April 2009

  • Five Hidden Gems in San Francisco.

    By legerdemain on 4/27/09 11:48am
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    San Francisco. Gateway to America. The Golden Gate Bridge. Alcatraz. Coit Tower. Golden Gate park. The Ballpark. Haight Ashbury. The city that is, or was, the first view of America for so many immigrants coming in from South East Asia. Forty Nine square miles of every ethnic group you could imagine, all squashed together and living on top of each other.

    Everyone knows the headline attractions. But what are the hidden gems that the locals go to? Here’s a chance, next time you go, to get out of fisherman’s wharf, and away from the tourist tat and the seals that smell so, so bad…

    1. Seward Slides, Seward St. at Douglass St., Castro.

    I have no idea when or why these slides were built. Basically, it’s two concrete slides built into the side of a hill. And boy, are they steep. You’ll need to bring along some wax paper, or, for the more faint of heart, some cardboard to use when you slide down. Keep your hands in, and your feet up. Watch out, though, you will take to the air a little in the middle, and coming off the end is a little bit of an adventure. Bring something to drink (keep it in a brown paper bag) to gird the loins a little.

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  • Visiting Machu Picchu in Peru

    By kschu7 on 4/27/09 9:51am
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                If you ever get the chance to go…GO!  They don’t call it one of the Seven Wonders of the World for nothing.  I personally have had the once in a life time opportunity, twice!  With each occasion I was completely blown away, and if I ever get a chance to go back again I will.  It is just that good.

                Peru isn’t the first thought on every traveler’s mind when they are thinking of their next destination, but to any veteran with the goal to see it all this is a must.  There is plenty room for long life experiences hiking through the Andes mountains, you may never want to give up the simple life.  If you are an amateur seeking adventure Peru has what you need as well, with a lively and incredibly friend

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  • Turning the Recession Into a Great Travel Opportunity

    By dubayns on 4/13/09 7:21pm
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    The current global economic recession has left many people struggling to pay the bills. It’s left others with the opportunity to score some real deals when it comes to traveling by air. While it is likely that most people’s minds are not turned toward thoughts of world travel to extravagant locations, there are some really great airfare deals out there if you know where to look. Taking the time to really sit down and research your destinations and the air carriers that offer service to them can save you hundreds in this buyer’s market.



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  • The Anonymous Allure of Hotels

    By msarko on 4/2/09 7:01pm
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    I love hotels. You might even say I have a thing for them. There is no place in the world more surreal, more unusual, more fit for contemplation than a hotel. Every one of them is the same, yet every one is a little different. Hardcore travelers often thumb their noses at the very concept, decrying the utter loss of local authenticity resulting from the uniform, home-away-from-home ideal on which hotels are based.

    But hotels aren't really a lot like home. They're more like a robot alien's interpretation of what "home" must be like. All the warmth and comfort of home is suspiciously absent in the same way a brand-name cookie is missing the essential whatever that makes grandma's chocolate chip recipe distinct. There's just something off about the pillows on the bed, the curtains over the window and the way the shower feels. No matter how many hotel rooms a person experiences, none of them feel familiar.

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