I love a good carnival, but all of the fairs and festivals in my life have been compared to the Wisconsin State Fair, the fair of my childhood. My dad is from Milwaukee and every year when I was a kid he would take my brother and I home to see our grandparents and every year he would make sure we went when the State Fair was in full swing. I was very happy to find that over 30 years later it was pretty much still how I remembered it. I used to say “one of these days I’ll make it back to the Wisconsin State Fair”, and finally “one of those days” was realized. I had a great time and hope you enjoy these just-for-fun photos of the Wisconsin State Fair.
During my summer breaks in college, I lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a nice break from my studies and all of the other things I was involved with at school in Pennsylvania. I could sleep in, work for a few hours at a restaurant and then hang out with my friends. I have lots of good memories from my three summers in Myrtle Beach. After graduation I came down and took some time off from the real world to hang out at the beach. It was fun and I made some great friends. Through the years, I've watched Myrtle Beach turn from a medium sized beach community into The Grand Strand and seen as big chains have some in and the small, family run places have closed down. It's not what it once was, but it's still a pretty beach and a fun place to be. One of my favorite things about Myrtle Beach is some of the delightfully tacky roadside attractions to be found there. While some of these are new, many have been around as long as I can remember. I thought it would be fun to photograph some of these mini-golf courses and restaurants and bring you some of my favorites here. This was a fun project and I hope you enjoy these photos.
Having lived in New Orleans for a few years, the music and culture have become a part of me. I listen to brass music and can cook a mean pot of Gumbo, and a bottle of Abita beer always makes me smile. Never do I miss New Orleans more than during Mardi Gras. For those who don't know, Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" and is the day before Ash Wedesday, the first day of lent. Before giving up things for the forty days before Easter, you should do them in excess, and that is what Mardi Gras is all about: fun, dancing, silly costumes, food and drink. While I would love to spend every Mardi Gras in Louisiana, it's not always possible, but I do always try and celebrate it in whatever way I can. Even when I lived in Japan, I had a Mardi Gras party to celebrate with my friends. This year, I celebrated it with the wonderful people of Marshall, North Carolina with a parade, music, food and drink...
