Tagged With "Historic Downtown"
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Re: Norwegian bank is out of cash, on purpose
I think what we're seeing here is a blindness in planning, which goes beyond questions of technology. You've identified some scenarios where cashless becomes hopeless/helpless. I see the same kind of lack of forethought when I see several huge residential towers being built in downtown Brooklyn...on top of already overcrowded subway stations, and with no forethought to larger sewer or water connections... In the bleakest possible view, we may self-destruct not through a world war, but...
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Re: Al Fahidi Historical District
In this area there's a really cool museum that we visited - the Museum of Illusions. Also, make sure to eat at the Arabian Teahouse 5 minutes walking from this neighborhood! https://valentinasdestinations.com/
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Re: July 28, 2016: Coit Tower, San Francisco, California
It really is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. Thanks for reminding us of these great views!
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
It does not seem fair that one place should have so much going on. Worse, it is less fair that I am not there ! Thanks for the great pics and a bit of history. What are the good months to visit for water sports like paragliding ? Is it winder or the surf stronger some months than others ?
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
Thanks for your comments TatToo. Summer is the best time for water sports,from May to October. Most operators usually shut down over winter. There isn't much surf to speak of unless there is an exceptionally stormy day, but the northern parts of the island are more suited for windsurfing and paragliding as the winds from the northern Mediterranean tend to have more strength in them
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
That's a great piece about a great destination most of us have not heard a lot about. Would you know if there are direct flights between Malta and Sicily, Islandman? How would you recommend connecting these two. I think a great way to spend two or three weeks would be to combine stops at Sicily and Malta.
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
Thanks IslandMan! Your history insights and photos do make it look like an ideal travel destination.
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Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?
Hello DrF, there are direct flights from Sicily to Malta and also a daily ferry. Yes, many visitors take in Sicily when coming to Malta, or they combine it with other European destinations. There also regular cruises around the Mediterranean which stop in the Grand Harbour for a day.
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
I like to see some of the Nation's heritage preserved. I've actually been to a number of these places and enjoyed them all.
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
Note that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private organization. I think that's key in this era of government cutbacks and a congress unable to accomplish anything to speak of. If the National Park Service is unable to maintain it's infrastructure then one can only imagine how little care might go into preserving bits of our cultural heritage lacking big names, such as those on the list above. Commercial interests also have a place in accomplishing what government and...
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
PS - Pheymont, I haven't found the International list (faulty website or faulty eyes, I suspect the latter). Would you post a link, please?
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
PM (and anyone else I misled)...I went back and found the link that said "Around the World" on their page was actually another link to the same domestic 10. I've edited the reference out of the clip above. Too bad...I was looking forward to reading it...
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
Bummer. Thanks, though, for your attentive concern! And for the interesting post, of course.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
England is only as big as Florida ! I haven't seen a Guide book that sub-divides us! Wales is full of Castles, Mountains and Lakes. Tourists often divide England between the North and South. The North is often cooler and wetter than further South. But your Dollar will go twice as far up here in the North! And we're much friendlier. Have a look at places you'd like to visit. York (the old one) will keep you busy for 2 days. Train or Bus from Liverpool. Or a day or two in Europe from Liverpool...
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Re: Yesterday & Today in France.
Thanks for those links! truly fascinating. My two favorites are the second, from 1907, which clearly shows a place with almost no change (as opposed to the next where the buildings have remained but so much has not, and the 1911 road scene which at first glance shows little change; a closer look at the combination shows significant re-grading of the road level in the meantime!
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Re: Minneapolis in the winter
The Mall's more interesting than you might think - besides the shopping there are the restaurants, amusement venues, and events going on. Here some info about stuff to see at the Mall http://www.mallofamerica.com/attractions To get to the Mall of America you Take Metro Transit (easy and clean) From Minneapolis Hiawatha Light Rail (Route 55) - The Hiawatha light-rail line offers fast, frequent service from downtown (5th Street) to Mall of America. Hiawatha light-rail trains leave every 7.5...
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Re: Minneapolis in the winter
Hi Theodore! I am a Mall of America fan. You can easily spend an entire weekend (or many evenings) at the Mall of America. First of all, the mall is very easy to get to by train from downtown (CICAK did a wonderful job explaining that), and fares are quite cheap (fares go for about $1.75 to $2.25 one way depending on what time of day you ride). As CICAK also mentioned, there is something for everybody at the mall. If you just want to find a warm dry place to walk and people watch, I believe...
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Re: In Egypt: Three Houses
I am traveling to Egypt in April...can't wait!! Thank you for this excellent article!
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Re: May 8, 2018: Downtown Leadville
So inviting! Thank you for showing us such a great destination!
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#77)
I think I knew this one right from day one, but saved my guess until now. I have to say the TravelGumbo members are great detectives, for I do believe they pretty much solved this puzzle. My guess is: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which is located on an island just 122 m (400 ft) from shore (downtown Toronto). I believe the ferry route is one of the world's shortest regularly scheduled ferry routes.
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Re: A Visit to Saudi Arabia: Part II
Very interesting to see this report since I worked for a Saudi company from 1978 to 2013 but I think I made my list trip there around 2005 or so -- things have changed quite a bit! Here's an example of how downtown Jeddah looked in 1979.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#45)
I'm thinking I've seen this - though that seems unlikely. I'm guessing: downtown San Francisco, Market St.
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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: Air Canada Launches Free Layover Program in Toronto
I'm not sure why they're limiting it to people from the USA. Vancouver to Toronto is a 5 hour flight. A layover might be enjoyed by people traveling overseas. A few months ago a dedicated train service from Pearson airport to downtown Toronto began and this has greatly improved access to the city. And also reduced the cost of reaching downtown dramatically. http://www.metrolinx.com/en/pr...press/upexpress.aspx
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Re: Doors of Charleston
I love doors, too. Most of these are familiar; the first one belongs to a dear friend, now departed. On a rainy day in Charleston, I very much enjoyed the walk downtown without leaving my comfy home.
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Re: San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)
Fascinating history. Stunning photos. Thanks.
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Re: San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)
A missing bit: El Morro and the historic site as a whole is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but while I included that in the Tags and Collections for the blog, I forgot to mention it in the text! My apologies...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#109)
It's clue time! Not only do popular attractions surround this building, it is located right downtown and itself is a very well reviewed major downtown attraction. It's opening was covered by a lot of major media outlets.
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Re: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario (Where Gumbo was #301)
A fine piece of History from a young Town. With a small population it appears to be booming in style and grace. Could even make it to Garry's favourite "Small Town America List". An Oasis of Olde World Quality and Charm. This Town took some locating. Good one Dr F.
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Re: Around Halifax
Very nice write-up! Downtown Halifax has some very narrow streets and just was not built for the traffic it gets today. Halifax has some interesting things. It's not my favorite city but Nova Scotia as a whole is a beautiful place to take a road trip.
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Re: May 29, 2016 - Grants Tomb
Those are great photos Jonathan! Another place I want to get to!
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Re: LA rail extension great for beachgoers
This will really help on time. As a kid, I took the bus from Santa Monica to Downtown LA a lot and it took forever but it was to be one of the most interesting rides anywhere. It goes through such diverse neighborhoods it almost doesn't seem real.
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Re: Around the World in a Day with Coca-Cola
Thanks Samantha! The Taste It Sampling Bar was by far the highlight for me too. I enjoyed the sodas from Africa the best. The Downtown location of the museum is great. The Georgia Aquarium is across from it, the Civil and Human Rights Museum is behind it and on the other side of the street is Centennial Olympic Park. Not to mention you're only a few blocks away from one of the great hamburger and hot dog drive-in's, 'The Varsity' .
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Re: Feb. 11, 2016: Flatiron Building, New York City
Glad you grabbed one of my favorites! Even though it's sometimes had embarrassingly badly-dressed stores in the base, it's always had a real dignity to it. Incidentally, it was New York's first building with a steel skeleton instead of masonry, which allowed it to be built very rapidly. In a way, it was an advertisement for its owner, the Fuller company (still a major builder). Daniel Burnham was the architect—which doesn't mean the building was popular when new!
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Re: Feb. 11, 2016: Flatiron Building, New York City
Incidentally, as you can see, it IS more or less the shape of a flatiron, and not a right triangle...
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Re: Feb. 11, 2016: Flatiron Building, New York City
Hmmmmm...looking at the picture you posted of the roof of the Flatiron Building Paul, it looks like a right angle triangle to me. There's only one way to settle this...my wife and I would love to visit New York again. So, one day (hopefully sooner than later) we'll have to meet on the Flatiron roof...I'll bring a carpenter square. If I'm right, you owe me a Guinness. If you're right, I'll buy you a delicious beverage of your choosing. Either way, visiting Manhattan again and meeting you is a...
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Re: Feb. 11, 2016: Flatiron Building, New York City
Love to meet you there (or anywhere, since I don't think there's public access to the roof!)...and I'll be glad to buy the Guinness, since it turns out I was wrong about the triangle...the corner of 22nd St. and 5th Avenue is the right angle. You might find this article about it interesting: The Museum of Math did what might be called a performance piece, with 500 mathematicians measuring it in lightsticks and applying the Pythagorean theorem...
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Re: Feb. 11, 2016: Flatiron Building, New York City
HI there, Great post. We were in NYC last October and this was definitely something my husband really wanted to see. Have to admit it is pretty cool to see in person. Thanks for all the info and happy memories.
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Re: Feb. 11, 2016: Flatiron Building, New York City
Hello Paul and Samantha : ) Paul, I do hope that one day we will have the opportunity to meet. Thank you for your insight of the Flatiron Building. You indeed are a good sport. Samantha, I am glad you enjoyed my post of the Flatiron Building. You sum it very nicely by saying that seeing this building in person is pretty cool.
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Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
A lot of questions! Let me try a few answers... Absolutely I'd say stop in Iceland. Every place in the world is unique, but Iceland is more so, geographically, in climate, and in history. Half a week (or even a week) won't do more than scratch the surface, but you'll be able to visit incredible waterfalls, climb on glaciers, see evidence of recent volcanic activity, and realize that under it all is a huge pool of thermally heated water that provides over 70% of the nation's energy. If that...
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Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
Well, I said so much about Iceland, I decided to leave the rest for another post. Getting from Barcelona (or Madrid) to Lisbon: the only practical way is to fly. Train takes too long for this one, and costs more! From Barcelona to Lisbon, flights on Vueling, Iberia, TAP, etc. run from $35 one-way to about $80 before you hit the high-priced ones. I just looked in May; Vueling and Iberia have $68 in the morning and $35 at 7:30 pm. Madrid-Lisbon, there's a $40 mid-day flight, but most other...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day. January 14, 2014: Calgary Peace Bridge
You have sharp eyes PHeymont! The third and fourth pictures are taken from the Crescent Hights, a small hill on the North bank of the Bow River. In the Calgary downtown core area, there are three bridges (tow for pedestrians and cyclists; one for cars) connecting the skyscrapers on the South bank and residential areas on the North bank of the river. The peace bridge is out of the picture 3 frame and in all other 3 pictures.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day. January 14, 2014: Calgary Peace Bridge
The bridge on the bottom right of the picture 3 is called Bow River Pathway. It's a pedestrian/cycling bridge connecting the downtown ore - Prince's Island Park - The North bank of Bow river. The Peace bridge and C-train bridge are further west! Ha Ha Karl, you need get out more
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day. January 14, 2014: Calgary Peace Bridge
I do need to get out more! Of course, I live south of downtown while you look at this view every day. We'll need to go for a walk there this summer, DrY! Prince's Island is a great place for those visiting Calgary. A lovely island oasis right off downtown. Wonderful escape from bustle of a city and literally just a minute from it all.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day. January 14, 2014: Calgary Peace Bridge
This bridge is neat. When Evan and I were doing our walkabout through downtown and then to the university we crossed the Bow and headed west. A couple of minutes later we came across this bridge and experienced some crosser's remorse at our previous choice of bridge.
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Re: Strasbourg & Route Du Vin
We had a two-day flying visit to Strasbourg (pre-TGV) a few years ago and loved it...and now you've pushed it way high up the re-visit list! Thanks...
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Re: Strasbourg & Route Du Vin
Wonderful photos and descriptions! I'll be adding Strasbourg to my travel list!
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Re: Strasbourg & Route Du Vin
What a beautiful and great destination! I've also not visited it before but it's definitely on my radar. How much time would you recommend for a first time visit?
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Re: Strasbourg & Route Du Vin
DrFumblefinger— A few days could be enough in Strasbourg itself, but if you want to tour the vineyards, I'd stay a week in the area. You could stay two nights in Strasbourg and then a night or two in Riquewihr and beyond. And I'd suggest renting a car to go at your own pace. For my next trip, I will plan at least full week in the region because I want to stop at the vineyards and visit more of the museums. And don't forget Chateau Haut Koenigsburg.
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Re: Experience with hotel bidding sites?
Hotwire.com has a generic "star rating" hotel, unknown to you as to which brand and exact location, at discounted prices. I've use them a few times and been satisfied with the results. For example, I got 4 star rooms in downtown Montreal for less than eighty dollars a night, probably a quarter or less of their rack rate. Generally I do like to know where I'm staying, but good luck. Let us know how this works out for you.