Cool destinations: on the road through the four seasons.The United States is brimming with cool destinations. In the desert, on the Pacific Coast, in the most urban surroundings--and even in subtropical sub·trop·i·cal adj. Of, relating to, or being the geographic areas adjacent to the Tropics. subtropical Adjective of the region lying between the tropics and temperate lands swamps. These places are cool because they're hip; they're cool because when you gaze on their charms, you're likely to shout out "how cool!"; and they're cool in terms of climate if you pick the right time of year. Spring: Moab and Monument Valley Desert solitude and movie-worthy rock formations: that's what drew author Edward Abbey to Moab and filmmaker John Ford to Monument Valley. If you're drawn to the southeastern corner of Utah, especially in late April, the daytime mercury rarely exceeds 70 degrees, even in this arid desert climate. And the air is unbelievably fresh. Enter Moab's Arches National Park Arches National Park, 76,519 acres (30,979 hectares), E Utah; est. as a national monument 1929, designated a national park 1971. Located in red-rock country and overlooking the gorge of the Colorado River, this area contains a vast and unusual array of natural rock about 90 minutes before sunset and you'll be treated to revelations of shadows and shapes. Park Avenue's assembly of massive stone facades is named for the Manhattan street with its stretch of buildings these rocks resemble. With so much to see from the car, Arches is perfect for those with limited mobility or a need for climate-controlled touring. Cruising along the main park drive, visitors are surrounded by landscapes straight out of Gustave Dore's illustrations of Dante's Divine Comedy. Balanced Rock performs its timeless levitation levitation (lĕvĭtā`shən), the raising of a human or other body in the air without mechanical aid. The idea is ancient; holy men, both pagan and Christian, were reputed to have had the power of becoming light at will and of moving atop a majestic pedestal, like a combination sentinel and yogi yo·gi n. pl. yo·gis One who practices yoga. [Hindi yog master always on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of enlightenment. At an accessible parking lot, visitors can step out, soak in the magnificence, and hope the moment never ends. About three hours from Arches, Monument Valley is perhaps the only place on earth that can rival Moab's boundless beauty. Toward the end of a spring day, the light is forever repainting the valley's rocky fortresses. Blues become light purple, then dark purple, then fiery red, then back to blackish blue. The barrier-free visitor center has clean restrooms, an air-conditioned gift shop, and excellent observation areas for breathtaking views of the iconic Mittens and Merrick Buttes Buttes is a municipality in the district of Val-de-Travers in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. . The building also has a gently graded ramp that takes wheelers all the way up to the second-stow observation deck. A 17-mile loop road winds along the valley floor among rock towers 400 to 1,000 feet above. The road is raw and unpaved, but that's a good thing because it slows traffic to a leisurely pace. Southeastern Utah pioneers Harry and Mike Goulding invited Hollywood director John Ford to Monument Valley during the Great Depression. In 1939, Ford's "Stagecoach," featuring John Wayne, was released to much success. Wayne became a big star, and from then on, people around the world began to recognize Monument Valley. Since "Stagecoach," the valley has appeared in everything from television episodes to car commercials. To this day, it inspires visitors with its mystical ambiance am·bi·ance also am·bi·ence n. The special atmosphere or mood created by a particular environment: "The noir ambience is dominated by low-key lighting . . . , while Mike and Harry's establishment, Goulding's Trading Post Goulding's [1] is a lodge, trading post, and museum located just north of the Arizona-Utah border, adjacent to the Navajo Tribal Park in Monument Valley. Harry Goulding introduced director John Ford to Monument Valley where he shot several of his classic westerns. and Lodge, offers small, clean, mostly accessible rooms. Summer: Los Angeles Swimming pools and movie stars! There's more to LA, of course, but it sure is swell to beat the midday heat in June (when temperatures top out in the high 70s) by hitting swimming pools in the morning, the cinema in the afternoon, and the haunts of movie stars at night. What would a visit to LA be without a trip to the movies? And what film buff would go to an ordinary megaplex when history and urban development blend so wonderfully at the ArcLight Cinemas? ArcLight is a movie lover's dream, with lots of independent and art film screenings alongside the mainstream blockbusters. The barrier-free site has 14 modern theaters, a movie-themed cafe bar, and the best silver screen-oriented gift shop in town. The grand draw is the Cinerama Dome: a unique, geodesic-shaped theater built in 1963. Right next door is Amoeba amoeba: see ameba. amoeba One-celled protozoan that can form temporary extensions of cytoplasm (pseudopodia) in order to move about. Some amoebas are found on the bottom of freshwater streams and ponds. Records, with wide uncluttered aisles, which maintains the retro feel of the coolest independent college record store in a warehouse-sized setting. Less than four miles from ArcLight and Amoeba--not even enough distance to get tangled in the legendarily horrible LA traffic--lies a true Tinseltown oasis. The Original Los Angeles Farmers Market. Just roam the complex for fresh fruits, veggies Veggies of Nottingham, also known as Veggies Catering Campaign, is a campaigning group based in Nottingham, England, promoting ethicalbum alternatives to mainstream fast food. , snacks, and more. Accessible parking is plentiful, as are accessible restrooms. The aisles are plenty wide for maneuvering, and the merchants are so friendly and folksy folk·sy adj. folk·si·er, folk·si·est Informal 1. Simple and unpretentious in behavior. 2. Characterized by informality and affability: a friendly, folksy town. 3. it's hard to believe they're in the heart of jaded La-La Land. Since you're on vacation and not likely to have a gourmet kitchen back at your hotel, plan to use the open-air but nicely shaded communal tables. Freshly cooked food from every ethnic kitchen known to man--there's even a killer Cajun joint called the Gumbo gumbo, another name for okra; also applied in the W United States to a rich, black, alkaline alluvial soil, which is soapy or sticky when wet. gumbo Pot--is there for the feasting. For a pricier meal in a hipper-than-thou location, hit the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills. This is a primo spot for lunch, dinner, drinks, or parties by the pool. Everything is accessible in this retro-cool, Sputnik-chic boutique property. Try outdoor dining at its Zagat-rated Blue on Blue restaurant. Call for a reservation in the morning. Then grab a poolside table, order up some innovative California cuisine, and you just might spy a hot celebrity in one of the cool poolside cabanas. Fall: New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Autumn in New York Autumn in New York may refer to;
For a fresh look at Gotham, try concentrating your visit in lower Manhattan and its neighbor to the east, Brooklyn. Affinia Gardens Hotel at 215 East 64th Street is neither in Brooklyn nor in lower Manhattan, but the hotel's outstanding roll-in showers and spacious accessible suites make it worth the ride to and from the Upper East Side. While the subway system is all but off-limits to anyone using a wheelchair, and difficult for anyone with balance or fatigue issues, all of the buses in Manhattan are fully accessible and frequent. Plus you'll find curb cuts at nearly every corner. A visit to the Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty great symbolic structure in New York harbor. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 284] See : America Statue of Liberty perhaps the most famous monument to independence. [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 284] See : Freedom or Ellis Island will inspire even the most world-weary traveler. The Circle Line, true to its name, goes all around Manhattan. Circle Line, Liberty, and Ellis Island boats all have ramped access at the Battery Park launch. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Museums are fascinating and fully accessible. Back on the mainland at Broadway and Wall Street, Trinity Church is one of the best free-admission attractions in New York. A ramp provides access to the interior of the 1846 Gothic Revival masterpiece. Outside, the churchyard houses one of the oldest cemeteries in Manhattan, where the first Secretary of the U.S. Treasury U.S. Treasury Created in 1798, the United States Department of the Treasury is the government (Cabinet) department responsible for issuing all Treasury bonds, notes and bills. Some of the government branches operating under the U.S. Treasury umbrella include the IRS, U.S. , Alexander Hamilton, and steamboat steamboat: see steamship. steamboat or steamship Watercraft propelled by steam; more narrowly, a shallow-draft paddle-wheel steamboat widely used on rivers in the 19th century, particularly the Mississippi River and its tributaries. innovator Robert Fulton are buried. It's just a few blocks north on Broadway to Trinity's affiliate, St. Paul's Chapel St. Paul's Chapel, at 209 Broadway, is an Episcopal chapel located on Church Street between Fulton and Vesey Streets, opposite the east side of the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan in New York City. , Manhattan's oldest public building in continuous use. Located directly across from the World Trade Center site, St. Paul's Chapel, built in 1766, was home to an extraordinary eight-month volunteer relief effort after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. "Unwavering Spirit: Hope and Healing at Ground Zero," a new interactive exhibit at the chapel, is a moving chronicle of the attacks and their aftermath. To feel like a local, walk or roll across the Brooklyn Bridge. Start up the pedestrian pathway (100% barrier-free) by City Hall and your heart skips a beat. One could traverse John Roebling's steel cable suspension bridge a thousand times and discover something new to see during every 1,600-foot journey. Winter: Miami It's a place so famed for blazing sun that the city's NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= team is named the Heat. But in January, the Magic City is magnificently temperate. Daytime highs are in the mid-70s. Winter is the perfect time to stroll on South Beach and make daytrips to the Everglades or Keys. Don't be surprised to see locals in leather jackets on Miami Beach's famed Lincoln Road in January. Temperatures that feel balmy to you feel like a deep freeze deep freeze see freezer. to the locals. Pedestrian-only pathways line Lincoln Road, with its outdoor cafes, chichi boutiques, and people to watch to your heart's content. Head a few blocks south on Collins Avenue and turn east on Ocean Drive. There are three barrier-free routes from which to drink in the oceanfront Art Deco buildings. The beach is accessible via beach wheelchairs, available free from the City of Miami Beach's Beach Patrol Station. Everglades National Park is a natural wonder unlike any other. This wilderness has some easy-walking boardwalks that accommodate wheelchair-using visitors. The Royal Palm Visitor Center's Anhinga Trail, which provides pavement and wooden boardwalk, is a fabulous half-mile self-guiding trail winding through a sawgrass Sawgrass can be:
The Pahayokee Overlook, a quarter-mile boardwalk loop that provides sweeping vistas of the "river of grass," is wheelchair-accessible and wonderfully tranquil. In Key Largo, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is a Florida State Park located on Key Largo in Florida, and includes approximately 70 nautical square miles (240 km²) of adjacent Atlantic Ocean waters. It was the first underwater park in the United States. offers another barrier-free boardwalk. Mangrove mangrove, large tropical evergreen tree, genus Rhizophora, that grows on muddy tidal flats and along protected ocean shorelines. Mangroves are most abundant in tropical Asia, Africa, and the islands of the SW Pacific. Trail loops through a natural wetland. For the best sunset views on the planet, book a fishing or sightseeing charter on Key Largo. Captain Mick Nealey's Tranquil Adventures has a ramp-equipped pontoon pontoon, one of a number of floats used chiefly to support a bridge, to raise a sunken ship, or to float a hydroplane or a floating dock. Pontoons have been built of wood, of hides stretched over wicker frames, of copper or tin sheet metal sheathed over wooden boat that is perfect for wheelchair users. It even has hydraulic lifts for mobility-impaired snorkelers and kayakers. Resources: Arches National Park, 435-719-2299, www.nps.gov/arch Monument Valley Tribal Park, 435-727-5874, www.go-utah.com/monumentvalley www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm Gouldings Lodge, 435-727-3231, www.gouldings.com ArcLight Cinemas, 323-464-1478, www.arclightcinemas.com Amoeba Records, 323-245-6400, www.amoebamusic.com The Original Los Angeles Farmers Market, 323-933-9211, www.farmersmarketla.com Avalon Hotel (and Blue on Blue), 310-277-5221, www.avalonbeverlyhills.com Affinia Gardens Hotel, 212-355-1230, www.affinia.com/NYC-Hotel/Affinia-Gardens/Overview.cfm Circle Line (Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Ferry), 212-809-0808, www.circlelinedowntown.com Trinity Church (and St. Paul's Chapel), 212-602-0800, www.trinitywallstreet.org Miami Beach Beach Patrol (beach wheelchairs), 305-673-7714, www.miamibeachfl.gov/newcity/pubsafe/bpatrol.asp Everglades National Park, 305-242-7700, www.nps.gov/ever John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, www.pennekamppark.com Wright is an award-winning travel writer-photographer. Johnson-Wright is an Americans with Disabilities Act Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. civil-rights law, enacted 1990, that forbids discrimination of various sorts against persons with physical or mental handicaps. coordinator. They manage to stay cool living year-round in Miami's Little Havana. |
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