Sunday, August 26, 2012

Information on Two of Scarborough's Museums



What might not be well known about Scarborough, however, is its penchant for the arts. Boasting an array of cultural institutions, it boasts a fun and educational day out the whole family can enjoy and is one of the biggest draws for visitors across the country.

Below are more details on just two of the fantastic venues to explore whilst enjoying a memorable break to the region.

The Rotunda Museum - Renowned for its stunning coastal views, vibrant night life and traditional values, Scarborough is a popular destination for thousands of British holidaymakers, who flock to the coastal resort throughout the year.

    boasting modern interactive displays that explores Scarborough's geological past, this fascinating institution has been billed by many as a 'remarkable space' and examines the role William Smith - renowned as the father of English geology - played in the pretty coastal resort. Wheelchair accessible with a shop full of a wide range of geology books and crafts for all, it represents a major attraction in the region.

    The Scarborough Art Gallery - Boasting a long and fascinating history, the Scarborough Art Gallery is the finest Italianate villa building is situated in the town's beautiful Crescent gardens, which were designed in 1823 as part of the massive building programme in Victorian Scarborough. Packed full to the brim with beautiful and poignant exhibitions, a permanent collection has been built up at the institution over the past sixty years, reflecting the eclectic cultural mix of the community and cultural heritage of the coastal resort. Featuring galleries on the ground floor and an attic tour that provides a great resource for art lovers and students alike, the Scarborough Art Gallery is a great place to broaden the mind.

If you want to find out more about the aforementioned institutions, come and enjoy a break in the resort whilst exploring some of the other delights available to the whole family.

With plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy, you could build the perfect day out in the resort by combining a visit to the museums in the day with an amazing meal in one of the sensational eateries dotted around the town. There are also plenty of things to do with the children during the day, with plenty of family attractions around the area.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your summer vacation to the region today and look forward to your surprisingly cosmopolitan break in Yorkshire.


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Excuse Me Would You Mind Moving

"Excuse me would you mind moving?" is not too uncommon a question to be asked if you are a solo traveller.

As a frequent traveller I've been posed with this question when it is clear that I am sat alone. Often it is due to people wanting to sit with family or friends.

Ideally when families or travellers are booked together when tickets are bought I think the airlines should seat them together. From experience this often does not happen and it can be a race to the check-in desk to get seats together.

Some airlines (typically of the discount airline nature) charge you a premium to reserve a specific seat or to sit together.

I know the stress it can cause when travelling with my partner/colleague and you want to be sat together.

On a recent flight the guy sat across the aisle from me was asked "Would you mind moving?" In assessment it was a fair request of the person asking to want to sit beside his wife. Added to the fact that the people asking were Muslim made it even more important. As someone who spent close to a year and a half in Saudi Arabia I know how important it is for a Muslim woman not to be sat beside a male stranger.

The thing that gets me is why did the guy have to move rather than the lady?

The guy asked to move was in a seat at the front of the cabin, effectively a bulk head seat. There was plenty of leg room and it is a desire-able seat to have.

For me the question should have been asked at the accompanying seat to where the husband was sat. That would mean the wife would move back in the cabin and the person who would move to accommodate her would benefit from hypothetically a better seat.

On this occasion the guy who was asked to move delayed his decision saying that he would wait until boarding was complete and then assess the availability of any free seats.

As someone who can take numerous flights each month I am not unfamiliar with the "Excuse me would you mind moving?" question. At times I do sometimes decline the invitation. Not to be spiteful but I get sick of it sometimes.

I am someone who has a preference over the type of seat I want to sit in; if on the rare occasion I get a seat that I like (not too often) then I don't want to give it up.

The one thing worse than being asked to move is being forced to move. As a frequent traveller who's flown most months over the last 12 years I have boarded planes to find someone already in my seat. When I point out that they are in my seat they say they know but they are travelling together and want to be together.

I've found people saying it in a non-compromising way too. Travelling can be stressful enough without these unaccommodating individuals.

This scenario is made even more frustrating by people who could be described as "pushing in" during queues.

Recently whilst walking to passport control a couple were split up as she was delayed for something with her luggage. I ended up between him and her in the queue.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Granby CT: Best Communities For Your Home In Connecticut

Granby, Connecticut is a charming rural residential community about 14 miles north of Hartford on the north central border with Massachusetts. Granby is home to many urban professionals working in Hartford's insurance and financial industry.

Connecticut Magazine ranked Granby the #3 overall Connecticut small towns (population 10,000-1500) to live in and #1 small town in Hartford County. The combination of Granby's rural character together with its close proximity to major metropolitan centers makes Granby one of Connecticut's best cities for your home and family.

The community we know today as Granby was a wilderness when it was first settled by a handful of hardy Puritans in 1680 that came over the Talcott Ridge from Windsor and called the area "Salmon Brook".

Because they were on what was at the time the frontier of English civilization, these "outlanders" as they were called settled together for mutual support and defense between the branches of the Salmon Brook - several miles from the main Simsbury settlement and separated by "a large extent of barren pine plain." The soil was rocky and the beautiful stone boundary fences that give the town such charm today was hard work clearing the fields of glacial rocks to be able to till the land.

One of the community's early defining incidents in 1707 was the capture of Daniel Hayes, aged twenty-two by three Native Americans when he went out to check his horse in the meadow. The capture was witnessed by other settlers and a rescue party went after them in hot pursuit but couldn't overtake the captors.

He was taken all the way to Canada over a month long journey tied up each night, then forced to run the gauntlet. Near the end of the gauntlet, he ran into a wigwam to avoid the blow of a club.

The woman of the wigwam had recently lost her husband and son in war, she confronted the attackers declaring her shelter sacred, and adopted Hayes as her son. For several years he took care of the woman and was eventually sold to a Frenchman.

The Frenchman made him a deal and Hayes earned enough to buy his freedom after two years. He then returned to the area from which he had been taken seven years earlier, settled down on a farm in what is now Granby and became prominent in the community's early affairs.

By 1709 eleven families had settled in what today is Granby, but during certain periods was deserted when Indians where a threat and kept the growth of the community slow. As the aging population of the first generation of settlers grew older they resented the requirements of the long travel to church in Simsbury each week and finally received the right to form their own church society in 1736.

They remained an independent spirited community, and during the Revolutionary War resisted sending their townsmen to fight in the Continental Army, insisting on serving in their own militia companies. In 1786, Salmon Brook and Turkey Hills separated from Simsbury and became the town of Granby.

Today, The Salmon Brook Historical Society maintains the 1732 Abijah Rowe house, the 1790 Weed-Enders house, the 1870 Cooley School and the 1914 Colton-Hayes Tobacco Barn & Museum, with many exhibits of 18th and 19th century life.

Housing in Granby is mainly older colonials and single-family homes of traditional designs, although there are also condominiums and new constructions. Along with several small businesses, there are also a few family-owned farms and orchards that still operate along winding back roads.

Granby's educational system, which provides public schooling for about 2,200 students and a full range of academic programs, also offers evening classes for adults.

The McLean Game Refuge is 3,400 acres and is shaped by glaciers, providing outdoor activities like nature study, hiking, cross-country skiing and picnicking. Enders State Forest has a group of hiking trails to six waterfalls. A 72-mile stream consisting of two branches of the Salmon Brook and a major tributary of the Farmington River flow through the town.

Recreation amenities include tennis courts, a playground, ball fields, a swimming pond, a summer day camp and a youth center. An exhilarating Memorial Day road race attracts runners and spectators from Granby and neighboring towns.

Located within about a 25 minute drive from both Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, Granby is served by State Routes 10, 20, 189, 202, and 219. Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks is six miles to the east on Route 20.

The combination of Granby's rural charm and colonial homes, together with it close proximity to major metropolitan centers makes Granby one of Connecticut's best cities for your home and family.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

How To Choose Condos For Rent For Vacations



After long days of hard work and stressful activities give yourself a break! You deserve a vacation. Experience Philippine travel, one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The whole country is a tourist spot due to its geographical location. It is blessed with all the gift of nature such as long white sand beaches and crystal clear water, marine resources, waterfalls, hot springs, rivers and unique species of animals and above all, the warm hospitality of its people.

The Philippines consist of three main islands, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each of them has its own unique beauty of nature and amazing places to see.

Luzon

Metro Manila being the center of commerce and industry of the Philippines is on the top position having numerous tourist destinations such as Rizal Shrine, Fort Santiago, Plaza San Luis, Mabini Shrine, MalacaƱang Palace, Manila Bay, Manila Zoo, Manila Oceanaruim, Nayong Pilipino and Intramuros aside from these historic places, the night life is alive all over the place. On daytime you can see different skyscrapers in Makati District and super malls located in different cities around Metro Manila. Going Luzon, there is Tagaytay and the famous Taal Lake and Taal volcano, Pagsanjan Falls, Puerto Gallera, Mayon Volcano, Heritage of Vigan, Hidden Valley Spring, Hundred Islands, Baguio City, Pagudpod Beach, Balwarte and Palawan underground river.

Visayas

Visayas has many best places to visit as well, in fact some top tourist destinations in the world can be found here. Among of the top places that you must see are Boracay, Bohol, Guimaras, Bantayan and Siquejor Islands. These places are famous for its white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and marine resources. Cebu being the center of commerce in the south has a lot to offer as well. It has many historical places like Lapu-lapu Monument, Magellan cross, Mactan and many more. Negros island is another place that must see when came to visit the Philippines. Its mountains and shores turn out to be the most exciting and relaxing place to visit like Mambukal in Negros Occidental.

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest island of the Philippines. Places like Davao, Zamboanga, Misamis, Surigao Del Sur, Surigao Del Norte, Lanao and Cotabato belong with this island. The most common destination is Siargao, famous for its unique waves that is given surfing enthusiast a wonderful experience. In Dapitan City, you can visit the museum of Dr. Jose Rizal and the famous Dakak Beach Resort.

Top activities in Philippines

Activities that you will surely love when visiting the country are diving, snorkeling, island hopping, caving, trekking, mountain climbing, swimming and many more. Philippines is the country of festivities, every towns and cities, big or small have their own way of celebration. Some of these festivals are Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City, Ati-atihan Festival in Kalibo Aklan, Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City, Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, Masskara Festival in Bacolod City and Kadayawan Festival in Davao City.

Visit the Philippines and discover its wonders.


Philippine Travel - The Best Vacation Option This Summer



After long days of hard work and stressful activities give yourself a break! You deserve a vacation. Experience Philippine travel, one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The whole country is a tourist spot due to its geographical location. It is blessed with all the gift of nature such as long white sand beaches and crystal clear water, marine resources, waterfalls, hot springs, rivers and unique species of animals and above all, the warm hospitality of its people.

The Philippines consist of three main islands, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Each of them has its own unique beauty of nature and amazing places to see.

Luzon

Metro Manila being the center of commerce and industry of the Philippines is on the top position having numerous tourist destinations such as Rizal Shrine, Fort Santiago, Plaza San Luis, Mabini Shrine, MalacaƱang Palace, Manila Bay, Manila Zoo, Manila Oceanaruim, Nayong Pilipino and Intramuros aside from these historic places, the night life is alive all over the place. On daytime you can see different skyscrapers in Makati District and super malls located in different cities around Metro Manila. Going Luzon, there is Tagaytay and the famous Taal Lake and Taal volcano, Pagsanjan Falls, Puerto Gallera, Mayon Volcano, Heritage of Vigan, Hidden Valley Spring, Hundred Islands, Baguio City, Pagudpod Beach, Balwarte and Palawan underground river.

Visayas

Visayas has many best places to visit as well, in fact some top tourist destinations in the world can be found here. Among of the top places that you must see are Boracay, Bohol, Guimaras, Bantayan and Siquejor Islands. These places are famous for its white sand beaches, crystal clear waters and marine resources. Cebu being the center of commerce in the south has a lot to offer as well. It has many historical places like Lapu-lapu Monument, Magellan cross, Mactan and many more. Negros island is another place that must see when came to visit the Philippines. Its mountains and shores turn out to be the most exciting and relaxing place to visit like Mambukal in Negros Occidental.

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest island of the Philippines. Places like Davao, Zamboanga, Misamis, Surigao Del Sur, Surigao Del Norte, Lanao and Cotabato belong with this island. The most common destination is Siargao, famous for its unique waves that is given surfing enthusiast a wonderful experience. In Dapitan City, you can visit the museum of Dr. Jose Rizal and the famous Dakak Beach Resort.

Top activities in Philippines

Activities that you will surely love when visiting the country are diving, snorkeling, island hopping, caving, trekking, mountain climbing, swimming and many more. Philippines is the country of festivities, every towns and cities, big or small have their own way of celebration. Some of these festivals are Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City, Ati-atihan Festival in Kalibo Aklan, Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City, Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, Masskara Festival in Bacolod City and Kadayawan Festival in Davao City.

Visit the Philippines and discover its wonders.