The latest travel information plus insider event and sightseeing tips for New York City, Boston, Hawaii, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Bermuda.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The NYC Insider's Book-of-the-Month
With New York City: A Photographic Celebration by Susan Oyama you can take a photographic tour of the city and its landmarks. It includes more than 100 full-color photos with informative captions and anecdotal quotations from some of the city's most famous residents.
Calling all lords and ladies! NYC's Medieval Festival takes place this Sunday, October 4 in Fort Tryon Park, located in upper Manhattan. Performers (and guests!) dress in medieval costume to enjoy authentic Medieval music, dancing and magic. And don't miss the knights jousting! For details see http://www.whidc.org/home.html.
The Late George Apley, a novel by John Marquand published in the 1930s, remains one of the best - and most amusing - portrayals of a Boston Brahmin we've ever read.
We love the luxurious (but expensive) Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay and the Lodge at Koele on the tiny, secluded island of Lanai. Acquired by the Four Seasons in recent years, both hotels have undergone upgrades and are now better than ever. While you are there, indulge in some great mountain golf and some four wheel driving.
Boutique hotels, an urbanized version of bed-and-breakfasts, have become the latest lodging trend. Travelers who have tired of the always-the-same be it Houston or Hanoi ambiance that many large chains offer, are flocking to properties that offer a little something special. Hotel Monaco, with its French-inspired architecture and sensually rich decor, is one of the San Francisco hotels to capitalize on this trend. The Nob Hill Lambourne, a new-age-style accommodation that specializes in mind-body health (its most famous feature is the on-call therapist, but other amenities include green-algae shakes and turn-down vitamin service) is another. Find more of these hotel havens in our hotel guide.
This is National Parks Week and many events are happening in all the boroughs: events at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Children's Museum of the Arts, the Bronx Zoo, campfires, bike rides, candle-light tours, exhibits, and more. Visit: http://feelfree.org/event-list/national-park-week-event-listing/ for a complete list.
Make plans to visit one of NYC's great museums today -- with more than 120 museums within the New York City limits, you can be sure that you will find something of interest, no matter what you're passionate about. For example, if you like American history, you can learn more about New York's "melting pot" heritage with a visit to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum or the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. For more ideas, see our extensive list of NYC museums.
As the cooler autumn weather approaches, consider visiting the North American gray wolves at Wolf Hollow, which is located not too far from Boston. The wolves are likely to be more active during the day throughout the fall than they were in the heat of the summer.
When it was originally founded in the 1600s, Boston was only 783 acres of wetlands and mudflats with three hills. Since then, the hills have been shaved off to fill in the wetlands, coves and harbor. For a comparison of now and then, compare a current map with one of the maps that hang in the Old North Church.
Akaka Falls State Park, with its abundance of palm trees, banana plants, banyan trees, and bamboo groves, provides a glimpse of the wonders that Hawaii’s tropical rain forests offer. Learn more about visiting the park and see pictures of the island’s most beautiful waterfall by clicking here.
At this time of year, our thoughts often turn toward Oktoberfest events and the fabulous beer we can get at them. But in San Francisco, we can taste great beer all the time. Want proof? Take the free 45-minute tour of San Francisco's Anchor Brewery. (Important note: allow more time -- about 2 hours -- if you want to linger for the free tasting -- and you should!) Their original all-malt, handmade "steam" process was pioneered in 1896 and continues today. Click here or call 415-863-8350 for more details.
The Curtis Institute of Music, where Leonard Bernstein studied, offers free student recitals each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at from October to May. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets are required. Program information is available at their web site. Take a careful look as you enter the building -- you may recognize the facade from the Eddie Murphy movie Trading Places.
Manhattan is a fast-paced, high-energy place. But amid this chaos lies 840 acres of tranquillity and escape, known as Central Park. Read about one New Yorker's delight in a day at the Park.
We always recommend a walk along the Freedom Trail to visitors, both as a well-organized way to explore the city and as a great way to learn about its rich history. The trail begins at the Boston Common and finishes at the Bunker Hill Monument on the opposite side of the river separating Boston and Charlestown. Got kids in tow? Think about joining Boston by Foot for their child's-eye view of the Freedom Trail's architecture and history. Their tour is especially designed for young walkers of 6 to 12 years.
Most people don't think of Hawaii as a popular cruise destination but it's the perfect way to experience all of Hawaii in just 7 days! Norwegian Cruise Line offers year-round 7-day Hawaii cruises departing from either Honolulu or Maui. Extended length seasonal cruises to Hawaii are offered by Holland America Line and Princess Cruises from September until April departing from San Diego or Los Angeles.
Fascinated by the famous prison off the coast of San Francisco? Here are some fun facts: Alcatraz is believed to be the only Federal prison that touted its hot showers -- a luxury meant to prevent prisoners from acclimating to cold water (which could ease the shock of an escape through the icy water of San Francisco Bay). Note that the island was named for the Spanish word for "pelican" -- which is especially appropriate now that it is (at least partially) a sanctuary for birds. For more info about Alcatraz, including some of its most infamous inhabitants, click here.
On the first Friday of each month, dozens of galleries and cultural organizations in Philadelphia's Old City stay open late for receptions and shows. It's like an elegant, traveling cocktail party. Sponsored by the Old City Arts Association, this free event is held year-round, rain or shine.
It will be a solemn day in New York City, as the names of the victims of the 2001 World Trade Tower terrorist attacks are read aloud amid the mist and showers. For those interested in learning more about Ground Zero and the aftermath of the attacks, we recommend the Ground Zero Museum Workshop, which features poignant images of the site and of recovery work.
Boston's reputation as a "college town" is well deserved: every fall, Boston's 35-odd colleges add about 200,000 students to the city's population, bringing the average age down to 33.
Bermuda offers a plethora of activities -- you can explore charming historic sites, admire the ancient limestone formations of the Crystal Caves or relax on a beautiful pink-sand beach. But even with all the other options available, we find that the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo is, without question, one of our favorite Bermudian attractions. Check out the North Rock Tank, which offers a breathtaking look at a replica of one of the island's natural coral reefs and which is home to large schools of exotic fish, plus Barracuda, sharks, and more. And when you’re done admiring the fish, head over to the Australasia area of the zoo, which provides close-up looks at wallabies (the smallest of the kangaroo family), tree kangaroos, and ring-tailed lemurs, all among exotic plantings and waterfalls.
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is the Bay Area's premier venue for adventurous contemporary art. Located at Mission & Third Streets in the Yerba Buena Gardens district of downtown San Francisco, the multidisciplinary art center features exhibitions, performance, film/video and community engagement programs.
Don't miss the chance to see the 30-mile panoramic view of the city from the observation deck at the foot of William Penn's statue atop City Hall. Until the late 1980s, an unwritten law decreed that no building could be higher than this statue. Although many office buildings tower over it now, it is still a great vantage point. Call 215-686-2840 for tour details.
For many of us, September signals a new beginning. School starts up again. Everyone returns from vacation and a whole host of new restaurants open up to greet them. The Metropolitan Opera and other cultural venues begins their new seasons. And yet there is still enough warmth in the air that being outside is pleasant for the Steuben Day Parade and the African American Day Parade on September 17th. And, of course, the famed Feast of San Gennaro offers a wide variety of ways to celebrate the new season.
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