PaulTheTravelGuy.com

Berlin Tour - Reichstag

Paul The Travel Guy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:19:00 GMT

Day two in Berlin started off with a quick trip on the BVG. My trip to the Bundestag station brought me through the massive glass Central Station of Berlin - Hauptbanhof. Very impressive.

I found out that the famous Reichstag museum offers self-guided, but timed, tours of the amazing glass dome atop this historical building. A few days prior to arrival, I reserved a time for my visit.

After going through security and showing my timed (and Free!) entry ticket, we were allowed into the German Parliament building. A quick elevator ride up through the main lobby brought us to the rooftop level, with a remarkable view of the glass dome. Audio guides are available for the tour, and automatically start depending on where you are located in the dome. The guide was very handy, as it discussed the history of the city and the building, local geographical sites, and more.

There is an enormous mirrored tower within the dome, that reflects light down to the main meeting hall of the German Parliament. Amazing technology.

For those planning on visiting Berlin, this should be your FIRST STOP, since it gives you one of the best vistas to plan where else you want to visit in this amazing city.

Berlin - ITB 2012

Paul The Travel Guy — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:52:05 GMT

I am off to Berlin for the huge ITB 2012 show. This is one of the largest travel shows in the world. While I can't say that I am excited to be visiting Berlin in early March, especially after they and the rest of northern Europe have experienced one of their harshest winters ever, I will admit that I am looking forward to participating in this show. There will be many hundreds of destinations, and many, many thousands of attendees. At least the beer should be good!

Copyright, Paul the Travel Guy

Crested Butte - AMAZING ski weekend

Paul The Travel Guy — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:29:17 GMT

We had such a great time visiting Crested Butte over President's Day weekend in 2011, we decided to visit again for the same weekend this year. Great choice! The crowds were non-existent, we had ski runs to ourselves, the longest we had to wait for a lift line was 1 minute, and we realized once again that Crested Butte is our favorite Colorado ski town.

Like last year, we stayed at the Grand Lodge. This place had everything we needed: large rooms with plenty of storage, friendly staff, on-site restaurant, hot tub and pool, and most importantly, very close proximity to the lift lines. We kept our skis in our car, and each morning just walked to the car, grabbed our gear, and walked to the lift. No rush, no lines, no worries.

The snow conditions were not very good this year (last year CB had epic snow totals, so we were totally spoiled). However, the snow was good enough to have a great time, and the complete and utter lack of crowds made the ski experience amazing. We did enjoy a couple of lunches on the mountain, one at Paradise Warming Hut, and one quick lunch sitting outside on lounge chairs at the top of Painter Boy lift.

Our dinners in Crested Butte were quite good. We had one quick and easy dinner on our night of arrival at the Grand Lodge. It was OK resort food. On Saturday night, we had amazing pizza and great beer at Brick Oven Pizza, definitely a local favorite. And, on Sunday night we visited the ever-popular The Last Steep and wondered why we had never eaten here - we loved it!

Attention all coffee lovers. Camp 4 is still the BEST coffee in Crested Butte, and it may be the best coffee in Colorado. We visited the Camp 4 in Mount Crested Butte (they have 3 locations), since it was across from the Grand Lodge. Expect long lines (due to its popularity), but enjoy the ambiance and savor the expectations. Amazing coffee without the pomp and snotty attitudes of a trendy coffee shop. Camp 4 is just great coffee - and still very reasonably priced.

My favorite part of visiting Crested Butte? The atmosphere. This is a true mountain town. It is all local, no chain restaurants, no chain hotels, no buildings in town over 2 stories high, nothing too fancy, and everything laid back. The speed limit in town is 15mph - and no one drives that fast. There are a couple of 4-way stops at intersections, and it is an exercise in politeness, to see who can let others go before them. The town has loads of bicycles, even in the dead of winter with icy, snow packed roads. Of all the bikes we saw in town, not one was locked. Locals greet each other with hugs, and seem to put up quite nicely with the out-of-state tourists who flock here. Sure, we are from Colorado, but we actually felt in the minority as most of the tourists we bumped into were from out of state.

One of my goals is to eventually move to a small island in the South Pacific, where the locals are friendly and the pace is slow and casual. Crested Butte is my favorite ski mountain town because it is as close to 'South Pacific Island' as I can get in Colorado.

Breckenridge, CO

Paul The Travel Guy — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:30:51 GMT

Just returned from a day at Breckenridge with family. Beautiful day in the mountains - the temp in Breck was 35, while the temp in Denver (4700 feet LOWER than Breck) was 17.

Loads of people, very long lift lines, huge lines for food - and we avoided it all! We went snowshoeing. The Peaks trail, near Peak 7 and the Independence Super Chair, was brilliant today. We practically had the trail to ourselves. We saw three other small groups while we were out there for over 90 minutes. The first group of snowshoers were bragging about just having seen a Moose cow and her calf. They even showed us their photos as proof. We just missed the two Moose by about 10 minutes. Bummer.

A stunner of a day at Breckenridge. And the best part? Ski lift tickets are $93 for the day. Snowshoeing in the quiet, peaceful National Forest is FREE!

Flight time in 2011 - Kind of Depressing

Paul The Travel Guy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:37:27 GMT

I just did a quick review of all of my flights I took in 2011. All in all, I was in the air for 205 hours. That is equal to 8.5 days spent crammed into an airline seat. Sure, I was lucky enough to get a couple (and I mean very few!) upgrades, but for the most part, this was all in coach class.

Some quick stats:

205 flying hours in total (equal to 8.5 days in the air)
51 flights
Distance in airline miles: a crapload!
# of hours sitting in airports: I don't want to think about it
Longest flight: LAX to Hong Kong (14 1/2 hours)
Shortest flight: Rarotonga to Aitutaki (45 minutes)
'New' airlines I flew on for the first time: 6
'New' countries I visited in 2011: 5 (Belize, Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam)
Of the places I visited in 2011, the one to which I most want to return: Vietnam (& Laos)

Are you a frequent International traveler? Get Global Entry. Today!

Paul The Travel Guy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:15:06 GMT

Here is one tip that has saved me many hours of sitting in lines.

Global Entry is a service for US citizens that allows you to bypass normal Immigration lines when arriving back into the USA. Here's how it works:

- You apply online and apply through their website (beware: it is a government website, so it is not the easiest site to use and navigate).

- Pay the $100 non-refundable application fee.

- They (not exactly sure who 'they' is) do a background check on you.

- Once your application is approved, you need to schedule an interview at one of the Global Entry Enrollment Centers.

- At the Center, you get interviewed, they take your photo, and collect biometrics from you (fingerprints, and retina scans).

- Once you are approved, you will save LOADS of time.

As a Global Entry member, I can literally fly through the airport. Whenever I arrive from an international flight, I bypass the normal Immigration lines, and head straight towards the Global Entry kiosk. This is what it looks like:

You scan your passport on the machine, and it reads your information. It displays your name and your Arriving Flight details, then asks you to place your fingers on the fingerprint reader. Once confirmed, it will ask you a series of questions (the same questions that are on the little blue USA Customs form that they hand out on the plane). Answer the questions on the touchscreen, confirm, and it prints out a 'receipt'. Hold up the receipt to the nearest Immigration officer as you walk by towards baggage claim. Once you have your bags, get in the Global Entry express lane, hand your receipt to the Customs agent, and you're done.

You don't have to fill out the blue Customs form on the plane. You don't have to wait in line and see an Immigration officer. And, you get to use an express lane to depart through Customs. For me, this was a no-brainer, and it has helped me get through airports fast and easy. If you are a regular International traveler, I can not recommend this more.

Denver - Travel close to home

Paul The Travel Guy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:40:50 GMT

You don't have to hop on a plane, train, or bus to travel. Sometimes, the best travel is close to home. This weekend, Travel Gal, Travel Boy and I spent some time at Sports Authority Field, home of the Denver Broncos. We enjoyed some time walking around the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, which is located inside the stadium (for those who are visiting, enter through Gate 1). This is a free museum, and has some information and exhibitions on some of Denver's most famous athletes. There is also a fun hands-on room forkids, where they can put on Shannon Sharpe's jersey and pads, some hockey gear, lacrosse gear, and more.

The tour of Sports Authority field was very cool! We visited some luxury boxes, which cost $80,000 per year to rent - so, for 8 Broncos home games (not counting pre-season), the cost is $10,000 per year for you and 14 of your favorite friends. You can also rent a party suite starting at $8,000. And, this doesn't even include most of your food and drinks. Wow. I will happily take my crappy seat in the 5th level and not complain. . . .

The tour also took us through the Press Box (huge!), a couple of clubs, the visitor's locker room, and then finally on to the field. Travel Boy got his photo in front of the locker where Tom Brady was for the Broncos/Patriots game (Go Pats!), as well as on the field.

Our tour guide was great and very knowledgeable. This tour compares very favorably to the other amazing sports facility tour we have done at the Colorado Rockies stadium, Coors Field. If you are traveling to Denver, are a big sports fan, and have a couple hours to blow, consider visiting these stadiums. Even if you are not a fan of the teams, the facilities are amazing.

San Diego - Gaslamp Neighborhood

Paul The Travel Guy — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:17:00 GMT

Just returned from one quick night in San Diego. I stayed in the very cramped room of an historic hotel, in the wildly popular Gaslamp neighborhood. What a fun place.

The main street is 5th Ave., which is chock full of fun bars and great restaurants. Tough to choose which one, but we ended up at Searsucker. Wow. Great cocktails, and amazing food. There is no shortage of places to get a drink or enjoy dinner, and the next time I visit, I will probably stay close to this very cool street.

Long Beach, CA

Paul The Travel Guy — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:48:00 GMT

I attended a travel show in Long Beach this weekend. Very, very busy. Due to proximity, I stayed at the Hyatt Long Beach, which is attached to the Convention Center.

I must admit Long Beach is not one of my favorite areas, but we had a very good time there. Some good bars and restaurants within walking distance of the Convention Center. Not many places available for breakfast, but good lunch options, and some excellent dining options. The Yard House always delivers with their huge selection of draft beers, and L'Opera was a very nice evening (excellent seafood risotto). A good Irish bar called The Auld Dubliner completed the weekend.

Queen Mary Hotel - Long Beach

Paul The Travel Guy — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:42:00 GMT

Last night, I stayed aboard the Queen Mary Hotel. Unreal.

The Queen Mary was purchased by the city of Long Beach and permanently moored across the harbor from Long Beach. It is now a hotel, convention center, and an amazing historical artifact.

Driving past LongBeach towards the piers, the majestic Queen Mary appears. It was actually dwarfed by a huge Carnival cruise ship moored next to it, and it was very interesting comparing the two enormous ships. One was historic and regal, the other enormous and modern.

Walking aboard the Queen Mary, you are immediately hit with its history. I assume much of what remains on board is original (or amazing reproductions). The cabins are historically accurate, with a touch of modernity. They still have the old hot and cold fresh air vents (they do not work, but look cool), and there are four silver handles in the shower (hot water, cold water, hot salt water, cold salt water). The salt waters are turned off. The porthole

allowed for amazing views over to Long Beach and the city lights.

The major appeal for me is the chance to walk this amazing ship. The hidden corners, long hallways, the amazing decks, and all the historical spots on view (captain's quarters, control decks, etc). I was lucky enough to walk the decks both late at night and very early in the morning (don't miss the chance to see the sunrise from the ship). I practically had it to myself.

I met some friends at the Observation Bar, which was a true throwback to the 1930's. Amazing d

ecorations and a great view of Long Beach. If your travels ever take you to Long Beach, you will find no finer experience than aboard the Queen Mary. Very cool.

Los Angeles

Paul The Travel Guy — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:38:00 GMT

Stopped in Los Angeles (actually landed at LAX) to catch up with some friends before heading down to Long Beach. The airport was absolutely insane - not sure what was going on this weekend, but every rental car shuttle bus was chock-a-block full.

I have to admit, I really like visiting the small downtown area of El Segundo. Cool little shops and restaurants. Had a great lunch there, at FarmStand, on what turned out to be a beautifully warm day. The drive down to Long Beach was agonizing, but that's what I get for traveling on a Friday afternoon. . .

Vancouver

Paul The Travel Guy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:59:56 GMT

Had to spend the weekend at a show in Vancouver, and it required me to fly to Seattle (landing at midnight), drive to Vancouver (2 1/2 hours), then return to SEA for a 5:30a flight on a Monday morning. Why do I do this to myself?

Vancouver was very nice, as usual. Great city. However, the gray skies and rain so normal during the winter is very depressing. Too bad, since the city is really beautiful. Also, I can't handle the incredibly short days (the sun doesn't show until close to 8a, and makes an early departure just after 4p).

I do enjoy visiting the city, and the people are quite nice. The highlight for me is staying at a hotel on the water, the Westin Bayshore, and watching the activity (scullers on the water, float planes taking off for Victoria, ferries crossing, tour boats, etc). I have never visited Vancouver for anything other than business. Next time, I may take Travel Gal and Travel Boy - but will wait for the summer with its guarantee of sunny, long days.

My only disappointment: not enjoying any Nanaimo Bars. Next time for sure!

Royale Takitumu - as good as it gets

Paul The Travel Guy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:04:00 GMT

While at a conference in Rarotonga, I spoke with many people about what makes a good holiday. Their answers were surprisingly simple: consistency of delivery and a unique experience.

Royale Takitumu may do this better than any place in the world.

Bill and his amazing family have built Rarotonga's premier Villa property. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Bill was blessed with family land that is directly on the island's best beach. There are really no other properties around Royale Takitumu, so the pristine white sand beach and warm lagoon waters are deserted - just a couple of guests from R.T. It is the closest I have come to a private island experience in the Cook Islands.

I was lucky to stay in a LagoonView Villa - it is huge. Very large sitting area with comfy furniture. Fully stocked kitchen (and a huge breakfast basket delivered when I arrived). A large bedroom with air-conditioning (which I did not even turn on!), and a brand new pillow top bed (Bill told me I was the first to use it - I am honored). The bathroom is large, with a jacuzzi tub.

But it is the lovely folks at Royale Takitumu that make this place so special. Bill is so proud of his property, and his pride can be seen in all that he does - the grounds are impeccable, the pool area and lounge are perfect for relaxing, the lily ponds and flowers create a relaxing ambiance, and the beach - oh, that beach is amazing. Mi'i is a lovely hostess at the resort, and she is such a kind and caring person. She makes some hand-made eis and floral head eis that are the pride of Rarotonga.

Bill and I were talking about the many couples who consistently return to Royale Takitumu year after year after year. They are not guests at Royale Takitumu. They are family members, and they all share in Bill's pride in this amazing place. I am lucky enough to consider myself a family member at Royale Takitumu, and when I leave Raro and R.T., it feels like I am leaving my home. I can't wait to go back home to Royale Takitumu. . .

Rarotonga!!

Paul The Travel Guy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:15:00 GMT

I just love this island!

Every time I arrive here (I have been lucky to have visited 10+ times), it feels like home. Friendly, smiling faces, a beautiful tropical backdrop, a relaxed and laid-back pace. It is perfect. This is one of the very, very few places in the world where I can actually see myself living. Perhaps one day . . .

Highlights of my stay on Rarotonga:

- Fresh fruit! The fruit stand across from Royale Takitumu in Titikaveka has fresh organic produce that makes me cry.

- Fantastic dinner at Vaima. I can't believe I had never tried this place - it was amazing!

- The custard square and decadent brownie at the coffee shop across from the airport. Worth a stop.

- Fish. Any fish. Living in land-locked Colorado, my fish options here can be limited, but while in the Cooks, I try to have fish at every meal, and it never disappoints.

- Lunch at Sails R estaurant on Muri Beach. Great backdrop and lots of activity in the lagoon.

- Dinner at the Sands (formally the PawPaw Patch) and Bamboo Jacks.

- AMAZING show and dinner at Te Vara Nui. Very well done.

- Surprisingly vibrant nightlife at the Whatever Bar - my first time at a nightclub in Raro, but certainly not my last!

But my favorite part of visiting Rarotonga is seeing old friends, meeting new friends, and simply enjoying the amazing beauty and hospitality of this hidden gem of an island. Might be time to start thinking about moving here . . .

Here's a nice sunset view from Vaima restaurant:

Aitutaki - Cook Islands!

Paul The Travel Guy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:10:00 GMT

Ahhhhhh. Aitutaki. It is so incredible returning to what I consider to be one of the world's most amazing islands . . .

I am visiting the Cook Islands for a quick business trip and conference. My flight to Rarotonga was fantastic - I had a row of three seats to myself on Air New Zealand, and the flight went by very fast. My flight on Air Rarotonga to Aitutaki was a stunner - I love flying into Aitutaki. The views are amazing.

I stayed at Tamanu Beach in a 1-Bedroom Beachfront Bungalow. My bungalow was absolutely beautiful, and the view towards the lagoon was breathtaking. The bungalow had everything I needed - air-con in the bedroom, a huge king-size bed, a large well-appointed sitting room complete with mini-fridge and a television, and a big bathroom with huge shower. The deck was really large, and it was an amazing spot to enjoy a cup of coffee, taking in the views.

Tamanu Beach had an Island Night while I was there. This was one of the best shows I have ever seen in the Cook Islands. And the food! Wow. Awesome. I normally shy away from buffets at Island Nights, but this one was superior.

A great big thanks to all the folks at Tamanu Beach. Can't wait to return soon!

Las Vegas - if for just a few hours

Paul The Travel Guy — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:49:00 GMT

I had a very short meeting in Las Vegas. There is nothing better than going to the airport with nothing more than an iPhone and usb stick. After my meeting, I had a chance to walk through a couple of the large (massive!) hotels, including the Luxor, Excalibur, and New York New York. As always, it is great people watching, even in the middle of the afternoon. For me, Vegas is always a reminder just how many people still smoke, and I am always amazed at how much cigarette smoke lingers in the town. Gross.

Copyright, Paul the Travel Guy

Ethiopia Town in Los Angeles

Paul The Travel Guy — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:56:00 GMT

A great big thanks to my friend who took me out to dinner in Ethiopia Town in Los Angeles. Great food (my favorite ethnic food!) in a fun neighborhood. The Rahel Vegan Ethiopian restaurant was just what I needed.

After dinner, I drove all the way to San Diego for meetings the next morning. When I visit SD, I try to stay at the fun and funky Pearl Hotel - a small retro hotel that is very well done.

Portland - I actually saw the sun!

Paul The Travel Guy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:54:00 GMT

A rare sunny day in Portland for this time of the year. However, I think I spent more time on a plane (4-5 hours) than I did on the ground in Portland. These quick one-day business trips are long days, but its always good to return home to sleep in your own bed!

Copyright, Paul the Travel Guy

Seattle/Vancouver

Paul The Travel Guy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:47:00 GMT

Great to see some old (and new) friends in the Seattle and Vancouver area. Enjoyed a beautiful dinner on the waterfront just north of Seattle. And Vancouver is always a gem.

For those of you that cross the border a lot, I highly recommend purchasing the Nexus card, which allows you to bypass normal Immigration and Customs procedures and speed up through the process. For those that travel a lot internationally, the Global Access program is absolutely brilliant!

"Fiji again?"

Paul The Travel Guy — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:39:00 GMT

Every time I visit Fiji, friends and family ask me, "You're going to Fiji again?!?!?"

I know it is for business, not for pleasure, but it is always a good time heading down to Fiji. I stayed at Crusoe's Retreat for five nights, where we hosted our annual Marketing Meetings. We hosted lots of sit-down meetings at a table next to the beach, and I reminded myself that my work trips really aren't that bad.

We enjoyed a quick getaway at the Sofitel on Denarau Island in Nadi, where we sat, relaxed, and met around the pool, before going out for dinner at Port Denarau.

So, in answer, yes I had to go to Fiji again. Is it as enjoyable as a holiday with family? Of course not! Is it better than 99.9% of normal business travel? Absolutely!