Tourism

Lexington KY – North Limestone Historic District

Located in Fayette County, Lexington KY is second-largest city. It is also the horse capital of the world, with Keeneland and the Red Mile race courses in town as well as Rupp Arena and the headquarters for the American Thoroughbred Racing Association.

Interested in more high-brow culture? Try a garden tour or see a theater performance in this Southern city.

Downtown

Josie’s is a local favorite for breakfast. It offers delicious pancakes, egg benedict, and other favorites. It also has a wide selection of desserts and alcoholic beverages. Josie’s is open every day except Friday from 7 am to 10 pm.

Prior to the Civil War free blacks and whites lived in Lexington in close proximity but emancipation and a large freed-black migration caused white anxiety, prompting vigilantism and restrictive civil rights laws that still exist today. African American neighborhoods, such as Goodlowtown and Taylortown, remain on the city’s edges.

Downtown Lexington’s Main Street District is a mix of shops, galleries, restaurants and historic buildings. The district also houses the oldest surviving distillery, James E. Pepper Distillery, as well as Barrel House Distillery and the Branch River Cidery. The city also has a number of food trucks and other smaller businesses that offer an eclectic variety of foods.

North Limestone

The North Limestone area is one of Lexington’s most historic districts. This neighborhood, bounded by Limestone St north of Loudon Ave, and Castlewood Park is filled with commercial businesses that were part of post-World War II infill redevelopment efforts.

This neighborhood also includes many small residential blocks with clapboard cottages and shotgun-style houses. Many of these homes are now being redeveloped into apartments and condos.

If you are looking for a great local bar to grab a drink and watch a game, head over to Al’s Bar on North Limestone. This spot is known for their delicious burgers including lamb, bison and local beef as well as their awesome happy hour!

South Limestone

The area around North Limestone and Loudon Avenue was the heart of Lexington’s light manufacturing in the early 20th century. It was home to a trolley system, the telegraph and railroad companies, numerous hemp factories and malt manufacturing businesses.

South Limestone grew into a neighborhood of single family homes, apartments and stores that served the community until the medical corridor took over. A sense of neighborhood that had been a blend of residential and commercial, one where UK professionals lived, worked and raised their families, has disappeared.

177 North Limestone (photo 9) is an 1807 Federal style house that stands in contrast to the brick warehouses on either side of it. Known as Battle Row, it and its neighbors were the site of several street fights. This is one of the oldest houses in the North Limestone area.

East Limestone

This area consists of homes built by free African Americans at a time when slavery was still an institution in Kentucky. Prosperous whites also resided in the neighborhood as well.

The area was the commercial, financial, and institutional center of Lexington prior to World War II. It contains a variety of architectural styles including Victorian and early 20th century.

A number of these buildings were designed by Gideon Shryock, one of the most famous Kentucky architects. He designed numerous buildings in the Greek Revival style, notably Old Morrison on the Transylvania University campus and the Medical Hall at the same college. He also combined Greek Revival with Gothic on the Catholic Church of St. Peter which stood on North Limestone.

Lexington was heavily involved politically prior to and during the Civil War. The Union and Confederate generals based their headquarters here. Many of these historic buildings have been restored, including Lell’s Opera House at 410-412 West Short Street. It now houses Columbia Steakhouse.

The Best Places to Live in Tampa FL

A cosmopolitan city, Tampa FL is known for its thriving Ybor City, enormous Florida Aquarium, and heart-pounding Busch Gardens. The area also features some of the best beaches in the world, including pristine Caladesi Island and State Park.

Locals enjoy shopping in fashionable boutiques, discovering gems along the scenic Tampa Riverwalk, and catching a game of professional sports.

Downtown

Located in the heart of Tampa, Downtown is fronted on both the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay. It is the center of the city’s business district and is also home to many top-rated museums.

Its ultra-modern Gasparilla Plaza hosts the Tampa Museum of Art whose collections range from modern paintings to ancient Roman and Greek antiquities. For kids, there’s the Glazer Children’s Museum.

Boutiques like Nordstrom and the high-end International Plaza offer designer duds, and Sail plaza hosts a monthly Brews & Bites food truck rally. The historic movie palace Tampa Theatre is date-ready, while Hotel Bar offers a cosmopolitan atmosphere and craft cocktails.

Harbour Island

Harbour Island is a small, gated community that embraces easy waterside living. Street names like Tropical Breeze Way and Coral Reef Drive make it clear that this is no run-down phosphate loading terminal.

Residents of the island, which was once called Seddon Island (after Seaboard Air Line Railway chief engineer W.L. Seddon), say it feels like a rural lifestyle literally a stones throw from downtown Tampa. The area also boasts a 2.5-mile stretch of hard-packed picture perfect pink sand beach that makes it a favorite among travel magazines and experts like Fodors, Frommers and the Travel Channel.

Those who live in Harbour Island can get around the island easily thanks to two bridges that connect the neighborhood to downtown Tampa and its trendy business district. Students attend public schools in the Hillsborough County School District, including Gorrie Elementary, Wilson Middle and Blake High.

Channel District

The Channel District has a lot to offer. Its restaurants and bars include popular places like JoToro, Battery and Splitsville Southern & Social. There’s also a beer garden called the LightHaus where locals and visitors gather for drinks.

This waterfront park is a hub of activity in Tampa, and it’s great for both tourists and residents. It hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, and it’s home to a number of beautiful waterside parks.

You can also check out the massive aquarium, which overlooks Ybor Channel. This is a must-visit for animal lovers, and it’s a great place to bring the kids. Afterward, you can stroll along the waterfront or enjoy a boat ride on Garrison and Ybor channels. There are several options for transportation in this area, including the TECO Streetcar and NEVs.

Port Tampa

The Port Tampa area features some of the best restaurants in the city. Rooster & the Till is an intimate eatery with a cozy atmosphere that serves innovative dishes like roasted bone marrow and fresh Florida Gulf seafood. The popular Tampa Bay History Center is located on the waterfront and features exhibits on pirates, shipwrecks, Native peoples, and Florida cattle ranching.

Today, Port Tampa accommodates a broad mix of bulk, break-bulk, roll-on/roll-off, and container cargo. The facility’s customer driven, strategic business focus and strong management practices ensure it continues to lead the maritime industry in serving customers and the community.

The Port Tampa City neighborhood is home to a number of museums, markets, and restaurants. It is also a popular departure point for Western Caribbean cruises.

Picnic Island

The secluded Picnic Island, a spoil island created from channel dredging, is a beautiful manmade space surrounded by unspoiled beaches and lush mangrove forests. It’s a favorite spot for kayakers, boaters and paddleboarders to enjoy the water, but it’s also great for fishing, hiking and camping.

Picnic Island is a great place to visit for birdwatching, and many different kinds of resident and migratory birds can be seen here. It’s also a popular tent-camping site for families and groups of friends.

Swimming, kayaking and canoeing are popular activities at the Picnic Island, but be careful because the waters here can have strong rip currents. You can launch a boat from the Punta Rassa or Matlacha boat ramps. The park is open to the public and is free to use.

Ibiza Entry Requirements in 2023

Ibiza Entry Requirements in 2023

It is crucial to remain informed on both the prerequisites for visiting Ibiza, Spain and any potential restrictions once there. Here are some links and informational elements to keep in mind because the Pandemic is always evolving. If you know what to expect before you leave and can efficiently organize what you need, you can reduce the stress associated with your vacation experience.

Health Control Measures to Ibiza

The health control measures demonstrate how safe tourism is. Regardless of their nationality, age, or any other factor, the Balearic Islands require that all tourists coming from other international countries complete a health check or a passenger locator form. It is important to emphasize that this form is only required of international visitors passing through a Spanish airport on their way to another country. However, the requirements of this form are waived if the transit period is under 24 hours and the passengers do not leave the airport premises.

To check in and fly, each form must be accurately completed in its entirety on an individual basis. A single trip can only be connected to a form at a time.

Check our complete guide on getting around Ibiza.

Need of diagnosis certificate and vaccination certificate 

Any traveler entering Spain from another nation must provide one of the following documents:

1. A COVID-19 vaccination record certificate: Valid for up to a year following the date of vaccination and beginning 14 days after the completion of the entire immunization schedule (x2). For entry into Spain, children under the age of 12 do not require any COVID-related papers.

2. A diagnosis of a current illness that is negative: Required 48 hours before arrival in the Balearic Islands or a quick antigen test, 72 hours before arrival. 

3. A document attesting to your health after you’ve been exposed to the sickness: Corresponds to a test conducted between the date of the first positive result of an active infection diagnostic test (NAAT) and the date of the test, but not more than 180 days later or no sooner than 11 days after that date.

Form of Documents

The documents, which can be submitted in paper or electronic form, must be originals and written in one of the following languages: Spanish, English, French, or German.

With their national identity card or a current passport, citizens of the European Union’s member states as well as those of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland may enter Spain. When a minor travel alone without a parent and has an identity document, one of the parents must give their consent.

With a valid passport, family members who are not citizens of a Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland may enter. They might require an entry visa depending on their nationality unless they hold a valid residency card as a relative of an EU citizen.

Final Note

The Department highly advises that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance before leaving, which will cover all out-of-country medical expenses, including medical evacuation or repatriation, repatriation of remains, and legal expenses. Check for any exclusions and, in particular, confirm that the activities you plan to engage in are covered by your insurance.

Happy and secure travels to you!

The Coolest Neighborhoods in Ibiza

When it comes to vacation what comes to your mind? Certainly, a beautiful place where you can relax and spend a memorable time. Some neighborhoods in Ibiza could be an answer to all your pleasure-seeking thoughts. There are so many beautiful places situated in the heart of the island. The Spanish island has enough to offer everyone, with various locations drawing in various demographics.

Check out the Coolest Neighborhood in Ibiza.

The Majestic Town Of Ibiza

The capital of the island, Ibiza Town, is an exquisite port city with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. It is also referred to as Eivissa in the local dialect. The city has a wide variety of restaurants, small-town shops, museums, dress shops, and bars. It is famous for its vibrant nightlife because there are so many fantastic clubs and eateries across the town. 

The Coolest Neighborhoods in Ibiza

However, Dalt Vila, a charming old town is the real highlight of Ibiza Town. Dalt Vila is the perfect vacation destination if you enjoy white-washed buildings, and lanes lined that evoke childhood memories of fairy tales. Dalt Vila is a cultural treasure with a history of 2,500-year. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and with its distinctive Medieval architecture, it forms a lovely backdrop for pictures!

The best thing about Dalt Vila is that there are no automobiles nearby and can only be reached on a walk. The days are so bright and the nights are romantic which will make you fall in love with the town, So, are you ready to explore this magnificent town?

San-Carlos – A Small Hippie Village

With its hippy atmosphere and free spirit, San Carlos is known as the bohemian center of Ibiza. San Carlos is a small charming village in the north of the island. It was a well-known hippie haven during the 1960s and 1970s. Nowadays, the location is a little chicer, but you can smell the boho vibe. Las Dalias a famous Hippy Market is not too far from San Carlos. Take home unique fabrics, leather works, and jewelry creations that you can only get here by experiencing handcrafted art. It is open since 1954, the market is a wonderful location for communions, weddings, and music festivals.

Near San Carlos, you may find Cala Nova and Cala Lea. Cala Nova is well-known for having excellent surfing waves that the island’s competitive surfers display. Whereas there are many shady locations in Cala Lea where you can bask a daytime picnic.

Well, San Carlos, is a complete package for your dream vacation and surely one of the coolest neighborhoods of Ibiza, isn’t it!!

Sant Jordi- Traditional Village

Sant Jordi is situated in the southern region of the island, close to the airport, Playa d’en Bossa, and Ibiza Town. Numerous factors make Sant Jordi a well-liked location.

Sant Jordi is a terrific area to stay if you want to feel the natural side of Ibiza. It is just outside the Ses Salinas Natural Park and close to several gorgeous beaches that are still largely undiscovered by the mainstream tourist industry. The village’s primary attraction is its historic church which is one of the oldest on the island. The food in Sant Jordi’s restaurants is delicious and irresistible.

Every Saturday, a flea market with new and used items is held at the old Hippodrome. In addition to local food products, you may also discover used books, decorations, apparel, and jewelry from India. So there is a good chance for you to find a decent deal and hone your negotiating abilities. If you are planning your holiday then you must include this quite traditional village in your list. 

Are you excited to explore this trendy yet ritual place?

Santa Gertrude-The most charming village in Ibiza

Santa Gertrudis, which is only ten-minute drive from Ibiza Town, offers plenty of bars and restaurants to check out. The village is so fascinating that you might feel like moving there. This picturesque village has a lovely vibe, especially in the late afternoon and evening. The patios of the cafés and restaurants are packed with people, the murmur of conversations filling the air, and there is no loud music to disturb the laid-back atmosphere.

Take an evening stroll through charming tiny stores and boutiques that sell clothing, jewelry, and home goods. Traditional, yet equally contemporary and upscale, is all about the Santa Gertrude. An Enchanting and Magnificent Place!!

Ibiza island is so contrasting and full of excitement. The island is considered to be a top party destination in the world. Yet there are so many cool destinations that can indulge your soul. So, what are you waiting for? Check out these iconic places for your dream vacation!

10 Tips for Safe Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving

How safe is scuba diving

Scuba diving is a fun and exciting activity but like most other sports, there are still some risks involved. Why do people still engage in sports despite the risks? Scuba diving and other outdoor sports allow people to tune out from everyday stressors and tune in to nature. Going under the waves is a perfect escape from the hectic world we live in. The ocean is a peaceful world teeming with beautiful marine life. No wonder divers are willing to take risks just to explore this amazing underwater realm.

Make diving safer 

Although you cannot eliminate the risks, you can make your diving experience safer through the following

1. Become a certified diver

It’s important to earn your dive certification from a licensed dive operator before you go on a diving trip. When you become a certified diver, you learn the necessary knowledge and skills that you need in various diving environments and situations. Being trained by a professional dive instructor will make diving trips safe for you and your dive buddy. If you plan to become a certified diver in the UAE, get in touch with Nemo Dive Center to know about our scuba diving Dubai prices.

2.  Make sure you’re fit to dive

When you sign up for a dive course, you’ll be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire to determine if you’re fit to dive. Answer the questionnaire honestly. If you’re generally in good health, then you won’t have any problem. 

If you’re already a certified diver, avoid diving when you’re feeling under the weather. Don’t dive when you have a headache, cold, cough, or if you have hangover. Always prioritize safety over the desire to explore the sea. You can always reschedule your dive when you’re feeling much better.  

3. Check your gear before your descent

Equipment is a crucial part of safety. Make it a routine to check your equipment before you dive and always perform a buddy check. You must know how to use your gear and make sure everything is working properly. For instance, it is important that you’re aware of your quick release weight system and how to deploy your delayed surface marker buoy. In addition, you should know the location of all the dump valves on your BCD. Prior to your dive, remember to calibrate your dive computer to your air mix. Charge all battery-powered gear such as your primary and secondary dive lights. 

4. Never hold your breath

Breath holding underwater is a big no-no because it can lead to serious injury to the lungs and even death. When you descend, your lungs contract and when you ascend, your lungs expand. 

There’s no problem as long as you continue breathing normally underwater because excess air escapes. However, if you hold your breath during ascent, pressure rises in the organ, which can make the lung walls rupture. This is very dangerous because it can result in serious damage to the organ.

5. Equalize your ears as you descend

When you descend, equalize your ears frequently to avoid injury to your inner ear. Do not wait to feel pain before equalizing.

6. Improve your buoyancy control

Keep working on your buoyancy control so that you can improve air consumption and maneuver better underwater. When you have good buoyancy control, it’s easier to control your movements and help conserve the marine environment.

7. Ascend slowly

When you’re finished diving, go back to the surface slowly and make safety stops to allow the nitrogen in your system to dissipate. If you come up fast, the nitrogen will be forced into the bloodstream which can cause decompression sickness.

8. Keep an Eye on Your Air Gauge

It is your responsibility to monitor your own air consumption. Always be mindful of when your tank is half full and quarter full so you can safely plan your way back to the surface.

9. Dive within your limits

Always dive within the scope of your knowledge, skills, and training. Some marine environments, depths, and conditions may require higher certifications. When you risk diving in conditions and situations beyond your limit, you can endanger yourself and your buddy. Prioritize safety to avoid underwater accidents. If you want to sign up for specialty dive courses, get in touch with us to know about our scuba diving packages. 

10. Respect marine life

As a diver, the opportunity of interacting closely with amazing marine life is an exciting experience but keep in mind that we are mere visitors to the underwater world. Practice responsible interactions with marine life. Do not feed, touch, chase, or do things that can hurt or stress marine creatures. In some cases, these actions can put a diver’s safety at risk.

Best Places to Visit in Italy

Couple of locations rank as high on travelers’ bucket listings as Italy. Whatever your preference in travel, you’ll satisfy it in this country that goes to when exotic and acquainted. History, art, food, songs, architecture, culture, sacred sites, captivating villages, and also magnificent surroundings are around, and in an environment that only one of the most verified curmudgeon could fail to take pleasure in. Plan your trip with our listing of the most effective areas to visit in Italy.

  1. Rome

Both for its history as the capital of much of Europe and for its existing day role as one of Europe’s most lively cities, for most visitors taking a trip to Italy, Rome heads the list of areas to see. Relics of its ancient splendors– the Colosseum, the Discussion Forum, the Pantheon, the Appian Means, and also the Palatine Hill– vie with the vast riches of the Vatican as the leading destinations.

Yet in between the crucial sights like the Sistine Church as well as Michelangelo’s Pieta, take some time to take pleasure in the city itself. Kick back in the Borghese gardens; eat gelato on the Spanish Steps; explore the slim roads of Trastevere; window-shop on the Via Veneto; and also throw a coin in Trevi Fountain, so you can return over and over. It will certainly take several trips to see it all.

  1. Florence

The showcase of the Italian Renaissance, Florence can at times seem like one huge art gallery. The Duomo, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Fiore, is a site of world architecture, covered by its gravity-defying large dome. Together with its marble-inlaid bell tower by Giotto as well as its octagonal Baptistery with its incomparable bronze doors by Ghiberti, this is just one of the globe’s finest ensembles of Renaissance art.

Half a dozen art museums brim with paints and also sculpture, while more masterpieces decorate its churches. Before you overdose on art in the Uffizi Gallery and also Pitti Royal residence, stroll with the Boboli Gardens as well as check out the craftsmens’ studios and workshops of the Oltrarno, or purchase leather in Santa Croce.

  1. Venice

That could fall short to enjoy a city whose roads are made from water, whose buses are boats, as well as where the songs of gondoliers stick around airborne? It is a magic city, and also its significant attraction to travelers is the city itself. The center of the city is the wide Piazza San Marco, St. Mark’s Square, bordered by numerous of its top tourist attractions. The excellent Basilica of St. Mark stands next to the Doge’s Royal residence, and also ignoring both is the high Campanile.

Gondolas gather at the end of the plaza in the Grand Canal, as well as in the various other instructions, a gate under the clock tower leads into a warren of narrow, winding paths, where you make certain to get shed heading to Rialto Bridge. However getting shed is among the greatest enjoyments of Venice, where a postcard scene awaits around each edge.

  1. Tuscan Hillside Towns

The undulating landscape of Tuscany is crowned by stone towns whose foundations go back to the Etruscans. Each sits atop a hillside, and lots of still have the castles as well as towers that once safeguarded their commanding positions.

It’s challenging to choose one over the others, as each has its very own architecture, art, personality, as well as story to tell. Relatively bristling with towers and also confined in walls that are greatly intact, San Gimignano looks long as it did in the Center Ages, when it was an important quit on the explorers’ path to Rome. Volterra was an important Etruscan center before the Romans came and also still has remains of both human beings today. The traveler destinations of Arezzo are the legacy of the many musicians, architects, and poets who lived there.

Like Volterra, walled Cortona was an Etruscan negotiation as well as later on a Roman one, yet adds reminders of its Florentine past too. Cortona is just one of Italy’s earliest towns. The distance of these hill communities to the cities of Florence, Siena, Pisa, as well as Luca fills up Tuscany with a concentration of many of the best areas to go to in Italy.

  1. Milan

Although Milan is a significant entrance factor for visitors because of its airport, it’s typically neglected as a location of its very own. That’s a pity, because Milan has one of the highest possible concentration of artistic as well as architectural tourist attractions in all Italy, and also for those thinking about layout as well as fashion (as well as buying), it’s a must. Milan has been the residence and also work area for stars in all these fields: Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Verdi, Enrico Caruso, Toscanini, as well as developer Giorgio Armani.

Il Duomo, Milan’s large basilica, is among the world’s most spectacular churches, and also finest example of the Flamboyant Gothic design. La Scala is the world’s most prestigious music hall, Da Vinci’s The Last Dinner fills up the wall at an abbey, and throughout the city are galleries and also royal residences filled with some of the globe’s finest art. And also no fashionista can withstand a walk via the well known Quadrilatero.

  1. Lake Como

Italy’s many beautiful lake, Como has actually been the preferred summertime retreat of the abundant and well-known since old Romans fled Milan’s summer season warm to cool down in suites along its steep coasts. Later on suites enhance its securely clustered towns, especially pretty Bellagio, artfully set on a factor where the three slim arms of the lake fulfill.

A microclimate makes Como’s western shore warm also in winter, so the white optimals of the Alps simply to the north can be checked out in between palm trees as well as camellias. Do not neglect the community of Como, on the southern coast, well worth a stop prior to boarding a steamer to check out the lake.

Simply to the west of Lake Como is Lake Maggiore, with its own tourist attractions; to the east is Lake Garda, a summertime playground full of water sports and other points to do.

  1. Amalfi Coast as well as Capri

The high, sheer Amalfi Peninsula juts greatly right into the Mediterranean just south of Naples, developing the southern rim of Naples Bay. It’s hard to imagine an extra gorgeous– or not likely setup for the towns that splash down its high inclines. Streets in the majority of are stairways, and homes seem glued to the high cliffs behind them. Flowers bloom anywhere, and also below the communities are coastlines caught in coves of emerald water.

The Amalfi Drive, along the southern shore, is one of the world’s great breathtaking courses. Off the end of the peninsula, as well as easy to reach by normal ferryboats, is the legendary island of Capri, with its Blue Grotto sea cavern, lavish villas, and lush yards. Sorrento, on the northern coastline of the Amalfi Peninsula is a good base, an easy excursion from all the important things to see and do in the region.

  1. The Cinque Terre

The 5 towns that hold on to the steep, rocky Mediterranean coast north of La Spezia were practically difficult to reach by land until the train linked them by tunneling via the headlands that divide them. Today, the path along the cliffs that locals as soon as used to travel from community to community is one of Italy’s excellent walks; the fastest as well as largest of its sections, between Manarola as well as Riomaggiore is known as the Via dell’ Amore.

Riomaggiore and Vernazza, with their slim roads falling to little rock-bound harbors are one of the most loaded with character, and despite its recent appeal with tourists, the Cinque Terre continues to be one of Italy’s most appealing attractions.

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