Topics Include:
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams is back broadcasting in Studio 35 in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The last Caribbean travel destination she visited was Ponce, Puerto Rico. This hour of“Travelers411” includes interviews recorded in the Puerto Rican city of Ponce.
For more information visit http://www.travelers411.com/puertoRico
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams says that one of the dominant physical features of the downtown area in Ponce, Puerto Rico is the red and black striped firehouse. Elizabeth Colon, Tour Guide for Ponce's Antique Fire House, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. The historic Firehouse Museum, or Parque de Bombas, was constructed in 1882 as the main exhibit for Puerto Rico's Exhibition Trade Fair. Elizabeth Colon states that in 1883 the building was donated to the firefighters of the city as there was no established fire station in the area at the time. She states that it became the first dispatch station for southern Puerto Rico's firefighting operations and was active until 1989. In 1990 it was converted to a museum. Today the central fire station is located four blocks from the museum in the city's downtown. Colon says there are two other active fire stations in the municipality.
In addition to red and black being the official colors of the city Elizabeth Colon they are symbolic of “red for fire and bravery and black for ashes and rosary”. Within the museum there are examples of the equipment used in the late 1800's as well as equipment used in modern day. Colon says this allows visitors to see the contrast. Some artifacts were donated to the museum and the municipality by ex-firefighters.
Stephanie notes the antique Ford fire engine that is displayed at the museum site. Elizabeth Colon states that it was actually not used in Ponce but was operational in the state of Ohio until 1940. It was donated to the museum in 1992 because, Colon states, the automobile that the museum had at the time was very large and took up too much display space. During the carnival Sunday before Ash Wednesday the vehicle is used in a parade through the city with the mayor riding in it.
Elizabeth Colon says that guests of the museum will see water wells showcased from the time Spanish occupation. There are some fire hydrants that were used on trucks and some antique “wheel hydrants”. Colon says that soon the decorations for the carnival celebration will be on display inside the museum.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1201
For more information visit http://www.visitponce.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertoRico
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams says that she has been to Puerto Rico dozens of times and, until last month, had never visited any region outside the greater San Juan area. She says she was inspired to visit Ponce, Puerto Rico after attending the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association's 2010 Marketplace. Stephanie met Jose Reyes who is the Director of Tourism for the Southern Region of Puerto Rico. She discovered that Ponce encompasses more than just the downtown area of the city and extends to an entire municipality incorporating “a gorgeous area of mountains covered in lush greenery and fabulous water views”.
Stephanie says that when you arrive on the outskirts of the city you will see huge letters spelling “Ponce” displayed on the left side of the opposing traffic lanes. Stephanie says that the Ponce downtown is charming and feels more like a town than a city. She states that the streets are kept immaculately clean and that “everything shines”. She was also enamored with the rows of houses painted in pastel shades of colors such as “petal pink, lemon yellow and lime green” with white molding trim.
For more information visit http://www.travelers411.com/puertoRico
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams has recently been in correspondence with Bob Bouknight, Partner of the Sunset Point Oceanfront Villa in Turks and Caicos. Stephanie says she is enchanted with the property from its pictures. She says the area has a quintessential Caribbean look. She recommends visiting their photo gallery on Travelers411.com.
For more information visit http://www.sunsetpointvilla.com
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams' travel in the Caribbean included a trip to St. Lucia in the West Indies. There she visited the St. Lucia Distillers who manufacture several award winning rums. She said it is fascinating to see the distilling process and learn about the history of the industry.
For more information visit http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1124
On her recent trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico Stephanie was encouraged by the owners of the Hotel Melia Ponce to visit the Museo Castillo Serralles. The Serralles Castle Museum is a mansion located on top of Vigia Hill overlooking the city. The mansion was built in the 1930's by Juan Eugenio Serralles who owned sugar cane plantations and founded the local rum producer Destileria Serralles. The distillery's most popular rum brand is Ron Don Q. Today the mansion serves as a museum with information on the rum industry in Puerto Rico and the Serralles family. Stephanie says she is delighted to be in the mountaintop location which she says, offers spectacular views of the city.
Luz Nilsa Valentin, Administrator at the Museo Castillo Serralles, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. Valentin says that when the Serralles family built the mansion they originally wanted to build a more humble structure. She states that the daughter in the family wanted to be an architect though she was not permitted to be as woman. Valentin says it was the daughter that viewed the drafts for the mansion and convinced her father to build it.
Luz Nilsa Valentin says the Serralles Mansion is a beautiful structure but was not entirely manageable as a household. It stands at three stories high and has several staircases throughout it. The family built a smaller house in downtown Ponce and later closed the mountaintop mansion. It was maintained by caretakers and eventually sold to the municipality of Ponce. The municipality designed it as a music museum but this was only open a year. The mansion closed and remained unused for some time. Luz Nilsa Valentin says that Nicolas Albors, the Owner of the Hotel Melia Ponce, is a beloved citizen who alongside other community members sought to reestablish the mansion as a museum. Albors and others joined together and went to the mayor with a proposal. Funding was determined to be obtained by a visitor fee and also donations by the municipality and private companies. Valentin says the museum has now been in operation for twenty years.
Museo Castillo Serralles shows how a wealthy family lived in the nineteen thirties. Luz Nilsa Valentin says the beautiful 1930's furniture and extraordinary architecture of the property is showcased. She states that “no matter where you stand in the building you are going to be in contact with nature” as there are many large windows and a constant stream of fresh air blowing in from the outside. She says this effect is also felt by the presence of the water fountain in the structure's interior courtyard.
Luz Nilsa Valentin says that the museum is visited by many school field trips and is popular with all ages. In addition to being a significant cultural institution Valentin says it has views that “fulfill the spirit”. She says the museum is fortunate to have a volunteer board of directors dedicated to maintaining an important piece of history. Alongside the mansion there are also Japanese garden and the Vigia cross on top of the Vigia mountain summit. Valentin says that a butterfly museum will also be opening in the near future.
The Serralles Mansion is now available for lease for weddings. Stephanie says if she had to choose to have a beautiful hotel room or a hotel room with a beautiful view she will always choose the view. She states that with regards to the mansion site, “Nobody can duplicate this view”.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1202
For more information visit http://www.visitponce.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertoRico and http://www.castilloserralles.org
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams says that the furnishings in the Museo Castillo Serralles are beautiful and the layout of the house is exquisite. She was reminded of the Frick Museum Collection on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. The artwork in the museum is the personal collection of the Frick family and the museum was once the family's mansion home. Stephanie says it was one of many mansions lining 5th Avenue at the turn of the century and that many were owned by families who also owned property in Newport Rhode Island and Berkshire County. She says that when you walk into the Frick the reception is a kind of atrium area and that there is a garden in the middle of the museum similar to the Serralles mansion's courtyard.
Stephanie's visit to the Museo Castillo Serralles also reminded her of the Falaise Mansion on Long Island. The property was owned by Harry Guggenheim, son of 19th-century industrialist, Daniel Guggenheim, and overlooks Long Island sound. Stephanie says the property has limited hours of operation but is worth the visit.
For more information visit http://www.travelers411.com/puertoRico
Fun Facts:
Parque de Bombas is Spanish for Park of Pumps.
Guests Include:
Elizabeth Colon, Tour Guide, Ponce Antique Fire House, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.visitponce.com
Luz Nilsa Valentin, Administrator, Museo Castillo Serralles, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
www.visitponce.com
www.castilloserralles.org
Topics Include:
On her recent trip to Ponce, Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams visited the “fire houses” of the city, a neighborhood of houses awarded to ex-firefighters and their surviving descendants. Stephanie states that these properties cannot be sold, rented or given away but must remain in the hands of the family they were awarded to. They are painted red and black stripes and are highly enameled.
Stephanie's grandfather fought in the Spanish American War and her grandmother received a Spanish American War veteran's pension until she died. During the time of Spanish occupation in Puerto Rico a large fire broke out. Several volunteer firemen put it out and were rewarded by the fire department. The department built a series of houses and it became a custom to award these to deserving firemen. There are now forty four houses in the cluster. The first street in the neighborhood is named the “25th of January Street” to commemorate the exact date of the 1889 fire that started the tradition of the firemen houses.
For more information visit http://www.visitponce.com and http://www.travelers411.com/puertoRico
Next weekend Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams will be broadcasting live from Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The “Travelers411” Radio Show will also be broadcasting live from the 2010 New York Times Travel Show in the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York City on February 27, 2010.
For more information visit http://www.travelers411.com/directory/nytts
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams says that Martin Martin Walsh, Founder of the Connemara Heritage & History Centre and Dan O'Hara House in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland will be visiting the 2010 New York Times Travel Show dressed in costume. Dan O'Hara, a pre-famine farmer, left Ireland in 1845 and immigrated to the United States. He sold matches on the street of New York and Walsh plans to dress in clothing similar to what O'Hara would have worn at the time. Walsh joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show and says his goal is to give an accurate depiction of the “nineteen century Irishman”.
Martin Walsh states that Dan O'Hara was an example of all the Irishmen who traveled to America in the period of Irish history during the evictions and great famine. Walsh hopes to bring O'Hara's story to life on the streets of New York. The reenactment will be recorded on video and displayed at the Connemara Heritage Centre and Dan O'Hara House.
Stephanie plans to visit Ireland in March and says that airfare at this time is relatively inexpensive. She says she has found airfare for $500 USD roundtrip Newark to Shannon. Martin Walsh states that the US Dollar is currently rising against the Euro. Stephanie says the trip is also an easy one as she has flown Boston to Shannon in less than five hours.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1207
For more information visit http://www.connemaraheritage.com and http://www.travelers411.com/minisite/ireland and http://www.travelers411.com/directory/connemaraHeritageCentre
Chris Thompson, CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, joins the “Travelers411” Radio Show. VISIT FLORIDA will be at booth number 857 at the 2010 New York Times Travel Show in the Jacob K Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Travel Expert and Radio Show Host Stephanie Abrams asks Chris Thompson what makes Florida a must-see destination. Thompson says that Florida always has something new to offer the visitor. One attraction the organization is currently excited about is the addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Theme Park, a joint venture by Universal Studios and Warner Bros. opening in Spring 2010.
Chris Thompson states that throughout Florida there remains a continuous investment in the hotel properties and beaches. He notes that eighty five million of Florida's visitors last year traveled from the domestic market with many coming from all along the eastern seaboard. VISIT FLORIDA's brand new campaign is called “Your Florida Side” and there is a “Free Your Florida Side” sweepstakes happening at their New York Times Travel Show booth. Prizes include trips to Florida and a Mazda Miata. Representative Hilda Mitrani will also be present at the booth to answer questions. Mitrani is the organization's “Off the Beaten Path Insider”. Chris Thompson says the VISIT FLORIDA website is “the bible of what there is to see and do in the state of Florida”.
Stephanie says that an alternative to flying to Florida is transporting yourself and car by Amtrak. She says the nicest part of this kind of travel is that in the winter you can put your extra layers in the trunk of your car once you arrive in your destination. Chris Thompson says you also hit the ground running. Stephanie says it is a different way to travel though not necessarily better than flying. She states that much of the publicity on air travel is “over hyped negativity”.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1205
For more information visit http://www.visitflorida.com and http://www.travelers411.com/florida
Bill Miller, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for Travelong, Inc. returns to the “Travelers411” Radio Show to discuss affordable airfare currently available at CheapOAir.com. Miller states that there is a fare sale happening at CheapOAir.com ending February 9, 2010.
Bill Miller gives some example of domestic airfare available at CheapOAir.com: Denver to San Antonio $200 USD. Rochester to Orlando $128 USD, Raleigh to New Orleans $130 USD and Baltimore to Orlando $138 USD. Bill Miller states that these are roundtrip fares but do not include additional taxes.
Bill Miller states that there are also fantastic international fares available. He says that the US Dollar has strengthened against the Euro making it more affordable to fly to and stay in international destinations. He gives an example fare flying out March 30, 2010 and returning April 06, 2010 from New York City to Madrid for $248 USD roundtrip not including taxes.
Other international fares that Bill Miller lists: from the east coast to Athens $501 USD to Bucharest, Romania $388 USD, to Lisben, Portugal $308 USD. On the west coast Miller lists the following: LA to Hong Kong $517 USD, LA to Bangkok $728 USD and LA to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam $723 USD. Bill Miller says he found all the quoted fares on the website February 05, 2010.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread:
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23
For more information visit http://www.cheapoair.com and http://www.travelers411.com/directory/cheapoair
Guests Include:
Martin Martin Walsh, Founder, Connemara Heritage & History Centre and Dan O'Hara House, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland.
www.connemaraheritage.com
Travelers411.com/directory/connemaraHeritageCentre
Chris Thompson, President and CEO, VISIT FLORIDA.
www.VISITFLORIDA.org
Bill Miller, Sr. Vice President/Strategic Partnerships, Travelong, Inc.
www.cheapOAir.com
Travelers411.com/directory/cheapioair
