Would You Use AI to Plan Your Vacation?

I did and it worked out perfectly. We had planned on a father/son trip to Scotland for 5 days after starting in Germany and Denmark. The criteria we used was 5 days/4 nights, starting in Edinburgh, we would be driving ourself, we wanted to see castles, we wanted to do some hiking, we wanted to see Isle of Skye, we wanted to tour a distillery, we wanted lunch and dinner recommendations, and we wanted hotel recommendations. 

Chatgpt came up with an itinerary with the starting and end in Edinburgh, driving up to Portlee in the Isle of Skye with starting times each day, stops along the way, how much time at each stop, where to stop for lunch and where to stay for the night.

The first day was in Edinburgh touring the city and castle with a great restaurant that night. That night we did the Scotch Experience and stayed at the Kimpton Hotel. Chatgpt told us when to leave and we started with one castle after another. Where Mary Queen of Scots was born, Stirling Castle and a castle that was in Monty Python. We headed north and stopped for lunch in a small country inn. We then saw the rail bridge in Harry Potter, and 3 more castles before stopping in Glencoe for the night. It was a full day and didn't feel rushed. The timing worked out perfectly. That night we had dinner in our hotel finished the day listening to a live band until the bar close.

The next day was a tour and tasting at the Talisker Distillery, hiking to the Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen with a few over hikes. We made it to our next stay in Portlee for 2 nights early to relax in the bar before dinner.

The next day was site seeing around the Isle of Skye. We hiked the Old Man of Storr, and then had many stops along the coast. Back at the hotel, we had drinks in the bar, then went into town for shopping and dinner. 

The last day we had to return the car in Edinburgh and catch a flight to London.  No stops, just driving. 

AI did incredible job. Timing was perfect. The time to get from one stop to the next was spot on, we had plenty of time at each stop and we ate at inns that we probably would have driven past. The hotels varied from a inn used by hikers and mountain climbers in Glencoe to a 5 star hotel in Portlee. 

I hadn't thought of using AI before but after this I'll use it more often. 

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

 

This year I went to my 10th F1 race in Abu Dhabi. Over my 10 races I've seen well run events like Singapore,Spa, Silverstone and races that I have criticized in the past like my post about Austin.  Of all the races I've been to Abu Dhabi was the most well run of all.

Getting there was very easy. Most circuits bus you to a main entrance and if you have seats on the far side of the circuit you are in for a long walk. Here, after taking a taxi or driving yourself to the Yas Mall, there are shuttle buses that will drop you off at the gate closest to your seat. 

Seats are comfortable and covered from the sun. No sitting on a bench. The big screens are easy to see and the sound system is incredible. At a previous race I purchased a F1 headset with radio so I could listen to the commentary. I found out right away that I didn't need them at Abu Dhabi as I could hear the commentary from my seat.

Other than Singapore, after the days track events, everyone leaves the circuit. Like Singapore,  there is a concert at the end of every day which makes for more of a party atmosphere.  Performers are top line from around the world. Maybe because it is a night race.

Since it is the last race of the year, Abu Dhabi is also a celebration to the end of the F1 season with a huge fireworks display and concert. All in all it was one of my top F1 experiences. 

Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Burj Khalifa 

I haven't posted in a while but after a trip to the UAE for a F1 race I had to share my thoughts. I have family in Denmark and Italy and am a history buff. With that said I would categorize my trips into family, and or interesting. I love visiting relatives and also find seeing history very interesting. 

Atlantis Hotel on Palm Island Dubai. 

After my trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai I would like to add a new category, fun. UAE is only 54 years old so it is hard to find history. Being so new I found the UAE to have the fastest, tallest, biggest sites in the world. On my trip I rode the fastest roller coaster in the world (Ferrari World), largest shopping mall in the world (Dubai Mall) and tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa). I went on a desert adventure with dinner and show, and a full day tour of Dubai. Every day was filled with fun and adventure.

Desert Adventure 

I would also like to mention that I went there with preconceived ideas of what to expect. Everywhere I went I was amazed how clean the country is. I even went out of my way to find trash and didn't find even a piece of paper blowing in the wind. The people there are very friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. I felt safe everywhere I went. It is easy to get around and after I downloaded an app it was easy to get a ride anywhere. You can find any kind of food, especially in the malls. And if you want alcohol it is also everywhere, just don't be drunk in public.

My hotel decorations for Christmas.

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UAE is a very rich country from profits from oil. However, they know revenue from oil is not sustainable. They are focusing on attracting business and also attracting tourism. I went there during a pleasant time of year where the temperature was in the 80s but the summers can be too hot. To address that, theme parks are mostly indoors and there are plenty of malls to shop in.

View from observation floor of Burj Khalifa. 

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I met many locals and tourists from all over the world. Everyone I talked to were very nice and made the trip enjoyable. I would definitely go back and after talking to some of my friends they want me to go with them.

Ferrari World

I haven't even talked about the F1 race but I will leave that for my next post. 

Come-on Guys Get A Clue

 

This year I went to COTA for my 8th Formula One race, all at different circuits. Every race is a different experience and all have been great except Austin. Let me list my concerns.

• My first experience was when I received my tickets for the 3 days. I am showing 3 examples, Spa, Singapore and COTA. Spa and Singapore were either heavy cardboard or plastic with a lanyard that you could wear around your neck. COTA's ticket looked more like a movie ticket. 
• Next experience was how to get to the circuit. We opted to go with the shuttle buses. The first day, Friday, we stood in line for 1.5 hours just to get our wrist bands and then had to wait in line to board the bus. The wait was bad enough but on the way to the circuit but our driver got lost twice. The first time she tried to drop us off at a high school that was miles away from the circuit. The second day was better since we already had our wrist bands but still took a long time to get there as traffic was terrible. No special bus lanes. On the 3rd day we left what we thought of as extra early so we could watch the pre-race activities. The line to get on the bus was worse than the first day. In all it took us 3 hours to get there and we missed all re-race activities. Getting back was worse because there was no organized lines to board the buses. Most of us tried to make a line but others walked to the front and cut in front. Getting back to Austin took us 4 hours. 
• Now for the circuit itself. Like I said this was my 8th race (Monaco, Italy, Singapore, Japan, Spa, Australia, Silverstone and COTA). F1 is the best sport to follow as the races are all around the world in the most beautiful places. People travel from all corners of the planet to go to these races. I think of it as a chance to showcase the country and city they are in. I have no complaints about the circuit itself. We had great seats in turn 19 and could see a lot of the track. My problem was with the overall experience. This is an American race. The only things that showed me we were in Texas and America was a stage playing music, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the Speed Racer Car. There was a display of Ferrari's but the last time I looked Ferrari was Italian. Why not have American performance cars? I think we have a few. There was a carnival but are you going to a race or a fair? There was plenty of food and drink with some BBQ. When I went to Silverstone and Australia they had exhibits showed off their military that were unique to their country. I'm just saying, COTA missed a great opportunity to showcase America to people that are visiting the USA for the first time.

All I'm saying is we are better than this. Whoever is doing the planning could do a lot better job. Go to Silverstone and see how they use shuttle buses, go to other races and see how their race, country and city are promoted. Read your feedback, this was the 10th anniversary and negative feedback has been there for years. 

Springtime in Napa

 Just spent 6 days in Napa. The weather couldn't have been better with temps in the 70's and crowds were low even on the weekend. We were able to hit up a lot of wineries and came home with 5 cases of wine. Wineries visited were @BlackStallion , @Chappellet , @SilveradoVineyards , @Prisioner , and @Caymus.

If you live in Northern California, and you have driven to Napa to tour the wineries on the fly in the past, be careful. Almost all wineries require reservations as capacity is limited. You may be disappointed if you don't have a reservation. However, if you plan ahead this might be the best time ever to go since the crowds are low and the weather is perfect. 

We also had some fantastic meals on our stay. I would recommend @ColesChopHouse , @BistroDonGiovanni , @BistroJeanty and @Boonfly. 

One more thing. The best English muffins in the world are at the @ModelBakery . If you are in Napa stop by and pick up a package to bring home. It is over by the @OxbowPublicMarket. 

Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)

Well it's time I started catching up on trips I haven't documented. Since travel is nixed for 2020 it will give me a chance to relive past experiences.

Last summer on my trek though England I spent a weekend in Stratford Upon Avon. One of my goals was to see a Shakespearean play in the birthplace of Shakespeare.  Before I left the USA I made a reservation to see Measure for Measure at the Royal Shakespeare Company. This is a play I had not heard of before so I did not know what to expect. 

"Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 where it was listed as a comedy, the play's first recorded performance occurred in 1604. The play's main themes include justice, "morality and mercy in Vienna", and the dichotomy between corruption and purity: "some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall". Mercy and virtue prevail, as the play does not end tragically, with virtues such as compassion and forgiveness being exercised at the end of the production. While the play focuses on justice overall, the final scene illustrates that Shakespeare intended for moral justice to temper strict civil justice: a number of the characters receive understanding and leniency, instead of the harsh punishment to which they, according to the law, could have been sentenced.
Measure for Measure is often called one of Shakespeare's problem plays. It continues to be classified as a comedy, however a dark one, though its tone may defy those expectations."

The RSC is located along the Avon in the main park in Stratford. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre opened in 1932 on the site adjacent to the original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre (opened 19 April 1879), which had been destroyed by fire on 6 March 1926, and whose name it took. The architect was Elisabeth Scott, so the theatre became the first important work erected in Britain from the designs of a woman architect. It was renamed the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 1961, following the establishment of the Royal Shakespeare Company the previous year. It has since then been remodeled which included the creation of a new 1040+ seat, thrust stage auditorium which brings actors and audiences closer together, with the distance of the furthest seat from the stage being reduced from 27 metres (89 ft) to 15 metres (49 ft). They also added an array of new public spaces, including a new Riverside Cafe and Rooftop Restaurant, a 36-metre (118 ft) observation tower with fantastic views. 

I purchased my seat in the 3rd row center which was awesome but from looking around it didn't look like there was a bad seat. 

The play itself had a great plot and the acting was spectacular. I wanted to especially call out Lucy Phelps for her portrayal of Isabella. 

I only have one regret. The theatre has a rooftop restaurant with incredible views of the area along the Avon. I didn't have a reservation so I couldn't eat there. On the bright side, Stratford has hundreds of restaurants within walking distance and I found a nice one to eat dinner before the play. 

Churchill War Room

During WWII England utilized an underground bunker not far from Parliament to conduct the war. The high command of the British military planed for the defense of Britain and also campaigns around the globe. Many also had living quarters there as they would spend days underground. After the war it was sealed up. In 1984 it was reopened to the public and is now a museum and part of the Imperial War Museum.. Most of what you see is how it was left in 1945.

Walking the war rooms you can see maps showing allied and axis positions and ship locations from around the world. You can also see Churchill's sleeping quarters as well those of other high ranking people. Conditions must have been bad down there as some people opted to sleep above even during the bombing of London.

I would suggest you buy your tickets ahead of time as you will get right in. The lines for those purchasing tickets there can be long. It is on Horse Guards Road not far from Parliament and is worth seeing.