Tag Archives: travel

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Mosquito clouds and Magnolias

In spring, Charleston is filled with flowers. Azaleas, rhododendron, camelias, daffodils and irises pop up in every color. There’s no better place to enjoy the coming of spring than at the many plantation gardens on Ashley River road, with Magnolia Gardens being one of the favorites.

On this early April day, the gardens were busy, but they are so vast that there was plenty of room to spread out. We started with a visit to the petting zoo. I couldn’t resist petting the bunny and deer! This is great for kids, but please keep the under control and don’t let them chase the ducks!

Next, we watched the historical video provided in a small building near the main entrance. The Drayton family established Magnolia Plantation and kept it alive for 300 years- continuing to this day- through wars, near bankruptcy and hurricanes. In fact, Magnolia Gardens it the United States’ first man-made tourist attraction: Rev Drayton opened the gardens to the public in an effort to save them after the Civil War.
Of course the most wonderful thing about Magnolia Plantation is the sprawling gardens. With bridges, countless blooming trees and plants, wildlife and the beautiful Ashley River as a background, one could wander for hours exploring every pathway. Adorable ponds are decorated with lilies and statues of angels or lions. But bring your bug spray! The mosquitoes are relentless, especially near the water. Swarms followed us around, trying to find an un-DEET-ed spot to bite!

If you have the inclination, you can climb a 4-story observation tower and scour the wetlands for wildlife. Perhaps you will spot an alligator or two! Just don’t forget your binoculars.

A boat tour can take you (for an additional fee) around the grasses in the river for a more up-close view of the plants an animals the find their home on the Ashley River. These guided tours are great for bird watching, botany enthusiasts or anyone curious about the ecosystem of the lowcountry.

Tours of the Drayton’s plantation home are also available. The home was burned during the Civil War, but a portion dates to before the Revolutionary War- it was transported from nearby Summerville and placed on the site of the old plantation home. Later expansions have left the house the way it is today.

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Learning to love Loveland

 

About an hour west of Denver is Loveland ski area. A local favorite for years, Loveland is convenient to the city, not crowded, and lacks the ‘resort’ feel of places like Breckenridge or Keystone.

To get to Loveland, take I-70 from Denver and exit 216, just before the tunnel and continental divide. That means less driving in the snow and ice! If you are visiting during peak season, try to stay West of Loveland in nearby Dillon because the traffic to and from Denver can be horrendous, especially on the weekends.

Loveland is right off the highway- in fact some of the lifts are visible from I-70. But don’t worry, the slopes are pristine and you won’t notice the nearby highway.

Loveland has a full service ski and snowboard rental shop, a gear store and large cafeteria. Ski rentals are priced competitively and even the gear shop isn’t terribly expensive. If you have your own skis or board it’s easy to pull up to the front, right next to the main lifts, drop off your stuff and park your car. On less busy days you can actually ski to your car from the lift! In addition to normal amenities, Loveland has several small lodges scattered on the mountains where the brave souls who are out in the biting cold can warm up. They are nothing more than a wooden building with a wood fired stove, but it seems like a 4 star hotel!

The only warning I have about Loveland? It’s is COLD. Known for being windy, especially in the afternoons, Loveland is the coldest place to ski in the area. During our January trip the wind chill reached -30F (no, that isn’t a typo), and since all lifts are open chairs, the cold can be brutal while you work your way up the hill. Dress warm. Warmer than you think you need. And don’t take lift two- it is a grueling 10 minute ride to the top of lift 2, and lift 1 works just as well to get you to the same areas. Mornings at Loveland are less windy and therefore warmer, so try that if you are there on a chilly day.

The crowd at Loveland is more local than at most Colorado resorts, and if you ski alone you will find yourself in a chair next to a Loveland season pass holder often. These weathered locals are there for the wonderful powder, empty mountain and convenient trip from the city. It doesn’t hurt that tickets are relatively inexpensive too- $46 gets you an afternoon during the high season, and $42 gets you an all day ticket for active duty military- just show your ID card! Even normal tickets are a reasonable $59 at a time when Vail and Breckenridge have broken the $100 mark for a days lift ticket.

For those who value great snow conditions, nice open runs and cheap lift tickets, Loveland is paradise.

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Omaha’s Old Market

Located just east of downtown Omaha is a shopping and restaurant district called the ‘Old Market’. A favorite of hipsters, locals and visitors will both enjoy the cute stores and wide sidewalks.

As with most of Omaha, red brick is the look of choice. On the corner of 10th and Howard is the shop that caught my eye- Tannenbaum Christmas Shop. Any flavor and color of Christmas decoration and ornament you can imagine, along with other holiday decorations as well, fill every nook and cranny of this store.
Just next door is a candy shop. It’s a small place, but I loved the large open window along the back wall which allowed visitors to watch chocolates being made by hand.

In addition to scores of yummy chocolates the shop has lots of retro candy and hand made taffy in several flavors.

Walking around the Old Market you will find stores selling winter clothing, incense and Asian imports, gifts, trendy clothing and various sundries. There are several well recommended music stores, restaurants, bars and I even saw a yoga studio. It’s a great place to pass an afternoon!

Check out www.oldmarket.com for information on stores, restaurants and especially events.

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Discovering La Scala

La Scala, the world’s most famous opera house, lies in the center of Milan  on a busy city street. On the Saturday afternoon before the seasons last run of La Traviata, I sat in a nearby restaurant looking out at the Piazza in front of Milan’s Duomo, dressed in my black gown, waiting for the doors to La Scala to open.

Getting to La Scala from the Duomo is quite easy. Walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and go slightly to the left. It isn’t an impressive building from the outside, but as people start to congregate in their ball gowns and cocktail dresses, the atmosphere gets a bit exciting. There are mostly Italians here, but plenty of foreigners too. We wait impatiently in the street and on the sidewalks, and the heat on this June day is punishing.

When the doors finally open we are shuffled in. I ask an older woman, sitting alone, to take my photo with the small poster announcing the performance.

The inside of the building is nothing special either, until you reach the theater itself. The doors open up and you lose your breath for a second. A beautiful, dramatic red and gold room leaps out at you and its elegance and grandeur makes it hard to believe you’re even allowed sit down.

There are floor seats and box seats at La Scala. The box seats are in two rows, two people in each row. There is nothing to be recommended in getting the second row- if you make a trip to Milan, plan to get tickets early and don’t cheap out on the seats! I spent the entire performance standing, craning my neck to see anything other than the right half of the stage. In general, box seats need to be further away from the stage as well. The closer you are, the more parts of your vision are obscured. In retrospect, this seems obvious, but it’s difficult to make that call when looking at a seating arrangement online and considering whether to pay 150euro or 65euro. Especially when the exchange rate is $1.70/euro! But going to an opera at La Scala is a once in a lifetime must-do: get the expensive seats.

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Breakfast in Milan: Zucca and Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele

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Probably the most famous spot to have breakfast in Milan is Zucca, a cafe just inside Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele. This cafe has a wonderful view of the Duomo and the plaza, and one can watch thousands of tourists and Milan natives pass by as you enjoy an overpriced cappuccino and pastry. I sat for an hour, eating an amazing chocolate croissant, writing postcards and waking up to the idea that I was in Milan.

 

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The view out to the piazza is crowded with people, but nonetheless inspiring.

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Stepping inside the Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele, the glass ceiling takes all your attention. Despite it’s beautiful architecture, the Gallerie was really built as a shopping mall. And a mall it is, with stores so expensive I hardly dare to window shop.

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Further through the Gallerie you find a famous tile mosaic on the floor, the Taurus zodiac symbol. It is said that if you step on the bulls most delicate parts you will have good luck! All day long you can find tourists and locals stopping by to give the poor bull a stomp. Some of them do a dance, others twirl around a few times, and some just pause for a second, stomp down hard, and walk off as if nothing had happened! No matter what method you choose, you’ll be sure to have onlookers.imgp1650

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Hiking the Cinque Terre: Part 4, Corniglia to Vernazza

Back towards the main road to the path to Vernazza, here the challenge begins and the climb is surrounded in olive groves and vineyards. The path is very wooded and mostly consists of large stone steps downhill. I highly recommend starting from Corniglia for this path, unless you are looking for a real challenge- climbing up those steps is torture! There are beautiful views of Corniglia, hills covered in vineyards and lengths through forest.

Seeing the olive groves up close is really a treat- tied to the trees are nets that the workers spread out between the trees to catch olives when the season is right.
This is a difficult and tiring walk, and takes about 1.5 hours. When you reach Vernazza the fun isn’t over, as you will descend hundreds of steps to get into the town, passing a tower and overlooking the Castle Doria.

Castle Doria is well worth a visit if you have the time, but beware, a visit means even more steps straight up! The castle is open weekdays and Saturdays, and costs a few euros for entrance. Climb to the top of the castle tower for a terrific view of the sea. Vernazza is one of the loveliest and most popular of the Cinque Terre, take your time to explore its streets and enjoy the beautiful marina.

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Exploring the Cinque Terre: Part 1, Getting there and Riomaggiore

Certainly the best way to visit the Cinque Terre is by train. The train from Genova Brignole to Riomaggiore, or any of the other cities, takes between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours. The InterCity (IC) train takes about 80 minutes, but the regional train works just as well and costs about 1/3 as much. These trains are only 4.80 euro each way, and have only second class, but they can be smelly and old. (I will post about the Italian train system later).

From the train you will pass many lovely homes. In spring their gardens are bursting with color, purple, red white, every window box is filled with blooms. It is summer now, and the gardens are still filled with beautiful flowers, Bougainvillea cover every wall and pour out onto sidewalks. The peach and beige homes contrast sharply with the green, lush gardens and bright flowers.

When you exit the train in Riomaggiore you can normally follow the crowd to the ticket office and tourist office, which will be to the right. The tourist office can be very useful, there they sell Cinque Terre passes, postcards, travel books and a few souvenirs.

 The tourist office is at a little piazza, where you can find this lovely mural and places to sit. To the right from the office is the city center, and to the left begins the Via dell’amore, the first leg on the Cinque Terre path. I traveled to the city center first.

A long tunnel with a blue ceiling connects you to the city center. All along the tunnel is a mosaic made from tiles, stones and shells, showing pictures of sea life. Following the tunnel you will reach fresh air and again have a choice- right to the marina and beach, or left to the city. I followed the stairs down to the marina, hoping to see a beautiful view of the city. Down this path there is a diving center which offers kayaks for 7 euro/hour and snorkel rental for 10 euro/day as well as scuba excursions. The Cinque Terre is known to be the best place for diving in the Mediterranean, and is a protected area.

The marina is tiny, surrounded by restaurants, and boats are perched all along the sidewalk, small beach and in the limited water. Tourists climb the jetties, perhaps they are trying to spot a whale! Dolphins and whales visit the area, usually in early spring. Walking towards the jetties you again have a choice to make – hike to the nature observation point, or go down to the rocky beach. The beach is quite well attended, despite the rocks, but this isn’t for me. I was feeling energetic so I started the hike up to the observation point. The walk is 25 minutes UP, and takes you above and around the beach. The walk can be a little hazardous, so like the whole path of the Cinque Terre, you should be wearing reasonable shoes and jeans if possible. In the summer it’s a bit too hot for jeans though, so I carefully avoid the thistle that lines the path. Parts of the stones are broken and falling down, and the path can be very narrow in some places.

After a set of grueling steps you reach a bench and flat area which hugs the shore again. Signs indicate native plants for those naturalists who speak Italian. After a few moments you reach a refreshment point and naturalist library, the perfect lookout point for whale spotting and a good place to take a break. The wildflowers are in full bloom in late June, and I’m particularly charmed with the bright red poppies. Around the back of the naturalist library I found a bench and a little cave, lit with lamps, perfect for a little extra exploring.  

Back down to the city I find many American tourists, and all the touristy things they appreciate. Signs in English say things like ‘coffee to go’ and ‘big pizza’ and I even see a self service lavanderia (laundromat), something very rare in Italy.

Through the tunnel again and back to the start of Via dell’amore, I am armed with my camera and my Cinque Terre pass. Let’s go!

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Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

I am always thrilled to stumble upon beautiful churches. I was particularly amazed with Grace Cathedral, because it isn’t a Catholic Cathedral, it’s an Episcopal Church!

Perched on the very top of Nob Hill, easily accessible by foot (if you don’t mind a climb) or trolley, Grace Church is surrounded by high class elegance. But to me it doesn’t seem to be a reminder of humanity, but rather a tribute to the wealth and success that brought the church into existence. Nevertheless, if you find a quiet day, perhaps in the off-season, it can be the meditative place the brochures promise. Walking the labyrinth, gazing at the artwork and stained glass and contemplating life in a silent pew, it is a refuge from the busy street outside.   

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Houston Cultural Bargains

I am one of the few young people you will meet who loves living in Houston. I’m not sure what the problem is, there are plenty of young people in Houston, lots of jobs, great clubs and bars. But maybe they’re missing the part that I love most- culture. Houston has everything that a world class city should have, including cultural steals that smart locals really take advantage of.

Starting early summer the Miller Outdoor Theater plays host to Summer in the Park symphony concerts, played by the fantastic Houston sympony. The theater is a great place to enjoy a concert, come early to get tickets, or take your dog, kids and a picnic blanket to relax on the grassy hill. The symphony series ends with a Fourth of July celebration complete with fireworks and hot dogs. Later in the summer the public is treated to the Houston Shakespeare Festival, three weekends featuring two new plays each year. Last year I saw ‘Taming of the Shrew’ with a little bit of a Texas theme (no change in dialogue, just in accent!) and the year before they put together a fantastic ‘Hamlet’ that had the audience fascinated. This year’s ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Cymbeline’ should be well worth the drive to Hermann Park.

If you want year-round access to great culture, try www.artshound.com  This website can help you find events in any artistic genre, date or price.  It’s a great place to find gallery openings and special showings at places like the Houston Photography Center. Check out the Houston Civic Symphony for four free concerts a year, featuring interesting repertoire played by great amateur musicians of all ages and backgrounds.  I especially recommend the ‘cello section!

If your idea of culture is a little less refined, you might want to try local dance halls like Wild West. Cover is cheap earlier in the evening, often free, and free dance lessons are available Sunday nights.

Have a great time in Houston!

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Las Vegas sights and sounds

For me, Las Vegas is a giant theme park. Shows, games, rides, animals, great food, it has everything  in common with a theme park made for adults but friendly to everyone.

Wealthy or not, you can enjoy Las Vegas. Here are some highlights:

Walking from hotel to hotel can kill your feet, but it’s really the only way to see everything. A long walk, but worth the interesting show, is Rio, where Penn and Teller perform. The free show features a float that circles the room on the ceiling as well as a stage with dancers and music.

I could watch the gorgeous fountain show at the Bellagio over and over, perfectly timed to the music, it really puts a spring in your step.

The crown jewel of free shows is the Fremont Street Spectacular. It really is something to behold, and it must take a lot of confidence to have your thighs magnified 1000 times like the dancers in this video. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5982039999965049691&hl=en

Don’t forget to visit the Pirate show at Treasure Island and the lions at MGM grand!