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Friday, June 29, 2012
Austin Hotel powered by solar
Salt water pool. Edible landscaping and natural gardens. Powered by 108
rooftop solar panels plus a solar powered hot water system.
Looking
for a "green hotel" while visiting the Live Music Capital?
Reserve
a stay at the Habitat Suites in Austin.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Buffalo Injures Man at Yellowstone
Even with the warning signs, tourists still get injured and
sometimes killed every year from getting too close to wild animals in
National Parks. The most recent case happened over the weekend in
Yellowstone National Park. A Massachusetts was thrown 10 feet in the air
and then pinned to the ground, according to CBS News. The man was lucky
that his injuries only included a broken shoulder blade, ribs,
collarbone, and groin injury. According to the man the buffalo
approached him as he was sitting and he didn't move away.
When
we visited Yellowstone National Park, I witnessed several buffalo
milling around near the park road. Don't let their docile appearance
fool you, as they can sprint up to 30 mph, and are territorial. When
visiting our National Parks, remember the park rules that require
visitors to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and at
least 25 yards away from buffalo and other animals.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Essential Camping Checklist
In honor of National Camping Week this week (and I just came from
a trip last week along the San Marcos River), here is a handy checklist
to go by when planning your next great camping adventure. As a kid I
remember when my Mom would plan a week ahead of time, and have our
dining room table full of items to carry.
Essential
Camping Checklist
This checklist will get you pointed in the
right direction for your next camping trip. It is by no means complete
(there is always something you forget).
Let us know what you would
add in the comments below or on Facebook, and have fun camping!
Basic Food Items:
Bacon
Eggs
Grits (it's a Southern
thing)
Crackers, Chips
Drinks
Hotdogs & Buns
Hamburgers
& Buns
Canned Foods (vegetables, fruit, etc.)
Marshmallows
Coffee
Sugar
Creamer
Cooking
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Mustard
Cooking Related Items:
Portable Stove
Stove Fuel – Propane,
Other
Folding Stand for Stove (if no picnic tables)
Lighters
Skillet
Boiler
Spatula
Forks,
Spoons, Knives
Paper Towels
Paper Plates & Holders
Skewer
for cooking Marshmallows over fire (sticks will also do)
Firewood &
fire starter (lint also works)
Bottle Opener
Can Opener
Drinking
Cups
Aluminum Foil
Zip lock Bags
Garbage Bags
Cooler
Coffeemaker
Dish
Soap
Plastic Tub to wash any dishes in
Frozen Reusable Ice Packs
Ice
(may want to get this on the way to your campground)
The Basic Items:
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Pillows
Hats
Clothes
Old
Towels
Extra Canvas Bag for Dirty Clothes
Cots (if too hot to
sleep on the ground)
Lantern & Charger or Fuel/Wick/Mantles
Flashlights
& Extra Batteries
Fishing Items:
Fishing Rod & Reels
Fishing Tackle (with
knife/clippers for line)
Fish Cutting Board
First Aid Kit
Filet
Knife
Fishing Bait
Kayak/Boat Items:
Kayaks/Boats, Paddles, Life Preservers
Waterproof
Cooler/Bag
Chain & Lock
Other Items:
Cheap
Camera (that you won't miss if it gets wet)
Water Shoes
Folding
Chairs
Playing Cards/Games
Sunglasses
Citronella Candles
Combo
Sunblock/Insect Repellant (very important!)
Oh, and Don't Feed the Bears...
Let us know what you would add and have fun camping!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Austin to get 3 new hotels
Like a rocket, Austin will be experiencing a building boom in the next few years to further transform the cities' skyline. If all goes as planned, three new hotels are scheduled to be built in the downtown area.
Construction on the 1,000
room Fairmont Austin Hotel is slated to begin spring of 2013, while the
1,012 room J.W. Marriott Convention Center hotel construction will start
this summer. Another hotel will be a part of the redevelopment of the
Green Water Treatment Plant along Lady Bird Lake.
Airline offers luxury suite
Singapore Airlines is known for offering amenities for the privileged
few. How about a private cabin with
bed? No problem. The airfare is rather steep though. A roundtrip flight
from New York to Singapore will set you back $15,750.
I
can think of lots of better ways to spend that for a fun vacation. How
about you?
Edited on: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 10:48 AM
Categories: Travel News
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Dallas TV returns to Southfork
With much anticipation, the new Dallas
TV series premiers June 13th on TNT
The opening music will be
similar, with an updated Dallas skyline that includes the impressive new
Omni Hotel Convention Center.
The
venerable Larry Hagman reprises his role as J.R. Ewing. We have made
several travels over the years to the Dallas metro area to feature
unique area hotels, b&bs and attractions. With the new series, it should
generate renewed interest in Dallas and the Southfork
Ranch attraction. My first trip to Southfork was the mid-point on a
whirlwind road trip to California in 1988. The show was still rolling
along, and I got a chance to walk through Larry Hagman's Winnebago. Now,
almost 25 years later, Hagman in his own unique style is having a custom
Airstream made for when he does choose to retire for good and enjoy the
open road. Read about in a recent
interview with Larry Hagman.
Southfork
Ranch
We plan to make a return trip to the Dallas area and
will provide updates soon.
View
our video above and read our online feature on the historic
Adolphus Hotel.
Book a stay now at
the Adolphus.
Enjoy
fine dining at the unparalleled French
Room at the Adolphus.
Edited on: Friday, June 08, 2012 12:17 AM
Categories: Attractions, Entertainment
Site Redesign
Over the years we have focused on providing unique content on stays and
attractions that we visit firsthand. In the coming months, look for our
new site design as we make major updates.
One new area you may have
noticed is our new commenting via our blog and being added to our
feature pages. Provided by Disqus, we were impressed with what they had
to offer (it helps when you get major venture capital funding as well).
Have
ideas? Let us know!