Surfing The Channel

Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

If you’ve come to Miami, Florida, it’s a fair bet that you’re interested in the beaches and water.  While dry land offers a great many activities, including some great food and great museums, which you may find at the La Camaronera Fish Market, the Miami Science Museum, or the Vizcaya Museum, the options at sea are just as wide.  You’ll want to take a room for a week and really investigate the true locals of Miami, the West Indian Manatee.

To meet these locals in the water, you’ll first want to go to the shore, the harbors and canals.  There you may find wild manatees.  The Florida manatee, which happens to be the state’s official marine mammal, is actually related to the elephant.  Similar to elephants they have a kind of grayish brown, wrinkled skin.  Their flippers help them maneuver through shallow water, while their flat tails allow them to move quickly.  They may look like they have small eyes and no outer ears, but these aquatic creatures can see and hear perfectly well.   You’ll find they’re quite large, ten to twelve feet in length, and heavy, about one thousand five hundred to one thousand eight hundred pounds, and may live as long as fifty to sixty years in the sea.  Fortunately, they’re herbivores, dining on freshwater and marine plants.   If you want to see a manatee, Florida is the best possible place in the world, because the biggest population of the animals are found here.  There’s over three thousand of them.  They don’t travel far, perhaps migrating up to the Carolinas or over to Louisiana.  There are few unusual occurrences of a manatee swimming into the Mississippi River or traveling as far as New York, but that’s rare.  Generally, they prefer warmer waters, such as bays and shallow rivers.  They don’t like to go below 68 degrees, and who can blame them for that?

Some of the best places to find manatees is in Coral Gables.  Try the intersection of Douglas Road, Sunset, and Old Cutler.   You can also find them at Black Point Marina, the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, and Oleta Park.  If you have no luck at any of these sites, it’s always possible to see manatees at the Miami Seaquarium, where you will always find them swimming in the Celebrity Pool, which allows you to witness their activities above and below the waters.

Plymouth Massachusetts is only 40 miles south of Boston. It is a major tourist attraction because of its history in the beginning of our country. This is the place were the first Pilgrims landed with the Mayflower and began a settlement away from the Royalty of England. The whole town is one big landmark. Every corner turned there is some piece of history to learn. There are many museums, historic businesses and homes to visit that will give you a perspective of Pilgrim life that you never got from your eight grade text books. It is a much different thing to hear the sounds and smell the smells and see the landscape of the life that most only see on film or TV.

Take some time to check out Plimoth Plantation and the replica of the Mayflower in the port. Together these sites give a broad view of the experience of the Pilgrim times. The village and ship not only look like the old days but they have actors that talk and live as if they are in the old days. They are cooking food that makes it smell like the old days and you will hear sounds of life going on that will also add to the experience. Pilgrim Hall Museum is also a must visit site because it houses even more information on the Pilgrim story which is really a story of perseverance and courage. They went through a lot to find a home were they could be free to live as they chose.

Visitors can also check into The Mayflower Society and see the ships passenger log and learn of there travel stories and contribution to the new settlement. This would be a place to visit if you think you have decedents from the Plymouth Pilgrims. In fact, you may be able to find more in other information on Mayflower Descendants in other states like California, Pennsylvania and New York. There has been a number of people and organizations that have been collecting information for years. Enjoy your stay at one of these fine hotels in Plymouth.

After playing at Carnegie Hall, we had a few days extra in New York City before heading up to Canada. February 17th, we brunched at a salad bar, I’ve never experience one before, so it took me a minute to figure it out. I got to choose what type of lettuce and the size of my bowl! Then there were all of these other vegetables and other items I could put on my salad, then I got to choose the salad dressing. I really liked this concept, so much so, when I get back home to South Africa, I’m going to tell my cousins about this and see if they’d like to add something like this to their eating establishment.

After the salad bar, some of us headed to the Museum of Natural History, the rest of our party went back to our hotel, which we booked online at this USA website: http://www.hotelsnewyorkusa.com, which we book way in advance when we heard our music group was invited to tour the US and Canada. I’m not a huge fan of museums, and felt I should’ve headed back to the hotel, but I have to admit, this museum was pretty good. There were exhibits on all things natural, but what really captured my heart was the Butterfly room. We walked into this room full of tropical plants and hundreds of butterflies! One even landed on my shoulder! I actually could have stayed in the butterfly room for the rest of the day.

After the museum, we found Central Park and took a stroll, if you can call walking in 30 degree weather a stroll. Before we got to New York, I had in my head what I thought Central Park would look like, but my vision was so off base. The park is so surprisingly peaceful. Manhattan is very fortunate to have a sanctuary right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a huge city. There were tons of paths to run, walk, jog, ride bikes on. The grass looked too frozen, so we only stayed on the paths.

For dinner, we took the subway, to Little Italy and the food was excellent. I think I’d like to move here, I had no idea I’d have so much fun in a big city, I thought I’d hate it, but it seems I was so off base about that too.

I’m really sorry that I am about to admit that I came to New York with the intention of finding the coffee shop from Friends, because I’m very concerned with what my children will think if they ever discover that.  But I am convinced that if I admit it out loud, then I have a chance of living a peaceful life, and be able to face my pillow at the end of the day with no regrets.  No regrets is how Rachel wanted to live with her memories of Ross, and that’s how it should be with me.  I didn’t watch Friends for all that long, either, but it became something of a mission.

There was the show where Phoebe was breaking up gently with that guy, and he took it so well, and it was in Central Perk, and I imagined that I might like being there.  I don’t know why.  But it became something of an obsession.  Enough so that by the time I got to booking my hotel here I had kind of already decided what I was going to do at least one day while I was here.  And when I did get here and started to walk in the city, I saw a duck in the park, and this made me smile.

It took a little bit of work, but I found a listing for a cafe called Downtown-Uptown, and decided that this was the place.  Except that it’s closed now.  The DTUT has closed its doors.  So the search was all for nothing.  Except for the long string of coincidences while I was finding this out.  I got a call and it was a breakup phone call during my trip.  I got a text from my friends who were getting married in England.  And my actor friend got a job teaching acting.  Friends follows me, and reminds me that New York City sometimes feels just like life.

One of the most successful theatres in the country is the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.  This is a group of players, writers and directors that stay true to the original mission of the company, which is to encourage total collaboration between all those working in the theatre.  Many of those involved with the company, are involved on a regular basis, not like most other theatres wherein in once the show closes, everyone moves on to a new venue, a new show, and a new cast.  At the Steppenwolf, creativity is nurtured, and cast and crew work with each other repeatedly, forming bonds and friendships that are noticeable on stage.

The Steppenwolf is located in a great part of the city, downtown but on a charming street that is filled with a variety of restaurants and cool small pubs.  Finding a great hotel close by is easy, and you will find that everything you need is within walking distance.  Should you find yourself in the neighborhood, you really must catch a performance at the theatre.  The nine original founding members are some of the most recognized faces these days in film and television.

Gary Sinise founded the company with two of his high school friends, and at first they went from venue to venue to perform, before finding their permanent home.  They found their name in a random way, it is simply the name of the Herman Hesse novel, “Steppenwolf”, which Sinise’s friend happened to be reading at the time they decided to produce their first show.  Soon, more actors joined the company, Moira Harris, Alan Wilder, John Malkovich and Laurie Metcalf, and they all continue to work consistently either on the stage or behind the scenes.  They have always been committed to producing exciting work and providing dynamic theatre for the city of Chicago.  Chicago is a city that is teaming with wonderful live theatres, and Steppenwolf is one of the best in the business.

In a city known for great theatre, great culture, great art, great dining, great shopping, okay the list could go on forever and the g-r-e-a-t keys on my keyboard might wear out so I’m just assume you get the idea. The point of all this greatness is to stress that in such an amazing city like New York only the best of the best make it to the top and stay there. So when you consider how long ago William Shakespeare wrote and how often he is produced all over the world, including New York, it becomes all the more astounding how great he is. His genius is frequently taken for granted and even dismissed but when considered in the context of all the theatres and festivals that are even named after him and college classes and professional workshops dedicated to him, it becomes impossible to ignore or refute.

One of the most famous theatrical associations to Shakespeare in New York is the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park Series. The Public is one of the most respected companies in the city and is known for producing great new work. It’s simply another testament to Shakespeare’s brilliance that this theatre has an annual summer festival devoted to him. The Shakespeare in the Park series takes place in Central Park every summer and there are plenty of free tickets for it. There are frequently major Hollywood names starring in one or more of the productions and Al Pacino is on the cast list this year.

Shakespeare wrote during the late 1500s and early 1600s in London, England. His career spanned two English crowns, beginning with Queen Elizabeth the first on the throne and ended with King James I. Society and theatre productions were extremely different during those times and so was audience expectations and behaviors at the shows. They would frequently talk back to the actors and demonstrate their approval or displeasure physically and verbally. The theatre was more of a social occasion and the guests in New York’s finest four star hotels would be surprised at all of the goings on.

When thinking of cultural “melting pots” of the United States, many cities may come to mind, cities such as Manhattan, or San Francisco, or Los Angeles.  However, there is one city that may get overlooked, and that is the city of Boston.  This is the a city that is rich with history not only within itself, but one that is also of the most significance in regards to the history of the entire country.  There are many neighborhoods in the city today, each with their own characteristics and their own personality, and one that is known throughout the city as the cultural “melting pot”, is Beacon Hill.

It is not only the mix of the people from all over the world, but in Boston, hotel buildings, and apartments, and mansions, and eclectic boutique shops, and elegant restaurants are surrounded by artists, musicians, and poets…made from and made up of the vast number of immigrants who have been calling this neighborhood home since the 1600’s.

During the 17th Century this was home to many of the first European immigrants and settlers, and the Puritans, many of whom built the beacon at the top of the hill for which the neighborhood is named, which would signal an attack by the enemy troops.  Addresses in this location became quite desirable.  By the early 1800’s however, the surrounding neighborhoods became filled with “undesirables”.

But as time continued on, various cultures began to make Beacon Hill their home, from the African Americans in the years following the Civil War, to a wave of Jewish immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  This became a focal point for the civil rights movement, and a leader in the history of among many elements of society, the fight for equal rights.

Walking through this neighborhood, it is evident that history exists, in the array of architectural style.  The Boston Athenaeum is located here, and contains a vast library of books from the personal libraries of Henry Knox and George Washington, paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts that illustrate the years of history that stand behind this area of Boston.

A walk down Charles Street will open up a view into the history of tomorrow…the people, the activity, and shops of today.  Surrounded with charm and heavy with the weight of historical importance, this is a neighborhood of Boston that one should really explore by simply walking the streets and talking with the people who have lived there for generation after generation.

Sure, the summers in Austin can get kind of warm and are also rather humid. But so what, it’s still an amazing city and it’s the music capital of the nation, remember? Joe still wasn’t convinced that he should move with his best friend and music partner to the capital of Texas. It wasn’t that he had any specific hesitations regarding the city of Austin, and it certainly had its appeal, he was just happy in his own town of Albuquerque, New Mexico and didn’t know if he was ready to leave. Matt pressured him and continued to talk about it day and night.

Joe was getting frustrated and really didn’t want to leave his other friends and his family and move to a city where he didn’t know anyone and didn’t even have a job. Of course Matt called him a chicken and reminded him that if he wanted to make it in the music business he had to take chances and make sacrifices. And he had to make his career happen, it certainly wasn’t going to do manifest on its own.

So, after about a month of all of that pressuring and name calling and even character insults his best friend continued to lob in his direction, Joe agreed to go with Matt and to check out a great place to stay in Austin for a week. And as made up as this might sound, almost as soon as they arrived in this great Texan city Joe knew it was where he needed to be. He couldn’t remember the reasons for his former hesitations and really didn’t even care. He thought the city had a great vibe and he couldn’t believe all of the clubs that featured live music. He knew he and Matt would be able to break into the club scene and they even decided to play at an open mic at the Water Club Tank. Joe played guitar and sang back up to Matt who played keyboards and was the main singer. That night they played with just the guitar and vocals and had a very nice response. They decided to check out another open mic before they left and when it was time to go home they felt like they were leaving their home. But they would be back.

A few years ago, in Paris, I realized I had acquired a fear of heights when I considered entering the glass elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower, which would have sent me soaring one thousand feet above the ground.  My heart accelerated in anticipation and, for the life of me, I couldn’t make myself step inside the elevator car.  When I reviewed my memories of height-related experiences, I could come up only with myself as an eight-year-old climbing alone a one hundred and ten foot lookout tower in Washington state.  My parents were waiting above, accessible through a trap door that took up a quarter of the lookout tower’s observation room, having gone ahead when I expressed my reluctance to climb the wooden structure.  I hadn’t had any such negative reactions anywhere else, such as flying in a plane or riding up to the top of the Seattle Space Needle.

In fact, then as now, I really enjoy Seattle and the Seattle Center, which is about a 74 acre site that the Century 21 Exposition used.  I would love to travel to Washington today and check into a hotel on the pier and revisit those excellent childhood memories.  It would be a chance to see again the International Fountain, which you can see at any time of the year, with twenty spouts, shooting out jets of water in different patterns to the beat of world music, which changes every month.  More recently, in 2004, the World Naked Bike Ride or the Body Pride Ride uses the fountain as a stopping point.  That was definitely something that wasn’t happening when I was a kid.  While I couldn’t find clothing-optional bicyclists, I could ride the Seattle Monorail here, which was my first experience with monorails.  There’s also the Fun Forest Amusement park, in which I recall clearly a fun house ride that put you on a cart on a track that led in and out of “scary” sights.  I’m sure if I were to see it again, I’d consider the ride exceptionally tame.  In the sixties, though, it was just fun.  And, in fact, I was so in love with the space program that anything with the name space in it, had me hooked.  I’m positive that riding to the top of the Seattle Space Needle, a full 605 feet tall, didn’t trigger any fear of heights.

Perhaps I’ll never know why I couldn’t go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, although when I went to Las Vegas last, I was somehow able to force myself into the glass elevator on that Tower’s replica.  Granted, it was only half the height of the original, perhaps five hundred feet, and I was anxious all the way up, despite the view.  Overall, though, I believe I prefer the view available at the top of the Space Needle, Seattle and Puget Sound stretching out before me.  I could probably even see my hotel from there!

We headed down to Fisherman’s Wharf early in the morning to hire bikes from a company called ‘Blazing Saddles’. It was 9am by the time we got our bike and started toward the Golden Gate Bridge. The weather was a bit chilly, which was a good thing; kept us cooled down. The trip to Golden Gate Bridge was about an hour and when we got there, we got off our bikes and took several pictures. We could see the whole bay of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz.

We then biked over the bridge leading to Sausalito, which is another very picturesque town. Our cycling into Sausalito was pleasant and fun, it was all downhill, we could have cycled downhill all day! But, then we realized that we’d have to bike back up that hill to get back to the San Francisco side of the Bridge. Ugh. When we stopped at a outdoor hot dog vendor stand, we asked the vendor if many people ride their bikes back up the hill to cross the bridge, he told us that tourist mostly take the ferry back.  Last night, we were saying how much weight we’ve put on by eating at our favorite restaurant in San Francisco, all of them! So, we looked at each other and knew we’d be tackling that hill on our way back.

We spent the rest of the afternoon biking through out Sausalito and up to Old Mill Park, which is this wonderful retreat up in the forested mountains. We saw many striking homes nestled away from the dirt track we were on. Finally, it was lunchtime, so we found a spot in the mountain that was quiet and peaceful and ate our packed lunches. After a refreshing meal, which our favorite restaurant packed for us, it was time to head back. As we were packing up, a family of deer entered our view, they were grazing along the dirt path. We stayed as quiet as we could, but then one of the deer spotted us and they all bolted. That was great!

We did make it back to our hotel, but we were beaten. That hill was quite a struggle for both of us. We cycled over 30 miles today and it is time for the hot-tub, that’s if we can walk there.