Results tagged “Travel” from Intelligent Travel Blog

I arrived in Madrid a few weeks ago with only a handful of hours on a Saturday to show my fiancé around town, so I wanted a way to pack in as much culture as we could, and if possible, do it on the cheap. Enter my colleague Meg Weaver's excellent Free City Guide to Madrid, where I found a slew of cost-efficient ways to wander the city. With her list and a few of our own discoveries along the way, we were able to make our limited stay a memorable one, and save a few euros in the process.

Our first stop was the CaixaForum Madrid gallery, a former electric power station that's now a funky art space situated along the Paseo del Prado, tucked among some of the city's best museums. We wandered the current exhibit, took a break at the thoroughly modern cafe upstairs, then marveled at the living wall of plant life that's overtaken the exterior of the building next door. The admission is always free, so it should certainly join the must-see list for those visiting the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and Museo del Prado, which is where we were headed next.

Admission is free for visitors to the Reina Sofia after 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and until 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, so we ducked in there first, taking the very-cool elevators up to see Picasso's Guérnica, which is always captivating. We spent awhile wandering the halls of modern art before heading over to the historic stuff at the Prado, whose immense galleries filled with works by Goya, Reubens, and Velásques constituted an entire semester's worth of study for one of my college roommates when she studied abroad in the city. But we only had two hours, as the Prado offers free admission from 6 p.m to 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday (and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday). Thankfully, that was more than enough time to take in some of the museum's more famous works like Las Meninas and The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), the world's largest alliance of animal welfare organizations, just launched a new component to its animal rights advocacy work, a new website called Compassionate Travel.
   
Compassionate Travel lists travel dos and don'ts and functions as a clearinghouse for international volunteer opportunities with an animal-welfare focus.

To make sure your next trip is animal-friendly, please heed some or all of the following:

• Visit nature reserves and national parks instead of petting zoos and roadside attractions.
  
  
• Skip the marine park and take a dolphin- or whale-watching cruise instead.
  
  
• Boycott bullfights and other festivals that use animals in potentially exploitive ways.
  
  
• Support the local humane society or shelter where you're traveling. Even donations of used towels and dog or cat food are helpful.
  
  
• Avoid animal rides or taxis.

It's that time of year again: yup, that's right, time to head outside and get lost in your local corn maze. According to The MAiZE, a leading corn maze company (yes, there is such a thing) based in Utah, the annual tradition lets family farms generate extra income by attracting day-trippers from nearby urban areas with their woven fields of corn. The MAiZE counts over 500 mazes in the U.S. (one in nearly every state), 15 in Canada, one in the UK, Italy, one even in Staszów in south-central Poland.
 
Rural theme parks that they are, corn mazes have been around for centuries, serving ceremonial purposes or amusing royalty in the days of kings and princesses. The "modern" corn maze has been around only since the mid-1990s when British maze developer, Adrian Fisher, claims to have created the first corn maze in Pennsylvania.

Only a few days remain in National Geographic Magazine's International Photo Contest. Here's a standout from this week's batch of entries, taken by Nancy Dinh.

This photo reflects the communal sense of Vietnamese culture, where mother, father, and child sleep together on a mattress close to the ground, enveloped in a single large mosquito net in a room dedicated to nocturnal sleep and daytime playing. During the daytime, the child is gatekeeper.

For more images, visit the weekly galleries on National Geographic Magazine's site. The International Photo Contest ends October 31st, so submit your favorite images in the People, Places, and Nature categories now.

For more than 55 years, the Veselka Diner has been a neighborhood institution in New York's East Village, serving up its famous borscht and pierogi 24 hours a day to teenage hipsters, artists, college students, and celebrities like Chloë Sevingy, Jon Stewart, Julianne Moore and Sarah Jessica Parker. This week, the diner's owner, Tom Birchard, released The Velselka Cookbook. Birchard worked with cookbook writer Natalie Danford to adapt the huge restaurant-style portions of 120 of their famous recipes for a more moderately-sized kitchen. (What? You don't have a room for a vat full of borscht on your stovetop?) The book not only offers a glimpse into the kitchen, but provides lovely vignettes about the history of the restaurant and its role within the Little Ukraine neighborhood in New York City.

I spoke with Tom Birchard about pierogi, kitchen politics, and becoming an honorary Ukrainian.

Though you've been running the diner for 40 years, you're actually not Ukrainian. How did you integrate yourself within the community?

When my father-in-law started the diner, he was a very patriotic and it became a gathering place for fellow Ukrainians. He sold periodicals and a limited menu of Old World foods that he loved. It became a Ukrainian hub.

Back when I took over, the community was still very isolated, tight-knit and somewhat distrustful of strangers. Their culture and language was under attack back in the homeland, so I wasn't really accepted with open arms. It was an institution in the community, and this WASPy college kid was a bit of a threat to them. I didn't really understand the language and the elder ladies kind of snubbed me. But in time, the younger generation got to know me and I've been adopted as honorary Ukrainian.

Andrew Evans discovers how to bring home the ultimate souvenir from Maine.

It felt like a trick question on the SAT: You're visiting the coast of Maine and loving all the delicious fresh lobster. You decide that you want to bring some home to share with your family. Lobsters must be alive in order to be cooked safely and taste fresh. To stay alive out of water lobsters must be kept cold and wet. Your trip back home consists of a one-hour drive to the airport, a 90-minute flight to LaGuardia, a five-hour bus ride to Washington, D.C., plus all the in-between waiting time that adds up to a twelve-hour transit. What do you do?

Well, it took some phone calls and asking around, but Mainers have been smuggling lobster all over the place for years and they showed me how it's done... Find out after the jump.

Reading Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women was one of Harriet Reisen's seminal experiences growing up, as it is for many girls the world over (the book has been translated into over 50 languages and has never been out of print). But Reisen, a documentary screenwriter, took her enthusiasm a step (or two) further by doggedly pursuing her goal of bringing Alcott's rags-to-riches life story to the screen. The resulting biopic, Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women, debuts on American Masters on PBS on December 28, but a companion biography written by Reisen is due out in bookstores today.

I chatted with Harriet Reisen about Louisa May Alcott sites to visit, Louisa's own travel experiences, and how travel and literature intersect.

Readers have flocked to visit Orchard House, the Alcott home for 20 years in Concord, Massachusetts, ever since Little Women became nearly an overnight bestseller in 1868. Any tips on what to look out for on a visit there?

When Louisa describes the March home in Little Women, she is describing Orchard House. Visiting it brings the March and the Alcott family alive. The Alcotts feel very present, as if they've just stepped out for a moment. Everything's there: the elder sister's wedding gown, Louisa's mood pillow. Louisa was very moody and she had a pillow that she put up to signal you could approach her, but when she put it sideways, beware.

Don't miss the costumes that the Alcott children wore in their homemade theatricals, including the russet boots Louisa loved. She said she only wrote parts for herself in plays where she could wear the russet boots.

In between the windows of her very small room is a little wooden desk, a semi-circular surface probably 14 inches in diameter, if that. It has just enough room for an inkwell and a piece of paper. And on this desk, she wrote Little Women in just ten weeks.

When the United Nations Climate Change Conference meets in Copenhagen this December, the delegates won't have to look very far for environmental inspiration. An eco-pioneer before going green became stylish, Denmark's capital is seamed by parks, 186 miles of bike paths, and enough serious organic restaurants to earn some of the city's 14 Michelin stars. The once polluted waterfront is now so clean it feeds a network of popular harborside swimming pools--though it doesn't take much to draw nature-oriented Copenhageners outside.

To learn more about this green city, check out Raphael Kadushin's 48 Hours Guide to Copenhagen in the Nov./Dec. issue of Traveler, and go online for the best things to do, places to stay, and a photo gallery to get you inspired.

Photo: Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson/Keenpress

Carolyn Bánfalvi explores one of Europe's most remarkable flea markets

My husband wanted a black, wide-brimmed hat, the kind the Gábor Roma of Transylvania wear. So during the second week in October, the plan was clear: we would head to the sprawling annual open-air flea market in the western Transylvanian village of Negreni (Feketetó in Hungarian). Cars are parked in fields among hayricks, and the market is spread on both banks of the Crişul Repede river between the towering mountains.

The distinctively dressed Gábor Roma pride themselves on being shrewd marketers. The women wear long, pleated, brightly colored skirts and headscarves. The men wear the hats. They sell everything from aluminum pots and shiny copper pálinka (brandy) stills to skirts and, of course, hats. We quickly found the perfect one and a Gábor couple quoted us 200 lei ($70). My husband (coincidentally named Gábor, a common Hungarian name) peered at himself in their car door mirror. "100 lei," the woman snapped. "OK, 80 lei ($27). But don't tell my husband." Gábor now had his Gábor hat. And he had friends everywhere. "Szevasz Gábor" (Hi Gábor) or "Te Gábor vagy?" (Are you Gábor?), they called out. They quietly asked how much he paid for the hat, and then congratulated him on getting a good deal.

If you work in magazines, you quickly learn to keep things a few months ahead in your mind. So while the rest of the world is happily enjoying fall, we're already knee-deep mentally into winter as we're working on our upcoming issue. That said, as much as we're looking forward, it's also wonderful to look back. So now that our November/December issue is on newsstands, we asked Traveler editor Keith Bellows to select his favorite images from the past year and created a gallery of them online. You can see the slideshow, with his commentary, here.

Photo: From "Secrets of the Lakes," a story on Austria's Lake District, in the April 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler. By Cotton Coulson/Sisse Brimberg.

Contributing writer Jim Conaway sends a dispatch from Scottsdale, Arizona where he spent this past weekend at the Travels Classics writers' conference.

Okay, so you don't do spiked saddle oxfords and are dismayed at the sight of kelly-green links spouting water in the Sonoran desert. I won't say get over it but I will urge scrambling over some rocks anyway, for a broader view of one of the most spectacular, physically challenging landscapes in America and a better understanding of the bounty of, and challenges to, the aridly sublime. And if you can afford a traveler's respite in considerable style, well, there's no better place than The Boulders, a saguaro, palo verde and ocotillo-strewn former bit of nowhere in the scantier reaches of Scottsdale, Arizona.
   
Golf widowers and the aroma therapy-averse can easily put together a day of hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and biking (mountain and road), with a reflexology foot massage tossed in after to aid your weary bones. Your iron man of a guide is Rico Riley, all 165 pounds of him in rip-stop trail shirt and yellow cap bearing the logo of Sawyer Adventures, commissioned by the resort to take you on gentle and not-so-gentle perambulations. The easiest, through what was once known as the Carefree Rockpile, has been known to feature coyotes, javalina, and even bobcat, as well as tactile evidence of earlier civilizations, like depressions in the granite where Indians ground corn for subsistence survival in the third century.

High school student Kyle Bullington traveled to Kenya this summer, where he lived and worked in the Nairobi neighborhood of Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, on a unique volunteer project.

Residents of Kibera watch a video created by the Carolina for Kibera team

This summer, high school student Kyle Bullington arrived in Kibera with a unique goal: To enable the youth in the community of one of the world's biggest slums to share their perspectives on life there through short video clips. "Most people around the world are blind to the sufferings of approximately a million people in this community," Kyle wrote in a piece for the Huffington Post. "I felt that the best means to depict the story of Kibera would be through video." Kyle worked to develop the video project with the group Carolina For Kibera, an NGO that works on public health and community development issues in the region. Noting that "the only footage that ever makes it out of Kibera is that which is taken by foreigners," Kyle arranged for Pure Digital and Apple to donate equipment for the project, and brought 10 Flip video cameras and two 24-inch iMacs to the slum. We asked him to give us an update on how the community is recording their stories.

Shortly after arriving in Kibera, I created a YouTube channel for the organization and began recording my story in the slum. I then trained a group of four locals involved in the organization to film and edit video. I posted eight YouTube videos during my two-week stay and then handed the channel over to my trained team to begin making their own posts. 

Since returning home, I have seen the group I trained continue to improve on their moviemaking abilities. They have been making monthly posts about different aspects of life in Kibera. They recently did a video with the Carolina For Kibera founder about morning life in Kibera. I hope that these videos will continue to gain exposure and enable Kiberans to create global awareness about slum life.

Check out one of the videos after the jump.

One of a number of popular speakeasy-themed bars sprouting up across the nation, Chicago's The Violet Hour just may be the best. (Don't believe us? just ask these guys.) Toby Maloney--the über-bartender of New York's Milk & Honey fame--has gathered a team of fellow bartenders who see mixing as equal parts science and art.

The elegant bar hides behind an abandoned building exterior; the only piece out of place is a door handle sticking out of the wall, which, once pulled, leads to the Violet Hour's dark waiting room. On my visit, my group and I were initially disappointed at being led to bar seats--we had wanted to sit in the ultra-high-backed chairs grouped around candlelit tables, or better yet, next to the fireplace. But we immediately realized that we had been awarded the best seats in the house. The dimly lit bar gleamed with varieties of booze that I didn't recognize (a bit different from the collection at my local college-town bar). Bottles that looked like they contained potions were lined up as if to say "at your service." I found out later that these were the homemade bitters, syrups, and hand-squeezed juices used in the cocktails.

There's perhaps nothing as upsetting as losing your camera during a trip, particularly at the end, when all of your vacation photos go missing as well (a close second perhaps, is losing your notebook that you're using to report on a trip, cough, cough). Thankfully, the wonderful Web can often come in and act as a savior. Case in point: When Californian Nick Hare came across a camera while cycling in Maui, he picked it up and, after getting a digital card-reader, he found a photo of a young couple with their child. After posting the picture last week on a Facebook page he created to find the owners, a virtual six-degrees-of-separation pinballed its way through the social media sphere, and within a day, he tracked the couple down. He shared the news on the Facebook page:
 

The couple was found. I spoke with the husband today and will be mailing the camera tomorrow. They are from the Pacific Northwest and are currently visiting the East Coast. They received a text last night about me having their camera, about 24 hours after I posted the picture. Today they had people they haven't seen in years telling them that they lost their camera. Not quite knowing the power of the FB networking that was going on while they were on vacation, they didn't know how these people knew this. Which, I think is the best part of the story.

So what's the takeaway? First off, be sure to leave identification of some kind on your camera - be it your email or phone number on a sticker somewhere physically on the outside, or by taking a photo of your contact information and "locking" it on the camera's memory card. Too late? Try the site Ifoundyourcamera.blogspot.com, which reunites lost cameras with their owners, and was co-created by the guy behind the very cool Post Secret website.

Here's hoping that there are a lot more good Samaritans like Nick out there who are willing to follow his lead. And if anyone has seen a small black notebook in their travels, by all means, get in touch.

[Halogen Life]
[Jaunted]

To conclude Hispanic Heritage Month on a literal high note, PBS aired the first two hours of its engrossing and fact-packed four-hour series Latin Music USA last week, and the second half will air this evening, October 19th. The first two episodes are up in both Spanish and English on PBS's website.

The site also features a slew of ways to learn even more about the genres and songs--bachata, bolera, ranchera, salsa, cumbia, boogaloo, mambo, Latin jazz, plena--explored in sound, image, and through first-person interviews on the show. You can dissect the genres, their multifaceted origins and histories by genealogy, by instrument, by rhythm, and, important for us at Traveler, by place.

New York City shines the brightest in the creation of this music of the Americas; melting pot, salad bowl or whichever imperfect metaphor it may be. The story of salsa blew my mind. I had no idea how young the genre is. Influenced by boogaloo, Latin Jazz, and mambo, voiced by Puerto Rican (Hector Lavoe), Cuban (Celia Cruz), Panamanian (Ruben Blades) immigrants, accompanied by first-generation, South Bronx-born trombonists (Willie Colón) and many others, it's a complex genre like no other with moving, real-life lyrics and a rhythm that energizes and animates.

The Palladium Ballroom on 53rd and Broadway figured large in New York's Latin music scene from its debut in 1948 until its closing in 1966. People of all ages and ethnicities flocked to the second-floor dance floor to listen to the nonstop music and groove to new, syncretic sounds. Of course now, it's an NYU dorm.

Does the music of a place influence your decision to travel there?

Our friends down the hall at National Geographic Expeditions are offering a free webinar next week on the Galápagos Islands, and are inviting Intelligent Travel readers to join them online on October 20, 2009, from 8-9 p.m. EDT. Full details from the Expeditions crew follow below.

The Galápagos Islands are home to a fascinating array of unique wildlife. Frigate birds puff out their scarlet pouches, 100-year-old giant tortoises lumber through the grasses, and brilliant Sally light-foot crabs scamper across dramatic rocks covered with sunning marine iguanas. Incredibly, these fantastic creatures have no instinctive fear of humans.

National Geographic Expeditions and Lindblad Expeditions have been exploring the Galápagos together for years. Now we invite you to join National Geographic marine biologist Mike Heithaus and veteran expedition leader Carlos Romero on a virtual trip to this magical place. During our upcoming webinar, you'll get a taste of the islands and their wonders--and what makes our expeditions there so special. You'll take a stroll through our ships, meet our naturalists, and learn why our Galápagos trip is a truly spectacular adventure.

When you sign up for the webinar (it's free), you'll be able to email questions  to the Expeditions staff in advance, and any questions that they don't have time to answer during the webinar, they will call you up and answer on the spot. If you'd like to read about this 10-day voyage about the National Geographic Endeavor or Islander, (that's right, we have our own navy), check the Expeditions website here.

Photo: National Geographic Expeditions

Food writer and Modern Spice cookbook author Monica Bhide recently returned from visiting her family in India, and we asked her to share some glimpses of contemporary life she noticed while there. You can read her previous posts here and here.

One of my favorite things to do in India is to visit temples, but as I set out to visit several in New Delhi during my recent trip, I noticed that one major thing had changed. At the entrance of all the temples were metal detectors and police personnel checking each person entering and leaving.

Yes, it is a sign of the times, and not a happy one. After the events of November 2008, when a group of terrorists held the city of Mumbai under siege, security has become a prime concern for all places frequented by locals and tourists alike. There are metal detectors at hotels and malls, monuments and museums. On this particular visit, I went to the ISKCON Hare Krishna temple (pictured, above), one of the most beautiful temples in New Delhi. (It has a loyal following, and the restaurant attached to the temple offers vegetarian food, with some rather contemporary choices on the menu: baked beans, walnut pies and pizza!) While we waited patiently for the security check, what broke my heart was a young man standing in line with his mother behind me. His words to her: "If God needs all this to protect him, how on Earth will he protect me?"

Photos: Monica Bhide

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we've been following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Today he shares his last blog post, at a site that inspired him to start the project. You can find all of his past posts here.

Pittsburgh is where I officially launched this 50-state journey last July, but in many ways the first stop of my journey was in New Orleans two years ago. The Big Easy was my "test" city back in the fall of 2007, and I hired a local guide named Rob Florence, considered the best in the business, to see how many unmarked history sites we could locate. I especially wanted to pinpoint spots that were unfamiliar to local residents--perhaps even to Rob himself.

Rob is exactly what you want in a guide: genuinely passionate, friendly, and, of course, knowledgeable about almost every nook of the city. He has also been instrumental in preserving the past. Rob helped place a new marker at the gravesite of Homer Plessey (of the infamous Plessey v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision) and has been involved in countless other activities to ensure that New Orleans' rich history is not lost.

In 2007 Rob and I found numerous forgotten history sites, including a secluded burial mound miles outside the French Quarter, a decrepit building at the corner of S. Rampart and Perdido where the "father of jazz" Buddy Bolton is said to have gotten his start, and, in a parking lot behind Houston's Restaurant on St. Charles Street, the scattered remains of the factory where Andrew Higgins built amphibious landing craft used in the 1944 D-Day landings (pictured, above). At the time, General Dwight D. Eisenhower credited Higgins and his boats with helping to win the war in Europe. After this first visit to New Orleans I decided that a larger, 50-state trip was in order.

I recently went back to see Rob, and I asked him to help me track down some additional forgotten history sites, especially one that, although not nationally significant, is personally meaningful to me.

Cool or creepy? A Titanic-themed cruise, created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the the ill-fated vessel, will retrace its trans-Atlantic journey in April of 2012 (without an iceberg collision, we hope). The cruise, created by Miles Morgan Travel, will follow the original ship's itinerary, departing from Southampton, England, and stopping in Cherbourg, France and Cobh, Ireland, before arriving at the site where the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 15, 1912. There, 100 years after the ship sank, passengers will hold a memorial service for the 1,500 who lost their lives that day. The 12-day cruise will also include a stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, so that the passengers may visit several of the cemeteries where the Titantic's victims were buried, before finally arriving in New York, the original ship's destination.

Those traveling on the commemorative vessel Bamoral will find it outfitted with many of the same touches used in James Cameron's epic film. "The whole voyage will be steeped in Titanic history," Miles Morgan, the trip's organizer, told the Telegraph earlier this year. "The food served will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear firsthand from historians who have studied the Titanic story." Right now, nine cabins have already been sold, for about $3,900 each. 

What's your take? Would you climb aboard the Bamoral to relive and remember Titanic's maiden voyage? 

[Titanic Memorial Cruise]
[Gadling]
[CNN]
[National Geographic Channel: Return to Titanic]

Image: via the Telegraph

Popular culture has done Cleveland a disservice. Most of its references to the city are negative: Drew Carey's "Cleveland Rocks" anthem did little more than reinforce stuffy mid-Western stereotypes; basketball star Lebron James is from there, but can't ever seem to stop talking about leaving town; David Foster Wallace used it as the ideal-because-it-isn't-ideal setting for his first major novel, The Broom of the System; even Dr. Seuss commented on the polluted state of Lake Erie in The Lorax. There was that unfortunate burning river situation (due to pollution) back in the '60s, and more recently, this series of "hastily made" tourism videos, which have drawn over a million views on YouTube, haven't helped. 

As we noted earlier this year, Cleveland is making strides to clean up its act. And you gotta love a city that doesn't take itself too seriously, as evidenced by the annual tongue-in-cheek Burning River Fest. But the one attraction that has me itching to visit Rock City, despite negative media representations, is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (pictured above), which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Interestingly, the celebratory concert will be held in NYC's Madison Square Garden (on October 29 and 30), rather than in the Rock Hall's hometown. And with the opening of the Rock Annex in New York last year, it looks like Cleveland may be experiencing some competition to maintain its nickname. In the meantime, click through the jump for a few reasons to add the original Rock City to your destination list:

We've got leaves on the brain today, and frankly, that's not such a terrible thing, particularly when the National Park Foundation and Olympus just announced the ten most photogenic parks for fall foliage this season. Feeling inspired? You can submit your favorite photos to the Share the Experience contest, put on by the Federal Recreation Lands, for the chance to win trips, camera gear, and other prizes. You've watched the Ken Burns documentary, now get out there this weekend and see America's "Best Idea" in all its splendor. Complete list after the jump.

National Geographic Expeditions Marketing Manager Sarah Muenzenmayer shares tips on planning a Hawaii trip that's budget-friendly and full of local color.

As avid travelers in our early 30s, my husband and I like to plan trips that will challenge us--language barriers and exploring foreign cultures are the aspects of travel we find both adventurous and memorable. But with the hubby currently in grad school, we wanted a trip that was slightly easier to plan, not to mention easy on the wallet. Drawn to Hawaii's natural beauty, we decided to skip the resorts and instead to camp along the spectacular coastline. Here are a few tips on how we kept our trip to the Big Island and Kauai challenging, and kept the total cost pretty darn low.

Okay, I admit it: before a recent excursion to Russia, I could do little more than find it on a map. Having scored an embarrassing four out of ten on Traveler's Worldwise Quiz on Moscow, I was clearly starting from scratch when it came to preparing for this trip.

Now that I've been, I know that Russia is incredible and definitely worth a visit, but you ought to be in the know before you leave. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

• Apply for your visa early. You need a visa to visit Russia--and to get one you need someone in the country to sponsor you. Usually your hotel or a Russian travel agency will act as your sponsor. Be sure to apply for your visa at least three weeks in advance and make sure all the information on it is correct before you go.

• Keep your papers with you. By the time you leave Russia, you will probably have enough slips of paper to fill a scrapbook--there will be a form for just about everything you do, and yes, people will ask you for them. The first important document you'll receive (besides your visa) is the Migration Card you get upon arrival. You'll give half to the customs official when you enter, and keep the second sheet. Don't lose it! You need this form to exit the country. 

During my recent visit to Alaska, one of my favorite places was the Kodiak Island Brewing Company, where I had the chance to chat with owner and master brewer Ben Millstein. Ben's an exceedingly friendly guy with a big bushy beard, and he was more than willing to pull us a few samples, which drain directly from the huge vats he keeps in the back.

A home-brewer-turned-businessman, Ben created a hub for local fishermen and off-duty Coast Guard officers who work nearby, and I watched as a steady stream of them came in for an afternoon brew (one had offered to work in exchange for his beer, and was tending to the tanks between visits to the tap). His mostly-organic selection of delicious beers comes with inventive names: Liquid Sunshine, Island Mist, Stab in the Dark, and of course, the beer that made him famous in these parts, the Sarah Pale Ale.

As a souvenir, I picked up a few of the posters they created for the brew--depicting the former governor as a winking St. Pauli Girl. The irresistible tagline: "You Betcha It's Good."

Kodiak Island Brewing Company 338 Sheilkoff Ave, Kodiak, Alaska +1 907 486-ALES.

Photo: Janelle Nanos. Image, Kodiak Island Brewing Company.

Contributing editor James Conaway is also our resident art buff, so we've asked him to review some of the best exhibits he visits in his travels. Today he contrasts two exhibits currently on display at the Corcoran Gallery in D.C.

Washington, D.C.'s prestigious Corcoran Gallery of Art currently has two oddly complementary exhibits of special interest to visitors and residents alike. The first is Oil, by the Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, which opened this past weekend. It's a heroic display of wall-size photographs taken over a decade that document the influence of the world's most ubiquitous, dwindling resource upon our environment and upon ourselves. The second, Sargent and the Sea, is an antiphonal, painterly alternative to this reality by the 19th-century artist, John Singer Sargent, whose early drawings and paintings depict a still pristine, unhydro-carbonated, impossibly naive world.

Burtynsky's odyssey to some of the least lovely assemblages of post-industrial detritus can best be described as dreadfully gorgeous. "Industrial sublime" is the phrase used by the curators, and that works, although the word sublime was intended for natural phenomena of such grandeur and power that the beholder is transported to a nether space somewhere between fear and ecstasy. Well, when you're confronted with the derriere-end products and landscapes of a century of unbridled internal combustion, you too will be both afraid and aesthetically moved.

If you ever find yourself traveling near Ottensheim, Austria, (located in Upper Austria just seven miles from Linz on the Danube River) in need of a place to rest your head, the Das Park Hotel offers an affordable night's rest so long as you don't mind sleeping in a former sewer pipe. The hotel, which is only open from May to October, has put cement pipes to unanticipated use with each pipe featuring a made-up double bed and enough room for backpack storage, but bathrooms and restaurants are not on site (it's suggested that you use a nearby gas station should you need to go). The doors of the rooms come affixed with code locks and guests can choose how much they would like to pay for the room each night. The Das Park Hotel is located on Rodlpark, the site of the annual Ottensheim Open Air music festival each summer in June. [Via Passportchop] 

Photo: Dietmar Tollerian

Lawrence Ferber timed his visit to Rio de Janeiro well, arriving just in time for the announcement that the city won its Olympic bid for 2016. He sends along a dispatch from the weekend's festivities.
 
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Obrigado, Olympics Committee! A geyser-like spray of silver confetti greeted the announcement that Rio won the bid to host the 2016 Olympics, and the glittering cloud engulfed the jubilant crowd of Cariocas who had gathered in front of the Copacabana Beach stage, flanked by giant TV screens, to take in the news and par-tay.

With the famed Copacabana Palace Hotel looming to the left, and the ocean to the right, the celebration was one big samba, with music and local celebrities keeping everyone entertained. But come 1:30 p.m. the televised proceedings from Copenhagen held us rapt. Rio had lost its 2012 Olympics bid (and at least two others before it), but now following a two-year campaign it had beat out second front-runner Madrid (which was booed when the name came up during the announcement), Tokyo, and Chicago. Not quite gingerly but politely enough, many Brazilians, and even some North American visitors, remarked that Chicago would have been a boring choice - "it's South America's time!" nodded one visiting American journalist.

Food writer and Modern Spice cookbook author Monica Bhide recently returned from visiting her family in India, and we asked her to share some glimpses of contemporary life she noticed while there. You can read her first post here.

For centuries India, particularly North India, has been a country of tea drinkers, while steaming cups of coffee were loved by the folks in South India. And then something happened. Since 2000, coffeehouses like Barista and Café Coffee Day have begun to spring up in major cities by the hundreds. They offer different types of coffees, smoothies, and snacks very much like Starbucks does. The initial reaction was interesting to watch. "The affluent young Indians will love it," the media claimed, as they noted all the youngsters gathering at the coffeehouses. There was an outcry from lovers of Indian culture and tea--it was blasphemous for them to even think that coffee culture could be percolating here in India, sacrilegious that a tea-drinking nation could love drinking coffee. Culture watchers were quick to point out that people drinking in these fancy coffeehouses weren't any better than the ones who drank tea off the street stalls.  

My view is a bit different.

Andrew Evans confronts his acrophobia on Canada's newest vertical challenge: the Via Ferrata.

I didn't die--that's the short version. The End. Now you can click back to whatever you were reading before.

Not that I wouldn't mind dying in the Canadian Rockies. It's a pretty spectacular place inhabited by friendly locals and mild-mannered grizzly bears. The extreme drop-offs are tremendously beautiful, I concur. I also find them hugely terrifying.  

As a self-diagnosed acrophobic, I try to avoid rock ledges, steep mountain chasms and thousand-foot-high cliffs.  Smart people have often explained that I am not really afraid of heights--I'm only afraid of falling. Reading up on vertigo, I have learned that mine is not an irrational fear. I merely have "vestibular issues" that affect my balance and which are most likely evolutionary. Apparently, my ancient ancestors also suffered from falling dreams.

In Canada, I got to face my fears head on. Travel helps us do that by dropping us into unusual or difficult circumstances and then forcing us to do things we don't normally choose to do. For me, that meant getting dropped off by helicopter onto a mountain ridge some 7,000 feet above sea level.  

Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) are better known for inventing heli-skiing, where hardcore skiers can access some of the greatest and highest virgin powder on Earth by helicopter. The same idea works for eager hikers in summertime: the 3-minute helicopter ride lets you skip the ten-hour base climb and get right to the good stuff. Or in my case, the super scary stuff.

Katie Beddingfield recently popped back home to Washington, DC, for a quick break in her month-long All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) adventure on JetBlue. The half-time score:

Number of flights: 9
Cities visited: 5
Window seats scored (with empty middle seat, no less): 7
Airport floors slept on: 1 (JFK. Not as bad as you think)
Items lost: 1 (driver's license--returned 24 hours later. Crisis averted)
Desired flights sold out: 0

Yep. Priceless. I've been having such a blast since I set off September 8, for Oakland, that I actually haven't made much time to jot extensive musings. Suffice it to say, the AYCJ pass has not yet let me down. All of my JetBlue flights have been perfectly uneventful, on-time--and most importantly, bookable. My fear with such a bold offer was that the airline would collect its $599 from eager passengers and then make the pass all but impossible to fully use. Not so for me. I booked my recent western swing several days before departure (the pass requires 3-day advance booking), but then pushed to the limit booking my upcoming southern swing to Bogota, Colombia and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. With those legs pretty full, the JetBlue reservation agent apologized for being unable to assign a seat in advance, but assured me that I would indeed have a seat. "JetBlue does not oversell its flights," Rose said, "You'll be fine." (I can only hope we see another AYCJ pass offer once JetBlue's recently approved codeshare agreement with Lufthansa is cemented.)

Senior Researcher Marilyn Terrell is just back from a trip through the Yukon Territory, and she's thrilling all of us with stories from her trip. You can read her previous entries about her Yukon adventure here and here.

The ultimate destination on my Yukon River trip two weeks ago was Dawson City, just as it had been for the Klondike gold prospectors streaming down the river 112 years ago. To learn more about the Gold Rush, I picked up a wonderfully informative history by Pierre Berton, "Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush", from Mac's Fireweed Books in Whitehorse to read during the trip.

For the prospectors, the journey started with an arduous slog over the Coast Mountains along the Chilkoot Trail from the port at Skagway, Alaska. Each prospector had to make numerous trips in order to haul 1,000 pounds of equipment and supplies down to Lake Bennett, where the Yukon River begins. The North West Mounted Police were patrolling the Yukon when the Klondike gold rush began 1897, and would not permit any ill-equipped miner lacking the requisite 1,000-lb. "outfit" to start the journey, because there were no grocery stores along the Yukon River or even in Dawson City itself. You had to bring enough canned food with you to survive on for a year, until the next riverboat might bring supplies.

Some hasty prospectors raced to Dawson City in the fall of 1896, traveling light without supplies before the main rush began, and they were congratulating themselves on getting a jump on the competition when a messenger appeared in a canoe from downriver in Whitehorse. Instead of the news they were expecting, that a steamboat was on its way with food for the winter, the early birds got the grim word: no more riverboats would be forthcoming that year, and unless they wanted to starve they'd have to leave immediately, as the river was already beginning to freeze up.

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

Several weeks ago I mentioned my aversion to staying in "historic" hotels--until I spent a great night in Denver's Brown Palace, a building rich in regional and national history. Now I seek these hotels out whenever possible.

Last week I had a phenomenal stay at the Omni Parker House in downtown Boston, at the corner of Tremont and School streets. Founded in 1855, the Parker House boasts being "America's longest continuously operating hotel" and has hosted countless prominent individuals: Alexander Graham Bell, both Edwin and John Wilkes Booth, Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ulysses S. Grant, Martin Luther King Jr., Mary Todd Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and, of course, Boston's own Ben Affleck.

What most interested me about the hotel, however, was not its illustrious guests, but the individuals who have served there on staff.

About twenty-five years ago a budding opera singer who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music worked the night shift as a telephone operator. Her name is Denyce Graves, now one of the world's most famous mezzo-sopranos.

Today marks the 68th anniversary of the killings at Babi Yar, an atrocity in Kiev, Ukraine in which 33,700 Jews were rounded up and executed over two days by the Nazis. The site, at the edge of a ravine, has become a sacred place for the family members who survived the killings, and as of yesterday, its sanctity will remain intact. Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky's office said yesterday that he had vetoed a decision by the city council to build the hotel on the edge of the site, which would have been called Babi Yar, after wide protests from Jewish groups.

The controversy in Babi Yar is indicative of issues facing Eastern Bloc nations struggling to get a foothold in tourism. Kiev is looking for ways to expand its accommodations, as it currently has only 125 hotels and 17,000 beds, and needs sites where it can build hotels in order to prepare for the 2012 European soccer championship. But it's also dealing with the aftermath of postwar anti-Semitic policies that failed to recognize the significance of the site for decades. For years following World War II, Babi Yar bore a plaque that only paid tribute to the "citizens of Kiev and prisoners of war" who died there. It was only in 1991, after the Soviet Union's collapse, that a memorial was erected to recognize the Jewish lives that were lost.

As cities such as Kiev attempt to develop and expand their tourism efforts, it's inevitable that they'll also have to acknowledge some of the more sordid moments in their history. The key for them will be to not only focus on developing properties that will accommodate tourists, but on creating sites that will respect the history in the cities and inform visitors about the tragedies in their past.

Photo: In this Sept. 29, 2003 file photo, a man cries as he remembers all his family killed by Nazis at Babi Yar ravine, at the monument to victims in Kiev, Ukraine. (AP Photo/ Efrem Lukatsky, File)

So I'm just back from lunch with Ken Burns. Ok, so maybe it was me, Ken Burns, and a room full of other journalists at the National Press Club, but the man is such a captivating speaker that it's as if he's sitting across the table from you, instead of across the room.

Burns was there to speak about the launch of his six-part, 12-hour documentary series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," which began airing on PBS last night and will continue throughout the week. It was a ten-year process to create, and Burns explained that its focus is not on the majesty of the parks themselves, but the individuals who worked incredibly hard to create the parks in order to protect these "still wild places." His aim was to celebrate both the "love of place and a love of nation" that the parks have come to stand for.

After his presentation, the room full of journalists was ready with questions, and Burns continued to be as articulate in his off-the-cuff remarks as he had been in his speech. He said he'd love to see Dinosaur National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument receive full national park designations, and that his "fervent wish" was for more families, particularly families of color, to begin to go out and experience the parks.

Contributing editor James Conaway is also our resident art buff, so and we always appreciate his willingness to offer us a tour of some of the new exhibits he finds during his travels.

National Gallery of Art in Washington: so-called "modern" art has ingeniously been made not just accessible, but practically participatory. We're not talking about amateurs here, but the likes of Mark Rothko, Frank Stella, Claes Oldenburg, and Jasper Johns up close and personal, at least as far as inspiration and technique are concerned.

For the gallery's latest exhibit, The Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Collection: Selected Works, curators dipped into the permanent Meyerhoff trove, came up with 126 exemplary works from the late '50s to the present, and then radically grouped them according to theme, i.e. "Scrape," "Line," "Drip," even "Stripe to Zip," as well as more conceptual categories like figure, frame, and "concentrity." The result's a riveting meander through half a century of fine painting, sculpture, drawings, and prints categorized not by year or artist, but according to the ways in which the artists themselves made the leap from idea to creation.

The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, like its namesake, has attitude. Its shows often offer sly, wry comments on the links between culture and media. In an exhibit mounted as the G-20 economic summit meets in the city, 20 outspoken cartoonists from the member nations have contributed their takes on global warming, unemployment, Carla Bruni, and the size of President Obama's ears. "Drawn to the Summit" will be on display through October 18. Closed today as G-20 spouses visit, the museum will reopen tomorrow. Click here for a slideshow of images.

--Chris O'Toole

If you've been enjoying Bob Krist's recent photo tips from Slovenia, here's your chance to learn directly from him and fellow Traveler photographer Ralph Lee Hopkins.

This weekend, National Geographic Traveler is hosting an all-day photography seminar in Denver, CO on Sunday, September 27. Attendees will learn simple tricks that will improve their photography skills, and find out how to create multimedia slide shows to share their work with friends and family. For more information and Traveler's complete Fall 2009--Spring 2010 seminar line-up (with upcoming dates in Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Philadelphia, Tampa, Minneapolis, Boston, and Washington D.C.), visit ngtravelerseminars.com.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from some of the best photographers around.

Photo: Bob Krist

It's 1,300 feet high, towering far above the elegant city laid out by Peter the Great, and four times higher than the maximum building limit established by city planners to preserve the architectural integrity of the czarist-era city. Developers of the controversial new Gazprom office building received the green light this week from the governor of St. Petersburg to start construction on the tallest skyscraper in Europe. Not everyone's pleased about it.  The London Times reports:

UNESCO expressed "grave concern" in July about the impact of the tower and warned Russian officials that it could place St. Petersburg on the "World Heritage in Danger" list next year. It urged them to suspend work on the project, adopt a different design and submit a report by February on measures to protect the 306-year-old city centre.

A Times' reader commented:

It's been one long year since the near collapse of our financial system and, if you're anything like me, you're still not completely sure what really happened. If you're in or heading to the Big Apple and want to finally get a handle on what brought about the teetering of all things financial, check out The Wall Street Experience tours.

As a Wall Street insider and laid off, former Deutsche Bank V.P., Andrew Luan knows the collapse firsthand. Now he leads truth seekers through the canyons of downtown New York's financial district, stopping outside J.P. Morgan & Company, Deutsche Bank, AIG, Goldman Sachs, the Bank of the United States, and the Federal Reserve while he explains the complex factors that led to the near collapse. He delves into CDOs (collateralized debt obligations; the type of asset-backed securities many blame for much of the debacle), securities, ratings, and provides tour-goers with an inside view of a trader's life.

Tours start at 15 Broad Street in front of the New York Stock Exchange, and run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 a.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. The Wall Street Insiders Tour lasts two hours and costs $45 per person. On its website, the company mentions it can offer reduced rates for those who can't afford full ticket price--a true indication that these are still tough times and that Luan really gets it. Check out a Q&A with him after the jump.

I've already discussed how Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, Where the Wild Things Are, inspired me to travel as a kid, so I openly admit to counting down the days until the upcoming film comes out. But in the meantime, I've been entertaining myself by looking at the images submitted to director Spike Jonze's website, in a contest called "Where the Wild Things Ought to Be." Artists have placed the Wild Things in classic paintings, movie stills, Where's Waldo? drawings, and even on Fox News. One of my favorites is Max on the The Great Wave, by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. He really looks like he's a natural fit in the wilds of the ocean. You can see more of the submissions here.

[via Neatorama]

Before I left for my Yukon trip, I'd been following Ed Wardle's considerably more dangerous Yukon adventure "Alone In The Wild" on Twitter.  Ed received training in wilderness survival, medical emergencies, and firearms handling, then he was dropped into the Yukon wilderness with a load of supplies to carry on his back and expected to survive on his own for three months. He had a video camera that he used to film his daily dispatches from the wild, and these dispatches were collected and edited to make a reality TV show on the National Geographic Channel. He ended up lasting 50 days instead of the expected 90, and had to be emergency airlifted out of there. You can watch some of his videos here, and you can see him get progressively thinner as the weeks go by and he had to collect, catch or shoot his own food to survive. 

I didn't realized until I returned that my trip covered some of the same general area as Wardle's, but my experience could hardly have been more different. Instead of shivering in a tent, I lived in a series of rather luxurious heated cabins. Instead of carrying all my gear on my back, I simply zipped my suitcase and it was magically transported by boat, car or floatplane to my next destination. And instead of having to shoot my own food, I got to enjoy delicious cuisine expertly prepared and served in a rustic (but warm) dining room. But even in my comfortable surroundings, I was reminded of how dangerous the Yukon really is. We learned a hunter had died of hypothermia the day before we arrived at one of our cabins, and our guides had to carry guns to be ready for charging bears. Wardle may not have survived the full 90 days, but frankly, I'm impressed he made it as long as he did.

You can watch the latest episode of "Alone In The Wild" tonight at 9pm on the National Geographic Channel. Ed talks about his experience here.

Senior Researcher Marilyn Terrell is just back from a trip through the Yukon Territory, and she's thrilling all of us with stories from her trip. You can read her previous entry about her Yukon adventure here.

The first few times someone on my trip spotted a bald eagle, we all grabbed binoculars and cameras. But after three days of seeing very little birdlife besides bald eagles, trip member Roy dubbed them the "pigeons of the Yukon."

We've seen other species along this Great River Journey from Whitehorse to Dawson. At Lake Lebarge we heard loons on the water and spied fat grouse scratching in the underbrush. Around a bend on the Thirty Mile River we surprised a pair of trumpeter swans who took off, silently, flapping enormous white wings. At Pelly River Ranch, farmer Hugh Bradley pointed out some Yukon turkeys (sandhill cranes) in one of his fields and predicted we'd soon be seeing more. Sure enough, a squadron flew over our cabins next morning, gobbling noisily, heading south.

Cycle Parade in Copenhagen from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Copenhagen ranks as one of the world's friendliest cities for cyclists, with 37 percent of residents in Greater Copenhagen using a bike daily. To encourage more residents to bike to work and school, the city plans to expand bike lanes farther into the suburbs. The city hopes to entice the 85,000 suburbanites who currently commute via car, bus, and train to switch to cycling.

Fifteen thousand people already bike into Greater Copenhagen from the suburbs, so these "bicycle superhighways" will enhance their commute and also make cycling more appealing for those who do not. Some perks of the new routes include fewer detours, service stations along the routes with air and tools, and priority crossing for cyclists at busy intersections. Additionally, cyclists who maintain a pace greater than 12 miles per hour will benefit from the Green Wave, affording them green lights all the way through sections of the city with frequent stoplights.

In the big picture, more cyclists mean fewer cars on the road and less air pollution. The European Cyclists' Federation is pushing for greater funding for bike-friendly initiatives in urban settings. The ECF estimates that increasing cycling levels from 5 to 15 percent in Europe could reduce carbon dioxide emission by 50 million tons and plans to do so by 2020.  

To do its part in saving the environment and bringing European bike-lovers together, Copenhagen hosted a cycling parade as part of CO2penhagen, the "world's first carbon-neutral festival."

While you're visiting, you can take part in "Bycyklen Kobenhavn," the city's bike culture, by snagging one of the 1,300 free bike rentals offered to visitors between May and December.

Contributing Editor Andrew Nelson is back from a visit to his former digs in West Texas, and uncovered a slate of fun new hotspots. You can follow all of Andrew's many travels on Twitter at @andrewnelson.

True to their contrarian nature, the isolated communities of Far West Texas--Marfa, Alpine, Sanderson and Marathon--seem to march in an opposite direction than the rest of the world. With parts of Texas and the Southwest crisping with drought, sweet rains have turned the Big Bend region's arroyos and mountains a rich sage. And as other places suffer a recessionary closure of myriad restaurants and galleries, the independent towns west of the Pecos are enjoying a bumper crop of new attractions and attention.

Outside magazine recently christened Alpine, the hub of the Big Bend and its biggest town, as one of the 10 best towns for outdoor sports in the nation, describing it as Austin's "mini-me." In Sanderson, local resident Terry "Tex" Tolerworks is spearheading an effort to promote an art drive along Highway 90--the lonely stretch of road that crosses the region and is filled with spectacular vistas and the occasional pronghorn or roadrunner. In Marfa, Wool and Hoop (pictured, left), a crewel embroidery store founded by artist Katherine Shaughnessy, sells pretty stitchwork while Cochineal, a restaurant started by two ex-pat New Yorkers, packs them in for dinner. Hint: If you can't get an evening reservation, breakfast beneath the trees for a lot less dosh but equally tasty fare - eggs backed in cream with bacon, spinach and fresh mixed herbs or maybe the migas with refried pinto beans and salsa. 

In Alpine, Talgar's, a restaurant specializing in Oaxacan fare makes a delectable fish tacos. Next door, the Murphy Street Raspa Company--a sweets and gifts emporium--sells hipster T-shirts, plus backcountry Mexican finds like peasant blouses for $26 and Mexican bingo cards. Be sure to sample the Mexican ices called "raspas"--try the tamarind with fresh-squeezed lime juice. (Here, owner Vic Noriega demonstrates how to make one.) Too full to waddle anywhere else? For accommodations head for the Alpine Guest Lofts. Their hip "El Concierge" service will get you almost anything: "engine parts for your Harley, or tickets to one of our off-off-off-off-off Broadway plays, or to stable your polo ponies." Relax in their soaking tubs, or lounge under the pecan tree, which provides cool shade for all.

Photo: Wool and Hoop

Watch out Washington: Now that the weather's beginning to cool down and we can once again spend time outside without succumbing to heat stroke, cycling is one of the best ways to enjoy the changing seasons. There is always the option of taking your bike down one of the many area trails, such as the C&O Canal path along the Potomac or through Rock Creek Park. But if you need some encouragement, there are several area events that may motivate you to pull your bike out of the garage, strap on your helmet, and hit the road.

Tomorrow, September 22, is International Car Free Day, an event that encourages commuters to leave their cars at home and consider all forms of alternative transportation: bus, metro, and especially bicycle. Here in D.C., 1,000 residents went car free in 2007, and that number increased to 5,445 in 2008. But the District still has a ways to go to catch up to Portland, Oregon, where 8% of the population bikes to work every day. (To learn more about biker-friendly Portland, look out for our November issue.)

For those of you who aren't sold on biking to work, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association is holding its 50 States and 13 Colonies ride this weekend, Saturday, September 26. The 50 States Ride, which is over 60 miles long, takes participants through all of D.C.'s eight wards and covers all 50 state streets. The 13 Colonies Ride is a less challenging path that covers the streets named for the 13 original colonies in under 15 miles. Event organizers offer lunch in the middle of the ride and discounted food and drinks at the end. It may not be around the world in 80 days, but I'd say around the United States in one day is pretty impressive.

--Traveler Intern Meg Beasley

Airlines have been tacking on fees for almost everything these days, and we're as tired of being nickel-and-dimed as the next guy. But we were glad to hear that San Francisco's SFO airport is the first in the nation to provide on-site kiosks that will enable travelers to help cover the cost of their carbon footprint. The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

On Thursday [of last week], the Bay Area's largest airport unveiled three Climate Passport kiosks with touch screens that determine how many pounds of carbon dioxide a trip will produce, calculate the sum an environmentally conscious traveler should contribute to projects in San Francisco and California that help reduce greenhouse gases, then allow fliers to purchase certified carbon offsets.

A typical cross-country flight from SFO to Boston creates 1,999 pounds of carbon dioxide, and the suggested offset cost is $12.24. (The kiosks themselves cost the airport a whopping $190,000 to install.) The the funds collected from the kiosks, which are placed at the entrance to Terminal 3 and international terminals A and G, will go to the Garcia River Forest, a reforestation project in a heavily-logged region of Mendocino County, as well as the SFCarbon Fund, which will steer money to Dogpatch Biofuels, a bio-diesel fueling station in San Francisco.

While scientists still argue about the value of offsets (you can see a further discussion of that at National Geographic's Green Guide), many acknowledge that they're a worthwhile option for those who are also attempting to reduce their footprint in other ways. I think it's an interesting concept, and if anything, it gets travelers to think about the environmental impact of flying more often.

What's your take on the new kiosks in San Francisco?

National Geographic photographer Bob Krist is on assignment in Slovenia, and sends us another peek through his viewfinder (you can find his first one here). Visit his blog for more tips, or get them in person at our upcoming Traveler Photo Seminar in Denver, Colorado on September 27.

My assignment has taken me from one end of Slovenia to the other, which isn't really saying much considering the country's small size, but it has afforded me some more great sights and photo ops.

For this high angle view of the coastal town of Piran, I climbed a church tower and shot down using a 16-85mm VR lens with a polarizing filter to make the most of the incredible colors. It was the last bit of the sun I'd see for a while. Whenever I hit a new town, I look for high places to shoot from to give my pictures a sense of place.

For a glimpse at underground Slovenia and some other cool snaps, hit the jump.

Our November/December issue is a special collector's edition, "50 Places of a Lifetime," and it's heading to a mailbox or newsstand near you. Here's the introduction to the package from the pages of the magazine; the complete list of all of our Places of a Lifetime can be found after the jump.

A decade ago, Traveler published a landmark issue-- "50 Places of a Lifetime"--that in subsequent years has become something of a hallmark of the magazine, spawning related books, podcasts, special issues, web content, games, mobile apps--even a round-the-world jet trip from National Geographic Expeditions to lift off in October 2010. Long before The Bucket List and 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, we sought to showcase those treasured destinations that every curious traveler should visit in a lifetime.

Now, in Traveler's 25th-anniversary year, we recognize the first 50 places and offer another 50 that speak to the transformation of travel since 1999--how we travel, where we travel, why we travel. Ten years ago, we could see the emerging signs of a new kind of journeying--one that puts a premium on sense of place, authenticity, culture, sustainability, and experience rather than mere sightseeing.

These elements became the compass we use to steer you to destinations that are more than just numbers in a hot list. Our first 50 picks were icons the world collectively recognizes as superlative. What we offer in the following pages is what sets this magazine apart. We go beyond the obvious. You'll see that we've picked locations of character--and asked those with a personal connection to them to tell us why they are important, unique, compelling. Some are places you may know but haven't seen the way we view them here. Others, we hope, are surprises that may seduce you to explore them firsthand. We address what makes a destination special, what will reward the traveler, why you should come here rather than go somewhere else. We are more sensitive than ever to the fact that many places we love most are deeply threatened--and our challenge is to preserve them for future generations. When they travel, I want my children to know the same joy I feel every time I discover somewhere new and different. We all begin that journey by finding a place that sings to us. We hope you find many destinations in these pages that do just that. --Keith Bellows, Editor in Chief

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

Bob Marley was...here??

Reggae probably isn't the first thing that comes to people's minds when they think of the state of Delaware. But thanks to my extraordinary young assistant this summer, Dima Kislovskiy, I just passed through Newark, Delaware, to photograph sites related to Bob Marley, who's done more than any other artist to popularize reggae music.

Marley's mother had been living in Wilmington since 1963 when Bob moved there in 1966, hoping to earn enough money to start his own record label. Under the alias Donald Marley, he worked as a DuPont lab assistant and at the Chrysler assembly plant just across the street from the University of Delaware campus.

The facility was opened in 1951 to build U.S. Army tanks, and then six years later it began manufacturing cars until management shut the whole place down last year. While the massive buildings don't appear to have deteriorated much, weeds now peek through cracks in the abandoned, football field-size parking lots and the lawns and grounds are showing the first hint of neglect.

Bob Marley returned to Jamaica with enough money to launch Wail'n Soul'm, but he didn't forget his time in Delaware; two songs, "It's Alright" (from the 1970 album Soul Rebels) and "Night Shift" (from Rastaman Vibration, released in 1976) allude to his experiences in America's first state.

Next week: The Marias River, Montana

Über-author Dan Brown is about to strike Washington, and everyone is getting ready. Brown, whose first two blockbuster novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, have taken up permanent residence on the Times best-seller list and have been Hanksified for Hollywood, has written his next book, The Lost Symbol, about the hidden secrets of Masonic Washington. And the actual Masonic Washington -- the people who work at Masonic sites throughout the city -- are preparing for the onslaught of tourists, according to a story last week in the Washington Post.

"I'm expecting [tourism] to skyrocket," says Heather Calloway, director of special programs for the Masonic House of the Temple on 16th Street NW, which receives about 10,000 visitors a year. She will double the staff of part-time tour guides, if necessary, to handle the crush.

"We might have to spend the next 25 years responding to Dan Brown's fiction," says Mark Tabbert, director of collections at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria. "That's what I dread." (Think he's overstating? Wait until you hear from his European counterparts, who are still drowning in their own Brown invasions.)

Sydney Suissa, the executive VP of content for the National Geographic Channel, joined a group of European journalists last week as they visited the beaches of Normandy where the D-Day landings took place. September 2009 marks the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II and to commemorate the event, National Geographic Channel International is launching a new series on the history of the war entitled "Apocalypse". Click through to see his photo essay.

There are 22 of us on the bus from Caen. A Tower of Babel on wheels, we speak French, English, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Portuguese, Dutch, Estonian, Norwegian, Romanian, and Polish. The road takes us through a vast plain of rich farmland that rolls down to the sea; corn waiting for harvest, fields of wheat stubble glowing under the sun of a big sky and white gulls following tractors to feed on worms. Red poppies, the emblems of the first World War immortalized by the Canadian poet John McCrae ("In Flanders Field the poppies blow/Between the crosses row on row"), sway in the breeze along stone fences and gardens of hydrangeas, cosmos, and orange trumpet vines.

On June 6, 1944, one hundred and thirty-five thousand Allied soldiers landed on five beaches along the Normandy coast. The war that started on September 1, 1939 with Germany's invasion of Poland was now entering the endgame. The Allied beachhead in Normandy was the first step in the campaign to liberate Europe and topple Berlin. This pastoral landscape we are driving through was razed, bloodied, and gouged beyond recognition. Hundreds of lovely cobbled towns and villages like Crepon, Meuvaines, Bayeux and Creully were destroyed by artillery shelling, the march of tanks, the relentless advance of the Allies and the fierce retreat of German forces.

Elizabeth Seward fulfills a childhood desire to visit Costa Rica.

I was in elementary school the first time I heard Costa Rica referenced as a destination people actually traveled to. A boy in my class answered his "what did you do this summer?" question with tales of this mystical place, which sounded a lot like Narnia to me. He was wearing a shirt covered in a colorful image of a parrot and the words "Costa Rica" scribbled underneath the bird in cursive. He made my summer's trip to Ocean City, Maryland sound like garbage and while I resented him for this, I still went home that evening parading the idea of Costa Rica vacation to my family. around the dinner table. When my mother told me how many birthday checks I'd have to save up before I could afford to fly the family to Costa Rica, I realized I would be 39--in which case I'd just fly myself. Fortunately, the prospect of vacationing in Costa Rica in my adult years didn't hinge on (only) birthday checks. 

I set out this past summer to embark on a trip to the land filled with monkeys and brightly colored poisonous frogs.  Flights to Costa Rica, as it turns out, are much less expensive than I'd once imagined.

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Geotourism Challenge! The second annual competition to name outstanding efforts in sustainable tourism, sponsored by National Geographic's Center for Sustainable Destinations and Ashoka's Changemakers, unearthed a wealth of innovative efforts taking place around the globe. After an intense voting process, the panel of judges today named the three winners out of 611 original entries from 81 countries. Each of these organizations wins $5,000, which goes toward the further development of their program. And the winners are:

Nature Air, the 100 percent carbon-neutral airline in Costa Rica, offsets 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions to encourage reforestation of tropical forests in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. To date, Nature Air has compensated for nearly 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide through the protection of more than 500 acres. In addition, Nature Air recently helped develop Costa Rica's first alternative fueling station through its wholly owned fueling company, Aerotica. Nature Air fuels all ground equipment and vehicles with bio-diesel (a mix of recycled vegetable and cooking oils) collected from employees and restaurants.

PEPY ("Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself"), Cambodia's Educational Volunteer Tourism Program, providing adventure bike tours and on-site volunteer projects, like building rainwater collection units. All participants make donations to enhance education in impoverished rural Cambodia, where PEPY is based. It supports education for more than 1,700 families in 12 villages and six schools in rural Siem Reap Province, about 40 miles from the city of Siem Reap, site of the Angkor temples.
 
Wikiloc Community Maps in Girona, Spain, created by a software engineer with a passion for travel, is built on information -- including maps, photos and video -- submitted to offer honest impressions about destinations. Wikiloc is a great source of outdoor activities, from mountain biking to ballooning. The site also promotes thematic activities like gastronomic routes, sightseeing urban trails and walks in archaeological areas. Created in 2006, the site is already translated in 14 languages, and more than 65,000 trails are included.

Thanks to all those of you who submitted entries and voted in this year's contest. Visit the Geotourism Challenge website for more information on each of the winners, and to learn more about all of the finalists.

Photo: A cyclist from PEPY, Cambodia's Educational Volunteer Tourism program

The deadline for Traveler's World in Focus Photo Contest has passed, and we've received some fantastic entries and are eager to see the results.

But if you're still feeling like you're up for a photo challenge, let us point you in the direction of our friends over at Glimpse, which are hosting one of their own. Their "Cultural Explorers" contest is seeking images of people working or volunteering abroad, interacting with locals, and/or participating in a cultural practice. Winners will receive a $250 travel voucher, and all entries must be received by September 15.

[Cultural Explorers Photo Contest]

Photo: David Kelbe, Glimpse Spring 2008 Correspondent

Ah, autumn is here - which brings to mind changing leaves, back-to-school sales, and...crab races. Yes, crab races.

Every year on Labor Day weekend, the seaside town of Crisfield, Maryland holds its Annual Hard Crab Derby and Fair. This quaint village of 2,800 on the Chesapeake Bay has a long tradition of catching - and racing - its seafood. The festival is a celebration of the town's fishing heritage, particularly of the abundant (and delicious!) blue crabs that teem in the bay's waters.

Here, you can watch a parade on Main Street, a boat docking contest, a crab picking contest, and the crowning of the beautiful Miss Crustacean. But the main attraction of the festival is its namesake "crab derby," in which hundreds of crabs scramble down a chute to the finish line in a knock-down, drag-out race (okay, so the crabs aren't even aware of the race). The bets - and the crowd's enthusiasm - get intense. Afterward, nothing beats finishing off a fresh platter of crabs steamed with Old Bay spice while taking in views of the water at the Olde Crisfield Crab and Steakhouse. If you're hardy enough, you can top it off with a generous slice of Smith Island cake.

The best way to enjoy the festival is by renting a campsite in nearby Jane's Island State Park, which boasts 3,100 acres of Eastern Maryland's prettiest shoreline. When you need a break from the festivities, quiet kayak trails and beach walks await you in the park. So grab some friends, a tent, and a healthy appetite for crab and you've got one shell of a Labor Day weekend.  

Photo: kathyhaduch via Flickr

Sziasztok, City Lovers!

The city that stole our heart today is Budapest, Hungary, shared with us by Carolyn Bánfalvi, a travel writer and award-winning culinary guidebook author (Food Wine Budapest and The Food and Wine Lover's Guide to Hungary are her titles), who writes about the city at Chew.hu, a Hungarian food blog. And remarkably, when she's not doing all that, she's giving culinary tours of the city with her husband.

Want to see your city on IT? Copy and paste our list of fill-in-the-blank questions into an e-mail, fill in your answers, and send your responses to IntelligentTravel@ngs.org. And if you're still waiting for us to feature yours, fear not! We're going to keep posting as long as we keep getting them (please include photos and links!). You can find the entire collection of city-lovers here.

Budapest is My City

When I crave Chinese food I always go Wang Mester Konyhája.

To escape the summer heat I head to Margit Island to swim or picnic in the shade.

If I want to find hidden treasure I go to the Ecseri flea market and browse the antiques/junk/kitsch.

For complete quiet, I can hide away at the beautiful Ervin Szabó Public Library in the eighth district.

If you have to order one thing off the menu from Horgásztanya it has to be Halászlé (a fisherman's soup).

Bortársaság is my one-stop shop for great wine.

Traveler and Photo District News are currently hosting our annual World in Focus Photo Contest, and this year we're letting readers preview the submissions and vote for their favorites. Each week, we're putting a new batch of images up on our website. Here's today's pic:

This photo, "The Dancer of Light," was taken by Stephanie Jantzen, in Maharashtra, India.

Think your own photo brings the world into focus? Submit your entries now for a chance to win a trip to Tanzania, camera gear, and other prizes. But hurry! The extended deadline is September 8.

I love vacationing with my family, but there's something so carefree about traveling with girlfriends. A time to pamper, shop, dine, and dish, these typically long-weekend getaways rejuvenate and strengthen gal bonds like no other. Last year, my friend Carol and I drove to Virginia's sleepy Northern Neck for a weekend visiting wineries and enjoying the water-based activities of the venerable Tides Inn resort on the Chesapeake Bay. Not quite Napa, but close; and we didn't need to get on a plane to get there.

To get you started planning your own, we've assembled a list of packages after the jump.

The National Geographic Channel's executive vice president for content, Sydney Suissa, has been paddling Canada's Quetico Park over the past three decades. Here's a report from his latest trip; click through for his photo essay.

A four-hour flight delay, a lost bag and a sky of flat gray soup; not an auspicious start to our canoe trip. But wilderness trips are all about improvising and we'll have to make do. There are four of us on this trip -- my longtime friend and fellow canoeist Steven from Montreal, his 24-year-old son Ben, my 20-year-old son Aaron and myself. As we load up our rental car, we know it's going to be one of those trips where we'll use a lot more bug juice than sunscreen.

The wilderness area we're going to is an immense swath of the Canadian Shield carpeted with century pines, spruces, and stands of birch. Dark lakes pure enough to drink from, bogs tucked behind long sheltered bays where moose feed, orchid-lined creeks and small rivers that ebb and flow with the seasons all weave together into ever-changing networks that make this wilderness a haven for canoeists. In Minnesota, this protected area is called the Boundary Waters, and where it extends into Ontario, Canadians know it as Quetico Park.

We drive west from Thunder Bay, cross the Atlantic Watershed demarcation into the Arctic Watershed, and in about two hours arrive in Atikokan, population 700 and falling. It's the kind of town that Neil Young had in mind in his song "Helpless" ("There is a town in North Ontario/All my memories are there...") We go through our equipment and maps with our outfitter and spend the night in the bunkhouse. We rise early and after our ritual breakfast at the Outdoorsman, we load up our canoes and head out to the access point on Beaverhouse Lake. We push off into a stiff westerly wind wet with rain.

National Geographic staff was lucky enough to sit in on the Society's annual Explorers Symposium earlier this summer at Headquarters. Scientists and conservationists affiliated with and supported by the Society presented their findings and explained their recent work.

Texas State University Anthropologist and NG Expeditions Council Grantee Christina Conlee talked about her research at La Tiza, in southern Peru's Nasca region. I was intrigued by her fieldwork excavating tombs in the region (she recently uncovered evidence of human sacrifice at the site) despite the fact that many having been ravaged by looters. As she spoke about the iconography of the grave goods they've discovered and its similarity with the mysterious geoglyphs etched into the region's Pampa Colorada desert, I wondered how an eager traveler might go about seeing the Nasca Lines firsthand and what that experience would be like.

First off, some background on the pre-Inca Nasca Lines: The 1,500-plus geoglyphs were constructed by the Nazca culture (200 BC - AD 600), not aliens, some 2,000 years ago, and extend over 190 square miles. Though they're virtually indecipherable from the ground, from the air, a monkey, killer whale, hummingbird, condor, and pelican among flowers, trees, and geometric shapes are clearly visible. The lines were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. The region's arid climate preserved them all these years though they are threatened by the nearby Pan-American Highway. The big question is what are they: Are they sacred, ceremonial paths, maybe outdoor temples, or did they perhaps serve an astronomical or agricultural purpose? Do they indicate the location of underground rivers or irrigation canals? Are they the creations of hallucinating shamans paying homage to a cult of water and the god Kon?

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

While heading to southwest Minnesota to research a little-known Sioux Indian site, I made a short detour to photograph a story related to a historic flight over St. Paul.

During the Civil War, military personnel from other nations came to the U.S. to observe combat operations. One of these visitors was a 25-year-old Prussian officer who was fascinated by the Union Army's Balloon Corps, which conducted reconnaissance missions over Confederate territory.

"Just now I ascended with Prof. [John] Steiner, the famous aeronaut, to an altitude of six or seven hundred feet," the young Prussian wrote from St. Paul to his father back in Wurttemberg on August 19, 1863. "Should one want to harass with artillery fire [opposing] troops...the battery could be informed by telegraphic signals where their projectiles hit. The above technique has at times been used with great success by this country's armies. No method is better suited to viewing quickly the terrain of an unknown, enemy-occupied region."

The experience had a dramatic impact; "While I was above St. Paul I had my first idea of aerial navigation strongly impressed upon me," he would later say. "[A]nd it was there that the first idea of my Zeppelins came to me." His full name was Ferdinand Adolf Heinrich August Graf von Zeppelin, who went on to manufacture the eponymous airship. By World War I the Germans were utilizing almost 70 Zeppelins both for bombing raids and intelligence gathering against the Allies--including American troops.

Next up: Atlanta, GA

All photos and text © Andrew Carroll

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

After leaving Palestine, Texas, to pursue an extraordinary story I'd heard concerning the Columbia Space Shuttle explosion in 2003, I needed to photograph a site in Dallas related to one of the nation's greatest Blues singers.

I told the hotel concierge where I wanted to go, and, after noticing my camera and video equipment, he warned me: "Be careful." Be careful? "The building you're going to is near a homeless shelter, and it's a pretty rough area."

I appreciated the head's up but wasn't terribly concerned. Yes, when I got there I definitely encountered some scowls as I began setting up my tripod in the middle of the street to photograph 508 Park Ave. By the time I looked up from the viewfinder there were about half a dozen guys around me.

"Hey man, what's going on?" one of them asked--not in a threatening way, but his tone wasn't entirely welcoming either.

"I'm traveling across the country to find little known historic sites," I explained, "and that building is the last place where Robert Johnson recorded his music before he died."

"That's right, that's right," another guy said.

"Not just Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton recorded there too," an older gentleman added. I didn't know that.

Despite having been born and raised on the East Coast and spending most of my adult life in its major cities (Philly, New York, and finally, D.C.), I'd never been to Ocean City, MD, before last weekend when I hung around there with my husband and his family.
   
My mom's a big beach-goer and is pretty particular on her sunning spots. I may dare say she's a beach purist. She likes broad expanses of sand; spindly egrets; tufted, virgin dunes; and minimal crowds. Her favorite beach spot along "the shore" (what we Pennsylvanians and New Jersyians call the Jersey shore) is Cape May, NJ. She prefers it for its busy but manageable beach and homey snack shops but mostly for its well-maintained, brilliantly hued Victorian homes, most turned into lucrative B&Bs. I respect her high standards and now see they're probably why I'd never before been to Ocean City, MD.
   
Having said all of that, I didn't expect much from Ocean City as we arrived and finally extracted ourselves from our too-hot car after four hours on the road from D.C. It was busy and commercial and built up. It smelled too strong of the vinegar doused generously on the ever-popular boardwalk fries. I looked around, went for a dip, sat with the family, watched the world go by, and had two pepperoni slices and a cold beer. It was a fine day but considering Ocean City through the lens of what we at IT and Traveler espouse--authentic, cultural, and sustainable travel--I thought Ocean City fell short. But did it?

Friend of Intelligent Travel, Molly Feltner, shares this story of sitting face-to-face with a silverback in Congo as one of the first tourists to visit Virunga National Park since tourism reopened in May.

For the first time in nearly two years--following the massacre of seven endangered mountain gorillas and months of occupation by rebel forces--Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is welcoming back tourists for gorilla trekking.

Up until a few months ago, Virunga National Park sat in the eye of a perfect storm of man-made calamities. Rebel fighting, refugee crises, unchecked poaching, and a forest-killing charcoal trade all took their toll and prevented visitors, and even park rangers, from seeing Virunga's most treasured assets: about 200 of world's last remaining 700 mountain gorillas. This past January, however, the main rebel leader was captured and his forces demobilized, allowing rangers to regain control of the area where the gorillas live and take the steps necessary to bring security and tourism back.

Maybe I'm brave or perhaps a fool, but I made up my mind months ago to be one of the very first tourists to go gorilla trekking in Congo once tourism opened. On three previous visits, I'd come to love this hauntingly beautiful but desperate country and wanted a good excuse to go back. So when Emmanuel de Merode, the Chief Warden of Virunga National Park, declared gorilla tourism open on May 7, I called my Congolese guide friend Kennedy Nari to make it happen. I'd seen gorillas before in Rwanda, but trekking in Congo felt like uncharted territory. After a 4:30 am wakeup call in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, my guide and I faced a 20-mile drive on a bone-rattling road that disintegrated from potholed tarmac to a freshly dug mud track where tree stumps and boulders had yet to be removed. We got stuck three times and at one point nearly caused a mini avalanche when we were forced to drive up a steep slope of broken lava rocks.

My father and I are heading out to Alaska's Aleutian Islands next week while I work on a story for the magazine; it's one of the more remote places in the country, and also happens to be where my grandfather was stationed during WWII. We wanted to take Grandpa with us, only there was one problem. He's dead.

Grandpa lived a long, full life and died three years ago now, but his ashes are still in an urn in my uncle's house. "Why not scatter some of them in Alaska while you're there?" my aunt suggested, and, while it seems like a fitting place to do so, I had one major concern. Would TSA let ashes through security, or would I have to FedEx Grandpa to Alaska? This was not a prospect I savored. Luckily, TSA responded quickly to my question.

Lauren Gaches in their press office got right back and said yes, Grandpa can come on the plane, as long as he's well-behaved. Which means the ashes must be in a container (preferably wood or plastic) that can go through the X-ray scanner. The screeners on hand are respectful of the deceased, she said, and don't need to open the containers, but it depends on your airline as to whether they allow ashes to carried on board in a checked bag or carry-on. So it's best to touch base with them beforehand about their preference. She also directed me to their website, where you can find TSA's policies for transporting the deceased. I just called my airline, and they confirmed TSA's guidlines, noting that their requirement specify that a death or cremation certificate is needed to verify the container's contents.

So that's one big huge check on my checklist taken care of, and a tremendous relief at the same time. Thanks to TSA and Delta for their help. 

Photo: √oхέƒx™ via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

Lynda Bird Johnson packs her camp trailer prior to her western trip. From the December, 1965 issue of National Geographic Magazine, by David Boyer/NGS.

This weekend President Obama and the First Family are heading to Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks, in part to promote this summer's final fee-free weekend at over 100 parks that usually charge admission. With his visit, the President hopes to continue the tradition of Presidential visits to the parks, and encourage the preservation and conservation of our natural landscapes. If this trip sparks anything like the mass crowds now flocking to the Obama-visited burger joints here in Washington, D.C., the President will have done his job.

This will be the first visit to either park for Obama's daughters Sasha and Malia, but not the first time a First Daughter has made such a trip. In 1965, Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of LBJ, caravanned across America's interior taking National Geographic Magazine along for the ride. Here's an excerpt from the article, "I See America First: Diary of the President's Daughter," that we dug out of our archives.

Our Ancestors saw the West in a covered wagon. I saw it in the covered wagon's successor, the travel trailer.

In late June we rolled away from the Grand Canyon with the keepsake memory of a sunrise Sunday worship service beside its awesome rim. For two days we lingered in Monument Valley, an American Stonehenge sculptured by nature. We climbed amid the cliffside homes of ancient Indians at Wetherill Mesa, celebrated Fourth of July with a parade at Laramie, and in Jackson Hole floated down the Snake River on a raft.

We applauded Old Faithful at Yellowstone, parked for the night among tombstones where Custer, his men of the 7th Cavalry, and his stubborn foes--the Sioux and Cheyenne--died at the Little Bighorn River, and paused in homage at Theodore Roosevelt's crude cabin in his memorial park. We waded the Mississippi River where it trickles out of Lake Itasca, and canoed on the inviting waters of northern Minnesota.

Though our trailers covered 2,900 miles--about the distance from Paris to Jerusalem--we had hardly begun to see America. To see it all would take a lifetime.

The Japan Society in New York has an unusual exhibit featuring a collection of Japanese tin toys from the early post-WWII period. It's called "Buriki: Japanese Tin Toys from the Golden Age of the Automobile-- The Yoku Tanaka Collection." 

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.


While researching hotels in Denver, however, I came across the Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in a terrific hotel guide put out by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (it was also featured in National Geographic Traveler's annual Stay List in 2008). Built by Henry Brown in the last 1800s, the name jumped out at me and I immediately made a reservation.

When I began preparing for this trip more than a year ago I did extensive reading on the Underground Railroad, and while its existence is hardly unknown--I think most of us have at least a vague awareness of its significance in our nation's past--the specific stories have been mostly forgotten.

One of the most extraordinary involves a crate shipped from Richmond, Virginia, to 131 Arch Street, Philadelphia, at 4:00 am on March 29, 1849. When the wooden box arrived at 6:00 am at the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society more than a day later, members of the abolitionist Vigilance Committee were there to receive it but, knowing its supposed contents, dreaded opening it for fear of what they might find. One of the members tapped on the crate and  asked if everything was "all right within?" A muffled voice replied in the affirmative, and the members
quickly pried open the box and let an escaped slave named Henry Brown experience his first breath of freedom. Brown had survived an excruciating almost 27-hour journey, and despite bold lettering on the box directing that it be kept "This Side Up," the crate was repeatedly dropped upside down, putting almost fatal pressure on Brown's neck and head.

I had read that Brown became a successful businessman and moved to Colorado, where he opened one of the most elegant hotels in the city. After I made my reservation, I was shocked that although the hotel's own website repeatedly mentioned how historic the building was, there was no picture of Brown and no mention of his daring escape--just a brief description that he was a "Denver carpenter-turned-entrepreneur." Which is a little like referring to Beethoven as a piano tuner.

One of the world's most famous street crossings celebrated a milestone last Saturday -- the 40th anniversary of when the Beatles stepped outside their Abbey Road studio to shoot the legendary photograph of the Fab Four crossing the street.

Though tourists frequently stop traffic at this intersection in London's Paddington neighborhood for a quick photo op, you can safely revisit the iconic album cover virtually from the comfort of your own computer. See the zebra stripes via Google Street View, or check out the Abbey Road Studio Webcam for a live view.

-Tim Greenleaf

Tobias Nowlan had some close encounters of the natural kind during his recent visit to Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

Just as it looked like the plane would perch on a Rocky Mountain peak, it dove into the coastal metropolis of Vancouver. I had arrived in British Columbia to visit Vancouver Island, lured by whales and wolves.

Beginning in popular fishing town of Tofino, I set out with whale-watching company Remote Passages. In sheltered coves, I watched grey whales raking the sand and kelp with their baleen plates. Tofino is a pit-stop along the largest migration of these impressive creatures; this coastline provides vital nourishment en route.

Sea otters, having tied themselves in knots of kelp, floated past islands of bare rock which hummed with breeding Brandt's cormorants, auklets, tufted puffins and a posse of visiting pelicans. Once on the edge of total extinction thanks to an unending desire for their pelts, sea otters are now widespread along the BC coast. I saw ten on this trip. The boat also approached a thrush-sized seabird bobbing on the surface: the marbled murrelet. In summer plumage these micro-mariners are a mottled dark chocolate brown. Researchers were astonished to discover as late as the sixties that the murrelets breed in the canopy of old growth coastal rain forest. Widespread clear-cutting of this ancient habitat has subsequently seen drastic declines in marbled murrelet populations.

Traveling on foot gets a whole lot more interesting when you're barefoot...kind of. Amelia Mularz explains.

I decided a few weeks ago that barefoot is the way to go. I had just finished reading Christopher McDougall's new book, Born to Run, an account of the writer's adventures with the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico's Copper Canyon. The Tarahumaras are a tribe of ultramarathoners, running 150-mile races for fun and outlasting some of the Western world's fiercest athletes. They are also known for their athletic footwear--nothing more than sandals fashioned from tire strips. Halfway through Born to Run I was curious about barefoot-style running (ditching all the padding of modern-day running shoes for a more natural feel). By the end of the book I couldn't look at my Nikes the same way. I had to go barefoot.   

Of course, barefoot in New York City is just crazy talk. The shattered glass collection just outside my apartment's front gate is enough to send any barefoot novice running back for her shock absorbers, gel insoles, and heel pads. Fortunately there's Terra Plana--a British shoe company that makes sneakers that have the barefoot effect, minus all the abrasions.

I snagged a pair of Terra Plana's Vivo Barefoot shoes. The idea is to strip the shoe down so that the foot can perform as it was naturally intended to--landing midfoot rather than on the heel. This shortens the stride and keeps the feet beneath the hips, which many argue is a healthier, more balanced form. In addition to realigning natural posture, the shoes also flex and strengthen muscles within the foot and stimulate all 200,000 nerve endings.

For you die-hard Olympic and soccer fans out there, it's not too early to start making travel plans if you dream of heading to Vancouver for February's 21st Winter Games or journeying to South Africa for next summer's FIFA World Cup.
   
In the Practical Traveler column in this weekend's New York Times, Michelle Higgins details the best options for both big events along with handy links and thought-through strategies. She asserts that despite the bad economy, demand is still quite high for both events and the best way of getting tickets and a place to stay is to work with a tour operator.
   
For the Vancouver Games, the third hosted by Canada and the first for the province of British Columbia, only one company, CoSport, is authorized to sell tickets in the U.S. and they're already sold out, though more tickets may be released for sale this fall.

Here at Traveler, we love digging through the archive of photographs available to us at National Geographic to learn about the history of a place and see how it's changed over time (see our recent photo galleries on Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Kodachrome Culture for examples). We present a "Then and Now" photo feature in every issue, and have even dedicated an entire photo issue to looking at how the places we love have changed. So with that in mind, I was particularly taken with a photo set I stumbled upon on Flickr where the photographer, Jason Powell, aligned old photos in their contemporary settings. The collection, called "Looking into the Past" is culled primarily from images from the Library of Congress, and were reassembled in the area around D.C. and Virginia. He's right, they open a window into the past that's just fascinating. Powell says he was inspired by the "Souvenirs" series of images created by Michael Hughes, and also on Flickr. Both sets are great, and help us look at familiar places with a new light. Check out more images from "Looking into the Past" after the jump.

When you think of Williamsburg, Virginia, a lively culinary scene is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Strolling down Williamsburg's Duke of Gloucester Street, with its understated colonial houses and interpreters clad in period dress, it's hard to imagine that walking just ten minutes further will bring you to the doorstep of a restaurant where you can order foie gras and pan-seared scallops. But you can--and should. Beth Lizardo recently returned from a long weekend in Virginia's Historic Triangle--composed of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown--and is still longing for some of the food she tasted during the trip. From biscuits and grits to broiled Norwegian salmon, the chefs in Virginia's Historic Triangle know how to cook food that you will not soon forget. Here's a rundown of some of her favorite eats.

Dudley's Farmhouse Grille

When chef Jim Kennedy opened Dudley's Farmhouse Grille in 2007, he set out to create a restaurant where locals could come and enjoy the freshest fare possible. "I envisioned going back to how I was trained to cook. You bought everything fresh. You went to local farmers," Kennedy explains. And this is exactly what he does. Kennedy is a regular at the local farmer's market and keeps an herb garden right outside the restaurant. The basil in Kennedy's caprese salad appetizer--oversized, intensely fragrant basil--comes from this garden. And he won't let you leave without trying his wife's homemade crème brûlé made with local eggs. Other items, such as the Southern-style grilled alligator entrée special, have traveled a little farther to make it onto the Dudley's menu, however.  

Affectionately named after Kennedy's dog, Dudley, the restaurant is a small business set in a1905 farmhouse. "Our kitchen is tiny," admits Kennedy. "We have two cooks and one dishwasher. It's like working on a train." The quaintness of the farmhouse setting is accentuated by its out-of-the-way location, which is in the town of Toano, located just off Route 60 about 25 minutes outside of Williamsburg.

We arrive at Dudley's while it's still light enough to admire the old wooden farm tables and local art--some for sale and some on loan from Kennedy's personal collection--hanging on the walls. As the evening progresses and the sun sets, the servers light candles and the dining room assumes a soft yellow glow. Throughout our meal Kennedy makes frequent visits to our table to sit down and chat. He talks about dishes he's served in the past (lavender-rubbed lamb; scallop and red pepper soup), about the ghost that haunts the upstairs level of the farmhouse, and about his three-year-old daughter who only eats gourmet. By the end of the meal it's clear that Dudley's is armed with much more than good food--it's armed with indisputable character.

Dudley's Farmhouse Grille, 7816 Richmond Rd, Toana, VA. +1 757 566 1157; www.dudleysfarmhousegrille.com

When the news came out yesterday of the death of John Hughes, the world lost not only a popular director, but a huge proponent of the city of Chicago. Despite not being actively involved in filmmaking for the last ten years of his life, he continued to live in the city where he spent most of his career, a place which, he said, "[I]s a working city, where people go to their jobs and raise their kids and live their lives." His classic films like Sixteen Candles, Home Alone, The Breakfast Club, and of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, all could be considered postcards to the city. Here's one of my favorite scenes of all time. What's yours?

Read More: Cinematic Road Trip -- Illinois; 48 Hours Chicago; Free Cities Chicago.

Jen A. Miller, who authors the blog downtheshorewithjen.blogspot.com, shares her insider tips for one of Atlantic City's biggest events of the summer.

Atlantic City: America's playground by the sea. Say what you want about lagging casino revenues and increased slots competition from Pennsylvania and New York, but Atlantic City is still a hot spot, whether your idea of entertainment is sitting on its free beaches, people watching on the Boardwalk (always with a capital B since Atlantic City's is the original) or staying up all night playing blackjack.

One of the biggest events of the summer is the Atlantic City Air Show, "Thunder Over Atlantic City," which will be held this August 19th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Flight crews from various units of the U.S. armed forces, plus two elite military teams: the U.S. Army Golden Knights and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, will have the crowd's jaws agape at their corkscrew dives, precise turns, and synchronized parachute jumps. The show itself is free, and you can watch it from the Boardwalk or beach; just scout out a spot on the sand and plunk down your beach chair (the sand around Florida Avenue, just outside the Flightline area, is where you'll find prime free seating). But for the best views you'll want tickets to the Flightline Club, which offers premiere seats (Flightline Club seat for $20 - call 609-646-2292, x 25).

Take note, though: this is one of the most attended events in Atlantic City, so be prepared for crowds, which you can avoid if you come on August 18 and watch the teams practice. If you are going on the big day, plan to stick around because traffic jams for hours after the show.

For the past year, Rainer Jenss and his family have been traveling around the world and blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. This post marks the last dispatch from their journey, and the end to an incredible year. You can see where they've traveled by going back through the archive of their posts, or look to the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids. If you have questions for the Jensses, they'll be writing a few follow up posts in the coming weeks about the transition back home. Email questions here, or leave them in the comments below.

Flashback to April 2007 - I'm staring out into the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, perched on a large piece of driftwood that washed up on a desolate strip of beach off the northwestern coast of Bocas del Toro, Panama. In my meditative state, I envision the end our pending yearlong trip around the world finishing up right here on the unspoiled island of Bastimentos. I'm with my friend Greg who claimed this piece of tropical paradise for himself when he bought some property on this archipelago back in 1996.

Now I'm with my family at the last stop of our incredible 52-week adventure, and my premonition proved spot on. I really couldn't think of a more fitting place to conclude our journey and put this whole trip into perspective. Since we set out last July, we have been housed by people we'd never met before, lived in a camper van, slept in tents, overnighted on trains, and stayed in some of the nicest hotels on the planet. I figured spending our last few days in a hut with pretty much no creature comforts - not even a bathroom (au natural was the only way to go) - would be a perfect setting for us to reflect on the events of the past year and start thinking about a re-entry strategy.

In preparation for our time on the island, we had the assistance of one of the local Ngobe Indians who I had met when I was last here. Joey--his nickname--helped Greg secure his land purchase in the first place and now acts as the caretaker of his property. Without him, there's almost no way we could have pulled this off. Firstly, Joey lent us a hand in buying all the food and rations we'd need for the week. More importantly, he transported us and all our provisions to the island with his dugout canoe. Then after the 45-minute motor across the Bastimentos Marine Park, he and his wife Maria helped set up all the essentials, including four hammocks. For refrigeration, we used three big blocks of ice in an extra-large cooler which would last us about 4-5 days, while two five-gallon jugs provided us with our fresh water (showers were taken from rainwater collected by a water tower in the backyard).

Irony was not lost on Elizabeth Seward when she climbed into a Hummer to take an eco-tour through the Mexican outback. But the rugged terrain in Baja Sur, while being tough to navigate, offers hidden delights. 

Baja California Sur swells with tourism, despite the drug cartel wars intimidating those watching the news everywhere--or at least in the U.S. The state's pristine beaches draw in vacationers from around the globe. They're hooked on the teal waters, dolphin-gazing, rocky landscape, and perfect weather. But I never hear anyone talk about the Baja Sur outback.

The outback is in Australia right? Well, not if the trip I recently took, on the southern stretch of Mexico's peninsula, is any point of reference. I was invited to embark on one of the most ironic adventures I've experienced so far: a drive through the Mexican outback to the organic farm Rancho La Verdad... via Hummer. At 60 gallons of fuel wasted every 20 miles or so, I couldn't quite grasp the concept of taking a Hummer as an eco-enlightening adventure. But with my interest piqued, I slathered on my 70 proof sunblock for the day and did something I never suspected I'd do in Baja Sur--I turned away from the crystal blue waters and drove off into the desert mountains. I quickly learned that the sun beats down so abrasively on the terrain that the area's only 'river' reminds me of a dried up creek that ran, or tried to run, behind my house in Ohio growing up.

The hawks sound like pre-climatic death-whistles in a western movie in this area of Baja Sur. And as analogies would have it, the area I explored with the company, Baja Outback, was, in fact, the set for the movie, Troy.  If you've seen the film you can be assured that not much was altered from what is an everyday reality for the few daring to live in this seemingly post-apocalyptic graveyard. Coyotes hang dead from already dying trees--a kill and show tactic embraced by local farmers desperate to drive the culprits away from their prized livestock. But beneath the dried and aging shell of the Baja Sur outback, life flourishes--secretly.

We've often delved into the nostalgia of children's literature as inspiration for this blog, so children's book illustration fits right into that vein of thinking. Or at least that was my original rationale when I ducked in to see "From Bugs to Beasts: Storytelling Through Collage by Eric Carle" at the Stanford in Washington Art Gallery in D.C.'s Woodley Park neighborhood, where a collection of lithographs and torn paper works by the artist are on display. But it turns out that the exhibit, which runs through September 1 and features huge versions of Carle's classic tissue-paper illustrations of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and other works, only scratched the surface. Carle, a commercial artist who ventured into children's books -- illustrating over 70 -- and never went back, dreamed of a place where the art featured in classic storybooks could be appreciated beyond the page. So in 2001, he opened the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in his hometown of Amherst, Massachusetts.

The museum now hosts a series of rotating and permanent exhibits; the two currently on display feature the works of E. H. Shepard, the illustrator of the classic Winnie-the-Pooh books, and a retrospective of writer and illustrator Tomie dePaola, who celebrates his 75th birthday this year. And The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is perhaps Carle's most famous book, is observing a birthday of its own, with 40th anniversary parties being held across the country (check out these listings for events near you). Carle himself turned 80 this year, but is still busy blogging, and will be making his annual visit to the Picture Book Museum for a book signing this August 23.

The Carle seems like a perfect gateway museum for parents who are looking to move their kids beyond the children's museum circuit and have them begin to appreciate fine art. Not only will they recognize many of the illustrations from their own book collections, but they'll have the chance to make their own in the massive artist's studio on site. They can also take in a story hour in the museum's library, or watch some of the stories come to life in the theater. And then of course there's another charming touch for the Very Hungry museumgoer- the signature snack in the museum cafeteria is the caterpillar cookie... with a hole in the center. 

["From Bugs to Beasts: Storytelling Through Collage by Eric Carle"]
[The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art]
[The Official Eric Carle Web Site]

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

Near the top of my "things to find" list for this 50-state journey are historic markers on major highways that come up out of nowhere and cannot possibly be read at 65 miles an hour. I've seen these plaques and signs on past trips, and I'm determined to locate one at some point so I can stop, back up along the shoulder (safely of course), and see what it says.

What brought this to mind was the faded brown and white sign I recently whizzed past on Highway 6 & 50 en route to Baker, Nevada, that simply states: "Historical Marker."

The sign gives no indication as to what site of historical significance awaits whomever ventures down the gravel road. Nor does it suggest how far one has to drive. I was running late, short of gas, and had no time for an open-ended adventure in the middle of a Utah desert.

But I knew I'd curse myself if I later found out I'd passed by some extraordinary site just a few hundred feet away, so off I went.

One of the best travel souvenirs to bring home is being able to recreate the dishes you ate on the road. Freda Moon offers a quick guide to some local, authentic cooking courses in the two places where she divides her time, Mexico City and northern California.

It was in Oaxaca City, the capital of one of the poorest and most politically turbulent states in Mexico, that I first fully understood the lengths to which people go for an incredible meal.

Inside the city's cavernous central market air is thick with the smokey, chocolatey, chile-scented flavors for which this southern Mexican state is famous. The market's dimly lit interior, overflowing with vendors, buyers and hungry hordes of European tourists, is as daunting as it is thrilling. To eat one's way through the market's many food stalls--sweet rolls dipped in savory hot chocolate for breakfast; spiced dried grasshoppers at snack time; rich, earthy mole or fire-grilled carne asada for lunch--is an act of choreographed culinary devotion. There's never enough time to taste everything, but a true believer does his or her best.

On the streets and among the stalls of this small but bustling city, I encountered people who'd come from around the world to eat and, to my surprise, to learn to cook the cuisine that Mexican food expert Susana Trilling calls Oaxaca's "native foods."

Throughout the town I noticed that restaurants, shops and hotels catered to travelers--not food television celebrities, but middle-class foodies--who came eager to learn how to cook regional specialties. One such place, Trilling's Seasons of My Heart Cooking School, has established itself as an international destination. The school is outside of town (it sits between two small villages in the hills above Oaxaca's Etla Valley)

Upon returning to my native northern California, I started to see similar small-scale, regional and specialty cooking schools at every turn.

Michigan needs some love. The Labor Department recently announced that it was the first state in 25 years to have unemployment top 15 percent. Though I will probably have to leave the state I've lived in for as long as I can remember in order to find a job post-graduation--and even though the winters are too long--it's hard for me not to miss Michigan this time of year. And of course, the best thing about the Great Lakes state is, well, all of the lakes. Fresh water (no salty residue), climbing up sand dunes and watching the sun set over Lake Michigan, nights that are cold enough to warrant a sweatshirt, lighthouses... these are the images the phrase "West Coast" evokes in my mitten-shaped state.

These towns are so beautiful that I was reluctant to encourage people to visit lest they become overcrowded, but my pride in my home state prevailed. I want people to know that Michigan isn't only the nexus of the diminished auto industry; it's a beautiful state full of friendly people where you don't have to clear out your wallet to have a fabulous trip. Make your way from the south end of Michigan's west coast to the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula with these personal favorite spots.

This past weekend I made a trip up to New York City to visit family and was once again amazed at just how much the city has to offer, especially food-wise. Although I usually go directly into Manhattan and stay, my cousin recently bought an apartment in Brooklyn, so we decided to try out new things in that part of the city. Brooklyn has become a hot spot for young fresh thinkers and the restaurants here mirror its transformation.

After sitting for hours in standstill traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike we arrived and immediately stopped for dinner at a place called Brooklyn Fish Camp, which sounds unappealing, but it serves fantastic and unique fresh seafood (try the red snapper, Thai style, or the pan-roasted golden tile filet (above) with a side of shoestring fries). We ate out on the back patio, which was decorated with white lights and old coffee containers retrofitted as flowerpots. When it started pouring rain a tent seemed to magically appear over us and provided an even cooler atmosphere as the sound of water pounded above, and light chatter and a warm glow of lights surrounded us.

While most guidebook authors head to a destination for several months and pen some notes, writer Eliot Stein immersed himself in Sardinian culture by living there for nearly three years. His recently published guidebook to Sardinia is not only one of the most authoritative guides to the island, but it also promotes responsible travel from a true insiders' perspective. The following are his recommendations of ways tourists can help preserve Sardinia's unique culture.

Kallari bars are considered to be some of the best chocolate around (at least by pastry chef Kate Zuckerman--see this article--and Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert). Available in Whole Foods markets, they are a sweet you can feel good about buying: Over 850 Kichwa families living in the Amazon rain forest region of Ecuador have formed the Kallari Association, which grows the cacao used in the bars AND coordinates the production of chocolate from their own beans. Plus, 100% of profits are returned to the Kallari Association, allowing people in the area to make a living by doing something other than clearing trees in the Amazon. (Watch this NBC video or read this NY Times article to learn more about Kallari.)

Kallari farmers are one of a small number of groups who farm, make, and market their own chocolate (another such group is the Grenada Chocolate Company, which operates from Grenada, in the southeastern Caribbean). But what's unique about Kallari is its foray into cultural tourism: now you have the chance to eat the chocolate in Ecuador, where it's made.

To taste the chocolate in a restaurant setting, head to the Kallari Cafe, in the new town section of Ecuador's capital city, Quito. They offer a three-course cultural dinner, with traditional Amazon dishes and a 15-minute presentation on Kichwa culture, including language, crafts, and methods used in their organic coffee and chocolate production, all for $7.50 per person. (They can handle groups of 10-25 people, but you have to schedule it two weeks in advance.) If you have less time, pick up a sandwich and a smoothie for lunch. And snag a piece of the Amazon to take home in the form of organic chocolate and coffee or Kallari handicrafts.

Fast Facts: Quito's new town neighborhood is known for its shops and restaurants, but be sure to make your way to old town's museums and churches for a cultural experience: La Compania de Jesus and Museo de la Ciudad are favorites. La Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World) is a monument just north of the capital that straddles the Equator.

Photo: Kate McCormack

If you want to get away without actually getting away, check out Traveler's Trip Lit column for July. Our columnist Don George reviews his new Book of the Month, Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange by Amanda Smyth, a novel about a teenage girl in Trinidad, and Aisling Juanjuan Shen's A Tiger's Heart: The Story of a Modern Chinese Woman about the author's journey out of a rice-farming village in rural China.

Other Trip Lit Highlights:

- Near Death in the Desert, edited by Cecil Kuhne: This installment of the "Near Death" series highlights 12 almost-lethal tales of desert adventures.

- An Irreverent Curiosity by David Farley: Part history, part travel reporting, Farley follows the story of Jesus' foreskin from its journey to the town of Calcata to its disappearance in 1983.

Don't Miss:

- The Reading Matchmaker: Love the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series? Then check out Wife of the Gods, by Kwei Quartey. The first in a planned series starring Detective Inspector Darko Dawson, this complex mystery is set not in Precious Ramotswe's beloved Botswana but in grittier Ghana.

Want More?

-Check out our 50 Books of Summer for great picks that will get you inspired for your next trip.

[Trip Lit]

Photo of a Trinidad Beach by Eli Fuller - Antiqua/Getty Images

When it comes to macaroni and cheese, there are some who believe you can't beat the blue box. Clearly they've never been to S'MAC.

Short for Sarita's Mac & Cheese, the restaurant in New York City's East Village specializes in just one thing--but this is not your mother's macaroni. From the Cheeseburger (ground beef and macaroni smothered in cheddar and American cheese) to the Parisienne Mac (brie, figs, mushrooms, and a certain je ne sais quoi), Sarita and her husband, Caesar (both pictured, below), take this favorite to new heights. The fact that your order comes to you in your own personal skillet (I defy anyone who tells me I can't eat straight out of the pan) makes it that much more fun. As a lifelong mac and cheese lover, I can't get enough of the place--so here's hoping S'MAC makes it to my hometown on the West Coast sometime soon!

Since opening its doors on June 24, 2006, S'MAC has expanded to include a take-out only location and is now collaborating with Pizza By The Inch at PINCH & S'MAC, resulting in one-stop shopping for all your pizza and macaroni needs. On July 13, the original S'MAC began serving beer and wine... so now you're really out of excuses not to go.

I recently checked in with Sarita herself to get an insider's take on how things are going.   

When I first toured Europe with my mother and brother, I was intent on exploring the exotic. Trying different dishes, encountering different cultures, and soaking up all of the history, art, and music possible. My brother, on the other hand, seemed most interested in finding the nearest McDonald's. Unimpressed by the food offerings in each country we visited, he sought out the golden arches -- and with it the familiar touch of home.

But even if your adolescent insists on Mickey D's -- sigh -- there's still an opportunity for cultural exploration. Over at Glimpse, the National Geographic website for people living abroad, they've assembled some of the most interesting offerings, including Singapore's Chicken Fan-tastic (above), Israel's McKebab, and China's Taro Root Pie. Adapting local dishes into fast-food fare takes a bit of a formula, according to their post:

[McDonald's] tried-and-true strategy, which has worked for years in the States, also seems to work abroad: Find a popular local dish, cheaply imitate it, name it something cute (usually involving a "Mc"), and make it look really yummy in a poster.

Admittedly, part of the fun of traveling is seeing how things like McDonald's translate into other cultures. So Mom and I decided to make the most of it, and shot a photo album full of pictures of my brother standing below the arches in each country we visited. It's hysterical to look at now, particularly since my brother hasn't eaten a Happy Meal in years.

Check out Glimpse's Top Five list here. And I know you have your own stories of fast food from abroad. Share your favorites.

Photo: Juston Lin via Glimpse

When I lived in New York City, my summer weekends were commonly spent lounging on Central Park's Great Lawn. But I'd never really considered staying the night -- until now. New York City's Parks and Recreation Department opens up 13 of its public parks to family campers on weekends throughout July and August, the New York Times reports, offering the allure of communing with nature just steps from a subway. And what's rather incredible is that the family camping trips are free, and include a cook-out, nature hikes, stargazing, two-person tents, and craft activities led by the Urban Park Rangers on staff. All you need to bring is a sleeping bag.

But in order to get a spot in one of these events (they typically accommodate about 30 people) you have to be savvy. Registration begins on certain days and spots fill up fast. Click here for the list of available dates and when to register. And remember to bring marshmallows.

[New York City Parks and Recreation Family Camping]

Photo: Looking for bats during a campout at Owl's Head Park in Brooklyn. Jennifer S. Altman for The New York Times

The second annual Capital Hip Hop Soul Festival is set for this Saturday, July 25th, in Marvin Gaye Park in Northeast DC. The free festival and community celebration features a full line up of local talent (16 acts) on two stages, over 20 vendors from community businesses and DC nonprofits, along with a booksigning and poetry slam. The family-friendly festival starts at 11 a.m. and the park is located between two Metro stops: Minnesota Avenue (orange line) and Capitol Heights (blue line). Check out the website where music from the festival is streamed.

To learn more about the festival, we caught up with Maceo Thomas, the festival's organizer.

How'd the festival get started last year?

I was introduced to the music of Kokayi and Afi Soul, two local artists--Kokayi lives in my neighborhood--that I never had heard of. Their music was fantastic. I realized I was clueless on the level of talent that exists here in DC around hip hop and soul music. I had to believe that there were more people like me who couldn't hang out on U St. until the wee hours of the morning to hear these folks. I woke up one morning and decided to put as many local talented hip hop soul artists together one day to introduce them to other folks like me who may have been equally clueless. And I say that totally with love.

Peanut Butter Fudge. Dark Chocolate Fudge. S'mores Fudge. Mint Chocolate Fudge. Inside Out Reese's Fudge.  Decisions, decisions, decisions. A trip to Chatham, Massachusetts' Candy Manor was one of the highlights of my recent weekend trip to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. For this indecisive chocoholic, I have to admit, it also was a bit overwhelming. 

My friend Lizzie told me about the place when she was prepping me for our trip. Growing up, she spent most of her summers on the Cape and was a frequent visitor to the Candy Manor on Main Street. She tried to prepare me, but how could she? To the right of the entrance, a long glass counter filled with dozens of varieties of their famous handmade fudge greeted me. Farther back, there were more display cases, filled with truffles, chocolate covered nuts and pretzels, cream- and caramel-filled treats, and so much more.

(FYI: Candy Manor also accommodates those of you not as interested in chocolate, and has a whole wall with bins of jelly beans, Jordan almonds, saltwater taffy, licorice, and other treats.)

Earlier this month, Apple began to celebrate the app store's first birthday by highlighting its favorite applications and games on iTunes -- tens of thousands of which have undoubtedly changed the way people use their phones when out and about. Grist also recently compiled a list of green apps, featuring a range of green programs from one that finds the greenest tissues and paper products to one that calculates fuel efficiency. Although I've refused to buy into the iPod hype, below are some apps that have me lusting after an iPhone for hitting the streets:

• Summer fun comes hand in hand with a blistering summer sun, so some sunscreen application is in order these days. Gorgeously Green Survival Guide ($0.99) helps in selecting the right one by showing  which chemical ingredients are no-nos.
  
• For those trying to figure out where to go and what to do in Los Angeles, Greenopia (free) offers a listing of over a thousand green businesses, restaurants, and services, complete with search and mapping functions. (Don't worry, it's coming out with apps for more cities later this year.)
  
• Overwhelmed by new menus in new locations? What's Fresh ($1.99) offers a U.S. map of seasonable produce and details the local fruits and vegetables in season for fresher and greener eats.
  
• To learn more about energy used in travels, greenMeter ($5.99) measures fuel consumption, efficiency, and costs, enhanced by details on carbon footprint and consumption graphs.
  
• In the era of new media, everyone likes to be in the know whenever and where they are. Stay in tune with GreenSpot ($1.99), a topic-specific reader aggregating environmental headlines from top sources like the NYT and AP and even hosts a podcast.
  
• Alternatively, Green News Reader ($0.99) also scans our favorite National Geographic, among other sources, for news!

Got other green app suggestions? Let us know!

Rainer Jenss and his family are wrapping up the final stops of their around-the-world journey, and they're blogging about their experiences for us at Intelligent Travel. Keep up with the Jensses by bookmarking their posts, and follow the boys' Global Bros blog at National Geographic Kids.

Most travelers have probably heard the expression, "It's not the destination, it's the journey." But this doesn't always resonate with me when I'm in the throes of trying to get our family from one place to the next.  It's usually well after the fact that I realize the proverb's true wisdom.  Not knowing how we'd end up getting to our final destination of the trip - a remote hut on the island of Bastimentos off the coast of Bocas del Toro in Panama - I envisioned a journey that might just be as adventurous as the destination itself, and it was.

When I told a friend, Lynda Gerhardt that we were going to Panama, I was strongly advised to try to visit a wonderful eco-lodge she knew of in the highlands of Chiriqui Province.  The owner of the Los Quetzales Lodge & Spa on the Panamanian side of the 407,000-hectare Parque Internacional La Amistad was a good friend of hers and I was guaranteed to have a fantastic experience in what she simply called a 'magical place.' (Having arranged our extraordinary visit to the Cheetah Conservation Center in Namibia back in February, Lynda had a pretty good track record with us.) Since we would be down on the Osa Peninsula in southeastern Costa Rica, where the Panamanian border was just a short ferry and taxi ride away, we decided to take the overland route to Bocas del Toro via the Los Quetzales Lodge--it would be a much cheaper and more interesting option than flying.

The wonderful thing about the Osa Peninsula is that it's a throwback to the way life was in the country before mass tourism infiltrated many of its pristine forests and coastal towns. Similarly, I've heard that Panama's oceans, mountains and jungles are still relatively undiscovered and less frequented by the eco-tourists that Costa Rica now attracts in droves. As we would learn, this makes for a much more bona fide natural experience, just the way we wanted it. 

The world is a blur this month for the swift competitors racing in the Tour de France, and most of them have been pedaling faster than ever since with the introduction of ever-lighter carbon bikes each year. But for biking enthusiasts who crave such top-notch speed and durability, a whole new eco- and budget-friendly option will be soon available through an innovative partnership between non-profit Zambikes and elite bike builder Craig Calfee: the bamboo bike.

The story of the bamboo bike began right in the States -- Santa Cruz, to be exact -- where Calfee designed a bamboo bike for a publicity project. His audiences loved the artsy-crafty look, and requests and rave reviews soon started rolling in. Thus began a small, brand new production line.

Then Calfee remembered a trip he took in Africa, when he noticed a lot of bamboo, a shortage of bikes, and even fewer jobs. Wouldn't it be great, he thought, if developing countries could use one of the few natural resources they do have to create state-of-the-art bikes that everyone could enjoy and use? This became the inspiration for his Bamboosero project, which first took form in Ghana, where Calfee introduced the bike design to the local people and helped them set up the supply chain.

In conjunction with his upcoming book, Here Is Where: In Search of America's Great Forgotten History, we're following historian and Legacy Project founder Andrew Carroll as he drives, flies, walks, boats, buses, bikes, and hikes to seek out little-known historic sites in all 50 states. Bookmark all of his posts here.

I typically travel to Chicago about once or twice a year, and on every trip I've walked past and in many cases gone into the Tribune Tower building at 435 North Michigan Avenue. But not once have I ever noticed the outside of the building.

After visiting Pittsburgh (see last week's blog) I sprinted through Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan and arrived in Chicago at about 7:00 p.m. The light was fading by the time I find a parking spot downtown, and I had to leave early the next morning for Hawaii so this was my only chance to photograph the Tower.

I raced up North Michigan Avenue and as the neo-Gothic building came into view, there they are: Embedded in the outside walls are stones, chunks of metal, small marble slabs, shards of jade glass, bricks, petrified wood, and a variety of other materials and architectural flourishes from landmarks across the globe--the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Berlin Wall, the pyramids, the dome of St. Peter's, the Kremlin, the Arc de Triomphe, the Forbidden City, and a host of famous temples, mosques, and cathedrals.