TRAVEL TUESDAY SEGMENTS

BONJOUR, PARIS!

2005-10-31T08:20:00.000-06:00

You who have never been to Paris know,
and you who have never been--go!
-- John Ruskin, A Tour through France

Paris is the city of lights, and travels in and around Paris can light up your life. Here's a quick guide to easy, affordable travel in one of the world's most romantic cities.

FORGET PARIS? Never! "We'll always have Paris," said Rick to Ilsa in Casablanca--and he's right. Once you've visited this romantic city, the memory of this place will stay with you forever.

When in Paris...stay on the
The Left Bank (5th arrondissement/district) near the Sorbonne. You don't want to stay anywhere but a hotel or apartment in or around the Latin Quarter (to get there, look for the Saint-Michel - Maubert Mutualite Metro stop, or if you're using the RER metro train, get off at the the Saint-Michel - Luxembourg stop). If you're near that, you're going to have a good time and you'll be able to get around easily to all the places you'll want to see in Paris. You'll also be fairly close to the Gare de Lyon train station when you want to take side trips out of Paris.
My favorite little neighborhood hotel in Paris is the Hotel Claude Bernard; I've been there time and again and recommended it to others who have enjoyed it as well. The Hotel Claude Bernard located in the Latin Quarter and Saint-Germain des Pres, the heart of the city, is close to all these places reminding of Paris prestigious history: Notre-Dame, Cluny Abbey, the banks of river Seine and the second hand book- sellers, Saint Michel and Saint Germain, Beaubourg, the Louvre and Orsey Museums. In this lovely place, full of charm and character you will appreciate the art of good living while making your stay a moment to remember. The address: 43 Rue des Ecoles, Paris, 75005 France. (It runs about $117 a night, US--but ask for a better rate and they always try to work with you if they can. However this is a reasonable rate for a nice Paris hotel). http://www.paris-hotel-booking.com/

If you're a budget traveler and you just want the basics--nothing fancy--and you don't even mind sharing a bathroom down the hall, I know of a clean well-lighted place with rock-bottom prices. The Hotel du Commerce on Rue de Montaigne is a 1 or 2 star hotel, and it is like a hostel in many ways, but it is clean and inexpensive, and its location is just great. I've stayed here a few times when I needed just needed a room for the night before meeting an early morning train or plane.
Visit their Web site at www.commerce-paris-hotel.com, Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, near Saint Germain, the Hotel du Commerce is just a few blocks away from the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris, the Panteon, Sorbonne University and the Seine river banks. At It is an ideal place for travelers, students, professors and families. Located just around the corner (a couple blocks away) from the Hotel Claude Bernard, it is located in the 5th district in the Latin Quarter near the Sorbonne at 14 rue de Montaigne Sainte Genevieve, Paris 75005, France.
Staying near a university like the Sorbonne ensures that there will be plenty of sidewalk cafes, jazz clubs, music venues, museums, art exhibits, shops, and affordable lodging nearby. This is the neighborhood of poets and artists, and famous writers like Hemingway lived on the Left Bank, too. (I love to walk by the apartment where he lived on rue Cardinal Lemone).

What to see during your Paris vacation:
Yes, you simply must see the Eiffel Tower, but first walk around the Latin Quarter and visit the cafes, outdoor markets, and old churches (they have great music recitals in the old neighborhood churches almost every night), and stroll along the river Seine. There you'll not only behold the stalls of artists and street vendors, you'll come to a breathtaking view of Notre Dame Cathedral. Did you know it's over 700 years old? Its gothic majesty, gargoyles, stained glass windows, and statues are sure to astound you. Be sure to go inside and take time to climb the bell towers (Quasimodo watch out!). Located on the Ile de la Cite, surrounded by the Seine, it is a spectacular place to start your tour of Paris.
Then, visit the Louvre or any one of the many, many museums in Paris such as the Musaee d'Orsay, the Rodin Museum. Musee de l'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris. There are museum passes you can buy that will grant you entrance into as many as 80 museums in Paris alone!
At this point, I'd hop on a double-decker bus (an inexpensive way to see all the major attractions of Paris in 24 hours, and a good mode of transportation all day long in the city). This way you'll see things like the Eiffel Tower, Hotel de Ville, Bastille Square Sorbonne, St-Germain-des-Pres, the Champs-Elyses, Arch of Triumph, Invalides, Concorde Square, Madeleine Church, Opera Square, and the Place des Pyramides--to name just a few of the most lovely places in Paris.
When you're tired and hungry, go to the top of the
La Samaritaine, a department store which occupies four buildings in the center of the city. The best kept secret of the locals in Paris is that there at the department store, a cafe on the roof of store number two, offers a 360 degree view of Paris. Have an inexpensive lunch and take great photos. You'll know you've seen la vie en rose when you dine here with a glass of wine or a cup of strong, hot coffee on a clear, lovely Paris afternoon.

Want the most romantic dinner experience one of the world's most romantic cities? Propose to your girlfriend here, and she'll swoon ! You'll both remember it as the most romantic dinner ever. Le Train Bleu restaurant is located at the Gare de Lyon train station, so it's easy to find. It's very formal (read expensive), but extremely romantic. Make reservations in advance for a special evening of fine dining at Le Train Bleu, Gare de Lyon - place Louis-Armand - Paris 75012. Tel : 01 43 43 09 06 - Fax : 01 43 43 97 96, Subway : Gare de Lyon
Seats : 250,Open 7/7
And while you're there making plans for the future, make plans for a side trip to other enchanting towns outside of Paris. Buy a Eurail Pass (they have country passes that are good for not only France but other countries in Europe!) and make reservations on trains headed to locations throughout France such as Avignon, Dijon, or Lourdes! Even beautiful Venice, Italy, is a just romantic overnight train trip from Paris. You'll be there on the Grand Canal to cross the Rialto bridge by mid-morning the next day. Eurail has great prices, clean, fast trains, good service, good food, efficient schedules, and passes to countries throughout Europe as well as discounts on Ferries and other travel means and destinations. See http://www.eurail.com/ for all the information on the services this fabulous company has to offer travelers.

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then whenever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." -- Ernest Hemingway
Even after a short stay in the city of lights, memories of Paris stay with you for the rest of your life. So what are you waiting for? So Bon Voyage and Bonjour, Paris!

Eurail on the Emerald Isle

2005-10-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

In Dublin's Fair City...

Stay at the
Albany Hotel
84 Harcourt Street,
Dublin 2, Ireland;
33 rooms. 3 star Georgian styled house. Non-smoking. Not far from St. Stephen's Green. Offers lovely breakfast each morning.

Or, better yet, stay at
The Hotel Davenport -- an O'Callahan Hotel
Merrion Square, Dublin, 2, Ireland
This elegant, traditional deluxe hotel is ideally located at Merrion Square in the heart of Georgian Dublin. The spectacular facade of the hotel, originally that of a church, dates from 1863. Lovely facilities with exceptional service. Includes 115 guest bedrooms, of which there are 103 classic bedrooms, 10 junior suites and two one bedroom suites. Lovely restaurant/bar and lounge areas.

Walk next door and see where Oscar Wilde's family lived, or stroll through Merrion Square and visit the beautiful Archbishop Ryan Park. Also on this square you'll see gorgeous government buildings, the home of poet William Butler Yeats, and the fabulous National Gallery of Ireland, which has among its beautiful art treasures a Vermeer painting. Cut across St. Stephen's Green and see the artists along the fence surrounding the park.

Then, stroll into the "City Centre" and look at the beauty of Dublin Castle, Trinity College, and the beautiful churches such as Christ's Church and St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Then it's on to the famous Temple Bar area of Dublin, named for a famous street (and pub) there. "Temple Bar is a colourful quarter of Dublin City which, almost accidentally it could be said, over the years developed a bohemian 'Left Bank' character, while retaining in its cobbled streets and old buildings a charm no longer to be found in many other parts of the city," according to one Temple Bar aficionado.
Be sure to stop at the Ha'penny Bridge, a pedestrian bridge built in 1816 over the River Liffey (Its real name is Liffey Bridge, but locals call it Ha'Penny Bridge).
Go on an entertaining and informative literary pub crawl one evening, or take musical pub crawl tour to hear some wonderful Irish music.

A favorite stop of the tourists is the Guiness Storehouse Tour. It's like a big, industrial beer museum, (it's not really a brewery tour), and it gives an informative history of not only Guiness Stout, but also of the life of the founder of the company who did much for Dublin and the people of that fair city. Oh, and did I mention there's a tasting room with free Guiness (with the tour only) in the Oxygen Bar upstairs? With one of the most beautiful, panoramic views of the city, the windows in the bar display quotations from James Joyce which point out special parts of the city that appeared in The Dubliners and Finnegan's Wake. Be sure to also visit the Dublin Writer's Museum near the Abbey Theatre.

There's still a great deal more to do in Dublin (we haven't even talked about the food and shopping yet!), but first let's take a side trip on a beautiful Eurail line to visit the lovely CORK CITY and nearby Blarney Castle.

Eurail is the best way to see Ireland: with clean, spacious, comfortable rail cars and delightful dining opportunities (you must taste their Irish breakfast!), the train allows you a quick trip across the country (just 2-3 hours from Dublin to most locations throughout Ireland), and allows you a quiet, peaceful journey through the greenest land you've ever seen--land dotted with herds of white sheep with black faces everywhere you look.

Cork is just a few hours by train from Dublin, and it is one of the best places to visit in Ireland. While in the area near Cork Harbour, I also visited the beautiful Fota House and Gardens while there, and then I went on to visit the Titanic Trail Cobh (Queenstown). The Titanic Trail is a fascinating Guided Heritage Tour exploring the town of Cobh, Cork Harbour which was the last port of call of RMS Titanic. There is an interesting museum there, too.
Cork has been named the European Capital of Culture for 2005 and is a beautiful port city on the North Atlantic, a center of both commerce and culture, and a delightful place to walk, shop, visit historical sites, and spend time in beautiful marketplaces.
And don't forget to take the five mile ride out to Blarney Castle where you can kiss the Blarney Stone!

Another beautiful rail trip along Ireland's rocky coastline takes you to the charming town of Wexford. From there I took side trips to visit places like New Ross where I toured a historic reproduction of a "famine ship" aboard which Irish emigrants traveled from their beloved country to America during the Potato Famine which swept through Ireland in the mid-1840s.

I also visited the Irish National Heritage Park near Wexford, with 35 lush and lovely 35 green acres of forests and trails, to see an authentic recreation of Ireland's heritage and learn how people through the ages lived and worked on this beautiful Emerald Isle. "Homesteads, places of ritual, burial modes and long forgotten remains will enlighten the casual visitor and interest the scholar," according to their brochures, and they're right. It was an extremely interesting place to visit, and the grounds were astonishingly beautiful.

Then I took an IRISH FERRY, to France. Irish Ferries partners with Eurail to give passengers massive savings on fares, and so I sailed with a Eurail pass discount from Rosslare to Cherbourg, France. The boat I was on was not like any ferry you've ever seen; rather, it's a veritable cruise ship, and the inexpensive overnight trip to France gave me plenty of time to enjoy the fine restaurant, the lounge with live music, and the movie theatre on board. But we'll talk about that leg of this trip next week on SAN ANTONIO LIVING when we tell about my travels in France. So be sure to watch next week when Travel Tuesdays take us to France!

For more information about travel in Ireland (and other European countries) visit Eurail's Web site at http://www.eurail.com. For information about the marvelous trips to France and England from Ireland on Irish Ferries visit www.irishferries.com. For a wonderful hotel in Dublin (my favorite!) visit the Hotel Davenport online at www.ocallaghanhotels.com. While visiting, I became quite ill and I was also troubled by news reports about the hurricanes in Louisiana and Texas, and the staff knew this and could not have been more gracious, helpful, and kind--especially a woman named Hazel who worked at the front desk. The hotel was a haven at the end of a cool, rainy day, too, with tea and biscuits in a dark, beautiful lounge with over-stuffed leather sofas and soft lighting and big windows. The location in Merrion Square is superb, as well. I highly recommend this hotel.

See you next week on Travel Tuesdays with WOAI TV's very own SAN ANTONIO LIVING.

Getaway to Santa Fe!

2005-10-06T23:13:00.000-05:00

Which Santa Fe Would You Like to See?
Is it the romantic place where you and your special someone can slip into the desert night to see the stars, spend the day sitting in cafes and strolling hand in hand through art galleries? The place where the perfect spa treatment is yours after a relaxing together in private hot tub overlooking the woods on a starry night with snow on the ground around the steaming tub?
Or is it the family vacation you've always dreamed of? Hiking with the kids, geocaching, fly fishing, teaching them about artists and native Americans, visiting the ancient American Indian cliff dwellings and pueblos, enjoying dinner and music and strolling together through the plaza?
Or is it the girlfriend getaway? Sipping margaritas, shopping till you drop, eating enchiladas, trying on jewelry at the outdoor market, visiting museums, taking a siesta by the pool, having a facial at a spa, telling stories around an adobe fireplace late into the night?

All of these Santa Fe vacations are there waiting for you, and there's just so much to do!

Here's where to begin:

Romantic Getaway -- Stay at the Inn of the Anazazi just off the old main plaza near the Palace of the Governors. Have a private dinner created by the hotel's fine chef in the wine cellar downstairs. Eat at the Casa Sena just around the corner. Have a private hot tub and massage treatment at Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Health Spa. Hike together through the Santa Fe National Forest. Stroll quietly through the Georgia O'Keefe Museum. Step into an old church to light a candle for someone you love. Star gaze near the ski areas just outside of town late at night.

Girlfriend's Guide to a Good Time in Old Santa Fe-- Stay at the fun La Fonda on the Plaza and have a drink at the hotel's rooftop cantina, or take a dip in the pool. Or for a real treat, stay at the Inn of the Anasazi where you'll have your own private fireplace in your room on those cool mountain evenings. Have a leisurely breakfast at the Plaza Cafe whose walls are covered in broken dishes and bright colors. Shop in all the clothing, jewelry, and pottery shops along the plaza, browse the art and photography galleries, and then stop for sopapillas and the fabulous famous margaritas of Maria's New Mexican Restaurant. Or take a whole day just to visit the spa at Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Health Spa and have a nightingale facial (hint: don't ask too many questions about what it is they're putting on your face, though). Maybe take the senic drive into Albuquerque to tour the Gruet Winery and sample their delicious sparkling wines! For dinner, gather at the Casa Sena Cantina or Geronimo for the perfect end to a perfect party day with the girls, or have dinner at the Inn of the Anasazi for a really special night out and an unforgetable meal.

Unforgettable family Vacation -- Stay at Las Palomas, just a few blocks off the main plaza, where you'll have your own little, private casita, complete with a kitchenette and diningg area. Let the kids play at the Las Palomas children's garden while you relax in the Spanish-style courtyard over a cup of coffe before you treat them to Las Paloma's complimentary breakfast with homemade croissants, muffins and Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles for the kids! They'll need their strength to hike near Bandelier National Monument. Featuring the most stunning ancient ruins in the Southwest, not to mention the amazing natural beauty of the majestic mountains, the monument is just short drive from the town of Los Alamos, and close not far from Santa Fe and the Jemez Mountains as well as other historic pueblos. Take the kids fly fishing or go on a 21st century scavenger hunt using GPS navigation systems (they call it Geocaching!) with Santa Fe Mountain Adventures as your guide. Take a drive to Taos to visit the American Indian pueblo there. Return to the hotel where hot, homemade cookies await you. Then spend the afternoon taking photographs with the kids and developing the film in town that evening. Take the family to dinner and to hear the fabulous sounds of Broadway shows, sung live before a bright piano, at the Casa Sena Cantina. Your children will love Santa Fe and remember all their lives this incredible family vacation and the special time they spent with you.
For more information on Santa Fe, where to go and what to do, see the links below:
The Inn of the Anasazi http://www.innoftheanasazi.com Inn of the Anasazi, A Rosewood Hotel 113 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 Phone: 505.988.3030Fax: 505.988.3277 Email: anasazi@rosewoodhotels.com

Las Palomas (505) 982-5560
460 W San Francisco St Santa Fe, NM 87501
Cross Street:Between Park Ave and Camino Del Campo
www.laspalomas.com

La Fonda on the Plaza
(505) 982-5511
100 E San Francisco St Santa Fe, NM 87501
Cross Street:Near intersection of Old Santa Fe Trl and E San Francisco St
www.lafondasantafe.com

Santa Fe Mountain Adventures

http://www.santafemountainadventures.com/

The Plaza Cafe (505) 982-166454 Lincoln Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Ten Thousand Waves Japanese Health Spa: Reservations(505) 982-9304, (505) 992-5025Ski Basin Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87501

La Casa Sena 125 E Palace Ave., Santa Fe, NM, (505) 988-9232
lacasasena.com

Gruet Winery 8400 Pan American Freeway N.E., Albuquerque, NM (505) 821-0055 Â· Fax (505) 857-0066 Â· Toll-Free (888) 857-WINE (9463) info@gruetwinery.com

Praising Arizona - Road Trip to the Grand Canyon

2005-08-14T22:49:00.000-05:00

S ix of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World no longer exist. Over time, even the finest man-made marvels eventually have met destruction. But it is said that, “Sights seen in the mind's eye can never be destroyed,” and only the natural wonders of our world stand timeless for eternity. Here in the United States, we are blessed to be caretakers of one of the world’s finest natural wonders: the Grand Canyon, America’s national treasure.

Although the Canyon itself is believed to be “only” about five or six million years old, some of the rocks at the bottom date back 2,000-million years, according to the National Parks Service. However old it may be, its beauty is eternal. So desolate, rugged, colorful and glorious, its impression has been carved for eternity into our nation’s soul.

At its deepest, it is a mile to the bottom of the Canyon and 4,000 feet deep for most of its nearly 300 mile stretch. The Grand Canyon National Park and World Heritage Site is 18 miles wide at its broadest point and encompasses 1,218,375 acres on the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona.

To call it majestic would be an understatement.

Since the earliest natives first beheld its splendor, families have been making pilgrimages to the Canyon’s rocky cliffs—a place every American should visit. Ironically, though, a century ago no one expected much in the way of tourism: in 1858 U. S. Army Lieutenant Joseph Ives stated that the Grand Canyon area “is of course altogether valueless…. Ours has been the first, and will doubtless be the last, party of whites to visit this profitless locality." He was certainly wrong about that, for visit we do. Last year, alone, nearly 5 million people came to see the Canyon.

Getting there is half the fun
Just an easy, beautiful three-hour drive from Phoenix, or three and a half hours from Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon is not as remote as you might imagine, and getting there (especially to the spectacular South Rim) is not difficult. The drive itself provides a lovely exploration of some the most scenic places in the state. Passing through Sedona, stopping in historic Flagstaff, and beholding the imposing snow-capped peak of Mount Humphrey dusted and glistening with snow, you’ll be amazed at the beauty of Northern Arizona. Forests and glens, Painted Desert and pretty mountains, Old West towns and Navajo reservations, stops to see ancient Native American ruins—it is all part of a grand adventure on the journey to the Grand Canyon.

Flagstaff
You may have heard of this town, but you probably never realized how small and lovely it is. Home to Northern Arizona University, one might expect to find a large, urban city; instead, it is a beautiful, close-knit community in the middle of a glorious ponderosa pine forest. [Arizona isn’t all desert and cactus!]

At 7,000 feet elevation, Flagstaff (or “Flag” as locals call it) boasts an annual snowfall average of 108.8 inches, yet it also enjoys an average of 288 days of glorious warm sunshine. As their Chamber states, “Flagstaff is rich with cultural diversity, beauty and history, as well as amazing educational, recreational and scientific opportunities.” It’s a stop on the way to the Canyon not to be missed. I suggest spending several nights there, taking time to visit the Museum of Northern Arizona, the Arboretum at Flagstaff (a botanical garden, research station, and environmental education center), and the charming historic district downtown. This spring, I had a delicious lunch at Charly’s in the Weatherford hotel, one of Flagstaff’s authentic Old West hotels, and took a tour of its old fashioned rooms, delightful lounges and wrap-around balconies. Later I wandered down the street, popped into art galleries and peaked into the Hotel Monte Vista, which is also said to be haunted. That night, I enjoyed a steak dinner and musical revue at Black Bart’s Steakhouse, Saloon and Musical Revue, where talented students from the University entertain guests when they aren’t busy waiting tables between songs. The show and the steak dinner were both rare treats, but my favorite Flagstaff haunt turned out to be “The Zoo.”

The Museum Club, a real honky-tonk road house with attitude and history, was once a unique (read weird) taxidermy museum built in 1931, which held oddities of nature such as two headed calves and extensive collection of taxidermy treasures. Often called “the Zoo,” this classic Route 66 landmark is a strange and wonderful edifice built around five living ponderosa pines which seem to grow through the floor which and hold up the ceiling. Entry to this curious place is directly through a wishbone-shaped tree trunk straddling the front door. The Zoo is said to be haunted by previous owners who obviously don’t care to depart, and I didn’t want to leave either but had plans to journey north at daybreak.

Cameron
While heading out of Flagstaff, stop to see the Hopi and Zuni Indian Wupatki pueblo ruins built in the 1100s, and at lunch time take time at the Navajo Reservation at the old outpost of Cameron to taste their famous Navajo taco: a fat, puffy round of fried bread smothered by a taco salad. The art gallery in Cameron, featuring Navajo treasures, was worth the whole stop, although most people spend more time in the spacious souvenir shop next door.

Page, Wah-Weep, Glen Canyon and Lake Powell
After stopping to see the Colorado River rapids at Lee’s Ferry, where adventurers put in massive white-water rafts for float trips into the Grand Canyon, continue on to the town of Page, to spend a few days at the glorious Lake Powell Resort at Wah-weep, just six miles from the Utah state line near the gigantic Glen Canyon Dam. There you’ll find the Lake Powell National Golf Course, or perhaps you’d rather spend a day on a 60 foot houseboat before enjoying a gourmet meal prepared Executive Chef Brandon Schubert at the Rainbow Room restaurant.
Before leaving Page, be sure to stop for an early, easy trek through the stunning Antelope Canyon or take a little more challenging hike into Canyon X. Then set off for what is arguably the most glorious spot in North America: the Grand Canyon.

When I arrived there this spring, I was full of fear and excitement, for my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon that day would be from a helicopter soaring over the edge of its cliffs.

The South Rim
At the landing pad of Maverick Helicopter tours, I found myself positioned in the front seat of a new, red helicopter, whose large round front windows reached even below my feet. I was simultaneously terrified and thrilled, and the pilot jokingly reminded me that the view was much better with my eyes open. Soon we soared over the tree line and lunged over the edge of the great chasm of the Canyon. It was a breathtaking, exhilarating experience as I watched waterfalls cascade thousands of feet below and falcons glide effortlessly into the rocky purple mountain majesty.

After the excitement of the helicopter adventure, I stopped with friends to eat lunch at a point overlooking the South Rim of the Canyon, which averages 7,000 feet above sea level and is open 365 days a year, seven days a week. After lunch, stroll down to the visitor’s center and gift shop before discovering the Hopi House art gallery, and wander through El Tovar, a magnificent lodge which is a handsome historic hotel on the edge of the Canyon.

With one last look over the edge of the South Rim, I said goodbye to the Canyons as a train whistle signaled the arrival of the Grand Canyon Railway’s afternoon train.

The Grand Canyon Railway – Gateway to the Grand Canyon
“All aboard!” the conductor announced at the log-styled Santa Fe station, just below the Grand Canyon lodge at El Tovar. Soon the train chugged along the tracks as I sipped an Arizona Sunset from an over-stuffed leather chair in the caboose. Today’s train signals the rebirth of the way travelers used to journey to the Grand Canyon from Williams—via railway—and it is still the most beautiful way to travel. There on the train, just as our leisurely tea time was about to end and our five o’clock cocktail hour was about to begin, a band of rough riding cowboys raced on horseback alongside the train, guns a blazing, to stage a robbery. It was all in good fun, and some even stopped for photos, while other cowboys and Indians entertained us with song.

That same train hosts Polar Express adventures in the winter for children who want to re-live the exciting Christmas story told in the popular book and film.

Williams
I was sad to leave the Grand Canyon Railway and the old caboose that had slipped through lush, tree-lined high country, but when I disembarked at the station in the famous Route 66 town of Williams, it was like a scene from an old movie as children, parents, horses, cowboys, and stage coaches met the trains at the bustling station. There in Williams, I stayed at the lovely Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and enjoyed the biggest beef ribs I’d ever eaten (slathered with Jack Daniels and Orange Juice BBQ sauce) at the Old West-styled Winchester Steak House, and then ended the day going back in time with a visit to a classic Route 66 1950s soda fountain and ice cream parlor called Twisters. Once again the beautiful Mount Humphrey greeted us in the distance. The highest peak in Arizona, it is said to be home to the Hopi gods, the Kachinas.

Arizona Rocks
The Grand Canyon is truly a national treasure, and Arizona rocks! But more than just enjoying the scenery of the magnificence of the Canyon, the beautiful people I met along the way were the true joys of my journey. Meeting other travelers who love this land as much as I do reminded me what a treasure our nation really is. America the beautiful?

Yes, it is!

For more information about beautiful Arizona and the Grand Canyon, go to these Web sites:

Grand Canyon National Park
Official site from the National Park Service. Provides park maps, information on activities, NPS services, and a Grand Canyon trip planner.
<www.nps.gov/grca>

Grand Canyon Railway
Book reservations online for one of five classes of service on a vintage train to the Grand Canyon
<http://www.thetrain.com/>

Flagstaff Convention & Visitor Bureau
<http://www.flagstaffarizona.org/>

The Museum Club Historic roadhouse in Flagstaff.
<http://www.museumclub.com/>

Williams Convention & Visitor Bureau
<http://www.williamsaz.com/>

Page Convention & Visitor Bureau
<http://www.pageaz.com />

Detours "Off the Beaten Path" Tours
<http://www.detoursaz.com/>

Info and links to everything in the region
<http://www.arizonarocks.com/>

All Aboard: Riding the Rails with the Kids & San Antonio Living TV

2005-08-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

All aboard!

By age six, my son Reid had read The Little Engine that Could countless times, along with The Polar Express. He'd seen the Polar Express movie, three times, in 3D! He had even been to a birthday party at the old railroad museum in San Antonio, too. But one morning as we sat waiting at a railroad crossing, as Reid pointed and shrieked with glee as we counted every car, it occurred to me that the little fellow in the backseat had never actually been on a real train.

Reid and I quite often visit his grandmother in Austin, so one morning I told him we had a special treat planned for the next day: we were going to visit Grandma, but this time we were going to ride a train! Reid was so excited as we packed some juice boxes, crayons, coloring books, and a box of animal crackers for the trip. We got up early, drove to the nearest station (in San Marcos, Texas), and stood on the platform in the morning sun.

Soon the thrilling sound of the train whistle could be heard in the distance. A father and his two children were also waiting on the platform with us. The children all squealed with delight as the train chugged to a halt before us.

Climbing into the train, Reid was all eyes. It was a joyous morning as my little son and I explored every fascinating part of the train. Reid thought that the tray tables that came down from the back of a seat, forming the perfect drawing table for his crayon masterpieces, were an ingenious invention. The tiny bathrooms were a mystery to explore. He loved the snack bar area in the car below with its big, wide windows and the hillsides rushing by. I sipped coffee as we sat there in a booth talking and sharing lions and tigers and bears from his box of circus cookies. Soon Reid wanted to climb the stairs and sit in the observation car with its windows that curved up overhead. The view was beautiful. Everything was green and lush as we passed through Buda and Kyle and came into South Austin.

The train arrived in Austin 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and neither Reid nor I was ready for the adventure to end. However, when his two cousins Olivia (7) and Ellen (4) came with Grandmother Turk to greet us at the station, the engineer allowed the kids to climb on board and look around, and so they, too, were able to partake in our railroad fun.

Several weeks later, San Antonio Living (WOAI TV San Antonio, Channel 4) heard about the fun Reid and I had on our train ride, and so they decided to film kids having fun on the train for one of our Travel Tuesday segments. Our favorite friends, grandparents themselves, Charles and Claire Beall came along, as did beautiful Caroline and handsome Samuel Berridge and their lovely mother Michelle; little Duncan McLaughlin and his pretty aunt Karina Cardona came with us, too (she is one of the SA Living producers and acted as our camera-woman). My son and daughter Reid and Carrie (17) were there with me.

Marc Magliari of Chicago (Manager, Amtrak Media Relations) helped organize the trip for us, and the kind folks at Amtrak treated us to a fine ride, with Operations Supervisor Burrel Parham acting as our host. We went from San Antonio to San Marcos that morning, and the children loved every minute of it. Mr. and Mrs. Beall sang songs to the kids and read them stories, and Mr. Parham made sure that cartoons were showing in the observation car when the children got restless. He also gave us a tour of the sleeping cars and dining car.

The experience reminded me that the simple things are the best things, and the old ways of doing things should be considered once again. The railroad has a long, rich, vital place in the history of the United States, and our children will enjoy learning about it so much more by riding the rails.

Take your kids on a train ride. When they hear that lonesome whistle blow in the night, the happy memories of your time together will ride through their dreams till morning and stay with them for a lifetime.

Fun Facts and Train Information:

1828 - America's first passenger train stars service in South Carolina.
1837 - First sleeping car is introduced in 1837
1869 - Golden Spike is driven in Utah territory (Transcontinental railroad completed)
1971 - Amtrak is created
1995 - US boasts 170,000 miles of track & 209,000 railroad employees

Times and Fares for trips from San Antonio
Dallas 8 am-4:20 $26
Laredo 4:10-6:15 am $18
Houston 1 am-5:45 pm $52
LA 5:40 am -10:10 am $221

For a train trip you simply must take with your children one day, consider riding the Grand Canyon Railroad. For more information, visit www.thetrain.com. This is a trip that adults and children of all ages will treasure forever.

See http://www.amtrak.com/ for more information about US domestic train travel, fares, and schedules. E-mail me at janis@janisturk.com if you have any questions about this or any other segment.

The Road Less Traveled: Route 66

2005-08-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

It’s not on the map, yet it’s arguably the most popular roadway in the US. For many, it’s a corridor to a more uncomplicated time, America’s emblematic access road to memory lane. Even the road sign, itself, has become an icon of our nation’s nomadic past.

Much of the route is narrow, desert, and deserted. Some parts were never paved. Towns along the way seem unimpressed with the passage of time. Drive it today, and for miles vintage filling stations and passing lanes of nostalgia are all you’ll find along the back roads that once comprised old Route 66. But there’s something you’ll catch a glimpse of in your rear view mirror as you cruise this historic thoroughfare: it’s America, and it’s amazing.
You really should go.

Seligman. Kingman. Williams. Flagstaff. Winslow. Holbrook. Topock. Towns where we’ve been.

The last time I saw this stretch of Route 66 was ‘68 from the back seat of a Chevy during an Arizona summer—sans air-conditioning. There we were: three cranky kids crammed in the back, rubbernecking at the Grand Canyon, while Mom passed cheese sandwiches from the front and Daddy Jim drove, his fingers knotted at the top of the thin steering wheel.

Riding in the back seat through Northern Arizona last week flooded the engines of my memory like the carburetor of an old car.

When my father died six years ago, he left me something quite precious: a hand-written list of places important to him, spaces special for reasons I can’t begin to guess and likely will never know.

I intend to visit them all.

I know I won't find it on an atlas, but I’m looking for the road he took, the one less traveled, drawn in blue lines along the map of my father’s life.

And so I’ll start out on Route 66—just for kicks.

Back in the Day: Park City, Utah

2005-08-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

Remember the good old days? Streets were clean, people were friendly, windows had flowerboxes, buildings had fresh paint, and the grass was green. It was safe to go out at night, children and parents had picnics in the park while enjoying free music concerts, and artists sold paintings on the sidewalks. The air was fresh and sweet, days were always sunny, and the sky was always blue. At night stars filled the clean, inky black skies, and if you saw one fall, you could make a wish—but what for? Life was filled with all the good things anyone could want.

Wishing for the way it was back then? Wish no more. The good old days are alive and well in Park City, Utah.

All the sweet things that life once was are what Park City is all about this summer.

True, in January, Park City is known as the home of young, hip, all-too-crowded but fun Sundance Film Festival, and in fall and winter the city is known as one of the most beautiful snow ski resort destinations in America, but in summer Park City is entirely different. The crowds are gone. It’s quiet and serene and summer provides the perfect time for travelers to visit this remarkable place.

First of all, the scenery is awe-inspiring, and the town is a small, enchanting summer place with a slow pace and very few tourists. As in any ski resort city, summer is the low season, meaning rock-bottom rates at fine hotels and condominiums, sale prices in all the shops, no lines at the theatre, no waiting for tables at fine restaurants, and a higher quality of service in all areas. Shuttles from the Salt Lake City airport (and lodging at the hotels) are nearly empty (and affordable), and the town is waiting with open arms to greet its summertime guests.

What is there to do in Park City? The downtown area flanks an old-fashioned main street whose buildings echo the old style of its roots as a silver mining town. Delightful little shops, bookstores, candy stores, theatres, and restaurants line the street. Mountains blanketed in deep green pine forests rise on either side of the little village. And just up the mountainside a short way, the Deer Valley Resort boasts a beautiful outdoor amphitheatre at Snow Park Lodge (reminiscent of the Hollywood Bowl, only smaller), where each Wednesday night in the summer residents spread out blankets and bring picnics to hear live music while the children run and play, rolling down the soft, grassy hillside. The Utah Symphony & Opera's Deer Valley Music Festival, a weekend jazz festival and other concerts, are also held in the outdoor amphitheater, and gourmet picnic baskets are available for purchase there at the Lodge.

Recommended Park City lodging include the Silver Queen Hotel (with its decorative, eclectic and interesting rooms—each a work of art) and the spacious condos at the Caledonian, which will make you feel as though you’ve moved into a large home in the area. (These two fine hotels/condos have full kitchens so you can save money by dining in). The Park City Hotel and the Canyons at Park City are resorts you’ll want to visit, as well. For budget traveler, the Holiday Inn Express is not far from downtown, and a free bus shuttles visitors all over the town and up the mountainsides to the resort areas.

Park City’s restaurants are amazing—try the Mustang Grill, or Robert Redford’s restaurant “Zoom,” or have Asian-infusion cuisine at Shabu, which Conde Nast Traveler just named one of the best in the U.S. My favorite lunch spot was the Royal Street Café up on the mountainside at the Deer Valley Resort. Which was better, the view or the menu? I can’t decide.

Be sure to stop and visit Olympic Cauldron Park, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, a place where you can see future Olympians in training and visit the Alf Engen Ski Museum, as well as tour the area where the Olympics were held.

All the things you loved about the good old days are happening today in Park City, Utah. So, quick—visit before the snow falls in late October!

Happy Days are here again!

Shabu
(435) 645-7253
333 Main StPark City, UT 84060

The Mustang
(435) 658-3975
890 Main StPark City, UT 84060

Zoom
(435) 649-9108
660 Main StPark City, UT 84060

The Caledonian
(435) 658-2275
751 Main StPark City, UT 84060

Silver Queen Hotel
(435) 649-5986
632 Main StPark City, UT 84060

Royal Street Cafe
(435) 645-6724
7600 Royal St EPark City, UT 84060

Utah Olympic Park P.O. Box 980337 3000 Bear Hollow Drive Park City, UT 84098-0337
Main Tel: 435.658.4200 Toll-Free: 1-866-OLY-PARKS Main Fax: 435.647.9650 Reservation Hotline: 435.658.4206 Sport Services Desk: 435.658.4208 Sport Services E-Mail:sportservices@olyparks.com Website: http://www.olyparks.com/

2005-08-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

Janis Turk, Travel Writer