Tagged With "hotel booking"
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Agree with PHeymont. Plan your trips around the leaf watching. Lots of pretty small towns around New England, although many will be pretty booked. I'd leave at least 3-4 days for Boston. Lots to see and do there, including many items relating to the rebellious Yankees throwing off the ties with old King George. And great museums and restaurants and such. We can get into more details if you'd like, but you'll definitely want a good guide book. Many people find a day in Salem (famous for its...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Wow! HistoryDigger that is fantastic information, thank you, I will now 'dig' more (pardon the pun) on the web and put some plans into place around those excellent suggestions!! Please - a crucial question for us - would we be "safe" to just book hotels for the arrival and departure days of our tour and simply rely on finding local accommodation as we progress round - or is it really SO busy in this season that I must book every stop along the way? We prefer the 'flexible' approach as it can...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Regarding hotels, Mac, I think I'd spend a few days in Boston to begin with, presuming that's where you are flying into. This will let you get over your jet lag and also give you a chance to see the state of the colors and plot out where you want to go. I would NOT go without having at least a night's reservation booked ahead because you'll waste too much time looking for a place to stay and will end up paying rack rate. Things will be busy and pretty filled up in the small towns of New...
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Re: Floating hotel set to anchor in Seine
I haven't booked my last night yet and looked but their website isn't up yet. I'm going to keep checking though. Wouldn't THAT be fun.
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Re: Miscou Island Lighthouse, New Brunswick, Canada (Where Gumbo Was, #134)
Interesting story. A little known bit of Canadian history. Thanks. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 5, 2015: Stone Gingerbread House
I love stone houses like this one. There was one, on a much smaller scale, in my hometown that was right on the waterfront. @PHeymont - it is listed for a mere 11 million. http://www.zillow.com/homes/fo...4.039602_rect/18_zm/ “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine
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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?
Received this e-mail this morning. Today we're excited to share the news that Starwood Hotels & Resorts will join together with Marriott International to create the world's largest hotel company. For our Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG® members, this will mean even more choices in even more places, giving you access to 1.1 million rooms across 5,500 hotels and resorts in more than 100 countries. We will work to bring you the very best of SPG and Marriott Rewards®, two of the most...
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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?
I'm hopeful, since I think the last thing in the world Marriott should want to do is to signal Starwood loyalists that they aren't valued. Wonder how long before SPG rewards will book Marriott rooms...that could be a quick thing to do!
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Re: Marriott buys Starwood for $12.2 billion...what's in it for loyalists?
As I'm also a Marriott rewards member, I wonder when I'll get an e-mail from them.
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Re: 'Finding Reiner' letters now available as book
Thank you for posting this update. What an honor to find these letters and collaborate on this book with Denis Havel. The travel adventure will always inspire me to look beyond the ordinary.
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Re: 'Finding Reiner' letters now available as book
So glad this is a book! Congratulations Whitney and Denis!
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Re: New book celebrates Yellowstone, National Parks Centennial
That looks like a must read book about my favorite US National Park! Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
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Re: Shunpiking Through Northern Ohio
I enjoy your journeys around " Small Town USA". The US has such a wealth of history. You should write a book so that Brits like me know where to search for new ventures - ready for my next trip across the pond. Thank You.
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Re: Post-Merger AA Route Changes at DCA, LGA
Virign America will bee getting some of AA's slots at LGA - That is a net plus in my book!
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Re: Missoula, Montana — Home of Grizzlies
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: I like this one because it reminds me of a time when my son was a naval fire fighter and was talking about becoming a smoke jumper after he was discharged. He changed his mind, something for which I'll be forever grateful. Read 'Young Men and Fire', by Norman Maclean and understand. Those smokejumpers are amazing! Absolutely fearless. When everyone's running away from a fire, they're jumping from planes to run toward it. Another good fictional book is the...
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?
Good discussion! WiFi has for me become an indispensable part of traveling. It allows me to stay in touch with family easily and cheaply (remember how hard it was even 25 years ago -- a phone call could run you $5 a minute? And there was no email). It lets me spend evening hours clearing out a hefty email que, and doing research on what I am going to see tomorrow and the next day. And with "Gumbo on the Go", it lets me share my travels as they happen with fellow Gumboites! I echo PHeymont's...
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Re: The "Eiffel Tour" Only Starts with the Tour Eiffel
Brunel has fascinated me since reading a book on the Great Eastern, an unlucky ship he designed. Perhaps someday I can find time to post about his work...unless I hear a volunteer? Thanks!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 13: Brussels' Saucy Statue
He's much smaller than I thought -- and I'm talking about the height of the little guy. Besides chocolate their tinkling mascot, the Belgiums also love beer and comics. I was quite surprised at what a comic book culture they have.
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Re: Traveling for Local Food
I took a look and it looks like just what I need. I can even use the info to plan our route. I had my mom look at it, too, and she said it reminds her of when she was a kid and my granddad had a book called Duncan Hines that had local places all over. I wonder if that's the same Duncan Hines as the cake mix?
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Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other (Part 1a) Colombo
Ah Galle Face Green! Many a delightful stroll taken with my folks on a Sunday afternoon in the 1960s, then home for tea at 42 Galle Face Court, the flats opposite the hotel. Ah sweet memories Ouch that seems a long time ago.....
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Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other (Part 1a) Colombo
DrFumblefinger your photos are amazing. I can see why you love the country so much.
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Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other (Part 1a) Colombo
Originally Posted by Mac: Ah Galle Face Green! Many a delightful stroll taken with my folks on a Sunday afternoon in the 1960s, then home for tea at 42 Galle Face Court, the flats opposite the hotel. Ah sweet memories Ouch that seems a long time ago..... I was told the Galle Face Green was actually green until the pope showed up and a massive crowd destroyed the grass. After that it became the Galle Face Brown. The green is slowly trying to make a comeback, though. I actually visited someone...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi everyone! I'm back. Just arrived at my parents home for Thanksgiving. Not had a lot of time to work on this trip since I last visited TravelGumbo, but some progress to report. I have a firm ticket reservation for Manchester, returning from Paris, though a few days off the dates we talked about. But 29 days in Europe! Whooppeee!! I have a guidebook from the Library which I'm going to go through this long weekend (one by Fodors). I think this will help. Anyone know of a good pocket size...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
England is only as big as Florida ! I haven't seen a Guide book that sub-divides us! Wales is full of Castles, Mountains and Lakes. Tourists often divide England between the North and South. The North is often cooler and wetter than further South. But your Dollar will go twice as far up here in the North! And we're much friendlier. Have a look at places you'd like to visit. York (the old one) will keep you busy for 2 days. Train or Bus from Liverpool. Or a day or two in Europe from Liverpool...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
Originally Posted by Bling: We have considered renting an apartment. We are never quite sure how to handle the deposit. Some owners seem very firm about having a non-refundable deposit upfront. We can understand their need to guarantee bookings but we also know that plans change, flights get cancelled, and, perhaps the place will not be to our liking. Should we only book with owners and agencies that allow the deposit to be paid on arrival ? What is the standard procedure for this ? What is...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 31, 2013: Lindisfarne, the Holy Island
Thanks for the interesting post, Mac! I love the old abbeys of Britain and Ireland. And perhaps most important is the valuable roll they played in preserving the written word and scholarly traits during the Dark Ages. I imagine that the Lindisfarne Gospels are a lot like the Book of Kells?
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Re: Sleeping with the fishes--an underwater hotel room!
I saw this featured on (I think) CNN yesterday. I thought, I hope the bedroom is above water, hyperventilated at the thought of sleeping below. I wouldn't mind going down for some awake time but don't think I could fall asleep. But if I could it would be a lovely place to wake up. I'd be interested to know what it sounds like in the room.
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Re: Sleeping with the fishes--an underwater hotel room!
When I saw the picture with the fish in the window, I thought--I wonder if lots of fish and other creatures will come to stare at the strange beings in the box. Will they make faces and try to attract attention?
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Re: Hotels.com: Most mobile bookings are last-minute
That actually makes a lot of sense. The beauty of smartphones and the like is their ability to let you get things done at the last minute -- complete with price comparisons, etc. I know that a lot of hotels offer deep discounts the last day if they have a lot of spare inventory, but you're taking a risk at a busy time in a busy place. I tend to be more of a planner and to save my travel time for traveling and not looking for hotels. But to each his own.
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Re: Chris Elliott's New Book is a Smart Guide to Travel Smarts
Thanks Paul, Chris does seem to solve a lot of problems and shares how he does it and who to talk to. I've found his contact he lists at companies very helpful when people get the runaround. The book sounds like another useful resource
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Re: Cape Grace Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa
It was part of a package that included safaris in Botswana and travel to Victoria Falls, so I'm not aware of the line item expense but the package was expensive. But it was a remarkable experience, Andredeya. I usually stay in "average" places but once in a while it's nice to pamper yourself. The Cape Grace will definitely pamper you More info on Cape Town HERE . A Daytrip from Cape Town HERE .
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Re: Aug 4. 2016: Delaware City. Delaware.
I agree with Garry. Exploring small town America is tops! I love a few days in the big cities but feel at home in its small towns. Have yet to visit Delaware City but will check it out next time I'm in that part of the country. Imagine they have good crab?
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Re: Aug 4. 2016: Delaware City. Delaware.
Great post Garry! Good to see Delaware City in the spotlight today.
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Re: Aug 4. 2016: Delaware City. Delaware.
Delaware City has only one set of traffic lights - how's that for small ! I only get crab when visiting the family in the US. Not here in the UK. I've had crab from Delaware - Chesapeake - Rehoboth Beach (Hooters) down to Ocean City Maryland. All gorgeous and worth waiting for. I've learned to say "These are the best ever" because that's what the locals say. Best Pizza - Best Crab-cakes - Best Chilli Fries. When my son was working his way through University he worked the late shift in a...
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Re: In Egypt: The Egyptian Museum
An item from the UK's Guardian comments on the timelessness & "place-less-ness" of Nefertiti's image. If she'd stayed in Egypt after her discovery at Amarna, she'd likely have a place near her image above with her family, in the photo titled " Scene of worship of the Aten ..." as that's a far more interesting historical context, rather than the following reign of Tutankhamun, in which to put her. I hope the book does her real life justice.
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Re: Greek debt deal will raise taxes on tourists
It will definitely hurt tourism, especially for those who want to stay awhile and relax in Greece. The increase in food and accommodations will take a bite out of most budgets. It won't hurt the cruiseship travelers, though.
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Re: ANA Japan flight becomes flight to nowhere
When I worked in a library, checking in returned books to be reshelved sometimes the scanner would beep even though the barcode hadn't actually registered in the computer. So if we didn't watch the screen, but depended on the sound, occasionally a book would still be checked out as far as the system was concerned. A long-winded way of pointing out that may be akin to what happened in the case of the ANA passenger.
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Re: In Egypt: Sleeping
As ever, a succinct and informative post from PM. It definitely gets its teeth into the eternal travel dilemma - how to feel comfortable when you're unconscious ! I always maintain (in life generally) that the greatest gap lies between expectation and reality. PM also found the smallest; that between scalding and frigid on an unfamiliar shower 😆😎
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Re: A Visit to Lovely Lake Orta
I booked a rental car earlier today for a forthcoming trip to Portugal/Spain. I had toyed with the idea of going for something a bit bigger than the smallest category - which is what I usually book - but your article reminded me of the potential issues with very narrow streets in this part of the world. So a 'mini' car it is (Renault Twingo)!
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Re: In Egypt: An Unlikely Story
My guess would be that only about 0.00001% of travelers to Egypt would have a familiarity with that book, interesting though it seems. You may very well have been the first person ever who recognized Hamada from Mahoney's book. But a charming tale it is and one that turns a good trip into a memorable experience. I'm saddened to hear that your story has you returning to Luxor already. I've enjoyed your Nile journey.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sep 18th 2014: Portmeirion , Wales
looks like something out of a children's story book...beautiful
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Re: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Canada. Where Gumbo Was #36
Close but no cigar on Central Park's designer (who also did my backyard, Brooklyn's Prospect Park). Birkenhead was the work of Joseph Paxton, while the other two were done by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Olmsted visited Birkenhead in 1850, three years after it opened, and while he was already thinking about Central Park, which opened in 1858. In his book "Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England, Olmsted wrote about Birkenhead: "five minutes of admiration, and a few more...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 4, 2014: A Courtyard in Marrakech
I was just looking again at the book in the picture, on the table, wondering what it was I was reading. I found it in my bookcase, 'Marrakesh: through writer's eyes'. Published in the UK by Eland, thought I recognized their distinctive binding. In case anyone else was wondering...
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Re: Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future
It looks quite cool! If someone actually goes to one of the places its being displayed, please post a comment so we can hear directly how the experience was.
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Re: Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future
The "bleeding edge"? Ouch. Is that akin to hair-brained? Maybe not.
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Re: Marriott Teleports Guests to a Marriott Future
I can’t remember who coined the term, but it was intended to convey a sense of being so far out on the “leading edge” that one might easily cut oneself on some unfortunate reality…
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, September 25, 2014: Statue of Elvis Presley, Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
I'm old enough to remember the Vegas Years, although was too young at the time to go see Elvis in Vegas. Fans always commented that Elvis was at his best in Vegas -- relaxed, chatty (talking to the crowd a lot), and despite it's large size, it was a fairly intimate performance venue with lots of direct audience contact. (Watch the video all the way to the end to see the audience) The statue was unveiled by Barron Hilton just outside the showroom where Elvis performed, and it stood there for...