SPECIAL NOTE: I am saddened, angry and disgusted by the BP oil spill.  Our beautiful beaches and wildlife all foresaken for oil profits.

Visit my friend’s Blog Coast of Living and read her poignant insights into the lives of those affected by this horror.    Through her blog, you can make a donation to Gulf Aid, a 501(c3) nonprofit corporation, has been established in response to what has been called one of the biggest oil spills in history just 50 miles off of the Louisiana Coast.

Written in happier times …when the waters were blue & clear.

White sand, blue water, splashing dolphins and beautiful sunsets.   These words might conjure up beaches in Mexico, Greece, and other exotic locales.  However, when I let my mind wander to beautiful beaches and lazy days, I don’t have to travel any further than the Gulf Coast of Florida.  Known as the Emerald Coast, or the Redneck Riviera, there is a lovely strip of beaches that rival the most famous beaches of the world.

Popularity: 9% [?]

If you are like most people I know who have never been to Houston, you have a pre-conceived notion that Houston is strictly highways, cars, towering buildings, and the Galleria.  Well, I am here to tell you that you need to put those negative thoughts on the shelf and spend a few days in Houston.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Eating in Houston is as diverse as its population.  Everything from high-end cuisine to the tiny taqueria that my husband and I would stop in after dropping our daughter off at school.  We were intrigued by the line that wrapped around the corner.  When we finally stopped for our first morning taco, we understood why people were waiting to eat.  I WISH I had the name of this place.  I think it has been torn down:(

Popularity: 10% [?]

Let’s start with Houston’s art scene.  Houston’s citizens support the arts and it shows.  Just visit the Houston Museum District’s website and you will discover a plethora of museum experiences that span from Byzantine to Contemporary, history to weather, historic gardens or homes made out of beer cans.  You could spend your entire weekend just looking at amazing and interesting art!   Houston Museum District is a great website that is well organized and up-to-date.

Popularity: 12% [?]

This 1wrongturn takes a car.  It is also part of my family history.  I am as strong believer in short side-trips to explore the smaller towns and surrounding areas.  I am always pleasantly surprised by my findings.  This 1wrongturn is the town of Rosenberg, Texas. Rosenberg is on U.S. Highway 59,  twenty-eight miles southwest of downtown Houston in central Fort Bend County. The area was originally settled around 1823.   Today, it is a sleepy town with antique shops, little restaurants, and small businesses.  When you visit Rosenberg, you feel like you have stepped back in time.

While we were there, we ate a great hole-in-the-wall called Taqueria Leon.  We ate great enchiladas, pupusa, and munched on delicious pastries, all washed down with tamarind soda.  YUUUUUUM!  There is no website but here are a few comments on Chowhound.  If you want to see the city, take a look at these Rosenberg videos.

Partly because it is a neat little town and partly because it is where my family settled in Texas, I recommend that you take 1wrongturn and visit Rosenberg.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Japan offers a mixed bag of experiences that range from historic to ultra modern, traditional to kitsch, super quiet to uber chaotic.

Many years ago, my family had a wonderful Japanese food experience right in our own home.  We had a guest in from Japan and we invited her over for dinner, with a strange request – we wanted her to help us prepare dinner.  What she prepared was a huge departure from anything that we had eaten in our local sushi restaurants!  Until that moment, my knowledge of Japanese food consisted of sushi, tempura, noodles, and teriyaki.  What she presented to us were many small dishes consisting of vegetables, rice, and many types of tofu, including natto – a fermented soybean that is commonplace in Japan but an acquired taste for the American palate.  Not only were the tastes different, but so was the method of serving and eating.  This was a precursor to what we would experience in Japan.

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One of the big issues that I grappled with during the planning stages was where to stay.  Do I stay in a super modern – techno hotel or a traditional, authentic ryokan.  I am usually driven by location and décor, then I will look at the price.  Within the first two parameters, there is quite a bit of choice.  When it came to the third, there was not a large disparity in price unless you go really high-end or hostel.  Narrowing down my choices was hard.  Ultimately, I ended up with a little of both: a high-tech, modern hotel in Tokyo and a hostel/minshuku in Kyoto.

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Although we were under no delusions that we could learn the language, we did make an effort to learn the key expressions of greetings and appreciation. In a culture where ceremony reigns supreme, these little gestures were greatly appreciated and returned with compliments and giggles. If you do nothing but learn to say “please,” “thank you” and count to five , you will be in good standing.

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There are many customs that are very foreign to visitors. But, I encourage you to make the effort to learn about the Japanese customs and etiquette.  Don’t be put off by the length of this list.  Not only will it impress and please the Japanese, but it will bode well for the reputation of your native country.

Popularity: 84% [?]