There are so many wonderful resort destinations, out-of-the-way retreats, escapes from life and happy places in this world, that I would find it difficult to list all of the best ones here. However, I did, at least, want to list a few of my most favorite places to go, both physical and virtual. The physical places include parks, places to snowboard or hike, great restaurants, places to go and relax or draw or play a guitar, perfect people-watching spots and other locations of the like. The virtual places are websites that fit my fancy and make me laugh or help me to buy the right things, or are just good places to go for whatever... They are mostly all websites that I visit almost every day, or at least regularly enough that I can name them.

Physical Locations

>>Relaxation, Vacation & Snowboardification

• Mt. Pollux - Mt. Pollux is located in Amherst, MA. It is almost impossible to find if you don't know where to look. The entrance to it is someone's driveway. Yet, it is a relatively well-known conservation area. It is, by all accounts, the tiniest little mountain of all time. And for all intents and purposes, it only really has two trees on it... big trees, at teh very top. Those trees have been the basis for many of my photos, stories and memories. Mt. Pollux is the place I go whenever I need to commune with nature and find utter peace. It's a beautiful, quiet place where people come to just sit and take in the 360 degree view of the Pioneer Valley.
  
• Mutti's House - I love this house and this property. This is the house that my parents and my aunt built for my late grandmother, Mutti, to live in. Its a smallish house/cabin nestled into 30 acres of woodland abutting the state forrest in Conway, NH. It is a spiritual place for me, as well as for many of the people I have brought there. I have a strong connection to the area and have many fond childhood memories of when we would visit as a family or when, later on, I would go up with my friends. The top of the hill (we call it a hill, though it is higher up than "Mt." Pollux) is a kind of portal to spiritual enlightenment. It is one of the few places in this world that has the ability to completely calm and reassure me just by existing.
  
• Crocker Park - I have had so many great experiences at Crocker Park. It's a small park, right on the ocean - or rather, on Marblehead Harbor. Its also the location for events like the little concerts they have on the 4th of July, and other times throughout the year and is a great place to go and read a book, go swimming off of the dock, or, as I have come to know - make out with your girlfriend. Plus the park itself is in close proximity (as just about everything else in Marblehead is) to everything else that you want. And it was close to home for me... even closer to Pearl's home. I probably saw her there years ago and just didn't even know it...
  
• Silver Bridge - That's not the actual name of the place - at least to locals as far as I know... it was a surrogate name that we gave it that a bunch of other people knew as well.. its this little (and I mean little) swimming hole that is relatively man-made, or at least man-aided. Its located under a bridge; a silver bridge, in Amherst. It's right down the road from Puffer's Pond and unless you know it's there, you would never be able to see it from either of the roads that surround it. The pool is formed by a small waterfall in the stream and held back by a small retaining wall. Though it's only maybe 12 feet across, it does get to be about 7-8 feet deep at times, and there used to be a rope swing and an old bridge foundation that formed a ledge that one could jump from. It was called "Teen Danger" - likely because only teenagers were really stupid enough to do it - though, I will admit that I did it a few times too. I guess I was still a teenager at that point, so it's cool... But its a great place to go and take a dip in the hot summer months. Its cool mountain water and shade from the bridge makes for a perfect little oasis in the middle of rural Amherst.
  
• Cathedral Ledge - This is just a simple, scenic lookout... but it looks out over a good chunk of the Mount Washington Valley and Conway/N. Conway, NH. You can drive up to the top and park and walk to the cliff edge to look around... OR, as people like Matt have the balls to do (I do not, yet), you can just climb. It's in fact, one of the premiere climbing areas in the northeast. I just like it for the views :)
  
• Tuckerman's Ravine, Mt. Washington - Ah, Tuck's. Tuckerman's Ravine is my proving grounds for myself and my snowboarding skills. The short of it is that its a 4 mile hike up the tallest mountain in the northeast, carrying all of your ski/snowboard equipment with you, then another shortish hike up the headwall once you make it to Lunch Rocks. You usually make that hike for only one or two runs down and the runs themselves are short seeing as it starts at a vertical lip and gradually tapers down into the bowl of the ravine. There are cliffs to jump and otherwise, the steepest terrain anywhere around here. The hike alone is an accomplishment, but the run really envigorates! And its fun for other people too, like the inner-tubers. I think the greatest thing I have ever seen was one of the first times I went up, we were hiking up Left Gully and I looked over as about 12 people had stopped parellel to me at about a 45 degree pitch. They only had one, allbeit massive innertube between them. The guy holding it, put it down and held it while everyone else hopped on, pig-pile style. Then as it was loosing from his grip from the gravity pulling it down, he let go and leapt on. The twelve of them sailed down the slope - I kid you not - hovering about an inch off the ground for the majority of the ride. So THATS why they needed 12 people... to hold the tube to the earth. Its just awesome. Go alone or come up with me this spring! I invite all who are willing to try!
  
• Devereaux Beach - It's just a beach, really. But I consider it MY beach. The beach. I think that many other M'headers probably feel the same. It was the scene for many great nights of partying and hanging out in high school and its where I go to breathe and relax and watch the ocean. It's also one of my favorite destinations for going to play my guitar. Like I say, it's just a beach otherwise...
  
• Crane's Beach - Same goes for this one... just a beach, with a lot of memories and good times associated with it. Plus, it's the place where Pearl & I are going to get married someday, because that is her ultimate dream. Yeah, see how I did that? All sneaky-like. And subtle. Maybe I shouldn't have pointed it out ;)
  
• Emerald Bay - Emerald Bay is in Lake Tahoe, or rather, is a part of it. It is this little bay which is formed by these big mountains on all sides and the greatest road that follows the contour and over a ridge-line, with no guard rails on either side, making the drive scary as hell on anything but a beautiful day. Smack dab in the middle of the bay itself is this tiny little island with a tiny little castle on it. And all around on the shore side are these massive redwoods. It's surreal and beautiful. Lake Tahoe is beautiful as is, but this is the best part of it.
  
• The Salt Flats - In all honesty, I have only been there once, and only in passing. But it was one of the most surreal places I have ever been to and I have bveen dying to go back for an extended visit to explore this marvel some more. If you have never been, you can't even imagine such a place. MILES of nothing but rock-candy-looking salt-crystal-crust covered by a mere 3 inches of water. Having lived next to the ocean all of my life, my inherent belief was that water only lasts at 3 inches deep for so long before it slopes down into the deep ocean. Not true here. I mean, there are deeper parts, and apparently the belief is that there is a prehistoric creature (Tessy) who inhabits Lake Tahoe, but who uses vast underground waterways that connect the lake and the Great Salt Lake. So, I'd imagine it would have to be deep enough in parts to hide a giant critter like that. And though the water is so densely saturated with salt that you could likely float a hunk of lead on it, fish still live in it and people go fishing there.. Never mind the dry areas, where - because it is so flat for so long - they do land-speed record tests. I dunno.. it's just cool as shit and something that everyone should see at some point in their lives.
  
• Okemo - This is a ski resort. And though it's not the steepest place (nicknamed Slowkemo), I always manage to have a great time when I go there. It's in southern VT, so it was a convenient drive from the Pioneer Valley when I lived there. They have the best (in my opinion) bumps run out of any other resort I have been to, and their park is pretty sweet. I have even met some people there - two girls who I have been trying to find again, Liz and Sheryle. Mostly Sheryle, cuz I think Liz was offended by my lack of faith in god to answer all of my problems... but anywho, its a sweet place, and good for all abilities. Sapphire is my favorite trail cuz its all just rollers and I usually spend more time in the air than I do on the ground on that trail. Can't wait for this season!
  
• Sunday River - This place is just massive, but not massive like Killington which can be chaotic. I really like the layout of Sunday River. Its a great mountain for all abilities and has enough terrain that you won't do the same run twice if you choose not to. And on top of that, I have some great memories of that place - ski trips in high school, and one that we crashed that Danielle was at. And it was also the place where we met Heather, Trube and Lori, who went on to become great friends for a while, and Heather was kind of a girlfriend. Shit do I miss her... Oh well.. The only drawback to the River is that it's quite a hike, even from my house in Conway, and so you really need to plan your trips there.
  
• London - I loved London, even for the short time I was there. I loved the atmosphere, the people, and the general level of energy. Its a beautiful city too. Plus, when I was there, I was on a theatre tour and got to see some fantastic plays - my favorite being "The Forbidden Planet". I don't know why, but I really felt like I belonged there. And one of the strangest moments of my life happened there. Dan, Eli and I were walking along a street at night. There wasn't a sole around... it was very eerily devoid of just about everything. There was no wind... nothing. The buildings even seemed like cardboard cut-outs or facades like that of an old western town movie prop. But at that moment, we were noticing that... just walked along, talking to ourselves. We came upon a covered trash barrel - a public one like you find in a park. And on top of it was an envelope. It peaked my curiosity and I walked over to it picked it up and realized that it was bulging with money. What I estimated to be at least thousands of dollars worth of pounds. Truth is, I never got around to counting all of it because after the initial shock of seeing that much money on top of a trash barrel in the middle of the night had faded, it gripped me that this might be a set-up. My eyes quickly darted up to the windows of the near-by buildings, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, I suppose that that's what makes good snipers 'good'. Let me tell you that it most certainly DID cross my mind that I could stuff it in my pocket and run. But I had Dan and Eli there too, and well... it took every bit of self-control and strength I had to put it back and just walk away. I could have been rich, but I could have been dead too. So here's London, a great town and a chance to get rich quick!
  
• Chamonix - I really must go back to Chamonix some day. When we went, they were in the middle of their biggest snow-drought in 25 years, but we had fun none-the-less. The thing I liked most about Chamonix was that it humbled me unlike any other place I had ever been. I mean, some of it was scary shit like the day that we had a complete white-out. It was so bad that I could barely see my snowboard on my feet! We made our way down VERY slowly, following each other and using our voices to keep track. 17 people died that day, some just skiing off a cliff they didn't know was there. That's some serious shit. But the rest of the time was pretty wonderful, despite the lack of snow and the death-toll. I 'jumped' a house, took a few good airs, and had a great time with good people.
  
• Harvard Square - There is hardly a better people-watching location anywhere else in the world. I love Harvard Square. I have been going there since my youth to skate, go to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, for food, and to visit friends. And now I go there for the same, plus the awesome bar scene, shopping, and just to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. You can pretty much find everything you need there and so it's well worth a walk around some time.

>>Food & Booze

• Antonio's Pizza - This place pretty much feeds all of UMass, Amherst College and Hampshire College from between 1am-3am, not to mention all of the other times. It is pretty much crack on pizza. Super awesome specialty pizza by the slice - my favorites being "Tortellini and Pesto", "Mexicana", "Potato Bacon" and that steak one... Oh, my mouth is watering right now. But this place is a mob scene after the bars close. I have gone there specifically to film the potential riots. Neil and I used to go and see how quickly we could get from one side of the crowd to the other. I think we did it in 30 seconds one time, but we literally climbed over people and objects in our way. It's stellar people watching and all the better with great grub.
  
• Bueno Y Sano - Holy football-sized burritos, Batman! Seriously... this place rules if you like burritos and other staple Mexican grub. I am particularly fond of their Grande Burrito with steak and shrimp, sour cream and their "Wicked Hot Sauce". I am not entirely sure I have ever gotten anything else... but seriously, these burritos are freakin' HUGE! Bueno is located in Amherst, MA, but as far as I know there is another in Boston (and I think one in Texas??) though the other ones go by "Good and Healthy" due to some copyright bullshit or something.
  
• Sushi House - Like beer, I tend to try different sushi places in search of the best ones. However, despite my many ventures, I have found almost none that come even close to this place. It is located next to Paparazzi and just east of the Concord rotary and prison on rt. 2. Chances are that if you travel rt. 2 often, you have passed it and haven't even realized it. It's strangely hidden and kind of tricky to get to. But not really. Anyways - they have the best, freshest, tastiest sushi I have ever had. Asahi in Salem comes close... but if you like sushi, you MUST try this place!
  
• The Sub - This is just a simple sub shop in Amherst... nothing to write home about, EXCEPT that they make the world's best Italian sub. My tummy is growling just thinking about it. Italian subs are my benchmark test for sub shops. And hands down, they have the very best there is. Cold, that is. Toasted... well... that's another story. check them out, grab some grub and go get a beer at the Spoke next door.

>>Shopping and Playing

• Salem Willows - Salem Willows is one of those last vestiges of youth. Granted it has changed considerably since I was young, it still smells the same and looks roughly the same - though a bit more beat-up and just slightly less exciting. It is a very small version of Hampton Beach, with an arcade, ski-ball, those coin games that go duh-duh-dha-la-da-da and send my mom into a trance, and various mini-golf courses, fried dough, soft-serve icecream and anything else you might find at one of those old boardwalk-style venues. There is a nice park right next door with a tiny ampitheater which we used to go skating in, or rather, on. I just remember years of saving tickets from ski-ball and that weird bingo game that used squash balls, praying that I would win enough to get something really stellar by the end of the summer...
  
• King's Back Bay - I NEVER would have known this place was there if it weren't pointed out to me by Renee. It's this massive, converted movie theatre just off of Boylston St. that has been turned into a lounge, billiards hall and blacklight bowling megaplex. There are bars all over the place and a full restaurant and all the entertainment you can stand. It's a totally kick-ass, adult play-land. And every time I have gone there now, I have totally owned at bowling! Anyone wanna challenge my mad bowling skillz? Let me know, and we can go to King's for the showdown.
  
• Faces - This is a really cool, hip and contemporary adult toy store - and I don't mean like sex-toys. I mean, all sorts of kitchy, fun, funny, and sometimes completely useless toys that kids would enjoy, but adults enjoy more. They have all sorts of awesome clothing, games, cards, furniture, tapestries, kitchen goods, frames, clocks, candles, stationery, artwork, etc. Whenever I go there, I invariably end up staying at least an hour just wandering around checking things out. It's located in Northampton, MA.
  

>>Websites

• icanhascheezburger - LOLcats central! Get your daily dose of kittehs with capshuns (where everything is spelled phoenetically)
• Think Geek - Tons of toys for geeks like Nick. Great stuff there, from retardedly expensive to cheap and awesome.
• Tech-Deals - One of my stops to find all the great deals on the internet. Updated daily.
• Slick Deals - Another one of my stops to find all the great deals on the internet. Updated daily.
• Woot! - The one-item-a-day shopping site. Like, they only sell one thing a day, but its usually cool and cheap. Also check out shirt and wine.woot!
• Surf The Channel - On demand? HA! This is TRUE on-demand. Just about any TV show, movie, cartoon, etc that you can think of, all online.
• Avatar Chapters - Okay, so I got addicted to a kids show. The Avatar is the bomb shiznat, and here is how you watch all of the episodes.
• South Park Zone - All of the Southpark episodes online.
• Whiskey Militia - Again, another one-at-a-time shopping site, but this is updated as soon as they sell out of the previous item. Its all sk8/snowboarding stuff.
• Online Guitar and Bass Tuner - Tone deaf like me? This Flash app emulates the correct tuning for different configurations for both guitar and bass.
• Ultimate-Guitar - A HUGE repository of guitar and band information, including TAB for just about every song you can think of.
• You Tube - If you don't know about this by now, time to move out from under the rock.
• AuctionZip - A cool site that lists all of the auctions in your area, including estate sales, storage space auctions and various others.
  

>>MY Websites

• www.NickCentric.com - It's HERE! Like, you are already at this website, so clicking the link is merely, totally and utterly redundant!
• www.NickSteglich.com - This is my professional resume and portfolio website.
• nick.focuspower.com - This is my place to put all of the work that I have done throughout the years. It's my repository for EVERYTHING.
• www.FocusPower.com - This is my business with Andy, EJ, Rick, Jon, Rob, and anyone else who helps out.
• www.Holmes-Page.com - This is the website that I built for my amazing circle of friends, the "Holmes Family".
  

>>Client Websites that I Have Made

• www.SalemCycle.com - Salem Cycle - Owned and operated by Dan Shuman. I have done much of the graphic work for Dan and Salem Cycle and the logo that I designed for him has become easily my most famous. It has been featured on TV, in books, on various websites and has been refenerced by many of Dan's patrons. I am VERY proud of this logo and this website, and extremely proud of Dan for his success.
• www.Soccer-Magic.com - I took over this website from Gravity Switch many many years ago. Ferdie, who is the owner and who the website is about, is an amazing guy. He is the Guinness Book Record holder for speed juggling a soccer ball as well as the backwards 100-yard dash. Dashing aside, Ferdie has revolutionized the way soccer is played in the states, and continues to hold his soccer camps every year so that more future soccer champs can learn the way the game should be played.
• www.Pedipress.com - These folks publish books that instruct people with asthma on how to best deal with it. They have created - through the tutilage of Dr. Thomas Plaut - a series of instructional materials on asthma and asthma training. It has been wildly successful and accepted as a standard by which asthma education is taught. Plus, Stacey is cute :)
• www.FerdiesSoccerMagic.com - This is another website created for Ferdie's Soccer Magic. But this time, he went international. He is originally from Ghana, and took his "Magic" back there to teach some kids what he has spent a lifetime learning. At some point, we will take this model and make websites for all of his international exploits!
• www.NELandscapeDesign.com - A cool, yet simple site that I made for my friend's, daughter's, husband's business. He does some great landscape design and installation. You can view some pictures from his past projects on the site as well as find out how to contact him.
• www.OneManStand.com - This guy, Ray, decided to invent a replacement for the roller-stand. It was his experience as a woodworker that roller-stands were limiting and didn't really ever function the way you needed them to, so he created the One Man Stand - which solves all of those problems in one inexpensive product. We created this website to help market that product.
• www.PhotographicAnalysis.com - A dispute resolution service that takes aerial photographs and analyses them to look for discrepencies and evidence over a period of time. It's really cool stuff actually. They look at the photographs through a stereoscope which creates a 3D topographical image... and then base their findings off of those images.
• www.DateCop.com - This is an interesting idea - an online dating site review and other dating information, tips and resources. I had a lot of fun making this site. Just graphically speaking, it was fun to do.