Posts Tagged ‘Travel’
Thursday, July 9th, 2015
San Miguel de Allende is known for its Spanish colonial architecture, great food, pleasant summer climate, and incredible vistas. So, when do you plan to book your trip there? Photo Credit: Jiuguang Wang (https://goo.gl/bDa73z)
By Dennis Powell, e-Management
July 4th has come and gone. While many people limit their days off to Independence Day week, August, and perhaps Labor Day, the e-Management Travel Team knows that July is a great month to travel; so we got together and created our vacation recommendations for summer travelers. Check them out!
Try the San Juan Islands in Washington State. Located approximately 100 miles north of Seattle, the scenic islands are popular in July. Surrounded by pristine blue ocean and made up of spectacularly lush green terrain, summer temperatures on the islands are in the comfortable 70-degree range. The islands are also known for their small towns and villages, vineyards, and fine cuisine prepared from local food sources. Nature and marine life enthusiasts may find orca whale watching fascinating. Known for its annual Tour de Lopez (on Lopez Island), the area is great for cycling. The San Juan Islands may be one of the country’s best kept summer secrets.
Explore La Fête Nationale in France. For those who fancy international travel destinations, France in July is a wonderful option. Americans who enjoy Independence Day celebrations on July 4th should certainly check out how the French party and celebrate their Bastille Day (officially La Fête Nationale). The July 14th holiday commemorates the start of the French Revolution. Events are nationwide, but visitors may want to visit Paris for the Military Parade on the Champs-Élysées. Visitors will love the annual concert on the Champs-de-Mars. As with any big celebration, there are major fireworks lighting the sky around the Eiffel Tower. Traveling on a budget? The has a page for finding deals in France.
Visit the Heart of Mexico. Time magazine picked July as a great month to visit San Miguel de Allende located in the heart of the Mexico and we agree. Named after General Ignacio Allende (a prominent leader in Mexico’s quest for independence from Spain), the town is rich in history and charm. For those who love architecture, the town is known for its well-preserved Spanish colonial buildings and edifices. San Miguel offers low humidity and comfortable temperatures during the day and cool nights. Foodies will love a sundry of rooftop restaurants that provide stunning views of the town. July also offers lower lodging costs for budget-conscious travelers. *** Great food, low prices, and amazing views…what are you waiting for, call your travel agent today. J ***
Discover Maui. Ranked at the top of the U.S. News & World Report Best Summer Vacations list, Maui is a great destination for those looking for a happy medium between upbeat nightlife and complete tranquility. First of all, the island has over 30 miles of celebrated beaches. Travelers who enjoy a good game of golf may be interested to know that the island has some of the best courses in the world. Nature lovers may want to take a day trip to Haleakala National Park, the perfect destination for hiking, camping, and viewing stunning sunsets and sunrises. For nightlife and a fine dining, check out Kihei and Lahaina. Each is known for singalong bars, dance clubs, and sports pubs. Visitors can relax in the tiered Pools of Oheo, which are filled by waterfalls.
Enjoy San Francisco. Contrary to popular belief, Mark Twain never said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Hopefully, that revelation alone should encourage visitors to consider this picturesque city in the summer. Besides, most people don’t go to San Fran for the weather. They go for the variety of options for fun. What’s so great this town? Everything! You get to ride on vintage-style cable cars that are popular with visitors of all ages and backgrounds! There’s the scenic Golden Gate Bridge, perhaps the most famous overpass in the nation. Other tourist attractions include one of the country’s most infamous prisons Alcatraz, the eclectic Fisherman’s Wharf, and the charming Palace of Fine Arts. Traveling with young ones or teens? Check out the Walt Disney Family Museum. Its Tomorrowland: Walt’s Vision for Today exhibition runs from July 22 through December 7, 2015! San Francisco has a little bit of something for everyone.
The Best of July
That’s our shortlist of places to visit in July. The Travel Channel lists other options like Barbados, Provincetown (Massachusetts), and Pamplona (Spain). Those are certainly on our bucket lists! (1) Do you plan to travel this summer? (2) What are your favorite summer destinations? (3) What other times of the year are great times to travel based on your experiences?
Tags: Bastille Day, Champs-Élysées, Dennis Powell, , Eiffel Tower, foodie, France, Golden Gate Bridge, golf, Hawaii, Maui, Mexico, Ola Sage, San Francisco, San Juan Islands, San Miguel de Allende, summer, Tomorrowland, tourist, Travel
Posted in Dining, Events, Family, Lifestyle, Travel | 24 Comments »
Thursday, May 8th, 2014
Don’t know what to do this summer? How about visiting the historic Dunrobin Castle in Scotland? (Photo Credit: Zubi Travel)
By Dagmar Alayash, e-Management
With summer on the horizon, our thoughts are turning to the sun, warmth, and vacation time. A Trip Advisor’s survey indicates that about 89% of people in the United States are planning a summer trip this year, a 6% increase compared to last year. The harsh winter may have contributed to the increase. While we can’t choose or plan your vacation for you, our blog team is excited to talk about the vacation trends for 2014, with some special events taking place that are predicted to drive and shape some of our vacations.
Travel Destinations for Summer
2014 Top Travel Destinations, in no particular order, we list a few destinations as predicted by several travel sites and USA Today.
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Starting with a local destination… The e-Management blog team lives in the Mid-Atlantic region; so let’s talk Baltimore, MD. Baltimore is heading the country’s 200th anniversary of the national anthem in September with its Star Spangled Spectacular. The event will bring replica 18th and 19th century tall ships, into its Inner Harbor, and one of the largest firework displays ever on the Chesapeake Bay.
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The U.S.A. has more than 58 national parks. So, we recommend one of the gems of American parks–Yosemite National Park in California. The park celebrates 150 years of protected status. Hundreds of events, most of them in the surrounding communities, are planned throughout the year.
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Sports fans have options too. This year’s World Soccer Cup host, Brazil, also makes the list, with the country’s entire infrastructure being upgraded in preparation for the games, including airports, hotels, and tourist services.
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Moving across the globe, the Greek Islands have amazing picturesque beaches, delicious food, and a magical tranquility in the air. With the Greek economy final improving after 6 years of a flailing economy, it’s still a budget-friendly vacation spot.
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The United Kingdom (UK) is a favorite vacation spot for our blog team! So we strongly recommend you take advantage of the host of events going on this summer. Looking at Scotland, it’s calling 2014 the year of Scotland Homecoming with a series of special events, exhibits, and activities planned throughout the country to highlight what makes Scotland unique. Liverpool, England is an eternal attraction for Beatles fans. The city offers museums, historic sites, and a hotel all themed after the Fab Four. After the post-industrial gloom, the city’s revival includes an outpost of the Tate Art gallery. Liverpool’s port also makes a comeback as a major cruise port. Bringing back the Cunard shipping line after an absence of 50 years, Cunard sails its 3 ships into Liverpool port for a rendezvous in February 2015. Also, it’s only a 2 hour train ride from the city of London. See more popular destinations on Foder’s Travel link, including tips on how to find the best travel bargains.
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Back to the U.S.A. Assateague and Chincoteague Islands, though not included on the list of Top Travel Destinations for 2014, they make our list. Located in both Maryland and Virginia, the islands are protected from development and are one of the most visited refuges in the country. With 14,000 acres of beaches, salt marsh, and fresh water marsh, the area offers an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities. An annual attraction on the islands is the Annual Wild Pony Swim with about 150 wild horses making the historic swim across the Assateague Channel. Want to avoid the crowds? Boat excursions can take you close to the islands at other times of the year to see the ponies living in their natural habitat. Check out this website for more details.
What Are Your Summer Plans?
So, in our quest to explore new places, it looks like we are ‘all over the map’ in 2014. Be it close to home or far away, there seems to be no boundaries to our vacation options. We’d love to have you join us and share your own thoughts on vacations in 2014. (1) Do you have any favorite destinations? (2) Do you have any recommended travel tips to add to our list? (3) What places are on your wish list for future trips?
Tags: Assateague, beaches, Brazil, Chincoteague, Dagmar Alayash, , Greece, parks, Scotland, The Star-Spangled Banner, Travel, UK, World Cup, Yosemite National Park
Posted in Dining, Entertainment, Family, Lifestyle, Travel | 15 Comments »
Washington to Paris in 3 Hours – Aviation and the Future of Global Commerce
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
By Bambo Bamgbose, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for e-Management
Concorde 216 flies over Bristol, England. Photo by Adrian Pingstone.
1969. That was an exciting year for space exploration, when the first person walked on the moon. It was also a great year for aviation. Back here on earth, the first flight of the Concorde took place March 2, 1969. You remember the Concorde right? It was the new, sexy supersonic way to cross the Atlantic in about half the time it took a regular jumbo jet.
That was 41 years ago. The question begs, “What’s happened since then?” From 1969 through 2003, the promise of potential advances in commercial aviation was rivaled only by the advent of the personal computer (PC). However, somewhere along the way, the future of commercial aviation seemed to have lost its way while the PC plowed full steam ahead.
How fast was the Concorde?
In 1986, a British Airways Concorde flew around the world—a distance covering 28,238 miles—in just under 30 hours. That same distance by a commercial airliner today would be covered in fewer than 60 hours. To put this in some perspective, the estimated time to fly from Washington, D.C., to Melbourne, Australia using commercial aviation today is approximately 20 hours. Were the Concorde still in service and still operating at its 1986 speeds, you could fly down to catch a tennis match at the Australian Open in about half the time.
How much did it cost?
One significant challenge for travelers seeking a flight on the Concorde was price. For instance, a roundtrip ticket between New York and Paris was $3,900 in 1982. That same ticket had risen to over $8,000 by 2000. However, that is not surprising given the fact that practically no progress was made in aviation during that time period to infuse commercial aviation with the Concorde like capabilities thereby democratizing this way of travel and decreasing the cost curve while expanding the revenue base. By way of contrast, the cost of a PC which, in 1982 cost over $3,000 had fallen into the hundreds of dollars by 2000.
What if the Concorde standard were commonplace?
What might have been—and potentially yet may be possible—were aviation to have kept advancing to make supersonic travel the norm rather than the exception in commercial aviation? What are some of the ways in which that might have transformed global commerce?
For starters, in addition to the Northeast Corridor of the United States, we might also have the Transatlantic, Mediterranean, and Far East Corridors where business travelers could be assured of reaching any Asian capital in 8 hours or fewer, and any European or Mediterranean capital in about half that time. How about express mail? Goodbye overnight mail, hello same day arrival! Imagine the impact on tourism and commerce when you could literally leave Washington, D.C., early in the morning for an afternoon of shopping in Paris and be back in time to catch the 11:00 nightly news?
What do you think?
How do you think our interconnected wired world would look with a supersonic commercial air fleet to complement our high-speed trains and ultra fast Wi-Fi connections? What other innovations could accompany this change in the speed of travel—in business, culture, communications, politics, education, energy, or environment? Test your imagination and weigh in!
Tags: 1969, aviation, Bambo Bamgbose, British Airways, business, CFO, commerce, Concorde, culture, DC, , , Economy, Europe, FAA, global, global economy, high-speed trains, information technology, innovation, IT, Mediterranean, Melbourne, NASA, Paris, pc, personal computer, space travel, tourism, transatlantic, Travel, Washington, Wi-Fi
Posted in Corporate, Economy, Energy, IT Infrastructure, IT Strategy & Management, Lifestyle, Uncategorized | 14 Comments »
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