According to Travel Today Magazine, Costa Rica is one of the least expensive places to travel this year.

A Look at Costa Rica.

What’s not to love with lush jungles, stunning beaches, vibrant wildlife; Costa Rica is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

It is a very affordable place to travel, lodging and activities may be more expensive than other destinations. Travel Magazine Today suggests ways to cut costs; take advantage of the many free or cheap activities Costa Rica offers, such as hiking, biking, and bird watching

Worried about food costs? Costa Rica has plenty of inexpensive restaurants that serve delicious local food.

Costa Rica’s public transportation system is reliable and affordable.

https://travelingtodaymag.com

The post One of the Least Expensive Places to Travel This Year first appeared on River View Observer.

Loyalty program success aligns with the growth of ridership and train travel demand

Amtrak Guest Rewards, the loyalty program for America’s Railroad, has reached a historic milestone, welcoming its 20 millionth enrolled member, who alongside fellow members have started earning points toward Amtrak reward travel, upgrades, gift cards, and more. This achievement comes as Amtrak Guest Rewards members now make up nearly half of Amtrak’s ridership.

“Reaching 20 million enrolled Amtrak Guest Rewards members is a testament to Amtrak’s commitment to enhancing the customer experience, providing our guests with outstanding value,” said Amtrak Assistant Vice President Loyalty and Customer Engagement Lisa Copeland. “We thank all of our members and look forward to welcoming future members aboard to experience all Amtrak Guest Rewards has to offer.”

The 20 million enrolled Amtrak Guest Rewards members milestone comes on the heels of recent additions and improvements Amtrak has made to its loyalty program, train service, and customer experience, leading to record-breaking ridership of 32.8 million customers in its Fiscal Year 2024. This includes Points & Cash, a major enhancement that allows members to pay for Amtrak travel using a combination of points and cash, the new Borealis service between St. Paul and Chicago, which carried 100,000 customers in less than six months, the reinvention of the Cafe Acela menu, and more, with several new developments and improvements set to come within the next year and beyond.

Joining Amtrak Guest Rewards is free and members can immediately start earning points toward Amtrak reward travel and other redemptions, upon enrollment. Members earn two points per dollar spent on Amtrak travel, plus a 25% point bonus for Business Class travel and a 50% point bonus for Acela First Class travel. Amtrak Guest Rewards members with Tier status receive additional point bonuses on travel, as well as benefits to elevate the customer experience, including upgrades, lounge access, and companion coupons. Members can book reward travel to experience Amtrak Across America for as few as 400 points.

About Amtrak®

Amtrak is seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform rail and Retrain Travel. By modernizing, enhancing, and expanding trains, stations, and infrastructure, Amtrak is meeting the rising demand for train travel. Amtrak offers unforgettable experiences to more than 500 destinations across 46 states and parts of Canada. Learn more at Amtrak.com, download the Amtrak app, connect with us on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and join Amtrak Guest Rewards to start earning points toward Amtrak reward travel, upgrades, gift cards, and more.

The post Amtrak Guest Rewards Celebrates Milestone of Eclipsing 20 Million Enrolled Members first appeared on River View Observer.

As winter sets in, and the Hudson River starts to freeze, Hudson County residents dream of escaping to a tropical paradise.  But getting there can be a pain, especially if you need to change planes or go through customs.  Thatâ€s where Sanibel and Captiva Islands come in.  Just two-and-a-half hours on a direct flight from Newark Airport to Ft. Myers, Florida, located on the Gulf Coast, a pair of welcoming and enchanting American islands await you.   Rent a car at the Ft. Myers airport and itâ€s a quick and easy 30-minute drive to Sanibel and Captiva.   

The Islands

Local lore has it that rum-running pirates and CIA operatives once lived on these islands. But itâ€s the natural beauty and the gulf waters and its unique shell-covered beaches that make these islands magical. The residents have a deep love and respect for the wildlife and the land—from protecting the alligators on golf courses, to maintaining the renowned J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, a 6,400 acre sanctuary that shelters 290 species of birds, 50 types of reptiles and at least 30 mammals.  www.fws.gov/dingdarling    In addition to its natural wonders and world-class sunsets, Sanibel and Captiva offer a variety of sophisticated but casual lodgings, restaurants and cultural events.  The islands attract visitors from Europe and Canada as well as most states across America, with New Jersey rating in the top five.  

Sanibel

In fact, my wife and I visited the islands twice last year.   Our first decision was where to stay.  The range of accommodations:  condos, house rentals, hotels and motels, inns, timeshares and camping.   Last March we chose the Casa Ybel Resort in Sanibel, with one and two-bedroom condo suites and fully equipped kitchens.  The resortâ€s Thistle Lodge Restaurant is one of the islandâ€s finest.   www.casaybelresort.com   It didnâ€t take us long to discover that biking is the way to explore the true beauty of these islands.  There are 22 miles of flat and well-marked bike paths, and plenty of bike rental shops.  If youâ€re feeling fit and want to see the islands in all their panoramic beauty, bike from the lighthouse at the tip of Sanibel to the Seven Seas Resort at the tip of Captiva.

Our most recent trip to Sanibel and Captiva was in December.  (High season runs from Christmas week to the end of March. The population of the islands can triple during that period.)  This time we wanted to experience more of the old-school (but still first-rate) Florida Gulf Coast inns.  The Island Inn on Sanibel is the most historic lodging on the island.  We stayed in a beach cottage just yards away from the Gulf waters.  It was a blend of old-fashioned beach living (painted white wood floors, screened verandah) and modern conveniences (wide-screen TV, Wi-Fi and air conditioning).  Their restaurant, Traditions on the Beach, offers a classic menu with Mediterranean-inspired dishes – and fresh fish right off the boat.  Thereâ€s a superb wine list and the staff welcomed each diner like they were the one customer they couldnâ€t wait to see.     The holiday décor at the Island Inn was charming.  In fact, Sanibel and Captiva go all out with Christmas decorations, hanging lights on palm trees and just about everything else that doesnâ€t move. Itâ€s a beautiful thing.   www.islandinnsanibel.com

Captiva

We packed the car for the short, scenic drive along the San-Cap Road, crossing a two-lane bridge into Captiva, a thin-strip of island with mansions tucked behind luscious gardens on both sides of the road.    Both Sanibel and Captiva are world-famous for the variety of sea shells found on their beaches.  (The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is a must.  www.shellmuseum.org .)  It wasnâ€t long before even novice shell seekers like us were in the Captiva crouch searching for the perfect treasure along the shoreline.  Captiva also attracts the young and more hi-octane water sports athletes, like surfers, parasailers and kayakers.   At the far end of Captiva, thereâ€s the recently renovated South Sea Island resort, a 300-acre resort that offers tons of activities including: a spa, sailing, fitness center, tennis, fishing, shopping, golf.   www.southseas.com

Our choice in Captiva was ‘Tween Waters Inn Island Resort.  The view of the Gulf of Mexico from our beachfront terrace was stunning.  The Olympic-size swimming pool was just the place to hang out, read novels and shake away the winter blues.  A sea salt scrub at the spa smoothed away even more rough edges.  We did miles of walking on the beach (word to the wise: bring a flashlight if youâ€re out after sunset.) We capped off the day with a gourmet meal at Old Captiva House.   www.tween-waters.com

Golfing

With both public and private golf courses on the islands itâ€s pretty hard not to find one that fits your handicap.  Check out the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club www.dunesgolfsanibel.com  South Seas Island resort www.southseas.com  Sundial Beach & Golf resort.  www.sanibelcollection.com  and The Sanctuary Golf Club www.sanctuarygc.net   The Sanctuary, an 18-hole course designed by Arthur Hills, is a private club but If youâ€re lucky enough to know a member, a visit to the Sanctuary is a must – even for duffers.  The Sanctuary is a certified Audubon Cooperative – much of the design and planning involves strict protection of endangered species.   Matter of fact, we did see an alligator sunning at the 14^th hole.  The Sanctuary is the nationâ€s only golf course that reports to the US Department of Interior because of its prominent role in conserving native plants and wildlife, and itâ€s won awards as a model of environmental stewardship.        

 Other Things to Do

Big Arts — Herb Strauss Theatre     www.bigarts.org   First-class exhibits, musical and dramatic performances and classes.  A stop for visitors and residents alike.   

Sanibel Sea School — If you have kids you must check it out     www.sanibelseaschool.org

The Mucky Duck, located on the beach in Captiva.  English pub with terrific food.  Amazing key lime pie.  The sunset from the patio is spectacular. www.muckyduck.com

The 75^th Annual Sanibel Shell Fair & Show March 1-3^rd 2012.  www.shellabration2012.com

Captiva Cruises -  A great day on the water.  Look for dolphins.   Take the half-day cruise to the tiny island of Cabbage Key, and have a burger in one of the coolest food shacks around.  Save a dollar bill to tack on the wall —itâ€s a tradition.  www.captivacruises.com

Doc Fordâ€s Rum Bar & Grill – a local best-selling mystery writer owns the place.  www.docfords.com

Baileyâ€s General Store —full service grocery and hardware store. And the best iced coffee on the islands.  Where people meet and greet.  www.baileys-sanibel.com

The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce staff can help you with any questions concerning visiting Sanibel & Captiva.  www.sanibel-captiva.org

 

The post TRAVEL-Sanibel & Captiva Islands….Beauty, Sophistication & Fun first appeared on River View Observer.

 The Bayonne Parking Authority reminded downtown residents and businesses that applications are available for the new Orange permit parking zone around the 8^th Street Light Rail Station.  Enforcement of permit parking in the Orange Zone will take effect on Monday, May 2, 2011. 

             Different procedures are in effect for obtaining residential and business permits for the Orange Zone.  Downtown residents who live in the zone will receive the new permit stickers (white with blue lettering), plus guest hang-tags for the Orange Zone.  Those entitled to business permits for the Orange Zone will receive non-resident (NR) orange permit stickers, but will not be entitled to the guest hang-tags that are reserved for residents.  The Parking Authority will process Orange Zone applications in March and April, with enforcement to start on Monday, May 2.  The Orange Zone non-resident stickers and permits for Orange Zone residents will be valid through April 30, 2012.

Applicants may file for permits through the mail, and the Parking Authority encourages the public to do so. People do not need to apply for permits in person at City Hall. Permit applications and photocopies of the required documents may be mailed along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Bayonne Parking Authority, 630 Avenue C, Bayonne, NJ 07002.  Anyone who wishes to apply for permits in person may do so in Room 18A, which is in the middle of the back corridor of City Hall.

Permit forms for new applicants may be downloaded from the City’s Internet website at www.bayonnenj.org.

The streets included in the Orange Zone are defined by the following boundaries:

Westerly limit – Kennedy Boulevard from West 5^th Street to West 15^th Street.

Southerly limit -5^th Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Hobart Avenue.

Easterly limit – Hobart Avenue from East 5^th Street to Linnet Street, and Avenue E from East 15^th Street to Linnet Street.

Northerly limit – 15^th Street from Kennedy Boulevard to Avenue E.

 

Streets included in zone are shown in detail on the municipal website.

 

            People who can demonstrate residence within one block of the border of the Orange Zone will be eligible to apply for a courtesy permit.  

 

            For more information, please call the Bayonne Parking Authority at 201-858-6135.

=

The post Enforcement of Orange Permit Parking Zone Around 8th Street Light Rail Starts May 2 first appeared on River View Observer.

Customers on the Port Authority’s PATH rail system now can simply “Tap and Go” with their credit cards, under a regional six-month program that began on Tuesday June 1st.

Eleven of PATH’s 13 stations (except the Christopher and 9th street stations) have been equipped with special payment readers, allowing riders to tap a contacltess credit card or other device like a key fob to pay fares.

 

The Port Authority is partnering with NJ Transit, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), along with MasterCard Worldwide, to help test seamless travel using one card on the three agencies’ trains and buses in New York and New Jersey. PATH riders can switch to three NJ Transit bus lines (6, 80,87) and the Lexington Avenue subway lines (4, 5, 6), as well as eight MTA bus routes (M14, M23, M79,M86, M 101, M102, M103, and BXM7 via MasterCard’s  PayPass Card.

Goals include improving convenience and speed for transit riders and helping to ultimately determine whether such as system is feasible through each agency’s transit system. Participating customers will not have to use cash for fare cards from multiple agencies and will not have to wait in line at ticket machines.

“MasterCard PayPass will have an exclusive two-month window to test the system, which then also will be opened to other contactless bank card customers for the pilot’s final four months.

PATH is a natural fit for testing innovations such as MasterCard PayPass that can help customers travel seamlessly between mass-transit systems in New York and New Jersey,” said Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia. This Program aligns with our interest in simplifying fare payment, increasing capacity and ultimately attracting more customers to the region’s mass-transit systems.”

“Customer convenience is a top Port Authority priority and this pilot program will give out PATH customers more flexibility,” said Chris Ward, the Port Authority executive director. “We look forward to successful pilot that can help make this payment method permanent.”

“PATH riders deserve the latest service innovations,” said Bill Baroni, the Port Authority’s deputy executive director.” This pilot program will help ease our riders’ travels not only on PATH, but also when connection to other transit systems.”

Contactless cards already have proven popular on PATH, which offers its own, state -of -the -art SmartLink Card featuring an embedded computer chip that tracks the number of PATH trips available or travel days remaining for a customer. Sales of SmartLink Cards for travel on PATH has hit a record, jumping to more that 50-percent of market share on the rail line.

Under the pilot program with MasterCard, customers may select from pre -funding or pay-as-you-go options.

Last year alone, PATH handled nearly 73 million customers. The rail system, which the Port Authority acquir3ed in 1962, is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar modernization that  will result in an entirely new 340-car fleet of rail cars, a computerized signal system and upgraded station.

The post Port Authority Joins With NJ Transit, MTA and Mastercard to Offer Contactless Bank Cards for Area Transit Riders first appeared on River View Observer.

Source You Tube- Thanks Roger Muller-Muller Insurance

The post I Was Born In Hoboken- Fantastic Video with Former Mayor Steve Capiello first appeared on River View Observer.

Power Outage Causes Chaos On Cruise Ship

 A cruise ship that lost its power on Friday has finally made its way back to Miami after a power failure left cruisers stranded without running water and air-conditioning  in the Caribbean.

 It has been reported that some passengers became chaotic, pushing, fighting, shoving and screaming at each other when the tempetures in their cabins climbed to over 100 degrees and hundreds of people took to the deck to sleep for 2 nights

What would you have done if you were on the ship?

Cruisers become Chaotic source AOL TRAVEL

The post Cruise Ship -Not The Love Boat This Trip Out! first appeared on River View Observer.

The handcrafted 1920s-style boat was brand-new. Not that it wasn’t an original. The boat was built using the actual plans created by John Ludwig Hacker (1871-1961), the preeminent 20th Century designer of wooden pleasure crafts. The exterior look of the 24-foot rear-engine runabout was pure Hacker. But hidden in the engine hold and hull construction were contemporary marine technologies that have powered these legendary boats into modern times.

Robert Lynn Wagemann, president and CEO of Hacker Boat Company, Inc., says boat show patrons are often surprised to learn that new Hacker-Craft boats are available. “People think the boats are restored. They look that close to the original. Yet technologically they are modern. At boat shows the first thing out of people’s mouths is, ‘We didn’t know that these were made anymore.’ They think of it as a dead art.”

Not people like Malcolm Smith who bought a Hacker-Craft Gentleman’s Racer in June of 2007. A boating enthusiast since childhood, through the years the 65-year-old New Jersey resident has enjoyed cruising in many fine vessels. But his racer takes the trophy.

“The boat is the most fantastic riding boat of this style I’ve ever driven, and I’m very familiar with mahogany boats. My dad introduced me to the pleasure and as a kid I sanded them and varnished them and got to know them well. This boat is absolutely exquisite. It exceeds my expectations.”

His Gentleman’s Racer is a far cry from the floating antiques some collectors might be tempted to buy. “It’s very user friendly. You can enjoy the boat. If you buy an actual antique, unless they update the engine, you have a nightmare. You’d spend more time working on it than running it.”

The Name Game

The various Hacker-Craft boats were so famous in their day they were known by name. The original Pardon Me, for example, was commissioned by a wealthy businessman who chose the name to apologize to the public for being so extravagant during tough economic times. Other memorable models include the El Largarto, Bootlegger, Kitty Hawk, Belle Isle Bear Cats and Miss Pepsi. Even the U.S. Postal Service has a thing for the boats. In 2007 an image of the Thunderbird was included in the commemorative stamp collection called Vintage Mahogany Speedboats.

When Wagemann bought the company in 2004, he was well aware that the runabouts and racers inspired a longing for that golden age of superior American craftsmanship, leisure and innocence. Yet he wasn’t interested in nostalgia alone. He wanted the new boats to evoke a time gone by while guaranteeing contemporary convenience.

“You can have all the great fun, nostalgia and history without all the heavy-duty maintenance. We’ve done the hard work so that there is no hard work for the owners.”

Misconceptions about maintenance grow out of the assumption that the new boats are mere replicas. Back in the day, wooden boats had what was known as a wet bottom. Before they could be trusted on water, the underside would soak for a few days. This would swell the mahogany planks so that they would push against an expensive caulking that was used as a sealant. Even then, the boats would take on water throughout the summer and need to be drained in the autumn. While in dry dock the old caulking would be removed and replaced before the next boating season. It was a tedious ritual.

All that changed by the 1980s. The new boats could improve on the originals because technologies had developed that were not available to John Hacker. As a result, the company’s designers created a dry bottom system that involved layers of mahogany and epoxy. The system made the boats much stronger and stopped the leakage. Each hull now comes with a 10-year guarantee. And the process is the industry standard for today’s wooden boats.

The design team was resourceful in other ways. The original boats were fitted with 110 hp engines. With larger, more powerful engines available, the company realized the new boats could run much faster than Hacker’s creations. But that meant the engine supports had to be strengthened. They knew that when pushed to modern speeds, the bow of the original runabouts would rise out of the water and block the driver’s view. The hull was reworked so the nose would remain level with the water.

“Our designers were very innovative. They were able to get our Hacker-Craft to ride almost level, no matter where the passengers sit. That’s a very nice ride,” says Wagemann.

Contemporary Customized Delivery

When Smith ordered his racer, he knew it would take the Hacker-Craft craftsmen two years to build. He did not realize he would be invited to take part in the process. Yet every three or four months he would get a call from Wagemann or another member of the production team. The boats are built in a facility at Silver Bay on Lake George in upstate New York.

“They called me at various stages of production and asked me to come to see what was going on. They asked where I wanted the chrome hardware and throttle and steering wheel and upholstery. Frankly, I had distinct opinions about what I wanted. And they accommodated those to the T. Not even a screw was out of place. I thought that was amazing and very professional.”

Although power tools are used for some tasks, all Hacker-Crafts are hand built, despite the fact that each has more than 24,000 stainless steel screws, bolts, nuts or staples. On average, 2,000 hours of labor are needed to build the boats, each of which is made entirely from Honduran, Philippine and African mahoganies.

Today, the company builds runabouts, sport boats, launches, utilities and water taxis that range in size from 20 to 42 feet. Their modern day motto is if you can dream it, we can build it. Prices start at $100,000.

Wagemann said he will continue to follow in the tradition of John Hacker, who preferred the challenge of custom projects. But to increase output and speed delivery for boat lovers who don’t want to wait two years, the company now builds some of the more popular models on spec. This allows new customers to put their name on a boat already in production. And those buyers can incorporate some customization late in the process.

Smith, who docks his racer on Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey, said he plans to captain his boat for as long as he is healthy. But should he wish to sell, he knows he has an excellent chance to recapture his investment and maybe even make a profit. This is possible because the cost of the excellent mahogany and high-grade materials used in construction usually inflate as time marches on.

“In some way, I’m reliving my youth. A slow cruise across the lake after dark under a full moon, that’s very enchanting. During the day it’s also enchanting to cruise around the lake seeing the sights. But I admit I also want people to see this boat.”

For more information, contact Hacker Boat Co., Inc, by writing to Route 9N, 8 Delaware Ave., Silver Bay, NY 12877; Phone (866) 540-5546; Fax (518) 543-6732; E-mail: salesmanager@hackerboat.com; or visit the web site

http://www.hackerboat.com

Douglas Glenn Clark is a writer based in the Los Angeles area.

The post Boating Enthusiasts-Pardon Me, That’s No Replica! first appeared on River View Observer.