Photo of the Day (6/03/08)

by Jamie Rhein on

There are some items you can look at and pinpoint exactly where the picture was taken. JasonBechtel snapped this in Sante Fe, New Mexico, capturing one item for sale in the Southwest that gives a nod to the desert/ranch scene and a little Georgia O’Keefe. I found a cow skull once when I was hiking in New Mexico and thought my brother might like it. Since there was still some grizzle on it, (it wasn’t as gross at it sounds,) I soaked it in bleach for a mighty, mighty, mighty long time.

If you click here, you’ll see another one of Jason’s shots that captures another aspect of New Mexico. Oh, how I miss those sunsets.

If you have a photo that captures somewhere you’ve been, add it to the Gadling Flickr photo pool.

Pair Travel Writing and Photography at a Yucatan Retreat

by Jamie Rhein on

Every once in awhile I hear about a trip that makes me think, sure, I can go. That is until reality sets in. If this trip was just a week later, I could probably talk myself into swinging it. The dates don’t work for me, but perhaps they might for you.

From December 4-11, 2007, there is the Travel Writing Workshop in the Yucatan lead by a husband and wife team, Judith Fein and Paul Ross. She’s a travel journalist; he’s a photographer. Their company, Global Adventure is one I wish I was running. With what time, I have no idea, but they look like they have a rip roaring good time traversing the world and taking people along with them on journeys geared towards learning and self-improvement. Plus, they live in Santa Fe, New Mexico when they are not on the road. What could be finer than that? Sorry, Columbus. Sorry, Ohio.

Judith has written articles galore for many major publicatations and had been a frequent guest on NPR’s, now defunct, Savvy Traveler. Paul’s vita is also extensive. While Judith captures their travels in words, he snaps the photos. Being that they are experts–and they pass on their know-how, going on a trip with them sounds like a blast.

The one in the Yucatan centers on little known archeological sites and Mayan villages during the days. Nights are spent at Rancho Encantado, an eco-tourism type resort that includes candlelight dinners and massages. Here’s a link to comments about Judith’s and Paul’s trips from people who have taken them. Now that I’ve read about this trip myself, it sounds like my perfect dream vacation, and I didn’t even know I had one.

Soak Your Way to Romance with a Hot Tub Spa Experience

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s something about a hot tub spa experience that makes a person feel warm. Add another person in the equation and you have the perfect Valentine outing. You can steam up some romance while basking in the steam-or if you haven’t had much time to talk lately. This is a terrific way to float stress away while muscles relax and you bask in uninterrupted time.

Here are three places I’ve been myself, and darn, I wish I lived closer to at least one of them. Our bathtub isn’t big enough for two.

Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe, New Mexico offers private hot tubs set out in the woods among the pinion trees. Everything is provided from plush robes to lotions to hair dryers after you soak for 55 minutes. Turn up the luxury factor by adding a massage or a spa treatment. You also can stay here. Not only are there Japanese style baths, but there are Japanese style accommodations.

At the Spring City Resort in Peitou near Taipei, you can rent a private spa room by the hour. The hotel website doesn’t list the hot tub only rooms, but I know they are available. I’ve been there. I’ve been in the hot tubs. Articles about spas in Peitou, a premier hot spring area of Taiwan, also list Spring City Resort as having hot tubs so I know this is something I didn’t imagine way back when. The mineral hot spring tub experience can be coupled with a feast afterwards. The buffet at the resort’s hotel is superb. I remember the eating part as much as I remember the soaking.

Glen Ivy Hot Springs’s Day Spa mineral baths aren’t exactly private. You sit in your private bath while your honey (or friend) sits in another and other people soak in theirs. Even so, the romance can build because this is a destination place where you can swim in the pool, get a massage or some other spa treatment, slather mud on each other, rinse off and then soak some more. Named oof the top “25 spas in North America” by the National Geographic Traveler Magazine, this place is located in Corona, California , a doable easy drive from Los Angeles. Glen Ivy has other locations as well.