Sushi Bars

Hi

Are there any rotating Sushi bars in Phili? My son loves Sushi but he has never been to one. I relalise the quality might not be as good, but fun for a change.

Cheers

Jim UK

Sushi Bars

There are many Sushi restaurants in Philadelphia, but I don%26#39;t know of any with a rotating sushi bar. Maybe someone else will know of one.

Sushi Bars

I understand that POD has a sushi conveyer belt. I am actually headed to POD tonite for dinner so I%26#39;ll post an update tomorrow. http://www.podrestaurant.com/

POD does have a conveyor belt.

Pod looks nice, what is the minimum dress code? As I am coming with my 15 year old son across the pond I would not want to bring a jacket just for the one night. What is the minimum dress code we could get away with? Smart shoes, shirt and jeans? or are jeans out of the question.

Many thanks

Jim

There are very few restaurants that require jackets anymore. Dressy casual will be fine including nice jeans. It%26#39;s quite a fun place.

So, I just returned from dinner at POD. You will definitely not be out of place there in jeans -- the servers wear jeans and t-shirts. This is a very youthful place, most of the patrons were under 30. The decor is very modern, somewhat spaceship like. If you sit at the sushi bar you can help yourself to items from the conveyor belt which are color coded to indicate the price. You can also order items from the sushi menu if you prefer.

The sushi we had was very good quality. I%26#39;d also recommend the various appetizers we had...crab spring rolls, crispy calamari, chicken lettuce wraps...the main courses were excellent as well, especially the lamb chops which were outstanding. Entree of chilean sea bass with mashed japanese sweet potatoes on the side was also excellent.

Expect to pay $50 pp for dinner including appetizers, drinks, main course, tax and tip.

Only negative comment is the loud noise level, which will probably not be an issue for you and your son.

Thanks for your up-date. Too many nights of rock and roll have taken their toll on my hearing. So I too prefer slighly quiter places. But it looks really different so we will give it a go. Would we need to book mid week?

Cheers

Jim UK

If you want to sit at the sushi bar I don%26#39;t think you would need to book. Although the restaurant seemed really busy for a Monday, there were plenty of seats available at the sushi bar.

Many thanks for your info. Will definetly give it a go.

Cheers

Jim

Priceline during Convention Week

I am planning a trip for Aug 16 - 19. I%26#39;ve just found out there is a huge convention happening that week. I have a backup B%26amp;B reservation, but was hoping to Priceline a hotel. I am now wondering if it%26#39;ll be worth it to even try with the convention going on. Although I know there are no guarantees with Priceline, I am afraid that the hotel will make zero accomodations (eg. non-smoking, high floor, etc) for Priceline guests when they have such large crowds. What%26#39;s your advice? I checked the convention%26#39;s website and they have a hotel reservation deadline of July 25.

Priceline during Convention Week

This can go many ways. if the convention undersells, there will be many good rooms on Priceline. If its packed, well..

It will also depend on the hotel itself, how close it is to the convention center. Non-smoking I would not worry about, most of the hotels in Philly have gone non-smoking anyway, the concerns would be the overall crowds/service levels and the lack of a possible preferred room..

If you like the B+B and the location is good, I would keep it, if not maybe try priceline.

BTW, another option, if the price is right, is to book the convention rate. Unless the room blocks are full, conventions are usually happy to see hangers on, as it increases their room revenue and helps with other hotel costs!

Priceline during Convention Week

That%26#39;s the American Chemical Society convention. That one is usually pretty big, but you may want to try some of the hotels further from the center. Check out the Society Hill Sheraton- a nice hotel in a great location, and the farthest from the Convention Center.

Community in Poconos for month rental in August

Need advice on a safe clean community for a family rental.The kids are 10,12,and 15 with 2 adults. A pool, lake with swimming, and any other activites would be great. Please help us find a good vacation spot. Thanks so much.

Community in Poconos for month rental in August

I would recommend either Towamensing Trails or Arrowhead Lakes. You could check vrbo for rentals, or possibly some of the local realtors who have available homes.

Enjoy your vacation.

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Pittsburgh Area - Cranberry - interesting shopping?

We will be spending several days in the Pittsburgh area, staying in Cranberry Township. We have a couple of days planned in %26#39;the City%26#39; but haven%26#39;t been able to find much info on neat shopping areas, antique stores, craft areas, cool small towns to see, etc in the Cranberry Twp and surrounding areas.

Would anyone have any suggestions? We%26#39;re not very interested in the basic mall/outlet shopping - looking for more local crafts/foods, etc.

Thank you in advance for all and any advice!

Nan C , Michigan

Pittsburgh Area - Cranberry - interesting shopping?

Cranberry is a very big area that I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll be able to find what you%26#39;re looking for. I%26#39;m personally not into crafts so I have no idea if there are any shops or not in the area, but there are so many little shops and such there that I would assume there has to be craft stores (I know there are a few hobby shops).

As for food, there is anything from the local little places to the chains.

Here is a website I just came across for you. This should help you out in your searches (what hotel will you be staying at?).

http://www.butlerwebs.com/cranberry/gifts.htm

A couple good restaurants that aren%26#39;t big name that I love (that you can find from that link) are Climo%26#39;s chicken and pizza (the name has changed but still the same location), Domenico%26#39;s, North Park Lounge Deckhouse, Springfield Grille, and of course Primanti%26#39;s (pittsburgh tradition). There is also a place called Siba Cucina which looks great, but I%26#39;ve never been too. There are many other different restaurants but those are just some of my favorites that aren%26#39;t really chains.

If you have any other questions, I%26#39;d be glad to try to help you out.

Pittsburgh Area - Cranberry - interesting shopping?

Zelienople and Harmony are 2 small towns approx 10-15 minutes north of Cranberry. There are some nice local restaurants, ';mainstreet'; shopping, gift shops etc.

Bellevue is about 17 miles south off I79/279. Nice community with shops, restaurants, parks, library etc

Sewickley also off south I79 upscale compared to the the others mentioned but same small town appeal

Saxonburg is a little northeast of Cranberry and also a small town with shops, restaurants etc.

Mars and Evans City 2 towns a little northeast of Cranberry but not as far as Saxonburg

Enjoy

I would check into vinceygirl%26#39;s reco%26#39;s. Cranberry IMHO is the ';hub'; for commercialism and standard suburbia and you can find any store there.

If you stick to the small towns listed, I think you will find some specialty shops and what you%26#39;re looking for. You may also want to do a google search on ';flea markets';?

Harmony would be the place for crafty stuff.

For a great meal at a good price, look at the Log Cabin Inn on Rte 19 just north of the town of Zelienople.

Thank you all for the great suggestions - we%26#39;re hitting the road today to explore!

My husband and I have been to Siba Cusina about 6 times. It has a nice atmosphere; but the food and service is hit or miss. About half the time it was great and the other half it was just okay.

While I live in Saxonburg and absolutely love it here, I would not take the 1/2 hour to drive over for shopping. While about ten years ago there were several cute little shops here, those are pretty much gone. There is an antique shop; but I can never figure out when it%26#39;s actually open. C. Matus has some nice wooden pieces - they%26#39;re closed on Sundays. My favorite place in Saxonburg is the Cafe Contrary - absolutely love their breakfasts and very reasonably priced. Only open till 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. If you%26#39;re interested in history, there%26#39;s a nice local museum here - John Roebling (who designed the Brooklyn Bridge) is represented there as well as KDKA (the first radio station).

Hope you enjoy yourself. My husband and I just went to Cranberry Township for a get away weekend this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It%26#39;s a yearly getaway for us.

What are your favorite dishes at Siba Cucina? The menu looks great. Even though it%26#39;s hit or miss, would you still recommend it or not?

You might want to look at Volant, which is not too far north from Cranberry.

http://www.volantshops.com/

Also Sharon, while not exactly the garden spot of the state, does have some interesting shopping, including Reyer%26#39;s Shoes.

discoverourtown.com/PA/鈥hopping-967.html

I second the suggestion on Sewickley also, great little town. Cranberry is chain store city. Good luck!

My husband%26#39;s favorite at Siba%26#39;s is the lobster bisque. Mine is the Steak Salad. They just recently changed their menu but these two made the transition. What did not, was our favorite dessert. We would order and share their pineapple upside cake. It was an individual cake and since they brought it to your table warm, it tasted like it wss just baked. I guess they considered it a winter dessert. They replaced it with a peach cobbler which was okay but not as tasteful.

The hit and miss comment is not so much as their ability to provide a good meal, but seems to depend more on how busy they are at the time. The less busy they appear to be, the more goofing around the employees seem to do. Our worst meal was when there was only one other table being waited on in the place and you felt like you were watching recess.

I would recommend reservations on weekend evenings. They had entertainment the weekend evening we went.

Thanks for the info! I%26#39;ll have tgo try it. Working in a restaurant I can tell you, never go to a restaurant when there is only a few customers. That means the employees are just bsing because there is really nothing else to do. Believe it or not, you%26#39;ll get much better service when it%26#39;s busy (not overwhelmingly, but quite steady).

Campsites near Ikea area

We are coming up this Saturday from Ohio to do some shopping at Ikea. Can anyone tell me if there are any full service (electric hookup-water etc) campsites for RV%26#39;s in the area?? We would like to camp out that evening and come back that Sunday.

Thanks!

Campsites near Ikea area

The closest might be Raccoon Creek State Park, about 15 miles away.

Wal-Mart is very close. They allow RV%26#39;s overnight, but don%26#39;t have hookups.

Campsites near Ikea area

Allnicksgone is correct, Raccoon Creek State Park is the closest that definately allows camping, but there are no hookups.

I don%26#39;t know if Settlers Cabin Park allows overnighting of any kind, but it is much closer than Raccoon Creek.

networking

Primanti Brothers?

Is the one right by the baseball stadium a good place to eat before the game???

Thanks

Primanti Brothers?

There isn%26#39;t one by the stadium, it%26#39;s actually inside of it (although there are a couple across the Clemente Bridge that are with in 1-4 miles). And yes, they are good. Seems like people either love them or hate them. I recommend everyone give them a try though while in Pittsburgh.

Primanti Brothers?

hmmm in the stadium, does that mean higher prices than outside??? Looking at the online menu , prices dont look too bad. Would love to try and and being in the stadium could be a plus for us since we are getting there 2 hours early for autograghs and we always end up in our seats before the game starts.

In Heinz Field the price for a sandwich is only about $1-2 more than in the stores. (I%26#39;m think they are $6). I%26#39;m sure PNC park isn%26#39;t any different. (I haven%26#39;t been to PNC in a couple years so forgive the memory) They do not carry the whole menu but have the Cheesesteak and the Capicola (maybe one more). Regardless I don%26#39;t bother with anything but the capicola. IMO, the cheesetake isn%26#39;t all that good. You probably should buy both and decide.

Make sure you cover the sandwich in hot sauce. They will have it at the counter. If they don%26#39;t, throw the sandwich at them and start yelling obscenities. :)

What kind of sandwhich is capicola? Never heard of it. My oldest puts hot sauce on EVERYTHING!!! WE cant wait to eat there

Lorin, capicola is an Italian ham. It comes in either hot or sweet. I like them both, but especially like the hot.

hmm sweet sounds good to me.

Thanks for the info!!

July 4th get-away FROM philly-- with dogs. Any suggestions?

For a change this year, I%26#39;d like to enjoy the 4th in a different place outside Philly, but not too far away (2-3 hrs max). However, I%26#39;m planning this trip with another friend and our 2 dogs-- 65 %26amp; 85 lbs.

We%26#39;ve done day trips with the dogs before and even an over-nighter. They%26#39;re well behaved, but it%26#39;s a challenge-- lodgings, meals, activities, potty breaks, etc. I know we can%26#39;t do everything everywhere, but I%26#39;m open for any suggestions-- esp. from dog lovers.

btw: I%26#39;m also checking a few dog-friendly websites, too, but I really like tripadvisor feedbacks.

July 4th get-away FROM philly-- with dogs. Any suggestions?

A couple of thoughts:

Gettysburg area, Hershey area, Lancaster.. I know Hershey has a fireworks show usually sometime around then, there must be at least one pet-friendly hotel or B+B in those areas.

July 4th get-away FROM philly-- with dogs. Any suggestions?

I have done a fair amount of travel with a large (85 pounds and tall), but well-mannered female chocolate Lab. Some hotels want large deposits and others charge hefty fees for dogs, but a surprisingly number of Holiday Inns permit dogs in the rooms without charge (which is good, because my Lab didn%26#39;t have her own credit card or income).

Recently stumbled across www.petswelcome.com, a useful website that lists hotel chains that generally are pet-friendly. One caveat: hotels in specific locations are operated by individual franchise owners and may deviate from chain policy, so it is important to verify if they accept pets and under which conditions.

The Delaware beaches are a possibility. The is a thread on the Delawre forum about this now...Read dogmom';s post.

I took my 50lb dog to the Eastern Shore of Maryland a few years ago, stayed in Easton, walked her around there and St. Michael%26#39;s, drove down to Tilghman. Beautiful landscape, old towns. Very Colonial, reminded me of Society Hill.

We stayed at a Comfort Inn on the highway. It was nice, clean, has a scrub woods out back where a dog can %26#39;unwind%26#39; a bit without being next to the traffic, and is close to all the usual fast food places (handy, since one drawback of travelling with dogs is having to do takeout) One place I walked by in Easton%26#39;s downtown was the Tidewater Inn; website says pet-friendly.

http://www.comfortinneaston.com/index.htm

www.tidewaterinn.com/amenities_and_services/

Easton%26#39;s holiday celebration:

eastonmainstreet.com/event_independence_day.…

They seem to have fireworks, which some dogs don%26#39;t endure well.

I don%26#39;t have dogs myself, but know that many dog lovers enjoy going camping with their dogs. Most campsites have sections that allow pets.

Travel to Longwood from Jersey City

Hi,

Could anyone please give best directions for travelling to Longwood from Jersey City-I do not have car-Plan to travel by NJ transit to Trenton and transfer to SEPTA-but from there on...seems challenging

Thanks in advance

Sachin

Travel to Longwood from Jersey City

Please post questions one time. This waas answered in your other thread:

You can%26#39;t get there by public transportation. Even a cab would be difficult- while you may find a cab to take you there from a train station, you may not be able to get one coming back. It would also be very expensive.

Travel to Longwood from Jersey City

As Owlyn mentioned, public transit is not an option. I have called Longwood directly and they have indicated cabs are generally not available, their recommendation is to pre-book point to point cars from Center City, which will be about $100 each way...

If you can do a little digging and resign yourself to an inconvenient/complicated journey, you%26#39;ll probably find a garden group or bus company that%26#39;s running a tour to Longwood Gardens. It is, after all, Mecca for gardeners. There are a couple of bus companies in NJ that run day trips - Starr Tours doesn%26#39;t seem to do Longwood, but Transbridge Bus appears to have tours to Longwood. They pick up in Phillipsburg. I%26#39;m not familiar with central and north NJ, but maybe that could help.

transbridgebus.com/philly_main.htm#lwgfs08

Phillipsburg, NJ 1:15pm

Also, you could try contacting NY and PA garden sources. They might be running trips to Longwood in the coming months, or be able to tell you a small garden group near you that you could hook up with.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

http://www.bbg.org/edu/adult/trips.html

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/home/in…

Greater Philadelphia Gardens

http://www.greaterphiladelphiagardens.org/

Good luck! Longwood is worth a visit, but the area it%26#39;s in is an annoying blend of rural and urban - lacking public transit, tons of traffic and beautiful winding back grounds that take forever to get anywhere.

hotel near airport

My boyfriend and i wil be flying out of philly on a monday. We thought we would go to philly the day before to get the sights. Anyone have any suggestion where we could stay that would be close to the airport? Also how far is the airport the the center city. What would you suggest doing in the city since we will be only there for 1 full day on a sunday? Thanks for any help!

hotel near airport

Airport isn%26#39;t very far from Center City (maybe a $35 cab ride, including tips, each way or a $7 per person train ride directly from the airport).

Have you been to the historical attractions before? If not, you easily could spend the day in Old City, which also has a great selection of bars and restaurants. While you could stay at the airport (check the recently renovated Sheraton Suites or the recently renovated Embassy Suites for starters), spending the night in Old City would be more convenient and maximum your time in the city.

Check out Sheraton Society Hill, the Omni, the Hyatt Regency at Penns Landing, the Penns View Inn or the Best Western at Independence Park for places to stay. For best rates, use Hotwire or Priceline, but pay attention to--and be comfortable with--the restrictions/limitations. I am from the Philadelphia are and get back there a few times a year, but local ';destination experts'; probably have even better ideas to add.

hotel near airport

I would stay in the historic district (close to attractions and its fairly easy in-out of this city), any of the places above is a fine choice, and I would add in the Holiday Inn historic..

Are you driving in to Philly? If your time away is longer than 2-3 days, what I would do is park your car off-site Monday at one of the places off I-95 (I like pre-flight parking but most of them are good).

There is a nice Mariott that is actually attached to the airport - you don%26#39;t even have to go outside. That might be convenient for you.

There%26#39;s many, many hotels around the Philly airport; the majority (if not all) offer free shuttle service: Embassy Suites, Hilton airport, Marriot Courtyard, Sheraton, Ramada.

Like the other poster mentioned, there%26#39;s a Marriot right at the airport.

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Another Trip Report of Hershey Park (June 17/18)

Thought I would share my experience of Hershey Park since I recently had the opportunity to return after missing it for 25 years.

Family of 3 (7 1/2 year old daughter) and little one%26#39;s best friend drove straight thru from Southern Maryland on Tuesday arriving at Hershey before lunch. $10.00 to park and we were on our first ride pretty quick. I had purchased tickets prior to driving up so entrance went pretty smooth at that time of day.

The park has changed so much in the last 25 years that I hardly recognized it. As was previously mentioned it is truly ride upon ride and I think there is too much in such a small area. With the addition of the ';Boardwalk'; there is a lot to do and if you add ZooAmerica, Chocolate World and some time in the water attractions at the Boardwalk, you can easily spend 2 full days there which was our plan. But as also mentioned, time can be eaten up waiting in line with even weekday waits over an hour for the big roller coasters.

All rides have size requirements that correlate to a Hershey Candy. My daughter is only 44'; which was a Reeses and she was very limited on what she could ride (not enough to warrant the hefty entrance fee in my middle class opinion). Sort of a purgatory where she felt too big for the ';baby'; rides and too small for the big kid rides. Her friend, who is taller at 48';, was a Hershey and allowed to ride quite a bit more.

The big ticket rides include Great Bear (suspended coaster), Storm Runner, Farhenheit and Sidewinder. Farenheit is the only one with a ';singles'; line although the waits were lengthy for all of them and every train had empty seats.

We stayed at the park on Tuesday riding as much as possible until it got dark and cool and we weren%26#39;t about to spend the crazy prices on Hershey sweatshirts to stay later. Summer closing is 10:00 PM with fireworks at 10:15 every Saturday night.

We stayed at the Coutyard Marriott in East Harrisburg which was only 15 minutes away and very nice for the money (I used Marriott points lol).

The park doesn%26#39;t open to the general public until 10:00 AM in order to give the guests of the Hershey properties bonus time in the mornings. Well worth it if you want to spend the money to stay there but not completely necessary on weekdays, even in the summer. THere is a bit of a cluster at the gates starting at about 9:30 but clears out quick at 10:00 and then by 10:30 if you have your tickets you can walk right in with not much of a wait.

We were in line at the gate on Wednesday at 9:40 AM and on our first ride (near the front gate) by 10:05. It started pouring around 4:00 PM and by that point we%26#39;d pretty much had our fill of Hershey Park and ready to head back to the hotel.

Now for some overall impressions. First the good. Hershey Park is truly a family place and has a little bit for everyone. The shows are good quality, the roving band highly entertaining and enough rides of all categories to keep most busy. The park is immaculate including the bathrooms and eating areas. There are a ton of food options with of course the normal amusement park price tag ($3.00 for a normal bottle of water). Like I said before, if you walk ZooAmerica, take the 90-minute Chocolate World tour and spend some time at the Boardwalk, you can easily spend two full days there. Bathing suits are only allowed in the Boardwalk area of the park and there are changing rooms and lockers nearby. IF you do not want to get wet then I advise not to even go into the Boardwalk area as there are a bunch of ';splash zones'; and a ride that drops water on you from overhead (at the rider%26#39;s discretion).

Now for the bad. As I wrote earlier - things are on top of each other and seem to be crammed into a small area of land so that large crowds develop all over the place. The Great Bear coaster and Sooper Dooper Looper are intertwined and sit right next to the Comet coaster and since this is only 2-minutes from the front gate, its always crowded. Customer service at Hershey Park has evaporated to NONE over the last 25 years. I%26#39;ve traveled to amusement parks from Japan to England and everywhere in between and am used to at least a smile and sense of customer service or at being thanked for my patronage and hard earned dollar. Not at Hershey Park. There is no bounce in the step of the ride operators or even the initiative to do a good job. If the ride was one that is less popular and didn%26#39;t have a steady stream of patons, the operators seemed to be asleep. There are a large amount of young foreign workers employed for the summer (learn English visa program) and they are the only ones that seem to be making an effort - our homegrown American kids certainly aren%26#39;t. No ';thank you'; at the cash registers, no ';enjoy your day'; from anyone and the the game attendants only want to take your money and offer no instructions to the little ones who want to try their luck at the game. Smoking has been relegated to little wooden gazebos all over the park which is a great idea but security guards are too busy engaged in conversation with their buddy or on a cell phone to correct the inconsiderate adult (or teenage rebel without a clue) who chose to ignore the smoking ban and light up anywhere. The whole place is like an assembly line to get you in and out (on and off a ride) as quick as possible and rob you of as much cash as possible in the process.

Maybe I%26#39;m expecting too much from these great United States and maybe we%26#39;re spoiled by the smiles and ';over the top'; way Disney makes you feel when you arrive, spend time in the park and then leave but I have such fond memories of Hershey Park as a child and I don%26#39;t think my daughter left with those same feelings. The park has morphed into simply a money making commercial giant and they are quickly becoming a Six Flag type park of NJ and MD fame which is just sad. Needless to say - the bad absolutely outweighs the good and they have lost a life long fan. Good Riddens Hershey but I%26#39;d rather be robbed at Nationals Stadium in SE DC where at least I get to see a baseball game.

Another Trip Report of Hershey Park (June 17/18)

Thanks for the report. Sorry Hershey Park wasn%26#39;t up to your expectations and or memories. :(

Another Trip Report of Hershey Park (June 17/18)

I really appreciated reading your report. We will be there 6/29-7/1/2008. I, too, haven%26#39;t been there since I was a child. I am hoping my 8 yr. old and 4 yr. old will enjoy it. I%26#39;m going to go with low expectations and hope we are pleasantly surprised. Thanks again for the info.

Hershey certainly has changed over the years.I took my son there a couple of years ago.Same lines,same amusements ,same food as other name amusement parks all at outrageous prices,Attitude will determine if the child has a good time. Gp planning on spending a lot of money and waiting in line for that special thrill and it will be fine.go grumpy and you might as well stay home.

Everyone has their own expectations when paying admission to any amusement park anywhere in the US. I have become comfortable traveling with my daughter%26#39;s entertainment and enjoyment as our main goal. Don%26#39;t get me wrong, she still had a great time and probably didn%26#39;t notice half the issues that I raised and if we were to win 3 free tickets, we%26#39;d probably go back but I was frustrated too often which prompted my post. Thanks for your comments, either way.

computer wont start up

Krispy Kreme donuts in Philly?

Do they have Krispy Kreme dounuts in Philly? We can%26#39;t get them in NH or over the border in MA anymore-

Bobette

Krispy Kreme donuts in Philly?

Sadly, no. At least not in Center City. Maybe someone is aware of locations in the suburbs, but I don%26#39;t know of any.

Krispy Kreme donuts in Philly?

Sadly, as far as I know, all KK locations in Philly are no longer in operation. I checked their website, seems to confirm this...

They haven%26#39;t had Krispy Kreme here for a couple years, I think. I am not sure what happened to Krispy Kreme except that eating donuts really went out of fashion for a while when the whole trans fat thing was all over the media. I think people switched to eating more bagels instead of donuts.

While I haven%26#39;t seen any actual Krispy Kreme locations, I DO remember seeing the donuts in glass cases as convenience stores. Sorry- I can%26#39;t remember which ones but that%26#39;s your best bet.

Used to be 7-11s, but they have their own bakery supplier now...

Acme and Shop Rite grocery stores used to sell them, however, since all the franchises went out of business, you can%26#39;t get KK donuts here anymore.

Those were some great donuts!

There used to be a KK in Springfield, PA but closed about 2 years ago. It was a hit when it opened but it very quickly closed.

:(

Airport Question

I%26#39;m flying from Pittsburgh Internation to Philadelphia International on July 14th (Monday). My expected arrival in Philly is 2:35pm. I%26#39;m assuming after I%26#39;ve picked up my luggage and get my rental car it will be at least 4pm. I am traveling to Exton, PA for a Microstation training class for 4 days. What can I expect the traffic to be like on 95W from the rental car pick-up to the US-322 North Exit? I know what traffic is like at 4pm in Pittsburgh, just thought I%26#39;d see if there was any construction on that route. The hotel listed 2 directions - the one I listed and to also take I-476 North from 95W to I-76W. My experience with the Turnpike tells me the second might be a bad idea. I%26#39;m a 29 year old woman traveling alone in an unfamiliar city. I have a good sense of direction but I%26#39;m not wild about getting stuck in traffic. My class doesn%26#39;t start until 8:30am the next day, so if it would be better to wait until after rush hour I could do that too - but of course rush hour in different cities means different things. I now live in Columbus, OH (parents live in Pittsburgh, where I%26#39;m from originally) and our rush hour is about 1 hour in the am and 1 1/2 hours in the PM. Not too tragic.

I%26#39;m leaving on Saturday, expected departure at 5:40pm so I%26#39;m assuming I shouldn%26#39;t have problems then. I will then be flying from Philly to Jacksonville, FL for work - how many hours before my flight should I arrive at the rental return?

Any information would be helpful.

Airport Question

The short version? Ugh...

First of all, just to make sure you don%26#39;t have any issues, 95 goes N-S :)

IF you get out of the airport by 4:00, it won%26#39;t be too bad. 4:45 is when south really starts to clog and you will already be south of the city.

The problem with 322 is that for a decent distance off of 95, it%26#39;s one very crowded lane, so any kind of accident or incident locks it up. That%26#39;s still the way I would go, however, its just a matter of luck. I personally try to avoid 476-76 at all costs.

You will probably sit a little bit on 322 near Exton by the time you hit that as well.

If you find yourself getting frustrated on 322, when you hit Rt 1, you can turn right and drive about 10 mins to the Granite Run Mall and get something to eat and take a break. Traffic will still be icky, but most of it going the other way and the worst will have cleared up by the time you get out of dinner.

Airport Question

I kinda knew it wouldn%26#39;t be pretty. Thanks for your suggestions, and sorry about the 95 direction - at the point from the city to where I%26#39;m going it looks like it runs E-W - My bad.

I guess I%26#39;ll just have to put my patience cap on and deal with it. I%26#39;ve been looking into taking the SEPTA from the airport to Exton, then renting a car -but it all looks like a big mess. Easier to just get the car at the airport and deal with traffic. Originally the training was located in Tampa, FL (right near the airport), but it was canceled and Exton was my only other option. It looks to me it%26#39;s out in the middle of nowhere PA. But there seems to be a few malls and some decent restaurants nearby. I%26#39;m sure it will work out ok.

Exton%26#39;s not that bad, it%26#39;s just basic suburbia... Just a pain to get to at certain points of the day...

Here%26#39;s an option if you don%26#39;t mind taking back roads. I live by the airport and work in King of Prussia so I take this route every day to avoid the Blue Route (PA-476).

Airport to Exton:

Take 95 S to exit 9B - Prospect Park (PA-420)

Continue to follow PA-420 for about 5 miles.

Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto W SPROUL RD/ PA-320 N. Continue to follow PA-320 N. (3.8 miles)

Turn LEFT onto N SPROUL RD/ PA-320. (3.6 miles)

Turn SHARP LEFT onto CONESTOGA RD. (2.3 miles)

Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto W LANCASTER AVE/ US-30/ LANCASTER PIKE. (0.2 miles)

Turn RIGHT onto OLD EAGLE SCHOOL RD. (2.3 miles)

Turn LEFT onto Swedesford Rd. and (almost immediately) turn LEFT onto ramp for PA-202 S. PA-202 S will take you straight to Exton.

Tip: the King of Prussia Mall (the second largest mall in the US) is right on PA-202 so if you want to avoid traffic on PA-202 S, this is a great way to do so.

What time does traffic typically slow down at night? I was thinking of taking Loonbeams advice and heading the direction of Granite mall, eat, maybe take in movie then heading to the hotel. Since I%26#39;ll be in town until Saturday afternoon, I was planning on hitting the King of Prussia mall on the way back to the airport (I had a friend that was from that area in college and told me if I was ever out that way I had to go!). I%26#39;ve been to a lot of malls (even the Mall of America), but I%26#39;ve been told the King of Prussia mall is something to see!

I can%26#39;t see that I%26#39;ll have time to see any sites in City Center while I%26#39;m in town (training is all from 8:30am to 4:30pm, T-F, but I%26#39;d like to see what I can while I%26#39;m there (and shopping is way more on my list to do!).

Is the security line at Philly International crazy on Saturday afternoons? Should I prepare to be at the airport earlier than 90 minutes before?

Traffic on 95 S and the Blue Route (PA-476) northbound usually gets better around 6-6:30 pm.

I%26#39;ve been to Mall of America as well and quite frankly, I found that the KOP mall is much nicer.

Regarding airport check-in, 90 minutes should be enough for a Saturday.

Backpacks ok to carry in sites?

We wonder if we will have to check our backpacks before going into historical sites.

Backpacks ok to carry in sites?

I don%26#39;t recall that checking backpacks was a requirement at any of the buildings in Independence Park. However, you should expect them to be searched while going through security at the Liberty Bell and Indepencence Hall.

I volunteer at a couple of museums in the city, and in both cases patrons are asked to check backpacks because they are hazardous to valuable antiques and irreplaceable articles in tight quarters.

Backpacks ok to carry in sites?

You cannot take a backpack into the U.S. Mint. It will be searched at other sites.

It also depends on the size of the packs. Day packs are usual ok, full camping packs are often asked to be left at the desk.

The constitution center may run a bag check depending on the exhibit.

10th Anniversary

My wife and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary this September. We%26#39;re looking for a romantic get-away that we can drive to (we live in Manhattan.)

I%26#39;ve looked into the Emerson Spa in upstate New York, but have read some so-so reviews. Looked into Mayflower Inn up in Washington, CT but it was booked up - also, not sure about it.

Something in New Hope, maybe?

We want something special, romantic - leaving the kids behind.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks.

10th Anniversary

Ceasers Pocono Palace or Ceasers Cove Haven is nice. We have stayed in the Champagne Towers and Roman Towers and the rooms are very nice but expensive.

10th Anniversary

The Woolverton Inn in Stockton, NJ is exquisite, with upscale rooms in the Inn itself and several luxury cottage on the property. Their website has pictures and details about each accommodation. Be prepared to pay, though, especially if you go over a weekend - definitely a place to splurge for a special occasion. Stockton is just across the Delaware River from New Hope.

The bischwind in Bear creek Pa (poconos) is amazing. All the rooms are suites and the grounds are out of this world. And did I mention the food. Filet migon for breakfast shrimp scampi. They have a suite called the teddy rosevelt suite that he actually used to saty in when he visited pa. They have a website.

Congratulations, Loonbeam

Loonbeam, congratulations on your new designation as a destination expert. The title only recognizes what regular users of the forum have always known.

Congratulations, Loonbeam

%26lt;blush%26gt;

I shall try hard to live up to the examples of those who have come before me...

BTW, to my fellow DEs (and all posters), over the next month or so I would like to put together an FAQ referencing past posts on popular topics) and a few we%26#39;ll make as needed..

Topics I have thought of already...

1%26gt; Getting around Philly - Do I need a car, parking, the Phlash

2%26gt; Philly Neighborhoods - What are they?

3%26gt; Summary of the historical district

4%26gt; Can%26#39;t Miss to-sees

5%26gt; Off the beaten track

6%26gt; A list of museums and their areas of focus...

7%26gt; Hotel Zones (Old City, Art Museum, etc)

Any other suggestions will be welcome.

Congratulations, Loonbeam

It would be nice if we could have a ';sticky'; for the FAQ so people will see it before they post questions.

That has been requested... Not sure if we will get it...

Congrats!

Regarding your FAQ idea- I%26#39;ve written or edited articles on the ';Inside'; pages. The problem is that I don%26#39;t think anyone looks at them. A FAQ Sticky would be the way to go, but TA has to give us the ability. I guess we could create an FAQ as a message and then just keep bumping it so it stays on top.

Not sure yet, when they told me I was a DE they encouraged me to create an FAQ, and gave me the NYC one as a sample, and that%26#39;s a sticky, so I am going to ask for the same :)

My 2 cents worth:

I think the FAQ is a great idea, with a couple of cautions. 1)Loonbeam%26#39;s list of topics is excellent, but I don%26#39;t think we should expand much beyond those. In my opinion, the NYC sticky is too long. At a certain point, the term FAQ becomes meaningless and not as useful.

2) I%26#39;ve seen responders on other forums rather curtly refer nearly every question to the FAQ or previous posts. I know that those of us who watch this forum a lot may see the same questions asked repeatedly, but much of the appeal of TA is the personal touch which I don%26#39;t think we should lose.

Hope this doesn%26#39;t come across as a school marm%26#39;s lecture. Just a couple of concerns I have based on some bad precedents elsewhere.

Tom,

I agree with you. The problem with an FAQ is that we may as well not be here. But certain things can be in there- we just need to be selective. The ';best cheesesteak'; question can definitely be in there AFAIAC.

My goal is to give general information, then have them come to us for specifics. One thing we don%26#39;t have to deal with is the sheer volume of the NYC or Orlando forums..

My hope is that if we say ';Here%26#39;s a list of hotels in the historic district';, they will come back and say, okay, of X and Y, which one is better for me because....

Loonbeam,

I%26#39;ve been away from the board for almost a week, so I am glad the powers that be at TA gave you the title you so deserve here on this board.

Congratulations! I think that what you are discussing is a great idea - but I also agree the one on the NYC forum is way too long.

Suzanne

I%26#39;m going to set up a separate message board for the DEs to build it, then we can put it together and submit

makeup reviews

ittwit

2008 fireworks

We are on the 26 floor of the Embassy Suites will we be able to view the fireworks from our balcony? The hotel assures us yes but just wanted to know if any one else knew?

Thanks

2008 fireworks

yes you should if you are on the side of the hotel that is facing the art museum

2008 fireworks

Wow! Lucky you! You should have a fabulous view, if, as was previously said, you are facing the Art Museum. Enjoy! Moms

We had planned to watch from our hotel too, but we didn%26#39;t pick a good hotel for this, we are at the Sofitel. Are there any bars, restuarants or something like that we could watch from above to avoid the crowds.

To answer:

';We had planned to watch from our hotel too, but we didn%26#39;t pick a good hotel for this, we are at the Sofitel. Are there any bars, restuarants or something like that we could watch from above to avoid the crowds.';

Not really. If there were, all 300,000 people would want to be there as well.

My experience at this event is this: If you want a good location (up front near the stage), you have to get there VERY early in the day, camp out, and hope some bigger person with beach chairs doesn%26#39;t get in front of you. You will need to bring blankets to sit on, food, and water. If it is a typical July 4th day, it will be VERY hot, with the body heat from the crowd raising the air temperature even more. I find it intloerable and haven%26#39;t gone in years.

My advice is don%26#39;t worry about a good seat. Even far back you can see most of the fireworks. But if youi can%26#39;t get closer than 20th Street (really 21st, IMO), forget it. Your best bet is to catch the fireworks at Penn%26#39;s Landing instead on the 5th. Much more pleasant environment, an equally good, if not better show, and no bad views.

Need restaurant help

Leaving this Monday for 3 days nee a great restaurant for prime rib %26amp; Crab Cakes...in the area...we are staying in Bird in Hand and have a car

Need restaurant help

Hi, I usually eat local type food, but the revere inn and tavern , has a restaurant, a steakhouse type of place, which would have prime rib. Probably also crab cakes, but I would say, try to find their menu online. Others, who are locals, can direct you better.

Need restaurant help

My two favorite places for beef and/or crab cakes (they sound similar, but are very different places! just coincidence)

http://horseinnrestaurant.com/

http://www.blackhorselodge.com/restaurant.asp

Another good choice:

http://www.stockyardinn.com/

We have friends who swear by Hall%26#39;s Cafe for crabcakes. We ate there once, and it was good, but I wasn%26#39;t blown away. Guess we should go back and try again, maybe we hit an off nite?

If you are feeling up to a longer drive there is the Crab Barn, in Reading, which is crowded %26amp; crazy but fun.

http://www.thecrabbarn.com/

if crab cakes and prime rib are what your looking for I would suggest Barny%26#39;s grill, they have a web site so you can look at the menu yourself but the food can speak for itself

Doc Holliday%26#39;s has great crab cakes and Prime Rib. I believe they also own Barny%26#39;s

yea, barny%26#39;s, doc holiday%26#39;s, Gibraltar, and lancaster brewing company are owned by the same group

I didn%26#39;t know that.

All are great choices but what makes Barny%26#39;s extra special is the park-like outdoor patio with a lush mini-golf course %26amp; driving range on-site.

Every time I%26#39;ve been there the food is exceptional. Closed Sundays.

i concur daddio361 especially since they have a bucket of balls/bucket of beers special

Coming to see Billy Joel...

I am just in Lancaster but was hoping to get some idea of maybe a nice local pub so hubby and I can have dinner and a couple drinks before the concert. Also the concert is at Hershry Park stadium. How early would you say we should arrive for a 8:00 show?

Thanks! :)

Coming to see Billy Joel...

I have not been there personally, but many people like The Bear%26#39;s Den at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. Here%26#39;s their website:

www.hersheypa.com/dining/bears_den.html

Traffic will be outrageous around Hershey Park so I would recommend allowing a lot of time. I%26#39;ve heard it can start getting crazy as early as 2 to 3 hours before a show. The Hershey Lodge is only a few miles from the stadium; however, it is on one of the main roads into the stadium.

Amish Country

I am currently visiting my parents in Rochester, NY and we have decided to venture on over to Lancaster County Amish Country for 3 days. If you have any suggestions on good places to stay and eat that would be great.

I have been looking online and we are interested in touring the Amish Country Backroads, Covered Bridges, Hershey Chocolate Factory and a market.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Any tours that you recommend that are not too pricey or touristy and are authentic would be great as well.

Thanks

Amish Country

If you have kids Willow Valley is great. My second choice is Bird in Hand Family Inn and also Fulton Steamboat

Easiest & Cheapest way to JFK Airport

I need to get to JFK from Philly.

What is the easiest way %26amp; least expensive?

Thank you for your help.

Easiest %26amp; Cheapest way to JFK Airport

How sensitive is time?

The cheapest is Septa to NJT to the NY subway system (I%26#39;d have to figure out the exact links). The %26#39;Chinatown bus%26#39; is another option.

Easiest is a sedan service, door to door, which will run about $150-$200 each way depending on time of day.

Easiest %26amp; Cheapest way to JFK Airport

My flight departs JFK at 6:05 PM.

How early must I arrive to check-in?

As Loonbeam said, you can take SEPTA, NJT, and then the subway to AirTran. It would be the A train to Howard Beach, then transfer to Air Tran. Overall, your travel time would be at least 3.5 hours, and that%26#39;s without waiting time. Fare would be $7.00 for the NY Subway (or the LIRR) and AirTran, plus SEPTA and NJT. Probably about $50 altogether. Anyway, here%26#39;s a link for AirTran: http://www.mta.info/mta/airtrain.htm

Check with your airline for check-in time.

Check-in time will vary to destination. In general, for domestic travel allow 2 hrs minimum (3 to be safe), intl travel 3 hrs minimum (4 to be safe).

Drive.

web hosting plans

Lancaster County Items you bring home with you

We%26#39;re going to Lancaster county for 4 days over the long weekend. We would like to bring home some special food items from the area. What are your favorites? I know someone mentioned lebanon bologna. Where should I buy this? Where do you buy the best pretzels? Thanks in advance.

Lancaster County Items you bring home with you

We make monthly trips to Lancaster County for: ring bologna, chicken pot pie, stuffed pork chops, chicken corn soup, potato salad, cole slaw, beef jerky (for the dog) cookies and kettle (pop) corn. I would suggest stopping at Stoltzfus Deli in Intercourse and the Farmers Market in Bird-In-Hand. Remember - most Amish and Mennonite shops will be closed on Sunday. You can hit the outlets then.

Steve

PS. bring a plug in cooler or lots of freeze packs.

Lancaster County Items you bring home with you

Oh my i can definitely answer this one. We always go to Lancaster at least once or twice a year and I ALWAYS stock up on the hard pretzels, they are the best from this area. In order here are my favs. Martin%26#39;s Pretzels, Hammonds, and then Uncle Henrys. I always buy around 20+ bags to take home with me (the cashiers must think im crazy). I either go to Oregon Dairy which is a few miles from Rt30 in Lancaster or i go to the Bird in Hand Farmers Market, but for the big amount of pretzels I buy I prefer to go to Oregon Dairy. They also have a nice bakery department. Between time of going to Lancaster, I always do mail order of my pretzels and have been doing so for years (im a hard pretzel fanatic and its well worth the money). Shoe Fly Pie of course is very good and always bring one home- i get that at Bird-in-Hand Bakery but Im sure there are also other good places to get them. Also the pot pie squares are a good thing to pick up as they make a nice dumpling for your home made soup or chicken %26amp; dumplings. These are the things I ALWAYS bring back home with me.

I second the Martin%26#39;s hard pretzels. I would agree that Stoltzfus%26#39; in Intercourse is a great place to pick up a variety of meats and cheeses, as well as deli items. You might also visit the cannery in Intercourse where you can watch items being prepared and packed for shipment. Also an extensive area for sampling and purchasing their items. I like the Bird-in-Hand bake shop on Gibbons Road. They have a wide variety of home-baked goodies and a nice gift area, as well. Shady Maple Market on route 23 east of New Holland also has an extensive deli and bakery. They also carry bulk items such as snacks, candies, and nuts. Make a stop at local produce stands on the back roads. This time of year, you%26#39;ll find garden lettuce, fresh rhubarb, and asparagus. There may even be some of the season%26#39;s first fresh-picked strawberries for sale. You can%26#39;t go wrong with purchases of canned goods--jellies, preserves, chow chow, pickled red beets, etc. at these places.

On the lebanon bologna purchase, feel free to ask for samples before your purchase at any of the places mentioned (i.e. Stolzfus%26#39;, Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market, Shady Maple, Oregon Dairy Store).

Another vote for pretzels! We go to Lancaster twice a year and always hit Shady Maple for breakfast and then the grocery store for pretzels! Their baked goods are also excellent and the whoopie pies travel very well...

Wow its nice to see im not the only pretzel nut around here!

Perhaps many of you don%26#39;t realize that Lancaster county (%26amp; SE PA) is the homemade potato chip capital of the US, with many delicious brands...these are well worth buying in bulk quantities to take along.

Agree that shoo-fly pies are another staple...many different varities so, like the many brands of chips, you will need to do some sampling before choosing your favorite brand.

When I was at college there were two things I really missed. The fresh produce, and canned goods. Not metal can, but canned in a jar, like apple butter, and pickled beets. I am partial to Cherry Hill%26#39;s canned stuff, also Kauffman%26#39;s

http://www.cherryhillorchards.com/

http://www.kauffmansfruitfarm.com/

but you can find it at any small market.

Also you could go to Central Market (tues, fri, sat) and you can find all of the things mentioned in this thread.

One more, Wilbur chocolate buds

You can find them in nearly any grocery store, but it is more fun to take a trip to Lititz and visit the factory

http://www.wilburbuds.com/docs/museum.html

If you have time, go to Leola, and bring home a delicious cake from the upper crust bakery. My friend inquired about the red velvet cake she used to get at Lapp%26#39;s, and they don%26#39;t carry it anymore, but the waitress told us they used to get their cakes from the Upper Crust, and told us where it is. We never go home without a cake each. My friend loves the red velvet, but if you want to feel like you are in heaven, try their orange cake. You might need to call and order one, but, wow, that%26#39;s all I can say.

The peanut butter frosted devils food cake or cupcakes are also very good.

makeup reviews

How far is Gettysburg from Baltimore?

My friends and I are staying in Gettysburg, but would also like to visit a few other places. We have already been to Harpers Ferry and Antietam Battlefield so I though why not visit Baltimore since there is so much to see there. Does anyone know how far the drive would be? Is it worth it? Thanks!!

How far is Gettysburg from Baltimore?

Approx 60 miles depending on where you%26#39;re headed.

How far is Gettysburg from Baltimore?

Well we would like to head toward the aquarium, the zoo, and alot of the historical stuff like the fort.

If you%26#39;re just going to Inner Harbor, you might think about driving to Owings Mills and taking the Metro. It%26#39;s only a couple of blocks walk down the hill from the station.

Parking%26#39;s not cheap, traffic%26#39;s not fun. Metro ride is about 25 minutes.

I think there is a ferry from the Inner Harbor to the fort; someone correct me if I%26#39;m wrong.

Don%26#39;t need to take the metro. Inner Harbor and the surrounding ares have many places to park. From Gettysburg take 97 south towards Littlestown, get on rt 140 @ Westminster,MD still heading south. Get on 795 Northeast Expressway heading south, then 695 east then catch 83 south and read the signs into Baltimore.

Inner Harbor, Cambden Yards and Fort Mchenry all walking distance.

To everyone who has replied thank you so much!!

I was told it takes about an hour and 20 minutes to reach baltimore from gettysburg?

Im sure it will be worth the drive since theres so much to see in Baltimore.

I also have people telling me that its an unsafe city to visit, but I think all cities have an unsafe area.

We are all big history buffs so we cant wait to see Fort McHenry! I believe there are some civil war museums too to see. I just hopt we can fit all this stuff in one day LOL!

Don%26#39;t forget about the Manassas Battlefield in VA. My hubby %26amp; I did that drive two years ago %26amp; it wasn%26#39;t too bad. It%26#39;s a beautiful battlefield if you can imagine it without all the highways.

An hour and 20 minutes, only if you get stuck behind a slow poke. Barring any delays (traffic/accident) you should expect about a hour drive tops. As far as Baltimore being a bad city, yes it does have it%26#39;s bad areas but the Inner Harbor area is a very safe spot to walk around and see those attractions. Make sure your information your getting is creditable.

Thanks again for your replys! Its greatly appreciated! Hmmmm an hour from Gettysburg....not bad. Sounds like a plan. I actually got my info from mapquest. Either way without traffic it should be smooth sailing I hope.

As for Driving to Virginia thats a bit far for us right now. We do in the future plan to see Virginia and the magnificent battlefields there.

Thanks again!!

Just a quick added note about times. You will hit serious traffic on 97 and 140 in Westminster if you leave Gettysburg too early in the morning on weekdays. We always leave around 9...that way we hit the Baltimore area after the rush. If you plan to visit the aquarium, reserve your tickets early (you can do it online) to avoid disappointment and to make sure that you can go at the time you%26#39;d like. Check out taking the water taxi across to Fort McHenry.

Gyms in State College

Hi

Visiting State College again while my son visits Woodward Camp. I am recovering from a knee op, and would like to use a gym to help my recovery. Are there any gyms with perhaps a sauna attached. I prefer just doing cardio vascular exercise. I would prefer paying a bit extra for a nice atmosphere, rather than a muscle builders small gym.

Many thanks

Jim from UK.

Gyms in State College

JiimUK,

There are a few gyms in town I am not sure if any have a Sauna. Although they do not have a sauna I would recommend Victory Sports (nice environment) or the North Club (lots of cardio equipment). Where are you staying? Checkout the website statecollege.com to get information about the town and businesses.

Gyms in State College

Hi

Thanks for both your responses on gym and bikes. I am staying at Holiday Inn Express in Williamsburg square. Stayed in the Square for 3 years running, as we get Camp discount for any of the Shaner Group of hotels $79 per night. It is almost a shame we get the dicount as it discourages staying anywhere else. I will be hiring rather than bringing a bike. The bike shop rates are really cheap as the £/$ rate is in our favour at the moment. My wife an I normallty go walking in the Stae Parks around Stae College. But this year she cannot get the time off work. So I will be doing a lot of cycling and Gym (ing). Then puting all the weight back on at all the nices restaurants you have downtown.

Thanks again

Jim

Jim,

If you haven%26#39;t seen this already, I recommend getting a purple lizard map which has the bike paths labeled on them. You can pick them up at any of the bike shops. If you have any other questions I%26#39;ll keep an eye on this forum. Have a great trip and good luck with the knee.

http://www.purplelizard.com/retail_maps.htm

what to do?

My husband is desperatly trying to persuade me and our kids to have 3 weeks in usa in September.His sister lives in Dubois and he would like to visit her for a couple of days,go to motorbike racing in indianapolis on 12-14th sept.He is talking about flying into JFK airport,hiring a camper van/RV for 6 people and driving-is this feasible?

Also what else is there to do for females age 42,18,17 males age 18,15?.-I%26#39;m pretty ignorant when it comes to USA all I know about is Burgers,Baseball-neither of which I like.

Any thoughts on flying into Toronto-canada and driving down-passed niagra falls?

I really do need a lot of persuading and I am hoping that you can help.

what to do?

Maybe you should get a U.S. guidebook and see if there are things you want to do here, then post specific questions on the appropriate TA forums.

TA people are very helpful, but need some guidance.

The U.S. is a big country, you might be able to find something to your liking.

PNC Park: Seats

Can someone explain the row arrangement in PNC park for the infield box seats. Is row G seven rows from the field?

Does the double letter rows (AA, BB, CC) come after the entire single alphabet rows?

How many rows from the field would Row GG be?

Thanks.

PNC Park: Seats

…mlb.com/pit/ballpark/seating_pricing.jsp

I can%26#39;t tell you how many rows back, but this link lets you choose a section and a picture will pop up of the view of the field from that section.

PNC Park: Seats

I knew I answered this question recently:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g53449-i352-k20116…

Yup you did answer it for me. I looked on stubhub for tickets and the AA, BB, etc seats were more money, so I thought maybe they came first (which would be different from most mlb stadiums).

So you probably go a through z then aa, bb, cc, dd, ee, ff, gg

Hmm, I haven%26#39;t been to the park recently but I%26#39;m sure that AA through GG are first then it goes singles. I had season tickets in X last year and don%26#39;t remember many seats behind me.

The single letter rows come first.

For example at the Pirates/Yankees game on June 24th we were in Section 5, Row H and were in the 8th row from the field. That should make GG the 33 row back.

Another clarification. If Sam4413 doesn%26#39;t remember many seats behind him, it may be that he was in one of the ';shallower'; sections. Because of the shape of the park, not all sections are the same depth. The more expensive double letter seats may have been in a ';more desirable'; section.

identifying rows

places to eat for a family

WE will be going to the Pirates VS Cards game on a Friday night. We are staying at Quality Inn across the brigde from the stadium. Are there any Subway resturants to eat there? Or maybe a buffet that doesnt cost a lot? Also what is there to see or do before crossing over the bridge or after crossing over? When we went to the Reds game we stayed in Newport KY and before we walked acrossthe Purple People Bridge there was a little shopping area with shops and food, anything like that here?

Thanks

places to eat for a family

Where are you staying? The Choice Hotels website lists only two Quality hotels in the Pittsburgh area. These hotels are located on the Boulevard of the Allies in Oakland and Mansfield Avenue in Greentree, both a few miles from PNC Park -- not what one would consider as being ';across the bridge from the stadium.';

places to eat for a family

The subway website lists about 50 locations in the Pittsburgh area: subway.com/Applications/locator/store.aspx

My favorite place to eat before crossing the bridge to PNC Park is Salonika Gyro on 6th street, about two blocks before the bridge. They have the best gyros anywhere. They are big and stuffed with lots of meat. One fills me up, and they are cheap.

Can you clarify where you are staying? Like the previous poster said, there is no Quality Inn in the downtown area.

I was told that the Quality Inn on Mansfield was across the bridge from the stadium and that we could walk across the bridge and then walk to the stadium. Is this not true??

When I called the hotel to make my reservations they told me that we could walk across the bridge to the stadium instead of drive, is this not true? Is the hotel too far away from the bridge to do this? Is there parking around the bridge? anywhere else that has about the same price per night better to stay at??

You%26#39;re about 4 miles away. Do a google maps, if you don%26#39;t believe me. Maybe the hotel has a courtesy shuttle to downtown?

http://www.qualityinn.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfoMap?hotel=PA476%26amp;maphotel=PA476%26amp;country=US%26amp;sid=miRyM.VxD$mgQH9d.7

Yes, it is a few miles outside of town and too far to walk to the stadium. There is usually adequate parking.

If you are comfortable using priceline, you could get a 3 or even 4 star hotel downtown for less than the Quality Inn. But you would have to pay for parking.

hmm. I just e-mailed the hotel and they told me that they do offer a shuttle and walking is kind of far. The person I talked made it sound like no big deal. How much is parking down by the stadium? Do people not walk across the bridge to the game?

Thanks

Maybe we could drive down to the bridge, park there and walk across to the stadium, is this doable? Is there a lot of parking lots to do this on that side of the bridge??

Thanks everyone!!

You can park in a downtown garage for as little as $5. Thousands of people walk across the Clemente Bridge every game when they close it down to vehicles.

Historic sites

Planning on visiting most of the historic sites on my stay (sat 7/12-tues 7/15). I have been told to pre-purchase tickets for the major attractions. Is this true, or can I purchase the day of my intended visit?

Historic sites

Most of the sites do not have tickets, Independence Hall and the Constitution Center are the biggies that do. I would recommend pre-obtaining for the Independence Hall tour prior to your planned date, the others can probably wait until day of..

The tickets for Indep Hall are only $150 each to pre-reserve, btw. # is on this page: http://www.nps.gov/inde/

Historic sites

I agree with Loonbeam; it would be helpful to pre-reserve your tour of Independence Hall because that is a timed ticket, and pay the $1.50 per ticket fee. Or, if you prefer, you can show up at Independence Vistors Center on the morning of the day you want to visit, and pick up your timed ticket free of charge. However, as the tickets are first come first served, you might not get the exact time that you want, and they could ';sell out.';

If you want to go see ';Pirates!'; at the Franklin, that is also a timed ticket.

You should be able to purchase all your other tickets for historical attractions at the door without prereserving.

makeup reviews

4th of july fireworks

where is the best place to watch fireworks on the 4th of july?

4th of july fireworks

Ben Franklin Parkway, ideally above 22nd street; somewhere between 22nd and the Art Museum:

http://tinyurl.com/6rjo2e

Go as early as possible to obtain a good location as it gets very busy.

4th of july fireworks

If you%26#39;re still around on the 5th, the fireworks at Penn%26#39;s Landing are also very good with smaller crowds and earlier, about 9:30.

Best orientation to Pittsburgh

My daughter is starting at CMU in the fall. We%26#39;re joining her for orientation weekend in mid-August.

Looking for recommendations for best things to see and do to get a sense of the city over about a day and a half before orientation begins.

Thanks,

Best orientation to Pittsburgh

My recommendation would be to go through the last 40-50 entries on this forum. There are many, many ideas and suggestions already posted on must-do%26#39;s and family activities.

After reading them, if you have some follow-up or specific questions, we%26#39;d be glad to answer them.

Best orientation to Pittsburgh

CMU has a page on this subject on their website.

www.cmu.edu/student-life/pittsburgh.shtml

Also be sure to look at the ';helpful links'; box on the above cmu link.

I think the Just Ducky Tour, which you get at Station Square, is a fun general orientation to Pittsburgh.

As she%26#39;s going to be at CMU, you might want to visit the neighborhoods she%26#39;ll likely be frequenting: Oakland, Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. All are fun in their own way. And I guess the South Side for college students nowadays, though your daughter might not spend much time there until she turns 21. :)

For first-timers I always recommend a trip up the Incline and a Saturday morning/afternoon visit to the Strip.

Good luck and welcome to Pittsburgh!

www.visitpittsburgh.com is a good place to look for activities.

The Gateway Clipper fleet offers various sightseeing cruises:http://www.gatewayclipper.com/cruises/sightseeing.asp

Pittsburgh History and Landmarks has some walking tours:http://www.phlf.org/

They may be willing to plan one just for your small group, so it would be worth emailing them to explain what you%26#39;re interested in and see what they come up with.

CMU is in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and there is a fair amount to do right there--Carnegie Art and Natural History Museums, Phipps Conservatory, the Nationality Rooms at Pitt. Lots of good little restaurants, it is a nice college area, I think.

PNC Park is a very nice baseball park and worth going to if you like baseball even a little.

For links to downtown cultural events:

visitpittsburgh.com/meeting-planners/…

You can search for other cultural events (usually, the smaller organizations) at:

http://www.proartstickets.org/

Here is a link to tours of several interesting neighborhoods:

www.pittsburghneighborhoodtours.com/pr13/

This response is not well organized, I%26#39;ve just tried to think of things that a college student might be interested in.

Pittsburgh is pretty compact, so if you decide what to do and get good directions, you can do a lot in a short time. Get a good map (the AAA map seems pretty good) and have fun.

Hotwire Help

Hello,

I was wondering if I could get some help from the hotwire gurus. I did a search and found a rate of $114 a night for a 4* in Center City East. Would anyone know what hotel this could be? Amenities include fitness center, business center, and restaurant. I know that is not much info to go on, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hotwire Help

That is likely either the Loews or Westin according to betterbidding.com. The amenities listed are the same for both hotels, so hard to tell which it is. Both are good hotels.

Hotwire Help

Thanks Tom. I was thinking it might be the Loews or Sofitel.

Betterbidding indicates that the Sofitel has high-speed internet rather than business center, but you can never be absolutely certain.

The Westin and Sofitel are both in Center City Wset. It is either the Loewes, or maybe the Omni.

owlyn, For some unknown reason, Hotwire puts both the Sofitel and Westin in CC East. In fact, all the Rittenhouse hotels are placed there, while the Seraton CC and Embassy Suites are classified as CC West. Hotwire has an unusual sense of geography. They also insist on calling Old City ';Olde Town.';

Thanks for all your help and input, I appreciate it!

Tom,

Thanks for the info. I knew about the Old Towne- didn%26#39;t know about the rest. Nice.

Hi -

My best and seemingly educated guess is that it is the Sofitel, with the Westin running a close second. It%26#39;s not the Loews, they have a spa icon that comes up on Hotwire, as well as a pool icon. Not sure what dates you are staying for, otherwise I%26#39;d run a search on something like Expedia to see who is cheaper out of the Sofitel or the Westin and if either is sold out. Regardless, I think you%26#39;d be satisfied at either property for that price. If you do buy that hotel via Hotwire, please let us know which hotel it ended up being. Thanks!

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne,

My trip would be August 28-September 3. The lowest price of all 4* hotels in the area seems to be the Sofitel and has been listed on other websites at $171 and $177. If I do end up booking through hotwire I will let you know what hotel it was. Thanks for the help!

black eyed bean salad

july 3 in Gettysburg

is the place gonna be a nuthouse?(as in lotsa people)

july 3 in Gettysburg

I%26#39;ve spent the July 4th holiday and the preceding battle anniversary in Gettysburg only once, and yes, it was crazy. This year, with the 4th falling on a Friday and being the 1st day of the annual reenactments, I would guess the town will be packed. A word of advice for anyone visiting during this weekend...figure out which restaurants you want to get into and call or e-mail them NOW for a reservation. We learned the hard way! :)

july 3 in Gettysburg

thanks, i am only going to be there for the day july 3 i will be coming from martinsburg area and going home to johnstown area in the evening

yup, a bloody nut-house

I have heard from a source they expect 13,000 for the reinactment. That is way more than usual. Most of us locals dont leave the house or we go away! Except the reinactor locals! Personally I think the crowds are exciting. Going into town for ice cream make it really feel like a vacation for 1 hour!

I%26#39;ll be there all weekend! This is our first reenactment, so I%26#39;m hoping the weather holds out. The crowds don%26#39;t bother me too much. We%26#39;ve been there several times so we%26#39;re not trying to cram too much into our long weekend b/c we are expecting it to be crazy!

It will be crazy, but the 3rd will probably be the best day in terms of crowds. The worst spots will be the area around the reenactment, the square, and the new visitors center.

I will say this. I saw more tourbusses today then usual and some I never saw before. Maybe they had to break out the reserves. All buses were full too. Especially the top decks.

There is also a lacrosse tournament at the college - July 2-July 5, 2008.

For sure the college is busy but those guys are just walking through the college area. Makes for some nice scenery ;) when you tire of monuments. LOL I have heard from people involved with the reinactment people will start seting up camp as soon as tommorow.

NFL in Gettysburg

Are there any bars in Gettysburg that show the Monday night game.

NFL in Gettysburg

I would say you would have luck at O%26#39;Rourkes, The Pub, Eastside, Gingerbreadman, and maybe Ruby Tuesday. ALWAYS check ahead.

NFL in Gettysburg

The Gingerbread Man almost certainly.

I agree that the G-Man would probably be my choice. No true ';sports bars'; in Gettysburg, but every place in town should have on a Monday Night Football Game - Pub, Plaza, Bull, etc.

The Pike also has Direct TV and carries all the games on Sunday across the country.

Stopping Through on way to Pittsburgh in June

On my way to Pitt, my wife and I will take a detour to visit this great area. We only want to stay for a few hours, and then conitnue our drive to Pitt.

Does anyone familiar with the area care to share what you feel is the best thing to do in a short period of time? We definitely want it to involve food, so a cool lunch spot? We wanted to take a buggy ride, or some sort of tour that wouldn%26#39;t take more than 4 hrs. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks for your time!

Stopping Through on way to Pittsburgh in June

while you are in the area stop a Bird In hand Farmers Market

Stopping Through on way to Pittsburgh in June

JayKwanza, personally I would go to Dienner%26#39;s to eat. They are on Route 30 in Soudersburg. While at Dienners grab a Free Map of Amish Farmlands. It%26#39;s a yellow fold out map with roads and attractions marked out for you. www.dienners.com. Then you can head to Ronks Road,go North to Route 340 Bird-in-Hand. There you will see Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant and the Farmers Market,the one Ginger mentioned in her post. Now if you head east on 340 you will come to Plain and Fancy Retaurant and there you will see Aaron %26amp; Jessica%26#39;s Buggy Rides. The trouble with passing THROUGH Amish Country is you don%26#39;t want to continue on to any where. You%26#39;ll want to stay. Check out these web sites.

www.padutchcountry.com

This one will open up a Lancaster County Visitors Guide for you.

www.800padutch.com.

I hope this will be of some help to you. But after you visit please post about your trip. We would like to hear about it. I will promise you this. YOU will want to return to Lancaster.

God Bless, popc.

I second dienners for lunch, and if you enjoy shopping, try the pretty shops along route 340 in Intercourse, by Kitchen Kettle Village. Very pretty primitives and gifts. Enjoy

Take a trip on any back roads north of route 340 on up to route 23, near New Holland. You will pass thru beautiful Amish farm country, and will also see farmers already in the fields preparing for spring work. Amish farms do not have electric wires running to the houses. The yellow map of Amish country previously mentioned will help you find your way around. I also affirm the choice of Dienner%26#39;s for a meal--authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cookery in a setting favored by the locals; also quite reasonable prices!

Stop in the Dutch Haven - big windmill building, can%26#39;t miss it - for a free sample of Shoe Fly Pie. If you enjoy BBQ you might want to check out Jakey%26#39;s Amish BBQ, right behind the Dutch Haven.

I recommend everyone%26#39;s suggestions above too!

Hope you have fun! Let us know how it is :)

The Dutch Haven is right next door to Dienner%26#39;s. Go between the two and parking in rear. Jakeys is back there and you can visit The Outhouse. A unique place for gifts and novelties.It%26#39;s fun.

Again,enjoy!

Hey everyone, thank you very much for the input!! I%26#39;m printing all of this out, getting my yellow map ready and off I go next week! I appreciate everyone taking their time out to help me out and will certainly post comments about how the trip went upon my return. Everyone have a great summer!

Enjoy Lancaster County! It sounds like you should have ideal summer weather for your trip! One other word--if you have any questions about the Amish or Mennonite way of life and their distinctives, stop in at Mennonite Information Center located almost directly across from Dutch Wonderland on route 30, east of Lancaster. They are also willing to provide guides, for a fee, who will ride in your car to take you to areas of interest. The Center also has racks of brochures and advice on whatever you should need.

I would concur with JourneyGuy on the idea of taking a trip on some of the back roads to get a true sense of the area. In my opinion that is the best way to get a real feel for Lancaster county. If your traveling on either tues, fri or sat I would recommend taking a trip into downtown lancaster to the farmers market, even though I work just across the street i never get tired of going to get my lunch there or just to walk around.

However i must say that some of the recommendations of POPC and Ohiojewels are way off, the places that they recommended are without a doubt the most touristy untrue versions of lancaster county. I will honestly say that after living here for nine years to stay away from the attractions that are on route 30 such as dienners and dutch haven. These places take advantage of the fact the route 30 is one of the predominant roads to take into the county from the east.

Hopefully this has been helpful advise and if you have any other questions please ask

ps where are you from in ny as I am originally from long island

I%26#39;m shocked that you would be warned away from Dienners. It is not a tourist trap. Many of their diners are locals, and I%26#39;v seen many mennonite familes there, and I%26#39;ve seen Amish people eating there, many times. Dutch Haven is a tourist trap, though not much of it is left from it%26#39;s original days, other than the building itself. Popc was only saying that if one eats at Dienners, since they share a parking lot, it is fun to walk around some of the silly shops there. By the way, I%26#39;m from Long Island. Plainview, what part were you from. We%26#39;ve been visiting the area a few times a year for the last 25 years, and many of the places are tourist traps, millers, shady maple, good and plenty, plain and fancy, etc, but I really don%26#39;t put Dienners into that category, and even if it is, it%26#39;s good food.

makeup reviews

headed to philly this weekend!

I just made a last minute trip plan to visit this weekend (Fri- Sunday). Thanks to priceline, my husband got a great deal at the Crowne Plaza Center City on Market St. Even thought we are only a couple hours away, neither of us has ever been to Philly for leisure (have been for work a few times), so we would like to sightsee and visit the historic sites. I figure it will be busy with the 4th of July but unfortunately this is the only weekend in July that we are able to travel. I have heard in the past that its a very walkable city- will we be walking distance from the Liberty Bell, Art Museum, etc? If not, is there decent public transportation? Also, what about getting to Pat%26#39;s and Geno%26#39;s for the cheesesteaks, and to the Phillies stadium? We will have a car if necessary, but prefer not to drive around town. We also plan on catching the fireworks on either night- from the previous post maybe we will shoot for Saturday instead of Friday.

The Phillies site says there are still tickets available for this weekend- can one generally buy tickets on the day of a game? We are thinking of catching an game but are unsure if we will be too busy doing other things and would like to be able to decide once we are there rather than be tied down to it.

Thanks for the help!

headed to philly this weekend!

Hmm, after reading the below post, maybe we will try Campo%26#39;s for cheesesateaks. It seems more convenient to our hotel.

headed to philly this weekend!

As for the fireworks, the Crowne Plaza is an easy walk to the Parkway so that you can walk over about 11 pm, and stand in the street and watch. No need to go early for the concert , etc. unless you really want to.

Independence Park is about a mile, so whether you want to walk depends on your physical condition and the heat. Busses run along Market St, so that%26#39;s an option, or the Phlash.http://www.gophila.com/C/Tours_and_transportation/401/U/Phlash/1303.html

Same is true for the Art Museum.

I should also mention that there are many events besides the concert and fireworks going on. Check out the schedule here:

http://www.americasbirthday.com/

The Ice Cream Festival and Taste of Philadelphia are usually fun.

Until the recent slump, same-day tickets for the Phillies were somewhat scarce. Hard to say what it will be like this weekend.

Campo%26#39;s is a much better choice that Pat%26#39;s or Geno%26#39;s. If you find yourself on South Street, then do Jim%26#39;s (4th %26amp; South).

Your hotel is centrally located for your activities, so you should be able to walk, weather permitting. You can take any bus down Market Street (except #31) to get to the historic sites. Same is true coming back, except for #48. You will need exact fares, so have plenty of singles if you want to ride the bus.

In any event do NOT take your car. You won%26#39;t be able to park it anywhere you will be going.

Re tickets to a Phillies game, I usually find that I can get last minute tickets at StubHub.com or other ticket services, even when the team%26#39;s official site says they are sold out.

Except for games against Mets/RedSox and or Yankees, walk up tickets are USUALLY available for the upper decks.

For any games with those three teams, buy in advance...

Thanks so much for all the responses! I definitely want to check out the Taste of Philly and Ice Cream Festival too. The Phillies are playing the Mets, so I%26#39;m not sure about the tickets. On the Phillies website it does not say it%26#39;s sold out, but it doesn%26#39;t actually let me get through to buy tickets, so I can%26#39;t tell for sure.

The site is always busy as heck for those games, call the ticket #. But I will bet its single seats and standing room only, or you will need to go to StubHub. Warning - the atmosphere at Phils/Mets games can get a little %26#39;heated%26#39;. A lot of NY fans who can%26#39;t get tickets in NY because of the insane pricing come down to Philly.

I have noticed that no one has yet mentioned taking the subway to see the sites as appose to the bus. Staying at the Crowne, you are a 2 block walk to the subway where you can then take the blue line to either 2nd or 5th and market to see the sights as well as old city and stop at campo%26#39;s and see penns landing the orange line is there as well which will take you down to the phillies stadium.

Hope you have a good trip

Thanks for making the point, Mike. I thought of the subway while I was out, came in to post it, and you had done so. To add to it, from the City Hall station, you can take the Broad St. line to the stadium complex for the Phillies game if you decide to try it.

atm's ?

My daughter is going to the Mall with her history class. (we live in Wash state) It will be her first time there and they are going to the mall. Is there an ATM in the Mall that she can use? (is there a Bank of America one?)

Thanks

Katie

atm's ?

All malls have ATMs. Which mall are you referring to?

atm's ?

I think the poster must mean Independence Mall...it wouldn%26#39;t make much sense for a history class to go to a shopping mall!

Philadelphia is a big city with lots of ATMs. There should not be a problem with her finding an ATM. However, if you want her to go to a Bank of America ATM, I would suggest you check their website or call customer service to locate a specific ATM.

The closest BoA ATM I know of in the CC area is near the Reading Terminal market (there%26#39;s a branch right around there I always walk past).

Lots of ATMs within a few minutes walk (pretty sure there also is one in the Bourse Building right on Independence Mall), but if you really want a Bank of America ATM, the closest ones are is at 2nd and South Streets and another at 7th and Walnut.

Other very close ATMS (but not Bank of America) are on 4th Street between Market and Chestnut and on Chestnut Street between 4th and 5th.

Unfortunately Bank of America has a pretty small footprint in the city of Philadelphia, it%26#39;s covered well in the suburbs but for some reason they just fly below the radar downtown...

thank you so much everyone who answered my question!! I printed them off to give to her teacher.

Thanks again :o)

Katie

grown dutch rabbit

smell the chocolate from hotel?

We are thinking of staying in the SpringHill suites on Hershey Dr. Can you smell the chocolate from there? Is there any hotel where you can go outside and smell the chocolate (rather than the two overpriced Hershey properties)?

smell the chocolate from hotel?

You don%26#39;t even smell the chocolate in the park anymore. They use to pipe in the smell, but not anymore. Maybe they do it from the hotel, I don%26#39;t know.

smell the chocolate from hotel?

that is so sad.

If you are in town when the factory is working, and depending on the winds. you can definatley smell the chocolate.

Does anyone still go to Caesars Poconos?

I have been to Cove Haven several times and once to Brookdale with the kids. We are thinking of trying Pocono Palace this weekend since our most recent trip to Cove Haven I wasn%26#39;t impressed as I have been in the past. ( I also gave them a good review on a visit in the fall )

Being Forever Lovers we have always been upgraded at least one category but our last trip as soon as we arrived before we said anything the front desk person stated rudely there are no upgrades available.

I wonder has this ever happened to anyone in the past? I questioned the front desk after and told her I knew they had Vacancies but being our anniversary I thought I would make the best of it. Every time in the past we were always upgraded but I was a little put off by this. We just stayed the one night and vowed never to return. Also I wasn%26#39;t impressed with the quality of the food and the service of the Italian night.

Before I book for this weekend I wanted feedback about Pocono Palace?

Does anyone still go to Caesars Poconos?

Hi,

I used to go all the time years ago but now that I have kids (one with a medical issue) we have not been able to go and I really miss it. I too have been to them all. My least favorite was Paradise Stream. I love Cove Haven because it is so big and the nice lake. PP I have also been to a few times. It is near many things and not in the boondocks so you will be able to venture out and things will be very close. I always enjoyed the Palace. The last time we were there (a long time ago they had just finished some renovations).

Now we have always stayed midweek the reason being is because the prices were much cheaper (during the New Year) and you are always guaranteed an upgrade because most people do go on the weekends. I wouldnt even attempt to go on a weekend as I know the chance of getting a good upgrade or even an upgrade is greatly reduced or none at all. In the past they were always very nice about upgrading and even gave us a 3 room upgrade one time. I would think that most likely they did not have anything to upgrade you to. In the future, you can always switch to one of their other resorts where they might have room available. We did do this once as we wanted the Champagne Towers and PP didnt have it so on the same day just switched to Cove Haven. They were very nice and called CH and made all arrangements for us. As long as I had the upgrade I wanted I was very happy. Sometimes food can be unpredicable. I never had a bad meal there and luckily Im not a big fan of Italian so I couldnt really answer that. Maybe they just arent experts in cooking Italian food. Anyway I would give Pocono Palace a shot and i would recommend going midweek which starts on a Sunday - Thursday. this will always guarantee your upgrade.

Does anyone still go to Caesars Poconos?

Thank you Ginger for your reply, looking at the last time anything was written in this forum it was last August.

My husband and I thought we would book Saturday at PP and see how we like it. If we are happy we will extend our visit. I have looked at the website and it looks like there are plenty of rooms available at all the resorts. Being Superbowl weekend and Valentines in a few weeks I am counting on not being too crowded this weekend.

I will also take your advice on having the front desk staff call to see if anything else is available for upgrades if we aren%26#39;t given at least a pool room.

I think the last time we were there it really caught me off guard the front desk person wasn%26#39;t too pleasant. After driving for 4 hours leaving at 4 am through adverse weather conditions, the last thing I wanted was a frown when we walked in the door. Hotel Managers have to be aware of the most important person in operations is the first person you greet entering a hotel. I don%26#39;t care if I have flown 25 hours or drove up the road it sets the tone for the rest of the vacation.

I have to tell you though the Italian food on Friday night was just awful and the service very poor. I will write a review on Pocono Palace when I return to let you know if I have faith again in Caesars.

Your welcome! Yes maybe it wont be so packed with Superbowl Sunday. I know how you feel. I always counted on getting the upgrades that I wanted and would be extremely mad if we were stuck with the regular room. I think to it depends on how busy they are. There was once or twice where service wasnt great (maybe trying to downsize because it was a slow time) but I tried not to let it bother me too much as the times we went away I really wanted to enjoy rather than spending time being mad. It may vary from place to place also so I guess it can be unpredictable. I wouldnt totally give up on them though. Many years ago I went other places such as Penn Hills (total dump and limited portions of food), Sticklands, etc.....I think Ceasers has definitely been the best and did the most upgrades to their resorts. Keep me posted on how you liked PP when you get back.

I am just seeing this… how was your trip? we are going to the palace next weekend, but I think it will be crowded because Val day, but that is when we were able to get child care, and school are closed Monday, so we are going!

We got the most basic room, and were hoping for an upgrade, but it does not look good!

CarribeanJacki, please let me know how you liked Pocono Palace.

Yes I think the chance of getting an upgrade is probably not very good at all on valentines weekend. LIke I said the best time to go is midweek if you could ever pull that off.

Hi:

I posted a review for the Palace and I have to tell you I loved it! We were upgraded to the Fantasy Apple and we might even go back for Valentines Day but not stay the weekend. Husband has to work Sunday 24 hours so we unfortunately we can%26#39;t take advantage of a long weekend. But I was wondering what is Paradise Stream like? We will most likely return to the Palace on Thursday arriving very early in the morning to take advantage of breakfast. I will let you know if I what we decide.

Im glad you enjoyed it. I too liked the Fantasy Apple Room. I have been to Paradise Stream and was a bit disappointed in it. Now PS is not as big as CH or PP and is much smaller %26amp; quaint. Not as many activities there either. If you are happy with the other two places I would just stick with them. If you arent into doing the activites and just looking to relax it may be the place for you, again it all depends on what you are looking for but in my opinion it was #3 on my list.

We never go on weekends to avoid not getting our upgrade! We always go Sunday through Friday %26amp; always get our upgrade. We go to Cove because they have the most rooms with pools so we are almost guaranteed to get our upgrade to a room with a pool! Sorry your last experience with the Cove was unpleasant but don%26#39;t write them off! Paradise Stream you can visit while at the Palace but we were turned off by it%26#39;s small size %26amp; little activities. They do try though %26amp; they have ALOT of faithful clients. We love all the Caesars resorts %26amp; usually go about 3 times a year!