Head to Honduras and the Bay Islands

by Erik Olsen on

Years ago I was passing through
Central America on a long, long trip back from Chile and making my way to Los Angeles. Along the way, I saw many of our
planet’s Central American countries, but very few of them did I get to see up close and personal. As a diver, the one
place I really wanted to see and experience is Honduras’ Bay islands,
where the diving is said to be spectacular, if the accommodations can be rather spare.

Well, right now there
are some cool deals to be had to make your way to Honduras…$675 for a week of accommodations, if this article is to be believed.

While the country
is not a hot bed of typical tourism, which is a good if not great thing, it can be challenging, but a great place to
go. And for US-based folks, it’s cool to know that Honduras is a mere three hours flight from Miami. The cultural
experience of Honduras is also rich and varied, with numerous  indigenous and mixed origin language groups, as
well as great music and food. And as I mentioned, there are the Bay Islands, which lie just thirty-five miles off the
coast. The reefs there are said the be the Western hemisphere’s excuse for the Great Barrier Reef. The resorts
there – Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja – are big time hot. So check out this piece and give the matter some thought. Oh,
and as the article points out here, Honduras is one of the cheapest places round to get certified.

Top Ten Wine Regions

by Erik Olsen on

There is nothing quite like mixing your travel with some,
shall we say, elegant decadence. Sure, we often going on and on about how to get outdoors and kayak and hike and
camp…but there are many pleasures to be had in travel that don’t involve sweat and toil. And among these there are
two that we recommend highly: drinking and eating. So where the former is concerned, let me direct you to this fine article over at MSNBC that extols the virtues of the top ten wine regions
on the world. Most of them are abroad, of course, like the famous Loire
Valley in France. Or Andalucía
in Spain. But then there’s California,
easily the most famous and successful wine region in the US.

Energy Drink Review

by Erik Olsen on

All those awful-tasting energy drinks out there,
which ones should you buy? You can’t trust the commercials because, hey, they’re commercials. But you know what you
need in a drink: you want that pep so you can get through the day, but you just don’t want the stuff to taste like
Robitussin. Myself, I’ve long been a Red Bull fan. I tried a couple of other drinks along th3e way, but none quite
tasted as good (if "good" is the right word) or had the kick of a good old Red Bull. And mix that stuff with
Vodka on a night out, as many of us know, and you’ve got a satisfying concoction to carry you through the evening. Not
that we’re advocating alcoholic beverages here. Except that we like them.

OK, but back to this whole energy
drink business? Who can you trust? Well, what about  this
character who has now tried and posted for your edification some hundred plus energy drink reviews. This dude is
serious…and probably in serious need of a doctor’s visit. Can you say cardio infarction? I knew you could.

But hey, nothing like benefiting from someone else’s lack of good sense.

And in case you were wondering,
here is just a sampling of the drinks tested:

Source Burn Energy Drink
Rhino’s Energy Drink
Mad Croc Energy Gum
Pollen Burst
Google Gulp
Rockstar Energy Cola
Monster Assault
Anastasia Energy Attack
Energy Drink Ingredients
Full Throttle
Energy Boost Amazinger
Killer Buzz
Airforce Nutrisoda Immune
Rawling R EX2 Citrus punch
check it out
Wired X3000
Power Trip Energy Drink
Bliss Energy Drink
Gorilla Juice energy drink
Shakti energy drink

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

by Adrienne Wilson on

If your kids are into
incredibly sticky and sugary-sweet things mark your calendars for April 1, 2006. Recognized in the Guinness Book of
World Records as the world’s largest maple syrup festivals the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is held once as year and is
considered a true sign of spring for Canadian residents and for visitors from all over the world. Located just a
wee-bit outside of urban Ontario, the Elmira area
is rural, laid-back and provides an abundance of outdoor activity like hiking and canoeing aside from a day harvesting
syrup. As a family you’ll want to roll into the event as early as possible so the kids can experience the MegaMutts Dog
Show, Old MacDonald’s Farm and stack up their tasty breakfast pancakes to cover them in the delicious maple syrup. For
mom and pop activities include an antique and collectible show, Sugarbrush tour and pancake flipping contest.

Fiesta Sa Nayon Restaurant

by Adrienne Wilson on

Whenever a
restaurant is without even a little information on the web I somehow feel obligated to check out the establishment,
taste the food, and report the findings just in case some other curious individual out there decides to follow my
trails. Such is the case with the Fiesta
Sa Nayon Filipino restaurant in Orlando, FL. A friend of mine, an Orlando native and expert in delicious Filipino
food, recommended the place when I called to inform her I was in route to O-Town and feigning for some good old pancit.
After disconnecting I immediately went hunting on the web via my cell phone to see what I could uncover about this
palace of palatable plates. Nothing in terms of food reviews or a restaurant website, just the address information.

So since I’ve gone, eaten, conquered, got my belly full it’s time for my two cents on the place. Fiesta
Sa Nayon – two words: Go Now! Either it’s been ages since I’ve tasted delicious food from my birth country or
it was truly that delectable. When I walked in I didn’t see anyone dining inside, but a woman was awaiting her order to
go and since I was in no great hurry I decided to sit. The very simplistic interior gives it the family feel with small
decorations and newspaper clippings from the Philippines decorating the walls for the ethnic twist. Making myself quite
cozy I started with a beverage and order of spring rolls. I took my time deciding what to order, eyes glazing over the
menu and jumping out at dish descriptions that professed having an intriguing taste.

My selections ended up
being the chicken adobo, sizzling beef, and bihon. While I was certainly expecting more form the bihon the sizzling beef
made up for every missing sensation my taste buds were hoping to gather from the noodles. From the moment I placed the
savory beef in my mouth I felt as if every bone in my body would melt. I was in Filipino food heaven. The chicken adobo
was not bad either, but it was seriously the beef that would make me go back over and over again. Whether the taste was
intriguing I have no clue, but for lack of better words it was delish.

Excellent food, reasonably priced,
well attuned wait staff, and cozy atmosphere make it a thumbs-upper in my book. What are you waiting for? Fiesta Sa
Nayon is located at 9468 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837.