Hurricane Sandy is not the name of a cocktail on the beach!

Depending on where you live, you may or you may not have heard of the most recent threat from Mother Nature.  For those living in the Northeast United States, you should have certainly heard the warnings by now!  In fact, many areas (from Washington, DC through New England) have already declared "states of emergency" and mandatory evacuations have been announced.  And, I just heard that the NYSE will be closed tomorrow due to the weather. Wow!

If anyone is planning travel to/from in the next few days, please check the flight status well in advance.  Even if you are not flying to/from the northeast, if your intended plane is normally routed through these areas, you may still be affected.

I am glad that we do not have any travel scheduled in the near future.  I have only had weather adversely affect my travel plans a few times; the worst being when I missed a connecting flight in Miami and had to find a hotel to stay overnight.  And, of course, since it was coded as "weather related," there were no reimbursements.  But that is nothing compared to what a severe storm may do.

Has Mother Nature ever ruined your travel plans?

For those that are in Sandy's path, stay safe and be smart.
-JP

"Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life" ~ Michael Palin

I recently read this quote, and it made me think of another (somewhat related) topic......immunizations before travelling.

Before traveling to a foreign destination, do you check the US Government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel-related website?  Have you ever thought to get any shots before going?

This has been on my mind lately, as our next big adventure includes a three day safari...in tents!  Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!    So after reading the CDC website and noting that nothing is actually required, I have been wrestling with the idea of whether or not to visit a travel clinic (yes, there are doctors that specialize in travel immunizations).

So after much thought, today was the day I visited the travel clinic!  After a lengthy consult with the travel doctor, I decided to only get the Hepatitis A vaccine.  He also gave with an antibiotic prescription that can help with Typhoid as well as other ailments (err, traveler's diarrhea).  Hopefully the prescription is not needed, but it is better to have it just in case.

On a side note, the doctor also recommended getting the seasonal flu shot (which I never get), so that is a new thing to consider....

One item to note, while it is better to be safe than sorry, travel clinics do not accept insurance, so the cost is all out of pocket.  In case you are considering, here is a link to the CDC website and a list of travel clinic nationwide.


So what are your thoughts about travel immunizations?  Have you even thought about it before? Have you done it?

Top Hotels in the World

So, Conde Nast Traveler recently posted the results of its Reader's Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hotels and Resorts in the World.  So, of course, I eagerly went to the site and clicked through all 100 to see if I stayed at a "Top 100" hotel or was soon-to-be planning a stay.  Sadly, none of the hotels that they featured overlapped with my itineraries (past or future).  And, admittedly  I did not even know where some of the hotels were located!!  They all do look gorgeous and diving, and given the opportunity and financial resources, I would happily travel to all 100 (and more!) to report back.

While I was clicking through the list, I thought to myself, "which hotel do you think *might* make it?"  I mean, did I even have a chance of seeing a hotel I stayed at on the list?  And, in fact, I did have the opportunity via work events to stay at some really nice hotels that I thought were worth noting.  So, without further adieu, I would like to give "honorable mentions" to the following hotels:

1. Hotel Commonwealth - Boston, MA

I was only here for one night, but it was an amazing room!  For little ol' me coming in for a quick business meeting, there was more room than I knew what to do with...and, it's not often that you can say that about a hotel.  The room itself had 2 televisions - 1 by a sitting area with a couch, the other in the "bedroom."  The amenities provided were top-notch too!

2. JW Marriott Desert Ridge - Phoenix, AZ 

I arrived late due to airline delays, but since most of the guests at the hotel had already checked-in for the conference, I was fortunate to get upgraded to a wonderful "Hospitality Suite" room that had a balcony, bar/kitchen, dining room table and sofa.  At night, the sofa was moved and a murphy bed dropped down.The hotel has a fun lazy river that I got to enjoy before I left.

Overall, it was a great business trip.  I even got to squeeze in a day trip to Sedona, which is GORGEOUS!

3. Brown's Hotel - London, UK

This was definitely a 5-star hotel with 5-star service.  I had the wonderful fortune of staying here for 5 days, and everything about it was unreal (especially for my meager salary!!).

  The bathroom was larger than my bedroom growing up by at least 2x in size.
(This image is from their website, but I swear my bathroom was larger!)

The conceierge was wonderful.  The bed was luxurious.  And, oh, dining in their English Tea Room for "high tea" was quite a treat.  Never did cucumber sandwhiches taste so expensive :-)   If I could afford it, I would definitely go back. And I most certainly recommend this hotel.  The location is also wonderful.  Central to everything you'd need...including an Aston Martin dealership.

Have you stayed at a "Top 100" hotel?  If so, which ones?  What other hotels would you give honorable mentions?

Stay well,

JP

Local vacations

How much does your city offer?
Do you take advantage of the local culture, cuisine, and events often?

Since our return from San Francisco last month, we have been busy spending our weekends enjoying the local activities and street fairs.  Fall in the NYC/northeast region is wonderful!  There are great street fairs, like the widely known San Gennaro Feast in NYC's Little Italy, to attend.  These fairs have tons of food.  All the yummy Italian restaurants are serving up their classic dishes to both local and visiting tourists.  And, oh my, the desserts!  The feast starts with the traditional Annual Cannoli Eating Competition and desserts and sweets are available throughout the 10 day feast from numerous street vendors and local bakeries.



For those visiting, please note that IT WILL BE CROWDED.  So, plan accordingly.
To avoid crowds, go during the week or early in the day.
If you are visiting with more than 4 people, it will be difficult to stay together as you navigate the crowded, narrow streets.  Set up a time and place to meet if you get separated.  It is best to arrange to meet on a side street off of Mulberry Street.  There are some memorable spots off of Mulberry worth stopping by too... Fan of rice pudding? Rice to Riches is the place to go!

Talk more soon....
JP