What is a re:mix? Re:fuel? Re:charge? It’s all jargon used at Aloft Hotels.
I hadn’t heard of the Aloft hotel chain before I stayed at the Aloft Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont. It turns out it’s a fairly new brand of the Starwood hotel group, the same folks who bring you Westin and Sheraton hotels. It’s different, though, from a Westin or Sheraton with its contemporary boutique styling and unique jargon for everything from the hotel lobby to the swimming pool. Read more
It used to be if you didn’t eat dinner before going to an evening show in Branson, you were out of luck. The sidewalks pretty much rolled up just before or as the shows ended. Not so anymore. More restaurants are staying open until at least 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends. Here are three of our favorites located right on the strip, Highway 76, near most of the theaters: Read more
Reptile Gardens seems an oxymoron to me. I think of gardens as plant life, beautiful colorful flowers. The word “reptiles” brings to mind exactly that: snakes, lizards and alligators. How can the two possibly coexist in one attraction? The Reptile Gardens in Rapid City, South Dakota, does it well, combining a botanic garden with the largest collection of reptiles on the planet, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, with 225 species and subspecies, over 1,000 animals altogether. Read more
One of the first amusement park rides you ever rode as a child was most likely the carousel. You chose the most colorful and bejeweled horse. Your tiny legs sprawled across the saddle, not nearly long enough to reach the stirrups. You squeezed the brass pole, one sweaty hand above the other, excited and nervous at the same time. Mom or dad stood next to you, holding you, reassuring you’d be safe. As the calliope music began and the carousel started to turn, your horse inched forward and at the same time began to rise and glide down again, over and over. The ride picked up the pace until you reached a smooth gallop on the twirling carousel, the world around you passing by in a blur. Read more
When you’re in a resort town jumping from attraction to attraction, it’s convenient to stay in an accommodation that’s close to everything. On the other hand, when you have a few minutes of downtime, it’s nice to relax outdoors amidst a natural setting. At the Riverside Motel you get both the convenience of being a few blocks from downtown Hayward, Wisconsin, and a river setting that offers a relaxing atmosphere. Read more
Mountains painted in stripes and trees turned to crystals in a rainbow of colors sound like something from a fairytale. They are as real as can be, though, in the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park in northeast Arizona. Read more
