Tagged With "Phoenix Sky Harbor"
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Arctic Birds on Migration: Saskatchewan
Many of the Arctic birds are large white birds such as geese and swans but also include smaller and different coloured sandpipers and other birds. Where is the best place to see these magnificent Arctic birds? The most...
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Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall
I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world. Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting. Given a spare day or...
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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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Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America
Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province). It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent. We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and...
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Walla, Walla: “So nice they named it twice!”
What’s a Walla Walla? It’s a Indian name meaning “many waters”. It’s also the name of a charming city in southeastern Washington; nestled close to the Columbia and Snake River valleys, and with a river of its...
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A springtime hike on the Yakima Rim Skyline Trail
After a rather long winter I was ready for a pleasant dayhike. While I’d rather head up to the mountains for a stroll in an alpine meadow, there’s way too much snow up there in April. Fortunately in the Northwest there are some...
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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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Bye Bye Sky-High Rental Car Fees
Recently, a company charged me $ 9.00 a day for the privilege of using an e-toll pass to pay $ 2 in tolls during a week's rental. Renting a car used to be somewhat simple - reserve, present license and credit card, drive, return, pay...
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A Visit to Ireland: Part 2) the Rock of Cashel
There are few places in Ireland with a richer history than the Rock of Cashel . Situated at the edge of the town of Cashel, the rock is a huge outcropping on top of which rests a complex of old buildings situated some 60m (200ft)...
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Super Bowl crowds the skies
U.S. airlines are adding dozens of extra flights, and even some temporary routes, to get fans to next week's Super Bowl game in Phoenix. United's added the most, with 55 extra flights, both others are not far behind. As well, some airlines are using...
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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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Portland Bill Revisited: Pictures from a small island
Begging indulgence from the Senior Gumbo Gurus. Following my previous visit to stormy Portland Bill last week, yesterday the sun came out and the wind picked up a notch more, so I just had to make a quick trip back there to see what might have...
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Visiting Western Greenland. Part II – Western Greenland on Foot!
Part I covered three Greenlandic towns I have visited but my real passion is being out in West Greenland’s wilderness. So this part is about what it has to offer those willing to get out there on foot and under canvas! I...
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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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The Nose Knows: Passengers against smelly food on planes
As if you needed to be told again, yet another poll surveying passenger opinion finds that most people don't like smelly foods being brought onto airplanes. One interesting point: even though 60% objected to passengers bringing such food with them,...
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Old San Juan: Beautiful...and not all old
San Juan, Puerto Rico is a city of contrasts, of modern skyscrapers, crowded residential areas of different eras, resort hotels and casinos along Condado, and much more...but the image that usually comes to mind is really that of Old San Juan, the...
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American, Korea to codeshare on DFW-Seoul
Not letting alliance loyalties get in the way of a good deal, American Airlines (Oneworld) and Korea Airlines (Sky Team) have signed a codeshare agreement on the Seoul-to-Dallas/Ft Worth route that American recently began flying. It's a win for...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 10, 2015: Arizona – The sunshine, the red rock desert and the survival of the fittest
Recently I attended a medical course in Scottsdale, Arizona. Using one afternoon, a few late afternoons plus evenings, I got chance to explore the area around Phoenix and Scottsdale. The clear...
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Viewing the Northern Lights: Tips and Techniques
When you see the Northern Lights for the first time, they seem unreal. Almost magical, maybe even scary to some. The Aurora Borealis is one of the most spectacular natural phenomena you can observe and well worth a journey to the northern parts of the...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 18, 2015: A Rainy Morning at Point Arena
Leaving Elk on the Mendocino County coast, I turned left onto California Highway 1 and drove south under a heavier-than-foggy sky. The plan was to make a couple of stops for pictures, then turn inland and head into wine country for an...
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SKY2BUY takes a swing at SkyMall's old audience
With SkyMall out of the sky and its name sold in bankruptcy court, the way is open for others to try selling to passengers inflight (SkyMall had exclusive deals with the airlines), and SKY2BUY, owned by an investment capital firm and ScotteVest, a...
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The Cabins, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada (Where Gumbo Was #107)
This was a tough puzzle which eluded even our great TG travel sleuths. In the above quiz photo we see evidence of a constructed dwelling in a place of red-rock, but not much else. As Jonathan L pointed out, the image screams...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, April 13, 2015: Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii
Located on the west side of Kauai, Waimea Canyon stretches 14 miles long, is one mile wide, and is more than 3,600 feet deep. These photos were taken from the Waimea Canyon Lookout (elevation 3,400 feet) which provides these...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 3, 2015: Cour Puget at the Louvre
The Louvre, if not the world's largest museum in area (and it may be), is certainly one of the most difficult to navigate, spread out over many connected buildings and galleries. But one of the rewards for visiting it is the possibility of a sudden...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, August 23, 2015: Victoria Falls - “The Smoke That Thunders”, Zimbabwe
At Victoria Falls, the mighty Zambezi River disappears in the 108 meter deep narrow gorge. This makes it among the biggest waterfalls on this planet. It’s not only deep but also narrow, thus explaining the tremendous spray. ...
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Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)
The book I always think of in this regard is ‘The Sheltering Sky’, by Paul Bowles. And the subsequent movie, with the devilish John Malkovich as, guess who, Port Moresby. It inspired me to take the plunge and travel outside Europe, to Morocco, a place I’ve returned again and again, sure that would be so as soon as I read the book. But there have been others - ‘The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong’, by Edward Gargan, added Yunnan Province in China to my first round-the-world destination...
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Crooze with free booze!
If getting skunk drunk on a cruise is your idea of a good time, we have good news for you! Norwegian Cruises has announced that its 3-4 day Miami based cruises will offer FREE drinks. The ship is the Norwegian Sky and the company...
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Samsung/Samsonite join "smart bags" parade
Could the age of standing in long baggage-drop and baggage-claim lines be over? New "smart luggage" may make it possible. While there are already a few self-tracking suitcases out there from small companies, now it's time for the...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 12, 2015: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Here are some photos taken during a recent winter trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic (a popular winter sun destination for snowbirds from Canada and the northern United States). The people were friendly! We...
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Volendam and Edam, the Netherlands: A Historic Riverfront Adventure
AmaWaterways river cruise ship AmaCerto leaves Amsterdam heading for Volendam and Edam. Gliding north along the Markermeer and Ijsselmeer rivers, the ship arrives just after lunch for a tour of the towns now united under one municipality. ...
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New startup aims to be "Airbnb for yachts
Airbnb has made a name for offering vacation rentals that range from a couch to a condo to a house or caravan, including the occasional boat. Beds on Board, a new startup, aims to do more or less the same, except they're focusing on yachts. ...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 24, 2015: Where is Apache Trail??
Located at the northeastern edge of greater Phoenix area, the Apache Trail was recommended by our friend as Arizona’s oldest and most scenic driving trail. The winding 40 mile road takes you through the magnificent scenery of sometime steep...
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Britian's Famous Attractions Get Literal Chinese Names
VisitBritian announced the winners in their 'Great names for Great Britain ' campaign The campaign used the existing trend of the Chinese to give literal names to favorite celebrities, places and foods. Over 2 million Chinese visited the...
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"Sky-Fi" cost keeps shifting...up and down
The more it becomes clear that inflight Wi-Fi is what passengers want, the less clear it is just how much will be available and how much it will cost. Airlines are switching—with costs involved—to satellite based services from vendors such...
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AA teases West Texas with 787 dry runs
When an airline gets a new type of plane for the first time, its pilots need to learn to fly it. And no matter how many hours go into work on a simulator, there's no substitute for the real experience. Case in point: American Airlines got its...
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Iceland's newest museum: 23 full-size whales!
Iceland has another new attraction—Whales of Iceland, a permanent exhibit of 23 full-size whale models near Reykjavik's harbor. It's the world's largest whale exhibit. Photo: Whales of Iceland Whales are popular everywhere these days, and...
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Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Paris: A Park with a Past
Like so many of the great parks, Paris' Parc des Buttes Chaumont, seems to be at one with nature, or even to be nature itself. But while this park is beautiful, and a favorite of Paris families in the northeastern part of the city, it has a...
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Virgin America Plans on Adding Hawaii
Descending into Honolulu. Pearl Harbor below the wing Virgin America ...
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Viking: How to have snow on your summer cruise
Every year the cruise-ship companies find new ways to amuse and refresh passengers—mini-amusement parks, sky-diving, Broadway shows and more—but now Viking has trumped the others by adding snow to its new ocean cruisers, starting with...
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Fort Barrancas Has it All: Cannons, Gun Turrets,Tunnels and Great Views
Fort Barrancas is located within the Naval Air Station in Pensacola. You have to show your drivers license, or other ID, to enter the base. It sits on the barranca ,or bluff, overlooking the entrance to Pensacola Bay. This National Historic Landmark...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, June 20, 2015: A Ferry Ride to San Francisco
Visiting friends in Alameda, across the Bay from San Francisco, I decided to take the ferry and spend the day in the City. Far less expensive than parking in San Francisco, $3.10 each way for seniors and $6.25 full fare, the price of the...
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Where Was Gumbo? Paris. Where's the Statue? Everywhere!
Where in the World was TravelGumbo? If we simply said "At the Statue of Liberty," it wouldn't have been a very precise identification, because, as I found and you shall see, the iconic statue is everywhere and in so many forms! In today's blog, I'm...
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Back to Oaxaca: Michael's House
PortMoresby finds her perfect place in Oaxaca, Mexico, in a strikingly modern house tucked into Xochimilco, the oldest neighborhood in the city.
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September 12, 2017: Harbor Scenes
Paul Hunter shares some harbor scenes from North Yorkshire.
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October 8, 2017: Night Sky over Lac Des Arc, Alberta
Pierre Renault shares some lovely night shots of Lac Des Arc in Alberta, not far from the town of Canmore and the entrance to Banff National Park.
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Artful exhibits lined up for Italy's museums
Four outstanding exhibitions that highlight the fall art season in Italy, along with many others.
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Eiffel Tower's light beams dark for a month
The spotlights installed on the Eiffel Tower to mark the millenium are off for the next month, down for maintenance and an upgrade.
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Museums of Buffalo and Corning, New York
At the end of Jonathan L's recent trip along the Erie Canal, he found time to take in a selection of upstate museums, and he shares them here.