Every so often we receive an invitation for a marketing preview of Broadway Shows through Group Sales Box Office. For a recent Monday early evening performance, we grabbed an afternoon Amtrak out of Albany and arrived in Penn Station in plenty of time to walk up 7th Ave to Broadway and the Marquis Theatre for the 6pm show. We were treated to two hours of snippets from 10 Broadway Shows and a bonus Off Broadway Production. Of the three musicals sampled featuring rock n roll themes, one, "Jersey Boys," is already a big hit; and the other two, "Million Dollar Quartet" (to open spring 2010) and "Memphis" are very promising! "Million Dollar Quartet," celebrating a famous jam session with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, was our absolute FAV and could go over ... read more

We have been so lucky to catch the Pine Island Monthly Art Weekend again. The official name is "Pine Island - Florida's Creative Coast Weekends." Wes bought me a beautiful bronze crab pendant (because of my Zodiac sigh; not because I am crabby) at Island Visions. We had lunch at the Old Fish House, Ice Cream at Great Licks, and dinner at Sandy Hook (food is art, after all!). Adding some photos of this very artsy town - Matlacha really doesn't need a formal "art night;" it's always arty here. ... read more

Long time blog followers know how much we love Captiva and Sanibel Islands and never miss a visit when we are in the Fort Myers area. I think you can go back through the travel blogs for the entries about the Lighthouse, the Ding Darling Nature Preserve, the Shell Museum and more if you wish to know more about these beautiful islands. As for today, it was sunny, it was Sunday, and it was time for Captiva. We drove through Sanibel and noticed a nice Farmers' Market and stopped for an avacado, a lime, and a root beer float. Sanibel and Captiva are teaming with great looking galleries, boutiques, shell shops and restaurants; be we ignored their lure and headed right for our favorite beach, located out near one of our favorite restaurants, The Mucky Duck. ... read more

Pine Island is special. It's rural, rustic, artsy, and real. It seems to be home to fishermen, artists, musicians, and people who want a different Florida lifestyle. There are no traffic lights on all of Pine Island! St. James City (where Woody's is located on a canal) is at the south end of the Island, Bokeelia (where Crossed Palms Gallery is) is at the north end, and Matlacha (home to a score of colorful interesting galleries and Bert's for food and music) is the only way in (or out) by land. And, while we have yet to partake; there is at least one golf courses, a bike path that parallels the main road and a number of nature hikes in preserves. We stay at a non-fancy KOA that suits us; the pool is great, the location ... read more

History is what it is; and the antebellum period is an important part of Georgia's history. A "Plantation" near the base of Stone Mountain is a collection of pre-civil war buildings that have been moved to the site and set up like a little village. The Dickey House is stunning. Because of so many other things going on, we limited our visit to the one home. So we missed the farm animals, various outbuildings and the "four holer necessary house." Very interesting interpretive signage in the downstairs dining room indicated that the residents would propably excape the Georgia summer heat by going to "places north like Saratoga, NY."... read more