This month Will and I are going to visit Vienna, Austria. Will can’t wait to drink a ton of coffee and I’m looking forward to the pastries and chocolates!

In Collinsville, Illinois, just 12 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri you can find the world’s largest catsup bottle. It’s actually a 170ft water tower that was built for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant in 1949. Although it was set for demolition, it was saved and restored to it’s former glory by a preservation group in 1995. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and gets visitors every day…it even has it’s own fan club!

World’s Largest Catsup Bottle

Visit My Adventures to read about our trip to Edinburgh, Scotland and check out pictures on my Photos page or by clicking into the album through one of the images posted.

Next month we will be visiting Geneva, Switzerland. The trip is more business than pleasure, but we’ll have a couple of days to explore the city.

I love these cute bags made from recycled tire inner tubes. They have the look of leather without the environmental impact. In addition to bags in a variety of sizes, the company also makes wallets and belts. I personally really like the small Beetle, pictured above.

English Retreads

Ever wonder what the world’s top selling beer is? It’s called Snow Beer and you’ve probably never heard of it because not only is it made in China, but it’s also rarely sold anywhere else. It’s light and foamy and often the drink of choice to accompany spicy meals. Why is it so popular? Probably a combination of China’s huge population and rapidly growing economy but, if you ever find yourself in China, give it a taste and decide for yourself!

It took 27 years but, on August 22nd, the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial opened to the public in Washington D.C. Standing 27 feet tall, it’s carved into a slab of granite on the National Mall. Next to the statue there is a stone wall inscribed with quotes from King. The memorial has been met with a variety of accolades and criticisms, but that is not uncommon when a new museum or statue goes up. At the end of the day, it’s fitting that King is a permanent fixture on the Mall and hopefully he’ll inspire visitors for years to come. An official dedication ceremony is scheduled for October 16th on the 16th anniversary of the Million Man March.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

On our recent trip to Europe, Will and I were fortunate enough to travel in Continental’s BusinessFirst cabin which was complete with their new flat bed seats. This was the first time we experienced a fully flat bed seat and it is so much nicer than the typical angled flat seats. I always slip down the angled seats and they usually leave me with sore knees, but being fully flat actually allows you to sleep comfortably. Currently, all of Continental’s 777s and 757-200s are fitted with the new seats and they will roll them out on their 767-400ERs next year. In addition, all of their new 787s will be built with fully flat seats. I might have to fly Continental more often!

Continental Flat Bed Seats

There is something magical about a lighthouse, even a little one. Located in Kingsland Point Park in Tarrytown, NY (otherwise known as Sleepy Hollow) the 1883 Lighthouse guided boats along the Hudson River from 1883 until it was decommissioned in 1961. The inside of the lighthouse is only open to group tours by appointment, but anyone can walk around the outside once they gain entrance to the park where parking is $8 for non-residents. Next to the lighthouse is a stone wall which resembles the Berlin wall and has been partially covered in artwork. The park itself is small but quite nice and includes a dog run.

1883 Lighthouse

Next time you stay at a Westin hotel, you may be able to rent workout clothes and New Balance shoes. The program is currently being tested in 10 properties and it’s been so successful that there are plans to roll it out to more locations over the next few months. I’m not sure the germaphobe in me could do this, but it’s an interesting offering. Of course, the clothes are washed after each use and the sneakers come with brand new socks and disposable insoles.

Westin Workout