2 1/2 Days in New York City - Part 2 of 2

This is Part 2 of my trip report for our recent trip to New York City.  If you haven't read Part 1 yet, click here.

We didn't get back to our hotel room until a little after midnight thanks to train construction, but with no plans until noon, it was no big deal.  After a free breakfast at the hotel (thanks, Hilton HHonors gold status), we still didn't get our lazy butts out of the room until 10:30.  No worries, we'd still have a full day to enjoy the city!

2 1/2 Days in New York City - Part 1 of 2

On Monday, my cousin's son was having a religious ceremony done, so my wife and I traveled to New York for a long-ish weekend of fun and family.  This was going to be a pretty quick trip, leaving Saturday afternoon and coming back Monday evening, with a full schedule thanks to lunch with Prita's friend and a surprise party for my cousin on Sunday.  It's been a few years since we've been to NYC, so we decided to pack in as much as we possibly could (not the most brilliant idea, in hindsight).

I intended to do this as one post, but quickly realized it was getting long in the tooth, so I broke it up in to 2.  The first post will cover our first day, last Saturday, August 24th.

Oh @!*$&% - My Flight Is Delayed!!! What Now?

Washington's Columbia River Valley from a 737

If you're traveling by air, one of the most frustrating things is when your flight is delayed or canceled, potentially disrupting your business or vacation plans.  Now, statistically speaking, the chances of a delayed or canceled flight ruining your day are actually pretty low.  Around 80% of flights, give or take, arrive at their destinations on time, and of the 20% or so that are late, many of these delays are relatively minor, on the order of a half an hour or so.  But, if the delay bugaboo does strike, I'll share some tips I've learned over the years after the jump.

Visiting the Taj Mahal - A Virtual Tour

The Taj Mahal at midday

Thursday was India's Independence Day, so in honor of this great country, I decided that this week's blog post would highlight someplace in India.  Today, I will spotlight perhaps the country's best known and most visited tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal.  When people book tours or vacations to India, this is the place that is typically at the top of everyone's list, and is regarded as one of the wonders of the world.  It is also regarded as something of an unofficial symbol of India.

Road Trip Through Texas? Stop at These Places if You're Hungry.

On the road (but not in Texas)

Planning a road trip that will take you through Texas on the interstates?  The nation's interstate highways generally aren't known for great places to eat, but there are a few gems to be found if you know where to look.  After the jump, I'll reveal five places worth stopping at that are just off or within a few miles of the state's vast network of interstate highways, in no particular order (in fact, worth planning your driving to make sure you get to one of these places at lunch or dinner).  Disclaimer:  I stopped at all of these places long before I decided to start a travel blog, so I don't have photos.  I may go back and add them later.

Note also that this is not meant to be all-inclusive.  There are probably plenty of other great little joints off the interstates, which I just haven't bothered stopping at because I'd rather power for a couple more hours and get home.

North to Alaska! Part 7 - Victoria, BC - June 29, 2013

Another cruise ship stalking us to Victoria

This is the 7th and final installment in my series about my recent trip to Alaska.  This installment will cover our short visit to Victoria, British Columbia.  If you haven't already done so, I suggest reading the first six parts of my series:


Part 1 - Background Info
Part 2 - Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and Sailaway
Part 3 - Ketchikan
Part 4 - The Tracy Arm Fjord
Part 5 - Juneau
Part 6 - Skagway and the Klondike

If you would like to view my entire collection of photos from Victoria, you can find them on Flickr here.

North to Alaska! Part 6 - Skagway and the Klondike - June 27, 2013

Emerald Lake, Yukon Territory

This is Part 6 in my series about my recent trip to Alaska.  This installment will cover our visit to Skagway and the "Klondike" region stretching up to the Yukon.  If you haven't already done so, I suggest reading the first five parts of my series:


Part 1 - Background Info
Part 2 - Seattle, Mt. Rainier, and Sailaway
Part 3 - Ketchikan
Part 4 - The Tracy Arm Fjord
Part 5 - Juneau

If you would like to view my entire collection of photos from Skagway, you can find them on Flickr here and here.