What to do in Mystic, Connecticut from Monday to Thursday?

 2012, USA  No Responses »
May 102012
 

See the map above, I’ve never known about Mystic, CT. If I weren’t here for work, then there would be almost a 0% possibility of me visiting or even knowing about this nook in the Northeast US.

The funny thing is that there are two of the largest casinos in North America located within 20 mins of Mystic

  • Foxwoods Casino
  • Mohegan Sun Casino

Foxwoods is the largest casino in North America, with 340.000 square feet of gaming spaces in a complex that covers 4.7 million square feet. Foxwoods is so big that the Bingo hall can hold up to 4,000 players. Think about that … you’re playing Bingo with 4000 players, like 4000 old women playing Bingo? OMG! They also have the world record for having the most slot machines (7,200) of any casino in the world. Did I mention the Bingo?

I asked one of the ladies here at the client and she gave me the whole rundown.

For around $20, you can have over 4 hours of fun! You can bring your own snacks (they have a snack bar too), and all you can drink soda…sign me up! Do not try to talk during games. The older Bingo regulars will shush you, then glare at you as though you just told them their troll collection was not impressive. And if you win, yell it loud and proud! The casino itself is MASSIVE. It can be confusing at times,  but so fun! There are tons of card tables and slot machines as far as the eye can see. The restaurants are generally good and usually not super packed. Oh, and bring food. Lots of food. The fact that they allow you to bring your own food just adds to the amazing, cheap experience. Plus, BINGO starts at 6pm (which, for those of us under 75, is dinner time), and doesn’t end until 10 or 11, so you should be prepared.

As for Mohegan Sun, most people looked like they were going to the mall. The place is also HUGE, in fact this place is bigger than all the malls in Trinidad for sure. The layout was very easy to navigate, and there are a lot of fine dining options, but I think also a few that won’t wreck your wallet as much as Bobby Flay or Todd English might. Even Michael Jordan has a restaurant here. In fact, I think I’ve seen more MJ restaurants outside of Chicago than in Chicago!

Outside of the Casinos … there isn’t much to do at all … during the weekdays, everything closes by 9pm. Downtown Mystic will be open till about 11pm … yep! Seriously!

You’re bored in San Francisco … 25 links to cool, cheap and random stuff going on in San Fran

 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, U.S., U.S., US 2009, USA  No Responses »
Apr 092012
 

I always have a tough time finding stuff to do in San Francisco … NOT! Here is a love list completely copied from the San Francisco CS group. I always get asked for lists of things to do in all the cities I’ve visited … so this is a start to those lists. Who said that you can’t find anything to do on a Monday night … well it’s tough if you live in a crappy city … true story!

  1. People In Plazas - free musical concerts in San Francisco public spaces.
  2. The List - great list of concerts, gigs, shows in the area.
  3. FuncheapSF.com - one of my favourites! Cool stuff on a budget.
  4. San Francisco City Guides - Free walking tours of San Francisco.
  5. Seward Street Slides - A hidden urban playground in the Castro.
  6. SF Bay Guardian - a cool and useful local newspaper.
  7. Free Museum Days - a list of free entry days in the Bay Area .
  8. Audium - Sound sculptures are performed in darkness in this theatre.
  9. 7×7 - an “insider’s” guide to some of the best of SF.
  10. Laughing Squid - art, culture and technology from San Francisco and beyond.
  11. Bay Area On The Cheap - free and affordable things to do in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  12. SFArts.org - a comprehensive guide to SF arts.
  13. First Thursday Art - on this day every month many galleries in SF hold a casual open house.
  14. SF Station - San Francisco’s City Guide.
  15. Upcoming - a list of local events.
  16. Broke-Ass Stuart’s Goddamn Website - oddball gems and cheap stuff.
  17. Plant Trees SF Listings - yes, another listing of local events.
  18. Lilycat’s listings – even yet still more events!
  19. Going SF - for people who love to go out to clubs and events.
  20. The Cheap Bastards Guide to San Francisco - pretty self-explanatory!
  21. Indybay - news and happenings in SF and the Bay Area.
  22. Really Really Free Market - it’s a market and it’s FREE!
  23. SF Critical Mass - go for a ride with hundreds of people through SF. Last Friday of the month.
  24. The Bike Hut - bike rentals, repairs and sales near the ballpark.
  25. San Francisco Stairways - some of the best stairs in SF.
  26. Free Entrance Days in the National Parks - if you want to explore parks in California or other states.

Swim, see and photograph Magens Bay in St. Thomas …

 2012, USA, Virgin Islands  No Responses »
Apr 022012
 

There are very few places in the world where I actually think that a morning jog would be awesome, especially since this Trini does not do the “cardio ting”. That being said, I think if there was a stretch of beach that would inspire a run, it would be America’s finest and most reliable treadmill : Magens Bay. It’s a heart shaped, one mile stretch of gorgeous white sand, easy waves and picture perfect tourist brochure charm.

Everyone talks about Magens Bay, it’s kinda like how we talk about Maracas Bay, except that Magens Bay is prettier, less over run with tourists and doesn’t have tons of shacks selling stuff now.

As for Magens Bay, there is very little to explain that a couple pictures wouldn’t do a lot better. Thankfully, our local guy Kurt got us into the Bay area without paying (I’ll leave that to the Americans :D ) . The pictures show the view sweeping from right to left and as you can see, it’s pretty difficult to take a bad picture on this beach with the combination of white sand, turquoise waters and great foliage.

If walking the beach isn’t your thing … (I don’t know if that’s really possible) … you can also have some spectacular views from the mountaintop, which is a short drive uphill.

You can walk in free and you don’t have to buy any of the tourist crap that they have on offer. Additionally, you can feel free to ignore the “Banana Daiquiris” that they have on offer. Whether or not, this was where the Banana Daiquiri was invented, it’s like drinking a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel … completely touristy and overrated.

Mountaintop was completely rebuilt after it burned to the ground, and the all new structure is definitely an improvement … there was a local story about the owners actually setting it on fire because they were losing money with the old arrangement of sharing the location with other people, but this is all rumor and hasn’t been proven – just a curious rumor.

As for the view, you can see many of the surrounding islands and is just breathtaking. You’ll have to take a taxi, since it’s much too far from the cruise ship docks to even consider hiking.

If you feel like skipping the Mountaintop, then you can get the same view just a little further up the hill and around the corner …

However the trip on the beaten path to Magens Bay is still completely worth it, no matter how much of a cliche it is, it’s still a must see when you’re in St. Thomas, tell them Rishi sent you.

8 hours in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands (St Thomas Shore Excursion)

 2012, USA, Virgin Islands  No Responses »
Mar 182012
 
8 hours in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands (St Thomas Shore Excursion)

Getting into St. Thomas, I had forgotten how touristy and commercial these American ports can be. The actual port area seemed to be one huge tax exclusion zone that catered for American tourists. That being said … the prices were pretty awesome on jewellery, sunglasses and liquor. If you’re into all the shopping and wandering [... Click here to keep on reading this article]

Crooked street hunting in San Francisco … Lombard and Vermont Streets

 2012, North America, USA  No Responses »
Jan 102012
 
Crooked street hunting in San Francisco ... Lombard and Vermont Streets

If someone asked you to name the “Crookedest Street in the world”, chances are that your answer would involve Lombard Street in San Francisco. Why wouldn’t you? It’s is a world famous tourist destination, except when you’re trying to find it, since there is no address to type into your GPS. (FYI, the address to [... Click here to keep on reading this article]

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