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Explore Chacchoben Ruins and Blue Lagoon in Costa Maya, Mexico
Photos, story by Cassie Hepler When I was planning which cruise to take with Princess Cruises, I was obsessed with the 10 day cruise from Galveston, Texas because it included the Cayman Islands and Belize. As part of the press trip package, we were limited to 7 days so I chose the one that included Costa Maya which borders Belize and shares the same reef territory, great for snorkeling and diving. Costa Maya is also free from high rise chain hotels leaving its lagoons, archaeological gems and coastline free from clutter. And the 7 day cruise still stopped to see Roatan, Honduras so most bucket list items were checked off.…
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Paris, je t’aime! An American Reminisces on Her Love Affair with France
Story, photos by Jill Beckel Bonjour! It is hard to say where my obsession with Paris started, but I am honestly not sure. I know that I dreamed about going to Paris as child and something about it always fascinated me. I took French throughout middle school and three years of high school. However, I am by no means fluent. I can pick up phrases and written words here and there, but definitely could not hold my own in a full-on on conversation in French (I did try to brush up with the Duolingo app before this trip). Once I was in college, I knew that I wanted to travel…
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Pretty in Pink at Philadelphia’s Morris Arboretum’s Cherry Blossom Festival
“To see the cherry hung with snow.” — Alfred E. Housman No explication necessary. Poet Housman here nailed it with the “hung with snow” phrase. Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. – Alfred E. Housman Story, photos by Sharon Kozden Slowly but surely, “I’ve been turning Japanese, turning Japanese, I really think so.” This transmogrification began at least a decade ago, when one day I awoke, surveyed my surroundings and determined that the sheer volume of what my mother calls dust-catchers (read: tchotchkes) had to be jettisoned–stat. I set to divesting myself of…
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Twinkle, Twinkle: Era Contemporary Showcases Stargarden Exhibit at Da Vinci Art Alliance
Era Contemporary announces exhibit with beautifully rendered photograph. Story, photos by Sharon Kozden When Jessica Libor, artist, graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and director of Era Contemporary, “a pop-up art gallery that showcases artwork by living artists who display a unique vision and a focus on magical realism,” recently called for submissions, artists delivered. The exhibit, entitled StarGarden was held Friday, September 1st at Philadelphia’s Da Vinci Art Alliance. Curated by Libor, it fused the sublime mystery of the celestial night sky’s cosmos with the tangible beauty of floral and fauna on magical terra firma. So when Cassie Hepler called for a writer and photographer to cover the event, my shooting star-swift affirmative response confirmed my presence at…
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No Libs 8th Annual Street Festival Keeping Philly Cool
Story, photos by Jae Rich The 8th Annual No Libs Street Festival was filled with everything you can imagine a festival could have on Sunday, August 7, 2016. Bass booming musicians, street performances, games, food and curb to curb people aligned 6 blocks of the northern liberty section of Philadelphia. The annual block party celebrated the community and amazing culture in Northern Liberties. The all day free festival included over 150 vendors from restaurants, beer gardens, authors, art galleries, and a variety of local business owners and entrepreneurs. With an eclectic and explosive musical lineup from local favorites the 2nd street festival was truly a party filled with libations, locals,…
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Trevor Noah Wins Lots of Laughs at SugarHouse Casino
Story, photos (unless otherwise noted) by Tim Beckel The crowd at the SugarHouse Casino’s Event Center left full of laughs after enjoying Trevor Noah’s standup routine on a Spring Saturday. Noah, host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, performed his stand-up for a sold out crowd and touched on topics outside the usual current events slant of his show, including his experiences traveling and many riffs on the differences between the U.S. and his native South Africa. The night started with Angelo Lozada warming up the crowd as the opening act. Lozada has been a stand-up comedian for many years, but joked that he needed an immigrant from Africa to help him get his break. In addition to…