Tagged With "visitor numbers"
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Re: November 24, 2016: Enger Tower, Duluth, Minnesota
Hi Garry I never thought of counting the number of steps to the top of Enger Tower for I was too preoccupied with the beautiful scenery; However, thanks to your question I did some internet investigating and discovered that apparently there are 105 steps you must walk to get to the top of Enger Tower (therefore 210 steps in total to get up and down the tower). You really don't need to be an Olympian to get to the top of Enger Tower. Although the number of steps sounds like a lot, and the...
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Re: Regensburg, Germany, offers Medieval Holiday Magic
Visited Regensburg twice as it was a very convenient stop on our drives from my US Army base in Augsburg to Pilsen and Prague in the Czech Republic. There is so much to see in Regensburg that two half-day visits didn't seem to touch the number of historical landmarks here. I've included a photo of my wife Diane standing in front of the Prinzess Cafe which the historic sign says it is the first cafe house in Germany established in 1686. The other photo is of the Regensburg Cathedral that was...
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Re: Belgium and Sweden see night-train link
I haven't found a definitive answer to that; the nearest I have come is speculation that DB is concerned about competition with existing conventional trains along the route; DB is the major carrier on the route, but they are clearly not doing much of a job of it as the schedule I've linked here shows. The minimum number of train changes is 2, with some itineraries requiring 8! And the ones with only 2 or 3 changes sell for nearly $200, compared to $70 with 8 changes. I'd think a direct...
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Re: The Floating Reed Islands of the Uros People, Lake Titicaca. (Where Gumbo was #139)
Originally Posted by Neil McAleer: One great stride to disseminate visual and text information. No flumbling fingers involved! Neil McAleer Great praise from a great author! Neil wrote a number of space-related books (google him), and corresponded with famous astronaut Neil Armstrong, to whom his post alludes.
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Re: Sea World gives up its killer whale shows
I grow weary of political correctness. Orcas are highly intelligent animals, no doubt -- and have the "cruelty" we expect of intelligent animals (anyone who's seen them hunt a baby gray whale for hours, only to kill it, eat its tongue and let the rest go to waste knows what I mean). I never saw Blackfish, but I do recall at the old Marineland park in Southern California. The park was closed for a number of months, and the orcas got depressed. Listless, didn't eat, didn't look good. Someone...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 20, 2015: Sicilian Fiat
Belongs in the pantheon of true "people's cars" along with the Citroen 2CV and (dare I say it?) the ugly duckling of the lot...the Trabi, which was advanced over its peers in a number of ways. Ironic, isn't it, to think the original Fiat 300s like this one were banished for smoking, and now we find that VW's "clean diesel" was smoking a pack a day on the road!
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Re: Sunlight Chambers, Dublin
Rule number 1 - When visiting a city always keep your head up to see it's history. Lever Brothers built a Model Village near Liverpool to house its workers in the Sunlight Soap Factory.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Mar. 19, 2014: Bouillabaise
A number of times we've found dishes or cooking methods that have become part of our routine at home--but I'll pass on this one because (among other things) the particular fish needed are only available here at prices that would make you think they flew first-class! But we have continued to make the meat-stuffed zucchini we learned in our Bologna cooking class two years ago. No shortage of domestic zucchini!
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Re: Herculaneum, 79 A.D.
Pompeii has never attracted me, for a number of reasons...but I think you have just sold me on Herculaneum. It sill have to wait a while, sadly, but it is on the list.
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Re: London In 1927, Recreated Shot For Shot.
It's possible that the images are hand colored, an art with which I have some experience although still photos only. One would have to dig deeper to find out the timing of the use of color stock. I suspect there were a number of phases so it would depend on one's definition. Read here while I go watch a movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C...ng_and_hand_coloring
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #11
PortMoresby put the finger on what made this one hard. It was the ancient-days equivalent of being asked to identify a free-standing Barnes and Noble store, or an Exxon station. Easy to know what it is, not so easy to know where . What's been fun in these is watching people dig out bits and pieces that then fuel other folks' guesses. WorkerBee has done that a number of times; in this case, even though T&N doesn't play as a guesser, the geological analysis of the stones was a stunning...
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Re: Suggestions wanted: Andalusia
Will you have a car? I ask, because if you will, you might consider stopping at one or more of the White Towns between Seville & Granada. I stayed a week in a house just outside Iznajar, a lovely little place, and visited a bigger town, Antequera, worth a stop. For a brief stop I'd recommend the smaller town, one of a number in the area, millions of olive trees everywhere. There is no train there although Antequera has a station, but outside the town. Below the town of Iznajar, beside...
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
I like to see some of the Nation's heritage preserved. I've actually been to a number of these places and enjoyed them all.
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Re: Everglades raccoon
Invasive species cause havoc not just with cute native species, but also agriculture, people's health and livelihoods. The Park Service has a number of interesting management programs, including a parntership with Florida Fish and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife has a Pet Amnesty Program so that people can rehome unwanted exotic pets, rather than thoughtlessly placing them in the wild. The exotic animals are offered to adopters, who are given instructions on proper care. Fish and Wildlife offers...
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Re: Biggest Apple Ever: NY Gets 54M Tourists, Expects More!
Are you sure that number is correct? Paris does just over 20 million visitors a year.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo #5.5
JohnT, the answer to your question "what is that on the facing of the archway" can be revealed. It is a number of large iron staples apparently used to repair damage to the stonework.
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Re: Tampa Bay Automobile Museum: 1) Museum Overview and its Czech collection
Actually, there are a number of different stories of how Ferdnand Porsche, under Hitler's direction, designed the Beetle. Another fascinating possibility surfaced last year in the Daily Mail (UK), showing similarities to a project by a German Jewish engineer, Josef Ganz, which Hitler saw at an auto show in 1933. Another aspect: the sort of streamlined design represented in all of these cars was not a unique design at the time; aerodynamic research was starting to have an effect on car design...
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Re: Barcelona's "Other Architect"
Thanks for the excellent info!Great Photos too!I havent been to Barcelona in a number of years so I guess it's time to return.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct 8, 2013: Cologne, Germany
The picture reminds me of similarly-colorful rows of small buildings in Nyhavn (Copenhagen) and on Bryggen (in Oslo). There must be something to the width-and-taxes idea, because it's certainly been true elsewhere. In New York, from colonial times until the early 20th-century, the number of windows affected the property tax rate, and it was only 2009 when the city ended the practice of basing the water rates on "frontage."
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Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Well, it's worth noting that Hawaiian has still not gotten Ohana off the ground, literally. They're citing FAA's cutbacks due to sequestration and then the shutdown as the reason. Island Air used to be a Hawaiian affiliate, flying Dash-8s and ATR-42s into small airports and feeding passengers into Hawaiian. Ohana was/is their plan to stay in that market with ATR42s. Island is unhappy with its ATRs (both the 42 and the larger 72), but doesn't seem to be able to solve any of its problems. I...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
CICAK, may I suggest you encourage your wife to see the big picture. When you're in a hotel room you are not required to savage the minibar. When you're in an apartment you aren't required to cook. The kitchen just exists quietly should you desire it. What you're there for is to spread out, have privacy with all the comforts of home, possibly be in a more interesting neighborhood & surrounded by people who interest you and who may even be interested in you and any number of other...
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
Mac says, a good travel insurance policy is an absolute requirement - The part he left off was "for me", for him. Insurance, any kind, is playing the odds. When you buy it you're betting you'll have a disaster. When you don't you're figuring the likelihood of a dire event is low. If you take an occasional trip of short duration and can afford insurance, sure, why not. When the number & length of trips begins to mount and the budget becomes more of an issue then maybe not. It's called...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day: Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, England
As you may know, DrF, a number of houses in the UK are known as much or more for their gardens as for the houses. Not so in this case, although what they have sets the house off perfectly. The rest is more natural landscape as you can see in the bottom picture. I love the fact that the house is the star, as it should be in this case, and the gardens are a compliment.
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Re: Up, Up and Away: Airline miles cards with big bonuses
I have a Delta American Express Platinum card that has served us well. The fee is higher than the gold card, but we can check two bags free, priority boarding, and a free companion pass yearly. We fly two or three times a year and the value of the waived baggage fee and the companion pass far exceed the $150 annual fee. The card also accrues one mile for each dollar spent and lately has offered cash back incentives. For example: spend $15 at Panera's using the card and receive $5 credit on...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? #177
Yes Rob ! I've narrowed it down to 32 possibles. If we stray into Canada - then it's somewhere near the number of stars in the sky. And that's just the Red ones ! Another 5 Days to go ......
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Re: Aug. 25, 2016: Fargo Walk of Fame, North Dakota
Some beautiful street art in there Ottoman ! Outside in the sunshine and open to touch. Living Art.
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Re: Kyoto Tells Tourists What Not To Do
This...I don't know what to call it. "List" is too small a word. Visual manifesto? Fascinating, the way a car wreck is fascinating. Japan was the first place I wanted to travel when I had a childhood friend from Japan. As an adult, I've had any number of opportunities to visit and haven't. I realized recently that what was stopping me was fear of giving offense. Kyoto has been the place that I thought I might brave my fears to see but this piece of municipal propaganda has wiped that thought...
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Re: From the Shoebox: Germany in the early 60s
You next photo with the number 511 and the tall square tower is Eltville am Rhein, but has since been gussied up.
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Re: Gallery: St. Lawrence Market. 2) Seafood and the rest
The "Peameal bacon" sandwich has received a lot of attention on a number of the Food Channel shows. If you like the taste of bacon, you'll certainly love the sandwich. The cornmeal on it has a minor impact on its taste.
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Re: Rio de Janiero - Part 2
I requested a can for recycling recently from the collection company. It was delivered with my address in black marker on the lid. The house number was correct but they got the street name wrong, calling it Sugarloaf. Maybe it's a sign!
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Re: From Corfe Castle to Kingston Lacy - Part 2
What a beautiful house! I've visited a number of houses & gardens in the vicinity but seem to have missed this one. I much prefer the scale of this style to others often referred to as great houses. Next time, I hope.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#77)
OK, onward. Sprint Insight, a Canadian company ( 78 Millwick Dr , North York ON , M9L 1Y3) and grain elevators, maybe? But I haven't been to Canada for a number of years so the city isn't familiar to me.
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Re: HOW YOU CAN SAVE THE ASIAN ELEPHANT
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. Elephants are highly intelligent animals, probably smarter than dogs for example. Wild elephants in Asia are having a hard time because of loss of habitat and conversion of their normal range to agricultural land. Most do not have ivory tusks so unlike their African cousins, they are not slaughtered for their teeth. In Sri Lanka I visited the elephant orphanage in Pinnawala a number of times, which I've previously written about on TravelGumbo at this link .
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Re: Serra's Church, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California. Where Gumbo Was #46
Somewhere I've got a snapshot of a very young me with a tiny lady holding an object who had insisted my friend take our picture in the garden together. It was in the village of Petra, Majorca and she officiated at the small museum commemorating Junipero Serra's birthplace. I was spending the summer on the island and every student educated in California knows his name almost as well as their own. The address of my high school was El Camino Real, Father Serra's road from mission to mission and...
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Re: Help with mobile phone for Morocco
If you take a look at http://prepaidgsm.net, you’ll see the reason for PortMoresby’s recommendation. It’s not the cost of the phone, it’s the cost of every minute, often many times that of a local SIM. For example, the Mobal SIM comes with a rate for Morocco of $1.50 a minute outgoing and $1.50 a minute incoming. Meditel, one of the Moroccan carriers, charges (depending on plan) about 10c a minute up to 40c a minute, and no charge for incoming. Mobal will sell you data at $28.99 for ONE...
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Re: For those who hate Heathrow, Gatwick plans new allure
Gatwick, if selected, will have much better transportation than now; in fact, they are committed to building it even with one runway. Every 2.5 minutes, into Central London. DrF: Gatwick is hoping this will bring some North American flights again; US Airways was the last North American carrier into Gatwick, and they stopped in 2009, sucked into the great vacuum of Heathrow. Gatwick used to have a lot of N. America business back when restrictive legislation limited the number of their flights...
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update
As a frequent Airbnb renter (about 16 times) I obviously think it's a valuable thing and want it to succeed. I also think that there's room for reasonable regulation that's sensitive to local needs, and that a reasonable compromise can be found. Let's take the case of New York City...there is a real shortage of affordable housing. While it's not caused by Airbnb, but rather by a series of market issues that I won't rehearse here, it's reasonable for the city/state to ban short-term rentals...
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update
I think my proposal as written could work; in my haste I left out one aspect and that is that Airbnb or similar would be expected to require that a host supply his or her city registration number, or look it up on city website. The company would be subject to penalty for unlicensed listings or for handling rentals beyond the limit. Of course if the host rented through other agencies beyond the limit, that would not be on Airbnb...some city enforcement mechanism would be ended but that's true...
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Re: Cruising down the Nile (part 2)
Hi Karl - sorry for a delayed reply. We booked onto a Thompson Holidays trip out of London and were very satisfied with the whole experience, including value for money. We chose the "all inclusive" option and were very pleased with the quality of their wines etc. The boat was very clean and well maintained, all the crew cheery and pleasant, the food good and plentiful (buffets). There were a good number of "included" trips to temples whilst other trips were extras (Abu Simbel and Cairo for...
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Re: Photography at the Edges, New York & San Francisco
I did, indeed, go to the two exhibits at the Met...and they actually have a relation to the SF show that PortMoresby has described. Marville, in particular, was working at the beginning of photography, without all the digital devices, or even a light meter, and with media so slow that a photograph of a relatively busy street appears to be empty of traffic—because during the 30 seconds needed to expose that plate no one stayed in front of the camera long enough to register an image! The Paris...
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Re: London- multiple questions
I can only help with one of the questions...but GarryRF, one of the TG Gurus, lives in Liverpool and can certainly help with that part. For Stonehenge without a car, there are really two main options. There are a number of tour operators who run coach tours from London to the site; or you can take a train from London to Salisbury and take a bus from the station to the Stonehenge visitor center. The visitor center is new since I was there; it's about 10 minutes by shuttle from the stones...
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Re: Economy Ticket, Private Jet!
In the spirit of one-upmanship, same number of passengers, bigger plane, I was once one of 2 passengers on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco. It wasn't the advantage I thought it might be as all the flight attendants just went to sleep, so no service rather than personal service. It was a long time ago but memorable enough that I still remember the airline.
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Re: Thinking Cuba? Tickets not so easy yet!
Maybe the answer to the number of Hotels needed to accommodate the new visitors from the US is all in the timing. Brits - Canadians - Germans love Cuba in the winter. It's the dry season with no hurricane threat. Warm in the daytime, 75-85f or 24 -29c. Cool enough for a sweater at night. Americans can have the summer !!!
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Re: Airbnb's plans for business travelers
My point, more succinctly, is that while I have no problem with Airbnb expanding it's customer base, a surprising number of my guests are first-time users and I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to extract them from dead-ends they've gotten themselves into on the site. Until the booking process is a straight line, easily negotiated by new users, I believe their efforts would be better spent serving the customers they already have, before heading in new directions.
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Re: Airbnb now open for business in Cuba
I know this is open to double meaning in this context...but yes, I remember sharing a party line. Leavenworth, KS, 1951. Our number was 779-J and we were #10 of the 12 families on the line. There was a distinct ring for each family...can't remember ours (I was 7 at the time).
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Re: Why You should visit Nevada's Valley of Fire
You are correct, GarryRF. There have been a number of movies filmed in the park. Lifted straight from Wikipedia , here is a listing of these: Film History : Valley of Fire is a popular location for shooting automobile commercials and other commercial photography. It has provided a setting for the following films and television shows: The Professionals with Burt Lancaster , Lee Marvin , and Claudia Cardinale was filmed in 1966. As of November 2012 a piece of the movie set is still up for...
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Re: GPS: 'Your destination will be...very wet.'
On our recent trip to Sicily, our GPS took us down a farm road that dead-ended, except for a rugged dirt tract that was unsafe to drive in a car (doable in a 4 wheel drive vehicle). The GPS instructed me to continue down the dirt track, but as a human being I declined the machine's advice. Good thing I did, because as we looped back we could see that even the dirt track dead-ended in a mile or so. Somehow we made it to our next destination, although it's easy and expected to get lost a...
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Re: Family kicked off flight
I think all children should be buckled in, just as the law requires them to be in cars where I live, in car seats when small. There have been a number of cases where children have been among the only survivors of air crashes, the theory being their more elastic bodies withstand trauma better. But a baby (or 3 year old) sitting unrestrained or on its mother's lap would likely not. I know of no seat belt laws that give an exemption for stupidity. The airline was right to remove the family.
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Re: Airbnb Questions
1. "...is payment for Airbnb places always processed in the US even for stays overseas?" Airbnb processes reservations for guests in their own currency, pays out in the currency of the host. So you, in the US, will always pay in US dollars, a UK resident will pay in £s, etc. The host posts prices in their home currency and when a guest in another country logs in and searches/books, the price is converted by the website at the current exchange rate and they always see the rate in their own...
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Re: Jiuxian Ancient Village, Guangxi, China
I have a habit of photographing places empty of people, even when there are people around. I wait. But in this case, there were very few, that I saw anyway, compared with the number of buildings. The reason may, in part, be that it's in an agricultural area so residents may have been off working somewhere. But I'm sure it is an underpopulated place and the disrepair of some buildings adds to the impression. I loved the place.