A Walking Tour of New York City

My husband and I recently took a trip to New York City.  We found out that the best way to get around and really experience the city is to walk.  It sounds like a daunting task, since all the streets and avenues are all numbered; you KNOW exactly how far you have walked!  One afternoon we walked from 77th street to 42nd!  However, we realized that it is the best way to get the flavor of the city and the different neighborhoods.  If you only stay around Times Square, you might think that the only people in New York are tourists, but if you take the time to venture into the neighborhoods you will truly see all New York has to offer.  The subways are cleaner and safer than you might think, and are a great way to get around, but I suggest taking the subway somewhere and then walking back to where you started to fully experience the city.

One of the first things we did in New York was to go downtown.  We actually started in Brooklyn, by taking the subway to Brooklyn and walked along the river in Brooklyn Heights.  The views of Manhattan are spectacular from across the river; you get a view of the entire downtown skyline.  I hadn’t been to New York since before 9/11, so seeing the skyline without the Towers was a moving experience.  Along the East River is a paved walkway with plenty of benches to sit and rest your tired feet and take in the view.  The pathway actually leads to the Brooklyn Bridge which you can walk across.  Quite a few people walk the bridge, and again, the views are great.

As you get to the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, you can see the midtown buildings like the Empire State and the Chrysler buildings.  Once you are off the bridge, you are only a few blocks from the financial district and Wall Street.  I recommend going to Wall Street on the weekend because then you don’t have to fight stockbrokers AND tourists for a picture of the NY Stock Exchange,  just tourists!  The week we were in New York, the market crashed.  Apparently, they forgot to call me to see if I was planning to support the New York City economy; if they had, the market wouldn’t have crashed!  I did my best to help out!
If you are interested in the historical buildings of old New York, they are in the surrounding area of Wall Street.  The pew where George Washington sat in St. Paul’s chapel has been preserved; this is also the chapel that was not damaged when the Towers fell on 9/11 so many of the rescue workers rested and prayed there.  There are still memorials to the fallen heroes inside the chapel.  In addition, Trinity Church is at the end of Wall Street.  Alexander Hamilton is buried there and regular services are still held daily.

As you start to walk uptown from the Wall Street area, you will walk through SoHo and Greenwich Village.  When you walk, you can see the transition from Wall Street suits to Soho tie-dye.  It happens somewhat subtly as the neighborhoods blend.  However, if you got on the subway at Wall Street and off in the middle of Soho, you might think you were in a completely different city. The streets in Soho are cobblestone and the boutiques are small and sell interesting and funky clothes and art you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else.  People-watching in Soho is a different experience al-together!  Grab a cup of coffee in a small local coffee shop (i.e. not Starbucks), sit and rest those feet (you will need to after walking from Wall Street) and watch the people go by!
After leaving Soho, you will get to Greenwich Village.  I expected the Village to be full of fabulous drag queens, but not one to be found anywhere!   Instead of drag queens, there were plenty of students and professors from nearby NYU, giving the neighborhood a faintly academic and a lot less eclectic feel than I had expected.  Heading uptown from Greenwich Village you will get closer to midtown and the tourists.  The flagship Macy’s is on 34th street and can be seen from the top of the Empire State Building.  It is an experience in itself and even if you don’t plan to buy anything you must go in, as the store takes up a few city blocks!  At this point you will start running into other tourists again and they will continue to be everywhere until you are further uptown from Times Square.

If you go west from Times Square on 42nd street, you will come to the dock for the Circle Line.  If you need a few hours break off your feet but still seeing the best of New York, I highly recommend the Circle Line boat tour.  The Circle Line leaves from the Hudson River between 42nd and 43rd streets.  They offer two cruises; a 3-hour cruise that completely circles the island of Manhattan and a 2-hour cruise that does a semi-circle around the southern half of the island.  We took the 2-hour tour, which we felt showed us the most important landmarks twice!  The boat comes quite close to the Statue of Liberty and the view is breath-taking.  Our guide had some great pieces of trivia: for example, the statue is wearing sandals because in ancient Rome, only citizens could wear sandals and only citizens could vote (i.e. men).  The Statue of Liberty was designed around the time of the women’s suffrage movement in the US, and putting her in sandals was the artist’s way of supporting the movement.  Our guide was able to point out where in the skyline the World Trade Center would have been.  He also mentioned that the media and tourists are the only ones that call the area “Ground Zero”; New Yorkers still call it the World Trade Center.  The boat then takes you up the East River under the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge.  It turns around just before the Queensboro Bridge, so if you missed the Manhattan skyline on the way up the river, you can catch it again on the way down.

Times Square is everything I expected it to be: bright, loud, and PACKED with people!  You must experience it at night, when the lights are all on; it is fantastic and you will know without a doubt that you are in New York City!  You can buy your “I heart NY” t-shirts at any number of souvenir shops lining Times Square.  Continuing uptown from Times Square, the crowds thin a little.  You must stop at Rockefeller Center.  The skating rink opens in mid-October and is smaller than you may have thought just from seeing on TV.  In my opinion, the best views in the city are from the Top of the Rock.  The tickets are about the same price as the Empire State building, but the views and atmosphere are much better.  The most important thing that they do at the Top of the Rock is let only a few people up at a time.  You may think that this means your wait to go up is longer, but they have 3 short videos talking about NBC, Rockefeller Center and the Radio City Rockettes to keep you entertained while you are waiting.  Then, once at the top the views are unobstructed by other people and bars!  The first level has thick plexi-glass preventing your untimely death should you try to look closer at the Radio City Music Hall.  However, the second level is smaller than the first and thus the drop is only one floor, so there are no bars or plexi-glass obstructing that perfect shot.  At the Empire State Building, the ring of people trying to look out at the view was about 3 people deep and most the time spent at the top was elbowing people out of the way to get a better look.

Since I spent most of my time in New York supporting the economy, it is only fitting that my favorite part of New York was the Upper East Side.  This high-end shopping district starts at Sak’s Fifth Avenue (the shoe department on the 8th floor is a must see) and heads uptown for about 20 blocks; a long way to walk carting shopping bags full of shoes, just ask my husband!  If you have a favorite designer, it is likely that his or her flagship store is on 5th or Madison Avenue.  From the east side, I recommend walking through Central Park for a break from people and shopping.  In Central Park, it is hard to imagine that you are in one of the biggest cities in the world.  The many acres of trees muffle the sounds of the cars and taxis.  In the park you will find things that you wouldn’t expect in New York City, like squirrels and ducks (pigeons of course are everywhere).  The many paths through the park are lined with park benches, so there is always somewhere to sit and watch people and dogs go by.

As you are walking through the city, be on the lookout for great restaurants.  The best ones are small and out of the way in the different neighborhoods but are worth exploring to find them. We found a great Cuban restaurant in midtown and a fantastic Italian place in –wait for it—Little Italy!  Pizza places for a HUGE slice of thin crust pizza are everywhere; the pizza is hot and fresh and relatively inexpensive for New York.  Hotdog carts are a dime a dozen but are part of the New York experience.  In addition, there were almost as many street vendors selling Halal food. Try to avoid the chain restaurants like the Olive Garden right in the middle of Times Square!  In order to complete the New York eating experience, you must go to a deli.  There are many, of which the Carnegie Deli is the most famous.  Pickles and cole slaw come out as soon as you sit down like chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant.   My husband and I went to Junior’s, just west of Times Square.  They are famous for cheesecake, and rightfully so; it was fantastic!  They will also ship it to your house anywhere in the US! You must also try a Black and White cookie, available in any local bakery and famous in New York.

I hope you enjoy your walking tour of New York City! Pack a comfortable pair of sneakers and PLENTY of Band-aids for blisters! Don’t forget to take the subway when your feet have given out and stop to rest in the many parks or coffee shops to truly get the feel of the city.

‘Techs’ and the City

So there you are, a well equipped gadget geek (which of course you are, since you read my column every month) heading out on a grand trip to New York or some other vacation hot spot. What to take, and how do you protect your precious gear? Well, me being the world traveler and consummate gear-head that I am, I have a bit of advice for those of you taking your gear on the road.

What gadgets should you take with you on your trip? Well, of course you are going to want to record all your exploits and adventures so you will want that digital camera. A couple of new cameras that are available now are a great choice for their versatility and relatively compact size. The first is the Panasonic DMC FZ-28, which is the follow up to one of the best reviewed ‘super-zoom’ cameras, the FZ-18. The new 10 megapixel FZ-28 not only has a tremendous 18x zoom range but has added some new low dispersion lenses that help control chromatic aberration (color fringing) that can ruin photos at the extreme end of the zoom range. This combined with the new Venus IV processor and the rather impressive ‘Intelligent Auto’ mode, will provide you with great pictures from close up and REALLY far away. Another brand new super-zoom is from Canon and is a huge upgrade to the S5 IS model. The new Canon SX10 IS not only bumps up the megapixels from 6 to 10 but also the longtime 12x zoom to a phenomenal 20x making it the current super-zoom king as of this writing. One of my favorite things about the SX10 is the 2.5 inch swivel screen that allows you to flip the screen towards the camera to help protect it when not in use.

If you insist, as I do, on taking your big photo gear like your digital SLR with you, how do you keep it safe but easily accessible? A favorite of mine are Lowepro bags. Their Slingshot and new Fastpack series of backpacks are a great way to take your SLR and quite a bit of support gear (lenses, flash units, and extra batteries/memory). With a single strap that crosses your chest, it’s simple to swing the bag around to the front and access your camera and gear. If you want something even more compact, you can get one of the Digital Holster series from Think Tank. The Digital Holster 20 is just the right size for a semi-pro camera (such as the Canon 50D or the Nikon D90), and the Digital Holster 40 is great for a pro sized camera (such as the Canon 1Ds Mk III or the Nikon D3) or a semi-pro camera with a battery grip attached. They cradle the camera very nicely and even have an expandable bottom to accommodate longer lenses. There is also a really nice flap inside that protects the back of your camera and the screen from the folded up strap and a side pocket to hold an extra battery and memory card. I used the Digital Holster 20 for a whole week traipsing up and down Manhattan and it is now my favorite bag of all time for my camera. My only complaint is that there is not a loop on the side that would allow me to throw a lens case on as well for a second lens, though I did pretty well with my 18-200mm ‘walk-about’ lens.

Speaking of ‘walk-about’ lenses, if you happen to have a non-full frame Canon or Nikon Digital SLR, Tamron has just developed the first zoom lens with a 15x zoom range. The Tamron 18-270mm Lens has their proprietary Vibration Compensation mechanism that works to minimize lens shake. The huge range and very good image stabilization system make it an ideal single lens solution for any trip. It is not currently out as of the time of this writing but should be available by the time you read this.

If you have been waiting for the perfect time to pick up an iPod Touch, or better yet, an iPhone, just before your trip is a great time to pick one up. With the new update to the Version 2 software for the both the Touch and iPhone, you now have access to a whole slew of new applications that can make your travel a lot easier. The original software and equipment were already great for a trip to browse the internet and check email but with the addition of some really great travel oriented applications, some of them free, your Touch or iPhone can turn into a tour guide right in your pocket.

Why bother trying to carry around a big folded up map and trying to figure out where you are when you can just call up a city guide on the screen? Better yet, the iPhone can use its GPS functionality to point out exactly where you are on that map and how to get to hundreds if not thousands of points of interest. Another advantage of the Touch/iPhone is that while you are waiting in line for whatever tourist attraction or bored out of your skull looking at yet another piece of artwork in some museum, you can watch a movie or TV show. Or you can do what I do and throw on a really rockin’ album and make your own little soundtrack for the museum (Metallica and Monet or maybe some Def Leppard and Degas).

These are just a couple of bits of advice for the tech-savvy traveler. Next month, will be my holiday gear guide where I will have some more in-depth reviews of some of the items mentioned in this column, as well as a bunch of others to make your inner geek squeal like a little girl at a Jonas Brothers concert.

As always, if you have a questions or have any requests for gear you would like to see reviewed, please write to me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com. Have a great Thanksgiving!

16 Important Health Tips for Olympics Travelers to China

By Jeffrey Band, MD, FACP, FIDSA

Less than two months remain before the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is estimated that up to 2.5 million visitors are expected to attend the August 8 – 24 games. The following health and safety tips to ensure safe travels are offered by Dr. Jeffrey Band, medical director of the InterHealth Travel Medicine Program at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

1. Travelers should make certain they have had a recent medical and dental exam, especially if pre-existing conditions exist. A copy of one’s medical profile listing medical conditions, allergies, medications and special needs should be carried at all times.

2. Bring an adequate supply of all prescriptions (carefully labeled) and other medications. Pack medications in carryon bags only.

3. Take an extra pair of prescription eye glasses or lens prescription, hearing-aid batteries and other important personal items.

4. Make certain vaccinations are up-to-date.

• A tetanus-diphtheria booster is recommended for everyone every 10 yrs.

• A polio booster may be needed unless previously vaccinated.

• Measles is quite active in China. All travelers should be immune to measles, mumps and rubella. If not, a vaccine called MMR will be needed.

• If you have not had chickenpox, vaccination should be provided.

5. Travelers to China should best receive protection against both hepatitis A and typhoid (infections that besides being passed person-to-person, can be foodborne).

6. Travelers should not drink the tap water or use ice. All water for drinking, brushing teeth, and making ice cubes should be bottled water or purified by boiling first. Milk and dairy products should not be considered safe. All meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables must be cooked well and served hot. Fruits with intact skin should be peeled by you. Salads and cold buffets should best be avoided.

7. Intestinal upsets: travelers to China may experience diarrhea. Take antidiarrheal medications with you on the trip. If one develops mild diarrhea, take Pepto-Bismol tablets as directed. If diarrhea continues but is not associated with vomiting, severe cramps or high fevers (> 101º F), add the antidiarrheal medication Imodium to the Pepto-Bismol. If diarrhea persists for more than 8 to 12 hours, a prescription antibiotic may be warranted. This should be discussed with the travel medicine specialist and filled before traveling. If illness persists or if high fevers are present, seek medical advice (the United States Embassy can be contacted for assistance).

8. Precautions against insects: mosquitoes and other insects can transmit a number of diseases. To protect against insect bites, especially when in the desert or in rural areas, use a repellent containing 28 – 35% diethyltoluamide (DEET). Also, consider wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants at dusk or at other times insects are more likely to be prevalent.

9. Sunburn protection: use a sun block to provide maximum protection. Wear a hat in hot, sunny areas.

10. Footwear: wear appropriate footwear at all times to prevent both injuries and infection.

11. Jet lag can be largely prevented by resting before travel, avoiding heavy meals en route, limiting alcohol while flying and by selective use of sleep medications.

12. Don’t forget to take antibacterial hand wipes or alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol with you.

13. If you are extending your travels to rural areas, medication to prevent malaria may be needed. Discuss this with your travel medicine physician.

14. Bird flu (avian influenza) is a viral infection that usually affects birds but rarely people. People catch bird flu from touching sick or dead birds, and rarely by visiting “wet” markets where recently killed birds are on display. Only three cases have occurred in China in 2008. If visiting a “wet” market stay approximately 6 – 12 feet from the birds themselves. Wash your hands after the visit and do not consume undercooked poultry.

15. Air pollution can worsen breathing problems. If you have asthma, allergies or lung problems, discuss this with your primary care provider and travel medicine physician.

16. Be careful. Don’t drink and drive, wear seatbelts at all times and stay alert in crowds. Avoid political protests and rallies. These recommendations are only intended as general guidelines. They should not be regarded as a substitute for consultation with a travel medicine specialist.

China is a vibrant and beautiful country with wonderful sites to visit and friendly people. The 2008 Olympics will be exciting… let the games begin!

Dr. Jeffrey Band is the director of the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine, and Corporate Epidemiologists at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Postcard: Costa Rica

Costa Rica. When you think of the place, perhaps you think of lush rain forests, or acres of coffee plantations. Maybe you think about pristine beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, but what you should really think about are… iguanas. Costa Rica has A LOT of iguanas, and I don’t mean a lot in that you can spot one every now and then, but Costa Rica has iguanas the way New York has pigeons, and they perform about the same function.

I say all this slightly in jest, but now after two visits to Costa Rica, I can certainly say that when I think of Costa Rica, I think of a place teeming with both animal and plant life. Perhaps that is why the slogan for Costa Rica is “Pura Vida” which directly translates to “pure life”; but means more literally “full of life” and that defines Costa Rica exactly.

Costa Rica is a relatively small country but is packed with more living things per square foot than probably any other place on the planet (with perhaps the exception of the Amazon rain forest). You can find everything from white-faced monkeys, to iguanas, to anteaters, to howler monkeys, to two-toed sloths, three-toed sloths, and the dreaded five-toed sloth that can be primarily found poolside consuming vast quantities of fruity drinks with little umbrellas in them.

All of this animal life is framed against a backdrop of flora that boggles the mind with its huge palette of colors. Photographers in other parts of the world have to do special tricks or use special film to really saturate the colors in their photos but in Costa Rica, the colors are already set on high. I think I could hear my camera whimper when I tried to take a picture of an impossibly purple flower. It knew there was no way it could come close to capturing the intensity of color that was being thrown at it.

Now Costa Rica may not be the perfect vacation spot for a lot of travelers. If your idea of a great vacation is fantastic shopping, a bouncing nightlife, or having dinner and seeing a show, you are going to be disappointed in Costa Rica. Now, if you want to roam around what could be considered the largest free-roaming zoo/botanical garden, or do outdoor adventure things like whitewater rafting and zip-line tours through the rain forest canopy, or even just lie out by the pool and watch the monkeys swing past, this place is definitely for you.

One thing to remember, for all its beauty, Costa Rica is a third-world country. While you might not need to bring a plug adaptor to charge up your iPod, you will have to make adjustments to get by. If you plan on driving in Costa Rica, be prepared for some of the worst roads you have ever seen (they make Michigan’s roads look pristine by comparison), especially if you plan on going to some of the really exotic tourist spots. Some of the “roads” are more like trails, and you will need a 4×4 to get by and even then you might get in trouble.

While at the car rental store, a couple was relating a story to their travel companion about their last trip to Costa Rica on how while trying to cross a river in their 4x4s, they got swept away and had to bail out and swim for shore! They laughed and said their lawyer is still fighting the rental company to see who is going to pay for the two lost Land Rovers.

If this does not sound like your idea of fun, you can take a puddle-jumper plane to one of the numerous small airstrips (read: flat patch of jungle that has been cleared and a possibly air conditioned shack as a terminal) that are by the major resort areas. Being a former Air Force officer myself, I’m not known for being scared of flying but I was glad my wife and I had chosen the rental car option over the puddle-jumper after we saw them at the airport in San Jose. The best quote I heard from someone who had just taken the plane was, “I wish he had kept his hands on the steering wheel a little more.”

Still, everyone made it to the resort just fine (we were there for a wedding) and some of the passengers even said it was kind of enjoyable because you get such a great aerial tour of the area. The biggest drawback to these planes is the severe weight restriction on luggage which is typically 25 pounds. My camera gear weighs almost that much, so I wouldn’t have had a lot of room for anything else. Granted, if your plane is not full they will allow a bit more, but you never know about that until you are ready to get on the plane.

Also, while the people of Costa Rica are incredibly nice and well educated (Costa Rica boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world), most are still not as well off as the tourists that come to their country. This was highlighted by the half hour briefing by the rental car manager on all the security features on the car to include a deadbolt for the gear shift and how to best keep it from being broken in to and/or stolen.

Costa Rica really has developed its economy to take care of American tourists. Their money is pegged to ours so even if the dollar drops, you won’t get stung with outrageous prices for things like in Europe. Many Costa Ricans are well versed in English, though not as much as the travel guides would lead you to believe, so it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on your Spanish before you go. You don’t have to worry about drinking the water at the resorts because it is as good as you get here at home, and the food in many of the restaurants is second to none and quite reasonably priced.

Costa Rica is a beautiful country that deserves your consideration if you are looking into an exotic vacation destination. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’m going to let some of the photos I took in Costa Rica speak for me and perhaps entice you into grabbing a little “Pura Vida” yourself.

Fitness: A Little R&R

Do you ever wonder why kids often seem much more relaxed than adults (although that depends on who you ask)? Is it because they don’t have all the same worries as adults, like: working 40+ hours per week, paying bills, taking care of families, etc? That may be part of it, but kids have their own stressors, and it is all relative. I feel it is partially because kids take time for R & R (some more than others), including regularly scheduled vacations like Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer vacation. All too often, we get so lost in the rat race we don’t take time for ourselves to recuperate physically and mentally until our bodies and brains are so screwed up we are useless to everyone around us. Those of us who know better often struggle with taking necessary time off for ourselves.

This was the case for me recently. My wife and I had not had a real vacation (meaning just the two of us without kids, not work related, and for a decent length of time) since our honeymoon eight years ago. Between being busy with work, having two kids (ages 5 and 3), the stress of owning two homes (not by choice) and hence two mortgages like many Michiganders, battling illness throughout the household, and all the other things life throws at you – we were both suffering burnout.

Luckily, a work incentive offered us the opportunity we likely would not have taken otherwise – a seven day cruise in the Western Carribbean! We boarded the Costa Mediterranea in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday and set out to ports which included: Key West, Grand Cayman, Roatan, and Cozumel. Now, let me tell you, having had no prior experience with cruising, I thought the trip was fantastic and a generally great way to recharge the engines. Our cruise offered a perfect balance of opportunities to relax, along with many activities. Generally, when I go on vacation I am too A.D.D. to sit around. On this trip, however, my body let me know I needed some of that. So I took advantage of sleeping in every day until 7 or 8:00! (Anyone who is or was a parent of young children can appreciate my excitement, everyone else will either learn one day or appreciate that 8:00 is not sleeping in to them). We also did a little bit of laying around by the pool and beach.

The majority of the trip included activities like: swimming with stingrays and dolphins, snorkeling along the coral reef, zip-lining through the jungle, shopping – of course (I was with my wife after all), and working out (Costa actually has a decent facility, even though there were no kettlebells). And, as with all cruises that I have heard about, there is the food! This was something I was looking forward to, as I appreciate good food, and am fortunate enough to be able to eat most things that I want without worry – which means I eat a lot anyways, so the idea of nonstop cruise buffets was very appealing. As I said before, we had nothing to compare it to, which was probably good because while the food was good to us, it did not seem to be a strong suit of Costa cruises compared to others – and that’s all I have to say about that.

We returned home to the craziness one week later, and although life has not slowed down (which is probably a good thing), we definitely had improved energy, focus, and mental clarity to deal with everything.

So the point is, paying attention to your fitness is great, but one of the best things you can do for yourself is take time for yourself. Whether it’s a cruise, camping, staying at a Holiday Inn in Toledo, or any other vacation – do yourself a favor and make time regularly to get away with the people who are important to you, so you can stay on track when you are home.

On a side note, if you want to try something fun, try running on a treadmill on a cruise ship during rough seas, you will feel terrific!

For more information about Costa cruises, visit their website at: www.costacruise.com, or email Bob at: bob@functional-strength-training.com

Travel: Busch Gardens Africa

Two years ago, Busch Gardens Africa introduced the world to a one-of-a-kind experience: 200 feet up, 90 degrees straight down. And that was just the beginning.

This summer the adventure park reintroduced SheiKra to the world with a new twist: “floorless” cars that allow riders an unobstructed view and a whole new level of adrenaline rush.

When SheiKra originally opened, it signaled a new era in American roller coasters. As the nation’s first dive coaster and only the third in the world, SheiKra raised the bar with the first-of-a-kind elements like a true 90-degree drop, an Immelmann loop and a second vertical dive into an underground tunnel. Now, technology has raised that bar even higher, introducing SheiKra’s fans to an even greater thrill.

Mechanically, SheiKra’s track remains unchanged, with its legendary combination of drops, inversions and a water feature finale. Psychologically, though, the effect of floorless cars is intense: SheiKra’s cars continue to seat eight passengers across, three rows deep, but riders are no longer able to brace themselves against the floor of the car for Florida’s No. 1 thrill ride. With the front rail gone, passengers in the first row, especially, will be completely exposed as they come over the crest of SheiKra’s signature 200-foot, 90-degree plunge.

During the conversion process the coaster’s existing seats and shoulder harnesses were fitted into new chassis that support only the chairs above and the wheels below. Between each row of seats is nothing but open air.

The bulk of the changes occurred at the loading platform, where retractable floors and handrails have been installed. As each floorless car comes into the station, floor panels raise into position, filling the gaps between the rows so that passengers may board. A pivotal handrail swings into place in front of the car to assist those boarding the first row.

SheiKra is the tallest roller coaster in Florida, and the first of its kind to incorporate an Immelmann loop, a second, 138-foot dive into an underground tunnel and a water-feature finale. SheiKra offers three minutes of over-the-edge excitement on more than half a mile of steel track and serves as the centerpiece of Busch Gardens’ Stanleyville area.

SheiKra Fact Sheet

• Floorless dive coaster

• First dive coaster to include an Immelmann loop (a rolling loop named for a German fighter pilot)

• Tallest roller coaster in Florida with a height of 200 feet

• 360 degree climbing carousel

• 200 foot dive

• 3,188 feet (more than a 1/2 mile of track)

• Top speed: 70 mph

• Three minute ride

• G-Force = 4g

Great Northern Michigan Vacations

It’s a rite of passage for many. Friday afternoon, load up the kids and the car and work your way over to I-75 north and begin the crawl to your destination in Northern Michigan. Although the thought of creeping along in your car with thousands of other people with the same itinerary may seem daunting, the reward is worth the trip.

In particular, if you head to someplace like Crystal Mountain, Garland Resort or Grand Traverse, you will experience some of the greatest resort living that Michigan, or any state, has to offer.

Whether you enjoy golfing, fishing, water skiing, boating or just relaxing with a good book, there is something for you at each of theses resorts.

Garland Resort, located in Lewiston, Michigan, is a slice of heaven lost in the woods of mid-Michigan. With four challenging golf courses, miles of trails, a pool, indoor Jacuzzi and spa services, you can custom-design the vacation of your choice.

There are a variety of living quarters for you to choose. The main lodge offers elegant spacious rooms conveniently located near the pro shop, gym, lap pool, sauna and Jacuzzi and restaurant.

If you are seeking more privacy, choose one of the many types of villas that are scattered throughout the grounds. From one and two bedroom villas whose log cabin design give you a true feeling of rustic adventures, to the golf cottages and condos complete with kitchens and multiple sleeping areas, Garland can accommodate just about any size family.

The four championship golf courses include: Swampfire, The Fountains, Monarch and the Reflections. Each with its own identity and challenges, the multiple tee boxes can change the dynamics of the course depending upon your skill level.

If golf is not your game, you can hike or mountain bike the numerous nature trails, try your hand at fishing in the nearby lakes, ponds or river, or take a leisurely canoe/tube ride along the Ausable River. Whatever your pleasure, you can experience it in Garland.

If you like to be closer to some mainstream action, yet enjoy the resort living, head to Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City. With over $12 million in upgrades over the last four years, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa may not be the same resort you visited years ago, although it still offers some of the greatest resort experiences of anywhere in Michigan.

According to J. Mike DeAgostino, public relations manager, they have upgraded the lobby, guest rooms, spa, and renovated the 16th floor restaurant formerly known as Trillium (scheduled to re-open June 1 under a new name).

“The rooms have been updated, redone from floor to ceiling,” says DeAgostino. “There’s new furniture, new bedding with pillow top mattresses that are quite nice, and we did that in the tower and the hotel. We are in the process of working with the private condo owners to update those as well. We want to upgrade the guest experience as much as we can.”

With three championship golf courses; the Wolverine, The Bear, and Spruce Run designed by Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and William Newcomb respectively, you can expect challenging, picturesque courses accentuating Northwest Michigan’s beautiful terrain.

However, there is plenty of activities when the golf day is finished. With a newly remodeled spa offering everything from pedicures and manicures to couples and dining massages, you can unwind at the end of the day and enjoy the finer things of vacationing.

During the day, you can enjoy the Shores Beach Club located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Whether you relax on the beach, soaking in the sun, or venture out on to the waters in one of the many available watercraft, the Shores Beach Club can enhance your Grand Traverse experience.

“There are tons of things to do in the summertime,” says DeAgostino. “Friday and Saturday nights we have a bonfire at the Shores Beach Club with a guitar player and s’mores; we have a great tennis program and kids’ programs.”

If shopping is more to your liking, you can enjoy the shopping at the resort’s Gallery of Shops, or venture out into Traverse City at the many local, novelty shops. With so much to do including nearby casinos such as Turtle Creek or the Leelanau Sands in Leelanau County, the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa can truly add to your up-north vacation experience.

Finally, Crystal Mountain Golf and Ski Resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Located in Thompsonville, Michigan on the northwest side of the state, Crystal Mountain has been the perfect getaway for couples, friends and families alike.

As part of their anniversary, they are offering $50 in savings for guests staying three nights (lodging only); or two nights for the golf packages. The $50 can be applied to a anything at the resort including your lodging, golf, pro shop, activities or food, says Brian Lawson, public relations manager.

If you are looking for a family adventure, Crystal Mountain may be the place for you. They have 36 holes of outstanding golf, including the Mountain Ridge course which is the home to the Michigan Women’s Open each July. If you are looking to improve your game, or start your kids off on the right foot, Crystal Mountain offers 90 golf schools including junior programs.

For those hot days, a one acre water park called The Park at Water’s Edge is an outdoor water playground that is sure to entertain your kids. You can also enjoy a 4,200 square-foot pool, complete with a playground structure that splashes, dumps and sprays water all around the kids. The park is surrounded by the cottage accommodations, some of the popular family accommodations on the grounds.

This year, Crystal Mountain is also introducing a nursery program for children ages three and under. This half-day or full-day program allows for parents to enjoy some of the adult amenities but still enjoy other activities with their family. Parents can have the peace of mind that their children are well-taken care of while they enjoy the golf, spa or other activities along the mountain.

For teens, a new scavenger hunt on the mountain is being introduced along with dances, trips to a nearby drive-in movie theater and inner tube trips down the Platt River.

For the active, healthy, adventurous type, “Geocaching” – an adventure where participants utilize GPS units and locate different coordinates on the mountain – is new to Crystal Mountain. “We cater to people who are looking to be particularly healthy while vacationing,” says Lawson. “We offer pilates, yoga classes, and mountain climbs along with healthy meals in our two restaurants.”

It’s not too late to plan your getaway to northern Michigan. Be sure to check out the websites of each of the resorts to see what adventure you would like to take on this summer. Whichever your choice, you can’t go wrong in the summertime in Michigan.

Travel: Disney Makes it Easy

Traveling with a young child can be very hectic. However, if you are planning a trip to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World®, here are some things to consider that will make traveling with, or without, kids easier.

After many years traveling to Walt Disney World as a child, and later as an adult, it finally came time for me to start a new tradition with my daughter. So, this past October we took our first trip to the Magic Kingdom with our 21-month old daughter.

Now, I am the first one to admit that taking a young child to Disney is never easy. However, the opportunity to meet up with old friends, their children and visit Orlando in the fall was very appealing.

The first decision we made was to stay at a WDW resort. Since my daughter still takes her midday nap, it was important to be able to have easy access to our room from the parks. With Disney’s transportation, we could easily visit a park, go back to the hotel, nap, and head back to the park in the afternoon.

As I did further research on Disney’s website, I discovered Disney’s “Magic Your Way Package.” What a great find this turned out to be. This simple package made our trip the easiest, most fulfilling trip we have had to Disney!

Let me explain. We began by selecting the resort for our stay. In this case, we chose Coronado Springs due to the wonderful pool, scenery, restaurants and price. Next, we were able to select our airfare to Orlando and find the times that were most convenient for us.

We decided to choose the Park Hopper passes which allowed us to visit to multiple parks within the same day. It also allows you to come and go from the same park as many times as you want in a given day. This was nice because it made it much more convenient for the aforementioned nap times. It also allowed us to visit Magic Kingdom during the day and Epcot at night for dinner.

The best part about this package is the transportation and baggage assistance to and from the airport. When staying at a Disney resort, you can ride the Magical Express buses from the airport to the hotel. Disney personnel will pick up your luggage at baggage claim for you and deliver it to your room. Thus, no need to wait for your luggage once you get off the plane!

Other items included in the package were a free family photo within the park, and vouchers for a meal and souvenir key chain from Planet Hollywood.

When the vacation is over, Disney even makes it easy for you to depart. Depending on your airline, you can check your luggage and get your boarding passes right at your Disney resort. This allows you to simply board the Magical Express bus, go to the airport and right to your gate. No checking in yourself, or your luggage. Be sure to check the Disney website for which airlines offer this service.

There are other additions you can make to your package. You can add the water parks to your park hopper pass, the Disney meal plan, character dinners, etc. Make sure you make reservations very early for special events such as character dinners because they do fill up quickly. You can make most reservations 180 days in advance.

So, the next time you consider visiting WDW, consider one of these packages. They will generally save you time, money and a headache!

Travel: Majestic Maui – Part 2

The continuation of last month’s TRAVEL column…

Winter is the best time to see the humpback whales that come here every year. They stay from December through April to give birth to their calves in the shallow water between Maui and the islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i. The sight of these majestic animals breaching out of the ocean and slapping the water with their fins and tails is incredibly awesome.

Whale watching is only part of the wonders of the ocean that you can see in Maui. Snorkeling and SCUBA are both fabulous here. With so many spots and so many tour companies to take you, it is impossible to name them all.

I will name one though – the Pacific Whale Foundation snorkeling tour to Molokini Crater. The men and women of the Pacific Whale Foundation are very professional and really care about the environment and protecting sea-life. These people are real oceanographers and marine biologists who know what they are doing and can teach you some things along the way.

The Molokini Crater tour is great because it is a mostly submerged volcano crater that has become a haven for all kinds of exotic fish, sea turtles and coral which makes for a fabulous snorkeling experience. If you would prefer to see Maui’s diverse ocean life without getting wet, you owe it to yourself to go to the Maui Ocean Center near the harbor in Ma’alaea, it may be small compared to some aquariums on the mainland but it packs a lot in there. One hint for the snorkeling tours is to book a morning tour. It may be more expensive but you will have much calmer waters and better sights.

If you prefer to ride the waves instead of swimming below them, Maui won’t disappoint in that area either. Known as the windsurfing capital of the world, you will be hard pressed to find a better location to throw down a board and a sail.

Maui is an island made up of two volcano cones forming a valley in between. This makes for a prime windsurfing spot since it makes the relatively constant trade winds speed up as they are funneled through the valley.

The north side of Maui is practically dirty with windsurfers after 11 a.m. every day (before 11 is reserved for surfers). Speaking of surfing, Maui has its fair share of fine places to surf as well. Though not as famous as O’ahu’s North Shore, Maui sports a wide range of areas suitable for beginners (Lahaina) and deranged surfers looking to tackle monster waves (all along Maui’s North Shore).

If you are not a seaworthy person and get seasick easily, Maui has just as many ways to entertain you on land as it does on the sea.

Golf is a favorite here and some of the courses around Makena and Wailea will put to shame many of the courses back on the mainland. The Makena South course, as well as Wailea’s Gold or Emerald courses, make for some fabulous golf with even more fabulous views.

One tip though, you should try to get an early tee time since later in the day the winds can really pick up and wreak havoc with your scorecard.

Hiking is also an incredibly rewarding experience in Maui. I won’t even bother naming all the hikes you can take because I would like to finish this article before I have to board the plane to go home. Suffice-it-to-say, even jaunts of just a few miles off main roads can reveal sights of wondrous beauty.

A review of Maui would be incomplete without mentioning the Road to Hana. Okay, I mentioned it, now I can go on. No, really, people all have different opinions of the Road to Hana. Some people feel that it’s not a trip to Maui without driving the Road. Some did it once and learned their lesson, and the rest heard enough from others to not even bother.

You can count me in the second group. Don’t get me wrong, the Road is 34 miles of some of the most fabulous scenery you could ever want to see on an island. Some even say it is like driving through Eden. You are literally surrounded by greenery and waterfalls (if they are turned on, more on that in a bit) for much of the way. You are also traveling on some of the most winding two lane roads with one lane bridges you will ever find. You will be extremely glad for power steering after you are done with this drive!

One of the most spectacular things about the drive are the dozens of waterfalls you can see along the way, though how many, and in what condition, can vary greatly. The falls are typically more pronounced in the winter because it is the rainy season. However, even then they can be just a trickle. This is because the East Maui Irrigation company actually has the ability to divert water from the falls to the sugarcane fields on the other side of the volcano (which they did on my drive). While the drive can still be spectacular when there are no waterfalls, it does change the equation as to whether it’s worth the trouble.

One point to note is that some of the more spectacular waterfalls are not visible from the road and require you to park and hike to them. Good luck. Most of the parking stops have enough room for five or six cars, but about 1,500 to 2,000 cars drive to Hana every day. This heavily congested drive can make it truly difficult to enjoy all the views.

While Hana itself might not be much to see when you get there, I suppose everyone should probably drive the Road to Hana for the phenomenal scenery and to say they did it.

The final activity I’m going to cover is the sunrise over Haleakala tour. Haleakala is the youngest, and largest, of the two volcanoes on Maui rising 10,000 feet above the sea. From the top you see incredible views of several other islands as well as all of Maui. It is THE place to catch a sunrise or sunset and is high enough to give you a pristine stargazing environment. It is also the home to several observatories. It is a bit of a drive, and due to the elevation, it can be very cold up there – especially at sunrise or sunset.

Many companies offer the sunrise tours and will pick you up at your hotel at about 3 a.m., (yes, I did say 3 a.m.), or you meet them at their store about that time. They will drive you to the top of the volcano to view the 6 a.m. sunrise.

After a breakfast and watching the sun rise, they put you on a mountain bike, give you a helmet and lead you down the volcano. You descend from 10,000 feet to sea-level all on bike. While a relatively easy ride physically, since you let gravity do most of the work, it can still be a dangerous ride because you are sharing the winding road with cars traveling both directions.

The reward all of this is the awe-inspiring sunrise and fantastic views all the way down. (Hint: schedule this adventure early in your trip since your body will still be on Eastern Standard Time and you will most likely wake up around that time anyway).

I could go on and on about Maui – where to stay and where to eat (Maui Tacos!) – but I will leave that up to you and your own tastes. There are a wide variety of nice places to stay that aren’t any more expensive than places on the mainland. Your biggest expense is going to be the airfare from Michigan which is generally high.

Everyone says it is so much more expensive to eat in Hawaii, but I haven’t found that to be true. At most of the chain restaurants, the price is about the same as home. What is more expensive are groceries (though you can still save money if you stay in a condo and buy breakfast and lunch items), and gasoline. Other than that, Maui can be darn-right cheap. Especially, if you are going to spend most of your time lying by the pool or on the beach – and those are both free!

I hope this has given you a little glimpse of what Maui has to offer. If you have any questions about Maui or would like us to do a review of somewhere else (I really need an excuse to go to Europe), please feel free to email me at: jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.

Until next time, Aloha!

Destination: Maui

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a.  If you are asking yourself, ‘What did he just write?’  This article is for you.  If you said to yourself, ‘Why did he just name Hawai’i’s state fish?’  Then you are probably already familiar with that corner of paradise that is the 50th state, and can continue to read the rest of the magazine.

This article isn’t so much about the state of Hawai’i as it is about one island, Maui.  Arguably the crown jewel of the island chain, its beaches have been named the best in the world and its beauty is rivaled by only a few other spots on the planet (mostly on the other islands in the chain).

As I’m writing this, I’m looking out across the beautiful golden beaches of Ka’anapali and watching the sun sparkle over the azure waters stretching between Maui and the island of Lana’i (man, sometimes this job really stinks).  Sitting here, you can’t help but let the worries of home and work slip away.  The roar of the surf, the laughter of children playing in the ocean, the faint sounds of music in the air and the incredibly crisp, fragrant air about you, wash away all the cares in the world. That is, other than wondering when you are going to get your next pina colada.  I’m a frequent visitor to the islands and actually lived on the island of O’ahu for several years courtesy of Uncle Sam.  I don’t think I could ever get tired of this place, though I sure would like to give it a try.

OK, enough rubbing it in that I’m here and you are freezing back there in Michigan, what exactly is the point of this article?  It is to give you a little glimpse of what the island of Maui has to offer you, and give you more than one excuse to pack your bags and catch the next flight out.

The Hawaiian Islands each have a character of their own.  The Big Island is full of lava fields and coffee and is still rough with the new growth that is being added to it every day.  O’ahu is much older and is much softer and far more lush, though it is also the most populated and has all hotels and nightlife to show for it.  Kaua’i is the oldest of the bigger islands and is by far the most verdant with greenery and has so few people as to make it actually seem very sleepy and some may say, boring (as if paradise can ever really be boring).

Maui is the best of both worlds.  You get the stark beauty of an island that not too long ago in the geologic past was an active volcano, and you get the soft sand beaches and vibrant green forests that the surf, wind, and rain have left in their wake.  Also, with less population than O’ahu and significantly more than Kaua’i, you get a pleasant in between with not too many people but enough to provide you with many of the amenities of the mainland.  If O’ahu is like Troy, and Kaua’i is like the U.P., then Maui is like Traverse City.

So what is there to do in Maui other than lie on the beach, play in the surf, and drink fruity drinks with umbrellas in them?  OK, that may be enough for most people but for those of us who like a little more active of a vacation, Maui has a ton of things to do.  Winter is the best time to see the humpback whales that come here every year and stay from December through about April to give birth to their calves in the shallow water between Maui and the islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i.  The sight of these majestic animals breaching out of the ocean and slapping the water with their fins and tails is incredibly awesome.

Whale watching is only part of the wonders of the ocean that you can see in Maui.  Snorkeling and SCUBA are both fabulous here with so many spots and so many different tour companies to take you, that it is impossible to name them all.  I will name one though, and that would be the Pacific Whale Foundation snorkeling tour to Molokini Crater.  First off, the men and women of the Pacific Whale Foundation are very professional and really care about the ocean and protecting sea-life.  They aren’t some fly-by-night company with a boat and a reasonably sober captain just parking their boat where everyone else does.  These people are real oceanographers and marine biologists who know what they are doing and can teach you some things along the way.  The Molokini Crater tour is great because it is a mostly submerged volcano crater that has become a haven for all kinds of exotic fish, sea turtles and coral which makes for a fabulous snorkeling experience.  If you would prefer to see Maui’s diverse ocean life without getting wet, you owe it to yourself to go to the Maui Ocean Center near the harbor in Ma’alaea, it may be small compared to some aquariums on the mainland but it packs a lot in there.  One hint for the snorkeling tours though is to go for the morning tours, they may be more expensive but you will get much calmer waters and better sights.

If you prefer to ride the waves instead of swimming below them, Maui won’t disappoint in that area either.  Known as the windsurfing capital of the world, you will be hard pressed to find a better location to throw down a board and a sail.  The fact that Maui is an island made up of two volcano cones with a valley in between makes for a prime windsurfing spot since it makes the relatively constant trade winds speed up as they are funneled through the valley.  The north side of Maui is practically dirty with windsurfers after 11 AM every day (before 11 is reserved for surfers).  Speaking of surfing, Maui has its fair share of fine places to surf as well.  Though not as famous as O’ahu’s North Shore, Maui sports a wide range of areas suitable for beginners (Lahaina) and deranged surfers looking to tackle monster waves (all along Maui’s North Shore).

What is that you asked?  You get seasick easily and were wondering if there is anything you can do on land?  Maui has just as many ways to entertain you on land as it does on the sea.  Golf is a favorite here and some of the courses around Makena and Wailea will put to shame many of the courses back on the mainland.  The Makena South course as well as Wailea’s Gold or Emerald courses make for some fabulous golf with even more fabulous views.  One tip though, you should try to get an early tee time since later in the day the winds can really pick up and wreak havoc with your scorecard.  Hiking is also an incredibly rewarding experience in Maui and I won’t even bother naming all the hikes you can take because I would like to finish this article before I have to board the plane to go home.  Suffice it to say that even jaunts of just a few miles off main roads can reveal sights of wondrous beauty.

No review of Maui would be complete without mentioning the Road to Hana.  OK, I mentioned it now I can go on.  No, really, people all have different opinions of the Road to Hell, ahem, I mean Hana.  Some people just think that it’s not a trip to Maui without driving the Road, some did it once and learned their lesson, and the rest heard enough from others to not even bother.  You can count me in the second group.  Don’t get me wrong, the Road is 34 miles of some of the most fabulous scenery you could ever want to see on an island.  Some even say it is like driving through Eden.  You are literally surrounded by greenery and waterfalls (if they are turned on, more on that in a bit) for much of the way.  You are also traveling on some of the most winding two lane road with one lane bridges you will ever find.  You will be extremely glad for power steering after you are done with this drive!  One of the most spectacular things about the drive are the dozens of waterfalls you can see along the way, though how many and in what condition can vary greatly.  The falls are typically more pronounced in the winter since it is the rainy season but sometimes they can be just a trickle since the East Maui Irrigation company actually has the ability to divert water from the falls to the sugarcane fields in the valley on the other side of the volcano (which they did on my drive).  While the drive can still be spectacular when they do this, it does change the equation a bit for some people on whether it’s worth the trouble.  Also, some of the most spectacular waterfalls are a ways off the road and you have to park and hike to them.  Good luck with that because most of the stops have enough room for maybe five or six cars but about 1,500 to 2,000 cars do the drive to Hana every day.  Only a fraction of those people will bother to actually hike to the falls, most will just stop because they see other cars stop and will slow everyone else down behind them.  That is what I hated the most out of the drive.  It is already a demanding drive as it is, but if the road ahead of you is free of cars, you can at least glance around an catch some of the sites, but if you end up following a bunch of cars, you are going to spend your time looking at the rear end of the guy in front of you.  While Hana might not be much to see when you get there, I suppose everyone should probably try the Road to Hana for no other reason than to say they did it but also for the possibility of seeing some truly phenomenal scenery.  Just hope the sugarcane has gotten enough water already.

The final activity I’m going to cover is the sunrise over Haleakala tour.  Haleakala is the youngest and largest of the two volcanoes on Maui and rises to about 10,000 feet above the sea.  From up top you get incredible views of several other islands (including the Big Island) as well as all of Maui.  It is THE place to catch a sunrise or sunset and is high enough to get above a lot of the turbulent atmosphere and give you a pristine stargazing environment (hence the observatories up there).  It is a bit of a drive and it can be very cold up there, especially to catch those sunrises and sunsets (you don’t often pack a parka when going to Maui, but you could use it up there at night).  Many companies offer the sunrise tours and will either pick you up at your hotel at about 3 AM, yes I did say 3 AM, or you meet them at their store about that time and they drive you to the top of the volcano so that you can be up there a little bit before the sunrise at about 6 AM.  After breakfast up there watching the sun come up, they put you on a mountain bike, give you a helmet and then lead you down the volcano.  You go from 10,000 feet to sea-level all on bike, though some tours drive you down to about 6,500 feet which is just outside of the national park and you ride down from there.  While a relatively easy ride physically since you let gravity do most of the work, it can still be a dangerous ride since you are sharing the road with cars coming up and down, and the road is just as winding as you would expect (the road can also get rather obscured as you are coming down through thick clouds).  You are rewarded for putting up with all this by not only an awe-inspiring sunrise, but by fantastic views all the way down.  Your hint here is to set this up for very early in your stay since your body will still be on Eastern Time and you will most likely wake up around that time anyway.

I could go on and on about Maui and where to stay and where to eat (Maui Tacos!), but I will leave that up to you and your own tastes.  There are a wide variety of nice places to stay that aren’t any more expensive than places on the mainland, your biggest cost is going to be the airfare which is almost always pretty high from Michigan.  Everyone always says how it is so much more expensive to eat in Hawai’i but I haven’t found that to be true.  At most of the chain restaurants, the price is about the same as home.  What is more expensive are groceries (though you can still save money if you stay in a condo and buy breakfast and lunch items), and gasoline.  Other than that Maui can be darn-right cheap since mostly you are going to be lying by the pool or on the beach and those are both free.

I hope this has given you a little glimpse of what you can do and look forward to on a trip to Maui.  If you have any questions about Maui or would like us to do a review of somewhere else (I really need an excuse to go to Europe), please feel free to email me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.   Until next time, Aloha!