New York.  People either love it or hate it. 

 Either way, it is one place that everyone should visit at least once in their lives.  It’s a non-stop party.  The light is amazing.  Everywhere you look is familiar because you have seen it in a film or a picture – so you feel at home immediately.

The noise is incessant – car horns blaring, NYPD blue car sirens, people shouting.  Smells pervade the air – street vendors selling bagels and coffee.  Depending on what time of year you visit, the heat is phenomenal or the cold is painful.  In Sex and the City, Miranda once asked Carrie “Why do I think living in Manhattan is so fantastic?”  Carrie’s reply “Because it is.”  Let’s see why.

The Top Ten New York Tourist Attractions

1. Empire State Building

Get a breathtaking view of Manhattan from this world famous skyscraper, located at 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, in midtown Manhattan.
High speed elevators take you up 1,050 feet to the 86^th floor.  This observatory has an area which in glass-enclosed.  You can also walk out in the open air around all four sides of the building for a 360° birds eye view and binoculars are for hire up there too.  This observatory is accessible for handicapped people.

For an extra $15 you can buy a ticket on arrival, to go up to the 102^nd floor.

The Empire State Building is open every day of the year, from 8am to 2am, with the last elevator going up at 1.15am.

What about the queues?

The waiting lines do put a lot of people off.  There are three different lines, the first for security check, the second to buy a ticket and the third, for the elevators.  However, you can buy an Express Pass ticket online that gets you moved to the front of each queue.

2. Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. She was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States in recognition of their friendship established during the American Revolution. Liberty is a worldwide symbol for freedom and democracy.

Liberty is clad in copper and it is the verdigris on this copper which gives her distinctive green color.

Visitors arrive by ferry and climb 146 steps of an internal spiral staircase to reach the top of Liberty.  There are 25 windows inside her crown, giving a view of New York Harbor.  Because Liberty faces Brooklyn, you don’t get a view of Manhattan, except through some small windows on the left of her crown.

The lines for tickets can exceed three hours but you can skip these by buying online in advance here.

3. Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central is located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, on 42nd Street and Park Avenue.

It has now been restored back to how it was in 1913.  Grand Central is not just a transportation hub.  There are five wonderful restaurants and cocktail lounges as well as 20 places to eat in the lower level, celebrating all forms of international dining.  You can buy gourmet items from Grand Central Market and enjoy the fifty specialty shops that are featured on all levels.

4. Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is between 48th and 51st streets between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It’s a complex of 19 buildings over 22 acres and was built by the Rockefeller family.  It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

It’s most famous for its’ outdoor ice rink, Christmas tree, Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Radio City Music Hall, NBC outside broadcasts as well as numerous places to shop and dine.  This variety makes it a great destination for any type of visitor at any time of year.

5. Ellis Island Immigration Museum

This fascinating museum tells the story of the thousands of immigrants who flocked to a new life in America and passed through the gateway of Ellis Island.  To find out if your ancestors were among them, you can perform a free search here. To have your ancestors name inscribed on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor at Ellis Island, go here.

 6. Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry carries a staggering 20 million people a year (60,000 passengers a day not including weekend days) between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan.  That’s 60,000 passengers every day and that doesn’t even include weekends.  Forget pricey tourist ferries, this is the way to see the Statue of Liberty and to get a great view of Manhattan – and a true taste of a New Yorker’s lifestyle.

For sailing schedules, look here. 

7. American Museum of Natural History

Located at 79^th Street, Central Park West, (Upper West Side), the Museum has been open to the public since 1869.  It includes 25 interconnected buildings that house 46 permanent exhibition halls, research laboratories, and a world renowned library.

The collections contain over 32 million specimens, of which only a small fraction can be displayed at any given time.  Check here for details of current events.

You can buy tickets online here.

8. Central Park

It is located between 59th Street (Central Park South) and 110th Street (Central Park North), and is 0.5 miles wide between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West.

Central Park is the world-famous green retreat for New Yorkers and tourists, occupying around 1.2 square miles (843 acres) of prime Manhattan land.  between 59th Street (Central Park South) and 110th Street (Central Park North), and 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West. It was opened in 1859 and made a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

25 million visitors flock there every year to escape the buzz of the city, enjoy open-air theatre and concerts, visit the zoo, go skating, partake in sports or enjoy a carriage ride.  Many also make a pilgrimage to the ‘Strawberry Fields’ John Lennon memorial as he was tragically shot outside the Dakota Building (located on the northwestern corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West)

9.    Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known affectionately as The Met, is an art museum located on Museum Mile.  It has a permanent collection of over two million works of art, in 19 departments.  The main building houses one of the world’s largest art galleries.

Museum Mile…

…covers a section of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, from 82^nd to 104^th Streets along the Upper East Side.  The mile is actually two blocks longer than a mile and houses eleven museums:

•   89th St. National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts
•   88th St. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (The Guggenheim)
•   86th St. Neue Galerie New York
•   83rd St. Goethe-Institut New York/German Cultural Center
•   82nd St. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)
•   91st St. Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution
•   92nd St. The Jewish Museum
•   94th St. International Center of Photography
• 104th St. El Museo del Barrio
• 103rd St. Museum of the City of New York
• 110^th St.  The Museum for African Art (under construction)

10. The Museum of Modern Art

Located in Midtown Manhattan on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, this museum was the first dedicated to show only contemporary art.  It was founded in 1929 is said to be the most influential museum of modern art in the world.  The collection is huge and covers architecture and design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and prints as well as illustrated books and artist’s books, film, and electronic media.

 Other things to see…

The list is endless but here are a few of the other most popular attractions in New York:

•   Broadway theatre – see what’s on here.
•   Times Square
•   Shopping on Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue
•   Macy’s Department Store at 151 West 34th Street (featured in the film Miracle on 34^th Street and famous for its’ Thanksgiving Parade and Christmas window displays)
•   Bloomingdales at 59th Street & Lexington Avenue, (home of the ‘brown bag’)
•  Greenwich Village
•  Canal Steet (great for markets and bargains)
•   Wall Street
•  Chinatown
•  United Nations Building
•  Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.  Amazing jewelry and where many iconic photos of Audrey Hepburn were taken for the film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’
• Madison Square Garden – Take a tour of  the World’s Most Famous Arena which is located in Manhattan on Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, catch a concert or watch a sporting event.
• Yankee Stadium – situated in the Bronx, home of the New York Yankees
• The Wine Regions on Long Island
• Chelsea Market – 75 9th Ave (between 15th & 16th) great eating  and entertainment
• Coney Island – situated in Brooklyn

Get your tickets to New York Events.

 What’s the best way to get around?

You can save a lot of time and money with a New York Pass that you buy before you travel.  These passes allow you to skip lines and to save money on entry fees to over 40 of New Yorks best attractions.  New York is easy to navigate as it is on a grid system with Avenues running one way and Streets running across them.  Buses either run along streets or along Avenues so hop on and off until you reach your destination.  Yellow cabs are everywhere and the subway is also quick and easy to navigate.

Will I see any celebrities?

It’s possible!  You can check out which films and TV programs are being made in New York here.

Celebrity haunts to help you maximize your chances

• Angels & Kings 500 East 11th Street Ashlee Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger, Kate Bosworth and Josh Hartnett
• Barney’s 660 Madison Avenue Victoria Beckham, Halle Berry, and Chloe Sevigny
• Butter 415 Lafayette Street Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, Beyonce, Hilary Duff and Hayden Panettiere.
• Hotel Chelsea 222 West 23rd Street Uma Thurman, Rosario Dawson.
• Hotel Gansevoort 18 9th Avenue Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Leonardo diCaprio, Jessica Simpson, Jay-z, Lindsay Lohan, Kelly Ripa, Nicky Hilton.
• J. Sisters 35 West 57th Street, 3rd Floor Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyra Banks, Fergie.
• Nobu 105 Hudson Street Robert De Niro, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet.
• Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon 825 Washington Street Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore, Renee Zellweger.
• Susan Ciminelli Day Spa 754 Fifth Avenue Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Dita Von Teese.

Food and drink

For the best round up of what’s available in New York – and there is a lot – take a look at Time Out’s constantly updated lists of best places to eat, best ‘all you can eat’ places and best places for coffee

New York, New York…

If you’re planning a trip to New York, do some research before you go and try to plan what to go and see.  One trip is only enough to scratch the surface of this vibrant and unique city beloved by so many – so it’s a great excuse to go back again…and again…and again.  Enjoy!

You can book your trip and New York City Hotels from $75! from Priceline.

Starting on a cold November morning, somewhere in the range of zero degrees Celsius, I headed to the meeting point across the road from the Munich Train Station, crunching the ice on the footpath and trying my hardest not to slip up.  Finally boarding the bus to get out of the cold, I got to meet fellow travellers for our sojourn into the Bavarian Alpine Region mainly to see the castles of King Ludwig II.

The guide we had was very informative pointing out various points of interest within Munich and nearby surrounds before we headed in a southerly direction towards and through the Alps.

Coming from Australia, I have never observed scenery like this, especially during a snow season. With each turn it looked like we were heading into another mountain range with all mountains being covered in snow. It was such a surreal feeling and for me, that I found it very hard to comprehend.  Whilst people were napping, I was so transfixed on the views that I just get going on about how beautiful it was. One of the more interesting aspects for me was seeing local German villagers skiing to undertake their normal daily activities, not so much in the city areas but from country property to another.  To be honest, it looked like a lot of hard work. It is no wonder Germans are so fit and very competitive in the alpine events at each Winter Olympics.

The first stop of the tour was the Linderhof Castle.  It is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II and the only one of which he lived to see completion. To me it was like a winter wonderland, with everything under many inches of snow. We were able to tour inside the castle but due to damage caused by camera flashes were not able to take photos in the Castle.  The attention to detail on the inside was nothing short of amazing. It was clear to all how much money King Ludwig II had at his disposal. To think that this was the smallest of the castles, we can only imagine what we will see later on today.

After trudging through the snow, we boarded the bus for our next stop at a lovely little town called Oberammergau. Oberammergau is famous for its “Lüftlmalerei,” or frescoes, of traditional Bavarian themes, fairy tales, or religious scenes found on many homes and buildings. It is also known as the home of a long tradition of woodcarving. The streets of central Oberammergau are home to dozens of woodcarver shops, with pieces ranging from religious subjects, to toys, to humorous portraits.

This is the sort of town a young child would love as the art artwork on the buildings always tells a story. Whilst it was covered in snow, there was a warm feeling about the place and the locals were very friendly, even if they couldn’t direct us accurately to the Little Red Riding Hood Story house. We did see others but that was the one we wanted to see the most.

The views towards the Alps were also to behold and one could only imagine what it would be like to spend Christmas is a town like this. I feel you could truly understand the meaning the Christmas at this very place. A nice warm dinner, Christmas lights on display, carols being sung and not to mention the Christmas markets which are very much a German tradition.

We were allowed about 45 minutes to explore the town before heading to lunch at Hohenschwangua which is a very small village between the Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castles. For lunch we stopped off at a local hotel and as I do when in Germany I always have to have the apple strudel for desert. There is nothing better than a traditional hot apple strudel on a cold day. Prior to that I had a roast pork which was good, but I really only wanted the desert.

Due to time restraints we could only tour one of the two castles and coming all this way, the only castle I wanted to see inside was the Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle was built in the 19^th century  on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau. The palace was commissioned by King Ludwig II as a retreat and as homage to Richard Wagner. The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886.

I must admit the Hohenschwangau Castle looks more spectacular from ground level but it isn’t as famous or well known.  It is a 19th century palace and was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II that was built by his father, King Maximilian of Bavaria. It is only a short walk up a hill to get there and would be worth seeing if you have the time to allow for it.

To enter Neuschwanstein Castle you need to walk up a slope, well more like a hill, which is not as strenuous as one would think, to obtain an entry ticket and this ticket then allocates your time for your tour time. Whilst waiting you can wander around the outside, taking in the views of the surrounding areas, imagining how good the view would be from Mary’s Bridge (was closed at this time of year), practising your snowball throwing or enjoying a warm cup of coffee or a beer while looking at souvenirs.

You might be thinking this the same castle that is commonly known as the Disneyland Castle and you are correct. Having seen the one at Disneyland I can confirm the original is so much better.  The sheer size of the walls, the gates, etc is much bigger than you possibly think, even though some would say the castle is not as big as they would expect. I guess some people are not satisfied either way. To me, seeing it in the winter time is more special as when objects are covered in snow, there is more of a romance to it.

Once inside the castle you are once again not allowed to take photos, much to my annoyance. The first thing that strikes you about it is the amount of gold used in the decorations. I know some people like to flaunt how much money they have, but his level of richness is something to behold. Also the artwork on the inside would look just at home at either the Louvre in Paris or the Hermitage in St Petersberg.

One of the more interesting facts is in the dining room, where he would sit facing a mirror. This was so he felt like he was having dinner with someone else. I guess even if you are a King, there is still a feeling of loneliness at times.

Once we finished the tour inside and wished we had the riches, we headed back down the hill as darkness was setting in to pile back into the bus for the trip back into Munich. This was a perfect time to catch up on some sleep, look back over our photos or just chat with others. Finally we arrived back in the city, dropping us back off where we started, saying our farewells to the guide and driver, before heading back to our accommodations.

Archway Entrance Neuschwanstein Castle

Snow Covered Stairs Neuschwanstein Castle

Mary's Bridge

Looking Down from Neuschwanstein Castle

Grounds around Linderhof Castle

Hohenschwangau Castle

Hohenschwangau Township

Oberammergau

‘ A Day Tour into the Bavarian Alpine Region of Germany’ was contributed to TravelTripz.com by Tony Sinclair, a freelance writer and photographer who has traveled extensively.

Tony is involved with Adelaide Walks which is a Free Saturday Morning Walking Tour around Adelaide city and parklands. The walks are primarily aimed towards backpackers although anyone who is visiting Adelaide can benefit from getting to know their way around Adelaide with the assistance of  a local personality.

Whether you’re traveling to the United States for a vacation or business, or you already live there, hiring a rental care can be a daunting prospect…especially if you’ve never done it before.  Here’s our ‘no tears’ guide to car rental, USA. Read about our car rental experience in LasVegas.

Renting a car…

You can find the nearest rental company and pick a car but we really wouldn’t advise that.  You will probably end up paying top dollar because they will see you coming.  If you’ve just come in off a long-haul flight, you don’t want to fill in masses of paperwork or search in a huge airport terminal for rental areas.

The good news is that you can easily avoid all of those pitfalls by booking online before you travel.  You may also get a discount for booking online and if you don’t find what you want first time, just surf to the next company – easy!

Many rental companies will also come and collect you to pick up your car and if they’re not far away, it is usually free.

Where are you intending to go?

This isn’t as stupid as it sounds.  Car hirers sometimes want you to stay within the borders of the state that you rented the car in.  If you need to cross State lines, it’s worth hiring from a large rental organization as these usually allow you to travel between states – however, be prepared to pay a premium for this and they wish to know where you’re travelling.

Be aware that although many rental vehicles may be driven in the USA and even Canada, the small print often warns you that you may not drive into Mexico.  So if you have to go there, be sure of your ground before renting.  You may need to travel into Mexico and then rent a care there.

Don’t be tempted to not tell the rental company your travel plans.  If you are unlucky enough to have an accident out of State, then your insurance may become invalid and you would be personally responsible for any repair costs as well as very high legal and medical fees if you or anyone else is injured.  It’s just not worth it!

Official Documentation

If you’re traveling to the USA, you may use your national license as long as it is in a language that uses the Roman Alphabet.  If your country doesn’t, then you will need to obtain an International license from a motoring organization such as the AA, RAC etc.

Many places will accept the photo license card but some also require the paper counterpart.  To avoid frustration and problems, check with the rental company before you leave home or just take both to be on the safe side.

Age requirements

Car rental companies do hold age restrictions and these vary from company to company and state to state.  It is important to check your quotation for their exact requirements because you may need to pay extra if you’re under the minimum or over the maximum age.  Some companies will also refuse to hire certain types of vehicles to younger drivers.  Check before you sign on the dotted line.

Payments and Deposits

Few car rental companies will let you take a car without a credit card.  Some people get confused about how this works and you need to understand it.  The rental companies often don’t explain clearly.

What usually happens is that the rental company doesn’t take the cash off your credit card immediately.  They often put a ‘hold’ on your card for the weekly cost of the rental.  This is to protect them from people who don’t bring the car back or who try to get out of paying.  What it means for you is that while the ‘hold’ is on your card, you can’t spend that money, so it’s worth having a separate card just for the rental to avoid confusion and problems.

In the USA and Canada, most rental companies will accept:

• American Express
• Diner’s Club International
• Mastercard
• Visa

As a final check, most rental companies ask that the renter’s name must be the name on the credit card and the signature on the back of the card must match the name on the card.  And don’t forget that as a general rule, all charges are taken off the card at the time of rental not when you bring it back.

Fuel

Most companies rent you a car with a full tank and the cost of this is usually added to your rental cost.  Some companies offer packages where fuel is included so again, check before you buy.

It is usually your responsibility to return the car with a full tank or to pay for any shortfall.

Some companies automatically add the cost of a full tank of fuel to your rental cost if you are having the car for longer than five days.  If this is the case, then you don’t need to fill up before returning the car.  Do check before driving away.

Some companies don’t fill the tank but say that you need to return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel that you started with.  In these cases, get an employee to check the fuel level, write it onto your rental agreement and sign it.  That way, you shouldn’t have any issues with them claiming that the tank was full when it actually wasn’t.

Fuel in the USA

• Unleaded Petroleum (gasoline or gas)
• Diesel
• Before driving away in your rental car, make sure that you know whether it uses petrol or diesel.  If you do make a mistake, don’t drive away from the petrol station as you may cause severe damage to the car and you would be liable for the extensive repair costs.  Tell a service station employee who will drain the tank for you and then fill it with the correct fuel.
• Gas stations in America are often open 24 hours a day although times can vary in more rural areas.  Many are self service. At many gas stations, you are required to swipe your credit card at the pump before filling up.  Most credit cards are accepted.

One other thing to check is how to get into the fuel tank. Paula and I had a somewhat humorous experience when we went to fill the tank and I was searching everywhere for the button to open the gas tank. In the end I went and asked another customer who was filling his car. He looked at me as if I was from outer space and said “Lady, you use the finger groove on the tank cover.” And sure enough when I went back to the car there was the groove on the tank cover that I had to pull open. Not used to this, all the cars I drive have the release button in the car.

So just something else to keep in mind if you are not a local USA resident.

Staying out of trouble

This is especially important if you are a visitor to the USA and not familiar with their road laws.  Familiarize yourself with American road laws and be aware that those laws may change from one State to another so if you are crossing states, check the laws in both.

Points to check

• What are the speed limits?
• Do you understand the road markings and road signs?
• What you need to do if there is an accident or emergency?
• Some States require headlights or sidelights to be used at all times.
• Most States require the driver (and front seat passenger) to wear a seat belt and for children in the back seat to wear seatbelts too.
• Drinking and driving will get you a heavy fine or a prison sentence in all States.

  Paying for ‘extras’

  Read the rental agreement carefully to see what it includes and just as importantly, what it doesn’t include.  Make sure that you have adequate insurance but don’t get so nervous about it that you end up with excess charges that are ridiculous.

  You will need Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance so check your own insurance policy before you rent to see whether it’s less expensive to extend your own policy for the duration of your trip rather than buy from the rental company.

  Returning the car

  Make sure that the agreed date of return is written on the rental policy so that there is no argument about it.  Make sure that you leave adequate time to get the car back or you may have to pay for an extra day.  Check to see what any penalties may be and then make sure that you avoid them!

  Do your homework…

  A little research and comparison can avoid a lot of disappointment and frustration.  Be prepared to put in some time and effort before renting and then you should be assured a good experience.  Happy driving!

The first legal guidelines were passed in the United states to regulate civil aviation in the 1920′s. Of particular importance was the Air Commerce Act 1926, which required pilots and aircraft to be subjected to testing and licensed, for incidents to be properly investigated, and for the establishment of safety principles and navigation supports, under the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) repair stations specialize in evaluating and the maintenance of pneumatic parts for commercial, business and military aircraft. Operating advanced machines designed to meet the high-quality benchmarks of the FAA and the airline industry, the repair stations are able to identify and repair equipment to the standards recognized by the OEMs.

Retaining correctly repaired items on the aircraft might not involve critical parts. But just like a chain, the weakest links can bring it all down. Aircraft parts can be broken in a variety of different ways. Some of the more frequent causes can be lightning, engine failure, metal fatigue, delamination, fire, bird strikes, ground damage and of course, human factors. Metal fatigue and delamination as well as the other destruction causing examples are great opportunities for FAA repair stations to promptly repair the damaged items restoring them to their high operational specifications.

With cooling turbines/starters/PDU’s FAA repair stations can setup test cells to check air turbine starters, air cycle machines/cooling turbines and PDU’s from the smaller corporate/commuter types through the newest generation of wide body commercial aircraft. With seperate computerized test consoles located outside of the test cell, housing all guages and controls allows the technicians to maintain highly precise measurement. Electrically Driven Fans, Motors & Auxiliary Components can be subjected to testing in additional test cells that are setup to test AC and DC electrically driven fans, motors and other electrical accessories. Finally, valves are normally tested yet again in another test cell containing a valve test console, universal valve test stand and high-flow altitude chamber for pneumatic valve testing at less than ambient pressures. This cell contains all controls for low (105 PSI) and high pressure (350 PSI) air and vacuum.

The National Transportation Safety Board (2006) accounts 1.3 deaths per hundred million vehicle miles for travel by car, and 1.7 deaths per hundred million vehicle miles for travel by air. These are not passenger miles. If an airplane has 100 people, then the passenger miles are 100 times higher, producing the risk 100 times lower. These are just a few of the procedures that repair stations take into account when repairing and retooling aircraft equipment. This level of quality and administration allows us to with confidence state that air travel is the most secure in terms of deaths per passenger mile.

Aircraft Pneumatics Overhaul

Destin is a quaint town on Floridas “Emerald Coast”. Located in Okaloosa County, the towns official slogan is, “The World’s  Luckiest Fishing Village”, and for guests attracted in sun, surf, and sports, that is precisely what Destin offers. More  than 3.5 million tourists pass through Destin each year, looking for the most excellent fishing on the Gulf Coast, the finest beaches,  and the most scenic shorelines.

Destin vacation rentals are known throughout the area and the country as some of the most beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast, the  crystal clear waters off Destins shore are outstanding for snorkeling or scuba diving, or simply wading out into the sea.

Destin began as a little fishing village and has grown into a major sport fishing hotspot. Destin is residence to the biggest  fishing fleet in Florida, though fishing doesnt always involve a boat. The pier or several jetties bestow access to a lot of  species of fish that survive near to the shore. Casting a line from the beach is also popular. When planning your journey and  making reservation for vacation rentals, keep in mind the paramount times for fishing. For dock fishing, the months between  April and October are best, as this is the Pompano season.

But Pompano isnt the only fish to be caught from the pier. Live, frozen, or imitation bait will yield whiting, channel  bass, sheepshead, blue runner, bluefish, sail cat, spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, and bonito. A quantity of of the finest fishing in the vicinity can be found in the Choctawhatchee Bay and the adjoining marshes. The fishing in  that neighborhood is year round and brings in speckled sea trout, sheepshead, white trout, channel bass, red fish, sail cat,  bluefish, and flounder.

For some additional family entertainment and a scrumptious meal, crabbing on the seashore of the bay can produce in blue crabs most times of the  year.

For sportsmen more accustomed to trolling, the paramount period for this is from March to November. The arrival of the Cobia in  the spring signals the beginning of the season. Anglers from every part of over the region come to Destin to cast their lines at the  seasons outset. Cobia in surplus of 100 pounds are regularly caught in this season. Trolling can also beget in king mackerel,  spanish mackerel and bonito.

The charter fleets in Destin will escort you and your family out for half day, whole day, or even overnight fishing  adventures, so pack your bait and tackle.

For the golfing devotee, Destin offers year round courses at reasonable rates. Destin draws upwards of 320 days of  sunshine per year and the climate is always pleasant. You will find hardly any better vacation destinations for golfers within the United  States. After a day of fishing, golfing, or simply relaxing, try one of Destins various restaurants. As you could expect, seafood is the  local specialty, with in excess of 20 styles of fish available to local chefs during any one season. Destin features one of  the biggest selections of seafood restaurants around the Gulf of Mexico.

Destin is known as a picturesque town with sun, surf, and sports activities. Its no wonder so many individuals are drawn to  Destin every year, looking for  the best fishing on the Gulf Coast, the finest beaches, and probably the most scenic shorelines.

Merida’s Rich History is Worth the Trip

Merida is an ancient colonial city and the capital of the Yucatan state proudly located to the west of Quintana Roo, wealthy with historical churches, architecturally unique buildings, delicious flavors, music, night life, shopping and more.  Each night, the Historic Center hosts traditional folk dancers, right in front of City Hall, dancing to live music, in traditional costume.  On Sunday nights, salsa and cumbia dance liven up the streets.  Restaurants and street vendors are plentiful, as is the shopping.  Staying near the Main Square is recommended.

My wife and I had the delight of staying at Casa Mexilio, in Merida, over the first weekend in August, 2009 and it was one of the most distinctive places we have ever stayed.  Located next to the town center, about 4 blocks from the main square, you will locate Casa Mexilio squeezed in amid homes and establishments along one of the normally urban sections of Merida.  All of the buildings in this portion of town have no spaces between them and the only manner to rapidly separate where one ends and the next one begins is the difference in paint.  Each block is consequently full in unique colors and individual distinguishable window boxes, signs, benches, and the like. 

The main doorway to Casa Mexilio, a Merida hotel, is rather non-descript, with a few metal gates fronting wooden doors right on the street.  Don’t be fooled by the lack of ordainment outside this exceptional small lodge.  Once inside, the hotel is more museum than hotel with vintage furniture, artifacts, books and photos throughout.  It really is akin to stepping back in time.  The lodge is a modified house dating back to the late 19th century and is detailed of its particular colorful history as are the buildings and city of Merida that surround it.

The focal courtyard of the hotel is positioned directly behind the front desk and service area where you will find a lush garden and “grotto” like pool with a Jacuzzi.  It always stays pleasant and cool due to the shade of the gardens and secluded location, a great place to cool off anytime and very romantic.  We went for a swim to cool off before bed one night and the burning aroma of copal was a good touch (this is a indigenous herb and incense noted for its purification properties).  This area with the trees and plants almost reminds you of being in a jungle cenote apart from there are stairs and balconies virtually everywhere you gaze.  There is even an elevated walkway that connects one of the top sections of the inn.  There are patios, landings and secret garden nooks everywhere; the place begs to be explored.

Our room was astonishing with very high ceilings and reasonably clean with a comfortable king sized bed, added pillows, ceiling fan and AC, though we only used the AC for a few hours at night, the ceiling fan was wonderful for air circulation.  The furnishings, like everything else we saw while we were there were classic, antique couches, chairs, dressers, bed and wardrobes, really nice touches. Our room also had eclectic tiled floors.  I honestly don’t know the actual name of our room, but each one has its own distinctive charm with similar furnishings from what we could see, one of the nicest Merida hotels available.

Our only disappointment was missing a great breakfast!  We got out of bed exceptionally early…too early for breakfast obviously as we looked around and didn’t catch a glimpse of anyone (this was around 7am) so we walked a few blocks to one of the local cafes.  Upon our return to the inn one of the waiters stopped by our room wanting to know if we wanted breakfast.  We’ll definitely catch that on our next visit!  We will be back to Merida in search of other attractive sites, sounds and flavors and endorse this hotel to anyone, as it is sincerely a magical place.