Reviews about Travel

smartshoppersusan says "The arch and that area was a lot of fun" about St. Louis Gateway Arch - St. Louis, MO

smartshoppersusan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:09:41 GMT

The St. Louis arch was great - what a view from the top. We went during the 4th of July holiday and they had so much going on around the arch (I didn't ralize until this trip that it is actually a national parks service area). The city had a big "party" going on all around the arch with rides, games, a maze, food booths, it was so hot and the fire dept. had a couple of trucks out with the water pouring out for the kids to run under and get cooled off, also there were FREE concerts (we got to see Aretha Franklin and she was awesome, also beach boys and salt N Peppa). It was the first time I tasted "dippin dots' (a type of ice cream that came in a bowl and was a mass of little dots of ice cream - multiple flavors to choose from). The water front area had shopping, restaurants, clubs. We found a hotel that was close to the arch that didn't cost us an arm and a leg with a pool on the roof with a great view.

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tornadopat says "Comfy stay for a reasonable price" about Best Western Franklin Park Suites - Columbus, Ohio - Columbus, OH

tornadopat — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:46:03 GMT

The Best Western Franklin Park Suites are the cat's meow for an overnight stay in Columbus, Ohio. The cost was surprisingly low ($90) for all amenities that were offered by this wonderful hotel. We stayed in a suite with a king size bed, had two tv's (one for me to watch my mystery shows, and one for the bride to watch her "Dancing with the Stars"), within walking distance of several great eateries, exercise area, a bar for night time libations with free chips and salsa, and outstanding employees who bent over backwards to ensure our stay was comfortable. The free breakfast was a banquet for these old eyes to include a hot meal with all the trimmings, plates and silverware, superb coffee to open these old eyeballs before traveling, several juices and an excellent atmosphere. Pictures are attached. I highly recommend a stay for traveler's or business as this hotel is there to serve you proudly!!

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brilliantguide says "Beijing Tour Guide" about Beijing

brilliantguide — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:18:46 GMT

About me ---Beijing Brilliant Tour Guide

Beijing Brilliant Tour Guide is the creation of Bob Wang. Born in Liaoning Province, Bob came to Beijing in 2001. Always interested in the English language, Bob has spent many years in its study. When China opened itself to the West, Bob realized there were opportunities to show off his beautiful city. He went to Tian'an men Square in 2002 and met some U.S. flight attendants who were looking for assistance. They marveled at his command of English and readily recommended Bob to any of their friends wishing to see Beijing.

Beijing Brilliant Tour Guide is fully licensed and has been in business, in the person of Bob Wang, since 2002. "Tourists are not all alike," Bob explains. "Over the years, I have learned that some tourists want to see the 'sights' while others want to immerse themselves in the historical culture of the Chinese People. Still others, want to shop for any number of things to take home - from art to antiques, jewelry,...

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askrob says "If you need a quick midwest getaway, this is the place" about Sundara Spa - Wisconsin Dells, WI

askrob — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:09:05 GMT

Have been to Sundara several times, and always have the same experience. This is the place to relax for a weekend getaway. First it is relatively new (that is a major plus in my preference set...I would prefer a new roadside motel at the airport to an old 5 star on Central Park). Luckily, Sundara is not only relatively new, it set in a beautiful area of the Dells (no water parks to be seen for at least a mile).

The new Wild Rock Golf Club is right next door and guest get preferred rate. there is a complimentary spa breakfast buffet, and dining in menus for lunch and dinner.

All the rooms have fireplaces, Kohler power showers and baths, and most have screened portches and there is a terrifc spa and heated pool as well. Above all it is quiet. I never thought that I the Dells would be a place that I would want to that is probably because we do not have kids yet), but Sundara makes the stay worth while.

Here are the accolades as well

10 Most Romantic Spas in America
- Luxury SpaFinder...

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ChristinaLamoureux says "They have great service and interesting seating " about Southwest Airlines

ChristinaLamoureux — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:47:10 GMT

I am reviewing Southwest airlines which I have traveled on twice from Tulsa to Los Angeles. I was unaware of the seating arrangements when I first boarded the flight, so I was confused why people were in such a hurry to line up at the gate, and it kind of reminded me of a rat race. Once on board I found a seat and soon discovered it was comfortable and the service was wonderful. Everyone was friendly and they even showed a movie which helped to pass the time. Overall I enjoyed my flight not to mention it was the most affordable; however I do think that even though the seating arrangements are interesting and different, it can also be a deterrent for those who don't feel like being so aggressive in order to get a good seat. Often times when traveling a person gets tired and just does not want to be bothered with seating arrangements, so I think it would benefit the company to have half of the plan assigned with planned seating, and the other half can be the free for all innovative seating....

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cynterslave says "Ground crews are horrible" about United Airlines

cynterslave — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:16:26 GMT

I lived in Baltimore and traveled weekly to various west coast states for 2 years. I often connected in Chicago or Denver. I obtained 1K status in the Mileage Plus frequent flyer program. Most of the time the flight atendants were OK...they basically did their job but didn't really seem to care about service. The ground crews were always another story. Most of the time they were just rude to people. I suspect that most of them are burned out and kind of ticked off at upper management and the general working conditions with the layoffs and pay cuts, etc. The Mileage Plus program, especially as a 1K member, really didn't get you much for your loyalty. You basically got to pre-board the aircraft through the special "red carpet" lane and always got the 5 extra inches of leg room seats near the front of the plane. If you requested 1st class (and paid with miles or e-certificates), you almost always got it. Other airlines offer unlimited 1st class seats. I never really checked...

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tornadopat says "Put on a smile and stay awhile" about Okoboji

tornadopat — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:28:07 GMT

As a traveler of old US Highways and two-lane roads, my bride of 40 years and I came upon the beautiful great lakes of Iowa on US Highway 71. The Iowa Great Lakes are composed six lakes named Spirit Lake, West Okoboji, EAst Okoboji, Upper Gar and Lower Gar. There are endless activities for all who enjoy leisure time. All the active boating activities are present plus two amusement parks, eight golf courses, go-cart racing, mini-golf, tennis and over 20 trails which can be used for biking, hiking, jogging, roller-blading, walking and just plain fun to enjoy the lush areas and sight seeing. Camping, picnicing and local parks abound throughout the area.

Every month of the year has something special going on for all to do something special. The attractions for visitors to the area are top-notch which include intertainment, museums, theaters, historical attractions and even a scenic ride on the Queen II which takes you around the Lakes. Evening entertainment...

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tornadopat says "A King and Queen delight" about Best Western - Ft Dodge, IA

tornadopat — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:25:55 GMT

The Best Western Hotel in Fort Dodge, Iowa was the cat's meow. I have to say that because I went a little overboard to wine and dine the bride of 40 years at this location which I do once in awhile just cause I love her. So this is a two fold review for the Best Western and the old Fort Dodge Museum and Fort. After leaving Winterset, Iowa and Bridges of Madison County, we arrived early afternoon at Fort Dodge and were greeted by the sweetest receptionist ever named Martha. I told her I want to sweep the bride of 40 off her feet and she told me she has perfect room for us. It was a king size bed with all the bells and whistles to include a bath hot tub (oh boy and I will leave the rest to your imagination on that one). It was just a tad over a hundred dollars, but well worth the stay on this trip and I accumulated a few extra points on my account for this one. After settling into the room, we were off to visit the old Fort Dodge. It was only minutes away from the motel. ...

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zwep says "basic place to stay in Brinkley" about Econo Lodge Brinkley AR - Brinkley, AR

zwep — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:12:20 GMT

We recently stayed at the Econo Lodge in Brinkley, AR. Though we've stayed in Brinkley before (many years ago) we've never stayed in the Econo Lodge in Brinkley. This is an older facility, kind of in a courtyard, all rooms on 1st floor. Parking is within this courtyard, which can be kind of tight to pull in/out (if the place is fully occupied, which it was during our stay). Despite the almost full house, it seemed pretty quiet, though we did hear some late-arriving people, they quieted down pretty quickly. The room had a roomy in-room refrigerator and a good air-conditioner (needed for our stay).

Though it appears outside to be an older facility, it seems to have been recently remodeled and inside looked fairly up to date. It did have Wifi, so I got my wireless fix. Breakfast was simple, cereal, bagels/doughnuts/toast with coffee and orange juice.

Though this hotel was pretty basic, we'd probably stay here again, as it met all of our needs.

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zwep says "Good location but no WIFI and broken ice machine sour stay" about Econo Lodge Effingham - Effingham, IL

zwep — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:58:20 GMT

Though we've stayed in Effingham, Il. previously, we hadn't previously stayed at the Econo Lodge in Effingham, Il. It was located near I70/I55 before the two roads split.

Our room was a downstairs room with a great view of the BP sign from the gas station adjacent. The weather was cool, dry, and very nice, and for some reason I spent some time staring up at the BP sign against the blue sky with big puffy clouds.

Two things bothered me about this motel. The first was that though the hotel advertises having WIFI (wireless Internet) they apparently don't have it...at least the gentleman at the desk told me there was no WIFI at this location...which was dissapointing to me since if I don't get my daily connection I seem to feel isolated. The second thing was that their icemakers were both coincidentally broken. The guy at the desk was nice, he mentioned they had previously had problems with Ice, but though it had been fixed...apparently not while we were there (they have 2 icemachines,...

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zwep says "Kind of seedy...being remodeled" about Econolodge - Washington, PA

zwep — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:32:55 GMT

We got a good deal at the Econolodge in Washington, PA. so we decided to drive on past Pittsburgh and onto Washington for a stay here. Our first impression wasn't great, they didn't have anyone in the office and it took awhile to get someone to check us in. It turns out the rooms are being remodeled, and the office staff was doing something to help out back in some of the rooms. Likewise, when I asked for extra towels on another visit to the office, it took some time for them to know I was in the office and to get me the towels (fortunately they gave me lots of towels).

The whole section of the hotel near the office was under construction, there were pieces of faux marble, sinks, and other construction materials in the parking lot, so we were directed to a room in another section of the hotel. The room was OK, but a bit seedy, with lots of construction going on even nearby our room. It was quiet at night, though, so we slept OK. The breakfast was basic but good (they opened...

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zwep says "Just right for a stay in Reynoldsburg" about America's Best Value Inn - Reynoldsburg, OH

zwep — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:16:33 GMT

We stayed at the America's Best Value Inn in Reynoldsburg, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus). We were visiting Granville, about 24 miles away, and had previously stayed at hotels nearer to Granville than Reynoldsburg, but didn't quite care for them...the America's Best Value Inn in Reynoldsburg, Ohio wasn't fancy, but suited our needs well. First, it is located near exit 210 off of I 70 near the 270 loop, and there were lots of businesses nearby and it was easy to get started the next day into Columbus. Second, it did have wireless internet, which might be pretty common these days, but the 2 preceeding hotels we stayed at didn't have it, so I was missing it pretty badly by the time we stayed here (what can I say...I like to get online often, and miss even a day or two without it). We had to look up key information about our stay, so the wireless connection was even more essential. The room was comfortable and quiet, and the breakfast, though not fancy was tasty (they had very nice doughnuts,...

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tornadopat says "Zooooorific" about St Louis Zoo

tornadopat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:18:44 GMT

My family has been to many zoos around the world, but I classify the the St Louis Zoo as one of the best two that I have ever visited hence the zooooorific time we had. It will take a good day to see all the attractions as it has six major areas within the zoo. It doesn't cost a dime to enter the zoo, but parking in the zoo parking lot costs $11.00. However if you get there early enough in the morning there is free side street parking within walking distance of the zoo. Although the zoo is free, there are several attractions that require a fee such as the merry-go-round carousel and a couple of shows within the zoo. You can buy a wristband at the entrance which will get you into those attractions cheaper than paying for each one. A mini-rail system goes around the whole zoo with four stops that gets you to each area easily if you want to save some walking steps. Photo opportunities abound throughout the zoo area. Food is expensive, however their are picnic areas outside...

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tornadopat says "A restful respite" about La Quinta Inn - St Louis Maryland Heights, MO

tornadopat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:42:07 GMT

The St Louis Maryland Heights La Quinta has to be one of the best and wants your business. When we made reservations over the phone, they asked for our email address to give us our confirmation numbers. We received our confirmation numbers within an hour or so and lo and behold in addition they gave us the weather report for the entire stay, activities that were going on, and a notice of a couple of bargains that could be had. I thought that was super of them to do that. Upon arrival about noon on a Friday (which is rather early) they did give us one of three rooms to store our luggage until all the rooms were ready. The staff rep was a super lady named Kem who continually helped us throughout the stay to include google directions to all the attractions we were going to to visit. The rooms were nice, the was a local bar/eatery next to the La Quinta, a complimentary breakfast as usual (or a Denny's across the street if we wanted that), and very courteous staff personnel. It...

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tornadopat says "A rustic journey into the past" about Hannibal

tornadopat — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:01:20 GMT

Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher beckon you to the rustic old town of Hannibal Missouri. You can even stroll the streets with Mark Twain (see wife with Mark) and listen to the history of the town and how Tom and Becky came into existence. It is worth spending a day or two in this little burg nestled in Northeast Missouri. There are several museums dedicated to Twain and his writings, plus a museum about the river running by the town. There are also several nice eateries, saloons, and a few nice shopping areas for the ladies:) I highly encourage this stop be put on your travel itinerary. (PS - The Mississippi had flooded while we were there and the flood walls kept us safe and dry)

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zwep says "Good choice for overnight stay in Mayfield " about Super 8 - Mayfield, KY

zwep — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:09:38 GMT

I forgot to write this review before, but last year I had also stayed at the Super 8 in Mayfield Ky.S last year, though I do recall that it was also a nice stay. We enjoy stopping in this area of Kentucky, and the Super 8 is a nice place to stay. It has interior-door rooms which many people like (in the Southern states, it seems that inexpensive motels mostly have exterior entrances, I guess because of the good weather?). We were able to get a downstairs room, which is great because my father is handicapped, and the Super 8 doesn't have an elevator. The innkeeper was nice, and recommended a nearby restaurant which we enjoyed very much. Breakfast was pretty basic, but was a good start to the day. The hotel is located just off exit 24 off the Kentucky Parkway in Mayfield, a good location. Mayfield is an older town, but nice to visit, and near the "Land between the Lakes" TVA location between Kentucky and Tennesee. We'll likely stay here again during another trip in this vicinity....

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missonya says "days inn turned out to be a nightmare." about days inn - willoughby, OH

missonya — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:33:09 GMT

my birthday is coming up, my husband has to go out of town on the day of my birthday so he decided that we should get a room and spend some quality time together and i should get a break away from the children. i am money conscience my husband is not, he wanted a room with all the extras. i tried getting a room at the radisson but they were booked on the kind of room i was looking for, i now wish i would have booked a regular room from them. the attendent told me the best thing to do was to go to hotels.com and try to find what i was looking for. i logged onto hotels.com and found a room at the days inn in willoughby. the price was right for a basic room. i booked the room and went to mapquest.com to find the directions of how to get there. it went downhill from there. after driving in circles for two hours i called the hotel to see if they could help us by giving us directions i was told that he could not help because he was not familiar with the area we were in. we drove some more, i......

madgolfer says "Ultimate Bed & Breakfast" about Belhurst Castle - Geneva, NY, NY

madgolfer — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:02:05 GMT

Niagara Falls from New England? With about an hour left to drive, this is the place to stop. One of the most romantic spots in New York State, Belhurst Castle is located in the heart of the wine region on the shore of Seneca Lake an hour west of Syracuse, 10 minutes south of the thruway. A wide variety of accomodations but a night in the castle is unforgettable, and there's always a wedding party to crash. Two restaurants, Edgar's offers more formal intimacy or the Stonecutter lounge for a "sandwich" on the terrace. Delightful free continental breakfast of fresh fruits and pastry. The Castle offers architecture of carved aged cherry, chestnut and rich mahogany, combined with mosaic-tiled fireplaces and a storied history as an illicit speakeasy & casino. The original 1880 blueprints are hung in the lobby. The gift shop features wine tasting of Belhurst's winery. Then off to the Romance Capital of America, Niagara.

Belhurst.com for details.

Perhaps a return trip to White...

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madgolfer says "Should have its own star on the flag" about Disneyworld

madgolfer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:10:53 GMT

An American experience, everything we believe in and cherish is there, history, science, adventure, the future and the beauty of all things real and imagined. If you get good weather, lol.

Packages and airfares are being discounted, park hours extended and the crowds are comfortable. Security is probably much tighter than appears and all bags are opened by guards at park entrances. Try to spend a day at each of Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and a couple nights for the spectacular fireworks at Epcot or the Magic Kingdom, best viewed from in front of the castle. Recent additions (this century) include Everest Expedition at Animal Kingdom, Aerosmith-inspired Rockin' Rollercoaster and the Lights, Motors, Action stuntcar show at Hollywood Studios. Even a full week at Disneyworld barely covers the ground, and fun everywhere... parades, rides, costumes, architecture and all the wonderful Disney cast members, it's like a cult! Also new (for us) are "fastpass"...

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akwon83 says "Unforgettable service and comfort" about Asiana Airlines

akwon83 — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:58:11 GMT

I recently took a business class trip on Asiana last month to South Korea and Hong Kong and then back to Chicago. I can say, I usually have the hardest times falling asleep since I am a light sleeper, but I was able to fall asleep easily from the comfort and space of the seating. The food on the flight was also excellent, and even inbetween meal times, they had these "meal"-like snack options like petite croissant turkey sandwiches or ramen noodles which were great. On the last flight back home from HK back to Chicago, I was starting to get a little sick and the flight attendants were fabulous in helping me and getting me anything I needed. Overall, I had a pleasant experience with Asiana and I would recommend this airline to anyone flying abroad....