Category Archives: Jack’s Travel

My business or non-family travel.

Excalibur

Walking Las Vegas Strip

I was in Las Vegas for the week. My meetings started at 8am and most nights ended at 10pm, so I didn’t get alot of time to really do anything.

My last night, after 10pm, I went for a walk on the Las Vegas Strip. I exited through the taxi stand area, turned right / West and walked along Tropicana Ave.
At the light with Las Vegas Blvd, I crossed the street and turned right. From there I walked North passing Excalibur, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Mandarin Oriental, City Center Place, Planet Hollywood, Harley Davidson Cafe, Cosmopolitan, Aria, Bellagio (saw the nice fountain show!), Paris, Caesar’s Palace, Flamingo, and Bally’s.
From Bally’s I took the Monorail ($5) back to the MGM. This was a fun way to see the city lights!

City-Hall

Walk Baltimore Inner Harbor and Downtown Area

My First Day

After my first full day of meetings in Baltimore Inner Harbor, I went for a pre-dinner walk.  My hotel is on the Baltimore Inner Harbor front.  I started there, walked North along Gay Street upto City Hall. Then I turned left and looped back South along Commerce Street back to the Inner Harbor / Pratt Street.
HarborplaceAlong the way, I saw: the Holocaust Memorial, United State Appraisers’ Stores, United States Custom House, Charles L. Benton Jr. Building, the Baltimore Street Red Light district, War Memorial Building and Plaza, Zion Lutheran Church, Memorial  to The Negro Heroes of the United States, Stratford University, World Trade Center, Harbor Maritime Museum, and Pratt Street Power Plant.
The weather was overcast, with a steady drizzle.
BaltimoreInnerHarbor042814

Link to Everytrail Trip

My Last Evening

After dinner on my last day of meeting in Baltimore, I went for an evening walk through the downtown area.
I started at my hotel on the Inner Harbor (Pratt Street) and walked North and West on Lombard St.  I walked up to the iconic Bromo-Seltzer Tower, then I headed North and walked East on Baltimore Street, turned left on to Calvert Street to the nicely lit-up Battle Monument.  From there, I zig-zagged over to South Street and walked over to the Inner Harbor water front where I walked over to Pier 5, then headed back to my hotel.
Bromo TowerAlong the way, I saw:  William Donald Schaefer  Federal Building and it’s colorful lawn sculpture, The Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower, Bank of America Building, Battle Monument, City Hall, Furness House, National Aquarium, Pratt Street Power Plant, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), and the USCGC Taney Coast Guard Cutter.
This was my first visit to Baltimore Inner Harbor, and it rained the whole time, all three days.  I wasn’t going to let some rain stop me from exploring the historic downtown area, but maybe next time I will come when it isn’t monsoon season and explore a little further.  And, maybe even see an Orioles baseball game at the nearby Camden Yard ballpark.
BaltimoreInnerHarbor042914

TIPS

Overall, the Baltimore Inner Harbor area is very nice and very new.  When you walk further into the historic downtown area, you see buildings that are considerably older and of more historic significance.  I nice place to wander through.
The Baltimore Inner Harbor area is a good area for business meetings.  Lots of shopping and dinner spots nearby.  I was able to go back and forth to the airport over a very convenient Light Rail line (cheap, too!)
Cable Car Turntable

Nob Hill Walk Cable Car Loop — San Francisco

Background on my Nob Hill Walk:  I was in San Francisco on business.  My hotel and meetings were on Nob Hill.  On my first day of meetings, I did an early morning walk and a late evening Cable Car excursion, looping the city.  A beautiful day.

Nob Hill Walk – Down California, Cable Car Back

California StreetNewhall Building

I was in San Francisco for business meetings. Early in the morning on the second day of my visit I decided to go for a walk from my hotel on Nob Hill heading East down California Street.  My walk ended at Market Street; from there, I caught the California Line Cable Car to take me back.

For this nice little walk, I walked past buildings mostly in the Financial District:  Transamerica Pyramid, 650 California Street / Hartford Building, Old St. Mary’s Church, Omni San Francisco Hotel, Alvinza Hayward Building, Union Bank / Bank of California, and the terraced gardens of the 101 California Building.

The cable car terminus at California and Market/Drumm Streets was all torn up.  At first, I thought I couldn’t board here because of the construction, but after awhile several people started queuing up so I knew this was still a good pick up point. The workers there were making sure that people were queuing for the cable car in a safe spot.

Heading back, I saw the Sing Fat Building, Mark Hopkins Hotel, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont Hotel, and the Pacific-Union Club — Nob Hill is a nice place to visit!

Cable Car Ride: Union Square on Powell/Mason line to Embarcadero Streetcar South to California Line back to Nob Hill

Bay Bridge

After a full day of meetings and dinner, I took a for-fun ride on the cable cars.

I started at Union Square, hopping on the Powell/Mason Cable car on Market Street heading North all the way up to Fisherman’s Wharf.  I briefly walked around and then caught the Embarcadero Streetcar and road South along the F-Market & Wharves line to the Ferry Building at Market Street.

I walked around the area, took some pictures of the Bay Bridge, had dinner nearby then walked over to the California line cable car terminus.  I rode up Nob Hill, back to my hotel.

This is a fun loop; this is something I have always wanted to do.  The only really new segment for me was the Streetcar.  I rode in one of the decades old vintage street cars.  It was perfectly restored and had a very comfortable ride.  I shared it with about 15 other people.  I have seen the street cars before; they look really cool, but they aren’t the same as the cable car… much more like a bus.

On the loop, I took pictures of some noteworthy sites:  “Hearts in San Francisco” and Dewey Monument in Union Square Park, Westin St Francis, Sam’s Cable Car Lounge, Blue Mermaid bar in Fisherman’s Wharf, Ferry Building Clock Tower, San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, Gandhi Statue in the Golden Gate Ferry Terminal, Southern Pacific Building, Vaillancourt Fountain, and the The Pacific-Union Club, Grace Cathedral and the Mark Hopkins hotel on Nob Hill.

I bought a one day pass for the cable cars.  It came in handy for this trip, which otherwise would have cost 3 separate fares.  I did this at night, a little bit late.  This was mostly ok, because during the day it is alot more crowded.
Cable Car Loop: Union Square taking Powell/Mason line to Embarcadero Streetcar to California Line to Nob Hill at EveryTrail

EveryTrail – Find the best Walking Tours in San Francisco, California