Munich: Oktoberfest and More

Michelle CunninghamOctober 1, 2014BloggingDUSSELDORF CHRISTMAS MARKET, GERMANY

We hopped an overnight train and were off to Munich. There’s something satisfying about waking up in a new country. Our first day there was the Traditional Costume Parade. While it was fun to watch, I didn’t expect it to be 3 hours long! The parade boasts over 40 floats…

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12 coldest and scariest ghost towns in the world (Part 2)

7. Terlingua, USA

When the Chisos mining company was founded in the mid-1800s, workers and their families quickly settled in the town of Terlingua, Texas. The population here was about 3,000 at its peak in 1903, but by 2010, there were only 58 residents in the town. They live off of serving tourists exploring abandoned buildings and churches at Terlingua.

8. Calico, USA

Like Terlingua, this town started with a mining company in 1881. When the silver mine was discovered, it was inhabited by 500 workers and about 3,000 residents. But when the silver mines ran out of bales and the metal price dropped, people were tired. In 1986, the town was completely abandoned and later recognized as a historical site.

9. Pripyat, Ukraine

The city in northern Ukraine may be the scariest ghost town in the world. It was once home to 50,000 residents, before everyone evacuated in April 1986 due to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion. The radiation level is high, making people unable to return to live in Pripyat until now.

10. Garnet, USA

Garnet was once a mining town in the United States before becoming a ghost town today. Guests can explore here for just 3 USD. People can even spend the night at a campsite to experience the cold feeling in town.

11. Virginia City, USA

Once a mining town with 10,000 inhabitants and in 1863, Virginia City today has become deserted and preserved as a national historical monument of the United States. Coming here, visitors have the opportunity to explore the houses and shops still intact over 100 years.

12. Animas Forks, USA

At its peak, the town of Animas Forks had more than 30 houses, hotels, grocery stores, hair salons and post offices, but today there are no people left and only a few small houses remain.

Michelle Cunningham June 9, 2020 Travel around the worldAnimas Forks, Garnet, ghost towns Read more >

12 coldest and scariest ghost towns in the world (Part 1)

The towns below were once prosperous communities with many people living, but now have become deserted and cold.

1. Craco, Italy

Craco town was built in the 8th century on a cliff about 400m above the ground. In 1963, many people here evacuated after a landslide disaster. The town was virtually devoid of people after the floods in 1972 and the earthquake in 1980.

Today, the town becomes a favorite destination for travelers interested in exploring abandoned buildings and is used as the backdrop for some famous movies.

2. Kennecott, USA

The town in Alaska once created millions of dollars from copper ore mining in the period 1911-1938, but when the scarce supply here became deserted. When the town was ranked as a national historical site in 1986, many tourists started coming here.

3. Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop was the busiest town in the early 1900s, when German miners came here to hunt for diamonds. After the new diamond mine was discovered in 1928, miners in Kolmanskop were rushing to a new location, leaving the town deserted and gradually invaded by the desert.

4. Hashima Island, Japan

Hashima Island was famous for its undersea coal mines that began operating in 1881. About 5,000 residents lived here in 1959, but most people left in 1974 when the coal mines on the island ran dry. masterpiece. Today, the abandoned buildings on the island become tourist attractions.

5. Thurmond, United States

The mining town of Thrumond once had a dense population, but by 2010 only 5 people were living there. The local government then decided to turn the place into a relic, including a museum for visitors to learn about the history of the town.

6. Rhyolite, USA

Some people think that this town once had thousands of people living in the 1900s. But in the 1920s, the population here was reduced to zero. Today, visitors can still see traces of the works such as schools, hospitals, shops and hotels.

Michelle Cunningham May 19, 2020 Travel around the worldearthquake, Hashima Island, Kolmanskop Read more >

Top Reasons Why You Should Travel For Sport Events

If you have never traveled to attend a sport event, here are top reasons why you should add them to your next vacation.

Better than on TV

Attending sport events live is always better than watching on television due to the energy and excitement of the cheering crowd. In addition, there is always more happening in sports venues than what you can see on TV. Commercial breaks and half time entertainment also offer more of the local festiveness.

Getting into the local community

Attending sport events is among the fastest ways to enjoy what the local community is like. Every sport has its own fan culture and getting a taste of it on television is nothing like experiencing it firsthand. Moreover, you also have the opportunity to taste the local flavors of the host city as well as the stadiums and arenas which feature specialties of themselves.

Meet your favorite players

Before or after the game, fans might have the chance to meet their favorite players. Even if you do not want to wait in the tunnel in order to get a jersey from Mean Joe Greene, you might see the players on the court or field before the game gets started. Or they are happy to celebrate their victory with fans after.

Find out from the stadium for any of the players to sign autographs.

Away games

Okay, maybe you want to use any excuse to travel. If yes, get to see a new arena or a new stadium, try new local foods, or meet up with your community of fans.

Tailgating

Tailgating is another fun reason to travel for sporting events and also another way to connect with the community of fans. If you have a truck, the tailgate is actually remote operated.

Meanwhile, other features such as vehicle wi-fi and entertainment systems can help you be able to watch the game while tailgating even if you can’t get tickets to the big game.

Michelle Cunningham March 18, 2020 Travel for sports eventAttending sport events, sport events, travel for sport events Read more >

Where to Stay, Eat, and Hang out in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics Games (part 2)

Shinjuku

What to do: Visit the Tokyo Metropolitan building, where you’ll see the view from the 45th floor of the South Tower – for free. A Gothic design, the govt building was done by famed Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, who also designed the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for the 1964 Olympics.

Olympic happenings: In Shinjuku, you’ll find the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, which will host Ping-Pong for the 2020 Olympics hosted gymnastics, athletic game, and indoor swimming races. Shinjuku is additionally walking distance to the Olympic Stadium and Japan Olympic Museum.

What to eat: You should try Golden Gai in Shinjuku, which was closed off to travelers for an extended time in order to guard the integrity of the space. It’s essentially six streets lined with small buildings that are became tiny bars on the bottom floor. The initial concept, which you’ll still see administered by many Golden Gai bars, was that every institution had a topic that guests needed to be ready to discuss – be it “Kill Bill” movies, Italian operas, or UK football teams – with whoever was pouring drinks.

Shibuya City

What to do: Really, the foremost important draw of Shibuya is that it’s easy to urge to a number of the most famous Tokyo neighborhoods. Harajuku, for instance, falls under the Shibuya City umbrella, where Tokyo first-timers can walk the famous Takeshi Dori. Or if you would like to dive right in to the simplest of Tokyo culture, you’ll mount the metro for 15 minutes – take the Inokashira line – to Shimokitazawa, arguably Tokyo’s hippest neighborhood. Then visit Shimokita Garage Department, a market-style collection of outlets as well as some secondhand, where beanies and sweaters reign.

Olympic happenings: Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Shibuya will host 2020 Olympic Handball.

What to eat: Try first Afuri, which serves classic ramen: no frills, no reservations. And Yamawarau may be a shabu-shabu restaurant with excellent-quality ingredients with a group lunch and dinner menu option. They even have a branch in Ginza and therefore the original restaurant is in Omotesandō.

Michelle Cunningham March 3, 2020 Sports traveling2020 Olympics, Shibuya, Shinjuku Read more >

Where to Stay, Eat, and Hang out in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics Games (part 1)

This year marks the beginning of a new decade, but maybe more important, a new Olympic season. Here are the neighborhoods in Tokyo, the capital of the host country Japan, as well as the surrounding prefectures that you will want to stay, eat, and hang out in during the 32nd Olympics Games, which kicks off on July 24.

Gaienmae

What to do: Walk along Icho Namiki Avenue in Gaienmae to see the ginkgo trees. Their leaves completely turn yellow in late November; however, the tree-lined street offers a good Instagram moment at any time of year. You should also visit Aoyama Cemetery, which might sound bleak, but is actually a stunning park, reminiscent of touring Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA or Père Lachaise in Paris. Another favorote place in Gaienmae is Omotesandō, a beautifully designed, upscale shopping district for the avid international shopper.

Olympic happenings: Gaienmae might be the prime neighborhood to stay in for the 2020 Olympics as it is home to the Olympic stadium, which will surely host the opening and closing ceremonies of the event and serve as the general Tokyo epicenter. Across the street from the stadium is the Japan Olympic Museum, which just opened in September last year and chronicles not only Japan’s Olympic history but also hosted the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998, and certainly, a Summer Games in Tokyo in 1964. It also highlights Olympic contributions from all over the world. In addition, the museum has a VR experience wherein visitors can surf, swim, or stick their landing like Olympians.

What to eat: You can try La Coccola, a Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant on the second floor of a Gaien Nishi Dori (Street) building. Also worth popping into is Obanzai Hachiya, which closes for the night if they have run out of food on their meticulously curated 10-item menu.

Michelle Cunningham February 17, 2020 Travel for sports event2020 Olympics, Gaienmae, Tokyo Read more >