Tag Archives: america

Daredevil Holidays

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A far step away from the lazy holidays which see you relaxing on the beach, some of us just love going on holiday where we can feel a burst of adrenaline. Although holidays are normally for relaxing, fun and exciting holidays where you get a sense of danger can be just as rewarding as they are a reminder of the challenges you faced and overcame. Extreme holidays are not for the faint-hearted and often end up testing your endurance as well as your strength and your ability to do well under pressure. Let us have a look at a few popular daredevil holidays!

 ice climbingIce Climbing
What is better than hiking up huge mountains where you could easily slip and fall to your death? Doing it again in snow and ice! Ice climbing can be used to describe ascending any number of ice formations including icefalls, frozen waterfalls and cliffs. Depending on the type of ice and the gradient, there are different techniques you need to use to successfully ice climb.

Crampons, ice axes and ice screws are a must for any ice climber but depending on where you go you may need extra climbing supplies. The Chamonix Valley is a well known ice climbing venture and is famous for its beautiful ice falls. You can choose from over 200 routes and there are routes for ice climbers of all skill levels.

The Swing on the End of the World
Located in Ecuador this very oddly named swing does exactly as described. Built underneath a small wooden treehouse originally used to observe the active volcano Mr, Tunguruhua, this crude wooden plank of swing provides thrills aplenty. The swing has no harness, no safety net or any other discerning feature apart from a small strap across the front and literally sends riders swinging out into the abyss.

The swing hangs over a deep ravine covered with trees and foliage and if you can get over the initial motion sickness or vertigo – didn’t realise until now you were afraid of heights? Shame – it makes for a stunning view and a great photo spot.

5250487136_04241b5283_mFree Climbing
Free climbing represents true exhilaration. The concept of climbing up massive rock faces and mountains, even dangling upside down at certain points in the climb, without any safety harnesses can be a frightening thing. However if you’re used to hiking and braving the elements and want just that little extra bit of danger, perhaps free climbing is for you.

Only for seasoned professionals, Free Climbing is an excellent way of getting a thrill without having to pay extortionate prices as you would with, say, a skydiving experience. Yosemite National Park is a hotspot for free climbing and has a number of beautiful mountains for both beginners and experts to choose from.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Hot Dog Day!

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Happy Hot Dog Day! A world renowned and widely loved snack, the origins of the term ‘hot dog’ is unclear, but we do know that although it is incredibly popular with American sporting events, Frankfurters – the type of sausage normally used for a hot dog – were originally invented in Germany. Germany is well known for its spiced meats and various meat products and has produced the frankfurter (from Frankfurt) and the hamburger (from Hamburg) as well as the Wiener (from Vienna, Austria, whose German name is ‘Wien’).

hot dog 1When visiting Germany in December, it is incredibly easy to find several different types of sausage and hot dog floating about their Christmas markets, although ‘wurst’ is enjoyed year round in its many forms in Germany. With hundreds of years experience cultivating and curing meats with herbs, Germany combines exotic flavours with various different types of sausage and pork meat to create new and exciting types of ‘wurst’.

The frankfurter is the most recognisable form of sausage, but other popular types are the Landjager which is similar to salami and can be eaten cold or boiled, the Leberwurst (Literally ‘Liverwurst’) which is like a pate to be spread on bread or crackers and the Blutwurst or ‘blood sausage’ a delicacy made from congealed pig or cow blood and bulked out with oatmeal, meat and fat, to be eaten cold.

The first recorded instance of a hot dog was when German immigrant Charles Feltmen began selling sausages in bread rolls in Coney Island, USA in 1870. Later on one of his former employees, a Polish-American named Nathan Handwerker, separated from the business to start his own, creating Nathan’s Famous, a world renowned hot dog company that is still in production today.

hot dog 2Nathan’s Famous  started in 1916 with the help of $300 from a few friends. Handwerker quickly gained popularity by selling his hot dogs at a reduced price of five cents each whereas Feltmen was charging ten cents per hot dog. Now it boasts world fame and products in millions of supermarkets and stores throughout the USA.

You can even still visit and enjoy a hot dog at the original Nathan’s Famous store in Coney Island, Brooklyn. If you’re planning a holiday in the USA and have always wondered what an original, award winning hot dog recipe was, why not grab a hired car and head over for a tube of American and German history?

The Bus to Downtown Vegas

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When someone says they are going to Las Vegas for a holiday, often people think of the bright lights, the never sleeping city, the flashy casinos and huge atmosphere that Las Vegas portrays in all the big films, right down to its 99c postcards. However there is a little place not far from the strip, between the Strip and downtown Vegas, which is so stark in its contrast it is a little scary.

ehtiopiaTake a bus ride downtown and particularly in the evening, you’ll see a sight not far from the Strip, but with a very different atmosphere.

With its mish-mash of shingled roofs and flat roofs, metal fencing, whitewashed walls next to heavily graffiti-d walls downtown almost seems like a ghost town.

Many of the hotel and casino staff of the Strip live here and it is worth the trip to see just how strange the scenery of Las Vegas becomes once you leave the Strip.

Fairy Lights and stark white lights dot around the place but unlike the Strip’s huge flashing lights and billboards, the trip downtown seems almost empty and desolate. The houses are clustered together like a make-shift town and streetlights blink on and off like some apocalyptic future world.

Downtown Vegas itself is much more colourful, with large signs boasting deep fried Mars bars and drinks aplenty, it is hard to believe that in a simple bus ride between the main Vegas Strip and Downtown Vegas, such a desolate little land exists. It may sound creepy but after the vivid life pumping out from the Vegas Strip, this little stretch of land is eerie, fascinating and almost acts as a welcome break to the craziness of Vegas.

downstownIf you happen to be visiting Las Vegas for a holiday in the near future, make sure to take a bus trip to downtown Vegas.

Downtown in itself has a fair few tourist attractions but the bus journey itself is an experience that is chilling, yet interesting.

With Penguin car hire you can choose from thousands of different companies at thousands of different locations to find the right hired car for you or your family while on holiday. We provide a huge database to ensure that you are never left in the lurch on holiday. With a number of different taxi and hired car points available throughout Las Vegas, book a hired car for your next holiday today!

Visit Las Vegas – Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam

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Although made famous by the thousands of casinos lurking in the giant hotels, bars and shops located across the strip, Las Vegas is a fantastic city with far more to offer than simply gambling all your holiday money away. The Strip is a section of the city that is larger than life, covered with huge structures, artistic portraits and happy-go-lucky costumed characters plus with miles and miles of entertainment lurking within every door; it is so easy to get lost in one of its many hotels.

Las Vegas is a city built in the desert, with sheer sand dunes and stark mountains rising all around it, it seems like a misplaced dot of light on an otherwise dark deserted crop of land. Surrounded by the Mojave Desert and with the Las Vegas Bay to the east, Las Vegas is full of both natural and manmade wonders. Two such wonders are the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.

Grand Canyon

canyonWidely considered one of the wonders of the modern world, the Grand Canyon that stretches 277 river miles long, 18 miles wide and is a staggering 1 mile deep. The layers of rock shown through the Grand Canyon encompass almost 2 billion years of Earth’s geological history, slowly eroded by the Colorado River winding through the canyon.

The Grand Canyon was actually once home to a number of Native American families who built settlements in the canyon and lived inside its various cave systems. The Canyon is a sight to behold and helicopter rides are offered over the Canyon for a truly spellbinding experience. Taxi rides are available from Las Vegas itself to the Canyon, for a day trip to see the canyon and experience a number of Nevada’s other attractions.

Hoover Dam

Hoover_damOriginally known as the Boulder Dam, the Hoover Dam was controversially renamed after President Hoover as a symbol of his presidency as a ‘great engineer’. It was built over the course of five years during the Great Depression following the idea that building a dam would allow the population to control floods and use the water for hydroelectric power.

The Hoover Dam seals off Lake Mead which is the largest reservoir in America and is a staggering 725 feet high and 1,244 feet long. The dam’s generators now provide power for both public and private purposes in Nevada, Arizona and California and are visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year looking to see one of the largest human structures built to hold such an intense body of water.

The Hoover Dam can be reached by hire car from Las Vegas using one of Penguin’s thousands of hired car searches, or you can book a tour while you are out holidaying in Las Vegas.

World’s Wackiest Rollercoasters – Voyage

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Everybody loves a different style of holiday. Some people like to tan it out through two weeks of sun, sand and sangria, whereas others will relax in warm shade and read a book or two. Some people like to see the world, snapping photos of ancient ruins and crumbling mountains and some love to ski down the sides of beautiful snowy mountains. Then there are the pleasure seekers. The ones who can easily be happy enough with a day ticket pass to Thorpe Park, where they would ride every roller coaster twice if they had the time.

Whether you belong to one of the former categories or the latter, or you are just looking for a few ways to get some thrills into your life, why not have a look at some of the world’s biggest, highest, longest and wackiest roller coasters with us at Penguin car hire?

Todays Coaster: Voyage
voytageVoyage is a traditional wooden roller coaster and is on both top ten lists for the longest and the fastest wooden rollercoaster in the world. Located at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, the coaster is a staggering 6442 feet in length and the whole ride takes around 2 minutes and 50 seconds. The carts can reach up to 67.4mph which can be pretty intimidating for a wooden roller coaster, and climbs to a height of 163 feet at various points along the course.

Voyage also holds a world record for the amount of airtime – time in which passengers are lifted from their seats either gradually or violently – which is a gut-wrenching 24.2 seconds. Half a minute may not seem like a long time now but while you’re spiralling down at 60 miles an hour with only a padded metal bar across your lap preventing you from falling, it can get pretty exhilarating. The course ricochets through the woods of Holiday World, dipping underground at two points during the ride and starts off with a stomach-churning 154 foot drop.

As the coaster descends underground, passengers are treated to complete darkness and a rush of cool air and then suddenly plunged downwards into two more drops before emerging back out into the sunlight. For a warm Indiana day the sudden temperature change can be as thrilling as the ride itself.

With Penguin we have thousands of car hire destinations to choose from. For a hire car to Holiday World, Indiana you can drive from Terre Haute, Indianapolis or even Nashville, Tennessee. What are you waiting for? Get out there!

Easter Celebrated By Different Cultures

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Whether you are planning on staying home for Easter Weekend, or you have decided to take a few extra days off during the Easter holiday to spend time with the kids, different countries and different cultures have individual ways of celebrating Easter Weekend. Although commonly associated with Christianity, Catholicism and the death and rebirth of Jesus Christ, cultures from around the world celebrate the death and rebirth as well as a number of other, related events in their own way.

Verges in Spain

[penguin] easter blogThe Thursday before Easter weekend is known as the night of the ‘dansa de la mort’ in the town of Verges, Spain. The residents dress up in skeletal outfits and re-enact scenes from The Passion while parading through the streets of town, complete with eerie fire torches. The parade starts at Midnight and lasts for three hours until the early morning.

The end of the ‘dansa de la mort’ is signified by terrifyingly designed skeletons carrying boxes of ashes, signifying the death of Christ.

Rome, Italy

Easter celebrations in Rome start on Good Friday, where the Pope will commemorates the ‘Via Crucis’ or ‘Way of the Cross’. At the coliseum a huge cross made of burning torches is burnt, lighting up the sky, while the 14 Stations of the Cross are described in multiple languages for all to hear.

On both Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday mass is held in the evening, and on the Sunday, visitors congregate in St Peter’s Square to be able to receive the Pope’s blessing seen from the church’s balcony. This is known as ‘Urbi et Orbi’ or ‘To the City and to the World’.

Sweden and Finland

[penguin] sweden easter blogEaster time is like a mini Halloween for most of Sweden and various areas of Finland. It was thought that on the Thursday before Easter weekend, witches used to fly to the mountains to congress with Satan. Children would wear rags and old clothes and would go from door to door holding out a copper kettle for treats.

To scare away the ‘witches’ the Swedes would light up large bonfires that would keep evil spirits from entering their homes. Nowadays children still go out ‘trick or treating’ and bonfires and fireworks are set up and let off throughout the town in  keeping with the old traditions.

Whether you need transport in the bustling streets of London, or are looking for a hire car to help you make your way through the roads of Paris, Brussels or even Marrakech, with thousands of companies to choose from, Penguin Car Hire can get hold of a first class hired car to take you where you want to go within minutes.

Towns Less Travelled in Morocco

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Whether you are a fan of the sun and the sea, you’re eager about hiking and culture abroad, or you just like relaxing holidays, sometimes it is hard to find a destination without swathes of freckly pale British tourists milling around with giant sun hats and oversized beach bags. The most popular destinations such as Tenerife and Hawaii are often populated by tourists, particularly in the warmer months, so where can you go on holiday without having to weave your way around countless other tourists in order to get the best spot on the beach?

As a country rich in both culture and natural beauty, Morocco is a holiday destination like no other. With a number of exquisite and iconic cities each with their own classic theme, you could spend days wandering the intricate streets of Marrakech or Fez and experiencing the many market stalls and array of delectable dishes the vendors have to offer. Or you could take the plunge and explore nature at its finest, with stunning valleys, stretches of beautiful desert, glorious mountains and spotless beaches, Morocco has something for everyone.

However if you are seeking somewhere rich with culture, without having to make your way through crowds of tourists, there are a few destinations within Morocco that are certainly not to miss!

Essaouira

[penguin]essouira blogPronounced ‘essa-weera’, this is a traditional fishing town with an iconic harbour, fortified walls, and a strange design that would not look out of place in France. Nicknamed the ‘Wind City of Africa’ there is a fierce gale that often deters ‘sun sand and sea’ tourists because it often blows the sand in your face!

However the town has its own iconic beauty; with narrow winding streets filled with the exotic aroma of fish blended with spices and thuya wood from the woodworkers of the medinas. You can hire a car or take a walk down the many alleyways, whichever you prefer. Plus if you happen to visit Essaouira in June, you may be privy to the fantastic annual World Music Festival.

Ouarzazate

[penguin]ouarzazate blogThe name of the city means ‘noiselessly’ and the city has been nicknamed ‘The Door of the Desert’. Ouarzazate is a great location to see some classical Moroccan buildings as well as going on excursions across the Draa Valley and into the desert, if you’re a fan of bewitching sights. Ouarzazate is also a famous film- making location and has been used as a backdrop for many Hollywood films including Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia.

If you love seeing rare gems amongst the desert scenery, you can also book a local tour to see the Oasis Fint. After a tough trek through the rocky desert scenery you will emerge into a beautiful Oasis Valley with palm trees, native wildlife and a winding river through the valley. Perfect.

No trip to Morocco is complete without visiting the huge medinas of Marrakesh, as some of the greatest souvenirs and cultural pieces can be found by shopping around. However if you want to take a step back from the tourist side of Morocco and look through its cultural and natural beauty, Essaouira and Ouarzazate are two great examples of beauty where you least expect it.

 

About the Author

Mike James is a fan of Arab culture and Islamic art and enjoys trips to Morocco several times a year. He is a regular visitor to the souks of Morocco and stays at the Riad El Zohar in Marrakech whenever he can.

Holidaying in the Easter

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When it comes to the Easter holidays, although nowadays there is much more diversity when it comes to religion and the meaning of Easter, the Easter holidays are still widely recognised by schools across the country. What this means for your kids is a beautiful fortnight of no school no homework and hopefully some late nights! However what this means for you is two weeks of hastily arranged sleepovers, babysitting arrangements and if you’re lucky, a three or four day weekend to spend with the children.

Although it can be hard many of us choose to keep working throughout the Easter Holidays, even if it means hiring a babysitter to look after your young children during the weekdays. For those with older children it is slightly easier; they have more responsibility, often you can easily trust them to stay home alone without turning the house into a post-war bomb site.

Why not go on holiday then?

The Easter holidays are the perfect opportunity for parents to take some time off to spend with their kids. Sure, trips away may be more expensive during the Easter holidays, but you have a limited amount of time to spend with your children before they grow up and make their own way in the world, so why not make the best of it?

The Mediterranean

[penguin] bournemouth blogWhy not get in some early sunbathing practise? In the UK, the Easter marks the start of spring, where the air becomes slightly less icy and the grass becomes slightly greener.

Unfortunately, spring in the UK also means a lot of April showers and sometimes a Mediterranean getaway can be just what the doctor ordered.

If you are not willing to travel for your sun, you could always wait for a sunny day in the UK and Hire a car to Bournemouth for a cheeky day out at the beach?

Skiing

[penguin] skiing blogIf the sun is not your thing, why not go on a spring skiing holiday? Many ski slopes still keep their courses open in the spring, and as it is known as the ‘late season’ skiing is cheaper than at peak times!

With less people on the slopes both accommodation and course and lift passes are cheaper than if you want to ski in the full throes of winter. Bonus!

Whatever you decide to do for the Easter Holidays, make sure you enjoy it and try to spend at least a little bit of time with the kids. They’re not young forever!

 

50 States Road Trip – Massachusetts

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Massachusetts is the 3rd most densely populated states in the USA. The state has played a significant role in shaping American History. Plymouth was the site of the colony founded by the pilgrim passengers of the Mayflower in 1620 and the oldest institute of higher learning in the entire 50 states; Harvard University was founded in Massachusetts in 1636. Massachusetts was also the first U.S state to legally recognise same-sex marriage, in 2004. A leader in higher education, healthcare technology and financial services, Massachusetts has a lot for tourists to offer.

current state

[penguin] witch salem blogSalem

Famous (or is that infamous?) for its Witch trials, take a step into the history books as you learn about the historic importance of this city, and its connections with the witch trials of 1692.

A lot of Salem associates with the witch trials of 1692; police cars have witch logos on them, an elementary school is named Witchcraft Heights and most of the athletics teams in the schools are known as the Witches.

Salem is also home to a number of quaint New Age and Wiccan boutiques, as well as being a popular location for holidaymakers around Halloween!

Cape Cod

For the chance to see some extreme weather, head on over to Cape Cod. It is a beautiful cape that, due to its location, receives slightly colder winters and slightly warmer summers. Consisting of 15 distinctive towns each sporting their own unique charm, Cape Cods beautiful beaches that attract hundreds of tourists and honeymooners in the summer months.

If you are planning on visiting Cape Cod on your holidays, make sure to check the local weather report, as every five-six years a tropical storm accompanied by high winds tends to hit the Cape, so take care!

[penguin] nantucket blogNantucket

A beautifully quaint little island located to the south of Cape Cod, Nantucket is well known for its sparkling beaches and iconic home designs. Nantucket’s beaches are known to be some of the most pristine and beautiful beaches in the world. Littering is strictly prohibited and punishable, as it could damage the fragile ecosystem of the island.

Plus with houses, cottages and time share rentals available, you can own your own little piece of paradise during the holiday season.

Next Stop

Our next state is the state of Rhode Island. Why not hire a car in Providence, Rhode Island’s capital city by using Penguin’s Car Hire service?

National Corn Dog Day and the Super Bowl

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Tomorrow Saturday 15th March is National Corn Dog Day! A traditional American fast food snack, the corn dog is commonly associated with large sporting events in America among other popular snacks such as the giant turkey leg, the funnel cake and churros. The Corn dog consists of a hot dog sausage coated in a thick layer of cornmeal or cornflour batter, stuck on a stick and then deep fried until it is a nice golden brown.

[penguin]corn-dog blogCorn dogs were first thought to have been introduced by German Texan sausage makers who applied for dipping, cooking and holding apparatus in conjunction with the deep frying of various foods on a stick. One of these foods was the sausage, and so the Corn Dog was created. The Americans are well known for their intense sporting enthusiasm and it is hard to get into the cheering spirit without a snack or two to keep your energy levels up.

The most famous event of the year for sporty America is normally the Super Bowl; the championship game of the National Football League which was held on February 2 this year. Each Super Bowl is played in a different host stadium, and a total of 22 different stadiums have hosted the Super Bowl so far.

The stadiums are chosen three to five years in advance and it is considered a pretty big honour to be able to host the Super Bowl. Wembley stadium has even occasionally been mentioned as a possible future Super Bowl host stadium, but so far the Super Bowl has not yet been hosted in a region that lacked an NFL franchise.

[penguin]american-football blogThe Stadium that has played host to the Super Bowl the most frequently is the Louisiana/Mercedes-Benz Superdrome, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hop into a New Orleans hire car to take a look at this iconic stadium while you are on your next holiday to Louisiana.

Will you be taking part by supporting any of these events? Do you follow a particular American Sporting team and are looking for a way to take your patriotism that one step further? Corn Dogs are such a staple when it comes to watching sports in America, even if you’ve never tried one it is good to take the plunge just to see what you could be missing out on.