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The City of the Seven Hills is one of the world’s most walkable cities – although this is perhaps by default rather than a proper value judgment; driving, cycling, and the metro are all equally inconvenient. Nevertheless, Rome is full of winding streets, narrow alleyways, and sun-drenched piazzas and piazettas, and the best way to see them all is on foot. If you’ve got the energy, follow this long walk through the city.
BEGIN: Piazza Venezia. It’s not gorgeous, but it gets the job done. See the famous (or infamous) “typewriter building,” then head left if you’re facing it, down Via Foro Imperiali. Marvel at the ancient Roman ruins dotting the landscape. When you get the Colosseum, turn right – you’ll be passing the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and more on the way to the Circus Maximus at the end of Via di San Gregori. Avoid going on the traffic-stained Viale Aventine and instead round the Circus Maximus – once a racing track – and go up Via del Circo Massimo. Head up to see one of the most beautiful churches in Rome at the top of the Aventinue Hill by taking a left on Via di Valle Murcia – then heading on to Santa Sabina – and head down the hill on Cilvo di Rocca Savella. You should now be near the river. Walk along the riverside area until you get to the charming Isola Tiberina in the midst of the Tiber. According to legend, a place of great healing, the famous hospital Fate Bene Fratelli now stands on these shores. Cross over the island to the other side of the river: Trastevere. Avoid Viale Trastevere, going instead through the winding streets of Trastevere, a still-Medieval working-class area, and make your way to Santa Maria in Trastevere in the piazza of the same name. Here’s a good place to stop for a rest. ›Continue reading The Ideal Roman Walk
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For many New Yorkers with Ukranian, Russian, or Jewish heritage – a large proportion – or even for any New Yorker at all who didn’t come over on the Mayflower – the Lower East Side has a magic all its own. It’s associated with immigration, the “melting pot” ideal, the place where grandma or grandpa lived when first starting out in the country of dreams. Once a place of tenements and memories of the “old country,” though, now much of the Lower East Side – bounded by Houston Street, the Bowery, Canal Street, and the FDR Drive – is new: a place of nightclubs, high-end cafes, boutiques, and other trendy venues, even as the traditional Jewish population of the place still remains selling menorahs and bargain clothing.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO: If history’s your thing, be sure to check out the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where you can see what life was like for immigrants of the early twentieth century. Book ahead, though; the museum’s tours are often sold out. Walk up and down Orchard Street for a glimpse at the trendy side of the Lower East Side today – there you’ll also be able to scout for clothing bargains (Sunday afternoon is the best time for this). Maybe you’ll catch the eye of a designer or two scouting for new ideas. If you’re a seasoned twitterer or technology addict, try the Lower East Side Cell Phone Tour – print a map from talkingstreet.com, follow the directions, and then call in free of charge at each “stop” point for a talk by an NYC native introducing you to the history of the area and site. Don’t forget to visit feminist Bluestoocking Radical Book on Allen Street, a bookstore/cafe that hosts regular readings and other events. ›Continue reading The Lower East Side
It is official and I’m proud to say that AllStays.com went solar a few weeks ago. I waited a little while before making this post so I can say how it is working. It is great. The 5000 watt system has consistently produced over 30 kwh (kilowatt hours) per day since installation in Santa Fe. It has produced at least half that amount even on cloudy and rainy days. In three weeks time, it has produced double the amount of power that the office actually uses. I designed the system so it would over produce in a few summer months and then even out the rest of the year.
 Solar electric at AllStays.com I have had a green hotels feature on this site for years, long before it was trendy, popular or hip. As owner of AllStays, I don’t just talk it up like it’s a gimmick. I have conserved power in every way that I could for many years and this was the next obvious step. I immediately installed solar power onto my AllStays RV as well. I have not used a generator or lacked power while traveling on research since installation in early 2007.
 Solar power on AllStays.com RV Now is a great time to go with solar power. Now is a great time to watch your electric meter run backwards. 2009 introduced some 30% tax credits along with a few great state credits (totalling 40% in New Mexico for example) make it finally worthwhile. In fact, if you calculate the return on producing cleaner power and retail rate of electricity that the electric company may pay you, the investment will do much better than bank interest rates these days. Four times better at the time of my installation. Keep an eye out (and ask your representatives) for new incentives such as zero or low interest loans or deals to put it into your property taxes. Now is the time.
By Adam Longfellow
“Paris’s Chicest Spots for Nightlife, Evening Life, and Seeing and Being Seen”
Paris is an unashamedly, unrelentingly elegant city. The Parisian sense of style – subdued, understated tailored clothing, impeccably arranged scarves, just enough jewelry and makeup to catch the eye without ever appearing self-consciously styled – is a magical art that eludes even the most seasoned of travelers. But learning by watching is the best way to capture what Parisians call “le cool,” and these five spots are the best places in Paris to see exactly what embracing, and becoming, “le cool,” entails.
1) Brasserie Lipp
This Boulevard St. Germain standby was once a hangout for Hemmingway and his crowd. Today, however, despite slightly lackluster food, this zinc-lined Art Deco restaurant still welcomes Paris’s heavy-hitters in all fields, from writers and journalists to politicians and businessmen to Carla Bruni herself. The Versailles-intricacies of this place’s social circle are evident in the behavior of the maitre-d. Look sharp, book ahead, or simply be very famous, and you’ll sit downstairs with the “in-crowd,” where you can turn heads or simple people-watch. Fall short, though, and you’ll be exiled to the upstairs room – or, as the locals call it, “Siberia.” ›Continue reading To See and Be Seen in Paris
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The cool, drizzly Northwestern spring days are flooded with color. Each April since 1984, Skagit Valley has welcomed visitors lured by the lush array of bulbs in bloom. The main attraction is the hundreds of acres of tulips that line roads, fill greenhouses and dance shyly in display gardens. Daffodils and irises are also grown in the valley, but they’ve taken a backseat to their dainty cousins.
Tulips originated in Turkey and Afghanistan and eventually made their way to Holland. In 1906, local gardener Mary Brown Stewart imported a few of the bulbs from Holland; her mail-order business took off with orders from garden clubs in the Northeast. Mrs. Stewart’s small business has flourished into a booming industry: The Washington Bulb Company, Inc. owns the mail order company that underwrites tulip.com, which offers fresh-cut tulips every day of the year. For those interested in the awe-inspiring sight of acres of the bright blooms, head to Skagit Valley any time in April. ›Continue reading Tiptoe through the Tulips in Skagit Valley, WA
A few years ago, before buying my current RV, I was looking and researching 4×4 models. I wanted something that could get me to more of the primitive campgrounds that I love. The options were limited then and are limited now. I wound up with a non-4×4 Sprinter based RV so at least I could get to most forest campgrounds and use normal parking lot spaces.
The most obvious method is putting a camper onto your 4×4 truck. It’s probably the simplest and cheapest option if you already have a truck. This market has room to grow though. They are not real attractive and options are limited for each type of truck out there. I would love to see more custom options, better styling and paint matching for truck and camper.
There are some companies that have built “4×4 motorhomes” over the years but many of them just don’t look like something I would drive off pavement or even over a big curb. Clearance isn’t good with so much of the RV hanging long and low over the end. The best ones I found are outside of the United States and not available for me. There are also some good custom jobs out there but they are one of a kinds. Toyota Motorhomes is an example of what companies and people have done in the past. Some custom jobs are very nice looking. ›Continue reading 4X4 RVs: Wandering Off Road
I’m going to let you in on one of my all-time favorite childhood secrets: Grand Lake, Colorado. Nestled among bluffs and craggy peaks, the small, historic village is about a mile from Rocky Mountain National Park’s western entrance. We love the quaint charm of the town and the laid-back pace. Grand Lake has one of the many clear, glacial streams running through the area. We spent many hours fishing the gurgling river, catching trout, before meandering down to Grand Lake to sunbathe, swim, kayak or canoe. Yes, you can also fish in Colorado’s deepest natural lake, but that was never as fun as the river. And, yes, you do need a license no matter where you throw in a line.
 Photo by donahuem Most of the hotels, cabins and lodges are worth a stay, but we prefer The Rapids condos. The property is located close to downtown and the rates start at $95 per night (there is a nice multi-night discount).
›Continue reading Destination: Grand Lake Colorado
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As the days start to cool off, Big Tex looms over Dallas’s Fair Park, calling out a booming, “Howdy Folks!†as visitors head down the esplanade. That’s right, from late September to mid-October, the State Fair opens its gates to locals, visitors and anyone looking for a good time. Many Dallasites love the event, if for no other reason than to show off their swanky Art Deco fair grounds. I have to admit the buildings are pretty cool.
 Big Tex - photo by steevithak One of the largest fairs in the country, the annual event draws large crowds, many whom can be seen eating a giant turkey leg and watching the Ferris Wheel before strolling down the midway. For the drumstick averse, fair staples like funnel cakes and corndogs abound. Or try the fried s’mores, fried banana split or fried cheesecake. I’m pretty sure the State Fair perfected deep-frying.
Car enthusiasts come for the auto show – the classic cars are a big draw. College football fans head over to the Cotton Bowl for the much-lauded Texas-Oklahoma rivalry game. If you live in Texas or Oklahoma, this is a big deal. Free concerts – this year’s entertainers include En Vogue and Miranda Lambert – and the Pee Wee stampede draw big, sometimes raucous crowds.
›Continue reading Texas State Fair
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Gruene
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After spending summers in the Colorado Rockies, most other mountain ranges seem, well, underwhelming. Last summer, when my family met in the Adirondacks for a week of hiking, biking, kayaking, shopping (try bustling Old Forge) and togetherness, I was awed by the sweeping beauty of this northern range.
 Blue Mountain Lake - Photo by flickr's dwstucke ›Continue reading Blue Mountain Lake in the Adirondacks, NY
Touring the Loire Valley in northern France is a delightful experience. Known as the Garden of France a driving holiday in this region is a succession of charming towns, historic architecture and magnificent châteaux. Never far from the river bank, you often have the whole winding road to yourself. We drove the route in December with the sun roof open and the heater on full blast, and it was a memorable trip interspersed with breakfasts at the boulangerie, coffee, pâtisseries and delicious French cuisine in small auberges or quiet local restaurants. All this and wine too!
›Continue reading French Château Bed and Breakfast
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