How many times have you called up an airline (or hotel, tour operator, car rental company, or any other company that you want to do business with), and found yourself talking with someone who is rude, unintelligible to you, unwilling to assist you, or is downright hostile? If you’ve spent any time on the phone at all, this has probably happened to you many over. I know that I have spent countless hours trying to understand an accent or explaining myself to someone who wasn’t listening to me and merely reading a prepared “script.” It frustrates me when I have to repeatedly ask someone to slow down so that I can understand what they are saying. And turn down the background noise so that I can hear you! How to resolve these telephone aggravations? Hang up and start again! Chances […]
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Idaho Potato Museum is Spud-tacular
Sometimes odd things catch my eye, and then I can’t get them out of my mind — no matter how hard I try. That’s sort of been the case with the Giant Baked Potato at the Idaho Potato Museum (formerly known as the Idaho Potato Expo) in Blackfoot, Idaho. While I like a spud as much as the next person, in Blackfoot it’s elevated to the status of royalty. Not surprising for the Potato Capital of The World. The expo claims to enlighten you with information about the agricultural, historical, social, scientific, educational, artistic and economic aspects of the world-famous Idaho potato. Here are just a few of the “spud-tacular” exhibits full of information and fun, if a little corny as well: Equipment displays The World’s Largest Styrofoam Potato – a popular photo site A tribute to Mr. Potato Head […]
Read MoreHawaiian Eye's Shell Bar
“Hawaiian Eye” was a television series that ran from 1959 – 1963, and starred Robert Conrad and Anthony Eisley as crime fighting detectives in Honolulu, Hawaii. The detectives hung out at the Shell Bar, where at least once an episode that ran into “Cricket,” a singer and photographer at the bar played by Connie Stevens. The bar was located at the Hawaiian Village Hotel, where the guys were house detectives and also had an office. Some viewers would swear that the guys spent more time with the sassy Cricket than they did with any crooks. While most of the television show was shot on the Warner Brothers lot in Los Angeles, the Shell Bar was a real place — then, and now. The Hilton Hawaiian Village, on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, is home to the real Shell Bar, and provided […]
Read More2008 Travel Resolutions at Flyaway Cafe
After relative success with my travel resolutions from last year, I figured that I need to raise the bar a little higher — to stretch a little more in setting some goals for 2008. Here’s what I have so far: Visit two new countries Visit two new states Visit four new cities in countries or states that I have already visited Try a minimum of one new restaurant a month (while traveling), and blog about it Stay at 10 new hotels (inns, resorts, bed & breakfasts, etc.) and blog about it I’ve also set some personal goals, so don’t think that my resolutions are all fun and games! I don’t think I’ve missed anything, so I hope you’ll leave some of your travel resolutions in the comments. _________________________________________________ Technorati Tags: b5media, Flyaway Café, flight attendants, travel, vacation, travel information, travel […]
Read More7 From 2007: Reflections on the Year
With a hat tip to Shai Coggins for the idea, here are 7 from 2007, my personal reflections on the year that is bidding us adieu: 7 Memorable Moments: Getting on an Air France flight, knowing I’d be getting off in Europe Coming out of the metro and seeing Paris for the first time New Year’s at the Needle Road trip to Philadelphia Seeing Jersey Boys Speaking at BlogHer (Chicago) and Blog World Expo (Las Vegas) Meeting some online friends in person 7 Memorable Travel Experiences: Notre Dame Cathedral Night Cruise on the Seine Rodin Museum in Paris and Philadelphia Seeing the Liberty Bell Segway Tour of Diamond Head Dolphin Cruise in Honolulu Visiting Kauai for the first time 7 Important Friendships: Family – whether by birth or by choice Anita – through thick and thin, the best friend in […]
Read More2007: The Year in Review at Flyaway Cafe
Looking back seems to be the thing to do this time of year. So I scrolled back through my archives to look at the resolutions that I made for 2007. I’m please to report that I did pretty well, accomplishing all three of my objective goals: I finally made it to Europe.: Paris (cityscape in photo above). I went to three US cities that I had not been to before: Philadelphia, Madison, and Kauai (in photo below, and yes I know it is an island, not a city, but it counts). I went to two state that I had not been to before: Delaware and Wisconsin. So I’m batting 1000 on my travel resolutions! The end of the year is also a good time to take a look back on the posts that were the most popular over the year. […]
Read MoreStringing You Along with The World's Largest Ball of It
I wasn’t sure if it was true, or an urban legend, but there really is a large ball of string, claiming to be the World’s largest. I don’t know if it really is the largest in the world, but this hulking ball of string is located in Weston, Missouri (500 Welt Street) at America Bowman Restaurant. The site was the location of the former West Museum, located in a barn on the property. One of the artifacts proudly on display in the museum, was a huge ball of string, measuring 19 feet in circumference and weighing in at a cool 3, 713 pounds. This is pure string, which means that no materials of a thicker composition (like yarn or twine) are in the ball. No one has been able to answer the questions as to the origination of the ball, or the owner […]
Read More10 Money Saving Travel Tips for Fall. . . or Any Time at All!
If you haven’t already done so, you need to book your holiday travel. Many flights and hotels are already full for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays. There aren’t a whole lot of bargains to be found at this time, and if they are out there, you’ll need to be doing a lot of research and digging deep to find them. If, however, you’ve got a hankering to travel, fall many be a bargain filled time to do so. It’s known as a soft travel time — after the summer is over, and the schools and universities are back in session, and before the rush of the holidays. It’s a time when those of us who are in the travel business predict that we’ll FINALLY be able to get on a flight and enjoy our own travel plans. Here are a few […]
Read MoreAstoria Column Depicts Pacific Northwest History
The Astoria Column overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River from its vantage point on Coxcomb Hill, Oregon’s highest hill, in Astoria, Oregon. The 125 foot high tower was built in 1926, at a cost of a little over twenty seven thousand dollars, with funding from Vincent Astor (great grandson of John Jacob Astor for whom the city was named) and the Great Northern Railroad. The monument has 14 pictorial scenes reflecting, in chronological order, the history of the Pacific Northwest Coast: the arrival of the European settlers, the westward expansion, and the development of a continental nation. The earliest scenes are at the base of the column and progress upward. The location on Coxcomb Hill is the site of the first permanent American Settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. Although the site itself boasts spectacular views, even more spectacular are the views […]
Read MoreKnow the Driving Laws When You Travel
If you’ll be traveling to Washington State, don’t text and drive! Washington became the first state to enact legislation prohibiting drivers from reading or composing text messages while operating a motor vehicle. The law goes into effect January 1st, 2008. Driving laws vary from state to state, and this is a good reminder to check the traffic laws in the state where you are driving. Don’t assume that the laws in your home state apply when you are traveling to another state or another country. It could be a very expensive mistake! If you are doing some interstate driving, you might want to check with the Governors Highway Safety Association for a basic overview of the traffic laws of each state. Photo credit: Morguefile _____________________________________________ Technorati Tags: b5media, Flyaway Café, flight attendants, travel, vacation, travel information, travel tips, driving laws, car travel
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