Tagged With "Guide to Santa Barbara"
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
Note that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private organization. I think that's key in this era of government cutbacks and a congress unable to accomplish anything to speak of. If the National Park Service is unable to maintain it's infrastructure then one can only imagine how little care might go into preserving bits of our cultural heritage lacking big names, such as those on the list above. Commercial interests also have a place in accomplishing what government and...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #8.5
What a beautiful church Gumbo has found! WITW? The clues: 18th century Spanish colonial architecture, typical of Franciscan missions; Banner in English; Materials are not typical of Florida or Texas missions; Various effigies of animals and unreal creatures, often incorporated by the Franciscans into their liturgy in order to convert American Indians. Typical of US southwestern states; Not one of the remaining California missions; Not in Santa Fe; Checked missions in Arizona. Found (as did...
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Re: The "Eiffel Tour" Only Starts with the Tour Eiffel
PHeymont, Your post reminded me that I had seen a pre-fabricated church designed by Eiffel in Baja, Mexico. It is in the small town of Santa Rosalia and still in use. There is more info here .
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Re: The Huntington, Los Angeles (Where Gumbo Was)
Great piece! The Huntington is one of my favorite places in the LA area and also pretty close to another one of my favorite spots ther , the beautiful racetrack, Santa Anita. As far as smog goes in LA , it really has gotten a lot better since I was a kid but still can be a shock to people.
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Re: Kyoto Tells Tourists What Not To Do
I'm really surprised at how condescending this list is to travelers. Really surprised Kyoto would put it out.
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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: Kyoto Tells Tourists What Not To Do
It is one of those real-life bad jokes. I find particularly humorous the rules about when and how to take photographs. Anyone who's stumbled upon a group of Japanese tourists know that they'll fight for the best shot if they have to! Guess the rules apply to foreign guests, not local residents.
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Re: Kyoto Tells Tourists What Not To Do
Wow. Most of the list IS common sense. But tourists don’t always practice common sense, maybe at times myself included. Thing is, I have observed several Japanese tourists doing exactly what they advise not to do on their list during my travels to Europe. :-/ Most recently, almost felt that the rules didn’t apply to them as I was scolded for taking a picture without flash at Sacre-Coeur (didn’t see the sign). That was my mistake. However, while I was getting scolded for my offense, several...
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Re: Route 66 - Pasadena to Needles
I n the mid-90s the National Park Service sent a team of professionals to do a survey of surviving road and features of the entire route, Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier, with my husband as illustrator for the report. I don't know if it's generally available but it might be interesting reading for someone with more than a casual interest.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 8, 2014: Hudson Bay Blankets, Banff
I have a deep personal love for my Hudson Bay Blanket, inherited from my parents, Jim and Barbara McAleer, who bought it in the 1930s when they were newly weds. A dry cleaner tried to steal it from me about 15 years ago. I told him I was going court over it and was told in found the next day! I'm now going to check out the prices on the HBC website. Never have checked. Your fan, NM
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day: A look at the first quarter, 2014
I like this one, of the guy with his dog. Reminds me of my granddad walking his little dog in Santa Monica when I was a kid. Good photos, good memories.
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Re: Top 7 Things to do in Avalon – Catalina Island
I've never really had Catalina on my list, but it's been in my head for nearly 60 years since the Four Preps song told me that "26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is waiting for me..." For any others who remember (or would like to), here's a YouTube link...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#338)
After eating lunch Gumbo can walk a short distance to another gathering place where he will find this young boy fishing in a pond: Or if the time of year is right, he might even find Santa Remember, the last clues go up tomorrow, so you have two days before Monday's reveal to get you guesses in.
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Re: LA rail extension great for beachgoers
This will really help on time. As a kid, I took the bus from Santa Monica to Downtown LA a lot and it took forever but it was to be one of the most interesting rides anywhere. It goes through such diverse neighborhoods it almost doesn't seem real.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 7, 2013: Bicycle taxi, Santa Clara, Cuba.
Santa Clara has motorized Taxi's if you want to travel some distance !
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Re: Printed Guides: Frommer Wants to Recapture the Market
There are 30 guidebooks in this series ? That is great. Mobile apps are fine but they are just not the same as printed guidebooks. We do hope that the Frommers are correct that this is an important, unfilled niche. Book loving travelers should support this product.
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Re: The ART of Chocolate: Brussels, Belgium
There is just nothing that beats chocolate. Hope that Santa brings me loads of the stuff.
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Re: Help Celebrate Gumbo's New Year: Pick Your Favorite Pictures!
I'm going to agree with Rob and give the edge to DrY's above. But must add, I'm just a sucker for lotus. My favorite souvenirs are pods collected from the garden pond of a little house I rented in Bali in the paddies. For those of you likewise enamored with these beautiful plants, a place to see them in profusion without traveling to Asia is a remarkable garden just outside Santa Barbara, California, called, appropriately, Lotusland. The "official" site isn't loading for some reason so I...
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Re: Coastal California: Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Great. I will be in Santa Cruz in a couple of weeks with HS friends and suggest we go thePigeon Point lighthouse! thanks again for a wonderful journey! Denia
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Supreme Court asked: Do tour guides need licenses?
Two Federal courts, one in New Orleans and another in Washington DC have issued conflicting decisions on whether cities can require licensing of tour guides. An advocacy group, Institute for Justice, acting on behalf of a group of guides, has asked...
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First time in forever: Flights from JFK to Cuba
Cuba Travel Services, a licensed agency for U.S. travelers with permits to visit Cuba, is expanding its service to the New York area, home to more Cubans and Cuban-Americans than any area in the U.S. outside Florida. The flights will operate as...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 24, 2014: Santa's Wonderland
Santa's Wonderland in College Station, Texas, has evolved over the past 17 years into the largest Christmas light display in the entire state. In addition to the spectacular light show is Santa's Town featuring gift shops, restaurants, hourly...
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And life was never the same again: How Barcelona stole my heart
Can you recall a moment from your travels that has really shaken your soul? A moment that has changed you forever? Well, here's mine. As I sat watching that sun set over Barcelona from the incredibly beautiful Parc Güell earlier...
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Cruising through the holidays
Every year thousands of passengers find out warm tropical breezes and Christmas festivities mix well aboard a Princess Cruise Line ship. “We install more than 347 Christmas trees fleet wide. Each vessel has a showcase tree in...
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Changing Trains in La Serenissima
My English friend and I left the beautiful apartment on the Anfiteatro in Lucca , she home to Bromsgrove in the West Midlands, and I toward Budapest and my old friends with a guesthouse near the famous synagogue. I was treating myself to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov. 7, 2013: Bicycle taxi, Santa Clara, Cuba.
CUBAN BICYCLE TAXI Cuba- A surprise around every corner ! Santa Clara, Cuba has a Central "Town Square" in the typical Spanish style. It has Trees for shade and long benches for...
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Left Bank of the Tiber
I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going. At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
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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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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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Road Trip, Day 3: A Sunny Day in Sonoma
March 11, 2015 The drive down California Highway 1, along the Mendocino and Sonoma County coast, was a bit of a bust. It started to rain as I arrived at Point Arena and Fort Ross was closed, it turned out, on weekdays, so I...
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Barcelona: Sometimes TOO many tourists at market
Barcelona, which continues to be one of the hottest European cities for visitors, has locals who sometimes feel a little crowded out...especially at their favorite food market, La Bouqueria. The result: during the Friday and Saturday shopping rush...
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Route 66 - Pasadena to Needles
Last summer I had the opportunity to do something I had always wanted to do - drive a significant portion of Route 66. Having spent 4 days in LA, I started a drive to Albuquerque to meet up with The Amazing Ms. D. Instead of rushing down the...
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Fee-free weekend kicks off National Park Week
U.S. National Parks will celebrate its annual National Park Week starting Saturday, April 18th, with two days of no entry fees (Saturday and Sunday) to kick off the celebration of America's more than 400 National Parks, big and small. Many...
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No TSA or Arriving Early? See What Members-Only Surf Air is Doing
Photo from Richard Silagi on Wikimedia Commons Surf Air, a members...
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Nov. 3, 2017: Auditorio Adan Martin, Tenerife
Ian Cook shares some beautiful images and the history of the beautiful modern opera house in Santa Cruz.
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The new 'Love Boat:' Pedaling down the Seine
A French couple with a penchant for unusual travel make their way 'on foot' from Paris to Honfleur.
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Seville Cathedral, Spain (Where Gumbo was, #237)
Gumbo was visiting the beautiful Gothic Cathedral in Seville, Spain. Built on the site of a mosque, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and well worth a visit when in Andalusia.
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October 9, 2017: Views from the Giralda, Seville
Originally built as a minaret to a mosque, the belltower of Seville's Cathedral has long been used as an observatory. Thousands of tourists walk up its ramps every day to enjoy the wonderful views of the city.
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Back to Oaxaca: Hoofing It, Zegache to Tilcajete
PortMoresby’s southern Mexico walk this week takes her from a wildly colorful church to an even wilder Carnival celebration.
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Seeing the World's Game at a Local Stadium - Palermo Football
A longtime soccer fan, Jonathan L has an exciting afternoon sitting with the locals at an important game in Palermo.
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Syracuse's Greek Temple Cathedral, Sicily
Gumbo was visiting a most unusual cathedral. Built as a Greek temple about 500 BC, it was already over a thousand years old when it became a church.
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July 15, 2017: Naples from Above
Naples from the air, or at least from a hillside terrace, shows the city in a variety of ways.
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Paris, Berlin top Europe tram-driving competition.
An unusual competition pits transit operators from different European cities against each other in an annual competition.
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Austria's newest hermit has unusual background
A 350-year-old hermitage gets a new tenant after the previous hermit quit.
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Southwest latest to bail on Cuba flights
With business to cities other than Havana slow, and no further loosening of tourism restrictions for Americans, the airline will drop flights to Varadero and Santa Clara, while keeping Havana.
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Art loan will give Spain 2 new museums
Cuban-American collector lends 7,000 artworks to Spain, which will open 2 museums to house what may become a permanent donation.
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Oro Tairona Museum, Santa Marta, Colombia
In Santa Marta, a fairly small museum navigates the fairly large tasks of the area's history and its prehistory.
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A Day in Santa Marta, Colombia
PHeymont spends a day making a nodding acquaintance with Colombia's oldest city, on the Caribbean coast.
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To the top of Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
If you like hiking, Ian Cook shares a fascinating adventure this week, as he works his way up one of the tallest volcanoes in the world.
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Resort life: Sun, Sand, Birds and Lizards
PHeymont and his wife aren't really resort people, but on a recent trip with friends they enjoyed themselves, and found new relationships with wildlife.