Starling Travel

After my grandpa died, I scanned in all the photos that we found in his house. Going through them, I found this photograph of my grandmother. Click on it to see full-size.

This was my grandma in her blond phase. I remember as a child, she told me that she had been blond for a while, but she didn’t like it. She looks like a knockout to me, so maybe there was something else about being blond that she didn’t like. I have NO IDEA who the ruffian with the bandaged forehead is. It’s certainly not any of her three husbands.

The photograph isn’t quite as important as the cover it was enclosed in. This is the front:

It reads:

Birdland: Nightly Concerts of Jazz

Broadway and 52nd Street, New York

This is the inside cover:

I knew that my grandmother had traveled greatly over her years, but when I saw this photograph, her life suddenly became an adventure that I had only briefly glimpsed. Birdland Jazz Club was the hip jazz club in New York where all the cool cats played.

• Birdland (jazz club) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It still exists today, if not in the original location.

• Birdland
• Birdland Jazz Club on Google Maps

Knowing that my grandmother was a small part of that historical place makes me happy. How I wish she had told me the story of the night she went to Birdland and who she saw play there.

Michael and I were at the car show last week and we saw this truly awesome truck and camper. Click on it to see it full-sized.

I stepped inside and took a peek at the camper and it was the most efficient little space I had ever seen. I imagined myself going to Yellowstone in the sixties and feeding bears out of the window. Maybe we would have taken it to see Old Faithful.

Motorhomes and trailers today are HUGE. I have never camped in a trailer, but I think that a small one like this might be enough to tempt me.

After seeing this video, I immediately wanted to hop on a plane to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Throughout the entire video, I was trying to figure out which city it was. I had pretty much decided that it must be Austin, Texas, because they were the coolest city I knew with bridges and a population willing to participate in a video like this.

This is a LONG video (over ten minutes), but it is totally worth it right to the very last minute. Give it a watch:

Video via: I’m Not Working Hard Enough – Amazing Video | Nice Photography Magazine – The “Why To” Magazine about Creative Photography and Film Making

Mike and I found this old photo of Las Vegas in an antique store a few months ago.

The caption reads:

Modern Version of the Old West – Las Vegas, Nevada

Vegas Studio

The cars in the photo look like they are from the late Forties or early Fifties. The I can see Hotel Apache and its casino, the Boulder Club, Overland Hotel, Hotel Sal Sagey, The Las Vegas Club, and Boulder Drugs.

Seeing the Boulder Club and Boulder Drugs in this photo, made me think that it wasn’t a photo of Las Vegas at all, but rather Boulder City, Nevada. That city, however, hasn’t allowed gambling since 1932, so it couldn’t be a photo of Boulder.

Adding to the mystery is the handwritten note on the back of the photo:

It reads:

This must be one of the side streets, as main street has neon the full length and full height of the buildings.

So, even the person who sent this picture to a loved one so long ago didn’t recognize which street in Las Vegas it was. I was able to find an old postcard for the Apache Hotel on Flicker, but it didn’t have an address.

Hotel Apache was most definitely in downtown Las Vegas. In fact, in 1932, when it was built, it was the first building with an elevator in Nevada. You can find out more about it here:

• Early Vegas: 1930’s Vegas – Apache Hotel

It appears to have NOTHING to do with the current-day Apache Motel that is on Main Street of Las Vegas. The building is completely different.

To me, the best part of this touristy photograph is the title: Modern Version of the Old West. Eighty years after Hotel Apache was first built, this picture is looking not very modern at all.

We had a relaxing time snorkeling at Infinity Bay in Roatan, Honduras. You can see the video here:

We paid the resort fee to Infinity Bay so we would have chairs and umbrellas to sit under. They also had an awesome guard so we could snorkel without worrying about anyone taking our stuff. It was totally worth the money!

They also had a waiter there to bring us food and drinks. There was an additional charge for the food (it wasn’t included in the resort fee), but it was tasty!

Most importantly, the snorkeling was AMAZING! I filmed so many different species of fish that I felt as if I were in an aquarium instead of swimming in the ocean. I wish I could have stayed there a week!

Mike and I were lucky enough to swim with some stingrays in Cozumel earlier this month. We went to Stingray Beach. You can see the video here:

It was such an amazing experience that I would gladly do it again next time we are in Cozumel!

Mike and I went on a cruise on the Mexican Riviera and in Cabo San Lucas, we went whale watching on the Caborey catamaran. They didn’t disappoint, because we saw a lot of whales playing in the water.

It was really hard to get good pictures of the whales breaching, but I got some video. You can see it here:

We went on the Caborey, which is a large catamaran that you can buy tickets to ride. Here is a video about it:

This week’s postcard was sent to Mrs. E. P. Bejot in Ainsworth, Nebraska on June 23, 1959.

The postcard reads:

Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, Ala.

Fountain and Courtyard, looking toward the Isle-Au-Oies River along one of the picturesque flagstone walks.

Pub. by Deep South Specialties, Inc., P.O. Box 1802, Jackson, Miss.

Color photo by WM. W. Lavendar

The letter to Mrs. Bejot reads:

Henrie has a 3 Day Pass, so we drove over here this a.m. to visit some of the interesting places. Went thru these 60 acres of Bellingrath Gardens this afternoon – really fabulous. Stopped at Pensacola as they came over, went thru old J. R. Pickens, etc. – will go back tomorrow. Is pretty hot here now but am so thankful for air conditioners – have a good one in motel where we are staying tonite. Hope all are well.

Love, Pearle

Pearle sent many postcards to Mrs. Bejot over the years and this one is beautiful. She must have been a devoted friend/daughter/sister. However they were related, Mrs. Bejot saved Pearle’s postcards with care.

Bellingrath Gardens still enthralls visitors today.

View Larger Map

Bellingrath Gardens
12401 Bellingrath Road, Theodore, AL
Phone: (251) 973-2217‎

Here is a slideshow of photos from the gardens:

I saw this vintage advertisement and it made me think of Las Vegas.

The best way to win it big in Las Vegas is EASY. Here is the secret:

DO NOT GAMBLE!

If you go to Las Vegas, stay in a nice hotel for a low price, eat at the fancy restaurants for nearly nothing and enjoy the museums, exhibits and attractions without gambling, then you come out a winner every time.

Photo via: vintage_ads: Winning Big In Vegas

This postcard from PostSecret made me so happy.

Here is the front of the card:

It reads:

Your pal, Mickey Mouse
Love, Minnie Mouse XOXO

Here is the back of the card:

It reads:

The best part of my job is seeing your child’s face as they meet their “best friend.” Don’t ruin it by rushing them for a pic. Hearing them talk is the best part!

I love knowing that the people who play the characters at Disneyland actually CARE about the kids. I had seen an inkling of it, watching them sign the autograph books for the children, but knowing that my thoughts are true makes me want to visit The Happiest Place on Earth again.

How long until I can go to Disneyland again?

PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.