Standing in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
The tears started before I even set foot on the bridge. It was 8 a.m. and our climb was scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. I grazed through the gift shop and made back-to-back trips to the bathroom. I walked up one flight of stairs to the ‘holding area’, where I would await my tour guide and watch a quick movie on the climb. It was about 45 seconds into the movie I started to panic. The climbers were making their way up the curved steel structure double-time. Panic stricken, I looked around the room for my friend and when she caught my fear I simply said, “I can’t do this.”
The doors opened and we were ushered inside to another room where we were given breathalyzer tests and asked to sign the obligatory ‘if you die on this tour…’ form. We stood around in a circle and were handed our climbing jumpsuits – polyester slate-blue one-piece fashion disasters that somehow ensured I would be safe. We were asked to go around the circle and introduce ourselves. I learned the names of people from all over the world and when the circle stopped at me and all I could say was, “I’m Melanie, and I’m terrified.”
We harnessed up, lathered on some sunscreen (a sunburn was, quite frankly, the very least of my concerns), took a drink of water and walked into the room of no return. The door shut behind me and I realized there was no handle on the other side – there was no way to get back in. My heart raced, my breath shortened and my eyes closed. “It’s time to climb,” said Richard, our climb leader. “Mel, you go first.” The man was out of his mind, but I took the lead and stepped out onto the steel grate.
The vibrations from the cars speeding across the bridge shook the metal platform that separated me from the concrete ground below. Our harnesses shook as they slid across the one-inch thick cable that kept us attached to the nearly 3,800-foot bridge. We walked along the flat steel-grate surface, ducking under steel limbs and dodging odd-shaped angles that jutted out in our way. One step at a time. One level at a time. With each lift of my leg I was getting a little closer to the arch of the bridge and a little higher from the ground. With every step the city got a little smaller, my breath got a little heavier and my heart beat a little faster…Continue reading on Gadling.com.
Posted 5 days, 5 hours ago. 2 comments
Ah, the hotel bar – although sometimes underrated, it can actually be home to some of the best bartenders and most creative concoctions around. There’s something wonderful about hotel bars even for those who live in the same city; it’s a chance to see first-hand the kind of traveler your city is attracting, and if you play your hand right, it’s an opportunity for you to get to know a bartender well enough for him to divulge the secrets of the room to you. Some of the best people watching goes down in Boston’s hotel bars, so we’ve offered up a few of our favorite hotel bars for your next trip to Beantown:
M Bar & Lounge, Mandarin Oriental: If elegance and extravagance is what you seek, look no further than M Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Boston. The new hotel sits pretty in Boston’s trendy Back Bay and M Bar plays into the style and sophistication of the neighborhood. The crowd is a mix of high-rollers celebrating a new VC-deal and cougars on the prowl for cubs, and you’ll enjoy a little bit of everything from your corner seat with a Mandarin Martini.
Read more (and get the honorable bar mentions) from my column on Oyster.com
Snow-covered Beacon Hill
There’s a reason it’s so inexpensive to travel to Boston December through February; the bone-numbing temperatures and random snow squalls are enough to keep even the heartiest tourists at bay. But there’s no reason to hole up in your hotel the entire time – just dress warmly and remember to bring an extra pair of socks! Here are five fun things to do around Beantown even when the temperature has dipped below freezing…Read the entire article from Oyster.com
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago. Add a comment
“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” ~Helen Keller
Sailing into the New Year
I took this photo during my trip to Key West in February 2009. I dug it out today as a reminder that there’s always something more beyond the horizon.
Posted 2 months ago. 1 comment
Mosaic of options
My favorite hours are the 48-hours between the last day of the year and the first day of the year. As one door closes, another options, and with that kick in the ass comes more possibilities in a new year. Each year I move forward with a little intimidation, but a lot of excitement. 2009 was a good year, but not without its faults, and so as I open the door to 2010 it’s time to make a new set of goals.
This year, I resolve to:
Spend more time with people in the various countries I visit. Whether through volunteer opportunities or just over quiet conversation, I believe the best stories are derived from conversation, and what’s better than learning from a local. First up: Australia.
Treat myself to one night in a luxury hotel with no obligations. No stories due, no tours to take, no reviews to consider. Just me, in my hotel room. Why is this a resolution? Because even a travel writer deserves a day off, and as those closest to me know – I rarely take a day off.
Make an effort to stay in a “green hotel” when I travel. As more hotels complete their LEED certification, the options for green hotels are more expansive, allowing travelers of all budgets the ability to help reduce their carbon footprint when traveling.
Explore my own backyard. Even after 13 years in Boston, there’s still a lot of territory I’ve yet to see. I’ll spend more time exploring the neighborhoods of Boston, and maybe make a greater effort to cross the Mass. Ave bridge into Cambridge once in a while.
Slooooooooow down. The drawback of being a travel writer (and I’ll admit, there aren’t many) is that sometimes, when the trips are packed and the stories are due, the world just passes you by. I vow to allow myself one day on each trip to just ‘be’ – take it all in, remember the space, and just simply slow down.
Happy New Year to you all! Looking forward to traveling with you in 2010.
Posted 2 months, 1 week ago. Add a comment
One of the perks of being single is also being flexible and when it comes to travel, there’s nothing like last-minute plans to soothe the single gal’s soul (especially over the holidays). Nothing says love like cramming into the middle seat on a last-minute flight to see family and friends for the holiday season.
If you get struck by the travel bug this holiday season, or you succumbed to the guilt of family members and agreed to go home for the holidays, don’t forget to pack these essential travel items in your carry-on…
Read my entire column on the Jane Air Crew blog with Wyndam Worldwide
Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago. Add a comment
