HelloIts time for my escape from the dreary gray of Eugenes winters to Australia again this time for 4 months A friend is going to join me for 2 weeks in February ampamp we want to explore New South Wales Weve enjoyed the Blue Mountains ampamp Jenolan Caves ampamp because my daughter ampamp family have emigrated to Australia ampamp are living in Warriewood Ive wandered all over the Northern Beaches area ampamp Karigal ampamp as far north as Hawks Nest ampamp Tea Gardens on the coast Wed like to focus on south ampamp west of Sydney We like walking birding botanical gardens ampamp funky stuff off the beaten track We often stay in the more sedate backpackers accoms guesthouses or the Y More than a couple of days in a big city makes me crazySo should we look at renting a campervan to give us flexibility in poking around Or should we look at the county link busrail pass that can take us most places I love searching out the roadside attractions like the banana at Coffs Harbour ampamp I know there are some in southern NSW Any we should look for Thanks ampnbsp Reply: HiPlease excuse the brevity of this answer but theres rather a lot going on in our lives just nowIn answer to your questions I would definitely hire a camper van or some sort of vehicle anyway to give you the flexibility you will need As for the quirky and kitsch attractions like the Big Banana that you mentioned Well if you like that sort of thing theres still the Big Merino in Goulburn httpwwwbigmerinocomau and the Ettamogah Pub httpenwikipediaorgwikiEttamogahPub near Albury There are others too but youll have to search for them Overall I have the impression that as a nation we are not quite as keen on these monstrosities as we used to be but maybe Im wrongIMHO Jervis Bay is definitely worth a visit for a few days It has pristine white sand beaches and lots of beautiful bush It shouldnt be too crowded in February except at weekendsActually the whole south coast is worth a visit and many Sydney people have moved there to make their visit permanentBest wishes ampnbsp Posted By: Reply: HiYoure an experienced Aussie traveller now so we probably dont have to tell you that February in Sydney is stinking hot and humid So stick to the coast or head into high country for your travels I agree with Michael get a campervan or other vehicle February isnt too busy because school is back after the long summer holidays although right on the coast will still be busy at the weekends Most caravan parks have onsite vans and cabins that offer reasonably priced accommodation if you didnt want to drive a campervanIf you havent been there yet spend a few hours at Mt Annan Botanical Gardens to see the native Australian flora There are usually guided walks but next Februarys dates arent posted yet Have a look at httpwwwrbgsydnswgovau for details Personally if I was going in February Id get there early before the heat really sets in and dont forget your sunhat and waterYou might enjoy the drive to Wollongong stopping for the views at Bulli Pass Another great coastal experience would be to drive to the Sea Cliff Bridge and walk over it Have a look at httpwwwgrandpacificdrivecomau to get a feel for the area The township of Berry is a pretty arts and crafts village and theres plenty of little towns all along the south coast that you might like Id also recommend Kangaroo Valley From the top of the mountain there are terrific views to the coast httpwwwvisitnswcom will give you information If you hug the coast then Mollymook Ulladulla and all the way to Eden have good little spots to stayIf youre thinking of heading inland a bit and havent been to Canberra then its worth a few days but its likely to be over 40 degrees C each day so if you go then plan for a museum or something inside in the middle of the dayThe area around Cooma and Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains would also be good in February as theyre higher and coolerRegards ampnbsp Posted By: Reply: HiDefinitely hire a car the South Coast train line ends at Nowra so you really wouldnt see much of the area if you only travelled by trainComing down the coast from Sydney I would suggest driving through the National Park entry is just south of Sutherland perhaps visiting some of the beaches and the small town of Bundeena There are also lots of walks in the park ranging from bushwalks to walking along the coastal cliffs The drive down the coast from there to Wollongong is quite spectacular in places especially along the Sea Cliff BridgeSouth of Wollongong the towns of Kiama Gerringong and Berry a dairy farming area and Jervis Bay are all worth a visitThe Princes Highway is the main road south but I would suggest you take the minor roads which hug the coastline The highway is single lane in many places and carries a lot of cars and truck so it can be slowgoing and as with most main roads there is not as much to see as on the quieter country roadsAll along the South Coast there are caravan parks with onsite vanscabins and many of these are right on the beach eg Easts Beach at South Kiama a number in the Jervis Bay area Batemans Bay Tathra Merimbula etcLiving in Wollongong Im probably a bit biased about this part of the state but Im sure youd enjoy a visit to this areaRegards ampnbsp Posted By:

Mugging Money

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:56:37 PDT

HiI was scanning through some travel magazines and one suggested carrying a wallet separate from other valuables or in an outside pocket The mugger will usually run aftergetting the moneyHas anyone ever carried extra money just in case youre robbedBestampnbsp Reply: HiI have never been mugged and hope I will never be Or I should say that I have been but by some kids when I was akid that doesnt count though for an adviceMy impression is that in some places in the US and in many places in South and Central America your chances of being mugged are higher In Europe for instance I would worry more about pickpockets Both are very unpleasant the former more so as you get usually threatened maybe even at gun point Usually the robbers would want all your valuables quickly so it makes sense to keep your money separately However if they suspect you have got more they might get aggressive One clue for them might even be the fact that you keep your documents somewhere else so you may have some more money along It all depends on the time they thinkthey haveA friend told she got mugged at gun point in Philadelphia while coming back home from the library and she just gave them her purse although she had no money in it They ran with it but I guess you can never know The bottomline is to comply when you are threatened as for the strategies you make beforehand either can fail but you do have more chances of not losing documents and money if you split them and keep them in different places But then I know of the story of an American medical student in Venezuela at a student meeting He catched a cab from the hotel to the airport and the cab driver pulled over in the middle of nowhere and got everything from him at gun point including his clothes Not much that you can do against such aquotmugging techniquequot other than not to travel in those areasor be extremely weary of everyone and everything around youAs against the pickpockets I know it works best to keep your valuables and documents as close as possible to your body and as much as possible to the front so you can see what is happening Hardly accessible pockets could work fine The trousers backpocket is always a very easy target the same for the shirt pockets The interior jacket pockets are ok most of the time but not always The front pocket especially on bluejeans its almost impossible for them to get Alternatively a lanyard attached flat wallet worn under the shirt might be the best place for you passport most of the credit cards and cash you would carry Keep the less valuable stuff in a regular wallet along with little cash and then you may worry a little less about losing that You can always go to a restroom and transfer stuff between the twoTake care and have safe travels ampnbsp Posted By: Reply: Hello If you carry your valuables in a quottummy bankquot one of those soft safe keepers you wear tight around your waist under your clothes you will most likely avoid loss The ones worn around the neck arent as secure even under most clothing because the strings are visible amp rather flimsy Worn over the clothes the things just scream quotTake thisquot This is exactly what happened to one of the members of a group going to Guatemala two years ago amp it happened in the DallasairportOn another trip one of my group had put his passport in the lower seemingly safely zipped lower pocket of his cargo pants even after I had urged him to leave it with our bus driver who stayed with the bus Within minutes of entering the market at Chichicastenango a notorious pickpocket locale he had lost the passport to a thief I dont normally take groups to Chichi for that reason but this bunch really wanted to go Weve stuck to Antigua amp Solola when were in Guatemala these days though weve had thefts of cameras in the market at Solola when folks dont have thestraps firmly wrapped around the wristOn my own in Barcelona a few years ago I wandered too far from the touristy area around Las Ramblas as I am wont todo Out of nowhere came two young toughs running right at meamp I knew they intended thievery amp very possibly bodily harm Without even thinking I swung my very heavy amp antiquated Canon SLR camera on its strap in a wide arc in front of me with all my strength amp it so startled them that they turnedamp ran back up the alley I guess the surprise of a lady withgray hair swinging a heavy object amp screaming like a bansheewas more than they expected I had all my valuables in mytummy bank so they would only have gotten the camera Itwas not the best thing to do but it was pure instinctWhen out amp about in places where you want to concentrate on seeing everything you may miss the cues for a potential theft or mugging Carry only what you can afford to lose or what you can carry firmly in your hand so you can enjoy the experience amp not worry overmuch Even though Ive tramped around this world a lot over the years I have only been the victim of theft once amp that was in a marketplace in Honolulu amp it was due to my not following my own commonsense rule amp carrying my purse in an open totebag ampnbsp Posted By: Reply: Hello I grew up in NYC I did it growing up amp I do it when I travel Put the stuff you dont want to lose in a money belt or hidden pocket ON YOUR PERSON not a purse Keep a dummy wallet with money in your easily accessible pocket If mugged give them the dummy wallet OR throw it in one direction amp run in the opposite direction while yelling for helpI never had to do it but have had friends that have done it successfullyHappy amp safe travelsampnbsp Posted By:

Parking Options in DC

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:56:37 PDT

Hi I just booked through Priceline two nights at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel located at 1127 Connecticut Avenue Northwest Washington DC 20036 My first bid 80 was accepted which drives me nuts since it means I probably could have bid lower Oh wellAnyway luckily the tripadvisor reviews are pretty good but they do mention a 40 per day parking fee if we park at the hotel I wondered if anyone had some suggestions on less expensive parking options within the city Once were there we dont plan to use the car until we leave on Monday around lunchtimeIve even considered parking at the airport and taking the metro in SuggestionsThanks ampnbsp Reply: HiThe Metro has parking lots at the ends of the line You should be able to park at one of the ends of the metro line and take the metro into your DC destination From NorthCarolina you can look into one of the northern virginia end of line stops and park your car there Go to the Metro website for a map of the system and potential parkinglocationshttpwwwwmatacomampnbsp Posted By: Reply: HiThere are a lot of public lots in the area of the Mayflower that are cheaper Heres a link that shows parking garagesin DC httpwwwpmiparkingcomOn the top menu click on quotGaragesquot then choose quotdowntown Washingtonquot Youll see a map with lots of little icons Connecticut Ave is center and slightly left If you mouse over the icons it gives the address of the lot Then you can click quotmore infoquot and it gives rates and hours Looks like most parking is 15 a day with variable night rates of from 550 to 1000 as far as I explored One thing I noticed they are all closed on Sunday If you are going to be hereover a Sunday that could be a problemAlternatively you could park at Reagan National airport and take the metro as you said The rates for economy parking are 1200 a day Youd have to take the shuttle to the terminal and then get the Metro ampnbsp Posted By: Reply: HiBe careful about parking overnight at the Metro parking lots The Metro website says quotThere is no overnight or reserved parking at Metrooperated lotsquot But there are other postings google quotCan I park overnight at the Shady Grove Metro Station parking lotquot that indicate people get around the Metro policy Ive like to use Metro lots when traveling from National Airport but have been concernedthat car would be ticketed or towedAnother page httpwwwwmatacomrailparking saysMultiday parking is available at three stations Greenbelt Huntington and FranconiaSpringfield Each of these stations has between 15 and 17 spaces allocated for multi day use of up to 10 days Availability is on a firstcome firstserved basis There is no charge for multiday parking beyond the regular fee paid with a SmarTrip card on the day of exit if exiting during collection hours 1030 am midnight on Monday Thursday and 1030 am 3 amFridayThese spaces located inside the regular facilities and notat the metered Kiss amp Ride spaces are at1 Level 1J at FranconiaSpringfield station2 The lower level of the new Huntington station garage3 Cherrywood Lane side at Greenbelt stationThe Virginia parking rules may be differentGood luck and let us know how you make out ampnbsp Posted By: