With Sex and the City 2 set to premiere May 27th, there’s plenty of talk about those four glamorous women from New York City: Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. Entering our lives with a television debut on June 6th, 1998, these four glamorous women drew us into their lives of angst and glamour. They tried to make us feel as if their loves were our loves, that their hangouts were our hangouts, and their heartbreaks were our heartbreaks. Many of the locations seen in the television show, and the first movie, are real-life Manhattan locations. Although there are several tour companies offering SATC location tours, most of the locations are places that you can discover on your own. And while a restaurant reservation might be hard to come by, one place that anyone can get into is Magnolia Bakery in […]
Read MorePrepare a Car Kit Before Heading Out on Your Road Trip
Memorial Day weekend is the official launch of summer for many people, and despite the high gas prices and still sagging economy (or maybe because of them), this is likely to be a summer of car trips. Whether its a long holiday weekend away, or a week or two on the road, car trips can be an affordable vacation. Before you head out on the road you’ll need to make sure that your car is in good working order. A properly working vehicle is always important, but making it a priority before a vacation can help prevent unpleasant surprises while out on the road. From well-working brakes and properly inflated tires, to properly aligned headlights and working windshield wipers, this is the time to go through your car maintenance checklist. If you’re traveling with your family, it’s also a good […]
Read MoreThis Summer Send the Kids to Jail
If the kids tell you that the house rules make them feel like their in prison, put the Old Idaho Penitentiary on your vacation stop. No commission of a crime required, just stop by their location in Boise, Idaho. The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historic Site was used as Idaho’s prison between 1870-1973. The prison was originally a single building, but the growing population brought a need for a growing prison, and several additional buildings were added, all surrounded by a high sandstone wall. These additions to the prison complex were constructed with sandstone that the prisoners quarried and cut, back at a time when hard labor was a part of prison life. As happened at many prisons in the 1970’s, the over-crowded conditions led to a prison riot, occurring here in Boise both 1971 and again in 1973. As […]
Read MoreIs a Vacation Rental Right for You
I’m not a traveler cut out for a location independent lifestyle. I love having a home to return to. A place to live and enjoy. My home is a wonderful place where I have creature comforts that allow me to live, dream, plan, and have fun. It’s a base of operations for the various parts of my life to come together to make me. . . me! It suits my personalities and needs, and at this point in my life, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve found that the desire to have a base of operations carries over into my travel style. While a traditional hotel might be great for a conference or a quick stay, more and more I’m leaning toward a home approach – somewhere with a little more room, privacy, and sufficient amenities that I […]
Read More15 Steps to a Stress-Free Vacation
Your reservations are in order, your bags are packed, you’ve got money, and are ready to go. But wait! Before you head out the door — did you forget anything? Getting ready for a weekend getaway is easy, but there is a lot more to do to get ready for an extended vacation. With summer nearly upon us, a lot of people are planning for extended periods of time away from home, but sometimes getting out the door can be the hardest part. Whether it’s to that beach house for a couple of weeks, Europe for a month, or some time spent driving cross-country, there are things that need to be taken care of before you leave. Use this checklist for advance planning and you won’t worry about a thing as you close the door and head out on your […]
Read MoreUnited Kingdom is More than England
The couple sitting at the table next to me were engaged in a lively conversation and I couldn’t help but notice their delightful British accent. As travelers often do, we struck up a conversation, asking one another where we were from and how we were enjoying our travels. The couple indicated that they were from the UK, indicating a city that I was not familiar with. Following our discussion, and back in my hotel room, I realized that while I intellectually understood the UK to encompass England, Wales, Scotland, and part of Ireland, in reality when I heard UK I emotionally translated it to mean England. Adding to the potential confusion are the numerous Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, for example) and the commonwealth countries (like Canada, my neighbor to the north) which are connected to the British Monarchy, but […]
Read More5 Extras for Your Beach Hotel
If you’re a sun-loving vacationer, you probably pay attention to weather reports, predictions, and warming trends at the destination where you’ll be. In fact, that information may be critical in deciding whether you’ll be going to a particular destination and a particular time. If you idea of a vacation paradise is to spend your time by the pool, on the beach, or picnicking in the warm sunshine, you still need plan for the possibility that it might — gulp — rain. Or be cloudy, or cold, or worse. And that means you’ve got to have plans for some indoor activities. Even if the weather is outstanding, you’re going to have to come out of the sun at some point. I hear many people say that they don’t want to spend much money on their beach hotel because they’re never going […]
Read MorePack a Portable Espresso Machine
I’m a coffee lover. I love to start my day with a cuppa joe, savoring the flavor as I check my email inbox, read the overnight news, check my RSS feeds, and plan out the rest of my day. When I’m traveling, however, I don’t always have that same luxury. I’m relegated to hotel room coffee, (usually blah tasting) or a nearby coffee shop (often not open in those wee hours of the morning, not to mention the ding it makes it my budget). But I gotta have my coffee – so it means settling for swill or ponying up the bucks. I’m giving serious consideration to the Handpresso Wild, a portable espresso machine than is small enough to pack and can be used nearly anywhere. It wouldn’t take up any room in a suit case. To use it you […]
Read MoreUS Supreme Court is Open for Public Visits
With the recent retirement announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens, the Supreme Court is getting a lot of attention. The highest court in the land, charged with ensuring equal justice under law, occupies a majestic building of classical Corinthian style, and is located across from the US Capitol Building and the Library of Congress in Washington DC. The Supreme Court, both the building and the court itself, has always occupied a special place for me. Perhaps it was those years in law school spent studying the decisions of the Court. Perhaps it’s because these are supposed to be the best and brightest legal minds. Perhaps it is because these life time appointments are steeped in legal wrangling and maneuvering the likes of which are rarely publicly seen. Whatever the reason, the Supreme Court building always instills me with a sense […]
Read MoreFlame On at Museum of Fire Fighting
If you’re looking for a short respite from intense Arizona weather, duck into the air-conditioned Hall of Flame Fire Museum and the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes for a glimpse of heat of a different kind. The museum covers about an acre, and has an impressive display of fire history exhibits. A catalog accompanies the exhibits, allowing you more detailed information. There are impressive displays of over 100 fire trucks and their apparatus, covering a period from 1725 – 1969, all of which have been beautifully and painstakingly restored. The collection also boasts over 10,000 smaller objects related to the history of fire fighting. In addition, the library has over 6,000 publications (books, journals, magazines, catalogs, etc.) and over 50,000 graphics (mostly photographs but also some paintings and other artwork). While young children may be bored with many of the […]
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