Touring Free in NYC

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Eva| Leave a comment

A rare glimpse inside the Chrysler Building lobby

A rare glimpse of deep inside the Chrysler Building lobby

A Wealth of Free Tours Exist in New York City. You Just Have to Know Where to Look.

Information imparted with wit and eloquence always seems to sink in to my head better and longer, and so I will forever remember the details provided by Peter Laskowich on the Grand Tour of the Grand Central Terminal neighborhood. Buildings tell us things was the theme of the tour; illustrated repeatedly as Peter lead us around the neighborhood, for a rare glimpse deep inside the Chrysler Building lobby, and throughout the terminal. His comedic timing, depth of knowledge and interactive style easily kept us engaged for 1.5 hours.

Although I live here, I occasionally join tours of my own city and this one did not disappoint. Amid the largest tour group I’ve ever been in since grammar school, Peter herded us around what I never knew was Terminal City, the multi block development around Grand Central that was the place to be after it was erected. Few of the original Terminal City buildings remain. Yet, the elite moved to Park Avenue and never left despite the Metro North trains rumbling below their million dollar real estate.

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Posted in Destinations, New York

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Avoiding the Cruise Ship Crowds on Grand Cayman

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Eva| Comments Off

January 29, 5 Ships in Georgetown, Grand Cayman

January 29, 2013. 5 Ships in Georgetown, Grand Cayman

Avoiding crowds of cruise ship passengers took on new meaning on Grand Cayman, where 4 ships per day was typical on most weekdays; 5 on Tuesday.

This is not an attempt to bash people who cruise; just evade them.

One of the 5 ships that arrived in Georgetown, Grand Cayman on January 29th – Independence of the Seas – holds 4,370 passengers and 1,360 crew. Even if half the cabins were unsold, there were easily 10,000 cruise ship passengers and crew on Grand Cayman that day. For a snorkeler who prefers not to have others’ fins in her face – it was necessary to be strategic. Plus, craft vendors tend to jack up the prices on the days cruise ships are in town. This isn’t specific to Grand Cayman; in fact Grand Cayman tends to have higher end stores with clearly marked, fixed prices.

To find out how many ships will be in port so you can plan around them check CruiseTT. A quick check of CruiseTT for January 29th showed 4 ships on a day I know there were 5, so if the difference between 4 or 5 ships makes a difference to you, you can also check the site for the port on the island you’re visiting.

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Posted in Destinations, On The Trip, Snorkeling, Trip Reports

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Donovan House, DC – If Only I Could Live There

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Eva| Comments Off

Kimpton’s Newest DC Hotel, Well Located for K Street, Dupont Circle and Most Major Attractions

Donovan House, Washington, DC

 

Kimpton’s newest DC property, Donovan House, has spoiled me forever. It is doubtful that any similarly – or many higher priced hotels – will ever compare. A completely ridiculous fantasy yes, but I really wish I could magically shrink the room down to be carried around the world with me to be instantly installed in almost every other hotel I visit. Especially in London and Paris. Although if I had 1 magical travel wish, it would be the ability to blink myself back from Asia, a la Bewitched.

Since my August stay, I’ve been coming up with any number of excuses for a return trip, the hotel is that great. Maybe I will finally make Cherry Blossom season?

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Happy New Year Everyone!

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Eva| Comments Off

 

Empire State Building New Years Light Show 2012/3

Greetings from my rooftop in NYC!

My resolution – again – is to be a more active blogger in 2013!

Best wishes for a wonderful, healthy, happily employed and prosperous 2013! May your travels be frequent, fun and fruitful.

Love,

Eva

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Hotel Heroes of Hurricane Sandy

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Eva| Comments Off

My personal Thank You to the management and staff of Kimpton’s Eventi Hotel and the Holiday Inn Manhattan

Seating area at the Eventi Hotel

Eventi Hotel’s food court seating area – a haven for the Chelsea community and hotel guests during Hurricane Sandy

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy would have been a lot harder to deal with, had it not been for the kindness of the Holiday Inn Manhattan, and the haven that the  area behind the Eventi’s food court turned into for a lot of New Yorkers.

While at least one hotel – across from the Holiday Inn – blocked their outdoor outlets, these 2 hotels were saviors to New Yorkers and visitors alike, who needed running electronic devices to maintain a lifeline to family, friends and managers.

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Reims: Champagne Lover’s Day Trip from Paris

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Eva| 4 Comments

Ruinart, House of Champagne's Magnum Alley

Ruinart’s Magnum Alley – paradise for any Champagne lover

Drinking Champagne is certainly my idea of a perfect way to spend a major birthday and so I planned a day trip to Reims for the big day during my celebratory trip to Paris.

My French friend Antoine, whose birthday was a week away, joined me. He offered to drive, but for obvious reasons we decided to take the TGV train.

Although visiting small growers in the countryside would be ideal, we stuck to the houses with tasting rooms in Reims. We were slightly limited by the fact my birthday was on a Monday, the day many houses are closed. Ruinart and Mumm were available and I booked appointments for one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. It was easy to do this via email in English.

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Posted in Destinations, Food and Wine, Trip Reports

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Photo Storage in the Cloud: Quick and Easy for Traveling

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Eva| Comments Off

Dropbox Free Cloud Storage

Reading back on my Travel Photography page here, it all seems so quaint. Photo storage devices; portable hard drives. I wrote that content last March, now it is outdated.

Cloud computing makes all of this unnecessary. You can store all – or your most important images in the cloud and not have to take the time to backup to an external device.

When I was developing his site earlier this year, my client Francois at the Saint Barth Dental Association introduced me to Dropbox. Dropbox gives you 5 gigs of free cloud storage. As you refer friends or add devices, you get more storage.

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Posted in On The Trip, Photography, Trip Planning

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American Travelers/Shoppers: Little Known Trade Program Extends Your Purchasing Power

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Eva| Comments Off

Hand-painted wooden bowl from Ecuador, covered by GSP

The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program and What it Means to You

Over 5000 products from 128 countries can be imported into the United States duty free due to the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. Started to promote economic growth in developing nations, it has the benefit of providing customs exemptions on many of the craft items visitors bring home from traveling.

Most crafts, handmade jewelry, ceramics, glass, most handwoven textiles and some carpets are covered by this program and do not count toward your $800 customs allowance. Apparel,  footwear, watches, handbags and luggage are not covered by GSP. Manufacturing products, including chemicals are included but I hope you’re not planning to bring them home in your suitcase. Here is a lengthy list of covered products (you need to scroll past the bovines).

This means you can buy that $800 lens in Bangkok and still purchase hill tribe embroidery and jewelry in Chiang Mai.

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28 Art-Full Hours in Philadelphia

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Eva| Comments Off

Logan Circle Fountain, Philadelphia with Color Racers in background

Philadelphia’s Swann Memorial Fountain, with Color Race participants in background

A Day Trip is good; a Weekend is better. Overnight works.

Lower Merrion, PA always seemed elusive for this reluctant driver, and I was thrilled when I found out the Barnes Foundation was opening a Philadelphia location. The day tickets went on sale to the public in mid May, I booked. My nearby cousin Mark and his wife Cindy were interested in joining me.

There’s a lot to see and do in Philadelphia, so I planned on making a night of it. With an overnight trip, you can see at least 2 museums, or a museum and another attraction. Maybe crucial historical sights like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall? The city is also a mecca for those interested in antiques. Plus, Philadelphia has so many restaurants worth visiting, it will be difficult to limit yourself to one dinner.

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Master Weavers of Ecuador

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Eva| 2 Comments

Master Ecuadorean weaver, Miguel Andrango spins wool

Master weaver Miguel Andrango demonstrates spinning wool

To find superior textiles in Ecuador, you need to go beyond the textile market in Otavalo and Quito’s upscale stores like Olga Fisch and Tianguez. You have to go to the source…

As my hotelier in Otavalo said “there isn’t a handwoven thing in that market.” The famous Otavalo textile market is worth a visit for the craft items; especially on Saturday when artisans appear from the countryside, bringing unique products distinguished from the mostly mass produced goods sold during the week. But in general, this is not the place to buy quality weavings to the extent of say, Pisac market in Peru.

Instead, for $10/hour, a cab driver like the wonderful Arturo can facilitate visits to the best weavers in the area, with stops at scenic viewpoints, areas of interest and leather-producing towns like Cotacachi. If you don’t speak Spanish, discuss your plans with your hotelier and ask someone bilingual at the hotel communicate your specific stops to the driver. Or you can always write a list of desired stops.

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