Bloggeries Blog

 If you are looking for a one-stop shop for all of your travel needs, then you should check out the Group Travel Blog.  This blog will connect you directly with group friendly travel companies and provides information about singles group travel, travel tour groups, corporate travel planning, tourism destination marketing, travel planning business, small group adventure travel and so much more. If you think travel might be on your horizon this year, check out any of their recent bloggeries to see if this blog piques your interest: Festival of the West Welcomes Tour Groups, 2008 Carnival Parade – A New Concept for Quebec, Philadelphia Announces Strong Summer Results, Northstar – At Tahoe Resort: New and Noteworthy for 07/08, Peru tourism regains footing after earthquake hits Ica, Redwood Parks Lodge Co. Launches Adventure Tours, Dot Travel or Don’t Dot Travel? The Debate over .travel domain, Group travel to Cleveland – Don’t Miss the Arts and Culture Scene, and Holland America Line Adds Group Cruise Booking Tool.

Navigation on this blog is very straightforward and you will find your way moving through it with ease. Posts are left marginalized with a very standard black text on white background. The blog has an airplane logo as its header and the remainder of the blog is set in primary color accents. One thing I noticed right off the bat with this blog is the well blended AdSense, you barely notice it is there and the ads look like part of the blog, well done! In the right navigation bar you will find subscription information, ads, members login, archive section that you can view by date or by category with links provided, a blog calendar, and a hit counter with over 700 K hits. The right system also includes a handy categories menu with clever icons to represent each category: Cruise Veiws, How do I?, Industry News, International dateline, Just Back From, Marchey Marketing Minute, My Turn, US Bulletin, Link Partners, and What’s Your Niche. What I don’t see in the blog is an about page which might give the blog a little more personal voice and less of a business one, however I don’t think it’s hurting the blog by not having one. I do think a Recent Posts menu would be helpful to the readers in terms of navigation however.

Overall I will give this blog a 3.4/5. The blog scores well on most accounts with activity probably and visual stimulus needing the most attention. Posts are currently fairly regular but at times sporadic. The content itself is interesting and informative, easy to read and user friendly. I also think the simplicity of the blog design works in its favor and gives the blog an overall sense of professionalism which is what I think the bloggers are going for. Navigation is extremely easy in this blog as well, and for those that are seeking travel information through a blog, this blog offers an excellent place to do so.

-Chrissie

If you are in the Pasadena area and looking for some tips or reviews on local attractions, then you may want to have a look at the City of Pasadena Guide and Travel Blog. The blog is written by David G. Hollstrom Sr. and he offers an inside look at the City of Pasadena as well as some guides and directories for the city. You will find here a wealth of reviews and sources of information on anything there is to know about Pasadena. Have a look at any of his recent bloggeries to see what he wants you to know about Pasadena: The Melting Pot – Pasadena, The Union Cattle Co. – Pasadena, Check Out Colonial Kitchen in San Marino, Check out Tops – Colorado Blbd. – Pasadena, Islands – Pasadena – Foothill Blvd., Houstons – Pasaden, Amy’s Burgers – Pasadena, McMurphy’s Tavern – Pasadena, Lucky Baldwin’s – Pasadena, and Radhika’s Restaurant – Pasadena.

This blog could not be easier to navigate which will make any visitor of Pasadena who stumbles across it very grateful. Bloggeries are left marginalized with standard black text on white background, and headlines and links are highlighted with a nice blue color that accents the blog well. There is a right navigation system that contains a host of information for the prospective Pasadena visitor. This includes a search bar, links list, archives, most recent comments, and a categories menu. The categories menu is extremely comprehensive listing Dining, Entertainment, Events, and numerous other categories. The Dining category is further divided by food types and styles making the visitors blog very easy to navigate. The blog also has a healthy readership as is evidenced by its recent comments menu. I did not see any pictures with the bloggeries, so that would be my first suggestion. This would make the reviews and information that much more appealing to the reader and give a true feel for the specific place the author is blogging about.

I will go with a 3/5 for this one, but mainly because I am seeing some issues with activity. The most recent post was entered on June 22 so more frequent posting would definitely serve the growth of this blog. I also think the comments sections proves the readership would support more frequent posting. Overall the appearance scores are good, the look of the blog is very clean and aesthetically appealing but would definitely benefit from some pictures. The content is excellently written with reviews coming from a personal voice that gives the experience credibility. They are also concise enough down to the ripeness of a strawberry which gives the reader a true essence of the experience. I also might suggest the author monetize this blog a little once the posting becomes more active. Again, the readership is healthy enough to support this and I think with these few changes this could very well be a successful blog and a spectacular resource for visitors to Pasadena.

– Chrissie

If you are a cat lover and looking for a fun read, you may want to stop in and see how Ariel is doing at Life Through a Cat’s Eyes Blog. Ariel is a Torti kitty born on the 4th of July and author of her own blog. She is self-described as a diva kitty whose interests include bird watching, cuddles and headbuts, tuna fish, treats, sleeping, blogging, and all of her feline friends. Ariel is a very good writer, and it must be from her appreciation for the film and literary industries. Her favorite movies include Garfield, Aritocats, and Cats and Dogs, and she enjoys reading novels such as The Diary of a Killer Cat, The Postman Always Brings Mice, and Madam Pastry and Meow. You can catch a glimpse about what it must be like to be a cat in any of Ariel’s most recent bloggeries: The Diva’s Rules for the Mom, A Day at the Vet, Nose Twin, Boring Tiles, Dum Neighbors, A talk with Mom, The Middle Name Meme, Very Funny, My New Catster Friend, An Honest Mistake, Kitty Pirate Fun.

Navigation on the blog is very simple, and as Ariel has made it clear her life is as such, one wouldn’t expect otherwise. Bloggeries text actually varies in color from day to day, one day it is green, the next it is purple, but it suits the theme of the blog, and well, we know how finicky cats are anyway. Bloggeries are set on a white background with a pink border that emphasizes her diva nature. Each post also contains very cute pictures of Ariel, and if you are a cat lover, you will enjoy them. Bloggeries are left marginalized with a right navigation system as well. In the right navigation bar you will find the About Page, a variety of Blog Awards, a very impressive Blogroll, Recent Posts Menu, and Archives that go back to March of 2006.

I am going to give Ariel a 3.6/5 here. Her blog is doing very well, and she has made many fans and friends in the blogosphere and has quite an extensive readership. This is probably accomplished through her very active, daily posting that is witty, creative, and very well-written. The blog itself is of course a unique concept and she has utilized this uniqueness to gain a healthy readership in her niche. I think the navigation system which is very well managed could only be improved through a categories menu. And I think Ariel is creative enough to come up with some cute and appropriate categories – naptime, Vets, feeding time, and etc. This would organize the posts a little bit and her many readers would be able to navigate her journal a little bit easier. I also think Ariel may want to consider monetizing the blog with some advertising. I am not sure how many readers she has, but it is sizeable judging by her blogroll and her frequent comments she receives. She may want to consider this to offset the costs of her vet bills. Otherwise, Ariel’s blog scores very well on all other accounts and this blog is a definite recommend if you are a friend of the feline kingdom.

– Chrissie