Tagged With "Quantum of the Seas"
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The Valley Island of Maui: 3) Central, Upcountry and South Maui
The largest stretch of (relatively) flat land on Maui is the valley between the two volcanoes, Haleakala and the West Maui Mountains. This area is commonly called “Central Maui” and it’s here most locals live....
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 3, 2014: Santorini, the site of lost Atlantis?
Located in the southern Aegean Sea, 120 kms north of Crete, the beautiful island of Santorini lies in the island group known a the Cyclades, often referred to as the Windy Islands due to it's total exposure to all winds in the Aegean Sea. Thera,...
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A Visit to Ireland: Part 1) An overview of the Country and its People
I remember being in Wales several times and looking across the sea to the west, thinking that I needed to get to Ireland. Well I finally made it, completing this journey with my brother on our annual "getaway trip"! It was a trip we really...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 13, 2013: Jeronimos Monastery
Sunlight and shade highlight the complex carving of this stonework at the Monastery of Jeronimos at Belem, in Lisbon. This late-Gothic style is called Manueline, after King Manuel I. It’s marked by ornate stonework, often including maritime...
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Washington State’s Long Beach Peninsula
For most travelers, the southwestern corner of Washington state is easy to bypass. It lies well over an hour’s drive from the busy I-5 Interstate Freeway. The broad mouth of the Columbia River limits access from the Oregon...
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Capital of Culture Series: Marseilles
Marseille Cathedral, near the Vieux Port I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Marseilles this past June and was very impressed. It really is an excellent example of what the Capital of Culture designation can do for a city. Have a walk...
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Columbia River Gorge, Where Gumbo Was #82
Gumbo was visiting the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, which straddles northern Oregon and southern Washington states. Specifically, Gumbo was enjoying the amazing view of the Gorge through the lobby window of the Skamania Lodge in...
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A Day Among the Ruins
I chose Ostia Antica for a day trip from Rome, rather than the much longer trek to Pompeii. Aside from a few school groups, I had this remarkable place almost to myself. I realized that there’s a different crowd on...
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Washington Oaks Garden: a Peaceful Paradise in Florida
With all that Florida has to offer, you'd think it would be hard for anybody to pick a favorite place in the state. In my case though, it's not. By a mile,my favorite place is Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Washington Oaks is one of the most...
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$560.00 Round Trip Seattle to Beijing on the Dreamliner
Another great price on 787 Dreamliner! Seattle to Beijing Jan26-Feb 6 $559.50 total on Hainan Airlines. I found it on Google flights and you can buy it on Priceline. Remember Americans need a visa for travel to China's Mainland ...
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Monterey Bay Aquarium: Oceans Apart
Located directly on the Monterey Bay just south of Santa Cruz is a sprawling complex of nearly 200 exhibits of more than 550 species in a 2 storey building nearly 30 years old: the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA). Started in 1978, and open to the...
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Punalu'u Black Sand Beach Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
I love visiting the state of Hawaii. Although I have enjoyed all the Hawaiian islands I have visited (Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii Island), my favorite island would be Hawaii Island (aka the Big Island). The diversity of the Hawaii...
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San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)
El Morro, the giant fortification that's guarded San Juan Harbor for nearly 500 years, is the sight we saw before we saw it. Its image is everywhere when you do online research for a trip to Puerto Rico; its "garitas"—small domed...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part I – Three Towns
In July 2006 I gave in to curiosity and realized my ambition to visit West Greenland. I returned 6 times in the next 8 years! I knew that about 10% of the world’s freshwater was sitting on Greenland with the capacity to raise...
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The Empire Strikes Back: Carnival's new super-ship
Carnival may be the biggest operator in the cruise world (Carnival, Holland-America, Cunard, Costa and more) but it's had an image problem in the past few years, and rival Princess and Norwegian have been giving them a real run. Now Carnival's...
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San Juan, Puerto Rico: Outside the Walls
Because Puerto Rico was the first freshwater island for 16th-century travelers from Spain, and because it guards the entrance to the Caribbean, its Spanish masters went out of their way to defend it, not only with the huge fortifications at the...
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A summer trip to Valencia, Spain
Last Summer, in 2014, I went on an internship program in Valencia, Spain. My internship took place in a nice hotel near the center of the town and lasted 3 months. While I was there I could visit and enjoy many touristic points while also...
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Road Trip, Day 1: City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and The Skunk
Gateway to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas March 9, 2015 In the late ‘80s, I lived in L.A. for a couple of years. My S.O. knew lots of cool L.A. stuff. One of those was something he’d read that...
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Road Trip, More Day 2: Point Cabrillo Light Station
Not quite recovered from the long drive the day before, and having just walked a couple of miles around the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden, had I realized the extent of the hike required to get to and from the the lighthouse at Point...
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Dreamliners are Driving Boeing's Growth in 2015
Boeing deliveries rose 14 percent the first quarter of 2015 compared to the first quarter last year. That growth was driven mostly by increases in 787 and 737 production. The delivery of 30 787 Dreamliners in 2015 is a highlight .Boeings bet big...
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PortMoresby's Birthday Road Trip
March 25, '15: Day 1: City of 10,000 Buddhas and The Skunk April 1, '15: Day 2: Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden April 4, '15: Sea Gull Inn April 8, '15: More Day 2: Point...
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Solo Travel: Four unexpected essentials
I like to think of myself as an international badass seasoned solo traveller. It is my preferred way to see the world. For me, there is nothing more cathartic than knowing I can survive without anyone — knowing that my own company is enough....
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Sea-Tac significantly expands its wi-fi bandwidth
Washington state's major commercial airport, halfway between Seattle and Tacoma (hence the name, Sea-Tac), is already well known for providing fast free internet. The airport is investing an additional $10 million dollars to boost its wi-fi...
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How a super-ship manages 12-hour turnaround
Today's (Mar 22) NY Times has a fascinating article on the "backstage" operation involved in getting 6000 passengers off a ship, washing 93,000 pounds of linens, loading up all the food and water, and getting the next 6000 passengers out to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 4, 2015: Sea Gull Inn, Mendocino, California
March 10, 2015 On my road trip to the Northern California coast in March, I stayed with a friend 17 miles down the road from Mendocino. But on 2 previous visits I’d stayed at the Sea Gull Inn . The first time was in...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 6, 2015: Turtle Watching in Trinidad
I've been all over the world but never turtle watching in my own country. That was until last weekend when I got to get up close and personal and experience this natural wonder. The main nesting season for sea turtles in Trinidad and...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 27, 2015: Grapevine, Texas, Urban Wine Trail
Grapevine, Texas, is just north of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and a world away from what you would imagine a community this close to a major metropolitan area would be like. What you’ll find is Main Street lined...
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"Kona Coffee": Greenwell Farms Coffee Tours
Kona coffee is world famous for its full-bodied, non-bitter, bold flavor. Hard to put the taste into words, but it's good coffee! The micro-climate just south of Kona, around 1000 - 2000 ft above sea level, is perfect for...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 10, 2015: Northern Ireland
I recently came back from a 3 day trip to Northern Ireland, and loved it. The weather was unusually sunny (but very cold) while I explored one of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe. Northern Ireland has become quite...
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Skedans, Haida Gwaii, British Colombia (Where Gumbo was #106)
Gumbo was visiting the "misty isles", Haida Gwaii, in British Columbia. Specifically, the remnants of the Haida village of Skedans. Sadly, not much remains of the village, captured at its prime in the above image (1878), rich...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 27, 2014: Nene, Kauai
A nene is a goose native to Hawaii and is that island's state bird. The first time I saw nene was several years ago when my wife and I spent a week in Maui. We spotted them while on a drive to the summit of the dormant volcano,...
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The Sunshine Skyway Bridge – The Creepy and the Miraculous
By JP Chartier If you follow Interstate 275 south through the city of St. Petersburg, Florida until you run out of land, you’ll be greeted by a gentle slope of road that seemingly rises from the waters of the Tampa Bay. This...
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Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Toronto
One of Toronto’s newest big attractions is Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada , with underwater creatures and habitats from across the globe. It's in a fabulous location, on the harborfront adjoining the CN Tower, Rogers Center and...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 13, 2014: Statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, Kuhio Beach in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
Duke Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) is a legend in the world of surfing, but this was only one of his many great achievements. Duke (aka "The Big Kahuna") was born in Honolulu and grew up in Kalia, Waikiki (near...
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Historic Route 66 (pt 3) - Flagstaff to Gallup
The next leg of my trip was the shortest distance I had to drive, but it took the longest time. There was a lot to see along the way. Flagstaff AZ I was last in Flagstaff 20 years ago. It was a dismal depressed town in which nothing was...
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Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory Tour
Much like lei made of tropical blossoms, or Dole pineapples, Mauna Loa macadamia nuts have long been a symbol of Hawaii for me. As a child I recall family friends returning to the frozen White North from Hawaii, bringing small cans of...
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Why you should try Scuba Diving...
...because it's the best thing in the world! Not convinced yet? Then read on. 1) You will be able to breath underwater Isn’t that the coolest thing to be able to do? I will never forget my first experience as an instructor when I saw...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr 21, 2015: Cefalu, Sicily
I'm a sucker for a picture-postcard location, and the town of Cefalu on the northern coast of Sicily is no exception. A comune in the Province of Palermo on the Tyrrhenian Sea , it's about 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the provincial...
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Death Valley National Park
Death Valley is one of the most desolate place I have been. Others include central Greenland and the Dead Sea. Death Valley is the lowest place in the western hemisphere at 282 feet (86 metres) below sea level. The Dead Sea in Israel is 1,370...
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Visiting Sicily: An introductory overview
Travel guru Rick Steves likes to say (and I'm paraphrasing) that Italy either gets better or worse as you head south from Rome, depending on what you like. If you like a quieter people, trains running almost on time, etc. head...
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Ireland's Answer to NY High Line: 16-mile path to the sea
Scheduled to open in 2017, Ireland's gift to cyclists and hikers uses an abandoned rail line from Glenbeigh to Cahersiveen along the wild and scenic Kerry coastline in remote south-west Ireland. It crosses Gleesk Viaduct, and gives views of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 4, 2015: White Rock Pier, BC
I recently visited the west coast and took in a sunrise at the White Rock Pier. Stretching two and a half kilometres across the waterfront, the White Rock Promenade and its adjoining pier is built into Semiahmoo Bay. The infamous...
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September 26, 2017: Saltburn by Night.
Night views of Saltburn give a different outlook to this Victorian North Yorkshire coastal town. Photos by Paul Hunter.
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Sept. 21, 2017: Sunset Key. Florida
GarryRF shares a special place, and a hope that it has withstood the recent hurricanes.
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Germans win free beaches
Germany's highest court bars towns from charging for access to the beach, but they can put fees on bathhouses and other facilities.
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Arctic Tern Colony, Long Nanny, Northumberland
Ian Cook shares a gallery of photos and detailed natural history of this fascinating bird, which has the world's longest migratory routes.
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Alaska retires and intros unique 737s
Alaska's unique transportation needs have led Alaska Airlines to unique solutions.
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River Cruisers: They can't get any longer, so...
Ama Waterways solves the 'bigger' problem for river cruisers a different way, by building a 'double-wide.'
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Food Tours in Sicily: Palermo
Palermo and Catania are only hours apart—who knew they could be such food rivals?
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July 26, 2017: Lady Liberty—The Statue of Liberty
Samantha takes us to visit the famed Statue, and fills us in on its history.