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Colleging in Vermont, Part II.
July 16th, 2010
Our third and final day in Vermont consisted of zipping from location to location, trying to take in as much of the state as we could before it was time to say goodbye. We first visited the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge. The presidential museum was under construction, but we still got to wander around the little town he was born in. I learned a lot about life on a hillside farm, because all the tools they used for cooking, making maple syrup, farming, and surviving frigid winters were on display in a huge barn. There were also descriptions of the daily activities that Calvin might have helped out with as he grew up. We stopped in the church the Coolidges went to and a cheese store where we bought lots of… maple candy. The huge cheese wheels were a little too intimidating for my grandparents, I guess.
Next stop? The Vermont Country Store! For those of you who have never received the Vermont Country Store catalogue or have never even heard of it, pay close attention: this is the best store on the East Coast. I repeat, it is the best store on the East Coast, and it can only be found in Vermont. If you ever come to Vermont, you have to stop there (there’s one in Weston and another in Rockingham). They sell food, toys, clothes, appliances, and more. It’s all top quality, and a lot of it you can’t find anywhere else. Click here to explore it yourself. I honestly could spend hours in that place.
Finally, we ended up visiting Bennington, where we went to the top of the monument commemorating the Battle of Bennington, then went on a spontaneous self-guided tour of Bennington College. The top of the monument had a gorgeous view of surrounding Vermont, as well as Massachusetts and New York off in the distance. Bennington College was small but quite pretty. The admissions staff was incredibly friendly, and after serving us coffee and hot chocolate, sent us off with a big envelope of information and a map. Bennington seems like a great place for those who want to design their own education and get a lot of attention and support from the professors.
And that, amigos, was my three-day Vermont expedition. I really hope I can go back sometime in the fall– the autumn colors are supposedly stunning.
Norwegian Epic: Part 3-Food & “What’s with the stateroom design?”
July 13th, 2010
FOOD
Speaking of which, there is a ton of food to choose from on Epic – more than any other cruise ship. There are 10 eating options which you have to pay a fee for and 11 which are free. If you’re into ethnic cuisine, then you’ll be in heaven. (Teppanyaki Japanese steakhouse is my favorite – great food plus the fun of watching very entertaining and talented chefs cook right in front of you. Make a reservation for this spot as soon as you get on board.)
If you’re not into ethnic food, you’ll still get into all the many choices, even in the buffet. Don’t forget to grab the really good, big, homemade cookies at the buffet at night – chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and more.
STATEROOMS/BATHROOMS
While this is a matter of personal opinion, I don’t think a lot of teens will like Epic’s staterooms due to the bathroom set up. While the staterooms look really cool and different because there are a lot of curves in them, they really aren’t very functional.
The main area that I think a lot of people won’t like is the lack of privacy in the bathroom. Actually, there isn’t even a typical bathroom in each stateroom. Instead, there’s a toilet stall with a white Lucite sliding door on one side of the entryway to your stateroom and there’s another white Lucite sliding door with a shower stall on the other side of the entryway. (Lucite is a white synthetic material that you can see shadows through.)
The main problem is there’s no private place to get changed before/after you shower other than the entryway. While there’s a curtain that you can pull for privacy so that the rest of the cabin won’t see you as you’re getting changed or dried off in the entry way, it may not be in your comfort zone.
THUMBS UP
Overall, though, I think teens and their families will definitely enjoy Epic. It’s huge…it’s different…it’s memorable….it’s very active….and it’s fun!
Norwegian Epic: Part 2-Entertainment
July 13th, 2010
There has been a lot of talk for over a year about the groundbreaking Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship Norwegian Epic. It finally sailed over July 4th and teentraveltalk.com’s founder/editor Luisa Frey sailed aboard the inaugural cruise.
Here is Luisa’s take on the aspects of the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic that people like you will and will not like.
ENTERTAINMENT
Epic is making its mark in regards to cruise ship entertainment. Rather than featuring the typical cruise stage show with dancers in feathers and such, NCL’s Epic has top name entertainers aboard that you’d find in major cities. Here is the evening entertainment you should make sure you see:
Blue Man Group: This show has been featured in NYC’s Greenwich Village for years and now is on Epic. You’ll need to book your show time ahead at the box office desk on Deck 6 near the Spiegel tent or online before your trip.
This show is really quirky but that’s what is cool about it – I can’t really say WHAT the blue men exactly do but it’s all pretty unique and off beat. (As in, rolls and rolls of clean toilet paper are unfurled at one point and the audience has to pass it forwards until it reaches the stage!) Also, during the entire show, not a word is spoken from the blue men.
The Second City: Don’t miss at least one show of this famous comedy troupe – many of the famous comedians from Saturday Night Live got started at The Second City in Chicago. Aboard NCL’s Epic, the comedians do a lot of improv that will make you laugh for sure. Note that you have to book your show ahead of time like Blue Man Group.
Legends in Concert: Your parents will like this show more than you. But if you’re into Madonna or Elvis, then check this out because the entertainers do a really good job of impersonating their famous look- and sound-alikes.
Fat Cats: Slam Allen is amazing! He’s the lead singer/electric guitarist at Fat Cats, which is the first blues club at sea. He’s get this low-keyed, talented way of getting everyone into the music that he and his band create, in the style of famed blues pioneer B.B. King. Even if you’re not into the blues or jazz, you will admire the talent here.
Howl at the Moon: Dueling pianos? I loved it. Howl at the Moon features mostly classic rock ‘n roll that very talented piano players bang out with a ton of energy. If you’re into rock in the least bit, check it out. The two pianists take requests.
Cirque Dreams & Dinner: Tell your parents NOT to waste their money on this! It’s way too long and the side show (the circus announcer and singers) are loud and frankly, annoying. If it were just the cirque-style acrobats featured in the show, it’d be good. But two hours of mostly the circus announcer talking on and on were more than I and many other adults could handle.
Norwegian Epic: Part 1-Activities
July 13th, 2010
There has been a lot of talk for over a year about the groundbreaking Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship Norwegian Epic. It finally sailed over July 4th and teentraveltalk.com’s founder/editor Luisa Frey sailed aboard the inaugural cruise.
Here is Luisa’s take on the aspects of the 4,100-passenger Norwegian Epic that people like you will and will not like.
WATERSLIDES & OTHER ACTIVE PURSUITS
Norwegian Epic’s Aqua Park will not disappoint. With three enclosed slides, Epic’s water park area is pretty impressive for a cruise ship. The best of the slides is the Epic Plunge, which NCL calls the “longest bowl slide at sea”. We call it the “toilet bowl” because you swirl around in your tube in this bowl-like structure until you suddenly plunge down the last part of the enclosed slide. Tip: Try to get on line soon after the slides open up each day to avoid long waits. (Your daily program aboard ship will list the hours.)
If the toilet bowl is not your choice of active things to do outdoors, then check out the rock climbing wall or the first rappelling wall at sea. The sports deck area also has a basketball court and batting cage.
Indoors there is a small ice skating rink to keep you cool on a hot Caribbean day. You and your friends or family can have friendly competitions at one of the six indoor bowling lanes or at the huge Wii wall located in one of the public lounges.
TEEN ROOM
The Epic’s teen room – called Entourage — has by far the best view of any young adult room at sea. Most teen rooms are right by the little kids’ rooms but this one is in a totally different spot, making it private.
What’s best is that three sides of it have floor to ceiling windows with full views of the ocean or port. In the center are Sony PlayStations and couches, Fussball and air hockey. There are even vending machines for when you’re hungry but don’t want to make the trek to the buffet.
Like on most big cruise ships, there are teen activities throughout the day and night too.
It’s Pretty Hot In Cleveland
July 12th, 2010
(Written by Alex and Callie)
There’s nothing wrong with Ohio…I really like Drew Carrey and I’d love to see the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame” -Bowling for Soup
Well, we really don’t like Drew Carrey, but we did see the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. For all of you rock n’ roll enthusiasts out there, this place is a must-see. Being that we were on a choir trip, we weren’t expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. Contrary to our fellow un-appreciative-21st-century generation, we loved it! If you are a diehard rock n’ roll fan, this will only further your infatuation with the era. Even if your iPod is filled with Lady Gaga, it will give you a deeper appreciation of music as whole, as you view it from its roots.
There are a plethora of year-round and non-permanent exhibits; currently Bruce Springsteen resides in this spotlight. If The Boss isn’t your style, there are plenty of year-round attractions to occupy yourself. Our favorite part was the basement-level, where one can walk the history of rock n’ roll from its beginnings as blues and jazz to before its decay as boy bands took the scene. You can listen to the 500 greatest rock n’ roll songs of all-time, watch real footage from performances, and hear interviews regarding the impact of rock n’ roll on the youth of America which it affected. Also, a myriad of relics and paraphernalia such as clothes, instruments, hand-written lyrics, cars, and variety of performance video clips and pictures. There is something for everyone; Callie got excited over Kurt Cobain’s guitar while Alex was amazed by the hand-written Beatles lyrics. It strongly makes you appreciate the music and culture of the past decades; we surprisingly enjoyed Etta James and The Jimi Hendrix Experience as much as we enjoyed our personal favorites. In addition, you can watch short clips of all of the Rock n’ Roll inductees by year. It was a wonderful way to get an idea of all of the impactful musicians of the past.
Long story short, it rocked.
