Sand & Art Festival, Goa - India

2011 Goa Sand Art Festival Entrance

GOA..a tiny but beautiful state in India. It was ruled by the Portuguese for more than 400 years. People around the world know Goa for its friendly people, beautiful beaches, Portuguese architecture, impressive churches and temples, delicious mangoes, cashew nuts, feni ( a local liquor made from cashew and coconut) and the famous pork sausages amongst other things.

View Goa -- India in a larger map

For the last 3 years, Sand Cult - a Sand Sculpting Company in association with Goa Tourism, have been organizing the Annual Sand Art Festival on one of Goa's popular beaches. This year (2012), the event will be held on the Miramar Beach (near Panjim the capital city of Goa). It is a stupendous work of art! It is amazing to see the finished product from a huge mound of sand.

If you are visiting Goa this December anytime after the 13th, you don't want to miss out on this event. Entrance is free. Enjoy a picnic with the family or just have fun watching the artists sculpt. Miramar is situated about 3 kms from Panaji, on the way to Dona Paula along the "Marine Drive".

Below are some of the pictures I managed to capture during the 2011 event. With just a couple of tools, water, gifted hands and their amazing talent, they did a fantastic job that had the young and the old, all making their way to enjoy the sand sculptures. The 2011 theme was " Marine Life: Unseen Treasures under water ".

One of the artists sculpting

An octopus? underwater sea creature

Sand Art

Sea creature maybe a walrus

The silhouette of castle spires at sunset.

Sand Art

Sand Art

Sand Art

The curious crowd viewing the scuptures

Mermaid Sand Art Goa

The Castle

Sand Art

Sand Art

The complete picture!

Beautiful Sand scupture

Enjoy a gorgeous sunset at Miramar Beach

For more information on Goa visit : http://goatourism.gov.in/

Find Sand Cult on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandcult

Goa Sand Art Festival Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/goasandartfestival?fref=ts

For more sand sculpting events around the world: http://sandsculptingevents.com/
UK: http://www.sandworld.co.uk/visit.html
Florida 2013: http://www.artofsand.org/
Florida: http://www.sandbash.com/
India: http://www.sandindia.com/home.html
Australia: http://www.visitmelbourne.com/regions/Mornington-Peninsula/Events/Art-and-culture/Sand-Sculpting-Australia-Frankston-Waterfront.aspx
North America: http://www.neptunefestival.com/events/north-american-sandsculpting-championship/14

Any questions? Just email me at savsmichblog@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to reply to you.

Arches National Park

When we think of Arches NP, what comes to mind are the 2000 + rock formations and the spectacular night sky. A trip to Southern Utah? Make sure you include Arches NP on your itinerary.  It is a 5 1\2 drive from Bryce Canyon NP. Nearby places to include are the Canyonlands NP.  For ideas on how to plan your drive, here is a map that you can refer to.

If you have two days in Arches, here is what we recommend:

We spent 1 1\2 days here and decided to spend the first evening/night out at the park to take in the sunset and view the spectacular night sky (yes you can see the Milky Way on a dark and clear night!).

Many photographers and National park enthusiasts, hike to Delicate Arch earlier in the evening to photograph the sunset and stay on to photograph the night sky. The picture below was taken around 11.30 -12:00 midnight. The best time to get milky way pictures is recommended around 2-3 AM. You would get the milky way center vertically aligned with the earth as governed by the earths rotation. But note it can be eerie, and lonely out there especially if you are by yourself. The Milky Way is one of the greatest things to see in nature. Its spectacular and our amateur attempt to capture it (below) doesn't do sufficient  justice to it. Imagine being able to see millions of stars in the galaxy and the galactic center with your naked eyes (something you can only wish for from our cities)!

The Milky way in the backdrop of Balanced Rock ( Do not miss the shooting star !)

Arches is a photographer's favorite place. Some beautiful and common places to photograph are mentioned on the National park service website. Here are some of the not to miss points as well as easily accessible if you are travelling with small children:

1. Courthouse Towers Viewpoint
2. The Three Gossips
3. Balanced Rock
4. The Windows Section: North & South Windows, Turret Arch:

Parking is usually difficult in summer. It is recommended to complete this early in the morning or late in the evening as it gets very hot. There is no shade and taking water is recommended. Restrooms are available. 

5. Delicate Arch

A 3 mile round trip hike up is recommended. If you are travelling with smaller kids, this hike up is not stroller accessible. There is an alternative viewpoint near the parking lot of Delicate Arch which is also stroller inaccessible. It has some steep steps to climb. Early morning or late evening hike up here is recommended. 

For details on more hikes check out this link. 

Here are some pictures of the above view-points we took at Arches:

Courthouse Viewpoint

Arches road once on the top

Balanced Rock

Windows Section

Entrance to the Windows!

View of Delicate Arch from the viewpoint

What do you think of Arches? Would this location be your next visit?

Crater Lake, Oregon

It is a caldera ( a crater formed by volcanic explosion or by collapse of a volcanic cone.) With a diameter of 6.1 miles East to West and 4.7 miles North to South, an area of 20.42 sq miles, it is one of the deepest in the United States with a height of 1943 feet and holding 4.9 trillion gallons of water. Crater Lake was formed when a massive eruption of Mount Mazama 7700 years ago caused the mountain to collapse, leaving a steaming caldera. Centuries of rain and snow filled the caldera creating Crater Lake.

Overlooking Crater Lake

The views of Crater Lake are beautiful. A dormant volcano with water in its prettiest intense blue shade. The blue of Crater Lake is due to its great depth and clarity. Sunlight is able to penetrate deep into the water. The depth absorbs many of the longer rays and reflecting the shorter rays of the white light spectrum. Violet and blue light are the shortest wavelengths, thus get scattered and reflected back to us, causing the lake to be its famous color Blue!. 

Crater Lake

With very heavy snowfall, the seasonal roads to Crater Lake can close very early in the year since they get about 44 feet  \ 533 inches of snow. Checking current conditions will help you plan your weekend getaway. This is what we saw in July on our way out towards north entrance within the park. 

Height of the snow on the road

Crater Lake looking east

Crater Lake was a pit stop on our way to Portland,OR. From the Bay area ( San Francisco ) it is about a  7 1\2 hour drive to Crater Lake. Here is how we planned it. 2 1\2 days should be sufficient if you just have Crater Lake to explore. The Rim drive is recommended. Boating and hiking too can be done. Click here for more information on the trails.

Day 1: Stay in Medford. Small town yet close enough to the lake if your leaving the bay area on a friday night. 

Day 2: Drive to Crater lake about 1 1\2 hours from Medford.
Day 3. Return home.

Below are some pictures we took at various stops on the Rim Trail. 

Blue water in Crater Lakee

The below picture with the arrow is very unique. Do you see the small island near the arrow? Do you know how large or small and how tall it can be? The answer will surprise you..

Phantom Island

It is larger than a football field, and as tall as a 16 storeyed building. See other ways to enjoy Crater Lake click here to access the link.

A visit here is relaxing and the soothing calm blue waters do have a relaxing effect on you! On the 17th of June, 2012, many people around the world were lucky to view and photograph the Northern Lights.  Crater Lake was one are where you could see it. Click here to see GoldPaint Photography of the lake and Northern Lights. Its spectacular!

Enjoy your visit here. 

San Francisco Fleet Week

It's October and the Blue Angels will be in town next week ( October 4-8th ). See them in San Francisco along the Marina Green Waterfront Centre, Crissy Field, Pier 39 or Golden Gate bridge ( north ) vista point. Thousands head towards the waterfront to enjoy the amazing show put up by them.

Links: The links below have indepth information from the official site regarding timing, dates and details.

For Special Each Day Events

Ship Tours and Protocol ( Minimum Age is 8 )

2012 Show Schedule 

2013 Show Schedule

The pictures below are from 2009 Fleet Week at San Francisco.

Blue Angels

Flying low over the bay

Amazing performance mid air

Here they come again

Freaky!

Boats, cruises on the bay enjoying the show

Crowd on land and sea watching the Blue Angels

For more Blue Angel Facts click here.

Alaska

Many people have asked us "What is there to see in Alaska?" There is lots to do. The more time and days you have to spend the better. Travel to Alaska can either be by air, cruise or by car ( from Canada ). With 9 days at hand, we will share our experiences and places that we visited. We decided to skip the cruise and take a flight into Anchorage. We had more time to spend and our own itinerary geared towards a family vacation.

Driving on Seward Highway surrounded by scenic views

Ostrichland & Solvang

Need a pit stop for your kids if you are heading towards Santa Barbara or San Francisco?? then Ostrichland USA in Solvang, CA is your best bet.

A herd of ostriches.

On the right, you will see a vast open area with these birds almost as tall as the trees. It was a nice break from our long drive onwards to Santa Barbara. The entrance is via the gift shop. You will be able to have some fun seeing the ostriches up close, feeding them, and viewing the emus. For an additional amount, you can purchase a tray to feed the birds. 

Feeding the birds

The birds are large and greedy to finish the food from the tray. The ostriches are great to introduce to kids and to spend some time before heading to Solvang.

How much do you know about Ostriches??

These are some facts taken from the Kids National Geographic Website.

1. It is the tallest and the heaviest of all birds.
2. An ostrich stands up to 9 feet and can weigh as much as 350 pounds
3. One ostrich egg is about as big as 24 chicken eggs. An average ostrich egg is six inches (15 centimeters) long, five inches (13 centimeters) wide, and weighs about three pounds (1.5 kilograms).
4. While the huge ostrich is a bird—with wings and feathers—it does not fly. Instead it runs.
5. It has long, strong legs. One stride can cover up to 16 feet (4.9 meters)—about the length of a mid-size family car! The bird is speedy, too. It can run just over 40 miles (64 kilometers) an hour for a short distance, and can keep up a speed of more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) an hour over longer distances.

@ Ostrichland USA

Click here for more information OstrichLand USA

Nearby places to visit are Solvang, Santa Barbara, Malibu and a few hours away Los Angeles. More on Solvang below..

About 10 minutes away is a small Danish community that is famous for its Danish cookies, sweets, windmills and very pretty town with streets featuring Danish styled architecture. Within a couple of hours you would be able to complete a walking tour of downtown, down a steaming cup of coffee on a cool evening with some delicious Danish cookies. Enjoy a ride on a street car pulled by 4 charming horses.

This year in September 2012 the Annual Danish days will be held from September 14-16. Mark your calendars! Click here for more details. A great website to refer for wine tasting and for a walking tour is available. Click here to access it.

San Francisco

Are you planning a weekend trip to San Francisco soon? Its a challenge when you have little time and so many places to see on your list. Sounds familiar? Well we always land in this situation. So without any further ado, here are some of the best that you can plan in a short time.

Golden Gate view looking north from the visitor centre

1. GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE:

A walk on the bridge is what will make you appreciate the bridge even more than the views. 1.7 miles each way. From the visitor centre you can take pictures with the span and of the SFO skyline in the backdrop. Parking is limited here and coin operated. Just a few feet away towards Crissy Field, there is a parking lot, usually full but if you wait for sometime you can get free parking.

You will also get sweeping views from Battery Spencer on Conzelman Road \ Kirby cove road.

Walking on the bridge is a wonderful experience.

View of the length

Crissy field, view from the bridge

View from BATTERY SPENCER

2.) PIER 39:

Pier 39 has so much of energy anytime you go there. You will be one amongst thousands walking along. Parking is available at many places and is the most convenient way to see the area. The most convenient parking garage is at 2350 Stockton Street ( located between Beach ad North Point ). 
There is another beside Joe's Crab shack ( approx 30 for the maximum # of hours )
Photo Opportunity: Take a pic with the humongous crab in front of Pier 39. The Fisherman's Wharf sign board is at Jefferson and Taylor Street.

Fisherman's Wharf sign board 

At Pier 39, you can enjoy the aromas of fresh sourdough bread at Boudin San Francisco and the making of fresh bread in different shapes!.  

A large crocodile shaped bread on display

Add caption

3.)  Crooked Street:

Known for its narrow and the most crooked road in San Francisco yet another attraction. This is located on Lombard Street between Hyde and Leavenworth Sts. The road climbing up Lombard Street is tough. If you are a first time, look back when climbing. Its not for those who are afraid of heights and for the giddy headed. It is definitely a very steep climb up. There are many stop signs on the way up. So be cautious as stopping on a steep hill with cars behind you can be cumbersome. The views are worth it once you are on top. You can also make a stop by taking a cable car.

View of Crooked Street

3.) PAINTED LADIES \ Postcard Row:

If you are a " FULL HOUSE " sitcom fan, then you should not miss this place. Painted Ladies is a row of Victorian houses that has featured in many panoramic pictures and in the opening sequence of Full House. It is located in between Grove and Hayes St on Steiner St.

Painted Ladies with SFO skyline at sunset.

4.) CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES:

Located at 55 Music Concourse Drive Golden Gate Park, it is one of a kind in San Francisco. Located beneath a Living roof ! Click here for more details. It has an Aquarium, a Planetarium, Rain forest, Museum and Living animals all under one roof.

The Planetarium Show is a highly recommended show and it is advisable to go early to get free show pass as they are available on a first come first serve basis. Children below 3 are not allowed and ages 6 and not recommended. No cameras or videos are allowed inside the theatre. It is a MUST SEE, but plan for a full day. 

5.) CONSERVATORY OF FLOWERS:

This is a great places to bring out the botanist in you. Rare flowers, plants and endangered species are seen here. Allow 1-2 hours viewing here. Strollers, food and drink are not permitted inside.  There is an area where strollers can be parked. 

Orchids

Orchids