If you’ve got substantial connection time at Salt Lake City International, you can spend time just hanging out, or take advantage of your ground time and get in a little sightseeing and cultural expedition. Between the hours of 9 am – 6:30 pm, a complimentary van service makes scheduled trips between the airport and Temple Square. The service delivers you to one of the two visitor centers where complimentary tours are offered. You can take a quick guided tour of this 10 acre area at the center of the city, then return to the airport for your outbound flight. Regardless of religious affiliation, Temple Square is one of the most popular attractions in the state. It is home to the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Salt Lake Tabernacle and the huge […]
Read MoreMix a Little History with Your Cocktail at this Museum
Where else but New Orleans do history and cocktail mix?! The Museum of the American Cocktail features 200 years of cocktail history. From vintage cocktail accoutrements, to Prohibition-era literature, to vast varieties of other cocktail memorabilia, it’s a little American history told in cocktail form. The museum claims to be “part museum, part bar, and part Victorian bordello.” While the museum serves as a tourist attraction depicting a fun bit of Americana, it’s also an educational institution that serves professionals in the beverage industry. It is a nonprofit organization that provides exhibits and education that advance the profession of mixology, while still stressing the importance of responsible drinking. Proof positive that history really can be fun! The Museum of the American Cocktail is located in the Southern Food & Beverage Museum at the Riverwalk Marketplace, 1 Poydras Street, Suite 169 […]
Read MorePoint Magu: A Tribute of January 31st, 2000
Five years ago – on January 31st, 2000, at about 4:46 pm Pacific Time, a tragedy occurred at Point Magu. Today I honor the memory of friends lost in the tragedy. I hope those of you know me well enough to understand the significance of today will join me in a moment of silence this afternoon. Photo credit: wikimedia
Read MoreBack to Basics: Minimum Connection Time
With all the tools available for booking travel online, more and more people choose to do it themselves rather than use the services of a travel agent. I think the ability to research, sleuth out the best and perfect deal, and make reservations yourself is a wonderful thing. BUT – it also means that you have to take responsibility for those reservations, including the mistakes that you make. One mistake that I’m seeing on a regular basis, is travelers not allowing sufficient time to make a connection. This can have unintended consequence that can wind up costing you money. Here are a few scenarios, and my recommendations on making sure you have enough time to make your connection: You are traveling domestically on Airline A and are connecting to another domestic flight also on Airline A: If it’s a large […]
Read MoreNational Park Service: The American Presidents
With the Presidential inauguration just a couple weeks away, it’s a good time to think about our former Presidents and the place they occupy in history. Putting politics aside, that’s just what the National Park Service has done – put Presidential PLACES on display – with the new Discover Our Shared Heritage on-line travel itinerary site. The American Presidents itinerary explores the lives, contributions and historical sites of all 43 presidents. (President-elect Obama is not yet on the list.) Among the sites listed are birthplaces, home and memorials. There’s also a general presidential itinerary that includes the White House, Mount Rushmore, and other general sites. The list includes over 70 sites spanning the country, all listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and about half part of the National Park System. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find: Description […]
Read MoreTravel Resolutions for 2009
My travel resolutions last year were sort of a mixed bag, but I have a feeling 2009 is going to be a year of more travel and more travel experiences. I want to discover some new places, but I also want to revisit some spots to see how they’ve changed, or how I’ve changed and now see them differently. So my resolutions are a combination of old and new, all with the goal of seeing the world one place and one experience at a time. Here they are — Visit two new countries Visit two new states Re-visit five places that I’ve already been, but see and experience them differently Discover new restaurants, hotels, and resorts and share those experiences with you. Keep reading this year, and you can help keep track of how I’m doing. How about you? What […]
Read More8 for 2008 – Reflections on the Year
I spent some time in personal reflection at the end of last year, and it seems like a good thing to continue. Here are a few special moments, thoughts, travel experiences, and ponderings on the meaning of life as another year comes to an end 8 Memorable Travel Experiences: Coming up from the metro in Rome and seeing the Coliseum looming in front of me Throwing three coins in Trevi Fountain Eating gelato (the real thing) in Italy Wine tasting in Tuscany The ruins at Pompeii Making some great new friends in Guadalajara, and practicing my Spanish a little more Pow-Wow in Las Vegas, a wonderful event in and of itself, but also one that gave me story ideas for the year and more The Vatican 8 Favorite Things: Family & friends Misha & Benjamin My passport which opens door […]
Read More2008: The Travel Year in Review
Looking back seems to be the thing to do this time of year. So it’s time to take a look back at how I did with all the resolutions that I made for 2008. How did I do? Here’s a recap: Visit two new countries – I can check this one off with my visit to Italy and Vatican City. Visit two new states – Ooops, a big zero here. Some plans fell through at the last minute, and never did get rescheduled. Visit four new cities in countries or states that I have already visited – I’ve been back to Guadalajara , Mexico, after a 20 year absence so that almost counts as a new city. But that’s about it. Lots of good intentions, but not much follow through. Try a minimum of one new restaurant a month (while […]
Read MorePhiladelphia’s New Year’s Day Mummers Parade
Oh to be a Mummer, now that New Year’s is almost here! This is the 103rd year for Philadelphia’s New Year’s Day Mummers Parade, and this is one of those festivities that sound like so much fun. I’m hoping that a few of my Philly readers chime in here and let me know if it’s as much fun as it sounds. (Kelly? Caroline? Anyone?) The history of the Mummers goes back to the Roman Festival of Saturnalia. Latin laborers wore masks and marched around giving gifts. There was also a Celtic version that was a little bit more like trick-or-treat, featuring costumes and little gifts. Both events were filled with pageantry, enthusiasm, and more than a little bit of noise. Philadelphia got into the act in 1901 with the first official Mummers Parade. Unofficially large celebrations like this had been […]
Read MoreBack to Basics: How to Get Off the Plane & Not be Stressed
The best part about getting on the plane, is knowing that you’ll be getting off at your destination, and that you have loads of great times ahead of you. For many travelers, however, the landing and deplaning process can be just as confusing and challenging as the boarding process. Here’s the scoop on how the landing process works and some tips that will make it easy for you to get off the plane. Frequently flyers – pay attention, because you should take some of the suggestions to heart. Once the aircraft is on the ground and taxiing into the gate, most airlines allow you to use your cell phone. What you cannot do, however, is stand up and get it out of the overhead, or unbuckle your seat belt and get it out from beneath your set. If you’ll want […]
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