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Category Archive: Destinations

10 Reasons to Visit Edinburgh for Your Next Vacation

Edinburgh, the capital city of [amazon_textlink asin=’1612389783′ text=’Scotland’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’travelingwithmj-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ca65b8ba-6a63-11e7-8485-e971cc4915d6′], is the second largest city in the country, making it a popular vacation spot for travelers from the U.K. and around the world. In fact, it’s the second most visited city in the UK for international travelers (no surprise that [amazon_textlink asin=’1631215612′ text=’London’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’travelingwithmj-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d9adec6b-6a63-11e7-8762-ad95567d7f04′] is first), and there are lots of reasons to visit Edinburgh. From the United States, you can reach Edinburgh direct from Newark (Continental) and Atlanta (Delta), along with many airlines that make connections. Another option is flying into Glasgow International Airport, about an hour away. Here 10 reasons to visit Edinburg for your next vacation. It’s a picturesque city. Located along the Firth of Forth (love that name!), Edinburgh sports a rugged coastline mixed with interesting architecture. There are plenty of […]

Los Angeles is Vacation Heaven for Sports Enthusiasts

As the second largest city in the United States, Los Angeles gets it fair share of visitors attracted by the ocean beaches and sunny days. Home to Hollywood, Disneyland, and museums and parks galore, LA is as distinctively west coast as New York City is east coast. It is also a major city for sports, having hosted two Olympic Games. Sports are also big business in LA, attracting millions of visitors each year who come for both spectator and participatory athletics. If you’re a sports fan, here are some considerations that may help you plan your visit to Los Angeles. Basketball (fall to early summer): The LA Lakers and the LA Clippers both play at Staples Center (map). It’s not unusual to see television and film celebrities sitting court side cheering on their team. Dyan Cannon, Denzel Washington, and Jack […]

Sex and the City’s Magnolia Bakery

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 […]

This 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 […]

Is 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 […]

United 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 […]

US 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 […]

Flame 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 […]

The Desert Comes Alive in Palm Desert California

Over the past decade or so, Palm Springs and the surrounding desert communities have been working hard to change the stuffy image that they have long suffered from. No longer just a haven for the retired, blue-haired geriatric set, the Coachella Valley has broadened its appeal and you’ll now see families and couples of all ages and genders. One of the great spots to visit in the area is The Living Desert in Palm Desert. Founded in 1970, it is a zoo and botanical garden based entirely on the ecosystem of the desert. The Living Desert currently occupies about 1,200 acres of land, is a pioneer in environmental education and native wildlife rehabilitation, is active in captive breeding and plant propagation programs, and sustains itself through an aggressive membership and volunteer program. When you walk around the facility it is […]

Shopping: C.O. Bigelow’s in NYC

One of my favorite parts of traveling is finding a new discovery. Sometimes that’s a quirky little restaurant, a fabulous museum, a neighborhood hang out, or some place fun for a little shopping. Sometimes the spots is something everyone knows about, and I’m late to the discovery, and sometimes it’s something special all for me. One of my favorite NYC discoveries was C.O. Bigelow in Greenwich Village. Oh sure, I’d seen their products sold in other stores across the country, but there’s nothing like visiting the original store. Founded in 1838, C.O.Bigelow’s is the oldest continually operating apothecary-pharmacy in the country. That’s 170 years! The store still fills prescriptions at the back of the store, but as you work you way back there you’ll pass through goodies galore. There’s a focus on homeopathic products and remedies, along with hard-to-find and […]