Silence Aloud

When visiting Miami for business and you have your children in tow, but don’t have time to take them to all the fantastic attractions Miami has to offer, consider taking them to A.D. Barnes Park .

This 15-acre park offers playgrounds, basketball courts, a baseball field and an amazing pool with a diving board and swimming lessons are offered almost every day of the week, which are very organized and has classes for all ages, plus it’s heated! There’s also a bird and wildlife sanctuary amongst lush tropical greenery. If that isn’t enough, the park also offers ‘The Sense of Wonder Nature Center’, which hosts nature study programs and special events geared at promoting a greater appreciation and awareness of nature’s beauty. The Nature Center has become an oasis for migrating birds and according to the National Audubon Society, is the best place to see birds in Miami. The Center not only offers guided tours of nature sites as well as snorkeling, canoe and walking tours at other Miami-Dade Park locations, it is the home to the Miami-Dade Fire Department’s Anti-Venom unit’s reptile collection.

A.D. Barnes Park has something for everyone and is conveniently located to many boutique Miami hotels , making this park a favorite to all visitors with children, who have no time to travel to other Miami attractions. Plus, A.D. Barnes is especially geared for all physically and mentally challenged people, making this park especially amazing. You’ll find the park located at 3401 Southwest 72nd Avenue.

The Dangerous Theatre is located at 2620 W. Second Ave. in Denver and while not right next to most of the Denver five star hotels , if you’re a visitor, is definitely worth the drive. This theater venue is unique for those wanting to take in a live show on a budget or just looking for something unique to do with a Friday or Saturday evening. While you may not find stage classics being preformed you’re sure to find something related to the season and usually with a comedic twist.

Unlike most theaters, where concessions are expensive if not non- existent, the Dangerous Theater encourages it’s audience to come in and be comfortable. There is a social area with comfy seating, an appetizer buffet and a fridge full of refreshments that, while there is a donation basket out and donations are welcome, are on the house. The owner, Winnie Wenglewick , believes patron comfort is mandatory for them to truly appreciate the show to its fullest.

On Sunday the matinee performances raises the bar for other stage theaters further by offering a menu of delicious foods and sparkling cider included in ticket prices though the cabaret style table seating is limited. If you’re looking to enjoy wine or a cocktail with your show the theater doesn’t offer alcohol but openly welcomes patrons to bring their own, provided they are over 21.

When a business has grown or shrunk , it can be hard to admit that it is time to move, but it is almost always for the best. The hardest is when the business has shrunk because it still feels like you fit in the space, but now there are a number of empty desks and in some cases, there just isn’t enough money to keep paying rent on the building. Luckily for most companies finding the right place to relocate doesn’t have to be hard. There are a number of great commercial property management companies like Transglobe Property Management Services that are happy to help find the right place to relocate, with all the right amenities.

For some companies amenities can be the hardest part. Places like laundry mats, or restaurants need specific amenities so that the business can operate. Of course, Transglobe Property Management Services and others are often happy to take on challenges like this and find a place that fits the client’s needs. It is actually a red flag if they would not be willing to either build in the right amenities, or else find a place that can provide them. Property managers who won’t do this are often going to be hard for any company to get along with.

Visiting Cape Town is like walking into the past and the present all at once. This is the city where so many cultures of the world have been negotiating histories for a long time, and the complexity of events has resulted in a very interesting cultural landscape. Besides its status as a major city, with all the attractions, and wonderful Cape Town hotels as well, there are other reasons for visiting besides the usual tourist draws.

It’s very difficult to think of Cape Town without considering the vast musical history here. One evening in the city will always reveal why. It’s not only the nightclubs that are playing music that people can dance to, and in fact, music comes from every corner. It’s certainly nothing new, but there’s also nothing old about it either. Cape Town Jazz does include some traditional rhythms in its musical soup, but traditional here is something that’s always evolving into a future that’s just up the road a little ways.

Mac Mackenzie is just one of many professionals in Cape Town who can move through the complex levels of the city, and still speak about the history in a very personal way. He saw many of the changes of the past century, and his own guitar playing have taken the ride as well. The jazz he plays would more aptly be called goemma, blending the styles of at least three cultures at any given time, and it’s still just on the verge of another renaissance.

If you really love Impressionist Art, then you owe yourself a trip to San Francisco and the de Young museum. Throughout the summer, until September 6, the museum has an exhibit titled, “The Birth of Impressionism,” and features masterpieces from one of France’s best known museums, the Musee’ d’Orsay . It’s your chance to see in the United States art rarely available on this continent.

The exhibit contains a hundred, amazing paintings from the mid-to-late 19th century in France, including the American expatriate James Whistler’s “Arrangement in Gray and Black,” which is known by most people as “Whistler’s Mother.” That’s just the start, though, as the exhibit displays work by Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Sisley, as well as Edgar Degas’ paintings which depict the ballet and racetrack.

The most noted work in this exhibit includes Edouard Manet’s “The Fife Player” (1866); Edgar Degas’ “Racehorses Before the Stands” (1866-1868), “The Dancing Lesson” (1873-1876), and “Portraits of the Stock Exchange” (1878-1879); Claude Monet’s “The Magpie” (1868), “Saint-Lazare Station” (1877) and “Rue Montorgueil, Paris. Festival of June 30, 1878″ (1878); and Gustave Caillebotte’s “The Floor Scrapers” (1875). You’ll also find Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “The Swing” (1876), and Camille Pissarro’s “Red Roofs, Corner of the Village, Winter Effect” (1877).

If for any reason, you can’t make arrangements to get away during the summer and stay in one of the five star hotels in San Francisco , perhaps you can try a bit later in the year, and see the second Impressionist art exhibit held by the de Young. The museum presents, back to back with “The Birth of Impressionism,” “Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musee d’Orsay.” This exhibit will run until January 18th of 2011.

In this second exhibit, you’ll discover more amazing work: Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “A Dance in the Country” (1883); George Seurat’s “The Circus” (1891); Paul Cezanne’s “Still Life with Onions” (1895), and Henri Rousseau’s “The Snake Charmer” (1907). You’ll also have the opportunity to see Paul Gauguin’s “Portrait of the Artist with the Yellow Christ” (1889) and “Tahitian Women, On the Beach” (1891). You’ll also witness masterworks of Vincent Van Gogh, including “Self Portrait” (1887), “Starry Night over the Rhone” (1888), and “The Artist’s Bedroom at Arles” (1889).

The de Young and the Legion of Honor museums together make up the organization known as the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the largest public arts insitution in the city. If you wish to stop in at the Legion of Honor as well, it’s presenting, until September 26th, an exhibit titled, “Impressionist Paris: City of Light,” taking a close look at Paris and how it’s represented through 150 prints, drawings, paintings, photographs and illustrated books — a companion piece to the exhibits at the de Young.

Every city has their landmark sites to save up the money for and plan to visit. Washington DC has many incredible places to see and it is best to plan far in advance to visit each site. Sometimes they have to be by appointment. There is always costs involved with traveling around a city and many places have entrance fees. When you have paid out all you have and have seen all you planned to see but still have a day to explore, there are always some off shoot things to do that won’t cost very much.  

Washington DC has plenty of things to do when visiting that are fun and cost effective. The National Theatre has a pay what you can ticket to some great shows. This theatre is one of the oldest running theatres in the country and it is still putting on some great productions. They have some traveling Broadway shows, many local productions and they are all at price you can afford.  

At six in the evening each night there is a free performance featuring a broad spectrum of styles and cultures. You just never know what you may find. Or if you want to plan it into your trip than check out the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage for information on what is going to be happening while you are visiting.  

A quick ride from the lobby of the best hotel dc had available will get you to Meridian Hill Park for a Sunday late afternoon and evening drum circle. This gathering of African drummers and dancers has been going on every Sunday for 40 years. You are welcome to bring a drum and join in with the open forum of drummers. However, if it is raining, the activities usually don’t happen.  

There are many other cheap and fun things to do while in DC. Many of them are kid activities as well. So you don’t have to spend money on everything to have a great time in DC.

In August, Cape Cod is one of the best places for observing shore birds and seabirds. These migrating birds, coming up from Central America and part of the southern United States, breed in May, and in late June, fledglings appear and the migration begins in late July and peaks in August. Cape Cod is one of the busiest flyways along the Atlantic Coast, plus its an all around, resting, feeding and great socializing place to hang around for these fantastically fascinating birds.

The best time to book a room at a luxury hotel Cape Cod keeps available for its birders, is the last week of July and the first week of August. The best places to go are to Eastham and Chatham, but its Provincetown and the inner Cape beaches that can prove more fruitful. Chatham can be reached easily on foot; South Beach which is opposite Chatham, is very good at high tide when the shorebirds roost, because their feeding grounds is covered by water. Monomoy Island, is another great spot for bird watching, but it can only be reached by boat. You can contact the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, or the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History to arrange guided tours to Monomoy. When there, see if you can spot all 47 species of shorebirds, and a telescope would be very useful on North Monomoy, because this section has been roped off due to the breeding season.

The National Seashore Park in Eastham will be another rewarding birding spot, especially if there is a westerly wind. All the birds like to hunker down in the lee that Cape Cod provides. At Nauset Marsh, near Coast Guard Beach , you can enjoy a self-guided walk from Route 6 Interpretative Shelter, located across the boardwalk through the marsh.

It’s best to visit the same place on several consecutive days at different tides. This way, you’ll get to observe the changes in mix of species and the frenzied feedings at low tides, roosting at high tides and in the early evenings. Most birds tend to concentrate where the food is prior to migrating south in September, and the abundance of fish in the waters off Cape Cod is what draws an unusual amount of birds in huge numbers. Cape Cod is a veritable birders paradise.

When you go to Hong Kong you can catch a birthday party. The city is often hosting birthday parties for notable people and honored God’s. In August, they are going to be celebrating the birthday of Kwan Tai who is the God of War. He is the patron of the police and gangsters. Kwan Tai has later become the the symbol of integrity and loyalty in the Taoist way. You can see the eternal flame that burns for him at the Man Mo Temple which is a sight to see itself. It is incredible inside this old building on Hollywood Road and the street its on is filled with all sorts of shops and restaurants to enjoy. A good reason to get out of that hong kong hotel .

August also is the month to catch the very romantic festival of the Seven Sisters . This festival is based on the story of a weaver maid and her six older sisters. The duties of a weaver, daughter and wife. The art work on display features many needlework as well as needlework competitions. It is celebrated through out the rooftops of the city but the most popular place to get involved is at Lover’s Stone located on Bowen Road in the Wan Chai area.  

Maybe feeding a Hungry Ghost is more your speed. There is the Hungry Ghost Festival in August were you may see some roadside fires who were built by believers to burn fake money as an offering to the restless spirits. They also make special food to give to the ghosts to curb their appetite.  

If you are still in the city in late September, you will be apart of the Mid Autumn Festival. Every culture has their harvest festival and this one belongs to Hong Kong. It is filled with rich colors, crafts and harvest foods. The sky will be filled with the largest and brightest moon of the year. There will be lots of moon cakes and paper lanterns. Head over to Tai Hang which is close to Victoria Park and see the fire dragon make its way through the city streets. The fire dragon was the way to scare away the mighty python, keeping away the plague.

St. Petersburg, affectionately called St. Pete by the residents, is a city in Florida, and is known in many a travel directory as a great destination for summer vacations for both Americans and Europeans alike. St. Pete is located on a peninsula between Tampas Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. There are many tourist attractions and sights for vacationers to visit. The list below is a list of things to do besides enjoying the beach and soaking up the glorious Florida sun. Americans and especially Europeans like booking a hotel Florida USA , not only for the great accommodations and pricing, but for how conveniently located they are to all major sites.

The Pier. located at 800 Second Avenue N.E., is one of the most recognized waterfront landmarks in St. Pete’s. If you like to fish, The Pier has some of the best fishing spots around at the exterior of the building along the sea walls. You can rent fishing poles at The Pier Bait House . If you like to ride bikes, you can rent 2, 4, and 6 seater surrey bikes at Wheel Fun Rentals right across from the Pier Bait House. The Dolphin Queen is a boat you can hop aboard and it will take you to see wild dolphins. If you’d rather drive your own boat, you can rent an electric boat at The Electric Marina Boat rentals for 1/2 an hour, an hour or for the entire day, the boats seat up to 10 people and are equipped with all the safety features. If you still feel you need more to do while at The Pier, well there is plenty of shopping, galleries, restaurants and boutiques.

The Spa Beach Park isn’t too far from The Pier and is exactly as the name suggests, and is host to one of Sail America’s top events in the country and the largest sailboat show in the Southeast. ‘Strictly Sail St. Petersburg’ features an in-water show of 6 to 50 foot sailboats, equipment, gear and tons more, along with a free introductory sailing experience for visitors, as well as over 100 seminars, parties, activities and children’s activities, check with the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce for exact dates.

If you’re into Kayaking, then you’ll be very pleased with ‘ Carolina Mike’s Kayaking Adventures’ . Carolina Mike’s offers scheduled tours for day trips, multi-day trips, corporate and team building trips, plus you’ll get personal instructions. The instructors and guides are ACA certified and extremely personable and fun. You’ll be guided on a one-to-one basis and get to discover hidden treasures that are bountiful and abundant with scenic beauty. Custom arrangements can be made, and make sure to call Carolina Mike’s to hold dates and personal instructors for your arrival to St. Pete’s.

There are also inland activities, but hanging out around the water is where St. Pete really shines, and with the list above, you won’t have the time to see all the other amazing things to do, but then there’s always next year.

When visiting Santa Rosa, isn’t just for the wine tasting, the Howarth Park is a beautiful park that should be on your list of ‘things to do’ for the entire family. The park is surrounded by Oak and Eucalyptus trees, plus the park offers a nice variety of activities, like sailing, fishing, barbecuing, picnicking, jogging and tennis. The Carousel and Train run through the park during the summer months, so it’s a great place to bring the children.

Howarth Park has a huge play area that has two different play structures. One play structure is fantastic for climbing, sliding, running up and down ramps, monkey bars and the other play structure is a giant pyramid made of ropes, it’s large enough to handle 15 children at once and still not feel crowded. To keep the children cooled down during the summer months, Howarth Park has a water fountain that shoots water from holes in the ground , the children will love to run through the fountain, trying to catch when the next water hole will sprout up. The sandbox is also gigantic and has fun kid oriented statues.

The train rides, which simulates a 1863 C.P. Huntington Steam train, is a big hit with children and adults, the entire ride is narrated and the trip goes around a quarter mile track, over a bridge and through a tunnel; the paddle boats and small western facade town keep the children occupied for hours. Plus, there’s a petting zoo, pony rides and a fantastic Carousel, which is a very popular attraction with 30 horses, 2 chariots and over 1000 lights. If all of that still hasn’t worn you and your children out, then there’s Movies in the park at night, and clowns. The hotels Santa Rosa has to offer you and your family are perfectly happy to let you book another day or two in order to thoroughly explore this amazing park, because there’s another great thing about the park, it that it’s right next to the great outdoor area where there’s plenty of hiking, and biking trails to do some more exploring.