The Travel Oracle

The Travel Oracle
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  • Who is the Travel Oracle?
    • Contact us!
    • The places we’ve been
    • The Oracle Recommends…
    • Our City Guides
    • Travel Booking Services
  • Our World Famous Kidney Donor Athlete
    • Running Stories
  • Subscribe
  • The Golden Pelican Awards of Excellence
  • Newsletter
The Oracle Recommends...
The Oracle Recommends...
Running the World
Running the World
Feeling Spooky
Feeling Spooky
  • Float of the cartoon character, Kung Fu Panda

    Crazy Big Balloons and Throwing Down with the Locals

    Hello Friends. While we have certainly enjoyed our little break over the holidays we are happy to be back at it. We have lots of exciting adventures planned for the New Year but before we get to that, we have to finish up our big NYC Thanksgiving trip that included crazy big balloons and throwing down with the locals! Off to the Parade In NYC on Thanksgiving Day. How does one not go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?! After a late night at the Billy Joel concert the night before we figured that the kids would rather sleep in than brave the cold and we were right. That certainly…

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    The NYC Marathon Medal in the center of the Vessel. The Vessel is concentric rings with squared edges made of copper with rings of glass between

    The NYC Marathon – More than a Walk in the Park

    December 1, 2022
    Group of people in winter clothes, smiling and hugging on an ice skating rink. Behind them are trees lit in white lights and a row of flags

    Skating Under the Stars and Other Shenanigans

    February 1, 2024
    Screen showing a map of Pennsylvania and New York with the flight path highlighted in blue. In the middle is a circle.

    Our Unexpected Trip to Harrisburg

    November 17, 2022
  • The entrance to the Central Park Zoo

    A Last Minute Stroll at the Zoo

    It was our last day in NYC and the weather had turned a bit cooler, which was far more in line with November than it had been. We had some hours to spend before heading to the airport. And we had time for just one more adventure before saying goodbye. We landed on a last minute stroll at the Central Park Zoo. Is it a Secret? If you’re like us, you may not have known there is an entire zoo in Central Park. And we’ve been through multiple times – running, walking and even once on an unfortunate bicycle built for two. We never saw it or even a sign…

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    New York 2022 – Day 4 (The Intrepid and the hike)

    May 6, 2022

    New York 2022 – Day 2 (The Pub crawl and the Play)

    May 8, 2022
    The NYC Marathon Medal in the center of the Vessel. The Vessel is concentric rings with squared edges made of copper with rings of glass between

    The NYC Marathon – More than a Walk in the Park

    December 1, 2022
  • A row of trees covered in yellow lights, behind a hot air balloon, that is lined in white lights

    What Would You Do with Just One Day in NYC?

    In case you missed it, we were in New York City for our daughter and her best friend’s 23rd birthdays. Day one was a whirl wind that included a limo ride and a Broadway show. The question became, what in the world will could we do to top day that first day?! Well, what would YOU do with just one day in NYC? Hatching the Plan Waking up before the kids gave us a little time to figure out a game plan for day two. First order of business was to take a short walk and pick up coffee and donuts at the local Dunkin. Fortunately for us the rain…

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    Float of the cartoon character, Kung Fu Panda

    Crazy Big Balloons and Throwing Down with the Locals

    January 18, 2024
    Man with an orange Mohawk, holding a coffee, with running shoes around his neck - looking less than ahppy

    NYC Marathon Pre-Race Report

    November 14, 2024
    Two men standing on a round platform, there is a colorful mural behind them, advertising Rockaway Brewing

    The Ferry and The Pub Crawl

    April 3, 2025
  • Group of 5 people, wearing winter clothing and standing in front of the Stardust Diner

    Who Do You See in NYC?

    You may have heard that New York City can be a little…hectic. But have you ever asked yourself…who do you see in NYC over Thanksgiving? As we found out, the answer is EVERYBODY. So it would be CRAZY to go then, right? Well, you may be right, I may be crazy but we loved every minute of it. Although this is the most people we’ve ever encountered in NYC, we would do it again in a heartbeat. Why we did it The girls were celebrating birthday number 23 and we wanted to do something special for them. Since we missed Billy Joel in Detroit during the pandemic, we picked seeing…

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    Statue of the headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane

    It’s October, Try Not to Lose Your Head

    October 5, 2023
    Travel themed birthday cake, where the main part looks like a globe. There is a suite case next to it and a candle showing the number 3 on top

    We’re Three Today!

    June 5, 2025
    Man in a racing kit, with his arms spread wide, crossing the Willis bridge

    NYC 2024 Marathon – The Rest of the Story

    November 21, 2024
  • Playing airport bingo to pass the time? Image of a bingo card with squares marked with yellow disks

    How to Play Travel Bingo

    Ah the weather! One minute it’s 80. The next minute, it’s 30. And you’re stuck in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Airport because New York City was having a tornado…or two. Yeah, yeah, I AM all about the environment and how horrible climate change is. But I’ll be honest, Harrisburg is no NYC, even if they have a Subway restaurant. And it’s easy to get B-O-R-E-D just waiting around when your flight is delayed. So let us share with you a fun game you can employ when you travel. This week we’ll show you how to play travel bingo. This week…it’s the “Bad Traveler” edition. The Overall Rules of the Game Just…

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    Image of a blue medal that reads NYC Half,hanging from a green ribbon. The Brooklyn bridge is in the background.

    United Airlines NYC Half Recap

    March 20, 2025
    Passport,a pouch that is embossed with the word “FlyKitt”, vitamin pouches, blue light glasses

    FlyKitt – The Magic Bullet for Jet Lag

    January 15, 2026
    Woman standing in a red telephone booth

    London – the Rest of the Story

    July 13, 2023
  • Man in running clothes standing between a woman dressed as the Genie in a I Dream of Jeannie and a man dressed as the astronaut, Major Nelson

    Beating a Genie to the Finish Line

    Greetings Friends! Even though Halloween is just around the corner, we are going to take a break from all things scary to share Stephen’s race report from this last weekend’s Cocoa Beach Half Marathon. So let’s unpack our bags and talk about beating a Genie to the finish line. I Got No Plans Following my pacing gig at the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago, I didn’t really have any plans to run any more races this year. With my heart related health issues, my training has been sporadic at best. But then…I got a text from my friend, Phil on Wednesday. He wanted to know if I’d be interested in running…

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    Black suitcase with a luggage tag that reads “Destination Marathons”

    Diplomatic Immunity

    February 2, 2023
    Woman with wind-blown hair and a man in a ball cap standing on a pier over the ocean.

    Beachy Vibes and Fast Race Times in Jacksonville

    February 16, 2023
    Race medal in pink with a palm treat that reads “Destination Donna 2023”

    The DONNA Race Recap

    February 9, 2023
  • Black and white image of the Victorian era gate at Cave Hill Cemetery

    The Colonel and The Greatest

    Before heading to Louisville to help some friends with house and pet sitting, we had some important research to do. Imminently practical, Stephen spent his time looking into restaurant and brewery recommendations. I, being more whimsical, needed to know what is weird and what is haunted around town. Though we haven’t made it to all the places on this haunted road trip, you can join us for a walk through Cave Hill Cemetery to visit the Colonel and The Greatest. About Cave Hill Cemetery The vision for Cave Hill began almost 200 years ago, during the “Parks Movement“. The idea behind this movement was to two-fold: Back in the early…

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    Exterior of a Victorian Style building that is the abandoned William Hamilton Funeral Home in Detroit

    Get Your Ghost On

    October 9, 2025
    Cell block at Alcatraz. Shows two levels and the lights in the ceiling.

    Is Alcatraz Really the Most Haunted Place in America?

    October 23, 2025

    Adventure to the Most Haunted Cemetery in Michigan

    October 13, 2022
  • White cottage with three rear facing windows and a small slanted shingled roof

    Who Was on the Stairway Each Night?

    I come by my love of spooky things quite naturally. You see, my momma is also a lover of spine tingling ghost stories and she passed this magic down to me. Our shared desire to see an actually haunted place has taken me to some pretty interesting places – like a darkened corridor in an old jail, the derelict property of an abandoned asylum, and the very edge of England. If you’re anything like us, you’re going to like this look at haunted Cornwall and the time we asked, “Who was on the stairway each night?” The Adventure Begins We drove down to Cornwall from a town near Windsor. Being…

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    Cellblock in the Ohio State Reformatory

    What’s Left of the Ohio State Reformatory

    October 17, 2024

    Adventure to the Most Haunted Cemetery in Michigan

    October 13, 2022
    Yellow two story building with a balconly

    Chasing Ghosts (among other things) in the Big Easy

    July 27, 2023
  • Statue of the headless horseman chasing Ichabod Crane

    It’s October, Try Not to Lose Your Head

    I don’t know about you but October is my FAAAAVORITE time of year. The air cools. The leaves fall. And the night time extends itself. For some, this is a sad time indicating the end of summer but for me…I get more excited with every pumpkin I see on my neighbors’ porches. Since I often have to remind myself “Look, it’s October, try NOT to lose your head.” I thought it would be fun to share with you the time we visited the Old Dutch Church graveyard…the stomping grounds of the Headless Horseman. So grab a pumpkin latte and let’s get spooky! It all Happened in Tarry Town, NY From…

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    Adventure to the Most Haunted Cemetery in Michigan

    October 13, 2022
    Stone tomb of the Couch family in Lincoln Park, Chicago

    Some Dark History Built Over an Old Cemetery

    October 16, 2025

    The Mystery of The Winchester Mystery House

    October 6, 2022
  • Game at an amusement park featuring and animatronic fortune teller named "Zoltar" and a glowing crystal ball.

    You Won’t Need a Crystal Ball

    Our latest recommendations for travel to Boston, Chicago, London, New Orleans, New York City and Tokyo. Find out where to stay, where to eat, where to drink and the best thing to do.

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    Statue of Paul Revere riding a horse with the old North Church in the back ground. There are a line of trees on either side between the two

    How to Spend THE Perfect Day in Boston

    April 2, 2026
    Statue of Paul Revere riding a horse with the old North Church in the back ground. There are a line of trees on either side between the two

    The Very Best of Beantown

    August 23, 2023
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