TravelswithCharie

The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas consistently produces one of the best floral displays. This spring, the botanical garden is awash with tulips. What a sight to behold amidst the slot machine jungle! This carousel sits in a field of blooms - violet colored mums, yellow tulips. The Bellagio Hotel changes its floral theme every season. It's always fun to see what each season yields. The inspiration of this floral arrangement comes from a landscape painting by David Hockney which is currently on exhibit at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. The exhibition entitled "A Sense of Place: From Monet to Hockney" continues through January 9, 2012. There are a lot of whimsical touches such as shown above. Entrance to the botanical gardens is free. What a relaxing way to spend with family and friends admiring the happy colors of Easter. And I love these parasols hanging from the dome of the Via Bellagio shops. It's just so spring-y! Happy Easter everyone. *  *  * Ima

And one or more things about Buenos Aires: Where to stay : I really liked my room at the Dazzler Hotel on Maipu 850, right in the center of town. The room was spacious and clean with laminated wood floor and breakfast was included. The hotel is a short walk to Calle Florida and Galerias Pacifico. My only complaint about the room was the noise from the street below as Maipu is a bus route. So ask for a room away from the street. Parks : Buenos Aires has many beautiful parks, perfect for weary feet. Do go to a park where there are a lot of people so you're safe and be aware of what's going on around you. The plazoleta below is on Calle Arroyo and Avenida de 9 de Julio. I also liked the Plaza de las Naciones where you have a great view of the Florialis Generica from under bright yellow outdoor umbrellas. Another little square on Calle Arroyo was on the former site of the Israeli Embassy which was bombed in 1992. Today it is a quiet place for reflection

One of the lessons I learned from this article is that the best photos are taken at dawn or before/shortly after sunset. Which explains why this image (above) I took with my simple iPhone camera while walking at the salt marsh at sunset is a good example of taking photographs during "the golden hours".  For more info on how to take the best photos, check the link below. Travel Photography 101 Travel News from Fodor's Travel Guides . Life Magazine, the purveyor of some of the most memorable photos we've seen, has tips on how to take great travel shots with images to match. http://www.life.com/gallery/41422/image/72868208#index/0 . Advice noted, all I need now is a good camera that can take my photos to the next level. My point and shoot fails me when I use the zoom feature or if I take photos in low light. *  *  * Image by Charie

Shopping in Buenos Aires can be sublime. At the Galerias Pacifico on Calle Florida, the frescoes in the central dome could be the destination more so than the expensive boutiques inside the mall. The frescoes depict the history of mankind and was painted by five well known Argentine artists in 1945. For a leisurely view of the frescoes, sit and order a drink at one of the cafés under the dome.   Calle Florida is packed full of shoppers and walking along this pedestrian only street is a slow crawl as there are so many things to check out and perhaps buy from the vendors on the street. There are toys, handbags and wallets, costume jewelry, clothes, socks, flowers, and an incredible assortment of goods.  There is free entertainment from musicians and tango dancers. If you take a picture with the tango dancers, you will have to pay for this privilege. There's something for everyone. In the posh Retiro district, food shops like the one above in the glass ceilinged Patio Bul

Of wall the many attractions in Buenos Aires, I found the neighborhood of La Boca to be the most fun and interesting of the bunch. Though the  conventillos (tenements) here are restored and freshly painted, this neighborhood is still one of  the oldest, the home for many Italian immigrants in the 1940's. Colorful buildings shown above line the streets of La Boca. It is said that past residents of this barrio used remaining paint they found in the docks to coat their wood and corrugated zinc dwellings. This explosion of colors adds a festive air to the neighborhood. Narrow alleys like this separate the conventillos in La Boca. Living in such close quarters, there's not much privacy in these tenements. The courtyards became the living room of residents and this is where the celebrated tango was performed by the immigrants who were said to have introduced the tango to these shores. A whimsical mural in the Antiguo Mercado de La Boca reminds visitors that thi

Only 30 minutes from central Buenos Aires, the Tigre River is the jump off point for trips around the  Paraná Delta. State of the art boats ferry passengers through thousands of miles of waterways for a glimpse of life on the delta. Summer homes, some elegant, others simple and basic, peek through lush flora on the banks of the river. There are about 3000 residents in the delta, more so during the summer months. It's beautiful and peaceful out here and there are many activities to indulge in or none at all, depending on your mood. This grocery boat traverses the river bringing necessary food and supplies to delta residents. Garbage pick-up barges also ply the river. There is a chapel, a gas station, a restaurant (or two) on these waterways.  It's as if you're living on dry land. Beach goers enjoy swimming in the brown waters of the delta. The existence of silt in the waterways explains why it is brown. To keep waters flowing, the delta is constantly

There are many organizations collecting donations for Japanese quake/tsunami victims. But check carefully to whom you entrust your donations. Yahoo has a list of organizations working in relief and recovery activities in Japan. Check this link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_newsroom/20110311/wl_yblog_newsroom/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-how-to-help For U.S. residents, I found the fastest way to donate is by texting REDCROSS to 90999 and $10.00 is charged to your mobile phone bill. The American Red Cross has already contributed $10 million to the Japanese Red Cross for medical and relief efforts. It plans to make further contributions as recovery work continues. For more information check out their website at http://www.redcross.org/ .  You may also donate to UNICEF which helps with the special needs of children, particularly in Japan at this time. They have a "Text-to-Give" campaign and you may text JAPAN to 864233. $10.00 will be charged to your phone bill.  For more o