Reviews about Destinations

ElizabethAnnR says "Venice, Italy is a beautiful and romantic city." about Venice

ElizabethAnnR — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:13:27 GMT

Venice, Italy is one of the most romantic cities I have visited. We were during the month of September and it was really crowded and we couldn't get a hotel room in Venice. We booked a hotel that was on the Adriatic Sea. It took an hour to get there, but it was absolutely wonderful. We were on an upper floor and it was still very warm. We left the windows open and the fresh sea air was wonderful.

There was a lot of renovation going on when we were there. Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) is gorgeous. It's huge and there is so much to see. San Marcos Cathedral is absolutely beautiful. Nothing like sitting outdoors having a coffee and viewing the wonderful city.

I loved walking around Venice and mingling with the people. The restaurants were lovely with a varied menu. The food servers were friendly and the service wonderful.

Harry's Bar and Grill is one of those places where famous people frequent. We managed to get a table. I can say that I have been there. It is located right along...

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Bryan-Carey says "Gladys Porter Zoo: Small, but Very Memorable" about Gladys Porter Zoo

Bryan-Carey — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:29:08 GMT

Family time at the zoo is a regular occurrence in my household, thanks to our membership at the Houston Zoo. We visit several times per year, for educational and recreational purposes but even though we have a membership, we still like to check out other zoos while on vacation. And one zoo we visited recently and enjoyed very much is the Gladys Porter Zoo, a small zoo located in Brownsville, Texas.

Zoo Facts:

The Gladys Porter Zoo is located near downtown Brownsville, Texas. This small zoo opened to the public for the fist time on September 3, 1971, the result of a private donation to the City of Brownsville, which now owns and operates the zoo. The zoo is smaller than average, with only about 31 acres of total space.

Gladys Porter Zoo includes exhibits of animals from all of the major continents and the animals are allowed to roam freely. This zoo divides itself into four main sections: Tropical America, Indo- Australia, Africa, and Other. In addition to the animals, the Gladys Porter...

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Bryan-Carey says "Palo Alto Battlefield: The Beginning of the Mexican War" about Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park

Bryan-Carey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:45:25 GMT

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mikeselt says "The high point of my trip was Juan Surfo's surf school and shop " about Nosara, Costa Rica

mikeselt — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:50:00 GMT

To all visitors to this charming beachside village, I heartily recommend to all the surf school and surf shop run by Juan Surfo. In a small community where all businesses except his are owned by non-Costa Ricans it feels both right and proper to give money to Juan and the Costa Ricans he employs as teachers, helpers, repair personnel and cleaning and gardening staff. There are at present 11 surf schools in Nosara and all but Juan's are owned by foreigners. He also rents out apartments and small houses. For a great time come to this village and enjoy its beauty and laid back atmosphere. This is my fourth visit here and I look forward to many more.

Professor Michael Seltzer, just a boogieboarder

Oslo University College

Oslo Norway

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housss says "A nice city." about New York City

housss — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:51:50 GMT

I love new york city. It is a nice place to visit and I want to go back there without getting in trouble with anyone or anything. A beast stated that I would be followed I hope not because it is a sin. The new york city houses many under age people and I want to be able to go back and to speak in the tougue of which the God up above gave me and my people. I pray that anything sown in dishonor will be made in honor and that I am from the biblical sense of the word treated with respect. I am going to visit that city one day and pay my respect unto God. I pray that we have a nice time me and God because he is upon me to help destroy and betray the predator of the devil who I take to god for loyalty. I want to live holy and be holy in conversation and not hide counsel without knowledge. I want to be respected of new york city because it is thine of the God of the heaven who rules all things. Amen.

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alexxzann says "this is my favorite park ever" about Islands of Adventure - Universal Studios, Orlando

alexxzann — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:50:40 GMT

Universal Islands of Adventure is one of my favorite theme parks in florida, i have been to this park many times and it is great for the whole family. they have full rollercoasters for everyone that like adrenaline pumping rides. they also have water rides to cool down during the day, which is especially useful in the hot days of florida. there are also family rides that everyone big or small will love. they have enough to keep you and your family or friends busy all day long. my favorite rides at Islands of Adventure are the hulk roller coaster, the dueling dragons roller coaster, and doctor dooms drop ride. they are also opening a whole new island based on the harry potter books. this new part of the theme park is opening soon and will include rollercoasters, family rides, stores, and restaraunts that have to do with the books. so i would definatily recomend this park to anyone that asked

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isafjordur says "The Faroe Islands are the best vacation destination!" about Faroe Islands

isafjordur — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:38:35 GMT

This past July I travelled to a remote, practically unknown destination called the Faroe Islands. While I Moved forward in space toward my destination, it seemed as if I had travelled back in time. The Faroe Islands are a group of 18 islands located between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroes are linked together by two sub-sea tunnels, bridges and helicoptor service. The excellent infrastructure allowed me to drive my rental car thoughout most of the country. The 50,000 inhabitants of the Faroe Islands speak Faroese, which is a Scandanavian language very close to Icelandic. The capital city of Torshavn, where I stayed, was celebrating St. Olaf's Day, which is the country's national holiday. People got together for outdoor festivals, concerts and sporting events during the day on St. Olaf's Day. During the day for three days straight there were people in the streets partyng until the wee hours. The streets on The night of St. Olaf's Day is reminiscient of scenes of Mardi Gras here in America.......

ElizabethAnnR says "The Eiffel Tower is an amazing structure with a fantastic view!" about The Eiffel Tower

ElizabethAnnR — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:42:55 GMT

The Eiffel Tower is a place you must visit if in Paris, France. It is a beautiful historic landmark. We were there on a beautiful September day.

There were many people but we managed to enter the elevator in a short time. The elevator is glass enclosed so you can see all around as it rises. My only warning is that if you have a fear of heights, just close your eyes until you get to the top. It is definitely a dizzying experience. Once at the top, the view is spectacular. You can see all over Paris and it is so romantic.

"A View to a Kill", a James Bond movie, had the Eiffel Tower as a back drop. Roger Moore played James Bond with Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts and Grace Jones. Just gives it a little thrill to be there. It was fun to look out of the restaurant and visualizing that movie. We always had a lot of fun when traveling.

We did have a meal at the restaurant and it is the only meal I had in Paris that was not exceptional. It is still a place worth experiencing.

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CloudNine says "Home School Day is the best! " about Six Flags Magic Mountain

CloudNine — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:00:11 GMT

We just got back today from our trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA. We went to their annual Home School Day, which they've had for more than a decade. During the Home School Day, the park is closed to the public and almost all the features of the park are open. The tickets cost nearly 1/3 the price, and you can also purchase meal vouchers for a savings on food, and photo vouchers for a huge savings on the pictures taken throughout the park. By going on Home School Day, we saved about $100 total. That's a lot of cash in this economy!

Home School Day is an annual event, and it isn't usually advertised on the website. This year, in fact, the website just said the park was closed. If you are involved in home schooling in any way, you are welcome to come. Just call Six Flags and ask about it. It's a great program, and Six Flags is one of the very few who offer something like this. That makes me very loyal to the company itself. I have heard that Disney also has programs for home...

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MrsFrecklequeen says "The BEST Family Vacation EVER!!!!" about Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons

MrsFrecklequeen — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:23:16 GMT

We have been going to Montana and Wyoming for about 14 years. We love it!!

Such a beautiful part of the country and so much to do for a family.

The kids loved riding around looking for buffalo and seeing the gysers and the paint-pots. Such a great family bonding time!

Highly recommend a trip into Jackson Hole, WY to see the Tetons and then driving into Yellowstone and going to Big Sky, MT and through the park. Never a dull moment and different every time you visit. It's an ideal location no matter which season it is too!

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northcascades says "OK zoo. Cool animals, landscaping lacks though" about Memphis Zoo

northcascades — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:46:27 GMT

The Memphis zoo is ok. I have been to several zoos and around the country. While the Memphis zoo has interesting animals, the landscaping isn't the most attractive I have ever seen.

The Memphis zoo is pretty easy to reach and admission is reasonable. In the summer, they often run specials where Tennesseans can get in free with a valid ID. What I really noticed was the entrance to the zoo. It is supposed to evoke ancient Egyptian times (this is Memphis, after all), which it did. The facade is one of the more unique that I've seen.

The animals in the zoo are interesting enough. They have polar bears, pandas (which is apparently a rarity for American zoological parks), and an excellent songbird area. The bird exhibit was undoubtedly my favorite.

The landscaping, though, is largely concrete. I wish it was more like the Nashville Zoo. In Nashville, you wander along pathways through grasses and shrubs to the exhibits. The Memphis zoo still evokes the feeling of an old-school...

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steve9631 says "How could a museum about chocolate be anything but awesome??" about Museu de la Xocolata

steve9631 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:29:40 GMT

Could there possibly be any downside to a museum that gives you a bar of chocolate when you pay your admission? Mei non!! Just a fabulous museum of the history of chocolate that takes you chronologicaly through the ages and the history of chocolate making. The museum also displays chocolate's history as currency, and has many sculptures carved from chocolate. Yes, some of the sculptures are quite large, and yes, at one time chocolate was used as money. Brings kind of a new slant to the saying "living hand to mouth", if you get my drift.

White chocolate is also displayed in carvings as you walk amongst the various informational areas, and at the back of the museum is the chocolate academy where chefs learn their craft of making chocolate everything. Viewing of their work is easily assessable as a series of large interior picture windows reveal their cooking stations and allow you to visualize the creations of their artform.

At the end of the museum's path is a chocolateria...

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AshleyGeorge says "Would Totally Return for a Second Vacation!" about Panama City Beach

AshleyGeorge — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:54:08 GMT

We stayed for a total of 4 nights at Paradise Palms Hotel on the Panama City Beach. it was definitly on of the most amazing experiences of my life so far! The sand was incredibly soft and the water so so blue! Panama City Beach was more than just a beach too! Beach Front Drive runs right in front of about 3-4 miles of the most gorgeous beach front i've ever seen. Hotels line the beach allowing guest to experience the adventure up close. behind the hotels, across the street are so many suviner stores lining the road. We found some of the cheapest and most interesting suviner stores only within a half of a mile from out hotel. Get hungry? no car nessesary! Just walk from your hotel room to any of the many seafood restaurants lining the beach. I recommend Dirty Dick's Crab Shack or even the Sharky's restaurant/bar. Panama City beach was very relaxing and also provides MANY fun activities for family and friends. i will be returning for spring break !

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mrkstvns says "The Most Beautiful Cavern in Texas!" about Cave Without a Name

mrkstvns — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:38:05 GMT

I'm always looking for fun things to do with my kids on the weekends, and one thing we all love to do is to explore a "land down under". Underground that is. As in cave tours.

We do quite a few cave tours because it's fun, it's educational, it's interesting, it's beautiful, it's totally natural, and because it's a very cool thing to do (literally! It's like 68 degrees underground even when it's a skull-scorching 104 in the shade up top.).

One of the most naturally beautiful caves we've visited in Texas is the Cave Without a Name, located outside Boerne Texas. Boerne is in the heart of the infamous Texas Hill Country, maybe a half hour or so northwest of San Antonio. Though it can be something of a challenge to actually FIND, the Cave Without a Names is fairly close to San Antonio, making it an excellent family day trip for visitors to the Alamo Ciy.

Not only is the Cave Without a Name beautiful and natural, it's also affordable fun: $14 for adults and $7 for kids. A tour takes a bit over...

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mrkstvns says "A World of Childhood Wonder -- Mexico City's Papalote Museum" about Papalote Museo del Nino

mrkstvns — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:49:57 GMT

I'm a dad, and that means I spend a fair chunk of time on any trip doing things that shorter people like doing. Zoos and parks figure prominently in our family time, but so too do the many children's museums that are becoming highlights of many major cities. My small crew have been to quite a few children's museums, but their favorite (and mine too) is the delightful Papalote Museo del Nino in Mexico City.

I love the Papalote Museum because it's so big with such an enormous variety of fun activities and because it's got such GOOD exhibits for the little hands and developing minds. Many of the exhibits are hands-on explorations of the world we live in, with a hefty dose of technology to go with it. Papalote has these, just like most childrens' museums do. But what Papalote has that sets it apart are several exhibits that strike me as particularly Mexican.

Most childrens museums I've been to don't have hands-on archaeoligical digs, but then, most childrens museums aren't located in the heart...

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mrkstvns says "It's ALWAYS a Gruesome Halloween Night at the Mummy Museum!" about Museo de las Momias

mrkstvns — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:14:38 GMT

One of the COOLEST, most utterly gruesome and terrifyingly WEIRD museums in all of Mexico is the infamous Museo de las Momias --- The Mummy Museum!!

Most travelers come to Guanajuato for the beautiful colonial atmosphere and the city's many cultural celebrations and festivals. But the macabre Museo de las Momias is just icing on the cake!

The museum has an ENORMOUS collection of mummies --- must be hundreds of them. There's galleries where you walk in, and just look down long glass showcases with mummy after mummy, most with grotesque expressions of death on their face, scraps of rotted clothing, bits of wood and dust, or other typical mummy attire.

Some though are just plain unsettling. They have a collection of "child mummies" --- babies or toddlers who died and became mummified, some still wearing very identifiable Sunday best, or clutching rotted bits of beloved toys.

You do know what Beethoven is doing these days, right? He's decomposing!

Well, that's a sure sign that he wasn't buried...

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mrkstvns says "The Convenient Weekend Beach Getaway for Arizona Partiers..." about Puerto Penasco

mrkstvns — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:40:03 GMT

A look at a map shows you that Arizona is a land-locked state. It also shows you that it has a long border with Mexico and that there are miles of beaches along the Sea of Cortez just beckoning to Arizona locals. The most popular and fully developed of these beaches is Puerto Peñasco, which many Arizona folks prefer to call "Rocky Point" because otherwise they have to learn how to pronounce the sound of the ñ (en-yay) character, which as all gringos know, is a terrifying prospect indeed.

In any case, Puerto Peñasco has some things going for it that make it popular with the Arizona local yokels. First, it's got beaches (which sure beats the miles of brown sand that Arizona has). Second, it's pretty darn affordable with lots of dirty cheap hotel rooms and plenty of small seafood restaurants where you can sit out on the beach and dig your toes into the brown sand as waiters bring out plate after plato of yummy-licious camarones al diablo or filetes al mojo de ajo, along with chilly cervezas...

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mrkstvns says "Museo de Jose Luis Cuevas --- Where Modern Meets Ancient" about Museo Jose Luis Cuevas

mrkstvns — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:09:13 GMT

There are more than 100 major museums in Mexico City, making it one of the most complex yet most rewarding big city destinations in the world. There's at least dozen big museums that can take you hours, if not full days, to tour --- but there are also countless smaller museums with tightly focused themes that can be fully experienced within only a couple hours. The Museo de Jose Luis Cuevas is one of these smaller museums.

I love the traditional Spanish architecture of the colonial home in which the museum is housed. It's just a few blocks walk from the Zocalo, making it an very easy side trip for anyone already sightseeing in the downtown area. It also means that, like just about everything in Mexico City's Centro area, everything you see and touch is about 400 - 500 years old. You'll walk up the cobblestone streets to the museum, which is easily identified by the enormous warped looking human heads outside.

Those sculptures give you a delicious first taste of what Jose Luis Cuevas is...

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mrkstvns says "Museo de Vidrio --- A Unique Glass Museum in Monterrey" about Museo de Vidrio

mrkstvns — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:25:57 GMT

Monterrey is one of Mexico's most interesting large cities because it's so dynamic and there's so much to see and do for the visitor who scratches just slightly below the surface.

The city has quite a lot to offer the visitor with an interest in the fine arts, and one of its real artistic gems is the Museo del Vidrio --- the Glass Museum. The museum itself is located inside a mammoth industrial glass works, and it does have some exhibits that are educational and that inform you about glass as a commercial product. That's not its strongest point though.

The Museo del Vidrio has an extensive collection of stunning artworks, all crafted from glass. There are many, many examples of hand-blown and spun glass objects of stunning artistry and complexity, but what blows my mind are the really large, complex artworks. They have things like an enormous horse that sparkles under its spotlights as if it were crafted from a million diamonds --- but it's glass.

There's also an enjoyable gift shop on site,...

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windhaven says "The Best Beach We Have Ever Been To" about Siesta Key - Florida

windhaven — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:05:21 GMT

I have been all over the world and choose this as the best beach ever! Siesta Key beach has powdered sugar type sand that you will not find just anywhere. It is sparkling white and never gets hot. An added bonus for families is that this particular type of sand packs well and lets kids create incredible sand castles.

We go in June to avoid the high season masses. We rent a condo just across the street that provides us with beach pass access. The warm water and gentle surf makes for a great experience if you have small kids and also provides a great early morning shell hunting adventure. The sunsets are wonderful and Sarasota is a ten minute drive to excellent shopping and dining.

Don't let this one get away. Book your next vacation here!

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