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A Look Around Beaumont, Texas

Beaumont is a charming, young community bursting at the seams with vitality and a genuine love for their town. Unique museums, eco tours, green spaces, family adventures, and of course Texas-sized food and fun can all be had just by showing up as was the case for some friends of mine who’s company offers garbage bin rentals north of the 49th parallel. One of the things you’ll be struck by in Beaumont is the local’s appreciation for their past, that’s why you’ll find so many museums here. One of such is the McFadden Ward House, it is spectacular outside but what’s on the inside is even more interesting. Walking through the halls of this fully restored 1906 beaux-arts colonial mansion instantly brings you back to the time of its famous residence. Tiffany glass, gleaming silver, and the architecture itself make this a must-see.

Beaumont has been called the museum capital of Texas because you’ll find museums and historic sights on just about every corner. The Thomas Edison Museum celebrates the numerous inventions of America’s inventors, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas houses over a thousand works of art, and the Tyrrell Historical Library is a genealogy library, so maybe you can find yourself. The Fire Museum of Texas is a one-of-a-kind experience with much of the artifacts on display dating back to 19th century firefighter.

We can’t talk Beaumont without talking about the food, and Rao’s is the perfect place to start your day. Now this is an authentic bakery, they have been knocking out the baked goods since 1941. A couple of rules here when you visit Beaumont, you have to bring your sunscreen and you also need to visit the Gator country to see Big Al, he’s the largest alligator in Texas and he’s over 13 feet. At the Gator country theme park and restaurant, you can pet an alligator. This interactive alligator park is home to over 130 American alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and snapping turtles.

On January 10th 1901, something very special happened – Texas gold, oil sprang up and today it’s affectionately referred to as Spindletop. The Spindletop Gladys city boomtown museum gives us a better understanding of this remarkable era in history and the industrial developments are followed. After spending some quality time at Spindletop, bringing the family to the Texas Energy Museum is an easy decision. Interactive exhibits and galleries depict the unique history of oil exploration, production, and refining here in Texas.

Just outside Beaumont, you’ll find a unique culinary experience called Larry’s French market. Every night Larry serves up his specialty crawfish by the bucket and the locals love it. The dancing is customary, the ambiance is welcoming, and the food is out of this world. Another exciting place you should visit while in this city is the Shangri-la Nature Center and Botanical Garden. Here, you can spend an afternoon by reflection or you can bring the family to learn more about our planet’s natural beauty.

While we are discussing beauty, the Neches River is where you can spend an afternoon just taking in the natural scenery. For a unique and delectable culinary experience, one of the places the locals go is a place called Easy, and it’s easy to see why – you have got tapas and martini. You know some have said Beaumont is Texas with a little something extra and you know what they are right, you will love it here.

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Paphos, Cyprus Travel Guide

In the southwestern corner of Cyprus, there is unmistakable magic in the lights, the sea, the sky, the air, and above all the rocks. It is from the foam of the waves next to the giant rock in Paphos that as the myth has it Aphrodite the goddess of beauty and love emerged. When entering the new town of Paphos, you can already see that this town is quite special. All sites are clustered around the town hall of the upper town making it possible to explore everything within a couple of hours. Yet the big attractions and the real heart of Paphos are to be found in Kato Paphos which literally means lower Paphos, the town next to the sea.

The hotels & beaches are great, the food is amazing and there are over 30 Asian restaurants but the real charm of Paphos is that you can rest and enjoy while also experiencing some fascinating culture. Overseeing the city’s harbor, the medieval castle of Paphos comes alive with the frequent theatrical opera and modern music performances that take place here.

Next to the port is the richest archaeological site of Cyprus and that includes the most arresting Roman mosaics in the world. Here, you will see the remains of four large and elaborate Roman villas all with superbly preserved mosaic floors.

In the same archeological park, you will find the ancient Odeon which is a small second-century amphitheater. Today, it is used for summer musical and theatrical performances. Excavations just nearby have also uncovered a necropolis known as the tomb of the kings. Don’t miss visiting a couple of churches in Paphos like Theoskepasti that’s built on a rock and Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa which is situated among amazing Roman ruins. According to tradition, it was on this column that Apostle Paul who visited the island in the 1st century AD was flagellated. The incident is described in detail in the New Testament.

Besides the legendary archaeological site and the thriving city life, Paphos unfolds a natural picturesque scenery. Sandy beaches and crystal blue seas are equipped with all the facilities to secure the swimmers’ plush enjoyment. But purpose is also the name of the whole district which has many more things to offer such as the beautiful Agamas peninsula with its pristine nature as well as beautiful countryside with quaint villages. For example, northeast of Paphos town is the village of Lemona largely part of the pristine, evergreen Paphos forest. Also, historical churches and monasteries are scattered in the serene green environment.

The locals occupy themselves with winemaking, cultivating the vineyards, and growing livestock. Paphos is a magical place that no number of repeat visits can ever exhaust. Even if you visit one-third of the things we have listed here, you will leave the place with an urge to return.

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How to Afford to Travel

Traveling leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller. Traveling gives you a home in a thousand strange places. If you have always dreamed of traveling, I want to let you know that it’s actually easier than you think. In today’s article, I want to talk all about how you can afford to travel.

Sell Your Old Clothes
There are a ton of websites and apps that allow you to do it really easily now. It doesn’t just have to be with people you are friends with; you can actually just sell it to random strangers on the internet. Nowadays, with all the technology it’s actually really easy to do. Another suggestion that you can do is actually just have a yard sale with your friends or maybe like a flea market type thing. It is a really great way to make quick cash and also clear up room in your closet. It is going to give you more room in your closet and get you more cash in your pocket to save up for your next trip.

Avoid Eating Out
The next suggestion is not necessarily making money but it is saving money and that is not always going out for food. As a food lover, I really enjoy going for morning coffee and that kind of thing. But if you actually do the math on it of how much you can save if you don’t get a coffee every single day you would be very surprised by the numbers. You can instead take that amount and put it into your savings fund.

Offer Freelance Services
If you have a camera, you could offer photography services or putting together little videos or that kind of thing. For example, if you do a lot of photos and videos you could actually go to companies and say if you ever need any photo work of a store or a restaurant you could be of help. A lot of companies have marketing departments that do that but if it was a bit of a smaller business like a bread store down the street and you want to put together a cool little video for them or do some photos you can always approach them and just ask because you never know until you ask. Even if you don’t have the skills for a certain thing yet that you want to do freelance services for it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn.

Be a Movie Extra
It’s totally free to sign up as a movie extra and most cities have it unless you live in somewhere that there’s zero filming work. You would be surprised a lot of cities have movies and TVs being filmed in them from one time or another. So you can actually work full time as a background extra and what’s really great about it is you can create your own schedule.
Traveling is so much fun and it’s actually a lot more affordable than most people realize.

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5 Must See Places in Miami

Miami is the cultural, financial, and economic capital of South Florida. These are my top must-see places in Miami, Florida.

South Beach
You can spend an entire day at the beach, in the water watching boats, there’s a pier where you can fish or watch some huge yachts and cruise ships go in and out of the port but expect some high-priced restaurants and parking and a lot of crowds.

Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive is at South Beach but I feel like this could be an entire day itself. There are the famous Art Deco buildings, tons of shopping, and you can definitely rent a bike to get around easily because parking can be a madhouse.

Wynwood Art District
Wynwood art district is 10 minutes away from South Beach. There is a gated area to see certain mural but the streets are flooded with tons of art on the building’s sidewalks. It is all completely free besides the reasonably priced parking starting at about $2 an hour. There are also farmers’ markets shops and a lot of restaurants. It is a must see if you are in the area.

Fort Lauderdale
South Beach is all about the clubs, the beautiful people, and the high price luxury stores but if you want a more local relaxed feel from Florida, you need to make your way about 40 minutes north to Fort Lauderdale, Las Olas to be exact. The beaches are awesome and the boardwalk is full of the type of shops and restaurants where you can still be in your swimsuit and get a quick bite to eat with a view of the ocean – you can’t get that in Miami. Fort Lauderdale is also considered to be the Venice of America as it is home to some of the biggest yachts in the world.

Bahia Honda
This is another cheap place to be in Miami but will be worth the drive just. South of Miami is the Florida Keys and if you have heard of that you probably already know about Key West. So I will mention that the hidden treasure, however, is a little island just over three hours away from Miami called Bahia Honda. Bahia Honda is where you go to just relax – no high rises, no large crowds’ just long stretches of beach and sandbars that go on to what seems like forever. Get the full island filled with fresh hot fish at a local mom-and-pop restaurant, this place is definitely a must be in Florida Keys.

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The Most Useful Travel Skills That You Need To Posses

Have you ever sat down and wondered if there is a particular set of skill that you need to posses in order to travel the world? Are there any particular skills that you need to learn to prepare yourself for living, working, and traveling overseas? These two questions are actually pretty good because travel in general requires you to have many different skills in your arsenal. This is especially the case when you are traveling alone, and the main reason why is because you need to be able to come up with a good travel plan, create a good personal budget, navigate new cities, learn new languages, and juggle itineraries and currencies – and you have to do it all by yourself. But out of all the skills that you need to have to be a successful world-traveler, the one skill that matters more than any other skill is adaptability.

Adaptability
We strongly believe that being able to roll with the punches is one of the most important skills that any traveler could ever have. You don’t have to be an expert at reading a map or learning a new language, but if you posses the ability to adapt to new situations, you will be able to overcome just about everything that the road has to throw your way. While there is a lot of people out there who dream of traveling a bit more often, many of them fear that they will not be able to adjust to everything that the road has to throw their way. One very important thing that you need to remember is that things might not always turn out the way you want them to. This is especially true if you are a budget traveler.

Dealing With the Unexpected
When it comes to traveling the world, it is very important for you to be able to deal with the unexpected. The more time you spend on the road, the more likely it is that something unexpected will happen. That being said, if you don’t posses the ability to deal with the unexpected, you will probably fail as a traveler. You either adapt or you go home! Now, we understand that not everyone is good at being flexible, but adaptability is a skill that you can actually learn, and the best way to develop this skill is to travel. The more time you spend away from home, the more you learn how to deal with unexpected situations.

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How To Divide Travel Responsibilities When Traveling With a Friend

When it comes to maintaining a successful travel relationship with your travel buddies, it is very important for you to be able to make compromises, as well as to have good communication skills. These are two of the most important things that you need to have when traveling with a group of people – or at least with one other person. Also, it is important to note that taking some time to do your own thing by yourself can actually help you to avoid arguments and keep the relationship fresh. However, there is one more thing tip you should keep in the back of your mind at all times – you need to make sure that everyone involved has their own set of responsibilities while you are on the road.

Performing Different Tasks

You see, when you are traveling the world, there are many different tasks that you need to perform. For example, you need to think about where you are going to stay, what visas you are going to need, what currencies are going to be accepted, and who is going to book your flights. These things can be pretty hard to figure out when you are doing everything by yourself. But when you split up these tasks between yourself and your travel buddies, everything becomes so much easier. And on top of that, it gives you enough time to think about all the fun things that you are going to be doing once you hit the road. What more could you possibly ask for?

The Benefits of Splitting Up Responsibilities

When it comes to traveling the world with a group of people, splitting up responsibilities is very important. For example, you can be looking for accommodation while your friend is figuring out your transport options. By splitting up travel responsibilities, every single member of your group will have something to focus on. When it comes to deciding who will take on what responsibilities, it is very important for you to know what your travel partner is good at. You need to be able to understand their strengths, as well as their weaknesses. Be sure to let them do something that they are actually good at. However, there is one job that you and your travel partner should do always do together – making decisions. Don’t have just one person make all the important decisions. Instead, work as a team.