Commze

The best Manhattan hotel accommodations are booked up as many wait in anticipation of the upcoming release of the children’s’ book “Where the Wild Things Are“.  The city of Manhattan abuzz.  The 81 year old illustrator and author, Maurice Sendak wrote the book in 1963 and it has remained a favorite of many people.  I was speaking to some friends the other day, and we honestly could not picture any other pages of any other children’s’ book.

What I remember, and I will “Google” this as I am now curious as to whether my memory serves me correctly, is that the creatures and the beasts were in many ways so delicate.  They had a look in their eyes that bordered on a bit of fear and a bit of tenderness.  They were monsters, but even as a little kid you wanted to just hug them like you want to hug Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.  You wanted to let them know that everything was going to be okay even though there was something just a bit menacing about them.

Sendak states that his story is set in Brooklyn.  And to him Brooklyn is not New York City, but an island that is far, far away.  He did not like the borough as a child and was often confused by the strange things he noticed growing up.  I have always loved this book and now after reading a bit of an interview, I really dig this man.  One of the memories he has of Brooklyn has haunted him his entire life.

He took a walk with a friend of his mother’s, and when they got to a busy street, his child’s mind saw what he could only interpret as a string of lights, and they scared him.  He asked her what the lights were, and if they were dangerous, and she told him that they were just cars driving on a boulevard.  He said that that word “boulevard” got stuck in his mind, and has been one of those words that has never left–nor has the fear connected to word left him.

Kids hold on to some things, random things their entire lives, and that intrigues him.  He said to this day, as an 81 year old man, he gets the shivers when he hears the word.  Gosh to be in Manhattan this week.  I am jealous of and also happy for those who will be able to be there for this great and wonderful celebration of a man and his art and our childhood.  Bravo Sir Maurice Sendak!

One of the important or even essential aspects of planning for a vacation is to gather various accommodation and hotel recommendations. My good friend David and his wife Louise can absolutely testify to this. The recently took a trip to the New England area and didn’t put much thought into where they were going to stay. They had both grown up on the west coast and had never been to this region of the east coast. While Louise does go to New York regularly for business and also they both enjoy the theatre there, they have never gone north of it.

Both of them were excited about the trip and looked forward to visiting many areas, including Salem, Massachusetts. David had recently finished a paper on early American history and the witch trials that took place there in 1692 have always captivated him, as well as most of the country. The hysteria that took place and multiple hangings of local individuals for witchcraft has never fully been understood though there are many theories related to it.

Louise and David where planning on staying in bed and breakfasts for most of the trip. Since they were driving, they were free to go wherever they wanted whenever they wanted and intended to rely on locals to direct them to the best place. This actually ended up being a perfect plan and due to the recommendations they received in most of the towns they visited, they were able to enjoy some great stays in beautiful and accommodating local inns and beds and breakfasts. They now have some top, and little known, recommendations for other travelers and have already referred one of David’s co-workers to an inn that they had stayed at. When traveling, it is important to gather quality information on the place you’re visiting as well as to where you will be staying. And the way in which you gain your information can be adjusted according to what you’re looking for and where you are going. David and Louise relied on standard commercial hotel information in choosing a major resort in Boston and were extremely pleased with their accommodations there.