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Early Road Warriors and Their Autos
February 23, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Even before paved roads were common in America, the first car manufacturers and enthusiasts were dreaming up road trips and cross-country contests. Early model touring cars, roadsters, runabouts, and speedsters had minimal amenities—often lacking what we today we would consider necessities, like windshields and doors. Yet by 1910, intrepid road warriors of both sexes had completed successful cross-country trips.
One of the earliest exhibition road trips was taken in 1901 from in the Olds Runabout, or “Curved Dash,” which, with R.E Olds’ factory cranking up production to twenty cars a day, became the most popular car in the US. Roy E. Chapin was a road warrior for this publicity stunt, driving the 3-inch-wide wheels over mostly dirt roads from Detroit to Manhattan and averaging an astonishing 14 miles per hour.
This feat was followed up two years later by the first transcontinental auto road trip, San Francisco to New York City. Ken Burns immortalized H. Nelson Jackson’s 64-day trip in the two-hour PBS documentary, Horatio’s Drive. Jackson, his mechanic/co-driver Sewall K. Crocker and Bud the bulldog experienced all the usual road trip hazards (mechanical breakdowns, flat tires, bad weather, etc.) and more, all intensified by the fact that the entire country had neither gas stations nor cross-country road maps. The excursion, which began as a result of a $50 bet Jackson made one evening at a “gentleman’s club,” was taken in a Winton touring car Jackson named “Vermont” (after his home state). Cross-country races soon followed, sponsored by not only auto manufacturers but also the growing number of motoring clubs. One of the main goals was to rally popular and governmental support for highway construction, since at that time, America could boast only about 150-miles of paved roads in the entire country.
The early 20th century was also the time of the “New Woman,” and girls and women jumped right into the automobile craze. Alice Ramsey, along with reporter Gertrude Buffinton Phillips, became the first women to drive cross-country in 1909, reaching San Francisco from New York City in 68 days. Young girls (and boys) were also being encouraged to become motoring enthusiasts with best-selling children’s books like The Motor Maids Across the Continent, The Girl Scouts Motor Trip, and The Motor Boys.
If all this sparks your own interest and you want to see some of these autos up close and personal, there are great car museums all over the country. Michigan is home to the Gilmore-Classic Car Club of America Museum in Kalamazoo and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. To the south, Lane Motor Museum in Nashville not only has a great collection of cars but also sometimes offers visitors rides in the antique vehicles. Other spots to satisfy your road warrior curiosity include Reno’s National Car Museum; the Antique Auto Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania; and in Florida, the Sarasota Classic Car Museum, which claims the title of the “nation’s oldest continuously operating car museum.”
And speaking of history, as might be expected, the Smithsonian Institute does our road warrior past proud. The next time you’re in Washington, D.C., try to work in a visit to Smithsonian Institute to see their “America on the Move” exhibits, especially the sections “Crossing the Country” and “Americans Adopt the Auto.” Jackson’s Winton touring car is there, along with visiting exhibits of pictures and artifacts from Alice Huyler Ramsey’s trip and other early American road warriors’ adventures.
Save 20% - Select Weekends at Extended Stay Hotels
February 23, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 02/25 through 02/27) and next weekend (stays 03/04 through 03/06) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here. From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, San Jose, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Boston and many others.
For Arrival Dates 02/25/2011 and 02/26/2011
* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $43.99/night
* San Jose, CA - Rates from $47.99/night
* Fort Lauderdale, FL - Rates from $47.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $31.99/night
* Boston, MA - Rates from $51.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >
For Arrival Dates 03/04/2011 and 03/05/2011
* Jacksonville, FL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Indianapolis, IN - Rates from $37.99/night
* Las Vegas, NV - Rates from $43.99/night
* Houston, TX - Rates from $31.99/night
* Seattle, WA - Rates from $39.99/night
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Weekend Nights from $19.99 - Extended Stay Hotels
February 16, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 02/18 through 02/20) and next weekend (stays 02/25 through 02/27) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here. From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, San Jose, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Boston and many others.
For Arrival Dates 02/18/2011 and 02/19/2011
* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $43.99/night
* San Jose, CA - Rates from $41.99/night
* Fort Lauderdale, FL - Rates from $47.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $31.99/night
* Boston, MA - Rates from $51.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >
For Arrival Dates 02/25/2011 and 02/26/2011
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* St. Louis, MO - Rates from $19.99/night
* Las Vegas, NV - Rates from $47.99/night
* Cincinnati, OH - Rates from $38.99/night
* Dallas, TX - Rates from $30.99/night
* Seattle, WA - Rates from $35.99/night
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Chow Down - Enjoy the Creations of Celebrity Chefs
February 11, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Flipping through TV channels these days, you will likely see some wild chef chopping, sautéing, and seasoning away. While certain, ah, “delicacies” being prepared would send most of us running (pig cheek? really?), some of the dishes look pretty tasty. What’s exciting is that many of these TV celebrity chefs have their own restaurants around the country. Although some of the establishments are rather exotic (in terms of both food and prices), many feature widely appealing menus, often with more reasonable prices than you might expect.
Los Angeles is home to many celebrity chefs’ restaurants. Wolfgang Puck, seen not only on Food Network but also on major networks like NBC, CBS, and Fox (including a 2002 guest appearance on The Simpsons), has L.A. restaurants ranging from the trendy and pricey (Spago, Cut, and Chinois) to the more casual. Among the latter are Wolfgang Puck Bistro (Costa Mesa) and half a dozen Wolfgang Puck Express locations in the area. These franchised restaurants can also be found across the U.S.—Las Vegas, Tulsa, Dallas, D.C., Detroit, and Minneapolis, as well as in many major airports. Two other early stars of TV cooking shows, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Food Network’s series “Too Hot Tamales” and “Tamales World Tour”) run another celebrity chef restaurant in L.A., Border. Stop in for reasonably priced, fresh and delicious Mexican food.
If you find yourself a few hundred miles north on the TV celeb chef circuit, hit one of the Johnny Garlic’s in Sacramento or the San Francisco Bay area. Owned by Guy Fieri of Food Network’s hilarious Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, the menus offer both interesting and comfortable choices at reasonable prices, including perfectly grilled steaks, pasta, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, and seasonal specials (in the fall, try the butternut squash soup). Everything is served up in a fun, sports-bar atmosphere. But be warned: portions are generous, so be sure to stay in a hotel with facilities to refrigerate and reheat what you can’t finish—and can’t bear to leave behind.
Maybe you don’t associate top chefs with Cleveland, Ohio, but that’s home to Iron Chef Michael Symon and several of his restaurants. Lola’s, Symon’s first restaurant, is mid-range expensive ($30-60 entrees) and features unusual menu items like beef cheek pierogies, plus steaks and chicken. The more casual and affordable Lolita’s does include pork belly pasta, but alongside that on the menu are pizza, roast chicken, steaks, and pork chops, plus a great mac and cheese that can also be ordered as a happy hour snack. Cleveland Cavaliers fans can sample Symon’s “burgers, beers, and brats” at The B-Spot or at Bar Symon, right in Quicken Loans Arena.
If home-cookin’ in the gracious South sounds more appealing, Paula Deen’s (Food Network) The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, is sure to please. You can choose from the à la carte menu for trendier dishes, like crab-stuffed portobello, or go hog-wild at the buffet, with its southern classics like spareribs, collard greens, country-fried steak, and peach cobbler.
And of course, any tour of celebrity chefs’ restaurants has to include some of the Bobby Flay (Throw-Down, Boy Meets Grill, etc.) eateries. We recommend a visit to Long Island’s Bobby’s Burger Palace (BBP) for fancy and classic burgers, loaded with fresh ingredients and naturally topped with chips (a Flay signature), all in the $6.50-7.50 range. Like any self-respecting burger joint, the place also serves up milkshakes and malteds, also in classic and outrageous (blueberry-pomegranate) flavors. If all that has your mouth watering and your heart despairing because your next business trip is not to NYC but Philly—no problem. BBPs are also located in New Jersey, Connecticut, and yes, Philadelphia.
Vacationing in North Carolina’s Research Triangle
February 9, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
If your work involves technology, medicine or higher education, travel may very well take you to North Carolina’s “Research Triangle,” bounded by the cities of Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, with its dozens of universities, high tech companies and medical facilities. And if business doesn’t take you there, you might want to consider the area for a future vacation. Just recently, Durham itself was listed by the New York Times as one of “The 41 Places to Go in 2011.” Though the area’s winters can be relatively chilly, by spring you’ll usually encounter daytime temperatures in the 60s to low 70s—perfect for hiking in the many parks, sightseeing, rambling through the farmer’s market and lunching at one of the prominent restaurants or cafes.
At first thought, any place with the word “research” in its name isn’t likely to conjure up images of relaxation, vacation and fun. But look just a little more closely—at this Research Triangle—and you just may change your mind.
Located in the Piedmont section of North Carolina, about halfway between the Atlantic and the Great Smokey Mountain stretch of the Appalachians, the Triangle is a beautiful area of rolling hills, pinewoods and rivers. Raleigh itself has been called “the park with a city in it” because of its thousands of acres of parks and greenspace. Whether you’re looking to stretch and get some fresh air between business meetings or to take a daylong hiking excursion, you’ve got literally dozens of choices, including Eno River State Park outside Durham and Chapel Hill’s Johnston Mill Nature Preserve Trail (great for birders).
Speaking of moving your feet, are you looking for some foot-tapping sounds? Chapel Hill has a thriving music scene with lots of live clubs as well as larger venues, drawing major rock performers like Bruce Springsteen and U-2, plus local and regional country, blue grass and “Piedmont Blues.” And be sure to come hungry: Chapel Hill was named “America’s Foodiest Small Town” in 2008 by Bon Appétit. Such food stars as Rachel Ray have featured many of the local eateries. To sweeten a bit of downtime, visit one of several farmers’ markets in the area to pick up great local cheeses, candies and fruits, plus a gorgeous bouquet of flowers to take back to your hotel room.
Sports fans may be disappointed that the only pro-sports offered is the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, though Durham is home to Triple-A baseball’s Durham Bulls (farm team for the Tampa Rays), too. But hey—this is the South, and college sports are truly king. During the basketball season especially, every other store has a TV on—especially if the arch rival Blue Devils (Duke University) and Tar Heels (UNC, Chapel Hill) are playing—and local sports bars will be packed with wild fans.
No matter when you visit, you can take your pick of cultural events. With the great number of colleges and universities plus the cities’ own cultural offerings, you can almost always find current theater, symphony, ballet and opera performances, as well as art and museum exhibits. In Raleigh alone, nicknamed the “Smithsonian of the South,” you’ll find the Museums of Natural Science, Art and History, as well as interactive kid-pleasers like Playspace and Exploris. And if your trip is going to include children, be sure to visit the North Carolina “Kids Page” for fun facts, games and links about the state—before going or while there, as something to keep the kids entertained while you’re relaxing at one of the many Extended Stay Hotels in the area.
Rates from $31.99 /night - Weekend Stays at Extended Stay Hotels
February 8, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 02/11 through 02/13) and next weekend (stays 02/18 through 02/20) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here. From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Chicago, Boston and many others.
For Arrival Dates 02/11/2011 and 02/12/2011
* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $43.99/night
* Sacramento, CA - Rates from $31.99/night
* San Diego, CA - Rates from $47.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Boston, MA - Rates from $51.99/night
* Washington, DC - Rates from $43.99/night
* See all locations >
For Arrival Dates 02/18/2011 and 02/19/2011
* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $43.99/night
* Jacksonville, FL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Houston, TX - Rates from $31.99/night
* Seattle, WA - Rates from $35.99/night
* See all locations >
Stop the Car! There’s another Historical Marker!
February 4, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
A character trait shared by many road warriors is the love of travel trivia—the more obscure, the better. One fruitful source for such nuggets of information lie in those signs placed on roads throughout the country, promising enlightenment: roadside historical markers. As one website—noted below—says, these markers offer “bite-size bits of local, national and global history,” not to mention often funny-bone-tickling commentary.
Sometimes just watching for the random historical marker can add a bit of spark to an otherwise dry drive. For example, the drive through the central and northern plains, while lovely, doesn’t feature much scenic variation. But that same stretch is home to a huge number of such markers. Besides dozens noting well-known figures and events, you can pick up little-known facts about people’s everyday lives in the past, as well as about the land and the road itself. In Kansas on U.S. 281, for example, is a marker designating “the most important spot on this continent to surveyors and mapmakers: the Geodetic Center of the United States, the ‘Primary Station’ for all North American surveys.” Now if that isn’t true road warrior trivia, we don’t know what is.
Sometimes the road markers stand alone, but often they are placed next to restored historical buildings, which can provide an interesting—and painlessly educational—rest stop for families. Say you’re driving home on U.S. 35 from a great family vacation. In the back, the DVD player is already in its third replay of Toy Story 3, and the kids are into the are-we-there-yet refrain. You’re still over 200 miles from your hotel in Des Moines where everyone can relax, but you did your homework before leaving: You know that just ahead is Olathe, Kansas, with its “Rest for the Weary” road marker and restored stagecoach stop, including eight other markers and restored buildings such as the blacksmith shop. Plenty for the kids to explore as you all stretch your legs (and work off some pent-up energy).
Certain states are veritable goldmines for fascinating (not to say hilarious and quirky) markers. Planning a trip to Dallas, Houston or Austin? It’s probably no surprise to learn that Texas historical markers are so rich in stories that Dan K. Utley and Cynthia J. Beeman wrote a book, History Ahead: Stories beyond the Texas Roadside Markers, filled with facts and stories about heroes and villains, the famous and the obscure, significant and outright funny historical incidents in the Lone Star state.
To learn more about historic markers in areas you’re visiting, go to the Historical Marker Database. There you can find lists of most recently added markers, most viewed markers, markets by state, and dozens of other categories, ranging from animals to heroes, railroads to waterways, forts to sports. The organization’s website site also provides information about accessing site information on-the-go through your cell phone or GPS device. Another great resource is the Historical Marker Society of America, whose site allows you to search by state, as well as by an intriguing category labeled “Curiosities.”
Go Natural… to New Orleans’ Audubon Nature Parks
February 2, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New Orleans is an ideal city for a winter getaway. While you’re not guaranteed T-shirt temperatures in February or March, the weather is generally pleasant. And no matter what the season, there’s never any shortage of things to do. Tell people you’re planning a visit to New Orleans—whether for business, romance or family vacation—and you’re likely to get loads of don’t-miss recommendations for jazz clubs, the hottest jambalaya joints, best French Quarter corners to watch street performers and so on. In the midst of the year-round buzz and glitter of these attractions, the museums and parks making up the Audubon Nature Institute offer a wonderful combination of excitement and tranquility for visitors of all ages.
Among sites included in the Audubon Nature Institute’s family of ten museums and parks is a zoo, aquarium, insectarium, IMAX Theatre and a 16-acre stretch of walking paths, lawns and flowers right along the Mississippi, at the Jackson Square end of the French Quarter. Just exploring these highlights can fill a vacation; any one of them can provide an afternoon of entertainment, and most are a walking-distance break from the hustle and bustle of New Orleans’ other major draw, the French Quarter.
One of the most impressive of the Institute’s structures is the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, which first opened in 1990. Many enthusiasts consider it one of the finest aquariums in the United States. Kids of all ages will enjoy feeding time for the sea otters and the penguins, plus getting to touch (and maybe even feed) the stingrays. Also impressive and right next to the Aquarium is the IMAX Theater with amazing nature shows like “Hurricane on the Bayou” and 3-D films about such things as the Grand Canyon and the deep sea.
Nearby in the US Custom House on Canal Street is the Audubon Insectarium. This is the largest insect museum in North America, containing literally thousands and thousands of live and preserved insects. It’s not all creepy crawlies, either. The atrium garden has its own thousands of lovely butterflies fluttering about. There are also exhibits allowing you to explore the world from an insect’s eye (and size) perspective and a café where the adventurous (or crazy?) can snack on a chocolate-covered bug. One note: Because the Custom House is a federal building, you do need to go through a security scanner, so be sure to leave things like Swiss Army knives in your car or hotel room.
The Audubon Zoo is about seven miles away but is accessible from the French Quarter via the 165-year-old St. Charles Streetcar line running through the historic Garden District with its beautifully restored mansions and grounds. Another option is taking the John James Audubon Riverboat, which runs several times a day from between the edge of the French Quarter (at the Aquarium) to the zoo. The zoo itself is in Audubon Park with its gardens, playgrounds and paths and a great place to take a relaxing saunter. The lushness extends into the zoo itself, with a realistic swamp habitat and a tropical bird exhibit housed in a replica South American rain forest. Other exhibits range from birds to snakes, elephants to white tigers, plus a petting zoo.
And a final savvy traveler note: if your visit will allow you to make it to more than one of the Audubon Institute’s attractions, you can save money buying a ticket package at any of the museums or the zoo. You can also make your purchase online through Visiticket’s Power Pass program. And if you’re in need of a hotel in New Orleans, remember that Extended Stay Hotels offers comfortable, convenient accommodations with fully equipped kitchens at exceptional rates.
Save 20% - Select Weekends at Extended Stay Hotels
February 2, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Last minute deals for new bookings this weekend (stays 02/04 through 02/06) and next weekend (stays 02/11 through 02/13) at select Extended Stay Hotels(sm) locations. Visit our Weekend Deals section by clicking here. From there, you can book and save at least 20% on stays this weekend or next at your favorite destinations, like Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and many others.
For Arrival Dates 02/04/2011 and 02/05/2011
* Los Angeles, CA - Rates from $43.99/night
* Fort Lauderdale, FL - Rates from $47.99/night
* Atlanta, GA - Rates from $31.99/night
* Chicago, IL - Rates from $35.99/night
* Houston, TX - Rates from $29.99/night
* Seattle, WA - Rates from $35.99/night
* See all locations >
For Arrival Dates 02/11/2011 and 02/12/2011
* San Diego, CA - Rates from $47.99/night
* Boston, MA - Rates from $51.99/night
* Raleigh/Durham, NC - Rates from $31.99/night
* Portland, OR - Rates from $39.99/night
* Memphis, TN - Rates from $31.99/night
* Dallas, TX - Rates from $30.99/night
* See all locations >
