Juneau

Juneau has been the capital of Alaska since 1906. The city is located at the base of Mount Juneau and sits across the channel of Douglas Island. The area of Juneau encompasses an area larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. The area is a great place to visit as it offers a variety of everything the great state of Alaska has to offer in this one area. It is an area of nearly pure wilderness, amazing wildlife and spectacular awe inspiring scenery.

The city of Juneau is nestled at sea level at the base of steep mountains that range from 3,500 to 4,000 feet in height. Located on top of this mountain range is the Juneau Icefield. This is a large ice mass is home to more than 140 glaciers and covers nearly 1,500 square miles. Two of these gigantic glaciers can be seen from the road in Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier and Lemon Creek Glacier. Mendenhall Glacier is the most accessible glacier in all of Alaska.

Of course this is Alaska and the winter is breath stealing cold here. If you don’t want to have to don layers upon layers to stay warm visit Juneau in the spring and summer. The spring months tend to be the driest and September and October are to be avoided as they are the wettest with rain and snow. July tends to be the warmest time of year here with the average highs around 65 °F. Tourism is booming during the summer months and the tourists as well as the locals come out to enjoy the fishing, hiking and hunting that is prevalent in the area.

The city of Juneau offers a variety of places to dine. However none of them are considered fancy at a cosmopolitan level even though the food is delicious. Dressing up in this neck of the woods means just putting on your clean pair of jeans. The dining options run the gamut from surf and turf which is a must at some point with the abundance of fresh seafood and meat available in the area, and runs all the way to the ethnic cuisine of Mexican and Asian. This is Alaska with some of the longest nights in the world so it should come as no surprise that there are quite a few night spots to hit up in the city. The most popular with the locals and tourists are the Hangar, the Triangle and the Red Dog Saloon.

The Lake District

The Lake District, also simply known as The Lakes is located in the northwest of England.  The area is known for its many lakes, forests, and mountains.  This popular tourist destination was designated a National Park in 1951, making it the 2^nd national park in the United Kingdom. More than 15 million people travel to the area annually to take in the beauty of the surroundings.

The Lakes area is shared by the counties of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire in what is now called Cumbria.  This area is the highest in all of England and is 3,000 feet above sea level.  Located in the National Park is the highest mountain in all of England, Scafell Pike.  The deepest and longest lakes in England are also located in the National Park, Wastwater and Windermere.

The area of The Lakes has over 3,500 kilometers that are perfect for walking, cycling or riding a bike.  You can walk for free at over 55% of the National Park due to funding from Open Access and CROW. You can do this at your own pace and you can either choose to stroll along the coasts of one of the many lakes or rivers or go on a more challenging hike to get your blood pumping. If biking is something you would love to do there are places to rent one and you can head out and explore the forests at your leisure. With the abundance of lakes and rivers there are also boat and kayak rentals.

There’s also quite a bit if history at your fingertips when you travel to The Lakes. In the Central Lake District there is the Eskdale Mill.  It is thought to have been built in the mid 1500’s.  The mill uses water power to grind down corn. There was a second waterwheel added in the 18^th century. Today the Eskdale Mill is the oldest working corn mill in England. There are Roman Empire ruins that were built in the 2^nd century to explore. These ruins were built during Hadrian’s reign and are well preserved due to their remote setting.  You will be able to see the barracks, commandant’s house, parade ground and the bath house if you venture out to the ruins. The Lakes is a great place to explore nature in all her glory as well as take a step back in time and see some of the historical aspects of the area. 

A Journey To Manilla Reviewed With Island Trader Vacations

Manila is the capital of the Philippines; it is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay. The city is approximately 800 miles from mainland Asia. Due to its location the area flourished in the last half of the Ming Dynasty as it was in direct route to trade with China.

Manila has a tropical savanna climate, and the temperatures are perfect no matter what time of year you visit as average temperatures are in the high 70’s low 80’s and the lows rarely if ever go below 70 degrees.  The humidity level in the area can be quite high, making temperatures feel much warmer though. The best time to stay is during the dry season which is from January to April.  The wet season is from May to December with typhoon season from June to September which can result if certain parts of the city flooding. 

This urban city has much to offer the traveler as they stop over here on their way to a less populated area of the Philippines or for those that love to explore the major metropolitan areas of the world. The city has many notable points of interest.  There is the historic walled city of Intramuros. The city of Manila also features one of the oldest Chinatowns called Binondo, in the entire world, with great markets that are perfect for browsing. To experience a beautiful green space in the hustle and bustle of this busy city, stroll through Rizal Park.  The park is dedicated to the national hero Jose Rizal, who was executed were the park stands today by the Spaniards for mutiny. The park features many attractions with Chinese and Japanese Gardens, an Orchidarium and a Butterfly Pavilion.

Shopping can be quite fun in this city, especially if you hit the traditional markets and bazaars that are located throughout the city. This is a perfect way to glimpse into the Filipino culture, with plenty of crafts and cuisine. If you want a great deal head to the old downtown area called Quiapo, the deals you will find here will astound you.  Filipino cuisine is far less spicy than most Southeast Asian cuisine. Their flavor profiles are lighter on the chili, and are more concentrated on sour and vinegary flavors. To have an abundance of dining options the best place to go is Makati. This area is teeming with restaurants to try some of the native cuisine, and if that’s not to your liking there are many options that serve more international cuisine.

Exploring Palau With Island Trader Vacations

The Rock Islands are located in the southern lagoon of Palau. Palau is an island country that is located in the western Pacific Ocean.  The island is part of the island group of Micronesia that includes 250 islands that is the part of the western chain of the Caroline Islands. The island of Palau share nautical boundaries with Indonesia and the Philippines.

The island of Palau was settled nearly 3,000 years ago with the closely neighboring Philippines and was first visited by the Europeans in the 1900’s when the island was part of the Spanish East Indies. There are roughly 450 islands in the group of Rock Islands that encompass 18 square miles and the top height of any of the islands is almost 670 feet.  The islands are called Chelbachbeb, and they are a grouping of limestone and coral uprisings that are parts of ancient vestiges of coral reefs that viciously surfaced to form the islands.  The islands are primarily uninhabited, but are striking to view as you set out on an exploratory view from a boat. Most of the islands have a mushroom shape, with a smaller base that have become the habitats for many underwater creatures such as sponges, chitins, and snails that live of the algae that grow on the base of the islands. The islands are located in crystal clear turquoise lagoons that are surrounded by coral reefs. The Rock Islands of Palau were named a World Heritage Site in 2012.

Although the Rock Islands are currently uninhabited there have been remains of previous human occupation found.  There have been archeological remains found on three islands, Ngeruktabel, Ngeanges, and Chomedokl. The remains that have been discovered include caves with rock art and burial sites.  It is believed that the islands were occupied by humans around 3,100BC. There are also stone villages located on a few of the islands that date from 950BC-500BC. These islands were abandoned for habitation in the 17^th and 18^th centuries with much of the population moving to the larger island of Palau and other surrounding islands. The Rock Islands of Palau are a popular tourist site for those that are traveling to Palau.

A Trip To The Theater With Island Trader

The Fox Theater is located in downtown Detroit at 2211 Woodward.  The theater originally opened in 1928 as the flagship theater of the Fox Theaters chain.  It was the first theater to be designed and built with a speaker system for films with sound. The Fox Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and was also designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

The Fox Theater of Detroit is one of five Fox Theaters built in the late 20’s by film innovator William Fox. The other theaters were built in Brooklyn, Atlanta, St. Louis and San Francisco. The architect that built the Fox Theater in Detroit was C. Howard Crane, who also designed other theaters in the area at that time.  The Fox is that largest surviving theater of the time, and the largest of the original five that were built. The Theater seats 5,048 and 5,174 if the removable seats from the raised orchestra pit are in use. The interior design of the building is a mixture of Burmese, Chinese, Indian and Persian motifs.  This style of design was quite unique for the time period, as most buildings were designed in the Art Deco style of the time. The theater features three levels of seating that include the Main Floor, the Mezzanine, and the Gallery, which is the balcony. The building also features 10 stories of office space and the façade of the entire building is done in an Asian style that is illuminated at night.

Unlike many of the other theaters in the area, the Fox Theater was a movie destination for years and years.  While many other theaters were closing their doors, the Fox remained open. The theater did start to show its age though, especially in the 1960’s and in the 1970’s the mezzanine and balcony levels were closed off to the public.  The theater closed in the early 1980’s for a major restoration project. Mike and Marian Ilitch purchased the Fox Theater in 1988 and put into motion a $12 million restoration project of the beloved theater headed by William Kessler. The current marquee was installed during the restoration but it is based of the original marquee that once graced this phenomenal theater.