http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=21864&mediaType=blog&sortType=recent All new blogs on My Budget Travel Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:55:29 GMT Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:55:29 GMT bthelp@budgettravel.com (BTeditor) bthelp@budgettravel.com (BTeditor) KickApps Feed Builder 2009-11-15T04:55:29Z 817 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=21864&sortType=recent 0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Our-Budget-Travel-Trip-to-Ireland-Part-2/BLOG/1495976/21864.html   [image] Tuesday it was time to say farewell to Kinsale and head west, to the fabled Ring of Kerry. Again, we had plans for spending the next two nights in one place: Kilarney. With an early-enough start, we were able [image]to drive much of the Ring on Tuesday, traveling clockwise so as to avoid following the tour buses. Here it is time to point out that driving in Ireland[image] is not for the faint of heart. The roads are very narrow, one lane in each direction hemmed in on either side by a stone fence or a hedge, yet marked as 100 km/h (about 60 mph). Often you have buses or trucks coming at you from the other direction that are wider than their lanes. I realized that this is why all the buses go the same direction around the Ring of Kerry (clockwise): otherwise, they would never be able to pass one another. Then there are driveways, and people come [image]to a complete stop to turn left into a driveway and there is no way to go around them. I'm sure it does not help that so many of the other drivers are Americans, just as inexperienced as I am in driving on the left side of the road. There is no theme park ride as terrifying as taking one of those blind curves quickly and having a vehicle suddenly materialize, coming at you from the other direction, seemingly on the wrong side of the road. "EEEEP!" was a frequent exclamation on this trip. Anyway, the beautiful views of the fields and cliffs and sea were just incomparable, [image]with yet another beautiful scene just around the next bend. Stopping for ocean vistas and to explore ring forts and castle ruins quickly filled the day, and it was after dark when we [image]rolled into Killarney and checked into our hotel. A short walk brought us to the Danny Mann pub, just in time to get a great table for dinner and a live music performance by The Irish Weavers, a traditional Irish folk music group that puts on a very entertaining show.   [image][image] [image]Wednesday we woke to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. This was our day to explore the Dingle Peninsula. We were scheduled to meet Tim Collins, who runs Sciuird Archaeological Tours, at 10:30 in Dingle. Thankfully we got an early start, as we were hardly out of Killarney when we ran into a road construction detour. Or at least a roadblock indicating that our chosen route was closed. We ended up driving here, there and everywhere on backroads trying to find [image]our way back to the main highway, but eventually we made it with all of about three minutes to spare. Tim drives a sixteen-passenger van, so the group is small and flexible, and he gives a very informative and enjoyable tour, with time to get out and explore the [image]sights and even stop for tea along the way. The sights on the Dingle Peninsula are every bit as beautiful as on the ring of Kerry, and it was great to be able to enjoy them with local commentary. We joined one of the other couples on the tour for lunch afterwards in Dingle and swapped travel stories. On the way back to Killarney, we had to stop at the Inch Strand, a beautiful and inviting stretch of beach that seemingly goes forever. It was the middle of October, but I rolled up my pants and waded into the surf and shared the scene with a sparse group of people playing on the beach and surfing the waves. The water was warm enough that I would have gone all the way in had it not been for the fact that I would still have an hour to drive in wet pants.[image] Thursday was to be our last full day in Ireland. I woke up early enough to go for a run in Killarney National Park, part of which was just across the steet from our hotel. After breakfast we headed first on the road towards [image]Kenmare, so we could stop and take the tour at Muckross House. Muckross is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and the tour and history of the house are very intersting. [image]Stops at Torc Waterfall and Ross Castle allowed for more photo opportunities, and then it was time to head back towards Shannon.       [image][image] Along the way, we stopped in Adare to do a little exploring and enjoy another pub dinner. Adare is a quaint town with several picturesque thatched-roof buildings. We enjoyed a d[image]elicious Shepherd's Pie and a pint of Guinness, and then it was time to head towards the airport. Our final night was basic lodging at the Park Inn across from the Shannon airport terminal, which made our final departure much less hectic than other trips I've experienced. We are left with many wonderful memories of this trip, and are already wondering how quickly we can go again. Delicious food, beautiful sights, fun music, informative tours, friendly people, and learning about the history of this unique place. But one of the best experiences was also one of the simplest, as we got to listen in on two locals in a country store as they introduced themselves to each other. I just wish I had had a tape recorder with me, as these two women, formerly strangers, discussed the quality of products in the shop in language that was polite, respectful, and so musical in its quality that it could have been a song.       [image] Tuesday it was time to say farewell to Kinsale and head west, to the fabled Ring of Kerry. Again, we had plans for spending the next two nights in one place: Kilarney. With an early-enough start, we were able [image]to drive much of the Ring on Tuesday, traveling clockwise so as to avoid following the tour buses. Here it is time to point out that driving in Ireland[image] is not for the faint of heart. The roads are very narrow, one lane in each direction hemmed in on either side by a stone fence or a hedge, yet marked as 100 km/h (about 60 mph). Often you have buses or trucks coming at you from the other direction that are wider than their lanes. I realized that this is why all the buses go the same direction around the Ring of Kerry (clockwise): otherwise, they would never be able to pass one another. Then there are driveways, and people come [image]to a complete stop to turn left into a driveway and there is no way to go around them. I'm sure it does not help that so many of the other drivers are Americans, just as inexperienced as I am in driving on the left side of the road. There is no theme park ride as terrifying as taking one of those blind curves quickly and having a vehicle suddenly materialize, coming at you from the other direction, seemingly on the wrong side of the road. "EEEEP!" was a frequent exclamation on this trip. Anyway, the beautiful views of the fields and cliffs and sea were just incomparable, [image]with yet another beautiful scene just around the next bend. Stopping for ocean vistas and to explore ring forts and castle ruins quickly filled the day, and it was after dark when we [image]rolled into Killarney and checked into our hotel. A short walk brought us to the Danny Mann pub, just in time to get a great table for dinner and a live music performance by The Irish Weavers, a traditional Irish folk music group that puts on a very entertaining show.   [image][image] [image]Wednesday we woke to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. This was our day to explore the Dingle Peninsula. We were scheduled to meet Tim Collins, who runs Sciuird Archaeological Tours, at 10:30 in Dingle. Thankfully we got an early start, as we were hardly out of Killarney when we ran into a road construction detour. Or at least a roadblock indicating that our chosen route was closed. We ended up driving here, there and everywhere on backroads trying to find [image]our way back to the main highway, but eventually we made it with all of about three minutes to spare. Tim drives a sixteen-passenger van, so the group is small and flexible, and he gives a very informative and enjoyable tour, with time to get out and explore the [image]sights and even stop for tea along the way. The sights on the Dingle Peninsula are every bit as beautiful as on the ring of Kerry, and it was great to be able to enjoy them with local commentary. We joined one of the other couples on the tour for lunch afterwards in Dingle and swapped travel stories. On the way back to Killarney, we had to stop at the Inch Strand, a beautiful and inviting stretch of beach that seemingly goes forever. It was the middle of October, but I rolled up my pants and waded into the surf and shared the scene with a sparse group of people playing on the beach and surfing the waves. The water was warm enough that I would have gone all the way in had it not been for the fact that I would still have an hour to drive in wet pants.[image] Thursday was to be our last full day in Ireland. I woke up early enough to go for a run in Killarney National Park, part of which was just across the steet from our hotel. After breakfast we headed first on the road towards [image]Kenmare, so we could stop and take the tour at Muckross House. Muckross is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and the tour and history of the house are very intersting. [image]Stops at Torc Waterfall and Ross Castle allowed for more photo opportunities, and then it was time to head back towards Shannon.       [image][image] Along the way, we stopped in Adare to do a little exploring and enjoy another pub dinner. Adare is a quaint town with several picturesque thatched-roof buildings. We enjoyed a d[image]elicious Shepherd's Pie and a pint of Guinness, and then it was time to head towards the airport. Our final night was basic lodging at the Park Inn across from the Shannon airport terminal, which made our final departure much less hectic than other trips I've experienced. We are left with many wonderful memories of this trip, and are already wondering how quickly we can go again. Delicious food, beautiful sights, fun music, informative tours, friendly people, and learning about the history of this unique place. But one of the best experiences was also one of the simplest, as we got to listen in on two locals in a country store as they introduced themselves to each other. I just wish I had had a tape recorder with me, as these two women, formerly strangers, discussed the quality of products in the shop in language that was polite, respectful, and so musical in its quality that it could have been a song.     Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:55:29 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Our-Budget-Travel-Trip-to-Ireland-Part-2/BLOG/1495976/21864.html CliffK 2009-11-15T04:55:29Z My Budget Travel   [image] Tuesday it was time to say farewell to Kinsale and head west, to the fabled Ring of Kerry. Again, we had plans for spending the next two nights in one place: Kilarney. With an early-enough start, we were able [image]to drive much of the Ring on Tuesday, traveling clockwise so as to avoid following the tour buses. Here it is time to point out that driving in Ireland[image] is not for the faint of heart. The roads are very narrow, one lane in each direction hemmed in on either side by a stone fence or a hedge, yet marked as 100 km/h (about 60 mph). Often you have buses or trucks coming at you from the other direction that are wider than their lanes. I realized that this is why all the buses go the same direction around the Ring of Kerry (clockwise): otherwise, they would never be able to pass one another. Then there are driveways, and people come [image]to a complete stop to turn left into a driveway and there is no way to go around them. I'm sure it does not help that so many of the other drivers are Americans, just as inexperienced as I am in driving on the left side of the road. There is no theme park ride as terrifying as taking one of those blind curves quickly and having a vehicle suddenly materialize, coming at you from the other direction, seemingly on the wrong side of the road. "EEEEP!" was a frequent exclamation on this trip. Anyway, the beautiful views of the fields and cliffs and sea were just incomparable, [image]with yet another beautiful scene just around the next bend. Stopping for ocean vistas and to explore ring forts and castle ruins quickly filled the day, and it was after dark when we [image]rolled into Killarney and checked into our hotel. A short walk brought us to the Danny Mann pub, just in time to get a great table for dinner and a live music performance by The Irish Weavers, a traditional Irish folk music group that puts on a very entertaining show.   [image][image] [image]Wednesday we woke to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. This was our day to explore the Dingle Peninsula. We were scheduled to meet Tim Collins, who runs Sciuird Archaeological Tours, at 10:30 in Dingle. Thankfully we got an early start, as we were hardly out of Killarney when we ran into a road construction detour. Or at least a roadblock indicating that our chosen route was closed. We ended up driving here, there and everywhere on backroads trying to find [image]our way back to the main highway, but eventually we made it with all of about three minutes to spare. Tim drives a sixteen-passenger van, so the group is small and flexible, and he gives a very informative and enjoyable tour, with time to get out and explore the [image]sights and even stop for tea along the way. The sights on the Dingle Peninsula are every bit as beautiful as on the ring of Kerry, and it was great to be able to enjoy them with local commentary. We joined one of the other couples on the tour for lunch afterwards in Dingle and swapped travel stories. On the way back to Killarney, we had to stop at the Inch Strand, a beautiful and inviting stretch of beach that seemingly goes forever. It was the middle of October, but I rolled up my pants and waded into the surf and shared the scene with a sparse group of people playing on the beach and surfing the waves. The water was warm enough that I would have gone all the way in had it not been for the fact that I would still have an hour to drive in wet pants.[image] Thursday was to be our last full day in Ireland. I woke up early enough to go for a run in Killarney National Park, part of which was just across the steet from our hotel. After breakfast we headed first on the road towards [image]Kenmare, so we could stop and take the tour at Muckross House. Muckross is surrounded by beautiful gardens, and the tour and history of the house are very intersting. [image]Stops at Torc Waterfall and Ross Castle allowed for more photo opportunities, and then it was time to head back towards Shannon.       [image][image] Along the way, we stopped in Adare to do a little exploring and enjoy another pub dinner. Adare is a quaint town with several picturesque thatched-roof buildings. We enjoyed a d[image]elicious Shepherd's Pie and a pint of Guinness, and then it was time to head towards the airport. Our final night was basic lodging at the Park Inn across from the Shannon airport terminal, which made our final departure much less hectic than other trips I've experienced. We are left with many wonderful memories of this trip, and are already wondering how quickly we can go again. Delicious food, beautiful sights, fun music, informative tours, friendly people, and learning about the history of this unique place. But one of the best experiences was also one of the simplest, as we got to listen in on two locals in a country store as they introduced themselves to each other. I just wish I had had a tape recorder with me, as these two women, formerly strangers, discussed the quality of products in the shop in language that was polite, respectful, and so musical in its quality that it could have been a song.     adare, dingle, ireland, kerry, killarney nonadult false Our Budget Travel Trip to Ireland - Part 2 text blog adare,dingle,ireland,kerry,killarney 25 2 5.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7594175&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_3782298_21864_7594175_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 1495976 7594175 Member 15101 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Our-Budget-Travel-Trip-to-Ireland-Part-1/BLOG/1495944/21864.html   [image] This trip actually began last June, when I was notified by email that I had won the Budget Travel Photo Contest with a photo I had taken in Costa Rica. My wife didn't even know I had submitted an entry, and she was in a meeting all afternoon, so I could not call her. We were meeting friends for dinner and had all of five minutes in the car together for me to inform her, "Um, honey, I have some news for you..." She screamed and quickly responded, "Well, I guess we know how we're going to use our furlough days this year!" After doing our research, we settled on a region (southwest Ireland) and a time frame (October, after the high season but before it gets too cold). I worked with Una at Sceptre Tours to iron out the details, and before we knew it we were on our way. We flew directly into Shannon, arriving at 7:00 a.m. on a Friday morning with a full day ahead of us. A friend had told us how beautiful it was to fly into Shannon where you could see all the green as you were landing. Well, at 7:00 a.m. on an October morning, the sun had yet to rise and it was still pitch black. Not to mind, we got our rental car and hit the ground running (that is, with a little adjustment for getting used to driving on the left side of the road). First stop: Galway. Although it was raining, we weren't going to let a little rain deter us from having fun. After stopping at the TI, we walked through Eyre Square (aka John F. Kennedy Park) and explored the old town center. We stepped inside the [image]Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, where I was impressed with the testament to the Widow Jane Eyre's generosity, commemorated on a plaque. We then walked, struggling to keep our umbrellas open against the wind and the rain, to the much [image]more modern Galway Cathedral. This is a cathedral you want to visit during the day so you can better see and appreciate a more modern approach to stained glass artwork. Keep an eye out for the Irish Holy Family, where Mary is knitting and Jesus is offering tea to Joseph. Also look for the mosaic [image](hidden the day we were there behind a curtain, but that did not stop us) of John F. Kennedy.  Needing some lunch, we found our way to Busker Brownes, where my wife had Aubergine and Sweet Potato Gratin and I had delicious Irish Seafood Chowder, accompanied by tasty brown soda bread. We did not want to sit too long and let our jet lag overcome us, so we got back to our car and pushed on, driving northwest toward Letterfrack and the Kylemore Abbey. One of the best ways to combat jet lag is to spend time outdoors, and so our first activity at Kylemore was to tour the walled garden. Still nice in October, this must be even more beautiful in the middle of summer. The Abbey itself is lovely, though only a few rooms are open to tour.[image] Also on the grounds is a small Neo-Gothic church, [image]which is also worth a visit. Finishing at the Abbey, we still had a relatively short drive to Clifden and our first night accommodations at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. We checked in, dropped our bags in our room, and then walked about a mile into town to find a light supper. Back at the hotel, we headed downstairs to a common room where we thought we could sit by a fire and write in our journals. Ha! The combination of the warmth of the fire and the full day of touring, on top of our jet lag, and we were both dozing after writing only a sentence or two. However, it was also very effective: we got to bed early, got a full night's sleep, and when we woke up in the morning, we were both effectively over our jet lag. Saturday morning we woke up to the first of our full Irish breakfasts: a lavish buffet spread of cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, rolls, eggs, bacon, sausage, and the traditional Irish accompaniments of grilled tomatoes and black and white pudding. Although we had another full day [image]ahead of us, we decided we did not have to be held hostage to our agenda and allowed ourselves to backtrack a bit, driving back towards Letterfrack and the Connemara National Park. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to [image]hike, so we took the trail to the top of Diamond Hill. This wasn't the Ireland I was expecting: instead of the lush greens one hears about, this area was still beautiful but much more in shades of brown. Partly this was due to the season, but also the geography, as the terrain is very wet and boggy. We made it to the top of the hill, and were rewarded with wonderful views both of the harbor and of Kylemore Abbey from above. Once back in the car, already past noon, we headed out towards our next destination: back past [image]Galway and on to the Burren. The Burren is a region of massive outcroppings of rock that have been scoured by glaciers, rich in archaeological sites, the most famous of which is the Poulnabrone Dolmen. One look at this landscape and it is no wonder why there are so many stone fences and stone buildings in this country. It was getting late, and we had one more goal for this day: to get to the Cliffs of Moher. I had hoped we'd have a beautiful sunset looking out over the Atlantic from the [image]cliffs, but although the sunset itself was obscured by fog, it was still light when we arrived and we enjoyed the day dwindling away to twilight [image]while there. After another full day, we recognized the wisdom of our chioce to go in October: pleasant weather for hiking and no crowds to contend with. Saturday was the night of our castle stay, so we drove (now in the dark) back to Dromoland. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that they had upgraded us from a standard to a deluxe room. This is not your drafty medieval castle: the room was quite spacious and luxurious. Sunday morning I went for a run on the castle grounds, through a wooded area where I came upon (and frightened) many pheasant.[image] Friday and Saturday were both extremely full days, but this was our [image]first time in Ireland and we wanted to see everything. Recognizing the need to slow down a bit, we had planned to spend two nights at our next stop: Kinsale. Driving south past Cork on Sunday we got our first taste of the beautiful green countryside that Ireland is so famous for. As the sun breaks through the clouds, the lush green fields just pop out at [image]you. Kinsale very much has a small-town feel, located on a beautiful, well-protected harbor, rich in history. It is one of Ireland's "Tidy Towns," a competition first launched by Bord Failte in an effort to improve the appearance of towns and villages throughout the country for the main tourist season. In addition to just wandering the streets and exploring the shops and restaurants, we took the "Historic Stroll in Old Kinsale." Our guide, Barry, was a wealth of information about the history of Kinsale, from the occupation by the Spanish Armada to the[image][image]nearby sinking of the Lusitania, including stories as well of the real Robinson Crusoe. Fun side trips included Charles Fort across the harbor and the Cobh Heritage Center, about a 45-minute [image]drive. Our mainstay through most of Ireland was basic pub food, which we enjoyed, but in Kinsale ("the Gourmet Capital of Ireland"), we had to try a nicer restaurant. We couldn't have been happier than with a visit to Jim Edwards, where we had a delicious meal of grilled salmon.       [image] This trip actually began last June, when I was notified by email that I had won the Budget Travel Photo Contest with a photo I had taken in Costa Rica. My wife didn't even know I had submitted an entry, and she was in a meeting all afternoon, so I could not call her. We were meeting friends for dinner and had all of five minutes in the car together for me to inform her, "Um, honey, I have some news for you..." She screamed and quickly responded, "Well, I guess we know how we're going to use our furlough days this year!" After doing our research, we settled on a region (southwest Ireland) and a time frame (October, after the high season but before it gets too cold). I worked with Una at Sceptre Tours to iron out the details, and before we knew it we were on our way. We flew directly into Shannon, arriving at 7:00 a.m. on a Friday morning with a full day ahead of us. A friend had told us how beautiful it was to fly into Shannon where you could see all the green as you were landing. Well, at 7:00 a.m. on an October morning, the sun had yet to rise and it was still pitch black. Not to mind, we got our rental car and hit the ground running (that is, with a little adjustment for getting used to driving on the left side of the road). First stop: Galway. Although it was raining, we weren't going to let a little rain deter us from having fun. After stopping at the TI, we walked through Eyre Square (aka John F. Kennedy Park) and explored the old town center. We stepped inside the [image]Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, where I was impressed with the testament to the Widow Jane Eyre's generosity, commemorated on a plaque. We then walked, struggling to keep our umbrellas open against the wind and the rain, to the much [image]more modern Galway Cathedral. This is a cathedral you want to visit during the day so you can better see and appreciate a more modern approach to stained glass artwork. Keep an eye out for the Irish Holy Family, where Mary is knitting and Jesus is offering tea to Joseph. Also look for the mosaic [image](hidden the day we were there behind a curtain, but that did not stop us) of John F. Kennedy.  Needing some lunch, we found our way to Busker Brownes, where my wife had Aubergine and Sweet Potato Gratin and I had delicious Irish Seafood Chowder, accompanied by tasty brown soda bread. We did not want to sit too long and let our jet lag overcome us, so we got back to our car and pushed on, driving northwest toward Letterfrack and the Kylemore Abbey. One of the best ways to combat jet lag is to spend time outdoors, and so our first activity at Kylemore was to tour the walled garden. Still nice in October, this must be even more beautiful in the middle of summer. The Abbey itself is lovely, though only a few rooms are open to tour.[image] Also on the grounds is a small Neo-Gothic church, [image]which is also worth a visit. Finishing at the Abbey, we still had a relatively short drive to Clifden and our first night accommodations at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. We checked in, dropped our bags in our room, and then walked about a mile into town to find a light supper. Back at the hotel, we headed downstairs to a common room where we thought we could sit by a fire and write in our journals. Ha! The combination of the warmth of the fire and the full day of touring, on top of our jet lag, and we were both dozing after writing only a sentence or two. However, it was also very effective: we got to bed early, got a full night's sleep, and when we woke up in the morning, we were both effectively over our jet lag. Saturday morning we woke up to the first of our full Irish breakfasts: a lavish buffet spread of cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, rolls, eggs, bacon, sausage, and the traditional Irish accompaniments of grilled tomatoes and black and white pudding. Although we had another full day [image]ahead of us, we decided we did not have to be held hostage to our agenda and allowed ourselves to backtrack a bit, driving back towards Letterfrack and the Connemara National Park. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to [image]hike, so we took the trail to the top of Diamond Hill. This wasn't the Ireland I was expecting: instead of the lush greens one hears about, this area was still beautiful but much more in shades of brown. Partly this was due to the season, but also the geography, as the terrain is very wet and boggy. We made it to the top of the hill, and were rewarded with wonderful views both of the harbor and of Kylemore Abbey from above. Once back in the car, already past noon, we headed out towards our next destination: back past [image]Galway and on to the Burren. The Burren is a region of massive outcroppings of rock that have been scoured by glaciers, rich in archaeological sites, the most famous of which is the Poulnabrone Dolmen. One look at this landscape and it is no wonder why there are so many stone fences and stone buildings in this country. It was getting late, and we had one more goal for this day: to get to the Cliffs of Moher. I had hoped we'd have a beautiful sunset looking out over the Atlantic from the [image]cliffs, but although the sunset itself was obscured by fog, it was still light when we arrived and we enjoyed the day dwindling away to twilight [image]while there. After another full day, we recognized the wisdom of our chioce to go in October: pleasant weather for hiking and no crowds to contend with. Saturday was the night of our castle stay, so we drove (now in the dark) back to Dromoland. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that they had upgraded us from a standard to a deluxe room. This is not your drafty medieval castle: the room was quite spacious and luxurious. Sunday morning I went for a run on the castle grounds, through a wooded area where I came upon (and frightened) many pheasant.[image] Friday and Saturday were both extremely full days, but this was our [image]first time in Ireland and we wanted to see everything. Recognizing the need to slow down a bit, we had planned to spend two nights at our next stop: Kinsale. Driving south past Cork on Sunday we got our first taste of the beautiful green countryside that Ireland is so famous for. As the sun breaks through the clouds, the lush green fields just pop out at [image]you. Kinsale very much has a small-town feel, located on a beautiful, well-protected harbor, rich in history. It is one of Ireland's "Tidy Towns," a competition first launched by Bord Failte in an effort to improve the appearance of towns and villages throughout the country for the main tourist season. In addition to just wandering the streets and exploring the shops and restaurants, we took the "Historic Stroll in Old Kinsale." Our guide, Barry, was a wealth of information about the history of Kinsale, from the occupation by the Spanish Armada to the[image][image]nearby sinking of the Lusitania, including stories as well of the real Robinson Crusoe. Fun side trips included Charles Fort across the harbor and the Cobh Heritage Center, about a 45-minute [image]drive. Our mainstay through most of Ireland was basic pub food, which we enjoyed, but in Kinsale ("the Gourmet Capital of Ireland"), we had to try a nicer restaurant. We couldn't have been happier than with a visit to Jim Edwards, where we had a delicious meal of grilled salmon.     Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:31:12 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Our-Budget-Travel-Trip-to-Ireland-Part-1/BLOG/1495944/21864.html CliffK 2009-11-15T04:31:12Z My Budget Travel   [image] This trip actually began last June, when I was notified by email that I had won the Budget Travel Photo Contest with a photo I had taken in Costa Rica. My wife didn't even know I had submitted an entry, and she was in a meeting all afternoon, so I could not call her. We were meeting friends for dinner and had all of five minutes in the car together for me to inform her, "Um, honey, I have some news for you..." She screamed and quickly responded, "Well, I guess we know how we're going to use our furlough days this year!" After doing our research, we settled on a region (southwest Ireland) and a time frame (October, after the high season but before it gets too cold). I worked with Una at Sceptre Tours to iron out the details, and before we knew it we were on our way. We flew directly into Shannon, arriving at 7:00 a.m. on a Friday morning with a full day ahead of us. A friend had told us how beautiful it was to fly into Shannon where you could see all the green as you were landing. Well, at 7:00 a.m. on an October morning, the sun had yet to rise and it was still pitch black. Not to mind, we got our rental car and hit the ground running (that is, with a little adjustment for getting used to driving on the left side of the road). First stop: Galway. Although it was raining, we weren't going to let a little rain deter us from having fun. After stopping at the TI, we walked through Eyre Square (aka John F. Kennedy Park) and explored the old town center. We stepped inside the [image]Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas, where I was impressed with the testament to the Widow Jane Eyre's generosity, commemorated on a plaque. We then walked, struggling to keep our umbrellas open against the wind and the rain, to the much [image]more modern Galway Cathedral. This is a cathedral you want to visit during the day so you can better see and appreciate a more modern approach to stained glass artwork. Keep an eye out for the Irish Holy Family, where Mary is knitting and Jesus is offering tea to Joseph. Also look for the mosaic [image](hidden the day we were there behind a curtain, but that did not stop us) of John F. Kennedy.  Needing some lunch, we found our way to Busker Brownes, where my wife had Aubergine and Sweet Potato Gratin and I had delicious Irish Seafood Chowder, accompanied by tasty brown soda bread. We did not want to sit too long and let our jet lag overcome us, so we got back to our car and pushed on, driving northwest toward Letterfrack and the Kylemore Abbey. One of the best ways to combat jet lag is to spend time outdoors, and so our first activity at Kylemore was to tour the walled garden. Still nice in October, this must be even more beautiful in the middle of summer. The Abbey itself is lovely, though only a few rooms are open to tour.[image] Also on the grounds is a small Neo-Gothic church, [image]which is also worth a visit. Finishing at the Abbey, we still had a relatively short drive to Clifden and our first night accommodations at the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. We checked in, dropped our bags in our room, and then walked about a mile into town to find a light supper. Back at the hotel, we headed downstairs to a common room where we thought we could sit by a fire and write in our journals. Ha! The combination of the warmth of the fire and the full day of touring, on top of our jet lag, and we were both dozing after writing only a sentence or two. However, it was also very effective: we got to bed early, got a full night's sleep, and when we woke up in the morning, we were both effectively over our jet lag. Saturday morning we woke up to the first of our full Irish breakfasts: a lavish buffet spread of cereals, yogurt, fresh fruit, rolls, eggs, bacon, sausage, and the traditional Irish accompaniments of grilled tomatoes and black and white pudding. Although we had another full day [image]ahead of us, we decided we did not have to be held hostage to our agenda and allowed ourselves to backtrack a bit, driving back towards Letterfrack and the Connemara National Park. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to [image]hike, so we took the trail to the top of Diamond Hill. This wasn't the Ireland I was expecting: instead of the lush greens one hears about, this area was still beautiful but much more in shades of brown. Partly this was due to the season, but also the geography, as the terrain is very wet and boggy. We made it to the top of the hill, and were rewarded with wonderful views both of the harbor and of Kylemore Abbey from above. Once back in the car, already past noon, we headed out towards our next destination: back past [image]Galway and on to the Burren. The Burren is a region of massive outcroppings of rock that have been scoured by glaciers, rich in archaeological sites, the most famous of which is the Poulnabrone Dolmen. One look at this landscape and it is no wonder why there are so many stone fences and stone buildings in this country. It was getting late, and we had one more goal for this day: to get to the Cliffs of Moher. I had hoped we'd have a beautiful sunset looking out over the Atlantic from the [image]cliffs, but although the sunset itself was obscured by fog, it was still light when we arrived and we enjoyed the day dwindling away to twilight [image]while there. After another full day, we recognized the wisdom of our chioce to go in October: pleasant weather for hiking and no crowds to contend with. Saturday was the night of our castle stay, so we drove (now in the dark) back to Dromoland. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that they had upgraded us from a standard to a deluxe room. This is not your drafty medieval castle: the room was quite spacious and luxurious. Sunday morning I went for a run on the castle grounds, through a wooded area where I came upon (and frightened) many pheasant.[image] Friday and Saturday were both extremely full days, but this was our [image]first time in Ireland and we wanted to see everything. Recognizing the need to slow down a bit, we had planned to spend two nights at our next stop: Kinsale. Driving south past Cork on Sunday we got our first taste of the beautiful green countryside that Ireland is so famous for. As the sun breaks through the clouds, the lush green fields just pop out at [image]you. Kinsale very much has a small-town feel, located on a beautiful, well-protected harbor, rich in history. It is one of Ireland's "Tidy Towns," a competition first launched by Bord Failte in an effort to improve the appearance of towns and villages throughout the country for the main tourist season. In addition to just wandering the streets and exploring the shops and restaurants, we took the "Historic Stroll in Old Kinsale." Our guide, Barry, was a wealth of information about the history of Kinsale, from the occupation by the Spanish Armada to the[image][image]nearby sinking of the Lusitania, including stories as well of the real Robinson Crusoe. Fun side trips included Charles Fort across the harbor and the Cobh Heritage Center, about a 45-minute [image]drive. Our mainstay through most of Ireland was basic pub food, which we enjoyed, but in Kinsale ("the Gourmet Capital of Ireland"), we had to try a nicer restaurant. We couldn't have been happier than with a visit to Jim Edwards, where we had a delicious meal of grilled salmon.     connemara, dromoland, galway, ireland, kinsale nonadult false Our Budget Travel Trip to Ireland - Part 1 text blog connemara,dromoland,galway,ireland,kinsale 27 1 5.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7594175&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_3782298_21864_7594175_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1495944 7594175 Member 15101 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_California-Dreamin/BLOG/1479529/21864.html So Jaron and I decided to go to San Francisco for the Memorial Day weekend. And we are just having a blast. I was fortunate enough to be able to book us the earliest flight in and the latest flight out to maxamize our time here. But before I go into any details as to the trip so far I have to do a mini rant on people who think that they can just openly cut in lines. I don't arrive at the airport early to have a fat middle age lady think that there is not a line for the A group and jump right up to the front of the line in front of me. And she wasn't just cutting in front of me. There was a good 7-10 people in line behind me. Well as most of you know I am not quiet about these things and I was pretty loud about my distaste for CUTTERS. I think she got the point. But the irony is that in the rental car line they were right in front of us again. I had half a mind to cut right in front of her.   Anywhoo Jaron and I were looking forward to renting a Dodge Neon or equivelent. Something that gets more then 15 miles a gallon. Unfortunetly because of the holiday they were all gone. So they gave us a free upgrade. The only problem, it was a PT Cruiser. Most of my friends know of my deep distaste for the PT Cruiser. As someone that has worked in the classic car field for some time I just see them as a lame excuse to look like a classic. And for other non-superficial reasons I have ridden in the back seat of them and they are not comfortable and nor are they roomy. But the plus side. It is a convertible. What is more ideal then having a convertible when you are in California when the weather is gorgeous. I can't think of one. So as of now Jaron and I have taken a trip to many of the sights of San Fran including Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alchtrez. Not to mention driving Lombard street, the crookedest road in the world. And let me tell you that it is a scary thing trying to drive up that steep road with tons of tourists cars in front of you and behind you and even though you have a automatic you are still somewhat rolling down the hill. My hands were all clamy at the thought of rolling down backwards aimlessly into other cars. Then Jaron and I decided to hit up a Oakland A's game. (Thanks Jen for the info) After a fun day of sight seeing at the Golden Gate bridge. That bridge is soooo beautiful and I must have at least 2 rolls dedicated to pictures of it. So we went to the game. And well, they sucked. But because it was Memorial Day they were having a fireworks display after the game and I can say this in all honesty that this was the best fireworks show that I have ever seen in my LIFE. It was going off to classic rock songs of Santana and Journey etc and whenever a major part in the song happened a firework would explode. It was pretty sweet. So even though the A's lost the event was a lot of fun. They even let you go down and sprawl out on the baseball field to watch.   Then on Tuesday Jaron and I went on a wine and Muir Woods tour. The wine tour was really awesome and really informative and I have a new appreciation for wine. The Muir woods trip was really cool as well. We went hiking all through out these trees that had with stood hundreds of years and that were 3x the size of regular trees. Also stopping by the Sonoma Cheese Factory had it's perks too. MMMM Cheese. On the way back from our tour our guide took us to a little place off of the highway with perfect views of the Golden Gate bridge so I had more pics of it. The rest of the day was just spent doing lazy sightseeing. Our last day was spent pretty much just sleeping in and doing some outlet shopping. Well if any of you get the chance to go to San Fran I would highly recommend it. So Jaron and I decided to go to San Francisco for the Memorial Day weekend. And we are just having a blast. I was fortunate enough to be able to book us the earliest flight in and the latest flight out to maxamize our time here. But before I go into any details as to the trip so far I have to do a mini rant on people who think that they can just openly cut in lines. I don't arrive at the airport early to have a fat middle age lady think that there is not a line for the A group and jump right up to the front of the line in front of me. And she wasn't just cutting in front of me. There was a good 7-10 people in line behind me. Well as most of you know I am not quiet about these things and I was pretty loud about my distaste for CUTTERS. I think she got the point. But the irony is that in the rental car line they were right in front of us again. I had half a mind to cut right in front of her.   Anywhoo Jaron and I were looking forward to renting a Dodge Neon or equivelent. Something that gets more then 15 miles a gallon. Unfortunetly because of the holiday they were all gone. So they gave us a free upgrade. The only problem, it was a PT Cruiser. Most of my friends know of my deep distaste for the PT Cruiser. As someone that has worked in the classic car field for some time I just see them as a lame excuse to look like a classic. And for other non-superficial reasons I have ridden in the back seat of them and they are not comfortable and nor are they roomy. But the plus side. It is a convertible. What is more ideal then having a convertible when you are in California when the weather is gorgeous. I can't think of one. So as of now Jaron and I have taken a trip to many of the sights of San Fran including Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alchtrez. Not to mention driving Lombard street, the crookedest road in the world. And let me tell you that it is a scary thing trying to drive up that steep road with tons of tourists cars in front of you and behind you and even though you have a automatic you are still somewhat rolling down the hill. My hands were all clamy at the thought of rolling down backwards aimlessly into other cars. Then Jaron and I decided to hit up a Oakland A's game. (Thanks Jen for the info) After a fun day of sight seeing at the Golden Gate bridge. That bridge is soooo beautiful and I must have at least 2 rolls dedicated to pictures of it. So we went to the game. And well, they sucked. But because it was Memorial Day they were having a fireworks display after the game and I can say this in all honesty that this was the best fireworks show that I have ever seen in my LIFE. It was going off to classic rock songs of Santana and Journey etc and whenever a major part in the song happened a firework would explode. It was pretty sweet. So even though the A's lost the event was a lot of fun. They even let you go down and sprawl out on the baseball field to watch.   Then on Tuesday Jaron and I went on a wine and Muir Woods tour. The wine tour was really awesome and really informative and I have a new appreciation for wine. The Muir woods trip was really cool as well. We went hiking all through out these trees that had with stood hundreds of years and that were 3x the size of regular trees. Also stopping by the Sonoma Cheese Factory had it's perks too. MMMM Cheese. On the way back from our tour our guide took us to a little place off of the highway with perfect views of the Golden Gate bridge so I had more pics of it. The rest of the day was just spent doing lazy sightseeing. Our last day was spent pretty much just sleeping in and doing some outlet shopping. Well if any of you get the chance to go to San Fran I would highly recommend it. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:28:58 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_California-Dreamin/BLOG/1479529/21864.html traveljunkiejess 2009-11-09T19:28:58Z My Budget Travel So Jaron and I decided to go to San Francisco for the Memorial Day weekend. And we are just having a blast. I was fortunate enough to be able to book us the earliest flight in and the latest flight out to maxamize our time here. But before I go into any details as to the trip so far I have to do a mini rant on people who think that they can just openly cut in lines. I don't arrive at the airport early to have a fat middle age lady think that there is not a line for the A group and jump right up to the front of the line in front of me. And she wasn't just cutting in front of me. There was a good 7-10 people in line behind me. Well as most of you know I am not quiet about these things and I was pretty loud about my distaste for CUTTERS. I think she got the point. But the irony is that in the rental car line they were right in front of us again. I had half a mind to cut right in front of her.   Anywhoo Jaron and I were looking forward to renting a Dodge Neon or equivelent. Something that gets more then 15 miles a gallon. Unfortunetly because of the holiday they were all gone. So they gave us a free upgrade. The only problem, it was a PT Cruiser. Most of my friends know of my deep distaste for the PT Cruiser. As someone that has worked in the classic car field for some time I just see them as a lame excuse to look like a classic. And for other non-superficial reasons I have ridden in the back seat of them and they are not comfortable and nor are they roomy. But the plus side. It is a convertible. What is more ideal then having a convertible when you are in California when the weather is gorgeous. I can't think of one. So as of now Jaron and I have taken a trip to many of the sights of San Fran including Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alchtrez. Not to mention driving Lombard street, the crookedest road in the world. And let me tell you that it is a scary thing trying to drive up that steep road with tons of tourists cars in front of you and behind you and even though you have a automatic you are still somewhat rolling down the hill. My hands were all clamy at the thought of rolling down backwards aimlessly into other cars. Then Jaron and I decided to hit up a Oakland A's game. (Thanks Jen for the info) After a fun day of sight seeing at the Golden Gate bridge. That bridge is soooo beautiful and I must have at least 2 rolls dedicated to pictures of it. So we went to the game. And well, they sucked. But because it was Memorial Day they were having a fireworks display after the game and I can say this in all honesty that this was the best fireworks show that I have ever seen in my LIFE. It was going off to classic rock songs of Santana and Journey etc and whenever a major part in the song happened a firework would explode. It was pretty sweet. So even though the A's lost the event was a lot of fun. They even let you go down and sprawl out on the baseball field to watch.   Then on Tuesday Jaron and I went on a wine and Muir Woods tour. The wine tour was really awesome and really informative and I have a new appreciation for wine. The Muir woods trip was really cool as well. We went hiking all through out these trees that had with stood hundreds of years and that were 3x the size of regular trees. Also stopping by the Sonoma Cheese Factory had it's perks too. MMMM Cheese. On the way back from our tour our guide took us to a little place off of the highway with perfect views of the Golden Gate bridge so I had more pics of it. The rest of the day was just spent doing lazy sightseeing. Our last day was spent pretty much just sleeping in and doing some outlet shopping. Well if any of you get the chance to go to San Fran I would highly recommend it. 39., a's, alcatrez, bridge, gate, golden, lombard, muir, oakland, pier, san, san francisco, sonoma, woods nonadult false California Dreamin' text blog 39.,a's,alcatrez,bridge,gate,golden,lombard,muir,oakland,pier,san,san francisco,sonoma,woods 29 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7966914&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_4406355_21864_7966914_ap_160X120.jpg false United States CA San Francisco 0 0 1479529 7966914 Member 5473 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Fear-and-Loathing-in-Las-Vegas-with-7-of-my-closest-and-most-diverse-friends/BLOG/1479514/21864.html So I am sure all of you are dying to know how the Vegas trip went. Well wait no longer, I will tell you. We left on Friday which just happened to be Dwight's birthday. Jenn was meeting us on the plane because she had gotten on in Seattle and was picking us up. Well we didn't know that Jenn had told the flight attendent that he should mess with us so while we were waiting in line Jaron and I are paged. He then tried to get us to sing songs and told us that we were not going to be able to board the plane until we did. Needless to say my face turned many shades of red as all the people on the flight are staring at us. I tried to distract them by telling them that it was Dwight's birthday but that didn't work. He did get to go on the airplane first though. So we are on the plane and I think I got the strongest drink known to man. A little bit of OJ and a whole bunch of Vodka. Two sips and I was toasty.   So it was freaking hot in Vegas and we are all excited to get to our condo and start drinking and begin our vacation. Well that was not the case. We finally got to the condo after some failed attempts and noticed that it had not been cleaned yet. At that same time Jenn was noticing that she had left her ID on the plane. So back in the car we went to blow some time so the condo could get cleaned and figure out what was going on with Jenn's ID. It all turned out good though. Southwest was able to find Jenn's ID and put it on the first flight out from Phoenix to Las Vegas and we were able to pick it up at the airport Saturday morning.   So Friday because of Jenn's missing ID and all of us being the good friends that we are we just hung at the condo,  a few people took swims in the jacuzzi tub, we played drunken uno, and threw a toga party HEHEHE :) So Saturday, Sunday, and Monday consisted of a lot of walking, a lot of booze, gambling, smoking, and late nights. We hit all the usual places, a lot of casino's obviously, Freemont street where we saw an awesome light show and where Jaron and I proceeded to lose a lot of money courtesy of "The Most Liberal 21 Game in Vegas", the Stratosphere where I thought I was going to die on the Big Shot and the Xscream. (But I definetly recommend that you try it at least for the experience. But it is not for the faint of heart.) We also hit up the roller coaster at New York/New York which was awesome. As well it should be for $14 a ride! But the best thing ever was the dinner show that we went to at the Excalibur. If you get a chance check out the Tournament of Kings. We picked up the tickets at one of the many boths on the strip that offer 1/2 priced tickets the day of the show. (But have a backup show in mind just incase.) You get to root for a Knight or if you are lucky like we were you get to root for the Evil Dragon. You get a really good meal that you have to eat with your hands because they do not give you silverware. Duh. They really get medevil on you. I thought that it was going to be a little cheesy but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Totally worth the money. By the end of the night my voice was all raspy. A few hiccups but all in all it was a really fun trip. But at the end I was happy to be coming home. Vegas is tiring. [image] So I am sure all of you are dying to know how the Vegas trip went. Well wait no longer, I will tell you. We left on Friday which just happened to be Dwight's birthday. Jenn was meeting us on the plane because she had gotten on in Seattle and was picking us up. Well we didn't know that Jenn had told the flight attendent that he should mess with us so while we were waiting in line Jaron and I are paged. He then tried to get us to sing songs and told us that we were not going to be able to board the plane until we did. Needless to say my face turned many shades of red as all the people on the flight are staring at us. I tried to distract them by telling them that it was Dwight's birthday but that didn't work. He did get to go on the airplane first though. So we are on the plane and I think I got the strongest drink known to man. A little bit of OJ and a whole bunch of Vodka. Two sips and I was toasty.   So it was freaking hot in Vegas and we are all excited to get to our condo and start drinking and begin our vacation. Well that was not the case. We finally got to the condo after some failed attempts and noticed that it had not been cleaned yet. At that same time Jenn was noticing that she had left her ID on the plane. So back in the car we went to blow some time so the condo could get cleaned and figure out what was going on with Jenn's ID. It all turned out good though. Southwest was able to find Jenn's ID and put it on the first flight out from Phoenix to Las Vegas and we were able to pick it up at the airport Saturday morning.   So Friday because of Jenn's missing ID and all of us being the good friends that we are we just hung at the condo,  a few people took swims in the jacuzzi tub, we played drunken uno, and threw a toga party HEHEHE :) So Saturday, Sunday, and Monday consisted of a lot of walking, a lot of booze, gambling, smoking, and late nights. We hit all the usual places, a lot of casino's obviously, Freemont street where we saw an awesome light show and where Jaron and I proceeded to lose a lot of money courtesy of "The Most Liberal 21 Game in Vegas", the Stratosphere where I thought I was going to die on the Big Shot and the Xscream. (But I definetly recommend that you try it at least for the experience. But it is not for the faint of heart.) We also hit up the roller coaster at New York/New York which was awesome. As well it should be for $14 a ride! But the best thing ever was the dinner show that we went to at the Excalibur. If you get a chance check out the Tournament of Kings. We picked up the tickets at one of the many boths on the strip that offer 1/2 priced tickets the day of the show. (But have a backup show in mind just incase.) You get to root for a Knight or if you are lucky like we were you get to root for the Evil Dragon. You get a really good meal that you have to eat with your hands because they do not give you silverware. Duh. They really get medevil on you. I thought that it was going to be a little cheesy but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Totally worth the money. By the end of the night my voice was all raspy. A few hiccups but all in all it was a really fun trip. But at the end I was happy to be coming home. Vegas is tiring. [image] Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:18:28 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Fear-and-Loathing-in-Las-Vegas-with-7-of-my-closest-and-most-diverse-friends/BLOG/1479514/21864.html traveljunkiejess 2009-11-09T19:18:28Z My Budget Travel So I am sure all of you are dying to know how the Vegas trip went. Well wait no longer, I will tell you. We left on Friday which just happened to be Dwight's birthday. Jenn was meeting us on the plane because she had gotten on in Seattle and was picking us up. Well we didn't know that Jenn had told the flight attendent that he should mess with us so while we were waiting in line Jaron and I are paged. He then tried to get us to sing songs and told us that we were not going to be able to board the plane until we did. Needless to say my face turned many shades of red as all the people on the flight are staring at us. I tried to distract them by telling them that it was Dwight's birthday but that didn't work. He did get to go on the airplane first though. So we are on the plane and I think I got the strongest drink known to man. A little bit of OJ and a whole bunch of Vodka. Two sips and I was toasty.   So it was freaking hot in Vegas and we are all excited to get to our condo and start drinking and begin our vacation. Well that was not the case. We finally got to the condo after some failed attempts and noticed that it had not been cleaned yet. At that same time Jenn was noticing that she had left her ID on the plane. So back in the car we went to blow some time so the condo could get cleaned and figure out what was going on with Jenn's ID. It all turned out good though. Southwest was able to find Jenn's ID and put it on the first flight out from Phoenix to Las Vegas and we were able to pick it up at the airport Saturday morning.   So Friday because of Jenn's missing ID and all of us being the good friends that we are we just hung at the condo,  a few people took swims in the jacuzzi tub, we played drunken uno, and threw a toga party HEHEHE :) So Saturday, Sunday, and Monday consisted of a lot of walking, a lot of booze, gambling, smoking, and late nights. We hit all the usual places, a lot of casino's obviously, Freemont street where we saw an awesome light show and where Jaron and I proceeded to lose a lot of money courtesy of "The Most Liberal 21 Game in Vegas", the Stratosphere where I thought I was going to die on the Big Shot and the Xscream. (But I definetly recommend that you try it at least for the experience. But it is not for the faint of heart.) We also hit up the roller coaster at New York/New York which was awesome. As well it should be for $14 a ride! But the best thing ever was the dinner show that we went to at the Excalibur. If you get a chance check out the Tournament of Kings. We picked up the tickets at one of the many boths on the strip that offer 1/2 priced tickets the day of the show. (But have a backup show in mind just incase.) You get to root for a Knight or if you are lucky like we were you get to root for the Evil Dragon. You get a really good meal that you have to eat with your hands because they do not give you silverware. Duh. They really get medevil on you. I thought that it was going to be a little cheesy but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Totally worth the money. By the end of the night my voice was all raspy. A few hiccups but all in all it was a really fun trip. But at the end I was happy to be coming home. Vegas is tiring. [image] big, excalibur, kings, las, new, of, scream, shot., southwest, stratosphere, tournament, vegas, x, york, york-new nonadult false Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas................ with 7 of my closest and most diverse friends. text blog big,excalibur,kings,las,new,of,scream,shot.,southwest,stratosphere,tournament,vegas,x,york,york-new 43 1 3.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7966914&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_4406355_21864_7966914_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1479514 7966914 Member 5473 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_The-Most-Romantic-Christmas-in-the-Scottish-Castle/BLOG/1466624/21864.html [image]It's cold outside and it's snowing somewhere. It brings a special mood: this magic time of Christmas when everybody wants something special, some special memories...   The last Christmas came to my mind and put a smile on my face. It was in Scotland...   A lot of people would say that the best place to spend this holiday is some sunny country with plenty of tasty coctails. I made [image]another choice - Highlands. It's possible to save a lot of cash if you choose serviced apartments to rent or premier cottages. I used Highland Club company (it is a part-business of Cottages and Castles CO http://cottages-and-castles.co.uk/ and http://www.the-highland-club.co.uk/). There is a place called Scriptorium, Fort Augustus. I attached some photos, so you can look at this magnificent Scottish castle. Actually it was St Benedict's Abbey and changed for a living area later.   When you go inside, it just rocks: wooden ceilings, stained-glass windows - a feeling of luxury ancient place..   It was a bit more expensive than I was expecting, but not more than 400 pounds a w[image]eek. If you choose a weekend only, you pay just 120 pounds which is worth of spend romantic time with a person you like :)[image] Last photo was taken in the summer time, sorry :) My pc crashed so I had a small time to save some info. Well, the best photos and memories I have in my mind ;) [image]It's cold outside and it's snowing somewhere. It brings a special mood: this magic time of Christmas when everybody wants something special, some special memories...   The last Christmas came to my mind and put a smile on my face. It was in Scotland...   A lot of people would say that the best place to spend this holiday is some sunny country with plenty of tasty coctails. I made [image]another choice - Highlands. It's possible to save a lot of cash if you choose serviced apartments to rent or premier cottages. I used Highland Club company (it is a part-business of Cottages and Castles CO http://cottages-and-castles.co.uk/ and http://www.the-highland-club.co.uk/). There is a place called Scriptorium, Fort Augustus. I attached some photos, so you can look at this magnificent Scottish castle. Actually it was St Benedict's Abbey and changed for a living area later.   When you go inside, it just rocks: wooden ceilings, stained-glass windows - a feeling of luxury ancient place..   It was a bit more expensive than I was expecting, but not more than 400 pounds a w[image]eek. If you choose a weekend only, you pay just 120 pounds which is worth of spend romantic time with a person you like :)[image] Last photo was taken in the summer time, sorry :) My pc crashed so I had a small time to save some info. Well, the best photos and memories I have in my mind ;) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:31:26 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_The-Most-Romantic-Christmas-in-the-Scottish-Castle/BLOG/1466624/21864.html Traveller32 2009-11-07T16:31:26Z My Budget Travel [image]It's cold outside and it's snowing somewhere. It brings a special mood: this magic time of Christmas when everybody wants something special, some special memories...   The last Christmas came to my mind and put a smile on my face. It was in Scotland...   A lot of people would say that the best place to spend this holiday is some sunny country with plenty of tasty coctails. I made [image]another choice - Highlands. It's possible to save a lot of cash if you choose serviced apartments to rent or premier cottages. I used Highland Club company (it is a part-business of Cottages and Castles CO http://cottages-and-castles.co.uk/ and http://www.the-highland-club.co.uk/). There is a place called Scriptorium, Fort Augustus. I attached some photos, so you can look at this magnificent Scottish castle. Actually it was St Benedict's Abbey and changed for a living area later.   When you go inside, it just rocks: wooden ceilings, stained-glass windows - a feeling of luxury ancient place..   It was a bit more expensive than I was expecting, but not more than 400 pounds a w[image]eek. If you choose a weekend only, you pay just 120 pounds which is worth of spend romantic time with a person you like :)[image] Last photo was taken in the summer time, sorry :) My pc crashed so I had a small time to save some info. Well, the best photos and memories I have in my mind ;) castles, christmas, in, scotland, scottish nonadult false The Most Romantic Christmas in the Scottish Castle text blog castles,christmas,in,scotland,scottish 48 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=14053821&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_6366828_21864_14053821_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1466624 14053821 Member 6454 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Panama-more-than-just-a-canal/BLOG/1466329/21864.html Panama, more than just a canal                   My most recent trip in Panama was one of the memorable trips I have ever taken.  We started with a well planned city tour on Sunday, first stop, the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal. We watched ships pass through the locks from the roof deck, had a chance to view a movie on the construction of both the old and new canal projects and spent some time in the new museum. After passing by the old military zone, now the ‘City of Knowledge’, we went to the Amador and an island owned by the Smithsonian.  There you can learn all about Panama; how the land was formed, animals past and present, the American military presence, the flora, and all while enjoying the ocean views and maybe even spot a sloth in the trees. After a delicious and fresh seafood meal for lunch with the best view of the city skyline, we went to Casco Viejo.  Beautiful cathedrals, colonial buildings, and cobblestone streets make this a perfect place to stroll away the rest of the day. Be sure to try flavored shaved ice in Plaza de Francia  and seafood lovers won’t want to miss the famous fish market.      After a short flight Monday morning, we were in a different world, the Comarca de Kuna Yala! There are 365 islands (covered in coconut trees and many uninhabited) that make up the Archipielago de San Blas. The Kuna Indians govern the region with little interference from the national government and even used coconuts as currency until the late 1990’s.  We spent two days soaking up the culture while mingling with the Kuna, shopping for their famous molas and watching the traditional dance. We also soaked up the sun on the white sand beaches and while snorkeling in the turquoise Caribbean ocean.      Back to the city to hop on our transport for the rest of the trip, we crossed the Bridge of the Americas on our way to El Valle.  After about 2 hours, we were amazed at the change of scenery and climate. Located at about 3000ft, in the crater of one of the largest, extinct volcano’s, El Valle’s cool climate is great for hiking, spotting wildlife, and shopping for handicrafts.  There is also a ‘mud bath’, square-trunked tree, and local zoo where you can see some colorful frogs and other exotic animals.      The Pacific beaches of Panama are another one of the many reasons to visit this wonderful country. Surfing some of the best waves in Central America, scuba diving in the national park compared to the Galapogos, or relaxing by a camp fire on the beach while listening to the sea and counting stars… our guide knew all the best spots!      I think the parts of Panama that surprised me the most were the mountains. We drove higher and higher into the bread basket of the country with farms clinging to these hills up to an elevation above 8000ft. The lodge we used had wonderful spa treatments, the freshest food, great view of Panama’s tallest mountain (Volcan Baru) and included a hike in the cloud forest. One day we hiked the famous Quetzal trail to Boquete and even were lucky enough to spot one of these elusive, emerald green quetzal birds.  Boquete is a little lower and is well known for its flowers and coffee plantations but also has zip lines, white water rafting and rock climbing for the more adventurous.     Before crossing the continental divide, we stopped at some nice little hot springs and cooled off in the Chiriqui River.  The views were amazing as we approached Bocas Del Toro.  This is a perfect place to wind up the tour. We visited another national park, sailed with dolphins, snorkeled by the mangroves and enjoyed the Caribbean nightlife.  Unfortunately, we also had to catch our flight back to Panama City and no one wanted to leave.       Our guide left the island the night before so he was there when we landed.  We had plenty of time to test our siesta skills and freshen up before our last night’s dinner. The guide knew the perfect place with exceptional views of the skyline at night. Seeing that our flight wasn’t until late the next day, we decided to test out the cities legendary nightlife… we were not disappointed!     It is easy to see why Panama is becoming such a popular place to travel.  Safe and inexpensive, friendly people and beautiful places, adventure and wildlife, culture and history all make this a place that everyone will enjoy. Thanks to Kevin, our guide with Panama Breezes (www.barefootpanama.com) we had a most memorable vacation and will talk about it for years to come.   Panama, more than just a canal                   My most recent trip in Panama was one of the memorable trips I have ever taken.  We started with a well planned city tour on Sunday, first stop, the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal. We watched ships pass through the locks from the roof deck, had a chance to view a movie on the construction of both the old and new canal projects and spent some time in the new museum. After passing by the old military zone, now the ‘City of Knowledge’, we went to the Amador and an island owned by the Smithsonian.  There you can learn all about Panama; how the land was formed, animals past and present, the American military presence, the flora, and all while enjoying the ocean views and maybe even spot a sloth in the trees. After a delicious and fresh seafood meal for lunch with the best view of the city skyline, we went to Casco Viejo.  Beautiful cathedrals, colonial buildings, and cobblestone streets make this a perfect place to stroll away the rest of the day. Be sure to try flavored shaved ice in Plaza de Francia  and seafood lovers won’t want to miss the famous fish market.      After a short flight Monday morning, we were in a different world, the Comarca de Kuna Yala! There are 365 islands (covered in coconut trees and many uninhabited) that make up the Archipielago de San Blas. The Kuna Indians govern the region with little interference from the national government and even used coconuts as currency until the late 1990’s.  We spent two days soaking up the culture while mingling with the Kuna, shopping for their famous molas and watching the traditional dance. We also soaked up the sun on the white sand beaches and while snorkeling in the turquoise Caribbean ocean.      Back to the city to hop on our transport for the rest of the trip, we crossed the Bridge of the Americas on our way to El Valle.  After about 2 hours, we were amazed at the change of scenery and climate. Located at about 3000ft, in the crater of one of the largest, extinct volcano’s, El Valle’s cool climate is great for hiking, spotting wildlife, and shopping for handicrafts.  There is also a ‘mud bath’, square-trunked tree, and local zoo where you can see some colorful frogs and other exotic animals.      The Pacific beaches of Panama are another one of the many reasons to visit this wonderful country. Surfing some of the best waves in Central America, scuba diving in the national park compared to the Galapogos, or relaxing by a camp fire on the beach while listening to the sea and counting stars… our guide knew all the best spots!      I think the parts of Panama that surprised me the most were the mountains. We drove higher and higher into the bread basket of the country with farms clinging to these hills up to an elevation above 8000ft. The lodge we used had wonderful spa treatments, the freshest food, great view of Panama’s tallest mountain (Volcan Baru) and included a hike in the cloud forest. One day we hiked the famous Quetzal trail to Boquete and even were lucky enough to spot one of these elusive, emerald green quetzal birds.  Boquete is a little lower and is well known for its flowers and coffee plantations but also has zip lines, white water rafting and rock climbing for the more adventurous.     Before crossing the continental divide, we stopped at some nice little hot springs and cooled off in the Chiriqui River.  The views were amazing as we approached Bocas Del Toro.  This is a perfect place to wind up the tour. We visited another national park, sailed with dolphins, snorkeled by the mangroves and enjoyed the Caribbean nightlife.  Unfortunately, we also had to catch our flight back to Panama City and no one wanted to leave.       Our guide left the island the night before so he was there when we landed.  We had plenty of time to test our siesta skills and freshen up before our last night’s dinner. The guide knew the perfect place with exceptional views of the skyline at night. Seeing that our flight wasn’t until late the next day, we decided to test out the cities legendary nightlife… we were not disappointed!     It is easy to see why Panama is becoming such a popular place to travel.  Safe and inexpensive, friendly people and beautiful places, adventure and wildlife, culture and history all make this a place that everyone will enjoy. Thanks to Kevin, our guide with Panama Breezes (www.barefootpanama.com) we had a most memorable vacation and will talk about it for years to come.   Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:39:36 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Panama-more-than-just-a-canal/BLOG/1466329/21864.html barefootpanama 2009-11-07T09:39:36Z My Budget Travel Panama, more than just a canal                   My most recent trip in Panama was one of the memorable trips I have ever taken.  We started with a well planned city tour on Sunday, first stop, the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal. We watched ships pass through the locks from the roof deck, had a chance to view a movie on the construction of both the old and new canal projects and spent some time in the new museum. After passing by the old military zone, now the ‘City of Knowledge’, we went to the Amador and an island owned by the Smithsonian.  There you can learn all about Panama; how the land was formed, animals past and present, the American military presence, the flora, and all while enjoying the ocean views and maybe even spot a sloth in the trees. After a delicious and fresh seafood meal for lunch with the best view of the city skyline, we went to Casco Viejo.  Beautiful cathedrals, colonial buildings, and cobblestone streets make this a perfect place to stroll away the rest of the day. Be sure to try flavored shaved ice in Plaza de Francia  and seafood lovers won’t want to miss the famous fish market.      After a short flight Monday morning, we were in a different world, the Comarca de Kuna Yala! There are 365 islands (covered in coconut trees and many uninhabited) that make up the Archipielago de San Blas. The Kuna Indians govern the region with little interference from the national government and even used coconuts as currency until the late 1990’s.  We spent two days soaking up the culture while mingling with the Kuna, shopping for their famous molas and watching the traditional dance. We also soaked up the sun on the white sand beaches and while snorkeling in the turquoise Caribbean ocean.      Back to the city to hop on our transport for the rest of the trip, we crossed the Bridge of the Americas on our way to El Valle.  After about 2 hours, we were amazed at the change of scenery and climate. Located at about 3000ft, in the crater of one of the largest, extinct volcano’s, El Valle’s cool climate is great for hiking, spotting wildlife, and shopping for handicrafts.  There is also a ‘mud bath’, square-trunked tree, and local zoo where you can see some colorful frogs and other exotic animals.      The Pacific beaches of Panama are another one of the many reasons to visit this wonderful country. Surfing some of the best waves in Central America, scuba diving in the national park compared to the Galapogos, or relaxing by a camp fire on the beach while listening to the sea and counting stars… our guide knew all the best spots!      I think the parts of Panama that surprised me the most were the mountains. We drove higher and higher into the bread basket of the country with farms clinging to these hills up to an elevation above 8000ft. The lodge we used had wonderful spa treatments, the freshest food, great view of Panama’s tallest mountain (Volcan Baru) and included a hike in the cloud forest. One day we hiked the famous Quetzal trail to Boquete and even were lucky enough to spot one of these elusive, emerald green quetzal birds.  Boquete is a little lower and is well known for its flowers and coffee plantations but also has zip lines, white water rafting and rock climbing for the more adventurous.     Before crossing the continental divide, we stopped at some nice little hot springs and cooled off in the Chiriqui River.  The views were amazing as we approached Bocas Del Toro.  This is a perfect place to wind up the tour. We visited another national park, sailed with dolphins, snorkeled by the mangroves and enjoyed the Caribbean nightlife.  Unfortunately, we also had to catch our flight back to Panama City and no one wanted to leave.       Our guide left the island the night before so he was there when we landed.  We had plenty of time to test our siesta skills and freshen up before our last night’s dinner. The guide knew the perfect place with exceptional views of the skyline at night. Seeing that our flight wasn’t until late the next day, we decided to test out the cities legendary nightlife… we were not disappointed!     It is easy to see why Panama is becoming such a popular place to travel.  Safe and inexpensive, friendly people and beautiful places, adventure and wildlife, culture and history all make this a place that everyone will enjoy. Thanks to Kevin, our guide with Panama Breezes (www.barefootpanama.com) we had a most memorable vacation and will talk about it for years to come.   america, canal, central, city, panama, tours, travel nonadult false Panama, more than just a canal text blog america,canal,central,city,panama,tours,travel 62 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=14045254&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_6411043_21864_14045254_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1466329 14045254 Member 1704 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_My-trip-to-Thailand-October-2009/BLOG/1457946/21864.html Well, it was hard to start when it was a rainy season and I wasn still trying to manage my vacations :) 11 hours flight from London to Bangkok on the 30-th of September and I changed rainy English weather for humid and somehow sunny one - +35.., but it was still pouring. [image]Maybe I will shock Budget travellers  but my hotel was full 5* in the centre of Bangkok (sushi for breakfast included :) Lebua at State Tower, suite for $78 per day!!! Amazing :)))   The best thing in Lebua was an open air Sky bar on the top of the building with such a panoramic view of the night bangkok that just rocked me. An Irish Pub Molly Mellone's serves good food and at least you can drink a cider there!   Three days later I got a plane of Bangkok Airlines to Phuket and transfered to new hotel - Serenity Otrigger. The same luck this time - suite with sea view for $56, breakfast included.[image]   Phuket is a big part of Thailand. It doesn't matter that other people think it's small. It takes 1.5 hours to get to different beaches: Patong, Kata, Tha Lang. The main attractions for tourists - disco bars, night clubs, the best sea-food restaurants are in Patong Beach. Kata Beach is more quiet, but some small bars with plenty of Thai girls are always open till late hours for Asian culuture explorers. Chalong Bay is an area with a big shopping centre in the centre of Phuket town, where you can buy clothes and shoes from European and Western brands.   Don't expect the sunny weather till the end of October. It mostly rains but there are also nice and sunny days time by time.   One of the sunny days was a trip to Phi Phi Island, Maya bay (the place where the famous moview with Leonardo Di Caprio was filmed). My nose was peeling later from too much of sun :) but the trip was great in general. [image][image]   I would advise to visit James Bond Island and make a photo in front of that famous rock ;)   Enjoy my photos and ask me any questions. Well, it was hard to start when it was a rainy season and I wasn still trying to manage my vacations :) 11 hours flight from London to Bangkok on the 30-th of September and I changed rainy English weather for humid and somehow sunny one - +35.., but it was still pouring. [image]Maybe I will shock Budget travellers  but my hotel was full 5* in the centre of Bangkok (sushi for breakfast included :) Lebua at State Tower, suite for $78 per day!!! Amazing :)))   The best thing in Lebua was an open air Sky bar on the top of the building with such a panoramic view of the night bangkok that just rocked me. An Irish Pub Molly Mellone's serves good food and at least you can drink a cider there!   Three days later I got a plane of Bangkok Airlines to Phuket and transfered to new hotel - Serenity Otrigger. The same luck this time - suite with sea view for $56, breakfast included.[image]   Phuket is a big part of Thailand. It doesn't matter that other people think it's small. It takes 1.5 hours to get to different beaches: Patong, Kata, Tha Lang. The main attractions for tourists - disco bars, night clubs, the best sea-food restaurants are in Patong Beach. Kata Beach is more quiet, but some small bars with plenty of Thai girls are always open till late hours for Asian culuture explorers. Chalong Bay is an area with a big shopping centre in the centre of Phuket town, where you can buy clothes and shoes from European and Western brands.   Don't expect the sunny weather till the end of October. It mostly rains but there are also nice and sunny days time by time.   One of the sunny days was a trip to Phi Phi Island, Maya bay (the place where the famous moview with Leonardo Di Caprio was filmed). My nose was peeling later from too much of sun :) but the trip was great in general. [image][image]   I would advise to visit James Bond Island and make a photo in front of that famous rock ;)   Enjoy my photos and ask me any questions. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:45:03 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_My-trip-to-Thailand-October-2009/BLOG/1457946/21864.html Traveller32 2009-11-03T22:45:03Z My Budget Travel Well, it was hard to start when it was a rainy season and I wasn still trying to manage my vacations :) 11 hours flight from London to Bangkok on the 30-th of September and I changed rainy English weather for humid and somehow sunny one - +35.., but it was still pouring. [image]Maybe I will shock Budget travellers  but my hotel was full 5* in the centre of Bangkok (sushi for breakfast included :) Lebua at State Tower, suite for $78 per day!!! Amazing :)))   The best thing in Lebua was an open air Sky bar on the top of the building with such a panoramic view of the night bangkok that just rocked me. An Irish Pub Molly Mellone's serves good food and at least you can drink a cider there!   Three days later I got a plane of Bangkok Airlines to Phuket and transfered to new hotel - Serenity Otrigger. The same luck this time - suite with sea view for $56, breakfast included.[image]   Phuket is a big part of Thailand. It doesn't matter that other people think it's small. It takes 1.5 hours to get to different beaches: Patong, Kata, Tha Lang. The main attractions for tourists - disco bars, night clubs, the best sea-food restaurants are in Patong Beach. Kata Beach is more quiet, but some small bars with plenty of Thai girls are always open till late hours for Asian culuture explorers. Chalong Bay is an area with a big shopping centre in the centre of Phuket town, where you can buy clothes and shoes from European and Western brands.   Don't expect the sunny weather till the end of October. It mostly rains but there are also nice and sunny days time by time.   One of the sunny days was a trip to Phi Phi Island, Maya bay (the place where the famous moview with Leonardo Di Caprio was filmed). My nose was peeling later from too much of sun :) but the trip was great in general. [image][image]   I would advise to visit James Bond Island and make a photo in front of that famous rock ;)   Enjoy my photos and ask me any questions. nonadult false My trip to Thailand. October 2009 text blog 67 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=14053821&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_6366828_21864_14053821_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1457946 14053821 Member 6454 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Kentucky-Horse-Park/BLOG/1455592/21864.html A wonderful place to visit is the Kentucky Horse Park. You can get get up close and personal with Kentucky Derby Winners, Preakness Winners and some of the most famous horses of recent times. We started our day with a Horse Farm Tour that took us to three operating horse farms. First they were all extremely beautiful with horse barns that look like fabulous houses and just as clean. Our first stop was a breeding farm where high priced stud horses do their work. We seen horses with $75000 stud fees and being used two and three times a day. We then went to another stud farm that was even larger than the first and where we seen all the tools of the trade. . Next we went to a farm that housed the pregnant mares and the new colts where the youngest colt we seen was ten days old. After all that we returned to the Park where they have 50 different breeds of horses from around the world as well as several museums. A couple of amazing facts about "Man of War". His stride was 28 feet long, much longer than most horses, Secretariat for example was four feet shorter. Man of War was only beaten once in his career, but a horse called "Upset", Ironic isn't it. We took a ride on a horse pulled trolley, went to the Horse Hall of Fame show, the all breeds show and did a lot of walking around through museums and halls. We would recommend this as a destination vacation, because it is fabulous. A wonderful place to visit is the Kentucky Horse Park. You can get get up close and personal with Kentucky Derby Winners, Preakness Winners and some of the most famous horses of recent times. We started our day with a Horse Farm Tour that took us to three operating horse farms. First they were all extremely beautiful with horse barns that look like fabulous houses and just as clean. Our first stop was a breeding farm where high priced stud horses do their work. We seen horses with $75000 stud fees and being used two and three times a day. We then went to another stud farm that was even larger than the first and where we seen all the tools of the trade. . Next we went to a farm that housed the pregnant mares and the new colts where the youngest colt we seen was ten days old. After all that we returned to the Park where they have 50 different breeds of horses from around the world as well as several museums. A couple of amazing facts about "Man of War". His stride was 28 feet long, much longer than most horses, Secretariat for example was four feet shorter. Man of War was only beaten once in his career, but a horse called "Upset", Ironic isn't it. We took a ride on a horse pulled trolley, went to the Horse Hall of Fame show, the all breeds show and did a lot of walking around through museums and halls. We would recommend this as a destination vacation, because it is fabulous. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:53:40 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Kentucky-Horse-Park/BLOG/1455592/21864.html jcjlkrebs 2009-11-02T16:53:40Z My Budget Travel A wonderful place to visit is the Kentucky Horse Park. You can get get up close and personal with Kentucky Derby Winners, Preakness Winners and some of the most famous horses of recent times. We started our day with a Horse Farm Tour that took us to three operating horse farms. First they were all extremely beautiful with horse barns that look like fabulous houses and just as clean. Our first stop was a breeding farm where high priced stud horses do their work. We seen horses with $75000 stud fees and being used two and three times a day. We then went to another stud farm that was even larger than the first and where we seen all the tools of the trade. . Next we went to a farm that housed the pregnant mares and the new colts where the youngest colt we seen was ten days old. After all that we returned to the Park where they have 50 different breeds of horses from around the world as well as several museums. A couple of amazing facts about "Man of War". His stride was 28 feet long, much longer than most horses, Secretariat for example was four feet shorter. Man of War was only beaten once in his career, but a horse called "Upset", Ironic isn't it. We took a ride on a horse pulled trolley, went to the Horse Hall of Fame show, the all breeds show and did a lot of walking around through museums and halls. We would recommend this as a destination vacation, because it is fabulous. breeding, breeds, colts, farms, horse, mare, racing nonadult false Kentucky Horse Park text blog breeding,breeds,colts,farms,horse,mare,racing 64 2 3.5 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8868548&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_4646559_21864_8868548_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1455592 8868548 SuperMember 40214 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Europe-A-Recap/BLOG/1454722/21864.html [image] So I have been meaning to post a recap of my Europe trip pretty much since I got back. Partly because everyone who knows that we went ask me "So how was your trip to Europe" and I am sick of my lame response of "Good" and secondly because I love coming on here and reading my previous blogs because it always brings me back to that time or event in which I wrote about. A 21st century diary or sorts...... without all the angst...... ok maybe some. Anywhoo this is not for the skittish reader as it is lengthy. London – Jaron and I were so jet legged from flying over and not sleeping the night before so when we got in around 10am (4hours later then what we should have) that we just passed out until around 5pm. We then walked around and went to a pub and had a very English dinner and drinks and then took in some of London ’s McDonald’s deserts. FYI: They do not mix their McFlurries and they put things like chocolate covered rice crispies in them. Good - but different. The next day we then met our group and were able to just take in some sight seeing. The weather was really nice, no snow at all and probably around 60+ degrees so we got lunch and ate in the park. We then went to the London equivalent of Times Square and had dinner at this crazy Russian place. The restaurant made me feel like we fell through the rabbit’s hole in Alice in Wonderland. That is the only way that I can really explain the décor and feeling. We saw Buckingham Palace (however no Prince William or Prince Harry) and Big Ben at night and started adding to our list of foreign public transportation services that we have now endured. Amsterdam – was all that anyone ever thinks Amsterdam is and more. We went to coffee shops, the red light district, the blue light district (that is where the trannies reside) a sex show (saw a girl smoke a cigar with here whoo ha…. No joke), the Anne Frank Museum – which is her house/annex where they were hiding (so amazing and emotional), saw the original Starry Night (my all time favorite painter is Van Gogh so of course I went to the official Van Gogh museum I also found out that technically his name is pronounced Van GOFF not Van GO), we also took in the Heineken museum and proceeded to get buzzed fairly early in the day, before 11am from the free beer that we got, we also went to a clog shop in the country and cruised the canals through the city. I love Amsterdam and want to live there. There is so much more to talk about here but some things are better left for one on one conversation ;) Berlin – History galore!!! Saw the Berlin Wall or at least what is still left around. Took a walking tour of the city and saw major Nazi area’s including where Hitler killed himself. There were some great memorials for the Jews of the war and it was very moving. Germans consider their history to be their dark shadow……. They can never escape it, it will always follow them but they can strive to make the future better. We also saw the first concentration camp which was very surreal. It is crazy to think that so much suffering went on and the horrible conditions that they must have been under. Ugh! Prague – Beautiful city. It was so colorful. All the buildings are different pastel colors and very ornate and it has been kept up so well that it all looks new. We went to a Salvador Dali exhibit as well as an Andy Warhol exhibit which was really cool. Took a lunch cruise through the city and scoured the markets for trinkets. We then went to this restaurant that had a beer tap in the middle of the table. You then could feel up your glass and drink as much as you wanted. There was a big TV that was keeping score of every table and you were in competition with everyone. I got a really good buzz from that place and never had to pee so much. However we were nothing compared to the Aussie tables. They can put them down. Munich – Very fun and cool city. We took a tour through the city on cruiser bikes. I loved the bike so much that I got a cruiser for my birthday this year. I was the “butt babe” which pretty much meant that I stayed towards the end of the group and made sure that no one lagged behind. We went to the biggest beer hall in the world and had many of beers. We also went to an original beer hall where families still have their own tables and thousands of people can fit in. Munich goes crazy for Oktoberfest! I had a pickled pork knuckle and an awesome lemonade beer as well as had my first try of ‘snuff’ which is a tobacco that you sniff up your nose. It is awesome. On the way to Venice we stopped in Tyrol and went to the original Swarovski Crystal shop. They had a whole room completely covered in crystals – Winter Wonderland and it was very surreal. Italy – ***** Now quickly there are a few things that no one knows about Italy until you go there and it is pretty nuts. Firstly, they don’t give a fuck!!! They know that people will come to Italy even if everyone tells them that it sucks because, hey… it is Italy . They are very rude, they do not use salt in their bread so it is like eating cardboard, it is very expensive, theft is crazy over there so you must be on guard at all times, they charge an exhorbinent amount to use the toilet – However this is not just an Italy thing. In Europe most countries will charge you to pee however it is never very much and the money goes to keeping the facilities clean and nice however that rule does not apply to Italy . (I think I paid one time around the equivalent of $2 American dollars to pee in a very dirty bathroom and they do not have toilet seats, it is just the bowl. It was truly frightening) Also they have hidden dining fees. Firstly they charge you for utensils. They also charge you to sit outside as well as a service fee of usually around 15%. Also they do not tell you this and they will try and hide that unless you come straight out and ask “Do you have a service fee??” And by service fee I do not mean the tip. I mean your food, utensils, service fee, then tip!! These were things that we had no idea about however now stating that I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my feelings on Italy . I absolutely loved Italy and think that everyone should go and see the massive history there. It is just nice to know what you are in for. It is very exhausting, a definite culture shock for sure. *********** Venice – Everything that you think of when you think of Venice is true. It is fucking gorgeous and like a dream. The weather was amazing when we went, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day. You can walk the whole island in like 20 minutes and we circled it many times. We went to a lace school and purchased a Venetian table cloth and napkins for my mom and saw a glass blower work and make a beautiful piece of art. We then did the cliché canal ride which was beyond compare. It was so much fun and you could bring whatever you wanted on the gondola with you so we bought an original bottle of Bellini (the peach drink that is now sold at Olive Garden was invented in Venice by a man named….. you guessed it something Bellini!!) and took that with us to drink. The city is so gorgeous that it almost looks fake. I ate gelato pretty much three times a day when I was in Italy and had to have pizza!! We did a lot of people watching and just meandering around the city. We then had an amazing Venice dinner that consisted of many different courses of pasta and seafood and salad and a lot of wine. Rome – Oh Geez!! So much and there can never really be enough time! We started with a huge tour around the city taking in the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Venezia. I drank out of the Trevi Fountain – which was delicious and said to bring you fertility!! We then went into a crypt that a priest had made hundreds of years ago out of deceased priests body parts. It was very eerie. Every piece of bone was used to make very beautiful and hauntingly creepy mosaics that lined everything from the walls, ceilings, floors, everything. There was not a bare wall in the place. We then went into the Pantheon and saw first hand the amazing architectural abilities of the Romans. We took in so many churches and shrines in Europe and in Italy in general that it is hard to keep them all straight. We checked out the Colosseum at night and walked the first ever street made in the world. Also popped in on the Pope (well not really he was traveling at the time) in Vatican City at night and ate outside on the side streets of Rome . In the morning we got a private guided tour inside ‘Old Rome’ and inside of the Colossuem. Old Rome is like 10 feet below the street level of New Rome because they just believe on building on top of the city. That is why the subway for Italy only runs around the city because anywhere they go to dig in the center of the city they are just going to end up excavating the previous Rome . Then we actually went to the Vatican and walked through the city as well as the church where the Pope presides, saw the tombs of all the old Popes. saw St. Peters Basilica, and saw the Sistine Chapel!! Also we visited the “Mouth of Truth” that is in Roman Holiday. You are supposed to put your hand in and think of something. If it is a lie it is supposed to bite your hand off. I still have my hand so all is well, however our feet hurt so bad from walking the city to try and see everything that it felt like they had been bit. I am sure I am forgetting something really momentous but oh well. On our way to Florence we stopped in Pisa . Nothing really in Pisa except that one leaning tower!! So of course we acted like stupid American tourist and did the obligatory pictures such as the holding the tower up, leaning against the tower, heaving the tower on your back and some people even did the leaning tower of penis. Propping it just so to where it looks very impressive. I tried to get Jaron to do it but he wouldn’t. I also purchased a very cute purple bogus Prada purse from some African/Italian counterfeit gangsters. I was able to get them down a lot too, they wanted 50 Euros and I got them down to 20 Euros! But by doing the simple act of purchasing I was then mobbed by about another 20 or so selling various shit. Florence – Here was the only time that it rained on our trip. And it wasn’t just a little rain. It was a lot of rain. It soaked through my waterproof Columbia jacket and proceed to get everyone as wet as possible. Again we turned to gypsies for needed umbrellas and went along with our day. This also happened to be the day of our mandatory group picture that was outside. We were all soaked. We did however check out a Florence leather company ( Florence is now for its amazing leather) to try and stay dry. Because it was raining the lines to get into museums were horrendous. We waited to see the statue of David outside for probably two hours. It was however worth it. The statue is amazing and also a lot bigger then I had expected. In more ways then one ;) We then took in some amazing views of the city on our way through the Tuscan Hills for our Tuscan dinner where we got serenaded by two Italian opera singers and were also forced to dance by some of our tour mates.You know who you are. Lucerne – This was a nice rest from the crazy hussle and bussle of Italy . Switzerland is very clean, orderly, and polite. It was a nice change. The Swiss are very into three things. Chocolate – Watches – & Swiss Army Knives. You can find stores for these 3 things everywhere!! The chocolate is amazing, the watches blow your mind, and they are not messing around with those knives. You are prepared for anything and then some. We just kind of wandered around. We took in some Swiss Fondue and a show which was cool and Jaron was forced to get up on stage and blow one of those huge horns from the Ricola commercials. Apparently it is harder then it looks. His prize……. A Ricola! Then a man dressed in a cow costume came out and ran through the crowds. It was odd, but fun. Paris – Another amazing city. We got in and promptly went around all the major sites such as Napoleons tomb, the Arc de Triomphe, The Eiffel Tower, and the Champs Elysees . Later on in the evening a big group of us went back to the Eiffel Tower and waited so that we could go up it in the night. It is truly beautiful at night and very glittery and romantic. It is a hell of a lot higher then I thought and even for me who does not have a huge fear of heights it was still pretty scary. In the morning we got up early and headed to the Louvre via the subway and underground entrance. I almost had a drunken Parisian fall on me but somehow made it. I ran to see the Mona Lisa as soon as the museum opened and got to enjoy that without a huge crowd of people. We then just meandered through and took in the crazy opulence of the royal palace that is now the Louvre. Checked out the gravesite of Jim Morrison of ‘The Doors’ as well as Oscar Wilde’s gravesite and Chopin. The cemetery was really old and creepy and some looked as though they had been graved robbed. However it was ironically enough very beautiful and comforting. We then headed back and got ready for our dinner show at the Moulin Rouge. There are no words for this show. It was amazing and vibrant and just plain incredible. At one point a see through tank of water comes up through the stage and a scantily clad girl dances inside the water with a huge cobra!! A great way to end the tour. New York City - Then we headed back to the US but had an overnight stay in NYC. I almost threw up in the back of a taxi from all the stop and go craziness. My friend Aimee graciously put us up at her place and pointed us on the right subway so Jaron could see the Statue of Liberty. We got there first thing in the morning and went inside the statue. It was cool because I was unable to do that when I went in 2003 with Ali & Christine. It was so windy however that we could lean forward and the wind would hold us up. In NYC I was happy to again be able to have Starbucks and all Jaron wanted to do was have some NYC street pizza. We also stumbled upon a protest that was going in front of Wall Street in regards to all the bonuses CEO’s got even though their companies had received bailouts. So that was unexpected. Then off again to be home. [image] So I have been meaning to post a recap of my Europe trip pretty much since I got back. Partly because everyone who knows that we went ask me "So how was your trip to Europe" and I am sick of my lame response of "Good" and secondly because I love coming on here and reading my previous blogs because it always brings me back to that time or event in which I wrote about. A 21st century diary or sorts...... without all the angst...... ok maybe some. Anywhoo this is not for the skittish reader as it is lengthy. London – Jaron and I were so jet legged from flying over and not sleeping the night before so when we got in around 10am (4hours later then what we should have) that we just passed out until around 5pm. We then walked around and went to a pub and had a very English dinner and drinks and then took in some of London ’s McDonald’s deserts. FYI: They do not mix their McFlurries and they put things like chocolate covered rice crispies in them. Good - but different. The next day we then met our group and were able to just take in some sight seeing. The weather was really nice, no snow at all and probably around 60+ degrees so we got lunch and ate in the park. We then went to the London equivalent of Times Square and had dinner at this crazy Russian place. The restaurant made me feel like we fell through the rabbit’s hole in Alice in Wonderland. That is the only way that I can really explain the décor and feeling. We saw Buckingham Palace (however no Prince William or Prince Harry) and Big Ben at night and started adding to our list of foreign public transportation services that we have now endured. Amsterdam – was all that anyone ever thinks Amsterdam is and more. We went to coffee shops, the red light district, the blue light district (that is where the trannies reside) a sex show (saw a girl smoke a cigar with here whoo ha…. No joke), the Anne Frank Museum – which is her house/annex where they were hiding (so amazing and emotional), saw the original Starry Night (my all time favorite painter is Van Gogh so of course I went to the official Van Gogh museum I also found out that technically his name is pronounced Van GOFF not Van GO), we also took in the Heineken museum and proceeded to get buzzed fairly early in the day, before 11am from the free beer that we got, we also went to a clog shop in the country and cruised the canals through the city. I love Amsterdam and want to live there. There is so much more to talk about here but some things are better left for one on one conversation ;) Berlin – History galore!!! Saw the Berlin Wall or at least what is still left around. Took a walking tour of the city and saw major Nazi area’s including where Hitler killed himself. There were some great memorials for the Jews of the war and it was very moving. Germans consider their history to be their dark shadow……. They can never escape it, it will always follow them but they can strive to make the future better. We also saw the first concentration camp which was very surreal. It is crazy to think that so much suffering went on and the horrible conditions that they must have been under. Ugh! Prague – Beautiful city. It was so colorful. All the buildings are different pastel colors and very ornate and it has been kept up so well that it all looks new. We went to a Salvador Dali exhibit as well as an Andy Warhol exhibit which was really cool. Took a lunch cruise through the city and scoured the markets for trinkets. We then went to this restaurant that had a beer tap in the middle of the table. You then could feel up your glass and drink as much as you wanted. There was a big TV that was keeping score of every table and you were in competition with everyone. I got a really good buzz from that place and never had to pee so much. However we were nothing compared to the Aussie tables. They can put them down. Munich – Very fun and cool city. We took a tour through the city on cruiser bikes. I loved the bike so much that I got a cruiser for my birthday this year. I was the “butt babe” which pretty much meant that I stayed towards the end of the group and made sure that no one lagged behind. We went to the biggest beer hall in the world and had many of beers. We also went to an original beer hall where families still have their own tables and thousands of people can fit in. Munich goes crazy for Oktoberfest! I had a pickled pork knuckle and an awesome lemonade beer as well as had my first try of ‘snuff’ which is a tobacco that you sniff up your nose. It is awesome. On the way to Venice we stopped in Tyrol and went to the original Swarovski Crystal shop. They had a whole room completely covered in crystals – Winter Wonderland and it was very surreal. Italy – ***** Now quickly there are a few things that no one knows about Italy until you go there and it is pretty nuts. Firstly, they don’t give a fuck!!! They know that people will come to Italy even if everyone tells them that it sucks because, hey… it is Italy . They are very rude, they do not use salt in their bread so it is like eating cardboard, it is very expensive, theft is crazy over there so you must be on guard at all times, they charge an exhorbinent amount to use the toilet – However this is not just an Italy thing. In Europe most countries will charge you to pee however it is never very much and the money goes to keeping the facilities clean and nice however that rule does not apply to Italy . (I think I paid one time around the equivalent of $2 American dollars to pee in a very dirty bathroom and they do not have toilet seats, it is just the bowl. It was truly frightening) Also they have hidden dining fees. Firstly they charge you for utensils. They also charge you to sit outside as well as a service fee of usually around 15%. Also they do not tell you this and they will try and hide that unless you come straight out and ask “Do you have a service fee??” And by service fee I do not mean the tip. I mean your food, utensils, service fee, then tip!! These were things that we had no idea about however now stating that I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my feelings on Italy . I absolutely loved Italy and think that everyone should go and see the massive history there. It is just nice to know what you are in for. It is very exhausting, a definite culture shock for sure. *********** Venice – Everything that you think of when you think of Venice is true. It is fucking gorgeous and like a dream. The weather was amazing when we went, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day. You can walk the whole island in like 20 minutes and we circled it many times. We went to a lace school and purchased a Venetian table cloth and napkins for my mom and saw a glass blower work and make a beautiful piece of art. We then did the cliché canal ride which was beyond compare. It was so much fun and you could bring whatever you wanted on the gondola with you so we bought an original bottle of Bellini (the peach drink that is now sold at Olive Garden was invented in Venice by a man named….. you guessed it something Bellini!!) and took that with us to drink. The city is so gorgeous that it almost looks fake. I ate gelato pretty much three times a day when I was in Italy and had to have pizza!! We did a lot of people watching and just meandering around the city. We then had an amazing Venice dinner that consisted of many different courses of pasta and seafood and salad and a lot of wine. Rome – Oh Geez!! So much and there can never really be enough time! We started with a huge tour around the city taking in the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Venezia. I drank out of the Trevi Fountain – which was delicious and said to bring you fertility!! We then went into a crypt that a priest had made hundreds of years ago out of deceased priests body parts. It was very eerie. Every piece of bone was used to make very beautiful and hauntingly creepy mosaics that lined everything from the walls, ceilings, floors, everything. There was not a bare wall in the place. We then went into the Pantheon and saw first hand the amazing architectural abilities of the Romans. We took in so many churches and shrines in Europe and in Italy in general that it is hard to keep them all straight. We checked out the Colosseum at night and walked the first ever street made in the world. Also popped in on the Pope (well not really he was traveling at the time) in Vatican City at night and ate outside on the side streets of Rome . In the morning we got a private guided tour inside ‘Old Rome’ and inside of the Colossuem. Old Rome is like 10 feet below the street level of New Rome because they just believe on building on top of the city. That is why the subway for Italy only runs around the city because anywhere they go to dig in the center of the city they are just going to end up excavating the previous Rome . Then we actually went to the Vatican and walked through the city as well as the church where the Pope presides, saw the tombs of all the old Popes. saw St. Peters Basilica, and saw the Sistine Chapel!! Also we visited the “Mouth of Truth” that is in Roman Holiday. You are supposed to put your hand in and think of something. If it is a lie it is supposed to bite your hand off. I still have my hand so all is well, however our feet hurt so bad from walking the city to try and see everything that it felt like they had been bit. I am sure I am forgetting something really momentous but oh well. On our way to Florence we stopped in Pisa . Nothing really in Pisa except that one leaning tower!! So of course we acted like stupid American tourist and did the obligatory pictures such as the holding the tower up, leaning against the tower, heaving the tower on your back and some people even did the leaning tower of penis. Propping it just so to where it looks very impressive. I tried to get Jaron to do it but he wouldn’t. I also purchased a very cute purple bogus Prada purse from some African/Italian counterfeit gangsters. I was able to get them down a lot too, they wanted 50 Euros and I got them down to 20 Euros! But by doing the simple act of purchasing I was then mobbed by about another 20 or so selling various shit. Florence – Here was the only time that it rained on our trip. And it wasn’t just a little rain. It was a lot of rain. It soaked through my waterproof Columbia jacket and proceed to get everyone as wet as possible. Again we turned to gypsies for needed umbrellas and went along with our day. This also happened to be the day of our mandatory group picture that was outside. We were all soaked. We did however check out a Florence leather company ( Florence is now for its amazing leather) to try and stay dry. Because it was raining the lines to get into museums were horrendous. We waited to see the statue of David outside for probably two hours. It was however worth it. The statue is amazing and also a lot bigger then I had expected. In more ways then one ;) We then took in some amazing views of the city on our way through the Tuscan Hills for our Tuscan dinner where we got serenaded by two Italian opera singers and were also forced to dance by some of our tour mates.You know who you are. Lucerne – This was a nice rest from the crazy hussle and bussle of Italy . Switzerland is very clean, orderly, and polite. It was a nice change. The Swiss are very into three things. Chocolate – Watches – & Swiss Army Knives. You can find stores for these 3 things everywhere!! The chocolate is amazing, the watches blow your mind, and they are not messing around with those knives. You are prepared for anything and then some. We just kind of wandered around. We took in some Swiss Fondue and a show which was cool and Jaron was forced to get up on stage and blow one of those huge horns from the Ricola commercials. Apparently it is harder then it looks. His prize……. A Ricola! Then a man dressed in a cow costume came out and ran through the crowds. It was odd, but fun. Paris – Another amazing city. We got in and promptly went around all the major sites such as Napoleons tomb, the Arc de Triomphe, The Eiffel Tower, and the Champs Elysees . Later on in the evening a big group of us went back to the Eiffel Tower and waited so that we could go up it in the night. It is truly beautiful at night and very glittery and romantic. It is a hell of a lot higher then I thought and even for me who does not have a huge fear of heights it was still pretty scary. In the morning we got up early and headed to the Louvre via the subway and underground entrance. I almost had a drunken Parisian fall on me but somehow made it. I ran to see the Mona Lisa as soon as the museum opened and got to enjoy that without a huge crowd of people. We then just meandered through and took in the crazy opulence of the royal palace that is now the Louvre. Checked out the gravesite of Jim Morrison of ‘The Doors’ as well as Oscar Wilde’s gravesite and Chopin. The cemetery was really old and creepy and some looked as though they had been graved robbed. However it was ironically enough very beautiful and comforting. We then headed back and got ready for our dinner show at the Moulin Rouge. There are no words for this show. It was amazing and vibrant and just plain incredible. At one point a see through tank of water comes up through the stage and a scantily clad girl dances inside the water with a huge cobra!! A great way to end the tour. New York City - Then we headed back to the US but had an overnight stay in NYC. I almost threw up in the back of a taxi from all the stop and go craziness. My friend Aimee graciously put us up at her place and pointed us on the right subway so Jaron could see the Statue of Liberty. We got there first thing in the morning and went inside the statue. It was cool because I was unable to do that when I went in 2003 with Ali & Christine. It was so windy however that we could lean forward and the wind would hold us up. In NYC I was happy to again be able to have Starbucks and all Jaron wanted to do was have some NYC street pizza. We also stumbled upon a protest that was going in front of Wall Street in regards to all the bonuses CEO’s got even though their companies had received bailouts. So that was unexpected. Then off again to be home. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:18:39 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Europe-A-Recap/BLOG/1454722/21864.html traveljunkiejess 2009-11-02T06:18:39Z My Budget Travel [image] So I have been meaning to post a recap of my Europe trip pretty much since I got back. Partly because everyone who knows that we went ask me "So how was your trip to Europe" and I am sick of my lame response of "Good" and secondly because I love coming on here and reading my previous blogs because it always brings me back to that time or event in which I wrote about. A 21st century diary or sorts...... without all the angst...... ok maybe some. Anywhoo this is not for the skittish reader as it is lengthy. London – Jaron and I were so jet legged from flying over and not sleeping the night before so when we got in around 10am (4hours later then what we should have) that we just passed out until around 5pm. We then walked around and went to a pub and had a very English dinner and drinks and then took in some of London ’s McDonald’s deserts. FYI: They do not mix their McFlurries and they put things like chocolate covered rice crispies in them. Good - but different. The next day we then met our group and were able to just take in some sight seeing. The weather was really nice, no snow at all and probably around 60+ degrees so we got lunch and ate in the park. We then went to the London equivalent of Times Square and had dinner at this crazy Russian place. The restaurant made me feel like we fell through the rabbit’s hole in Alice in Wonderland. That is the only way that I can really explain the décor and feeling. We saw Buckingham Palace (however no Prince William or Prince Harry) and Big Ben at night and started adding to our list of foreign public transportation services that we have now endured. Amsterdam – was all that anyone ever thinks Amsterdam is and more. We went to coffee shops, the red light district, the blue light district (that is where the trannies reside) a sex show (saw a girl smoke a cigar with here whoo ha…. No joke), the Anne Frank Museum – which is her house/annex where they were hiding (so amazing and emotional), saw the original Starry Night (my all time favorite painter is Van Gogh so of course I went to the official Van Gogh museum I also found out that technically his name is pronounced Van GOFF not Van GO), we also took in the Heineken museum and proceeded to get buzzed fairly early in the day, before 11am from the free beer that we got, we also went to a clog shop in the country and cruised the canals through the city. I love Amsterdam and want to live there. There is so much more to talk about here but some things are better left for one on one conversation ;) Berlin – History galore!!! Saw the Berlin Wall or at least what is still left around. Took a walking tour of the city and saw major Nazi area’s including where Hitler killed himself. There were some great memorials for the Jews of the war and it was very moving. Germans consider their history to be their dark shadow……. They can never escape it, it will always follow them but they can strive to make the future better. We also saw the first concentration camp which was very surreal. It is crazy to think that so much suffering went on and the horrible conditions that they must have been under. Ugh! Prague – Beautiful city. It was so colorful. All the buildings are different pastel colors and very ornate and it has been kept up so well that it all looks new. We went to a Salvador Dali exhibit as well as an Andy Warhol exhibit which was really cool. Took a lunch cruise through the city and scoured the markets for trinkets. We then went to this restaurant that had a beer tap in the middle of the table. You then could feel up your glass and drink as much as you wanted. There was a big TV that was keeping score of every table and you were in competition with everyone. I got a really good buzz from that place and never had to pee so much. However we were nothing compared to the Aussie tables. They can put them down. Munich – Very fun and cool city. We took a tour through the city on cruiser bikes. I loved the bike so much that I got a cruiser for my birthday this year. I was the “butt babe” which pretty much meant that I stayed towards the end of the group and made sure that no one lagged behind. We went to the biggest beer hall in the world and had many of beers. We also went to an original beer hall where families still have their own tables and thousands of people can fit in. Munich goes crazy for Oktoberfest! I had a pickled pork knuckle and an awesome lemonade beer as well as had my first try of ‘snuff’ which is a tobacco that you sniff up your nose. It is awesome. On the way to Venice we stopped in Tyrol and went to the original Swarovski Crystal shop. They had a whole room completely covered in crystals – Winter Wonderland and it was very surreal. Italy – ***** Now quickly there are a few things that no one knows about Italy until you go there and it is pretty nuts. Firstly, they don’t give a fuck!!! They know that people will come to Italy even if everyone tells them that it sucks because, hey… it is Italy . They are very rude, they do not use salt in their bread so it is like eating cardboard, it is very expensive, theft is crazy over there so you must be on guard at all times, they charge an exhorbinent amount to use the toilet – However this is not just an Italy thing. In Europe most countries will charge you to pee however it is never very much and the money goes to keeping the facilities clean and nice however that rule does not apply to Italy . (I think I paid one time around the equivalent of $2 American dollars to pee in a very dirty bathroom and they do not have toilet seats, it is just the bowl. It was truly frightening) Also they have hidden dining fees. Firstly they charge you for utensils. They also charge you to sit outside as well as a service fee of usually around 15%. Also they do not tell you this and they will try and hide that unless you come straight out and ask “Do you have a service fee??” And by service fee I do not mean the tip. I mean your food, utensils, service fee, then tip!! These were things that we had no idea about however now stating that I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about my feelings on Italy . I absolutely loved Italy and think that everyone should go and see the massive history there. It is just nice to know what you are in for. It is very exhausting, a definite culture shock for sure. *********** Venice – Everything that you think of when you think of Venice is true. It is fucking gorgeous and like a dream. The weather was amazing when we went, I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day. You can walk the whole island in like 20 minutes and we circled it many times. We went to a lace school and purchased a Venetian table cloth and napkins for my mom and saw a glass blower work and make a beautiful piece of art. We then did the cliché canal ride which was beyond compare. It was so much fun and you could bring whatever you wanted on the gondola with you so we bought an original bottle of Bellini (the peach drink that is now sold at Olive Garden was invented in Venice by a man named….. you guessed it something Bellini!!) and took that with us to drink. The city is so gorgeous that it almost looks fake. I ate gelato pretty much three times a day when I was in Italy and had to have pizza!! We did a lot of people watching and just meandering around the city. We then had an amazing Venice dinner that consisted of many different courses of pasta and seafood and salad and a lot of wine. Rome – Oh Geez!! So much and there can never really be enough time! We started with a huge tour around the city taking in the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Venezia. I drank out of the Trevi Fountain – which was delicious and said to bring you fertility!! We then went into a crypt that a priest had made hundreds of years ago out of deceased priests body parts. It was very eerie. Every piece of bone was used to make very beautiful and hauntingly creepy mosaics that lined everything from the walls, ceilings, floors, everything. There was not a bare wall in the place. We then went into the Pantheon and saw first hand the amazing architectural abilities of the Romans. We took in so many churches and shrines in Europe and in Italy in general that it is hard to keep them all straight. We checked out the Colosseum at night and walked the first ever street made in the world. Also popped in on the Pope (well not really he was traveling at the time) in Vatican City at night and ate outside on the side streets of Rome . In the morning we got a private guided tour inside ‘Old Rome’ and inside of the Colossuem. Old Rome is like 10 feet below the street level of New Rome because they just believe on building on top of the city. That is why the subway for Italy only runs around the city because anywhere they go to dig in the center of the city they are just going to end up excavating the previous Rome . Then we actually went to the Vatican and walked through the city as well as the church where the Pope presides, saw the tombs of all the old Popes. saw St. Peters Basilica, and saw the Sistine Chapel!! Also we visited the “Mouth of Truth” that is in Roman Holiday. You are supposed to put your hand in and think of something. If it is a lie it is supposed to bite your hand off. I still have my hand so all is well, however our feet hurt so bad from walking the city to try and see everything that it felt like they had been bit. I am sure I am forgetting something really momentous but oh well. On our way to Florence we stopped in Pisa . Nothing really in Pisa except that one leaning tower!! So of course we acted like stupid American tourist and did the obligatory pictures such as the holding the tower up, leaning against the tower, heaving the tower on your back and some people even did the leaning tower of penis. Propping it just so to where it looks very impressive. I tried to get Jaron to do it but he wouldn’t. I also purchased a very cute purple bogus Prada purse from some African/Italian counterfeit gangsters. I was able to get them down a lot too, they wanted 50 Euros and I got them down to 20 Euros! But by doing the simple act of purchasing I was then mobbed by about another 20 or so selling various shit. Florence – Here was the only time that it rained on our trip. And it wasn’t just a little rain. It was a lot of rain. It soaked through my waterproof Columbia jacket and proceed to get everyone as wet as possible. Again we turned to gypsies for needed umbrellas and went along with our day. This also happened to be the day of our mandatory group picture that was outside. We were all soaked. We did however check out a Florence leather company ( Florence is now for its amazing leather) to try and stay dry. Because it was raining the lines to get into museums were horrendous. We waited to see the statue of David outside for probably two hours. It was however worth it. The statue is amazing and also a lot bigger then I had expected. In more ways then one ;) We then took in some amazing views of the city on our way through the Tuscan Hills for our Tuscan dinner where we got serenaded by two Italian opera singers and were also forced to dance by some of our tour mates.You know who you are. Lucerne – This was a nice rest from the crazy hussle and bussle of Italy . Switzerland is very clean, orderly, and polite. It was a nice change. The Swiss are very into three things. Chocolate – Watches – & Swiss Army Knives. You can find stores for these 3 things everywhere!! The chocolate is amazing, the watches blow your mind, and they are not messing around with those knives. You are prepared for anything and then some. We just kind of wandered around. We took in some Swiss Fondue and a show which was cool and Jaron was forced to get up on stage and blow one of those huge horns from the Ricola commercials. Apparently it is harder then it looks. His prize……. A Ricola! Then a man dressed in a cow costume came out and ran through the crowds. It was odd, but fun. Paris – Another amazing city. We got in and promptly went around all the major sites such as Napoleons tomb, the Arc de Triomphe, The Eiffel Tower, and the Champs Elysees . Later on in the evening a big group of us went back to the Eiffel Tower and waited so that we could go up it in the night. It is truly beautiful at night and very glittery and romantic. It is a hell of a lot higher then I thought and even for me who does not have a huge fear of heights it was still pretty scary. In the morning we got up early and headed to the Louvre via the subway and underground entrance. I almost had a drunken Parisian fall on me but somehow made it. I ran to see the Mona Lisa as soon as the museum opened and got to enjoy that without a huge crowd of people. We then just meandered through and took in the crazy opulence of the royal palace that is now the Louvre. Checked out the gravesite of Jim Morrison of ‘The Doors’ as well as Oscar Wilde’s gravesite and Chopin. The cemetery was really old and creepy and some looked as though they had been graved robbed. However it was ironically enough very beautiful and comforting. We then headed back and got ready for our dinner show at the Moulin Rouge. There are no words for this show. It was amazing and vibrant and just plain incredible. At one point a see through tank of water comes up through the stage and a scantily clad girl dances inside the water with a huge cobra!! A great way to end the tour. New York City - Then we headed back to the US but had an overnight stay in NYC. I almost threw up in the back of a taxi from all the stop and go craziness. My friend Aimee graciously put us up at her place and pointed us on the right subway so Jaron could see the Statue of Liberty. We got there first thing in the morning and went inside the statue. It was cool because I was unable to do that when I went in 2003 with Ali & Christine. It was so windy however that we could lean forward and the wind would hold us up. In NYC I was happy to again be able to have Starbucks and all Jaron wanted to do was have some NYC street pizza. We also stumbled upon a protest that was going in front of Wall Street in regards to all the bonuses CEO’s got even though their companies had received bailouts. So that was unexpected. Then off again to be home. amsterdam, berlin, europe, florence, london, lucerne, munich, new, paris, prague, rome, venice, york nonadult false Europe - A Recap text blog amsterdam,berlin,europe,florence,london,lucerne,munich,new,paris,prague,rome,venice,york 65 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7966914&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_4406355_21864_7966914_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1454722 7966914 Member 5473 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_A-Weekend-in-St-Augustine-A-Historic-Gem-in-Northeastern-Florida/BLOG/1449511/21864.html Before “diving in” (pun intended) to describing my new favorite beach town, I’d like to share the update that several items listed in the “20 Ideas for Saving Money” post qualified as winning ideas for the local contest sponsored by frugal-columnist Ms. Cheap at the Tennessean, Nashville's daily newspaper.  I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cheap last Monday at a brown bag lunch session where she announced the contest winners, who each happily received a signed copy of her new book, 99 Things to Save Money in Your Household Budget.  Ms. Cheap would certainly have approved of the frugal, excellent long weekend Adam and I took in Florida the weekend before – in which we drove from Nashville, stayed with friends, and avoided the expensive theme parks for two days of sun, swimming, grilling, and exploring (and of course, in my case, preparing homemade nectarine salsa and Carolina cole slaw to add some flair to the cookout).  One of the highlights of the weekend was the day we spent in St. Augustine, meeting friends at Anastasia State Park.   [image] This was my second time to St. Augustine, but my first time to this particular beach – a private beach with $8.00 per car fee, but well worth the cost for the natural, clean, and minimal-tourist experience.  The water was warm, the white sand was soft, and the waves were perfect for bodysurfing, football, frisbee-throwing, and catching rays.  The facilities were particularly convenient, with outdoor sand showers, picnic tables, and a convenience store where I was able to find a pair of sunglasses, and Adam a pair of swim shorts, both quite nice, at the last minute and at a decent price. [image] After a day at the beach, we were starving, and headed to the historic downtown St. Augustine to A1A Aleworks Brewery & Restaurant for some local brew and a meal on the second-level patio overlooking Matanzas Bay.  The restaurant, describes itself as a working brewery serving "New World Cuisine featuring Caribbean, Cuban and Floridian influences,” was everything I had anticipated.  We ordered a sampler flight of 2-oz. beers that we happily sipped, watching the sun set, with a basket of warm bread on the house.  Although we were not in lobster country, I was too intrigued by the lobster tacos (off the appetizer menu) which turned out to be amazing. Although I’m usually one to plan my vacations meticulously to put together a combination of the absolute best street ambience, restaurants, scenic areas, and quaint architecture, I came upon St. Augustine completely by accident this past April while traveling in Florida for work.  After following up the winter with a particularly draining work schedule, I was yearning for relaxation and the beach, and St. Augustine was the closest to my location.  One evening after work I drove an hour to the coast, and once I entered the historic downtown, I was hooked.  I entered a world of Spanish architectural style, from the Cathedral of St. Augustine, to Flagler College, to the narrow, cobblestoned streets dotted with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants specializing in international dishes ranging from French pastry, to Polish pierogi, to fish and chips, to Mayan cuisine.  Deep into the town were historic structures, beautiful private residences and B&B’s.  [image] While the gulf-coast beach towns where I spent much of my youth had a laid-back, fishing-village, shanty-town feel (which is a great escape in its own right), St. Augustine offered more of a high-end atmosphere perfect for a more luxurious experience after a sun-drenched day, while having many diversions that were surprisingly affordable.  On my brief evening after work, I was entertained simply enjoying the street life while munching a pastry, peeking inside the Cathedral, and browsing the shops.  I made my only purchase at a store specializing in all things hot sauce, Hot Stuff Mon, I bought some specialty sauce made from locally-grown Datil peppers and an orange-and-Datil Minorcan spice mixture, which we are still enjoying here at home.  [image] I topped off my evening with dinner at Casa Maya for authentic Mayan cuisine (from bottom left, clockwise): Pork marinated in sour orange juice and axiote basted in mayan spices, black bean soup, candied plantains, tortillas, and Mayan rice.  Returning for a second time in September confirmed my newfound love for this jewel of a town in northeastern Florida, where I hope to return again soon to continue exploring the culinary delights, museums, and historic structures between lazy days at the beach.        Where to eat: A1A Aleworks Brewery & Restuarant, 1 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-2977 Casa Maya Organic Mayan Cuisine, 17 Hypolita Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-3039 Denoel French Pastry Shop, 212 Charlotte Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-3974 What to see and do: Anastasia State Park, 200 Anastasia Park Rd, St. Augustine, FL 32080, (904) 461-2033 Hot Stuff Mon, 34 Treasury Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 824-4944 Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (America’s Oldest Stone Fort), 1 S Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32084 Before “diving in” (pun intended) to describing my new favorite beach town, I’d like to share the update that several items listed in the “20 Ideas for Saving Money” post qualified as winning ideas for the local contest sponsored by frugal-columnist Ms. Cheap at the Tennessean, Nashville's daily newspaper.  I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cheap last Monday at a brown bag lunch session where she announced the contest winners, who each happily received a signed copy of her new book, 99 Things to Save Money in Your Household Budget.  Ms. Cheap would certainly have approved of the frugal, excellent long weekend Adam and I took in Florida the weekend before – in which we drove from Nashville, stayed with friends, and avoided the expensive theme parks for two days of sun, swimming, grilling, and exploring (and of course, in my case, preparing homemade nectarine salsa and Carolina cole slaw to add some flair to the cookout).  One of the highlights of the weekend was the day we spent in St. Augustine, meeting friends at Anastasia State Park.   [image] This was my second time to St. Augustine, but my first time to this particular beach – a private beach with $8.00 per car fee, but well worth the cost for the natural, clean, and minimal-tourist experience.  The water was warm, the white sand was soft, and the waves were perfect for bodysurfing, football, frisbee-throwing, and catching rays.  The facilities were particularly convenient, with outdoor sand showers, picnic tables, and a convenience store where I was able to find a pair of sunglasses, and Adam a pair of swim shorts, both quite nice, at the last minute and at a decent price. [image] After a day at the beach, we were starving, and headed to the historic downtown St. Augustine to A1A Aleworks Brewery & Restaurant for some local brew and a meal on the second-level patio overlooking Matanzas Bay.  The restaurant, describes itself as a working brewery serving "New World Cuisine featuring Caribbean, Cuban and Floridian influences,” was everything I had anticipated.  We ordered a sampler flight of 2-oz. beers that we happily sipped, watching the sun set, with a basket of warm bread on the house.  Although we were not in lobster country, I was too intrigued by the lobster tacos (off the appetizer menu) which turned out to be amazing. Although I’m usually one to plan my vacations meticulously to put together a combination of the absolute best street ambience, restaurants, scenic areas, and quaint architecture, I came upon St. Augustine completely by accident this past April while traveling in Florida for work.  After following up the winter with a particularly draining work schedule, I was yearning for relaxation and the beach, and St. Augustine was the closest to my location.  One evening after work I drove an hour to the coast, and once I entered the historic downtown, I was hooked.  I entered a world of Spanish architectural style, from the Cathedral of St. Augustine, to Flagler College, to the narrow, cobblestoned streets dotted with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants specializing in international dishes ranging from French pastry, to Polish pierogi, to fish and chips, to Mayan cuisine.  Deep into the town were historic structures, beautiful private residences and B&B’s.  [image] While the gulf-coast beach towns where I spent much of my youth had a laid-back, fishing-village, shanty-town feel (which is a great escape in its own right), St. Augustine offered more of a high-end atmosphere perfect for a more luxurious experience after a sun-drenched day, while having many diversions that were surprisingly affordable.  On my brief evening after work, I was entertained simply enjoying the street life while munching a pastry, peeking inside the Cathedral, and browsing the shops.  I made my only purchase at a store specializing in all things hot sauce, Hot Stuff Mon, I bought some specialty sauce made from locally-grown Datil peppers and an orange-and-Datil Minorcan spice mixture, which we are still enjoying here at home.  [image] I topped off my evening with dinner at Casa Maya for authentic Mayan cuisine (from bottom left, clockwise): Pork marinated in sour orange juice and axiote basted in mayan spices, black bean soup, candied plantains, tortillas, and Mayan rice.  Returning for a second time in September confirmed my newfound love for this jewel of a town in northeastern Florida, where I hope to return again soon to continue exploring the culinary delights, museums, and historic structures between lazy days at the beach.        Where to eat: A1A Aleworks Brewery & Restuarant, 1 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-2977 Casa Maya Organic Mayan Cuisine, 17 Hypolita Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-3039 Denoel French Pastry Shop, 212 Charlotte Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-3974 What to see and do: Anastasia State Park, 200 Anastasia Park Rd, St. Augustine, FL 32080, (904) 461-2033 Hot Stuff Mon, 34 Treasury Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 824-4944 Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (America’s Oldest Stone Fort), 1 S Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32084 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:29:14 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_A-Weekend-in-St-Augustine-A-Historic-Gem-in-Northeastern-Florida/BLOG/1449511/21864.html AmyCW 2009-10-31T03:29:14Z My Budget Travel Before “diving in” (pun intended) to describing my new favorite beach town, I’d like to share the update that several items listed in the “20 Ideas for Saving Money” post qualified as winning ideas for the local contest sponsored by frugal-columnist Ms. Cheap at the Tennessean, Nashville's daily newspaper.  I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Cheap last Monday at a brown bag lunch session where she announced the contest winners, who each happily received a signed copy of her new book, 99 Things to Save Money in Your Household Budget.  Ms. Cheap would certainly have approved of the frugal, excellent long weekend Adam and I took in Florida the weekend before – in which we drove from Nashville, stayed with friends, and avoided the expensive theme parks for two days of sun, swimming, grilling, and exploring (and of course, in my case, preparing homemade nectarine salsa and Carolina cole slaw to add some flair to the cookout).  One of the highlights of the weekend was the day we spent in St. Augustine, meeting friends at Anastasia State Park.   [image] This was my second time to St. Augustine, but my first time to this particular beach – a private beach with $8.00 per car fee, but well worth the cost for the natural, clean, and minimal-tourist experience.  The water was warm, the white sand was soft, and the waves were perfect for bodysurfing, football, frisbee-throwing, and catching rays.  The facilities were particularly convenient, with outdoor sand showers, picnic tables, and a convenience store where I was able to find a pair of sunglasses, and Adam a pair of swim shorts, both quite nice, at the last minute and at a decent price. [image] After a day at the beach, we were starving, and headed to the historic downtown St. Augustine to A1A Aleworks Brewery & Restaurant for some local brew and a meal on the second-level patio overlooking Matanzas Bay.  The restaurant, describes itself as a working brewery serving "New World Cuisine featuring Caribbean, Cuban and Floridian influences,” was everything I had anticipated.  We ordered a sampler flight of 2-oz. beers that we happily sipped, watching the sun set, with a basket of warm bread on the house.  Although we were not in lobster country, I was too intrigued by the lobster tacos (off the appetizer menu) which turned out to be amazing. Although I’m usually one to plan my vacations meticulously to put together a combination of the absolute best street ambience, restaurants, scenic areas, and quaint architecture, I came upon St. Augustine completely by accident this past April while traveling in Florida for work.  After following up the winter with a particularly draining work schedule, I was yearning for relaxation and the beach, and St. Augustine was the closest to my location.  One evening after work I drove an hour to the coast, and once I entered the historic downtown, I was hooked.  I entered a world of Spanish architectural style, from the Cathedral of St. Augustine, to Flagler College, to the narrow, cobblestoned streets dotted with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants specializing in international dishes ranging from French pastry, to Polish pierogi, to fish and chips, to Mayan cuisine.  Deep into the town were historic structures, beautiful private residences and B&B’s.  [image] While the gulf-coast beach towns where I spent much of my youth had a laid-back, fishing-village, shanty-town feel (which is a great escape in its own right), St. Augustine offered more of a high-end atmosphere perfect for a more luxurious experience after a sun-drenched day, while having many diversions that were surprisingly affordable.  On my brief evening after work, I was entertained simply enjoying the street life while munching a pastry, peeking inside the Cathedral, and browsing the shops.  I made my only purchase at a store specializing in all things hot sauce, Hot Stuff Mon, I bought some specialty sauce made from locally-grown Datil peppers and an orange-and-Datil Minorcan spice mixture, which we are still enjoying here at home.  [image] I topped off my evening with dinner at Casa Maya for authentic Mayan cuisine (from bottom left, clockwise): Pork marinated in sour orange juice and axiote basted in mayan spices, black bean soup, candied plantains, tortillas, and Mayan rice.  Returning for a second time in September confirmed my newfound love for this jewel of a town in northeastern Florida, where I hope to return again soon to continue exploring the culinary delights, museums, and historic structures between lazy days at the beach.        Where to eat: A1A Aleworks Brewery & Restuarant, 1 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-2977 Casa Maya Organic Mayan Cuisine, 17 Hypolita Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-3039 Denoel French Pastry Shop, 212 Charlotte Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 829-3974 What to see and do: Anastasia State Park, 200 Anastasia Park Rd, St. Augustine, FL 32080, (904) 461-2033 Hot Stuff Mon, 34 Treasury Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084, (904) 824-4944 Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (America’s Oldest Stone Fort), 1 S Castillo Dr, St. Augustine, FL 32084 , augustine, beach, brewery, castillo, florida, fort, park, st., state nonadult false A Weekend in St. Augustine: A Historic Gem in Northeastern Florida text blog ,augustine,beach,brewery,castillo,florida,fort,park,st.,state 55 1 5.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13176514&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_5546944_21864_13176514_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 1449511 13176514 Member 4526 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Lumpini-Thai-Boxing-Stadium-Bangkok/BLOG/1446327/21864.html /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The monsoon downpour ends just before we hop out of the cab. We pay our 85 baht, thank the driver and step onto a blackened cement sidewalk where the air is heavy, almost suffocating in its heat and humidity. We can already smell the stench of stale sweat and struggle, before we even reach the stadium. We walk past some dingy diseased dogs, food vendors, and Tuk Tuk drivers where we're stopped by the ticket touts near the entrance. We try to walk past because I want to buy the cheap tickets for the back of the stadium, where the energy is a blaze and the betting a fever. That is where I'll make my fortune. The touts try and convince you that the inexpensive seats are sold out and then you have to fork over the high-end Baht for ringside seats, and the chance of winning your cash back with some good old-fashioned gambling goes down the drain. "1500 Baht, Ringside." They say as we scramble through the crowd of street dogs and noodle stalls. "Nope, 500 Baht, standing, with the old men betting in the back," I respond. They try again so I say the same thing and they shrug and let us pass to the ticket booth. There's three signs. The first one is the worst, it reads: 2,000 Baht- Ringside. The next: 1,500 Baht- Standing. And the kicker: 200 Baht- Thai Only. Wait a second. What about the 500 Baht deal I was told about? With the gamblers? In the back? standing? A fortune...No? "No". They confirm at the counter. We turn around and there's the tout with a big happy grin on his face, a stack of tickets in hand. Dammit. 1500 Baht later and we're sitting two rows back, the reedy Muay Thai music singing out its trance-nerve screech song on the other side of the ring while two fighters batter each other with their fists inside the ropes. Lumpini stadium is grit and sweat. Mixed with blood. Most of it old and dried on the canvas but with fresh sprinkles from tonight's fights. It's a mass of hardened stained cement, cigarette smoke, Chang beer, a piercingly loud audience, and of course, some brutal fights. The bell rings and the first fight ends in an unanimous decision; The guy with a crimson flood flowing from the cut above his eye looses. The crowd is wild. I can't believe we're finally here and I look over to see the same excitement on Brittany's face, except it isn't quite there, she looks sleepy, her eyes blink closed slowly. The music begins again and two new fighters visit all corners of the ring and start their Ram Muay. The first rounds in a Muay Thai fight are generally slow, each fighter sizing up the other before firing off their canons. Britt's eyes droop a bit. Some more blinks. A yawn. The later rounds set ablaze the entire stadium. Become more and more energized and furious as they throw knees and kicks, fire off straight rights, hooks and clench. The crowd responds in kind. I have never heard an audience so loud. With each knee, elbow, kick, and punch they respond with a chorus of "Hoo!" "Zyah!" and "Oh-Way!" Growing in volume as the fights intensify. The fighter in blue push-kicks his opponent in red in the face. "Zyah!" they all respond, then he gets popped with a left hook and a round kick. Zyah! Oh-Way! Everyone's screaming. Britt's head sags and then she shakes the sleep away and her eyes open for a second. Another yawn. Red controls the clench and is landing knees, one after another to Blue's ribs. A Knee. Hoo! Another Knee. Hoo!. Knee. Hoo! Knee. Hoo! Oh-Way! And the fighter in blue drops to the canvas. Here come Britt's eyes, opening briefly. After an eight count the fighters are back at it and Britt's head slumps forward, eyes sealed shut. Red comes in to take advantage, he clenches, throws more knees again and again and his opponent can't stop them. He gets thrown back hard and smashed in the chin by an elbow. This time he hits the floor even harder. And it's done. He's knocked out cold and carelessly thrown onto a rickety wooden backboard where his arms dangle over the sides limply. The crowd is berserk. They rush the fighter out of the stadium while the other's arms are raised high in victory. My palms are wet with adrenaline. We all have fire in our eyes. And Britt's asleep on my shoulder... It's a good thing I didn't get my cheap tickets with the old men betting in the back. For the fortune I sought to gain would have become a cash drought, Thai Baht evaporating from my pockets like dew drops in a parched desert. I kept a mental log throughout the night of who I would have put my money on and I would have kissed my cash goodbye every time. I left the stadium that night with a new-found appreciation for the Thai national sport, and an energy in my bones that I've not felt in years.   /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The monsoon downpour ends just before we hop out of the cab. We pay our 85 baht, thank the driver and step onto a blackened cement sidewalk where the air is heavy, almost suffocating in its heat and humidity. We can already smell the stench of stale sweat and struggle, before we even reach the stadium. We walk past some dingy diseased dogs, food vendors, and Tuk Tuk drivers where we're stopped by the ticket touts near the entrance. We try to walk past because I want to buy the cheap tickets for the back of the stadium, where the energy is a blaze and the betting a fever. That is where I'll make my fortune. The touts try and convince you that the inexpensive seats are sold out and then you have to fork over the high-end Baht for ringside seats, and the chance of winning your cash back with some good old-fashioned gambling goes down the drain. "1500 Baht, Ringside." They say as we scramble through the crowd of street dogs and noodle stalls. "Nope, 500 Baht, standing, with the old men betting in the back," I respond. They try again so I say the same thing and they shrug and let us pass to the ticket booth. There's three signs. The first one is the worst, it reads: 2,000 Baht- Ringside. The next: 1,500 Baht- Standing. And the kicker: 200 Baht- Thai Only. Wait a second. What about the 500 Baht deal I was told about? With the gamblers? In the back? standing? A fortune...No? "No". They confirm at the counter. We turn around and there's the tout with a big happy grin on his face, a stack of tickets in hand. Dammit. 1500 Baht later and we're sitting two rows back, the reedy Muay Thai music singing out its trance-nerve screech song on the other side of the ring while two fighters batter each other with their fists inside the ropes. Lumpini stadium is grit and sweat. Mixed with blood. Most of it old and dried on the canvas but with fresh sprinkles from tonight's fights. It's a mass of hardened stained cement, cigarette smoke, Chang beer, a piercingly loud audience, and of course, some brutal fights. The bell rings and the first fight ends in an unanimous decision; The guy with a crimson flood flowing from the cut above his eye looses. The crowd is wild. I can't believe we're finally here and I look over to see the same excitement on Brittany's face, except it isn't quite there, she looks sleepy, her eyes blink closed slowly. The music begins again and two new fighters visit all corners of the ring and start their Ram Muay. The first rounds in a Muay Thai fight are generally slow, each fighter sizing up the other before firing off their canons. Britt's eyes droop a bit. Some more blinks. A yawn. The later rounds set ablaze the entire stadium. Become more and more energized and furious as they throw knees and kicks, fire off straight rights, hooks and clench. The crowd responds in kind. I have never heard an audience so loud. With each knee, elbow, kick, and punch they respond with a chorus of "Hoo!" "Zyah!" and "Oh-Way!" Growing in volume as the fights intensify. The fighter in blue push-kicks his opponent in red in the face. "Zyah!" they all respond, then he gets popped with a left hook and a round kick. Zyah! Oh-Way! Everyone's screaming. Britt's head sags and then she shakes the sleep away and her eyes open for a second. Another yawn. Red controls the clench and is landing knees, one after another to Blue's ribs. A Knee. Hoo! Another Knee. Hoo!. Knee. Hoo! Knee. Hoo! Oh-Way! And the fighter in blue drops to the canvas. Here come Britt's eyes, opening briefly. After an eight count the fighters are back at it and Britt's head slumps forward, eyes sealed shut. Red comes in to take advantage, he clenches, throws more knees again and again and his opponent can't stop them. He gets thrown back hard and smashed in the chin by an elbow. This time he hits the floor even harder. And it's done. He's knocked out cold and carelessly thrown onto a rickety wooden backboard where his arms dangle over the sides limply. The crowd is berserk. They rush the fighter out of the stadium while the other's arms are raised high in victory. My palms are wet with adrenaline. We all have fire in our eyes. And Britt's asleep on my shoulder... It's a good thing I didn't get my cheap tickets with the old men betting in the back. For the fortune I sought to gain would have become a cash drought, Thai Baht evaporating from my pockets like dew drops in a parched desert. I kept a mental log throughout the night of who I would have put my money on and I would have kissed my cash goodbye every time. I left the stadium that night with a new-found appreciation for the Thai national sport, and an energy in my bones that I've not felt in years.   Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:50:55 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Lumpini-Thai-Boxing-Stadium-Bangkok/BLOG/1446327/21864.html bryanschatz 2009-10-29T10:50:55Z My Budget Travel /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The monsoon downpour ends just before we hop out of the cab. We pay our 85 baht, thank the driver and step onto a blackened cement sidewalk where the air is heavy, almost suffocating in its heat and humidity. We can already smell the stench of stale sweat and struggle, before we even reach the stadium. We walk past some dingy diseased dogs, food vendors, and Tuk Tuk drivers where we're stopped by the ticket touts near the entrance. We try to walk past because I want to buy the cheap tickets for the back of the stadium, where the energy is a blaze and the betting a fever. That is where I'll make my fortune. The touts try and convince you that the inexpensive seats are sold out and then you have to fork over the high-end Baht for ringside seats, and the chance of winning your cash back with some good old-fashioned gambling goes down the drain. "1500 Baht, Ringside." They say as we scramble through the crowd of street dogs and noodle stalls. "Nope, 500 Baht, standing, with the old men betting in the back," I respond. They try again so I say the same thing and they shrug and let us pass to the ticket booth. There's three signs. The first one is the worst, it reads: 2,000 Baht- Ringside. The next: 1,500 Baht- Standing. And the kicker: 200 Baht- Thai Only. Wait a second. What about the 500 Baht deal I was told about? With the gamblers? In the back? standing? A fortune...No? "No". They confirm at the counter. We turn around and there's the tout with a big happy grin on his face, a stack of tickets in hand. Dammit. 1500 Baht later and we're sitting two rows back, the reedy Muay Thai music singing out its trance-nerve screech song on the other side of the ring while two fighters batter each other with their fists inside the ropes. Lumpini stadium is grit and sweat. Mixed with blood. Most of it old and dried on the canvas but with fresh sprinkles from tonight's fights. It's a mass of hardened stained cement, cigarette smoke, Chang beer, a piercingly loud audience, and of course, some brutal fights. The bell rings and the first fight ends in an unanimous decision; The guy with a crimson flood flowing from the cut above his eye looses. The crowd is wild. I can't believe we're finally here and I look over to see the same excitement on Brittany's face, except it isn't quite there, she looks sleepy, her eyes blink closed slowly. The music begins again and two new fighters visit all corners of the ring and start their Ram Muay. The first rounds in a Muay Thai fight are generally slow, each fighter sizing up the other before firing off their canons. Britt's eyes droop a bit. Some more blinks. A yawn. The later rounds set ablaze the entire stadium. Become more and more energized and furious as they throw knees and kicks, fire off straight rights, hooks and clench. The crowd responds in kind. I have never heard an audience so loud. With each knee, elbow, kick, and punch they respond with a chorus of "Hoo!" "Zyah!" and "Oh-Way!" Growing in volume as the fights intensify. The fighter in blue push-kicks his opponent in red in the face. "Zyah!" they all respond, then he gets popped with a left hook and a round kick. Zyah! Oh-Way! Everyone's screaming. Britt's head sags and then she shakes the sleep away and her eyes open for a second. Another yawn. Red controls the clench and is landing knees, one after another to Blue's ribs. A Knee. Hoo! Another Knee. Hoo!. Knee. Hoo! Knee. Hoo! Oh-Way! And the fighter in blue drops to the canvas. Here come Britt's eyes, opening briefly. After an eight count the fighters are back at it and Britt's head slumps forward, eyes sealed shut. Red comes in to take advantage, he clenches, throws more knees again and again and his opponent can't stop them. He gets thrown back hard and smashed in the chin by an elbow. This time he hits the floor even harder. And it's done. He's knocked out cold and carelessly thrown onto a rickety wooden backboard where his arms dangle over the sides limply. The crowd is berserk. They rush the fighter out of the stadium while the other's arms are raised high in victory. My palms are wet with adrenaline. We all have fire in our eyes. And Britt's asleep on my shoulder... It's a good thing I didn't get my cheap tickets with the old men betting in the back. For the fortune I sought to gain would have become a cash drought, Thai Baht evaporating from my pockets like dew drops in a parched desert. I kept a mental log throughout the night of who I would have put my money on and I would have kissed my cash goodbye every time. I left the stadium that night with a new-found appreciation for the Thai national sport, and an energy in my bones that I've not felt in years.   cheap, culture, fight, muay, thai, thailand, travel, tuk-tuk nonadult false Lumpini Thai Boxing Stadium, Bangkok text blog cheap,culture,fight,muay,thai,thailand,travel,tuk-tuk 96 11 4.6363635 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13955908&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_6305304_21864_13955908_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1446327 13955908 Member 1682 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Bargains-at-National-Parks/BLOG/1443839/21864.html We spent the a couple of weeks or so going through Yosemite Park, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore this summer. Our national parks are wonderful, beautiful and accessible. As a senior the best value for getting into the parks is a ten dollar lifetime senior pass. This pass lets everyone in the car enter all national parks. The views in Yosemite are amazing with waterfalls and majestic vistas. Of course the Tetons stand out in their snow covered peaks. Yellowstone with its wildlife makes you keep your eyes peeled at all times. Mount Rushmore with all of its viewing places upgraded is also enduring. Try the national parks and enjoy. We spent the a couple of weeks or so going through Yosemite Park, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore this summer. Our national parks are wonderful, beautiful and accessible. As a senior the best value for getting into the parks is a ten dollar lifetime senior pass. This pass lets everyone in the car enter all national parks. The views in Yosemite are amazing with waterfalls and majestic vistas. Of course the Tetons stand out in their snow covered peaks. Yellowstone with its wildlife makes you keep your eyes peeled at all times. Mount Rushmore with all of its viewing places upgraded is also enduring. Try the national parks and enjoy. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:38:04 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Bargains-at-National-Parks/BLOG/1443839/21864.html jcjlkrebs 2009-10-27T23:38:04Z My Budget Travel We spent the a couple of weeks or so going through Yosemite Park, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore this summer. Our national parks are wonderful, beautiful and accessible. As a senior the best value for getting into the parks is a ten dollar lifetime senior pass. This pass lets everyone in the car enter all national parks. The views in Yosemite are amazing with waterfalls and majestic vistas. Of course the Tetons stand out in their snow covered peaks. Yellowstone with its wildlife makes you keep your eyes peeled at all times. Mount Rushmore with all of its viewing places upgraded is also enduring. Try the national parks and enjoy. grand, mount, national, parks, rushmore, tetons, yellowstone, yosmite nonadult false Bargains at National Parks text blog grand,mount,national,parks,rushmore,tetons,yellowstone,yosmite 89 1 5.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=8868548&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_4646559_21864_8868548_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1443839 8868548 SuperMember 40214 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Mexico-2009/BLOG/1397988/21864.html I just returned from a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas.  This ship is absolutely lovely.  I enjoyed every minute of my time on board.  The ports we visited were Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.  We were supposed to stop in Cabo first but, thanks to Tropical Storm Patricia, we went to Mazatlan first.  The beaches in Mazatlan are beautiful to say the least but the drive through the city was, well um, not so much.  Let's just say I've been to cleaner, more inviting places.  Next was Puerto Vallarta.  It was nice there but nothing much to write home about if you get my meaning.  I was able to swim with dolphins there which was a great experience!  Finally, our last stop was Cabo.  Ah, Cabo!  We pulled into the marina at about 7:00 a.m. and I couldn't help but think how "sparkly" everything looked.  That's a strange word to use in describing a place I know but it's what came to mind.  I took a boat tour of Land's End and Los Arcos and it was beautiful to say the least.  I'd always seen pictures of it on television and in travel brochures and magazines but to see it up close left me speechless.  It's much more beautiful in person.  I'm so glad I went.  The whole cruise experience was a lot more than I expected.  I was pleasantly surprised by everything from the service of the crew on board to all the different activities there were to do on and off the ship.  If I had to do it all over again, I would.  In a heartbeat! I just returned from a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas.  This ship is absolutely lovely.  I enjoyed every minute of my time on board.  The ports we visited were Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.  We were supposed to stop in Cabo first but, thanks to Tropical Storm Patricia, we went to Mazatlan first.  The beaches in Mazatlan are beautiful to say the least but the drive through the city was, well um, not so much.  Let's just say I've been to cleaner, more inviting places.  Next was Puerto Vallarta.  It was nice there but nothing much to write home about if you get my meaning.  I was able to swim with dolphins there which was a great experience!  Finally, our last stop was Cabo.  Ah, Cabo!  We pulled into the marina at about 7:00 a.m. and I couldn't help but think how "sparkly" everything looked.  That's a strange word to use in describing a place I know but it's what came to mind.  I took a boat tour of Land's End and Los Arcos and it was beautiful to say the least.  I'd always seen pictures of it on television and in travel brochures and magazines but to see it up close left me speechless.  It's much more beautiful in person.  I'm so glad I went.  The whole cruise experience was a lot more than I expected.  I was pleasantly surprised by everything from the service of the crew on board to all the different activities there were to do on and off the ship.  If I had to do it all over again, I would.  In a heartbeat! Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:10:50 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Mexico-2009/BLOG/1397988/21864.html DreamGirl65 2009-10-24T06:10:50Z My Budget Travel I just returned from a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas.  This ship is absolutely lovely.  I enjoyed every minute of my time on board.  The ports we visited were Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas.  We were supposed to stop in Cabo first but, thanks to Tropical Storm Patricia, we went to Mazatlan first.  The beaches in Mazatlan are beautiful to say the least but the drive through the city was, well um, not so much.  Let's just say I've been to cleaner, more inviting places.  Next was Puerto Vallarta.  It was nice there but nothing much to write home about if you get my meaning.  I was able to swim with dolphins there which was a great experience!  Finally, our last stop was Cabo.  Ah, Cabo!  We pulled into the marina at about 7:00 a.m. and I couldn't help but think how "sparkly" everything looked.  That's a strange word to use in describing a place I know but it's what came to mind.  I took a boat tour of Land's End and Los Arcos and it was beautiful to say the least.  I'd always seen pictures of it on television and in travel brochures and magazines but to see it up close left me speechless.  It's much more beautiful in person.  I'm so glad I went.  The whole cruise experience was a lot more than I expected.  I was pleasantly surprised by everything from the service of the crew on board to all the different activities there were to do on and off the ship.  If I had to do it all over again, I would.  In a heartbeat! beautiful, cabo, lucas, mexico, san nonadult false Mexico 2009 text blog beautiful,cabo,lucas,mexico,san 76 1 3.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13837812&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_6234227_21864_13837812_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 1397988 13837812 Member 1507 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_New-Yorkers-in-Florence-Italy/BLOG/1293610/21864.html            The restaurant was perfect: small, romantic, and in Italy.  The bread was warm, the third bottle of Chianti was as good as the first, and the occasional clinking of the dishes in the kitchen with the hushed sounds of Italian lulled Michael, my husband, and me into a dream like state.             Then, like a cement truck screeching to a halt, came a loud shrill two tables away from us.             “Bernie, how much was dinnah in American dollahs?”             Loud, irritating, ear piercing, and yes, definitely from New York.   She ruined it!  She ruined my Italian moment!             Bernie’s tone was no less bearable.             “Jesus, Sylvia.  Why can’t you ever remember?  A buck and a half for each Euro.”             I looked up from my plate, bulged my eyes and tightened my jaw.  That’s always a warning to my husband that I am about to take matters into my own hands.  He looked at me with that please-don’t-say-anything look.  I shoved a few gnocchi and a chunk of bread into my mouth, and guzzled two glasses of wine to keep from saying anything to them.  But Michael and I knew it was a lost cause.  There was no stopping me.  I wanted to say,             “Bernie, Sylvia, shut up! You’re giving Americans a bad name.”             Before I could confront them however, their friends Stan and Rose, who were seated next to them, chimed in.             “Bernie, don’t tip extra.  Did you see the size of the coffee cup?  Couldn’t even wet my lips.”             More shrills, more penetrating squeals.  It was all too typical.  But I was in Italy, on vacation, and yes, perhaps a little inebriated, so I chose to be pleasant.             “Hey Sylvia, what’s good for dessert,” I asked.             Boy, was I sorry. We, as well as the waiter, the bartender, and the dishwasher in the back of the restaurant, all learned that they were from Queens.  Rose cautioned me about the store owner down the street who hates Americans, while Bernie and Stan told Michael about how the Italian taxi cabs ripped them off.  Michael and I just stared at each other.  We left New York in 1992 and found it, in Italy, in 2007.             The next morning we decided to have the breakfast buffet at the hotel.  I was pouring myself a cup of orange juice when, no, it couldn’t be.             “Stan, that’s your third cup of cauffee.”             “Eah, leave me the hell alone Roe. I’m on vacation. How many times I gotta tell ‘ya?”             Apparently he had to tell her and everyone in the restaurant.  And believe me he did not need another jolt of caffeine.             I tried to duck out of the restaurant.  I hadn’t yet recovered from last night’s encounter.             “Mornin’ honey.  Sylvia, look who’s here,” shrilled Rose.             Sylvia ran over from her table with a terrified look on her face.             “Martine, stay away from the bagels.  The Italians don’t know from bagels.”             She gave the passing waiter a look that warned, don’t mess with New Yorkers, buddy.  The waiter gave me a disapproving look.  Just minutes before he smiled at me because I said, “Have a nice day” in Italian.  And now, oh God! How do you say, “They’re not my friends, I don’t really know them?”             “And the eggs.  They’re orange,” added Rose. “What kind of mashuguna chickens lay orange eggs?”             Rose plopped a huge slice of cantaloupe on my plate.             “The cantaloupes are to die for, like buttah.  And have a nice piece of whole wheat.  By the way, they have some nice cottage cheese but it’s in the back.  You have to ask for it.”             She pointed to the kitchen.  Through the kitchen door window, I saw the chef, staring at her,  holding a huge, very sharp butcher knife.             “Sylvia, go get her some,” Rose offered.  “They know her here already.”             “No s**t,” I thought.             “Come on, girls.  Our driva’s here.”  Bernie to the rescue.             “Bye, honey.  We gotta go.”             I poured out my orange juice and had a cup of Chamomile tea, the calming blend.             The next day Michael and I went to see David by Michelangelo.  What a sight!  Something no one would ever expect. I couldn’t believe my eyes.  No, not the statue.  Quietly standing in the corner was Sylvia, Bernie, Rose, and Stan admiring  Michelangelo’s masterpiece!             They may have been quiet but oh, they still stood out.  Stan was wearing his “I heart NY” tee-shirt with orange, blue, and green plaid shorts, and Rose was wearing her flowered travel outfit, you know the one that breathes and never wrinkles.  Bernie had on his favorite Hawaiian shirt with the hula dancers and tropical drinks with tiny umbrellas, and Sylvia was showing off the fuchsia polyester pant suit that she bought just for this occasion.  They could be quiet but they would not be missed.             While everyone else was staring at David, I was staring at them.  Sylvia leaned in to Bernie and whispered into his ear.  Bernie nodded and smiled.  Stan reached over and held Rose’s hand.  A couple moved right in front of Rose and blocked her view.  She said nothing and waited for them to have their fill of the statue from that angle.  They stood in awe of the sculpture and I stood in awe of them.  In silence, they left and as they passed, they smiled at me and nodded their heads.             The next day, after touring the Duomo, the cathedral in Florence, Michael and I found a little restaurant.  It was a dark, quiet one, tucked away down a side street.  We walked in and there they were.             “Sylvia, Roe! Hi!  Did you see the Duomo?” I squealed loudly.             Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw a woman shove a gnocchi in her mouth.            The restaurant was perfect: small, romantic, and in Italy.  The bread was warm, the third bottle of Chianti was as good as the first, and the occasional clinking of the dishes in the kitchen with the hushed sounds of Italian lulled Michael, my husband, and me into a dream like state.             Then, like a cement truck screeching to a halt, came a loud shrill two tables away from us.             “Bernie, how much was dinnah in American dollahs?”             Loud, irritating, ear piercing, and yes, definitely from New York.   She ruined it!  She ruined my Italian moment!             Bernie’s tone was no less bearable.             “Jesus, Sylvia.  Why can’t you ever remember?  A buck and a half for each Euro.”             I looked up from my plate, bulged my eyes and tightened my jaw.  That’s always a warning to my husband that I am about to take matters into my own hands.  He looked at me with that please-don’t-say-anything look.  I shoved a few gnocchi and a chunk of bread into my mouth, and guzzled two glasses of wine to keep from saying anything to them.  But Michael and I knew it was a lost cause.  There was no stopping me.  I wanted to say,             “Bernie, Sylvia, shut up! You’re giving Americans a bad name.”             Before I could confront them however, their friends Stan and Rose, who were seated next to them, chimed in.             “Bernie, don’t tip extra.  Did you see the size of the coffee cup?  Couldn’t even wet my lips.”             More shrills, more penetrating squeals.  It was all too typical.  But I was in Italy, on vacation, and yes, perhaps a little inebriated, so I chose to be pleasant.             “Hey Sylvia, what’s good for dessert,” I asked.             Boy, was I sorry. We, as well as the waiter, the bartender, and the dishwasher in the back of the restaurant, all learned that they were from Queens.  Rose cautioned me about the store owner down the street who hates Americans, while Bernie and Stan told Michael about how the Italian taxi cabs ripped them off.  Michael and I just stared at each other.  We left New York in 1992 and found it, in Italy, in 2007.             The next morning we decided to have the breakfast buffet at the hotel.  I was pouring myself a cup of orange juice when, no, it couldn’t be.             “Stan, that’s your third cup of cauffee.”             “Eah, leave me the hell alone Roe. I’m on vacation. How many times I gotta tell ‘ya?”             Apparently he had to tell her and everyone in the restaurant.  And believe me he did not need another jolt of caffeine.             I tried to duck out of the restaurant.  I hadn’t yet recovered from last night’s encounter.             “Mornin’ honey.  Sylvia, look who’s here,” shrilled Rose.             Sylvia ran over from her table with a terrified look on her face.             “Martine, stay away from the bagels.  The Italians don’t know from bagels.”             She gave the passing waiter a look that warned, don’t mess with New Yorkers, buddy.  The waiter gave me a disapproving look.  Just minutes before he smiled at me because I said, “Have a nice day” in Italian.  And now, oh God! How do you say, “They’re not my friends, I don’t really know them?”             “And the eggs.  They’re orange,” added Rose. “What kind of mashuguna chickens lay orange eggs?”             Rose plopped a huge slice of cantaloupe on my plate.             “The cantaloupes are to die for, like buttah.  And have a nice piece of whole wheat.  By the way, they have some nice cottage cheese but it’s in the back.  You have to ask for it.”             She pointed to the kitchen.  Through the kitchen door window, I saw the chef, staring at her,  holding a huge, very sharp butcher knife.             “Sylvia, go get her some,” Rose offered.  “They know her here already.”             “No s**t,” I thought.             “Come on, girls.  Our driva’s here.”  Bernie to the rescue.             “Bye, honey.  We gotta go.”             I poured out my orange juice and had a cup of Chamomile tea, the calming blend.             The next day Michael and I went to see David by Michelangelo.  What a sight!  Something no one would ever expect. I couldn’t believe my eyes.  No, not the statue.  Quietly standing in the corner was Sylvia, Bernie, Rose, and Stan admiring  Michelangelo’s masterpiece!             They may have been quiet but oh, they still stood out.  Stan was wearing his “I heart NY” tee-shirt with orange, blue, and green plaid shorts, and Rose was wearing her flowered travel outfit, you know the one that breathes and never wrinkles.  Bernie had on his favorite Hawaiian shirt with the hula dancers and tropical drinks with tiny umbrellas, and Sylvia was showing off the fuchsia polyester pant suit that she bought just for this occasion.  They could be quiet but they would not be missed.             While everyone else was staring at David, I was staring at them.  Sylvia leaned in to Bernie and whispered into his ear.  Bernie nodded and smiled.  Stan reached over and held Rose’s hand.  A couple moved right in front of Rose and blocked her view.  She said nothing and waited for them to have their fill of the statue from that angle.  They stood in awe of the sculpture and I stood in awe of them.  In silence, they left and as they passed, they smiled at me and nodded their heads.             The next day, after touring the Duomo, the cathedral in Florence, Michael and I found a little restaurant.  It was a dark, quiet one, tucked away down a side street.  We walked in and there they were.             “Sylvia, Roe! Hi!  Did you see the Duomo?” I squealed loudly.             Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw a woman shove a gnocchi in her mouth. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:32:51 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_New-Yorkers-in-Florence-Italy/BLOG/1293610/21864.html Martine 2009-10-19T17:32:51Z My Budget Travel            The restaurant was perfect: small, romantic, and in Italy.  The bread was warm, the third bottle of Chianti was as good as the first, and the occasional clinking of the dishes in the kitchen with the hushed sounds of Italian lulled Michael, my husband, and me into a dream like state.             Then, like a cement truck screeching to a halt, came a loud shrill two tables away from us.             “Bernie, how much was dinnah in American dollahs?”             Loud, irritating, ear piercing, and yes, definitely from New York.   She ruined it!  She ruined my Italian moment!             Bernie’s tone was no less bearable.             “Jesus, Sylvia.  Why can’t you ever remember?  A buck and a half for each Euro.”             I looked up from my plate, bulged my eyes and tightened my jaw.  That’s always a warning to my husband that I am about to take matters into my own hands.  He looked at me with that please-don’t-say-anything look.  I shoved a few gnocchi and a chunk of bread into my mouth, and guzzled two glasses of wine to keep from saying anything to them.  But Michael and I knew it was a lost cause.  There was no stopping me.  I wanted to say,             “Bernie, Sylvia, shut up! You’re giving Americans a bad name.”             Before I could confront them however, their friends Stan and Rose, who were seated next to them, chimed in.             “Bernie, don’t tip extra.  Did you see the size of the coffee cup?  Couldn’t even wet my lips.”             More shrills, more penetrating squeals.  It was all too typical.  But I was in Italy, on vacation, and yes, perhaps a little inebriated, so I chose to be pleasant.             “Hey Sylvia, what’s good for dessert,” I asked.             Boy, was I sorry. We, as well as the waiter, the bartender, and the dishwasher in the back of the restaurant, all learned that they were from Queens.  Rose cautioned me about the store owner down the street who hates Americans, while Bernie and Stan told Michael about how the Italian taxi cabs ripped them off.  Michael and I just stared at each other.  We left New York in 1992 and found it, in Italy, in 2007.             The next morning we decided to have the breakfast buffet at the hotel.  I was pouring myself a cup of orange juice when, no, it couldn’t be.             “Stan, that’s your third cup of cauffee.”             “Eah, leave me the hell alone Roe. I’m on vacation. How many times I gotta tell ‘ya?”             Apparently he had to tell her and everyone in the restaurant.  And believe me he did not need another jolt of caffeine.             I tried to duck out of the restaurant.  I hadn’t yet recovered from last night’s encounter.             “Mornin’ honey.  Sylvia, look who’s here,” shrilled Rose.             Sylvia ran over from her table with a terrified look on her face.             “Martine, stay away from the bagels.  The Italians don’t know from bagels.”             She gave the passing waiter a look that warned, don’t mess with New Yorkers, buddy.  The waiter gave me a disapproving look.  Just minutes before he smiled at me because I said, “Have a nice day” in Italian.  And now, oh God! How do you say, “They’re not my friends, I don’t really know them?”             “And the eggs.  They’re orange,” added Rose. “What kind of mashuguna chickens lay orange eggs?”             Rose plopped a huge slice of cantaloupe on my plate.             “The cantaloupes are to die for, like buttah.  And have a nice piece of whole wheat.  By the way, they have some nice cottage cheese but it’s in the back.  You have to ask for it.”             She pointed to the kitchen.  Through the kitchen door window, I saw the chef, staring at her,  holding a huge, very sharp butcher knife.             “Sylvia, go get her some,” Rose offered.  “They know her here already.”             “No s**t,” I thought.             “Come on, girls.  Our driva’s here.”  Bernie to the rescue.             “Bye, honey.  We gotta go.”             I poured out my orange juice and had a cup of Chamomile tea, the calming blend.             The next day Michael and I went to see David by Michelangelo.  What a sight!  Something no one would ever expect. I couldn’t believe my eyes.  No, not the statue.  Quietly standing in the corner was Sylvia, Bernie, Rose, and Stan admiring  Michelangelo’s masterpiece!             They may have been quiet but oh, they still stood out.  Stan was wearing his “I heart NY” tee-shirt with orange, blue, and green plaid shorts, and Rose was wearing her flowered travel outfit, you know the one that breathes and never wrinkles.  Bernie had on his favorite Hawaiian shirt with the hula dancers and tropical drinks with tiny umbrellas, and Sylvia was showing off the fuchsia polyester pant suit that she bought just for this occasion.  They could be quiet but they would not be missed.             While everyone else was staring at David, I was staring at them.  Sylvia leaned in to Bernie and whispered into his ear.  Bernie nodded and smiled.  Stan reached over and held Rose’s hand.  A couple moved right in front of Rose and blocked her view.  She said nothing and waited for them to have their fill of the statue from that angle.  They stood in awe of the sculpture and I stood in awe of them.  In silence, they left and as they passed, they smiled at me and nodded their heads.             The next day, after touring the Duomo, the cathedral in Florence, Michael and I found a little restaurant.  It was a dark, quiet one, tucked away down a side street.  We walked in and there they were.             “Sylvia, Roe! Hi!  Did you see the Duomo?” I squealed loudly.             Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw a woman shove a gnocchi in her mouth. florence, italy nonadult false New Yorkers in Florence, Italy text blog florence,italy 112 1 5.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13718180&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/user/defaultImage_160x120_A.jpg false 1 0 1293610 13718180 Member 1540 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Italy-Beyond-the-Stereotypes/BLOG/1041982/21864.html Good food and wine, no air conditioning or ice in the drinks, these are some of things that come to mind when you think about Italy. But the country is a whole lot more than these general (and accurate) stereotypes. This summer, I spent a month in the Lombardia region of Italy as part of a Group Study Exchange for the Rotary Club. The intentions of the trip were for me and my fellow group members to experience the Italian culture and institutions, observe how our careers are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Mission accomplished. As you can imagine, you can learn a lot about a foreign place by being embedded in it for four weeks. And in Italy there is so much to learn, the history, the culture, the language. Heck, the country’s recorded history is a couple of thousand years older than ours. When you are there, they talk in millennia, while we talk in decades. But besides the history, I found some other differences between the Italian lifestyle and that of Americans. One of the first things you notice in Europe is that everything is smaller. The saying goes that everything is bigger in Texas; well that adage can also describe the entire United States. On the opposite side of that, it can be said that everything is smaller in Europe. The cars are smaller, the beds are smaller, the showers are smaller, and the people are smaller. The only things that are really consistently bigger than the American counterpart are the churches, which are huge (and old). The size of the cars is one of the first things you notice after arriving at the airport. The cars are tiny, but are driven fast; real fast. There is not a lot of slow acceleration and deceleration in Italy. Even though most cars are manual transmission five speeds, most drivers only went two speeds, stop and fast. The cars are all round in shape and fuel efficient. You don’t come across many SUVs, large sedans, or trucks. Even their delivery trucks are small and curved. The Italians take pride in their driving. Many of our Rotarian hosts loved to dash in and out around the small roads in their Fiats and Audis. Despite their diminutive status, the cars in Europe have something that American cars are not blessed with, high speed limits. On several occasions, Italian drivers would remark on how American cars are equipped with these big engines, but are straddled by low speed limits (and automatic engines). Another thing you notice while on the road in Italy is that the drivers are a little crazy. If you have ever been to Rome or Milan, that is something you will come home raving about in addition to the Coliseum and La Scala. The cars and scooters are everywhere and they all seem to be inches away from crashing into one another. But being there a month allows you to dig deeper into the driving frenzy. I have come to learn that the drivers in Italy are crazy, but universally courteous. There seems to be some written or unwritten rules of the road and most Italians seem obligated to follow it. Most slow cars keep to the right, yield to the appropriate vehicles, and are respectful of their fellow road mates. Despite spending hours a day in Italian cars that were constantly tailgating, cutting people off, and acting like a Mario Cart video game, I only remember one driver getting frustrated. This was also the only time I remember the horn being used and an obscenity being released. At least I think it was an obscenity. Unfortunately, my control of the Italian language did not improve that much in one month. If the driver would have counted to ten I would have been able to comprehend, but I was only able to pick up a few choice curse words on my trip, and these were not used in this instance. Also, if you think Italian driving is unorthodox and anarchistic, you should see how they park. It is ironic that Italians like to drive fast, since they are never really in a rush to be anywhere. Time waits for Italians. Every day we had a schedule to be picked up by a particular Rotary club of that region and sometimes it was two or three clubs a day. We would always ask, “What time should we be ready?”, “What time will you be picking us up?” The answer always seemed like a suggestion rather than a definitive timeline, “Sometime around 9 ‘til 11…”, “What time would you like to be picked up?” At first this caught us off guard, because we didn’t want to be late or offend our hosts, but we soon got the hang of the flexible schedules and went along with the flow. You know what they say, “When in Rome… do as the Romans do.” We never actually made it to Rome on this trip, but the adage still applies here. On my previous trips to Italy I was with a tourist in tourist locations and surrounded by Americans. This time around I was with real Italians. I knew going in that Italians have long meals that can last beyond 2-3 hours. However, it took me a long time to adjust to the times in which they ate. Living in America my whole life, my body has been trained to eat lunch at around 11:30 or noon and dinner around 7 with a snack or two in between. The only real snacking we did was eating gelato or drinking an appertivo. Most lunches began sometime after 1 o’clock and I can’t remember a dinner starting earlier than 8:30pm. If you figure in the 2-3 hours it takes to eat an Italian meal, we were typically still eating our dinner at 11 o’clock. This was a little difficult to get used to and hard on my every growling (and growing) American stomach. But after a week or two of this, I just made sure I carried some good Italian snacks with me wherever we went. I kept it in my man purse which would have gotten me ridiculed in America, but made me right at home in Italy. I have to go with the Italians on this one. A man purse really comes in handy. You can use it to hold snacks, your camera, notebooks, water bottle, wine bottle etc. I think women have had the right idea all this time. What can you actually put in a wallet that you can’t keep in your pocket? Besides the man purse, there was something else I liked about Italy and something that the US should consider; there are not a lot of pennies or nickels around the country (or rather the one cent and 5 cent euro equivalent). The Europe Union does produce these coins, but you just don’t come across many or get many in your day to day transactions. I learned the reason for this is that, the tax is included in the price of the items you buy. What a great and simple concept. If something is marked 5 euros it will cost you 5 euros. Not only does that make it easier on the consumer, it also makes the need for the smaller coins to exist. This is something the US government should take a closer look at duplicating. I don’t think it will take a Ph.D. in mathematics to figure out how to include the tax in the price of an item. Don’t worry, the government will still get paid, but the consumer does not have to worry about dealing with pennies, nickels, and dimes. Think of the money the US can save if it is able to reduce the production of these unwanted coins. It already costs more to produce a penny than that it is actually worth. So from cars to coins, there are many things about Italy that you don’t quite find in America and that is what makes traveling so much fun. If I wanted to drive around in a big car, sleep in a big bed, and fill my pocket with loose change, I could just travel to any town USA. But if you want to see life on a smaller and simpler scale, take a trip to Italy and see history in the past and present. And I didn’t even get around to the bidet and the squat toilet. Good food and wine, no air conditioning or ice in the drinks, these are some of things that come to mind when you think about Italy. But the country is a whole lot more than these general (and accurate) stereotypes. This summer, I spent a month in the Lombardia region of Italy as part of a Group Study Exchange for the Rotary Club. The intentions of the trip were for me and my fellow group members to experience the Italian culture and institutions, observe how our careers are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Mission accomplished. As you can imagine, you can learn a lot about a foreign place by being embedded in it for four weeks. And in Italy there is so much to learn, the history, the culture, the language. Heck, the country’s recorded history is a couple of thousand years older than ours. When you are there, they talk in millennia, while we talk in decades. But besides the history, I found some other differences between the Italian lifestyle and that of Americans. One of the first things you notice in Europe is that everything is smaller. The saying goes that everything is bigger in Texas; well that adage can also describe the entire United States. On the opposite side of that, it can be said that everything is smaller in Europe. The cars are smaller, the beds are smaller, the showers are smaller, and the people are smaller. The only things that are really consistently bigger than the American counterpart are the churches, which are huge (and old). The size of the cars is one of the first things you notice after arriving at the airport. The cars are tiny, but are driven fast; real fast. There is not a lot of slow acceleration and deceleration in Italy. Even though most cars are manual transmission five speeds, most drivers only went two speeds, stop and fast. The cars are all round in shape and fuel efficient. You don’t come across many SUVs, large sedans, or trucks. Even their delivery trucks are small and curved. The Italians take pride in their driving. Many of our Rotarian hosts loved to dash in and out around the small roads in their Fiats and Audis. Despite their diminutive status, the cars in Europe have something that American cars are not blessed with, high speed limits. On several occasions, Italian drivers would remark on how American cars are equipped with these big engines, but are straddled by low speed limits (and automatic engines). Another thing you notice while on the road in Italy is that the drivers are a little crazy. If you have ever been to Rome or Milan, that is something you will come home raving about in addition to the Coliseum and La Scala. The cars and scooters are everywhere and they all seem to be inches away from crashing into one another. But being there a month allows you to dig deeper into the driving frenzy. I have come to learn that the drivers in Italy are crazy, but universally courteous. There seems to be some written or unwritten rules of the road and most Italians seem obligated to follow it. Most slow cars keep to the right, yield to the appropriate vehicles, and are respectful of their fellow road mates. Despite spending hours a day in Italian cars that were constantly tailgating, cutting people off, and acting like a Mario Cart video game, I only remember one driver getting frustrated. This was also the only time I remember the horn being used and an obscenity being released. At least I think it was an obscenity. Unfortunately, my control of the Italian language did not improve that much in one month. If the driver would have counted to ten I would have been able to comprehend, but I was only able to pick up a few choice curse words on my trip, and these were not used in this instance. Also, if you think Italian driving is unorthodox and anarchistic, you should see how they park. It is ironic that Italians like to drive fast, since they are never really in a rush to be anywhere. Time waits for Italians. Every day we had a schedule to be picked up by a particular Rotary club of that region and sometimes it was two or three clubs a day. We would always ask, “What time should we be ready?”, “What time will you be picking us up?” The answer always seemed like a suggestion rather than a definitive timeline, “Sometime around 9 ‘til 11…”, “What time would you like to be picked up?” At first this caught us off guard, because we didn’t want to be late or offend our hosts, but we soon got the hang of the flexible schedules and went along with the flow. You know what they say, “When in Rome… do as the Romans do.” We never actually made it to Rome on this trip, but the adage still applies here. On my previous trips to Italy I was with a tourist in tourist locations and surrounded by Americans. This time around I was with real Italians. I knew going in that Italians have long meals that can last beyond 2-3 hours. However, it took me a long time to adjust to the times in which they ate. Living in America my whole life, my body has been trained to eat lunch at around 11:30 or noon and dinner around 7 with a snack or two in between. The only real snacking we did was eating gelato or drinking an appertivo. Most lunches began sometime after 1 o’clock and I can’t remember a dinner starting earlier than 8:30pm. If you figure in the 2-3 hours it takes to eat an Italian meal, we were typically still eating our dinner at 11 o’clock. This was a little difficult to get used to and hard on my every growling (and growing) American stomach. But after a week or two of this, I just made sure I carried some good Italian snacks with me wherever we went. I kept it in my man purse which would have gotten me ridiculed in America, but made me right at home in Italy. I have to go with the Italians on this one. A man purse really comes in handy. You can use it to hold snacks, your camera, notebooks, water bottle, wine bottle etc. I think women have had the right idea all this time. What can you actually put in a wallet that you can’t keep in your pocket? Besides the man purse, there was something else I liked about Italy and something that the US should consider; there are not a lot of pennies or nickels around the country (or rather the one cent and 5 cent euro equivalent). The Europe Union does produce these coins, but you just don’t come across many or get many in your day to day transactions. I learned the reason for this is that, the tax is included in the price of the items you buy. What a great and simple concept. If something is marked 5 euros it will cost you 5 euros. Not only does that make it easier on the consumer, it also makes the need for the smaller coins to exist. This is something the US government should take a closer look at duplicating. I don’t think it will take a Ph.D. in mathematics to figure out how to include the tax in the price of an item. Don’t worry, the government will still get paid, but the consumer does not have to worry about dealing with pennies, nickels, and dimes. Think of the money the US can save if it is able to reduce the production of these unwanted coins. It already costs more to produce a penny than that it is actually worth. So from cars to coins, there are many things about Italy that you don’t quite find in America and that is what makes traveling so much fun. If I wanted to drive around in a big car, sleep in a big bed, and fill my pocket with loose change, I could just travel to any town USA. But if you want to see life on a smaller and simpler scale, take a trip to Italy and see history in the past and present. And I didn’t even get around to the bidet and the squat toilet. Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:18:59 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Italy-Beyond-the-Stereotypes/BLOG/1041982/21864.html macoprof 2009-10-11T19:18:59Z My Budget Travel Good food and wine, no air conditioning or ice in the drinks, these are some of things that come to mind when you think about Italy. But the country is a whole lot more than these general (and accurate) stereotypes. This summer, I spent a month in the Lombardia region of Italy as part of a Group Study Exchange for the Rotary Club. The intentions of the trip were for me and my fellow group members to experience the Italian culture and institutions, observe how our careers are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Mission accomplished. As you can imagine, you can learn a lot about a foreign place by being embedded in it for four weeks. And in Italy there is so much to learn, the history, the culture, the language. Heck, the country’s recorded history is a couple of thousand years older than ours. When you are there, they talk in millennia, while we talk in decades. But besides the history, I found some other differences between the Italian lifestyle and that of Americans. One of the first things you notice in Europe is that everything is smaller. The saying goes that everything is bigger in Texas; well that adage can also describe the entire United States. On the opposite side of that, it can be said that everything is smaller in Europe. The cars are smaller, the beds are smaller, the showers are smaller, and the people are smaller. The only things that are really consistently bigger than the American counterpart are the churches, which are huge (and old). The size of the cars is one of the first things you notice after arriving at the airport. The cars are tiny, but are driven fast; real fast. There is not a lot of slow acceleration and deceleration in Italy. Even though most cars are manual transmission five speeds, most drivers only went two speeds, stop and fast. The cars are all round in shape and fuel efficient. You don’t come across many SUVs, large sedans, or trucks. Even their delivery trucks are small and curved. The Italians take pride in their driving. Many of our Rotarian hosts loved to dash in and out around the small roads in their Fiats and Audis. Despite their diminutive status, the cars in Europe have something that American cars are not blessed with, high speed limits. On several occasions, Italian drivers would remark on how American cars are equipped with these big engines, but are straddled by low speed limits (and automatic engines). Another thing you notice while on the road in Italy is that the drivers are a little crazy. If you have ever been to Rome or Milan, that is something you will come home raving about in addition to the Coliseum and La Scala. The cars and scooters are everywhere and they all seem to be inches away from crashing into one another. But being there a month allows you to dig deeper into the driving frenzy. I have come to learn that the drivers in Italy are crazy, but universally courteous. There seems to be some written or unwritten rules of the road and most Italians seem obligated to follow it. Most slow cars keep to the right, yield to the appropriate vehicles, and are respectful of their fellow road mates. Despite spending hours a day in Italian cars that were constantly tailgating, cutting people off, and acting like a Mario Cart video game, I only remember one driver getting frustrated. This was also the only time I remember the horn being used and an obscenity being released. At least I think it was an obscenity. Unfortunately, my control of the Italian language did not improve that much in one month. If the driver would have counted to ten I would have been able to comprehend, but I was only able to pick up a few choice curse words on my trip, and these were not used in this instance. Also, if you think Italian driving is unorthodox and anarchistic, you should see how they park. It is ironic that Italians like to drive fast, since they are never really in a rush to be anywhere. Time waits for Italians. Every day we had a schedule to be picked up by a particular Rotary club of that region and sometimes it was two or three clubs a day. We would always ask, “What time should we be ready?”, “What time will you be picking us up?” The answer always seemed like a suggestion rather than a definitive timeline, “Sometime around 9 ‘til 11…”, “What time would you like to be picked up?” At first this caught us off guard, because we didn’t want to be late or offend our hosts, but we soon got the hang of the flexible schedules and went along with the flow. You know what they say, “When in Rome… do as the Romans do.” We never actually made it to Rome on this trip, but the adage still applies here. On my previous trips to Italy I was with a tourist in tourist locations and surrounded by Americans. This time around I was with real Italians. I knew going in that Italians have long meals that can last beyond 2-3 hours. However, it took me a long time to adjust to the times in which they ate. Living in America my whole life, my body has been trained to eat lunch at around 11:30 or noon and dinner around 7 with a snack or two in between. The only real snacking we did was eating gelato or drinking an appertivo. Most lunches began sometime after 1 o’clock and I can’t remember a dinner starting earlier than 8:30pm. If you figure in the 2-3 hours it takes to eat an Italian meal, we were typically still eating our dinner at 11 o’clock. This was a little difficult to get used to and hard on my every growling (and growing) American stomach. But after a week or two of this, I just made sure I carried some good Italian snacks with me wherever we went. I kept it in my man purse which would have gotten me ridiculed in America, but made me right at home in Italy. I have to go with the Italians on this one. A man purse really comes in handy. You can use it to hold snacks, your camera, notebooks, water bottle, wine bottle etc. I think women have had the right idea all this time. What can you actually put in a wallet that you can’t keep in your pocket? Besides the man purse, there was something else I liked about Italy and something that the US should consider; there are not a lot of pennies or nickels around the country (or rather the one cent and 5 cent euro equivalent). The Europe Union does produce these coins, but you just don’t come across many or get many in your day to day transactions. I learned the reason for this is that, the tax is included in the price of the items you buy. What a great and simple concept. If something is marked 5 euros it will cost you 5 euros. Not only does that make it easier on the consumer, it also makes the need for the smaller coins to exist. This is something the US government should take a closer look at duplicating. I don’t think it will take a Ph.D. in mathematics to figure out how to include the tax in the price of an item. Don’t worry, the government will still get paid, but the consumer does not have to worry about dealing with pennies, nickels, and dimes. Think of the money the US can save if it is able to reduce the production of these unwanted coins. It already costs more to produce a penny than that it is actually worth. So from cars to coins, there are many things about Italy that you don’t quite find in America and that is what makes traveling so much fun. If I wanted to drive around in a big car, sleep in a big bed, and fill my pocket with loose change, I could just travel to any town USA. But if you want to see life on a smaller and simpler scale, take a trip to Italy and see history in the past and present. And I didn’t even get around to the bidet and the squat toilet. cars, drivers, europe, italy, milan, travel, wine nonadult false Italy-Beyond the Stereotypes text blog cars,drivers,europe,italy,milan,travel,wine 169 2 3.5 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12254806&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_6017953_21864_12254806_ap_160X120.jpg false Italy 0 0 1041982 12254806 Member 3156 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_College-of-DuPage-Field-and-Experiencial-Learning-A-Hidden-Treasure/BLOG/1006861/21864.html For years now, College of DuPage (COD) has offered many trips through their Field and Experiencial Learning  Departement.  You can snorkel with the Manatees, go to the Galapago Islands, Learn to cook french cuisine at a French Chalet, take a walking tour of the Hawaii Islands, go winter sky watching (star- gazing), canoe the boundary waters, learn to fly fish, go storm chasing..... and the list goes on and on. Our community college offers many trips at very reasonable prices.  But you need to know that they exist and how to register and when to register.  These great trips fill quickly and are not just your regular trips.  You need to keep a diary, possibly write a paper on the experience, and even attend classes before heading out. I would recommend people to check out their community college and see what kinds of trips they offer! For years now, College of DuPage (COD) has offered many trips through their Field and Experiencial Learning  Departement.  You can snorkel with the Manatees, go to the Galapago Islands, Learn to cook french cuisine at a French Chalet, take a walking tour of the Hawaii Islands, go winter sky watching (star- gazing), canoe the boundary waters, learn to fly fish, go storm chasing..... and the list goes on and on. Our community college offers many trips at very reasonable prices.  But you need to know that they exist and how to register and when to register.  These great trips fill quickly and are not just your regular trips.  You need to keep a diary, possibly write a paper on the experience, and even attend classes before heading out. I would recommend people to check out their community college and see what kinds of trips they offer! Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:58:21 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_College-of-DuPage-Field-and-Experiencial-Learning-A-Hidden-Treasure/BLOG/1006861/21864.html ctthorne 2009-10-08T23:58:21Z My Budget Travel For years now, College of DuPage (COD) has offered many trips through their Field and Experiencial Learning  Departement.  You can snorkel with the Manatees, go to the Galapago Islands, Learn to cook french cuisine at a French Chalet, take a walking tour of the Hawaii Islands, go winter sky watching (star- gazing), canoe the boundary waters, learn to fly fish, go storm chasing..... and the list goes on and on. Our community college offers many trips at very reasonable prices.  But you need to know that they exist and how to register and when to register.  These great trips fill quickly and are not just your regular trips.  You need to keep a diary, possibly write a paper on the experience, and even attend classes before heading out. I would recommend people to check out their community college and see what kinds of trips they offer! experiencial, hidden, learning, treasure nonadult false College of DuPage Field and Experiencial Learning, A Hidden Treasure! text blog experiencial,hidden,learning,treasure 131 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4863085&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_5648284_21864_4863085_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1006861 4863085 Member 6864 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Storm-Chasing-the-Inexpensive-Way/BLOG/1006765/21864.html Last May and June, I went on two different trips through College of DuPage (COD), on their Thunderstorm Lab (ES1800) Field and Interdisciplinary Study.... also known as their Storm Chasing Trips.  This year, COD passed a milestone, 20 years of Storm Chasing.  COD was the first school to have Storm Chasing as a credit class.  The instructor, Paul Sirvatka, has been running this program since its inception. First of all, Storm Chasing is not for the faint of heart.  You get right under the storms, watching the storms rotate and develop.  Second of all, most storms do not drop tornadoes.  Third of all, most tornadoes will last for less than a couple of minutes.  So the chance to even see a tornado is a shell game at best, with 16 people in two vans and their need for the restroom.  So, why pay $3000 or $4000 for a trip, when you can pay ~$1400+Tuition (3hrs).  Note, they do not stay in 4 star hotels, but they stay in Comfort Inns and similar hotels and you room 4 to a room to get this rate!  You pay for your food, but usually, breakfasts are covered by the hotels.  In addition, you are traveling for 10 days!  Not all Storm Chasing Groups will go out for that long either.  This helps increase your odds of seeing good storms.  We also use vans for our entire travel.  Trips usually entail This was my third year or 4th and 5th trip.  Each year, I have seen tornadoes, but not on every trip.  This year was particularly difficult due to unusual weather patterns in May through the beginning of June.  It was not until Friday of the second trip that I finally saw that elusive beast!  We were out at the same time as VORTEX II.  They were losing a million dollars a day due to this unusual weather pattern. Friday, June 5th, 2009, did not seem like it was going to be anymore eventful than the rest of the trip.  We were in the northeast part of Colorado, when we saw a promising storm in Wyoming.  We started to driving a quickly as possible to get to this storm.  About an hour and a half later, we came up over a hill that over looked the plains below and low and behold, there she was, the most beautiful storm. Over the next 25 minutes, the storm would drop a tornado.  It was amazing, because it showed the entire lifespan of a tornado, from tornado genesis, to it getting rain-wrapped, to roping out after becoming occluded by the Rear Flank Downdraft, to its death.  It was absolutely beautiful.  And best of all, no one was hurt! Last May and June, I went on two different trips through College of DuPage (COD), on their Thunderstorm Lab (ES1800) Field and Interdisciplinary Study.... also known as their Storm Chasing Trips.  This year, COD passed a milestone, 20 years of Storm Chasing.  COD was the first school to have Storm Chasing as a credit class.  The instructor, Paul Sirvatka, has been running this program since its inception. First of all, Storm Chasing is not for the faint of heart.  You get right under the storms, watching the storms rotate and develop.  Second of all, most storms do not drop tornadoes.  Third of all, most tornadoes will last for less than a couple of minutes.  So the chance to even see a tornado is a shell game at best, with 16 people in two vans and their need for the restroom.  So, why pay $3000 or $4000 for a trip, when you can pay ~$1400+Tuition (3hrs).  Note, they do not stay in 4 star hotels, but they stay in Comfort Inns and similar hotels and you room 4 to a room to get this rate!  You pay for your food, but usually, breakfasts are covered by the hotels.  In addition, you are traveling for 10 days!  Not all Storm Chasing Groups will go out for that long either.  This helps increase your odds of seeing good storms.  We also use vans for our entire travel.  Trips usually entail This was my third year or 4th and 5th trip.  Each year, I have seen tornadoes, but not on every trip.  This year was particularly difficult due to unusual weather patterns in May through the beginning of June.  It was not until Friday of the second trip that I finally saw that elusive beast!  We were out at the same time as VORTEX II.  They were losing a million dollars a day due to this unusual weather pattern. Friday, June 5th, 2009, did not seem like it was going to be anymore eventful than the rest of the trip.  We were in the northeast part of Colorado, when we saw a promising storm in Wyoming.  We started to driving a quickly as possible to get to this storm.  About an hour and a half later, we came up over a hill that over looked the plains below and low and behold, there she was, the most beautiful storm. Over the next 25 minutes, the storm would drop a tornado.  It was amazing, because it showed the entire lifespan of a tornado, from tornado genesis, to it getting rain-wrapped, to roping out after becoming occluded by the Rear Flank Downdraft, to its death.  It was absolutely beautiful.  And best of all, no one was hurt! Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:16:25 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Storm-Chasing-the-Inexpensive-Way/BLOG/1006765/21864.html ctthorne 2009-10-08T22:16:25Z My Budget Travel Last May and June, I went on two different trips through College of DuPage (COD), on their Thunderstorm Lab (ES1800) Field and Interdisciplinary Study.... also known as their Storm Chasing Trips.  This year, COD passed a milestone, 20 years of Storm Chasing.  COD was the first school to have Storm Chasing as a credit class.  The instructor, Paul Sirvatka, has been running this program since its inception. First of all, Storm Chasing is not for the faint of heart.  You get right under the storms, watching the storms rotate and develop.  Second of all, most storms do not drop tornadoes.  Third of all, most tornadoes will last for less than a couple of minutes.  So the chance to even see a tornado is a shell game at best, with 16 people in two vans and their need for the restroom.  So, why pay $3000 or $4000 for a trip, when you can pay ~$1400+Tuition (3hrs).  Note, they do not stay in 4 star hotels, but they stay in Comfort Inns and similar hotels and you room 4 to a room to get this rate!  You pay for your food, but usually, breakfasts are covered by the hotels.  In addition, you are traveling for 10 days!  Not all Storm Chasing Groups will go out for that long either.  This helps increase your odds of seeing good storms.  We also use vans for our entire travel.  Trips usually entail This was my third year or 4th and 5th trip.  Each year, I have seen tornadoes, but not on every trip.  This year was particularly difficult due to unusual weather patterns in May through the beginning of June.  It was not until Friday of the second trip that I finally saw that elusive beast!  We were out at the same time as VORTEX II.  They were losing a million dollars a day due to this unusual weather pattern. Friday, June 5th, 2009, did not seem like it was going to be anymore eventful than the rest of the trip.  We were in the northeast part of Colorado, when we saw a promising storm in Wyoming.  We started to driving a quickly as possible to get to this storm.  About an hour and a half later, we came up over a hill that over looked the plains below and low and behold, there she was, the most beautiful storm. Over the next 25 minutes, the storm would drop a tornado.  It was amazing, because it showed the entire lifespan of a tornado, from tornado genesis, to it getting rain-wrapped, to roping out after becoming occluded by the Rear Flank Downdraft, to its death.  It was absolutely beautiful.  And best of all, no one was hurt! chasing, storm, supercell, tornado nonadult false Storm Chasing the Inexpensive Way! text blog chasing,storm,supercell,tornado 98 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4863085&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_5648284_21864_4863085_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1006765 4863085 Member 6864 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_LANDS-END-TO-JOHN-OGROATS/BLOG/1006114/21864.html Not for the faint of heart!  I have just completed the End to End (E2E) bicycle trip from the southwest tip of England to the northeast tip of Scotland.  It is something of a right-of-passage for British cyclists, but most of the rest of the cycling world have never heard of it.   There is no set route, as long as you start at one end and finish at the other.  Therefore, you can theoretically plan a route that takes you to tourist attractions or quaint towns you would like to stay in.  Do that at your own peril.  Unless you are a resident and/or terribly intrepid, you had best go with a paid tour.   This is a ride for the veteran touring cyclist, but determined novices can complete it. By all means, use a qua[image]lity bicycle with a wide range of gears. The hills are challenging and relentless. Some of the roads have deteriorated to the extent that a washboard would be a relief.  Riding the narrow country lanes provided new experiences, not all of which were pleasant.  Of course, the scenery is spectacular.  It helps if the weather cooperates.  Take your wet and cold weather gear, you will need them no matter what time of year you go.  [image] The day before the adventure started I stayed at the Hotel Penzance.  They were pleasant, helpful, and flexible; the room modern and clean, the view of the harbor and bay excellent.   The day after spending three weeks in the saddle I needed a place to de-compress.  The Avalon Guest House in Inverness provided just the place.  It is neat and spotless, the breakfast choices superior to any I have had in the UK, and the location within walking distance of everything, especially the quiet, calming Ness Islands. Hostess, Jo, makes you feel welcome and doesn’t mind spending a few moments chatting and getting to know you just a little bit.  She is interested but not intrusive, a quality no longer found in many B&B owners.     Not for the faint of heart!  I have just completed the End to End (E2E) bicycle trip from the southwest tip of England to the northeast tip of Scotland.  It is something of a right-of-passage for British cyclists, but most of the rest of the cycling world have never heard of it.   There is no set route, as long as you start at one end and finish at the other.  Therefore, you can theoretically plan a route that takes you to tourist attractions or quaint towns you would like to stay in.  Do that at your own peril.  Unless you are a resident and/or terribly intrepid, you had best go with a paid tour.   This is a ride for the veteran touring cyclist, but determined novices can complete it. By all means, use a qua[image]lity bicycle with a wide range of gears. The hills are challenging and relentless. Some of the roads have deteriorated to the extent that a washboard would be a relief.  Riding the narrow country lanes provided new experiences, not all of which were pleasant.  Of course, the scenery is spectacular.  It helps if the weather cooperates.  Take your wet and cold weather gear, you will need them no matter what time of year you go.  [image] The day before the adventure started I stayed at the Hotel Penzance.  They were pleasant, helpful, and flexible; the room modern and clean, the view of the harbor and bay excellent.   The day after spending three weeks in the saddle I needed a place to de-compress.  The Avalon Guest House in Inverness provided just the place.  It is neat and spotless, the breakfast choices superior to any I have had in the UK, and the location within walking distance of everything, especially the quiet, calming Ness Islands. Hostess, Jo, makes you feel welcome and doesn’t mind spending a few moments chatting and getting to know you just a little bit.  She is interested but not intrusive, a quality no longer found in many B&B owners.     Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:01:46 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_LANDS-END-TO-JOHN-OGROATS/BLOG/1006114/21864.html Jerry Dusterhoff 2009-10-08T15:01:46Z My Budget Travel Not for the faint of heart!  I have just completed the End to End (E2E) bicycle trip from the southwest tip of England to the northeast tip of Scotland.  It is something of a right-of-passage for British cyclists, but most of the rest of the cycling world have never heard of it.   There is no set route, as long as you start at one end and finish at the other.  Therefore, you can theoretically plan a route that takes you to tourist attractions or quaint towns you would like to stay in.  Do that at your own peril.  Unless you are a resident and/or terribly intrepid, you had best go with a paid tour.   This is a ride for the veteran touring cyclist, but determined novices can complete it. By all means, use a qua[image]lity bicycle with a wide range of gears. The hills are challenging and relentless. Some of the roads have deteriorated to the extent that a washboard would be a relief.  Riding the narrow country lanes provided new experiences, not all of which were pleasant.  Of course, the scenery is spectacular.  It helps if the weather cooperates.  Take your wet and cold weather gear, you will need them no matter what time of year you go.  [image] The day before the adventure started I stayed at the Hotel Penzance.  They were pleasant, helpful, and flexible; the room modern and clean, the view of the harbor and bay excellent.   The day after spending three weeks in the saddle I needed a place to de-compress.  The Avalon Guest House in Inverness provided just the place.  It is neat and spotless, the breakfast choices superior to any I have had in the UK, and the location within walking distance of everything, especially the quiet, calming Ness Islands. Hostess, Jo, makes you feel welcome and doesn’t mind spending a few moments chatting and getting to know you just a little bit.  She is interested but not intrusive, a quality no longer found in many B&B owners.     nonadult false LAND'S END TO JOHN O'GROATS text blog 60 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=2662317&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_2051912_21864_2662317_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1006114 2662317 Member 4033 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Manhattan-The-Ebb-and-Flow-of-its-Energy-Flavor-and-Language/BLOG/999049/21864.html Navigation ... that is the key to all happiness when visiting NYC and its surrounding burrows. Upon immediate arrival at JFK International Airport, one becomes keenly aware of the necessity to know the exact direction and location of your destination. Taking the AirTrain was a piece of cake if you plan to use the subway system, just make sure you know which direction you are headed in or you could end up riding the subways for hours (weekly pass $24). I would recommend first-time travelers to the city to hire a car to pick them up and bring them to the hotel, as this will ensure your arrival to the part of town in which you intend to stay (about $70 one way). Staying in Manhattan is a choice for those who desire to be close to museums, restaurants and shopping. However, this is not a "walking" section of town. The city blocks are designated by buildings, in the shape of a rectangle, so, for instance if you were to walk one block, north to south, the short side of the rectangle(building) would take less time than the west to east side of the rectangle(building). So, taking a cab is a lot more efficient on time and your feet ($2.50 starting price for a cab and most rides of 5-10 blocks are about $10). Or you could take the subway, which is quite a better bargain. Every subway entrance has green or red round ball lights at the entrance. The red balls indicate that there is not an attendant at this sub stop and if the balls are lit, then the sub stop is not in operation. The green balls indicate that an attendant is on duty and if the balls are lit, then it is not open for operation. Finding a hotel near Central Park is a real treat and worth every penny. Walking to the park and people watching is quite an entertaining adventure - mind that you go during the day to be safe. Speaking of safe, the city provides a definite presence of police walking on streets and in the subways. In addition, I found the people to be busy, busy, busy, but extremely friendly - I even had a young college student help me lift my suitcase up the stairs from the subway (there are elevators as well). I found several restaurants that were charming and filled with local flavor as well as delicious cuisine. Rue 57 is especially good for drinks and sushi. Tratorria dell Arte provides exquisite, authentic Italian food with a flare for enormous plaster art. Most of Greenwich Village is lined up around the corner til 1am for the infamous cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street - light and fluffy and very yummy with a tall glass of milk. For contemporary ambiance, with an Asian/Latin pallet, Asia de Cuba is filled with masterful dishes blending all the best ingredients from Cuba and the Orient while encouraging a lively atmosphere with the 50-foot long communal table - exquisite! Visiting the city's museums can best be described as a complete visceral experience. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is filled with Renaissance architecture, Neoclassicism sculptures, Romanticism paintings and even original Egyptian burial tombs. It simply must be experienced for a full comprehension of the magnificence gathered in one place. And yet the Guggenheim Museum stands out as the premier location for experiencing master pieces from Contemporary legends such as Picasso and Rembrandt to Italian Divisionist, Boccioni. There are also several floors dedicated to Modern Art with every imaginable means of expression available for viewing. As with many cities, a trip to New York cannot be completed in one or two weeks. Try to plan ahead and know something of how you want to best experience it. Tourists are all over Manhattan, so if you want a community experience, try looking for a boutique hotel in the West or East Village, Greenwich, Soho, Noho or even Brooklyn. Navigation ... that is the key to all happiness when visiting NYC and its surrounding burrows. Upon immediate arrival at JFK International Airport, one becomes keenly aware of the necessity to know the exact direction and location of your destination. Taking the AirTrain was a piece of cake if you plan to use the subway system, just make sure you know which direction you are headed in or you could end up riding the subways for hours (weekly pass $24). I would recommend first-time travelers to the city to hire a car to pick them up and bring them to the hotel, as this will ensure your arrival to the part of town in which you intend to stay (about $70 one way). Staying in Manhattan is a choice for those who desire to be close to museums, restaurants and shopping. However, this is not a "walking" section of town. The city blocks are designated by buildings, in the shape of a rectangle, so, for instance if you were to walk one block, north to south, the short side of the rectangle(building) would take less time than the west to east side of the rectangle(building). So, taking a cab is a lot more efficient on time and your feet ($2.50 starting price for a cab and most rides of 5-10 blocks are about $10). Or you could take the subway, which is quite a better bargain. Every subway entrance has green or red round ball lights at the entrance. The red balls indicate that there is not an attendant at this sub stop and if the balls are lit, then the sub stop is not in operation. The green balls indicate that an attendant is on duty and if the balls are lit, then it is not open for operation. Finding a hotel near Central Park is a real treat and worth every penny. Walking to the park and people watching is quite an entertaining adventure - mind that you go during the day to be safe. Speaking of safe, the city provides a definite presence of police walking on streets and in the subways. In addition, I found the people to be busy, busy, busy, but extremely friendly - I even had a young college student help me lift my suitcase up the stairs from the subway (there are elevators as well). I found several restaurants that were charming and filled with local flavor as well as delicious cuisine. Rue 57 is especially good for drinks and sushi. Tratorria dell Arte provides exquisite, authentic Italian food with a flare for enormous plaster art. Most of Greenwich Village is lined up around the corner til 1am for the infamous cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street - light and fluffy and very yummy with a tall glass of milk. For contemporary ambiance, with an Asian/Latin pallet, Asia de Cuba is filled with masterful dishes blending all the best ingredients from Cuba and the Orient while encouraging a lively atmosphere with the 50-foot long communal table - exquisite! Visiting the city's museums can best be described as a complete visceral experience. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is filled with Renaissance architecture, Neoclassicism sculptures, Romanticism paintings and even original Egyptian burial tombs. It simply must be experienced for a full comprehension of the magnificence gathered in one place. And yet the Guggenheim Museum stands out as the premier location for experiencing master pieces from Contemporary legends such as Picasso and Rembrandt to Italian Divisionist, Boccioni. There are also several floors dedicated to Modern Art with every imaginable means of expression available for viewing. As with many cities, a trip to New York cannot be completed in one or two weeks. Try to plan ahead and know something of how you want to best experience it. Tourists are all over Manhattan, so if you want a community experience, try looking for a boutique hotel in the West or East Village, Greenwich, Soho, Noho or even Brooklyn. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:37:51 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Manhattan-The-Ebb-and-Flow-of-its-Energy-Flavor-and-Language/BLOG/999049/21864.html tgpatterson 2009-10-07T20:37:51Z My Budget Travel Navigation ... that is the key to all happiness when visiting NYC and its surrounding burrows. Upon immediate arrival at JFK International Airport, one becomes keenly aware of the necessity to know the exact direction and location of your destination. Taking the AirTrain was a piece of cake if you plan to use the subway system, just make sure you know which direction you are headed in or you could end up riding the subways for hours (weekly pass $24). I would recommend first-time travelers to the city to hire a car to pick them up and bring them to the hotel, as this will ensure your arrival to the part of town in which you intend to stay (about $70 one way). Staying in Manhattan is a choice for those who desire to be close to museums, restaurants and shopping. However, this is not a "walking" section of town. The city blocks are designated by buildings, in the shape of a rectangle, so, for instance if you were to walk one block, north to south, the short side of the rectangle(building) would take less time than the west to east side of the rectangle(building). So, taking a cab is a lot more efficient on time and your feet ($2.50 starting price for a cab and most rides of 5-10 blocks are about $10). Or you could take the subway, which is quite a better bargain. Every subway entrance has green or red round ball lights at the entrance. The red balls indicate that there is not an attendant at this sub stop and if the balls are lit, then the sub stop is not in operation. The green balls indicate that an attendant is on duty and if the balls are lit, then it is not open for operation. Finding a hotel near Central Park is a real treat and worth every penny. Walking to the park and people watching is quite an entertaining adventure - mind that you go during the day to be safe. Speaking of safe, the city provides a definite presence of police walking on streets and in the subways. In addition, I found the people to be busy, busy, busy, but extremely friendly - I even had a young college student help me lift my suitcase up the stairs from the subway (there are elevators as well). I found several restaurants that were charming and filled with local flavor as well as delicious cuisine. Rue 57 is especially good for drinks and sushi. Tratorria dell Arte provides exquisite, authentic Italian food with a flare for enormous plaster art. Most of Greenwich Village is lined up around the corner til 1am for the infamous cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery on Bleecker Street - light and fluffy and very yummy with a tall glass of milk. For contemporary ambiance, with an Asian/Latin pallet, Asia de Cuba is filled with masterful dishes blending all the best ingredients from Cuba and the Orient while encouraging a lively atmosphere with the 50-foot long communal table - exquisite! Visiting the city's museums can best be described as a complete visceral experience. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) is filled with Renaissance architecture, Neoclassicism sculptures, Romanticism paintings and even original Egyptian burial tombs. It simply must be experienced for a full comprehension of the magnificence gathered in one place. And yet the Guggenheim Museum stands out as the premier location for experiencing master pieces from Contemporary legends such as Picasso and Rembrandt to Italian Divisionist, Boccioni. There are also several floors dedicated to Modern Art with every imaginable means of expression available for viewing. As with many cities, a trip to New York cannot be completed in one or two weeks. Try to plan ahead and know something of how you want to best experience it. Tourists are all over Manhattan, so if you want a community experience, try looking for a boutique hotel in the West or East Village, Greenwich, Soho, Noho or even Brooklyn. great public spaces, landmarks and monuments, manhattan, museums, new york city nonadult false Manhattan - The Ebb and Flow of its Energy, Flavor and Language text blog great public spaces,landmarks and monuments,manhattan,museums,new york city 99 2 4.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13329097&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_5635229_21864_13329097_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NY New York City 0 0 999049 13329097 Member 2232 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Disney-for-beginners/BLOG/998354/21864.html style="color: #ff0000;"style="color: #000000;" Disney World is a rushing rollercoaster, you want to do what you wnat to do before your back to the terminal on your way back home.I had about three weeks before we went for planning so we don't get tied up. So you will want to book your vacation about a month early, and if your a first time disney goer book for a week. Now if you are going first time, you should find some info,maps,rides and more on disney.com make alist of things you want to do by park. we had alot of intrest in Animal Kingdom so we spent a whole day there, and Magic kingdom has something for every body but make shore you go on a sunny day(on rainy days if you decied to stay in the park more on that later stay at the hotel and go to parks near you.)Animal Kingdom is good to get to early and if you stay at a disney hotel you might gt to come in an hour early( Animal Kingdom is better if it's a little moist.) If it is your first time stay in the park so you can go to the park one hour early or up to three hours late. Buy a park hoppers pass if you like at least 8 things in each park ( we did). please enjoy disney. style="color: #ff0000;"style="color: #000000;" Disney World is a rushing rollercoaster, you want to do what you wnat to do before your back to the terminal on your way back home.I had about three weeks before we went for planning so we don't get tied up. So you will want to book your vacation about a month early, and if your a first time disney goer book for a week. Now if you are going first time, you should find some info,maps,rides and more on disney.com make alist of things you want to do by park. we had alot of intrest in Animal Kingdom so we spent a whole day there, and Magic kingdom has something for every body but make shore you go on a sunny day(on rainy days if you decied to stay in the park more on that later stay at the hotel and go to parks near you.)Animal Kingdom is good to get to early and if you stay at a disney hotel you might gt to come in an hour early( Animal Kingdom is better if it's a little moist.) If it is your first time stay in the park so you can go to the park one hour early or up to three hours late. Buy a park hoppers pass if you like at least 8 things in each park ( we did). please enjoy disney. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:39:06 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Disney-for-beginners/BLOG/998354/21864.html Fredtins 2009-10-07T17:39:06Z My Budget Travel style="color: #ff0000;"style="color: #000000;" Disney World is a rushing rollercoaster, you want to do what you wnat to do before your back to the terminal on your way back home.I had about three weeks before we went for planning so we don't get tied up. So you will want to book your vacation about a month early, and if your a first time disney goer book for a week. Now if you are going first time, you should find some info,maps,rides and more on disney.com make alist of things you want to do by park. we had alot of intrest in Animal Kingdom so we spent a whole day there, and Magic kingdom has something for every body but make shore you go on a sunny day(on rainy days if you decied to stay in the park more on that later stay at the hotel and go to parks near you.)Animal Kingdom is good to get to early and if you stay at a disney hotel you might gt to come in an hour early( Animal Kingdom is better if it's a little moist.) If it is your first time stay in the park so you can go to the park one hour early or up to three hours late. Buy a park hoppers pass if you like at least 8 things in each park ( we did). please enjoy disney. nonadult false Disney for beginners text blog 104 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13328658&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/user/defaultImage_160x120_A.jpg false 0 0 998354 13328658 Member 1502 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_AMAIZING-TOUR-WITH-WILDLIFE-IN-ACTION-SAFARIS/BLOG/992509/21864.html It all started in Arusha Tanzania where we were picked up at KIA after arrival from Zanzibar,we were 12 studiends and we were on practical studies about the africa,our trip was successful and we managed to tour,serengeti,ngorongoro,manyara and walked within the forest in manyara met the local people around.after tanzania we headed to Amboseli which is at the boarder between kenya and tanzania but on the kenyan side,we were lucky here to view mt.kilimanjaro from our campsite.the three days here were just amaizing,the third day we left for lake nakuru which is inhabited with thw flamingoes and for our first time spotted the white rhino here,we took two days here and after left for masai mara where we also had a balon safari which was just an experience worth it. We had also an opportunity to have a walk with the maasai worriers who took us for a walk about 4 hours in the mountains.we visited their homesteads and it was just fun,we stayed here for 4 days with the community socialising with the maasai people.our nine days safari in kenya was one of the most successful with a good tour guide who was knowledgable and spoke good english and was well aware of the animals and their behaviours.We are looking forward to go back again with another group of the studients most likely next year around june who will be finalising the project. We would like to than the wildlife in action safaris www.wildlifeinaction.com  staffs who made our trip successful and more so to Paul who was with us for the whole trip as our driver guide.  It all started in Arusha Tanzania where we were picked up at KIA after arrival from Zanzibar,we were 12 studiends and we were on practical studies about the africa,our trip was successful and we managed to tour,serengeti,ngorongoro,manyara and walked within the forest in manyara met the local people around.after tanzania we headed to Amboseli which is at the boarder between kenya and tanzania but on the kenyan side,we were lucky here to view mt.kilimanjaro from our campsite.the three days here were just amaizing,the third day we left for lake nakuru which is inhabited with thw flamingoes and for our first time spotted the white rhino here,we took two days here and after left for masai mara where we also had a balon safari which was just an experience worth it. We had also an opportunity to have a walk with the maasai worriers who took us for a walk about 4 hours in the mountains.we visited their homesteads and it was just fun,we stayed here for 4 days with the community socialising with the maasai people.our nine days safari in kenya was one of the most successful with a good tour guide who was knowledgable and spoke good english and was well aware of the animals and their behaviours.We are looking forward to go back again with another group of the studients most likely next year around june who will be finalising the project. We would like to than the wildlife in action safaris www.wildlifeinaction.com  staffs who made our trip successful and more so to Paul who was with us for the whole trip as our driver guide.  Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:36:48 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_AMAIZING-TOUR-WITH-WILDLIFE-IN-ACTION-SAFARIS/BLOG/992509/21864.html Elmolo 2009-10-06T08:36:48Z My Budget Travel It all started in Arusha Tanzania where we were picked up at KIA after arrival from Zanzibar,we were 12 studiends and we were on practical studies about the africa,our trip was successful and we managed to tour,serengeti,ngorongoro,manyara and walked within the forest in manyara met the local people around.after tanzania we headed to Amboseli which is at the boarder between kenya and tanzania but on the kenyan side,we were lucky here to view mt.kilimanjaro from our campsite.the three days here were just amaizing,the third day we left for lake nakuru which is inhabited with thw flamingoes and for our first time spotted the white rhino here,we took two days here and after left for masai mara where we also had a balon safari which was just an experience worth it. We had also an opportunity to have a walk with the maasai worriers who took us for a walk about 4 hours in the mountains.we visited their homesteads and it was just fun,we stayed here for 4 days with the community socialising with the maasai people.our nine days safari in kenya was one of the most successful with a good tour guide who was knowledgable and spoke good english and was well aware of the animals and their behaviours.We are looking forward to go back again with another group of the studients most likely next year around june who will be finalising the project. We would like to than the wildlife in action safaris www.wildlifeinaction.com  staffs who made our trip successful and more so to Paul who was with us for the whole trip as our driver guide.  nonadult false AMAIZING TOUR WITH WILDLIFE IN ACTION SAFARIS text blog 129 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=10725112&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/user/defaultImage_160x120_C.jpg false 0 0 992509 10725112 Member 1504 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Red-Rock-Canyon/BLOG/889103/21864.html style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;" style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;" Red Rock Canyon (click on the images for a larger view or to rate my pictures please)   Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the crown jewel of the Bureau of Land Management’s public lands.  Located just west of Las Vegas, Nevada, the area is easily accessible from the south via Highways 160 and 159, or from the north by simply heading west on Charleston Boulevard.  Red Rock is only 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip so if you are tired of the tables, it is an easy and worthwhile trip that will show you a completely different side of Nevada.  For more information you can go the BLM’s site http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca.htm Red Rock includes more than 300 square miles and is visited by more than one million people a year.  [image] Nevada Highway 159 stretches through Red Rock Canyon.  Living in the village of Blue Diamond, we have driven this road more than 5,000 times over the last 22 years.  We never tire of the majestic natural beauty of what we call our “back yard”.  For years, the closest grocery store was 17 mile up this road, now with the expansion of Las Vegas, it is only 9 miles in the other direction.  Fortunately, the National Conservation Area protects us from further encroachment in perpetuity. [image]Wild horses and burros roam Red Rock along with a few mules (oops…what happens in Red Rock stays in Red Rock).  The area supports a rich fauna of deer, kit foxes, coyotes, badgers, tortoises, lizards, snakes, and rabbits.  Birds include quail, chukar, wild turkey, and roadrunners on the ground, and golden eagles, red tail hawks, owls, ravens, hummingbirds, and many others in the air.  There is even a Black Throated Magpie Jay from Central America that got blown into the area and decided to stay. [image]The Keystone Cliffs stretch for miles through the Red Rock NCA and are the prominent visual feature.  The cliffs have been the natural backdrop for many movies and advertising campaigns.  Portions of the movie Rainman were filmed in Red Rock and in the village of Blue Diamond (which was passed off in the movie as Tucumcari, New Mexico). [image] Red Rock is a very popular area for rock climbers of all levels, hikers, and of course hiking climbing photographers.  The area is also a home to many bicycle events, both road and mountain trail.  The BLM is planning a new bike trail that will parallel Highway 159 and Nevada has lowered the speed limit on the highway to help increase safety.  [image]Whether you are traveling by foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle, please be alert and careful and take you time.  The scenery is worth it.  Visit http://www.redrock.org/ for more on activities and events.  Take the time to visit the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (http://parks.nv.gov/smr.htm) at the south end of Red Rock; it only cost $5.   Or take the 13 mile scenic loop drive at the north end of Red Rock which will run you $5 a carload and is worth every bit of it.  Red Rock is far cheaper and prettier than any casino in town.   style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;" style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;" Red Rock Canyon (click on the images for a larger view or to rate my pictures please)   Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the crown jewel of the Bureau of Land Management’s public lands.  Located just west of Las Vegas, Nevada, the area is easily accessible from the south via Highways 160 and 159, or from the north by simply heading west on Charleston Boulevard.  Red Rock is only 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip so if you are tired of the tables, it is an easy and worthwhile trip that will show you a completely different side of Nevada.  For more information you can go the BLM’s site http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca.htm Red Rock includes more than 300 square miles and is visited by more than one million people a year.  [image] Nevada Highway 159 stretches through Red Rock Canyon.  Living in the village of Blue Diamond, we have driven this road more than 5,000 times over the last 22 years.  We never tire of the majestic natural beauty of what we call our “back yard”.  For years, the closest grocery store was 17 mile up this road, now with the expansion of Las Vegas, it is only 9 miles in the other direction.  Fortunately, the National Conservation Area protects us from further encroachment in perpetuity. [image]Wild horses and burros roam Red Rock along with a few mules (oops…what happens in Red Rock stays in Red Rock).  The area supports a rich fauna of deer, kit foxes, coyotes, badgers, tortoises, lizards, snakes, and rabbits.  Birds include quail, chukar, wild turkey, and roadrunners on the ground, and golden eagles, red tail hawks, owls, ravens, hummingbirds, and many others in the air.  There is even a Black Throated Magpie Jay from Central America that got blown into the area and decided to stay. [image]The Keystone Cliffs stretch for miles through the Red Rock NCA and are the prominent visual feature.  The cliffs have been the natural backdrop for many movies and advertising campaigns.  Portions of the movie Rainman were filmed in Red Rock and in the village of Blue Diamond (which was passed off in the movie as Tucumcari, New Mexico). [image] Red Rock is a very popular area for rock climbers of all levels, hikers, and of course hiking climbing photographers.  The area is also a home to many bicycle events, both road and mountain trail.  The BLM is planning a new bike trail that will parallel Highway 159 and Nevada has lowered the speed limit on the highway to help increase safety.  [image]Whether you are traveling by foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle, please be alert and careful and take you time.  The scenery is worth it.  Visit http://www.redrock.org/ for more on activities and events.  Take the time to visit the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (http://parks.nv.gov/smr.htm) at the south end of Red Rock; it only cost $5.   Or take the 13 mile scenic loop drive at the north end of Red Rock which will run you $5 a carload and is worth every bit of it.  Red Rock is far cheaper and prettier than any casino in town.   Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:58:58 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Red-Rock-Canyon/BLOG/889103/21864.html Buqo 2009-10-02T21:58:58Z My Budget Travel style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;"style="font-size: medium;" style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: 14pt;"style="font-size: small;"style="text-indent: 0.5in;" Red Rock Canyon (click on the images for a larger view or to rate my pictures please)   Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is the crown jewel of the Bureau of Land Management’s public lands.  Located just west of Las Vegas, Nevada, the area is easily accessible from the south via Highways 160 and 159, or from the north by simply heading west on Charleston Boulevard.  Red Rock is only 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip so if you are tired of the tables, it is an easy and worthwhile trip that will show you a completely different side of Nevada.  For more information you can go the BLM’s site http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/blm_special_areas/red_rock_nca.htm Red Rock includes more than 300 square miles and is visited by more than one million people a year.  [image] Nevada Highway 159 stretches through Red Rock Canyon.  Living in the village of Blue Diamond, we have driven this road more than 5,000 times over the last 22 years.  We never tire of the majestic natural beauty of what we call our “back yard”.  For years, the closest grocery store was 17 mile up this road, now with the expansion of Las Vegas, it is only 9 miles in the other direction.  Fortunately, the National Conservation Area protects us from further encroachment in perpetuity. [image]Wild horses and burros roam Red Rock along with a few mules (oops…what happens in Red Rock stays in Red Rock).  The area supports a rich fauna of deer, kit foxes, coyotes, badgers, tortoises, lizards, snakes, and rabbits.  Birds include quail, chukar, wild turkey, and roadrunners on the ground, and golden eagles, red tail hawks, owls, ravens, hummingbirds, and many others in the air.  There is even a Black Throated Magpie Jay from Central America that got blown into the area and decided to stay. [image]The Keystone Cliffs stretch for miles through the Red Rock NCA and are the prominent visual feature.  The cliffs have been the natural backdrop for many movies and advertising campaigns.  Portions of the movie Rainman were filmed in Red Rock and in the village of Blue Diamond (which was passed off in the movie as Tucumcari, New Mexico). [image] Red Rock is a very popular area for rock climbers of all levels, hikers, and of course hiking climbing photographers.  The area is also a home to many bicycle events, both road and mountain trail.  The BLM is planning a new bike trail that will parallel Highway 159 and Nevada has lowered the speed limit on the highway to help increase safety.  [image]Whether you are traveling by foot, bicycle, or motor vehicle, please be alert and careful and take you time.  The scenery is worth it.  Visit http://www.redrock.org/ for more on activities and events.  Take the time to visit the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park (http://parks.nv.gov/smr.htm) at the south end of Red Rock; it only cost $5.   Or take the 13 mile scenic loop drive at the north end of Red Rock which will run you $5 a carload and is worth every bit of it.  Red Rock is far cheaper and prettier than any casino in town.   blm, blue diamond, casino, cliffs, geology, las vegas, national conservation area, nevada, red rock, rocks, scenic byways, wildlife, yucca, yuccas nonadult false Red Rock Canyon text blog blm,blue diamond,casino,cliffs,geology,las vegas,national conservation area,nevada,red rock,rocks,scenic byways,wildlife,yucca,yuccas 117 1 3.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=7462204&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_4881815_21864_7462204_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 889103 7462204 SuperMember 101431 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_New-to-the-MyBudgetTravel/BLOG/876103/21864.html Hi! I'm just writing this one quick journal to see how everything works on this site. I plan to try and write out everything about my year in Argentina; I can't wait to see how much I remember and I'm going to love reminising about my experiances there. =) Hi! I'm just writing this one quick journal to see how everything works on this site. I plan to try and write out everything about my year in Argentina; I can't wait to see how much I remember and I'm going to love reminising about my experiances there. =) Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:32:55 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_New-to-the-MyBudgetTravel/BLOG/876103/21864.html Wilma 2009-10-02T00:32:55Z My Budget Travel Hi! I'm just writing this one quick journal to see how everything works on this site. I plan to try and write out everything about my year in Argentina; I can't wait to see how much I remember and I'm going to love reminising about my experiances there. =) nonadult false New to the MyBudgetTravel text blog 93 1 2.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13179113&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_5545770_21864_13179113_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 876103 13179113 Member 2067 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Savannah/BLOG/869602/21864.html style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;" style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;" Me and my husband first went to Savannah for my graduation, so we did not have a lot of time to explore the city.  However we were captivated by the historic district as well as the riverfront.  This led us to go back for the July 4th weekend.  The riverwalk was crowded and my god it was hot and steamy, but we had a Wonderful time.  I am a great history buff and I loved the tours.  I found the best bang for our buck was to take a tour that allowed us on and off service until 5pm on the day of the tour and all day up to 5pm on the day after the tour (this was a great value at only $15 per person).  We took advantage of this and was able to see more of the city.  As a matter of fact we stayed at the Westin and really did not move our car any while we were there.  Savannah's river front has a free ferry boat that takes you across the river up to about 1am.  We also took a Ghost tour, it was great we got to actually go inside one of the houses.  My husband would not like me to say this, but he actually abandoned me while we were in the house.  It was so funny, he said I am out of here and all I seen was his back.  I laughed all night.  There is also a free trolley that takes you up and down the riverwalk.  We actually got to eat at Paula Deens by making reservations while our tour was stopped at the stop sign.  The food was delicious.  Another great soulfood (southern style) restauarant is the Pirates House.  Most of the restaurants are reasonable, however we also found it is a good idea if you do not see the prices listed for the specials please be sure to ask or your check may have a special surprise waiting for you.  I am not well-off or rich by any means, so I find it necessary to know what I am getting for my money.  $40 dollars a day is great if you have a larger budget, but I advise you to use it for resource rather than a budget plan.  When you begin to mutiply 40 times 2, 3, or 4 it can become rather expensive.  Most of us live in a world were we may need to feed the family on $40 a day.  Anyway, I got a little off base.  Back to Savannah, I love it.  I witnessed people of all ages enjoying themselves even in the heat.  Although, there was an instance that we witnessed a gentleman of about 5 years old ask his parents "mom, dad why can't we take a cab?"  Now at that time it was so hot, I would have asked can we share? style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;" style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;" Me and my husband first went to Savannah for my graduation, so we did not have a lot of time to explore the city.  However we were captivated by the historic district as well as the riverfront.  This led us to go back for the July 4th weekend.  The riverwalk was crowded and my god it was hot and steamy, but we had a Wonderful time.  I am a great history buff and I loved the tours.  I found the best bang for our buck was to take a tour that allowed us on and off service until 5pm on the day of the tour and all day up to 5pm on the day after the tour (this was a great value at only $15 per person).  We took advantage of this and was able to see more of the city.  As a matter of fact we stayed at the Westin and really did not move our car any while we were there.  Savannah's river front has a free ferry boat that takes you across the river up to about 1am.  We also took a Ghost tour, it was great we got to actually go inside one of the houses.  My husband would not like me to say this, but he actually abandoned me while we were in the house.  It was so funny, he said I am out of here and all I seen was his back.  I laughed all night.  There is also a free trolley that takes you up and down the riverwalk.  We actually got to eat at Paula Deens by making reservations while our tour was stopped at the stop sign.  The food was delicious.  Another great soulfood (southern style) restauarant is the Pirates House.  Most of the restaurants are reasonable, however we also found it is a good idea if you do not see the prices listed for the specials please be sure to ask or your check may have a special surprise waiting for you.  I am not well-off or rich by any means, so I find it necessary to know what I am getting for my money.  $40 dollars a day is great if you have a larger budget, but I advise you to use it for resource rather than a budget plan.  When you begin to mutiply 40 times 2, 3, or 4 it can become rather expensive.  Most of us live in a world were we may need to feed the family on $40 a day.  Anyway, I got a little off base.  Back to Savannah, I love it.  I witnessed people of all ages enjoying themselves even in the heat.  Although, there was an instance that we witnessed a gentleman of about 5 years old ask his parents "mom, dad why can't we take a cab?"  Now at that time it was so hot, I would have asked can we share? Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:09:27 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Savannah/BLOG/869602/21864.html dionandesi 2009-09-30T00:09:27Z My Budget Travel style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;"style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;" style="color: #0000ff;"style="font-size: x-small;"style="color: #000080;" Me and my husband first went to Savannah for my graduation, so we did not have a lot of time to explore the city.  However we were captivated by the historic district as well as the riverfront.  This led us to go back for the July 4th weekend.  The riverwalk was crowded and my god it was hot and steamy, but we had a Wonderful time.  I am a great history buff and I loved the tours.  I found the best bang for our buck was to take a tour that allowed us on and off service until 5pm on the day of the tour and all day up to 5pm on the day after the tour (this was a great value at only $15 per person).  We took advantage of this and was able to see more of the city.  As a matter of fact we stayed at the Westin and really did not move our car any while we were there.  Savannah's river front has a free ferry boat that takes you across the river up to about 1am.  We also took a Ghost tour, it was great we got to actually go inside one of the houses.  My husband would not like me to say this, but he actually abandoned me while we were in the house.  It was so funny, he said I am out of here and all I seen was his back.  I laughed all night.  There is also a free trolley that takes you up and down the riverwalk.  We actually got to eat at Paula Deens by making reservations while our tour was stopped at the stop sign.  The food was delicious.  Another great soulfood (southern style) restauarant is the Pirates House.  Most of the restaurants are reasonable, however we also found it is a good idea if you do not see the prices listed for the specials please be sure to ask or your check may have a special surprise waiting for you.  I am not well-off or rich by any means, so I find it necessary to know what I am getting for my money.  $40 dollars a day is great if you have a larger budget, but I advise you to use it for resource rather than a budget plan.  When you begin to mutiply 40 times 2, 3, or 4 it can become rather expensive.  Most of us live in a world were we may need to feed the family on $40 a day.  Anyway, I got a little off base.  Back to Savannah, I love it.  I witnessed people of all ages enjoying themselves even in the heat.  Although, there was an instance that we witnessed a gentleman of about 5 years old ask his parents "mom, dad why can't we take a cab?"  Now at that time it was so hot, I would have asked can we share? budget, savannah nonadult false Savannah text blog budget,savannah 102 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=13024063&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/user/defaultImage_160x120_C.jpg false 0 0 869602 13024063 Member 2532 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Soccer-Stadium-near-completion/BLOG/864640/21864.html style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"A 5 min drive or 20 min walk from Gibela Backpackers Lodge - Durban. Standing on the newly laid pitch with its signature arch soaring overhead and the 56 000 permanent seats all in place, one can almost see the crowds taking their seats and the excitement mounting in Durban's dramatic new multi-purpose stadium. It's just weeks to go now until the city's Moses Mabhida Stadium - which will seat 69 000 during the tournament and host seven FIFA World Cup™ matches, including a semi-final - is complete. At the height of construction of the stadium, there were over 2 500 workers on site, but on a quiet Sunday morning only a handful of workers are left, erecting balustrades, putting the last touches to the venue offices and cleaning up walkways and access areas. "We are just weeks away from a complete stadium now. Then it's over to FIFA and the Organising Committee to get it operationally ready for a World Cup, but the plan is to open it up to Durban citizens long before," says head of the eThekwini Municipality's Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, Julie May Ellingson. Finalists in a local schools World Cup competition will be the lucky teams to be the first to step out onto the new turf to mark the stadium's opening in front of the city's residents on 28 November 2009. This will be followed the day after with a match between two yet-to-be-announced Premier Soccer League (PSL) sides. A number of concerts and further PSL matches are planned from January to May next year to give the stadium the stress tests it needs to ensure it is operationally ready next June for football's greatest showpiece, the FIFA World Cup. The focus now shifts to the precinct projects and ensuring fans, players and the media can easily access the stadium on match day. Durbanites are renowned for really making the most of a sporting match day. When residents of the city attend a football, cricket or rugby match they get to the venue hours before, parking in adjacent fields and setting up braais (barbeques) alongside their cars for pre-and post-match festivities which often go into the morning's early hours. To ensure this spirit is maintained, numerous park and ride and park and walk facilities are planned and some R250 million is being spent upgrading the beach promenade and extending the walkway from the beach all the way to the stadium. A ‘People's Park' is also being developed adjacent to the stadium, which will be one of the hubs of spectator festivities during the tournament. Fans will also be conveniently transported to the stadium by rail, with a new train station adjacent to the stadium currently under construction. "For us as a city it was always very important that the stadium is financially viable after 2010. For this reason we have built a multi-functional stadium that can serve the needs of football, rugby and athletics. We have worked hard to ensure that the entire precinct becomes an area used by the residents of the city," explains Ellingson. "The People's Park is an important legacy project for us. This park is a green space next to the stadium which includes two training fields, a running and cycling track, a children's playground and a tea garden. Residents and visitors can also ride a cable car to the top of the arch, or climb the 550 steps, for spectacular 365 degree views of the adjacent Indian Ocean and the city. For the adventure junkies, there will also be a bungee swing from the stadium's arch," Ellingson outlines. The stadium will also feature 72,00 m² of retail space and a gym, which will also help ensure it is used for far more than only sporting events and becomes a constantly bustling, well-utilised asset of the city. style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"A 5 min drive or 20 min walk from Gibela Backpackers Lodge - Durban. Standing on the newly laid pitch with its signature arch soaring overhead and the 56 000 permanent seats all in place, one can almost see the crowds taking their seats and the excitement mounting in Durban's dramatic new multi-purpose stadium. It's just weeks to go now until the city's Moses Mabhida Stadium - which will seat 69 000 during the tournament and host seven FIFA World Cup™ matches, including a semi-final - is complete. At the height of construction of the stadium, there were over 2 500 workers on site, but on a quiet Sunday morning only a handful of workers are left, erecting balustrades, putting the last touches to the venue offices and cleaning up walkways and access areas. "We are just weeks away from a complete stadium now. Then it's over to FIFA and the Organising Committee to get it operationally ready for a World Cup, but the plan is to open it up to Durban citizens long before," says head of the eThekwini Municipality's Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, Julie May Ellingson. Finalists in a local schools World Cup competition will be the lucky teams to be the first to step out onto the new turf to mark the stadium's opening in front of the city's residents on 28 November 2009. This will be followed the day after with a match between two yet-to-be-announced Premier Soccer League (PSL) sides. A number of concerts and further PSL matches are planned from January to May next year to give the stadium the stress tests it needs to ensure it is operationally ready next June for football's greatest showpiece, the FIFA World Cup. The focus now shifts to the precinct projects and ensuring fans, players and the media can easily access the stadium on match day. Durbanites are renowned for really making the most of a sporting match day. When residents of the city attend a football, cricket or rugby match they get to the venue hours before, parking in adjacent fields and setting up braais (barbeques) alongside their cars for pre-and post-match festivities which often go into the morning's early hours. To ensure this spirit is maintained, numerous park and ride and park and walk facilities are planned and some R250 million is being spent upgrading the beach promenade and extending the walkway from the beach all the way to the stadium. A ‘People's Park' is also being developed adjacent to the stadium, which will be one of the hubs of spectator festivities during the tournament. Fans will also be conveniently transported to the stadium by rail, with a new train station adjacent to the stadium currently under construction. "For us as a city it was always very important that the stadium is financially viable after 2010. For this reason we have built a multi-functional stadium that can serve the needs of football, rugby and athletics. We have worked hard to ensure that the entire precinct becomes an area used by the residents of the city," explains Ellingson. "The People's Park is an important legacy project for us. This park is a green space next to the stadium which includes two training fields, a running and cycling track, a children's playground and a tea garden. Residents and visitors can also ride a cable car to the top of the arch, or climb the 550 steps, for spectacular 365 degree views of the adjacent Indian Ocean and the city. For the adventure junkies, there will also be a bungee swing from the stadium's arch," Ellingson outlines. The stadium will also feature 72,00 m² of retail space and a gym, which will also help ensure it is used for far more than only sporting events and becomes a constantly bustling, well-utilised asset of the city. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:54:13 GMT http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Soccer-Stadium-near-completion/BLOG/864640/21864.html gibela 2009-09-29T08:54:13Z My Budget Travel style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"style="clear: both;"A 5 min drive or 20 min walk from Gibela Backpackers Lodge - Durban. Standing on the newly laid pitch with its signature arch soaring overhead and the 56 000 permanent seats all in place, one can almost see the crowds taking their seats and the excitement mounting in Durban's dramatic new multi-purpose stadium. It's just weeks to go now until the city's Moses Mabhida Stadium - which will seat 69 000 during the tournament and host seven FIFA World Cup™ matches, including a semi-final - is complete. At the height of construction of the stadium, there were over 2 500 workers on site, but on a quiet Sunday morning only a handful of workers are left, erecting balustrades, putting the last touches to the venue offices and cleaning up walkways and access areas. "We are just weeks away from a complete stadium now. Then it's over to FIFA and the Organising Committee to get it operationally ready for a World Cup, but the plan is to open it up to Durban citizens long before," says head of the eThekwini Municipality's Strategic Projects Unit and 2010 Programme, Julie May Ellingson. Finalists in a local schools World Cup competition will be the lucky teams to be the first to step out onto the new turf to mark the stadium's opening in front of the city's residents on 28 November 2009. This will be followed the day after with a match between two yet-to-be-announced Premier Soccer League (PSL) sides. A number of concerts and further PSL matches are planned from January to May next year to give the stadium the stress tests it needs to ensure it is operationally ready next June for football's greatest showpiece, the FIFA World Cup. The focus now shifts to the precinct projects and ensuring fans, players and the media can easily access the stadium on match day. Durbanites are renowned for really making the most of a sporting match day. When residents of the city attend a football, cricket or rugby match they get to the venue hours before, parking in adjacent fields and setting up braais (barbeques) alongside their cars for pre-and post-match festivities which often go into the morning's early hours. To ensure this spirit is maintained, numerous park and ride and park and walk facilities are planned and some R250 million is being spent upgrading the beach promenade and extending the walkway from the beach all the way to the stadium. A ‘People's Park' is also being developed adjacent to the stadium, which will be one of the hubs of spectator festivities during the tournament. Fans will also be conveniently transported to the stadium by rail, with a new train station adjacent to the stadium currently under construction. "For us as a city it was always very important that the stadium is financially viable after 2010. For this reason we have built a multi-functional stadium that can serve the needs of football, rugby and athletics. We have worked hard to ensure that the entire precinct becomes an area used by the residents of the city," explains Ellingson. "The People's Park is an important legacy project for us. This park is a green space next to the stadium which includes two training fields, a running and cycling track, a children's playground and a tea garden. Residents and visitors can also ride a cable car to the top of the arch, or climb the 550 steps, for spectacular 365 degree views of the adjacent Indian Ocean and the city. For the adventure junkies, there will also be a bungee swing from the stadium's arch," Ellingson outlines. The stadium will also feature 72,00 m² of retail space and a gym, which will also help ensure it is used for far more than only sporting events and becomes a constantly bustling, well-utilised asset of the city. nonadult false Soccer Stadium near completion. text blog 84 0 0.0 http://mybt.budgettravel.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4179534&as=21864 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/21864/photos/PHOTO_2514160_21864_4179534_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 864640 4179534 Member 1260