Author Archives: Frances Ellen

Orlando, Florida

Orlando By Night

Continuing on with fun cities to visit in the United States. Try Orlando, Florida.

Yeah, you already know it’s about Disney, Universal and Sea World. That’s all good, but it is also about nightlife downtown and restaurants galore. One of my favorite restaurants is Vito’s Chop House on International Drive, a steak house with an Italian flair. But that’s only one of many delightful places to dine.

I’d venture to say no matter when you visit, you’ll always be able to find a live concert to attend. There are great venues: Amway Arena, House of Blues, and Hard Rock Live, to name a few.

If you prefer golf, look no further. While the kids are at Universal for the day, you can pick up your clubs and head for any of the Grand Cypress Resort’s Courses, Bay Hill, Shingle Creek or the Hunter’s Creek Golf Course. Again, this is a partial list. There are many more.

If the kids want to see something a little more off the beaten path, try Gatorland or Wet & Wild or Silver Spurs Rodeo.

Most visitors to Orlando aren’t usually looking for cultural pursuits, but if you’re happiest at the theatre, you’ll be pleased to know Orlando hosts a ballet company, opera company, a philharmonic orchestra, a lineup of live plays and it even has a thriving Shakespeare Theatre.

For sports, there’s always the Magic and if you visit at the right time of year, you can see the Citrus Bowl Parade, which kicks off another exciting Citrus Bowl Game.

Gosh, what more could you want?

Memphis, Tennessee

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Since I’m encouraging vacation travel on a budget, I’ll rerun part of a previous post I wrote a while back.

If you’re looking to hear the blues, Memphis is the town.

Looking to savor the sweet taste of BBQ? Memphis is a good choice.

A word about Beale Street–I was expecting something similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, but Beale Street is much shorter, only extends about a block or two. Therefore, it doesn’t have as many shops, but what it lacks in shopping, it makes up for in good food and fantastic music. The entire time spent on Beale Street is a party for the senses.

There is one important fact to know about BBQ, it comes “wet” or “dry.” At the Pig On Beale, you can order your ribs with a dry rub. Take it from me, if you’re ever at the Pig, dry is the way to go.

The final Memphis highlight that I will touch on has a lot of “soul.”

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We only had time to visit one museum and, boy, did we make a good choice–STAX. Museum, with just the right mixture of history, made for a memorable visit.

There are bus tours galore that will take you to Graceland, if you yearn to see the King’s home. We ran out of time.

New York, New York

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The Big Apple

When you read that title, New York, New York, tell the truth, didn’t you automatically hear the lyrics in your head? I can almost picture a line of dancers kicking up their heels in unison at the Radio City Music Hall.

New York City is the next city on my countdown for vacationing on a budget and where to do it in the U.S. To be absolutely honest, New York City is pricey, but when compared to hopping a plane abroad, it’s a real bargain. It has everything, including the most diverse cross-section of ethnicity in this country.

How does one describe the city that never sleeps?

I’m just going to tick off “some” of the things you will find in NYC.

Central Park, which encompasses the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, (2) Ice-Skating Rinks, and an outdoor Theatre in the Park. (If you’re a birder–Central Park is your own personal heaven.)

Statue of Liberty

Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center

Chinatown

Harlem

Broadway (You haven’t experienced a play until you’ve seen one on Broadway)

Museums (My favorite–Metropolitan Museum of Art– you can spend days there and still not see it all) There are loads of other museums, though. Another popular museum is MoMA, Museum of Modern Art

Times Square (If you visit, be sure to grab a burger at the McDonald’s at Times Square. You won’t believe your eyes.)

Greenwich Village

The Garment District

There’s more, but the list would go on and on into infinity. Suffice it to say, every neighborhood has something new and different to offer and you can see it all because cabs are at your beck and call day or night.

And there is actually one freebie in NYC. The Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museums are free on Friday evenings. Not bad!

I’ll close by reminding you that shopping in New York is phenomenal. Bring some extra cash.

New Orleans, Louisiana

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french-quarter1

Most people think if you’re going to visit New Orleans, it should be during Mardi Gras. That’s great, I admit. The parades are not to be missed and the craziness on the streets adds to the raucus, carefree atmosphere.

But there’s so much more to New Orleans: Bourbon Street, the French Market, the Garden District, eclectic shopping on Royal Street, the fantastic architecture throughout the City and the Riverboats on the Mississippi River. And there’s more, much more.

But for me, it’s all about the food and the music. I’ll never forget savoring the taste of my first beignet at the Cafe du Monde, or the taste sensation of gumbo at the Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter, or authentic cajun food found throughout the City.

And the music?

You can hear music everywhere, at any time, by day, or by night. If you want to experience music at its very best, make plans to attend the Jazz Fest, which is held in April each year. Tents and open-air stages abound with every imaginable type of music: jazz (of course), gospel, oldies, big band, zydeco, blues, country, bluegrass, dixieland, even latin jazz. If you can dream it up, you can probably find it at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. All live. All sensational–and the food at the fair? Every bit as savory as the music.

Philadelphia, PA

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Sculling on the Schuykill

If you’re vacationing in the U.S., Philadelphia is a good choice. It’s got a little bit of everything: history, art, sports, Broadway-caliber theaters, nightlife and great food.

It’s an historic city. Just a handfull of sites you can visit: Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, the Liberty Bell, the Mint, although they don’t give away any of the money.

It houses some great art: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rodin Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Norman Rockwell Museum, and the little known, Mutter Museum. They call this museum “disturbingly informative, heh, heh–the kids will love it–skulls and body parts.

Speaking of kids, a visit to Philadelphia isn’t complete without a trip to the Franklin Institute. Actually the adults enjoy it, too. A little bit of science about every conceivable subject, even sports. And the Philadelphia Zoo is a must.

If you’re into sports, Philadelphia is a real sports town. Their professional teams: Phillies (baseball), Eagles (football), Flyers (ice hockey), and 76ers (basketball). If you’re more interested in water sports, go down to Boathouse Row along the Schuykill River. On weekends, you can see the scullers practicing on the river and if you’re lucky enough to be in town for one of the big regattas, all the better. You can even take a sculling lesson or two yourself, if you have a mind to.

If you plan to visit, the best places to stay are in Center City. South Broad Street has the best hotels and they’re all a short cab ride to all the trendy haunts, theaters and tourist spots.

And NEVER, NEVER visit Philly without sampling an honest-to-goodness cheesesteak. Lord, that’s something not to be missed.

San Antonio, Texas

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Photo From

In keeping with my suggestion that you vacation in the good ole’ USA, here is another suggestion.

If you want to visit a city that has something for everyone, San Antonio, Texas fills the bill. When I visited, I stayed at a hotel located on the RiverWalk, so I could exit the hotel and stroll along the cobbled path that winds along the San Antonio River. There are lots of shops and restaurants along the way.

My best experience while in San Antonio included a stop at the IMAX Theatre to see the story of the Alamo. Next I walked across the street and toured the Alamo. If you happen to visit in the month of March, a reenactment of the battle is performed on the Plaza.

Other attractions include: SeaWorld, Six Flags, McNay Art Museum, Tower of the Americas, Loads of Golf Courses, and while I was there I found some interesting Antique Shops.

Like I said, something for everyone.

Vacation On A Budget

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If you’re like a whole lot of other people, you can’t afford to go abroad for a vacation. Getting there is expensive, even if you’re able to find a decent group deal. Worse, the dollar exchange is really, really bad at the moment.

Still, you’d like to get away for a little while, maybe in the spring or summer. The answer is simple. Travel in the good ole’ U. S. of A. If you happen to live close enough to any of these locations, you can plan a road trip. Best of all, you’ll be helping our economy while you enjoy yourself.

I’ll give you a short rundown of cities I’ve visited that didn’t disappoint. I’ll start with my two absolute favorites.

Niagara Falls, New York. Whether it’s daytime or nighttime, the Falls are the main attraction. They’re awesome, to use a word which means, “Go see for yourself.” They are lit at night with colored lights–truly a delicious sight. Then take a day-trip across the Rainbow Bridge into Canada. Experience the Falls close-up on a short boat trip aboard the Maid of the Mist. How does it feel to be so close to the Falls: surrounded by rainbows, mist splashing your face, (you’re given a raincoat as you board the boat), the deafening roar? For an all too brief moment, your senses go wild: Seeing, Feeling and Hearing. Even the smells are memorable. There are loads of other things to do and see. This is a “must see” destination.

Grand Canyon, Arizona. I was in Las Vegas a couple of years ago (not a place you want to go when you’re on a budget). I had never been to Las Vegas before, so I thought I should see it at least once. My real reason for going was because it got me smack-dab around the corner from the Grand Canyon. Before my feet ever hit the airport in Nevada, my Grand Canyon bus trip had already been booked and paid for. I’d seen pictures of the Grand Canyon hundreds of times, so I figured I knew what to expect. No! There is no way you can conceive its vastness, or its beauty. The only way I can possibly explain its size is–after spending several hours at the Canyon (which was not enough time), I returned to the bus for my return trip back to Las Vegas. The driver handed out pamphlets of the Canyon. On the inside of the four-folded pamphlet extending from one edge to the other, was a photo of the Grand Canyon. I asked the driver where we were exactly. He pointed to a tiny speck and he said, “That’s where we’re at and, actually, my stubby finger is too wide for this map.” That probably doesn’t explain it very well. Suffice it to say, if you haven’t already seen the Grand Canyon, put it on your Bucket List.