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July 15, 2007
The right season
Be really careful when you make your travel plans to go during the best season. Or at least, to NOT go during the worst season. My brother and his wife went to an island last month for a weeklong vacation, but it turned out to be monsoon season. After three days of miserable rain, and evacuation, they went home. They did not have travel insurance, and even if they did, it probably wouldn't have covered weather.
For instance, eastern Europe in the winter (Dec-March) is not a good idea. Watch for hurricane season on the U.S. east coast. If a trip has a deep discount, there is usually a reason for it; no one wants to travel at that time. We went to Vegas once, and I was looking forward to a hot getaway, but the hotel pool wasn't even open yet.
Do your homework, learn all you can about seasons and locations.
Posted by Idea Man at 12:49 PM | Comments (0)
July 09, 2007
A weekend in Canada
There's a lot to do in Canada, but we only had two days, a rather quick turnaround for a family of four. Toronto was everything I remembered it to be: cosmopolitan, cool, crowded. It reminded us of New York, actually.
When we were looking for a restaurant for dinner, we found a long list of possibilities. There was even a category of "Canadian" food, though I really can't think of anything that is pure Canadian. (OK, like Canadian bacon, or Canadian beer, what am I missing?)When we finally settled on a place, there was a 45 minute wait.
The city was really bustling. We saw a lot of big groups walking around, from conventions, reunions and sports teams. There were a lot of photo opportunities, for sure. We didn't even have time to go to the Ontario Science Center, which is a really cool place. Next time, we will set aside more time so we can fit everything in.
Posted by Idea Man at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2007
Toronto is cool
We are planning a trip to Toronto and will travel by train. It's been years since I have been there. It's a beautiful city, very cosmopolitan. Taking the train gives it an even more surreal sense. How often do we get to take a train anywhere?
I was a little surprised by the price and even commented to the customer service rep on the phone that it was almost as expensive as a plane trip. She responded: "Yes, but some people just prefer the train."
Well, right she is.
There's a science museum that I would love to visit again. I have great memories of that place. And we're going to a musical, "We will rock you," music by Queen. This should be interesting.
I'm glad we all have passports, that should make the border crossing a bit smoother. Speaking of passports, I hear there is a big log-jam. I finally convinced my mother to send hers in. Now we'll see how long it will take.
Posted by Idea Man at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)