Have you ever been to...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA?

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By foot is by far the best way to tour, and Melbourne is an outstanding venue for such. The fit Aussies seem to adore the out-of-doors, and spectacular city parks provided hours of pedestrian pleasures. I meandered the Royal Botanic Gardens and captured a surprisingly elevated vista of the downtown city. From St. Kilda, I casually trekked a comfortable 20km of the esplanade, a perfect path along the sea, catching scenic glimpses of the city at my back. 

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When it's snowing back home in New York, I could care less about the absent ozone above Australia.Staying in hostels is an awesome way to connect with other travelers and sometimes get an insider experience.At HabitatHQ in St. Kilda, the staff made this experience happen.We ventured to Melbourne's Chinatown for a festive dim sum delight at the Camy Shanghai Dumpling House where for about $12 buck each, we feasted endlessly and shared our BYOB contributions. The infamous Melbourne rooftop scene is not to be missed, so we hopped to Rooftop Cinema, The Carlton, and Madame Brussels.

Have you ever been to...

MASTERS ?

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I had the good fortune to visit the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club for the first time in 2011.  A perfect commencement to the spring season, the foliage was in spectacular bloom and I shamelessly fried under the unclouded sun.

The slanted evening light filtering through the tall pines and delicate blooms that set the best scenes. And by then, I was countless beers deep and really inspired.

When we spotted Arnold Palmer on the guesthouse balcony at Augusta National, I was disappointed that he wasn’t sipping the refreshing iced tea-lemonade of his namesake.  But I was inspired to mix one up for the camera.

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Classic Arnold Palmer Recipe:
6 oz. lemonade
6 oz. sweet tea
Pour the lemonade first. Gingerly pour the tea on top for a layered concoction.
Garnish with a twist of lemon and a sprig of mint

Meg’s Twist on the Classic:
6 oz. lemonade
6 oz. Firefly Sweet Tea vodka

 Cheers!

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2012