Intelligent Travel

A Look at the Best Travel Stuff in 2007

This has been a big year for travel, and for IT. We relaunched the blog in June with a sustainability and authenticity focus, and have loved bringing you travel news, destination guides, and fun tidbits from our magazine's writers, editors, and readers in the time since. And since Traveler  worked hard bring you the World's Islands Rated in our year-end issue, we decided to root through the best of the Web's year-end travel offerings as a resource to our readers.

Hotels

• Trip Advisor travelers chose the Ten Most Luxurious Hotels. Hotel Chatter got the scoop on where to find WiFi on the road, while Forbes previewed "Ten Must-Visit European Hotels."

Reading

• Travel books reviewed by World Hum, Chicago Tribune, and the Times Online's "50 Best Travel Features of 2007."

Websites

• CNN, the Times, and Transitions Abroad, and Travel-rants all highlight the best of the Web.

Geekery

• Pierce Mattie and CBS.com checked out hot gadgets and Vagabondish took a hilarious look at useless gadgets including the Pillowig and the wearable sleeping bag.

Video

• Neat site Travercial scoured the Web and posts the top ten streaming travel videos of the year on their homepage.  

• Matt Brisbane continues to be a YouTube traveling sensation, with his "Where the hell is Matt?" video topping 8.5 million views.

World In Focus Photo Contest Winners

Our annual Photo Issue, now on newsstands, features the World in Focus contest winners drawn from over 27,000 entries. The Grand Prize went to Mark Unrau of Ontario, Canada, for this haunting image. Unrau snapped this image on the train that runs from Beijing to Lhasa, Tibet. The rail line—one of the world's highest railroad routes—had been completed just a month earlier. Many Tibetans feel the train is bad for their people and culture, but the Chinese have hailed it as a major technological achievement and said it will promote tourism. Unrau wanted to document the controversial new train. He took the photograph early in his 26-hour journey. "The woman was sitting in front of me for the duration of the ride," says the photographer, "and was glued to the window staring out at the expansive scenery."

Visit our website to see more winners from this year's contest. And add your own photos to our Flickr pool to have them featured on the blog.

Photo: Mark Unrau

Inside the Shaolin Temple

The Shaolin Temple in central China, recognized as the birthplace of both Zen Buddhism and the martial arts, doesn't give up its secrets easily. American photographer Justin Guariglia made repeated visits over five years just to get permission to photograph the monks who live there. Watch Traveler Editor in Chief Keith Bellows' One-on-One interview with Guariglia now:

Tour Guide: Canada's North

Frontiers North Adventures offers guided tours to the most remote destinations in Canada.

At the Elu Inlet Lodge, located just south of Victoria Island in Nunavut, Canada, a knowledgable guide takes guests in a five-passenger skiff to explore islands in the Elu Inlet, and on nature hikes to see archaeological sites of ancient tent rings, kayak stands, and fire pits. Guests will also have a chance to learn about the cultural arts from local Inuit artists.

What we like about the tour is that the Elu Inlet Lodge is owned and operated by Inuit, which means your money is going to help locals. (Frontiers North Adventures was nominated for Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award in 2006 for its efforts to encourage appreciation of Canada's cultural, natural, and aesthetic heritage.) The tour price includes two nights at Cambridge Bay, five nights at Elu Inlet Lodge, most meals, and round-trip airfare.

Frontiers North has many other tours around the far reaches of Canada, including tours to the Hudson Strait, Igloolik (to see walruses), and Cape Churchill (to see polar bears). "We've got the best access in the world to wild  polar bears," John Gunter, Frontiers North general manager, told IT. Because of that, they're able to provide one of their Tundra Buggies, as well as lodging and a wireless transmission to the cameraman for National Geographic.com's live Polar Bear Cam -- check it out!
 

Image: © Frontiers North Adventures

Photo Gallery: My China

Check out some of the amazing new photos we just put up online in the My China Photo Gallery like this shot of Mongolia herders on camelback by Adam Wong. The slideshow accompanies the cover feature for this month's issue.

Photo: Adam Wong

My China: Now on Newsstands

The January/February issue of Traveler is now on newsstands. Our sixth annual photo issue features a portfolio of pictures taken throughout China, and the winning entries from the World in Focus photo contest. It also has a bounty of great new online goodies for you to enjoy, which we'll be showing off this week:

• Check out the My China slideshow, featuring pictures from photojournalists with strong ties to the country and the stories behind the shots.
  

• Watch Keith Bellows' video interview with Justin Guariglia, a photographer who got amazing access to the monks living in the Shaolin temple. His pictures also appear in his new book Shaolin: Temple of Zen.

• Laura Morelli's newest column for The Genuine Article, where she explores the ancient art of Chinese silk.

• Test your geography skills in the latest WorldWise quiz.

• Stay classy with San Diego's Destination Guide.

• Check out our latest Free City guide to Seattle.

And if you're desperate for a last minute gift - don't forget a subscription to Traveler this year. Our two for one deal means you can give one and get one for yourself!

Happy Holidays from National Geographic Traveler and the staff at Intelligent Travel!

Sinterklaas and Santa Claus: An Ocean Apart

Contributing writer Cathy Healy was in Amsterdam this year to see some of the festivities that surround the arrival of Sinterklaas - or the Dutch Santa Claus.

If you’re naughty, not nice in the Netherlands, Santa’s helpers will stuff you in a sack and take you back to Spain. This is a threat? A free trip to Spain in December! But why Spain, I wonder? The real St. Nicholas was a bishop in Turkey and his bones are buried in Italy. A holdover from when Spain ruled Holland, during the Elizabethan era? But that’s another mystery to search out.

Today's mystery lies in the Sinterklaas traditions, experiencing which, on a scale of 0-10, hovers around 7 for culture sleuths. If Sinter and Santa started out as the same saint, how did they end up so different?

Sinter is welcomed to Amsterdam in mid-November, before our Thanksgiving, and leaves on his birthday, December 6, after his helpers have spent the night, climbing down chimneys to leave gifts. The Dutch separate Sinterklaas and gifts from Christmas and Christ. (I like that. Why should we bundle everything into one single day?)

My Dutch friends think they have the answer. They believe that Santa Claus was created by Coca-Cola, while Sint was a real man who is widely emulated for his gift-giving. Coca-Cola? Nope, that’s an urban legend, I tell them. They laugh and we sip our hot chocolates. It is December 3 and we're at Corlaer College near Nijkerk, where a crowd of good little boys and girls of the staff are greeting Sinterklaas and his helpers, who are called Black Piets. We’re fascinated.

A French Christmas Recipe

I learned at a young age that starting international or multicultural holiday traditions can be fun (and delicious). Every Christmas, my Russian great-aunt, who taught high school French in New York City for years, used to bake a bûche de Noël, the traditional French "Yule log" cake. Starting back in the 12th century, the French burned a hefty Yule log all through Christmas night on the fire. As stoves were popularized, the French kept the tradition going by placing a candle-lit log on the table for decoration. Today, it has become a log-shaped cake eaten after the traditional Christmas meal, or réveillon. 

As cakes go, it is pretty easy and lots of fun to decorate. Here are two recipes for the bûche. A tip from my mother, who carries on the tradition, is to use angel food cake mix. She says:

(1) Take two pans with half-inch sides (a jelly roll pan) and line them with tinfoil. Grease and flour the tinfoil. (2) Make a package of angel food cake and pour into the jelly roll pans and bake. (3) Turn the baked angel food cake onto a moist towel and carefully pull off the foil. (4) Frost the entire flat pieces of angel food cake (with your choice of chocolate frosting) and roll them up like a jelly roll. If you want, you can cut the "log" at an angle to make it look like a piece of cut wood. (5) Cut your second log into pieces for the branches that come off the cake. (6) Ice the entire cake, and streak it with a fork to make the frosting look like bark. You can also create knotholes by making a circular design with the fork. (7) Shape marzipan into mushrooms and dot with cinnamon or cocoa powder to look like dirt. (8) Place them strategically on the log.

Apparently Austria and Germany have their own versions of the bûche, called a baumkuchen, or "tree cake" that is roasted on a spit over the fire. Chances are you don't have a spit or an open fire, so here are two more recipes we found for a more practical version. Bon appétit, and have a wonderful time making those marzipan mushrooms -- I think my aunt loved this part the best. She used to pick wild mushrooms and actually eat them, much to everyone's shock! As these Flickr photos show, the bûche allows you to get really creative.

Happy Holidays from IT!

Photos:  distopiandreamgirl, bredlo 

Elvis, Je t'aime

Those of you still lamenting the demise of the Elvis is Alive Museum take heart, as you can always head across the pond to get more of the charismatic crooner. The International Herald Tribune reports that the Elvis My Happiness boutique, located not far from the Louvre, offers up a variety of objets for fans of "Le King." The store is run by a French fan club, and it's proprietor believes that Elvis' European fans are more passionate than their American counterparts, in part because he never performed in Europe (though he visited Paris on a tour with the U.S. Army). Check out this video for a slice of that passion.

Going Dutch

Cathy Healy's post on her favorite Amsterdam hotel reminded me of my favorite Dutch photographer, Jurjen Drenth, whose work has appeared in the Dutch edition of Traveler. I discovered him while fact-checking a story about Delft a while back. When he's not doing his commercial photography, Drenth hunts down the locations of famous paintings of the Dutch masters, and reproduces them, with a modern twist, in his photographs. On his website, Drenth explains that he "concentrates on the almost forgotten or hidden parts of Dutch culture." The photo above is take from his Vermeer series, and shows some of what's left of Vermeer's View of Delft landscape. 

Drenth also reproduces Dutch landscapes and interiors from the paintings of Van Gogh and Rembrandt. If you want to see the real Dutch masters, note that the main part of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is closed for renovation until 2010, but a wing of the musuem remains open, with highlights from the permanent collection. It will not, however, include this Photoshopped portrait of Marge Simpson as The Girl With the Pearl Earring.

Baltimore's Miracle on 34th Street

I grew up in Charm City, the town in which many of director John Waters' ingenious films are based. Anyone that's ever visited Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood (the self-proclaimed "home of big hair") will tell you the area's brimming with characters. Never is this more evident than during the holiday season.

For as long as I can remember, the houses that line 34th Street in Baltimore have made a big to-do about Christmas. From late November to January 1, this tight-knit community transforms itself into a marvelous wonderland of kitsch and lights, where residents invite you onto their stoops and into their homes to see more model trains, dolls, Santas, and blow-up grinches than you thought existed in the universe. It's like a block party. In the middle of winter.

For 17 years (although residents have been stringing lights here for 60), thousands have traveled on foot (you can drive through, but hoofing it's more fun) through the tiny street of traditional rowhouses, resident "Mayor of 34th Street" Sharon Burke told the local television station in this video. Last year, 45,000 visitors came through, said Burke. This year, no less than 25 homes are lit up and plastered with holiday cheer. From the Christmas tree made out of hubcaps and angels made of National Bohemian beer cans, you're sure to find some holiday cheer in true Baltimore style.

While you're in the area, Hampden is also home to the cheeky, flamingo-covered Cafe Hon, where they sell all manner of tongue-in-cheek Baltimore memorabilia. They've even compiled an online dictionary of the Baltimore accent known as "Bawlmerese." After seeing the lights, warm up with a pastry and coffee at the New System Bakery, another Hampden institution, open until 10 p.m. all December long.

Photos: The Skipping Hippy, manahanwill

The Rose of New England

I spent last week in Norwich, Connecticut visiting my sister, niece, and nephew. I soon learned that Norwich often lives in the shadow of its more glamorous neighbor, Mystic, about 30 minutes to the south. And though my two-year-old niece adores the belugas at the Mystic Aquarium, my sister and I were hoping for activities a little closer to home. 

Norwich, long known as the "Rose of New England," has its own unique history to offer the visitor. Here is where the Yantic and Shetucket rivers combine to form the Thames (locals pronounce it Thaymes). Most people might know the town for its proximity to the Mohegan Sun casino. But even if you're just in town to play the slots, a visit isn't complete without delving a little deeper into Norwich's rich Native American and Colonial history: Two notable tribal chiefs are buried here, and Benedict Arnold was born in town.

Tour Guide: UN Guide to Guides

Here's a useful tool: Friends of World Heritage has a list of community tour operators in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America that have been approved by the UN World Heritage Foundation.

Tour operators include the Shampole Community Trust in Kenya (offering eco-friendly, luxury accommodations which we wrote about here), the Talamanca Initiative in Costa Rica (a biodiversity conservation group that focuses on reducing poverty) and the Bunaken National Marine Park Management Advisory Board in Indonesia (which offers homestays and eco-friendly lodging on Bunaken Island).

One hundred percent of funds raised through the Friends of the World Heritage Fund will go to World Heritage projects. Likewise, Expedia and the UN Foundation frequently match and triple the amount already raised.

Japanese Temples Glow Green

The Japanese temples in Kyoto are holy places, so it makes sense that they try to "illuminate" us with a "higher power." OK, forgive the puns for a moment to appreciate the fact that the Japanese, recognizing that their temples are major tourist attractions, have begun replacing lightbulbs, both inside the temples and outside for evening displays, with LED bulbs and implementing solar generating systems to help to power them. The Daily Yorimuri reports:

"Kodaiji temple in Higashiyama Ward, founded in 1606 by Nene, the wife of the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, recently introduced a solar power generation system to illuminate the premises during evening opening hours this year. Solar panels installed on the back of a truck parked at the temple generate electricity during the daytime that is stored and used to power the evening illuminations."

The Kodaiji temple managers say that their efforts will cut carbon dioxide emissions by about a ton, or the amount 77 Japanese cedar trees absorb in a year. Since the fall foliage is a major reason why people come to visit the temples, it's good to know that both the trees and the holy spaces are working together to save the planet.

Thanks to Jaunted for the tip!

Photo: horsenbuggy via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool.

Hotel Confidential: Sustainable Eats on Vail's Slopes

Traveler's Hotel Central editor Susan O'Keefe whets our appetite for some new meal options at Vail Resorts.

The next time you pull off the slopes for a juicy hamburger served at one of Vail Resorts 40 mountain dining venues, it will feature all natural hormone- and antibiotic-free beef. Rob Katz, chief executive officer of Vail Resorts, has partnered with two neighboring companies, Coleman Natural and Horizon Organic, to bring "Good Food on a Grand Scale" to its five resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone (in Colorado) and Heavenly (in California and Nevada). Starting this season, Vail Resorts is purchasing 90 percent of its fresh meats—beef, poultry, pork, and deli meats—from Coleman Natural, and 87 percent of its fresh dairy (butter, cheese, milk, and yogurt) will be organic, with an increase in organic products planned for the following year. This month, they began serving organic cheeses on sandwiches, pizza, and burgers. Katz adds that the initiative, being called the largest resort undertaking to offer natural meats and organic dairy in North America, is about "the investment we are making in our guests, particularly kids, to ensure that we are doing our part to make our dining experience as healthy, clean and natural as the activities that happen every day on our mountains.”

IT applauds Vail Resorts commitment to sustainable menus, and loves the idea of green skiing being extended from the slopes to the plate.

Photo: Vail Resorts

A Social Networking Site for Travelers

When it comes to taking a journey, half the fun can often be planning the trip: daydreaming about where you'll stay, the people, foods, and culture you'll encounter, and getting recommendations from everyone you know about the inside secrets.

That's why we're glad to have found Travbuddy, a new social networking site based exclusively around travel. As the name suggests, Travbuddy aims to put you in touch with fellow globetrotters to swap stories through photographs, forums, blogs, and interactive maps.

Skating Rinks Around Europe

The City Park Ice Rink in Budapest

Nothing gets us IT staffers in the holiday spirit like a few spins around the ice rink. And while I'm certainly no Michelle Kwan, skating is one of those seasonal sports that always brings back a sense of childhood. I used to go with my grandfather when I was a kid, and even though I used double-bladed skates, I could still barely keep up with him. This year, I have plans to check out the outdoor rink in the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery of Art. But if you're traveling abroad this holiday season, the Telegraph has a great roundup of where you can strap on your skates. Here are a few of our favorites:

Budapest: Skate in the shadow of the Vajdahunyad Castle as long as you like, as there are no appointed sessions. The rink is credited with playing a huge role in the advancement of Hungarian ice sports.

Cambridge: Opening for the first time this year, the outdoor rink in Cambridge will offer night skating sessions and is open seven days a week. And watch out not only for renegade skaters but bumper cars on ice! The 10 joystick-controlled devices glide across the rink and spin 360 degrees.

Vienna: A 400 meter "dream pathway" which connects two ice rinks, creates a fairy-tale like effect in front of City Hall. It's no wonder the locals call it the "Viennese Ice Dream." Curling sessions are also available.

Photos: Budapest, Wikipedia; Ice Bumpers, cambridgeonice.co.uk; Vienna, Viennese Ice Dream 2008.

The Genuine Article: Chinese Silk

We're loving Laura Morelli's new column for Traveler's website, The Genuine Article. This month, to tie in with our China-centric issue, Laura guides us through the process of buying traditional Chinese silk. She writes:

Many travelers to China are overwhelmed by the choices for silk fabrics, garments, and smaller accessories. The number of silk shops in Shanghai and Beijing alone is staggering. For the most authentic shopping experience, head to one of the regions known for silk. The city of Suzhou, west of Shanghai, for example, developed a reputation as a silk capital because its silk-makers turned out imperial garments from the seventh to the early 20th centuries under the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties. At the Suzhou Silk Museum, you can view silks dating back to the seventh century, and train your eye for the many silk shops and factories that lure travelers across the region.

We had no idea, for example, that the Chinese still use a "burn test" to determine whether their silks are authentic. But we think it's best to let the experts handle that, for fear of singeing your souvenirs.

Photo: Mark Thiessen/NGS

The Florida of Europe?

Writing in the International Herald Tribune on December 12, Ian Fisher examines the current Italian paradox: While tourists bask in Italy's beauty and history, its citizens are in a funk. With a stagnant economy, paralyzed government, euro-driven high prices, and a society dominated by old people, unemployed 20-year-olds continue to bunk with their parents and are despondent about the future. In fact, despite the way they're often portrayed abroad, the Italians rank themselves the most unhappy people in Europe. A few entrepreneurs are trying to revive the economy by bulking up on the "Made in Italy" brand, promoting the work of Italian-designed products. But is it too little, too late? Fisher writes:

Now [Italy] is essentially an exquisite corpse, trampled over by millions of tourists. If Italy does not shuck off its comforts for change, many argue, a similar fate awaits Italy: blocked by past greatness, with aged tourists the questionable source of life, the Florida of Europe.

Does every country need a Florida of their own? What can Italy do to turn things around? And are we doing enough as visitors to help support Italy's growth?

Photo: Bill in STL via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool.

No Country for Cold Men

Traveler Contributing Editor Andrew Nelson is home in Texas for the holidays, and offers up a round of new restaurants for those of you planning to visit the area (or him) this season.

In the Big Bend of Texas winter clarifies the night sky, turning the stars to blazing diamonds. To keep warm, residents gather around fire pits filled with mesquite logs, exchanging shots of fiery sotol and gossip. This December the sotol's as potent as always, but the talk is about two just-released movies filmed here. "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" use the romantic, empty land as both character and canvas. Travelers wandering the region will find spiritual nourishment in the region's beauty. But physical nourishment is also needed. Luckily the region is welcoming three new additions.

South of the Union Pacific railroad tracks on Murphy Street in Alpine's historic adobe neighborhood is Texas Fusion BBQ (200 W. Murphy St.; +1 432 837 1214). A classic barbecue joint run by Mark Scott, the Fusion's surrounded by parking spaces wide enough for your Ford F350 (a popular pick up). Diners can sit down or take out mounds of smoky pulled pork heaped on bbq sandwiches. And don't forget the sweet tea. Many locals agree with longtime rancher Ted Gray.

"That boy's got the best food in town,"  says the respected 84-year-old.

Tour Guide: A Presidential Christmas

Since it's increasingly hard to step inside the White House for a tour, we offer up two presidential homes just outside Washington, D.C. that have festive holiday tours every year.

Visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, Virginia, just two hours south of the District. The guided Holiday Signature Tour will take guests through the main house (designed and built by Jefferson himself) and includes a peek at the third-floor Dome Room, which is excluded from regular house tours. Construction on the mansion began in 1769 and was completed in 1809. Tours begin at 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on select Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays throughout December ($40 per person).

George Washingon's Virginia home (16 miles south of D.C.) can also be toured during the holiday season. Tickets for evening "candlelight" tours (hosted by "Martha Washington") of the Mount Vernon mansion sell out quickly, but visitors can still enjoy a tour of the house and grounds during the day. Enjoy hot cider and cookies, listen to stories about how the Washingtons celebrated Christmas, and take the stairs up to the usually closed third floor. Be sure to bring home the first First Lady's Great Cake recipe, which calls for 40 eggs, four pounds of butter, and four pounds of sugar. (The recipe has been adjusted for "modern" tastes, but still includes ten eggs, one pound of butter, and one pound of sugar.)

Holiday tours of Mount Vernon run everyday through January 6 (adult/child $13/$6; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.). When you need a bit or warming up (the 18th-century mansion does not have central heat, after all), check out the estate's new $24-million Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center, which has 23 gallery and theatre exhibits, and also serves as Washington's presidential library.

Photos: Dining room at Mount Vernon (above) and Martha Washington's Great Cake (right); Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

Marilyn's Miscellany

Who doesn't need a little Marilyn in their day? Welcome to Marilyn's Miscellany.

• Pie in the Sky: Between now and December 21, you can have mince pies and mulled wine served to your guests in your private capsule of the London Eye high above the city, if you're willing to spend $900 for the capsule and $33 per person for the wine and pies. Prices go up after January 1.

• Rainbow Bright Night Cycle: If you insist on biking in the dark, you can put your mom's mind at ease by outfitting your bike with the Down Low Glow kit, which creates an eerie neon cloud all around your bicycle that drivers can't miss. Make Magazine says: "A rare instance where something unimpeachably cool also enhances safety." They're made by the Rock the Bike shop in Berkeley, California, and available in Ice Blue, Envy Green, Hot Pants Pink, Fossilized Amber, Plush Red, and Royale Purple ($99 U.S.).

• Sonoran Lights: For great stargazing, try the Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is located on the Tohono O'odham Reservation in the Sonoran Desert 90 minutes southwest of Tucson, Arizona. They have a three-hour Nightly Observing Program (includes a box dinner) where they let you look through their dome-mounted telescopes. From Tucson, take Highway 86 west for 40 miles, turn left at the Kitt Peak sign onto Highway 386, drive 12 miles up the mountain until you see the giant concrete donut with the mural painted on it, where you turn left and park. Dress warmly! If you want to stay overnight, consider the nearby Paca de Paja B&B, a cozy, adobe-covered straw-bale house run by a former park ranger and visited by wildlife such as this cute little javelina.

Photo: Down Low Glow bike, Chugrad McAndrews

Climate Change Voyeurism?

Now, we may not have had as many issues with the New York Times travel section's list of 53 Places to Go in 2008 as some of our peers, but the article that accompanied the piece,  which discussed trips for tourists "who want to see the effects of climate change for themselves" did seem to be a bit off. We at IT have had a lot of conversations about the paradox that exists when attempting to visit endangered places (as exemplified in the sinking of the Explorer last month), but something about this piece seemed less about experiencing a place and much more...voyeuristic. Check out this excerpt about trips to Greenland:

The most popular destination for Americans is the Ilulissat ice fjord, a 45-minute flight from Kangerlussuaq and the site of the fastest retreating glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. A few years ago, the fjord was 25 miles long, but the melting of the glacier has lengthened the fjord to 31 miles, a change that has made it one of Greenland’s most visible examples of climate change.

The fjord is full of icebergs, calving from the bordering mountains of ice, and cruises to see the ice crack and fall are popular.

Now, we try not to frame everything in the context of carbon offsets, and certainly don't promote reining in your travel to avoid contributing to global warming, but the piece does little to acknowledge the ways this newfound tourism is impacting the area – and helping to further the climate change along.  In fact, it goes on to quote Dennis Schmitt, an American explorer who discovered Greenland's Warming Island, and whose view on the subject is slightly depressing.

“People sense the Arctic is going to change,” he said. “There is something in human nature that likes to watch things die, a morbid curiosity of human beings."

All Aboard!

In all honesty, more often than not it’s the trivial details that impress us most here at IT. So when we heard about the Grand Canyon Railway’s giddiness-inducing plan to host a pajama-wearing, hot-cocoa-drinking trip with its Polar Express train rides, it was almost more than our inner kids could handle.

Based on the popular holiday book by Chris Van Allsburg, the Polar Express evening train rides depart from Williams, Arizona, en route to “North Pole City." As the train journeys through the wilderness landscape, pj-clad children snack on cookies and cocoa while listening to a storyteller read the classic tale. And to top off the wholesome good time, once the group arrives at the Grand Canyon, Santa boards to deliver a token gift to each child.

You can find Polar Express-themed train rides around the country, and let us know in the comments section if you know of any more worth mentioning.

Photo: Grand Canyon Railway

Airport Innovations

We know dealing with airports can often be drudgery, unless you have some cool stuff around to entertain you (and especially if you're trying to sleep in them). But we couldn't help noticing that there are some new innovations making fliers' lives a bit better.

• Gadling reports that Continental Airlines is now allowing passengers to board some of their flights using their cell phone or PDA. A code is sent to the device, and you simply need to the show ticket scanners the screen, which includes a barcode that can be scanned for the passenger's information. Bonus: You save paper (and don't have the mini-panic attack I always seem to have when I become convinced I've lost my reservation once I arrive at the gate).

• Why does my iPod always seem to run out of batteries as soon as I reach the airport? Luckily, Jaunted got the scoop on a new device from SmarteCarte (the people behind those wheelie luggage carts) – the ChargeCarte: "The way it works is that you plug your cell phone (any brand), iPod or MP3 player into the machine and it will rapidly charge it for 30 minutes for $3 while you wait out the delays at the gate." You have to stay close to the machine to make sure your stuff doesn't get stolen (hopefully they have seats nearby), but we have to agree that this idea is pretty Smarte.

• Long wait at the gate? Do yourself a favor and get a flu shot at the airport: They're being offered in Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, Newark and San Francisco, right after you go through the security checkpoints. The shots cost between $15 and $35, and over 15,000 have already been given out this year. Thanks to Winging It for the tip!

Hopped Up in Chicago

Chicago was recently named the most caffeinated city in the country. In light of this, we figured they must know a thing or two about coffee. Plus, why should Seattle get all the props? We conferred with the Traveler staff and scoured Citysearch and Urbanspoon for some of the best java joints in the windy city. Here they are, from north to south on the map, starting with a café based on a subject near and dear to us:

Kopi, a Traveler's Cafe (5317 N. Clark St.; +1 773 989 5674) Order a drink at the full espresso bar and have a seat on the plush pillows on the floor. If you've got some extra cash, the boutique in back sells global wares.

Julius Meinl (3601 N. Southport Ave.; +1 773 868 1857) Grab a coconut macaroon mocha or linzer torte latte at this cozy spot, an offshoot of the lauded Viennese coffeehouse founded in 1862.

Intelligentsia (3123 N. Broadway St.; +1 773 348 8058) has been importing raw coffee to its vintage roasters for more than 10 years. Aside from donating time and funds to various community organizations, it's also incredibly hip; the Silver Lake branch just won a design award from the American Institute of Architects.

Bourgeois Pig Cafe (738 W. Fullerton Pkwy; +1 773 883 5282) offers different flavors of drip coffee daily. "There appears to be no rhyme or reason as to what we will pick next," says the owner on his quirky website. Try the Italian Lavazza Grand Espresso, for "a golden sweet coffee liquor, with caramel crema," and, oh yeah, a huge jolt.

Where do you get your favorite cup of joe?

 

This Week in IT

Where in the world have we gone this week? It's time for the IT Friday roundup.

We checked out new advancements in green skiing, and how resorts are bulking up their activities off the slopes.

With the election approaching, we looked to Des Moines not only as a caucus capital, but a trendy city that's starting to come into its own.

While we love our online travel library, when we're away from home it's nice to know where we can find great bookstores abroad, and the best kind of books to bring home as souvenirs.

We quizzed know-it-alls Peter Sagal and Mischa Berlinski, and reveled in our favorite know-it-all Marilyn and her own brand of Miscellany.

Not one to sleep in, Hotel Central editor Susan O'Keefe kicked off her Hotel Confidential column with a post about a new kind of Early Bird Special in Florida.

And speaking of hotels, if you're a couple that happens to be named Mary and Joseph, there might be free nights stay in it for you if you plan to visit the UK over the holidays.

Thanks for reading this week!

A Room at the Inn

We gotta hand it to the folks at Travelodge, (the people behind the naked sleepwalking study we wrote about in October, and who now offer a "Cuddillow" pillow to solitary travelers). To get into the holiday spirit, they're offering free rooms at their properties to UK couples who are named Mary and Joseph. We have to appreciate their tongue-in-cheek appraisal of the hotel industry:

The 'gift' of a free night's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on Christmas Eve over 2000 years ago when the original 'Mary and Joseph' had to settle for the night in a stable.

Today's Mary and Joseph will stay in a spacious Travelodge family room which can also cater for a baby and a manger. A free car-parking space will be provided for the donkey and there are plenty of £29 rooms available for the Shepherds and Wise Men to book. The couple can stay anytime from Christmas Eve to the Twelfth Night.

Travelodge says the promotion applies to all 322 hotels, but be wary, as it is currently up for debate in Ireland, where it has upset people in the past. Rules specify that couples must be UK residents and show valid marriage licenses. Registration for rooms ends December 17.

Photo: Donkey Parking Available; moschos via Flickr

Quizzing Peter Sagal

As host of NPR’s Chicago-based news quiz show “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” for the past 10 years, the hilariously clever Peter Sagal has hopscotched across the country to tape countless shows, from Beloit, Wisconsin, to Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and everywhere in-between. Sagal draws fans as he goes, amassing 2.5 million listeners who tune in each week. IT quizzed him recently on his favorite haunts, both in Chicago and on the road.

How does being based in Chicago affect the show?

Ultimately, being in Chicago is a great thing. It has disadvantages, sure, but even the disadvantages are advantages. Big disadvantage: It’s not New York or D.C. or L.A. Because we’re here, we don’t have the same access to the celebrities and news and gossip, because we’re not in the same circuit. But that’s kind of a good thing, too. We’re on our own, doing our own thing, pleasing ourselves.

Being outside of the circuits of politics and entertainment frees us up a bit…There ain’t no cocktail parties here, or at least we’re not getting invited to them, so we have this freedom to do what we want. We’re just these guys in Chicago.

We recently covered the rise in debauchery tourism. What surprised you while doing research for your new book, The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things (and How to Do Them)?

Writing my book, I became aware that this is a part of the tourism industry and am now strangely aware that there are a lot of things I could do if I wanted to anywhere, all there lurking under the surface.

Somebody told me in Las Vegas that in Vegas, they’re selling a commercialized version of hedonism. But the city in America with the biggest number of sex workers per capita is not New York, or Vegas, but Portland, Oregon. My wife and I went to Mary’s Club, the oldest strip club in Portland, which is this family-run business. The owner’s daughters run the place, and we’re chatting with this woman who works there—who looks like a Starbucks barista and is talking about how great the place is—and meanwhile while she’s telling us this a stark naked woman is displaying her innermost mysteries to some guys drinking beer.

Marilyn's Miscellany

• Writing on the Wall: While I was trying to verify the price of silk at the South Bund Fabric Market in Shanghai, I came across the excellent blog Mad About Shanghai, and this funny sign taken on the Great Wall.

• More Bang for Your Buck: The L.A. Times and the Washington Post ran stories recently about which countries give you more for your devalued dollar (hint: avoid the EU). The Post highlighted Croatia, giving me another reason to love the kuna.

• Greening Antarctica: WorldChanging blog reports on plans to build wind turbines in Antarctica, the world's windiest continent, to replace/augment the generators using dirty aviation fuel. Josie Howitt of WorldChanging explains:

Antarctica is one of the most vulnerable parts of our planet to environmental change. And yet, paradoxically, electricity at New Zealand’s Scott Base is produced by two fossil-fuel powered generators, using 380,000 litres of aviation fuel annually. Hardly an ideal choice for sustaining the needs of scientists studying pristine natural systems and climate change impacts.

• Getting Things Done in Vegas: Scott Adams' Dilbert blog suggests how casinos can make things a lot easier for their customers.

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Photo: David Tan, Mad About Shanghai

Cruise Lines Charge Extra for Fuel

In order to combat rising costs, a number of cruise lines recently announced a fuel surcharge of at least $5 per person per day. Different companies are rolling out their programs between now and February 2008, with some fees applying to trips already booked. Great Escape Travel Services provides a handy list of cruise lines implementing fuel charges (Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, Carnival, and Celebrity among them).

At Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line, prices for fuel have gone up 140 percent in the last three years, according to their website. "Unfortunately, we cannot continue to shoulder this huge cost burden and now find it necessary to implement a supplement to partially offset a portion of soaring fuel costs."

Soaring fuel costs? No kidding. You'd burn a hole in your pocket too if, like many cruise liners, you generated more emissions than 12,000 cars each time you pulled into port. That fun fact is courtesy of a primer put out by the Blue Water Network, which adds:

Most large ships use the dirtiest and least expensive diesel available. Known as bunker oil, this fuel is the collection of residue from the production of higher grade fuels and contains significant concentrations of toxic compounds banned from use in most other industrial and consumer applications. It is thick as asphalt and must be heated to be burned.

Carnival uses "mostly bunker fuel along with some distillate, and the bunker fuel we use is an intermediate fuel," said Carnival Cruise Lines spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz. Cleaner, marine distillate fuel drastically reduces the amount of emissions. It also happens to cost $100 to $200 more per ton than bunker fuel, according to the network.

So cruise passengers in the new year will be charged for the privilege of bobbing along on the high seas. But shouldn't they also be getting the satisfaction that their money is going toward a cleaner, more eco-friendly fuel, rather than subsidizing the sludge cruise ships normally use?

Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line