Birthplace

For my final blog, I want to bring you back to where it all started.  My home, Memphis, TN.  Memphis has such rich southern culture primarily controlled by music legends such as BB King and Elvis Presley.  Speaking of Elvis, I feel like many people that I have grown up with in Memphis have never even been to Graceland, Elvis's home.  For some reason, I have never really understood this.  Growing up, I have probably been only a total of five times, and I loved it each time.  So many people travel across the world to make the visit to Graceland.  I think it is something that must be done if visiting Memphis.  Not that it will blow your socks off, but something definitely neat to see.

Graceland

Ok here are my recommendations for Memphis.  We will start with food.  My top places to eat are Huey's, the Commissiary, Amerigo's, Houston's, and the Rendezvous.

Huey's has the best burger maybe ever.  Juicey and delicious.  There are many locations all over town.  The Commissiary is my favorite BBQ place in Memphis.  You can get anything here and be happy, but I recommend the BBQ nachos, potato chip, deviled eggs, and lemon ice box pie.  Amerigo's is an Italian chain that is to die for.  That actually reminds me if you want more authentic Italian, I would go to Pete and Sam's, a family owned place.  So so so good.  Of course, I get the BBQ pizza. For THE place to go type atmosphere, I would say Houston's is it.  The menu is phenomenal.  Actually not on the menu, but pretty much my whole family;s favorite are the chicken tenders and fries.  And lastly, the Rendezvous.  This is your touristy BBQ place downtown, but needless to say, awesome.  The servers there have been working there for 25 years or more.  A great place to go if you are doing something downtown after.

I think a must is to attend a Memphis Grizzlies game.  I am a huge fan of the Grizzlies, but I think the atmosphere of the FedEx Forum is really cool.  It is located right of Beale Street so it makes it easy to hit the town right after a win!

Beale Street

All in all, I am happy to say that I am from Memphis, TN.  I have met so many great people.  I am thankful for that.

Skyline

Due to time contraints, I am going to have to call it quits.  Although I don't know if I am a professional blogger, I do feel that it is a good way to write down thoughts that will last.

SEC Roadtrip: One Stop

See I thought about hightlighting the "must see" places and things to do in all the SEC towns, but the one I really know and love to talk about is Oxford.  Let's face it voted most beautiful campus nothing really compares.  The University of Mississippi is breathtakingly beautiful.  The Grove, the Lyceum, the Ford Center, and on and on.  The Square obviously ranks very high on my list.  I'll go into detail later.  As I write this, it is sad to think that this will, in fact, be my last semster at Ole Miss.  I know that it will be hard to leave, but I am rest assured that the University, especially accounting program, has prepared me for the world.  And I am very appreciative of that.

I am going to discuss my some of my favorites about Oxford.  If you can't tell already, I love to eat.  It may be a problem.  Not even that I love eating, but I love going out to eat.  A time to share a meal with friends and family and of course just sit there and be served.

208, Soulshine, Ajax, BBB, Bottletree, Volta, Toyo.  Where to begin?  Ok, let's start with the Square. 

I am going to touch on a few of the above mentioned places.  208 may be one of my favorite all of a round resturants that there is.  The atmosphere, food, wine are all my very favorites.  Can't go wrong ordering the burger or filet.

Soulshine is my new addiction.  I seriously may crave this everyday.  It is a pizza place, of course.  I recommend the BBQ nachos, cheese bread, or Boss Hawg pizza.

look how good!

Another place I must mention is Volta.  I really do not think that there is another restaurant like it.  I love the porch out front on a nice day maybe sipping on a margarita.  There whole menu is pretty much to die for.  I love the pita melt, hotty toddy balls, gyro, soulvaki, and more.

If you make it to Oxford in Spring time, you must go to an Ole Miss Baseball game.  The atmosphere of Swayze field is electrifying.  Talk about some great SEC baseball.

Without a doubt, you must experience the Grove at some point during football season.  Amazing time to spend with family and friends.  Another thing I would do before leaving Oxford would be to visit Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's house.  Such a beautiful but simple house with so much history.  I know that I am going to have a hard time leaving my home for the past 5 years.  Crazy how time flies.

Rowan Oak

Get Away Spot

Throughout my life, I have probably been to Destin, FL around ten times.  For everyone from Memphis and Ole Miss, Destin has always been the beach spot to go to.  For me, I think there is just something about the beach and being in Florida.  It just equals vacation.  So needless to say, it is always a good time.

This past summer was the most recent time.  After taking school in June, July, and August, I was ready for a break to say the least.  A group of my friends went down there and were lucky enough to stay at Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin.  The village of Baytowne Wharf has some awesome restaurants, bars, and shops which makes it very convenient for a visiter.  My all-time favorite breakfast place, Another Broken Egg, is in the village  The four of us stayed about 1/4 a mile from the village in a community of condos that had it's very own country club and pool.  One day, they grilled out all this food for us and served us drinks.  It was so incredibly nice.  We soon discovered they we enjoyed our poolside villas better than the sandy beach.  This may have been because of our mango scented cool wraps to fight the heat.  I also got a massage and a deep conditioner for my hair.  This trip ended up being the most relaxing I think I have ever had. 

After going to Destin numerous times, I have decided my top 3 restaurant locations in no particular order.

1) The Backporch, located on Scenic Highway 98, is right on the ocean hence the name.  It is always packed with large groups and families.  The menu includes real good seafood( which means good and fried).

2) The Louisiana Lagniappe may be my favorite for fresh seafood.  Everything I have here absolutely melts in your mouth.  If there is one place that I crave from Destin, it most certainly is the Louisiana Lagniappe. I can't wait to go back.  This picture is actually from the porch where we ate dinner.

3)  Harbor Docks is a unique different kind of seafood place.  I like it because there are the usual seafood options plus some dang good sushi. 

There are many more great spots to visit in the Destin area.  I recommend visiting with friends and family.  It is very beautiful and most importantly safe.  I always look forward to my next visit to Destin.

Honeymoon Destinations. Really?

It is still so weird for me to realize that it has begun.  What has begun? What I mean is that people my age are getting married.  That concept is so surreal to me.  I have always thought that financial security such as a stable job should come first.  We knew it was coming soon, but not sure exactly when.  But this past New Years Eve one of my best friends and roommates got engaged!!! I really am so excited for her and her fiancee.  They have been dating for five years, so I mean it was pretty inevitable.  She is on the same page as me in preparing and taking the CPA exam this semester and will get married next summer.  So needless to say she has it all together.  When she heard I was writing a blog on travel spots, she asked me to look into Honeymoon destinations.  I gladly accepted and said I would give it my best shot.  As I set out surfing the web, it again hit me how surreal this was.  But here is a little bit about what I found and my recommendations.

As I started looking, there were so many options to consider.  From Fiji to Jamaica to Europe.  I knew that Kristen and her fiancee were interested in tropical.  After looking for 10 secs, I was overwhelmed with all the different options (Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Fiji, St. Lucia).  So I asked Kristen what she imagined her honeymoon like.  She told me a clear ocean where she could see her feet.  Pineapples.  Bungalows.  So I concluded the most romantic, tropical honeymoon would in fact be in the French Polynesian Islands.  Specifically, I came down between Bora Bora and Tahiti.

So where exactly are the French Polynesian Islands?

Now let's compare Tahiti to Bora Bora.  As you can tell above, Tahiti is a lot bigger of an island than Bora Bora.  Tahiti is beautiful.  But it seems many people recommend Bora Bora over Tahiti. 

Tahiti (pictures from Hannah Thompson)

I have decided that Bora Bora is the spot to go.  Although quite expensive, there seems to be no other place like it. Bora Bora offers the prettiest beaches and clear blue ocean that there is to see.  If a couple has the chance to do it big, this is where I would definitely go to.  I recommend staying at Four Seasons.  They have a Romance Package which includes a 3-course meal, a 50 min massage, romantic bath amenity once per day, and much more (to die for!!!).  And Four Seasons was ranked #1 by tripadvisor.com.  Again keep in mind this will be very pricey and there are plenty of other resorts that may be a tad cheaper.  But for the most amazing honeymoon imaginable I would pick the island of Bora Bora.

Just Imagine!

Italia

While on the topic of Europe, my top place to visit hands downs would be Italy.  Rome, Venice, Tuscany.  The beauty within the cities is like none other.  In my opinion, the most elegantly romantic place in the world.  The culture, foods, people all seem so extravagant.  And Yes.  Italian food is by far my favorite cuisine.  But I have a confession.  I guess I haven't really had authentic Italian food.  So this is all obviously based on what has been depicted by the movies and pictures I have seen.


This YouTube video shows the beauty all over Italy from city to city.

Let me focus on Rome.  The history of the Roman Empire is unparalleled to any other country.  Over 3,000 years ago, Rome was considered the capital of the world.  Yes.  Capital of the world.  I am also Catholic, so I have always been interested in visiting Vatican City specifically St. Peter's Basilica. 

St. Peter's Basilica

In high school, I took a terrible class by the name of Heritage.  Part of the class was the study of historical art.  I still remember the beauty of the Sistine Chapel.  The ceiling painting by Michelangelo.  I was amazed to learn that it actually took him four years to paint.

Sistine Chapel/ "Temptation and Fall" (Picture: exploringeurope)

Some of the most historical and detailed architecture can be found at the Colosseum.  This is one of the biggest symbols of Rome.  The Colosseum is infamous for the sight of gladiator competitions.

Colosseum

Another sight to see is the Roman forum, Rome's biggest archealogical area.  This was the center of polotical, commercial, and religious life.  Rome is also the city of fountains with nearly 300.  The most famous fountain is the Trevi Fountain.  This is the location where you can insure your visit to Rome again by simply throwing a coin in the fountain.  With all the fascinating things to see and do in Italy, I really hope that one day I will be lucky enough to see the beatuy for myself.

The Nation's Capitol

One of my favorite summers was spent interning in Washington, D.C.  I worked for the Federal Election Commission.  It was quite an experience to say the least.  Let me attempt to explain a little bit about what the FEC does.  The FEC is responsible for enforcing the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (the “Act”).  The Act is the statute the governs the financing of federal elections.  The duties of the FEC are to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as contribution limits and prohibitions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections.

The FEC has six Commissioners, three Republicans and three Democrats.  To become a Commissioner, you must be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  The Commissioners elect two members each year to act as Chairman and Vice Chairman.  All Commissioners serve full time and help enforce the Act. 

I worked for Commissioner Caroline Hunter, a Republican appointee.  When I showed up on my first day, I really had no idea what to expect.  I honestly couldn’t believe that I had an internship with a government agency.  The thought of working in the federal government was a little intimidating.  I felt official receiving my key to my office and intern badge and then finally taking an oath of office which was basically pledging my allegiance to the FEC.

One of the most exciting things about being in DC this summer was the Fourth of July. The Friday before the Fourth, the Chairman dismissed the staff early, so I decided it was time to do some touring.  I met some friends that had come in town for the Fourth celebration at U.S. Congressman Travis Childers’s office, and we took a tour of the U.S. Capitol.  It is one of the most remarkable buildings I have seen both inside and out.  It was so neat to see and learn about our historical growth as a democracy.

The United States Capitol

I wanted to take the chance to talk about the city of D.C., which was a huge part of my internship experience.  Since it was my first time to the city, I could only imagine how great it could be from what I had seen on TV and in numerous movies.  Pennsylvania Avenue was the most beautiful street I had ever seen, lined with exquisite buildings and museums.  I lived on the George Washington University campus which was close to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Potomac River.  Running by the Potomac River was one of my favorite activities.   I couldn’t have asked for a better location with the Metro two blocks away, allowing me to easily travel the city.

Lincoln Memorial/Washington Monument   

There was always something new to do and see in D.C.  I had the chance to visit several museums and war memorial sites, but there was not enough time to do everything I wanted to do.  I think one of my favorite sights was the Changing of the Guards at Arlington Cemetary.  Before I left, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to tour the White House.  After seeing this, it gave me such respect for our Armed Guards and pride in my country.  D.C. had without a doubt become one of my favorite cities in the country.  After living there, I realized that I would love to have the opportunity to work there for a couple years after college

Arlington Cemetery

The White House

Probably my favorite thing while in D.C. were going to the Washington Nationals game.  Being a huge baseball fan, I love everything about a MLB game.  It was a real treat to see Stephen Strasburg pitch who was picked first in the 2009 draft.  He also averages around a 97-MPH fast ball.  Pretty amazing to witness.

Another thing that I love about DC is the food.  One of my absolute favorite restaurants includes Founding Farmers.  They have an extensive menu that contains many natural products.  Some items that I would recommend include popcorn of the day, skillet corn bread, the 17 vegetable salad, the crab and shrimp rolls, plank salmon, crab cakes, the roasted butternut squash ravioli, slow-simmered chili, and the Farmer's meatloaf.

Another one of my favorites is Matchbox. It, of course, is a pizza place (my absolute favorite).  I love the atmosphere of Matchbox.  There are a couple of locations around D.C.  Of their appetizers, I would recommend the mini burgers.  They are a perfect bite size amount of delicious in your mouth.  Honestly, every pizza I have tried from there was phenomenally tasty.

I recommend going to D.C. at any chance you get.  There really is so much to do and see.  Such a beautiful and clean city.

Recommendation: Study Abroad

The summer before my senior year of high school, I embarked on the adventure of my life.  I spent two and half weeks traveling through Scotland, England, and France.  A group of about fifteen boys and girls went as part of a program through Memphis University School which was my brother school.  Through travel, study, and exploration, we learned about the geology of specific locations throughout Scotland, England, and France.

We started our trip in Scotland.  Edinburgh to be exact.  On the very first day of our travels, I soon discovered that some serious hiking would be involved.  I came to this realization when I finally made it to the top of Arthur's Seat in Holyrood Park.





Arthur's Seat

 

In Edinburgh, we also visited some beautiful castles such as Edinburgh Castle.  This was some of the most detailed architecture that I had ever seen.

As we continued on our travels, we made our way into England.  One of the coolest geological sites I had ever seen was in Dorset, England.  This was the Durdle Door.  A natural arch of rock that projects into the sea.

While half of the trip we traveled from city to city, the other half was spent in Loire Valley in France.  We had the opportunity to stay in a french chateau by the name of La Giraudière.  It was an absolute dream.  It was built in 1846 on the grounds of a castle destroyed during the French Revolution.  Here we met for class, spent time doing various outdoor activities, and ate exquisite french foods.

La Giraudière

As the final part to our trip, we spent our last night in Paris, France.  I especially looked forward to visiting this romantic city.  For years, I had seen locations such as the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysées in my french textbooks only imagining ever visiting.  I would love to go back to Paris and spend more time there.  Absolutely beautiful city.

Avenue des Champs-Elysees

The chance to experience different cultures is like none other.  I highly recommend doing some sort of study abroad program while in school.  The chance to both travel and get class credit is well worth it.  Personally, I would advise Europe.  There are so many opportunities to see unique, historical places from country to country.

Big Spring Break Plans?

I know that when January hits people start seriously thinking about how they will spend the wonderful week in mid-March known as Spring Break.  It is sad to say that this will, in fact, be my last official Spring Break as a student.  I will probably end up doing something low key this year since I will be in the middle of taking the CPA exam.  This year I will spend the week reminiscing on my Spring Break from last year.

A group of my friends came up with the idea to go to the Dominican Republic.  Honestly, I didn’t know anything about the Dominican other than the fact that two of my favorite baseball players were from there.  I just wanted to go somewhere tropical for my senior year Spring Break.  But there are obvious safety issues to think about when going South of the United States.  We had talked with a couple different travel agents who insisted that the Dominican Republic was a safe vacation spot.  So the Dominican Republic it was.  We chose to stay at an all-exclusive resort called the Majestic Elegance.  When we arrived at the hotel, I really wasn't sure what to expect.  To say it exceeded my expectations  is an understatement.  Take a look for yourself.




View from our poolside suite



While of course the pool area was impressive, the beach was the most amazing spot I think I have ever seen. As I laid there, I honestly thought I could stay here forever.  It was a whole new level of relaxation.  The ocean was the clearest, most gorgeous blue.  



Punta Cana, Dominican Republic



After a couple of days, our group decided it was finally time to leave the resort and partake on an adventure. Before I really thought about what we had signed up for, our group set out on a cruise where we would swim with sharks and stingrays.  Although I am glad I can say I did it, I honestly didn't really enjoy the whole shark part.  I was pretty uneasy swimming in a tank with about 20 sharks.  



the shark tank



The Dominicans were all so helpful and friendly.  And the most impressive part to me was that I felt completely safe while there. Many people wait to the last minute and say, “Oh, we can just go to Destin or somewhere.”  Well instead, if you jump on it early and get a good deal to the Dominican Republic, I would highly recommend it.  Tell your parents you will somehow pay them back.  Figure out some way.  I hope you can see that it is well worth it.

Introduction: Travel with Taylor

I wanted to start by introducing myself.  My name is Taylor West.  I am 22 years old, and I am working towards getting my Master's of Accountancy at Ole Miss.  One thing that I have always found highly interesting is new experiences.  Not only my own experiences, but also learning about what other people have experienced.  Specifically, I am intrigued by traveling.  Different places, people, languages, foods, cultures.  I thought I could share my opinion on some of the places I have visited and give recommendations.  I also want to research places that I have always wanted to go and the reasons that I am interested in the particular locations.  I want to explore the beauty of different locations around the world.