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Post by inger on Jan 19, 2019 12:54:19 GMT -5
Is not prejudice vs. the prejudiced a form of prejudice?...
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Post by domeplease on Jan 22, 2019 10:59:37 GMT -5
--01-19-19: www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/vacation-spots-you-should-avoid-in-2019/ss-BBS52BG?li=BBnbklE&ocid=U147DHP#image=15
--01-22-19: www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/chinese-food-they-wont-eat-in-china/ss-BBSqK57
--01-19-19: 247wallst.com/special-report/2019/01/18/the-fastest-growing-and-shrinking-states-3/
--01-21-19 IMPORTANT: www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/the-most-annoying-things-that-happen-on-planes-ranked/ss-BBS3Xkf?li=BBnb7Kz#image=41
--01-21-19: edition.cnn.com/travel/article/virgin-voyages-scarlet-lady/index.html I MIGHT HAVE SPOKEN TOO SOON ABOUT CRUISES (see prior posts)…
The designers behind the suites say they called on the Virgin brand's rock and roll heritage, with rooms featuring nods to icons such as Grace Jones.
Sailors can expect a retro-futurism vibe with deep blues and iridescent dichroic elements in the bathroom to echo the deep blue sea.
"We wanted to inject a bit of exclusive, distinctive, luxurious feeling nostalgia in a contemporary way that speaks to today's traveler more," says Dee Cooper, senior vice president of design for Virgin Voyages, in a statement.
All suite guests will have access to Richard's Rooftop, "an exclusive chic outdoor lounge."
Changing the way we cruise
A joint venture between Virgin Group and Bain Capital, Virgin Voyages is targeted at travelers who might not normally consider cruising.
The progression shouldn't come as a surprise, given Virgin already has stakes in aviation, trains, hotels and even space travel.
The Scarlet Lady is the first of three planned Virgin Voyages ships, with two more due to come in 2021 and 2022.
According to the ship's builder, Fincantieri, it will weigh about 110,000 gross tons and stretch 278 meters long and 38 meters wide.
With 1,430 cabins, it will hold more than 2,770 passengers who will be serviced by 1,160 crew.
Virgin Voyages has unveiled sleek new ship designs in hopes of attracting a different kind of cruise ship traveler.
With a silver-gray hull and smoked glass, the ship's design was inspired by the sleek luxury of a yacht, while red highlights are of course a nod to Virgin's branding.
The ship will feature over 20 dining and drinking options -- but no buffets, main dining rooms or assigned dining times like you'd find on traditional cruise ships. Formal wear nights? They've ditched that idea too.
Restaurants will include Wake, which serves "a theatrical take on steak and seafood" and is "the most glamorous restaurant on the ship." As the name implies, it's located at the back of the ship and offers dramatic views of its wake."
Test Kitchen will be a laboratory-like eatery -- "part cooking school and part restaurant."
A rendering of the ship's Korean restaurant, Geonbae, where top-shelf soju shots are on the house.
Virgin Voyages
But the one that we're most intrigued by is Geonbae, a Korean BBQ restaurant.
"Hosted by the loudest servers at sea, each meal will begin with a complimentary round of soju for the table and throughout the evening sailors are encouraged to take part in lively Korean drinking games," says Virgin Voyages' description of the restaurant.
All of the ship's restaurant food will be included in the fare, with no upcharges -- another departure from what you'll find on big brand ships currently plying the seas.
Other onboard amenities include plenty of creatively designed outdoor recreational spaces, including the Athletic Club, an outdoor lounge featuring what the cruise line claims will be the largest daybed at sea.
Celebrity Edge: 'Futuristic' cruise ship completes maiden voyage
There will also be an onboard tattoo and body piercing parlor, dubbed Squid Ink, part of a partnership with New York's World Famous Ink.
Single-use plastic will be banned from the ship. This means no plastic straws, bottles, stirrers, condiment packs and other unnecessary food packaging. Still and sparkling water will be complimentary.
Ready to set sail? Virgin Voyages will open for bookings on February 14th.
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Post by michcusejoe5 on Jan 22, 2019 11:26:57 GMT -5
Going to St. George, Utah with the boys later this year for golf. Anyone know the area, have any recommendations for food or activity? We are going to fly in and out of Vegas (spend some time there obviously) and then play golf in Mesquite, Nevada and St. George area for half the week.
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 22, 2019 16:00:39 GMT -5
Going to St. George, Utah with the boys later this year for golf. Anyone know the area, have any recommendations for food or activity? We are going to fly in and out of Vegas (spend some time there obviously) and then play golf in Mesquite, Nevada and St. George area for half the week. Lucky you, Joe. I spent a lot of time working in Las Vegas 20 or so years ago, and even though a little Vegas goes a long way with me -- when you have to go there regularly, it gets old real fast -- everybody should give it a shot. The sports books give things a little extra zing if you like that. A good place to go with the lads, for sure. I have been to St. George several times. It is (or was anyway) a very orderly, very tidy town where we could never find a single blade of grass out of place, or a broken tree limb, or a patch of ground that needed the weeds pulled. It is a heavily Mormon retirement town, with some interesting pioneer history in a beautiful setting. I have no doubt the golfing will be outstanding. There are some nice hikes very nearby to both Vegas and St. George. When the ringing of slot machines became too much for me, I would head off to Red Rocks State Park for some hiking. Also nearby is Hoover Dam, which is well worth an excursion if you have the time. Near St. George is Snow Canyon State Park, another place for good hiking through sheer mountain paths. Zion National Park is only 45 minutes away, and that is truly spectacular, as are most national parks. About two hours from St. George is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is breathtakingly beautiful. Both of them are well worth the effort to see if you have the time (and if the government shutdown doesn't affect them. It varies from place to place.) We will look forward to your after-action report. Sounds like a great trip. |
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Post by michcusejoe5 on Jan 22, 2019 16:23:07 GMT -5
Going to St. George, Utah with the boys later this year for golf. Anyone know the area, have any recommendations for food or activity? We are going to fly in and out of Vegas (spend some time there obviously) and then play golf in Mesquite, Nevada and St. George area for half the week. Lucky you, Joe. I spent a lot of time working in Las Vegas 20 or so years ago, and even though a little Vegas goes a long way with me -- when you have to go there regularly, it gets old real fast -- everybody should give it a shot. The sports books give things a little extra zing if you like that. A good place to go with the lads, for sure. I have been to St. George several times. It is (or was anyway) a very orderly, very tidy town where we could never find a single blade of grass out of place, or a broken tree limb, or a patch of ground that needed the weeds pulled. It is a heavily Mormon retirement town, with some interesting pioneer history in a beautiful setting. I have no doubt the golfing will be outstanding. There are some nice hikes very nearby to both Vegas and St. George. When the ringing of slot machines became too much for me, I would head off to Red Rocks State Park for some hiking. Also nearby is Hoover Dam, which is well worth an excursion if you have the time. Near St. George is Snow Canyon State Park, another place for good hiking through sheer mountain paths. Zion National Park is only 45 minutes away, and that is truly spectacular, as are most national parks. About two hours from St. George is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is breathtakingly beautiful. Both of them are well worth the effort to see if you have the time (and if the government shutdown doesn't affect them. It varies from place to place.) We will look forward to your after-action report. Sounds like a great trip. Sweet thanks Pipps! We arent going until Labor Day week but I am going to keep this all in mind. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 22, 2019 16:35:00 GMT -5
Lucky you, Joe. I spent a lot of time working in Las Vegas 20 or so years ago, and even though a little Vegas goes a long way with me -- when you have to go there regularly, it gets old real fast -- everybody should give it a shot. The sports books give things a little extra zing if you like that. A good place to go with the lads, for sure. I have been to St. George several times. It is (or was anyway) a very orderly, very tidy town where we could never find a single blade of grass out of place, or a broken tree limb, or a patch of ground that needed the weeds pulled. It is a heavily Mormon retirement town, with some interesting pioneer history in a beautiful setting. I have no doubt the golfing will be outstanding. There are some nice hikes very nearby to both Vegas and St. George. When the ringing of slot machines became too much for me, I would head off to Red Rocks State Park for some hiking. Also nearby is Hoover Dam, which is well worth an excursion if you have the time. Near St. George is Snow Canyon State Park, another place for good hiking through sheer mountain paths. Zion National Park is only 45 minutes away, and that is truly spectacular, as are most national parks. About two hours from St. George is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is breathtakingly beautiful. Both of them are well worth the effort to see if you have the time (and if the government shutdown doesn't affect them. It varies from place to place.) We will look forward to your after-action report. Sounds like a great trip. Sweet thanks Pipps! We arent going until Labor Day week but I am going to keep this all in mind. My pleasure. There are probably other people on here who could chime in on this with better info -- Utahyank, are you out there? I love the southwest and the beautiful mountain and desert scenery. Joe, where are you staying in Vegas? |
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Post by michcusejoe5 on Jan 22, 2019 21:37:51 GMT -5
Sweet thanks Pipps! We arent going until Labor Day week but I am going to keep this all in mind. My pleasure. There are probably other people on here who could chime in on this with better info -- Utahyank, are you out there? I love the southwest and the beautiful mountain and desert scenery. Joe, where are you staying in Vegas? We havent decided that yet. Have been looking at some Airbnb spots with pools that are just off the strip. We arent too wild so dont mind being low key, and there will be three of us during the 3 nights in Vegas (Wed, Thurs, Fri go home Saturday after first half of week in St. George) so finding a room with enough beds is always a little tougher. Do you have an recommendations? We stayed at the MGM for my bachelor party in 2017 but had a buddy with a connection (and we didnt mind spending a little bit bc of the special occasion) but so many of the places on the Strip have that stupid resort fee they gouge you for. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 23, 2019 10:09:11 GMT -5
My pleasure. There are probably other people on here who could chime in on this with better info -- Utahyank, are you out there? I love the southwest and the beautiful mountain and desert scenery. Joe, where are you staying in Vegas? We havent decided that yet. Have been looking at some Airbnb spots with pools that are just off the strip. We arent too wild so dont mind being low key, and there will be three of us during the 3 nights in Vegas (Wed, Thurs, Fri go home Saturday after first half of week in St. George) so finding a room with enough beds is always a little tougher. Do you have an recommendations? We stayed at the MGM for my bachelor party in 2017 but had a buddy with a connection (and we didnt mind spending a little bit bc of the special occasion) but so many of the places on the Strip have that stupid resort fee they gouge you for. Joe, my knowledge is a little dated -- I think if you stay away from Vegas for six months, your knowledge is out of date -- but I do recall nice rooms at Bellagio and Wynn, well-situated on the Strip. Those are higher end, but if you're splitting the costs, and after all you're there for a good time, it's probably worth it. Whatever you do, don't stay at some heavily discounted joint like Circus Circus (if it even still exists.) You're better off sleeping on the sidewalk, where there would be less noise and greater creature comforts. Have you ever been to the garden retreat at the Flamingo Hilton? Besides the flamingos, you will find what is probably the most solemn tribute ever to a bloodthirsty gangster, Bugsy Siegel, who founded the hotel. I miss the days of simpler fun shows in Las Vegas, like "Nudes On Ice" or Bob Berosini's trained orangutans. The Riviera used to do two versions of the revue "Splash." One was a family version at 7:30, with cute mermaids and dolphins swimming in a tank. The adult version at 10 PM had those same mermaids, but this time they were topless and the dolphins did seem to notice. I used to have to go to Vegas from LA for work about every six weeks, so I wound up staying all over the place, on and off the Strip. I do think if you only go once, or go rarely, it is more fun to stay on the Strip because that's quintessential Vegas, for better or worse. Embrace the schlock!! |
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Post by michcusejoe5 on Jan 23, 2019 11:19:12 GMT -5
Good points Pipps...ill run it by the guys if they are willing to spend a little extra to make it a nice time! Definitely wouldnt be looking at any kind of budget or crummy looking spots.
I love the old mafia history too...we stopped by the Flamingo when we were there in 2017.
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Post by inger on Jan 23, 2019 12:12:10 GMT -5
Good points Pipps...ill run it by the guys if they are willing to spend a little extra to make it a nice time! Definitely wouldnt be looking at any kind of budget or crummy looking spots. I love the old mafia history too...we stopped by the Flamingo when we were there in 2017. Here’s a guy that’s never been to Vegas or even Nevada chiming in (I’m sure this is going to help, right?). I’ve done some checking up on Nevada out of curiousity while considering where I’d like to retire if I ever decide I’m too old to work. That part of the state (and most of Nevada) are too damned hot for me in summer. I did read that the Gold Valley area of Henderson is classy and relatively inexpensive while not being far off the strip if you want more peace and quiet. The 105 degree ave high in July turns me off in a big way... Also read that Pahrump is a lot like where I live now, except that where I live in Pueblo West, the crackheads come out at night and head for Pueblo. In Pahrump, there IS no Pueblo so they roam the otherwise quiet town of Pahrump. Oh well, we have our potheads night and day here. (: BTW, Pipps. If that move ever comes to pass, I’m giving high marks to resort town in NM, Cloudcroft. Did you ever have the pleasure? Raton is also on the list, though I’d want to be in the neighboring hills rather than Raton itself. In fact, even in Cloudcroft I’d want to position myself 3-5 miles out of town to avoid the summer festivals and crowds... |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 23, 2019 13:43:18 GMT -5
BTW, Pipps. If that move ever comes to pass, I’m giving high marks to resort town in NM, Cloudcroft. Did you ever have the pleasure? Raton is also on the list, though I’d want to be in the neighboring hills rather than Raton itself. In fact, even in Cloudcroft I’d want to position myself 3-5 miles out of town to avoid the summer festivals and crowds... Inger, we visited Cloudcroft a few times with out of town guests back when we lived in Santa Fe in the late 1980s. It's very pleasant, with a lot of nice alpine forests and not far from desert towns like Alamogordo. Big resort town of Ruidoso nearby, plus Billy the Kid country in Lincoln (well worth a visit if you have any interest in old West history.) It is a far more upscale area than Raton, for sure. Raton itself is rather bleak and depressing. I used to pass through it quite a bit on I-25 going to Denver. It's nicer over toward Cimarron, another cool old West town, near the Philmont Boy Scout Camp. If you remember the group Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs -- "Bottle of Wine" and "Sugar Shack" -- they were from Raton. Certainly not a reason to move there -- I just like trivia. Opposite end of the state in Clovis is the Norman Petty Studio, where Buddy Holly recorded many of his records. When I was there 30 some years ago, Norman Petty's widow Vi used to conduct the tours. That was fun. If I were going to live anywhere in New Mexico again -- which I am not -- it would probably be one of the suburbs of Albuquerque. The climate is more agreeable, and unlike you I need at least some proximity to a metro area. |
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Post by inger on Jan 23, 2019 14:38:49 GMT -5
Cimarron is on my top ten in New Mexico list as well. It would also keep me near the San Isabel forest in Colorado and beautiful Sangro de Cristo Moontains...The elevation there is a more manageable 6400 feet vs. Cloudcroft at 8600 feet as well. Housing is inexpensive (a must for the final stop), and I’ve actually driven through that area three times. Yeah. Not bad at all..,
I’ll probably wind up opting for being nearer to a hospital after all of this thinking, but the mental journey is fun...
I also agree that Raton is a bit “shabby”, but it’s very inexpensive and if I’m 5-10 miles out of town I can endure that. Neat to live in a town whose name translates to “Rat”, huh?...
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Post by pippsheadache on Jan 23, 2019 14:54:33 GMT -5
I also agree that Raton is a bit “shabby”, but it’s very inexpensive and if I’m 5-10 miles out of town I can endure that. Neat to live in a town whose name translates to “Rat”, huh?... Now in fairness, I believe Raton means "little rat" or perhaps mouse? Maybe that eases the ignominy a bit. I thought rat was pestizo, but I no speak Espagnol beyond "cerveza" and "la cuenta, por favor." Ever take the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway? Not far from you, and a beautiful ride. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are indeed magical. |
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Post by inger on Jan 23, 2019 15:06:59 GMT -5
I also agree that Raton is a bit “shabby”, but it’s very inexpensive and if I’m 5-10 miles out of town I can endure that. Neat to live in a town whose name translates to “Rat”, huh?... Now in fairness, I believe Raton means "little rat" or perhaps mouse? Maybe that eases the ignominy a bit. I thought rat was pestizo, but I no speak Espagnol beyond "cerveza" and "la cuenta, por favor." Ever take the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway? Not far from you, and a beautiful ride. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are indeed magical. This past year we partook of our first ever scenic train ride and chose the hard to beat Durango-Silverton route on a beautiful day at 75 degrees in Durango. I warned the flatlander MD friend to take his jacket, which he didn’t comprehend but complied. He thanked me later, though Ruth not I put our jacket, he did about 1/2 way up the mountain. We have the Toltec and Cumbres on our list of “hope to dos”. In fact, I looked at Chama as a future home, and while the temps are fine the 96” annual snowfalls would be less than agreeable. Snow removal is not on my list of fun heart-healthy activities. My friend from MD will likely be back out here, and he’s a train freak, so he’ll push us if we don’t get to it ourselves. Another note about the Cimarron area: Not far from the natural wonder of Capulin Volcano. I enjoyed a solo stop there when I was in the process of spousal separation back around ‘06. That’s a really deserted area out there. I suppose mostly ranch land. The ranches are so big you can drive by for miles and see no cattle for months at a time, just like Pueblo West and south of here... |
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Post by inger on Jan 23, 2019 15:08:58 GMT -5
Now in fairness, I believe Raton means "little rat" or perhaps mouse? Maybe that eases the ignominy a bit. I thought rat was pestizo, but I no speak Espagnol beyond "cerveza" and "la cuenta, por favor." Ever take the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway? Not far from you, and a beautiful ride. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are indeed magical. This past year we partook of our first ever scenic train ride and chose the hard to beat Durango-Silverton route on a beautiful day at 75 degrees in Durango. I warned the flatlander MD friend to take his jacket, which he didn’t comprehend but complied. He thanked me later, though Ruth not I put our jacket, he did about 1/2 way up the mountain. We have the Toltec and Cumbres on our list of “hope to dos”. In fact, I looked at Chama as a future home, and while the temps are fine the 96” annual snowfalls would be less than agreeable. Snow removal is not on my list of fun heart-healthy activities. My friend from MD will likely be back out here, and he’s a train freak, so he’ll push us if we don’t get to it ourselves. Another note about the Cimarron area: Not far from the natural wonder of Capulin Volcano. I enjoyed a solo stop there when I was in the process of spousal separation back around ‘06. That’s a really deserted area out there. I suppose mostly ranch land. The ranches are so big you can drive by for miles and see no cattle for months at a time, just like Pueblo West and south of here... . I think Raton is indeed a derivative. Maybe rat-like? But close enough for me to enjoy the humor of it... |
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