Topics Include:
Last month the story broke that Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke had fallen victim to an extensive identity-theft operation after his wife's purse was snatched off the back of her chair at a Starbucks. This kind of thievery can be easily avoided. Visit the travel tips section on Sabrams.com and click on the audio file Shoulder Bags and Camera Cases. One trick Stephanie has learned is to string the shoulder strap underneath and around the chair leg often with her foot looped through it.
For more information visit http://www.sabrams.com/traveltips/index.php
Jim Grace, President of InsureMyTrip.com, joins “Travelers411” live from Ireland. Grace and his family are currently staying at the Mount Falcon Country House Hotel in County Mayo. They flew into Belfast and Grace says that one of his daughters has described the scenery as “a quilt of green with little bumps”. He says also, “You've never seen a green like you see here in Ireland”.
While in Belfast the Grace family stayed at Dunadry Hotel and Country Club. CEO of Mooney Hotels and Director of the Dunadry John Mooney performed magic tricks for Jim's daughters. He also showed the family the book he had written. “A Wonderful Story” is an illustrated storybook made in association with Ireland's Lion Club. Proceeds benefit Lion Club programs to assist abused children and other related charities. Stephanie says that though it is written as a story for children there is a lot of adult allegory. Also at the property, Mooney shows Jim the “unity tree”, two trees grown together. The site was one location where Northern and Republic of Ireland representatives met for peace accord talks.
The Grace Family next went to Downpatrick, a town in County Down that is home to the Saint Patrick's Centre. The visitor center hosts an interactive exhibition describing the history of Saint Patrick and how he influenced the culture of Ireland. Jim and his family also volunteered their services for a planting and created the “Grace” garden on site. The family next went to the nearby seal sanctuary which was flooded with seal pups. There were eleven common seals and one gray seal, which was rare for the time of year. The seals were rescued from all over Ireland and nursed back to health at the sanctuary. The family also visited Giant's Causeway. Grace states that the hexagonal stone structures that resulted from volcanic activity are amazing. There is much history and lore associated with the nature phenomena.
Grace and his family stayed at the Lough Eske Castle a luxury five star hotel on December, 2007. Structures have stood on the property grounds since the early 1400's. The first true castle was constructed in 1621 and was owned by the O'Donnell family. It has since been taken over by several families and rebuilt several times. In 1939 it burnt down and stayed in ruins for years. Though the outer shell of the building displayed stunning architecture it was in need of complete repair. The castle was bought by Solis Hotels and Resorts and has been completely revitalized. Lough Eske was listed one of the hot new hotels in the world by Conde Nast in 2008.
The family is next staying at the Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel in Connemara in the Inagh Valley. Many come to the Inagh Valley to fish for Atlantic salmon, sea trout and the indigenous Brown trout of the lakes and rivers. Stephanie says that it is also restful retreat from the insanity and craziness of 21st century living. The combination of lochs and long grassy stretches give an incredible sense of peace.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=609
For more information visit http://www.insuremytrip.com
It is a relatively short ride over the mountain from Berkshire County, Massachusetts to Albany, New York. Stephanie also recommends combining Amtrak with an Enterprise Car Rental. The two offer rail and drive programs. Visitors to the area can also fly in to Albany International Airport.
Albany, and all of New York, has been celebrating the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic journey up the Hudson River during 2009. The ongoing celebration has had several major events. September 26, 2009, Riverside Park will be showcasing the replica “Half Moon” ship, a floating museum made to look exactly as Hudson's Half Moon did. Hudson's trip directly contributed to the founding of the New Netherland colony in New York.
Tours aboard the ship will be available on the 26th. There will also be full Dutch encampments on the land. Albany representatives made contact with descendants of the Mohican tribe who lived in the Albany area in the early sixteen hundreds and many are coming to the event and will give presentations on the Native American culture of the time. The event also includes stage entertainment. Singers have been brought directly from the Netherlands.
Admission is free though there is a small charge for the half moon tours. Sue Cleary, Director of the City of Albany Office of Special Events, says that it is amazing to look at the moderate size of the ship's interior and realize the nature of trans-Atlantic voyages during the 17th century.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=610
For more information visit www.albanyevents.org
The Temple Gate Hotel is one of Stephanie's favorite properties in all of Ireland. It is conveniently located in the city of Ennis in County Clare. The hotel, formerly a convent, was home for the Sisters of Mercy for over three hundred years. The proprietors chose to retain the original building's old church as a center piece of the hotel. It was originally developed in 1995. It opened in 1996 and has undergone several developments since.
The city of Ennis recently won the “Tidy Towns' Award” in Ireland. The judging for this event is split into categories based on size of the destination. The criteria are based on the pride the local community takes in maintaining business premises, parks and walkways. It is common for a tidy town to have its streets lined with flowers. The local government is meant to encourage both the businesses and local communities to keep the streets clean and beautiful looking. Stephanie describes Ennis as “storybook like”.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali recently visited Ennis while tracing his Irish roots. The Ennis County Council awarded Ali the “Freedom of Ennis” and gave him a civic reception in the council offices. The award and ceremony are reserved for only a chosen few people (usually elected representatives). Ali also received a reception at Dromoland Castle.
While in Ennis, Ali researched his connection to the O'Grady families of the area, the surname of his great grandfather. Over fifteen thousand people gathered in the Square in Ennis. The streets were lined with onlookers. Ali met with the local people and also visited his great grandfather's birth site.
The Templegate Hotel is a four star property with a total of 70 newly appointed bedrooms. There is also a center and function room, a rosette award winning restaurant and a pub that hosts traditional music and Irish food. Stephanie is writing a guide book about Ireland which stresses the need of adding some luxury hotels to your itinerary. She has found that most other travel books have not mentioned the Temple Gate Hotel which she feels is a property that cannot be overlooked.
The hotel is only a 20 minutes drive from Shannon Airport.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584
For more information visit http://www.templegatehotel.com
Fun Facts:
The name Giant's Causeway originates from a legend about a quarrel between two giants, Finn McCool (traditionally Fionn mac Cumhaill) and Benandonner. The Irish McCool supposedly built the Causeway from Scotland to Ireland so that the Scottish giant, Benandonner, could cross the sea and come fight him.
Guests Include:
Jim Grace, President & CEO, InsureMyTrip.com.
www.insuremytrip.com
Sue Cleary, Director, City of Albany Office of Special Events, Albany, New York.
www.albanyevents.org
John Madden, Proprietor, The Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis County Clare, Ireland.
www.templegatehotel.com
Topics Include:
Peter Lord, Executive Director and Founder of the Island Astronomy Institute in Bernard, Maine, joins “Travelers411” to discuss the diverse programs offered in the region of Downeast, Maine. Maine boasts more open starry skies than any state east of the Mississippi. The state preserves much of its wilderness and has a considerable less light pollution. The area is also home to Acadia National Park which has tremendous mountains, lakes, coastline and starlit skies. Downeast is located in the mid-coastal area, five hours north of the New Hampshire boarder.
The Island Astronomy Institute is partnered with Acadia National Park, the state of Maine, conversation groups and the local community in sponsoring the “Acadia Night Sky Festival”. Together the groups promote simple steps to protect the night sky and enjoyment of it. There are many planned events in the area that support this mission including interpretive star gazing programs in the national park, exhibitions of night time photography, musical concerts, poetry readings, tours of green buildings with sky-friendly lighting, portable planetariums, space exhibits and other educational opportunities such as learning to use a telescope.
Events begin September 17th, 2009 with a conference on eco-tourism. The festival ends with the dawn on September 21st when sunrise takes place atop Cadillac Mountain.
Related Galleries:
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=572
For more information visit http://www.islandastro.org
The Bar Harbor Inn, located in the village of Bar Harbor, Maine, is in the center of the ocean front town. It is located four and a half hours north of the New Hampshire border. The property was built in 1887 as a men's club. The building was converted to a hotel in the 1950's. It has been under the current ownership since the 1980's.
The inn has 150 guest rooms and suites with a wide variety of pricing options. Service at the inn is exceptional and widely discussed. The staff is comprised of seasoned professionals, some who have been there twenty plus years. The property offers fine dining, casual dining with options to sit outside and look out over the ocean. The inn is three and a half hours from Portland, Maine.
Related Galleries:
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=611
For more information visit http://www.barharborinn.com
HolidayCheck is a company based in Lake Constance near Zurich, Switzerland. It started with the personal experience of one of the company's founders, Markus Schott. In 1999 he was planning a trip to the Dominican Republic and found an affordable hotel option that he was interested in. He researched the hotel online and eventually found a Canadian traveler's comments on the destination. He realized there was the opportunity for an internet platform where people would share their personal travel experiences.
Business to Business Manager for HolidayCheck, George Ziegler joins “Travlers411” to discuss a personal experience he had recently. While on business he was put up in an Austrian hotel. He said the bedding was terribly uncomfortable. He spoke with management the next day and received a tour of the property. Not all rooms were the same and Ziegler realized he had received one of the more base level accommodations. There are some customers who just need a room for a night and don't care about the level of comfort. This hotel had two levels of service and accommodated customers who would willingly choose the cheaper, less comfortable room. Ziegler said had he read the reviews of others that stayed at the hotel he would have been aware of this.
In Europe there is governmental doctrine determining rating systems. Four Stars was the highest rate in almost every country in the 1980's. Spain was the only country to give a Five Star rating. This changed as countries moved to the Four Star L (for luxury) and later Five Star. France introduced the fifth star for their hotels in January 2009. German, Swiss and Austrian hotel associations are starting a common system of hotel categorization in 2010. This will use a standard form of criteria and comparability for European hotels.
The strength of HolidayCheck is that is provides feedback from people that have been there. Ziegler will post on his own recent experiences. Travelers are able to advise other travelers.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=501
For more information visit http://www.holidaycheck.com
Stephanie asks Sanjay Hathiramani, Vice President of Supplier Relations for CheapOAir.com, “where can we go and what is it going cost us”? Domestic rates include airfare from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas for $164 USD. Santiago to San Francisco is $143 USD. San Diego to Miami is $244 USD, a fare perfect for football season. New Orleans to Philadelphia is $223 USD including taxes. New York to Dallas is $280 USD.
There are also fabulous international fares available. New York to Aruba is $414. San Francisco to Manila is $754 USD. Los Angeles to Hong Kong is $676 USD. Minneapolis to Madrid is $671 USD. New York to Dublin is $561 USD and Boston to Dublin is $621 USD. Houston to New Delhi is $947 USD. Los Angeles to Auckland $1106 USD.
All above quotes are roundtrip and include all taxes and fees.
Stephanie says to consider add on fares that will connect you to your flights.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=459
For more information visit http://www.cheapoair.com or call 866.592 .9685.
Travel Tip:
Stephanie advises not to concentrate too much on the rating systems of hotel. Rules, regulations and laws affect how many stars a property will get. The star rating is often connected to how much tax the hotel pays. Sometimes a property will purposefully keep its prices down so as to not get the star rating and avoid additional taxes.
Guests Include:
Peter Lord, Founder and Executive Director, Island Astronomy Institute, Bernard, Maine.
www.islandastro.org
www.nightskyfestival.org
Dede Daigle, Group Sales Manager, Bar Harbor Inn, Bar Harbor Maine.
www.barharborinn.com
Georg Ziegler, Manager B2B Marketing & Cooperations, HolidayCheck. www.holidaycheck.com
Sanjay Hathiramani, Vice President, Supplier Relations, CheapOAir.com.
www.cheapoair.com
