Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 90

Misc.: what luggage to buy

Are you in the market for new luggage? Check out the comments about what to buy and why, and also about airlines and theft:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-hobica/why-you-should-buy-a-four_b_1115011.html

Good Eats: Edgefield: The Poor Farm, Troutdale, Oregon

Edgefield: The Poor Farm 2126 SW Halsey St., (800) 669-8610, (503) 669-8610. No pets. Located next door to now-trendy Gresham—it was once just a simple farm town where my own Grandpa lived his life farming strawberries and raising cattle—this fun-filled complex once actually was a real poor farm that rescued folks who had fallen on hard times. Now it is like a little village, with a Georgian Revival-style manor house B&B as well as many out buildings, and visitors can have a great time just wandering the property—stopping for a beer and some exceptionally tasty oversize peanuts in the Little Red Shed, followed perhaps by pizza and more beer at an outdoor picnic table at the Power Station Pub. The farm also has a fancier restaurant, a movie theater, a winery and distillery, two golf courses (1 12-hole, 1 20-hole), a spa with a saltwater soaking pool, and expansive gardens.

Things to Do: swim with the pigs, Exuma Key, the Bahamas

You've heard about swimming with the dolphins? Get ready for swimming with the pigs! (Did you know that a group of hogs is called a "drift"?)







catch another view:

Sights to see: swim with the pigs, Exuma Key, the Bahamas

You've heard about swimming with the dolphins? Get ready for swimming with the pigs! (Did you know that a group of hogs is called a "drift"?)







catch another view:

Sights to see: National Elk Refuge, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

National Elk Refuge 800-772-5386, 307-733- 0277.  Sleigh rides mid-Dec through first weekend in April; adults $18, 5-12 $12. Lodging suggestions: 307-733-3316. Take a draft horse-drawn sleigh tour of North America's largest established elk preserve. Featuring the spectacular Grand Teton Mountain Range on one side and the Gros Venture Mountain range on the other, this is not a zoo Some of the thousands of elk migrate here from as far as 100 miles away. Sleighs are a cheery photogenic red with black trim and have padded seats. From them you'll see wildlife up close and in motion. I heard the 4-year-old daughter of a park ranger exclaim with glee, "Wow, look at all that poop!" After, you can pet the horses and take pictures with them.



Then, warm up across the street within the impressive stone walls of the National Museum of Wildlife, where galleries let you get even closer to a wide array of wild animals.

Sights to see: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, New York City

Radio City Christmas Spectacular Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, 212-247-4777. At least once in a lifetime everyone should see this extraordinary show. Excitement grows as high as the Rockettes kick as Santa flies and fireworks light up the stage. The storyline features the famed synchronized chorus line dancing on the block-wide stage as snow falls and music rings out from the largest Wurlitzer organ ever built (it has more than 4,000 pipes). Runs through January 2, 2012. 

Sights to see: International Rose Test Garden, Portland, Oregon

International Rose Test Garden 400 SW Kingston Ave., in Washington Park, (503) 823-3636. Daily 7:30-9. Free. This test garden began in another location in 1915, when a rose hobbyist got city officials to approve a garden dedicated to saving European roses from World War I bombings. Roses arrived from around the world. The garden moved to its current site in 1917, and now covers 4.5 acres. You can see more than 8,555 rose bushes representing some 722 varieties--including the almost black "Black Magic" rose, which is actually a deep blood red and the sweet smelling magenta "Firefighter Rose" named in honor of firefighters lost in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. In 1940, the garden became a testing site for the All-America Rose Selection.



image c2011 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Misc.: best time to purchase an air ticket

Ever wonder when the best time is to buy an air ticket? Well, here you go:

Good Eats: Big Island Candies, Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii

Big Island Candies 585 Hinano St., a few blocks from the airport, Hilo, (800) 935-5510, (808) 935-8890. Daily 8:30–5. You can watch workers through big windows here as they make yummy chocolates and cookies. The macadamia nut shortbread cookies dipped in milk or white chocolate are simply THE BEST. And don't miss your chance to taste chocolate-covered cuttlefish, called "ika." Though it is tempting to pronounce that "ick-ah," this delicacy actually tastes quite good.

Great Sleeps: Hotel Monasterio, Cuzco, Peru

Hotel Monasterio Calle Palacio 136, 1 blk. from Plaza de Armas, 800-223-6800, +51 84 60 4000. Converted from a Spanish monastery built in 1592, this magnificent hotel features weathered stone arches sheltering the halls and original religious paintings decorating the walls. At hotel check-in we were offered coca tea, which eased our discomfort from the altitude. In the morning we feasted at the buffet in the cheery golden breakfast room of the El Tupay Restaurant, drinking electric-colored fruit juices and sampling tasty local Kiwicha biscuits and Andean cheese; Inca dinners are held here on Saturday.



Also, see my article about Machu Picchu.