An old high school and 4-H pal who now lives near Portland with her husband and daughter, suggested that we stop in Florence when we hit the coast. Having been to the Italian Florence several times in my life, I had lots of visuals in my head before we arrived. More aligned with Rockport Mass or Portland Maine, Florence sits along a harbor with a string of trendy clothing and gift stores, ice cream and fudge shops and restaurants in the small town center.
Not far from Florence is Bandon, which has an old town full of small hub cafes, gift shops and taverns. The beautiful Beach Loop Drive has towering seastacks, coastal rock pillars which have resisted the surrounding erosion and monoliths that host large numbers of seabirds. We spent a few hours at the Bandon Boatworks, which overlooked the Lighthouse and drank wine while devouring shellfish and salad.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
