Hawaii is a place that’s legendary for its glorious views and natural settings that are the perfect accompaniment to a lovely vacation. It’s also a prime spot for honeymoons, but anyone will feel welcome here. People traveling alone and looking for a place to unwind and get in touch with another kind of world have found many wonderful moments in Hawaii, and many wonderful spots to enjoy solitude as well as great social activities. As legendary as it is for vacation and travel, it also has its own legends that are local, and come from the local traditions.

Hawaii is a fascinating mix of cultures, and native Hawaiians draw their cultural history from the local islands, Japanese and Polynesian culture, and also from their own unfolding histories. The stories about the natrual landmarks here are particularly fascinating. They speak to a deep love of the land and the sea, and metaphorical interpretations reveal deep wisdom about the natural forces here. The stories are not only metaphors for how things used to be, but for how things are and could be once again. The geology and geographies are still in flux, and a few days here can demonstrate just how delicate the natural world is. But as delicate as an ecosystem can be, there is also a sense that the deeper energies of the earth itself at are work in Hawaii.

One of the lovely stories is centered in Kewalo Springs , where there were two children that came to the village, hungry and thirsty. They were taken care of by the locals, who wondered about their origin, as a rainbow seemed to follow them. They discovered that the rainbow was in fact their cruel stepmother, setting out to look for them. However, a sacred dream revealed that their real mother,now dead, was still watching over them, and lead their father and his hunters to them so that they could regain their rightful place as royalty.

Today the site where the children found water is across from the Honolulu City Hall , which is very telling. The politics and the island’s divine history are connected, and the deeper mysteries are beneath the surface of things. Learning about them from the splendor of five star Hawaiian hotels is a great place to begin to discover why the islands are so captivating.

Waters of Hao in Hawaii is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

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When you consider the location of were Annapolis Maryland is in relationship to the nations capital, you can more than likely get how much history there is to learn. Find your way out of that luxurious Annapolis hotel and see what you can discover. As you learn about the major historical figures who lived and worked here you may even get excited enough to wonder into Washington DC. You can see the historical homes of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Samuel Chase, William Paca and Thomas Stone among the exquisite collection of 18Th century buildings in the area. It is truly a quaint colonial town.

This is also the home of the famous US Navel Academy which is set long the Severn River. This makes sense because the seaport in Chesapeake Bay has been an instrumental part of the security of this country from the very beginning. It has always been a town of the notable and wealthy and was a temporary capital of the U.S.. The Annapolis State House was the home of the the first workings of congress. It is the oldest state capitol that has stayed in continual use for legislative matters which started in 1772. It has the largest wooden dome built with out the use of nails in the country and the topping rod was made and placed on the specific instructions of Benjamin Franklin. It is in the Old Senate Chamber of the State House that George Washington resigned as commander in chief in 1783.

Visitors can see the home of Clara Barton the founder of the Red Cross which was built in 1891 and is filled with disaster relief supplies collected over the many years. It gives visitors a chance to see into her determination and life. There is also the Historic London Town and Gardens, Banneker-Douglass Museum and the Hammond-Harwood House. With this much history there are a few ghost stories to be heard on the Ghosts of Annapolis Tour. One should never leave this town without visiting the impressive Naval Academy.

Port Annapolis is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

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It’s winter time now. Bet you wished you would have thought of needing a new stove in the summer before it got so cold. But now it is time to break down and look through all the adds named “stove for sale”. It makes one stop and wonder sometimes what really makes up a stove. Most of us have just taken for granted having one in our home. It just is a part of a home. It has just always been there. It usually comes with the house when you buy or rent it. But what really makes a stove a stove?

Let’s start with an original, the wood stove. It is still the most economical heating option around. This stove remains very popular to many people. I think it also has that wonderful smell that adds to the whole cozy feeling of having a heating stove. Choosing the right place to put the stove is a good start. Pick a larger, well occupied room as the main heating area to put the stove. That way everyone can eat and hang out together in the warmest room in the house. Then have the heat transferred to other areas of the house.  It takes a little planning.

The main part of the stove is of course the “big belly” section that stores the burning logs. But the most important part may just be the chimney. At least to the functioning of the stove. It is really important to get the air to flow well through the stove. The idea is of course to keep the good clean heat circulating through the house and the bad emissions sucked out of the house. Now a days, there are many ways to filter the smoke out into the air so that it has less affect on the environment. I suppose simply put, stoves are just that for the most part, simple.

Simply a Stove is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

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There is always an enormous pleasure in the moment when your feet first touch the warm water in your own hot tub at the end of every day.  We are truly creatures of habit, and we get used to rituals quickly, especially when they suit us.  The ritual of relaxing is something we need, but don’t pay attention to often enough.  That switch then, from the working rhythm to the relaxing rhythm, is one that we like, and it’s a wonderful thing for the body and the mind, to mark it with the ritual of relaxing in the spa.  That moment signifies that the day is over, and the night has really begun.  That’s part of the mystique about hot tubs, and of course you’ll also find that you can relax any time of day or night, and any season of the year.

Having the ability to take a soak any time you like means that you’ve made a commitment to yourself, to your health, especially the stress level, and to the ones you love.  Having a spa in your own home means that these things are important to you.  You’re entering into a kind of club of other hot tub owners, where you’re all living a little differently than the rest of us.  It’s a good feeling, and it’s not a new fad at all, but goes back a very long way.  Socrates recommended Egypt as a place to go to cure ills and improve your health.  Interestingly, this was centuries ago, and it was recommended for its seawater, and the mix of sand and sea, which are still the big draws for travelers today.

Egypt also has a gorgeous supply of natural hot springs, and they’ve been attractive to locals and visitors for millennia as well.  It’s fascinating to consider that hot tubs today are contemporary versions of these natural sources of water, and they are used for the same purposes.  Back then and now, they’re popular for the way they can help calm the mind and strengthen the body.

Hot tubs and Ancient Egypt is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

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The British village of Norwich, is located in the Norfolk county along the banks of the Wensum River.  This is part of the countryside that is in the Broads of Norfolk, easily assessable by motor boats, canoes or sail boats.  With the only exception being London, the city of Norwich has more churches located within the city limits than any other in the United Kingdom.  One’s Norwich hotel will have guide books and maps that indicate the locations of the historical buildings and structures of significance.  Many who travel to Norwich today, find it to be a bustling center of business interactions and shopping opportunities.  The incredible atmosphere that is created by the cathedrals and the spires add to the winding pathways and the old town squares.  The restaurant and cafe businesses have become populous along with the production of confections, mustard and shoes.  A very interesting mix.  There are also many sites of historical importance, mixed in with museums.

The Norwich Castle is one such museum.  It is one of the most famous historical landmarks of the city, which was built approximately nine hundred years ago.  Throughout the 1500′s it was used as a prison, but became the museum that it is today in 1894.  There is much to be experienced located within the walls of the museum, and serves to intrigue and inspire those of any age.  It is the main museum for the county with a collection that includes archaeological finds and examples from the world of natural history.  The fine art collection includes one of the most extensive collections of the Norwich School oil painters as well as the largest collection of teapots in the world.  The entrance of the Palace is a piece of artwork in its own right, with elaborately carved stone walls.  The museum is equipped with state of the art technology and the computer animated account of the history of the city illustrates the way of daily life as it was so many years ago, from the historical events to the way that Christmas and other holidays were celebrated.  The graffiti on the walls, that was put there during the buildings time as a prison, is still there and is part of the permanent collection on display.

The Historical City of Norwich, England is a post from: Coffee Cup Stain

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