All Quiet on the Western Front

That sounds like a good book title. Yes, I know it is and everyone should read it from time to time. This is not a book review, however, it is about travel.  Considering that I live in the East (in the U.S.), when I travel West, I find that it is very different from the East. Travel energizes our spirits as nothing else can match. Maybe that is why we spend more time planning a trip than any other activities that we do during the course of our lives. It is also more tiring than any activity I do during the course of my regular days.

Weeks in Nevada remind me that moisturizer is my best friend and that water costs about as much as liquid gold or at least as much as booze. Altitude doesn't bother me, but dryness is a constant companion in the West of the U.S. 

The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

Naturally, five hours on a plane must include a trip to Vegas--love that glitz and glamor and gambling.

 

The glitz can be found in extravagant, crystal dripping opulence at the new Cosmopolitan hotel/casino on the strip. How quickly they put up a new hotel. It wasn't there the last time we visited.

The glamor can be found at the production of Phantom of the Opera at The Venetian. It closes in September so it was a good opportunity to see it again while it is still in Vegas. All of the shows are a big draw at Vegas and the Penn and Teller comedy/magic production at Rio was worth the trip. Most shows begin with people being told to shut off the cell phones, but they take it to a new high. Their first trick ended with the cell phone ringing inside a fish, so a word to the wise was sufficient in that show. We skipped the Cirque shows on this trip since we have seen all of those. We will catch a few next time.

 

Bellagio display, Las Vegas

More glamor is on tap at the Bellagio with ever changing lobby displays and the outdoor evening music/light fountain shows. The Monet exhibit at their Gallery of Fine Art was visiting from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and well worth the time we spent browsing through it. The art shops of Peter Lik, Vladimir Kush, and Chihuly lure tourists to some unusual displays. A little culture in sin city--imagine that. It's expensive stuff that won't be on my walls, just in my mind.

 

Real flowers in a frame-Bellagio, Las Vegas

The gambling is ever-present and fun from time to time. I was able to play the slots for three hours one afternoon and only spent $5. The very entertaining Casino Royale is a throw back to Vegas of old and I wouldn't have it any other way. Such nostalgia--low ceilings, low lights, loud music, chiming slots, smoky haze that I could do without, but it feels like 1950.

Half-size Eiffel Tower, Las Vegas

Where else can you have breakfast in the desert, lunch at a deli in New York, and dinner at a sidewalk cafe in Paris? We like to stay at Planet Hollywood which used to be the Aladdin attached to the Desert Passage, which they now call the Miracle Mile. 

I love the restaurants which are unique and feel like the great outdoors, but have clouds painted on the inside of the roof. It seems like an evening in the streets of Paris inside the hotel/casino of the same name. The upside of indulging in all the great restaurants is that there is so much walking, I lost two pounds.

We like to make Vegas a place to meet friends who live in the West and can drive to meet us. It was a busy visit with friends as well as a family reunion in Reno. That's another city with gambling everywhere, but we weren't there to gamble. However, we saw a great local stage production of Anything Goes at the university. 

Wynn Hotel-Casino, Las Vegas

I always find the West to be tiring, but relaxing, and entertaining. I love doing Vegas "My Way."

August in Atlantic City

We day trippers in my region find this month to be a great time to drive east to the coast and Atlantic City is the closest shore point but not as the crow flies. Southern New Jersey is expressway-challenged in the east to west directions so we Pennsylvania natives cross the nearest bridge over the Delaware River and head south-east on the Atlantic City Expressway. When traffic is good, which isn't guaranteed in the summer, it takes about an hour to drive to the coast.

 

Atlantic City offers beautiful, wide, well-tended beaches and is one of the few free beaches in New Jersey (Some charge for beach tags). The Atlantic Ocean has beautiful surf and nice crashing waves at times, for anyone addicted to the sounds of the shore. We like to look at beaches but find the boardwalk and the mall to be fun also. Atlantic City is very crowded during the summer with tourists on the boardwalk, in the casinos, on the beach and in the mall.

 

The three floor mall that stretches far into the ocean on a pier located across the boardwalk from Caesar's Hotel/Casino contains some unique shops(LeSportsac) and restaurants(Phillips Seafood). Along one side of the mall are floor to ceiling windows to overlook the ocean and the boardwalk. 







Visitors can have a sanitized beach experience in air conditioned, bug-free comfort by sitting in the Adirondack chairs and sinking their bare feet into the sand. Restaurants are located behind this area so diners can enjoy their lunch and the ocean at the same time.

 

Entertainment is as close as the end of this mall/pier with an outside deck to view the ocean and the rows of casinos. Also at the end of the pier is an indoor dancing fountain show stretching three floors up, complete with colored lights and lively music for about seven minutes beginning every hour. Restaurants also line the boardwalk and our favorite is Pickles, open only in the summer. They serve bowls of assorted pickles for appetizers, and ten-inch tall slices of cakes for dessert. Who cares about the main course!

 

The casinos are a big draw for tourists, and a small part of the Atlantic City experience for us. We like to spend a half hour to an hour on a few of our favorite slots. There are so many different casinos and interesting sights, it is just part of the variety of the day. The music from the beach bars drifts up to the boardwalk and the long walk up and down the boardwalk is a never ending parade of people just walking and enjoying the weather. That is about all of the activity we can pack into a day but not the end of the many activities available with beaches and communities stretching north and south. It is never boring at the Jersey Shore.

Rest in Peace

Muyil

I see that after 1,500 undisturbed years, archaeologists have sneaked a camera into another ancient Mayan Tomb. It certainly dispels the notion of "final resting place." Nothing is final. Modern civilization has plundered ancient tombs around the world. I question how valuable it is to loot yet another tomb. If they have dropped a camera into it, how far behind is a tourist bus with hundreds of hot, bored vacationers listening to Mayan tour guides telling them that their ancestors were a peaceful nation who loved Mother Earth and prayed for successful crops? Yes, the ancients produced art on the stone walls as a tribute to their dead, but do we really need to see it? Is nothing sacred? In this country, it would require a court order to enter a grave site that is less than two hundred years old. Do we value our more recent ancestors more than the ancient ones?

Tulum

 

I can understand the quest of archaeologists to study civilizations of the past and understand how mankind has developed thereby building their professional creds. How many tombs do we need to study?  It seems that the answer is if we find one, we will break into it. The discovery of such a treasure trove will undoubtedly make a feather in the cap of an ambitious archaeologist and provide fodder for another Indiana Jones movie. It will produce more articles on Wikipedia so researchers can write more scholarly articles about the supposed lives of the ancients.

I am leery of the treasure hunters who just want to find anything valuable in tombs so they can sell it and profit. Naturally, I imagine they would argue that removing gold, jewels and valuables from tombs is a legitimate enterprise. Why should valuables gather dust in an ancient tomb? Why should ship wrecks house tons of gold and jewels? There is a museum waiting to display those gold coins and mummies so we have some place to spend a Sunday afternoon.

More questions than answers and it leads me to wonder where I would want to park my bones. It is a question that we all face and some of us have definite decisions and for some of us no decision is our decision. I can think of one person who knew exactly where she wanted to be buried and her wishes were fulfilled. I know another person who couldn't decide so the children decided on a final burial location. I know someone who chose cremation and ashes to be scattered on a golf course. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." It made me wonder who was on the eighteenth green of the U.S. Open.

I don't think most people in this country still have the same reverence for the dead that the ancients displayed. As populations explode, we have to make more practical arrangements for disposing of those "dearly departed" folks. Now I will find spam from a funeral home in my e-mail telling me that I need to reserve a spot for my bones and pay them five thousand dollars forthwith. I'm not such a control freak that I even care what happens to my bones, certainly not enough to pay anyone five thousand dollars so I get the final decision in the matter.

Not a Native

With our annual July 4th Independence Day celebration on the near horizon, I've noticed that it is a big deal in this region. I was born in Florida, so I'm not a native of Pennsylvania, but since I have lived in the region for 44 years, I tend to take it for granted. I'm like the New Yorker who has forgotten about the Statue of Liberty. Specifically, I live in southeastern Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, and when someone asked me about the area, I said I live in the Northeast, or as some would say, The Mid-Atlantic States--South of New England, north of the Carolinas. I appreciate many things about my adopted state.

The weather is very tolerable most of the time with few extremes. We hear a lot about the Delaware Valley relative to our weather with the Delaware River located to the East and the mountains to the north and west. It creates a little cradle that has fairly moderate weather.We have four seasons, sometimes a deep snowfall, but only a few tornadoes. We have no earthquakes of significance, only a few brush fires in the pine barrens of New Jersey, and the occasional hurricane that survives this far north brings diminished winds and some rains. I have no complaints about our weather and wouldn't move because of it. Many other places have worse weather and disasters that are hard on the population.

The senior population finds pluses in the low state income tax and no taxes on pensions. We like to shop in nearby DE where there is no sales tax. Property taxes vary by area. In the 'burbs, the school taxes can be steep. Seniors can find the best medical care available in the country in this area. Colleges and universities are numerous and some offer either free or discount classes that seniors can attend. College students can find the best college education in their own back yard.

The crime rate isn't zero, but the bank robberies are few and the gangs and illegal drugs aren't a big consideration in the 'burbs. There is crime everywhere, but common sense goes a long way. Walking alone at 3 AM isn't advisable anywhere. There is public transportation, but in this particular sprawling metropolitan area, people tend to drive their own vehicles unless heading to a sports event in Philly, or heading to nearby N.Y., Baltimore or D.C. Major commuter lines are available and link the routes between D.C. and Boston. We don't use public transportation because it is time-consuming and inconvenient for us.

There are many major league sports teams in Philly for anyone who likes that kind of thing. A major international airport is south of the city and within thirty minutes driving time for us when we travel. Other major airports are also available within driving distance. The Atlantic coast is as close as an hour or two driving time along N.J., Delaware and Maryland beaches. Atlantic City is an easy drive any time we want to gamble or see the beach or a major entertainer.

 

A tourist could find many sights of interest. The historical Independence Hall of Philadelphia where our country's Declaration of Independence was crafted and signed is pretty high on the list of important places to visit. The historical area of the city contains the Betsy Ross House, an Edgar Allen Poe house, Elfreth's Alley and Christ Church where the famous Ben Franklin is buried along with four other signers of the Declaration of Independence.  The nation's historical development produced commemorative places like Gettysburg battlefield, Valley Forge and assorted other battlefields. The predominate architecture of the region is "Early American".

One industrious village of note called Batsto Village lies in the pine barrens of Southern New Jersey and it played an important role during the American Revolutionary War. At the time, it produced "bog ore" for iron works along with a number of other successful businesses. It is maintained as a museum village with working artisans doing glass works, pottery, iron making and lumber cutting. Rumored to have harbored some spies (including Benedict Arnold) during that period of time in the middle 1700's, it is an intriguing place to roam and imagine life during the time.

A major attractive point of this area would have to be its easy proximity to places like New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. All are easy day trips by car. We have all of their benefits and none of their problems.

A New Generation

I observe the comportment (what an archaic term) of the younger generation under 20 due to my many years in education, no matter whether I see them in stores, at sports events, in airports, and this week on a cruise that sailed from Port Canaveral in Florida on the massive Freedom of the Seas.

It is very encouraging to see a little one coaxed through an hour at a dinner table without disturbing the other diners. The five to one ratio could have been a key. When a two-year-old is cuddled and encouraged by a set of parents, a set of grandparents, and a favorite uncle, it produces remarkable results. When she was happy and doing well, she sat at the table in a booster seat. If she got upset, someone quickly and quietly removed her from the room until she settled down before they returned to the table.

It is impressive when a sixteen year-old-arrives at a breakfast dining table sans parents,  politely introduces himself,  engages the adults at the table in mature conversation, and displays table manners to make a mom proud. Even when leaving the table, he shook the hands of the adults present at the table. Wow!

I probably shouldn't venture a guess for the reasons why the kids on board were so calm, engaging, mannerly and pleasant as we shared a vacation space. Ordinarily we would try to avoid excessive contact with youngsters on vacations but this experience was very positive.

On one occasion we were on an elevator with two teenagers who opened a conversation with us. I was impressed with their composure and ability to joke and converse with strangers. They were very friendly, poised and confident. 

The generation under 20 has grown up with "social networking" and technology so it wasn't surprising to see how at ease a five-year-old was with the large board interactive touch screens on each deck where they could search the screens for locations of the pool, theater, shops, dining, or the wave rider.

Certainly credit is due for the extensive youth activity program provided by Royal Caribbean (which also has a curfew for the youth) but I suspect the quality of parenting is to be commended. I would like to think that the input of dedicated educators played a role also in the behavior of youth that I observed during the week.

The minors on board seemed to have had many travel opportunities and were sophisticated by a great variety of cultural experiences in their young lives; some could switch languages with ease. The parents seemed to be from the upper socioeconomic and educational ranks and to have brought along their progeny with an enviable richness of experiences.

We were a bit concerned when we learned that we were booked next to a family of two adults and four "minors". Turns out they were late teens/early twenties young adults who occasionally were on their balcony and we could hear their relaxed, mature conversations. There was no loud, raucous noise, no drunken parties--just young people on vacation with parents.

It is a warm, fuzzy moment to observe that the younger generation has stepped up to the plate and many are more than capable of managing the world of today. At least some parents and educators have done a commendable job. It was a very enjoyable vacation.

Beaches Well Loved

As springtime segues into summer and Memorial Day approaches, the need for a beach becomes a craving to be satisfied only by grainy sand and warm, salty breezes. The sounds of the seagulls and the crashing waves from far away storms at sea echo from years past.

It's time to find an old swimsuit that fits, or find a new one that reminds me that I can still wear a swimsuit without inciting a trail of giggles. The lure of the waves is too compelling to avoid. Fill the beach bag with the latest thriller plot, sunscreen smelling of coconut oil, a bag for seashells, and a beach towel bigger than I. Those over-sized, Jackie O. sunshades are a must.  A dermatologist-approved sunhat, sand chair, and umbrella complete the supplies. 

Hours must be spent gazing at rolling waves of surf. Walks in racing foam on hot sand yields shells of mysterious sea life. Thinking of nothing for days on end renews the spirit more than a good night's sleep. The lazy days of lounging, napping, reading and sun gazing are rewards for a year well-spent.

Autumn in the West

I look forward to the colors of autumn in the eastern states of the U.S. because we have a variety of colors. When I have traveled into New England and Canada, the brilliant colors of the various trees are stunning. I was quite surprised when I traveled to Colorado to find the yellows of the Aspen trees to be equally appealing. I've experienced other seasons in the West, but the fall of the year was a pleasant surprise. The areas south of Denver and especially the area around Cripple Creek have some fabulous colors this time of the year, but the yellow/gold of the Aspen trees dominate.

I like to travel in the spring and the fall because the summer or holiday crowds are gone and it is relaxing to play tourist. The weather is pleasant and we don't have to wait in lines to see the places I want to visit. We enjoyed our vacation to Colorado and spent our time wandering around the Colorado Springs region which has a large number of scenic spots. The Royal Gorge Bridge, the world's highest suspension bridge is an amazing construction in a very rugged environment at 1,053 feet high. 

 

The Garden of the Gods is a beautiful garden filled with huge, natural red stone formations. It is interesting to see that so many locals take their cup of coffee, find a beautiful spot to park and enjoy the view. I understand from the folks who live nearby, they never tire of seeing the beauty of those stones and the constant presence of Pikes Peak in the background. The view from the top of Pikes Peak is a dizzying experience from the thin air altitude of 14,110 ft. elevation.

At the foothills of Pikes Peak and with Cheyenne Mountain in the distance, it would be hard to find a more beautiful setting for the Air Force Academy and its main attraction,  the chapel.

If a stair master isn't hard enough, Seven Falls has a climb available with 224 steps from bottom to top for anyone with a strong heart. 



My camera worked hard and took over 600 pictures on this trip, but I will enforce some discipline and refrain from posting too many photos. Google posts many more pictures on all of those sites as well.

Sin City

Many things found in Las Vegas are fake, gaudy and over-the-top. However, not even Lyme Disease or antibiotics can keep me from my annual Vegas odyssey. I sometimes ask myself why it is one of my favorite vacation spots because I never tire of visiting it. I like the variety of experiences available and I always find something new to see or another extravagance to observe.

On this trip, we saw the new City Center complex which has opened with another experience for tourists. The City Center is so huge, a monorail snakes around from hotel to hotel which is helpful in hot weather. It has all the usual shops, hotels, restaurants, casino, and the required Cirque du Soleil show which we haven't seen yet. The Beatles show at The Mirage is fantastic, but we aren't Elvis fans so we skipped the Elvis show at Aria in City Center. Instead we repeated a trip to see KA at MGM Grand. KA, as well as O at Bellagio are my favorite Cirque shows because of the technology and high level of performances in both. Many Olympians in swimming, diving and gymnastics find employment in these shows which I feel are worth every penny in entertainment. 

We aren't devoted gamblers, but we hit the slots briefly. We spend less than it would cost to attend a pro athletic event in any big city. It is just entertainment and soon bores because you know all the bells and whistles just mean we donated to the casino again. The winners are few and far between which we already knew.

The dichotomy of the city is jolting. A street minister stands on a street corner and yells about Sodom and Gomorrah in the middle of a group of immigrants hawking the latest peep shows and snapping brochures in your face. A woman wearing religious head gear walks down the street while passing behind her on The Strip is an advertising truck proclaiming "Hot Babes, 24/7 in your room in 20 minutes. They want you!" Of course, they mostly want your wallet. It must be hard for those serious poker players to concentrate on their game while a pole dancer slithers around on a table in front of them.

The location of Vegas makes it a good home base to take side trips to visit the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Red Rocks Canyon or other points of interest outside the city limits. We like to drive outside the city at times and take in the nature scene too. The environment is very different from our region.

Vegas is amusing and it makes me smile but after a point, enough already and I've had enough for another year. I know I'll return because it is full of noise, energy, audacity and defiance. It is a great place to meet friends or family from other parts of the country because there is something for everyone to enjoy. As long as the city continues to put up new, more exciting extravaganzas to enjoy, people will continue to trek through the desert to waste gasoline, money, water and their time in the name of entertainment for a brief time. 

Lighthouses and Granddaughters

"Grandma, put down my baby brother and come play with me," said my granddaughter of the beautiful ringlets of hair. It had not occurred to me that I have such a passion for the beauty of lighthouses until my charming three-year-old granddaughter started guiding me around my house pointing out all the prints of lighthouses hanging on the walls and gathering all of the figurines of lighthouses that I have collected over the years. She didn't even spot all of the coffee table books in my collection of this obsession. I didn't realize I had gone off the deep end until she innocently began grouping them. Kids at that age do a lot of exercises in grouping similar items and observing patterns. I was thrilled to see that she was so keen about details, but anything my granddaughter does thrills me.



I have always loved the proud, regal appearance of a lighthouse--a beacon in a storm, a proclamation of safety, and a resilience as old as mankind. Any film about lighthouses will have my attention and PBS has some of the best. The architectural variety in designs of lighthouses is a constant wonder. The pictures of the ones I like most are those photographed with dramatic surf and crashing waves challenging their power to point the way. I took this picture of a very picturesque beacon called Peggy's Point Lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is no surprise that it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. Established in 1868, its history is not unlike other beautiful lighthouses in Nova Scotia. I like the interesting live view from this web cam of Peggy's Point.



I visited and photographed another favorite of mine at Barnagut Lighthouse, put into commission in 1835, in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.


As much as I am obsessed with lighthouses, it can't begin to compare with my other obsession. This little lady is my greatest obsession. What's not to love, with the pink sneakers, the pink baseball cap, the pink sunglasses, the pink Dora stroller, and the golden ringlets. Little granddaughters are even more beautiful than lighthouses. She is a treasure.

Planet Hollywood, The Lady Luck of Las Vegas

I can't get enough of Planet Hollywood and Las Vegas. Can you beat that view from the room! The fountains across the Strip sound like canons booming, no matter what time of the day we happen to stop back at our room. Our friends who meet us to visit several days have been upgraded to beautiful suites, but he is always the lucky one of the four of us. From huge, purple, fuzzy, stuffed elephants won at beach arcades, to video poker, he carries around a winner halo. Unfortunately, it hasn't rubbed off on me yet. I keep hoping I will be the lucky one next time we play the slots. I love staying in Planet Hollywood when we go to Vegas for easy access to the rest of the area attractions. I enjoyed the hotel when it was the mysterious Aladdin, but I find the glamorous renovations to Planet Hollywood to be invigorating. Pictures taken at the entrance really sparkle. Having the Miracle Mile shops joining the casino was a stroke of genius. We are off again to explore Vegas, the shows, and nearby Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon and Freemont Street. It is like coming home from a long day when we can take off our shoes in our room in Planet Hollywood.