The Travel Thread

[shafnutz05]

Just booked my ticket to maui with the gf, so pumped. Csb.

Congrats, this is on our travel bucket list

[mac5155]

Whats VA Beach like in early May? warm enough to swim?

[Tomas]

Planning a trip to NOLA for my (40th) birthday in April. I got the food stuff planned and mapped, but what exactly is there to do in N'awlins?

Well, happy future birthday. 40 sucks. I hope you are at least buying yourself a nice watch (Steve McQueen's Tag Heuer Monaco? ).

Anyway, New Orleans. Surprisingly dull IMO. I tend to be there quite often (finance associations put conferences there all the time). For music, I usually end up here:
http://www.maisonbourbon.com/
A tourist trap, but pretty much one of the only jazz places on Bourbon.

Jackson Square is a nice thing to see.
Some nice parks (Audubon).
Steamboat ride (though this is a very passive experience).

Lately, I started venturing to places around NO. There are actually some nice plantations within a reasonably short drive - e.g. Oak Alley http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/welcome.html of the "Primary Colors" fame:

[shafnutz05]

Whats VA Beach like in early May? warm enough to swim?

The water is pretty chilly (mid 60s) that time of year, and the weather can be very unreliable. Definitely wouldn't be a comfortable swim.

[Nuge]

Anyone here been to Seattle? I may be out there for a few days in May and am in the initial stage of looking into things to do.

[Rylan]

Whats VA Beach like in early May? warm enough to swim?

The water is pretty chilly (mid 60s) that time of year, and the weather can be very unreliable. Definitely wouldn't be a comfortable swim.

Yea, I went in late May early June and it was amazing. Also, the sand soccer tournaments were fun to watch.

[Kaizer]

Anyone here been to Seattle? I may be out there for a few days in May and am in the initial stage of looking into things to do.

born and raised.

if you like classic rock, go to EMP. the space needle and pike place market are really the only other things to do downtown if you arent entering a stadium.

[GJ]

Anyone here been to Seattle? I may be out there for a few days in May and am in the initial stage of looking into things to do.

Ran a marathon there in June a few years ago and spent two days in the area. Pike Place Market, EMP museum, dinner in the Space Needle, Mariners baseball game. Then there are the surrounding mountains. Great city and beautiful part of the country.

[yubb]

Pike Place is the place where they throw the fish. Very touristy, but fun. Actually I hated it because it was so crowded and we spent time shopping for useless crap.

Mt. Sai is nearby. It's a pretty nice hike. There's some waterfall there too.

The water is quite cold. And the "beaches" aren't nice at all. It was odd seeing people play in the water and on the beach with as rocky and cold as it was.

[Idoit40fans]

Went to New York to see Swedish House Mafia at the Barclay's Center this weekend. That is a nice arena. First time to Brooklyn too and the part I was in was very nice.

[CERV96]

Anyone been to Atlantis? They seem to be really pushing that place hard lately.

[obhave]

Just had the best gluten-free pizza of my life. Italians know how to do it right.

[Guinness]

Rylan, it doesn't matter where you go... it matters what you do. For my money, there's nothing getting out of a trip overseas if you don't get down with the locals. Go where your interests lie. Find Europe compelling? Paris, Vienna, and/or Munich are hard to beat. That's what floated my boat when I set sail. Wherever you go, tho', make sure you get to know the place. I travelled with some folks who went 3,000 miles just to eat at McDonalds and go to nightclubs they could've gone to in any podunk Yank small town or even New York City. Meet people. Stay with them. Eat their food. Learn their customs. Greatest learning experience of my life was travelling overseas and breaking the bonds of my own cultural experiences. Don't stay in "hotels"; stay in bed & breakfasts, hostels, and pensions. Don't eat at chains; look for the places the locals go to. Do hit the tourist destinations, but make sure you also get off the beaten path. My best cultural experiences were not at the Louvre; they were in meeting up with a few Parisians, buying a bagette and a hunk of cheese, and hanging out in a park all night, speaking broken, drunken English back and forth and learning about each other.

It'll change your life. I promise, young Sentinel.

[Pavel Bure]

Just had the best gluten-free pizza of my life. Italians know how to do it right.

The biggest thing I noticed when I was over there was that ALL of their food was made fresh. None of this frozen tossed in the microwave stuff.

[obhave]

Just had the best gluten-free pizza of my life. Italians know how to do it right.

The biggest thing I noticed when I was over there was that ALL of their food was made fresh. None of this frozen tossed in the microwave stuff.

It's amazing. I have tried to avoid all tourist traps for dinner and it has worked out really well taste/price wise. Basically just living on fruit for breakfast/lunch though. I'm on a journey for an apparently amazing gf bakery after the Vatican on Monday, so excited.

Berlin is next. Advice from anyone of good places to go and things to do?

[llipgh2]

Thinking of going to Ottawa over the 4th of July holiday. Has anyone ever been there?

[ExPatriatePen]

Thinking of going to Ottawa over the 4th of July holiday. Has anyone ever been there?

You'll enjoy it. Great architecture for the Capital buildings. (You'll feel like you're in England).

Quiet though, not a whole lot going on (And of course the 4th means NOTHING to them).

The downtown area is pretty usesless and they roll up the sidewalks at dusk.

There's an area just outside of the downtown area called "The Market" which has great resturaunts, pubs and shops.

The first week of July, the weather will probably be perfect fpr you! Enjoy!

[llipgh2]

Thanks for the feedback. I purposely picked a Canadian city to avoid the 4th. All US cities would be nuts.

[ExPatriatePen]

Thanks for the feedback. I purposely picked a Canadian city to avoid the 4th. All US cities would be nuts.

No worries, glad to be of assistance!

btW, the hotel I stayed at (Downtown) was like staying in an apartment. They even had utility room is each suite with a washer/dryer.

http://www.minto.com/find-a-hotel-in-ot ... jects.html

[Rylan]

how much do passports cost?

[ExPatriatePen]

how much do passports cost?

When I got mine it was the cost of a couple of CVS photos and $65 bucks. But that was 9 years ago and I hear it's more expensive now.

You also can pay to have an expedited process. Otherwise I think they say to give it at least three months.

After a thorough web search (Three clicks):

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html

[Rylan]

What's the card and book mean?

[llipgh2]

Thanks for the feedback. I purposely picked a Canadian city to avoid the 4th. All US cities would be nuts.

No worries, glad to be of assistance!

btW, the hotel I stayed at (Downtown) was like staying in an apartment. They even had utility room is each suite with a washer/dryer.

http://www.minto.com/find-a-hotel-in-ot ... jects.html

I plan to stay at Albert by the Bay Suites.

[llipgh2]

What's the card and book mean?

Passcard can be used for driving or sailing into Canada and Mexico. Only passports can be used for flights.

[Rylan]

got it. Thanks