Escape From NY Web Travels

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Escape From New York was chosen as a finalist by Tripbase for its Adventure Travel Blog Awards. This blog is in good company and you can check the full list for the Adventure category and many others here.

Earlier this month The Travel Photographer was kind enough to feature my recently revamped photography Web site. Another pleasant surprise. I read TTP daily and wish I were attending the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Manali, India later this month where Tewfic will be an instructor. Don’t miss his beautiful portraits.

And on Monday I was featured in Prêt a Voyager’s Boarding Pass Column. Another must read for me I’ve been reading the column and Prêt a Voyager since inception and it was a delight to take part. I love the way Anne ties together the design world and travel and look forward to following her blog as she moves to Paris in the fall.

Street Scenes: Corniche Beirut Lebanon

Most large cities have a place where people gather to stroll, strut their stuff and socialize. The magnificent squares in many of Europe’s cities come to mind. In Beirut, Lebanon it is the Corniche.

The waterfront boulevard lined with palm tress hugs the Mediterranean coast. Vendors sell a variety of refreshments including freshly baked bread. Hubbly bubbly pipes, or hookahs, stuffed with flavored tobaccos are available to rent. The best time to visit is late afternoon and early evening. What is the preferred place to stroll where you live?

Iglesia y Convento de La Recolección Antigua, Guatemala

It’s hard to fathom how large the Iglesia y Convento de La Recolección must have been before an earthquake destroyed it in the 1700s little more than half a century after it was built. Located on the outskirts of Antigua, Guatemala it is one of many churches in Antigua to be destroyed by earthquakes.

Its remains are like an architectural dinosaur in terms of scale. Perhaps its massive size made it too daunting to rebuild. Some of its peers in other parts of town have been resurrected in the aftermath of earthquakes including Catedral de Santiago and La Merced Church.

The ruins, which at one time also included a convent, are located on Avenida de la Recolección about a 10-minute walk from the center of town. The catastrophic site is surrounded by serene well-manicured gardens. If you show up in the late afternoon you might even have the place to yourself.

Street Scenes: First Family’s Neighbor

Meet the First Family’s neighbor. She isn’t new to the neighborhood. Parked in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. is Concepcion W. Thomas. Since 1981 she has held a 24-hour vigil peacefully protesting nuclear weapons.

Happy Independence Day from the U.S.A. to all of you around the world who fight for what you believe in peacefully.

D.C. Bound

I’m heading to D.C. tomorrow for a few days. I was last there for the inauguration and haven’t taken in the sights since childhood despite traveling to D.C. for business on a semi-regular basis over the years. Those trips would be one-day marathons interviewing potential candidates for the D.C. bureau of the news organization for which I worked for many years.

Naturally I’ll be photographing the nation’s capital. D.C. is now in vogue for travelers thanks to Obama.

Photograph: Inauguration Crowds

Koreatown

I know I’m going somewhere in Asia in the fall and Seoul is on the shortlist so when travel writer and guidebook author Anja asked me to write a guest post for her wonderful Ever the Nomad blog I chose Koreatown one of Manhattan’s lesser known neighborhoods. I’ve been following Anja’s travels for a while now and always find her writing style, perspective and travels breathtaking. She recently returned from the wilds of British Columbia.

Elsewhere on the Web thanks to Heather of Heather on Her Travels for including this blog among her favorites. Heather’s blog is also one of my favorites and we have similar taste in travel destinations. Heather recently returned from Lebanon.

Meanwhile I have finally joined the Twitter fray. A little late to the party perhaps but fashionably so I hope. You can find me there at @EscapefromNY.

Travel Photography Site

I thought I’d share my travel photography Web site that underwent a major redesign earlier this year. You may recognize some of the photos from this blog. Choosing roughly 100 images from tens of thousands is no easy task.

Right now it’s mainly a portfolio site but I plan to add the ability to search my archive online. The next site that gets a major design overhaul is this one. It’s long overdue. So much to do!

Manhattan’s Little Red Lighthouse

You probably wouldn’t expect to see a lighthouse in Manhattan. Located underneath the George Washington Bridge overlooking the Hudson River is the Little Red Lighthouse. A historic and literary landmark it was made famous by the children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge.

Officially it is called the Jeffrey's Hook lighthouse. Erected in the 1880s it moved to its current site in 1921. The lighthouse is located in Washington Heights and open for tours from the spring to fall. To reach it take the A train to 181 Street. Walk west on 181st street toward the Hudson River to Fort Washington Park. Walk over the pedestrian bridge and follow the path into the park.

Museums From Around the World

Museums house the world’s treasures. Often the architecture is artwork in itself.

The modern aesthetic of the Shanghai Museum is home to many collections. But its roots are traditional. The building was designed in the shape of an ancient cooking vessel.

The architecture of the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico maintains the region’s true style.

The National Museum of Beirut sits on both sides of the Green Line. During the civil war priceless ancient artifacts were hidden and kept safe. It took years to restore after the war ended and is one of Lebanon’s national treasures.

It would take a lifetime to explore all that the Vatican Museum has to offer. You could rest in one of its beautiful gardens in the process.

My favorite museum is in my hometown and walking distance from where I live. I could spend days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art traveling through the ages in one of its many wings.

What’s your favorite museum?

Street Scenes: San Pedro, Guatemala

The small village of San Pedro on the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala sits beneath a volcano of the same name.

Its population is mainly Mayan people. San Pedro’s tranquil setting is popular with travelers, particularly the hacky sack set. Many come here to learn Spanish or just live cheaply for a spell and enjoy the scenery.

Church of the Golden Altar Panama City

Its name sounds like it could be the title of an Indiana Jones movie. The legend that surrounds it could certainly be a decent plot.

The tale of the Church of the Golden Altar involves Welsh pirate Henry Morgan. He sacked the original Panama City in the 1670s. To save the altar a priest painted it black to hide its true worth. Today it is located in Iglesia de San Jose in Panama City’s San Felipe District, also know as Casco Viejo, where the city was rebuilt. The church is open to visitors.

City Icons: Portsmouth New Hampshire

Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s icon is vintage and elegant and something you will see other versions of throughout New England. You’ll find it perched on top of the North Church of Portsmouth. The roots of the church date back to 1671 and the present structure was built in 1855.

Dotting the landscapes of New England you will see white church steeples throughout the region. The spires are simple in form and most often made of wood. They are in a sense the obelisks or minarets of Christianity.

In recent years some churches are allowing cellular antennae to be hidden inside steeples to bring in income. Not a bad idea considering how expensive they are to restore. A recent renovation of the North Church Steeple cost $1 million.