Travel Archives - Page 2 of 2 -

July 7, 2017

Road Rangers: Help at any hour

There’s a sinking feeling when your car breaks down on Florida’s Turnpike or an interstate highway. Even if you’re not stalled in the highspeed travel lane, cars whiz by at 70 miles an hour.

It happens all the time. Tires go flat. Radiators boil over. Gas tanks run dry. Engines fail. Fortunately, a well-equipped and trained Road Ranger is not far away and will be there to help before long. Simply dial *347 (star FHP) any day, any hour, to summon help from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). A Road Ranger will arrive to help on interstate highways, and the State Farm Safety Patrol is on duty on the turnpike. Their assistance is free to drivers as a public safety service for all of us. Road Rangers and State Farm Safety Patrol are a busy bunch – busier than you might think. In 2016, for instance, they responded to 84,031 incidents or “assists” on the turnpike and interstate highways in an area from Broward County north to Vero Beach in Indian River County.

Throughout the entire state, rangers helped at 350,859 incidents. Most “assists” are to help drivers with disabled cars. The Road Rangers also help at accident scenes. When Rangers arrive before police, they play a critical role in traffic management, setting up flashing warning signs and reflective cones to direct oncoming traffic around the disabled cars. Sometimes they are first to spot debris in travel lanes, a hazard that drivers might swerve to avoid and cause a crash. The safety program’s goal is to reach you within 15 minutes. Unless Rangers are handling an incident elsewhere, they’ll usually be there within a half hour, according to Nicole Forest, a transportation department official in this district. Not surprising, this work on high-speed highways is dangerous. Tragically, a Ranger was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Boca Raton in 2014. This prompts DOT officials to urge drivers to obey Florida’s “Move Over” law.

When you see emergency vehicles ahead, move over a lane if you can safely do so. If you can’t, slow down to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit. If the posted limit is 20 mph or less, slow to just 5 mph. Rangers are busiest in high-traffic urban areas, but also help in isolated areas of Alligator Alley (I-75) without service stations. When cars run out of gas, Rangers arrive with an emergency supply. Broward Rangers cover “the Alley” to the county line where Collier County Rangers pick up the service. In areas less populated than Broward County, the service doesn’t operate ‘round the clock as it does here. But no matter where you are on these major highways. The phone number for assistance is the same: *FHP (*347). Calculating how many highway accidents, injuries, or fatalities have been prevented by this service is impossible. Surely, there were many. Since the service began in 2000, the Rangers and Safety Patrol had responded to 4.3 million “assists” by the end of 2013. By now, the number has approached or topped 5 million.

The DOT funds the program with additional support from State Farm Insurance. Contracts for the road service by private companies are managed by various department districts. If, like tens of thousands of drivers each year, your car breaks down on an interstate highway or turnpike, you’ll be grateful that Road Rangers and State Farm Safety Patrol members are there to help you. Road Rangers: Help at any hour

May 20, 2017April 14, 2017

New Orleans is waiting for you

New Orleans is one place I suggest you visit. Fares can be found as low as $69 if you watch your favorite travel sites, and regularly for as low as $129, making it an easy jaunt for a change of scenery and phenomenal cuisine of all types, not just cajun and creole anymore. It is an international, mélange of food from every corner of the world.

Compere Lapin

Chef-owner Nina Compton’s big idea — to marry the cooking of her native St. Lucia with that of her adopted New Orleans home — is a delicious case study in the hard art of belonging. Because she translates that big idea to the plate with finely tuned, you-can’t-do-this-at-home skills she is one chef to reckon with and enjoy beyond culinary artistry.

While the balance of Caribbean-New Orleans influences vary from dish to dish (carrots amandine on one hand, conch croquettes on the other), the impression one is left with after several meals is that the private and public forces that give rise to this food are getting equal attention.

Visit comperelapin.com for a full menu and information.

Brennan’s

The food here brought me back to what I remember about this famous establishment. Not only has chef Slade Rushing’s food restored the historic restaurant’s reputation for culinary excellence, but the example of his enlightened, mature take on haute French-Creole.

The Brennan’s that co-owners Ralph Brennan and Terry White revived two years ago is now an exuberant, sprawling pleasure palace that is dead serious about its culinary mission. That waiter was right about the poisson Blange: It’s exquisite.

For menu and information, visit brennansneworleans.com

Brigtsen

Frank Brigtsen has been cooking inside a converted cottage in the Riverbend for half of his life. He learned his craft from Paul Prudhomme, first at Commander’s Palace and then K-Paul’s, before opening Brigtsen’s with his wife, Marna, 30 years ago. The restaurant fulfills a need for specific down-home Southern hospitality. The gumbo is correct, the trout, catfish, and oysters straight-out-the-boat, the sauces are the stuff of seasoned pots and gravy ladles, not squeeze bottles. His cooking testifies to the power of local before it’s global, which invites rural and urban cooking traditions into the same city kitchen.

For a full menu and information, visit brigtsen.com.

Shaya

No New Orleans restaurant in recent memory has accrued as much national acclaim as quickly as Shaya. The excitement surrounding its 2014 opening crested when the James Beard Foundation named Shaya the country’s best new restaurant.

None of this is material to the joy of eating chef Alon Shaya’s effervescent interpretations of his native Israeli cuisine. At its root, Shaya’s cooking is both that basic and that good. Shaya’s national reputation is true to its accolades. Forking into Shaya’s melting, slow-cooked lamb and spice-stained carrots, you’ll know it’s only a matter of time before things like whipped feta and chermoula become staples.

Visit shayarestaurant.com for information and menu.

Coquette

Recently, Chef Kristen Essig joined Michael Stoltzfus as co-chef and partner at Coquette. It was not entirely shocking news; the chefs were already partners in life. Essig had developed a fine reputation for soulful, French-style cooking at Meauxbar. Stoltz had been perfecting his skills at American cuisine. Stoltzfus has never been afraid to use science lab techniques (the new gastronomy) to bend ingredients to his will, pushing a lot of dishes toward the avant-garde, but Coquette’s food has always been grounded in an appreciation for things as they are. Visit coquettenola.com for a full menu and more information.

December 6, 2016November 15, 2016

Reaching for the Sky

As a young girl, Rachel Martinez considered different career options. She thought about being a doctor or an architect. Then she had the opportunity to take an airplane ride with a program known as Young Eagles through the Experimental Aircraft Association in Homestead. pilot

“I went up in a Cessna. It was my first flight, and I loved it. Then I saw an older Navy plane with an open cockpit. My mom talked to the pilot and he gave me a ride. When we were airborne, he allowed me to fly the plane. It was the best feeling and I fell in love with flying,” she said.

Martinez went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach where she majored in aeronautical science, and minored in aviation safety. Martinez earned a bachelor of science degree in three and a half years. She earned her pilots license there, and become certified to fly multi-engine aircraft. She completed a training program at American Flyers in Pompano Beach so she could teach people to fly planes.

While Martinez loves flying, she does not consider herself an airplane fanatic. Her family was not involved in aviation. Her mother encouraged her to follow the dream to be a pilot. “I love flying. The views are beautiful and I am at peace when I am flying,” she said. “It is such an adventure to fly.”

Eventually, Martinez would like to get hired by a major airline. If she realizes this dream, Martinez hopes to continue giving flying lessons on a part-time basis. “I enjoy teaching others to fly,” she said. “I want to volunteer with Young Eagles. That would my way of giving back to the aviation community. I would volunteer with the program that I went through.”

For now, Martinez is working on building her flight time hours. She needs 1,000 hours to be considered for an airline position. She also will have to earn her airline transport certificate to work for an airline. Once she has these qualifications, she hopes to get hired by a regional airline, often a first step to getting hired by a larger airline. If an airline offers her a position, the organization will provide her training on flying jet aircraft. Much of this training will take place in a flight simulator.

Martinez is a confident and articulate young woman. She likes to help others, and being a pilot allows her to do so. “I enjoy seeing families and individuals reach their destination. Everyone has a reason to travel whether to see family or to visit a new place,” she said.

February 15, 2016July 3, 2019

Stay Healthy Overseas – Remember These Tips to Ensure You Are Well Prepared For Happy And Healthy Travels

At least 4-6 weeks before traveling, especially somewhere exotic, it is important stay healthy overseas by visiting a travel medicine specialist or a doctor familiar with travel medicine. While websites such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention can provide basic information relevant to your travel location, it is important that you consult a specialist. These specialists will be able to make more specific recommendations regarding vaccination and/or medications based on factors such as: your destinations, the length of your trip, your age, medical history, and any activities you may have planned. When looking for a travel medicine provider, you can first consult your primary care physician who will be able to refer you to a proper specialist. There are also private clinics that specialize in pre-travel advice and preparation, which can be found through the International Society of Travel Medicine or American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

When you begin packing, some important self-care items to include would be SPF-appropriate sunscreen, insect repellent, small first aid kit, pain/fever reliever, feminine hygiene products, and hand sanitizer. While many of these items may be available during your travels, they may not be the formulation you are accustomed to and are often very expensive.

With regard to medications it is important to bring all of your prescription and over-the counter medications in their original bottle with enough supply for the duration of the trip plus a few extra days should any issues arise. It is also important to pack all medications in your carry-on baggage.Call your health insurance company before traveling to check what extent your policy covers your health needs in a different state or abroad. Make sure to include copies of your health insurance card in your travel documents. Depending on your standard health insurance coverage, you may want to consider purchasing additional travel health insurance. The price of the premium will vary by trip but can be very reasonable for the peace of mind it provides.

Two of the most important steps you can take to stay healthy overseas and prevent illness is to stay hydrated and wash your hands. However, if you or someone you are traveling with unfortunately becomes ill while traveling, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. If you are on a group trip or a cruise, you can alert the group leader or cruise health provider to the situation. If you are traveling on your own, you can first contact the U.S. embassy or consulate, which will be able to refer you to appropriate local doctors and medical facilities. Detailed information on doctors abroad can be found in The Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists, published for the American Board of Medical Specialties, or the International Society of Travel Medicine website. It is also helpful to contact your health insurance company to alert them of your situation, to expedite coverage, and they may be able to provide additional resources. Maintain copies of all medical records and bills you receive during your medical care, and be sure to follow up with your primary care physician when you return home.

By spending the extra time to prepare, you will be able to fully enjoy your travel adventures knowing you are ready not only to have an unforgettable time but also to properly address your health needs should they arise.