Intelligent Travel

Passport DC

Whenever I need a surefire way to impress an out-of-town visitor, I head to D.C.'s Massachusetts Avenue for a stroll along Embassy Row. The fascinating architecture makes for lovely eye candy, plus, it's a great glimpse of global culture in our nation's capital. Most of the year the sites serve uninformed passersby merely as stand-offish spectacles to gape at from the sidewalk. But in May, the diplomatic community props open its doors for the two-week-long Passport DC. This year, 60 embassies (and the European Commission Delegation) are participating, from Angola to Venezuela, as well as 24 cultural institutions.

Passport DC kicked off last weekend and will last through May 17, culminating with an Around the World Open House—showcasing authentic culture at 24 embassies from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas—and the National Asian Heritage Festival. In the middle, the International Children's Festival takes place Saturday, May 10, with tyke-friendly activities showcasing 16 countries, from Lebanon to Brazil. Best of all, the majority of the events and open houses are free of charge (yes, Europe can still be affordable!), though the ticketed events present intriguing offerings (Czech bagpiping, French cinema) and  generally draw more intimate crowds.

Cinco de Mayo in Any Language

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you're not too busy sipping your margarita, take time to enjoy IT Contributing Writer Cathy Healy's latest story about how sometimes, even celebrations can get lost in translation.

I've heard that San Jose boasts the biggest and best Cinco de Mayo celebration in northern California, but I've yet to experience the two-hour parade and throbbing musical acts blasting from two stages. Last year, even though I was only 30 minutes away, I lived in a different universe, with 12 international fellows at Stanford.

“Hey, let’s do something for Cinco de Mayo!” I said in late April, thinking of the annual excuse for an outdoor party in my Dupont Circle neighborhood in Washington, D.C., where the sidewalk cafes are typically packed with celebrants. “Cinco de Mayo’s a sort of Mexican heritage party,” I explained. “It’s really great! You drink margarita slushes, and eat nachos with jalapeños, and listen to mariachi music…”

The fellows glanced up from their laptops.

“When is it?” asked Hernan from Colombia. HUH?!

“I’m a Brazilian. Why would I want to celebrate Mexico’s independence?” asked Fabiana.

“Will the banks be closed?" asked Netika from India. Several of the fellows had gotten messed up on the Columbus Day holiday.

“Cinco de Mayo isn’t an official holiday,” I said. “It’s just something fun that everyone does, like St. Patrick’s Day.” No response. No one knew about that 'everyone’s-Irish' excuse for drinking beer since we’d all left for spring break on March 16.

Edgardo from the Philippines interjected: “Oh, I get it—Cinco de Mayo is when the Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead.”

"C’mon!" I said. "The Day of the Dead is always the day after Halloween!” I gave up.

Thus it came to pass that on Saturday, the fifth of May, four of us drove north to tour Napa wineries instead. After a couple of sippings, Ken from the U.K., a devout beer-drinker who’d become a McFlurry junkie at Stanford, persuaded us to forget the Silverado trail and hunt down a McDonald’s. They weren't quite the frozen margaritas I'd had in mind, but they did help beat the heat.

And on Sunday, the sixth of May, Hernan discovered Cinco de Mayo in San Jose. Turns out, he was right to ask in the first place, as the festival was in full swing.

“It was really great!” he told us the next day.

Read more: Check out Cathy's latest adventures in Amsterdam and Wyoming.

Photo: Janelle Nanos

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IT's Earth Day Every Day

You didn't think we'd let Earth Day slip by without making a mention, did you? Here at National Geographic Traveler, and at Intelligent Travel, we like to subscribe to the Earth Day, Every Day line of thinking. Sustainable and authentic travel is our beat, our locally-sourced bread and organic butter, if you will. So instead of celebrating the single day, here's a sampling of some of our favorite posts that celebrate and support the planet from different parts of the globe.

• WWOOF! No, it's not a stuttering dog, it's the program that let's you receive free room and board on farms in exchange for helping with the harvest. Getting close to nature, knowing where your food comes from, and living with locals? All amazing in our book.

• Couchsurfing - Need a place to crash? Join their network and find a world of friends willing to let you cozy up on their couch.

• Up Close to the Proximity Hotel - This North Carolina hotel is working to be the first to gain LEED Platinum Certification. Former Traveler intern Ali Ogden interviews the manager in her video visit.

• Bears and Bulbs - How many tour companies does it take to change Manitoba's light bulbs? Just one apparently, and outfitter Natural Habitat Adventures offered to supply the city that plays host to their polar bear tours.

• Organic New Zealand - Need to know where you can find stinky cheese in Omaru, NZ? This impressively thorough website has got you covered for sustainable eats, hotels, and experiences.

• Maasai Inc. - African lodge owners partner with the Maasai community to repopulate the dwindling wildlife and help stimulate the local economy. These partnerships are setting great examples.

• Masdar City - Will the world's first solar city in Abu Dhabi be more about hype or hope?

• Go for the Gold  - Get smart about getting to Beijing for the summer Olympics.

• NatureAir - Want to really feel good about flying? Book a seat on NatureAir, the Costa Rican airline that's the planet's only zero-emission carrier.

Poke through more our archives for items that show smart thinking. And have a Happy Earth Day!

Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Image by Reto Stöckli

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Good Things Come in Green Packages

With Earth Day rapidly approaching (that's April 22nd), many hotels are now offering packages to take advantage of the day. Here's a roundup of some of the properties we've found that are doing their bit to help save, and celebrate, the Earth:

You can leave the car behind and save the Earth one step at a time with 70 Park Avenue Hotel's Eco Step Savings package, starting at $259 per night, through May 31. Guests at this midtown Manhattan hotel receive a pedometer to count your steps throughout the day, a walking map of the city, and a welcome organic chocolate and wine amenity.

Our friends at Hotel Chatter report that the J.W. Marriott in Desert Springs, California, now has a $399/night package that offers two date scrub spa treatments, an organic honey tasting, and free admission to the nearby Living Desert (with the exchange of a used cell phone). Ever wary of greenwashing we were glad to hear from HC that:

[T]he resort has a whole bunch of environmentally-friendly initiatives like electric-powered golf carts, a 50-million gallon lake that uses reclaimed water and is home to migrating birds, and green housekeeping cleaning products. Even better, ten percent of the proceeds from the package will be donated to the Living Desert Organization.

Global Eye: Washington, D.C.

"Jefferson Surrounded at Night"

Photographer: Philip Yabut, Arlington, Virginia

Getting the Shot: Despite having had this camera for more than a year at that point, I was still learning how to shoot with it. I had taken many daylight cherry blossom photos over the years, and I decided to experiment with nighttime shots with the flash. I played with the aperture and exposure settings all evening and got a mix of good and bad results. Luckily, I picked a calm night, which gave me motionless cherry trees and still water in the Tidal Basin. A few cherry trees lining the walkway have branches that lean over the guardrail, allowing for nice photo-ops with the Jefferson Memorial.

The Details: Pentax *ist DL set at ISO 200, f/13, 10 second exposure.

With the National Cherry Blossom Festival in full swing, we couldn't resist featuring a local photo. And although the festival ends April 13, you can always find more ways to seek out Japan in D.C.

Photo: Philip Yabut via Flickr

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Dine-In Brooklyn for $23

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz gets a taste of Brooklyn.

I'm a big fan of D.C.'s Restaurant Week, where foodies can eat a multi-course meal at some of the city's greatest restaurants for a set price (this year it was $20.08 for lunch, $30.08 for dinner).

Brooklyn has a similar deal, the fifth-annual Dine-In Brooklyn, which started on March 24th and goes through this Monday the 31st. Patrons dining at some 200 Brooklyn restaurants (including Michelin-rated spots) get a three-course prix-fixe meal for only $23. For a list of the restaurants and a map of their locations, click here, or search by neighborhood here.

Photo: Kathryn Kirk

Dancing with the Parks

Senior Editor Norie Quintos wonders exactly who leads when one dances with a national park...

Can a national park be interpreted into a modern dance, or a piece of music?

Wolf Trap—itself a national park dedicated to the performing arts—seems to think so. Over the years, the center, based in Vienna, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., has commissioned five original works inspired by such singular American destinations as Yosemite, Kitty Hawk, the Virgin Islands, Mammoth Cave, and most recently Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Think synchronized swimmers weaving through the coral reef and tethered aerial acrobats leaping on cliff faces. On-location footage and original music combine with stage performance to create the multimedia show that Wolf Trap president Terrence Jones says, “captures not only the natural beauty but the cultural heritage and spirit of our national parks.”

Want to see it for yourself? TIVo the PBS program “Dance in America: Wolf Trap’s Face of America” on April 21; it offers a 90-minute compendium of all the works performed thus far. Or, catch a reprise of its sold-out 2006 Hawaii performance at Wolf Trap on August 5 ($8 for lawn tickets; $38 for in-house seats). You can also do a YouTube search using the search terms “Wolf Trap” and “Face of America.”

The next park to get interpreted? Glacier National Park. Look for it in the summer of 2009.

Photo: Scott Suchman

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Strange Planet: International Pillow Fight Day

Sea of Pillows - Great San Francisco Pillow Fight 2008

If you ever worried that your childhood is over, fear not: Saturday, March 22, is International Pillow Fight Day. From Boston to Budapest, New York to Hungary, pillow fights are taking over the planet.

Some cities have their own pillow fight tradition. San Franciscans gathered at Justin Herman Plaza near the Ferry Building on Valentine's Day for the annual Great San Francisco Pillow Fight. Photographer Romel Jacinto was there, and has the scoop on this annual San Fran event.

"It was everything I expected to be and more," says Jacinto. "Insanely crowded with several thousand in attendance, a diverse crowd from teens to those in business attire, goose feathers floating like snow, and the sound of pillows being pummeled. The pummeling was all in good fun though and it was heartening to see strangers shake hands after a well-fought exchange of pillow blows."

Check out the International Pillow Fight Day website to see if there's a pillow fight going on in your neighborhood. IT staffers are especially excited about the Washington, D.C., fight in Dupont Circle, just a couple blocks from our office.

Photo: Romel Jacinto via Flickr

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Indulge at Philly's Beer Week

Oh, Philadelphia, always trying to get us drunk.* But as the place that bills itself as the "best beer-drinking city in America" and keeps a beer reporter nicknamed "Joe Sixpack" on its newspaper staff (who penned the great line "The new Miller Lite: The Kenny G of beers"), it's not hard to see why they're eager to ply us with spirits. So if you consider yourself a fan of the ales, pils, lagers, and stouts, clear your schedule from March 7-16th to check out Philly's first annual "Beer Week."

The ten-day beer extravaganza has over 120 events that cater to the variety of beer enthusiasts: those interested in pairing beers with dinner, out-geeking the competition in a beer tasting contest, dessert lovers (like us) who are interested in incorporating beer into their sweets, and visitors looking to sample the many locally brewed beverages.

For a preview of what's in store, you can even watch videos featuring Joe Sixpack himself leading the lucky cameraperson through the town's many taverns. All of which is getting us thirsty.

Read more: IT has had to raise our glasses numerous times in the name of research. We trekked along the Eco-Brew trail, went to the source for some Belgian brews, and left on a microbrew pilgrimage.

*Just kidding - we love the City of love and all of its responsible drinkers!

Image: Philadelphia Beer Week

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City Life: Hot Tickets

City Life Editor Amy Alipio is crazy about a lot of things: desserts, James McAvoy, satellite radio, and her new Honda Civic hybrid. But she admits being the geekiest of fans about theater. Musicals, dramas, pantomimes, obscure one-acts, whatever—if it’s a stage, she’s there, wide-eyed and giddy as a toddler. If she could jet around the world at will, here’s where you would find her this spring:

The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, National Theatre, London, now playing - through April 12
27 actors, 450 characters, and no dialogue. “Written” by the experimental and controversial Austrian theater artist Peter Handke.

August Wilson’s 20th Century, Kennedy Center, Washington DC, March 4-April 6
The full cycle of August Wilson’s ten plays about the African-American experience in the 20th century. Each play is set in a different decade (though Wilson didn’t write them in chronological order). The Kennedy Center’s staged readings start March 4 with the 1900s-era Gem of the Ocean.

The God of Carnage, Gielgud Theatre, London, opening March 7
Yasmina Reza’s new comedy, starring Ralph Fiennes, about two couples hashing over a playground altercation between their two young children. Reza is the author of the award-winning and much-staged "Art".

Happy Birthday, Mr. Presidents!

George Washington snacks on his favorite hoecakes at Mount Vernon.

Most of us look forward to February's three-day weekend, in part because it's the last public holiday until Memorial Day in May (which right now, seems so far away...). But instead of lounging around for three days (ahem), we've decided to see how the nation's capital is celebrating this years' Presidents' Day.

February 12 was Abraham Lincoln's birthday. In 2009, he would have been 200 years old, and all over the country history buffs are preparing for his bicentennial. As we reported back in October, Lincoln's Cottage, just three miles north of the White House, will be opening to the public on Tuesday, February 19. Lincoln's 34-room summer home from 1862 to '64 will also feature the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center next door, which will have a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and plenty of exhibits detailing the President's life (tickets $12).

Just ten days after Lincoln's birthday is George Washington's birthday (February 22). Had the first President found the fountain of youth, he would be 276 years old. Regardless, George Washington's estate of Mount Vernon is celebrating all Presidents' Day weekend. And best of all, part of the celebration is free.

Strange Planet: International Pancake Day

Billie Warden wins the Pancake Race in Liberal, Kansas, 1950, courtesy  www.pancakeday.net

You may have been aware that today was Super Tuesday. And perhaps you're already making the most of Mardi Gras. But did you know that February 5 is also International Pancake Day? So those of you disinterested in the political process or put off by Fat Tuesday's revelry have something of your own to celebrate.

This year's International Pancake Race, is held today (at 11:55 a.m.) is the 59th annual race between the women of Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas. In both of the cities, the women wear a traditional apron and run a 415-yard S-shaped course flipping a pancake on a skillet (naturally – how else would you carry a pancake?).

According to PancakeDay.net, the race has a interesting origin:

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back more than 500 years to 1445. A woman engrossed in using up cooking fats (forbidden during Lent) was making pancakes. Hearing the church bells ring calling everyone to the shriving service, she grabbed her head scarf (required in church) and ran to the church, skillet and pancake in hand and still apron-clad. In following years, neighbors got into the act and it became a race to see who could reach the church first and collect a "Kiss of Peace" from the verger (bell-ringer.)

In 1950, a picture of the women racing appeared in an American magazine, drawing the attention of Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete. He contacted the Rev. Ronald Collins, Vicar of St. Peter and St. Paul's church in Olney, challenging their women to race against women of Liberal, and the race has been run ever since. The kiss is still the traditional prize in both races.

The score? Twenty-five wins for Olney and 32 for Liberal. (Apparently, the 1980 score does not count because a truck blocked the finish line.)

Can't make it to the race? Next time you're in Liberal, Kansas, stop by the free International Pancake Day Hall of Fame, open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays.

Photo: Olney sign, Andrew Betts (left); and contestants in Olney, 2007 ©Tony Margiocchi via Flickr (right)

Pop Art in Florida

Look out, Florida. Iconic pop artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) is coming your way.

Beginning December 8, the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, Florida; +1 305 667 1651) will host ten of Lichtenstein's 8- to 30-foot-tall sculptures on the garden's grounds. The exhibit, titled Lichtenstien at Fairchild, will be the world's largest sculptural exhibition of the artist's pieces in a natural environment. Pieces will include Coup de Chapeau II (1996) and Galatea (1990), both of which were recently on display at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.

Lichtenstein is most famous for his comic book-like drawings and oil paintings, like Whaam! (1963), on display at the Tate Modern museum in London.

Lichtenstein's sculptures will be on display at the Fairchild until May 31, 2008 (daily 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; adult/child $20/$10). If you can't make it to Florida before then, check out other Lichtenstein sculptures in New York City, Switzerland, Tokyo, Madrid, and Washington, DC.

Photo: House II, 1997, Painted fiberglass, 123 x 166* x 60*  inches © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein

World Premiere of the 'Hoppera'

All-American art icon Edward Hopper is getting major play at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, with 94 pieces on display in the first comprehensive American exhibition of his work outside of New York in more than 25 years.

Featuring Hopper’s well-known mid-century works like “Nighthawks” and “Automat,” the striking exhibition has attracted a shoulder-to-shoulder stream of visitors since opening September 16. The National Gallery explains Hopper’s universal appeal: "In etchings, watercolors, and oil paintings, he portrayed ordinary places—drugstores, apartment houses, and small towns. Both commonplace and mysterious, these haunting images led many to praise him as the most American of painters."

And perhaps even more noteworthy, five of Hopper’s works from the exhibition inspired a new opera (get it, Hoppera?) that coincides with the exhibit: “Later the Same Evening.” Written by composer John Musto and librettist Mark Campbell and performed by musicians from the University of Maryland’s Opera Studio, the world premiere of the opera was performed in November at UM’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and garnered rave reviews. A final (and free!) performance will take place at 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 2, on a first-come-first-serve basis at the National Gallery of Art.

Unfolding on an early evening in 1932 in a New York apartment, the opera interprets the five artworks—"Room in New York," "Hotel Window," "Hotel Room," "Two on the Aisle," and "Automat.” The disconnected storylines imagine the lives of the characters in each painting intersecting randomly at a Broadway musical. The stark stage set-up prominently features the paintings, each one illuminated by spotlight at key moments in the performance as the singers freeze-frame momentarily to mirror the scenes.

America By Air

Opening this Saturday, Nov. 17th, the new America by Air exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum is eye candy for the aeronautic-obsessed. You can step into the giant nose of a Boeing 747, play pilot in front of an A320 Flight Deck Device, or take a step back in history as you look at the Jenny, the first aircraft used by the post office back in 1918.

The exhibit is divided into four thematic sections: Early Years of Air Transportation, 1914-1927; Airline Expansion and Innovation, 1927-1941; the Heyday of Propeller Airliners, 1941-1958; and the Jet Age, 1958-present. It's chock full of fun, hands-on interactive exhibits and engineering feats (take a look at this YouTube Video which shows the  complicated process of bringing the Boeing 747, pictured, from its original home in North Carolina to the rafts of the Air and Space Museum).

And for those with flying phobias, sit back and enjoy the ride, these things don’t have engines, and they’re not going anywhere!

Photo: Inspecting the completed installation of Boeing 747 forward fuselage in the America by Air exhibition at the National Mall Building; Eric Long/NASM

Knowing Leads to Going

Today kicks off Geography Awareness Week, an annual event sponsored by National Geographic to promote geographic literacy in classrooms throughout the country. The My Wonderful World campaign is hosting activities all week to celebrate, and their terrific blog tipped us off to Lilly, future traveler for sure:

Free Museums in France

Here in our nation's capital, we're used to waltzing into most of our museums free of charge, but we were glad to hear that France has made plans to follow suit. Starting in January, 14 of France's museums will drop their admission prices for six months in an effort to draw a wider, more varied audience. Three of the museums will be in Paris: Guimet, (Asian art); Cluny, (medieval treasures); and Arts et Metiers, (scientific inventions).

The new French President Nicholas Sarkozy introduced the idea as part of his election platform, but it has been met with plenty of opposition.  The Agence-France Presse reported that Francoise Benhamou, a Sorbonne economics professor who specializes in the financing of culture, was skeptical about the plan. She points to the fact that plenty of French visitors already take advantage of the free evenings or open-house days offered at the museums, and that most of the people benefiting from the free admission would be foreign tourists who don't pay taxes.

Benhamou argues that instead of thrusting open the doors to the museum, new pricing programs for the young, unemployed, or frequent visitors should be created instead. That, and creating new educational programs for young people, she says, will help create lifelong museumgoers.

As for us, we're interested to see how the six-month plan works out. What do you think?

Image: "Deux grues au bord d’un étang" from the Guimet Museum

Beware Flying Pumpkins

Dry your eyes, Halloween-lovers. Another year’s ghoulish day may have come and passed, but pumpkin enthusiasts can still get their kicks this weekend at the holiday’s last hurrah: the World Championship of Punkin Chunkin. The annual festival draws thousands of folks to Nassau, Delaware, to see who can hurl a pumpkin through the air the farthest.

According to IT friend-of-a-friend Chris Moore, a local who’s been to the zany festival “more times than he cares to admit”:

The contestants are insanely competitive; the objective of the event is two-fold:  Drink as much as humanly possible, and see how far you can launch a pumpkin . . . . There really is nothing else like it on Earth.

Take Me Out to the...Museum?

Today's postcard from contributing editor Andrew Nelson offers more of America's pastime for those of you not already exhausted from the World Series:

With the World Series all wrapped up, baseball fanatics who like to roam may want to head south to the National World War II Museum (945 Magazine St.; +1 504 527 6012) in New Orleans. Devoted to America's experience during WWII, the museum, which showcases the battles for Europe and the Pacific as well as life on the home front, is hosting a new exhibit and a conference exploring the role baseball played for the Greatest Generation.  The 3-day conference and ongoing exhibit, "Duty, Honor, Country: When Baseball Went to War" begins November 9th. Attending will be World War II veterans and former major leaguers Bob Feller, Dom DiMaggio, Jerry Coleman and Lou Brissie along with baseball historian Todd Anton, major league pitcher Curt Schilling and manager Tommy Lasorda. While there, check out the restored C-47 dangling from the rafters. The plane, purchased on eBay, dropped parachuting soldiers onto Nazi-occupied France during the D-Day invasions.

Inside Lincoln's Cottage

Last week, IT got a sneak peek at the country's newest National Monument, Lincoln's Cottage, which is in the midst of a $15 million restoration funded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). Just three miles north of the White House, it was the summer residence for Lincoln and his family, and, historians surmise, the place where he first penned the Emancipation Proclamation.

The site consists of two buildings: the 34-room Cottage, where Lincoln resided, and the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center, which will feature a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation at the opening of the museum. It is the first "green" renovation project that NTHP has undertaken, with a Silver LEED certification pending, and while it is still very much underway (we had to interrupt the workmen sanding the floors during our tour), the folks at the Trust promise that the restoration will be complete this February for its President's Day opening (naturally). It's sure to become a mecca for Lincoln admirers worldwide.

Voodoo Music

If you’re in New Orleans this weekend, I’m jealous. The Voodoo Music Experience has taken over City Park, and this year’s offerings will definitely please NOLA’s music gods.

The Voodoo concert centers around three themes. Big-name bands like Rage Against the Machine, Fall Out Boy, and Smashing Pumpkins pull in crowds at the stages dubbed “Le Ritual.” The area called "Le Flambeau" pays tribute to the R&B and jazz that nourished NOLA’s roots. Catch local singers and brass bands that hearken back to the sounds of generations past, and listen for new, up-and-coming artists that are keeping the Big Easy on the musical map. In the third area, "Le Carnival," you’re in for a wild time. This bohemian paradise is all about showcasing creativity, New Orleans-style. Expect over-the-top performance art that hints at the famed mayhem of Mardi Gras.

For a complete New Orleans experience, look for vendors offering delicious bayou cuisine and booths full of wares from local artists. The Voodoo Music Experience kicks off Friday, October 26, and spans three straight days of music and revelry before winding down Sunday night. Tickets range from $40 per day or $115 for a three-day pass.

Photo: Voodoo Music Experience

Solar Decathlon Heats up D.C.

Today kicks off the third Solar Decathlon in D.C., where students from 20 universities swing into town and transform the National Mall into a solar village. Sponsored by the Department of Energy, the competition involves ten events which must "power all the home energy needs of a typical family using only the power of the sun." From their rulebook:

The homes must be attractive and easy to live in. They must maintain a comfortable temperature, provide attractive and adequate lighting, power household appliances for cooking and cleaning, power home electronics, and provide hot water. These houses must also power an electric vehicle to meet household transportation needs.

The homes will be on display on the National Mall from October 12 - 20. Tours of the team houses are available every day, except Wednesday, October 17, when they will close in order to measure their temperature  (see the full schedule here). Visit our friends over at Inhabitat for more photos of last year's event.

Photo: Stefano Paltera / Solar Decathlon

True Nature Country Fair

It's been a while since IT covered a fair or festival—too many light displays, art installations, sand castles, and huhu grubs last season, we suppose. However, after writer Kathryn O'Shea-Evans introduced us to this sustainable fest, our obsession was renewed. In her own words:

I'm all for funnel cake and roller coasters, but the Organic Growers School has come up with a different end-of-summer fair. Modeled after Maine’s all-organic Common Ground Fair, the first annual True Nature Country Fair (September 28-30 in Mills River, North Carolina) makes sustainability the issue of the hour. On 940 acres of wilderness, just 20 minutes south of Asheville, you can hear lectures on homesteading, buy from Southern Appalachia’s most sustainable vendors, and take workshops on everything from biodiesel to producing your own herbal remedies in your backyard. Eight bluegrass bands take the stage throughout the weekend, including mesmerizing folk croonster Ian Thomas. Look for me up front, dancing my own version of the tilt-a-whirl.

IT Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In

IT just celebrated its first birthday—and quite frankly, we were shocked we made it this long. So we can't even imagine how overwhelmed Jamestown must feel right now, prepping for its four-hundredth year. They must be so tired!

For the unaware, way back when—May 14, 1607, to be exact—the Powhatan tribe of Virginia Indians saw three English ships come sailing in—and, soon after, watched as the ships' passengers established America's first permanent English settlement, Jamestown. In honor of the settlement's 400th anniversary, Jamestown is throwing a giant party, also known as the America's Anniversary Weekend festival, May 11-13, 2007.

Stalk Option Two: Bay Bridge Walk 2007

National Geographic Traveler staffers have an affinity for driving across the Chesapeake Bay. Two of them like it so much, that despite the 1.5 hour commute, they do it daily; others (like our editor-in-chief), just cross it on summer weekends. The 4.35-mile (7-kilometer) bridge, connecting the Baltimore/Washington area to the Eastern Shore, makes for a pretty drive—and for some 40,000 to 60,000 people once each year, a prettier walk. The Bay Bridge Walk, which falls on Sunday, May 6th, is the one day of the year pedestrians are allowed to cross the bridge on foot, and at a discounted rate: $1 versus the average $2.50 toll. Most walkers take two hours to cross; then, when finished, they board a shuttle bus for a ride back to the starting line. IT plans to participate, so those of you looking for an alternative way to stalk a blogger this weekend should keep an eye out for Emily in her red-and-white striped sweater.

Fest Obsessed: Lahaina, Hawaii

IT covered Lahaina's Halloween celebration last October, unaware of the other big festivals one of Maui's top tourist town celebrates. But thanks to Andy Gross, a Denver-based freelance writer who wrote to us about one other such fest, we have learned about several upcoming revelries, which we've listed post post. Andy writes:

We spent Easter weekend in Maui, where the 15th annual Celebration of the Arts  (April 5-8, 2007) was in full swing at the Ritz Carlton, Kapalua, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Lahaina. Dedicated to increasing awareness of the arts, culture, and people of Hawaii, the weekend's events —open to the public, not just Ritz guests—include traditional chanting, hula dancing, speaker panels, parties, arts and crafts stations, and several ceremonies—including the one I attended, the Hiuwai and E Ala E Sunrise Protocol.

IT's Kinetic

Jessie's having a very parental week. Last weekend her dad flew in for a visit (during which he not only attended his first ever major league baseball game, but also ate his first pupusa) and as soon as our intrepid blogger finishes persuading her cat that she's not being replaced, her mother will arrive. It just so happens that this maternal visit coincides with the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race, an event Jessie has been dying to attend since moving to D.C. And so, 16 hours after she flies in from Montreal, IT's grandmother will be whisked north via Amtrak for a day of sculptural shenanigans.

Freaky Food Fest

IT's eaten fried rattlesnake and sautéed fiddleheads, but we must admit, freelance travel writer Katie Nerenberg's Fear Factor-esque post has our stomach turning:

On a road trip up the west coast of New Zealand's South Island last March, I became a bit obsessed with one particular entry in Let's Go New Zealand: 'If it crawls, it's dinner at the phenomenally popular Wildfoods Festival, during the second weekend in March. Opossum, kangaroo, and grasshopper are among the tamer entrees. Book accommodations at least six months ahead.' It was six days before, but no problem—we were driving a 1991 Nissan Vanette with a double bed in the back.

Put World Heritage in Your Sights (and Win a Trip)

As you already know, IT (and our mothership, National Geographic Traveler) digs the World Heritage program. Given our pedigree, it won't come as a surprise that we're also into photography. And, as the whole Travvies thing has demonstrated, we're also pretty keen on contests. As avocational chefs, we love throwing random ingredients into a pot together, and a culinary experiment with these three faves adds up to something pretty tasty: the Friends of World Heritage Photo Contest.

The Rules and FAQ page says the contest is only open to Friends of World Heritage members, but we can't find anything in the entry form that asks about membership. No professional photographers though, sorry shooters.

V is for Vow

For those of you married folk still looking for a Valentine's Day activity, head to Sarasota, Florida, to rekindle (or at least reiterate) your love for one another at the country's largest annual vow renewal ceremony. Each year, more than 400 husbands and wives gather at the Pavilion on Siesta Key's public beach to reenact their nuptials. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. on February 14 and is free of charge for all participants. (Note: Pre-registration ends February 10). After the ceremony, sweethearts may take a "Valentine Stroll" through Key Village, where shops and restaurants stay open late.

Not wowed by Sarasota? The U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii, and Atlantic City all offer their own group ceremonies. Not that IT will be in attendance; we'll be here, between the peanut butter cup and coconut truffle.

Shake IT, Baby

IT digs the Bard . So we drooled a little on our doublet when we heard about the Kennedy Center's six-month-long Shakespeare in Washington festival (though we do wish they'd come up with a catchier name…Shakespeare is Capital?). The fest kicks off on Saturday (this year's bona fide twelfth night) with a free reading of Will's eponymous play in the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall, directed by the Shakespeare Theatre Company's artistic director. From that point on, more than a hundred performances and exhibits will proliferate throughout the D.C. area including offerings by local outfits like Woolly Mammoth, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. More exotic presenters during the course of the event include the Kirov ballet and opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and jazz doyenne Dame Cleo Laine. For a non-traditional take on the exploits of everybody's favorite Danish prince, we recommend the Tiny Ninja Theater's interpretation starring plastic vending machine figurines, the Studio Theatre's production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead or Hamlet's trial, as presided over by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. If your ears don't perk up at either iambic pentameter or the dulcet tunes of Cole Porter, perhaps you will find the accompanying exhibits at the National Building Museum and various other local galleries more to your liking. And if none of this floats your boat…why on earth did you read this far? You must have a crush on us or something.

Away in a Market: European Christmas Shopping

Locals and tourists alike love Europe's year-round open-air markets for their fresh produce. In December, many European cities (especially in Germany) take the concept to the next level with the opulence of their annual Christmas markets. IT asked part-time Belgium resident Amy McKeever to round up three of her favorites:

Nuremberg, Germany, describes itself as a "true Christmas city" and proves it with its formidable market, from December 1 to 23. You can browse for tree ornaments and buy "Nuremberg Plum People"—figures made from prunes and walnuts—at any of the over 150 tastefully decorated red-and-white stalls. The city, which frowns on use of plastic fir garlands as decor, presents the most beautiful stalls with gold, silver, and bronze "Plum People" awards. The Christmas Angel, with her long golden curls and dress, opens the market each year and makes many charitable appearances in the run-up to Christmas.

Light IT Up: Holiday Light Festivals

After the end of Daylight Saving Time, festivals that light the longer nights in various ways proliferate, starting with Halloween, and continuing with the likes of Chanukah and Diwali. Besides these holidays, unspecified "holiday light festivals" are known to spring up throughout the United States. It's far beyond our capacity to detail them all here, so we offer up one festival on each coast to whet your appetite for illumi