Kaleidoscopic Wandering » Photos

Walls of Rose Hall | Montego Bay, Jamaica

JoAnna — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:00:56 +0000

East of Montego Bay, Jamaica, is an impressive Georgian mansion that sits high on a hill overlooking the ocean. This isn’t just any great house, however. The story goes that Annie Palmer moved to this house with her husband, John Palmer, in the 1920s. Shortly thereafter, John mysteriously died. Annie’s two subsequent husbands also died under strange circumstances. A mistress of voodoo, Annie is said to have terrorized the slaves on the plantation and supposedly murdered a handful of slaves she lured into bed.

Rose Hall fell into disrepair over the years, and in the 1970s, former Miss USA Michelle Rollins and her husband John Rollins bought it. They refurbished the buildings, and today, visitors to Rose Hall can tour the place where Annie ate, slept and went about her daily life. Some even say the place is haunted.

In my opinion, one of the most fascinating aspects of the refurbished hall are the walls, which are covered in wallpaper made of silk and fabric. One is even embroidered! Every single room is decorated differently than the last, and the wallpaper very much matches the design of each room’s decor. I snapped a few shots of the walls as I made my way through Rose Hall.

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Images: Flowers of Jamaica

JoAnna — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:00:36 +0000

Like many lush Caribbean nations, Jamaica is awash is brilliantly colored flowers. On a recent bloggers trip, I slipped away from the crowd with my new camera in hand and managed to snap a few pictures of some of the country’s vegetation.

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Standing on a Corner in Winslow, Arizona

JoAnna — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:00:25 +0000

Located on historic Route 66, Winslow, Arizona, is just like any other sleepy southwest town on the road: Kitschy, quiet, cute and, in some respects, crumbling in disrepair. The city was once the largest town in northern Arizona, but the creation of I-40 in the late 1970s literally drove traffic out of the town and many of the city’s businesses faded into history.

In 1972, the Eagles immortalized the city in their song, “Take it Easy.” The lyrics:

Well, I’m a standing on a corner
in Winslow, Arizona
and such a fine sight to see
It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed
Ford slowin’ down to take a look at me
Come on, baby, don’t say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love is
gonna save me
We may lose and we may win though
we will never be here again
so open up, I’m climbin’ in,
so take it easy

In 1994, the Standin’ On The Corner Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the rebirth of the city, sprang into action to revitalize the downtown area of Winslow. In 1997, a committee of volunteers designed a park, which commemorates the corner that made its debut in the Eagles song so many years ago.

It’s a shame that for more than 20 years the city of Winslow nearly faded from existence, and though it’s no happening place now, there is a revitalization and reason for people to visit. In addition to the park, a historic hotel and restaurant have been renovated and several investors have made efforts to kick start the economy in this sleepy southwest town.

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