Begin, or renew, your love of the Corvette at the National Corvette Museum, as you gaze longingly at these classic sports cars that are an important piece of Americana and automobile history. Introduced in 1953, the Corvette became a favorite, and eventually a classic, and the museum attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. Exhibits and displays change, but you can count on seeing: introductory film about the history of the Corvette, a look at retro displays outlining how the car became a classic, technical information relating to design and performance, racing, and a gift shop. You’ll be seeing lots and lots of cars! The National Corvette Museum is located at 350 Corvette Drive, in Bowling Green, Kentucky (map it), and is open daily , 8 am – 5 pm (except for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New […]
Read MoreBack to Basics: Stand Right, Walk Left
There is etiquette to be considered on escalators and moving sidewalks. It’s really very simple — STAND RIGHT — WALK LEFT! What does this mean? If you are going to remain stationary while riding the escalator or the people-mover (moving sidewalk), stand single file on the right side, allowing people who are walking to pass you by on the left side. It’s just like driving – slow moving (or non-moving) people stay to the right and out of the way of faster moving traffic. Do not congregate as a group and block the walkway from those trying to get by you. This is a mode of transportation, not a coffee klatch, so either keep moving or keep out of the way of those people who are. All together now, STAND RIGHT — WALK LEFT! Photo credit: SXC ____________________________________________
Read MoreGondola Rides on Lake Merritt
While it may not be the Grand Canal in Venice, you can experience an authentic Venetian Gondola ride on Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. Operating year round, Gondola Servizio offers private tours (meaning you are not thrown together with strangers) on a reservation only basis. Come as a couple for a romantic sunset rid, or put together a party of up to six for a more festive occasion. Available cruise packages include: Marco Polo: 30 minute tour, $45 for two people, additional guests $10 per person. Casanova: 55 minute tour, $75 for two people, additional guests $10 per person. Promessi Sposi: A photographers delight, and a popular choice for special occasions. Gondola Servizio will work with your photographer to create a photo-worthy event. This is a popular package for engagement and wedding photos, and family portraits. $225 for two people, […]
Read MoreBishop Museum Explain the History & Culture of Hawaii
Honolulu’s Bishop Museum offers the natural and cultural history of Hawaii’s indigenous people. Founded in 1889 by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last heir to Kamehameha I, you’ll find artifacts and exhibits representative of all the Pacific Islands. A couple of my favorite highlights are the Science on a Sphere exhibit and the Science Adventure Center. Science on a Sphere is a 68 inch, 200 pound fiberglass sphere suspended from the ceiling. It serves as a sort of 3-D movie, displaying full color, satellite and animated images. You can watch a hurricane forming, a dust storm, violent solar storms, or any number of phenomenon occurring on our planet or in space. The Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center is focused on helping visitors understand the environment of the islands. You’ll find exhibits and research on such diverse topics as volcanology, […]
Read MoreSihanoukville Express, Bus Ride from Hell
Today I have a guest post from fellow blogger Ken Dunlop from The Vancouver Traveler. Ken spent several months traveling around Southeast Asia, and he graciously offered to share a bit of his trip with you. This is one of what I am sure is many anecdotes about getting around in Southeast Asia. So, you find yourself in Sihanouk Ville in Cambodia, and you are desperate to get into Thailand. Not wanting to travel the four hours to Phnom Penh in order to fly, the lady at the Internet Café presented a great plan, “Mr Ken, take the bus…it is good ride and only 8 hours.” Yup, you have it I took the bus. The day began at 07:00 for the tuk tuks ride to the bus depot, for the 07:50 bus departure. The bus is one of those huge […]
Read MoreMy First View of Rome
Rome has been wonderful so far, and I regret that my time here was so short. Everywhere you turn there is such a sense of history and wonder. My first real impression of the city was coming up from the subway (Colosseo stop) and finding this in front of you. It literally took my breath away! Seeing it in books and photos cannot do justice to the sense of awe I felt at seeing this piece of the beginning of civilization. Photo credit: personal collection _____________________________________________
Read MoreBack to Basics: Mastering Celsius
I’m leaving for Italy in a couple of weeks, and in addition to bragging to friends and practicing my Italian phrases, I’ve been re-learning the metric system. I’ve especially been interested in following the weather forecast as I struggle to figure out the proper clothes to pack. Since I was raised on the Fahrenheit system of measuring temperature, it always takes me a bit of thinking to do the conversion. The simplest way for me to remember is this formula: Multiply the Celsius temperature by two, and then add 30 to convert to Fahrenheit. While it won’t give you an exact temperature, it’s close enough for most purposes. So here’s what the temperature looks like today in the general areas where I’ll be traveling: Rome: 18C (66 degrees) Pienza: 16C (62 degrees) Sorrento: 17C (64 degrees) It should even be […]
Read MoreBack to Basics: Mastering the Reservation Phone Line
I’ve written about this previously, but it’s basic information that can’t be repeated too many times. I know that most people do their research and booking online, but there are times when you are going to have to call a reservation center. It can be annoying to be put on hold, and repeatedly hear how many callers are ahead of your or how long your expected wait time is, and even further annoying to finally get a person who you can’t understand. I hope these tips will help reduce your frustration factor, and get you the information and service that you really need. Call at non-peak times. This means avoiding calls during standard business hours, if at all possible. Late nights (generally considered after 8 pm) are usually good are usually light in terms of wait time. News stories can […]
Read MoreBack to Basics: Remember Your Hotel Room Number
The days of having a metal key with your hotel room number engraved into it are long gone. Keys these days aren’t even keys. They are flimsy pieces of plastic, about the size of a credit card), and instead of having a room number on it, it has a pretty photo of your hotel along with operating instructions about how to insert it into an electronic reader on your room door. The plastic key usually comes tucked into a small envelope, or a larger folder, with the room number written on it. But the larger envelope or folder is often too large to tuck into a pocket or purse, and so we leave the room with only the plastic key. And when it’s time to return to our room, we have to trust our sometimes faulty memory about what the […]
Read MoreBack to Basics: Hang Up
How many times have you called up an airline (or hotel, tour operator, car rental company, or any other company that you want to do business with), and found yourself talking with someone who is rude, unintelligible to you, unwilling to assist you, or is downright hostile? If you’ve spent any time on the phone at all, this has probably happened to you many over. I know that I have spent countless hours trying to understand an accent or explaining myself to someone who wasn’t listening to me and merely reading a prepared “script.” It frustrates me when I have to repeatedly ask someone to slow down so that I can understand what they are saying. And turn down the background noise so that I can hear you! How to resolve these telephone aggravations? Hang up and start again! Chances […]
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