Around the World in 30 Days -- Dallas

Photo by A. Sikes

Here we are on Day 4 of A to Z Blogging, and the Passenger to Paradise has chosen Dallas as her select travel destination. Actually she doesn't know much about the city itself, but she's spent a great deal of time in the airport there. The Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport serves as a hub for American Airlines, and the Passenger has sat for many hours in the airport waiting to change planes. She has often raced from one concourse to another hoping not to miss a flight. She has waited out thunderstorms sitting on the tarmac there, and along the way, she's learned a lot about the airport restaurants.

On a couple of occasions, the Passenger has ventured from the airport to attend conferences in one of the big city hotels. While the conferences were informative, the weather was always dry and very hot and she never visited inside the real city.

The old TV series, "Dallas," portrayed the area in a more exciting and interesting way. But she hasn't seen that part of the city.

Still, the Passenger to Paradise thrills to the name, Dallas. It's the gateway to adventure and excitement. It leads to Hawaii, California, Phoenix and Sedona. It's the sound of magic!

What about you? What have your experiences been like in Dallas? Have you seen the real city?

Around the World in 30 Days -- Canadian Rockies

"Rocky Mountain High" oil painting, 5' x8' - MMSikes

Around the World in 30 Days with the Passenger to Paradise hits Day 3 and C with the Canadian Rockies as the chosen destination. Visiting those rugged Rockies is a journey the Passenger has dreamed about for many years. While she was in graduate school in the painting department at Virginia Commonwealth University, she created a master's thesis exhibition of large paintings focusing on the Rocky Mountains. One painting, "Rocky Mountain High," is reproduced here. Photographs and slides she took in and of those mountains were the reference materials for her paintings.

However, she has never seen the Canadian Rockies. Her hope and dream is to someday take a train trip through the mountains, creating a series of photographs along the way.

Have you visited the Canadian Rockies? How are they different from the Rockies of our western states?

Around the World in 30 Days -- Day Two

"Waiting for a Launch" MM Sikes

For Day Two in Around the World in 30 Days, the Passenger to Paradise has chosen Bonita Springs, FL for her exotic destination. This quaint location on the west coast of the state, located north of Marco Island between Naples and Fort Meyers, is more like old Florida beach life once was.

Once named Survey, Bonita Springs began to grow once construction of the Tamiami Trail began in 1915, connecting Tampa with Miami. The road is now the southernmost section of Rt. 41.(Last summer the Passenger to Paradise was photographed in front of a sign in northern Wisconsin denoting the beginning of Rt. 41.)
Alligators are often found along this route between Miami and Naples which is one lane each way and has no fencing to keep the wildlife out.

"A Little Bit of Jungle at Bonita Springs" MMSikes

The Passenger to Paradise enjoyed her visit to the Bonita Springs area because it is so different from the east coast beaches with which she is most familiar.

Do you enjoy cosmopolitan beach areas or something a little bit more rugged? Do you want a beach lost beneath a sea of umbrellas or a community with history?

Around the World in 30 Days -- Day One

"On the Edge of Night" MMSikes

Around the World in 30 Days is the topic of my blog for the Blogger A to Z Challenge this month. The Passenger to Paradise loves beautiful and fascinating travel destinations. The Caribbean island of Anguilla is one of her favorites. She last visited the island several years ago when it was more exotic and difficult to reach than it appears to be today. At the time, the Passenger took a catamaran day trip from Simpson Bay on Sint Maarten to Anguilla. The vessel anchored off the coast of the island, and the passengers climbed into a small boat that carried them close to shore. Unfortunately, as he waded toward shore, one of the passengers dropped his 35mm camera into the rough waves that pounded the shoreline.

For the Passenger, a fantasy aura seemed to fall over the island which was quiet and not nearly so populated as Sint Maarten. Some of the resort properties she visited that day possessed the exquisite appearance of miniature wonderland palaces. Ever since that visit, the Passenger has dreamed of returning. Perhaps one day she will ...