There's always that chance that the Oceanside hotel you booked your room at will offer you a view of nothing more spectacular then the construction site and burger king across the street. But these 10 hotels, located all around the world, will offer you views worthy of the hefty price tag some of them come with. But don't worry, a few of them more are wallet friendly.
Check out the list here.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Travel and Film. Win, Win.
Those are two of my favorite things. So why not combine them? There's nothing quite like standing right where a pivotal moment of one of your favorite movies took place. Or even just a so-so moment of some movie you saw once that you barely remember the name of. Still cool.
With the Oscars right around the corner, Yahoo has created a list of the Top 10 Film Locations (from Oscar nominated films) to travel to. Their list takes you from Paris to Mexico, and includes movies from Toy Story 3 (I'm not too sure that one should count...) to Black Swan.
Top 10 Film Locations. - Link no longer available.
It's one of my dreams to go to Hawaii. And I could pretty much end my statement there. But I want to go on the Jurassic Park tour, where they take you to the field of the gallimimus scene. I have been able to see a few film locations, besides the obvious ones in New York City or Las Vegas. There's a small town about two hours from my home called Danbury, where parts of Cabin Fever were filmed. If you've seen the movie, the opening and beginning of the film were filmed at Priddy's General Store, which you can visit. If you can find it. Good luck.
Anyone else seen any movie or tv locations? Where would you love to travel that you've seen in a film?
With the Oscars right around the corner, Yahoo has created a list of the Top 10 Film Locations (from Oscar nominated films) to travel to. Their list takes you from Paris to Mexico, and includes movies from Toy Story 3 (I'm not too sure that one should count...) to Black Swan.
Top 10 Film Locations. - Link no longer available.
It's one of my dreams to go to Hawaii. And I could pretty much end my statement there. But I want to go on the Jurassic Park tour, where they take you to the field of the gallimimus scene. I have been able to see a few film locations, besides the obvious ones in New York City or Las Vegas. There's a small town about two hours from my home called Danbury, where parts of Cabin Fever were filmed. If you've seen the movie, the opening and beginning of the film were filmed at Priddy's General Store, which you can visit. If you can find it. Good luck.
Anyone else seen any movie or tv locations? Where would you love to travel that you've seen in a film?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A Weekend in Texas: Dallas and San Antonio
Yeah I know, it's not like you can see Texas in a weekend. You can barely drive from point A to point B in Texas in a weekend. But, you have to work with what you're given.
Two immediate facts you must know. I didn't see an armadillo, which greatly saddened me. I don't know where those suckers are hiding. Not in San Antonio or Dallas. I also did not see a Texas Longhorn. They are hanging out with the armadillos...having drinks...and watching Texas football.
Neeeeext, San Antonio. It's about a five hour drive to San Antonio, and you drive through Austin on the way. Every major city in Texas, as far as I can tell, is surrounded by a five mile bubble of traffic. You get within five miles, you must decrease your speed to 30 mph or less. But once we got into downtown San Antonio traffic wasn't too bad, and we were able to find somewhere to park pretty easily. Lots of pay for the day parking lots. If you park within a few blocks of anywhere downtown pretty much everything is walking distance. I mean, it's a bunch of blocks, but a nice stroll with lots to do and look at.
Two immediate facts you must know. I didn't see an armadillo, which greatly saddened me. I don't know where those suckers are hiding. Not in San Antonio or Dallas. I also did not see a Texas Longhorn. They are hanging out with the armadillos...having drinks...and watching Texas football.
So I flew into Dallas to visit a friend who lives outside the city. But after some research, the things I really wanted to see were in San Antonio. It was a little less than a five hour drive, but I must be special, because Chris agreed to take me there.
There were two things I wanted to see before we left Dallas though. For you history buffs, you'll know that Dallas is where JFK was assassinated. You know, the grassy knoll, the huge conspiracy, one shooter or two. In Dealey Plaza (the most visited historic site in Texas) you can visit the Sixth Floor Museum, housed in the old Texas School Book Depository building. It is from this floor, from the corner window, that a shot was fired killing the president. (FYI: The link provided takes you to tour page of the Museum and Plaza, best I could do because the link to http://www.jfk.org/ was broken...go ahead, conspiracize...) Also in the Plaza you can stand on the grassy knoll and see where the motorcade was when the two shots hit the president, courtesy of two giant white Xs in the roadway. And yes, lots of people want to stand on those Xs. And yes, Elm Street has a lot of cars moving at accelerated rates. And no, I didn't feel the need to play in traffic for any reason whatsoever (ok, maybe I wanted to just a little bit, but everyone else looked so stupid trying to dodge cars).
The second thing I wanted to see was Pioneer Plaza. The plaza re-creates a cattle drive using bronze sculptures of 70 longhorn cattle herded by 3 cowboys and their horses. It's located in an open park, so just take a stroll by and have a look. Very cool and surprisingly pretty.
Neeeeext, San Antonio. It's about a five hour drive to San Antonio, and you drive through Austin on the way. Every major city in Texas, as far as I can tell, is surrounded by a five mile bubble of traffic. You get within five miles, you must decrease your speed to 30 mph or less. But once we got into downtown San Antonio traffic wasn't too bad, and we were able to find somewhere to park pretty easily. Lots of pay for the day parking lots. If you park within a few blocks of anywhere downtown pretty much everything is walking distance. I mean, it's a bunch of blocks, but a nice stroll with lots to do and look at.
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| The Alamo grounds |
We started our day at the Alamo. The Alamo was originally a Mission, and it now sits in the middle of everything in downtown. You can stand with your back to the deceptively tiny Alamo and watch people going in and out of Ripley's Believe It Or Not. The grounds of the Alamo are beautiful and there's a museum, lots of history boards, and even a "lecture" that I assume is given a few times a day. We even were visiting the Alamo almost 175 years to the day since the infamous battle. Although you can see the outside of the Alamo at any time, the grounds close early at 5:30 (except in June, July, and August when it closes at 7:00). All free!
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| The Alamo |
From there it's a quick, couple of block walk to the Riverwalk. The main section of the Riverwalk containing the most restaurants and shops is the section of river that forms three sides of a square. Descriptive huh? I can't do any better. But you can easily spend hours just strolling along the river, and it's beautiful. So very many restaurants to eat at. I can't even begin to list them. And shopping from souvenirs to clothing to, well whatever else. Part of the river goes through a mall, so that pretty much covers you. There's also a boat ride you can take with Rio San Antonio Cruises, for just about $8. Great way to scope out where you want to go on the river, and learn lots of fun things from your tour guide. There are several places to board a boat, so if you see one with a long line, keep walking. Dinner cruises are also available. Two little things to know: the river is drained every year in January, so check for exact dates. And if you're clumsy beware, there are no railings anywhere between the walk and the water! Oh, and although the Riverwalk is below street level, there are elevators for handicapped access.
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| Mission Concepcion |
We spent our next day checking out the remaining four Missions of San Antonio (the Alamo is the fifth). If you start at the one closest to San Antonio you'll be visiting Mission Concepcion first, only ten minutes or so from downtown. This is the oldest of un-restored stone churches in America, dedicated in 1755, where original frescoes are visible in several rooms. Just a few minutes down Mission Road stands Mission San Jose, founded 1720. At this Mission you can gain a sense of the culture and community of the time, from housing to work and church and observe the famous Rose Window. Continuing down the line is Mission San Juan, 1716. The standout of this Mission is the beautiful bell tower and three bells. Lastly is Mission Espada, the oldest from 1690. A beautiful church is surrounded by beautiful grounds and flowers, and a small shop sells hand blown glass. All of the Missions provide learning materials, history boards, and exhibits. These four Missions, excluding the Alamo, also all hold Mass on Saturdays and/or Sundays, open for all to attend. Check for times.
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| Mission San Jose |
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| Mission San Juan |
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| Mission San Juan |
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| Mission Espada |
San Antonio is a place where you could easily spend a week. In addition to the rich history of the area, there are family fun places such as Six Flags and Sea World. This city is certainly going down in my book as one of my most loved.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
No Facebooking in China
Lately I've been seeing ads along the side of my facebook page for something like "before you go to China, make sure you get your FB key." I tried in vain just now to get that ad to reappear so that I could be more specific, but all it wants to inform me about in my ad bar today is Britain and lemonade. So anyway, this ad stuck in the back of my mind. Mostly because I couldn't figure out what FB meant, and I wondered what weird things China was up to. Yeah, I know...all synapses were not firing in my brain. And if they aren't in yours either, FB, as I finally realized, is Facebook.
So, it turns out that Facebook is banned in China. Not just Facebook, but all of the following online resources (as well as many, many others):
- The New York Times
- Twitter
- You Tube
- Picasa
- Dropbox
- Flickr
- Foursquare
- Hotmail
China actually started censoring the Internet by creating the Golden Shield Project in 1998. Since then they've been continually adding (and occasionally removing) website access. From what I can tell, this really became an issue mid 2009 after a fatal riot in the Xinjiang province in China. Although websites had been blocked before this incident, the upheaval further fueled China's censorship and caused an increase of their firewall.
There are of course ways to get around the blocks, which I will not discuss. Just seems a little on the iffy side of the law. But you can test a website here to see if you'll be able to access it in China. But seriously...you're in China, why are you messing around on Facebook?
PS - China isn't alone in Internet blocking. The OpenNet Initiative recently found that out of 40 countries studied, 25 of them practiced Internet censorship. Read the full article here.
So, it turns out that Facebook is banned in China. Not just Facebook, but all of the following online resources (as well as many, many others):
- The New York Times
- You Tube
- Picasa
- Dropbox
- Flickr
- Foursquare
- Hotmail
China actually started censoring the Internet by creating the Golden Shield Project in 1998. Since then they've been continually adding (and occasionally removing) website access. From what I can tell, this really became an issue mid 2009 after a fatal riot in the Xinjiang province in China. Although websites had been blocked before this incident, the upheaval further fueled China's censorship and caused an increase of their firewall.
There are of course ways to get around the blocks, which I will not discuss. Just seems a little on the iffy side of the law. But you can test a website here to see if you'll be able to access it in China. But seriously...you're in China, why are you messing around on Facebook?
PS - China isn't alone in Internet blocking. The OpenNet Initiative recently found that out of 40 countries studied, 25 of them practiced Internet censorship. Read the full article here.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Interesting Fact
So my feature cities have kind of bombed. It took a lot of research to do those...which I loved...but I haven't had time as of late. So maybe we'll do interesting facts instead.
Today's interesting fact comes from a coworker who spent her honeymoon in Iceland. First of all, I'll remind you that Greenland is covered in ice and Iceland is very nice (thank you Mighty Ducks #...whatever # that was...3?). So with that in mind, it turns out that the water in Iceland is naturally warm. Think nice warm sulfur springs. Now stop thinking about that rotten egg smell, because that isn't my point. My point is that the water that comes out of the faucets in Iceland is warm and you must wait for it to cool. The exact opposite of what happens here in America, and most of the world.
I couldn't find any online information about the water temperature as it comes out of the faucet, except that hot water burns were more common in Iceland than in any other country. Hospital admitted burns had reached an epidemic proportion at one point, leading to an increase in public education about geothermic hot water, and regulations to keep the maximum hot water temperature at a lower level. One last interesting note, 72.8% of all hospital admissions for water burns between 1988 and 1992 were from tourists. An important reminder to research before you travel!
So wait for the cold water, and be careful with the hot water!
Today's interesting fact comes from a coworker who spent her honeymoon in Iceland. First of all, I'll remind you that Greenland is covered in ice and Iceland is very nice (thank you Mighty Ducks #...whatever # that was...3?). So with that in mind, it turns out that the water in Iceland is naturally warm. Think nice warm sulfur springs. Now stop thinking about that rotten egg smell, because that isn't my point. My point is that the water that comes out of the faucets in Iceland is warm and you must wait for it to cool. The exact opposite of what happens here in America, and most of the world.
I couldn't find any online information about the water temperature as it comes out of the faucet, except that hot water burns were more common in Iceland than in any other country. Hospital admitted burns had reached an epidemic proportion at one point, leading to an increase in public education about geothermic hot water, and regulations to keep the maximum hot water temperature at a lower level. One last interesting note, 72.8% of all hospital admissions for water burns between 1988 and 1992 were from tourists. An important reminder to research before you travel!
So wait for the cold water, and be careful with the hot water!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
What to Know about Universal Studios and Sea World
The first thing to know is that Universal is actually divided into three sections: Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, and City Walk. City Walk is a free area (meaning you do not need an entrance ticket) with shops, clubs, a movie theater, and restaurants (much like Downtown Disney).
Tickets: You can either buy separate passes for the two theme parks or a Park-to-Park pass. You may also want to check out the Express Pass, which you can purchase on top of your park entrance pass. The Express Pass puts you in an Express line, which usually has you boarding all rides within five minutes. You can use the Pass one time at each ride, but Rip Ride Rocket and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are currently exempt.
Parking: Parking is $15, and Universal got smart and invested in parking garages. Much less walking to get to the park entrance. The same parking areas get you to both theme parks and City Walk. You must pay to park even if just visiting City Walk.
Food: Lots of places to choose from, from quick and easy to sit down. A meal pass is also available.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Located at Islands of Adventure, within one hour of the park opening the stand by wait time just to get into the Wizarding World was over three hours. But hope is not lost. You can get a return time ticket (although a line forms early for these tickets as well). This ticket will grant you instant access to the Wizarding World at the specified return time. Once inside you can use your Express Pass on all rides (Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge) except The Forbidden Journey. Expect lines to get into Honeydukes and Ollivanders (where you can test interactive wands and see which wand picks YOU). Other shops include Zonko's and Dervish and Banges. And right here is the only place in the world where you can try Butterbeer. So my personal recommendations....get in line for a return pass as soon as you get to the park, go into a couple of shops once inside Hogsmead, and then wait in line for the Forbidden Journey, because I agree with the reviews that say it's the best new ride of the year, and the best ride in America. Also, since the Forbidden Journey is the only way to go into the Hogwarts castle, it is possible to skip portions of the line if you just want to see inside the castle but do not want to ride.
Other Rides: Certain rides at both parks require that all personal belongings (purses mostly) be stored in a locker before riding. Luckily, near all rides that require this are lockers. And they are free for a certain amount of time (usually plenty of time to ride that one ride and then retrieve your things). The Forbidden Journey has lockers inside the castle, but if you want to save yourself a little time and skip ahead of some people, store your things in the lockers next to the Hogwarts train before you get in line for the Forbidden Journey.
Souvenirs: While Universal does not practice pin trading, you can buy lanyards and pins representing the areas of the park and major rides and attractions. Universal also has package pick up at the front gate if you buy something large and don't want to carry it around the park with you.
Although Sea World itself is just one park, you can get joint passes for Sea World, Busch Gardens, and the water park Aquatica. When you buy your tickets for Sea World, you also might want to look into Quick Queue passes, which give you priority access in lines to all Sea World rides. However, keep in mind that Sea World only has four major rides (plus the paddle boats and Skytower).
Shows: I would recommend focusing your day at Sea World on the amazing shows. When you enter the park pick up a map, which will list the day's shows, locations, and times. Make a "plan of attack." Figure out what time you can see each show. If you wing it, you may end up trying to run all over the park in different directions and missing many shows. You can also go online here and pull up the show schedule.
Shamu's main shows are Believe and Shamu Rocks. However, as of December 2010, the Orcas were being retrained for a new show, One Ocean. Orcas may be Sea World's main attraction but Blue Horizons features dolphins, birds, and a pilot whale. The comedy show, Clyde and Seamore, stars two sea lions, a walrus, and even an otter. Get to this show early for some pre-show fun! For cats, dogs, and one big pig don't miss Pets Ahoy. And if you want to see some amazing human acrobatics, make sure you see A'Lure: The Call of the Ocean. *Shows with links include a video preview.
After the shows, check out the underwater viewing areas for an up close and personal view of Sea World's amazing entertainers...and I mean their animals! FYI - the seats that say "splash zones" mean it. The first couple of rows you could easily come away dripping and soaked. But if you sit in the last couple of rows, you'll have a great view, possibly not be as crowded, and really not get but a few drops. At least...that's how it worked out for us.
Feeding (animals, not yourself): You can purchase food and feed sea lions and harbor seals, sharks, dolphins and stingrays at their respective exhibits. Don't be squeamish though, the food is mostly fish heads and tails. Feeding stations are not open all day, so be sure to check for times.
Food (for yourself, not the animals): Sea World does offer an All Day Dining Deal that is good for several of their restaurants. If you want to eat at Sharks Underwater Grill, you'll need a reservation. And make sure to check the menu as it's a higher end place. And if you are interested in attending the Makahiki Luau, I recommend getting reservations online before you go to the park. There is only one show and it sells out. **As of 2013 the Luau has been closed.**
Rides: As I said before, rides aren't the focus of Sea World. But there are a few, and several rides for smaller children at Shamu's Happy Harbor. You should also know that you will have to ride the Wild Arctic Ride in order to see the beluga whales, polar bears, and walrus.
Tours: At Sea World you can have a once in a lifetime experience with some of your favorite animals. Up-Close Tours are available for the penguins, dolphins and sea lions. The Behind the Scenes tour takes you all over the park and teaches what it takes to care for Sea World's animals as you interact with a few of them. Also look into the VIP and Family Tours.
Animal Interactions: Swim with the sharks, work with a marine mammal keeper, or swim with a beluga.
If you still just haven't had enough or seen the experience you're looking for, see what's available at Discovery Cove.
Shows: I would recommend focusing your day at Sea World on the amazing shows. When you enter the park pick up a map, which will list the day's shows, locations, and times. Make a "plan of attack." Figure out what time you can see each show. If you wing it, you may end up trying to run all over the park in different directions and missing many shows. You can also go online here and pull up the show schedule.
Shamu's main shows are Believe and Shamu Rocks. However, as of December 2010, the Orcas were being retrained for a new show, One Ocean. Orcas may be Sea World's main attraction but Blue Horizons features dolphins, birds, and a pilot whale. The comedy show, Clyde and Seamore, stars two sea lions, a walrus, and even an otter. Get to this show early for some pre-show fun! For cats, dogs, and one big pig don't miss Pets Ahoy. And if you want to see some amazing human acrobatics, make sure you see A'Lure: The Call of the Ocean. *Shows with links include a video preview.
After the shows, check out the underwater viewing areas for an up close and personal view of Sea World's amazing entertainers...and I mean their animals! FYI - the seats that say "splash zones" mean it. The first couple of rows you could easily come away dripping and soaked. But if you sit in the last couple of rows, you'll have a great view, possibly not be as crowded, and really not get but a few drops. At least...that's how it worked out for us.
Feeding (animals, not yourself): You can purchase food and feed sea lions and harbor seals, sharks, dolphins and stingrays at their respective exhibits. Don't be squeamish though, the food is mostly fish heads and tails. Feeding stations are not open all day, so be sure to check for times.
Food (for yourself, not the animals): Sea World does offer an All Day Dining Deal that is good for several of their restaurants. If you want to eat at Sharks Underwater Grill, you'll need a reservation. And make sure to check the menu as it's a higher end place. And if you are interested in attending the Makahiki Luau, I recommend getting reservations online before you go to the park. There is only one show and it sells out. **As of 2013 the Luau has been closed.**
Rides: As I said before, rides aren't the focus of Sea World. But there are a few, and several rides for smaller children at Shamu's Happy Harbor. You should also know that you will have to ride the Wild Arctic Ride in order to see the beluga whales, polar bears, and walrus.
Tours: At Sea World you can have a once in a lifetime experience with some of your favorite animals. Up-Close Tours are available for the penguins, dolphins and sea lions. The Behind the Scenes tour takes you all over the park and teaches what it takes to care for Sea World's animals as you interact with a few of them. Also look into the VIP and Family Tours.
Animal Interactions: Swim with the sharks, work with a marine mammal keeper, or swim with a beluga.
If you still just haven't had enough or seen the experience you're looking for, see what's available at Discovery Cove.
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