Oct
31
Saturday’s Quotable Traveler
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“The earth belongs to anyone who stops for a moment, gazes and goes on his way”
- Colette / French Writer
Oct
28
The Photo Escape
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A rock climber on a climbing wall in Nepal… ????
Oct
24
Saturday’s Quotable Traveler
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“The alternative to a vacation is to stay home and tip every third person you see.”
Oct
23
Pilots Sleep in LAX Airport Parking Lots
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With the recent revelation regarding pilots who may have fallen asleep during a flight and overshot their destination. I found this interesting report from Los Angles radio station KABC. They sent the sexy intern Bernadette out to parking lot B to speak with pilots regarding sleeping in RV’s in an airport owned parking lot that sits just below one of the approach paths. For just $60 per month pilots can park an RV and use it for layovers. Often with short turnarounds between flights it is faster to catch a shuttle over to Lot B than it is to catch a hotel shuttle, check in, and then return to the airport after resting. See Google Map below. Zoom out to see relationship with runways 25 Left and Right, the longest at LAX, and used by the big heavy jets.
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See more of Bernadette and photos she took. Don’t be distracted by her clevage, be sure to listen to the audio clip embedded in the page.
Oct
21
The Photo Escape
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A lovely evening in an inviting Prague square.
Oct
19
Airport Searches of Laptops
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A recent 51-page Privacy Impact Assessment supports the right of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to copy, download, retain or seize any content from laptops, cellphones or other electronic devices. Without giving any reason for the search or seizure. Read It.
Last months DHS Privacy Office report to Congress states that more than 144 million travelers were processed at US ports of entry between Oct 1st 2008 and May 5th 2009. Read It. Of those 1,947 electronic media searches took place. Of those 696 searches were of laptops. This could have been something as simple as turing on the unit to confirm it was indeed a working laptop and not a fake. Of those the officers conducted in-depth searches of 40 laptops. No description of what an in-depth search is, or how long they retained the equipment.
It should be noted that your equipment can currently be held for a maximum of 30 days. Officers must consult agency lawyers if they want to view a journalist’s work-related data or a traveler’s sensitive legal material or medical records.
Oct
17
Saturday’s Quotable Traveler
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“A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles.”
- Tim Cahill / Travel Writer
Oct
14
The Photo Escape
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A fountain in Charleston South Carolina.
Oct
12
Palm Springs Riviera Resort & Spa Photographs
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Entrance to the Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs California.
Two and three story buildings radiate from the center pool area.
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This Google Map photo shows you the layout of the resort. You can also see that you are only one block from Palm Canyon Drive the main drag of Palm Springs.
Upon arrival the expansive and colorful lobby at the Riviera leaves a dramatic impression. Front desk was understaffed during our arrival.
The lobby area continues with a retro modern spin on the classic days of Palm Springs when the Rat Pack played pool and relaxed at the Riviera.
Main pool area is beautiful at night. Decorated with glowing lanterns and comfortable conversation areas surrounding flaming firepits.
We had a pool view room with a balcony. Buildings that surround the back / rear pool are three stories. This pool is smaller than the main one but offers a larger area for sun worshipers or those. Furniture isn’t as comfortable as the main pool.
The room was spacious and very comfortable. Was dissapointed to find the floor dirty, missing ammenities and maintenance issues.
Bath was very nice. The sink is very stylish, but the design is useless for anything other than washing your hands. No wash cloths were provided, had to ask for them.
By normal standards you might find the closet small, but the Palm Springs lifestyle doesn’t need more than this.
Various inputs were available for the HDTV. Wireless internet was free and signal was strong but required login.
Bar area served excellent drinks and light snacks.
Dinning area offers a luxurious inside area or outside overlooking the main pool. Our meals were excellent.
Main pool area has comfortable seating and great views of the local Palm Springs mountains.
Cabanas can be rented for an added level of comfort and service. Most have water misters that add a welcome cooling effect.
The pool in the rear of the Riviera is smaller than the main pool and is tightly surrounded by three story buildings. This area also appears to have less staff and services than the primary pool. In the morning we found the area filthy with food and trash from the previous night.
Was dissapointed to see that hallway carpet outside my room was dirty during our two day stay. The resort appeared to be understaffed in every area. Housekeeping never came to clean our room. Staff also seemed uninformed. I had to ask three staffers where the ice machine was located before I found someone who gave me a correct location.
UPDATE: 10/26/09 – Got an email from the Managing Director at the Riviera. He stated that it had been a difficult summer season and as a result they had a reduction in staffing. They began to gear up for the busy season October 1st, just a week after my visit. My feeling is that if a property is going to put out the “vacancy” sign they should offer services they feel represent their mission of being a “beyond first class” property. I think the Riviera Resort has great potential, properly staffed during the high season it should be just fine.
The Riviera is a classic Palm Springs resort. The recent massive renovation has brought it back to it’s former glory. My hope is that the lack of managements attention won’t result in flash in the pan hipster hangout.
We visited the Riviera Resort & Spa of Palm Springs without any prior notification. All expenses were paid for by MurrayOnTravel.com.
Oct
10
Saturday’s Quotable Traveler
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“A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours.”
- John Boynton Priestly / English Writer
