My last day in NYC. Sunrise in SoHo and sunset landing in Chicago. I will miss New York.
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Saturday, March 23, 2013
March 14th, 2013 - Last day in New York
My last day in NYC. Sunrise in SoHo and sunset landing in Chicago. I will miss New York.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
The Common Man Inn, Plymouth, NH - February 24th, 2013
My sister was married this weekend at the Common Man Inn and Spa in Plymouth, NH. The Common Man is becoming somewhat of a New Hampshire empire with over 15 locations (that pretty much covers the state). Their marquis property is the Inn in Plymouth, NH just south of the White Mountains.
I didn't have high expectations for the trip, but was ultimately very impressed with the property. We reserved one of the "uncommon" rooms (Squam) and were greeted by a very cool log cabin theme with a fireplace, poster bed and screen door. The standard rooms in the inn were large and also very nice.
The staff could probably stand to be a bit more attentive but the restaurants on the property were decent. I would certainly go back if I had occasion to be in Plymouth again.
I didn't have high expectations for the trip, but was ultimately very impressed with the property. We reserved one of the "uncommon" rooms (Squam) and were greeted by a very cool log cabin theme with a fireplace, poster bed and screen door. The standard rooms in the inn were large and also very nice.
The staff could probably stand to be a bit more attentive but the restaurants on the property were decent. I would certainly go back if I had occasion to be in Plymouth again.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
January 31, 2013 - Manhattan skyline this morning
From the Sheraton on Canal St., my new favorite hotel.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2012 In Review
Not a lot of posts related to travel this year. The majority of the year was spent working in Portsmouth, NH. By far, the best hotel in the area is the Sheraton Harborside. There are "residences" that essentially are older suites or town homes that would be perfect to rent for a family traveling. Portsmouth is a great town and is worth a side trip on any southern Maine or Boston vacation. There is an astonishing diversity of dining options for such a small community. Some of my favorites (in order) were:
Mombo Innovative open dining.
Black Trumpet Go upstairs to the bar - great, locally sourced food.
Surf Best seafood in Portsmouth.
The Library Great steak.
Poco's Bow Street Cantina Punishing margaritas.
The Oar House Low key.
Dolphin Striker Old school - great food.
Martingale Wharf Newest in Portsmouth - great deck.
Fall and winter were spent in lower Manhattan and work was interrupted for several weeks due to hurricane Sandy. There are still generators all over the area spewing noxious fumes into the air and merchants have to improvise to take credit cards. I think the general perception of the state of the area is probably a little off. The newest hotel option downtown is the DoubleTree in the Financial District. This is a disappointing hotel. The rooms are tiny, the corridors are confining and the elevators can't keep up. I wish they had opted for a better layout.
Disappointing Extravagance:
For my birthday this year I went to Park City, Utah and stayed at The Sky Lodge. The hotel was nice enough and the town was quaint. The area, however, lacked the natural beauty of Colorado or Wyoming and Park City seems to try to hard to be a cosmopolitan destination.
Best Hotel:
The St. Regis in Bal Harbour, newly opened where a Sheraton used to stand. Classy rooms, great pool and impeccable service. I don't think there's a more luxurious beach destination in the continental US.
The Liberty Hotel in Boston was crafted from an old Prison. There's a great club and the ambiance is great.
The Conrad Miami is a great hotel on Brickell and very near the elevated rail.
Great Bar:
The Portsmouth Harbor Cruise's evening trip is a quick turnaround of the harbor with a full service bar. Great views.
One of my favorite activities is playing Keno at Jimmy D's (now Parker's Shipwreck Tavern)
Flying:
I barely got the 30 segments on United required to meet their lowest tier of status. A far cry from my 1K status a few years ago. There's no real benefit here... economy plus seats don't open up for me until check in. I was able to upgrade on United paying out of my pocket typically $80-$150 per segment for a last minute buy-up. The revenue makes sense, from United's perspective, but their loyal 1P/1K flyers must resent it to some extent.
I re-qualified for Platinum on AA with 53 segments. Upgrades for me were maybe 40-50%.
Mombo Innovative open dining.
Black Trumpet Go upstairs to the bar - great, locally sourced food.
Surf Best seafood in Portsmouth.
The Library Great steak.
Poco's Bow Street Cantina Punishing margaritas.
The Oar House Low key.
Dolphin Striker Old school - great food.
Martingale Wharf Newest in Portsmouth - great deck.
Fall and winter were spent in lower Manhattan and work was interrupted for several weeks due to hurricane Sandy. There are still generators all over the area spewing noxious fumes into the air and merchants have to improvise to take credit cards. I think the general perception of the state of the area is probably a little off. The newest hotel option downtown is the DoubleTree in the Financial District. This is a disappointing hotel. The rooms are tiny, the corridors are confining and the elevators can't keep up. I wish they had opted for a better layout.
Disappointing Extravagance:
For my birthday this year I went to Park City, Utah and stayed at The Sky Lodge. The hotel was nice enough and the town was quaint. The area, however, lacked the natural beauty of Colorado or Wyoming and Park City seems to try to hard to be a cosmopolitan destination.
Best Hotel:
The St. Regis in Bal Harbour, newly opened where a Sheraton used to stand. Classy rooms, great pool and impeccable service. I don't think there's a more luxurious beach destination in the continental US.
The Liberty Hotel in Boston was crafted from an old Prison. There's a great club and the ambiance is great.
The Conrad Miami is a great hotel on Brickell and very near the elevated rail.
Great Bar:
The Portsmouth Harbor Cruise's evening trip is a quick turnaround of the harbor with a full service bar. Great views.
One of my favorite activities is playing Keno at Jimmy D's (now Parker's Shipwreck Tavern)
Flying:
I barely got the 30 segments on United required to meet their lowest tier of status. A far cry from my 1K status a few years ago. There's no real benefit here... economy plus seats don't open up for me until check in. I was able to upgrade on United paying out of my pocket typically $80-$150 per segment for a last minute buy-up. The revenue makes sense, from United's perspective, but their loyal 1P/1K flyers must resent it to some extent.
I re-qualified for Platinum on AA with 53 segments. Upgrades for me were maybe 40-50%.
Monday, December 3, 2012
December 3rd, 2012: The levels of hell that comprise the Marriott Marquis Times Square
I've complained about this place in the past. It's enormous, unfriendly and full of tourists. But, the room is large and the water pressure is serious. I'm getting used to the elevators too.
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