The holidays have kept me pretty busy, and I'm a bit behind posting here, so I'll try to catch up in these next few entries.
The pictures in this post are from my cousin Ally's wedding the weekend before Christmas. It was a treat for me not to be the official wedding photographer. I could dress up and eat my meal slowly rather than inhaling it to get back to work. I could socalize and dance to my heart's content.
I'm still debating what the owner of this license plate is trying to say. Maybe that his/her jeep could take down a Hummer?
Thoughts?
For more fun vanity plates I've encountered, click here
If you think your holiday travel is rough, just imagine what Santa Claus goes through to get all those gifts to kids worldwide.
He's enroute already, and last I checked, he was in Russia. The North American Air Defense (NORAD) tracks his progress every Christmas Eve with radar, satellites, Santa Cams and fighter jets. For a more detailed explanation of the tracking process, click here. To see how close he is to your house, click here.
Merry Christmas! Leave a comment and let us know what the jolly elf left under your tree this year!
I know the rivalry between York and Lancaster runs deep.
They got a baseball team. We wanted a baseball team. They have a thriving arts district. We're building one.
So what I want to know is why they transform their baseball stadium into an outdoor ice park during the winter months and we don't?
Some say it's because we have an indoor ice arena that is struggling financially.
Well, Lancaster has an indoor ice arena too -- and while I don't know whether it's struggling financially -- I can tell you that skating at an ice arena and skating at an outdoor ice park are two completely different things.
Seriously, these are everywhere. I'm stumbling across new ones nearly every day. I must definitely be in the car too much!
For more fun vanity plates I've encountered, click here
Constance Werner of North York right, and her mother, Donna Myers of Dallastown took a 12-day cruise to Italy, Turkey and Greece in September
They visited the ruins of Pompeii, The Vatican, The Sistine Chapel, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, The Blue Mosque and St. John's Basilica.
Their travel tips: Stop at the local cafes to experience the local coffees. The baklava was different (but wonderful) in each country. Make sure to visit the open markets to check out the local fruits and vegetables.
According to this story, Alaska governor and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin showed she understands the impact of tourism. Especially when that tourism is coming mid-winter to a place not known for much (if any) sun and warmth.
I personally don't understand the appeal of Fairbanks in the winter. I mean, besides looking for the Northern Lights and getting your picture with a sled dog, what else do you do?
Then again, I'm a summer baby and warm-weather girl, so never mind me. Plus, I've never been to Fairbanks in the winter, so I could well be missing something.
Today, I take a break from the regular fodder on this blog to get you in the holiday spirit.
I want to meet the owners of this car.
For more fun vanity plates I've encountered, click here
I spotted this one just before Thanksgiving, while spending the weekend in Baltimore with friends.
For more fun vanity plates I've encountered, click here.
I'm a big fan of giving the gift of a good read during the holidays.
Whether it's a treasury of fairy tales for my niece and nephews or a video game book for my cousin, you can usually find a book that would be of interest to even non-readers on your list. And the chilly, dark and uneventful months of January, February and March are the perfect excuse to curl up with a good book.
Since this blog focuses on travel and the outdoors, I've put together a list of some books I've run across that might be of interest to you, my faithful blog readers and travel enthusiasts.
Here's the list:
So, this is my latest thing.
During the past few months, I feel like I've been seeing vanity plates everywhere. Or, maybe I'm just on the road more than I'd like. Anyhow, I decided these are a form of sign spotting, and one that most travelers can appreciate and enjoy.
(Don't worry -- I only snap these if I'm stopped at a red light behind them. I've seen plenty more good ones that got away because there was no chance to safely snap a picture.)
What's one of the best ones you've seen lately? Post a comment and share.
If there's someone on your holiday gift list who loves to travel (or who doesn't, but does anyhow), this story offers suggestions of great gear.
As I read down the list, I thought, hey, I know a cheaper way! So, in the spirit of trying to save money, here are some of the story's suggestions and my alternatives:
1. Dual wine-bottle carrier, $19.95-$64.95 at Bottlewise.com.
Jen's way: Wrap bottles in two plastic grocery bags and knot the tops. Place in the center of your suitcase and pack dirty laundry tightly around them. Six bottles of Argentinian wine (only three in my suitcase -- three in my non-wine-drinking friend's) traveled from South America to Pennsylvania this way unbroken in February.
2. Luggage Locator, $19.99 to $29.99 at Edwards Luggage and Going in Style stores.
Jen's way: A red suitcase decorated to your liking with flourescent duct tape from the hardware store. Can't miss it.
3. ICOON+ Global Picture Dictionary, $9.99 on Amazon.com.
Jen's way: Index cards and a pen. Draw your own pictures. Also doubles as entertainment while waiting in security lines.
What's your best thrifty travel tip? Post a comment and share!
While the rest of the Caribbean struggles to attract tourists, Cuba is enjoying a steady stream of visitors -- Canadians and Europeans, mostly, escaping their chilly hometown winters.
I've written before about my fascination with the island and how much I would like to travel there (kind of like time travel, from what I imagine).
But I can't. I'm a citizen of the United States of America, where you're pretty much free to come and go as you please, as long as your destination isn't this island (and a few other places on the globe).
If the reasons for the embargo are still valid, why are we still allowed to travel to China and Vietnam?
Sunday, friends and I took a bus trip to the Big Apple, which is never shinier than during the holiday season.
It was soggy and chilly and downright miserable weather, but luckily, I had decided, that, at age 31, it was about time I experienced the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular with the legendary Rockettes.
An hour and a half later, I had to admit that it was pretty spectacular. The beautiful sets and costumes, the awesome singing and perfect dancing, the fireworks. Just being in that grand (renovated) theater was something of a treat.
m>It's an annual excursion for many -- the post-Thanksgiving trip to the tree farm.
This year, my family (who you'll see in these pictures) went to McCurdy's Tree Farm near Dillsburg. It was a complete experience, which my sisters were looking for for their kids.
They load you into a wagon to sit on hay bales on your way from the barn to the trees. They have those cool shaking and wrapping machines scattered about the acres of trees. Once you've picked the one you want and sawed it down, you just wait along the path for the tractor and wagon to come by and hitch a ride back to the barn.
There, you can shop for any number of accessories and decorations, or get a hot dog, soda and amazing chicken corn soup for lunch (like we did) before heading out.
I guess I never really thought much about the difference between these two words.
Until now.
I was reading an interview in a recent issue of National Geographic Traveler where editor Keith Bellows asked that question to Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist.
This was Davis's answer:
"Tourists are by definition out of their element, and there seems to be something about the institution of tourism that creates an inherent imbalance between visitor and host. This is the curse of a service-inspired industry....
Travel is very different. Travel implies a one-way ticket, with no fixed itinerary, no plans, no date of return. The responsible traveler is one who finds that correct means or metaphor to break down the inherent cultural barriers that exits between an outsider and a community in which that outsider appears as guest....
The cardinal rule is to always give more than you take, not merely in a material sense, but at every single level -- emotional, spiritual, political, economic."
Wow, how's that for a little food for thought?!
I just saw this story about flooding in Venice.
My first reaction was: "No! Wait! I haven't gotten there and seen Venice yet!" It reminded me of when the news hit about Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I was devastated, but glad I had gotten the opportunity to travel and see New Orleans before the storm tore it apart.
Then, I wanted to know why Venice is having its worst flooding in more than two decades. The story didn't really answer that question.
Is global warming to blame? Something else?
What do you think?
As a gift to all my loyal readers, I am posting this holiday video of me as a disco elf. Enjoy -- and happy holidays! Keep reading for more fun stuff in 2009!
