Arts and Entertainment

When the leaves start to turn red and yellow, my mind begins to think of winter getaways and it always conjures up beautiful Ngapali Beach in Myanmar – my happy place. When we first stayed at Ngapali’s Amazing Resorts in 2008 there were virtually no tourists and Amazing Hotel Ngapali was the only hotel on this stretch of beach.

I had never heard of the Tommy Plane and, to my surprise, neither had my aviation-enthusiast, John. The World War I Thomas-Morse S-4B aka the “Tommy Plane” was made in Ithaca. For a few short years in the early 20th century, Ithaca was a thriving center of the aviation industry. The Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation produced hundreds of World War I-era “Tommy” Scout Planes.

When the leaves start to turn people often head to the Adirondacks and, for sure, they have some awesome foliage. I especially like the ride to Old Forge and beyond. The panoramic view from the McCauley chair lift is awe inspiring. A boat ride on the Clearwater from Old Forge on the Fulton Chain is a relaxing way to see the area, but they are coming to the end of their season. However, the Finger Lakes are also a wonderful place for a fall trip.

Our culture is so pervasive that many of our customs have caught on worldwide and most people around the world accept our idiosyncrasies. I love a lot of ice in my drinks and so do many other people. Foreigners think that putting ice in a drink waters it down so you don’t get the full value of what you are buying. If everyone did everything the same there would be no reason to travel.