I don’t know about you guys, but this picture does nothing for me. I’m not the biggest fan of snow: the plowing, the dangerous driving, and the dirty snow that leaves behind soggy ground. Sure, it can be pretty, but I’ve seen my fair share of picturesque landscapes. One thing that gives me hope is thinking of all the southern hemisphere hot-spots right now. It also makes me pretty jealous…

Brazil

Get some serious sun (and check out our safe sun tips!) in Copacabana, in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro. Relax on the beaches, or take a stroll on the famous promenade. Copacabana will also be one of the four Olympic Zones for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

So it’s not a beach, but Iguazu Falls, on the border of Brazil and Argentina, is definitely impressive. Named after the Iguazu River that flows through Brazil, this waterfall is actually taller than our great Niagara Falls. Enjoy the best of both worlds while you’re here and soak up the Brazilian and Argentinian sun!

Top Brazil Must-sees: Fernando de Noronha, for the diving and snorkeling lovers. Salvador beaches, if sailing is your thing. Pantanal, the worlds largest wetland, if you’re after some wildlife. And lastly, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro from February 18-21.

Africa

Take a trip to the bottom of Africa — literally — by visiting Cape Town, South Africa! Whether it’s city or beach that you’re after, Cape Town has them both. Beaches along the False Bay, opposite the Atlantic Ocean, tend to be a little warmer than those right on the Atlantic.

Spend a night in one of the colorful Muizenberg Beach Huts on the False Bay, or take a hike along Devil’s Peak or Lion’s Head mountains. If nature isn’t you’re thing, Capetown has the highest density of Cape Dutch-style buildings in the world, which gives the city a slight European feel.

Australia

If you’re thinking about a trip Down Under, Australia is packed with vacation possibilities. From beaches, to city life, to hiking, there is plenty to do here!

One must-see in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef! Search for snorkeling tours that match your budget and make sure you don’t miss this opportunity. If you’re not a strong swimmer, you can opt for a tour with a glass-bottom boat. So cool! Cairns is a great place to experience the reef, as are other locations along the coast of Queensland.

Get your fill of city life by poking around Sydney, and soak up some rays on Bondi Beach.

Get your hike on in the Blue Mountains, near Sydney, and see The Three Sisters for yourself.

As with any foreign travels, make sure you take the time to research the area you’re traveling to. If you’re headed somewhere sunny, grab that swimsuit, some hot shades, and and have fun!

(But please, don’t brag to me about your warm-weather travels  )

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Super Bowl madness is taking over here at Sunglass Warehouse, and can you blame us? Located just a hop, skip, and a jump from the heart of Super City, we call Indianapolis home and couldn’t be more proud to do so!

One reason we’re excited? The first-ever Super Bowl Social Media Command Center! This team of local social media all-stars was established to increase communication among football fans, Indy, and the Super Bowl committee. Pretty neat, huh? In addition to all the useful tips, some of Indy’s social gurus have been tweeting great photos of the city and we couldn’t help but show them off.

@FollowAndretti shows off the IndyCars on Monument Circle

@BlakeFogelsong caught Jimmy Fallon trying to take in the sights

Our very own @gret_herself snapped this great pic of the Roman numerals at night

Inside the NFL Experience courtesy of @AroundIndy

@ButlerBlue2 shows off the perks of being a local celebrity

@pwilson24 gives fans a closer look at Tom Brady

Of course Sunglass Warehouse had to get in on the action too! So just the other day, we bundled up in our favorite scarves (courtesy of our chic sister site, Scarves Dot Net), grabbed our favorite pair of shades, and took a little field trip to Super Bowl Village. And of course we snapped a few photos while we were out so we could share the Super excitement with all of you!

The Sunglass Warehouse crew showing off our favorite shades in front of the Super Bowl Roman numerals

Monument Circle – Super Bowl Style

 NFL IndyCars with a little Sunglass Warehouse spin.

P.S. For those of you making your way to Indy this week, check out this Insider’s Guide to Super Bowl XLVI – Indianapolis for parking tips, dining suggestions, and a printable event schedule. Can you say “score!?”

P.P.S. Watching from home? Why not enjoy the game with our favorite Super Bowl snacks!

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On January 17, we celebrate the birthday of one of our Founding Fathers, Ben Franklin. Ben was a man of many trades: an author, a printer, a political theorist, a politician, scientist, musician, inventor, statesman, a satirist, and a diplomat. He is credited for many inventions, including the lightning rod and Franklin stove, but the one I am going to talk about is his invention of bifocals.

Some people are nearsighted, and there is a glasses prescription for that. Some people are farsighted, and there is a glasses prescription for that. However, what if someone is both nearsighted and farsighted? How can someone with such eye sight (or lack thereof) be helped? Well, thanks to Ben Franklin, bifocals do the trick. They can contain two different prescriptions within the same lens, helping to correct both nearsightedness and farsightedness.

Of course, bifocals have come a long way since the days of Ben. There are the original lined bifocals, and then there are progressive lenses, or unlined bifocals. These glasses have no visible line between the nearsighted and farsighted prescriptions, which gives the wearer an uninterrupted transition when looking at objects up close and then at something in the distance. Today, there are also trifocals, which have three sections to correct near, intermediate, and distance vision.

Another modern-day favorite (especially here at Sunglass Warehouse) is bifocal sunglasses.These have all the vision-helping properties of bifocals, but with a tinted lens that protects your eyes from UV rays — read more about the benefits of sun readers here. With many different styles, such as full frame, half frame, metal frame, plastic frame, etc, there’s a pair for everyone.

Ben Franklin did a lot of wonderful things. He signed the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. He was a major figure in the American Enlightenment. He formed the first public library in America. He was a prominent abolitionist and civic activist. He was a very successful author. We certainly have many thanks to give to such a legend. He was one of the most influential Founding Fathers and helped shape our country into what it is today with many of his inventions, scientific studies, and philosophies. He never patented his inventions, and he wrote in his autobiography, “… as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.” That is why we are choosing to honor Ben on his birthday. He certainly is one of our heroes, especially since he invented the bifocals.

Photo: benfranklin300.org

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