In Petatlán Mexico, if you find a miraculous Jesus statue and cross you adorn him in lime green polyester fabric. The town only a few dozen miles east of Zihuatanejo has become a major pilgrimage site in the Guerrero state of Mexico. In the 1500s, a statue to Christ complete with a cross was found in the Petatlán River. A miracle of sorts, the Church of the Father of Jesus de Petatlán was built to house the statue. An earthquake would call for a reconstructed church today that is both modern and classic in design. People come from all over the area to ask the Petatlán Christ statue for Continue Reading
Exploring Travel and Home in Sagres, Portugal
The Romans referred to Sagres, Portugal as the Promontorium Sacrum, the end of the world. Sagres upholds that world’s end attitude as you stand on the cliffs of Cabo de Sao Vicente in Portugal’s Algarve region, the most southwesterly point in Europe. With connections to Portugal’s rich nautical past, this section of Portugal lends the closest form to understanding travel and home in one for me. Prince Henry the Navigator supposedly built a fortified town here along with a school of navigation. He was also thought to have a home here and to have died in Sagres in 1460. Whether it is fact Continue Reading
The Art of Hotel Housekeeping
If you have ever stayed at a hotel, you know there is always that possibility an artist may grace your room. Not only is your room made up for you, every 12 year old’s dream, but you may also find a surprise on your bed, a work of art. A few weeks ago, I realized housekeeping art is largely under-appreciated. Little is known about how these men or women create their work of art on your pillow. Whether it is chocolates arranged in a pattern or some sort of animal made out of towels, where do these people learn their trade? How long does it take to create these pillowcase works of art? In Continue Reading
Zihuatanejo, Mexico Wishes You Were Here
After a time, you forget little details about a place, just as after a time, you forget what transpired in the 6th grade. Heading to Zihuatanejo, I had no memory of the town, no idea I had heard of it somewhere before setting foot on its sands in January. A fishing port for centuries, the town of Zihuatanejo, “Zihua” to locals, hugs Zihuatanejo Bay. In the northwestern region of the State of Guerrero, sheltered by the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains, Zihuatanejo proudly boasts of being “the land of women”. The name Zihuatanejo stems from the Náhuatl word, Zihuatlan, meaning “land of women”. Continue Reading
Redhead Reviews Award Wallet
Full Disclosure: This is a sponsored review, meaning I was compensated in exchange for checking out AwardWallet.com. Regardless, my thoughts about the site are my own. What is AwardWallet.com? Award Wallet keeps track of award program balances, from airline miles to hotel points. Those who travel frequently and join award programs constantly can have all of their balances and expiration dates on points in one place. Similar to HootSuite tracking all of your social media accounts, you can keep tabs on many different travel award systems with Award Wallet. Features After you register Continue Reading
Budgeting For a Month in Ireland
In just under a month, I will be in Ireland. While that thought both terrifies and excites me, I am at those planning stages, going over budgets and finances. I have noticed a pattern with emails I receive. Most want to know how to travel and how I travel. How can you afford to travel? How do you budget? To be honest, I have never really been strict with a budget until this trip. I generally have an idea in my mind of what I am looking to spend. As I will be traveling around Ireland for an entire month, organization proves to be key toward keeping a budget. Before things get out of hand and Continue Reading
Suzy Stumbles Over Travel: Week of February 7, 2011
As a gray cloud hangs over Denver, I bring you this week’s Suzy Stumbles Over Travel. In case you are new here, each week I ask writers and readers to submit their favorite travel post of the week in the comments below. I read each submission, comment, tweet the entry on Twitter, stumble the post on Stumbleupon and post a link on my Facebook page. At the end of the week, I select my five favorites submitted last week to be featured here and the stumbling begins again into the next week. Just a few things to keep in mind, you must leave your submission in the comment box below. You have Continue Reading