Travel Tips & Adventures

Actually, the location is called Watson Lake Park just north of Prescott Arizona. Whatever it is called, I find it breathtaking. (more…)

My first stay in Arizona was at the Camelback Inn when I attended a conference.  Let us say that I was not disappointed with my accommodations. Today’s blog will talk about the Camelback as well as an old timer that has been renovated, the Valley Ho. (more…)

So, you’ve arrived in Scottsdale and you’ve got your plastic ready.

Let’s go shopping! (more…)

Okay, you’ve got some money, you’ve got some land up on a hill, and you’ve got some brains. But, what you don’t have is a place to live!  What will you do? What will you do?

Thomas Jefferson, never at loss to come up with a new idea, decided he was going to build a house on the hill as the centerpiece to his 5,000-acre plantation.
And talk about privacy! You can’t see it from the road, even if you know where to look.

Preparation of the site began in 1768 with construction beginning the following year. With approximately 11,000 sq. ft. of living space, this is not your basic suburban master-planned community house. Monticello was designed by Jefferson after a visit to Europe. The Roman neoclassic design contains forty-three rooms following a remodeling expansion completed in 1809.

Much of the construction material came from the land around the house. The window glass came from Europe and about one-third of the glass now in the house is original.

Monticello - Thomas Jefferson's home

Alcove Bed

Of interest is Jefferson’s bed, which he designed after seeing alcove beds during his time in France. Taking the idea of beds built into walls upon his return from Europe, Jefferson redesigned Monticello, adding an alcove bed to his bedroom, but leaving both sides open. This connected his bedroom with his study.  So, Jefferson was never totally hidden away in his bedroom, but was able to access both rooms easily.  Obviously, Jefferson was not a man to rest easily.

Touring

Tours of the house run constantly throughout the day with timed tickets, so it is best to visit other areas of Monticello following your background tour.

Those background tour areas include the Gardens, dependencies, Mulberry Row and Jefferson’s gravesite.

Tickets are available throughout the day on a first come-first served basis. Tours of the house begin every 10 minutes.

ADMISSION

House Tour/Grounds: Nov. – Feb. $15.00 / March – October $20.00
Age 6-11: $8.00

Hours Vary – See Website for calendar of hours.

http://www.monticello.org

Tomorrow – Come back for a retrospect on our blog and some things to be thankful for.

There’s something about a college town. I’m not talking about New York City, Boston, or Los Angeles, but rather those small to mid-sized towns that cater to, or are intricately involved with, the day–to-day operations of the campus.

Virginia has several such towns, Lexington (Washington & Lee University), Williamsburg (College of William & Mary), Blacksburg (Virginia Poly Tech), Radford (Radford University), even Farmville (Longwood University) are a few of the ten such towns that are labeled “college towns.”

But, my pick for this article is Charlottesville.

Home to the University of Virginia, designed by United States President and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, Charlottesville is just over an hour from Richmond, and easily accessible by car or plane. Current population of just under 50,000 makes this a small college town with amenities that you might not find in other towns of this size. (more…)

If we seem to be in rhapsodies over Corvallis, you’re right – and we have another activity to share. We happened into an event that features local vineyards paired with local stores. Great idea, right? Well, it was! (more…)

On my recent trip to New York, I had only four hours to spend before it was time to catch my plane back to Phoenix.

Since I hadn’t been to visit in several years, I pondered the best use of my time. Should I head to a museum? Stroll through Central Park? Shop? Visit a landmark?
The only thing time wouldn’t permit would be a Broadway show – sigh!

 
So, given my four hours, I decided to reacquaint myself with NYC by just walking around. I did not head to a museum or to Central Park, but chose to travel a multi-block path that had some major highlights to see.  It was an overcast day, so the brilliant blue skies I was hoping to see just weren’t there.   But Manhattan is still impressive, no matter what the weather.

Macy's - The largest store in the world

Coming up from Penn Station, one of the first sights was Macy’s, “the largest store in the world.” I didn’t go in, because I might never stop myself in time to catch my train to JFK.  

Instead, I headed over to…

A Photographer’s Dream…

A major landmark for photographers is B & H Camera. Located on 9th Avenue between 33 & 34th Streets, B & H is THE place for cameras and photography equipment. They’ve got it down to a science and have probably every imaginable piece of photo equipment. The most wonderful part of the store is the knowledgeable staff because they really know their stuff.

 
Want a flash attachment for a camera? I showed them what I have and they gave me three options! The prices were right and I could leave with my choice, at a good price.

And, no, this is not a paid endorsement for B & H, but it was my second visit.

They’re impressive and also very security conscious. Be prepared to leave large bags at the entrance to claim when you’re ready to leave.

Onward…

Saddled down with a suitcase, my next stop was Schwartz’s Travel Service where I could leave my suitcase. (Located at 357 W. 36th Street near 9th Ave.) Taking the small elevator to the second floor, I paid $10 to leave my suitcase for the day. Ultimately, I left it for less than two hours, but it gave me the freedom to move quickly.

The Sights

New York Public Library

 Next, I headed over to 5th Avenue to see the sights: The New York Public Library with its lions guarding the entrance (stone, not live), and both the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building in the distance. I considered a trip up to the top of the Empire State Building (now the tallest building in NYC since the devastation of 9/11/01), but that would have required several hours.

Empire State Building - the tallest building in NYC

Chrysler Building

I wandered into a street fair on Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) that stretched from about 34th Street to 42nd Street. Traffic was closed down for the entire length of the fair with people sampling food and buying the vendor’s wares. There were a lot of people selling jewelry, scarves, and NY T-shirts. The aroma of the food finally made me break down and try an arepa.

 
An arepa is a corn cake sandwich fried with mozzarella cheese melted between the two corn cakes. I chose a poor representation because, while it tasted good, it was very thin. As I marched and munched along, I was seeing the profusion of people and remembering the energy of NYC that I have missed.

Carousel in Bryant Park

Strolling through Bryant Park behind the giant New York Public Library, I viewed the glorious, recently refurbished carousel, a permanent fixture for anyone young or young at heart. The NY Public Library is getting a facelift on the outside with the back face totally clean and gorgeous, but the front has coverings to protect passersby from the cleaning. It is an impressive building and many people stop for a photo op near the lions guarding the entrance.

Street scene in Manhattan

That’s one of the best things about New York City and, especially Manhattan; there is so much energy! The colorful signs, places to see, food choices from street vendors to fine dining, and excitement, can’t be topped anywhere.

 
I know, some might contest that last statement, but I never run out of enthusiasm for NYC and the many opportunities to enjoy. Times Square, entrance to the joys of Broadway, is one of my favorite places in the universe, but this time, the schedule just wouldn’t work.

 
Colorful, thought provoking and dynamic with events and experiences, New York City is the place where I’d spend a week if I could be in any city in the world. But I only had four hours, so I enjoyed what I could and share it here.

If you decide to go to NYC, get a guidebook like DK or Frommer’s to give you the many choices that you’ll have. And, there are many.

Web sites to review:

I Love NY
http://www.iloveny.com/home.aspx

B & H Camera
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Proprietor Joanne Gemmill knows about a true English tea since she grew up in the south of England. Once she transplanted herself to Arizona, it was natural for her to continue her tradition of tea and share that with people so they would

Proprietor Joanne Gemmill

“ Take time out from their busy lives and wallow in tea and tranquility.”
These days, everyone can use some tranquility. (more…)

Ah, if only everyone could be Carefree – or travel there. It’s a town in Arizona north of Phoenix, by the way, but it is also a state of mind.

 
On a recent stay at the Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, the experience lived up to the name.

Carefree Resort & Villas entrance

(more…)

Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw; Photos by George Bradshaw

Stepping onto the dome car of the Alaska Railroad you do not realize that this train is not just a tourist train.

Domed car of the Alaskan Railroad

(more…)