Comments on Vacation Spots

When you are done visiting the Statue of Liberty, continue your tour by going to Ellis Island. While not as majestic and inspiring as Miss Liberty, your heart will likely be touched by the humanity of the museum.

Ellis Island is a symbol of America’s immigrant heritage. From 1892 to 1954, this immigrant depot processed the greatest tide of incoming humanity in the nation’s history. Nearly twelve million landed here in their search of freedom of speech and religion, and for economic opportunity.

Today, over 40 percent of America’s population can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island.

There are few places in the US that speak to the soul of the country like the Statue of Liberty. It must be one of the most recognizable statues in the world and American citizens are proud of what the statue stands for.

Located on a 12 acre island, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986.

If you are visiting Palo Alto, CA and want to stay at a beautiful hotel that is not modeled after the multiple chain hotels that dot our country, then the Stanford Park Hotel is a great place to stay.

The hotel has a significant amount of character. The lobby is very comfortable featuring a massive fireplace and overstuffed furniture. In the evenings, you may be blessed with a glass of fine wine and delicious cookies.

This article is a little different from my typical. I will be discussing the beautiful Glacier National Park as seen by my good friend Timm Martin.  Timm and Theresa hiked the trails of the park and  took absolutely stunning photographs.  The photos that I have included in this post come from their site and you should click through to them and enjoy.  The photo show is located here so please click through! I have “shrunk” the pictures on this site to fit the format so you really should go to the original images and enjoy the beauty. There are dozens of great pictures.  While you are there, check out Timm and Theresa’s pet project: the Little Wolf Reserve!

Walt Disney’s various parks in Orlando are obviously the big attraction in town but they are seeing real competition from this park. Islands of Adventure is a much more active and has more thrill-seeking, adventure loving appeal to offer its visitors.

When you enter the park you will walk through the required shops and stores. You will have to dodge the photographers that want to catch the magical day on film. Once you have crossed through this wallet-emptying gauntlet, you are confronted by a choice:

• Go left for thrill rides that will rival any park in the US (yes, even Cedar Point in Ohio) OR

The Universe of Energy pavilion is one of the simplest attractions in the park, but this doesn’t diminish its ability to entertain and teach you and your family.

The main event starts in a large auditorium with multiple theatre screens. During this part, Ellen DeGeneres starts a dream sequence that stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Alex Trebek, and features Bill Nye, the Science Guy. This dream sequence has Ellen traveling back to the beginning of the universe, through the dinosaur age and then back to the present to learn about the creation of our present forms of energy.