The Great Lakes Region
Posted September 24, 2009 , comments closed
The Great Lakes region is composed of some cities from US and Canada. It is surrounded by a wide shoreline and contributes greatly in technology and agriculture. The region of Great Lakes includes a large portion of a province in Ontario, Canada. It also includes eight states in the USA. These US states border Great Lakes and they are New York, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. The whole Great Lake portion of the Canadian shoreline is found in Ontario. The consequent geographical definition of the Great Lakes region is the terrain area that consumes into the said region. Great Lakes are distinguished for its significant contributions in the field of political economy, culture, technology, and natural resources. Among the prominent contributions are the democratic economy and government. In addition, industrial production and inventions for automobile manufacturing, agricultural machinery, transportation, as well as commercial architecture are considered its most prominent contributions. Lakes hold over a fifth portion of the surface freshwater in the world. This region has a huge number of mineral deposits like iron ore especially in the Mesabi Range of Minnesota as well as in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Moreover, southern Illinois and western Pennsylvania is rich in anthracite coal, also a valuable mineral deposit. The significant abundance of coal and iron provided the most basic materials for the largest steel production in the world during the late 19th century to early 20th century. The soil here is very rich and produces large quantities of corn and cereals. The first major “oil boom” in the world was hosted by Pennsylvania. The wild rice of Minnesota and the cranberry bogs of Wisconsin continue to yield natural rations, which were introduced by the Indians to some Europeans during the 17th century. In terms of technology, the region of Great Lakes is home to various globally prominent breakthroughs in the field of agriculture. Some of the most memorable contributions on technology include Cyrus McCormick’s mechanical reaper, grain elevator and the steel plow by John Deere. The University of Chicago and the Case Western Reserve University are important sites when referring to early researches about nuclear power. In Indiana and Ohio, automobile manufacturing was introduced. Automobile manufacturing was centered in Michigan’s Detroit Area. The movable assembly line of Henry Ford became a mark in steel industrial engineering, meat processing, and agricultural machinery manufacturing. The engineering of steel helped in revolutionizing the modern age of mass production build up. Two Chicago-based companies namely Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward balanced mass manufacturers with a mass detail form of distribution. The contribution in modern transportation includes the early airplanes of the Wright Brothers. Other popular contributions are the Great Lake Freighters as well as railroad beds made of steel rails and wooden ties. The 19th century Erie Canal as well as the 20th century St. Lawrence Seaway had expanded the engineering scale for a gigantic water-born cargo. Even prior to European immigration, this region has a well-established political economy. The Indians had traded with each other via the broad network of rivers, portages, and lakes that holds goods in the Mexican Gulf as well as in both the coasts of North America. Major exports in the region include western Pennsylvania’s natural oil, copper from the shorelines and islands near Sault Ste. Marie, pipestones of Minnesota, dried cranberries and wild rice from Wisconsin. Since the industrial revolution, this region had been the center for industry. Numerous American and Canadian companies are headquartered all over the area.
Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay Delivers Service and More – Real Life Review
Posted September 11, 2009 , comments closedLast weekend my husband and I celebrated his birthday by making the quick drive from San Francisco to stay as guests of the legendary Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California. They were gracious enough to provide us with a room and valet parking, as well as access to the Club Lounge, at no charge, so that we could experience the wonders of the property.
It was a delightful 16 hour getaway that we would repeat every weekend if possible. Let me tell you, they earned that fabulous reputation! Gorgeous location, luxurious amenities, and that so-well-known Ritz Carlton service equal a pretty fabulous hotel experience.
If you can celebrate your birthday at the Ritz, do it!
The Arrival
We drove down the long driveway leading to the property, stopping at a gatehouse to give our name to a friendly guard. She responded, “Well, Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln!” and ushered us up to the valets, mostly cute young boys dressed in plus fours, i.e. old timey-golf outfits. Nice touch for a property that boasts two golf courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
At the front desk my husband was once again wished a happy birthday — by three different Ritz Carlton staffers – and we were offered glasses of wine from the tasting they were doing in the lobby. Delightful!
Balloons + feather beds = a great night’s rest!
The Room
Our room was a decent size, with a king-sized bed made all the more cozy with a feather bed and dreamy Egyptian cotton linens. The giant HD flatscreen tv was housed in a built in hutch, which also contained the honor bar (Cashews: $11) and a stunning “personal wine cellar” with several bottles of real wine. Seriously, Gary Vanynerchuk would have whole-heartedly approved of this hotel! They even offer wine classes!
The in-room wine cellar.
Making the room all the more festive were the balloons and birthday cake that greeted our arrival, along with a nice note welcoming us.
“Look, they even put a Leo on the cake, for my sign,” my husband joked.
“That’s the Ritz logo,” I replied, rolling my eyes at him. “But yeah, they do seem that good with the details.”
The view from our room: golf, bluff and Pacific Ocean
The Ritz Carlton Club
I wrote about the incredible Ritz Carlton Club lounge when I stayed at the Dearborn Michigan Ritz. Note: you always want to get a room with Club Level access. Always.
Best way to start a weekend? With champagne and pate en croute!
This lounge was even better than the one in Dearborn, and we made full use of it. We were welcomed by the very friendly concierge, Carmen, who asked for our room number, wished my husband a happy birthday (seriously) and then gave a tour of the lounge.
There are five different food presentations each day. This pre-dinner one included areas with a bar (wine, champagne, name brand booze), a charcuterie and cheese spread, chicken and carmelized fig hors d’oeuvres, six giant glass jars of cookies, an espresso/mocha maker (regular and decaf), and a broad variety of soft drinks including sodas, juices and multiple types of bottled waters.
We only meant to get a glass of champagne and a snack, but everything was so delicious, and the view of the golf course, bluffs and Pacific Ocean were so beautiful that we wound up hanging out for about 45 minutes. And we went back for dessert, later that evening!
Chocolate covered marshmallows and brandy!
As usual, I kept an eye out to see how other people (a.k.a. the paying guests) were treated, and the lounge was a great spot for spying. During this first visit I saw Carmen being incredibly gracious to everyone who came in, and the other staff members being polite and efficient. Someone even went down to the lobby store and brought back a bottle of Tylenol for a guest!
The Ocean Walk and Terrace
The late afternoon was so beautiful that we finally forced ourselves to leave the lounge and take a walk around the property. There is a paved walkway shared by golf carts, guests and several local dog walkers. We strolled along the perfectly manicured golf course and walked down a quick set of steps to a sheltered beach packed with people enjoying the unusually warm Northern California end of summer day.
Then we back to the Terrace in time to hear the bagpipe player.
Bagpiper at sunset with hot chocolate bar behind him!
We were lucky enough to score a pair of chairs with a great view of everything. We plunked ourselves down, ordered signature Vodka Lime Rickeys, and waited for the sunset show. Faintly at first, and then growing louder, we heard the the strains of the bagpipe, which isn’t a soothing instrument, but it certainly lends an air of distinction to the proceedings. The kilt-wearing player did several songs, entertaining the crowd of families, couples, two bridal parties and several dogs for about 30 minutes, until the sun went down.
Signature lime rickeys at sunset!
Then staffers lit the two giant fire pits and started serving hot chocolates. With booze if you want it.
So. Awesome.
The Other Important Stuff
The perfect bathroom!
- I didn’t have a chance to tour any other rooms, but I know that next time I visit I want to get one of the Terrace Fire Pit Rooms. Just like the name implies, you’re on the ground level and have a personal fire pit right outside your room.
- The bathroom was perfect. Almost as big as the room, white marble, Bulgari white tea soaps. The toilet was in a little room with a door, good for privacy. Water-efficient rain showerhead, nice terry robes. Great light, including one of those terrifying magnified makeup mirrors with a built in light.
- When it gets cold, the staff brings blankets out for people sitting on the terrace around the fire pit.
- The spa is right by the Terrace, so right after you finish your massage, or workout you can wander out in your robe, have a drink, and contemplate the ocean.
- Weddings! We saw two while we were there and those were some happy brides — and even happier guests!
- Don’t bother washing your car before you go. It’s outdoor parking and your car will be covered with dew in the morning.
USA: Best Rated Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes 2009 – Quick Family Roadtrip Getaways Across America.
Posted September 3, 2009 , add a comment
Fun, quick, and easy is the magic phrase for families; pint-sized fun is better than no fun at all whether it’s a getaway for a day or an escape for a weekend, enjoying time together and making memories matters. The FamilyTravelFiles.com and Family.TripWiser.com have been collaborating on ways to make enjoying each season with family and friends more fun. Each season we will be identifying best rated places, activities, and events with unique memory making value for families.
Spanning seven distinct USA geographic regions - Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Southeast, Heartland, Southwest, Mountains West, and Western Edge - the collection of festivals and events runs the gamut from whale watching along the Atlantic Coast and attending Shakespeare under the stars to horse archery, living history, and most American of all corn mazes and harvest festivals. This year’s lists of Best Rated Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes for Families reveal a plethora of chances to have fun with kids. Review the best for 2008 and make plans to get away before the snow flies.
America’s Heartland – At Tweite’s Pumpkin Patch in Byron Minnesota enjoy wagon rides, and a six-acre corn maze with a tire dragon. Attend the Holly Michigan Renaissance Festival and be part of the US/Canadian Highland Games and Bagpipe Blowout or participate in “The International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.
America’s Southeast – Sip cider, paint a pumpkin and ride Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost train in North Carolina. Build a scarecrow at Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach. Attend Tour of Southern Ghosts storytelling festival in Georgia or enjoy the energy of Dollywood’s Harvest Celebration & Southern Gospel Jubilee in Tennessee.
America’s Southwest – At Apple Annie’s Fall Pumpkin Celebration in Wilcox, AZ enjoy old-fashioned family fun picking your own pumpkins, fall vegetables and they have Arizona’s newest and largest corn maze. The annual Harvest Festival in Santa Fe includes grape stomping, dancing, grinding sorghum with burros.
America’s Northeast – Greene County, NY offers frightfully fun activities a dark maze and wolf hollow trail. The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association invites families to enjoy cranberry harvest tours, wagon and pony rides, games, and cooking demonstrations.
America’s Mid Atlantic – Ride the Ghost Train at Northwest River Park in Virginia Beach and listen to music along the boardwalk. Not far from Valley Forge Linvilla Farm pick your own pumpkins; meet costumed characters like Dora, Elmo and Shrek. Enjoy a hay ride under the moonlight and a cup of cider at the campfire.
America’s Mountains West – In Denver the 8.5 acre maze at the Denver Botanic Gardens has a 15-foot tall illuminated bridge, 9-foot tall stalks, and plenty of “A-maize-ing Scarecrows”. Lattin Farms in Fallon, NV celebrates the season with a Giant Pumpkin contest, Pumpkin Tower lighting, and moonlight mazes.
America’s Western Edge - French Prairie Gardens in Oregon’s tranquil Willamette Valley has a corn maze, pumpkin patch pumpkin sling shot, kids corral, pig barrel train rides, and two 20-foot hay slides. In California Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival celebrates with mighty pumpkin weigh-off, Great Pumpkin Parade, and a bone-chilling Haunted House.
To expand the list for the future, we encourage you to “Tell Mom” about your own family’s favorite festival or fall getaway and to browse our Festivals and Events folder for even more ideas.
At the Family.TripWiser Blog - http://blog.tripwiser.com/familytrip/- it is also possible to view the expanded list of Best Rated Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes. Parents are encouraged to add their own favorite seasonal festival; contribute photos; view comments from others, and plan great fall road trip getaways for their own families.
About Family.TripWiser.com 
The Family Vacation Planning Blog at Family.TripWiser.com embraces diversity and offers a rich menu of family vacation ideas knowing that one size does not fit all when it comes to a family road trip. The family trip collection is available 24/7 making family trip planning online easy. The contemporary Family Vacation Planning Blog features a community atmosphere for family vacation planning online making it easy to get customized information based on destinations, vacation budget, things to do, and how old your kids are. They present advice from family travel experts and include feedback from parents who have “been there and done it”.
Please tell mom!
We want to expand the list and need your help. If you have a favorite fall festivial or know of an awesome corn maze please “Tell Mom” and we will add it to the list. Make sure to include the name of the festival or event and its location on the planet as well as why you like it or what makes it worth the trip. Our next round up will inlcude family friendly winter holidays and celebrations. We are building the list right now and would love to have your feedback. So just “Tell Mom!”.
Three Beaches of Downtown Chicago
Posted August 21, 2009 , add a commentFor most people, the word ‘beach’ conjures visions of crystalline Caribbean waters, exotic South Seas islands, or coastal destinations around the U.S. Few would think of the Midwest, yet smack dab in the heartland a series of beaches encircle Lake Michigan like a string of pretty pearls. On a recent trip to Chicago I walked three miles along its lakefront, from the southernmost end of Grant Park to the northern tip of the Gold Coast, to visit the city’s three downtown beaches.
12th Street Beach, a delightful crescent cove at the foot of the Adler Planetarium
I began at 18th Street, where a narrow parcel of land known as Northerly Island juts into Lake Michigan. In 1909, renowned architect Daniel Burnham developed the Chicago Plan, which envisioned several man-made islands along the shores of the cobalt lake. Northerly Island, the only one that was actually built, was created from landfill and later converted into a peninsula. Now home to the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Field Museum, the peninsula is commonly referred to as the Museum Campus. Here I discovered 12th Street Beach, a half-moon crescent cove hunkering at the bottom of a grassy slope behind the Planetarium. With its new beach house and free parking, 12th Street Beach is ideally located for a combined day of museum-going, picnicking, and sunbathing.
Swimmers, cyclists, joggers, and roller-bladers mass along the wide promenate connecting Ohio Street Beach with Oak Sreet Beach
From the Museum Campus I walked north along the lakefront. To my right, thousands of boats bobbed in the gently undulating waters of Lake Michigan. Grant Park stretched on my left, offering myriad opportunities to rest at landmarks such as Buckingham Fountain and the peaceful Cancer Survivors Garden. At Randolph Street I followed Lake Shore Drive as it curved to the east, crossing the Chicago River and strolling past the behemoth Ferris wheel at Navy Pier before entering Milton Lee Olive Park. Meandering pathways guided me back to the shores of the lake and Ohio Street Beach, a tiny pocket of sand tucked between Lake Shore Drive and a breakwater.
Oak Street, crown jewel of the three beaches in downtown Chicago
Although Ohio Street Beach has no services it provides excellent access to Oak Street Beach, a mile or so to the north, via a wide promenade that runs along the water’s edge. I walked its crowded length, keeping one eye peeled for mow-you-down cyclists and the other trained on swimmers clad in sleek neoprene suits and skullcaps who swim a mile along the promenade each day, weather permitting.
John Hancock Center looms over Oak Street Beach
Without a doubt, Oak Street Beach is the crown jewel of the three downtown beach parks. Located at the northern end of North Michigan Avenue, it is ringed by skyscrapers and landmark hotels that grace Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Beneath the looming black John Hancock tower, beach-goers sprawl on colorful towels in the wide, soft sand or join a pickup volleyball game at one of several nets set up by the city. Concessions, restrooms, and a waterfront outdoor restaurant are available, but there is no parking; this is definitely a walk-to beach. Strangely, palm trees lined the shore. They were obviously new and recently planted, leading me to speculate whether they could possibly survive Chicago’s often brutal winter weather. I guess I’ll just have to come back this winter to find out; it’s as good an excuse as any to return to this great city!
Article and photos by Barbara Weibel of Hole In The Donut Travels
Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers by Chicago River and Michigan Avenue
Posted August 7, 2009 , add a commentPosted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip
Chicago River View from Sheraton Hotel photo by Nancy D. Brown
Conveniently located off the #3 bus stop line, I arrived early at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. I was one of 1,500 women (and a handful of men) to attend BlogHer, a blogging conference held in July of 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel. If I was a single guy, this would certainly be the place to hang around the lobby for the weekend. But I was not single and I was ready to check in, as I was speaking on the travel panel at the conference.
While my room wasn’t ready (it was 8 a.m. and check in was at 3 p.m.) The front desk staff offered to check my bag and call my cell phone when the room was available. I got a voice message at noon saying that my room was ready. Nice customer service!
My room, #1711, was a standard king with the signature “Sweet Sleeper” bed. The room typically rents for $179 with high speed internet access tacking on an additional $12.95 fee. For cheap skates like me, guests can visit the Link Cafe downstairs for free access to internet and printers.
Sheraton Standard King Room #1711
I was staying at the hotel for three nights and appreciated its convenient location to Chicago’s Michigan Avenue, often referred to as the “Magnificent Mile.” The weather was positively gorgeous and reminded me why I love this lively city with its Millennium Park and stunning architectural wonders. However, being a California girl, I don’t think I could stand the cold winters.
Lost Luggage Tips
I’m going to slip in a plug for my post on “Lost Luggage Tips” on my What a Trip website. Unfortunately, my bag didn’t arrive on my non-stop United Airlines flight from San Francisco. I was reunited with it after a couple of days. Check out the video I made asking fellow travel writers for their Lost Luggage Tips.
Nearby Dining Recommendations
I discovered three great restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. For tapas and sangria, check out Emilio’s at 215 E. Ohio Street. If you’re in the mood for Cajun food, give Heaven on Seven a try, at 600 North Michigan Avenue. My personal favorite, Chicago deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Due.
Photos by Nancy D. Brown
Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers 1 (800) 233-4100
301 East North Water Street, Chicago, IL 60611
