NEW YORK, June 30, 2010 -- Queen Elizabeth II is set for a flying visit to New York City on July 6th, 2010, causing a stir in the city and giving us a little royal fever. The Queen is expected to pay her respects at Ground Zero and address the UN General Assembly for the first time in 50 years. If you don't catch a glimpse of Her Majesty here at home, there is always a chance of spotting her in Britain - if you know where to look. … [Read more...]
HostelBookers Launches London Festival Competition: YouTube
Following the groundbreaking Twitter Easter Egg Hunt, leading budget accommodation provider HostelBookers.com is launching a new competition on YouTube to give away London festival tickets. Top prize is two tickets to Get Loaded in the Park 2009 and a two night stay for two people at Clink Hostel. One runner-up will also receive a festival ticket, and three more lucky winners will be rewarded with a bottle of champagne at Clapham bar Gigalum. … [Read more...]
LA Freeways, Los Angeles Freeways
Los Angeles, CA – LA Freeways, Los Angeles Freeways - The freeways of Los Angeles and Orange County. The people of Southern California are in a love hate relationship with their freeways. The logo of Los Angeles could be a number of things, but it might very well in fact be one of the automobile. There is an intensity and power found on Los Angeles freeways rarely found in other big cities. The freeways in Los Angeles were among the first and … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – Downtown
For the nation's second largest city LA's downtown is actually very small and is eerily quiet on the weekends. On a number of occasions we have been standing in the middle of a major 6 lane boulevard in downtown just laughing to ourselves about the total lack of people and cars present! Certain streets are surprisingly empty. Depending on where you are (compared to the congestion of the freeways), even on weekdays parts of downtown can feel … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – City Parks
As of last count,there are over 600 public parks within the Los Angeles city limits - ranging from tiny green spaces to larger parks tucked away in the Hollywood Hills. We continue to explore the city's public park terrain and will update this page as time permits. Barnsdall Park is located right off Hollywood Blvd in East Hollywood (about 2 miles East of the 101 Freeway) on top of a hill ("Olive Hill") which affords one superb views of much … [Read more...]
A Hiking Guide to Easter Island, Chile
Ask me which Pacific island has the most to offer hikers and I'll probably answer Easter Island. Here on an island 11 km wide and 23 km long you'll find nearly a thousand ancient Polynesian statues strewn along a powerfully beautiful coastline or littering the slopes of an extinct volcano. The legends of Easter Island have been recounted many times. What's less known is that the island's assorted wonders are easily accessible on foot from the … [Read more...]
And That’s The Way It Is…
I am writing you from Chefchaouen Morocco. All the keys are reorganized on this computer so bear with me as it is very difficult to type. I am not looking at the screen just down at the keyboard. We arrived in Africa yesterday passing by the Rock of Gibraltar. Immediately as anticipated we were hounded by faux guides marketing to us with fear - telling us it was unsafe to travel in the afternoon because Moroccans become more dangerous in the … [Read more...]
Arequipa, Peru – Santa Catalina Convent
Santa Catalina convent is a city in and of itself. Visitors can choose a guided tour from one of several languages, wander among the convent individually, or as I chose to do - combine self touring with guided touring. Guides are all women, smartly dressed in gray/light blue suits. There is no set fee for their guiding services; visitors decide what to pay them at the end of the tour (lasting approximately 90 minutes). I spent 3/4 of my time … [Read more...]
Xcalak, Mexico – Tierra Maya Lodge
Mentioned as one of the top ten places to stay in Mexico by the Lonely Planet Travel Guide. Hotel Tierra Maya opened in December of 1998; the name of the property was later renamed to Tierra Maya Lodge (contact information here). This is a beautiful self-contained fishing resort not yet discovered by the droves of people that frequent more popular regions of northern Yucatan. As their brochure states, "a vacation here is a union of luxury and … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Other Attractions
The town of Chamonix offers plenty of shopping, relaxing or people watching. Chamonix reminds me of Whistler, British Columbia. It has the feel of being a high mountain village when in actuality it sits only approximately 3400 feet above sea level. Many local tourist shops sell stunning photographs of the surrounding mountains. These photographs are often only a few euros and are good presents for friends and family. However purchasing frames … [Read more...]