Send Me Somewhere Results – Week Seven

No live music and BBQ for me this go around. Austin has been eliminated.

…and then there were two. After seven weeks of voting for where to send me on my next trip, only two cities remain. If you have been following the voting each week than it should come as no surprise that both Montreal and New Orleans are now in the finals. That means Austin joins Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, Quebec City, San Diego and Vancouver, which were all taken down by your votes each week.

What surprised me the most about this voting was that for all seven weeks, either New Orleans (weeks 1, 3 and 4) or Montreal (weeks 2, 5, 6 and 7) were in first place. Voting will last two weeks and on January 1, 2010 the announcement will be made about which city I will check out on an upcoming trip early next year.

So which French influenced city will get your vote? Will it be Montreal? Perhaps New Orleans?

Update – January 1: The winning city has been announced. Click here to find out where you are sending me.

Results:

Montreal: 50%

New Orleans: 29%

Austin: 21%

Tags: austin, canada, louisiana, montreal, new orleans, quebec, texas

Send Me Somewhere Results – Week Five

I have been singing in the shower for a few weeks now in preparation  for tonight’s first ever “Twitaoke” (Twitter Karaoke). Hosted by the travel geek’s at SoSauce.com, it will be a little get together of about 20 travel writers, travel bloggers and just plain travel addicts. Hope to see some of you there. But be forewarned, I enjoy a tune or two after a few pints of Guinness.

Now on to this week’s “Send Me Somewhere” results. Oh Canada…another one of your cities has been eliminated. Just one week after Vancouver got the boot, Quebec City will join the host of the 2010 winter Olympics and the other sorry cities that just could not get enough votes to survive the weekly elimination.

Voting for week six is underway and it is down to New Orleans and Montreal, who have both dominated the weekly voting and the cities of Chicago and Austin. Remember to vote each week in order to keep your favorite city alive until the finals on January 1, 2010. Here are this week’s results:

1. Montreal – 35%

2. New Orleans - 24%

3. Chicago - 19%

4. Austin - 17%

5. Quebec City – 5%

Tags: austin, chicago, montreal, new orleans, quebec city, texas

Sunday Travel Shot: Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas skyline

Tags: Dallas, texas, Travel, united states

Send Me Somewhere Results – Week Three

San Francisco: One of the two cities eliminated this week.

Another week of voting has come to an end and this week not one, but two cities were kicked off the island…er I mean eliminated. To just backtrack before I give the results, to show you how unpredictable this voting has become, last week’s favorite city Montreal was in dead last for six out of the last seven days. It was not until late last night that a few votes put the popular Canadian city back in the competition.

Over the last two rounds we saw one west coast city eliminated each week. San Diego was out followed by Seattle. Well the dark cloud of the left coast continues with double elimination due to the bottom cities receiving the same amount of votes. So I will have to part ways with Portland and say sayonara to San Francisco as both were the least voted on cities this week. It is now down to six cities and they are New Orleans, Quebec City, Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, and Austin. You can start voting now for week four.

Here are the results from week three:

1. New Orleans – 27%

2. Chicago - 18%

3. Vancouver - 16%

4. Austin - 12%

5. Montreal - 10%

6. Quebec City – 7%

7. San Francisco – 5%

7. Portland, OR – 5%

Tags: austin, canada, chicago, illinois, louisiana, montreal, new orleans, oregon, portland, quebec city, san francisco, seattle, texas, vancouver, washington

Guest Nomad: Beyond The Alamo – Seven Places To Add To Your San Antonio Itinerary

This week’s “Guest Nomad” is Sarah V. from Wandering-off.blogspot.com.

Beyond the Alamo: Seven Places to Add to Your San Antonio Itinerary

After moving to San Antonio from the Midwest this past summer, my family and I discovered just how much there is to do in the country’s seventh largest city.  And yet our friends back home haven’t heard of most of these places.  To many, San Antonio is all about the Alamo.  But don’t be fooled.   The Alamo is just the beginning.

1. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: The park consists of four missions, all of them containing beautiful 18th-century churches.  My favorite is Mission Concepción, the oldest unrestored stone church in the United States.  Built in 1755, the structure is an excellent example of Spanish Colonial architecture.

2. Japanese Tea Garden:  This beautiful garden, set in Brackenridge Park, is a pleasant surprise for those who expect this part of Texas to look dry and desert-like.  In addition to being lush and peaceful, the garden has an interesting history to boot.  Founded in 1918, near the site of a former rock quarry, the gardens were a challenge to design due to the unusual setting.  Prison labor was used to build the stone bridges, pathways, and lily pond.  Don’t miss the Torri gate, created by the artist Dionicio Rodriguez, which stands at the garden entrance.  You’ll notice that it says, “Chinese Tea Garden.” You can read more about the garden’s history by visiting the city’s Parks and Recreation website.

3. Fralo’s Pizza: Take delicious pizza, add a lovely yet casual outdoor setting, and mix with a hearty dose of live music.  Fralo’s is hip yet inviting, festive yet kid-friendly.   Be sure to try the “pigtails” appetizer.  (Tip: Don’t forget your own beer or wine.  Alcohol isn’t sold at this restaurant.)

4. The old Walgreens sign: This site was the source of controversy in 2008 when it was decided that the old Walgreens would be torn down in favor of a new building.  However, they did keep the retro sign from 1936.  See it at the corner of Houston and Navarro.

5. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema:  Plenty of movie theaters serve more than just the basic popcorn and candy, but this theater goes above and beyond!  You can order everything from pizza to piña coladas.  And don’t miss the pre-show entertainment.  Somehow they have managed to find the weirdest B-movie clips and 1970’s public service announcements to entertain you before the movie starts.  Also, check the website’s calendar for special film festivals and events.

6. McNay Art Museum: The museum opened its doors in 1954 after Marion Koogler McNay left her home, gardens, and art collection in her will.  The collection has since been expanded and an exhibition wing has been added to the museum.   Artists represented in the collection include Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Georgia O’Keeffe.

7. The Riverwalk: Lined with restaurants, this is a very popular place to be on summer evenings.  Located below street level, the winding walkways hug the river, making it seem like a peaceful place even when it’s crowded.  If you’re interested in history or architecture, take a river cruise.  The Riverwalk is the star of the show and isn’t to be missed!

Do you know of any other San Antonio must-sees?  Add to the list by leaving a comment!

Tags: alamo, San Antonio, texas