Interesting San Fran Facts

Just traveled back from an awesome trip to San Fran and am recovering from sensory overload. My brain is still swimming in the memory of the views, the food, awesome Fall weather. As I get back into the swing of things as an Innkeeper this week, I'll start daydreaming about this city while I'm cleaning and doing laundry.

In the meantime, here are a few intersting tid bits I plan to hide in my factoid arsenal for the next round of Trivial Pursuit in downtown Mount Dora at the Goblin Market. I tweeted them yesterday for #TravelTuesday. In case you missed it ... enjoy!

#1: The crookedest street is not Lombard Street, it is Vermont Avenue between 22nd and 23rd.

#2 San Francisco cable cars are the only moving National Historic Landmark.

#3 Alcatraz means pelican in Spanish.

#4 Mission Dolores is the oldest building in San Francisco, built in 1791.

#5: The Chinese Fortune Cookie was invented by Makato Hagiwara whose family operated the Japanese Tea Garden.

#6: San Francisco is built on 43 hills.

#7: Irish coffee was invented in San Francisco. YUM!

#8: Denim jeans were invented in San Francisco for the Gold Rush miners.

#9: Coppola wrote large portions of The Godfather Trilogy in Caffe Trieste, the 1st San Fran coffee shop

And the Final and most HILARIOUS fact about San Fransisco ...

#10 ... it was originally called Yerba Buena Cove. Good Herb. Seriously! That phrase as a totally different meaning this day and age. LOL!

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Top 10 Most Unusual Hotels

Last week for Travel Tuesday I had a boat load of fun researching the most wild and crazy types of accommodations there are for travelers ... from capsules to caves and even one underwater hotel. I posted the trivia below ... and realized there is one REALLY COOL one I forgot ... Treehouses! I can't think of a better way to bring out your inner kid than sleeping in a treehouse! Check it out along with the other unusual and weird places to rest your head at night.


#1) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: Ever consider sleeping underground in a cave ? Try this ...

Dessert Cave Hotel


#2) Top10 Unusual Hotels: If you're not claustrophobic, how about a Capsule Hotel.

Capsule Hotel


#3) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: If you're ok with being chilly, try an Ice Hotel!

Hotel de Glace


#4) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: Hotels famous for landscaping? Ever try a Garden Hotel?

Garden Hotels


#5) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: Have you ever slept underwater? A hotel where you need scuba gear to enter:

Jules Underwater Hotel


#6) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: Library Hotel? Yes indeed. Each floor is themed after a category of the Dewey Decimal System.

Library Hotel


#7) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: Here's 1 built on an artificial island & structured in the shape of a boat's sail.

Burj Al-Arab


#8) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: Take a look at this retired 1936 Ocean Liner that became a hotel.

The Queen Mary


#9) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: How about staying in a posh room ... that used to be a jail cell?

The Liberty Hotel


#10) Top 10 Unusual Hotels: While its not quite a hotel, its definitely the best Green/Eco lodging in Central FL: My Inn!

Tremain Street Cottages


BONUS: For all the Tarzan types ... Treehouse Hotels!

Cedar Creek Treehouse and Treehouse Out 'n About I think I'll take the Serendipi-tree.

Be sure to take a look on Twitter today to see what other unusual trivia I find!

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Girls Night Out & 80's Trivia

Martinis.

80's Trivia.

More Martinis.

Sinful cheesecake.

Could there be a more perfect girls night out?

I recently had a group of friends over for a night out in Mount Dora. We laughed, we ate, we drank, and we walked ... eh hem ... I mean ... crawled home. Well, not quite so literally. Would have ruined our dresses. But you get the picture.

Instead of a boy-style pub crawl, we did a pinkies up wine/martini crawl around Mount Dora. We ended up in the upstairs lounge of Goblin Market. First of all ... Mike just happens to be the best bartender in Lake County. Plus, he's charming to boot. Second ... The upstairs lounge of Goblin looks like an traveler/adventurer's library. Stacked with books, candles, games and the mysterious Magic 8 Ball we settled into the couch in the corner and ordered a round of martinis. Everything from a peach Bellini martini to German chocolate cake with a swirl ... and then one of us girls classed it up with a bud light. (wink) The desserts were melt-in-your-mouth sinful ... but the 80's Trivial Pursuit is what really rocked!

Here are 10 of the best. Study up on these before heading to Mount Dora, challenge your friends to a drinking game of Trivial Pursuit and WIN!

1) What 80s pop queen got her start on Star Search, but did not win (she came in second)?
Tiffany

2) What was the name of Punky Brewster's dog?
Brandon

3) What was the name of the school mistress in The facts of Life?
Mrs. Edna Garrett

4) What actor was famous for the line "nanoo nanoo"?
Robin Williams for his character Mork from Ork

(bonus if you tweet a photo of your hand showing the "nanoo nanoo" symbol!)

5) Who shot J.R. Ewing?
Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin

6) What is the name of the Dukes of Hazzards car?
General Lee

7) In Knight Rider, what does K.I.T.T.'s name stand for?
Knight Industries Two Thousand

8) In "Family Ties" who was Alex P. Keaton's idol?
Richard Nixon

9) What planet did Alf come from?
Melmac

10) What ws Balki Bartokamus' occupation when he lived in Mypos?
Sheep Rancher/Herder

I'm having way to much fun with these ... here's 5 more for a bonus ...

BONUS #1: Who was the famous TV painter from the 80's?
Bob Ross

BONUS #2: What was the name of the home that Sofia Patrillo lived in before moving in with her daughter on the Golden Girls.
Shady Pines

BONUS #3: Name 3 Popular Fashion Styles from the 80's.
Parachute Pants, Neon Paint Splashes, & Reebok Hightops

BONUS #4: What was the name of Magnum PI's suave superspy alterego?
Sebastian Sabre

BONUS #5: What is MacGyver's first name?
Angus

For an even bigger trip down memory lane ... check out: http://www.liketotally80s.com


The next day I pampered myself with a pedicure for all the walking and a massage to keep the relaxing effects of the martini going.

No, that's not a picture of me to the left. I have a rule ... no makeup, no clothes, no photo.

Anyhow, with all the spas around I thought ... this would be an AWESOME bachelorette party! Except ... on this particular instance ... we were celebrating two divorces. Oh well. Whatever the occasion ... new job, bride-to-be, newly divorced, or just because. I would put martinis and pedis in Mount Dora on your list.

--Rachelle

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Carry On Travel

Flying out to Oklahoma tomorrow and Brian gave me a really weird look when I told him I consider flying a "spa day."

I know ... I know ... you're now wrinkling up your nose and questioning my sanity as well.

Here are my reasons:

A) It's a brief technology detox. I'm completely unconnected while in the air. No phone. No email. I can get lost in a book or movie without any interruptions and not feel guilty about not checking-in on things.

B) If I packed you a little "Jet Pack" the way I make 'em ... you'd feel pretty pampered yourself.

Here's what I stash away in my carry on Jet Pack ...

Note to Scott Gorman: betchya don't have THIS in your camera bag! ;o)

1) Biodegradable Travel Booties: This takes the "ick" out of going through security. With nearly 90,000 pairs of bare feet walking daily through security lines while their shoes are being scanned in a plastic bin ... wouldn't you rather have an extra layer between your skin, socks and the floor? Big bonus ... they're biodegradable so you don't have to feel the green guilt of using something once and then tossing it.

2) Airbourne and Juice Plus. I swear by it. Changing time zones and not getting enough rest can wreak havoc on your immune system. Last time I flew to Seattle I was awake for 26 hours due to the long flight, layover, time zone change and awesome late dinner plans I was not going to miss! As long as I've got these in my arsenal ... knock on wood ... I've never caught the flu or sniffles while travelling.

3) Giovanni Towelettes. Okay, after the first two you're now you're thinking I'm a germophobe. But really, this is aroma therapy in a tiny one inch packet. After spending the day getting from point A to point B ... a rub down with one of these on your face, neck and arms is the next best thing to a shower. Grapefruit Splash is especially refreshing. Nothing like the scent of citrus to feel clean. Added bonus ... they're organic and biodegradable.

4) After a psuedo in-flight shower with a little eco-friendly towelette ... this is the next step in waking up and feeling semi-fresh upon your arrival. Solid Perfume. I like Pacifica since it's compact and made with sustainable ingredients and natural oils. I also really liek Badger Balm headache soother. It smells like fresh peppermint and also doubles as a headache reliever (rub into your temples) or cuticle cream. Want to make your own, learn how at: WikiHow Make Solid Perfume

5) Eyemask and earplugs ... because really, how else are you going to catch a snooze ?

6) Tea & Coffee. I pack I own stash of tea bags for the plane. Greet tea. Mint tea. Earl Grey. Jasmine. Chocolatte Green tea (this one is my favorite). I usually bring a variety since once I open one up I usually end up sharing with passengers around me. I also bring a couple of mini gourmet coffees for the hotel.

7) Dental floss, toothbrush and tootpaste. Don't ever forget this in your checked luggage. One day of bad weather and delayed flights leaving you in a city you weren't planning on spending the night in ... you will never pack this in your checked luggage again.

Speaking of checked-luggage ... become a carry on queen (or king) and never check again. My friend Elizabeth just tweeted that she paid $15 for checking in one bag.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I always max the carry on limit. I never check. Here are 3 more things that I carry on, pack light and still have everything I need ...

8) Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castille Soap. Their label advertises 18 in 1 uses and they're not kidding! This is a traveler's must have. It's shampoo. It's face wash. It's body wash. It's laundry detergent. It's dish detergent. It's toothpaste. Etc. Etc. Etc.

9) For the ladies ... Aveda Envirometal makeup compact. It has all the essentials you need in a thin little gadget that slips easily into your back pocket. The dual foundation contains sunscreen ... two-in-one means one less thing to pack. And it's refillable. Yay!

10) One color scheme of clothes. The more you can mix and match getting 3 outfits out of one, the better. Add a pashmina to use as a blanket, belt, scarf, shawl, etc and you've got plenty of options with very little packed.

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Top 10 Weird Luggage Items Revealed

There was an article recently that caught my attention. It was discussing the strange things TSA find in airport inspections.

It made me wonder, what are the oddest things people travel with?

Well, I googled it ... and then posted my favorite (or most jaw dropping) once on Twitter.

Here they are ... Top 10 Weird Luggage Items.


#1: For the cool stuff you WISH you would find ... go here: http://www.unclaimedbaggage....

#2: A bag full live roaches. Glad I wasn’t standing in THAT security line barefoot w/ my shoes in a bucket.

#3: A 40-carat natural emerald, & once $1.2 million in diamonds … wish I found that one! http://bit.ly/wxDSZ

#4: Eyeballs. http://bit.ly/2yvxV Sure that was a sight! Ha! Starting to sound like an episode of Bizarre Foods

#5: A human skull http://bit.ly/3S9a1k. And I was worried about a carrying on bottle of lotion that was an ounce too big!?

#6: Pigeons In Pants. http://bit.ly/QPt1W

#7: Found ... A guidance system for an f-16 fighter http://bit.ly/Gfexb

#8: A Live Cobra. Whoa. http://bit.ly/2nLVDM

#9: Full Suit of Armor http://bit.ly/1exxG

#10: Life-sized Jim Henson characters & the Muppet character Hoggle from the movie Labyrinth http://bit.ly/vdwE7

We innkeepers usually don't find anything unusual left in rooms. Almost always there will be a cell phone charger left behind. If you are traveling ... when you leave ... double check to make sure you have your cell phone charger. We've collected at least 20 of those this past year.

Got any others you could add to this list? Let me know in your comments below.

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Top 10 Travel Trivia Revealed

Last Monday, I ran a series of goofy (but interesting!) bits of travel trivia on Twitter. It was our first contest run through the Twitter machine, and I have the winner listed at the end of the post.

I hope you have as much fun reading these as I had collecting them! Keep watching Twitter on Mondays ... if I find something that makes Monday a bit more bearable by inspiring a laugh or a smile, I'll tweet it.



Travel Trivia Top 10

#1: Each US hh would pay $988 more in tax w/o the tax rev generated by the tourism industry. Go TRAVEL!

#2: In 1987, American Airlines saved $40,000 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.

#3: The word taxi is spelled the same in English, German, French, Swedish. Dutch, and Portuguese ... convenient!

#4: Hurricane Season now in Florida ... but did you know in Australia a hurricane is called a willy-willy?

#5: On an average day 102 people visit the Dr. Pepper museum in Waco, TX

#6: Covering 47 square miles, Walt Disney World Resort is about the size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands.

#7: The Tokyo Zoo in Japan, closes down for two months every year to give the animals a little break from the people.

#8: There's only one mobile U.S. national monument: the cable cars in San Fransisco.

#9: The “you are here” arrow on maps is called ... an ideo locater.

#10: The country with the most number of islands ... Finland

And the winner is ...

@LepowPhoto

Congrats!

--Rachelle