Alan Rappa's photostream  

The Marina at the Atlantis is host to numerous shops & restaurants for vacationers to visit. I'm not there for the souvenirs though, I'm there for the beautiful blue skies and swaying palm trees that make such a relaxing & picturesque backdrop.

Add a little Caribbean music, and I'm in heaven.

ps - I just renewed my Flickr account, so probably a good time to start uploading and commenting again :)

I remember trying to bang this shots out as fast as possible while my battery gauge urgently flashed in my face. Lesson learned - always check to make sure your batteries are charged before setting out for a night of shooting.

While the view of the Royal Towers from this bridge is impressive, I doubt it can compare to the view you get from the Bridge Suite which stretching between the towers in the center of this photo. Then again, at $25,000 a night - that view better be pretty damn spectacular.

While I may not have the cash for a mere 10 minutes in that Bridge Suite I am still very grateful for the views I can afford.

Thanks for looking, have a very happy Thanksgiving and be sure to enjoy the view wherever you are.

Jumping into your yacht and setting sail for the Bahamas. What a life that has to be. Unfortunately, all I can do is admire the boats from the dock as the 'good life' still manages to evade me.

I have to thank my VERY patient (and at the time, very hungry) wife for putting up with me while I lugged my gear around the resort for these shots. We followed up this shot by eating two of the biggest steaks I have ever seen in my life at the Seafire Steakhouse. We could have easily ordered one steak, split it - and would have had plenty left over for yet another meal. It's no yacht, but hell - it's not so bad either :)

Thanks for looking & have a great Thanksgiving!

PS - anyone hitting WDW in February?

Oh yeah, The blown highlights in this shot really bug me. I have a underexposed version that I was thinking of using to mask back in the highlights, but even in that shot they are pretty hot. That'll teach me to pay more attention when shooting, and to review my shots before packing it up for the night.

I know it has only been a few weeks, but man, I am missing the blue skies and turquoise water of Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Above is the incredible view from our balcony on the 21st floor at the Reef. In the shot, is the Reef pool & beach on the left along with The Cove and the Cove's private pool, Cain in the center (surrounded by palm trees).

While the Reef is geared more towards families, The Cove and it's adults-only pool is not so much. During our stay we received passes to visit Cain, and honestly, it just wasn't our speed.

I may sound like a 'fuddy duddy' but they were blasting dance music, and it just wasn't nearly as relaxing as sitting on the beach or listening to a Caribbean band play by the Reef Pool. Cain does have the most luxurious and cushy pool chairs I have ever seen - but the chairs on the Reef's beach & pool are no slouches themselves.

If you want to gamble poolside, and be waited on by women in tight, short shorts - then by all means, check out Cain. For me though, nothing says 'vacation' like the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

Thanks for checking in!

Have a great Wednesday and please, enjoy the view :)

Another wide-angle shot of some of the amazing detail that can be found at The Dig @ The Atlantis.

One can only wonder what this room was used for by this long lost civilization. What maervelous secrets of the universe were lost forever when the city of Atlantis fell to the bottom of the ocean?

The map on the ceiling, the miniature city in the middle and the incredible sea life sailing effortlessly by on the other side of the glass all tell such a fantastic story without uttering a single word.

A sunken treasure if ever.