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Tagged With "The Natural State"

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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!

GarryRF ·
Mac. I'll be in Pennsylvania - Delaware - Maryland - Virginia later this month through September. Although a good way south of your expedition the colours of winter arrive gradually and the days are still warm enough to enjoy walking the empty State Parks. Only a leisurely days drive south of Boston. I love that warm gap between the end of an English summer and getting back home for that first chill of winter. LATE SEPTEMBER
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!

DrFumblefinger ·
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: Wonders of the Modern World

DrFumblefinger ·
The Soviets have never been completely transparent about Chernobyl, but this is the story as best as I was able to synthesize it: It seems that the alarm system was malfunctioning (going off all the time) so it was turned off by the tech monitoring the system. He had the fuel rods pulled out of their cooling chambers for maintenance work, was distracted (remember, the alarms are off), then by the time he focused back on the task at hand the rods had begun to melt and couldn't be reinserted...
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Re: "Mind Your Manners!" VisitBritain Warns Hoteliers

Paul Heymont ·
No, no one is hacking them...and the "advice" was picked up by all the major British papers...usually with an air of slight derision. You won't find it on the public website, which is devoted to getting us to visit; it was distributed as guidance to hotel operators, and as a press release. Originally Posted by TatToo: It is not the author's list. The cited articles and various others on the Internet state that the list was originally published on VisitBritain's website. However, I am not...
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Re: Where Gumbo Was, #6: The Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An, Vietnam

PortMoresby ·
JohnT, over the years Asia has become more & more a favorite part of the planet for me to wander and hang out. I think the reason may be, in part, because it's much more in a state of flux than, say, Europe and as a result has more to offer someone who likes a bit of edge to their travels. I fear Europe has become somewhat more of the same wherever I go these days while Asia offers more of what I seem to need. Not to say there aren't parts of Europe to which I still enjoy returning. But...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 21.0

Paul Heymont ·
Speaking of Hawaii...here's another puzzle: Which state is Hawaii's nearest U.S. neighbor?
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 21.0

Paul Heymont ·
Well, I didn't expect anyone to twig it quite that fast, and it's not just because of a polar route. Although we usually don't think of Hawaii extending north of Kauai, in fact the state includes the entire Hawaiian Ridge/Emperor Seamount chain, running up to the Aleutian trench, just off Alaska's Aleutian islands. Mostly underwater, mostly administered by Federal agencies as a preservation/conservation area. Kure Atoll and Green Island is the northernmost habitable place in Hawaii, and it's...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #33

DrFumblefinger ·
Believe it's time for a clue. This photo was taken in the Beehive state.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,

GarryRF ·
Getting around the UK is very easy using Public Transport. Students travel around the country all the time - going to Uni and back home for the weekend. Friends going to weddings and folks going to London. London - like big Cities in the US - is a Traffic Nightmare ! Fortunately the UK is about the same size as a US State. Maybe Florida ? So its only a few hours by road. Trains are much faster - but more expensive, You're choice. So... look at http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx They're...
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?

DrFumblefinger ·
Arizona is a huge state, EyeWonder. Where exactly were you going to be home-based during your Christmas vacation? It would help to know so that we could better advise you.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print

GarryRF ·
I know Paul - I'm just being a bad traveller ! It's like folks go to France and complain that Parisians don't smile! But they do when they know you! I just find big cities much the same. Like Havana is the same as any other overgrown City in the Caribbean! Crumbling Spanish Architecture. Dominican Republic is another good example. I must be getting Claustrophobic Paul ! Give me the wide open spaces of Delaware State Park and I'm in heaven. Some days I have the whole Park to myself. Solitude...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #7.0

WorkerBee ·
It's the capitol building. Well, not THE capitol building but A capitol building. One of fifty scattered around the United States. One with a dome. One in which the building is very similar to THE capitol building in Washington, D.C. Gumbo is in Salt Lake City standing in front of the Utah State Capitol building!
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #7.0

WorkerBee ·
Originally Posted by DrFumblefinger: Canadian legislative buildings are of similar design as well. Sure it's not one of those? Hmmm. It is snowy enough. And there are also several other snow belt states' capitol buildings that have similar domes. However, since Utah is the beehive state I will stick with my original guess.
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Re: The Devil's Millhopper is in Tim Tebow Country

Travel Rob ·
Thanks Vivie, Except for the Oak covered in Spanish Moss,the rest of the vegetation in Devil's Millhopper is far different from the rest of the state.
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Re: Do you Like these Hotel Tipping Tips ?

GarryRF ·
I'm well aware that there may be many contributing factors to the problem of poor service. But I'm not there to consider the state of the world nor am I there to balance justice among the poor. I just want a decent meal at a decent price. Just as in any job - my own included - people just want me to do my job. Do it well. No excuses. And they show there gratitude occasionally, with a tip. Its the same with me. Good food and good service gets you well rewarded. Shape up or Ship out !
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Re: A Springtime Walk in the Desert

Paul Heymont ·
Great color and variety! Thanks...I'm going to have to get to the desert in spring, sometime. I visited the Sonora desert in December, and recognize some of these from seeing them without their brilliant display (click HERE for that blog) This is certainly a reminder of how little we know a place when we only know it "in season."
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Re: A Springtime Walk in the Desert

GarryRF ·
How many times do folks say "Why did you go there ? There's nothing to see !" That's why I love going the opposite way from the crowd. Beautiful selection of photo's ! Any little beasties on the loose ?
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Re: A Springtime Walk in the Desert

DrFumblefinger ·
There were a lot of these little lizards around, GarryRF. Generally a good sign because if there's rattlesnakes about they hide. Except for birds, everything else was well hidden.
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Re: El Calafate, Argentina. Our first view of the ice and snow covered Andes

Shawnza ·
Wow! What a view - such a neat layout of colours!
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Re: AAA Premier a Good Idea for Budget Travelers

Former Member ·
AAA seems to choose their contracted towing services very well. I have always had good luck with them. I used the coverage when I had a break down with a rental car in a small town. The rental car company suggested that I call AAA for towing to their office in a nearby larger town to exchange the car. The rental car company had a contract with the same towing company that was under contract to AAA in that area. So that was very easy. If the tow goes over the 200 miles, they charge something...
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Re: South Dakota State Capital, Pierre – The Land of Infinite Variety

Jonathan L ·
Wonderful pics! isn't Pierre one of the few state capitals that is not directly on the interstate?
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Re: You've got a friend in Pennsylvania...and it's an app!

DrFumblefinger ·
An excellent idea. Hopefully every state (and province) can put out similar information.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo, #60

PortMoresby ·
The flag looks familiar and if I'm not mistaken, that brown blob is the bear on the CA state flag. If so, I think that narrows down the search for type of tree considerably.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 11, 2015: Fruit of the Vine

Paul Heymont ·
We have a lot of different state and local laws, so, as they say, Your Mileage May Vary. Since New York is a significant wine-producer, it may be a bit easier here, and in summer there are several wine producers sampling at our local Greenmarket
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 11, 2015: Fruit of the Vine

Paul Heymont ·
The Finger Lakes area in the center of the state has long been a big white-wine producer; Taylor is originally from there. There's been a growing industry on Long Island in recent years, where sandy soil in some areas has been good to the grapes. On the whole, NY wines range from extraordinary to oversweet. And, of course, it's home to one of my guilty favorites: Manishewitz Concord Grape wine, kosher for Passover!
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Re: The Top South Florida Beaches to Visit

Travel Rob ·
Thanks Katy ,some great beaches The water is great for swimming in Florida.The beaches are great .If your coming from out of state though, realize summer is hot,humid and rainy
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec 4th, 2014: A Ride to Paradise

Paul Heymont ·
A favorite with my kids when they were young (and with me!) Nearby, there is the Pennsylvania state railroad museum and the National Toy Train Museum, as well as all the attractions of Lancaster County "Amish Country." Thanks!
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Re: Visiting Patagonia. 2) Laguna Nimez Nature Preserve, El Calafate

My Thatched Hut ·
Great article. Thanks. I need to go there. The black bird in the water is an Andean Coot. Your grey unknown bird is a Southern Lapwing. Tom
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Re: Visiting Patagonia. 2) Laguna Nimez Nature Preserve, El Calafate

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks, Tom! I've incorporated these names into the blog. As you're a dedicated birder, I know you'd love to spend some time here.
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Re: Visiting Patagonia. 2) Laguna Nimez Nature Preserve, El Calafate

jack james ·
I must say again an impressive sharing from DrFumblefinger’s side. I really like to read your published blog posts. Moreover your collection of photographs that you have shared with us is amazing. I love such kind of natural spots to see the beauty of this world. I will be free after my seaworld adventure parks I would like to go there and capture the sights of this region in my own camera.
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Re: Visiting Patagonia. 2) Laguna Nimez Nature Preserve, El Calafate

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks Jack! Travel is a joy and it's fun to share with others who love it too.
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Re: Spring Time on Table Mountain

Travel Rob ·
Thanks adventuretime88 , Your blog made me feel like I was taking that hike! California really is an incredible state .
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

Paul Heymont ·
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

PortMoresby ·
I'd love it if they collected the bed tax here. Since they don't, and it's my impression that few here pay it, including it as part of my fee creates an imbalance for me, making it appear as though I'm getting more than I do. I state the breakdown in my listing but hardly anyone actually reads the listings. If they collected it, it would give a fair comparison of the room rate with the taxes added on at the end, as the fees are now. I think, though, despite what seems a good idea from the...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 3, 2014: Metropole Hotel, Hanoi

DrFumblefinger ·
That's an interesting link, GarryRF, because Sri Lankans tend to be pretty mellow about most things. Still, being disrespectful (or perceived as disrespectful) to Buddha is frowned on and not tolerated by the Sinhalese majority. As many know, it is considered very disrespectful to show too much skin in a Buddhist temple or shrine (no bare shoulders or legs). You won't be allowed admittance to the shrine unless you cover yourself. I believe this woman offended these customs. But this POD is...
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Re: The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. Where Gumbo was #(133)

vagabond ·
Nice clicks. Seems like a great place to take the kids.
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Re: The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. Where Gumbo was #(133)

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for your comment, Vagabond. It is a great place to take kids, who are fascinated by all the displays. But even as an adult, it was fascinating to take this step back in time to how a Natural History Museum presented information 100 years ago.
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Re: The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. Where Gumbo was #(133)

TravelingCanuck ·
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Its been several years since I have even been to Banff and I haven't been to the museum since the early 80s. It is a nice look at the old Banff before it exploded into the mass tourist site it is now. I will have to revisit the museum in the near future.
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Re: The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site. Where Gumbo was #(133)

Jonathan L ·
Great Pictures. I lived in Canmore for a year, and I never knew about this place. I will definitely stop in te next time I am there.
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Re: South Dakota (yes!) has booming tourist year

DrFumblefinger ·
The western part of the state is really beautiful, and the plains have their own magic. I'm not surprised by this news. There's a lot to see and do in "flyover country".
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Re: Norway's plea: Please pick up after our bears

GarryRF ·
Did you know that if you felled all the trees in Canada and laid them end to end then .... the Bears would have nowhere to take a dump !!
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Re: Norway's plea: Please pick up after our bears

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by GarryRF: Did you know that if you felled all the trees in Canada and laid them end to end then .... the Bears would have nowhere to take a dump !! Garry -- the bears are smart and would use those millions of trees to build rafts they could float to England, where they could dump often and where ever they wanted!
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Re: Norway's plea: Please pick up after our bears

GarryRF ·
Ahh ! The smell of freedom !
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Re: New aluminum battery could be traveler's best friend

DrFumblefinger ·
It might just revolutionize consumer electronics -- and perhaps even make battery powered cars and such a more feasible option.
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Re: Observatory of New York's One World Trade Center to Open May 29th

Paul Heymont ·
At those prices, they can certainly claim to be "sky-high!" That's $116 for a family of four for an elevator ride. And even at that, it's only a couple of dollars more than the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, and the same as the Empire State Building charges for its 86th floor deck, with an additional charge for the top deck. It seems a shame that families on a budget have no access to the iconic "NY from the air" view that their children may be clamoring for.
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Re: Places where nature has taken over

Paul Heymont ·
Walking through wooded areas in rural New England (including in park land), it's not uncommon to come on foundations or other evidence of human occupation, and we're not talking paleolithic! Industrialization, urbanization and westward expansion lowered population levels in rural New England in the later 1800s, and today more of New England is covered in forest than at the time of the American Revolution! Old farmsteads, mills, even villages just disappeared.
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Re: Places where nature has taken over

DrFumblefinger ·
Excellent observation, PHeymont. I notice the same when hiking through the forests in the west. Log cabins, old mines -- mostly all gone and taken over by nature.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, February 26, 2014: The Hope Diamond, Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.

Ottoman ·
DrFumblefinger, if you by chance came across any incriminating headlines, you didn't see anything. Now, thanks to TravelGumbo, I can research a nice quiet getaway...I mean retirement destinaiton for myself (cough cough).
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 28, 2015: Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, Montana

DrFumblefinger ·
Brings back some wonderful memories! The Going to the Sun Road is one of North America's most spectacular drives. But it does get very crowded in the summer, so take your time and drink in that beautiful scenery! Glacier NP joins Waterton NP in Canada to form an International Peace Park and these two parks together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 
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