PicaJet Blog

I rode the Las Vegas monorail today; it runs along the backyards of Vegas’s giant hotels, all the way from the MGM to the Safari. 

From its windows, you can see things you wouldn’t ordinarily glimpse from the Strip, like pools, and lounge chairs, and tanned bodies in tiny swimsuits, and white towels, and — wait a minute! — why are so many of those lounge chairs EMPTY?

Come to think of it, the traffic on the strip seems much lighter than I remember.  The casinos seem quieter and less crammed.  And the buffet restaurant lines are shorter, or even non-existent. 

Where are the people?  It’s the middle of summer.  Shouldn’t this top American vacation destination be overflowing with visitors?  I am curious, so I ask around.

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Are you planning a trip to that Mecca of Nevada: Las Vegas?  Maybe you have never visited this city of bright lights and money-grabbing  slots, or maybe you haven’t been there in awhile. 

The good news?  Many things haven’t changed. 

The better news? Many things have changed.  Especially at the airport and at the car rental building. 

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There are almost no words to describe traveling an authentic portion of Route 66.  If time machines exist, then this is one of the finest. 

There is an ambience of days gone by, the good old days, when Mom and Dad packed up the old Chevy with 3.5 kids, a dog, a cooler, Dad in his best driving hat, and Mom in her finest traveling clothes, and hit the road in search of adventures, or maybe a new life on the other side of Amercia.

The atmosphere, the sense of nostalgia along “The Mother Road” is so poignant, so acute, that it will bring tears to your eyes.  At least, it did, to mine. 

My husband and I set out yesterday in search of Americana history.  We left Vegas about 7 AM and reached Kingman, Arizona about 3 hours later.  With a few stops in the desert along the way, we had set up the perfect photo safari.  But we had no idea just how perfect our day was going to be.  Because the adventure that is Route 66 still lay ahead of us.

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It’s all over for another year in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  The race has been run - the IndyCar race, that is, since Champ Car merged with the Indy League earlier this year.  It was the debut IRL race for Edmonton, and by all accounts, it was a success.  Especially for at least one driver.

The big winner?  Scott Dixon, of New Zealand (It was Scott Dixon’s 5th win for 2008.)  He was followed by “Dancing With the Stars” champ, Helio Castroneves, then Justin Wilson, and finally, Canadian Champ Car driver, Paul Tracy, who had fought his way up from  his 16th  starting position.

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Planning our next trip is nearly as much fun as taking the trip itself.  Well, nearly. 

My husband and I are bound for one of our favorite hot spots, and I mean, hot! Las Vegas, Nevada.  But we aren’t really into the Strip; we tend to tool around in other parts of Vegas, spending most of our time off the Strip, visiting spots like the Nevada Atomic Testing Museum.

But we have gotten the Route 66 bug, so we’ll go further afield this time.  Also, known as the “Mother Road,” Route 66 is just barely visible on modern maps, but a little research shows parts of the roadway can be reached in just under a two-hour drive from Vegas.  But it’ll be one hot drive, since we’ll be headed right into the Mojave Desert, at the height of summer heat.  But the photo opportunities are just too hard to resist. 

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If you have never taken the train, or you haven’t ridden the rails in some time, then check out the nearest Amtrak station.  Especially when exploring a new city. That’s the Philadelphia Amtrak station showing above.

With the high cost of rental cars, gasoline, insurance, and with the irritation of battling traffic in a strange city, travel by Amtrak train is like a gift from heaven.

My husband and I have just decided to include at least one Amtrak day trip while traveling, and we are very glad we did.  We took the Amtrak between New York City and Philadelphia, and loved the trip.

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Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Cheers,
Sheree Zielke

It’s all over the news.  Increases in airline tickets.  Increases in airline handling fees. 

In Europe, Ryanair is charging for everything from booking your ticket with a credit card to simply showing up at the airport.  Cruise lines are upping their prices, too, and all in an attempt to offset the rising price of fuel.

But should the increased fees mean less travel?  Or maybe it’s just time to get really creative when booking or packing for our travel adventures? 

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This is a typical sight from an Alberta highway.  A quiet little pond, so innocuous, so charming.  But many countries, many lands have similar vistas - sights which look perfectly safe, including those sights in some of the more questionable areas of the world like Egypt and Africa. 

How can a traveler know if a decision to explore a new world is a smart decision? 

Luckily, there are many web sites that can help you make an informed decision.  Some even have links to other travel tools (like currency conversion charts) that make travel to a foreign land a whole lot easier.

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