2015 in Review

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Looking back at my photographs from 2015, the year was filled with fun, family, friends, and travel! In the Spring, I drove to Amish country in northern Ohio from Cincinnati and had a wonderful day taking photographs of the lovely countryside!

In August, my annual girls’ weekend at Put-in-Bay, Ohio was so much fun! Last year we had a blast there and decided to return.

My travel business “Travel Spirit Meetup” is growing with over 300 members and in September I took six people to the Mediterranean coast where we hiked along the Lycian Way trail and explored the cute villages. Our second stop to Istanbul exceeded all expectations! Turkish people are so friendly!

The view from our hike along the Lycian Way near Fethiye, Turkey…

I also spent an amazing week in Ireland and Scotland! Edinburgh, Scotland‘s architecture and history can’t be beat!

The ha’ penny bridge in Dublin, Ireland…

Ringing in the New Year, two girlfriends and I spent a week in the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, Florida area.

Continuing to work as a photographer for Cincinnati Refined, I had 36 photography assignments and wrote nine travel articles. One of the assignments was for the ReelAbilities Film Festival and was excited to photograph Marlee Matlin, Nick Clooney, and his wife.

Laurie Holden from the Walking Dead at King’s Island, Ohio…

The Prohibition Party…

The Urban Trials held at Yeatman’s Cove, Cincinnati…

and the Thanksgiving Day 10k race…to name a few.

I photographed a friend’s birthday party for one of her daughters through my photography business “Sherry Lachelle Photography“.

My first outdoor wedding…

Senior Portraits…

Spending time with family was special! For one of our family get-togethers, my husband and I took our son and his girlfriend to the Museum Center in Cincinnati and we spent an afternoon along the Ohio River.

Our extended family Christmas: My brother (2nd from left), his wife in front of him, my husband (next to me…but you can’t see his face), my brother’s ex-wife on the left and her husband behind her, her brother on the far right, my niece and nephew, and a high school exchange student from Norway.

I prepared lots of recipes this year and enjoyed hiking, biking, trail jogging, yoga, and boating! I attended lots of parties, big and small.

Some of my favorite books this year: The Storyteller, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, A House in the Sky, I know why the Caged Bird Sings, The Goldfinch, Calling me Home, The House Girl, The Enchanted, The Nightingale, Little Bee, The Time Keeper, Secrets of a Charmed Life, and Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.

I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and thank you so much for your support! xoxoxo

~Sherry

Edinburgh’s Architecture

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Travel Spirit

One of the best ways to explore any city’s architecture is by walking through its streets and Edinburgh has such a diverse and interesting mix of architecture, you’ll forget your feet are beginning to hurt!

I’m definitely not an expert on architecture, but I know what pleases my eye and camera. The following are some photos from Old and New Town Edinburgh, which were made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.

This cute little house is situated in Princes Street Gardens, which lies between the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh. A lovely place to take a stroll!

I encountered this colorful scene while walking downhill from our visit to Edinburgh Castle.

There is nothing particularly “special” about this shot, but the blue definitely pops and I find it visually appealing.

Row of buildings in Old Town Edinburgh as seen from the divide between the Old and New Towns.

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Climbing Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Climbing Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh was high on my list of things to do while in Scotland and early in the morning on our last day there, my friend and I walked 10 minutes from our Airbnb to do just that! Located a mile from the Edinburgh Castle and standing 822 feet above the City, the views are breathtaking! This is the highest we got because it had drizzled and was a bit slippery and the route we chose to hike was a bit more like rock climbing. But the view of the city was spectacular!

My friend Teresa took a photo of me with her camera navigating my way up the steep hill and she remarked that she wasn’t as worried about going up as she was with coming back down.

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Itinerary for Trip to Ireland, Scotland, and Turkey

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Planning travel itineraries usually take many hours of research and when you’re taking a group of people with you, the details become even more important. Initially, I was putting together a 9 day trip to Turkey in September for my travel meetup http://www.meetup.com/Travel-Spirit-Meetup-Group/, but then looking at airfare, I realized for just an additional few hundred dollars, I could fly to Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland. With airfare being the biggest expenditure, hitting a couple of my bucket list spots made sense!

Four nights in Dublin and four in Edinburgh should give me ample time to explore the Cities and take a day trip or two. Traveling solo, I’ll be able to take photographs and leisurely or quickly make my way through these amazing Cities. I’ve found a couple of Airbnb accommodations in the City centers that range between $50 and $60 per night. I’ll have my own bedroom in someone’s flat with access to their kitchen for making breakfast and perhaps a sandwich for dinner to save money. Of course, I’ll dine out occasionally…probably every day for lunch.

Some of the places I intend to visit in Dublin are Howth Head and St. Stephen’s Green.

Additional spots within Dublin are Temple Bar, Grafton Street, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, O’Connell Street & bridge, Trinity College, Dawson Street, and Kilmainham Gaol (an old jail).

My flight from Dublin to Edinburgh through Ryan Air is $107 with the baggage fees.

In Edinburgh, I’ll walk the Royal Mile, visit the Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and climb up to see the view from Arthur’s Seat.

$170 will take me from Edinburgh to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey (near Fethiye) to a beautiful family owned Villa with a pristine swimming pool, and hiking along the Lycian Way trail to the towns of Oludeniz and Fethiye. The weather should be perfect, in the 80’s! I have four tour participants signed up and one gentleman who is very interested.

After spending four glorious days of soaking up the sun and regenerating our spirits, we’ll head to the exciting and bustling City of Istanbul. Exploring main sites such as the Blue Mosque pictured below, the Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Spice Market, and the Grand Bazaar, our senses will be filled with bright colors, aromatic scents, and the hauntingly beautiful call to prayer as it permeates the Streets!

My philosophy is…if you want something badly enough…you’ll find a way to make it happen!