The Perpetual Tourist

In a few months, I’m going to be moving cross country to Oregon.  My husband and I have decided to make a road trip out of the move, and we’ll be stopping at various points of interest all along our 3,000-mile journey.  It’s easy to figure out what to do on the east and west coasts, but the middle of our trip takes us through a lot of rural nothingness.  A friend joked yesterday that we should definitely try to see the world’s largest ball of stamps, and other similarly peculiar roadside attractions along the way.

Ironically enough, this same friend may soon be relocated (somewhat against her will) to Omaha, Nebraska — and guess what’s there?  The world’s largest ball of stamps!  The 600-pound ball of over 4.6 million stamps was built in the early 1950’s by the Boys Town Stamp Collecting Club.  The ball is displayed out in the open in the Leon Myers Stamp Center just west of Omaha.  You can even touch it if you want to — but don’t try to peel off any souvenirs!  Adding stamps to the ball is also forbidden.  Maybe this will give my friend something to look forward to on her move.  Hey, maybe I will stop and see the world’s largest ball of stamps on my cross country drive.

When we get to Missouri (I know I’m going out of order here), we could spend some time in St. Louis, checking out the Gateway Arch or maybe even a Cardinals game, but maybe Leila’s Hair Museum in Independence would be more fun.

Former cosmetologist Leila Cohoon began collecting art, jewelry, and wreaths made of human hair about 40 years ago, and eventually opened her museum to display her collection.  Some of her hair wreaths date back nearly 300 years, and contain hair from entire family trees for many generations.  That’s as cool as it is weird, I think.

The six-legged steer at Prairie Dog Town

Kansas is another one of those long states, full of farmland.  But where there are farms, there are farm mutants, and a collection of such oddities has gotta be worth a look, right?  So perhaps we’ll pull off the road in Oakley, Kansas to check out Prairie Dog Town.  This attraction boasts live rattlesnakes, a miniature donkey, a petting zoo with tiny pigs and more, but the star attractions are the farm freaks:  a 5-legged cow, a 6-legged steer, and the world’s largest prairie dog.  When PDT owner Larry Farmer’s freak animals pass on, he sells them to Ripley’s Believe it or Not museums and replaces them with other odd animals that he purchases from other farmers.  Farmer says he’s able to run his business without trouble from animal rights activists because he takes good care of his animals.  Well, that’s good to know.

It seems like we have a lot of sights to see across this country after all.  Do you have any stories of weird roadside tourist traps?  What turned out to be cooler than you thought, and what was a total bust?  Anything you’d like me to scout out for you on my way to Oregon?  Let me know!

In two weeks, Washington, DC is going to swell with inauguration tourists.  We’re expecting record numbers showing up to see Obama take his oath of office, and if you’re not one of the millions who can’t wait for that moment to come, the week of January 20th will be an excellent time for you to get far, far away from DC.  If you live there, consider financing a long weekend for yourself by renting out your dwelling to the Obamarama tourists, and then get the heck out of the city.

It won’t do any good for you to go an hour or two away — hotels within a two-hour radius are reporting heavy booking for the inauguration — so I suggest looking for something at least 150 miles away for a truly relaxing escape.  I’m one of those crazy people who will actually be going to our nation’s capital, but if McCain were taking the oath instead of Obama, I’d want to get away to a place like Williamsburg, VA.

Virginia’s Historic Triangle, made up of Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown Settlement, and Yorktown, is incredibly tourist-friendly.  It’s the kind of place where there’s lots to see and do, but you’re free to explore it all at your own pace.  Inauguration week will be an excellent time to visit these places, because we’ve reached the end of the peak holiday tourism season, so prices and crowds will be low.

Colonial Williamsburg has a few different ticket options.  You can walk the streets and go in selected buildings for free, but some of the more interesting parts of the area require tickets.  If this is your first visit, I definitely recommend the Governor’s Key-to-the-City Pass, which will get you into all the museums, trade shops, exhibits, historic homes, gardens, and the Governor’s Palace.  The Governor’s Palace was always my favorite part of Colonial Williamsburg, largely due to the hedge maze in the back yard.  I loved it when I was six, and I love it now.

Governor's Palace at Colonial Williamsburg

You can buy multi-day passes if you’d like, but I think you can take in most everything in one day.  You can always do one day of museums and tours, and then come back another time and just wander the town on your own for free.  When I’m in the area, I like to do one day at CW, one day at Jamestown, a shorter visit at Yorktown, and then spend the rest of my time hanging out in modern-day Williamsburg, which is a pretty rad place, too.

Prime Outlets is a huge outlet mall in Williamsburg, featuring dozens of designer brand outlet stores (see the full list here).  To be quite honest, I usually spend more time here than at any of the historic sites.  Fashions change; Colonial Williamsburg is still the same as it was 300 years ago!

Between the historic triangle and the shopping, Williamsburg is the perfect place to spend a 3-5 day vacation, with or without children.  It rarely snows in eastern Virginia, so winter weather shouldn’t be too much of a concern if you want to visit in the next month.  At just over 2.5 hours south of DC, Williamsburg is just far enough away to avoid the inauguration crowds, and the environment there is over 300 years removed from today’s political atmosphere.  It’s the perfect escape.

2008 was my first full year as a freelancer, and thus the first full year of real travel experiences for me.  It’s amazing how much you can see and do in twelve months, and I had a real blast the whole time.  Read on for some of my favorite things from 2008, and maybe you can check them out for yourself in 2009.

Best Hotel Experience: The Pompano Beach Club in Bermuda was hands-down the nicest place I’ve ever visited.  It doesn’t hurt that it’s in Bermuda, which would be a great vacation even if you stayed in a cardboard box, but this place knows how to treat its visitors.  Breakfast and dinner were included in my stay, and I enjoyed incredible five-course meals twice each day that I was on the island.  I never bothered with any of the local restaurants because the food at the resort was so perfect.  The facilities were lovely, the staff was great, and I loved every minute there.

Best Airline: Southwest.  Again, this category’s not even close.  Southwest’s amazing airfare deals made it possible for me to travel frequently between my home in Virginia and my soon-to-be-home in Oregon.  Not only do they have the best fares, Southwest has the best policies in the airline industry.  They have fewer fees than any other major American airlines, and the things they do charge for are cheaper than what the other carriers charge.  It’s also painless to change a reservation with Southwest, whereas other airlines make you sign over all your earthly possessions just to push your flight back a few days.

Best Vacation Spot: Bermuda was fantastic, of course, but I’m not calling it the best vacation spot because it was very expensive.  Worth it, certainly, but your travel budget will go a lot farther in other places.  My favorite vacation spot in 2008 was Ashland, Oregon, which I wrote about here.  I fell in love with all of Oregon in 2008, but Ashland was my favorite stop on the tour.  It’s a small town with a hip, intellectual population, and it’s driving distance to Crater Lake, a must-see destination.

Crater Lake

Best Concert:  I see a lot of great music every year — it’s one of the main reasons I travel — but this year’s top show had to be Great Big Sea at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon.  I love my GBS albums, but their shows just bring the experience to a whole new level of euphoria.  They have so much energy, and their fans are so enthusiastic, it’s impossible to have a bad time at one of their shows.  I saw them twice in ‘08, and one of my most serious New Years resolutions for 2009 is to see these guys as much as possible.  The Aladdin was a new venue for me, and I loved it.  It’s a comfy medium-sized theater without a bad seat in the house.  Trust me, I was in the back in a corner and still had a great view and a great time.

Best Gear: You know how you often don’t realize you need something until you get it, and then you wonder how you ever lived without it?  That’s how I feel about my Keen shoes.  (Read my review here.)  I’ve taken these things in rivers, oceans, up mountains, to the gym — even to a wedding, believe it or not — and they’re still good as new.  Better, in fact, because now they’re broken in.  Keens aren’t cheap, and it took me a while to talk myself into the investment, but I’m so glad I did.  These things are practically indestructable.  I want more pairs, but I don’t need them!

Best Book: It wasn’t new in 2008, but I read it in 2008 — Dry, by Augusten Burroughs.  This is a captivating memoir about getting sober.  The content is often disturbing, but always interesting and usually hilarious.  It’s a book you won’t get bored with, and it’s about the perfect length to read on a cross-country flight.  Maybe a shorter flight.  I’m a slow reader.

What were some of your favorite things in 2008?  Tell me where to go and what to do (and write about!) in 2009!

Happy New Year!

President-elect Barack Obama has something of a rock star following.  He draws huge crowds everywhere he goes, and tickets to his events are harder to get than front row seats for Hannah Montana (at least I understand Obama’s appeal).  Millions will soon descend on our nation’s capital to witness Obama’s inauguration.  Of course, only a lucky few will actually get tickets to the event, but celebrations will consume most of the city.  Obama will be officially sworn in on January 20, 2009, but there will be an entire week of Inauguration events.

If you think you want to attend, but don’t have reservations yet, you’d better hope you can find someone in DC with a guest bedroom (thanks Kerry & Jill!), because you’re not getting a hotel this late in the game.  In fact, hotels here in Charlottesville, a solid 120 miles south of Washington, are packed, too.  If you can make this trip without a car, all the better, because traffic is going to be a nightmare.

Festivities will begin on Saturday, January 17, as the Obama and Biden families travel by train to Washington, DC.  Events are planned along the way in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore.  On Sunday the 18th, there will be an official welcoming ceremony on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  This afternoon event will be free and open to the public.

Monday the 19th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Obama and Biden will spend the day honoring King at events in and around DC.  Find a schedule of MLK events in Washington here.  There will be a free youth concert at the Verizon Center on Monday night.  The event is free, but tickets are required.

Tuesday is the big day!  The main event, of course, is the Inauguration Ceremony, when Barack Obama will take his oath and become the next American President.  The Swearing-In Ceremony takes place on the steps of the US Capitol, rain or shine.  January in DC is usually cold and often wet, so dress appropriately for this outdoor event.  The ceremony actually begins at noon, but gates will open at 9, and for those without tickets who will be gathering beyond the gates, I suspect people will begin arriving very early.  There is no official dress code — make warmth your first priority.

Following the Swearing-In Ceremony, there will be an Inaugural Parade.  Tickets are not required, but the public will not be allowed to line up along the parade route before 7am.  The parade will begin at 2:30 and will proceed along Pennsylvania Ave.  Bleachers will be set up from 3rd St to 17th St.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has planned ten official balls for the night of the Inauguration.  Tickets are required for these formal events, but there will be dozens of unofficial balls and galas throughout the city over the week of the Inauguration.  About.com has a long list of these events here.

This will not be a good week for agoraphobes in DC — record crowds are expected to turn out in support of our new President.  If you live in DC and you don’t want to be a part of this, you could make a mint by getting out of town and renting your place out to Inauguration visitors.  You can post a free ad on Craigslist to see if anyone is interested.  There are other apartment-exchange websites out there, but I can’t endorse any of them because I’ve only ever used Craigslist myself.

If you’re going to be one of the millions in DC in a few weeks, have fun!  Maybe I’ll see you there!

The country’s tourism slogan is “Feel the love,” and Bermuda is no doubt a wonderful place to be, especially when in love.  If you love love, maybe you want to celebrate it at a love festival — over Valentines Day weekend, of course!

The Bermuda International Love Festival is an annual celebration taking place at the Fairmont Southampton from February 13-16, 2009.  The festivities begin on Friday the 13th with a cocktail party and a concert, with an appearance from at least one surprise celebrity, but they’re not saying who…

Hmm…who would be a good celebrity guest for a love festival?  Fabio?  Ron Jeremy?  If I were in charge, I’d try to get Hanson, but I’m guessing that’s not who they’ve got lined up.

Saturday begins with a golf tournament.  Golf is huge in Bermuda, but so is wind.  These aren’t the easiest courses you’ll ever play.  There’s a Louis Vuitton fashion show and luncheon in the afternoon, then a free evening for you and your sweetie to enjoy a Valentine dinner at any of the island’s fine dining establishments.  Each couple is assigned a “Love Marshal” at check-in, so if you need some ideas, just ask your Love Marshal for help.  He’ll ensure that you get preferential treatment at the restaurant of your choice.

Golf at the Fairmont Southampton

On Sunday morning, Veranda Magazine sponsors the Bermuda Tour of Homes.  The architecture on the island is truly unique — here’s your opportunity to explore the best of it.  There’s an afternoon brunch and then another super special surprise celebrity entertainer at the final dinner of the festival.  It’s a little funny that they’re not announcing the performers’ identities, but I wouldn’t worry — they know how to entertain a guest on this island.  Whoever it is, you won’t be disappointed.

Even when it’s not Valentines Day, Bermuda is achingly romantic.  (I’m trying not to dwell on the fact that my husband is going there without me next month for work.)  Gardens on the island often feature moongates — it’s said that if a couple kisses under a moongate, they are guaranteed a long and happy life together.  It’s no wonder so many couples want to get married in Bermuda.

If you ever find yourself traveling to Bermuda without your beloved, remember that it’s important to bring back gifts.  I hear the jewelry in Bermuda is lovely.  Just sayin’….

Still need gift ideas for the globetrotter in your life?  Thanks to all the new luggage restrictions and rules from the FAA and the airlines this year, we could all use some new bags.

A nice, large bag is always a plus.  I prefer duffel bags to actual suitcases, because they’re more durable and versatile.  All my suitcases have scuffed, cracked corners and temperamental zippers, whereas my duffel bag can take plenty of hits.

I got a bag similar to this one at a Samsonite outlet last year, and it’s perfect.  It’s large enough to pack clothes for at least two weeks, and when it’s full it’s just under the 50-pound limit.  It’s got wheels, but can also be worn as a backpack, so it’s easy to travel with, even when it does weigh 50 pounds.

For carry-on luggage, make sure you pick something that’s within the latest size restrictions.  This is 45 linear inches in most cases, or something like a 9×14x22 bag.  Check the size carefully before you purchase anything — just because it says it’s approved for carry-on use doesn’t mean it will be.  Of course they’re going to tell you that.

Wheels might seem convenient until you try to cram your bag into an overhead bin.  The bag isn’t large enough to be too heavy to carry, so forget the wheels.  Backpacks are my preferred carry-ons.  They even fit in the bins on those tiny turboprop planes.  LL Bean has long dominated the backpack market, but most of their goods are going to be too big by carry-on standards.  eBags is a great place to shop online for things like this.

Lastly, the right laptop bag is essential.  Having an FAA-approved style will save you lots of hassle at the airport security checkpoint, so make sure you brush up on the guidelines found here.  Sleeve-style bags are the cheapest and simplest, but whatever you get should come with a handle (many sleeves don’t).  Also be sure you buy the right size case for the computer it will be carrying.

When buying luggage for someone else, you can’t go wrong with classic black, but I think colors and patterns are better.  A distinctive bag will reduce the chances that someone else will grab your luggage by mistake either off the baggage claim or out of the overhead bins.

Don’t forget that cute luggage tags make great stocking stuffers, too!

If you hold firm creationist views and don’t want to see any evidence supporting the existence of evolution, I suggest you skip over this post and ignore any future mentions of the Socotra archipelago.  If, on the other hand, you have no problem entertaining the possibility of evolution, then you’ve gotta see this place.

People smarter than I am believe that Socotra island was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana, and that it detached some six million years ago.  Since that time, the island (actually, it’s a group of islands) has been almost completely isolated from the rest of the world.  Because of its geological isolation, much of the plant and animal life on the island is unique to Socotra, found nowhere else on the planet.

Blood trees on Socotra

The archipelago is about 1500 square miles, with approximately 50,000 inhabitants, most living on the main island.  The territory is part of Yemen.  Tourism has increased in the last decade, but you won’t find resorts and fancy hotels on Socotra.  Instead, there are a handful of locally owned hotels and beachfront campsites.

While the US State Department maintains a travel warning for Americans in Yemen, Socotra is so far removed from the rest of the country that most agree that American tourists have nothing to worry about here.  Getting to the island can be tricky, though, so you may want to hire a travel agent to help you make arrangements.  Once there, you’ll need to rent or hire a vehicle, as many of the island’s best ecological attractions are at least an hour’s drive away from the main city, Hadibu.

The New York Times has a great article on one journalist’s experience in Socotra in 2007, found here.  The island’s official tourism brochure can be found online at this site.  Due to extreme weather in the summer (it’s monsoon season there), it’s best to visit Socotra between October and April.  March and April are the best months for water activities like snorkeling and diving.

Every year, I tell myself I’m never going camping after Labor Day again, but somehow I always find myself huddled by a camp fire in November, wearing at least three sweatshirts and wrapped in blankets, cursing myself for agreeing to yet another late fall campout.  It’s just too flippin’ cold to have a good time.  Even when I camp in the summer, it’s always the cold rather than exhaustion that chases me into my tent for the night.  I’ve tried bundling up in my sleeping bag by the camp fire, but I almost torched myself the last time I did that.  Camping with me is always a comedy of errors.

I recently discovered a new sleeping bag design that is really perfect for people like me.  The Lippi Selk Bag is not a bag, really, as much as it is the world’s warmest set of footie pajamas.  The Selk Bag offers full body coverage and freedom of movement at the same time, with little zip-up holes for your hands so you can keep plucking your banjo or passing the bottle of bourbon around long after the sun sets and the temperatures drop.

The Selk Bag makes for a better night’s sleep, too, because your movement isn’t restricted the way it would be in a traditional sleeping bag.  Selk Bags make cuddling much easier for campers, too.

The bags are rated to keep you comfy in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit, are down or polyester filled with a nylon shell, and come in two sizes.  You can find the bags for sale all over the internet, but the best deal I’ve found is at Amazon.com, where the bags start at $149 for the basic model, the Lippi Selk Bag One.

I’ll admit that these bags look totally ridiculous, but aren’t they completely adorable, too, in their own weird way?

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to get to New York for a Broadway show, you might want to hurry up and get some plans in order now, because the show selection is about to get a lot smaller. Seven of the biggest shows on Broadway will be ending their runs in January, unable to cope with an economy that’s unable to cope with $100+ tickets.

On January 4, audiences will say goodbye to Young Frankenstein, 13, Grease, and Boeing-Boeing. Next to go will be Monty Python’s Spamalot, closing on January 11. Then on the 18th, Spring Awakening and Hairspray will drop their final curtains.

If you’re going to rush to the Big Apple to catch one of these productions before it’s too late, consider making a theater-themed week of it. While these shows are leaving the stage, others are struggling to keep going, and you can find some incredible deals on tickets right now. Now through Friday, Disney on Broadway is offering a Kids Go Free Sale, where you can get one free child’s ticket when you purchase an adult ticket at regular price to either Mary Poppins, The Lion King, or The Little Mermaid.

For more discounts, check out BroadwayBox.com. This website has all the latest information on special offers around Broadway, and the site can even hook you up with reliable brokers for tickets to sold out shows.

Enjoy the shows!

Sarah L. Winchester, widow and heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, built one of the most unique homes that has ever existed.  Construction began in 1884 in San Jose, California, and continued around the clock until Winchester’s death nearly forty years later.  Legend has it that Sarah believed the house was haunted by ghosts of those killed by Winchester rifles, and that only continuous construction would appease them.  Many believe the house is still haunted to this day.

Stairs to nothing

One version of the popular legend states that a psychic medium advised Sarah Winchester to travel west and build a home for herself and the spirits of those thousands killed by her family’s guns, and that she would die if construction ever ceased.  An alternate telling goes that the psychic told Winchester that the spirits would follow her wherever she went, so she intentionally built an enormous house with many confusing details, like stairs that lead to nowhere, and slept in a different room each night to throw the ghosts off her trail.

The mansion is as elegant as it is strange.  At one time, it stood seven stories high, but following earthquake damage, it is down to a modest four stories containing 160 rooms, 40 bedrooms, 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, two basements, and three working elevators.  The home also has chandeliers made of precious metals and inlaid parquet floors and trim, as well as several conveniences that were extremely rare at the time of construction, like forced air heating, push-button lighting, and modern plumbing including hot showers.

The sprawling house has several doors and stairways that lead to nothing, and many other unique touches said to have been inspired by the spirits that haunted the place.  The number thirteen is a recurring theme throughout the house, for example.  Its outrageous design and the stories surrounding it give it the name Winchester Mystery House.

Aerial view of the Winchester Mystery House

If you’d like to see the Winchester Mystery House for yourself, several tours are available every day but Christmas.  Special flashlight tours are given every Friday the 13th and on weekends in the Halloween season.  Check out the House’s special events program here.

Of all the mansion’s curiosities, perhaps the most amazing is what it doesn’t have:  blueprints.  Mrs. Winchester did draw some of her ideas on tablecloths, though…

The mansion's tower, as it stood when Sarah Winchester lived there.