This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

I just found out about the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes. It’s a sweepstakes that anyone can enter for free and offers a great grand prize! Everyone should enter this contest.

The grand prize winner will receive a free stay for themselves and 100 of their friends at a Hampton hotel for one weekend. The winner will also receive $5000 to help pay the tax for the weekend!

If I won a prize like this I would take my whole family and all of my friends on a great weekend stay and the best part is that sense no one had to pay for the rooms there would be plenty of extra money for nice dinners and entertainment.

I almost forgot, There are also 100 first prizes. Thats right there will be 100
Weekend stays given away
daily for the winner and three
of their friends. This makes the chances of winning even better. Don’t pass up this chance to take all your friends on an unforgettable stay at a Hampton Motel.

Be sure to remember that the sweepstakes is open to everyone, not just those that are Hilton Honors members or those that have previously stayed at a Hampton.

On a recent trip to Kansas City we ate at one of the best restaurants I have ever been too.  It’s called Raglan Road. Raglan Road is an Irish themed pub with a high class yet relaxed atmosphere. The staff was unusually friendly and the food was out of this world.

Raglan Road has really updated the Irish cookbook.Most people have an outdated idea about Irish food, until they see what’s really being served up here. Surprisingly cool. Shockingly good. Suddenly an empty plate.

Raglan Road believes in freshness, natural tastes and good old Celtic creativity.

So if you are ever in the Kansas City area you should check it out and enjoy an authentic, modern Irish meal – you’ll be coming back for seconds – maybe the same day.

Today I had the chance to walk through the new Downstream Casino near Joplin, MO.

I was very impressed with the place. There are hundreds of slots and table games as well as several great looking restaurants and a very nice poker room. Unfortunately I did not have much time on this visit but, I hope to stop by again when I have more time.
One thing that really impressed me was how friendly the staff was. They were all smiling and helpful. I wasn’t even playing and one of them offered me a drink.

There is also a great motel attached to the Casino if you are planning a longer stay. If you do visit the Casino please leave a comment here and let the world know what you thought.

Hey, I found a great blog that you should checkout. It’s Called Mastercom. It’s full of great vidios and articals for everyone. Check it out and tell me what you thank. Here is the URL

http://mastercom.over-blog.com/

If you are ever in the Springfield, MO area you have got to stop buy Lambert’s Cafe.
You may have seen Lambert’s on the Travel Chanel, They are known as the “The Only Home of Throwed Rolls”.

Lambert’s has become one of our favorite places to eat and I would recommend it to anyone. They offer huge portions in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. As soon as you sit down they are tossing you fresh hot rolls and offering you there “pass around” foods.
Check out there website and make it a point to stop buy one of there three locations.

Hey, sorry it’s been a few days sense my last post. I have been away on family vacation in Branson, MO. We have vacationed there several times in the past and I can tell you that Branson is an ideal family vacation destination. If your family enjoys water parks then you will find White Water to be a great spot to spend the day. They have all the great water slides and attractions you could ever want.

If an amusement park is more your thing then you should definitely check out Silver Dallar City. Silver Dollar City is a truly unique themed amusement park with great roller coasters, water rides and kids rides, as well as themed shows and attractions. Silver Dollar City is celebrating it’s 50′th year of operation this year.

One of Branson’s newest attractions is Branson Landing. Branson landing is an outdoor shopping mall that sits directly on the banks of lake Taneycomo. This allows for some great views while you enjoy the upscale shopping, dinning and entertainment. On this trip to Branson we made three separate trips to Branson landing. It really is a destination in itself.
If you run out of things to do in Branson (not likely) then you can always just take a drive and enjoy the beautiful scenery. If you ever get the chance to visit this town you will not be sorry. I look forward to seeing you there.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey everyone, I just found a great new online blogging community called SocialSpark. SocialSpark is a site that connects advertisers and bloggers making it easier for them to work together. You will find that the entire community of fellow bloggers is helpful and friendly.

The application process was a snap. You simply go to there website and Sign up for SocialSpark with some basic information including the URL of your blog. After they have verified that you actually own the blog then they just ask a couple more questions and that’s it. Once your a member you will find that there are tons of advertisers that are looking for bloggers that they can pay to blog about there product. There are offers about everything from diaper cream to pet food. You are sure to find some offers that fit your blog well.

Before you actually get going on the site I would recommend reading there Code of Ethics. It’s pretty standard stuff but, it never hurts to know what is expected of you.

I am looking forward to continuing my work with this great online community and I can’t wait to see you there as well. If you have any further questions just visit there website.

The Ozark Mountains may not have the majestic snow caped peeks of the Rockies or the mystery and awe of the Smokies but, few can argue that the Ozark Mountains have there own unique charm and character. From the small towns tucked neatly away into there step inclines to way the morning fog sits calmly in the valleys. You will find cool mountain springs and mighty rushing rivers all just waiting to be discovered.
The Ozarks cover about a quarter of the sate of Arkansas as you can see in the map below.

One popular recreation spot in the Ozark Mountains is Beaver lake. The 28,370 acre lake is popular with local fishermen, Campers and water sports enthusiasts alike.

While in the Ozarks be sure and take the time to discover Eureka Springs. Eureka Springs is a cozy little town neatly hidden away in the mountains. It is a town rich with history and beautiful scenery as well as one of a kind shops and entertainment.


Anther great town in the Ozarks is Harrison. Harrison sits near the Buffalo National River, America’s first national river. In the Harrion area you can enjoy a veriety of outdoor activities as well as fine dinning and shopping.

Heritage Park in Corpus Christi is home to twelve lovely Historic Homes. When next you travel to the Gulf Coast of Texas and stay in a Corpus Christi bed and breakfast, you’ll find it enjoyable to spend a few hours visiting Heritage Park.

The Cultural Center is a good place to start your visit. Located in the 100-year old Galvan House (pictured below), it showcases interesting exhibits on the history, culture and art of Corpus Christi.

The twelve Victorian Homes of Heritage Park have all been lovingly restored and are beautifully maintained. Many are Texas Historical Landmarks. The oldest – Centennial House – dates from 1851 and has been a private residence, a Confederate Hospital, and an officer’s Mess Hall for the Federal Army in 1866.

The Lichtenstein House is a beautiful, simple, Colonial Revival Home. Long a private residence, it now houses the Creative Arts Center, which offers classes and produces shows in performing and visual arts.

The spectacular Grande-Grossman House incorporates elements of Victorian, Craftsman and Prairie architecture, and is a site to behold.

Architecture buffs will be delighted by a tour of Heritage Park. It’s a delightful addition to a vacation in a bed and breakfast Corpus Christi. Self-guided tours of Heritage Park are available year-round. The Cultural Center at The Galvan House is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays. Tours of other homes may be arranged.

As the world watches the Gulf of Mexico and the effects of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, new updates have been released concerning BP’s response financially and environmentally.

The April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion, otherwise known as the BP oil spill, killed 11 platform workers and injured 17 others. By July 15, 2010, BP reported that the leak had been stopped by capping the oil wellhead, but because this method risks a new leak on the ocean floor, due to high pressure, relief wells were needed.

By mid June, BP ordered 32 machines that separate oil and water, and each machine is capable of extracting up to 2000 barrels per day. Recently, reports from Unified Command for the Deepwater BP Oil Spill stated that nearly 28 million gallons of oily water had been recovered and an estimated nearly 9.9 million gallons had been burned. Oil capture over last 24hrs totaled more than 1 million gallons.

Newest reports are crediting microbial organisms’ ability to eat and digest oil from the Deepwater Spill for the apparent disappearance of surface oil. Scientists say that since small amounts of native oil have always leaked from the ocean floor, the micro organisms have always existed. The spill is providing a feeding frenzy for the creatures. This concept is not new a new idea to many, as oyster mushrooms were used to absorb and remove oil from a spill in the San Francisco Bay several years ago.

Today BP announced in a press release that an estimated $60 million would be made in advance payments in August to claimants across the Gulf Coast who lost income or net profit due to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. According to CBS reports, travel experts say lost tourism could cost $23 billion over the next three years.

BP has paid $256 million to date for claims, including $30 million in the last seven days. The oil company will start making the advance payments by the end of this week. According to the press release, claimants will receive their check about 30 days after they received their July payment.

The world will continue to keep a watchful eye on the Gulf of Mexico, BP, the United States government and top scientists until the issue is resolved.

Information obtained from www.nytimes.com, bp.com, news.yahoo.com
You can monitor the latest updates at BP’s web site.