Some of our favorites from the article:
"Thomas Jefferson is a do-over. At first, sculptor Gutzon Borglum put Thomas Jefferson on George Washington's right. But after 18 months of carving, Borglum changed plans, dynamited Jefferson off the mountain and put him in on Washington's left."
Poor Jefferson. Being dynamited off a mountain is not something we'd wish on anyone, especially a celebrated president.
And of course we are wondering about the significance of good ol' George's nose?
"George Washington's nose is longer than the others by about a foot. His measures 21 feet, top to bottom. The others measure about 20."
There are some pretty amazing fireworks here in the US during the fourth, so we thought it might be fun, as a homage to the holiday, to come up with a list of the best fireworks displays in the country.
Of course we have to start with Boston given that that is where the Gator was born. Boston’s amazing Fourth of July fireworks show is launched from a barge on the Charles River. It takes pyrotechnicians (now there is a cool job) two weeks just to set up the thousands and thousands of mortars that are launched in under 30 minutes. Even more amazing, each explosion is set to music played live by the Boston Pops.
The river is a sea of boats and the shorelines on both sides of the river are usually packaged with hundreds of thousands of spectators. Definitely take the subway (the Boston T) to the party that starts mid evening and don’t expect to get home anytime soon after it ends as the T stations fill to the brims. Boston is definitely a great place to spend the fourth!
Of course we’d be remiss to leave the fireworks display in Washington, DC off our list of the best Fourth of July celebrations out there. The capital has one of the shorter shows in the country but it still puts on one of the best. The display is right on the National Mall and frames the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Of course, the show is launched way up on the sky to make sure it clears the Washington Monument’s 555 foot peak.
The Macy’s 4th of July fireworks show entertains nearly three million people every year. The show is set off from four barges on the East River and contains more than twenty thousand shells. It is the largest display on the 4th and second largest in the US all year long. Plus you get to spend the holiday in New York City. Now who can turn that down?
Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful lakes in the country and provides an amazing backdrop to a pretty amazing fireworks display on the fourth of July. The lake acts like a mirror so you get to see everything twice! The show is shot from barges offshore and consists of around 5,000 shells and effects. It isn’t the biggest display in the country but you cannot beat the location.
The show in Philadelphia is sponsored by Sunoco and is the culmination of a week-long celebration. The fireworks display is located over the Museum of Art on the Ben Franklin Parkway and is preceded by a free outdoor concert.
Columbus sets their show on the Scioto River in downtown and the show, traditionally called Red, White and Boom, is seen by more than half a million people. It is the largest fireworks show in the Midwest. The downtown riverfront is the best place to watch the 30 minute show.
The fireworks show in Atlantic City is sponsored by the casino hotls Borgata and Harrah’s and they typically throw everything they’ve got at the production. The display is nearly thirty minutes long and is best viewed right between the two hotels.
Sea World, San Antonio, TX
Once again a lake serves as the backdrop for a pretty amazing fireworks show on the 4th of July. The display at Sea World is full of ground effects and few of the shells explode any higher than 25 feet off the water. So we’re guessing things are pretty intense. Sounds like fun!
Mt. Rushmore National Memorial
The Fourth of July show at Mt. Rushmore is one of the more unique displays in the country. The shells are launched from 500 feet up the mountain and explode over the heads of the presidents. The most amazing thing is that there is now way up except for on ropes, one shell at a time. It is pretty impressive for a display that consists of thousands of explosions.
Now this is one we want to see.
For a city where it rains most of the year, you wouldn’t expect that Seattle would chance a fireworks show but it is actually one of the best shows in the country. Every year over fifty thousand people gather at Lake Union for the annual fireworks display. The show is twenty minutes long and launches over 2,300 shells. Plus you get to hang in Seattle for the weekend which is one of our favorite cities here at the Gator…even when it rains.
Disney World, Orlando, Florida
The Disney show is short – only thirteen minutes long – but is launched from twenty-four different locations in the park including the clock tower of Cinderella's Castle.
The cool thing about this show is that after it is over, you still get to try the amusement rides!
Granted the TV's have gotten flatter and you are more likely to be on WiFi than dial-up these days (we hope anyway), but things are essentially the same as they were 20 years ago. The heating/cooling system is still flaky - roasting you in the summer and freezing you in the winter. The shower is too hot or too cold and takes way to long to get to whatever temperature you require. And the fitness center has two broken machines and a bunch of weight machines from when Arnie was Mr. Universe.
So it is fun to dream about what could be if we really put our minds to it. The Vancouver Sun recently profiled some hotel improvements of the future.
"Also in the tea leaves, according to experts at Asia's largest hotel and food service trade show this month, are digital door-viewers (think over-sized peepholes with LCD screens), disc-less Wii gaming systems, art that adjusts to your mood, closets that generate their own "green" energy when the door is opened, and six-way charging pods for all your gadgets -- including the cellphone you'll need to communicate."
So here is the TravelGator list of enhancements to hotel rooms we'd like to see:
1. Alarm clocks that are easy to set and have battery backup. No more missed early morning calls.
2. Showers with digital temperature gauges so that you never freeze yourself out
3. TV's with ports for iPhones so you can play downloaded movies and avoid the crummy, overpriced movies on the hotel system (unlikely but we can dream)
4. Cable TV with integrated TV-Guides. We have them at home so why can't we get them in a hotel room? Flipping through channels to find something to watch is so 1990
5. Remote check-in that allows you to check in from your phone or the web and emails you before you arrive with your room number. That way you can go right to your room when you arrive. Opening the door would be an interesting challenge but we're sure that some integration between your cell phone and the door is possible. Maybe SMS the room when you are standing in front of the door and it opens.
6. More plugs. There are never enough plugs in rooms these days. In fact, integrated USB chargers would be great. No hauling around power adapters.
7. Fewer mirrors with gold edging. Come on people, it isn't a 70s bachelor pad, it is a hotel room
8. A custom website accessible via the WiFi network that details the features of the hotel but is also a Wiki about the surrounding area including attractions, restaurants and so on. Sort of a digital concierge that you can browse when you have an evening free and don't quite know what to do with it.
9 . A fitness center with working TVs and working equipment.
10. Free WiFi that works in every room. It shouldn't cost $14.95 to browse the web anymore. Just work it into the room rate.
No holographic projection rooms (although that would be cool as well). Just fix the stuff that annoys the crap out of us and add some cool stuff to keep it interesting.
If you've ever wondered what it takes to put in all those fancy first class seats, United produced a cool time-lapse video of their maintenance team doing it.
"Hotel minibars catering for a discerning type of guest are becoming more inventive with luxurious items such as Champagne cocktails and designer clothing found alongside the drinks and snacks."
Some of our favorites from their journey include ( click through to the article for the entire list):
The W in the Maldives has added a very appropriate item to its mini-bar (at least in our opinion). A bikini by luxury label Heidi Klein. Now we're pretty sure that our female friends would remember to pack a bikini when heading to the Maldives but this limited addition version with "silver hammered-chrome detailing" would likely top anything in the luggage. There is even a "Bikini Butler" on hand to measure guests for the correct size. Now we want that job!
The Trump International Hotel in Chicago (we were just there…should have checked it out) stocks its mini-bar with designer waters including “Australian Tasmanian Rain”. I’m not sure that is a selling feature but hey, maybe the water in Tasmania is better.
The Gansevoort South in Miami has taken the expensive out of luxury and is providing guests recession friendly Dean & Deluca treats (yumm!) and less expensive bottles of Grey Goose, Bacardi and Bombay Sapphire in case you cannot find a liquor store in Miami (hint, look a bit harder).
In our backyard, the XV Boston provides Sprayology for its guests, which is apparently is an all natural sleep enhancer. Might be worth a shot next time we’re jet-lagged.
Can't bear to leave your pet at home while on vacation? The Loews Hotel in Denver has mini-bars with gourmet dog biscuits. Plus they have specials on the room service menu just for your dog!
Finally, the Banyan Tree Ringha in China (situated at 10,500 feet above sea level) will set you up with oxygen canisters…without leaving your room. Sounds a bit like Everest Base Camp but with 300 count sheets.
So we read with glee a story on the ABC News site about the launch of Pet Airways.
"Nobody flies in cargo on Pet Airways -- it's first class all the way for Fluffy and Buddy in the cabin of the airline's Beechcraft 1900. The plane normally seats 19 humans, but there are no seats for pets, just straps to hold animal carriers (supplied by the airline). The plane holds about 50 average-sized animals, two pilots and one pet attendant. Mind you, the pet need not be "average-sized." Back in April, the Pet Airways people told me how thrilled they were to get their first reservation for a Great Dane."
Apparently you drop your pet off at their "Paws Lounge" and they take it from there. Right now they fly from and to New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles but if this works we would expect more cities soon. The fares they were quoting were actually pretty decent - under $200 for the ones we looked at. I wonder if they take humans?
While the cities of Florence, Rome and Venice of course always call to us, sometimes to really get away you need to get out of the city and enjoy the countryside. On the hills of Asolo, only an hour from Venice, stands the Hotel Villa Cipriani and it is well worth a stay.
The hotel is centered in a private garden of pomegranate trees and fragrant flowers and you will quickly notice the amazing views that inspired the Italian painter Giorgione. Perhaps the best way to see the countryside is to snag a bicycle and go for a ride in the nearby hills. Or if shopping is more your thing, check out the monthly antique market for that rare find. Specialty boutiques and local shops are just a short walk from the hotel. Finish the day on the veranda enjoying the evening views and inhaling the fresh Asolo countryside air.
Hotel Villa Cipriani was named to the Travel + Leisure 2006 World's Best Awards, their Top 100 and Top 50 Europe lists, and to Condé Nast Traveler's 2005 Gold List. It is definitely worth the trip and right now you might even snag a deal through Starwood!
Now perhaps the best way to enjoy Louisville is to float down the river on one of the famous paddle boats, enjoy some music and great Kentucky food.
