Going Camping.... for the holiday.

So, the last month of so has offered a lot of high end travel: Manhattan, Chicago, Florida, some great hotels, amazing food, shows and a couple of first class upgrades (thank you Delta!).  This week I'm flipping my recent travel lifestyle 180 degrees and heading to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for 3 nights without electricity, running water or ..... seriously..... cell signal.

This hasn't happened much recently (unless you count the 17hr flights to/from RSA back in August). Even when I was down in Baja Mexico last spring, I only spent one night without cell service and internet access... it was traumatic enough.

I'm heading up to the Hiawatha National Forest with a friend for the holiday weekend. I've got a cabin rented with a wood stove, a pile of firewood on the porch (at least that's what they promised) and a couple 2x4 bunk beds. All our gear will be on our backs. Of course, like most "adventures" in the modern era, I'll probably be within ear shot on a quiet morning of a paved road and won't really be too far away from the truck if we want to bail... but the plan is no contact, no running for provisions and no sneaking back to the FJ to charge the laptop!

Last I checked, the forecast was calling or a high of 28 on one of the days and snow almost every day. It happens to be hunting season, so we'll have a couple of rifles with us and might be able to forego the freeze dried for a fresh venison tenderloin (or squirrel on a stick). There is a hand pump well at the cabin for water supply, at least.

Expect Pics and expect a great story or two when I get back to blogilization.

-RJP

The Road Trip...

There are two kinds of Road Trips:

1. The kind of trip where you casually go from Point A to Point B with no real agenda or schedule just enjoying whatever the road brings your way.  I don't do this type.

2. The kind of trip where you have things planned at Point A, Point B, Point C and Point D and you try to keep the travel time to a minimum, don't dilly-dally and maximize your use of that time on the road to do other things besides just drive (and try not to get distracted by shiny things, crash or get pulled over.... very often). These are the kind of trips that I think I have gotten very good at over the years.

When I was very young, even before starting school, my family would make an annual pilgrimage from New Jersey to visit my Mom's family in Michigan. Once my brother came along, that was almost always a road trip. A one day affair starting with the full length of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, across Ohio, briefly into Indiana and then we'd make a right. In fact, some of my earliest memories are from those trips.

In the late 80's, I was finishing High School while living with my Dad in Georgia and my Mom still lived in New Jersey, where I had gone to school until halfway through 11th grade. Obviously, I still had friends and most of my family up north, so I would try to get back there as often as I could. This meant getting really familiar with the portion of the I-95 Corridor through The Carolina's, Virginia and the DC/Baltimore area. It also provided an opportunity to get pulled over in excess of 100mph in a car that whose speedometer only displayed up to 85... (not a proper defense, apparently). These road trips during my teenage years, trying to squeeze a 12 hour (each way) road trip and a couple days at home into long school holiday weekends set me up for the way I like to road travel over 20 years later:

1. Late at night whenever possible, when there is less traffic.
2. Long Straight Shots from one point of activity to another.
3. With lots of caffeine, music, books on tape, talk radio or other distractions to keep me awake.
4. Alone*.

Some Recommended Principles:

Traffic is the TimeKiller.
Avoid at all costs, including a little sleep deprivation. In the old days, Looking at a map and figuring the distance, averaging 60mph (80mph - gas/food stops for a long or longer type trip) and coming up with an estimated time of arrival became a science. Hitting traffic, a major accident or unexpected construction meant needing to increase average speed in the clear areas. I have tried  a lot of different strategies over the years: alternate route, hit a restaurant and wait, hop in and out of the shoulder. When it comes to long distance interstate travel, none of them work. Unless you know the alternate route, this can be more trouble than it is worth. If I go to a restaurant or other diversion, I just can't help thinking that the traffic disappeared 43 seconds after I got off the interstate. The shoulder hopping method actually does work for a short sprint to get to an exit or something but it is fraught with legal and road rage dangers, so I really don't do that... The Exception is going way off the shoulder (or even off-road) to get around the self imposed Road Ranger Truck Driver that takes it upon himself to block a lane miles before a merge in order to establish what he believes to be the right pace. They might be right, but it bothers me in principal, so I'll hop around those guys in a flash... often with a friendly wave as if to say "hey man, no problem, I don't mind that you were blocking the lane."
I haven't found GPS to be particularly helpful in navigating around traffic, either.
I will say that over the past few months, I have grown really fond of using the Maps App on my iPad to navigate. It is really the best of both worlds. I get to look at a map, with a highlighted route, know exactly where I am on it AND actually see things other than the specific road I'm on (unlike robotically following the directions issued from the pulpit of a GPS unit only knowing when the next turn is coming up). I even used this knowledge once to successfully get around a big wreck in northern Delaware when I saw a major highway that paralleled the interstate and was literally at a standstill.

Eat to Live.
Only. Stopping for an extended time for fine dining is a huge time waster. The road trip gets you to real food eventually (hopefully with good company!)... fruit, vegetables, nuts, bottled water, meal bars, snickers, Combos, Doritos, Red Bull and/or drive-thrus (if you must) should be your staples if you are really trying to get somewhere... and don't ever stop for food if you're not getting gas.

Gas Stations have bathrooms.
Seriously (and I've only had one gas station actually shut off my pump for leaving it unattended while I used their bathroom). Unless you are bordering on exploding, don't make a special bathroom stop. If you aren't going to stop for gas before you reach your destination, you should be able to hold it. PS- Hotel Room keys wedged properly can keep the gas pump running if some tool has removed the little stay-open-plate from the handle.

My FJ Cruiser Office, circa Jan 2010... since then, I've upgraded to a BB Torch and added an iPad... but the Mac and Aircard are still there for the heavy lifting. For the last couple of years, the Toyota has been my primary vehicle for road trips. A dozen trips up and down the east coast, countless trips into the south and out to the midwest and back and a couple of true cross-country runs. Highly Recommended... and you can't beat the built in AC!

Don't Waste the Time just Driving.
But, be safe. Unless you are incredibly challenged as a driver, do something besides keep your hands at 2 and 10 and constantly scan mirrors & blind spots. you can be completely safe and listen to a book on tape. People have (mostly) managed to change radio stations for a long time while driving... search out some talk radio. Certain places prohibit the use of a cell phone, but at least you can still (usually) use a hands free set-up to catch up with family & friends or do some business.

So, there's some opinions from a guy who literally lives on the road and has been regularly thanking Eisenhower for our Interstate System for over two decades. True, over the last year or two, about 50% of my travel has been by air, but I still prefer the Road Trip.

-RJP

* As far as the traveling alone thing, I can't say that I haven't had some really fun road trips with friends, my daughter or other family members... but they are the exception. If you look at the way I like to travel and consider the principles I espoused, the best "travel partners" (ie-passengers) for me to travel with would have no agenda of their own, be sleeping in the back seat and fasting.

Hanging out in Virginia Beach...

Virginia Beach is a great little east coast town. I first visited there for a professional conference about a decade ago and I have visited friends and done business there many times over the years since. When I decided to move out of the Rockies and back to the east coast in 2008, I set my sights on Va B for professional and social reasons... and I wanted to get back to the ocean. I grew up on the east coast and have always enjoyed being near the water. I lived in Va B through most of 2009 and early 2010 before starting the HBC experiment.

Chick's at mid-morning during the off season... it is much livelier in the Summer!

Va B really has a few distinct things going on... it sits at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay surrounded primarily by urban areas that you probably wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in. The exception is to the south, where you can sneak through Pungo and make it to North Carolina and the Outer Banks without seeing much more development than the occasional subdivision. Va B has a huge Navy Presence, including two key Naval Special Warfare installations. Much of the community is driven by military personnel and their families.

To many people, Va B is a touristy area of boardwalk and beach with the typical hotels, crappy restaurants and souvenir shops that one would expect. And it certainly can be that... but I spent most of my time on the north end of town... the "Shore Drive" and "Hill Top"areas. Here are some of my favorite spots:, starting in the south end:


Mahi-Ma's: This restaurant down around 9th St on the beach tries to be all things to everyone.. and actually does a good job. Excellent Sea Food, Great Sushi, Impressive Wine List and a Crowded Bar with lots of locals.... all in one! But, it is in tourist central... you were warned.


Abbey Road: This bar is in the heart of the tourist district, near 22nd St and Pacific. Service almost always sucks, but the music is good, the pub food is good and the beer list is the best in town. Over 100 different bottles including some hard to find (and worth finding) stuff, like Xingu. 


Catch 31:  Located at the Hilton Hotel on 31st street and the beach, Catch 31 is at the north end of the tourist strip and it is a great place to go for a "nice night out"... I don't think they really have a dress code, but put on something nice and expect to pay fairly for a really good meal. Throughout the summer, their outdoor bar is always busy and there are often live bands playing at the open air stage adjacent to the hotel.

Pacifica: This is a GREAT tapas restaurant with an ever changing menu. Pacifica is world class and the service is always good... it is at the far north end of what most people consider the proper "Virginia Beach", near the old Cavalier Hotel on Pacific Ave. Roll the dice on the specials and you will probably be impressed.

Heading up Pacific Ave past Fort Story (site of the first Public Works project in US History, a Lighthouse commissioned by George Washington!) and the road magically becomes Shore Drive through a unknown feat civil engineering and/or label gerrymandering. Some Important Locations in this part of town:

Virginia Beach Resort & Conference Center: This is THE no frills hotel to stay at when you visit Va B. Large rooms with ocean views and mini-kitchens. Great for families traveling together and FAR AWAY from tourist land. A large indoor/outdoor pool, small bar and restaurant and plenty of meeting space. Rates are downright cheap during off-season and reasonable at the height of the summer.

Hot Tuna Bar & Grill: I cannot list the events and antics that have taken place at this location (really, I can't... statutes of limitation, blood oaths, good taste, etc...). Oscar the Grouch party?  Yes. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Appearance? Yes. Octoberfest Party with men in lederhosen? Yes. Parked my Harley inside the bar one night when it was definitely not a good idea to try to drive home? Yes.  You have to stop in... the food isn't really that good, but the staff is World Class, the Atmosphere is fun and the drinks are... drinks. The She-Crab Soup, a local favorite, is definitely worth trying.

Shore Break: S-Break is Tuna's little brother restaurant for the casual sports-bar crowd. Lots of pool tables, great pizza and about a 87 TV screens. It also tends to stay open later than Tuna on most nights A good place for after after-dinner-drinks drinks.

Citrus: When you wake up in the afternoon, head to Citrus. Good food with a healthy twist. It is a breakfast diner type place, but high quality and good service. If you make it for lunch, their soup and sandwiches are top shelf.

Chick's: This is the best casual seafood place in the area. The best fried shrimp, great local oysters and a laminated plastic menu full of other options (both sides!). Service can be challenging and they have a very odd policy for such a casual waterside place of mandating Valet Parking. The only logic I apply to it after a couple years of trying to figure it out is the Limited Parking. Chick's sites on a tidal river around the corner from Lesner Bridge and the actual Chick's Beach. The lot is usually full and I guess they figure they can get 10 or so extra cars in their without dinger fenders by having their crack valet team handle the parking. Many people choose to pull their boats right up to the long dock and spend summer evenings on the expansive patio area eating and drinking with a crowd that is 90% locals at any given time.

One Fish, Two Fish: This is the classy seafood spot in the Shore Drive area. It also happens to look out of over Long Bay Point Marina, the home of The Bullfrog. many a night we would sit on the Bullfrog after a long day of what appeared to be fishing without the intended results associated with that activity and have the 1F2F staff deliver food right over the transom. Try the Tuna Tataki Appetizer.

In my Fishing Office.. on The Bullfrog with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in the background.

That oughta keep you busy and well fed (and, quite possibly, drunk) the next time you are in Va B. The next time I go, I'll outline my choices in the Hill Top and Town Center areas...

-RJP

Heading back to the dock...

As they say: "A bad day fishing is better than a good day [Insert your most likely required task HERE]."

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Out on the Chesapeake...

First stop on my road trip is Va Beach. This was the last place I called home before becoming HBC.
Almost a year ago, I was standing on the deck of my house, looking out at the ocean and made the decision that paying to have that house very month and spending so very little time there made no sense.
The first step was going to be to get a small apartment somewhere, but by March, a month after my lease on the big house was up, I had decided to go for Homeless.

That said, I do miss the opportunities to get out on the water that being in Va B offered... So, today I'm out with friends on the Bullfrog... A would-be fishing boat. At least it Would Be if manned by guys who really knew what they were doing... But, Bob and I always have a good time.

-RJP
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Typical New Jersey Diner

If you haven't eaten at an old school diner in New Jersey, you should. They probably are significantly different from the typical "american diner" that you are thinking of.

This is a great pic to put up on the day that I start my first significant road trip since the beginning of the HBC blog.

First stop: Virginia Beach... The last place I called "home". Its about a six hour drive from South Jersey through DelMarVa.

More later...
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Dining in Tulsa...

I keep ending up in Tulsa.

Over the past decade, while it seems an unlikely a place to keep ending up, I have found myself working, learning and teaching there somewhat frequently. Over that time, I've done some of the best research for my as yet unwritten book about Dive Bars of the World (and thanks much to my friends around the world who have helped in my research efforts!) and also had a couple of the best steak dinners in recent memory.

After spending the last 5 days in the center of our great nation, I thought it would be a good time to give an overview of the quality culinary diversity that is available and share some of the best options in the other city in Oklahoma.

Sushi:  Why not start with the unexpected?  In The Raw is a great sushi restaurant with a great view looking over the south end of Tulsa. ITR sits up on top of a hill, has a great patio, awesome service and an impressive staff (Even more impressive in costume on Halloween). Trust them to make you something creative and good. Strawberries and eel?  Who knew...

Korean: Until my recent trip to NYC, I didn't even realize I liked Korean food... and I don't usually look for great restaurants in strip malls. Luckily, my friend Mike has spent a lot of time in Asia and he vetted the menu at the Korean Garden off of 41st st. We actually arrived a couple of minutes late and were meeting some other friends... the text message I got from them read when they arrived was: "Looks... ??  Have you eaten here??" . It turned out to be a great meal. Service was sketchy and the setting is Subway, but the food was excellent. I'm not a huge fan of spicy, so I stuck with mild Bulgogi and Galbi and was very happy. My friends with more adventurous palates also enjoyed the food.

Irish Pub: Kilkenny's on Cherry St. is pretty legit. While they don't actually have the hard-to-find-in-the-US Kilkenny (Guinness Light... go find some.), they do everything else well from setting to pub food to a well poured Guinness. Try the little potato appetizer things. If you go with a group, be aware that this is really a pub not a bar... seating is mostly set up for small groups dining, with a relatively small bar area.

American FOOD: Charleston's is the go to spot for lunch or dinner with standard american fare. Soups, salads, chicken friend steak, burgers and the like can all be had at a-bit-above-average quality with great service.

Steakhouses: Fleming's used to be my favorite steakhouse in Tulsa, but I have recently become more fond of Mahogany Prime (of course, you can't mount the PF Chang's Horse after dinner if you eat at Mahogany...well, you could, but you'd have to drive across town.). It might simply be because I've been staying at the Doubletree which is less than a mile from the latter. Both have nice settings, with Mahogany offering a darker atmosphere with smaller sections and more secluded tables and Fleming's having a more open floor plan with a look that reminds me more of a high end Italian place. Keep this in mind if you want good steak with a group in Tulsa: Fleming's probably caters to a group larger than 6 much better. That said, Mahogany offers a private room with a round table that seats 6 comfortably, 8 by specification. ("comfort" having a lot to do with the company you are sharing and how much they want to question you about spurious indiscretions from your youth... but that's a story for a different blog...). Which reminds me to advise you never to ask for a table for an odd number of people. No tables are made for odd numbers of people, which means you are rolling the dice on having extra room at a table for one more or not enough room by squeezing into a table for one less. Just own it, claim a person is running late or in the bathroom or invisible and tell the hostess you need the larger table. Then tip well.  Anyway, the steaks at both places are world class.

Starting tomorrow, this next couple of weeks will include my first extended road-trip since starting the HBC Blog... New Jersey - Virginia - Tennessee - Michigan - Ohio. Lots of friends and family time around the Thanksgiving Holiday. Should be fun.

-RJP

Hotel: Doubletree, Tulsa


Restaurants: See Above.

Trust The Shatner.

Historically, Captain Kirk is a great traveller. He was pretty much homeless, had a cool ride, visited interesting places, always impressed the ladies and collected great stories along his way. How Brilliant is it to put him in charge of terrestrial travel bargains for mere earthbound wanderers?

Still, it took me a long time to warm up to the idea of trusting a website with my travel destination. I was, however, convinced to give Priceline a try back in May when my exact hotel didn't really matter over a couple of days off in Scottsdale, AZ. I rolled the dice, bid way too low and was assigned the Sheraton for less than fifty bucks a night. Great pool, great bar, really nice room... Less than half the cost of the Holiday Inn Express. I was impressed....

The Lobby of The Governor Hotel.
A step up from HIEx, for the same $$

A couple weeks later I was due to stay in Portland, Oregon with a few down days with nothing more than a couple of meetings that I could drive to from anywhere in the downtown area. In the past, the thing that had kept me from using Priceline was the idea of giving over my credit card before I knew exactly where I was staying. After the good experience in AZ, I was willing to trust the Shatner. I rolled the dice, went for lots of Stars and little Dollars and hit the Hotel deLuxe (cheesy name panic set in at first, then I checked the website...). this hotel was one that I would never have chosen without a first hand recommendation.. but it turned out to be awesome. GREAT atmosphere, comfortable room (though on the smallish side, as many old boutique hotels are), and a really awesome little lobby bar with an awesome menu. Try the sauteed mushroom skillet thing. After the first night, I inquired about extending my stay as my itinerary had changed. The best they could do was offer me a room at $249/night. I had prepaid all three of my nights for less than than (about $65/night) with Priceline. I went to my room, typed up the URL (which I bookmarked this time...) and booked a room at the Governor Hotel in downtown Portland at less than $100/night.  I was Hooked...

So, all summer and fall long, I've trusted Shatner to help me out when location didn't matter very much and I wanted a nice hotel and a fair price. Now, the savings haven't always been 50+%, but I set my limit of what I'm willing to pay for a really nice place and if I don't get it, no big deal... I'm either biting the bullet if the atmosphere is important or defaulting to Holiday Inn Express to keep my platinum status in good standing (usually, it's the latter!). I've used the service all across the country and stayed in 2 to 4.5 star hotels without ever being disappointed and, often, being very pleasantly surprised with the quality for price.

Of course, don't forget that the amenities, bar, parking, internet usage and other costs associated with luxury hotels are not discounted with your room rate. It can be frustrating to pay an overnight parking fee that is 35% of your room cost (trust me). So, don't put your entire budget into a 4 star hotel at 2 star pricing and then get frustrated during what should be a great stay at a great price.

I also started using Shatner for rental cars... Super deals even if you don't "bid"... just pick your city and dates and see what they have to offer. Priceline gives you a great comparison chart with all levels of car and the companies that have availability. It is the simplest way to book a rental that I have ever experienced. If you do choose to bid, you set your level of car and they pick the company. I've found that you can get a "full-size" car really cheap most of the time and then take advantage of $5-$10/day upgrade fees to get just about whatever you want (Luxury, SUV, Sportscar...). I've gotten Avis a couple of times in the last few months and upgraded to a 425hp Mustang 5.0 for less than $50/day total... once under $40 before taxes.

So, my advice to you is to give Shatner a try. You may get to boldly go to a higher level of luxury without having to change your budget or simply get to save a significant amount of cash on whatever level of hotel you were going to pay for anyway!

-RJP

Staying near the airport has its advantages...

I've stayed in the Orlando Airport Marriott a few times over the years. My main memories of the place include a few nights at the bar with friends and sitting by the pool in 2006 working on my first book... but, today I am happier to be here than ever. Sure, the rooms are nice, the bar is decent and the pool is pretty cool... but the fact that is it about 500 meters from the airport property is the key feature tonight.

Turns out that I need to fly out at 730 PM tonight, not 730 AM tomorrow (yes, this does happen more often than you would think...)....  36 hours in Orlando just became 24 and I'm soon heading off to Tulsa.

I was in town for a conference which started at 8am.  Did a morning session presentation and an afternoon presentation... a quick stop at the hotel to blog & pack and then I'm out.

I chose to start this blog during an amazing week of awesomeness... but most days aren't spent at world class hotels and eating in 5 Star Restaurants. Today was much more typical! Nutrition consisted of two bottles of water, a Sobe drink, a red bull, a cup of coffee, a cheeseburger from a cart and a MetRx bar..... I'll probably add to that banquet at the airport, but it isn't likely to be worth blogging about!

Efficiency is necessary when keeping this kind of pace. Staying near the airport (and airports that have car rental pickup/return actually at the terminal) is vital sometimes.

-RJP

Hotel:
Orlando Airport Marriott


Restaurant:
7-Eleven and a cart with no name.

Getting my Fitness in... all around Manhattan during an Epic Weekend!

The weekend in New York was Epic... certainly too much to write about in detail... so, here are the highlights:

I was in town to work this week, officially... so I spoke at a conference Thursday morning. I had a couple of friends in presenting as well. It is always great to meet up with friends and colleagues on the road... one major advantage of being homeless is that it helps make reunions with friends spread out around the world much more frequent!

Hard to beat Good Friends in a
Good Bar!

And it ended up being a pretty adventurous night for a workday: It included a great dinner at Sushi Zen on 44th... probably my favorite sushi spot on the planet. They have 6-8 grades of Toro at all times... ranging in fattiness and price. After that, a couple drinks in the revolving restaurant at the Marriot in Times Square with a few friends and then an impossible-to-refuse invite to crash a Black Crowes concert. Then I hooked up with a college buddy at a GREAT NYC Dive Bar on the upper east: American Trash (actually he picked me up ...almost without stopping his truck... in Time's Square). Finished the night out with the last set at Bemelman's and then a much needed night's rest at the Millenium.

Friday was spent  just walking around central Manhattan.. started and ended at the United Nations Plaza.... Entered Central Park at the southeast corner, took some pics from the top of Belvedere Castle and then came out on the west side at the Museum of Natural History and came through Columbus Circle and down 5th Avenue to get back to the hotel.

It is amazing how quiet some of the spots deep inside the park can be even in the midst of preparation for the NYC Marathon and how even some sections of the upper west side are like peaceful neighborhoods. I almost rented an apartment earlier in the year near city college in a section that reminded me of a couple of the areas we walked through behind the museum (though my rent would've been much cheaper 50+ blocks north!).

Lunch was at a favorite spot of mine across from Lincoln Center, the Cafe Fiorello. They have an amazing antipasto bar and great pizzas. Highly Recommended.

Classic NYC "Dinner and a Show" was the plan... it turned into a show & then dinner. The Show, Jersey Boys, was at the August Wilson Theater and it was Outstanding. This weekend was the 5th Anniversary of this award winning show. If you haven't been to a show at a Broadway Theater, put it on your list of things to do... and wear a tux!  We grabbed drinks at Gallagher's before the show (conveniently across the street), but ran out of time for dinner. Reservations for a table at Birdland provided another great entertainment opportunity and a chance for a great late night meal. Birdland is always an outstanding option for a roll-of-the-dice musical act... this evening provided a mix of talented musicians from around the world playing a variety of instruments including my first exposure to a Jazz Harp!

Never Forget.

Saturday and Sunday brought me to Lower Manhattan. I wanted to check out the new World Center Hotel, which sits overlooking the Ground Zero sight on the south side. Looking out the window of my room at the construction of the Memorial Pools and Freedom Tower was a pretty sobering experience. I have been down to the site a couple of times since 9/11, and had been in the complex a few times before. I never had the perspective looking down over the whole site from an adjacent building before. (Insert your own Moment of Silence here!)

Jean Shop Jeans,
the best on the planet.

The Saturday & Sunday pace was pretty casual and included a walk from Ground Zero through Battery Park, around the corner past South Street Seaport into Little Italy & SoHo and then back home past City Hall. I did take some time to stop in to check out a Tattoo shop near China Town that might be the site of some future work. This morning had some time for shopping in the village & the meat packing district (had to get a new pair of Rockers at The Jean Shop!) . The weekend dining high points were a breakfast at The Diner (14th st & 9th) Lunch with friends at Puglia's (Mulberry & Hester)  and a world class dinner at Hangawi (32nd Ave in Korea Town). Again, some old standbys and a real adventure. Hangawi is very traditional in setting and service and completely vegan. The food was awesome.

Puglia's might be the Best Pizza in the City.
Go to Little Italy and try their Rigatoni Pizza... seriously.

The last adventure for the trip was the taxi ride out to LaGuardia... the driver was really worried about the NYC Marathon screwing up the streets we needed... but we made it without any real delays (other than the cabbie stopping three times to ask other cabbies AND some cops about the best route to take) and I jumped on a plane to Orlando. More from here tomorrow...

-RJP

Hotel:
The World Center Hotel in Lower Manhattan


Events:
Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theater
Black Crowes' Concert at Best Buy Theater


Restaurants:
Puglia's, Hangawi, Birdland, The Diner, Cafe Fiorello.


Bars:
Gallagher's, American Trash

Metal Fork, plastic knife... At a steak restaurant?

I'm sitting at a restaurant at La Guardia that serves $50 steaks... They better be very tender!
Even after a wknd in a hotel room over-looking Ground Zero, I cannot comprehend the logic at work here.
I'm getting a burger...
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Down at Battery Park this morning...

It has been a really busy couple of days in New York... Lots of good food, great friends, a Broadway Show and plenty of walking. Full Report Coming Soon!

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View from the top of Belvedere Castle in Central Park.

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Accidentally ended up next to the stage at a Black Crows concert...

It is good to have friends in the security industry!
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Times Square

If you're showing people around the city, you've got to make a photo-op stop in Times Square...
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Some Old, Some New

As I mentioned yesterday, one of the great things about being in New York for several days is the opportunity to visit some of my favorite spots as well as having time to explore some new places. During this trip in particular, I am also spending time with people who know the city very well as well as people who have never been here before. This opens up the chance to learn a little more about a city that I am just a frequent visitor and also act like I own the place and show off the city that I almost decided to live in.

Last night, a friend who has lived in four of the five boroughs and spent most of his life in the greater NYC area took me to two outstanding spots. One was new to both of is, The Press Lounge at Ink48. The bar was nice and, as even my camera phone pic from last night showed, the view was AWESOME. A great rooftop bar that is probably better in July than it was in last nights chill... I'll go back. The next spot was one that he has frequented for lunch and dinner and which I would probably not have found on my own.

With the exception of a short trip to Lyon over a long Easter weekend a few years ago (which did include an actual fight inside a roman ampitheater, thank you Ross... and lots of car bombs, thank you Guiness.), I've never been a huge fan of "French Cuisine"... but last night I had a great meal at Marseille. We walked from Ink48 over to 9th, made a right and within a block decided we were ready to eat.... luckily this spot with great service and a creative menu was on his list of "places your should try." I had duck and it was really good. Conveniently, there was a great bar across the street from the place called The Irish Rogue, where we grabbed a beverage and got the French-ness off of us.

Tonight, I get to be in charge as I'm heading out with friends who are new to Manhattan... First my favorite NYC sushi spot (Sushi Zen) and then.... we'll see...

Both the Empire State Building & the Chrysler Building
can be seen from West Facing Rooms... these pics are from
the 39th Floor of the Millenium UN Plaza.
. 

Tonight is also my last night at the Millenium UN Plaza... it has been a great hotel with an INCREDIBLE view. Tomorrow, I head downtown.


-RJP


Hotel:
Millenium UN Plaza


Restaurants:
Marseille on 9th Avenue


Bars:
Press Lounge at Ink48
The Irish Rogue

View from the Press Lounge at Ink48

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A Great Steak & One of The Best Bars in the World.

There is no doubt that being in New York City gives me an opportunity to eat well. While I have my favorite spots, I do like to go out on a limb sometimes and try something new. Of course, it's not hard to find plenty of highly recommended restaurants in Manhattan... especially when it comes to steak houses, so trying something new doesn't really require going too far out on that proverbial limb.

I've probably had world class steaks in the city in a dozen places over the years. My favorites are Keen's, Gallagher's and the Ruth's Chris on 53rd (consistently the best in a chain of consistently great steakhouses).

I don't know when I first heard about Ben & Jacks, but when I saw that it was about a block from my hotel, I knew that I would have to try it. I'm glad I did. Ben & Jacks is a small place on 44th Street. The service was great and the steak was outstanding.

I've got another favorite steakhouse in NYC.

Afterwards, I jumped in a cab and went up to Bemelman's at The Carlyle Hotel. Bemelman's has to be one of the best bars in the world. It is not the best bar for Irish Car Bombs (O'sheas), it is not the best bar for a Windex (Protocrat 007), and it probably isn't the best bar to catch up with a good friend over a Coors Light (seriously, almost any bar will do for that...), but if you are looking for a dark, old wood & leather type place to enjoy a rocks glass full of whiskey while listening to great jazz, then Bemelman's wins. I stumbled into this classic upper east side bar when I was staying at a hotel in that part of town many years ago and I always make it a point to stop in when I'm back in Manhattan. Mind the dress code and don't worry about the price of the drinks. It is a cool spot. Try to go when Loston Harris is playing, seriously amazing music.

Today was a work day and tonight I'm out with a friend. Spending several days in town gives me a chance to check in at my favorite spots, go exploring and get some tips from the locals on where to go... that's tonights agenda.

-RJP

Restaurant:
Ben & Jacks on 44th Street between 2nd & 3rd.


After Dinner Bar:
Bemelman's at The Carlyle.

America's High Speed Business Train.

I hate to sound like the cliche' jaded American who raves about traveling in Europe on a train and laments the lack of rail infrastructure here in the US.... but it is a cliche' for a reason. Rail travel in Europe generally kicks ass. (Except for the night I got stuck at a train station in Chomutov). Granted, I've never bothered to travel by rail in the US outside of subways and the Disney Monorail... so, it was about time I tried it. This week offered the perfect opportunity. I was in South Jersey, needed to get to NYC and I'm flying out from LGA on Sunday. Options: 

1. Get someone to drive me. 
2. Leave my car at LGA for at least 12 days before I could get back.
3. Flight from AC.
4. Bus.
5. Try out that new Acela High Speed Train that "the new" Amtrak has been pushing. 






Option 5 pretty much blew everything else away. Even if the train sucked, it would be the best story for the shortest time investment (remember what I said yesterday about collecting stories ??).


So, here's the marketing on the Acela:

Acela Express is Amtrak's high speed train operating in its Northeast Corridor from Washington, DC to Boston via New York City.  The 20 Acela Express trainsets were manufactured by a Bombardier Alstom consortium for 800 million dollars. Each trainset has two power cars, four business class cars, a cafe/bristo car, and a first class car. The Acela Express is the fastest train in North America. It reached speeds of over 160 MPH during testing, and reaches speeds of up to 150 MPH on several sections of track between New Haven and Boston. The trainsets also have a tilt system, modeled after a technology used on some other high speed trains. This system allows the cars to tilt slightly (up to 4.2 degrees) while traveling on curves, providing a smooth ride at faster speeds.


In my opinion, Rail travel is generally cool for trips of 1-4 hours. Longer than that, and I hope its a sleeper, shorter than that and a ride with a friend might be less hassle. Having hopped around Europe on trains a fair bit since 2006, I think I generally have the hang of it. Big Luggage is awkward (it all goes in the cars and aisles with you) and if you don't have a reserved seat you might have a lot of changing on a train with lots of stops. Furthermore,  given the relatively low upcharge (not at all like airlines), the upgrade is usually worth the price in comfort and convenience. The company is usually better also. Seriously.

Enough Juice for the entire Mobile Office!

So, how did the Acela rate up against the ICE and TGV trains of Europe. It was very much the same. Not much difference at all in fact, except for the one VERY COOL difference of a conveniently placed two outlet 120 volt AC adapter right at my very comfortable (Business Class) seat. Okay... there was a downside: two jackasses in seats near me wanted to conduct business meetings by phone during the 1.5 hr trip... and they seemed to be trying to out-loud each other. There is a "quiet" car which doesn't allow cell use, but it wasn't worth moving by the time I really got to the incredulously annoyed level.


I'll travel this way whenever I get the chance on the east coast.


Meanwhile, I arrived in NYC and went for a bit of a walk. I'm staying at the UN Plaza and I "needed" to make a trip to B&H Photo... so I made the trek from Midtown East down to the area of Madison Square Garden to hit one of my favorite stores on the planet to pick up a Vertical Battery Grip for the Canon 7D. Expect Good Pics this week. (And, I got my fitness in for the day!)






The view from my hotel room is spectacular... more on the lodging as the week goes on. I'm off to have a great steak.


-RJP


Today's Travel:
Amtrak Acela High Speed Rail from Philly to Manhattan.

30th Street Station... Philadelphia, PA

Today we get to see if the Amtrak Acela lives up to the hype....
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The Start of a New Project... to document and share an experiment.

I have always enjoyed traveling. I enjoy exploring new places, learning about new regions and eating in new restaurants. Either by luck or non-cognitive design, I am in a situation that requires (or allows ??) me to travel almost constantly. 2010 is the third year in a row that I needed to travel more than 300 days for work. In the past four days, I've been in Bellingham, WA, Tulsa, OK and Mays Landing, NJ and tomorrow I'm off to Manhattan. And this is not an especially odd week, nor am I counting flight layovers as "I was there".
I worked in Washington State last week, one of the projects I work on required me to be in Tulsa on Saturday afternoon and, unfortunately, I attended a funeral for a good family friend in New Jersey earlier today (RIP, Gary Sutley, Thanks for the Good Times!). I head up to NYC tomorrow to for another event that takes place later in the week.


As I travel around the United States and (less often) the rest of the world, I collect stories. Sometimes the stories aren't that great, other times they can barely be believed. As I travel around and catch up with old friends or make new ones, I often find myself telling a story or sharing a travel tip from the road. This blog will be partial travel log, partial travel advisor and probably involve a rant or two as we go.


Lately, I have spent a fair amount of time trying to explain the fact that I REALLY don't have a home. Like, really. This is the part where I should tell you that one particular friend of mine, who works with me on a major project and travels with me quite often, has threatened to start wearing a t-shirt that says "He's not kidding." People have a hard time believing that I really don't have an apartment, house or condo somewhere. Did you see that movie Up in the Air ? Yeah, that guy had a home... I don't. Out of these conversations that begin with raised eyebrows and skeptical looks came the phrase "Homeless by Choice"... and now we have a blog. Of course, once we establish that I don't have a home there are other questions:

Enough Stuff for a two bedroom apartment.

1. My Stuff is mostly split between 3 places: With me (which includes in my truck, which I use to travel a fair amount of time), in a storage facility or in a PODS. Of course, I have some things stashed with family and friends around the country... a back up hard drive here, some extra clothes there, stuff-I-don't-want-to-lose at my Mom's. I have one motorcycle in Ohio and another in Virginia and a lot of firearms in a big safe somewhere.


2. I'm a Teacher, TV Show Host and Author, so I don't really need to be anywhere all the time... in fact, it seems like I almost always need to be somewhere else. It's not always been that way... I was a civil servant in the government bureaucracy for a short time and, although I loved my job, it didn't take. I worked in a pseudo-corporate structure for a few years and know that it's not for me. Independent entrepreneur with lots of great business partners seems to be working out pretty well.

My Preferred Office Setting.

3. I do have an office in Virginia Beach, VA... but I've only spent about 2 hours there in the last 6 months. I much prefer to work in a hotel room, or in my truck, on the iPad, MacBook and Blackberry that are rarely outside of arm's reach... let alone my sight.


4. Sometimes I stay in 5 Star Hotels, sometimes I crash on a friend's couch. In the absence of a motivation to stay anywhere special, the default is Holiday Inn Express... Yes, I'm a Platinum Member of the Priority Club.


5. No, it doesn't get old... at least not for me.... at least not yet.


So, that's about enough background for now.


Tomorrow I am taking my first trip on a train in the United States... granted, it is a short trip... but we're going to see how well Amtrak is doing with its new push to redefine rail travel in the US. This week I'll be spending 5 days in my favorite city... what a great week to start a travel blog.


-RJP


As a shorthand for the blog, I'll be listing highlights of where I stayed or where I ate when I post in this manner:

Today's Restaurant:
Ye Old Mill Street Pub, Mays Landing, NJ.