Tag Archives: Travel

Boomers Travel: The Arts District Firehouse Hotel In LA Is A Destination To “Dine And Dwell”

From a Dezeen.com online article by Paul Jebara:

Arts District Firehouse Hotel Los AngelesThe nine suites at Arts District Firehouse Hotel are intended to capture a “dreamy mix of the elegant and bizarre”. Each is individually designed in layout and colour theme and named accordingly: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, White and Black.

A new boutique accommodation, envisioned as a “dreamy mix of the elegant and bizarre”, has opened up inside a 1970s firehouse in Los Angeles.

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The property marks the first boutique hotel in the city’s up-and-coming Arts District, and is aptly named the Arts District Firehouse Hotel.

https://www.firehousela.com/home

To read more click on following link: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/08/03/arts-district-firehouse-hotel-los-angeles-creative-space/

European Travels: Monastery Of San Nicolò l’Arena In Sicily Is A “Baroque Splendor”

From an Italy Magazine article by Silvia Donati:

If the nuns of Catania’s Benedictine Convent devoted all their time to praying, the monks of the adjacent Benedictine Monastery were said to be a bit more lax about their spiritual duties. In southern Italian author Federico De Roberto’s most famous novel, I Viceré, which is very accurate in describing the social and political background of Catania in the years that followed Italy’s unification, the monks are described as carrying out the “art of Michelasso,” an Italian saying used to describe someone who, well, is idle, avoids hard work and responsibilities.

Their monastery, known as Monastero di San Nicolò l’Arena, resembled a sumptuous noble residence rather than a place where to retreat and pray to God. It was also very big, almost a city within a city, located in a panoramic position with views of the sea and the Etna volcano on what was once the acropolis of the Greek colony of Katane.

Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena

The Benedictine Monastery’s wealth was an indicator of the power the religious order had acquired, in Catania and beyond. This is still clear when you visit the complex, a maze of rooms, basements, stairs, courtyards, colonnades and very long hallways, where architectural styles from different eras superimpose on one another.

To read more click on following link: https://www.italymagazine.com/news/earthly-pleasures-and-baroque-splendor-catanias-benedictine-monastery?utm_source=ITALY+Magazine+Newsletter&utm_campaign=72762c7bd7-ITALY+Newsletter+-+January+12th+2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7e828ebed3-72762c7bd7-349881

New Aerial Travel Film “Budapest” Is A Gorgeous Collaboration Between Musician Havasi And Filmmaker Andrew Efimov

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Andrew Efimov

Music by: Havasi
Produced by: Timelab
Drone Pilot: Andrey Rodin
Color Correction & Grading: Yaroslav Kuryanovich
Sound Design : Anton Semenov
Design: Alexandra Geletey

Budapest Aerial Travel Film Directed by Andrew Efimov 2019

 

“This new image-based video clip about Budapest is the result of an international collaboration between the Russian TimeLab video studio and the world-famous Hungarian musician, Havasi. In the video we see sleepy Budapest trams crossing the Széchenyi chain bridge.. dawn over the Danube River.. the majestic layout of the city from a bird’s eye view… the glittering lights of Budapest by night… and the sunset over St Stephen’s Basilica… and all this juxtaposed with the astounding music of Havasi.

The music in the clip is Havasi’s track ‘Golden Eagle’. It catches the special atmosphere, the amazing feeling of flight – and the underlying nobility of the city.

Budapest Aerial Travel Film Directed by Andrew Efimov 2019

 

The project isn’t their first collaboration with the Russian team. Last year, the Hungarians viewed a film Timelab had made about winter in St Petersburg – and suggested using the footage in one of their clips. This is how their Houdini’s Dream project came about.

Our video team were extremely impressed with Budapest – it’s a phenomenal city. It’s soaked up the best of many of Europe’s greatest cities. Look closely at the architecture, and you find something of everything – a little bit of Paris, a bit of St Petersburg, snippets of London… What really blew us away was the Chain Bridge over the Danube – it’s an iconic symbol of the city. There are no restrictions on filming with drones in Budapest, The Hungarian state authorities and city administration are very laid-back about all that, and want to share what they have with tourists. It meant we had complete creative freedom.”

Budapest Aerial Travel Film Directed by Andrew Efimov 2019

Website: https://timelab.pro/budapest

Top New Travel Videos: “Starlight – Deserts Of Chile” By Adrien Mauduit

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Adrien Mauduit

Ever since I started astrophotography I’ve waited to visit the dark skies of Chile. I took advantage of the total solar eclipse of July 2nd to give me a ‘good excuse’ to go there and shoot astrolapses as well. For a bit more than two weeks, Alyn Wallace and I roamed about some of the driest areas and darkest skies on the planet. This short films tells the tale of an otherworldly experience filled with many challenges and stunning scenery throughout the deserts of the South-American country.

Starlight - Deserts of Chile Directed by Adrien Mauduit 2019

Chile is unlike any other places on our beautiful planet. The climate there is very strange, especially coming from northern Europe. While the southern part of the country is colder and more humid, the northern part offers some of the sunniest and driest places thanks to the Andes blocking most of the clouds. The high plateaus (Altiplano) actually extends for miles from South to North and even in the winter time, the astrophotography possibilities are almost endless and seemingly easy to come by. During our two weeks around La Serena and Atacama, Alyn and I have almost not seen a single cloud or a major gust of wind. Moreover, despite the growing light pollution around the arid plains, the night remains one of the best on Earth. There, the nigh it is quite long (from 6:30PM till 6AM), and the air is thin and pure to allow less scattering and a clearer view on the stars. So theoretically it was possible to shoot every night.

Starlight - Deserts of Chile Directed by Adrien Mauduit 2019

Website: https://www.nightlightsfilms.com/

Newly Renovated Resorts: Desert Hot Springs’ “Two Bunch Palms” – Carbon Neutral Rejuvenation

From a Design Milk online article:

Two Bunch Palms Mineral WatersTwo Bunch Palms mineral springs flow up from Miracle Hill, a 600 year old source bubbling from under the surface and flowing hot directly into the resort’s pool. Ecological considerations also extend to the hotel using its very own solar field array, earning Two Bunch Palms the status of being the first carbon-neutral resort in America.

Studio MAI, the firm responsible for designing the popular Venice restaurant mainstay, Gjelina, remained cognizant and careful to retain the resort’s storied “quirkiness and authenticity” while adding enough colors, textures, and modern motifs in acknowledgement of the new generation descending into the region drawn by the desert’s charms. The resulting makeover feels fresh without cloyingly contemporary, retaining a textural charm that has mostly abandoned nearby Palm Springs.

To read more click the following link: https://design-milk.com/mineral-springs-modernity-bubbles-anew-at-the-two-bunch-palms/

Top Travel Experiences: The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad In Colorado Passes Thru Spectacular Scenery

From an Atlas Obscura online article:

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Train SceneryAs it leaves Durango, the train’s multiple-chime steam whistle can be heard reverberating throughout the town and along the Animas Valley. As it proceeds north, the train winds alongside the Animas River as it traverses the verdant green pastures of the Animas Valley and then crosses through the spectacular and breathtaking San Juan National Forest. The remote and treacherous route through the mountains includes a dramatic and stomach-churning stretch along the edge of a narrow shelf carved into the sheer granite cliffs 400 feet above the river. 

As one of the United States’s most scenic historic railroads, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG), with its jet-black steam-powered locomotives and 1880s-era coaches, travels along the same tracks that miners, frontiersmen, and cowboys journeyed nearly 140 years ago.

All Aboard!

To read more click on following link: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/durango-silverton-narrow-gauge-railroad?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=d5355b27d3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-d5355b27d3-63029309&ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_07_25_2019)&mc_cid=d5355b27d3&mc_eid=9baf474570

Top New Travel Videos: “Acadia National Park” Directed By Rudy Wilms

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Rudy Wilms

Acadia National Park Directed by Rudy Wilms 2019

“Such a wonderful National Park Acadia is we might have not had any leaves on the trees yet but even the bare landscapes were gorgeous.Acadia is very versatile with its rocky coast, the mountain lakes and forest such a nice variety of beautiful landscapes.”

Acadia National Park Directed by Rudy Wilms 2019

Website: http://www.rudywilms.com

Acadia National Park Directed by Rudy Wilms 2019

Top Hikes In California: Bothe-Napa Valley State Park Offers Redwoods & Views From Coyote Peak

From a Curbed.com online article:

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park CampingRising on the west side of Napa Valley, the Mayacamas Mountains are best known for producing costly cabernets for wineries like Mayacamas and Mount Veeder. But they’re gorgeous, too, as this sprawling state park proves. For a beautiful, medium-challenging hike, follow the Redwood, Ritchey Canyon, South Fork and Coyote Peak trails on a 5-mile loop that leads through coast redwoods and up Coyote Peak to Instagram-worthy views. Then sit and snack on the sandwiches you got at Sunshine Foods in nearby St. Helena.

State Park website: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=477

To read more click on following link: https://sf.curbed.com/2019/7/24/20700994/best-hiking-trails-napa-wine-country-day-trips

Future Trends In Travel: Blacksford Rents “Fully Outfitted”, Luxury Camper Vans In Montana And Utah

From a Curbed.com online article:

Blacksford Camper Van Rentals In BozemanBlacksford specializes in rentals exclusively from Winnebago, only renting out the Winnebago Revel and the Winnebago View. The Revel is a go-anywhere adventure van that sleeps two, built on the 4×4 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis and with plenty of off-road capabilities to get you where you want to be. The View is a more luxurious RV for couples and families, with more space due to its Class C size.

All of Blacksford’s rentals are one year or less old with fever than 50,000 miles, ensuring that you’ll be vacationing in an almost brand-new model.

https://www.blacksford.com/

To read more click on following link: https://www.curbed.com/2019/7/23/20686870/winnebago-rv-rental-camper-van-for-rent-blacksford

Top RV Campsites: Zion National Park’s Watchman Campground Offers Shuttles, Year-Round Sites

From Fodors.com article:

Watchman Campground ZionThe Watchman Campground at Zion National Park fills up months in advance, and for good reason: This massive 176-site campground located a 1/4 mile from the south entrance and visitor center sits in the shadow of the iconic Zion rock formation. Despite its size, there’s enough space between campsites, spread out among six loops, to preserve your camping experience. For something more private try one of the 18 walk-in sites at the campground. In addition to firepits and clean bathrooms with flush toilets, some of the sites have shade trees to relax under after a long, hot day of traversing the The Narrows.

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