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In my opinion, the best stories are those that are about the \”other guy.\” You know, the one who would never normally get the spotlight or have his story told if it were not for the main story line of a TV show, book or movie.

Some people might refer to this character as the underdog, but this is not always an accurate assessment. The \”other guy\” doesn’t always have an underdog quality. This about it like this: would anyone care about Apollo Creed’s story if it weren’t for Rocky? Would any want to know a lick about Chewbacca if it weren’t for the rest of the Star Wars gang?

This same principle could be applied to the witches of \”Wicked: The Musical,\” which tells the true story of the two witches from the classic movie \”The Wizard of Oz.\”

In the movie, who really cared about the witches in a deeper sense?

After all, the good witch was pretty and helped Dorothy on her merry way and the other witch, the one from the west, was an evil, evil woman with a leftover green spa pack left on her face for far too long. \”The Wizard of Oz\” was all about sweet little Dorothy and the mutt following her around here, there and everywhere.

Aaaah, but \”Wicked\” is all about the witches, my pretty. The show provides some very important background information on these women. It starts by telling us how Elphaba (I’d be wicked with a name like that, too) and Glinda, the good witch, struggle to maintain their friendship amidst completely different backgrounds, personalities and points-of-view.

Oh yeah, and of course they like the same guy.

I won’t spoil the entire plotline, but suffice to say, you understand by the end of the musical why the two take such separate paths in life. Mostly set before Dorothy steps on the scene fresh from her Kansas farm, there are several references in Wicked from The Wizard of Oz.

Thus far, Wicked has been a smash success playing to audiences around the world. Currently touring some of America’s biggest cities, audiences now have the opportunity to pick up Wicked the Musical Seattle tickets as well as Wicked San Francisco tickets. Even the Mile High City is getting a wicked piece of action with Wicked Denver tickets currently on sale.

And while most fans think that the touring show could never be as good as the original, this is most certainly not the case with this musical. The touring version of Wicked the Musical Broadway is every bit as good as the original production.

This has a lot to do with the fact that the show’s creators have taken care to maintain an eye on the various performances around the country, ensuring the same stage quality, high caliber of acting and overall amazing theatrical performance that audiences get when they take in a show in NYC.

Moreover, the fact that it has taken in $14 million on Broadway alone and at least $1.4 billion worldwide is certainly some level of testament to the show’s ability to dazzle audiences. Wicked is a theatrical delight for fans of the original book to those that loved the movie to those that simply want to know the story of the \”other guy.\”

Chicago is one of the best sports towns in America. Not only do they have knowledgeable and passionate fans but they also have some of the oldest franchises and some of the most hallowed playing fields in all of sports.

Chicago is home to several professional, semi-professional, and collegiate sports teams as well as several world-class sporting events. It’s no surprise that a city as large as Chicago has five teams competing in the four premiere North American professional sports leagues.

The \”Monster of the Midway,\” the Chicago Bears, play at venerated Soldier Field. Known as the \”Da Bears,\” this charter member of the NFL has produced a plethora of footballs legends. Hall of Famers Bronko Nagurski, Red Grange, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton and Mike Singletary have all played for the Bears.

In 1985, the Bears dominated the league on their way to winning Super Bowl XX. They also showed the world how well they could sing and dance by releasing the song, and subsequent video, \”The Super Bowl Shuffle.\”

The city of Chicago is fortunate enough to have two baseball teams, both over one-hundred years old, that play in the Major Leagues. The Chicago White Sox play at US Cellular Field and have won three World Series, the last one coming in 2005.

The White Sox have some great nicknames, \”the South Siders\”, \”the Pale Hose\” and \”the ChiSox.\”

The \”North Siders,\” or the Chicago Cubs, are probably the most popular team in not only the Major Leagues but in all of sports. The Cubs play in one of the shinning cathedrals of American sports, Wrigley Field. The Cubbies have been playing ball since 1876 and are a charter member of the National League.

Adding to the team’s charm is their over 100-year title drought, the longest of any major North American professional sports team. The Cubs are the quintessential lovable losers.

The Chicago Bulls won six NBA titles in the 1990’s thanks to the skill and leadership of greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan. That team was coached by Phil Jackson and also featured all-star forward Scottie Pippen. The Bulls haven’t fared well since \”MJ\” retired, but they are still one of the NBA’s premiere franchises.

What the Cubs are to the National League, the Chicago Blackhawks are to the National Hockey League. The Blackhawks were founded in 1926 and are one of the \”Original Six\” NHL teams. In their storied history, they’ve won three Stanley Cup Championships and 13 division championships. They last hoisted the cup in 1961.

Both the Bulls and the Blackhawks play at the United Center. That building opened in 1994 and replaced the legendary \”Madhouse On Madison,\” Chicago Stadium. On the east side of the United Center you’ll find a statue of Michael Jordan.

That’s enough teams to make any town happy, but the City Of Broad Shoulders has even more to offer sports fans.

The Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association plays at the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion. That’s a mouth full so most people just call the 6,900 seat arena the UIC Pavilion.

Most WNBA teams utilize the same colors and the same nickname, although it’s generally feminized, as their NBA counterpart. However, the Sky are not associated with the Bulls whatsoever. Makes sense, it’s probably not a good idea to call a women’s pro-team the \”Cows.\”

Toyota Park, located in nearby Bridgeview, Illinois, just 13 miles from the Chicago Loop, is home to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer. Incidentally, the Fire were founded on the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

The Fire franchise experienced immediate success winning both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in their inaugural year of 1998. Since then they have won three more U.S. Open Cups.

At Allstate Arena you’ll find the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, they are an affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers. The Rush, an Arena Football League team, also plays there. One of the team’s owners is Chicago legend Mike Ditka, he coached the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX.

Chicago has two rugby teams, the Lions RFC and their rivals Griffins RFC. The Lions play on the campus of Northeastern Illinois and the Griffins play at Schiller Woods in Schiller Park, about 12 miles away from downtown Chicago. By the way, the Twinkie was invented in Schiller Park.

The Sports Complex at Judson University, located in nearby Elgin, Illinois, is home to the Chicago Bandits, a professional women’s softball team. They play in a league called National Pro Fastpitch or NPF.

The Chicago Force of the Independent Women’s Football League plays tackle football at the Holmgren Athletic Complex located at North Park University. Most of their games kick off at 3pm.

Bank of America’s Chicago Marathon is one of the running world’s five major marathons. It’s flat and fast course draws runners from far and wide while its prize money lures the world’s elite long distance runners. The race generally takes place in early October with first-come-first-served registration beginning in February.

Auto racing can be found just an hour away from downtown Chicago. The Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5 mile track that hosts both IndyCar events and NASCAR events including the Sprint, Nationwide, and Truck series. The speedway opened in 2001 and has a capacity of 75,000.

As you can see, Chicago is a sports fans’ paradise. If the sport has a ball, puck, or if it’s on wheels, it’s being played, or raced, in the Windy City. While the Cubs and the Bears get most of the headlines, the city of Chicago has enough passion to support all their teams. Chicago is the classic American sports town.

There is not too much to say about the city of Ossining, New York - unless you want to talk about its almost namesake, the Sing Sing prison, built in 1825 by convicts brought in from Auburn Prison. Actually, it was an exact namesake - the town used to be called Sing Sing until the early 20th century (1901), when the local city fathers decided that they don’t want ‘that’ kind of publicity, and changed the name of the town ever so slightly.

The prison’s location - up the Hudson River from New York City - is the source of the idiom, \”sent up the river.\”

Anyhow, the Sing Sing prison is the main thing about the town. The prison occupies prime real estate on the shore of the Hudson river, and it is located just south of the city train station. They say that the Sing Sing prison is accessible by all means of transportation. And much to the surprise of out-of-towners, the trains that run through Ossining pass right through the prison - or more accurately, when you are riding on the Metro North train from New York to Ossining, you will actually pass through a corridor that has prison walls on both sides of the tracks, for the distance of a few hundred meters.

The prison also has its own river dock and a helipad.

On a street corner in Ossining you can sometimes have a strange experience of a car driver asking for directions to Sing Sing… and you’re wondering if he is just going to visit a friend who’s still in jail, or maybe he was out on bail until his sentence was appealed, but now it’s time for him to be in jail himself. Who knows - you probably would not to ask…

As to the town itself and its \”free\” residents, it sometimes seems as if the prison is the main employer for the majority of them. Not that you’d necessarily know where your neighbor works, unless you ask - but for a special event, such as the funeral of one of the guards who’s left this world for the great prison in the sky, one can enjoy the sight of a solemn parade of his colleagues, in their black uniform, outside of one of the city’s churches.

As to the rest of the city’s free and gainfully employed residents, most seem to commute to regular jobs in New York City - about an hour’s travel by car or train - or to White Plains, which is even closer than the Big Apple.

The lay of the land of Ossining is actually quite impressive: the center of the town is formed by Highland Avenue, which runs along the Hudson over much higher ground, and Broadway (yup, they have one, as many cities from New York to Vancouver do) runs down to the water, where the train station is located. In historical times, Broadway also carried workers to the boat wharf, down at the river.

The view down to the very wide Hudson river can be seen from many locations downtown, and the view is really quite impressive - this city may actually compare to many of the world’s best riverside cities.

While the local architecture does not offer anything particularly remarkable, the grandeur of the natural environment far surpasses what one might expect from a city that is most well known for its prison.

As far as tourist attractions, historical sites, or even interesting (\”recreational\”) shopping go, Ossining isn’t exactly a major center for any of them. Although, adventurers may enjoy the Teatown Lake Reservation or the Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway.

Teatown is an 834-acre lake that provide 14 trails that provide nearly 15 miles of walking paths, through diverse terrain and habitats that ranges from easy/novice to moderately difficult trails. The local habitat provides hikers trails that run through abundant fields, mixed hardwood forests, laurel groves, lakes, streams, swamps and farm land. The Teatown Lake area provides access to the rich biological diversity, of the entire Hudson Hills and Highlands region, which is used annually by over 15,000 hikers for nature study and other outdoor recreational activities including jogging, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Also located inside the Teatown Lake Reservation, the two-acre Wildflower Island is surrounded on all sides by Teatown Lake. Accessible only by walking bridge, Wildflower Island was formed when the Bailey Brook was dammed to create Teatown Lake. It is home to over 230 native and endangered species of wildflowers, which are protected by the island’s remote location and the sanctuary managers - who simply remove invasive alien plants and discourage certain local plants from taking root. The flora of Wildflower Island is unusually diverse and interesting for the observer. Experienced guides lead visitors along the paths on the island, describing the unique features of the present wildflowers, most of which are native to the local New York area. Learn more about the Teatown Lake Reservation attractions at: http://www.teatown.org/

If you enjoy hiking and cross-country skiing, you will be able to connect to the Briarcliff Peekskill Trailway and the Croton Aqueduct Trail by way of the trails at the Teatown Lake Reservation.

The Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway is a 12-mile linear park that runs from the Town of Ossining north to the Westchester County’s Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. The Briarcliff-Peekskill Trail system is just one element of the county’s extensive trail system that also includes the North County Trailway, South County Trailway, the Bronx River Pathway, and the aforementioned Teatown Lake Reservation trails. From the Briarcliff-Peekskill, hikers can take in many beautiful vistas along the length of the trail system. Highlights of the journey will include the water cascading over the beautiful stone spillway at the Croton Gorge Park, and an incredible view of the Hudson River from the 560-foot high Spitzenberg Mountain at the Blue Mountain Reservation. You can learn more about the Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway at: http://www.westchestergov.com/parks/

Throughout Westchester County’s 18,000 acres of parks and trails, one can also enjoy swimming, bicycling, fishing, skating, and perhaps even a picnic in the great outdoors. Each weekend, county officials make available a wide range of educational, recreational, entertainment and sporting events for people of all ages and interests.

While Ossining may seem a bit ordinary and boring - next to the Big Apple, it is actually a gateway to a day trip or family vacation that you and your kids will remember forever. Welcome to Ossining!

A Guide to Must-See Beaches in SW FLA:

A wonderful place to visit and enjoy is southwest Florida, using Ft. Myers as a base for your explorations. Ft. Myers is 90 minutes south of Tampa on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Ft. Myers and the surrounding communities boast of having the world’s best weather from October through May (and it’s not too bad the rest of the year either).

The incredible weather and world famous beaches make the area a magnet for beach lovers. The beaches of Ft. Myers, Sanibel and Captiva Islands provide plenty of opportunities for families and kids of all ages to enjoy what the area has to offer by the Gulf.

Soaking up the sun is a major attraction… It is inexpensive, restful, fun and something nearly everyone can do. The Ft. Myers area provides 50 miles of white sand and warm water to explore.

In fact, Ft. Myers beach is designed for the beach goer. Along Ft. Myers main drag, Estero Blvd, you will find public beach access points well identified by numbered signs. Most also allow parking and are only a few steps from the sand.

Bowditch Point Park at the north end of Ft. Myers Beach has a wonderful view of the Matzanzass Pass, the inland waterway on the east side of the island. The west side of the Park is a beach on the Gulf that is popular but never as crowded as the beaches further south. Bowditch Point is also close to beach-style shops that have that right souvenir for everyone.

Just south of Ft. Myers Beach is Lover’s Key State Park, voted one of the top 10 beaches in Florida. The Park is made up of mangroves and waterways you can walk through to get to the pristine beach. The western side of the Park has a boat ramp for anyone visiting that way.

North of Ft. Myers is Sanibel Island and at the far northern end of Sanibel is Captiva Island. Sanibel is another dose of paradise for the beach lover. Lighthouse Point on the southern end of Sanibel puts you right out on a strip of land that’s has water on three sides.

Follow West Gulf Drive to the beach near the Casa Ybel resort if you love seashells. You’ll see people going up and down the beach doing the \”Sanibel Stoop\” bending over to pick up seashells for their collections.

Also on Sanibel is the \”Ding\” Darling National Wildlife Preserve. You can rent bikes, boats or kayaks at the Preserve and tour the island on land or water. The Preserve makes up approximately half of the island, so plan on spending an entire day if you want to see the entire Preserve. Ospreys, egrets and other local bird life are great to look for.

If you want to go further north to the next island, take Sanibel-Captiva Road to Captiva Island where some of the most romantic beaches in the world can be found. It’s not unusual to see weddings on the beach west of the T’ween Waters Inn. Or drive up to the South Seas Island Resort for a luxurious stay or lunch. A local favorite is the Mucky Duck at the end of Andy Rosse Lane. It’s a great place for an island dinner, drinks and a view of the sunset on the beach that seems to extend right up to the restaurant’s front steps.

All in all, the Ft. Myers area is a must see for any beach lover. Once you enjoy the Paradise Coast of Florida, you’ll want to enjoy it again and again.

Imagine moss-colored wicker rockers, sandy wooden floors and railings with gingerbread detail, beautifully worn cast iron flower pots overflowing with vibrant red geraniums and the sounds of distant seagulls floating in the warm summer air. Now smell the comforting aromas of freshly roasted coffee mixed with fresh raspberry cream cheese tarts floating from inside the elegant dining room decorated with a massive 12-person dining table along with a mahogany side bar.

\”Good morning Mr. Smith. Breakfast is served in the dining room or if you’d like, you can enjoy it out here on the front porch, whatever you like.\”

And so begins the day at the Bedford Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, one of the historic inns that can be found among numerous well-maintained inns in this quaint Victorian town. The Bedford Inn offers 9 guest rooms, each named for a particular person that meant something special to the former owner.

Virginia’s Suite offers true antique furnishings that range from a high-back Victorian king bed to a marbletop walnut bureau to a clawfoot tub in the room’s private bathroom.

In Lauren’s room, soft, flowing lace curtains dance in the soft breezes of the summer season or the windows can be shaded and the air conditioner turned on from the units provided in each room. It would be easy to let the day slip by relaxing on the front porch sipping tea and having a nice conversation with your significant other or by sinking into a king-size mattress while finishing up the last few chapters your most recent book.

But just outside the Bedford Inn lie numerous vacation attractions that are hard to resist. The expansive beach is just one block away and offers guards at each block. The charming boardwalk offers typical but welcome summer fare including a fudge shop and ice cream and hot dog stands along with a well-maintained and clean arcade. And when you day at the beach is over, the Bedford Inn provides outdoor showers complete with fresh towels and a clothes line to dry out your bathing suit if you wish.

There’s no shortage of shopping in Cape May and you can find anything from an expensive tiffany-style lamp to T-shirts and flip flops on the Washington Street Mall, also just a few blocks within walking distance from the Bedford Inn.

Pearle’s is an upscale boutique on the mall that will entice any female shopper with its beautifully displayed window presentations of sleek silver jewelry paired with a sheer black sundress and vibrant turquoise blue handbag.

If it’s trinkets you’re shopping for, the Whale’s Tale is overflowing with Victorian-style objects and you’ll be serenaded with their selection of the day’s soothing music. The kids will be enthralled by the toy shop with its variety of candy, Webkinz and beach toys located near the newly renovated Catholic Church, Our Lady Star of the Sea.

If you’d prefer not to break out your sneakers and walk the town, which is highly recommended since parking is in short supply, bike rentals abound and you can either ride solo or take the family all together in a four-seated bike complete with overhang to protect you from the sun’s rays. Shields Bike Rental has been a long-standing bike rental operation and is located in the heart of the town just a few blocks from the beach so getting there is not complicated.

Shopping, biking, beaching - what more could you ask for from a vacation at the Bedford Inn?

How about fantastic dining? While a bit pricey, Cape May restaurants offer the best in fine dining.

Tisha’s is located directly on the boardwalk with a fantastic view of the ocean from your table. Immense window-doors open up onto the back porch to let the fresh salt air drift over each and every table in the restaurant. And because the entire restaurant is flanked by these enormous open doors, there isn’t a table in the house with a bad view.

If it’s more intimate dining you’re looking for, Louisa’s on the mall provides a small, warm atmosphere with only about 12 tables in the entire restaurant. Nightly specials are delicately written on the chalkboard and be sure not to miss the desserts at Louisa’s. They are some of the best in the town.

The Washington Inn is located more in the historic district of the town and requires jackets for the men. But don’t consider it stuffy at all. You can eat in the inner dining room alongside the fireplace or sit on the relaxing side porch while enjoying fantastic entrees.

After a day enjoying all these wonderfully exciting activities, you can take comfort in the serene environment you’ll find back at the Bedford Inn. Gas-fueled lamps envelope the street in warm light. There’s barely a sound at the inn other than the soft music playing from the dining room and the tick of the clock over the mantle in the parlor.

Your Victorian bed awaits you with freshly laundered linens and cozy warm blankets. What a nice way to end the day and slip away into a restful sleep at the Bedford Inn.

If you’d like to learn more about this cozy and inviting destination, please visit http://www.bedfordinn.com/ or call the current owners, Archie and Stephanie Kirk, at 609-884-4158.

The verdict on the true cost of spending your vacation in a hotel versus staying in a vacation rental is in, and I have the proof. For a family on a vacation, a vacation rental provides great accommodations for far less money. I just had a very unique personal experience that allowed me to test this: my own marriage two weeks ago in Maui, Hawaii, with friends and family in attendance.

We had a whole bunch of folks that came in from different parts of the globe to celebrate the event with us. Being the owner of a vacation rentals by owner website, I asked most of them where they were staying so I could compare notes. Our extended family stayed in a nice vacation rental right on the beach, a few stayed at resorts, and a few stayed at local hotels.

Here’s the hard data on the major expense items for the trip, excluding rental car and airfare:

Hotel / Resort (Standard Hotel Room, Queen Bed, 1 Bathroom):

Maximum Occupants: 2

Per Person, Per Night Rate: $175.00

Per Day, Per Person Average Food: $125.00

Per Day \”Resort Fee\”: $25.00

Per Day Parking: $20.00

Total Cost Per Person, Per Day: $322.50

Vacation Rental (2 BR / 2 BA Condominium on the Beach with Queen Sleeper Pull Out):

Maximum Occupants: 6

Per Person, Per Night Rate: $28.00

Per Day, Per Person Average Food: $65.00

Per Day \”Resort Fee\”: $0.00

Per Day Parking: $0.00

Total Cost Per Person, Per Day: $93.00

The vacation rental was extremely economical for three reasons:

1) It could accommodate a lot more people. A family of 5 could all fit into one place that cost on average $140.00 per night. That averages out to only $28.00 per person, per night. The Hotel and Resorts that others stayed in cost around $350.00 per night, and it could only fit two people in it, so it ran $175.00 per person, per night. That is a huge difference.

2) Most resort hotels charged huge daily fees for parking and resort fees, which were non-negotiable. That added another $50/night in most cases. Most of my wedding guests found out about that as they were checking in (they neglect to tell you stuff like this when you make the reservation). It was too late then to re-book. No such issues with the vacation rental.

3) Having meals in with the family was a very nice break from eating every meal out. It was a heck of a lot more economical as well.

And, last, the other major expense item was the amount spent on food per day. My extended family took a short trip to the grocery store and had breakfast, lunch and a couple of dinners in over the course of the week that we were there. They went out for nice dinners a couple of times, but in a place like Maui where a basic entree can often cost $50.00 or more, eating some meals in for a family of five really starts to make some sense.

As my fellow vacation rental owners are speaking with prospective renters that are having trouble deciding between your rental or a hotel, make sure you remind them about ALL of the costs associated with your typical resort hotel. Advising your renters as to the true cost of staying in a hotel may keep them with you at your vacation rental. Not to mention the many other benefits that we all know about!


This article was originally published on Jon’s blog.

A wonderful place to visit and enjoy is southwest Florida, using Ft. Myers as a base for your explorations. Ft. Myers is 90 minutes south of Tampa on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Ft. Myers and the surrounding communities boast of having the world’s best weather from October through May (and it’s not too bad the rest of the year either).

The incredible weather and world famous beaches make the area a magnet for beach lovers. The beaches of Ft. Myers, Sanibel and Captiva Islands provide plenty of opportunities for families and kids of all ages to enjoy what the area has to offer by the Gulf.

Soaking up the sun is a major attraction… It is inexpensive, restful, fun and something nearly everyone can do. The Ft. Myers area provides 50 miles of white sand and warm water to explore.

In fact, Ft. Myers beach is designed for the beach goer. Along Ft. Myers main drag, Estero Blvd, you will find public beach access points well identified by numbered signs. Most also allow parking and are only a few steps from the sand.

Bowditch Point Park at the north end of Ft. Myers Beach has a wonderful view of the Matzanzass Pass, the inland waterway on the east side of the island. The west side of the Park is a beach on the Gulf that is popular but never as crowded as the beaches further south. Bowditch Point is also close to beach-style shops that have that right souvenir for everyone.

Just south of Ft. Myers Beach is Lover’s Key State Park, voted one of the top 10 beaches in Florida. The Park is made up of mangroves and waterways you can walk through to get to the pristine beach. The western side of the Park has a boat ramp for anyone visiting that way.

North of Ft. Myers is Sanibel Island and at the far northern end of Sanibel is Captiva Island. Sanibel is another dose of paradise for the beach lover. Lighthouse Point on the southern end of Sanibel puts you right out on a strip of land that’s has water on three sides.

Follow West Gulf Drive to the beach near the Casa Ybel resort if you love seashells. You’ll see people going up and down the beach doing the \”Sanibel Stoop\” bending over to pick up seashells for their collections.

Also on Sanibel is the \”Ding\” Darling National Wildlife Preserve. You can rent bikes, boats or kayaks at the Preserve and tour the island on land or water. The Preserve makes up approximately half of the island, so plan on spending an entire day if you want to see the entire Preserve. Ospreys, egrets and other local bird life are great to look for.

If you want to go further north to the next island, take Sanibel-Captiva Road to Captiva Island where some of the most romantic beaches in the world can be found. It’s not unusual to see weddings on the beach west of the T’ween Waters Inn. Or drive up to the South Seas Island Resort for a luxurious stay or lunch. A local favorite is the Mucky Duck at the end of Andy Rosse Lane. It’s a great place for an island dinner, drinks and a view of the sunset on the beach that seems to extend right up to the restaurant’s front steps.

All in all, the Ft. Myers area is a must see for any beach lover. Once you enjoy the Paradise Coast of Florida, you’ll want to enjoy it again and again.


This article was originally published here.