Recently in Inside Traveler Category

Our intrepid writer Andrew Nelson is just five days away from his trip to Miami, where he'll be relying on the Twitterverse to show him around. So far, he's already found a great rate at the Essex House hotel, but now he's looking for restaurant recommendations and weighing his options (should he check out Red Steakhouse? El Pub? Versailles?). Be sure to follow him at @andrewnelson to help him with the planning, and then help to show him around town when he arrives.

Andrew will be in Miami from Thursday, November 26th through Monday, November 30th. Tweet him your insider tips on where to eat, play, and soak up the city's culture, using the hashtag #ngtmiami. Follow him now, and read his story about his experience in an upcoming issue of Traveler. And you can follow @NatGeoTraveler for all the latest news from our magazine staff.

We know social media has changed the way we travel, but can it actually make for a better trip? To test the thesis, Traveler writer Andrew Nelson is trading in turkey and cranberry sauce next week for sunscreen and a BlackBerry. He's headed to Miami Beach to see if the local Twitter community can lead him to on-the-go discoveries in South Florida. If you know Miami, be a bird on his shoulder. Follow him @andrewnelson and help guide him to your favorite bits of South Beach, Coconut Grove, Little Havana and more.

Andrew will be in Miami from Thursday, November 26th through Monday, November 30th. Tweet him your insider tips on where to eat, play, and soak up the city's culture, using the hashtag #ngtmiami. Follow him now, and read his story about his experience in an upcoming issue of Traveler.

Flamingo illustrations: piccerella/istockphoto.com

I'm setting off on a group tour to Morocco next week, and throughout my travel planning, I've been somewhat apologetic as I explain that yes, as a travel editor, I signed up for a tour. So I was heartened to read Daisann McLane's column in our current issue espousing the benefits of group travel, which she noticed on a recent bus trip through Guangzhou, China:

As I sat on a bus wearing a silly cap, eating pork buns, and being serenaded by a karaoke-singing tour guide, I had to laugh at myself. Not that many years ago I was so allergic to anything remotely "touristy" that I even refused to carry a camera when I traveled. I kept a list of "not for me" places--popular attractions, neighborhoods, even nations, that I refused to visit because I thought they'd be "too full of tourists." I considered myself a class apart, a traveler, and that meant going places nobody else did, and going, mostly, alone. Tour groups? No way.

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

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.

Our November/December issue is on its way to a newsstand or mailbox near you - and features our sixth annual Destinations Rated Survey. Conducted by the National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, this year's survey looked at how tourism is impacting some of the iconic places we first surveyed in 2003 and rated in 2004, with several new places added to the mix.

Topping the list this year was the "vigorously protected" Fjords region in Norway, followed by the "awe-inspiring" Kootenay/Yoho National Parks in British Columbia and the "authentic Francophone" villages of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. And pulling up the rear, garnering strong concern from our panel of tourism management experts, was the "cruise ship hell" of Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas, the war-torn and "intimidating" status of Bethlehem in the West Bank, and Spain's Costa del Sol region, which one panelist called a "textbook example of tourism run amok." See all the results from this year's survey, and more comments from the panelists online.

Elsewhere in the issue, you'll find Jim Conaway's pitch-perfect piece on Portland, Oregon, and Andrew Evans' On Foot walking guide to Valpariso, Chile, which he reported for us while filming the pilot for "Confessions of a Travel Writer." Melina Bellows heads to the boreal forests of Central Mexico "In Search of Magic" (hint: it involves butterflies), and Raphael Kadushin brings us tidings of good cheer from Copenhagen, Denmark's eco-aware capital city, which is hosting the U.N. Climate Change Conference this December.

Want more? Visit our online table of contents for more maps, photo galleries, and World Wise quizzes from the issue.

We were pleased to find out this weekend that National Geographic Traveler was named the winner of two gold awards from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, in the categories of Best Travel Magazine and Best Online Travel Journalism Site. The annual Lowell Thomas awards are recognized as the most prestigious in the field of travel journalism, and were announced in Guadalajara at the annual convention of the Society of American Travel Writers, the professional organization of travel journalists and communicators. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the awards, and the 25th anniversary of Traveler magazine, and it's a honor to have been selected. We could brag, but instead, we're going to share some of the comments from the judges.

On the Magazine: "Really striking cover photographs, paired with cover lines that spoke directly to me, drew me into this wonderful magazine. I loved how the editor introduced me to each issue on the table of contents page and how each story blurb made me want to turn directly to that page and read the story. Thumbing through the magazine, however, was equally rewarding, with quick features that begged me to stop and read them and loads of those beautiful pictures accompanying interesting tales. I could curl up in an easy chair with each issue and be entranced for an evening."

On the Website: "This extremely effective site takes advantage of the power of multimedia and interactivity. The interactive travel maps are a visual way to experience a new place, and the printable versions are an excellent resource on arrival. No surprise that the photography is excellent, though it would be nice to see more of it integrated into the actual stories. Interactive elements such as quizzes and photo contests make this site a wonderful travel experience."

Find the complete list of results, which includes four awards for our sister publication, National Geographic Adventure, and an award for our Trip Lit book critic, Don George, here.

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

Every Thursday, we select a Photo of the Week on our website, and it's available for you to download to your desktop. Check out the entire gallery of images here.

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

We love our Trip Lit book critic, Don George, so we were excited to hear that we'll be seeing more of him around the office. Starting this fall, Don will be hosting a series of conversations with all-star authors whose works evoke a strong sense of place. His first event will be with best-selling author Amy Tan this September 23, at 7:30 p.m. at our headquarters in D.C. Here's a bit about her and the event itself:

Born in the U.S. to immigrant parents from China, Amy Tan rejected her mother's expectations that she become a doctor and concert pianist and chose to write fiction instead. Her acclaimed novels include The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, and The Bonesetter's Daughter; and she has adapted her work for film, television, and opera. In a wide-ranging conversation, Tan will discuss, with Traveler editor Don George, the life-changing challenges of living in two cultures, the importance of fate and family in her life and work, and the places that have most moved and inspired her.

The evening will be preceded by a reception featuring beers from around the world, presented with generous support from the Michelob Brewing Company (must be 21 or older).

Click here for more information and to order tickets. The next event, which will feature travel writer Simon Winchester, will be held October 15. We hope to see you there!

Photo: John Foley
 

After seeing the movie Julie and Julia last night, I was reminded of an article Julia Child wrote for Traveler several years ago about Santa Barbara, where she lived the last few years of her life. Reading it again, I can almost hear Meryl Streep's voice as Julia, describing her favorite places to visit and of course, eat. Here's how it appeared originally in the April 2002 issue of Traveler: 

I remember well my very first impression of Santa Barbara. I was awfully young--maybe three or four years old. My family would vacation in Santa Barbara in the summer from my hometown of Pasadena, about two hours away. I remember we were at the old Miramar Hotel, which is right on the beach, looking down at the water. I'd never seen the ocean before, and I was sure the sea would come up and engulf us, and I screamed and screamed. My family finally had to take me home, which must have been enraging for them, and confusing: Why is she screaming?

The city sits right on the coast, a narrow strip of land backed by beautiful mountains, about 2,000 feet high. Lots of eucalyptus and oak and flowers make the place verdant and lush. In addition to all the green, I love the warm, cream color of the Spanish-style houses and the red of their tile roofs, and the brightness of round oranges set against the dark-green, shiny leaves of citrus trees.

The climate and the atmosphere recall the French Riviera between Marseille and Nice, except that area of France has now become terribly touristy. Very often, being there on the Riviera, where we used to have a little house, I'd look at all the tourists and say, "Well, I'd just as soon be in Santa Barbara."

When you tell people you're a travel writer, most people look at you with a bit of envy in their eyes. But the newest reality show to hit the Travel Channel hopes to dispel (or perhaps perpetuate) the myths of living the high life on a magazine's dime. Just ask Andrew Evans, a regular contributor to National Geographic Traveler and Intelligent Travel and one of the five scribes featured in "Confessions of a Travel Writer," premiering tonight at 9 p.m. EST. He and his cohorts traveled to Chile several months ago (see his blog posts here) while Andrew reported a story for the magazine on Valparaíso (tentatively scheduled to hit newsstands in our November/December issue). We asked him to offer a glimpse of what's in store.

"Travel writing is a dream job, but it's still a job," he writes. "I think the show employs a kind of nail-biting, Saving Private Ryan kind of realism in order to shock and awe the viewing public into how challenging travel writing can be--trials like antique-furnished boutique hotels, gourmet 12-course taster menus, and remembering NEVER to look into the camera . . you know, all the travel writing essentials. In a bizarre coincidence of fate and foreshadowing, this pilot takes the form of a timely John Hughes tribute as it is basically five travel writers re-enacting the Breakfast Club in South America."

Watch tonight to find out whether Andrew is the brain, basket case, athlete, princess, or criminal... and if you're a fan of Andrew's work, help him get to Antarctica by voting for him in the Quark Expeditions blogger challenge!

[Confessions of a Travel Writer]

The latest issue of Traveler is hitting mailboxes today - with three terrific tweaks on the classic road trip (through Sardinia, the Cotswolds, and New Zealand) and 20 more all-American drives. Plus there's tips on Twittering while traveling, the best iPhone apps on the go, and a guide to exploring the new gastronomic center of South America, Lima, Peru. Check out the online table of contents to get a taste of the issue (and see our many photo galleries), then pick up a copy, or subscribe to get it yourself.

Hacienda San Agustín de Callo, nestled in Ecuador's "Avenue of the Volcanoes" (and featured in a story of the same name by Charles Kulander in our April 2009 issue), calls itself an "archaeological estancia" and there's good reason for that. The hacienda's formal dining room and chapel were built in the 15th-century possibly by one of the last Incan emperors, Huayna-Cápac, out of intricately carved volcanic stone. Eighteenth-century Spanish colonial additions and 19th-century republican styles were piled over top of the Incan imperial architecture. Layer upon layer of Ecuadorian pre-Columbian, colonial, and contemporary history co-mingle and captivate at site.

Archaeologist Dr. David Brown of the University of Texas at Austin has been excavating at Callo for close to 15 years, with the help, we're proud to add, of two National Geographic Society grants. Brown told me that the quality of the stonework at Callo, the finely fitted wall blocks and the hulking double-jamb doors, suggest that it was no ordinary site during Inca times and was quite probably a temple or shrine dedicated to the even now still-active Cotopaxi volcano that rises above it to the site's east. In addition to the two extant rooms that are now part of the hacienda, Brown has unearthed the foundations and low walls of six other buildings that might have once formed a symmetrical compound.