USA

Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel Review – A Great Stay in the Finger Lakes

I am a frequent traveler to the Finger Lakes- in recent years at least.

Part of this is because I now live within a manageable five hour drive, and the other part is that I've developed a love for many of the exceptional vineyards that call the region home (notably Boundary Breaks, Hermann J Wiemer, and Heron Hill to name a few- must visit Finger Lakes wineries in my opinion).

But one problem I've always had when visiting is figuring out where to stay.

The reason for this is because the area known as the Finger Lakes is large. It is so large, in fact, that to drive from the furthest west lake to the furthest east lake in one direction you're looking at a two hour drive time (not to mention bypassing every lake in between). Or if you want to stay in larger cities like Rochester, Syracuse, or Corning (for the Corning Museum of Glass) you're looking at 30-60 minutes of driving before you even begin to see water.

Going even further, if you pick any lake (especially larger ones like Seneca or Cayuga) you will have an hour driving just to go from tip to tip as well- all before stopping at all the vineyards, breweries, and distilleries along the way.

It is because of this that picking a good hotel location is so important when visiting. After my stay at Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel as a guest of the property, I can safely say that I've found my spot for the foreseeable future.

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Should You Visit Denali or Take an Alaskan Cruise?

Alaska is the largest state in the USA and is roughly 2 1/2 times larger than the second largest state, Texas.

With it size comes a vast area for visitors to explore, and over the years two parts of the state have become the most frequently visited- southeastern Alaska (explored via a cruise) and central Alaska in Denali National Park (explored via packaged tours or DIY).

We recently visited both on a combination trip, and while we were there a thought occurred to us: not everyone can make it on both a cruise and to Denali.

After thinking about it for quite some time and experiencing both parts of the state on our journey, we realized that if we were poised to only do one of the two major trips we would have had a hard time picking one over the other.

In this guide, we want to highlight the differences between the two in case you find yourself in the position of only being able to do one!

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Go for the Buffet of Buffets in Las Vegas – 24 Hours of Eating

This post may contain out-of-date information as some buffets have since closed.

The Buffet of Buffets is an interesting concept in the food scene on the Las Vegas strip. Not from being a new upscale restaurant or novelty dining experience, but rather being one of the most gluttonous events one can attempt throughout the entire city. 

After hearing such rave reviews of the experience, we had to go check it out. So we picked up our Las Vegas buffet passes and went to town, literally! 

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The Alamo Mission in San Antonio May Be Best Enjoyed Outside

The history of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio is one of the pivotal points of American history, especially in Texas. 

We all know the story. 

In early 1836 Mexican troops launched a siege on the Alamo mission in what is now modern-day San Antonio. All Texas troops were killed during the assault, but the defeat rallied the rest of the region into ultimately defeating the Mexican troops just over a month later. 

What remains of the site today is one of the most visited sites in all of Texas, with the ruins of the Alamo being quite preserved in the last 177 years. 

Of course, when I found out I was going to San Antonio, I knew that visiting this site would be at the top of my list. But after I decided to visit the Alamo, I realized that going was almost a waste of my time.

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