Travel Places Guide

Archive for November, 2009

In summer, the Grand Canyon is the Disney World of national parks, with crowds and traffic jams. In winter, it’s a peaceful, if still awe-inspiring, retreat for its few visitors.

Barbados [Photo by rgtmum/Flickr]

·Old-fashioned charm on Barbados’ west coast [Telegraph]
·Orson Welles to ice skating: goings on around LA [LAist]
·Travel books perfect for holiday gifting [USAToday]
·A gastronomical tour of Paris that dates back a century [NYT]
·The world’s best business hotels [MSNBC]

You don’t have to be rich to eat at one of New York’s most expensive restaurants, just willing to spend the better part of the rent money on a dinner you might remember for the rest of your life. There are a dozen or so restaurants in town — all of them either French or Asian for some reason — where you could drop a thousand bucks on dinner for two without much effort, and the sky’s really the limit when those rare bottles of wine come out. Naturally, you can’t help but wonder whether any meal is worth that kind of money. And now that it’s the holiday season, why treat yourself or the one you love with an unforgettable meal. Here’s a random sampling of New York restaurants where if you have to ask how much it costs, you probably can’t afford it.

Even in the face of rapid development, this funky college town still clings to its eccentric roots.

One of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot the Minneapolis, Minnesota, airport last month told air traffic control that they had dropped from radio contact because of “cockpit distraction.”

With three main resorts and a range of rural spots to stay in, Lanzarote has something for everyone. Over its forty year history as a popular tourist destination it has developed a range of accommodation to suit every budget and taste. From five star hotels with luxurious tropical gardens to self-catering apartments in Lanzarote that provide a good base for those who like to get out and explore.

And there is plenty worth leaving the side of the pool to see. As the island has been carefully controlled in terms of development, thus avoiding the worst aspects of catering to its million plus annual visitors, with no tower blocks or billboard posters to clutter the horizon. These visual eyesores have been banned, thanks to the visionary understanding that one man brought to tourist developments back in the late 1960’s.

That man was a locally born artist, César Manrique. Who spent several years in the US and Europe before returning to Lanzarote just as mass tourism was beginning to have an impact here. With the help of influential friends in the government he was able to steer the entire island’s future in a very specific way.

Because his interventions not only included shaping what couldn’t be done, but also involved creating several tourist attractions that continue to amaze visitors today. Such as the incredible look out post at the Mirador del Rio. Based right at the northern tip of the island, the Mirador overlooks the neighbouring island of La Graciosa. Lanzarote car hire is cheap so there´s no excuse for not getting out and exploring the island.

But it isn’t simply the view that one gets from the Mirador that is worth commenting on. The building’s design itself incorporates Manrique’s main themes of blending into its environment, so that it becomes difficult to see where the building ends and the countryside surrounding it begins. Most of his projects use curves, rather than straight lines, to mirror the natural world.

For those who prefer a more active type of holiday, there is no shortage of sporting activities on offer. Everything from golf to sailing to surfing can be enjoyed all year round, due to the benign climate Lanzarote enjoys. As part of the Canary Islands, it is in the warmest corner of Europe, with year round Spring like weather. Making it a favourite spot for training athletes and Iron Man competitors every year.

Which is also great news for the sun-starved, as it means the island is an ideal place to come for winter sun. With flights to Lanzarote available from across mainland Europe, it is also far more easily reached than the Caribbean or other far flung destinations.

Resorts and tour operators around the world are making it easy for travelers to get involved and help out in the communities they visit. Closer to home, Disney has developed a program that rewards volunteers with park tickets.