Airplane seating

Where is the best place to sit on an airplane? That's up to you to decide. When I was little, I coveted the window seat because I was so excited about the views. But as I grew up, my window seat preference has given way to the aisle seat. An aisle seat allows more room to move my legs and the freedom to get up without disturbing anyone. This is especially important on long flights. And, I can still see out the window from the aisle seat. Of course, an aisle seat person will have to get up to let the middle or window seat person out. But there is a way to avoid that: book an aisle seat in exit row. This is my first choice. Exit rows have more room, so the window seat person in an exit row can go to the bathroom without disturbing anyone. If an exit row seat is not available, I'll go for an aisle seat in the back half of the plane away from the wings. Why near the back? Airlines (at least my preferred carriers American and Continental) board from back to front, meaning those seated in the back will board earlier. Boarding earlier means better chance at getting overhead bin space to store rollerboard luggage. This is important because overhead bins fill up quickly now that airlines are charging to check luggage, forcing more people to carry on.

Hotel booking strategies

I usually stay at hotels during my travels. What's the most important criteria when booking a hotel? Depends on who you ask. For me, I look for a hotel that is in a convenient location with comfortable beds, and of course at a low price.

What's the best way to book a hotel? Depends on your criteria. I don't care which hotel I stay in, so my favorite hotel booking site is priceline. In priceline, you enter your trip dates and city. Then, you pick an area of the city you want to stay in, enter a star level, and enter a price you want to pay. You enter your payment info and submit. If priceline finds a hotel that meets your criteria at your price, you got it and your card is charged. If not, you can try again but you need to change something about your criteria (dates, star level, add area). Check out this tutorial on how priceline hotel booking works. The catch about priceline: once booked, reservations cannot be changed or refunded so make sure your plans are final before bidding. And you don't get to pick your hotel - priceline assigns you a hotel based on your inputs. But the nice thing is being able to get a luxury hotel at a budget hotel price. By using priceline, I have stayed at some very nice hotels for a steal. I like to think of it this way: I pay a dirt cheap price and by booking on priceline, I'll get upgraded to a much nicer hotel at no additional cost. When I told my friend I stayed at the Westin hotel in Pasadena for $78 a night, he said "you can't even get a crappy hotel at that price". The regular rates for that Westin can easily be over $200.

Some priceline bidding tips:
1) I find downtown to be the best spot for hotels - I get a feel for how the city is laid out and it's a great starting point for exploring. This is especially true for relatively compact cities like Boston, New York, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco. Plus, downtown has easy access to public transportation so I can avoid renting a car.
2) Check out betterbidding.com, a forum where users share their priceline bookings. It also includes bidding tips, including the all important rebidding strategy.
3) Check hotel prices on hotwire, then make your first bid 80% of the lowest rate found on hotwire for the zone you want to stay in. Priceline usually beats hotwire in price.
4) Stick to 3 star level and higher. Priceline discounts at these levels are the greatest (percentage wise) and you're assured of a good quality hotel. You get the most bang for the buck. Bidding below 3 stars is risky because quality at those levels vary greatly and you could get stuck in a dump.
5) Perhaps it's because of the recession, but I've noticed that 4 star hotels are being won on priceline for almost the same price as 3 star hotels.
6) Deals are relative to the regular rates. For my recent Boston trip (see post below) I had to bid up to $130 to get a hotel in downtown Boston (I stayed with downtown because I didn't want to risk being far from a subway station). Although that is much more than I usually pay on priceline, it's a 68% discount - the lowest published rate is $404.

New England

I made a trip to New England to visit some sites in Boston, visit my friend Dan who lives in Hartford, CT, and enjoy fall foliage in Connecticut and Massachusetts. New England produces some very pretty colors on the trees during October. There is something very special about seeing a combination of green, red, orange, yellow, and even purple colored leaves on trees. It's like looking at a rainbow. I was in New England Oct 22-26 (5 days). Activities for each day:

Day 1: Arrived Boston in the early evening and checked into the Intercontinental Boston Hotel. This hotel is located on the site where the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. The hotel was built a few years ago so it is very modern and luxurious with attention to details in the rooms. The bathrooms even have a shower stall, separate from the tub. The Intercontinental Boston is definitely one of the most luxurious hotels I've ever stayed in. And thanks to priceline, I was able to get a room at this hotel for 32% of the regular rate.

Day 2: I spent the entire day in Boston. Started out checking out the fall foliage colors in downtown Boston, including the Boston Common and the Public Gardens. I then toured the Church of Christ and visited the Mapparium in the Mary Baker Eddy library. The Mapparium is a three-story globe. In the middle of the globe is a glass-bottom bridge that visitors walk on. The globe is made of painted windows that light up. Interesting way to view the world and where we live. They don't allow pictures in the Mapparium so you have to go there to see it. The library also includes information on Mary Baker Eddy and her focus on Christian Science as a way to heal from illness. Next I went up to the skywalk observatory in the Prudential Center to enjoy nice views of Boston.

Day 3: Dan came up to Boston and we had lunch at Shangri-La in Cambridge (just west of Boston). Great food - people line up 15 minutes before the place opens. We drove to Hartford and because it rained on and off all day, we spent the rest of the day watching college football with some of Dan's friends. I'm happy to report both our schools - Penn State and Texas - won their games.

Day 4: Today was mostly sunny - perfect day for a hike. We made 2 hikes. The first was at a repository in Hartford - its endless line of trees surrounding a huge lake trumps the hike-and-bike trail along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, especially in the fall. Our second hike was at Race Brook Falls area in western Massachusetts. Our hike took us to the bottom of a waterfall and our mission was: reach the top of falls and enjoy the view. First step was cross the roaring streams - we did it by strategic planning and good jumps, knowing that if we miss we could get carried away by the rapids. OK, maybe not (people have walked in the streams in hot weather) but it sure looked like it could happen. And it gets tougher - we now had to climb a steep hill filled with wet rocks. It took a good amount of effort, but we made it to the top, and got our prize. Thank goodness we didn't slip while climbing or we could end up handicapped. I couldn't have asked for more - standing on top of a roaring waterfall looking down at fall colors in the sun. Amazing view. We ended the day with dinner at The Counter, which is a burger place. Like Fuddruckers, you build your own burger. And they serve sweet potato fries. More pictures from our 2 hikes.

Day 5: We drove to Boston. The highway was lined up with trees showing their fall colors. Like day 4, it was sunny and that made the colors even brighter. I took a tour of Harvard University. The tour was led by 2 students and they were very enthusiastic and took a lot of pride in their university. Many students pronounce the name Hahvahd (something about New England accents). One of the tour guides told a story about a student taking a final exam in religious studies. One question is "What is the meaning of life?" He answered only God knows. The professor wrote on his exam "So God passes. You fail"

Washington DC - October 2009

The US capital city offers many free stuff to do. I was treated to a nice view of DC's main attractions during the landing at Reagan National airport. If you happen to fly into Reagan airport, book a window seat on the left side of the plane to get the view (of course, this assumes the plane lands from the north side of the city).

I stayed at the Renaissance DC hotel, located a few blocks from a metro station. This hotel is also centrally located between Chinatown, the Smithsonian, and Capital Hill. It has a great fitness center with extensive work out equipment - by far the best hotel gym I've ever used.

My activities in DC:
1) Capital Hill area, to visit the US Supreme Court

2) Joined a tour group to see the monuments at night, when they are lit up. We went around on bikes, which is much quicker and easier on the legs than walking.

3) Visited the Washington Monument, including a trip to the observation deck 500 feet above the ground to enjoy a bird's eye view of DC.

4) Visited Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot and Peterson House, where Lincoln died 9 hours after being shot.

5) Visited National Community Church - this church doesn't have a dedicated building but meets in various places throughout DC, including a theater in the Union Station and in Ebenezer's coffee house. I attended their Saturday night service in the coffee house. The sermon was about the Sabbath, which emphasized that the Sabbath is a time to celebrate God's creation, provision, freedom, and salvation. And celebrating the Sabbath should be fun. For me, celebrating the Sabbath includes traveling to experience God's creation in other places.

6) Museums I visited:
a) National Postal
b) Portrait Gallery which has a section with portraits of every US president from George Washington to George W Bush
c) National Archives, which has the original copy of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These documents are enclosed in heavy glass and stored in a dark, cool room to preserve them. This museum also has immigration records and letters written to presidents. Some of these letters are on display. In one letter, this middle school boy's room was so messy his mom called it a disaster area, so he wrote a letter to Ronald Reagan (president at the time) asking for federal funds to hire a crew to clean his room.

More DC Pictures

Niagara Falls

Being in Toronto, of course we had to visit Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls actually consists of two parts: American Falls and Horseshoe Falls. At night, a series of search lights provide the both the American and Horseshoe falls with colored lights.

Niagara Falls has a lot to do, besides looking at the falls. Our activities:
1) Maid of Mist, a boat ride around the horseshoe falls. The falls creates a lot of moisture, it feels like it's raining. The boat gets close to the horseshoe falls. Depending on how close, it will feel like anything ranging from a drizzle to a heavy downpour.
2) White water walk, a walk along the rapids of the Niagara River. These are some of the most intense rapids in the world.
3) Niagara Fury, a movie and a simulated ride. In the ride you stand on a moving platform and literally feel the creation of Niagara falls.
4) Journey Behind the Falls. We took an elevator to the bottom of the gorge and walk through tunnels behind the horseshoe falls. We could hear the water rushing in the tunnel. There was also an observation deck where we got to stand at the bottom of the falls.

Check out more Niagara Falls Pictures.

Toronto

My dad had some frequent flier miles to burn so we made a family trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls (see above post).

Our Toronto activities:
1) Several meals in Chinatown
2) Visited the University of Toronto
3) Walked around downtown, passing by City Hall, and visiting Eaton Centre
4) Toronto Island, located in Lake Ontario a few miles from downtown Toronto. The island is one big park with tons of trails for walking and biking. There are also beaches. There is also a small airport on the island which is used mostly by private planes and regional jets. We got great views of the Toronto city skyline both from the boat ride to the island and from the island itself.
5) CN Tower, built to broadcast radio and TV signals throughout Southern Ontario. It was the tallest building in the world until the Taipei 101 opened. We were on the observation deck which included a glass floor, where you can see the ground below you. It was unsettling to walk on the glass floor at first, but you get over it. Quite an experience. I like how the tower lights up in various, continuously changing colors at night.

Seattle

Seattle is a great place to visit during the summer with cooler temperatures than Texas. Seattle is known for its many coffee shops, including Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and other local joints. There is a coffee shop on almost every corner in downtown Seattle. Seattle residents really do need their caffeine.

I stayed in downtown Seattle at the Sheraton hotel, located 2 blocks from a light rail station and about 10 minute walk to Pike Place Market and the harbor.

For my Seattle visit, I focused on the main tourist sites, including:

1) Waterfront, where I went on a cruise around the Seattle harbor. This 1-hour tour provides views of the Seattle skyline, Mt. Rainier, the Space Needle, Olympic Mountains, Starbuck's headquarters, and Seattle's many ports.
More Seattle harbor pictures.

2) Pike Place Market, consisting of many gift shops, food stands, restaurants, and cafes including the first ever Starbucks. There is also the Pike Place Fish Market where workers throw fish around. Many visitors stop by just to see the fish throwing.

3) Flying into Seattle on a Boeing airplane, it was fitting for me to visit their Future of Flight center in Everett, which consists of an aviation museum with information about Boeing's planes, and a tour of Boeing's factory. Interestingly, the museum also includes information about some Airbus planes as well. Boeing's factory, where they build their 747, 767, 777, and 787 airplanes is the world's largest building by volume. The factory is like an indoor city with a fire department, security, clinic, power station, water treatment plant, and numerous restaurants. Factory workers use bikes and golf carts to get around. The factory even created its own weather. Heat from the ground would rise and combine with the cooler air near the top, creating clouds and even drizzle. The weather cleared when air-circulation systems were installed. For the factory tour, we saw the 747, 777, and 787 manufacturing lines and learned about the process in building those planes, including assembly of parts, painting, and test flying (there is a small airport for this). Photography of the factory is not allowed, so I have no factory pictures.

4) Space Needle observation deck. I went up there just before sunset, and enjoyed daytime and nighttime views of Seattle from above. The Space Needle was built in 1962 to give Seattle a stand-out structure for the Seattle World's Fair. The Space Needle was build to withstand winds up to 200 mph, and earthquakes up to 9.0 in magnitude. So during a powerful storm or a major earthquake, the Space Needle is probably the safest building to be in.

Independence Day in San Francisco

This was a continuation of my last trip to San Francisco in Labor Day of last year. It also allowed me to escape the Texas summer heat for a few days, and enjoy the great San Francisco summer weather of sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s and 60s. In fact, San Francisco summers are almost on par with typical Austin winter weather. Mark Twain once said, "the coldest winter I have experienced is a summer in San Francisco". The great weather, combined with Chinatown and other distinct features of San Francisco, make it one of my favorite summer destinations.

I stayed in the Financial District, near the Embarcadero, in the Le Meridien hotel. Since this area caters to business travelers, you can get good deals at luxury hotels here. Check out this note left by a housekeeper. It's just a simple thank you note, but it was a nice gesture and it shows the housekeepers really appreciate tips :)

1) Checked out the demonstration window of Boudin Bakery in Fishermans Wharf, where you can see bakers making sourdough bread, some shaped like animals like this turtle. I highly recommend their clam chowder in a bread bowl.

2) Visited Ghirardelli Square

3) Ate in Chinatown

4) Walked the Golden Gate bridge

5) Rode the glass elevator in the Westin St. Francis hotel where I got nice views of Union Square.

6) Went to Coit Tower, build in honor of firefighters which explains the fire hose shape of the building. Rode the elevator to the top (about 27 stories) to take in birds-eye views of the city.

7) Visited the Levi Plaza, which included a visitor's center with displays about the Levi jeans history and development, as well as information about other Levi products.

8) Took a cruise in the San Francisco Bay, sailing to the Golden Gate Bridge, around Alcatrez Island, and docked near Pier 33 in Fishermans Wharf to watch the fireworks. Being on the cruise ship offered the best views of the fireworks, and is less crowded than standing in Fishermans Wharf. With temperatures in the high 50s, it was by far the coldest Independence Day I have ever experienced.

9) Checked out the Farmer's Market in the Ferry Building. They have many samples of bread, fruit, sauces, and juices.

10) Rode the cable cars - they are a fun way to get around (though not the fastest) and you get to experience how people got around in SF in the late 1800s.

Chicago - part 3

My third trip to Chicago. Summers in Chicago are always fun. I made this trip to enjoy cooler weather and do some things I didn't get to in my previous Chicago trips. Weather was cooler than I expected though - 50's and 60's which are more typical for fall in Chicago. But compared to the 95+ weather in Austin, I can't complain.

So, for my short weekend trip:
1) Checked out a free art festival with artists setting up booths throughout a block along Michigan Avenue.
2) Grabbed dinner at a cafe in Greektown
3) Visited Buckingham fountain at night. There is an evening show at the fountain featuring colored lights and patriotic music.
4) Architectural cruise, which is a boat ride along the Chicago River. This has become one of my favorite Chicago activities.
5) Visited the Hershey's store, with a wide array of chocolate products and featured a demonstration on making the store's specialty cupcakes

Pictures:
Chicago River
Buckingham Fountain

With the new transparent Ledge now open in the Sears Tower, that will definitely be something I plan to do for my next trip to Chicago.

Washington DC - May 2009

A weekend visit to the US capital city.

1) Library of Congress, and take a tour of the US Capital.

2) Went to the White House visitor's center, located a few blocks from the White House itself. This is the best way to get information about the White House. To actually get in the White House, you need to either have an appointment or write to your local Senator to get tickets, which can take several months. Otherwise, the closest any visitor will get to the White House is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

3) Museums I visited:
a) U.S. Botanic Garden
b) American History
c) Air and Space

4) Walked by some of the memorials.

Baltimore

Baltimore has historical significance as it is the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner, the U.S. national anthem.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is a great to place to be near the ocean and enjoy great crabs. Baltimore residents really love their crabs. The harbor has street performers, seafood restaurants, many boat tours and cruises, and shops. There is also the World Trade Center of Baltimore, which is the world's tallest pentagonal building. There is an observation deck which offers great views of the city.


To understand Baltimore's place in US history, visit Fort McHenry. The fort can be reached from Inner Harbor by a water taxi, which is a boat making stops along the Baltimore coast. It operates like a shuttle bus in the water. Waits for the boat can be long (about 20 minutes) especially if you have to transfer so the water taxi is not the fastest way to get around but it is the most fun way. I recommend the water taxi if you're not pressed for time.


Fort McHenry was built to protect the city of Baltimore from attack. Soldiers would live there and plan ways to defend Baltimore from the fort. The fort also has places (called magazines) to store supplies such as gun powder, canons, and canon balls. During the War of 1812, the British attempted to capture Baltimore and sent several ships to Chesapeake Bay to attack Fort McHenry. This became known as the Battle of Baltimore. The British soldiers shot bomb shells and rockets from the ships and the American soldiers in the fort fired canons. Most of the British shots missed the fort. The attacks went on for 25 hours. In the early morning of a September day in 1814, the British gave up and turned away. On the Chesapeake Bay about 2 miles from Ft McHenry, Francis Scott Key saw the whole thing from the attack to the British surrender. He also saw a giant flag (which Mary Pickersgill had sewn) being flown, still intact after the attacks - it was this moment when he wrote a poem titled "Defence of Fort McHenry". This poem was then renamed to "The Star-Spangled Banner" and became the U.S. National Anthem.

More Pictures

LA visit and Tarrytown LA visit and Tarrytown reunion

I spent the past weekend in Los Angeles, seeing some LA sights and hanging out with former Tarrytown-ers Danny and Katie Luong, and Megan McKenty:


Stuff I did:
* Went to Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena
* Visited the Griffith Observatory - admission is free and you also get great views of the city and Hollywood sign
* Toured the entertainment district on a trolley
* Rode an open-air bus around Hollywood and Beverley Hills, seeing movie star homes and some key sights
* Attended Christian Assembly church and had lunch with Danny, Katie, and Megan
* Saw Venice beach - only drove around because we couldn't find parking as the place was packed

Pictures