London, England

Travel Gal Liz

My sister and her hubby are off to England tomorrow, not just a quick hop across the pond for a visit, but they are moving! They'll be there for a few years and I can't wait to visit (several times). As a little send off, as they start their journey, here's a list of my favorites in London.

 

SIGHTS/ACTIVITIES

• National Portrait Museum: All the royal portraits and more
• Kensington Palace: The Orangery, proper English afternoon tea
• Picadilly Circus: No Times Square, London's version is a bit more quaint
• The London Eye: On the spendy side, but provides fabulous views of London
• Covent Garden: Great shopping and there's always Punch & Judy for drinks
• Shopping at Top Shop: Always good, affordable finds!
• Big Ben: So iconic!

EAT
Want a quick bite? Pret a Manger, with almost as many locations as Starbucks, offers great sandwiches and snacks for those on the go.  Pick up a sandwich and head to Trafalgar Square for great people watching. Porter's English Restaurant: The traditional pies were great!

DRINK
St. Stephen's Tavern - Victorian era Tavern with a picture perfect view of Big Ben to boot.

 

 

STAY
City Inn Westminster - great location, quick walking distance to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and just blocks away from River Thames.  Best of all, great price. 

And, always remember: 

 

Date of Completion: February 2004 and May 2010, and beyond! Looking forward to finding more favorites.

Tennessee, Knoxville & Nashville

Blogger Alicia's recent trip to Tennessee!

I took a trip to the South and spent a couple days in Tennessee, blowing through Knoxville and Nashville on a whirlwind tour. I started in Knoxville – where the Oregon Ducks soundly pounced the Tennessee Volunteers a couple weeks earlier – and luckily arrived one week after the humidity broke. I spent the two days I was there touring the Old Town, a newly revitalized area now brimming with hip bars (i.e. The Cereal Bar, where one can get any kind of cereal at 3am), coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques.

One of my favorite places was Market Square, a European style plaza layout with pubs overflowing to outdoor seating and unique shops lining the perimeter. There's constantly live music playing while college students study on the benches and children play in the multiple fountains. Tomato Head is not to be missed for a tasty and affordable lunch, even if you have to pay for parking at the nearby garage. But I'm pretty sure this was my favorite Knoxville stop.

The entire reason Knoxville even exists is due to William Blout. A member of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Blout was appointed governor of the Territory of the US South of River Ohio by George Washington and decided the capitol would be in the not-yet-established city of Knoxville. In 1792, he had his home constructed on the river – The Blout Mansion.

Since then Knoxville has evolved into an educational and musical hub, serving as an outlet for musical talent trying to make it in nearby Nashville. A friend of mine who lives in Knoxville has seen many of her favorite up and coming bands, along with newbies who ended up making it big, and many times for free. With my musical curiosity peaked, I headed to Nashville, but not before spotting my new favorite business sign:

Poor guy.

Nashville is two and a half hours west of Knoxville and a completely different animal. Music is literally blasted by speaker on every street corner. The bars lining Broadway are packed with talent even as I strolled by at 3pm on a Monday afternoon. Almost every bar entrance is crowded by someone with a guitar belting out his or her favorite hits. And unless you've got serious pipes, you may want to think twice about attempting karaoke.
Since I was only there for a day I decided to hit up two of the city's famous locals – The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.

The Country Music Hall of Fame is filled with photos, mementos, trophies, videos and a few binged-out cars. It pays tribute to just about every country star and lots of others who influenced the music scene in Nashville (is there any musical genre that doesn't claim Elvis?). The basic entrance fee was about $20, so if you're a country music fan, its a must see if you find yourself in Nashville.

My last stop was the Grand Ole Opry. At the time of my visit it had reopened only a few days earlier, after extensive cleanup following the Nashville flooding. Unfortunately they weren't yet letting people into the actual building, so I contented myself with touring the grounds.

Next visit will need to for sure include an Opry concert. But if I wasn't so time crunched, I would have extended my visit so I could have attended this:

Huge names? Benefit concert? Only twenty five bucks?? Only in Nashville.

Date of Completion: October 2010

Away...

I've been so busy traveling the world that I haven't had time to post! I wish that was the real reason I've been neglecting the blog. Instead, the truth is life tends to get in the way of things, but enough with the excuses, I never went anywhere, and I'm back to blogging.

Summer has ended and it's the first full day of Fall.  The crisp air and changing colors of the leaves makes me want to bundle up in warm clothes, put on a cute wool hat and Wellie boots to tromp through a pumpkin patch.  That, and take advantage of the beautiful changing Fall foliage.

Here's a sampling of listings from the book where you might see the beautiful Autumn leaves:

• Yosemite National Park, CA
• Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
• Acadia National Park, ME
• Glacier National Park, MT
• Great Smoky Mountains, NC
• Mount Washington, NH
• The Adirondacks, NY
• The Catskills, NY
• Shenandoah Valley, VA
• Northeast Kingdom, VT
• Shelburne Farms, VT
• Canoe Bay, WI
• Grand Teton National Park, WY

My favorite place not listed in the book: Snow Lake, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington. It's a great spot in the northwest for a glimpse of the changing leaves. It's the perfect hike before the winter snowfall, provides small treats along the way of wild blueberries, and nothing beats a great Northwest hike on a crisp, clear day.
Where's your favorite place?

Here's a map for guidance to plan your fall trip:

The Way of St. James and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Galicia, Spain

Talk about a long journey! The Way of St James to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela crosses hundreds of miles across Spain, first beginning at various points throughout Europe.  In Spain, it begins in the mountains of the Pyrenees, traverses through the vineyards of Rioja and travels northwest to the lush region of Galicia.

This 1,000 year old cathedral is said to house the remains of St. James the Apostle, although that is up for debate.  Millions have made this spiritual trek to the cathedral, a cathedral that looks melancoly with its green algae and moss clinging to every available surface.  Although I missed the trek part, seeing the cathedral itself and being in its presence gives one the feeling of renewal.

The Cathedral in Santiago is packed on July 25th, on the day of the Feast of St. James.  The Spanish love their holidays, and this is one of my favorites as it also happens to coincide with my birthday.  Visit the Cafe 25 de Julio, just down the street from the cathedral for a great cup of coffee.

Other nearby favorites: Visit the seaside city of La Coruña for beautiful ocean views, seafood, and get in a visit to the Torre de Hurcules.  While in Galicia, be sure to try a white wine from Rías Baixas, most notable is the Albariño, yum!

Date of Completion: February 2003

The Guggenheim Bilbao

Bilbao, Spain

In addition to the cuisine, sangria, and siestas, another favorite of Spain is its diverse architecture.  Spanning over 2,000 years, one can see Roman architecture in the Aqueduct of Segovia, the Moorish influenced Mudejar style of Southern Spain, Gothic architechture apparent in the cathedrals of Northern Spain, and the Art Nouveau of Antoni Gaudi througot Barcelona. Most recent is the famous Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Although I don't remember much about the exhibits at the museum at the time of my visit, I remember being most impressed by the contemporary architecture of the museum itself.  The curves of the building and the simplistic yet complicated pieces forming the various sides caught the light and seemed to give new life to the city. The Guggenheim Bilbao was completed in 1997 and helped revitalize the struggling port of Bilbao.  

Also of note and commonly photographed is Puppy, located just outside the entrance.  This living piece of art uses florals and greens and is ever changing with the seasons.

The city itself is quite charming and was in the midst of change when I visited - I would love to see what it's like now.  It remains the port of the Basque Country of Spain and is also the most populous city.  The Basque language is still widely spoken, and due to government regulation, all signs and printed material must appear in both Basque (known as Euskara in the Basque langauge), and Spanish.  The Basque must always appear first and more prominent.  Doesn't help to learn a few niceties in Euskara if you ever visit.

Date of Completion: December 2002

La Mezquita

Córdoba, Spain

Spanish history is filled with centuries of religious battles between Muslims and Catholics.  Completed in the 10th century, this mosque is often been ground zero for that tug-of-war. Originally commissioned as a mosque (hence Mezquita), it's also served as a cathedral, then again a mosque, then again a cathedral, you get the picture.  One is first overwhelmed by the columns of marble and jasper throughout and their seemingly endless repetition. As the moorish architecture throughout the mosque competes with baroque influences, you find yourself on a walk through history.

Seemingly endless columns of jasper and marble

The Patio de los Naranjos just outside the mosque provides a respite from the hot Andalucian sun.  The fragrance of the orange trees coupled with the trickling of water running between the patio stones provides a great place to relax and meditate. 

Here's a tip: Throughout much of Andalucia, orange trees dot the courtyards of palaces and line the sidewalks of city centers.  Although they smell wonderful, it's said they taste awful.  Spaniards joke that only the British will eat the dreadful oranges.  The oranges are shipped off every season to make marmalade specifically for the UK market.

Be sure to add La Mezquita any trip to Sevilla or Granada.  La Mezquita is not to be missed!

Date of Completion: February 2003

Spanish Journey

Over the next two weeks, I'll be visiting Spain.

Unfortunately, it's not the real sort of journey involving airplanes and luggage, but a written journey.  I've been dreaming about going back to my second home, and figured that while I lack the time to do so at the moment, I can look through pictures and feel like I'm back there. Through the blog, I'll revisit my favorite places in Spain which also happen to be listed among the 1,000 in the book.

• The Alhambra
• La Mezquita
• Sevilla (Sevilla)
• The Guggenheim Bilbao
• San Sebastian
• Le Catedral de Toldeo
• La Sagrada Familia
• Museu Picasso
• Santiago de Compostela
• Madrid

Let's start the journey Monday!

World's Most Beautiful Lakes

Another list, and my favorite, Crater Lake, is listed at the top.

Anyone been to the others? Here's the full list:

• Crater Lake, Oregon, US
• Peyto Lake, Alberta, Canada
• Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
• Loch Lomond, Scotland
• Lake Garda, Italy
• Lake Annecy, France
• Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
• Lake Nakuru, Kenya
• Lake Matheson, New Zealand
• Lake Bled, Slovenia

Click here for the details.

Sydney Harbor & Opera House

As I sort through a list of destinations for my next vacation, it continues to grow as recommendations pour in at the critical point when I should be narrowing down my options. Needless to say, I have a whole book of 1,000.  So really, it's all about prioritizing, right?  Perhaps I'll narrow it down to the Southern Hemisphere. 

Here's a Southern Hemisphere option from Guest Blogger: Travel Gal Alicia.

There’s just something about standing Down Under on the north point of Sydney Harbor, wearing thick sunglasses to shield the sparkling water and SPF 100 to block out the blistering sun. Look to your right to take in the view of the Sydney Opera House and glance to your left to get that perfect shot of the Harbor Bridge. Its almost as if you’ve shifted dimensions into a brighter, shinier world. The Sydney Harbour bustles with suitcase-toting tourists pouring on and off cruise ships; waiters, with trays high, maneuvering the hundreds of tables that line the water; suits falling out the front doors of skyscrapers, loosening their ties; families awaiting the ferries en route to the zoo or Manly Beach; musicians, runners, and lovers. Oh, and an uncanny number of people wandering around barefoot.

At the tip of the harbor, stands the iconic Sydney Opera House. It’s rare that a deliberate move to put one’s self on the map works, but that’s exactly what the New South Wales government accomplished – the Sydney Opera House is now as recognizable as the Eiffel Tower or the Great Pyramids. You never know what to expect at the Sydney Opera House – from last minute steals on tickets to sitting, say, three seats down from Cate Blanchett. Its covered in over a million glass topaz tiles, and boasts a Concert Hall, an Opera Theater, and a smaller drama theater. And just for you history buffs, it also hosted Arnold Schwarzenegger’s final win in the 1980 Mr. Olympia Body Building contest. It’s a destination for student groups and date nights alike, and after the shows end, restaurants that line the harbor throw open their doors (and sometimes whole walls) to offer the passers-by a nightcap before they head for home. I personally preferred the live music and pint of Guinness at a nearby Irish pub, while being entertained by cute military boys on leave. But hey - to each his (or her) own.

Date of Completion: February 2010

New Zealand

Guest Blogger: Travel Gal Alicia

Milford Sound, New Zealand
Remember that scene in Lord of the Rings, when the newly formed Fellowship is gliding purposefully down the river and the camera pans and the scene expands and the river opens to a sound filled with majestic, haystack-like peaks? Did you not immediately want to board the next plane to Middle Earth? Well guess what? Grab your poly-fleece leggings and sandfly repellant – a quick 12 hour flight across the Pacific, three hour drive up the sound and an overnight stay at the Lodge and you too can kayak the Middle Earth waterways. Except it’s actually called the Milford Sound, and it’s happily situated in New Zealand – present age.

There’s only one place to stay on the Milford Sound, and that’s the Milford Sound Lodge. With hostel-type lodging and a fully equipped kitchen, this one stop shop will book all your tours, map out tramping expeditions (“hiking” for you gutter-minded folks), and make a mean latte. In fact, no matter where you go in New Zealand you will find nothing but incredibly friendly people and insanely good cups of coffee. It’s like they learn the craft in grammar school.

Anyway, after the flight, the drive, the booking, the sleeping and the fresh 6am cups of coffee, my girlfriends and I made our way down to the pier to suit up for the outing. Because tourists are typically whiny yuppies who don’t care to be cold – or wet for that matter, even while kayaking in glacier water – we were immediately presented with hideous striped long underwear and fleece pullovers, followed by bright yellow ponchos and reflective life jackets. I fully expected to see “Safety First!” and “Arrive Alive!” bumper stickers slapped on all the kayaks.

We braved the stripes and partnered up, then picked our kayaks and paddled our way out of the marina. After a 15 minute tutorial (during which we were informed the most important thing to remember on the water was to “look good” to the tourists even more yuppie than us who were sipping mimosas on high-end ferry tours), we were off. One girlfriend and I were the only all-girl boat, and thanks to our shortage of upper body strength we were usually a good 30 yards behind everyone else in our group. We played it off as our master plan to take endless amounts of pictures of the peaks, waterfalls, seals, rainbows and each other – looking extremely cool and adventurous.

They’re now some of my favorite photos. The view in every direction was incredible. At times the blue water was so crystal clear we could see right down to the bottom. Huge waterfalls cascaded down the rocks all around us, the farthest being on the other side of the sound three miles away. Honestly, if it wasn’t for all the paddling (and sandfly bites), I could have stayed out there all day just taking it in. It made perfect sense why most of the tour guides chose to live all the way out near the sound, even if it is two hours away from the closest gas station.

Now, if only one of them had a closer resemblance to Legolas.

Date of Completion: February 2010

28 Things

I love lists.

Thanks to Anderson Cooper, I have another one to live by.
28 things I wish I'd known before I started traveling.

Thanks AC!

The National Parks

Summer.

Makes me want to take a road trip. 

I imagine that iconic 1950s scene of the nuclear family of four packing up the station wagon, hefty camping gear and fishing poles loaded in the back, ready to hit the highway. While the saying goes There is nothing more American than apple pie, I beg to differ. There is something more American: taking advantage of the great beauties of our own backyard, our National Parks.

Yellowstone National Park, circa 1956

The book lists numerous US National Parks: Crater Lake, Oregon; Glacier, Montana (Glacier is even celebrating its centennial this year: http://www.glaciercentennial.org/); Mt McKinley/Denali, Alaska; Glacier Bay, Alaska; The Grand Canyon, Arizona; and the list goes on.

What's your favorite National Park?

Where to next?

Now that my journey to the Baltic is complete, the jitters from my traveling addiction are setting in and I'm in need of my next fix.  Where should I go?  There are 900+ places I have yet to visit and I need to prioritize.  I've asked a trusted friend and fellow travel gal (who also lives by the 1,000 places book) for her recommendation as to my next journey. Thought I'd share the first of her recommendations, Jerusalem, here. 

Guest Blogger: Travel Gal Alicia
Another small town girl crossing off one place at a time.

Jerusalem, Israel
I have never been so excited to visit anywhere than when I toured Jerusalem – I mean, it is THE city of history, religion, and every major news story since World War II. And there I was, half way around the world rolling into town in a 50 passenger bus. Over the next week I was able to explore the old city, historical sites and tourist traps alike, and to write about one week could easily fill 20 pages. So I’ll stick to a few of my favorite highlights.

When most people think of Jerusalem, the Old City is probably the image that pops into their head. Old Jerusalem is divided into Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian quarters, but there is an easy continuity between them. Everywhere you look silk and tapestries hang over the narrow passageways while merchants line the cobblestone streets beckoning you into their shops with promises of the best deals in all of Israel. No matter who’s selling you the postcards, olivewood chess sets or Holy Land themed t-shirts, there’s always a “Made In China” box sitting behind the counter. And on the days their own sections are closed for their days of rest, it’s not uncommon to see patrons exiting the shops in the neighboring quarters.

The heart of the Old City is the Temple Mount and its Western Wailing Wall. Every day hundreds, if not thousands, of devout Jews congregate at the Wailing Wall, praying and socializing together, and almost always celebrating at least one bar-mitzvah.

And while all this is going on at the base of Temple Mount, the platform up top is swarming with tourists and Muslim guards. The area is large enough to fit 12 Great Pyramids, the largest man-made platform in the world, and is filled with gardens, arches, a mosque, and of course the Dome on the Rock – which is not actually the mosque, but a shrine. One of my favorite pictures is from the Mount of Olives with the sparkling gold dome in the background.

Strongly contrasting the vivid golden dome was a building on the other side of town: a dark metallic structure telling the story of the Holocaust. We all learned about the Holocaust and World War II in school, but this place brought it to life. I’ve never seen such a large collection of letters, photographs, vintage film, and videotaped interviews with survivors. The inside of one building was lit completely by candle light, with a voice reading off the names of every Jew who perished in the Holocaust. In the year since it opened, they had only reached the H’s.

And another building contained the complete known collection of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Can you tell I’m a little excited by history?  I could go on and on – the Via Dela Rosa, the Bell Caves, the endless archaeological digs - but I think it would best if you just took a trip there yourself. I promise, it will be the trip of a lifetime.

Date of Completion: May 2006

Stockholm

The last stop of our wonderful vacation was to Stockholm.  My first trip to Sweden, the "mother country".  I plan on returning to Sweden someday for a much longer visit, seeing extended family, and I hope to return with some knowledge of the Swedish language (where is my copy of Rosetta Stone?).  The Swedes seemed impressed with my 'Tack så mycket', but that can only get me so far.

Our day in Stockholm began with a brief bus tour of the city, much of it was spent driving on the scenic roadways along the pristine waterways.  The bus driver pointed out Elin Nordegren Woods' Stockholm apartment, the royal cathedral where the Princess Victoria was married later that month (June 19th), and the impressive Vasa Museum (interesting story - read it!). We didn't get to see the museum, it'll be on the list for next time!

The best excursion of the entire trip was walking on the rooftops of the Old Parliamentary Building in the city center of Stockholm.  It's hands-down the best view of the city, serene yet a thrill!  Throw on a helmet, strap yourself into a harness, connect to a silver rail, and walk along the steel catwalk for this amazing rooftop tour.

Other sights around the city:

National Day of Sweden

Viking Gotlandic Picture Stone (Runestone) 

We spent the afternoon in the small seaside town of Nynäshamn, had lunch in the quaint town, coffee and then finished the day with a beer on the seaside boardwalk. 

My obsession with checking out grocery stores led me to this -

all the Knäckebröd reminds me of my grandparents pantry!

Why does coffee in foreign countries always look so sophisticated? No paper cup!

Nynäshamn Marina

Local beer

Stockholm was our last stop and as we cruised back toward the UK, we passed under the famous Öresund Bridge linking Denmark to Sweden, the first road link from Europe to Scandinavia. 

We cleared the bridge with just 18" to spare!

Stockholm - Completed June 2010