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Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 16

Mike Shubic August 11th, 2015 2 Comments

At sea on Costa Deliziosa...first time on a cruise The past two weeks has been a whirlwind of non-stop travels and activities, so it was incredibly nice to be aboard the Costa Deliziosa with some free time to rest, relax and enjoy all the amenities aboard the ship. This has...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 15

Mike Shubic August 9th, 2015 2 Comments

I found the Greek Island of Santorini to be so inviting and quite different from Mykonos. Santorini is more laid back, even rural, while Mykonos is more about the party scene while basking on its sun-drenched beaches. When we first arrived on Santorini via our cruise ship tender, I was...

Random facts about Steinhatchee, Florida

Mike Shubic August 7th, 2015 11 Comments

Tucked into the southern tip of Florida’s big bend area, the quaint village of Steinhatchee is steeped in history and rich in abundant saltwater flats that offers an annual bounty of fishing and scalloping. With its unique blend of southern charm and old-salt character, it is no wonder that folks...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 14

Mike Shubic August 6th, 2015 1 Comment

Today we boarded an Aegean flight from Athens to Mykonos, which was a very enjoyable experience. The plane had 3-4 more inches of legroom than our Air France international flight a couple days earlier. We boarded the airplane from the tarmac and found the flight attendants to be smartly dressed...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 12

Mike Shubic August 5th, 2015 1 Comment

It was a massive travel day today…more than 30 hours in fact. We boarded a plane in Dunhuang and flew to Shanghai where we had a seven-hour layover and ended up needing nearly every minute of it. We were hoping to head into Shanghai for a few hours, but as...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 11

Mike Shubic August 4th, 2015 1 Comment

We headed to our hotel where we got an early check-in, got showered and rested a bit before a long afternoon in the sun. Before heading off for our camel adventure in the Gobi Desert, we stopped by the Dunhuang Soluxe Hotel (the only five star property in Dunhuang) for...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 10

Mike Shubic August 2nd, 2015 1 Comment

Today was a travel day. We flew from Hangzhou to Dunhuang, China, which is located in the northern part of the country in the Gobi Desert. When we arrived in Dunhuang, it was a new experience for me…we landed on a runway that seemed to be in the middle of...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day nine

Mike Shubic July 31st, 2015 1 Comment

Tea is highly coveted in Hangzhou, from its cultivation, to the art of making the perfect cup. Today we enjoyed a tea ceremony at one of the most exclusive teahouses in all of Hangzhou, Hu Pan Ju (or Lakeside Teahouse). The Hu Pan Ju Teahouse is located right on the...

Five Interesting Facts about Utah

Mike Shubic July 31st, 2015 Comments Off

Utah is a land of contrasts—seasonally, geographically and geologically...making it a fantastic destination for year-round travel. The Wasatch Mountains run north to south through Northern and Central Utah and cradle 12 of Utah’s 14 ski resorts. The range is the backdrop to the Wasatch Front cities of Salt Lake, Ogden,...

Wyndham Grand in Hangzhou

Mike Shubic July 31st, 2015 Comments Off

When I arrived in Hangzhou, China for the start of the 2015 Hangzhou Global Tour, I was simply thrilled to be staying at the Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale. The Wyndham Grand properties are the finest and highest level within the Wyndham System. The lobby and the accommodations are best described...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day eight

Mike Shubic July 30th, 2015 Comments Off

Alibaba is one of the fastest growing technology companies in the world, and we learned they are based here in Hangzhou. We got an exclusive opportunity to visit the sprawling campus in the outskirts of town. The Alibaba headquarters is quite impressive, with building after building peppering the property, employing...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day seven

Mike Shubic July 29th, 2015 Comments Off

Tea is such an integral part of Chinese culture that it flows as abundantly as the waters of the Grand Canal. It is said that the hotter the tea, the more the person serving it likes you, because you’ll be forced to stay longer while it cools to a temperate...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day six

Mike Shubic July 29th, 2015 Comments Off

Silk has a deep history in China that dates back thousands of years. The alluring fabric is woven into the lives of the people of Hangzhou (both literally and figuratively). From the cultivation, processing to its use in so many applications, silk is highly coveted and valued. To illustrate this...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day five

Mike Shubic July 27th, 2015 6 Comments

It dawned on me the other day that one of the reasons West Lake in Hangzhou is so special is that it is an urban lake…an oasis right in the middle of a major city. I can think of only a few places I’ve been to where I can recall...

Hangzhou Global Tour: Day four

Mike Shubic July 26th, 2015 Comments Off

My fourth day in Hangzhou started out with a very early morning walk around West Lake. On this day the light was perfect, accentuating the details of the scene and providing an opportunity to capture some lovely photos of the famed body of urban water. I was surprised by how...