Travel plan idea blog

Connecticut's Quiet Corner Historical Weekend Itinerary: Revolutionary War

If you remember the postcard I showed you a while back for Connecticut's Quiet Corner, I promised you some travel itineraries. Here is the first:

Accommodations: Victoria Crossing B&B, Lebanon (tel. 860.642.6998) – Near historic Lebanon Green.

Fitch House B&B, Mansfield (www.fitchhouse.com; tel. 860-456-0922) Built in 1836 by master builder-architect Edwin Fitch.

Daniel Rust House B&B, Coventry (tel. 860-742-0032) Built in 1713 and operated as the Bird-in-Hand tavern.

Day 1: (Revolutionary War)

Lebanon Green, Lebanon (www.LebanonCTHistSoc.org) (www.ConnecticutSAR.org) – One mile long Town Green known for its association with the people and events of the American Revolution. Site of the Revolutionary War Office, Governor Jonathan Trumbull House, the William Williams House. Major stop along the Washington-Rochambeau Trail when George Washington’s troops along with French allies marched from RI to Yorktown ,VA where they captured Cornwall’s British troops.

Lunch: Uncle D’s Log Cabin Restaurant, Lebanon (tel. 860.456.7663) – Menu includes “best ribs statewide” in a rural log cabin. Or, Scotland General Store, Scotland (tel. 860.450.1422) – Old-fashioned general store serving lunch.

Huntington Homestead, Scotland (www.huntingtonhomestead.org) – Birthplace of Samuel Huntington, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and distinguished statesman during the Revolutionary War and early Republic. Many original architectural features intact. National Historic Landmark.

If you have time, D’Elia Antique Tool Museum, Scotland (www.deliatoolmuseum.com) – Over 1,000 hand woodworking planes from 1750-1790.

Dinner: Altnaveigh Inn & Restaurant, Storrs (www.altnaveighinn.com) – Country charm, elegant dining in a restored 1734 home.

Day 2: (Characters)

Nathan Hale Homestead, Coventry – Site of Nathan Hale’s family home since 1740, though the existing house was completed in 1776, one year after the execution if CT’s hero who famously declared, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” In the beautiful surrounding Nathan Hale State Forest, (tel. 1.866.287.2757) hiking is encouraged, but there are no formal trails marked.

Strong-Porter House Museum, Coventry (tel. 860.742.1419) – 1730 farmhouse of Nathan Hale’s maternal ancestors. Includes carpenter’s shop and barn with exhibits.

Brick School House, Coventry (tel. 860-742-7474, only open Sunday, in-season.

Lunch: Bea’s Country Kitchen, Coventry (tel. 860-742-7255)

Kathy-John’s, Mansfield (860-429-0362)

Cozy Corner Restaurant, Brooklyn (tel. 860.774.2629), a local’s favorite!

Gurleyville Grist Mill, Mansfield (tel. 860-429-9023, only open Sunday, in-season) Offers a unique look at rural 19th-century gristmill technology and the only one of its kind in Connecticut.

Putnam Elms, Brooklyn (www.putnamelms.org) – Circa 1784 historical home of Col. Daniel Putnam and descendants. 200+ years of American history.

Visit www.mysticcountry.com for more ideas or detail on any of the above locations.

San Francisco / Napa travel itinerary work in progress

Reader submitted travel itinerary:

I settled on going to San Fran for 2 days then Napa for 2 days in mid-May. I am going with another couple (who enjoys eating almost as much as I do).

I am going to post my tentative itinerary, please let me know if it sounds good, I am missing anything and/or if it s doable...

I am staying at a hotel in Union Square in SF for the first two days. I arrive on Wed at around noonish. I have no plans for the first few hours. Late night, when the other couple arrives, the four of us plan on going to Zuni Cafe for some food and drinks. That is all for Wednesday and Wednesday night.

Thurs- We plan on waking up and doing an Alcatraz tour at 10am-ish until 1. After the tour, lunch in Chinatown. After doing tenative research, Great Eastern and R&G seem like good places... Are any better? Maybe House Of Nanking on Geary? One person said it was slipping. Another said it is a "low-budget looking place, but always packed with lines out on the sidewalk during peak hours and is great."

Thursday afternoon, do toursity things around Union Square then walk around the Pier area until dinner at Scoma's at the Wharf. Thursday late night we want to hit the town, what is a good area for bars/lounges and which ones in particular?

Friday morning- tour to Muir Woods and Sausalito from 9-2ish. Afterward, drive out to Napa where we are staying at the Cedar Gables Bed and Breakfast. Are there any must-stops along the way, and what is a good, scenic route to getting there? We have no current dinner plans or vineyard tours planned yet in Napa.

Saturday all day we want to do some sort of wine tours. Sunday morning, after the Breakfast part of the Bed and Breakfast, we are driving back to the SFO Airport and taking off for NJ.

Basically, I want to know what, if anything, I am not planning on doing, that I should. Any advice or recs regarding where I should lunch on Wed. in SF, a Chinatown lunch, Scoma's, winetasting in Napa or methods for doing so, restaurants in Napa or anything else would be much appreciated!

Panama travel plan

I recently had a few drinks with a hotel owner and as I was telling him about my site I realized how I've kind of gotten away from my original vision which was to share travel plans. So today I am happy to share a travel plan with everyone: this one. I outline the itinerary below but check the article for more about each destination.

Day 1: Panama City, Bristol Hotel, Alberto’s restaurant

Day 2: Caving Tour near Lake Bayano, back to Panama City, Casco Viejo and Restaurante Ego.

Day 3: Fly to the mountain town of Boquete, Hotel Panamonte, coffee plantation tour, spa.

Day 4: White water rafting on the Chiriqui River, strawberry farms of Volcan.

Day 5: Fly to Bocas del Toro, Tranquilo Bay resort.

Day 6: Snorkeling, sailing, or inshore fishing.

Day 7: Beach, Bocatown.

Day 8: Back to Panama City. Back Home.

Photography equipment for travelers and Silk Road tour itinerary

This is a follow up on my previous interview with Simon Foster about the Silk Road photography tour. Ewen Bell, the other tour operator has added some more details that might interest you:

James Trotta: What photography equipment should travelers bring (is a pocket size digital camera good enough)?

Ewen Bell: Yes a compact digital will do, but they will get the most from a Digital SLR. There are many advanced techniques people can learn quickly, when given the chance to be shown how and practice non-stop for two weeks! A regular Canon or Nikon DSLR will perform wonderfully, and when coupled with a standard lens and a wide-angle lens you have all you need. People tend to drift towards the fancy telephoto lenses, but unless you're shooting wildlife they're not very useful. A Nikon D40 with 18-55mm is good, or a Canon 40D with 18-55mm is also good. I like very wide angle, so a 10-24mm wide angle lens is a nice match here.

He also sent a long a more detailed itinerary of the tour:

Itinerary in Detail for Silk Road

Day 1 Xi'an
Theme: Get Closer
We'll meet in the hotel lobby at 6pm and then head out for a delicious dumpling banquet! We'll spend this first evening getting to know one another and discussing the objectives and structure of the tour. (D)

Day 2 Xi'an
Theme: Follow The Light
Today we'll head out onto the lively streets of Xi'an, walking through the artist's quarter and around the Ming dynasty city walls. The walk will also provide one-on-one time with the photographic instructor in order to assist you with any basic skills relating to SLR photography. (B)

Day 3 Xi'an
Theme: Still Life
Early this morning we'll visit a fascinating antiques market before heading to the incredible Terracotta Warriors. The visit is included as much for your interest as for photographic study but a telephoto lens of 150mm is still sufficient to take photos of the warriors. Later in the afternoon we explore the lively Muslim markets where we'll also dine and shoot further into the evening to capture the ambience. (BD)

Day 4 Jiayuguan
Today we'll take a short flight west to Jiayuguan and then have the remainder of the day free to relax and review our work. (BD)

Day 5 Jiayuguan
Theme: Landscapes
The stark ochre ramparts of the Ming dynasty Great Wall Fort afford commanding views over the surrounding desert to the mountains in the distance and we start the day here. Later we head into the desert to a crumbling outlying section of wall dramatically perched on the edge of a gorge. (B)

Day 6 Dunhuang
Theme: Colour and Light
We set off early for the long drive through the desert to Dunhuang. During the journey we'll have the chance to review our work, and then we'll have the rest of the day at leisure in this laid-back oasis town. (BLD)

Day 7 Dunhuang
Theme: Candles
This morning we'll explore the desert surrounding Dunhuang, including the huge dunes which border the town. After a free afternoon we'll meet for afternoon drinks on the terrace of our hotel, which is a great spot for the classic dune sunset. (B)

Day 8 Overnight Train
Theme: Digital Techniques
After a free morning we visit the stunning cave art at the Mogao Grottoes a short drive from Dunhuang. No photography is allowed inside the complex so we'll have the chance to rest our tired trigger fingers. We board an overnight train to Turpan. (B)

Day 9 Turpan
After a free morning we'll explore the outlying desert, taking in the fiery Flaming Mountains, a hidden valley oasis vineyard and the graceful domes of an 18th century mosque. (BD)

Day 10 Turpan
Theme: Portraiture
Today we'll visit the nearby ruins of an ancient desert settlement and have a chance to explore the dusty lanes which surround the town. The lanes are lined with grape trellises and are popular thoroughfares for farmers and their donkey carts. (B)

Day 11 Kashgar
Theme: Telling a Story
We drive to Urumqi to catch a flight to Kashgar, the quintessential Silk Road desert trading town. Its proximity to a host of other Central Asian countries lends the town a unique blend of cultures. Kazaks, Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Uighurs are all represented in the region and a stroll along one of Kashgar's bustling alleys will reveal market traders, traditional artisans and daily life. Our explorations are landmarked by mosques and beautifully carved gates. (BD)

Day 12 Lake Karakul
Today we'll make the long, steep drive along the Karakoram Highway from the desert to the 7000m plus mountains that border Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and northern India. We'll overnight in a simple Kyrgyz yurt on the edge of breathtaking Lake Karakul at 3600m. (BD)

Day 13 Kashgar
We'll rise early to enjoy the best of the light as it catches the ever-changing hues of the lake, backed by huge snowcapped mountains. After a simple breakfast and some time to explore the lake we'll wind our way back to Kashgar where we'll have a free afternoon. (B)

Day 14 Kashgar
Theme: Motion
Kashgar's Sunday Bazaar has to be seen to be believed and affords a kaleidoscope of people, produce and photographic potential. We spend the morning here and then the afternoon at the former site of the Sunday Bazaar, now a huge covered market selling trash and treasure, new and old. This evening we head out for a traditional Uighur banquet to celebrate the end of our Silk Road journey. (BD)

Day 15 Kashgar
The tour ends after breakfast. Hotel rooms are held until noon – please advise us well in advance if you require an extra night or two. (B)

US vacation plan: sluicing for gems with a few other diversions

Here's a US vacation plan for treasure hunters. It's been a while since I've written a vacation plan for you and I may not have time to do another one for a while with final exams and then my European vacation coming up. So here goes:

Hiddenite, NC

Go to the gift shop to buy our sluicing permits for Emerald Hallow mines. Expect a crowd and bring a book to identify the minerals you find. They don't have that information there so you should have an idea of what to look for. There are people there, but most visitors don't find them very knowledgeable or helpful.

At Hiddenite you get a mine and creeking permit. The mine at Hiddenite is an open pit. You will get very dirty on your first day, so many people think of Hiddenite as "authentic sluicing". Dishwashing gloves and wearing old clothes is a minimum.

The Red Roof Inn in Statesville is supposed to be well-kept.

Spruce Pine

You could stop at the Blue Ridge Mining Museum on the way here. Gem Mountain is very touristy. You won't get dirty unless you have an accident or something. You get someone who explains the prices of their buckets, starting at $15. Some more expensive buckets come with a free cut (people report finding gems worth cutting in these more expensive buckets).

Here there are displays with samples of minerals that you could use to identify your rocks. There was a very nice gift shop and the place is especially well suited for kids who will have fun finding gems but not get too dirty.

Little Switzerland

About 7 miles from Spruce Pine, in Little Switzerland, is Emerald Village museum, shops, and a mine. I've heard reports from people who have sluiced at this mine as well. One person found a "huge emerald" at the mine here. You won't get too dirty but there is a bit more dirt than Spruce Pine.

Biltmore Estates

Entry is $39 online or $45 at the estate. The Biltmore House can take 2 hours or even longer if you shell out another $8 for the audio tour. The Winery tour takes about 15 minutes, but you might want to take a little longer trying the 8 different wines included in the admission. To try the better wines it's $3 for a half glass or $7 for 3 half glasses.

The Days Inn Biltmore on the outskirts of Asheville is supposed to be nice and clean.

Franklin, NC

The Sheffield Mine outside of Franklin is $10 per person to sluice and you get 2 buckets of ore with that fee. Additional buckets are $2 or 2 for $3.

You have to pay attention to these buckets because there may not be anything in there. Well everyone finds something, but you could spend about 1 hour per bucket of native ore and not find anything good.

This place has a good reputation because the employees teach you what to look for and how to properly scrub and separate the stone.

Days Inn in Franklin is an older motel that gets decent reviews.

Pigeon Forge, TN

When you drive from Franklin to Pigeon Forge you pass Cherokee where there are all kinds of Native American shops. You may want to stop there. The Gem Stone Mine in Pigeon Forge is very touristy. You wont get dirty and you will get some nice stones. The cutting shop tells you what everything is but they are expensive.

The end.

Want more? You could then go to Nashville, on to Memphis, then Little Rock, then Crater of Diamonds State Park. Or do Chatanooga, Huntsville, Memphis, Little Rock, Crater of Diamonds.

Family ski vacation experience and & one person skis while the other goes to the spa travel plan

The title is a bit long but I decided to put these articles together anyway. The first is a family ski vacation experience with 10 people. The author says:

No family vacation is easy -- not even for an expert -- and ski trips are especially tough. All that gear to keep track of! All of those people to feed!

Here's my diary of our not-even-close-to-perfect, but-still-lots-of-fun trip last season to Crested Butte Mountain Resort in southwest Colorado (www.skicb.com) where you can ski free until December 15

The diary is not as detailed as the kind I would write (like my Punta Cana one) but it's still fairly interesting.

The second article could be very practical for someone who needs a vacation plan where one person skis and the other relaxes. It reminds me of the dual African vacation one reader submitted a while back but this one is in Canada so it should be easier (plus no one has to climb Mount Kilimanjaro like our brave reader did on his "vacation").

Anyway, this article contains a name that ought to be familiar to readers who have been here a while: Banff. One strength of the article is that it recommends specific spas and even treatments. And of course it suggests spas near popular ski areas.

Possible Fall vacation destinations: New England, Oregon, Jamaica

I wonder if anyone here is planning a fall vacation because I found several articles with some tips for your travel plans:

This article previews the fall issue of Town & Country Travel, which argues that Fall is the right time to vacation. The feature visiting Bora Bora, Mexico City, Nairobi, New England, and Northeastern Italy.

While Bora Bora would be great, a more realistic plan for most of us might be New England. I would include some city and some country, not unlike my summer trip to Boston and then on to Vermont.

If you need to hit the beach in the fall, Jamaica might be an option. The author talks about Jamaica but stayed in an all-inclusive. That's not bad, but it doesn't really qualify you to talk about the actualy country outside the resort in most cases. I know when I went to Punta Cana, I learned next to nothing about the Dominican Republic. Same thing when I went to Cebu actually even though on that trip we left the resort twice...

Another quick note on Jamaica: everyone I know prefers Aruba. I don't see it making any difference if you're staying on a resort the whole time but that's what I heard anyway.

And here's a very interesting article on Oregon. I've never been there but it's certainly on my list. I actually learned recently that an old friend moved to Bend, Oregon. They love it there and enthusiastically recommended I visit, noting that the outdoor activities were great and varied. Anyway, this article talks about variety too:

Inspired, this year we looked into Oregon and realized it's a Midwesterner's vacation paradise: in the northwest quadrant of the state, there are mountains (including a dormant volcano, Mount Hood), the Pacific Ocean, wine country and, of course, Portland. Another huge plus: a fraction of the crowds you'd get during a comparable California trip. What started out as a wine-trip idea quickly became a full-blown vacation plan, with a wine stop just one of many detours we'd take. Another bonus: All of these places were within a few hours' drive of each other -- about a tank and a half of gas in a Chevy Tahoe rental.

Well that's about all I have to write but why not end with a discussion question? I haven't gotten a comment in over 2 days so I'm starting to feel a bit lonely...

Where are you going this fall?

California road trip: cities and nature

I was picking up a pretzel for my wife the other day (she was getting hungry while having her hair done) at the only gourmet pretzel / coffee place I know in Korea (near Sookmyung Women’s University).

I’ve been there several times, but the other day was the first time the owner spoke to me. Pretty soon he had out his Atlas and was showing me the routes of his North American road trips, which focused on National Parks. This Korean pretzel shop owner who has spent many months driving around the US and Canada inspired this California road trip that features California’s 3 National Parks and 3 most famous cities.

I think I see more than 3 on the map, but the pretzel store owner assured me there were only 3 national parks in California (46 in the 48 continental US states). Maybe someone reading this can clear that up for me?

Anyway, we start south and work our way up spending 3-5 days in each place. Now road trips are supposed to be somewhat spontaneous, but what can I do? I’m a planner. I like having reservations and itineraries all set up in advance.

San Diego
LA (2 hour drive from San Diego)
Joshua Tree National Park (3 hours from LA)
Death Valley National Park (5.5 hours from Joshua Tree – it didn’t look that far on the map!)
Yosemite National Park (4 hours from Death Valley)
San Francisco (3.5 hours from Yosemite)

This involves about 18 hours of driving and the route looks something like this. It takes a while to load but it seems to work so give it time.

Now this doesn’t include California’s most famous drive and tree, the 17 mile drive and lonely cypress. Perhaps we need to work that in somehow. And I would like to add something about what to do in each place – So far we have only the roughest of plans, not much of an itinerary really.

I was able to find these YouTube videos:

Joshua Tree:

Death Valley:

(I got bored around the 3 minute mark to be honest)

Yosemite:

(Lots of bears!)

My most expensive vacation since my honeymoon

I now have plane and hotel reservations for my trip to Europe this winter. The rough outline of our trip is:

12/20/2007 - 12/27/2007 in Munich. We go for the Christmas market and the museums. We may not have a Christmas tree in our hotel room, but I'm sure we'll find exchanging Christmas presents in Munich romantic enough to make up for that.

12/27/2007-01/03/2008 in Zurich. Paris seemed too expensive for a city that probably isn't having fireworks. Madeira, Portugal was suggested, but we were in the mood for something more like a city than a resort considering we recently came back from a resort in Punta Cana (Punta Cana and Madeira have some of the same brand resorts). Zurich has culture and fireworks.

1/03/2008 - 1/15/2008 in Madrid. Madrid is on my dream list so I need to spend some time there.

All this is costing some serious money - this will without a doubt be my most expensive vacation since my honeymoon... But I've been working hard, skipping Starbucks, and this is what I want to do with the money I've earned / saved.

Rambling about my European winter vacation

I know I still owe you a Spirit Airlines review. I'm going to put it off one more day and hope that I find my notes by tomorrow...

So instead let me ramble for a bit about my winter vacation plans. I may have already mentioned somewhere that we're going to Munich for the Christmas market (not to mention the museums and other things). We haven't quite decided where to go after that (for New Year's).

My first thought was Paris, but no one seems to know if they are doing fireworks or not. Apparently it's not an annual thing. I know I could still look forward to La Grande Parade de Paris on January 1st, but I'm not really crazy about parades.

I heard something about Monaco's International Circus Festival. I'm not even sure what that is yet but I have to figure out what I'm doing soon in order to book hotels so i should go look it up...

We plan to wrap up our winter vacation in Madrid. I just read that it gets pretty cold in Madrid in January and that maybe we should go further south, maybe to Seville. I think I'll brave the cold in Madrid. I don't think any weather will keep me from seeing Plaza di Cibeles.

So the rough plan is:

1 week in Munich (including Christmas)
1 week in Paris (including New Year)
1 week in Madrid

We actually have about 3 and a half weeks so we might try to do both Madrid and Seville.

Anyway, if you have comments or suggestions, especially about the best New Year's celebrations in Europe, please leave a comment.

Help plan a vacation for a loyal reader

I recently received a request from a reader who needs help planning a vacation. It's not that she hasn't tried or thought about it. She writes:

I have piles of magazines and I read your blog and the New York Times travel religiously but I am stumped. That's why I need direction. I have visited NYC several times...

That's actually why my blog entries have been fairly short recently - I've been trying to some up with some ideas for this loyal reader who needs a little help.

Then I finally realized that I don't have to do it alone. I can enlist the help of my kind and knowledgable readers. Are you willing to be part of the process?

This female traveler is single and will be traveling alone. She is:

looking forward to a small adventure. I am fit and love to meander and wander [and wonder]. I would love to be part of something but yet not overly organized. The woods and green always energize me. My home is northeastern PA. and I am figuring on a budget of $1200. I am looking to travel during the week of July 8th to the 15th and thinking of 3-5 days. What do you think? I can drive or fly. James thanks so much for your time.

The part that has me stumped is being part of something that's not too organized. The best idea I have so far is Ely Minnesota & the International Wolf Center there. I did a quick blog about the wolf center a while back as well as wolf howl canoe trips in Canada a very long time ago.

The Wolf Center has some group activities like their "Wolf Tracking Adventure":

Travel through the Superior National Forest trying to locate a wild radio-collared wolf, with telemetry equipment and old fashioned tracking – just like the researchers do! After an introduction to current tracking methods, we will travel into the field to look and listen for wolf signs.

There are also "wolf communication" classes followed by treks into the forest to listen for one of my favorite sounds as well as the "wolf howl" where you howl to the resident wolf pack. I'm sure that sometimes the people howls interfere with your enjoyment of the wolf howls, but what can you do?

Well that's my idea. Like I said, I'm looking for you to be part of this effort and feed me some ideas for a $1200 vacation of 3-5 days between July 8 and 15. If you have an idea please leave us a comment.

Rome, Istanbul, Canary Islands travel plan

Warmer European travel spots like Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and the Canary Islands are popular tourist destinations for good reason. This travel plan will try to incorporate some popular and warm European destinations for the next time you need to escape the cold. This is not really a summer travel plan - places like Rome and Istanbul are a little too hot and too crowded in the summer - it's better to visit them some other time.

Travel days are left empty - fill them up of you can depending on when flights leave and arrive. Personally I prefer to stay in one place a while longer so this vacation plan, while written by me, is not one that I'd actually try. There's just too large a percentage of time taken up traveling between destinations.

Day 1: Rome

We fly into Rome because it has the biggest airport of the countries we'll be dealing with. Tonight you'll want to visit some of the famous piazzas and fountains. Piazza di Spagna is where a lot of expats hang out at night, some with guitars. Fontana di Trevi is a must-see as is Piazza Navona.

Day 2: Rome

You have to see the Vatican although I somehow spent 4 weeks in Rome without visiting it. Clearly, I could never go into enough detail here, but you want to see Piazza San Pietro, Basilica di San Pietro, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel.

Day 3: Rome / Istanbul

Day 4: Istanbul

Visit Topkapi Palace (museum and harem). Get there when the harem opens at 9:30 Am and go there first - tours begin every half hour. (in the summer this place is so full of tour groups that you may not get one of the tours). You'll probably spend the rest of your day (at least until 5:00 when the palace closes) exploring the rest of Topkapi.

However, you want to save some time for the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia, Sancta Sophia). The mosaic galleries close at 4:00 and the site itself closes at 4:30. It opens at 9:30 so you could always do this one first.

Day 5: Istanbul

Start with the Hippodrome and Blue Mosque since these are right next to each other. The Blue Mosque includes the Carpet Museum and Great Palace Mosaics Museum.

Then head to Kapali Carsi or the Grand Bazaar. Parts are quite touristy, but you can still find authentic shops that cater to Turkish people. Be wary of pick pockets and purse snatchers. The Bazaar closes at 6:30.

Day 6: Istanbul / Tenerife

Playa de las Americas, Los Christianos, Golf del Sur, Los Gigantes, Playa Paraiso, Las Caletillas, and quieter hotels in Puerto del la Cruz are popular spots for Tenerife holidays. Tourists mostly visit the south part of the island (this is the largest Canary island) while the north side allows you to see more local culture.

We'll go to the university town of La Laguna. Thanks to its historical city centre (with old churches and manor houses), it was named a World Heritage Site in 1999.

Day 7: Tenerife

Getting to Santa Cruz by bus or rental car is fairly easy. Enjoy the enormous futuristically Auditorio de Teneriffe on the ocean front which hosts regular concerts, operas, jazz shows and ballet performances.

Day 8: Tenerife / Lanzarote

Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen or Playa Blanca are popular spots for Lanzarote holidays.

We want to see Timanfaya National Park. Admission includes a narrated bus tour of this volcanic landscape.

Day 9: Lanzarote

Visit the black sand beaches in El Golfo on the west coast.

Day 10: Lanzarote / Rome

Get from Lanzarote to Rome and from Rome back to wherever home is.

Elizabethtown movie roadtrip: Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee

Having watched Elizabethtown, my wife and I might forget about the trip to Canada and do a US roadtrip instead. Here are a few places from the movie and then a few of my ideas thrown in.

Elizabethtown & Louisville, KY - If you go at the right time you could be in town for the Kentucky Derby. I'm not sure I like crowds or horse races enough to bother but Bluegrass Country would be nice. I can imagine driving down Old Farnkfort Pike or Paris Pike, visiting the Kentucky Horse Park north of Lexington, and eating dinner at the Beaumont Inn (in Harrodsburg, 30 miles southwest of Lexington), which is famous for its smoked ham dinners, biscuits, and corn pudding.

The hotel from the movie was the Brown Hotel which in downtown Louisville. Other than that I haven't given any thought to accommodations and honestly don't really care about staying in the Brown Hotel either.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas (big statue of Jesus and Dinosaur World) - Dinosaur World didn't look like much so I suppose this part of the trip is not too critical. The statue looked cool, but having taught at catholic University statues of religious figures are nothing new to me.

Memphis, TN - Now here there is some amazing tourist attractions. You've got Graceland. Then you've got a number of famous rib places. In fact, "Memphis's Rib Joints" gets its own entry in 1,000 Places To See Before You Die (so does Graceland, Kentucky's Bluegrass country, and a few other things you'll see here). Also, the Lorraine Motel where the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., MLK, was shot is in Memphis, TN. I'd like to see the museum there.

I've heard that the 2nd largest farmer's market in the world was fabricated for the movie. If the information is correct, this can save roadtrippers a lot of time searching for something that can't be found. I wonder where the biggest and second biggest farmer's markets are anyway...

Here's what I'm thinking as far as directions are concerned. It looks like I'll leave from New York and drive southwest through Pennsylvania. It looks like I'll be too far west to visit Philadelphia on the way, but half the point of roadtripping is not to travel in a straight line. We did have a contest submission about some things further west (kids stuff in PA) but I don't know that any of those activities are getting me excited. We might pass through Harrisburg...

After leaving Pennsylvania but before reaching Kentucky, we could go south through Charelston, West Virginia or more west through Columbus, Ohio. Arkansas is west of Kentucky and I don't have a compelling reason to go that way so after Kentucky I would go down to Tennessee.

As I start working my way back north, I'd take a route further east, possibly along the coast. I haven't even started to think about which places to visit on the way back.

Fireworks in Montreal, Vancouver, Rocky Mountaineer Railroad, Banff or Calgary

While trying to decide what to do for our summer vacation, my wife and I are considering a trip to Canada. We'd love to go to Copper Canyon in Mexico, but we're thinking it will be pretty hot down there so going North (or further south) makes more sense in terms of weather.

Anyway, there are a few great things to do in Canada so here's a preliminary vacation plan. This is still a work in progress and right now it is a bit flawed as it involves flying to Montreal, from Montreal to Vancouver, and then flying home from Calgary (with an option to go from Calgary to Montreal, back home). I haven't checked out these flights to see if there are one way tickets that make sense...

Day 1: Wednesday, July 11 2007 is a good day to arrive in Montreal because that night you can see some fireworks from Hong Kong, China's Pyromagic Productions Ltd. If you need to change the date but want to arrive on a day with fireworks, check out the schedule here. The link to buy tickets is broken and I'm not entirely sure why you need tickets since fireworks should be visible from a few places...

So day 1 consists of arriving in Montreal, checking into your hotel, getting dinner, and watching fireworks.

Hotel Nelligan (106 Saint Paul St. W., Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1Z3, Canada) is somewhat expensive but comes highly recommended. It's very nice and conveniently located near Place D'Armes metro station.

Day 2 (July 12): In the morning, visit Montreal's oldest Catholic church, Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame). Don't miss the stained glass inside that depicts the history of Montreal.

Then it's time to visit Montreal's oldest art institution, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts). There are several excellent collections in one of Canada's finest museums including many works by Canadian artists.

That evening, take a stroll through Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal). You could also take a bike or a horse-drawn carriage. Enjoy narrow cobblestone streets in Montreal's Parisian-style historic district. It should be no trouble to find a restaurant and then later a sidewalk cafe. This area is featured in 1,000 Places to See before You Die and they recommend L'Express for a moderately priced dinner or Toque! for something more extravagant.

Day 3 (July 13): Fly to Vancouver. One attraction you want to see is the Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. It's open on the 13th of July (a Friday) but closed on Mondays and in winter.

Day 4 (July 15) and Day 5 (July 16): are spent on The Rocky Mountaineer. This train travels only in daylight and takes you from Vancouver to Banff (or you can take it to Calgary which is my choice because it should be easier to fly from Calgary). Highlights include Fraser Canyon, Spiral Tunnels, Stoney Creek Bridge, Hell's Gate (200 million gallons of water surge through a 110 foot gorge each minute), and Rogers Pass.

Day 6 (July 17): It's time to check out of your hotel, spend the day in Calgary and go home. I would go to Fort Calgary because I like a little history and forts are cool. Then I'd go to Calgary Tower for views of the city.

If you want to extend the vacation a bit you could go back to Montreal for more fireworks.

Optional Day 7 (July 18): Tonight is the night Fireworks Spectaculars Canada puts on their show for the Montreal Fireworks festival.

I might try to work in a couple of days in Toronto, as I've never been there, but for now, this itinerary is what I've got. Any comments or suggestions?

Short Connecticut travel plan: Essex & Hartford

As usual, I'm going to New York this winter to spend Christmas with my parents and other family. New York is great fun, but there's more to do in America and I need to experience more than one city. So after visiting the big Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center (which we do every year) or celebrating the end of our vegetarian days with a trip to a NYC steakhouse, this winter my wife and I will head to Essex and Hartford Connecticut, to visit two places featured in 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.

First we'll drive from New York to Essex (120 miles north) where we'll stay at the Griswold Inn for two days. The Griswold Inn opened in 1776 and is a tourist attraction in itself. There's one room full of maritime memorabilia and the hotel is decorated for the Christmas holidays. We have to be there for Sunday morning's "Sunday Hunt breakfast" which was started during the War of 1812 when the British took over the hotel.

The town of Essex consists of wonderful examples of early colonial and federal architecture. We'll spend our time touring the town, admiring architecture and looking at antiques.

We'll then head 35 miles north to Hartford where we'll visit Mark Twain's Victorian style house also made up for Christmas. A guided tour will put the different things in Twain's old house in context before we head over to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Gothic cottage.

That's it, then it's back to New York. What do you think? Anyone know a restaurant in Hartford we need to experience or should we just eat anywhere?

Climbing Kilimanjaro: personal experience

You may remember Bill's excellent African safari vacation plan that included two separate plans, one for climbers and one for normal folk. By the way, there may (and I'm not positive) still be time to sign up for the Novemeber Mekong River cruise from Saigon to Siem Reap that benefits the Landmine Relief Fund.

Bill and his party of 12 just got back from the African Adventure, climbing Kilimanjaro and photo safari in Kenya. He has kindly written an article about his experiences.

I present to you an excellent article just awesome and inspiring to read, Climbing Kilimanjaro.

Climbing Kilimanjaro
It seemed like a good idea at the time

Palm Springs, Ca - August, 2006 - It sounded like it would be a lot of fun, when Jack called and said, “Let’s go to Africa next year and climb Kilimanjaro”. At 19,340 feet, Kilimanjaro is the tallest free standing mountain in the world, the tallest in Africa and one of the Seven Summits lusted after by climbers.

I’d known Jack for over 30 years, ever since we were in the Army together. At 58, he’d just finished his 60th marathon, had climbed a couple of mountains in the past and thought he knew what he was getting into. I on the other hand, while having run 11 marathons, was in reasonably decent shape for a 58 year businessman who had never climbed anything higher than a couple flights of stairs. I’d skied at 14,000 feet, but sliding down a mountain of snow is way different than climbing a mountain of jungle, desert, schree (think gravel pits), and boulders (we’ll talk about coming down later). I figured I’d better do some reading up on mountain climbing and figure out how we were going to get there and back without breaking the bank, my neck, leg, arm, back, or any other important body part.

Putting it all together
I’d been to Africa in 2002 and had traveled with Private Safaris, a company located in Nairobi, Kenya who specialized in customized trips. This had to be a real customized trip, because my wife said I wasn’t going to Africa by myself, and the only way she was climbing Kilimanjaro was if I carried her ashes to the top of the mountain. So I had to plan a trip that had some of us climbing while others went on photo safaris. Since Jack and I, and anyone else we could get to climb, didn’t want to miss out on the animals, I needed to plan a trip that included an additional photo safari after the climb, which takes 5 days.

And we had to do it all on the smallest budget we could manage.

We eventually had 12 people take part in our little adventure. 8 of us climbed Kilimanjaro, while my wife and 3 friends safaried. They then met up with us in Moshi, Tanzania after the climb and we all went to the Masai Mara for 3 days and saw some truly amazing sights. Private Safari put the whole trip together at an incredible price: $1,300 for the climb and safari in Kenya and $1,600 for the Tanzania and Kenya safari package. This included all hotels, transportation, English speaking guides and all our meals. We had to get to Nairobi on our own.

Kilimanjaro
Of the 8 of us who climbed, Jack and I were the oldest at 58. Michelle, Jack’s niece, taught 3rd grade and was the only woman. Jack’s son-in-law Scott, a veteran of Iraq, made the trip along with his brother Bryan, a grad student at Auburn. Adam, my godson, is in his 3rd year at Clemson, and he’s done a lot of dumb things with us over the years, much to his mother’s chagrin. Nate and Gabe rounded out the group. They’d done a lot of climbing, and I think they were the only ones who really knew what we were getting into.

It took us all day to drive from Nairobi to Moshi. The roads are not quite up to western standards. Actually they are barely roads at all; huge holes occasionally surrounded by asphalt were the norm. Scott, our war vet, slept the whole way. We figured since no one was shooting at us, to him, it must have been a pretty smooth ride.

The night before we started the climb we stayed at the Springland Hotel, a climbing lodge located in the middle of Moshi, about a kilometer from the local mosque. The first thing we had to do was weigh our gear. We each carried our own day pack that held our water, which we replenished daily, a jacket, cameras, batteries, and of course, our Ipods. The porters carried the rest of our stuff, which we had been told needed to fit in a medium sized duffel bag and weigh a max of 15 kilos (33 pounds). Except Adam, he brought a suitcase.

We started climbing late Friday morning. We met our guide, Frank Mtei, who Gabe soon named “Frank the Tank”, at the lodge. Our climbing crew, who all work for Frank, included 4 assistant guides, a cook and 16 porters. You don’t leave anything on the mountain (except your naivete); the porters carry all your gear, all their gear, and all the food. They carry down all the trash and hopefully none of the climbers. We bussed to Kilimanjaro National Park, signed in and started climbing. We started at 6,000 feet and climbed through a beautiful rain forest until we stopped for lunch in the early afternoon. Our box lunches consisted of a bottle of juice, a piece of chicken and a couple of rolls; carbs and some protein. We reached Mandara Hut, at 9,052 feet, late in the afternoon.

Each camp consists of a number of A frame huts, lit from solar powered lights with 4 beds per hut. We’d put out our sleeping bags and try and relax a bit after the climb. Card games became popular, as did the nightly rehash of nearly every Seinfeld episode ever made. We’d usually crash between 8 and 9 each night. A few of the group had a hard time sleeping at altitude. Those of us that took diamox, an anticonvulsant drug used to lessen the effects of altitude sickness, seemed to sleep the best. I woke up early the first night with a couple pairs of shoes, a shirt and a book on top of me. Seems I had slept all too well, and began snoring early in the morning. Adam, who fought altitude sickness a good part of the time, and never slept well, hit me with everything in reach. All to no avail. I snored on.

Toilets were either western style, except at Kibo, or a hole in the ground. And we had to supply our own toilet paper. Let’s say they were basic. Each night and each morning we’d get two bowls of warm water and a small bar of soap delivered to our hut. One bowl was for washing while the other was for rinsing. You didn’t want to be number 4 in line. But we all brought baby wipes. We may not have looked good, but we smelled like a baby’s (clean) butt.

Each camp has a central dining hall used by all the climbers. The cook for each group prepares the meals and you’re summoned as tables are available and your cook gets his time in the small kitchen. Dinners were simple but filling. The cooks concentrated again on a lot of carbs and a lot of sugars. There was always enough to eat, and we never felt rushed. Breakfast was a challenge for me. There are two things I detest: oatmeal and most of all, porridge. And each morning, bright and early, a great big pot of steaming hot porridge was dropped right in front of me. Unlike Oliver Twist, even if I was starving, I’d never ask for more. But I ate it…one bowl a day. Then I washed it down with lots of hot coffee, toast and eggs.

Day 2 we climbed out of the forest and through the moorland to Horombo Hut, at 12,408 feet. Some groups stay an extra day at Horombo to acclimate to the altitude. Frank the Tank thought it unnecessary. Since most people don’t sleep well at altitude he thinks the lack of sleep is more detrimental than the help you get from an extra day of acclimatization. Or maybe he just said that since we were doing the 5 day climb.

Horombo is above the clouds. With no moon and more stars than I’ve ever seen, it was quite a sight. We stayed outside late that night just to enjoy the show. The next morning we headed for Kibo, our base camp, and the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Kibo is 15,609 feet high and you reach it by crossing the Martian desert. At least that’s what Gabe thought it looked like. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Nate and Gabe a lot during the day. They were always a few hundred miles ahead of me on the trail. They were the ones who were ready. They were also the ones who were constantly encouraging and slapping the rest of us on the back.

We started to feel the effect of the altitude on the way to Kibo. You get winded quickly. You don’t just walk up the mountain, you pull yourself up with your hiking poles. Each night I felt like I’d done 200 sit ups; all from pulling myself up the mountain with those poles.

Kibo is different from the other camps. It’s a stark, working camp, not a resting camp. The mountain is right there staring you in the face, shrouded in clouds, cold and waiting. We reached Kibo around 1PM. No A frames here, just one long building with lots of rooms, 12 beds to a room. You don’t climb to the summit in the daytime. You rest and start your final push in the dead of night. A good thing too; if you saw the final climb in the daylight you’d run away screaming. You’re still far enough away at Kibo Camp, that the magnitude of the final climb isn’t apparent. They fed us stew at about 2PM and then we went to bed. Frank would wake us at 11:00.

I actually slept, but 11:00 came all too soon. We got up, layered up in thermals, overshirts, ski jackets, ski pants, gloves, and headlamps. Adam didn’t have a headlamp, so we duct taped two flashlights to his head.

The Summit
Poley poley, hakuna matatta: Slowly, slowly, no problems. That’s your mantra on Kili. We began our final climb at 11:50PM on Sunday night. Our first stop was Gilman’s point a mere 6 kilometers (3.75 miles) away. It took us an hour to climb the first 600 feet. Bryan, who couldn’t take diamox, had been having altitude problems for at least a day. Scott was sick, and Adam hadn’t started taking diamox until the day before, and the effects hadn’t kicked in yet. At 16,200 these trekkers knew they were holding the rest of us back and that they were not going to make the summit. With best wishes for the rest of us and pats on the back all around, they headed back to Kibo with one of our guides. While they may not have summitted, they’d climbed higher, at 16,200 feet, than any mountain in the continental United States. No mean feat, and something few others have ever done.

At 18,000 feet, after 3 ½ hours of climbing I just about packed it in. I couldn’t keep up with Jack, Michelle, Nate and Gabe. I collapsed against the side of the mountain and said “I gotta rest”. I struggled with every step to keep up with them to 18,500 feet and that was it, I didn’t think I could go another meter. I’ve hit the wall in marathons, and I’ve hit them hard. It didn’t compare; not even remotely close. Frank the Tank sent Daniel, another one of our guides back to take me wherever I wanted to go. That’s when Nate told me were at 18,500 feet, 500 short of the rim, Gilman’s Point.

500 feet. No way I could bail with only 500 feet to the rim. This was my only chance to climb Kili. I figured I could gut out another 500 feet. The others went ahead. That’s when Daniel and I got lost in the boulder field.

We were climbing in the pitch black of the African night. I had a headlamp that lit the ground right in front of me. Daniel had no light. He was following the path from my headlamp. All the other groups had passed us or were behind us. The path through the boulder field is hard to follow, even in the daylight. We took one wrong turn after another and pretty soon I could tell Daniel didn’t know where we were. 18,800 feet up Kilimanjaro, dead of night, no one around, and we were lost. I got worried. Daniel got up on a boulder. We were only about 5 yards off the trail. I rested and then we continued, poley, poley, up the mountain. At 5:30, with the sun just getting ready to come up over the western horizon Daniel said “We’re here. Gilman’s Point, congratulations.”

I’d made it. 18,750 feet. But the sign said “Point”, not “Summit”. I collapsed on the ground and went to get some water: frozen.

Daniel let me rest a few minutes and said “It’s an hour and a half to the summit. Do you want to try and make it.” Whether it was the adrenalin talking or what, I don’t know, but I jumped at the chance. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I don’t remember the 90 minute climb to the summit being that difficult. Halfway there I saw Frank, Michelle, Jack, Nate and Gabe on their way back down. They were sure I had bailed out and gone back to Kibo. They told me I made their day. That made mine.

At 7AM on Monday morning July 24 I made Uhuru Summit, 19,340 feet. Along with about 50 other climbers. I rested, got my camera out and found someone to take Daniel and my picture. Now I’m a big basketball fan. I’ve had season tickets to the LA Clippers for 17 years. I’d carried a 3 foot by 5 foot Clipper flag all the way to Uhuru and wasn’t going to miss this chance to make “Clipper history”. As I rolled out the flag I heard a voice from the back call out: “Clippers? I’m from Phoenix. We kicked your ass!” I looked at the guy and said “Yeah? Where’s your flag?”

The hike down was worse than the hike up.

We got back to Gilman and Daniel said 90 minutes to the bottom. It took me 3 ½ hours to get off that mountain. The schree field, really a million year old gravel pit, took out of my legs what little I had left. I fell 6 times. Now when you’re going straight down a 60 degree wall of gravel you fall backwards, and you don’t fall far. Daniel said I taught him some English words he’d never heard before. I encouraged him to be careful where he used them. Daniel held my elbow and walked me the last kilometer into camp. I’d never been so glad to finish anything in my life. I gave Daniel a big hug, thanked him profusely and headed for the dorm. For an hour; then we hiked 4 hours back to Horombo hut and rest.

We compared notes. Nate and Gabe thought the climb from Gilman to Uhuru was the hardest. Jack thought it was harder than a marathon. Michelle thought it was harder than childbirth.

We all got back down the mountain the next day and spent the afternoon either in the shower, in the pool or in bar. That night we had a celebratory dinner with Frank the Tank. I made sure Daniel was there. I gave him my gloves, of which he had none, my headlamp, my watch and an extra big tip.

We headed next to Kenya and the Masai Mara where we saw lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, more wildebeest than I knew existed, and met an amazing woman who teaches second grade. She has 71 students in her class. But that’s another story for another time.

Maybe next year we’ll go back and do it again.

Not.

Things to do driving between LA and San Francisco

Question: I�m planning a family trip (wife two teenage daughters) to the west coast this summer. We know LA area pretty well. What things are recommended to do in San Francisco and on the way between LA and SF

Advice: In SF, hit the farmers' market early Saturday and load up on cheese, breads, pate, wine and fruit. Take the ferry to Angel Island, walk to the top of Mt. Livermore and enjoy your feast with a 360-degree view of the Bay.

Then take a cable car ride, go to Fisherman's Wharf (kind of touristy), go to Nob Hill, go over Golden Gate to Sausalito for some spectacular views of the SF skyline especially at dusk.

In the San Francisco Bay Area the Muir Woods is a must (just over the Golden Gate in Marin). Also, Sausalito (just over the bridge) is great. Go to the Muir woods early and go into Sausalito for lunch or brunch. Alcatraz is really cool.

At the Golden Gate Bridge, be sure to go to Fort Point just underneath the bridge on the SF side. The oldest stone fort west of the Mississippi is a great spot. Then take time to drive through the Presidio.

I don't like the SF Giants, but if you like baseball try to fit in a game at the ballpark. There are plenty of places to eat around it too.

If you are driving from LA to SF, I recommend the coast route 1 vs. 101 or I-5 through the valley. Great scenery the whole way and arguably one the most beautiful stretches of road in the country. A few notable highlights on the trip, Hearst Castle, Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove, and Big Sur - where time has stood still since 1967. Also, you could take a side trip to Ojai for a few winery tours too, although there are several wineries along the trip. If you have the chance, the Monterey Aquarium is very cool and they have some spectacular exhibits that are very informative.

Take the time to go through the Monterey Aquarium, then go south through Pacific Grove (and Point Lobos state park--it's free) and the amazing 17-mile drive past Pebble Beach and into Carmel. Walk around Carmel and have lunch or dinner. I'd skip Santa Cruz unless you want to take your kids to the Boardwalk (the amusement park)

Let me emphasize that in Cambria you have Hearst Castle. Also in Cambria get a motel room right on Moonstone beach and watch the sun do down in the Pacific Ocean with your family. Stop on HWY 1 (its the PCH in So Cal) at Elkhorn Slough (near Monterey) and rent some Kayaks and Kayak in the Slough and enjoy the Marine Wildlife up close. This is an incredible place that most travelers just drive by.

If you have time, just south of Half Moon Bay, is a private Beach called Martins Beach. Check it out. It costs $5 a carload of people. It is clean and beautiful. They shot scenes from the Robin Willams Movie "Bicentennial Man" there.

Be sure to leave plenty of time for the drive up the coast on the highway. It can be a slow go but the scenery is fantastic, one of the best drives in the. It would be a shame to feel pressed for time and not enjoy the sights. Be sure to stop at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo (just off the highway) for lunch.

We camp at Shaver Lake a mile up in the Sierras.. incredible place.. hurts your eyes, its so beautiful. Consider scheduling a trip to Lake Tahoe, which is only a 4-hour drive from the bay area. If you go to Tahoe try to stay on the north shore, like Kings Beach... South Lake is too commercial for me.

Another good side trip is Kings Canyon Park (Sequoia national Forest). This park is much like Yosemite, but less crowded. It�s just an incredible place. Climb Moro Rock to the top of a Granite dome and get a view that goes for miles.

Corbett National Park India tours

I was recently doing some research for one of my hobbies, writing fantasy fiction stories. I wanted to include some of my favorite animals like the fishing cat and the mongoose and found a place in India that has both: Corbett National Park.

I thought it would be prudent and fun to do some research so I contacted a tour agency about Corbett National park tours. I'm not making any recommendations because I haven't used any of these companies yet or even shopped around - I've only contacted this one tour guide.

The following tour has been quoted at 380.00 per person including:

1. Accomodation (double)
2. All meals at Corbett
3. Breakfast at Nainital
4. Safaris as per the itinerary
5. Entry Fees into the national park
6. Natulaist at the time to safari
7. All the Transportation by exclusive car Delhi-delhi
8. All the taxes

Day 01: Delhi-Corbett National Park
Early morning drive from Delhi to Corbett National Park. On arrival check in at wildlife resort, after lunch we will take you for jeep safari tour into Jim Corbett Park.

Corbett Natiobal Park - The heavenly abode for adventure lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, Corbett National Park is set in the Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas in Uttranchal. River rafting and elephant rides are the favorite activities of the tourists here across the 520 sq km of India's first national park along the bank of Ramganga river. It is also known for Sal tree as its main flora. It is named after the hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett, who suggested the conception of this wildlife sanctuary, Over 50 mammals, 600 birds and 25 reptile species have been spotted here but the highlight of course is the Indian
Tigers, Leopards and Gharials, the rare fish eating, long-nosed crocodiles. Evening free O/N stay at hotel.

Day 2: Corbett National Park ( Dikhala)
Early morning elephant safari through open grasslands and dense forests for wildlife viewing in the Corbett National Park. After breakfast, jeep safari to lakeside to see crocodiles. After lunch, day free to relax. Optional spending the day in a watchtower overlooking a water hole. Evening film shows on wildlife. Dinner and overnight stay at the park.

Day 3: Corbett National Park ( Dikhala)
Morning and afternoon Safari, O/n stay at hotel.

Day 4: Corbett National park-Nainital
Early morning drive to Bhuvankhal at sunrise. On arrival at Nainital, check in at hotel, Afternoon sightseeing tour,Evening enjoy the boat ride in Naini lake, O/N stay at hotel.

Nainital - Nainital in Uttaranchal has beautiful Naini lake and panoramic mountain scenery. Besides the hill resorts of Almora, Ranikhet and Kausani, Nainital has extended tourist attractions as MulwaTal to the east along with Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukachiatal and recreational activities such as canoeing and yachting.

Day 5 : Nainital-Delhi:
Morning Free in the afternoon drive back to Delhi.

I also plan to check on local accommodations and maybe arrange my own accommodations and try out several different treks. This gives me more control, but also requires more work including some work finding local tour guides while I'm there when I'd rather be spending my time concentrating on the nature (and the book).

Memphis to Portland American road trip

I recently received this road trip from Memphis to Portland. To me the absolute best part of this would be seeing some Native American culture, in this road trip the Navajo rain dances. If anyone has any information on staying on reservations or otherwise learning about Native American culture while traveling, please share!

I wish I could get the chance to road trip again. Here�s what I�d do:

Every American must see Graceland in Memphis. Its hysterical, weird, and great like know other place I know. Next, on to Santa Fe. Then head North out of Santa Fe 100 miles to the Four Corners of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Go to Mesa Grande National Park. Then head west across northern Arizona to Monument Valley national park.

Keep going west across the Navaho lands to Black Mesa to witness the summer rain dances. Then keep west to Lake Powell at Page Arizona. Enjoy some of the greatest rainbow trout fishing in NA in the Colorado River south of Glen Canyon.

Follow the River south from Page through the road through the Vermillion Cliffs National Park until you get to the isolated North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which is more beautiful and deeper than the South Rim with many less nutty tourists getting between you and the canyon for pictures.

Now go through the Hoover Dam to Vegas before turning west to California. Turn north when you get to California and skirt the Sierra Nevada Mountains and go through Yosemite National Park before turning West again through the Imperial Valley to reach San Francisco.

Then go North above Frisco and run up the coast which is magnificent this time of year as you get to Point Reyes. Montceito, and finally the Giant redwood forests of the Northern California coast. Go as far as Eureka California and see Mt Shasta. Hug the Mountains north through the Willamette River valley before reaching Portland Oregon.

Wine drinking European vacation

Here is a sports writer talking about all the wines he sampled on his European vacation. Not being a big wine man myself, I found this one only marginally interesting but I'm sure some of you readers appreciate the finer things in life (I prefer the cheap fruit wines I used to buy in college for 5 bucks a bottle). Here's the introduction to the sports writer's 3 week European wine drinking vacation:

The purpose of this three-week working vacation was to visit selected properties in Germany's Rheingau and Mosel and taste their wines, to do the same in Alsace, to sightsee in Bavaria, and Lindau Island on Lake Konstanz, and finally to enjoy a few days in the Dolomites in Italy's far north, an area we always seem to return to. We ended up in seven countries. How could this be possible?

Summarizing the last few summer vacations

#21 was a vacation in San Diego. Good detail here with restaurant recommendations. I love the itinerary full of museums but would personally prefer a little less shopping. Of course my wife would probably prefer more so maybe this travel plan strikes a good balance... The comments were positive, but not useful so not many points to be had there.

#22 was a good one. I love seeing off the beaten path vacations in places like Vietnam. I like the line about the heat and humidity hitting you like a bellyflop. Having been in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore I know that it does get hot down there. Another one with good restaurant detail (though not on every day of the trip), including a noodle place where President Clinton once ate. I thought that the directions for Day 3 (basically get directions from the front desk) sounded a little unhelpful, but I ahven't been asking for directions, and they would make travel plans quite long...

#23: Somehow I never knew that Seattle is the Emerald City, but I've always wanted to go. Here we find lots of restaurant, coffee shop, and even bakery recommendations. Price info would be helpful. I like the focus on museums and music.

#24, the final contest entry. Not the first travel plan we've seen for Washington D.C. - a very popular place (though I prefer going in the winter to beat the crowds). Anyway, another great vacation itinerary. We have some restaurant recommendations (but not for day 1). I'm not so sure about day 3, which starts with the Spy museum, then has a late lunch, then has an (optional) afternoon matinee. I guess if you get off to a llate start, but there's no need to make lunch too late since they spy museum is not exactly the National Gallery. You don't have to spend all day in there. I've never been to the zoo (day 6) but would like to see the pandas.

Well that's that. I'm going to go do the grades and make my final decisions. They'll be posted here in a couple of hours.

Summer vacations 16-20

Still doing general reviews before I do the real grading and select the winners. Here are the next 5:

We start with Spain: history & culture, the 16th submission. I've always wanted to go to Madrid, and while I've never heard of Santiago de Campostela but "granite alleyways, winding through a maze of 12th century streets" just sounds awesome. Good detail with hotels and places to eat recommended.

#17 was a vacation featuring Brazilian nature and culture. I love nature. Going from Salvador to a deserted beach and a small town on day 2, to Morro de Sao Paulo ond ay 3. Some great ideas here.

#18, the vacation to Jamaica, had lots of good insider tips. It sounds like you can eat the way locals eat (when they eat out) and the comments were helpful too. I really like this one and its authentic experiences.

#19 was another good one. This London & Amsterdam vacation was one of the shorter plans, but that seemed to work out well as the author provided great detail without turning it into a novel. Details on restaurants were nice since the places were close to the attractions, meal experiences were shared, and price information was given. I'm noticing a theme with European vacations tending to be fairly expensive. another one that'll be in the running for some prize money.

#20 was another vacation in Jamaica, a Jamaican road trip. I love road trips! This one has a heavy food focus; I think this great vacation would be terrible for anyone on a diet. Meals on the beach and waterfalls make this one another I'd like to go on.

Again, just great entries everywhere.

Refreshing my memory on travel plans 11-15

Happy Memorial Day (yes my blog's date is wrong but I'm on Korean time so it's Memorial Day for you even though mine technically ended an hour ago) to all American readers. I hope you don't see too much traffic or spend to much on gas!

Contest entry #11 was a long travel plan for England. I like getting information about what you need to do before leaving, like getting a Britrail Pass since they are not sold in England. From the airport, you get on a train and go directly to Oxford where it all starts (the Oxford morning is supposed to help you overcome jet lag). Then around England a bit staying in Bed & Breakfasts and saving London for the end. Sounds like a a great time.

Contest entry #12 brings us back to the US - Vegas, Diego, and the Grand Canyon. The idea here was great, but I think a few missing details will hurt the final grade (accommodation info, prices, meals transportation between destinations). Also, I'm not sure that doing Phoenix and Tuscon in one day will allow much time to enjoy either city.

Here I got a bit confused with my numbers and called this great vacation plan from Madrid to Malaga #14. From great museum recommendations in Madrid to specific dishes suggested throughout the trip (not in specific retaurants but based on the locale) this is another great vacation plan.

#15 was a vacation plan for Sweden. Gammel Stad, a medieval church village and an old euro-nordic city, just sounds perfect for me. On day 10 there's something about "summer festivals and outdoor concerts" and I'd really like to know what's on offer this summer! Hotel recommendations and information on eating would make great additions to this one.

Well I've got a tough choice to make in a couple of days. 5 prize winners will be getting 500, 250, 150, 50, and 50 US dollars. Getting the top 5 in order is going to be a difficult task!

Reviewing travel writing contest entries 6-10

This will be a refresher on summer vacation plan entries 6-10

Number 6 was a summer vacation in Grenada. This one starts off well with two possible hotels mentioned. The authors also do an excellent job listing expenses and providing options throughout the travel plan.

Number 7 brought back some childhood memories since I used to vacation in Hershey Park and go to Strasburg Railroad with my parents when I was younger. I also appreciate the concise writing style used here, more of an outline than an article. This one received a number of compliments, but not much meaty discussion.

Number 8 made me think of the future because I really want to go on an Alaskan cruise to see the glaciers. Hearing someone who has had the experience talk about the cruise experiences sure made me more confident about taking that Alaskan Cruise.

The 9th contest entry was a great trip to Europe with useful pointers like reserving tickets to Big Ben online 3 months in advance. All in all, 22 days in London, Paris, and Italy sounds pretty good to me! With a focus on art and food, you won't lack for cultural experiences. Since the Italy tour is an optional addition, this vacation was not too long to qualify for the contest.

The last one I'll look back at now is number 10, a Colorado vacation plan. This one received a lot of praise in the comments, but only a few comments provided genuine insight and generated real discussion. This one was designed for parents and teenagers traveling together and includes good family activities like the aerial tram on Day 1. The restaurant recommendations give this plan some good detail.

Again, I'm amazed at just how good the contest entrants are at writing vacation plans. Choosing only 5 winners and ranking them is going to be real difficult. Plus I have to do it soon!

5 summer vacation travel plans

I just wanted to think out loud about the first 5 entries to the writing contest. In a few days I'll be writing checks and making PayPal payments totaling 1,000 US dollars so I'm going to give this some serious thought. Here are my preliminary thoughts on the early entries.

The summer vacation writing contest got off to a good start with the Morocco vacation itinerary. The author, Robert Ward, took this trip and offers the kind of advice that can really help newbies in Morocco. For example, "From the Pension Dalila, you can arrange a $200, 4-day tour of the Moroccan interior, with everything but food included in the price. The first day, you�ll depart from F�s in a chartered taxi..." All in all, a very solid entry, and a few comments show some signs of discussion/experience sharing which helps.

The second vacation plan was a Western US baseball vacation itinerary starting on July 15th. I thought it was an excellent itinerary and I'm surprised there weren't more comments on this unique idea. Specific hotel recommendations would be helpful, but the author does advise to find roadside motels to save money and this is a viable option for people who don't need to plan every little detail. I emailed this one to my friends who like sports. Another very solid entry.

The third contest entry was kind of a his & her vacation plan for Mount Kilimanjaro and an African Safari. Like the second entry, this unique travel plan really caught my interest. The first few days there are two different vacations and then they meet up later. Why didn't my wife and I ever think of that?

The fourth contest entry was the first to Washington D.C. and the second US travel plan. This 5 day Washington D.C. itinerary was possibly the only one to include a pre-trip section. I thought this was a very nice addition and I'm sure that getting the tickets the author recommended in advance is a smart move. Personally I prefer Washington DC in the winter because the city seems so empty and there are no lines if you go when congress isn't in session. But I'm sure there's something to be said for going in summer when it's not too cold. What can I say, another great vacation. I see that determining the winners will be tough.

The fifth vacation itinerary was for 10 days in the Tampa Bay area. The vacationers were going May 20, 2006 - May 30, 2006 so they should be in Tampa now, Have fun and thanks for the great entry! One of my favorite things about this vacation is that there was some very meaningful discussion generated with many useful tips. Of all the contest entries, I think that so far this one has generated the highest quality discussion/comments.

Well that's only the first 5, but you can already see that determining winners is going to be very difficult. As a professor I can be a fairly ruthless grader, so I'll manage. Still you always hate to see some excellent efforts go unrewarded and some must in this contest.

It's not too late to leave your comments on any of these 5 travel itineraries.

New Zealand's West Coast vacation plan

This vacation plan from Frommer's starts off in Haast, a town on the Haast river, and a jet boat ride to where the San Andreas Fault line meets the Alpine Fault line.

Then off to Franz Josef time to do some hiking on warm glaciers where tourists can walk around in T-shirt and jeans. Then comes the drive from Franz Josef to Hokitika, voted one of the worlds top ten best drives by Lonely Planet thanks to the ocean views.

That drive takes you to Lake Brunner Lodge after traveling 22 kilometers on a dirt road, where you get gourmet meals and nature walks for 180.00/night (and up).

Yachting travel itinerary from Venice to Croatia

Aside from the fishing and having no idea how to yacht, this vacation plan seemed interesting.

Remember, you have only one week to submit entries to the 1,000 dollar travel writing contest. We have 15 or so entries so far and there are 5 prizes.

Here's an outline of the Venice to Croatia yachting travel plan I linked to above:

Day 1: Arrive in Venice.
Day 2: Rovinj and the beautiful palace of Tito.
Days 3 & 4: Pag Island: Cruise the interior waters between islands.
Day 5: Kornati Islands. Fish for bluefin tuna.
Day 6: Sibenik/Skradin Marina/Krka Falls. You will travel in the yacht up a windy river gorge with high cliffs on each side into a lake, where you will tie up at Skradin Marina. You can hire a tourist boat privately to take you up to Krka Falls and the monastery.
Day 7: Hvar Island.
Day 8: Brac. Bol has a fantastic beach. The medieval town of Korcula is gorgeous.
Day 9: Mljet Island. An island within the island has a monastery that you can visit by hired boat. Also features Karst caves, beautiful beaches, remains of Ilyrian castles, Roman ruins, a well-preserved part of an early Byzantine palace, and an early Christian basilica.
Day 10: Dubrovnik. Disembark.

Getting The Most Out Of Traveling Around The World

Hi everyone, I am Elmer, currently living in Hong Kong and an ocassional traveler. Having been to places like Germany, Japan and Indonesia, I will be posting some blogs on travel and tourism, hoping to share experiences and provide tips to travelers.

The first thing that comes to mind when traveling around the world much more than visa hassles or culture shock is the enormous costs it incurs. With the rising fuel prices and security taxes, flying seemed to appear more financially demanding means of transportation.

However, the emergence of low-cost airlines brought in more competition and improving world economy got prices in check. But for people who want to tour around the globe, the question remains the same: how to obtain the cheapest tickets for round the world flights?

The question that has to be answered first is "what are your preferred destinations?" One "round the world" package cost considerably cheaper than a string of individual one-way tickets, it makes it more sensible to determine your choice first. It surely depends on budget, but giving out your preferred location will give you an idea how much you need to spend, and there you can decide to take your plans further or scale it down.

Here are some tips to consider getting the chance to see the most out of the world's beautiful places at the least possible cost.

1. Start on a low season. Plan your trip to start on low seasons where airline companies want more seats be filled than earn profits so prices are relatively much lower. Thus, you have to avoid starting to travel on school vacations, Christmas or Thanksgiving.

2. Start on a low-cost city. Round the world ticket pricing scheme is based on where the trip will start so it will be good to begin the journey on a low-cost city like Bangkok, Hanoi or Jakarta.

3. Join a frequent flyer program. Round the world travels rack enormous mileage points can earn free rides on your next journey.

4. Book on the Internet. Many travel web sites offer special rates that are available only online. It saves time and answers to queries are often just a phone call away. Compare online rates with your local travel agents to validate such claim of cheaper offers.

5. Book early. The cheapest seats are offered long before the flight takes place. Ticket rates are computed based on season demand, competition, local activities and costs can be significantly higher than when they are purchased much earlier.

6. Consider local tour companies. Local tour groups designed to cater to domestic tourists offer fares that are cheaper than the ones especially packaged for international travelers.

7. Consider other costs. If a no-frills airliner lands at an airport located 30 miles from the city, ground transportation to your hotel could be expensive. Always think of costs other than plane fares when doing your travel plans.

Around the world travel is an exciting adventure as it