Epinions Recent Reviews for smacnew

Baguettes and Croissants in Moorea and the Sofitel Ia Ora

Fri, 13 Oct 2000 19:34:37 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew -
Review Topic: Overview

I went with my girlfriend for a week to Moorea in July of 2000. We were trying to plan an inexpensive yet exotic weeklong vacation and stumbled upon French Polynesia based on a travel agent's suggestion...

The BEST Guide Book to Kuaui!

Fri, 19 May 2000 18:51:30 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - This is simply the best activity oriented guidebook to Kauai you can buy! Its actually one of my favorite guidebooks... period. I wish the authors had the time and capacity to cover more places than just various Hawaiian Islands as I would buy their...

Aqua lives up to the hype

Wed, 10 May 2000 18:22:07 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - Aqua simply is the best seafood restaurant in San Francisco, a city known for its seafood. Aqua deserves this honor because every aspect of the restaurant, from cuisine, service, decor, ambience and wine selection are top notch.

To experience...

Great Ski for Powder and Crud

Thu, 18 Nov 1999 00:42:44 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I picked up a pair of demo PowerKarves at the beginning of the 1999 season after hearing praises about them from many happy customers. I probably skied 20 days on them over the last 2 years, but actually lent them out many times to other friends because...

Mountain Biking at Patapsco State Park (Avalon trails)

Sun, 3 Oct 1999 22:30:39 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - A great trail for any mountain bikers living in Baltimore is the Avalon loop at Patapsco State Park. Patapsco State Park is located around 15 minutes West of Downtown Baltimore (get off of 95 on the exit for BWI airport and head North into the...

Best post-sprain brace!

Fri, 17 Sep 1999 18:52:37 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I used to have chronic ankle sprains and quickly discovered the Aircast as the best brace to wear while recovering from a sprain. The Aircast completely supports and isolates your ankle within two hard plastic supports padded by a soft air interior. It...

Another Great Epinion on the Cathay Pacific Asia Pass!

Tue, 14 Sep 1999 14:50:36 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I totally agree with Camille's epinion on the Cathay Asia Pass and wanted to add my thoughts as well. First of all, make sure you get it with the Internet bonus (all you have to do is enroll in Cathay Pacific's online website which is free). The...

Santana brings back real latin groove

Mon, 13 Sep 1999 22:51:14 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - When I first heard, Smooth, the catchy single for Santana's latest studio album with its catchy lyrics and latin groove, I shuddered with fear that it was Ricky Martin' latest cut and that I actually might like it. Needless to say, when I heard it was a...

Sony VAIO Digital Studio PCV-R522DS: Easy to use and set-up, but pre-loaded with lots of junk!

Mon, 13 Sep 1999 19:48:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I purchased the Sony VAIO PCV R522DS recently and found it to be a great value for the features and processor. It comes with a Celeron 466 mhz, 10GB hard drive, 64 MB memory, a 32x CDROM, ATI Rage video card and Aureal 3D sound with 2 sony speakers...

Hustle and Bustle in Hong Kong

Sun, 12 Sep 1999 21:59:49 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I visited Hong Kong several times as part of a trip through Asia in July of 1999. Although I had a great experience there and saw a lot of interesting sites, Hong Kong is ultimately a very large and busy city and any tourist should prepare themself for...

Better keys edge the 6162 over the 6160

Sun, 12 Sep 1999 20:52:50 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I'm going to focus first on the difference between the 6160 and 6162 because they are both comparable phones, then talk a little about why the Nokia 6100 series is currently the top choice in value and performance.

The 6160/6162 debate rages...

Best pocket APS camera! - Updated 5/14/2000

Wed, 8 Sep 1999 22:13:32 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - If you were camera shopping for the ultimate, pocket sized APS camera like I was, search no longer... the Olympus i Zoom 75 is the one! Olympus has taken the engineering and reliability of the classic Stylus camera and combined it with the features of...

Ultimate Kauai!

Wed, 1 Sep 1999 00:22:39 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I went to Kauai with my girlfriend in October of 1998 for a week and had a spectacular vacation that I highly recommend to other couples. Kauai has incredible beaches and landscapes, but is not as commercialized and over-touristed as more popular Oahu...

Biking to Tiburon - Great day trip!

Sun, 29 Aug 1999 20:58:57 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - A classic SF Bay day trip is the bike ride from San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and into Marin to Tiburon. I've done this numerous times with out-of-town guests as well as local friends and have found it a great way to see the Bay, enjoy...

Annoying Tourist Trap - but worth the trip!

Sun, 29 Aug 1999 20:41:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I've taken a lot of friends in town visiting San Francisco to Fisherman's Wharf as part of a tour of the city. Although even they agree the place is an annoying tourist trap, its a great way to show them a beautiful vista (once you walk to the end of...

This movie will screw with your mind!

Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:52:57 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I'll make sure to not reveal any significant plot details in this review. This movie was great and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a smart, well made, excellently acted and very intense psychological thriller. A word of warning, the movie...

Temple of Gloom!

Fri, 27 Aug 1999 23:07:18 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - The second installment of the Indiana Jones series is often neglected and derided by fans of the first and last movies in the series. While there are some negatives that I'll talk about, I actually think overall it is a quality film that is derided...

Worst Movie Ever

Fri, 27 Aug 1999 18:36:50 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - This movie is so awful on many different levels its hard to review it.

First and probably foremost, it is boring. It literally never gets going. With the exception of maybe 2 scenes, the audience never made a single sound. I've never seen a...

Kirkwood is full of Steeps and Chutes!

Fri, 27 Aug 1999 15:31:24 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I've skied Kirkwood two times, a powder day and an icy hard pack day and had great experiences, with the powder day being the best showcase of Kirkwood's natural charms. Kirkwood has such an abundance of extreme terrain that even the most jaded/hardcore...

Baltimore's not that bad!

Thu, 26 Aug 1999 23:53:31 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - As a Baltimore native, I wanted to share with others my thoughts on Baltimore and how to have a good time if you're there. Baltimore as a city has a high crime rate, and the downtown area is best described as a small pocket surrounded by higher crime...

Pura Vida in Costa Rica!

Thu, 26 Aug 1999 23:03:09 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - If you are looking for a great, fun and active vacation in a country with gorgeous and diverse scenery and friendly people, go to Costa Rica! Costa Rica's motto is Pura Vida, or Pure Life, and as a country they embrace enjoying nature and life. This...

Central Pacific Fun

Thu, 26 Aug 1999 22:49:51 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - I went to Jaco and to Quepos (Manuel Antonio National Park) in July as part of a 2 1/2 week trip. Both spots are very easy to reach, either by driving or public transport, from San Jose, and although very touristed are good places to get acquainted to...

Montezuma is paradise!

Thu, 26 Aug 1999 21:39:53 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - Montezuma was the highlight of my 2 1/2 trip through Costa Rica and is well worth the detour. If you are looking for a laid-back, publicity shy village full of expatriate hippies, friendly locals and some of the best scenery and waterfalls on the...

Must be the Cheese...

Thu, 26 Aug 1999 21:08:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - Monteverde is an interesting and worthwhile destination that should be on any Costa Rica itinerary. It is actually a Quaker community that concentrates (despite the tourists) on simple lifestyles. The main product is the famous monteverde cheese, which...

No Way San Jose

Thu, 26 Aug 1999 20:49:44 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author smacnew - My advice to people travelling to San Jose is to get out and see the rest of Costa Rica as quickly as possible! I don't want to dump on San Jose, because I honestly feel as large Central American cities go, its not bad, its just that the rest of Costa...