Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Vegas, The Trip of a Lifetime

Travel | Posted by admin
May 15 2011

A large number of the great casinos in Las Vegas are thematic in design and content. Many of them represent other great cities in this country as well as throughout the world. The Venetian Las Vegas is one of the stunningly beautiful resorts and of course it wouldn’t be complete without floating gondolas. And yes, you can take a romantic ride in them. Other great casino features include the incredible New York skyline as well as that of Paris . These are just some of the external architectural and design factors that contribute to the incredible and somewhat fantastic cityscape and overall atmosphere of Vegas.

Visiting this city is an experience unlike any other and not one you will ever forget. In addition to all of the amazing casinos and their incredible thematic features the entertainment options as well as adventurous attractions makes it one of the most popular cities in the world. Some of the greatest performers on the planet make a point of playing in Vegas and renowned companies like Cirque du Soleil have permanent home bases in the city and usually have more than one production onstage on any given day. Top comedians , musicians, actors and performers of all kinds are attracted to the Vegas stage and enjoy the great audience energy and dynamics of the city. Where ever you go and whatever you do in this desert town, you are certainly going to have an unforgettable trip.

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Montreal for Free — or Nearly Free

Travel | Posted by admin
Oct 08 2010

Once you pay for your stay one of the quality Montreal hotels , the most expensive part of a vacation can be the admission fees to attractions, theme parks, and events. In Montreal, you can avoid those costs by taking advantage of the many free activities and events throughout the city.

Admission to several Montreal museums is free. View the permanent collection at the Montreal Museum of fine Arts and the Centre of Design at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal at any time or go to the Museum of Contemporary Art on Wednesday evenings and admission is free. There are also countless galleries throughout the city showcasing local and regional artists.

In the summer you can hike, bike or drive to the top of Mont-Royal for stunning views of the city as well as visit Smith House, Beaver Lake, and the monument to Sir George-Etienne Cartier. During the summer there’s the Tam Tams, an outdoor drum jam at the base of Mont Royal every Sunday. Summer festivals that offer free activities include Just for Laughs and the Montreal International Jazz Festival with over 350 free outdoor jazz concerts.

If it’s winter, there’s free ice skating at ponds and lakes at city parks throughout Montreal. In February you can attend the Montreal High Lights Festival for live music, fireworks, a free ice slide and even free breakfast if you make it through the Montreal All-Nighter .

If you like architecture and history, check guidebooks and online for walking tour routes and then guide yourself through the city. You can even design your own tour, once you identify the sites and buildings you most want to see.

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Explore LA’s Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve

Travel | Posted by admin
Sep 24 2010

North of the 101 and west of the San Diego Freeway is one of the natural wonders of Los Angeles. The Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve is comprised of two sections, North and South, at the southeast end of the Sepulveda Flood Control Basin . It is a wildlife revegetation experiment that began in 1979 with the South Reserve, sandwiched between the Los Angeles River and the Dam. The North Reserve was developed starting in 1988 and features an 11 acre lake with wildlife viewing stations and an island. The eastern part of the North section is the most developed part of the Reserve, with an amphitheater, restrooms, and a formal “park” area and a model airplane field.

Visitors to the park can hike on designated trails, picnic, and observe wildlife and vegetation. Those staying in los angeles boutique hotels can ask at the front desk for directions to the park. With over 200 species in the area, bird watching is a primary activity for nature lovers. Springtime is best, right before the cottonwood trees reach full leaf. Hummingbird Hill was built to attract that species and rare species, including the breeding blue grosbeak, can be spotted. Mammals are a bit scarcer at the Reserve, but visitors may see ground squirrels, rabbits, gophers, and possums. There are occasional sightings of coyote and racoons. Amphibians and reptiles to watch for include bull and tree frogs, turtles, garter snakes and the Western fence lizard=http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/herps/scel-occ.html and side-blotched lizard. Amateur botanists will have fun identifying the 100 native California plants found at the Reserve as well as nearly as many non-native species that have taken root.

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Las Vegas Liberace Museum Closing in October

Travel | Posted by admin
Sep 19 2010

The chairman of the Liberace Foundation, Jeffrey Koep, has announced that the iconic Vegas landmark will close on October 17th. The Liberace Museum opened in 1979 and houses a lifetime worth of Liberace artifacts. The two-building structure is topped by a towering keyboard sculpture, a true Vegas landmark celebrating the career of one of the city’s most beloved showmen.

A victim of the recession, the Liberace Museum was the only remaining public arts museum in Sin City. The Las Vegas Art Museum closed in 2009. Additionally, casino museums have closed in the Wynn Las Vegas and Venetian hotels. Las Vegas tourism is centered around the Strip and
the museum’s location away from that prime location combined with catastrophic drops in visitors to the city over the last two years have made it fiscally irresponsible for the museum to remain open.

Koep explained that the Foundation will narrow its operations to raising money for music scholarships. The Foundation’s endowment was hard hit by the stock market meltdown, dropping from $12 to $5 million dollars. At the same time attendance at the museum fell from an all time peak of 450,000 to only 50,000 in 2009. Using the endowment to fund the failing museum deprives struggling music students of educational opportunities.

The Foundation hopes that some of the artifacts from the museum, including Liberace’s costumes , candelabras, and, of course, pianos, will go on a tour of other cities. They are also researching other, less expensive and better located sites to reopen the museum.

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Hunting for a Marrakech Spa Experience

Travel | Posted by admin
Sep 03 2010

After a day of exploring Marrakech it’s a relief to know there is a relaxing evening at a spa hotel waiting for you. Marrakech, in fact, has many attractions related to relaxation from exotic gardens and tea shops to riads.

Riads are a type of architecture popular for use in traditional Moroccan palaces and houses where the building is built around a central garden. In modern times some of these riads have become Marrakech hotels and spas. So after a day of exploring the desert or shopping the souks and shops around the city you can go back to your accommodations and have a masseuse work the knots from your muscles or enjoy a seaweed wrap treatment.

If you don’t happen to be staying at a hotel offering a spa or it doesn’t have that authentic Moroccan feel don’t fret because you can find a number of hammams , Turkish bathhouses, to pamper you. The thought of a Bath house may bring to mind a tub but you’d be mistaken; a hammam experience is much more detailed. There’s a certain order of oils and rinses that can confuse the first time visitor but don’t feel overwhelmed for about $9 you can have an all inclusive visit including a guide.

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Popular Museums in Lisbon

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 27 2010

Lisbon is an incredibly beautiful and historic city in Portugal, and of course it also happens to be the capital of the country. It is immediately distinguished by the incredible architecture that comprises the cityscape. There are styles and different design genres from periods throughout history represented in the city’s buildings and the grandeur of the architecture contributes to a quiet sophistication in the city’s overall atmosphere. Another thing that is outstanding, and incredibly attractive to the tourists in a Lisbon hotel are amount of and diversity of museums that exist in the city.

Some of the more popular museums that are attractive to tourists include the Museu Nacional do Traje e da Moda, which translates as the National Museum of Costume and Fashion. This is an extremely fascination museum for many tourists and the collection includes over 33,000 items. It is also educating and eye opening for people who thought they knew fashion . The Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the largest in the world and is dedicated entirely to the study of the ocean. It is also one of the favorite attractions for tourists. Meanwhile, tourists also enjoy regular ole art museums and the Berardo is a favorite among those. Spending an afternoon that starts with a great lunch and winds down in one of the great museums in the city is a fabulous way to explore the city and culture of Lisbon.

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Visionary in Florence

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 24 2010

Coming to Florence is a visit to the very best parts of the culture of the world, at least, one pinnacle of it. The Italian Renaissance has not only been enormously influential on the visual art world since then, it’s also influenced nearly every aspect of what makes life worth living. In terms of philosophy, attitudes toward food, and even the art of love, Florence in the Golden Age was a remarkable epicenter.

Its influence is still remarkable, and there is as much to see today as there ever was. The popularity of Florence hotels , the number of people eating in bars and restaurants, and the crowds in the museums demonstrate that there is not only a lot of art being produced, but also a lot of people interested in viewing it.

The idea of the artist as visionary is one that had more currency in the Golden Age then it does today. It’s hard to theorize exactly why, because the secular humanist view today is every bit as strong as it was then. There may be a mistrust of visionary thought in general, but that doesn’t mean the work doesn’t exist. People like Phillip Rubinov Jacobson , who runs workshops on visionary and fantastic art in Florence, are proof that the impulse is still very strong, and that seeing is still very much a reflex in development.

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Aquarium in Mazatlan

Travel | Posted by admin
Aug 09 2010

You have decided to spend some time in Mazatlan Mexico for your vacation and are dreaming of the poolside bar serving up some margarita’s while you catch up on a well deserved tan. Oh, the endless fresh Mexican food with the shrimp cocktails makes your mouth water just thinking of it. Time to book that room at one of the five star mazatlan hotels and get that plane ticket because your hooked now.

When you get there, you may decide to branch out from the hotel a bit and are looking for something else to do besides browse through the trinket shops in town. Try heading over to the Mazatlan Aquarium . You have been swimming among some of the beautiful marine animals for a couple of days and now it is time to see them in a better view facility.

There are all sorts of habitats that you can wonder through such as rain forests with lots of interesting frogs. They have a good skeletal collection of water and land animals like alligators. Then there are, of course, the many beautiful water tanks filled with so many kinds of fish, sea turtles, trays and octopus. Maybe then when you hit the ocean again you will be able to name a few kinds of fish as you see them.

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A Day at the Portland Art Museum

Travel | Posted by admin
Jul 25 2010

There is no better time to enjoy a great museum than when you are on vacation in a new city. Museums are made for a good day off from the hustle and bustle of regular life. There are a couple of art and craft related museums in Portland Oregon that always have something interesting displayed.

While you are looking for a place to stay in portland. Best hotels are found all over the city and you may want to find one near an art museum like the Portland Art Museum . Currently, the Portland Art Museum has some great historical art with the Pioneering Collection from the Crocker Art Museum. This collection give a wonderful look at many drawings from early masters such as Albrecht Durer, Peter Paul Rubens, Fra Bartolommeo and many others.

This art museum has its own collections as well with American art exhibit, Asian art, modern and contemporary art, Native American art, northwest art, photography and wonderful collection of silver pieces. The silver collection has all sorts of silver pieces from the 15th century to today. It is a wonderful display of how silver has been formed into many serving pieces from all centuries.

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Artist as Object in Cape Town

Travel | Posted by admin
Jul 22 2010

The Cape Town art scene has always been rather lively, where a wide variety of visual art can be seen. Art reflects an interior reality as well as an external one, and the multiple realities that exist in the city are food for the artists looking for inspiration and community. Those who are coming to stay at the hotels in Cape Town , and enjoy the city’s vibrant scene will be surprised and delighted about what’s here.

Local artist Jennifer Lovemore-Reed is one of the citizen-artists in Cape Town who are working to push boundaries and make things happen. She works in a variety of media, too, and has been combining performance with her strong visual works. A recent work, however, was entirely based in performance.

Called ” 45 Minutes as an Object ,” she did the work in Cape Town and in Paris, and made video of both. She lay motionless on a sidewalk, and the crowds reacted. It seems like a simple concept, and in conceptual art that’s key toward unlocking the work’s transformative power. Looking at how people responded on both continents, one could start to make connections and consider ideas of public space, the body, the archetypes of femininity, and also the status of insider-outsider. Provocative work is happening in Cape Town, thanks to the work of visionaries like her.

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Philadelphia’s Museum of the Enlightenment

Travel | Posted by admin
Jul 02 2010

The museum of today is a very different animal than it was 200 years ago. It’s actually changed quite a bit in the past couple of decades, but the new vision of what a museum can be comes out of ways it has been reimagined since they first opened. Although it’s probably near impossible to pinpoint what might constitute the first museum, Philadelphia can claim an original.

In 1783, Charles Wilson Peale was in possession of the bone of a mastodon, and this was the start of the first official museum in the United States. He was a painter, who specialized in portraits of famous generals, and even took part in the Revolutionary War. How to display the bone was the question that got him thinking, and when he started showing it in the room with his own paintings, he had an idea that would lead people, centuries later, to come to enjoy the luxury hotels Philadelphia offers, and to see the city museums.

Peale’s Museum is long gone, purchased by PT Barnum in the middle of the 19th century, but the accounts show that it was an idea that is still ahead of its time. He did have a certain attitude, that came from the Enlightenment tradition, where the idea of displaying the icons of culture can make for a better and fuller life. He also had a certain flair for understanding what makes people curious. He collected lots of artifacts from expeditions to explore the Old West, and also had a great ethnographic interest.

To this he kept adding objects and paintings that celebrated the Revolutionary war, and more objects of curiosity came into his hands. The display, then, at its height, was intended to illustrate how his time was the absolute pinnacle of all human cultures. It’s a lofty idea, and one that’s still found occasionally in today’s museum, but expanded knowledge of people and places has made such Enlightenment claims a bit troubling, but the splendid array of human culture in all its curiosities is a legacy that he’s left for the generations who come after.

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Pantheon and Circus Maximus in Rome

Travel | Posted by admin
Jun 25 2010

There are some many sites to see when visiting Rome and it is really impossible to see them all in a short period of time. It would be best if one could live there for a year and take the time to learn about the hundreds of sites and explore them completely. For most that is not possible. Most travelers have only a few weeks, days or even hours to spend in Rome. The first places many of these people go is to Vatican City which is great because that includes the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. It is a whole day event just to visit the Vatican. The next big stop is the Colosseum. It is the most famous building of the Roman Empire and is also a must see. This site doesn’t take a whole day but the surrounding area has a lot to see as well.  

One of the sites you might see if you get on a tour bus and travel through the city is the Circus Maximus. Today it looks like a large rectangular park but this was once the best place to catch the famous chariot races of the Roman times. It is about 150 yards wind and runs about a third of a mile long and researchers believe that there were up to 250,000 people who would line the track. There were more than likely only 150,000 seats but there were always plenty of people standing to see the events. This was one event were people of all classes ended up sharing seating areas. So keep an eye out for it.  

Another amazing place to visit if you have some time is the Pantheon. The city built itself up around the Pantheon over more than 1800 years in and it seems to be a bit big in the courtyard were it sits today but it is very rich inside. This building was created to honor all the pagan Gods. One of the most amazing things about the building is the massive dome that was the only source of light in the early days. The marble and artifacts inside this wonderful building is really worth seeing if you have a chance. Check with your great hotel in Rome or with your favorite travel directory for more transportation information.

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Manhattan Italian

Travel | Posted by admin
Jun 22 2010

The idea of an Italian restaurant in Manhattan is one that creates a kind of perfect place in the imagination. In its platonic ideal, this is the place of dreams, where everything anyone could want is there for an evening that extends into eternity. The music is just right, and the company is romantic, witty, and flirty beyond abandon. The food is impossibly good, and there is no telling where the night will go.

There are many places like this all over the city, and it would take a lifetime to try them all. Perhaps it would be worth a lifetime, because at the end of the 80 or so years, it’s hard to imagine not being enormously happy. And one of the great things about New York City is that there are plenty of exercise clubs to work off too much pasta and butter. If one is so inclined.

It might be necessary to find a place to work out after an evening at Ennio and Michael’s , where they serve it up in a delightful old school Italian style. Perfectly placed in the Village on La Guardia place, this is a space where one can escape from the noise of the city and get into the serious business of eating.

It’s reputed to have one of the best recipes for linguini with clam sauce in the city, but it’s best to save opinions until the end of another 80 years, when all the Italian places have been thoroughly researched.

For now, this is as good a place to start as any. It’s a wonderful night out, enjoying time on the city while staying at one of the five star hotels Manhattan offers. There may be music in the air, and it might be the restaurant, or it might be coming from the heart, playing the sweet sounds of falling in love.

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Grand Prairie Music and Dancing

Travel | Posted by admin
Jun 12 2010

Put on your best hat and boots. Grab your best girl and head out to a night club while your in Grand Prairie Texas. Nestled in between the hotels. grand prairie as a few night life gems waiting for you to come out, meet the locals, and relax. If your hungry, you may want to head over to Tommy’s Bar and Grill for some pre dance dinner. They have some great burgers in a nice relaxing atmosphere. They have some fun bar games like darts and game machines. You can drop some coins in the jukebox and enjoy the food and beverage from the servers with a smile.  

Mary’s Outpost should keep you and the crooners in your group happy. They have quite a selection of songs and good drink prices. They also have bar games including pool tables and dominoes. This is also a great place to catch your favorite sports games. They are open all week long and ready to serve up your favorite beer or cocktail.  

If your looking for some cowboy dancing action then head over to Cowboy’s Arlington . This cowboy dance hall has some experience in the business of keeping their clients movin. They have a couple of clubs in Texas and one of them is just down the street from Grand Prairie. For the teenager traveling with you, this club has a special night for them. They open the doors for the teens to come in and mingle with their friends and do some two steppin from 7pm to midnight. They better get their best boots on for the dance contest. There is even a bull riding contest on the mechanical bull. Sorry parents, it is teens only so your going to have to keep movin down the road for a place that will let you in.

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Big Music in Austin

Travel | Posted by admin
Jun 07 2010

It is no joke when they say that Austin is the music capitol of the world. There is every kind of music available in Austin and at any hour of the day or night, any day you are there someone will be playing in a restaurant, concert hall, or someplace else. There is a lot of undiscovered talent in Austin, and because of the talent that has been discovered there more and more talent just keeps moving in. Sometimes it is nice, having all these great musicians around all the time, but sometimes it can be a little much. You can’t go to one event without missing out on someone’s event, you can’t even go to sleep without missing an event, but there isn’t enough money in the world to be able to see everything all at once.

In the next couple of months there will be at least one major musical event going on. The Austin City Limits music festival with over 130 bands such as the Eagles, Muse, the Flaming Lips, Phish and the Strokes among a much larger list of those who will be playing and thousands of fans taking up all of the Austin best hotels . Austin City Limits has been made particularly famous by PBS doing a show on them that allows those who are not down in Austin to get a taste of the huge musical variations that play at Austin City Limits. The show and the festival are now different though, so you shouldn’t confuse the two as one of them will be going on all year round and the other one has only one small weekend.

All this music doesn’t even include the small hole in the wall bars and restaurants that will be featuring numerous artists both big and small, or even the larger bars and restaurants that often have big name stars such as Houston formed ZZTop and many others come over there and play. What will really get you will be the music in all the unexpected places, such as in the airport when you first fly in. There are performances in grocery stores and along the sides during races. Everything may be big in Texas but there seems to be nothing big enough to hold all of the talent in this place.

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Things to Know Before Travelling to Singapore

Travel | Posted by admin
May 27 2010

There are a few things to be aware of that will make your travel to Singapore go much smoother, such as Singapore’s ‘Entry/Exit’ requirements, travel restrictions, what goods are dutiable, the best method to get cash, medical insurance and what side of the road to drive on; all are necessary in order to fully enjoy everything that Singapore can offer.

Naturally, a valid passport is required for any entry or exits from Singapore. Travelers to the region should make a note that Singapore and her neighboring countries do not allow United States citizens to enter with fewer than six months of validity remaining on their passport. Plus, United States citizens do not need a visa if their visit is for business or social purposes, and their stay is for 90 days or under. You can obtain specific information about entry requirements for Singapore at the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore, located at 3501 International Place NW, Washington, DC, or go to the Embassy of Singapore’s website to get the most up-to-date, current visa information.

Travel restrictions for any person with HIV/AIDS has been imposed by the Singapore Government. For dutiable goods, there are four types in Singapore: motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages, gasoline and tobacco. Upon entering Singapore, travellers, at any port of entry, must see an Immigration and Checkpoint Authority officer located at the ‘Red Channel’ for payments of duty, plus goods and services tax (GST) if the dutiable goods exceeds the GST relief or duty-free concessions. Don’t proceed to the ‘Green Channel’ first, this is considered an offence if you do have items to claim.

Automated teller machines (ATMs) are everywhere in Singapore and are considered the best method of obtaining cash. Bank transfers can take weeks and you can expect high surcharges to go along with the transfer. American Express and Western Union are for the most part efficient. You might check with the hotel in Singapore you are registered at to see if they offer their guests an easy way to obtain cash, but they might ask U.S. citizens to surrender their passports in lieu of surety bonds. Consider carefully whether you wish to surrender your passport rather than seek some other type of surety, especially if the passport is requested by someone who is not a government official.

Medical insurance is strongly recommended by the Department of State, so prior to traveling, contact your insurance company to see if your policy covers you overseas and if it covers you in an emergency like a medical evacuation. As for driving in Singapore, they have very well maintained roads and a great highway network. Driving is done on the left-hand side of the road. Motorists should be aware of motorcyclists and for that matter any other vehicle, because they often ignore lane markings. It’s highly recommended to use Singapore’s excellent public transportation modes.

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Great Parks in Manhattan

Travel | Posted by admin
Apr 23 2010

Central Park in New York City is most definitely the largest and most famous park in Manhattan and throughout New York. However, it is definitely not the only park on this or the other boroughs and the city is actually full of beautiful green spaces with well kept lawns and displays of art. These are some of New York’s most prized places and tourist frequently seek them out from their New York city hotel room . They are also great places to have picnics, take walks and sometimes offer other recreational and sports activities. They are an essential aspect of escaping the noise and chaos of the city and residents relish their time in them.

The Madison Square Park is located in the vibrant Flatiron District of Manhattan and features numerous cultural programs on its lush green lawns. It has become an important oasis for numerous people who live and work in the area. There are plenty of garden spaces and lawns areas in this park, and no park would be complete in Manhattan without at least one sculpture. Bridget’s Garden is a specially designated children’s garden in the park and was added in the spring of 2005. The Lilac Grove is another extremely popular feature of this city park.

Union Square Park is another popular place for residents and tourists frequently explore its offerings as well. It is located at the historic and culturally significant intersection of Broadway and the former Brewery Road. You can usually find great farmers markets on various days throughout the week. Bryant Park is one of the busiest park areas in the city and many people argue it is also the most beautiful. There is always something going on in this park and it is more common than not to see large crowds of people gathered to watch some particular event or performance. Le Carrousel is one of the park’s most popular features and was created specifically to compliment the French design and atmospheric aspect.

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Manhattan Subway System

Travel | Posted by admin
Apr 09 2010

They best way to get around Manhattan and the surrounding areas might have to be the Subway. It may not have the prettiest view but it is cheaper than a cab and sometimes it can be much quicker. The stations are located all over the New York boroughs which include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Most of the subways stations and serves are open and running twenty four hours a day. This is rather unusual to have twenty four hours service most cities shut service down for a chunk of time at night. Each year the subway seems to break the previous record for its use. There is a direct relationship between higher gas prices and subway use. The winter months the subway gets more use as the gas prices go up. This great mode of transportation was first demonstrated in Manhattan by Alfred Ely Beach in 1869. The Beach Pneumatic Transit went 312 feet under Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The project didn’t really take off for financial as well a political reasons so the it was demolished. Since then there have been many builds that have slowly been added on to and up dated to create what passengers know of today. There are tunnels under the water going Brooklyn and Queens which makes the system really large and complex these days. There is a station near most of the Manhattan hotels like this that will get you to the theatres on Broadway like the Gershwin Theatre and to the best museums like Metropolitan Museum of Art . One can get on in a dense skyscraper corner and end up along the beautiful Central Park for an afternoon picnic or simple walk. Shoppers may want to get to the stores on a train and catch the cab back to the hotel with all they will all the bags they will have to carry. So catch the subway when you can and save that extra cash for a fantastic martini at cocktail hour.

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International Boat Show in Miami

Travel | Posted by admin
Mar 30 2010

The Miami International Boat Show is an extremely popular event that takes place in the Miami Convention Center every year. The center is filled wall to wall with an amazing selection of boats and water sports gear of all sizes and accessory option levels. There are a lot of people that live in Miami that attend the event every year and they do this for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they just love boats and could spend a whole day or weekend gazing at the new models and designs. Of course a large population of attendees are in the market for a new boat as first time buyers or are looking to replace the one they have or add to their collection. The divers crowd, and of course many of them are tourists having a great afternoon in Miami, adds to the dynamic and atmosphere of the event.

A vacation in Miami can be an extremely exciting experience and it is never the same for any two people who are there. Events like the boat show appeal to a large number of people, though of course there are other who would just like to skip the show and spend all day on the beach or renting a boat for the day. And there are some tourists who are in the city specifically for major annual events like the boat show. Regardless of whether or not you stumble upon by luck or are specifically in Miami to attend it, enjoy or time and looking at these great marine vehicles. And maybe you’ll even be taking one home as a souvenir.

The show is produced by the National Marine Manufactures Association, which is the primary trade association related to the recreational marine industry. The event takes place in February of each year and this past show included a new location at the Sea Isle Marina and Yachting Center . The Convention Center housed over a million square feet of various boating features. Fishing boats, runabouts, personal watercraft and sport boats were just few of the options available. Equipment and accessories were also on display in large amounts. If you missed the show and are interested in purchasing a boat they are still available.

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Terra Cotta Warriors on Display in Washington DC

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Mar 26 2010

There are so many fabulous attractions and great things to do in Washington DC that choosing one or two on a single weekend can be pretty difficult. This is one of the problems that many people have encountered when they try to visit the city for the first time and think they can manage it on a weekend getaway. They may have the original intention of visiting the White House and the Capital Building as they settle into one of the great rooms in one of the hotels. And while this is well and good, and also one of the more popular things to do while visiting DC, most people quickly find out that they are just the beginning of the list of amazing things to do and important landmarks and attractions to visit.

This is why many of those same people recommend to family and friends that when they visit DC they plan to spend more than a weekend there if it’s their first time. After the initial survey exploration trip, then it is a great idea to spend a day or two in DC just to see one of the incredible performances, or to visit a particular location.

The National Geographic Museum is one of the great cultural establishments that soon lands on the agenda of most visitors after they arrive. It is also one of the places that is great to visit regularly so you can check out all of the touring exhibits and special events. The current exhibit visiting the museum, China’s Terra Cotta Warriors, will only be there through the end of this month. The collection of life size warriors was discovered in Xi’an in 1974 and is almost two thousand years old. This collection is one of the greatest archeological discoveries of the 20th century. There will be extended hours to this exhibit during its final two weeks at the museum.

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Visit the Dallas World Aquarium and Zoo

Travel | Posted by admin
Mar 20 2010

Opening to the public in October 1992 an old warehouse, in downtown Dallas near the Historic West End District, became the original site of The Dallas World Aquarium. Home to a flora and fauna from five continents, 14 countries, three oceans, numerous seas and rivers. Built in 1924, the empty warehouse was used for various industries, including Pioneer Steel Rule and Die and the Mohawk Rubber Company.The adjacent building was purchased in 1996 to expand the aquarium. Before the aquarium’s expansion the location was a rubber storage warehouse and then housed a restaurant/bar called Tejano Rodeo. The alley between the two buildings became a channel between the saltwater and freshwater ecosystems. In October 1997 the ORINOCO – Secrets of the River exhibit opened to the public; this exhibit features free flying birds and mammals, ranging in size from small Vampire bats to large Antillean manatees. The vacant lot behind the aquarium was purchased in May of 2000 and now, adjoining the aquarium, is where the outdoor South Africa exhibit and seasonally the Madagascar display are kept.

The Dallas Zoo , located in Fair park along side many other Dallas attractions, was founded in 1888, but now spans 95 acres making it the largest and first zoo in Texas. It is home to thousands of animals and conservation of species in captivity, as well as in the wild, is one of their primary missions. Many of their conservation efforts focus, but not exclusively, on the United States threatened species including all endangered North American felines with the emphasis on the Texas ocelot , developing the population of captive ocelots into a useful research model, and investigating nutrition of captive rhinos. among others. The Dallas Zoo also offers several educational experiences not just for families and summer camps for kids but also conservation lectures and even research outings for adult animal enthusiasts.

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Pittsburgh Strip District

Travel | Posted by admin
Mar 16 2010

This is the point where the city comes alive, where the last remnants of the old Pittsburgh blend with the rest of the new. The old almost always wins out here, and it’s not just because of stubbornness.

There’s a general posture to Pittsburgh that has made it more interesting in recent years, perhaps due to its ability to point to the times, the signs of the times, and have the courage and the right to say that they saw it coming first. There is an old world here that continues and endures, but according to very different values than the old world that’s seen in television sitcoms, and plays that take place in living rooms.

There are still facets of splendor here, and wonderfully done, where for Pittsburgh, luxury hotels offer style with difference. This is a great escape from the social fabric, and the grains here make up an impressive force upon which we might wash our own sense of place in the world.

The gentry here were landed before the rest moved in, and the rest made up this city with sweat and wisdom, and an enormously underrated insecurity, that could sometimes take root in subtle new ways, and often with vengeance. The best forms of this take roots in culture, where identity is something negotiated in between the cracks between worlds. Here, for a turn away from the usual and toward the real everyday here, visit Jimmy Sunseri & Nino Co . This Italian grocery has more character than a thousand New York cabs, and more class than a roomful of Sunday school teachers.

It’s one of the most interesting places in the city on the weekend mornings, and few might be willing to try it. but staying through until the afternoon rush picks up can be an adventure in finding out who really founded Pittsburgh.

The constructions here are made on the backs of the elderly who walk the streets of downtown, and they also have the ideas that made things turn here. Some will claim this was once upon a time. Others will say that if you look in the eyes of the old, there are still more sparks, but you have to be willing to stop and imagine yourself in their shoes. The Strip District is where it all begins again, being that selfsame place where it all began.

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Charleston’s Main Mansion

Travel | Posted by admin
Mar 09 2010

Dating to 1876, the Calhoun Mansion at No. 16 Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina represents one man’s effort to restore pride and grandeur to post-Civil War Charleston . This is not the former residence of the legendary John C. Calhoun (1782-1850). Rather, the Calhoun association with this home is in the personage of grandson Patrick, husband of Sarah Williams, who inherited the home from her parents. George Walton Williams is the man who provided the vision and wealth that produced this magnificent structure. It sits on hallowed ground, having been one of the innumerable places claiming that “George Washington slept here.” In this case, Washington visited a previous structure on this site in 1791.

The Calhoun Mansion is the largest home in Charleston , with 35 delightfully painted and adorned rooms covering over 24,000 square feet of floor space. The Victorian-era mansion includes elements of the Charleston Single House with two-story verandas (locally called “piazzas”) located along its side, yet the home retains a formal front entrance. Inside there is a towering stairwell that rises 75 feet to a dome, a sky-lighted grand ballroom, standard 14-foot ceilings with ornate molding, and a seemingly endless collection of furniture, art, and antique decorative pieces. Though the rooms may feel busy, the ornamentation is captivating when you place it in the context of its owner’s interests and the time periods being portrayed.

Should you wish to stay somewhere equally captivating during your visit, charleston luxury hotels provides a range of choices. Hopefully your surroundings will be as lush and tranquil as the Calhoun Mansion’s grounds which offer an oasis of nature’s charm and man’s ingenuity. Artfully composed pathways flow through a formal garden, fountains, statuary and sculpted greenery. It is easy to forget that you are in a residential neighborhood and feel you have been transported to another time.

Having passed through several owners after Mr. Williams’s death, the home fell into disrepair. It was condemned for occupancy but saved from destruction by a loving owner and resident, Mr. Howe, who spent 25 years and millions of dollars to restore the home in the image of Williams’s dream. We are all richer for that beneficence. In 2004, the ownership shifted to Mr. Stahl who graciously reopened the Mansion and its spectacular contents to the public.

Only a short walk away is Battery Park which looks out over Charleston Harbor toward Fort Sumter, a good destination to charter a cruise to . We must remember to be thankful for sites like Sumter and the Calhoun Mansion that serve to instruct us in our history. Charleston is a beautiful city and the Calhoun Mansion is a gem to be cherished.

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To Become a Painter in Brooklyn, New York

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 25 2010

A couple of years ago I visited my friend Robert in New York.  The great thing about visiting him is that each time I do, he lives in a different part of the city, and at that time he was living in Brooklyn.  He had a three story house that was rent controlled, and he had an extra room open to rent out.  I was considering a move, but wanted to go there and hang out for a little while to see if I was ready to live in such a huge city.  I really wanted to live there, as I am a painter and there is something that makes being an artist very real when you are in New York.  In my small hometown, art was seen as something of a hobby, with most people not realizing that yes, artists can make it their living, their livelihood and their world.

So, on that trip one of the first places we visited was the Brooklyn Museum.   This is one of the largest and one of the oldest art museums in the United States, and when you walk through the doors and are surrounded by everything from contemporary work to that of the ancient Egyptians, you become aware that art is history.  It is the history of the soul of the artist and it documents the history of their times, of their societies.  The truth is I was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging.  In my hometown, artists are viewed as a bit kooky, a little on the nutty side, but here in Brooklyn it is the others, the rest of the people outside of the art world that are the nutty ones.  So although I was far away from home, I had finally found my people.  This makes sense to feel this at the Brooklyn Museum, after all it is their mission, to bridge the gaps of time and culture by bring all of the together in one place.

So, after a few hours, Robert and I went to one of the restaurants in the city, and had a talk.  I was overcome with emotion when I told him that I was going to take his extra room.  I knew that I was about to make an immense journey in life, and that I was about to leave a town that I had grown up in and lived my entire life.  But even though I was getting ready to leave that hometown, I knew that what I was actually doing in moving to Brooklyn was in fact coming home.

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Symphony Orchestra at UC Irvine

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 23 2010

Many people consider getting away to Los Angeles for a weekend or longer a great opportunity for fun and some relaxation. Okay, maybe not relaxation, but definitely fun. Meanwhile, having been born and raised in Los Angeles, and still living there as an adult I recently got away for the weekend and went to Irvine for a some fun, excitement, and you guessed it, relaxation. Los Angeles is a great city and full of exciting entertainment and cultural options. However, one is unlikely to get a lot of rest while visiting that city. In addition, it can be a little difficult to get a lot of rest when one lives there. This is why I stress the importance of the peace and relaxation I experienced while staying in Irvine. People like me do the same thing every year, which is why the Irvine hotels and resorts remain full throughout the seasons.

I went with my good friend Charles. The two of us try and get out of the city at least twice a year though frequently we end up making the road trip up to San Francisco because it’s also a great place for fun and exciting adventures. However, last month we only had a two days and we just needed to get away. He had a friend who is a music student at UC Irvine and mentioned a concert that the school’s symphony was putting up that weekend. It sounded interesting and we could stay with Charles’ friend Mike, which meant that the whole weekend would be kind of cheap. UC Irvine has a really high quality music program, according to Charles and Mike, I’m not a musician, and the symphony is supposed to be really terrific. Well, I might not be one to give a critical evaluation, though I can certainly said I was impressed and really enjoyed it. The concert took place in the Irvine Barclay Theatre, which was a cool place to hear and see it. The next day we spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying tossing a Frisbee around in the park. It was a beautiful afternoon and it felt great to alternate a bit of running and lying around in the grass. It was really a great weekend.

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The Shakespeare Garden of New York City

Arts & Culture, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 20 2010

Central Park is huge.  Unless one takes the time to wonder through slowly, or unless one is lucky enough to have a knowledgeable guide, there are many smaller sections of the park that may get missed.  One such section of the garden is the Shakespeare Garden, known to be one of the best spots in the city to stop and literally smell the roses.  One of the things about New York that so surprised me the first time I visited, was the gardens.  The gardens located in the abandoned spaces between the high rise skyscrapers, and the gardens that hung off of the fire escapes throughout the city.

This was not the concrete jungle I was expecting, it was a bunch of people living in a very small area, who valued beauty, even if was just a pot of geraniums outside the kitchen window.  Many of the parks in New York went through times of neglect and disrepair, be it whether the country was consumed with the happenings of the Second World War, or whether the people were to distracted trying to survive during the Great Depression.  By the middle of the 1970′s however, many parks got renovated, such as Washington Square Park in the East Village, and Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

So too, did the Shakespeare Garden of Central Park, start to be tended and cleaned up.  William Shakespeare wrote about many aspects of life in his prose and his plays, and this garden in the park, is dedicated to him.  Only plants and flowers that he had made mention of in his writings, are located within the garden.  Hotels are plentiful on the Upper East side, and if you are traveling to the city in the spring time, look here for those that will ensure you close access to the park, as this is a blooming time that you really do not want to miss.  Who knows, you may be able to time it in order to see a play, Shakespeare in the Park, in Shakespeare’s Garden…what a better way to celebrate the life of the beloved Bard?

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Valentines Day at Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder

Food, Leisure, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 19 2010

My boyfriend planned the most romantic adventure for us today and not only did it really surprise me, as he’s not typically a romantic acting individual, but it was also incredibly touching because I know how much attention and thought he put into the whole thing. Anyway the day started with a phone call. He innocently and casually asked what I was doing. I had just finished doing some laundry so while that wasn’t terribly exciting that’s what I told him. Then he asked if he could stop over later and asked what I would be doing. I didn’t think anything was odd and just said it would be fine though I would be going to the store in a minute. As I walked out of my house there was a beautiful vase of roses sitting on my car with a large box of chocolates.

I had to smile and thought Paul must have called me from out there and wanted to get me to walk outside. I looked around and didn’t see him when suddenly a large plum of red and white balloons floated over my carport.
A moment later he walked around from the side of the house carrying a picnic basket and a smile.

That would have been more than enough for me as I was already so touched and pleased that I really didn’t expect anything else. However, we got into his car and headed out of town in the direction of Boulder. We met at the University of Colorado during our senior year and our first date was at a place called Frasca Food and Wine. Sure enough we pulled in to their parking lot and went in for lunch. I asked what the picnic basket was for if that’s where we were eating and he told me not to worry about it. We had a great lunch and passed by the Boulder hotel we planned to return to one day after we’re married. We went out to a beautiful country area and he threw down a blanket and we had a great conversation and enjoyed the strawberries, cheesecake and wine he had in the basket. It was really an amazing day.

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Santa Rosa Symphony Inspires Violinist

Arts & Culture, Employment, Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 17 2010

Okay, I’m only 21 but I think after last summer I have much of the rest of my life planned out. No one takes me seriously when I tell them this so I’m confiding it to you though I express my plans to manifest these elements in a more relaxed fashion. It all started when I spent a week in Santa Rosa last summer with my parents. I almost didn’t even go with them because it was an incredibly busy summer for me and I had some important performance dates coming up. I’m a music performance major and will graduate next year with a degree in violin performance. I have played the violin since I was seven and don’t remember ever not loving it in the last fourteen years. Okay, that’s a lie, I have actually hated it a few times but it’s one of those love hate relationship things.

Anyway, they really wanted me to go and I was able to rearrange my schedule and I don’t think I could have done anything greater for myself that summer. We spent a week in one of the Santa Rosa hotels that was in an older section of town. It was really cool and had a nice historic feel. I absolutely fell in love with the city almost from the moment I arrived there and am one hundred percent sure that this is where I want to move when I finish school. We attended a performance of the Santa Rosa Symphony and I really enjoyed it and respect the company. Of course I would love to audition for them and earn a spot but I’ll just do some freelance performance until that happens. This is where people tell me I’m naive, but I feel like I’ll be able to make a living, at least pay my bills by doing some private teaching and also working freelance performance jobs. Meanwhile, I definitely plan to move to Santa Rosa and maybe live there for the rest of my life, who knows. It’s a beautiful city and I love it and I also believe that things will just work out fine with continued hard work and commitment.

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Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 15 2010

Somedays I just want to relax and do nothing at all; some of the best days of my life, in fact, I’ve spent doing just that, often lounging on a grassy hill or under a tree in a park.  One of the best parks in which to do that might just be located in the Salt Lake Valley in Utah.  Considered a prized jewel amongst the regional parks of this valley, there’s Sugar House Park, about 110 acres of rolling greenery.  Is there an irony that this site was also the site for the old State Prison?  An area once used for incarceration is now available for public use:  There’s seven pavilions that you may reserve for groups, there’s soccer and baseball fields, regulation-sized.  Three’s a cement basketball quart that was donated by the Utah Jazz, as well as a couple of areas designed specifically for children to play, seven volleyball courts, a hill for sleigh-riding, and an amphitheater capable of holding about 220 people.  You’ll find all this in the Sugar House area in Salt Lake City, with two entrances for automobiles off 2100 South, at about 1400 East and 1500 East.

With all the things you might do here, it’s possible to forget that you can also just take a walk and enjoy the views.  In addition to everything else, there’s a park road that’s about a mile and three-eighths long.  Its sixteen foot wide inside lane is popular for walking, but also for runners or bicyclists, and, since it’s winter now, cross-country ski trainers.

I have a feeling that many people arriving in town and just hire a van or rent a car and speed on up to Park City to ski or watch films.  But these folks might one day find it worth the time to grab a hotel in Salt Lake City, and see the sights closer to town.

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Four Major Sports Teams in Philadelphia

Travel | Posted by admin
Feb 12 2010

Growing up in Philadelphia I couldn’t help but be a sports fan. And when asked which is my favorite many people are surprised to hear that it’s baseball. I love baseball and am extremely passionate about the Phillies and growing up I would attend games at the Veteran’s Stadium, or now it’s the Citizen’s Bank Park where they play, as often as I could, which was actually pretty often. Those were always great afternoons when my best friend Bobby and I would get to head down to the stadium. My grandparents would usually give me a couple of extra dollars to get a hot dog and a soda. Bobby always wanted peanuts and only peanuts.

I’m also a big fan of the Philadelphia 76ers and basketball is probably my second favorite sport. I did get to see as many 76ers games growing up but that’s also probably because I really never made the effort. I went to a few and enjoyed them but was always my dad’s or uncle’s or somebody’s guest. I think this is also because it just seemed so easy for a couple of kids to get some cheap ball park tickets and head out to Saturday afternoon baseball game, but basketball games are usually in the evening and it just didn’t feel practical or something.

Of course sports in Philadelphia don’t end there and I always get track of the rosters and success of each season though I honestly never had the passion for something like the Eagles though how can a person not enjoy football season. And of course Philly is one of those towns that has a team in all four major sports and the Flyers are our hockey team. I was interested in the Eagles and the Flyers and always watched the football games but you have to understand you just don’t grow up in Philadelphia without becoming an Eagles fan. It’s un patriotic, you know? As far as I can tell it’s similar to what I understand about growing up in the state of Nebraska and being a Cornhusker’s fan. People from outside Philly, like in the surrounding region, will come in and stay in one of the cool places find rooms to see the games.

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