Lee Abbamonte
Try to become the youngest person to travel to every country in the world
Sex and the City “Hotspots” Tour
By Lee | 
6 Comments » 
I am the first to admit that I have never really watched ‘Sex and the City’ and am hardly a fan at all. However, I do happen to live in Manhattan’s West Village where a lot of the shows scenes took place or at least where they were filmed. For months now, I have walked through the West Village and noticed these ‘Sex and the City’ tours walking through the tree lined streets. The tours are impossible to miss because they are made up of dozens and I mean dozens of women. These women are generally dressed up as if they are going out for a night on the town in the middle of the day in their high heeled stilettos and trendy dresses. However, with the shows success and the recent release of the movie these tours have become increasingly popular. Shocking to me, but a brilliant idea nonetheless.
(more…)
Bay To Breakers
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
I spent the past weekend in San Francisco visiting friends and I was told there something called Bay To Breakers. It was supposed to have kind of a cult following and was something I should not miss as it kind of sums up San Francisco in a nutshell. My friends were right about that and Bay To Breakers could certainly only take place in San Francisco. I have been to San Fran several times but this was probably the most memorable.
(more…)
The Valley of the Sun
By Lee | 1 Comment » 
I spent a few days in the Phoenix area this past weekend. I have to say that I really like Phoenix. To sum it up, on the shuttle from the airport to the rental car area, the driver gets on the speaker and gives his weather forecast. He says, “It’s gonna be hot. It’s gonna be sunny. And it’s gonna be beautiful. Welcome to Arizona.” Needless to say, everyone cheered. It was pretty funny. But he was right, it’s always perfect out there.
(more…)
First Day of Spring in New York
By Lee | 5 Comments » 
As I exited the West 4th Street subway in Greenwich Village after work yesterday, I felt something for the first time this year. I felt like Spring had actually arrived and that the long and miserable New York Winter was finally over. Yesterday was the epitome of what makes Spring in New York great. As I left the subway, the West 4th Street basketball courts were packed with players and onlookers. As I walked down McDougall Street toward my apartment, the outdoor cafes were bustling and people were happy. It had been a while since I’d seen happy people in New York. Finally, we had a 70 degree day and the promise of a great Spring was upon us.
(more…)
Genos vs. Pats Philly Cheesesteaks
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
I spent this past weekend in Philadelphia and I decided to engage in the age old South Philly argument of which place has better cheesesteaks, Genos or Pats. I have been to Philly several times before and have in fact made runs from college in DC all the way to Philly just to have an authentic Philly cheesesteak. It seems however, that each time I visit, I seem to forget which place I like more. Although many people from Philly will tell you they like Jims on South Street better or perhaps they have their own favorite-there is no doubt that Genos and Pats are the two most famous cheesesteak haunts in Philadelphia. And I have come up with my favorite…
(more…)
Vegas Baby!
By Lee | 5 Comments » 
Today is once again that day where I will be heading out to Las Vegas for the weekend. This time it’s for my friend Adam’s bachelor party and it should be a fun weekend, especially with the NCAA Tourney going on this weekend as well. I am sure there will be no sleep but hopefully some sun will make up for it as the weather in New York has been awful. I haven’t been to Vegas in a year or so which is a record for me I think so I am looking forward to it. First stop should be In ‘N Out Burger on the way to the Hotel at the Mandalay Bay.
(more…)
The Democratic Political Process?
By Lee | 2 Comments » 
I usually don’t write about politics and I am not going to try to push my political views upon anyone here but I am just so baffled, confused and annoyed about this years Democratic political primary process that my head is spinning and it seems to me that nobody has any clue what’s happening either. So how many of you out there had heard of “Superdelegates” before this years primary season? Nobody. How many of you outside possibly those of you in Texas, knew that Texas had both a primary and a caucus to decide who receives their delegates? Nobody. How many of you knew that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had the power to strip two large and election changing states, Florida and Michigan, of their delegates because they scheduled their primaries too early-thus rendering their voters’ votes useless? Nobody. Finally, how many of you are sick and tired of this election that has been seemingly going on for two years already and has no end in sight-at least before the Convention? Everybody!
(more…)
Planning a Trip to the US
By Lee | 1 Comment » 
I get a lot of emails from people who live in Europe and other places about how they should structure their trip to the United States. Obviously, the US is a huge country with a lot to see and do and the distances between places can be vast. There is a lot of planning that needs to go into a big trip to the US, whether you just stay in the northeast or out west and do a bi-coastal trip. The US isn’t cheap although for Europeans it’s now a lot cheaper with the exchange rate.
(more…)
Ville de Montréal
By Lee | 3 Comments » 
Montréal is the second largest city in Canada behind Toronto and the second largest French speaking city in the western world behind Paris. Montréal is where the old world meets the modern world. It has unquestionable charm and culture, with a real sense of self and some of the best cuisine around. Montréal is also the Canadian mecca of hockey and home to Les Canadiens de Montréal, whom have won a record 24 Stanley Cups. I was fortunate to be able to get tickets to see a game at the Bell Centre this past weekend and it was an atmosphere that I won’t soon forget. However, the best thing about Montréal is that it’s only a five to six hour drive from New York City. It’s so close but many people do not take advantage of this gem to the north.
(more…)
In-N-Out Burger
By Lee | 7 Comments » 
I visit Los Angeles very often, at least 2 or 3 times a year and each time I leave to come back home to cold New York, I wonder why I don’t live there. Obviously there are many negatives, mainly the traffic, but I love the restaurants, the laid back vibe with the healthy outdoorsy lifestyle that many people live. This past weekend I stayed in Hermosa Beach which was the first time I have stayed at one of the LA beach towns in years since I stayed in Manhattan Beach in 2000. It is really different from the Hollywood area which is what a lot of people generally think of when they think of LA. It is obviously on the beach and has significantly less traffic and a small town kind of feel. It is reasonable driving distance to everywhere you’d want to visit and only 15 minutes to the nearest In-N-Out Burger, which is like a religion to me.
(more…)
Pages
- About Lee Abbamonte
- Ask/Contact Lee
- Country List
- Country Qualifications
- Mt. Kilimanjaro Journal
- Mt. Kilimanjaro Video Slideshow
- Newsletter
- Press Clips
- Radio Spots
- Sponsorship
- Standards for Visits
- Useful Travel Links
- Why Travel?
Email Updates
Categories
- Africa
- Airlines
- Asia
- Australia/New Zealand
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Europe
- General Travel
- Indian Subcontinent
- Middle East
- New 7 Wonders
- North America
- Oceana
- Picture of the Day
- Random
- South America
- Top 5 Lists
- Travel on TV
- Trip Blog
- Trivia
- World Sport
Monthly Archives
Travel links
- Cheap Air Tickets
- Travel Insurance
- Travel Blogs
- Globetrekker Videos
- Park Sleep Fly
- Around the World Airfare
- Bali Travel
- London Hostels
- Cheap Hotels
- Last Minute Hotels
My Links
- Travel Sites