My First Baseball Game!

Yankee Stadium, New York — Yankees vs. Blue Jays— Yankees won 9 to 8!

Trip Highlights: Taking the train and subway, amazing club seats at the game, baseball food- 1/4ft hot dog and choc ice cream, watching out for flying foul balls, seeing the new stadium under construction. A fun night in the city… FAO Schwarz, Pop Burger, The Plaza Hotel, Starbucks at Trump Tower, Salvatore Ferragamo, Rockefeller Center, Jimmy’s Corner, seeing what was Chumley’s and what hopefully will be again, One If By Land Two If By Sea, Sushi Samba, and Stoned Crow.

Year Visited: 2008 (January 10-16)

Areas and Sites Visited: Henderson, Ethel M Chocolate Factory, Fashion Show Mall, Tao- at the Venetian, Revolution Lounge – at the Mirage, The Joint- at the Hard Rock Las Vegas Hotel, 9 Fine Irish Men & Coyote Ugly- at NewYork New York, The Palazzo, Game Works, Monte Carlo, Blush Lounge & Tryst- at the Wynn, Pure- at Caesar’s Palace, Hilton, Stratosphere, Border Grill & House of Blues & House of Blues Foundation Room – at Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Studio 54- MGM, Ghost Bar- at The Palms.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Being there with JJP, X-Scream and Big Shot rides up top the Stratosphere, the House of Blues Foundation Room and its view, meeting Skid Row, the buffet at the Wynn, first flight with JJP, shabu-shabu, night club hopping, the excellent Johnny Cash cover band that was playing at The Joint, the wheel of fortune slot machines (?), and checking out all the different hotels.

Other: Stayed at Sunset Station in Henderson for the first two nights and stayed at MGM Grand on the strip the remaining four nights.

Year Visited: 2006 (Dec 23rd-30th)

Areas & Sites Visited: Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains, Whistler Village, Creekside, Whistler-Blackcomb Coca-Cola Tube Park, Vancouver

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Learning to snowboard. Finally getting a good ride snowboarding on the expressway across Whistler Mt after falling over too many times to count! Having snow ball fights. Building snowmen. Sledging. Spending time with family. Relaxing in the hot tub while being surrounded by snow. Riding the Gondolas. Having drinks and fun times at Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub. Watching the snow fall. People watching in the village. Making a snow angel. Having a white Christmas.

Other:

Stayed near Creekside at The Hights #3 – a beautiful ski in ski out 4 bedroom house.

Spent one day/night in Vancouver on the way home: Fairmont Airport Hotel Vancouver.

Year Visited: 2004 (June 18-27th, October 4- November 18)

Areas and Sites Visited: Belize City, Caye Caulker, Half Moon Caye, Blue Hole, Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize Zoo, Belmopan, San Ignacio, Mountain Pine Ridge, Roaring River Golf Course, Caracol, 1000Ft Falls, Hopkins, Sitte River, Gales Point, Sibun River, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Shark Ray Alley, Rio Frio Caves.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Snorkeling at the Blue Hole. Taking a mud bath in the Sibun River. Sailing out to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley snorkeling all day and eating freshly made conch salsa and chips. Relaxing at Mountain Pine Ridge. Jungle trekking and standing next to a ceiba tree. Relaxing in a hammock. Singing karaoke with the locals at Amigos. Seeing the spectacle of a car moving against gravity on the Southern Highway. Playing darts with Pirate Pete. Sleeping in a mosquito net. Canoeing down the Sibun River. Drumming with local drummer, Emmeth. Trying to sight jaguars at Cockscomb Basin. Eating the local food in Belmopan. Riding the bus with the locals. Practicing speaking Spanish. Exploring the Rio Frio Caves. Eating a mango while taking in the sight of the 1000Ft. Falls. Swimming under a waterfall in the middle of the jungle. Waking up to the sound of birds chirping in the morning. Having a yummy authentic Mayan meal at Maya Mountain Lodge and exploring and climbing to the top of Mayan ruins at Caracol.

Other: Stayed at: Five Sisters Lodge, Monkey Bay, Maya Mountain Lodge, Princess Hotel & Casino, Tropical Paradise Hotel

Year Visited: 2003 (November 11-18th)

Areas & Sites Visited: Musee d’ Orsay, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, Montmartre, Place de la Concorde, Notre Dame, Seine, La Defense, Moulin Rouge.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Riding the metro. Eating nutella crepes. The view from the Eiffel Tower. Laughs and fun times with friends. Boat ride on the river Seine. Lighting a candle in Notre Dame Cathedral. The street side cafes. Walking through Montmartre in the rain. Standing on top the Arc de Triomphe at night and looking at the city lights.

Other: Stayed at Hotel Jardin de L’odeon

Year Visited: 2003 (July 7- August 2)

Areas & Sites Visited: Penang, Kuantan, Kuala Lumpur, Sungai Petani, Thailand- Bkt Kayu Hitam, Petronas Towers, Genting Highlands, Kek Lok Si Temple, KLCC, Lake Gardens, Menara Observation Tower, KL Butterfly Park.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Walking across the bridge of the Petronas Twin Towers. Spending time with family. Seeing the monks at the Kek Lok Si Temple. Snow World! Nandos chicken. Trying to drive the Mini Moke. The night markets. Dvds. Riding in Helmey’s crazy fast car through the street of KL. Going to the top of the Menara Observation Tower. Eating rambutans. Taking a relaxing stroll through KL’s Lake Gardens. Buffet dinners at the Mutiara. Relaxing in the infinity roof top hot tub at the Ascot. Climbing on the rocks at the beach in Kuantan. Bargaining at the Bkt Kayu Hitam market. Crossing the Malaysian border into Thailand.

Other: Stayed at: The Ascot- Kuala Lumpur, The Mutiara-Penang, Hyatt Kuantan- Kuantan

Stopped over in Newark, NJ for a night on the way and on the way back to help with jet lag.

Year Visited: 2003 (August 2-5)

Areas & Sites Visited: Dubai, Old City & River, Deira City Center, Jumeira Beach.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Going on a desert safari. Watching the sun set over the desert. Listening to Arabic music. Camel Riding. Wearing Arabic clothes. Swimming. Cool taxi drivers. Hard Rock Cafe Dubai. Seeing camel races from the side of the road.  Arabic tv. Standing on Jumeira Beach and seeing the desert behind you. Visiting the Gold, Spice and Fish Souks. Seeing the Burj Al Arab hotel.

Other: Stayed at the Fairmont

Year Visited: 2003 (February 28-March 19)

Areas & Sites Visited: Table Mountain, Cape Point, Betty’s Bay, Kleinmond Bay, Robben Island, Stellenbosch, Boschendal, Boulders Beach, Hout Bay & Seal Island, Camps Bay, Port Owen, Hermanus Beach, Casino Club Mykonos, Fish Hoek, Castle of Good Hope, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Long Beach.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Skydiving over Cape Town. Relaxing at Boulders Beach with the penguins. Taking the cableway and then walking around the top of Table Mountain. Eating fish and chips after checking out the fishing boats in Hout Bay. The excursion to Robben Island. My daily runs along Strand beach. Seeing a Dassie for the first time. Seeing and listening to the local musicians. Taking the Cape Point Funicular to view the old Cape Point lighthouse. Sampling wines at the Boschendal winery.  Seeing the wildlife along the river during a boat ride in Port Owen. Watching the sun set over the beach and reflect in the mountains. The smell of Africa that first hit me when i walked outside the airport. Driving along the coastal roads.

Other: The ICC Cricket World Cup was occurring in South Africa at the time of my visit.

Year Visited: 2003 (March 19-26)

Areas and Sites Visited: Hyde Park, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall, London Eye, Parliament Street, Victoria Towers Garden, Trafalgar Square, Oxford Street, Notting Hill, Portobello Market, Rock N Roll Tour, Madame Tussauds, Soho, Leicester Square, Kensington Gardens, Strand, Covent Gardens, Embankment, Harrods, Buckingham Palace.

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Riding on the London Underground. Eating a 99 ice cream. Seeing Eric Clapton, Roger Daltry and Nigel Kennedy perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Drinking ribena and having a sandwich in Hyde Park. The view from the London Eye. Strolling around Notting Hill. Walking across Abbey Road. Eating Hula Hoops.

Other: Stayed at: 130 Queensgate

Year Visited: 2002 (June 11-15th)

Areas & Sites Visited: Breckenridge, Crested Butte

Gemma’s Trip Highlights: Flying into Gunnison airport, one of the smallest and most quaint airports i’ve come across in my travels thus far. Hiking in the mountains. Exploring old railroad lines. Fishing. Relaxing with the locals in Breckenridge village.