The sun has just risen in San Francisco, but you don't know it yet. This is because the fog that blankets the Bay Area is still nestled on the city from the night before. You wake up from a good nights sleep and decide to go enjoy some breakfast at the best kept secret in San Francisco, "Mama's on Washington Square."
By the time you finish your morning breakfast (may I suggest the chocolate-cinnamon French Toast topped with strawberries with a big glass of Orange Juice?) the fog should be lifting. The next thing to do is to go take a walk down the pier. Immediately you are greeted with the sound of seagulls and sea lions and the ambience of many street vendors setting up for yet another busy day. After all, Pier 39 is the biggest tourist attraction in the United States every year (eat your heart out Epcot Center).
There are so many options on what you can do in a single day here in San Francisco. You can take a tour of world famous Alcatraz. You can attend a San Francisco Giants baseball game (if you're really die hard you can even take a boat out to McCovey cove and catch the baseball game literally on the bay). You can go visit Chinatown and check out the jaw dropping culture in a small area of this big city.
Or you can shop.
San Francisco offers some of the best stores to shop at in the country. Whether you want to buy the typical touristy mechandise up and down the Pier, or go visit the Ghirardelli chocolate factory - there is no shortage of stores in this extravagant city.
By the time you look at your watch, you realize you've wasted a lot of time at the Pier (or at the baseball game if you chose to attend that instead) and now you have to go enjoy your nightlife.
What to do, what to do.
You can visit another part of San Francisco, the downtown area filled with clubs and bars galore. Each of which offers a very unique crowd and a great chance to dance the night away. If dancing isn't your thing (I understand being a white guy and all) or you're not a big fan of night clubs, San Francisco offers a couple of very cool late night destinations - late night coffee shops with a view of the whole city, Golden Gate bridge included.
By the time you finish whatever it is you decided to do this evening, you're really to call it a night in San Francisco, but hurry back to your hotel.
The fog is getting set to roll in, and another day in the City by the Bay is on its way.
- Brent Booher
Friday, April 20, 2007
Destination: San Francisco
Flight: Assuming you booked your flight in advance, you're likely looking at round-trip airfare from Albuquerque to San Francisco ranging at or around $300 a person. This fare could however go down significantly if you fly into one of San Francisco's sister cities on Southwest. Southwest unfortunately does not offer service into San Francisco but does offer service to San Jose (30-45 min drive to SF) and Oakland (15-25 min drive to SF). Southwest offers flights sometimes for as little as $150-160/person round trip. So it might be in your best interest to look into those options.
Hotels: San Francisco, as many major cities do, offers many hotels for tourists to choose from. If you want to really heighten your experience in the city by the bay, maybe you should get a hotel - well - right by the bay. San Francisco offers several beautiful hotels right near the world famous San Francisco Piers, putting you right at the heart of some of the cities must see places.
News/Current Events Affecting Travel: The only possible affect is California's high gas prices, but really.. high gas prices are no longer exclusive to California.
Language: English.
Culture: San Francisco has a very unique culture in its city. The city itself has a variety of Asian cultures (the bulk of which are seen near Chinatown), and well it is also well known for its prominence in the gay community - which is a pretty unique culture in itself.
Hotels: San Francisco, as many major cities do, offers many hotels for tourists to choose from. If you want to really heighten your experience in the city by the bay, maybe you should get a hotel - well - right by the bay. San Francisco offers several beautiful hotels right near the world famous San Francisco Piers, putting you right at the heart of some of the cities must see places.
News/Current Events Affecting Travel: The only possible affect is California's high gas prices, but really.. high gas prices are no longer exclusive to California.
Language: English.
Culture: San Francisco has a very unique culture in its city. The city itself has a variety of Asian cultures (the bulk of which are seen near Chinatown), and well it is also well known for its prominence in the gay community - which is a pretty unique culture in itself.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
A Day In Montreal
The metropolis of Montreal is where my and so many others’ hearts belong. So much life exists in every inch of the city, and I can’t help but feel giddy and anxious every time I wake up in my hotel room. The city is so big with so many museums, shops, cafes, and anything possible to do, see or experience that I constantly to fit as much possible into each day.
As I step out of the elevator of my hotel, I walk straight onto the main street. In the distance I can here music, and I know that its one of the many music festivals that they hold in the downtown district. I long to go and check out the bands that are playing, but decide to stick to my schedule. As I stroll along the street I pass so many cafes that it’s hard to choose which one to stop in, but I finally settle on Café République. I treat myself to a great omelet, and decide to continue on my day.
My parents told me that one of the musts of Montreal is to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the narrow cobblestone streets in Old Montreal. As I stand in the middle of the plaza trying to decided which guide standing patiently with their horse to choose from. A young woman waves to me and offers me a tour, which I then take, grateful that my decision was made easy. I learned so much from the tour about the history of all the churches, the history of the city, and a lot about the culture and current issues that the province is going through. The ride took a couple of hours, and afterwards decided to stop by the Museum of Fine Arts.
The Musee des Beaux-Arts was what the sign read on the outside, and I felt excited that I was learning and starting to pick up a little French. I noticed that the building was made up of an older 1912 building, and a more modern 1991 building, and once inside I learned that the two were annexed together by an underground pathway. The more time I spent in Montreal, the more underground pathways I began to find. The museum was filled with great contemporary, international, and Canadian exhibits, and feeling the crunching of time I ran through as much of it as I possibly could. After running through much of the museum I decided to get lunch, and stopped by a restaurant that had been recommended to me earlier by my guide.
Not to far from the museum was the Alto Restaurant, a cute little Italian pizzeria. The food was great and well priced, and definitely hit the spot. After lunch I knew exactly where I wanted to go. I was told of the Underground City, which is made up of a extensive web of subways, restaraunts and stores.
The winters are harsh in Montreal, and one of the best ways to deal with the cold is to create an underground city, which I got a complete kick out of. I spent hours exploring all the stores, stopping by a café for a quick drink, and continuing on to see all that there was to offer.
My grand finale to my trip was to see a performance of Cirque du Soleil, which I had been dying to see ever since I missed a traveling show that came close to where I had been living. After my wild adventure in the underground I reemerged and ran to the hotel to change. I made the show just in time, and was delighted by the performance. The show was filled with acrobatic sequences in which dancers did tricks in the air and mesmerized the audience with their poetic performances.
After Cirque du Soleil I decided to get a late bite to eat at Ristorante Cavalli, which to much of my delight had a great atmosphere with live music, but to much of my disappointment left a fairly large dent in my wallet. After a few drinks I finally retired back at my hotel room, feeling quite content on my eventful and fun-packed day.
By Carey Billings
As I step out of the elevator of my hotel, I walk straight onto the main street. In the distance I can here music, and I know that its one of the many music festivals that they hold in the downtown district. I long to go and check out the bands that are playing, but decide to stick to my schedule. As I stroll along the street I pass so many cafes that it’s hard to choose which one to stop in, but I finally settle on Café République. I treat myself to a great omelet, and decide to continue on my day.
My parents told me that one of the musts of Montreal is to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the narrow cobblestone streets in Old Montreal. As I stand in the middle of the plaza trying to decided which guide standing patiently with their horse to choose from. A young woman waves to me and offers me a tour, which I then take, grateful that my decision was made easy. I learned so much from the tour about the history of all the churches, the history of the city, and a lot about the culture and current issues that the province is going through. The ride took a couple of hours, and afterwards decided to stop by the Museum of Fine Arts.
The Musee des Beaux-Arts was what the sign read on the outside, and I felt excited that I was learning and starting to pick up a little French. I noticed that the building was made up of an older 1912 building, and a more modern 1991 building, and once inside I learned that the two were annexed together by an underground pathway. The more time I spent in Montreal, the more underground pathways I began to find. The museum was filled with great contemporary, international, and Canadian exhibits, and feeling the crunching of time I ran through as much of it as I possibly could. After running through much of the museum I decided to get lunch, and stopped by a restaurant that had been recommended to me earlier by my guide.
Not to far from the museum was the Alto Restaurant, a cute little Italian pizzeria. The food was great and well priced, and definitely hit the spot. After lunch I knew exactly where I wanted to go. I was told of the Underground City, which is made up of a extensive web of subways, restaraunts and stores.
The winters are harsh in Montreal, and one of the best ways to deal with the cold is to create an underground city, which I got a complete kick out of. I spent hours exploring all the stores, stopping by a café for a quick drink, and continuing on to see all that there was to offer.
My grand finale to my trip was to see a performance of Cirque du Soleil, which I had been dying to see ever since I missed a traveling show that came close to where I had been living. After my wild adventure in the underground I reemerged and ran to the hotel to change. I made the show just in time, and was delighted by the performance. The show was filled with acrobatic sequences in which dancers did tricks in the air and mesmerized the audience with their poetic performances.
After Cirque du Soleil I decided to get a late bite to eat at Ristorante Cavalli, which to much of my delight had a great atmosphere with live music, but to much of my disappointment left a fairly large dent in my wallet. After a few drinks I finally retired back at my hotel room, feeling quite content on my eventful and fun-packed day.
By Carey Billings
Destination: Montreal, Canada
Flight: As with any trip, it is important to book a flight well in advance to save money that you may wish to spend other places. Tickets cost around $600 per person, and by shopping around better deals are sure to be found.
Hotels: Many hotels varying in quality and price range are located close to the heart of the city. The Omni Mont-Royal Hotel, located in Montreal’s Golden Square Mile district of downtown, is surrounded by shops and is a quick walk away from the Museum of Fine Arts. With the four stars, the rooms range from $123 to $181 per night. If your budget is tighter, the Lord Berri Hotel is situated near the Old Montreal part of downtown, and is a steal at $89 per night with 3 stars.
News/Current Events Affecting Travel: N/A
Language: Quebec is mainly a French-speaking province, but many of its citizens are bilingual. Many rumors make the people in Quebec seem biased towards non-French speakers by ignoring or being rude to them, but this is completely false. Be sure before you leave to learn some basic words that may help with your travels, such as “Je suis perdu” – “I’m lost,” “C’est combine” – “How much is it?” and “Où se trouve” – “Where is…”
Culture: Traveling to Montreal is much like traveling to a European country, yet its still located in North America. The city is nicknamed as “the city of a thousand steeples,” as a great number of old churches litter the area, all of which have beautiful architecture and interior design. Old Montreal, or Vieux-Montreal, is a must see for any traveler, as it is filled with cultural landmarks, museums, boutiques, cafes, and great restaurants. There is so much to see, ranging from Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts), the Blodome of Montreal, the Underground City, the Montreal Insectarium, the Biosphere, and Mont Royal. With Canada’s largely immigrant population, every cuisine imaged is available, and beer is a definite Canadian specialty.
Hotels: Many hotels varying in quality and price range are located close to the heart of the city. The Omni Mont-Royal Hotel, located in Montreal’s Golden Square Mile district of downtown, is surrounded by shops and is a quick walk away from the Museum of Fine Arts. With the four stars, the rooms range from $123 to $181 per night. If your budget is tighter, the Lord Berri Hotel is situated near the Old Montreal part of downtown, and is a steal at $89 per night with 3 stars.
News/Current Events Affecting Travel: N/A
Language: Quebec is mainly a French-speaking province, but many of its citizens are bilingual. Many rumors make the people in Quebec seem biased towards non-French speakers by ignoring or being rude to them, but this is completely false. Be sure before you leave to learn some basic words that may help with your travels, such as “Je suis perdu” – “I’m lost,” “C’est combine” – “How much is it?” and “Où se trouve” – “Where is…”
Culture: Traveling to Montreal is much like traveling to a European country, yet its still located in North America. The city is nicknamed as “the city of a thousand steeples,” as a great number of old churches litter the area, all of which have beautiful architecture and interior design. Old Montreal, or Vieux-Montreal, is a must see for any traveler, as it is filled with cultural landmarks, museums, boutiques, cafes, and great restaurants. There is so much to see, ranging from Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts), the Blodome of Montreal, the Underground City, the Montreal Insectarium, the Biosphere, and Mont Royal. With Canada’s largely immigrant population, every cuisine imaged is available, and beer is a definite Canadian specialty.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
One Day in The BK
Every morning I wake up here, it immediately enters my mind that “I am in Brooklyn”. That’s one of the things I love about this city, it is always exerting its presence in your mind. No matter what you are doing, there is always a part of your mind recalling this fact. Maybe it’s the pervasive noise of cars, and helicopters, and people on the street, or the smells; lattés here, pizza here, curry here. I think it’s the energy. You can’t make it here unless you are a “go getter”. This city is absolutely filled with energy, you can almost feel it in the air, and I would be the first to admit it is one of things that is so addicting about NY and especially Brooklyn.
The first thing I like to do when I hit the streets in the morning is head around the corner to the Brooklyn Bread Co. This small bakery/ coffee shop on street level is full of Italian American culture. Everyone in here has a name like Tony “Big Boy” Baldino or Christopher “Tootie” Mariano. You can’t buy this stuff! Everyone knows everyone. It’s like I walked on the set of Sopranos. And if you know how to interact, you are quickly synthesized into the neighborhood. It wasn’t but a couple months here before I had picked up a Brooklyn accent and the girl at Brooklyn Bread Co. knew my order to the “t”.
After my bacon and egg frittata and a stack of pancakes it’s time to hit the neighborhoods. This is one aspect which differentiates me from the locals. A lot of these people spend almost their entire life in a ten block area. Me? I wanna see what’s out there. From the Italian speaking streets of Carroll Gardens I head to Fort Greene, one of the many black neighborhoods in Brooklyn. You change neighborhoods so fast here, that if you don’t know what to watch for you will have passed through five different ethnic areas in a thirty minute walk without even having realized it.
Today, like many days, they are having a street festival in Fort Greene. The Caribbean steel drums radiate through the streets. I stop at a famous cup cake shop, where I wait what would be considered a ludicrous amount of time for my pastry. But trust me. You haven’t had these cupcakes.
I have to have my order exactly right before I get to the counter; otherwise, I will quickly evoke not only the wraith of the line behind me, but also the cashier. You are welcome to enjoy Brooklyn, and if your smart no one will bother you, but you absolutely cannot get in these people’s way, or waist their time. And that’s why I love them. You gotta respect their hustle….
By Will McMullen
The first thing I like to do when I hit the streets in the morning is head around the corner to the Brooklyn Bread Co. This small bakery/ coffee shop on street level is full of Italian American culture. Everyone in here has a name like Tony “Big Boy” Baldino or Christopher “Tootie” Mariano. You can’t buy this stuff! Everyone knows everyone. It’s like I walked on the set of Sopranos. And if you know how to interact, you are quickly synthesized into the neighborhood. It wasn’t but a couple months here before I had picked up a Brooklyn accent and the girl at Brooklyn Bread Co. knew my order to the “t”.
After my bacon and egg frittata and a stack of pancakes it’s time to hit the neighborhoods. This is one aspect which differentiates me from the locals. A lot of these people spend almost their entire life in a ten block area. Me? I wanna see what’s out there. From the Italian speaking streets of Carroll Gardens I head to Fort Greene, one of the many black neighborhoods in Brooklyn. You change neighborhoods so fast here, that if you don’t know what to watch for you will have passed through five different ethnic areas in a thirty minute walk without even having realized it.
Today, like many days, they are having a street festival in Fort Greene. The Caribbean steel drums radiate through the streets. I stop at a famous cup cake shop, where I wait what would be considered a ludicrous amount of time for my pastry. But trust me. You haven’t had these cupcakes.
I have to have my order exactly right before I get to the counter; otherwise, I will quickly evoke not only the wraith of the line behind me, but also the cashier. You are welcome to enjoy Brooklyn, and if your smart no one will bother you, but you absolutely cannot get in these people’s way, or waist their time. And that’s why I love them. You gotta respect their hustle….
By Will McMullen
Destination: Brooklyn, NY
Flight: If you book in well in advance, and depending on which airport, you can purchase a round trip ticket for under $300.
Hotels: Unlike Manhattan, hotels can sometimes be hard to come by according to where you stay in the Burroughs. The Days INN on 39th St. in Brooklyn is a good value if you want to get the real Burroughs experience. Nestled in the Greenwood area, this inexpensive hotel offers rooms for as low as $135/night, but I would not recommend it for the inexperienced traveler who might wanna pay the NY premium for a location more conducive to visitors.
News/Current Events affecting Travel: N/A
Language: Brooklyn is an extremely diverse area, and I am sure you could find a neighborhood that speaks any language, but of course we are still in America, so your English will do fine. Just Remember the Brooklyn slogan, “Faagetaboutit”
Culture: Brooklyn is one of the most diverse cities in the United States and is a hot bed for culture, but in order to experience it, you’re going to have to hit the streets, and explore neighborhoods. If you are a less experienced traveler, or want to see the generic NY images you see on the post cards, stick to Manhattan. The real NY is not forgiving, so you got to be on your p’s and q’s. However, this being said the whole image of a mugger waiting around every corner is a gross exaggeration. If you have some level of street smarts, you’ll do ok. Rely on local advice. These people have often been in the same neighborhoods for many generations and they know their areas like the back of their hand. Contrary to popular opinion, NY is not made up of angry guarded people, and they will talk to you, but absolutely do not waist their time. Time is money in this bustling city, and people guard theirs very closely. Other than this, get explorative (keeping caution in mind) and find out why Brooklyn is so rewarding. And don’t be fooled by exteriors. The faces of buildings in Brooklyn are very deceiving, the most exclusive clothing stores or restaurants sometimes have rough graffiti covered exteriors. That’s just the way it goes here.
Hotels: Unlike Manhattan, hotels can sometimes be hard to come by according to where you stay in the Burroughs. The Days INN on 39th St. in Brooklyn is a good value if you want to get the real Burroughs experience. Nestled in the Greenwood area, this inexpensive hotel offers rooms for as low as $135/night, but I would not recommend it for the inexperienced traveler who might wanna pay the NY premium for a location more conducive to visitors.
News/Current Events affecting Travel: N/A
Language: Brooklyn is an extremely diverse area, and I am sure you could find a neighborhood that speaks any language, but of course we are still in America, so your English will do fine. Just Remember the Brooklyn slogan, “Faagetaboutit”
Culture: Brooklyn is one of the most diverse cities in the United States and is a hot bed for culture, but in order to experience it, you’re going to have to hit the streets, and explore neighborhoods. If you are a less experienced traveler, or want to see the generic NY images you see on the post cards, stick to Manhattan. The real NY is not forgiving, so you got to be on your p’s and q’s. However, this being said the whole image of a mugger waiting around every corner is a gross exaggeration. If you have some level of street smarts, you’ll do ok. Rely on local advice. These people have often been in the same neighborhoods for many generations and they know their areas like the back of their hand. Contrary to popular opinion, NY is not made up of angry guarded people, and they will talk to you, but absolutely do not waist their time. Time is money in this bustling city, and people guard theirs very closely. Other than this, get explorative (keeping caution in mind) and find out why Brooklyn is so rewarding. And don’t be fooled by exteriors. The faces of buildings in Brooklyn are very deceiving, the most exclusive clothing stores or restaurants sometimes have rough graffiti covered exteriors. That’s just the way it goes here.
The Seven Cities
So summer is approaching, and with it, The season for travel. If you haven’t decided on a vacation yet, we are offering you our advice. In each of the seven articles we will post over the next week you will find a general overview of a different city, followed by a day in the travel log of a UNM student who has been there. We’ve included everything you need to know to get an idea of where you might want to go to experience a little culture and little fun before returning to school next Fall.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Follow Directions
As our week of tips for student, and other life, survival wraps up, we here at UNMGoBlogYourself want to remind you to follow directions in order to do well in your classes. take care!
Student takes off pants
A student is taking his final exams. He takes his seat in the exam hall, stares at the questions and then in a fit for inspiration takes his shoes off and throws them out of the window. He then removes his shirt, pants and socks.
The teacher, alarmed, approached him and asked what is going on?
"I am only following the instructions -- the test paper states, answer the questions in brief.''
Student takes off pants
A student is taking his final exams. He takes his seat in the exam hall, stares at the questions and then in a fit for inspiration takes his shoes off and throws them out of the window. He then removes his shirt, pants and socks.
The teacher, alarmed, approached him and asked what is going on?
"I am only following the instructions -- the test paper states, answer the questions in brief.''
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