Travel plan idea blog

Article on lesser known European vacation destinations

Planning a trip to Europe? Apparently it's common to skip some of Europe's best attractions according to this article. A few examples include the Amiens Cathedral 2 hours from Paris, Stari Grad gets skipped in favor of Hvar Town in Croatia, and most people don't make it 5 hours north of Athens for the ancient monasteries of Metéora in Greece.

They all sound pretty good to me...

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Fast Food as a Tourist Attraction?

If I'm traveling, I go out of my way to avoid fast food, as I don't particularly like it and I would rather eat somewhere more representative of the place I'm visiting. However, the town of Corbin in Kentucky is hoping to cash in on its claim to fame as being the location of the world's first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. The town's tourism board wants to erect a statue of Colonel Sanders, in addition to the existing restaurant and museum. The small museum there features the original kitchen and a recreated lodging room. Kentucky is also opening another unusual attraction, which we mentioned on here recently - a coal mine tour. How about an underground KFC? That may really prove to be popular.

Of course, as everybody knows, fast food is everywhere - especially McDonald's which has restaurants in approximately 120 countries. However, they recently had to close their 3 restaurants in Iceland due to the poor economy in that country. Apparently, a Big Mac did cost around $5.29 in Reykjavik, making it the third most expensive place in the world to buy one (after Norway and Switzerland).

The Travel Channel actually runs an hour long show occasionally, featuring the 10 most unique McDonalds restaurants in the world. I have to admit I have not watched this program, although some of the more unusual restaurants are: In Dallas, TX in which the building is designed to look like a giant Happy Meal; at the Arctic Circle, which is the world's most northerly McDonalds and in Asheville, NC, located opposite the Biltmore Estate. This McDonald's restaurant features elaborately designed ceilings and even a grand piano!

And in case you are wondering where the world's biggest McDonald's restaurant is (I know you are!) it is apparently in Vinita, Oklahoma, although there are also large ones in other cities including Orlando and Moscow, which dispute this claim.

If you don't want fast food next time you are traveling, there are various sites that list diners, family owned restaurants, etc. This one lists old-fashioned diners in each state - something that is as rare to find these days in the United States as a drive-in movie theater!

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Some Underground Attractions: mines, sewers, catacombs

If you are claustrophobic, you may want to skip the following entry! Have you ever been in a coal mine, or had the desire to go in one? An old and disused coal mine is just about to open as a major tourist attraction in Lynch, Kentucky. This blog wrote about this way back in 2005 when it was still in the planning stages. The project cost an estimated $2.5 million and locals hope it will bring much needed income to one of the poorer parts of the state. The exhibit features animatronics miners, as well as a ride through narrow tunnels that run for miles beneath the ground. I have been on a slate mine tour in Wales many years ago and found it quite fascinating; this site has a video which gives a good idea of what to expect if you take a tour (this is a slate mine in North Wales).

This story got me thinking about various other underground attractions around the world. Two of the most famous are in Paris - the catacombs (apparently visited by 50,000 people every year) and the sewers.. I have not visited either of these attractions; the catacombs were closed when I went there and I just cannot see the appeal of wading through the Paris sewers!

Another underground attraction that has authentic smells is the Yorvik Center in York, UK. I was in York this summer and I took my son to the Jorvik Center, in which you ride in little cars 'back in time' and through a reconstructed Viking village, complete with the sounds and smells that you would have experienced 1,000 years ago.

London has an interesting underground tourist attraction, Winston Churchill's wartime bunker, which was used as a secure base during WWII and is set up exactly as it was during that time. There are various special exhibits and events happening this year and next, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its opening, in 1939.

Caves are big attractions. I visited Luray Caverns in Virginia last year, which are absolutely spectacular and well worth the trip (and the admission fee) On my list of places to go is Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, which contain some of the largest and deepest caves anywhere.

This blog also mentioned the excavations under St. Peter's Basilica a while back.

You may also feel claustrophobic if you have traveled in coach recently. Smaller planes and various fees for checked bags means more cramped conditions and less overhead bin space. Apparently, one of the biggest problems at the moment is passengers fighting (sometimes literally) to put their bags in the overhead bin. The problem is so bad that Congress is thinking of stepping in and having a standard size limit and making sure it is actually enforced. The proposed size would be 22 x 18 x 10 inches. I always manage to get a space for my carry on bag, even if it is nowhere near the seat I am actually sitting in. What do other people think; has anyone had a bad experience with this?

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Attractions in Devon and myths in Cornwall

Interesting article here on Devon in the UK. This is where Dame Agatha Christie is from and there's a festival each year. There the "Agatha Christie Mile" where you see places that meant something to the great author personally and where scenes from her stories take place. There are 10 stops in all and this BBC article seems to have them covered.

Across from Devon is Cornwall where there's a castle and some Arthurian legends:

This was the spot where Queen Igraine of Cornwall, in the absence of her husband, was seduced by King Uther Pendragon, thus conceiving Arthur. Or it was where the infant Arthur was tossed by the waves onto the beach near the cave -- accessible at low tide -- where Merlin the Magician lived.

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$275 for an overnight trip for 4 or more?

Our school has a new government-funded program designed to "Support increased interaction between foreign faculty members and students." You're allowed up to one trip per month and 300,000 KRW / month (maybe around $275). The team needs to consist of at least one faculty member and at least 3 students.

I would prefer to take more than 3 students but for transportation and overnight accommodation it would be pretty tricky to squeeze in 5 or 6 students. Originally I was thinking a team like this:

students 1: in charge of transportation
student 2: in charge of accommodations
student 3: in charge of restaurants
students 4 and 5: in charge of history, cultural experiences, entertainment

The 5 students and I would take a train to Andong, known for traditional Korean mask dances, and stay there over night. I don't see that happening now but we could possibly do something here in Seoul. I could take 10-20 students to a museum and out to eat for example. That allows me to bond with more students but it's not as "special" as an overnight trip to another city since students can go to a museum in Seoul any time.

It may actually be possible to do Andong in a pension (pretty common in Korea - see Pyeong Chang, Ducksan, and Sokcho for times I stayed in a pension). We may be able to find one where all 6 of us could stay in one room but I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean we could do one room for the students and one room for me but that feels weird too...

I'm also willing to spend some of my own money so maybe the 300,000 KRW could be for the student's expenses and I could pay my own way.

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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park is coming to Universal Studios in Orlando in Spring 2010. This is ore likely to influence my vacation planning that a wizard rock festival...

JK Rowling likes the theme park but what else would she say? Apparently, Stuart Craig, who is the production designer on the films, is designing the Potter World and Rowling is happy with the look of the movies:

"I truly think that walking into the theme park will be as close as you will ever get to walking onto the film set, or to walking into Hogsmeade. Better, of course, because it's 3D, and you can walk around the corner and look at the back, and it's going to be quite incredible. I really believe that, and personally, I think it will be the best thing in the world of its type, having seen what I've seen.

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Traveling to Ohio

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert on Ohio - I've only been there once and it was just a weekend. But I have an article here and a few other sites I want to share. Plus maybe you can give me some tips so I can create a nice Ohio travel plan for next summer...

Of course, Cleveland is the most famous destination in Ohio. Here's a good 36 hours in Cleveland from the New York Times that covers shopping, churches, the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, and more. Click through to the second page of the article for some information on Cleveland's museums.

The other city that everyone will have heard of is Cincinnati. The big attraction here has to be the The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, a railroad station that has seen most of its space converted to museums (and theaters and a library).

Canton has the Pro football Hall of Fame but I'm not sure if they have anything else.

Columbus is the capital of Ohio and also its largest city. There are several good parks/gardens here plus museums and performing arts. Personally, I'd like to see an Ohio State Buckeyes football game.

After a couple of days in Cleveland, you might try a scenic trip on a passenger train, the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway. There's also the Great Mohican Indian Pow-Wow on the Mohican Reservation. You can experience the food, music, crafts people, storytelling, drums, dance competitions & hoop dancers. This one obviously requires some planning - you have to arrive when the Powwow is going on.

For something completely different, (I blogged about this plus a few other weird vacation activities a few days ago) try out one of my hobbies, LARPing. This Ohio LARP (live action roleplaying game) sets up a medieval fantasy atmosphere where you can play a hero fighting evil villains or even the evil villain thwarting the heroes if you like...

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Cancelled trip and what I'm missing

Some of you may remember that I was planning a busy August that included a trip to Costa Rica. My wife cancelled the trip to Costa Rica because she feared swine flu. Makes no sense to me but that sometimes happens with emotions. She wanted to cancel our cruise as well but since we had already paid...

Anyway, I was supposed to stay at the new Beacon Escazu:

I suppose I'm looking for a little sympathy now. If you take a look at some more pictures of the hotel I think you'll see why I'm kind of bummed about missing the trip.

My wife did say that I could go anywhere in America or Canada instead. Somehow these countries don't scare her. I'll be going alone. Now I'm trying to meet up with a couple of old friends from high school but that may be tricky.

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Travel ideas: Chicken Dance Championship, Mexico vacation alternatives, Ojai

Here's one I would love to visit:

The second annual World Chicken Dance Championship from June 20-21 at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park in Alberta - this event will attract the world's best Chicken Dancers from around powwow country as they vie for the world title in tiny tot, junior, teen, adult, and senior titles.

Too bad I'll be correcting final exams instead.

Swine flu is hurting the already hurting airline industry. Demand was down already and airlines are trying to keep swine flu from lowering demand even further by taking steps to reassure travelers:

Lufthansa has placed a doctor on board each of its flights to Mexico; American Airlines has issued medical kits to cabin crews; British Airways is distributing face masks; and Alaska Airways is removing pillows as fears of a flu pandemic rattle the global aviation industry.

If you need to cancel you'll wish you had travel insurance (assuming you get the right kind and are covered). Here is a travel agent answering some common travel insurance questions.

Finally, there's a great article here on a neat travel destination: Ojai, California.

This town was "Shangri-La" in Frank Capra's 1937 movie, Lost Horizon. I doubt it's cheap but if you have money to spend on vacation it sounds pretty good:

People don't quite come here seeking eternal youth, but with a disproportionate number of artist's workshops, galleries, meditation centres, yogic retreats, and alternative therapy practices, Ojai does offer spiritual rejuvenation in spades. It's like New York's Woodstock minus the tourists and sexagenarian acid casualties.

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Rome for the rich and the thrifty

Nice article here on Rome. They have hotel, restaurant, nightlife, shopping, and sightseeing recommendations for those who want to save and those who want to splurge.

Related: Rome walking tour (comments included in the main blog part due to server problems I was having back then).
Trevi Fountain picture
Rome restaurants
Rome with kids part 1
Rome with kids part 2

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Costa Rica: Resort suite by Arenal or organized tour?

Both of the articles I'll talk about here are more like ads but as long as we recognize the newspapers might be trying to sell us something I think we can look at the articles somewhat objectively.

I don't have a week at Lost Iguana, but if I did this deal would be nice:

The Lost Iguana Resort & Spa is on the edge of the Arenal Volcano. This 42-room property also has a Golden Gecko Spa. For $999 per person, the Pura Vida package, you get a luxury suite (usually $255 a night), a $500 spa credit (its most expensive treatments are $120, which means you can have several treatments in your week), your meals at the Blue Hibiscus (excluding alcohol), a zipline adventure and an evening nature tour.

I don't see the special on Lost Iguana's site. It was reported here.

Here's another article about Costa Rica. This is a 10 day tour for $995.

Since both these trips are the same price, I'd say it's a pretty tough choice. A week in the resort overlooking the volcano and relaxing or the more active see a few different parts of Costa Rica in an organized tour?

Posted by James Trotta at 11:03 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Visit The Moai On Easter Island

Remote and mysterious, Easter Island holds a great deal of appeal for travelers around the world. Recognized as "the navel of the world" and Rapa Nui by the Polynesians, this small, volcanic island, 14 miles long by 6 miles wide, lies some 2000 miles off the coast of Chile. Rich in culture and history, it is believed that Polynesians first settled the island some time between 300 and 1200 AD. During this era, the natural environment and geology changed radically, as trees and lush vegetation were soon replaced by strange monoliths carved from volcanic rock, known as Moai.

Following the discovery of the island by a Dutch seaman, Jacob Roggeveen, on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1722, the population had dwindled to less than 100 by the mid-1800's, as many died from disease and tribal warfare, or were enslaved and deported to Peru. Considerable recognition is given to Policarpo Toro Hurtado, an officer in the Chilean navy, who convinced the government of Chile to annex the island in 1888. Today, much of the original culture has been lost, but an estimated 3500 permanent inhabitants still speak their native language of Rapa Nui. Although some engage in farming, sheep herding, and fishing, much of the economy is based on tourism, as even sheep farming has been almost abandoned since the 1960's.

Certainly, the Moai are the main attraction, the silent sentinels of Easter Island built some time between 1000 and 1500 AD. It is believed that these amazing, gigantic heads were used in some sort of religious ritual, or as monuments to the gods and ancestors of an ancient civilization. Rano Kau and two other volcanoes, now extinct, tower above the Moai on raised ceremonial platforms, known as ahus. Various ahus such as Akivi, Akahanga, and Tongariki support anywhere from 7 to 15 giant monoliths; the largest of these at Rano Raraku stands almost 70 feet tall. Some statues wear a light red Pukao or stone hat, perhaps to symbolize a chieftain's headdress or a ruler's crown, which is often as large as 8' tall and 8' in diameter.

Visitors can explore the grassy, rolling hills and shallow volcanic craters that make up the 15,000 acres of Rapa Nui National Park, preserved as a World Heritage Site since 1935. This huge outdoor museum is divided into 7 sections with a number of quarries such as Rano Raraku, the site for most of the stone used in the Moai, Ahu Akivi, where all 7 statues face the ocean rather than inland, and the ruins of ahus at Vinapu, similar to Machu Picchu. Other points of interest within the Park are Anakena, a popular beach and camping site, and the crater lagoon of Rano Kau, which is one of only three sources of fresh water and a sheltered area of foliage and a few Moai.

Just above the lake on the crater wall lies the small, ceremonial village of Orongo, an interesting archaeological site of the 18th and 19th century Make-Make and birdman culture. The village, now restored, consists of over 50 stone houses surrounded by large boulders with totem-like carvings of birds, turtles, and other symbols. Here, the "messenger place" served the warrior king of the birdman cult, where people carved small figures of half bird and half man as part of the competition to bring back the first egg laid by the sea tern. With the arrival of the Make-Make culture, the religious rituals and carvings of the ancient Moai inexplicably disappeared.

Travelers can hike the small trails within the Park or ride horseback along the north coast; however, all types of vehicles are available to rent if you prefer.
Park Admission - $10

A visit to the Museo Antropologico Padre Sebastian Englert, named after a German priest who first explored the island in 1935, is about a 20-minute walk from the center of Hanga Roa, the capital. The Museum has an extensive collection of press releases dating back to 1840, over 5,000 photographs of archaeological and cultural interest from 1910 to the present, and numerous books and articles in several different languages including a few in the local Rapa Nui language. Two unique exhibits in the Museum include the coral eye of a Moai, which was discovered in excavations at Akakena, and another of four female statues, which seems to indicate that a few queens may have ruled the island. The Museum also houses a wealth of scientific research and information in the Mulloy library, gathered by the renowned anthropologist Dr. Mulloy. The library supports fieldwork and cultural study for scholars visiting Easter Island.

Hours: Tues & Fri - 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; Sat, Sun, 17 Sep, 24 & 31 Dec, & Holidays - 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Closed 25 Dec, 1 Jan, Good Friday, 1 May.
Admission: $2 - Adults; $1 - 60 & over; Free for students, professors, members of the military, etc.

Other activities on Easter Island include year-round canoeing, scuba, or surfing from the small harbor of Hanga Roa, and the two-week Tapati festival in February, a combination of traditional music and dancing among families competing in the island's annual election of the queen.

Many of the Moai have been relocated to private collections and museums in countries around the world including the Louvre in Paris, the British museum in London, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and the grounds of the American University in Washington, DC. Indeed, the Moai remain one of the unexplained wonders of the world, remarkably similar to Stonehenge and Egyptian obelisks, but so far apart that it is difficult to explain their similarity. Whether you're interested in archaeology, geology, culture, or the ancient history of Easter Island, it is a fascinating place to visit.

Accommodations: Several reasonable hotels, guesthouses, and other accommodations, as well as stores, restaurants, ATMs, and Internet cafes, can be found in and around Hanga Roa.

Chile's national airline (LAN) offers the following 5 to 6 hour flights, with fares ranging from $600 to over $1300:

From Santiago: Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun (return flights, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat)
From Papeete: Monday & Thursday (return flights, Sundays & Wednesdays)

(Note: Easter Island has the longest runway in Polynesia, a viable alternative for landing the U.S. space shuttle.)

Sharon L. Slayton

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Western Massachusetts travel attractions, Cancun, Riviera Maya

Here's an article with some interesting stuff to do in western Massachusetts. That's not real far from me in New York but somehow I never considered it. There's some Norman Rockwell stuff (a museum and his old studio). There are some mansions that used to be vacation homes for Astor, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Westinghouse. There's the Tanglewood music festival.

At first I thought it might be a folk festival because of the Dave Carter / Tracy Grammar "Tanglewood Tree" (this video is not travel related - just some nice music you may be interested in):

Apparently it is classical, jazz, and pop. No folk but I like jazz and classical enough to look into getting to the festival one of these years.

Here's one about Cancun (focus on families but it seemed like a college kid /party spot when I was there in 2001).

Also in the Yucatan, we have this one on luxury in Riviera Maya.

Here's an old Riviera Maya travel plan contest entry if you're interested. Here's another old related blog post.

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To do and not to do lists for Costa Rica

Here's a list of comments about Costa Rica from 5 or so people who have been there. None of the comments come from me (since I've never been there) but I am trying to get there this summer so I felt like doing a little research before designing a travel plan.

Things to do:

Raft on the Paquari.

Climb the base of Arenal.

Rainforest canopy tours, rafting, and kayaking in Manuel Antonio/Quepos area.
Visit the cloud forest (Monte Verde).

Book with a tour company the first time out to learn the lay of the land. After you've figured CR out then you will feel more confident about where you can go and where you can drive -- there's a lot of petty crime there now -- having a guide will allow you to relax and learn.

Visit the golf course at the Four Seasons in Costa Rica. AWESOME. One of the best golf courses I have ever seen and played. Just totally picturesque, manicured beautifully, and just so peaceful. If you don't mind spending the money, it is really worth every penny.

Things not to do:

Rent a car in San Jose, Costa Rica unless you like the sound of flesh hitting dashboards. We rented a mini-FWD SUV vehicle. The roads outside the cities are very bad, but do-able in the SUV. Avoid driving in San Jose itself, though, as it's typical of third world countries where traffic rules are more suggestion than rule.

Leave anything in your car, nothing that has even a little value (like a towel or hat even). Theft is a HUGE issue for tourists. Nearly everyone I know who has gone down there (mostly to surf) has a story about something getting stolen from them. My last trip was pretty good, I only had a towel & sunglasses stolen.
S

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Euro currency map, Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro, & British Air

I liked this map of Europe. When you put your mouse over each country it tells what currency they use so if you're trying to avoid an expensive euro...

Here's an article on some of the choices, what they call the new riviera: "Along the booming coasts of Turkey, Croatia, and Montenegro, Julia Chaplin finds glamour, barefoot chic, and stunning natural beauty."

British Air sent me this:

See more of your favorite cities.
Book your World Traveller (economy) flight today and we will give you two free* nights’ accommodations in your choice of these exciting destinations: London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Prague and Athens. Book your trip by March 13, 2009 and enjoy your two free nights between March 23 and September 2, 2009.

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Ponce Inlet, Florida for a beach / fishing vacation

The recommendation for Ponce Inlet comes from a friend who thinks it would be a good place for a Florida fishing vacation.

Ponce Inlet, Florida is a lovely seaside community a few miles south of Daytona. Ponce Inlet is completely residential and there are oceanfront condos that are very inexpensive to rent---well, at least compared to the mid-Atlantic.

There is the Sunglow Fishing Pier about 3 miles north and there is the Inlet Jetty right there in Ponce Inlet. Both are excellent for fishing.

In Ponce Inlet, the beach is beautiful and not usually crowded. Walk out of your condo and it's like a private beach. In fact, many people fish right from the sand on the beach there, which unlike Daytona, is auto free (ironically, Ponce Inlet was the home to NASCAR's first races on the road/beach course which eventually became the Daytona 500 after they built the Speedway).

There are numerous good seafood joints there, a historic lighthouse, a Sea Turtle refuge, and Deep Sea Fishing boats. I think it would be the perfect place for someone who wanted a little fishing break in Florida.

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Helpful hints for Cancun

I’ve collected a few tips from a football message board on what to do during a vacation to Cancun, Mexico. I’ll list the tips below but I hope some of you will add your own comments like we did recently with Europe and Savannah.

1. Try to head south and see some ruins. The Tulum ruins are a 1/2 day type of thing and are pretty damn amazing. Chichenitza is even more so, but that's a full day trip (and a long one).

2. Do the party bus and don't drink the water, even a dabble on your tooth brush. I’ve heard you can drink the water in hotel restaurants/bars/clubs. If it’s all inclusive use bottled water to wet your tooth brush and drink. The maids will re-stock your fridge daily.

3. I have been begging the wife to go to Mexico for so long and the only damn excuse she gives me is that she is scared of the water situation. It frustrates the hell out of me and then our friend just got back and got some stomach sickness from the water. That didn't help.

4. Remember there is lots more to the Yucatan than Cancun. Rent a car and heading south to Tulum to see the oceanside Mayan ruins, scooting over to nearby Akamal for some seriously good diving, then taking a local road due north to the unrestored remains of Coba. Follow the road north then west to Merida (capital of the Yucatan and an outstanding example of colonial architecture). Take a few days away from Cancun and you'll be amply rewarded. Lots more to do/see but this should get you started.

Edit: that reminds me of this Mexico travel plan.

5. Wear a bullet-proof vest. Maybe not but there has been a rash of tourist robberies and murders in Mexico in the past year or so. They look for who is exchanging money at the airport, follow them outside, and then rob/murder them. The police are often complicit in the crimes. I would not stray from the resort into the real Mexico...

6. I just got back from Playa Del Carmen (a little bit south of Cancun). I did the all inclusive resort thing. I stayed at the Iberostar Tucan. Don't really have any tips, the resort more than took care of all of my needs. Trip came at a perfect time for me, since I left a couple days after the Giants loss.

I did some kayaking & snorkeling, but other than that I just ate like a king and drank like a fish. Hottest it got was around 85 degrees, coolest it got was about 70 degrees at night. I'm seriously thinking about taking some of my tax returns and hoping on a plane and flying right back to Mexico.

7. Go to Xcaret, it's an eco park 30 minutes from Cancun with snorkelling, hiking trails, and lots of other fun activities.

8. Waterproof sunscreen. Wear it. Love it.

9. Mexican currency is invalid if it is damaged (even a little) Do not accept anything that is not in good condition.

10. My hotel said specifically not to drink the hotel sink water. I had a red X with the picture of a sink in my bathroom and they had signs by the front desk. I stayed at the Dreams Cancun. I'm sure most hotels filter the water. If they don't, they will notify you. But I would avoid the tap water anyway – just to be safe. You don’t want to mess up your vacation.

10. I drank beer. But they had bottled water in the mini fridge and also a bunch of half-gallon jugs of water. Had no problems with any food or drink. The first morning I was down there, I saw a guy die on the beach (heart attack / drowning). Did it ruin my day? Maybe 5 minutes of it. Normally, I'd like to think seeing a guy die in the morning might bother me for the rest of the day, but it's just too nice & sunny there.

11. The Cancun area is much safer than the border areas. However, you should always exercise caution in a 3rd world country. If Chitzen-Itza is still open, I can't recommend it enough.

12. I would recommend XCaret but it’s more of a family place. If that's the type of trip then absolutely go to XCaret, and plan on being there for the day. It’s basically an eco-amusment park. Hiking trails, beaches, tubing, a zoo, cultural exhibitions, horseback riding, food, and in the evening a totally fantastic show featuring Mayan sporting events, singing and dancing. If you are up for something more family-oriented, XCaret is a must-see destination on your list.

13. I have circumnavigated the Yucatan many, many times. Don't be afraid to leave the resorts. Drink beer, wine or cokes instead of water when on the road (no ice!). Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables. that's about it. We were robbed once in all of our travels there (spare tire was boosted from our rental. It's a common scam.). The Yucatan is populated with charming people. It's distinctly different from the border towns and lawless regions you might have read about.

14. I've been to Cancun/Cozumel many times. I can't stress enough how beautiful the water is... if you are not a diver, at least take a snorkeling trip! The coral and sea life is outstanding. Some of the best diving you'll ever experience.

Beaches are beautiful, as is the water, so sitting your ass on the beach all day with a line of drinks works too. Oh, and Isle Mujeures (sp?) is a great little trip. Take a little boat/ferry over. Lots of topless, tan women.

15. Playa Del Carmen is awesome for single folks. Crazy chicks from all over the place ready to rip it up. Playa Del Carmen was insane with females but I went with my girlfriend. :( My girlfriend's brother made out like a bandit down there though.

16. I know people who got hit with over $1000 bills for using Blackberries in Cancun. Verify you have an international plan, or prepare to be shocked when you get the bill.

17. Do a day trip to Cozumel for some snorkeling. Best in the Western Hemisphere. Then go back to Playa Del Carmen and spend the night eating dinner (Casa De Agua is excellent place), then bar hopping up and down 5th avenue. Good time, guaranteed.

18. I went last year for spring break. Make sure that you don’t drink the water. All inclusive is NEVER all inclusive. Make sure you cake yourself with sunblock for the first day and get progressively less as you go on. BE CAREFUL OF THE TIDE, IT GETS CRAZY THERE. But other than that have fun!

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Looking Back On A Buried Past

Most of us know that Native Americans were here long before so many others claimed the land for themselves. We are somewhat familiar with the traditions of the American Indian, which played an important and fascinating part in the history of the New World. Unless you have studied Native American heritage in depth, however, you may not have heard of the Pee Dee, an unusual, well-organized culture that existed around the 12th century A.D. These people of the woodlands lived in the Southern Appalachian region of Georgia, South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and the Piedmont area of western and southern North Carolina.

The Pee Dee tribes, closely related to the Creek Indians, were successful farmers of a variety of crops, excellent traders, and skillful artisans of clay and stone. Here, food was plentiful and fishing and hunting provided the other necessities, enabling them to establish a complex society, the extent of which is not fully known. The extensive religious rituals practiced by the Pee Dee were manifested in temples built on large ceremonial earthen mounds. The major temple served as the Pee Dee’s principal place of worship and the council of tribal leaders, who discussed and planned the important matters of the community. Within the temple, which held the sacred fire, the interior walls were painted with animal drawings, representing the various clans of the tribe. A minor temple, also made of mud and straw, was built across the plaza from the main temple to house the four ceremonial priests.

These “people of the one fire” celebrated the “busk,” in an 8-day ceremonial rebirth of the mind and spirit, by repairing the temple and grounds, and the cleaning of houses. During this “Poskito,” members of the tribe and their visitors purified their bodies through bathing, fasting, and drinking a black tea made from the yaupon shrub. Old grievances were resolved, debts were repaid, and ongoing disputes were settled. An offering of corn was made to the spirits, young men became warriors, and the remaining embers of the fire were carried back to individual homes, symbolizing the unity of the Pee Dee people. After the various clans returned to their villages, a new sacred fire was built in the ceremonial mound each year, and the cycle began again.

Archaeological digs at Town Creek on the land owned by a Mr Frutchey were led by Dr Joffre Coe of the University of North Carolina in 1937, as a part of the WPA of the Great Depression. His comprehensive research continued for some 50 years, with considerable reconstruction in the 1950’s and 60’s. Through his efforts, the significance of Town Creek and the Pee Dee culture resulted in its registration as a national landmark in 1955. As the site was slowly uncovered, the mound appeared to have been built over a lodge-type structure from earth carried in baskets and piled against the walls and over the roof. In time, this collapsed and a second mound was built on top, forming a new platform for the religious temple. Public gatherings, religious ceremonies, and feasts were held in the square around the mound, which was accessible by a ramp built to face the rising sun. Outside the ceremonial grounds and the temples were the dome shaped houses of straw and mud, as well as other structures apparently serving as mortuaries assigned to various clans. An estimated 500 burials were uncovered through excavation; most of these were not unusual, except for the burial urns that contained the tightly wrapped remains of the very young. The self-contained complex where people were born, lived, and died was enclosed and fortified with tall pine posts and two guard towers at each end. This stockade protected the Pee Dee from the neighboring Sioux Indians, who were a constant threat and eventually the conquerors of the Pee Dee tribes.

Today, Town Creek, the only national historic site in Mt Gilead, North Carolina dedicated to Native American heritage, is of considerable interest to historians and scholars as the best representation of pre-white civilization in the U.S. Travelers can get a glimpse of the Pee Dee way of life by visiting the site and viewing the guard tower, the 3rd and final temple, a burial house, and the stockade. The 2009 calendar of events includes various programs such as Astronomy Days and Nights, the Heritage Festival, the Woodlands Program describing life in the 11th century, bird watching, and legends of the American Indian – available to the public for a small admission fee.

Visitors Center: The museum contains interesting artifacts of clay pottery, spears, and stone pipes, as well as audiovisual exhibits and hands-on activities. Guided and self-guided tours can be arranged, and hiking/walking trails, picnic tables, monuments, and a gift shop are on the grounds.
Hours: Open year round, Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday – 1 pm to 5 pm. Closed Mondays and Major Holidays. Admission is free.

Sharon Slayton

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1 day in Boston

I'll be in Boston tomorrow visiting my sister. We know we're going out for breakfast in the morning and at 6:30 we're having dinner at Antico Forno at 93 Salem Street. In between I'd like to see Paul Revere's House but there are other options.

For example, many people enjoy the musicians and jugglers at Quincy Market's cobblestone promenade before they shop or dine in the historic Greek Revival building. But fewer take advantage of the tours led by National Park Service rangers in Faneuil Hall. A staycation is the perfect time to get reacquainted with this elegant building, referred to as the "Cradle of Liberty," where both John Hancock and Frederick Douglass spoke about the issues of their day. Free tours of the 18th-century structure, expanded in 1806 by Charles Bulfinch, begin every half hour.

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Now is the Time to Visit Vienna!

Here's a guest blog entry from my travel agent, who I met here on my blog. I asked her if she'd be willing to share occasional travel ideas with us and she agreed. So here goes:

This year is the bicentennial of Joseph Haydin’s life, and what better way to start the New Year than the height of the Ball Season in January and February. Two notables are the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Musikverein. So dust off your dance shoes and enjoy.

And while there, try the Wiener Schnitzel at Purstner’s (Riemergasse 10; 43-1/512-6357) or the braised cheek of Iberian pork, while choosing from among the 60,000 bottles available at The Restaurant Coburg (Coburgbastei 4; 43-1/518-18-800). For a snack on the run, you might want to visit the Naschmarkt, where you can find ham and sauerkraut or international choices like baklava and sushi Monday through Saturday.

Shopping in Vienna? Try the Mariahilfer Strasse, the city’s most popular shopping street, with lots of options.

Looking for a fabulous hotel to cap the trip? Look no further than the 152-room Hotel Sacher Wein, known for its fabulous torte, and even more fabulous location directly across from the Vienna Opera House.

So call your travel agent and book now, and enjoy Vienna.

Lynn Bator is a Virtuoso travel agent specializing in luxury travel. You can reach her at her personal email address at Lindabator@yahoo.com.

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Happy New Year from Mancunian

Well, New Year’s Eve has been and gone; I hope everyone had a good New Year and is ready to travel to some of this year’s hot new destinations! I see James has been enjoying New Year in London and I don’t blame him for not joining the crowds in Trafalgar Square to ring in the new year to the chimes of Big Ben….I used to do that when I was younger and lived in London; the only problem was trying to get back home afterwards, along with thousands of other revelers.

If you still want more New Year celebrations, you can always celebrate the Chinese New Year, which will be celebrated around the world on January 26th. (This year is the year of the Ox) One of the biggest celebrations of Chinese culture outside Asia is in San Francisco’s Chinatown, which includes the Southwest Airlines nighttime parade. London also has excellent Chinese New Year celebrations, as do Melbourne, Toronto, Sydney, Los Angeles and Singapore. Everybody has heard of the Chinese New Year, but I was surprised to discover how many other countries and cultures celebrate New Year on a date other than January 1st. Some areas of India celebrate the New Year in March or April, Cambodia, Nepal and Thailand all observe the New Year sometime in April. And the first place in the world to see the New Year (the one on January 1st) is apparently the island nation of Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean.

And here is an interesting New Year tradition that takes place in Scotland every January 11th in the town of Burghead. The ritual is known as the burning of the clavier and involves carrying a burning barrel through the streets of the town and depositing the occasional burning ember on people’s doorsteps. The Scottish take their New Year (or Hogmanay, as it is called there) celebrations seriously, although this sounds even more dangerous than some of the bonfire night traditions in the UK.

And speaking of China, Northwest has decided to postpone the start up of its Detroit-Shanghai service, largely because of the poor economy. Other airlines, including American, USAir and United have also postponed or dropped service to China. Let’s hope things are better for the airlines (and for everybody else) in 2009. Happy New Year!

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Tokyo travel tips

A student of mine who spent a good deal of time in Tokyo has the following Tokyo travel tips to share:

1. Buy The JAPAN RAIL PASS if you are planning to use Shinkansen. (Many travelers who come to Tokyo visit Osaka by Shinkansen).

Shinkansen is extremely expensive. If you have to take Shinkansen, buy Japan rail pass before you visit Japan. The JAPAN RAIL PASS is the most economical way to travel throughout Japan by rail. For a little bit more than the two way ticket Tokyo - Shinkansen, you can travel all of Japan by rail, unlimited for 7 days. You can also ride JR (subway) with this JAPAN RAIL PASS so it's very economical. You will save a lot of transportation fee with this magic pass.

2. Try the employee's restaurant at Tokyo metropolitan government building in Shinjuku.

The Tokyo metropolitan government building is famous for it's observatories. If you visit this great building, try to stop by the employee's restaurant. There are many kinds of foods from Japanese to western style. As it's originally for the employees, the price is very cheap (almost ½) compared to other restaurants near Shinjuku. Also it has a spectacular view.

You don’t have to be working there, in fact many businessmen working in Shinjuku visit Tokyo metropolitan government building during lunch time to have a cheap and nice meal. You can apply for a free of charge guided tour of the building at the 1st floor. Ask volunteers about the employee restaurant, I know this great place because some volunteer recommended it. The elevator system is quite complicated. It's best to ask them to teach you how to go to the employee's restaurant.

3. Need to use the internet and a place to rest? Stop by Apple mega store at Ginza.

If you visit Ginza (I bet you do) stop by the Apple mega store. When you are traveling it's hard to find a place to connect to the internet. Hotels are too expensive and Japanese PC rooms are not cheap either. On the 4th floor of Ginza Apple mega store, you can use the internet on Macbooks. Also you can sit down and relax on the 3rd floor, sometimes they tutor you on how to use Apple software. If you are learning Japanese it would be a good chance to improve your Japanese.

Add this to the previous guest article on Tokyo (I've never been soy ou know the tips don't come from me).

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Weird tourist attraction in Jeju, South Korea

When I took my parents to Jeju, South Korea I had never heard of Love Land. Even if I had, I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have taken them there.

According Love Land’s official website, it is “the only sexual theme park where sexually oriented art and eroticism meet. Jeju Love Land breaks the traditional taboos surrounding sex and is a place where the visitor can appreciate the natural beauty of sexuality.“

Basically, it seems to be a big collection of sex-themed sculptures. I feel weird posting more on my blog here but a Google image search turns up quite a few if you want to see more.

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Norfolk Island – Paradise Found

There’s an island in the South Pacific between Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia that is home to the Norfolk Pine, and fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. This small island, about 13 sq miles, was once a place where only the most undesirable people were sent. Today, it is a tourist’s delight and a haven for those seeking a bit of paradise away from a turbulent and stressful world. This remote serenity has attracted writers such as Colleen McCullough who maintains a permanent home on Norfolk Island.

Despite its size and location, the island has a lot of historical significance in its attempts at settlement. Discovered by Captain James Cook in the late 1700’s on his exploratory voyage on the HMS Resolution, the island was at first considered a valuable source of flax and hemp, much needed by the Royal Navy for sails and ropes. The supply of flax was of little benefit, however, as the few colonists had no knowledge of weaving hemp, and the wood of the many trees was not strong enough for building ships. There didn’t seem to be much use for the island, as the salty air, vermin, and lack of a good harbor and supply chain further hindered its development. However, many of the ships carrying convicts to Botany Bay in Australia were being diverted to Norfolk Island. A small group of 15 convicts (9 male and 6 female) and 7 free men were the first Europeans to arrive and colonize in 1788, primarily for farming. The wreck of the HMS Sirius on the reef of Norfolk Island in March of 1790 spelled further disaster, as much-needed supplies were lost, and many were marooned for 10 months. The convict population continued to grow despite these hardships to over 1,000 in the next two years, as more were sent from Sydney, and some remained on the island after serving their sentence.

Norfolk Island was a place of no return for the incorrigibles, as might be compared to Alcatraz. The prisoners faced harsh and indecent living conditions, indescribable cruel punishment, and death by hanging. Any sort of rehabilitation for their crimes was unheard of. The prisoners were kept in 22 wards, with hammocks in each ward for 20 to 120 at a time, until individual wooden cubicles were built. Subsequent closures of the prison and attempts at re-settlement were made, but these ultimately failed with the last convicts removed to Tasmania in 1855. By 1856, the prison was completely abandoned, leaving the ruins of the Protestant Chapel, which was re-roofed and is now the site of the Maritime Museum. The next settlers, arriving from Pitcairn Island, were much more successful in establishing a colony of farmers and whaling fleets. A local holiday, June 8, is observed as Bounty Day in honor of the Pitcairners, whose Tahitian culture is still evident in cuisine and customs.

Where prison walls once stood, there now remains an unspoiled paradise where tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The beauty lies in the abundant native plants including the rare towering tree ferns and the Norfolk Island Pines, as well as the many species of birds, some endangered, which have managed to survive in this mild, semi-tropical climate. About ten percent of the area that was once a dense rain forest has been set aside for the Norfolk National Park. Here, you can visit the botanical gardens, see Cook’s Monument, and explore an outstanding natural history collection. Bird watchers and others will enjoy the scenic views from Mt Bates and Mt Pitt, a pleasant walk to the top. (Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.) For the eco-tourist, there is a also a free “Walk in the Wild, daily from 2 to 5 pm. Another interesting outdoor attraction are the coffee plantations, where tours are available, as well as food and beverages at the Norfolk Island Coffee House, open 7 days a week.

Although the steep cliffs that line most of the perimeter of the Island prohibit landings by sea except at the main port of Kingston, visitors enjoy watching cargo ships unload to whale boats towed by launches to and from landing docks. Nearby is the Maritime Museum, which holds a fascinating collection of artifacts recovered from the wreck of the Sirius, as well as many items brought to the Island by the Pitcairners; e.g., the ship’s cannon and the old kettle used for fermenting liquor and boiling sea water for salt. (Hours: Daily, 9:30 am - 1 pm, $5 admission)

Another popular attraction is the Norfolk Island Museum, #10 Quality Row, also located in Kingston. This 1844 Georgian style home, once occupied by Pitcairn families, houses artifacts unearthed from the region and one of the largest collections of Colonial china. Visitors will find more items recovered from the wreck of the HMS Sirius in the Pier Store of the Museum. The upper floor exhibitions relate a dramatic story of mutiny on the bounty and the history of the 3rd settlement by mutineers and Pitcairners. Activities in the Museum include a theatre production of the first 15 convicts put on trial, and guided tours Monday – Saturday. (Hours: Book store and café: Monday – Friday, 11 am to 3 pm; Saturday – 10 am to 3 pm). (All Museums Pass - $21.80; Single ticket - $10)

Norfolk Island has its own version of Camelot, a magical 2-acre garden sanctuary, carefully managed by the local Clerk to the Legislative Assembly. Ducks and geese meander through the beautifully landscaped grounds of fruit trees, native plants and shrubs, fountains, and statuary. (Admission - $5 adults, children under 16 are free.) Here, as beside produce stalls along many of the country roads, visitors just drop their money in a tin “honesty” box at the entrance. Camelot Gardens is also included on many of the Island tours.

Accommodations range from cozy guesthouses and cottages to the aptly named Fletcher Christian Apartments and The Castaway Hotel. There is no public transportation, but rental cars are readily available.

Norfolk Island is accessible by two airlines, Air New Zealand and Norfolk Air. Norfolk Air has regular 2 to 2 ½-hour flights, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from Sydney and Brisbane to the airport at Burnt Pine. Another option is their flight from Newcastle, New South Wales, on Mondays, and Air New Zealand from Sydney and Brisbane on Wednesday and Saturday.

Sharon Slayton

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Some Interesting Christmas Trees / QE2 retires to Dubai

Well, it is the beginning of December, so I don’t feel it’s too early to be turning on the Christmas lights, as many towns and cities are doing this week. The celebrations at Rockefeller Plaza in New York take place on December 3rd; and the other famous tree, the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in Washington DC will be turned on on December 4th. Apparently this event is so popular that you need advance tickets for it, and will feature a variety of music including some swing, Latin and Motown. How about a couple of Christmas carols?

The lights on Europe’s most famous tree, the huge Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square will be switched on on December 4th, in a ceremony that is one of the highlights of the London Christmas season.

If you are heading to southern California, you can see one of the country’s most unusual Christmas trees. The tree at Legoland is made entirely out of Lego and features a lighting ceremony each night from now until Christmas Eve. And elsewhere in California, there are some unusual Christmas traditions in Los Angeles, as this article shows, including watching other people’s holiday slides and going to visit the so-called Scientology Santa.

Have you seen the movie “A Christmas Story” which is usually shown on American TV several times during the season? It’s an enjoyable story, set in the 1940s about a boy called Ralphie Parker, who is determined to get something called a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The film has become a sort of cult holiday classic, along with “It’s a Wonderful Life” and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

The house in Cleveland where the movie was filmed has become quite a tourist attraction apparently. If you are heading for Cleveland, the house is open for tours (all year) and across the street is a museum dedicated to the film and featuring such intriguing props as Randy’s snowsuit.

And if you are lucky enough to be spending Christmas in Dubai, you can pay a visit to one of the most famous ocean liners in the world. Britain’s QE2 retired there last week to become a floating hotel moored off an artificial palm shaped island.

Any other strange or unusual Christmas traditions or festivities out there?

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Making a comeback!

Sorry to those of you who miss my daily blog entries - I should be back in the groove soon. My book is almost done - we send it to the printers in 12-18 hours so I have some serious work ahead but by tomorrow...

I do have a little break now so to get back into travel blogging, lert me share this article on Sydney's less famous tourist attractions.

The Hyde Park Barracks Museum sounds interesting. You can learn about the convicts' lives when they first came to Australia and even do some genealogical research. Another attraction that sounds pretty good: the Jenolan Caves. I like caves every once in a while and these are supposed to be extra special.

Break time seems to be ending but I'll be back tomorrow!

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Winter tips for Germany (and nearby areas)

It's been a while, but the tour guide I met in Munich for a day trip to Salzburg is back with some more tips for us.

Today I’d like to give everyone a few tips about traveling around Germany in the winter. I’m a tour guide myself, giving tours around Munich. The tips are also based on my constant travels around Germany as well. (Much of which is done in the winter as tour guides such as myself are too busy in the summer).

Germany, as far as temperatures and weather, is certainly not Florida; however it is by no means Minnesota either. Compare something closer to Seattle. You should expect snow, but you will probably have equal chances of rain, even in January. I recommend a waterproof winter jacket.

Tour companies in major cities operate year round. That being said, in Munich nearly half of the companies disappear from November to April because they operate purely on brochures in the hotels and begging people to join their tour at their meeting point, which is no doubt outside and cold. To be sure to get a tour, look for companies that have physical offices, most companies surprisingly do not have an office. The companies with offices are the ones that operate year round and probably also the ones most likely to give proper tours by professional guides.
Opening times for most sights are shorter in the off season, so if you want to see everything, get up earlier and go to bed earlier. Other than dance clubs which are similar all over the world, German cities (even beer halls) shut down around midnight anyways, so head back to the hotel and get some sleep so you can get up early.

Mike Richardson, The Professional Tourist

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Any good obscure Vegas shows?

I mentioned recently that I might not be going to New York for Christmas because plane tickets from Seoul to New York were too expensive. I even went out and bought Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. Flights from Seoul to Vietnam are nice and cheap and a Hanoi – Siem Reap / Angkor Wat – Ho Chi Minh City itinerary was starting to look pretty good. I was going to research a few beaches to add in there along the way.

Then my wife found more reasonable tickets to New York and so I’ll be with my family for Christmas. The question is what will I do after Christmas. While I’m in New York I’d take advantage of being so close to JFK to do something else. I’ve narrowed it down to three choices: cruise (probably leaving from Miami and going to the Caribbean), Costa Rica, or Las Vegas / Grand Canyon.

This post will be about Vegas. One thing I really enjoy but rarely do is seeing live music or theater. It seems like Vegas has lots of choices and all I know are a few famous ones like Blue Man and all the Cirque de Soleil shows. I was checking these out on this Las Vegas shows list but I want to know if I’m missing anything. Maybe there’s something really great that’s not quite as famous as Blue Man and Cirque de Soleil?

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Advice for a short trip to Anchorage

I recently got a question from Kristina who had some very kind things to say about this blog and a question for us:

I keep up with your travel blog quite often and remembered that you went on an Alaska Cruise within the last year. I am currently planning a trip to Anchorage myself, but instead of a cruise I'm going to visit a friend there. I was curious if you recommended any parks or locations that were a must-see for anyone visiting Anchorage for such a short time.

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One dimensional travel writer?

This couple has an interesting travel theme - it seems that all their vacations involve visits to college campuses. They, or at least one of them (it's a little confusing since the article says "Lake has visited" instead of "the Lakes..."), has also visited all 50 state capitols and 47 baseball stadiums (whatever happened to these guys anyway?).

They recently visited their 500th campus and plan on changing things around some:

After hitting 500, the Lakes plan to keep visiting campuses in places they visit, but they no longer plan to arrange trips simply to add more campuses to the list.
"I am looking forward to it slowing down," said Caroline, a freelance travel writer. "But all in all we've had a lot of fun."

Then again, she likes to sleep in while her husband visits campuses alone so I can only guess.

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Best destinations on Amazing Race

Mancunian has written about travel TV shows a few times and highly recommends the Amazing Race. Well Phil Keoghan, the host of the Amazing Race, talks about his favorite places Click through this slideshow to check out his Top 10 destinations from the "Amazing Race" with photos and commentary on why each place is special for our favorite Kiwi.

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Oahu, Kona, Maui

Here's an interesting article on Oahu. Apparently the entire island is part of Honolulu. Anyway, the article briefly covers hotels, restaurants, car rental and public transportation, plus sightseeing.

There's a section on stuff couples should do ("Relax on a sunset sail. Numerous companies offer sails right from Waikiki Beach"), stuff singles should do (these ideas sound much better than the couples ideas - for example "Hawaii Food Tours. The hosts/owners are great company and the food is terrific on either the lunchtime Hole-in-the-Wall Tour or evening Gourmet Trilogy Tour"), and stuff families should do (I've always wanted to "snorkel at Haunama Bay. This nature preserve is dedicated to safeguarding the fragile marine life in the Bay and offers some of the best, protected snorkelling on Oahu").

Then they go on to talk about Kona and Maui so the article has a lot of information.

More stuff: Hawaii vacation directory, Hawaii VolunTourism, Kauai (read the comments).

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Nottingham’s Famous Goose Fair

If you are visiting Europe during the next few weeks, perhaps to take advantage of fewer crowds and lower airfare now that summer is over, there are some interesting festivals and events taking place all over Europe. Almost everyone has heard of Germany’s famous Oktoberfest festival (This year’s Oktoberfest runs from September 20th to October 5th) which is almost as famous for being expensive and overcrowded!

One of Europe’s oldest festivals takes place in the UK city of Nottingham, best known for its association with Robin Hood. From its name, it doesn’t sound very exciting, but the Nottingham Goose Fair is a huge old-fashioned funfair and carnival, with rides, food and sideshows. This year’s fair runs from October 1st to October 4th.

The fair has been held for over 700 years and is so named for the geese that were sold there – goose was considered a traditional dish at that time of the year in England and at one time an estimated 20,000 geese were sold and eaten during fair time. The fair was held at first in Nottingham’s historic Market Square, but moved to its present location – a large area of open ground north of the city – in 1929.

If you are in London, it’s fairly easy to go to Nottingham for the day – the city is about an hour and forty minute train journey from London. Or you can drive in a couple of hours.

This site has a list of other festivals and fairs that take place in Europe mostly during October – some of them do sound quite intriguing, such as the Eurochocolate festival in Perugia, Italy and the Laughter Fair in Leipzig, Germany. Although, I think I might just skip the herring festival in Helsinki, Finland.

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London Open House

If you are visiting London – one of the world's most expensive cities - during the next couple of weeks, you have a rare opportunity to see some of the capital's buildings and monuments that are usually off limits to the general public.

The program, called London Open House is actually a charity, the purpose of which is to enhance the public's knowledge of architecture, design and the environment. The charity operates year round, but once a year, they have a couple of days when the public is allowed to visit various buildings – homes, palaces, churches – that are otherwise usually closed to the public. This year's dates are Saturday and Sunday, September 20th and 21st and around 700 buildings will be open, as well as various guided walks and lectures.

On those two days only, you can visit – for free – such intriguing and diverse places as the home of the Argentinean Ambassador, the BBC studios and Benjamin Franklin's home as well as many of London's little known churches, several cemeteries and the first Hindu temple to be built outside India.

This month is also the last chance this year to visit certain rooms in Buckingham Palace which is only open to the public during August and September of each year. If you visit Buckingham Palace, you can see some of the lavishly furnished state rooms, the gardens and the ballroom, home to state banquets. Unfortunately a visit to Buckingham palace isn't free but it's a rare chance to see how the other half lives! (Still free is the ceremony of the changing of the guard at the palace).

Unfortunately, transatlantic airfares seem high at the moment. I am trying to go to the UK for a few days (from Raleigh-Durham) around the beginning of December, (surely this is considered low season..?) but cannot find anything for less than $800. I also checked Kayak and found some slightly cheaper options, but with making several connections each way.

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Kurt Cobain map for Nirvana themed travel plans

I think what we have here is a map of some important places in the life of Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana. This was probably the most popular band when I was in high school in the early 1990s. Even today, Nirvana Unplugged is one of the albums my wife and I listen to most.

So I was working on a travel plan that involved Seattle and Portland when I figured it might be nice to stop somewhere in between if you're driving. I looked at Tacoma, Mt. Rainier National Park, and then Aberdeen.

As I was looking for info on Aberdeen (and Seattle to some extent) I kept coming across information on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Kurt was born and raised in Aberdeen. Bassist Krist Novoselic was raised in Aberdeen as well. One of the things I found was this map. It has things like where Kurt was born, where he got married, etc.

View Larger Map

I give you this map for 2 reasons. First if you're a huge Nirvana fan, you might want to make a Kurt Cobain travel itinerary and this map ought to help. I don't think you'd want to try to hit every location in one trip, but you could do the "Kurt in Europe tour" or whatever. And obviously you could simply work one or two of these locations into another travel plan - no need to make your vacation Nirvana history only. The map can be discussed here.

The other reason for posting the map today is that making this Seattle - Aberdeen - Portland travel plan is taking me a while and I'm too busy reading all the angry comments on yesterday's blog entry to finish today. Maybe I'll have that travel plan for you tomorrow. And if anyone has some ideas on the best place to stop between Portland and Seattle, please leave me a comment below.

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Different style vacations

I hope to get a fairly broad sample of travel experiences. From cruising to Alaska, to live action roleplaying, to shopping in Europe, to all-inclusives in the Caribbean, to Ducksan, to road trips through Canada, and so on.

I want this blog to reflect not only all of my travel interests but even some travel that isn't really my style but that might be your style. So today I happened to find a bunch of articles on vacation style that I thought I'd share. If you plan to read them all you'll need to set aside some time...

This article talks about golf and gambling in Michigan. I'm not a big fan of either so this might be one of the last kinds of vacations I check out. Not that I'm against sports vacations. It might be rewarding (but highly unlikely to be fun) to go spend a month with some famous trainer who gets boxers or athletes into shape, for example.

Speaking of gambling, Atlantic City is going upscale. It seemed pretty upscale when I went a few years ago but since I don't like gambling I don't see myself returning anytime soon.

This one talks about all-inclusive resorts, claiming that there are different styles of all-inclusive. That's true to some extent since there are adult only resorts, nudist resorts, resorts we can't afford, etc.

This article is about family vacations in Austin, Texas. I was in Austin for about a day and would certainly be willing to go back.

This article is about an artificial salt cave spa near Chicago. The article makes me want to go see the real thing in Poland more than the imitation in Chicago...

This one talks about honeymoon style (in Florida). I like honeymoon articles even though my honeymoon ended years ago because it's still possible to get great romantic vacation ideas from these articles. Although something tells me that I'd be traveling solo if I went on the one that sounds best to me:

It's a roughing-it kind of adventure, but exploring the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail could appeal to nature-adoring newlyweds. Make your base at one of the new, fully equipped, air-conditioned cabins ($99 a night) in Stephen Foster, Suwannee River or Fanning Springs state parks and do day trips by canoe or bike or hike into the river wilderness. No televisions or telephones in cabins, so honeymooners can devote all their attention to each other.

With this article you can read about staying in the Ritz Carlton and rebuilding New Orleans at the same time. Kind of sad how the US has largely forgotten about New Orleans, but I have a friend who lives there (by choice - she's a social worker) and that city is still suffering mightily.

And of course, this blog goes back a few years and has lots of travel plans and ideas for various style vacations so if you still feel like reading, take a poke through the archives here.

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Harlem Week coming to NYC

Harlem Week kicks in high gear next week! Beginning August 1st, New York City will be buzzing with fun, family-friendly events and activities that would make a great posting on your site.

Harlem Week began in 1974 as Harlem Day, a one-day tribute to the storied area's history as the home of some of America's greatest scientists, civic leaders, entertainers, and founding fathers. Most notably, John James Audubon, Nina Simone, F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, Oscar Hammerstein, Harry Houdini, Alicia Keys, Norman Rockwell, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Alexander Hamilton, Paul Robeson, Jonathan Franzen, etc., etc., etc.

Each year has seen an expansion of activities highlighting the African-American, Latino, Caribbean-American, and European-American cultures of Harlem, leading to Harlem Week. Over the course of 34 years, the week's festivities have steady increased, currently attracting millions of area residents and visitors. This year’s calendar of events now spans the entire month of August 2008! Below, are some great ways to explore Harlem and join in on the fun of HARLEM WEEK. See you there!

Golden Hoops
East Coast Basketball Classic
Sunday, August 10, 2008
1:00 PM–8:00 PM
Featuring the best All-Star basketball Teams in the region.
Riverbank State Park, 145th St. & Riverside Dr.
Free to the general public
For info, call (212) 862-8477, http://nysparks.state.ny.us/events/info.asp?eventID=1673

Harlem Spirituals Gospel/Soul Food & Jazz Tours
Gospel Tour: Sunday, August 10, 2008, 9:30am-1:30pm
Soul Food & Jazz Tour: Monday, August 11, 2008, 7:00pm-Midnight
Explore hidden Harlem, soul-stirring and powerful gospel music as well as a down-home,
southern brunch menu on the Harlem Spirituals Gospel Tour. Soul Food and Jazz Tour
offers tour of 1920’s Renaissance-period Harlem, soul-food dinner, and two hours of
swing dancing to twelve-piece band (free dance lessons included)
For info, call (212) 391-0900 or www.harlemspirituals.com

The N.Y. City Children’s Festival
Saturday, August 18, 2008
10:00am-3:00pm
Come see Our Children’s Fashion Show
W. 135th St. (Btwn. Malcolm X & A. C. Powell Jr. Blvds.)
A Free event (Tickets required—available 8/9/08 @ 9:30am)
Ticket Location: Harlem Week offices, 200A W. 136th Street

Studio Museum in Harlem
Hours: Wed-Fri 12:00pm-6:00pm; Sat 10:00am-6:00pm; Sun 12:00pm-6:00pm
144 W. 125th St. (Lenox Ave.-Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.)
212-864-4500
www.studiomuseuminharlem.org - This contemporary-art museum focuses on the work by artists of African descent, with a collection of over 1,600 paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, watercolors, drawings, pastels and more. The museum gives a voice to the culture of the neighborhood. Current exhibitions: The World of Charles Ethan Porter: Nineteenth-Century African-American Artist (through 6/29); The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar (7/16-10/26); Expanding the Walls: Making Connections Between Photography, History and Community (7/16-10/26).

Closed Mon. & Tues. Entrance fee $7, Target Free Sundays

The 14th Annual Upper Manhattan Auto Show
Sunday, August 17, 2008
9:00 AM–5:00 PM
An East Coast Auto Showcase featuring over a hundred new, unique, antique, vintage, exotic and collectable vehicles as well as other historic buses and motorcycles with awards for best in class categories.

Howard Bennett Park, W. 135th St. (Btwn. 5th Ave. & Malcolm X Blvd.)

Harlem Day
Saturday, August 17, 2008
12 Noon–7:00 PM
Multiple Stages with live performance and entertainment. 3 Main Stages:

1. St. Nicholas Stage – R & B/Hip Hop/Reggae
W. 135th St. (Btwn. Frederick Douglass Blvd. &
St. Nicholas Ave.)

2. YMCA Stage – Various Community Based performances of dance/fashion/poetry/music
W. 135th St. (Btwn Malcolm X & A. C. Powell Jr. Blvds.)

3. 5th Ave. Stage – Gospel & Jazz
W. 135th St. (Btwn. 5th Ave. & Malcolm X Blvd.)
Events take place all day. Free to the general public.
Rain Date: Sunday, August 24th

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Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Coffee Works, Maximillian

I think this might be a real nice day plan for Seattle. It worked real well for me because we liked Seattle Art Museum (SAM), could leave our bags in their coat check, and could walk to local places and then return to SAM.

I really enjoyed my day at Seattle art museum. It was a beautiful, sunny Sunday in July but the museum wasn't too crowded and it was quite interesting. Sections were fairly small and there was some diverse stuff. Some modern art that I liked (Susan Point, Leo Kenney, and Richard Pettibone). I might have to look around and hopefully find something I can afford to my art collection...

Anyway, you could leave the museum and come back later so checked our bags (we didn't have any huge bags but we had some stuff since we'd just gotten off the cruise), spent a couple of hours on the first floor, went to a coffee shop, Seattle Coffee Works on 111 Pike, where the chai was good and the cappuccino was the best my wife can remember having (I wonder if she remembers the 9 weeks in Italy back in 2001). Then we walked back to the museum and spent a couple of hours on the 2nd floor (they call it the 3rd and 4th floor but whatever).

Then we went to Maximillian for lunch. This is a French restaurant in the Pike Place market with table outside overlooking Seattle's harbor, including pier 66 where NCL ships dock. It was great eating outside with the nice view and somehow funny that we were looking at the ship we'd just spent 7 days on. The food was good and reasonable. My wife got the mussels in wine sauce for $15 and I can't remember the name of my thing but it was kind of like a thin crust with goat cheese, ham, and potato on there. That was $15 too - reasonable for a French restaurant with great views.

I couldn't help noticing that $15 each is the same cover charge you would pay on the Norwegian Pearl for most of the specialty restaurants. Now those would be 3 courses. I would say the French restaurant, Le Bistro, on the NCL Pearl serves food as good as Maximillian's (do keep in mind that these two places are the only French restaurants I've ever eaten in and that I only tried one dish from each so the comparison is probably not worth all that much) and while Le Bistro doesn't have views of Seattle harbor it does have what I'm told is a $15 Renoir. Plus you get the appetizer, main course, and desert for $15. I'm pretty sure if you were still hungry there would be no charge for more food on the ship.

Then we went back to SAM and spent about an hour looking at the exhibits we had liked most. Then we got our bags from coat check and headed to the airport. However at 5:00 in Seattle you could spend some time shopping (either Pike Street market or up on 5th avenues and around there or in between I guess) and then get an excellent dinner. I've had a couple of very good dinners at Wild Ginger and a good brunch at Etta's so those are possibilities for dinner. Union is another restaurant that was recommended - I never got around to trying it.

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Southport, UK in the spotlight

We take a short break from talking about cruises to bring you this guest entry by Mancunian. He talks about Southport and has convinced me that this site needs a UK travel plan including Southport and the nearby Liverpool. Anyway, here is Mancunian's blog entry:

If you are a golf fan, you probably know that the world’s premier golf championship, the British Open starts this week at Royal Birkdale, Southport. That seemed like a good excuse to write something about Southport (especially as it’s my home town!).

And it's one of those places that somehow never gets more than a brief mention (if at all) in all those travel guide books that are out there, which is strange because Southport is a beautiful old fashioned seaside resort, with excellent shopping, parks and beaches as well as one of Britain’s longest piers. The main shopping street, Lord Street with its sidewalks covered by Victorian glass roofs, is considered to be one of Britain’s most attractive shopping streets. Southport has an old-fashioned feel to it, with plenty of tea rooms, gardens and distinctive shops.

And if you are looking for a golfing destination, Southport makes a great choice – the town is within easy reach of 20 golf courses, including three “royal” courses. The town is within an hour’s drive from both Liverpool (this year’s European city of culture) and Manchester airports.

There are several offbeat things to do in the area. Southport boasts the world’s only lawnmower museum (No, strangely enough I haven’t been there!) as well as what claims to be England’s smallest pub (or bar), the Lakeside Inn.

And if you have time, a day trip to mysterious Pendle Hill is an interesting experience. The area is infamous as the home of the so-called Pendle witches - one of the witches is buried in the nearby village of Newchurch (it’s the grave that has a carving of a skull and crossbones) and every Halloween, people brave the climb to the top of the hill. (The TV show “Most Haunted” which is a Travel Channel regular, stated that Pendle Hill was one of the scariest places they had filmed).

For some reason it always seems to be misty and raining when I am in the region of Pendle Hill – as the locals say: "If you can't see Pendle then it's raining, and if you can then it's going to rain."

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Is there a wizard rock festival in your future?

I smiled when I started reading this article about wizard rock, Harry Potter inspired music that doesn't have to be rock at all.

I laughed out loud when I read about Matt Maggiacomo, also known as the Whomping Willows:

Maggiacomo, 29, is a veteran of the Providence, R.I., music scene. But it wasn't until he discovered wizard rock that he was able to quit his day job as technical writer and focus on music full time.

Many people think that wizard rock is especially great for vacation as a recent Missouri festival, Wrockstock, attracted travelers from all over the world.

Do you want to see why? Here's a video from Wrocklock of "Ginny Gets Around" performed by Forge and Gred:

I can't understand most of the lyrics but they don't seem all that deep for a supposedly literate audience. Here's another sample I was able to find - this will show you why wizard rock is not necessarily rock...

Then again, maybe Harry Potter is the new Disney...

So anyway, would you go to a wizard rock festival?

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Travel to or staycation in Cleveland

This article has statistics that indicate I was right about the economy hurting the travel industry:

A Gallup poll in early May found that 36 percent of Americans were changing vacation plans because of gas prices. More than a third of those said they are canceling trips completely. A Rand-McNally survey found that two-thirds of households plan to shorten or cancel travel plans.

This article focuses on Cleveland, so for those of you who are staycationing there or who might travel there, read on. Basically the recommend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (I'd like to see that myself), Cleveland’s Western Reserve Historical Society (special Vatican exhibit), the House of Blues for food and music (though you don't need to travel to Cleveland for that since it's a chain), and Maggiano’s Little Italy for dinner (another chain).

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Hawaii travel plans

I really like this article because it offers some possible Hawaii vacation itineraries. It's a fairly long article with 7 day itineraries for:

Oahu
Big Island of Hawaii
Maui
Molokai
Lanai
Kauai

Enjoy!

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You too can travel like Bond – James Bond!

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ian Fleming – creator of the most famous secret agent of all time, James Bond. There are several Bond happenings this year – a new Bond book called Devil May Care was released a couple of weeks ago, and the 22nd movie in the series is scheduled to hit theaters this November.

Bond is particularly well-traveled and has been virtually everywhere in the 21 movies produced so far – from Paris to Iceland, Thailand to Japan, and Egypt to Rio de Janeiro. If you are a Bond fan, the ultimate trip is to the Goldeneye resort in Jamaica. This was once the home where Ian Fleming wrote all the Bond books; it's now been turned into a luxurious resort. It isn't cheap to stay there – the cheapest villa is almost $1,000 (for one night, as far as I can tell, which puts it right up there with some of the most expensive hotel rooms).

I know, London isn’t very exotic, but the city does feature in all the Bond films, even if only briefly. The best view of London is seen at the beginning of The World is Not Enough featuring a spectacular boat chase along the Thames. Several companies offer Bond themed walking tours of London, even complete vacations – this one sounds particularly good. If you are visiting London between now and March 2009, the Imperial War Museum is hosting an exhibition devoted to Ian Fleming’s life and work. And if you are a golfer, just outside London, the Stoke Park golf club was the backdrop for the famous golf scene from the movie Goldfinger.

Another great Bond location is in Switzerland at the top of the 9,000 feet high Schilthorn mountain. The restaurant at the summit holds the distinction of being the world's highest revolving restaurant and also featured as the villain's base in the Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Apart from enjoying the spectacular views of the Alps, you can also enjoy a James Bond breakfast!

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Iraq and Afghanistan hope to attract tourists

Chances are good that these two countries are not on your list of places to visit – although if you want to catch up with Charles Veley, and visit almost every country, state and island in the world, you will have to reconsider.

Surprisingly, Iraq actually attracted over 500,000 tourists last year, although virtually all of them were from neighboring Iran. The Iraqi tourist board (yes, apparently there is one!) admits the country would have a hard time attracting American and European tourists, although it is trying hard to do just that. Marriot is supposedly considering building a hotel in Baghdad and several Iraqi companies actually offer guided group tours of Baghdad and other destinations – complete with security.

There is no Iraqi tourist office in the USA, although there is a tourist office in Baghdad (protected by blast walls) and this site does quite a good job of trying to persuade me that Iraq may be a good place to visit. A rather different account of daily life in Iraq can be read here.

Afghanistan is another unlikely tourist destination and the country has been working hard recently to attract foreign visitors. This site does a good job of making the country sound like an appealing destination and indeed some of the attractions do sound intriguing. Tourist attractions include the Hindu Kush mountain area, the ancient town of Bamiyan and the many beautiful examples of Islamic architecture. Many people do visit the country and live to tell the tale - for example, this article describes the challenge of playing a round of golf at the Kabul Golf Club.

If you want to experience something of Afghanistan’s fascinating culture a little bit closer to home, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC is currently hosting a display of almost 200 artifacts and sculptures from the country, some of them dating from 2000 BC. If you prefer to read about dangerous places, I can recommend this book.

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Disney meal plan and restaurant recommendations

My parents, my wife. and I may be going to Disney this winter as we have some close friends who are crazy about Disney and live in the park (or very close to it - not exactly sure). Anyway, I'm considering the meal plan where you eat at the park restaurants so thought I'd collect some information. Here are a few personal recommendations from people I know:

Epcot Canada = good steak and beer. Mexico is also good. Do not do too many buffets because you will be sick of it by then end of the week.

Liberty Tree Tavern = Buffet with family style turkey, beef and ham, potatoes and greens, plus characters for the kids.

At MGM-Disney Studios, the Sci-fi Diner is a hoot. You sit in tables which resemble cars at a drive-in movie. You watch old 50's Sci-fi movie trailers while you eat. The food is not so great though.

San Angel Inn in Epcot's Mexico Pavilion is a good one. Eat there for dinner and then go outside and watch the fireworks.

Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot = you sit in a room where one entire wall is made of glass and you watch fish of all kinds swim by. Sharks, sea turtles, you name it. Food is very good too. Must have a reservation though.

The Flying Fish at the Boardwalk = the oak grilled New York strip was out of this world.

If you want to take a second mortgage out you can try Victoria and Albert's in the Grand Floridian.

The Contemporary Grill was very good as well make sure you are there for the fireworks display from the roof, it is great.

Maya's Grill in the Coronado Springs hotel = great steaks, one of the best buys when using the dining plan.

The Plaza Restaurant between Main Street and Tomorrowland = best kept secret in Disney world. A few bucks more expensive than fast food, but excellent. The strawberry/pear salad (depending on season) is great, along with the grilled chicken sandwich - nothing fancy, just excellent food.

Boma is terrific and located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Best buffet I have ever been too. The chef there is excellent.

The buffet at The Cape May Cafe located in the Beach Club is also very good if you like seafood.

I don't know if I'll be there long enough to try them all! Anyway, I'm told that the Disney meal plan is good for one snack (Soda, popcorn ice cream up to $4.00), one counter meal (pizza, burger, chicken fingers-lunch), and one sit down dinner at almost any Disney restaurant, per person, per day. There are a handful of high end restaurants that aren't covered, but you can trade two regular dinners for one of those dinners if you want. But please don't quote me on that - check the Disney site for details like I will before I make reservations.

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Do you have to travel on vacation?

This is an interesting article with some activities for a vacation at home. From building a computer to building a robot while teaching your kids (or yourself I guess) how to solder...

I guess this vacation at home will be a reality for many - according to this article, 80% of New Yorkers are cutting back on vacation because of gas prices. Not all are staying home obviously, but I'm sure some are.

Maybe the opposite of a vacation at home would be working from your RV for 2-3 years and driving all over America. Sounds awesome except for the gas...

Posted by James Trotta at 10:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Is the Oktoberfest too expensive and overcrowded?

Thanks for your patience while we moved servers - back to our regularly scheduled program...

Tables for the Oktoberfest need to be reserved several months in advance (think January or February) and a beer costs around €9, if you can get one. The nearly seven million visitors to the city while the Oktoberfest is happening make the experience, unless heavily intoxicated, oftentimes very unpleasant.

Many people, including most of the locals, certainly do feel like the Oktoberfest is too expensive and overcrowded, but what can you do?

The Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival and of course is an experience like no other because of that, but it certainly isn’t the only Bavarian festival. In fact, many would argue that it is just too much of a hassle and they prefer any number of the smaller “volksfests” (people’s festivals) of the area.

The smaller volksfest alternative is dramatically cheaper and for people looking for something similar, but without the hassle, any number of these may be ideal.

Major Beer festivals in or near Munich include Rosenheim’s Herbstfest, the Dachauer volksfest, and the starkbierfest. At these festivals the atmosphere is very similar to the Oktoberfest, but with cheaper beer, more locals, and less tourists. They do not happen all at the same time, in fact they’re spread out through the spring, summer, and fall so that pretty much whenever you visit Bavaria you have a reasonable chance of being able to visit a volksfest and have most of the atmosphere with nearly no hassle at all.

This website lists volksfests from all around the Munich area, so you can easily find one that is going on while you’re in the area.

Here are some pictures of the Dachau Volksfest (as a typical example) from 2007 so you know what to expect. Also, there are a couple pictures of the spring festival with its opening weekend flea market (it’s only on the first Saturday, sorry) on the Theresienwiese (Oktoberfest grounds) here.

Since spring is here, it’s time to put on the Lederhosen and head down to a massive beer tent to drink beer and eat pork knuckle with the locals. There are lots of options, just pick one of the many festivals and have fun. I'll see you there.

-Mike Richardson, The Professional Tourist

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Australia – Inside the Great Barrier Reef: Hamilton Island

The 74 Whitsunday Islands in the Coral Sea lie west of the Great Barrier Reef just off the coast of Queensland. One of the largest of these, Hamilton Island, is a popular tourist destination, with an estimated half a million people visiting each year. Occupying the same latitude as Honolulu, the year round tropical weather typical of Tahiti and the Bahamas is ideal for sightseeing, hiking, tennis, golf, and every kind of water sports, including sailing, kayaking, fishing, diving, and windsurfing. From December to February, there are brief showers that add beauty to the lush gardens and scenic splendor of this island paradise.

With so much to see and do on the Island, we will only highlight a few attractions in this article. Each year, the renowned Hamilton Island Outrigger Cup in June for canoe enthusiasts and the Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia’s largest offshore yachting regatta, are held here. An estimated 170 yachts are expected to enter the competition in this year’s Race Week, August 20 – 28. Race Week culminates in a festival on Whitehaven Beach for yacht owners from Australia and New Zealand. Many avid scuba divers travel to Australia primarily for the thrill and excitement of exploring down under the waters around the Great Barrier Reef, the home of manta rays, sharks, turtles, and an abundance of other interesting marine life. Others may prefer to snorkel in the lagoons for a view of the fascinating and colorful coral formations and underwater caves. Daily tours to the Reef by high-speed catamarans, pontoon boats, and glass bottom boats are readily available. Whale watching is an added attraction from July to September.

Many of the accommodations on Hamilton Island are operated by the Oatley family, who lease the island on a long-term basis from the Queensland government. In addition to three and five star hotels and resorts, visitors can rent apartments, villas, and houses. These range in style and price from standard studios to deluxe split-levels and two-stories, with floor to ceiling windows, spa baths, and wraparound terraces. Many of these are self catering with fully equipped, modern kitchens and numerous other amenities, which are ideal for families or larger groups. Garden bungalows, with great views of the sea and the islands, offer a romantic, secluded setting for couples.

For something truly unique, the Qualia Resort on the northern tip of Hamilton Island is the ultimate in a luxury retreat, featured in a number of international travel magazines. With individual pavilions that open onto the sea, visitors have a choice of three types of accommodations including the one-bedroom Leeward or Windward pavilions with living room, infinity pool, or sundeck. The Qualia is expensive indeed – prices for the one bedroom pavilion per night are around $1,700. The much larger Beach House, great for entertaining, has two bedrooms, flat screen TV, a 10-person dining room, full-size private pool, plus a separate guesthouse. Rates for the Beach House begin at $3,100.

In addition to pools, excellent dining, a library, and fitness center, there’s a full-service spa with steam room, Roman baths, and a yoga and meditation pavilion for hours of pampering and relaxation. The Spa Qualia features all organic products, hot stone massages, and chakra-therapy sessions with Australian essential oils. Dining in the Long Beach Pavilion includes an upscale menu of gourmet entrees and desserts - as might be expected, no prices are given! For the more informal, there’s the Pebble Beach restaurant with a tempting lunch menu of shrimp, tuna, and other seafood salads, sandwiches, and desserts, and afternoon cocktails on the terrace by the shore. Qualia is self contained, but guests can take advantage of other activities and adventures nearby including day trips by sea or helicopter for swimming and picnicking on Whitehaven Beach or enjoying any of the other scenic areas in the Whitsundays.

Travelers have a wide choice of cuisine on Hamilton Island, from a variety of Australian to Italian, Eastern, and American. Restaurants offer kids-for-free menus, and a fun visit with the koalas after breakfast. Couples will enjoy the ambiance of dinner cruises through the Whitsundays, jazz at the Toucan Tango on Catseye Beach, or dining on fresh seafood in the Marina Village. Transportation on the Island is usually by two or 4-seater golf style buggy, for hire, or often included with accommodations. Free shuttle service is also available on the island.

Several airlines fly from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Cairns direct to the Hamilton Island airport. Airfare from Brisbane, the closest city, is under $200 U.S. round trip for a short flight of about 1 ½ hours. If you prefer to go by water, but can’t afford a charter, there’s Fantasea Cruises, which offers daily regular ferry service from Shute Harbor, with prices for adults - $41 and $22 for children.

Sharon Slayton

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One of the highlights to any visit of Rome: a tour of the excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica

I’m writing this over Easter, so I thought I would choose a Christian theme for this one. Whether you’re religious or not, if you’re going to Rome, this might be very important to your trip.

I had heard about and then read about this tour long before we visited Rome, however was very unsure of what to expect as there is very little information given on the Vatican website about the tour and they certainly don’t advertise. What we ended up with is what my girlfriend considers the absolute highlight of our trip... and she’s not even catholic.

As we always do, we had thoroughly looked through two of the major guide books to look at all possible tour options for Rome. As I’m a tour guide myself, I understand that sometimes it’s impossible to see something without a guide and even if it were possible, it’s better to have someone explain it to you and then later you can look everything up if you need clarification. In this case the only way you can see the excavations under St. Peter’s Basilica is to take the tour operated by the Vatican excavations office.

When I ask some people if they took the tour, they say “well, yeah, that’s how we exited the basilica”, which means they didn’t take the tour. To take the tour is not just a simple “Oh, I’ll show up that day if I decide I have time.”

St. Peter’s Basilica was built above the spot where St. Peter was buried. Below the main basilica today is the crypt where most popes are buried. Below the crypt is where you find the mausoleums of ancient Romans around St. Peter’s time which were built on a hill at the edge of the city of Rome. In this ancient cemetery is where St. Peter was buried, although not openly.

On the tour under St. Peter’s Basilica you see several of the mausoleums as well as what they believe to be St. Peter’s actual grave. This is, in fact, the only way to see St. Peter’s grave and an indescribable experience. It is completely different than seeing the catacombs and I believe different than any other experience you can find as your guide walks you through the ancient burial grounds and then up to the level of the crypt.

The tour must be booked weeks in advance. The tour can only be booked through the excavations office of the Vatican. Only groups of 12 or less are booked to go through the excavations and you must be over 15 years old as well. There is no photography allowed.
Follow the website’s directions and then on the day of the big event, go to the side of St. Peter’s Basilica (while looking at St. Peter’s from the front, go to the left side, outside the semi-circle of columns). Talk to the Swiss Guard in English, Italian, or German (they prefer German). The Swiss Guard will direct you to the excavations office. For me, just having to deal with the Swiss Guard and going where 99% of tourists don’t go was a highlight.

-Mike Richardson, The Professional Tourist

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Landshut: the forgotten capital

Landshut (pronounced lands-hoot) is not a normal tourist destination. However, it is always on the top of my list of places to bring friends and family while visiting the area. I’m a tour guide of Munich, Neuschwanstein, and Salzburg. When people visit me I make a serious effort to show them the best that southern Germany has to offer, which includes Landshut. I even included it in my top 5 best day trips from Munich. The reason I do not recommend it to the average tourist is that the difficulty level is much higher than some of the near by tourist traps and major cities. The reason that the difficulty level is higher is that although there is a lot to see, it is not a major city and has yet to be discovered by the hordes of tourist backpackers. Even in late July, you might be the only English speaking tourists in town.

So what does Landshut have that is so impressive? To start with, it is an easy day trip from Munich as it is only about 70 km (43miles) to the North East of Munich which by car or train should be approximately 45 minutes. Once in town, two of the main sights are quite obvious.

The first major sight you will probably see is the castle up on the hill overlooking the city itself. This castle (Burg Trausnitz) is a real medieval castle built in 1204 and used by the royal family of Bavaria, the Wittelsbachs, until 1503. Although parts of the castle have been partially ruined by fire over the years, the castle is one of the most impressive, inside and out, of the entire region. There is a museum section which displays oddities that the dukes of Bavaria collected during the time period they lived in the castle (like a unicorn horn for example) and then the main sections of the castle are only available to see with a guided tour.

The second major sight you see while entering town is St. Martin’s church (dating from 1380-1500), which has the tallest brick church steeple in the world. However, they do not allow visitors up the 428 foot tower, so that is slightly disappointing until you see the inside of the church. This is a gothic basilica minor with several late gothic wood and stone carvings. The most striking image seen in the St. Martin’s church, however, is a stained glass window with an image of Adolf Hitler as part of a scene showing the martyrdom of St. Kastulus.

The third most impressive sight of Landshut is the Stadtresidenz (city residence), which is the oldest Italian renaissance style palace north of the Alps and dates from 1536-1543. The baroque façade was added in the 19th century and fits in with the rest of Landshut’s architecture. When I visited the palace in late July, at the height of the tourist season, we were treated to a personal tour. The only problem is they do not normally do tours in English, but I still feel it’s worth seeing even if you don’t understand much of what the guide is saying.

The city of Landshut is an easy get away destination from Munich with lots to see and yet is a peaceful city with cobblestone streets and beautiful baroque architecture in its historic altstadt (old town). I highly recommend it for your next trip in the area so you see more than the average tourist.

-Mike Richardson, the professional tourist

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The Plaza (still in the news)

If Mancunian's recent blog wasn't enough to convince you to stay at New York's Plaza hotel, this article will also try to convince you. People claim it's not about price - it's about experience. I don't know because I've never been in the Plaza, but imagine you're a big Beatles fan for a moment. I think that visiting the John Lennon memorial in Central Park is a more authentic experience than staying in a hotel the Beatles once stayed in. Of course, if you can afford it, the Plaza is close to Central Park...

Or take the money you save from not spending a few nights at the Plaza and go to Liverpool!

Posted by James Trotta at 11:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Travel To Dubai - An Experience In Extravagance

I've briefly mentioned Dubai a couple of times. Their marketing strategy is pretty brilliant (doing a bunch of crazy stuff that gets people talking about them). And commenters on this blog seem to say it's worth visiting. Anyway, here is a longer look at Dubai (not written by me):

If you’re looking for the ultimate destination and perhaps an experience of a lifetime, Dubai is worth considering. Situated on the Persian Gulf coast, the once obscure little village of fishermen and pearl divers has come to life in a big way. The thatched huts of 20 years ago have been replaced with amazing architecture you have to see to believe. Covering an area of over 4,000 square kilometers, the second largest of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is expanding into the sea with a series of man-made islands in The Palm and The World.

Although the desert climate can be hot and humid, the pleasant, balmy winter months attract swimmers and surfers to the warm waters of the sea. Families gather beneath the palm trees near the coast for picnics and barbeques beside the popular Jumeira beach. In direct contrast to the tropical atmosphere and scenery are the modern marvels that continue to bring the most seasoned travelers to Dubai. Here you’ll discover the underwater Hydropolis hotel, the manufactured islands of The World resembling the seven continents, the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building at three times the height of the Empire State, and One Central Park, a residential high rise of apartments for the elite.

If money is no object, you can really splurge on accommodations such as the luxurious 7-star Emirates Palace, known as the “Taj Majal of the Middle East,” or the Burj Al Arab, built on its own man-made island and accessible across a bridge for a mere $55. These hotels are obviously the latest in style and elegance, with rates far above the average traveler’s budget. Fortunately, you don’t have to be among the rich and famous, however, to enjoy the obvious appeal of Dubai. For the more budget conscious traveler, there are a number of modestly priced hotels, some for under $200 a night, such as the Sheraton at Jumeira beach, or the Shangri-La and the Dusit near the Dubai World Trade Center. Some visitors will prefer hotels in the heart of the city for the convenience of downtown shopping or the leisure in watching the abras, or water taxis, and dhows that travel on the Dubai Creek. From beach, spa, golf, and city resorts to villas and hotels, there is no lack of places to stay.

Of course, you could always rent a villa by the sea; buying these million dollar properties is in high demand, especially on the Palm Islands. The engineering of these three islands is a marvel in itself. Each is constructed in the shape of a palm tree, with 17 branches, surrounded by a reef, 7.5 miles long x 3 miles wide. There are over 900 foot bridges connecting the branches to the mainland, as well as two harbors to accommodate those traveling by water. Actually buying an island of your own may be well out of reach, but in Dubai it seems that anything is possible. Investing in real estate here has some advantages with financing available, no capital gains tax, low registry fee, and good quality in an area of relatively low crime and an up-and-coming tourist destination.

For those travelers who aren’t fond of sun, sand, and sea, Dubai offers its own ski vacation. The huge indoor Ski Dubai resort has the largest snow park in the world with five ski runs, and plenty of entertainment for the entire family with skiing, tobogganing, and snowboarding.

The wide variety of restaurants caters to the international tourist trade by featuring an excellent selection of Asian, Middle Eastern, European, and American cuisine. The Arabian nights come alive with pubs, bars, discos, and upscale clubs and cocktail lounges for the casual and the more sophisticated crowd.

Shopping in Dubai is another experience to enjoy, where the scent of perfumes, spices, and incense fills the air at the Wafi, Bur Juman, and Emirates malls. These exotic smells mingle with the familiar ones of a city, the local grocery stores, and the enticing flavor of cardamom coffee. When evening comes to Dubai, you’ll experience the tradition and distinctive fruity aroma of hubbly bubbly, or shisha, as men gather in cafes to smoke a pipe of these unique types of Arabian tobacco. Other activities include the Art Dubai fair, an international film festival, golf classics, football, cricket, and thoroughbred horse racing.

Transportation in and around the city is plentiful with reasonable taxis, buses, and cars for hire. A metro system with above ground and underground stations is currently under construction, as well. Traveling to Dubai by air is facilitated by a number of airlines including the national Emirates airline, and other international flights. Future plans in tourism entertainment include Dubailand, Eco-Tourism World, Leisure and Vacation World, and numerous other shopping and retail establishments.

Many travelers will add Dubai to their list of must see places, as it continues to build the largest, the tallest, and perhaps the best, if not the first, wonders of the world.

Guest entry by Sharon Slayton

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Italian food in Buenos Aires?

I've mentioned Buenos Aires before, and it is still high on my list of places to visit so I was interested in this article on the food there.

When I do get to plan my Buenos Aires trip, I'll use this article (and the comments since it seems the article is not entirely correct) to help figure out where I'm eating. One thing that got me excited was the mention that Italian food and gelato are very good (I think they said the gelato in Buenos Aires is even better than the gelato in Italy but I don't know I can believe that until I taste it for myself).

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Typical babymoons

On a New York Giants message board I was reading an off-topic post about babymoon experiences and thought I would share with you what New York Giants fans have been doing for babymoons recently:

Front Row Endzone: Although the wife did get depressed on tequila night when everyone else was drinking and having fun. Went to Maroma, an exclusive resort south of Cancun.

BUgiantfan: The Mrs. is about 5 months along and we're going to Sanibel Island, Florida. We're going ahead with the trip even though I insist we have no money. She immediately pointed out my silliness in considering our financial situation. Never even heard of such a thing.

Mwheeler: My wife and I went on an cruise to Alaska before our first one came along. She was about 5 months pregnant at the time. I didn't consider it a "babymoon", rather our last chance for a nice vacation for the next 20 years.

A week or two before our second was born her parents came from out-of-state and took care of our daughter for a night while we hung out at a nice bed-and-breakfast across the street from the hospital. My wife had been having contractions fairly regularly since 32 weeks and had been on bed rest for a number of weeks, so we wanted to stay close.

Adevin: We decided to stay away from the resorts and do something with a 5 hour drive. Yes a 5 hour drive can be painful with a pregnant woman. There is a great Hotel up north Lake Placid area the Mirror Lake Inn. Plenty to due, some shopping for her good food and a spa. Plus you can relax and enjoy each other.

Jim: Wife is due in April. We have a 1 1/2 year old, so we figured we better do it now before we're in lockdown for 1 - 2 years. 5 days/4 night in the Bahamas.

Well that's it. Just thought it would be fun / different to share a few babymoon ideas from regular people who've done it.

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My unfinished business on Italy's island of Capri

This article on Capri got me thinking about my honeymoon. My wife and I spent 2 or 3 days on Capri, in a bungalow with no heat. Capri isn't real warm in October...

Apparently we got in right before they shut the bungalows down for the winter season. Lucky us... I wish I could remember the name of the place in order to warn you all but this was almost 7 years ago.

If I can digress some, this reminds me of the talk we had about what travel agents are supposed to do for you. Now we didn't use travel agents for our honeymoon - it was very unscripted (we had planned to travel all around Europe but ended up spending 4 weeks in Rome first; then 4 weeks in Assisi with trips to Perugia, Florence, Venice; and finally a week traveling around which included Naples and Capri).

Yes, we were very much in debt after that trip!

Anyway, I was thinking that most travel agents wouldn't have known the bungalows were unheated any more than we did. The guide books didn't help either.

Anyway, back to Capri. The article lists some attractions at the end. Some ring a bell - some I may have missed - some I may have forgotten. Here it is:

Piazza Umberto I. This is kind of the center of activity in Capri. It was plenty busy in late October.

Gardens of Giardini di Augusto. The article says they are just off the piazza but I don't remember seeing any gardens.

Villa Jovis. According to the article, "playground of the Roman Emperor Tiberius (who reputedly discarded his lovers from the cliffs)". That doesn't bring back any memories as it's not very descriptive.

Arco Naturale and Punta Tragere. The article says you go here to look at the offshore rocks of Faraglioni. I saw rocks but don't know which ones.

Anacapri, a less touristy village according to the article. This is where we shivered through the night.

Chairlift to the top of Monte Solaro. My wife and I loved the chairlift.

Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) - long waits in the summer according to this article. That wasn't an issue for us in October but the boats didn't go out due to bad weather. If we return to Capri it will be to see this "natural wonder of the world".

Do I recommend Capri? Sure, but I would (and did) see at least Rome, Venice, and Florence first. Assisi and Perugia are also great but not necessarily better than Capri depending on your tastes. If you like medieval looking stone buildings, Assisi is better. If you need to see the blue grotto then off to Capri.

Again I never did see the blue grotto so maybe it is better than the rest of Italy's attractions put together. I doubt it's better than Rome, Florence, or Venice but can't say for sure.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:01 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

London is so Expensive!

Its common knowledge that London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, although apparently not as expensive as Moscow.

London also has some of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world, and as I found out when I started looking for a reasonably priced hotel, it’s now very difficult to find a hotel room under $200. Apparently, the average cost of a hotel room in London is now around $300 per night. (I just booked a room for April at the Eden Plaza Hotel, which seems like a bargain at $220 a night! Has anyone stayed there…? I hope it’s OK)

It isn’t just the hotels that are expensive. Originally I planned to take the Heathrow Express between the center of London and Heathrow Airport – until I looked at the prices. It’s about a 15 minute train journey each way and for three of us, the cost is about $142.00 round trip. This is the internet discount rate – it’s a little bit higher if purchased on the day of travel.

First class costs even more – around $230.00 for three people. Why you would even bother to pay more for first class on a 15 minute journey is a mystery to me.

Transport in London is generally expensive though – a ticket for a single journey on the London Underground (or “tube” as the locals call it) costs anything from $1.80 to $10.00 depending on the distance. This compares to about $2 for a journey on the New York Subway and 70 cents for a journey on Moscow’s metro system.

The least expensive major city in the world to visit is considered to be Asuncion, Paraguay, (where a hotel room can cost as low as $15) followed by Harare, Zimbabwe; Karachi, Pakistan and Bangalore, India.

The good news is that most of London’s museums are still free and there are many other attractions that don’t cost anything either. And walking – which is still free - is a great way to see London.

Guest entry by Mancunian

Related: Eurostar, Sherlock Holmes, Da Vinci Code, London and Amsterdam, England travel plan, Europe travel plan, Harry Potter.

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A couch to crash on anywhere in the world

This article talks about couchsurfing, when travelers stay in a stranger's home (well someone they met online anyway) instead of going to a hotel. It does sounds interesting to get a local person to show you around and to see how a local person lives - no doubt this would teach you something about the culture of wherever you're visiting.

It also has the added benefit of being cheap.

Now I feel like making a bit of a digression and expanding on a relatively minor point in the article.

One student teacher had this to add: "A lot of Americans, they vacation, they don’t travel. I differentiate between vacationing and traveling," Breault said. "You’re learning something about the world, rather than viewing the world."

Here I have a problem. When I was a poor college student I was an elitist traveler like this student teacher. I drove to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, slept in my car every night, ate loaves of bread and unheated cans of spaghetti (totally disgusting by the way), hung out with apparently homeless New Orleans kids for a day, etc. I thought I was a real traveler especially compared to the tourists staying in expensive hotels.

Now I stay in hotels, but I still think I'm traveling. I don't understand people who say you can view the world without learning something. It kind of reminds me of those people who said I shouldn't go shopping when I travel.

I didn't do any shopping when I was 22 and in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Now I shop when I'm on vacation. The experiences certainly are different but I don't think anyone can say one is 'real' and the other is not real traveling.

Anyway, enough about how young people who travel cheap think they are the real travelers. Let me ask a discussion question:

Would you crash on a stranger's couch while traveling in your own country or abroad? Would you invite someone you met online into your home so that they could travel cheap?

Personally, I would have no objection to sleeping in a stranger's house as long as I had talked to them online or something. But inviting someone into my home would be entirely different. I don't think I would. I guess it seems like it would be easy to leave the stranger's house if I was uncomfortable there (partially because I have money for a hotel) but kicking someone out of my house would be more trouble.

Interestingly, I blogged about one of these couch surfing sites 2 years ago. I'm still waiting for hospitalityclub.org to review my application...

Posted by James Trotta at 10:14 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Orlando beyond Disney plus resort press releases

Here's an article on things to do in Orlando other than family-oriented Disney. The list does include some Disney though: Walt Disney World Speedway where people get to drive a NASCAR-style stock car.

Other activities listed in the article include golf and airboat tours, sky diving, hang gliding, water-skiing, canoeing, and the "sophisticated nightlife" in Winter Park, a tony suburb of Orlando (I don't know what a tony suburb is but the article also spelled skiing as skiiing with an extra i...).

I didn't find much else in the regular news I went through but I thought these 2 press release excerpts would be interesting:

Mike Ditka, former NFL Coach of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, will soon celebrate the official grand opening of the first two Mike Ditka Resorts in Orlando, Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa and Runaway Beach Club Resort on Feb. 27th.

Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa and Runaway Beach Club Resort are both located in the heart of the Orlando attractions area and are minutes from Walt Disney World Resort. Lighthouse Key Resort & Spa is a gated resort community featuring spacious two-, three- and four-bedroom lakefront villas. Runaway Beach Club Resort offers one-, two- and three-bedroom villas and loft villas.

And excerpted from a different press release:

BookIt.com Deal: $99 per night at the Regal Sun Resort. This official Disney hotel is part of the Lake Buena Vista Hotel Resorts. I don't know what's so special about this deal since the same price is available from a link on the hotel's home page. That link sends you to ihotelier.com instead of bookit.com...

For more on Orlando I searched my own blog and found the following:

Tampa Bay vacation plan (with Orlando side trip)
Disney honeymoon experience
Disney honeymoon discussion
Disney resort comparison

At least I found one that wasn't Disney focused! So has anyone here gone to Orlando and not gone to Disney?

Posted by James Trotta at 10:50 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Winter vacation in or near Chicago? Bowling, candy, Key Lime Cove

This article talks about winter vacation ideas in Chicago. Not surprisingly that's when hotels are cheapest. There's a bowling weekend getaway, a feed your kids as much junk food as possible vacation, stuff aimed at locals who aren't going to leave the Chicago area, and another interesting one...

I do like water parks but I'm not so sure this one is for me (seems to be geared toward kids):

And opening Feb. 29 right in Gurnee is the 30-acre KeyLime Cove Resort, where you can pretend that it's not winter and it's not cold outside. It's like an indoor mini-vacation to the Caribbean. Guests stay ins suites that include flat-screen TVs with cable and refrigerator, and they have exclusive rights to use the 65,000-square-foot Lost Paradise Indoor Water Park with whirlpool, body slides, water slides, river tube rides and kiddie pools. The Rip Tide Reef Arcade features foosball, air hockey and loads of other kid-oriented games. KeyLime has also created its own cast of charismatic characters like Toukie the Toucan and Marty the Chameleon who tell stories and do performances throughout the resort.

"KeyLime Cove is putting a new twist on the way Americans vacation," said managing director Andrew Bateman.

And parents, get this -- you can purchase a predetermined amount of "fun" for your kids at the resort.

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Babymoon article

This article talks about babymoons, specifically the Mohonk Mountain House 'Hello Baby!' BabyMoon package. This hotel is in New York (Hudson Valley area).

$374/person (Sunday through Thursday) gets you three meals daily, afternoon tea and cookies, and resort activities. That includes time in the spa in the Couples' Treatment Room, where moms-to-be get a 50-minute Maternity Massage and dads-to-be have a choice between a deep tissue massage or revitalizer facial.

You get chocolates each night, a spa gift for the new parents, and a gift for the baby.

It sounds like quite a nice package but the article doesn't say if it's $374/person total or each day...

They also have some tips for babymooners. It's simple stuff like talk to your doctor and buy travel insurance in case you need to change you plans. This previous article I blogged about also had some stuff about pregnant women in spas (hot tubs are bad for example).

This blog entry also talks about babymoon packages. I think in there I also talked about how free gifts seem like a waste to me. Personally I wouldn't even consider that if I were pricing any sort of vacation package.

Posted by James Trotta at 10:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Super Bowl travel articles

3 years ago I wrote about traveling to the Super Bowl, concluding that the money would be better spent on a European vacation. Well maybe because I just got back from Europe (though it wasn't easy) or maybe because the New York Giants (my team) are in the Super Bowl, I'm not going to insist on saving your money for other travels this year.

I'm not spending my money on Super Bowl travel, but now I understand (well almost understand) people who do.

If you want to go, here is a bit of quick advice. It's pretty standard stuff (make sure your hotel exists, make sure you get to see the game from the inside the stadium and not just some Phoenix sports bar, etc.). Obviously you need to be careful - lots of scammers want to make money selling counterfeit tickets to the big game.

According to this article, 125,000 people will visit Phoenix for the Super Bowl and many of them will want to play golf. People have been requesting tee times since a year ago so maybe people are crazy about football and golf...

Here is an interesting article on the business side of things from the hotel / resort perspective. According to this article the Super Bowl won't make the hotels a whole lot of money, but it does give them a chance to impress new guests and hopefully win repeat business.

Posted by James Trotta at 10:40 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Numerous possible destinations in Spain

This British article talks about Spain and includes a bit on Valencia, Malaga, Mallorca, Lanzarote, and Tenerife. Plus several I've never heard of: Vejer de la Frontera, Pitres, Murcia, Aigues Tortes National Park in the Catalan Pyrenees, Zaragoza, and more.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Boca Raton, other warm vacation spots, a ski guides, genealogical research

At least once before we talked about how vacations could be nearby and might involve only one day off from work. Now this one (Boca Raton) is a bit more extravagant than the local mall for holiday gift shopping, it's interesting to read about people looking for vacation ideas close to home.

Of course for those of us who don't live in Florida, Boca Raton still involves a flight and all the potential delays as do many of our favorite vacations. For example, in Vermont, some popular destinations this time of year are Cancun and Mexico's Mayan Riviera, cruises, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and Costa Rica.

I suppose it's no surprise that Vermonters want to go someplace warm right around now. For those of you who like it cold, this Newsday guide on skiing in the Northeast might help you.

And for those who aren't on vacation yet but have the desire to do some genealogical research, possibly giving you future travel ideas, this article on checking railroad history for clues will be interesting.

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Vermont hiking and snowshoeing, travel agents, dangerous destinations

Here's an article on hiking and snowshoeing between inns in Vermont. They speak specifically about winter, but personally I would opt for the hiking option and go during one of the other seasons...

I also have an article on the travel agent vs. booking yourself online discussion. It seems always to come back to the same thing - travel agents offer better advice and are better problem solvers when things go wrong.

That reminds me of the card mill debate - what happens when a ton of random people become "travel agents" by paying $500 plus $50/month? Inevitably you end up with travel agents who don't give good advice and who don't fix problems that well. I don't mean all network marketing travel agents are incapable but I'm sure many are. Of course I'm also sure that some regular travel agents also offer bad advice and aren't very good at solving problems...

Of course no matter how inexperienced a travel agent is, they probably know enough not to send you to one of these dangerous places. According to the Forbes list you probably don't want to go to Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Pakistan, Sudan, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, or Palestine.

Posted by James Trotta at 11:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

In Search of Santa Claus…and somewhere warm to spend Christmas

It’s that time of the year again…you have probably come across Santa in your local mall; you may even have paid for your children to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas (Hopefully, nothing too expensive)

But of course, you should head for Lapland, the remote region in the north of Finland, close to the Russian border, if you really want to see an authentic Santa. Since 1985, Santa has had his own village here and can be found at home every day of the year - with the exception of Christmas Eve. (If you want to see where Santa is on Christmas Eve, you can track his progress)

In addition to the Great Man himself, Santa’s Village also boasts an exhibition on Christmas traditions around the world, as well as the chance to stand on the nearby Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is also a great place to experience the northern lights during the winter, or the midnight sun during the summer.

Tours are popular from the UK to Santa’s Village – apparently it’s possible to fly there, visit Santa and fly back home, all in the same day. There’s even an international airport at Rovaniemi, a couple of miles from the village, from which you can fly even further north to Murmansk, the largest city north of the Arctic Circle.

However, if you want to spend the holidays somewhere a little bit warmer, you could always head to the aptly named Christmas Island. This tropical island is a territory of Australia and is a tiny speck in the Indian Ocean – it’s actually closer to Java than Australia. It isn’t particularly easy to get to – you have to fly from Perth or Singapore although once you get there, there’s quite a lot to see and do including snorkeling, bird watching, hiking and shopping.

Anyway, happy holidays to all the readers of this blog!

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Tourism of Doom

Tourism of Doom is a phrase I just came across in this article. I've compiled a list of 'doom destinations' mentioned:

Glaciers of Patagonia (melting)
Coral of the Great Barrier Reef (threatened)
atolls of the Maldives (eroding)
Kilimanjaro (see the sunrise on the highest peak in Africa before the ice cap melts)
Galápagos Islands (getting worse)
a stay at a remote lodge in the Amazon (might be a cattle ranch soon)
Cruises of Antarctica (melting glaciers and sinking ships)

Are there any other good tourism of doom destinations you know of?

Posted by James Trotta at 3:57 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Different types of vacations: luxury in Bhutan, Moscow

I thought this article had a funny line: "Beautiful and unspoiled locales aren't just for backpackers anymore."

The article is about travel spots like Bhutan, which has "succeeded in marketing itself as an exclusive destination for highly selective travelers." Rich people get to go some place their friends probably haven't been and get to stay in expensive hotels.

According to the article Moscow isn't a big draw for the wealthy yet. However it may be soon:

Moscow has regular flight service to and from the U.S. but has attracted few discriminating Western tourists. That may change this summer, when the Ritz-Carlton opens its first Russian property in Moscow as part of a corporate strategy to develop hotels in cities with growing economies. The hotel, constructed on the site of an 18th-century tavern, cost $350 million to build, and the plan is for it to become a culinary haven: Its restaurant has a three-star Michelin chef, Heinz Winkler, and boasts specials like a $700-per-person Tsar's Breakfast that includes champagne, Kobe beef steak, foie gras, Beluga caviar, and a truffle omelet. After some grand-opening specials, standard nightly room rates will start at $1,000.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

New Buffalo casino & new luxury resort in Costa Rica connected by a weak transition

This article says that staying in a casino / hotel is like experiencing a foreign culture. I remember a professor from my university days who hated this sort of thinking. Going to Disney's Epcot to expereince 24 different countries or whatever they have and Las Vegas's street where everything is enclosed and the lights make it seem to be day or night absolutely infuriated him.

When I was in university his thinking was pretty influential but these days i find myself agreeing (with some hesitation) with the author. I would like to spend a weekend in Vegas and another in Disney to experience whatever that is. I won't equate it with experiencing a foreign culture - living in Korea the past 6.5 years has been experiencing a foreign culture so a weekend in a hotel doesn't really compare.

Anyway, the article is about a new casino in New Buffalo, Michigan. Supposedly this is a beautiful casino that "resembles nothing of the gaudy glam of Vegas." I'm still pretty sure that my old English professor would disapprove.

One of the attractions is that it's easy to escape the casino:

But it's also easily escapable. Downtown New Buffalo, which brings a healthy dose of weekender retreat, is a five-minute drive west; the southern tip of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail is a 10-minute drive; Warren Dunes State Park is 15. There is the lake; there are antique stores; there are quaint cafes at which to sip coffee. And none of them is smoky or ringing with slot machines (see 5 More Reasons to Go).

I'm going to make a rickety transition to my next article if you'll bear with me. The author of the first article says:

Think about it: Top-notch restaurants, well-appointed hotel suites, luxurious spa services, live entertainment, boutique retail outlets, free-flowing alcohol and, of course, gaming galore -- in most cases, at all hours. Minus the whole "experience nature" thing, casinos essentially provide all the major amenities of a luxury vacation under one neon-clad roof.

“There are a lot of walled-off resorts in the world,” Mr. Case said. “There is a better way. What we’re doing here is taking the best property in the hottest market, and designing a resort community that integrates with the neighboring communities in an environmentally sustainable way. That is the future standard of luxury resorts."

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la Plagne 2100 Club Med in the French Haute Savoie

I didn't know that European ski vacations had a somewhat bad reputation, but this article says you can avoid all the negatives of a European ski holiday by going to la Plagne 2100 Club Med in the French Haute Savoie.

I think of beaches when I think Club Med, but in this case you need to think Mont Blanc and "breathtaking Alpine vistas".

As for the bad reputation I had never imagined, this article says:

For many of us, a European ski vacation conjures up images of big bucks and rude people invading your space and trashing your skis in the lift-line. Or of snooty waiters demanding $20 plus tip for a slope-side coffee.

Posted by James Trotta at 11:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Christmas seems to arrive earlier each year (Christmas themed travel ideas)

I enjoy Christmas as much as the next person (unless the next person is the Grinch!) but isn’t mid-November a little bit too early to be celebrating the season? One of my local radio stations (in North Carolina) usually starts playing non-stop Christmas music around the beginning of November (due to popular demand, apparently) and I suspect that the Christmas tree outside my local mall will be put up in a few days.

I personally think Christmas should not start until December 1st. But if you really are one of those people who like to celebrate Christmas year round, here are some places that might be fun to visit...

Spencer County, Indiana

Perhaps the ultimate year-round Christmas destination. Spencer County is home to the small town of Santa Claus which lives up to its name with a museum, post office and theme park dedicated to the great man. These attractions are all open year round. Spencer County was also the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln, although he has been somewhat overshadowed by Santa Claus.

Kathe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas shop, Rothenburg, Germany

There are plenty of shops that sell Christmas ornaments and decorations year round, but this is probably one of the biggest and best. The shop sells Christmas decorations of all kinds, including some beautiful handmade wooden ornaments. There is also a small Christmas museum on the premises and at Christmas, the shop puts on special exhibits (and sells more decorations as well, I imagine) Here are some photographs of the shop and some of its wonderful displays.

Elkhorn, Wisconsin

If this town looks somewhat familiar, apparently it has been the inspiration for many Christmas cards over the years. In fact, Elkhorn is known as the “Christmas Card town” and has an exhibition of Christmas cards on display year round at the Chamber of Commerce.

Bronner’s Christmas Store

This establishment in Frankenmuth, Michigan calls itself the world’s largest Christmas store, and covers an area of over five football fields. They offer over 50,000 different decorations, lights and ornaments. Bronner’s also has a memorial chapel and features nightly displays of Christmas lights. Every year, over 2 million people visit the store, which is open year round – but closed on Christmas Day.

Anyway, if you are celebrating Christmas six weeks early – Merry Christmas!

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Crater of Diamonds State Park in the news again

Apparently Crater of Diamonds State Park yields so many stones that one man was able to make a living from selling the diamonds he found there. He now has a job in a convenience store, but after finding a 4.38 carat diamond I wonder how good that job looks.

I really want to look for gold or diamonds or something on one of my upcoming vacations. Imagine coming back from vacation richer than when you left...

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You don't have to ski if you travel to the Midwestern US

This article looks at some resorts that offer more than skiiing in the Midwest. Attractions include ice skating, sleigh rides, dog sledding, snowshoeing, and full-service spa treatments.

It reminds me of the first time I went skiing. We had spent hundreds of dollars on ski clothes only to see them sit in our closet for a few years. So eventually we went to a ski resort to use them. Luckily, they still fit!

Skiing was too hard to be fun. The next day we went sledding and had a blast. And we finally got to break in our ski clothes.

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Round-the-world with kids

I'm sure many of us have dreamed about traveling around the world for a year. Some people actually do it and they do it with their kids. This New York Times article talks about that.

One family did all the planning themselves (that must have taken a while!) and spent $140,000. They also say that it works best with kids between 9-12 because they are old enough to appreciate and remember stuff but not old enough to resent their parents for dragging them away from dating and whatever else.

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Bonfire Night in the UK

It may seem a strange thing to celebrate, but every November 5th, people in the UK remember the exploits of a certain Guy Fawkes, who unsuccessfully tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament back in 1605. Some say he was the only person ever to enter Parliament with honest intentions! If you are reading this in the UK, you or your children may well be making last minute plans for an event that’s celebrated almost as enthusiastically as Christmas or Halloween.

Festivities usually take the form of a bonfire and fireworks and if you happen to be in Britain on November 5th, a visit to a bonfire night celebration is an experience not to be missed. You can find bonfires today all over Britain, from the smallest village to the largest city, but the largest and most famous celebrations are held every year in the town of Lewes, East Sussex, about 50 miles south of London.

The town even has different bonfire societies that try to outdo each other with their bonfires, fireworks and fancy dress competitions. Huge effigies of Guy Fawkes are carried through the town by thousands of people wielding burning torches, turning the streets into rivers of flame.

In addition to the usual bonfire, the town of Bridgewater in Somerset, in the southwest of England hosts a huge carnival and nighttime procession through the town – calling itself the largest illuminated carnival in the world.

Not to be outdone, London also hosts a series of spectacular bonfires in its many parks and open spaces every November 5th. One of the best fireworks displays takes place at Alexandra Palace, a huge Victorian structure which offers spectacular views over north London. As well as watching fireworks, you can listen to live music and sample an ice rink and an inside funfair.

Today, you can still see the place where Guy Fawkes was executed by hanging, in the Old Palace yard adjoining the Palace of Westminster – ironically just a few yards from where he intended to hide and detonate tons of explosive. The adjoining medieval Westminster Hall is one of the few parts of the Palace of Westminster that remains unchanged since that day and is still free to visit.

And today – over 400 years later - the Palace guards still search the cellars of the Houses of Parliament before every state opening of Parliament to make sure there are no explosives hidden there – although hopefully this routine is carried out as a quaint tradition rather than an actual deterrent!

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Some scary places to visit!

Yes – it’s that time of the year again! With Halloween just around the corner, I wondered what were considered to be the most haunted places in the world. There is no shortage of sites that claim to list some of the most haunted places – this web site lists a dozen of the most haunted in the US, including such predictably eerie places as Gettysburg battlefield, Alcatraz prison and the quirky Winchester House, near San Jose, Ca.

New Orleans is generally considered to be the most haunted city in the United States – at least 10 hotels in the city are reported to be haunted, and several companies offer ghost themed walking tours. I have been on one of the ghost walks and it was quite fascinating. It also seems as though New Orleans is quite a place to spend Halloween!

Other cities with more than their fair share of ghostly inhabitants include Charleston, SC, Savannah, Ga and Salem, Ma, famous for the witch trials held there during the 17th century. Salem is also quite a place in which to celebrate Halloween, with witch and ghost themed events happening throughout October, culminating with the town’s official Witches Ball on Halloween night.

But the most haunted place in the world is apparently the city of York in England which has a total of 504 recorded ghostly sightings, according to the Ghost Research Foundation International. And York is also home to the oldest ghost – the famous Roman Legionnaires that are supposedly seen marching through the Treasurer’s House. At least six companies offer ghostly walking tours of York, costing around $8 per person – although they don’t actually guarantee a ghost sighting.

But if you really want to communicate with the other side, you should visit the small community of Lily Dale, NY. This town is populated and run entirely by spiritualists – over 40 registered mediums live and work in the town. Lily Dale attracts around 22,000 visitors each year.

Happy Halloween, wherever you are celebrating!

Guest entry by Mancunian

I'd just like to add a couple of notes. First I have a friend in New Orleans doing a masters in social work who says it's getting more dangerous to live there. She lives in what should be (used to be) a nice neighborhood but now when she goes outside for a smoke at night she's afraid to turn a light on. She made it sound like you wouldn't really want to visit just yet, though I'm sure plenty of the touristy spots are safe.

Then just some old related blog entries: ghost hunting vacations and Haunted places.

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the Philippines

This article on the Philippines is not very specific but they do mention that it offers great variety and is affordable. They also mention the crazy airports - I know Cebu airport was not very relaxing...

Anyway, if you're looking for some more specific ideas on the Philippines try Pagudpod, Hills of Chocolate, or Cebu.

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Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas

I wrote once about how panning for gold would be a fun vacation (more fun if you find gold of course) but how about searching for diamonds. It worked for this guy who found a 1.49 carat diamond and then a 3.92 carat diamond in Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.

It would take some luck to bring home a diamond from vacation but apparently 700 or so have been found so far this year...

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The Nuit Blanche taking place in Toronto this Saturday

Thank you to Hannah for this tip on the Nuit Blanche taking place in Toronto this Saturday.

When I got Hannah's email I had no idea what a Nuit Blanche was, but luckily she sent some links as well. This article is are very good, explaining that this is a kind of arts festival where artisits exhibit their work in Toronto's open space, apparently transforming the city. It's also pretty big:

123 museums, galleries and other art-oriented organizations are opening their doors Saturday night.

There are more than 195 installations or events, about twice last year's total....

New areas are being explored, from the Distillery District to the Bloor-Lansdowne area. Ryerson University and George Brown College have joined last year's academic participants, the Ontario College of Art & Design and the University of Toronto. Pick up the program around town or have a peek at scotiabanknuitblanche.ca.

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Beijing getting ready for 2008 Summer Olympics

Beijing has been in a frenzy of activity trying to prepare for the 2008 Olympics, which begin in just under a year from now. New buildings have been built, old ones have been renovated and the main airport has been given a much needed facelift.

Perhaps more importantly, the Chinese have declared next year’s games to be the “Green Olympics” and large parts of the Olympic venue will supposedly run on wind and solar power.

The Chinese have also started to train thousands of volunteers to help deal with the athletes, workers, press and other visitors expected. And many Chinese employees have even been given lessons in how to be more polite to foreigners! Taxi drivers in Beijing are also being taught some English so they can better assist foreigners and immigration officers are also being taught some “people skills.”

The immigration officers may need their people skills, as the 2008 Olympics are expected to attract around 550,000 foreign visitors to Beijing alone. In fact, by the end of 2007, China is expected to have overtaken the United States as the 3rd most popular tourist destination in the world.

If you are visiting China, it’s now also a little bit easier to visit Tibet, thanks to the recent railway line that links Beijing and Lhasa. The railway line – a masterpiece of engineering – stretches around 2,500 miles between Lhasa and China’s capital city Beijing and the journey time is around 48 hours.

If you can’t make it to China, but you find yourself in London during the next few months, one of China’s most famous attractions can be found there. Several of China’s famous terracotta warriors, dating from around 200 BC, are on loan to the British Museum until April 2008. London is also the host city for the Olympic Games in 2012, in case you are planning four years ahead.

Guest entry by Mancunian

By the way (it's me James Trotta again) - I just wanted to add a few notes from my own trip to China. Firstly, the immigration officers did need to work on their people skills. One guy was giving someone in our group a hard time (over nothing) and when the person who speaks Chinese approached to translate the immigration officer got pretty mad. Not that all US immigration officers are pleasant to deal with either...

And of course it brought back some memories of a young Chinese woman stripping my pajamas off of me in front of my wife.

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What's your style: gambling vacations or yoga vacations?

I have an article on yoga vacations and another on gambling vacations.

Both types of vacation promise the chance for a new life. It's just that at the casino you have hit a jackpot when you're more likely to lose money. At the yoga retreat you're supposed to find inner peace. Honestly, I'm not sure I like your chances either way.

The yoga article talks about people spending $500/night in Arizona or $8,000 for 10 days in Kerala, India. Clearly, when you spend that kind of money you get to relax but can you really buy inner peace at a yoga resort?

Don't get me wrong though. I would take the yoga vacation (not interested in gambling) - I just wouldn't expect to suddenly find inner peace.

Anyway, my question is: Have any of you been to a yoga resort or on a yoga retreat?

Posted by James Trotta at 11:09 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Some reasons to visit Liverpool, UK

Liverpool is very much in the spotlight at the moment. The often overlooked UK city celebrates its 800th birthday this year, and next year the city has been voted European Capital of Culture. Liverpool is in good company – past holders of this title include Paris, Florence, Madrid and Prague.

Unless you’re a big Beatles fan, you may not think a visit to Liverpool sounds very exciting. However, Liverpool has a proud seafaring legacy, reflected in its fascinating maritime museum and thriving waterfront, an exciting bar and club scene, and some of the best shopping in the North of England.

And whereas most cities are content with just one cathedral and one world class soccer team – Liverpool has two of each. Even if it is not football season, Liverpool Football Club offers a guided tour of its famous soccer stadium and a visit to the impressive trophy room.

If you are going to Liverpool to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles, there is plenty to see. Your first stop should be Matthew Street, a narrow alleyway in the center of town, and the site of the famous Cavern Club, where the Beatles first performed. Matthew Street has several pubs and used record shops as well as a themed shopping mall.

The other major Beatles attraction is a museum called ‘The Beatles Story’ which chronicles the group’s rise with displays of old movie clips, memorabilia and music. You can also take one of several guided bus tours which take you out into the Liverpool suburbs to see the houses the Beatles lived in, where they went to school and the inspirations for many of their famous songs.

In addition to all this, if you happen to be in Liverpool next year, the city has over 70 special events organized so far, including concerts art exhibitions and films. One of the highlights promises to be the start of the Tall Ships Race, featuring around 300 replicas of old-fashioned sailing ships which takes place in July 2008.

And a few miles up the coast from Liverpool, the world’s greatest golf championship – the British Open - takes place at Royal Birkdale, from July 17 to 20th. If you are planning to attend, start saving up - daily admission tickets seem to cost at least $140!

Guest entry by Mancunian

Personal note - Liverpool sounds really great - I wonder if we can add it to this England vacation plan.

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Reader needs help deciding on a greek vacation

I have an interesting discussion topic for you today. There's a traveler who might go to Greece. However, he's not sure it will be worth the money because a British friend of his is very negative about traveling to Greece.

Now I'm going to publish the original concern about Greece and the British friend's letter - this will be very insulting for any Greeks but after thinking it over I've decided to publish it. First, a little controversy never hurt anyone. Second, it is part of the reader's question and as travelers we want to get to the truth - you can't really get the truth by hiding negative opinions...

The wife and I are planning a POSSIBLE European vacation for next summer with a stop in Greece (or not - we could just wind up back at LBI). I've heard mixed reviews - some people think it's paradise, while others were more negative, including this e-mail I got from a strong-opinioned Brit friend of mine:

"I used to go to the Greek Islands all the time, it's like getting a bus to Corfu or Rhodes from England... If you have ever been there, you have to s**t and then wipe and throw the paper in a basket by the toilet as the sewage system ain't that great. The locals are all idiots that try and pick up on the English girls and want to fight the English men. They get beat up, a lot, and then come back with village mobs.

You rent scooters and get killed by construction trucks. The beer used to be cheap and the food isn't great.

Its hot, very hot. The Greeks hate the English and by proxy Americans, but tolerate them as they are the cash cow that keeps their third world tourist traps humming. Without them they would be fishing for polluted fish in the Med and playing the bazouki for giggles."

Is that most likely an overly harsh assessment from someone who had a bad experience? It certainly wouldn't be a cheap vacation, and I just want to avoid making a mistake of going somewhere that's totally overrated.

Personally, I've never been to Greece (and don't know what "bazouki" are) but hear mostly positive things, especially the islands. A friend did sound a bit negative on Athens: "I would recommend to you no more than 2 days in Athens as outside of the ruins there is not much to the city. It is very dirty and porn is everywhere, not the environment for kids as the porn is sold openly with vivid pictures everywhere. The islands are great and I would spend more of your time there."

But again, he said the islands were great. Nothing about locals picking fights or harassing women. I know I've heard people talk about Santorini, which is supposed to be a very friendly and beautiful place, perfect for a romantic vacation. See #5 on this old blog entry.

By the way, all this reminds me of one of the funniest movies ever, which I forget the name of. But if you recognize the following quote, name the movie it came from: "Forget France. The French can be annoying. Come to Greece. We're nicer."

Or leave a comment discussing Greece so the original questioner can make up his mind.

Posted by James Trotta at 8:32 AM | Comments (25) | TrackBack

World's smallest country up for sale!

Many of us remember learning at school that the world’s largest country is Russia and the smallest is Vatican City. However, there seems to be another claimant of title of world’s smallest country - and it’s also for sale.

The Principality of Sealand is an abandoned WWII anti- aircraft defense base, which measures around 550 square meters. It’s supported by two huge concrete towers and can only be reached by boat or helicopter. Sealand is located about seven miles off the coast of Harwich, England.

Sealand was occupied by a former British Army major, Paddy Roy Bates, in 1967 who declared it an independent state – he later introduced passports, currency and a national anthem. Sealand has even had problems with people trying to forge its passports! The UK declared that Sealand was outside UK territorial waters, so Sealand has just about succeeded in clinging to its status as an independent state.

But now Sealand is for sale, partly due to a fire that severely damaged the structure in 2006, for a price tag rumored to be around $997 million – although other offers may be considered. Sealand is apparently described in the listing as a “micronation”. The general public isn’t allowed to visit Sealand – although I imagine if you were making an offer to buy the place, they would have to show you around.

It isn’t the first time that someone has tried to declare their town or home as an independent country. If you haven’t ever been there, the small town of Hay-on-Wye which straddles the border between England and Wales, boasts about 30 second hand bookshops, and is a fascinating place to visit.

The town has become known as the “Town of Books” and is the forerunner of several other “booktowns” throughout the world, partly due to the foresight of Richard Booth who opened the first bookshop in the town in 1961.

One of several publicity stunts that Booth undertook was to declare home rule for Hay and to declare Hay as an Independent Kingdom on April 1st, 1977 – April Fool’s Day, of course. You can purchase the title of Duke or Duchess of the town, as well as a passport to Hay for about $100. I have been to Hay several times but have no intention of taking out citizenship!

Has anybody actually visited Sealand? Or has anyone visited any other self-proclaimed nations? There’s even a guidebook to these places: Micronations published by Lonely Planet books.

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Traveling to the world's tallest buildings - where do you go?

It's difficult to keep track of the world’s tallest building – the title seems to change almost every year as various cities compete with each other to claim the title – a sort of unofficial status symbol. I still have an old reference book called “The Book of Wonders” which lists the Empire State Building as being the world’s tallest building. And a recent episode of the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race” showed contestants racing to the foot of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – at the time the show was produced, the world’s tallest building.

Currently, the world’s tallest building is the Burj Dubai tower in Dubai, which has just taken the title from the Taipei 101 building in Taipei, Taiwan. At the moment it’s around 1680 feet tall – but apparently it’s going to be even higher, possibly around 2,275 feet. Its finished height is a closely guarded secret – possibly in case somebody tries to surpass it at the last minute. As of now the world’s tallest building is a rather unattractive skeleton of steel girders – the windows and exterior decoration have all yet to be added.

Dubai already boasts what is perhaps the best hotel in the world, the Burj el Arab hotel, the only 7-star hotel in the world. I suppose it must be quite a coup to have both the tallest building and the most expensive hotel! However, some reports suggest that the skyscraper is being constructed by Indian migrant workers who are slaving away in the sweltering heat and working for minimum wage – this rather detracts from the prestige a little bit.

London is also alarmingly obsessed with tall buildings. Future developments in London mean that the historic Tower of London may be so hemmed in by tall buildings that it may have its historical value threatened. Many visitors to London already feel that the view of the Tower is spoilt by nearby modern buildings. The United Nations is considering adding the 900 year old building to its Heritage in Danger list.

Londoners may learn to love their skyscrapers – most famous buildings were not well liked at the time they were built. The Eiffel Tower – for many years the world’s tallest structure - was originally intended to be a temporary structure to celebrate the world’s fair. At first, Parisians hated the tower, describing it as an “iron monster” and the “world’s largest lamppost”. It was only saved from demolition as it was considered perfect to use to support radio antennae.

Of course, now every trip to Paris lists the iron monster as a must-see attraction.

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Two places to find a bargain this summer: the world's longest yard sale and Alabama's unclaimed baggage center

If you live in the United States, you have probably come across at least one yard sale this summer. Most of them are small affairs, held in somebody’s front yard, garage or perhaps larger ones held in church halls, community centers or schools. But if you want to experience the so-called world’s longest yard sale, head to the Southeast

The yard sale stretches for almost 600 miles, from Covington, Kentucky to Gadsden, Alabama. It’s also known as the Highway 127 corridor sale, as it stretches along that rather picturesque highway. It’s impossible to estimate how many vendors and visitors the event attracts, but if you want to be part of it, this year’s longest yard sale takes place from August 2nd to August 5th.

The Highway 127 corridor sale might mix well with one of the following trips since they also involve Kentucky and / or Alabama:

Road trip from the movie Elizabethtwon
Coal mine tourism
NASCAR infield party at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama: Constellation movie tourism

Another place to find a bargain is at the unclaimed baggage center in Scottsboro, Alabama. This place is a sort of vast second hand store whose stock consists entirely of things people left on planes, or bags and contents that were lost or never claimed. The store was found in 1970 as a part time business, now it covers an entire city block and is a full time venture and apparently is quite a tourist attraction.

It’s hard to believe that people can leave musical instruments, computers, expensive jewelry and false limbs on the plane – but you can find them all in here, along with books, clothes and household items.

So how does your luggage end up here? Most bags are simply delayed rather than permanently lost, but if your airline does lose your bag, after about 90 days the airline will declare your luggage officially lost. At this point they have to offer you compensation if they have not already done so. If you are never reunited with your luggage, there is a reasonable chance it may end up in the unclaimed baggage center.

And the airlines seem to be losing more bags than ever before which means even more chance of finding a bargain at the unclaimed baggage center.

Guest entry by Mancunian

I'm in the airport waiting for my flight, a 14 hour Seoul to New York leaving at 7:30 PM and arriving at 8:40 PM... At least it will be almost time for bed when I arrive...

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African safari videos: buffalo fighting crocodiles and lions + more

I somehow ended up looking at National Geographic vidoes and noticed this one, an aerial view of antelope in Sudan.

This got me thinking about African safaris, which I hadn't thought about in a while but which I still plan to do one day.

I collected a few Youtube vidoes for you:

Sad and violent video of buffalo battling crocodiles and lions in South Africa's Kruger National Park:

Safari in Maasai Mara (this one loads slowly - give it some time and then start from the beginning):

Naturally, there are tons more on Youtube...

Related blog entries:

Climbing Kilimanjaro: personal experience
Mount Kilimanjaro Climb and African Safari travel plan
When to go and what to do on your African Safari

Posted by James Trotta at 2:33 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Roswell, NM celebrates 60th anniversary of alien spacecraft crashing

The small city of Roswell, New Mexico is best known for its association with UFOs. Roswell is famous for an incident in 1947 in which a supposed alien space ship crash landed in the nearby desert. The military actually reported the incident as a UFO crash and then quickly changed their story, claiming it was a weather balloon. In all likelihood, the incident was either a weather balloon or a military aircraft but that hasn’t stopped the city becoming known as the UFO capital of the world.

The city recently celebrated the 60th anniversary of the crash by hosting a UFO festival, complete with speakers, events and various alien themed attractions. Even when the festival isn't on, there are plenty of reminders of the supposed crash landing – many cafes and other businesses have an alien theme. The local McDonald's is designed to look like a giant spaceship.

And there is also a UFO museum featuring such exhibits as a replica of the crashed spaceship and a video of someone describing their abduction by aliens. The museum generates an estimated $35 million a year for the local economy.

You can even take a tour of the UFO crash site – although I can't imagine what there is to see! Tours of the crash site, which last around five hours, can cost up to $125.00 per person – for that kind of money I would expect to see a spaceship full of aliens land in front of me.

There are also plans for at least one theme park in the Roswell area which are sure to bring in even more tourists to the area.

There are plenty of non-alien attractions in the surrounding area. Roswell is located amongst some dramatic and beautiful desert scenery and not far away from the city, you can see the grave of the infamous outlaw, Billy the Kid.

Roswell isn't particularly easy to reach by air and many people drive the 200 miles or so from Albuquerque. However, American Airlines plans to begin service from its hub at Dallas-Fort Worth, from the beginning of September. Round trip fares from Chicago start at around $318, from New York fares start at around $280.00.

Guest entry by Mancunian.

If you're interested in space stuff, Huntsville, Alabama may be an option for you. Or you might consider getting married in space although it will cost you more than a flight to Roswell and a $125 tour of the UFO crash site...

Posted by James Trotta at 10:33 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Saratoga Springs, New York: Taking the waters

Here's an interesting article on Saratoga Springs, New York. Very popular in the 1800's when travelers came from all over the world to take the waters these day's you have only one choice:

The sole survivor is the strangely quaint Roosevelt Baths and Spa, which has 42 private rooms along two wings and a drinking fountain off the lobby where the water tastes faintly like Alka-Seltzer. Last year the Roosevelt drew 14,000 baths.

"Some bathers have complained that heating also reduces some of the fizz and dilutes the mineral content," and I have no doubt that they are correct since you're mixing tap water with the Saratoga Springs special stuff. But cold water is just not my idea of a vacation.

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The JVC Jazz Festival in cities around the world

The JVC Jazz festival’s history dates back to 1984 where JVC first sponsored a jazz Festival held in Bad Segeberg in Northern Germany. Various American Jazz superstars performed in the festival. In the 20 years that JVC has been producing the jazz festival, they have presented over 47,000 stellar musicians and held over 160 jazz festivals across the globe.

New York where it's currently going on, Newport, Miami, Tokyo, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, London, Warsaw, Berlin, Toronto, Bad Segeberg, Torino Italy, Rome, Nice and Paris in France and Amsterdam and Hague in Holland; all of these magnificent cities have hosted JVC Jazz Festivals and some of them are still holding jazz festivals in 2007.

The JVC Jazz Festivals are held in world renowned sites and theaters which include the Carnegie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Cimiez Roman Baths in France, the Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Albert Hall and various concert venues. Even quaint cafes and outdoor parks stood as venues for some of the jazz festival’s acts. The festival also helped many unknown stars make their way into the music business such as Diana Krall, Christian McBride and Roy Hargrove.

The JVC Jazz Festival is the genius of Junichi Shibata of JVC and George Wein. These people both love jazz and saw an opportunity for marketing the Japanese Company, JVC electronics through Festival Productions. The JVC Jazz Festival was born and the rest was jazz history. Among the amazing people who have worked to make the jazz festival going are of course, Junichi Shibata and George Wein, Karl Bearnarth who is currently in charge, Marc Adachi, Mr. Hattori and Mr. Ishikawa, Neil Kurihara and Harry Elias.

Legendary and larger than life musicians who played a part in building the rich history of JVC Jazz Festival include: Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, B.B. King, Ray Charles Wayne Shorter, Chuck Berry, McCoy Turner, Nancy Wilson, Diane Reeves, Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, David Sanborn, Sting, Earth Wind and Fire, Chick Corea and Cassandra Wilson among many others.

I've never been to a JVC Jazz Festival in any city, although I have been to jazz fests in Ottawa and Montreal. So if anyone has been to one or more of these fetivals please share your experience here.

Posted by James Trotta at 1:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Visiting Greenland is getting easier for Americans

To me, Greenland is one of a handful of impossibly distant and exotic destinations, along with Tibet and Easter Island that I will probably never actually go to. But now Greenland is a little bit closer and more accessible than it was before – on May 24th, Air Greenland introduced the first direct commercial flights from the US to Greenland.

The flight departs from Baltimore-Washington twice a week and the travel time to the town of Kangerlussuaq is only 5 hours. Surprisingly, the time difference between Greenland and the East coast is just two hours and round trip fares start at around $1100. Air Greenland also flies within Greenland to such equally unpronounceable places as Upernavil, Uummannaq and Kangilinnguit. (It’s also possible to fly to Greenland from Iceland and Copenhagen, Denmark).

But why would you actually want to go to Greenland? For me, part of the appeal is simply traveling to somewhere that nobody else ever goes to – as well as being able to boast of having visited the world’s largest island. Greenland is about three times larger than Texas and has a population of only 56,000.

I assumed that Greenland was just a huge cold island with little to see and do, but I found that there is actually a lot to do, according to the country’s web site.

Some of the sights and activities described on the web site sound quite intriguing – a musk ox safari, a whale watching expedition or a round of golf on the world’s most northernmost golf course. And as you might expect, winter sports such as snowmobiling, skiing and dogsledding are all widely available.

And an unforgettable part of any trip to this part of the world is a unique chance to see the northern lights – or Aurora Borealis.

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Vacation ideas in America

Today I have some news articles on different US family vacations. If none of these interest you, exploring this blog will reveal hundreds more US family vacation ideas...

We'll start with these family vacation ideas including San Antonio, Texas; Williamsburg, Virginia; the Florida Keys; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Williamsburg is famous for its history, not entirely unlike Gettysburg.

Seaking of Florida (OK it's a rickety transition if I can borrow two words from Frank Zappa but the previous article did talk about the Florida Keys), Florida's popularity as a vacation spot is coming back. Interestingly they talk about Miami and Fort Lauderdale but not Disney World.

We have another article with a few different ideas including momcations, dolphins, and walking tours. Maybe it's just me, but is it a little sexist that they have mancations and momcations? Why not womancations instead of momcations? Men are defined by gender but women are defined by their role in the family? Seems a bit old-fashioned to me.

In a feel-good story (well it's a sad story really) here's one on a summer camp charity for children of deceased US soldiers. No doubt those kids deserve something special.

Here's the story of a family vacation to Hawaii, a destination the author figured would have something for everone in the family plus the oder son's girlfriend. Their plan involves kayaking and the USS Arizona. There's so much to do in Hawaii it's hard to plan a trip.

By the way, and here's where the US vacation ideas end, for you celebrity gossip lovers, Tony Parker and Eva Longoria really are getting married in France as reported here a few weeks ago. The ceremony will take place in Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, a 17th-century castle. The honeymoon will be in Paris.

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Avoiding hurricanes, the online travel business,

I really love this article for suggesting some interesting outdoor vcations:

The National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming offers an array of courses for people long out of school—including a 14-day Alaska sea kayaking trip reserved for participants older than 40. For much of the trip, the guides often don’t even “lead,” leaving the task of wilderness navigation to the group. These are not tour vacations, but courses demanding physical and mental exertion.

But now I have a cool experience to talk about at parties so I'm glad I did it. Sometimes I mention the very young baby that enetered the tent in his mother's arms with us (the baby and his mother were Native Americans - I think the daughter and grandkid of the guy doing the ceremony). That baby was tough.

Here's a good article (having trouble with the link - it's an LA Times article titled "Keep summer storms & hurricanes from spoiling your trip") on avoiding hurricanes. They say not to go to the Caribbean in August, which is exactly when I'm going. But I think hurricane season is later August into Septemeber. I hope early August is safe. I should look into travel insurance just in case.

This article is more for investors considering the online travel industry. I found it pretty interesting.

And if you like listening to travel rants, this is a good one. The author complains about pretty much everything but especially the Atlanta airport.

If you were looking for an update on the stray dog my wife and I rescued, we had a scare today when we went to pick Libby up at the vet (she was spayed today). Some bruises indicated internal bleeding that the vet had never seen before. My wife thought it was serious and started crying. The vet didn't know what the problem was but brought her home overnight to watch her and called us not long ago to say he thinks Libby will be fine. We pick her up tomorrow.

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Why do we never hear anything about Luxembourg?

By chance, I visited the country of Luxembourg a few years ago. Its one of those places that you just don’t hear much about – not a lot of people ever seems to go there, which is surprising as Luxembourg is a fascinating country. Many people don’t know exactly where it is – in fact it’s almost in the center of Europe – tucked away between Germany, Belgium and France.

Admittedly, Luxembourg is really small – around 1000 square miles, which makes it just over half the size of America’s smallest state, Rhode Island. Although, it isn’t the smallest country in the world by far – there are at least a dozen smaller states and countries, including five in Europe. (The world’s smallest country is Vatican City).

Luxembourg – whose full name is the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – includes some beautiful scenery in the north of the country. This part of the country contains the wooded Ardennes region, which also spreads into neighboring countries. The so-called Battle of the Bulge was fought in this area during World War II.

But it’s probably true that the most popular destination in this tiny country is the capital city, Luxembourg City. Despite being a small capital with a population of around 120,000, the city is home to the European Investment Bank and European Court of Justice. Impressive, for a city that has the feel of a provincial town.

Luxembourg City is split into two – the old town and the new town – by a spectacular chasm called the Petrusse Valley and spanned by the equally impressive Adolphe Bridge. The new town contains more modern buildings, banks, the larger hotels and the railway station.

On the other side of the chasm, the old town is a great area for strolling and shopping. This area is surrounded by the thick stone city walls and is a warren of winding cobbled streets, medieval houses and at its center, the tree-shaded square known as Place d’Armes.

Luxembourg boasts many cozy bars and cafes, some offering excellent views over the valley and the city also has more Michelin star restaurants per capita than any other country in the world. And recently opened in 2006 is a museum of modern art, designed by the distinguished architect, I.M Pei.

Luxembourg is easy to get to by train - just over two hours from Paris, even less from Brussels. There are flights from over 20 European cities, including London, but no direct flights from the United States. For more information on Luxembourg, visit http://www.visitluxembourg.com/index.htm

Guest entry by Mancunian

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Ajijic: Recommended Village in Mexico to Visit

A few years ago, I discovered the tiny village of Ajijic (Ah-jee-jeek), on the shores of Lake Chapala in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. This discovery was not entirely by accident, however, as my parents had spent six months in the past in the nearby village of Chapala. Ajijic, or "The Place Where The Water Springs Forth," was first settled by the Nahuatl Indians around 1400 A.D., followed by the Franciscan missionaries and the Spanish conquistadors. The influence of all three cultures are still evident throughout the village. Ajijic is small, last estimate of population around 15,000, but that’s not counting the several thousand more "snowbirds," the Canadians, Europeans, and other North Americans who come here on vacation or set up residence for several months each year.

Since I live in the state of eternal summer, Texas, (or so it seems), I was pleasantly surprised on my first visit to Ajijic. I was able to sleep comfortably with windows and doors open and awake to a cool breeze and the fresh scent of mangoes, tangerines, and limes. At an altitude of some 5,000+ feet, the moderate climate is as close to perfect as you’ll get for most of the year. The summer rains that cascade down the mountainsides just after the sun sets are gone before dawn, leaving a fresh new world. The beauty of Ajijic lies in the gardens, the courtyards, and the patios, where even the humblest home has its own yard filled with flowers. Orchids, jacaranda, and bougainvillea spill over the high stone walls and wrought iron gates that enclose beautiful homes and outdoor restaurants.

The accommodations in Ajijic are, for the most part, quaint B&B’s such as the Nueva Posada, the Villa Eucaliptos, Hotel Casa Blanca, and La Paloma. Travelers can expect to find large, airy rooms, balconies, and lovely surroundings, as well as many of the modern amenities of home, with rates ranging from $55 to $95.00/night, including breakfast. The Quinta Quetzalcoatl in Chapala is a bit more expensive, but here you have a choice of rooms or suites, each appropriately named after D.H. Lawrence who stayed in this same villa in 1923, while writing "The Plumed Serpent". Fully furnished homes near the lake or on the hillsides are also available for extended vacations, with weekly and monthly rates from $700/month and up, depending upon location and size. Restaurants, offering a variety of food and beverages, are reasonably priced from $10.00 to $25.00 for a full-course meal.

There are art galleries and boutiques to visit, as well as many outdoor activities in and around the village such as golf, tennis, horseback riding, hiking, and boating. If you’re looking for more attractions and excitement, Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco and the second largest city in Mexico, is less than an hour’s drive from Ajijic. This historic colonial city offers a variety of things to do and see including the Ballet Folklorico in the Degollado Theater, the museums, churches, parks, and six of the largest shopping plazas in the country. Other inexpensive side trips for a day or a weekend include Manzanillo, the sailfish capital of the world, Tequila, and Puerto Vallarta. If you prefer not to pay for a rental car or drive yourself, consider taking the bus. The buses in Mexico are far superior to those in other countries, at least in the U.S., and bus tours can be easily arranged by your hosts at the B&B to many points of interest nearby.

The people in Mexico love music and fiestas, celebrating holidays, birthdays, and weddings throughout the year. Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days, where you can find just about anything for sale in Ajijic and along the Carretera (main road around the lake shore). El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated in October, the Northern Lights Music Festival in February, and the 3-day Maestros del Arte show is held in November. For a few pesos, you can catch a local bus about every hour from the Carretera to visit the other small villages along the lakeshore.

Ajijic is a place where people go to relax, to gain inspiration, and to enjoy the simpler things in life - the sound of church bells from the tiny chapel on the hillside, the children’s laughter across the plaza on their way to school, the small boy leading a donkey with a load of firewood down 16th century cobblestone streets, and the early morning fisherman on the lake. I don’t believe you have to be a writer, an artist, or even a historian to enjoy a visit to Ajijic. It holds a certain fascination and appeal that is difficult to describe, and one you must discover for yourself.

Airlines: Many major airlines have frequent flights to Guadalajara from all major cities in the U.S., as well as flights to Mexico City, but this can get complicated. Taxis are readily available from the airport to Ajijic; however, many of the B&Bs provide transportation to and from the village.

This guest article was written by Sharon Slayton.

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10 adventurous summer vacation ideas

This Forbes article is an interesting introduction to their 10 pictures of adventurous summer vacation spots.

This one sounds like my favorite:

That’s the case at The Tu Tu Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Ore. It welcomes both serious and casual kayakers alike. Book a stay and you can take rigorous half-day trips down the Rogue River on one of the lodge’s 12 sea kayaks or stick to a leisurely half-hour ride. Either way, you'll likely see beaver dens and families of otters. The owners pack box lunches for kayakers taking the longer trips, which can be enjoyed on one of the many sandy beaches on the river.

The 10 spots were:

1. Surfing
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

2. Sailing
Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort in St. John

3. Swimming With Dolphins
The Cove Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas

4. Skiing
Llao Llao Hotel and Resort, Golf-Spa in Bariloche, Argentina

5. Scuba Diving
Four Seasons in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

6. Wilderness Travel
Hotel de Larche in Atacama Desert, Chili

7. Mountaineering
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Canada

8. Off-Road Biking
Westin Resort & Spa in Whistler, Canada

9. Kayaking
Tu Tu Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon

10. Whitewater Rafting
Upper Yangtze River, Tibet

Follow the pictures link above to see them and read a quick blurb about each. The photo of Atacama Desert, Chili is especially awesome.

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10 free things to do in London not including museums

London is expensive as everyone knows – the 5th most expensive city in the world, according to the information I just looked up. And especially at the moment, with the exchange rate hovering around $2 to the pound. A decent hotel room in London costs around $150 a night, and the “tube” – London's beloved but overcrowded subway system - is now the most expensive mass transit system in the world. With that in mind, here are 10 free things to do in London (not including major museums – many of which are still free)

1) Speaker’s Corner
At the corner Hyde Park near Marble Arch. A royal decree of 1855 guaranteed the right of free speech on this spot, to anyone. Go on a Sunday morning to see people lecture on just about anything they like. The hecklers in the crowd are all part of the fun. Past speakers here include Karl Marx and George Orwell.

2) London’s churches
There are many historic churches hidden away all over London, some by the famous architects Wren and Hawksmoor. Many offer free lunchtime concerts. Two of the most famous churches are St. Martin’s in the Fields, in Trafalgar Square – the model for many US colonial churches; and St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. This church is known as the actor’s church and has memorials to Noel Coward and Vivien Leigh, among others.

3) Highgate Cemetery
The most famous and picturesque of London’s several picturesque Victorian cemeteries. The eastern cemetery, containing the grave of Karl Marx is free to visit; the western part can be visited only on a guided tour. If Highgate cemetery looks familiar – it has featured in dozens of horror films.

4) Old Bailey
Anybody can come in here to see proceedings at what is probably the most famous court in the world. Admission is on a first come, first served basis. The building stands on the site of the infamous Newgate Prison and has featured in many books and movies – notably "A Tale of Two Cities" and "V for Vendetta".

5) Burlington Arcade
This beautiful Victorian shopping arcade just off Piccadilly offers some of London’s most delightful small specialist shops. (It costs nothing to window shop!) Burlington Arcade has its own rules – no running or whistling allowed. And at 5:30 pm every day, you can watch members of London’s oldest police force – the Beadles – ceremoniously ring a bell to close the stores.

6) Changing of the Guard
Takes place outside Buckingham Palace, daily from April to July at 11:30 am, otherwise on alternate days. Sometimes canceled due to bad weather or special events – and you have to arrive really early for a vantage point. Try watching the guards on Horseguard's Parade, where there are fewer crowds.

7) Ceremony of the Keys, Tower of London
A centuries old tradition – the nightly and ceremonial locking up of the tower by a Beefeater. To obtain free tickets for this event, you must apply in writing to the tower several weeks ahead of time.

8) Hampstead Heath
This huge expanse of parkland to the north of central London is popular with locals and tourists alike. The heath offers miles of trails, kite flying, picnic spots and a small boating pond – as well as excellent views over London. And you may see a celebrity or two – many famous people live in Hampstead.

9) Recordings at the BBC
It’s possible to get free tickets to see all sorts of shows being taped at the BBC TV centre in west London, and other venues throughout London. Check the BBC web site for details.

10) London’s Blue Plaques
They are everywhere in London – over 800 of them, and trying to spot them can be addictive. Distinctive blue plaques on many buildings indicate which famous person lived there at one time or another. The composer Handel and the rock musician Jimi Hendrix lived next door to each other in Brook Street, Mayfair – just not at the same time.

Check with the official London tourist board for details of these and other free things to do. Also, Time Out magazine has many listings for free events, etc.

Written by guest travel blogger, Mancunian

If you want to read some old blog entries on London, here you go: Sherlock Holmes' London, DaVinci Code tourism, London & Amsterdam travel plan, England travel plan, Harry Potter's England.

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Introduction to museums in Munich

I started collecting information on Munich's museums since I'll need something to do during the day when I go to Munich for their Christmas Market in December 2007. Here's an overview of Munich's most famous museums:

Deutsches Museum – This science museum is featured in 1,000 Places To See Before you Die as the “largest, oldest, and most complete museum of its kind in the world” and a “hands-on extravaganza”. They recommend a full day here.

Glyptothek – A museum for Egyptian and classical art.

Alte Pinakothek – Old Pinakothek has European paintings from the 14th to 18th centuries.

Neue Pinakothek – New Pinakothek has European paintings and sculptures from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Pinakothek der Moderne – Modern Pinakothek has modern and contemporary paintings from famous European artists like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Salvador Dalí. The museums also covers design and architecture.

Haus der Kunst - House of Art has no permanent exhibitions but attracts good visiting exhibits. It contains the nightclub for high society, P1 and is next to Englischer Garten (Munich's largest park).

Lenbachhaus – Possibly Munich’s most famous museum, this one focuses on expressionists and contemporary art.

Villa Stuck – The Villa von Stuck museum building was designed by Franz von Stuck, a famous German artist. I presume they have his work in there but English information online is a little hard to come by.

Palace of Nymphenburg – This baroque palace features great decorations in the rooms and the “Gallery of Beauties” which Joseph Stieler painted for King Ludwig I.

Munich’s Residenz in the city center is a museum with 130 rooms where the rooms themselves are the exhibits. There’s also a treasury or Schatzkammer with treasures (what else?) from swords and daggers to goldsmith and ivory work. There’s also an excellent coin and currency collection.

Specialty museums: I’m not so interested in the hunting and fishing museum, Deutsches Jagd und Fischereimuseum, but I bet the Spielzeugmuseum (toy museum) in a small tower by the Marienplatz is quite interesting. I understand that there are other specialty museums on this street as well.

All this definitely makes me want to visit Munich.

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Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica: hotel options

I mentioned a trip to Costa Rica two days ago (the trip to Europe should happen during the winter of 2007-2007 and will include Munich's Christmas market, Paris, Madrid, and Bangkok - and maybe Trang - more on that later).

Back to the trip to Costa Rica - several people have recommended Manuel Antonio National Park (including Kristin in her comment on this blog entry from 2 days ago) in Quepos, Puntarenas (3.5 hours car ride south of San Jose). It's listed in 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.

The author likes that Manuel Antonio National Park because it has rain forest areas, beaches, and coral reefs for snorkelers. They say the best times are the dry months December to March and June to August. I thought that June to August was the green season (when it rains more) so I'm going to look into that.

They like Hotel La Mariposa and say some people are so happy there they never make it down the hill to Manuel Antonio National Park. Rates start at $140/night.

One friend recommended the Blue Monkey Hotel: "Manuel Antonio is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited... If you are looking for somewhere great and cheap to stay, look for the Blue Monkey (El Mono Azul) -- you get your own villa (one bedroom with kitchen, family room and patio) for around $75 (American $$) per night. However, if you are going in August, expect extreme heat!

I checked out the website and the rooms seem to start at $55 (less if you don't need AC). They have lots of rafting trips and things (though you can go rafting in America) - these trips are surprisingly expensive compared to the hotel room.

Another friend recommended Hotel Parador: "Hotel Parador was great--Excellent value, locations and amenities." Rooms here start at $145/night and they also have numerous trips that actually seem to be a little less expensive than those at the cheaper hotel.

I'm going to contact all three hotels to explore the possibility of doing reviews (like I just did with Plantation Bay). If you know of any others I should look into, let me know.

Another friend recommended Santa Ana which he said is a "small town (pronounced "santana") a short ride southeast from San Jose. Villa Belen just outside of town was an excellent place to stay (10 years ago at least). Spanish Villa bed and breakfast. Last minute change of plans but it turned out to be a great place." I'll see what I can find out about Santa Ana as well.

And I really need to find out if August is truly a dry month or if I've been misinformed. As always, I'll share whatever I find out.

Posted by James Trotta at 11:37 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

Summer travel plans starting to make sense: Costa Rica is looking better than Europe right now

Spirit Air has an interesting sale where some flights are 1 cent each (plus taxes and things).

When I searched for something that was more my style (New York's LaGuardia to San Jose, Costa Rica) in late July / early August the cost was $149 round trip (plus taxes and things). That's great!

It's especially great since my wife and I just spent hours trying to come up with a European vacation plan. We looked at London, Madrid, Prague, and more. We diddn't come up with anything under $3,000 for 9-10 days (including airfare for 2 plus the hotel but not meals and things). So if my writing seems sloppier than normal it's because we just spent hours looking at different vacation ideas.

I know at least one thing I have to do in Costa Rica is see the Arenal volcano and stay in the Tabacon resort there. Rooms with a view of the Volcano start at $245/night so what we save in airfare might get quickly used up on hotels... I have a few other tips but I haven't worked them into a real plan yet. I'll probably need help from a Lonely Planet Costa Rica or something. That Lonely Planet got mixed reviews but Let's Go Costa Rica has no reader reviews. Frommer's Costa Rica didn't do so well with the reviews either.

In addition to a night in San Jose and a few nights by the Arenal volcano, I'd like to work in some trips to the rain forest, possibly the Monteverde Cloud Forest and the Cano Negro Rio Frio boat ride.

I haven't figure out what will work yet. I do know that the Arenal volcano is pretty far away from San Jose so I'd like to find something in between.

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Getting ready for vacations and going on divorcemmons

This article covers 2 pretty different topics. First it talks about getting ready for vacation. This can include cleaning before vacation, or buying a special perfume before vacation (you wear it on vacation and then whenever you smell that scent again you remember your vacation).

Then they talk about divorcemoons:

The Ultimate Divorcee Vacation package is being offered by the deluxe, all-inclusive Grand Velas All Suites and Spa Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The package includes an ocean-view suite, a four-hour "Diamond Divorce" spa experience (body exfoliation, massage, facial, manicure and pedicure) - and a private consultation with a jeweler to explore what the hotel's public relations folks call "the ultimate challenge - what to do with the 'bling' (wedding and engagement rings) from a marriage."

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Wat Pho travel essay: Reclining Buddha, Thai massage, and scams

Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn is Bangkok’s oldest and largest wat. Commonly referred to as Wat Pho, this Buddhist temple covers 80,000 square meters with mosaic spires, armed stone guardians, over 1,000 images of Buddha, a museum, and a massage school. Nearly every tourist in Bangkok comes to Wat Pho, which offers travelers the 46-meter-long Reclining Buddha, traditional Thai massage, and challenging encounters with scammers.

The first thing most visitors to Wat Pho seek out is the famous Reclining Buddha. The average tourist is probably about the same size as this Giant Buddha’s big toe. This means that even though the figure is lying down, tourists still crane their necks in order to see as much of the 15-meter-high face of the Reclining Buddha as they can. Despite the many tourists, the large hall, called The Vihara of the Reclining Buddha or Phra Buddhasaiyas, is oddly quiet. People from any religion seem to recognize that the huge image of Buddha surrounded by mural paintings and the smell of incense is a place for quiet reflection. By the time travelers slowly walk the length of the 46-meter-long Reclining Buddha they are ready to focus their eyes on something smaller. The inlaid mother-of-pearl depictions of 108 auspicious signs of the Buddha cater to those with an eye for detail. Seeing the huge Reclining Buddha as well as the intricate mother-of-pearl decorated feet and the mural paintings on the walls coupled with the smell of incense leads to a surprisingly quiet retreat at this popular tourist spot.

Traditional Thai massage is a real treat for most tourists in Thailand. In Wat Pho, the massage room holds about 20 people and the air is thick and hot without air conditioning. I chose the hot herbal massage where the masseuse begin the massage with hot packs tinted yellow from aromatic ginger, lemongrass, turmeric, and other herbs. Feeling the hot herb poultice on your skin relaxes you and leaves your skin yellow before the masseuse begins the surprisingly painful massage. Tourists rarely expect the masseuse to use her knees and elbows more than here hands and fingers. This leads to a fairly noisy experience; it’s not uncommon to hear people moaning or even gasping. However, the most memorable is sound is that of your own bones popping as the masseuse bends your body into some yoga-like poses not unlike getting a chiropractic adjustment in America. The hot air, the hot herbal poultice, the yellow-stained skin, the battered muscles, the gasps of pain, and the realigned bones make for a memorable experience.

Another memorable experience that’s almost as common as Thai massage is encountering Thai scam-artists. Since Wat Pho and the Grand Palace are literally next to each other all tourists need to do is exit Wat Pho, turn toward the palace, and walk. Just don’t expect much help if you’re not sure which way to turn. When I asked a Thai guard at one of the Wat Pho exits, he waved me away to a tuk-tuk driver, who told me that the Palace was closed due to a Buddhist holiday. He recommended I take a ride with him to some tourist area that he showed me on a map. I called the tuk-tuk driver on his lie since there was no Buddhist holiday and turned to the guard for help. No help came, and I left Wat Pho outraged that the guard would let scammers try to cheat people right in front of him. Part of becoming a worldly traveler is encountering these sorts of challenging situations and not letting them ruin your vacation.

In conclusion, while there is much to see and do in Wat Pho, tourists should be certain not to miss the Reclining Buddha and Thai massage. In addition, tourists may have no choice but to deal with a scam-artist and must remain wary. Wat Pho opens daily at 8:00 AM and closes at 5:00 PM. Admission is 50 baht. Thai massage is 250 baht / hour (regular or foot massage) while herbal massage is 350 baht / hour. Encountering a scammer is free as long as you avoid being scammed. You can reach Wat Pho on Air-conditioned bus 1, 6, 7, 8, 12, or 44. You can also take the Chao phraya Express boat and get off at Tha Chang pier, Tha Tien Pier or Pak Klong Talad Pier, then walk to the Thai Wang Road entrance.

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Studying language on vacation

Well I am many hours behind on sleep thanks to taxes (finally finished) so let me leave you with only this article on mother daughter spa vacations.

It starts off by talking about a mother and daughter who were planning a trip to Guatemala to study Spanish but ended up at spas in Mexico instead.

Now spas are great, but I just want to point out how awesome it could be to head to Italy for a month and include three weeks of Italian classes. You'll still have nights and weekends free for whatever trips you want to make to other cities. During the week you'll have friends to eat out with and visit that city’s tourist spots with.

So you could leave Rome after a month having learned a little Italian, having made some friends, and having explored lots of the city with good company.

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Traveling around California

We already have quite a few entries on traveling in California, but I found a few decent articles and feel like sharing a few old blog entries so here we go: traveling in California.

Actually before I start, a note to the people who complain that they don't have enough money or time to go on vacation: being a servant in California can be more lucrative than you might think. I can't seriously recommend a job over starting your own business if you want to be rich, but for someone who wants nothing more than a good job.

During your three weeks paid vacation, there are lots of things to do without even leaving the state of California. This site has some good California travel itineraries. I spent a lot of time reading these vacation outlines.

This article recommends a few luxury hotels in California: "Northern California offers scores of places to vacation like a queen or software CEO. We found these ultimate luxury inns in the wine country, San Francisco and along the Pacific Coast."

I recently wrote about the lone cypress. When I wrote about Catalina Island, we got some very useful comments. This San Diego travel itinerary can really help someone plan their own trip. You can also go panning for gold (I've always wanted to do this) or go whale watching. We also have some useful information on places to eat in San Diego.

There's also Mexico's California including Cabo San Lucas. I'm not sure what's going on with their jazz festival, but there are some high-priced adventure vacations in the Baja. Check out the cheaper one:

MARQUIS LOS CABOS

"Sense of Adventure on Land"

$6,950 per couple.

Season: June 1-Oct. 10.

Includes: five nights in a Private Pool Casita; round-trip VIP airport transfers; welcome drink; buffet breakfast each morning; three-day rental of a 4WD Jeep, with insurance; Hummer trip to Canyon of La Zorra with picnic lunch; East Cape tour by Hummer with picnic lunch; Hummer trip to Los Todos Santos; one-hour horseback ride in the desert; one-hour horseback ride on the beach; taxes, service fees.

Cost per night: $1,390

Doesn't include: transportation to the destination.

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Island vacations: Caribbean, Floridian, Hawaiian, Seychellian

There's a pretty good article here on various Caribbean islands. Of course if you read the one a few days ago, this might not excite you. They do recommend some particular resorts and this could be useful if you're planning a Caribbean trip. They also recommend a few adventure vacation all-inclusives.

If you're looking for an American island, try Florida's Amelia Island. This article makes it sound like a good place for families and nature-loving kayakers (like myself). They also mention golf, tennis, and shopping but I didn't actually read those parts (although I do like tennis a little).

For a more famous American island, consider a Hawaiian vacation. I just learned that they have a steam train excursion which features some nice views and some history lessons. You might also try to reach America's best beach or you can consider working with this vacation plan. Or you could find a nice condo on Kauai or Kauai's Hanalei bay Resort.

If you need to spend $3,000 or more/night, try Banyan Tree Seychelles on the island of Mahe, off Africa's Tanzanian coast. This article talks about that one and a few other vacations I can't afford. Sir Paul McCartney and Janet Jackson stayed there and we can only imagine what they saw:

The Seychelles have been called a modern-day Garden of Eden, with UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the VallŽe de Mai, home to the legendary coco-de-mer double nut, orchids the size of basketballs, and extraordinary bird and tortoise colonies. You can be whisked away there or to neighboring islands Praslin and La Digue, courtesy of the Banyan Tree's newest perk: a private helicopter pad making it easy to arrange for inter-island transport.

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Caribbean Islands

Here's a neat article on which Caribbean Islands are best for certain types of travelers.

According to the Scotsman, families should consider Aruba because of its family friendly activities. It's also well-covered in this blog with an entry on the best restaurants in Aruba and another on some Aruba resorts & hotels (including timeshares).

Anguilla is the best Caribbean island for food lovers. I don't have anything for you here, but the article will recommend a hotel that grows its own vegetables. That doesn't excite me but for some food aficionados who truly appreciate fresh veggies I guess it could be just the thing.

Jamaica is the place to go for golfers. Jamaica has 12 golf courses and they are easily accessible from the resorts. The Half Moon Resort has 3 courses.

Hikers, bikers and horse riders should head to Dominica for their outdoor adventure vacations. Numerous dive sites and beautiful nature on the island itself are the main attractions here. The Papillote Wilderness Retreat has hot springs and a botanical garden. Rates seem reasonable ($110/night for a double room). With only seven rooms, it sounds like a nice retreat from the hustle bustle of everyday life (with any luck that will be the worst cliche I ever use for the rest of my life).

Eleuthera is an island I've never heard of, but I guess I need to do some research. The article says this is the place for good beaches without crowds. Eleuthera is an Out Island of the Bahamas so you would have to fly to Nassau and get a charter from there. Sounds like an adventure already.

The best island for clubbing is supposed to be Trinidad and Tobago but armed robberies of tourists are on the rise there. I think we'll take a wait and see approach before booking the flight.

For Hermits we have Marie-Galante, which features "deserted white-sand beaches and Old World charm."

St Vincent and the Grenadines are for the sailing and yachting crowds. Sounds like an expensive hobby.

That's my summary of the first article. I really like these articles on which vacation is good for different types of travelers. It reminds me of the articles on which cruises are best for different people. And there's another one concentrating on different European cruiselines (my blog entry is weak now that I look at it, but the article it links to is still there).

And if you're cruising the Caribbean, this USA Today article says reduced demand could mean better deals. Newsday talks about a last minute deal for Barbados. It doesn't do me any good since I'm not leaving in the next few days (I like to plan ahead).

CNN reminds us to consider Mexico's Caribbean coastline. I may be biased, but I think a few of my articles on the Mexican Riviera are at least as good as the advice in this CNN one. There's the Riviera Maya, Mexico vacation at Bahia Principe Tulum Hotel, some tips on Playa Del Carmen, and a Playa Del Carmen honeymoon experience.

Looking for some vacation rentals in the Caribbean? Caribbean vacation rentals are one of the greatest ways to take a vacation. Why not a villa rental on the Caribbean for your vacation?

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Vacations and tours for shopaholics

Here's a vacation theme I never considered before. I suppose I should have realized that there was a niche for shopping themed vacations after the shopping in Toronto vacation plan was submitted...

Anyway, Newsweek has a brief article on some different vacation ideas for shopaholics. The two that seem most interesting to me are the "shopping for handmade furniture" tours and one where "clients hop into a Ferrari F430 Spider and tool around Europe for seven days, stopping at such shopping meccas as Christian Lacroix in Monaco and the Salvatore Ferragamo flagship store in Florence."

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Get your history straight and your nights gay in Philadelphia

Here's an article about how Philadelphia has delivered on its promise to be a gay-friendly vacation spot, at least according to tourists from an R Family Vacations group. This is the first I've heard of the Rosie O'Donnell vacation group. So far O'Donnell has accompanied all the R Family Vacation trips although she says that eventually she won't be able to keep going on all those vacations. I guess even the rich and famous have to work some time...

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Foot massage course in Bangkok's Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School

I found a several-years-old paper as I was cleaning the other day for a foot massage course in Wat Po (Bangkok, Thailand). On and off I've been talking about this course with my wife for years. I'd love for her to come with me (knowing Thai massage would be much better if I could expect reciprocation) but the stray dogs depress here and she doesn't want to go back.

I don't really want to go on my own and my wife jokes (or maybe she's serious) that I'm not allowed to go alone anyway because of all the prostitution we saw at the night market / red light district by Saladaeng Station.

But anyway I keep dreaming about trading Thai massages with my wife everyday. Some day she will miss the cheap massages enough to return to Thailand with me. A quick web search revealed that you can study regular massage over 5 or 10 days (30 hours total) for 8,500 baht. Foot massage is also 30 hours over 5 or 10 days but the cost is only 6,500 baht.

Combined with another slice of Thailand, I think Trang sounds good, as does Long Beach, Koh Lanta. There are some useful comments after this Bangkok & Koh Samui vacation itinerary.

I've also heard about massage courses in Chiang Mai. One person said that at the Thai Massage School / Hospital courses are less expensive than at Wat Pho and the instructors speak much better English. The cheaper costs seem to be true. I have no way of confirming that the instructors at the school in Chiang Mai speak better English than those in Wat Po. One person complained about the theory lessons (sometime when I link to a tripod page like this one, I send them so much traffic that tripod shuts the site down - if the site is down, try back in a couple of days) and the large number of students in each class. That page also reviews some other massage schools in addition to the two I talk about here.

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Family spring break vacation ideas

Yesterday I linked to a family spring break vacation experience in Park City, Utah. Here's another article on family oriented spring break ideas. Park City didn't make the list but Hilton Head, North Carolina did (I blogged about Hilton Head South Carolina but I guess I was wrong). So did San Antonio, Texas. Two parts of Florida also made the list: Orlando, Florida's Lake Buena Vista area near Epcot (not sure why but that reminds me of the honeymoon in Disney World controversy where someone suggested a beer in every country self guided tour of Epcot) and the Florida Keys.

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Visiting Prague (or at least looking at pictures)

Here's an interesting note about eating healthy in Prague where to get 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, you might end up eating strawberry dumplings. If you need exercise and fruit, walking around for hours can replace visits to the gym.

When I went back to find all my past blog entries about Prague, I was rather surprised to find none. I've been dreaming of visiting Prague for a while so why haven't I been writing about it?

I found a good site for Prague accommodations. In addition to hotels and apartments they have a good page on Prague walking tours. You can go to the individual tour pages to see videos of the walks. The one for the Prague "grand walk" is my favorite; click on the video to see it and be prepared to wait for the video to load.

While the video loads, these photos of Prague ought to keep you busy.

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Buenos Aires tourist attractions: tango, protests, cemeteries, food, fashion, and more

Here's an article on visiting Buenos Aires where you can eat inexpensively (chinchulin de cordero, or grilled lamb's small intestine. About $1.65; bife de chorizo, a stunningly tender boneless chunk of beef comparable to a thick New York strip. About $5).

The article isn't only about food though. They also mention some tourist attractions like street tango dancers. Then there are the more morbid attractions:

On Thursday afternoons, marching Madres de Plaza de Mayo, mothers and sisters of victims "disappeared" by the military junta that ruled Argentina into the 1980s are joined by protesters.

Eva Peron is in Recoleta Cemetery, stored in the Duarte family tomb, which is relatively modest for a cemetery that's nothing if not a study in post-mortal overstatement. Even with the waves of tour groups brought here, it's possible to spend reflective moments with her, alone or alongside the cats (another Webber show!) that freeload among the memorials...

All in all the article is very informative but the last paragraph is fairly discouraging: And there are disappointments, greatest of which are the trash scavengers (sometimes whole families of them) that descend on the city after dark and pick through plastic bags of garbage for recyclables and edible scraps.

And another paper has another Buenos Aires travel article, this one focusing on fashion and food. Here's an excerpt that makes me wonder if I could keep up with my wife if we went on vacation in Bueons Aires:

Most young Argentine designers have set up business in the area, making it a prime shopping destination. One boutique that drew me in was Objeto, where designers Rodrigo Abarquero and Debora Di Stilio sell whimsical pieces, such as layered cotton shirts printed with cartoons that look like Teletubbies gone wild, and uneven skirts with bold stripes. Next, I stopped at Maria Marta Facchinelli's shop, filled with pastel-colored dresses of silk, jersey or cotton tulle. After launching her line in 2000, this up-and-coming Argentinian designer has been featured in magazines, including Vogue and Bazaar. I finally decided on a flowing blue skirt with gold sprinkles at Rapsodia, a bohemian chic temple co-owned by local socialite and former model Sol Acu?a.

This article ends with some airfare information, advice on the weather, useful information on taxis, and is certainly worth reading.

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Romantic travel ideas for couples with or without children

Here's an article on some romantic Hawaii vacations that are aimed at couples. They sounded expensive to me, but not much more than this resort on Kiawah Island, S.C.

And if you have kids, this article brings hope: you can still have a romantic vacation in Big Sur. Again, expect to pay. Even during the off-season the The Tickle Pink Inn will cost you.

I mentioned babymoons and other vacationmoons a while back. Here's another article that talks about babymooning. The author here is more considerate of those of us on a budget: "As sensational as a European vacation sounds, pre-baby getaways don't have to be so elaborate. A weekend in the Poconos or a quick trip to the beach can still be a fun, romantic vacation."

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Spring break + educational travel (not on the same vacation)

I moved into my new home today, which means I'm too tired to blog for long. I did want to share this article from a college newspaper on last minute spring break vacations because my sprin break message was pretty bleak when I talked about the good deals being gone. This article seems to focus on cold beaches but I suppose you'd have more fun at the pool of one of the hip hotels in Vegas...

There's also an interesting article on educational travel, with a focus on programs run by universities. They seem to be quite pricey but certainly interesting.

Well I have to go clean up some more of the mess I've gotten myself into (what was I thinking when I decided to move?) or go sleep...

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Las Vegas vacation planning: where to party, sleep, and book

A college student is planning trip to Las Vegas and needs advice:

For next winter break, Jan '08, myself and my friends are trying to plan a celebratory trip of all of us being 21 to Las Vegas from NY. I have a few questions for those who have done such a trip. Is it best to book online through expedia or go through a travel agent? Any recommendations on hotels? I'm thinking a 6 night stay, is that too much or to little? I figured about 1k per person budget for flight and hotel. So basically any information or personal experiences will be a big help here. Thanks in advance.

The Hard Rock is supposed to be for the younger crowd. I just booked a trip to Vegas on vegas.com and it seemed to be a good deal.

6 nights in Vegas!?! 6 nights is a LOT. I don't know how you plan to spend your vacation but Vegas is very expensive. If you plan on gambling at all (and losing of course) or going out to bars/clubs 6 nights will cost you much more than 1k. Not to mention, if you are in Vegas, odds are you won't sleep much. Vegas for 3 or 4 nights is much more kind to your body and wallet.
You wont last 3! ;) 3 days max dude.

Get hotel rates online first and then call each casino. Shop the hotel rate...if you guys play poker book a room that will give you the poker rate..for instance im goin in march and we got a poker rate (129 for thurs an 199 for fri/sat) as long as we play 6 hrs per day in the poker room (combined) we get that rate.

Go to the Palms because it is the best place in Vegas for a younger crowd and is crawling with women. better than the hard rock. however, if you stay for 6 days, you could end up sucking on an exhaust pipe by day 4. time runs together there and you will either run out of cash or run out of gas and collapse if you are there 6 days.

If all you have is one large, stay off the strip at the suncoast. You could room there and its pretty nice for $50 or so a night plus they have free transport to and from the Strip. I have a vacation home in Vegas and the off strip casinos such as the new Red Rocks have every amenity that you can find on the strip. your $ will go further and the local girls are smokin hot.

I'm going to Vegas soon. We want to see some comedy shows have some good food and maybe some other shows that involve the scantily or not clad women. Hard Rock sounds cheesy to me for some reason, almost like a planet hollywood get up. One place we definitely want to atleast try to make a stop to is the Playboy Club. We have friends that went their a few weeks after it opened who loved it.

Don't go thinking you can walk from the Wynn to the Luxor on me. I like to watch people staggering down Tropicana from the Strip, thinking they can walk to the Palms or the Rio. It's unintentionally amusing. The area around the Strip is bigger than you think. I had my bachelor party in Vegas. We were staying at the Rio. We went over to Paris and stayed until 1-2am. When it was time to leave, the line for a Taxi was about an hour long. We said screw it, and walked over the the Rio. It was 90+ degrees out and there was a ton of construction on Flamingo over the 15. We found ourselves walking on Flamingo with people honking and yelling at us. It was actually a really dangerous thing to do. That was a bad decision.

I stayed at Harrah's when I went, and the location was fantastic even if I didn't like the casino all that much. You're never in your hotel room, so consider that when picking your place. We had friends at the time that were staying at the MGM Grand...their pool was phenomenal with a lot of very good looking women all over it, at least when I went in summer '05.

Just came from Vegas last week for a family reunion and we stayed at Circus Circus. (It must have been the only place with RV parking on the strip.) Do not go there if you want any high-roller amenities or if you are allergic to kids. Mind you it was a decent room at a decent price but I swear the place didn't have one hostess under 45 bringing people their drinks.

The Palms is the hottest casino for the younger crowd right now. Hard Rock used to be, and I hear it still has the hottest outdoor pool scene. Palms is off the strip, which is a good thing as well, imo. 3 nights is plenty for most people!

I've been to Vegas five times and I’m only 25. Some quick tips. Check Orbitz for hotel rooms, you can find some great hotels for really cheap (Mandalay, TheHotel,Caesars). Try kayak.com for your plane tickets and maybe hotel (I never tried for the hotel).

I thought the same about Hard Rock (something like planet hollywood which is lame) but Hard Rock on Sunday night is insane. Make sure you go to Body English at Hard Rock on Sunday night. Hard Rock is actually pretty expensive to stay at compared to the Orbitz hotel prices. I'm not sure what happened in the last month but when I went to Vegas, the Palms was the most dead casino in Vegas.

The weather in January is as cold as NYC. I went last month for MLK weekend and it was 20 degrees out. If you go on MLK weekend, the porn convention will be intown. Alot of hot girls but big crowds, tough to get in everywhere which means heavy greasing if you want tables or even want to get in a club (depends on your group's girl to guy ratio).

The best nightclubs in vegas right now are Tryst (Wynn), Tao (Venetian), Pure (Caesars) and Body English.

I wouldn't stay at the Hard Rock either, it's pretty pricey. Just go there to gamble and to check out Body English. I'd stay at MGM or even Paris or Alladin or one of those for cheaper. TAO is great- probably the best club around. Tryst and Pure are also great... In March, the weather can get nice. 50 or 60 degrees during the day. But the pools probably won't be open, they weren't last year when I went in March. So keep that in mind. As for strip clubs- Scores is definitely the best. I hung out with Flava Flav last time I went. Probably a story I'll tell my grandkids.

We Stayed At The Mirage at the center of everything. booked the room, airfare and airport transfers thru a travel agent on America West (which is part of USAirways now i think). $1200 4 days 3 nights...6 years ago. we rented a car for $19 p/d from a rent-a-wreck type agency at another hotel and did Ethel M tour, driving around the city, to the Stratosphere, Hyatt, out to dinner, etc. valet parking in Vegas is free!!! cost us a couple $$$ in tips and your car was cool when they returned it. our biggest expense was our cabana day spent by the pool.

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Meaningful vacations: volunteer and education travel

By the way, comments are finally working so please say something!

Here's an article on how volunteer vacations and education travel are on the rise. The author shares some ideas like donating frequent flyer miles or cash to charities, playing with or adopting stray dogs, getting discount hotel rooms in New Orleans in exchange for volunteer work, working with Habitat for Humanity, cleaning up a beach, Earthwatch trips to help African lions or South American rain forests, and numerous volunteer vacations.

There were some useful comments on this previous meaninful travel blog entry. Feel free to share your ideas or experiences by either leaving a comment or if yours is a longer piece that warrants publishing on its own email me - jtrotta@gmail.com.

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Vienna, Austria: Schubert Park (Währing Cemetery) & Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery)

The Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) in Vienna draws more tourists than most cemeteries. I just learned about the cemetery from reading one of those in-flight magazines (that's why I ahven't posted in a couple of days - I was flying from New York to Seoul with a brief stop in Tokyo).

Many people who would not normally consider visiting a cemetery on vacation still visit Vienna's Central Cemetery, which is most famous for the musicians buried in its special section (the Ehrengräber) where composers, writers, artists and politicians are buried. The more famous musicians in Centralfriedhof's Ehrengräber are:

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Johan Strauss (1825-1899)
Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827)
Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)

Vienna's Central Cemetery is the city's largest burial ground with 330,000 graves but since it opened in 1874, Schubert and Beethoven were originally buried elsewhere. You can still see Beethoven's and Schubert's original graves, marked by memorials. Originally known as Währing Cemetery, Schubert Park is where Beethoven and Schubert were buried. Both were exhumed and moved to Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery).

Visiting Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery): Main entrance (Tor 2), Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234 , 1110 Vienna. You can get to Central Cemetery on trams 71 and 6, bus 171 and the train (Schnellbahn) S7. There's also parking (for a fee).

Central Cemetery's hours are:

Jan - Feb: 8am to 5pm
March - April: 7am to 6pm
May - August: 7am to 7pm
Sept - Nov 2nd: 7am to 6pm
Nov 3rd - Dec: 8am to 5pm

I searched for information on visiting Währing Cemetery or Schubert Park, but I haven't found anything useful online and I don't have the guidebooks (Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2007 seems to get good reviews).

While I'm writing about Austria, let me see what you think of this link to some free Austria travel brochures. These are tour operators who want to send you free information about their Austrian vacation packages.

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Valentine's Day travel ideas

NCL has some cruise sales in time for Valentine's Day romance. And then here's an article "just in time to help navigate that romantic Valentine's Day getaway." It's about what stresses the different sexes while traveling.

And that's all I have for today. I'm exhausted from getting ready for and going through an INS interview to remove the conditional status from my wife's green card. We were up all night organizing papers and stuff. Then we had to wait two hours for our 5 minute interview (which made us wonder why they bothered giving us an appointment time of 9:15 which forced us to travel to Fedral Plaza during rush hour). But anyway the immigration officer quickly recognized that ours was a real marriage and sent us happily on our way!

For Valentine's Day were meeting some friends in a restaurant in Cortlandt Manor (New York State) called Cortlandt Colonial Restaurant & Ballroom on Feb. 10.

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Where to eat in San Diego

I'm still working on the web hosting, but the blog must go on. I have a friend going to San Diego for a few days on business and he's looking for good restaurants out there. He's staying at the Marriott in La Jolla. I've collected some advice – feel free to leave your own by making a comment.

1) Anyplace in the Gaslamp is gonna be good for dinner. But... for lunch one day you gotta try Kansas City Barbeque. It's this little hole in the wall dumpy looking place, but its where they filmed the "You've lost that lovin feeling" scene from Top Gun. (You'd NEVER be able to tell, its pretty trippy) But there's top gun and KC football memorabilia all throughout the joint. I was in SD for 3 days and I had to go there twice. The food is amazing too. It's within walking distance of Petco Park. Take a walk in the park they have. They open the outfield gates up and you can walk all around right up to the outfield fence, through the bleachers etc.

2) I live in San Diego. There are a bunch of good places in downtown. If you like Italian the best place in the whole city is Buon Appetito in Little Italy. For Breakfast you absolutely have to go to Hash House a GO GO in Hillcrest. In La Jolla go to George's at the Cove and sit near the balcony for an amazing view. Also in Lajolla is the Marine Room, but it is more pricey. You have got to try a Carne Asada burrito from one of the Roberto's Taco stands. They are all over the place in SD.

3) If you want steaks, go to Donovans. It's probably the best in SD, and it is right there in La Jolla. I know they are all over the country but Flemings is an amazing place for a good cut of beef. It's at the end of K Street in the Gaslamp. Across from the Hilton. There are some really cool Irish Pubs in the Gas Lamp. If you can' have fun there, I don't know what to tell you!

4) Buon Appetito in Lttle Italy is a great Italian restaurant. And they have a great wine bar right next door. Georges is nice too, but for the view. Top of the Market in Seaport Village has good seafood and great views. It's walking distance from the Midway. And there are a ton of good restaurants in the Gaslamp. Just walk up and down 5th and check out the menus. You're guaranteed to find something you like.
My favorite restaurant is a place called Island Prime in Point Loma.
Great food, and a great view of the city.
KC BBQ is OK for a beer I guess, but I wouldn't go there to eat, especially if I were only here for a week.

5) If you are in La Jolla and willing to pay a heavy check, go to George's, great view of the cove, pretty nice food. I'd recommend the less formal top floor, best view, easiest atmosphere. Will you have a car? Pizza Port is a really cool place a few beaches up if you like Pizza, they brew their own beers too.
In Ocean Beach (where I've lived) there is a small bar/restaurant called South Beach with some of the best fish taco's you'll find. A couple other places here depending on your mood, Pepe's, a small Italian place run by a couple from NYC, and Rancho's, a small Mexican place with an organic theme.

Best sushi in San Diego is Sushi Ota, hands down, it's in Pacific Beach, not far from La Jolla. Make reservations if you go there.

Comments moved from the old server:

I live in SD as well and i must say the ABSOLUTE BEST place for dessert is "extrordinary desserts" on 5th ave in hillcrest. the owner trained in france and heaven i think!!! and if your in SD for a long time and want a taste of some great new york style pizza try "bronx pizza" also in hillcrest.

Posted by: diane at January 20, 2007 08:02 PM
This is wonderful! I'm planning a trip for myself and my husband in September to SD and Cabo. Thanks for the information!

Posted by: Beth at January 20, 2007 11:07 PM
I can't recommend Market in Del Mar enough.
http://www.marketdelmar.com/index.html

Posted by: John at January 20, 2007 11:25 PM
The absolutely best fish tacos are at Chuey's just off Imperial Ave. underneath the Coronado Bridge. When I first heard of fish tacos I said "yew!" but they're awesome.

Posted by: Marta at January 21, 2007 01:45 AM
The absolutely best fish tacos are at Chuey's just off Imperial Ave. underneath the Coronado Bridge. When I first heard of fish tacos I said "yew!" but they're awesome.

Posted by: Marta at January 21, 2007 01:45 AM
You cannot miss the Sunday brunch at the Hotel del Coronado! It's in an amazing room, the food is great, and you can eat yourself into a coma. The cost of bloody marys and/or bellinis is included. The service is great. They have king crab legs galore, and they've been halved so you just scoop out the meat.
Also on Coronado is Peohe's. It's Hawaiian food. Great view of the harbor, and great food. Enjoy SD! I love it!

Posted by: Heidi at January 21, 2007 09:38 AM
The area around seaport is great, as is the food at The Fish Market nearby. Also a good restaurant is The Red Sails, great little rest. by the boat docks.

Posted by: Richard at January 21, 2007 10:26 AM
San Diego is my home and as a local (not very many people can honestly call themselves that) I am proud to say that San Diego is full of wonderful "sections" where the dining, scenery, and night life are dependant on what mood you're in. There's La Jolla (fancy, a bit pricey, but the scenery impeccable), Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach (PB and OB referred to by locals) is fun for a more mellow time. The Gaslamp (Downtown) is great for excellent dining and vibrant night life. Hillcrest (just about 15 minutes north from the GAslamp) also has wonderful restaurants. But what hasn't been mentioned in the prior reviews is Old Town. State historic parks, historic sights, museums, history afficionados, quaint shops and wonderful Mexican dining (all the restaurants on the main strip are pretty good) defines Old Town. Passing through San Diego and not doing Old Town would be a mistake.

Posted by: Yazmin at January 22, 2007 12:50 AM
In Old Town 1 blk. east, on Juan St.is La Pinata Mexican food, Great prices and Great food. North of the 8 freeway and east of the 5 freeway is Tio Leo's Mexican food also Great! I've gone to both for 20 years. Fast food, In-Out Hamburger.
Anthony's on the Harbor, by the India Sailboat and to the south is the Navel ship, you can also tour. From Anthony's to the Navel ship are all walking distance, if you get tired, you can hop on a bicycle taxi. If Adults only go to the Hyatt they have happy hour go to the elevators and puch bar floor. Talking about a spectaculer view of the Bay, the drinks are good too! Have fun.

Posted by: Elisa at January 22, 2007 03:35 PM
I graduated from UCSD, but now I live in Boston. There are so many great places to eat in SD.
The Cottage on Fay Street in La Jolla is a wonderful place to eat a late breakfast. The patio is beautiful and the corned beef hash is heavenly. World Curry on Garnet in Pacific Beach is another great place to eat. It's fun and funky. Pannikin on Gerard in La Jolla has wonderful baked treats and Mexican hot chocolate to warm up with after a full day of wintry tourism.

Posted by: Karen at January 23, 2007 05:57 AM
The Cheese Shop Deli in La Jolla is the best deli I've been to. The Roast Pork Loin sandwich is to die for! The Cheese Shop is at 2165 Avenida De La Playa, La Jolla.

Posted by: Tracey at January 23, 2007 06:38 AM
I recommend West in Carlsbad http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=5871 probably the only 5 star in North County San Diego, and difficult to get into. MAKE a reservation at least a week in advance.

Posted by: Mark Fidelman at January 23, 2007 12:46 PM
We enjoyed the Mandarin House, 2604 Fifth Ave.
San Diego, 619-232-1101

Apparently this place has been a fixture in San Diego for many years. The food is nothing unusual for a Chinese restaurant, it's just very good stuff. Reviews say that their Cantonese dishes like cashew chicken or sweet-and-sour pork are really good. I don't recall what we ordered, but we would eat there again if we didn't live 3000 miles away.

Posted by: Roi at January 25, 2007 05:27 AM

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What to do and where to stay in Miami Beach/Miami

I'm thinking about visiting Miami Beach/Miami for New Years so I'm looking for any recommendations regarding things to do (esp water sports), places to shop, places to eat, and things to sightsee? I've collected a little information from friends, but if you know anything, please leave a comment below.

Answer 1: I lived there a few years after college. Watch out for the late night walks on the beach heading into unlit areas. Overall the area is pretty safe so long you don't go off the beaten path and be aware of your surroundings. Regarding what/where to go, water sports are easy to access, you can get info through the hotel or just walking down the beach.

Answer 2: Upstairs at the VanDyke on Lincoln Rd is a great jazz club with live jazz 7 nights per week. And you should definately stay at one of the boutique hotels in SoBe. there's a place called "The Hotel" rooftop upscale bar -neat rooms and walk to everything.

Answer 3: Speaking of Lincoln Road, go for a walk there. Check out Pacific Time for Asian fusion. I'm too old and married for the club scene anymore. One thing is for sure, the clubs don't start kickin till late. After 12. Prime 112 is also a great restaurant. Nobu at the shore Club. This sounds stupid but you will enjoy Parrot Jungle. I'm not joking.

Answer 4: If you're willing to stray away from SoBe in Miami, swing by Coconut Grove or Bayside for a night. The Grove is more of a party atmosphere while Bayside is more event/mall/boardwalk driven. Good times - Love me some SoBe.

Answer 5: If you're into the whole club thing check out Blue on Espanola Way. And for a good party just hop in a cab and tell him to take you to Pawn Shop its like a 10 min ride. You won't be sorry; a lot of locals there love the place. The VIP room is a school bus and the DJ booth is the inside of a truck. Enjoy!!

Posted by James Trotta at 1:29 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Vacation in Minnesota's International Wolf Center

Here's an article about meeting a wolf in Ely, Minnesota near Canada and learning about them in Minnesota's International Wolf Center. The author had an amazing experience that included getting growled at by Shadow, an Arctic white wolf. They went out into the wild to try to howl with wolves but had no luck (there's a 50% chance that the wolves respond to your howls).

I heard wolves howling in the Singapore Night Safari (included in this travel plan) and it was a magical experience. I'd be willing to take my chances in Minnesota and hope I can hear that music again.

Posted by James Trotta at 3:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Things to do in Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona

Here's an article for Oklahoma football fans about what to do in Arizona (the Oklahoma Sooners play in the Fiesta Bowl in Scottsdale, Arizona on Jan. 1). However we can all appreciate air tours (hot air balloon rides), spas, golf (Scottsdale is ranked the 8th top golf destination by Golf Digest), and the desert:

The Sonora Desert, which covers 120,000 square miles in Southwest Arizona and Southeastern California, is home to many of the country’s best landscapes. The Saguaro National Park, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Lake Havasu State Park, Kartchner Caverns State Park and Picacho Peak State Park offers outdoor sightseers a feast for the eyes.

To get up close and personal with the Sonora landscape, 360 Adventures and ABC/Desert Biking Adventures offer guided rock climbing trips, mountain biking excursions, canyoneering adventures and hiking as part of their special packages.

Posted by James Trotta at 12:23 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Glühwein (mulled wine) & German Christmas markets

After reading this article and checking out the accompanying photo gallery, I've added a new location to my travel dream list: German Christmas markets. It seems that most cities have them and have more than one, so there are quite a few markets. Here's a brief summary of a few of the markets:

Nuremberg's Christmas market is one of the most famous partly for it gingerbread cake and sausage (click here for more on German sausage and don't forget part 2).

Dresden's Striezelmarkt is the place to go for Stollen fruit cakes (my grandfather used to make excellent Stollen).

Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt is an upscale market with better quality goods than other markets.

Cologne's Christmas market has medieval-theme (I love that stuff).

Hamburg's St. Pauli pleasure district has an erotic Christmas market (hard to imagine actually).

Munich has a Christmas market on Marienplatz that's geared more toward presents than food. The Munich Christmas tree beneath the Munich Glockenspiel sounds good too.

Aachen's Christmas market "Aachener Printe," Lebkuchen (gingerbread) that is special to Aachen.

The article I linked to above has more details and more Christmas markets (it's several pages long). Enjoy. I'm going to go see if I can find a video on these Christmas markets for my 93-year-old grandfather. He's nearly impossible to shop for, but he is descended from Germans so you never know - he might actually enjoy watching a vide about German Christmas markets.