Today's Las Vegas NewsWe are testing out a new service to provide up-to the minute Las Vegas news from a variety of sources. Please give it a try a let us know what you think! Click here for Today's Current News. Phoenix, AZ (September 2003) We are heading back out to Phoenix to catch our beloved Green Bay Packers play on September 21st. This trip to Phoenix we will be staying at the brand new JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort located in North Scottsdale/Phoenix. Flights courtesy of Northwest Airlines FF miles. We will again include a ton of pics and full review upon our return. Go Packers!
Kansas City, MO (July 2003) We have included some pics from a recent business trip to the Kansas City area. Using priceline.com for the first time a few years we were able to wrangle a excellent $139/night room in the fashionable Country Club Plaza area for only $85/night (could have been lower according to some other users, perhaps as low as $45/night). Enjoy the pics.
Phoenix, AZ (May 2003)From the greatest resort in America, The Marriott
Camelback Inn (Scottsdale, AZ). The incredible gardens are worth the
price of the room alone. Featuring several hundred "Casitas" tucked into the
side of Mummy Mountain, this resort is a throw-back to a time when every
resort was unique and service is what mattered. A very short 5-minute drive
to the shops in Scottsdale and only 20 minutes from Downtown or the Airport.
During high-season these rooms go in the mid-$300 range, in the shoulder and
summer season look for some real deals starting around $99/night.
Great Getaways for less at Marriott.com
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Chicago, IL (March 2003) Spent 3 nights in Chicago in mid-march
attending a trade
show on behalf of my company at McCormick Place. As in past years we again
stayed at the
Sutton Place Hotel (Rush
& Bellevue) near the the fashionable Gold Coast. The hotel is
ideally position between the nightlife of Division Street and the shopping
on Oak Street /Michigan Avenue. Being St. Patrick's weekend the
crowds were
enormous and the alcohol consumption in rare form. We managed to hit some of
our favorite hotspots including
Melvin B's Truck Stop,
which was hosting numerous NYC police and
firefighters in town for the St.
Patty's Day parade. With the exception of one dinner at "Tavern
on Rush" (the seafood appetizer was excellent) we ate primarily at fast
food establishments. Back to the hotel, The Sutton Place is awesome,
world-class service and attention to details makes it one of our favorite
hotels in the US! Cruisin' The Caribbean (November 2002) We created a separate page exclusively for our trip report from our recent sailing about the Norwegian Sea. Click here to view our Cruise Report!
Philadelphia, PA (October 2002) Spent 26 hours in Philadelphia to attend the bi-annual convention for one of my customers. The weather upon landing was less than inviting, heavy rain and temps in the 50's and to top it off I picked up a nasty cold from a flight earlier in the week to Kansas City. Stayed at the Philadelphia landmark, The Park Hyatt at Bellevue. This is highly rated property is located just a few blocks from City Hall in the theatre district, the hotel itself is located between the 12-17th floors with some very confusing signage pointing to the hotel check-in. Quite frankly the amenities did not justify the high acclaim, the room itself was among the smallest I've stayed in anywhere. The weekend rate was $149.00/night, among the cheapest available near the Convention Center. The Convention Center is a quick 6-7 block walk, attached to an old train station the main exhibit hall are just like any other facility I've attended. One of the gems in Philadelphia I did discover was the terrific Reading Terminal Market, located on the corner of 12th & Arch this fully enclosed market features a cornucopia of vendors selling everything from fresh fish to Amish pretzels. A great place to pick-up a quick snack or even lunch. Ok, how about the tourist attractions?? After an extended nap back in the room I decided to venture out a check out the Liberty Bell and Constitution Hall. Well in this day and age of terrorist attacks and threats they have got that Liberty Bell buttoned down, with no access except on the official park tours given during normal business hours. The Park Rangers probably thought I was nuts when I showed up at 9pm in the middle of a downpour wanting to see the bell. I did see Constitution Hall and Betsy Ross's house but only from behind the fence they installed in front of both. Disappointing. Back at the airport, the widely spread-out airport features lots of great rocking chairs in secluded areas where you can watch planes arrive and depart or get a little work done on you laptop. Security was unbelievable with on check-point so crowded with TSA employees the passengers were pushing to get through, can't wait till the bill comes for all of them. Taxi charge to Downtown Hotels: $20.00/flat + tip (10-15
minutes) New York, NY (September 2002) Had the opportunity to work a trade show for a few days in NYC, how could I pass that up? This show was actually a rescheduled event from September 12th of last year so my what is NYC like a year later? Never being in New York all the questions were running through my head, What airport should I fly too? (LaGuardia), How do I get from the Airport to Manhattan? (I'll explain below), How much cash should I bring? (just enough to buy quick stuff on the street). My company stayed at Le Parker Meridian located between the theatre district and Central Park. I must say an excellent hotel in the perfect location. We booked our rooms through Hotel Reservations Network for a very reasonable $189/night (normal rate is $350/night). The hotel (located on W. 57th Street & 7th Avenue) is next door to Carnegie Hall, 5 blocks from the Ed Sullivan Theatre, 6 blocks from Rockefeller Center (Home of Studio 1A and the Today Show) and an easy 15 block walk to Times Square. The hotel featured a swimming and observation area offering great views of the Hudson River and sweeping views of Central Park. My first night in New York I enjoyed dinner with some of the other sales reps from around the country that work for our company, We finally settled on a great Italian place called Patsy's, you walk in this place you expect to see Tony Soprano sitting at one of the tables. Tony wasn't there but Bill Walsh of NFL coaching fame and Al Pacino was slipping out the side entrance. Excellent Choice! After a long second day on the show floor we stopped at a great corner eatery called Rue 57, located at 57th & 6th. The strange combination of Sushi and French Cuisine seemed a little on so I kept with the drinks only while my guests sampled some of the wide variety of Sushi and some of the best French Fries this side of France! I decided to head out solo for my last night in New York and do some exploring, this evening featured a live concert by Bon Jovi in Times Square to kick off the 2002 NFL Season. The event was broadcast on large monitors and speakers all the way up 7th Avenue from Times Square to W 57th Street! Only in New York. Dinner the last evening consisted of a New York classic Ray's Original Pizza on 7th Avenue, Less than fashionable surroundings but great pizza, and a $1.80 a slice one of New York's best deals! The final morning before my early afternoon departure I got up at 0600 for the 6 block walk to Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center, the home to the Today Show on NBC. Sure enough in the opening shot there's Craig waving for the camera with the Ice Rink in the background! This was a busy day with 5 U.S. Senators appearing on the show security was very tight! Didn't have long to watch the show and off to take down the booth back at the Javits Center and make to the airport in a timely fashion. About the transportation issues, my inbound I opted for the blue "Super Shuttle" for $15, sure it dropped you right at your hotel door, but it also did the same for the 11 others riding with you. the total trip took about 1hr. 45min. that should have taken 40 min. While in town, I walked alot, but when going back and forth to the convention I took a cab with an average fare of $8.00. Quite a deal in my mind, the cabs were very clean, the drivers were not overly aggressive were however all named Mohammed. I also opted for a cab back to LaGuardia for my flight home, the return cab only took about 30 minutes and cost $30 including toll and tip. Here is my rule about transportation, if you have a group of 5 or more you may want to look at a limo, I got some quotes for $120 for my LGA to Manhattan trip for a 10 passenger stretch. I plan in returning next spring with Vegas Cindy. I have included some pictures for my trip here: NY2002
Port Clyde, ME (June 2002) Back from an extended weekend on the Maine coast and home to people we hold near and dear to our hearts, my grandparents. Living in the city (but still in Wisconsin) all my life puts me a little out of character living the rugged lifestyle of lobsterman's family. Located about 1-1/2 hours north of Portland, ME (PWM) and about 18 miles off of Hwy. 1 on Hwy. 131 you will find a quaint little town of about 300 called Port Clyde. The first thing you see upon entering town is dinky little hotdog stand called Upie's (Cindy never let me stop). The town itself features a great General Store, a few gift shops, a quaint ice cream store, a very small but nice hotel, the world famous Marshall Point Lighthouse, the docks for the Monhegan Boat Line and a couple I adore with 60+ years of stories! A couple of addition attractions you shouldn't miss include: Monhegan Island - Located about 10 miles into the Atlantic truly transports you to another world! Maine State Prison Gift Shop - Feature some of the nicest, most reasonably priced furniture and gifts. Thoughts on Mexico (April 2002)Recently returned from a three-night weekender to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Being the first time "Out Of The Country", Numerous things caught my attention.
Random Thoughts about Business Travel (March 2002)Just back from a couple of weeks of travel to various cities in the upper Midwest. Thought I would share some views on business travel.
Please comment on any of the above by dropping us an e-mail! Craig
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I have special
negotiated rates available through the end of 2003, these are at a
substantial savings compared to their normal rates.
