Spring Break on Siesta Key

We took a whirlwind tour of Florida for Spring Break last week. One of the stops was in beautiful Siesta Key Beach. The bright white sand reflects the sun so much that it never gets too hot for bare feet. The water was perfect, too, with a super low grade so you could walk out a hundred yards and still be above water. Even better, there was no riptide whatsoever so it was completely kid friendly. Terrible for surfing but great for not losing your kids to a nasty rip! 

They had another unique feature that made it really easy to find our friends. Rather than number the lifeguard houses, each one is a different color. Our friends set up a few coolers and blankets next to the green house and we knew exactly where we were headed even before we got out of the Jeep. 

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone that just happens to be on sale $340 off at the moment!

Palm Cove

To me, this pool means summer! This is Palm Cove, one of half a dozen pools nestled on the grounds at Wild Dunes Resort, just outside of Charleston. I grew up driving to Wild Dunes from Chicago for a week every summer with my family. Now, we live a lot closer (less than three hours away) and we spend at least one week every summer at Wild Dunes with our kids. When we're there, you can usually find us at Palm Cove. 

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone that just happens to be on sale $340 off at the moment!

Butterbeer

We spent Spring Break last week in Florida and I finally got to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. What an amazing place for a Harry Potter fan! After trying butterbeer, it seems people are clearly in one of two camps: those who hate it and those who love it. I fall into the latter category! 

This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7. 

Toro del Sol

The interior of Spain really surprised me with it's arid landscapes. And giant windmills. And huge bull cutouts. Much like the Mail Pouch Chew barn advertisements in America, the Osborne bull was a billboard for Osborne Sherry. The sherry dates back to 1772. The bull billboards date back to 1956. 

This photograph was captured with a Canon IXUS 30 after our other camera was stolen in Barcelona (I promise I'll tell that story some day). 

Go Heels!

Rumor has it that if you drink out of the Old Well on your first day of school, you'll get straight A's or something like that. Given the propensity for shenanigans on a college campus after the bars close and the Old Well's proximity to the bars, I always passed on the "opportunity" but it does make a nice story for incoming students. 

Let's go Tar Heels in the NCAA Championship tonight!

This photograph was captured with a tiny Canon Powershot camera. 

Positano

Positano is one of my favorite villages in Europe. The movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, tried hard to ruin it and certainly did introduce a whole lot more tourists from the UK and USA but it is still a fantastic place to spend a little downtime.

The beach is made up of giant pebbles (like in Nice), which is a totally different experience for those who are accustomed to sandy beaches. Laying on the beach can be like a hot stone session at a spa. There are bars and restaurants in caves and on mountaintops. There are even small castle-like watchtowers with giant fire pits on their roofs that were once used to warn neighboring villages of pirate attacks Lord of the Rings-style.

When we first visited back in 2001, nobody in town spoke English. In the post Under the Tuscan Sun era, every other local speaks at least some English so it's even more approachable now than ever. I'd still recommend learning a little Italian before setting off, though, the locals will certainly appreciate it.

Second Ward

The hardest part of taking photographs of urban landscapes is finding a unique perspective. With a little help from my drone, I think I've captured a unique view of Uptown Charlotte that nobody has seen before. I love the way the city frames itself!

This photograph ws captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional that just happens to be $400 right now. 

Playa Mujeres

It's Friday! Here's a little inspiration for the weekend from Secrets Playa Mujeres, just outside of Cancún, Mexico.  

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional.  

The Louvre

There are three types of people in the world. People who love the pyramid addition to the Louvre, people who hate it and people who don't even know what I'm talking about. I never saw the Louvre before the pyramid but I have to admit that I like it!

This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90. 

West Morehead

This is West Morehead street in March 2016. I imagine this scene will change dramatically over the next two to three years. It's exciting to watch Charlotte growing so quickly all around us!

This photograph was captured with a DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.