World Venture Travel

For something extremely fun to do while visiting Burbank, check out downtown every Thursday night in July and August, 2010. There will be eight amazing nights of great music and dancing under the stars. The ‘ Come Out and Dance’ festivities begin at 6pm with free dance lessons given by the Dance Family Studio, Francisco and Stacey. Then at 7pm, a two-hour concert begins where everyone hits the dance floor on the AMC Walkway located at Palm Avenue and San Fernando Blvd. The best in swing is featured for the month of July, and in August, things will heat up with salsa, plus it’s all free!

Come Out and Dance is put on by the Downtown Burbank Partnership , and a majority of hotels Burbank are located in the downtown area, so you’ll be able to walk to this fun and exciting event, only you’ll end up dancing your way back to your hotel room.

July 8th is Barbara Morrison and the Bu Crew’ international jazz and blues vocalist, Barbara Morrison has one of the most distinctive sounds in the music world. July 15th, is the Legends of Swing, as one of the premier big bands of the US, Grammy nominated Gary Tole and the Legends of Swing bring sensational hits to life. You’ll be dancing from the very start to this 14-piece powerhouse of sound. July 22nd, is the Wiseguys Big Band Machine, from swing to swank, this 18-piece Wiseguys Big Band Machine features a screaming horn line, talented vocalist, a roaring rhythm section, and an exciting soloists. July 29th, features High Street, a 10-piece, high energy band performing swing, jazz, disco and R & B in an explosion of sound.

August 5th, heats with Orquesta Charangoa, and their repertoire includes salsa, mambo, cha-cha, cumbia, meringue and montunos. August 12th, features Ronnie Gutierrez, a talented percussionist who has toured the world and has performed on the Tonight Show. August 19th, is Yari More’ Y Su Orquesta, the legendary ‘Queen’ of salsa Celia Cruz has picked Yari to be her official West Coast band. Finally, to wrap of the summer festivities on August 26th, is the Pete Escovedo Orchestra, one of the best upbeat Latin jazz that keeps you up out of your seat and on the dance floor the whole night through.

If you like dancing to fun and lively music, you don’t want to miss this free summer dancing concert series.

The Central Park Conservancy offers the best walking tours through the better parts of this vast park in New York City. There are 3 walking tours offered by the Conservancy; the Conservancy Walking Tour; the Custom Van or Walking Tour; and the Amble Through the Ramble. Each one is unique and offers something different, and all will stimulate, excite and expand your appreciation for nature.

The Conservancy Walking Tour go through the gardens near Belvedere Castle , strolls by the Harlem Meer and informs about the park’s 19th century history, ecology and design. Saturday Mornings Tours, starting at 11am and Wednesday Lunchtime Tours, starting at Noon, April through October, will be led by a Garden Staff who will highlight the unique plantings of the 70 year old Conservatory Garden. Summer tours beginning on June 16th, will feature blooming perennial and annual borders, which there are over 250 varieties, as well as ornamental trees and shrubs.

The Conservancy’s Custom Van Tours is led by Sara Ceda Miller, the best-selling author of ‘Central Park – An American Masterpiece’. So, no matter which hotle in New York you are staying at, this one-of-a-kind, private tour is a ‘must-do’. Together, you and Miller will design your very own 1 to 1 1/2 hour van tours that will fit up to 7 people. Donations of $500 or $750 (respectively), are accepted and both options include a complimentary signed copy of Miller’s book. For the Custom Walking Tour, which is perfect for any special occasion, is led by experienced, volunteer guides who have special knowledge about Central Park. These custom walking tours accept donation of $100 for up to six people groups, and this tour is guaranteed to delight and astound even to most conservative in the bunch.

Amble Through the Ramble tour lasts only from October through March each year, if you missed it this year, make sure to come back next year, because this tour will walk you passed streams, through the woods, under arches, and along a maze of pathways in a secluded 38-acre woodland respite. This exquisite walking tour starts at the Belvedere Castle, and can last all day, it all depends upon you because you might just get lost in this centuries old woodland as you guide yourself.

Art Basel Miami Beach is an annual contemporary art exhibition, which will take place this year on December 2nd through the 5th, 2010. Art Basel is the most important art show in the United States and is the sister event to the most prestigious Art Basel in Switzerland. Recently, the Miami Beach Art Basel shows has eclipsed its sister in both size and popularity, mainly because it has combined its international selection of top-notch galleries with special exhibitions that crossover with exciting programs featuring films, music, design and architecture. The event takes place in the beautiful Art Deco District and it’s within walking distance of the Miami Beach hotels .

Ever since 2002, Art Basel Miami Beach has been held in more than 250 art galleries featuring exclusive selections of artworks by over 2,000 renowned, cutting-edge and new artists from Europe, Latin America, North America, Africa and Asia. Plus, many of the galleries will feature public art projects, performance art and video art allowing art lovers to discover contemporary developments in new art, which is vital for any art community for its continuance and survival. There will be special programs for art collectors, curators and first-time buyers that will help and guarantee to make this event a very special encounter.

The public exhibits are held along the beach and in the various parks of South Beach. Private events are held at the Miami Beach Convention Center along with adjoining fairs and associated events. Most art studios in the area will host public events in relation to Art Basel that will showcase local Miami artists and their work; many local galleries have started special events before and after the official Art Basel dates taking full advantage of the increase in patrons and media. The Miami Art Museum and the Downtown area with associations of the Bicentennial Park and Bayfront Park, as well as the Gusman Theater will also participate, making Art Basel Miami Beach only increase in size and in importance with not only with the local art community, but with the international art community as well.

I came back to San Antonio for the purpose of seeing how well their project to restore the urban ecosystem was going. The city implemented this restoration back in 2003, when a science report came out revealing a dramatic new national study showing how urban areas have a severe tree deficit, which is costing tax payers billions of dollars each year in water and air benefits. I was there, back in 2003, during the news conference that revealed the new study. The findings showed that the city of San Antonio has 27% tree canopy, 64% impervious or bare urban land, 7% open space, and 1% water.

The study mentions the improvement of the ‘Green’ infrastructure is the way San Antonio needs to go. The Green Infrastructure includes the complex interaction of vegetation with soil, air and the water system. Improving upon the existing land cover will serve as the new Green Infrastructure, which provides many benefits for the environment and for the community of San Antonio, including slowing storm water runoff, improving the quality of water, protecting soil erosion, improving the quality of the air, and creating excellent storage system of atmospheric carbons.

Today, looking out from the balcony of my hotel room , I can see vast improvements throughout the city that will protect the welfare, safety and health of the people of San Antonio. As I drove around the urban areas, I too noticed a better quality of canopy (trees) that are aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly, like the mesquite tree that produces a nice canopy and needs less water to maintain its health.

It was nice to see how San Antonio heeded the new study instead of creating more concrete culverts that will whisk away the water, the city is now using the ‘Green Infrastructure’ to save millions of tax dollars . By increasing the canopy coverage, this will remove 2.5 million pounds more of air pollutants, saving the city an estimated $6 million yearly and gain more Federal dollars. The amount of stormwater runoff will be reduced by 103 million cubic feet with more trees planted, saving $200 million in having to build new stormwater facilities.

I’ll be heading back to my city, Phoenix, and report that San Antonio’s plan to improve their urban ecosystem has worked and has actually saved the city money while promoting a healthy environment for its people.

Palmdale, California has been frequently overshadowed by the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, when it is being considered in the larger context. However, the city is one of the unique areas of this larger region and more people are giving it specific and greater interest in its own right. There are interesting and dynamic cultural attractions found in Palmdale and that are associated with it. And there are some geographic aspects, such as the Palmdale Lake, that are beautiful and provide excellent sources of outdoor recreation opportunities. New residents are being drawn there in increasing numbers and tourists are choosing to visit it on a regular and growing basis. The luxurious and charming hotels are full of guests who eager to explore the beauty and sights of Palmdale.

The cultural scene of Palmdale and the surrounding area is a vibrant and thriving mix of performance genres. There are numerous entertainment options and live performance venues. The Desert Opera Theatre is one of the local institutions that provides quality entertainment and is also one of the primary cultural establishments throughout the Antelope Valley. It has been operating for over three decades and continues to bring classic opera productions and great some of the more recent and diverse hits to the community.

The company performs at the Palmdale Playhouse, as one of the great entertainment and cultural options provided by this quality establishment. The next production scheduled to be performed is the widely successful and popular Les Miserables by Claude-Michel Schonberg. The musical is based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo and has been moving as well as dazzling audiences since it was first performed as a staged production in Paris in 1980. The show was originally produced as a concept album, and was then put on Stage in a Paris Arena. It was popular from the beginning and a production was soon staged in London’s West End. When the show made its move to New York it became an popular and critical success and won eight Tony Awards after having been nominated for twelve. The production at Desert Opera Theatre is scheduled to open June 16 and will run through the 27.