Travel Blog

Allergies and were you live can make a huge difference in the number of allergies you have and your reaction to them. There are some areas of the continent that are just worse than others due to the predominance of pollen, dust and mold as well as pollution that just makes it uncomfortable for millions of people every year. There is not much you can do about it if you want to live a normal life. However you can protect yourself by avoiding those things that trigger allergic reactions.

We recently read a report that provided a list of the cities in the United states and ranked them for bad to best in terms of allergies. They ranked them based on pollen counts and over the counter drugs and prescriptions used to treat allergies.

Allergies and Were You Live

What they found was pretty interesting and yet when you thing about it not that surprising. The conclusions are that if you live in an area were there are lots of trees, grasses and flowers, dust and mold, along with high humidity, there are going to be more people being treated for allergies as well as asthma. If you have traveled the continent at all you will quickly realize that any were in the eastern side of the continent is not a good place to live if you have a lot of allergies.

High Pollution Not a Huge Factor

Even Los Angeles with it’s high pollution, was well down on the list due to its arid climate and location close to the ocean. There are pockets of areas that are better than others on the eastern side of North America. For example if you live close to the ocean and there are strong off shore breezes blowing the pollen away from you then this will be a good place to live.

If you happen to be allergic to grass pollen and not tree pollen, then many forested areas in the north east will be fine. You need to understand and learn what your body reacts to and then find out what the pollen levels are in your area.

Worst Areas to Live

Knoxville, Tenn had the highest ranking of all of the cities, while places like Los Angeles, much maligned for its air pollution, ranked far better — number 92 on the 2010 list. San Diego was 99, with both cities being near the ocean, off shore breezes and arid climates.

The study took into account factors such as the region’s pollen score (pollen count and other factors), along with the number of allergy medications prescribed and the number of board-certified allergists practicing there. Each city received  a score and then the list of 100 cities is drawn up.

Cities with an exceptionally high concentration of trees, grass, or weeds will have more pollen in the air, and local environmental factors such as wind, humidity, typical temperatures — and air pollution — also play a role in allergies. Knoxville is were it all came together to put it at the top of the list.

Geography Also Plays a Part

Anywhere grasses and trees do well may be places that you want to avoid. If you are allergic to certain types of weeds, such as golden rod you may want to stay away. River basins, such as in Ohio or Mississippi, were higher pollen counts occur due to high humidity levels, were everything sits,  pollen is likely to be worse.

In mountainous areas, there are fewer plants, resulting in less pollen overall.

Pollen from evergreens is typically heavy pollen, so it falls to the ground relatively quickly. It poses less of an allergy problem simply because it is airborne for a shorter time however if you are allergic to this type of pollen you will want to stay away. Try going from the desert into a mountainous area in the spring  were there are lots of evergreens  and see what happens. I did and will never go back at that time of year due to the almost immediate reaction from the pollen in the air.

The closer to the sea the better, especially if there are off shore prevailing winds which keep the pollen away from that part of the land.

How Do you Decide Were to Live Based on Your Allergies

The first step is to get tested and find out specifically what you are allergic to. Knowing that you are allergic to grass and trees is not enough. You must find out which types of grass and which types of trees that will impact you the most. Armed with this information, you can then look at various cities to see what is best.

Next find out what is the prevalent type of pollen in the area, or dust or mold.

For example, if you are allergic to evergreens, then the north eastern areas of the continent, mountainous areas are places to stay away from along with some river basins. If grasses do not bother you, the plains states might be a good place to live. It is also the type of grass or the type of tree that may be important for some people.

On the other hand, if grasses are a problem, then arid areas would be better, although you will have to be careful about the various local tress that are in the area. Asthmatics must take a great deal of care both in treating their symptoms as well deciding were to live.

Avoiding your Triggers

Basically it is all about avoiding your triggers, those allergens that could trigger an asthmatic attack or at least a severe allergy attack. Coastal areas seem best, however try to avoid polluted areas. Although Los Angeles ranked well on the list we saw, I would not want to have to deal with the pollution and the traffic every day.

If you generalize in your assessment you may not get the results you expect in terms of improvement to your allergies. Be specific, know exactly what you are allergic to and how to avoid them.

Comments about allergies and tactics to avoid them are welcome. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

Save

This is a continuation of our blog about our travels during the winter and spring of 2011. If you missed our first post about Snow Bird Travel, you can review it by clicking here or on Snow Bird Travel. We left off our last post as we were heading to Bisbee, Arizona and Benson.

Snow Bird Travel – Bisbee Arizona

Bisbee is an old historic mining town close to the border with Mexico. A mine still operates there, however the town and businesses have seen better days when the copper mines were running at full tilt. The historic section of Bisbee is now confined to old antique shops, 60’s style hippies and old saloons. There are a few bed and breakfast places as well as hotels in the area.

However there is not a lot to do in the area, other than relax, enjoy a coffee, visit the many art and craft shops . We had lunch at the Savory Spot and did not find it to be the most enjoyable place, however it was very interesting due to the clientele that were having lunch while we had ours. You can read more about snow bird traveling in Bisbee and our lunch experience as well as see several pictures, click here.

Benson Arizona

Next we went to Benson, Arizona for the night. Nothing special about Benson, however the hotel we stay at is called the Desert Rose and we consider it one of the nicest places to stay at on our trip. Clean, decorated in desert tones, great value, only $80 per night which includes breakfast and WiFi and close to Bisbee, Tombstone, Tucson, PIMA Museum, the Bone Yard, the Titan Missile Museum and Old Town Tucson to name a few. All are within an hour driving and most are less than 30 minutes drive from the hotel.

Titan Missile Museum

We visited the Titan Missile Museum on this trip and I have to say it is one of the highlights of our trip. For those of you who may not be aware, during the cold war both Russia and the US had many missiles aimed at each other armed with Nuclear weapons.  The Russians located Nuclear war heads in Cuba during the 60’s which precipitated the Bay of Pigs confrontation and lead to the US building these missile sites.

There were 54 missiles located around the US all aimed at various locations in Russia. They could be launched within 1 minute of getting the launch order once Russian missiles were detected. Canada and NORAD played a significant part of the early warning system.

These missiles have been replaced by newer more sophisticated systems, and all were taken out of service in favor of new more sophisticated systems. This site is the only one left and has been converted into a museum. For more information and pictures, click here.

We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the Aquarius hotel while we stay here in Laughlin, Nevada for a few days, also again because of the slot cards that we use. We have had breakfast as well on the comps which was also actually a brunch. There are lots of snow bird traveling deals in the Laughlin area.

We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  If you would like more information about the Aquarius Hotel, click here. For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here. More about locations in New Mexico, click here. Click here for Snow bird articles and posts.

Las Vegas Nevada

On to Vegas and the Mirage hotel.  We ate at the Carnegie Deli at the Mirage today for lunch. We shared a pastrami on rye sandwich which had to be 5 inches tall. There was also a plate of french fries that was more than enough for 4 people. The food is really good. There is lots of it, so if you want to share the restaurant will not mind.

When we stay at the Mirage Hotel we always try to go to Kokomos restaurant. This is stylish contemporary restaurant bordering on the lush tropical jungle. I always order the 8oz fillet .  The pool was closed for maintenance so we did not get a chance to use it. When we are in Vegas, we like to go to all of our favorite places such as the Bellagio, the Mirage and the Wynn hotels. For pictures of the Mirage hotel, and more information about Las Vegas, click here.

Palm Springs California

We arrived in Palm Springs on the 1st of Feb were we will stay for the next month. These are relaxing days spent in the sun, going for coffee, hiking and swimming in the pool at the Deauville (Click Here for Information) were we stay.

The Deauville is a luxury condo that comes with 3 pools and hot tubs, tennis courts. It also has  a gym along with underground parking. It is located in downtown Palm Springs, which allows us to walk to almost everything. One place we went for brunch was a place called Leon’s! This restaurant is located at Indian Canyons Golf course and they offer brunch ordered off a menu with unlimited champagne for $15 per person. Click here for several pictures and a view of one of the cutest golf carts we have seen.

I surprised my wife on Valentines with a trip to Las Vegas, staying at the Wynn Hotel and Casino for two days. We met her girlfriend there, which was another surprise. She won a jackpot on a nickel machine, $5280!

We have included other posts about various topics in and around Palm Springs. They are listed on the right hand side under recent posts. More to come in our next major post about our trip in 2011! We are off to Bullhead Arizona for the month of March, 2011. There are lots of snow bird traveling throughout the US.

We just finished lunch at Chipotle Palm Springs and found it to serve one of the healthiest fast foods with a Mexican flare that we have ever had.  This restaurant is located at 2465 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Unit 1110, Palm Springs, CA 92264, United States. We have eaten there many times since this original post and found the food to be excellent every time.

Chipotle Palm Springs

For those of you who have never heard of Chipotle, this is a new chain of restaurants that is spreading throughout the US in the fast food category. You can dine in the restaurant as well as take your meal with you if you are on the run. This particular restaurant was also licensed and had both an indoor eating area as well as an outdoor patio. The patio was broken into two parts, one was covered and the other had tables with umbrellas. The entire outdoor area is shared with a sub place and a frozen yogurt place as well.

High Quality

We cannot say enough about the quality of the food, the service, and the price. All three are rated excellent. The picture on the left is from the Chipotle website. We hope they do not mind because we love their food so much. Looks good or what?  The decor is ok, after all, it is a fast food restaurant.

You can choose from a bowl, burritos, tacos, and two other combinations which we have forgotten. Readers, please leave a comment if you know the others. You can choose between vegetarian, chicken, pork and beef, with rice, onions, chili sauce , corn, lettuce, and guacamole. The menu can be a bit confusing, however, the staff is more than willing to help you with your choices.

Value for Price

We found that a bowl plus a drink came to less than $10 and was large enough to be shared between two adults unless you are really hungry or have an extra large appetite. The food and vegetables were fresh and hot so everything was tasty. You can also add mild, medium or hot chili sauce to suit your tastes. They provide hot sauce which you can add separately.

Drinks are the fountain type and you can have as many refills as you need. All in all, this is a really good deal, healthy as well and fresh food. We noticed that when a tray of rice was almost gone, they replaced it with a full tray and threw the old one out. They do not add hot food on top of the food that has been sitting there for a while, even though it has not been there very long.

If you like Chipotle’s or have comments that you would like to add, please feel free to do so. Our readers will appreciate the response and the comments. Spam comments will be auto-deleted.

For more posts about Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

This Starbucks Palm Springs is right at the corner of Sunrise road and Ramon. It occupies one corner of a small mall with a Ralph’s grocery store, dry cleaners and several other small stores. They even have a drive though. Which we have not seen a lot of at any of the Starbucks that we go to.

They also have a nice patio with umbrellas as well. Part of the building provides some shelter from the noon day sun. The only negative about this particular Starbucks is that several transients will hang out. They are on the Sunrise side of the building among the cacti landscaping. They have never caused us a problem. But they do tend to make one less willing to go to this particular Starbucks. Apparently there is nothing the store can do. Since these guys stay on public property and as a rule do not bother the customers.

Starbucks Palm Springs

The patio is in the shade in the morning and then gets the full sun during the afternoon. It can get a little hot in the summer time when sitting in this area. They also have free WiFi and are part of the corporate system that provides free coffee refills when you have a registered Starbucks card. There is lots of parking since they are part of the parking lot for the grocery store and the dry cleaners.

Many people will go to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and then go on to do their grocery shopping at Ralph’s, the grocery store and then head home. It is also an excellent location since it is at the intersection of two busy roads, but still has easy access and lots of parking.

Comments are appreciated about this Starbucks coffee location. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For more posts about coffee shops, click here.

Driving around Palm Springs and the other desert cites that occupy the valley can be very easy as well as stressful depending on your point of view. The streets are wide with lots of signs and most parking is free and there seems to be no problem parking along the side streets.  In fact the side streets are so wide it is sometimes difficult to know whether you there are two lanes or four lanes, since only the dividing line is marked.

Parking

As far as parking is concern the basic rule is to never park along a curb that is painted in red or green. Almost anything else goes unless there is a specific sign saying other words.

Drivers – Old and Fast

There are many slow drivers in the desert. These drivers are a combination of older drivers who are nervous driving on these streets which are pretty flat and easy to navigate. Some will stop at stop signs and some will not. As you approach any intersection it is a good idea to always drive defensively and observe what the oncoming traffic is doing as well as people approaching from side streets. Sometimes these older drivers miss the stop sign. We are not picking on older drivers, we just noticed that many of them are not driving as well as they maybe should be.

There are also the usual fast drivers as you find in any city. Usually younger people they have faster cards and drive aggressively.  Nothing new here, it is just an unusual combination with the younger and older drivers being on the same roads.

Respect for Pedestrians

One thing that seems to be a common element here in Palm Springs is the respect for pedestrians. Crossing streets at stop lights or walk signs, people in cars are usually very patient. Everyone seems to take their turn and they seem to wait patiently while you cross.

Having said that there have been one or two instances that we have heard of were people have been hit by an impatient driver, or someone on drugs or has had too much to drink. So even if you find that drivers respect pedestrians more here, don’t let you guard down. Always make eye contact before you cross with drivers and only cross when you are sure they will stop.

Traffic Fines

We have read several news items lately where California has double their traffic fines. The state is short of money and they are making people who break the law pay for their bad driving. So if you get a parking ticket or are stopped for speeding, expect a big fine!

Highway 111 is the main road through the valley that takes you through all of the desert cities. This is the scenic view. If you have never been here before it can be a nice drive to pass through the valley. Take the exit off I10 and into Palm Springs from LA. 111 turns into Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs and continues on to the other desert cities.

I10 is the major route from Los Angeles to Phoenix. There are approximately 10 exits that you can take to the desert cities, 2 of which will take you into Palm Springs.

For many more posts about Palm Springs and things to do in the area, click here.

We love to visit Starbucks Palm Springs almost every morning. Besides the coffee which is great. This particular location was at the corner of Tahquitz and Palm Canyon drive at the center of Palm Springs. You can sit outside and watch the world go by. Starbucks has opened a new coffee shop shown in the picture above. We have  been there and look forward to visiting it everyday.

This is a traditional Starbucks with a few seats inside along the window and a few chairs to sit at. Outside there is a large patio with covered umbrellas to provide shade from the sun right on the corner. Many people go there every morning to meet people, to read the paper or just to people watch.

Folks who are on their way to work stop for coffee along with the many tourists who are in town and especially the snow birds who love to spend there mornings with a great cup of coffee. If this sounds like an ad for Starbucks in Palm Springs it is not meant to, however we do spend a lot of time their and really do enjoy the mornings over a good cup of coffee.

Starbucks Palm Springs

The picture we have included is not one of the best. We will replace it soon with a better one without the store in the shadows.Starbucks provides free WiFi for all visitors and now you do not need to sign in. Just agree to the terms and conditions and you are good to go on the internet.

Across the street is another coffee shop called the Coffee Bean. It also occupies a prime location with tables and chairs located on the corner and along Tahquitz road under umbrellas as well as a small overhang. For those of you who may not be aware, when the sun gets hot, you really welcome those umbrellas to protect you from that burning sun.

They also provide free WiFi, although you must get an access code by going inside and finding the code number on the TV screen on the bottom right hand corner. They have a small seating area and a fireplace for those cooler days. We like both locations and will move from one to the other based on how we feel that day.

Starbucks is a little cheaper than the Coffee Bean and Starbucks offers free refills for people with registered Starbucks cards.

Both locations suffer from time to time from transients coming by and asking for money or handouts. There are also a few people who buy coffee, but are of questionable character. Sometimes they will make guests a bit nervous. This does not happen often, but it does  happen.

If you have comments on either location, please feel free to leave comments. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For more reviews of coffee shops we like to go to, click here.

The Starbucks at the corner of El Paseo &  San Pablo, in  Palm Desert is an excellent place to spend some time enjoying the desert sun and watching people, reading or in conversation with friends. This El Paseo Palm Desert location is right on the corner, the patio area is fairly large and is in the shade in the morning, and full sun from around 11 until sunset. There are lots of umbrellas as well so you can get in the shade if that is your preference.

This Starbucks also has a fairly large seating area inside if it is just too hot for you outside, or if all the seats on the patio are already taken. We find that it  is a great place to relax and enjoy the surroundings. This El Paseo Palm Desert, like many of them provide free WiFi connections and also free refills if you have a registered Starbucks card. Well worth the time it takes to register your card.

For those of you who may not know, El Paseo is the Rodeo drive of the desert. There are many high end stores and shops in approximately 6 blocks which cater to very specific tastes. They have very high quality and of course very high prices as well.

You will see more BMW’s, Mercedes, Jag’s and even Bentleys driving along the street. There are a large number of expensive cars and also golf carts. It is not un-common to see someone going up and down the street in their replica golf cart. They may look like a Mercedes or some other vehicle. There is also several carts that will transport you from one end of the street to other end , all free of course. We have not used this service, however you probably should leave a tip for the driver. They are older seniors, mainly women who drive these vehicles.

This is a great place to shop as well as people watch if you are into that sport as well. You may see famous people occasionally along the street and certainly many people who are very well off.

Feel free to leave your comments about this Starbucks or the El Paseo area. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For more Starbucks locations in the Palm Springs area, click here.

Unfortunately, Leons Bar and Grill Palm Springs is now closed. While it was open it certainly was a place you should visit while in Palm Springs. We just got back from Leon’s Bar & Grill at the Indian Canyons Golf Resort in Palm Springs. What a wonderful experience. We went for the Sunday brunch, which was priced at $15 per person.  For this price you receive all you can drink champagne, juice, coffee and an entree of your choice which includes everything from omelet’s to Chicken pot pie, to salads with crab cakes. They also come with a small dish of fruit. A great deal by any standards especially when you consider the view.

The dining area at Leons Bar and Grill Palm Springs looks out onto the golf course with a breathtaking fountain and the mountains in the background. Resort owners can drive their golf carts up to the bar and come in for a drink or a meal any time. We just had to take this picture of a 1959 BMW golf car powered by a 1 cylinder motorcycle engine. Two people can travel in this little car and when it was manufactured you could by it for $800 in 1959! Today as an antique it is apparently worth $35,000!  Everyone wanted to take pictures of it and have their picture taken with it.

Leons Bar and Grill Palm Springs

We had brunch with our friends. As you can see the champagne is flowing with some of us having mimosa’s along with our meals.  If you have the opportunity to be in Palm Springs, we strongly recommend that you take Leon’s brunch in on Sundays. Reservations are needed. We had a choice of seats with a 1o am reservation, however by 11 am the place was full and there was a waiting line of people to get in. At 12, I am sure the waiting time is at least 30 minutes or perhaps even longer.

I had chicken pot pie. Which as you can see from the picture was huge and I have to say was also delicious. It also came with a bowl of fruit as well. Our friends had an omelet with real fried potatoes and salad with crab cakes. There are approximately 12 to 15 items on the menu. There is something for everyone.

A Fun Place for Everyone

The gay community feel free to be seen together and to act out sometimes and valentines brings the best or the worst out in them depending on your point of view. Many came bearing valentines gifts for their friends. There were four or five guys who we think are part of an entertainment group who walked in wearing red hats and red high heels! Not my thing, but they were funny and attracted a lot of attention.

The Indian Canyons golf club is part an old Palm Springs club that used to be private and now is open to the public, however I understand the fees are quite high.

If you have eaten at Leon’s and want to add your comments, please feel free to do so. Comments on the golf club are also welcome. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For information about other Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

We dropped into the patio at the Azul Patio restaurant located at 369 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs the other day. We had seen an advertisement for this patio were they advertised their happy hour and the outdoor patio experience. When we arrived there were lots of people on the patio. So we thought this would be a good place to spend some time, enjoy the sun. We wanted to enjoy a few drinks along with some appetizers.

The Azul Patio Restaurant is unique in Palm Springs as are many of the restaurants. There is a central bar area were you can sit and meet other patrons around the bar. You can talk to the bar tender and enjoy the surroundings. We like to do this at most places we go since you have a chance to talk to people. As a result you get to know the place you are in a little better. On one side of the bar next to the street, are swings with tables that will seat four people. This is kind of neat. As a result it obviously popular since all of them were occupied when we arrived.

Azul Patio Restaurant

On the other side of the bar are traditional tables. Some are high up with stools , while the others are regular tables. They also have awnings that slide forward to protect you from the noon day sun. They slide back for the evening. On cool nights there are heaters to keep you warm.

We found out that happy hour started at 4 pm and lasted until 6:30. Most drinks were either half price or $2 off the regular price. Once thing that did not appeal to us was that there were no prices on the happy hour menu for drinks although you could find them in a different part of the menu.

We found that the bar tender was decidedly unfriendly, not only to us but to pretty much everyone. Maybe he was having a bad day and he was really busy, however he never smiled and was pretty focused all of the time. We are used to bar tenders knowing that part of their job is to not only serve drinks, but to also spend some time socializing with the guests, even if it is only a few comments here and there.

Our Order

We decided to order a draft beer and a glass of wine. The Pinot Grigio, my wife ordered was not part of the happy hour, so we had to pay full price for this drink. Beer was $2.75, a pretty good price.

We also ordered Natcho’s and humus for $3.00. When it arrived we were surprised. There was a small container of humus about the size you would get if you ordered catchup on the side at some restaurants. There were about 7 large tortilla chips. Needless to say were surprised and disappointed in this order being so skimpy. I guess we are used to most American restaurants providing large orders of food even if it is part of happy hour.

Although the patio was full, and seemed to be enjoyed by a lot of people, we would not really recommend this place. There are many other restaurants and patios that are more fun and have better appetizers than the Azul restaurant patio in Palm Springs.

If you have comments or have spent some time at this restaurant, please fell free to leave your comments as well. Maybe you had a different experience than us and really like this particular restaurant. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For information about other Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

The Desert Rose Benson Arizona is located in southern Arizona, east of Tucson and close to Bisbee and Tombstone. Tombstone as you may know is home to an old western cowboy town were the famous Bird Cage Saloon was located. Many card games, bar fights and gun battles took place inside and outside of the Bird Cage. There is a tour you can take of the Bird Cage in Tombstone which I would recommend. Very interesting and informative about how women and men lived a 100 years ago in this area. They also have cowboy gun fights at various times during the day if you are into that sort of thing.

Why We Like to Stop Here

We like to stop at the Desert Rose hotel in Benson just off I10 for a number of reasons. For those of you who have never heard of the Desert Rose, it was the Benson Holiday Inn Express.  We like staying here because it is the price reasonable. In addition it is always immaculately clean, has a great breakfast and a very nice pool area just off the breakfast area. Which is very enjoyable during warm spring, summer and fall days. You can also do a laundry if you have been traveling for a while. There is a small gym for those who want to limber up and get some exercise after being in the car for some time.

Also at this particular exit off I10, there is the usual gas stations, fast food joints and one other hotel.

Benson itself is not that exciting. Consisting of a spread out village ( There is a Walmart), there does not seem to be a lot you would want to do here. There are many trailer parks for RV travelers to stay at, although we cannot attest to how good or bad they are.

Nearby Attractions

You are only an 30 minutes from Tucson, 30 minutes from Tombstone and an hour from both the Titan Missile Museum and old town Tuscon.  There is also the Bone Yard and the PIMA Air museum. For those of you who do not know what the bone yard is, it is a place were old airplanes and planes that are not currently needed to be in service are stored.

There is well over a thousand planes at this one location. It was chosen because of the dry climate. In addition there is also the hard packed earth that will support the weight of the planes. The PIMA air museum is an excellent place to go. But be prepared to spend a day  touring this facility. You can see World War 1 and 2 planes. There are many other famous planes that have played a part in our history.

Desert Rose Benson Arizona

As we mentioned we always try to stay at this hotel if we are passing through the area. However we are concerned that it may not last, since it no longer is part of the Holiday Inn Express chain.

They lose out on a lot of advertising and many people might not stay there if they do not know about it. We heard the operator at the front desk explain several times that they were under the same management, just no a member of the Holiday Inn group any longer.

If you have stayed at this hotel and would like to offer your comments please do so. Our rating is high and we recommend it to everyone. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For more information about places to stay in Arizona and things to do in the state, click here.

Upper Salt River White Water Rafting – Rafting Trip – Full Day 10am – 4/5pm; 3,4,5 Day Trips (52 mile Wilderness Bridge to Bridge Trip); Overnight trips ; Two Day 10am – 4/5pm the next day; Half Day 10am – 1/2pm; and Custom and Charter Trips. With a variety of trips available, there is pretty much something available for just about all skill levels and age levels. This is a beautiful place to visit and view the vast scenery that nature provides. Book early so that you can get the dates and raft sizes that will suit your group.

Upper Salt River White Water Rafting

Description –This Salt River watershed contains approximately 32,100 very rugged acres and was established in 1984. The Salt River and its spectacular canyon bisect the wilderness for its entire length. Elevations range from 2,200 feet at the canyon’s lower end to 4,200 feet on White Ledge Mountain. This area can be visited practically any time; however, there are no maintained trails within the entire wilderness. Travel is basically done by raft or kayak during the short and dangerous river-running season.

Mandatory Visitor Permits for river-running are required between March 1 and May 15.

River Rating – The Upper Salt River of Arizona rapids are rated class III.

Number of Rapids – number of rapids vary with the trip taken depending on half day, full day and multi day trips.

Minimum Age – Depending on the flow rate some outfitters will allow children as young as 7 years of age.

Departure Dates – Mandatory Visitor Permits for river-running are required between March 1 and May 15.

Boat Type – White water rafts suitable for one to 12 people.

What to Bring

What to Bring – Temperatures vary quite a bit in the spring time in Arizona, requiring different gear for different days, even hours. As a result check with your outfitter to confirm what you need to bring. For example bring a swimsuit to wear under a wetsuit. Cotton t-shirts, sweatshirts and denim keep you cold once wet and does not belong on the river. Tops and bottoms made of synthetics such as poly-pro, capilene, fleece, silk or wool are designed to keep you warm when wet.Bring or rent wet suit booties, Extra clothing, Sunscreen, Water, Restraining Strap for Glasses, and Waterproof Cameras as needed!

Gear required for day trips is much different from what is required on camping trips. Some have car access while others do not. Hence your outfitter will provide details based on specific trips that you sign up for.

Outfitters – There are numerous outfitters providing white water rafting trips on the Upper Salt River. Check with them directly to book your white water trip.

Asthma From a Patients Perspective is  a Problem for Millions of people and if you have ever experienced an asthma attack then you know how scary it can be. The first time I had the experience,  I was so tired, could not get enough air. I really was not functioning at even 80%. I drove myself to the hospital, which was not a good thing to do.

However I was probably worse than someone who had been drinking in terms of reaction time and ability to deal with emergency driving situations. Not a smart thing to have done. I could have easily had an accident or gone through a red light. This is not a good situation to be in. It would have been better to call a friend to drive. This is Asthma From a Patients Perspective.

Asthma From a Patients Perspective

The worst part is that I really did not know what was happening to me at the time and why I could not get enough air. I found that I could only walk about 50 feet before I had to stop and rest. This is really scary for a young guy who is fit and active!

Turns out that there are millions of people in the US and Canada that have Asthma and suffer from it on a routine basis. Going to emergency rooms at the hospital is not fun, the waiting, the explanations , the assessments and being treated although the relief is truly huge, when you can breathe, your head clears and you can function again.

What Brings on an Asthma Attack

There are many different trigger factors that will bring on asthma. In my case it is a combination of pollen’s, dust, mold and specifically aerosols from hair spray and deodorizer. In my case I have a lot of allergies to dust, pollen and mold, but it was the hotel deodorizer that really put me over the top.

There are many people with asthma in the US and Canada and many visit the hospital every year to get help and treatment. Unfortunately there does not seem to be any magic pill that you can take to be cured. They can treat the symptoms and make you feel a little better for a while, but they cannot cure the underlying problem. Asthma From a Patients Perspective is really scary.

Why does your body react to something in the air or something you eat? How can you stop it from ever happening again? All they can do is tell you to avoid those things that trigger a reaction in your system or give you something that will help to manage the symptoms.

Asthma seems to affect all races and colors of people.  Although Asians seem to have this problem a little less than whites and black people apparently have more reactions than white people do.

Asthma Rates Higher in Northeast

Were you live can sometimes make a difference, especially if things like pollen, mold and dust are the triggers for your asthma attacks. Reports have shown that people living in the north eastern part of the continent are more prone to asthma attacks. If you are lucky enough to live in the desert areas of the south east, you may be better off when it comes to how many asthma attacks you experience. Dryer air , less mold, fewer trees means less pollen and there may be more dust, but them you stay inside on windy days.

Asthma From a Patients Perspective – Triggers

For me it is all about avoiding triggers. I learned pretty quickly that I would get much worse when I was exposed to aerosol sprays, particularly the kind that many hotels use to make a room smell nice. Even scented candles will trigger a response.

We were visiting a friend one night and she likes to have scented candles burning all of the time to make the house smell nice. By the end of the night I could hardly breathe. She does not light these candles any more when we are visiting!

We live in the north east and try to get away to the deserts of Arizona and California in the late winter. This is prime pollen and mold time back in the northeast and if I can avoid these triggers I will. For many people without the means to get away there are other ways to avoid pollen and mold that is in the air we breathe.

Avoiding Triggers

Stay inside. Use filters on your furnace which are changed regularly. Keep the windows closed. Take a shower at night before going to bed. Even wear a mask are ways to reduce the pollen intake. Obviously it depends on how strongly your body reacts to these triggers and which ones.

Takethe time to figure out which ones your body does not like. Then avoiding them is well worth the time spent. Go see an allergist and get tested. He or she will be able to tell you which allergens you most react to and when to avoid  them.

Educate yourself about the avoidance mechanisms and the treatments that you should consider. Get tested for asthma to determine at what stage you are at. Find out what the short term and long term treatments are for you.

Follow the doctor’s advice. Trying to second guess the doctor usually does not work. In my case I got better and then decided that I could stop taking the longer term puffers that I was on. Bad idea, because my asthma came back quite quickly!

Asthma From a Patients Perspective – Summary

• Get tested by an allergists
• Avoid your triggers as much as possible
• Find out what you need to do to decrease the chances of an attack
• Take your puffers and manage your asthma
• Educate yourself on the disease, symptoms and solutions
• There is no cure, but you can manage the problem well

If you have read this post and would like to contribute, please leave a comment that will help our readers. We all can use any help we can get to avoid this problem or at least make it livable. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

Save

We stayed at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on the last two nights of Jan 2011. The Mirage used to be one of our favorite hotels to stay at, however unfortunately they have changed their decor and also their service.  This is still a very elegant hotel and glamorous, however, it just does not suit our taste. We stayed at the Mirage because they sent us two free nights, so naturally we were going to take advantage of this offer.

The decor over the past two years has been updated. The Casino is decorated in darker mahogany wood grain with a more contemporary feel to it and we feel it is really catering to the younger crowd who I guess are more willing to spend their money on meals and drinks at the bars.

The rooms are nice, very up to date and we also had a great view of the city and the mountains. Las Vegas is well over a million people now and at night from the 23rd floor of a casino, the lights seem to go on forever.

The Mirage Pool

They also have a pool that caters to those of you who like to go topless, which is also aimed at the younger crowd and all of the dirty old men willing to pay to get in.

We were also disappointed that the pool was closed for maintenance. “This is a news alert for anyone planning to go to Vegas and stay at the Mirage Casino and Hotel in Jan and Feb of 2011. The pool is closed for major maintenance.”

Internet Access

Speaking of email, one of the things that the MGM group has started in Vegas and Atlantic City is that they now charge $15 per night for access to the internet, newspaper, and the gym. There is no choice in this, even if you do not use these features. Apparently, Harrahs also does this as well. Most of us cannot exist without the internet these days, however, there are also so many free sites around that we do not need to pay for the service.

As of this writing, we do not think that Wynn is levying this daily charge.

Mirage Restaurants

We had lunch at the Carnegie Deli at the Mirage and what a meal. We ordered pastrami on rye bread and french fries. The sandwich was over 5 inches tall and the best pastrami we have had in a long time. The french fries came on their own plate and were the size of regular dinner plate. We had already decided to split the meal and it was a good thing that we did because there is no way one of us could have eaten this meal by ourselves.

Other customers were even taking pictures of the sandwiches because they are so big. We strongly recommend that you either split the order or ask for a take out if you cannot eat it all.

On our last night, we had dinner at Kokomos in the Mirage. The decor of this restaurant used to be in a tropical setting with bamboo all around and a waterfall. It has also been updated to be more contemporary, you still have the waterfall and one section is beside the tropical setting that still exists, although much reduced. We still enjoy it because the food here is always perfect!

This restaurant has been a favorite of ours for many years. Carol loves to get the Alaskan King Crab legs. These are really huge with lots of meat in the legs and done to perfection. Unfortunately, I guess it is hard to get them at this time of year. They were marked “MP” or market price.

When we inquired, the price quoted was $167, which was way more than we wanted to pay. Considering we had all-you-can-eat crab legs a few days before we decided to go for steak instead. It was also excellent. An 8 oz fillet looks more like a 10 or 12 oz steak and you can almost cut it with your fork! They are so tender!

More Information – Mirage Hotel and Casino

For more information about the Mirage Hotel and Casino, click here.

We visited the Wynn hotel and the Bellagio hotels which are our favorite hotels to stay at. Both are elegant, bright and have a style that seems to cater to our tastes. For example when you order a glass of wine while playing, it is delivered in a wine glass. In other hotels including the Mirage, your wine comes in a tumbler instead. I think you actually receive more wine in a tumbler, but who wants to drink wine out of a tumbler?

Also at the Bellagio, when you order champagne, it comes in a champagne glass!  Click here for more information about the Bellagio and click here for more information about the Wynn Casino.

Comments about your opinions about these hotels are welcome. Our readers will be interested in your opinions. Spam comments will be auto-deleted. For more posts about casinos and slot cards, click here.

We spent 4 days at the Aquarius hotel on the Colorado river enjoying the scenery, the food and of course the casino. The deals here are great with both rooms and meals at prices that you really don’t see anywhere else. Of course if you combine a slot card with your stay everything is pretty much free except for your play at the slots which sometimes can be pretty lucrative.

We had crab legs, all you can eat, 4 glasses of wine, buffet, by windows, by the Colorado river, and coffee all for $.92 cents the other day!  All of our room charges and our rooms were free including the drinks while we were playing the slots. There is a new game or should I say an updated game from an old show, called the wheel of fortune, with a large screen that shows the spinning wheels for all players on one screen. It is fun to watch to see who is winning and how much. I tried it and won about $30, which is ok!

I have to mention this, because we just do not see these type of deals in Canada or in other parts of the US. Arizona is just across the river and there is also a one hour time difference when you cross the river as well.

Gas on the Arizona side is at least 10 cents per gallon less on Arizona side, and 20 cents less with a car wash. They  scrub the car first to get all of the bugs off the bumper, the windshield etc and give you a drying cloth and freshener for your car. What a great deal.

Aquarius Casino – Laughlin Nevada

There is a sidewalk on the Nevada side that runs along the river past all of the casinos. On Saturday on the boardwalk there are bands playing country music. People are dancing in the sun shine, there are barbecues ,Mexican food and also beer, wine and mixed drinks. The people here come from every walk of life and every age group. Some should not be walking. They are so old or so weak. Some appear to be straight out of the mountains! This is a laid back kind of place were people really are relaxed and enjoy themselves!

Vegas is all glamor and glitz, with lots of shiny marble and lights. Laughlin is more low key and in the a style that Vegas used to be back in the late 70’s. They have all of the current slot machines and even some of the older ones. But prices and service are much better. I guess Vegas has to pay for the billion dollar casinos that have been built and so they charge a great deal for just about everything. For example we wanted to stay at the WYNN hotel in Las Vegas on the weekend and we were quoted $269 for one night , while in Laughlin, we stayed for free.

Things to do in Laughlin

There are lots to see in the Laughlin area and when we come back in March we will do a lot more site seeing, including going to Oatmen, which is an old mining town were the wild donkeys still roam the streets. click here to read all about Oatmen.

If you would like more information about the Aquarius Hotel, click here.

We are also taking advantage of a free rooms offer from the hotel while we stay here. This is because of the slot card that we use. My wife and I have had breakfast paid for by comps which was actually a brunch. We had one of the best omelets we have had on our trip.  For more information about slot cards and why you should always carry and use them when you are playing the slots at any of the hotels, click here.

Comments about the Aquarius are welcome , anything that will assist our readers in their travel plans. Spam comments will be auto deleted. For more information casinos in the area and across the US, click here.

We are traveling across the US and writing posts about different places we have visited. Our main page can be found by clicking  here. We have included several pictures of Bisbee Arizona throughout the post for your enjoyment .

One of the places we like to visit is Bisbee, Arizona.  This is an old mining town that has preserved a historical district and then converted into a kind of 60’s style art and craft place.  It is not uncommon to see many people who live in Bisbee who dress as if they are still in the 60’s and enjoying that life style. They do not exactly blend in with the tourists, but that gives a flavor to the village that you would not otherwise have.

There are lots of antique shops, gift shops, shops selling stuff that has been collected at garage sales as well as old saloons and restaurants located in buildings that have been around since the beginning of the century. There are of course new buildings as well and some have been fixed up, but for the most part this is a town that relies on tourists visiting to get a taste of the past.

Mining Operations

The mine still operates and there are tours as well, which we did not take of the copper mine. Bisbee is located almost on the border with Mexico. A short drive to Douglas will take you to one of the border crossings into Mexico.

This is a quiet town, with the locals seeming to know everyone. We went into one saloon to see if we could have lunch. Bunch of guys sitting at the bar, a few tables scattered around with a couple of tourists sitting at the tables. The menu was scribbled on a white board and had to be deciphered before you could figure out what was actually on the menu. We decided to continue up the street and look for another place. Wish we had just stayed were we were.

We ended up at The Savory Spot, at 105 Tombstone Canyon, Bisbee, Arizona. Another old building, but they had a nice little courtyard outside which was inviting. Unfortunately we thought it was just a bit too cool to sit outside, so we went inside the restaurant. Can you picture a small 15 foot by 10 foot room with 4 tables and as soon as we walk in the waitress asks if she can help us. We felt as if we had been caught and had to stay whether we wanted to or not.

Turns out that many of the locals go to this place including the local editor of the paper. She sat at a little bar and ordered her Wednesday burger on Tuesday, whatever that means. We sat at one of the four tables and just listened, after all any conversation anyone had could be heard by everybody in such a small room.

Local Restaurant

The food was ok, a bit over priced considering the decor which was non-existent. The table was greasy as were the vinegar and oil bottles for the salad. We ate our food, a salad and a toasted tuna sandwich, and we did not get sick, however this is not a place I would recommend.

The waitress was missing teeth and the apron she was wearing was in need of cleaning. She was friendly and helpful. But I couldn’t help wondering how this place continued to exist. Other than the locals seeming to like it which brings me to another story about the editor of the paper.

She came to the restaurant under the guise of ordering her Wednesday hamburger on Tuesday. Bcause she said she just could not wait another 24 hours. However the real reason she was there was to pump the waitress for information about a police situation. It had occurred the day before. Turns out that a routine traffic stop for a cracked windshield had turned into an arrest with possible police abuse of the driver.

She was pumping the waitress for information, since it appeared the individual was known to the waitress. We could not hear all of the discussion, however it sure was interesting. It also shows how much power a local editor has when it comes to printing information in the paper!

Hot Cars

For those of you reading this post, and considering making the trip to Bisbee, it is definitely worth the trip, if only to spend an afternoon wandering in and out of the craft shops and antique shops. There is also an old hotel to visit. On a nice warm day you can sit on the veranda and enjoy a nice cold beer.

I could not resist taking a picture of this car. Obviously a tourist who enjoys antiques and the quiet ambiance of an old mining town such as Bisbee Arizona!

If you are looking for a quiet evening spent in the 60’s you might even stay the night in one of the motels or BNB’s. Obviously this is not for us, since we prefer more modern situations and service.

If you have been to Bisbee and have similar comments or even a different perspective, please leave a comment for our readers. Spam comments will be deleted. For more posts About Arizona, click here.

We visited the Titan Missile Museum just south of Tucson Arizona. This is an excellent museum to visit and well worth the $18.00 for the one hour tour.  The museum offers 3 kinds of tours. Every day there are one hour tours that stat at 9 a.m. and run on the hour. There are also 4 hour tours on special days, check the web site to confirm what days these tours are being offered. There is also an over night tour were you spend the night inside the missile launch center 6 stories under ground.

For us the one hour tour was sufficient, however if you are an enthusiast, I think the longer tours would be of interest to a lot of people. The picture above is an old warhead without the nuclear material of course. The entrance to the museum is via the old elevator shaft that takes you deep into the ground where the control center etc was. Your tour begins at the top where someone from the military will guide you through the museum.

Titan Missile Museum : 1580 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita, Arizona

We arrived first thing in the morning for the first tour and ended up having our own private tour of the Titan Missile Museum facility. A normal tour can have as many as 20 people so we were very fortunate.

The picture on the left is one of the fuel trucks that provided the fuel for the missile. There were two of them, kept on opposite sides of the property to avoid accidental mixing and of course explosions.

The following is a summary of what we picked up during the tour and can also remember.

These Titan missiles carried a nuclear war head that was considered to be 100 times stronger than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. It would flatten an area of 945 square miles.

Our guide emphasized that the US followed a deterrence strategy, which meant that they would never launch a first strike against the Russians. Instead they apparently advised the Russians of how many missiles they had. Also were they were aimed. In addition their capacity along with the time it would take to launch them from time of detection of a launch against the US. What it meant is that both countries would be annihilated if the Russians launched a first strike which was a huge deterrent for them both.

The picture on the left is the missile in the silo taken from about 30 feet underground.

Titan Missile Museum – How Long to Launch?

From the time the crew was given the order to launch, the missile would be in the air in less than one minute. The president of the United States is the only one who can give the order to launch these missiles. Before the crew can even begin the launch process, they must first receive a coded order from the president. Once the order was transmitted and received by the Titan Missile Launch Crew team, they referred to a very specific process to prepare to launch the missile. This process was put in place to protect everyone from premature launches of a devastating missile.

The crew followed a very secure process to ensure that the order was real and that it would always take two members to launch the Titan missile. There were two codes that needed to be entered from different sources. Two crew men must turn separate keys to launch the missile. There was a 4 man crew. None of them could be alone while inside the installation  other than the kitchen or the head. This was to ensure that a missile could never be launched by a single person.

The crew had sufficient food and water to last a month. Also air supply that would last up to 10 days. If there was an attack, the crew was expected to survive. Although there may not be much left top side for them afterwords.

Decommissioning

When this site was decommissioned, the blast doors had to secured in such a manner that it is impossible to launch the missile. This was done to convince the Russians that this site was decommissioned. The Russians are watching via satellite and observing that nothing has changed at this site even today.

The crews launch quarters and control center is sound, blast  and vibration suppressed. There are 3 foot steel and concrete doors. The entire crews quarters and launch center are on giant springs that will dampen any vibration when the missile launches.

There was a four man crew, with a senior commander in charge and 3 other people responsible for various operations. They completed a 12 hour shift. There was intense security around the site for entry and exit to this facility.

Our guide demonstrated for us how the launch took place and specific steps that the crew would go through. My wife got to be the senior commander for an hour and launched the missile after following these specific steps. I am never going to be able to live this down. One of the keys that needed to be turned was located in this console shown in this picture.

The location of these missiles in Arizona was chosen because of the arid climate. Now that it is a missile museum, there are lots of retired military people to act as guides for this site.

If you have been to the museum and would like to make comment that will assist our readers please do so. Spam comments will be auto deleted.

For more information about places to stay in Arizona and things to do in the state, click here.

We have just discovered an iPhone app that works on the iPhone, the iPod and the iPad called My Fitness pal, which I have to say is one of the best tools that we have seen for helping people manage their calories intake, but also their sodium, carbs and vitamins. If you are serious about losing weight, using My Fitness Pal can help you to do that.

It will take some effort to record all of the activities and food. The payoff of course is knowing how your food intake affects your weight. Just knowing that the snack your eating has 500 calories in it helps. You may decide to eat a little less. Note that there is no need to eliminate various foods. Control how much you eat by monitoring the caloric intake. Don’t forget to add exercise and the calories that you burn. You can use these extra calories to either treat yourself or contribute to the weight loss your aiming for. My Fitness Pal is a great tool. Start using it now.

My Fitness Pal

This app is so good that we are recommending it to any one who wants to keep track of their food intake and see how it affects your weight. You start of by installing the app and then registering with the online application. You will need to create an ID and a password. Once that is complete, the next thing is to create a profile. Nothing too invasive, however it does ask you your current weight, some information about your lifestyle and how many pounds you want to lose in 5 weeks time.

With this information, the My Fitness Pal app will calculate how many calories you are allowed to eat every day in order to achieve the desired weight loss. This becomes your objective, in other words you cannot exceed this amount. If you exercise, walk etc then you will be able to enter that into your daily diary and add some calories if you want, while still achieving your objective.

Every day you enter the various foods that you eat. There is an extensive online list of various foods and typical meals along with sizes to search and add to your daily diary. As long as you record everything and do not cheat, you will have an accurate representation of the amount of calories, carbs, sodium, fat and vitamins that you are eating every day.

My Fitness Pal – The Big Surprises

I have been using the MY Fitness Pal for a week now and have had a couple of surprises. For years I have avoided adding salt to my food, preferring the natural taste and also trying to keep blood pressure under control. To my surprise even with this approach, I am far exceeding the salt intake that I should be because of the type of foods I am eating.  Not a lot of processed foods, but there appears to be sodium in everything with sodium being added. I am starting to be more judicious about the foods that I eat now, even more than I was previously.

Another surprise is the number of calories that are in various portion sizes. Even with splitting meals with my spouse, I am finding that the meals served in America are so large and contain so many calories, that it is impossible to stay within the limits of the calories I should be eating every day. This re-enforces what we have always known and that is that you must chose foods that are naturally low in calories to lose weight, or you need to exercise like crazy!

Exercising Helps

On various posts on this blog we have said that energy in less energy expended  will equal weight loss only if the answer is negative. By entering the time and type of exercise into your myfitnesspal app, you will have an estimate of the calories burned and you can also see the impact this has on how many calories you can eat as a result each day. Exercise really does help, even if it is just walking!

Update Your Diary

Keep your food diary up to date and the app will do the rest for you, in terms of tracking calories, fat, carbs, sodium and vitamins. YOu can generate various reports on your smart phone as well as access the web site with a PC and generate additional more detailed reports as well.  This is a great little application that can be used by anyone with a smart phone, although the web site indicates that it has been developed for the Apple products.

We will add mote posts about this app in the future and talk about our success as well in terms of losing weight. However in the mean time, comments are appreciated from our readers who have had experience with this app or others that will help us all manage our weight, our sodium intake and maintain a healthy life.

Save

Save

Coffee at the Roasted Bean at the Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi! Fresh coffee under a glass canopy with shrubs and trees around you, background music and free WiFi. Wait it gets better, although the first coffee is expensive, as long as you have your receipt, all of your refills are free for the rest of the day! For a large coffee you are going to pay $3.85, which is one of the most expensive around, surpassing even Starbucks.  However all you need to do is show your receipt and you can get a free refill any time that day. So if you are a coffee lover, then after even a 2nd cup of coffee you are starting to get to a reasonable price for coffee.

The Roasted Bean coffee shop is better than any coffee shop we have been in, including Starbucks! Muted earth tones decor, open to the atrium above, it is an enjoyable place to sit and savor your morning coffee. It can get a bit crowded at times, especially if the hotel is full, however most people only stay for a few minutes and they are on to their conference, the pool or to the casino.

Comfortable Surroundings

All of the chairs are padded and they have invested in easy to clean marble tables. None of these short stay uncomfortable non cushion chairs which make you want to leave at the Roasted Bean coffee shop. And the place is clean, which says a lot about the management.

On nice warm days in Biloxi, you can also go outside and enjoy the warm air on the patio while you enjoy your coffee. The Roasted Bean has solid tables and chairs with umbrellas for patrons to sit and enjoy their coffee! All in all the Roasted Bean coffee shop is one that we enjoy going back to! This is one of the features that keeps us coming back to the Beau Rivage Casino and Hotel.

The only negative thing about the Roasted Bean coffee place is that there are not enough wall plugs to plug-in your computer. I could only find two. I guess they really do not want you to stay too long working on your computer.

For more reviews about coffee shops, click here.

We left at 5:45 am in the morning on Jan 15th. Neither one of us could sleep, so we got up at 5 and were on our way after picking up a coffee at the local Tim Hortons. Two to four inches of snow was forecast for the Ottawa area that day, however, we made it all the way to the border at the Thousand Islands crossing from Ottawa Canada before it started to snow! We usually cross into the US at the Thousand Islands border crossing.

For once crossing the border was a non-event. We were the only car in line and the customs agents asked us about 5 questions and then allowed us to proceed. I think they are happy to hear that Canadians are spending their money in the US. Right now they can use all of the extra income they can get.

We passed Syracuse before the snowstorm really started and even then it was not that bad. We had to take our time until we got to Buffalo, and then after that, there was no problem at all. The roads were clear. I almost put snow tires on the car before leaving, but now I am glad I didn’t, since we will spend so much time this year in warm weather.

Love those Texas Road Houses

We stopped the first night in Dickson and went to a Texas-style roadhouse called – Long Horns. Great place with really good ribs and steaks. We cannot get over how inexpensive the prices are. Everything in Canada is at least a third again more expensive and then you add the HST!

The next night was in Solon, Ohio. We always stay at Hampton Inn, since we are never disappointed and there is always a great place to eat usually next door. This time the restaurant was called the Farmers Market. They try to use as much local produce as they can. This was a buffet for $9.95, all you could eat, with 4 or 5 different kinds of meat, pasta, salads, Mexican food, and great desserts. Going to have to loosen my belt around my waistline!

Tunica – Gold Strike

We stayed in Tunica for two nights at the Gold Strike Casino. We usually stay here, since the rooms are very nice and there are three casinos located within walking distance. With free rooms, free wi-fi,  a free buffet, and of course free drinks, what more can you ask for? Oh yeah, win at the slots, well not this time.  Click here for reviews of the Gold Strike Hotel & Casino and also here for the Horseshoe Casino.

Biloxi – Beau Rivage

When we left Tunica, we drove to Biloxi and stayed there for two nights, at the Beau Rivage Casino. Again free nights and $100 free play. We signed up for a slot card at the Hard Rock Cafe and they gave us another $100 in free play on the slots. We had a room looking out on the gulf on a beautiful sunny day. Click here to read about the Roasted Bean at the Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi! For pictures and information about the Beau Rivage, click here.

The next stop is Beaumont, Texas at a Hampton Inn of course. We went to another Texas roadhouse and sat at the bar for happy hour and something to eat. We always try to sit at the bar. You do not have to wait in line and you get to meet all kinds of people who are really interested in our travels. For $13.99, we split a plate that came with real mashed potatoes, a bowl of coleslaw, fried onions, a half rack of succulent ribs, and an 8-ounce sirloin steak done to perfection. The beer was $3.50 and the wine was $4.50! What a deal!

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is a great place to visit, especially along the River Walk. This is a canal that runs through the downtown area, lined with hotels, outdoor patios, and restaurants. A really happening place where thousands stroll along either side of the canal every day. If you have not been here, it is well worth the visit, especially in warm weather when you can sit outside and enjoy the sun and a nice cold beer.

We ended up at Chillies for supper and happy hour. Happy hour is at the bar whenever there is a football game on and of course, at this time of year, there is almost always a football game on. Large draft beer was $3.25 and all appetizers were half-price! The Green Bay Packers won and are on the way to the Super Bowl.

A warning about San Antonio. While it is a safe place to walk around, the city applies a hefty tax on rooms. For a room that cost me $116 at the Hampton Inn, there was a tax of $18 added to the cost, which I find pretty hefty and much more than many other cities we have stayed in. Click here to see pictures of the River Walk in San Antonio

Driving

We are currently in Benson, Arizona when I write this portion, after driving over 5000 km, and for the most part, it has been uneventful which is exactly what you want. We have had some heavy traffic and some erratic drivers that flip from lane to lane at high speed, but nothing even comes close to a dangerous situation. Last year we had exploding tires and a cracked windshield, however, so far all we have had is debris on the road which we missed. Someone lost a bumper and cars and trucks were rolling over it, causing pieces to fly into the air. Fortunately, they missed our car!

We are off to Bisbee, Arizona, and Laughlin, Nevada before hitting Vegas at the end of the month. Watch for our next post about these locations. For more posts about snowbirds and their travels, click here.

San Antonio is a great place to visit, especially along the historic  River Walk. This canal is actually part of the San Antonio river that the city has taken and turned into  a canal that runs through the downtown area of the city. It is  lined with hotels that back onto the canal and has been named the River Walk. There are numerous outdoor patios and restaurants. As well as boat rides with tour guides that you can even book your supper on. A really happening place were thousands stroll along either side of the canal every day. If you have not been here, it is well worth the visit. Especially in warm weather when you can sit outside and enjoy the sun and a nice cold beer.

Some restaurants will also have music in the evening for everyone to enjoy. On cool nights many will also place heaters at strategic points to keep diners warm while they enjoy their dinner. There is definitely a Mexican influence in this part of the United States. There are many Mexican restaurants and so we had our first Mexican meal of the trip.  Very enjoyable! You can stroll along both sides of the canal for perhaps half a mile review the restaurants and then decide which one you want to return to for your dinner or lunch. There is not much open for breakfast.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn, downtown off Bowie street. The Hampton Inn has free parking, free wifi and free breakfast included with the price of the hotel which is a good deal, especially for downtown hotels. It is also with easy walking distance to all of the major downtown attractions.  The Hampton Inns are always clean and always dependable.

The Alamo

You cannot visit San Antonio, without visiting the Alamo.  The Hampton Inn downtown is about two blocks from the River Walk and also two blocks  from the Alamo, one of the most historic places in Texas. On past trips we have toured the Alamo and seen the movie that depicts the story of the last stand at the Alamo as the Texans tried to with stand Santa Anna’s Mexican armies onslaught! It is a really moving piece and well worth seeing by everyone!

You can picture yourself being there facing over whelming odds knowing that help is not going to get to you in time. Every man is willing to fight to the last man standing because Santa Anna has promised the sword to every Texan in the fort.  The story is compelling and exciting and memorable. It brought tears to our eyes as we pictured how patriotic these frontiersman were. Although Sam Houston did not reach the fort in time to save the Texans, he did defeat the Mexican army and retake the Alamo from the Mexicans, setting up the situation for Texas to become a US state.

Historic District

On the morning of our second day we went for a long walk into the historic district of downtown San Antonio. This is an area were homes were built-in the late 1800’s and most are mansions with grand pillars supporting upstairs balconies on grounds that are well manicured. There is a historical society which authenticates and ensure standards are followed in the maintenance of the homes along with any changes that may be considered by the owners. Some are open for tours, although on Sunday when we visited they were all closed. There are also a few that operate as bed and breakfast accommodations, which would be really neat to stay at.

Chilli’s on the River Walk

We ended up at Chilli’s for supper on our second night and it turned out that it was happy hour. Happy hour in Chillis is for patrons sitting at the bar whenever there is a football game on and of course at this time of year there is almost always a football game playing. A large draft was $3.25 and all appetizers were half price! The Green Bay Packers won and are on the way to the Super Bowl!

This last picture on the left was included to show how beautiful the area is. It is not related to Chillis.

A warning about San Antonio. While it is a safe place to walk around, the city applies a hefty tax on rooms. For a room that cost me $116 at the Hampton Inn, there was tax of $18 added to the cost, which I find pretty hefty and much more than many other cities we have stayed in. I guess the money is used to fund the River Walk maintenance etc.

For more places to visit in the US as snow birds, click here.

All casinos have slot cards or loyalty cards as some would call them. Slot Cards at Harrahs work the same way as at other casinos and we want to cover why you need to have one. This is a great way to reduce your travel costs and receive great service as well. Of course you must have your gambling under control, however if you play the slots this can be a great way to enjoy free rooms, free drinks and meals and much more.

We have repeated a portion of an article on one of our other web sites to show traveler’s how they can save some money while traveling.

Slot Cards at Harrahs

In case you have not used a slot card or do not know much about them, we cannot emphasize enough why you should always have a card when you are playing the slots. Some of the features of slot cards include:

• Free meals
• Free play
• Point play
• Meal and merchandise discounts
• Free rooms
• Complimentary airport pickup ( High Rollers)
• Free airline fees ( High Rollers )
• Free gifts
• Invitations to slot tournaments or table games tournaments
• Free tax report( more on this later)

Frequent players can expect more while less frequent , or low denomination players will take longer to build up their comp’s. With all of these features everyone should have a slot card. More information can be found by, clicking here.

New Features Being Added

Recently the casinos have been updating their systems to bring even more features to their customers through the slot card. Here are two examples.

Slot players, you will love the Horseshoe casino in Tunica! You can now order your drinks at the slot machine by touch screen! All you do is activate the little screen on the slot machine that normally shows your points to show the drink menu and then order the drink you want. The casino waitress shows up five minutes later with your drink! Slot Cards at Harrahs are getting better.

The RoadHouse Casino is also part of the Harrahs chain and they have implemented the same feature. We were in this casino early in the morning and there was really no one there except us and the employees and a few people playing at the tables. There is usually only one waitress at this time of day serving drinks. You can wait a long time for a coffee or something stronger at this time of day. We used the new screens to order our drinks and she was there with our drinks in less than 5 minutes. This is a great service.

We cannot wait to go to some of the other Harrahs casinos to see if they have implemented this feature to other locations as well.

Order Your Drinks

It is really great in the mornings when there are not many waitresses on the casino floor. Just order , the bar makes the drink, and the waitress picks it up for delivery! No more waiting to flag a waitress or playing at a machine just to be near the bar to get a drink! Order whatever you want – water, coffee, beer, wine, mixed drinks, and special drinks such as Irish coffee’s and liquors.

Needless to say we used this new service at the Horseshoe and also at the Road House Casino.

Call Slot Attendants

If you are having trouble with your slot machine you can call a slot service attendant the same way. They usually arrive within five minutes. Harrahs casino resorts is really leading the casino competition with this new service.

Express Comp’s

The Slot Cards at Harrahs has had this feature for some time, and MGM Grand hotels has just introduced this feature on their new MLife cards. Basically you build up comp credit on your card as you are playing slots. These comps can be used to purchase meals in any of the restaurants associated with the hotel your card is associated with.

All you need to do is present your card to the cashier at the restaurant you are dining in and they will deduct the amount of the bill from your comp’s. You do not need to see your slot host and you do not need to line up either. This convenience is another reason why slot cards are a must have.

We appreciate comments that will help our readers. Feel free to leave yours, however spam comments will be deleted and linking comments will be deleted unless you also link to our web site and make a contributing comment to this blog.

For more information casinos in the area and across the US, click here.

Rafting Trip – Gila River rafting in New Mexico – 40 miles

Gila River Rafting – Description –

The Gila River begins near Silver City, New Mexico, in the Gila Wilderness area. It travels west into Arizona, ending near the southeast town of Clifton.

Put in at Grapevine Campground and take out at Mogollon Creek. Rafters can also put in at USFS Road 809 and take out at Redrock to cover 18 miles. A third location calls for put in at Redrock with a take out at Highway 92 bridge for a trip of 19 miles. Anyone floating down the river are cautioned to watch for trees that may have  fallen into the river. Boats and rafts can get caught in the trees, and there is a chance you could capsize.

The trip down the river starts at about 7000’ in elevation, where you’ll be surrounded by majestic Evergreen, Juniper, and Ponderosa trees. Be sure to have your camera ready! As you descend to about 5500’ by the end of the run, you’ll be enjoying totally different flora, namely Alder, Cottonwood, and Sycamore trees.

Explore the Gila River

While running the Gila River, there are many wonderful places you can explore along its banks and in side canyons. Kayakers may even be treated to views of ancient petroglyphs. These are most likely carved by Native American tribes that were indigenous to this part of the American southwest thousands of years ago. They include the Comanche and Apache Nations.

Kayaking on Gila River waters also means a look at some of the area’s most incredible scenery. Bird watching couldn’t be better, with an amazing number of species inhabiting the canyons. You’ll also find a vast array of wildlife here, including rattlesnakes. However be cautious as to where you wander and be sure to abide by the rules of your experienced guide if you’re traveling on a guided kayaking or rafting tour. If you’re on your own, take time to read about the river and necessary safety precautions before you embark on your trip

Rafting Details

River Rating – Class III

Number of Rapids – 39 miles of class III rapids

Minimum Age – Check with outfitters for details and restrictions

Departure Dates – Unlike other rivers that are located further north, kayaking on the Gila River waters is best accomplished in the early spring months. For example usually from late February or early March until the end of April. This is when snow melt is at its peak.

Boat Type – Kayaks and Rafts

What to Bring – Weather can be quite extreme in the early spring, with chilly temperatures one day and scalding heat the next. For example dress in layers as your trip down the Gila River will require an overnight stay. This means you’ll need clothing of various weights during your trip.

Outfitters – Check locally for outfitters for Gila river rafting

Reviews – None available at this time, please feel free to leave a comment and or review about this river.

For more posts about New Mexico rafting and more, click here.

Alaska is home to some beautiful country, wild animals, some really big mountains, white water rafting and of course Sarah Palin. Her latest reality show that show cases both the Palin family and the state of Alaska. She has done a great job of allowing Americans and Canadians to get to know her state and her family. She is doing a great job about showing off Alaska and the many out door things you can do in Alaska. Of course all of these activities will not appeal to everyone. You just need to watch the show were Kate + Eight, visited Sarah and her family and they went on a camping trip. Not a good experience for Kate, although the kids really liked it. All of the liberal hacks and city slickers really put her down for her out doors attitudes, however I thing she is a “Real American”.

Whether she is going to take a run for President of the United States is an unknown, although she is taking huge steps to show the American people who  she is and what she stands for. In the mean time, Alaska should see a huge influx of tourism as a result of the show.

Alaska White Water Rafting

This site is all about white water rafting and not presidential candidates or reality shows so we are going to take a look at the white water rivers in Alaska. Here is a list of them along with information we could find about them.

• Copper River
• Chitina River
• Nizina River
• Kennicott River
• Alsek River
• Tatshenshini River

Copper River

Rafting in Alaska on the Copper river, through one of the world’s most dramatic canyons, will render a lifetime of memories. Offering an abundance of wildlife, cascading waterfalls, glaciers that often calve right into the river, and mild white water, this river trip floats 100 miles towards the sea, allowing for a classic passage from the heart of Alaska’s majestic mountains to the sparkling Prince William Sound. Simply put, there is no better way to experience the Alaskan wilderness than on this Alaska river rafting trip.

Chitina River

Nizina Canyon, expansive views, eagles, salmon and possible bear sightings. Open riverside camps, view of the Wrangell Mountains

This river features spectacular scenery and remote wilderness. The journey begins near the headwaters of the Kennicott River, only half a mile below the terminus of the Kennicott Glacier. Float the splashy rapids of the Kennicott and merge into the Nizina, which narrows to a steep-walled canyon, a highlight of the trip. On a multiday trip, the second day, the Nizina joins the Chitina and the valley spreads wide as we turn west, skirting the Chugach Mountains. Stop at clear streams and sloughs to search for spawning salmon and keep our eyes peeled for the grizzlies and eagles that feed on them. The last day we will end our river journey at the confluence of the Copper River, near the tiny town of Chitina.

Nizina River

Highlights: bush plane flights into the park, glacial lake exploration, mile-high cliffs, waterfalls, hiking in the vast Chitistone Valley, Nizina Canyon rapids

Less than a dozen people float this stretch of river each season. This is a unique and remote wilderness adventure, as you must be dropped off and picked up by a bush plane that lands on the river bar. The flight in takes us to the lake at the toe of the Nizina Glacier, surrounded by ice-capped peaks and rocky crags. The lake itself is full of icebergs, some as large as a house. Spend the first day hiking and rowing around the lake and exploring the wonders of ice and rock. On the second day you run the splashy rapids of the Nizina River. At night camp beneath the towering Mile-High Cliffs and the following day hike up the broad Chitistone Valley.

Day four is spent floating through a maze of channels as the river bends west around Sourdough Mountain. After floating the spectacular Nizina Canyon, pull out, pack up, and a bush plane carries you back to McCarthy.

This trip can be combined with the Chitina River Journey or the Glacier to the Ocean trip for a remote adventure up to two weeks or more in length!

Kennicott River

Few one-day rafting adventures can match the level of rushing whitewater and powerful vistas found on the remote Kennicott River. In addition through Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The fun begins near the hamlet of McCarthy at the base of the Root and Kennicott glacial moraine. Where the Kennicott River begins its steep descent away from these towering ice fields. You head off downriver for 45 minutes of delightful and challenging Class II and III rapids. A stop below the whitewater lets you marvel at a panorama that includes views of the Wrangell and Chugach mountain ranges jutting skyward.

Alsek River

Perhaps the wildest and most visually spectacular rivers in North America. The Alsek and Tatsheshini give you mountains, glaciers and more! Flowing from the inlands of the Yukon Territory to the coastal regions of the Gulf of Alaska. These rivers offer a full range of outdoor experience. The Alsek is extraordinarily different from the Tatshenshini which is only “one valley over”. Glaciers, icebergs, wildlife, canyons and a helicopter portage around Turnback Canyon add to the adventure. The Alsek valley is perhaps the most “Himalayan-like” topography on the continent!

Tatshenshini River

The Tatshenshini River flows through the heart of the largest bio-preserve in the world. Wildlife abounds as you travel through tall mountains, vast glaciers and ice burg dotted lakes.

For more posts about Alaska, click here.

We decided to add this post on our website because we are so excited to learn that not only are we getting two rooms free at the Gold Strike in Tunica, we also received two free buffets and $40 free play. There is more as well and so we have re-posted this article on this blog so our readers would not miss it. You can click on links below if you want to find out more about casinos, the Gold Strike or casino slot cards. We have written various posts about using slot cards and why it is important to always have a slot card and to use it while gambling.

Receiving free nights and free buffets is the same as winning a small jackpot.  Even better you cannot put it back into the machine, so this is really a true win! You get to sleep and eat and then play in the casino.

MLife Casino Slot Cards

MGM Grand has changed their slot card from MGM Mirage to “MLife” over the past few months and updated features as well. We assembled some of the new features as described to us by a slot host at the Gold Strike in Tunica, MS.

This is the new slot card from the MGM Grand group, renamed and now called MLife. It still has all of the casinos that are part of the group listed on the back of the slot card. Several new casinos have been added and at least one removed. Treasure Island was sold and is now called TI. It is no longer part of the MGM grand group.

There are so many properties and each of them have their own 1-800 number so they all have to be listed individually. Makes it tough to read for some of us who need better glasses. There are a total of 12 properties now listed on the slot card and your new MLife slot card can be used at each one of them!

Express Comps

They have added “Express Comps” to the screen readout. These Comps can be used at the restaurants to pay for your meals. MLife Comps cannot be used for merchandise. You can use these express comp’s at any of the MGM properties all over the US. Also at one property in Canada. A great convenience which their competitors have had for some time. Watch our next post for an article about a competitors improvements to their casino slot cards. To find out more about slot cards in general, click here.

This saves a lot of time. Before you had to go and talk to the slot host to see if they would comp you for a meal . Now you go straight to the cashier at the restaurant. Hand them your slot card. Then they will deduct your meal from the express comp’s balance on your account.

Talk to Your Host

Slot patrons should still talk to their host before checking out to see what room and additional meal Comps they might have coming to them. It never hurts to ask. We have had several nights and meals written off amounting to several hundred dollars. So it can be well worth it. It is the same as winning a small jackpot!

A lot of people either are uncomfortable about doing this or cannot be bothered. One couple we know do not even bother to get a slot card. As a result they pay top dollar for their rooms and all of their meals. They never get comp’d for anything. They are forgoing thousands of dollars sometimes in lost comp’ds.

Comments are welcome. Anything that our readers will find enjoyable about traveling. Spam will be deleted.  Links are good as well, just link to our website and leave a helpful comment for our readers and once we confirm we will reciprocate.

For more posts about casinos and slot cards, click here.

We just had dinner at the The Farmers Market – Dickson Tennessee Exit 172, off of I-40.  From Hwy 46 turn right onto Christy Dr. They are beside McDonalds and behind the Cracker Barrel restaurant.

We are staying at the Hampton Inn, about 1 block away so you can walk to the restaurant. There are lots of motels at this location and several gas stations, so all in all a great place to stop for the night.

Farmers Market – Dickson

They only offer a buffet on the weekends for $9.99 plus tax and it is well worth it. In fact it would be worth it at $15.00 per person. Salads, soup, southern cooking including catfish, pork , pulled pork , several kinds of chicken, pork filets and the best ribs I have had in a long time. The meat is tender and just falls off the bone!

The Farmers Market has of course regular potatoes, sweet taters, several kinds of dressing and also vegetables. It is all great and good, and not a calorie in the lot!

They also served pancakes and crepes which we did not try, however I am sure they are great as well.

Peach cobbler, cherry cobbler and apple cobbler along with at least a dozen other deserts complete this fabulous meal

Family Owned

The Farmers Family Restaurant is family owned and operated. Their goal is to provide a wholesome atmosphere where you and your family can feel right at home while dining out.

Family and farming is important to them. You’ll see their walls are covered with photos of local farmers, past and present. They carry on the tradition of the local farmer, men and women who have worked hard and sacrificed to feed their families and communities.

They don’t use any canned vegetables, only fresh veggies. They buy produce from local farmers when available and  only use USDA choice meats. And, if it’s seafood you’re looking for, they use the freshest seafood on the market.

If you get a chance to stop at this location, I would really recommend that you take this restaurant in for your lunch or evening meal. The restaurant setting is one large room with checkered table clothes on the tables. It is meant to resemble a farmers market of years past. Drinks are extra and huge. Refills are automatic as well .

They also serve breakfast, however we did not get a chance to try a breakfast meal. For more things to do in Tennessee,  click here.

This is really not a coffee shop, but I have slotted it into this category since we purchased coffee at the Esso Station that is combined with a Tim Hortons coffee service.

We had to fill up for gas at the local Esso station at the corner of Jean D’arc and St Joseph in Orleans. True to fashion this is one of the most unfriendly places I have ever gone to.

It was 5:30 in the morning and I will give the guy some slack, he probably has been on duty all night, and maybe just about ready to finish his shift. Still, he could have said good morning! It got much worse.

Tim Hortons & Esso

I am trying to fill my car with gas and ran my credit card through the reader on the pump, selected the grade and placed the spout in the gas tank intake. It is -17C and I am waiting for the attendant to activate the pump. They have to do that even though the customer does everything else.

He was busy with a customer providing coffee , so long that the pump reset itself and I had to enter my card again. It was really cold, so I entered my card and knocked on the window to get his attention this time. Once I filled my car I went into buy a coffee.

He did not say good morning, but did say it would be a few minutes, because he had to make another fresh pot of coffee. No problem, fresh coffee is always good at that time of the morning. Tim Hortons coffee is one of the best when it is really fresh.

Not so Great Service

So myself and two other customers are waiting for the pot to fill. He is doing his end of shift accounting and I said to him I think the pot is going to over flow. It was as if I had not said a word. I looked at the other customer who shrugged. Then I said the pot is overflowing because by this time so much water came out that it was running all over.

He still did not move so I said it is going all over the place. He finally walked over and stuck another pot under the drip to catch the rest. Not a word of thanks or what a mess or anything. He prepared the other customers coffee who was there before me. Then he asked me what I wanted and gave me my coffee.  Talk about someone who either does not like his job or who was in a bad mood.

This is typically Tim Hortons these days and typically Canadian. Canadians are getting a reputation as being an unfriendly lot. We have found a lot of the Tim Hortons shops unfriendly due to the kids that work there.

We all have trouble keeping New Years resolutions for many reasons. Some of us never intended to keep them in the first place, it is just the thing to do so we can tell everyone that we have made them. For other people they honestly want to keep them and achieve what ever New Years resolutions they have made. They may not have the will power, they may get discouraged, they may get side tracked by outside influences and just give up.

What ever the reason is , we all have to find away to meet our objectives and use what ever help we can get to keep our resolutions.  We think that most people will need help and so we have put together a list of things that might help people keep their resolutions.

New Years Resolutions

Not all ideas will work for each person, but if one or two work for you then this post has achieved the objective of helping people with their New Years resolutions. We are focused on maintaining weight or losing weight, while New Years Resolutions can be about anything in your life. What ever they might be, only make one or two New Years resolutions and focus on meeting those . You will have a better chance of success this way, compared to trying to meet ten or fifteen resolutions.

Here is our list :

• Make New Years Resolutions, some people don’t. You have to think about them and actually make serious well thought out resolutions. Otherwise they are just words with no real plan and no idea of how you will accomplish these objectives
• Tell others what they are, so that they are public. Sometimes telling others is away of forcing ourselves to keep resolutions. Making them public and then not meeting those commitments is embarrassing and looks bad. No one wants to look badly to others
• Write them down. Writing them down will help you remember them. You will make you just a little more committed to meeting these goals and objectives
• Look at your resolutions every day. Place your goals somewhere were you will see them every day. It might be on the table, beside the mirror, even on your smart phone. As long as you are reminded of them every day it will help reinforce the commitment to stick with the plan.
• Post them on your to do list – add them to your todo list, which forces you to look at them and deal with them each day as you pull up your list of things to do on any given day. Being reminded all of the time will help build habits which is really what we all need.
• Keep them reasonable and achievable – we all need goals that there is a reasonable chance we will be able to complete them. If they are unrealistic, you may give up before you can complete whatever goals you had in mind.
• Make them complete – well thought out goals are always easier to achieve. Stating a goal with a plan of how you will achieve that goal will help you make them happen. There is a far greater chance that you will achieve your plan if there is a step by step approach outline with your resolutions.

Conclusion

Hope this helps. Even if one reader gets something out of this post, we have achieved our goal. This web site is about diets and losing weight and obviously we think that your New Years resolutions should center around dieting, exercise and nutrition. However these ideas can be applied to any type of New Years Resolution.

Comments and additional suggestions are greatly appreciated!

• Make only a few resolutions
• Make a plan

Save

We have had an opportunity to dine at the Sala Thai Restaurant at 2666 Alta Vista Drive (at Bank), Ottawa, Ontario, (613) 521-1102, several times over the past couple of years. Every time we go the service is excellent and so is the food. If you like Thai food, this is the place to go to experience really good Thai Cuisine!

Fully Licensed

It is fully licensed and they accept all of the standard credit cards. During the week you probably do not need reservations, however on the weekends , reservations are a good idea to make sure you are able to dine at your convenience. 

They are open from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm every day for lunch and from 5:00 pm until 10:00 pm Monday to Saturday and from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Sundays.

Sala Thai Restaurant – Location

They are located in a small strip mall, but don’t let the location fool you. The trip is well worth it, because the traditional Thai food is excellent. They cater to the complexities of central Thai cooking, but in addition to this,  you can  also experiment with the distinctive food of the Esan region, Thailand’s northeast, where the Thai and Laotian cultures meet.

Esan food, the staple of 17 million people in the northeast, is eaten with sticky rice. If you are not already familiar with the food of north-eastern Thailand, their Esan staff can show you how much casual enjoyment you can take with their food.

The writer is not from Thailand and really does not have a lot of experience with traditional Thai food or Esan food from the Esan region. However, we do enjoy excellent cooking and new flavors from a variety of food types prepared in regions that are not familiar to us. This is one of the best and we can recommend many of the dishes that are available at this particular restaurant.

Ordering Your Food

The staff will also help you make your selection as well, so that you can experiment with new meals prepared in ways you may not be familiar with. Check out their menu on their website. Customers can also order take out to take home and enjoy with the family. If you cannot finish your meal feel free to request a take home box as well so that you can enjoy the remainder of your meal later.

This is a great little restaurant that will not disappoint!

This morning we had breakfast at the Mix Steakhouse & Bar in Orleans, beside the Dairy Queen on Tenth line. The address is 1675 Tenth Line Road, Orleans. We had a window view, however, there is not much to look at. There is a tarp covering the chairs for the outdoor patio in the summer and there are thousands of cigarette butts that are strewn everywhere to look at.

The Mix Steakhouse & Bar in Orleans – Description

This is a bar first and foremost although they obviously serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Unfortunately for us this morning the coffee was lukewarm at best and although the waitress tried her best to get us a hot cup of coffee, there was just something wrong with the coffee machine this morning.

We also found that the Mix Steakhouse was still rather untidy from the night before. The floor had not been cleaned, my first coffee cup had catsup on it and the second had something unrecognizable on it as well.

Our Order

We ordered a combo and split it since my wife is a light eater at breakfast. The combo sounded like a lot of food. In fact, it was, consisting of two pancakes, two sausages, two pieces of bacon, scrambled eggs, deep-fried potatoes, and toast.

After my wife took her share, I could still not finish the meal. Although the quantity was more than we needed, it left a bad aftertaste most of the morning.

I think it was the bacon, but not really sure since there was a lot of grease and fat with pretty much everything.

The Service

The service at the Mix Steakhouse was fine and the waitress really tried. But when you are dealing with a bad situation, it is pretty tough to recover from it. We have only tried one meal, however, based on this meal we will not go back.

If you have comments on this location, please feel free to leave a comment, positive or negative. Everyone deserves a second chance. For more information about Ottawa, Ontario, and the nation’s Capital, click here.

We are in the early stages of planning our trip and are using the checklist that we posted in the previous post, called travel planning. We will be driving to California and taking a southerly route to avoid a lot of highways that could be snow covered and to avoid snow storms in the winter period. On the way home we will come back on a northerly route, probably through Utah and Colorado. We have found that it is much easier and safer to take a longer route in the winter months. We really do not need to be concerned about snow and icy roads.

Planning Our Trip –  Route

For now though we are going to head straight south to Memphis and then on down to Biloxi, Mississippi. We will spend a few days at Tunica, Mississippi and then on to Biloxi were we will also spend a few days. We stay at the Gold Strike in Tunica and at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. Both of these places are casino hotels and we can usually get a free room at either place.

Next we will head west along Interstate 10. It takes you all the way to Los Angeles with no snow to worry about anywhere along the route. Once you pass Houston, it is pretty much desert all of the way to California, although on past trips we have encountered rain storms in the middle of the desert and the odd flake of snow at higher elevations, near Benson Arizona. We will not book any hotels along the way until we get to Benson Arizona. Our preference is to stop when we get tired or see something we like along the way. We will stop at Benson, Arizona for a night and then head off to a Titan Missile Museum the following day. We will leave a post about this later on our trip.

Once we leave the Missile Silo, we will head to Phoenix were we will stop for one night and then on to Las Vegas for two nights. After that we are spending a month in Palm Springs before heading to Laughlin Nevada. As we travel to each of these locations we will add posts along the way, sometimes daily if there are interesting things to write about.

Making Reservations

For some locations we can make reservations ahead of time. Such as Benson and Las Vegas. However from Biloxi to Benson we will leave it open so we can be flexible about how far we drive every day. This is the best way to travel on a vacation were you make decisions about were you are going to go each day. We will often decide around 2 or 3 pm how much further we want to drive and then call ahead to book a hotel.

Many of our friends cannot travel this way. They have to get to their final destination as quickly as possible. They have to know were they are staying each night, other wise they get stressed out about their trip. We also carry a GPS with us so that we always know were to go.  Even if we pull off somewhere , it will automatically recalculate directions for us. The GPS helps us find restaurants, shopping and things to see in the area. There has been the occasional time that we have had to drive much further than we planned due to unacceptable hotels. But it is so seldom that we really do not worry about this at all.

Using Air Miles, Credit Card Points

We also try to use points from various cards and loyalty cards that we have. This saves us a lot of money. However we really need to coordinate our travel with the loyalty cards. They sometimes need advance notice of several days before they will confirm reservations for us. You can also use airline points as well to pay for hotels.  Once we have everything set up to go the only thing that we need to be concerned about is the weather. As long as there is some flexibility in dates, you can pretty well work around this easily. However you must always account for at least one day delay due to weather.

Other than that it is just basic preparation. Follow though on our list of preparations and we will be ready to go on our trip! For more ideas about trip planning, click here.