
© Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Asbury Park has gone through quite a renaissance over the past ten years. There are not many places left that give you the feel of the old days in Asbury. The Wonder Bar is one of the few places left untouched by the restoration projects. This image struck me as the tale of the little guy being engulfed by modernization. A beacon of the past in the face of the giant new… Read More
For the first six of our eight years of marriage, Michelle and I spent our wedding anniversary away from home. We celebrated in beautiful places like Florence, Provence, and Napa. The last two years we have celebrated close to home in our favorite little city, Asbury Park. We are trying to make the best out of our present circumstances, so we spend our day lounging by the pool at the Asbury Hotel,… Read More
Category: Asbury Park, NJ, Home, New Jersey, The Jersey Shore Tags: Asbury, Asbury Park, NJ, blog, boardwalk, lake, New Jersey, NJ, Ocean Grove, photography, The Jersey Shore, travel, travel blog, travel photography
We took the Amtrak from Seattle to Vancouver to meet up with the ship that was to whisk us off to Alaska. I would highly recommend taking the Amtrak Cascades if you ever get the chance. This turned out to be one of the best decisions we made, as the train takes you on a relaxing ride along the Pacific Coast. Vancouver turned out to be one of my favorite cities to… Read More
Category: Home, Vancouver Tags: Alaska, Amtrak, Amtrak Cascades, bikes, blog, photography, Seattle, Stanley Park, travel, travel blog, travel guide, travel photography, Vancouver, Westin Bayshore
This past August we went on a two week adventure through Seattle, Vancouver, and Alaska. Then we came home to a hectic beginning of a new school year. This one more hectic than most, with a new and sudden career move for me, the writer of the family. Life got busy, and Alaska became a distant memory, put aside for when things settled down, and when my mind was better able to… Read More
Category: Alaska, Home Tags: Alaska, blog, Celebrity Cruises, cruise, glaciers, mountains, Paul Shappirio, photography, travel, travel photography, travelblog, traveldeeper, wanderlust
Before we traveled across the United States and back with a Jeep Wrangler and a tent, more than a few people expressed their opinions about our plans. Many of them were shocked that we even had it in us to do such a thing. After all, during the previous summer we had rented an apartment in Paris, living a month of the sweet life, indulging daily on cheese, wine, and baguettes. Some… Read More
Category: Glamping, Home, New York Tags: Firelight Camps, food, glamp, Glamping, Ithaca, Maxie's Supper Club, New York, photography, tents, travel, travel deeper, travel guide, travel photography
My very first memories of my childhood begin at the age of 5. There are two early events that remain solidly etched into my mind. 1. The overwhelming excitement of waking up at 4am on the first day of kindergarten. 2. My first trip to Niagara Falls. Now all I remember about that first day of kindergarten is that I could finally wear my first day of school dress. Don’t ask me about… Read More
Category: Canada, Home Tags: Canada, Niagara, Niagara Falls, Ontario, photography, SPG, SPGlife, Starwood, Starwood Preferred Guest, travel, travel blog, travel deeper, travel guide, travel photography, vacation, waterfalls
The most common question we got when people asked us where we were headed for Spring Break was: Why Austin, Texas? Our question was: Why not? Austin is an easy direct flight (about 3 and a half hours) on Southwest Airlines from Newark Airport. But hold it cowboy! This isn’t quite like the Texas most people imagine. That’s not to say you can’t buy yourself some high quality kicks at Allens Boots,… Read More
Took my photographer to New York City this past weekend. Sampled a few delicious items at Chelsea Market, walked the High Line, indulged at Mario Batali’s Babbo, snacked at The Pennsy, and, once again, took a few minutes to admire Grand Central Station.
Category: Home, NYC Tags: Grand Central, Grand Central Station, New York, New York City, Paul Shappirio, photography, travel, travel deeper, Westin New York Grand Central
The tickets to the show sold out in 8 minutes, and we were lucky enough to get two. Bruce Springsteen’s The River Tour-January 24th-Madison Square Garden. A perfect excuse to escape the monotony of our daily routine for a long, winter’s weekend in New York City. And then, like it sometimes does in January, it snowed. The kind of snow that gets you a day off from school, cancels your big evening with… Read More
Category: Home, NYC Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Madison Square Garden, New York City, photography, Springsteen, The River Tour, travel, travelphotography
A few years ago we took the ultimate sampler tour of the United States, adding 9,000 miles to our new Jeep Wrangler in 30 days. Our coast-to-coast adventure included mostly sleepless nights in the great outdoors, with glorious hotel stays in the big cities in between. Since it was impossible to fight the ultimate collapse into the lush linens and fluffy pillows of a comfy hotel bed, fatigue often limited our sightseeing…. Read More
Category: Home, New Orleans Tags: city of new orleans, food, Louisiana, New Orleans, photography, travel, travel deeper, travel guide, travel photography
© Paul Shappirio and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence, 2007-2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Paul Shappirio and Michelle Shappirio and Bringing Down the White Picket Fence with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Bringing Down the White Picket Fence