I have written about our stay in the Spanish Castle before. The short version is this castle was the birthplace to modern Spain. King Ferdinand II (of Aragon) and Queen Isabella I (of Castille) were married here, setting the stage for the unification of Spain.
It's an amazing place and if you ever find yourself in the middle of Spain, I highly suggest you spend a few nights in the castle of Alcañiz!
We spent an afternoon boating around Charleston Harbor this summer and had a great time. Charleston will always be intertwined with the ocean so seeing it from the water just seems natural. This boat takes tours from the docks next to the South Carolina Aquarium to Fort Sumter and back. Pictured in the background is Castle Pinckney. Some day, I hope to get inside Castle Pinckney for a little photo tour. Its history is almost as fascinating as Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, located just on the other side of the harbor.
This photograph was captured with a Sony a6300.
We've almost made it through Shark Week and paradise — or at least Paradise Island — is in sight. This little, run-down lighthouse perched at the far end of the island belies the glamor and splendor that lies beyond.
Seen in the background is the incomparable Atlantis Resort and Casino. This really is an island fit for a Bond villain — or hero.
This photograph was captured with a Sony NEX-7.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about our stay in the Alcañiz Castle under the Spanish Paradores program. Here's the view from our balcony, looking down the wall of the castle. It was an amazing place and a tremendous travel find. It's probably the least expensive European "hotel" that I have ever stayed in — and it's a castle!
This photograph was captured with a Canon IXUS 30 and edited in Adobe Lightroom.
The castle in Alcañiz was once the center of the Spanish kingdom. King Ferdinand II (of Aragon) and Queen Isabella I (of Castille) were married, setting the stage for the unification of Spain. When we visited Alcañiz on a roadtrip from Barcelona to Madrid, we stayed in the castle through Spain's excellence Paradores program. Under the program, Spain turns historic castles, monasteries and other important historic buildings into hotels, ensuring they are properly maintained for future generations. There was only one other couple in the entire castle when we visited and it was the most affordable place we stayed in during the entire trip. If you are planning a trip to Spain, I highly recommend you check out the Paradores.
This photograph was taken with a tiny Canon IXUS 30 and edited in Adobe Lightroom.
You can purchase this photograph at Smugmug
There are two things that stand out most from my first trip to the Magic Kingdom: the castle on the horizon as you work your way down Main Street USA and the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. This is a photograph captures both with a view of the castle from the treehouse. I still love climbing through that tremendous tree fort! We have some pretty tall Oak trees in our yard. I wonder if I could get away with recreating the treehouse in Charlotte.
This photograph was captured with a Nikon D90.