On July 7, 2007 (07.07.07) the New7Wonders Foundation announced that The Great Wall of China(China), Petra (Jordan), Christ Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Piccu (Peru), Chichen Itza (Mexico), the Colosseum (Italy) and the Taj Mahal (India), were the New Seven Wonders of the World (which we wrote about here).

Now the Foundation is asking for our vote again but this time on The New Seven Wonders of Nature. The 28 finalist are all natural phenomenons; from the Grand Canyon (of course) to Kilimanjaro. Which do you think should be in the top seven?

An announcement will be made on November 11, 2011 (11.11.11). I have voted for all that are on my bucket list (and the two that I have already seen). Go to New 7 Wonders of Nature to cast your vote. And to plan which of these will make your bucket list. Seems like I need to visit the Maldives pretty soon…

As we traveled cross country on our 2600 miles, 10-day family road trip to Ontario, Canada we found our smart phones indispensable in making our trip a little smoother. With the assistance of GPS capability, a map app, the RoadAhead app and Yelp applications, we were able to enhance the overall organization and quality of our time on the road mostly by avoiding the formerly common incidents of not being able to find a restaurant, gas station, rest stop or lodging when we needed it.

I have found RoadAhead to be an oh-so-smart road travel tool. The GPS enabled app is set up to determine your location and tell you exactly what is to be expected at upcoming exits off major freeways and highways in the United States, in such detail as to tell you how far off the freeway the business is (such as gas station or restaurant) and it can even compare gas prices at gas stations at other exits. Plus it shows the location of  rest stops and picnic areas (to let the dogs out too!).

As we traveled cross the United States, we found this app invaluable. It made it extremely easy to decide where we would eat, have bathroom breaks, refuel and find a hotel.

RoadAhead (a free app, btw) links to Yelp for local business reviews, ratings and the establishment’s general information. Yelp has been around since 2004. If you are not familiar with it, it is time to download the app to your smart phone. It provides yellow pages’ type local listings by business type (anything from mechanics to restaurants, to clubs to hair salons) though the really useful part is that Yelp gives real ratings and comments from real users. This is particularly useful when you find yourself in a location that that you are not familiar with. You can do it the old-fashioned way by going up to a stranger and asking them where to eat, but this app might just be more reliable!

With all this great technology I really wonder how my parents did it. What I do remember, however, from my family road trips are a lot of ripped maps, crosswords and having to relieve ourselves on the side of the road. Ah, memories…

Here we are, both of us toasting to a wonderful summer, with a few weeks of relaxation, just before the BlogHer ’11 Conference, and then the back-to-school and back-to-reality busy-ness begins. We will still be posting this month, but just with less frequency. We are taking a wee bit of a rejuvenating and re-energizing break as we gather our thoughts, materials and ideas to offer you fresh, enticing content again next month.

So, from us Succulent Wives to you, have a wonderful summer!

There are indeed some good reasons to love the Luggage Box:

• Stick your tongue out at the airline companies for making air travel so unfriendly by diverting the luggage fee to another type of “shipping” company. UPS promises competitive rates with that of the airlines.
• No standing in long cattle lines to check luggage at airport. More time for pre-flight martinis.
• Ok, so the recycled boxes are not as chic as your designer luggage, but since they weigh a whole lot less, the boxes minimize the risk of overweight charges (for the luggage!) should you decide to check the luggage box on the flight.
• UPS enables tracking via mobile apps. That makes for peace of mind. And, UPS might just happen to be more reliable than the airlines when caring for lost luggage!
• Luggage-free traveling might almost (just almost) put the glamour back into air travel again. But mainly, I see this as an advantage for parents traveling with little kids, the elderly or anyone not able or willing to lug around a 50 lb suitcase.
• Also a cool idea for the next time you run out of luggage space after your NYC shopping spree. Or, like most often happens to me, when returning with too many tchochkies & samples from the trade show. Definitely cheaper than buying a new suitcase.
• If you are a AAA member you get a 15% discount. Woot. It counts.

TIPS: since this is brand new product for UPS, call your local UPS store in advance to make sure that they have the boxes or can order them for you. You will also want to plan some extra time for your box to arrive at destination since the cheapest option will be to send it Ground service. Call your destination hotel/friend/family to tell them to expect the package.

I should mention that there are two sizes for the Luggage Box. One is a check-in size while the other is a carry-on size. You can go to this page to figure out how much it will cost you to ship your box with UPS and to this page to compare the airline baggage fees.

I think I might invest in UPS stock now. Better bet than airline stock, I’m pretty sure.

I’m in love with Paris, which is nothing original; Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Josephine Baker were all here before me. I figure I’m still in pretty good company with Mick Jagger moving up the street and Johnny Depp seen haunting our ‘hood.  It is not lost on me that these people are all known for their somewhat wild lifestyles. I’ve been told that its a personality thing, but I prefer to blame it on Paris.

Like some religious fanatic, I love this city so much that I now proselytize on its behalf, which means twice a week I can be found on some park bench or at a local café, iPad and Panasonic Lumix in hand, recording all the things I love about this city. Things like; the department stores that host art exhibits, scarves, Frenchmen , the food (and how to eat while without exploding), style and quite simply, the lifestyle.

I write for The Girls Guide to Paris. The Girls Guide is a great site that encourages women to get out there and go… either alone, with friends or with family, just go! For people who are afraid to go it on their own, the Girls Guide organizes week long tours of the city, led by women, for women. If you’re happy to travel on your own, but would like to break it up with a one day tour, The Girls Guide has those, too. There are ideas for shopping, dining and hotels.

One of the things that make this website so unique is the blog. Did I mention the blog? The one I write for twice a week? To be fair, I am not the only writer and like the city itself, I feel lucky to be in such accomplished company. All of us bloggers have embraced our passion for Paris, pulled up stakes and moved to the City of Lights. We share our tales of negotiating cobble stoned streets in high heels, memorizing the names and shape of all 300+ cheeses and mastering the art of flirtation. Amy works at LVMH and gives us the scoop on the latest in fashion trends, while Cynthia, from the BBC, keeps us up to date on the cultural scene.

And then there are the ten downloadable pdf tours that feature the city by neighborhood, or theme. My personal favorite is the chocolate tour. Can you imagine anything more succulent than a day spent tasting chocolate… in Paris?

So wish I could make it…

Via Yanko Design

This gourmet store was as delicious on the eyes as it was on the palate. The gorgeous rustic farmhouse setting entices all the senses. There are treasures to behold in every corner.

And then, there is the tasting bar where the pestos are on display, ready to be experienced. A visit to their website tells the Bella Cucina philosophy, which will explain why I immediately connected with the store:

“Bella Cucina celebrates the passion for living soulfully… Its artful food celebrates the artisan tradition of bringing foods from the earth to the table… Eat simply and deliciously… It seems appropriate now more than ever to surround ourselves with the warmth of family and friends and the comfort of good food… Bella Cucina honors the philosophy that food is daily sustenance for the spirit as well as the appetite…”

This credo was palpable throughout the store. I arrested my choice on the house favorite Artichoke Lemon Pesto and the gorgeous Farmhouse Lemons. These were for my own personal use, but what great gifts – and corporate gifts too – these would make…

A little further on North Highland Avenue was the colorful and happy and so aptly named Urban Cottage boutique which features contemporary casual furnishings and gift items. With very little room left in my luggage, I simply picked up these note cards from the fantastic “She is…” stationery collection. I will be giving these cards to a few targeted good friends. My favorites read: “She decided to start living the life she’d imagine” and “She designed a life she loved”. Who of your girlfriends does not need that inspiration! Frame-worthy, I tell ya!

I concluded my visit with a quiet and delicious, well presented with great service, late lunch at Murphy’s. That just made the whole Virginia Highland tour even more satisfying….

A couple of hours is not nearly enough to even scratch the surface of the treasures to be discovered there. The historical covered bazaar has 58 streets and over 6000 merchants. Count on getting lost. And lost, we were, my daughter and I, but not before discovering a delightful jewelry shop. I did some early holiday shopping  and bought some interesting necklaces. I was told that silk and cotton was used as the structure for much of the jewelry at a certain time as metal chains and wires were not available. I love how the necklaces are mounted on silk cords and embellished with bits of stones and fabric. Personally, the ethnic, old world, non-polished and colorful look of these necklaces is totally to my taste. The collar-like necklaces were bought in Izmir. They feature stones and beads on a cotton backing. And indeed, as per historical accurateness, there is not a bit of metal on these pieces. They look great under a jacket.

More on other Turkish discoveries in a future post.