Tagged With "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
That's good news, Mac! OK...the leaves start turning first in the north, moving south as the weather changes...but timing is always tricky because it depends on each year's combination of temperature and humidity. Here's a link to a site I've found useful in the past...it's from Yankee magazine, and includes a live map of the progress of the leaves as well as itineraries and more. http://www.yankeefoliage.com/ We haven't had a good leaf-peeping piece on Gumbo yet, so I'm looking forward to...
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Re: The Best Things To Do In Boston
From Logan Airport you can take the Metro into the City. When you've seen enough at the first stop - get back on the Underground system and come up to ground level at the next stop. Repeat as often as time will allow. Great way to spend 8 hours between flights. Only the Bostonian's would drink green beer on Paddy's Day.
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Re: Ghost Images of WWI
Recent, indeed. I've taken to comparing events in history to the life spans of people I've known, or who they knew, and it brings it into shocking relief for me. WWI was a fact during the young adulthood of my grandparents, just 5 years before the births of my parents, one of whom is still alive. In that context it seems like it was just yesterday.
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?
Technically, it would be possible to create very large WiFi zones, whether free or paid. But since someone gets paid (either on the meter, or a fee for the project) and there is a cost to constructing/installing the equipment to broadcast that signal...it won't happen unless someone is paying. In the case of the hotel, picking up on rbciao's point about breakfast--have you noticed that the free WiFi and the free breakfast tend to come with the budget chains, while the high-end places charge...
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Re: TSA Pre-Check: first experiences
Paying more to beat the lines still sounds a bit elitist to me. Like those who paid "First Class" getting preferential treatment. And those who get a Theme Park Ticket that allows them to jump to the front. I've done the VIP treatment. It was very pleasant not to have to wait in line. But I too felt a bit guilty.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Staying in the UK is no more expensive than being a tourist in the USA. You wont get a month in London. Same as me travelling from the UK to New York. Silly Prices ! So decide on what you want to do over here and start planning, Have a look at the YHA web site. Youth Hostels Association. Forget the Youth reference. My Kids aren't Youths anymore. And I use them too! They are used by Travellers like yourself - and me - across Europe. They are Family groups and Ramblers ( Countryside Walkers)...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Again thanks, this is incredibly helpful!! So I think I'll look at trains for trips from bigger cities to other cities, and fill in the gaps with bus if the pricing works out. A little more planning is needed. Even though it's expensive, I do want to spend around a week in London. Being an architect, there's just so much to see and do there, like seeing the Houses of Parliament and Westminister Abbey. I plan on being on the go almost all day each day there -- can rest later, maybe in the...
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Thanks everyone. I have to ask you more questions! My friends have come up with two more suggestions. One is Sedona, and the other is the Navajo reservation that Tony Hillerman wrote all his books about and that has some big canyons. Is that area too far north for warm weather?
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Originally Posted by EyeWonder: Thanks everyone. I have to ask you more questions! My friends have come up with two more suggestions. One is Sedona, and the other is the Navajo reservation that Tony Hillerman wrote all his books about and that has some big canyons. Is that area too far north for warm weather? Navajo country is too far north and too high up for a warm winter break. But if you bring a warm jacket, it will be magical that time of year. Sedona will be nice, but with cooler days...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Its been a pleasure helping you Hank ! We all want you to do well in your Education first. Come back anytime - its been fun sharing your plans ! PS. Say Hi to Mom for us and say "We can work it out" She may just sing it for you !
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
CICAK, may I suggest you encourage your wife to see the big picture. When you're in a hotel room you are not required to savage the minibar. When you're in an apartment you aren't required to cook. The kitchen just exists quietly should you desire it. What you're there for is to spread out, have privacy with all the comforts of home, possibly be in a more interesting neighborhood & surrounded by people who interest you and who may even be interested in you and any number of other...
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Re: Safe to fly on New Years?
Flying is safer than crossing the Street ! More accidents happen at home in the Bathroom than anywhere else! Its just very unlucky for your co-workers - who are just jealous !
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi guys, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It was good to be with my family again. Visiting and catching up with everyone took longer than I'd thought, but did do a little research into the trip and came out with this plan. Basically, with GarryRF's advice, I think I'll focus my time in the north to save money cause my budget is limited. After that I'll finish my vacation in London and Paris. I need to find places to stay but more important now just to frame the trip. The details I...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi Everyone! Hope you had a good Christmas. I spent mine with my parents, which was nice. I've been busy planning this trip that you've helped me with and I think I'm making good progress. Largely starting to arrange places to stay and developing a list of "must see" things for myself. Using the hostels and airB&B I've been able to get decent looking and affordable places for me. I still need to find something for London and Paris, but the rest of the trip is mostly worked out. Might...
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Re: Is Pre-check or Global Entry worth it?
I think if you're a frequent business traveler, especially from a city with a busy airport and long TSA lines it makes sense. But for the average traveler who flies maybe every other month, it doesn't pay to go through yet another hassle. All the more so if you're main airport is smaller with a smooth TSA process.
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Re: Is Pre-check or Global Entry worth it?
I dunno...most of my overseas flights have come home through Kennedy in NY or gone out that way, and the way it's been sometimes, I think at $100 for 5 years, I'd take it. I'd probably even take it as a $50 per round-trip deal. When you get off the plane, you want to go home, not wait hours in a line...
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Re: Bear encounters of the third kind, Canada
This clip is just toooo funny! Wonder who the adguys were for that?
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Re: Whom did you say was flying this plane?
Anyone remember the movie Westworld? Where nothing can go wrong...go wrong....go wrong... I'm okay with the pilot using automation, but the idea of automation REPLACING the pilot....nah... I want someone who can grab the controls and fly by the seat of his or her pants, not have the plane crash because some tiny part shorted out. Same goes for robot cars on the highway. I don't wanna get killed head-on by a car reacting to a sunspot in GPS. OTOH if you could get government on autopilot...oh,...
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Re: Films that affected your Travel destinations
Originally Posted by Travel Luver: I really enjoyed the Harry Potter movies! Gave me a real sense of England, and of course all that magical stuff was great! Hope to visit England some day. We'd love you to come and visit England but I hope you wont be a bit disappointed when you don't see any Nimbus 2000s crossing the sky. But we have some wonderful Castles and Steam Trains.
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
Are you a worrier? Do you run to the doctor at the first sign of possible trouble? Are you particularly clumsy and break bones? If the answers are no, as it sounds like they might be, I'd say don't bother with the insurance. If you need an English speaking doctor in Italy you'll find one. Your hotel or any pharmacy will help. It won't cost an arm & a leg if rumor is true. I don't know precisely because even though I travel a lot I answered no to all my questions too, don't need doctors...
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
Here's another resource that might help you: The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers. It's a non-profit, it's been around a long time, and you can join for free. IAMAT provides a directory of doctors around the world who speak fluent English and have been checked out by the organization for standards and certification. You can read more about them and join here: http://www.iamat.org/
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
SueZee, wherever you travel in the world your hotel will find you a suitable doctor who will speak enough English for your needs - just like Dr.F says - and Italy will have plenty. Don't bother with lists as they will always be out of date by the time you might want to use them, plus it will no doubt not list a great doc that the hotel knows is just around the corner! At the worst the hotel will have an English speaking staff member sit with you to help translate. Conversely, I do think that...
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Re: Share Your Budget Tablet and Laptop Picks
I noticed that there's a whole new iPad model out, and the article said a lot of the people looking to buy right away were people who keep trading up. So, if they're trading in last week's model, do you have any idea where's a good place to buy good used ones? It might be as cheap as the new ones here, if they're OK
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Re: Hi Everybody! I'm new here.
I'd like to add my welcome, too, Ted! To you and all of our members, thanks for joining and for visiting TravelGumbo, and for your contributions to this website. Spread the word! We want T.G. to be a fun and interesting place for people who love to travel!
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Re: London: Top 10 Places to Travel in 2018
I noticed that nobody has yet responded. The question is a bit too general: are you looking for low budget options, how long are you going to stay, do you need to be right in the centre or doesn't it matter, do you want a hotel or a B&B or an apartment, etc. ? I, myself, am not an expert on London accommodation - I normally just pass through on my way elsewhere - but I'm sure there will be others who can help, once you have narrowed down the scope of the question a bit.
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Re: A Morality Tale: An iPhone's Solo Excursion in Paris
I've just put in a request for Gopnik's 'Paris to the Moon' at my local library. The title is so familiar to me that I thought I must surely own it or have read it. Or maybe one that I had every intention of reading and forgot. We'll see. He sounds like one of those valuable writers who condense a million of our own half-thoughts into a few words we all wish we could assemble ourselves.
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Re: Popularity of POD hotels grows
Funny seeing this come back...50 years ago, there was something like this at Washington: A pair of what looked like trailers, mounted above stairs with a small office at the bottom to rent resting places by the hour or afternoon. And the next size up is the very spartan motels like Premiere Classe and Formule One...we call them "a bed in a box," which is about what they are. Great for when you fly in late at night and just want to sleep and then go in the morning!
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Re: Picturing Dolls in Different Places?
PHeymont, I don't think Travelocity with be pleased to hear you call their cute cheeky gnome a troll. Trolls are said to be quite hideous. I was thinking more along the lines of a cute stuffed animal...maybe your wife (who I know is handle with needles) can create something..?
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Re: Something completely unrelated to travel
I know many people who have travelled for a better career. Residents of North America often travel away from their birthplace. Here in the UK my family have lived within 2 miles for at least 150 years. We have strands living in the US and Australia. But we like to keep in touch. Travel isn't just about vacations. Nice video.
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Re: Help with mobile phone for Morocco
I did some initial research today on cell phone rentals also, and have come down to 2 options basically, any experience notes with either of these companies would also be appreciated: www.mobal.com ($29 to buy a phone, and then pre-paid card loading) www.cellularabroad.com (straight rental, but calling rates may make it a cheaper option in the end than mobal). thanks!
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Re: Help with mobile phone for Morocco
I have a Mobell (same company as Mobal) UK sim that I got years ago, very convenient, phone bills charged to my credit card, rather than having to keep track of the balance and "top up". However, calls are relatively expensive although I don't mind for the convenience and limited use when I'm in the UK. Knowing full well it would cost me, about a £ a minute because I was in Italy, I allowed a British friend who was meeting me in Italy to call me when she arrived using her UK phone and my UK...
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Re: Has Anyone Traveled With a Folding Bicycle?
I've never traveled with a bicycle myself, but on my last trip to Asia I met an Englishman who travels often on business to China. We met in Yangshuo, in Guangxi, and he was traveling with a folding bicycle. He seemed a very practical sort, a designer of medical instruments and when I saw him off as he left to go to the airport, he seemed quite comfortable with his bag and another with the bicycle, going into the back of the taxi. I know nothing about it except what I observed, a happy...
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Re: GPS v. Sicily = WTF
Just returned from a month in Greece. I don't know what I would have done without GPS, given that streets are not always marked, and when they are, it can be difficult to see the signs (posted on buildings, not on the street corner) or they can be only in Greek. On the other hand, it's hardly foolproof! Sometimes hard to tell who was the bigger fool, me or the GPS!
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Re: London- multiple questions
Thank you for all of the information. I am finally ready to finalize some things since we leave at the end of this month! We have decided not to do Liverpool...seems like we should come back and do that someday. I am thinking the Megabus option may be the way to go to Salisbury and catch the shuttle to Stonehenge from there. That way we can see the cathedral while we are there. Do you know if it is a short walk to the cathedral or will we need to take a taxi from the Megabus stop? Do you...
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Re: London- multiple questions
I can only help with one of the questions...but GarryRF, one of the TG Gurus, lives in Liverpool and can certainly help with that part. For Stonehenge without a car, there are really two main options. There are a number of tour operators who run coach tours from London to the site; or you can take a train from London to Salisbury and take a bus from the station to the Stonehenge visitor center. The visitor center is new since I was there; it's about 10 minutes by shuttle from the stones...
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Re: Impression about Perth, Australia
I've actually visited Perth, attending a medical meeting there some years back. I really enjoyed the city. Mostly modern, but with historic colonial era buildings. Very friendly people, especially considering they're all descended from convicts (a point of pride and good humor with them, I found). Perth was a good springboard for a road-trip around southwestern Australia, including a drive up to Shark's Bay, through the wildflower way (am I remember that name correctly), down to the large...
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Re: Impression about Perth, Australia
My 3 kids lived and worked in Australia for a year. I loved going to Oz to visit them. Once in summer and once in winter. We accept young folks from Australia to live and work here in the UK as part of the Commonwealth of countries. Like Oz does for our kids. As you say Aussies are proud of their convict heritage and are often disappointed to find they have ancestors who merely migrated. I have lots of relatives in Oz today - mostly found using the internet. Its surprising when we swop...
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Re: How loooong does it take to get to your airport?
There's certainly a lot of variation, as I also noted above. And sometimes the planners don't help much either, as is the case with all three of our New York airports, where the whole AirTrain concept is completely botched. At Kennedy, the AirTrain's stations are not in, but sort of near, the terminals. That means you have to drag your stuff outside, across the roadways, and then up stairs or elevator to the train. And then, you have a choice of going to the commuter rail station (about 3...
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Re: How loooong does it take to get to your airport?
Originally Posted by PHeymont You just have to conclude that all this planning is done by people who have chauffeurs or helicopters to get them to the plane on time... Or progress is blocked by some politician or lobbyist... ;-) I did just get a chance to read the blog you linked. While I agree that public transportation is much more available in Europe, and perhaps Asia, however with the few examples he sites, there really are few cities that have that 15-20 minute from "airport to...
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Re: How to Irk the Brits
The first thing that surprises me on this blog is how eager people are to believe any of the pure drivel that film makers produce. Yahoo send a team to London to be controversial. That's the script. They don't want to tell a story of people who are just like the folks you left behind in America. No. That's not going to grab anyone's attention. PHeymont has lived in both countries and knowingly avoids such divisive journalism. Wherever you travel in the world you find people who are giving ,...
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Re: How to Irk the Brits
Interesting. I work in San Francisco near the Ferry Building and frequently jaunt down to Pier 39 on my lunch break for exercise. Tourist alley, especially now that they have a new cruise terminal between the Ferry Building and Pier 39. Just today I nearly fell into a couple who stopped to take a picture of Coit Tower, speaking in an English accent. I moved on and got out of their way. 'Tis different when the shoe is on another foot, I suppose.
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
My method is similar--get on the local schedule as best as I can. I do not nap upon arrival. Fortunately, I am usually so dang excited that adrenaline takes over and am usually fairly alert until after dinner time. Unfortunately, that also means I have nearly an impossible time sleeping on planes. Even with a sleep aid. I've read of people adjusting their schedule for up to two weeks ahead of time to make up for the change in the schedule, making their sleep rhythms in tune with the local...
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Re: Places where nature has taken over
Walking through wooded areas in rural New England (including in park land), it's not uncommon to come on foundations or other evidence of human occupation, and we're not talking paleolithic! Industrialization, urbanization and westward expansion lowered population levels in rural New England in the later 1800s, and today more of New England is covered in forest than at the time of the American Revolution! Old farmsteads, mills, even villages just disappeared.
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Re: Is Visa everywhere you want to be?
I know of several people who rely on these prepaid Visa cards during their travels, and it's good to know people need to clarify their use. I usually just travel with credit cards, debit card (for ATM withdrawal), with some cash in a money belt for emergencies.
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Re: Airbnb Questions
1. "...is payment for Airbnb places always processed in the US even for stays overseas?" Airbnb processes reservations for guests in their own currency, pays out in the currency of the host. So you, in the US, will always pay in US dollars, a UK resident will pay in £s, etc. The host posts prices in their home currency and when a guest in another country logs in and searches/books, the price is converted by the website at the current exchange rate and they always see the rate in their own...
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Re: Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
People always laugh when I tell them this but the book that most inspired me to travel was Arthur C Clarke's "2001 a Space Odyssey". It made me want to see the universe -- or at least Clavius Base on the moon. It wasn't until later that I learned I'd have to settle for staying on the planet. Little did I know those journeys would one day lead me to the home and friendship of the man who wrote the book that so inspired me.
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Re: Lost a US Passport Overseas? What I learned this trip.
I appreciate reading this because I have always wanted to know what to do if I lose my passport. I always carry with me extra passport photos and a photocopies of my passport. Glad to know they could come in handy.
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Re: 5 best reasons to go to Scotland now
ok no problem,if you want to come my country please when you come my country please let me know.
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Re: Has anyone used their Enhanced Drivers License to travel to Canada or Mexico?
Most of the people I know who have this license are those who don't want to travel internationally and who live near the Canada-US border. There are a number of town literally split by the border and people migrate across daily to visit friends or work. I think these licenses are intended for them. Same for the Mexico USA border. If you travel internationally and have a passport, no point paying extra for the license for most folks. Passports have become more sophisticated and if you read...
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Re: How do you buy your travel?
I never trusted travel agents before the freedom of the internet gave us access to cost information, and I would need a great excuse to trust them now. Online travel purchasing gives us the freedom to have price information come directly to us, rather than to a middle man who may or may not have our best interests in mind. So flights I'll buy either through Expedia or from the airline directly (esp if they are having a "sale"). Rooms I almost get through booking.com, my favorite site because...