Travel

Tips When Visiting Chicago Alone

Have you already tried exploring Chicago alone? There are plenty of reasons why it is perfect for you to have a trip to this city.

If you feel you can also enjoy travelling alone, just make sure that you already have the idea of the amazing places to visit and interesting things to do in a particular tourist destination. Despite of being alone, there are plenty of reasons why you can completely enjoy your Chicago adventure.

Are you brave enough travel Chicago alone? If yes, here are the outstanding things you can try when you visit Chicago by yourself.

Blend with the city

So, what does blending with the city means? Blending with the city is all about acting as if you know already where you are going and you actually belong to that city.

In addition, you can take advantage of a map guide so that it would be easier for you walk around the street. Apart from that, you can use your smart phone in order to get familiar with the areas that you plan to visit.

In order for you to create more authentic Chicago experience, you can try attending different workshops or seminars that can help you gain learnings about the place. Therefore, if you really wanted to effectively blend with the city, you have to confidently visit different places while getting deeper understanding of the city.

Talk to other people

Maybe, some people find it hard to travel alone is that they feel of being lonely. To solve this problem, you need to have the courage to talk to other people. If successfully done, you can expect that it would be easier for you to enjoy more things about the city as well as to discover more interesting places.

By simply talking to the locals, you can gain ideas about the hidden places that can bring you surprises. When you visit bars, restaurants or cinema lines, you can randomly have conversations with the people around. That way you can also hear beautiful stories that can bring an inspiration or even you will be able to meet fellow travelers.

Feel comfortable when dining

Although a lot of people find it intimidating to dine alone, if you know how to make yourself comfortable, you will be to enjoy. Chicago serves to be an amazing place to watch people. You can simply sit down and concentrate on your smartphone.

Sometimes, there is no wrong being alone while dining on a restaurant where you don’t need to have someone to talk to. It can actually have time to evenly appreciate the things and the people around you.

Pick the accommodation wisely

Not all hotels in Chicago can give you affordable prices. So, you need to choose a hotel accommodation wisely unless you wanted to have some financial issue during your trip.

With so much amazing things to do in Chicago, avoid spending too much on a hotel room. Before heading your way to the city, make sure that you already have ideas where it is affordable to stay.

Do whatever makes you happy

One of the best ways for you successfully enjoy your trip to Chicago is for you to freely do things can make you happy. Remember, you aim to go to New York for you to enjoy, so make sure that you have enough time to do things that can complete your travel.

Now, after you learn amazing tips that can make your Chicago adventure successful even without a companion, you will definitely have the confidence. Make sure that you stay happy all the time!

 

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Mincio cycle path: route and information

The Mincio cycle path is a much appreciated and rather popular route, especially in spring, which reaches a length of 45 km. The route develops between the cities of Peschiera del Garda, in the province of Verona, and Mantua , which has one of the most beautiful urban centers in the whole of Northern Italy. Easy and suitable for everyone, the one that runs along the river Mincio is a completely paved and well marked track, therefore suitable for practically everyone, from bicycle enthusiasts to families. The itinerary begins just after the Mantova railway station, which must be crossed until it reaches the Ponte dei Mulini.

Once this construction has been passed, one enters the Parco del Mincio, an extremely calm place totally immersed in nature. This place is ideal especially for birdwatchers , as birds such as storks, herons and hawks nest and live in the protected area. There are also characteristic villages and farmhouses, where it is possible to taste some typical Mantuan specialties . A piece of Grana Padano savory or a slice of Sbrisolona cake will refresh you and allow you to taste the typical local flavors.

The cycle path runs along the river towpaths, that is to say the points where the boats were towed to land, up to Pozzolo sul Mincio, full of villas rising on the water. From here you enter the Venetian territory and, continuing to pedal along the paved road, you can see some of the most beautiful medieval villages in the whole region. The most characteristic is probably that of Valeggio sul Mincio , in the past already included in the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy . Once you admire its beauty, you can leave for Lake Garda.

The last stretch of the Mincio cycle path goes in the direction of Mondambano, beyond which you must cross the river and go to its left bank. The miles to go before arriving in Peschiera del Garda are not many and should be cycled past the railway viaduct first and a parking lot next to the sports field later. Thus the Mincio cycle path ends on the shores of Lake Garda, after a journey of over 40 km between the incredible nature that only this corner of Italy can offer.

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Opens the Garda cycle path, the most spectacular in Europe

The Garda cycle ring will be a unique work worldwide, over 140 kilometers long, which forms the Garda Cycle Route, integrated and connected with other important cycling routes.

The Gardesana cycle path will connect Capo Reamol to Limone, on the border with Trentino Alto Adige, along the Strada Statale 45bis Gardesana with some stunning overhanging passages and a veritable catwalk overlooking the lake.

Antonio Martinelli, councilor for public works, interviewed by SiViaggia , commented a few months ago: “You will have the feeling of ‘walking’ on a bicycle on the water. There will be some wonderful panoramic points, such as Capo Reamol and the border point between the provinces of Brescia and Trento, with promontories from where you can admire the whole lake ” . The end of the cycle path coincides with the war memorial of the First World War.

In addition to giving tourists a breathtaking view , the new cycle-pedestrian path is also beautiful to look at: the flooring was made of wood-like material, but weatherproof, and along the entire stretch runs a very thin protective steel barrier which has less visual impact on the landscape. The steel beams that support it are anchored directly to the overhanging rocks, to the parapet or over the water.

They had been talking about the construction of a cycle path that covered the entire circumnavigation of Lake Garda, combining the Trentino shore with that of Verona and Brescia in a single itinerary of 140 km dedicated to cycle tourism.

Over the years, some cycle paths had already been completed and opened to cyclists, such as the one between Torbole and Riva del Garda, where it joins the cycle path of the Valle dei Laghi towards Salò.

The ‘Garda by Bike’ cycle path will be connected with the Ciclovia del Sole and the Ciclovia Vento (the cycling cycle route of the Po). Once finished, it will offer a long-distance network on a national scale over a thousand kilometers long .

The Lake Garda is one of the havens for cyclists in Europe, especially for visitors from Germany, Austria and those from northern Europe who each year reach the area by the thousands to enjoy the mild climate and the numerous services dedicated just to those who spend their days by bike.

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What to see on Lake Garda by motorcycle

The Lake Garda , which by extension is the largest lake in Italy, offering fabulous scenery and unique atmosphere. So what better way to explore it, if not on a motorcycle?

With a little time available, it is possible to complete the whole tour of Lake Garda by motorcycle, especially if you are not in high season: in that case, you would risk long queues, given the presence of tourists every year , here, they come from all over the world.

If you opt for the complete tour, you need to take into account over 250 km of travel: starting from Desenzano, on the Brescia side of the lake, you reach Riva del Garda and then continue through the valleys of Trentino Alto Adige , before descending towards Tenno and Toblino finally returning to Desenzano.

By motorcycle in Trentino, on Lake Garda

What are the most beautiful places to see during the itinerary? Actually, Lake Garda is pervaded by a kind of magic that makes everything almost magical. And, in any village or any beach you stop, you can be sure that you have chosen a spectacular place.

However, there are views that a motorcycle trip allows you to live fully: the ascent from Riva del Garda to Passo del Ballino , with the splendid valley of Lake Toblino. And then the climb towards the Bondone , or the descent that leads up to the lake of Cei . Because the circumnavigation on two wheels of Lake Garda is a unique experience, made up of breathtaking views and splendid villages in which to stop for a fish lunch.

An alternative is represented instead by the itinerary that, starting from Riva del Garda and passing by Limone, allows you to take the Strada della Forra , considered ” the most beautiful road in the world “. It was even referred to as “the eighth wonder of the world ” by Winston Churchill, and on a motorbike it is not hard to believe it: this narrow and spectacular road, which even James Bond traveled during a breathtaking chase, starts from Pieve and descends quickly towards the lake , crossing the territory of the Brasa and then entering the Gardesana state road at Porto di Tremosine.

On the Lake Garda, the Strada della Forra

Whether you choose to ride the whole of Lake Garda by motorbike, or to concentrate on a single stretch, the magic of the place remains unchanged. And the experience will still be extraordinary.

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Riva del Garda and the spectacular tour of the three lakes

In the province of Trento, Riva del Garda is a popular tourist resort overlooking Lake Garda . But it is also the ideal starting point for itineraries to discover Lake Tenno and Lake Ledro .

From Lake Garda, Riva del Garda offers the panorama of the northern tip. Nearby there are the province of Brescia (Limone del Garda is just 15 km) and the province of Verona, and all around the mountains: the Rocchetta, the Baldo, the Brione. Staying in Riva del Garda means immersing yourself in the magic of a lake resort, made up of small beaches and interesting monuments : the Rocca , a 12th century fortress surrounded by a canal with a drawbridge, the Bastione (a Venetian fortress built at 160 meters, on the slopes of Mount Rocchetta), and a whole series of other military fortifications scattered around.

But above all, staying in Riva del Garda means getting to know one of the most beautiful lakes that Italy can boast up close . Lake Garda is so extensive and so rich in landscapes and locality that it would not be enough a month to live it to the full. If you are staying on your Trentino side, you need to know that motor navigation is prohibited . And the silence is almost rarefied. What to do here? Apart from exploring the surroundings, it is the ideal place for water sports: canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, diving.

Lake Garda

6 km from Riva del Garda, we find then the lake of Tenno . Next to the beautiful village of Canale di Tenno, it appears to have been painted by a painter. Formed 1000 years ago following a landslide precipitated by Monte Misone, it is an enchanting place: with its pastel colors, Lake Tenno is surrounded by pastures and forests and, next to its “permanent” island, it hosts a second one that emerges only when the water is low. A tour here can not be separated from a visit to the village, and from an excursion to the Varone Waterfall Cave .

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From Rovato, our entry into Franciacorta

It has a delicate, refined and persistent flavor that is hard to forget. It is the Beef with Rovato Oil , the gateway to the fantastic territory of Franciacorta . It is a real delicacy and every fork you put in your mouth will tell you, piece by piece, an intangible heritage , that of flavors, of this corner of the province of Brescia.

Although the succulent morsel of immaterial has very little, its history is instead linked to a recipe never written and always handed down “vertically” from mother to daughter, from host to boy. And we have it today, in a nutshell: beef + anchovies + breadcrumbs + olive oil .

It would seem that already from the sixteenth century the ruined nobilitassero this dish preparing it for the holidays. Today the Manzo all’Olio has the De.Co. brand or Municipal Denomination of Origin and is definitely a dish not to be missed during the Lombardy fair Meat, an essential stage to peep during a visit dedicated to Franciacorta, the land of bubbles, full of aromas and flavors.

We cross the doors of Franciacorta starting from Rovato to start our tour …

Immersed in a true oasis of peace on Mount Orfano there is theConvent of the Annunciata , a religious complex of the ‘400, among the largest in the region. Its appearance is rather bare appearance, but go further and enter the convent, you will be fascinated admiring the remains of valuable frescoes and beyond the Cloister with the beautiful loggia of 1600 with views across the Po Valley to the Apennines.

In the Borgo del Maglio, an ancient medieval forge, you can relive an ancient local tradition, that of the “bruzafér” craft , the technique of working with red-hot iron for the creation of tools, furnishing elements and sculptures, once widespread in Franciacorta.

Knowing the history, recent or not, of the province of Brescia it is possible to cross the portals of the noble palaces, open to the public, and to take away the elements and memories of illustrious passages such as that of Antonio Fogazzaro or Gosuè Carducci who in Palazzo Torrithey met.

So between a glass and the other, in the land of Franciacorta, where wine is not just tradition, but history, with plantations cultivated since the sixteenth century, you can know a territory where relaxation seems to be the common denominator of each experience .

Even on the Napoleonic Cadastre of 1809 it is certified the existence of almost 1000 hectares of vineyards much higher than the needs of about 40,000 inhabitants and therefore intended for sale. The tradition of these sought-after bubbles is very long!

A visit to Franciacorta means getting excited among the landscapes of the nineteen villages of the province of Brescia, where renaissance abbeys, convents and churches make this place the perfect destination for a “slow” holiday .

For those who love nature can not miss an afternoon boat on Lake Iseo with a stop on Monteisola, the largest natural lake island in Italy, with a museum, very special, dedicated to fishing nets, whose production was among the most important in the whole country. Even today, something has remained in the hamlet of Peschiera Maraglio, surely many memories that the old people of the area will be able to transfer to.

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Travel and massage in Thailand in search of the well-being lost between ancient rites and new rules

For the stressed of the third millennium Thailand is the right destination. New realm of well-being, historically and touristically famous for its welcoming atmosphere of tropical relaxation, is returning to the limelight for its therapeutic massages beloved (especially by men) now finally guaranteed by new and reliable regulations. With its long history of traditional medicines and Buddhist meditative practices, the “Kingdom of Siam” has long been the most popular place for those wishing to indulge in an exotic journey by including the pleasure of being pampered by expert hands in the tour. and a swim in the sea.

But in the past these treatments were not always positive “experiences”, for hygiene, performance seriousness, uncontrolled costs. Thus, over a decade ago, the Thai Ministry of Public Health established that all spas should register with the Ministry’s Medical Registration Department (or a health office in the provincial areas) to raise industry standards. This has greatly strengthened the profile of this industry, bringing its credibility to the highest level.

The government has worked with private sector operators and the “Thai spa association” to develop specific standards for the Thai spa industry, giving an extraordinary example to the rest of the world. Together they took a step beyond current practice to include regulation and especially to ensure that tourists apply the standards in compliance with legislation. Today the curative aspect has been added to the tourist aspect and Thai spa treatments have become more a necessity than an experience. Medical tourism based on the concept of spa has become a global phenomenon and Thailand is the leading country in Asia, managing to earn the excellent reputation (once rather controversial) of “kingdom of the spa” in Asia, thanks also to the number and quality of the centers. Many of them are classified as the best in the world, the fulcrum of an exponentially growing business year after year.

But the reader who is not practical will ask himself what is special about a Thai massage?

The traditional massage, the Thai massage (Nuad Phan Thai Boran in Thai) is a massage method practically unknown to most because until not many years ago it was practiced exclusively in Thai Buddhist temples. Old millennia, its origins seem to reside in ancient Indian culture. The Thai massage includes a calibrated series of pressures, muscle stretches, kneading of the soft tissues and the connective layer, joint mobilization.

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“Forget Rome”. An article by Forbes advises Americans other “wonderful places” in Italy (and thanks Air Italy)

Forget about Rome: it’s time to explore the slow and sensual Sicily. This is the message contained in an article by Forbes , written by the journalist Anthony Grant : it is a real eulogy to the new Italian airline, Air Italy , which will be able to get foreign passengers down no longer only in Rome Fiumicino , but also at the foot of little-visited Bel Paese’s jewelery. “It was too expensive for Americans to get to Sicily, but now, thanks to the disorganized Italian aviation system, all this is going to change,” reads the article.

“Exactly – continues Grant – Air Italy, a new airline, is the answer to all your prayers like ‘take me immediately to Sicily.’ Not Alitalia , the national airline that has declared bankruptcy several times over the change of clothes Lady Gaga The new company was born on the ashes of another one you may never have heard of: Meridiana, founded by Aga Khan IV and based in Sardinia, has earned the second place over time “.

After the purchase of 49% of the company by Qatar Airways, which took place last year, things have changed: first of all, underlines the journalist, “non-stop flights will be scheduled from North America, then also from New York and Miami, towards the coolest cities in Italy “. “But the best news is that two fantastic Italian places will soon be easier to reach: Palermo and Catania “. The service from the New York JKF airport to Palermo will start on the first of June, while the one that will reach Catania will start on the first of July.

And, according to the journalist, it is worth visiting both Palermo and Catania: Palermo because it ‘blooms like a rare and exotic orchid in the unique greenhouse of the Mediterranean’ and Catania for its vibrant markets and for the sight of Etna. Prices will range from 900 to 700 dollars, but for an American on holiday nothing more surprising than to get off the plane and find yourself immersed in the true sweet Italian life.

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No more passport or boarding pass: a smile and the time of a photo are enough to get on the plane

To get on the plane no longer require a passport or boarding pass: a smile and the time of a photo are enough. To make this possible it is the airline British Airways , which is experimenting with a biometric recognition system of the face at the gate of some airports.

Facial scanning technology is developed by the company Sita (International aeronautical telecommunications company), and consists of automated boarding gates with biometric technology. The integration of the US border and customs police systems with those of the airline makes it possible to check the identity of passengers more quickly.

The novelty is now being tested at Orlando International Airport on direct flights to London. Instead, in November it started to be tested in Los Angeles where, explains British Airways, “it allowed to board 400 passengers in 22 minutes, less than half the time normally required”.

“The boarding with a smile” from the Orlando airport is just one of the applications of biometric technology developed by Sita. Biometric self-service gates for border controls are already active in the Italian airports of Naples Capodichino, Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino and at the Marconi airport of Bologna “, commented the president Sita for Europe, Sergio Colella.

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New York: ideas to be scored before leaving

Long Island City – Gantry Plaza State Park gigantic gantries transfer bridges in Long Island City located in the borough of Queens, New York.

New York is one of those places you should be lucky enough to see more than once in a lifetime. Why do not count the days spent doing the turns in Time Square or Central Park. Every time you get home, you will have the feeling of missing something. Not to have seen everything there was to see. And the feeling in effect, it is not so far from reality, given the speed in which the city changes and also change our expectations.

So to start off on the right foot, better to rely on a credit card: there will always be occasions, events and visits to be scheduled at the last minute. Because when you go to New York nothing is taken for granted. And having the ability to manage everything in peace, without having to go around with a large number of cash, is not cheap. In the meantime, we’ve thought of ten destinations, things to do and see, if you’re lucky enough to go to New York in the next few months.

Top of the Rocks, the most beautiful sight

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For the best view of New York and Central Park, leave the Empire State Building for a moment. Better to score another place, to be seen possibly at sunset. The highest point is 70 floors above Midtown, the Top Of The Rock terrace. The 30 Rock, as it is called by New Yorkers, was inaugurated as early as 1933, it was before the RCA – the Radio Corporation of America – and then General Electrics, today it is Comcast, one of the most important media industries in the world, owning the other from NBC and Universal Pictures. 30 Rock is not by chance also a television series dedicated to the television world. Returning to the rooftop terrace, it’s best to book the place first, especially if you plan to go to New York in the high season. Online tickets can be purchased by booking the time of the visit – which can also be changed later -: 34 dollars are charged for adults and 28 for children, while the youngest ones go free for up to six years . To know more: Top of the Rock
Not just Manhattan, discovering Long Island City

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It is the largest district in New York, between Bronx and Brooklyn. Long Island City is the most well-known area, with warehouses converted to art galleries and subway trains traveling on the elevated tracks. It is said that here we can see the authentic New York, the multiethnic one, the one that populated Manhattan before the arrival of Starbucks and company. Long Island City is known in particular for its artistic soul. Here is the Ps1, one of the best museums in New York, affiliated to the Moma. To keep in mind the hours: closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the other days open from 12 to 18. Better to buy tickets online: Moma

The seat is an elegant nineteenth-century school, you enter from Jackson Avenue, all the luggage, backpacks and bags are checked. To be marked also a visit to theGantry Plaza State Park : a beautiful 12-hectare park overlooking the East River, for a spectacular view of Manhattan.

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The 3 wonders of London that only a few know (and worth seeing)

Palm House at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Every tourist who gets on the plane to visit London for the first time knows: there are some places that must necessarily appear in the list of things to do once you arrive in the English capital. Buckingham Palace , Hyde Park, Westminster, London Bridge and the most important museums in London are a practically obligatory stage for anyone wishing to understand what the city has to offer, what is the culture of Great Britain and what architectural style reigns over the banks of the Thames.

Yet the capital of the Channel can not be reduced only to this. For those who know how to look carefully, in fact, London can offer much more varied and unexpected travel routes, perfect for travelers who do not want to follow the current. To discover real jewels, sometimes you need to get away from the center, while others just point the view while walking through the city’s busiest streets. Here then are eight proposals to discover a less touristy but equally enchanting London.

1. Leighton House Museum

RICHARD BRYANT / ARCAIDIMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES
If the period in which Queen Victoria reigned was, for Great Britain, one of the most serene and productive of all time, even from an artistic and architectural point of view, the nineteenth century gave priceless wonders to London and to all of England. One of the least known places, but one that can not fail to impress deeply, is the house-museum where the artist Lord Frederic Leighton lived , located in the prestigious district of Kensington. It is an imposing and majestic dwelling, in which the English noble housed the leading intellectual and cultural personalities of Victorian society, but which at times opened the doors even to ordinary people – when the aristocrat was not at home – to show the world all its magnificence.

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Today’s visitors particularly appreciate the golden Arabic Hall – inspired by the Arab-Norman palace of Zisa , in the province of Palermo -, which was decorated with 600 different Damascan majolica tiles and which is full of mosaics, gold and precious carpets, as well as hosting at its center a fountain. In other rooms tourists can also admire works by Tintoretto, finely worked columns and various statues. Finally, there is a room entirely dedicated to silk.

2. The Walthamstow district

SELENE GAGLIARDI
Not only famous museums, surprising botanical gardens or places of worship that are a masterpiece of architecture: the beauty of London is the possibility of getting lost in entire neighborhoods and discovering the most artistic and sensitive soul of the metropolis. Among the boroughs that have changed their face in recent decades and have managed to show the best of them is Walthamstow, located in the north-east of the city and easily accessible with the Victoria Line of the Tube. Among shopping people and parents who bring children to school, you can come across impressive graffiti, made by different artists over the years in many of the walls available in the neighborhood. Every year in the first two weeks of June, then, Walthamstow hosts the E17 Art Trail(E17 is the postal code of the area), a real touring tour among the treasures of the neighborhood. Finally, for this occasion, several inhabitants choose to open their doors and host the works of art of local artists at home, allowing access to visitors too. A sort of Montmatre in British land.

3. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

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The Kew botanical gardens will change their minds to those who believe they can only identify London with hard work and pubs. The gardens founded by Princess Augsburg of Saxony-Gotha-Altenburg in the eighteenth century – now UNESCO heritage – are a real oasis for those who love nature. The visit time of the whole complex is quite long, better not to take too many commitments to get lost among the rare plants that it contains in itself.

Inside there are currently about forty buildings, including many greenhouses (7 in all) with plants from all over the world: Africa, the Indian Ocean, America and Asia. In addition to the beauty of the flora, in any case, visitors are also in front of a Japanese pagoda, a walk in the void at 18 meters (the so-called Treetop Walkway), the “Marianne North Gallery” gallery (with more than 800 paintings ) and finally an innumerable series of statues and fountains, which make Kew Gardens a sort of paradise on Earth.