Highlights from International Pillow Fight Day Orlando 2012

IMG 1955 Highlights from International Pillow Fight Day Orlando 2012

This past Saturday, International Pillow Fight Day was celebrated all-over the world, including Orlando. I had so much at Pillowlando (as it’s known locally) in 2010, that I just had to do it again. This year, the event took place at Lake Highland Park with between 50-75 Pillow Fighters in attendance. Here are some photos and video from the event…

IMG 1954 Highlights from International Pillow Fight Day Orlando 2012

After a brief welcome, the pillow fighters engaged in all-out attacks!

IMG 1956 Highlights from International Pillow Fight Day Orlando 2012

The smiley-faced pillow fighters have been here before! And team orange was strong in numbers!

IMG 1953 Highlights from International Pillow Fight Day Orlando 2012

Follow Adventures With Ben on MySpace

20120331 143049 Follow Adventures With Ben on MySpace

Hey Adventurers,

Not too long ago I joined the growing community of Pinterest and have been posting photos of travel, social media and other surprises.

And with Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, FourSquare, Yelp, YouTube, Flickr and this blog, there’s a ton of ways we can connect. Oh, and don’t forget to sign-up to my newsletter and RSS feed too.

But I thought long and hard about incorporating even more ways for us to engage and talk travel…

And so it is with great pleasure that I share that you can find adventures with ben on America’s favorite social network, MySpace!

Happy Valentine’s Day from Loveland, Ohio

IMG 1182 Happy Valentines Day from Loveland, Ohio

Hey Adventurers,

I’d like for you to meet my date for Valentine’s Day.

That’s right. I’m celebrating as a party of one.

I’m on a business trip and in a cruel twist of irony, am taking up residence in Loveland, Ohio. Except there’s no love in this land for me. I’m generally fine with loneliness while on the road. In some ways, I enjoy the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts. But holidays make me yearn for being home with friends and family. That’s what holidays are all about, right? Business travel isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

A Recap of 2011′s New Year’s Travel Resolutions: Success or Failure?

SeashoreBen A Recap of 2011s New Years Travel Resolutions: Success or Failure?

Every once in a rare while I stray away from the travel talk and give a business update. It helps me to organize my thoughts… so thank you in advance for this opportunity. And if you must have a travel story to read, why not catch up on my 33 Must-Read Adventures?

At the beginning of the year I shared my New Year’s Resolutions for 2011. Today, I’d like to take a moment and reflect on the outcome of them all.

Content

  • Build a more robust Travel Guides section – I’d say this project is always evolving and will continue to be on my list for 2012. 

Best of Travel 2011

Yesterday I shared who the winners and losers in travel for 2011 were. Today, I’d like to share some of my travel moments from the past year. Jeremy from Budget Travel Adventures invited me to participate in his blog-round-up: Best-Of-Travel for 2011. Here are the answers to this year’s questions.

Best Domestic Travel Destination 2011

P9101757 Best of Travel 2011

Now I’ll admit that Vegas is not really my kind of city. The artificiality, the crowds, the prices and the non-stop focus on gambling is not my idea of a great time. But… it’s been over 15 years since I’ve been to Las Vegas and experiencing something new (or almost new) is always exciting. Nonetheless, I found a little gem in the Mac King Comedy Magic Show and scored an evening in the Bellagio Hotel for free while on a business trip.

Merry Christmas from a Condom’d Santa

SantaCondom Merry Christmas from a Condomd Santa

I discovered this Santa, made entirely out of condoms at the Birds & Bees Resort in Pattaya, Thailand. I was going to publish this on Christmas Day, but the fact that he’s made entirely out of multi-colored, unwrapped (but unused) condoms made me cringe. It just seemed wrong – even I have a line!

So now that Christmas has come and gone, enjoy this strangely-made Santa.

What do you think of the Condom Santa Statue? Share by commenting.

I’ll see you out there…!

Visit the adventures with ben online store for travel ebooks

Photos from the North Pole (Alaska)

P9011342 Photos from the North Pole (Alaska)

Christmas is this weekend! So with a festive spirit, I thought I would share some photos I took from the North Pole… Alaska that is.

Not too far from Fairbanks is a real city called North Pole. And true to capturing tourists fascinated with the name, there’s a visitor’s center that is very Christmas-y. Even Santa has a parking spot for his Disability-Tagged Sleigh.

P9011335 Photos from the North Pole (Alaska)

Inside are letters from children addressed to Santa.

P9011344 Photos from the North Pole (Alaska)

Of course for one, low price, you can pay Santa to respond (he’s gotta pay those elves’ health insurance somehow).

How to Create a Travel-Themed Christmas Tree

IMG 0333 How to Create a Travel Themed Christmas Tree

Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the music, the lights, the spirit and decorating the house! Each time I travel I am always on the lookout for small items I can place on my Travel-Themed Christmas Tree. My tree topper is a Zulu Wire Bowl from South Africa. Draped around the tree are Beads from Sydney’s Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, and sprinkled throughout are tokens from around the globe. Here’s how you can make your own travel-themed tree!

Dedicated Christmas Ornaments

photo4 How to Create a Travel Themed Christmas Tree

8 Holiday Gift Ideas For Travelers and a Bunch More

Tree 300x225 8 Holiday Gift Ideas For Travelers and a Bunch More

Last year’s post on 8 last-minute holiday gift ideas for travelers was quite popular, so I thought I’d share my picks for 2011. I’ve arranged them according to cost. Items marked with an asterisk were provided to me at no charge to review on this blog. Need some gift ideas for the traveler in your family? Look no more.

Monster Outlets to Go Power Strip

Outlet to go 4 plug wht 300x214 8 Holiday Gift Ideas For Travelers and a Bunch More

30 Ways to Celebrate Turning 30

IMG 1685 1024x768 30 Ways to Celebrate Turning 30

November is a special time of year. On the 21st of this month I celebrate my birthday!

Now ordinarily, this is a cause for celebration. But this year, I turn a major milestone: 30. On November 21st this travel blogger and adventurer starts a new chapter in his life. And to be honest, I’m not looking forward to it.

Why I’m Not Looking Forward to Turning 30

To me, turning 30 is the very (very) beginning of the end. Your 20′s are supposed to be fun, carefree, irresponsible and generally the time when you can make mistakes, try again and figure out what direction you want to head towards in life.

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