Tag: travel

Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Austria9 Comments

We saw many beautiful and historic buildings during our trip to Vienna, Austria, but the Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn) was by far the most amazing. Even during winter, the grounds, fountains, and exterior of the palace are quite beautiful and seeing the palace is certainly a highlight of any visit to Vienna. During the time that we were there, they were preparing for a Christmas Market on the grounds of the palace, however it wasn’t set to open for another week.  Since we went to several other markets in Vienna, that certainly wasn’t an issue.

One of the Fountains on the Grounds
Christmas Tree in the Main Courtyard
View from the Stairs at the Palace

We did the Grand Tour of the palace, which is an audio tour that takes you through forty of the magnificent rooms within. It was a cold and snowy Saturday, so we think a lot of people had the same idea as us to do something indoors as the lines were horrific as we snaked our way from room to room, but it did not lessen the grandeur of the lavish decorations and furniture. The history of the palace is a little overwhelming and there were a few surprises, such as Marie Antoinette having been the daughter of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, as well as Empress Maria Theresa both grew up in the palace.

One of the Palace Wings
Another Fountain
Looking Down the Stairs

There is no mistaking the similarity between Schönbrunn Palace and Versailles Palace. The palaces share many similarities and are both stunning in their beauty. Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring”, which couldn’t have been further than the weather the day we arrived, so we will definitely plan a return visit someday during the summer when the gardens are in full bloom and perhaps there are some rays of sunshine. We can’t complain about the weather too much, though, it may not have been perfect for sight-seeing, but it did make the Glühwein much more inviting 😀.

Schönbrunn Palace
Looking from the Stairs

Hiding on the Shores of an Amazonian Tributary

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge, South America5 Comments

When we stayed at the ecolodge in the Amazon Jungle while we were in Ecuador, we canoed on a tributary of the Amazon river every day. The plants that line the water are very dense with a variety of reeds, branches, and hanging vines. The entire time we were in the jungle, including while in our canoes, we had to constantly scan the foliage around us as you never knew when you would see some of the many different animals that live there. The animals are very adept at camouflaging themselves amongst the leaves and branches, so mostly you spent your time looking for any kind of movement and then the guide would stop the canoe and we would use binoculars or zooming in on the camera to find what animals were hiding in the trees. We had to look up into the trees as well as the edges of the water because in addition to the birds, monkeys, and sloths that were in the trees, there were anaconda snakes, large black caiman, and river otters that love to hide in the reeds along the shore. Here are a few of the photographs that we took as we canoed to and from our ecolodge in Ecuador.

Stinky Turkey Along the Shore
Large Black Caiman
First Glimpse of River Otters
Not Always Finding Animals
Hiding in Plain Sight
There was a Baby Caiman Hiding in the Reeds
River Otters Hiding in the Shadows
Scanning the Shoreline
Trees in the Jungle

Tips for Traveling to Las Vegas

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Las Vegas, Travel Tips4 Comments

Millions of people travel to Sin City every year with the slogan of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” fresh on their lips. We have been to Las Vegas at least a half-dozen times over the years and we have some great and some not so great experiences while we were there. Obviously, the city is known for its over-the-top casinos, star headlining shows, and celebrity chef restaurants. If you decide to make the trip to Las Vegas, here are a few suggestions that we have to hopefully make your trip a better one.

Fountains at the Bellagio
  1. Don’t Bring Children to the Strip – Before everyone with children gets upset with us, let us explain. There was a time when Las Vegas tried to cater to families, adding rollercoasters and themed hotels like Excalibur. Those days are gone. Unless you really want to stroll the streets where strip club representatives constantly hand out cards with nude women and men, dancers and show girls wearing almost nothing stand on the street ready to take pictures with tourists and encourage them to attend their shows, and rolling billboards with half-naked people are at every intersection, the strip is not kid-friendly. Las Vegas is an adult playground, people wander the streets with drinks in hand at every hour of the day and the activities are designed for adults out to have a good time and let loose. There is nothing wrong with that, but in our opinion it not a place to bring children. There are places in Las Vegas that you can take the kids, it just shouldn’t be the strip.
New York, New York and Excalibur
  • If You are Going to Gamble, Give Yourself a Budget – Not everyone who goes to Las Vegas gambles as there are plenty of other things to do other than play one of the many games of chance that are available. Gambling can be fun, but for some people it can also be a little addictive as it seems like the big win is one hand or spin away. Set yourself an absolute limit of what you are willing to lose and don’t exceed it. If and when you have spent that amount, you are done, no matter how lucky you might feel about the next big chance.
    • Giving it a Spin
  • Go During the Off-Season – At popular times of the year, Las Vegas can be extremely busy. There are conventions with business travelers, bachelor and bachelorette excursions, international tourists, as well as your typical vacationers. If you want to get the best prices on hotels, shows, and other entertainment, consider going in October through the end of December, before Christmas as Christmas through New Year’s Eve is quite popular. There might not be as many headliners with shows during the off-season, but most of the year-round shows are all still running and you can get better seats at better prices. You might even be able to take advantage of the half-price, last-minute, show tickets and actually get seats that are worth the price.
    • Even Las Vegas does Christmas, Somewhat
  • Don’t Take Pictures with the Costumed People on the Street – In our opinion, this is true around the world, not just in Las Vegas, but these people wearing tattered costumes that look similar to popular characters and otherwise dress up to entice tourists to take photos and then demand money are con-artists. If less people would pay to have their photo taken, or worse yet, pose their children with them, and then give them money, then less of them would be on the streets. If you want pictures with costumed characters, go to Disney World where they are actual actors.
    • Characters in the Foreground
  • Take Advantage of Free Activities – These days there aren’t too many of them to be found, but there are some free things to see and do when you are in Las Vegas. There is the fountain at the Bellagio, the volcano eruption at the Mirage, and the Fall of Atlantis at the Caesars Forum Shops. The casinos themselves have elaborate displays that are well worth taking the time to see and some of them change from year to year. Even walking the high-end shops between the casinos like the Forum Shops or the Grand Canal Shops in the Venetian are truly spectacular. And then, since Las Vegas attracts such a wide variety of visitors, there is always people watching.
    • Volcano Eruption at the Mirage
  • Pace Yourself – Not to sound like your parents, but we too often see people that are inebriated or fighting heat exhaustion. We get it, people go to Las Vegas to let loose, have some fun, and sometimes push their boundaries. Not every night in Las Vegas should end up like the movie The Hangover. We aren’t saying don’t have a good time, but perhaps you shouldn’t start with a cocktail in two-foot glass at one-o-clock in the afternoon. Also, remember that Las Vegas is in the desert, that means that it gets hot, really hot. It also means that the air is very dry and it is easy to become dehydrated and alcohol does not provide hydration. What happens might truly stay in Vegas, but it is better if you at least remember it.
    • Walking the Shops
  • Book Popular Shows in Advance – Many of the really popular shows either sell-out, or at least the desirable seats do, weeks in advance during the busy times of the year. If there are particular shows that you want to see during your visit to Las Vegas, go online and book them prior to your arrival. Nothing would be more disappointing than arriving for a special weekend only to find out that you can’t get tickets to that one show you’ve always dreamed of seeing. Obviously that means paying full price for your tickets, but if you want the most memorable Vegas experience, it will be well worth it.
    • Show Signs Everywhere
  • Be Prepared for the Cost – With more and more millennials visiting Las Vegas who are less inclined to throwing their money away by gambling, the town has responded to the changing culture by seemingly raising the prices on everything. The food is more expensive, drinks are more expensive, shows are more expensive, activities like the CSI Experience and the Mob Museum are more expensive. By now you get the theme, Las Vegas is expensive. If you take the time to look around, you can find some deals, some happy hour food and drink options, and don’t be afraid to get off of the strip. Most importantly, just know that things will cost more than a lot of other places, so prepare your trip budget accordingly so that your wonderful dinner out doesn’t end with stress over the final bill.
    • Rack of Lamb
  • Tell Your Taxi Driver Not to Take the Highway – There are two ways for the taxis to get you from the airport to the strip. One is the overland streets and the other is the highway. They claim that the highway is faster, but we have not found that to be the case. Taking the highway and going through the tunnel will cost you more, regardless of whether it truly saves you a few minutes or not. It can as much as twice the price, so if you have the patience and time, tell the driver not to go through the tunnel or take the highway.
    • oLight Traffic on the Strip, Very Unusual