Andy Hayes: Follow me on Twitter @andrewghayes
What’s Stonehenge Like in Person?
During your visit to London, hopefully you will have an opportunity to visit one of the great wonders off the world, Stonehenge (map). Located on a flat plain near Salisbury, the site is an easy day trip from London and in fact can be combined with a trip to other quaint villages in the area.
People often ask me what Stonehenge is like in person. Well, without trying to ramble, here are a few things you might find of interest:
A major motorway was built within earshot/eye shot of Stonehenge....
February 27th, 2011 | London | Read More
5 Incredible Places to See This Year in New Zealand
With this year’s Rugby World cup, I’m so excited to so many folks planning their holidays to New Zealand. Whenever anyone asks, I am always quick to say that it is my favorite country in the world to visit – in one tiny pair of islands you get local home-grown foods, warm hospitality, and some of the world’s best scenery. You’ll find those views no matter where you are – here are 5 incredible places I suggest you see during your trip this year, perhaps the...
February 23rd, 2011 | New Zealand | Read More
A Daytrip to Long Beach, NY
As much as I love New York, at many times my heart lies in Long Island. I worked on a project there for a client for several months, so got to know this busy strip of land pretty well. At first glance it appears to be the land of commutes and folks zooming on their way to the more famous party mansions on Fire Island and the Hamptons, but really there are tons of charming communities worth a visit, even for a New York day tripper. It’s a great way to get a better flavor for what it is...
February 22nd, 2011 | New York | Read More
A Walking Tour of Barceloneta
While the throngs of crowds will be wrapped around the Sagrada Familia waiting patiently for their turn, there’s another quiet neighborhood that has lots to see and do and is decidedly a little more low key. Once you’ve finished exploring Gaudi, turn your sneakers towards the area known as Barceloneta (map).
It’s simple to get here – it has its own metro stop of the same name, or a 15 minute walk from Las Ramblas. Traditionally, this was a poor area – at first a...
February 18th, 2011 | Barcelona | Read More
Cruising the Beach in Bournemouth
Recently I talked about the historic aspects of Brighton, one of England’s famous beach times. Today I’d like to talk about another hot spot that is well known locally, but tourists don’t always think about it: Bournemouth (map).
With seven miles of beaches, an easy-to-walk city with gardens and squares, and plenty of festivals and events for families. It’s a fun place to spend a day or hang out for a couple of days during your London visit – it is very different...
February 16th, 2011 | London | Read More
The Other Green Stuff in Amsterdam: Best Parks in the Dutch Capital
Last year, I talked about some great Amsterdam biking trips – get your two wheels and pedal for the hills. But what if you don’t feel like biking? Sometimes the wind and rain can be pretty off putting. Or maybe biking just isn’t your thing?
No problem. What people often overlook in their quest for some Amsterdam fun is that the city does a very good job of affording locals and visitors some fresh air and a space to enjoy the great outdoors. The weather isn’t always...
February 10th, 2011 | Amsterdam | Read More
It’s a Party in Leicester Square
Recently we featured one of my top London hotspots, Covent Garden. But let’s not overlook its hip and trendy next door neighbor, Leicester Square (map). Pronounced “lester” (not lie-chester or lick-ster, both of which I have heard on occasion), the square is the cinema and entertainment hub of London and you’ll always find one event or another going on here. It is probably the one spot in London that most resembles New York, at least in terms of vibe and atmosphere.
Leicester...
February 9th, 2011 | London | Read More
Dunedin, New Zealand: Watch Rugby in the “Other” Edinburgh
We’ve talked about several of the hot rugby destinations for this year’s tournament in New Zealand – but perhaps one of the friendliest rugby host cities is Dunedin (map). Dunedin is the old Gaelic word for Edinburgh, and in fact you could easily wake up one morning here in Dunedin and believe that you were instead in the Scottish capital – it is amazing that so much of the Scots cultural heritage that settlers brought here to Dunedin years and years ago are still so vibrant...
February 8th, 2011 | New Zealand | Read More
Escape the Resort: A Cancun Daytrip to Isla Mujeres
I’ve just returned with a mild sunburn and a perhaps no-so-mild hangover from a week on the sunny shores of Cancun (map). If you haven’t been, it is pretty easy to summarize: take a gorgeous strip of beach alongside a massive lagoon and pile it with hotels and resorts. Voila: Cancun. I don’t mean that to sound negative, but the real treat of Cancun is a holiday where you sit around with bottomless margaritas and enjoy piles of tasty Mexican food. Many of these resorts...
February 8th, 2011 | Mexico | Read More
Hiking in Downtown Ojai
Recently, I extolled the virtues of Ojai, California (map) – a quaint town that’s just 90 minutes away from Los Angeles. While I thought the wine was the amazing, the food was delicious, and the hospitality way beyond expectations, there was one activity that I really thought was a bit underrated: hiking.
Ojai does have a fair bit of tourism even though it is still a bit unknown – but as I went around on some of the various trails during my weekend trip, I noticed that many of the...
January 30th, 2011 | Baby Boomers, Los Angeles | Read More
Romantic Views in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, one of America’s biggest cities and the home of movie stars. But where some see smog, clogged highways and life at a hectic pace, others see love and romance in a oceanside city. You can’t deny that LA does fare pretty well when it comes to weather, and if you look close enough, you can find plenty of places to work on that budding romance of yours – some of my faves are the views, either of the mountains, the city, or of course, the Pacific Ocean. Here are a...
January 27th, 2011 | Baby Boomers, Los Angeles | Read More
Historic Brighton
Every summer, hundreds of thousands of London residents and visitors head for the miles of beaches along England’s coast. Despite impressions about bad weather, the south of England can get pretty warm during the summer, and if you live in one of the world’s largest cities, you can imagine the temptation of having some sand underneath your feet and a view of the sea.
It is a shame that most travelers don’t get too far from the beach because, while it is lovely, Brighton is also...
January 25th, 2011 | London | Read More
Wine and Dine in Ojai
If you find yourself in the Los Angeles area, I’ve got a hot tip for a great side trip you can take. It’s the small town of Ojai (map) - pronounced as if you were meeting an old friend, “Oh, Hi!” – located in Ventura County, which is to the north of LA. The drive is about 90 minutes, depending on traffic, though you could make it longer and drive up along the coast.
Ojai is set in a mountain valley, so despite being fairly close to the ocean, you can’t see...
January 23rd, 2011 | Baby Boomers, Los Angeles | Read More
Fox Glacier versus Franz Josef Glacier
Mother Nature is one of the top reasons that travelers head to New Zealand – it has some of the most diverse and accessible wilderness in the world. The hardest part really is catching some sleep on the long flight over. During your research, no doubt you’ll hear about the two of the country’s most popular glaciers: Franz Josef (map) and Fox (map).
The regular bus service as well as the guided tour buses all run along this the coastal road that runs west along the country’s...
January 21st, 2011 | adventure, New Zealand | Read More
The Great Walks of New Zealand
Anyone who visits New Zealand will learn quickly that one of the country’s best attractions is the great outdoors. The country goes to great lengths to provide safe, clean and accessible wilderness, with a strong conservation program. Whether you’re here just to sample the Kiwi lifestyle or visiting for the Rugby World Cup or other events, one great outdoors activity you might want to consider are the Great Walks of New Zealand.
The Great Walks are a series of 9 walks that the country...
January 19th, 2011 | adventure, New Zealand | Read More
The Best of Rotorua
Have you ever wanted to roll downhill inside of a plastic ball and then spend the rest of your day in a hot water springs spa? Perhaps not, but that’s just an example of the diversity of activities you can choose from when you visit Rotorua (map), one of the most popular spots in New Zealand. I’m expecting it to be super busy in 2011 as it’s one of the 2011 Rugby World Cup host cities.
A couple of hours drive (or bus ride) from Auckland, people who visit New Zealand invariably...
January 17th, 2011 | New Zealand | Read More
Christchurch Highlights
This year, New Zealand’s tiny town of Christchurch is one of the host cities of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. I say a tiny town, but in fact, it is the largest down on the South Island, so I suppose small is a bit relative – the population is approximately 350 thousand. Christchurch has a decent sized airport and you can fly there directly from Melbourne/Sydney without having to connect in Auckland, so if you’re coming for a visit you may very well find yourself with some to...
January 14th, 2011 | New Zealand | Read More
How to Make a Connecting Flight at Heathrow Without Losing Your Mind
My my, London Heathrow (map), how you have changed.
I distinctly remember my first Heathrow experience. I wasn’t living in the UK at the time, so it was a connecting flight. I had heard all the horror stories about mis-connects, sweaty sprints down claustrophobic corridors and the like, but I wasn’t prepared for the chaos. First was the lengthy walk to the connections area. Then there was that long wait on a cold bus, and an even longer drive to my second gate once the bus finally...
January 12th, 2011 | London | Read More
Key West: Fly and Drive Do’s and Don’ts
For me, the best place to hang out in Florida is Key West (map), a town perched at the end of the Florida keys, a long drive south off the tip of Florida – if you could keep going, Cuba wouldn’t be too far away!
Key West has its own airport, with planes flying in right over a beach and a main road. It makes for a convenient trip into town, and a good spot if you like planes potting. But for me, part of the fun is getting there. The drive along Route 1, as it winds its way across...
January 12th, 2011 | Baby Boomers, Road Trips, South Florida | Read More
How to Get from London Heathrow to Your Hotel without the Stress
London Heathrow (map): it’s one of the world’s busiest airports, and many would say one of the most confusing. Heathrow was built in the 1940′s, and its popularity has continued to stretch the airport’s capacity ever since. But, realistically, the majority of international flights land at Heathrow, particularly those from North America, so if you’re planning a trip, you’ll more than likely end up at Heathrow.
But how do you get from your airplane to your...
January 11th, 2011 | London | Read More
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