Recently in _US: Northeast Category

We'd like to welcome Traveler Intern Giovanna Palatucci, who is getting her sea legs on the blog with this, her first post. 

Picture this: cows grazing on Beacon Hill, burlesque theaters in Government Center, and waves crashing at the Old State House doorstep. Certainly this is not what Boston looks like today. As modern architecture and planning quickly propel the design of our cities into the future, one group pauses to map out Boston's beginnings and transformation into a major urban center.

The Walk to the Sea, entering its first spring and summer seasons, is the latest walking tour to hit Boston. The route highlights the evolution of the city over four centuries, focusing on Boston's ties to the sea and covering ground that was once part of an active harbor.

The trail follows a one-mile route, descending 100 feet from Beacon Hill to the Long Wharf, passing historic landmarks and modern skyscrapers. Ten glass and stainless steel informational panels mark the path and explain Boston and American history through images and maps. Beginning in May, visitors can log on to the website to download an audio tour for the walk right to their iPods. And we like this eco-friendly feature: a small wind turbine on the top of the last panel keeps the signs illuminated for nighttime tours.

Walk to the Sea intersects two of Boston's famous walking trails: The Freedom Trail and the Black Heritage Trail. For those who can't get enough of walking tours through historic Boston, check out the Fairmont Copley Plaza's Freedom Trail Discovery Package, available this year from April 1 through December 31 for $349. The package includes a one-night stay in one of the Fairmont's elegant guestrooms, two tickets to the Walk Into History tour with 18th-century costumed guides, two tickets to the three Freedom Trail historic museums, and a copy of The Freedom Trail: An Artist's View.

If you're looking for something slightly macabre to do in Philadelphia, check out Eastern State Penitentiary at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue. ESP, a hulking, haunting, crumbling prison turned tourist destination, will open its recently discovered and restored 1924 synagogue, probably the first built in an American prison, to the public the weekend of April 4 & 5.

At one time among the most infamous and expensive prisons in the world, ESP opened in 1829 and remained in operation for 142 years, closing in 1971. Its radiating, spoke-like panopticon design of individual cell blocks guarded by a central rotunda kept its prisoners in near-constant solitary confinement (but for light work and their Bibles) and was based on the Quaker notion of penitence, and the assumption that once so confined, criminals would revert to a stage of "natural" innocence. The prisoners housed at ESP faced sentences of very little human interaction and most turned mad as a result.

Those of you traveling to our nation's capital in the upcoming months should grab a pencil (or iPhone, BlackBerry, or whatever else you tech-savvy travelers use) and add a trip to see a curvaceous indoor hill constructed of approximately 55,000 sustainably sourced 2x4 wood pieces to your itinerary. Allow me to explain...

Maya Lin's (think the Eleven Minute Line in Wanas, Sweden, or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in D.C.) new exhibition, Systematic Landscapes, has found a temporary home in the recently renovated Corcoran Gallery of Art. IT got a sneak peak before the exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, March 14. Find out what's in store after the break.

It's the largest flower show in the world, and it comes every year at a time when most folks are sick of winter. The Philadelphia Flower Show, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, is running now through Sunday, March 8. The theme this year is Bella Italia, which means wine and food tastings, Italian cooking demos with local celebrity chefs, opera singers, and Italian-style gardens with pergolas, stone walls and outdoor living rooms. Plus the usual acres of gorgeous flowers, plants and garden designs.

Professional landscapers, florists, horticultural and educational organizations create full-scale gardens each year at the show, and spend months arranging their displays so that their flowers, trees and shrubs will be at peak bloom. The designers compete for the "Best in Show" Major Exhibitors award in each of their respective categories.

We've been loving your submissions for our I Heart My City project - and today's city comes to us via Albert Lee, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were few people who showed as much enthusiasm for their cities as Albert, and we'll let him explain why in his own words:

I'm a proud hometown boy. Was raised in the Chinatown section of Philadelphia where our home housed three generations. I serve as the head concierge at the Independence Visitor Center (the official visitor center for Philadelphia and its surrounding counties). My overall duty is to make sure that while you're here, regardless of how long, you're going to have a good time. That is my promise even if our doors are closed. In fact, I carry maps in my bag to make sure people get to go where they need to. Want to get in a fancy restaurant at 8 p.m.? I'll take care of you...even if we are on a street corner. Philadelphia has been good to me and I see no greater reward than showing it off and getting paid for it!

Still haven't sent in your own city suggestions? Easy enough. Just complete our list of fill-in-the-blank questions then copy and paste the list into an email, fill in your answers (as many as you like), and send your responses to IntelligentTravel@ngs.org.

Being careful with how you spend your money but still hankering to go on a great trip this year? If you're in NYC this weekend, stop by The New York Times Travel Show, this Saturday, February 7, and Sunday, February 8, at the Javits Convention Center.

The show features seminars on how to score spectacular travel bargains in these troubled times, from industry superstars such as Arthur and Pauline Frommer, Rick Steves, and Samantha Brown. Andrew Zimmern, of "Bizarre Foods," will present, as will travel writer Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, focusing on not-to-miss destinations in the U.S. and Canada. Plus you can catch IT contributor Andrew Evans discuss "Making Your Wildest Travel Dreams a Reality" on a panel with other travel writers and industry experts.

In addition to travel writing seminars and tips on gay, adventure, spa, luxury, and family travel deals, six performance stages will come alive with dancers from India and Indonesia, Mongolian throat-singing, Garifuna music and culture, Tarahumara dance, Greek singer Eleni Alexandris, and many more. You can learn how to brew your own Peruvian pisco sour or taste an array of South African wines.

The $15/day admission fee affords you access to seminars, stage performances, exhibitors, book signings at the on-site Borders, and giveaways galore, including one that really caught our eye, a trip to Nicaragua auctioned off by the Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance. Plus, SeaWorld's bringing some penguins, a toucan, and a sloth for the kids' enjoyment or they could opt to scuba at the heated pool.

The New York Times Travel Show's array of cultural performances and food and drink tastings will surely get you charged up for your next well-planned, memorable, and economical trip.

Photo: via the New York Times Travel Show website

I'm a huge sucker for 50's kitsch, so I loved the recent post on the L.A.Times travel blog about how you can now camp out in an Airstream trailer in Vegas.

The folks at Airstream have sold 25 of the giant silver Twinkies to the KOA RV campground near the Circus Circus hotel, and they'll be renting them out for about $45 dollars a night. The 25-foot-long Vegas Airstreams sleep up to four people on one queen bed and two twins. The units feature bathrooms, kitchen, plates and linens. They're also renting Airstreams in Sugarloaf Key, Florida, and plan to open a few more this spring in Bar Harbor, Maine. The iconic campervans cost about $65,000 a pop, making them an tough buy in these current times, and it's an interesting partnership idea between Airstream and KOA. 

Photo: The AP via Yahoo! News

For the epicurious (and the hungry), this Friday is National Pie Day. To celebrate, four inns that make up the Historic Inns of Rockford, Maine, are hosting "Pies on Parade" this Sunday, and our friends at This Just In have the details:

Each inn will be receiving ticketed guests between 1 and 4 p.m., with tours of common areas and some guests rooms. Taste various pies, from traditionals like cherry and apple to more modern variations like Key Limerock Pie, Seafood with Lobster Pie, Kiwi Berry Tart, and a Goat Cheese Breakfast Pie. Then take home a recipe collection so you can bake your own.

The four inns (the Berry Manor Inn, the Lindsey House Inn, the LimeRock Inn, and the Old Granite Inn) are within walking distance of each other. But a trolley will make the rounds. Some of Rockland's local businesses are also offering samples, including a Chocolate Decadence Pie at the Pastry Garden and Lemon Curd Pie with Ginger Crust at Lily Bistro. (Cue the drooling).

All proceeds go to the local Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry. And you can rest assured that the decadence won't hurt the environment: All of the pie will be served with biodegradable, "compostable" plates and silverware-made of sugar cane.

There's nothing more American than pie, so even if you can't make it to Maine to celebrate, at least take the time this week to bake your own or see below the jump and try my favorite recipe for classic apple pie.

With money tight but gas cheap and time off in excess, my husband and I plotted our post-Christmas road trip. We lounged for two days with the folks in Fogelsville, PA, then darted east to Brooklyn. After a night out at Redd's Tavern in Williamsburg with a schoolmate, we journeyed to Chavella's in Prospect Heights to meet a former Traveler colleague, Emily Haile, for a scrumptious Mexican brunch.

The $11.95 brunch includes hefty and somewhat spicy portions, unlimited tea or coffee, and colorful Mexican sweet bread. And as someone who doesn't eat eggs, I was anxious after initially scanning the menu; all of the entrees were egg-centric. Not to worry, our gracious server suggested a trio of sides (chorizo hash, refried beans, and a chicken tamale adorned with guacamole) that filled me up and got me craving more - despite a stuffed stomach.

Chavella's atmosphere is snug and festive but not overdone. We lingered over our coffee and conversation and weren't rushed out. So Brooklyn-goers, be sure to head over to Chavella's for some authentic Mexican cuisine that's flavorful, fresh, and thankfully egg-free.

Chavella's: 732 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY; +1 718 622 3100. 

Photo: Jackie Turner from Flickr

Having just spent a week in snow-covered Seattle, the thought of spending even more time in a winter wonderland is the furthest thing from my mind. But on January 10, 100 ski resorts are lifting their fees in celebration of Winter Trails Day. Twenty-two states from Washington to Maine are giving snow-goers the chance to try cross-country skiiing or snowshoeing for free, meaning that those who claim the only winter sport they enjoy is making snow angels have no excuse not to frolic in the white stuff. January is also "Learn a Winter Snow Sport Month" (betcha didn't know that), and other resorts across the country are hosting plenty of events straight on 'til Groundhog's Day.

Thanks to Gadling for the tip!

Photo: Vahid Jahed via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool