Archives for October 2011

Thompson Beverly Hills: Swank and Sophisticated

I love traveling to Los Angeles.  Everytime I visit, I vow to move out there. The weather is spectacular and there is always so much to see and do.  In the past I’ve stayed with friends, but this time I decided to stay at one of the newer, hipper hotels in Beverly Hills and see the scene from a new perspective.   The Thompson Hotel brand has hotels in cosmopolitan areas including New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Chicago and two in Los Angeles, including the Roosevelt in Hollywood and the Thompson Beverly Hills, built in 2008. Upon driving into the hotel, which is discreetly located on Wilshire Boulevard, the valet attendant will help you with your luggage and take care of your car.  Right inside is reception with a cozy lobby.   The hotel is modern and the architecture, sharp.  When I stepped into my room, I knew this was different from any hotel I’ve stayed in.  With 107 rooms, 12 of which are suites, the architecture and furniture gave off a sexy, sophisticated and edgy feel.   It was upscale and smart, but reasonably priced.   The hotel and its fabulous rooftop bar and pool has been home to many fashion and television shoots, but is also a perfect spot for business meetings.  Overlooking downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills, one can order drinks or dinner and relax on couches and chairs under a heat lamp.   In addition to the traditional drink menu, they also serve up some delicious signature cocktails.

Many couples will get married at the nearby Four Seasons Hotel, which is quite beautiful and lavish, but also outside many people’s price points, so the wedding party will stay at the more affordable, yet fun and hip, Thompson Beverly Hills.  It’s a great place for locals and tourists alike, and I would highly recommend staying here if you are looking for a sheek, comfortable hotel in the middle of the swank neighborhood of Beverly Hills. Plus, with the winter upon us on the east coast, there’s no better time to visit Los Angeles, especially with fares as low as $149 each way from New York. If you are traveling to this or any of the other Thompson property, be sure to check out their blog called Room 100, which talks all about the exciting events and openings in and around the property.  Whichever Thompson Hotel you choose, you’ll enjoy a stylish, memorable stay in your city of choice.

Niagara Falls: Romance for the Adults, Fun for the Kids!

I had always heard that Niagara Falls was the honeymoon capital of the world and it was one of those places that I always wanted to see. Located between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario, six million cubic feet of water flow over the crest every minute during the high flow.  Niagara Falls is comprised of three distinctive falls including Horseshoe Falls which are 2,600 feet with with the American falls measuring 1,060 feet wide.  The highest drop is 173 feet at Horseshoe Falls.  There are many ways one can experience falls, from walking the path and observing them from a bit of a distance, but still close enough to capture some great pictures, to taking a boat ride right next to them on Maid of the Mist. One can also buy an adventure pack which includes admission to Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind the Falls, which takes you through tunnels behind the falls and an outside spot, where you can observe the immense power of the side of the falls. It also includes entrance to Niagara’s Fury, which is a 4-D movie that will make you feel as though you are in the falls and learn about the history of the falls.  We did not get to explore the White Water Walk which also comes with the pass, because we unfortunately hit Niagara on the coldest, rainiest day of the season, but I hear that is definitely a neat experience as well.  A unique perspective of the falls can be seen from a helicopter and Niagara Helicopters offers a spectacular ride above the falls where you will see the falls, whirlpool, and if you’re lucky a striking rainbow.  If you are there on a Friday or Sunday, be sure to catch the amazing fireworks show over the falls which are lit up at night.

The area surrounding the falls is a perfect playground for both adults and children.  There are two casinos, and if you get a players club and play for a bit, it will entitle you to free parking, which is a big plus if you will be hitting any of the attractions in the area.  Each casino has a variety of table games, slot machines, food and entertainment and is the place to be at night.  If you’re looking for something more interactive, you can check out the Oh Canada Eh? Dinner show.  Your ticket includes the musical show in their log cabin theater as well as a dinner consisting of French Canadian Pea Soup, Homemade Bread, Fresh Garden Salad, Alberta Grade Eh? Roast Beef, Fresh Atlantic Haddock, Manitoba Roast Chicken, PEI Vegetable Medley, Roasted Potatoes and Maple Chocolate Cake for dessert.  Just a ten minute drive from the heart of Niagara Falls, this show is perfect for kids and adults and kids under sixteen are free!   If you chose to stay in the vicinity of the falls, there is everything from bowling alleys to a wax museum and lots of places for the kids to play.  It’s pretty touristy and reminds me of 42nd street in NYC, but you’ll always have something to do!

I would allow one of two days to explore everything around Niagara Falls and then take a day to explore Niagara on the Lake, which is a quaint town about 15-20 minutes away and is also home to many wineries.  The town itself is a great place to grab lunch and some homemade ice cream and desserts and wander in and out of the local shops.  We took a tour and tasting at two wineries, Inniskillin and Jackson Triggs At Inniskillin, we took a tour of the winery and then sat down for a delicious tasting of  renowned ice wines.  I like sweet wines, so I enjoyed them tremendously, as I had never tasted anything like them before.  Because of the climate in the Niagara region, they are able to pick the frozen grapes at the right time and make the wine directly from them as opposed to some other wineries which will actually freeze their grapes before making the wine.  Jackson Triggs, one of Inniskillin’s sister wineries also produces outstanding Canadian wine and is a great place to visit to get a taste of your more traditional wines.  At both wineries, you can enjoy light food pairings to go perfectly with your wine and just relax in their dining area or outside on one of their many benches in or surrounding the vineyards.

There are  hotels overlooking the falls or if you’re looking for a more non-commercial, relaxing, romantic environment that is just a 10 minute walk from the falls, you can choose one of the many bed and breakfasts in the area.  My brother and his fiance’ had stayed at the Emerald Falls Bed and Breakfast, so we decided to follow his recommendation.  When he had told me how friendly the owners, Dan and Brenda, were, that was an understatement!  They immediately make you feel right at home and are full of enthusiasm for your stay in Niagara.  There are four room options, one with a jacuzzi tub and others more basic, but no matter which room you choose, the price is just right.  They are very affordable while giving you all the comforts of home.  They will both give you any advice you may need about things to see and do in the area and are honest when telling what is definitely worth seeing and what you can skip!  Each morning, Brenda prepares an outstanding breakfast consisting of fresh fruit, yogurt, homemade banana bread and either eggs or pancakes.  Healthy, yet very filling!  I can’t say enough nice things about the Emerald Falls Bed and Breakfast.  They will always make sure all of your needs are fulfilled and I challenge you to find friendlier owners anywhere!

If you’re looking for a great weekend escape, Niagara Falls is definitely a place everyone should see once in their lifetime.  You could drive, but since it would’ve been a nine hour drive from New Jersey and I wanted to see it in a weekend, I decided to fly out of Newark on Porter Airlines. If you are going to visit the falls, you should see the Canadian side, so you can fly into Toronto and then rent a car and drive an hour and half to the falls.  This also allows you the opportunity to explore Toronto.  I’ve said  it before, and I’ll say it again, I love Porter Airlines!  The flight was just over an hour, but in that hour, they served a complimentary sandwich, fruit, and drinks.  What airline does that anymore??  The flight back from Toronto was even more amazing.  The airport is located on an island, so there is a ferry that will take right across, but while waiting for the ferry, you can check in, so as soon as you get there, you can head straight to security.  If the ferry is there when you arrive, you can also check in on the other side.  There was no line at security, as they are the only airline that flies out of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport back to Newark, and as soon as you pass through, you are in the lounge at the gate.  In this lounge, you can enjoy complimentary Starbucks coffee, tea, non-alcoholic beverages as well as a variety of snacks.  You can sit in the comfortable seats until it is time to board.  Everyone who works with Porter is very friendly and accommodating as well.  I’d highly recommend flying with them if you are taking a flight within or to Canada, as they fly into many of the cities.

So whether you’re looking for a fun vacation with the kids or a quick escape to celebrate or renew your romance, head to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake and experience the magical force of nature!

 

 

 

Previous Post:

Skydive the Ranch!!

As some of you know, I went skydiving in Fiji back in November and I was petrified, but it was a thrill of a lifetime and I was so glad I overcame my fear and jumped. Well, when I returned, my brother said he’d love to try it one day, so I decided I would brave it once more and go with him so he could share the same experience.  We decided back in March to go for his birthday, and it’s taken us until just a couple of weeks ago to finally go, and I’m so glad we did!  I have to admit I was nervous all over again, but also enjoyed seeing how excited yet full of fear he was.  At one point he said he thought he’d vomit as they opened the door to plane 14,000 feet in the air.  I watched him jump in horror, but when we met up in the sky ( I jumped 30 seconds later), he was so thrilled and was having the time of his life.

This time around we went diving at a place called Skydive the Ranch in Gardiner, New York, near New Palz.  A friend of mine had gone diving there before and had told me what a great operation they run, and he was absolutely right.  I was very impressed with how organized everything was.  I almost felt completely at ease when we got there and looked up to the sky.  There were so many parachutes up there at once with people having just jumped from the plane.  When I went in Fiji, it was just me and I didn’t see anything beforehand except the training video.   I have to say the scariest part of the whole process was filling out out the waiver!  After the waivers were completed and I acknowledged that skydiving could lead to death more than enough times, we were given detailed instruction on what would go on in the plane and for the jump.  Then it was time to suit up and get paired up with our tandem jumper and cameraman.   They offer the option to jump with someone who will take pictures and video of the jump and since this will probably be a once (or twice) in a lifetime opportunity, you should take them up on it.   The guys who we were jumping with went over our equipment several times to make sure everything was tight and secure and explained to us again how it would all go.  Next, we were all lined up in the plane and climbing high in the sky.  As they opened the door and the wind rushed in, that scary but exhilerating feeling came over me and before I could really have a chance to question myself, I arched back, leaning into him, and we were off out of the plane and falling several thousand feet per second.  The free fall was awesome and then before I knew it, we pulled the parachute and were floating through the sky gazing out at the sunset over the horizon.  When it was time to land, I lifted my feet in the air, and John landed us safetely on the ground (ok in a mud puddle, so it’s good I was wearing their jumpsuits!) 

As we were getting ready to leave, one of the other intructors began explaining how the parachute system works.  Not only do they dive with two parachutes, but there is also a jump computer that figures out when to launch the parachute if for any reason you don’t.  He said most of the jumpers feel safer outside the plane than inside, because outside, they have full control over where they will land.   He said that despite what people think, jumping out of a plane is probably the safest thing you’ll do in your day.

I have to say I was very impressed by Joe’s operation at Skydive the Ranch .  Everyone I spoke with over the phone was always very friendly and informative and once I was there, I knew I was in good hands.  If I were to go again, I would definitely feel confident in coming back to Skydive the Ranch.  I think every couple before getting married should dive together or make it part of their honeymoon! It’s also great for family bonding!  Check out the videos here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Smq15Ly7A and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkMwJEOOJNM

Previous Post: