SkateVert

Travelers should expect inconvenient flight layovers on occasion, but my wife and I recently experienced the most epic multi-day layover of all time. Our flight on Swiss Air, from Boston to Kenya (see the next blog), gave us the opportunity to visit the rancid squalors of the fondue capitol of the world: Zurich, Switzerland. Also, our “layover” eventually brought us to what is apparently the European headquarters of the tour bus industry: Luzern, Switzerland. The transportation centers in Zurich and Luzern are well marked with international signs (pictures/not words), so it is very easy in these facilities to figure out where to go to find bathrooms, shopping, and public transportation. Baggage lockers are also readily available at each town’s transportation hubs, leaving me to conclude that for some reason, Switzerland is less threatened by the much ... read more

If I’m in the countryside of Nicaragua drinking a Toña Cerveza at a local bar waiting for a delivery of smoke-able contraband and I tell the waitress that I’m from New York, she imagines a city full skyscrapers, fame, crime, and fortune. Well… That’s not the New York where this adventure begins, but it is where it ends (see the next blog). For this trip, we needed to visit upstate New York and beyond with our final destination being the Canadian version of France’s Bordeaux, Grimsby-Ontario near Hamilton. This area is famous for big box stores, strip malls, and weddings. Did I say weddings? I meant money.... No.... I meant weddings... No money.... weddings.... mo$$ey$we$dd$$in$gs!>&$#%@*) Yes, money and weddings go hand in hand and Grimsby has figured that out. To accommodate the wedding crowd, they’ve also ... read more

The Kancamagus (the Kan is pronounced like kangaroo and the rest is pronounced ka-may-gus) Highway is reputed to be one of the most majestic byways in America. This obscenely popular area of New Hampshire is surrounded by over-hyped pay to play tourist attractions such as Ziplines, Moose Tours, Monkey Trunks, and Storyland. We decided to take the more natural route of enjoying the scenic area by spending our two weekdays off of work to do some camping and hiking. We thoroughly researched and then chose to stay at the Hancock State Park Campground, on the West side of the pass, but found that the campground required at least a 50’ walk from the parking lot to the campsites, so we opted for the lethargic car style camping offered at Big Rock Campground just across the street. ... read more

My wife and I took a trip to the Virgin Islands for the Winter Holidays in 2008. It was filled with a paradise of mixed drinks, perfect sunshine, blissful activities and rest. Our observations of a confused clash of cultural forces gave us an unexpected perspective of the various lifestyles on the islands. Our flight landed in St. Thomas on Christmas Day. The Cyril E. King Airport (STT) is a classic tropical airport with hard to find bathrooms and an open-walled baggage claim. We arrived to the Budget car rental kiosk to pick up the jeep we reserved thru Orbitz only to find that it was not available. In fact, every car rental agency on the island had no vehicles on hand. Our plan was to sleep randomly on a beach somewhere, but that didn’t ... read more

After visiting the Hawaiian Islands in 1997, I realized a deep connection with the culture and it’s people along with the landscapes and the surrounding ocean. My ex-girlfriends parents sponsored my trip in 1997, so I stayed at the finest resorts and dined at many of the most reputable restaurants on the islands. Next, I traveled to Oahu in 2000 to attend the wedding of good friend of mine. I returned to Oahu in 2004 to take advantage of the surfing that I had ignored on all my other trips. In 2006, I traveled to the Big Island (Hawaii) where I proposed to my wife. We also spent a few days in Oahu. This article may merge these general experiences into one big blur for the sake of simplicity. Maui In 1997, I traveled to Hawaii ... read more