201 Street » Travel

Get Insurance for Travel to India

Brody — Thu, 19 May 2011 02:41:14 +0000

India is an amazing and mysterious country. As one of the older civilizations on the planet, it is full of ancient temples and traditions that have evolved over millennia rather than decades. Every year more people are drawn to the subcontinent to explore its beautiful countryside, its rich cultural history and its cutting edge metropolitan centers.

One drawback to traveling to India is that it is one of the more foreign countries, especially to those from the West. The foods, animals, and plants are similar but different. Politics and religion are extremely different and there is a huge gap between the technology and advanced medicine of the major cities and that of the rural countryside and smaller cities. As a result the risks associated with travel here are much higher. Tourists may encounter illnesses for which they have no immunity. They may be involved in accidents that result in injuries. They may even be exposed to the threat of political demonstrations or terrorist acts.

Getting TATA AIG travel insurance is the only way to prepare for these eventualities. Any type of travel insurance should cover travelers in the event of everything from catching a foreign virus to having their passport stolen. A good policy is going to be a bulwark against any travel delays or problems as well as cover any medical or health situation. This will allow visitors to stop worrying about what might happen and focus on the wonder and beauty of India.

Get Insurance for Travel to India is a post from: 201 Street

Orlando Offers Great Family Recreation at Regular City Parks

Brody — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Across the street from the City of Orlando’s Mayor Carl T. Langford Park is the historic Dickson Azalea Park where visitors can experience a walk through time as they meander along Fern Creek. This park is an oasis for those needing a quiet place to eat lunch or for reflection. The lush landscaping, singing birds and flowing water will be a treat for any visitor. The dragonflies, shady trees and quietness of Dickson Azalea Park is a must see for all ages to experience.

Years ago, Fern Creek was a watering hole for cattle ranchers to quench the thirst of their cattle. The Washington Street Bridge that spans the creek was constructed in 1926 and is reflective of many bridges found in South Florida.

The Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake is a great place to bring the entire family for fun and play. This 300 acre park is open year-round, 7-days a week and provides something for everyone. During the summer months a swimming pool is open for all to enjoy. A well stocked lake for fishing is great for anglers and novices alike. A children’s farm is on-site, which is a remnant of the farm area. Park visitors staying at an Orlando hotel are offered a wide variety of nature-oriented activities including hiking, volleyball, baseball, softball, biking and a huge playground for the children.

Orlando offers a surprising variety of family fun and recreational opportunities besides the very expensive theme parks.

Orlando Offers Great Family Recreation at Regular City Parks is a post from: 201 Street

New Orleans Neighborhoods

Brody — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:10:00 +0000

New Orleans is famous for Jazz, Mardi Gras, and Bourbon Street. Most tourists head straight for the French Quarter , the city’s most visited district. However, New Orleans has a variety of neighborhoods, each with its own local flavor. It’s the blend of these unique districts that give New Orleans its legendary multi-cultural air.

The French Quarter is probably the best place to start. Home to some of the oldest restaurants, antique shops and world-famous bars, the Quarter is a good place to find a New Orleans boutique hotel , stroll through a museum, or enjoy a good jazz or blues club.

Those wanting to avoid the tourist traps and experience New Orleans like a local should check out Faubourg Marigny. It has a hip nightlife, a bohemian flavor, and forms a significant part of the city’s residential LGBT community.

Other well-known neighborhoods include the Central Business District which houses some of the city’s finest museums, galleries, and restaurants. It encompasses what most cities refer to as downtown as well as the Old Warehouse District and the Arts District. Uptown is a 19th century residential section located upriver. It houses the Garden District, known for Victorian architecture, the Audubon Zoo and the famous Magazine Street galleries, clothing stores, and art galleries.

Visit Treme to see a historic Creole neighborhood, Mid-City and Esplanade Ridge for the New Orleans Fair Grounds and City Park or nearby Chalmette to view the site of the Battle of New Orleans. Other neighborhoods include by water, Carrollton, Algiers, and Lakeview and Lakefront.

New Orleans Neighborhoods is a post from: 201 Street

Gatorland Orlando

Brody — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Most people have common associations to all of the major cities in the United States, and these standard features are the main reasons people visit them. And of course in the case of Orlando, Florida the fabulous theme parks and recreational attractions rate at the top of the list. However, there is a actually a great deal more to do and see while you’re staying in a best Orlando hotel than what most people realize when they’re first planning their trip. So, while it’s always recommended that you seek out some of the more unique cultural offerings when you visit any city, there are also some region specific attractions you will definitely not want to miss.

Gatorland is an extremely popular park for tourists and it’s a great combination of natural preserve, zoo and theme park. This variation on the theme, so to speak, is an interesting and progressive perspective in developing a program that will make conservation efforts for alligators and similar species as well as provide educational programs and be one of the most exciting and fun places to visit. This is about as up close and personal to alligators as you are likely to get in your entire lifetime. You can watch them get fed and behave in their natural settings, and there are some incredible shows that feature these mighty reptiles.

Gatorland Orlando is a post from: 201 Street

The Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney

Brody — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Ever think you might thank a rat for an historic exhibit at a museum? In Sydney, Australia’s Hyde Park Barracks , not only are the rats thanked, but they’re given a live display in the museum shop.

Constructed in 1819, the Hyde Park Barracks originally housed, clothed and fed convict men and boys. It’s an impressive brick building on Sydney’s historic Macquarie Street, and was itself designed by a convict architect, Francis Greenway. In 1848, the main dormitory was used to hold female immigrants. Then, in 1862, a separate area for destitute women was added upstairs, and the Barracks changed its name to the Hyde Park Asylum. Eventually, the Barracks became the center of various government departments and was renamed Chancery Square.

Until the 1970s, the Barracks was the work place for thousands of public servants and legal workers; today, it’s a museum about its own history — which included rats.

The 19th Century Barracks was overrun with rodents, and these animals used clothes, food, newspapers and bedding to build nests beneath the floorboards. In the 1980s, builders found these huge stockpiles, preserving personal and ordinary objects from the 19th Century: shirts, aprons, buttons, stockings, and so on. The collection includes about a 100,000 objects.

Any traveler visiting the Hyde Park Barracks today can be grateful to these rats for storing these objects. Travelers may also be grateful that, as newcomers to Australia, they get to stay at Sydney hotels , rather than the Barracks!

The Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney is a post from: 201 Street

Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica

Brody — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

The oldest Catholic Church in Montreal is Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal or Notre-Dame Basilica. Commissioned in 1824, the the Basilica is home of the Notre Dame parish which was founded in the second half of the 17th century. Each year thousands of visitors from Montreal hotels are drawn to the Basilica.

Known as one of the architectural masterpieces of not only Montreal, but all of Canada, Notre-Dame is a dramatic example of Gothic Revival architecture . It features a colorful and grand interior and is filled with religious statues and hundreds of wooden carvings. The stained glass windows along the sanctuary depict the religious history of the city (rather than the de rigeur biblical scenes). The Basilica also houses a Casavant Freres pipe organ with more than 9000 individual pipes and four keyboards.

Throughout the year Notre-Dame hosts organ and choral performances, including a production of Handel’s Messiah each Christmas. Visitors can take a 20-minute tour of the Basilica highlighting key architectural features as well as the church’s history and the various art works in the building. On certain evenings there is a light and sound show, And Then There was Light, that showcases the Basilica’s history. Since Notre-Dame is an active church, shows and tours are subject to interruption for religious observations and special events, such as weddings.

Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica is a post from: 201 Street

Bicycles in Boston Rule the road

Brody — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Boston is a fantastic place and you’re going to love visiting it here. The best way to get around in Boston is not by car, but by bicycle, it’s the fastest growing mode of transportation in the city. Owning a car in Boston has become a nightmare, with heavy congestion; parking doesn’t seem to exist, tolls, gas, and damage from dings, scratches and snow-ice-salt has made any car owner in Boston very frustrated. There are many new bike rental shops popping up in the city and many health minded people staying at any of the hotels Boston offers its visitors are taking full advantage of renting a bike instead of hailing a taxi or renting a car.

For those new to Boston, here are a few tidbits of wisdom that makes riding a bike in the city faster, safer and more rewarding. First off study a map of the city streets you’ll be using the most during your stay; get to know where the One-way streets are and where all the new bike lanes are. Boston streets are all jumbled up; don’t expect a nice laid-out grid system. Always use hand signals, always. Don’t ride up on the sidewalks; bicyclists can ride in lanes just like cars. You’ll be going ten times faster than the cars on the road, so be extra careful at intersections, take your time.

Above all else, have fun! While everyone else is having the most stressful time of their day trying to get from point A to point B, you’ll be chilling in the breeze and staying healthy.

Bicycles in Boston Rule the road is a post from: 201 Street

V & A Waterfront in Cape Town

Brody — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Get out into the fresh ocean breeze as you take a stroll in some of Cape Towns most visited stops. Head over to the V&A Waterfront for a chance to get in some sight seeing, shopping and refreshments. There are a few historical sites to enjoy along the way and it is always peaceful to watch the boats bloat by in the harbor.

Enjoy seeing the historic Cape Town hotels along the water like the Victoria and Alfred Hotel. It is right along the Alfred Mall where visitors like to shop and dine. The building was built int he early 1900s and was used as a coal store, warehouse and baggage store.

In the near by areas visitors can see the Breakwater Prison that was built in 1860. The Chavonnes Battery is also an interesting stop along the way. It was built between 1714 and 1725 by the Dutch East India Company to help protect the Cape. Visit the first restaurant in the Cape Town harbor, the Harbour Cafe 1903.

See where the Port Captain’s headquarters were with the first office at the Clock Tower when it opened in 1882 and then to the Port Captain’s Building that opened in 1904.

If you plan to visit Robben Island, you may want to see the Robben Island Embarkation Building which is where the prisoners were held before moving to the Robben Island Prison. All in all there are some great things to see and experience along the V&A Waterfront.

V & A Waterfront in Cape Town is a post from: 201 Street

Museums in Zurich

Brody — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 03:10:00 +0000

Zurich is located at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich, from which it derives its name as well as some incredible views. It is the largest city in Switzerland and has an estimated population of almost two million people. It is an extremely popular tourist destination and this is due to the incredible cultural and beauty of the city as well as the amazing natural geographic elements that surround it. People come from all over the world to visit Zurich and many of them do so for a variety of reasons. However, regardless of the specific reason anyone might go, there are some standard attractions that almost everyone visits.

There are some incredible museums in the city and a large number of them. Some of the most popular with guests in one of the Zurich hotels include the Swiss National Museum and the Zurich Museum of Art. The National Museum’s collection contains a diverse assortment of artifacts and items that relate to the culture and history of Switzerland. There are stained glass works, painted furniture and other items that reflect the aesthetic interests and trends of the country. The Zurich Art Museum has one of the largest collections of Classic Modern art and includes works by Picasso, Munch , Braque and many others. There is also a large library of photographs.

Museums in Zurich is a post from: 201 Street

Sharks in Las Vegas!

Brody — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:10:00 +0000

There are huge sharks swimming around in Las Vegas! At the Shark Reef Aquarium that is. Located at 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, right inside one of the more popular Las Vegas hotels , giving it a most unique distinction amongst other high-end hotels.

Shark Reef Aquarium is not a typical aquarium, it’s more like a total sensory experience that will transport you from the desert scenery of Nevada to an undersea ocean of thrilling sights, sounds and encounters with huge sharks, but first you have to journey through an ancient temple that is slowly being submerged by the sea. Then you’ll get to experience 14 breathtaking exhibits that are devoted to very dangerous aquatic predators. The largest out of the 14 is a 1.3 million gallon shipwreck where you’ll walk through an almost 360-degree acrylic tunnel going right through an aquarium filled with sharks, fish and other aquatic creatures.

Another exhibit, The Touch Pool, allows you to touch an ever-changing collection of animals including rays, sharks or horseshow crabs. Shark Reef Aquarium is a state-of-the-art aquarium where you’ll enjoy a beautiful array of sea turtles, stingrays, blue sharks, eels, alligators, monitor lizards and an educational jellyfish display with black lights.

Tickets are $16 for adults; $11 for children 12 and under, and children 4 years or younger are free. This exhibit is a ‘must-see’ for the entire family.

Sharks in Las Vegas! is a post from: 201 Street