Author (#201)June 2008 Archives

It's nearing lunchtime here in the Traveler office, so I'm satisfying my craving for the edible by researching (as we diligent fact-checkers do) food museums. Surprisingly, there are more than I thought there'd be. Take, for example, the International Banana Club and Museum (16367 Main Street, Hesperia, California; +1 760 244 5488). Claiming to be the world's first and largest museum dedicated entirely to the banana (there are others in Washington State and Martinique), this collection of yellow-fruit paraphernalia is home to some 17,000 banana items. The museum has several sections, including the "hard" section, "food, drink, and notions" section, the "soft" section, and the "clothing" section. Don't worry -- the museum is completely kid-friendly ("nothing lude, crude, or lascivious to do with bananas is accepted or displayed in this B.M." it claims). While there, say hello to Ken, the "Top Banana" and Glenn, the "Banana Man."

If fruit isn't your thing (or men in banana costumes...), but Monty Python is, check out the Spam Museum (Austin, Minnesota; 800 LUV SPAM). This 16,500-square-foot museum is dedicated entirely to canned-meat enthusiasts. Why does SPAM (which turns 71 years old this year) deserve its own museum (which, by the way, is free)? According to the website: "SPAM is the cradle of civilization. It is the ultimate culinary perfection. Within these walls, all of life's questions will be deliciously answered." 'Nuff said.

I'm starting to get really hungry, so I'll leave you with this list of food museums in the U.S. after the jump (word of warning: do not peruse on an empty stomach).

Willi Chevalier has won the "partial beard freestyle category" at the World Beard and Moustache Championships almost every year.

As a Seattleite, I'm well aware of the many stereotypes of the Pacific Northwest: We all wear socks with Birkenstocks, sport flannel shirts, eat granola while listening to grunge music, among many others. But one I've never heard of is that Pacific Northwesterners have unusually creative facial hair. It appears, though, that I'm about to be proven wrong.

On July 5, Bremerton, Washington (a short ferry ride from Seattle), will play host to the first-ever North American Beard and Moustache Championships. This is in preparation for the 2009 World Championships, which will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, on May 23. The 2009 championship will be the second time the event has taken place in the U.S. (the first was in Carson City, Nevada, in 2003). Event organizers in Washington (said to be the "Switzerland of America") hope to draw some 150 competitors this year.

This hairy worldwide competition has been taking place every two years since 1997, and officially began in 1990, when Germany's First Höfener Beard Club organized the championship in the Black Forest. Since then the world competition has taken place in Norway, Sweden, the U.S., Germany (again), and the U.K. Before you head to the competition, check out the Beard Team USA's blog and the online gallery of the best beards in the world.

Photo: JJWaller

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If you're looking to see London on the cheap, look no further than the Brooklyn Bridge (above). Now through June 15, Paul St. George's 37-foot-long (11-meter) Telectroscope allows curious New Yorkers and Londoners to see each other across the pond. Legend has it, a long tunnel stretches from North America to the U.K., allowing onlookers to see from one end to the other via an "extraordinary optical device." And while that's pretty cool, the Telectroscope works in a more realistic manner—via camouflaged cameras in both "ends" of the scope in London and New York. Even if you can't head to either town to see it, be sure to check out CNN's video. To get to New York's Telectroscope, take subway lines A and C to High Street or F to York Street. In London, go to the south side of the Thames near Tower Bridge. Both Telectroscopes are open 24 hours a day, and while it costs one pound in London to take a peek, the view from New York is free.

Photo: Wendelling via Flickr

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On any given sunny day in Seattle, you'll find a lot of Seattlites venturing to Bainbridge Island, just a 35-minute ferry ride from the city's Pier 52. I headed there for lunch on the only 80-degree day in April, and found more than one place to stop for a tasty treat.

When you first exit the ferry and walk to downtown Winslow's main street (called, appropriately, Winslow Way), turn left, which takes you to the heart of the town. On the right side of the street you'll pass Mon Elisa's (450 Winslow Way E; +1 206-780-3233) a small (it's got a table or two) pasta shop that makes delicious sauces and other Italian treats. To avoid claustrophobia, sit at one of their outside tables, or take your dish to go.

After another two blocks down you'll come to the Blackbird Bakery (210 Winslow Way E; +1 206-780-1322), an always-busy eatery that serves up delectable items like double chocolate cheesecake and oatmeal craisin pecan cookies. Inside can get noisy (folks are either satisfying their sweet tooth here or at Mora Iced Creamery around the corner), so grab a bench outside for a perfect place to people-watch.

Trip Advisor recently released its 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards, a list of the top 100 destinations worldwide and the top 25 destinations on each major region. My favorite country and adopted home while studying abroad topped the list with two destinations—Milford Sound (the eighth wonder of the world, above) and the adventure capital of the world, Queenstown (Auckland, Wanaka, and Christchurch also rated in the top 50).

Just about every New Zealand visitor stops by Queenstown for an adrenaline rush—and for good reason. This South Island town is the home of bungee jumping. Although the sport did not originate here (it all started on nearby Vanuatu), it was modernized and popularized by Kiwi thrill-seeker and entrepreneur AJ Hackett. He has developed several bungee experiences, including the Nevis Highwire (which my roommate did, pictured right) a 134-meter (440-foot), 8.5-second free-fall, the longest in the Southern Hemisphere.

For those who aren't as daring as my adventurous roommate, but still want to soak up New Zealand's beautiful scenery, I suggest heading to Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is part of Fiordland National Park (which should be familiar to Lord of the Rings fans), and the home to one of the only alpine parrots in the world, the kea. The park is also located in an area known as Te Wahipounamu (South West New Zealand) and has been a World Heritage site since 1990. Traveler's expert panelists also gave Te Wahipoinamu a score of 80 (the highest in the Australia/New Zealand category) on our World Heritage Destinations Rated list.

About one million people visit Fiordland each year, which is only accessible via one road. Many tour companies will combine a bus trip (to and from Queenstown—a six-hour drive—or Te Anau) with a two-hour cruise of the sound. I took the Kiwi Experience from Queenstown, and hopped aboard the Milford Sound Red Boats, a cruise line that takes you around the sound and includes a stop at the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory, where we watched all sorts of fish and starfish (lucky visitors might also spot seals swimming nearby).

Price for Kiwi Experience is NZ $169 (about US$133, and worth every penny), though prices for other tour companies vary.

For a list of Trip Advisor's top 20 destinations worldwide, read on after the jump, or download the entire list at TripAdvisor.com.