Hillerys Blog on RealTravel

Davenport journal: Davenport 09/2007

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:44:14 GMT

Who would have thought you could turn Davenport, Iowa into a weekend adventure for two urbanites from Chicago? But Davenport was fun, laid back, and offered a unique weekend getaway. There was a slug named Lester. We saw go-kart races, a nearby town fair (getting lost and unlost along the way), gambled at the casino, and enjoyed Davenport dining.

The World journal: Travel with Joseph

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:33:18 GMT

Special trips with that special someone

Villefranche Sur Mer journal: Villefranche Sur Mer

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:28:21 GMT

Villefranche Sur Mer is a fantasy seaside town. It's an ideal place to take a swim in the sea, eat at a cafe along the beach, explore steep picturesque cobbled streets, and spend a lazy afternoon watching the boats and the waves.

Saint Paul de Vence journal: St. Paul de Vence

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:11:09 GMT

I spent an afternoon touring St. Paul de Vence. It was full of art galleries and craft shops. Being one of the famous "perched villages" it also had lovely views and was an enjoyable afternoon strolling and taking in the sights.

Eze journal: Eze

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:04:22 GMT

Eze was a quant town perched very high up on a hill. The old town was so cute as to not seem like a place where people actually live. The gardens at the top provide a spectacular view of the Mediterranean.

Monte Carlo journal: Grand indeed

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:55:19 GMT

On entering the casino the first thing you notice (after the gorgeous building) are the very expensive cars parked out front. Inside it's like gambling in a castle - the rooms are voluminous spaces with ornate decoration. It's also surprisingly quiet - even the slot machines made a more subdued sound. But there's nothing like saying you've played a hand in such a famous place.

Monte Carlo journal: Monte Carlo

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:55:18 GMT

Monte Carlo was setting up for the Grand Prix while I was visiting. There was a lot of excitement around the event and I wish I had stayed to see some of it (although it is quite pricey). The tourist sites - the castle, the cathedral where Grace Kelly is buried, the gardens at the top of the hill.. all were beautiful and well worth seeing. It's incredibly peacefull strolling in the gardens at the top of the cliff. And of course there's the casino. I lost at blackjack, but won at roulette (and had a fantastic time altogether).

Nice journal: Nice

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:46:39 GMT

I found Nice to be a great place to stay and use as a central base for exploring the region. Nice itself is comfortable and fun with plenty to see and do, but relatively affordable and convenient for travelers.

Cannes journal: Cannes

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:31:01 GMT

The city decks itself out for the famous film festival. There were tents set up all along the beach and the cafes and clubs were dressed up with shiny modern accessories and velvet lounge furniture. Celebrity watching at the red carpet is full of hollywood glamour and excitement and just about everyone can claim a glimpse of someone famous.

Cannes looked like it would still be charming after the festival was gone and the city was back to normal. There was one street in the old town in particular that I would like to go back and visit. It was a steep cobblestoned street that had cafes ...

Nice journal: Baskin Robbins has nothing on the variety here

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:15:23 GMT

Delicious ice cream in usual as well as very unusual flavors. The place to go if you ever wondered what lavender or olive ice cream would taste like.

Nice journal: Famous old hotel with art worth a look

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:12:36 GMT

The Negresco is an old, grand staple of the Nice boardwalk. Visitors can wander through the public areas which are filled with art. The atmosphere can seem a bit zany, with the classical mixed with modern.

Nice journal: A good budget choice

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:06:57 GMT

Beautiful architecture, great location, views over the church are charming. This hotel was a bit dingy and the beds weren't entirely comfortable, but breakfast was included and it was in a great location - both walking distance to the train and to shopping, nightlife, and the beach.

Nice journal: Party central for english speakers

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:06:56 GMT

This is the place to go to find the expats and english speaking tourists. And the vibe is what you'd expect from a vacationing crowd that doesn't have to get up for work the next day. Everyone was friendly and the music was fun!

St. John journal: Fantastic cheeseburgers and friendly staff

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:48:19 GMT

St. John journal: St. John, USVI

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:48:18 GMT

This is my first trip to St. John and I'm here as part of a family vacation. Grandma decided she was going to rent a place to stay and asked who wanted to come. We ended up with a group of 14. The villa we're staying at is gorgeous! We've taken advantage of the full kitchen by taking turns preparing dinner. (It's nice to enjoy the villa in the evening, but it's also nice to not have to navigate the dark and twisty roads at night.) Food here is more expensive than average - both restaurants and groceries. So cooking is also the more economical option.

In touring the island we've ...

St. John journal: Renting a villa is definitely the way to go!

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 09:34:47 GMT

Chateau Margot is one of the places you can rent through Island Getaways (islandgetaways.com). We're a group of 14 and are using all of the 3 buildings that are part of the chateau. It's a beautiful place!! The furnishings and decor are as high end as any fancy hotel I've ever stayed at. Everything is really well equipped - beach chairs, towels, kitchen tools, etc. The master bath has the most amazing shower I've ever seen! The view is also fantastic - overlooking Coral Bay. There's an infinity pool on the back deck taking full advantage of the view. The whole place is situated very ...

Heidelberg journal: 50 minute drive from Heidelberg

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 16:11:13 GMT

Since Strasbourg is only 50 minutes from Heidelberg (ah the joys of the autobahn), I was able to visit for a couple of hours one afternoon when it was raining in Heidelberg. My main impressions of the city were that it's very charming, the cathedral is amazing, and the Rhine is everywhere! I definitely want to go back and spend more time there.

Heidelberg journal: Very cute boutique hotel

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 16:08:02 GMT

This was a great little hotel! The staff were really friendly and helpful which I especially appreciated since I can speak almost no German. Their breakfast (included) was great and seemed very German - sausages and cheeses and fruits. I got a room on the top floor opposite the street - it had a beautiful view of the hills and I had the windows open the whole time to catch the cool breezes. It's definitely best to be there during temperate weather since air conditioning is scarce.

Heidelberg journal: Heidelberg

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 16:08:02 GMT

Heidelberg is a very charming German town. It has a castle up on the hill that looks ancient and has survived even through WWII. The old section of the town is very quaint with cobbled streets and little shops selling things like cukoo clocks. I had some great German food and German beer and thoroughly enjoyed my couple of days to wander here.

The World journal: International weekend adventures

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:33:32 GMT

Usually because of travelling for work I sometimes have the opportunity to randomly spend a few days exploring someplace not very close to home.

Sandakan journal: Sandakan

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:18:56 GMT

We arranged a tour guide for our 2-day stay. We were surprised to find he was our personal guide - he picked us up from the airport, packed us into a 4x4 and off we went. First stop was the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Orangutans only live in the wild in Borneo and Sumatra and this is one of only 3 orangutan sanctuaries in the world. We learned about the "wild men of borneo" and the center and saw one of the feedings.

Next we drove - about an hour on paved road and then another on unpaved road (hence the 4x4) to get to a river where we were picked up by a motorboat for another 10 ...

Kota Kinabalu journal: Kota Kinabalu

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:00:16 GMT

We had a one-day layover in Kota Kinabalu. If I'd have known how great it was, I would have scheduled it for longer. There's a big mountain for climbing, great national parks, and best of all a set of islands right off of the city with gorgeous beaches.

We spent our one day at KK on the beach. It was fabulous. The water is the clearest I've ever seen and there were fish everywhere. (In fact, my black and white print swimsuit seemed to attract a bit too much attention from some aggressive looking zebra striped fish.) In the evening we wandered the markets. It was a great day. ...

Penang journal: Penang

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 14:37:39 GMT

We had the weekend in Penang. There were a lot of things we tried to do but with only moderate success. After we arrived we went to the botanical gardens and then to the funicular which goes to the top of Penang hill. It was such a long ride to the top that we arrived after it had gotten dark, although the night views were still lovely. When we returned to the bottom, we discovered that transportation was not waiting for us. We ended up walking down the street and miraculously running across a cab driver who was just returning home. She was kind enough to take us back to our hotel.

Cameron Highlands journal: Cameron Highlands

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:47:47 GMT

The Cameron Highlands is a beautiful area in the hills of Malaysia north of Kuala Lampur. We drove there from KL and it took about 4 hours. The first half was on interstate which was in great condition with gorgeous views of hills and palm oil plantations. The second half of the drive was up into the mountains on an incredibly skinny road where cars were precariously zipping past each other around hairpin turns. There were waterfalls everywhere. The drive was very scenic when you could relax enough to notice it.

We spent one full day in the Cameron highlands where we did a short ...

Singapore journal: Singapore

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 10:45:18 GMT

Sunday - A day in Singapore

I extended my layover in Singapore to spend the day visiting the city. My flight arrived at 6AM and I left the airport to make my way to the Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful morning to spend outdoors. I spent a couple of hours wandering around and watching all of the tai chi. Afterwards I was thankful I had gone straight there since it started raining torrentially as soon as I left. Because of the rain I just had some lunch at a hawker stand and returned to the airport, catching an earlier flight to KL.

Kuala Lumpur journal: Kuala Lampur

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 10:06:00 GMT

Monday - A trip to the elephant sanctuary

There were no tours available but my hotel concierge managed to arrange a driver to take me. I saw beautiful views of the Malaysian hills on the two hour drive out. On the way we stopped at a place called a "deer park". It was strangely like visiting someone's back yard. A kid no older than 12 showed me around. I got to feed Malay deer, monkeys, emus, and a mouse deer. They also had a sun bear and they put honey in my palm for the bear to eat. It seemed pretty tame, but I was still really nervous.

After the deer park we went to the ...

Kuala Lumpur journal: Fanciest hotel I've stayed at so far

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 08:46:18 GMT

Beautiful hotel! The room was fantastic - especially the uber-nice bathroom with a huge soaking tub and a separate shower. All of the hotel staff were really nice and helpful. And the location next to a monorail stop was really convenient.

Malaysia journal: Malaysia 2006

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 08:18:57 GMT

Beth and I decided to go on a vacation. We were looking for an exotic and affordable location. We decided on Malaysia somewhat randomly and didn't realize until we started researching just how much there is to see and do there.

Buenos Aires journal: Don't cry for me Argentina

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:25:33 GMT

The Casa Rosada is a classic and visiting it is a must. But we missed the tour (it was difficult to get tour times and figure out where to go to pick it up). And evidently the tours regularly sell out early in the day. So it was disappointing, but we consoled ourselves by taking a bunch of pictures and envisioning Madonna singing on the balcony (I heard that the filming of her scene from Evita was actually done at the Casa Rosada).

Buenos Aires journal: Evita and Cats

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:20:04 GMT

Recoleta Cemetary is where Eva Peron is buried. Her tomb is regularly visited and there were plaques and flowers marking it. The cemetary was beautiful - all above ground stone mausoleums. But the reason it was such a fun visit was also because of the surprising omnipresence of cats at the cemetary. They were everywhere! (And disturbingly friendly, healthy and well-fed looking.) There was also a market at the gates of the cemetary... Where else can you get to remember Evita, be adopted by a pet, and go shopping?!

Vienna journal: Wine taverns in the Vienna suburbs

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 15:13:12 GMT

Heurigen (singular: heuriger) serve traditional food, local wine, and entertainment. The one I went to had an accordian player in costume... surely for the tourists. It was a very fun time, though! It was a taste of Vienese culture in a laid-back atmosphere similar to Chicago pubs. I visited a heuriger in Grinzing. The tour books have several recommendations. They're all fairly conveniently located - I seem to remember hearing that Vienna is the only major city with vinyards inside the city limits.

New York journal: 9/11 Remembrance

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:58:43 GMT

I visited a friend (Kellie, who I used to work with on my first project at Accenture) for a weekend in New York. It was in August 2002, almost a year after the 9/11 terrorist attack. The trips to see Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty were both very touching.

Paris journal: C'est Bon

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:58:10 GMT

This was my first trip to Paris. Beth and I took the Eurostar from London and spent a very fun day and a half in Paris. We climbed to the first platform of the Eiffel Tower (since the elevator had really long lines). Beth was a little bit freaked out by the openness of the tower while being so high in the air (and I was a little out of shape for the climbing) so we stopped at the first platform. I had a croque monseiur and sat in the sunshine with the french pigeons and absorbed the atmosphere. It was wonderful!

London journal: The famous Clock Tower

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:57:05 GMT

Big Ben - The famous iconic clock tower of London...

Salisbury journal: Ancient Ye Olde England

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:57:05 GMT

I visited Stonehenge during one of my many weekend trips to England to visit Beth. In addition to it being pretty cool to see such a historic and ancient site, some of my main impressions were:

- traffic. England was full of it.

- Hayhenge! There were hay bales everywhere out in the english countryside and sometimes appeared to be stacked in a very stonehenge-like way.

United Kingdom journal: Wonders of the World

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:57:05 GMT

Six out of seven Ancient Wonders did not survive to this present day. Human imagination urged poets, writers, and historians to seek "replacements" for the fallen monuments. Some proposed a new list for the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Others argued that Ancient civilizations which the Greeks did not know of, erected monuments that should have been included in the original list. Like the ancient list, the new ones include fascinating monuments and structures that changed the existing landscape. However, no single list won unanimous approval among historians, artists, and architects. Here ...

Saint Louis journal: New Bush Stadium

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 10:27:22 GMT

My trip home for Easter included a baseball game at the new Bush Stadium, courtesy of Patrick. We sat in the bleachers, right next to some of the box seats - it was a good view. I like the design of the stadium. The architect did a great job of giving the stadium a retro STL feel with all of the old brick which blends in really well with the surroundings. Despite our collective city loyalty to the old stadium, I think the new Bush is being welcomed and will be just as loved.

Oahu journal: Hawaii Family Vacation 2006

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:22:30 GMT

4/17 - Kailua

The time difference meant that I was awake to enjoy the mornings in Hawaii, which was actually pretty nice. Monday was a relaxing day overall, we went to the Kailua beach nearby in the afternoon. The wind was so strong (east being the windy side of the island) that I laid on my front to avoid sand getting up my nose and ended upwith a splotchy sunburn all over the back of my legs.

4/18 - Kailua to Diamond Head

We drove Hwy 72 down the east coast of the island. We saw several beaches and the Halona Blowhole. We ended up at Diamond Head where we did the climb ...

Oahu journal: It's worth seeing the pineapples

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:43:13 GMT

The garden and train ride were small scale and only moderately interesting, but this was my first time seeing how a pineapple grows and it was fascinating! They grow on stalks in little bushes. I didn't realize there were so many varieties and some were bright fushia! We did learn some interesting facts about Dole and the history of pineapple production from the brief tour as well.

Honolulu journal: Up to the top of the famous Honolulu landmark

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:28:52 GMT

There were something like 99 stairs to the top of the crater. But there were good rest points along the way and the view from the top is great with all of Honolulu spread out below. There was also a shaved ice vendor at the bottom - it was good to have something cold at the end of the hike.

Oahu journal: Full-fledged luau

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 20:02:21 GMT

Most of the people came in on tour buses and looked like they were having a great time. It's definitely an experience that's better with a crowd and if you're willing to get into it and have fun.

The food was good. The main dish was a pig that was roasted in a traditional method buried in a chamber underground. There was cole slaw with pineapple and macaroni salad and green salad and beans. It seemed like a pretty traditional hawaiian barbeque.

The entertainment was fun. I thought the MC reminded me of William Shatner, big voiced but kind of silly. The dancers were skilled ...

Oahu journal: A cross of Hawaiian and diner

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:53:17 GMT

Oahu journal: Cook your own - great if you like to cook

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:50:17 GMT

North America journal: Family Vacations

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:36:36 GMT

Time with family - near or extended

The World journal: The British Empire

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 12:47:21 GMT

It seems like lately during my travels I've been regularly surprised by the impact of the British Empire throughout the world. I showed up in Fiji and the queen was on their money. In Hong Kong, Thailand, and Egypt there were also either history or tourism impacting the perception of travelers, the economy, and tea. So I'd like to collect and compare trips across the vast past British Empire and experience the meaning of "the empire on which the sun never sets".

Links:

The Wikipedia page - http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/British_Empire

The Empire and Commonwealth Museum - ...

Fiji journal: Fiji .

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:55:06 GMT

May 9, 2005

Bula! Today is day 3 in Fiji and the first time I've found an internet connection. So far, activities have primarily been lack of activity - lots of sleeping on the beach and hanging out by the swim-up pool tiki bars. Today we went scuba diving - the water here is fantastically clear and there are lots of colorful fish and coral. The dive guide kept picking up things from the ocean floor and handing them over: bright blue starfish, squishy sea cucumbers, sea shells. We also saw a shark, but only for a second... which is probably better than the alternative of getting ...

The World journal: 2005 World Tour

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:49:41 GMT

My trip around the world was a fabulous opportunity I got courtesy of the United Airlines "Around the World" promotion. In 2004, this promotion awarded one "Around the World" point for each trip to or from a Washington DC airport with 24 points being redeemable for an economy class trip around the world. I was lucky enough to be working on a project in DC for 6 months during that promotion - flying in weekly from Chicago. So I earned 49 points total, giving me enough to go on a trip and take a friend. I chose to take my friend Elizabeth who was one of my college roommates and my oldest ...

Napa journal: Napa Valley

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 15:00:04 GMT

Wineries visited:

Domain Chandon

Robert Mondavi (good tour)

Peju (stayed open until 6:30PM)

Napa journal: Fancy, delicious, french

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 14:57:49 GMT

Cairo journal: Cairo

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:18:57 GMT

May 21

Egypt so far is an expensive comedy of errors. I left my camera battery charger at the hotel in Bangkok and it's hard to describe the frustration of trying to explain the predicament to either of the Bangkok or Cairo hotels where inevitably I end up with someone whose english doesn't effectively extend to the distances needed to help me and each 4 minute call costs 60 EGP (10 USD) regardless of productivity. Oy! On a brighter note... Today was filled with the architectural interest of Cairo - pyramids, sphynx, coptic churches, the Citadel, historic mosques. Egypt has a permanent, ...

Vienna journal: Vienna

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:18:26 GMT

May 25

Success! My camera battery charger arrived in Vienna this morning. The staff at the Bangkok Marriott is wonderful and were so helpful. But that was still one of the most expensive stupid mistakes I've ever made.

An American tourist in Vienna I climbed 383 stairs yesterday to the top of Vienna's landmark cathedral the Stephansdom. The view was lovely, except the tower was covered in scaffolding - something I wish I'd paid attention to before attempting the climb. Vienna is a beautiful city and has a very relaxing cafe-type vibe. I had 5 meals yesterday and seem to be ...

Cairo journal: Wow, is Egypt old!

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 21:06:49 GMT

The pyramids are really impressive. I didn't expect them to be - I thought it would be like many other familiar sights... not much different in person. But the pyramids in person are big and old and just breathe history.

We got tickets to go into one pyramid. It was very cramped and stuffy and there really wasn't anything to see inside. But it's something to say you've been inside a pyramid.

My favorite part of visiting the pyramids was the overlook. It's a nice place to get pictures with all three of the Giza pyramids together. But there's also people selling trinkets on ...

Cairo journal: After Hong Kong and Bangkok, I'm not too easy to impress

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:54:46 GMT

The common areas of the Cairo Marriott were very grand, but the rooms (or at least mine) were pretty unspectacular. I probably had a worse experience than average because I was frustrated over leaving my camera battery charger in Bangkok and the hotel staff were not very helpful when dealing with something out of the ordinary. The hotel had a nice pool, but I was overly sensitive to unknown attire expectations, so I stayed covered. My best experience at the hotel was at the outdoor restaurant. The freshly made pita was the best I've had! It was baked outdoors at the restaurant. They also ...

Bangkok journal: Shiny palace, shiny temples, shiny shiny

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:34:49 GMT

What a display of opulance! Pictures can't portray how amazingly sparkling everything was. We got caught in the rain for part of our visit, but it only added to the adventure. It was unending fun to take pictures here.

Bangkok journal: Famous (although not shiny) temple

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:19:51 GMT

I was impressed by the incredible detail in Wat Arun. It was covered with what looked like bits of pottery put together in a mosaic. It was also unique in that visitors can climb on it.

My favorite part of visiting Wat Arun was watching a group of crazy British tourists pose in photos.

Bangkok journal: Bangkok

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 20:16:54 GMT

May 18

LOTS OF WATSI'm not sure how to sum up Bangkok. We've been here for about 3 days now, primarily sightseeing wats (temples), shopping, and enjoying the hotel - all of which are fabulous. I've never seen buildings so shiny and colorful as the temples here... and there are so many of them! It's very hard to capture in a photo, but I've been trying pretty diligently. The markets here aren't as crazy as the ones in Hong Kong. Less unidentifyable animal innards, more designer knock-offs. Very fun. And as for the hotel... the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa is definitely the place to stay ...

Bangkok journal: Talk about luxury... This place is amazing!

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 19:56:32 GMT

I felt so pampered it made me self conscious. The staff at this hotel are the epitome of hospitality. The gardens and pool are tropical and beautiful. My room was more of a suite than a room... it was huge with a separate study and a balcony. The club lounge was always stocked with fabulous tropical fruit... Mangosteens! The lounge staff showed us how to open some of the fruit - the mangosteens and rambutans had surprisingly easy tricks to open them. I'm sure the staff ladies were entertained at our struggles.

One night we found a small lizard in our bathroom. (They were a ...

District of Columbia journal: I had no idea it would be so much fun!

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 00:37:31 GMT

http://www.loc.gov /bookfest/2004/index.html

My favorite authors who attended: Clive Cussler, Cokie Roberts, Heloise, R.L. Stine, Arthur Frommer, Anna Quindlen, Patricia Shultz, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Azar Nafisi

Nashville journal: Family-style southern brunch

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 00:18:16 GMT

Great southern food and family-style service make Monell's a fun and delicious place for brunch.

Seattle journal: Seattles waterfront and... flying fish

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 23:53:45 GMT

The market is fun to walk around people watch. There are flower and fruit vendors. The fish markets' workers throw the fish back and forth - hence the flying fish. I think we might have caught it at the wrong time of day as there were many more tourists and flashing cameras than action.

Seattle journal: Interative, fun music learning experience

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 23:37:49 GMT

The EMP is located on the same grounds as the Space Needle. The building was designed by Frank Gehry and has his trademark organic shape. We spent a couple of hours there, but could have spent much more. The museum was great at letting people interact with the displays.

Seattle journal: Iconic Seattle experience

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 23:26:12 GMT

The Space Needle is a fun destination and an iconic Seattle experience. I thought the lookout level was well organized with outdoor and indoor space, displays providing more information about the view, and guides.

The rotating restaurant was also a great experience. The project team took me there for my birthday. The food is fairly pricey, but pretty good. It was a really fun and memorable birthday dinner. I got to visit again with my friend John during the weekend I stayed to visit.