New Year’s Day in New York City

Crawling out of bed on New Year’s Day after a heavy night of welcoming in the New Year might not be the most appealing of options, however if you’re lucky enough to be in New York on the 1st January 2011 there are just too many fantastic things to do to spend your day nursing a hangover.

Museums and Art Galleries
If taking in some culture and broadening your knowledge isn’t one of your New Year’s resolutions then why not make it one with a trip to one of New York City’s inspiring museums or art galleries. Many of the bigger exhibitions close in January so it’s a great opportunity to see them before they end and you probably won’t have to jostle with the usual large crowds as many less disciplined people could still be sleeping off the festivities. Big names such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim are both open for your viewing pleasure, although if the cold winter weather gets a bit too much for you why not head to The Butterfly Conservatory in the American Museum of National History, kept at a constant 80 degrees Fahrenheit its sure to warm you up.

BB Kings Blues Club
If a delicious brunch is the only thing that’s going to make you feel human again after the celebrations of the night before, head to BB Kings Blues Club. The all-you-can-eat traditional soul food including delights such as South Carolina grits, shrimp and andouille sausage jambalaya and BBQ chicken with Memphis style sauce is served from 12pm and tickets are around $40. BB Kings is all about the music and whilst you enjoy your brunch this year you are treated to the Beatles tribute act Strawberry Fields performing some of the Fab Fours instantly recognisable and well loved classics.

Ice Skating
If fresh air and some light exercise is how you want to start 2011 then why not head to one of the several ice rinks in Manhattan to blow away the cobwebs. The ice rink at the Rockefeller Centre is open, and is an essential festive experience if visiting the city, what better way to start the year than a skate under the shadow of one of the world’s most famous Christmas trees. The Pond at Bryant Park is also open for skating and is totally free of charge, nearby is the holiday shops at Bryant Parks’s outdoor holiday market which features over 125 stalls offering produce from all around the world, these provide an excellent break once you get tired from the skating, or the setting for a welcome stop for a warm drink.

However you choose to spend your New Years day in New York don’t waste it in bed feeling sorry for yourself, after all this is the city that never sleeps and there are many fantastic ways to set your 2011 off to a flying start.
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Charlotte writes for new travel site Simonseeks.com and if you are looking to visit New York this New Year, you might want to also look at the top rated recommended New York hotels on Simonseeks, where you can find inspirational travel guides and expert advice.

Bob Hope Classic Golf Map - La Quinta, CA - Jan 20-24

With or without Tiger, the PGA Tour will continue. The Bob Hope Classic, which is actually played across four courses in La Quinta, CA from Jan 20-24, is an early tournament in the 2010 season. The tournament attracts a number of celebrities including Anthony Anderson, Chris O'Donnel and Kevin Nealon.

I created a map with all four courses.
1. SilverRock Resort
2. La Quinta Country Club
3. Nicklaus Private at PGA West
4. Palmer Private at PGA West

The Palmer, Nicklaus and La Quinta courses are all within about 4 miles of each other. However, the SilverRock Resort is about 20 miles out. I put a few hotels near the first 3 courses. Click on the GoWaza map to find hotels near the course where you plan to start or end each day.

Tickets area also available for grounds, gallery and clubhouse. There's a discount if you buy before 12/31.

Mrytle Beach Golf Trip

Myrtle Beach is one of the many famous golf destinations in the U.S. I put together a map with a few golf courses and local hotels, but there's so many it's difficult to choose. Click on the golf tab and look around for a course that fits your needs.













There's a number of great attractions while you're down there including the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, the Medieval Times Dinner Show and Alligator Adventure. The Alligators are caged so it's not so much adventure and more zoo, but adventure sounds better when it's an animal that would like to eat you.

You'll want to book tee times in advance to make sure you don't miss any of your target courses. Ttimesonly.com has all the Myrtle Beach courses. Just type in the course you want and find a time that works.

Colts vs. Bills Stadium Map - Jan 3, 2010

The Indianapolis Colts are 14-0. They're likely to beat the 7-7 Jets this Sunday, which will leave only the 5-9 Bills to defeat on Jan 3rd in order to complete a perfect regular season. If you're thinking of going to the game, here's a map of the stadium and a few local hotels. The stadium is in Orchard Park, NY which is about 9 miles from downtown Buffalo.


If you're driving, just add your address to the map and click the directions tab below the map to pick your address and the stadium to see how far it will be.

Only the Dolphins (1972) and Patriots (2007) have ever had an undefeated regular season. Since the Patriots lost in the Superbowl that year, only the Dolphins have ever had a perfect entire season. The Colts look likely to have a chance to tie that record.

There are a few inexpensive hotels near the stadium. If you want to go more upscale, click on the hotels tab to see other options. In addition, Niagara Falls is only about 25 miles away from the stadium. So you'll have time to check it out while you're there.

If you go and figure out the real story behind why spicy chicken wings are called Buffalo wings, let me know.

Bay Area Travel Show Map - Jan 8-9, Santa Clara, CA

If you're traveling to the Bay Area Travel show on Jan 8-9, 2010, here's a map of the Santa Clara convention center and a few local hotels. The show recommends the Hilton Santa Clara, but the Hyatt is just as close (both 0.1 miles from the convention center. I also added a Marriott but that's almost a mile away.
If you go, you're in for a treat because Rick Steves is speaking. If you've never used one if his travel guides, you should start. They're far better than the generic info that you get from the typical travel guide.

If you want to golf while you're there, the Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club is only 0.3 miles away. You'll have to drive almost 4 miles to get to the next closest course in Sunnyvale (not to be confused with Sunnydale for all you Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans).

If you're a technology junkie check out, the Intel Corp Museum less than 2 miles from the convention center.

Click on the trip folder and choose a tab if you need more restaurant, golf or local options. For anyone with friends in the area, just click on the add address link to see if they're close enough to the show that you can stay with them.

New York Rockefeller Center Christmas Map 2009

If you've never done it, you have to come to New York at least once during the holidays. Use the GoWaza NYC Christmas map I created to help you plan your trip. New York is loaded with Christmas traditions so I just included a few.

First, you have to check out the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. The tree is generally illuminated until 11:30pm every night until Christmas Eve. Of course, while you're there, you might as well skate on the famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink. Skate rentals are about $9 and adult admission is $10-20. You can even take a lesson for $30. Although if you really need a lesson, perhaps it's better not to fall on your rear end 27 times in front of half of New York.

Rockefeller Center is very close to Radio City Music Hall where you can take in their Christmas Spectacular show which has been running since 1933. Radio City is the largest indoor theater in the world and has had over 300 million visitors since it opened.

I added a few hotels close to Rockefeller Center that are priced reasonable (by NYC standards). If you need a restaurant, just click on the restaurants tab to see what's nearby.

Palm Springs Golf Trip Map - Hidden Springs Country Club

If you live somewhere cold and want to get away for a golf vacation, check out the map of some local Palm Springs golf courses.

Palm Springs is known for it's great weather and great courses, but also for it's former mayor Sonny Bono, who ran (and served from 1988 - 1992) after getting frustrated with the local bureaucracy in trying to open a restaurant.

I put a few local courses on the map including Desert Crest and Hidden Springs, but click on the golf tab and add a few others. The closest hotels are a few miles from the course and there's quite a few restaurants (predominantly Mexican food) within a few miles.

While you're there, check out the Palm Springs International Film Festival (which Bono created). It goes from Jan 5-18.