Intelligent Travel

Tour Guide: Biking the Underground Railroad

For history buffs out there (you know who you are), the Adventure Cycling Association has a great tour that combines U.S. history lessons with plenty of exercise.

The 48-day, 2,100-mile Undergound Railroad tour takes 14 cyclists from Mobile, Alabama, through the Deep South and the Tennessee River Valley, across the Ohio River, and up through Buffalo, New York, all the way to Owen Sound, Ontario, just like escaped slaves would have done in the 19th century (minus the bicycle, of course). Along the way, cyclists will stop at historic sites, share cooking responsibilities, and camp.

The Adventure Cycling Association is partners with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Minority Health, which helped create the UGRR route. To get an idea of what the tour is like, check out Joan and Mike's entry on the Review the Ride Registry, who also have a very detailed blog with lots of photos from last year's trip.

The Association has heaps of other multiweek tours, like the brand-new, 79-day Great Western Loop, as well as shorter trips, like the 7-day Cycle Montana route.

For more information about the group's self-contained bicycling trips (you carry your own stuff) and supported tours (they transport your luggage for you), check out their website.

Photo: Adventure Cycling Association/Dennis Coello

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The Sounds of New Orleans

We recently asked for your voluntourism stories, and were glad to hear from Traci Angel, a health and science freelance journalist from Columbia, Missouri, just back from a trip with Hands on New Orleans.

Scratch, scratch, scratch. Scheesh, sheesh, boom, boom. BOOM. Sheeesh. Sheesh. Three hours crawled by as we heaved and lunged our bodies against small hand blades to scrape away paint from an entryway of New Orleans’ Pierre A. Capdeau School. The peeled areas were about to be replaced with a newer, and brighter, baby-blue hue.

This is not your typical vacation.

In late February, I was working with the volunteer organization Hands On New Orleans. We’d come like so many others have — to help out as tourists.

Pierre A. Capdau, a charter school, was closed for four months following Hurricane Katrina while officials ensured the classrooms could pass health inspections. More than two years later, the school and surrounding Gentilly neighborhood continue to rebuild. Across the street from the playground, a huge dumpster spilled over with broken furniture. A man stood on a ladder applying a bold gold paint to a house’s front porch. The house next door was vacant, still scarred with spray paint markings that symbolized rescuers’ efforts (date checked/occupants recovered) after the hurricane. I felt better seeing “0” in the markings, indicating number of people found inside during the weeks that followed Katrina. Maybe those who lived there have started anew elsewhere.

Our hands cramped from repeatedly whacking at the hardened paint. Shirts came untucked. Sweat dripped as the temperature climbed inside the cramped hallways. Exhausted, we looked at each other through the smoky cloud of dust that grew denser with our clamoring. Then I heard another sound. It came from the piano nearby that was dotted with paint chippings. Don, don, don. Don, da, don, da, don, da. Don, don don don....A volunteer college student played “Heart and Soul"(the song from the huge piano that Tom Hanks plays with his feet in “Big”). Its happy, catchy two-part harmony rose above our banging.

We discovered Hands On New Orleans after we learned that the better-known Habitat for Humanity was full on the dates we would be in town. Hands On operates out of a volunteer center that can bunk volunteers and sees many college groups looking for alternate break options. Americorps groups from across the country take turns staffing the projects.

Patchwork Tourism

 

A patchwork of color is popping up on historic barns all over the country, and the trend is a boon for rural tourism. Our friends at American Style report on the grassroots art movement of barn quilts:

Colorfully painted quilt squares have appeared on barns throughout eastern Kentucky, often representing traditional, local patterns. The local electric company even lends its equipment to mount the panels. State arts organizations are now working to organize the effort, in hopes of driving tourism to rural areas.

Barn quilts—colorful painted blocks eight feet square or larger—started in Ohio in 2001, reports Agriculture Online, and can now be found through Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Dakota, and North Carolina. Oh, and several counties in Iowa, too.

Many projects are sponsored by community groups like the Buffalo Gals Homemakers of Stamping Ground, Kentucky, and have generated local news coverage. Some, such as the Appalachian Quilt Trail sponsored by the Alliance for American Quilts, the Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the Kentucky Quilt Trails, are perfectly tailored for the tourist looking for a scenic Sunday drive. To see more quilt barns check out these Flickr photos or the quilted barns photo pool, also on Flickr.

America has been losing its historic agricultural buildings for decades, writes the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The number of farms has been slashed by two-thirds since the 1920s. "Literally millions of barns and other agricultural structures have lost their original reason for existing."

Not only are these quilt squares lovely to look at and interpret, they are helping to preserve a piece of American heritage.

Photos: Top, tnserose; right Citizen110.

 

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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.

Global Eye: Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, beads at the ready

Photographer: Kevin "Elvis" King

Getting the Shot: Mardi Gras, 2007. The photo was taken with a Nikon D200, using an 18-200mm lens, external S800 flash.

The Details: My girlfriend is part of a Mardi Gras krewe, and has a float in the parade that goes down in downtown Pensacola, Florida. So, during all the preps, I was walking the parade lineup and saw this picture. What was striking is the quiet, harmonious scene, one in stark contrast to the parade that will take place in just a couple of hours. The colors, the lighting, and the absence of motion, people, and commotion lend a certain element to its composition.

We like the bright colors in this shot that make it look like Mardi Gras in Candyland. Do you have any photos you think are worthy of Global Eye? Join our Flickr group.

Photo: Kevin "Elvis" King via Flickr

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Going Green for Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is about the last thing you'd associate with conservation — if anything it's a holiday celebrating hedonism at its best. Which is why we were glad to hear from Gadling that at least one element of the Fat Tuesday celebrations is taking a greener tack. Instead of wandering around the French Quarter risking overexposure in exchange for beads, you can snag a 30-pound bag of last year's Mardi Gras trinkets for all your party purposes and help from heaping another bunch of necklaces into a landfill. The local Sierra Club chapter and the Arc of Greater New Orleans are promoting the effort, and they offer a slew of other great activities for when you're in town. Just think, doing a bit of good might help offset your inevitable hangover.

Photo: Tri-X Pan via Flickr

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.

Hotel Confidential: Early Bird Special

Welcome to Traveler's newest column, Hotel Confidential. Traveler's Hotel Central editor, Susan O'Keefe, is just back from St. Petersburg, Fla., where she attended the Historic Hotels of America annual meeting at the salmon-colored Don CeSar Beach Resort on St. Pete's beach. You'd have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat the deal she found while she was there.

The Don has a wonderful incentive program to get people to check out of their hotel room early, especially great when you have to make those early morning flights anyway. The "Back to the Beach" program asks guests to vacate their room before 10 a.m. on the day of departure so housekeeping can get in there and clean it for the next guest (and who doesn't hate waiting around the hotel lobby for their room to be ready?).

Guests who depart before 10:00 a.m. can enter into a weekly contest to win a return two-night complimentary stay at the oceanfront resort. If you're a morning person, there's even more incentive to be an early riser: Early birds who check out before 8 a.m. receive three entries, before 9:00 a.m. receive two entries, by 10 and you receive one entry. One stay per week is given away. The return stay certificate is valid for two nights in a standard room (based on availability, valid Sunday through Thursday).

And while IT loves to sleep in, knowing that getting up early means you could be back for a return visit is enough incentive to set the alarm.

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

A Streetcar Named St. Charles

We've been keeping up with the rebuilding of life in New Orleans, and IT contributor Katie Howell sends along another sign of hope for the city.

Good news for public transportation proponents, historical preservationists, and those waxing nostalgic. The familiar “clang clang” of the world’s oldest surviving urban rail line has returned to New Orleans’ St. Charles Avenue. Hurricane Katrina halted service of the city’s derelict public transportation system more than two years ago. Service quickly returned to the “new” Canal Street line (reopened in 2004 after a 40-year hiatus); the modern, tourist-centered Riverfront line; and the downtown portion of the St. Charles Avenue line. But damage to the tracks and catenaries on the rest of the St. Charles line kept the green, historic landmark-status streetcars from running the length of the oak-lined avenue through New Orleans’ famous Garden District until two weeks ago.

While the system isn’t completely back to pre-Katrina status, commuters, tourists, and “Nolaphiles” alike celebrated the partial return of the Big Easy’s crown jewel with parades, parties, and free rides. Five streetcars are currently running ten minutes apart along the three miles (4.8 kilometers) between St. Charles Avenue and Napoleon Avenue. While the full 6.5 mile route is still not open and the trains are running on a limited schedule, they do replace the erratic bus service that's been in place for the last two years. The city hopes to have the rest of the St. Charles line reopened by spring 2008.

There Goes the Gayborhood?

A scene from DC's annual "Drag Race" held the night before Halloween.

When San Francisco canceled its annual Halloween party in the Castro district last month over fears about safety, it spurred a conversation about the shifting makeup of historically gay neighborhoods, and whether they're on the verge of becoming passé. As the New York Times reported:

These are wrenching times for San Francisco’s historic gay village, with population shifts, booming development, and a waning sense of belonging that is also being felt in gay enclaves across the nation, from Key West, Fla., to West Hollywood, as they struggle to maintain cultural relevance in the face of gentrification.

...The Castro remains a top tourist destination for gay and lesbian visitors. But Joe D’Alessandro, president and C.E.O. of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, and a gay parent who lives in the Castro, predicted that eventually the neighborhood would go the way of North Beach, “still a historic Italian neighborhood though Italians don’t necessarily live there anymore."

While gentrification encroaches upon urban gay enclaves, the idea that the neighborhoods are passé doesn't sit well with John Tanzella, Executive Director of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. "I wouldn’t say that it’s the case yet," he told IT.

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin'

Irv Gordon breaks a world record every time he gets behind the wheel of his 1966 Volvo P1800. The 67-year-old retired teacher has clocked more than 2 million miles (2,593,831 as of this writing) on the car...and he's still driving it. He's got the Guinness world record for "most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle" and, as one might imagine, a major case of the travel bug. "Some people watch the Travel Channel. Then there's the rest of us," says Gordon. "I'd rather be there and see it in person."

Gordon pulled over to talk to us on Interstate 70, while on his way to Las Vegas for an auto trade show.  We asked him what drives him to, um, keep driving, and for some of his favorite stops along the way:

Gordon's not the type to go to art museums, but the Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas, is right up his alley. An ode to that sharpest of American inventions, barbed wire, it used to be a brassiere factory in the 1940s, he says. Best of all, it's free.

The tiny town of Gothenburg, the "Pony Express Capital of Nebraska," is worth a stop for its station museum.

The Henry Ford Museum is another favorite, good for road trippers from Chicago. It's actually in Dearborn, Michigan, nearly 300 miles east, but with Gordon's internal gauge, anything within a few hundred miles is certainly worth a side trip, he says. (We're sure Ford would be proud).

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.

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

Striking "Gold" in the Cresent City

Today's postcard from contributing editor Andrew Nelson leaves us longing for something shiny:

New Orleans' onetime U.S. Mint (400 Esplanade; 800 568 6968) has struck gold again, only this time it's a special exhibit devoted to the precious metal. "Gold," which opened this month, marks the Mint's grand reopening, having been closed since Hurricane Katrina peeled back the building's copper roof, allowing rain to damage the interior. Located in the French Quarter, the Mint was built under President Andrew Jackson. It operated until 1909, and later became part of Louisiana's State Museum. The exhibit documents the use of the metal and its place in the human psyche. Objects include jewelery from Cartier and Tiffany's and the gold cigar box of King Farouk of Egypt.

"The coolest artifact for me is the Eureka Bar," says director of exhibits Sam Rykels. "It's an 88-pound gold bar, but looks like an oversize brick. It's the last bar from the California gold rush. It was lost in a shipwreck and recovered recently."

Photo: The Louisiana State Museum

Tour Guide: Ghosts

Do you believe in ghosts? Whether you do or not, around this time of year we like to give ghosts the benefit of the doubt. Here are some tours that will leave the hair standing on your neck this Halloween.

Alexandria, Virginia: Check out Old Town Alexandria to catch a glimpse of the spirit of Robert E. Lee in his boyhood home, or the 19th-century bride who burned to death just days before her wedding at the House in the Country building on North Fairfax Street. The colonial city’s Ghost & Graveyard Tours take place all year, but they also give special Halloween tours “with a twist” on October 26, 27, 28, and 31.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Watch out for the specters of Civil War soldiers at one of the nation’s most haunted battlefields. “Sleepy Hollow of Gettysburg” tours are operated by the sixth-generation granddaughter of the owner of the battle site of Pickett’s Charge. Or, get free use of electronic ghost finders on a tour through Gettysburg.

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

New Orleans' Haus Party

Perhaps we've got beer on the brain this week, but our ever-wandering contributing editor Andrew Nelson reports that one haven for stein-guzzlers in New Orleans may be in jeopardy:

Hurricane Katrina destroyed many historic structures in New Orleans, but the latest storm brewing in the city is over a new hospital that's threatening yet another classic landmark. For eight decades the Deutsches Haus (200 South Galvez St.; +1 504 522 8014) has been the site of many an Oktoberfest in its classic beer garden—a tradition in the Crescent City that's been going on at least as long as the Mardi Gras celebrations. "The beer gardens were big in New Orleans when German immigrants first arrived here in the 1830s," says Alecia Long, a historian with Louisiana State University (LSU). "The Deutsches Haus is the last survivor of a very nice, family-oriented custom."

The Haus, which has been at its current site in the Mid-City neighborhood since 1928 and underwent a painstaking restoration after Katrina, is now being threatened by demolition by a new LSU and Veterans Administration medical complex. The 475 members of the Haus are working to ensure the city's German culture is protected; they aren't opposed to the complex, but hope a compromise can be found before another piece of authentic New Orleans vanishes in the winds of change. Visitors should hurry. The last weekend of the Oktoberfest is this Friday and Saturday night (October 26-27th).

Check out here for more on New Orleans culinary comeback from Katrina, and here for more great places to see when you're in town.

Photos: Courtesy of the Deutsches Haus

New Orleans' Culinary Comeback

Here at IT we like to talk about food, about places that are up and coming, long established, or are just hitting their stride. But what about restaurants that get knocked off their feet suddenly -- what does it take for them to rebuild and what is the impact on the community? We're thinking about New Orleans. Jazz and Mardi Gras aside, it's Nola's unique cuisine that always tickled our tastebuds. Is the city's legendary culinary culture making a comeback?

Thankfully, our questions were answered when we heard about a traveling exhibit by the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Originally commissioned for the 2006 James Beard Awards in New York, "Restaurant Restorative" documents the experiences of restaurant owners and as they try to rebuild and reopen after Katrina.

By last spring, only 40 percent of New Orleans' 3,414 restaurants were back in the kitchen, according to the museum. For more recent updates, New Orleans radio personality Tom Fitzmorris lovingly keeps tabs on local restaurants on his website. But it's clear from looking at the exhibit online, (as a PDF), that it's not just about po'boys, soul food, and turtle soup. (Or the gumbo -- did we mention the gumbo?!) These restaurants are places of community and sources of comfort. It's Southern history-by-recipe, passed down from generation to generation.

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.

Cool Beans

Currently en route from Texas to Saratoga Springs (with a stop at HQ), contributing writer Andrew Nelson sends us a dispatch from Dixie:

On the road, I'm always pleased by the psychic "right on" when I stumble across something authentic and tasty. I was on a roll, driving down Interstate 65 through L.A. (that's Lower Alabama to those who thought California) and pulled into Montgomery, the state capital, where I spotted Cool Beans, an independently owned coffee shop on downtown's Montgomery Street. The Wi-Fi was copious, as was the parking (25 cents gets you anywhere from 30 minute to an hour at the meter). The café served the usual assortment of organic fruit (purchased from local farms), large muffins, and hot coffee in medium and dark roasts. But what put the "cool" in Cool Beans was the baristas, who, when asked, cut and served a few slices of home-grown tomatoes at no charge along with the order for bagels, which were not the flat, too-chewy bagels one frequently encounters on the road. The local patrons were no less obliging, dispensing with travel advice, local lore, and dire warnings on Atlanta's traffic.

IT spoke to the owner, Shari Rossmann, and found out she's a native New Yorker, transplanted to Montgomery. That explains why she has the city's famous H&H Bagels flown in frozen and bakes them on the premises. Rossmann says she couldn't convince Starbucks to open a branch in downtown Montgomery, so in 2004,  she opened her own coffee shop. Since then, four Starbucks have sprouted up in Montgomery's suburbs, she says. But no matter: Cool Beans has live jazz on Fridays, fresh soup daily, whole grains, and a whole lot of character.

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.

IT's Fishy

As much as we like food, IT tries to stay healthy. Each day for lunch, Jessie sticks to vegetarian concoctions of chickpeas and spinach, while Emily generally fills up on $4 salads from the NGS cafeteria. We do this so that when we travel, we can eat what we want—be it cheesy tacos or key lime pie. Here, Emily writes about one such indulgence (there were many!) from her trip to Mississippi:

While traveling, I'm on a quest for the unique, especially when it comes to food. So, when my hosts told me about Jerry's Catfish House in Florence, Mississippi, I pleaded that we go. I mean, how many times in my life would I have a chance to go inside a giant concrete igloo, filled with more than 350 other people dining on all-you-can-eat plates of catfish? The idea was compelling—the experience even more so. We arrived early on a Saturday night—Jerry's is about 20 miles south of Jackson, just off Highway 49.  According to my hosts, we were lucky we didn't have to wait. 'On Friday nights, the line can reach out to here,' said Arnold, pointing to a spot 100 feet or so from the entrance, 'On those nights, we just turn around and go home.'

Beach Bargains

Half of IT is headed to the beach for Memorial Day weekend—lucky for Emily, she's staying with friends in their timeshare. But for those of you paying your own way, we've located an article on Smarter Travel (thanks Gadling) with a list of five hidden, affordable beach destinations. They suggest:

Anna Maria Island, Florida The hidden beach destination Floridians escape to, Anna Maria Island has somehow managed to keep condo towers, all-fast-food chains, amusement parks, and glitzy mega-resorts off its shores. In fact, no construction on this seven-mile [11-kilometer] long barrier island on Florida's Gulf Coast is more than three stories tall, Subway is the only franchise, and 60 percent of its land is open beach. And, it's affordable, especially in the summer. You can rent vacation homes with water views and pools for well under $1,000 per week and get seafood entrees at beachfront restaurants for under $15.

Spring Break in the Sunshine State

We bloggers weren't the only Traveler staffers to take inspiration from college students last month. This entry from online editor Kathie Gartrell came in just as we were taking off for our spring breaks in Japan and Texas, respectively, so we weren't able to serve it up quite as fresh as those oranges on the Florida's Natural box. Like those oranges though, her trip was so juicy it still tastes good after a little while on ice. Take a sip:

My husband I recently took our own spring break road trip—an 1,100-mile (1,770-kilometer) drive from Wheaton, Maryland, to my dad's place south of Naples, Florida. Call me crazy, but I enjoy stopping at a Cracker Barrel for quick hot meals (not to mention a chance to buy some Bobs Mint Sticks and play the Cracker Barrel Peg Game) and spending the night in a Hampton Inn along the way. Although we don't usually stop at any roadside attractions, we love reading the enticing billboards. Our favorite: the kazillion signs leading to South Carolina's South of the Border flea market/amusement park/roadside resort. They all feature Pedro, a lovable Mexican cartoon-character. One of my favorites: 'Keep Yelling Kids (They'll Stop).'

Traipsing Through Tourist Traps

Moving on is the way of all interns, but we here at IT have never been very good at dealing with the departure of our key allies in the war on boredom (i.e. blogging). After all, one of us was a Traveler intern who managed to never leave; why can't all the others follow suit? In order to alleviate some of the pain caused by intern Katie Howell's departure, we're running one of the blog entries she bequeathed us before beetling off to Turkey:

In my former life as a geology grad student, I found myself crisscrossing the continent several times in search of fabulous rock outcrops and out-of-the-way mountain ranges. In doing so, I spent many a long day seeing only tumbleweed as scenery. My solution to fight eight-hours-on-an-interstate boredom: Stop at every side-of-the-highway tourist trap that came along. So I'll admit, I've seen a few: the world's largest ball of twine, a Davy Crockett statue in a town he never set foot in, and a creepy wax museum in Natural Bridge, Virginia, to name a few. Needless to say, when I get bored on a long drive, it doesn't take much to lure me off the interstate. Here's a rundown of my favorite tourist trap detours.

 

IT's Dirty

Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans will soon be in as full swing as before Hurricane Katrina. However, Katie Howell won't be eating king cake with Taylor Hicks and James Gandolfini this Fat Tuesday (February 20); instead, she'll be wearing some Big Easy-themed apparel to bring a little piece of the Carnival celebration to D.C. Here, she writes about her favorite witty T-shirts:

Dirty Coast Press, one of the greatest things to come out of New Orleans post-Katrina, has been plastering the world since January 2006 with their 'Be a New Orleanian. Wherever you are.' stickers. The stickers have cropped up everywhere from the Big Apple to the Berlin World Cup to Brad Pitt's script folders. And their T-shirts have become wildly popular as well. Not your average, cheesy three-for-$10 French Quarter rags, Dirty Coast's shirts boast messages to 'keep NOLA on folks' minds.'

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.

Unvanquished Mississippi

Before she left to visit her family in Oxford, Mississippi, IT asked Katie Howell to apply the Traveler eye to her own hometown and write a blog entry for us about literary Mississippi (try saying that five times fast):

Oxford has always been rich in literary tradition and the adopted home to aspiring writers, so I decided to forgo the Civil War and Civil Rights attractions around town and limit my sightseeing to literary landmarks. Our most famous son, William Faulkner, was born about 35 miles (56 kilometers) away in New Albany, Mississippi, but spent the majority of his adult life in Oxford. So I began my literary tour at his home, Rowan Oak, located just off the University of Mississippi's campus and the town's square. There, I wandered the grounds and walked up the cedar-lined front pathway, remembering a ghost story I'd been told as a child about a girl who'd flung herself from the second-story balcony because of an ill-fated love affair with a Union soldier. Her ghost is said to roam the estate. Inside the recently restored house, which the Unvanquished author bought in 1930 and lived in off and on until his death in 1962, I saw Faulkner's boots, his typewriter and, most unusual, the outline of his Pulitzer Prize-winning A Fable penciled on the wall of the study in the back corner of the house.