Starling Travel

Warning: If the title of this entry or the thought of pubic hair bothers you, then you probably shouldn’t click on the link or video.

Min Jung has been sent to Las Vegas to review the show, Love, at the Mirage. It’s Cirque du Soliel’s newest show in which they dance and contort to the psychedelic stylings of the Beatles. I’m actually really interested in the show, so I enjoyed reading about her trials and tribulations to just get her own reservation at the Mirage.

• MinJungKim.com – Braindump v 5.0 » I’m in Vegas, Bitches.

• MinJungKim.com – Braindump v 5.0 » Love – The Cirque Show by the Beatles

She also took a moment to videotape her experiences. Despite all her problems, she has a great room overlooking Caesar’s Palace, Paris Las Vegas and The Rio Hotel. I usually end up with the room overlooking the I-15 freeway.

I’ve found that any time I’ve been “sent” somewhere by a company, that I’ve had trouble with reservations. Most times, when I have made the reservations on my own, I don’t have trouble. It was probably not The Mirage’s fault that they couldn’t find Min Jung’s reservation, but it shouldn’t have taken them so much time to figure it out and they definitely shouldn’t have put her in a dirty room. Sounds like her trip to Zumanity made it all worthwhile, though.

She also has a photoset from her trip on Flicker:

• Min Jung Kim – Vegas 06.06 – a photoset on Flickr

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada

The Mirage Hotel: 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109 Google Map

The Official Mirage Hotel Website

The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil: Showing at The Mirage Hotel 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109 Google Map

The Official The Beatles LOVE Website

Cost: $69 – $150 Depending on seating

Zumanity – Another side of Cirque du Soleil: Showing at the New York, New York Hotel 3790 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Google Map

The Official Zumanity Website

Cost: $69 – $129 Depending on seating

The Baccarat Bar at The Bellagio Hotel: 3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Google Map

The Official Bellagio Hotel Website

This year, the Snowbird Rock and Blues Festival is on July 28th and 29th. You can see the lineup here:

• Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort – Rock & Blues Festival

This year, the only band I’ve heard of is Los Lobos, but really it’s not about headlining bands. It’s about enjoying the music in the mountains. I’ve found Snowbird to be one of the most relaxing places to be in the summer. For 60 bucks, you can have two days of music, mountains and relaxation.

Check it out…

Funny the Vlog took a tour of the Jelly Belly Factory with her friend. They weren’t allowed to film during the tour, but they could film in the store and while eating. It’s a fun glimpse into the Jelly Belly Factory Tour.

Here is a link to the official Jelly Belly Website:

• JellyBelly.com – The Official Site of Jelly Belly Candy Co.

You can take a virtual tour of their factory here:

• JellyBelly.com – Virtual Factory Tour

Where: Jelly Belly Factory: 101-F Nut Tree Road Vacaville, CA 95687 Google Map Phone: 707-447-4821

Hours of operation:
Monday- Saturday: 10:00am – 9:00pm Sunday: 10:00am – 6:00pm

This time of year, there are lines all day and into the evening at Iceberg Shakes. The hot weather brings us Utahns out to partake of the creamy goodness. At times, people will wait in line for forty-five minutes for their shake. Iceberg is beloved all over town.

When you read the first review of the Iceberg on Citysearch, however, you get another view entirely:

“Oreo? I went to the iceberg ready for a good shake. I ordered an Oreo shake and I think the only Oreo that got in the cup could have been a speck of dirt. There was nothing in my shake. Thinking it was a fluke I went back, and again ordered an Oreo shake. Well much to my suprise this one was poor as well. I don’t think the shakes were good at all. I say keep looking!”

I have to agree. The quality of the shakes is variable. What you get one day will be entirely different than you get the next. I used to order pistachio shakes and got a vanilla shake with some pistachios in it. Then out of the blue, one day, I got a bright green pistachio flavored shake with NO nuts. (?!) I came back a week later and ordered a pistachio shake and got the vanilla and nut variety. It was such a hassle to get something consistent that I have stopped going there entirely.

Yet, the restaurant is BELOVED! The lines form every day with people clamoring for the “famous” shakes. I don’t quite understand it, but that doesn’t make it any less of a Utah tradition. If you come to Salt Lake City, you MUST stop at Iceburg and have a very variable and maybe even displeasing shake. It’s the rules, you know.

Where: Iceberg Drive-Inn

• The Original Location (pictured here): 3906 South 900 East Holladay, Utah 84124 Google Map
• 673 East 12300 South Draper, Utah 84020 Google Map
• 1519 West 5400 South Taylorsville, Utah 84123 Google Map
• 692 West 10600 South South Jordan, Utah 84095 Google Map

Bev lives in Davis, California and she took a trip to her local farmer’s market. Come see the beautiful vegetables, entertainment and dogs.

If you looked in your newspaper or online right now, you will probably be able to find out where the farmer’s market is in your area. This weekend, take a break from your normal routine and have a vacation in your own home town. Listen to the music, smell the earthy goodness and pet the dogs for sale.

Bev posts a new video every day on her website:

• Funny the Vlog

Check her out for new glimpses into her life.

Jim Reams wrote a weblog of his own for years. When he decided to open his BBQ restaurant, he announced it on his weblog. Opening day he had a crowd of fifty readers at the door. See this video of Jim describing the Nashville style of BBQ and his business.

• realVerse [ spirited media ] – Mothership BBQ

You can read Jim’s weblog here:

• Mothership BBQ

BBQ is a fierce competition in the United States:

“Texas does beef. Tennesse does pork.”

With so much contention in the world, I actually feel a happy comfort with the idea that Texas and Tennessee think they understand BBQ. It’s when the Mormons learn how to BBQ green Jello that the fighting will turn ugly.

Real Live Preacher traveled to Tennessee to perform a wedding for a former member of his little church in Texas. While there, he sampled the famed Tennessee BBQ and visited the tourist town of Sevierville. Read his adventures here:

• Real Live Preacher – Friday in Tennessee (BBQ East of the Mississippi)

• Real Live Preacher – Sevierville, Tennessee

• Real Live Preacher – A Smoky Mountain Wedding

Next time you are traveling, bring along a notebook and record your thoughts about the places you see. Having a record of your journeys will let you relive your trip over and over.

Colleen Wainwright lives in California and has had many opportunities to go to Disneyland as a child and as an adult, but for the first time, she went to Disneyland WITH children.

• communicatrix » Blog Archive » Miss Colleen’s Wild Ride

The first time I went to Disneyland with children was with my friends’ three kids last year. They had never been to Disneyland, but they had been to other amusement parks. The concept of rides were not scary to them and the waiting in line was expected.

Watching them experience Disneyland for the first time was more fun than my first trip there. I loved watching them discover the hidden secrets that Disneyland has to offer.

There are so many people who are eager to complain about Disneyland because it’s more commercial than they remember it as a child or because certain rides have disappeared never to return. Disneyland is not a museum and guess what? It’s not a shopping mall either.

Through the eyes of a child, Disneyland is another world that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Those who believe otherwise have lost their child’s eyes.

The Utah Arts Festival was SO much fun this year. There were so many local artists that we recognized that it really felt like a hometown arts festival again. Last year, there were fewer booths , but this year there were so many that I wasn’t able to highlight them all on this video.

This video is just over three minutes long, but it gives you an idea of the wide range of art that was on display this year. Ironically, I missed the film section of the arts festival. We were hot, exhausted and tired when we realized that there was a whole section of the festival in the library that we missed.

Next year, we’ll see it…

Where: The Utah Arts Festival Official Website

At Library Square Google Map and Festival Map

List of the 2006 Awards Winners

Music: ProtoFunk via Royalty Free Disco Music

It was hot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, so Josh Leo took his friends to Grand Haven Beach. If you have been wishing you could escape to the sand and sunshine, watch this video of Josh’s day at the beach.

I love the beautiful scenery Josh took of Grand Haven. Beauty is all around us. You don’t need to take a jet airplane to have a wonderful escape. There is solitude, serenity and peace near you right now. You just need to find it.

Where: Grand Haven Beach 1001 Harbor Avenue Grand Haven MI 49417 Google Map Telephone: (616) 847-1309

Official Grand Haven Website

The Grand Haven – Lake Michigan Webcam