DS Updste: CityWorks Closes-In Outdoor Bar Area

 

CityWorks Eatery and Brewery has closed-in their outdoor seating bar area.

They apparently figured-out that no one wants to sit out there during our hot, humid rainy season!

Friday Funny

 

ARC Music Festival Set Times Announced

The much-anticipated first edition of ARC Music Festival is taking place on Labor Day weekend near downtown Chicago. The set times dropped yesterday for the 2-day event.

Save Pleasure Island Blog will have coverage of the event.

This Weekend In Techno Town

FRIDAY AUG 27

                      DJ duo Loud Luxury (CDN)     The Vanguard     House / EDM

FRIDAY AUG 27

                         DJ 4B (USA)     Celine Nightclub     EDM / Heavy Bass

SATURDAY AUG 28

                     DJ Morgan Page (USA)     Gilt Entertainment Venue     EDM

PI Update: We See You Clubs!

Let's cross this bridge one more time to beautiful Pleasure Island looking for clubs.

Mannequins.....WE SEE YOU!

8TRAX.....WE SEE YOU!

PI Update: Kiosk Moves

Pop Gallery was located for years in that alley between the AMC Theater and Splitsville but vacated it to make room for Everglazed Donuts. They've now relocated to this kiosk at Pleasure Island's Riverboat Square adjacent to the No. 1 Bridge.

Meanwhile this kiosk, located on the PI's lower level beneath STK, is now home to Just Fun Socks. There are just two kiosks located here, the other being the kiosk location of Chapel Hats. Of course the main location of Chapel Hats is still in the "Motion Corridor" on the other side of the Island.

Trip Report: Ferries Of The Baltic

This trip to Europe has included four overnight ferry rides to various destinations. This article is a summary of some of the ferry options available on the Baltic Sea. One of the busiest routes is the Finland - Estonia route which is operated by Tallink/Silja, Viking Line and Eckero Line. This crossing only takes 2 hours and is operated by fast ferry ships. Like the one above, it does not have cabins and these ships go back and forth.

Tallink/Silja also operates one rotation on the Silja Europa and this ship does offer cabins for one overnight sailing. The difference between a ferry and a cruise ship is that a ferry offers car decks for cars and many tractor trailers to cross. But otherwise they are very similar to cruise ships in that they have restaurants, shops and if overnight, musical entertainment.

Aland Islands-based Eckero Line plies this route as well.

As does Viking Line. Both Tallink/Silja and Viking Line also sail between Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki and Turku in Finland as well as between Stockholm and Riga in Latvia. Those ships are huge!

Polferries travels between Sweden and Poland nightly.

While Stena Line travels nightly between Germany and Sweden. Not pictured is Color Line with nightly service between Germany and Norway. In this era of low fare airlines where you can get to your destination in hours for next to nothing, ferries can be overlooked. But the journey can be a destination in itself when you travel via ship and stay in a private cabin for less than the cost of a hotel room.

Trip Report: Gothenburg, Sweden

One of the big surprises of this Europe trip has been Gothenburg, Sweden (Göteborg in Swedish). Not well-traveled by Americans, it's Sweden's "second city" and thus overlooked. But you can come here by overnight ferry from Germany or by train from Stockholm or Copenhagen.

Most everything in the city is within walking distance of the downtown center but trams go everywhere if you'd rather not walk. I believe Gothenburg has Europe's largest tram system.

There are several old cathedrals but otherwise the town is mostly for shopping along pedestrian walkways that house nearly all of Europe's brand names including, of course, Swedish H&M.

The city is crossed by several rivers and streams along with an abundance of green spaces.

This food hall is also jammed with walk-up restaurants where you can pick out a meal and eat at nearby tables. Orlando is supposed to be getting a food hall downtown which would be a huge addition to the city.

Friday Funny

Music is the answer.

This Weekend In Techno Town

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EVENTS THIS WEEKEND:

FRI 20AUG  CELINE  DJ SONNY FODERA (AUS)   Deep House

SAT 21AUG  GILT  DJ duo NERO (GB)   Dubstep

SAT 21AUG SKY LOUNGE (Amway)  DJ LAYTON GIORDANI (USA)  Techno

DS Update: NBA Experience Not Reopening

NBA Experience which closed with the rest of Disney World and Disney Springs early last year with the onset of covid19, is not reopening. Numerous websites reported the news. The place was a poor decision from the very beginning with them charging around $35 per person to basically shoot some hoops. Certainly the lack of international visitors this year didn't help the matter but they should have learned from the demise of NBA City over in Universal CityWalk (which at least was mostly a restaurant). NBA Experience was brand new construction built in the location formerly occupied by Disney Quest. The building has a lot of square footage to fill.

DS Update: Salt & Straw Coming To West Side

You'll recall this West Side spot formerly occupied by Something Silver which closed in 2019 and where Brooklyn-based Ample Hills Creamery was supposed to set-up a shop. Until they filed for bankruptcy. The place has sat idle since then but there are now signs on the construction walls indicating that Salt & Straw will be opening here. They promise a unique assortment of flavors. They currently have a location in Downtown Disney at Disneyland in California as well as over 20 other locales.

DS Update: No Beatrix Progress

Although Walt Disney World itself reopened a year ago, the site of the former Bongos Cuban Cafe remains idle. After Bongos closed, it was quickly razed to make room for a new location of Chicago-based Beatrix, a restaurant featuring healthier food choices. When covid-19 hit early last year, construction progress was halted at the site. It remains halted and we wonder why.

Club Report: 70's & 80's Night (MSC Seaview)

 

No cruise in more than a year and a half so it was great to finally be back at sea with this Baltic cruise on MSC Seaview.  Cruises mean partying and this one was no different! Sunday night brought us this outdoor party at the ship's Sunset Beach Pool.

Taking place near the pool located on Deck 7 aft, it was 70's & 80's Night on board!

Here we found DJ Hagi (TR) in the booth pumping out those great hits!

Just a handful on the dance floor early.

There were plenty of people here though drinking, chatting and smoking.

Hagi used to DJ on MSC Meraviglia sailing out of Port Miami.

But Disco hits quickly got the crowd dancing!

Later in the ship's indoor Haven Lounge, the 70's music continued with an Abba (S) tribute titled "Dancing Queen".

Crowd much bigger here than outside.

Abba hits such as "Honey Honey", "Mama Mia", "Waterloo" and the title song delivered by duo Magic Sound (I).

The ship's animation team was on hand to get people in the mood.

On MSC Seaview, a good time was had by all.

Trip Report: Red Light District (Amsterdam)

 

This is Amsterdam City Hall in Dam Square in the heart of Amsterdam's old town area. Amsterdam was stop number one on my trip around northern Europe.

In Amsterdam you're never far away from shops selling fresh frites.

Nor far from shops selling brownies, space cakes, gummies and other pot-related products and paraphernalia.

The famous tolerance of the Dutch extends to the sex business too. The Sex Museum is directly on a main avenue running between Dam Square and Amsterdam Centraal Station.

XXX-films are available 24/7 if you are so inclined.

Amsterdam's famous Red Light District is just 5-minutes walk from Dam Square. Sex shops are available for all your supplies.

Live peep show booths are a good way to kill an hour.....for perhaps 5 minutes!

The most famous venue in the RLD is Theatre Casa Rosso where live sex acts take place in continuous skits throughout the day and night. Admission is €40 without drinks or €50 with 2 drinks. You can stay as long as you want but after a couple hours the skits begin to repeat. Expert Tips: Beware of the gorilla and never sit in the front rows!

These alleyways connect the various streets in the RLD and they're filled with shops.....and girls.

Photography of the storefronts and the girls is strictly forbidden. In Amsterdam's Red Light District, a good time is had by all.