponsa is now a famous tourist destination and the home to five star hotels Mallorca and resorts popular the world over. The landing of King Jaime is important to the history of the island as he took back what the Moors were attempting to hold. A cross commemorating that long ago event stands now at the marina, reminding those in present times, what past cultures accomplished and what they make now available as an island of relaxation and vacations and summer holidays. The culture of the night and the beach are what makes this culture stand out today. This is an active community, with the parties and the night life, but for the outdoor land activities as well as those in the clear and crisp waters of the Mediterranean Sea. There are many exclusive and high end clubs as well as sea side ‘mom and pop’ establishments. The city offers up something for everyone to enjoy and for all flavors of culture. There are pine trees growing just up to the edge of the beaches, quite aneclectic and exotic environment for all those traveling with the hopes of leaving the real world troubles behind.

For dining there are many options, fine dining gourmet restaurants or smaller quaint eateries offering up local flavor and flair. For from the expensive plate to the small tapas, all the food in Spain comes with a bit of flair. Over the years, due to the international guests on the island, Irish and Scottish influence has served to create an even more diverse cultural palette and provides even more options for a night on the town, in a town with many local options to begin with. Chinese, Italian and French influences are also seen in the restaurants, pubs and bars. Discos and Karaoke bars are also popular destinations for those wishing to spice up their night life activities and chances to mingle and socialize. And as for other day time activities, many companies offer up horse back riding tours or boat cruises, there are many golf courses on the island, for those that don’t want to leave that part of their real world, scuba diving and sailing schools. And activities for the kids such as skateboard parks and football makes this a destination the whole family can enjoy.

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Chennai has grown from a small village to the fourth most populous city in India. As the capital of Tamil Nadu (an Indian state), the city is a center for Tamil arts and culture. Visitors will find incredible Tamil cuisine, great shopping, and wonderful five star hotels in Chennai. There are also numerous temples, beaches, parks, and performances of dance, music, and theater to keep travelers occupied.

The Chennai region has been an economic and adminstrative center as well as a prime military site for nearly two thousand years. Prior to being colonized by Portugal in 1522, it was ruled by a succession of South Indian dynasties including the Chola, the Vijaynagar, the Pallava, and the Pandya. Mylapore, which was once a major Pallavan port, was later absorbed into Chennai. The Portuguese built their own port, São Tomé, and the growing city became known as Madras. The Dutch also established their presence to the north of the city in 1612.

In August of 1639 a small strip of the Coromandel Coast was purchased by Francis Day from the Vijayanagar King. Day was part of the British East India Company and gained permission to construct a trading warehouse and factory. In 1640 The British built Fort St. George and began their own colonization. The fort and the city were captured by the French in 1746, but the British regained the city through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapele in 1749. Within fifty years, the British controlled most of the Tamil Nadu region and what is now Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. They created the Madras Presidency and made Madras the capital city.

Under Great Britian, Madras became a major naval base and urban center for the subcontinent. Railways installed in the late 19th century connected Madras to Calcutta, Bombay, and other Indian cities. This promoted trade and communications across India. The city’s importance as a naval base was evident during World War I, when the city was the only one in India to be attacked by Germany.

Once India gained independence from Britian in 1947, the city was named the capital of the state of Madras. In 1969 Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu. In 1996 the city was renamed Chennai, since Madras was a remanant of Portuguese rule. In December 2004, Chennai was struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami which permanently altered the region’s coastline and killed many. The city quickly recovered and today there is little evidence of the destruction caused by the tidal wave.

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