Autumn in Yosemite from the TouristTravel photo gallery.
Archive for Travel Resources – Page 3
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By The Traveler · Comments (0)
Tuesday,
August
25th,
2009
The colorful interior of Dos Taquitos Centro
A Traveler Feature Article By Kat Sunlove & Layne Winklebleck
Finding really good, out-of-the-way places to eat in a vacation city can be a challenge. Avoiding tourist traps while figuring out where the locals go is tough. If you want organic or locally grown ingredients, that’s tougher still – unless you are in the Triangle metro area of North Carolina. When visiting the oak tree-studded Capital City of Raleigh, or her neighbors, Durham and Chapel Hill, you may get lucky and happen upon one of the many farm-to-table restaurants sprinkled throughout the region. Then again, you may not.
An easier and more dependable solution is a Taste Carolina gourmet food walking tour. The brainchild of self-proclaimed food junkie Joe Philipose, a former lawyer and “corporate drone,” as he puts it, and local gourmand Lesley Stracks-Mullem, Taste Carolina prides itself on guiding visitors to “restaurants and shops serving innovative food sourced locally from farm-to-table.” The pair met only a few months ago in a fortuitous coincidence. While researching her business concept, Lesley talked with Kelli Cotter, manager at Toast Paninoteca in Durham. As she was explaining her vision of a company that would offer farm-to-table restaurant walking tours, Kelli commented that someone else had just been there with the same idea. Intrigued to know her competition, Lesley got in touch with Joe and Taste Carolina was born.
Lesley conducted our mid-day tour of downtown Raleigh, hitting five deliciously distinctive food establishments in a little over two hours. This mid-day jaunt is just one of many options available from Taste Carolina, which offers unique outings that range from the Taqueria Tour to the Happy Hour Tapas Crawl, or the Southern Comforts Tour to a Whole Hog Barbeque Bus Tour. You can even customize your own excursion.
As we hiked along Raleigh’s mostly level streets, Lesley filled us in on the burgeoning organic and locally sourced food movement, which finds expression in farmers markets and upscale restaurants throughout the Triangle area. Working with the national group, Slow Food USA, the regional chapter works to preserve food traditions, promote “gastronomic culture and provide support to local agriculture. A recent initiative was planting heirloom apple trees at an elementary school in Durham.
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Having emerged as one of Europe’s greatest destinations, Prague is attracting many visitors to its charming streets and interesting atmosphere each year.
Chock full of cathedrals, museums, church domes and bridges, the architecture in Prague is thought to be some of the best found in Europe, and it’s not hard to see why. The city has become a very popular destination in Central Europe, thanks to its wide range of activities and attractions.
In fact, the city centre of Prague has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is now home to around 1.2 million people. The city is also largely considered a “walkable” destination, where visitors don’t have to rely too much on other forms of transportation. But as there is so much to see and do in Prague, visitors may want to take a longer stop in the city than originally planned. One of the most popular sites is Prague Castle, which rises above the city and is considered one of the biggest ancient castles in the world.
The city is divided into an Old Town and New Town, with plenty of interesting attractions on each side. The Old Town boasts a number of historic buildings including the Astronomical Clock, theTown Hall and the old Estate Theatre. The New Town is home to Wenceslas Square, which is a centre for many shops, stalls and restaurants. What’s more, the National Museum, parks and arcades can also be found on the New Town side of Prague.
Charles Bridge is also a draw in the city, as it stretches across the river and is considered one of Prague’s most beautiful attractions. The bridge is very busy during the day, where visitors can find tradesman and entertainment.
Those looking for a museum to learn more about the history of Prague and the Czech Republic won’t be disappointed: the Czech National Museum, Prague City Gallery and Czech Museum of Fine Arts are all located in Prague. And, if you are looking for something a little bit different then there are night boat tours, jazz theatres and performances to enjoy.
While Prague is considered an old destination, the city does boast many modern amenities. In addition to old architecture and accommodation, there are also a wide range of modern places to spend the night, such as serviced apartments Prague, for example.
As you can see, when on a trip to Prague there are opportunities to experience what the old and the new have to offer this historical city.
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Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/discovering-the-charm-and-beauty-of-prague-896014.html
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While many Colorado visitors enjoy the state’s Alpine skiing and other mountain activities, only a lucky few have discovered the area’s Wine tourism. And yet Colorado is home to over 70 wineries and the highest altitude vineyards in the U.S. Trips to this wine region are usually one or two day jaunts, and combine easily with any Colorado itinerary. It can be a welcome respite from skiing or mountain biking, a slower paced end to any frenetic trip. Most of the wineries are family friendly, so don’t be afraid to bring the kids. Like the rest of Colorado, wine country is fairly laid back and unstuffy.
A visit to wine country is an indulgence of the senses. Savor complex flavors at a spring barrel tasting. Smell the bouquet and aroma of a Colorado Pinot Noir. Taste fresh Palisade peaches or Colorado rack of lamb at a food and wine pairing. See historic Victorian towns at cherry blossom time. Stay at quaint boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. All of this can be enjoyed while surrounded by amazing scenery, ranging from red rock mesas to snow covered mountains.
Colorado’s fledgling wine industry has exploded in the last 20 years. The high desert farming town of Palisade witnessed both the birth and rebirth of the state’s vineyards.
The first recorded wine production in Colorado was 1899. It was Colorado Governor George A. Crawford, the founder of Grand Junction in 1881, who first saw the Grand Valley’s potential for grape production. Crawford planted 60 acres of wine grapes and other fruit on Rapid Creek above Palisade.
Places to Visit
Palisade to Grand Junction The wineries are clustered in the town of Palisade and on Orchard Mesa. After your tour, follow Interstate 70 along the Colorado River from Palisade to the foot of the spectacular Colorado National Monument just west of Grand Junction.
Delta, Montrose, Paonia & Hotchkiss Follow US 92 west along the Gunnison River. Turn north on US 65 and stop at the wineries along Surface Creek, on the south slope of Grand Mesa , the largest flattop mountain in the world. Or, travel along the North Fork of the Gunnison River on US 92 east out of Delta and then US 133. This will take you to Hotchkiss and Paonia, where you will find yourself in the West Elks AVA.
What to Do
Tour the wineries and sample the vintages in a casual atmosphere complemented by mountain or desert scenery. The free tours and tastings are laid back, informative and family friendly. Colorado’s Wine Country offers many complex reds and whites for serious wine lovers. Most of these little wine towns also tend orchards, so many wineries produce an assortment of fruit and dessert wines. There are a wide variety of sweet wines and blushes to satisfy even the most inveterate sweet tooth. Please note, not every vineyard offers a tasting room, while some open by appointment only.
Wine Tasting
Basics of Wine Tasting
- Horizontal tasting — lineup of wines made at the same place or from the same grape.
- Vertical tasting — compares different vintages of the same wine.
- Blind tastings— where the variety of grape and the vintage are concealed.
- Wine tastings range from light wines to dark.
- Tasting flight — Refers to a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses, but sometimes as many as fifty, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison.
Don’t just drink wine; look, smell, taste, savor, learn and enjoy. Tasting wines is an adventure that will grow your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Depending on the size of the winery, you may need to pay in hard cash. In theory, you can pay by credit card, but the option is usually unavailable. Colorado’s Wine Country is also home to many meaderies, microbreweries and hard liquor distillers.
Wine Tourism Offers Information on complete travel guides of world’s top wine destinations, wine tasting, wine
history.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/colorado-wine-county-956559.html
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By The Traveler · Comments (0)
Wednesday,
June
24th,
2009
A Traveler Special Feature by Bev Isla
The sunlight dims behind our narrow red, white and blue paddle banca as the looming darkness ahead draws nearer. The smell of wet seaweed washes ashore from the ocean and the sounds of water dripping from amongst the cave ceiling surrounds us. The ambiance fills with curiosity as our group submerges into the unknown environment of the intertwining rocky tunnels within. At 8.2 kilometers, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines is the longest navigable underground river in the world. Nominated as one of the World’s Seven Wonders, this river flows underneath a magnificent limestone mountain landscape that exits directly into the South China Sea. However, this cave system only allow boat tours access to the first 4 km before turning back due to low rock ceilings. According to the guide, it was in 1971 that Americans first explored this cave.
As our banca with outriggers crawls further in, the only light available comes from one large flashlight held by the person sitting in front – in this case, me. I hold the flashlight and my camera with my foot resting on the boat’s edge. Perhaps having control of the light and my camera for evidence (just in case) would keep my restlessness down. Tour boats resemble that of narrow canoes but the side edges are close to the water’s surface level. How easy it looks for the boats to submerge in water. Our guide navigates from the back of the boat as other tour boats glide past going the opposite direction. Its a good sign to see them coming back with smiles.
The low light conditions makes photography difficult. However, limited light sources also prevent large mosquitos (larger than I’ve ever before seen) from becoming too much of a nuisance. The brownish green waters’ depth lies between 10 to 29 feet deep, depending on the tides. In fact, the lower portions of the river is subject to tidal influences. During high tide periods, parts of the cave is actually underwater. The highest point in the entire cave is a 65 ft tall domed amphitheater above ground level which is never underwater. Our guide recommends against swimming in the area as it is too dark and potentially hazardous – a suggestion I will definitely not test.
Above us parts of the rock ceilings boast hundreds of bats, too dark and too far up to see in detail. A few fly near the top but threaten no harm. The bats also do not react to the sound of loud voices. I discover this fact when I excitedly point out “ Look! Those are bats up there!” Their glowing eyes can be seen if you watch carefully. It can be a mesmerizing yet anxious and eerie moment to see creatures not common in city-life. As far as the guides are concerned, there are no crocodiles or sharks dwelling in the cave area. If there are other life forms living here, it probably would not be visible to visitors.
As the boat glices smoothly in the water, our guide describes the major rock formations passing by: “Just ahead to the right is a whitish smooth rock that resembles a woman.” Unique rock formations and boulders such as stalactites, stalagmites and large chambers align the cave walls. Sharp rock pillars also hang from overhead. The cave wall where rock meets water also exhibit marble-like material while others display a smooth lumpy texture. The flashlight holder must be quick at following the guides’ instructions of where to point in order for the shapes to be seen. Luckily, I heard no complaints from the back of our boat about my flashlight operations.
Smaller tunnel pathways and black hallow recesses lead deeper into the cave where visitors would have to duck should they choose to continue. It is at this point where our tour guide slows the canoe to turn around due to low ceilings, sharp twists and turns. To further proceed to the inner depths of the niches and tunnels before flowing out into the sea may require more skilled scuba divers. Although curiosity of the mystical environment beyond our turning point irk the group, the point of sunlight upon return bring about some relief.
Visitors can be assured lifejackets and hard hats are provided. Professional tour guides are very knowledgeable of the cave area and know exactly what and where everything is without the need for flashlights. Using mosquito repellent is recommended. The general registration fee to enter the park is 30 PHP (approx. $0.65 US). Visitors will need to obtain entry permits from the Park Information and Booking Office or Visitors Center at the Park itself. Cave entrance fees are 200 PHP (approx $4.25 US dollars) for individuals ages 21-60, 100 PHP for those ages 17-21, 75 PHP (approx. $2.13 US) for 13-16 year olds, and 50 PHP for 6-12 year olds. For those that want commercial videos, 3000 PHP (approx $63.00 US) is the fee. Hours of operation begin at 8:30 am with 4:30 accomodating the last tour due to tide influences.
Photo credits: Bev Isla and iStockPhoto
Information:
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most unspoiled natural beauty of the Philippines. It boasts a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation as it contains some of the most important forests in Asia. Considered a National Geological Monument, the global significance of the park is also inscribed in the World Heritage list.
For more details, go to www.puerto-undergroundriver.com
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Office
No. 11 National Highway, Junction 1
Brgy. San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City 5300, Palawan, Philippines
Tel: (048) 433-2409
Email: reservation [at] puerto-undergroundriver.com
Getting there:
Bahile is 81 KM (2 hours) from Puerto Princesa. Jeepneys or aircon shuttle vans can be taken. After registering at the park entrance, a 15 min pumpboat ride or 1 and a half hour hike then leads you to the underground river.
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Categories : Adventure Travel, Destinations, Ecotravel, Travel Ideas, Travel Resources, Travel Stories, Travelogues, Video
BC Hotel Accommodations
Natural hot springs. Cozy accommodations. Escape to a BC Hotel steps from the water.
Harrison Hot Springs"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..."
-Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
-Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad