Intelligent Travel

Go Wild for Earth Day

This lemur can't contain his excitement for Earth Day...

You can celebrate Earth Day many ways: by picking up new eco-friendly habits, booking a green hotel getaway, or choosing from the host of other ideas featured at NG's Preserve Our Planet website. But if you really want to dig in and get close to nature for the big day, we've got some options for you:

It's pretty convenient that Earth Day happens to fall during National Park Week, which stretches from April 19 to 27 this year. The schedule of events for the parks is pretty massive, but also quite impressive. You can check out a Earth Dance film festival in Yosemite, get creeped out by a "Skins and Skulls" program at Rocky Mountain National Park, go on a scavenger hunt in Kentucky's Cumberland Gap park. There are also Junior Ranger Day programs for kids—hooking them up with activity books and badges, the latter of which makes us a bit jealous (also, we'd love to get our hands on a ranger hat).

Get some dirt under your nails with the National Wildlife Refuge System's "Do Something Wild for Earth Day" program. Hosted in a handful of states across the country, the program will bring in volunteers for a day of clean-up activities and coordinated tours, hikes, and other events.

A Colonial America Trifecta

A very special out-of-town friend and I were having a hard time deciding what to do with our lone weekend we would have together while he was in D.C. I just moved here from the Kansas City area, and he was on a short leave from his teaching job in France. Our limited knowledge of attractions within driving distance left us with an empty Saturday slate. We did, however, agree on the general theme: History.

I suggested Williamsburg; my mom had often told me about the "magical" Thanksgiving experience she had there when she was in her 20s. Jamestown piqued both our interests, although neither of us knew how much there was to do there to full up an entire day. My friend thought Yorktown and its battlefields could be interesting. Or we could head north to Gettysburg and see where President Lincoln delivered his resonating "Four score and seven years ago…" speech.

Being that I work within the National Geographic Society, I have access to many a map. I decided to do a wild thing and actually look at the placement of these cities before any "planning" went any further. Lo and behold, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg are all within an hour's drive of each other. No decision had to be made, which was perfect for my indecisive self and my nonchalant pal. Minus Gettysburg, we could do it all!

We started out that morning a little later than anticipated, but by 10 a.m., we were on the road. The wet, slippery road. But we weren’t going to let the torrential rain deter us. We were determined to see the shores where America was born, come rain or shine. And we did.

How to Really "Backpack Europe"

For some of us here at IT, camping in tents was our first real introduction to travel. So our interest piqued when reading Arthur Frommer's interesting blog post about campsites situated on the outskirts of most European cities. The campsites are usually accessible via the city's public transportation system (like a subway or bus), and provide a cheap alternative to staying right in the heart of things.

He writes:

Did you know you could camp in Paris along the banks of the Seine River in the Bois de Boulogne park? How about a campsite with a view overlooking the domes and bell towers of Florence from a hillside terrace in the Oltrarno district? Venice even has a campground by the beach on the island next to the Lido, just a short ferry ride from St. Mark's Square. Some campgrounds are operated only in warm weather (roughly Easter through October or early November), but many stay open year-round.

The bill at a European campground can be a bit confusing, since you are usually charged an array of small fees – one for the site, another for each person, yet another for your vehicle -- but the total usually ends up around $17 to $26 for a couple in a tent, up to $40 in the most popular campgrounds in the summer high season. Forgot your tent? You can usually rent one for $10-$20.

Checking In: The Hotel Hershey Turns 75

Associate Editor Susan O'Keefe caught up with Brian O'Day, the general manager of The Hotel Hershey, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and is still as sweet as ever.

    

The Hotel Hershey when it opened in 1933, and the hotel today.

Hi Brian, Congratulations on Hershey Hotel's 75th anniversary. We've all heard Hershey Pennsylvania is the "sweetest place on Earth." Is it really true?

Absolutely! It's a great place to live, work and raise a family. There's always plenty to do here, yet it still maintains its small-town flavor and feel.

What's the story behind The Hotel Hershey?

The hotel had long been a dream that Milton Hershey and his wife Kitty shared. Mr. Hershey built his hotel in the 1930s, right in the midst of the Great Depression. It was his goal to ensure that nobody in town was unemployed during that time. He created 600 construction jobs, and the projects he developed are now called his "Great Building Campaign." The campaign was about building structures, obviously, but also about building hope that the country would recover and life would go on. The hotel is built on the highest point in the area—on top of what's called "Pat's Hill"—so it has the most spectacular view of the town below.

Can you tell us about Mr. Hershey, the inspirational man behind the brand? I understand he started a boy's school that continues to serve kids in the area?

It's an amazing success story. He gave his entire fortune (when he was still alive!) to establish a school for disadvantaged children. He built the entire town as an idyllic community. It's wonderful working for the hotel, because we're owned by the trust that Mr. Hershey established. So we're all working for a "higher purpose," as our profits are returned to the trust to help perpetuate the Milton Hershey School. Today there are 1,700 boys and girls living and learning in Hershey because of Mr. Hershey's generosity and foresight.

In what ways is chocolate used at the hotel?

We're very creative in our use of chocolate and try to incorporate it into our menus, themes and retail offerings. (Have you heard about our chocolate diamonds or chocolate pearls, which we sell at our Jeweler?) Naturally we use chocolate in our culinary programs; chocolate desserts are a natural. However, Ken Gladysz, our executive chef, also incorporates it into savory dishes and entrees. He uses it as a rub or in sauces. One of the most popular dishes in our Circular Dining Room is our Cocoa-Seared Scallops. We also serve chocolate butter (as well as sweet cream butter) to accompany our chocolate cherry bread.  And at breakfast you can't miss our famous chocolate bread pudding. I'm getting hungry just talking about it!

So what does a guest received at turndown?

Naturally...a goodnight Kiss!

Hotel Confidential: For the Kids

Associate editor Susan O'Keefe shares her favorite kid-friendly hotel activities and amenities. Got any she needs to know about?

Anyone who has young ones knows that when traveling with children it's all about the hotel pool, at least that's the case with my three children. And, if there is a pool (especially one with slides or waves) you can often leverage some off-property time for exploring the area just as long as you build in plenty of time for swimming. Other amenities like kids' clubs are hit or miss, depending on what types of activities and programs are offered. Hotels are beginning to heed the parents' call that one-room kids' clubs with a few video and board games are not the answer to recreation nor experiential travel, even if it may allow more reading time for mom and dad. We all want to feel good about vacationing and part of that is exposing ourselves to experiences and trying new things. Same goes for the kiddies.

Ritz-Carlton Naples, Florida, has just launched Nature's Wonders, an environmentally-focused program for guests who want to connect with nature. Off-resort activities include naturalist-led Back Bay walks, mangrove visits, and even a trip to a hospital for recovering sea life. At the heart of the program is the new Nature's Wonders sanctuary where budding marine biologists can hold turtles and starfish and view aquariums hosting sharks, eel, Florida's spiny lobsters, and grouper. When I visited, four new baby alligators had just arrived and two iguanas were showing off. A small lab invites kids to explore slides and petri dishes with pint-size microscopes. And a Nature Vision Theater features the finest, ahem, nature flicks from National Geographic and Discovery. Nature's Wonder charges a daily fee for its programs (full- and half-day), but it hosts a daily open house for guests—adults and kids alike—who want to check out the aquariums and reef life.

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica, located in the country's northwest Guanacaste province, offers complimentary kids' adventures through their Kids for All Seasons program. Young guests get to hunt local insects, reptiles, plants, and hermit crabs or make art with treasures collected from the beach. Teens will dig their own hang-out pad called Taunis, outfitted bright-colored furniture and surfboards, where they can dock their iPods or play video games. But the coolest factor by far is in the activities: kids can sign up for hip-hop yoga, hang gliding, and zip-lining through treetops.

GPS Treasure Hunting

So you've already navigated your way to and from grandma's house with the new GPS system you got under the tree this holiday season. But looking for directions is hardly a fun way to play with your new toy. So why not try taking part in a modern-day GPS-savvy scavenger hunt known as Geocaching? (FYI: It's pronounced geo-cashing).

The adventure game allows participants to use GPS technology to uncover hidden treasures, or caches, hundreds of thousands of which are now located all over the world. The caches usually are boxes or buckets that have a few tokens and a logbook inside, and the whole premise is based on a simple theory, "take some stuff, leave some stuff," in order to keep the game going. Many cities and states, seeking to draw caching enthusiasts, are now working to promote geocaching tourism. Asheville, North Carolina, for example, is holding the Ultimate AsheCache in May of this year, and will put $1,700 in prizes in caches stashed within a 100-mile radius of downtown. Other tourism boards have sponsored caches in Prince Edward Island, Canada, upstate New York, and Arkansas.

Here's a quick tutorial to getting started:

1) Log in to the Geocaching website and create a profile to access the site. Type in your home base coordinates, and enter the zip code for the area where you'd like to go treasure hunting.

2) Scroll through a list of different kinds of caches in the area to find one that's interesting to you. Enter the coordinates in your GPS device to familiarize yourself with the area, and read through the clues left by the cache's hider that will help lead you to the treasure.

3) Depending on whether the cache is hidden in an urban or rural environment, you may want to get a topographic map to help you find your way. GPS devices tend to only provide directions as the crow flies, so use MapBlast (offered through the geocaching website) to help with navigating the streets.

 

This is Your Brain on Vacation

Some of us like to give our brains a break while on vacation. Then there are those people who might want to take their downtime to bulk up on their mental acuity. Associate Editor Susan O'Keefe reports on a new trend in "brain fitness" programs for people on the go.

Do you Sudoku? Crave crosswords? Thrive on mind teasers? Banking on the fact that mental fitness might be on your mind, hotels and resorts are jumping on the brain fitness bandwagon and offering guests programs to help them clear the mental cobwebs and relax while on the road.

"Everyone should take a brain fitness vacation or adapt their regular vacations to include aspects of brain health," says Alvaro Fernandez, CEO and co-founder of SharpBrains, a company that works with cruise lines, hotels, and  other organizations to define and prepare activities for brain fitness. "Travelers should arrange for experiences on the road that address the aspects of good brain fitness: mental exercises, physical fitness, good nutrition, and stress management." (You can read about Fernandez's own brain fitness vacation to Europe here.)

Offering up games, quizzes, and coaching sessions, these hotels are helping to make this a trend:

• Westin Hotels & Resorts starts the new year with the BrainBody Fitness program. Upon check-in, each guest at their 150 properties will be given a selection of simple brain exercises to do each morning, afternoon, and evening for the duration of their stay to aid in memory, focus, and performance. Westin's mental mind-benders have been developed by brain scientist Dr. Gary Small, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA and a leading physician/scientist in the fields of memory and longevity. The brain fitness regimen is coupled with a physical fitness exercises developed by fitness guru David Kirsch, who has helped celebs, like Heidi Klum and Liv Tyler get back to their pre-pregnancy shape. "Stimulating your mind and body together positively affects brain power and makes people feel happier and more energized than just doing physical exercises alone," says Dr. Small.

• Canyon Ranch Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts, will host a brain science retreat from January 17-21, 2008. Guests will learn how to keep their minds sharp and their memories strong through a series of presentations with brain experts, relaxation techniques, and diet and exercise.

Strange Planet: Nebraska

Even Intelligent Travelers get a kick out of the kooky — so as a spin off of our magazine's back page, we're offering up our own Strange Planet selections here on the blog. While researching family-friendly attractions in the U.S., intern Laura Mansho stumbled upon some quirky roadside destinations that will probably never grace the cover of Traveler, but that deserve a mention nonetheless:

Nebraska:

• Can’t make it to England? Find the next best thing at a kitschy version of Stonehenge outside the town of Alliance, where American-manufactured cars have been lovingly shoved into the dirt to create Carhenge — a site where capitalism, culture, and Cadillacs converge in one memorable family photo op.
• Over in Hebron, you can sit back and relax on the (alleged) World’s Largest Porch Swing — it’s long enough to seat 18 adults side by side at one time. However, it’s not actually attached to any kind of porch as far as I can tell.
• If you work up a thirst while you’re swaying on the swing, stick around for August’s Kool-Aid Days festival in Hastings. My favorite thing about this festival (besides the ridiculous amount of sugar water you get to imbibe) is the boat race. You can build your own ship out of Kool-Aid Jammers packets and Bursts bottles and compete for a chance to take home the grand prize — a pair of Nike Air Force Ones with the Kool-Aid Man emblazoned on the front. What else can you expect in the birthplace of Kool-Aid? At the Hastings Museum, you can learn all about its juicy history and glimpse the original Kool-Aid Man’s costume in all its wall-busting glory — Oh, Yeah!

Got more Nebraska nuggets? Send them our way. And stay tuned for more of our funky finds. And if you're on your own Strange Planet, let us know your favorite odd spots, and we'll try to feature them in future posts.

Photo: Barbara Klocko, Friends of Carhenge

Art Lover's Destination Guide

We'd never heard of it until today, but American Style, "the premier arts lifestyle magazine for art lovers, collectors and travelers," has a lot of nifty content for the discerning wanderer. Each issue lists hundreds of arts festivals, gallery openings and museum events nationwide.

We got a sneak peek at their February 2008 issue, in which they've asked readers to vote on the top ten art fairs and festivals in the country. Here's a smattering of our favorites that made the list:

• Scottsdale Arts Festival (Scottsdale, Arizona, March) The civic center in Oldtown Scottsdale comes alive with the wares of 200 artists and live music and roaming performers.
               
• Long’s Park Art & Craft Festival (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, May) Each Labor D ay weekend, this 70-acre park is filled with hundreds of artists from around the country. Enjoy live performances and local wine and craft beer tastings.


• Francisco's Farm Arts Festival at Midway College (Midway, Kentucky, June) Head over to the Kentucky Music Stage to hear some bluegrass before shopping for handcrafted items on the rolling campus of the state's only women's college, situated on a 205-acre working farm.

• Des Moines Arts Festival (Des Moines, Iowa, June) Our Des Moines denizen Katie Knorovsky noted in recent (and much commented on) post: "Downtown transforms into an incredible outdoor art gallery" for this three-day party with multiple performance stages, food vendors, and more than 100 visual artists competing for a juried prize.
  

• Bi-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands (Asheville, North Carolina, July & October) Folks have been attending this southern craft fair for more than 60 years. Over 200 guild members display and demonstrate their crafts, much of it traditional to the Appalachian highlands.

Baltimore-based American Style also releases an annual list of the Top 25 Arts Destinations. You can cast vote for your favorite fine arts city here. IT is glad we've found a magazine that lets us support the arts, shop, and travel all the same time! For more markets and fairs, check out Traveler's list of Worldwide Markets, part of our online Authentic Shopping Guide.

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

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.

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

Marilyn's Miscellany

If you aren't already familiar, please give us the chance to introduce Marilyn Terrell, Traveler Chief Researcher, whom we like to call our "human blog." Since it's almost physically impossible for us to get all of Marilyn's suggestions up online, we've asked her to pen a new column, highlighting some fun stuff found on the Web. Welcome to Marilyn's Miscellany.

• The Wall Street Journal had an article last week about the famous beer-brewing Trappist monks at Belgium's St. Sixtus monastery, and how their celestial beer and deliberately limited production provokes covetousness among beer fanciers, who rate their brew called "the 12" as the best in the world. Traveler scooped this story in our May/June 2006 issue, but this one's online.

• Among the 2007 Preserve America Presidential Award winners, I liked knowing about the Downtown St. Louis Revitalization project, where two private companies bought four historic buildings that were slated for demolition and restored them, creating new urban residential space and bringing economic vitality to a previously depressed downtown. And in Louisiana, Preserve America recognized the efforts of the Natchitoches-Cane River Region Heritage Tourism project, which has brought $47 million in private and $1 million in public investment for historic preservation and infrastructure improvements to the Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, while preserving the history and living traditions of the French, Spanish, African American, American Indian, and Creole people who settled the area.

Natchitoches isn't pronounced the way you'd expect; it's NACK-uh-tish. The town is known for its Festival of Lights and for Natchitoches meat pies, which are traditionally served on Christmas Eve.   

• Lastly, our friends down the hall at NG KIDS magazine are trying to set a Guinness Word Record for the world's longest chain of shoes. You can help them win (and clear your closets at the same time) by sending them your old athletic shoes, which will later be recycled by the Nike Reuse-A-Shoe program to make basketball and tennis courts and running tracks, which is better than ending up in a landfill. Postmark deadline January 22, 2008.

Want more of Marilyn? Be sure to subscribe to this blog's feed.

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

Corncob Pipe and a Button Nose

If you've ever wondered where Frosty the Snowman might have got his corncob pipe, fear not: IT has the answer.

The Missouri Meerschaum Company is the world's largest and oldest manufacturer of corncob pipes. Meerschaum has been making Frosty's famous pipes in Washington, Missouri, since 1869. The company was founded by Dutch immigrant Henry Tibbe. According to legend,

a local farmer whittled a pipe of of corncob and liked it so much he asked Henry Tibbe to try turning some on his lathe. The farmer was well-pleased with his pipes so Henry made a few more and put them for sale in his shop. They proved to be such a fast-selling item that soon Tibbe spent more time making pipes for his customers than working with wood.

By 1925, there were a handful of other corncob pipe manufacturers in Franklin County, but Meerschaum is the only factory that still exists today. The three-story factory is located on the Missouri River on the corner of Front and Cedar Streets, one block from the Amtrak station in downtown Washington. Take a train from St. Louis, or drive 45 minutes west of the city. Check out the museum (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and buy a pipe of your own.

Photo: Missouri Meerschaum Company

When In Utah, Do As Olympians Do

Ever wonder what happens to Olympic parks once the medal ceremonies have ended and the Olympic flame goes out? Salt Lake City (home of the 2002 Winter Games) has turned its snow-covered Olympic Park into a tourist attraction, and the park has some cool features we just had to tell you about.

Admission to the Utah Olympic Park is free, and just getting into the park allows visitors to take a self-guided tour of the Olympic competition sites, as well as access to the Winter Sports Center (which houses a ski museum as well as the 2002 Eccles Olympic Winter Games Museum). Visitors can also watch Olympians-in-training and frequent competitions throughout the park. If you'd rather have an expert lead the way, you can take a guided tour of the park's facilities (adult/child/family $7/$5/$25).

To feel like a true Olympian, you can also speed down a bobsled track at 80 m.p.h. (IT tip: Eat your lunch after you ride "The Comet.") A trained driver takes three passengers at at time to experience one of the Winter Games' signature sports. Participants must be over 16 years old, and tickets cost $200 per person (in summer, tickets are only $60 each).

For a less expensive thrill, adrenaline junkies can experience the World's Steepest Zipline. The Xtreme Zip ($20, meant for riders over 100 lbs.) speeds 50 miles per hour along the K 120 ski jump hill, while the Ultra Zip ($15, meant for riders over 50 lbs.) takes riders down the winter freestyle hill.

Ziplines may not be an official Olympic sport, but we'd like to think that if we practice enough, we can start petitioning for the 2010 games in Vancouver.

Photo: Utah Olympic Parks

Dino-in-Residence

In case you wondered, National Geographic is a bit like a college campus. We have a cafeteria, a whole lot of knowledgeable folks milling around, and an ongoing series of events and lectures to keep us learning. And now, for a little while at least, we also have a mascot.

This past week National Geographic unveiled a 110-million-year-old dinosaur, which is currently in residence in our lobby. The 30-foot skeleton of the Nigersaurus taqueti, (which we at IT have dubbed Nigel) is the cause celébre of the new "Extreme Dinosaur: Africa's Long-Necked Fern Mower" exhibit, which will be on display through March 18. It's also an extension of the Extreme Dinosaur story in the December issue of National Geographic Magazine, which features an introductory essay by John Updike (you can read and hear a Q&A with Updike online).

"Nigel" was discovered by Explorer-in-Residence Paul Sereno in 1997. Most of its bones were collected from the Sahara region in Niger, and it's known for having a distinctively different mouth (which reminds us a bit of a stapler). NG's Insider reports:

"It had a broad, straight-edged muzzle with more than 50 columns of tiny teeth—500 altogether—lining the jaw. The construction of its mouth enabled the Nigersaurus to work close to the ground, mowing down mouthfuls of greenery."

In his presentation at the unveiling, Sereno called Nigel and its peers the "cows of the Mesozoic."

Another cool element in Nigel's backstory is that Sereno teamed up with a group of Chicago-area high school students to help pull the exhibit together. Through an organization called Project Exploration, the students did fieldwork, visited fossil labs, and read through research studies to help supplement Sereno's excavation. The students were on hand yesterday for the unveiling, and you can learn more about the project, and the delegates here.

To learn more about Nigel's anatomy and lifestyle visit the research report published by PLoS One, the online journal from the Public Library of Science. Or come down to the lobby and check out Nigel for yourself.

Photos: Above, Kate Baylor; Below, Mike Hettwer, Project Exploration

Lodge-to-Hut Snowshoeing in New Hampshire

Looking for a winter weekend getaway that's au naturale? The Appalachian Mountain Club is launching a set of naturalist-led snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trips in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Excursions are available for all skill levels; one of the treks is specially designed for families with kids aged ten or older.

Spend a night at the new Highland Center or rustic Joe Dodge Lodge before hoofing it to one of eight backcountry mountain huts, "a focal point of our work to protect alpine and forest ecosystems, maintain trails, and promote the use of renewable energy," says AMC's website.

Just $170 per adult ($187 for non-members) includes meals, accommodations, and snowshoes. A glance at TripAdvisor tells us that the huts are popular with hikers. Contributor dd55 offers this tip:

Let me suggest you take advantage of the hiker shuttle the AMC runs. For a nominal fee, park your car where you want to come out and then take the shuttle back to your trailhead. Very convenient. The shuttle schedule is available here.

If that sounds to your liking, you could follow a route that includes three AMC huts. Start at Zealand, go to Galehead, and then on to Greenleaf. This route provides a nice mix interesting flat land, high peaks and unforgettable ridge walking. You never forget your first time on a ridge above treeline.

There are plenty of spots, including at least one AMC tent site, to pitch a tent. And as first timers, you will probably welcome the huts as little havens along the way. I know I did.

We're looking forward to getting a chance to strap on snowshoes and find out for ourselves. Know other great mountain trail trips? Let us know in the comments below.

 

Photo: Mike Kautz

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:

Have the Time of Your Life

When I saw this article in the Guardian about celebrating the 20th anniversary of Dirty Dancing at the Mountain Lake Hotel, the Virginia resort that stood in for the Catskills in the classic film, it left me feeling a little nostalgic. Not only for the always-quotable scenes from the movie ("Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"), but for my own time at Mountain Lake, which I visited in college with a group called the Appalachia Volunteers.

While most of my classmates were building homes and cleaning up parks throughout the region, our team had the run of the 2,600 acre hotel property, clearing the shoreline of the lake and helping to build the wilderness trails and bocce ball court. Mind you, we also made a point to re-create as many of the scenes from the film as possible, (the gazebo on the property was actually built for the film) which was a huge part of the fun.

But while the press clips about Mountain Lake tend to stress the Dirty Dancing-themed weekend packages, which include dance lessons and trivia nights, most overlook all of its outstanding outdoor features. Aside from the vast lake, which offers boating, fishing, and swimming (and the occasional practicing of dance routines) the hotel also has a wilderness conservancy and biological station on the property, 20 miles of hiking and biking trails, and several education programs for students through seniors.

And of course, after you leave, you also get the pleasure of telling people you've "had the time of your life."

Photo: Mountain Lake Resort

IT's Directorial Debut

Here at National Geographic Traveler, going to lunch at the cafeteria can mean sitting next to a filmmaker just back from the Serengeti who's more than willing to regale us with their travel tales. But, while we're always up for a good story, we can get a little bit jealous from time to time. That's why we were pleased to see that the NG website now features a new Wildlife Filmmaker program, which lets us act on our directorial ambitions. You can edit clips and add music, sound effects, and captions to make short documentary films. As a result, we may have spent a little too much time "working" on our films this morning...

Send us your own filmmaker efforts and we'll have our readers vote on which one ranks best!

Tour Cities With a Local, for Free

IT was recently browsing National Geographic Traveler's free cities index, with hundreds of listings on how to spend your down time without spending a dime. What we were surprised to discover, is that many cities—and the more expensive ones at that—offer free tours by local guides.

Want to see Pacific Heights' mansions? The Coit Tower murals? How about "bawdy and naughty" sites? San Francisco's City Guides offers a wealth of themed tours—more than 70—that encompass the city's rich cultural history.

Chicago's Greeter Program features local experts on more than 25 neighborhoods as well as themed tours including antiques, literature, the Chicago Fire, farmers markets, Ukranian American heritage— there's something for everyone.

If you've just got to know why Benjamin Franklin electrocuted a turkey, try Washington DC By Foot. Guides in blue T-shirts offer quirky monument tours rain or shine, six days a week.

New York's Big Apple Greeters welcome visitors in 22 languages and observe a strict "no tipping" policy. While they don't give formal tours, they'll show you the ropes on the subway and give you inside tips on where to eat and their favorite sites around the neighborhood. And every Friday at 12:30 p.m., urban historian Justin Ferate gives an acclaimed, 90-minute walking tour of Grand Central Station, for the grand price of: zero dollars.

Now that's what IT calls a bargain!

Home (Away From) Home on the Range

A beach-and-theme-park vacation is much too tame for resident family travel expert Norie Quintos. This year, for part of her summer vacation with her two sons, she headed out to Wyoming:

What parent hasn’t read the Dangerous Book for Boys? Okay, I haven’t, but I’ve read all about it. Here’s the gist: What our overprotected, over-teched, overscheduled suburban sons really need to blossom is the freedom to climb trees and get muddy and learn Morse code. Well, I’ve believed and lived it all along, and the kids and I recently returned from a vacation that hits the spirit if not the actual suggestions on the book’s list.

We squished our toes in the mud of a creek.
We fed leftovers to a black lab named Twister.
We threw tomahawks.
We played cards.
We heard cowboy poetry.
We canoed in a lake with loons.
We fell asleep to the howls of a coyote.
We threw lassos.
We read by the light of a lantern.
We searched for signs of bear.
We whittled.
We absorbed U.S. history by listening to a cowboy tell tales of Butch Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, and the Donner Party around a campfire at night.
We traveled by covered wagon.

Tokyo Airport Fights Jetlag with Armor

Tokyo’s Narita International Airport is finding unique ways for passengers to kill time between flights: How about trying on some Japanese body armor or a handmade kimono? Attendants will dress you and take your picture, all for free. All we can say is: Where's the runway?

Jetlagged IT staffer Emily Haile dons a kimono and warrior hat on a layover between Bangkok and D.C.

Keeping IT Close to Home

Just uttering the word "vacation" conjures images of sandy white beaches, mountain treks, and nine-hour road trips. But, what if it meant staying home?

National Geographic's Green Guide recently featured a piece on vacationing carbon free in your own city. Instead of housework, chores, or to-do lists, seek out local adventures like searching for the best sangria in a Spanish neighborhood or the top sushi in Chinatown. Or, how about hitting up the farmers market to prepare an outdoor feast, or taking advantage of free art gallery admissions on a weekday morning when you're usually at work? If you hadn't noticed, IT has this policy down pat: Check out all of our backyard vacations!

From the Green Guide:

"Alan Durning, executive director of the environmental non-profit Sightline Institute, wanted to unload some of that [eco-]guilt when he embarked on a year of living car-lessly (and he continues to live that way, five months after his experiment ended). Despite being free of four wheels, he and his family worked in a few vacations, his favorite being a week spent...without traveling at all. Rather than taking a train or renting a car, they stayed at home and became tourists in their hometown of Seattle.

Amtrak Adds Luxury Cars

IT's always been a bit partial toward trains, so we had to share this news: Amtrak recently announced that it has teamed up with GrandLuxe Rail Journeys to offer luxury accommodation on popular Amtrak routes. Beginning this fall, seven exclusive GrandLuxe cars will be attached to the back of select Amtrak trains.  GrandLuxe passengers will be pampered with five-course meals, private cabins, live music, and all the luxuries of a fine hotel. Routes will include Amtrak’s California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco and the Silver Meteor from Washington, D.C. to Miami. The partnership was made in response to increasing train ridership and to introduce a more appealing option to travelers who want a bit more out of their rail vacation.

But fine dining and fluffy pillows come with a hefty price tag: a one- to two-night trip will cost between $789 and $2,499 per person.

Our opinion? Trains are over 17% more energy-efficient than airplanes, according to the Transportation Data Energy Book. And while air travel is unarguably the fastest way to get around, it can also be the most frustrating. Customer satisfaction with the airline industry is lower than ever, due to tight cabin space, the seemingly neverending list of security-checkpoint rules, long lines, and mishandled (or missing) luggage.

Into the Wild in Alexandria

Every Washingtonian needs a way to unwind. (There’s a war on after all, and our fair city is its nerve center, conducting the chess moves from afar.) My newest favorite method is to rent a kayak with friends or kids on a weekend afternoon, and paddle—guilt- and carbon-emissions-free—the quiet tidal backwaters of the Potomac River. Just south of town, in Alexandria, the Belle Haven Marina rents kayaks—no experience necessary.

In the Navy: A Night on the New Jersey

Need a hotel in Philly? "Try a decommissioned warship in New Jersey," suggests senior editor Norie Quintos, who recently returned from a trip with her kids. She explains:

I never was a Girl Scout. Not much of a joiner, I guess, or maybe the cookie quota demanded too much capitalist enterprise. However, a part of me always envied the gals in green who got to go on field trips and earn those merit badges. Well, I sort of got my wish last weekend, when I, my two tween-aged sons, and about a dozen scouting troops boarded the permanently docked Battleship New Jersey (in Camden, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia) for an overnight encampment. After seeing service in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and other sundry international battles, the massive warship—eventually made obsolete by smaller, nimbler vessels—retired and became a floating museum. Think of it as a cruise, but without the chocolates on the pillow, yoga on the pool deck, or midnight buffet.