Jim Mathias is currently a Maryland State Senator and is the former mayor of Ocean City. He grew up there and is a self-professed “beach bum.”

Mathias told KDKA Radio’s Bill Rehkopf: “We were very fortunate.”

Though they did lose a part of the famous pier, Mathias said, “The pier is back in order; the beaches are great; the amusements are open. I was down there today; I can smell the caramel popcorn.”

There’s been some boardwalk construction, but Mathias says, “This is [a] world-class boardwalk.”

He added that there are some new additions this year, including restaurants, rides, games, shops and new development along and near the boardwalk.

Mathias knows that Ocean City is a destination for Pittsburghers and welcomes them.

Even though he is a Baltimore football fan, he says, “We do love those Pittsburgh folks.”

He says it’s a great place for Pittsburghers whether or not they come down for a few days or a week or two to “refresh, to re-nourish and renew.”

Mathias says Ocean City’s hotels and people are ready, calling on Pittsburghers to “come see us in Ocean City; we appreciate your being here and spending time with us.”

Listen to the KDKA Afternoon News with Bill Rehkopf every weekday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.

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All About Memorial Day.

Memorial Day, an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, it marks the beginning of summer.

Early Observances of Memorial Day

The Civil War claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history, requiring the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

Decoration Day

On May 5, 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Many Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I.

Evolution of Memorial Day

Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

Memorial Day Traditions

Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. On a less somber note, many people throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because it unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

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Day 7 – Day 7 was what I call our day of boating!  During the morning we took a snorkeling cruise and in the evening we went on a sunset dinner cruise.  The pictures I took of snorkeling were of lots of blue water around us.

And I had my hands full eating quite a bit on the dinner cruise and took very few pictures.  Mr. G took the camera at the end and grabbed some pictures of the sunset.

And Day 8 – the worst day of any vacation – we went home.

I’ve been mucking around with filters and other things. I’m not really sure what I think of them.

“I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it.”
-Walt Disney

Latrease Bedolla – Ambit Marketing Consultant http://www.newenegy.whyambitworks.com

My motto is: If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got.

With that in mind, we planned on coming home on the 101 along the coast instead of I-5. Heath and I secretly wanted to be as far away as possible from the scene of our accident on our way home from Disneyland the last time we went. In fact on Sunday as we drove to Disneyland we were both very nervous as we approached Castaic. Nothing happened to or fro! Thank goodness!

We stayed in Disneyland until it was about to close at 7:00 for Grad Night. More on that later. Then we went over to California Adventure to have dinner at the Taste Pilot’s Grill because it really is my favorite park restaurant. CA was just as nuts as Disneyland so we were quite happy to leave after dinner. By the time we were finished with the last of our shopping in Downtown Disney – also totally nuts, we left for our final hotel at 8:00 pm. Heath and I were so impressed that we ended up maximizing every day, including the last.

We stayed in a boutique-y hotel in L.A. The building was in the shape of a tall cylindrical tower. The inside had obviously been upgraded to have modern finishes. But what a STUPID room! It was quite literally like putting five people in a slice of bundt cake. There was only space for two full size beds and honestly, I’m not sure they were even that big! They were more like extra large twin size beds. How Heath and I managed to stay in is a mystery.

There were only two pillows. I am not making that up. Each bed had one pillow. Gavin slept on the floor with most of the bedding from one bed and a pillow. Gwen and Parker were in a bed with a wadded up sheet to use as a pillow. And Heath and I were in the other bed sharing a pillow. So uncomfortable. We know we could have requested more pillows but we were so tired and just wanted to sleep! We wouldn’t let the kids sleep in the van so they would sleep when we got to the room. Heads hit pillows, or lack thereof, at 9:30 pm. We were so tired!

I chose to skip the shower this morning because I just wanted to get home. This decision made me nervous because that’s what I did two years ago when we came home from Disneyland. We all know how that turned out! But I couldn’t make myself use that shower. The door to the toilet and tub was frosted glass that left nothing to the imagination as to what was behind it. There was no other door to the bathroom due to the shape of the room. The sooner we could leave that room the better!

Crazily enough the news was reporting an accident on the freeway right where we were. We could see it from our room. Where we needed to get on the freeway was beyond the accident and backup. No other incidents came up on our drive home. Well, there was some slowing for a construction zone but it didn’t last too long.

We never stopped off at the L.A. Temple like we had originally planned. Nor did we stop off at the beach in Santa Barbara. Mostly because we didn’t go that way. We just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

It feels so good to be home!

Everyone in their own beds. Three bathrooms. Laundry appliances. Space. Ahhh…

The couch is calling me. I will have to post pictures and stories later. I have a lot of both. We had so much fun! Stay tuned …

Photo: Joe Johnson

With nothing but our empty stomachs to guide us, we hit the streets in search of something to fill them. The menu hanging by the door of a small Italian joint caught our attention, but it was the available sidewalk seating, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city, that sealed the deal.

Drinks, appetizers and the main course were ordered. We toasted to good fortune and exploring new places and then settled back into our chairs, content to soak up the sights, smells, action and conversations that swirled around us. There wasn’t much conversation at our table; we were too busy enjoying everyone else’s.

The couple behind us was discussing their most recent trip to the Opera. The friends to our right were debating which new art gallery was San Francisco’s finest. The ladies to our left were talking politics and economics. And the guys in front of us were breaking down the San Francisco Giants lineup for the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, I found myself completely caught up in each conversation. Enjoying the variety, the topics, the opinions and the passion with which people were speaking. It was then that I realized that this very situation, the experience of different conversations, is what makes traveling so interesting, and in my opinion, necessary.

Photo: Joe Johnson

You see, I’ve called mountain towns home for the majority of my life. What they have to offer – The scenery, the weather, the recreation and the lifestyle – is what keeps me coming back. These are the things that I love about mountain towns. Yet, these are the things that wear on me as well.  The very things that set mountain towns apart are the very things that, in my opinion, tend to make them all the same. Pull up a stool at a bar or sit down with a cup of coffee at any mountain town establishment and chances are that the conversations around you will revolve around the weather, the recreational activity currently in season and the gear needed to participate in said activity. Again, don’t get me wrong, I’m as passionate about these topics as the next outdoor enthusiast. But at the same time I need variety in my life. I crave different points of view and unique conversations as much as I do tacky singletrack or deep powder snow.

I’m not saying that one becomes sheltered when living in a mountain town. And I’m not saying that cities are better because of their diversity. But I am saying that it is vital to experience the difference in conversation that can only be found when traveling.

Goodbye Windy City

After a final whirlwind shopping trip for a few last things (read comfy shoes) My luggage is now in the hands of Alitalia.  I hope it arrives in Rome at the same time I do!  Looks like departure has been delayed for 45 minutes but hopefully no more.  It will give me a little extra time to get my international phone all set up.  Nothing like sitting on an international airport terminal to remind you it is a big world of diverse cultures.  People watching is much more fun than reading instructions for international call forwarding.

My ride to the airport…thank you Chris!

Thanks to friends and family who helped me get everything together for this adventure and dropping me off at O’Hare…..Ciao!
~Linda

The hotel welcomes its guests in an ample lobby, where you willl be dazzled by the shining marble floors and the abundant gardens with tropical vegetation, and a giant dome of the Colonian Mexican architecture style. This lovely atmosphere, with all the traditional details of the afore mentioned type of architecture is ideal for couples, honeymooners of even families who are looking for privacy and a place to relax near the sea. 

The hotel is strategically located in the center of the Palmar bay, at only 5 minutes away from the golf clubs Marina and Palma Real, as near as 15 minutes form the International Airport and at only 5 minutes frmo the picturesque town named Zihuatanejo. The Mexican Contemporary architectonic style of the hotel allows the guests to enjoy of spectacular views of the pacific ocean and or of the moutnains from whichever point in the eleven floors of the building. 

The hotel has a private beach quite far away form the public accesses to the beaches. At one side, you will see the swimming pool, dividied by a jacuzzi that can join 10 people together. There is a small swimming pool for kids, an area with games, a fountain and lots of palm trees to provide you with shadow, and that is the place where kids usually meet to play, as there are programmed activities for them, during the high season. The location of the hotel in front of the commercial and entertainment  zone gives you a fabulous opportunity to stroll around and buy at the stores and boutiques, or you can go to Zihuatanejo and find handcrafts.

So, in general, the services the hotel has for you are: swimming pool, spa, jacuzzi,  sauna, the Emporio gym, activities for the kids during summer, bar in the swimming pool area, bar service in the private beach of the hotel, currency exchange -it is always a good idea to have Mexican pesos-, bilingual staff, two tennis courts, nanny services, medical services, assistance and help for tours and car rental, a restaurant with specialties, wifi access to the Internet in public areas and in the guest rooms, transportation services, boutique, rooms and spaces devoted to social events, meeting room, laundry services, dry cleaning services, parking slots and much more. 

As you can see, this hotel is a great option for you to plan your holidays, do not go crazy over it and discover the magic of Mexico.

Bárbara Auferil

Right now, I really miss my friends. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m not going to call every single time I think of someone or start to miss someone. If I did, I would probably be making way too many phone calls and not spending enough time on the things I need to get done right now. I have heard people say that if you miss someone you should call, but I don’t really know if I agree with that. Sometimes I miss really random people that it would be weird to call “just because.” And sometimes calling just makes it harder, because it reminds me how great talking to certain people can be.

The way I see it, summer is my time to grow – usually away from my normal group of friends – and just experience some new things. I work, travel, take some time to myself, and hopefully when school starts back up again, my friends and I will be able to reconnect. There are some people that I stay in touch with, though. Those are my closest friends, and they are the people I miss the most. I find that I cannot go a week or two (or sometimes a few days) without checking up on them. There are some friendships worth a few phone calls per week. Their physical absence makes it hard for me to remember how much they care, but I work through it.