Extravigator - Destinations

Venice in the Winter Time

Pieter — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:36:19 -0500

I've never been to Venice during Carnival but friends have, and rave about it. However I have been to the city in winter (and summer) and I would say unreservedly that winter is better. More atmosphere, fewer tourists, more friendly.

By the way, if you're looking for a luxury tour operator, I can recommend Kirker Holidays, a specialist in Venice holidays.

Venice in the Winter Time

DonPablo — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:51:49 -0500

Although Venice is one of our favorite cities in the entire world and although we've been there many times over the years, we've never been to Venice during Carnival. However, our daughter, who among many other things had the opportunity to apprentice for a year with a revered carver of Noh masks in Japan, went to Venice during Carnival and loved it. She and her friend made their own masks and costumes for the festival and had a wonderful time. From what she told us, it was like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but quite a bit colder.

Barcelona- what to do/where to eat on a short stay

sohcahtoa — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 11:20:41 -0500

Here are two articles about Barcelona that were just published this weekend, one about the new W Hotel there and the other about bars and lounges at Barcelona’s luxury hotels -

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/travel/16checkin-wbarcelona.html?ref=travel

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/travel/16heads-barcelona.html?ref=travel

Whistler or Vail?

travelista — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:44:35 -0500

Putting the skiing aside for a little while, one of the greatest things about Whistler is its close proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia, which -- in my opinion -- is one of the nicest and most interesting cities in North America.

Things to do in New York City

The Rover — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:41:03 -0500

If you like the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston (or if you liked it before the great art theft there) you'll probably love spending an afternoon at the Frick Collection, which is located at 1 East 70th Street, right off Fifth Avenue and opposite Central Park. It's a quiet, charming place, filled with old masterpieces and where you can take in an occasional concert in a laid-back yet elegant setting.

Venice in the Winter Time

TomatoMaven — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:28:12 -0500

I've just learned that Carnival in Venice for 2011 is from Saturday, the 26th of February through Tuesday, the 8th of March. Has anyone been to Carnival in Venice and, based on your experiences, was it worth going to despite the cold weather?

Things to Do in the San Francisco Area

sohcahtoa — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:34:46 -0500

Another place that's definitely worthwhile visiting is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

http://www.sfmoma.org/

It's located right in the middle of the city. In addition to its permanent collection, it constantly presents a wide variety of new exhibits that explore virtually every aspect of the modern art world today. Also, the museum itself is an architectural wonder.

Day Trips from Prague and Vienna

Nanoose — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 11:24:54 -0500

Karlstejn Castle is about an hour from Prague. Large gothic castle built by one of the "King Charles's". I had planned to go when I was there but the time got away from me but in my research it was a perfect way to spend a morning--tour castle, have lunch and return to Prague in late afternoon, nap a bit before theatre and dinner.

Things to Do in the San Francisco Area

Rick OShea — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:19:16 -0500

You might try driving out to Muir Woods to see the redwood forest there. It's a little north of San Francisco and well worth the trip. Those giant trees are awesome!

http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

Whistler or Vail?

wallace — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:51:36 -0500

In spite of what I said earlier this year in this discussion... I will admit that jen has a point. The weather conditions have definitely been changing on the West Coast of North America recently -- as evidenced by the torrential rains that have been battering California this month -- and consequently the lower sections of Whistler-Blackcomb are becoming much less conducive to good skiing than they were a decade or so ago. All of this is happening while Colorado is being buffeted by snow. So, if this keeps up, I guess I might have to admit the skiing conditions are better in Vail.

Day Trips from Prague and Vienna

DonPablo — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:51:27 -0500

Earlier this year, Donna Elena and I visited Prague and Vienna, and we had such a wonderful time that we're planning on returning to both of these wonderful cities next May. (That's when the annual Prague Spring International Music Festival takes place.)

This time, we're considering taking some day trips out of each of these cities. (We'd prefer that our day trip destinations be no more than an hour-and-a-half ride by train and, for that reason, we've ruled out Salzburg on this particular trip.) Does anybody have any suggestions?

Great Golf Vacations

pinb — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:19:30 -0500

There are some really great golf courses in Bermuda and, of course, some wonderful luxury hotels there. In the off-season, when the beach crowd has disappeared, it's quiet and not crowded and there are some very good values to be had there, not only on accommodations but also on airfare.

Venice in the Winter Time

bailey — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:32:33 -0500

Further to the comments I recently posted on this website in the discussion about "Suggestions for Venice," the interested reader can click on the following links to read a fascinating article about what to do in Venice when the cold weather blankets the city:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/travel/28Venice.html?scp=1&sq=Venice%20in%20Winter&st=cse

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/11/23/travel/20101128VENICE.html?scp=2&sq=Venice%20in%20Winter&st=cse

Barcelona- what to do/where to eat on a short stay

The Rover — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 11:55:01 -0500

A number of the suggestions and comments in this discussion thread have been about the renowned architect Antoní Gaudí and his influence in the Barcelona area. Another very famous Spaniard who heavily influenced the architecture of the early 20th century in Barcelona and Catalonia was Lluís Domènech i Montaner. A wonderful article about him just recently came out and you can read about it by clicking on the following link:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/travel/19cultured-barcelona.html?ref=travel

If you're traveling to Barcelona, I'd suggest taking a look at the buildings of both Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner in order to get a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of Catalan modernisme on Spanish architecture.

Suggestions for Venice

bailey — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:01:58 -0500

Personally, I wouldn't recommend staying at the San Clemente Palace. In terms of ambiance, it's the antithesis of The Cipriani. Although it's on the same island as The Cipriani, the San Clemente Palace is a very large, noisy hotel, crowded with tourists traveling on a tight budget and a stop-over place for tour groups.

As for something interesting to do in Venice, I'd suggest visiting the Querini Stampalia Foundation, one of the city's most beautiful museums.

http://www.querinistampalia.it/

There's lots of historic art there, and it's a favorite Venetian venue for temporary exhibitions and concerts. A visit to this museum can give you an idea of what Venice was like during its golden age, when the Lion of Venice really had something to roar about.

Things to Do in the San Francisco Area

DonPablo — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:32:38 -0500

When we think of San Francisco, some of us immediately think of those delightful old cable cars. ("...to be where little cable cars climb half-way to the stars...")

Well, there's a wonderful little cable car museum that one can go to simply by jumping off one of those cable cars and walking about a block to visit. It's got everything you ever wanted to know about the city's cable cars on exhibit there, as well as some other interesting information about San Francisco itself. It's not a large museum and it won't take too much time to walk through, but I think it's a must-see when you're in the "city by the bay":

http://www.cablecarmuseum.org/

Things to do in New York City

dbw — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:48:14 -0500

In about a month - January 15, 2011 to be exact - The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City will reopen, bigger and better than ever. While you may think that having a museum about moving pictures in New York City rather than in Hollywood seems odd, this museum is a wonder to behold. It's been closed for renovation for some time now, but if it's anything like it used to be, it's a must-see when you visit the Big Apple:

http://www.movingimage.us/site/site.php

Favorite South American Destinations

Nanoose — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:42:08 -0500

And if you enjoy visiting leading hotels, when you are done with Peru, you can go to the enchanting city of Bariloche in Argentina and stay at this magnificent leading hotel there: http://www.lhw.com/hotel/Llao-Llao-Resort-Golf-Spa-Bariloche-Argentina

Favorite South American Destinations

DonPablo — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:09:48 -0500

Let me start off by saying that I haven't stayed there and, hence, cannot recommend it one way or the other, but I just received some information from the Leading Hotels of the World that the Machu-Picchu Sanctuary Lodge is now a member of that organization, offering guests the benefit and convenience of a location that is right next to the ancient Peruvian citadel of Machu-Picchu:

http://www.lhw.com/Hotel/Machu-Picchu-Sanctuary-Lodge-Machu-Picchu-Peru?ext=LCNEWMEMBERNEWSLW70371210&utm_source=leadersclub&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newmembers_december2010

Although this will certainly make things easier for travelers to experience Machu-Picchu, somehow I think that this is just another step towards making this long-time center of peace and quiet a bit noisier and a little more congested. Oh well.

Things to Do in the San Francisco Area

sohcahtoa — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:54:47 -0500

You might try going to the Exploratorium, the museum of science, art and human perception at the Palace of Fine Arts. It's located at 3601 Lyon Street, in San Francisco. The Exploratorium is situated on some beautiful grounds, just a short distance away from the Golden Gate Bridge and, as I remember it, it's a science museum with all sorts of fascinating, exciting exhibits that will appeal to little children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens alike. Be prepared to spend a few hours there and perhaps the entire day!

Whistler or Vail?

jen — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 07:52:55 -0500

Except, once again, the skiing conditions are already better in Vail right now versus Whistler. That's what happens when you build a ski area right next to the Pacific Ocean. If average annual temperatures continue to rise, Whistler will only provide nice green hiking trails during the winter months.

Whistler or Vail?

Abbott — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 22:05:33 -0500

It's that time of year again. It's getting cold outside and one's thoughts turn to skiing.

If forced to make a choice I'd go with Whistler over Vail. I've never been much of a fan of bowl skiing.... The skiing in Whistler-Blackcomb is great....and I think the people who go to Whistler are much friendlier than the Vail crowd.

Lake Como

The Rover — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:48:47 -0500

For some wonderful pasta while you're in Tremezzo, try the Red and White restaurant, which is right on the waterfront. The food there is much better than in many of the fancier and more expensive places in the Como area and the view can't be beat.

Things to do in New York City

marcie — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:25:55 -0500

cmaring - I clicked on the link you provided to view the High Line but nothing happened. In fact, the entire website was basically not working. (Assuming that this is a new website, what a terrible way to launch it. None of the videos could be viewed.) Perhaps they've fixed it by now but, in any case, if anybody wants to view a good video of the High Line in Manhattan, here's one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W2Yq1zzxAc

Things to do in New York City

cmaring — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:37:38 -0500

There are endless things to do in NYC... Check out the new High Line park in Chelsea. A great walk with art galleries, restaurants and shopping along the way. Starts at West 21st and goes down to West 12th. Here is a video that shares some details... http://www.togetherinstyle.com/#/nyc-high-line/

The best Caribbean Island?

cmaring — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:34:03 -0500

The British Virgin Islands by far... There is an incredible pictorial film at http://www.togetherinstyle.com/#/travel-bvi-pictorial/ showcasing how beautiful and romantic these islands can be.

Things to Do in the San Francisco Area

GingerT — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:50:25 -0500

Do any of you have any suggestions for things to do in the San Francisco bay area? Any tips about museums, parks, musical events, things to see, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

The best Caribbean Island?

TomatoMaven — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:20:02 -0500

I've been to Barbados and loved it. I stayed at Sam Lord's castle many years ago and had a very relaxing vacation there. Unfortunately, I recently received the sad news that Sam Lord's Castle burned to the ground last month. What a shame!

http://guardian.co.tt/news/general/2010/10/22/barbados-sam-lord-s-castle-smoke

But, even though I'd like to return to Barbados someday, I've heard so much about the old world charm of Antigua that, if I had a choice, Antigua would be the next place I'd like to see and experience.

Favorite South American Destinations

TomatoMaven — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 22:04:36 -0500

Here's a great vacation to consider in South America - a visit to the wine country of Argentina. For those of you who have tasted some of the fine Argentinian wines that have been finding increasing popularity around the world, taking a trip to the city of Mendoza and sampling some of the wines from the vineyards in the surrounding countryside might be even more exciting and rewarding than a trip to Napa:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/travel/21Mendoza.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a210http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/travel/21Mendoza.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a210

The best Caribbean Island?

murphy — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 04:03:45 -0500

If you had the choice, would you go to St Lucia, Antigua or Barbados, and why?