On Saturday May 17, 2014 we participated in the ninth Worldwide Instameet. It's where Instagrammers from all over the world get together, meet new people, take photos, and share their love of Instagram.

I organized a little meet-up in Fort Collins, Colorado. There was a threat of rain and thunderstorms, but the group still turned up to climb around on the rocks and appreciate the sunset of Horsetooth Reservoir.

Here's a stream of photos from the crew:

Learn more »

Yep, that's right, I believe that Chicago is actually one of America's best kept secrets. Everyone goes on and on about New York, Vegas, or Hollywood, but I've never heard anyone gush about Chicago. So unless you've been there, you have no idea what you are missing.

I've been to Chi town three times now, twice in summer and once in the winter, and let me tell you, I love that place no matter the weather! I was recently in town for a conference, and my short stay was enough to renew my love.

The first time I visited was actually against the  advice of my Australian travel agent, who told me "oh there isn't much to do there, if you do go you really won't need more than a day or two". I don't know if she visited Chicago with her eyes shut, but frankly she was a moron and I'm glad I didn't heed her warning. So off I went to Chicago, knowing very little about the place.

From the moment I set foot on the Magnificent Mile I was in love. I have always been an avid admirer of architecture, and until that point the New York skyline had a firm grip on my heart. So don't tell The Big Apple, but she's now number two. Chicago is visually stunning, and I mean really, really gorgeous.

On my first trip I made sure to do a few tours and try to learn as much as I could about this new found treasure. An architectural boat cruise is an absolute must. You see things from the water that you just can't appreciate from the street. I'd also recommend a Second City walking tour.

Millenium Park is also a must-see. There is always so much going on, especially in summer. From food and people dancing, to public art, and even free concerts!

I also visited as many of Chicago's outstanding museums as I could fit in, and I recommend them all! The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the most beautiful collections I've seen in my travels, and the Museum of Science and Industry is interactive and fun for the young and young at heart, if you know what I mean.

If you visit in the summer, treat yourself to dinner and fireworks out on Navy Pier on either Wednesday or Saturday, and definitely take in the lights of the city from the ferris wheel.

Chicago also has some of the best food I've had in America, and I'm not just talking about the famous deep-dish pizza. It seems to me that unlike a lot of other places in the US Chicago is filled to bursting with independent, affordable, and simply incredible restaurants, rather than nation-wide chains.

If you're looking for somewhere to stay, I can recommend the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, make sure to ask for a river view!

I really can't express how great I think Chicago is, so you're just going to have to see if for yourself. The art, culture, events, architecture, food, and copious activities all make it my new favorite city in the USA. If you'd like to see more photos, check out my Instagram account: @SweetDivergence

I'd love to hear from you in the comment section. Have you been to Chicago, do you share my opinion that it is amazing beyond description...or do you think I should shut my mouth and stop telling so many people to visit? ;)

Learn more »

New York City is one of my favorite places on the planet. It is busy, there are a lot of tourists, but it is such an incredible place, full of art, food, music, stories, and opportunity.

And New York in the summertime? It is hot, steamy, and well worth a visit!

I couldn't possibly fit even 1/1000th of the incredible stuff there is to do into just one blog post, so I'm going to break it up and do a series of posts, highlighting a few of my favorite moments in The Big Apple.

So, first up, when it's really hot I like to seek shade in New York's beautiful parks. Central Park, being the biggest and most well known, has so much going on in summer. There are games, live music, sunbathers, dance classes, theatre performances and so much more!

This is the view from Belvedere Castle (built in 1869), I recommend climbing to the very top!

Rent a boat and take a romantic paddle around the Central Park lake, or have afternoon tea at the famous Loeb Boat House. Stroll the cool, tree-lined avenues, stopping in at the MET or Museum of Natural History (which is fun for kids big or small) along the way.

Or, grab a hotdog from a street vendor, and take in a baseball game. Or simply sit and people watch, you won't be bored, I promise.

One of my other favorite green spaces in New York City is Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library, apparently it's also one of Elmo's favorites as well. ;)

Bryant Park is such an oasis of calm amongst the skyscrapers. You can enjoy lunch at one of the cafes or restaurants, grab a snack from a street vendor and sit in the sun, ride the carrousel  play a round of petanque, and afterwards wander through the beautiful library.

They also have the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival, so pack yourself a picnic dinner and get there early for a good seat!

If you find yourself in the Village, Washington Square Park is a must. In the summer time it is full of live music, street performances, sunbathers, and is surrounded by some great places to eat.

Here's a little video view of the park:

And here's a taste of Colin Huggins 'The Crazy Piano Guy' playing piano in the park:

Just a short walk from Washington Square Park is a french patisserie called Mille-Feuille. They have the most amazing macaroons, croissants fresh from the oven, and pastries this side of France, I highly recommend a visit....or seven!

Another small, but not to be overlooked, park space is the New York High Line. The High Line was transformed into a mile-long park from the old, elevated, West Side rail line.

 

The High Line offers interesting views of the Meatpacking District, both looking up and down, as you walk along the old tracks.

And last, but certainly not least, head down to the Financial District and spend some time relaxing along the New York Harbor in Battery Park. There are lovely views of the Statue of Liberty, you can watch the yachts sailing, or visit the Skyscraper Museum. 

And this is going to sound strange, but be on the lookout for Zelda the wild turkey that lives down there in the park, I see her every time I visit.

While you are down that way, you could always jump on the Staten Island Ferry and take a trip across the harbor, past the Lady of Liberty. It's free too!

Next post I'll share a few more of my favorite New York moments with you, but for now, here's a quick time-lapse video including Grand Central Station and Bryant Park.

Learn more »

We kicked off the official start of summer and the longest day of the year in Martha's Vineyard, a little island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, accessible by plane or boat. We only spent a couple of days there, but I completely fell in love with the place.

While we were there they were having the summer Strawberry Festival, we went to the Farmer's Markets, visited the Gay Head Cliffs and Light House, and spent time strolling through the shops and wonderful restaurants of Edgartown.

Martha's Vineyard has such an interesting and rich history, from the relationships between Native American tribes on the island, the development of a unique sign language due to a high percentage of hereditary deafness, to the tragic connection with the Kennedys. Year-round residency on the island is pretty low at 16,535 but in the summer Martha's Vineyard is swamped with an additional 75,000 tourists and affluent summer vacationers.

Steven Spielberg filmed Jaws in the fishing village of Menemsha on Martha's Vineyard n 1974, do you recognize anything?

Just after the Civil War, a large Methodist campground, with open air revivals, was established in the Oaks Bluff area. Colorful 'gingerbread cottages' were built to resemble the tents, all facing inwards towards the central church tabernacle. The area is now a National Historic Landmark, and it is definitely worth wandering through the shady streets and stopping to admire the ornate houses.

If relaxing on the beach with a good book is more your thing, Martha's Vineyard certainly accommodates. The beaches here are pristine, and the water is beautiful (if a little on the cool side). Just watch out for Jaws' cousin!

For a relatively small island there are a lot of fine dining establishments and delicious eats. My recommendations are Among the Flowers Cafe for a causal breakfast or brunch, Richardson's for ice-cream or delicious coffee and bagels, and l'etoile restaurant for dinner. The food and service are both wonderful, and make sure you sit outside in the garden, it's magical.

If you're wondering where to stay in Martha's Vineyard, there are lots of holiday rentals, but don't expect to find anything last minute during the summer months!

We stayed at the Oaks Bluff Inn, which from the outside looked....well, very pink. But was completely lovely on the inside. The owner was more than hospitable and put out beach chairs and towels for us, cookies in the afternoons and fresh breakfast items in the mornings.

We stayed in the private top-floor suite which boasts two rooms, well appointed kitchen (complete with espresso machine), living, and dining areas, two balconies, and best of all, private access to the turret lookout on the roof!

Check out my video from Martha's Vineyard, I'll show you the view from the top of the Oak's Bluff Inn.

Something else I highly recommend is watching the sunset from the Gay Head Cliffs and Lighthouse. It was truly spectacular, the photos don't do it justice.

So that wraps up our quick trip to Martha's Vineyard. I can't wait to go back and explore the island some more! Maybe I'll see you there...

Learn more »

It's no secret that Paris is one of my favorite spots in the world, and this trip we stayed up in Montmartre, the 'artist's district' where the likes of Dalí, Monet, Picasso and van Gogh had studios. I'm glad I let my sister talk me into it, instead of staying down near the Seine like I originally wanted. Montmartre's beautiful cobblestone streets, and abundance of bakeries and cheese shops made me never want to leave!

Luckily the hill of Montmartre is pretty steep, giving you the chance to burn off all that delicious cheese. And if you're ready for a bit of a hike I highly recommend making your own pilgrimage up the hill to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur. Sure, you could take the little funicular trolley from one of the Metro stations, but then you wouldn't get to walk through the little parks and see all the little side streets on your way up. And, you want to make room for even more cheese!

The Basilica of the Sacré Cœur is pretty spectacular, although it certainly struck me how new it is compared to the Notre Dame we visited the day before. Groundbreaking on the Sacré Cœur began in 1875 and the structure was completed in 1914, compared with the Notre Dame which began construction in 1163 and was completed in 1345!

After you've climbed all the way to the top of the hill you might not be too interested in climbing the 300 very claustrophobic and dark spiral stone stairs to the top, but it is well worth it. The view is amazing from up there, and possibly more beautiful and interesting than from the Eiffel Tower. It is certainly more intimate because they only let a handful of people up at a time. You'll find the ticket office out of the way, around to the left hand side and down some stairs.

Take notice of all the different gargoyles they have around the top, some of them are pretty amazing.

And here is the view from the rotunda at the top. Gorgeous no? As you walk around Paris you get glimpses of the Eiffel Tower, but because of the buildings in the foreground it never really looks that big. It's only when you get some distance that you can really appreciate it's height.

Ah the Tour Eiffel, hated by so many Parisians and loved by the rest of the world. Proposed as a centerpiece for the 1889 World's Fair, the Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world, so expect to line up to climb to the first or second viewing platform, and even longer lines for the elevator to the top!

View of the Seine from the second viewing platform. I recommend going up about an hour before sunset, so you get to see the city in daylight and as it begins to light up for the evening.

Having only ever climbed the stairs to the second level on previous visits we decided to head straight to the top, and the view certainly didn't disappoint. I made sure to use a wrist-strap on my LifeProof case...can't imagine anything worse than dropping my phone all that way onto an unsuspecting tourist below!

It's only when you look down that you realize just how high up you actually are. When cars look like ants and people are just dots.

We took the stairs down from the second viewing platform, about 600 to get to the bottom from there.

Here's a little video from my time at both the Sacré Cœur and the Eiffel Tower. I'd love to hear your questions or about your own experiences in Paris, so why not leave me a comment!

Learn more »

On the weekend I went on my very first Instameet. Basically it's a group of like-minded Instagram enthusiasts who get together and go on a photo walk or outing together.

I was a little nervous at first, because I didn't know anyone else in the group, but they were all really friendly and took turns posing for other people's photos. Some even went to extremes to make sure others got the perfect shot (including almost getting washed out to sea)!

Some of the more experienced instameeters brought along props to spark the imagination of the other members of the group.

The best way I've found to get notification of when there is an instameet near you is to search for your local 'Igers' (or Instagramers) group on Instagram. The closest for me at the moment is IgersSanDiego and they post updates whenever one is organized.

The outing ended up being quite the adventure. In addition to seeing a part of San Diego I hadn't seen before, I did my part to sacrifice sanity (and dry clothes) for the sake of capturing the photo...

Here's the shot I captured.

All I can say is thank goodness for my LifeProof iPhone case!

Instameets are definitely worth checking out, especially if you're into iPhoneography and Instagram as much as I am! You can see more pics on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/SweetDivergence

If you've been on an instameet before, leave me a comment and tell me where you went! And here's a quick video wrap up of some of the fun we had.

Learn more »