Welcome to Canadians Welcome, Eh Giveaway Hop hosted by Simply Stacie & Sassy Mama in LA! This event features all Canada friendly giveaways! All the giveaways will be either open to Canada, US & Canada or worldwide and will run from May 21 to 30th.
On Geek with Style, you'll get a chance to win one of three awesome copies of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, by Patricia Schultz!
I'll admit it. I'm not a big fan of bucket lists. The idea that you must stress over seeing all of the world's wonders before you kick it, is truly unappealing for me. When I travel, I'm not the type to organize the whole vacay to make sure I've seen everything. Essentially, I go where the wind takes me.
That being said, 1,000 Places To See Before You Die is a wonderfully illustrated paperback that acts like a tour guide for virtually any destination around the globe. And the “Before You Die” bit seems to remain in the title only. There isn't any push or “You must go NAOW!” dialogue in the book that makes it sound urgent that you must go. In it's most simplest form, it's a travel guide, but it certainly stands out with it's riveting information about each location. Patricia Shultz has 25 years of travel journalism experience and has even executively-produced a Travel Channel show based on this book.
The book itself is eye-catching too! I left it on the table in the family room (where everyone congregates when they come over to visit), and I swear, it was picked up every time someone came over. We're a curious bunch, and apparently all of my visitors are in a major need to travel (maybe we should do a big group trip?)
Seven Places That I Want to See… Soonish:
Asford Castle
Cong, County Mayo, Ireland Think turrets, drawbridge, and battlements, coupled with gracious service, canopied four-poster beds armor-lined corridors, and crackling fires in richly paneled drawing rooms. Dating to the 13th century, the world-famous hotel served as the Guinness brewing family's private residence for almost 100 years… ~ (page 70)
Madeira
Portugal The early 15th-century discovery of Madeira by Prince Henry the Navigator launched Portugal's golden age. It was “discovered” again in the 19th century by winter-weary British vacationers who were taken by the lush, vertical landscapes; the wild terrain that had been terraced and farmed; the dark, sweet wine – and “days of perpetual June.”… ~ (page 243)
The Ice Hotel
Jukkasjiirvi, Norrland, Sweden This is the vast reindeer-herding tundra called Lapland, one of the 24 provinces that make up the massive region of Norrland, which spreads across the entire north of Sweden. The hotel is crafted entirely from snow and ice, including guest rooms, galleries, a futuristic-looking reception hall with pure ice chandeliers lit by fiber optics… ~ (page 365)
The Golden Temple
Amritsar, Punjab, India the Golden Temple, seems to float on an island in the middle of a serene lake whose name means “pool of nectar.” One of the country's most beautiful buildings, the temple is the Sikh religion's holiest shrine and one that welcomes everyone, irrespective of religion, race, or caste… ~ (page 543)
Sailing the Whitsundays
Queensland, Australia It would be hard to conjure a more splendid destination for setting sail than these idyllic islands in the Coral Sea, discovered by Captain Cook in 1770 on Whitsunday (49 days after Easter). Cradled by the Great Barrier Reef midway along Australia's Queensland Coast, these 74 islands (of which only eight are inhabited) are a sailor's dream… ~ (page 655)
The Bay of Islands
North Island, New Zealand The Bay of Islands is renowned as a recreational playground, particularly for its big-game fishing. The majority of fishing and kayaking trips, as well as those that take you to see the dolphins – and even swim with them – begin in the beachside town of Paihia… ~ (page 667)
Bocas del Toro
Panama Sixty-eight islands off the northwest coast of Panama comprise a complex and diverse ecosystem where you can experience a wealth of natural wonders both on land and in the water. Trek through wildlife-filled rain forests, glimpse endangered turtles on white sand beaches, and surf the world-famous waves of Isla Bastimentos and Isla Carenero, where Columbus made landfall in 1502… ~ (page 976)
And there's an App for that… if you're iFriendly.
(Unfortunately) Only available on the iTunes App Store.
It pains me to say that this gorgeous app is only available for iPhone/iPad users (for $3.99). Perhaps Shultz's app designers can look into creating an Android app as well in the near future (especially since there will be more Android users over i's soon… if not already!) From what I gather, it's a fun, interactive application that allows you and your friends to bookmark places you want to go to, as well as add tips/notes to the places you've been to. I would love to have access to this app for the pictures alone.
So, are you ready to WIN?
Check out the rest of the participating blog's giveaways on the linky below!
NB – This is a sponsored post, as I received a copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die to review. All opinions above are my own. 🙂
