Archive for March, 2008
29
Africa is a vast and varied country that is well-suited for camping safaris.
More: continued here
26
We are rather excited about our plans to spend December in New Zealand…
We have an extra long Winter Holiday because of the way Ramadan and Eid fall this year, so it seemed like the perfect time to go. Yes, we are supposed to be saving up but we may never have four weeks off in December again, and I really want to see New Zealand in the summer. Also, according to several NZers who live here, we got bargainous tickets. Plus, as an added bonus, on the way out we are squeezing in a visit to Vicky in Bangkok so we can meet her baby who will be about two months old by then.
Once in New Zealand, the plan is to see relatives near Auckland (both Steve and I have NZ relatives), then tour southwards to Nelson where Paul and Lisa now live. We’ll also get down to see Steve’s friend, Stuart, and his family in Christchurch.
We have already grilled our Kiwi friends about where to go and what to see and everything sounds amazing. If you have been there and have any must-sees then let us know.
24
Part of my Job
Published by admin, under Employment. No Comments.
One of the things I am constantly doing at my job as a travel agent, is keeping up to date on the various Las Vegas promotion codes. If I can find a deal for my clients than they are happy and Las Vegas is one of the destinations that is traveled to most often.
Most of the time throughout the year, there are several different Las Vegas hotel specials and it is my job to know which ones are valid for which dates. I probably go through and check them all at least once a week, as some may be added or removed at any time.
The first place I check on is the MGM Grand promotion codes, as this seems to be the destination of choice for many of my clients. I would actually recommend this hotel to anyone that has never traveled there before, as it is a good one to get the full Vegas experience.
18
Backpacking in the snow.
Published by admin, under Alaska. 4 Comments.
Hey Folks,
Just back in from a GREAT hike - Bremner Mines, in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, to Tebay Lakes. We had an amazing time, and loved nearly every second of the trip. We started a little hesitantly - our flight in to the backcountry was a day late, due to inclement weather, and when we arrived, things hadn’t seemed to be on the improve. We hit a good hail storm within 10 minutes of landing and heading off - so rather than ‘tent it’, we stayed the first night in a little bunkhouse cabin near the old mines, currently occupied by the Park Service archaeologist, Barbara, a delightful and knowledgeable lady who made our night a treat. The next morning the weather was marginally better, and by the time we hit the first pass, close to lunch, we’d already hiked through a small snow storm. Here’s the view of the group at the pass, Jodee, Geoff, Svetlana, Mike and Sergei, from left to right. I think they’re wondering ‘what the hell are we doing up here’, before we set off down the steep snowy slope - an adventure, for sure.
All up, the trip was fantastic, the scenery incredible, the hiking a good challenge, and the group wonderful - everyone really chipped in and made this a memorable hike.
I’ll post some more over the next week or so.
Cheers
Carl
15
Maldives is 2007 World’s Most Romantic Destination
Published by admin, under Travel Maldives. No Comments.
In the 14th annual World Travel Awards, Maldives was chosen as the World’s Most Romantic Destination that was held in the Turks and Caicos Islands last December 2007. There are also many world famous destination around the globe that is competing for this award such as Paris, Venice, Hawaii and Vienna.
Not only that, Maldives also gets a lot of nomination in the different categories. Maldives is niminated as World’s Leading Destination, World’s Leading Dive Destination, World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination and World’s Leading Travel Television Commercial. In addition Maldives Tourism Promotion Board was nominated in the World’s Leading Tourist and Convention Bureau category.
(more…)
13
WITHOUT LIMITS
Published by admin, under Inspiration. No Comments.
[Inspired by the recent Olympics in China, I was reading some “memoirs” from my life changing spiritual journey there several years ago. My trip to China in the autumn of 2000 with a group of Qi Gong buddies and teachers was a “break-open” experience for me: I left my perceived ‘limitations’ as a writer at the bottom of an azure blue lake in magical Jiu Zhai Gou. Below is one of the articles I wrote about the experience after my return — now “re-inspiring” me with ‘limitless’ possibilities]:
Isn’t it interesting what it takes to open up your world — to expand what you think are your boundaries and limits? I suppose I didn’t have to go to the other side of the world to discover a part of me that was there all along, but you never know where you might find the key.
Early on during my trip to China, I had this realization: I was in the presence of such immense beauty and among such tranquil people that it would be a sacrilege to complain about the lack of toilet paper! And after that, nothing was daunting or limiting, everything a captivating and moving experience.
While traveling in this vast country, we saw magnificent agriculture created out of seemingly impossible conditions: apple orchards planted in the only small patch of level ground in what was otherwise a sheer cliff; steep mountainsides painstakingly terraced to contain small tea tree farms; lush vegetable gardens growing right up to the roadside. No terrain was considered limiting in producing abundance of some sort.
In southwestern China near Songpan, settled hundreds of years ago by Tibetan Buddhists, our group was invited into the colorful warm home of a Tibetan farm woman. Whatever cultural boundaries that could have restricted us disappeared as she chatted away, serving yak cheese tea and steamed buns to these dazzled pale strangers. Although not understanding her words, we savored every moment of her unlimited hospitality and graciousness.
The Taoist priests and priestesses we met on Wudang Mountain, where my teacher Master Chen had trained since he was six years old, were kind and serene and deeply engaged in their healing work. Their austere surroundings were not at all limiting to them but provided a rich resource full of a legacy of contribution and respect.
When we had the honor of meeting Master Chen’s 128 year-old teacher, fragile yet strong in her will and spirit, she spoke to us about her ‘next’ project of rebuilding the ancient Taoist temple where she lived. I wondered at the time if this woman, whose life had overlapped three different centuries, had ever considered anything an obstacle.
I brought back home with me the inspiration of this boundless spirit, welcoming it into my world. And today if I slip into a sense of feeling limited somehow, I remember that at one time someone saw the possibility of apple trees flourishing where someone else had seen only a forbiddingly steep mountain of hard rock.
Jian Kang Kuai Le!
[Hmmmm…there is something to revisiting memories and bringing a bit of that ‘limitless magic’ of travel adventures back into the present with you!]
Love. Listen. Let go.
… with love from Cornelia
11
One of the best things about having added time on your hands prior to leaving to a far-off destination is that is gives you the ability to take full advantage of last minute flight reservations. Conversely, if you are constrained for time, you can still go on the internet and purchase your last minute tickets while not having much difficulty.
Just about every airline that sells any type of low cost air ticket will additionally make available for sale tickets on the internet and these airlines even hire consolidators to which they are consigned the tasks of finding customers to whom they can then make for sale low cost air tickets. If you want to take advantage of the low cost air fares that are made available to consumers by these internet consolidators, then you need to become a direct member of their site after which you will be able to make your last minute flight reservations.
Some Restrictions to Keep In Mind
Nevertheless, under some situations you might even be constrained into making last minute flight reservations that land only on certain days of each week, for instance on weekends and as well these types of last minute reservations only apply to a limited number of destinations. Therefore, prior to moving forward further, you should first of all make certain that the place you want to travel to is listed on the special list of last minute travel offers.
Regardless if you don’t locate a place to go that is listed on a specific website, there isn’t anything that is stopping you from checking out other internet destinations until you locate what you want, and with an abundance of such websites to explore, it is likely that you will find your last minute flight reservations sooner rather than later. Additionally, the time that you spend in going over the internet’s different websites will also educate you about where the least expensive deals are located and therefore you can get more out of your time and effort.
An additional option in terms of making last minute flight reservations is to drive to the closest airport and look at the numerous last minute flight reservation deals which are typically made available three hours before departure and two weeks in advance of the flight date. Therefore, when you end up going to an airport be certain to look to all the various combinations. You really should not think of it as being literally a ‘last minute’ type of deal.
Nevertheless, under normal circumstances, you will get the most ideal results from these last minute flight reservations by booking on these fourteen days in advance and frequently the deal that you get might even have a hotel stay and transportation and other types of similar deals are without questions very light on your pocket as well. Frequently such deals that you can actually save up to seventy percent off of the typical airfare as well as travel expenditures.
Certainly, you need to be an ‘early bird’ to take benefit of such last minute flight reservations since they usually are sold out much faster and typically they will not be available to purchase only a few hours after the offer is made available to the general public at large.
To learn more go to Cheap Flight Discount advice and at Cheap Flight tips.
09
Dining Out: Longfellows Restaurant, Saratoga Springs NY
Published by admin, under Family. No Comments.
When you live in the shadow of the crown jewel of American Thoroughbred racing you can well imagine the dining options available. The city of Saratoga has more than its fair share of highly rated ristorantes, bistros, and good old fashions eateries. No matter what type of cuisine you’re in the mood for you can find it in Saratoga; assuming of course you can find a table, which isn’t always an easy task during the annual 6 week stretch when the droves of horseracing’s elite and of course, its more casual fans converge on my town.
I’ve lived in the Saratoga are for about 5 years now, and despite numerous recommendations, my husband and I had never quite found our way to Longfellows restaurant. My father-in-law had never been there either, and with him in town for only a few days, and better yet, picking up the check, it seemed like the right time to check out one of Saratoga’s mostly highly regarded restaurants.
Making reservations
I was able to make a reservation directly from their website through a gateway to OpenTable.com. The process was extremely easy. All I had to do was enter the number of people my party and select my seating time from the list of open slots I was sent an email confirming my reservation along with instructions on how I could cancel or modify my reservation. Of course, this being my first time at Longfellows, the notion of cancellation was the furthest thing from my mind, but it’s nice to know I could have done so online. The entire process is seamless and I greatly prefer it to making a phone call to the restaurant.
Service
It didn’t take long before we discovered the quality of the staff at Longfellows. Upon our arrival, the hostess greeted us and led us to our table. She noticed that my husband’s grandmother was using a cane and moving slowly (that’s an understatement of biblical proportions). She asked if she needed to use the restroom on this level before proceeding up a short flight of stairs to our table. Our waiter, Mike was equally friendly. He engaged in conversation with the diners and gave recommendations for dinner. Each and every member of the Longfellows staff we had contact with was attentive and friendly. While I would expect nothing less from a high-end restaurant, the Longfellows staff met my expectations across the board.
Food Quality
After we ordered, we were brought a basket of warm rolls and cornbread. Our waiter gave us the heads-up that the cornbread is baked with jalapeño peppers inside, and might be a bit spicy. Unlike most cornbread, it was moist and flavorful. So much so that none of us felt the need to add butter. The jalapeño peppers added a pleasant, but not overpowering kick to the bread. The dinner roll was what you might expect, but not memorable.
For an appetizer, I ordered the Crab and Shrimp Bisque served with sherry ($6.99). This soup was a great way to start my meal. The crab and shrimp flavors were not overpowering. The sweetness of the seafood complimented the sherry perfectly. The bisque was very creamy; so thick that your spoon can stand up in the soup. I enjoyed it immensely.
For my entrée, I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass ($29.99). It was served over lobster risotto and finished with a red pepper puree. The Sea Bass itself was seared to perfection. It had just enough of a crust on it to give it a mild crunch. The filet had a nice mild flavor and wonderful texture. The lobster risotto with peas was creamy without being too heavy. The red pepper puree enhanced the flavor of the Sea Bass nicely. I’ve had Sea Bass prepared many different ways, but this has to be one of my favorites.
My husband started with Chef Brad’s Macaroni and Cheese ($8.99). The recipe included cavatappi pasta with shaved black truffles tossed in a cognac cream sauce baked golden, then finished with a black truffle infused oil. Since we just returned from Vancouver where we had an amazing pasta dish with truffle cream, his hopes were high.
He ordered it as a side and was impressed by the size of this portion. Being somewhat of a connoisseur of Mac n’ cheese, my husband rates this one as okay. It’s not exactly cheese, not exactly creamy, although the truffle flavor was excellent. While I certainly wouldn’t say that he disliked it, it’s not in the same class as the Jasper’s Mac n’ Cheese served at another popular Saratoga dining destination; Hattie’s.
For his entrée, he ordered the Choice Filet Mignon crusted with fresh garlic and black peppercorns served with grilled peppers ($26.99). As a starch, he chose the horseradish and chives mashed potatoes. The steak was a generous, fat-free, cut cooked exactly as ordered (rare). It was nicely seasoned, seared perfectly, with a very pink center. My husband is a real meat and potatoes guy and he rates the Longfellow filet among the best he’s had in the Albany/Saratoga area.
When my husband took his first bite of the peppers, he said, “Wow, that is a sweet pepper”. The flavors were fresh and clean. This is the first occasion he’s ever considered peppers more than decorative.
The mashed potatoes also had a unique flavor. The horseradish gives it a nice tangy, almost lemony flavor. It’s the first time I’ve encountered horseradish in mashed potatoes, but it absolutely worked. I have some experimenting to do at home to try and replicate the recipe.
Price
Don’t be alarmed by the price on the menu. While you will pay more than you would at the dinner chains, you definitely get what you pay for. The Longfellows menu boasts generous portion and they’re certainly not exaggerating (you should have seen my father-in-law’s chicken dish). Everyone in our party had plenty to eat and each of us had leftovers to bring home. I’ve been to many restaurants where I’ve paid as much, if not more, only to get less food and inferior service.
Overall Quality
Longellows provided our entire party with a top-notch dining experience. The service was great and the food was wonderful. They use fresh ingredients, which leans to great flavors. Even at above-chain prices, Longfellows still rates as an excellent value for the money.
I’ve lived in the area for about 5 years now and this was my first time dining at Longfellows. Now that I’ve dined there, I can’t for the life of me imagine why we waited so long. We will definitely be back again…soon.
03
Pedro R.I.P.
Published by admin, under Road Trip. No Comments.
This is Pedro. We found him in the bath tub at the house of Luke & Matt et al. He didn’t last too long.
01
Welcome to Hesperia
Published by admin, under Road Trip. No Comments.
My new home. I’m back in the desert and I’m coming to terms with the fact that even though I grew up in the humidity and moisture of New England, I_love_the_desert. I feel guilty admitting it but it’s true.
San Francisco was great - got to see lots of friends and family and do some fun rides. I even took pictures of some of those fun rides but my computer isn’t working right now so I can’t upload them. Hey, what else is new? Big thanks to Paule and Julie who put me up in grand style and took fantastic care of me while I was there. Sending them both healing, positive thoughts as they are both on the mend from various injuries - and other crap life has thrown at them recently… Also big thanks to Chris who let me come back and work at the Mouse for a couple weeks and relive my glory days (wait, what glory days? Nevermind).
I made it down here to Hesperia yesterday and moved in with Carolyn and Romolo. Today I got out and pedalled around a little on some of their local dirt. The outskirts of Hesperia is just a moto playground which equals lots of swoopy, banked trails. So far so good 