European Travel writer in Texas

http://www.examiner.com/x-5110-Dallas-World-Travel-Examiner~y2009m3d23-Celebrate-Oregons-150th-birthday-in-the-Willamette-Valley

February 14, 2009 was not just a day for lovers; it was also Oregon’s 150th birthday. To celebrate its sesquicentennial the Pacific Northwest state is hosting cultural festivals to honor its heritage through Labor Day.

When thinking of a summer vacation destination, Oregon most likely does not come to mind. But the state is home to hidden treasures perfect for a summer vacation.

The first part of this trip begins in Portland and ends in the vineyards of the Willamette Valley. Portland is a picturesque city with the Willamette River separating east and west Portland and views of a snow-capped Mt. Hood in the distance.

Portland is home to the renowned International Rose Test Gardens. The rose gardens boast 8,000 roses and give Portland its nickname as the City of Roses. The traditional Chinese and Japanese gardens are considered some of the most authentic outside their countries of origin and make for tranquil sight-seeing.

Portland’s Pearl District, an area in the northwest and along the river, has independently owned stores and restaurants that are unique to Portland. You’ll never see a chain company here. The Pearl is distinctively modern and hip with a feel unlike other big cities.

Waking up at the crack of dawn is never enjoyable unless you’re waking up to take a hot air balloon ride above the Willamette Valley. At Vista, a hot air balloon company in Newburgh, thirty minutes south of Portland, riders arrive at 5:45am to help prepare the balloon and take off before the winds become too strong.

Take off is one of the most exciting parts. The cars get smaller and smaller as the balloon ascends to its cruising altitude. The balloon flies over the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley and over the Willamette River, where the balloon descends and its basket is gently dunked.

At the end of the 45 minute ride, the balloon lands in a field and riders are bused back to the starting point for a homemade brunch. A hot air balloon ride with Vista is a scenic start to the day.

Further down the Willamette Valley in McMinnville is the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. The museum houses the “Spruce Goose,” the plane designed by airline mogul Howard Hughes.

This enormity has a wingspan of 318 feet, reaches a height of 8 stories, and is motored by 8 engines. The “Spruce Goose” is actually constructed mostly of birch, not spruce, and would be a disgrace to the geese world as it only left the ground once.

Wine tasting is on the schedule for the rest of the day. The Willamette Valley covers a span of roughly 100 miles between Portland and Eugene and is home to over 300 wineries. The valley is most well known for its premier Pinot Noir.

To celebrate Oregon’s birthday, various wineries are hosting “150 Days of Wine” which goes through Labor Day and includes live music and wine and gourmet food tastings.

Oregon is a lush green state with plenty of things to put on the travel itinerary. It is not a crowded vacation destination, as its greatness is relatively unknown to those outside of the Pacific Northwest.

Wish Oregon a happy birthday the right way, by visiting. The unforgettable memories you make there is Oregon’s gift to you.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5110-Dallas-World-Travel-Examiner~y2009m3d19-Rick-Steves-guidebooks-A-must-have-for-any-European-trip
Looking through the travel book section at Barnes and Noble can be a daunting task. Don’t be fooled by books with color pictures and glossy pages; because the best travel guides have a less glamorous appearance. Rick Steves’ guidebooks for Europe, although with black and white pages, contain invaluable and unique information not found in other guides.

Rick Steves gives tips for traveling on a budget, because according to his traveling philosophy, “spending more money only builds a bigger wall between you and what you came to see.” Steves describes Europe as a “cultural carnival” in which “you’ll find that the best acts are free and the best seats are the cheap ones.”

Rick Steves hosts a weekly radio show and a travel show on public television. On his website, he sells tours that his team leads throughout Europe and carries his own line of travel supplies. Steves has written over 30 books, including read before you go books, country guidebooks, city-region guidebooks, and phrasebooks.

His books follow three stages of traveling, what Steves terms as “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for the thinking traveler.” His handbook on travel skills, Europe Through the Back Door, teaches the basics for the inexperienced traveler, such as how to budget and plan an itinerary.

Travelers in the second stage are ready to learn about art, history, and culture with Steves’ book Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler.

The third stage of traveling broadens a traveler’s world view. His new book, Traveling as a Political Act, to be published in May, 2009 talks about “people to people diplomacy,” which refers to strengthening America’s image abroad through American travelers interacting with foreigners.

Steves has spent the past 30 summers in Europe averaging around 130 days per year. He scours the ins and outs of the most fascinating cities in Europe. Although he does cover the landmarks, Steves searches for favorite places among the locals and tends to shy away from tourist traps.

Traveling is not just about seeing the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben, but actually learning about another culture and way of life. Steves has interacted with the locals in the cities featured in his books and give tips on how to experience different cultures and traditions.

Steves’ guidebooks are based on his personal experience and are frequently updated. They do not contain information that could just as easily be found on Wikipedia, like most books in the travel section. If traveling to Europe, the best way to do it is through the back door with a Rick Steves guidebook.

http://http://www.examiner.com/x-5110-Dallas-World-Travel-Examiner~y2009m3d17-Relax-in-Budapests-Gellert-Bath

Budapest is known as the “Spa City” because it is home to over forty Turkish baths. Since Roman times, people have soaked in thermal baths for medicinal purposes. The tradition is honored today in Hungary, and you too can experience the healing and relaxing properties of the baths.

Everyday 70 million liters of thermal water ranging from 70 to 170 degrees surface from Budapest’s 118 natural springs. Budapest is home to these springs because of its geographic location on a fault line.

Gellert Bath is the most ornate thermal bath in the Magyar capital. Although Szechényi is the largest thermal bath in Budapest, it is more crowded and not as elaborately designed as Gellert. Gellert opened in 1918, and is located at the base of Gellert Hill in Buda, the hilly side of the Danube. Gellert has a total of thirteen pools, including three outdoor pools and two indoor pools. Swimsuits are optional in the separate men’s and women’s sections, so be prepared to see more than you bargained for.

In the steam room, visibility is about two feet. The steam fills the room through an opening in the floor. When more steam is needed, an employee moves a wooden board and a blanket of steam rises from the earth and engulfs the room. Sweat pours off anyone sitting on the second or third row of the bleacher style seating. Five minutes in the steam room leaves you begging for the pool of 40 degree water.

The hot spring water is rich in minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, sulphate-chloride. The water’s composition is said to help cure ailments, such as arthritis, blood circulation problems, and illnesses of the vertebral spine. Time in the steam room helps relieve problems associated with asthma and chronic bronchitis.

The vast number of Turkish baths in Hungary were built by the Ottoman Turks that ruled the country for 150 years, from 1526-1699. The Turks built at least forty baths throughout Hungary. The baths are characterized by a distinctive Turkish architectural style that includes a central dome. During a time when hygiene was not an integral part of European society, Hungarians valued their adopted Turkish bathing rituals.

Eastern Europe has a dismal atmosphere. Hungary has survived Soviet rule, and the low living standards relative to Western Europe have taken a toll on the people. The baths are a place where Hungarians can escape their problems and relax, play chess, and talk amongst friends.

http://http://www.examiner.com/x-5110-Dallas-World-Travel-Examiner~y2009m3d15-The-meal-of-a-lifetime-at-La-Tour-dArgent

The first savory mouth watering taste of caneton Tour d’Argent ignites sensuous flavors in the palate. Each bite compounds the sensation of its epicurean perfection. Duck this good can only be experienced at Paris’s renowned La Tour d’Argent.

The aura of La Tour d’Argent is that is feels separate from the world. The tables set with perfectly pressed linens and lighted by candelabra transport you to a place where you get lost in the subtle yet powerful flavors of each dish. Claude Terrail, who owned and directed the restaurant for almost six decades, believes that people come to La Tour d’Argent “for happiness, because the world stops when you are here.”

La Tour d’Argent first opened its doors in Paris in 1582 as a restaurant for the aristocracy. The restaurant catered to the exquisite tastes of royalty, including the members of Louis XIV’s court, who were served an ox prepared thirty different ways.

The restaurant is located on the fifth floor near the Île de la Cité. From every table, floor to ceiling windows present views of the graceful Seine, Notre Dame illuminated after sunset, and l’Arc de Triomphe in the distance. At night the restaurant’s enchanting atmosphere is lit by flood lights from the Bateaux Mouches tour boats as they pass down the Seine.

The duck dishes are served for two and are the more reasonably priced items on the menu. The caneton Tour d’Argent, formerly known as Canard au Sang or bloody duck, is the culinary landmark’s signature and most renowned dish and has been served for almost 120 years. The duck is served in a sauce of its own blood, which the current owner André Terrail, describes as “terribly unfashionable, but absolutely delicious.”

In 1890, Frédéric Delair, a former owner, began numbering the ducks and recording the noteworthy people who ate them. Each customer who orders a duck will receive a postcard with the duck’s serial number.

Duck No. 33,642 was savored by President Teddy Roosevelt, and President Mikhail Gorbachev took pleasure in duck No. 938,451. The one-millionth duck was celebrated in 2003.

In addition to culinary excellence, The Tour features one of the largest wine cellars in the world containing over 400,000 bottles; the oldest is from 1858. A waiter brings the wine list, a book the size of the Gutenberg Bible, to every table at the beginning of the meal.

On June 14, 1940, Claude Terrail applied for leave from his air force unit in Lyon and flew to Paris in anticipation of the Nazi’s occupation. Mr. Terrail gathered his most prized bottles of wine and walled them off in the Tour d’Argent’s cellar as protection from Nazi pillages.

The guidelines for elegance and tradition have not faltered after almost 430 years of business. Multiple waiters, each with their own specialty, are available to serve the guests’ every desire. Only one reservation is made for a table each night, so patrons are not rushed through the multiple courses.

Prepare to spend at least three hours admiring the view and enjoying the delicacies. Although one of the more expensive meals in Paris, the Tour d’Argent is more than a meal; it is an experience. In the words of Claude Terrail, it is a place where “nothing is more serious than pleasure.”

http://http://www.examiner.com/x-5110-Dallas-World-Travel-Examiner~y2009m3d12-Safe-travel-tips-in-time-for-spring-break

The world is a dangerous place, especially for Americans abroad. Take time to learn about traveling safely to reduce your chances of becoming a target for crime.

Before living in Russia for six weeks, I participated in an Abduction Prevention and Hostage Survival seminar through the Safe Travel Institute. The seminar was a mix of lectures and simulation exercises, including a mock hostage situation, with the goal of teaching travelers to be aware of their surroundings and become a hard target for criminals.

The Safe Travel Institute was founded by former executives from the Department of Defense, FBI and the US Intelligence Community with experience in the fields of Safe Travel, Crisis Management, and Crisis Support. Their clients include international businesses, such as Boeing and Microsoft, US government agencies, including the State Department and FBI, as well as individual travelers.

Randy Spivey, the founder of the Safe Travel Institute, says that 3-5% of all travelers are victims of crime from pickpockets to abduction. This may seem low, but simple safety tips can prevent you from becoming a part of the statistic.

On February 20, 2009, the US State Department issued a warning to Americans traveling in Mexico, the most popular spring break destination, about increased violence in the country, noting that kidnapping incidents have increased greatly.

Whether you are traveling in an area considered safe like Western Europe or an area with increased risk like Southeast Asia, it is important to always take the highest safety measures for self-protection.

The following tips are useful not only abroad but in everyday life in the United States.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Look for people who could be following you. Periodically glance behind you, especially at night, to check for suspicious people who are not just coincidentally going the same direction. To do this in a subtle manner, use the reflective glass on store fronts as a way to see if anyone is behind you without having to turn your head. Ladies, we all look in the windows to check our hair, so use it as a safety tool at the same time.

Also be aware of people you see more than once. If you see the same person at the coffee shop and on the subway, there is a chance you are being followed.

Carry a “Throw Away” Wallet
When traveling, bring an extra wallet from home with an expired driver’s license, expired credit card, and twenty dollars. If accosted by someone demanding your wallet, it is easy to toss your “throw away” wallet and flee without having to worry that your credit cards will be charged recklessly.

If the aggressor does not specifically ask for your wallet, but threatens you physically, the “throw away” wallet can be used as a distraction creating an opportunity to escape.

Make Yourself a Hard Target
Tourists are targeted, because they usually stand out in the crowd. Most victims of pickpockets look lost and unaware of their surroundings. Have a plan for the day and know where you are going, so there is no risk of getting lost. Taking out a map is a red light signaling that you are a clueless tourist and therefore an easy target.

Blending with the local population will reduce the chances of being seen as a target and is crucial to personal safety abroad. Learn the local customs and follow them as close as possible. Blend in by wearing modest clothing absent of any American brand logos, exhibiting reserved behavior in public places, and not wearing a backpack, another red flag to pickpockets.

This information is not meant to cause paranoia. It is intended to inform tourists of the possible dangers of traveling abroad and how to avoid them.