The latest travel information plus insider event and sightseeing tips for New York City, Boston, Hawaii, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Bermuda.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
W San Francisco - Where Picasso Lovers Lounge
Starting next Friday and running through June 17th, the W Hotel in San Francisco will be displaying a rare collection of Pablo Picasso's original prints, including etchings, lithographs, and linoleum cuts in the hotel's "Living Room" lounge area. To complement the art exhibit, W is hosting complementary Spanish wine tasting every night from 6-7 pm. Also, on June 14th from 7-8 pm, you can learn about "The Art of Collecting Picasso" in a lecture delivered by the exhibit curator and art dealer, Kobi Ledor, of Ledor Fine Art. Interested in attending? Just send an RSVP to RSVPWSFevents@whotels.com.
Now there's a new reason to visit the New England Aquarium. Once a month from now through the end of September, the Aquarium is hosting a series of dinners that feature ocean-friendly seafood. Aquarium chefs perform cooking demonstrations and Aquarium scientists explain how you can make a difference through smart seafood choices. Tonight's dinner has an Asian-inspired menu of shrimp, squid and Arctic char, with wine for each course, followed by dessert and coffee. Future Celebrate Seafood Dinners will be held June 26, July 31, August 28 and September 25. All dinners run from 7 to 10 p.m. and are held in the New England Aquarium's Harbor View Cafe. Visit www.neaq.org/celebrateseafood for more information. Can't attend the dinner but want to learn more? The New England Aquarium's Fish of the Month program helps identify ocean-friendly seafood choices. Visit www.neaq.org/fotm for more information.
Today and every Wednesday from May through early September, New York City's Bryant Park hosts Word for Word, a series of discussions in which the country's most celebrated authors speak about recent successes and their experiences as writers. The schedule includes panels about poetry, kids' books, and a variety of other topics (such as food, crime, memoir, "chick lit," fashion and environmental concerns). Introductions are by the Bryant Park Bookworm, Miriam Tuliao, Librarian at the New York Public Library. Book sales (and rainy weather venue) are provided by Barnes and Noble. These FREE events take place at the Bryant Park Reading Room located on the 42nd Street side of the park - under the trees - between the back of the NYPL & 6th Avenue. Look for the burgundy and white umbrellas.
New York Times columnist Jane E. Brody provides good advice in today's article about jet lag. She wisely notes that while you can take steps to minimize the trauma to your body involved in crossing multiple time zones (and we recommend the regimen she touts in the chart that accompanies the article), it is near impossible to escape jet lag completely. We've found that it can take one day per hour's time difference before we feel completely normal again. We've also found that it is easier to travel west than it is to travel east.
There is no question that New York City has everything. All night delis, blockbusters on Broadway, unparalleled shopping, and plenty of places to golf. Are you wondering about that last one? Well you needn't: there are a number of golf courses within the city limits, including:
As the summer vacation season approaches, it is smart to think about the preventative measures you can take to keep you and your travel companions safe and healthy, no matter where you go. Here are some ideas:
In the Air
We all know about the germs that are recycled -- along with the air -- in a crowded airplane cabin. So keep your time on the plane as short as possible by booking flights early in the morning when you're least likely to be delayed. And travel on Monday (the day with the least crowded flights) rather than Thursday (the day with the biggest crowds).
Don't use the airline's blankets or pillows unless they come in a sealed bag. These items are not always washed between flights and can therefore be rife with the germs of the gent who drooled on the pillow an hour ago.
On long flights, get up and move around every hour or two to avoid cramped muscles and reduced circulation.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
In the Car
If you are preparing for a long trip, have a tune-up -- check the oil, tire pressure, etc. -- before you leave, and make sure you have emergency equipment, including flares, in your trunk.
Take a break from driving if you feel tired or sleepy.
Always lock your doors while you are driving and keep windows rolled up far enough so that no one can reach in while you are stopped at a traffic light.
Never leave the car unlocked and never leave the keys in the ignition -- even if you are just stopping for a moment.
With Children
If your child needs to use a car seat or booster seat, make sure you know how to install it correctly and always use it. (The American Academy of Pediatrics has a thorough online guide to help you.)
Bring along items to help child-proof your hotel room (or Grandma's house, if you're visiting relatives).
Young children have sensitive skin, so remember to slather them with sunscreen and put on a hat if you'll be outdoors.
Dress your child in bright, easy-to-recognize clothing and always carry a current photo in case you are separated.
Carry a first aid kit, that includes items such as antibiotic ointment, band aids, and Tylenol.
No matter where you are, always carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (like Purell) or cleansing wipes with you to use when soap and water aren't available.
Back in March, we blogged about the revelation by the FAA that cell phones don't really interfere with the navigation systems of commercial airplanes. Turns out, our friends at Mythbusters were far ahead of us: in Episode 49, called Cell Phones on Planes, they busted the myth that your cell phone can interfere with a plane's instruments. This episode premiered March 15, 2006; we saw it last night; if you missed it, you can catch it again on June 3rd.
Central Park in New York City and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco both provide a leafy oasis from the concrete canyons of city life. At this time of year, when temperatures are rising, a simple walk in the park may make you want to capture -- forever -- the delights of one of these urban parks. Not to worry: the artist Harold Altman has already done that for you. His etchings and lithographs capture the wonders of these stately parks. Although his works are included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Altman's works are relatively affordable (think hundreds, rather than thousands of dollars) and are also owned by many private collectors.
In 1984, following the suggestion of a friend, Altman visited Central Park with a new eye for its urban splendor. An instant love affair bloomed and a glorious Central Park appears in some of his best-loved prints. Following soon after, he began to depict Golden Gate Park in California. Want to lean more? Multiple Impressions has prominently exhibited the work of Harold Altman since 1976. Yearly exhibitions premiering new work followed until Altman's retirement in 1998. The gallery continues to offer the largest collection of Altman's original prints in the country, with all stages of his career represented.
When many people think of NYC, they envision a place full of honking car horns and unbearable traffic jams. Bike New York and Transportation Alternatives are working hard to change that image. In addition to sponsoring a whole host of events to promote cycling in the city and to encourage people to stop driving and hop on a bicycle instead, they are lobbying for safer cycling options, more bike paths, and more secure bike parking. Chief among their concerns is getting cars out of the city's parks so that pedestrians and cyclists -- for whom the parks are intended -- can enjoy them more safely. And to ensure that the next generation of bikers is ready to continue to carry the "bike in New York" banner, Bike New York is sponsoring a series of free bike lessons for kids.
May is Heritage Month in Bermuda, a 31-day celebration of Bermuda's history and culture, featuring a variety of arts & craft demonstrations, tours, lectures, films, food, music and more. The month's highlight is Bermuda Day (May 24th) -- a public holiday, originally to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday, then called "Empire Day" after her death, now the official start of the Bermudian swim and Dinghy racing season. These days, it also includes a road race and parade.
Fun fact: the Empire State Building in New York City has 73 elevators that move through 7 miles of shafts. But don't let that (or the frequent long lines) dissuade you from visiting. The art deco style is gorgeous and the views are not to be missed!
Tips for Planning a Hawaiian Vacation (This Post Sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines)
Hawaiian Airlines has a new web site that provides some nifty vacation planning tools. We've long known Hawaiian Airlines as a reliable inter-island carrier (they consistently rate above other U.S. airlines for punctuality and minimal lost luggage) that also offers routes to California and other Pacific destinations. But with their new site redesign, they've gone beyond just offering flight information. Their destination guides provide a nice overview of the locations to which they fly; their trip planner allows you to organize an itinerary of activities, which you can build by browsing through a full list, choosing a trip theme (such as "family" or "romance"), or even looking at popular itineraries developed by other users. And there's more. They've got maps that show the hotels, restaurants, and sights by location. They even have a special listing of free activities for those who are especially budget conscious.
So what are the downsides to the site? Well for one, we were disappointed that the destination list didn't include more Hawaiian islands. Lanai, for example, is a wonderful place to visit, but you can't learn much about it on the Hawaiian Airlines site. And while we like the idea of sharing experiences with others, their share and rate & review sections don't seem to have an interactive element that allows you to see -- and comment on -- the input of others.
Overall, though, it is a solid redesign and we invite you to check it out.
The NY Times Agrees that Trail Mix Isn't Just for Hikers
Back in March, when we blogged about our tips for long flights, we included the suggestion that you pack snacks, like dried fruits and nuts, so that you'd have some sustenance during the trip, including whatever delays you might experience. Today, the New York Times ran a piece with similar advice albeit with input from nutrition experts, rather than just from frequent flyers. Sound advice, indeed!
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