Comments on Vacation Spots

A few years ago the city of Cincinnati built a stadium for what at the time was one of the worst teams in professional football. This is probably what they needed to turn the franchise around. Playing in a beautiful stadium must have been the magic since the Bengals are typically a very competitive team now and often discussed as a playoff contender.

The stadium is one of the nicest football venues that you will find. It holds over 65,000 screaming fans, it has fantastic scoreboards that show live video, and has plenty of restrooms. It is the only football stadium to make the “Americans’ Favorite Buildings” coming in at 101. Only 10 sporting structures made that list.

GUEST REVIEW ARTICLE:

By Dave Text

Canton is one of those places where you can expect to do almost anything while vacationing here. Right from spectacular museums, libraries and ancient architectural edifices, you can find a whole lot here. If you are worried about which places to stay in during your vacation in Canton, here is a guide that provides the list of best hotels here.

Trip down memory lane

GUEST REVIEW ARTICLE:

By Dave Text

Gainesville is a beautiful and exotic tourist destination in the world. There is plenty of variety in terms of sightseeing opportunities. If you are with your friends or family you can be sure to expect attractions to please every palate. If you are looking for a suitable accommodation to stay in, worry not. Here is our take on some of the best hotels here in Gainesville.

Samuel P Harn Museum of Art

The words “boutique”, “elegant”, and “luxury” are not common terms associated with this working-class riverfront town in southern Indiana. However with the “permanent docking” of Casino Aztar in Evansville the need for a more upscale place to sleep made sense.

This hotel is exquisite! The furnishings are first rate, the bar is fun and often crowded with attractive people, and the shower is wonderful. Actually, wonderful is an understatement when describing this shower since it has 5 shower heads and it dumps so much water on you that you feel like you just finished a professional massage.

Embassy Suites are usually a good deal for families as well as frequent travelers. While they are rarely a destination themselves, they can be a great respite after a long day at a vacation destination or a restful stop in your journey.

The Embassy Suites that is just south of the Dallas-Fort Worth airport is very nice at first glance but tends to fall apart after a closer look. The lobby of this hotel is laid out in typical Embassy fashion - a very large atrium surrounded by floors of suites. This atrium is very well done featuring a large waterfall that fills the space with white noise. The waterfall lands into a very nice looking pond that is filled with koi.

However, entering your suite brings a different perspective. Here you will likely find outdated and worn furniture. A sink that doesn’t have a stopper. And worse yet, water damage on the ceiling of the bathroom that has been poorly plastered over and said plaster has never seen a brush with paint on it.

Water damage that has been poorly fixed and old furniture is what I expect at discount hotels along the interstates. It is not expected at a suite hotel that is part of the Hilton family and costs in excess of $150 per night. You can bet that Paris would never stay at this location!

The Canada Pavilion will definitely remind you the ruggedness and landscape of the northernmost country of the North American continent. The architecture features stone and exposed wood. The pavilion is decorated with a canyon, a waterfall, gardens, a pool with fountains, and totem poles.

In general the shops in this pavilion are quite forgettable. While you may find a carving that you admire or other such craft item, you will recognize nearly every item in every store.

Canada does feature a beautiful movie, O Canada!, that shows much of the gorgeous countryside of this vast nation. This movie will be very enjoyable to the adult members of your family but may not appeal to the children of your group.

Taking a cruise on Carnival can be an exciting adventure for you and your family. Since every cruise sports different ports of call, I won’t discuss the itinerary here but rather will discuss the ship and leaving from Tampa Bay, Florida.

There may be great advantages to leaving from Tampa Bay rather than the more traditional Miami, Florida. The most likely advantage is cost. Since Tampa Bay is farther north on the Florida peninsula, logic dictates that your cost to get to this port should be lower. Unfortunately, logic never seems to be a driving factor with airline prices!

This is a first class facility for watching basketball with 18,000 of your best friends. The Pacers have a long history as part of the NBA and, previously, the ABA. You will see plenty of tributes to the great players and teams of the past and if you are a big fan of professional basketball you will be tested by your knowledge of the history of the game.

The food in the arena is not fantastic but is typical of most professional basketball venues. The Starbuck’s and the gift shop are top notch.

Parking in the area is fairly affordable and convenient. You should be able to find a $5 spot within a couple of blocks (unless the Pacers are playing great and the rates go up). While you are in downtown Indy, make sure that you spend some time enjoying some of the great shops and restaurants that make up this thriving downtown. The city leaders of Indianapolis have done a great job in making the city vibrant and you would not expect that a city in the “rust belt” would have their act together so well.

Tickets to any professional basketball game will set you back considerably and the Pacers are not an exception. However if you can afford it, an evening at Conseco field while visiting Indianapolis is a great time!

Do you like steak?  I mean, do you REALLY like steak? Then, when you are in Dallas TX, you should check out the Butcher Shop Steakhouse on Munger Avenue.

Unlike most steakhouses, here you have more than just your choice of a fine cut of meat.  At this large, open restaurant you have the opportunity to grill your steak to the perfection that you desire. If you want the experts to grill the steak for you while you enjoy your salad and favorite beverage, that is fine as well.

This is probably the Midwest’s best family resort and spa that also includes great fantastic golf. This resort has enjoyed a $14M renovation since 2003 and that only adds to the luster of this great destination.

The resort features 3 great golf courses. Bear by Jack Nicklaus, Wolverine by Gary Player, and Spruce Run by William Newcomb. These three amazing golf courses will thrill and challenge any golfer but offer fair play for the average or young golfer. Jim McLean also runs a great school on the facility which will help you work out that kink in your swing.