Most wonderful time of the year..

Happy Christmas. 2011.

Mr. Duchamp goes to the beach.

 

Enjoying a foreign idea

Reading the travel section of the New York Times yesterday was very enlightening.  After sleeping in, I instinctively grabbed the Sunday paper and walked outside to soak up the sun.  The Travel section's headline ran something about staying in Europe without hotels.. Hmmm, interesting idea, but realistic?  This didn't sound all too unfamiliar as I just had been discussing a similar subject with our Kiwi guests, who are in Santa Barbara for the first time.

The article promoted the novel idea of booking a room with a local resident of the city you're traveling to, instead of staying in a hotel/hostel.  Apparently, there are huge networks of people that rent out rooms in their flats/houses for tourists to enjoy.  Usually, the cost to rent out a room is substantially less than a hotel room.  It is akin to staying in a B&B, with a private room & bathroom, but at a less expensive rate.  Sounds like a brilliant idea to me.

I got the chance to check out one of the companies that organizes these bookings, called AirBnB.com.  It is commonly referred to as "Ebay for space."  Essentially, it is an online marketplace that enables people to rent out private rooms domestically and abroad.  The site also lists vacation rentals, entire apartments, B&Bs, boutique hotels, castles, and treehouses!  Be forewarned however; you may spend hours checking out all the listings.  Its awesome.

I think that this is the start to a new and exciting way to travel, especially for younger people on a budget.  It's traveling with an element of surprise...

Night at the Museum, Part 1

Last Thursday evening was the first NIGHTS event of the season, where I had the opportunity to go to a little party at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. I must admit, these parties are some of my favorite times of the year.



Art + interesting people + musical performances + arts & crafts + amazing people watching + tasty drinks = THE BEST..... How could it not be?



And after perusing the galleries, utilizing the private bar situation, and munching on gourmet grilled cheese nibbles, Hilary Michelle and I found ourselves in a different gallery of the sort...



Part II, to be continued...

The Newest Element

On Tuesday after work, I took a little bike tour through the city streets of Santa Barbara on my way to the Farmer's Market. Whilst walking through the fresh produce and colorful sunflowers, I had a strange urge to walk over to the little camera store that I knew was close by. Lately, I have been toying with the idea of buying a new camera.

A hop, skip and a jump later, I found myself peering over the glass counters at the camera store. SO MANY pretty ones to choose from!!! Nikon or Canon..Aaah, not to mention a lifetime's worth of savings to purchase one of these little guys! Hmmm. Well, I decided to give it some consideration on my bike ride home. I realized that if I bought the camera the next day, or a year from now..I was still going to buy one. I was too excited. I had to get one. It had to be tomorrow.

When I woke up on the next morning, I pleaded with my dad to come to the camera shop with me. Bobby, after all, was always a great photographer and recognized a good camera when he saw one. If I was going to buy a camera, he had to be there to approve.

The next thing I knew, I had made the final decision to buy a new Canon. It was a very scary decision because I knew that I'm going to have it for the rest of my life. This little guy is going to be my best friend in so many ways. He (still haven't found a suitable name) and I will hopefully see many great parts of the world together.

Anyhoo, you may guess what my first subject was with the camera...any??








Yes, that's right. PIXIE