Picture floating peacefully above the city of Albuquerque during the calm wee hours of the morning with the Sandia Mountains and one of those famous New Mexico sunrises as a backdrop and you can begin to imagine why droves of visitors annually descend upon sleepy Albuquerque to attend the city’s annual International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.

Begun over three decades ago with 13 balloons and 10,000 guests, this week-long festival has grown into a Disney-esque spectacle featuring some 600 Balloons and attracting more than 750,000 guests, nearly doubling the size of the city over the course of the event. This week, I was invited to check out what has become not only the world’s largest ballooning festival but also one of the most photographed (aka most Instagrammable) events in the world and it didn’t take long for me to clue in on the fact that this annual fiesta of fun is at once a part of the fabric of the city of Albuquerque and also a point of pride for residents.

In fact, when I arrived at the airport to take my turn on one of the hot air balloons, my Uber driver, abuzz with excitement about all the international teams she had picked up and the week’s festivities, proudly became my de facto tour guide – recommending restaurants, giving me the low-down on the Breaking Bad tour of the city (the show was filmed in Albuquerque for those unfamiliar with that fact), and giving my choice of hotel (Hotel Chaco) the thumbs up. She also gave me important advice about how to dress for my first hot air balloon experience for which I would become eternally grateful.

The next day I was up at 4 AM, enrobed in six layers of clothing (basically everything I had packed along with a newly acquired Breaking Bad baseball cap) and en route to the Fiesta unsure of what to expect. What I arrived to was what I can only describe as the equivalent of a Southwestern county fair bordered by an Alice in Wonderland-like collection of hot air balloons being prepared for takeoff. The morning was chilly, but the mood was light as I milled about the stalls of local purveyors hawking everything from clothing and coffee to arepas, green chile burritos and other local favorites. It was “International Day” and, along with my fellow amateur balloonists, I was filled with childlike exhilaration about the new experience that lay ahead.

Things kicked off with the Dawn Patrol, a sort of hot air balloon light show, choreographed and set to music, that occurs as the first balloons inflate and take off in the dark, offering other pilots an early idea of wind speeds and directions at different altitudes. Then, just after sunrise, it was time to join the team, inflate our balloon and hop into the basket for takeoff.

I had expected to feel some anxiety or, at the very least a jolt, as we took to the friendly skies, but, in fact, I had none. The launch was remarkably smooth and within minutes we were airborne, joined by an explosively colorful array of hundreds of other balloons drifting across the Albuquerque horizon. It was, in a word, spectacular. The sky was crystal clear as we sailed across a downtown that had yet come to life, glided over the hustle and bustle of neighborhoods waking up to the dawn of a new day, and even hovered above the famed Rio Grande River, before landing in a school yard, where we were welcomed by waving junior high school students whose giddiness at the sight of our balloon descending onto their school’s grounds reflected the infectious quality this annual festival brings to the entire city.

Talk about one for the bucket list.

The flight was a truly magical and utterly tranquil experience and it is also one that you too can still experience if you happen to be in Albuquerque this week. Over the years, many companies have supported the festival including everyone from Hendricks Gin, which registered its own balloon this year, to Canon, which has a tent where visitors can get a complimentary photo taken and borrow a camera to test out in flight.

Not to be outdone, rideshare giant Uber is also getting into the hot air balloon game this year. On the heels of UberBOAT in Croatia, UberCOPTER in Cannes, and UberVALLE in Guadeloupe, Uber is launching Uber Hot Air Balloon this Saturday, October 14^th, the most popular day of the fiesta.

For this one day only, Uber users in the Albuquerque area can request a free hot air balloon ride with Rainbow Ryders in the Uber app just as simply as ordering a normal ride with no advance notice or reservation required. A special “Hot Air Balloon” option will appear in the app beginning at 4 AM on Saturday which users are invited to tap. If successfully connected, an Uber representative will call to confirm the request and a complimentary UberX will be sent to pick users up for their free hot air balloon ride.

How cool is that?

So all that magic that I just referenced above will available to visitors and residents of Albuquerque come Saturday morning via Uber Hot Air Balloon. In fact, Uber may be the only way to book a ride at this point as most of the spaces on the various balloons have all been reserved well in advance.

Of course, you can always just buy a ticket to the festival and watch the lovely balloons from the ground, which is pretty extraordinary in and of itself. But why watch when you can fly?

For more information about the 2017 International Hot Air Balloon Festival and all the attendant activities, click here.

To read this story on the Huffington Post, click here.

The post Fly, Fly Away: 2017 Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta appeared first on .

Just a short train ride from Lugano and you’ll find yourself in the tiny Swiss lakeside town of Ascona, which is packed with more outsized possibilities than its demure posture might suggest on the surface. With Lake Maggiore as a backdrop, Ascona hosts an open air market chock full of locally produced bounty every Tuesday from March 22 through October 11, while also serving as a departure point for shopaholics desirous of ferrying over to Italy for a day of shopping.

That said, the town’s most powerful draw, particularly as summer rolls around, is music. In fact, with not just one but three major music festivals in Ascona and neighboring Locarno, you might even say that these are in fact the hills that are alive with music.

Ascona Jazz Festival

This annual jazz festival focused on classic jazz, contemporary jazz, the music of New Orleans, swing, mainstream blues, gospel and R&B is a music aficionado’s dream. Every June, against the same magical backdrop that hosts the weekly spring/summer open air market referenced above, Ascona comes alive as music throbs in every corner of the city and music lovers literally dance and bebop in streets overtaken with swarms of revelers. Over the course of the 10-day festival, some twenty concerts, featuring over forty European and American bands, are held each day in bars, restaurants and on the official lakeside festival stages as the party rages on, gloriously in tune, from morning to evening.

Best of all, weekday performances are free to those who can make them while an all access weekend pass to the festival costs just $20.

This year the festival takes place from June 23 through July 2 and includes performers ranging from the Davell Crawford Trio featuring Herlin Riley (6/25-26), the Barbara Dennerlein Duo (6/24-25), Glen David Andrews with 2Together (6/24- 7/2),  Tremé Brass Band featuring  Shamarr Allen (6/23 -7/2), the Palm Court Jazz All Stars (6/28 -7/2) and The Carling Family (7/2-3).  How’s that for diverse?  To see the complete line up and find out more about Ascona Jazz Festival 2016 click here.

Moon and Stars Festival

Taking place in Locarno, just 20 minutes away from Ascona, the annual Moon and Stars Festival is perhaps the most anticipated music event of the summer in the Ticino region…and with good reason. With the awe-inspiring Piazza Grande, the famous square with roots tracing back to Roman times, as an arena and a lineup of some of the hottest names in music performing, this 10-day pop-rock music festival is like a more civilized, less dusty version of Coachella.

In 2015, Sam Smith, Lenny Kravitz, Bob Dylan, Marina & The Diamonds and John Legend were among the event’s headliners and 2016 promises more of the same. The already confirmed list of performers for 2016 includes Lana Del Rey, Pharrell Williams, Earth Wind & Fire, Tom Jones and Ellie Goulding among others.

For more information and a complete line-up of performers click here.

[Note: Time permitting, take a short trip over to Bellinzona, the capital of Ticino, where the town’s three castles – Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro – and the campestral views they offer make the diversion worthwhile if only for the perfect selfie moment they guarantee.]\

Settimane Musicali di Ascona

The Settimane Musicali is an annual music series devoted to lovers of classical music. With a history that traces back more than seven star-studded decades, the Settimani Musicali di Ascona has been graced with multiple performances by some of the most notable names in the classical genre. 2016 marks the 71^st edition of the annual event which will this year focus its classical narrative on the first half of the 20th century with a particular reference to Impressionist composers including Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

In total, the 2016 edition of Settimane Musicali will include thirteen concerts held at the church of the Collegio Papio in Ascona (a Swiss heritage site) and the Church of San Francesco in Locarno, the history of which dates back to the 14^th century.  In other words, there could not be two more stunning settings for this series.

Opening this year’s program, which will run from September 5 to October 14, will be the London Symphony under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda. Other stars of this year’s edition include: Philippe Jaroussky, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and American pianist Stephen Kovacevich. For more information and a complete program click here.

[Note: While in Ascona, do shop the Via Borgo, be sure to sample copious amounts of Inzolia Sicilia (a crisp, dry Italian white wine) and if given the chance, don’t pass up an opportunity to try the risotto and polenta as prepared in this part of the world because the experience will reset your thinking about both.]

For more information about Ascona-Locarno click here.

To read this article on the Huffington Post, click here.

The post Tales from Ticino | Summer Sounds of Ascona appeared first on .

LivingWells Lifestyle Events is thrilled to announce that REVUE is set to make its inaugural appearance at Pride at Dive on October 3, 2015 at Harrah’s Resort SoCal.

On the heels of a successful debut at a Graton Resort and Casino over Memorial Day Weekend, REVUE returns with Candis Cayne (I Am Cait, Elementary) as Mistress of Ceremonies and an exciting new line up that will include performances by Season 3 RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Raja, drag superstars, Trixie Mattel and Delta Work, Dutch diva Glennis Grace, American Idol finalist Jacob Lusk and drag icon, Lady Bunny, who will also take over the DJ booth for the post party. A very special surprise guest is also planned for the show along with a smattering of special surprise performances. Show time is 8PM.

Prior to REVUE, Pride at Dive will take place at the pool at Harrah’s Resort SoCal with Junior, Von Kiss and DJ Lezley taking turns spinning the party into a frenzy. Putt Putt golf, volleyball and a swim up bar are just a few of the amenities guests can expect to enjoy at this all day pool party that will kick off the month of October as only Southern California can.

So why not take the leap and dive into fall at Pride at Dive.

Tickets are $25 for the pool party; $40 for REVUE or $60 for both. Special VIP packages including a Meet & Greet are also available. For more information, visit www.prideatdive.com.

The post REVUE Makes a Splash at Pride at Dive appeared first on .

Sometimes a video is worth more than a thousand words. So watch what happens when my world collides with a candy apple red Lexus‬, a few great friends, the Napa Valley Wine Train and many bottles of excellent wine in Wine Country courtesy of Passport Magazine and Out in the Vineyard.

The post All Aboard: The Napa Valley Wine Train appeared first on .

Candis Cayne kicks off REVUE

Setting the stage for REVUE

Lights...Cameras...REVUE!

Candis Cayne performs

Candis Cayne serving up glamour and laughs

Candis Cayne twirls the audience into a frenzy

Candis Cayne costumes were the unbilled star of the night

The crowd...

Martha Wash kicks the party into high gear

The legendary Martha Wash

Everybody dance now!

Everybody loves Martha!

The one and only Lady Bunny...

Lady Bunny

Lady Bunny Performing at REVUE

Tony Award Winner Levi Kreis

Levi Kreis summons up Jerry Lee Lewis

Levi Kreis performing at REVUE

Levi Kreis shares a laugh with the audience

Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies sings the blues

Mary Bridget Davies shutting it down

Joey Arias takes center stage at REVUE

Joey Arias

Joey Arias performs the Billie Holliday songbook at REVUE

Joey Arias

American Idol Finalist Jacob Lusk

Jacob Lusk performs a mash up of Adele & Cee-Lo

Jacob Lusk

The hilarious Jackie Beat lights up the REVUE stage

Jackie Beat

X-Factor Finalist Elaine Gibbs performs Whitney

Elaine Gibbs

Elaine Gibbs performing a duet with Jacob Lusk at REVUE

The House Band, NuSoul

Jimmy James performs

The many voices of Jimmy James enthrall the audience

Ryan Raftery perform an excerpt from his hit "Anna Wintour" show

Ryan Raftery at REVUE

Backstage at REVUE (L to R): Candis Cayne, Levi Kreis, Davey Silva

Backstage at REVUE (L to R): Jacob Lusk, Candis Cayne, and Richie Rich

Richie Rich Hosts REVUE

Arnold Myint aka Suzy Wong gets the post party into full swing

Lady Bunny and Jimmy James at REVUE post-party

REVUE post-party realness

Davey Wavey and DJ Scotty Dynamo

Backstage at REVUE

Richie Rich and Suzy Wong welcome guests to the REVUE post-party

Suzy Wong and Lady Bunny post-show partying

REVUE VIP...

(Scroll over image for description)

Over Memorial Day Weekend 2015, LivingWells Lifestyle debuted the star-studded new event REVUE  at Sonoma County’s Graton Resort and Casino to rave reviews. With the iconic Candis Cayne as both a performer and mistress of ceremonies and a line-up that included:Grammy-nominated dance music legend, Martha Wash, Tony Award-winning divo Levi Kreis, drag superstars Lady Bunny, Joey Arias and Jackie Beat, 2014 Tony Nominee Mary Bridget Davies, the many voices of Jimmy James, American Idol’s Jacob Lusk and X-Factor finalist Elaine Gibbs, among others, REVUE lit up Sonoma nightlife with two nights of song, comedy and good times. Bookending both nights were parties hosted by YouTube sensation Davey Wavey, Heatherette designers Richie Rich and Traver Rains, and celebrity chef and Food Network Star contestant Arnold Myint (aka Suzy Wong) – who also created a menu of special cocktails for the evening. Meanwhile Toronto’s Scotty Dynamo and Lady Bunny provided the soundtrack as the party spun on into the wee hours of the morning.

The post REVUE in Review: Drag, Divas and Comedy appeared first on .

Life is filled with “moments” but few carry the significance of the day on which two lives are joined in love, which is all the more reason to mark the occasion with a celebration worthy of being deemed “fabulous”. From Des Moines to Laguna Beach and from the great state of Washington to the gilded shores of New England, this notebook highlights 20 of the most fabulous spaces on the planet to host the wedding of your dreams.

Aldrich Mansion

Phone
(401) 739-6850

Website
http://aldrichmansion.com/

Neighborhood
Just north of Newport, Rhode Island, overlooking beautiful Narragansett Bay, Aldrich Mansion is a seventy-room, waterfront French chateau boasting a unique blend of European artistry and craftsmanship reflecting an era of yesteryear. Situated on seventy-five acres, the estate provides a private, comfortable, and stately setting for wedding and social events.

Address
836 Warwick Neck Avenue Warwick, RI 02889

Lairmont Manor

Phone
(360) 647-1444

Website
http://www.lairmontmanor.com/

Neighborhood
Lairmont Manor is located in the Fairhaven district of Bellingham, Washington, which is convenient to both Seattle, WA and Vancouver, B.C. Recognized on the National Registry of Historical Sites and a member of the local Historical Society, Lairmont Manor owes its timeless elegance to the artistry of the Seattle architect Carl Gould. Primarily known for his design of the University of Washington’s main library, Gould designed what was then called Larrabee Manor in 1914 for his client Charles Larrabee. Over 3,000 couples have been married in the manor over the last 35 years, while improvements have been made in keeping with the historical character of the house. Celebrate your wedding in this Renaissance-style manor with award-winning gardens surrounded by history and beauty.

Address
405 Fieldston Road Bellingham, WA

Durham  Ranch

Phone
(707) 968-9010

Website
http://www.paulaleduc.com/durham_ranch.html

Neighborhood
From a festive picnic in a park to a timeless black-tie affair, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering can transform Durham Ranch into an unforgettable venue for the wedding of your dreams. With exclusive sites that celebrate the very best modern day urbanity and stunning, secluded wine country elegance Durham Ranch and Paul LeDuc make the perfect match for the big day celebrating your perfect match.

Address
4553 Chiles Pope Valley Rd, Saint Helena, CA 94574

Lady Joy

Phone
(305) 672-0150

Website
http://www.myladyjoy.com/

Neighborhood
The Lady Joy was built in the United States for the multi-hyphenate socialite, songwriter and philanthropist Denise Rich. Since its completion, the yacht which is one of the world’s one hundred’s largest has played host to parties attended by the likes of everyone from Diddy, Eva Longoria and Magic Johnson to Patti Labelle, Joan Collins and Ivana Trump. It has even won the prestigious Showboats International Award in Monaco in 2008 for Best Series Motor Yacht Interior. With that kind of pedigree, there is little doubt that the Lady Joy would provide the most fabulous of settings for the wedding of your dreams. Lady Joy has numerous and expansive indoor and outdoor areas throughout the vessel to entertain, dine and relax while her professional and friendly staff take care of her guests’ every whim. The award winning service and the renowned original art collection will amaze you at every turn. This yacht is truly a museum on the water and a maker of memories.

Hudson Hotel

Phone
(800) 606-6090

Description
Hudson hotels are notoriously filled with exuberance and energy, social interaction and passion for life. And the rooftop of the Hudson Hotel  in New York City perfectly exemplifies these traits making it a perfectly dreamy setting for a wedding.

Website

https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/hudson/hudson-new-york

Address
356 West 58th Street New York, NY 10019

View the complete notebook with details about all 20 venues by clicking here.

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