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Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

There are plenty of things in the city of Boston to make it worth the trip. For some, it’s a chance to visit with friends and family, and for others, it’s a visit to the historical foundations of a country. For almost everyone, however, it’s a chance to enjoy a splendid city, and one that has a heartbeat that’s strong and eclectic.

There are all kinds of attractions in the city, and a plethora of things to do to make it a wonderful night. There are also some excellent places to enjoy the water, and if outdoor fun is appealing, then kitesurfing just might be the next big thing. There’s a kite school that does its training out of Revere Beach. This is a great beginning, because one can find out if the sport’s really for them, without having to invest in all the gear ahead of time.

It can get quite costly, but the fans of the sport will swear that it’s worth every penny. Sailing across the water, being dragged by a kite that’s pulling through sheer wind power, is an exhilarating experience, and one that’s hard to forget. While the gracious hospitality of the 5 star Boston hotels can be more than enough for a rainy day, on a clear day kitesurfing is a wonderful new experience.

There’s a lot of talk about the architecture of Miami , and many references to its art deco style . It is truly one of the most unique cities in the country, and the many styles running through the city reveal its history. There’s more than art deco here, certainly, and the experience of looking at old buildings when one emerges from the hottest new nightclub is nothing less than postmodern. It’s a pastiche of styles from all over the world, and covering many eras, but art deco might be one of the most refined influences present.

It is certainly very pleasing to the eye, with sumptuous details that reveal an excess of attention to the small things. It’s the kind of detail that one might find in the best miami hotels , where there’s evidence of attention in every corner. Here, the art deco style is one that derived from the influence of the King Tut exhibit in the 1920s. The tombs that were decorated for queens and kings in ancient Egypt served as an inspiration for the architectural school of art deco when it was first developing. There’s no coincidence, then, when one sees the bright contrast of bright sea blue on gold in an archway and remembers that the sarcophagus of pharos had the very same thing.

One might not think a cemetery would be a destination point in Seattle, but the Lakeview Cemetery is the most spectacular graveyard in the city. A visit to Lake View Cemetery makes for a very interesting and unique outing; you may find that 4 hours have gone by without a blink; truly a fascinating, serene place for deep contemplation.

This historic cemetery is located just north of Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, easily reached by foot if you’re staying at any of the luxury hotels Seattle has to offer its visitors, who a good majority just come by to see the final resting place of Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee. Their markers are not indicated, but if you go about half-way up, make a left and then go half-way down, their gravesite will be on you left hand side, or just look for a crowd of people standing in front of two tombs.

This is also the final resting place for many notable figures from Seattle’s past such as Nordstrom, Doc Maynard, Henry Yesler, Irving Ballard and Chief Seattle’s daughter, Princess Angeline to name a few. Located at the north end of the cemetery you will find a memorial to Japanese-American veterans of World War II. The history contained in this one cemetery will give way to many stimulating conversations, if not of the dead, then your respect for the heroes who have passed on.

For some visitors, and for a lot of locals, too, San Diego is a quintessential beach town. It’s a place to come and relax, enjoying all the things that the sand and the sun can offer. Excellent restaurants and top San Diego hotels are part and parcel of the rich scene. Its rather stunning weather offers a temperate place throughout the year, and sometimes it rains, but that’s a good time to see puppet shows.

Although it’s not in the common vocabulary for most adults to think about puppet theatre as an option, it should be. With the work of the local Animal Cracker Conspiracy , the art is raised to new levels. They achieve something that few puppet theaters in the US can do, and reinvent a Latin, Asian, and European tradition on this side of the Pacific in a delightful manner.

They’ve been able to captivate audiences of all ages, and have gotten a great critical reception as well. Lynette Jennings and Dori Smith , two of the group’s leading members, have street credibility along with academic and professional knowledge, that informs all that they do. The shows are often told with shadow puppets, which is a particularly compelling form that is like entering into another world. They also do lots of late night puppet work, so that the adults can enjoy it as much as the kids do.

There are many parts of Las Vegas where it feels like one has suddenly entered into the atomic age. Not the real thing, because there are very few things in the town that are not copies of something else, or even copies of copies. These places feel more like a 1950s version of the future, and it’s an odd experience that’s somehow very nostalgic. It’s like the best parts of Route 66 in one spot, and there’s usually bad coffee too, to complete the moment. However, there are a couple spots where one can feel like they’re in the atomic age, which of course, everyone really is, but in a much more direct way.

The infinitely interesting Atomic Testing Museum is in a suburb just to the south, and it’s a very eye-opening experience. Here, there are artifacts and objects that relate directly to anything connected to atomic energy, but the exploding kind in particular. For kids, who have a love for science and things of the future, this is an excellent place to visit. It’s also very dense for those who have an interest in history. This museum is connected to the Smithsonian, and as one would expect, the displays are really exquisite, and everything is presented in contexts that make room for thought and contemplation.

Although it does have some items from other atomic events, and large scale tragedies, it’s primarily focused on what happens at the Nevada Test Site . For those who might not be familiar, this site started in the early 1950s, as an inland test site where atomic explosions could be made in what were called controlled experiments. It is also possible to tour here, and they’re open one day every quarter, and if the radioactivity warnings aren’t worrisome, then it might be worth a visit.

There are plenty more options for those staying in Las Vegas hotels , and lots of theme museums. The city has a lot to see.

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC contains some of the rare manuscript and literary artifact elements that are associated with William Shakespeare as well as some of his contemporary writers. Also, there are research centers and it provides an extensive collection of individual plays that are used in university classrooms across the nation. In addition to its various academic and scholarly services and features, the library is also focused on introducing the new generations to the beauty and brilliance of Shakespeare. The library is one of the prestigious attractions for many guests at one of the five star hotels Washington DC . Seeing Shakespeare performed is a great experience, and actually performing some of his works can be even more incredible.

One of the main programs for children that occurs at the library is the is the Secondary Shakespeare Festival , which is an annual spring event. Besides the DC location, the festival has performances in Virginia and Maryland and offers the students a wonderful opportunity to perform and develop and understanding not only of the language structure but the various plot elements and incredible insights into humanity the plays offer. The students are broken into groups and each one performs a selection of scenes from any of Shakespeare’s works.

The festival is structured for students in grades between seven and twelfth and the projects are oriented toward the specific age and experience needs. They arrive at the festival for a full day of activities and are able to perform the selected pieces for each other. This is a celebration event and not a competition, and the participants are encouraged to fully explore their scripts and have a great time doing it. The professionally based commentator panel will offer awards and specific recognitions for outstanding efforts for those who are interested. Performing Shakespeare is a great way to open the doors for understanding and frequently creates new lovers of the Bard and English Renaissance drama.

Rome has so many historical landmarks it would take years to actually walk through, see and learn all of them. There are a few that are more visited by people from all over the world than others. The city is so amazing with its ancient buildings that are still standing mixed with the new modern buildings that are used today. If you only have a couple of days to enjoy the area before moving on, get on one of those double decker buses and take in a general view of the city. It is really spectacular. It is a large city with a quaint feel in many ways.  

The Colosseum is a must see while visiting. This is one of Rome’s most famous landmark buildings. It can be seen on most of the literature that promotes the city. This is were all the entertainment happened in ancient times. Emperor Vespasian had the project started in 72 AD and then it was his son, Titus, who saw that it was completed. It took 8 years and the grand opening was in 80 AD. The Colosseum
could seat up to 55,000 people and was constructed of lots of marble. On the days that the Gladiators would fill the arena, the crowd would pile in through one of the 76 entrances and take their seats according to social class and gender. And on a hot day, they would pull out the colored awnings for some shade.  

Another must see while in Rome is the Vatican. The Vatican is so amazing and is a sight to see whether one is Catholic or not. So much of the historical art of the early Roman times can be seen here at the Vatican. They have recently opened the Vatican Museums which houses lots of art from the major artists of early times. Every detail of the walk through is immaculate and exquisite. The Sistine Chapel is breath taking. The Basilica will keep you entertained for hours.  

If you only have a short stay in one of the great Rome hotels than make sure you take the time to see these two places. You will get to see lots of other places along the way.

The dedication of part of Republican Street, where it was renamed August Wilson Way , was a very important mark on the city. It is largely metaphorical, in proper proportion for a man who created largely metaphorical works that only hinted at a much deeper reality. As a playwright, August Wilson knew that the closest a play could get to telling a story was like the mirror to nature. It might look and sound the same, but they are always separated by mortality, and at best, plays would always be a metaphor. These metaphors were, in fact, the keys to his own immortality, and that’s something that the world community felt deeply when he passed on in 2006 .

Seattle might not be the perfect resting place for him, but it is what it is, and that’s where he spent the last decade of his life. He loved the city more than most of his audience knew. He would always be acquainted with the Twin Cities, and Pittsbrugh’s South Side, and even New York, where he spent formative years and later on mature ones. However, as theatre towns go, Seattle has had a very lively scene for some time now, and it was always one where he felt at home, developing new work, meeting people, smoking, drinking coffee, and engaging in conversations that kept the blood flowing through the veins and sometimes, it seemed, into the pen.

It’s impossible, of course, to find him here now, but the sprit is there. It hasn’t been long, but the city seems to have taken his ghost under its very wing, and agreed to remember the life through the work. Seattle hotel reservations may not be the ticket to bringing the lost one back from that side of the tracks, but it can make for an entry into a city that could nurture dreams and give them a place to draw breath.

Many people think of the world as being static. All the borders are set, no one is expanding or at war losing land and therefore most people assume that their map from ten years ago is still accurate. The truth is that there are still wars over land and the country lines are still in flux. Governments take over certain lands, areas secede from their nation, and nations split apart. In the past ten years there have been some fairly major changes in geography and therefore a world map from ten years ago is no longer accurate to the reality of political and geographic situations. Some of these may seem silly, but in the matter of world politics and travel they are incredibly important.

In 2005 Serbia and Montenegro were one country. In 2006 they agreed to split into two countries. Having been two countries a long time ago it was not hard for them to choose the state lines again, but it did mark the end of an important Yugoslavian state.

Timore-Leste also known as East Timore gained it’s own independence in 2002 from its other half West Timore, and from Indonesia. Both states reside on the small island of Timore. East Timore in particular has seen hard times over the years. First they were colonized by Portugal, and when that was over, Indonesia invaded the small country. It was a long and bloody battle for independence, and the people are still suffering for it, but many of them still believe that it was for the best.

There have also been a number of capitol cities that have changed. While they have for the most part been in small countries, it is important for the world traveler to know where the new capitol cities are for any given area. These small changes also affect the accuracy of maps . The capitol of Myanmar changed in 2005 from Yangon sometimes referred to as Rangoon and was moved to Naypyidaw an area that is less known by most westerners. One year later the capitol of Palau changed from Koror and moved to Melekeok.

While it might seem normal to assume that Orlando, Florida is the place to go with the kids, it is more true than one could have ever imagined. There are a number of great places to visit whether spending the vacation nights in five star hotels in Orlando , or going back to a economy motel every night there is something for the whole family to do on any budget. Like any other large city there are of course zoos and gardens if that is something that interests the kids and the parents are likely to find out something new about a few animals from around the world. Orlando is also home to standard attractions like Sea World which is packed with people all year round. If these do not sound fun, then maybe going to an alternative area would be better.

While some adults may think it is a little cheesy, there is a place to get dinner where the show interacts with the whole family and the kids may come out being the heroes. Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows is one of those shows where the dinner guests are looking to find out whodunit. The Merry Mystery Dinner Adventure in particular was designed for elementary school kids allowing them to interrogate the suspects with prizes awarded for students who find clues and work toward solving the mystery. Reservations are required, but if planned appropriately ahead of time the whole family can get in the mood for the impossible by going through Ripley’s Believe it or Not .

If going outdoors and learning first hand about the mucky yucky outdoors is more to the taste of the kids, Orlando is filled with swamps and bogs and there are a number of places that are happy to give air boat rides through the swamps . This area is untouched by man and filled with wild beasts in particular alligators and bald eagles. The whole family can take half hour tours throughout the daytime or longer rides in the evening in which it is more likely to see the alligators.