November 2007 Archives

So there's a big scavenger hunt about to start.

Great Escape 2008 is the latest installment of an annual international competition that challenges 50 travelers to complete cultural challenges in 10 countries on four continents. They're accepting applications for April's adventure now.

Thing is, you have to pay nearly $10,000 to be part of the fun if you're one of the lucky applicants picked to participate. And you don't know ahead of time where you'll be sent or what you'll be charged with doing once you get there.

Sounds to me like an expensive way to exhaust yourself without really exploring the countries you visit or getting to know much about the local culture and people.

The event Web site says it isn't just the latest in reality TV, yet it will be televised at some point.

What do you think about this kind of event? Would you do it if you had the money?

Me, nah.

As I've said before, for me, anticipating and planning for a trip (hence, knowing where I'm going) is half the fun, and I like to immerse myself in local culture rather than do quick-hit tourist rounds and jump ship.

What's your take on it?

Two months after we first started talking about taking a mid-winter trip, my college friend Laura and I have decided to head south instead.

It's not that we both don't want to visit Italy (see previous entry here). It's just that we're worried it might be a bit chilly, a bit expensive (what with the Euro kicking the dollar's you-know-what in exchange rates) and a bit, well, typical.

Last night, I was standing in the middle of Union Station in Washington, D.C., with a group of friends from college, when a security guard approached us.

We had just finished dinner at The Dubliner nearby and stopped in to check out the holiday decorations inside the fancy building.

We were also catching up on stories and laughing as we walked under the 90-foot ceilings. Unfortunately, we didn't realize how the sound of our merriment was carrying through the place.

I've never been to a bullfight, despite spending a month in Spain and visiting Mexico four times. I'm not so sure it's on the list of things I want to experience.

On the one hand, it's a cultural event, a skilled sport and a tradition I've never experienced. On the other, it's about making animals very angry and injuring, possibly killing people in sport, both of which disgust me.

When I read this story from the New York Times about how children as young as 9 are going face to face with bulls, I honestly didn't know what to think.

My first reaction was horror.

So, as you know if you read this post from yesterday, I am not driving far for Thanksgiving.

Nor do I have children who may get antsy during the interminable ride to grandma/aunt/cousin/other relative's house for Thanksgiving.

Still, I couldn't help but share this cool list of ways to make the ride less painful for both you and the kiddos. It even brought back a memory I haven't thought about in years... playing string games such as "Jacob's Ladder" and "Kitty Whiskers" in the back seat with my sisters.

What games did you play to pass the time in the car?

When President Bush performs the 60th annual "pardoning of the turkey" ritual tomorrow, the lucky bird will get a first-class flight to Disney World.

Wait -- it gets better.

The turkey will get a red-carpet welcome at Magic Kingdom and serve as grand marshal of the resort's holiday parade before becoming part of its permanent, live-animal collection.

According to USA Today, this is the first time a pardoned turkey has gone to Disney World, but two others have gone to Disney Land.

Does anyone understand the point of this? I'm thinking that first-class airfare could be used for someone who really needs and can't afford it. It seems rather wasteful and pointless to me, but maybe I just don't get it.

Can anyone explain this to me? What's your take on it?

First, I read this story that flights across the country are being delayed because of bad weather as we head into the biggest travel week of the year.

Then, I looked at the gas pump this morning and cringed. I cringed again when I read that a AAA survey found that people will be driving to their Thanksgiving gatherings anyway.

I'm thinking, what else can they do -- walk? Many folks, those of us in York County included, live in parts of the country without stellar public transportation systems or need to travel beyond the area such systems serve.

Anyway, back to the being thankful part.

On Thursday, I will travel five minutes through town to get my turkey fix and fulfill my familial duties. The rest of the day, I will be free to nap and read and thumb through sales fliers and just enjoy just being in my apartment for a change rather than driving all over a three-county area, as I do most days.

For this, I am thankful.

Where are you headed for the holidays? How will you get there? What's your biggest Thanksgiving travel concern?

Mike Maloney of Windsor Township took this picture somewhere in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland.

Send us a photo of a sign you've spotted that made you do a double take or shake your head in awe: jvogelsong@ydr.com.

Roger Guise of York Haven stops for lunch at the base of Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park, Montana. Water flowing from the different sides of this peak will eventually reach the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.

A 7.2-mile hike, Triple Divide Pass trail begins at the Cutbank Creek ranger station and can be done in a long day hike.

His travel tip: Atlantic Creek Campground provides overnight facilities for backpackers.

Mike Maloney of Windsor Township snapped this photo along Route 30 in West York.

Send us a photo of a sign you've spotted that made you do a double take or shake your head in awe: jvogelsong@ydr.com.

Alyssa Castillo, 5, and Andrea Castillo, 4, both of York pose for a photo with a pirate during a September trip to Cape May, NJ. While there, the girls, and their sister, Jessinna Castillo, 2, also visited the nature center.

Their great-grandmother's travel tip: Take the kids to the nature center to watch feedings and pet sea turtles.

I'm curious... what's your favorite Broadway show and why?

This weekend's stagehand strike (see entry below) got me thinking about my own bad luck with Broadway shows.

My first, "Miss Saigon" was a high school trip and it snowed. A lot. We didn't get our money back.

I had asked for the CD for Christmas and had been listening to music from the show for nearly a month by the time the bad news struck. Needless to say, I was bummed. And I knew it would be more difficult to convince my parents to shell out money the next time I wanted to go on a special field trip.

I did get to see "Les Mis" a few years later and I loved it. Absolutely enthralled by the experience. Like they say, it truly felt like something magical. I still sing the songs from it to this day.

My third attempt, in January, was to get same-day tickets for "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theatre. No dice there either. I read both the book and its sequel and have been dying to watch the show. I'd even settle for one of the productions in Baltimore or Philly, but have yet to get to one.

Hope this strike doesn't cause Broadway to lose its magic for too many people.

Anyway, back to my question....what's your favorite Broadway show and why? Post a comment and share.

Saturday, stagehands for 27 Broadway shows went on strike. Lots of tourists planning to catch a performance showed up in the Big Apple to find the theaters closed. (See this story.)

Promises of refunds from ticket vendors can only go so far toward making folks who spent hundreds on airfare or gas and lodging feel better about their bad luck. For many, a trip to New York City to see a Broadway show is a special occasion, a birthday gift or long-awaited trip. For some, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A handful of shows, such as the popular "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" aren't affected by the strike, but check before you go (click here for up-to-date info on shows canceled and those that are still on). If you already bought a ticket for an upcoming show, call the ticketing venue for refund information.

Anyone planning a trip? Was anyone in NYC this weekend for a show and got disappointed? Post a comment.

Illyanna Smith, 7, poses for a photo with brothers Derek, 6 (glasses) and WIlliam, 3, at the Kindermuseum at Schonbrunn in Vienna, Austria. The siblings from Shrewsbury were there in August as part of a family trip to visit their Uncle Bryan Johnston, and his new wife, Angelika.

Their mother Laurie Smith's travel tip: Make sure you let the airline know you're traveling with children because they can be quite helpful in making special arrangements if they know in advance.

Even if you don't drive an SUV, chances are that ridiculously high gas prices are taking a toll on your wallet.

My little Honda Civic is a polite little sipper when it comes to gas, but because I live 30 miles from work and frequently drive for my job, I go through the gallons and greenbacks like crazy.

There's not much I can do about it (unfortunately, we're still waiting for decent public transportation here in Central PA). Except cry. Combine errands. And check this nifty site before I head out.

There are plenty of sites like this online where you can compare the price per gallon at your local filling stations, but this is the best I've found.

Many others aren't as comprehensive, and I use the map to figure out which of the low-price ones fall near my travel route. You don't want to waste the extra pennies you'll save driving out of your way for the cheapest place.

Scott Little, left, of Dover Township and his father, Rick, of Hanover pose for a photo at the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y. in July.

Their travel tip: Every baseball fan should try to visit the Hall of Fame to enjoy induction weekend festivities.

Keri Leaman of York poses next to the torpedo tubes onboard USS Cassin Young, Boston National Historical Park's World War II Fletcher-class destroyer, last month.

Leaman worked as a National Park Service seasonal ranger at the Charlestown Navy Yard district of the park for six-and-a-half months and had a fabulous time. She said she loves the city's history and its energy.

Her travel tip: Don't visit Boston spontaneously. Research and plan your trip ahead of time. Boston has so much to do and see that it can be incredibly overwhelming if you don't plan ahead. The city is full of history, art, theater, and public gardens and parks, to name a few. And bring a pair of sturdy walking shoes.

... that was at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute this summer, you'll be fascinated by this story from USA Today. It explains how preservationists are conserving the golden boy's mummy for future generations and putting his face on display for public view for the first time.

The Egyptian tourist board is hoping that the boy king whose intrigue outlasted his life by thousands of years will draw visitors to Luxor like never before.

Of course, I've never needed another reason to visit Egypt (it's on my places-to-go list). With the pyramids (the only remaining of the original seven wonders of the world), the Nile, the markets, food, history, culture... well, there's more than enough reasons to visit.

Although it would be kind of cool to say you had an audience with a king.

Even if he has been dead 3,000 years.

When it comes to tourism, branding is everything.

Once word gets out that an area is a hot spot for wineries, wine aficionados add it to their itineraries. Call yourself the snowboarding capital of the world, and the snowboarders will come.

I was reading this recent story about how the City of Brotherly Love (a title which I think is up for debate) is trying to change what it sees as a perception that the city is too blue collar to draw big-time tourist bucks.

It got me to thinking about what the perceptions are of some local towns...is Gettysburg the country's history capital? Military mecca? Ghost gathering spot?

I don't know about you, but when I hear Hershey, the first two things that come to mind are chocolate and roller coasters.

DC seems like it should be bursting with "look-at-me-and-my cause" politicians and lobbyists, do-gooders and the power-hungry.

What do you think of when someone says York? What about Harrisburg? Lancaster? Baltimore? What do you WISH people thought about your town?