Monthly Archives: March 2010

Mar30

Philadelphia’s Spring Camp for Kids

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Philadelphia’s Spring Camp for Kids

I have to be in Philadelphia at the end of March for a conference my boss wants me to attend, my son will have to come with me, because there’s no one to watch him while I’m gone. I’ve never had to travel from home before, and travel with my son while on business. So, I went online to see if there’s anything to occupy my sons time, while I’m busy at the conference learning new management skills.

First, I checked to see where my hotel was located to see what might be close by for him to do, and that’s when I found out about the ‘Please Touch Museum’ where there are activities that will keep my overly-inquisitive son busy for hours. The exhibits are geared for children to stay happy for hours and the funds raised by the museum helped restore the last remaining structure built during the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, which is where the Please Touch Museum took up residence.

But, I still needed to find something that would occupy his time for a whole week and for the entire day. I could take him to the conference with me, but that will only bore him, and I prefer to stimulate my son with new and exciting activities. I could try to find a nanny, but I doubt I could find one on such short notice and one who could teach my son interesting things. After a lot of research online, I found the perfect solution! A spring break camp – The Science Runs Wild – a program offered in Philadelphia for children from ages 5 to 12. It begins March 30th, the day after we arrive and lasts till April 9th, the day before we leave! My son loves science and this Spring Camp Program is designed by a naturalist. The children will be able to explore outdoor exhibits like The Big Dig and Butterflies. There will be games, crafts and activities for them to do all day. They can learn about bugs, dinosaurs, perform experiments, be among live animals and learn about the environment with ‘green’ activities. I signed him up right away and luckily he got in just at the last minute, the spring camp filled up almost immediately once it was announced.

How perfect! While I’m at my conference learning how to be a better manager, my son will be over-stimulating his inquiring mind and at the end of the day, we can both share in what we learned.

Mar26

Washington Coming of Age

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Washington Coming of Age

There are probably only a handful of films about Georgetown specifically, compared to the dozens that are set in DC, and none can capture the elusive pains of new adulthood like one particular Brat Pack feature. Watching a movie when you’re at the same age as the characters in the film can be an empowering experience. Of course, this is what Hollywood banks on, and they always seem to bank on viewers being between 18-24 years old.

This is a good bet, because there are always people in that age range, and the strange magic of films makes it so that we only get a six-year window where the stories told up there are really our stories, meant for us. It would be nice to know ahead of time, so we can make sure we pay more attention. There are times, too, when we feel like we’ve fallen completely into their trap, seeing something that reflects us, and we might be easily influenced at the time, enough to accept all the projections we’re being offered.

That kind of conscious assent to image is a key to the power of cinema, and it’s a strange and baffling thing that has complex potential that no one since Godard has cared to explore with any intelligence. It’s certainly not there in St. Elmo’s Fire , the 80s film I’m looking at here, and perhaps that lack of intelligence is what helped us to believe we weren’t being fooled, and instead we were being sung to.

The movie did make me want to go there, to book one of the Washington hotel suites that might get me close enough to their college. I wanted to have drinks with Rob Lowe, hang out with Andrew McCarthy and write angsty poetry, and eventually declare my undying love for Ally Sheedy. There might be time for the last one still, but the other two fell away into a celluloid ideal, whose power lies hidden in the obsessions of a generation.

Mar22

San Antonio Scores Big Points

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San Antonio Scores Big Points

We didn’t have any plans for the three day Presidents’ Day weekend. So, we did a bit of research and found extremely cheap round-trip airline tickets and we found affordable accommodation at this site for two nights, weekend nights! We’ve never been to San Antonio and the weather forecast was sunny, so off we went!

We arrived in the early afternoon on Saturday and found our hotel, which was very close to the Alamo. Since this was a ‘last-minute’ trip, we didn’t have a guidebook, we figured all we needed to do was follow the signs to the Alamo, which we did. While we were there, we asked a few of the tourists what sights they recommend, and we got three different answers.

The Tower of the Americas, which we saw no matter where we were in San Antonio. It’s almost like the Space Needle in Seattle. It has an observation deck atop and a rotating restaurant. It was built for the World’s Fair, just like Seattle did, but San Antonio’s tower has this fantastic 4-D attraction, where the Space Needle does not. Score 1 point for San Antonio!

The Rio San Antonio, which was a thoroughly entertaining tour of the famous Riverwalk, our guide was so very funny, he kept us laughing the for the whole 30-minutes of the tour. This was a great tour, because it allowed us to get a feel about where everything is located in San Antonio. Score 2 points for San Antonio!

The Market Square , which was recommended by the tourist from New York City, is where we had some great Mexican food for dinner. We ordered the Mexicano con huevos with chorizo, and the Green Chili enchiladas. Our meals were served with fresh hot flour and corn tortillas. When our bill came, we were only charged $10! Ding, Ding, Ding! Score three points for San Antonio!

We walked for the most part, but we also took the streetcars, they were very inexpensive and efficient. It only costs $3.75 for the whole day. We only purchased a $1 fare, because the day was almost over. Our last stop for the night was at the Blue Arts Brewing Company. I got to play bartender until an actual customer walked in! Our favorite beer is the Smoked Dark, it’s a Scottish pale ale, and the taste stays with you even after trying another brew or drinking a glass of water. So, I was forced to order a cup of pork green chili soup, now there was a good kick in the behind!

According to our scoring system, San Antonio wins hands down for the best town in Texas, but then, we haven’t been to every city or town…yet!

Mar17

Gods Stay in Honolulu

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Gods Stay in Honolulu

The suburbs of Honolulu, Hawaii, are filled with sacred places visited by the ancient gods. Like most ancient gods, these gods had certain plants and herbs that were sacred to them. The ancient gods of Hawaii would drink awa mixed with water. Awa is a plant that has many uses. The gods would use it as an intoxicating drink. Ancient Polynesians would use it as a ceremonial drug to open communication with the elements. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis were also given the plant as a remedy. All parts of the plant were used, leaves, stems and even the roots. The Ancient gods were said to have prepared the roots of the plant and then mix the prepared root with water.

It is said that water on the island of Honolulu, near Manoa Valley, home of the rainbow princess, was discovered by gods in need of fresh water to mix with their prepared awa. The Honolulu gods Kanaloa and Ka-ne, had found some very good awa. When they realized that there was no water around, ka-ne struck the ground with his spear and water came forth. This pool of water is referred to today as the door of Kalihi. Once they moved along a little further, getting closer to the valley, they found some more awa. Since the gods were very fond of the awa, and this awa was very good, they prepared som more, but were once again missing fresh water. Ka-ne put his spear in the side of the cliff this time and a fountain of water began to stream out from the place where he had removed the rocks. This place is now called Ka-Wai-a-ke-Akua, translated, the water provided by a god. The two gods found a place to stay in Honolulu. They made their home in a temple for several years, and were revered as the mighty gods of Honolulu.

Mar15

Forney Transportation Museum in Colorado

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Forney Transportation Museum in Colorado

For eight dollars and a trip to Denver, Colorado, you can take a look at the largest steam locomotive in the world as well as famed pilot Amelia Earhart’s Gold Bug Kissel (which happens to be her car), as well as 500 other exhibits, all at the Forney Transportation Museum . Originally, the museum focused on cars, but grew over time to include all transportation vehicles, using the slogan, “Anything on Wheels.” You’ll find here “Big Boy,” the planet’s biggest steam train as well as railcars, cabooses, antique cars and buggies, fire engines, aircraft, a cable car, steam tractors and motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles, and so on.

The featured exhibit is the 1923 Kissel Speedster, also known as the Gold Bug, which aviator Earhart owned from 1924 to 1929. She first bought the roadster when she didn’t want to travel by train across the country. Those who knew her said she speed around town in the car fairly recklessly, and Earhart admitted that she learned first how to fly before she ever learned how to drive a car.

Cross country travel in the early part of the last century was not routine, with poor roads. The road trip from Los Angeles to Boston covered 7,000 miles, and by the time they traveled from Los Angeles to Boston, the car was covered with stickers from the spots they’d visited. The car, also known as the Kissel Kar, was made by Louis Kissel and sons from the Kissel Motor Car Company, which began in 1907.

While Amelia Earhart disappeared on her attempt to fly around the world in 1937 (and declared dead two years later), her canary yellow Gold Bug is still with us, and one of the sights Colorado has to offer its visitors.

When you arrange a visit to Denver, check out this site ; it’s good not only for a place to stay while you’re checking out the Forney Transportation Museum, but a place to find any number of hotels around the state.

Mar8

The Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa

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The Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa

Tampa is one of the popular Golf Coast towns of southern Florida and is located along the west coast. Among other things, it is one of the state’s major sports cities and the professional teams are well supported by locals and regional residents. However, there is a distinction between Tampa Bay sports and those of another popular coastal town with professional sports teams, Miami. However, one thing is certain, southern Florida loves its sports and its sports teams. Ask any guest in one of the Tampa hotel rooms and they can testify that there is a love of sports in the area.

Of course that is not all that Tampa is known for, nor the only thing on the residents’ minds. This second largest metropolitan area in the entire state has a great number of cultural attractions and entertainment as well as dining options that keep residents happy and tourists entertained. This also explains why so many people are attracted to this city and enjoy its attractions every year. And of course it doesn’t hurt that the city is also nestled conveniently along the coast and that it has some of Florida’s great beaches along its edge. There are almost too many great and frequently unique aspects of this Florida city to mention in a few paragraphs, though many people have tried as they relate stories of fabulous vacations they have spent there.

In addition to the great beaches, there are numerous parks and recreation areas that are part of the Tampa Bay metropolitan region. Many of these are associated with the beaches though not all of them are and they have some great outdoor activities and attractions. The Lowry Park Zoo is just one of these and it attracts children and adults alike to the interactive exhibits, rides and educational programs. There are over 2000 animals in this environmentally oriented city institution. It continues to remain one of Tampa’s strongest environmental educational icons. So, if you’re planning a trip to Tampa, check out as many things as you can, but don’t miss the parks, beaches and of course the Lowry Park Zoo .

Mar2

Outside of San Francisco

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Outside of San Francisco

If you have spent some time in the San Francisco hotels www.hotelsanfrancisco.com and have experiences much of what the city has to offer you may want to plan some day trips on your next stay in the city. Nothing cures the dull drums of industry conventions like a drive to the near by wine country. Better yet, grab some work friends, get a limo and head to Napa and Sonoma for the day. You won’t ever forget it. There is nothing like driving down any given road in those areas and seeing all the great wineries that you have seen only on labels before. You may want to plan a little ahead so you get a chance to see which wineries are near each other and which ones you are a must see for you. If you head North up highway 29 you will hit some greats like Nickel & Nickel, Cakebread, Sequoia Grove, Saint Supery, and Frogs Leap which have corks that say ribbit. Dare to go even farther up the same road you will get to Merryvale, Freemark Abby and many many more.

Sonoma also has a fantastic group of wineries like Cline Cellars, Chateau St Jean, Buena Vista Carneros Winery, B.R.Cohn, Gloria Ferrer Caves, Schug Carneros Estate, Sebastiani and Valley of the Moon. Oh, the possibilities are endless with wine. You may have to come back for seconds or thirds. Many of these wineries have great tastings of there latest wines as well as gift shops with all sorts of other things like wine accessories, recipes and cookbooks, wonderful appetizers to nibble on and certainly some great wine making stories that end up being half the reason fall in love with a particular winery. So if you are in the bay area don’t miss out on a great opportunity to see the wine country you will love it.