Category: Travel experiences

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Destination – One Day in Little Rock

Little Rock, Arkansas is an often overlooked option for a stop between Memphis and Dallas. I decided to call in on exactly this route and check out this pretty little city.

My day started with brunch at The Corner Diner in the Downtown area. There was a long line of customers waiting to get in, but I was assured it would be worth it.

It certainly was. My Hot Chicken Waffle was tasty and the service was excellent.

After brunch I decided a little exercise was called for, so I walked a roughly 5-mile stretch of the Trail of Tears, a network of trails spanning more than 5,000 miles across 9 states.

The trail took me along the Arkansas River, past the Main Street and North Broadway bridges and several pretty picnic areas.

After my 5-mile stroll I decided to catch the historic tram back to town to pick up my car and head onwards towards Dallas.

Little Rock is a pleasant little city and I definitely think it is worth either a day trip from Memphis, or a stop along the route to Dallas.

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Destination Guide – Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a stunning city in which to spend a few days.

I spent three full days in Memphis and could very happily have stayed much longer.

I started my tour on the iconic Beale Street. With its lively bars and soulful restaurants juxtaposed against historical stores, Beale Street truly has something for everyone.

From Beale Street it is only a short distance to the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

The distance from Beale Street is a very easy walk, but I chose to ride the Main Street Trolley, operated with historical trams plying the routes between many of the top sights of Memphis. This is a very economical option at $1 per ride or $2 for a day pass.

The tram also passes by the iconic Peabody Hotel with its famous duck pond.

To round off a day in Memphis, I can recommend two alternatives.

One option is a cruise on the Mississippi River with live music and a simple, but tasty and unlimited barbecue.

If, however, you really want to sample an authentic Tennessee barbecue, The Commissary in Germantown is well worth the half hour drive.

I have to say that Memphis is an extremely interesting and thoroughly enjoyable option for a city break and was one of my favourite cities of my 7,000 mile road trip.

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Destination Guide – One Day in Detroit

Detroit, Michigan is a city with a turbulent history and not one which many tourists would think to consider.

This however is a shame, because I visited a good friend there in October and found a vibrant and fun city, teeming with old world charm.

The autumn weather was still pleasant enough for a stroll along the Riverwalk, where our day started.

As a natural segue, we joined a lunch cruise on the Detroit Princess with live music and views of both Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

The $59 ticket price included live music, a very good buffet lunch, coffee and nearly 3 hours on the water. I considered this to be excellent value.

After the cruise, we headed over to the historic Eastern Market for a drink at a couple of the German style beer halls.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my day in Detroit and having a local person to show me around proved invaluable, as the city holds many hidden gems.

I can definitely recommend exploring this underrated city if you find yourself in Michigan.

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Destination Guide – One day in Chicago

Chicago is a very popular choice for travellers looking for a USA city break.

I started my 10-week USA road trip there in October and took a day out to enjoy the city.

As my friend and I only had one day to explore the city, we chose to take the Big Bus tour in order to see as many of the main sites as possible in a short time.

At $45 per person this is an expensive option, but for a one-day visit to the city we considered it worth the price for the convenience and time saving.

We started our tour at Millennium Park, with its famous art and architecture.

This last photo of “The Bean” sculpture was taken by my good friend Stefan later in the year.

Nearby is the beginning of the famous Route 66, running all the way through to Santa Monica, California.

Although I was not planning to drive any of Route 66 on this particular trip, it was nice to see the starting point.

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Following this, we moved on to Navy Pier for a pleasant stroll and some views of the city skyline.

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For a slightly different perspective on the city, we took a 90 minute river cruise through the central Riverwalk area of the city.

Rounding off our day in Chicago, we headed for the 360 Chicago observation deck on the 94th floor of the John Hancock building.

As the name suggests, the deck provides a 360° view of the city. I recommend visiting at sunset for the best views.

Obviously there is much more to this city than can be experienced in a single day, but I feel that we had a good experience of what the city has to offer.

Chicago is definitely a very good choice for a USA city break.

If you can suggest any improvements to this one-day itinerary, please visit our USA forum and let us know.

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Flight review – LOT Business Class, Warsaw – Chicago

Finally it was time to get into the long-haul phase of my travels, starting with a 7,000 mile US road trip.

But first, there was the small matter of crossing the Atlantic.

I managed to pick up a reasonable deal with LOT Polish Airlines, coming in at a little over €1,600 (£1,400) for the Business Class round trip from Stockholm to Chicago.

After my short connection from Stockholm it was time for the transatlantic leg.

Business Class seats on LOT’s 787-9 are in a 2-2-2 configuration. As a single traveller, I chose 4D in the centre pair, to avoid the climbover factor in the window pairs.

As my seatmate had already settled in by the time I boarded, I snapped a quick photo of the inoperative 3C-D pair in the next row, which are identical.

Shortly after take-off, the meal service began with a choice of drink and a small amuse-bouche, while meal choices were requested.

I chose the onion soup, which was tasty and came with a side salad.

For the main course I chose the pork neck, which was nicely presented, tender and tasty.

The meal was rounded off with a selection of fruit and cheese, followed by a well presented latte macchiato and a couple of sweet, but delicious cherry vodkas.

After lunch, the effects of my early start began to show (or maybe it was the cherry vodka) and I settled down for a short nap.

LOT’s Business Class seats recline to a fully flat position and a “short nap” turned into four solid hours of undisturbed sleep.

Shortly before arrival in Chicago, a second meal was served, this time all on one tray rather than course by course.

The pasta dish was accompanied by salmon and meat appetisers and fresh fruit.

Overall, this was a pleasant flight and certainly felt shorter than the 10 hour block time.

LOT’s Business Class is a solid product and offers a civilised way to cross the Atlantic.

At the price I paid, I would definitely not hesitate to book it again.

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LOT Embraer 195

Flight review – LOT Business Class, Stockholm – Warsaw

After my summer tour of Scandinavia, it was time to head off on my long-haul winter travels.

But first, there was the short connection to Warsaw in LOT Polish Airlines’ Business Class.

LOT Embraer 195

LOT uses the SAS Norrsken Lounge in Stockholm. However, as this was an early morning flight and I had already had breakfast at my hotel, I decided to skip this in favour of a quick transit through the airport.

Boarding was swift and efficient and I soon found myself settled in.

Business Class on this Embraer 195 was economy seating in a 2-2 configuration, with one of each pair kept free. I found this comfortable enough for the short flight.

LOT shorthaul business class seating

Although this flight was only 90 minutes, there was time for a pretty well varied breakfast selection.

LOT Short haul business class breakfast

On approach to Warsaw, we circled over a blanket of very low and heavy cloud for around 15 minutes.

View out of plane window

Fortunately we were able to land in Warsaw on time and in plenty of time for the next leg of my winter season, which sees me heading to Chicago and a 7,000 mile US roadtrip.

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Flight review – Nordic Seaplanes, Copenhagen – Aarhus

Whilst in Copenhagen, I was presented with an interesting opportunity to try out a new style of flying – a 45-minute flight with Nordic Seaplanes to Aarhus, one of the oldest cities in Denmark.

At a one-way price of around €95, this seemed too good to turn down.

Unfortunately I was advised 24 hours in advance, that my planned 8:45 departure was cancelled and offered a seat on the afternoon flight.

As this was only a day trip, I opted to take the following day’s morning departure instead and I was quickly rebooked.

The flight departs from the company’s city terminal, a short distance from the iconic Little Mermaid statue.

The experience started with check-in 20 minutes before departure and a coffee in the small, but comfortable, lounge a very short distance from the boarding area.

The cabin is laid out in a 1-2 configuration and on boarding I was pleased to be assigned to one of the single window seats towards the rear.

Flying by seaplane certainly gives a different perspective from flying by jetliner and it was nice to experience the take-off over the city of Copenhagen.

The landing in Aarhus, with a steep nose-down angle was even more exhilarating.

The arrival was at the small terminal a short taxi ride from the centre of Aarhus.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and time efficient way to travel and involved none of the usual annoyances of air travel, such as time consuming check-in procedures, long security queues and extra travelling to and from airports.

My flight from Copenhagen to Aarhus was an enjoyable and trouble free way to travel and I would definitely use this service again.

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Destination guide – Gothenburg, Sweden

Sweden’s second city of Gothenburg is often overlooked in favour of the country’s capital of Stockholm.

In my view, this is a shame because Gothenburg is a very pleasant place to spend a relaxed city break.

I started my visit with a one-hour sightseeing cruise.

Gothenburg has a rich nautical history and a cruise along the Göta Älv river showcases the city’s past and present.

I followed that up with a visit to the Horticultural Society Gardens and a pleasant riverside stroll.

Gothenburg is a very easy city to navigate. I do not recommend renting a car, as parking is very expensive and the public transport is efficient and economical.

I chose simply to walk nearly everywhere, as the city is very compact and has some very scenic walking paths.

In conclusion, Gothenburg is a relaxing and picturesque option for a short city break, or to combine with a visit to Stockholm or Copenhagen.

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Destination guide – Copenhagen, Denmark

The Danish capital of Copenhagen has always been my favourite of the Nordic capitals and once Denmark lifted all covid related restrictions, I decided it was time to explore this beautiful city again.

I found a city which is just as efficient, welcoming and down to earth as it has always been, as if the great covid panic had never happened.

I started by revisiting the iconic sights of the city, such as the Little Mermaid statue and the surrounding gardens.

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Following on from this, I strolled around the vibrant Nyhavn district, with it’s vibrant and colourful bars and cafés.

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This is the perfect place to stop for lunch, a couple of cold beers or just a sneaky lunchtime Irish coffee.

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Copenhagen is a wonderfully verdant city, with many beautifully kept parks and gardens to stroll around and simply relax.

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As the weather during my visit was perfect, with several days in the high 20s, I couldn’t resist a visit to the beaches around the Amager Strand Park, a very short metro ride from the city centre or airport.

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GETTING AROUND

Like all major Nordic cities, Copenhagen is not designed for drivers. Considering the difficulty and expense of parking, I recommend ditching the car and using the economical and superbly efficient public transport network.

Single tickets are 24DKK (€3.20), while passes range from 80DKK (€11) for 24 hours to 300DKK (€40) for 5 days.

The Metro system is fast and convenient, with driverless trains running every few minutes.

One of the more pleasant ways to get around the city centre is to use the yellow water buses. These are included in the transport passes and offer a picturesque perspective on the city.

Copenhagen is a city I can highly recommend for a short city break, or even an extended visit. I was there for 15 days and found more than enough to occupy my time.

It is also a destination you can visit without worrying about any covid restrictions. Denmark had a brief wobble during the panpanic and introduced comparatively light entry requirements and domestic restrictions, but that is now a distant memory and every aspect of the experience is 2019 normal.

Hotel review – Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret, Oslo

As part of my two month Scandinavia tour, I spent 5 nights at the Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret in Central Oslo.

I had known what to expect from the Clarion Collection chain from my previous visit to one of their properties in Tromsø.

However, I was still impressed with this property.

My Nordic Choice Unlimited Nights package included a room in the “moderate” category, the most basic of several categories.

I was given a small, but well fitted out room.

The deal included buffet breakfasts with a good variety, as well as a single choice main course for dinner.

There was also a small afternoon tea offered each afternoon, as well as a reasonably varied if expensive selection of beers.

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The hotel is also equipped with a nice guest lounge, which is open all day and offers indoor and outdoor seating.

The best thing about this hotel was the location, less than 10 minutes’ walk from Oslo Cetral Station and with a tram stop right outside the door.

However, although I had a public transport pass for the 5 days of my stay, the hotel was central enough to walk to the vast majority of attractions.

Overall, this property was stunning value at around €51 per night with my two month pass.

Normal rates range between around €175 and €250, which for a very central location in a blisteringly expensive city, with meals provided, is not bad for a reasonable level of comfort.

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