This coming weekend, January 28th & 29th, 2012, I will be on the road again, finally, shooting some photography & video for a top-secret project! I am usually on the road for my business at least once per week, but this will be the first time in a while that in addition to auctions, etc.., I will be concentrating solely on shooting photography and video.

It will all start early Saturday morning when I’ll be hitting the road around 6 AM towards Smithsburg, MD to attend an auction at 10 AM, followed by an hour and a half drive to Glen Rock, PA at 4 PM for yet another auction. Loading up on rusty treasure this weekend… hopefully!

After leaving Glen Rock we’ll be heading to Rehoboth Beach, DE and checking into the Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center, hopefully by 10 or 11 PM, but it may be a bit later, depending on how the auction in Glen Rock, PA (which is an auction house I am familiar with, and love) goes. I’ve booked an oceanfront room, to enjoy what is hopefully a beautiful sunrise on Sunday morning! Myself and my girlfriend will be spending Sunday taking in the sights and sounds of Rehoboth Beach, shooting photography and video, and will leave town towards home on Sunday evening once the sun goes down, etc…

Very excited for this weekend! I’ll have some more info on the “secret video project” once I am able to release it, but just know that some exciting things are in the works! Also, I will, OF COURSE, be posting some photos and videos RIGHT HERE in this blog next week and possibly while on the road…

STAY TUNED! 2012 HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, how’s it going?  As you may have noticed, I was originally planning on going to Sandusky, Ohio this weekend and their famed Cedar Point amusement park.  Truth be told, I really just have a lot on my plate right now.  My business has been taking off recently, and with that comes an increased amount of work and dedication.

I’m always on the road it seems, but instead of simply going to shoot photography and explore, I am busy finding very unique and awesome antiques to stock my various retail outlets both online and in the “real World.”  I am going to try and share more of those travels right here in this Blog (I’m trying, don’t hold me to it too much! LOL.  If you’d like to try shoot me off an Email at brent@ounitproductions.com).

Nonetheless, the OUP Photography Tour will continue in various forms as I reach certain goals I have set for myself, and my business reaches a level that I am able to automate a bit more.  Right now it’s mostly just me on all aspects going HARD (which, I am sort of enjoying..).  I promise to check back with some updates soon!

Thanks!

Brent

We had an AMAZING meal there, including a sampler we got which included Salmon, Mahi Mahi, and Marlin!  I had Mahi Mahi a few days earlier at Kitchen 305, and loved it, but before this never tried Marlin.  Let me tell you….wow.  It was absolutely delicious.  The rest of the meal was amazing as well, and not over-priced whatsoever, as are a lot of places in the Miami-area.  Not to mention, there was only one woman running the entire place (which is sort of hard to find, so it’s not that busy) and she did a damn-near PERFECT job.  Friendly service like you wouldn’t believe!

The park itself only costs $6 per car to get into, and is well worth it.  It’s going to be a future stop for sure next time I’m down in Miami…

After our delicious meal we took one last walk on the beach, and fast-forward some 31 hours later and 3 or 4 hours of sleep mixed in there, here I sit in my office writing this Blog post.  I am already sort of upset that I’m no longer in Miami, but that’s how it goes.  I am looking forward to my next journey, as well as the hustle in between.  To give you an idea of why I may be upset as well, let me give you a comparison…..

Yesterday when I left Miami…….

Today when I arrived back in Pennsylvania:

Seems sort of unfair, doesn’t it?  Regardless, I’ll always have my great memories… not to mention my photography!  In case you are wondering, we decided not to stop at DisneyWorld on this trip (although we did go through the Orlando area) due to time constraints, etc… When we do go to Disney, we want to make an entire trip out of it.  It’s not the kind of place you can just “see in one day.”

From here on the 2011 OUP Photography Tour will be stopping at Cedar Point & HersheyPark in June, as well as back to Outer Banks, NC in July! Plus, you NEVER know what might pop up in between then! (wink wink). STAY TUNED!

We had a few drinks and got nachos, just trying to make the time pass a bit.  I can tell you that the nachos were amazing, the people were nice, and the atmosphere/views were great!  I would highly recommend checking this place out while down in Miami!

Then, it actually ended up clearing up rather fast, and we were able to have some fun on the beach!  It actually ended up being a beautiful afternoon.  The entire time we were there, the hotel had a table set up where someone, as we walked by at various times, kept offering us our “welcome package.”  Being on vacation, always on the go, and simply not caring, we kept blowing it off.  We ended up giving them the time of day, and it actually ended up being well worth it!

It was actually just a meeting (which we also got a free light lunch from) where they’re offering a timeshare to the hotel which is about to undergo a HUGE renovation.  It’s actually quite interesting, and I think we’re going to do it, but just for taking the time to listen to their presentation we received a $100 gift card to the hotel’s main restaurant, Kitchen 305!  And we had already planned on going on Wednesday night, so this ended up being HUGE for us!

Remember when I mentioned Kitchen 305′s “We Love Ladies Night?”  Well, if not, it’s something they do on Wednesday nights.  On this particular evening they also had a $35 all-you-can-eat lobster deal, which I ended up taking advantage of thanks to our $100 gift card.  Amazing lobster!  Also, for as SLAMMED as they were, ABSOLUTE AMAZING service!  I was barely finished with one plate of lobster, and the next was already there.  I honestly think I ended up eating about 8-10 lobster… no joke!

The restaurant/club itself had GREAT atmosphere.  Without a doubt one of the top Miami destinations for anyone either visiting or who happens to live in the area (which if you do… LUCKY! I will join you one day )

Awesome night!  Won’t be forgetting it anytime soon, without a doubt.

Check out Kitchen 305 on Facebook for more information: http://www.facebook.com/kitchen305

Afterwards we decided to take a little “road trip” straight down to the tip of Miami, a.k.a. 1st Street… South Beach & South Pointe Park.  It is beautiful down there!  Amazing architecture, beautiful landscaping, the whole nine yards.  And this morning was absolutely beautiful!  We’re talking about 80 degrees at 9 AM!

After driving around a while, and stopping at McDonald’s for breakfast, it was back to the hotel!  Pretty much right away we went out to the beach, and spent the entire afternoon, swimming in the ocean, bodyboarding, swimming in the hotel’s pool, looking for seashells, and just simply lounging around in the sun.  Couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful, relaxing day, yet tomorrow is supposed to be about the same!

We also did some souvenir shopping, and got a few awesome things.  We might do a bit more tomorrow, as well as spend another entire afternoon on the beach.  Our hotel’s bar/main restaurant/club, Kitchen 305, is supposed to be having an event, “We Love Ladies Night,” that we might be attending as well.  There is supposed to be a DJ, DJ Hana, and a fashion show as well.  Will let you know if we end up attending!

Until tomorrow….. have a great night!  I’m off to “get it poppin’….” “I’M IN MIAMI BITCH!”

Even while it was raining it was still near 80 degrees outside, and the pool is heated.  I would venture to say “extremely” heated.  It almost feels like a gigantic hot tub.  As for the ocean, it’s a bit chilly, especially today, but not too bad at all.  The wind/rain storm rustled up the bottom of the ocean and brought up all sorts of seaweed, garbage, etc.. We actually ended up finding a coconut!  Still havn’t yet decided what we’re doing with it yet…

The plan for the rest of tonight is to just relax around the hotel, and get ready for tomorrow.  We’re planning on getting up and watching the sunrise, having breakfast of some sort, and spending the day on the beach!  I bought a bodyboard today and it’s supposed to be 80 degrees tomorrow and Wednesday, and I plan on getting some use out of it!  We’re also thinking about taking a bus and exploring the nightlife of downtown Miami tomorrow night… we’ll see!

I’ve already had a blast, and look forward to these last few days of this journey!

I only ended up picking two items, but I am excited for both of them.  I also picked up some tea to review on my tea web show (check out http://tea.ounitproductions.com).  Overall a good experience, although I wish I would have found a few more items, but that’s how it goes sometimes.  After looking around a good 3 or 4 hours, it was time to hit the road once again, and be off to Miami!

It took about four hours to get down to Miami from Mt. Dora, and seemed like an extremely long ride, due to just wanting to be to the beach already.  Upon arriving it was almost overwhelming just how much of a big city Miami actually is.  We’re staying at the Newport Beachside, and let me tell you, this hotel is absolutely awesome.  The hotel itself has several restaurants, a gift shop, a spa, a deck with pool and hot tub, valet parking, a bellhop, a gourmet foods store, two bars, birds in the lobby… the list just goes on and on.  Without a doubt, the most top-notch hotel I’ve ever stayed at.

We’ll be staying here until Thursday, and I am extremely excited about that.  We pretty much just spent the afternoon exploring the hotel itself, our beach out front, and took a walk down Collins Avenue (the road which our hotel is on).  We also had dinner at our hotel’s “main” restaurant, Kitchen 305.  The meal there ended up being pretty expensive, $80, but well worth it (the Mahi Mahi is delicious!).  Very good food, and worth it simply for the experience alone.

It was absolutely beautiful here today, around 80 degrees, and the ocean water is actually quite warm.  There are supposed to be off-and-on thunderstorms the next few days, but Wednesday is looking like nothing but sun.  I can’t wait to do some swimming/bodyboarding, etc.. in the ocean.  We were going to do some today but decided to just take the time to explore.  Also excited to get into the heated pool and hot tub.  There’s just so much down here to do, it’s hard to take it all in, but we’re going to try our best to do so!

So, it’s getting late, and I’m going to do a little more web surfing, head on to bed soon, and get up early and take on the day!  Not exactly sure what it will hold, but something fun I’m sure!  It the famous words of Will Smith, “Miami, I love this town….”

Overall it was a good trip except a few things.  Around 1 or 2 AM we ran into road construction in Virginia, and once we were almost at our hotel in Florida, we ran into problems with the GPS, and was unable to find our hotel at first.  After doing some research online via stealing a McDonald’s WiFi connection, and calling the hotel, we were able to find it.  We ended up eating at the hotel’s restauraunt/pub, the Even Par Pub.  Pretty enjoyable atmosphere and good people!

Regardless, it has been a long day, and here I sit at 8 PM, ready to relax, get a full night of sleep, and hustle tomorrow.  I will be getting up around 6 AM and attending the Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza in Mount Dora, Florida at 8 AM.  Afterwards it is off to Miami! I am so excited.  Our hotel in general is awesome!

I promise some more in-depth posts this week, but it has been a loooooooooong 30+ hour day… so I will leave you with a few of my favorite shots from the past 30+ hours of the beginning of the 2011 OUP Photography Tour!

I am extremely excited for this trip.  I’m sure it will be not only fun, but tiring and stressful as well.  Regardless, I feel blessed and really happy.  I am looking forward to exploring new places, meeting new people, and getting a lot of great photography.  Here’s to an exciting trip! LET’S GO!