yallpeoples' VirtualTourist Home Page

I am sure there are some of you who wonder what's up with my name. I am not from the South so it isn't a Southern thing, y'all. I am fascinated and intrigued by Southern culture and history. That isn't why I called myself yallpeoples. I first started it as an inside joke and to be a smart a**. Later on, it became a tag name for me to use because I wanted for name to be a statement on life, people and a state of mind. Yallpeoples can mean anything to you, but for now, it means, "Hey you people!! What's up?!" Sometimes I use it as a commentary on society when I see the huge amounts of stupidity being heralded the next greatest and biggest thing. In the back of my little noggin, I think, "Y'all peoples, what's wrong with ya'?"

I don't have a picture of myself posted for the time being because I am not a picture person. I am not ugly, but reserved. I will eventually post my picture because I think people should see the person behind the page. Instead I have a picture of a telephone in Cuba. It is a calling card to my eclectic Cuban heritage. I look like I am a teenager even though I am 22. Sometimes this bugs because I can't get taken seriously or get the work that corresponds to me, but I know that in 10 years I'll be happy to look like a high schooler. In real life, I am a college student who is out to capture the next great moment. I can romanticize things in life except people. Very seldom do I romanticize people. I am more apt to romanticize animals than people. Not that I don't like people, but I am cautious and take my time on those matters. I live about 45 minutes from the coast which is a biggie considering how much of a beautiful coastline we have. Too bad you can't swim in it because it is COLD. Brrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a picture of the Oregon Coast. I love the nature in Oregon. It is spectacular, I hope I spelled that right. Everybody should at least visit Oregon once. It doesn't matter whether it is the coast, mountains, city, deserts, but come here!!

Portland is a small, but fun city. Don't let our unassuming looks deceive you. We have a lot of good restaurants that are reasonably priced and no sales tax. People here are friendly and drivers act unpreoccupied with the pace of life. There is a little bit of everything for everyone. I notice that tattoos are popular so you can get a good tattoo here by someone experienced. This is a safe city compared to other ones I have been in. Some people say NE Portland is rough, but I beg to differ. As long as you aren't flashing your bling bling, no one will bother you. Ne Portland has an artsy section along NE Alberta street. They have an abundance of art shops and small and intimate eateries. There is a corner mini shopping center on MLK Blvd. behind Blockbusters that has nice African American artifacts and a dessert/coffee shop. There are some Asian markets and restaurants along NE Sandy Blvd. that are good. I just forgot their names?! If you are in SE Portland, check out Hoppers Pub, a blues bar. If you keep driving SE in the area, you'll get to Gresham which has a cute downtown and you are close to Mt. Hood and Oxbow Park. NW Portland is what is referred to as the Pearl. It is the ritzier part of town with a lot of fancy eateries, art shops, boutiques and other cute places to shop at. The SE starts out as a predominantly college student/bohemian part of town and then branches out to be the blue collar part of town with some pockets of Neo Nazis and trailer park people. SW Portland is diverse because you find middle class people, yuppies, rich Jews, Asians and older folks. You can drive along SW Barbur Blvd. to get to the Oregon Coast the scenic route. There are many good Italian and Korean along with Chinese eats in this part of town. I am working on adding some of my own pictures in the future so bear with me on this one.

If you have any questions about Potland, write me.

I once lived in Boston and it was lovely. I have fond memories of the city. It has lots of culture, history and the infamous accent of course. The Italian and Portuguese food are must trys and being here at Christmas time is awesome. The colonial homes and churches are a sight to see. What are you waiting for?

I forgot to mention that there is neighborhood before you get to Brookline that's called Mattapan which is rough, at least the last time I was there which was 1992 so things may have changed. Roxbury is rough too. Brookline is one of the nicer parts of the Boston area. Traffic can be a nightmare if you are used to patient and kind drivers. People in Boston are in a hurry to get places and will let you know that, but they aren't hazardous on the road like folks in Miami. The abundance of rotundas on the road can get to you if you aren't used to them. Boston has a pretty good Chinatown and Fenauil Hall is a sight as well as Fenway Park. Boston has 4 distinct seasons so you can come anytime because each season has something to offer. If you come in the winter, please chain your car up or else you'll be sorry. For classical music, history and art buffs, this city is it! When I say art, I am talking about your renaissance and classical stuff. Bostonians aren't very bohemian so if you want wild, crazy and abstract, go towards the Berkshires in the western part of the state where people aren't so stuffy. Seafood in Bostonian is something to be experienced. The lobsters are so buttery and sweet. This is definitely the place to try local dishes like clam chowder, grinders, white pizzas and etc.

Picture courtesy of pats7288 from Webshots.

I once lived here too. Seattle has its good and bad points. Lemme start with the good points. If you like a sophisticated city with nature, this is it. There is lots too see naturewise and summers are a beauty. There are a lot of good Asian restuarants and cheap jewelry shops in International District (don't call it Chinatown!) where you can find a diamond bracelet for 60% of what you'd find at a Ben Bridge. It is a generally safe city considering that it is big. If you are into the hippy thing, check out Fremont. If the gay scene is your thing, Broadway is the place. Ballard is quiet and sleepy, but Shilshole Bay is cool in the summer. Ballard has a lot of historical sights to check out. South Seattle is industrial and the only thing to see is the Museum of Flight and Southcenter Mall which is HUGE. The U district or University District used to be nice, but has gotten ghetto. At night it ain't the place to be in, but during the day it is safe. Belltown is the ritzy part of town where you will also see lots of homeless people. They are harmless for the most part. Belltown is where the Space Needle is at. West Seattle is where Alki Beach is at. Fauntelroy is artsy, but toned down if that's your thing in West Seattle. Aurora Ave. N is where the hookers like to hang out. It isn't dangerous, but most tourists don't want to see town prostitutes. The bad things about Seattle are traffic, dumb drivers (what the f***), high sales tax, everything's overpriced, people can be cold and racism can be a problem if you are someone of color. You aren't going to get lynched, but it will manifest in more subtle ways like you not getting waited on properly at a restaurant, getting passed up for a white customer and things like that. In my experience living there, most of the racism came from whites and Asians. If you looked mixed or ethnically different, be prepared for the what are you question and looks.

If you want to know more about Seattle, write me.

I lived here too. Um, where do I start. MIA is crazy! It is fun and you have to be strong to be here. People who are faint of heart don't come here because the drivers, people and the place itself may be enough to freak the heck out of you. I am not kidding. But if you can take it, MIA is a very lively place that doesn't sleep. The beaches and people are beautiful. It feels idyllic and pretend that you are in a dreamland when you visit there. It has a magical feel once you get passed the madness. There is lots of culture, especially Latino. I haven't been here in a while, but I generally know that NW and parts of NE Miami are bad. Stay away!! Liberty City, Hialeah, Douglass, Overtown, Little Havana and other NW neighborhoods can be dangerous. My tip to y'all is to not dress flashy or be flashy in any way. If you look poor or welfarish, no one should bug you. Take this coming from a young woman. The SW parts are better. Last time I heard from someone who went to SW Miami, it has gotten rough so be careful if you are in the city. South Beach is the magical place I was talking about. This is the emerald jewel once you pass through the fire in Miami. Miami, the city, has good museums, cheap eats (if you know where to look), cheap buys and makes for great people watching. LOL!!

Ft. Lauderdale is becoming a little Miami without the insanity and price tag and it is 45 minutes away. They have a large gay community there. Considering what South Florida has become, Ft. Lauderdale is relatively safe. Yeah you should be careful, but you don't need paranoia to survive like Miami. West Palm Beach and Palm Beach can be sedate for me. At night these places light up and if upscale is your thing, come here.

Orlando to me is still Disney country. The city has grown up a lot since I last lived there and they have opened up a lot of happening clubs. Orlando isn't a sleepy country town anymore. Tampa is good and bad. The city has change A LOT! My last time visiting the city wasn't pleasant. I should have brought more money because I see that Tampa has a large ghetto. Unless you can afford to go to places like Ybor City, Clearwater or any of the nicer communities in the Tampa area, I don't suggest going.

Jacksonville is a country town trying to become a big city. Maybe when the Superbowl comes there next year it will finally be able to make that transition. One of Jax's major sites is the Riverwalk, Friendship Fountain, the Museum of Science, Maritime Museum and Historical Society Museum. Jax has other sites, but they are mainly in the downtown area. The beaches are also a must see. The beaches of North Florida are more quiet and laid back than the ones in South Florida. Golf is popular in Jville. You can also check out a game with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the blues and jazz festivals in the spring. I hear that Fred Durst, some members from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet and .38 Special are from Jacksonville.

Enjoy your trip in the Sunshine State!

I was in Texas for three days and loved it. Texas has an inspiring quality to it. Once you are out of the city, you really feel like you are in the Wild Wild West. Check out the smaller towns and see what once was. Texas is a unique and interesting place. I can't put my finger on it, but Texas has an it quality to it. The bigger cities have a problem with crime to the point that your hotel room may have 3 locks on in and a deadbolt. I was in Beaumont, San Antonio and El Paso. I am partial to the outbacks of Texas. Texas has good musicians and entertainment there so there isn't any reason why you can't get up and have a good time.

We passed through West Texas when my mom was leaving Florida to move to Seattle in 1994. We ran out of camera film and I was incredibly sad about this because I saw some of the most spectacular scenery ever, at least for a 13 year old at the time. I was even inspired to write a poem about West Texas. If I could only find that poem.

This is my homestate so, what can I say except I miss California? These days I suggest y'all heading out to the Bay Area because LA is grizzly with crime unless you have mad cash and are out in Westwood, West Hollywood and where the stars are at. The beaches here are a must see. Come!

I have tried to move back, but to my dismay haven't been able to because California has become too expensive and crime ridden. Finding a decent job is a problem too. Someday when my homestate cleans up, I'll return. I don't mean to sound negative about Cali, but that's what this once Golden place has become. Until then, I'll visit other places.

I moved out of Cali in 1984 so I can't give you much info on my birthstate. I have fond memories of when I was a baby in Southern California. I remember when my ma picked me up from the crib and how much noise our house used to have. I also remember being a hyper and curious kid because I'd be crawling out of my crib looking for something out of my confines. When you think about it, I'm still crawling out of my crib to this day, except I'm in my 20's. I know psychologists and other people say that kids show their traits early in life. Go figure. As a child living in Anaheim, Pomona, Daly City and East Los Angeles (I have always been on my feet!), I was always dancing and singing. No, I didn't come from a military family. My mom was a restless woman. My dad couldn't keep up with her. I had fun seeing the US, but my brother was always blue and ill at ease about all of our jaunts. During our years in California, I remember lots of movement and excitement in my life. We also went from living in rough East Los to posh Daly City close to Frisco. Sometimes we went shopping in Rodeo Drive. I wish I could have remembered that part. I don't take the special moments in my life for granted because they are so transient. I am not living the posh life anymore, but I don't get upset over those things. I appreciate those moments when they are there and when I am broke, I make the best of it too.

Picture courtesy of luvlybc1 at webshots.

This city is also a treasure. It is a knockout of a city. These folks definitely know how to party it up. There is an abundance of jazz and other forms of local music. Your ears and heart won't be bored. The culinary landscape is wonderous. N.O. has a lazy feel that kinda makes you feel guilty for being so laid back. The architecture is awesome and there is an abundance of culture for such a small place. When visiting New Orleans and if you happen to be on a budget, please don't look like a tourist because crime there is a problem. People are nice and are always up for a good time, but always be alert of your surroundings. Don't let the drinking and partying get to you too much. Having said that, enjoy New Orleans because it is one heck of an experience.

I have been here several times and it is a real treat. It has understated elegance and it is quite an international and sophisticated city. The Canadian Rockies in the background when you are in town are imposing. Canadians are helpful, friendly and generous. Though Vancouver is pricey, I think it is worth it. The best time to go is during the summer and early fall. If you go during other times, you'll encounter gloomy and rainy weather. The weather is mild and you can go at anytime if you don't mind the rain. Vancouver has awesome Indian and Chinese restaurants. They also have splendid Asian teas for a fraction of what you'd get in the states. Vancouver is a safe city to travel in, but don't leave your stuff lying around because it is safe there. There is a small section along downtown in between Chinatown that has a lot of bums and druggies that should be avoided, but isn't terribly dangerous if you happen to pass by. Vancouver has an extensive selection of wine and liquor so party it up! For those who like Cuban products, they can be found there because there is no embargo in Canada. Public transportation is good so if you don't have a car you aren't going to be stranded and you save money. But if you want to go out and see some real nature, you'll need the car most definitely. Stanley Park in the summer is divine! Granville Island is a must see as well. When I stayed in the hotels I noticed that Canadian TV has boring programs (don't take it the wrong way) so get out as much as you can. Besides, there is so much to see in Vancouver that I doubt you'd want to stay indoors too much.