TravGuides.com

Cancun-An Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:04:00 +0000

If you want to take a trip to Mexico with only a week’s vacation, you might want to consider Cancun. Even if you’re one of those travelers who prefer to go off the beaten track of the popular tourist locations, you might be better off to venture to this locale in the country-especially for if it’s your first time there.

Don’t misunderstand-it’s not that other cities aren’t perfectly wonderful; it’s just that there are many advantages of being in a foreign city that is equipped to deal with hoards of Americans who may not know much Spanish and have little knowledge of the culture. Being there almost makes one feel that its main purpose is for honoring visitors, and in this respect, it does its job well.

Some years ago, my husband and I spent a perfectly fine week there, and neither of us had ever been in a country where English was not the primary language. We did have some opportunities to utilize our high-school Spanish (refreshed by language guides) on a few occasions, but we had no fear of being misunderstood when we were in the main tourist areas. Our trip was with a company called Apple Tours, and we had a nonstop flight which took a little over two hours from the northeastern U.S. airports. Included in our package were two activities of our choosing-we opted for a Pirate Cruise and Tour of Chichineza, and we elected to snorkel and golf on our own.

The Pirate Cruise turned out to be what was referred to as a “booze cruise”, although don’t be misled into thinking it was a raucous free-for-all. There were many young honeymooners, but also a good deal of children, yet a cash bar quite adequately supported the general atmosphere of nautical fun and fantasy. Actors and actresses roamed the ship, telling Pirate stories of the waters and taking pictures of the guests. It wasn’t a bad way to spend an evening, and there were some lovely views of the shoreline for photo opportunities.

Chichineza is an ancient town that contains relics of past civilizations such as courts in which a deadly basketball game was once played, and towering pyramid that can be climbed by those stout of heart and limb. (I have a great picture of myself atop, canoodling with the god who protects it.) The journey was not an easy one, however. Approaching Chichineza via a rickety old bus without air conditioning and restroom facilities was not something advisable for anyone suffering even a mild form of Montezuma’s revenge. The trip was about 90 minutes and the path was through some exceedingly heart-breaking areas of poverty. (On the one rest stop, beggars swarmed those who left the bus.)

The snorkeling expedition we chose went out into much deeper water than I am comfortable with, so I alone remained in waters near the boat. It was moored in about 6 feet of water; the others went out to a depth of at least 15 feet. This is a consideration if you are a novice; the companies’ version of “beginner” may conflict with yours. (My husband relayed that one of the women became quite unnerved at one point and they had to stop the excursion for a few minutes, so apparently I’m not the only one who likes to have their feet on solid ground while dumping water from their face mask.)

Golfing was a blur and not worth the money-it was not a well-kept course, and the temperature reached 106 degrees that particular September day. Yet, we made up for it in other ways…

Our hotel room offered beautiful scenery, and we enjoyed every one of our meals-even though the chimichangas tasted a bit different than those from Chichi’s! We loved going to the marketplace, though one must get used to bargaining with the vendors. My souvenir was a stunning silver and turquoise bracelet which I still wear to this day.

In answer to questions about illness, some folks were sick every day (like my husband) while others became sick only once (like I did). The culprit were ice-pops purchased from a local child at Chichineza; we were so parched, we didn’t even care about the water. However, surprisingly, those few episodes still didn’t ruin the overall experience. Would I return? You bet! It’s probably even grander now than before, but still very tourist-friendly.

Toronto-A Very Good Neighbor

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Before a passport was required for visiting Toronto, I visited for a few days one summer. To be honest, I was ill (unrelated to travel) for most of my stay, but still remember it with fond memories. That says something.

We stayed at a lovely downtown hotel. Well, that’s redundant; I think almost everything in town in lovely, or at least kept up and attractive-at least the areas that tourists see, anyway. I had ordered tickets for Phantom of the Opera some monts earler, and of course didn't anticipate it being such an inopportune time. So it was either “tough it out” or lose the money already spent. I’m glad I chose the former.

In case you didn’t know, Toronto is Canada’s largest city and is proud of its safe reputation, as well as an international melting pot. To give you an example, there is Greektown, Corso Italia, Little Poland, Koreatown and more than one Chinatown-not to mention the Gay Village. Toronto also boasts CN Tower, the tallest tower in the world and second tallest structure, surpassed only by the Burj in Dubai. I remember taking a bus through town and being mesmerized by the overwhelming diversity of cultures seen in shopping, groceries, fashion-and of course, more restaurants than a person could try in a lifetime, even eating out three times a day. (In case you have a lot of time in Toronto and don’t need to sightsee every minute of your trip, you can also get around on its PATH, a 16 mile underground walkway connecting over a thousand shops and services to subway stations, hotels and office buildings.)

We happened to be able to walk to most of our destinations, which was easy to do since Toronto is laid out on a simple grid. It was also efficient, since traffic always appeared to be as heavy as New York’s. In fact, the similarity with the big apple didn’t end there; streets in Toronto were almost as jam-packed with representation of every culture and religion, and bicyclists were so numerous they were even assigned their own lane on the streets.

Unlike us in the lower 48, Canadian currency under five dollars utilizes coins, such as the loonie ($1) and toonie ($2). But, the American dollar is accepted most places, although change is given in Canadian money. Keep in mind that there is a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) and an 8% Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on purchases. For a rebate to offset some of that, you can contact Custom House Global Foreign Exchange, the Global Refund, or Premier Tax-Free Services for information and forms.

In addition to seeing the show (which, as you probably have heard, was excellent), we spent a few hours visiting Casa Loma, one of Canada's most famous castles. We did not take the full tour, but if you have the time, you can check out secret passages, towers, stables, an 800-foot tunnel, and 5 acres of gardens. We also took a cruise of the Toronto Harborfront, which provided great photo opportunities of the outlying islands, the city skyline, Skydome, and, of course, the CN Tower. (This landmark is open to visitors and may even be climbed.)

In fact, if you’re interested in visiting the observation decks of the CN Tower, and would also like to see the best attractions Toronto has to offer, you may wish to consider a Toronto City Pass, which contains tickets to CN Tower, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Casa Loma, the Ontario Science Center; the Royal Ontario Museum, and Toronto Zoo. It can be used over a span of nine days.

In checking into current offerings in preparation for this article, I found that the Mayor of Toronto now uses a hybrid electric vehicle as his “limousine”, and street vendors now offer soy hot dogs. That’s the kind of attention that’s the best kind…diverse and out of the ordinary, but beneficial for the community.

There is youthfulness in Toronto, and not just in the chronological ages of its inhabitants. True, there is a noticeable influence of young fads, but also a positive energy vibe not always felt in urban streets. The celebrity Prince said that the Canadian cold keeps bad people out. Perhaps he senses it, too.

The Greenbriar in West Virginia

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:35:00 +0000

Admit it-when you think of West Virginia, you think of coal mines, dog racing and mundane, country side activities. You don’t necessarily think of a luxury resort where rich families used to “summer” decades earlier-and still do. Let me tell you, this is a whole lot more than a nice hotel; it’s a true experience.

Some time back, in my traveling days before motherhood, my husband and I did a lot of journeying around the country for business. One such meeting took us to the Greenbriar for three days. I didn’t even want to go at first, even though it was only a few hours’ drive from our home in Pittsburgh. I had not yet done my homework. When I did, I knew I had seriously underestimated what little I’d heard. My actual visit showed me that I had even underestimated what my research uncovered.

Built on hot sulphur springs that reputedly have healing power (and a rather strong smell), the Greenbriar once was the getaway for folks who needed to rest and recuperate. The lovely grounds, removed from noise and congestion, lent an air to a setting of quiet contemplation…not even considering the resort which was built within its parameters. The building is huge, columned, and can only be described as reminiscent of the nation’s White House. To give you some idea of the size and landscaping, 17,000 tulip and daffodil bulbs are planted each fall, and professional quality golf courses, croquet and tennis courts, and biking and horseback trails don’t even come close to being seen by the casual observer. With fountains, lush foliage, and stunning scenery, a guest almost can’t believe they’re not in a far-off paradise.

If you’re really interested in rates, packages, and guest amenities, I’ll provide a link for your own knowledge, but I’ll use this opportunity to share feelings about my visit. First, know that I’m definitely a resort-kind of traveler. I love having so much contained in a maneuverable area, especially when time is limited. The group I was with had a theme party the first night in the form of a country hoe-down, and Greenbriar rose to the occasion, outfitting one of its magnificent ballrooms into a barn square-dance kind of setting. Stepping out of our temporary environment back into the elegance of Greenbriar’s stunning décor was culture shock-of a good kind. Appointed by famous designer Dorothy Draper, tours navigate the dozens of lushly decorated rooms, leaving most guests slack-jawed and mesmerized. (Some restaurants are so prestigious, you cannot even enter the floor that they are located on unless dressed in proper attire.) The next night was a formal occasion, and Greenbriar again did not disappoint. They are reknown for their culinary expertise, and even offers upscale cooking tutelage (the word “class” does not do the justice to the event) for those interested in spending a few days indulging their hobby. Of course, the pool grounds, spa, sauna and workout facilities were what one would expect from such a resort, but I must admit that I do not remember spending significant time in any of them. They offer a huge range of spa services, including several kinds of massages. My husband had one and swore it was not only an excellent decision, it was actually worth the price. I however, took a private horseback riding lesson on the grounds, and the opportunity to do so was so good it actually motivated me to take up my lessons at home once again-for a short while, anyway.

For that seems to be Greenbriar's true purpose: suspending one’s reality and submerging them into a life that really is within their grasp, fulfilling fantasies of being a royal, a celebrity, or just someone whose problems are temporarily placed on hold. The price isn’t cheap, but the chance to feel exquisitely pampered is worth waiting for, especially for a special occasion. (Although we went in June, we hear that it is exceptionally beautiful at Christmas, well.)

If you are interested in visiting, do some planning ahead of time to make full use of everything they have to offer-and don’t forget to try the wonderful breakfast buffet at the Draper Café.

For more information, please check their website at
http://www.greenbrier.com/site/.

A Few Days in Bermuda

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:22:00 +0000

If you have a special occasion coming up, but only a few days for a get-away, you might want to consider Bermuda. You will need to have a passport in order to visit, but it’s relatively close to the United States, almost always has perfect weather, and is tropical enough to provide a luxurious feeling. But it is sophisticated yet enough to provide guests with all the comforts of home.

Shortly after getting married, my husband and I took a 4 day jaunt to Hampton, Bermuda, and I found it to be exceptionally pretty and quaint, especially in tourist areas that could be termed “upscale.”

We stayed at the Southhampton Princess, a strikingly lovely resort whose large, open foyer with spiraling staircase lent a feeling of staying in a homey lodge or country inn. With the usual amenities of a deluxe hotel, it offered everything a guest could need, including a shuttle down to the nearby beach. This is an important thing to consider with Bermuda; some accommodations are not directly situated on near the shoreline like they are in many seaside areas. For me, that was the biggest drawback, but at the time, my priority was easy beach accessibility. I happen to like being able to run back to the room in case I need additional items; waiting for a shuttle made the trip a 15-20 minute jaunt each way. It’s not a major issue-especially if lying on the beach for several hours isn’t uppermost on your agenda-but if you’re traveling with kids, you should research until you find a place that may offer this benefit. You may not find such a resort offering its own golf course or other luxury extras, health club, tennis courts, etc., but you may find it more convenient. That said, the famous resorts usually boast private beaches with snorkeling or scuba gear rental close at hand, so, once you get there, you won’t need to travel elsewhere if you decide to indulge.

I believe that I took our own snorkel gear, but don’t have clear recollections of finding striking tropical fish in abundance. In fairness, however, I did not venture out into deep waters nor get any suggestions regarding the optimum sites. However, I really was not as interested in being underwater as I was just gazing upon the lovely scenery. Bermuda is one of those places that look even better than it does on the tourism photos. It’s almost unbelievable how the juxtaposition of colors in sky, water, and hillside residences merge into a fascinating picture of a reality that we urbanites simply aren’t used to experiencing.

Nowhere can you see these sights better than on a short cruise in Hamilton Harbor, a must for tourists with limited time who would like to see as much as possible within a short amount of time. After that, strolling through the many shops along the waterfront is part of the Bermuda experience-check out the English influence and the wealth of men’s colorful Bermuda shorts and knee socks!

Nearby, you can take advantage of horseback riding opportunities as well as DolphinQuest, an attraction at the Royal Naval Dockyard where visitors can swim with those loveable animals. I cannot give my personal recommendation on either facility, but I did go on a spelunking adventure at the Crystal Caves/Fantasy Caves located on the Eastern side of the island. It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours once you have tired of the many other adventures that may beckon-not the least of which is renting a scooter. Now, we did not have time to do this, but I heard that it is definitely an experience-albeit it a slightly scary one.

We visited long before the advent of in-room internet connections, but my investigation showed that many quality resorts now offer this feature, along with four locations if you wish to check your email and don’t have a laptop: Internet Lane Logic Internet Cafe Swiss Connection and TeleBermuda International Customer Centre. Remember that tipping is automatically added to hotel and restaurant charges, money conversion is required to the Bermuda dollar, and European appliances will require electrical adaptors.

For additional information regarding your visit to an almost magical destination, check out http://www.bermuda4u.com/Essential/bermuda_overview.html. And don't be afraid to fly over the Bermuda Triangle; doing so just adds to the fun!

Old Economy Village, Ambridge, Pennsylvania

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:06:00 +0000

You’ve probably already figured out that Ambridge, since you’ve never heard of it, doesn’t boast five star resorts or restaurants. It’s a place that, as they say, if you blink, you miss it. But it does have something that history and/or religious buffs may find intriguing: Old Economy Village, a National Historic Landmark.

Last Sunday, my family and I visited; it’s only about 45 minutes northwest of downtown Pittsburgh and just a bit farther from the Ohio state line. Old Economy was the home of a religious group, the Harmonists, from 1824-1830. Eventually members either left or died by the early 1900's, and since the group believed in celibacy, there no one to carry on their practices. Their goal of living in “harmony” with earth and God in an American Utopia apparently wasn't meant to extend into the next century.

However, the 800 German-born Harmonists were known as one of the most successful, self-sustaining, Christian communal groups on record. They gained world-wide renown for their devotion, prosperity, and social organization. The concept behind their organization began with their leader, George Knapp, who believed that he knew the exact date of the second coming of Christ. Therefore, his creed centered on a society focused on preparing themselves. Members turned over all possessions and finances to the group, with the assurance they would have lodgings, health care, and enough food to live simply for the rest of their lives. That was probably the reason why they immigrated with Father Rapp to the United States. In return for their keep, members worked 10-12 hours a day to produce goods that were sold. At one point, they were so rich that the American government borrowed money from them!

Harmonists adopted Thomas Jefferson’s advice of placing the manufacturer beside the agriculturist. Growing most of their food and making their own wine, they also hand-produced quality goods and industrial products used by many in the eastern United States. Harmonists constructed factories to produce cotton, woolen and silk (which were powered by steam engines) and had little reason to deal with the “outside” world.

Within the 16 block walking tour (designed in a large square), those knowledgeable about antiques will find themselves in a utopia of their own. The former houses of George Knapp and his son each contains about 7 rooms filled with original furniture and cabinets, handmade at the village's wood making shop. (There are also hidden cubbies where cash and membership agreements were stashed.) The rooms are simple, with only handmade quilts for decoration and hand-painted religious canvases on the walls. Beds were short, rugs weren’t used, and plumbing was not yet a luxury. Venturing around the perimeter, a guest will be able to enter their post office, printer shop, dairy, blacksmith, doctor/dentist office, hat/shoe/tailor shop, general store, winery, school, museum, library, and carriage house-complete with the original town fire truck and hearse. These buildings are mostly connected as townhouses are today, with private residences scattered throughout, all of which are enclosed by a high fence around the village.

The main street still has its original cobblestones, which horse and buggies traversed down to the Ohio River a block away, lugging merchandise to be shipped on the waterway. Living closely with nature, the center of the area was truly the “village square”, a socializing place for inhabitants. A lovely central fountain, surrounded by exquisite landscaping, fruit and vegetable gardens, and flower beds, can be overlooked by benches-and George Rapp’s back porch. At the end of it is the feast hall, where all Harmonists gathered at least six times annually for concerts, anniversaries (such as the Last Supper), or-as the tour guide offered-whenever there was any “dissention.”

One has to wonder about the lives of the Harmonists, but regardless of one’s beliefs about Communist-style livelihoods or religious “cults”, it’s hard not to admit that their history and their mementos are fascinating. Old Economy Village is definitely worth a stop if you find yourself in the general area. It is closed on Mondays, and costs $7 per adult and $5 for kids over age 6, but offers AAA discounts. (If you opt for the self-guided tour, you will not have access to the private residences due to security reasons.) For additional information, photos, and directions, check it out at www.oldeconomyvillage.org.

San Juan, Puerto Rico-No Passport Required

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:31:00 +0000

Twenty years ago, my husband and I traveled to Puerto Rico on a business trip. I found it to be one of the most pleasant and beautiful locations I’ve ever visited. The other day, a friend had told me about her recent trip there, so I pulled out my photo album to reminisce. Once I saw the photos, I did some online investigating to see what was new. It’s now one of the few places Americans can visit without needing a passport, so that alone makes it worth considering, especially for a winter vacation. It’s comparable in price to other tropical areas, and is not as lengthy an airplane ride as to many luxury destinations-yet, one does have options other than 4 or 5 star resorts. It is also family-friendly, and not geared to primarily older travelers or single travelers. Plus, it’s not overwhelmingly touristy like theme parks, either. It offers a wide variety of water sports, golf, entertainment and sightseeing, and with unusual architecture, it’s also like a trip back in time. Although distinctly foreign-feeling, for United States citizens, it’s technically visiting a distant relative.

I was saddened to discover that the hotel where we stayed, the Hyatt at Dorado Beach, had closed two years ago. It had the most fantastic pool and landscaping I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy, and that includes Hawaii and Las Vegas. That was becaue it offered something fairly rare at the time: a river pool. Such a treat is a long, meandering stretch of warm, flowing water that allows folks to stretch out on rafts and be carried under hundreds of swaying palms at an unhurried pace. At the Dorado, the ocean was within sight, visible through the thousands of tropical flowers and landscaping, and, for the most part, no other humans were noticable due to the spacing of the guests. I therefore felt like queen of this little paradise, having it all to myself. Apparently I was not alone in loving a river pool; several other Puerto Rican hotels now offer similar attractions.

From the photos on the web, Old San Juan is pretty much how it was two decades ago. For the person who loves history, they can get a lot of it within 5 hours in this lovely town. Residences typical to what we call “townhouses” line the famous cobblestone streets, and they are a mix of New Orleans charm (wrought iron balconies) and Bermuda color (brightly painted facades). Many streets are closed to car traffic, but some of the nicer ones are lined with plants and outside cafes. I spent a good bit of time on side streets, many of which transacted business in Spanish. Shops were a far cry from those elsewhere; they were somewhat small, dark, cluttered-and hot. I wondered why some weren’t better organized, and was bemused by the emphasis on religious items. Catholicism’s saints were depicted almost everywhere in statues and pictures, along with votive candles, oils, medals, and related articles. It lent a somewhat spiritual, albeit commercial, air to browsing…like variations of Buddha in Chinatown stores and Hindu deities in Indian groceries. My purchase that day was a crystal bead necklace, which I still have. It was a prized possession for years until I saw the crystals one day at Michael’s. It’s still important to me, however, because it was a souvenir.

We visited the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista (which houses the tomb of Juan Ponce de León), and saw plazas, museums and historic sites. Old San Juan areas are still somewhat enclosed by massive walls of forts, the most famous of which is La Fortaleza, which is also the executive mansion for the Governor of Puerto Rico. It, in addition to Old San Juan itself, was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1983. Since the town is a major tourist destination, a free visitor trolley reportedly still carries guests around the area.

"Puerto Rico" means "rich port" or "good port", and this particular town was given the formal name of "San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico" in honor of St. John the Baptist. Consider it if you’re searching for a relaxing-yet intriguing-get away.

The Summer Solstice in Alaska

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:48:00 +0000

Many years back, I had the opportunity to visit Alaska, as my husband’s former boss took a position in Anchorage. Suddenly, my husband and brother in law recognized a chance to live out one of their fishing fantasies, so off we went after an invitation to stay with them. I don’t remember my preconceived ideas about Alaska, but they probably centered a lot on wilderness. It turned out that there were areas that looked exactly like the suburb in which I reside. New housing plans resembled those anywhere; the only difference was that, being high up on a hill, everyone had to get their mail from a row of boxes down on the main highway. Yet, the elevation afforded our friends a wonderful view-of wilderness, just as I expected.

That “main drag” had similar establishments to those in the lower 48, as well as vistas of snow-capped mountains in June. The weather ended up being comparable to April here in the Northeast. I wore a sweatshirt every day, and long pants or jeans. On a few occasions when we went out to eat, our hosts wore sweaters of the type we wear throughout January and February. (As long as I forgot that it was June, it really didn’t bother me.) What was pretty annoying, however, is that it never really got dark at night, since the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, was approaching quickly. Adjusting to that phenomenom throughout the summer months would probably take me years. As it was, I don’t feel that I ever slept well or enough during the entire week. At some point, I bought those little eye covers, but they didn’t help. I’d toss and turn all night; no matter what time it was, it always looked like dusk to me-I guess the room must not have had room darkening window shades. One night, when I got up and went into the kitchen for a glass of water, I took a picture containing the clock over the kitchen window, which pointed at 2:00. I wanted to show it to people and tell them that the pretty view outside the window was what I saw at 2 AM instead of 2 PM…

Asking our friends about their first winter there, we found that they had problems adjusting to only a few hours of daylight, and that the woman of the house, who didn’t work outside the home, only went out for groceries. They spent a quiet Christmas inside with their two young sons, not having yet made neighborhood friends. It was probably a difficult time, and sadly, the future did not bode well for the lady, who passed away a few years later from breast cancer. They were long gone from Alaska by that time, as it proved to be too hard for them to be so far away from family.

I have memories-and photographs-of bear displays, native American totem poles, and recollections of a mixture of asssumingly old-west and Eskimo culture. I remember eating in log-cabin style restaurants, viewing huge outdoor murals, and spying moose around Denali National Park. This was a few years before the television show “Northern Exposure” was filmed, and if you watched it, you probably have an idea of what I mean. I panned for gold, took some tourist side trips, and even saw a live reindeer, too.

The flight to Alaska is quite lengthy, especially from the East Coast of the United States, and prices are higher for just about everything that’s not produced there. It probably is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone, and those who visit on cruises usually rave about the voyage. Therefore, although different than from most of us are used to, Alaska can be a wonderful place to visit. In downtown Anchorage, around and on the summer solstice, there are countless festivities and events which take place all night long. (Think midnight marathons, bike races, music concerts, baseball games, boat regattas, and air shows, with nary an electric light or starry sky to be seen.)

Check them out for yourself; even if you don’t get there for the summer solstice, you will probably still have a wonderful time!

http://www.alaska.com/events/summerfest/story/4704469p-4655446c.html
http://www.alaska.com/places/cities/anchorage/story/4485200p-4463935c.html
http://www.awaic.org/

Lancaster, PA - Amish and More

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:55:00 +0000

About 25 years ago, my company had a meeting once in Lancaster, Pa. It seemed to be a convenient meeting point, since we had departmental offices from Pittsburgh all the way to Philadelphia. I don’t have too many distinct memories of the tour I took through the Amish and Mennonite communities, but I hope to relive the adventure again this summer with my daughter. She has no clue about that way of life, and can’t even imagine survival without the latest technology, let alone electricity. As I’ve searched and read library books and tourist brochures, I’m starting to get mixed feeling about the growth of the area. In one way, it’s great that it’s becoming more known, but it commercialism has hit the PA Dutch homeland just as much as it has other unique destinations.

There are at least five different groups that offer buggy rides through the countryside, one of them touting themselves as the “authentic” providers. So how does a visitor choose? There is no detail available regarding times or routes, so I guess I’ll just have to get there to find out. Not that these are important aspects, but it’s a different kind of appearance than if there was just one, if you know what I mean. There are a couple of different Amish village/farms, all boasting a lot of opportunities to see handmade quilts and buy local delicacies such as shoo-fly pie. Two different people had told me, both within the last week, that I must make it to the Lancaster Farmer’s Market for the best sausage and ice cream in the state. There are also 3 or 4 buffets and several “family style” restaurants that can provide visitors with their fill of the authentic culinary dishes as well.

The towns and farm areas of Intercourse and Bird-In-Hand offer local attractions such as historical museums, roadside fruit and vegetable stands, train rides and art galleries, while Hershey Park and Dutch Wonderland provide a day’s worth of family theme park entertainment. It seems that there are a lot of antique stores and outlets in the nearby vicinity, along with a pretzel factory, hot air balloon rides, and Indian Echo Caverns.

A short search uncovered the typical assortment of chain hotels and motels, but the area is also known for bed and breakfasts, as well as lodgings at working farms. There are approximately two dozen listed in the Lancaster Country Official Getaway Guide, and one of them is classified as “Equestrian Estates”. However, they are not in the immediate vicinity of the main streets, so if your goal is to be in walking distance to everything, these won't meet that need. (I also found out that most bed and breakfast establishments do not return deposits if cancellations are made within a week or so or the reserved time, and many do not offer beds larger than doubles. So, as quaint as they may appear, B&B's may not be your cup of tea when it comes to practicality.)

Edging out of this immediate area, everyone should be able to find something to keep them busy. There are miniature golf courses, a sports emporium (with go karts, batting cages, roller-skating, rock climbing, and a lasertron), Ephrata Cloisters, Herr’s Snack Factory, an Ice Rink, a Science Factory, and numerous vineyards, not to mention several golf courses and entertainment venues.

Another great thing about considering a visit to Lancaster for your family’s summer vacation is that it's close to other notable places. It is less than 90 minutes from Gettysburg, PA and Philadelphia, and about two hours from Atlantic City. That means that, coming from the west, visitors can get an overview of the Civil War, as well as experiencing the many ghost tours of the Gettysburg battlefields and cemetery, before heading to Lancaster the next morning. Once there, it would be easy to spend a day and a half exploring the Amish, Mennonite and PA Dutch communities-in addition to taking advantage of Lancaster attractions-before heading to the city of Brotherly Love. In Philadelphia, the history lesson could continue for a day, and a traveler can spend that night looking out from their casino hotel room onto the Atlantic Ocean.

For more information, you should check out PADutchCountry.com or visit PA.com to map your next educational, athletic, entertaining-and overall fun-trip-in the Keystone State.

What’s New in Atlantic City?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:37:00 +0000

Many baby boomers probably remember visiting this Jersey shore resort years ago, before it was the casino capital of the northeastern United States. I know my parents took me there once, but my memories are vague, and I have wanted to see how it's been reinvented. Recently, I requested a visitor guide, which I have found to be a lot more helpful than any of the websites. So, if you've been thinking of traveling to Atlantic City, my first suggestion to you is to first request a travel guide; you’ll have a lot more sites to check out than by randomly searching hotel names or tourist links.

Atlantic City appears to be larger than what I recollect, and the growth around the Marina area (north and slightly west of the boardwalk) is the recipient of a lot of attention. I read many excellent reviews about the Borgata and Harrah’s resorts, and they are both located in this area. These casinos are removed from the hustle and bustle of the Boardwalk, but they may be exactly what some folks prefer. (For you foodies, you may be happy to hear that Borgata hosts not only a restaurant of Bobby Flay’s, but one of Wolfgang Puck’s as well.)

Moving on toward the Boardwalk, the northernmost pier has both an art gallery and a historic museum of Atlantic City, with free admission and nearby parking. Both will be on my list of things to see, along with the southern pier, home to a variety of shops and cafes. In fact, it appears that there is more than enough to do along the stretch of boardwalk that connects the oceanfront casino resort, Showboat, to the array off the last pier-such as Trump’s Taj Mahal, Bally’s, and Caesars, to name a few. Oceanfront accommodations start at a little over a hundred dollars a night for weekdays, but go up considerably on weekends and as the summer progresses. (Check for the Harrah’s family of “hot deals” for savings.)

As I flipped through the travelogue and circled possibilities, I noticed that resort entrepreneurs have managed to squeeze as many visitor sites as possible into a one or two mile area. Although not quite a tourist attraction, the lighthouse north of the Showboat seems like a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours, although I doubt I’ll make the climb. (After doing it once in Virginia Beach, I think I can say I understand the experience.) The potpourri of kid entertainment appears to be the same as everywhere, in the form of amusement parks, miniature golf and a Ripley’s Believe It or No museum. Don’t get me wrong; they are all fun, but pretty predictable, and if your kids are a bit older and have already had their share, they won’t hold anyone's interest for too long. But some of the live entertainment might be worth checking out: Elton John will be performing there on July 19th, and Celine Dion on September 20. Jay Leno and Crazy Al Yankovic are also on the show agenda, and if you can wait until October, you can even see Anthony Bourdaine. We have the American Idol Concert coming to my home town of Pittsburgh in July, but if you don’t, you can catch the top 10 contestants in Atlantic City on the 2nd of August 2, and Parrot Heads won't want to miss Jimmy Buffett on August 24.

It’s not surprising that there is a wealth of culinary experiences within the famous resorts, but as always, so much food; so little time. Should I opt for the Cajun Buffet at the New Orleans-themed Showboat, or hold off and visit Patsy’s, the place supposedly made famous by Frank Sinatra? (Not really in my generation, ole’ blue eyes is still famous, and for that I must acknowledge his opinion of good Italian cuisine.) There seems to be a lot of Asian eateries, and I noted one Mexican, one Indian, and a few barbecue joints inside the elegant casinos, so you must say they try to meet as many tastes as possible. Of course, there are probably more casual diners along the boardwalk and Atlantic Avenue than a hungry guest can shake a stick at, but obviously no magazine can list all of them. I’ll just have to get there to find out.

It’s always hard trying to plan any trip without first hand familiarity of the location, but between the internet and good reference material, I’m making progress. I’m excited about this trip, as it seems to offer that which appeals to my family members; where else can we find the ocean, casinos and top entertainment, fancy surroundings for when we’re in the fancy mood, an interesting history, and within a 6 hour drive of home? As always, I’ll keep you posted!

Manhattan Photo Ops

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:27:00 +0000

If you are a regular visitor the Big Apple, you probably have your share of photos of popular tourist attractions. With millions clicking away in front of the Statue of Liberty and the Rockefeller Center skating rink, you may now want pictures that are still tourist oriented, but a bit more unique. On my last trip to Manhattan over the holidays, my daughter and I tried to be more adventurous. The following list contains places that you, too, may want to snap, or at least visit for different views of the city:

If your tastes run towards the macabre, you may want to have a meal at one of the two Jekyll and Hyde restaurants (One is in the village and the other is around 57th street.) Customers can browse through all 3 floors of this establishment while waiting for their food, and come home with a variety of snapshots that make them appear they’re in a horror movie. With skeletons, singing skulls, dissected bodies, monsters, vampires and laboratory equipment, it’s definitely fun. Along the same lines, you can visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. You can have your picture taken with the world’s tallest man statue, capture the fattest woman, pose with a few two-headed creatures, and be “cut in half” in another photo…not to mention what you can do with the torture devices. (A trip into some of the more interesting Greenwich Village costume stores can yield similar results.) A visit to the Metropolitan Museum can be just a creative; try posing with a group of mummies in the same stance as them, or in the same position as one of the many muscled Greek sculptures.

If you’re lucky enough to be in a store, restaurant or hotel lobby area in a momentary lull, you may get some lovely backgrounds, especially if it’s close to a major holiday and there are lavish decorations. I captured some images that I could use for holiday cards next year; they are that stunning. We found an area in one section of the subway in the Port Authority Terminal with two walls covered in gorgeous ceramic mosaic scenes, and it was a great setting to show off a part of New York that’s not commonly considered in photos. We found similar backgrounds at the U.N., with the plus that you can take photos in certain rooms when the tour is over. Don’t forget to have yourself or your companions photographed with the mosaic displays of the Empire State Building in that building’s lobby, either.

Many performers will allow a short period of picture taking after a show; we have some keepsakes with actors from the Blue Man Group, so it’s worth waiting around if you’ve fallen in love with the entertainers and want a personal remembrance.

Even the regular sidewalks can offer New York perspectives, with double-take store fronts and names; we found a few that still bring chuckles and pictures to prove we were there. Of course, walking down 5th Avenue opens a wealth of possibilities, the library being a typical example: after a picture with the lions out front, stop in for a glance at the virtual sea of computer stations-it’s worth the walk. If you are in an artsy mood, you can also find loads of street trash, packed crosswalks, blocks of neon, and windows of merchandise worth snapping as well. A trip to Chinatown can bring sights as hanging headless ducks and bins of unusual looking foods (to American eyes), while every ethnic neighborhood has its share of particular delights. Many years ago, I happened upon Madonna filming a scene in front of Trump Tower, but she was the only celebrity I’ve ever seen in all of my visits there. You may, however, have better luck or better timing.

You can also take pictures of your hotel room (if unbelievably tiny, gorgeous or looking out onto an expanse of Central Park), pose with a horses and its carriage along 60th street, or stand in front of one of the major television stations, as if you have just been hired by them. Plus, since each scene changes within minutes, everywhere in New York holds great photo opportunities.

Gettysburg Ghost Tour Dilemmas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:26:00 +0000

Yesterday, I happened to mention that a small town not too far from us will be holding weekly ghost walks every Friday during the summer. My 14 year old daughter piped up with, “Can't we go to Gettysburg instead?” (She remembers neighbors talking about ghost walks they took there a few years back) Well, I answered that I’d check it out; Gettysburg’s proximity to Washington, DC may pre-empt my original plans to do a Philadelphia/Washington trip on Amtrak. So, I spent some time researching, and I’ll share what I found with you. Please feel free to contribute your own experiences with Gettysburg and their ghost tours as well.

There are many organizations offering tours in the area, which, surprisingly, is a turn-off to me. With so many vying with each other, I tend to fear that there may be a tendency to do whatever it takes to attract business away from competition. When I see cartoon ads with Casper-like, smiling ghosts, my first reaction is to cross the company off my list. The idea of creating a tourist attraction off lives-and deaths-of soldiers is bad enough, but to cutesy it up even further does not seem right at all. Yes, I am intrigued about the battlefields and the possibility of residue energy-to which others have alluded after capturing orbs on their photos- but I don’t know if I want a costumed comedian leading me down a path in the dark, creating dramatization geared to tourist naiveté. The fact that at least one store in town sells equipment to pick up electronic voice phenomena (and electrical magnetic energy spikes) capitalizes on peoples’ hopes to experience the unexplained. This underlines another fact: serious ghost hunters descend upon Gettysburg regularly and often.

Although I did not spend time checking out each of the ghost tour companies individually, I did go onto Trip Advisor to read about the Farnsworth House. This bed and breakfast inn was named #7 on a list of the Most Haunted Hotels in the country, compiled by a cable TV travel series. Not only is it supposed to be home to 14 spirits, there is also a tour or the facility open to the public. If you have free time and you’d like a few shivers, read some of the travel experiences of those who stayed at the Farnsworth House; they will either make you rush for reservations or adamantly insist on staying elsewhere.

Now, I must admit that I find the paranormal more intriguing than most people, but even I am a bit cynical regarding some of the stories relayed. I believe the gal who said that the unclasped necklace she left on her dresser at night was found clasped and hanging over her coat rack the following morning. I also believe the fellow who claimed his recorder wouldn’t tape or playback while he was in his room. I even believe that the room door suddenly opened by a woman juggling the doorknob who had forgotten her key, while her husband was in the bathroom, after having had locked the room door. But I don’t think I can really accept that a child ghost kept caressing one traveler’s hair throughout her visit, or that someone just happened to smell putrid odors during the tour of the basement after the guide mentioned “rotting flesh”. On the other hand, looking one visitor's photography taken on the battlefield after midnight did send chills down my spine.

The question remains: does the inundation of tourists with ghost-hunting gear make an area that suffered tragic death any less significant, or does it make it more so?

Over the next few weeks, I’ll continue to investigate the possibilities and will keep you up to date. It's good to know that there are also 32 Gettysburg tours that focus on battlefield history; such an amount has to offer historical perspectives in ways that can accomodate everyone’s personal interests. There is also a huge selection of times, lengths and costs in other local tours as well. In the meantime, in case you are interested in finding out more about the Farnsworth House, or Gettysburg itself for that matter, here are a few resources that I found to be helpful:

Convention and Visitor’s Bureau: http://www.gettysburg.travel/visitor/tours.asp?category_sub_id=195

Trip Advisor, Best Gettysburg Ghost Tours:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60798-i335-k766599-Best_Ghost_Tour-Gettysburg_Pennsylvania.html

The Farnsworth House:
http://www.farnsworthhouseinn.com/rooms.html

Hanauma Bay Snorkeling

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:23:00 +0000

Some years back, I had the privilege of visiting Hawaii. For my honeymoon, my husband I decided to take an extra-special trip to the islands, so we stayed for a total of 10 days on Oahu, Maui and the “big island” of Hawaii. Suffice it to say that it was absolutely gorgeous, and hard to remember that we really weren’t in foreign country. My clearest memories of this state involve the strong aroma of native flowers that filled every hotel lobby (open aired as they were), eating macadamia nuts, and snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. Probably due to the fact that I’d never before snorkeled, this adventure would probably have stayed with me regardless, but doing so in this nature preserve was especially gratifying for a number of reasons. (I later snorkeled in Cancun, but still preferred Hanuama Bay.)

Located 10 miles east of Waikiki, Hanuama Bay was formed inside a volcanic cone by the oceanic incursion into two craters. One of the loveliest areas of the island, it was suggested by a concierge as the best place to snorkel. There are several tour operators that charge around $17-$20 per person; the one we chose offered a shuttle bus for transportation to and from our hotel. (It can be easily reached by public transportation as well.) We chose to spend about a half day, which offered plenty of time to spend in the water, as well as on the beach. For one price, we received flippers, a mask and snorkel, and an allotment of fish food-which I don’t believe is offered any longer. (We also chose to rent an underwater camera, and have realized countless times since then what a good decision that was. It’s still worth it at around $13 for 27 shots.) Anyway, after a short lesson, we were able to snorkel wherever we wished in the bay, along with a good many other guests. One of the really great things about Hanuama Bay is that it is relatively shallow; rarely did the water reach my neck. (That was an ideal situation for anyone who is snorkeling for the first time, as they will often wish to drain excess water from their mask, a task more easily achieved while standing on the firm ocean bottom.)

Believe me when I say that one did not need to look very far or for very long before spying fish! Some people take deep breaths while snorkeling in order to dive deeply, but I was more comfortable staying close to the surface, especially being on the lookout for photo opportunities. When I would see an exceptionally colorful specimen, I’d grab more air, then dive a bit deeper to get as close as possible before snapping. Unfortunately, a good many of the shots did not capture the entire fish bodies (and some included other swimmers as well) but I’m still very glad that I have them. Although all underwater photos are beautiful, knowing that you took them yourself adds even more delight.

The area is considered “one of the most spectacular natural resources in Hawaii” and is enjoying years of working for the re-establishment of its marine ecosystem. It’s clear, as advertised, that its purpose is not for beach sports, but for protecting marine life. As such, it is the first Marine Life Conservation District in Hawaii. Hanauma Bay also offers tours, scuba diving and picnic facilities, and is one of the most frequently visited tourist spots in Oahu. At one time, it was receiving up to 3,000,000 guests each year. This prompted action plans to be put in place to limit the number of guests at any one time, and close for environmental conservation every Tuesday.

Hanauma Bay clearly “walks the talk” when it comes to protecting natural habitat, and by doing so, provides more to be appreciated as well as enjoyed. Anyone who is considering a visit to Waikiki owes it to themselves to visit the park, to witness the way nature intends to be. (And, if they like to swim with the fishes, Hanauma Bay is certainly the best place to do it!)

For recorded information about the park regarding hours of operation and entrance and parking fees, call (808) 396-4229.

Some Philadelphia Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:26:00 +0000

For a short get-away trip, I’m considering taking my daughter to Philadelphia during the summer. She’s never been there, and it seems like a great place to learn about our nation’s history. Philly holds a place in my heart because, many years ago, as a new manager for Bell Telephone, my initial training was in Center City. I spent 4 months living in a hotel around 20th and Market, which I believe is gone now, and a few more intermittent months at the Holiday Inn at 36th street. However, my real memories of Philly came from that first stay, due to the fact I had a daily walk down to company headquarters, around 13th street. I must admit that returning after all these years is a way to revisit that time of my life, as well as to see how much has changed.

Let me add that, for a young person who had never been away from home on their own before, Philadelphia was a good place to stay as a single traveler. The area that I was easily able to cover by foot extended about 25 blocks, over 4-5 parallel streets-although this was only a small portion of Center City. But, my walks took me through City Hall, past tourist attractions such as the Clothespin sculpture, over to the Gallery Mall, and up and down avenues filled with shops, restaurants and delicatessens. The historical area, waterfront and museum were short subway rides away; there were many other attractions in the nearby area that, unfortunately, I never had the chance to visit. But one thing I did do was take the Amtrak train to New York on weekends. I caught it right at Penn Station on 30th street, and in about 60 minutes, I exited Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan. I think at the time it cost less than $25, but now for an adult and child it's $64.50.

Surprisingly, it's only $3 more to travel all the way from our hometown of Pittsburgh
to Philly on Amtrak, which is at least 7 hours non-stop. (But, we may just opt to to fly from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, which is fairly inexpensive at $64 per person one way and takes just 1 hour.)

Also intriguing is that it costs the same to travel by train from Philly to Washington DC, which is about 4 hours. In fact, travel from Pgh. to Phila. is routed through DC, but the shortest trip that isn't non-stop adds only 2 hours onto the duration of travel, yet that layover doesn’t offer time to see much of D.C. More investigation revealed that there is one train that has a layover of about 8 hours, which would be adequate for a short bus tour and more than a few photo opportunities, but leaving home before 5 AM and arriving in a Philly hotel around 12:30 AM is too long of a day for anyone. (Those who are considering travel from Philly to New York should know that there is a site called Megabus.com that offers the trip for $1 per person, although it takes 2 hours. How they can offer such a fare seems peculiar, but feel welcome to check it out and let the rest of us know about your experience.)

I also found that the Blue line of the Philadelphia subway, which runs from the Amtrak train station to 2nd street, is along the path of many hotels, so a cab may not even be needed. By the same token, the SeptraR1 bus may be taken from the Philadelphia airport into the middle of the historical district (and near many hotels) for $9 per person. Needless to say, there are numerous options of getting into Philadelphia.

Once a traveler does arrive, it’s clear that there is plenty to do and see. The Independence Visitor Center site offers a large array of entertaining historical venues, such as a night with Ben Franklin, interactive performances, ghost walks, tours, and museum passes, and they all sound like fun for both children and adults. http://independencevisitorcenter.tix.com/ActSelection.asp?OrganizationNumber=881

With so many choices Philadelphia appears to be an ideal location for a short-or even longer-visit if you happen to find yourself in the northeast. You may just also find that Amtak is a great alternative to both flying and driving, depending on your time schedule.

Virginia Beach Delights

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:28:00 +0000

If you live in the mid-Atlantic region of North America and have wanted to visit an Atlantic Ocean beach other than on the New Jersey or Maryland shore, you might want to check out Virginia Beach. Travelers not only arrive from Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and the Carolinas (as well as Virginia), they also come from as far away as New York and Canada. Virginia Beach is located on the south eastern tip of the state, and the average travel time for most visitors is about 6-8 hours by car. If arriving by plane, Norfolk Airport is approximately 45 minutes away from the resort area.

A few aspects of Virginia Beach differentiate it from many beaches. First is its user-friendliness. With the majority of its tourist spots along a 32 block stretch, a visitor can park their car and never have need to move it during their entire vacation; everything is right there. Deli’s, drug stores, churches, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues are in walking distance or accessible by one of the trolleys or buses that run the length of Atlantic Ave., the main street. Individual or two person bikes, adult tricycles for two riders, and different sized surreys can all be rented, along with rollerblades and scooters as other methods to get around. (Virginia Beach, unlike many beaches, provides a concrete “boardwalk” in between the sand and the ocean front hotel lawns. This wide expanse is divided into a walkers’ path and a lane for all other means of transportation, so folks who are leisurely strolling don’t have to worry about those trying to get from 2nd street to 30th street in record time.)

Also unlike many beach resorts, all businesses are on the other, far side of the oceanfront hotels, on Atlantic Ave. This means that, except for the amusement park across from the pier at 15th street, the boardwalk is free of commercialism, signs and neon. There are a few hotels with outdoor cafes playing music, but, for the most part, the only sounds are surf, wind, voices and laughter for 2 miles of boardwalk. Many visitors like to switch between walking up and down the boardwalk at night, or sitting on its benches, people-watching, and strolling Atlantic Ave. The latter equally draws families, young singles, and baby boomers-plus the weekend surge of Norfolk sailors and occasional hot-rodding teens.

Another reason Va. Beach is so popular is that it truly does offer something for everyone. With a range of accommodations covering modest motels 3 blocks from the beach, to luxury resorts boasting gourmet restaurants, one never need experience a sense of personal discomfort. There are as many high end options when it comes to shopping and dining as there are discount coupons for budget activities, pizza shops and fast food.

Another fun part about visiting Va. Beach during the summer tourist season is that the tourist bureau offers various forms of free entertainment along a stretch of Atlantic Ave. There are magicians, musicians, and singers, as well as larger acts which put nightly shows in the pavilion park at 24th street. Fireworks are also shot off the pier at least once a week-even a 3 night visit won’t allow a visitor to take in all of the performances.

Virginia Beach also has a historical coast guard station, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse (it can be climbed right to the top), the Edgar Cayce Center, the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center (allow 4-5 hours to visit). Guests to this wonderful area can also enjoy short cruises focused on sightseeing, dolphin/whale watching, dining or deep sea fishing. For the adventurous types, parasailing and jet skiing beckon, while kids can enjoy miniature golf or game arcades. Plus, there are many family type activities, like walking tours of haunted places, murder mystery theaters and pirate adventures…all usually within walking distance or a short trolley ride from their lodgings.

Should a visitor decide to take a day trip, they can head to Norfolk, Williamsburg, or Bush Gardens for other exciting opportunities. But it’s the variety, attitude and pristine environment of Va. Beach that will make visiting a yearly tradition. Any guest can easily see why Va. Beach was recently named as the American city with the least stress-free living!

Gaining Confidence with the New York Subway System

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:55:00 +0000

A friend is visiting New York next month, and I met with her regarding my favorite vacation city. Just like many who’ve never been to New York, she was surprised at its size. With just a 2 night visit, my friend’s time is limited, but she wanted no suggestions on using the subway. She’d rather eliminate a few stops from her plans via slower-moving cabs, than deal with a train system she considers intimidating.

Last night, two other pals indicated only one would be taking the subway when in New York. If these statistics hold true, 2 out of 3 people who visit Manhattan shy away from an authentic New York experience. It made me wonder if people are more afraid of taking the wrong train or of stories about subway dirt, smells, pickpockets, and vagrants.

Since the environmental issue is no longer as prevalent in today’s New York as years ago, and many folks are helpful, I’d like to put a visitor’s fears to rest. I’m by no means an expert, and my experience is limited to areas south of 80th street and north of Battery Park-but that is the main stomping grounds for tourists. My last visit was about 3 months ago, at which time my 13 year old daughter and I used the subway 3-4 times daily and covered a good deal of territory. If I had any fears, I would not have gone near a station, but years of New York trips have made me confident the subways are as safe as the streets, especially during daylight hours. (I personally have not ridden them past 11 PM., but not due to fearing for my safety.)

One of the best things a visitor can do to gain confidence regarding the New York subway is to study a subway map once their itinerary is somewhat firm. (It may change once the traveler locates stations and routes, and finds that logistics lend themselves to a slightly different agenda.) Anyway, the N.Y. subway map can be found in library books, bookstores, and on line at http://www.nycsubway.org/maps/route.html, or http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap. At first, the many colored lines are daunting, but the colors make it easier than if the map was in black and white. Most colored lines run north and south, and all have a unique identification by one letter or number. Placing a finger at one destination, and then finding the other, shows just how far apart they are, and what subway line can get a person from point A to point B. It also clearly states where the stops are along the way. Using a subway map in conjunction with a more detailed street map reflects the closest subway stops to every major tourist site, museum, famous structure, or designation of area (for example, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Soho, etc.)

The main problem is going “crosstown”, or across 5th Ave. Any street with an “east” before it would be on the right side of 5th Ave. when looking at a map and those with a “west” would be on the left side of 5th Ave. (Fifth Ave. is found on a map at the far right lower corner of Central Park.) However, between 14th and 42nd, streets, no lines cross 5th Ave. This makes subway travel a bit more complicated, so first time riders may prefer cabs over trying to find appropriate transfer points.

A creative traveler, or one that has some familiarity with the city, can also take advantage of transfers to or from a bus at no extra cost; it’s still only $2 a person for as long as one wishes to go in one direction. (Bus routes are also online.) In all of the midtown and downtown stations I passed through, machines doled out individual tickets as well as discount passes: With every $10 worth of tickets, a rider gets 2 free. These can be used by anyone, so $20 can provide 3 back and forth trips, or 6 rides, for 2 folks. There are also passes for unlimited riding during 1, 7, or 30 days.

New York subways are fast, efficient, clean, and comfortable-with obvious police presence-so a visitor just may find it a rather fun way to enjoy their New York adventure.

Disney World Decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:59:00 +0000

If you are considering a Disneyworld vacation, be prepared to spend a good bit of time researching and comparing options. Some packages of hotel and air are excellent, but may not suit your needs. There may be time restraints, or offerings that you won’t be using, or options that you want but aren’t included. Furthermore, packages, being based on a per person occupancy, may be more expensive than a couple traveling with a older child, since room rates are usually one price for either 2 or 3 people. It all depends on how long you will be staying, what your preferences are, just how many days you’ll be visiting the parks, and whether you’ll want to “hop” between the parks throughout the day.

Start by pricing out an independent trip, beginning with the major airlines directly, and then comparing flight prices to discounters. (They may be no significant difference.) From the east coast, expect to pay at least $200. Research may even uncover non-stop flights that will get you there in about 2 hours, since several airlines service Orlando.

As far as lodging, there are two options: staying at a Disney resort, and not staying at one. If you’ve never been to Disneyworld, and you only have 3-5 days, it’s best to keep it simple and focus on the theme parks instead of trying to do water parks and other attractions where you’ll need a rental car. One park may easily use up an entire day, and Disney has 4, plus resort attractions and Disney Village. If this is how you’ll spend your vacation, there is no reason to spend extra money for a rental car to sit in a hotel garage. There is plenty of airport transportation to and from Disney resorts on free shuttle buses. The question for most families is whether it’s worth the higher price to stay at a resort, when countless chain hotels and motels line roads around Disney World. Again, it depends on your individual situation, especially if you’ll be traveling with younger children.

Disney resort accommodations are great for an early start to the day. With restaurants and coffee shops in every hotel, and buses, boats and monorails to parks, it’s possible to get a family to Epcot by 9 AM-or even before, on days when a park is open earlier. This may be more difficult if you’re staying off-premises, since you’ll have to find a place to eat, then drive to the park and spend 30 minutes parking, catching the parking tram, walking to the entrance, and waiting in line to get in. (If you don’t already have your tickets, you’ll need to wait in another line as well.)

On the other hand, a family may spend $50 a night in an inexpensive motel instead of $120 a night at a budget-level Disney resort. After adding the cost of parking and the rental car, then subtracting the less expensive dining outside of Disney World, it may come out even. The deciding factor may be how fussy the kids are. It’s a hassle driving to and from the park on a daily basis with excited kids, and it is nice to be able to go back to the room for a couple of hours in the middle of a day to let little ones lay down for a short nap or a take a swim. The resorts also offer extras such as baggage handling (from your departing airport right to your room), shorter lines for rides, and other guest courtesies.

The last step is to then check out the park ticket prices and decide how, and when, your group wants to visit the parks. (Disney’s website has all the details, and after getting ticket prices, you can check with discounters, which may save a few dollars per ticket.) To ensure your estimates aren’t low, be sure to add at least another $30 per day, per adult for park food, and a little less per child-depending on age. (Since portions are often large, 2 young kids can usually share meals.)

Finally, compare your total airfare, room and ticket costs with Disney packages to find the best option for the vacation you want.

Making Use of On Line Travel Information

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:02:00 +0000

As I geared up for my two latest jaunts to New York and Las Vegas, I made note of all of the “must sees” friends, acquaintance, and on-site reviewers shared. A major problem was deciding where to eat-so much food, so little time.

Therefore, I went online to tourist recommendations to check out menus and prices. Traveling with both a picky eater and one who says “Yuck” at meat and most vegetables, I need to know ahead of time what I’ll be facing. In Vegas, I ruled out eating at Guy Savoy’s establishment after I found out that dinner for 2 adults and one teenager would be around $570 before tax, tip and wine. His menu sounded intriguing, just like Emeril’s, but we weren’t looking for a romantic, unforgettable, culinary experience. Yet, I must mention that I owe thanks and respect to both chefs for allowing their prices to be printed online. They think enough of their diners to be upfront, with apparently no need to trick them in by hiding anything.

However, in the majority of the cases, fine-and not so fine-dining establishments do not post menus with prices online. They don’t share anything other than beautifully worded descriptions of their offerings. Why not? The answer is probably in line with the saying, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” But isn’t that assumption, a bit well, presumptuous? It implies that the owners assume that if you want to eat there, you’ll pay anything, and if you want to know the price ahead of time, you aren’t welcome because you shouldn’t care about price in the first place. It used to be that women were handed menus without prices so that they would order what they really wanted instead of what was either inexpensive or indulgent. That’s not as insulting as on-line menus with no prices. (I have to laugh at places like the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, whose menus don’t even try to hide the big white-out marks over the costs.) To me, that’s announcing that they want tourists to plan a visit, make reservations, and travel there, after which they’ll be less likely to go elsewhere.

Sometime, as travelers, we want to splurge, but other times, we wish to be prudent. We’re lucky in this day and age to have so much information, regarding reservations, maps, directions, and reviews, all a click away. It can’t be emphasized enough to use these resources while planning your trip. You will not only discover restaurant selections and pricing, you will also find out hours of operation (some closures days may surprise you) and payment policies. (I was glad to have found out ahead of time that New York’s famed Jekyll and Hyde did not take Visa, and how much cash to carry for our meal.)

In New York, almost every restaurant (as well as theatres, museums and business establishments) also includes subway directions on their sites. But, no matter where you’re going, it’s an excellent idea to take things into your own hands when planning your itinerary. Don’t wait until you get to a strange place to pick up a map or get information from the hotel concierge. Online subway and bus maps can be found within seconds, and your investigation may very well change the course of your trip. This is because, often, visitors have no clue just how far apart places are or what it takes to get from point A to point B. Several times, I found out that my plans wouldn’t be feasible ahead of time, which forced me to re-think my agenda. It was disappointing, but much better than the hassle and stress of dealing with it once I had arrived at my destination.

Such research has always served me well. My family has usually found good meals and entertainment at fair prices, and gotten the most out of our vacations by saving time and energy. There will always be a few glitches in even the best plans, but a few hours on the computer can increase your travel pleasure significantly.

Here’s wishing you success in your online travel research, and to no more unhappy surprises.

Niagara Falls Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Most tourist spots seem to have a fair balance between natural and man-made attractions. While planning a personal trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, I’ve discovered a slight imbalance.

Now, there really isn’t a whole lot to do while watching 1/5 of the world’s water crashing down in front of one, other than marvel at it. But after that hour or so passes, what’s next? It’s taken urban planners and the tourist authority several decades, but it looks like they’ve succeeding in making Niagara Falls into a man-made paradise. The natural wonder of falls has become a backdrop for what could be considered the cleverest kinds of family entertainment.

I have vague recollections of visiting there a couple of times as a young child, when the focus was on the colors used to light up the falls at night. There were no Clifton Hill “attractions”, no amusement rides or fun houses, and no wax or oddity museums…I guess those developments constitute progress in their own way, and no one can deny they're fun. Plus, there are sporting, gaming and cultural venues as well, a little away from the Falls area.

The idea of riding the “Maid of the Mist” brings back good memories, as does the Journey Behind the Falls and a helicopter ride over the falls beckons me to the sky. But experiencing 4-D movies and haunted houses just down the street is somehow incongruent with the natural phenomenon of the falls. In trying to create a simple agenda for a 2 day visit, I found myself overwhelmed with a huge amount of glitzy options from which to choose. How can one visit the Falls without experiencing some of the hype, even if it’s just riding to the top of the Skylon Tower? How can one fail to rise to the challenge of escaping the “chicken list” at the Screamers’ Haunted House as one of the 60,000 unable to make it through without the help of staff?

A family traveling with children under the age of 10 will probably be deluged with pleas to spend money; however, one good thing is that part of the money spent at “Niagara Parks” natural beauty attractions (such as the Maid, Journey, Butterfly Walk, etc.) goes toward maintaining the resources.

American citizens should ignore the Internet information claiming that children merely require a copy of the birth certificate, and parents need photo ID such as a driver’s license. As of September 30, 2007, passports are required. So, if your family does not have theirs, you better start the paperwork now. Does it seem strange to you that we’ll need passports to visit the Canadian side of Niagara Falls? Intellectually and logistically, it makes sense-after all, it is technically another country. Yet, something about half of it being in New York reduces the “foreign country” status of it. After all, when one-day trips offered by bus tour companies get travelers back home by nightfall, it’s hard to feel like we’ve gone to another country!

To give credit where credit is due, the various visitor associations have managed to provide an overwhelming amount of activities (that could appeal to a range of age groups) within a fairly small area. As such, cars aren’t necessarily needed, and the freedom that comes with walking to sights and restaurants adds to the overall relaxation of a trip. As silly as some of the tourist spots may appear, the younger crowd will probably find them great fun, which is sometimes a challenge while on vacation. With fast food chains, families are assured of familiar and inexpensive meals-again, which cater to the tastes of the younger visitors-but there are still many high quality dining establishments for more discerning adult tastes.

The areas around Niagara Falls on both the American and Canadian sides offer countless levels of lodging, depending the desired proximity and budget. The multi-star resorts nearest the falls usually boast falls’ views, casinos, and free shuttle service to other tourist sites. There are also many recreational offerings once a family leaves the immediate urban center, and with the attractions found in nearby towns, there’s a good chance that a Niagara Falls vacation can include everyone’s favorite activity.

Realistic Dining in Las Vegas

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:00:00 +0000

Las Vegas has some of the best-and most expensive-restaurants in the world, all within an approximate 4 mile area. From Emeril Lagasse to Bobby Flay to Guy Savoy, to all of the lesser known celebrity chefs, there is a wealth of culinary experience from which to draw...but not for the average tourist, especially if traveling with kids. That’s a whole different ballgame.

For those quick to point out that one shouldn’t even be taking kids to Sin City in the first place, there really are many great things to do there for those under 21, and many families do take kids with them when visiting. So what are the best options for eating meals that are more “normal” than fancy cuisine at greatly inflated prices?

Vegas was always known for its buffets, but they are no longer the cheap eats of the past. Expect to pay upwards from $15 for breakfast, $20 at lunch and $25 per person for dinner at resorts on the strip. (Children under 12 usually receive discounts.) A breakfast buffet could be the best choice if your family enjoys breakfast foods and has a busy day planned. After eating at one of those, most folks aren’t hungry until late afternoon. A buffet’s obviously not for anyone who isn’t a big eater, but even picky diners can find a something to meet with their approval. Plus, buffets aren’t all that much costly than buying items a la carte from a resort coffee shop. (Coffee, milk, juice, and a croissant or muffin can cost $10 per person,) Overall, the value is significantly greater.

However, if a family has opted for breakfast at Denny’s (on the strip near the Venetian) or McDonald’s (near Denny’s and in Circus Circus and Excaliber) with the idea of splurging on a nicer lunch, there are choices in the upscale food courts of the Venetian and Caesar’s Palace. Here, prices are a bit more hefty ($4 for a slice of pizza, for example), but the ambience of being in beautiful surroundings and looking out into the casino may be worth it. The Miracle Mile Shops in Planet Hollywood and the eateries in New York New York also provides small kiosks and tables that offer assortment to all family members at less cost than sit-down establishments.

Most strip resorts’ casual restaurants have wide menu selections, but expect to wait either in line or wait for meals, which take time that you could spend elsewhere. Usually, the portions are large, but the average Vegas hotel room rarely offers refrigerators (or even coffee makers, for that case). Most entrees start around $10.

For those who are looking for a themed, chain-type restaurant appealing to both kids and adults, Vegas is home to the Rain Forest Café, House of Blues, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Café, and Margaritaville. Expect to pay at least $15 per person and spend at least an hour.

Should your itinerary take you to downtown Las Vegas, you’ll find down-to-earth prices for full-course dinners and satisfying food. However, it may not be worth the $30 round trip cab fare just to go there for one meal. On the other hand, combining dinner with the Freemont St. Experience, and shopping for moderately priced souvenirs, may be worth it.

It’s not impossible for a family to eat well at a reasonable cost while in Las Vegas, but it does take a little research-and probably a bit of walking!

What about “unrealistic” dining experiences? You know, the ones that start about $100 a person per meal? Every resort has several upscale dining facilities, with names that are recognizable throughout the world. Since my family and I did not frequent those restaurants, I cannot offer opinions, but other’s views may help in your choice. Check with on-line review sites to get an idea of current pricing and offerings at places that allow the dining experience to transcend into once-in-a-lifetime dining memories. That’s what great about Vegas-it has something for everyone-all at the same time, and all in the same general area.

(Note-On a recent trip to Las Vegas, the author’s sit-down restaurant choices were the Flamingo Resort’s Paradise Garden Buffet, the Flamingo Tropical Breeze Café, Rain Forest Café, Bay City Diner and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago.)

Steve Wyrick: Real Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:49:00 +0000

If you are considering a magic or illusion show as one of your entertainment choices while in Las Vegas, you may want to consider “Steve Wyrick: Real Magic.” This recent visitor highly recommends it!

I must admit that, until this trip, I’d never heard of Mr. Wyrick. My guide book focused on Lance Burton for his fame, and other shows for their assorted offerings and convenience. (Some are in the afternoon and others offer more than one show per day.) However, in January 0f 2007, Steve Wyrick opened in his own theater, the Steve Wyrick Entertainment Complex in Planet Hollywood. After many years in the business, and 10 in Vegas, he will also be getting his own behind-the-scenes reality show, set to film within a few months.

Mr. Wyrick is an affable, good looking performer, with an innate ability to relate with his audience and involve them in his production, even if they aren’t participating in his acts. He does this with many personal reflections and stories of his past, such as using actors to portray his family while he was young and learning magic tricks. By the end of these 90 minutes, one can’t help feeling that they really “know” Steve Wyrick.

He utilizes audience participation in a number of ways-he pulled one young lady to the stage to join him at a table for a glass of wine and a course of several card tricks-which were displayed on large monitors behind him. On a few occasions, he requested items from the audience members-one including borrowing someone’s engagement ring-and used another individual for help with another very involved trick, as well as a child for another act. In every case, he gave something to the participant (and in the case of the child, a videotape of her involvement). Yet, due to the relative smallness of his theatre, it did not appear that being up on stage would be intimidating, especially since Mr. Wyrick creates the feeling of intimacy; it’s easy to feel that one is amidst friends.

Lest you think that this is another one-man show in a fairly plain and low-keyed setting, with minimal sets and accompaniment, think again; after all, this is Vegas. There is the glitter and glitz in his sets, of course those talented and beautiful backup dancers, and music which appeals to all ages. There is nary a pause between numbers, and Mr. Wyrick’s variety of illusions has been planned to keep viewers from losing interest for even a minute. His screens, props, and professional accoutrements assure that a viewer will leave the show feeling a sense of personal involvement.

My personal favorites involved the “portrait” of the model that came to life, the girl in the tank, and, like most people, the final moment in which he displays his ultimate magical abilities. An unexpected treat was being able to get autographs and individual photos taken with Steve Wyrick after the show. Not many headliners wish to take the time to thank those who have come to see them perform in this way, so it just adds to the overall endearing character of Mr. Wyrick. Although his dancers are sexy, and the show is by no means dull, his show is family friendly, with no profanity or suggestions that make a parent shudder. In fact, it seems that like most high caliber entertainment, Steve Wyrick: Real Magic has universal appeal.

My family and I were able to get discounted tickets for a Sunday evening performance at the half-price outlet near Planet Hollywood, although it meant waiting in line for a half hour about 2 hours before it was to start. But, with everything in Vegas fairly close, we had plenty of time to return to the Flamingo, change, and make it in time.

With his supreme confidence and excellent skill, Mr. Wyrick is well deserving of this new phase of his career. Here’s hoping that after the country sees his new TV show next season, he will become just as highly recognized as David Copperfield and Criss Angel, because he’s quickly moving into their league.

(Note-“Steve Wyrick: Real Magic” takes place at 7 and 9 PM, but days vary. Tickets are priced between $75 and $100, and discounts may be available.)

Vegas-Running on Sex and Money?

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:26:00 +0000

As one of my articles focusing on Las Vegas, I’d like to delve more into my 13 year old daughter’s view of things: namely, that it runs on sex and money. (I wonder if I’d have picked up on that at that tender age…)

Now, it isn’t that I didn’t expect this, in such a huge area, where these two aspects of life scream at every moment and opportunity, this point is brought home much better than any ad or spoken word could ever convey. When one steps foot off a plane and sees a few hundred slot machines, it hits a person that gambling really is big, big business, albeit fairly one-way.

Then, when a visitor must walk through a casino filled with between 2000-4000 slot machines and poker tables, just to get into any hotel lobby, it’s obvious what the priority is. All of the examples I’ve heard were true, from the little old ladies hypnotized at the penny slots to the high stakes poker tables with their glamorous clientele. But, except for one occasion, I did not hear anyone win big.

The money-angle is so obvious in Vegas it hits a person in the face. Where else are there back to back, 5 star resorts filled with the best that money can buy? With acres of marble, mosaic, statuary, fountains, landscaping and artwork, most first time visitors wander around in a suspended state of disbelief. Add the dozens of high-end designer stores and restaurants charging $200 for a fixed price meal, and you’ve got the makings of a city that demands a lot of money for and from its guests. For the first couple of days, I thought I liked Vegas more than New York, but by the time I left, I’d changed my mind. New York does require a lot of money as well, but seems grounded by the fact that people really live there, and as such, there are deli’s and convenience shops that are fairly reasonable in pricing. Not so in Vegas. I didn’t even see a pharmacy the whole time I was there, and who the heck is going to walk several blocks off the strip just to get a glass of milk under 3 bucks?

As far as the other enticement…well, along the strip are folks giving away cards and flyers which promote nude shows, and vehicles of all sorts carry the same ads. A man cannot walk down the street without having something shoved into his hands, even if he is already with a woman. Huge billboards showing g-stringed behinds boast the topless reviews, and even the headliners have sexy poses plastered over entire sides of buildings. Girls in provocative costumes stand outside of casinos, and we even saw a showgirl (in all of her buxom feathered glory) in our hotel lobby. (Upon which my daughter exclaimed, “I feel so inadequate!”) During our very first hour in Vegas, as we walked in a single line through the packed, Saturday night crowds, my daughter was approached by a 50-ish man who was not shy about his intentions, and I’ve no doubt a proposition would have been forthcoming if my husband hadn’t caught up with her and made his presence known. Just when I though we were out of these particular woods, a woman at the airport approached my daughter as we were waiting to leave, for the sole purpose of telling her that prostitution was not legal in Las Vegas. (Now, why she felt the need to do so, I’ve no idea.)

Oh well, we all know what makes Vegas run, so the good thing is, it’s not trying to hide anything. But there are other more positive aspects to the city as well, and I will gladly give them their due.

For example, it’s easy to get around Vegas, with all-day bus passes and monorails and trams, and one can find just about any type and range of eating establishments. Even with kids, a family can have a great time, with so many attractions-many of which are free. In fact, it’s worth seeing at least once, because there just can’t be anyplace else like it on earth...sex and money aside.

Cirque du Soleil’s Vegas “Love” Production-Not just for Beatles’ Fans

noreply@blogger.com (Karen Amato Schwartz) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:11:00 +0000

If you’ve never seen a Cirque du Soleil production, you may be wondering what on earth a circus troupe could do that’s worth the high cost of the ticket. Well, for one thing, it’s not a “circus troupe” as such; it’s actually a group of highly skilled entertainers (dancers, gymnasts, acrobats and aerialists) who present the most fascinating and lavish productions in the world.

Now, I must admit that I have only seen 2 of their shows, but I hope to eventually see more. After the first (brought to my hometown a few years back), I was at a loss when trying to describe it to others. Somehow, saying that it was a combination of acrobatics, aerials and dance did not seem to define it. Even commenting on the dance, music and acting did not do it justice, either. My only complaint was that I couldn’t fully watch everything in entirely, as so much was always going on. At almost every given moment, there are at least two areas of activity. Audiences easily have good reason to return, since it could take more than two viewings to catch everything.

I was hoping, however, that wasn’t the case with “Love”, at the Las Vegas Mirage-and it wasn’t. Sure, there was a lot happening at the same time, but there was a bit more cohesiveness about the choreography. Not only that, in a smaller, theatre-in-the-round theater (formerly Siegfried and Roy’s arena), it was easier to view the production from a clear vantage point. I do not feel that I missed much, but there was still a huge amount happening on stage that I wasn’t able to fully follow during much of the hour and half production.

With back to back Beatles’ music (original, but remixed and in a-capella versions), it is a constant display of light shows, dancing, aerial acts, acrobatics, skating, acting and mime-all done in the most imaginative and colorful manner possible representational to the 60’s. The performers astound, as to be expected, and one is left wondering about not only their individual expertise, but at the collaboration among the set directors and choreographers to have created perfect timing in the face of what appears to be mayhem.

I will offer my favorite numbers:
“Something”-A male dancer with 4 female trapeze artists, with exquisite choreography utilizing perfect synchronicity.
“Lucy in the Sky”-A solo, female aerialist ballet with dazzling, glittering lighting in which the performer’s glittering attire corresponded with the brilliancy of the “diamonds”.
“The Benefit of Mr. Kite”-A spectacular, fantasy filled act that can only be said to mimic
a chemically-enhanced circus experience that perhaps John, Paul, George and Ringo enjoyed, but that Cirque du Soleil alone is able to visually create for all of us.

By the time the words “We hate to see you go” are heard in the last number, not only does the audience feel the love, but the cast appears to feel the same. With an extended curtain call while confetti spills down on all, it’s indeed something that John, Paul, George and Ringo would have found to their liking. It’s almost impossible to leave without a smile, humming some tunes, or both.

Even if you’ve never been a big fan, in all likelihood, there will be something in the production that will touch you. Just like with classical music, their music is timeless and appeals to all ages and backgrounds.

Some folks may find it a bit high priced, but, even the less expensive seats are great. In fact, some viewers have reported that they actually prefer the seats in the higher elevation to take in more of the production. My family and I reserved our tickets online, directly with the theatre, with no problems. The Mirage’s waiting area consists of a long space with under-lit floor tiles, beneath an arch of rainbows, with a silhouette of the Beatles as the focal point at the end…It’s a great photo-op, but you’ll need to revisit during the day when no one is waiting to have it to yourself. As expected, there are many memorabilia items in the connecting gift shop, as well as the CD, so you’ll be able to relive the experience and enjoy it even more.

Coconut Grove, Florida - A Local's Guide For Tourists

noreply@blogger.com (Site Editor) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:37:00 +0000

Coconut Grove is one of the areas your should make a point to visit when staying in the Miami area. One of the oldest communities in Miami, the Grove, as it is commonly referred to locally, overlooks lovely Biscayne Bay and offers an eclectic style that tends to lure "interesting" types as residents. Coconut Grove is home to authors, artists, musicians, business owners, and inventors. .

The Grove also has a vibrant retail and entertainment center which includes Coco Walk, The Streets of Mayfair, and the shopping areas and streets in the center of the grove, all of which are outdoor venues . The boutiques, restaurants and jewelry carts create an outdoor atmosphere that make Coconut Grove one of the more desirable destinations for tourists.

The Grove is not a wild place, but a rather sedate place. It is a nice place to walk around, hang out, have a cup of coffe, enjoy a nice meal, etc. The clubbing here lacks. If your looking to party, you'll find that on South Beach, global class.

Within Coconut Grove are a few key attractions:

Villa Viscaya - This is kind of the Hearst Castle of South Florida, if you will. This was built by importing entire rooms from European castles, then building a spanish style residence around them, surrounded by formal gardens. When you go, make sure to take the tour.

Miami Museum of Science - This is more for kids than for adults. Located on the far North side of the grove, I recommend this for families.

Favorite restaurants of mine include:

Jaguar - This is extremely good food. From the outside, it does not look like much, although inside it is quite nice. Jaguar offers a slightly hip atmosphere, a vibrant crowd, and excellent foods with a concentration on ceviches and other dishes with a similar taste.

Green Street Cafe - The atmosphere offered by their street side cafe, combined with a solid and dependable menu, make this a great option.

Le Bouchon - This French bistro is a local favorite. Always packed, and always lively, but pricey, this is a great way to experience a bit of the upscale quirky lifestyle of The Grove.

Christabelle's - I've not been there, but it is beautiful, and I hear good things about it. This is a multi-story New Orleans restaurant on Green Street. If nothing else, it is worth going to check out the building. They must have spent a fortune on this.

Whistler, Canada - My Favorite Ski Resort

noreply@blogger.com (Site Editor) — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:47:00 +0000

We started skiing Whistler a couple of years ago. After being a ski trip every year person for a couple of decades, I had stopped going for years as my wife and I raised small children together. Finally, with a 4 year old son and a 6 year old daughter, it was time to take the first family ski trip.

My first instinct was Vail. Of all the ski resorts I had been to by that time, which included Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Winter Park, Taos, Park City, Deer Valley, and Alta, Vail was my favorite. I liked the raw size and variety of it.

But when we went to book the trip the prices seemed a bit out of control. Although Aspen is known for being pricey, when comparing hotel rates to Vail, it looked to me like Vail was about 15% higher. It is not cheap.

Also it was late to be booking, so I had a choice between a $1,200 per night room just off the slopes, which I was not going to do, or a $300+ night per room in a place I did not recall, 2 1/2 blocks from the lifts, and with a picture that did not make it seem so appealing. It just wasn't grabbing me. Nevertheless, I was booking it.

Just before hitting submit, however, I decided to take a quick look at Whistler. Years before, a buddy and I had almost gone, but I'd never actually made it. We had been, however, to Vancouver, a couple of times, and loved it.

When I looked online I was very impressed. First of all, I discovered (as I recall) that Whistler Blackcomb (the full name as it is really 2 mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb) was rated the #1 ski resort in the world by Ski Magazine for a few years in a row. Sounded good.

Then I started looking for rooms. I found that we could get a room about a half block away from the gondolas for under $200 per night, with a fireplace and a view of the mountains. Wow.

In addition, the lift tickets were less, and lessons for the kids were 50% off for the days we were going, which were in what they call Whistler Days, or something like that. Note that now they run an annual 40% off special during certain days.

We booked it. Thank God we checked at the last minute. This is now my favorite ski resort in the world, principally because it is substantive. Vail is substance, with hype and flash. Whister is just raw substance, and more of it in my opinion. It lacks pretentiousness, which we like.

Let me provide a few highlights of our trips so far:

Whistler Village Inn & Suites - This was our first ski hotel, and was a great experience. You walk out of the hotel, around another small hotel, and then between a couple of buildings, and your are in the main plaza with the gondolas. The rooms were nice, the people were great, and the views were awesome.

Executive Inn - This is the other hotel we stayed in. The location for this is better, as the back door takes you right out to the main plaza with the gondolas. However, we had a 1 bedroom with an additional loft bedroom, open to below. The problem with this is that the upper loft is always super warm, so much so that you can't sleep. We had a similar problem in another hotel in Whistler during a summer visit. Beware the lofts. We'll never stay in one again.

Kids Ski Adventure - We have now done this twice, and found it excellent overall. It is a Monday to Friday program. You drop your kids off around 8:15, then pick them up around 3, just in time to take a run or two together as a family. They ski, dine, and play together all day. In the end, of course, this is only as good as the luck of the draw with regard to the teacher, so some of these have been better than others. Regardless, even the weaker experiences were pretty good. They get nice Australians kids, for the most part, to teach these. We're on the cautious side, as we live in one of America's big crime infested cities, but always felt pretty comfortable leaving our kids with them

Mongolie Grill - We love this restaurant. With this unique concept, you walk around a set of attractive looking ingredients, meats, vegetables, and sauces, adding them to a metal bowl. When done, you walk up to the cooking area, where they cook them in front of your while you wait. Everyone gets what he wants, and as much of it as he wants. Very healthy. Super awesome.

Dubh Linn Gate - This is our other favorite dining establishment. Note, however, that it is a really a pub. They have a great breakfast in the morning, and in the evening they have live Irish music, a busy pub environment, and great fish and chips. Over time, we have learned to simply split our dinner between the Mongolie Grill and Dubh Linn Gate. We simply enjoy them too much to miss an evening during a short annual trip.

Garibaldis - This is at the base of the slopes next to the Whistler Gondola. The food here is pretty good.

Cow's - This is an awesome ice cream place. Don't miss it.

On the slopes the food choices are pretty good. Each is a bit different, but similar. We have found that the several larger restaurants give us all the options we need for lunch, while some of the little places, like the Chic Pea, offer a nice, warm, charming place for an afternoon coffee. The dining options in Whislter, on and off the slopes, are many and varied.

We were, however, disappointed with a few restaurants. Learn from our mistakes:

Avalance Pizza - The locals young people love this place, but I think only because it is cheap. We thought it was miserable. Avoid it.

Old Spaghetti Factory - We had a couple of shop workers recommend this place, but found ourselves disappointed.

Black's Pub - We found the food wanting and the staff rude. Avoid this, as well.

Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore

noreply@blogger.com (Site Editor) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:04:00 +0000

Eight Days On The Ground

We flew into Jackson, Wyoming, one evening, with plans to leave early in the morning out of Rapid City, SD, a few days later. In total, we had 8 full days on the ground, plus a late evening the day of our arrival. One aspect of our trip that most families will not be able to duplicate is a late in the season arrival, specifically a week or two after most schools had started. If you can find a way to do this, I highly recommend it, as the crowds were much less than we had heard about.

We had rented a car online from National, one of the larger car rental companies, with the assumption that the car rental place was at the airport, which is usually the case. Bad assumption. The car rental facility was in Jackon, a 15 to 20 minute ride from the airport. As if that was not bad enough, it took a solid half hour for the shuttle to arrive. Yet worse, when we called the local office, nobody answered! So there we were, in a dinky little airport, standing around with fellow customers, hoping to God the shuttle would show up. Just about the time we had decided to get a cab or check with another company, the shuttle arrived.

On the plane, and then in the car, I drove my wife crazy with a little song I made up. Our kids, ages 5 and 7, loved it, however, and my wife eventually came around to it. It is sung to the tune of the Johnny Cash song "Jackson", complete with the deep drawl, and goes like this:

Eagles, bison, grizzlies,
Coyotes, wolves, and elk.
Geysters spewing bubbling,
Fun fun all around.

(Chorus)
I'm going to Jackson,
And then to Yellowstone.
I'm going to Jackson,
Where the buffalo roam.

A great thing about the pace of this song is that it is easy to make up new versions. Over the days, especially while in Yellowstone, we likely sang 50 versions of this.

Although our plane arrived at before 6:30 PM at Jackson, by the time we had dealt with all the car rental nonsense, it was after 7:30. We had already booked a room at the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park, approximately a 2 1/2 hour drive from Jackson. Nevertheless, knowing it would add up to a late evening, and a long day, we elected to dine in and walk around Jackson.

If I could do over, I would have scheduled the first night in Jackson. I can't tell you what was so great about it, other than it was simply pleasant. At dinner we struck up a conversation with a local architect, hanging out with his 2 dogs at a local café. The conversation was great and the surroundings were awesome. What can I say? Nevertheless, we had an agenda, so off we went.

We drove into Yellowstone just before midnight, almost hitting an elk as we rounded one of the first bends. We were frightened, then delighted. The wildlife in Yellowstone is tremendous.

We were quite impressed with The Old Faithful Inn. Friends had told us great things about it, and online reviews were very positive. I've never been any place in the world quite like it. If you are going to Yellowstone, do your best to stay at least one night here. Note that if you call and it is booked, keep checking. Rooms come available at the Yellowstone lodges all the time.

The Old Faithful Inn has the world's largest log cabin atrium, a site in itself. As I approached the hotel, I could just see Old Faithful erupting by the moonlight. Timing is everything.

Early in the morning, we enjoyed a buffet breakfast at The Old Faithful Inn. Meals at this lodge were some of the best in the park. Don't try to find anywhere else. You'll just drive half an hour or more to find inferior food at another lodge. Note that there is also a coffee, snack, and ice cream shop just off the lobby. If all you want is a quick snack, this is a good option. I recommend, at some point in your stay, enjoying a coffee or ice cream from here, carrying it up to one of the atrium balconies to enjoy. There is ample seating; and it is a one of a kind experience.

The first thing we did after breakfast is walk the 200 yards or so to Old Faithful. Of the geysers, unless you are exceedingly lucky, this will be the most dramatic of the geysers you will see, and it will not disappoint you. There are benches around it to wait and then view. All the seats are great.

Next we went on a 5 mile or so hike of the Upper Geyser Basin (map), named "Upper" given that it has the highest altitude of the major geyser basins. On our hike we went from Old Faithful to Black Sand Basin, and back again. All in all, this was a perfect hike, allowing us to see a variety of types of geysers. With more than 50% of the worlds active thermal features, Yellowstone does not disappoint. Thermal features are everywhere. The wildlife in this part of Yellowstone is less abundant, although we did walk parallel to a coyote for a while.

After the hike, we returned to the Old Faithful Inn for a hearty lunch buffet. Excellent. Again, take advantage of the Old Faithful Inn amenities, as they are the best in the park.

Later in the afternoon, we started up the road to visit the Midway Geyser Basin. We were fortunate to see the eruption of a geyser that apparently only erupts every few hours, which was pretty spectacular. This basin was worth seeing, and had a great little Junior Ranger program that our kids quite enjoyed. The whole family sat in on a talk about the different uses the Plains Indians had for buffalo/bison dung. This was more interesting than you would imagine. Really.

At this point, evening was fast approaching, and our hotel room this given evening was at Lake Lodge, a solid 45 minutes away. Off we went for Lake Lodge. Of the three places we stayed in Yellowstone, this was the most disappointing, lodging wise. The beds were uncomfortable, their was no real view from the window, and the dining options were not great, although they were not terrible, either.

This lodge has two dining options, a quite nice restaurant that is generally overbooked, and a lake front café with fairly good pan style pizza, a miserable pasta bar, and a pretty good Caesar salad to offer. Again, it was not bad, but it was no Old Faithful Inn, either. If we could do over, we would have stopped at The Old Faithful Inn for dinner as we were driving by it.

The next morning we fired out of our room at 5:45 AM, intent on beating everyone else to the wildlife. We wandered up to Mount Washburn, where we viewed thousands of bison at a time. At times, we were right in the middle of a herd that extended as far as you could see. On the side of the road, we stopped to see what was happening with a noticeably large group of wildlife spotters. We found people to be extremely friendly, and quite sharing with their binoculars, etc. On one of these stops, we managed to see a wolf in the wild through some friendly stranger's scope. We never would have seen it on our own.

We had cafeteria style breakfast at Canyon Village, which consisted of a miserable tasting cheese and ham omelet and coffee, for me. Around the corner we discovered, too late for breakfast, a diner inside the gift shop, in the style of the old drugstore diners, that looked pretty good. We never had breakfast there, but did have lunch there on a different occasion. The food quality was much better than the cafeteria for lunch, and given how the plates of food looked at breakfast time, I think the breakfast fare was also superior. At Canyon Village, skip the cafeteria, go straight to the diner.

Following this we drove toward Lamar Valley, in the Northeastern part of the park. Lamar Valley is known for wildlife, and this was obviously a wildlife day for us. Although we heard stories from people about sighting bears and wolves in Lamar Valley, it never happened for us.

On the way to Lamar Valley, we stopped at Tower Falls. There is a nice hike down to a closer view of the falls, although the end of the trail was closed when we were there. I recommend the hike. The exercise breaks up all the driving, and the view is great.

As we were leaving Lamar Valley, we took a short side trip to a petrified tree. This is only a mile of two off of the road, and then a short walk from the parking area. We had a bit of special treat here as a couple of coyote were trotting along about 30 feet from the parking area. The petrified tree consists of a petrified tree trunk, still standing straight up, a few feet tall. I recommend it, simply for the scientific curiosity.

Following the drive through Lamar Valley, we stopped for lunch at The Roosevelt Lodge. Lunch here was pretty good, and the dining room ambiance was pleasantly and appropriately rustic. I would consider this one of the better dining options, nothing real fancy, but not bad food.

It was here, that we began the second musical aspect of our journey. While awaiting my wife and daughter to return from the powder room, my son and I began sampling music at the counter. We ended up buying "Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs" by Marty Robbins, with great oldies including "Big Iron", "El Paso", and others. Our kids made us play certain songs over and over, and then over again, which drove us parents a bit crazy. Consequently, I'd almost classify this purchase as a mistake. All in all, however, it was great. Our kids were singing along in the back seat. Good stuff.

From there, we decided it was time for daddy to knock out the rest of the thermal features. The wife and kids were (and I quote) "thermal featured out" from the day before, but dad (that's me!) did not want to leave Yellowstone without getting his fill. So, off we drove toward Mammoth Hot Springs.

On the way to Mammoth, we noticed large lava flows, hills of volcanic rock, on the side of the road. We got out of the car for a bit to explore this, which was interesting. Be careful, however, if you do the same, as I believe this material can be sharp, as well as not so stable to climb on.

Mammoth is known for its white, terraced pools of hot water. It looked great in the photos, but in person I found it a bit anti-climatic. It is worth seeing, but keep your expectations a bit low. Make sure you walk the entire path if you start at the bottom, as the more interesting parts are all the way at the top and then down the other side a bit. Note that, if you want to do this in an easier way, there is a road that goes up, which provides for some scenery on the way, and which leads to parking around the top of Mammoth Hot Springs.

From there, we dashed to the Lower Geyser Basin. This was by far the least impressive of the three geyser basins. Frankly, I would skip it. If you must see all the geyser basins, visit this one first, as it will otherwise be very disappointing after the grandeur of the others.

That evening we had dinner at the what seems to be the most elegant venue in the park, the restaurant at the Lake Lodge. The food and service here was great, even city like. I recommend dinner there one night. The prices are higher here than anyone else, but nevertheless a fairly good value for what it is.

The next morning, once again, we were on the road at 5:45 AM, once again intent to see lots of wildlife. Today would be a very successful day for us, in terms of wildlife viewing, but not when we expected it. That's Yellowstone. It comes to you, if you will only just wait.

We did some early morning driving around the Mount Washburn area. A grizzly and cubs had been spotted there rather regularly. We were hoping to catch a glimpse. That morning, it was not to be. We saw lots of bison, elk, a moose, etc., but no bears.

Following a bit of morning driving, pulling off the road a few times to do short hikes or wildlife watching, we went back to Canyon Village for breakfast. Regretfully, my kids liked the French toast at the cafeteria, so we had another miserable breakfast there. I think they were able to taste how non-nutritious their particular version of French toast was, so we could not pull our kids away from it, and frankly did not have the desire to be too disciplined on a family vacation. Learn from me, don't let your kids try the French toast at the cafeteria. Go straight to the diner in the gift shop.

After breakfast, we went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This sight has a couple of trails you have to do. The first is a stairway hike on the south rim called Uncle Tom's trail which leads down to the base of the upper falls. This is a fairly rigorous hike, but seemingly OK for anyone in reasonably good shape, as long as you take your time. It is not necessary to be a super athlete, you just need to pace yourself.

We also did a very easy hike, more of a short walk actually, along the north rim of the canyon, and I mean along the north rim. Watch your step here, or you'll become part of the scenery below. This is a nice walk with great views.

After the canyon, I finally got to eat at the diner in the gift store in Canyon Village. Consistent with their décor, they served fifties style burgers and fries. I'm not a fast food guy, but I appreciate a good burger, and these were good, especially for park fare.

The gift shop itself was somewhat interesting, and I don't generally like gift shops. This one, however, has a well organized variety with something for about everyone. If you are looking for good gift shops, try this one, as well as the one in the Old Faithful Inn. They were the best, as far as I could tell.

That evening, we had booked a chuck wagon dinner, which was just up the road, past Mount Washburn, at the Roosevelt Lodge. As we were driving up the road, we noticed a large number of parked cars as we were approaching the Mount Washburn hiking trail parking area. We stopped to check it out, and thankfully so. A couple of minutes later, we were blessed with the sight of a grizzly bear and 4 cubs about 120 feet above us on a hill. Even more interesting, according to the ranger on site, 2 of the cubs were adopted, which is apparently very unusual for the species. This was one of several highlights in our 8 days on the ground.

The chuck wagon dinner was a bit disappointing, not terribly authentic, in particular, although I'd nevertheless recommend it. It involved a fairly short and gentle chuck wagon (actually a horse pulled unauthentic thing with a bit of chuck wagon like characteristics) ride to a location out of site of roads, etc., where a barbeque was served complete with a bit if live country music. Again, I recommend it. In our case, regretfully, our guide was a bit of a bore, and we expected a bit more authenticity in the chuck wagon itself. Regardless, it is a great experience if you’re city slickers like us.

That evening, we booked at the Canyon Lodge, which once again was to take us past Mount Washburn, where again we were to be treated, this time to viewing a black bear and a cub, from only about 30 feet. Unlike with the grizzly earlier, there was no ranger around for this time, and it made a noticeable difference in the sensibility of people's actions. There were a couple of Brazilians that were walking up to within 10 feet of the bear and cub, laughing and posing for pictures. All I could think was "buffer", as in "food to slow down the bear" before it can get to us!

Several people in the park recommended a book to us called "Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park". We've yet to read it, but assume it is interesting given the number of people that mentioned it. Reading it prior to a trip would be even better, it seems.

Another topic to bone up on before the trip is super volcanos, of which Yellowstone is one. There are a few documentaries that air on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. I recommend you watch one of them, buy a book, a video, or something, before you go. This aspect of Yellowstone is very interesting. A related book I would recommend, but only for those that like somewhat quirky science readers, is Ghosts of Vesuvius by Charles Pellegrino. I liked it so much I read it twice.

The next day, early in the morning, we left Yellowstone to head to Cody, Wyoming, a western town founded by and named after William Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill. Yeehaw!

As we were driving out of Yellowstone, I felt a bit surreal, as if I was saying goodbye to something really incredible, one of the great wonders of the world, and a tie to the earth's volcanic past, perhaps to never return again in my lifetime, and perhaps for our kids only to return with theirs. I'm not a religious person, but the best way to describe it is to say it is like saying goodbye to God.

"Thanks for letting me stop by. Nice to finally meet you. See you later. I'll never forget this."

Yellowstone is a wonderful and special place, a place of which we now have fond memories, but alas it is not easy to get to, and there is a whole world to explore.

The drive out of the East Entrance of Yellowstone is quite beautiful Drive, and known for wildlife. We saw a good amount of bison, elk, and deer, as we headed East.

A few miles out of Yellowstone, and about half an hour before Cody, we stopped at Crossed Sabres. This was a personal thing, as I'll explain, but it touches on cultural observations and trends in this area.

Crossed Sabres was a camp, in our case a place where numerous cousins, brothers, and sisters of my wife had stayed before. It is an old style camp where one grows up as they get in touch with nature, rugged style, by way of horseback riding, rafting, hiking, etc. But it was closed, foreclosed on by the bank, and vacant as we approached it.

There was a fireman on site preparing it for a forest fire that was feared to be heading that way. We talked about how times are changing, how people do not choose to do these types of things anymore. Apparently, in this particular case, the owners had made a couple of errors along the way that contributed to their fate. Regardless, we had heard about this place for years, and were sad to find it no more.

We also talked to the fireman about all the dead trees we were noticing. He told us it was due to a type of weevil, or something like that. The interesting thing about this, however, is that he, and several others we talked to on the trip, referred to it as simply nature running its course, perfectly natural. They seemed to harbor no regret at the loss of foliage, a loss that will likely last for their lifetime. Nature rules out here. Perhaps they have learned from the Indians, don't mess with Mother Nature.

By the time we made it Cody, we were hungry for breakfast. We moseyed our car up beside a couple of local looking types and asked them where the best place in town for breakfast was, to which they replied "The Irma. That's where we're headed. Yeehaw!" OK. I added the "Yeehaw" part, but they would have said it if they thought of it, I just know it.

As far as I could tell, The Irma was the only place in town to have any type of reasonable breakfast. We had read about The Irma already, knowing it to be a hotel with history, having been originally built by Buffalo Bill Cody. Breakfast was a hearty buffet, pretty good, consistent with the ambiance, and a fair price. I recommend breakfast at The Irma.

We ended up staying the The Irma, as well. This seemed to be the nicest hotel in town, which is dominated by budget hotels. It is an interesting thing about this area, it is void of first world tourism, although full of discount roadside motels, a bit like stepping back in time. Clearly the people that normally fly to places hardly ever come to this part of the world. What a shame.

As for The Irma, we were quite pleased with it. The room was comfortable and well appointed. Additionally, we enjoyed the history and authenticity of it.

Cody is best know for The Buffalo Bill Historical Center, a well respected set of museums often referred to as the "Smithsonian of The West". Although we kept reading and hearing about this set of museums, until our second day in Yellowstone we had planned on skipping Cody and these museums, thinking it would simply be "here's the saddle he rode on and here is his actual holster" type of stuff, boresville, we were afraid.

Thankfully, after about the 100th person told us we simply had to go, we decided to work Cody and The Buffalo Bill Historical Center into our schedule. Not only were we pleased, it was one of the highlights of our trip, as was Cody in general.

The Buffalo Bill Historical Center consists of 5 museums, The Buffalo Bill Museum, The Whitney Gallery of Western Art, The Plain Indians Museum, The Draper Museum of Natural History, and The Cody Firearms Museum. Additionally, there was a significant display of Western art on display for an upcoming auction, which was like a separate museum in itself. We arrived at the opening, and left as it closed. We really rushed our visit, and thought of going back a second day, but just could not get ourselves to go back into a museum after a full day before, regardless of how spectacular it is. And it is spectacular.

Each of these 5 museums is worthy of an article itself, but let me herein give a brief review. The Buffalo Bill Museum is somewhat what you would think it would be, and it is a lot of "here's the saddle he rode on and here is his actual holster" type stuff. However, it is extremely well done. This museum teaches much about Western history and the value of myth within its culture, and for that matter of the United States in general.

I grew up enjoying Western novels, like those by Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey, and Western movies with Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, etc. I believe I was attracted to the independence and generally resolute character of the main players in these movies. My city slicker family, however, had not had this same exposure, so they did not share the interest whatsoever.

This entire trip allowed me an opportunity, not at all thought out in advance, by the way, to share this interest, and in an engaging manner. I believe that much of what makes up the American character comes from the pioneering spirit that settled the west, and for that matter the myths and legends that came out of it. The USA is a risk taking, ass kicking, "just do it" country. Going across the country in a wagon, not knowing behind which tree awaits a hostile native, not sure of where you are, having no idea of how you'll survive, when there is a perfectly good concentration of civilization behind you, is something that would only be done by opportunity minded people.

God bless America.

Looking at the founders board at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which I did early on in our visit as I was curious how such a substantial set of museums could be located essentially in the middle of nowhere, makes me think this opinion is shared by industrialists within our great country. The list is a who's who of industry, with the founder apparently being a Vanderbilt that married a Whitney, two major business families.

The Whitney Gallery of Western Art is a fantastic art gallery. Frankly, until this museum I was a bit turned off by the whole art thing. Perhaps I'd seen one too many times a person at a modern art musueum or display looking at a piece and saying something ridiculous like "Oh yes, I can see the artist's pain in that simple blue square". Give me a break.

This museum, however, had no such nonsense. Every piece of art was substantial, real, and beautiful. I enjoyed it as much as any art museum I've ever been to. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a lot more art, and more notable art, I suppose, but in terms of percentage of art that I truly enjoyed, this was much better.

The Plain Indians Museum highlights the history and travails of the Plains Indians, pulling no punches with regard to the role of European settlers in the area. Once again, it is extraordinarily well done, interesting, and educational.

The Draper Museum of Natural History does a fantasic job of educating its visitors about local nature. The displays are first class, with separate pods for each of different environments. Some of the displays are grand, huge displays hanging from the ceiling, etc. Clearly no expense was spared in these museums.

The Cody Firearms Museum claims to be the world's largest display of firearms. I do not doubt it. One case after another, with 20 guns per case or so, each with explanations of why it is interesting and how it contributes to the museum, line the floor of the museum. All in all, as I recall, there were 3,000 or so firearms on display, a large percentage of which are quite rare. Also well done was a mock up of a gun manufacturing plant, a bear hunters (I think that is what is was) tent, and and old store selling gun and knife parts. If you like guns, you'll love this place. Even if you do not like guns, unless you're just outright disgusted by them, you'll appreciate a walk through.

The original home of Buffalo Bill, an authentic log cabin, and some incredible sculptures, the most prominent of which was made by the founder, we were told, are located on the grounds of the museum properties. There is a great café inside, with a nice selection and reasonable prices. I recommend eating lunch there to minimize down time, as we did. There is much to see.

An additional treat, at the time we were there, was a display of art for a fund raising auction. Consisting of art from some of the most prominent western style artists, we were told they had raised $25 million dollars the year prior, and expected to raise even more in the one coming up. For us, it was like a bonus museum.

We left the museum at closing time, heading back to the Irma to check into our room and then go downstairs for the gunfight. Yes, gun fight.

Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill, Wild Bill Hickock, and some outlaw characters have a little gunfight each night outside the Irma. They mixed in some education on what it meant to be a bullwhacker, gun safety, etc. This is good fun, tasteful, albeit loud. There is a great little coffee shop just across the street from the Irma (not on the main street, but the other one, I forget the name of the street) which serves great coffee and smoothies in case you would like to enjoy a little beverage during the show.

That evening, upon learning that the gunfight characters would be strolling around the dining room, we decided to dine, once again, at the Irma. The food was buffet style, reasonably priced and reasonably good. Having Buffalo Bill sit and talk for a bit was also nice.

After this, we left for the Cody Rodeo. This rodeo is held every night during the season, and does a great job of educating the high proportion of rodeo novices that attend this particular rodeo. When in Rome, due Roman stuff, when in Cody, go to the rodeo after the gunfight. Make sure to work this into your schedule.

We had such a great time in Cody, we decided to stay another day and night, quite an upgrade from a city we were not even going to stop in. The plan was to knock out some more of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center the next day, as we had clearly rushed it the day before. The next morning, however, we decided to loaf around, then went rafting instead. Having been rafting before in Squamish, just north of Vancouver, we found this to be a bit lame. The kids, however, preferred it as it was not as intense as Squamish had been.

After that, we went to Old Trail Town, a collection of authentic Western buildings that someone had moved to Cody as an attraction. This was interesting to us, and likely interesting to the true enthusiast, but it should be skipped by most travelers. We met the owner on site, who was a delightful man and clearly one with a passion for these things. Although it pains me, I have to be honest; it was boring. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

By time time we made it back, it was time for another gunfight, followed by dinner, then another evening at the rodeo - all as fun the second time. For dinner, we went to La Comidas, a short walk from the hotel, which had apparently been written up in Bon Appetit or some other prominent dining magazine. We could only assume someone has a relative at the magazine as the food was absolutely miserable. Imagine your college chums making Mexican food and you'll not be far off. Nothing was good, of the few things we had.

The next morning, early yet again, we were off to Thermopolis, Wyoming, to The Dinosaur Center. At the last moment, specifically the night before, we tried to book a spot in the daily dinosaur dig. As a participant, you go out and participate in a dig for the day.

We could not get in, as hard as I tried. In hindsight, we were thankful. It seemed like it would have made for a long day. Doing the tour to the dig sight itself was enough.

Although this site is apparently rather significant, and although we are very interested, as a family, in this sort of thing, it was a bit unclimatic. The center sits in a large metal shed off of a side road in a small town. The whole time we were there, in the middle of the day, there were only a couple of other groups there. And in the end, a dinosaur dig is lumpy mud. The lumps are 100 million year old bones, but they are lumps in mud, nevertheless. If we could do over, we would have skipped this part of the trip. We had a lot of driving. Taking out this couple of hours would have been welcome.

In Thermopolis, a couple of people told us about the beautiful drive down into a canyon just a few minutes south of Thermopolis. Given that it was so close, we decided to check it out. It was beautiful, and unique, but not worth the extra half hour. Again, we would have skipped this as we simply had too much driving already.

This is a good opportunity to complain about the Subway in Thermopolis. When I suggested that 3 pieces of pepperoni were insufficient for a pepperoni wrap, the owner snapped at me, told me she would be charging me for extra meat, then told me I could call the home office if I had a problem with it. All I could think of was that perhaps she forgot that a town with 3,000 people in it might not be a good place to open a Subway. If you are in Thermopolis, stop by and say hello. She clearly needs the business. Her personality certainly isn't pulling them in.

Leaving Thermopolis, we drove, and drove, and drove. Then we drove some more. After that, we drove, after which we drove a while. What a long drive. Wyoming is a big state.

Our next stop was Gillete, Wyoming, a destination decided on when we got to it. The driving was beautiful, high mountain passes, gentle country praries, miles and miles between towns with populations under 100, etc. By the time we made it to Gillete, it was late, we were exhausted, and we realized we could decide in the morning whether to do a side trip to Devil's Tower and that regardless, we were less than an hour away from our next (certain) destination, Deadwood, South Dakota.

In Gillette, we stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites. The room rate of $149 was more than I expected to pay in this part of the country, but after so many hours of driving I was in no mood to bargain, and certainly in no mood to begin driving around. I would think one could Priceline this city and get a pretty good deal.

At the Pizza Hut next door, while having dinner, we discovered something about Gillette we did not know, not that we knew anything about it, for that matter. Gillette is home to the world's largest producing coal mine. Tours are offered during the season, but regretfully they had stopped a week or so before our arrival. This is the downside of a late in the season trip. The crowds are very low, but things are beginning to shut down.

We hit the road early, heading East toward Deadwood, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We had decided that the hour or more out of the way to Devil's Tower was too much given all the driving the day before. We were all tired of driving. To our surprise, we discovered that for a brief stretch along I-90 you can see Devil's Tower in the distance to the north. Given this, we were even more pleased we did not take the side trip. Keep your eyes peeled to the North as you travel East out of Gillette, as you can only see it briefly.

A couple weeks later, we heard that were were only a few miles away from a buffalo jump, which I now know to be the Vore Buffalo Jump in Sundance Wyoming. A buffalo jump is a cliff that Native Americans would stampede buffalo off of in order kill them for their meat, fur, etc. I can't say whether this site is interesting or not, but I'm told it is. If we would have known about it in advance, we would have stopped.

After finding out that Deadwood had become a casino town, we questioned whether to even go. We are not casino people, although I know others like it. Our interest in Deadwood centered on the history of it, which had been renewed by the HBO series called Deadwood. Once we found out that it had become a casino town, we were afraid it had been permanently ruined, at least for our purposes.

We knew, however, that the most productive gold mine in the history of the world is located there, the Homestake mine, which went along ways toward building the Hearst fortune, and we were interested in taking a tour of it.

We did not know that the Homestake Mine is not located in Deadwood, but instead is located a few miles away in Lead (pronounced "leed"). As we discovered, the activity over time had transferred to Lead, with Deadwood largely dying out. In the past few years, however, Lead was dying out due to the closing of the Homestake Mine, while Deadwood is in the process of revitalization due to all the casino activity.

As you might guess from the prior couple of paragraphs, we discovered Lead to be what we were looking for, and Deadwood to be more for casino types. Casino types are idiots, as far as I'm concerned. I simply do not like to be around them. Lead, however, turned out to be quite enjoyable. I highly recommend the tour of the Homestake Mine. Regretfully you do not get to go underground, but they do a great job of discussing the mine and the historical sites around the area on their tour bus.

Afterward, we had lunch at the Stamp Mill, a building left over from the Homestake mining operations, since converted to a dining establishment. This was a great place to have lunch, good food, good prices, nice people, and in a historical structure.

After our inquiry into the history of the area, the waiter followed us out of the restaurant to introduce us to a gentleman that is leading the process of recovering the opera house next door, which had been the victim of fire years earlier. Interestingly, it had built by the wife of Mr. Hearst, who worked hard to improve the quality of life of the employees, it seems. The original opera house also had an underground swimming pool and bowling alley. Not too shabby. This gentleman was nice enough to give us a private tour and talk. I'd like to recommend this to you, but this is a difficult one to reproduce. Nevertheless, our experience says a lot about this city, which is friendly and interesting.

From there, we went to Deadwood. All we had to do was look around to realize it was not for us. The casinos have ruined it, in my opinion. We did, however, go into the Adams Museum and House, which was not too bad. All in all, however, Deadwood is a drive through, unless you like casinos. If you like casinos, it seemed like it had some really nice options, mixed in with some historically significant locales.

Following Deadwood, we drove the half hour or so South to Mount Rushmore. We had not expected much from this, frankly. We figured it would be sort of like that scene with Chevy Chase in Vacation, where you bob your head, say "well there it is", and then leave. It was much more than that.

We found Mount Rushmore to be a class destination, quite tastefully done, interesting, educational, and patriotic. We were fortunate to arrive as night approached, as each evening is an event. It begins with a talk by a ranger, in our case a talk about Wounded Knee and the sadness around it, followed by a film on a screen in a big outdoor arena in front of Mount Rushmore, followed by the lighting of Mount Rushmore while patriotic music is blasted through the loudspeakers. Very nice.

There is a nice dining facility at Mount Rushmore, with comfortable indoor dining and outdoor dining on a terrace overlooking the Mount Rushmore area. The food here was quite good, and quite reasonably priced. I highly recommend having dinner here, but you'll need to schedule yourself to have dinner before the evening events as it closes as these are beginning. Also note that there is a great ice cream shop off to the side, which our kids enjoyed. An ice cream cone at Mount Rushmore quite simply makes you happy to be an American.

Another great thing about Mount Rushmore was the visitor center, generously staffed with knowledgeable, friendly rangers ready to assist you with travel tips and recommendations. It was here that a significant part of our trip was cast.

While discussing (with a ranger) travel destinations in the area, I mentioned that my wife was dying to have a Native American experience, specifically that she was interested in going to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and Wounded Knee, but that everyone she mentioned it to told her not to go as there is nothing interesting, it is depressing, and perhaps even dangerous. The ranger instead lit up, noting that we were only the second person in a year that had asked about it and that it was sad that this piece of history had seemingly been forgotten, and told us we had to go. Later he was the one that gave the talk about Wounded Knee. We clearly had hit his hot button.

That night we stayed at another suite type hotel, this time in Rapid City. This would be our last hotel of our stay. Then in the morning we hit the road on the trail recommended by the ranger. The ranger gave us a map with no scale. Eyeballing it, I figured it was 3 or 4 hours of driving all the way around his recommended path through the badlands, down to Wounded Knee, down to the city of Pine Ridge, which is party headquarters, a few miles south out of the reservation to White Clay, Nebraska, then West to Jewel Cave in the Black Hills. In the end, however, we spent 8 ½ hours on the road, making this a bit of a trail of tears for us. However, this was worth it, as perhaps I'll make clear.

On the way toward The Badlands, we kept seeing billboards for "Wall Drug", claiming to be the world's largest drugstore, and I mean lots of billboards, as in 50 to 100. So here we were, headed toward a city that is just a small dot on the map, quite a few miles away from any concentration of population, yet apparently toward the world's largest drugstore. It did not seem possible. We simply had to stop.

Wall Drug was worth the stop. It is much more than a drugstore, however. There are elaborate play areas for the kids, art stores, jewelry stores, clothing stores, restaurants, etc. It is definitely worth the stop, and seemed like a good place for a country breakfast. Regretfully we had already eaten.

The Badlands National Park is worth the drive West out of Rapid City. If the 8 ½ hours of driving scares you, rest assured that The Badlands can be reached in under an hour, and is very worthy of the drive. The scenery is beautiful, almost like a martian landscape. I strongly recommend at least a side trip to The Badlands. Make sure to look out for prarie dogs, which are concentrated in one area a few miles into the park from the North.

Driving into Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was hardly noticeable. Apparently this is the poorest county in the United States, and this was evident, but rural poverty is not nearly as intimidating as urban poverty. It is simply a trailer with some junky cars, 3 miles of highway, then a trailer with some junky cars, and on and on.

Wounded Knee, for me, was a significant highlight of the trip, but because it is so abandoned.

I know Wounded Knee, now officially referred to as the Wounded Knee Massacre Site, as one of the most significant historical sites in the United States, certainly one of the most significant with regard to the plight of Native Americans. I expected a monument of signifance, perhaps with granite or bronze, lots of placques, and quite official looking. Instead there was a wooden sign with wind worn paint that described the site and a couple of tomato stand looking structures selling dream catchers with a nice local behind one of them that had a fairly comprehensive scrapbook put together in a binder that looked like it was about to fall apart.

Wounded Knee, if you do not recall, was the site of an ugly event in late 1800s. The cavalry came into Wounded Knee to quell what was considered to be an uprising in development, related to a Ghost Dance becoming prevalent on reservations. With the Ghost Dance, the Indians would dance for days, believing that this would result in the departure of the white man and the return of the buffalo, i.e. a return to the way things were. They also believed that the shirts they wore as part of this Ghost Dance were impenetrable, even by bullets. Mistake.

As the cavalry was rounding people up, the situation escalated, eventually resulting in someone firing a shot. In the end, many were dead on both sides, but on the Indian side it was several times more, and not just soldiers but also women and children, counting almost 150 in total. A big snowstorm came in that evening, delaying discovery of bodies. A couple of days later, one of the discoveries was an infant, sucking on the breast of its dead mother.

It was here that the Indians discovered that the shirts in fact were not impenetrable, that the promises of the Ghost Dance were false, and that things were never going to return to the way they were. In short, this is where the Indians were broken. Their heart was broken. Their spirit was killed. This is the spot where it ended.

As Americans, we are particularly remorseful about our "victory" in the American Indian Wars. We have a silent respect for their independence and their respect of nature. Additionally, their blood is largely mixed in with ours. Time has made us forget the sentiment of those days, such that now, in retrospect, we simply feel sad, guilty, or both.

On the hill above the site is the mass grave, which was again interesting because so little is there. There is a 5 foot or so step going to the site itself, with about half of the stop broken away. As you enter, there is a wooden set of 2 posts with a posts across the top, leaning a bit to the side, a worn out looking archway, if you will. Then the mass grave itself is simply a long piece of land with a chain link fence around it, like you would see in any normal backyard. There is a small monument behind the fence on the side that notes the names of those buried there.

Get the picture? This place has been forgotten, and sadly so. For me, the fact that so little is there, and that what is there is in such poor condition, was a very powerful experience.

While there, we purchased a couple of dream catchers for the kids. The price quoted was a bit high, but after her sharing of the story of Wounded Knee, I did not have the heart to suggest a lower price. These are hanging in our kids rooms. Of all the places in the world to buy a dream catcher, this has to be the best.

The lady from which we purchased the dream catchers from mentioned something I did not understand until we had returned from our trip. When the borders for the reservation were originally created, it encompassed an area including that where the Homestake Mine would later be located. Imagine, the world's most productive gold mine ever, right in the middle of an Indian Reservation.

I'm not sure of the exact details, but apparently a Federal Court ruled in favor of the Indians in the late 1900s, saying that the land was inappropriately taken from them, and awarding them a substantial amount of money. I believe the amount is now $600 million dollars. I say now as the money has not been claimed by the Indians. They refuse to take it, apparently, as they believe it would communicate agreement. They want the land back. After speaking with the lady selling the dream catchers, I think they actually want the land, that they do not want the money, and that it is not a negotiating tactic. They really want the land. It is amazing to me that this instinct remains after so many generations.

It was a lot of trouble to get to Wounded Knee. Upon leaving, however, I had the distinct impression I had been to hallowed ground, and that I was in rare company. I recommend going, but expect nothing. That is what you are going to see.

We then left toward the West, back toward the Black Hills and Jewel Cave. On the way, we took a quick side trip out of Pine Ridge, a few miles south to White Clay, Nebraska. The ranger had directed us to this. White Clay is known for selling lots and lots of alcohol, sitting just outside of Pine Ridge, which itself is dry. With a population of 14 (yes, 14, not 14,000, but 14), it sells 4 million cans of beer per year. With pervasive alcoholism and diabetes, this has been a source of friction between White Clay and Pine Ridge, as you might guess. For us, it was a drive through a small town of wandering drunks. It is only a few minutes out of the way, and educational in its own way. I do not recommend stopping, however. This is a drive by.

Alas, we arrived at Jewel Cave too late for our tour, and could not talk our way into the later one, which was fully booked. I did my best.

On the fly, we decided to instead go to the Rushmore Cave, a privately owned cave a few miles away from Mount Rushmore. This turned out to be perfect. The cave is a nicely guided walk though tour, about 30 to 45 minutes in duration. We were pleasantly surprised by this, and would recommend it. Jewel Cave may be more significant, but this is a cave nevertheless, easy, close to Mount Rushmore, etc. Regretfully, I can't comment on Jewel Cave, as we were not able to go. It seemed like this was the top choice of people we spoke to, however.

And that was it.

We were surprised at how many things there were to do in an area so absent of people. In our 8 days on the ground, we were busy all the time. I highly recommend a similar trip for anyone, but especially anyone with grammar school age kids.