Vacation Time!!!

I won't be posting any travel photos for awhile. We're leaving on a 3 week vacation tomorrow. We're going on a 10 day Caribbean cruise on the Princess Cruise Lines ship, Dawn Princess. We visit 5 islands: Curacao, Isla Margarita, Barbados, Dominica and St. Thomas. Plus, Princess's private island, Princess Cays. You can check our progress on the Dawn Princess Bridge Cam beginning April 9th. The cruise will be bookended by 2 shorter trips, one a driving trip up the coast to Charleston, SC...and the other a 5 day stay in the Fort Lauderdale area post cruise. Expect to see some tropical photos when we return.

Skyline Arch, Arches National Park, Utah. 

Along the Sonoma coast in Northern California. 

VIA Rail Station, Qualicum Beach, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 

A look at the Lower Town from Dufferin Terrace, Quebec City, Quebec. (Scanned Print) 

This is an old Motor Court motel in Lincoln City, Oregon. It's been converted into shops. I like searching for pieces of roadside history such as this. 

The East Front Gardens at Hampton Court Palace, near London, England. 

Wukoki Pueblo at Wupatki National Monument, Arizona. 

A side street in Quebec City, Quebec. (Scanned Print) 

Regent Street in London , England. I love the way these buildings follow the curve of the street to Piccadilly Circus. 

This is a row of historic homes located in the West End of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. This is a wonderful neighborhood to stroll and see a wide variety of architectural styles. 

Railroad and History buffs will enjoy taking the East Grade Auto Tour at Golden Spike National Historic Site in Utah. It follows the original railroad grade to Promontory, Utah, and you drive through a number of cuts made in 1869. 

This is the interior of one of the historic streetcars that run in Portland, Oregon on weekends. They are all in excellent condition...check out the original wicker seats. 

Disneyland Paris Part Three

When Disneyland Paris closes for the day, don't head back to the train station and Paris just yet. Be sure and check out Disney Village located just past the RER Station. It is an interesting collection of stores, clubs and restaurants. It's theme is a look at American Pop Culture, with a European twist. It's a similar idea to Downtown Disney, located just outside the main gate to Disneyland in California. But, in my opinion, it's much better. While I found Downtown Disney to be stuffy, overpriced and unimaginative, Disney Village is just the opposite. It is just chock full of creative energy that leaps out at you at every turn. And it is full of neon... I like neon!

Front entrance to Disney Village. 

Le Legende de Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show is supposed to be a very good and popular show. It features real live Cowboys and Indians, recruited from the American Southwest.

Annette's Drive In is THE place to go for le cheeseburger et frites. 

And of course there has to be an Elvis sighting. 

There's wonderful neon signs everywhere you look. 

Billy Bob's is a happinin' place. Check out his snazzy shirt. 

Oh, did I mention the neon? 

Disneyland Paris Part Two

This time around I want to focus on what makes Disneyland Paris unique, and sets it apart from the two parks in the United States. The main thing to me was the attention shown to details. Even little things like signs and bathrooms looked wonderful. A lot of thought was given to visual appeal at Disneyland Paris, and that is what sets it apart from the other parks in my mind.

Running parallel with Main Street are two enclosed Arcades which run behind the shops along Main Street and feature little cafes and bay window displays. This is Discovery Arcade. 

This wonderful detail is at Main Street Station on the Disneyland Railroad. 

Believe it or not this is just the entrance to the bathrooms in Frontierland. It really captures the Santa Fe style of architecture. 

Even the direction signs on Adventure Isle show a lot of great detail. 

An excellent example of the work that went into making Disneyland so visually attractive.  

Sleeping Beauty Castle..Le Chateau la Belle au Bois Dormant..has these wonderful Stained Glass Windows on the upper floor.