USA Archives - Page 4 of 10

November 10, 2016 by Jeremy

Exciting attractions at Walt Disney World that you can’t afford to miss

Space Mountain is one of the most Exciting attractions at Walt Disney World

Photo by CC user WillMcC on Wikimedia Commons

Heading out on holiday to Walt Disney World? While it is a dream destination for families everywhere, thrill seekers needn’t feel left out either, as there are plenty of rides that will feed their hunger for living on the edge.

So, if you are about to go on a once in a lifetime trip to Walt Disney World, here are some exciting attractions that you can’t afford to miss when you are down there…

1) Magic Kingdom – Space Mountain

Of the multiple parks that make up Walt Disney World, the Magic Kingdom is unquestionably the most popular, as it contains dozens of iconic experiences within its borders.

If you are looking for exciting though, no ride will trigger your adrenal glands quite like Space Mountain. Located in Tomorrowland, this thrilling roller coaster is contained within a futuristic dome that simulates what flying outer space would be like.

Complete with trippy lights and crazy sound effects, the speed of this ride is only enhanced by their presence, making this attraction one of the most popular at Walt Disney World.

2) EPCOT – World Showcase

Wonder how people live on the other side of the world? Find out without blowing thousands of dollars on plane tickets by visiting the pavilions of 11 countries at World Showcase.

Experience each of these nations through rides, immersive IMAX movies, and living history actors. Eat their food at themed restaurants, and buy their handicrafts that are representative of their culture in shops on site.

Each pavilion is distinct from the others, as its architecture and design does their part of the world justice.

3) Disney Hollywood Studios – The Great Movie Ride

If you can’t get enough of the movies, take things to the next level by immersing yourself within them. At Disney Hollywood Studios, you can do just that by buying a ticket for The Great Movie Ride.

Situated within a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, this ride takes you within scenes from various film genres as you pass through a 1930’s era sound stage.

From Sigourney Weaver killing aliens to Chicago mobsters facing off against each other, you’ll never have such an in-your-face cinematic experience quite like this in your life.

4) Blizzard Beach – Summit Plummet

The blistering Florida sun can punish visitors to Walt Disney World from mid-spring to mid-fall, which will make you long for the blissful waters of your hotel pool halfway through the day.

Combine the pursuit of fun at Walt Disney World with cooling off by spending a day at Blizzard Beach. Adrenaline addicts will want to tick Summit Plummet off their list, as this extremely steep slide was the fastest one in the world when it opened in the 1990’s, so don’t chicken out.

Get it done and you can brag about it to your friends back home (you can even buy a shirt saying that you survived it).

June 20, 2016 by Jeremy

So You’re in LA for Just One Day…

You could fill an entire shelf with Los Angeles guidebooks, and spend countless hours reading blogs telling you what to see and do in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and the surrounding area. And if you’ve got a week or two to work with, that can be pretty helpful—but what if you’re only in LA for just one day? What if you essentially just have 24 hours to burn, perhaps between meetings or before jumping onto a plane to head somewhere else?

There’s obviously no shortage of attractions in the City of Angels. Your ideal day may not look much like the next person’s—but nevertheless, these quick suggestions may help you to make those 24 hours count.

Get Some Good—and Quick—Food

First, let’s get the culinary stuff out of the way. L.A. is one of the great food cities in the country, but if you’re just there for a day you may not want to spend two or three hours in a restaurant. Fortunately, the creativity of the L.A. food scene is by no means confined to five-star restaurants. Actually, some of the best food in town can be found from food trucks and in hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Indeed, the L.A. food scene is as much about ethnic eccentricities, mini pizzas, and gourmet burger joints as anything elegant or fancy. Just spend some time on the streets seeking out a quick and creative venue with a decent-sized line, and you’ll probably be just fine.

Hollywood Staples

From there, you may be tempted to visit a museum or some other cultural spot—but really, if you’re just in L.A. for the day, you may be better off doing some of the fun Hollywood stuff you always see on TV. Start with the Walk of Fame, a great way to celebrate the city’s showbiz legacy and get an up-close-and-personal experience with a true L.A. landmark.

You can also take a trek up to the famous Hollywood sign, and perhaps even get a picture snapped in front of it. Griffith Park is probably the best way to get some good views, so try heading there.

Seeing Sights

If you want to condense the whole L.A. experience into just an hour or so, try taking a drive up Sunset Boulevard and Sunset Strip—a great way to see seedy old-time Hollywood, new Hollywood, lavish Beverly Hills homes, and basically everything else that makes L.A. what it is. It’s a fun and breezy drive that’s arguably more revealing than any historic tour you could take. You might even end your day at Santa Monica Pier—a lovely and culturally rich site in its own right, and a perfect capper to your day in L.A.

October 20, 2015 by Jeremy

3 Unique Times Square Stays

Times Square is home to one of the most electrifying atmospheres not only in the USA, but the entire world, with countless attractions and points of interest within a few minutes’ walk, and that means hotel rooms near this iconic landmark are some of the most desirable in the city. Travelers who do splurge on these premium stays expect unique amenities to distinguish their stay from a night anywhere else in the world, and these 3 options let visitors experience New York from an entirely unique angle. Here’s where to stay in Times Square for a the most memorable experience.

Langham Place

This Midtown Manhattan NYC hotel is situated on Fifth Avenue, making it convenient to Times Square as well as the legendary shopping district. Its fully appointed rooms feature espresso makers, iPod docking stations and mirror-mounted TVs as well as available in-room spa treatments, but the Langham’s most famous feature is Al Fiori, a restaurant known for its world-class Italian cuisine. Guests can also enjoy complimentary transport in a Maserati luxury car during their stay.

Kitano New York

The strong Japanese influence of this beautiful New York hotel is its most distinguishing feature, with its onsite gourmet restaurant Hakubai serving Japanese cuisine to travelers at lunch and dinner. Guests are greeted for their stay with traditional dressing gowns and slippers, and the hotel also offers a range of guest services from car rental to a babysitting service. Indeed, every aspect of the guest experience has been thoroughly considered, from the custom Eastern decor that graces each room to the heated Japanese-style toilets that ensure every moment at the hotel is spent in the utmost comfort.

Tryp Times Square

Tryp Times Square was once a humble Best Western hotel, undergoing a full scale renovation in early fall 2009 to become one of the trendiest hotels in Times Square. This hotel is known as much for its relatively low prices as its eclectic décor, boasting some of the most updated amenities and lowest prices in the area, and every room features a new flat-screen TV and other appliances to reflect its recent rebirth. Tryp even features a rooftop terrace to allow guest to take in the sights and sounds of the city from above.

Many visitors to New York fail to even consider the Times Square area as a possibility for accommodation, fearing the overly loud presentation might drown out the local culture. However, the boutique hotel revolution gives travelers options beyond the chain hotel, making their stay inside the room almost as compelling as their stay outside of it.

March 5, 2015 by Jeremy

Exploring Houston, Texas

From Hollywood’s space movies, we often hear the statement, “Houston, we have a problem…” to denote some serious issues on a particular space mission. In real life, Houston is indeed the home of NASA which has sent the very first men on the moon.

Space may soon become your average backyard reachable by your personal car, but before we get there, we can still be thrilled by seeing the breathtaking technology on display at the Space Center Houston.

This is where you see classic space adventure relics like the Mercury 9 capsule, Gemini 5 capsule, Apollo 17, and the famous lunar rover.

Aside from the space galleries, there are other stuff to see in Houston too. Allow me to introduce to you the real Houston, Texas.

If you like perfection that is often captured in the form of art, head straight to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. This museum is reminiscent of the lavish French impressionism, the likes of Picasso and Rembrandt with their magical touches.

Just on the next street is the breathtaking Cullen Sculpture Garden designed by the luminaries Rodin and Matisse. Note that these art exhibits are really old dating as far back as 1945.

For children, nothing beats going to the fascinating Discovery Green, a fantastic playground complete with a lake and fountains too. This is a popular spot so expect large crowd most of the time; but the fun activities will simply delight you so it’s a destination that you must not miss.

When the festivities begin, you’ll simply have the best fun of your life. There are plenty of stuff to do; watch movies, shop on nighttime flea markets, and also frolic on an ice skating rink.

For a romantic take, perhaps the Alley Theatre will inspire you. This is very famous and offers shows from the classical to the contemporary ones; certainly there are plenty for everybody’s taste.

And when you get the urge to eat, why not try the fantastic Treebeards. This is where you can buy the world’s best gumbos and jambalaya including chicken jerkies and stuffed pork chops too.

For a little bit of party with a history twist, Houston got it too. The Old Town Houston Historic Pub Tour offers a glimpse into Houston’s past whilst allowing you to drink and mingle with the rest of the crowd. Frankly saying, this is the best or perhaps the most lame way of picking up potential dates. Nonetheless, it sure is fun.

Another way to discover Houston more intimately is by going through its maze of underground tunnels that connect Chase Bank Building, One Shell Plaza, and Pennzoil Place.

If you try to understand the tunnels, it kind of becomes boring so just listen to the friendly guide to tell you everything about its history; it may not be because the downtown workers wanted to escape the extreme at that time.

You’ll also be surprised that from the very bottom (air-conditioned tunnels), you can easily reach the ceiling of Houston at Chase Tower where you can see the city in a wider perspective.

On your way home, don’t forget to have a taste of Chuy’s scrumptious burritos; they’re huge, very popular, and oversized too.

If you’re planning to visit Houston now, please prepare your ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) Visa with you for a smooth travel, as it is required for expedited passage in the USA for those that hail from countries covered under this agreement (UK included).

March 1, 2015 by Jeremy

4 of the Coolest Spots to Check Out in Rochester

Boasting museums, parks, theaters, and sporting arenas, you can always find something fun to do in Rochester, New York. For example, here are four of the coolest spots that both locals and visitors should check out.

1. The Strong National Museum of Play

At the time of this article, if you were to Google search, “why should I visit Rochester, NY?” Google’s #1 answer would be: The Strong National Museum of Play.

Boasting overwhelmingly positive reviews, The Strong Museum is a fantastically interactive experience devoted to the exploration and history of play. The museum has more than 400,000 objects related to play, including massive collections of toys, dolls, games, and video games.

Exhibit highlights include “American Comic Book Heroes: The Battle of Good vs. Evil” and “Reading Adventureland.” In American Comic Book Heroes, explore the history of American comic books, then become a hero yourself at the Super Powers School. Reading Adventureland brings a new physicality to reading with life-sized pop-up books.

2. The Eastman Theatre

Visiting music lovers must check out the Eastman Theatre, the performance space for the Eastman School of Music.

Opened in 1922, this magnificent theater can seat over 3,000 people and has played host to some of the world’s most renowned musical talent. Eastman students have shared the stage with conductors Leonard Slatkin, Christoph von Dohnányi, and Sir Georg Solti. Be sure to check the Eastman concert calendar for upcoming performance dates.

3. Frontier Field

Frontier Field is the perfect place for minor league baseball fans, or families, to spend the day. Opened in 1996, Frontier Field quickly became the home of the Rochester Redwings. Field visitors enjoy a beautiful field, a great game, plenty of street parking, and a variety of food options including hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, roast beef, and local beer.

If you’re worried about things getting a little too rowdy for your children, ask about the Family Section (section 217) which is a designated alcohol-free zone. Also, the entire seating area is a smoke-free zone. There is a designated smoking zone on the third base side of the ballpark near the firehouse building. See who the Redwings are playing on the Frontier Field calendar.

4. Casa Lagra Vineyard

Located just outside Rochester, in the Finger Lakes Wine Region, Casa Lagra has consistently produced award-winning wine since its founding in 1974.

Casa Lagra holds public wine tastings every day during their shop hours. For $2 per person you’ll try five wines and learn how to best appreciate the “4 S’s” of wine tasting (Seeing, Swirling, Smelling, and Sipping). You can also pair wine with chocolate or cheese during your tasting for $7 per person, or have an ice wine tasting for $5 per person (a fantastic option on a hot summer day).

Casa Lagra is also a wonderful place to hold special events, like weddings and family reunions. Surrounded by the beautiful vineyard, the Rochester skyline in sight, and 5-star culinary experts on staff, you’ll have everything you need to make your event memorable.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and explore the coolest spots in Rochester! Just make sure you don’t need an ESTA visa to visit the states, and if you do, make sure to organize it all before entering the country.

Author Bio:

Zachary Katz-Stein graduated from Kenyon College in 2012. He now writes fantasy novels and works as a freelance writer when he’s not teaching yoga classes.