Tagged With "free time"
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Re: November 5, 2016: Hatiheu, Nuku Hive, Iles Marquises
Great post! I love this photo - it really transports me to another place. And the idea of traveling through this area on a cargo ship sounds fascinating. Trip of a life time, indeed.
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Re: Nov. 15, 2016: Hummingbird, Solola, Guatemala
Thank you! I love hummingbirds too and this is the first time I was ever able to catch one at a flower. I was thrilled!
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Re: November 24, 2016: Enger Tower, Duluth, Minnesota
Hi Garry I never thought of counting the number of steps to the top of Enger Tower for I was too preoccupied with the beautiful scenery; However, thanks to your question I did some internet investigating and discovered that apparently there are 105 steps you must walk to get to the top of Enger Tower (therefore 210 steps in total to get up and down the tower). You really don't need to be an Olympian to get to the top of Enger Tower. Although the number of steps sounds like a lot, and the...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? (#195)
It's time for another clue. This man played a significant role in helping preserve and promote the features of our site of interest.....
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Re: England’s Thames Path: Kew Gardens
My wife Diane and I spent almost an entire day at Kew Gardens. So much natural beauty to see. We arrived from central London at the Kew Station in mid-morning and didn't leave until almost dusk. At one time our son had a possibility of being transferred to London and I recommended getting a place in the Kew Garden area for the beauty and quiet. One of my photos from Kew.
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Re: Casa Bacardi Rum Plant, San Juan, Puerto Rico
I've visited the Bacardi plant too, and remember being quite impressed by it. As I recall, the original was in Cuba and the family moved to P.R. to escape Castro. And I'm proud to see you standing after those free samples! Thanks for the post.
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Re: Sept. 4, 2018: Istanbul's Spice Bazaar
The first time I visited a Bazaar like this I was amazed with the colours and sights. Reminded me of the time when after years of black and white TV I saw my first Colour TV - Speechless !!
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Re: Europe to ditch time switch
I'd be glad to get rid of daylight savings time here as well. Never made much sense to me.
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Re: 'Flying Dutchman' ends 15-week cruise
UPDATE: Home at last... Costa Deliziosa finally docked in Genoa, Italy around noon today, New York time after being at sea since January 5th. It was the last major cruise line ship still at sea, and has no known Covid-19 cases on board. Debarcation of the remaining 1519 passengers and 898 crew will take several days as Costa and Italian authorities work on how to get them home without exposure to infection.
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Re: 12 Countries ask vouchers instead of refunds
In a conversation with Travel Rob last week, I set out my minimum conditions before a bailout or other relief can be discussed: 1) All boarding to be by efficiency, no priority for anyone except physical need 2) minimum one free checked bag for all flights over 250 miles (under 250, you should drive or take a train, anyway) 3) elimination of most nuisance fees 4) minimum 32" pitch with no more than 2" recline 5) 20-year cap on exec salaries...CEO to earn max 20x full-time flight attendant...
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Re: Nov. 29, 2019: Homage to Swimming, Barcelona
If I had to pick one favorite city that I've traveled to it would have to be Barcelona. Thanks for the reminder that it's time to go BACK.
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Re: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania: Peaceful Holiday Getaway
Nicely done Stephanie ! The Swigart Car Museum was on my list for a future travel blog since I travel Route 22 but go east from I-99 to my brothers' residences in Punxsutawney and Parker, PA. I always seemed to be short on time to take the detour to go west on Route 22. Your Swigart photos whetted my appetite to now take that detour and visit that place. Loved the automobile photos and the stories behind some of them.
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Re: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania: Peaceful Holiday Getaway
Thank you George. They close in the winter, so call first to be sure so that it's not a wasted trip.
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Re: Canadian snowbirds: Don't clip our wings!
I have a hard time feeling sorry for those snowbirds, generally retirees with the wherewithall to escape the winter. I suspect subsidizing lying on a beach for weeks or months wasn't something meant to be built into the system.
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Re: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Thanks. this article brings back memories of my visit in 2005. The tour led by the Park Ranger was fascinating and very even handed. I had a great time.
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Re: Free Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona
Never knew there was so much free stuff to do in Phoenix. Seems like you could spent the better part of a week seeing and doing things without paying one admission fee. Thanks for sharing these, Samantha.
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Re: March 3, 2020: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Booked a wedding anniversary trip to St. Thomas and we had a fabulous romantic time. If you get the chance, take the Red Hook ferry to Cruz Bay at St. John's and explore the Virgin Island National Park. Lots of plantation ruins from back in the day when Denmark ruled the Virgin Islands. We had a wonderful lunch and view from the Caneel Bay Resort, which I understand has not reopened after being pummeled by two hurricanes.
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Re: Tips to help with packing no matter where you are going
I bought in-suitcase bags from e-bags last year. I love them. And I wish I had them the one time that the airline broke my suitcase and took it from me at the airport to fix.
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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: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Agree with PHeymont. Plan your trips around the leaf watching. Lots of pretty small towns around New England, although many will be pretty booked. I'd leave at least 3-4 days for Boston. Lots to see and do there, including many items relating to the rebellious Yankees throwing off the ties with old King George. And great museums and restaurants and such. We can get into more details if you'd like, but you'll definitely want a good guide book. Many people find a day in Salem (famous for its...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Regarding hotels, Mac, I think I'd spend a few days in Boston to begin with, presuming that's where you are flying into. This will let you get over your jet lag and also give you a chance to see the state of the colors and plot out where you want to go. I would NOT go without having at least a night's reservation booked ahead because you'll waste too much time looking for a place to stay and will end up paying rack rate. Things will be busy and pretty filled up in the small towns of New...
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Re: Norwegian bank is out of cash, on purpose
While cashless transactions are convenient and popular, and I use them often, I am not supportive of this move. It is a little too much "Big Brother" for me. Consumers will migrate to the purchase platform of their choice. Cash, I'm sure, will become less and less popular with time. But it still has a place and I as a free individual want to make the decision on when and how I will use it. How will people make purchases if there ever is a complete shut down and hack of the bank's computers...
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Re: Interview: Orion Travel Tech's Gary German
The part I like most about Gary's ads on luggage plan, is the bags will be distinctive. I've really had a hard time of late distinguishing my luggage from everyone else's and these bags should stand out. As for all of Orion's plans , I can't think of a company that has so many different startups planned for the next few year. It will be fun to watch and I thank Gary for the interview.
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Re: Canada gets its first non-stop to India
Thanks for the bit of advice, Garry. I usually use the USB port to keep my phone charged. Air Canada has a good flight movie menu and I tend to use that time to catch up on new releases.
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Re: The Floating Reed Islands of the Uros People, Lake Titicaca. (Where Gumbo was #139)
Lake Titicaca is a beautiful place unfortunately didn't make it to the floating islands. Next time I make it there definitely will have to go for that experience.
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Re: Wonders of the Modern World
The Soviets have never been completely transparent about Chernobyl, but this is the story as best as I was able to synthesize it: It seems that the alarm system was malfunctioning (going off all the time) so it was turned off by the tech monitoring the system. He had the fuel rods pulled out of their cooling chambers for maintenance work, was distracted (remember, the alarms are off), then by the time he focused back on the task at hand the rods had begun to melt and couldn't be reinserted...
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Re: Wonders of the Modern World
PHeymont -- understand the Brooklyn bridge is 19th century, but I'd still consider that as modern and, especially for its time, was an engineering marvel.
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Re: Lunar Eclipse at Lowell Observatory, Arizona
In Calgary this time the Supermoon was obscured by super clouds. However, the sky was clear in April and I took this from my bedroom window.
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Re: Yes, Winter's coming: France gets first snow
We almost got snowed in as we were leaving Krakow, Poland. Yes, it's that time of year when winter is letting us know it's coming.
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Re: Motel 6 freshens its rooms...and its image
The French AccorHotels owned them for a time and really made some great improvements, updating rooms and making new hotels. And those prices were the same price as their old rooms. I wonder what happened to Accors plans that they sold
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Re: Bamburgh Castle, England
Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland looks amazing. I often visit northeast England to see friends; I will certainly try to visit the castle the next time I make the trip!
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Re: Exploring Willemstad, Curacao’s UNESCO World Heritage Site
It was a long time ago and warm, yes, but I seem to remember Curacao being dry, think goats & tumbleweeds.
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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: July 3, 2017: Fun Street Art in Montreal
I waited for a bus next to that statue the last time I was in Montreal (in my pre-TG days).
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Re: August 5, 2017: The Potter and his Wife
Re-cycling - saving the world - one pot at a time !
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Re: Diamond Head State Monument, Oahu (Where Gumbo Was #230)
On my last visit to Diamond Head we left near to the closing time. A large Limousine was waiting to take us back to Waikiki. I hadn't ordered one but the driver insisted we used him to take us back. "I will charge you the same as the Taxi fare you paid to get here" Sounded like an offer too good to refuse ! Before we arrived back in Waikiki another 4 couples had joined our Taxi ride. Had to admire the driver for ingenuity. Very good earner !
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Re: Edinburgh, Scotland for 2.5 days....help!
Thank you for the suggestions! I wanted to mainly see if we needed fast track tickets anywhere there could be a line. With all we want to see, I don't want to waste time standing in line anywhere. Yes, I should have added the royal yacht to the things we want to do.
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Re: Oct. 3, 2016: Old Store & Post Office, Evinston, FL
We were in Micanopy at a antique store and the proprietor suggested seeing the antique coca -cola cooler in the Evinston Post Office. By the time we got there, it was 4:57pm, three minutes to closing. But the gentleman running the office welcomed us and was not in a hurry at all. I hope to stop by again and ask some more questions at this really neat place. A really great surprise on our day trip. A few years ago, NPR did a story about the Post Office which is well worth reading. ...
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Re: Hurricane cancels hundreds of flights, cruises
I'm glad to hear good news on this front...it's certainly a distressing time for many, including our own Travel Rob, who has had to evacuate from Saint Augustine, Florida. And there are concerns that the storm may turn and hit some areas a second time...
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Re: 50 Years Later, Paris
Some great memories. My wife and I head there in 3 weeks for the first time in over 25 years. We are so looking forward to it. Thank you.
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Re: Canters Deli and the Original Farmers Market, Los Angeles
Somehow, I never knew about Canters...have to try them next time! How do you feel they compare to Langers, which is my favorite (I tell people the pastrami is as good as but different from Katz's, and the bread is better).
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Re: Why do Americans pay more to fly Norwegian?
This is really disappointing to me. I'm sad that Norwegian is doing this and that other airlines have done this practice for a long time. Mainly though I'm disappointed to see the above answer given to NRK by spokesman, Lasse Sandaker- Nielsen, who we interviewed on TravelGumbo. At that time of our interview, I found his answers refreshingly direct. https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/norwegian-air-1
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Re: Visiting My Backyard—Riverside Park
It's always gives a "feel-good factor" to revisit the playgrounds of our childhood. I remember the field where I hit my first six runs in cricket. To do it today I would have to hit the ball through 16 windows. Time and bad City Planners can be so cruel.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#291)
Saturday's clues...and this time, you get two opportunities for contributions! If you've worked out the answer, email it to TGSuggestions@gmail.com Last clues tomorrow!
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#288)
Since this is a hard puzzle, Gumbo is showing you Sundays clue early for extra time to solve it!. This clue is of a train along the line
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Re: Istanbul: From Ottoman palace to grand hotel
In August 1995, after my brother, a friend and I sailed the Aegean for 2 weeks, traveled to Istanbul and stayed at the Ciragan Palace for a week. In addition to seeing the city, we spent time at the pool and watched ships sail pass. We ate 3 dinners in the hotel. I had never seen so much caviar loaded on my plate at one sitting. Here are some photos from the stay. View from the room, poolside, and a lobby photo. Forgot to mention, there were fireworks every night.
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Re: Oct. 4, 2018: British Car Show, Delaware City DE
Thanks Garry. I am aware. My sister-in-law had an MGB at the same time we had our Midget.
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Re: Sunset Clouds, Hilton Head Island
Tranquil. Best time of day to unwind and enjoy nature.
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Re: Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, Canmore
Beautiful setting - and you qualify for a free pizza next time you go. ;-)
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Re: What's the Best City in the World to Eat in?
I won't claim any city to be the best in the world—at least not until I have time to visit them all! I'm always skeptical anyway about "the best" "the most" and so forth. That said, I'll also add that the best is not always the most expensive or famous. And I'm pleased to see that he's not pushing posh places, but rather inexpensive curry houses and a 24-hour cafe. His point seems to be that London is the best city to eat in because it is, his opinion, the best city to BE in. So, I'll...