Outdoor ‘treasure hunt’ puts $40k worth of gear up for grabs

by Kraig Becker on

Nationally syndicated columnist Stephen Regenold, best know by his pseudonym, The Gear Junkie, is hosting a scavenger hunt this July, and 300 lucky participants are going to get the chance to win some very cool outdoor gear in the process.

The first ever Gear Junkie Treasure Hunt is scheduled to take place on July 11th in Roanoke, Virginia, and will mix outdoor fun and adventure with the opportunity to go home with new gear from the likes of Sierra Designs, Deuter Packs, Brooks Range, and many more. But in order to earn that gear, participants will first have to compete in an open wilderness orienteering competition that will see them navigating their way through Explore Park, a wooded playground not far from Roanoke.

The rules of the competition are simple. At the start of the event, competitors will be given a map that will be marked with the location of flags that have been planted around the park. They’ll then have two hours to find as many of those flags as possible, earning one point for every flag they discover. At the end of the competition, they’ll be able to redeem those points for gear.

With more than $40,000 worth of swag up for grabs, the Treasure Hunt is sure to offer fun and fierce competition for all involved. Entry is limited to the first 300 who apply, and pay the $25 registration fee, so you may want to sign up as soon as possible to ensure your chance to compete. The registration page can be found by clicking here, and if you would like more information about the event, click here.

Hotel Review: The World Center Hotel, first hotel to open at Ground Zero

by Melanie Nayer on

When I told people where I was going and what I was doing, the same three words continued to make their way into different conversations: redevelop, rebuild and revitalization. I hadn’t been to lower Manhattan since before Sept. 11, 2001, and quite frankly I had no plans to return. I remember where I was on 9/11, what I did and what happened next, and I wondered how, in this lifetime, we would survive the tragedy that just struck our great city. Two months later, I headed to Washington DC to report on the rebuilding efforts in our nation’s capital. Ten years later, business came calling, and I was headed down to Ground Zero and the site of the World Trade Center.

What I saw was a hotel with a purpose, and an overwhelming a sense of pride in its employees — they were proud to be open and thrilled to be part of the revitalization efforts of lower Manhattan

The purpose: A walkthrough of the World Center Hotel, which officially opens June 9 on Washington Street at the southern edge of the World Trade Center rectangle. The hotel has unrestricted views of the construction happening to rebuild, redevelop and revitalize lower Manhattan, including views of the Freedom Tower and National 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Cheryl Palmer, corporate vice president of revenue and product development of the World Center Hotel, spoke on behalf of the hotel’s opening.

“The overall response has been very positive for us. We are under a soft opening and since the opening we’ve been running very strong from an occupancy standpoint. We’re about to open the View of the World Terrace Pub and that has also evoked a positive response,” said Palmer. “There are some challenges with the construction in the area … but the construction is a sign of the rebuilding and revitalization – it shows the progress that’s been made. There are no surprises in terms of out location.”

The hotel was under development pre-9/11 and the developers and management “stayed committed to the project through all the challenges,” said Palmer.

I’ll admit I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure how I would feel seeing all of this for the first time, and having to take pictures to document it. I wasn’t sure how travelers would feel about it, either. What I saw was a hotel with a purpose, and an overwhelming a sense of pride in its employees — they were proud to be open and thrilled to be part of the revitalization efforts of lower Manhattan. So, I stepped inside the elevator and went on the tour of the first hotel to open at Ground Zero.

%Gallery-94655%The Rooms

The rooms are perfectly simple – nothing fancy or frilly here, but a great place for business travelers. Light wood serves as the frame for desks, beds, tables and furniture, which brightens up the smallish space. Shades of blues and greens accent the room on the bedspreads and the sofas (sofas are only part of the hotel’s suites). The standard size room comes with a desk equipped with plenty of outlets, in-room free Internet, coffee service, electronic temperature controls, and iPod docking stations.

For all the construction happening outside the bedroom windows, it was surprisingly quiet in the rooms (kudos to the architects and designers). The deluxe suites feature the same amenities as the standard rooms, but come with a sitting area that includes a pull-out sofa.

The hotel claims the deluxe rooms are big enough to hold meetings in – while there is a ‘sitting area’ in the deluxe rooms, I think the rooms are a little too small for a ‘meeting.’ However, the rooms are big enough for a private workout – an amenity the hotel offers. Request fitness equipment in the privacy of your room, and it will be delivered.

Your view will depend on your room. I toured the rooms with views of the construction, and was immediately taken aback by the realization of what I was seeing. You can (and will if you’re in one of these rooms) lie on your bed and watch the rebuilding happen. It’s surreal and overwhelming, and also somewhat inspiring.

The Bathrooms
All the rooms come with a standing shower; only a handful feature full tubs. Each bathroom is stocked with the basic amenities – shampoo, conditioner, soap and other toiletries. There’s nothing fancy here, but it’s functional.

The Amenities
In my opinion, the amenities are what sell this hotel. Guests enjoy:

  • Complimentary high-speed Internet access throughout the hotel
  • 24-hour concierge service
  • Instant registration and checkout thanks to computers in the lobby
  • Complimentary use of computers with Internet access and network printers in the lobby
  • Same day dry cleaning and laundry service
  • 24-hour menu delivery from select neighborhood restaurants
  • Fitness room and exercise equipment delivered to guestrooms, for those who don’t want to workout at the hotel’s fitness center
  • Complimentary chilled bottled water stations on every floor

Additionally, the hotel is LEED ‘gold’ certified for environmentally sustainable design, construction and operation. There are energy saving programs and electrical appliances throughout the hotel and renewable materials were used in the construction of the hotel.

The Club

The View of the World Terrace Club, located on the hotel’s top floor, is bound to be a meeting mecca. Opening officially with the hotel on June 7, the terrace club features spectacular views of the memorials, the Manhattan skyline, the Hudson River and surprisingly, New Jersey.

“As a guest staying in the hotel you’ll take advantage of all the amenities in the club,” said Palmer. “We’ll host events that overlook the river including wine and cheese parties, music events, and business social events.”

It was surprising to take in the views, actually. Turn one way and you’re looking down at the 9/11 construction site and the building of the Freedom Tower; turn another way, and you have breathtaking views of the water, complete with boats if you head up to the balcony at the right time of day.

The Bottom Line

The World Center Hotel is a great addition to the revitalization efforts of lower Manhattan. Its location to dozens of corporate headquarters makes it an easy choice for business travelers, and one can’t beat the amenities that comes with the rooms. I realize that those staying at the hotel aren’t New Yorkers and might not have the same emotional pull as I had to its location, however, I’m quite certain any guest will feel proud to stay among the rebuilding of one of New York’s greatest neighborhoods.

%Gallery-94655%

British Airways’ re-launched First is worth every mile

by George Hobica on

Recently, I spent $75 to get a seat in British Airways‘ new and improved first class cabin from New York to London, and although my original flight was ash-canned, I did eventually get there. And to paraphrase the Beatles, man, I did not have a dreadful flight.

To quickly explain: I signed up for a British Airways-branded Chase Visa Card ($75 annual fee) and was awarded 100,000 bonus frequent flyer miles, enough to cover the 75,000 (one-way) required for a ride way in BA’s newly-refreshed premier cabin. Heck, I don’t fly much these days, and my 56-year-old posterior isn’t as padded as it used to be, nor are my joints quite as supple, so $75 for a little comfort is just what the chiropractor ordered.

Had I actually bought that seat? Well, honestly, on my salary and at my pay grade, that would have been unlikely. It would have cost several thousand dollars-more if I paid full freight, less if I had bought a heavily discounted fare.

As it turned out, that Iceland volcano had other plans for me, and my flight was canceled. My hopes of attending a reunion at my Oxford college, where I was a graduate student 30 years earlier, were vaporized.

But last week, I was invited as a guest of BA, in my capacity as an airfare/airline pundit, to give First Class another shot.

Most air travel these days, whether to the former USSR or to Bangor, can be pretty dreadful. But not in seat 3K on a BA 777.

No one is quite sure who (Flaubert? Einstein?) first said that “God is in the details” (it’s also been said that the devil is in them too), but first class on most international airlines is already pretty fine, so the only way an airline can improve its premier product is by concentrating on the fine points.

And this, clearly, BA has done. The padding on the seats is plumper. The seats are 60 percent wider at the shoulders. The video screens are bigger. The cabin lighting is softer and prettier. The reading lights are brighter. The window shades are electronic. Each seat now comes with its own closet. The pillows are bigger. The bedsheets of a finer Egyptian cotton. The armrests disappear as the bed reclines to its fully-flat, fully-horizontal position, giving you even more room. The dedicated check-in areas are more exclusive-note the comfy easy chairs. The arrival and departure lounges are more luxurious. I particularly liked the terrace overlooking the bustle at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

BA was in strike mode when I flew, so catering was a bit handicapped; thus I can’t say if they have improved the in-flight cuisine. I suspect they have, however (actually the substituted chicken tikka was quite good). I’ll have to wait for my next first class adventure to try the amuse bouche, and to find out if the 2004 Tattinger Champagne, normally served in First, is better chilled, or the caviar fresher.

After all, I still have those 100,000 miles burning a hole in my Executive Club account, and maybe I’ll be around for my 40th college reunion. By then that volcano will be extinct. I hope.

Photo of the Day (6.8.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
Today’s Photo of the Day is a dramatic shot of the Yosemite Valley and ever-famous Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. It’s worth taking a look at the full size version of this photo to get the full impact of the detailed rock faces that are enhanced by the desaturation in the photo.

It’s a shot that’s been captured many times, but mikeyu1402 certainly added a new perspective to a familiar scene with some creative post-processing. Nice work Mike! Do you have a photo of a famous site with your own personal spin on it? Submit it to our Flickr pool and check in to see if we pick it as our Photo of the Day!

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Hotel will open despite oil spill

by Melanie Nayer on

Jimmy Buffett isn’t going to let a little oil spoil his fun. The margarita-loving crooner is set to open his 162-room Margaritaville Hotel in Pensacola, Florida and said the threat of the BP oil wreaking havoc on his beaches isn’t of concern.

Buffet’s $50 million hotel sits on the Gulf near the main section of Pensacola Beach, on land where Hurricane Ivan destroyed a previous hotel in 2004. Clearly not phased by the potential threat of the oil spill, Buffett told news sites he has no plans to delay the opening of his hotel.

“This will pass,” he said as walked along the city’s beachfront and fishing pier with Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist.

“Here’s an opportunity to be a real Floridian, because if we have to shore up here, we can do it.” Buffet told South Florida’s CBS4 reporters this weekend. He has his own marketing campaign in mind to get people to come to the panhandle. “It might be more fun to come down and help clean up than just lay around on the beach.”

Well put, Mr. Buffett. Grab your margarita, find your cheeseburger and sit back in a new kind of paradise in Pensacola. Cheers!

[via CBS4 South Florida]