Intelligent Travel

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

IT's been itching to go somewhere, again, so when we heard about the Crown Princess, Emily bused up to New York for a sneak peak of the Princess cruise line's newest vessel. She reports:

The middle of nowhere is aptly named, but it's prettier than I expected: serene, silvery waters brushed with a slight breeze and light rain, far enough out in the Atlantic Ocean so that land is invisible. To be nowhere on a ship so similar to James Cameron's Titanic (the wood paneling, the grand stairways, and the Cunard Line posters on the walls) was eerie at times.

Internet Itinerary: 43 Places

IT travels a fair amount, both on our own and vicariously through our friends and co-workers. Even so, the list of places we want to go tends to expand rather than contract, and we were pleased when we found a website to help us keep track of our travel fantasies. 43 Places is an off-shoot of the goal-setting site, 43 Things and allows members to list the places in the world they wish to travel, as well as communicate with others who share their interest or have already been. Registration is free, but unregistered visitors can also take advantage of this resource, visiting both destination and member pages.

Off-Season Key West

Despite mass evacuations in advance of his arrival, tropical storm Alberto didn't end up being a particularly troublesome visitor. Travelers who chose to share their vacations with Big Al found him a tolerable travel companion, and enjoyed having Florida somewhat to themselves. Chief researcher Marilyn Terrell was on the ground with her family and sent this report:

As we breezed down the Overseas Highway toward Key West, traffic seemed mostly to be headed in the opposite direction, back northeast to Miami, many cars trailing boats. Did they know something we didn't? We stopped at Mile Marker 90.1 in Tavernier for a famous fish sandwich at Craig's Restaurant: fresh-caught grouper, blackened and grilled, served with cheese and tomato on toast—messy but delectable.

Of Moose and Maine

IT likes Maine. IT also likes to hunt (but hates to kill!). Sometimes, IT even likes the middle of nowhere. So, when we saw this advertisement to go moose-stalking in Maine's western mountain region, we thought we'd share it with all of you:

Moose Rut Weekend at Claybrook Mountain Lodge

Join other moose lovers for a unique weekend of moose-stalking in the Northern Forest. In rut and looking for a female, adult male moose sporting full antlers for their month-long mating season are on the move. From a canoe or bed of a truck, our leaders will use birch-bark horns to imitate the breeding calls of a cow moose to draw in the bulls. With fall bird migration also underway, there should be good birding, too. Price includes lodging at charming Claybrook Mountain Lodge, two breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and activities.

Weather Warranty

With the arrival of Alberto—the first named storm of the 2006 hurricane season—comes the realization (aha!) that summer travelers will have to face up to unexpected weather glitches. The Wall Street Journal leads us to a few travel companies that are "promising to compensate travelers for plans inconvenienced by bad weather."

Spirit Airlines—the leading low-fare carrier to the Caribbean—is offering a Hurricane Buster Protection Policy. Customers who hold tickets to/from an airport located in a hurricane watch zone will be allowed to change reservations without paying the usual $50 fee.

IT travels with Ingrid Ahlgren

Researcher Ingrid Ahlgren headed west to Seattle for a week, and shared her favorite experiences:

We went beneath Seattle's streets on the Underground Tour mentioned in our March 2006 WorldWise quiz. After an 1889 fire destroyed much of the city, officials ordered streets to be raised above the original grade to avoid the flooding that had plagued the early city. Some stubborn businesses remained underground until the early 20th century, however. The tour begins in a restored saloon before it heads into the areas belowground. Our guide told colorful tales of Seattle's early sewage system (toilets didn't always flush the right way), and the city's 'seamstresses,' who were actually prostitutes. The sidewalks were uneven in parts, and this isn't the tour for you if you hate stairs.

Rogue Art at Rouge

Laurel Kellner—Berkeley grad and NG Geotourism Coordinator—passed us the following tip:

A South American penguin made a surprise appearance at Darren Smith's art opening two weeks ago. His work is the latest in a rotating, monthly art exhibit showcased in the bar and lounge area of the Hotel Rouge—one of D.C.'s hippest hotels, where a SeaWorld penguin-handler happened to be staying. Smith's kaleidoscopic picture mosaics present places you've seen in ways you've never seen them. By cutting up multiple prints of a subject and piecing them together in new configurations, the artist creates a Magic Eye-style vision of the world around us. Think surrealism with a cubist touch.

Chinatown Bus 101

By now most people have been touched by the media frenzy surrounding the phenomenon of so-called Chinatown buses. While awareness of these low-cost intercity coach lines has gone mainstream, many folks have yet to actually venture aboard a Chinatown bus, often because they don't know how to go about it.

IT to the rescue! While we can't claim to have been onboard since the trend's beginning, IT has been taking non-Greyhound buses up and down the East Coast for years, and has frequently initiated neophytes into the mysteries of the practice. We thought it was about time we shared those secrets with you.

The Summer Road Trip

Rand McNally recently released the results of its Great American Road Trip Survey, which polled nearly 4,000 consumers from all 50 states. IT was quite amused by the press release, so we thought we'd highlight a few of the results:

* More men than women think gas stations on the road provide suitable restrooms.

* 76 percent of respondents said they usually take a road trip for their vacation.

* Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California were the top-ranked destinations for parents and children.

Bard in the Yard

IT recently enjoyed a glorious evening of scenery and greenery at the D.C. Shakespeare Theatre Company's annual Free for All in Rock Creek Park's Carter Barron Amphitheatre. The excellent production of Pericles, combined with the inherent pleasure of getting something for nothing, got us thinking about free outdoor Shakespeare and where else to find it. We did a little research and made some interesting discoveries.

Like most people, we were familiar with New York's venerable Shakespeare in the Park. We were intrigued to learn, however, that the Public Theatre is not alone in presenting William's works among the willows of Central Park. Other major cities where a first folio fix can be found for free include Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore and L.A.

IT Travels with Meghan Aftosmis

Meghan Aftosmis, who used to have Emily's job, wrote to tell IT about how she's putting her Traveler experience to use, by traveling! She offers tips for Italian shopping (and eating):

Venetian glass—Once you get to Venice, everyone says to go to Murano, the island that hosts most of the glass-blowing studios and workshops. Great. So you get there and there are so many stores. My friend and I spent four hours wandering in and out of them.

This Week's Bloggers

Emily King, Traveler's assistant to the editor, aspires to be on the cover of Fast Company. Researcher Jessie Johnston is traumatized enough by the photo on her National Geographic staff badge.

Internet Itinerary: TripHub

IT loves the concept of TripHub, a free website for planning and organizing group trips.  First, you create a Trip Home Page (think: MySpace). Second, you send out invitations (think: Evite). Third step(s): Search for hotels, track where everyone in your group is staying, pick up tips for group travel, share itineraries, and, IT's favorite, monitor who owes money. If only we had this when we planned our senior trip to South Beach....

Friendlier Skies

IT is intrigued by business-class-only airliners, probably because we'll never fly on them. So, when freelance writer Andy Isaacson mentioned his recent flight on Eos, we asked him to jot down a few notes. He writes:

"Can I take your jacket?"
"Would you care for a Kir Royal welcome cocktail?"
"Will you be having the sea bass or the pumpkin gnocchi for the main course?"

Such was the bombardment of decisions I was confronted with before takeoff on Eos, the all-first-class airline that launched last October with daily, nonstop service from New York JFK to London Stansted.

Gifts for the Gobi

This week, IT's tentacles extend deeper into the National Geographic Society to snag a tip from Claire Griffin (whose husband John is the president of NG's magazine group). She sent us the following about the overland trip she and her sister recently took through Mongolia:

Hospitality is part of Mongolian culture, and needy travelers are never turned away from the traditional round felt tent called a ger. This offering of food and shelter provides an important safety net for all Mongols. Since travel here is unpredictable, everyone, including Westerners, should carry gifts to show appreciation for food, water, or an afternoon's nap on a soft bed waiting for a mechanic to perform mysterious vehicle repairs.

IT Travels with Jessie Johnston

Ever incapable of staying put, Jessie, just back from Beijing, hopped a plane to Chicago for the Memorial Day weekend. Her visit took in architecture, art, plants, and pizza, but she came back raving about her trip to the future:

The Neo-Futurarium is a theater unlike any I have ever seen—and with a director for a mother, I've seen plenty. The theater's signature show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, has run weekend nights since 1988 (11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. Sundays). The experience begins on the street, where you are handed a colored plastic token by an usher at the door. Token in hand, you climb the stairs and pass through the Hall of Presidents before entering the mural-clad waiting room. Unless you arrive very early (and you should, there are no reservations and the show frequently sells out), you will find it crammed predominantly—but not exclusively—with young hipsters.

IT's Fun

WorldWise addicts waiting for their next fix can thank Traveler designer Stefan Caiafa for finding a cure for those pesky withdrawal symptoms. He recently tipped us off to Lonely Planet's online City Love Street game, created to promote their new Cities Book.

The game is pretty straightforward. Roll your mouse over the composite street scene and click on various characters (a dervish, a geisha) and objects (street signs, laundry on a clothesline) to access multiple-choice questions about 45 world cities. Correct responses are rewarded with factoids and a link to Lonely Planet's coverage of the city in question. Errors earn amusing quips. (IT's favorite: "Don't worry, you're probably good-looking." Thanks. We think so.)

Questions range from the obvious to the obscure (do you know where the world's largest food fight takes place?), and much of the challenge comes from finding the few hard-to-find objects to click. Hint: Indy would have been thrilled if the Treasury had been this well-equipped after his dusty quest.

Smelling Power

Sarah Pesavento, Traveler's business intern, reports on a fishy new travel trend we've seen cropping up in press releases and the news:

Westin Hotels are attempting to relax their guests by scenting their lobbies with the aroma of white tea. Hotels like Omni are using scent hypnotics to drive coffee sales—customers are greeted by a strategic whiff of mochaccino and sugar cookie as they enter the hotels' cafés. The Plaza Athénée, an upscale hotel in Manhattan, infuses its lobby with a lavender and citrus cologne—a scent supposedly associated with fancy membership clubs. These subliminal urgings are believed to provoke travelers to do any number of things, like tanning because of the new coconut scent being used around pools.