Scenic Runway

“Forever Marilyn,” the 26-foot-tall Marilyn Monroe statue is currently located in front of the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California, facing Palm Canyon Drive.

There are so many ways to freshen up your home decor. One way is to update the pictures on your walls. How about enlarging your vacation pictures or simply adding flowers to decor. Flowers have a way of adding beauty to any room in the house!

Stonehenge, located in Wiltshire, England approximately 85 miles from London, is a prehistoric stone monument whose origins is still debated to this day. Our journey to Stonehenge was after spending several days in London. London is an amazing international city with many attractions and a very crowded city. We were in need of open spaces and the serenity that it would bring.

The drive to Stonehenge from the center of London was approximately 90 minutes. While others within our tour took advantage of the travel time to sleep I found myself enjoying the scenic view. I am fascinated with the color of the grass in England which is a beautiful shade of green. I have no doubt that this is a result of the frequent rainfall. I tried to capture the beauty of the English countryside with my camera. But as hard as I tried a camera could not do justice to the beauty of the English countryside. It is a sight that needs to be seen to truly appreciate its beauty.

As we arrived in Wiltshire all signs pointed to Stonehenge. Traffic entering into the parking lot of Stonehenge was a little slow on the day of our visit. I am sure it was because of the beautiful weather of that day. Upon our arrival at Stonehenge we immediately waited in line for the shuttle to take us closer to the prehistoric stone monument. We wanted to get there as early as possible before the crowds in order to take the best pictures. If I did not mention it earlier, Stonehenge is located in the middle of a field. Some tourists were adventurous enough to walk from the visitors center to the prehistoric stone monument but we decided the shuttle was much quicker.

In order to preserve the structure, Stonehenge is protected by some distance with protective rope that prevents the visitor from coming to close and touching it. For years, I have heard about the wonder and beauty of Stonehenge but never did I think I would have the opportunity to see it personally. All I could say was “wow”, how was this structure built, when, by whom and how is this structure still standing after thousands of years in the middle of a field in the English countryside? We may never know the true origins but one thing is certain it is an awe-inspiring sight!

The Ponte Vecchio

Florence is located in the beautiful and scenic Tuscany region of Italy. Florence is known for its beauty, history, architecture and museums. Florence is also known worldwide for its leather products and 18k gold jewelry. Where ever I travel I always make it a point to ask locals where they shop. This was certainly the case when shopping in Florence, Italy.

Basilica of Santa Croce

During our trip to Florence I asked our tour guide where she would normally buy Florentine leather and gold products. Without any hesitation she said Misuri – The Leather Guild and The Gold Market located in the historic square of Piazza Santa Croce. The inventory of leather and 18k gold was absolutely amazing! My preference in jewelry is gold. I literally had to take a deep breath when viewing the beautiful 18k jewelry made in Florence. I was like a kid in a candy store. There were so many choices I could not decide what to purchase. I eventually decided on two items, a delicate necklace that when the light hits it shimmers beautifully and a Rolo chain bracelet. I also purchased two leather handbags, a leather bracelet and a leather lipstick holder, all are inscribed with “Made In Italy”. Whenever I open the lipstick holder and see the “Made in Italy” inscription I am reminded of the amazing shopping experience in Florence, Italy.

Located in Central Texas, Austin is the capital city of Texas. One of the first things you notice once you land in Austin is the Heart of Austin sign displaying “Austin Live Music Capital of the World”.

Austin Sign at Airport