New York Couple Takes 2400-Mile Cab Ride

by Willy Volk on

Betty and Bob Matas are retiring from NYC to Arizona. Though the next big hurdle for them will be the move, the couple has already hired movers to haul their stuff. But wait: how will they get their cats to Arizona? Though they could’ve shipped the cats via airliner, the Matas didn’t want to force their cats to endure a trip in the cargo hold. They’ll just drive, right? Well… no… they don’t drive. Consequently, in order to cross the country, they decided to do what they know best: hail a cab.

Cab driver Douglas Guldeniz agreed to drive his yellow SUV cab the 2400 miles 10 hours a day for a flat fee of $3000, plus gas, meals and lodging. According to David Pollack, executive director of the Committee for Taxi Safety, the standard fare would’ve been about $5000, but city Taxi and Limousine Commission rules allow drivers and passengers to negotiate a flat fare for trips outside the city.

Novel solution — or stupid? What are the Matas going to do when they arrive in Sedona, a city NOT noted for having extensive taxi services?

Relax With a Hot Golf Ball Massage

by Jonathon Morgan on

There’s all sorts of weird ways you can get your muscles rubbed. We’ve previously mentioned the Israeli snake massage for the adventurous among you, and now comes the “Golf Specialty Massage.” It sounds like something that’s supposed to improve your swing, but no — the golf balls are actually used to perform the massage.

No lies. If you visit the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North in Scottsdale, you can have a “therapist” warm up some golf balls, and roll them along the large muscles of your spine and neck. That actually sounds nice, though I’m sure there’s a more efficient massage tool than golf balls, right?

Regardless, it’s not cheap. Expect to pay $150 for 50 minutes, and $205 for 80 minutes.

They provide the balls. No word on whether or not you can keep them afterward.

Baseball Travel Guide

by Jonathon Morgan on

Many sports fans were at a loss this past weekend. With football on hiatus for another off-season, it’s time to get psyched about America’s national pastime: baseball. For the serious fan (or the person married to a serious fan that just wants to get away from the cold), it might be time to consider a trip your favorite team’s spring training camp.

The most popular destination are Florida and Arizona, where you’ll find just about every team gearing up for next season. You can see the stars in exhibition games from seats way closer than you’d be able to afford at your local stadium, and it’s far easier for autograph hounds to get your baseballs, jerseys or other memorabilia in front of your favorite player in the laid-back atmosphere of training camp.

Check out Ben Walker’s very thorough article to get a full down on who’s playing where.

U.S. National Parks from Coast to Coast

by Adrienne Wilson on

Perhaps this site has made the Gadling pages before, but at the same time I’m willing to bet we’ve somehow managed to look over this fine jewel packed with National Park info. A buddy of mine who happens to be good pals with one of the creators of the USA-C2C venture pointed it out to me a few days back and after accessing the very thorough and detailed information, I must recommend that anyone with an interest in National Parks bookmark this page – NOW. Having toured almost all of the 358 National Parks, National Historic Site, National Battlefield Park, National Battlefield and National Monument officially recognized by the National Park Foundation within the United States, Michael and Gabrielle have created a highly dynamic ranking system for each, all on one site. (Very easy to navigate through as well.) The park museums, ease of access, ranger to tourist ratio, and park facilities are all critiqued for each and every park including anything else imaginable. I look at the amount of work placed into this project and I am baffled. With around 29 more parks left, once this project is fully finished I’m sure it is going to spread like wildfire. Maybe we’ll get lucky enough to see it in a paper / book version perfect for the backpack on long summer or fall road trips.

Oriental Garden Grill & Sushi – Scottsdale, AZ

by Adrienne Wilson on

Talk about a pleasant surprise! From the outside I easily mistook the Oriental Garden Grill & Sushi for your typical Chinese buffet type of joint and from the inside, the interior was pretty standard, but the buffet was amazing to say the least. I’m the kind of person that packs their plate so tight he first time that I never really have the full opportunity to make multiple runs back to the buffet, but I made a bug exception this time. For one, the food didn’t taste as greasy and unhealthy for you compared to a lot of Chinese restaurants I’ve dined at in the past. Secondly, they offered such a large variety of fare from Japanese dishes to Korean, Chinese and American that it any single attempt to sample them all nearly impossible.

To sum it up the food was highly delicious and reasonably priced, so if you’re hungry, in the mood for Asian cuisine and in the Scottsdale area you should certainly check them out.

Oriental Garden Grill & Sushi is located at 8909 E. Indian Bend Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85250. Ph 480.362.1530.