Intelligent Travel

Castles in the Sun

2006 - 1st Place at World Championships of Sand Scuplture: "I Shall Fear No Evil..."

Much to IT's chagrin, summer will soon be drawing to a close. There's still time for one last sunny fling, though, so this week our summer trilogy—successfully begun with the lowdowns on swimming pools and gelato—concludes with the highly anticipated third installment on … sand castles.

Now, we're not just talking your run-of-the-mill overturned-plastic-bucket-type sandcastle. No, indeed. We here at Inside Traveler have our eyes on the (il)logical conclusion of building impermanent structures out of wet sand: sand sculpture festivals and competitions. Those who want more from their beach time than salty hair and a tan have worldwide options for a sculpturally enhanced waterfront experience.

Internet Itinerary: Yahoo! Trip Planner

For those of you who still enter trip itineraries into Excel spreadsheets (i.e. Emily's parents), IT has a new tool for you to try: Yahoo! Trip Planner. Emily has entered her recent road trip into the web-based application and she's confident to report that "Trip Planner is really cool and easy to use." She writes:

It's simple to get started, especially if you already use Yahoo! mail or Flickr. Click on 'Create a Trip,' then enter your login and password—if you haven't used Yahoo! before, follow the new user process. Once you're signed in, the actual trip-creation is pretty intuitive.

IT's Restaurant Weakness

IT likes to eat. When we can, we like to eat well. But if gourmet's not an option we have no qualms admitting that we'll eat our fill of pretty much whatever you put in front of us. The week before last, though, we were delighted to have the opportunity to eat gourmet food in gourmand quantities. This worthy endeavor—which included dinner at Galileo followed the very next day by lunch at Vidalia—was brought within reach of our entry-level-salary-sized pocket books by the Washington, D.C. incarnation of Restaurant Week.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, restaurant weeks have sprung up in cities across North America as a way to boost business at top restaurants during otherwise slow periods (the dog days of summer, post-Christmas belt-tightening), generally by offering three-course prix-fixe lunches and dinners at deeply discounted, often cutesy, prices—lunch cost $20.06 in Boston this year, and $24.07 (24/7) in New York.

Seashore Secrets

After a recent trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, Northern California native Laurel Kellner drafted a list of local favorites for IT. She writes:

The scenery is gorgeous from Novato to Point Reyes Station, the gateway to the park. En route, don't miss the cheese factory on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. Offering a divine selection of locally made cheeses, it's well worth the stop. At the entrance to Point Reyes Station a sign reads "Population 350," but the town is far from sleepy—especially on summer weekends when the farmers market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This Week's Bloggers

Even though they won't be going back to school next week, Traveler's assistant to the editor Emily King and researcher Jessie Johnston are nonetheless planning an imminent trip to Office Depot to pick up a kneadable eraser and a pack of colored pencils large enough to include "cornflower."

IT Travels with Paul Martin

The hunt for the perfect lobster roll ate up much of executive editor Paul Martin's week on Prince Edward Island this summer. He shares his findings:

Every day I was consumed with the mission of finding just the right blend of chunk lobster meat and condiments. (My ideal: the perfect balance between a plain-lobster lobster roll and one made gloppy by too much mayo.) The winner? Hands down, it was the town of Kensington's Frosty Treat Dairy Bar, a local ice-cream stand where the rolls feature plentiful lobster held together with a touch of mayo and set off with a bit of celery and a slice of lettuce, served in your choice of hot-dog or hamburger bun. After indulging in one (or two) of the scrumptious sandwiches, I found that the bumbleberry milkshakes were a nice way to top off a meal.

Oh, and for the best fries I discovered on this potato-growing island, try Carr's Oyster Bar in Stanley Bridge. The crispy skins-on fries were the best I've ever had anywhere.

IT Travels with Emily King

Having overdosed on D.C.'s concrete and humidity, IT's coeditor Emily King used her vacation days to detox in the West. She spent most of the time at home in Ogden, Utah, but convinced her loving parents to take her on a road trip like the old days. Emily's back and refreshed. She rambles to IT about her trip:

We planned to begin the discover-new-lands-and-eat-lots-of-food road trip on Saturday, but when my 92-year-old grandmother came down with a 103-degree fever and needed antibiotics pumped through her veins ASAP, the trip began several days late and unfortunately, McCall, Idaho, was knocked off the itinerary. On late Monday afternoon, with Grandma home from the hospital, we packed our bags and headed north on I-15.

Seventh Heaven

Back in the day, a hostel with murals on the walls was IT's idea of luxury. OK, so maybe it still is. But apparently other people have slightly higher standards. This week, Kathy McCabe (editor of the newsletter Dream of Italy) fills us in on a truly luxe addition to Milan's hotel scene:

If a five-star hotel just doesn't do it for you, a new seven-star hotel will be opening in Milan at the end of the year. Haven't heard of a seven-star hotel before? Well there's only one other one in the world, Dubai's Burj Al Arab.

Simon Says: Eat Junk Food

In the last few years, schools around the world have cracked down on unhealthy food being served in their cafeterias. IT is all about healthy eating, especially for the grade-school set. Still, you can have too much even of a good thing (despite what Mae West says), so we were happy to discover the antithesis to this nutritionally-minded trend in a burgeoning restaurant-biz phenomenon: high end junk food.

IT was recently intrigued by some items on the dessert menu at Sofitel Los Angeles's new restaurant Simon L.A. Sprinkled between the usual swanky subjects (sour cream cheesecake, crème brulée), we found grilled donuts, milk and cookies, "a mountain of pink cotton candy," and, guiltiest pleasure of all, the Simon Junk Food Sampler. For $25, your table can indulge in an assortment of Rice Krispie Treats (chocolate and vanilla), cotton candy, caramel popcorn, chocolate-chip cookies, a milkshake, two single-scoop cups of ice cream, and chef Kerry Simon's interpretations of Hostess Sno Balls and cupcakes.

Home Sweet (and Salty) Home

National Geographic Traveler's assistant online editor Mary Beth LaRue often brags about her alma mater, the University of Iowa, despite barrages of corn and farmer jokes, and the occasional puzzled look ("I know the state exists, but where is it?"). But Iowa City, which she likes to call the "cultural hub" of the Midwest, is home to the Iowa Writers' Workshop, fabulous restaurants, and outdoor festivals. Mary Beth traveled "home" for a long weekend and reported back to IT with her favorite spots:

Like any region with a viciously hot summer, early fall is the best time to visit. Get a cheap flight into Chicago, only four hours away, and catch a train or flight heading into the nearby city of Cedar Rapids. For a scenic fall walk, run, or bike ride, check out the paths along the Iowa River, which wind through the university campus. Or just wander through the area's quiet residential neighborhoods, many of which are dotted with restaurants and boutiques.

Mind the Battering Ram

This week chief researcher and armchair adventurer extraordinaire Marilyn Terrell shares with us one of the joys of fact-checking—learning ancient trivia:

While checking the official name of a Greek temple built in Sicily 2,500 years ago, I came across this wonderful snippet from the March/April 1984 edition of the journal Archaeology. In an article entitled 'The Greek Temples of Sicily,' classical scholar Robert S. Bianchi explained how the Greeks got around the inconvenient and expensive problem of building huge limestone walls far from Sicilian quarries:

"The architects…calculated the absolute height above which battering rams were rendered ineffective and built in limestone to that level. The economical use of brick topped off the walls to their completed height without compromising their defensive purposes." I love my job!

Dog Blog: Brunch in Berlin

IT's editors have been getting bombarded with pet travel ideas; thus, the first of many dog blog installments. First up? Travel writer Denise Dubé—a mother of three (kids) and one cat—recently paid a visit to a dog-friendly brunch in Berlin. She reports:

In Germany dogs are revered and even invited to visit. One Berlin hotel not only has its own dogs, it treats others as treasured guests, worthy of a meal, sans begging. The Großer Kurfürst hotel hosts a weekly brunch (Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) where diners are encouraged to bring a mops (pug).

This Week's Bloggers

Now that she's stuck indoors at her desk for the summer, Traveler's assistant to the editor Emily King misses the days when her only responsibility was serving turkey enchiladas at the Greenery Restaurant. Researcher Jessie Johnston, on the other hand, is only mildly nostalgic for the summers she spent serving hot chocolate and samosas to hundreds of people during the 15-minute intermissions at a free outdoor Shakespeare festival.

Armchair Adventurer

If you loved reading the adventures of intrepid explorers in the dusty pages of your grandparents' National Geographics, now you can enjoy these stories again without getting your hands dirty. Worlds to Explore: Classic Tales of Travel and Adventure from National Geographic skims the cream off the 210 volumes of the National Geographic magazine and brings you such gems as plant collector Joseph Rock caravanning through China (with his collapsible Abercrombie & Fitch bathtub) in 1925; Anne Morrow Lindbergh manning the radio for her husband as they circumnavigate the North Atlantic in 1933; Tolstoy's grandson, on a mission from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, meeting His Holiness the 7-year-old Dalai Lama in Tibet;  Maynard Owen Williams waiting out the media frenzy at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1923; sharp-eyed Eliza Scidmore reporting from earthquake-ravaged Japan in 1896 (she was the first woman to serve on the National Geographic Society board);  22-year-old Thor Heyerdahl searching for paradise in the South Pacific in 1937, and lots more goodies.  Crisp black-and-white photos accompany the articles."

IT's only complaint? The book doesn't give off that well-loved National Geographic smell.

IT Travels with Mary Beth LaRue

During a quick weekend trip this spring to Portland, Oregon, Traveler's assistant online editor Mary Beth LaRue had some of her best meals not in four-star restaurants (although those weren't too shabby either) but in neighborhood Victorians with vintage charm. She reports:

Several of this innovative city's most popular restaurants have taken a low-key approach, offering creative cuisine in the comfort of a home.

Lovely Hula Hands, housed in a pink-stucco house, offered affordable courses like salt-and-pepper battered calamari and Cuban pumpkin rice with tomato coconut sauce and plantains. Both were delicious when paired with a glass of Oregonian Pinot Noir or one of the owner's concoctions.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Next time you're in D.C., you may notice an extra spring in your step. That's because we're getting some rubber sidewalks in our fair city. The Washington, D.C., government has contracted with Rubbersidewalks Inc. to install sidewalks made of shredded, recycled tires instead of unforgiving concrete on some city blocks. The benefits: Your bones are less likely to break if you fall, reducing the number of lawsuits the city must deal with; and Washington's magnificent street trees won't have to shove their roots to the surface in order to get air and water, reducing the number of cracked and buckled sidewalks (which are also more likely to cause pedestrians to trip and fall).

IT Travels with Norie Quintos

Has Costa Rica lost some of its nature- and eco-destination clout to up-and-comers Nicaragua and Panama? Senior editor Norie Quintos, accompanied by her two sons, headed south to find out:

There's a disturbing rise in "Land for Sale" signs along the coastal and mountain roads, along with ads in tourist magazines for resort condo developments. That unfortunately is a consequence of this Central American country's stability, relative prosperity, and increasing tourist arrivals (which interestingly have upticked as a result of the Lebanon crisis, as travelers head for places considered "safe").

This Week's Bloggers

While Traveler researcher Jessie Johnston has spent the past weeks sweating in the 110 degree Northwest Washington (D.C.) heat, Emily King, assistant to the editor, has been frollicking in the 70-degree mountain air of the Northwest, in Washington State.

Internet Itinerary: Bikely

IT likes bikes. We don't necessarily ride them all that often (one of us didn't learn how until she was 13 and is still freaked out by sharing the road with cars), but they definitely rank highly in our pantheon of eco-friendly means of transportation. Since we're fond of bikes, we're always excited about helping those who ride them. So, this week, we're excited about Bikely.

This two-month old website is a database of bike routes around the world, posted by members (it's free to join) and available to everyone. Route listings include at the very least a Google map with numbered points, and more detailed ones include annotations about scenic views and other route features. All routes are available for download as .GPX files for use on a GPS device.

N.Y.C. à la Intern

A few months into her stint at National Geographic Traveler, editorial intern Husna Haq took a stab at a favorite staff ritual, the Big Apple weekend. Like all good interns, she took notes:

Hoping to escape a steamy D.C. weekend, I headed to N.Y.C. intern-style—via New Century Travel's $35 round-trip bus. Chinatown buses are a cheap way to go, but I've learned a few lessons the hard way: Book ahead because climbing gas prices = full buses; get there early to get a seat in the front of the bus (back = eau de toilette, literally); and map out pick-up and drop-off locations or arrange for a ride when you arrive to avoid wandering under bridges and alleyways in search of a subway station in dark and chaotic Chinatown near midnight on a Friday night (but that's another blog entry).

Crazy for Cricket

Ever dedicated to furthering Traveler's quest for an authentic "sense of place," editorial intern Alexis Chema bravely immersed herself in an ancient rite of the Britons during a recent jaunt across the pond:

A mere four hours after my flight arrived in the U.K., I was off to become an initiate into the most English of sports: cricket. For a (groggy) neophyte like me, a ballgame that requires knowledge of 42 official 'laws,' countless bylaws, a preamble, and multiple appendices seemed a bit off-putting at first, but the opportunity to experience a truly authentic pastime (cricket has been written about by English authors from Anthony Trollope to Charles Dickens, and played by the likes of Oliver Cromwell, P.G. Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle) ended up trumping my apprehension. And, to be fair, even familiar sports have their share of scary scientific blueprints, specialized jargon, and textbook-style diagrams.

And Baby Makes Three

Assistant editor Amy Alipio may be on maternity leave, but she's still living the Traveler life. She filled us in on her recent trip to the Outer Banks:

This was my second stay in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and although I like mini-golf courses and family seafood restaurants as much as anyone, next time I'll be staying elsewhere in the Outer Banks—in Duck, for instance, where my husband and I took turns having spa treatments at the Sanderling Spa, while the other hung out with our two-month-old. While I waited for my facial, baby and I headed across the street to the Lifesaving Station Restaurant (housed in an actual U.S. Coast Guard post from 1899) for a bowl of non-gloppy, stone-ground oatmeal jazzed up with honey, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries.