Many travelers use vacation time to catch up on their reading. At the Library Hotel in New York, guests can accomplish just that without bringing any books! Set up like a club, it is a literary paradise complete with a reading room, poetry garden and a writer’s den with a fireplace. The hotel also houses an impressive collection of over 6,000 books organized into the Dewey Decimal System’s ten main classes. Each of the ten guest floors holds one of the categories so visitors can stay in a room with books on the subject they are most interested in like history, religion or the arts.

Library Hotel

Due to popular demand, the Philip Johnson Glass House will be offering an additional daily 2 hour tour at 2pm. All other tours for 2008 are currently sold out so if you want to visit the house this year, this tour is your only chance. Tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis by phone or online beginning this Thursday, May 1st.

Philip Johnson Glass House

You can read about my visit to the Glass House and see my pictures here.

Next up we’ll head to Seattle to visit the Space Needle, the original Starbucks and the Boeing factory!

P.S. Dublin pictures and trip details are coming soon.

Maybe you can’t make it all the way to Australia but if you want to see Aussie wildlife there is another option right here in the United States. One hour south of Atlanta in Dawsonville, Georgia lies the Kangaroo Conservation Center, home to a variety of Australian birds, reptiles and over 300 kangaroos. Guests can tour the grounds on a truck tour or walk through exhibits on their own. Space is limited and advance reservations are recommended.

Kangaroo Conservation Center

Date of trip: December 2007

I really didn’t know what we were getting into when I signed us up for a trip to the Tambopata Jungle in the Peruvian Amazon. As an animal lover, my motivation was to see rare and exotic wildlife in their natural habitat. Although there are several reserves that travelers can visit in the Amazon, the Tambopata requires the least amount of travel time. It’s a short flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado and a 45 minute canoe ride to the Posada Amazonas, an eco-friendly lodge in the heart of the rainforest.

Be Aware:

-Insect repellent is essential and a yellow fever shot is required before entering the jungle. Will and I even brought headnets and our own bed tent. Protection is key in preventing insect borne diseases.

-Large suitcases must be left at the office in Puerto Maldonado so be sure to bring a smaller pack to bring essentials to the lodge for your stay.

-The weather in the Tambopata can be unpredictable, especially if you go during the rainy season like I did. The lodge provides rubber boots but you should bring a rain-jacket or poncho.

-There is no electricity at the lodge, just kerosene lamps until 9pm at which time you’ll need to get by with a flashlight so be sure to pack one.

-The food at the lodge is excellent. It is always served on time and once it’s gone that’s it, so it’s important to be prompt for meals. Special diets are accommodated as long as you make your requests in advance.

Highlights:

-Sleeping at the Posada Amazonas is part of your unique experience there. Rooms are similar to those at other jungle lodges along the Amazon. There is one wall missing so your room is open to the outdoors. The ceiling is open to a thatched roof shared by all guests and the beds are equipped with nets. There are private bathrooms, but no hot water and there are curtains instead of doors. You definitely feel close to nature. My favorite moment at the lodge was finding howler monkeys eating in the trees right outside my room.

-Wildlife is most active in the jungle before dawn so tours begin with a wake up knock on your wall at 4:00am. We saw a jaguar (very rare), a capybara, monkeys and many birds. Whether you are in a boat or on foot, it’s best to keep quiet if you hope to spot animals. The guides are happy to share their binoculars and answer any questions.

-20 minutes from the lodge by foot, there is a canopy tower reaching nearly 100 feet into the sky. The platform at the top offers an unparalleled view of the jungle. You can see a large stretch of the Amazon River and perhaps some flocks of parrots will fly past you. If you are afraid of heights and can’t make it to the top, there are other lookouts located at various levels along the climb.

-Birds are everywhere in the rainforest. Throughout our time at the lodge, we heard parrots in the trees overhead. A great place for birdwatching is at a claylick. Many of the berries in the jungle are poisonous so the birds in the area lick clay to counteract the poison and ingest minerals. Not far from the lodge is a large lick where macaws frequently gather. Whether you’re a fan of birds or not, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the beauty of wild scarlet macaws.

-The Amazon is home to many fish including meat eating piranhas. During our visit we got a chance to fish for the feisty creatures and see them up close. Our guide even got one to bite into a leaf so we could see its toothprints.

The Posada Amazonas is not a five star resort but it’s not as rustic as I expected either. The staff work tirelessly to ensure the comfort of their guests while running a ecologically responsible lodge. For me, two nights in the jungle was just enough time for me to enjoy the experience without missing my hot showers too much!

Rainforests are home to the most concentrated numbers of plants and wildlife in the world. Environmentalists always talk about saving them, but nothing will convince you more to join the cause than visiting one.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Posada Amazonas Links:
Posada Amazonas Official Site

Details of our stay at the Posada Amazonas lodge in the Tambopata Jungle, Peru are now posted in My Adventures. Pictures are on my Photos page or you can click into the album through one of the images posted.

Toothettes are just the thing for a quick brushup after an overnight flight. A mint flavored toothpaste is activated when you pop them in your mouth; no water necessary. A gentle foam brush leaves your mouth feeling clean and fresh.

$8.85 for 20 Magellan’s

Most people think of California when they plan a winery trip in the United States, but there are actually vineyards all over the country. Winerybound.com helps enthusiasts find wineries in each of the 50 states as well as hotels and restaurants in the areas. It even lists special events and additional attractions at each location and maps out directions.

Source: Sky

Last month I wrote this post about the world’s largest hotels. Of course, when there is a first place, there is always a last place and the list made me wonder where the world’s smallest hotel is.

As it turns out, the Grand Hotel de Kromme Raake, located in the village of Eenrum in The Netherlands, is it. The former grocery store was converted into a one room hotel in 1989 and has held the smallest hotel slot in the Guinness Book of World Records ever since. It is recognized for its title worldwide and has played host to curious travelers and even celebrities from across the globe. The village has 3 cafes, a candle-maker and a mustard museum and is only 2 hours from Amsterdam.

From €150/night Grand Hotel de Kromme Raake