Home Design with Kevin Sharkey

Martha and I traveled to Las Vegas for the Home Depot Manager's meeting last week. We wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the strip, so we took a short trip to the Hoover dam. We arrived early in the morning and a sunlight was just beautiful. The canyon the dam is in is astounding in its scale, and it inspired me to think about the sheer amount of power that is created by this beautiful structure. It's amazing what can be created through hard work and innovation. Take a look at my favorite photos from the trip:

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1 Flying over, we had a lovely view of what I believe is the Colorado River.

2 Deep in the canyon is a power plant.

3 The arch of the bridge is one of the widest in the western hemisphere.

4 Look at this view!

5 We arrived to the dam early and were treated to gorgeous early morning sun.

6 The dam was built in the 1930s.

7 One of these clock towers is in Nevada, the other in Arizona. Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Saving Time, so for part of the year, the times are different.

8 This is a good warning. I wouldn't want to fall the 338 feet down.

9 The entrance to the visitor's center had beautiful gilded doors.

10 You can really see how deep the canyon is in this shot.

11 This sculpture, one in a pair, is called The Winged Figures of the Republic. The creator, Oskar J.W. Hansen, was inspired by the pyramids of Egypt.

This year, I was lucky enough to spend the Christmas holidays in the Florida Keys with Martha, Alexis, Jude, and Truman. We explored the Keys, swam, fished, and had an all-round great visit. We came back in time for New Year's Eve and I am happy to say that I enjoyed the evening watching a movie, ordering in a pizza, and being in my bed by 10:30. It was just perfect!

My new year's resolution is to entertain friends at home in some way, shape, or form at least once a week.

Aside from the architecture, some of my favorite things about Key West are the beautiful trees and gardens.

We stayed at an adorable hotel called Pines and Palms located in Islamorada, Florida. The staff was lovely and accommodating, and the hotel was filled with charming touches like these hotel room numbers in the shape of fish.

The night of the full moon was just beyond beautiful. This is the view from our swimming pool.

Fish are the focus of the Florida Keys and I love a good glossary, so this poster in the local aquarium really caught my eye. For the record, my favorite fish meal was Hogfish at Pierre's Restaurant in Islamorada. It was fantastic!  

One day we decided to take a field trip to Key West. Although I didn't go in for a drink, I loved the sign for this bar.

A breathtaking Bismarckia Palm

By far my favorite dining experience in Italy was at Ristorante Da O Batti in Portofino. One of the best meals of my life was the swordfish I had there. Everything, including the color palette of the table top was perfect. Take a look!