Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Cincinnati is commonly considered to be the nation’s first boom-town of the early nineteenth century located in the heart of the country to rival those that were located along one of the coastlines. It was compared to these coastal communities in size and wealth as well as industry. It is also frequently considered to be the first truly American city, meaning that it was entirely removed from British or European influence in its development. This are extremely strong reasons to give the city and its residence a sense of pride, and the professional sports teams that belong to it are representative of this and are perfect options to place one’s city passion in.

People from Cincinnati are proud of their city and they love their sports teams, as any major city’s inhabitants should. And while the tourists who visit this great American boom-town, may love those aspects of the city’s history, they are unlikely to share the same enthusiasm for the local sports teams. However, front desk hosts and other staff at some of the nice hotels are likely more than willing to bring guests up to date on the current sports stats.

The Cincinnati Reds are the city’s major league baseball team. One of the older franchises in existence, they were first established in 1882. They were originally known as the Red Stockings, which was later shortened to Reds. Their home games have been played at Great American Ball Park since 2003. The Cincinnati Bengals are the professional football team from the city. They’re not nearly as old as the Reds, though the city still loves them. They are currently enjoying some strong players and periods of success. They are the AFC North Division Champions. The Bengals play their home games in Downtown Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium. Anthony Munoz, Charlie Joiner and Paul Brown are all Bengals Pro Football Hall of Famers
.

I’ve been interested i circadian rhythms for most of my life.  When I first heard about these in sixth grade, I thought that this meant that the whole world was a mess.  The idea that our natural clocks are different from the way the sun spins us around just seemed unnatural or something.  At the same time, I had an inkling that there was some kind of hope in all of this.  We seem to be powerless over the measures of time, in the world, and in our own bodies, and these forces are not as far from our reach as we think.  I’ve always felt like I was peculiarly maladjusted for city life, and this, for some reason, meant that I should be in a city, or at least close.

The possibilities are there for enjoying the rhythm of a city like New York, with five-star hotels that offer comforts and hospitalities that cater to a comfortable rhythm.  It seems like a way of beating nature, almost, and it also can seem like it’s a way of reinventing ourselves.  New York certainly is a place where one can go, leaving the life before spectacularly behind, and find out what we are like if we pretend to be something else.  For some, this kind of fluctuation in identity is unnerving, and for others, it’s a means to liberation, a kind of Buddhist negation of self that recreates something out of the fires of our experience.

The rhythms of Manhattan are particularly complex, based in the complex of human desires that number in the millions.  This creates a general sense that things are in complete chaos, and yet they seem to be working on their own accord in spite of ourselves.  There are few days here that really feel like 24 hours, and most of them go much faster.  This, for me, is really good news.  It means that I might have a chance to reset my own circadian clock.  It’s a means of short-circuiting all the senses, so that, at the end of the day, we get to rest alone with the person that we are becoming.

Liev Schreiber is an American actor who has become a household name for major Broadway fans. He is an incredibly talented and critically recognized theatre actor who is also successful and skilled in other genres such as film. He recently made his debut as a film director with his work on Everything is Illuminated, which he also wrote. He is incredibly popular with theatre audiences and has had an amazingly successful recent span of years on Broadway, though he much of his early work was on independent films.

He is currently starring in a production of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge at the Cort Theatre on West 48th Street. Scarlett Johansson is starring opposite Schreiber and it is reported that they make an incredible onstage team. Their character relationship is of a double orientation. It is familial based though it develops into an incredibly controversial nature through the course of the play. This is one of Miller’s examples of creating amazing suspense though most of the play is laid out in advance and there are really no surprises in the script.

Schreiber recently won a Tony Award for his Broadway efforts. He received the coveted stage actor’s award in 2005 for his work on David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glenn Ross. This was another incredibly edgy and suspenseful script, something Mamet is well known for. This play takes place, to a large extent, in a Chicago real estate office and deals with corruption and competition in that field. The play was written in 1982 and had its original Broadway premiere in March of 1984. The revival production, which starred Schreiber, was incredibly successful both critically and with the audiences, and a large number of them were in town staying at one of the hotels in New York and were lucky enough to catch that show.

Well we all know, through out the world, that Texas will always put up a good fight. Much of that started in the very beginning of the state. Back in the 1840s, the Republic of Texas had it out with Mexico. The area long the border has always been rather volatile. Back then it was always a fight for the land and now it is a fight for the immigrants and the trouble that often follows them. Fort Worth was named after Major General William Jenkins Worth who was the second in command next to General Zachary Taylor. Together they lead troops along the Rio Grande and it was Worth who put the first American flag on the Rio Grande.

Worth was a very tall handsome man who was very commanding and charismatic with is men. He was well admired for his talents as a horseman and fighter. His leadership skills placed him at the negotiations for the surrender of Mexico in Matamoros and a fine fight in Monterrey Mexico. He helped capture Puebla which was a large city in Mexico. He played many important roles in the Mexican-American War. He eventually died of Cholera and the military honored him and his three time war hero with four forts built in him name. Fort Worth Texas, Lake Worth Texas, Lake Worth Florida and Worth County which is in Georgia.

The town had its first boost of life when it became a stopping point along the Chisholm Trail. This put Fort Worth in the middle of the cattle industry which turned into ranch industry. The town has risen and fallen and risen again over the years depending on the industries that were popular over time. Now there are plenty of luxurious hotels in Fort Worth attracting millions of travelers a year to stay and do business or see some wild west history.

Carmel, California enjoys a great reputation these days as a fantastic beach resort that caters to the ideals of the perfect seaside vacation.  Travelers from all over the world come here to enjoy the rich combination of sand and surf, and there are few who do not find themselves in awe for at least a little while every day.  It’s the perfect place to go to get your bearings, improve your constitution, or to get in touch with the rhythms of nature again.  The place does speak to the poet in everyone, and it’s local population bears some famous names.

For visitors, Carmel offers hotels that are truly splendid, with a kind of luxury that’s hard to match.  Waking up in generous hospitality is a lovely way to begin any day, and here it’s a poetic start in any case.  Those who are inclined toward poetry, and here it’s difficult not to be, would no doubt enjoy a tour of Tor House Home.  This was built by the poet Robinson Jeffers in the early 20th century.

The famous tower was built as a gift to his wife, Una, who shared most of her life with him, and she would spend time here playing music, and his sons would play on the inner staircase.  The stone construction is indeed reminiscent of Irish castles, which was certainly his intention.  Jeffers was one of the great classical poets, whose skill was focused on creating epic verse, and he is considered one of the great masters of this form.  Respected by scholars and fellow poets alike, his background in science, history, and philosophy would inform his work.  He was deeply devoted to nature, and this was often contrasted with his rather cynical view of the human being.  He is a voice that speaks for a poetry that is difficult to find, and for a California that is still right here before our eyes.

This is where love turns to revolution.  There were three marks on her hand, the back of her hand, that were left there by pirates, is how she told it.  She mentioned that they were particularly interesting pirates, and may have been the type to come into town to raid for a few days, but in this case they stayed for several weeks.  They liked where she lived, and so did I.  It didn’t have any of the problems of my own home town, and the most persistent problem there was me.  The best thing about being with her was that I was not there, and this was good for everybody.

If I could find the right way to stay in New York, I would keep the secret quiet, such as the perfect hotel, that offers the perfect chance to have a perfect moment.  Our perfect moments were spent long before we met, which took some of the pressure off, but it often works out that way that things have a way of replenishing themselves, and by the end of the week, expectations would be high again.  I have imagined that I could adjust, but this isn’t about anything anyone ever adjusts to.  When the boy meets the girl (or any variation of that), then whatever rules once applied to the world have to go outside and wait with the dogs in the street.

Love is chaos, and love is a warm book without a movie coming soon, and love is also a pirate that waits to come back to town.  We love pirates.  We began to love pirates before the first word was spoken.  This time, however, everything would go badly, ultimately.  I would try to forget that it happened that way before, because when I think like that, I imagine it might happen again, and that’s when things come to a freeze, or the lava stops flowing and turns to rock.

Rome is one of the oldest cities in the Western hemisphere and it is also one of the few that transcends the boundaries between the ancient and the new worlds. As such it is understandable and even expected that it is full of tradition, historic elements and extremely rich culture. It is also one of the most popular tourist destination in the world and people visit who visit this city and enjoy a stay in one of the historic hotels in Rome come from across the globe.

There are many natural and human constructed landmarks and attractions in and around Rome and of these St. Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum are just two though they are representative of the city’s century spanning and tremendously awe inspiring landmarks. St. Peter’s Basilica is inside the walls of Vatican City and is one of its major establishments. It is considered to be the Mother church of the Catholic religion and is also considered to be one of the most holy of the sacred Christian sites. It is not only one of the most important Christian churches but also one of its most beautiful. It has a strong association to the papacy as well as to incredible art and most notable among the artists who have worked on it Michelangelo is probably the most famous and important.

The Colosseum is located in the center of the city and demonstrates the remains of the largest amphitheatre that was ever constructed during the Roman Empire. It’s believed that construction of this colossal amphitheatre began late in the first century AD between the years 70 and 72. Completion of it is recognized to have occurred under the emperor Titus in 82 AD. The purpose of this tremendous theatre was to host gladiator events as well as other public spectacles. The performance of dramas was common and the reenactment of mythological stories was popular.

One of the most interesting things about traveling to a new city, or a new country, is the opportunity to find history.  History of an area, or history of a group of people who are on one hand, so much like one’s self, and yet on the other hand, so different…a world apart.  In the Indonesian city of Jakarta, there is history all around, from the buildings on the street, to the public monuments to the museums.  The historic center of the city is today called, “Kota”.  This is where you will find the oldest and most impressive buildings, centered around the Taman Fatahillah, or the Fatahillah Square.

If you are wishing your stay in Jakarta to be surrounded by this history, then check here, and you will find accommodations that not only suit your needs, but will put you in the center of the oldest part of the city, surrounded by the Dutch Era buildings and homes.  One of the most impressive of the buildings is the Museum Bank Mandiri, and just next to this is the Museum Bank Indonesia, which is one of the first of the buildings to be completely renovated and restored.  Just down from these financial institutions is the Puppet Museum.  The Jakarta Museum of History located in the building that at one time housed the Jakarta City Hall.  On the other side of the street, is the Museum of Arts and Ceramics, where you may want to take the opportunity to try your hands at the pottery wheel or the ceramic workshop.

This is a long day of walking and a long day of absorbing the rich and extensive history of a city, from the financial history, to the political and societal history, to the history of the performing art of puppetry and the visual art of ceramics, tile and pottery.  It is an all inclusive look into the elements throughout time that have affected and continue to affect the culture of the people of the city of Jakarta.  So for a bit of relaxation at the end of a day such as this, there is the lovely Cafe Batavia, serving European and Indonesian food in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.  So next time you are in Jakarta, take a walk through Old Town, and you will leave with experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

One of the most romantic cities in the world is the city of Madrid.  Just walking through the narrow streets and the incredible architecture is a romantic way to spend the evening, however what can be as fun as a night out with a bit of dinner, and then a bit of dancing.  Madrid is the capital city of Spain, and as such offers a wide variety of cuisine that will be suitable for even the most discerning of palates.  This is a city that caters to visitors, from the cafes and the restaurants, to the fine service offered in one of the many hotels.  To find accommodations in the city, look here, and then let your journey begin.

I was traveling with a friend who happens to be a strict vegetarian.  For many years it was very difficult for the two of us to agree on a restaurant, but in Madrid his choices were just about limitless.  We found many options, from those that were inexpensive and quaint, to those that were a bit more extravagant and expensive.  We were told that unless we had quite a bit of money to spend, our best bet would be to stay off of the plaza and look along the side streets, which we did.  We found ourselves wandering along the Cava Baja, and here is where it all opened up, our world as our oyster, for we found a wealth of tapas bars.  This is the perfect way to dine, for two people of varied tastes, as the small plates gave us the chance to sample a variety of the dishes and the flavors of Spain.

We asked our waiter for his suggestion on places to go dancing, and he directed us to the Palacio Gaviria.  He said that on the weekends it becomes filled with people dancing to the trendy pop beats, but as it was the middle of the week we would be in for some Salsa dancing.  I mentioned much to my friend’s embarrassment, that he really did not know how to dance, but the waiter stated that that was no problem as if we got there soon, the dance classes would still be in session.  So off we headed, but I do think my friend was a little apprehensive at the thought of taking an unexpected dance class.  He had nothing to worry about however, and the night of dinner and dancing was a great success and a perfect way to spend our first night in Madrid.

It had been about twelve years since I had seen my uncle Mark and though I was raised in a separate state and only saw him once or twice a year while growing up I always felt we had a special connection and I always looked forward to seeing him. I guess the last time he was in town was the Christmas of my senior year in high school. That summer I left for college and didn’t have any family in Eugene, Oregon, which is where I was studying.

After I left it seems like that’s when my family started to have various scheduling conflicts and life interruptions that halted regular visits and celebrations. I wasn’t able to go home the first year and the second year uncle Mark wasn’t able to visit. In addition, I was the last of my brothers and sisters as well as cousins to graduate high school and I think the older generation relaxed a little with major family engagements. Whatever all the reasons ended up combining and causing a halt to family activity planning, it turns out that I had not seen my favorite uncle in almost twelve years. So, last summer I took it upon myself to find one of Boulder’s quaint hotels and make reservations as well as for a plane flight.

Oh, in case you’re thinking that I might have been imposing on him, I did contact him first and make sure that he was free and would be there on the weekend I planned to visit. I was terribly excited because not only was I going to get to see my uncle Mark, but this would be the first time that I visited him on my own. That also made me slightly nervous, but I’m an adult now, right? Exactly, I felt kind of like a kid again. Aside from a few math problems and logic puzzles I had sent to him to solve over the years, we had very little communication. It was limited to standard annual birthday and seasonal cards. Luckily we enjoyed some of the standard tourist attractions such as visiting the Mork and Mindy House and University of Colorado Campus, which made conversation easy. We also had some great food and laughs while I was there. In fact, it was so nice for both of us my uncle Mark asked me to return next year.