by Roy -

The largest and tallest of the Hawaiian Islands, the Big Island is true to its name. It’s a place of superlatives where you can watch red-hot lava flow, roam through tropical rainforests and discover deserted coves.

See

Mauna Kea with its seasonal snow cap visible

For views: Mauna Kea is the highest and holiest spot on the Big Island – sacred in Hawaiian mythology as a hangout of the Gods. There’s a six-mile hike to the summit. The Onizuka Visitor Information Station offers a nightly stargazing programme (stargazing 6pm-10pm; free).

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 237 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Joydeep Mutsuddi

The Boston skyline

Boston – My Third visit ….Its February and still snowing. Having just arrived from Puerto Rico, my body kind of contracts to preserve the warm Puerto Rican sunshine. Good try, one step outside the terminal and the blast chills your lungs.

Logan airport has a confusing car park ..so my brother-in-law who lives here is just as confused in locating the floor on which he parked his car. Several elevator switches and 20 minutes of walking through an icy blast we reach the car.

The BIG DIG – My b-i-l, Ashim has been excited about this for a while – for a while??? Well, almost a decade. Result, several years of digging cavernous tunnels you have sinuous serpentive roads strangulating the city and confusing the hell out of drivers. So several missed turns later we make it to Malden and home – sweet, warm home.

Boston has a lot of positives too – to me it brings to the fore a set of cultural aspects of America that one misses in many newer cities in the States. It is not the flashy Las Vegas, it is deep rooted, academic, the hub of bio-tech and a large multi-cultural student population. It is a melting pot of languages, color, minds ….awesome. I spent a small afternoon at the flea market and a food court. Both the food on offer and the people mix was a truly a representation of the globe – well almost.

Boston has more history than many other American cities- I did make time to see the Ist computer that has rows of swtches and takes up an entire wall, MIT and Harvard , the oldest Pub in America- Awesome! If you hang around just enough you can feel an energy there that is vibrant and intellectually stimulating.

Boston Museum of Science

Being a short stay, my sis decided that visiting the Science Museum would be a good idea and she was right. For a 14$ ticket I learnt about physics, aeronautics, orthopaedics, hip replacements, metamorphosis and for another couple, got myself an orange juice & fries. The food court at the bottom has a spectacular view of the Charles river that cuts across Cambridge and Boston ( Read Academic and Commercial parts of the city). It also houses a nice shop.

I scouted for some stuff and got myself a magnet that sticks on my whiteboard – Another day comes to an end for Boston to let its hair down

It reads “What would you attempt to do if knew you could not fail?” To me that is so representative of what I have seen of Boston, continually pushing the frontiers of education and research. The only thing that Boston needs is better roads, more road signs and patient drivers – they are more liberal on the horn than any other US city driver.

I did not do the pubs or the “scene” as yet. That’s on the agenda when I am there next – & that is no later than 2006.

S’long – Loved the Party!

Joydeep Mutsuddi

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 268 user reviews.

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by Roy -

The entrance on 5th Avenue offers the most dramatic vantage point of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

During the holiday season, two of New York City’s major draws – the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and ice skating rink – also tend to be the most crowded. To enjoy both without the crush of people they typically attract, it’s going to take some sacrifice and an alarm clock.

Early mornings, by far, provide the best tree viewing opportunities. Every day, from the time the tree is lit at 5:30 am to the time when the sun rises at approximately 7:15 am, there’s a nice window to see the tree’s 30, 000 lights twinkle minus the masses. If darkness is not a prerequisite, the weekday hordes don’t start arriving until about 9:30 am, but then they don’t stop for the next 12 hours. On the weekends, Rockefeller Plaza is mayhem until the tree is turned off at 11:30 pm, providing less opportunities to see the tree glimmer without elbowing your way through the mobs.

The 74ft-tall Norway spruce is located between West 49th and 50th Streets, with the entrance on 5th Avenue offering the easiest access and the most dramatic vantage point. This path also puts you on a direct collision course with the ice skating rink, located at the base of the tree.

The Rockefeller ice skating rink is open from 9 am to 10:30 pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30 am to midnight Saturday and Sunday. But like the tree, the rink is best enjoyed during the early hours when it first opens to the public. Not only are the crowds smaller, but the ice is also at its smoothest. Due to all the foot traffic and its small size, the surface can get dicey pretty fast, making the actual act of ice skating all the more difficult, especially for amateurs. The rates for adults are $10 for skate rentals and a $21 entrance fee during the holiday season.

For those less concerned about costs and ice quality, the rink does offer a pricey alternative: pay $75 per person (includes admission and skates) and you’ll be able to skip the line to get on the ice. This option is only available via an online reservation system before you arrive, assuming the slots aren’t sold out.

If you don’t want to be confined to Rockefeller Center’s smallish arena, there are two cheaper options within walking distance: the iconic Wollman Rink in Central Park and the festively reoccurring Citi Pond in Bryant Park. Though larger in size, both of these rinks also fill up pretty fast, so if you are going to skate there, treat it like Rockefeller Center and plan on arriving about half an hour before they open. Otherwise, your day on the ice will end up feeling a lot less like skating and a lot more like roller derby.

Bucky Turco

2 Dec 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20111220-the-secret-to-skipping-new-yorks-holiday-crowds

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 169 user reviews.

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by Roy -

The tasting room of the New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, the first wind-powered brewery in the US.

Some thank the crystal clear Rocky Mountain water. Others claim it is the altitude. Or maybe everything goes down better when paired with mountain views. Whatever the reason, Colorado has some of the best tasting beers in the country, with 491 Brewers Association medals to prove it – more per capita than any other US state.

With a designated driver and a taste for beer before noon, it is possible to see some of the best of Colorado’s 130 breweries on a long-weekend road trip.

Start in Denver, the capital, at the Wynkoop Brewery in lower downtown. The state’s current governor (and former Denver mayor) co-founded the sprawling two-story brewpub in 1988, long before the LoDo area underwent a revitalization that made it the trendy spot it is today. After sipping on a pint of the malty, amber Rail Yard ale (named after the historic Union Station train depot across the street), walk a few blocks east to Great Divide Brewing, housed in a former dairy processing plant. The pub has landed on multiple “top brewery in the world” lists for its barrel-aged brews. Saddle up to the bar in the newly expanded tap room for a pint of the hoppy, yet caramely Yeti Imperial Stout that tops out at 9.5% alcohol by volume. Between April and July, try the Chocolate Oak Aged version of the beer, which tones down the hops in favour of adding cocoa and cayenne pepper. While the tap room does not serve snacks, Denver’s best food trucks make regular stops here to nourish those who have a long day of drinking ahead.

After sobering up, drive about 90 minutes north to the city of Ft Collins; then ditch the car. The humble cruiser bicycle,  —the logo of the New Belgium Brewing Company and its most popular Fat Tire amber ale –, is the best way to see this college town’s best breweries. The Fort Collins Bike Library offers free bike rentals and a “Bike the Sites” brewery tour map, which guides visitors to seven local breweries. Try the strangely spicy Green Chilli Ale at Coopersmith’s Pub in Old Town, the 90 Schilling Scottish-style ale at Odell’s and the you-will-never-guess-it-is-organic, citrus-flavoured Mothership Wit at New Belgium.

The citrus-flavoured Mothership Wit, New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins

From Ft Collins, head 60 minutes southwest to the hippie-turned-high-tech town of Boulder. Board the funky Banjo Billy’s bus (equipped with sofas and saddles as seats) for the Boulder Brew Bus tour, which runs on a regular schedule every Sunday evening (advance reservations are recommended). The bus leaves from the West End Tavern restaurant and makes stops through the night at the Upslope, Twisted Pine and Avery breweries. A West End bartender or manager serves as the tour guide and shares the inside scoop on each brewery between stops. To cleanse their palates, tour goers also get to sample the West End’s famous smoked BBQ along the way.

A straight shot 30 minutes south of Boulder sits the small, secluded suburb of Golden. The original capital of the Colorado Territory, Golden also served as the 1873 birthplace of the Coors Brewery (now Miller-Coors after a 2008 merger). Though the small town looks nothing like the snow-capped mountains featured in Coors Light commercials, the hovering mesas and rolling foothills are an equally beautiful backdrop to the largest single-site brewery in the world. Free daily tours of the facility showcase the scale necessary to produce 22 million barrels a year, and give visitors the chance to try freshly brewed original Coors Banquet, Blue Moon wheat and other styles sold nationwide. Unlike most other breweries which offer small samplings along the tour or a chance to buy pints at full price, Coors offers three full glasses of beer for free at the end of the tour in the lower-level tasting room.

Just 30 minutes west into the Rocky Mountains, make a pit stop in the small mining town of Idaho Springs to check out the Tommyknocker Brewery, known for its smooth, maple syrup-infused Maple Nut Brown beer. Named after the leprechaun-like creatures who would steal miners’ food and tools, Tommyknockers is a favourite among kids as well for their home-brewed root beer and strawberry crème sodas.

Further west, Breckenridge Brewery in the eponymous ski town serves up their not-too-sweet, not-too-smoky Vanilla Porter, which has turned many light beer drinkers over to the dark (beer) side.

For a more stationary sampling, hit up the annual Great American Beer Festival held every autumn in Denver’s Convention Center, where these Colorado breweries (and 2, 000 others from around the country) serve up samples of their most innovative beers in one place.

Lindsey Galloway

15 Dec 2011

http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20111207-a-taste-of-colorado-through-rocky-mountain-brews

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 213 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Manoj Radhakrishnan, an engineer and a travel photographer & writer based in Pune

Cricket enthusiasts might remember that years ago one P. Shivalkar never made it to Indian team as a spinner for the sole reason that there were 4 other world class spinners in the side. After visiting Lassen, I can say that it does not make it into anyone’s first list of must see places in CA only because this state is overflowing with world famous destinations and national parks. I can think of at least 20 other states where Lassen would have become the prime attraction.

Lassen volcanic peak was created when Mt. Tehama erupted 100s of years ago. It is about 2 to 3 hrs east of Reno and is a great holiday spot for a 3 day weekend. There are many scenic trails one of which takes you to the summit of the volcano.

The Bumpass Hell Trail from above

Wanting to climb this 10, 500 ft tall Lassen peak from the 8.5k ft level, thanks to a snow storm, we fell about 1850 ft short. Resisting all the temptation to return to the cosy hotel room, we went on the next most recommended trail, the Bumpass Hell trail. It is a 1.5 mile long (each way) trail taking you to a boardwalk around many
mud-pots, hot springs, steam vents etc. (For the non-hikers, some of these could be seen next to the main road itself in a place called sulphur works – reminded me of Chemistry labs and torn lab coats) If you find yourself hiking this far from your car, consider going 2 more miles which would take you down the mountain to couple of pretty lakes. The view from the top, especially those of the lakes, were amazing even on a cold damp day – a day when the only respite from a snow storm was a blizzard and only respite from a blizzard was a hail storm. And in case you continue a mile more, you would end up at a water fall close to a car park miles below the spot you would have started. I personally liked the hike through the snow and I really enjoyed some views of snow covered trees and peaks which I wouldn’t have got if everything had gone according to plan. The other recommended trails include a trail to Cinder Cone, a bare treeless conical mountain, via some coloured dunes.

By the fag end of the tour we spotted a strange bright object lurking over our head. On asking around we came to know that it was called the ‘sun’ and it actually helped us get some good views of the elusive Lassen peak and its much acclaimed reflection on the Menzanita lake.

Mt. Shasta

Of the places around Lassen, a good destination would be Mt. Shasta. Although climbing the 14k volcano may not be suitable for a ‘weekend warrior’ like me, climbing one of the nearby peak certainly would be. Of the options available, I would recommend a half a day hike up the black-butte, a 6k ft high hillock, from where you can get fantastic views of the Mt. Shasta.

In short, if you have already put a couple of trips to CA and are thinking if it is worth coming here again, think ‘Lassen’.

Manoj Radhakrishnan

2008

http://www.travel-notes.org/lassen.html

Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 based on 290 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Manoj Radhakrishnan, an engineer and a travel photographer & writer based in Pune

The destination for my thanksgiving trip was a foregone conclusion given the fact that my wife is spending (more out of circumstances than any personal choice) the initial period of our married life pursuing her studies in Hawai’i while my life continues in Southern California. Having to choose from the half a dozen travel friendly islands, I picked the largest one, for no particular reason, as our official post marriage vacation.

A telescope on top of Mauna KeaAfter a boring day long flight I along with my wife (who happened to join me during my layover in Oahu) spent rest of the first evening searching for a campsite at the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The park is located about 30 miles from Hilo, our landing point. Despite the new moon and the winter fog, we managed to finally locate the Kulanaokuaiki campground one of the two camp sites in the Park.

The following morning, to our great disappointment, we learnt that there was no lava flow in park, at least nothing that is reachable with a reasonable effort. The Puu Oo volcano, the most active one in the park, had gone flat for the past three months. Luckily, the news turned out to be the only disappointment for the entire trip. We decided to spend the rest of the day driving around and day hiking in the park.

Despite the lack of lava flow, the park still Waipio Valley had enough to keep us occupied and interested for the day. The Thurston lava tube, especially the last unlighted section, Pu’u Huluhulu crater hike, Holei sea arch and the breathtaking Halema’uma’u crater are all definitely worth a visit. Our day was however cut short by the evening winter fog which seem to arrive in these parts with an unfailing regularity cutting the visibility to a few feet. Luckily, we had an early start and hence weren’t too unhappy to retire early to our camp.

Our next day started with a picture perfect sunrise over Kilauea crater before we drove off to Hilo. We spent the morning travelling the beaten path: rainbow falls, peepee falls, peepeekeo scenic drive including the overpriced tourist trap of the tropical garden. The pick of the circuit was easily the stunning 420 ft Akaka falls, located about 15 mts N of Hilo. We had to rush through all these attractions in the morning in order to give us enough time to return to Hilo to join a tour group to go up Mauna Kea, the highest mountain in the Pacific. My altitude sickness and the state of the road had ruled out the possibility of us doing the trip all by ourselves.

 

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 236 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Sahasi

The Lake at The Bob Woodruff Park

Yesterday we went to Bob Woodruff Park in far eastern part of Plano, TX. This is one of the oldest green spaces accessible to public in the city. There are really tall trees in the park and a huge area of the park is earmarked as wilderness area where people don’t usually venture. This is a wonderful venue for a wide array of outdoor activities. For people there are walking, bicycling and hiking trails and a lake for fishing enthusiasts. A creek dissects the park and provides the greenery the much needed water resources.

Unfortunately here is where the human nature gets exposed. The creek is littered with plastics, tires, and other rubbish. I wonder even in the supposedly law-abiding nation of USA there are people who indulge in illegal and mindless dumping of wastes into creeks. Don’t they know that this creek feeds a larger reservoir which provides them with drinking water? I don’t know what drives such people who litter and destroy the beauty and tranquility of the environment. I hope the law enforcement and parks and recreation agencies of the city of Plano take action to punish the guilty and prevent such dumping from happening again.

Sahasi

25 Nov 2010

http://passengerview.blogspot.com/2010/11/bob-woodruff-park-plano.html

Average Rating: 4.9 out of 5 based on 244 user reviews.

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by Roy -

This article is written by Justin Rabindra. Justin is a Manager with an Advertising Agency in Delhi. He is also an avid traveler and photographer.

I’ve concluded that cabbies everywhere have waded out of the same gene pool. I’ve never come across one who is happy to just drive in silence. The guy who picked us up at JFK was no different. He had to give us a running commentary on all the famous sights we crossed, the state of the world, and his favourite holiday destination (The Bahamas). He also had an accent that could have got him a bit role in a Mafia movie (he called it Ma’hattan.) 

Like cabbies everywhere he had seen all the Raj Kapoor movies incuding Awaara and Mera Naam Joker. I’ve never figured that one out. Do they see iconic movies from every country so they can make their passengers feel welcome. In any case it didn’t work with me because I don’t care much for Raj Kapoor movies or any other that doesn’t have English subtitles.

GPS

This guy also had a newly installed GPS which was sticking into my thigh in the front seat and he kept telling me to be careful because it was very sensitive. It was not the most comfortable ride. I wondered just then if cabbies in London still had to undergo rigorous training (essentially to know the shortest distance between two points) and acquire The Knowledge before they were licensed.

He also made it very clear that the trip to Manhattan was $40 not including tips. I always find it funny when you’re expected to tip a cabbie. Who started this trend anyway? Someone who thought ‘wow, not only does this guy drive well, he’s so pleasant as well. Lemme give him a tip.’ Hey I can handle a driver with a scowl.

Justin Rabindra

5 Sept 2011

http://justinrabindra.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-york-cabbies.html

 

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 288 user reviews.

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by Roy -

A view of The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Say goodbye to the United States of America.

Say hello to “the United States of Awesome Possibilities” as it looks to visitors from abroad to help lift it out of the economic doldrums.

By soft-pedaling patriotism, the newly-formed US national tourism board tasked with getting more tourists — and their money — onto US soil is reinventing the nation as a hip new land of diversity and possibilities.

“We’re rebranding America for the first time, ” said Jim Evans, chief executive of the Corporation for Travel Promotion, ahead of the World Travel Market that opened Monday in London.

“Over the last 10 or 12 years, people have seen America as unwelcoming as we’ve focused on security … and our competition (from other countries) is more fierce than it’s ever been before.”

The United States made $134.4 billion off international tourism in 2010, when a record 60 million tourists came to visit, according to figures from the US Commerce Department.

But the majority of those visitors came over the border from Canada and Mexico, including day trippers. Only six percent came from Britain, five percent from Japan, three percent from Germany and two percent from France.

The United States also trails France as the premier tourist destination — and it’s nowhere near tapping the full potential of the Asian market, after just 1.45 million Chinese and Indian visited last year.

Mindful that tourism already counts for 2.8 percent of gross domestic product and 7.52 million jobs, Washington sees the industry as a relatively fast and easy way to snap the economy out of its post-recession blues.

“The growing middle class in Asia is driving a lot of this, ” said Evans at the Corporation for Travel Promotion’s not-yet-fully-furnished offices in downtown Washington.

One hurdle has little to do with image, and everything to do with bureaucracy — a byzantine US visa application procedure that can take weeks to complete, including fingerprinting and interviews at an embassy or consulate.

Under a visa waiver scheme, most Western Europeans — plus Japanese and Australians — can avoid the byzantine process, but they still need to pay $14 to enter the United States.

“If we institute a smarter visa policy, we can create 1.3 million US jobs” and add $859 billion to the economy by 2020, Roger Dow, chief executive of the US Travel Association, representing the travel and tourism industry, has said.

Legislation passed in March 2010 set up the Corporation for Travel Promotion — which is renaming itself Brand USA — to spearhead marketing efforts which historically have been fragmented among individual states and businesses.

Central to that message is a pixelated “USA” logo, unveiled Monday in London and a world away from the Stars and Stripes, that is meant to represent what the corporation calls “the United States of Awesome Possiblities.”

“It is not about patriotism, flag-waving or chest-beating, ” says the corporation in a capsule explanation of the design. “It is meant to be welcoming, unexpected and inclusive.”

Full-fledged marketing campaigns are scheduled to begin in March next year, tailored to each market and focusing on the great outdoors, urban excitement, culture and “indulgence.”

“We have to rekindle the romance with the United States, ” Chris Perkins, chief marketing officer at the Corporation for Travel Promotion, told AFP.

“It pains me, as a proud American, but we’re viewed as arrogant and brash, and we’ve never been out there saying: ‘Please come’.”

http://travel.hindustantimes.com/travel-stories/awesome-united-states-angles-for-more-tourists.php

 

Average Rating: 4.8 out of 5 based on 197 user reviews.

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by Roy -

With an area larger than the island of Corsica Yellowstone Park in the United States is famous for due to its its geysers has over 200 and its volcanic activity, has more than 10000 hot springs.

The famous character of Hanna Barbera The Yogi Bear Jellystone lives in an allusion to the famous park Yellowstone . 8, 983 square kilometers a Biosphere Reserve and one of the most important ecosystems in temperate zones

The Yellowstone Park  is in the northwestern United States, although most of the park is in Wyoming to 96% of the territory there are also small areas in Montana and Idaho.

The name Yellowstone or yellow stone, comes from the color of the Yellowstone Grand Canyon rocks formed in the last glaciation and eroded by the Yellowstone River.

The park’s ecosystem

The Yellowstone Park is rich in flora and fauna.

1700 species of plants and trees area. Different types of conifers such as Douglas fir or lodge pole pine.

 

Flowers such as Yellowstone Sand Verbena, a very rare specimen blooms on the banks of Lake Yellowstone.

Bacteria and cyano bacteria are the most primitive life forms on the planet live around hot springs and geysers. Research Colorado State University have shown the importance of hydrogen in the development of these bacteria. Bacteria are a characteristic color from turquoise, yellow or red.

Bacteria as a Eu bacteria which has been vital for genetic engineering, in particular for the chain reaction of polymerase has been discovered in these geysers. Scientists continue to research in Yellowstone and its unique ecosystem in the hope of finding bacteria that may be useful to science.

Protected species

The Yellowstone Park is home to protected species such as lynx, American Crane, Grizzly bear or bald eagle, gray wolf.

What to see

Grand Canyon Yellowstone
Lower Yellowstone River Falls
Yellowstone Lake
Geyser in western
The most famous geyser is Old Faithful Geyser
The upper zone Geyser
Hot springs
Hiking in areas of Mount Wash burn
Hiking to the Waterfall Fairy
Hiking along the route of Uncle Tom
The cascade of the tower
The Castle Geyser
The Norris Geyser
Museum of the National Park Range

Asman

26 Nov 2011

http://travel.hindustantimes.com/travelogues/yellowstone-park-tour.php

Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 based on 170 user reviews.

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