“Sometimes I feel so sick at the state of the world, I can’t even finish my second apple pie.” Banksy

From Subversive graffiti artist to king of the streets – everyone is asking one question. Who is Banksy? During his rise to infamy, this rebel street artist has defied authorities, defaced Disney, infiltrated museums, punked Paris Hilton, and sold his street art at Sotheby’s for exorbitant sums of money.

“There’s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place.” Banksy Continue – Read More→

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” — Pablo Picasso

New Orleans on St. Patrick’s Day is a great place to be. The city oozes with an appetite for culture, art and the ever-present sound of music. It was the last day of our Big Easy adventure, a parade day no less, and Team Bourbon was on a mission – invade the parade. We figured, if you can be at a parade, you might as well join the parade, as opposed to just watching it.

As we walked the city, sipping hand-grenades and plotting our assent to St. Patty’s day stardom, we hit the market looking for souvenirs. The voice of a lovely young lady caught my ear: “OMG – my Mother told me about you. I can’t believe I found you.” The artist was Reggie Ford, a painter whose urban street art hints at Picasso and Jackson Pollock. Reggie calls it Happie Art.

As team bourbon marveled at Reggie’s Art and got the lowdown from the man himself. Our diminished inhibitions and positive energy was contagious. Fellow travelers began stopping and engaging with Reggie who was more than happy to share his story. His service was fantastic, free prints for serious buyers, traveling tubes, and plastic wrappings for his suave Art boards. As team bourbon loaded up on pictures and Happie Art – Reggie stole the show with his vibrant personality and enlightened passion for his work.

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Looking for Fine Dining Abroad?

“All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant’s revolving door.” Albert Camus

Do you look for those hidden-gem restaurants abroad? The ones only locals know about, and the few tourist that find them refuse to post it on sites like Travel Adviser; it’s that special. Well, here is a great travel tip I discovered during a recent stay in New Orleans.

It started with a Mule Carriage ride around the city from Kevin and his mule Rock and Roll. Like all good tour guides, Kevin shared tales of Marie Laveau, Voodoo, and the Brangelina house, but my two favorites included his spot to Eat and a tidbit about his Mule. Did you know that New Orleans Mules get 3 Months Vacation a year on a Farm Resort? That made me feel better, those mules with their flabby gums hanging low looked exhausted.

Kevin’s recommendation was Coop’s Place, where the service is sassy and the Gumbo is sex in a cup. Kevin nailed it. Coop’s is exactly what you look for in New Orleans. Food made from scratch, staff oozing of culture and the inescapable down dirty washrooms of the French Quarter. I had the Tenderloin Tails perfectly charred and magnifique. Each member of team bourbon 2011 loved their dish.

Upon our return to Coop’s Place days later, the line outside was to much for a hungry traveler. Luckily one of our sassy servers was out-front. Without much thought I asked her: “Where’s the place that you eat when your looking for something special?” She spouted off something quick then immediately changed her mind. She whispered: “Adolfo’s”

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