Tagged With "Mystery Spot"
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Re: Trains in Cuba
Great question...and possibly not an easy clear answer. Cuba's trains have generally been in poor shape in recent years as older equipment has run down and spares not available. However, according to Mark Smith (The Man in Seat 61), that's changing with the arrival of a fleet of new Chinese-built locomotives. On his site ( Seat61.com ) he has an extensive update of recent changes in schedules, routes and locations (that's important because Havana's main station is closed for a 3-year...
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Re: St Stephen's Green, Dublin. (Where Gumbo was #137)
I have to admit that the first clue reminded me, in succession, of a spot in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in Paris, of Prospect Park in Brooklyn and of Frogness Park in Oslo...it was only when the clues got more specific that I could rule them out, and only when the Fusiliers Arch appeared and I could search its text that I could find the answer. That arch, by the way, provoked a lot of controversy when erected in 1907; it memorializes a regiment in England's colonial war against the Dutch Boers...
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Re: Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California
Great report. Good to hear that the sales people were not like those portrayed in Pretty Woman! Did you spot any movie stars?
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Re: Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California
Thanks, we didn't spot any movie stars. What surprised me is we actually saw people buying the expensive merchandise.
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Re: Birds of the Okavango Delta
Thanks for those pics!Incredible, all the variety of birds in one spot.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day: Jan. 16, 2014: Liverpool Victoria Gallery
Hello GarryRF, good post. Interesting to know there is more to see in Liverpool than The Beatles (it's okay, I'm a huge Beatles fan). I've always wanted to visit there, not only for Beatles sights, but I've heard it's had a revamp over the last few years and is now a tourist hot spot. Can you recommend a good time of the year to visit and how many days to see the main attractions?
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Re: Thai Tourism Blossoming
I think of travel in Thailand as "Asia Lite". In a good way. It was the first place I ventured in Asia and have continued to go back, combined with more challenging destinations. So I'm not surprised. It's also my destination of choice for recuperation when the food elsewhere does me in. It's pretty much in the middle of the region with flights in from all over and that, combined with the fresh & delicious food, makes it a relaxing and beneficial spot to forget one's food woes. It's high...
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Re: A journey around Iceland: 3) South Iceland
Undeniably Iceland is the most stunning place on earth and you will truly be fascinated by the clear blue lakes, natural geysers, rolling meadows, volcanic craters and abundance of wildlife. I have been lucky to have vacation in this beautiful spot when we have visited this place by the help of KosherTravelers. This place is rich with culture and history, having lots of eye catching sightseeing to visit that has truly become the amazing trip of my lifetime.
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Re: Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument
Thanks for reading the piece and for your comment, GarryRF! The "Yellowstone" hot spot has migrated over the past thousands of years from eastern Oregon, across southern Idaho and now sits right under Yellowstone National Park. Actually the hot spot hasn't move at all, the earth's places move away from the hot spot, but it's just another way of thinking about it. I'd be careful about being around an active volcano but don't mind hanging around places like this or much of the Hawaiian...
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Re: Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument
Yellowstone National Park has over 500 Geyser's - so I guess that counts as a "Hot Spot" (I just Googled it) I remember the smell of sulphur being one of the giveaways to a live site so I'll sniff my way about! Thanks for the info DrF.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec. 4, 2013: Patterns from the Air
Hi Louie Louie, It has happened to me once, but usually it's not an issue. I have a small pocket camera I keep at hand when flying. When I see something that interests me, I pull it out and take a photo. (remember to turn the flash off, it won't help and will cause a big bright spot on the window) So long as you don't send or receive a signal, it isn't a problem. With the softening of TSA inflight electronic requirements, this should be even less of an issue in the future.
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Re: The Beautiful Pools and Geysers of Yellowstone National Park
Hi Andre, and welcome. As DrY is away on vacation, I'll try to answer your question before he gets back. Yellowstone National Park does sit on what is known as the "Yellowstone Hot Spot". You see this in its geysirs and hot water pools. This does have the potential to become a massive volcano and cause a tremendous eruption. As big as any volcano in recorded history and then some. The jet stream would carry the ash and smoke mostly east (towards the Atlantic Ocean), so those areas would be...
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Re: North America, part 2. Elk Bugling in Colorado
We just left the area and saw elk in the exact same spot. There were so many of them!
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Re: Pittsburgh's North Side
My parents lived and grew up on the Northside from the 1920's to the 1950's. I was born in the city and baptized on the Northside. My grandparents Northside house is now in a dangerous slum area. There are many great ethnic eateries in the area, especially German in the Northside neighborhood of Deutschtown. Max's Tavern is a great spot for German fare and beer.
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Re: Spotted on the Road, Winnipeg, Canada
As you can see from the above photos, each parking spot has its own electric outlet because of the need to use a block heater in the coldest winter months. This little buggy plugs into a standard outlet. No special adapter or anything needed.
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Re: Dispatches from Ikaria: Part 1
Spot on - nicely crisped at the thin end and juicy at the other.
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Re: Norway getting an all-electric fjord ferry
Norway's in an odd spot on that: It's one of the world's leading oil suppliers. It's also the case, sometimes, that it's worth moving and concentrating the 'dirtier' parts to keep things clean where the people are. Everything's a balancing act... Like the hydrogen-cell cars I was happily awaiting here in New York, until my wife asked "Do you know where the hydrogen is coming from? How are they producing it?"
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Re: Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt seeing visitors again
The Canary Isles are an all year Spanish hot spot - located off the coast of Africa. Perfect for a Christmas Vacation too !
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Re: Poutine. One of Canada's traditional foods. Fried potatoes, gravy and cheese curds! Delicious!!
I don't know, Rob! The cheese is less important to me than the gravy. French fries with gravy are commonly available in Canada. Beats ketchup or that mayonnaise-like stuff the Belgians use. It's very filling and really hits the spot on a cold day, but is a meal all by itself.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#71)
When I first saw this I thought China or SE Asia. But the kegs are a good spot. There's grafitti too. Eastern Europe?
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov 6th, 2014: Brighton, England
Nice pic Garry! It is such a photogenic spot and the "Lanes" behind are a delight to visit too.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 22, 2015: Machu Picchu
Beautiful photos, Grand Escapes! I'm especially fond of the one of the llama roaming the streets of Machu Picchu. They are the official "lawn mowers" of the park. Machu Picchu after the tourist train leaves and before it arrives is a totally different experience than during the peak of the day. If there's one travel spot you'll want to spend a night or two so that you can enjoy some tranquility before it gets overwhelmed with people, then I'd say this is the one.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 14, 2015: Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto
Yes, Jonathan, Mr. Cherry is well known as a colorful character in just about every connotation of the word. His commentary was usually very entertaining and spot on in its accuracy of analysis.
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Re: Old San Juan: Beautiful...and not all old
Plaza de Armas is NOT the premier pigeon feeding spot in San Juan. The honor goes to the near by Plaza de las Palomas (Plaza of the Doves). This park has a wall with literal Pigeon holes and is the home to hundreds of the birds. There are machine to buy food and if you stand real still they will land on your hands and arms to eat.
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Re: Spring Time on Table Mountain
I have spent whole days hiking Table Mountain and haven't even covered half of it. The top of the mountain is divided by the single two lane road that cuts up and over it. This day was spent on the West side of the divide. I couldn't find any information on the square mileage, but as a rough estimate I would say "huge". There are also caves, which I have never found, but then again I have never found Phantom Falls, either. Just North of this spot there is a "ghost town" called Cherokee.
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Re: Old San Juan - Museo de las Americas is a Must See
I've only briefly visit Old San Juan once (part of a cruise), and it did fascinate me. Thanks for tell us about this great museum, Jonathan. It does sound like a MustSee! Conde Naste just did a brief piece calling Puerto Rico the new Caribbean hot spot. Here's a link to their piece.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 30, 2015: Spirit Island
Thanks for sharing this great image, Vagabond! I recall standing on the very spot and enjoying the same view, although it was cloudy on my travel day. A good first contribution to TravelGumbo! Hope there's more to follow.
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Re: Signs of Aspen, Colorado
Originally Posted by Travel Rob: Nice of the Bear to tell us to fight back if attacked He is a nice bear to tell us, and that's good advice with BLACK bears only. There are no grizzlies left in Colorado, but the general advice for them is to "play dead" and not fight back. If a black bear attacks you he likely wants to eat you. If a grizzly attacks you he likely wants to dominate you. Of course, you need to use your judgement on the spot, if you've time to assess. A thin wasted grizzly might...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#131)
An old spot, but not ancient. Old crumbling cement and overgrown vegetation... A rail that looks abandoned and paved over. Could be anywhere....
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Re: Signs of Boston
There was plenty of snow this time of year and in a week, only a few days where it was nice enough to walk around and enjoy the city. But spring sun is like that. It really warms a sheltered spot, whereas in the north facing shade it's cool and icy.
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Re: Ayres Natural Bridge Park - Wyoming's First Tourist Attraction
A lovely spot and the kind of discovery that can make a trip special, Thanks for sharing it with us, Sam.
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Re: May 31, 2016. The Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver
What an interesting place. All my trips to Vancouver in recent years yet I never made it to English Bay. Top spot on the itinerary next trip there. Thanks.
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Re: Mosaic Floors, Paphos, Cyprus
I love this blog. I had the pleasure of spending 7 months in Cyprus in the early 80s and made several trips to Paphos (my favorite spot on the island). This was before the tourist resort invasion and there was only a couple of smaller hotels in Paphos. The town still had all the old charm, the harbor had some great family owned restaurants and the Tombs of the Kings was a pleasant 30 minute walk in the countryside. Sadly, like so many charming little places it has been caught up by the...
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Re: Exploring Liverpool's 300 years as a port
Known as the Slave Trade Triangle - the Ships Captain would walk 300 feet from the Docks to this Bank in Liverpool to deposit his " ILL GOTTEN GAINS". Can you spot the clues in this photo ?
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Re: A weekend...I don't know where...
Surprises can be fun, but I enjoy researching a destination before I get there. Still, I can see the appeal of the idea to a lot of people.
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Re: A weekend...I don't know where...
Rob, I thought of you when I first found this...it sounds like you and me: Anything to be on the road, hardly matters where!
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Re: A weekend...I don't know where...
The cost seems pretty reasonable too. It is a good idea because it exposes you to cities that you wouldn't of picked on your own. Sometimes those cities end up being your favorites. I think TG's destination page is like that too. I now want to go so many places that were not remotely on my radar.
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Re: How do you buy your travel?
I use booking.com the most for hotels and apartments because I can cancel. Sometimes I can't decide what part of town I want to be in, so I book more than one and keep researching until I have found the right spot. (I don't hold extra reservations long...just sayin'.) I love that booking.com now shows apartments and houses via villa.com because I always refer having a kitchen when I travel. I, too, use OTAs to see prices and schedules, and then I go to the airline's web page for booking.
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Re: Jan. 30, 2016: Houseboat, Marin County, CA
I've looked at the three sites (which all appear to show the same boat), but I think none of them is this one, unless a lot has happened in the years since I took the picture. The roofline is different, and this one lacks the steel stovepipe the other one shows. I'm fairly sure the spot where I took the picture was well out of town, but of course, boats can move...
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Re: Lodi Garden, Delhi (Where Gumbo was #162)
Thanks for the comment, Neil! Your friend will enjoy India. You just need to be very careful about what you eat and drink. The Lodi Garden is a special spot within Delhi.
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Re: Signs of Halifax
So is Halifax cleaning its act up ? Wonderful collection of signs on show here. Is the area on the way to becoming a tourist Hot-Spot ? Would it get a Travel Gumbo "Must go to ........!" Badge ?
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Re: Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall
Thanks for your note, Pheymont! Glad it brought back some good memories. The scenery is beautiful, like much of the Canadian Shield, with the added benefit of all those maple trees. I hope to get there in September again to enjoy the fall colors and hopefully to see some of those whales migrating. I have to admit that I had my heart set on seeing whales this trip and did spot even one. We were there in early June, which was just too early.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #4.5, 12/6/13
I really hate to rain on everyone's parade, but while we're VERY VERY close, we still aren't exactly spot on in locating this pier. Keep trying, gang!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day. January 14, 2014: Calgary Peace Bridge
Glad you like the pictures IslandMan. Yes Calgary and near by Banff National Park are beautiful parts of the world worth visit. If you are not into ski, summer (please note, it is very short here) is the best time to come. Let me know, I will take you to the best spot to see the bridge! Have a good day. Dr.Y
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Re: Classic American Cars #7
Hi folks The yellow convertible is probably a 1951 Chevy. It's a bit hard to tell because some of the trim appears to be from a 1952 and/or another GM car from the era. The usual way to year-spot these cars is to look at the grille. Paul's photo of the red car correctly identifies it as a 1952, with the prominent 'teeth' in the grille. The yellow car doesn't appear to have the teeth, which would normally make it a '51... but who knows in Cuba?? Best regards, Dave B.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo (#13)
If I am right there are 3 sisters living about 30 miles away from this spot.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 1, 2014: Marsaxlokk
Beautiful spot, PortMoresby, one of our favorites. Great place for seafood too...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#61)
MAD Travel Diaries is right on the spot...in Budapest. Tune in tomorrow for more about this fabled confectioner and baker, and then on Saturday for Puzzle #62 Congratulations!
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? #64
I think the terrain may be deceptive (or the bridge). If the terrain is flat, why would the rail line be elevated in this way? On the other hand, the area may be less flat than it looks from this spot...
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Re: Berlin's Rotes Rathaus: Brick Majesty and Whimsy
This has been one of my favorites too, but I never knew that a traveler could go inside. Thanks for the details on its history. Every time I've passed it, the doors have been closed. I will try to visit it next month after I sit at Zum Nussbaum—Reiner's favorite Berlin spot—and toast to #travel and #history.