Travel And Roadtrips

(Grayson/35492) What are the highest fare increases for flights that you have se...

Grayson@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:10:00 -0600

What are the highest fare increases for flights that you have seen?  Around
here, flights from Columbus, OH to Las Vegas, NV have gone up about 400% in the
past 5 years. Others have gone up 200% or more but Vegas seems to be the
highest that I've seen.

(The After Party/35491) Delta Cookies

The After Party@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:44:00 -0600

Delta Cookies

  Hrm, my wife seems to have proven that delta will cookie you and raise the
  flight price. She typically uses FF. She search and found flights for $344.
  She they tried to use a companion ticket and when she went back, the same
  flights were now $434. She switched browsers, back to $344. Did some
  other searches, next thing you know: $434. Another browser, back to $344.
  Unreal.

(Secretary/35490) Michigan's 175th Birthday>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:52:00 -0600


Michigan's 175th Birthday>

Here's a list of some of the special events taking place tomorrow:

http://buymichigannow.com/michigans_175th_anniversary.php

Wish Michigan a happy 175th birthday by tweeting with #Mich175 Thursday between
noon and 12:30 p.m. ET, to help it make the trending topics.

Thanks to my tweet suggestion, my local Smashburger is offering $1.75 off items
on their Michigan menu now through Saturday.

(Secretary/35489) Michigan Turns 175>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:38:00 -0600


Michigan Turns 175>

Thursday is Michigan's 175th birthday.

The Detroit Institute of Arts is offering free general admission for the first
175 Michigan residents (with proof of state residency).  Adult admission is
regularly $8.

I imagine other businesses and organizations will do promotions Thursday for
the day, but I don't know of any right now.  I sent a tweet to my local
Smashburger restaurant suggesting they offer a deal on their Michigan cherry
burger.  Follow #Mich175 on Twitter to see what all is going on.

Some believe Michigan should be 177 years old now, as that is when our first
constituion was originally submitted to Congress, but was held up for 2 years
by the dispute with Ohio over the Toledo strip.  This is why the University of
Michigan and Ohio State University do battle every year on the third Saturday
in November.

(The Outlaw/35488) Anyone here been to Helsinki in Finland? I'm going to be there ...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:54:00 -0600

  Anyone here been to Helsinki in Finland?  I'm going to be there in a few
months and want to know if it's as drab and dull as everyone's review I've read
says it is.  If so, I'll limit my time there and take off to Estonia earlier...

(Aggressive Gambler/35487) Wouldn't that be prime leaf peeping time in the Gatlinburg/Pigeo...

Aggressive Gambler@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:28:00 -0600

Wouldn't that be prime leaf peeping time in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area?

(The Outlaw/35486) I just ordered my new Butch T Trinidad Scorpion sauce (Scorpian ...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:05:00 -0600

  I just ordered my new Butch T Trinidad Scorpion sauce (Scorpian Stinger) from
Pepper Palace the other day actually.  I wish we had a store out here...

(Knightshade/35485) There's a salt and pepper shaker museum.... (seriously!)

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:14:00 -0600

There's a salt and pepper shaker museum.... (seriously!)

Also- cooters garage (with Dukes stuff including a General Lee)... A rick
barris car museum with a bunch of famous cars from movies and stuff too...

I think there's a ripleys aquarium there too... and there's a phenominal store
there if you like spicy stuff...The Pepper Palace

(The Outlaw/35484) Isn't Dollywood still there and running in Pigeon Forge? There'...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:05:00 -0600

  Isn't Dollywood still there and running in Pigeon Forge?  There's hiking and
stuff and some cool mountain (hill) drives all around that area.  UofT football
game if you're into sports...

(Secretary/35483) Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Knoxville, Tennessee>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:04:00 -0600


Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Knoxville, Tennessee>

Suggestions for things to do in that area in late October?

(Secretary/35482) Michigan.org>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:11:00 -0600


Michigan.org>

"For the fifth year in a row, the Michigan travel and tourism website attracted
more visits than any other state tourism website in the country."

"according to Experian Hitwise"

"Michigan's website recorded more than 8.6 million hits during 2011"

Arkansas was #2 this year.

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/forget_the_other_49_michiganor.
html

(The Outlaw/35481) Or a general one: http://www.oyster.com/hotels/photo-fakeouts/

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:06:00 -0600

  Or a general one: http://www.oyster.com/hotels/photo-fakeouts/

  I have seen this site years back and I think it's pretty funny...

(Gespalder/35480) The URL for the pics

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:04:00 -0600

The URL for the pics
http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-photo-fakeouts-2012-1#fantasy-mandalay-bay
-las-vegas-1

(Rick Jenkins/35479) For sure. Same is true in real estate. Making the yard/a room lo...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:57:00 -0600


For sure. Same is true in real estate. Making the yard/a room look like three
times as large as it actually is.

(Gespalder/35478) http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-photo-fakeouts-2012-1

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:55:00 -0600

http://www.businessinsider.com/hotel-photo-fakeouts-2012-1

Why You Should Never Trust The Photos Hotels Post Online
Julie Zeveloff | Jan. 3, 2012, 3:15 PM

When it comes to picking a hotel, what you see online is not necessarily what
you get when you check in.

Travel deals website Oyster has caught hotels from Costa Rica to California
doctoring their website photos to appeal to potential guests.
They've been kind enough to share their collection of "photo fakeouts," which
serve as a kind of cautionary tale for anyone planning a vacation and relying
solely on hotel websites.
Some of these photo "upgrades" are so egregious, you'll think you are looking
at pictures of two completely different properties.

(Karma Police/35477) We did an overnight train from San Francisco to Portland last su...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:37:00 -0600

We did an overnight train from San Francisco to Portland last summer. 
Actually, we took Amtrak all the way up the pacific coast, from San Diego to
Seattle, stopping along the way.  It was fun.  For the overnight, we got a
roomette, which was great during the day, but crappy at night.  However, we
heard that we were going along some of the bumpiest Amtrak routes, so a
different route might be smoother.  I couldn't sleep at ALL, but slept a bit
during the day.  If you get a roommette, your meals are free in the dining car.

(DesCartes/35476) The most I've done by train is NC to CT (and back). Long trips (...

DesCartes@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:59:00 -0600

The most I've done by train is NC to CT (and back). Long trips (8 hours, I
think? Maybe more?), but not overnight.

(Tempestas/35475) The train is a sort of bucket list thing for me.

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:33:00 -0600

The train is a sort of bucket list thing for me.

(Tempestas/35474) Sorry, no, I want to take the ton of extra time.

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:28:00 -0600

Sorry, no, I want to take the ton of extra time.

(Knightshade/35473) Wouldn't you be better just flying the day before and getting a ...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:24:00 -0600

Wouldn't you be better just flying the day before and getting a decent cheap
hotel room for the night and saving a ton of extra hours on a train?

I mean, if you WANT to spend a ton of extra time on trains, go ahead... but
your initial paragraph mentions the only reason you're NOT flying is you'd be
afraid of not arriving on time.  So just fly a day earlier.

(Tempestas/35472) Has anyone here traveled cross-country on Amtrak ? Looks like it...

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:56:00 -0600

Has anyone here traveled cross-country on Amtrak ? Looks like it'll be a 4-5
leg trip from my location, I'll might get a cabin for the 43H crossing. Its a
pricey on the cabin, so I may skip that in favour of getting a extra night in
San Diego. I'm travelling at Thanksgiving next year (I'm on a cruise departing
SAN on Thanksgiving Day) ... Normally I'd just fly in on the date I'd be
cruising, but I can't risk that with Thanksgiving Day travel.

I'm curious how I'd pick which legs ... I have to get to Chicago to cross the
country. Looks like I can get to Chicago via DC or Springfield-MA. If you're
picking between the two train stations, which would be better? Time-wise, there
isn't much time for me to do anything in DC or Springfield (there's just a
couple hours) ... I guess I'm taking the long way to ask about the easiest
transfer or any other thoughts (my friends come up short, I only have one
friend that did cross country on a train, and that's going back a few years for
her trip)

I looked, its basically the same price whether I greyhound to Chicago or take
the train. There is a straightshot greyhound that runs from my area to Chicago
.... But I think I'm better off using amtrak the whole way because of my
Thanksgiving traveling dates.

(The Outlaw/35471) Travellers checks are outdated now days. Very few places will a...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:04:00 -0600

  Travellers checks are outdated now days.  Very few places will accept them
anymore and even banks aren't cashing them in many instances.

  I used them myself though in India in 2001 and at that time they were still
widely used, but times have changed, though hard cash still remains popular. 
Of course yeah you don't want to be leaving money or wallets or anything on
counter tops at all.  I just have mine in a money belt and then smaller cash in
my pockets.  I never use a wallet...

(The After Party/35470) Cash/Credit

The After Party@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:51:00 -0600

Cash/Credit

  We were in Paris this year and our master card had a harder time than our
  visa (master card was trying to be all cool and had a blue magnetic strip
  which I'm guessing wasn't as 'strong' as the brown ones). we got the
  mastercard days before traveling...
  Specifically we got it cuz they were no fees for conversion (euro/us).
  When it didn't work, we were pissed and switched to the visa.
  Luckily, the visa didn't ahev fees starting the day before (or day after)
  we traveled so we didn't get hit with any fees there.
  Our ATM card refunds all ATM fees.

  Oh, MC is chase, visa was...i don't remember. ATM is schwab.

  Carrying a lot of cash might make you nervous and miss going some place
  you'll regret. I had my wallet stolen off the hotel counter in Amsterdam
  (mostly my fault for leaving it there to case my daughter), but bye bye
  $300 euros + some USD.

  Anyone use traveler's checks? We did once when we went to Japan, but
  never since. My parents always used them, but I'm not sure I see
  the point these days.

(The Outlaw/35469) I always just get enough cash to last me my trip. Have a decent...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:58:00 -0600

  I always just get enough cash to last me my trip.  Have a decent money belt
and make use of the hotel safes if they have them and only carry enough for
your day excursions etc.  What I would do is bring a bit and then I'd always
return to the hotel before embarking out for the evening so I never had a lot
of cash on me at one time.  ATMs charge different fees depending, In all my
trips, I've only had to use an ATM once in Poland and it worked perfectly fine.
I have used my credit card, but very rarely.  I just seem to like the cash
option as it is more cash society than we are here...

(Knightshade/35468) shrug my parents tried that route and had some trouble with it...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:47:00 -0600

*shrug* my parents tried that route and had some trouble with it... dunno if it
was that 'magnetic strip' thing someone else mentioned between US or EUR cards,
or if they're just old people confused by machines though.

Made me glad we just bulk-converted before our trip nevertheless... then again
I tend to overplan shit so I had a REALLY good estimate how much we'd need.

(Steppenwolf/35467) I've generally found ATMs the best way to go, rather than conver...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:44:00 -0600

I've generally found ATMs the best way to go, rather than converting much cash
beforehand. They're plentiful in the cities.

(Knightshade/35466) When we went to Italy (granted this was a 17 day trip) we conver...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:17:00 -0600

When we went to Italy (granted this was a 17 day trip) we converted a decent
bit of cash at our bank before going over, and then mostly used credit cards
when possible (as noted there's a few that don't charge foreign transaction
fees, be sure to check)... then the last couple days we judged how much cash
was left vs. what we'd be doing and just used cash a bit more to insure we
didn't bring any home... shouldn't be too difficult to do for most folks.

(Organic/35465) Tbear> One quick tip: convert all your coins to paper money be...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 09:19:00 -0600

Tbear>  One quick tip:  convert all your coins to paper money before exchanging
back, if possible (via a merchant, etc.).  They often won't exchange coins,
although there may be exceptions for large ones like a one euro coin, etc.  But
the equivalent of pennies, etc?  No way.

(Tbear/35464) What about tips for converting back the other way. Say I take $...

Tbear@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:29:00 -0600

What about tips for converting back the other way.  Say I take $300 out of the
atm (in Euros) and only spend $225.  Is there an easy way to convert back or do
I just find myself a really nice $75 souvenior of the Eiffle Tower?

(Tbear/35463) I'll be in London for 4 days and probably paris for 3-4 days.

Tbear@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:53:00 -0600

I'll be in London for 4 days and probably paris for 3-4 days.

(Smoke Eater/35462) How long will you be over there? I can't really speak to Paris, ...

Smoke Eater@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:21:00 -0600

How long will you be over there? I can't really speak to Paris, having only
visited, but when I was living in Germany, plenty of places took EuroCards but
didn't take American Mastercards or Visas.  You might want to check in advance.

That problem never happened to me when I visited London, though.

(Snuffy/35461) And check with yourcredit card company on currency conversion fe...

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:07:00 -0600

And check with yourcredit card company on currency conversion fee.
Citibank Visa has (2008 trip) a 3.5pct fee.  Your bank, using ATM, may also
assess a currency convwrsion fee.  Fifth Third was 3.5pct.
By contrast, Capital One does not charge that fee.

For ATMs, check with your bank about daily withdrawal limits, too.
Two 300 euro withdrawals in !une 2008 were in excess of my daily limit, and due
to the weekend, meant it would have been several days to be able to make next
withdrawal.  Fortunately, I was able to call and the branch manager at my local
branch got that fixed up for me by increasing the daily limit.  Better to do
before you're out-of-country, though.

You may also wish to convert some walking-around/cab/tip money before you
leave.  Again, check with your bank. Fifth Third, I was able to order usd$x
worth of currency (euros and chinese yuan) and pick up next day at the branch.
The bank gets it fed-ex'd from Florida to the local branch, apparently.  The
3.5pct conversion fee applied (of course).

You may also want to cjeck with your bank / cc company about getting a card
with the embedded chip used in Europe (vs. magnetic stripe here in USA).  Some
ATMs and unattended gas pumps and the like won't accept the older-style
mag-strip cards
..

(MIKEY/35460) Us ATMs to get the best exchange rate for your walking around ca...

MIKEY@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 03:41:00 -0600

Us ATMs to get the best exchange rate for your walking around cash.  Don't
carry a wad of dollars over there to exchange.

(MoonToad/35459) Let your credit card company know you're traveling, or they can ...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:44:00 -0600

Let your credit card company know you're traveling, or they can cut you off for
suspected theft.  You will need some cash, I've eaten at small cafes that
didn't have credit card machines and gone to some small stores that were the
same.  And cash is easier to use in cabs, I don't know if they have CC machines
in them now.

(Tbear/35458) Currency/Cash for London and Paris....have credit card will trav...

Tbear@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:16:00 -0600

Currency/Cash for London and Paris....have credit card will travel?  Or do I
need real cash and if so best place to exchange for currency.  Things like pub,
dinner, cabs etc.

(Peccavimus/35457) Some of them. I saw more of it in Ireland. I suspect it was mo...

Peccavimus@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:56:00 -0600

Some of them.  I saw more of it in Ireland.  I suspect it was mostly for the
benefit of tourists, though I just joined in and had fun and didn't ask.

(Tbear/35456) London Pubs -- do they really sit around the bar and sing songs ...

Tbear@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:46:00 -0600

London Pubs -- do they really sit around the bar and sing songs like the
movies?

(The Outlaw/35455) How late are the bars/pubs whatever in Paris open until? I know...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:40:00 -0600

  How late are the bars/pubs whatever in Paris open until?  I know in London
most are closed by 10 or 11 with very few open past midnight.  That is always
my big issue with London compared to many other European cities I've been to
where the sun is coming up and I'm still partying in a pub...

(Snuffy/35454) Paris is nice. More museums than you can shake a stick at, shop...

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:08:00 -0600

Paris is nice.  More museums than you can shake a stick at, shopping, food,
shopping, architecture, food, shopping.

(Atheria/35453) The Metro is surprisingly easy to use in Paris, as are the buses...

Atheria@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:25:00 -0600

The Metro is surprisingly easy to use in Paris, as are the buses.  Go to Paris!

(The Outlaw/35452) Yeah apartments over there are often cheaper and better then hot...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:52:00 -0600

  Yeah apartments over there are often cheaper and better then hotel stays.  I
did that last year in Vienna and shared the apt with a few others, but had my
own room and shower, but had our own kitchen and laundry and everything so made
it so much nicer than in a hotel...

(The After Party/35451) Tbear

The After Party@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:00:00 -0600

Tbear

  Having been to those places, Paris is probably the better choic for the
  time you have (i'm HIGHLY biased as I'm Italian and i Love Italy).

  Flights are CRAZY cheap (in comparison to say flying in the US, while
  on the subway in London, you'll see advertisements for flights all
  around Europe for <100, probably less than 50 pounds, round trip!
  though they do charge you $1 to use the bathroom on the plane, hah).

  We rented an aparentment in Paris because we stayed thre 7 days.
  Might be ok for your trip or might be better in a hotel.

  http://luciana.misura.org/tag/europa-2011/

  Oh, how much time do you have? That will decide where and what you do.

(The Outlaw/35450) Yes most the major European cities do have a good subway (metro)...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:08:00 -0600

  Yes most the major European cities do have a good subway (metro) system. 
Paris's is I think pretty vast which makes roaming around so much better. 

  In London I always top off my Oyster card and just use the tube as often as I
want, I get it up to zone 7 or 8.  Not sure how Paris's is set up, but I'm sure
you can get a daily, several day or weekly pass if you want to use it anytime
you feel like.  London is just a bit different than other cities in the way
they use the Oyster card since the early 2000's...

(Knightshade/35449) I haven't been to Paris for a number of years, but they had a pr...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:07:00 -0600


I haven't been to Paris for a number of years, but they had a pretty good
subway system from what I recall... good public transit in general in fact

the one thing we had to arrange seperate travel for was Versailes becuase it's
like 30 minutes outside Paris (and I HIGHLY recommend making the time to get
there)



This is where I stayed the 2 times I've been (though again it was years ago)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d197567-Reviews-Mercure_Paris_M
ontmartre-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

(The Outlaw/35448) If you do Rome, it'll be easier and cheaper just to fly. Paris ...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:01:00 -0600

  If you do Rome, it'll be easier and cheaper just to fly.  Paris you can just
jump on the train from I think Victoria Station and head there, or hop over to
Amsterdam instead.

  Paris should be fine mid-April.  I survived London last year at Thanksgiving
and Eastern Europe in the spring time which is colder without any issues.

  Just check up on Ryanair too, they have killer flights for dirt cheap all
over which in many cases will be cheaper than the train...

(Tbear/35447) Paris was one of the places I was considering. If anyone has be...

Tbear@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:01:00 -0600

Paris was one of the places I was considering.  If anyone has been, I'd love a
recommendation for a nice but not terribly expensive hotel, plus ideas on how
to get around, tours, etc.

(Steppenwolf/35446) And Paris won't be incredibly expensive to hit via Chunnel.

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:44:00 -0600

And Paris won't be incredibly expensive to hit via Chunnel.

I've never been, but that's the first thing that leapt to my mind as well.

Related: anyone been there in mid-April? Is it too cold? The weather looks
pretty cool, but of course we  live in northern Minnesota, so it might feel
balmy unless there's wind or some such.

(Knightshade/35445) If it was a case of 2-4 days I'd probably vote for Pairs... it's...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:28:00 -0600

If it was a case of 2-4 days I'd probably vote for Pairs... it's pretty close
travel-time wise to London, and you can hit all the major highlights in a few
days...

Rome is nice, but to me Italy has enough amazing things to see you ought give
it its own 2 week trip... Not that you COULDN'T find more than a few days of
stuff to do all over France, but for the typical tourist Paris is gonna hit
most of the things they ever heard of... not so with Rome/Italy.

(Tbear/35444) So, I'll be in London for 4 days in July. Those 4 days are prob...

Tbear@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:28:00 -0600

So, I'll be in London for 4 days in July.  Those 4 days are probably going to
be preplanned (long story but I'll get to see some of the Olympics!).

NOW, the question is, do I use some extra vacation time and stay in Europe for
a few more days...and if so what do I do and where do I go.

Because of the Olympics, staying in London seems out of the question as I won't
be able to afford the hotel I'd be staying in the first 3 nights and it would
most likely be booked solid due to the olympics (as would most other hotels in
the area).

So I could hop easyjet or I could grab a train.  But then what?  There are
dozens of options and its all feeling quite overwhelming.  Do we hop a train
and go to Rome?  The train to Paris?  What do we do when we get there?

Holy cow I'm overwhelmed.  The VAST majority of the time when we go on vacation
, its a cruise and we generally pick out some shore excursions so I don't have
to think.  They take me, they show me, and they bring me back.

While a reasonably intelligent person, the idea of trying to plan an itinerary
on my own feels like a huge task when I can't even decide what I want to
see/do.  My husband and I aren't the most athletic people so tons of walking
probably won't work.  Some kind of tour or hop on/off bus type thing might be
good.  Can't go blowing a small fortune either.  Nice but not expensive is what
I'm looking for.

Any suggestions?

(The Outlaw/35443) Well he wouldn't have driven someone else in that 25 mins, but h...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:29:00 -0600

  Well he wouldn't have driven someone else in that 25 mins, but he would have
has a time schedual to drop them off at the airport then turn around and pick
up another party and take them to the airport.  So that 25 mins, means the
other party would be put behind 25 mins.  And if they needed to be at the
airport 2 hours early, they now might be having to cut it close.  So yes
knowing how busy those guys are, 25 mins late means a pretty big difference and
can cause some real backlogging issues...

(Tempestas/35442) He's gonna spin it to his boss that you were ridiculously late ....

Tempestas@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:05:00 -0600

He's gonna spin it to his boss that you were ridiculously late ... But really
you were 25min late. I don't think he'd have driven another person to the
airport in 25min (!!)
But he is just a shuttle driver and not a private car. I dunno, when I go for
shuttles, to me its the equivalent of taking a city bus. It'll arrive at x-
time, and I've gotta be ready, or they leave.

I think you got lucky that he didn't leave.
I only know from 2 airports, but shuttle drivers do get paid per passenger they
bring to the airport, and the pp payout is really LOW. You might have caused
this driver to miss a pickup, if he was picking up someone 5 miles from your
house, but they stopped waiting and used another service or another driver,
he's not getting paid. The last guy I had drive shuttle got paid 3$ per person
for the 20min trip. I paid 18$ to his company for the shuttle. The 2 shuttle
experiences I had, the second guy was wicked late ... And I went with another
driver. He called the other driver and I could hear him screaming through the
phone from the passenger seat. Its really competitive and a awful way to make
money I guess.

If you want love n' patience... or have special needs, splurge on private car
services and make your life easier. I usually use a driver to get me in and out
of the airports, not because I can't take a train to a shuttle, but because the
anxiety isn't worth it. I don't think they're as expensive as you think... I
used my driver when he worked for a driving company, he works in a different
industry, but still drives on the side, and of course his prices dropped
because its just him and his only overhead is his insurance. He's 100$ to
JFK/LGA, and on average, its probably 7 hours of work for 1-way transfers. he's
awesome, patient, diligent, and professional. He doesn't look for a tip, he's a
simple guy, his price is his price. I have tipped JK a couple times over the
years, but its not like a shuttle driver situation where you know he's getting
3$ to ferry you to the airport.

All that said... I'd be pissed at his attitude. Your instinct is right, you
were treated with disrespect. In reality, you likely didn't take any money
outta his pocket for being late ... All you did was annoy him. A professional
doesn't respond like a jerk to annoyances. He figures out a way to handle it
and move forward.

(Rick Jenkins/35441) Yeah, I pretty much agree. The guy sounds kind of rude but if yo...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:17:00 -0600


Yeah, I pretty much agree. The guy sounds kind of rude but if you were told be
ready between 2:05-2:20 and you aren't ready until 2:40-something the blame's
on you.

(The Outlaw/35440) Well they do have time slots arranged so they can keep doing mul...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:12:00 -0600

  Well they do have time slots arranged so they can keep doing multiple trips.
Him waiting past the time specified means he could delay another persons pickup
later on and so on.  2:00 to 2:20 for a 5pm flight is pretty resonable. 
Considering they say always get to the airport 2 hours ahead of time or 3 hours
for international, with driving to the airport and such, he should have got you
there close to that 2 hours before departure take off.

  So I think he was pretty reasonable and just in him being a little taken back
that you were not ready.  I have used shuttle services now and then all my life
, so I am familar with their structure.  I don't use them locally, but when
visiting my parents, they always book it for me, and regardless if I'm the only
going going to the airport, they have so many other calls and people so it's
always a back and forth for them.  If they miss a pickup because another party
is late, some other driver has to take over which then could back them up and
so on.  If drove everyone to the airport a lot closer to their departure, there
would be a number of people that would miss flights.  So yeah, unless you hired
a driver for an entire day (which you don't with shuttle services) then I could
see the point in it not mattering about time.  This situation however, I can
really see why the driver was pissed, because now that's going to start
affecting other pickups and having to explain to the next gropu why he's late
and why they have to wait past their pick up time etc...

(Ozzy/35439) Eh. He may have been a little on the rude side, but as someone w...

Ozzy@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:08:00 -0600

Eh. He may have been a little on the rude side, but as someone whose salary is
partially dependant on being able to make more trips, keeping him waiting for
40 minutes because you weren't ready is cutting into the number of trips he can
make. I think he had a right to be annoyed. I can't imagine any cab-type-
service guy being pleased at having to sit out in the driveway waiting on
someone instead of being out driving and making money.

(The After Party/35438) Super Shuttle

The After Party@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:19:00 -0600

Super Shuttle

  So, am I crazy or is this guy a jerk?
  I scheduled a super shuttle for our 5pm flight. They tell me they will be
  there between 2:05 amd 2;20pm. I think that's kinda early, but whatever.
  He gets there at 2:06pm, we aren't ready (I broke a toe so I can't help,
  we have a 1 month old baby who decides when he wants to eat, a 4 yr old
  who is semi-helpful, if she wants to be). At 2:20 he says "I can't be
  here all day, its been like 30 min." Then at 2:40 he says "its been like
  an hour." He continues to make comments like this the entire time.
  I'm pretty laid back (I let my wife yell at people cuz I normally don't
  get upset) but he was pissing me off. It wasn't like he was nice and
  then got rude, he was rude from the very first whif that we might be
  late. He litterally says when he arrives and we tell him not to take
  our bags to teh van because we still have to move stuff from carry-on
  to checked bags: "i didn't sign up for this." (maybe he can make "more"
  money driving more people? in a day...)

  He gets on the phone with his company and asks for advice, they tell
  him to charge us $15 for every 10 min past the pick up time.

  My family comes out at 2:45 (i was waiting in the van with my
  daughter cuz we were ready and I can't carry jake with crutches).

  If we hadn't have the entire van rented to ourselves and wew ere holding
  up other people, then I could see a problem. but we paid for teh whole
  van (because of the number of people, car seats, luggage, etc).

  While driving our daughter has a toddler episode because she is
  sleepy and realizes she left her red shoes at home...the guy says:
  "I have kids, but I'm trying to drive." Maybe I was already biased
  by now, but i don't think he said this very nicely (I don't think
  a single word that came out of his mouth was 'nice', maybe it is
  just the way he talks, who knows).

  He drops us off and tries to get the extra money after my FIL gives
  him a $5 tip (there was a $5 tip already added to the bill). We
  tell him that was not disclosed at the time of the reservation and
  we won't pay it. He leaves.

  I will be contacting Super shuttle about this BS, and make sure we
  don't have this guy on our return trip.

(Yorick/35437) If you're a dirty hippie and don't like some of the pro-road, pr...

Yorick@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:45:00 -0600

If you're a dirty hippie and don't like some of the pro-road, pro-gas-guzzler
lobbying that AAA does, you can join "Better World Club" with basically the
same price and benefits, and get your bicycle covered too.

http://www.betterworldclub.com/competition/aaa_chart.cfm

(Rick Jenkins/35436) AAA benefits/contracted tow operators are going to vary from sta...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:43:00 -0500


AAA benefits/contracted tow operators are going to vary from state to state.
There are like 40-some different "AAA" auto clubs in the US. They all have to
follow certain guidelines put forth by the national AAA governing body and
provide certain services, but there's leeway as to how much they charge, what
some of the benefits are, what mechanics/tow operators they use.

(Arkansas Don/35435) All State I was not in good hands with. Have a bad taste in my ...

Arkansas Don@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:10:00 -0500

All State I was not in good hands with.  Have a bad taste in my mouth toward
how they handled me on an accident I was involved with back in 2005.  I would
be very relunctant to have any confidence in a roadside assistance program
under their name.

AAA I've had nothing but good experiences with.  $99 for their deluxe package
which is all I'm familiar with.  Max of 100 miles of towing.  The basic
package, with just 5 miles of towing, for $68, doesn't make sense, unless you
only plan to be 5 miles away from anyplace you'd want your car towed to.

Even once you use up the allotted 4 occurences AAA gives you, you still get the
$25 per extra usage, although I think that's cash - only.  My only negative
feeling toward AAA is they seem to use redneck trashy looking tow truck
operators with the accupanying rough attitudes & language.  Although once I did
get one very pleasant young woman who was happily conversant & just enjoyed
driving tow trucks.

(Knightshade/35434) AAA has a smartphone app that tells the dispatch _exactly_ where...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:35:00 -0500

AAA has a smartphone app that tells the dispatch _exactly_ where you are.

(Thobby/35433) If AAA has any idea where you live, and doesn't try to call tow ...

Thobby@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:22:00 -0500

If AAA has any idea where you live, and doesn't try to call tow trucks from the
nearest large city, four hours' drive away, that is.  That's why we dropped our
AAA membership.

(Smoke Eater/35432) s/AAA/USAA

Smoke Eater@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:21:00 -0500

s/AAA/USAA
  Indeed.

(Rick Jenkins/35431) Or you could just be a member of AAA and pay less per year than ...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:34:00 -0500


Or you could just be a member of AAA and pay less per year than the cost of an
average tow and get other benefits besides the road service.

(Secretary/35430) That is what I was thinking, but it might be worth it if your ti...

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:51:00 -0500


That is what I was thinking, but it might be worth it if your time is short and
you want to find a tow company that will get the job done.  If you were in an
unfamilar area, trying to find tow companies, you could easily waste a half
hour trying to find one, then the one you connect with might do a poor job or
take forever to show up.  For people who put a high value on their time, paying
the extra for fast and compitent service might be worth it.

(Knightshade/35429) heh... "never pay a dime unless you use it"

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:40:00 -0500


heh... "never pay a dime unless you use it"

So for free they will call a tow truck if you call them and ask for it.


A tow truck that will then charge you full price, plus the kickback they give
to Allstate for the dispatch call.

Not sure I'd call that a deal.

(Secretary/35428) Allstate Insurance Roadside Assistance>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:34:00 -0500


Allstate Insurance Roadside Assistance>

They are now offering non-customers free lifetime membership in their Good
Hands^SM Roadside Assistance program.  I don't know if this is really anything
or not, but you might want to check it out:

https://www.allstate.com/landingpages/ghr-halloween.aspx?cid=BAC-2011-Shop-Less
-Get-More-Display-110909

(Steppenwolf/35427) My David Foster Wallace kick continues, this time with a wonderf...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:10:00 -0500

My David Foster Wallace kick continues, this time with a wonderful article on a
luxury cruise he takes that frequently has me laughing out loud and at other
times amazes me with his facility with language generally:

http://harpers.org/media/pdf/dfw/HarpersMagazine-1996-01-0007859.pdf

Curious how people who have actually been on upscale cruises feel about it.

(Kyoti/35426) Just got back from there, and I'll tell ya, I'm willing to tell ...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:53:00 -0500

Just got back from there, and I'll tell ya, I'm willing to tell everyone what a
wonderful time we had! The tickets were the cheapest part of the trip. It's the
hotel that's the killer!

(Secretary/35425) Free Airfare to Japan>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:19:00 -0500


Free Airfare to Japan>

If you're willing to tell the world on blogs and social media sites that Japan
is a nice and safe place to visit, their tourism agency wants to give you one
of 10,000 free round-trip airline tickets.  You have to pay for everything else
yourself.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/10-000-free-round-trip-tickets-japan-1341
42507.html

(Kyoti/35424) So we're about to take off for Tokyo for week - I'm on a busine...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:02:00 -0500

So we're about to take off for Tokyo for  week - I'm on a business trip and Mr
Kyoti is along for the adventure. :) So he wants to see a nice, middle class
suburb of average (nice) Japanese life. He was thinking of taking the train out
to Studio Ghibli and walking around while he's out there to also have another
destintion. Another option is to take the trian to Mitaka... In other words, he
just guessing. He asked me to ask you experts in here for advice on what sort
of an area would be a nice one to walk around. Ideally something easy to get to
from Roppongi. Any thoughts?

(The After Party/35423) Tokyo/Japan

The After Party@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:00:00 -0500

Tokyo/Japan

  http://luciana.misura.org/category/viajando/japao/
  If you have some questions, let me know.

(Organic/35422) I'm not sure how strict Spa World is on tattoos -- and it may be...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:18:00 -0500

I'm not sure how strict Spa World is on tattoos -- and it may be stricter for
men than women.  In Japan, it's a mafia symbol, I guess.  If I recall
correctly, there's not a TON to do in Osaka.  There's Spa World, Osaka Castle,
and eating.  Maybe a couple of other things.  I seem to recall that Kyoto had
more tourist stuff -- particularly temples, shrines, etc.  You might consider
throwing in a day trip to Nara.  Nara Park is really great, and you get to feed
the deer by hand (they remind me of goats at the petting zoo, trying to stuff
their snouts in your pockets, looking for treats...)

(Snuffy/35421) Mama K

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 07:27:00 -0500

Mama K
I used to drive Radford, VA -- Dayton, OH using the I-77 N to I-64 route.
My trip ended at I-64 / WV 134 (I think) because I took WV 134 over to US 35 on
the WV-OH border.
But ... it's an okay trip.  Between Charlston WV and Beckley WV, it's up and
down the mountains.  Some parts toll (I-77), there's probably an electronic
toll system these days but be prepared with cash.
Pretty scenery if driving in daytime.

And, with the mountain country, remember there may not be an exit and filling
station every 10 miles.  Had a rental truck with a flat tire 35 minutes south
of Charlston and just had to SIT there until the repair truck got there.  Ye
Olde Country Store with gravel parking lot and kids running around barefoot.
Down the holler and over the crick.

Should be an okay drive.  Only made the through-Kentucky part of the trip once,
when I went from I-65 (Louisville) to I-77 along I-64.
Don't remember anything horrible.

(Yorick/35420) I'm travelling with my family. We've never been to Asia: we wil...

Yorick@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 03:34:00 -0500

I'm travelling with my family.  We've never been to Asia: we will certianly
visit the standard tourist sites, but information about those are easy to find
(Wikitravel, Tripadvisor, etc).  Choice of accomodations is limited; we've
already booked at hotels in Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo (residential-style
hotels with kitchens and laundry) but I'm going to look into the New Otani
hotel in Osaka.  We're not sure how we're going to split Osaka/Kyoti (probably
3 days Osaka, 1 Kyoto).

Spa world sounds great, except for the tattoo restriction!  My wife has 4
obvious tattoos, so I guess if we do that one she'll have to do her own thing.

Some examples of the recommendations I've gotten that have become must-do's:
Shanghai Propaganda Poster Center
The Lock-Up "Jail" restaurant in Tokyo
Yokohama Ramen Museum
Maid Cafes in Akihabra
Meguru Parasite Museum
Sanrio Puroland (I have a 4 year old daughter)
Bunraku Show in Osaka

(Kyoti/35419) As it happens, I'm planning a business trip to Tokyo for a week,...

Kyoti@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:46:00 -0500

As it happens, I'm planning a business trip to Tokyo for a week, and dragging
Mr Kyoti along. Probably staying at the Grand Hyatt or the Cerulean. ANy advice
is appreciated! Especially for a person to go for a quick lunch or breakfast as
Mr Kyoti will be on his own during the day and wants to venture out then return
back to the confort of the hotel. Oh, and any advice around wifi, etc for
laptops greatly appreciated. Need to keep him connected.

(Organic/35418) Okay, thought of a few more things, re: hotels

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:37:00 -0500

Okay, thought of a few more things, re: hotels

If you have the chance, try staying at a ryokan or onsen.  Note, however, that
the best ones speak NO ENGLISH and prefer it that way, as it keeps out the
tourists.  We were lucky enough to be visiting locals, who paved the way for u
us to be able to stay at an amazing onsen hidden away in a small town I can't
even remember the name of.  However, if you do this, PLEASE read up on Japanese
etiquette first, as there is a LOT of elegant formalities involved, and it
would be easy to be offensive if you don't know the social rules.

As for modern hotels, I've stayed and and can recommend the New Otani hotel in
Oasak (fabulous location), and the Shinagawa Prince hotel in Tokyo.  OMG, the
views from that place are amazing!  We had floor to ceiling windows along an
entire wall of our hotel room, and the view was even better from the bar on the
39th floor.  Again, it was very much like the bar in the opening scenese of
Lost in Translation, and the cocktails were truly an art form.  A completely
stunning experience in itself.

(Er, the New Otani is in Osaka.  typo.)

(Organic/35417) Yorick> Might be good if you could give us some context for how...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:21:00 -0500

Yorick>  Might be good if you could give us some context for how you define
"out-of-the-ordinary".  If you're a seasoned world travel, you'll be looking
for some really unique stuff.  But if you've never been to Asia before, just
about everythign will be new and cool.

I'll start with some really generic advice:  Osaka is a really cool city, and
totally different from Kyoto and Tokyo (both of which are very different from
each other as well).  Osaka has a much friendlier, more blue-collar feel than
the other two, and is famous for it's food. I love okonomiyaki, and highly
recommend getting it with mochi, bacon, and cheese, and a cold beer.  Osaka is
also know for fried octopus balls -- never tried those, though.

A cool thing to do in Osaka is to go to Spa World.  It's sort of a combination
of communal Japanese baths, and theme park.  Totally cool place to spend hald a
day.  There were so many unique rooms there, I can't even recall which was the
best.  However, they really don't speak ANY English there, so read up on how it
works first, or learn some Japanese.  You have to buy entry tickets from a
machine at the entrance, and there are options to pay for an hour, a day, etc.
-- all of it in Japanese.  We ended up doing a lot of pantomiming with a
20-something girl who was behind us in line, and it seems we ended up with
roughly what we were looking for.

Tokyo is just about the most modern, high-tech city I've ever been to.  For us,
the experience was very much echoed in many of the scenes in Lost in
Translation, right down to the see of umbrellas in a busy intersection on a
rainy day.  It's all about the high-speed trains, electronics district, and
12-year-olds with cell phones more high tech than you've ever seen in your
life.

Kyoto and Nara were very serene, spiritual cities, with ancient temples and
Geisha districts.  Kyoto is famous for its pottery -- go to the pottery
district and buy yourself a beautiful handmade sake set (and some sake to go
with it!)

And always, everywhere in Japan, go to the yakitori-yas!  Yakitori became my
favorite food after that trip.  And we've never found anything anywhere near
authentic since (although a basement yakitori-ya in NY's East Village came
awfully close).

(Mama K/35416) I'm driving from DC to KY on Saturday. Decided for a variety of ...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:11:00 -0500

I'm driving from DC to KY on Saturday. Decided for a variety of reasons to go
66 to 81 to 77 to 64. I know 66 and 81.... but I don't know 77 or 64 at all.
Anyone familiar with basically Roanoke VA to Lexington KY who could tell me
what kind of drive to expect there?

(MoonToad/35415) I'd imagine you can get a lot of food you've never experienced b...

MoonToad@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:37:00 -0500

I'd imagine you can get a lot of food you've never experienced before from the
street carts in those towns.

(Yorick/35414) Looking for out-of-the-ordinary suggestions on attractions and f...

Yorick@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:34:00 -0500

Looking for out-of-the-ordinary suggestions on attractions and food in the
following cities:

Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Nanking, Seoul, Osaka/Kyoto, and Tokyo.

(Billie Joe/35413) rehoboth beach - i assume you want family oriented? (blue moon i...

Billie Joe@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 04:50:00 -0500

rehoboth beach - i assume you want family oriented? (blue moon is great, but
not cheap)

apple dumpling is tasty to pick up breakfess nibblets.

at lewe's up the road a bit is jd's filling station.  very diner feel.

sammy's kitchen is supposedly good - always busy but never have eaten there.

(Rainmaker/35412) Anyone here been to Rehoboth Beach?

Rainmaker@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 04:45:00 -0500

Anyone here been to Rehoboth Beach?
Any must-sees or suggestiions for good restaurants?

(Atheria/35411) OMG, the Balloon Fiesta is amazing! I was on a chase team one y...

Atheria@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:09:00 -0500

OMG, the Balloon Fiesta is amazing!  I was on a chase team one year.  I took a
picture of a mass ascension, there were hundreds of balloons.  What a cool
thing.

(KalTorak/35410) I don't think there's anything hidden in Napa.

KalTorak@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:34:00 -0500

I don't think there's anything hidden in Napa.

(Organic/35409) Heh, that sounds like fun. (Hot air ballooning is rather too ex...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 09:48:00 -0500

Heh, that sounds like fun.  (Hot air ballooning is rather too expensive for my
tastes (on top of the tasting and dinners!) -- and besides, I live in
Albuquerque, home of the internation balloon fiesta!).  Are there any other
"tasting" opportunities in the Napa Valley?  I seem to remember there was a
brandy distillery somewhere (although you couldn't taste), and one place that
did olive oil...

On a side note, one of my favorite foodie tasting days is in Berkeley:  between
Sharffenberger Chocolate, Acme Bread, the Cheese Board, and the sake place I
can't remember the name of, you'll be in heaven.... (and Chez Panisse, if you
can swing it!)  Oh, right, Takara Sake.

(Rick Jenkins/35408) It's not as high brow as the wine tasting and the hot-air balloo...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:51:00 -0500


It's not as high brow as the wine tasting and the hot-air ballooning, but
Napa is only about half an hour from Fairfield where the Anheuser-Busch
brewery and the Jelly Belly Jellybean factory each offer free tours.

(Organic/35407) Napa Valley> Need some suggestions for things to do in Napa Val...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:24:00 -0500

Napa Valley>  Need some suggestions for things to do in Napa Valley.  We will
have exactly one day to do wine tasting, etc. We used to live in the Bay Area,
and spent a lot of time wine tasting, so I wouldn't mind mixing in something
different this time.  What other kinds of things are there to do besides
wineries (and restaurants, spas, ballooning, hiking, and biking)?  I was
thinking about something like some other sort of tasting -- olive oil, or
cheese, or something.... I don't really know, just looking for something
different.

Specific suggestions for "hidden gem" wineries or restaurants would also be
appreciated.  Having dinner at Chez Panisse the night before!  Then staying at
a B&B in Napa, so we'll have all of the following day to explore before flying
home the next morning.

(Karma Police/35406) Yup, still around. They moved locations to a bigger spot. Stil...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:09:00 -0500

Yup, still around.  They moved locations to a bigger spot.  Still got the best
roast duck and roast pig around.

(Wang Master/35405) Sun Wah is still around?

Wang Master@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:41:00 -0500

Sun Wah is still around?
hehe. yeah, that's where we used to buy alot of our roast duck, roast pig,
stuff like that to bring home :)

(Karma Police/35404) Wang Master>

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:36:00 -0500

Wang Master>
So Argyle has some really good Chinese places, but is mainly known for
excellent Korean and Vietnamese food.  Chinatown has sort of gentrified a bit
since the 90s, but restauranteur Tony Hu has made a name for himself by
starting a bunch of authentic regional cuisine Chinese restaurants in
Chinatown.  They all start with Lao.  I've been to Lao Bejing and Lao Shanghai
and heard good things about Lao Szechwan.
Having said that, the BEST peking duck in Chicago is at Sun Wah Bar-b-que in
the Argyle Street area.  It's cheap, it's BYOB, it's a ton of food, and
absolutely delicious.

(Bristow/35403) Mama K the Smithonian are the best since they are free. Granted...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:25:00 -0500

Mama K the Smithonian are the best since they are free.  Granted we could
always go down there and check those out but figured we do more of the tourist
trap type stuff.  Not sure yet but I doubt we would be staying more than a few
days and if you really want to do DC you need at least a week or two.

(Mama K/35402) One of these days, I'm going to make time to do the typical tour...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:19:00 -0500

One of these days, I'm going to make time to do the typical tourist stuff.
I've done some with the girls I nanny for....visited a couple area farms, and a
splash park in Arlington.  Almost went to the Air & Space Museum one day, but
other plans took precedence.  We've done the National Zoo a couple times.

(Bristow/35401) Mama K> I haven't gotten any phenylephrine in a while as every t...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:36:00 -0500

Mama K> I haven't gotten any phenylephrine in a while as every time I go to
Target they are out.  But next time I am in the store I'll remember that is a
good deal and much needed at times :)

Thanks for the info on the Travel to VA/DC area.  I am trying to figure out how
many days we will be there.  I have Never been to DC and am looking forward to
going just have to figure out where we really want to go while we are there. 
Basically do some typical tourist stuff.

(Wang Master/35400) speaking of chinatown in chicago,

Wang Master@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:04:00 -0500

speaking of chinatown in chicago,
when i was younger we used to go to chicago every couple of months (closest
city to us that had decent chinese grocery stores and restaurants) and we loved
three happiness (it was located next to the chinatown parking lot right across
from the chinatown gate)  it's now a different restaurant, but still has good
dim sum and good food.

but in the later years (90-92) we started going to the new "chinatown"
on argyle and the restaurants there were much better than the ones in
chinatown.

last time we were in chinatown about 5 years ago, it seems like most of the
storefronts were odd jewish stores or jewelry stores or trinket stores.

anyone know if argyle st has supplanted chinatown as the chinese food
destination amongst locals fully or is it even the same as it was
back in the early to mid-90s?

(Wang Master/35399) Steppenwolf: Wendy really wanted to do a beach vacation before w...

Wang Master@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:59:00 -0500

Steppenwolf: Wendy really wanted to do a beach vacation before we have our kid
so we planned a weekend trip for 3 weeks ago about a month before that.
florida and the gulf shore was likely going to be too hot and uncomfortable
we didn't want to splurge on an out of country beach vacation, so we ended up
in San Diego and really really enjoyed it.  The weather is the usual, the water
was cold, but still fun to walk through, and our hotel was right on mission
beach and we had a great time .

not the most exotic of visits but well worth it :)

(Karma Police/35398) I hear ya about Due. It's still just too touristy and crowded f...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:59:00 -0500

I hear ya about Due.  It's still just too touristy and crowded for me, but
that's just my local-yokel preference.  I try to stay away from that area of
the city as much as possible.

(Wang Master/35397) I've tried a handful of chicago pizza joints recommended by loca...

Wang Master@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:58:00 -0500

I've tried a handful of chicago pizza joints recommended by locals and I always
end up back at Due.

Uno's has gotten very much mainstream-ish, but Due still keeps with the classic
menu that made Uno's what it was back when it was a simple local joint.

(Karma Police/35396) Last Minute Travel>

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:50:00 -0500

Last Minute Travel>
I like get emailed Travelzoo updates, which are usually time-sensitive or last
minute deals.  I think you can just go on their website, but if you sign up for
emails, you get VIP deals too (extra stuff or sneak-peaks at deals).
-
Chicago pizza>
I tend to agree.  If you are only going out to eat once in Chicago, you should
get Chicago-style pizza.  For some reason, it's just not as good anywhere else.
However, a few things about that.  First, a lot of Chicago pizza places have
lunch specials, which can save you money.  So get it for lunch and have a light
dinner.  Second, try to pass over the really touristy spots (like Uno's in
River North), and get some deep dish in one of the neighborhoods (Lou Malnati's
in Lincoln Park).  Third, expand your culinary horizons and don't just eat
pizza and hot dogs.  Use some of the ethnic suggestions in the article. 
Chinatown and Greektown have fantastic, reasonably priced places.  Plus, they
are fun neighborhoods to explore.
-
The City of Chicago Board of Tourism really ought to pay me....

(Secretary/35395) 24 Small Towns May Lose Air Service

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:40:00 -0500


24 Small Towns May Lose Air Service

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/24-Small-Towns-May-Lose-Air-nytimes-3674165086.ht
ml

Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Pierre, capitol of South Dakota

Muscle Shoals, Alabama

Muskegon, Michigan - not exactly a small town, but too close to the much larger
Grand Rapids

Article says most or all of the airports Delta may pull out of are receiving
federal subsidies to provide service to those airports.  If federal funding
does not increase, Delta will pull out.

REQUIRED OPINION:  I'm in favor of eliminating all federal subsidies.  If there
isn't enough business to support operation, the service will either have to be
very expensive or not provided at all.  Subsidies to small towns are a way the
government unintionally encourages urban sprawl by encouraging people to
receive services where they are not self-sustaining.

(Mama K/35394) Target has 72 count blister packs of phenylephrine for like $5. ...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:52:00 -0500

Target has 72 count blister packs of phenylephrine for like $5.  Stock away  =)
 And thanks for the heads up on the few years thing.

(Bristow/35393) Mama K> FYI I been told that sometimes when you live in that are...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:31:00 -0500

Mama K> FYI I been told that sometimes when you live in that area that after a
few years the allergies actually get worse.  So be on the look out.  Maybe you
should get checked out after a few years.
I was thinking end of Oct, or beginning of Nov but I wasn't sure if end of Oct
was too early or not. Thanks for the heads up.
I think I should also stock up on phenylephrine before the trip as well.  I am
just hoping that this trip will be fun unlike last time that I wasn't expecting
to have a bad reaction to the pollen down there.

(Mama K/35392) To avoid allergies in the DC area, you want to be here from the ...

Mama K@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:26:00 -0500

To avoid allergies in the DC area, you want to be here from the end of October
through maybe March.  Or right now.  Something wicked was blooming a couple
weeks ago, but right now is fairly ok.  I've lived in the area for a bit over
18 months now.  My allergies are bad enough that I should be on shots.  In the
spring and fall, I take a lot of benadryl and phenylephrine.

(Bristow/35391) I want to go to VA to visit some family and go through DC and su...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:23:00 -0500

I want to go to VA to visit some family and go through DC and such. Problem is
I have really bad allergies and last time I went in the spring that was hell. 
Yet locally I have Fall allergies so I am trying to figure out when the best
time to go visit them would be.  I'd like to go right after the Fall allergies
would occur.  Lets just say that my allergies are bad enough where they really
effect my life but they aren't bad enough to where I qualify for allergy shots
and I am not 100% sure what I am allergic too.  Yes very vague.  So I'm trying
to figure out when we can go this Fall.  I was thinking maybe the end of
October, beginning of Nov would probably be best.  What are your thoughts? 
Anyone that lives in that general area.

(Steppenwolf/35390) Where do people here like to go for last-minute travel plans? We...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:44:00 -0500

Where do people here like to go for last-minute travel plans? We have a week
off coming up here and honestly don't care where we go THAT much as long as we
go somewhere. (If we don't fly someplace, we'll camp somewhere nearby, and
enjoy that greatly.) I mean, if a deal came up for a few days in London with
travel and airfare for cheap, we might do it in a heartbeat. Or Paris, or
Portland, or New England... you get the picture.

(Mean Mr Mustard/35389) Got a few of those right. If I only had one cjance to eat, it'd...

Mean Mr Mustard@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:26:00 -0500

Got a few of those right.  If I only had one cjance to eat, it'd be a
Chicago-style pizza, though.  Also, the rest of you definitely should fly in
and outta O'Hare, so I can keep cruising unmolested through MDW.

(Karma Police/35388) Here's a pretty comprehensive article about the do's and dont's ...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 06:35:00 -0500

Here's a pretty comprehensive article about the do's and dont's of visiting
Chicago:
http://www.concierge.com/ideas/hotspots/tours/502583

(Karma Police/35387) Organic>

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:57:00 -0500

Organic>
I found that with Vegas as well - the suites are huge but with only one bed. 
They're catering to high rollers and VIPs, people that they want to make feel
important.  You could probably get a big suite and get a bunch of rollaway
beds, but that'll cost more money.
I've always wanted to stay at the Rio - supposedly very nice for the price. 
For my bachelorette, we split the group into 3 rooms with 2 queens a piece at
the MGM.  Huge hotel, but the beds were super comfy.

(Knightshade/35386) WSOP=World Series of Poker... a huge group of poker tournaments ...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:23:00 -0500

WSOP=World Series of Poker... a huge group of poker tournaments that many
thousands of people show up for...  all held at the Rio.

(Organic/35385) Thanks for all the tips! Most of the suites I've seen so far ar...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 15:17:00 -0500

Thanks for all the tips!  Most of the suites I've seen so far are, oddly
enough, just one king bed in 2,000 sq ft or something.  Surely someone clued
into the fact that there might be lots of groups like us that all want to stay
together, and they would have something with 3-4 beds!

What's WSOP?  We'll probably be going in mid September.

(Karma Police/35384) If you want to go upscale for a bachelorette in Vegas, I'd proba...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:39:00 -0500

If you want to go upscale for a bachelorette in Vegas, I'd probably recommend
doing the big suite and cramming a bunch of people in there.  Keep in mind that
if you try to fit more than 4 people in a room (no matter how large the suite),
the hotel might try to tack on a $25 per person fee.  You should call and ask,
because that might make a difference.
Also keep in mind that many hotels in Vegas have non-negotiable resort fees
that aren't included in searches.  It kinda sucks, because it makes it hard to
price compare.
I agree with Knightshade about Mandalay Bay.  THEhotel at Mandalay Bay is right
next door, and all suites (I think).  It is pretty swank and the Mix Lounge is
really neat.  At least, I thought so.  I didn't stay there, but I've partied
there for my bachelorette, and had a nice time.

(Knightshade/35383) Ah, yeah, if it's not couples then you're on to sharing beds any...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:27:00 -0500

Ah, yeah, if it's not couples then you're on to sharing beds anyway... (video
it to subsidize the trip :P)

If everyone wanted their own beds you're gonna need more than 2 BR though and
pricing gets into the 4-figures for bigger stuff than that...


If you don't need to be ON the strip you can consider someplace like the Rio,
larger suite pricing seemed significantly cheaper there when I looked a little
while back, just the location is such that you'll be taking a cab/shuttle if
you're going anywhere off-property other than the Palms (which is across the
street) or Gold Coast (which is across the other street but not someplace
you're likely to WANT to go :P)


NOTE: Don't even consider the Rio at all if you're going during the WSOP- but
that only runs June through mid/late July.  Outside of that availablity should
be pretty decent.

(Organic/35382) Cool, thanks for the CityCenter tip. I've heard about it, but h...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:52:00 -0500

Cool, thanks for the CityCenter tip.  I've heard about it, but haven't been in
Vegas since it opened.  And just to be clear, there's no couples here, this is
all just women (friends)...  :-)  And $300/night for 6 people is insanely
cheap, in my book!  That's only $50 each!  Sounds like a deal to me, but as you
say, probably hard to get.

(Knightshade/35381) If one couple doesn't mind a sleeper sofa then a 2-br suite woul...

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:06:00 -0500


If one couple doesn't mind a sleeper sofa then a 2-br suite would work...  but
the cheapest I've ever seen one is $300-400 a night, booked well in advance for
non-peak times...

Unfortunately most of the hotel websites make pricing the larger suites a pain
in the ass as most don't let you put more than 4 in for # of guests when using
their online reservation system... though their websites will show you the
floorplans and such for the suites.

Most likely you'll need to make a few calls.... to where depends on what you're
looking for exactly...

Mandalay Bay has a nicest pool/beach area, and it's probably the nicest of the
4-star level places... but it's at the southermost end of the strip...

Venetian has the nicest rooms I've ever seen, but the pools are pretty meh...
they're not quite the far north end, but pretty close (that would be Wynn,
which is nearly as nice...both of those being 5-star)

Cesars and Mirage will certainly have suites, and are central-located, but IMHO
are 4-star places that price like they're 5-star.

I'd certainly call citycenter, they've got an insane ton of rooms, and they're
(via priceline anyway) letting em go really really cheap to keep occupancy to a
decent level.

(Organic/35380) Thanks for the Priceline reminder, Knightshade! I'll definitely...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:46:00 -0500

Thanks for the Priceline reminder, Knightshade!  I'll definitely consider that
if we go with standard rooms.  For the moment, though, I was more interested in
any advice on particular (nice) hotels that have rooms suitable for lots of
people all in one room.  At this point, looks like we'll have 6 people, so
maybe some sort of 2-bedroom suite would work?

(Knightshade/35379) what's your budget?

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:31:00 -0500


what's your budget?

using correct priceline bidding you can get on-strip 5-star for $75-100/nt most
times...

These days Citycenter is most likely what you'll get with that, but the rooms
are very nice, brand new, and pretty central location.

I'm seeing Vdara around $75/nt fairly often for example... (this is strip-south
in priceline terms).

Strip-north, which is Venetian or Wynn, runs about double that... (and the
rooms certianly aren't twice as nice, though they're a _bit_ nicer)



(and when I say strip-north runs double, I mean using priceline... it's often
4x through direct booking)

(Organic/35378) Without looking at prices, I'm guessing "nice" is pretty nice --...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:58:00 -0500

Without looking at prices, I'm guessing "nice" is pretty nice -- Venetian,
Bellagio, maybe Caesars, stuff like that.  I like a little "wow factor" in the
room, not just a place to crash at night.  Plus, we'll probably want someplace
with a nice spa.  (No way, Jose on the Circus Circus and Excalibur!)  And
unfortunately yes, it will almost certainly be a weekend, given that everyone
attending pretty much has regular (8-5, M-F) jobs...

(Rick Jenkins/35377) Organic> The suite idea might be more economical if you have 6+ ...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:38:00 -0500


Organic> The suite idea might be more economical if you have 6+ people. Fewer
than that and you'll probably just want to stick with a standard room(s). As
far as best deal, try to avoid a weekend and try to avoid a time when there's
a big convention in town (easier said than done). I would assume though it's
going to be a weekend thing as most bachelor/ette-type parties are.

How nice is nice? You could stay at a place like Excalibur or Circus Circus
which are on the low end of casinos but would be on the strip and more
economical than the 4 and 5 star places.

(Organic/35376) Vegas> I'm starting to help plan a bachelorette party in Las Ve...

Organic@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:31:00 -0500

Vegas>  I'm starting to help plan a bachelorette party in Las Vegas.  I have no
idea how many of us there will be, but I'm guessing 4-8 or so.  Does anyone
have experience with the best way to do accomodations?  Is it cheapest to just
get several regular rooms, or to splurge for a huge suite that can sleep lots
of people all in one?  And if the latter, what are the best hotels for this?  A
lot of the fancy suites seem to just have one king bed, and maybe a sleeper
sofa.  Any general advice?  I'm looking to minimize cost while still staying
somewhere pretty nice.

(Snuffy/35375) BNSF -- Metra.

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:17:00 -0500

BNSF -- Metra.
sftd.

(Snuffy/35374) Depending on what you want:

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:08:00 -0500

Depending on what you want:
Naperville, I-88 exit 124, there is a Red Roof Inn (630-369-2500) just south of
the interchange (SE corner, IL-59 and Diehl Road).  Free parking, rooms around
$70-ish (deluxe king with mini-fridge/microwave), I always use my AAA 10%
discount.
The BNSF burlington northern santa fe commuter train has a stop at Rte 59,
about a mile south of the hotel (west side of IL59).  Weekend passes are
all-day for-cheap.

So, that's one way to do it.  I stay at that RRI pretty often (have a friend
who lives in the area) and the train makes a quick ~1 hour ride into downtown
Union Station.  Express preferred, locals also available.

Similar options abound.

(Mean Mr Mustard/35373) I've also stayed near Midway for reasonably cheap. Problem with...

Mean Mr Mustard@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:01:00 -0500

I've also stayed near Midway for reasonably cheap.  Problem with that is
access--coming from Evanston, you're pretty much Red Line all the way, after
the initial Purple leg.  I stayed at the Best Western University Inn last
month--not under a c-note, incidentally--and could walk two blocks in either
direction to the Dempster or Davis stops, which zip you straight to Howard and
points south.  As I say, you might also be able to catch a Purple Line express
during commuting hours (or during Cubs game traffic).  Telling ya, man, it's a
good way to go.

(Karma Police/35372) Oh, and if you are looking for a hotel anywhere near Chicago for...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:59:00 -0500

Oh, and if you are looking for a hotel anywhere near Chicago for $100/nt in the
summer....well, it's probably not going to happen.  You might find something
budget up in Evanston, per MMM's suggestion.  But if you go too far west,
you'll be in the 'burbs.  Then you have to drive and park every day to
sightsee, which negates all the value you'd save on staying out of the city.

(Karma Police/35371) Are you opposed to doing a B&B? Here's one just west of downtow...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 07:50:00 -0500

Are you opposed to doing a B&B?  Here's one just west of downtown in trendy
Wicker Park.  Lots of great restaurants and bars there, plus the historic
Double Door music venue.  Lots of fun places to shop too - and people watch.
http://www.wickerparkinn.com/

(Mean Mr Mustard/35370) Check Evanston. You can get downtown quickly using the Purple/R...

Mean Mr Mustard@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:48:00 -0500

Check Evanston.  You can get downtown quickly using the Purple/Red lines.  In
fact, you can sometimes catch a purple line express, which makes it even
quicker.

(Rick Jenkins/35369) How far away from downtown are you willing to stay? We once stay...

Rick Jenkins@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:12:00 -0500


How far away from downtown are you willing to stay? We once stayed at a Super
8 about 45 minutes west of downtown for about $70 a night with free
parking...

(Cragmor/35368) Still planning on going to Chicago later this month for a long w...

Cragmor@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:49:00 -0500

Still planning on going to Chicago later this month for a long weekend. Looking
for ideas on where to stay. Prefer away from downtown, as I am cheap, and do
not want to pay over $100 for our time there just to park my car. Not looking
for anything fancy, just a place to sleep. We plan to do the navy pier and
other things on the lake front. Also going to the Blue Man group, and basically
just going all over the place.
So, if you know someplace close to dt that has free parking, let me know. Also
looking for decent places outside, prefer west since that is where we are
coming in from.

(Secretary/35367) Tomorrow (Sunday) in New York City>

Secretary@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 06:58:00 -0500


Tomorrow (Sunday) in New York City>

There will be a flying blimp race for the first time in 25 years.

Three blimps will race from the Statue of Liberty to Midtown.

These are the blimps Twitter accounts:

        @dtvblimp - DirecTV Blimp

        @HangarOneVodka

        @HorizonBCBSNJ - Horizon Blue Cross, Blue Shield of New Jersey

(Smoke Eater/35366) Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti).

Smoke Eater@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 02:56:00 -0500

Old Town Square (Staromestske Namesti).

Be careful in Wenceslas Square (Vaclavske Namesti) and on the
Metro..pickpockets abound, and do not exchange money except in a bank.

(Boogie With Stu/35365) Rolled into Prague last night through some serious rain. Anythi...

Boogie With Stu@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:53:00 -0500

Rolled into Prague last night through some serious rain.  Anything we shouldn#t
miss?  We are three adults, staying in a rental apartment practically on the
Charles Bridge.  We depart tomorrow afternoon again.

(Karma Police/35363) Ah, sorry for the double, but I just thought of cute Chicago iti...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:32:00 -0500

Ah, sorry for the double, but I just thought of cute Chicago itinery for a
good-weather Wednesday or Saturday.  Head north on the 151 bus from a downtown
hotel to the Green City Farmers Market in Lincoln Park in the morning.  If you
want, you can stop at The Original Pancake House for breakfast before you cross
the street to the park.  Wander around the Market for a bit, and walk up and
down the lakefront path, enjoying the scenery.  At the market, buy some stuff
for a picnic lunch.  Head to the Lincoln Park Zoo and walk around there.  Enjoy
your lunch at the zoo.  Cross the street and head to Armitage Ave.  Head west
on Armitage and shop at all the cute little stores along the way.  Hop on the
Brown Line and head back down to the loop.  If you have time, you can even go
all the way around the loop and take interesting photos of the scenery.

(Karma Police/35362) I just went to a new restaurant on the Mag Mile that would be a ...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:25:00 -0500

I just went to a new restaurant on the Mag Mile that would be a great place for
a Chicago visitor to get a good "taste of Chicago", without being sucked into a
touristy, overpriced nightmare.  It's called The Purple Pig (probably not good
for vegetarians, ha ha), and it's gotten rave reviews.  It's downtown, so
convenient to all the hotels and sights in the loop/river north area.  But it's
not terribly well-known outside of the Chicago foodie circles yet, so it's a
local place.

(Snuffy/35361) KP: thanks for the update on the sales / hotel taxes. Maybe it...

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:44:00 -0500

KP:  thanks for the update on the sales / hotel taxes.  Maybe it's shock
that made it feel a few percentage points higher.  My last hotel trip
downtown was to the Peninsula in June 2009.  Though, I'm due for another
trip soon.

Cragmor:  I'd guess that Conrad >> Palmer House Hilton.  Both are Hilton
brands, but the Conrad brand is a tier higher than Hilton and is also a
new brand (about 5-6 years old), so the properties are newer.  I've stayed
at the Palmer House several times and it's quite fine; some of the rooms are
smaller/"compact" (but the larger rooms on the HHonors floor are spacious).
I have not stayed at the Chicago Conrad, but did stay at the Indianapolis
Conrad about a month after it opened.  Pretty snazzy.

(Karma Police/35360) Sales tax in Chicago is 10% and hotel tax is 15.4%. So, it's hi...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:28:00 -0500

Sales tax in Chicago is 10% and hotel tax is 15.4%.  So, it's high but not as
high as Snuffy's projections.
The W on Lakeshore is pretty swank.  Rooms were a bit on the smaller side, but
the beds were super comfy and the bath products were really nice (last time I
stayed there was a few years ago).
I second the Chicago pizza suggestions and highly recommend Lou's.  Gino's is
good, but very touristy, esp. in the summer.
If you have some time, definitly walk around down by the lakefront path. It's
nice and breezy, and on a sunny summer day, it's beautiful.  And free.

(Cragmor/35359) Not sure where I am staying yet. I work for a company that consu...

Cragmor@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:43:00 -0500

Not sure where I am staying yet. I work for a company that consults to hotels,
and we have a ton of them in Chicago. Most places I know of would have no
problems getting me a room for a couple days for free, I would just spend an
hour with them to chat. A little face to face time. The Fairmont is an awesome
hotel. The W Lakeshore was pretty nice as well. I would like to take my wife to
the Conrad or the Palmer House. I have not spoken with my contact at the Westin
Michigan Ave for awhile, so that may be an option as well.

(Snuffy/35358) Cragmor:

Snuffy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:33:00 -0500

Cragmor:
Blue Man Group, Briar St. Theater, 773-348-4000.

Where are you staying?

All the stuff you mention is interesting/fun.  First/2nd weekend of July is,
IIRC, the Tall Ships exhibition on the Chicago River:  tall-masted sailing
ships.  Architecture boat tour is supposed to be great, but I haven't gotten to
doing that one yet.

Recommend using cabs in-town when it is further than you want to walk (say,
hotel-to-Shedd; walked that one back from Shedd along lakefront to Chicago
River with an 8yo nephew (because he wanted to walk the waterfront, heh) but he
was really really pooped by the end of it, nephew will be 16 in a few weeks).
That way, you can leave your car parked.  Even with in/out privileges at hotel,
tipping the dude retrieving your car and hassle of parking when you get
where-ever isn't worth it.

And don't forget that hotel taxes are approx. 20% in Chicago, and sales tax
some 11-12%.  Ouch.  One reason I haven't stayed in a downtown Chicago hotel in
a few years.

(Boogie With Stu/35357) Hey y'all, we made it to Norman, OK last night just fine. Not s...

Boogie With Stu@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:09:00 -0500

Hey y'all, we made it to Norman, OK last night just fine.  Not sure what my
wife's aunt was smoking when she mentioned all the crazy tollbooths on the way
down from KC to OKC on I-35.  There was just one.

So...killing time tomorrow morning at Will Rogers World Airport -- any ideas on
what to do?

(Mean Mr Mustard/35356) Lou Malnati's is also an excellent recommendation. I understand...

Mean Mr Mustard@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:11:00 -0500

Lou Malnati's is also an excellent recommendation.  I understand you're not
into a ball game, but you may find something interesting at Harry Carey's over
on Kinzie and Dearborn--like steak and beer.

(MIKEY/35355) Pizza in Chicago...Lou Malnati's I'd also recommend the Musuem...

MIKEY@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:07:00 -0500

Pizza in Chicago...Lou Malnati's   I'd also recommend the Musuem of Science and
Industry.

(Bristow/35354) oh and I forgot this too. I would recommend doing the water taxi...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:03:00 -0500

oh and I forgot this too. I would recommend doing the water taxi to or from
Shedd's.  A great way to see the skyline.
http://www.shorelinesightseeing.com/watertaximap.html

I can't remember if we took that both ways or not but that was a nice way to
get to where we were going with some fun.

(Mean Mr Mustard/35353) I would tend to agree with everyone so far, and would add a Chic...

Mean Mr Mustard@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:54:00 -0500

I would tend to agree with everyone so far, and would add a Chicago-style pizza
to the list.  Pizzerias Uno and Due are both good; my personal favorite is
Gino's East, not far from where you're talking about.  The Art Institute is
flatout amazing and likewise close by.  If youfeel like some beach time away
from the madding crowd, you could take the Red Line to Evanston and the Purple
from there to a few blocks from some decent lakeshore up there.

(Bristow/35351) I have to agree with Michigan Ave and shopping. That is why I s...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:50:00 -0500

I have to agree with Michigan Ave and shopping.  That is why I said window
shop.  I was there a few years ago and I didn't find it fun at all shopping. 
It was cool to enter some of the chain stores just cuz we had to walk through
there to get to another place we wanted to go.

The zoo is cool I really enjoyed that when I went last. Oh and I haven't been
there in a really long time but it isn't downtown but is amazing is the
botantical gardens.

I didn't want to nock down Navy Pier but when I was there last I wasn't really
impressed.  Now if I would have known I would have done a dinner cruise though.

(Karma Police/35350) I would probably skip Navy Pier and take in more of the museums ...

Karma Police@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:41:00 -0500

I would probably skip Navy Pier and take in more of the museums instead.  Are
you going with kids?  If so, the Children's Museum is a good choice.  The
Chicago History Museum is also really cool.
If you like shopping, you can get on the el (Brown Line) to Southport and shop
at the cute boutiques along Southport corridor.  Most of the Mag Mile is just
chain stores or high end stores with no sales.
The Lincoln Park Zoo is really easy to get to, and it's super cute.  And free.
In fact, lots of the museums have free days as well - but in the summer, they
tend to get super crowded on those days.  You can buy a City Pass, which will
get you in to almost all the big museums and the Willis Tower skydeck.
If you are big foodies, head to the Green City Farmers Market on Wed. or Sat.
morning.  Lots of fun things to eat and see, plus it's right at the south end
of Lincoln Park near the lake.  Lovely views on a sunny day.
Honestly?  If you are kinda worn out, but still want to sightsee, just get on
the brown or purple el line, both of which go around the loop.  It's cheap and
easy and you get an interesting view of downtown.
There are just a ton of AMAZING restaurants in Chicago - really depends on your
taste and budget.  Feel free to Mail> me if you want suggestions.
In case you couldn't tell, I've been living in Chicago for several years.

(Bristow/35348) Cragmor> sounds like you have it all planned out. If you don't ...

Bristow@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:48:00 -0500

Cragmor> sounds like you have it all planned out.  If you don't mind window
shopping on Michigan Ave that is cool but I didn't find it as much fun as I
thought it would when I went last but then again I wasn't looking into buying
anything.
How many days are you planning on being there?

(Cragmor/35347) Next month, the wife and I are going to Chicago for a few days, ...

Cragmor@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:53:00 -0500

Next month, the wife and I are going to Chicago for a few days, just to get
away. Looking for some cool things to do. We plan to visit the Navy Pier, and
perhaps do a sail cruise for fireworks one night. The Shedd Aquarium, and
everything in the grant park area. Blue Man group is something we want to see
as well. Perhaps a night at Howl at the Moon. It has been awhile since we have
been there.
We are also planning an architecture boat cruise down the river. Some frieds
, friends even, did this and said it was interesting.
We are not looking to take in a baseball game, does not interest us. We may
walk Michigan Ave/Miracle mile etc. Just wondering what other things we could
look at that might be a little off the wall. We have a lot of the normal stuff
covered. We would like to keep it close to the lake, as that is where we will
be staying.

(The Outlaw/35346) There are a few, there's one out there that you can actually cal...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 06:37:00 -0500

  There are a few, there's one out there that you can actually calculate your
toll charge for your trip.  Can't remember the site name now, but should be
easily searchable...

(Arkansas Don/35345) Muskegon Turnpike in eastern OK still a toll road? Speaking of ...

Arkansas Don@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 05:51:00 -0500

Muskegon Turnpike in eastern OK still a toll road?  Speaking of toll roads.
Maybe there's even a website somewhere listing toll roads for each state?

(The Outlaw/35344) Sorry, I-35 in Kansas...

The Outlaw@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 05:01:00 -0500

  Sorry, I-35 in Kansas...

(The Outlaw/35343) I think he was refering to the Tolls on I-35...