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You are here: Home / Archives for Destinations / North America

The Trouble with Philadelphia

February 28, 2013 By Lauren

I’ll give you two scenarios, and you tell me which one sounds like more fun:

1) Taking advantage of 5 hours in Philadelphia by exploring the historical sights on foot.

2) Taking advantage of 5 hours in Philadelphia by exploring the historical sights on foot while dragging your luggage behind you.

If you picked number two, stop reading. This won’t help you. Also, you’re weird.

My fiancé and I recently took a weeklong trip along the east coast of the US, visiting friends and family along the way. We had five hours in the city of Philadelphia before heading to his friend’s place, about an hour away by train.

The plan was simple – arrive by Megabus at the 30th Street Station, drop our bags at the luggage storage, take the train into the city, check out some sights, then get back to the train station, grab our bags, and catch a 4 o’clock train.

Liberty Bell, Philadelphia
This bell tolls for freedom. But not freedom from baggage.

We rolled into the cavernous, museum-like station and straight to the information booth.

“Hi,” I said. “Is there luggage storage here?”

“Are you an Amtrak customer?” the woman asked. “Luggage storage is for Amtrak customers only.”

Hoping this was a lie, we went to the luggage storage to inquire directly.

“Are you an Amtrak customer?”

Shaking our heads sadly, we wandered towards the subway. Maybe they’d have lockers or something, we reasoned.

“No. No luggage storage around here.”

Jared had a 40 litre backpack and I was pulling a small neon-green rolling suitcase. Hardly a burden, but not quite how I’d envisioned the day.

We had one last resort: The Independence Visitor Center, right in the historic district of downtown Philadelphia. Trudging through the January drizzle, we entered the flashy new building, the sound of my bag’s wheels echoing throughout the hall.

The 90-year-old woman behind the desk was very sympathetic to our plight.

“You know,” she said. “I only work here on Fridays, but somebody asks me that every week. Just last Friday there was a little girl with a suitcase bigger than she was, looking for somewhere to put it.”

“What did she do?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. There’s no luggage storage anywhere around here.”

Independence Hall, Philadelphia
This is where they actually signed the Constitution.

Despondent, we exited and headed for the neighboring Constitution Center, hoping to at least leave the bags in a coat check as we visited the museum.

“Coat check!” I hissed victoriously, spotting it as we approached the glass entrance doors.

Unfortunately, it cost $14.50 to get in. Apparently there is a room full of life-sized bronze casts of the signers of the Constitution, but for nearly $30 between us we could imagine them pretty vividly in our heads. Besides, Independence Hall, where they actually signed the Constitution, was free and just on the other side of the square.

“Do you think they’d…” I let my statement trail off.

Jared and I stood, my suitcase between us, looking longingly at the coat check area. The shade was drawn, and a sign directed us to the information booth in front.

“I’m just going to ask.” I approached the booth, where two girls in their late teens/early 20s were sitting, looking bored.

“I know this is a long shot,” I said, “but is there any chance we could leave our bags here for the day?”

“Sure,” the girls said, as one sprang from her seat, eager for something, anything, that would distract her from sitting.

And just like that, our bags had a home. For free. All day.

Philly Cheesesteak
Philly Cheesesteak from Reading Terminal Market: Tastes so much better without luggage.

We never even bought admission tickets, just turned around and went to Independence Hall. Normally I would feel sort of guilty about this, but at that point I was just grateful.

City of Brotherly Love, you’ve earned your title. At least when it comes to covert luggage storage.

Filed Under: Headline, USA Tagged With: philadelphia, travel advice

Visiting Vizcaya

December 11, 2012 By Jillian

Vizcaya is a turn of the century estate hidden in South Miami and the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a bit of quiet from the hustle and bustle of South Beach or have had enough of the sun! It’s true, we do have a bit of historical culture here in Miami, not just beautiful beaches and sunshine.

A few weeks ago, we went to the estate with some family in town from the great cold north, who were all too happy to get out and enjoy the sun without sitting on the beach. Once the winter home of wealthy industrialist James Deering, Vizcaya now serves as a museum that allows visitors to enjoy the architecture, interior design and luxury of the Gilded Age. Even if architecture isn’t your thing, the grounds of Vizcaya are worth a stroll and a great place to relax.

2005-08-07 Vizcaya 010

We spent a few hours at the site, and by far my favorite was wandering on my own. After all, travelers are curious people are we not? Free tours leave from the front entrance every 30 minutes during the winter, but I found more pleasuring in exploring the back staircases and rooms myself. The view of Biscayne Bay is not to be missed!

A bit of Vizcaya history…

Vizcaya was built as the residence of industrialist James Deering for the winter months. He was Vice President of International Harvester Company, manufacturer of agricultural equipment for the world market. Building began in 1910 and was completed in 1916, when the population of Miami was only 10,000 people. Nearly a 10th of the population was employed in building the estate!

Each room of the main house provides visitors with a rich array of artistic treasures imported from Europe, so if you are a design buff the interior is not to be missed. As more of an outdoors person, I love the gardens and the Maze Garden and Secret Garden are not to be missed. If you are at Vizcaya on a nice weekend you’ll likely spot tons of brides and girls dressed up for their quincenera’s in the gardens.

This post was brought to you by Holiday Hypermarket, head over to http://www.holidayhypermarket.co.uk/dollslife/ for a fun holiday caption contest.

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Filed Under: Headline, USA Tagged With: historical site, miami

Finding Adventure in Michigan

December 6, 2012 By Katherine

When thinking of which exotic place to write about, a strange thought suddenly came to mind: Michigan.  Blame it on Thanksgiving and the inevitable homesickness it brings, but suddenly my home state seems like a worthy travel destination for any intrepid traveler.    Here are just a few reasons why the mitten-shaped state in the middle of the USA is worth a visit.

Camper’s Paradise

Michigan is made up of not one, but two enormous peninsulas just begging you to come and camp.   National Forests, State Parks and plenty of open space mean you can have your pick of incredible places to bond with nature.  Outside of Detroit and its suburbs, Michigan is largely forest, making for spectacular Autumn colors in Fall, and wonderful shade in summer.  Snow won’t stop you from enjoying the Great Outdoors.  In winter there are plenty of cozy cottages for rent.  In fact, going “up north” is a favorite for Michiganders (yes, that’s what we’re called), and almost every family has access to a cottage/cabin/or fishing shack for long weekends.

All the Beach You Can Handle

When you think of beach vacations you probably think of Florida or the Caribbean.  But lo and behold, unassuming Michigan has some of the most pristine beaches in the world.  With four of the five Great Lakes as neighbors, Michigan has more coastline than the entire Eastern Seaboard of America!  And most of them are empty.  That’s right, other than a few visitors from the Midwest, Michigan beaches manage to stay under the tourist radar, making them ideal for a relaxing trip.

Year Round Activities

Michigan is a state that embraces all four seasons.  With a climate that sees weather extremes from hot summers to cold winters, Michigan has learned to make the most out of every weather condition.  In summer the beaches beckon, as do the million trillion inland lakes and rivers.  Kayaking, canoeing, water skiing and good ol’ swimming are at your fingertips.  In winter there is skiing, hockey and plenty-o-sledding on every hill around.  Fall and Spring are perfect for biking, horseback riding or walking through any of the lovely forests.  Oh, and don’t forget, kiting.  We’re weirdly in love with kites and several beach towns host kite flying competitions in the spring and summer.

Cherries, Berries and Flippin’ Cute Small Towns

Small towns may be the unofficial mascot of the Midwest, but Michigan’s are in their own league of cuteness.  Driving up the West Coast of Michigan, along Lake Michigan, is a crash course in cherry trees, antique shops and even wine farms (who knew?).   Best of all, each small town, from Saugatuck to Petoskey, is authentic.  Their tourism caters primarily to other Michiganders (there’s that awful name again!), since they remain largely unknown outside of the state.  So, yes, the smiles are sincere and the jam really is homemade.

Motown

And, of course, you can’t think Michigan without acknowledging Motown.  Detroit may have a bad rep at the moment, but Motown still has soul.  Detroit is a city to appreciate music, good food and cars.  Sure, the rundown buildings and unemployment is there, but so are music festivals, organic markets and tucked away jazz clubs. This is a city that is still beating, and can definitely show you a good time.

Michigan just may be the spot for your next vacation.

Filed Under: Destinations, North America, USA Tagged With: Michigan, travel blog

Inside Zion Canyon’s Narrows

November 28, 2012 By Jillian

The Narrows may be the most popular hike in Zion National Park.  Known for its canyoneering, Zion isn’t exactly as famous as other Western parks as a hiking destination, but maybe it should be.

Years ago we saw pictures of the Narrows and put it on our “bucket list”.  Some day, some how, it would be cool.  So when we found ourselves with a companion pass on Southwest earlier this year (more on that in an upcoming post!) we decided to take advantage of the tickets and planned our trip to Utah.

The Narrows is a 16 mile stretch of the Virgin River which over millions of years has cut through a canyon leaving a gorgeous, yet destructive path in it’s wake. Hiking the Narrows requires Canyon shoes, a good hiking stick and some pretty good information, especially in the summer when flash floods are not– ahem- rare in these canyons.  Fortunately by October, the risk of flash flood is significantly reduced (yay for cold weather).  Don’t get too excited, the air and water temp are equally cold.  We planned to hike in full dry suits, only to see the weather warm up a few days before we arrived.  With water levels low (it never came above our thighs), we opted instead for dry pants lined with long undies and plenty of layers on top.

IMGP0239
20 seconds before we started

The start of the 16 mile hike through the Narrows is deceptively wide.  From the drop off point at Chamberlain’s Ranch the first few miles are easy hiking through pastures and cattle fields.  We followed the river for about 2 hours before we had to get our feet wet, something we were thankful for given that it was a frosty 35 degrees F at the trail head.

IMGP0247

By mid morning we started to enter the canyon, wide at first and lined with gigantic Ponderosa Pine trees. Most breathtaking for us weren’t the canyon walls, but the incredible colors of the leaves at that altitude. As we dropped in elevation, the colors became more muted and eventually morphed completely into green, but at the top of the canyon the bright oranges and reds looked like a vibrant fire spreading through the canyon.

IMGP0256

Thankfully, because the water level was so low, we were able to avoid any deep water, and easily catch all the cut arounds (there is a 13 foot waterfall around mile 7) and have a relatively easy time of it.  Although low water also meant less of a chance of being swept away, we were thankful to have hiking poles to test the depth and footing, especially around river bends. By the time we hit the confluence of Deep Creek (halfway through the hike), we were happily hiking with our eyes pinned up at the canyon walls.

As we continued the hike, the canyon became more and more narrow and the scenery more and more spectacular.  The trees gave way to short river grass. We didn’t see another soul on the hike after the trail head until we reached Big Springs (the northernmost point for day hikers starting at the southernmost end of the canyon).  Wall Street, one of the most famous stretches of the canyon appeared blue in the hazy late afternoon sun.  By the time we arrived at the take out at Temple Sinawava, we were tired, wet and feeling rather accomplished.

IMGP0305

All in all it was 16 miles in a river over 10 hours. That’s pretty darn fast, not thanks so much to our ability, but thanks to the low water level and lack of a crowd. No matter what time of year you go, I can’t stress enough how important it is to respect nature and be prepared. Two days after our hike I overheard a meeting about a rescue operation in the Narrows to take out someone with a suspected femoral fracture. Extraction from a canyon is never easy, but add to it water, cold overnight temperatures and winter sun and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. You may want to check out our Postcard from the Narrows for more pictures of our hike.

Hiking Notes: You obviously need a permit to hike the Narrows from top to bottom, even if you are planning on two days. The Park Service gives 40 permits per day, which can be reserved online and picked up at the Wilderness Desk in the Visitor’s Center. We rented shoes, booties and walking sticks from a company in town. As with all rentals, check the condition and fit of your gear before you leave the shop. We also bought a shuttle ride(about $35 per person) from a company in town from the Visitor’s Center to Chamberlain’s Ranch. It was about a 1.5 hr drive. With a 4-wheel drive vehicle you can run shuttle yourself, something that we just weren’t interested in.  There are 12 campsites in the canyon, all beyond the half way point, some of which are easy to miss.  You should reserve a campsite in advance and bring a stove, no open fires are permitted in the canyon.

The water level in the canyon can obviously make a huge difference in your experience during the hike, so it is important to check the water levels in the days leading up to your hike. You can check the water gauge for the North Fork of the Virgin River online by clicking here.  High water not only slows you down, but makes the hike much, much more dangerous.  No matter the water level, you should be properly outfitted and prepared.  The water in October was cold and had the level been higher, we would have had a difficult time staying warm for so long.

Filed Under: Destinations, Headline, North America, USA Tagged With: hiking, national parks, zion canyon

Why You Should Go To Mexico

November 14, 2012 By Jillian

Nothing irks me more than people who say “you shouldn’t go there, it is so dangerous.”  9 times out of 10 the person who says it is so dangerous has NEVER BEEN there.  Their mom’s neighbor’s daughter’s boyfriends uncle went there once on a cruise and was robbed in the cruise port.  Oh really. You don’t say. It must be too dangerous for me to go.

Just recently I was discussing travel with a friend who in reality should have known better than to tell me that “you shouldn’t go there, it is so dangerous.”  I’ll give you one guess which country she was talking about, yes, Mexico.  American has somewhat of an underlying psychological fear of Mexico these days. I don’t know if it is the incessant news of drug cartels or shootings, but we are downright frightened to go to our neighbor in the south.  Let alone that the same reporting of violence in one major U.S. city would probably make most Mexican’s think twice about heading to the U.S.  Like anywhere else in the world, you need to travel smart, watch where you go an avoid dangerous situations.  As I always say, if you wouldn’t do it at home, why would you do it abroad?

I love Mexico, I love the culture, I love the people, I love the landscape and most of all, I love the food.  After her comment I starting enumerating the reasons someone should go to Mexico now.  What would you add to this list?  Is it a fair list?

1. No one else is.

That means your money and your impact can go a lot further. Shop and stay locally.  You are a more valuable cultural ambassador during low season than high season.  Act like one and enjoy it!

2. Mexico is growing.

That’s right, more and more companies are heading to Mexico to set up shop, and not just manufacturers or outsourcing companies.  Mexico’s middle class is growing as are the number of well educated young people.  There’s great opportunity there now if you’re willing to become immersed.  Last month The Economist ran an article about the global Mexican, read it, it might open your eyes.

3. Culture.

Mexico’s rich and diverse cultural heritage means one thing-if all you know is 5 de Mayo and Day of the Dead, you are missing out on an amazing cultural experience.  Time your visit to coincide with a fiesta or holiday and if you can, couchsurf or stay with a family and ask questions about everything.

Oh yea and my favorite reason you should go to Mexico? The food and the people.  They go hand in hand.

 

Filed Under: Destinations, Mexico, North America

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