Photographed by Doug Dolde

at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

in March, 2009.

Contax 645, 140mm, Leaf Aptus 75S

More images from this location at
http://www.douglasdolde.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GRANDCANYONBW.jpg

Grand Canyon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon

36 Hours: Park City, Utah

February 2, 2012
The New York Times
By DENNY LEE

TO ski or not to ski. That’s the luxury of Park City, Utah, the rare ski resort that offers lively diversions on and off the slopes. Historic Main Street still evokes a silver mining town, with local delis mixed in among upscale restaurants and fashion boutiques. And thanks to constant refinements, the powdery slopes remain a favorite of hard-core ski bums — not to mention the United States Ski Team, which calls Park City home — and the fur-trimmed celebrities who invade during the Sundance Film Festival. But its best asset may be location: Park City is 30 minutes from Salt Lake City and a short hop to several of the most popular slopes in the Rockies.

Friday

4:30 p.m.
1. FORAGING ON MAIN

As dusk shrouds the Wasatch Range, the Old West-style storefronts of Main Street light up with the hubbub of shoppers and après-skiers. Wedged among the ski shops and real estate windows are a sprinkling of stylish newcomers. Flight Boutique (562 Main Street; 435-604-0806; flightclothing.blogspot.com) carries such brands as Elizabeth & James, and Theory, with nothing on its second floor priced above $100; a second store opened this spring at 577 Main Street. Another fashionable addition is Cake Boutique (511 Main Street; 435-649-1256; shopcakeboutique.com), which carries brands like Rag & Bone. For local culture, the Kimball Art Center (638 Park Avenue; 435-649-8882; kimballartcenter.org) is the region’s nonprofit arts anchor, housed in a historic stable.

6 p.m.
2. DINING CAMP

The buttermilk fried chicken is free-range, organic and, in all likelihood, raised in Utah. Yes, hipster fare has arrived in Park City, and it comes at a steep price at Talisker on Main (515 Main Street; 435-658-5479; taliskeronmain.com), a fine but casual restaurant that ranks among the town’s best. Clever dishes might include lobster hush puppies and short rib shepherd’s pie, with entrees hovering around $35. The décor also invokes whimsy. With its tin ceilings and checkerboard floors, the cozy dining room feels like an English clubhouse squeezed inside an ice cream parlor. Service is crisp yet relaxed, with a dress code that welcomes both fur coats and wool beanies.

8 p.m.
3. SHOW TIME

Channel Sundance’s glamour at the Egyptian Theater (328 Main Street; 435-649-9371; egyptiantheatrecompany.org), the pharaoh-themed landmark in the middle of town. When the 1926 theater isn’t used for red carpet premieres, it features concerts, comedy acts and other live performances. Check its Web site for coming shows. For a more cinematic experience, the Park City Film Series (1255 Park Avenue; 435-615-8291; parkcityfilmseries.com) offers a stellar lineup of indie films at the Park City Library Building.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4. TOWN LIFT

One of the underappreciated things about Park City is that the entire town is practically ski in/ski out. A quad lift on Main Street whisks riders to the Park City Mountain Resort (parkcitymountain.com), so if you’re staying in town, there’s no need for parking or shuttles. There are 3,300 acres of terrain to cover, so it’s a good idea to check the morning’s grooming reports before clicking in. Warm up on the Crescent and King Con mountain zones before tackling the black diamonds.

1 p.m.
5. DINE IN/SKI OUT

The town lift goes both ways, so if you’re hankering for more than just burgers and pizzas, skip the slopeside cafeterias and ski into town for a more civilized lunch. For upscale fare in a dress-down setting, waddle over to Zoom (660 Main Street; 435-649-9108; zoomparkcity.com). Opened by Robert Redford in a former train depot, Zoom offered refined American fare like braised lamb shank ($35) and fish tacos ($14). After lunch, just hop back onto the lift. Trails can get packed along the lower runs, so work your way to the right side of the trail map.

5 p.m.
6. GETTING STEAMED

After an exhausting day of skiing, there’s nothing like soaking half-naked with a bunch of tipsy strangers. That’s the idea anyway at SkyBlue, the rooftop bar at the Sky Lodge, Park City’s hippest hotel (201 Heber Avenue; 435-658-2500; theskylodge.com). Since last winter, the hotel opened its large outdoor hot tub, which looks out onto the Wasatch Range, to nonguests. Black terry robes are provided. The fancy, cocktail-free version of that is found at Spa Montage in Deer Valley (9100 Marsac Avenue; 435-604-1300; spamontage.com), a Roman-style wellness center with steaming whirlpools, volcanic saunas, massage services and a quiet room for a little nap. Day passes for $40.

8 p.m.
7. WESTERN BEEF

As Utah’s first distillery since Prohibition, the High West Distillery and Saloon (703 Park Avenue; 435-649-8300; highwest.com) gets high marks for its small-batch whiskeys and vodkas. But it also gets props for its Western-inspired menu, which includes nouveau cowboy fare like dry-aged bison with a porcini sauce and pan-seared trout. Try the tasting menu, which pairs a five-course dinner with individual whiskeys. Another option, for those seeking a more club-like atmosphere, is Silver (508 Main Street; 435-940-1000; silverrestaurant.com), a three-story restaurant that draws the martini set with sleek décor, D.J. booths and a young-at-heart mood. The grilled arctic char is pretty good ($25).

10 p.m.
8. ROUGH AND TUMBLE

The brothels and casinos are long gone, but party seekers won’t have any trouble finding a bar stool or a dance floor to keep the night going. An old reliable is the No Name Saloon (447 Main Street; 435-649-6667; nonamesaloon.net), a packed and friendly spot with the motto “Helping People Forget Their Names Since 1903.” For a younger singles crowd, follow the cologne trail to Downstairs (625 Main Street; 435-226-5340; downstairspc.com), a throbbing disco partly owned by Danny Masterson, the curly-haired actor from “That ’70s Show.” Expect bottle service, waitresses who dance on tables and guys who fist pump to rap music.

Sunday

9:30 a.m.
9. GO FOR GOLD

See how the pros do it. Built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the vertiginous Utah Olympic Park (3419 Olympic Parkway; 435-658-4200; olyparks.com) remains an active training center for Olympic-class skiers. Call ahead to see if anyone is barreling down the K120 Nordic ski jump. Or catch some air yourself: the park now offers Sunday ski clinics for intermediate skiers ($39). Speed demons, however, will gravitate toward another sport: the Comet Bobsled. The mile-long track offers 80-mile-per-hour speeds and up to five G’s of force. It is $200 a person, and reservations can be made online. Those with heart problems may want to stand on the sidelines.

Noon
10. GRANDER CANYONS

If you have time to ski only one other resort, point your tips toward Canyons (canyonsresort.com), just north of Park City. The resort has undergone huge upgrades in recent years, and now counts 4,000 acres of terrain — so wide that it had trouble fitting it all on a trail map. Start at the new Orange Bubble lift, a covered, heated chairlift that feels like riding inside a pair of toasty ski goggles. At the summit lookout, direct your gaze at Iron Mountain, the resort’s ninth and newest peak. To ski there, connect the trails that lead to the left side of the map. It’s a veritable winter wonderland.

IF YOU GO

In Park City, the Sky Lodge (201 Heber Avenue; 435-658-2500; theskylodge.com) is a sleek condo-hotel with 33 suites that opened in December 2007. Suites offer private hot tubs, kitchens, dining tables and even some pool tables. Rates start at $600.

The Waldorf Astoria Park City (2100 Frostwood Drive; 435-647-5500; parkcitywaldorfastoria.com), in Canyons, has 174 luxurious guest rooms, many with outdoor decks, high-end kitchens and travertine-tiled bathrooms. Rates from $669.

In Deer Valley, Montage Deer Valley (9100 Marsac Avenue; 435-604-1300; montagedeervalley.com) opened in December 2010 with 154 opulent and spacious rooms equipped with gas fireplaces, private balconies and bathrooms that look like a Restoration Hardware catalog. The spa offers 35,000 square feet of pampering. Rates start at $720.

For a quirky, more affordable stay in Park City, the Treasure Mountain Inn (255 Main Street; 435 655-4501; treasuremountaininn.com) is a clean, eco-friendly place with a mom-and-pop staff and a diverse clientele. Junior suites start at $275.

    36 Hours: Park City, Utah, NYT, 2.2.2012,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/travel/36-hours-park-city-utah.html

36 Hours: Cambridge, Mass.

December 22, 2011
The New York Times
By FREDA MOON

WHEN the leaves have fallen and the winter chill has set in, many small cities slip into a prolonged hibernation. But Cambridge barely misses a beat. During the holidays, tree branches are strung with tiny white lights, and local theater productions celebrate the season. A city of bookstores and coffeehouses, art-house cinemas and eclectic neighborhood bars, the People’s Republic of Cambridge has traded its Puritan past for a dynamic, cosmopolitan present. Spread out along the tree-lined shore of the Charles River, the city is a dense collection of grand Federal and Greek Revival mansions and modest century-old bungalows, modern office towers and brick dormitories. Nicknamed Boston’s Left Bank for its bohemian image, Cambridge is easy to caricature, but hard to dislike.

Friday


2:30 p.m.
1. A BEAUTIFUL MIND

Famous for turning out brilliant graduates, world-altering innovations and jaw-dropping pranks, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a secular temple to the sciences. The M.I.T. Museum (265 Massachusetts Avenue; 617-253-5927; web.mit.edu/museum; admission, $8.50), which was expanded in 2007 to include the new 5,000-square-foot Mark Epstein Innovation Gallery, celebrates the institute’s creative output and offbeat culture in exhibits on everything from an emotive robot and motion-sensitive holograms to model ships and Polaroid cameras.

4 p.m.
2. BUNDLE UP

Grab your coat and gloves and take a spin around the amoeba-shaped rink at Kendall Square Community Skating (300 Athenaeum Street; kendallsquare.org/play; admission, $5, $1 child; skate rental, $8 a pair). The Frog Pond, across the Charles River in Boston Common, is better known, but Cambridge’s comparably humble slab of ice — surrounded by high-rise buildings and trees draped in white lights — has its own charm. For a stunning sunset glimpse of the Cambridge-Boston skyline from above the water, stay bundled and take a walk across the Harvard Bridge, at the southeast end of Massachusetts Avenue.

7 p.m.
3. JACKET AND TIE

Warm up with an old-fashioned cocktail at Cuchi Cuchi (795 Main Street; 617-864-2929; cuchicuchi.cc), a mood-lighted, belle-époque-themed bar that serves vintage drinks like the Pendennis Club Cocktail (gin, apricot brandy, lime juice and Peychauds bitters, $10), borrowed from the 1928 menu of a Louisville, Ky., men’s club. For dinner, splurge on a multicourse prix-fixe meal at Craigie on Main (853 Main Street; 617-497-5511; craigieonmain.com), where well-heeled Cantabrigians are treated to the locavore vision of the chef, Tony Maws, who won a James Beard award earlier this year. The restaurant has a jacket-and-tie (not required) clientele and the prices to match: the six-course “Craigie Experience” tasting menu will put you out $95, while the eight-course “Ultimate” experience is $115.

9:30 p.m.
4. OF GODS AND ICE CREAM

Loosen your belt for a stop at Toscanini’s (899 Main Street; 617-491-5877; tosci.com), where you’ll find impossibly rich house-made ice cream in flavors like salted saffron or double chocolate stout (from $3.50). Afterward, settle into one of the thronelike chairs at River Gods (125 River Street; 617-576-1881; rivergodsonline.com), a neighborhood pub where D.J.’s spin an esoteric mix of music, from ’60s French pop to Bollywood funk, surrounded by gilded angels and stuffed nun dolls in a scene that’s not unlike a house party at a Bizarro World rectory.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5. THE BRIGHT SIDE

Arrive early to snag one of the seven tables at Sofra Bakery and Cafe (1 Belmont Street; 617-661-3161; sofrabakery.com). Despite an out-of-the way location on the border with Belmont, this tiny Eastern Mediterranean bakery-restaurant overflows on weekends, when locals line up for exotic dishes, like a poached egg in a delicate nest of fried phyllo dough ($9) or flatbread stuffed with red lentil kofte (spiced meatballs) with zhoug (hot chili sauce) and a celery root slaw ($7). On crisp, clear winter days, the sun shines through the bakery’s windows and patrons sip Turkish coffee from miniature cups. Sweets like Aleppo peanut bark ($16) and preserves like green tomato chutney ($10) make delicious gifts.

11:30 a.m.
6. OLD SCHOOL

The Classic Hahvahd Tour (1376 Massachusetts Avenue; harvardtour.com; $10 per person, $20 per family) is a theatrical 70-minute crash course in Harvard history. Undergraduate guides deliver the tour script with comic timing and answer questions with patience and candor. Currently, the tour excludes Harvard’s famous Yard, which has been converted into a campground by student members of the Occupy movement. For lunch, head to Alive and Kicking (269 Putnam Avenue; 617-876-0451) for a classic New England lobster sandwich — two pieces of toasted sesame-crusted white bread overflowing with generous chunks of fresh lobster ($13) — eaten in a no-frills urban fish shack: a converted carport with picnic tables, heating lamps and wood cut-outs of fish and seagulls.

2 p.m.
7. THE REVOLUTION LIVES

Walk along Massachusetts Avenue to the narrow, black-painted staircase of Revolution Books (1158 Massachusetts Avenue, second floor; 617-492-5443; revolutionbookscamb.org), a hole-in-the-wall shop run by the Revolutionary Communist Party, where you’ll find everything from mainstream nonfiction to political manifestoes. Afterward, pull up a stool at the People’s Republik (876-878 Massachusetts Avenue; 617-491-6969; peoplesrepublik.com), a Communist-themed bar with Soviet and Maoist propaganda posters on the walls.

6 p.m.
8. DOWN SOUTH

Cambridge may not be the first place you think of to indulge in boiled peanuts, shrimp and grits or barbecued beef tongue, but Hungry Mother (233 Cardinal Medeiros Avenue; 617-499-0090; hungrymothercambridge.com) has some of the Northeast’s best Southern food. The chef, Barry Maiden, is a Virginia native, and his restaurant honors his home state at every turn — from the name, which is taken from a Virginia state park, to the Cardinal motif on the menus and the now-familiar grandma-chic aesthetic. Opened in 2008, Hungry Mother was financed, in part, by small donations (donors’ names grace a wall beside the bar), and there’s something in its easy welcome that feels unpretentious and sincere.

8 p.m.
9. GET FOLKSY

Since the 1950s, Club Passim (47 Palmer Street; 617-492-5300; clubpassim.org), a dark basement space on an alley off Harvard Square, has drawn musical greats. This legendary spot got its start as a jazz club called Club 47, which later became a folk venue, hosting everyone from Joan Baez, who got her start here at 17, to Bob Dylan, whom Baez would later introduce to her hometown crowd. It’s now a nonprofit; there’s live music every night (ticket prices vary) and, after many dry years, a beer and wine license.

10 p.m.
10. DISCO FABULOUS

Dance with the Donkey Show, a shimmering, intoxicating disco-opera adaptation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Oberon (2 Arrow Street; 617-496-8004; cluboberon.com), the new “nightclub theater” that’s the carefree second stage to the American Repertory Theater. The performance is an interactive event where actor-dancers are distinguishable from the audience only by their ’70s get-ups. For a tasty, nongreasy midnight snack or a $3 local Notch beer, duck into Clover Food Lab (7 Holyoke Street, cloverfoodlab.com). Founded by an M.I.T. grad, Clover is a food truck phenomenon turned storefront fast-food joint. The menu — meatless dishes like chickpea patty sandwiches, spicy carrot soup and rosemary French fries — is healthy and cheap enough to sustain the student body.

Sunday

11 a.m.
11. THE UN-DIM SUM

For brunch, try the crispy pork belly, mantou bread with pickled vegetables, or pork and kale shumai (dumplings) with carrot purée at East by Northeast (1128 Cambridge Street; 617-876-0286; exnecambridge.com), where small plates are described as Chinese-style tapas. The Chinese-American chef Phillip Tang makes all noodles and dumpling wrappers there. Wash them down with the brunch bloody mary with Chinese peppercorn vodka and Sriracha ($9) or the pear, ginger and prosecco cocktail ($9).

12 p.m.
12. A RESTFUL PLACE

Before leaving town, take a walk among the historic gravestones of Buckminster Fuller, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Winslow Homer and the abolitionist Harriet Jacobs, among many others, at the 175-acre Mount Auburn Cemetery (580 Mount Auburn Street; 617-547-7105; mountauburn.org), founded in 1831. The grounds are home to hundreds of varieties of trees and gorgeously maintained gardens.

    36 Hours: Cambridge, Mass., NYT, 22.12.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/travel/36-hours-cambridge-mass.html

36 Hours in Albuquerque

October 20, 2011
The New York Times
By ZORA O’NEILL

FREE association with “Albuquerque” used to yield “Bugs Bunny” and “that airport you go through to get to Santa Fe.” But New Mexico’s biggest city has come into its own in recent years. Thanks to tax breaks and great scenery, the TV and film industry is booming: Joss Whedon’s mega-budget “Avengers” wrapped here this summer, and next year, “Breaking Bad” starts shooting its fifth season with Albuquerque as a backdrop. For visitors, the sprawl can seem daunting, but it is tempered by new bike paths. On the main drag, Central Avenue, neon signs from Route 66’s heyday glow over revitalized, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. And along the banks of the Rio Grande, lush farmland provides a quiet oasis, not to mention heirloom beans, corn and more to feed the city’s vibrant organic movement.

Friday

3 p.m.

1. MOTHER ROAD

At night, for better or worse, Albuquerque’s revived downtown can be a bleary seven-block bar crawl. By day, though, you can appreciate the ornate buildings financed by the railroad boom, like the exuberant Pueblo Deco style of the KiMo Theater (423 Central Avenue Northwest; 505-768-3522; cabq.gov/kimo), which opened as a movie palace in 1927 and is now the city’s public arts center. Enter through the business office to admire cow skull wall sconces and pueblo drum chandeliers. Another daytime attraction: classic shops like Maisel’s (510 Central Avenue Southwest; 505-242-6526; skip-maisels.com), an emporium of American Indian crafts that’s just the place to pick up a turquoise-and-silver bolo tie. Look for the ’30s murals above the display windows, by artists from surrounding pueblos. Across the street, is the old-timey Man’s Hat Shop (511 Central Avenue Northwest; 505-247-9605; manshatshop.com) stacked to the ceiling with ten-gallons, fedoras and more.

6 p.m.

2. HEALING POTIONS

Go early to get a seat along the edge of the roof deck at Albuquerque’s newest hotel, the Parq Central, a renovated 1926 hospital for railroad employees, tuberculosis invalids and mental patients. The menu at its Apothecary Lounge (806 Central Avenue Southeast; 505-242-0040; hotelparqcentral.com) notes the place is “not a licensed pharmacy.” Instead, it prescribes a dreamy margarita made with prickly-pear juice and elderflower liqueur ($11). As the sun sets, watch the east-side Sandia (“Watermelon”) Mountains turn a luscious shade of pink.

8 p.m.

3. HOME GROWN

For a taste of old-school Albuquerque, head to Golden Crown Panaderia (1103 Mountain Road Northwest; 505-243-2424; goldencrown.biz), for empanadas, Mexican-style bolillos and pizza with blue corn or green chili crust ($6). Salads ($9) are tossed with greens snipped from a tangled indoor garden. For dessert, get a classic anise-laced biscochito cookie (35 cents, if the hospitable owner Pratt Morales didn’t hand you one as you walked in) and a double-shot espresso milkshake ($6.05).

10 p.m.

4. BEER RUN

The drinking wing of Marble Brewery is called Marble Pub (111 Marble Street Northwest; 505-243-2739; marblebrewery.com), and it is a consummate New Mexican bar: benches, banjo players or salsa drummers, and lots of dogs. Rehydrate, after dancing, with a goblet of barrel-aged ale ($7). Over in the Nob Hill district, east of the University of New Mexico, the longer-established brewpub Kellys (3222 Central Avenue Southeast; 505-262-2739; kellysbrewpub.com) is set in a 1939 Ford service station. Find a seat outside, weather permitting, by the vintage gas pumps and watch the fashion parade: flip-flops, graying ponytails, lavish tattoos.

Saturday

9 a.m.

5. LUCKY STRIKE

In many cities, a bowling alley location, farm-to-table produce and a chef-owner with Chez Panisse credentials would add up to hipster overload. But in Albuquerque, Ezra’s Place (6132 Fourth Street Northwest; 505-344-1917) is just another family restaurant, one of three run by Dennis Apodaca and his clan. A fluorescent-lighted room overlooking Lucky 66 Lanes, Ezra’s offers lacy blueberry pancakes with pine-nut butter ($10), and eclectic Mexican dishes (duck enchiladas with tomatillo-serrano salsa, $13). Sophia’s Place (6313 Fourth Street Northwest; 505-345-3935) has a similar menu, and better lighting. And new this year, Jo’s Place (6100-B Fourth Street Northwest; 505-341-4500) serves towering burgers and red chili-dusted fries.

10:30 a.m.

6. ROLLING ON THE RIVER

Sixteen paved miles of biking bliss, the Paseo del Bosque trail hugs the Rio Grande, the city’s lowlands. Pick up your wheels at Stevie’s Happy Bikes (4583 Corrales Road; 505-897-7900; corralesbikeshop.com, from $25 a day) — perhaps a retro three-speed tandem? Stevie can suggest a route, zigzagging along the tree-lined irrigation channels of Corrales, a village within the city, to reach the trail. One destination is Los Poblanos Farm Shop (4803 Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest; 505-938-2192), which stocks lavender soaps and salves.

3 p.m.

7. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG

Even if a faux-trolley tour bus doesn’t normally appeal to you, hop aboard the adobe-look ABQ Trolley (303 Romero Street Northwest; 505-240-8000; abqtrolley.com). The two owner-operators (one talks and the other drives and rings the bell) return happy waves from locals and blast Chuck Berry as they cruise Route 66. The tour features locations for “Breaking Bad” and tales of a young Bill Gates, who co-founded Microsoft here with Paul Allen before he moved back to Seattle. Special outings share Albuquerque lore in the form of talks on public art, ghost stories around Halloween, and tours to see holiday luminarias, the paper-bag lanterns that cast a glow on winter nights.

6 p.m.

8. RED MEAT

Carne adovada — pork stewed in earthy New Mexican red chili — is the lifeblood of Mary & Tito’s (2711 Fourth Street Northwest; 505-344-6266; maryandtitos.com). Its recipe hasn’t changed in decades, nor has its décor — qualities lauded with a 2010 James Beard America’s Classic award. Try the carne adovada, wrapped in flaky dough and fried ($6.95).

Sunday

5:45 a.m.

9. UP IN THE AIR

Since 1972, when the first Balloon Fiesta convened, Albuquerque has been hot-air balloon heaven, with friendly winds and ample sunshine. Take a dawn flight with Rainbow Ryders (505-823-1111; rainbowryders.com; from $150). The bird’s-eye view takes in the Sandias and dormant volcanoes, but most remarkable is the sensation of drifting just a few feet above the muddy waters of the Rio Grande. Your ride includes snacks and Champagne — a ballooning tradition, thanks to the sport’s French roots — but you’ll want to fortify yourself at the Grove (600 Central Avenue Southeast; 505-248-9800; thegrovecafemarket.com) before your next stop. Go for pancakes with raspberry jam from a local farm ($8.25) and a chocolate-date scone ($2.50).

10 a.m.

10. CHURCH MUSIC

Free espresso fuels the congregation at the Church of Beethoven (1715 Fifth Street Northwest; 505-234-4611; churchofbeethoven.org), a Sunday-morning chamber music series ($15) founded in 2008 by the cellist Felix Wurman just two years before his death. His vision of a weekly ritual without the strictures of religion has become one of the city’s best-loved musical events. Arrive early to score the best seats, a row of thrift shop easy chairs on one wall of the warehouse turned art space.

Noon

11. TOWER OF POWER

Stop off at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth Street Southwest; 505-246-2261; nhccnm.org) to see Frederico Vigil’s 4,000-square-foot fresco, covering the interior of an adobe defensive tower and depicting three millenniums of Hispanic culture. It was unveiled last fall after nearly a decade of work. The center’s diverse collection of contemporary art is free on Sundays.

1 p.m.

12. SWEET AND HOT

No trip to Albuquerque is complete without a meal (or several) at the 40-year-old Frontier Restaurant (2400 Central Avenue Southeast; 505-266-0550; frontierrestaurant.com), which occupies the better part of a city block. The Frontier’s walls are adorned with portraits of John Wayne and its booths occupied by every social stratum of the city. Standard order at the counter: breakfast burrito with bacon ($5.89), fresh-squeezed orange juice ($2.50) and a killer sweet roll ($1.69), dripping with molten cinnamon goo. You can even take a frozen pint of New Mexico green chili ($4.19) home on the plane.

IF YOU GO

Agriturismo, New Mexican style: Los Poblanos Inn (4803 Rio Grande Boulevard Northwest; 505-344-9297; lospoblanos.com; from $165) is set on acreage that supplies the city’s biggest organic farm-share program. The impeccable rooms balance brick and adobe with Alexander Girard textiles, and sumptuous breakfast and dinner (guests only) showcase the farm’s products.

Built in 1939 by the New Mexico native Conrad Hilton, the smart downtown Andaluz (125 Second Street Northwest; 505-242-9090; hotelandaluz.com; from $149) reopened in 2009 after a five-year eco-friendly overhaul. The 107 earth-tone rooms, with their faux-Moorish doorways and Frette linens, have hosted visiting Hollywood royalty.

    36 Hours in Albuquerque, NYT, 20.10.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/travel/36-hours-in-albuquerque.html

36 Hours in Ann Arbor, Mich.

October 6, 2011
The New York Times
By JENNIFER CONLIN

IT is not just the throngs of University of Michigan students dressed in maize and blue singing “Hail to the Victors” that makes Ann Arbor the ultimate college town each fall. Nor is it Michigan Stadium, with the largest attendance in the country (114,804 at one recent game), and recently renovated to the tune of $226 million. Rather it is the urban sophistication of this town — with its mix of restaurants, bars, boutiques, art-house movie theaters and world-class art museums — that keeps many University of Michigan alumni from leaving long after they have graduated. For travelers, the sheer energy and the abundance of cultural opportunities, from classical dance performances to bluegrass concerts, makes a fall visit here a good time to get into the college spirit, even if you’re not a student.

Friday

2 p.m.
1) OLD-TIME SHOPPING

Start your weekend in Nickels Arcade, an elegant glass-covered atrium that opened in 1918 and still houses businesses dating back more than 80 years. Van Boven Clothing (326 South State Street; 734-665-7228), for instance, is a men’s clothier that has long catered to well-dressed fraternity boys. The intimate Comet Coffee (16 Nickels Arcade; 734-222-0579) brews coffee from Ethiopia to El Salvador one cup at a time. Then cross State Street to Moe’s Sport Shop (711 North University Avenue; 734- 668-6915; moesportshops.com) to suit up for tomorrow’s game. “U of M” apparel has been sold here since 1915, and you’ll find such items as T-shirts and temporary “M” face tattoos.

3 p.m.
2) STUDENT SCENE

The Diag, as the open space on the central campus is called, is a leafy oasis intersected by sidewalks connecting academic buildings. Relax on a bench and take in the student scene, featuring everything from charity bucket drives to Ultimate Frisbee games. Just don’t step on the brass inlaid “M” in front of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library — lore has it that freshmen who step on it will earn an F on their first exam. Then visit the architecturally stunning Michigan Law School quadrangle (625 South State Street), which could easily stand in for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, as could the library’s Reading Room with its vaulted ceilings, oak wainscoting and stained glass windows.

5 p.m.
3) NEW NOSTALGIA

Between the Law School and the Ross School of Business you’ll find Dominick’s (812 Monroe Street; 734-662-5414), which has been serving students and the area’s aging hippie population ever since the ’60s, when the town was at the forefront of the Vietnam War protest movement. Though its picnic tables and booths are increasingly filled with entrepreneurs and M.B.A. candidates, everyone seems to enjoy the sangria served in jam jars on the patio. But avoid the temptation to eat here; instead head to Mark’s Carts (markscartsannarbor.com) — a jumble of ethnic food carts in a cozy courtyard on Washington Street between First and Ashley Streets, where, on Friday evenings throughout the fall, you can eat paella ($8) or tangy Thai slaw ($3) while listening to jazz, folk and rock performers.

8 p.m.
4) COOL CULTURE

The University Musical Society (ums.org) offers a range of dance, theater and musical productions performed at places that include the Hill Auditorium, with its superb acoustics and the small but elegant Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. But it is the Ark (316 South Main Street; 734-761-1818; theark.org), one of North America’s oldest nonprofit acoustic music clubs, that has developed an international reputation, not just for preserving American music (folk and bluegrass, in particular), but also for showcasing world music from Africa, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Tickets start at $10.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5) SUNNY SIDE UP

Beat the crowds at Angelo’s (1100 Catherine; 734-761-8996; angelosa2.com), where thick slices of raisin toast ($2.35) are second only to the pumpkin pancakes ($6.99). Work off the calories with a brisk walk to the Farmers’ Market (315 Detroit Street; tel: 734-794-6355), with stalls stocked with local products, from fruit-flavored syrups (rhubarb, peach, cantaloupe, $8.99) to wooden bird houses ($20).

Noon
6) PATIENCE & PUMPERNICKEL

Don’t be put off by the line outside Zingerman’s deli (422 Detroit Street; 734-663-3354; zingermansdeli.com); waiting is part of the experience. The friendly servers hand out nibbles of fresh bread, cheese and brownies while you decide which of the 99 sandwiches you want (most popular: Zingerman’s Reuben on Jewish rye, $15.50). Or cross the street to Monahan’s Seafood Market (407 North Fifth Avenue; 734-662-5118; monahansseafood.com) for an oyster po’ boy ($8.95) and fresh chowder ($4.95).

1 p.m.
7) FUN IN THE BIG HOUSE

Kickoff time varies between 1 and 4 p.m., depending on the college football broadcast schedule. Don’t show up at the Big House, as the stadium is called, ticketless. Buying seats ($70) in advance is a must for most of the seven or eight home games a season; tickets are available through the university’s athletic site, mgoblue.com. Though alcohol is not allowed, there is plenty of spirit in the cheering of “Let’s Go Blue” and the tunes played by the Michigan Marching Band. When football season is over, there is ice hockey in the winter, softball in the spring, and some 20 other sports, from water polo to wrestling.

5 p.m.
8) COCKTAIL CRAWL

Whether Michigan has won or lost, students hit the bars. Avoid South University and State Street (student hubs) and head to the more civilized Main Street (the place Bob Seger, who grew up in Ann Arbor, is actually singing about in the song “Mainstreet”). With dozens of night spots, it’s easy to find a martini or microbrew; one favorite is Palio (347 South Main: tel: 734-456-3463; paliorestaurant.com), where postgame parties erupt on the rooftop bar.

7 p.m.
9) THE GLOBAL GOURMET

If it is ethnic food you crave, try Pacific Rim (114 West Liberty Street; 734-662-9303; pacificrimbykana.com) whose pan-Asian menu includes a delicate tuna tartare with taro chips, and pan-seared quinoa-crusted scallops (dinner with wine, $50). Head to Logan (115 West Washington Street; 734-327-2312; logan-restaurant.com) for Gruyère custard with caramelized onions and tomatoes or wild boar Bolognese (dinner with wine, $50). If you want a quick bite, Frita Batidos (117 West Washington Street; 734-761-2882; fritabatidos.com) serves Cuban specialties like fritas (spicy burgers of chorizo, black bean, white fish, beef or turkey on a soft brioche for $7 and $8), and batidos, fresh fruit shakes, with sweetened milk, crushed ice and the option of rum.

9 p.m.
10) WILD AT DARK

Housed in an old brewery, the Cavern Club (210 South First Street; 734-913-8890; cavernclubannarbor.com) attracts some of the biggest bands and D.J.’s from metro Detroit (when a band is performing, $5; $10 for 18 to 21). Or check out the Michigan Theater (603 East Liberty Street; 734-668-8463; michtheater.org). Opened in 1928 as a vaudeville and silent movie palace, it now offers live entertainment (the Ann Arbor Symphony performs here regularly), as well as independent films. Night owls will appreciate the Saturday midnight shows of cult classics like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the nearby State Theater, an Art Deco cinema built in 1942 (233 South State Street; 734-761-8667; michtheater.org/state).

Sunday

9 a.m.
11) NOT JUST A NAME

As the town’s name suggests, there are many trees, both native and exotic, here. You can see some of them at Nichols Arboretum (1610 Washington Heights; 734-647-8986; lsa.umich.edu/mbg), a 123-acre site with panoramic views and a path along the winding Huron River (open sunrise to sunset).

11 a.m.
12) ECLECTIC BRUNCH

Café Zola (112 West Washington Street; 734-769-2020; cafezola.com) offers an eclectic menu that borrows from French, Italian and Turkish cuisines — like crepes, both savory and sweet, and Turkish eggs (with feta, spinach, tomato, olives and cucumber). Brunch, $20.

1 p.m.
13) PAINTINGS, POTS AND MORE

With over 18,000 works of art (European, African, Asian, American and Middle Eastern), there is something for everyone at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (525 South State Street; 734-764-0395; umma.umich.edu). Those preferring ancient and medieval art should cross the street to the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology (No. 434; 734-764-9304; lsa.umich.edu/kelsey), with more than 100,000 Mediterranean and Middle Eastern objects.

IF YOU GO

The Bell Tower (300 South Thayer Street; 734-769-3010; belltowerhotel.com) is a charming hotel located right on campus and close to downtown. A standard king is $175 a night.

The Inn at the League (911 North University Avenue; 734-764-3177; uunions.umich.edu/league/inn), with wonderful views of the grounds, offers a true campus experience, a convenience store, information desk, cyber lounge, several dining spots and a garden. Both a standard king and double room start at $135 a night. Suites are $230 and $15 for each additional guest.

    36 Hours in Ann Arbor, Mich., NYT, 6.10.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/travel/36-hours-in-ann-arbor-mich.html

Twilight of the Glaciers

July 29, 2011
The New York Times
By STEPHEN P. NASH

AN hour or so up ahead, at the higher elevations along the trail that leads over Siyeh Pass, huckleberries were ripening. Even a dawdling day hiker like me knows that huckleberries can quickly mean grizzlies in Glacier National Park. I indulged a nervous tic and patted around for the loud red aerosol can on my belt, whose label reads Counter Assault. It’s effective as a bear repellent, but even more reliable at making an urbanite feel faintly ridiculous.

I was in northwest Montana for the hikes and the huckleberries, but most of all to experience the namesake glaciers, which, I had recently learned, might be around for only another decade or so. Given that a century and a half ago there were 150 and now there are 25, the trip makes me an enlistee in the practice known by a somewhat prickly term: last-chance tourism.

For now, though, there are still glaciers to be seen. The park’s skein of well-maintained trails traverses every section of its million-plus acres and can accommodate any level of ability, from backpackers to the sheets-and-coverlets crowd. Even visitors who prefer to commune with nature through a car window can be awed by the views of the Jackson and Blackfoot Glaciers from Going-to-the-Sun Road, the often car-choked highway that more or less bisects the park west to east.

And for those who want to get closer, some serious legwork over steep terrain can put you right next to both the Grinnell and Sperry Glaciers, respectively a day and an overnight’s hike away. There are other glaciers to be glimpsed in the distance during a hike, but they can’t be reached by trails. These are excursions that require ice ax, ropes or crampons: the well-sequestered Pumpelly Glacier, for example, at 8,420 feet, and its close neighbor, the Pumpkin Glacier.

Other glaciers are nearer a trail, but still display their remote and frigid glory at some distance, and in a way the craggy surroundings make them even more vivid. I chose the Siyeh Pass Trail because it affords a prolonged, spectacular view of the Sexton Glacier from below.

Alpine glaciers like Sexton don’t look like peaks or cubes. A couple of miles into the hike, as the trail opened into a valley, it came into view: a massive, ragged smear of snow-laden ice, perched just under the sawtooth granite skyline.

My audio track, meanwhile, was the cascading water of Baring Creek, which runs parallel to much of the trail. Descending from the glacier, it charges over a series of red-rock ledges and then makes its way down into the azure St. Mary Lake far below.

As the trail continued, the bottom edge of Sexton became visible — a violent crumble, broken loose by gravity and temperature. Glaciers are forceful, slow-flowing rivers of ice. With binoculars, I could see Sexton’s thickness and true magnitude. The perspective also offers, if you’re up for it, a rather stunning view into the future. As I pushed ahead, a graying volunteer ranger approached me at a nimble gait. No bears sighted, he reported. (O.K.!) He was a veteran of decades here, it turned out. We craned our necks up at the still-formidable Sexton, and he said that it had once looked far larger to him. I read later that it has, in fact, lost at least 30 percent of its surface area since the mid-’60s.

There are several measures of what qualifies as a glacier. One generally accepted rule of thumb is that they are a minimum of 25 acres in size. The most recent report has Sexton at 68.

I moved on, ascending the switchbacks that pull the Siyeh trail up toward the 8,000-foot pass. I was well above tree line by now, and only a few peaks away from the Canadian border. Not far off, out on the moraines, a quartet of mountain goats appeared, munching and then settling.

A good idea. I was tired, too. According to Stephen Ambrose’s “Undaunted Courage,” which follows the cross-country trek of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Lewis was able to bushwhack 30 miles in a day. I was going to do 11, and without the whacking. (The Lewis and Clark expedition came within sight of these mountains in 1806.)

As I rested I heard women’s voices come from up the trail, sounding like an exuberant traveling book group. They seemed delighted to find a sprawled, worn-out guy to greet in passing. “How do you like it? This is our backyard!” the leader announced, adding that they were from Kalispell, Mont., just southwest of the park. I responded in superlatives, and asked whether folks here talk much about what’s happening with the glaciers.

There was a pause and the temperature seemed to decline a degree or two. “God will take care of everything we need,” one said.

“I don’t think man has anything to do with that,” her friend put in.

(A bartender at one of the lodges, not-authorized-to-speak-publicly-on-the-matter, confided that not all locals share these views.)

After a bit, they warmed enough to point out some huckleberry bushes nearby. (This is a popular shrub around here, and not just for bears; after a few days in the area, I can attest to the virtues of locally marketed huckleberry beer, jam, pie, syrup, Riesling, lip balm, French toast, soda, cobbler, lemonade, ice cream, daiquiris, tea and milkshakes.)

Retracing my steps back down to the trailhead, I was alone again — not a wise practice, according to park brochures. Lewis recounted that one grizzly, already shot four times through the lungs, charged and dispersed a six-man hunting party while its stalwarts were still firing. Still, over the past hundred years, and despite tens of millions of visitors, only 10 fatal grizzly attacks have been recorded here. They do, however, take up a fair portion of mind space.

The Siyeh Pass Trail can either be an extended loop or a somewhat shorter out and back of about 11 miles — the option I chose. As I headed back down into the valley it wasn’t much of a stretch to think of the looming Sexton as alive. The pressure of the glaciers’ weight causes the ice to flow forward over the landscape; colder temperatures allow for a buildup of ice, which speeds up the flow. Heat — a warmer day, season or era — is the competing force, and the glaciers ebb. That movement is a defining feature, part of what makes glaciers distinct from your more prosaic all-year patches of snow.

The day before, I had spoken with Daniel Fagre, who coordinates climate change and glacial geology studies here for the United States Geological Survey. He is a 20-year veteran of research at the park. The retreat of the glaciers began around 1850, he said, as part of a slow, natural climatic variation, but the disappearing act has accelerated during the last hundred years. Until recently, his research projected that, as global warming hit its stride, the park’s glaciers would all be gone by the year 2030. Now he thinks it may be as soon as 2020.

Outsize snows this past winter, which kept many park roads and trails closed well into July, could briefly forestall the meltdown, but the longer warming trend is inexorable, he said.

No reprieve? “No, I think we are continuing on that path,” he said.

The science is preliminary, but it’s clear that this loss will be more than aesthetic for the park’s ecosystem, he said. Those glacial reservoirs provide a steady supply of cool meltwater through hot summers and dry spells, helping to sustain a constellation of plants and animals, some rare — big-horned sheep, elk and mountain goats among them.

Passing again under the glacier as daylight faded, the trail neared its end. Those prospective losses weighed heavily — nostalgia, of a sort, laced with dread.

MORE pleasantly, the park celebrates nostalgia of a different sort — from the Art Deco typography on the official signage to the fleet of low-slung, roll-top tour buses known as “red jammers,” which date from the ’30s. These ply the roads between robber-baron-era hotels, offering full- and half-day tours to various sections of the park ($30 and up).

There’s a wealth of accommodations along the eastern and western boundaries of the park, especially in the towns of East Glacier Park and West Glacier. Despite their names, these towns, with populations of only a few hundred each, are more like distant cousins than identical twins. West Glacier, half an hour from the Kalispell airport, is generally newer, and sprawls.

East Glacier Park, two and a half hours north of the Great Falls, Mont., airport, is a charming, tumbleweedy throwback with a string of weathered eateries and motor-court lodgings that are only slightly post-World War II. There’s also the Backpacker’s Inn, a combination hostel and super-cheap motel with a mostly youthful clientele who like the clean, spare single rooms for $30 a night. I’ve stayed in each of these places a time or two, but this night — after a fiery, pepper-laden dinner of enchiladas pasillas at Serrano’s Mexican restaurant among a crowd of other glacier-gawkers and local ranchers — I opted for the Mountain Pine Motel. It has endured, with appearance and ambience intact, since 1947. The owners are descendants of the pioneer Sherburne family that helped settle the park area in the 1890s.

Nearby is the century-old Glacier Park Lodge, a grandly creaky log cabin writ very large. There are three such concessioner-run legacy hotels at the park, erected by the Great Northern Railroad to lure tourism. My favorite is the Many Glacier Hotel, a darkly comical but generally comfortable old wooden monstrosity with a Swiss theme (the bellhops wear lederhosen). Its broad verandas face a transfixing view of a horizon of pinnacles that surround Swiftcurrent Lake — one of 131 named lakes in the park (631 others are as yet unnamed; feel free to follow my example and name a few after your friends).

When my wonderful clawfoot tub leaked onto the occupants of the room below, the two repair-crew guys who showed up grinned and shrugged after some futile work: that’s kind of the way this place is, they said. The only other available room was infested with bats, and smelled like it, I was told. It was a great stay, just the same. Half of the hotel is being renovated all this season and is closed, along with one of the dining rooms.

The Many Glacier Hotel is also the start of one of the park’s most popular hikes, to Grinnell Glacier. The 8- or 10-mile hike is strenuous, though less so than the Siyeh Pass Trail, and the payoff is that you can get within a stone’s toss of the glacier itself, the surface area of which is more than twice Sexton’s.

I embarked with a ranger-guided group on Chief Two Guns — a trim 45-footer, built locally and hauled up here somehow 50 years ago — for a quick trip over Swiftcurrent Lake. Then a short walk to another boat, the even older Morning Eagle, across Lake Josephine to the trailhead. The boats moved past a shifting panorama of jagged rock faces, slender waterfalls, and high above, the destination glacier. The trail is often crowded, but that scarcely registers in these surroundings. Hikers stop to catch a breath and find it taken again by the view out over the string of lakes, far below, fed by Grinnell’s meltwater. Connected by cascades, each lake is a deeper blue than the one above.

After three hours of steady ascent and a final quarter-mile of hard climbing, the trail ends at the foot of the glacier and an iceberg-studded, expanding lake. The lake does not appear on old maps, according to the ranger. It is a byproduct of the fact that Grinnell’s surface is 40 percent smaller than a half-century ago.

Above the lake, the glacier is a wide, tilted skirt of ice whose hem you can almost touch, brilliant under the sun even when it’s dirty with wind-blown grit by the end of the season. It seems immense, too big to disappear, and nearly crowds everything else from consciousness. The ranger said that until a few seasons back you could walk out onto the lower edge of it, which is too thin now to bear human weight safely.

Seaweed-like stromatolite fossils embossed in the cracked rocks along the trail supply a Precambrian perspective of perhaps a couple of billion years. But it is the view out over this lake of meltwater that grabs the imagination far more urgently.

A question hangs up there with the remnant glacier, which may soon be converted to a few patches of ice: what comes next?

Hikes and Huckleberries

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

You can reach Glacier by flying into Kalispell, Mont., and driving half an hour to the west side of the park, or flying into Great Falls and driving two and a half hours to reach the eastern entry point. You can also take Amtrak’s Empire Builder from Chicago, Seattle or Tacoma, and disembark at either East Glacier Park, Essex or West Glacier. The Going-to-the-Sun Road has been under repair since last year, which means that traffic is often rerouted to a single lane. This results in stops that can add 30 or 40 minutes to the usual one- or two-hour trip.

The Logan Pass parking lot and visitor center is usually posted “Full” by midmorning all summer, according to park staff members. A shuttle bus system along the Going-to-the-Sun Road ferries hikers and sightseers to and from Logan Pass and a series of trailheads.

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

At East Glacier Park:

Both the Glacier Park Lodge and, to the north, Many Glacier Hotel (for both 406-892-2525; glacierparkinc.com/reservations.php; both from $140 a night for two in high season) are concessioner “legacy” railroad hotels — gracious dowager empresses that can’t help but show their age.

The Backpacker’s Inn, right behind Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant (29 Dawson Avenue; 406-226-9392; serranosmexican.com) and under the same ownership, is $30 a night for a single room, $12 a night for the gender-segregated hostel. Clean, quiet, spartan. Serrano’s has benches on the porch for its surplus of patrons — a mix of locals, tourists and backpackers who line up for the chimichangas and carne Tampico. The super-smoky habanero sauce is sold at the cash register.

At West Glacier:

The Silver Wolf Log Chalets (406-387-4448; silverwolfchalets.com; from $176) are cabins with interior décor that is almost exclusively logs, twigs and sticks, quiet and nicely appointed, 10 minutes from the park.

The Belton Chalet (406-888-5000; beltonchalet.com; from $155) is a lovely old hotel with predictable advantages and limitations. Keep in mind that a railroad line is close at hand. The restaurant is one of the best at this edge of the park.

In the park:

There are 13 national park campgrounds, many with views of lakes and peaks, including those at Apgar Lake, Medicine Lake or Swiftcurrent Lake. Cook a porterhouse or two over the iron grill, bring in a bottle of malbec and observe all bear precautions.

A NOTE ABOUT WATER

East Glacier Park, Mont., is a small tourist town whose water system is not reliably safe, according to state and federal authorities. Motels connected to that system are required to post a “boil order” warning, but some don’t, which could mean trouble if you’re unaware and brush your teeth or drink water from the tap in your room. (Boiling kills giardia, E. coli, cryptosporidium and other potentially illness-producing microorganisms not reliably filtered out by the current water operation, said Shelley Nolan of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.)

A few places, including the big Glacier Park Lodge, have their own wells or water filtration, so the water is safe to use without boiling. Restaurants should use bottled water. So ask.

A new water treatment plant is set to begin operation soon, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, but as of this writing, it’s not certain that will occur in 2011.

STEPHEN P. NASH is the author of “Millipedes and Moon Tigers: Science and Policy in the Age of Extinction.”
He teaches journalism and environmental studies at the University of Richmond.

    Twilight of the Glaciers, NYT, 29.7.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/travel/glacier-national-park-montana-fading-glaciers.html

36 Hours in Bar Harbor, Me.

July 14, 2011
The New York Times
By GERALDINE FABRIKANT

THERE are summer resorts that get busier and more chic over the years. And then there are the ones, like Bar Harbor, Me., that feel deliciously frozen in time. Don’t look for Starbucks, McDonald’s or Ralph Lauren here. Fashion shoppers stop at places with names like Cool as a Moose. Carmen Verandah and the Thirsty Whale are among the evening hot spots. Bar Harbor is the largest town on Mount Desert Island, and nearby Acadia National Park encompasses some 50 square miles. The rest of Mount Desert belongs to residents and a tony array of summer tenants: Brooke Astor summered here, as did myriad Rockefellers and, once upon a time, the town of Northeast Harbor had so many Philadelphia families that it was dubbed “Philadelphia on the rocks.” They all came lured by the striking setting of mountains, woodlands, lakes and ocean waves crashing against granite cliffs. Then and now, Mount Desert has served as a glorious nature camp for biking, hiking and boating. At day’s end, a visitor can cozy up with a blueberry beer and lobster. Evening strollers can watch sailboats drop anchor and the mist slip down over the hundreds of islands that dot the water.

Friday

6 p.m.
1) TOAST THE SUNSET

Take the two-hour cruise on the Margaret Todd, a four-masted windjammer that sails through Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands (207-288-4585; downeastwindjammer.com; $37.50). You’ll pass Ironbound Island, still owned by descendants of the painter Dwight Blaney, who with his contemporary John Singer Sargent and others painted the remarkable vistas of the bay and Acadia. A guitarist may serenade you, but if you want to toast the sunset, bring your own wine.

8:30 p.m.
2) SEAFOOD EXTRAVAGANZA

It may be called the Reading Room (7 Newport Drive; 207-288-3351; barharborinn.com/dining.html), but dining in a rotunda that overlooks the harbor feels more like eating on a ship than in a library. On weekends, a pianist usually plays old favorites. Lobster lovers can opt for the lobster pie ($36), but the broiled Maine haddock with butter crumb crust ($24) is also a treat. For something more exotic, try the red-walled Havana (318 Main Street; 207-288-2822; havanamaine.com), the Obamas’ choice when they visited last summer. The paella with lobster, mussels, clams and chorizo ($29) is worth the stop.

10 p.m.
3) BLUEBERRY BEER

Hang with the locals at Geddy’s (19 Main Street; 207-288-5077; geddys.com), a fun, funky pub filled with old photographs and local signage. Blueberry aficionados can try the Sea Dog blueberry draft beer ($5.30) or a blueberry margarita ($9.50).

Saturday

8:30 a.m.
4) MAINE BREAKFAST

By 8 o’clock the line is already forming at the cheerful Cafe This Way (14 ½ Mount Desert Street; 207-288-4483; cafethisway.com) on a tiny back street off the square, with bookshelves filled with classics and poetry. Mainers don’t stint on breakfast, nor should you; fill up on French toast with real maple syrup ($5.95) or a McThisWay sandwich of fried eggs, tomatoes, Cheddar cheese and bacon ($7.25). Those who want some oomph can try a mimosa or bloody mary ($6.50).

10 a.m.
5) EXPLORING ACADIA

There are numerous entrances to Acadia National Park (check nps.gov; 207-288-3338; $20 per car for seven days). Take a drive around the 27-mile Park Loop Road and head to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard. It was named after the French explorer who called himself Sieur de la Mothe Cadillac. He went on to help found Detroit, where the Cadillac was named after him. You cannot rent bikes or canoes within the park, but in Bar Harbor, Acadia Bike (48 Cottage Street; 207 288-9605; acadiabike.com) rents bikes for $21 a day. If you are not inclined to bike the steep 2.5 miles into the park, pack your bike on the free Island Explorer Shuttle (207-667-5796; exploreacadia.com; daily service from 9:15 a.m. at the Village Green to the Eagle Lake Carriage Road entrance). There are 45 miles of biking paths that wind through forests, along beaver dams and around lakes. Take a map — even the road signs can get tricky.

1 p.m.
6) POPOVERS IN THE PARK

Lunch at the Jordan Pond House (207-276-3316; thejordanpondhouse.com) shouldn’t be missed, with views across the park’s Jordan Pond to the Bubble Mountains. Popovers as rounded as the mountaintops are a specialty and come with everything from lobster salad ($20) to vegetable quiche ($12). If you bring your kayak or canoe, you can use them on the pond.

4 p.m.
7) LOCAL WARES

Window Panes (166 Main Street; 207-288-9550; windowpanesMDI.com) is a good stop for coasters made from local granite ($15). If you get chilly, Cool as a Moose (118 Main Street; 207-288-3904; coolasamoose.com) is a place to grab a sweatshirt ($40). Or immerse yourself in Maine lore at Sherman’s Book and Stationery Store (56 Main Street: 207-288-3161; shermans.com), where you might want to pick up a copy of “Time and Tide in Acadia” by Christopher Camuto ($24.95) and “The Maine Wild Blueberry Cookbook” ($14.99). For the Lilly Pulitzer look of hot pink, orange and blue tops or straw hats and summer bags, pop over to the Romantic Room (130 Main Street, Northeast Harbor; 207-276-4005; theromanticroom.com).

7 p.m.
8) IT’S ALL ABOUT LOBSTER

Any Maine stay is about, well, lobster. Nowhere is that fact driven home more bluntly than at Thurston’s (Steamboat Wharf Road, Bernard; 207-244-7600; thurstonslobster.com), in a half-plastic, half-canvas tent overlooking a working harbor and surrounded by stacks of lobster pots. You choose your live lobster, they cook it and you pick it up on a plastic tray. The result: high turnover and low prices (recently a large lobster went for $12.65 a pound). For variety try the lobster stew ($8.95). If you prefer a cottage setting, try Abel’s Lobster Pound (Abels Lane off Route 198, south of Junction 233; 207-276-5827), a lively family-owned restaurant set in a spruce grove on a fjord, where you eat on picnic tables illuminated by tiki torches overlooking the yacht basin or in the knotty pine dining room. A 1.5-pound lobster is $35 with baked potato.

10 p.m.
9) LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT

To unwind after a day outdoors, climb the steps to Carmen Verandah (119 Main Street; 207-288-2766; carmenverandah.com) for an evening of bands, karaoke or open mike. Cover charge is $2 to $5.

Sunday

9:30 a.m.
10) THE MANICURED SIDE

At the Asticou Azalea Garden (Peabody Drive and Sound Drive; 207-276-3727; gardenpreserve.org; free), a mix of pines, hemlocks, Korean firs, Japanese maples, azaleas and blueberries are set around a pond. The garden’s hybrid of styles includes a small Japanese karesansui garden composed of Maine granite island stones in a sea of raked white sands. Lanterns and stepping stones heighten the Japanese mood. Nearby, on Peabody Drive, is the Thuya Garden (207-276-5130; also gardenpreserve.org; free), named after the house built by the landscape architect Henry Curtis, who summered there. The lodge is now a horticultural library, and the setting features a broad array of trees, shrubs and an English-style garden with everything from wood lilies to Beverly Sills iris. One can drive or climb to the garden, but the climb, which affords broad views of Northeast Harbor, is well worth the effort.

11 a.m.
11) TRULY LOCAL

Take the mail boat to Little Cranberry Island from Northeast Harbor, and you may find yourself helping locals unload their groceries on the dock (207-244-3575; cranberryisles.com/ferries.html; $28 round trip). Stop at the Islesford Historical Museum, with its collection of ship models, tools and dolls (10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Marina, 207-244-9224; acadianationalpark.com/bar_harbor_maine_attractions), and then have brunch or a drink at the Islesford Dock Restaurant (Marina, Islesford; 207-244-7494; islesforddock.com). The harbor setting and views capture the Maine atmosphere, and the place was mentioned last summer in Martha Stewart’s blog (she is a Seal Harbor summer resident). Try the Maine lobster fritter and grits ($8).

IF YOU GO

The elegant Asticou Inn overlooks the water in Northeast Harbor (15 Peabody Drive; 207-276- 3344; asticou.com). With its flowered wallpaper, chintz-covered chairs and ruffled curtains, it has the feel of a roomy, old Maine home, but one with a tennis court and heated swimming pool. There are 48 rooms and cottages, with rates from $195 in July, from $220 in August.

For a prettily decorated, cheerful B&B near the water, try The Inns at Ullikana (16 The Field, 207-288-9552; ullikana.com). Each room is decorated with a panoply of colors and fabrics. Rates, including afternoon refreshments, start at $160.

    36 Hours in Bar Harbor, Me., NYT, 14.7.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/travel/36-hours-in-bar-harbor.html

36 Hours in Cape May, N.J.

June 30, 2011
The New York Times
By MICHELLE HIGGINS

AT the southernmost tip of New Jersey, where the Garden State Parkway’s exit numbers wind down to zero, Cape May, one of the oldest seaside resorts in the nation, has welcomed vacationers for more than 200 years. The images of the Jersey Shore conjured up in the reality TV show bear little resemblance to this family-oriented destination, with its charming Victorian homes and historic lighthouse. While Cape May’s vacation identity is still very much tied to house tours, horse-drawn carriages and dinner theaters, in recent years it has embraced a more stylish persona. Several of its once-faded grande dame hotels and low-slung motels have been updated and transformed into chic escapes, catering to well-to-do families from Philadelphia, northern New Jersey, New York City and beyond. But traditionalists need not fear — Cape May retains its laid-back charm with mini-golf courses, 25-cent Skee-Ball games and families pedaling around on surreys and bicycles built for two.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) CATCH OF THE DAY

Crowds gather early at the Lobster House on Fisherman’s Wharf (906 Schellengers Landing Road; 609-884-8296; thelobsterhouse.com), which serves up traditional surf ’n’ turf dishes, with the catch often hauled in by its own fleet of commercial fishing boats. Because the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, securing a spot in one of its traditional dining rooms often involves a wait of at least an hour. To avoid the bedlam, head to the dockside Raw Bar and order a lobster platter and a beer. Then stake out a shaded table alongside the ships in Cape May Harbor. Another option: hop aboard the Schooner American, a 130-foot-long sailing vessel turned cocktail lounge, moored alongside the restaurant for appetizers. Have kids? Call in your order to the Lobster House’s Take-Out shop (609-884-3064), which offers a kids’ menu online, so it’s ready when you arrive.

7 p.m.
2) SHOP AND STROLL

Burn off your meal with a stroll along the Washington Street Mall (washingtonstreetmall.com), a three-block pedestrian concourse between Perry and Ocean Streets, lined with clothing boutiques, kitschy souvenir shops, toy stores and candy and ice-cream shops. Many stores stay open until 9 p.m. or later on Fridays and Saturdays in summer. Then make your way to Cape May’s so-called boardwalk, a paved promenade just a few blocks away that runs parallel to the beach for nearly two miles. Stop in at the Family Fun Arcade (732 Beach Drive; 609-884-7020) for Skee-Ball (25 cents a game), photo booth shots ($3) and other games.

9 p.m.
3) BAR BELOW

Duck into the cavelike Boiler Room, in the basement of the Congress Hall hotel (251 Beach Avenue, with an entrance on Perry; 609-884-8421; congresshall.com/content/boilerroom.html) for drinks, dancing and live music. Exposed brick walls, low red lighting and strategically placed boiler pit fixtures give this bar/nightclub a cool industrial feel.

Saturday

8:30 a.m.
4) SALUTE TO THE SUN

Get your stretch on with a flowing yoga class ($20) offered either on the beach or the expansive lawn in front of the Congress Hall hotel (251 Beach Avenue; 609-884-8421; congresshall.com/content/beachyoga.html), depending on the heat. Sign up and grab a mat at the check-in desk in the hotel lobby. (For those looking for a more vigorous workout, there is a circuit training class at 7:30 a.m.) After you have worked up an appetite, load up on carbs just steps away at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House (261 Beach Avenue; 609-884-7199; unclebillspancakehouse.com) where waiters in crisp blue and white uniforms serve various pancake platters and traditional diner fare.

11 a.m.
5) HIT THE BEACH

You can pick up your beach tags, which are required for anyone 12 and older between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., from Memorial Day through Labor Day at any beach entrance. Cost: $5 daily, $10 for three days, $15 for a week (Saturday to Saturday). Need chairs? Steger’s Beach Service (609-884-3058; eastcoastparasail.com/stegers.html), which rents umbrellas ($11 a day, $55 a week), chairs ($6 a day, $30 a week) and other beach gear from 12 locations along Cape May’s wide stretch of beach, will stake out your spot in the sand.

1 p.m.
6) FAMILY AFFAIR

Beachgoers line up for American fare with a Greek twist and a seat at one of the cozy booths at George’s Place (301 Beach Avenue; 609-884-6088), originally opened by the current owner John Karapanagiotis’s father-in-law, George Tsiartsionis, in 1968. The Lemon Chicken Greek salad ($8.25) is a good bet after the beach, but if you need a reminder that Cape May is a short drive from Philadelphia, order the substantial cheese steak ($8). A note to parents: George’s doesn’t have highchairs, but Mr. Karapanagiotis, whose family portraits line the walls, will offer to entertain the baby while you eat. Another option: just down the block, the Y.B. (314 Beach Avenue; 609-898-2009), run by George’s brother, Peter, who has cooked under the chef Georges Perrier at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia, offers a range of salads and sandwiches in a small but inviting space decorated in black and white. Both restaurants are cash only and bring your own beer.

3 p.m.
7) BREAK FOR WINE

Cool off in the cavernous tasting room at the Cape May Winery (711 Townbank Road; 609-884-1169; capemaywinery.com), a short drive away. For $6 you get to taste six wines and keep the glass as a souvenir. Ask for a full glass of your favorite and relax on the shaded porch out back overlooking the vines.

7 p.m.
8) BEACH SHACK

Order a beer and a bucket of peel-and-eat shrimp ($10) at the bustling Rusty Nail (205 Beach Avenue; 877-742-2507; beachshack.com/rusty-nail.php), an updated twist on a surfer bar housed on the same spot in the 70s. It’s equal parts hip, family-friendly and laid-back depending on the spot you snag. Families congregate around the fire pit and picnic tables, a young crowd lines the bar inside, and heavily tanned locals gather around the outdoor tap, singing Grateful Dead and Melissa Etheridge covered by local musicians.

Sunday

8:30 a.m.

9) ON TWO WHEELS

Fuel up for a morning bike ride at Congress Hall’s Blue Pig Tavern (251 Beach Avenue; 609-884-8422; congresshall.com/content/bluepigtavern.html), which serves fresh and simple American fare and offers crayons for the kids. Ask for a seat in the outdoor courtyard next to the trickling fountain and order a side of turkey sausage ($4) for sustenance. Then rent some wheels at nearby Shields Bike Rentals (11 Gurney Street; 609-898-1818), where the outfit’s namesake will highlight the best routes on a map. (Be sure to reserve if you want a child’s seat.) Cost: $5 an hour or $10 a day including basket, helmet and lock. Flat roads, wide shoulders and slow-moving traffic make Cape May perfect for the casual bike rider. Ride along the promenade before 10 a.m., after which bikes are not allowed.

10 a.m.
10)

ONE LAST LOOK

If you have the energy to keep pedaling, take Broadway to Sunset Boulevard to visit the Cape May Lighthouse, built in 1859. It’s in Cape May Point State Park (www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests), with several trails that lead to ponds, dunes and marshes where birds and other wildlife can be spotted from observation decks. Climb the spiraling 199-step staircase to the top ($7; $3 for children ages 3 to 12) and take one last look at the water before you go.

IF YOU GO

The Star Inn (29 Perry Street; 800-297-3779; thestarinn.net ) is a small, upscale motel with 10 brightly painted one-bedroom suites, each with a king-size bed, pull-out couch, kitchenette and flat-screen T.V. in each room. (There are also nine standard rooms and a couple of two-bedroom condos with full kitchens and living rooms.) Summer rates start at $249 midweek or $259 weekends, and include beach loungers, towels and umbrella, set up by the beach staff members who also take food and drink orders. Guests have access to the pool at Congress Hall, a 108-room sister property across the street, where summer rates start at $299 midweek or $329 weekends. With a spa, fitness room, kids camp, lobby shops and valet parking, the Star Inn is the closest thing to a full-fledged resort in a town dominated by motels and B&Bs.

The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast (102 Ocean Street; 609-884-8702; queenvictoria.com), a block from the beach, has 34 rooms including 9 suites decorated with period antiques in the Victorian style. Rates start at $230 a night and include breakfast, afternoon tea, bicycles, beach chairs and towels.

    36 Hours in Cape May, N.J., NYT, 30.6.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/travel/36-hours-in-cape-may-nj.html

36 Hours in Newport, R.I.

June 16, 2011
The New York Times
By FREDA MOON

WITH its summer cottages the size of palaces and its century-old status as a yachting capital, Newport is the quintessential playground of American aristocracy. Still, this harbor town is more than model ships and mansions. The waterfront — with views of wide, tentacled Narragansett Bay — is still Newport’s soul, and the estates along Bellevue Avenue haven’t lost their Gilded Age glamour. But in a town that seems, on the surface, so untouched by time, there’s an undercurrent of youthful rebelliousness. Ambitious upstart restaurants, a boisterous night life and a beachy surf culture belie Newport’s staid reputation.

Friday

6 p.m.
1) BOAT DRINKS

Order a sunset cocktail as you watch boats slide under the Newport Bridge, officially the Pell Bridge Newport, at Fluke (41 Bowen’s Wharf; 401-849-7778; flukewinebar.com), a New American restaurant above Bowen’s Wharf. For drinks, pass the dining room and climb the stairs to the attic-like third-story bar, where the cocktail list includes classics like a Cuba Libre (rum, Coke and lime; $7) and adventurous signature drinks invented by Jerri Banks, the mixologist behind the Juniperotivo at the Taj Lounge in New York. Try the Fluke Sunset (rum, passion fruit, ginger, lime juice and Super POM; $12).

8 p.m.
2) NEW KID IN TOWN

Thames Street is Newport’s main tourist strip and a spectacle on a warm night. But wander a block or two up from the boutiques, yachty bars and sweet shops, and you’ll find quiet back streets that make for a pleasant predinner walk. When your reservation hour strikes — and yes, reservations are a must — head back to Tallulah on Thames (464 Thames Street; 401-849-2433; tallulahonthames.com). This unpretentious, 10-table dining room is homey and creative; cookbooks line a long shelf above an open kitchen, and checks are delivered in wooden cigar boxes. The chef, Jake Rojas — who has “Live to Cook; Cook to Live” tattooed across his arm in Spanish — serves nuanced, artistically presented dishes like Bomster scallops ($34) accented with “carrots in texture” (carrot foam, ginger-carrot purée and roasted baby carrots) and sous-vide lamb ($36).

11 p.m.
3) LOCAL MOTION

To escape the summertime crush, head to Broadway Avenue (often called “local Newport”) for dancing at the Fifth Element (111 Broadway; 401-619-2552; thefifthri.com). Recently reopened in a new location after a long hiatus, this nondescript lounge and restaurant is a hangout for locals, who come for quality pub food, including a mean poutine (French fries, cheese curds and gravy; $8) and pizzas ($13 to $16) fresh from a flaming oven. But on Friday nights, after the kitchen closes, the tables are cleared and a D.J. oversees an overflowing dance floor, playing everything from Lady Gaga to ’70s dance tunes.

Midnight
4) JUDGEMENT NIGHT

Just down the street, at Pour Judgement (32 Broadway; 401-619-2115; pourjudgement.com), there are gracious bartenders, an impressive beer list — including large-format bottles of hard-to-find brews, like an Andean White Ale ($12) from Argentina — and a crowd that includes cadets at the nearby Naval War College, off-shift service workers and traveling yacht crew members. The burger-and-a-beer special ($7.50) is a hit.

Saturday

9:30 a.m.
5) A SIMPLE CUP OF JOE

On a quiet side street, Franklin Spa (229 Spring Street; 401-847-3540) is a down-to-earth diner with red vinyl booths, potted plants in the windows and a something-for-everyone menu that includes homemade muffins ($2.50), fruit bowls piled high with seasonal produce ($5.50) and a lobster Benedict special ($11.95). You’re unlikely to have your culinary mind blown here, but the helpings are fresh and huge, and the regulars, who linger over bottomless cups of coffee ($1.85), are endearing.

11 a.m.
6) GET SPORTY

Go mansion-gawking by bicycle. Rent a two-wheeler at Ten Speed Spokes (18 Elm Street; 401-847-5609; tenspeedspokes.com; $35 a day) and pedal along Bellevue Avenue, peering over fences and ornamental shrubbery. Where the avenue meets the Atlantic, take a tour of Rough Point (680 Bellevue Avenue; 401-847-8344; newportrestoration.org), the one-time vacation home of Doris Duke — tobacco heiress, competitive paddleboard surfer and camel owner. Built in 1891, the 39,000-square-foot, 49-room English manor-style summer house is one of Newport’s less-ostentatious “cottages.” The tour ($25, Tuesday through Saturday, 9:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.) ends with this year’s exhibition, “Dressed to Play: The Sporty Style of Doris Duke,” which celebrates vintage bikinis, surfing trophies and Valentino snowsuits.

1 p.m.
7) SHIP SHAPE

Have lunch in classic Newport style — overlooking the marina and surrounded by maritime artifacts — at the Mooring (1 Sayer’s Wharf; 401-846-2260; mooringrestaurant.com), the former Station 6 clubhouse of the New York Yacht Club. Socialites slurp oysters (six varieties, $2.50 each) and throw calorie caution to the wind with a brown paper bag of deep fried lobster, crab and shrimp doughnuts ($12). Afterward, if you’re eager to get on the water, Classic Cruises of Newport (Bannister’s Wharf; 401-847-0298; cruisenewport.com) offers tours of the bay in a former rum-smuggling yacht (from $18) and a 72-foot schooner (from $27).

4 p.m.
8) RUM AND REVOLUTION

In 1769, there were 22 distilleries in Newport — then the rum capital of the world, supplying liquor to the British Navy. Less than a century later, the United States was independent, and the last of the Newport rum factories had closed. In 2007, Newport Distilling Company (Coastal Extreme Brewing Company; 293 J. T. Connell Road; 401-849-5232; newportstorm.com) began producing Thomas Tew — named for the privateer turned pirate — the first rum made in Rhode Island in 135 years. Tastings ($9) include a glass and a tour.

6 p.m.
9) TEMPTATION ROW

For gifts, picnic snacks and pick-me-ups, try Bellevue Avenue’s Gourmet Trio. You’ll find high-end, tea-infused truffles (in flavors like bergamot and jasmine peach blossom) and white chocolate and lavender hot chocolate at La Maison de Coco (28 Bellevue Avenue; 401- 845-2626; lamaisondecoco.com), artisanal cheeses and local Aquidneck Honey at Le Petit Gourmet (26 Bellevue Avenue; 401-619-3882) and weekend wine tastings at the Newport Wine Cellar (24 Bellevue Avenue; 401-619-3966; newportwinecellar.com; 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday).

8 p.m.
10) SALTY DOG

Mexican food might not be the first thing one thinks to eat in New England, but Perro Salado (19 Charles Street; 401-619-4777; perrosalado.com) — Spanish for “Salty Dog” — is a welcome respite from Newport’s lobster-and-steak routine. Creative renditions of regional dishes, like tacos stuffed with Baja-style fish ($16) or Ropa Vieja (seasoned, ultra-tender shredded beef; $8), have international touches like fresh vegetables, tamarind glazes and panko crusts, without feeling like a fusion cliché. Sit beneath multicolored strands of Christmas lights in the brightly painted patio. After dinner, catch a movie at the Jane Pickens Theater (49 Touro Street; 401-846-5252; janepickens.com), a 92-year-old movie house in a former Episcopal church built in 1831. The theater shows a mix of art house classics, documentaries and first-run films ($10).

Sunday

11 a.m.
11) DARK HORSE

At midday, the sun is high overhead, but inside the White Horse Tavern (26 Marlborough Street; 401-849-3600; whitehorsetavern.us) there are low ceilings, oil lanterns, wooden beams and dark maroon and gray walls. Built in 1673, the self-proclaimed oldest tavern in America is antique bordering on morose. Thankfully, the brunch menu has moved into this century, with options like lobster mac ’n’ cheese ($22) and baked egg frittata ($12).

2:30 p.m.
12) UP IN THE AIR

Before leaving town, stretch your legs and get one last taste of salt air at the Norman Bird Sanctuary (583 Third Beach Road, Middletown; 401-846-2577; normanbirdsanctuary.org; $6 trail fee), a 325-acre wildlife refuge. Follow the path to Hanging Rock, passing the pond — where you can sometimes spot goslings, herons and lazing turtles — to the edge of the massive, jutting rock formation, where there are views of forests and fields and out to the Atlantic. There are picnic tables on the lawn and a modest “Barn Museum” with taxidermied foxes and sea birds.

IF YOU GO

One-year-old Forty 1° North (351 Thames Street; 401-846-8018; 41north.com), on the water, has 28 rooms with stylish, modern touches, like iPads loaded with your morning newspaper, a wet bar and Malin + Goetz toiletries. Many rooms have bay views. Rooms from $500.

Smack in the bustling center of downtown, the Admiral Fitzroy Inn (398 Thames Street; 866-848-8780; admiralfitzroy.com) is a former convent turned 18-room bed-and-breakfast with rooms from $205, with a two-night minimum on weekends.

For more affordable accommodations, head to neighboring Middletown (about four miles away), where there are plenty of chain hotels with rates from around $130.

    36 Hours in Newport, R.I., R, 16.6.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/travel/36-hours-in-newport-ri.html

It’s a Bear’s World in Kodiak, Alaska

May 13, 2011
The New York Times
By TED O’CALLAHAN

SHE gave a chuff and pulled up short, as surprised to see us as we were to see her. Her dense, fluffy fur was blond. I watched her square, expressive face very closely because this bear — maybe 300 pounds and 10 yards away — would be the one deciding how the encounter played out. An adrenaline-driven voice in my head said, “This could go badly.” But it was also telling me how incredibly thrilling it was to be so near this animal. Not being on top of the food chain certainly heightens one’s awareness.

We were four people and a dog tucked against a slope, partly hidden by waist-high grass. The bear looked and sniffed for almost a minute, trying to decide what she had come across. Then she pivoted onto a trail and moved away, choosing flight over fight. I was grateful for that; an older male might have stood his ground.

It was the second day of a bear-watching trip on Kodiak Island in Alaska, the largest landmass of the nearly 5,000-square-mile Kodiak Archipelago south of the mainland, and the exclusive home of the Kodiak bear. Our guides, Harry and Brigid Dodge, didn’t seem overly concerned about the close call; it was a young female bear, they explained later, maybe 3 or 4 years old, curious and scared, but with easy escape paths and no food cache to protect. “If it had been a bigger male we would have been backing away,” Brigid said. “We wouldn’t have let him get that close.”

Still, a bear encounter like ours is something the Dodges try to avoid. As the owners of Kodiak Treks, a small outfitter specializing in low-impact bear-watching trips, the goal is to be a neutral, unseen presence — to see, as Brigid puts it, “bears respectfully in the wild.”

There are certainly other ways to watch bears in Alaska, from half-day bush-plane-based trips to packages that wrap bear viewing in with sport fishing or stays at high-end wilderness lodges. Some of the best-known bear watching spots are on the mainland just across the Shelikof Strait from Kodiak. During a strong salmon run, you’re all but guaranteed to see dozens of brown bears fishing side by side not more than 30 yards from you during the hour your ticket allows you and 39 other people onto an elevated viewing platform.

But that wasn’t the sort of experience I was looking for.

THE 45-minute flight from the town of Kodiak to the solar-powered lodge owned by Kodiak Treks on the southern end of the island would have been the highlight of most Alaska trips. The scale of the place — lush and green in the summer — starts to sink in from a few hundred feet up in the air. With clouds capping the mountains, we tracked the coastline and the bush pilot pointed out whales swimming the channels and a “ladder” where countless bears, following exactly the same route to climb a steep knife-edge ridge, had worn treads into the vegetation.

We landed in a cove on Uyak Bay where the photographer Kim Hubbard and I were greeted by the Dodges. Harry, wearing hip waders, provided piggyback rides over the gap between the plane’s pontoon and the beach. Brigid, blond Viking braids emerging from her knit cap, welcomed us as she wrangled their black Lab, Reuben, a squirming mass of eagerness even at 10 years old.

We were fed sandwiches and rhubarb cake and fitted with our own hip waders. Then we piled our gear into the Dodges’ 20-foot aluminum skiff and motored deeper into the bay. Uyak is the longest bay on Kodiak — a sliver of ocean that cuts more than 30 miles into the western side of the island. It runs so far inland that at its back there are views of the interior mountains: sharp, snow-covered peaks forming a spine running most of the island’s 100-mile length.

After nearly an hour of being sprayed and bounced by choppy seas, we pulled onto a headland and into bear country. As soon as we stepped out of the boat the signs were unmissable: paw prints in the mud, more through the forest, scat the size of hubcaps wherever we went.

Cut off from the mainland for the last 12,000 years, Kodiak Island is something close to paradise for bears. Two-thirds of the island is a national wildlife refuge, and the human population is low enough (around 13,000) that the bears face very few natural threats or competition for food. Such advantages have allowed Kodiak bears — a subspecies of brown bear — to become some of the largest in the world, with exceptional males capable of growing to 11 feet tall and 1,200 pounds.

The island also offers a special opportunity for observing such bears, at least for those willing to rough it. With few amenities and challenging terrain, Kodiak Treks does everything it can to immerse visitors into a bear’s world.

Previous to this trip I had spent a total of about 14 months in the Alaskan wilderness over the course of nine summers, primarily leading backpacking and sea kayaking expeditions for the National Outdoor Leadership School. I’d seen wolves, moose, caribou and a few grizzly bears — all at a comfortable distance. To keep those distances comfortable I had learned to alert animals to my presence by reflexively making noise whenever I came to a rise, entered brush or rounded a river bend.

But that’s the opposite of what Kodiak Treks wanted us to do. The idea, as the Dodges explained while we explored a sedge flat on the bay’s northern shore, wasn’t to scare the bears away but to move through their habitat in a way that let them ignore us. So as we walked beaches, forded creeks and even bushwhacked through alders, we were as quiet and unobtrusive as possible. When we spotted a bear, often at a distance of 200 or 300 yards, we moved only as close as cover and a favorable wind allowed.

In nine years working in Alaska I had seen six bears. On my first day on Kodiak I saw nine.

By the time we returned to the boat, the bay had stilled. We crossed it to set up camp among some trees on a bluff — two tents and a small campfire. A short distance away, tucked out of sight, was a simple pit latrine, an open wooden frame with a toilet seat propped on top and a roll of toilet paper in a Ziploc bag. Reuben was served his kibble as we waited for the Coleman camp stove to boil water to rehydrate our freeze-dried pasta primavera. Although Kodiak never gets truly dark in the summer, it has extended sunsets, which lingered through our dessert of cookies and cocoa.

The Dodges offer three- and five-day trips, which can either be heavy on the camping or not. They speak with every potential client to make sure the physical challenge, low-impact approach and uncertainties of wildlife viewing are all well understood. “We haven’t ever had a trip where people didn’t see bears,” Brigid said. “You never know when it might happen. We don’t want to give people the impression that this is the Garden of Eden and we are bear whisperers.”

The lodge and three guest cottages, while not luxurious (there is no running water), are cozy and allow visitors access to a homemade sauna, which is a simple shed with a stove, a large bench and a galvanized metal tub for bathing. Meals are simple and include ingredients that can be gathered from the wild or from the Dodges’ garden. That might mean fiddlehead fern tempura or salmonberry syrup for pancakes.

Harry, friendly and naturally laconic, has been guiding bear viewing trips, among other outdoor activities, for some 30 years (he started Kodiak Treks in 1995). Brigid is more voluble. She joined the operation in 1996, a year before they were married. Both make sure guests leave with an overall understanding of the island, from birds and bears to geology and human history. Reuben accompanies them on all the trips.

OUR second day began with a slippery walk across kelp-covered rocks along the shoreline. Passing a bank eroded by storms, Brigid pointed out something protruding from the exposed earth: a very weathered human skull and a jawbone not far away. Kodiak has been inhabited for over 7,500 years and there are countless unstudied archaeological sites on the island. Centuries ago, Harry explained, salmon runs turned this area into a seasonal fishing camp. It was apparently busier then; in three days with the Dodges we didn’t see another person.

From the rocky shore, we followed a stream inland. Enormous stands of cow parsnip crowded the narrow bear trails, and their succulent stems broke as we moved through, releasing a pleasingly verdant stink. Merlins and song sparrows flew past. We spotted a northern hawk owl silent in a snag. Sitka black-tailed deer crossed nearby river bars. A goldeneye duck with chicks circled a pond. With mountains climbing straight out of the water and eagles all around, it was almost preposterously majestic.

We settled onto a meadowy hillside for a lunch of apples and ham and cheese sandwiches that Brigid made crunchier with freshly gathered fiddlehead ferns. At the base of the meadow, a merganser and three chicks paddled past in a shallow creek. Then an eagle, which had apparently also been observing this domestic tableau from the bank, flapped twice and lunged. The chicks submerged, but it was too shallow. The eagle held a little bird in one talon as it flew toward the far wooded shoreline. The merganser and remaining chicks made a dash for deeper water. In just seconds, and without a pause, the family was one smaller.

The uncertainties of life in the wild showed up in other ways, too. For all the bears we did see, there were probably many more that we passed unaware. As we finished lunch, what we had believed to be two logs on a gravel bar got up and wandered away. We spent the next few hours making our way along the periphery of the gravel bar taking our cues from the logs turned bears — moving when they did and settling in when they flopped down for a rest.

By late afternoon we were ready to start back toward camp. Retracing our route up the sloping meadow into the forest, we dropped onto a large sedge flat on our way to the shoreline. The new grass makes for nutritious, easy grazing, so it is popular with the bears, but it grows so tall that it can be hard to tell who is on the flat with you. Which is why we were startled when a blond head popped about 150 yards away — our first sighting of the young bear. We managed to get within 50 yards from her without being spotted. Tucking the camera tripod among alder branches to give it cover, we waited for her to pop her head up again.

Reuben usually napped during these prolonged periods of stillness, but a casual pet from Brigid set his tail wagging. She laid a calming hand on him that only increased the speed and vigor of the wags. I was sure that the thwacking of his tail, not to mention the hoarse coughs he started to make, would scare the bear off, but Brigid said that for some reason bears accept his presence the way they do the birds, deer and other animals.

Nonetheless, we decided not to push things. Leaving the young bear to the sedge flat, we found a small track along the edge of the woods, intending to get out of her sight to arc around and get back to the shore. But as we paused for a moment to check on her, she headed for our trail. We tucked ourselves against the hill, giving her the open ground, but within minutes there she was — just 10 yards away — nothing but grass between us.

The change in the Dodges’ demeanor underscored that there would be no “pause” button if things went wrong. They remained calm but became visibly more alert, whispering with each other and us as they assessed, made plans and contingencies. In that instance, the young bear moved on, easing the tension, but blocking our planned route along the beach back to camp.

It was when we were figuring out an alternate path, our bodies starting to relax again, that a new bear emerged from a creek bed 200 yards away. Even to novice eyes, it was obvious from his battle-worn gait, the size of the shoulder hump and the sharp blockiness of his head that this was one of those big males that would stand his ground. The young female had seemed huge to me; this one was three times her size — a 900-pound male bear by Harry’s murmured estimate.

We didn’t move. As a safeguard against chance encounters going wrong, Harry carries a field-worn .338 Winchester rifle. Both he and Brigid also carry fireworks; they say that the combination of noise and flash can be more effective at scaring off an aggressive bear than a warning shot from a gun. That said, the Dodges noted that they have never had to use either while guiding clients. They believe that the keys to safe viewing are being able to assess the size and attitude of a bear quickly and then to respond correctly to the many variables of a given situation.

In this case, we remained still and quiet, but the old bear stopped. He stretched his neck, extended his nose straight into the air, and, with uncanny certainty, turned to look directly at us, apparently pinpointing our location by smell. He didn’t seem pleased.

The next thing we knew he was heading off in the same direction that the young blond bear had taken. Facing the possibility of being pinned between the bears, with the young bear ahead of us and the older bear behind, we retreated uphill into the forest and began moving overland toward camp.

We hiked steadily for about 15 minutes, before finding a way down to the beach, where we fell into a single-file line. After the closeness of the tall grass and the thickets, the openness of the shoreline was a relief. At a waterfall we stopped to fill our bottles, gladly gulping down the cold snowmelt. Seeming to acknowledge the change, Brigid said, “It’s a different world. That is where they do what they do.”

ON the morning of our third and last full day in the wilderness, we moved slowly as we took down the tent. Though tired from long days, we were reluctant to leave. We would be back at the lodge by midafternoon, and the next morning the Dodges would take us by boat to the outport of Larsen Bay to catch the mail plane, the first leg of our journey home. Lingering made us late.

Often being 10 minutes behind schedule doesn’t mean much, but we could actually see the tide ebbing as we apologized for not heeding Harry’s request to be at the boat by 7:30 a.m. We were only partway across the bay when it became too shallow to go farther. We jumped out to push the skiff over a last skin of water, but the boat settled into the mud.

Rather than bemoan our plight, Harry set up the camp stove on the stern seat and prepared tea and oatmeal. Arctic terns and kittiwakes dive-bombed the shallows at the center of the nearly empty bay. We breakfasted surrounded by miles of mud flats and purple mussel beds accented with bright-green sea lettuce, enjoying views of the mountains rising from the near and far shores.

Brigid agreed to stay with Reuben in the boat until the tide returned while the rest of us trudged to shore and settled on a treed hillside that would hide us from bears and the periodic rain showers. By 9 o’clock or so we had spotted five bears that Harry identified as young adults (somewhere between 3 and 5 years old) on the flats. They were 300 or 400 yards away, but the view was open. We spent the next five hours watching them.

It was like observing toddlers. They randomly galloped across the flat chasing each other. They wrestled. Two seemed to be facing off to do battle until they dramatically collapsed into competing naps. Much of it was what gets edited out of wildlife documentaries, but actually being there, getting stiff from squatting on a tussock to witness little moments, let us see what it is to be a bear.

Trips for Real Cub Scouts

Flights from Anchorage to the city of Kodiak take about an hour. There are many flights each day, but extended weather delays are common, so it is good to build flexibility into any itinerary. It is also possible to reach the island through the Alaska State Ferry (dot.state.ak.us) from Homer or Whittier, though it is a nine-and-a-half hour trip.

BEAR WATCHING

Kodiak Treks (kodiaktreks.com) runs bear-viewing trips from June through mid-September. Salmon runs, which generally occur in Uyak Bay on Kodiak from July to September, typically offer the best chance to see the most bears in one area. Rates are $350 per person per night (singles are $375 a night).

Other bear-watching outfits to consider include Munsey’s Bear Camp (munseysbearcamp.com), which offers a lodge that supports boat-based excursions that typically combine sport-fishing and bear viewing .

A number of air taxi companies based in the town of Kodiak offer half-day bear-viewing trips. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge (kodiak.fws.gov) is also planning a bear-viewing platform on the O’Malley River for 2011 that could host 150 people over the summer.

WHERE TO STAY

The Kodiak Island visitor’s bureau Web site (kodiak.org) has some links to accommodations either in town or at wilderness lodges.

TED O’CALLAHAN has worked in and written about wild places for nearly two decades.

    It’s a Bear’s World in Kodiak, Alaska, R, 13.5.2011,
    http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/travel/its-a-bears-world-in-kodiak-alaska.html

36 Hours in Detroit

May 5, 2011
The New York Times
By JENNIFER CONLIN

DESPITE recent news stories of a population exodus from Detroit, there are many reasons to make a pilgrimage to this struggling city right now — and not just because Eminem’s slick Super Bowl commercial showcased the inner strength of the Motor City. No video can portray the passion one finds on the streets of Detroit these days, where everyone from the doorman to the D.J. will tell you they believe in this city’s future. While certain areas are indeed eerily empty, other neighborhoods — including midtown, downtown and Corktown — are bustling with new businesses that range from creperies and barbecue joints catering to the young artists and entrepreneurs migrating to Motown, to a just-opened hostel that invites tourists to explore Detroit with the aid of local volunteer guides. In the historic Brush Park district, architecture buffs will find some lovely refurbished houses, and along Woodward Avenue, restored film palaces are a wonderful reminder that this city’s storied past includes not just automobiles, but also the entertainment industry. No urban enthusiast will want to miss the recovery that Detroit is now attempting.

Friday

2 p.m.
1) GROOVE TIME

Get into the beat with a visit to the Motown Historical Museum (2648 West Grand Boulevard; 313-875-2264; motownmuseum.com), where the tour guides are nearly as entertaining as the artists who recorded their songs here at Berry Gordy Jr.’s studio, Hitsville U.S.A., in the early 1960s. Packed with memorabilia — from the Marvelettes’ album covers to the Jackson Five’s psychedelic bell bottoms — you can’t help but hum the tunes of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder, as you wander into Studio A, where it all began.

5 p.m.
2) FRENCH FLAVOR

Detroit’s French colonial roots are easily recalled at the rouge-walled Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes (15 East Kirby, Suite 115; 877-727-4727; goodgirlsgotopariscrepes.com) — the city was called Le Detroit at its founding in 1701. Try the Celeste sandwich (Brie, cranberries and roast beef, $8.50), and an ooh-la-la dessert called the Fay (banana, caramel, pecans and brown sugar, $7).

7 p.m.
3) MURALS AND MUSIC

The Detroit Institute of Arts (5200 Woodward Avenue; 313-833-7900; dia.org) stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and houses works by Picasso, Matisse, van Gogh and Warhol. But it is the Rivera Court, decorated with Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” fresco, where visitors should head, not just for the magnificent murals but also free concerts every Friday at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Admission: $8.

10 p.m.
4) COOL CAT CAFE

Don’t let the strip joint across the street stop you from entering Café d’Mongo’s (1439 Griswold Street; cafedmongos.com), a wonderfully eccentric speakeasy that feels more like a private party than a bar. With live jazz and country music on alternating weeks, the atmosphere is as retro as the orange leather banquettes, vintage Detroit photographs and scuffed instruments hanging on the walls. With a well-priced bar (drinks start at $4) and a straightforward menu (the owner, Larry Mongo, prepares barbecued ribs and chicken on a smoker outside), the popular Café d’Mongo is only open Friday nights and occasionally the last Saturday of each month.

Saturday

8 a.m.
5) TO MARKET WE GO

At the six-block Saturday Eastern Market (2934 Russell Street; Detroiteasternmarket.com; 313-833-9300) some 250 vendors sell everything from fruits and vegetables to local cheeses and artisanal breads. Stop in at nearby R. Hirt Jr. Co. (2468 Market Street; 313-567-1173), a specialty goods store founded in 1887, and the Marketplace Antiques Gallery (2047 Gratiot Avenue; 313-567-8250) , where a turn-of-the-century Chinese Rosewood vanity was recently selling for $250. Stop in at the Russell St. Deli (2465 Russell Street; 313-567-2900; russellstreetdeli.com), where breakfast is served all day on Saturdays, and includes raisin bread French toast, slathered with toasted pecans or fresh fruit ($7.75).

10 a.m.
6) MODEL T BIRTHPLACE

The Model T Automotive Heritage Complex (461 Piquette Street; 313-872-8759; tplex.org), the birthplace of the Model T, is Henry Ford’s meticulously restored first factory, which opened in 1904. Be sure to visit the “secret experimental room” where Ford invented the vehicle that made driving popular. The $10 admission includes a tour — children under 16 are free.

12 p.m.
7) FIRE UP YOUR BELLY

Located in Corktown, within view of the now sadly abandoned Michigan Central Station, Slows Bar BQ (2138 Michigan Avenue; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com) makes this downtown area a must-visit destination with its baby back ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and chicken wings. With an interior of salvaged lumber, brick walls and a wrap-around bar, Slows is a hit with everyone from old-timers to young hipsters. Dinner costs about $20.

2 p.m.
8) A MATINEE MOMENT

The one thing not missing in this city is theaters — almost all are housed in historic buildings that have been pristinely restored over the last two decades; together they make up the second-largest theater district in the United States after Broadway. On a recent afternoon, matinee choices included a children’s show at the former movie palace Fox Theater, with 5,000 seats (olympiaentertainment.com); a comedy at the intimate Gem Theater (gemtheatre.com); a dance troupe at the breathtakingly renovated Detroit Opera House, which opened in 1922 (motopera.org); a Broadway musical at the Fisher Theater (broadwayindetroit.com); and a performance by the Detroit Symphony at Orchestra Hall (Detroitsymphony.com).

6 p.m.
9) CHEAP AND CHEERFUL

The best happy hour deal in town is at Roast, a brasserie inside the newly renovated Westin Book Cadillac Hotel (1128 Washington Boulevard; 313-961-2500; roastdetroit.com). Sidle up to the bar and start ordering. Selected cocktails are $5, beer and wine, $4, and the bar food includes creamy macaroni and cheese ($4) and a huge paper cone of hot fries ($3).

9 p.m.
10) JAZZ IT UP

Cliff Bell’s (2030 Park Avenue; 313-961-2543; cliffbells.com, $10 cover), which first opened in 1935, is one of the oldest supper clubs in Detroit; after years of meticulous renovations, it is once again the place to be. With its Art Deco décor, vaulted ceilings, mahogany bar and mirrored walls, to say nothing of the live jazz ensembles, entering Cliff Bell’s is like walking onto the set of a Fred Astaire film. The cocktail menu is divided into two categories — Sippers for $12 (a Detroit Dirty Martini, a Gypsy Kiss, Nat’s Niché) or Swizzlers, between $8 and $10 (the Cliff Bell, Cumberland Cup and Ramos Gin Fizz); the menu includes shrimp and grits and frogs’ legs. Dinner costs about $40 with drinks.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) A BISTRO BRUNCH

Atlas Global Bistro (3111 Woodward Avenue; 313-831-2241; atlasglobalbistro.com), in The Addison — a renovated historic hotel that, like many buildings in Detroit, was designed by the celebrated architect Albert Kahn — serves a memorable brunch: Sweet Shrimp Benny (eggs Benedict with shrimp and spinach), wild rice porridge and Mexican breakfast tacos ($40 for two).

11 a.m.
12) GALLERY GAZING

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (4454 Woodward Avenue: 313-832-6622; mocadetroit.org), housed in a former Albert Kahn auto dealership, features contemporary works by international and national artists. The museum’s store, specializing in art and culture magazines and journals, serves as a meeting place for students from the neighboring College for Creative Studies.

1 p.m.
13) POTTER’S PARADISE

Pewabic Pottery (10125 East Jefferson Avenue; 313-822-0954; pewabic.org), is where a renowned type of tile and pottery ware, created by the ceramicist Mary Stratton during the Arts and Crafts movement in 1903, is produced and sold. Now a National Historic Landmark, the building also houses a museum, educational center and store where you can buy a classic Pewabic tile for $24.

IF YOU GO

Deemed the tallest hotel in the world when it opened in 1924, the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit (1114 Washington Boulevard; 313-442-1600; bookcadillacwestin.com) was featured in Frank Capra’s film “State of the Union,” starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Reopened in 2009 after a $200 million renovation, it offers views of the Detroit River and a central location downtown. Doubles from $179.

For a more intimate experience try the 40-room Inn on Ferry Street (84 East Ferry Street; 877-784-6835; innonferrystreetdetroit.com), a complex of four historic homes and two carriage houses. Doubles from $129 include breakfast.

Urban adventurers should try the brand new Hostel Detroit (2700 Vermont Street; 248-807-2131; hosteldetroit.com) complete with volunteer “ambassadors” ready to show you the sights. Single bunk in an open room is $23 a night.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: May 8, 2011

The 36 Hours column this weekend on Page 12, about Detroit, misstated the Web site of one theater mentioned, the Gem. It is gemtheatre.com, not gemtheater.com.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: May 7, 2011

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the year in which Detroit was founded. It was 1701, not 1702.

    36 Hours in Detroit, NYT, 5.5.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/travel/08hours-detroit.html

36 Hours in Louisville, Ky.

March 31, 2011
The New York Times
By MICHAEL WASHBURN

LOUISVILLE bolts into the public eye for 120 seconds each May, but there is more to this courtly city on the Ohio River than the Kentucky Derby. The last decade has seen a cultural and civic blooming, with new galleries, restaurants and performance spaces taking their place alongside the city’s already robust roster of seductions. Entire neighborhoods — Butchertown, for instance, and East Market — have been reimagined as engines of cultural and culinary expression. Regardless of the changes, Derby City retains its easy charm — a glass of fine bourbon and good conversation aren’t hard to find. And for the record, it’s pronounced “LOU-uh-vull.”

Friday

6 p.m.
1) GETTING ACQUAINTED

More than 45 different watering holes line the roughly two miles of the Bardstown Road-Baxter Avenue corridor, from elegant restaurants to sticky-floored dives. Sandwiched among them are cafes, galleries specializing in regional ceramics and woodwork, and shops selling vintage clothing and jewelry, musical instruments and Louisville-themed curiosities. A welcome addition is the Holy Grale (1034 Bardstown Road; 502-459-9939; holygralelouisville.com). Recently opened in a century-old church, this dark, snug tavern with a polished bar running its length, offers a selection of fine beers, including 20 rare drafts like the unpasteurized Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Urbock, a dark beer that is surprisingly light despite its smoky, chocolate flavor. Chorizo tacos ($5) offer a fiery complement.

8:30 p.m.
2) BOOTLEGGERS AND GRITS

Jack Fry’s (1007 Bardstown Road; 502-452-9244; jackfrys.com) opened in 1933 as a haven for bootleggers and bookies, and has remained a popular dining spot, with its classic Old South atmosphere and original décor. A collection of ’30s era photographs — including shots of the 1937 flood that devastated downtown and prompted development in the eastern, now more affluent, sections of town — adorns the walls, and a discreet jazz trio performs in the corner. These days the restaurant focuses on subtle reinventions of Southern staples. Try the shrimp and grits with red-eye gravy and country ham ($11) followed by lamb chops in a rosemary natural jus with shiitakes and thyme ($30).

10:30 p.m.
3) A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

From Will Oldham and Slint to My Morning Jacket, Louisville’s music scene echoes throughout the world. Even if you’re not lucky enough to catch Mr. Oldham or MMJ in one of their local appearances, with talent like Wax Fang, Cheyenne Mize, Seluah and Joe Manning you can always find something to spirit you away. Zanzabar (2100 South Preston Street; 502-635-9227; zanzabarlouisville.com) offers cheap whiskey at the horseshoe-shaped bar while you catch one of the city’s (or country’s) comers on the intimate stage. Closing time here — as almost everywhere in Louisville — is 4 a.m.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) ART AND COMFORT FOOD

The East Market District is perhaps the best of the city’s revitalization projects. Dubbed NuLu (New Louisville), the neighborhood features antiques stores and shiny new galleries. Swanson Reed Contemporary (638 East Market Street; 502-589-5466; swansonreedgallery.com) and the Zephyr Gallery (610 East Market Street; 502-585-5646; zephyrgallery.org) display paintings, videos and installation work from regional and national artists. Before getting too far, visit the new Hillbilly Tea (120 South First Street; 502-587-7350; hillbillytea.com) for the Moonshine Breakfast: a grilled pork chop with bourbon and sage, herb scrambled eggs and a potato bake ($12). The gettin’s good, and the locals know it, so be patient.

11 a.m.
5) FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY

Louisville’s greatest son is the greatest: Muhammad Ali. The Muhammad Ali Center (144 North Sixth Street; 502-584-9254; alicenter.org) celebrates Mr. Ali’s singular talent as a fighter and his post-retirement humanitarian efforts, but the curators pulled no punches with the history. Sure, you can try the speed bag, but not before you’re immersed in multimedia presentations that contextualize Ali’s career within the civil rights struggle. The Ali Center is part of Museum Row (museumrowonmain.com), an odd confederation of museums and galleries devoted to science, crafts, baseball bats, war and more.

1:30 p.m.
6) RIDERS UP!

Churchill Downs (700 Central Avenue; 502-636-4400; churchilldowns.com) demands a visit even if you’re not here for the Derby — especially if you’re not here for the Derby. The spring meet opens on April 30, and a spot on Millionaire’s Row costing Diddy $68,000 on Derby Day will set you back only $20 when you walk among the mortals; don’t worry, the ponies charge just as hard. Adjacent to the Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum (704 Central Avenue; 502-637-7097; derbymuseum.org) offers an overview of the “Run for the Roses,” and hosts several track tours, including the “backside,” home to 1,400 thoroughbreds during racing season. Afterward, visit Wagner’s Pharmacy (3113 South Fourth Street; 502-375-3800; wagnerspharmacy.com), fabled hangout of grooms, jockeys and sportswriters. Barely changed since 1922, Wagner’s lunch counter displays fading photos of legends — two- and four-legged — from Derby history.

6 p.m.
7) WHISKEY ROW

Louisville has one of the largest collections of cast-iron facades outside SoHo in New York, but because of inattention and insensitive development, several of these buildings known as Whiskey Row faces destruction. Some, however, have been restored. Opened in February, Doc Crows (127 West Main Street; 502-587-1626; doccrows.com) occupies the former Bonnie Bros. distillery, at the healthy end of Whiskey Row. Take a seat in the back room of this 1880s-era gem and enjoy oysters on the half shell with bourbon mignonette ($2 to $2.50 each) and Carolina-style pulled pork ($8). Brett Davis, an owner, one of 112 master sommeliers in the country, prowls about most nights. Ask Brett to select which of Doc Crows’ 64 bourbons will go best with your meal.

8 p.m.
8) BROADWAY ON THE OHIO

Home of the Humana Festival of New American Plays, one of the nation’s foremost new-works festivals, Actors Theater of Louisville (316 West Main Street; 502-584-1205; actorstheatre.org) provides a rigorous testing ground for new talent. The festival introduced such Pulitzer Prize-winning plays as “Dinner With Friends” and “Crimes of the Heart,” and has sent an impressive cadre of graduates on to Broadway. The festival runs now through April 17. If nothing at Actors Theater strikes your fancy, check out the Kentucky Center for the Arts (501 West Main Street; 502-562-0100; kentuckycenter.org), host to several touring productions as well as performances by both the Louisville Orchestra and the Louisville Ballet.

10:30 p.m.
9) BORNE BACK CEASELESSLY

It’s frat-tastic at Louisville’s overwrought, underthought Fourth Street Live, an urban mall featuring places like T.G.I. Fridays and a Hard Rock Cafe. Take a few steps from that chaos, however, and discover the wonderfully worn Old Seelbach Bar (500 Fourth Street; 502-585-3200; seelbachhilton.com). It’s rumored that when Second Lt. F. Scott Fitzgerald was stationed in Louisville, he would while away the hours at this stately lounge directly off the Seelbach Hotel’s grand lobby. The hotel itself has a cameo in “The Great Gatsby,” but Fitzgerald didn’t highlight the bar in his masterpiece, preferring to keep the best for himself. At least that’s how the local story goes. Whatever the reason, it’s better this way.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) A WALK IN THE PARK

Cut through the lingering effects of last night with a jolt from the local favorite Heine Brothers’ Coffee (1295 Bardstown Road; 502-456-5108; heinebroscoffee.com). This location shares a passageway with one of the last great bookstores, Carmichael’s (1295 Bardstown Road; 502-456-6950; carmichaelsbookstore.com). Feel free to amble back and forth while you prepare for Cherokee Park. Opened in 1892, Cherokee was one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s last and wildest creations — think Prospect Park in the foothills of Appalachia. Park near Hogan’s Fountain and you can explore the nearly 400 acres of trails, hills and meadows.

1 p.m.
11) CAVE HILL

Col. Harland Sanders — yes, that Colonel Sanders — lies alongside local luminaries like George Rogers Clark, the city’s founder, at Cave Hill Cemetery (701 Baxter Avenue; 502-451-5630; cavehillcemetery.com), a lush Victorian-era graveyard that offers, unsurprisingly, a peaceful respite amid the bustle of the Highlands neighborhood. Before leaving, go native and leave a spork or a packet of ketchup at the Colonel’s Doric-columned grave site, a memorial to Sanders’s fried chicken fame.

IF YOU GO

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top hotels, the 21C Museum Hotel (700 West Main Street; 502-217-6300; 21chotel.com) is a destination in itself. Open since 2006, 21C features an innovative, locally sourced restaurant and over 9,000 square feet of exhibition space featuring such artists as Kara Walker and Chuck Close. 21C’s 90 rooms start at $200.

Opened in 1923, the Brown Hotel (335 West Broadway; 502-583-1234; brownhotel.com) provides a more traditional experience. The lobby bar has been a hangout for residents and stylish visitors for decades. The hotel’s 293 rooms, some of which fall on the smaller side, start at $180.

    36 Hours in Louisville, Ky., NYT, 31.3.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/travel/03hours-louisville.html

36 Hours in Seattle

March 24, 2011
The New York Times
By DAVID LASKIN

SPRING comes early to Seattle and lasts long. By the end of February, the rains relent and pastel shades of plum and narcissus initiate a progression of color and scent that lasts months. But new flora is not the only thing popping out of the ground in Seattle these days. Seemingly overnight, whole swatches of downtown and close-in neighborhoods — notably South Lake Union and the Pike-Pine Corridor — have transformed themselves into vibrant enclaves of restaurants, bars and galleries. With so many converted and repurposed buildings, Seattle’s cityscape is starting to look as layered as the wardrobes of its inhabitants. The tarry pitch of the timber port never disappeared; it just got plastered over with grunge flannel, tech money, yuppie coffee, Pacific Rim flavors, and more recently the backyard chickens and chard of urban pioneers. Don’t let a passing shower keep you from entering the mix. This is one of the rare American cities where you can be outdoors year-round without either shivering or sweating.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) PARK TOWER VIEW

Volunteer Park (1247 15th Avenue East; 206-684-4075; www.seattle.gov/parks), a 10-minute cab or bus ride from downtown at the north end of Capitol Hill, has gardens designed a century ago by the Olmsted Brothers, a conservatory bursting with plants from regions around the world, and a squat brick water tower that you can ascend for terrific views of the city below and the mountains and water beyond. Rain or shine, it’s the ideal place for spring orientation. If hunger strikes, stroll a couple of blocks east through one of Seattle’s oldest and prettiest neighborhoods for a slice of lemon Bundt cake ($3) and a Stumptown coffee at the cozy, humming Volunteer Park Cafe (1501 17th Avenue East; 206-328-3155; alwaysfreshgoodness.com).

6 p.m.
2) COOLEST CORRIDOR

The Pike-Pine Corridor is Seattle’s happiest urban makeover: from a warren of shabby flats and greasy spoons to an arty but not oppressively gentrified hamlet just across the freeway from downtown. When the locally revered Elliott Bay Book Company (1521 10th Avenue; 206-624-6600; elliottbaybook.com) abandoned Pioneer Square to relocate here last year, the literati gasped — but now it looks like a perfect neighborhood fit, what with the inviting communal tables at Oddfellows (1525 10th Avenue; 206-325-0807; oddfellowscafe.com) two doors down, and a full spectrum of restaurants, vintage clothing shops and home décor stores in the surrounding blocks. When it’s time for a predinner drink, amble over to Licorous (928 12th Avenue; 206-325-6947; licorous.com). Behind the shack-like facade is a soaring, spare, just dark and loud enough watering hole that serves creative cocktails (Bound for Glory, with Bacardi, allspice, lime juice and Jamaican bitters, $12) and bar snacks (salumi plate, $12).

7:30 p.m.
3) FRESH AND LOCAL

One of the most talked-about restaurants in town, Sitka & Spruce (1531 Melrose Avenue East; 206-324-0662; sitkaandspruce.com) looks like a classy college dining room with a long refectory table surrounded by a few smaller tables, concrete floors, exposed brick and duct work. But there’s nothing sophomoric about the food. The chef and owner, Matt Dillon, who moved the restaurant to the Pike-Pine Corridor last summer, follows his flawless intuition in transforming humble local ingredients (smelt, nettles, celery root, black trumpet mushrooms, turnips, pumpkin) into complexly layered, many-textured but never fussy creations like beer-fried smelt with aioli ($12), spiced pumpkin crepe with herbed labneh ($19) and salmon with stinging nettles ($23). Heed your server’s advice that entrees are meant to be shared — you will have just enough room for dessert (warm dates, pistachios and rose-water ice cream, $6.50), and you will be pleasantly surprised by the bill.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) ART AND WATER

There used to be two complaints about downtown Seattle: it offered no inspiring parks and no waterfront access worthy of the scenery. The Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Avenue; 206-654-3100; seattleartmuseum.org), opened four years ago by the Seattle Art Museum, took care of both problems in one stroke. Masterpieces in steel, granite, fiberglass and bronze by nationally renowned artists have wedded beautifully with maturing native trees, shrubs, ferns and wildflowers. Wander the zigzagging paths and ramps past the massive weathered steel hulls of Richard Serra’s “Wake” and Alexander Calder’s soaring painted steel “Eagle” until you reach the harborside promenade. From there continue north to a pocket beach and into the adjoining grassy fields of waterfront Myrtle Edwards Park. It’s all free.

10:30 a.m.
5) URBAN VILLAGE

The development of South Lake Union into a thriving urban village, brainchild of the Microsoft tycoon Paul Allen, is finally alive and kicking. This former industrial no man’s land now houses the city’s best galleries, an ever increasing collection of dining spots, some nifty shops and the spanking new Amazon campus. Use the South Lake Union Streetcar to hop from Gordon Woodside/John Braseth Gallery (2101 Ninth Avenue; 206-622-7243; woodsidebrasethgallery.com), which specializes in Northwest landscapes, to Honeychurch Antiques (411 Westlake Avenue North; 206-622-1225; honeychurch.com), with museum-quality Asian art and artifacts, and on to the Center for Wooden Boats (1010 Valley Street; 206-382-2628; cwb.org), where you can admire the old varnished beauties or rent a rowboat or sailboat for a spin around Seattle’s in-city lake. Need a (really rich) snack? The newly renamed Marie & Frères Chocolate (2122 Westlake Avenue; 206-859-3534; claudiocorallochocolate.com) has some of the most exquisite chocolate macaroons ever confected.

1 p.m.
6) LUNCH BESIDE THE CHIEF

Tilikum Place, with its imposing fountain statue of the city’s namesake, Chief Sealth, is Seattle’s closest thing to a piazza, and the Tilikum Place Café (407 Cedar Street; 206-282-4830) supplied the one missing element — a classy informal restaurant — when it opened two years ago. Understated elegance is the byword here, whether it’s the delicate purée of butternut squash soup with bits of tart apple ($4), the beet salad with arugula and blue cheese ($8) or the light and piquant mushroom and leek tart ($10).

4 p.m.
7) WALK ON WATER

You don’t have to leave the city limits to immerse yourself in the region’s stunning natural beauty. Drive or take a bus 15 minutes from downtown to the parking lot of the Museum of History and Industry (2700 24th Avenue East; 206-324-1126; seattlehistory.org) and pick up the milelong Arboretum Waterfront Trail. A network of well-maintained paths and boardwalks takes you through thickets of alder, willow and elderberry into marshy islands alive with the trills of red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens, and over shallows where kayakers prowl amid the rushes and concrete pillars of the freeway overhead. If the sun is out, you’ll want to prolong the outing with a stroll through the flowering fruit trees in the adjoining arboretum.

8 p.m.
8) LA DOLCE VITA

Maybe it’s the stylish Italian vibe or the pretty people basking in the soft glow of dripping candles, or maybe it’s the sumptuous, creatively classic food — whatever the secret ingredient, Barolo Ristorante (1940 Westlake Avenue; 206-770-9000; baroloseattle.com) always feels like a party. The pastas would do a Roman mother proud — gnocchi sauced with braised pheasant ($19), leg of lamb ragù spooned over rigatoni ($18). The rack of lamb with Amarone-infused cherries ($36) is sinfully rich, and the seared branzino (sea bass) ($28) exhales the essence of the Mediterranean. Don’t leave without at least a nibble of cannoli or tiramisù ($7).

Midnight
9) THE BEAT GOES ON

At See Sound Lounge (115 Blanchard; 206-374-3733; seesoundlounge.com) young and not so young Seattle join forces to party to house music spun by a revolving cast of D.J.’s. There’s a small dance floor — but the compensation is lots of booths and sofas to crash on. The scene outside can get rowdy in the wee hours, but inside the beat and liquor flow smoothly.

Sunday

10:30 a.m.
10) BAYOU BRUNCH

Lake Pontchartrain meets Puget Sound at Toulouse Petit (601 Queen Anne Avenue North; 206-432-9069; toulousepetit.com), a funky bistro-style spot near the Seattle Center in Lower Queen Anne. Grab a booth and settle in with a basket of hot, crispy beignets ($7.50 for the large); then indulge in something truly decadent like pork cheeks confit hash topped with a couple of fried eggs ($12) or eggs Benedict with crab and fines herbes ($16). You can cleanse your system afterward with a brisk walk up
the hill to Kerry Park (211 West Highland Drive) for a magnificent farewell view.

IF YOU GO

The best, cheapest way to get from the airport to downtown is the new Link Light Rail; $2.50 one way (soundtransit.org).

The two-year-old 346-room Hyatt at Olive 8 (1635 Eighth Avenue; 206-695-1234; hyatt.com) has hands-down the best fitness center and pool of any downtown hotel; most of the sleekly appointed guest rooms have city views. Doubles from $179 to $279.

Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle (2125 Terry Avenue; 206-264-8111; panpacific.com), which opened in 2006, is a light and airy perch above the evolving scene in South Lake Union, a 15-minute walk to downtown. Doubles from $200.

    36 Hours in Seattle, NYT, 24.3.2011, http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/travel/27hours-seattle.html

36 Hours in Sun Valley, Idaho

December 9, 2010
The New York Times
By AMY VIRSHUP

NOSTALGIA can feel like the dominant mode at the Sun Valley Resort near Ketchum, Idaho, which was founded by W. Averell Harriman in 1936 to bring passengers to the West on the Union Pacific Railroad.

Just check out the photographs in the hallways at the Sun Valley Lodge — isn’t that Gary Cooper, Janet Leigh, Lucille Ball? All were high-glam-quotient visitors to this resort during its Hollywood glory days. (These days, it’s a favorite of perhaps less-photogenic tech moguls and their pals.)

In recent years, Sun Valley has been looking forward: both the Lodge and its sister property, the Sun Valley Inn, have been refurbished. At Bald Mountain, the bigger of Sun Valley’s two ski areas, 645 acres of snowmaking and the recently opened Roundhouse gondola have raised the quality of a day on the slopes. At Dollar Mountain this season, the terrain parks have a host of new rails and jibs.

A proposed master plan will take things even further. But that’s the future. For the moment, as the resort celebrates its 75th winter season, it’s a short hop from one of the area’s hotels to the slopes, and “Sun Valley Serenade” still plays, free, on guest room TVs.

Friday

6 p.m.
1) SKATE UNDER THE LIGHTS

Make like Michelle Kwan and hit the ice at the Sun Valley Lodge’s outdoor rink (208-622-2194). The oval has seen performances by all manner of Olympic gold medalists, from Peggy Fleming to Evan Lysacek. So lace up a pair of rental skates and practice your triple lutz. (If your tastes run more to Alex Ovechkin, there are hockey skates available, too.) And if you hear Scott Hamilton doing the commentary in your head, well, you won’t be the first — or last. The evening session ends at 8. Admission: adult $10.50; child $8.75; under 5 free with paid adult; skate rental is $4.25.

8 p.m.
2) SLOW COOKER

The wood-frame cottage that’s home to the Ketchum Grill (520 East Avenue North; 208-726-4660; ketchumgrill.com) dates back to Ketchum’s first boom industry — silver mining, which briefly fueled development here in the 1880s. There are lots of old-fashioned touches at this cozy, cheerful place: the oversize rodeo poster as you walk in, the kayak suspended overhead in the back dining room, the rustic apple tart with homemade ice cream on the dessert menu ($7). But the owners Scott Mason, chef, and his wife, Anne, pastry chef, are up on the latest trends. There’s always a “slow cooked food of the day” entree: stuffed pork loin, short ribs or maybe house-cured corned beef with cabbage and boiled potatoes ($19.95 to $23.95). And the steak of the day might come with pomegranate sauce, gorgonzola butter or mushrooms ($25.95).

Saturday

8:30 a.m.
3) BREAKFAST WITH A VIEW

The slopes don’t officially open until 9, but you can get an early start by riding the gondola to the Roundhouse for breakfast ($15 for those with lift tickets; $30 for those without). Perched 7,700 feet up Baldy, the Roundhouse was the first day lodge on the mountain, and its exposed rafters, four-sided fireplace and antler chandeliers feel as if they’ve barely changed since it opened in 1939. The breakfast is continental — fruit, Danish, artisan breads, juices and coffee — and the views are striking. A good number of your fellow diners may have really worked up an appetite, as it’s a popular stop for skiers who have walked up the mountain with climbing skins on their boards. If you time things right, you can be first in line at the Christmas chair when it opens.

9 a.m.
4) HIT THE SLOPES

Some mountains require elaborate strategizing to avoid the lift lines, but at Sun Valley that’s rarely a problem. What does take some thought is working around Bald Mountain’s relatively low elevation, which means that the lower half of the mountain can get slushy in the afternoon sun, then freeze overnight. So start your morning up high at the Seattle Ridge area. The slopes up here, named for Sun Valley’s Olympic stars and their medals — Gretchen’s Gold, Christin’s Silver — are mostly greens, but their consistent pitch down the fall line makes them eminently swooshable on morning legs. Once you’ve warmed up, Christmas Bowl, from the top of the Christmas chair, is the longest run on the mountain, starting out as a blue and then turning into an expert run down below. Feel ready? The Mayday chair takes you up to the Easter, Lookout and Mayday bowls. If you feel overwhelmed, keep going left to the easier Broadway Face or Sigi’s Bowl.

4 p.m.
5) REFRESH YOUR LOOK

If your skiwear needs a little sprucing up, knock off early and head to the Gold Mine Thrift Shop (331 Walnut Avenue; 208-726-3465; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, closed Sunday), where the used stock runs heavily to the brand-name and all but brand-new. Among the recent finds: a men’s Giorgio Armani jumpsuit ($75); numerous Bogner parkas and ski pants for women (average price $80); enough children’s Obermeyer bibs to outfit a ski school (from $10 to $40), plus Burton snowboards, skis from K2, Rossignol and Salomon and vintage ski sweaters from brands like Dale of Norway. Proceeds benefit the Community Library. Around the corner, Iconoclast Books (671 Sun Valley Road; 208-726-1564; iconoclastbooks.com) has current adult and children’s books, but its real strength is its Hemingway-related collection, including selected first editions of many of his novels, plus biographies, and memoirs by far-flung members of the clan. Or discover other Idaho writers, like Vardis Fisher, whose 1965 novel, “Mountain Man,” was the basis for the film “Jeremiah Johnson,” with Robert Redford.

8 p.m.
6) CROSS-CULTURAL EATING

Derek Gallegos, the chef and owner of 310 Main in Ketchum’s scruffier neighbor, Hailey, grew up in the restaurant business. His family owned an Idaho chain of Mexican places called Mama Inez; later he worked in Deer Valley, Utah, and at the Sun Valley Brewing Company. In this tidy 35-seat spot on Hailey’s main drag (310 North Main, Hailey; 208-788-4161; threetenmain.com), Mr. Gallegos mashes up his influences to create starters like Shanghai Tacos — scallion pancakes wrapped around pulled pork and cucumber dotted with hoisin sauce — or Homa Homa oysters with habanero and lime sorbet. There’s always a filled pasta, whether it’s ravioli with sweet pea and ricotta filling or butternut squash tortellini ($17), an Asian dish like bay scallop red Thai curry ($18) and a rib-eye steak with mashed potatoes ($32), since you’re in Idaho, after all.

10 p.m.
7) DRINK WITH THE WILDLIFE

Back in Ketchum, the Pioneer Saloon (320 North Main Street; 208-726-3139) is probably as famous for its décor as it is for its food. There’s taxidermy galore — heads of deer (the one over the dining room entrance is named Fred and was shot in 1927), elk and bison; stuffed grouse and pheasant; and even trophy trout (the enormous one is actually a fiberglass replica of a record steelhead). That’s not to mention the birch-bark canoe hanging in the bar, or the numerous bullet and rifle displays. Admire them all while having one of the Pioneer’s signature bartender margaritas ($8) or a draft Sun Valley ale ($4.75) at the bar. Open till about 1 a.m.

Sunday

9 a.m.
8) BRUNCH BY THE FIRE

Tucked away on a side street, Cristina’s (520 Second Street East; 208-726-4499; cristinasofsunvalley.com) is a Sun Valley institution. The owner, Tuscan-born Cristina Ceccatelli Cook, serves homey food in a trim salmon-pink cottage, where a fire burns all winter long in the fireplace. On Sundays, brunch starts at 9, and the menu mixes classic breakfast items — French toast with berries and syrup ($15.75), all kinds of omelets (from $14.50) — and items like the 10-inch thin-crust pizzas (from $13.50). The breads are homemade — prune walnut is a house specialty.

10 a.m.
9) TIME FOR SKINNY SKIS

Downhill is not the only kind of skiing in Sun Valley. There are extensive networks of cross-country trails that wind through the countryside. Get outfitted at the Elephant’s Perch (280 East Avenue; 208-726-3497; elephantsperch.com), where a touring package rents for $15 for a half day. (You’ll also need a day pass for the trails; $15.) Head north and pick up the Harriman Trail near the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters (seven miles north of Ketchum on Route 75). It’s gentle and flat and runs along the banks of the Big Wood River. Farther north you can try the Prairie Creek Loop, with views of the Boulder and Smoky Mountains. For trail information, check with the Blaine County Recreation District (208-578-9754; bcrd.org).

IF YOU GO

The closest airport to Sun Valley is Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, Idaho. Or you can fly into Boise and rent a car, or use the Sun Valley Express shuttle (877-622-8267; sunvalleyexpress.com) for the two-and-a-half to three-hour drive to Sun Valley. Shuttle tickets are $59 for adults each way.

The Mountain Fairy (208-720-0776; mtnfairy.blogspot.com) offers rides in its pink van and specializes in taking visitors to outdoor-sports locations ($10 to $25 a person depending on destination).

The Sun Valley Resort (800-786-8259; sunvalley.com) is the biggest game in town, with 148 rooms in the Lodge and 109 at the Inn (both have large heated pools for post-skiing rejuvenation), plus cottages, apartments and condos. Rates from $200.

    36 Hours in Sun Valley, Idaho, NYT, 9.12.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/travel/12hours.html

36 Hours in Asheville, N.C.

October 21, 2010
The New York Times
By SHAILA DEWAN

WHETHER it’s culture, the great outdoors or homegrown food and beer, Asheville takes its pleasures seriously. Playgrounds are equipped with rock-climbing walls. Bumper stickers exhort the locals to buy local. There’s even a fund-raising drive under way to erect a museum named for Bob Moog, the synthesizer pioneer, who lived in Asheville, that will trace the intersection of science and music. All this connoisseurship unfolds, to the benefit of the casual visitor, against the backdrop of the seriously beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) SECRET (EDIBLE) GARDEN

A small amphitheater, an interactive fountain and public sculpture adorn the newly redone Pack Square Park (packsquarepark.org) at the pink Art Deco-style city hall. But a quick walk away is another, almost secret, park that embodies the scruffy, idealistic side of Asheville: George Washington Carver Edible Park. There, the public can graze on apples, chestnuts and other delectables. To find it, take the outdoor stairway behind Pack’s Tavern, go left on Marjorie Street and cross the pedestrian bridge by the corner of Marjorie and Davidson.

5 p.m.
2) CHAI TIME

Asheville residents love their Indian food, and they are particularly taken with a bright, year-old cafe called Chai Pani (22 Battery Park Avenue; 828-254-4003; chaipani.net) for its fresh, cilantro-strewn takes on Indian street food. For a late afternoon snack, pop in for a nimbu pani, or salty limeade ($2.25), and bhel puri, a snack of puffed rice and chickpea noodles in fresh tamarind chutney ($4.25).

7 p.m.
3) DOWNTOWN DRUMMING

There may be 10 onlookers for every drummer at the long-running Friday night drum circle in triangular Pritchard Park (College Street and Patton Avenue) — and there are plenty of drummers. The congas, doumbeks, tambourines and cowbells provide an ecstatic soundtrack for families, college couples and dreadlocked nomads. The drum circle is the throbbing heart of downtown, a district of shops, bars, buskers and street magicians that spring into action as the weekend begins.

9 p.m.
4) MICROBREW AND A MOVIE

In recent years, Asheville has come to rival Portland, Ore., as a center for craft beer, and the city now claims to have more microbreweries per capita — from places like Green Man Brewery (greenmanbrewery.com) with its cask-conditioned beers, to the hip Wedge Brewing Company (wedgebrewing.com) in the River Arts District. You can try a few on an Asheville Brews Cruise tour (brewscruise.com), or linger at the cozy, student-friendly Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company (675 Merrimon Avenue; 828-254-1281; ashevillebrewing.com), which has a bar, arcade and movie theater (tickets $3). Settle down in front of the large screen with a pint of Rocket Girl or Ninja Porter and a quite respectable pizza (toppings include Spam, as well as smoked Gouda and artichoke hearts).

Saturday

9 a.m.
5) WOOD-FIRED BREAKFAST

The East-West fusion and wholesome rusticity in Farm and Sparrow’s wood-fired pastries seem to sum up Asheville. The croissants stuffed with kimchi ($3.25) and an open-faced pear, Gorgonzola and bee pollen confection ($3) are made at the bakery (farmandsparrow.com) in nearby Candler, N.C., and are available at some of Asheville’s tailgate markets, a kind of hyper-local version of a farmers’ market. The North Asheville Tailgate Market (828-712-4644; northashevilletailgatemarket.org), held in a parking lot on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, is where you’ll also find locally made kombucha from Buchi, trout dip from the Sunburst Trout Company and fresh goat cheese with lavender from Three Graces Dairy.

10:30 a.m.
6) MOUNTAIN STRETCH

Like any bohemian resort worth its coarse-ground Himalayan salt, Asheville has its share of healing arts. Find spa treatments, colonics and “affordable acupuncture” at the Thrifty Taoist in the town of Black Mountain (106 Black Mountain Avenue; 828-713-9185; thriftytaoist.com), about 15 minutes from downtown. Black Mountain Yoga offers one-on-one yoga therapy sessions with Martia Rachman and her husband, Brad, a naturopath, $75 (202 First Street, Black Mountain; 828-333-5123; blackmountainyoga.com). While you perform stretches and poses, one of the Rachmans will identify problem areas and massage and manipulate stubborn muscles. An hour later, a looser, more relaxed you will emerge from their clutches.

Noon
7) ARTISTS’ UTOPIA

Short-lived but enormously influential, Black Mountain College (blackmountaincollege.org) was evidence of Asheville’s pull on the unconventionally creative. John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Buckminster Fuller and Josef Albers were among the teachers at this oft-re-examined intellectual utopia that closed, after a quarter-century, in the late 1950s. The campus at Lake Eden (375 Lake Eden Road, Black Mountain) is now a Christian boys’ camp, but when it is not in session you can still inspect the Bauhaus-inspired main campus building and fading murals by Jean Charlot. Twice a year, the Lake Eden Arts Festival (828-686-8742; theleaf.org) unfolds there.

2 p.m.
8) ROBOT VS. MERMAID

Western North Carolina is known for pottery, and you can find some of the artists themselves at work at Curve Studios in the River Arts District (6, 9 and 12 Riverside Drive; 828-388-3526; curvestudiosnc.com). At the showroom-cum-studios, browse robot vases by Patty Bilbro ($165), a mermaid figurine by Fran Welch ($35) or sophisticated tableware by Akira Satake and Maria Andrade Troya.

3 p.m.
9) OLD-TIME ARCHITECTURE

On the Obamas’ Asheville vacation last spring, they joined a long line of presidents and celebrities who have stayed at the Grove Park Inn (290 Macon Avenue; 800-438-5800; groveparkinn.com), a giant pile of rocks, topped by a red roof that looks like melting snow. The inn retains a Craftsman-era grace, despite some remodeling involving a good deal of wood paneling. Take in the splendor of the Great Hall — and a Great Hall Bloody, the definitive bloody mary ($11.26) — accompanied by the local bands that play mostly old-time, Americana and bluegrass music on Saturday afternoons.

5 p.m.
10) TOAST TO LITERATURE

The Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar (1 Battle Square; 828-252-0020; batteryparkbookexchange.com) is not a place to find shabby paperbacks. Instead, think never-read leather-bound volumes of Dickens ($435 for a set), an edition of “The Catcher in the Rye” with the carousel horse cover ($200), acres of gardening and art hardbacks and a glass of fizzy Heidsieck & Co. Monopole ($15). The Mission-style sofas and leather armchairs in book-lined alcoves bring the cozy nook idea to a new level.

8 p.m.
11) GASTRO-DIVE

What are truffles, steak tartare and imported oysters doing in a cinderblock dive bar amid the cool haunts of West Asheville? One bite of dinner at the Admiral (400 Haywood Road; 828-252-2541; theadmiralnc.com) and such questions subside into flavor combinations like balsamic pears with honey cap mushrooms or foie gras with Nutella. Since new owners bought the old B&D Bar three years ago, renamed it and installed a gastropub with an ever-changing menu, the Admiral has been one of Asheville’s hottest tables; reservations recommended. Late on Saturday nights, the tables are cleared away for a crowded and sweaty dance party.

Sunday

9 a.m.
12) TREETOP ZIP

Leaf peeping is a serious sport in Asheville — hence the weekly “fall color report” from the local visitor’s bureau (exploreasheville.com). Experience the foliage from a whole new angle on the three-and-a-half-hour zipline course at Navitat Canopy Adventures, about 20 minutes north of town (242 Poverty Branch Road in Barnardsville; 828-626-3700; navitat.com). Wearing a hard hat, you’ll be strapped in and hooked up with a series of reassuring clicks for each of the 10 zips, the longest at 1,100 feet ($85). They take you from chestnut oaks to tulip poplars, soaring over valleys with a bird’s-eye view that will remind you, once again, of the Blue Ridge bedrock of Asheville’s eternal appeal.

THE BASICS

Several airlines including Delta and US Airways fly nonstop to Asheville from New York. A recent Web search found round-trip fares starting at $349 for travel in the next few weeks.

The year-old Hotel Indigo (151 Haywood Street; 828-239-0239; hotelindigo.com) offers midpriced contemporary design near the action at the Grove Arcade, with a locavore restaurant, iPad rentals, fitness center and rooms from $149.

The 104-room Grand Bohemian Hotel (11 Boston Way; 828-505-2949; bohemianhotelasheville.com) features sumptuous built-yesterday-but-looks-antique lodge style with hand-carved inlaid columns and a four-sided stone fireplace in the lobby. Rooms from $199.

    36 Hours in Asheville, N.C., NYT, 21.10.2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/travel/24hours.html

36 Hours in Chicago

September 22, 2010
The New York Times
By FRED A. BERNSTEIN

ALL cities have their ups and downs, but Chicago has been on the rise by playing to its strengths, adding parks, architectural crowd pleasers and public art. Much of this has happened on the watch of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who, after 21 years in office, announced this month that he would be stepping down. How will the city fare without him? Just fine, probably, thanks to the raft of improvements that has left Chicago fortified both by 19th- and 20th-century public spaces brimming with 21st-century attractions.

Friday

4 p.m.

1) LOOP THE LOOP

Chicago is a city of architecture tours, but one of the best is right above you: the “L,” the elevated subway that circles the Loop (transitchicago.com). Get on the brown, orange or pink lines — it doesn’t matter which color, as long as you sit in the first car by the front-view window — and round the two-square-mile area. If you’re going clockwise, look to the left. Among landmarks you’ll see are Bertrand Goldberg’s spectacular Marina City, the new Trump International Hotel and Tower, Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavilion band shell and Louis Sullivan’s historic Auditorium Building. Miss one? No problems. The $2.25 ticket buys unlimited loops.

8 p.m.
2) MIDWAY FARE

Credit the recession, but a number of good midprice but high-style restaurants have opened in Chicago in the last two years. A favorite is Gilt Bar (230 West Kinzie Street; 312-464-9544; giltbarchicago.com), a casual restaurant in the River North neighborhood that isn’t casual about its cooking. The menu features New American dishes like blackened cauliflower with capers ($7) and ricotta gnocchi with sage and brown butter ($13). After dinner, head downstairs to Curio, a basement bar with a Prohibition theme. Try the Death’s Door Daisy, made with artisanal Wisconsin vodka and Aperol, a blood orange liqueur, for $10.

11 p.m.
3) COME ON IN

There are so many clubs on Ontario Street, just north of the loop, that it’s sometimes known as Red Bull Row. For a mellower jolt, head to the Uptown neighborhood, to Big Chicks (5024 North Sheridan Road; 773-728-5511; bigchicks.com) a gay bar that welcomes everyone. The drinks are cheap, the crowd is friendly and the décor is appealingly kooky.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) FANCY EGGS

Couldn’t get to dinner at Frontera Grill, the nouvelle Mexican restaurant owned by the celebrity chef Rick Bayless? No worries. Just head over for breakfast at Xoco (449 North Clark Street; 312-661-1434; rickbayless.com), Mr. Bayless’s newest restaurant. It’s served till 10 a.m.; expect a line after 8:30. Favorites include scrambled egg empanada with poblano chili ($3), and an open-face torta with soft poached egg, salsa, cheese, cilantro and black beans ($4). Chocolate café au lait ($3.25) comes with a single hot, crisp, sugary churro.

11 a.m.
5) OFF-LABEL STRIP

The Miracle Mile area is filled with flagships (Gucci, Vuitton — you know the list). But there are still some independent stores you won’t find at your hometown mall. Ikram (873 North Rush Street; 312-587-1000; ikram.com) is the stylish boutique that counts Michelle Obama among its customers, with fashion-forward labels like Jason Wu and Martin Margiela. East Oak Street has a couple of cool shops, including Sofia (No. 72; 312-640-0878; sofiavintage.com). Next door is Colletti Gallery (No. 102; 312-664-6767; collettigallery.com), with a gorgeous selection of Art Deco and Art Nouveau furniture and objets. It’s a short walk from there to the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 East Chicago Avenue; 312-280-2660; mcachicago.org), which has a spectacular exhibition of works by Alexander Calder — and works inspired by Calder — through Oct. 17.

2 p.m.
6) FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD

Walking around Hyde Park, a leafy enclave about four miles south of the Loop, it’s easy to see why the Obamas settled there. Their house, on South Greenwood Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets, is nearly invisible behind Secret Service barricades. Luckily, the nearby Robie House (5757 South Woodlawn Avenue; 800-514-3849; gowright.org), a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, is open for tours. See if you can find an abstracted male figure in the Japanese-inspired leaded-glass windows. Across the street, the beautifully landscaped University of Chicago campus is worth exploring for an afternoon (or a semester).

7 p.m.
7) LIVESTOCK MENU

Chicago was once the meatpacking capital of the world, and it still knows what to do with offal. Take Girl & the Goat (809 West Randolph Streeet, 312-492-6262; girlandthegoat.com), a much-blogged-about new restaurant where the Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard takes livestock parts seriously. The often-updated menu recently included lamb ribs with grilled avocado and pistachio piccata ($17), and braised beef tongue with masa and beef vinaigrette ($12). If you’re not a carnivore, try chickpeas three ways ($11), and for dessert, potato fritters with lemon poached eggplant and Greek yogurt ($8). The soaring dining room, designed by the Chicago design firm 555 International, is warm and modern, with exposed beams, walls of charred cedar and a large open kitchen. Reservations essential.

10 p.m.
8) FUNNY BONE

The owners of the Ontourage nightclub (157 West Ontario Street; 312-573-1470; ontouragechicago.com) were tired of waiting until midnight for the crowds to gather, so they began offering comedy shows at 10 on Saturdays. You won’t find big names, but a hit-or-miss roster of itinerant comedians, some who heckle the audience in language that can’t be printed here. Tickets, $10 include admission to the upstairs lounge, where bottle-service vodkas start at $200.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) BEAUTIFICATION BRUNCH

Logan Square, about two miles northwest of the Loop, is a remnant of Chicago’s late-19th-century beautification movement, with a statue of an eagle by Evelyn Longman where two of the grandest boulevards meet. Nearby, Longman & Eagle (2657 North Kedzie Avenue; 773-276-7110; longmanandeagle.com) is a rough-edged bar that serves a refined brunch: a chunky sockeye salmon tartare with pickled mango ($10) or a wild boar “Sloppy Joe” ($10). Six hotel rooms are set to open upstairs.

1 p.m.
10) GRAND PIANO

Chicago knows how to mix neo-classical architecture with contemporary design, and no place does it better than the Art Institute of Chicago (111 South Michigan Avenue; 312-443-3600; artinstituteofchicago.org), which opened its celebrated Modern Wing last year. Designed by Renzo Piano, it the luminous addition contains a magnificent set of galleries for 1900-1950 European art (Picasso, Giacometti, Klee are a few of the big names) and a capacious room for the museum’s design collection. Hungry or not, check out Terzo Piano, the stunning rooftop restaurant with views of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park across the street.

3 p.m.
11) WHEELS UP

From the museum, walk over the pedestrian bridge, also designed by Mr. Piano, to Millennium Park, and rent bikes from Bike and Roll (312-729-1000; bikechicago.com), about $35 a day, for a ride up the shore of Lake Michigan. You’ll pass Navy Pier, skyscrapers by Mies van der Rohe, and hundreds of beach volleyball courts, which make this the Malibu of the Midwest on summer and fall weekends. Along the way, you’ll pass Lincoln Park, with a new pavilion by the Chicago architect Jeanne Gang — another example of how the city is updating its open spaces.

IF YOU GO

Numerous airlines, including Delta, American and United, fly nonstop into Chicago from all three New York-area airports. Based on recent Web search, round-trip flights start at about $219 for travel in October.

The Allegro (171 West Randolph Street, 312-236-0123; allegrochicago.com), a 483-room hotel in the city’s bustling theater district, in the bold style of Kimpton hotels. Rooms from about $149.

Opened last year, the Elysian (11 East Walton Street; 312-646-1300; elysianhotels.com) is a cushy 188-room hotel where the beds aren’t made — they’re “draped” in 460-thread-count Rivolta Carmignani linens. From the outside, the building, not far from the Miracle Mile, resembles a chateau. Rooms start at about $430.

    36 Hours in Chicago, NYT, 22.9.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/travel/26hours.html

36 Hours in Charleston, S.C.

September 9, 2010
The New York Times
By SHAILA DEWAN

CHARLESTON still has its cannons aimed at Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, and has elected the same mayor, Joseph Riley, since 1975. It even has some of the country’s most aggressive historic preservation. But that doesn’t mean this charming Southern city has nothing new to offer. There are new galleries on Broad Street, and a festoonery of restaurants, bars and boutique bakeries have transformed the once-struggling design district on upper King Street. Charlestonians, governed by laws of hospitality as incontrovertible as those of gravity, cannot help themselves from sharing their new finds, even if you are “from off,” as those who grew up on this once swampy peninsula refer to outsiders.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) MEETING LUCINDA

In 1856, Charleston banned the buying and selling of slaves outdoors, a practice viewed as out of keeping with the city’s genteel image. Trade moved indoors to places like Ryan’s Mart, where the first slave sold was a 20-year-old woman named Lucinda. The former auction hall opened in 2007 as the Old Slave Mart Museum (6 Chalmers Street, 843-958-6467; nps.gov/history/nr/travel/charleston). Exhibitions bring slavery to horrifying life in a way few museums do, addressing such topics as the stigma attached to the slave-trading profession and how slaves were dressed, shaved, fed and otherwise prepared for market day.

7 p.m.
2) LOWCOUNTRY CUISINE

For three years running, a restaurant from Charleston has won the James Beard award for best southeastern chef (first Hominy Grill, then Fig, then McCrady’s), so guessing the next winner can be an amusing parlor game. Will it be Glass Onion, with its pickled vegetables and lunch-box aesthetic, or Wild Olive, which showcases local produce and Italian cooking out on Johns Island? A dark-horse contender is Cypress Lowcountry Grille (167 East Bay Street, 843-727-0111; magnolias-blossom-cypress.com), where the chef Craig Deihl makes his own charcuterie (served with lard biscuits, $12) and pork schnitzel ($28) while throwing a bone to value-seeking diners with a $39 prix fixe menu.

10 p.m.
3) JAZZ AGE REFUGE

Charleston is not particularly known for its night life — the options sometimes come down to one outlandishly named martini versus another (caramel macchiatotini? Charlestoniantini?). But locals with an evening to kill stop by the lounge of the Charleston Grill, a grand ballroom of a restaurant tucked away in a posh hotel, the Charleston Place (224 King Street, 843-577-4522; charlestongrill.com). From a glamorous white banquette, you can take in the sophisticated tunes of the Quentin Baxter Ensemble and the very polite antics of practically all of Charleston, from dads and debutantes to Gullah painters. Snack on the truffle Parmesan popcorn ($10) and a kiwi version of the Pimm’s cup ($12).

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) SWEETGRASS AND CREPES

The old South finds new takes at the Charleston Farmers Market in Marion Square (843-724-7305; charlestonarts.sc), a bustling downtown market where you can buy pickled watermelon rind, sweetgrass baskets and flower arrangements that make use of old windows. Be prepared to fight your way through the throngs buying their week’s supply of groceries or lining up for fresh crepes ($4.50 and up; charlestoncrepecompany.com).

10 a.m.
5) SHOPPING BELLES

King Street has long been the stylish epicenter of Charleston, but it’s been invaded by the major chain stores. Take refuge on and around upper King, north of Marion Square, where chic shops and high-concept restaurants coexist with fading emporiums. Pick up a handy one-page guide to parking and neighborhood restaurants at Blue Bicycle Books (420 King Street, 843-722-2666, bluebicyclebooks.com). Sample a pastry at the fashionably French Macaroon Boutique (45 John Street, 843-577-5441; macaroonboutique.com), then browse the baffling assortment of odds and ends at Read Brothers stereo and fabric store, established in 1912 (593 King Street, 843-723-7276; www.readbrothers.com). For a splurge, head to Magar Hatworks (57 Cannon Street, 843-345-4483; magarhatworks.com; call for appointment), a millinery where Leigh Magar makes recherché hats ($175 to $700) that sell at high-end stores like Barneys New York.

2 p.m.
6) NOT QUITE TEETOTALING

Many people spend a lifetime trying to replicate grandma’s recipes — not so at Irvin-House Vineyards (6775 Bears Bluff Road, 843-559-6867; charlestonwine.com), a scenic vineyard about a 30-minute drive from downtown on sleepy Wadmalaw Island. The owners have spent years trying to make muscadine wine without the syrupy, made-at-home sweetness those words bring to Southerners’ minds. Two years ago, the owners took on another iconic Southern taste, iced tea, blending it with vodka to make Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, whose authentic lazy-Sunday-afternoon flavor made it a runaway success. After the free Saturday vineyard tour at 2 p.m., you can taste both.

4 p.m.
7) OLD GROWTH

On the way back to town, take a short detour to the Angel Oak, a tree so large it could whomp 10 Hogwarts willows (3688 Angel Oak Road). The tree, which is thought to be at least 300 to 400 years old, is threatened by plans for a nearby shopping center. It is protected by a fence; the gate closes at 5 p.m.

6 p.m.
8) BIGGER FISH CAMP

Before the Bowens Island Restaurant burned down in 2006, the humble cinderblock fish camp was covered in decades’ worth of graffiti scrawled by loyal customers. In July, it reopened in a large, screened-in room on 18-foot stilts, with a nicer deck and a better view of the dolphins playing in Folly Creek (1870 Bowens Island Road, 843-795-2757; bowensislandrestaurant.com). Marker-wielding patrons have wasted no time in trying to cover the new lumber with fresh scrawls. You can try to decipher them as you wait for your roasted oysters (bottomless order is $21.50) and oversize hush puppies (a side is $4.25). Get here early to avoid the crush.

8 p.m.
9) GEORGIAN ENCORE

When the Dock Street Theater opened in 1736, the first production had a name only a pre-Revolutionary could love: “The Recruiting Officer.” Luckily, the producers chose a different work, “Flora,” an early English opera, when it reopened this year with all its Georgian splendor restored. Said to be the first theater in America built for that purpose, the Dock (135 Church Street) hosts the Spoleto Festival, the city’s artistic crown jewel, in May and June (14 George Street, 843-722-2764; spoletousa.org) and Charleston Stage (843-577-7183; charlestonstage.com), which presents musicals and popular fare the rest of the year (tickets $20 to $52).

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) STEAMY BUNS

When it opened last year, tiny WildFlour Pastry (73 Spring Street, 843-327-2621; wildflourpastrycharleston.com) created an instant tradition with “sticky bun Sundays.” A steady stream of cravers comes through the door in search of a warm, chewy, generously pecanned confection ($2.70). Those with less of a sweet tooth will be happy with crumbly fruity or savory scones ($2 and up) or a hardboiled Sea Island egg (60 cents).

11 a.m.
11) GARDENS AND GATORS

Ever since Pat Conroy’s novel “Prince of Tides,” Charleston has been known for its mossy, Lowcountry terrain as much as for its picturesque history. At Middleton Place plantation, a National Historic Landmark, one of several plantations within easy reach of downtown, you can get a close-up view of the marsh — or, in winter, of a primeval cypress swamp — on a guided kayak tour ($40). Alligators, bald eagles and river otter are among the possible sights, as is the architectural award-winning Inn at Middleton Place, where the tours meet (4290 Ashley River Road, 843-556-0500; charlestonkayakcompany.blogspot.com). After, you can take in domesticated nature on the plantation grounds, billed as the oldest landscaped garden in the country, with twin butterfly lakes, or visit the blacksmith and cooper workshops (4300 Ashley River Road, 800-782-3608; middletonplace.org). Some things in Charleston don’t change.

IF YOU GO

Multiple airlines, including Delta, U.S. Airways and Continental, fly nonstop to Charleston from New York. A recent Web search found round-trip fares starting at about $391.

Just off Marion Square, the Hampton Inn Charleston-Historic District (345 Meeting Street, 843-723-4000; hamptoninn.hilton.com) is in a restored warehouse just old enough to be billed as the area’s only antebellum hotel, with a fitness center, pool and 170 rooms, from $189.

The Battery Carriage House Inn (20 South Battery, 843-727-3100; batterycarriagehouse.com), has 11 rooms a stone’s throw from White Point Gardens at the Battery. Enjoy breakfast in a shady walled garden reputed to be haunted. Rooms from $150.

    36 Hours in Charleston, S.C., NYT, 9.9.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/travel/12hours.html

36 Hours in Portland, Me.

August 19, 2010
The New York Times
By LIONEL BEEHNER

PORTLAND, Me., is known for three L’s: lobster, lighthouses and L. L. Bean (O.K., make that four L’s). Here’s another: local. In recent years, this city on the coast of Maine has welcomed a wave of locavore restaurants, urban farms and galleries that feature local artists. Abandoned brick warehouses are being repurposed as eco-friendly boutiques. In the main square, a 19th-century building has been refashioned into a farmers’ market. And everywhere you look, this once-sleepy industrial town is showing signs of rejuvenation — usually by keeping things local.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) WEST SIDE STORY

To see bohemian Portland, stroll down Congress Street, where at least a dozen galleries, studios and cafes have opened in recent years. David Marshall, a beret-wearing painter who moonlights as a city councilman, is among the artists who exhibit at Constellation Gallery (511 Congress Street; 207-409-6617; constellationart.com), which opened last year. His artsy friends can be found at Local Sprouts (649 Congress Street; 207-899-3529; localsproutscooperative.com), an earthy, community-supported cafe as crunchy as it sounds. Down the street is the Portland Public Library (5 Monument Square; 207-871-1700; portlandlibrary.com), which recently revamped its gallery and added an atrium.

7 p.m.
2) MADE IN MAINE

Portland’s locavore scene has blossomed in recent years, as evidenced by all the Food Network shout-outs. Among the most buzzed about is Farmer’s Table (205 Commercial Street; 207-347-7479; farmerstablemaine.com), which offers nice terrace views of the harbor. The owner and chef Jeff Landry gets his vegetables from area gardens and serves dishes like beef short ribs ($24.95) from grass-fed cows reared on a nearby farm. Or try Caiola’s (58 Pine Street; 207-772-1110; caiolas.com), a locals’ favorite where the chef Abby Harmon serves Mediterranean fare.

9 p.m.
3) INDIE PLAYGROUND

Live music anchors Portland’s night life. The State Theater (609 Congress Street; statetheatreportland.com), a Depression-era movie house with a Moorish-style interior that closed in 2006, is scheduled to reopen in October as a concert hall. For now, music buffs make their way to the Port City Music Hall (504 Congress Street; 207-899-4990; portcitymusichall.com), a club glitzy by Portland standards that opened last year and even lifts a velvet rope for its V.I.P.’s. A younger, more relaxed crowd flocks to Space Gallery (538 Congress Street; 207-828-5600; space538.org), scruffy art space by day and indie rock music spot by night.

Saturday

8:30 a.m.
4) SUBURBAN BAGELS

Across a drawbridge lies South Portland, a suburb of bungalows and quiet beaches. But the sweetest reason to visit is the Scratch Baking Co. (416 Preble Street, South Portland; 207-799-0668; scratchbakingco.com), a bakery on Willard Square that makes oven-fresh muffins, scones and sourdough bagels ($1.25). Get there before 9 a.m., as the bagels run out fast. Then snag a spot on Willard Beach, a patch of rocky sand with views of the coast.

10 a.m.
5) FREE ISLAND

The free spirit of Peaks Island, part of the archipelago that surrounds Portland, is evident the moment you step off the ferry. If no one is manning Brad and Wyatt’s (115 Island Avenue; 207-766-5631), a bike rental place housed in a dusty shack, drop some money into the honor-system box ($5 an hour). Then cruise the rocky coastline for the stuff of Maine legend: gorgeous lighthouses, osprey swooping off the surf. The island is pleasantly free of McMansions and private beaches. No wonder the natives tried unsuccessfully to secede from Portland a few years back.

Noon
6) MINI-MART

A collective moan could be heard when the Public Market, a hangar-size hall run by Maine farmers and fishermen, shuttered in 2006. Luckily, some of those same vendors pooled their resources and opened a scaled-back version on Monument Square. Occupying a building from the mid-1800s, the Public Market House (28 Monument Square; 207-228-2056; publicmarkethouse.com) is stocked with bread, cheeses, Maine produce and micro-beer. Last winter, the market expanded into a loft filled with secondhand couches and food stalls, including Peanut Butter Jelly Time (207-712-2408; pbjtime.net), which serves variations of one thing ($3.50), and Kamasouptra (207-415-6692; kamasouptra.com), which makes hearty soups like grilled cheese and tomato ($5.50).

2 p.m.
7) VINTAGE MAINE

The maze of stores lining the Old Port, the historic warehouse district, can get predictable. But there are several newcomers that feel more Brooklyn Flea than L. L. Bean. Case in point is Madgirl World (275 Commercial Street; 207-322-3900; madgirlworld.com), a quirky studio where Meredith Alex recycles skateboards and Barbie dolls into jewelry and funky, eco-friendly dresses. The restroom doubles as a space for monthly art installations. And Ferdinand’s (243 Congress Street; 207-761-2151; ferdinandhomestore.com), which merged with Pinecone+Chickadee in June, carries hand-made goods, vintage fashions, novelty cards and jewelry — all under the same roof.

4 p.m.
8) HILLTOP SHOPS

Munjoy Hill used to feel like Boston’s Southie: a working-class Irish district. Now it looks more like Notting Hill, with a grassy promenade that overlooks the water and sophisticated establishments like Rosemont Market & Bakery (88 Congress Street; 207-773-7888; rosemontmarket.com), which sells fresh breads and sandwiches, and Angela Adams (273 Congress Street; 207-774-3523; angelaadams.com), a design store that sells perky home furnishings like colorful trays and pillows.

8 p.m.
9) DIVINE DINING

Anchovy truffle butter? The foodie scene is old news here. The latest in Portland’s dining scene is reclaimed architecture. A rundown gas station was recently converted into El Rayo Taqueria (101 York Street; 207-780-8226; elrayotaqueria.com), a Mexican cafe with yellow picnic tables. And the old Portland Savings Bank became Sonny’s (83 Exchange Street; 207-772-7774; sonnysportland.com), a Latin-themed restaurant. But the finest example of this culinary invasion is Grace (15 Chestnut Street; 207-828-4422; restaurantgrace.com), a New American restaurant that opened last year in an 1850s Gothic Revival-style church. There is something divine about drinking next to the nave, or gorging on goat cheese gnocchi ($19) surrounded by stained-glass windows.

10 p.m.
10) BOWL FOR KICKS

The bars along Wharf Street can get pretty fratty. For a more memorable evening, roll across town to Bayside Bowl (58 Alder Street; 207-791-2695; baysidebowl.com), a 12-lane bowling alley that opened this summer. Even if bowling isn’t your thing, you can knock back a few pints of Shipyard ale ($4) at the sleek bar, which draws a mostly young crowd with tattoos and tie-dyed shirts. Novare Res (4 Canal Plaza; 207-761-2437; novareresbiercafe.com) is a festive beer garden with long beechwood tables and more than 300 beers that feels more Munich than Maine.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) THE MAIL RUN

Schooner tours and lobster boat rides can be touristy, not to mention pricey. A better way to cruise around scenic Casco Bay is the mail ferry — a courier fleet that hops around five of the islands. The ferry is run by Casco Bay Lines (56 Commercial Street; 207-774-7871; cascobaylines.com) and departs twice a day from the main ferry terminal. The loop, which costs $14.50, takes three hours, so pack a lunch.

2 p.m.
12) FERMENTED FUN

Mead, or fermented honey, may have gone out of fashion in, oh, the 16th century, but the Maine Mead Works (200 Anderson Street; 207-773-6323; mainemeadworks.com) is bringing mead back. The honey winery opened in 2008 in a gritty warehouse on the edge of town and resembles a mad chemist’s garage with tanks and tubes everywhere. Next door is the Urban Farm Fermentory (200 Anderson Street, Bay 4; 207-653-7406), a vertical farm that offers seminars on pickling, unconventional ciders and eco-friendly mulching. It’s another example of how Portland can’t seem to get enough of recycling.

IF YOU GO

Numerous airlines including Delta, JetBlue and Continental fly nonstop to Portland from New York. According to a recent Web search, JetBlue had round-trip fares starting at about $169 for travel this month. Portland is about a five-hour drive from New York.

Portland Harbor Hotel (468 Fore Street; 207-775-9090; portlandharborhotel.com) recently renovated its 101 rooms, some with fireplaces, hot tubs and Japanese doors. Doubles start at $169 a night.

The Danforth (163 Danforth Street; 207-879-8755; danforthmaine.com), is an inn that dates back to the early 1800s. It is under new management and has refurbished its nine rooms last year. Ask to see the vintage pool room downstairs. Rooms start at $195.

    36 Hours in Portland, Me., NYT, 19.8.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/travel/22hours.html

36 Hours in Boston

August 5, 2010
The New York Times
By KATIE ZEZIMA

BOSTON is known for its bricks and brownstones, but the city is starting to take on a glossier, more modern sheen. With the completion of the $15 billion Big Dig, downtown now stretches unimpeded to the harbor, making Boston feel like a whole new city. History abounds, of course — Faneuil Hall still stands, Paul Revere is still buried at the Granary Burying Ground — but it is now joined by a high-tech exuberance, modern parks and a reclaimed harbor. Revere would not recognize it.

Friday

4:30 p.m.
1) EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW

In a city this historic, it’s not every day that a new neighborhood is built from scratch. But that is essentially the story with Fan Pier, a former industrial blight on the South Boston waterfront being transformed, albeit slowly, into a hub of fashion, art and dining. Anchored by the Institute of Contemporary Art (100 Northern Avenue; 617-478-3100; icaboston.org), a glass-and-steel museum that seems to hover over the harbor, it is becoming the go-to place for the cool crowd. Shopping’s a draw, too: LouisBoston (60 Northern Avenue; 617-262-6100; louisboston.com), the high-end store, has opened a 20,000-square-foot flagship next to the museum.

8 p.m.
2) TASTE OF DAKAR

There’s more to Boston than baked beans and oysters. As the city becomes more diversified, so do its culinary offerings. Case in point: Teranga (1746 Washington Street; 617-266-0003), a Senegalese restaurant that opened in May 2009 on a busy South End street, far from the well-dressed masses. An elegant space with exposed brick walls and a long banquette, it serves spicy, fragrant dishes like nems, spring rolls stuffed with vermicelli ($6), and thiébou djeun, a popular West African dish with kingfish, jasmine rice, tomato sauce, carrots and cabbage ($15).

10 p.m.
3) HEAR THE BUZZ

There are plenty of places to catch a show but not to hear live music with no cover. The Beehive (541 Tremont Street; 617-423-0069; beehiveboston.com), a restaurant where the lights are low and bands are chill, fills the void. Descend the staircase to be closer to the band, or stick to the quieter bar upstairs. Either way, don’t leave without catching the intricate, hand-painted bathroom walls.

Saturday

11 a.m.
4) EASY AS GREEN

Downtown was once defined by an elevated steel highway. Then by the Big Dig, the seemingly never-ending project to sink the roadway underground. After billions of dollars and an untold numbers of delays, it is finally home to the Rose Kennedy Greenway (rosekennedygreenway.org), a mile-long ribbon of lawns, public art and much-needed playgrounds snaking along Atlantic Avenue. To explore this emerald oasis, start at South Station and meander toward the North End, stopping to frolic in the fountains or take a spin on the carousel. At Christopher Columbus Park, find a spot under a wisteria-covered trellis and watch as boats bob in the harbor and planes take off from Logan Airport. It’s been worth the wait.

1 p.m.
5) LOBSTER BAR

It’s a cliché for a reason: you can’t visit Boston, smell a salt breeze and not want to eat seafood. Steer clear of the waterfront traps and head to Neptune Oyster (63 Salem Street; 617-742-3474; neptuneoyster.com), a tiny spot where Sam Adams-swilling frat boys rub shoulders with fabulous Champagne sippers at the marble bar. The attraction? Why, the lobster roll, a mountain of warm, butter-slicked lobster piled into a soft brioche bun, with a side of crispy, skin-on fries ($25). For lighter fare, try yellowtail sashimi on a bed of kimchi ($13) and an array of clams and oysters plucked from nearby waters.

3 p.m.
6) COUTURE AND CANNOLIS

Boston’s Little Italy has become more Milan than manicotti, with boutiques popping up between restaurants and pastry shops. Acquire (61 Salem Street; 857-362-7380; acquireboutique.com) melds vintage and modern housewares; the Velvet Fly (28 Parmenter Street; 617-557-4359; thevelvetfly.com) does the same with indie designers and old threads. In the continuing battle between women and the perfect jeans, the ladies win at In.jean.ius (441 Hanover Street; 617-523-5326; injeanius.com), where the friendly staff stops at nothing to turn up that perfect pair.

6 p.m.
7) PERSONALIZED LIBATIONS

Tired of forking over $15 for a cocktail that doesn’t quite speak to your individual tastes? Then pull up to Drink (348 Congress Street; 617-695-1806; drinkfortpoint.com), where mixology becomes personal. Instead of providing menus, bartenders ask patrons about their tastes and liquors of choice, and try to concoct the perfect tincture. The bar is reminiscent of a booze-drenched chemistry lab, and any experiments that don’t turn out right can be sent back. You can’t go wrong with the Maximilian Affair, a smoky combination of mezcal, St. Germain, Punt e Mes and lemon juice. Beer lovers, on the other hand, should head to Deep Ellum in Allston (477 Cambridge Street; 617-787-2337; deepellum-boston.com), an elegant pub with 28 taps that regularly rotate with Massachusetts breweries like Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project.

8 p.m.
8) PROVENCE ON THE CHARLES

The Boston-New York inferiority complex is nothing new, especially when it comes to restaurants. But Boston has raised its culinary game recently with Bistro du Midi (272 Boylston Street; 617-426-7878; bistrodumidi.com). Opened last November, this bistro is run by Robert Sisca, formerly the executive sous chef at Le Bernadin, who has created a Provençal menu with a focus on local fish. Favorites include the sweet and spicy pan-roasted cod with chorizo, chickpeas, pimentos and golden raisins ($28). Ask to be seated upstairs, where businessmen and dolled-up couples sit in buttery yellow leather chairs and gaze at unbeatable views of the Public Garden outside.

10:30 p.m.
9) LOCAL TALLBOYS

A cozy antidote to the tourist trap that is the “Cheers” bar is around the corner at 75 Chestnut (75 Chestnut Street; 617-227-2175; 75chestnut.com). Tucked on a romantic side street, this dimly lighted restaurant feels like a modern take on an old brownstone, with tin ceilings and mahogany pillars. For a younger and cooler scene, check out the Delux Café (100 Chandler Street; 617-338-5258), a reigning temple of kitsch with walls decorated with records, comic books and a bust of Elvis. To get some New England hipster cred, order a tallboy Narragansett Beer ($3.50), the region’s answer to Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) MORNING HASH

Put your sunglasses on and grab an outdoor seat at the Woodward, a restaurant and tavern at the Ames Hotel (1 Court Street; 617-979-8200; woodwardatames.com) that is injecting minimalist style into the staid Financial District. Brunch offers modern New England fare, like the lobster and leek hash ($16 for large portion), along with great people-watching.

Noon
11) WATER CREW

The Charles River is cleaning up nicely. Relive your Head of the Charles days and rent a kayak at Community Boating (21 David G. Mugar Way; 617-523-1038; community-boating.org) for $35 a day. Paddle out for some of the best views of Boston and Cambridge. Sunny days are spectacular, with light bouncing off the gold-domed State House and the city’s skyscrapers casting shadows on the intricate architecture of the Back Bay. The city has never looked so futuristic.

GETTING THERE

There are many ways to get to Boston from New York, from airplane shuttles to Chinatown buses. JetBlue, for example, has flights from Kennedy Airport to Logan starting at $109 round trip, according to a recent Web search.

High-speed Acela trains run several times a day starting at about $190 round trip, while slower regional trains start at $128. It’s also four hours by car, assuming there’s little traffic.

The W Boston (100 Stuart Street; 617-261-8700; whotels.com/boston) opened last year and has 235 sleek rooms that look out over the Theater District and beyond. Rooms from $287.

The Ames Hotel (1 Court Street; 617-979-8100; ameshotel.com) opened last November as part of the Morgans Hotel Group, and has 114 minimalist rooms, a fitness center and trendy décor. Rooms from $285.

The 32-room Newbury Guest House (261 Newbury Street; 617-437-7666; newburyguesthouse.com) is in a brownstone on Newbury Street, and combines quaint touches like brick fireplaces with clean design. Rooms from $189.

    36 Hours in Boston, NYT, 5.8.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/travel/08hours.html

36 Hours in Nantucket

July 13, 2010
The New York Times
By SARAH GOLD

NEAR the beginning of “Moby-Dick,” Ishmael explains why he decided to set sail from Nantucket: “There was a fine, boisterous something about everything connected with that famous old island.” Today, nearly 160 years after being written, that characterization still rings true. Though its downtown cobblestone streets and windswept fringes are now filled with expensive (some say exorbitant) restaurants and elegant cocktail bars, the island still has a swagger. To see it in full swing, linger over pints at one of the many harborside pubs, especially at sundown when sailors and fishing boats return to port.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) HISTORIC BEARINGS

Main Street is lined with 19th-century storefronts and buckled brick sidewalks that seem to require deck shoes. To bone up on island history, visit Mitchell’s Book Corner (54 Main Street; 508-228-1080; mitchellsbookcorner.com). The venerable 42-year-old bookstore was renovated last year and now includes a spacious second floor that hosts weekly readings by local authors like Elin Hilderbrand and the National Book Award-winner Nathaniel Philbrick. The beloved Nantucket Room remains, with hundreds of titles about island lore.

5 p.m.
2) PREPPY IT UP

You can still find a bona fide pair of Nantucket Reds (those iconic pinkish chinos) at Murray’s Toggery Shop (62 Main Street; 508-228-0437; nantucketreds.com). But a crop of snappy boutiques have also opened this season. Jack Wills (11 South Water Street; 508-332-1601; jackwills.com), the first stateside outpost of the British university outfitter, carries jaunty polos, cable-knit sweaters and canvas totes in signal-flag colors. Also new is Milly & Grace (2 Washington Street; 508-901-5051; millyandgrace.com), which sells bohemian-style Yoana Baraschi caftans and tunics, Minnie Rose cashmeres, and embossed-silver jewelry from Waxing Poetic.

8 p.m.
3) FISH OF THE MOMENT

One of this summer’s most talked-about new restaurants is Dune (20 Broad Street; 508-228-5550; dunenantucket.com), where the veteran island chef Michael Getter uses local seafood and produce. The intimate, warmly illuminated space has three dining rooms, as well as a patio, but you’ll need to book ahead. Recent menu standouts included the flaky, pan-roasted halibut fillet ($28) and the minty spring-pea soup with tender baby shrimps ($10). Stop by the petite quartzite bar on your way out for a Hot & Dirty cocktail — Thai chili-infused vodka with a splash of olive juice.

10 p.m.
4) BEACH MARTINIS

A young, tanned crowd fills the back room of Galley Beach (54 Jefferson Avenue; 508-228-9641; galleybeach.net). The cherished beachside restaurant has become a late-night gathering spot since its 2008 renovation, serving pomegranate margaritas ($16) and the Seaside martini, made with Hendrick’s gin and cucumber ($15). By midnight the party spills outside, where tiki torches and sofas line the sand.

Saturday

10 a.m.
5) ISLAND MARKET

Started in 2007, the Nantucket Farmers & Artisans Market (Cambridge and North Union Streets; 508-228-3399; sustainablenantucket.org) is the first weekly market to grace the island. Now encompassing two blocks of Cambridge Street and one of Union downtown, it showcases the wares of 65 different island farmers and artisans throughout the season (and hosts workshops to encourage other would-be island growers and craftspeople). Keep an eye out for handmade quilts in beach-umbrella stripes from Spoon Home Textiles, freshly picked blueberries and raspberries from Moors End Farm, and baked rugelach and fruit tarts from SuperNatural. Open Saturday mornings (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) through Oct. 16.

Noon
6) SURF AND SEAL

Some of Nantucket’s wildest and most pristine beaches are on the island’s far west end, where it tapers to the twin forks of Eel Point and Smith’s Point. You’ll need a four-by-four with a beach-driving permit — included with most rentals, or available at the Nantucket Police Station for $150. You’ll also need to reduce your tire pressure to maximize traction and minimize environmental damage. But after bumping along hillocky dune trails, you’ll enter onto wide-open, mostly empty shores. There are no amenities to speak of, so bring all the supplies you’ll need for the day: food, water, sunscreen. Oh, and a camera. You might spot gray seals.

5 p.m.
7) BREW WITH A VIEW

An afternoon of salty, sandy fun can leave you pretty thirsty. So it’s convenient that the island’s fabled west-end watering hole has reopened this summer as Millie’s (326 Madaket Road; 508-228-8435; milliesnantucket.com). Unlike its predecessor, the Westender, which closed a few years back, Millie’s takes full advantage of the sunset location. The owners, Bo Blair and David Scribner, have added a new menu and a glassed-in second-floor bar that lets you drink in panoramic vistas along with your Grey Lady or Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, both from the Cisco Brewery a few miles down the road.

8 p.m.
8) BAJA STYLE

Corazón del Mar (21 South Water Street; 508-228-0815; corazonnantucket.com), the latest venture from the seasoned island chefs Angela and Seth Raynor, has attracted a slavish following since opening last summer. The cozy, tiny papaya-orange den — the downstairs has 7 tables and 10 bar stools; the upstairs, 9 tables and a tequila bar — turns out south-of-the-border-inspired dishes like sea-scallop ceviche dressed in chili-citrus aji sauce ($17) and soft, Baja-style tacos filled with beer-battered cod, cabbage slaw and spicy aioli ($22). After dinner, take a stroll along Straight Wharf to Nantucket Ice Cream (44 Straight Wharf; 508-332-4949; nantucketicecream.com) for a cone or the house specialty: a sandwich of lemon sugar cookies and blueberry ice cream ($5.50).

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) SEA SAVIORS

More than 700 shipwrecks litter the treacherous shoals and surrounding waters around Nantucket. For a fascinating glimpse into the island’s underwater heritage, head to the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum (158 Polpis Road; 508-228-1885; nantucketshipwreck.org). Reopened last year after a $3 million expansion, the museum has vintage “surfboats” once used to save wreck survivors, child-friendly exhibits on Coast Guard sea dogs, and — most chillingly — grainy black-and-white 1956 film footage of one of the most infamous wrecks, the Italian ship Andrea Doria, slowly listing into the sea after its collision with a Swedish ocean liner.

Noon
10) BEACHSIDE BRUNCH

Old-school islanders tsk-tsked at the news this spring that the celebrity chef Todd English was redoing the menu at the Summer House Restaurant in Siasconset village (17 Ocean Avenue; 508-257-4542; thesummerhouse.com). The restaurant, however, is still the island’s most civilized spot for lunch, especially at its umbrella-shaded Beachside Bistro. Besides, Mr. English only jazzed up the summertime classics, like a crab cake with corn salsa and tarragon aioli ($24), and a warm poached lobster salad with green beans and beurre blanc ($29).

2 p.m.
11) NOT QUITE OPEN HOUSE

The Bluff Walk in Siasconset village was once the south shore’s most fiercely guarded secret. But though you’ll probably share the unmarked path with other visitors these days, a stroll here is still breathtaking. Pick up the trail in the village center (take a right and then a quick left at the end of Front Street) and walk along the high, Atlantic-skirting bluffs, past the backyards of some of the island’s stateliest gray-shingled mansions. Erosion has left its mark (the last third of a mile, which used to extend all the way to Sankaty Head lighthouse, is now closed). But just stay on the path, keep your voice down and wear long pants — some residents, whether intentionally or not, let their sections become overgrown.

IF YOU GO

JetBlue is among the airlines that fly nonstop to Nantucket from New York; it has daily flights from Kennedy Airport through mid-September. A recent Web search found fares from $117. The Nantucket Regional Transit Authority (shuttlenantucket.com) runs shuttle buses all over the island, but a rental car with four-wheel drive is recommended.

The Cottages & Lofts at the Boat Basin (24 Old South Wharf; 866-838-9253; thecottagesnantucket.com) has 24 shipshape cottages that are perched along Nantucket Harbor wharves. Rates start at $520.

The Union Street Inn (7 Union Street; 888-517-0707; unioninn.com) has 12 rooms in a 1770 house, along with Frette robes and modern baths. Rooms from $299.

The White Elephant (50 Easton Street; 800-445-6574; whiteelephanthotel.com) is downtown Nantucket’s only true resort property, with a harborside patio, a restaurant, a spa and 64 rooms, suites and cottages; rates from $680.

    36 Hours in Nantucket, NYT, 13.7.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/travel/18hours.html


 

Insiders' guide to US national parks

Rangers, writers and guides reveal the best and most unusual ways to experience wild America,
from cycling Hawaii's live volcanos to GPS treasure hunting in Ohio

Compiled by Louise Dale        The Guardian        Saturday 3 July 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/jul/03/america-national-parks-insiders-guide
 

36 Hours in St. Louis

June 18, 2010
The New York Times
By DAN SALTZSTEIN

ST. LOUIS is more than just a Gateway to the West. The famous arch, of course, is still there, along with plenty of 19th-century architecture and an eye-opening amount of green space. But St. Louis is a lively destination in its own right, full of inviting neighborhoods, some coming out of a long decline and revitalized by public art, varied night life and restaurants that draw on the bounty of surrounding farmland and rivers. Add to that a mix of Midwestern sensibility and Southern charm, and you’ve got a city looking to the future.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) STREET LIFE

See the city’s evolution in action on Cherokee Street. Once known for their concentration of antiques shops (cherokeeantiquerow.net), the street’s brick town houses are now also home to funky cafes and stores. Highlights include Apop Records (No. 2831; 314-664-6575; apoprecords.com), which carries an impressively eclectic selection of psych pop, punk, country and jazz records. The Mud House (No. 2101; 314-776-6599; themudhousestl.com) draws a young crowd with its excellent coffee. And PhD Gallery (No. 2300; 314-664-6644; phdstl.com) features nearly 2,000 square feet of space, with works from local and regional artists, including a just-opened photo exhibition, “Beyond XY,” that explores male identity.

7 p.m.
2) SOULARD SOUL

The historic neighborhood of Soulard (pronounced SOO-lard) is one of those neighborhoods experiencing a renaissance, thanks in part to several quality restaurants. Franco (1535 South Eighth Street; 314-436-2500; eatatfranco.com), an industrial-chic bistro that opened in 2007 next to the famous Soulard farmers’ market, serves soulful takes on French bistro fare, like country-fried frogs’ legs in a red wine gravy ($9) and grilled Missouri rainbow trout in a crayfish and Cognac cream sauce ($22).

10 p.m.
3) ANALOG UNDERGROUND

Frederick’s Music Lounge, a beloved dive bar, may be gone, but its legendary owner, Fred Boettcher Jr., a k a Fred Friction, reemerged last year with a new club beneath the restaurant Iron Barley. Follow signs for “FSFU” — Fred’s Six Feet Under (5510 Virginia Avenue; 314-351-4500; www.ironbarley.com). Music venues don’t get much more intimate; the band might take up a third of the total space. Drinks are cheap, and the tunes, courtesy of local bands like the Sins of the Pioneers, and their brand of New Orleans R&B, are as unpretentious as the crowd.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) CUPCAKES AND CANVASES

In the leafy neighborhood of Shaw, stately architecture mixes with hip spots like SweetArt (2203 South 39th Street; 314-771-4278; sweetartstl.com), a mom-and-pop bakery and art studio. Reine Bayoc (mom) makes the food, which features vegan ingredients like soy-based “facon” and “un-chicken.” Cbabi Bayoc (pop), whose colorful and playful artworks line the walls, paints in the studio in the back. Don’t leave without sampling Ms. Bayoc’s light-as-air cupcakes, which come in flavors like strawberry lemonade ($1.95 each).

10:30 a.m.
5) PERSONAL LANDSCAPE

The neighborhood is named after Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist whose crowning achievement is the Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard; 314-577-5100; garden in the nation. It covers an impressive 79 acres and includes a large Japanese garden and Mr. Shaw’s original 1850 estate home, as well as his (slightly creepy) mausoleum.

1 p.m.
6) TASTE OF MEMPHIS

St. Louis-style ribs are found on menus across the country, but it’s a Memphis-style joint (think slow-smoked meats, easy on the sauce) that seems to be the consensus favorite for barbecue in town. Just survey the best-of awards that decorate the walls at Pappy’s Smokehouse (3106 Olive Street; 314-535-4340; pappyssmokehouse.com). Crowds line up for heaping plates of meat and sides, served in an unassuming space (while you wait, take a peek at the smoker parked out back on a side street). The ribs ($12.99 for a half slab) and pulled pork ($8.99 for a regular platter) are pretty good, but the winners might be the sides — bright and tangy slaw and deep-fried corn on the cob ($1.75 each).

2:30 p.m.
7) OUTSIDE ART

The new jewel of downtown St. Louis is Citygarden (citygardenstl.org), a sculpture park the city opened last summer, framed by the old courthouse on one side and the arch on the other. The oversize public art, by boldface names like Mark di Suvero and Keith Haring, are terrific, but the real genius of the garden’s layout is that it reflects the landscape of the St. Louis area: an arcing wall of local limestone, for instance, echoes the bends of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

4 p.m.
8) GREEN DAY

St. Louis boasts 105 city-run parks, but none rivals Forest Park (stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark), which covers more than 1,200 acres smack in the heart of the city. It opened in 1876, but it was the 1904 World’s Fair that made it a world-class public space, spawning comely buildings like the Palace of Fine Art, which now houses the Saint Louis Art Museum. In 2002, a $3.5 million renovation of the Jewel Box, a towering, contemporary-looking greenhouse dating back to 1936, gave it an extra sheen. Rent a bike from the visitor’s center (314-367-7275; weekends only, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; $30 per person per day) and just meander.

8 p.m.
9) MIDWEST BOUNTY

Locavore fever has hit St. Louis. Leading the pack may be Local Harvest Cafe and Catering (3137 Morgan Ford Road; 314-772-8815; localharvestcafe.com), a mellow spot in the Tower Grove neighborhood that’s a spinoff of an organic grocery store across the street. A chalkboard menu lists all the local products featured that day, including items like honey and peanut butter. On Saturday nights, Clara Moore, the chef, creates a four-course menu ($48) based on what’s fresh at the farms and markets that morning. The menu recently included a light vegetarian cassoulet, with beer pairings from local producers like Tin Mill Brewery.

10 p.m.
10) ROYALE TREATMENT

Tower Grove is also home to a handful of fine watering holes, including the Royale (3132 South Kingshighway; 314-772-3600; theroyale.com), where an Art Deco-style bar of blond wood and glass is accompanied by old photos of political leaders (John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., the late Missouri governor Mel Carnahan). But it’s the extensive cocktail list, with drinks named after city neighborhoods like the Carondelet Sazerac ($8), and a backyard patio that keep the aficionados coming.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) THE HOME TEAM

Take a number for one of the small, worn wooden tables at Winslow’s Home (7211 Delmar Boulevard; 314-725-7559; winslowshome.com). It’s more than just a pleasant place for brunch; it doubles as a general store that carries groceries, dry goods and kitchen items like stainless steel olive oil dispensers ($16). When it’s time to order, try the brioche French toast with caramelized bananas ($4). It’s worth the wait.

Noon
12) ART CLASS

Washington University gets high marks for its academics. But the campus, with its rolling green hills and grand halls, is also home to terrific contemporary art. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum (1 Brookings Drive; 314-935-4523; kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu; free admission), designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, is charmingly cramped and vaguely organized by theme — so you’ll find a Jackson Pollock cheek by jowl with a 19th-century portrait of Daniel Boone. You’ll also find ambitious contemporary art exhibitions curated by Wash U faculty. Like much of St. Louis, the Kemper may not be flashy, but it’s full of gems.

IF YOU GO

American Airlines flies nonstop from La Guardia to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. A recent online search found round-trip fares in July starting at about $300. The city has a fairly extensive public transportation system (metrostlouis.org), though a car is recommended for more out-of-the-way destinations.

Part of the rejuvenated Delmar Loop, the Moonrise Hotel (6177 Delmar Boulevard; 314-721-1111; moonrisehotel.com) offers a pleasant boutique vibe and a central location. Service is friendly, rooms are comfortable, and parking is plentiful. There’s also a restaurant, Eclipse, and a rooftop bar. Standard rooms start at about $170.

The Four Seasons in downtown St. Louis (999 North 2nd Street; 314-881-5800; fourseasons.com/stlouis) opened in 2008, part of a striking riverside complex that also includes the Lumière Place casino and hotel. Standard rooms start at $280; expect to pay more for views of the arch.

    36 Hours in St. Louis, NYT, 18.6.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/travel/27hours.html

36 Hours in Salt Lake City

June 3, 2010
The New York Times
By JAIME GROSS

THERE’S a new party in Salt Lake City. Utah liquor laws were normalized last year for the first time since 1935, allowing patrons simply to walk into a bar and order a drink, as if they were in any other city. Add to that a budding film scene (a spillover effect from the nearby Sundance Film Festival), a fresh crop of indie galleries and boutiques, and an open-door stance toward refugees and immigrants, which has made the city more cosmopolitan. The city even passed an anti-discrimination law last year that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents — and with backing from the Mormon Church.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) CREATIVE SOUVENIRS

With its relatively affordable rents and D.I.Y. ethos, Salt Lake City is a bastion of creativity. To survey the design scene, stop by Frosty Darling (177 East Broadway; 801-532-4790; frostydarling.com), a whimsical gift shop stocked with retro candy and handmade clothing, accessories, and housewares by the owner, Gentry Blackburn, and other Utah designers. Signed & Numbered (2100 East 2100 South; 801-596-2093; signed-numbered.com) specializes in limited-edition, hand-pulled art prints and concert posters, from $8 to $150. And at Salt Lake Citizen (210 East 400 South; 801-363-3619; facebook.com/SaltLakeCitizen), in the atrium of the Main Library building, you’ll find street-inspired clothing and accessories from 40 city designers, including embroidered wide-leg jeans and jewelry made of laser-cut acrylic.

7 p.m.
2) UTAH FARMS

Chain restaurants used to dominate Salt Lake City’s food scene, but today intimate spots are popping up, run by young chefs inspired by the bounty of local organic farmers and artisanal purveyors. Leading the pack is Pago (878 South 900 East; 801-532-0777; pagoslc.com), a bustling neighborhood joint housed in a squat 1910 brick building. The chef Mike Richey spotlights local organic products in dishes like bagna cauda wagyu bavette steak with heirloom fingerling potatoes and local arugula ($29) in a rustic candle-lit room that seats just 50. Another newcomer is Forage (370 East 900 South; 801-708-7834; foragerestaurant.com), which serves wildly creative dishes like vanilla-scented diver scallops paired with smoked beluga lentils. A three-course dinner is $45.

9 p.m.
3) OPEN CITY

Raise a glass to celebrate the repeal of liquor laws that required bars to operate as private clubs and collect membership fees. The Red Door (57 West 200 South; 801-363-6030; behindthereddoor.com) has dim lighting, a great martini list and kitschy revolution décor — yes, that’s a Che Guevara mural on the wall. Squatters Pub Brewery (147 West Broadway; 801-363-2739; squatters.com) serves high-gravity beers from the award-winning brewmaster Jenny Talley, like the 6 percent alcohol India Pale Ale. And Club Jam (751 North 300 West; 801-891-1162; jamslc.com) is a friendly gay bar with a house party feel and impromptu barbecues on the back patio.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) BOTANICAL BLISS

The Red Butte Garden, nestled in the foothills above the University of Utah campus (300 Wakara Way; 801-585-0556; redbuttegarden.org), has a newly planted rose garden, 3.5 miles of walking trails and morning yoga in the fragrance garden. For a wake-up hike, ask the front desk for directions to the Living Room, a lookout point named for the flat orange rocks that resemble couches. Sit back and absorb the expansive views of the valley, mountains and the Great Salt Lake.

11 a.m.
5) NOT JUST TEMPLES

Chart your own architecture tour. The city’s Main Library (210 East 400 South; 801-524-8200; www.slcpl.lib.ut.us), a curving glass structure built in 2003 by the architect Moshe Safdie, has fireplaces on every floor and a rooftop garden with views of the city and the Wasatch Mountains. For older buildings, wander the Marmalade Historic District, home to many original pioneer homes from the 19th century, or go on a walking tour with the Utah Heritage Foundation (801-533-0858; utahheritagefoundation.com).

1 p.m.
6) DIVERSE PALATE

Although recent census figures put the city’s population at 75.3 percent white, there is a growing ethnic population of Latinos, Pacific Islanders (particularly Samoan and Tongan), and refugees from Tibet, Bosnia and Somalia. Taste their influence at places like Himalayan Kitchen (360 South State Street; 801-328-2077; himalayankitchen.com), a down-home dining room with turmeric-yellow walls and red tablecloth tables, where dishes include Nepali goat curry ($15.95) and Himalayan momos, steamed chicken dumplings served with sesame seed sauce ($10.95).

3 p.m.
7) GIMME SUGAR

The Sugarhouse district is known for its one-of-a-kind shops and pedestrian-friendly mini-neighborhoods that are near the intersections of 900 East and 900 South (which locals call “9th and 9th”), and 1500 East and 1500 South (“15th and 15th”). Highlights include the Tea Grotto (2030 South 900 East; 801-466-8255; teagrotto.com), a funky teahouse that specializes in fair-trade and loose-leaf teas, and the charming King’s English Bookshop (1511 South 1500 East; 801-484-9100; kingsenglish.com), a creaky old house filled with books and cozy reading nooks.

7 p.m.
8) ITALIAN HOUR

Salt Lake City has plenty of appealing Italian restaurants — Cucina Toscana and Lugäno are perpetual favorites — but the most romantic is arguably Fresco Italian Cafe (1513 South 1500 East; 801-486-1300; frescoitaliancafe.com), an intimate 14-table restaurant tucked off the main drag in a 1920s cottage. The menu is small but spot-on, with simple northern Italian dishes with a twist. The butternut squash ravioli, for example, is served with a splash of reduced apple cider and micro-planed hazelnuts ($18). There’s a roaring fire, candlelight and, in the summer, dining on the brick patio.

9 p.m.
9) LIVE FROM UTAH

As the only sizable city between Denver and Northern California, Salt Lake City gets many touring bands passing through. Hear established and up-and-coming acts at places like the Urban Lounge (241 South 500 East; 801-746-0557; theurbanloungeslc.com) and Kilby Court (741 South Kilby Court; 801-364-3538; kilbycourt.com). If you want to make your own sweet music, stop by Keys on Main (242 South Main Street; 801-363-3638; keysonmain.com), a piano bar where the audience sings along.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) SECULAR MISSION

Mormons get around, and not just for missionary work. Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center (1665 South Bennett Road; 801-240-5954; lds.org/placestovisit) is a humanitarian juggernaut that sends out handmade quilts, secondhand clothing and educational and medical supplies from their gigantic, factory-like complex to needy places around the world. If you’re curious to see how it all works, take a 45-minute tour of the sprawling warehouse, where workers and volunteers sort the more than 100,000 pieces of clothing that arrive at the center daily. If you’re inspired to help, you can stay after the tour and help prepare the humanitarian kits that regularly ship out to Haiti, Zimbabwe and other countries in crisis.

2 p.m.
11) OLYMPIC GHOSTS

Thrill-seekers head 28 miles east to Park City’s Utah Olympic Park (3419 Olympic Parkway, Park City; 435-658-4200; olyparks.com), which hosted 14 medal events during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Even in the summer you can make like a medalist and fly down a slope at 70 miles per hour on a Comet bobsled, race along a slick steel alpine slide, or recreate a ski jump that is billed as the world’s steepest zipline. Burgeoning culture and culinary sophistication has its benefits, but for sheer thrill, nothing beats an adrenaline rush.

IF YOU GO

Most major domestic airlines fly into Salt Lake City, including Delta, which operates a hub here. A recent Web search found a nonstop flight from Kennedy Airport for about $407 for travel in June.

There’s a light rail system downtown, but you’ll still want a car.

The elegant Grand America Hotel (555 South Main Street; 800-621-4505; grandamerica.com) lives up to its name with a formal afternoon tea, green tea spa treatments and 775 palatial rooms with Italian marble bathrooms. Doubles from $179.

The Inn on the Hill (225 North State Street; 801-328-1466; inn-on-the-hill.com), housed in a 1909 English-style manor, retains its historic character with Tiffany stained-glass windows and reproduction antiques in the 12 guest rooms. Queen rooms start at $135, including breakfast.

Downtown, Hotel Monaco (15 West 200 South; 800-805-1801; monaco-saltlakecity.com) has 225 whimsical rooms, embellished with colorful fabrics, geometric headboards and striped wallpaper. Doubles start at $129.

    36 Hours in Salt Lake City, NYT, 3.6.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/travel/06hours.html

36 Hours in Santa Fe

May 23, 2010
The New York Times
By FRED A. BERNSTEIN

THE Plaza, the heart of old Santa Fe, hasn’t changed much since the Spanish settled here 400 years ago. But surrounding the Plaza is an increasingly cosmopolitan city. Sure, it’s possible to focus entirely just on the historic center, where Native American handicrafts are for sale on every corner.

But the rest of Santa Fe now offers groovy contemporary art spaces, hot Asian restaurants and a park by a pair of trailblazing architects. Accept that Santa Fe isn’t just tacos and turquoise anymore, and you’ll find yourself loving the New Mexico capital not for what it was, but what it is.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) PUBLIC SPACE

For a beautifully curated introduction to Santa Fe, visit the New Mexico History Museum (113 Lincoln Avenue; 505-476-5200; nmhistorymuseum.org), which opened in 2009 and includes a gripping display about Los Alamos, where the Manhattan Project was conducted in secret during World War II. A large courtyard with ancient walls and shady trees separates the museum from the Palace of the Governors (palaceofthegovernors.org), the Spanish seat of government in the early 1600s and now a small museum of Colonial and Native American history. The two-museum complex is free on Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m.

7 p.m.
2) WHITE WALLS AND WINE

You’d have to be crazy to pay for a glass of white wine on Fridays. Canyon Road, which angles up from the center of town, has more than 100 galleries, and there are openings every Friday night. According to canyonroadarts.com, the largest category is contemporary representational (think brightly colored paintings of the desert). Check out Eight Modern (231 Delgado Street; 505-995-0231; eightmodern.net), where you’ll find the geometric scrap-metal constructions of the Santa Fe artist Ted Larsen. The backyard sculpture garden is a great place to marvel at New Mexico’s amazingly clear sky and savor its piñon-infused air before heading to dinner.

9 p.m.
3) AHI MOMENT

Martín Rios is a hometown boy made good: Born in Mexico and raised in Santa Fe, he apprenticed at the Eldorado Hotel and the Inn of the Anasazi — two local stalwarts — and made a brief appearance on “Iron Chef” before opening his own place, Restaurant Martín (526 Galisteo Street; 505-820-0919; restaurantmartinsantafe.com), in 2009. The main draw is the food — dishes like ahi tuna tartare ($14) and duck breast with smoked bacon polenta and Marcona almonds ($25) offer hints of the Southwest, with a dash of global aspiration. But the homey décor makes you want to stick around even after finishing the bittersweet chocolate truffle cake ($8).

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) SPICE MARKET

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market (1607 Paseo de Peralta; 505-983-4098; santafefarmersmarket.com) dates back a half-century, but it stepped up a notch when it moved to a permanent building in 2008. Everything sold here, including dried chilies, yogurt and grass-fed meats, is produced in northern New Mexico. The market is part of a bustling district that includes the new Railyard Park by the architect Frederic Schwartz and the landscape architect Ken Smith, both Manhattanites whose taste is anything but quaint. As you wander around, be on the lookout for the Rail Runner, a gleaming new passenger train scheduled to pull in from Albuquerque at 11:08 a.m.

Noon
5) SUSTAINABLE SALADS

Santa Fe residents — as you learned roaming the Farmers’ Market — care where their food comes from. No wonder Vinaigrette (709 Don Cubero Alley; 505-820-9205; vinaigretteonline .com) was an immediate hit when it opened in 2008. The brightly colored cafe has a menu based on organic greens grown in the nearby town of Nambé. Choose a base — Caesar, Cobb and Greek are possibilities (around $10) — then add diver scallops or hibiscus-cured duck confit ($7) for a satisfying meal. Wines by the glass start at a very friendly $6.

2 p.m.
6) RIDING THE SPUR

Thanks to Santa Fe’s sometimes depressing sprawl, it’s getting harder and harder to find wide-open spaces. But drive (or bike) to the corner of Galisteo Street and West Rodeo Road, where there’s a small parking lot — then begin pedaling due south, in the direction of Lamy (about 12 miles away). What starts as an asphalt path morphs into a dirt bike trail that swerves around a 19th-century rail spur. There are some pretty steep hills, but they’re short, and the momentum from a downhill is usually enough to handle the next uphill. (If only life were like that!) The scenery is always gorgeous, especially in late afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky. Mellow Velo (638 Old Santa Fe Trail; 505-995-8356; mellowvelo.com) rents mountain bikes starting at $35 a day.

7 p.m.
7) TAPAS WITH STRANGERS

La Boca (72 West Marcy Street; 505-982-3433; labocasf.com) is one of downtown Santa Fe’s most popular new restaurants — thanks to its contemporary tapas, plus larger dishes like cannelloni filled with crab, scallop and Manchego ($11). You’ll find yourself sharing tips on what to order — and even forkfuls of delicious eats — with strangers.

10 p.m.
8) REGGAE FOR ALL AGES

Santa Fe isn’t a night-life town, but Milagro 139 (139 West San Francisco Street; 505-995-0139; milagro139.com) is helping to change that. A building that had housed a coffee shop was recently converted to a restaurant that becomes a club on Friday and Saturday nights. There’s no cover, and the drinks, including a house margarita called Beginner’s Luck ($5), are delicious. A recent visit coincided with performances by Rubixzu, a local band that performed a blend of reggae and Latin hip-hop to a diverse crowd, aged 9 to 90. For a trendier vibe, head to Meow Wolf (1800 Second Street; 505-204-4651; meowwolf.com), an alternative art space, or check its Web site for other parties hosted by Meow Wolf artists.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) FREE-RANGE PEACOCKS

For a big breakfast and an early start, drive south on Cerrillos Road about 10 miles past the Interstate, until you see a handwritten cardboard sign that reads, “Pine wood stove pellets sold here.” You’ve arrived at the San Marcos Café (3877 State Road 14; 505-471-9298). Dozens of peacocks, turkeys and hens roam the property (which also houses a feed store), providing an Old McDonald-like backdrop for crowd-pleasers like eggs San Marcos, a cheese omelet in a bath of guacamole, beans and salsa ($12).

Noon
10) KITSCH TO CONTEMPORARY

If you ever thought that item you found at a roadside stand was one of a kind, Jackalope (2820 Cerrillos Road; 505-471-8539; jackalope.com), a sprawling, indoor-outdoor flea market, will disabuse you of that notion. There are hundreds of everything, including punched-copper switch plates and tote bags that depict Michelle Obama smiling on a swing. If you need to shake off the kitsch, head to SITE Santa Fe (1606 Paseo De Peralta; 505-989-1199; sitesantafe.org), a contemporary art space where the 2010 biennale, focused on moving image technologies in contemporary art, will run from June 20 to Jan. 2, 2011.

1 p.m.
11) YOUR OWN ADOBE

It’s difficult to spend time in Santa Fe without thinking about buying a home (or second home) here. So check out Zocalo (Avenida Rincon; 505-986-0667; zocalosantafe.com), a striking development by the Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. He is known for crisp geometry and super-bright colors — a welcome sight in this city of browns and terra cottas. Consider it real estate voyeurism, combined with a crash course in contemporary architecture.

IF YOU GO

Santa Fe has a tiny airport, which offers nonstop service to and from Dallas and Los Angeles on American Eagle. Most visitors fly into the larger Albuquerque airport, about an hour south. A recent Web search found round-trip fares from Kennedy Airport on Delta, from about $260 for travel in June. Sadly, the Rail Runner doesn’t run to the Albuquerque airport.

The Hotel St. Francis (210 Don Gaspar Avenue; 505-983-5700; hotelstfrancis.com), billed as the oldest hotel in Santa Fe, completed a top-to-bottom renovation in 2009, and it looks spectacular. Doubles from $120.

The El Rey Inn (1862 Cerrillos Road, 505-982-1931; elreyinnsantafe.com) is a retro-chic 1930s-style motel, with nicely furnished rooms and beautifully landscaped grounds to go along with the kitschy Native American-themed architecture. Doubles from $99.

Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa (30 Buffalo Thunder Trail; 505-455-5555; buffalothunderresort.com) is part of a new casino complex, about 15 minutes north of town. Doubles from $159. Hilton also built a less-expensive Homewood Suites nearby (10 Buffalo Thunder Trail; 505-455-9100), with doubles from $109.

    36 Hours in Santa Fe, NYT, 23.5.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/travel/23hours.html

The U.S. Issue

36 Hours in Kansas City, Mo.

May 16, 2010
The New York Times
By CHARLY WILDER

KANSAS CITY is known for its barbecue, bebop and easy-does-it Midwestern charm. But a decade-long effort to revitalize the city’s downtown has transformed this former jazz mecca, which straddles the Kansas-Missouri border, back into a culturally rich metropolis. The city’s standing will be further bolstered next year when the much-anticipated Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opens, giving a sleek new home to the symphony, opera and ballet. True, Kansas City is no backwater, but don’t expect high polish. In fact, it’s the city’s unvarnished grit that may be its best asset.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) CROSSROADS REDEFINED

Industrial stagnation and suburban exodus in the 1960s left the Crossroads neighborhood nearly deserted. But thanks to the recent efforts of arts advocates and city tax breaks, the Crossroads Arts District (kccrossroads.org) is now home to some 70 galleries. Two pioneering mainstays are Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art (2004 Baltimore Avenue; 816-221-2626; sherryleedy.com), which specializes in midcareer artists like Jun Kaneko, and the Byron C. Cohen Gallery (2020 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 1N; 816-421-5665; byroncohengallery.com), representing several artists from China, including the photo-artist Huang Yan. If it’s the first Friday of the month, many galleries hold open houses until about 9 p.m.

7 p.m.
2) SAUCE IT UP

Debates over the best barbecue rouse as much passion here as religion or politics. Some swear by the old guard like Gates Bar-B-Q (gatesbbq.com) and Arthur Bryant’s (arthurbryantsbbq.com), both of which have multiple branches. Others cross the state line into the Kansas side, to a relative newcomer, Oklahoma Joe’s (3002 West 47th Avenue; 913-782-6858; oklahomajoesbbq.com), which opened a second location in 2005. It serves up pulled pork and beef brisket piled high on white bread, in a sauce that may just be the perfect amalgam of sweet, smoke and vinegar. At a little under $19, a full slab serves two or three people.

11 p.m.
3) BEYOND BLUES AND JAZZ

If the city’s indie music scene hasn’t garnered the same hype as those in other Midwestern cities like Minneapolis or Omaha, it’s not for lack of guts or artistry. Homegrown bands like Ssion, a gender-bending art-punk music collective that has built a following with over-the-top live shows, cut their teeth in downtown galleries and dives. Hear up-and-comers at the Record Bar (1020 Westport Road; 816-753-5207; therecordbar.com) and the Brick (1727 McGee Street; 816-421-1634; thebrickkcmo.com). One of the newest spots is the Czar Bar (1531 Grand Boulevard; 816-221-2244; czarbar.com); it’s owned by John Hulston, who also runs Anodyne Records, which counts the Meat Puppets, the BellRays and Architects among its better-known acts.

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) PARK LIFE

Kansas City is said to have more fountains than any other city except Rome. One of the loveliest can be found at Jacob L. Loose Park (51st Street and Wornall Road), a Civil War site, where the Laura Conyers Smith Fountain, made of Italian stone, is encircled by thousands of roses in some 150 varieties. The park is popular with picnicking families and bongo-playing teenagers on furlough from the suburbs.

Noon
5) CONTEMPORARY GREENS

If last night’s barbecue has you yearning for a salad, head to Café Sebastienne, an airy, glass-covered restaurant at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (4420 Warwick Boulevard; 816-753-5784; kemperart.org/cafe). A dish of seasonal greens with cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, sheep’s milk cheese and grilled pita is $11. After lunch, pop inside for a quick look at the Kemper’s small but diverse collection of modern and contemporary works by artists like Dale Chihuly and Louise Bourgeois, whose gigantic iron spider sculpture looms over the front lawn.

1:30 p.m.
6) MUSEUM POW-WOW

In 2007, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak Street; 816-751-1278; nelson-atkins.org) was thrust into the national spotlight when it opened a new wing designed by Steven Holl. The Bloch Building — which holds contemporary art, photography and special exhibitions — consists of five translucent glass blocks that create what Nicolai Ouroussoff, the architecture critic of The New York Times, described as “a work of haunting power.” The museum, which is free to the public, also unveiled a suite of American Indian galleries in November. It’s an assemblage of about 200 works from more than 68 tribes, considered one of the most important collections of its kind.

4 p.m.
7) 18TH STREET COUTURE

The Crossroads cultural awakening extends beyond art and into fashion. Three boutiques carrying the work of up-and-coming designers occupy a former film storage unit on West 18th Street. Peregrine Honig and Danielle Meister handpick lingerie and swimwear to carry at their shop, Birdies (116 West 18th Street; 816-842-2473; birdiespanties.com). Kelly Allen selects a quirky cross-section of locally designed clothing and accessories at Spool (122 West 18th Street; 816-842-0228). And Peggy Noland (124 West 18th Street; 816-221-7652; peggynoland.com) sells Day-Glo spandex bodysuits in a space covered floor-to-ceiling with stuffed animals.

7 p.m.
8) MIDWEST TAPAS

Stay in the Crossroads to sample modern Mediterranean-style tapas at Extra Virgin (1900 Main Street; 816-842-2205; extravirginkc.com), the latest restaurant from Kansas City’s culinary titan, Michael Smith. The fare is more playful and adventurous than that of his formal restaurant next door. And if the loud, euro-chic décor, replete with a floor-to-ceiling “La Dolce Vita” mural, seems to be trying a little too hard, the crowd of unbuttoned professionals enjoying inspired dishes like crispy pork belly with green romesco and chick pea fries doesn’t seem to mind. The menu is diverse, as is the wine list. Single plates range from $3 to $25.

10 p.m.
9) ’ROUND MIDNIGHT

Love it or hate it, the flashy new Kansas City Power and Light District (1100 Walnut Street; 816-842-1045; powerandlightdistrict.com) offers a wide range of bars, restaurants and clubs that can feel like an open-air fraternity party. A smarter alternative can be found in the West Bottoms, an industrial neighborhood that draws a more urbane crowd. The R Bar (1617 Genessee Street; 816-471-1777; rbarkc.com), which opened in September, features live jazz and bluegrass, as well as old-time cocktails like Moscow mules and mint juleps. When midnight strikes, head to the Mutual Musicians Foundation (1823 Highland Avenue; 816-471-5212; thefoundationjamson.org). The legendary haunt opened in 1917 and public jam sessions are held every Saturday until around 6 a.m. For $8, you can catch impromptu sets by some of the city’s undiscovered musicians in the same room where Charlie Parker had a cymbal thrown at him in 1937.

Sunday

11 a.m.
10) VIVA BRUNCH

As any resident will tell you, Mexican food is a big deal here. One of the most authentic spots is Ortega’s Restaurant (2646 Belleview Avenue; 816-531-5415; ortegas.synthasite.com), tucked in the back of a mom-and-pop grocery store in midtown. On Sundays, Ortega’s draws a lively mix of churchgoing families and hung-over art students with its $6 huevos rancheros.

Noon
11) VINTAGE FINDS

Kansas City has great secondhand shopping. Bargains are easy to find, and flea markets have yet to be ransacked by collectors from the coasts. Grab a copy of The Kansas City Star (kansascity.com) or search Craigslist (kansascity.craigslist.org) for current listings of auctions and estate sales. Better yet, take a drive through the sprawl of surrounding suburbs on the lookout for garage sales. Even if you don’t find that perfect antique, an afternoon spent chatting with the friendly residents of this changing city will remind you that some things don’t need making over.

IF YOU GO

Continental, Delta and Midwest Airlines fly nonstop from New York City to Kansas City International Airport. According to a recent Web search, round-trip fares start at about $325 for travel this month. A car is recommended for getting around, though to paraphrase an old song, if you have to walk, you’ll get there just the same.

The Raphael(325 Ward Parkway; 816-756-3800; raphaelkc.com), a 126-room hotel in a neo-Renaissance manor overlooking the Country Club Plaza, recently finished a major renovation, with black marble bathrooms, flat-screen televisions and two spacious conference rooms. And with standard rooms going for as little as $139, it’s one of the city’s best bargains.

The 120-room Q Hotel + Spa (560 Westport Road; 816-931-0001; theqhotel.com) opened in 2007 in the historic Westport district and bills itself as the city’s first green hotel, offering eco-friendly hand soap, energy-efficient lamps and in-room recycling service (unused paper is given to a school next door). Standard rooms start at $107, if booked 23 days in advance; otherwise $137.

    36 Hours in Kansas City, Mo., NYT, 16.5.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/travel/16hours.html

36 Hours in Telluride, Colo.

February 28, 2010
The New York Times
By LIONEL BEEHNER

TELLURIDE almost begs comparisons with Aspen. A Colorado mining town affixed to a world-class ski resort; rugged locals brushing elbows with the occasional celebrity; white tablecloth restaurants serving up foie gras next to taco dives. “It’s like Aspen was back in the ’70s, but less pretentious,” said Bo Bedford, a self-described Aspen refugee who is a manager at the New Sheridan Hotel. “It hasn’t gone Hollywood yet.” There is, of course, a certain star-studded film festival. And Telluride does count Jerry Seinfeld and Tom Cruise among its regulars. Yet, the town stays true to its hardscrabble roots. Dogs roam off-leash, folks rummage for freebies at a so-called Free Box, and residents zip up in flannel instead of fur coats.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) DAS BOOT

Ski shops are often staffed by workers straight out of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” Not Boot Doctors (650 Mountain Village Boulevard; 970-728-8954; bootdoctors.com), where Bob Gleason and his team of “surgeons” run a kind of operating room for your ill-fitting equipment. But don’t expect a sterile ward — it looks more like a torture chamber, with pinchers and clawlike tools to stretch, squeeze and custom-shape any size boots (prices range from $20 for a boot stretch to $175 for a custom-molded sole).

6 p.m.
2) BROADWAY MEETS OPRY

Film and theater buffs will take comfort in Telluride’s abundance of preserved art-house theaters. Take the intricately stenciled balcony and the maple floors of the Sheridan Opera House (110 North Oak Street; 970-728-6363; sheridanoperahouse.com), which dates from 1913. Part ’30s vaudeville, part Grand Ole Opry, the stage has been graced with everything from Broadway musicals to bluegrass bands, and is the hub of the Telluride Film Festival, in its 37th year (held Sept. 3 to 6 this year).

8:30 p.m.
3) HIGH STEAKS

If the New Sheridan feels like the kind of joint with a secret poker game going on in a smoky backroom, well, that’s because it is (H. Norman Schwarzkopf is said to be among the regulars). But the real draw of this Victorian hotel is its newly refurbished Chop House Restaurant (233 West Colorado Avenue; 970-728-9100; newsheridan.com), which serves large platters of prime steaks (starting at $26). Like the hotel, which was reopened in 2008 after extensive renovations, the musty dining room has been spiffed up with plush booths and crystal chandeliers. After dinner, sneak away next door (there’s a secret passage in the back) to the New Sheridan bar, which looks much as it did in 1895 — with its crackling fire and carved mahogany bar — but has added a billiard room in back and, yup, a poker table.

Saturday

7:30 a.m.
4) BISCUITS AND GRAVY

With its red-checkered tablecloths and folksy service, Maggie’s Bakery (300 West Colorado Avenue; 970-728-3334) holds its own against any ski town greasy spoon. A healthy-size biscuit and gravy goes for $7.45. Another popular spot, Baked in Telluride, burned down in early February, though its big, red barn is expected to be rebuilt.

9 a.m.
5) GOLD RUSH

Telluride feels as though it belongs in the Alps — with its 2,000-plus acres of backcountrylike terrain and above-the-tree-line chutes, European-style chalets and snowy peaks framed by boxy canyons and craggy rock formations. Throw in thin crowds and short lift lines, and what’s not to like? To warm up, take the Prospect Bowl Express over to Madison or Magnolia — gentle runs that weave through trees below the gaze of Bald Mountain. Or hop on the Gold Hill Express lift to find the mountain’s newest expert terrain: Revelation Bowl. Hang a left off the top of the Revelation Lift to the Gold Hill Chutes (Nos. 2 to 5), recently opened to skiers and said to be some of the steepest terrain in North America.

Noon
6) WINE AND CHEESE

Telluride does not believe in summit cafeterias, at least not the traditional kind with long tables and with deep fryers in the kitchen. Its hilltop restaurants come the size of tree forts. Case in point is Alpino Vino (970-708-1120), a new spot just off the Gold Hill Express Lift that resembles a chalet airlifted from the Italian Alps. Diners in ski helmets huddle around cherry-wood tables and a roaring fireplace, sipping Tuscan reds ($15), while neatly groomed waiters bring plates of cured meats and fine cheeses ($15). Arrive by noon, as this place fills up fast. For more casual grub, swing by Giuseppe’s (970-728-7503) at the top of Lift 9, which stacks two shelves of Tabasco sauce and a refrigerator full of Fat Tire beer ($5) to go with home-style dishes like chicken and chorizo gumbo ($8.99). After lunch, glide down See Forever, a long, winding trail that snakes all the way back to the village. Detour to Lift 9 if you want to burn off a few more calories.

5:30 p.m.
7) FULL PINT OR HALFPIPE?

A free gondola links the historic town of Telluride with the faux-European base area known as Mountain Village. Just before sunset, hop off at the gondola’s midstation, situated atop a ridge. For a civilized drink without cover bands, you’ll find Allred’s (970-728-7474; allredsrestaurant.com), a rustic-chic lodge with craft beers on tap ($7). Grab a window seat for sunset views of the San Juan Mountains, or relax by the stone fireplace to the soothing sounds of Bob Israel on his piano. Shaun White wannabes, however, will want to continue down to a new terrain park with an 18-foot-high halfpipe. Illuminated by klieg lights until 8 p.m., it is one of Colorado’s few halfpipes where you can flip a McTwist under the stars ($25 entrance fee).

8 p.m.
8) NO VEGANS

Carnivores should feel at home in Telluride. At some spots, steak knives look like machetes and the beef is said to come from Ralph Lauren’s nearby ranch. For tasty Colorado lamb chops ($28), try the new Palmyra Restaurant (136 Country Club Drive; 970-728-6800; thepeaksresort.com). Opened last December at the Peaks Resort & Spa in Mountain Village, the glass-walled restaurant has dazzling fire features and romantic valley views. Or, for hearty grub you might find at a firehouse, head into town and loosen your belt at Fat Alley BBQ (122 South Oak Street; 970-728-3985), a no-frills joint with old, wooden tables and a counter where you can order Texas-style barbecued spareribs and breaded-to-order fried chicken. Most items run $10 to $15, except the Schlitz beer, which is $1.

10 p.m.
9) GETTING HIGH

If the high altitude and lack of oxygen leave you winded — and they probably will — pull up a bar stool at the Bubble Lounge (200 West Colorado Avenue; 970-728-9653; telluridebubblelounge.com), a grungy bar that serves craft beers, Champagne and, yes, oxygen. Choose from a two dozen scents (cherry and lemon grass, among others) served in bubbling beakers that light up like DayGlo bulbs and look like a mad scientist’s lab ($10 for 12 minutes).

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) STOMPING GROUNDS

The snow-carpeted trails that roll past wide meadows and frozen waterfalls in this pocket of southwest Colorado are ideal for snowshoeing. Stock up on snacks and water before riding to the top of Lift 10, where you’ll find a warming teepee run by Eco Adventures (565 Mountain Village Boulevard; 970-728-7300). Eco offers guided snowshoe tours, with ecological lessons thrown in, for $45, including equipment.

2 p.m.
11) OUTLAW TOUR

Did you know that Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank on Main Street in 1889? Or that the town’s red-light district once had 29 bordellos? These and other historical tidbits give Telluride an added sense of place that’s missing from newer, corporate-run resorts. For an entertaining tour, call up Ashley Boling (970-728-6639), a D.J., actor and self-appointed guide who offers 90-minute tours that are encyclopedic and long on stories ($20 a person). He’s hard to miss: he’s the one walking around with cascading blond hair under a cowboy hat, stopping every few minutes to say hello to friends — unless it’s a powder day, in which case Telluride turns into a ghost town.

IF YOU GO

The closest commercial airport is Telluride Regional Airport, about seven miles from town. There are daily (turboprop) connections from Phoenix and Denver, but the airport closes often because of bad weather. It can be easier and more reliable to fly into Montrose Regional Airport, a larger airport about 90 minutes away by car. Continental flies nonstop from Newark to Montrose (from $347 in March, according to a recent search), but only on Saturdays. A car is not needed to get around. A free gondola connects the town of Telluride to the Mountain Village till midnight.

In Telluride, the New Sheridan Hotel (231 West Colorado Avenue; 970-728-4351; newsheridan.com) reopened in 2008 with 26 renovated rooms that kept the Victorian touches, like the old-style light switches. Doubles start at $199.

In Mountain Village, lumière (970-369-0400; www.lumierehotels.com ), a modern boutique hotel, opened in 2008. Each of the 29 chocolate-carpeted units offers a steam shower, and a few come with balconies with breathtaking mountain views. Doubles start at $349.

    36 Hours in Telluride, Colo., NYT, 28.2.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/travel/28hours.html

36 Hours in Tucson, Ariz.
 

January 3, 2010
The New York Times
By RICHARD B. WOODWARD

TUCSON has worked hard to shed its reputation as a tanning salon for retirees and snowbirds. To complement its natural beauty — a national park in its midst and mountains on four sides — the city has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into its downtown during the last decade. Instead of adding strip malls and high-rises, older buildings were saved and retooled as movie houses and museums. And with a deep-rooted Hispanic community, tides of Mexican immigrants and students from the University of Arizona who never left after graduation, the city has now taken on a youthful and multicultural glow.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) JET AGE GRAVEYARD

Tucson’s bone-dry climate is easy on all kinds of metal bodies. The city is a hunting ground for used-car buyers as well as home to one of the world’s largest airplane graveyards. A sample of the 4,000 or so stranded military and civilian aircraft can be viewed by driving along the fence on Kolb Road by the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. For a closer look, the Pima Air & Space Museum (6000 East Valencia Road; 520-574-0462; pimaair.org) offers tours with frighteningly knowledgeable guides who can run down all the specs on the SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane.

6 p.m.
2) DINING TROLLEY

The Southern Pacific railroad reached Tucson in 1880, and the moaning whistle of freight and passenger trains can still be heard day and night. For a front-row seat to the passing leviathans, head to the Maynard’s Market and Kitchen (400 North Toole Avenue; 520-545-0577; www.maynardsmarkettucson.com ). Less than 50 feet from the tracks, this dark and handsome former depot attracts an upscale crowd that comes for the extensive choice of wines (from the store next door) and the reasonably priced menu. Meat eaters enjoy the 14-ounce dry-aged New York strip ($27), and vegetarians the roast garlic and wild mushroom stone-baked pizza ($10). But just as inviting are the sights and sounds of the rattling plates and glasses.

8 p.m.
3) TUCSON NIGHTS

Tucson has a jumping band scene on weekends, a sleepier one the other five days. On warm nights, the noise of music pumps through the open doors of restaurants and bars along Congress Street. The center of the action is often the historic Rialto Theater (318 East Congress Street; 520-740-1000; www.rialtotheatre.com ). A nonprofit showcase vital to downtown’s renewal, it books major acts but has no stylistic agenda (Sonic Youth is playing on Jan. 4, and Cowboy Mouth on Jan. 14).

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) ROADRUNNER

When the summer sun isn’t blazing, Tucsonians head outdoors. A prime destination is the Saguaro National Park, which embraces the city on two sides. To walk among fields of multi-armed cactus giants, drive west about a half-hour along a snaking road. Look for an unmarked parking lot a few hundred feet after the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This is the start of the King Canyon Trail ( www.saguaronationalpark.com/favorite-trails.html ), put in by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and the path for a refreshing morning hike. A covered picnic area is at mile 0.9. Fitter types can proceed 2.6 miles to Wasson Peak, highest point in the Tucson Mountains.

Noon
5) MODERN MEXICAN

Tucson thinks highly of its Mexican restaurants, perhaps unjustly so. One place they have a right to be proud of is Cafe Poca Cosa (110 East Pennington Street; 520-622-6400; www.cafepocacosatucson.com ). Don’t be put off by its location (in an ugly office building) or the décor (a vain attempt to import some glam L.A. style). The chef Suzana Davila has attracted national attention for her novel take on Mexican cuisine, which emphasizes fresh and regional. Try the daily sampler (La Plato Poca Cosa) of three dishes chosen by the chef. It usually has an exotic mole and perhaps a zinger like a vegetarian tamale with pineapple salsa. Lunch is a relative bargain (about $15 for all entrees), but dinner is more expensive (about $26 for entrees). Dinner reservations are essential for weekends.

1:30 p.m.
6) PICTURE THIS

One of the most impressive collections of 20th-century North American photographers can be found at the Center for Creative Photography (1030 North Olive Road; www.creativephotography.org ), in a hard-to-find building on the University of Arizona campus. Containing the archives of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Garry Winogrand, W. Eugene Smith and more than 40 other eminent photographers, it also runs a first-rate exhibition program. On view through Jan. 31 (free) is a retrospective of the peculiar, self-effacing German émigré John Gutmann.

3:30 p.m.
7) THE BUY AND BUY

Phoenix-style shopping has arrived at La Encantada, a mall in the foothills of the Santa Catalinas, with Tiffany and Louis Vuitton (Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue.; 520-615-2561; www.laencantadashoppingcenter.com ). Downtown at the Plaza Palomino downtown (520-320-6344; www.plazapalominotucson.com ), local merchants like Enchanted Earthworks ( www.enchantedearthworks.com ) carry more idiosyncratic items like funky handmade jewelry and crafts.

5 p.m.
8) EYES ON DESERT SKIES

The surrounding mountains are heavenly for star-gazing. The Kitt Peak National Observatory (Tohono O’odham Reservation, 520-318-8726; www.noao.edu ), about 90 minutes southwest of the city and 6,900 feet above sea level, says it has more optical research telescopes than anywhere in the world. Aside from serving professional astronomers, it also has generous offerings for amateurs. One of these, the Nightly Observing Program ($48 a person), begins an hour before sunset and lasts four hours with an expert who will show you how to use star charts and identify constellations and will give you a peek through one of the mammoth instruments. (Dinner is a deli sandwich; remember to wear warm clothing.) Reserving a month in advance is recommended, but you may get lucky and find an opening the day of.

11 p.m.
9) MORE COSMOS

For a nightcap, head to the Club Congress (311 East Congress Street; 520-622-8848; www.hotelcongress.com/club ), a boisterous joint on the ground floor of the Hotel Congress with five bar areas that offer steeply discounted drinks after 10 p.m. ($3 for shots of Jack Daniels). Live bands often have crowds of dancers spilling out into the lobby of the hotel. Finish the night at Plush (340 East 6th Street; 520-798-1298; www.plushtucson.com ), where the acts are less polished but the drinks are almost as cheap and just as strong.

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) EARLY BIRD

The Epic Cafe (745 North Fourth Avenue; 520-624-6844; www.epic-cafe.com ) is a happening spot at almost any hour. This neighborhood hub on the corner of University Avenue is open from 6 a.m. to midnight and serves an eclectic menu of sandwiches, sweets and drinks to a clientele of would-be intellectuals with laptops and dog owners who jam the sidewalk tables. Grab a cup of the excellent coffee ($1.84) and a vegan seed cookie ($2.50). If it tastes like delicious bird food, that’s because it is.

10 a.m.
11) MISSILE AMERICA

For a terrifying yet educational reminder of the cold war, drive about 30 minutes south of downtown on Interstate 19 to the Titan Missile Museum (1580 West Duval Mine Road, Sahuarita; 520-625-7736; www.titanmissilemuseum.org ; reservations advised). The nuclear silo housed a single intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a warhead 700 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. Of the 54 built in the 1960s, it is the only silo that has not been filled in or demolished. The museum tour lasts an hour. Much of it is underground, behind eight-foot-thick blast walls, and ends with a peek at the 103-foot weapon, with its warhead removed.

THE BASICS

Instead of flying into Tucson, frequent visitors often land at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and drive for two hours along scenic Interstate 10. Phoenix offers more nonstop flights and is often cheaper. A round-trip flight on US Airways from Kennedy Airport in January starts at $351, according to a recent search.

The Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain (15000 North Secret Springs Drive; 520-572-3000; www.ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain ) opened this month with a 27-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, a luxurious spa and 253 rooms starting at $299.

The Arizona Inn (2200 East Elm Street; 800-933-1093; www.arizonainn.com ) is the granddaddy of Tucson luxury hotels and still family-owned. Spacious standard rooms start at $259.

Budget travelers should be more than happy with the Best Western Royal Sun Inn & Suites (1015 North Stone Avenue; 520-622-8871; www.bwroyalsun.com ). Convenient to downtown and the mountains, the hotel offers free Wi-Fi, a small pool and rates starting at $110.

    36 Hours in Tucson, Ariz., NYT, 3.1.2010, http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/travel/03hours.html

Walking Into the Earth’s Heart: The Grand Canyon

November 29, 2009
The New York Times
By HENRY SHUKMAN

“I HAVE heard rumors of visitors who were disappointed,” J. B. Priestley once said of the Grand Canyon. “The same people will be disappointed at the Day of Judgment.”

I have to confess I was disappointed on my first visit to the canyon more than a decade ago. One July, on our way to Los Angeles, my family and I swung off the highway and made the 60-mile detour to the South Rim, and found ourselves caught in a long traffic jam. When we eventually managed to park, and walked to the rim, the scale of the sight off the edge was so great it was hard to muster a response. It was so vast, and so familiar from innumerable pictures, it might just as well have been a picture. What impressed me most was the Babel of languages audible among the files of visitors pouring off the tour buses. It sounded like Times Square on a Saturday night, with every continent represented in the hubbub.

At this magnitude, scale is deceptive. Pedro de Castañeda, a Spaniard on the Coronado expedition of 1540, whose members were among the first Europeans ever to see the canyon, reported that a group of them scrambled some way down, and found that boulders they’d seen from the rim were not as they’d thought, the height of a man, but “taller than the great tower in Seville” (presumably the Giralda Tower, more than 300 feet high).

We only stayed an hour or two. But before we left, from the rim I saw a trail, pale as chalk, winding down a huge slope beneath a cliff. There’s something about a trail seen from far away. That thread snaking over the landscape — where does it go, who uses it, why does it seem so intimate with the land? And why does it arouse such an intense longing to follow it? An unknown path seems almost necessarily a metaphor. We like to conceive of life as a thread, after all, a path crossing unexpected terrain on its journey to another element. When the trail winds across empty desert, up and down huge hillsides — as in the Grand Canyon — it’s all the more insistently allegorical.

There wasn’t time to follow it, and I left with a nagging sense of opportunity lost, and that pale thread of a path still pulling at me.

IT wasn’t until last winter that I got to answer that pull. And the first thing I learned is that for the Grand Canyon, winter is the time to go. As the chief district ranger John Evans told me, “You’ll more or less have the place to yourself.” Although the canyon is a desert, it’s a kind of oasis in winter — a place of peace, sequestered from the rest of the world. In three days of hiking I saw only two or three mule trains, each carrying baggage not riders, and maybe two dozen hikers in all.

Winter is cool, and cool is good for hiking. To sweat actually uses energy. It’s true there’s snow on the trails, and long-molded tongues of ice pounded into enamel-like smoothness by the mules that go up and down with supplies, but that’s only on the highest reaches. Drop 2,000 feet from the rim and you’ll most likely be free of it. Sunlight becomes a blessing instead of a 120-degree curse, when you step out of chill shade into some welcome warmth.

To experience the canyon, you have to leave the rim. The frustration aroused by the bigness, the grandness, on a rim-only visit becomes a liberation once you drop down. The modern world falls away. It’s not just a trip out of the human realm, but into the deep geology of the earth. Layer upon layer of the planet’s crust is revealed, stratum by stratum: the Toroweap limestone, the Coconino sandstone, the Redwall limestone, the Tonto Group; the Vishnu schist deep down, close to two billion years old, nearly half the total age of the planet — the stuff that is under our very feet as we go about our lives is laid bare here. And in the silence and stillness, in the solitude of the canyon in winter, it’s all the more impressive.

Teddy Roosevelt said that all Americans should try to see it. He also declared, “We have gotten past the stage, my fellow-citizens, when we are to be pardoned if we treat any part of our country as something to be skinned.” Alas, he had no idea what was coming. But the Grand Canyon has not yet been skinned. Though not for want of trying.

As I prepared to go, and talked to friends about the coming trip, I was amazed how many people knew the inner canyon well. One acquaintance told me that he had spent 300 nights below the rim, falling just short of a lifetime’s ambition of a full year. In a grocery store in Santa Fe, where I live, I got talking with a Grand Canyon-crazy runner who hikes from rim to rim in a single day several times a year. A woman in a coffee shop line told me about the time a 10-pound falling rock nearly knocked her off a trail. I began to get the feeling the Grand Canyon is truly a national monument, analogous to the Lake District in England in its centrality to the nation’s psyche. “Each man sees himself in the Grand Canyon,” Carl Sandburg said. It’s something all Americans share, and can take pride in.

This was all very well, but the canyon is one mile deep, and the trail itself about 10 miles long, and that translates to a very arduous walk, especially for an 8-year-old. By some arcane family algebra, it was Saul, our younger son, who was due a trip with me.

After an impossibly smooth two-hour ride in the vintage coaches of the Grand Canyon Railway from the town of Williams, Ariz., the nearest major settlement south of the canyon, we checked in at Bright Angel Lodge near the canyon rim, to reconfirm our bookings for Phantom Ranch, down in the bottom. The woman behind the desk glanced at my young son and said: “I hope you’re planning to leave immediately, if not sooner.”

It was already 1 o’clock, and most hikers set off in the morning.

My heart dropped. Saul is strong, fit as an Olympic athlete, indomitable as a Gaul, but still only 8. Was it crazy and cruel to ask him to walk down then up a whole mile of elevation? What if having got him down he hurt himself, or his feisty spirit gave out? And then there was my own bipedal apparatus. What if my own legs failed me?

The fear only amplified over the first spectacular mile of trail, where we had to pick our way precariously over ice. But then we were out on the spine of a ridge, the aptly nicknamed Ooh-Aah Point, that dropped precipitately to either side, and the ice was all melted away. Here, it wasn’t so much about looking at a view as being in the midst of one.

As we were gazing around us, two condors came gliding right over, so close we could hear the wind ruffling their feathers.

“Keep in the middle,” I implored Saul, as he took to scampering along the parapet of rocks. Kids apparently can’t resist a parapet, no matter the drop beyond it.

I wouldn’t want a creationist to misinterpret this, but I always find geology more or less unbelievable. Were these hundreds of square miles of limestone hundreds of feet deep truly made by trillions of marine creatures dying? Could a river really carve out a gash this deep? But before the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, in a single day the Colorado River used to carry away 380,000 tons or more of silt, enough to fill a train 25 miles long. Each day. A river this size is indeed an efficient grinding tool.

Below us, sweeping brown plateaus bulge as if they were soft upholstery. There are cliffs of blue, pink, orange, mauve, and deep purple bands of rock — the banners of God, as an early explorer said. True enough, the stark minerality of the desert always seems to rouse the inner mystic.

The scientist John Strong Newberry, part of an 1857 expedition into the canyon, said that “nowhere on the earth’s surface, so far as we know, are the secrets of its structure revealed as here.” After the cliffs of pale Coconino limestone, we descend the Redwall limestone, into a deep tub of crimson stone. Finally at Skeleton Point we catch the first glimpse of the river, thousands of feet below us, announced by a distant roar. A vast sweep of shadow is coming off the rim above, spreading over the Tonto plateau. We plunge in and out of the shade on the switchbacks. So far, we have seen just four people.

Then just after Tipoff Point, the path brings us to another dizzying corner, overlooking an ancient rusty amphitheater of Tonto Group rock one way, while to the other, the air drops away to another sight of the Colorado River far, far below, clay-red, rippling, bloated. One of the two suspension bridges down there is visible too. It all looks like a telephoto shot, the unfamiliar vertical distance baffling the eye.

Around 4 p.m., when we’ve descended some 4,000 feet, deep in the echoing inner canyon, amid runnels and gullies of deep shadow, beneath shoulders of shale and scree, Saul gets a kind of oxygen narcosis, skipping around, giggling, singing “Blue-blue-blue-blue” from “Austin Powers,” while my left knee goes supersonic, screeching at me to just please take one pace up instead of down. Enough with the down. Then Saul discovers the echo deep in the billion-year-old rock. “Go away, echo!” he shouts vainly, again and again.

Endless new levels, new shears, shelves and tables to descend. Then all of a sudden, there the bridge is again. This time, we can see its individual railings, and as we approach, through a tunnel hewn straight through the rock, the thick, deep air beside the rushing river is like a balm. Whether it’s the late afternoon light, the fatigue, the pain in my knee, or the relief of getting down, I find myself wallowing in a wonderful endorphin bath. The world goes glassy. The canyon cliffs and trapezoids and pinnacles of rock all become resonant. I watch myself walk, as if the real me were a deep witness to my life, rather than the one who apparently lives it.

Down here, with the enormous Colorado River beside us, encased in the immense walls of the inner gorge, we pass the old settlement of Anasazi Indians who lived here 1,000 years ago. They planted corn and squash, and used nothing that didn’t come from their immediate surroundings. It occurs to me that today it takes a whole afternoon on vertiginous trails to accomplish the reverse: to enter an environment without human imports. This is surely the kind of immersion a hiker seeks; this is why it feels like a pilgrimage to come here. It’s good to reflect that if America has a heart, this just might be it.

By the time we reach Phantom Ranch, its own side canyon, Bright Angel Creek, is deep in chilly shade. To reach the quiet huddle of stone and timber cabins under their grove of silvery cottonwoods, the trees tattered with old dry leaves, with a bunk waiting, and hot showers in the bathhouse, and the creek plashing by — relief floods in. But even though we’ve descended to 2,000 feet above sea level, it’s still freezing.

When the ranch bell rings for dinner, some two dozen guests troop from the cabins through the frigid dusk to the main lodge, where we quietly feast on stew, corn bread and salad. We’re from all over, all walks of life: a student from Quebec, a trucker from Kentucky, a fisherman from Alaska, a college student from New York, a woman in insurance, from Pennsylvania. All these trappings of people’s lives seem to fade in the context of this deep retreat from the world. We’re just people, making the pilgrimage from cradle to grave.

At 8 p.m. the dining room turns into a kind of mess hall. People sit around playing cards, or Trivial Pursuit, drinking wine or beer, and the counter opens for the sale of odds and ends. On a shelf sits the box for river mail, where letters wait for rafters coming downstream.

IT is 2 a.m. when a cry pierces the peace in our cabin: “I feel sick, Daddy.” No sooner have I sprung from my bunk to fetch the trash bin than Saul is hunched over it, retching. By 6 he is hot with fever. It has happened: stuck at the apex of a mile-high inverse mountain in winter, with a sick child.

At first light Bright Angel Creek is chalky, vague. Then distant bluffs of red stone get picked out by the sun, and more and more bright geometries emerge. While I’m wondering what to do, rows of Easter Islandesque monoliths along the top of a cliff turn bright, and when the early sun strikes the high outcrops, I can see how they got their Egyptian and Hindi names. They do indeed look like sphinxes and Oriental temples.

At 8 a.m. I go to the lodge and ask if they have a thermometer. They radio down to the nearby ranger station, and 10 minutes later Eston Littleboy Jones, a tall ranger equipped with a holstered automatic pistol and a Taser gun, tends to my son.

Saul’s eyes light up at the sight of the guns. A quick checkup, and he’s bouncing back. By 10 he’s once again climbing from bunk to bunk, urging me to join in, and by 11 he’s insisting we walk the Overlook Trail mentioned by Eston, one and a half miles up to an outcrop overhanging the creek, then the River Loop Trail. Apparently, it was a swift-moving stomach bug.

My legs are stiff as stilts. It’s as if never having been near a Stairmaster, I decided to spend all of yesterday on one. But homeopathically, hiking seems to ease them.

From one of the two suspension bridges we stare down at the river. “It looks like they’re fighting a war,” Saul says of the white waves. “Fighting to get up the river.” The frothing eddies do seem to be struggling with the current. Two plumes of ripples curve into one central stream like trails of smoke sucked into a flue. The canyon walls create a constantly changing concertina effect with volume. There’s a great bow of a pebble beach, except the pebbles are the size of cars. It’s a landscape from “Lord of the Rings,” with a perilous cliff path to match. Any minute our way will be blocked by an orc.

The next day we make the climb back up the Bright Angel Trail. Like the Kaibab Trail, this was also built for mules, having first been a Native American trail to the creek at Indian Gardens, halfway up. Mule trails are good for hikers. The beasts won’t put up with anything too steep. The trail makes its way up cliffs in endless switchbacks.

Rows of flying buttresses, a soaring ship’s prow throwing a huge flag of shadow across a cliff, a forbidding wall of masonry half a mile above us: the views never stop coming. Way above, on the whitish cliffs just under the rim, something is winking. Could it be the windows of El Tovar, the old hotel where we’ll be spending the night? Along the climb at Devil’s Corkscrew, a chain of little waterfalls has carved out smooth dark basins in the rock. Again and again it strikes me how perfect the temperature is for hiking. Through a grove of willow the brilliant stream flashes by, icy cold.

On that day we pass five hikers in all. Once again, it’s just us and the canyon. And the circling condors high overhead.

On the last two miles, stalactites of milky ice hang beside the trail. Then solid gray snow is underfoot, like lacquer, impregnated with dust, slowing us right down. As we stand still waiting to see if we can catch the sound of wind in the feathers of a condor gliding by, we hear from up above the deep gurgle of the first motorbike. Three days away from carbon culture, the modern world seems like Thunderdome now.

Finally we slump into El Tovar, the oldest Grand Canyon hotel, with its fireplaces of stone blocks and masses of dark timber, a perfect hiker’s rest.

The truth is, when I pulled briefly into the Grand Canyon years before, I didn’t even truly comprehend that it was a canyon. It was such a vast landscape it seemed it might go on in pinnacles and gulfs for hundreds of miles. But once you’ve been down into it, you know what it is. You understand. At least a little. And the mere thought of being disappointed by it? I’m positively looking forward to Judgment Day.

WHERE THE VIEWS NEVER STOP COMING

GETTING THERE

We drove along Interstate 40 to Williams, Ariz., spent a night in the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, left the car there and then took the Grand Canyon Railway ( www.thetrain.com ) to the canyon in the morning. The train leaves Williams once a day at 9:30 a.m.; the return train leaves at 3:30 p.m. daily. If that schedule doesn’t work for you, you can hire a taxi for the return trip, at around $120. A round-trip ticket on the train begins at $70 for an adult, $40 for a child.

The National Park Service’s Web site ( www.nps.gov/grca  ) is very helpful in planning a visit, as is www.grandcanyonlodges.com.

WHERE TO STAY

El Tovar (888-297-2757; www.grandcanyonlodges.com ) is the most atmospheric hotel around. Designed by Mary Colter, built right on the rim out of timber and stone and open since 1905, it shouldn’t be missed, provided the budget can stretch to it. A standard double room is currently $174.

Phantom Ranch (888-297-2757; www.grandcanyonlodges.com ) is a magical collection of stone cabins and lodges built in the bottom of the canyon, also by Mary Colter. Dorm beds are about $42.

The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (233 North Grand Canyon Boulevard, Williams, Ariz.; 800-843-8724; www.thetrain.com) is not quite the atmospheric old railway edifice I’d imagined, but this is a comfortable, modern hotel. Doubles start at $169.

Bright Angel Lodge (888-297-2757; www.grandcanyonlodges.com ) is another old timber warren, built in 1935 and still full of charm. A standard room with bath is $90; a cabin on the canyon rim is $142.

 

HENRY SHUKMAN, a frequent contributor to the Travel section, last wrote about the Ridgeway trail in England.

    Walking Into the Earth’s Heart: The Grand Canyon, NYT, 29.11.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/travel/29canyon.html

36 Hours in Austin, Tex.

November 29, 2009
The New York Times
By JAIME GROSS

THE city’s unofficial motto, “Keep Austin Weird,” blares from bumper stickers on BMWs and jalopies alike, on T-shirts worn by joggers along Lady Bird Lake and in the windows of independently owned shops and restaurants. It’s an exhortation for a city that clings to eccentricity, even in the face of rapid development — downtown Austin, for one, is being transformed with a fleet of high-rise condos and a W Hotel, scheduled to open late next year. But this funky college town, known for its liberal leanings and rich music scene, has little to worry about — at least as long as its openhearted citizens, with their colorful bungalows and tattoos, do their part to keep the city endearingly odd. As one local put it: “As long as Austinites keep decorating their bodies and cars, we’re going to be fine.”

Friday

4 p.m.
1) DRESS THE PART

If you forgot to pack your Western wear, make a beeline for Heritage Boot (117 West Eighth Street; 512-326-8577; www.heritageboot.com), where Jerome Ryan and his team of “boot elves” fashion fanciful boots out of exotic leathers like shark and caiman alligator, using vintage 1930s to ’60s patterns. With colorful stitching, hand-tooling and puffy, butterfly-shaped inlays, they’re instant collectors’ items — and priced accordingly, from $295 to $1,800. Next, stop by the new location of Cream Vintage (1714-A South Congress Avenue; 512-462-3000; www.creamvintage.com ) for vintage Western shirts and weathered concert tees, customized to your dimensions by an on-site tailor.

6:30 p.m.
2) MEAT MECCA

Barbecue is a local sport and there are a lot of competing choices. For a classic pit experience — meaning you can smell the smoke and sauce as soon as you pull into the state-fair-size parking lot — drive 25 miles southwest to the Salt Lick (18300 Farm to Market Road 1826, Driftwood; 512-858-4959; www.saltlickbbq.com ), settle into a communal picnic table and order the $18.95 all-you-can-eat platter, piled high with brisket, ribs and sausage. If you prefer to stay in downtown Austin, check out the newcomer Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue (401 West Second Street; 512-494-1500; www.lambertsaustin.com ). Carved out of a brick-walled general store that dates from 1873, it is raising the bar (and provoking outrage among purists) with its newfangled “fancy barbecue” — think brown-sugar-and-coffee-rubbed brisket ($14) and maple-and-coriander-encrusted pork ribs ($16).

8 p.m.
3) CULTURAL ANCHOR

Just off the south shore of Lady Bird Lake is the world-class Long Center for the Performing Arts (701 West Riverside Drive; 512-457-5100; www.thelongcenter.org ), opened in early 2008 after an epic $80 million fund-raising effort. It has one of the largest, most acoustically perfect stages in Texas, home to the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera and Ballet Austin. There’s also a smaller black box theater spotlighting local musicians, improv troupes and theater companies. Even if you don’t attend a performance, it’s worth stopping by for a glimpse of the glittering skyline views from the building’s front terrace.

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) BIKE STRONG

Explore the city at a leisurely pace by renting a bicycle from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop (400 Nueces Street; 512-473-0222; www.mellowjohnnys.com ), opened by Lance Armstrong, a native son, in May 2008. In addition to selling and renting bikes (from $20 for four hours), the shop stocks accessories like wicker baskets, Chrome messenger bags and colorful racing jerseys. An adjacent cafe serves protein smoothies and organic coffee. If you ask, staff members will chart an appealing route along Austin’s 20 miles of urban hike-and-bike trails.

1 p.m.
5) LUNCH ON THE GO

Some of Austin’s best grub can be found in parking lots and vacant lots, dished out of Airstreams and food trucks by both amateur and professional chefs. You’ll find them all on www.austinfoodcarts.com, but here’s your shortlist: tarragon mushroom crepes with goat cheese ($6.75) at Flip Happy Crepes (400 Jessie Street; 512-552-9034; www.fliphappycrepes.com ); slow-roasted green chili pork tacos ($3.25 each) at Torchy’s Tacos (1311 South First Street; 512-366-0537; www.torchystacos.com ); and the hot, crunchy chicken-and-avocado “cone” with coleslaw and mango aioli ($5.95) at Mighty Cone (1600 South Congress Avenue; 512-383-9609; www.mightycone.com ).

3 p.m.
6) VINYL TO DUCKS

South Congress is an appealing neighborhood for window-shopping, or shopping-shopping. Pick up rare and collectible vinyl, from 99 cents to $1,000, at Friends of Sound (1704 South Congress Avenue; 512-447-1000; www.friendsofsound.com ), down an alley off the main drag. Quirky souvenirs, like a duck decoy ($28) or antique beaver top hat ($95), abound at Uncommon Objects (1512 South Congress Avenue; 512-442-4000; www.uncommonobjects.com), a sprawling emporium with a flea market aesthetic.

7:30 p.m.
7) BATS!

Early spring through late fall, the Congress Avenue Bridge hosts a Halloween-worthy spectacle: at dusk, more than a million Mexican free-tailed bats pour out from under the bridge and head east to scavenge for insects. The best spot for viewing the exodus is from the park at the southeastern end of the bridge, so you can see their flitting forms backlit by the glowing sky. To hear an estimate of the bats’ flight time on a particular evening, dial the bat hot line, operated by The Austin American-Statesman newspaper and Bat Conservation International (512-416-5700, extension 3636).

8:30 p.m.
8) FRENCH CONNECTION

There’s something almost Felliniesque about driving down a dark road lined with industrial warehouses, and stumbling onto Justine’s (4710 East Fifth Street; 512-385-2900; www.justines1937.com ), a new, pitch-perfect French bistro. Outside, a family plays pétanque on the driveway; inside, groups of friends and couples sit on Thonet chairs at candlelit cast-iron-and-marble cafe tables, as a turntable, manned by the owner, Pierre Pelegrin, plays old jazz and reggae tunes. With atmosphere this good, the meal — Parisian comfort food, and delicious — is just a bonus. Order the duck confit ($15) or the steak frites with pepper sauce ($18).

10 p.m.
9) PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

The sheer quantity and variety of music in Austin on any given night can be daunting. Step one: consult Billsmap.com, which lists every gig in the city, highlights recommendations and includes links to previous performances on YouTube. Two spots that reliably deliver a good time are the Broken Spoke, an old-time honky-tonk dance hall (3201 South Lamar Boulevard; 512-442-6189; www.brokenspokeaustintx.com ), and the retro red-walled Continental Club (1315 South Congress Avenue; 512-441-2444; www.continentalclub.com ), which dates from 1957 and has roots, blues, rockabilly and country music.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) TAKE A DIP

Wake up with a bracing swim in the natural, spring-fed Barton Springs Pool (2101 Barton Springs Road; 512-476-9044; www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/bartonsprings.htm ), a three-acre dammed pool that maintains a steady 68-degree temperature year-round. There’s sunbathing (sometimes topless) on the grassy slopes, a springy diving board and century-old pecan trees lining its banks. Then, park yourself on the patio at the new Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar (1400 South Congress Avenue; 512-291-7300; www.perlasaustin.com ) for a decadent lobster omelet ($16) and an oyster shooter spiked with rum and honeydew ($7).

2 p.m.
11) EXPLORE OUTSKIRTS

Hill County beckons to the west and south of Austin, with rolling limestone hills, wildflower-filled meadows and dozens of wineries. Get a closer look by driving 30 minutes to Bastrop State Park (3005 Highway 21 East, Bastrop; 512-321-2101; www.tpwd.state.tx.us/bastrop ), for a hike along the 8.5-mile Lost Pines Trail, which takes you past a creek and a toad pond, and through rock outcroppings, mini-gorges and wooded ravines filled with oaks and loblolly pines. Channel your inner cowboy, especially if you’re breaking in new boots.

THE BASICS

American, Continental and JetBlue fly into Austin from many major cities; a flight from Kennedy Airport in New York in early December on JetBlue runs about $300. Public transportation is lacking — though a light rail is planned — so you’ll need a car or bike to explore the city.

An appealing home base is the lively and pedestrian-friendly South Congress neighborhood. Hotel Saint Cecilia (112 Academy Drive; 512-852-2400; www.hotelsaintcecilia.com ), which opened last winter, has nine modern studios and bungalows, and five rooms in a converted Victorian house, starting at $275.

More affordable are the 40 rooms at the Hotel San José (1316 South Congress Avenue; 512-852-2350; www.sanjosehotel.com ), which are airy and simply adorned with Indian bedspreads and framed vintage concert posters. Doubles with shared bath from $95; doubles with private baths from $160.

Nearby is the year-old Kimber Modern Hotel (110 The Circle; 512-912-1046; www.kimbermodern.com ), where six minimalist rooms, from $250, open onto a hammock-strung patio shaded by a giant Texas live oak tree.

    36 Hours in Austin, Tex., NYT, 29.11.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/travel/29hours.html

36 Hours in Baltimore

October 4, 2009
The New York Times
By JOSHUA KURLANTZICK

IF you watch HBO’s police drama “The Wire,” you might think that Baltimore is filled with drug dealers and crime ringleaders. But in truth, the city has attracted a different breed of misfits: artists. Lured by cheap rents and warehouse spaces, artists and photographers have flocked there to claim the city as their own. Once rough neighborhoods like Hampden and Highlandtown have been taken over in recent years by studios, galleries and performance spaces. Crab joints and sports bars now share the cobblestone streets with fancy cafes and tapas restaurants. But against this backdrop, there are still the beehive hairdos and wacky museums that give so-called Charm City its nickname.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) INTO THE WOODS

Though you wouldn’t guess it as you enter Baltimore on Interstate 95, which passes port terminals and factories spewing smoke, the center of the city conceals a wooded, stream-filled oasis, the Jones Falls Trail  (www.jonesfalls.org). Once heavily polluted itself, the 58-square-mile watershed has been restored over the past decade and now features a green biking and hiking trail, which parallels the Jones Fall River and meanders through some of the old mills that once powered Baltimore’s economy. It is a rustic and historical look at a sometimes gritty city.

7 p.m.
2) NOT JUST CRABS

In a town known for crab cakes and fried fish sandwiches, Woodberry Kitchen (2010 Clipper Park Road; 410-464-8000; www.woodberrykitchen.com ) stands out for its refined local cooking. Set in the Clipper Mill complex, an old foundry that is now home to artists’ studios, galleries and homes, Woodberry serves nouveau American comfort food using seasonal and local ingredients, like Chesapeake soft-shell crabs served with a spicy tartar sauce, and brick-oven roasted chicken with a sweet cider glaze, on top of a Spanish-style tortilla. Dinner for two, about $80.

10 p.m.
3) VERY OFF BROADWAY

True to its countercultural roots, Baltimore mostly eschews touring Broadway shows for offbeat theater. Perhaps the strangest are staged by the Creative Alliance at the Patterson (3134 Eastern Avenue; 410-276-1651; www.creativealliance.org ), whose stage feels like an old vaudeville house. One night, you might catch burlesque artists stripping down to their pasties; another night, a documentary on Baltimore’s decaying schools. The adjacent gallery often features the works of local painters and photographers.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) UNDERGROUND CAFE

Tucked into a basement of an apartment house in the row house neighborhood of Charles Village, near the main campus of Johns Hopkins, Carma’s Café (32nd and Saint Paul Streets; 410-243-5200; www.carmascafe.com ) is easy to miss. But neighbors flock to it for buttery cherry-almond scones, desserts like fried cheesecake (could a dessert be richer?), frittatas and salads, and innovative coffee drinks like the zamboni, a drinkable version of a snowball. Breakfast for two, about $20.

11 a.m.
5) SISTER ACT

A short walk from Carma’s, the Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive; 443-573-1700; www.artbma.org ) has a surprisingly large endowment of post-Impressionist art. The Cone sisters, socialites who lived in Baltimore in the early 20th century, had the foresight to buy thousands of paintings by master artists including Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse. They willed the pieces to the museum, whenever “the status of appreciation of modern art in Baltimore should improve.” Apparently, it did. Today, the Cone Collection is the heart of the museum, including Matisse’s “Blue Nude” and Gauguin’s “Woman of the Mango.” When you’re done inside, grab a snack at Gertrude’s, the museum’s restaurant, and sit at a table in the nearby sculpture garden.

1 p.m.
6) CALL IT FELL’S

Tourists flock to the Inner Harbor, home to the aquarium and countless chain restaurants. For the local version, walk a few blocks farther to historic Fell’s Point, a cobblestoned waterfront area of patisseries, bars and galleries — and, unlike the Inner Harbor, a real neighborhood with brick row houses that have become a Baltimore icon. Start at the open-air plaza at the bottom of Broadway, where skateboarders mix with musicians and with couples snuggling on benches. Walk east, along Thames Street, looking over the water. Stop to inhale French pastry at Bonaparte Breads (903 South Ann Street; 410-342-4000), before heading on toward Canton, the next waterfront neighborhood, full of restored warehouses turned into shops and condos.

4 p.m.
7) T-SHIRTS MEET BEEHIVES

In recent years, the neighborhood of Hampden has gone from working-class to artsy. Packed with galleries and used-clothing stores, Hampden’s main drag, 36th Street, is where you’ll see 20-somethings in stylishly rumpled vintage jeans sharing cigarettes with “Hons,” the nickname for women who wear classic beehive hairdos. For obscure self-published art books and zines, browse through Atomic Books (3620 Falls Road; 410-662-4444; www.atomicbooks.com ). Then, head to In Watermelon Sugar (3555 Chestnut Avenue; 410-662-9090), where you’ll find decidedly un-Ikea furniture. You might finish up at Mina’s (815 West 36th Street; 410-732-4258; www.minasgalleryandboutique.com) for vintage wear, poetry readings and Baltimore-based artists.

7:30 p.m.
8) PETIT FOURS

Every city needs a neighborhood restaurant that feels like a social club. In Baltimore, that would be Petit Louis (4800 Roland Avenue; 410-366-9393; www.petitlouis.com ), a cozy French bistro in the swank residential neighborhood of Roland Park. It has the air of a private party, with a host greeting diners by name, and the kitchen serving up classic bistro dishes like grilled salmon with asparagus, and eggplant napoleon stuffed with chèvre. Don’t miss the pommes frites, crispy and sinfully fatty. Dinner for two, about $80.

10 p.m.
9) BREW CREW

There may be tons of bars in Baltimore, but calling the Brewer’s Art (1106 North Charles Street; 410-547-6925; www.thebrewersart.com ) a bar is like calling crabs just another shellfish. Housed in a classic town house, the pub takes its beers very seriously, pouring everything from Trappist ales from Belgium to local microbrews like Clipper City Pale Ale. The crowd seems just as serious — artists and designers, older couples coming from the symphony and occasional college students looking out of place among the adults.

Sunday

11 a.m.
10) YOUNG ARTISTS

Everyone’s got to start somewhere, and for many of Baltimore’s top artists, that push came from the Maryland Institute College of Art (1300 Mount Royal Avenue; 410-669 9200; www.mica.edu ). The college, situated in the stately Bolton Hill neighborhood, regularly showcases the work of its promising students and faculty, which is to say the art can be hit or miss. But, like a treasure hunt, that’s part of the fun. If you’re hungry, grab a bite at b (1501 Bolton Street; 410-383-8600; www.b-bistro.com ), a simple bistro opened by a brother of Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan.

2 p.m.
11) ANTIQUE CITY

For unique antiques, skip the ho-hum stores in Baltimore and head west to Ellicott City ( www.ellicottcity.net ), an 18th-century mill town about 25 minutes by car from downtown. Its historic Main Street is lined with Rockwell-esque stores that have become an antiques hub. For four floors of pop collectibles and crafts, check out Taylor’s Antiques Mall (8197 Main Street; 410-465-4444; www.taylorsantiquemall.com ). Out of Our Past Antiques (8111 Main Street; 410-480-2970; www.outofourpastantiques.com) carries stately wooden pieces. Don’t forget to bargain — the store owners may turn on the Southern charm, but, if necessary, they will haggle like a street dealer.

THE BASICS

Thurgood Marshall BWI Airport has flights from all over the country. From New York City, it makes more sense to drive or take a train. The drive from New York is about three and a half hours, and all Amtrak East Coast trains stop at Penn Station in Baltimore. If you don’t drive to Baltimore, be sure to rent a car there. For up-to-date event listings, try the local free weekly, the City Paper ( www.citypaper.com ).

Upscale hotels in Baltimore are clustered downtown, near the central business district and the Inner Harbor waterfront.

The 757-room Hilton Baltimore (401 West Pratt Street; 443-573-8700; www.baltimore.hilton.com ) opened in 2008 and sits only blocks from the water. Rooms in mid-October start at $165. For a more local option, stay at the Admiral Fell Inn (888 South Broadway; 866-583-4162; www.harbormagic.com ), a cluster of red brick buildings dating from the late 18th century, in the heart of the historic Fell’s Point waterfront. The 80 rooms resemble a colonial home and start at $170.

    36 Hours in Baltimore, NYT, 4.10.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/travel/04hours.html

36 Hours in Cleveland

September 20, 2009
The New York Times
By BRETT SOKOL

“YOU Gotta Be Tough” was a popular T-shirt slogan worn by Clevelanders during the 1970s, a grim period marked by industrial decline, large-scale population flight and an urban environment so toxic the Cuyahoga River actually caught on fire. These days it still helps to be at least a little tough; a fiercely blue-collar ethos endures. But instead of abandoning the city, local entrepreneurs and bohemian dreamers alike are sinking roots; opening a wave of funky boutiques, offbeat art galleries and sophisticated restaurants; and injecting fresh life into previously rusted-out spaces. It’s a vibrant spirit best exemplified by Cleveland’s new all-female roller derby league, whose wry name, the Burning River Roller Girls, and home, a former GM auto factory retooled into a 60,000-square-foot sports facility, say it all.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) HELLO CLEVELAND!

Staring at platform shoes worn by Keith Moon or Elvis Presley’s white jumpsuit hardly evokes the visceral excitement of rock music, let alone its rich history, but the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (751 Erieside Avenue; 216-781-7625; www.rockhall.com ; admission, $22) thankfully has a wealth of interactive exhibits in addition to its displays of the goofier fashion choices of rock stardom. There’s a fascinating look at the genre’s initial 1950s heyday, as well as the hysteria that greeted it — preachers and politicians warning of everything from its incipient Communist subversion to its promotion of wanton sexuality. On the top floors, a well-curated exploration of Bruce Springsteen’s career is on display through next spring.

5 p.m.
2) FROM STEEL TO STYLISH

The steelworkers who once filled the Tremont neighborhood’s low-slung houses and ornately topped churches have largely vanished. A new breed of residents has moved in along with a wealth of upscale restaurants, artisanal shops and galleries showcasing emerging artists. Inside Lilly Handmade Chocolates (761 Starkweather Avenue; 216-771-3333; www.lillytremont.com ), you can join the throngs practically drooling over the mounds of freshly made truffles. Or grab a glass at the wine bar inside Visible Voice Books (1023 Kenilworth Avenue; 216-961-0084; www.visiblevoicebooks.com), which features scores of small-press titles, many by local authors.

7 p.m.
3) IRON CHEF, POLISH CLASSIC

Cleveland’s restaurant of popular distinction is Lolita (900 Literary Road; 216-771-5652; www.lolabistro.com ), where the owner and “Iron Chef America” regular Michael Symon offers creative spins on Mediterranean favorites including duck prosciutto pizza ($13) and crispy chicken livers with polenta, wild mushrooms and pancetta ($7). (Reservations are recommended.) More traditional comfort food is at Sokolowski’s University Inn (1201 University Road; 216-771-9236; www.sokolowskis.com ), a beloved stop for classic Polish dishes since 1923. Even if you’re unswayed by Anthony Bourdain’s description of the smoked kielbasa ($7.25) as “artery busting” (from him, a compliment) at least swing by for the view from the parking lot — a panorama encompassing Cleveland old and new, from the stadiums dotting the downtown skyline to the smoking factories and oddly beautiful slag heaps on the riverside below.

11 p.m.
4) CLASSIC COCKTAILS

One aspect of Tremont has remained steady over the years: it’s a night crawlers’ paradise. Nowadays, discerning drinkers head for the nearby Velvet Tango Room (2095 Columbus Road; 216-241-8869; www.velvettangoroom.com ), inside a one-time Prohibition-era speakeasy and seemingly little changed: the bitters are housemade, and the bartenders pride themselves on effortlessly mixing a perfect Bourbon Daisy or Rangpur Gimlet. Yes, as their menu explains, you can order a chocolate-tini — “But we die a little bit every time.”

Saturday

11 a.m.
5) FARM FRESH

Start your day with a visit to the West Side Market (1979 West 25th Street; 216-664-3387; www.westsidemarket.com ), where many of the city’s chefs go to stock their own kitchens. Browse over 100 vendors selling meat, cheese, fruit, vegetables and baked goods, or just pull up a chair at Crêpe De Luxe’s counter ( www.crepesdeluxe.com ) for a savory Montréal (filled with smoked brisket and Emmenthal cheese; $6) or the Elvis homage Le Roi (bananas, peanut butter and chocolate; $5).

2:30 p.m.
6) ART CANVAS

For nearly 20 years the William Busta Gallery (2731 Prospect Avenue; 216-298-9071; www.williambustagallery.com ) has remained a conceptual-art-free zone — video installations included. “With video, it takes 15 minutes to see how bad somebody really is,” said Mr. Busta, the gallery’s owner. “With painting, you can spot talent right away.” And that’s predominantly what he exhibits, with a focus on exciting homegrown figures like Don Harvey and Matthew Kolodziej. In the nearby Warehouse District, Shaheen Modern & Contemporary Art (740 West Superior Avenue, Suite 101; 216-830-8888; www.shaheengallery.com ) casts a wider geographic net with recent solo exhibits from the buzzy ex-Clevelander Craig Kucia, as well as New York-based artists like Mark Fox and Keith Mayerson.

6 p.m.
7) PARIS ON LAKE ERIE

The most talked about new restaurant this year is L’Albatros (11401 Bellflower Road; 216-791-7880; www.albatrosbrasserie.com), which the chef Zachary Bruell opened last December. Set inside a 19th-century carriage house on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, this inviting brasserie serves impeccably executed French specialties like chicken liver and foie gras mousseline ($9), a niçoise salade ($10) and cassoulet ($22).

8 p.m.
8) BALLROOM BLITZ

The polka bands are long gone from the Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Road; 216-383-1124; www.beachlandballroom.com ), replaced by an eclectic mix of rock groups. But by running a spot that’s as much a clubhouse as it is a concert venue, the co-owners Cindy Barber and Mark Leddy have retained plenty of this former Croatian social hall’s old-school character. Beachland draws local favorites like the avant folkie Bill Fox and post-punkers This Moment in Black History, as well as hot touring acts like Neko Case and the Hold Steady. Mr. Leddy, formerly an antiques dealer, still hunts down finds for the basement’s This Way Out Vintage Shoppe.

Sunday

11 a.m.
9) BEETS, THEN BEATS

One of the few restaurants in town where requesting the vegan option won’t elicit a raised eyebrow, Tommy’s (1824 Coventry Road; 216-321-7757; www.tommyscoventry.com ) has been serving tofu since 1972, when the surrounding Coventry Village, in Cleveland Heights, was a hippie oasis. The bloom is off that countercultural rose, but the delicious falafel ($5.79) and thick milkshakes ($4.59) endure. The time warp continues through a doorway leading into Mac’s Backs bookstore (No. 1820; 216-321-2665; www.macsbacks.com ), a good place to find out-of-print poetry from Cleveland post-Beat writers like d.a. levy, T. L. Kryss and rjs.

2 p.m.
10) FREE IMPRESSIONISTS

For decades, the University Circle district has housed many of the city’s cultural jewels, including Severance Hall, the majestic Georgian residence of the Cleveland Orchestra; the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, one of the country’s best repertory movie theaters; and the lush 285-acre Lake View Cemetery. At the Cleveland Museum of Art (11150 East Boulevard; 216-421-7340; www.clemusart.com ), already famed for its collection of Old Masters and kid-friendly armor, the June opening of the museum’s Rafael Viñoly-designed East Wing puts the spotlight on more modern fare, moving from a roomful of Impressionists dramatically centered around one of Monet’s “Water Lilies” paintings, up to current work. A visually arresting 2008 drawing by Cleveland’s T. R. Ericsson more than holds its own amidst heavyweight contemporary pieces from Anselm Kiefer and Kiki Smith. A further enticement: admission to the museum’s permanent collection is absolutely free.

THE BASICS

Many major airlines fly nonstop from New York area airports into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. A recent Web search found round-trip fares for fall flights starting at $239. Although a light rail system connects the airport with both downtown and University Circle, a rental car is advised for reaching most other neighborhoods.

The Marriott Downtown at Key Center (127 Public Square; 216-696-9200; www.marriott.com ) is a 25-story, 400-room hotel in the heart of the city. The comfortable, amenity-filled rooms provide quick access to downtown attractions; some feature impressive views of Lake Erie. Doubles start at $159.

A boutique-style option is the Glidden House (1901 Ford Drive; 866-812-4537; www.gliddenhouse.com ), 60 quaint rooms in a 1910 French Gothic mansion on the Case Western Reserve University campus, an easy walk to most cultural destinations around University Circle. Doubles from $139.

    36 Hours in Cleveland, NYT, 21.9.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/travel/20hours.html

36 Hours in Juneau, Alaska

August 30, 2009
The New York Times
By CORNELIA DEAN

RESIDENTS of Juneau brag that their town is the most beautiful capital city in America, and they have a strong argument. Juneau is inside the Tongass National Forest, part of the world’s largest temperate rain forest. Old-growth groves and glaciers lie within the municipal limits, snow-capped mountains loom overhead, and whales and other marine wildlife are a short boat ride away. But despite Juneau’s overall utilitarian vibe, there’s more to the town’s appeal than natural beauty. Gold Rush-era buildings, art galleries, quality regional theater and fresh seafood make for pleasant companions to Juneau’s stunning surroundings.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) BACK TO THE ICE AGE

Nature beckons. But some preparations are required. On your way into town, stop at Western Auto-Marine (5165 Glacier Highway; 907-780-4909; www.westernautojuneau.com) for a pair of brown rubber, calf-high Xtra Tuf Boots, a must-have item in any Alaskan’s wardrobe (depending on whether you spring for the reinforced toes, they typically sell for $80 or $90). A good place to start your trek is the entrance to the Switzer Creek and Richard Marriott Trails (midway on Sunset Street). On the hillside, even ranks of evergreens give way to a hodge-podge of trees of different species, sizes and shapes. This change marks the boundary between second-growth timber on land logged decades ago, and an old-growth forest, untouched since the end of the last ice age. Hike up the trail — it’s not too strenuous — and discover for yourself why environmentalists are so keen to save these ancient woods, namely an amazingly rich variety of plant and animal life. There are hemlock and spruce, whose uneven canopy blocks winter snow, leaving plants like five-leaved bramble to feed deer and other animals through the winter. (Keep to the wooden planks at the base of the trail, and be glad you have your boots. The bog, or muskeg, is plenty wet.)

6:30 p.m.
2) FISH DON’T GET FRESHER

Locals say Juneau is not much of a restaurant town because so many people dine on fish they catch themselves. But when Juneau’s citizens want fish prepared for them, they head to the Hangar on the Wharf Pub & Grill (2 Marine Way; 907-586-5018; www.hangaronthewharf.com ). The building’s exterior of plain blue clapboard isn’t designed to impress, but the restaurant’s harborside location offers dazzling views of the Gastineau Channel and the mountains of Douglas Island west of Downtown. There’s halibut on the menu, of course, and salmon (guaranteed wild-caught) and king crab. Seafood entrees range from $19 to $33. Enjoy your fish with a crisp, New Zealand sauvignon blanc or a bottle from the extensive craft beer list.

8 p.m.
3) INDOOR DRAMA

After celebrating its 30th anniversary this spring, the Perseverance Theatre, a nonprofit repertory company across the Gastineau Channel on Douglas Island (914 Third Street, Douglas; 907-364-2421; www.perseverancetheatre.org ), will begin its 2009-2010 season in September. Offerings will include a mix of the classic (Thornton Wilder’s “Skin of Our Teeth”) and contemporary (Sarah Ruhl’s revisionist take on “Eurydice”) and prices are low.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) SEEING SEA LIFE

What better way to start your Saturday than with some close-up views of Juneau’s original residents. A number of companies offer whale-watching trips from Auke Bay, a short car (or bus) ride north of Downtown. Find one offering a trip up the Lynn Canal to Berners Bay and you are sure to see Steller sea lions basking on a rocky haul-out, harbor seals bobbing in the water and harrier hawks, geese and ducks. Also watch for eagles nesting along the shores. Most companies guarantee you will see whales; chances of spotting humpbacks are best in late spring when the herring-like fish called eulakon (“hooligan” in a local Native language) are running. A good place to book your tour is Allen Marine Tours (907-789-0081; www.allenmarinetours.com ); there is a range of options.

Noon
5) UP NORTH, DOWN SOUTH

Back in town, enjoy a taste of old Juneau at the Triangle Club (251 Front Street; 907-586-3140; www.triangleclubbar.com). Order a hot dog and some Alaskan Amber — one of the local beers brewed and bottled right in town. If the Triangle looks a bit louche for your tastes, try El Sombrero around the corner (157 South Franklin Street; 907-586-6770), a Juneau institution. The modest place has been dishing out generous helpings of Mexican standards since the oil boom began in the 1970s. Entrees are generally $8 to $12 .

1:30 p.m.
6) HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

For some history on one of our most unusual states, try the Alaska State Museum (395 Whittier Street; 907-465-2901; www.museums.state.ak.us), which houses a collection covering the Athabascans, Aleuts and other Alaska Natives, the state’s history as a Russian colony and the gold rush that helped create Juneau. The museum’s store and its auxiliary retail outlet at 124 Seward Street stock a variety of Native crafts including baskets, prints and dolls. Keep walking farther from the port and you’ll come upon what is probably Juneau’s least-known gem: the lichen-covered tombstones in Evergreen Cemetery (601 Seater Street; 907-364-2828). Joseph Juneau and Richard Harris, the prospectors who founded the city, are buried there; the cemetery was also the site of the funeral pyre of Chief Cowee, the Auk who led them to Juneau’s gold.

3 p.m.
7) ARTS AND CRAFTS

When cruise ships are in town, the locals say they stay out of “waddling distance” of the piers. And with good reason: most of the shops that line the streets of Downtown are filled with mass-produced “Native” items for the tourist trade. But not all. Start with the Juneau Artists Gallery (175 South Franklin Street; 907-586-9891; www.juneauartistsgallery.net), a co-operative shop that offers jewelry, prints, pottery, drawings and other work. Be sure to chat with the gallery staff — each is an artist and a member of the co-op. For something a little more exotic than the ubiquitous Alaska-themed sweatshirt, try Shoefly & Hudsons (109 Seward Street; 907-586-1055; www.shoeflyalaska.com), which offers unusual designs in footwear, handbags and accessories. (People in Juneau say it was one of Sarah Palin’s favorite shops when she was in town.) But the town’s most unusual retail outlet is William Spear Design (174 South Franklin Street; 907-586-2209; www.wmspear.com ), a purveyor of tiny enamel pins, zipper pulls and other items — many with an edgy political message.

4:30 p.m.
8) ON THE PAGE

If your shopping interests are more geared toward the written word, you are in luck: Juneau is rich in independent bookstores. There are three in Downtown. The most unusual is the Observatory (299 North Franklin Street; 907-586-9676; www.observatorybooks.com ), perched up the hill from the harbor. From a tiny blue house not much younger than the town itself, the shop’s proprietor, Dee Longenbaugh, offers an extensive stock of books on Alaska, particularly the southeast region. She prides herself on her collection of maps, charts and works of regional plants, animals and geology.

7 p.m.
9) ALASKAN MEDITERRANEAN

With its high ceiling and wood floors, Zephyr (200 Seward Street; 907-780-2221) is Juneau’s most elegant restaurant. It serves fish of course, but Mediterranean style, like the halibut provençale, with tomatoes and olives. Nonseafood options include the mushroom risotto; the crème brûlée and other desserts are rich, so save some appetite (entrees range from $19 to $34). After dinner, you can get back into the gold rush mood with a game of pool and an Alaskan pale ale in the bar of the Alaskan Hotel (167 South Franklin Street; 907-586-1000; www.thealaskanhotel.com ).

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) COFFEE AND A VIEW

Grab a coffee and a pastry at the Downtown location of the Heritage Coffee Company chain (174 South Franklin Street; 907-586-1088; www.heritagecoffee.com ) before donning your boots and heading out to Juneau’s in-town glacier, the Mendenhall, off Glacier Spur Road. Dress warmly — cool air flows constantly off the 12-mile stream of ice, and it is typically 5 or 10 degrees cooler at the glacier than it is in town. In part because of global warming, the glacier is retreating perhaps as much as 100 feet a year. Even from the visitor center (8510 Mendenhall Loop Road; 907-789-0097) you can see the kinds of rock and soil it deposited as it moved inland. But if you are feeling energetic, try the Moraine Trail for a first-hand look at what glaciers leave behind.

THE BASICS

Continental and Alaska Airlines offer service from Newark to Juneau, with stopovers in Seattle; a recent Web search found round-trip fares from $589. You can rent a car at the airport, a few miles from Downtown.

Juneau is not a place for travelers who crave five-star luxury. Perhaps the most upscale accommodations are at the Westmark Baranoff (127 North Franklin Street; 907-586-2660; www.westmarkhotels.com ), which bills itself as the home-away-from-home of legislators and others doing business in the capital. Doubles start at $169.

Alternatively, try the Alaskan Hotel, built in the Queen Anne style in 1913. It boasts reasonable prices and a central location, and the dark, woody interior certainly beats its competition for atmosphere. Doubles, with a shared bathroom, start at $60.

    36 Hours in Juneau, Alaska, NYT, 30.8.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/travel/30hours.html

From dust to bust, America's poor take on a new type of monster

Seventy years after The Grapes of Wrath,
Chris McGreal recreates John Steinbeck's famous fictional journey
to reveal life in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression

Chris McGreal in Tulsa, Oklahoma        Guardian.co.uk        Thursday 27 August 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/27/grapes-of-wrath-1-tulsa

Across America by road and rail

In the first part of his road and rail adventure,
Sasha Abramsky crosses America from west coast to east, on a family road trip
to discover the timeless landscapes of his home country.

Sasha Abramsky        Guardian.co.uk        Tuesday 25 August 2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/aug/25/usa-road-trips-family

36 Hours in Martha’s Vineyard

July 26, 2009
The New York Times
By DANIELLE PERGAMENT

THE Democrats are back in power, which means Martha’s Vineyard is on the political radar again. The Kennedys have been coming since there were actual vineyards, Chelsea Clinton is reportedly tying the knot on the island and — oh, didn’t you hear? — the Obamas are on their way. But part of the Vineyard’s appeal is how easily it shrugs off snobbery, unlike other fancy playgrounds. (We’re looking at you, East Hampton.) Despite its popularity among the presidential set, Martha’s Vineyard is still a laid-back island with a lot of mopeds, fish shacks and nice beaches. Folks will tell you that the Vineyard is really just an old fishing community — that is, if you don’t get stuck behind a motorcade.

Friday

2 p.m.
1) LIKE A KENNEDY

Martha’s Vineyard is prettiest from the water, especially from the deck of a wooden sailboat with an American flag whipping off the stern. If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a Kennedy or star in your own Ralph Lauren ad, you can charter a private sailboat through Book A Boat (508-645-2400; www.bookaboatmv.com ). The company will arrange the place, type of boat and all the particulars. For $55 a person, book a two-hour tour aboard the Liberty, a 40-foot sailboat built in Vineyard Haven that sails out of Vineyard Haven Harbor. And don’t be alarmed by the crew’s youth. “I’ve been sailing here since I was a kid,” said Christian Cabral, the 19-year-old captain.

6 p.m.
2) LOBSTER WORSHIP

Lobsters are practically a religion on the island, so it’s fitting that some of the freshest are served in a church. On summer Fridays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Grace Church in the tree-lined town of Vineyard Haven (Woodlawn Avenue and Williams Street; 508-693-0332; www.gracechurchmv.com ) sets up picnic tables and sells lobster rolls — fresh, meaty cuts tossed lightly with mayonnaise and served on a soft hot dog bun. Judging by the long lines, it might be the best deal in town: $13 for what seems like the entire crustacean. Sit with fellow worshipers, or take your lobster roll down by the docks for a sunset view of the harbor.

9 p.m.
3) SECRET SWEETS

On summer nights, in a dark parking lot in the busier town of Oak Bluffs, a small crowd lines up at the screen door of the Martha’s Vineyard Gourmet Cafe and Bakery (508-693-3688; 5 Post Office Square; www.mvbakery.com ), waiting for warm doughnuts right out of the oven. The open secret is known as Back Door Donuts. The doughnuts are soft and sticky and cost just $1 — though veterans will tell you the apple fritters ($3.50) are superior.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) EGG ROLLS AND WOOL

Get to the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market (1067 State Road) when they open so you can watch the stalls being set up — and before the best produce is picked over. And bring your camera: it’s a colorful scene of wildflowers, organic fruits and vegetables, homemade jams and, in back, somewhat curiously, a stall that sells spicy Vietnamese egg rolls. If you’re in the market for a big-ticket item, don’t miss the alpaca stall. It sells more than wool — they sell the whole animal for $900, but there’s a catch. “Alpacas are herd animals,” said a girl at the counter. “You have to buy at least three.” Open 9 a.m. to noon.

10:30 a.m.
5) CRUISE FOR ONE

The nicest beaches on Martha’s Vineyard are private; you need a key to get in. But there are quasi-legal ways around those pesky laws. Rent a kayak from Island Spirit Kayak (508-693-9727; www.islandsspirit.com), which will deliver the kayak to you (delivery fees vary; rentals start at $35 for three hours), and launch at Quitsa Pond, on the island’s western side. Paddle to Menemsha Pond, about 20 minutes away, where some are known to ditch their kayaks on the dunes and sneak their way to Squibnocket Beach, a private stretch of sand that’s a favorite of surfers. For a more law-abiding tan, paddle over to the quiet little beach on Menemsha Pond. You’ll probably have the place to yourself.

2:30 p.m.
6) FRIED GOODNESS

It’s a picture-perfect beach shack — without the beach. Housed in a tiny, weathered shingle house on a small side street in Menemsha, the Bite (29 Basin Road; 508-645-9239; www.thebitemenemsha.com ) has been serving what many regard as the island’s best fried clams, oysters, squid, shrimp and scallops for more than 20 years. There are only two picnic tables, so bring a couple of icy beers, get a small order of clams ($12.95) and take the paper bag of crispy deliciousness to the dock and watch the fishermen. Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan and Henry Louis Gates are all regulars, and if the road is blocked off when you go, get your camera ready — word is that the first family is going to pay a visit. Open May through October.

4 p.m.
7) SAY BAAAH

Martha’s Vineyard is like a miniature Ireland — roads wind among sheep, horses and cattle grazing in bright green pastures, and many of the farms welcome visitors. The Allen Farm Sheep & Wool Company in the bucolic town of Chilmark (421 South Road; 508-645-9064) has been run by the same family since 1762. Wander the rolling fields. Buy lamb chops or try on a handmade wool sweater in the gift shop. Those things in the front paddock? They’re not stuffed animals — they’re orphaned lambs and they’re very friendly.

8 p.m.
8) STATE DINNER

It may not be as famous as the vegetable garden on Pennsylvania Avenue, but the herb and vegetable patch at the new State Road restaurant (688 State Road; 508-693-8582; www.stateroadmv.com ) has its admirers. Opened in June in the dry town of North Tisbury (yes, B.Y.O.B.), State Road features American cuisine using local ingredients. Inside, the place is simple and sleek — hardwood floors, high ceilings and Edison bulb chandeliers. Favorites include the Island Farm to Table Plate ($13), a selection of fingerling potatoes, radishes and asparagus — some from its garden — and pan-roasted sea scallops ($16), locally caught, of course.

11 p.m.
9) NIGHT AT THE RITZ

The island isn’t known for night life, but your best bet for a nightcap is in the town of Oak Bluffs, where wealthy African-American families have been vacationing for decades. There is a handful of lively bars along Circuit Avenue — stop by the Ritz Café (4 Circuit Avenue; 508-693-9851), which attracts locals and has live music. Don’t be fooled by the name — it’s more of a draft beer than an appletini kind of joint.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) STORES BY THE SEASHORE

There’s a lot of good shopping between all those seagull paintings and dancing lobster napkins. In Vineyard Haven, drop by Carly Simon’s Midnight Farm (18 Water-Cromwell Lane; 508-693-1997; www.midnightfarm.net ) for its eclectic mix of gauzy sundresses, home furnishings and, at times, signed copies of Ms. Simon’s CDs. Up the street is Nochi (29 Main Street; 508-693-9074; www.nochimv.com ), which sells robes, blankets and all things cozy. And down the street is LeRoux at Home (62 Main Street; 508-693-0030; www.lerouxkitchen.com ), a housewares store with a great selection of kitchen supplies including those dancing lobster napkins.

1 p.m.
11) TAKE A HIKE

Yes, the Vineyard looks great from the water. But for a less-photographed view of the island’s natural beauty, drive inland to Waskosim’s Rock Reservation ( www.mvlandbank.com ). The nature reserve offers 185 acres of open fields, wooded trails and marshes. A modest, milelong hike takes you to Waskosim’s Rock, the boulder that divided the island between the English and Native American Wampanoag tribe 350 years ago. Tempting though it may be, resist climbing the rock — Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission wants to make sure it’s around for another 350.

THE BASICS

US Airways flies nonstop between New York and Martha’s Vineyard. Round-trip fares for travel in August start at $367, according to a recent Web search. Or make the 250-mile drive to Wood’s Hole, Mass., and take the ferry ($135 for a round-trip ticket for a car). For reservations, call the Steamship Authority (508-477-8600; www.steamshipauthority.com ).

The 1720 House (152 Main Street; 508-693-6407; www.1720house.com ) in Vineyard Haven was appropriately enough built in 1720 and has the low ceilings to prove it. It’s cute and cheerful, has only six rooms, and is conveniently located. Rates start at $150 during the summer.

Menemsha Inn and Cottages (508-645-2521; www.menemshainn.com ) includes a guesthouse and collection of cottages tucked into the less-trafficked western part of the island — the woody area of Menemsha. It has lots of flowers, stone walls and privacy, and is a short walk to Menemsha beach. Double rooms start at $355 a night; in the summer, private cottages start at $3,700 a week.

Each room at Lambert’s Cove Inn (90 Manaquayak Road, West Tisbury; 508-693-2298; www.lambertscoveinn.com ) is individually decorated, which makes it feel like a really, really nice house instead of a hotel. There’s also a pool, tennis court and private beach. Summer rates start at $225.

    36 Hours in Martha’s Vineyard, NYT, 26.7.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/travel/26hours.html

    Related > Guardian > http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/23/obama-marthas-vineyard-chelsea-clinton

Prehistoric Creatures Under Big Sky

July 17, 2009
The New York Times
By ERIC KONIGSBERG

WE had driven all morning to the eastern seam of Montana, a part of this large state so close to North Dakota that even Montanans consider it pretty much the middle of nowhere. Around us sunburned young men in cutoff T-shirts and camouflage swim trunks were emerging from the brown water of the Yellowstone River holding prehistoric monsters with forked tails and duck bills that began at their snouts and stretched into Central Time.

These were paddlefish, or Polyodon spathula, and we had caught the peak of paddlefishing season at the Lower Yellowstone Diversion Dam, 17 miles north of Glendive, Mont. — four or five days in late May or early June, when, a game warden had all but promised, “you just throw your line in, and it’s hard not to catch one.”

I was having no such luck, and Alec, my 4-year-old son, was far too small to fish. The river was high, and paddlefish can weigh as much as 200 pounds and grow seven feet long.

Because paddlefish have no teeth, they eat zooplankton. And because of that you don’t try to catch them with bait, but with weighted four-pronged hooks. “You keep whipping the line through the water as you reel it in and hope you snag one as it’s swimming by,” one angler, Wes Jardstrom, advised.

Eastern Montana is a far cry from the Montana of the popular imagination, of which the areas around Bozeman and Missoula tend to be ethnographic centers: the Montana of fly-fishing and horse whispering and ruggedly genteel authors like Thomas McGuane. Though there are some stock growers and cowboys here — and a legendarily rowdy bucking-horse sale every May in Miles City — there are few vacationers and mostly wheat farmers, forgotten towns and high plains with lunarlike terrain that forms the American badlands.

Paddlefishing is hard on the arms, whether you’re successful or not, so it had been easy to borrow Mr. Jardstrom’s rod in exchange for a spell and two cold beers. (This approach was suggested by a hardware-store clerk in Glendive, where the main components of homemade paddlefishing gear — a heavy, broomstick-stiff rod and 50-pound test line — were sold out.)

For decades paddlefish were thought to be extinct, but in 1962, several years after a dam was built downriver in North Dakota, the population reappeared and spiked. They run upriver around the beginning of June. On the day we were there, according to a whiteboard at the weigh station, 76 had been caught since sunrise.

Much of a paddlefish isn’t edible, and the parts that are, many consider to be an acquired taste. Some people also like the eggs, and the Yellowstone Caviar Project cleans the fish for anglers on the site, then sells the roe to restaurants. Its biggest customer is in Japan.

“I’m told it’s good if you like caviar, but most people around here wouldn’t pay money for a part of the fish that we throw away,” Jack Austin, the warden, said.

Though Alec has spent part of every summer at my parents’ retreat near Big Timber in central Montana, he had never come within two hours’ drive of this part of the state. Neither, for that matter, had I.

It is a place rich in history, of pioneers, American Indians and prehistoric creatures. The Hell Creek formation around Glendive has over the last several decades turned up piles of Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils. Not only that, as we learned when we asked a ranger at Makoshika State Park, so many bones have been found in recent years that the women of one ranching family were offering digging tours of their land.

The next morning Alec and I found ourselves in the company of Shana Baisch, excavating — with paintbrush and screwdriver — the gray clay gumbo of the badlands. It took about a half-hour for Mrs. Baisch to help us find a vein of bone fragments just beneath the soil, and we quickly learned to spot the yellow finish and porous texture of bones. Most were the size of coins, and one rounded piece was fist-sized and appeared to be part of a bone socket. (We shipped about 100 fossils, crumbling and dusty, back to New York. “Haven’t you heard of catch and release?” my wife said.)

About 50 years ago the ranch owner Marge Baisch, Shana’s mother-in-law, stumbled upon what paleontologists determined was the foot bone of an Edmontosaurus. Every year the rain exposes more.

“We’ve got mostly Triceratops here,” the elder Mrs. Baisch said, sounding as if she could be talking about a breed of livestock. Large skull fragments were on display in her living room, including one from an Edmontosaurus that had part of a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth sticking out of its nasal cavity, and several tooth marks — apparently the victim of an attack.

Marge Baisch said she kept in close touch with the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, whose staffers have explored her land many times.

There are about a half-dozen museums among the towns of Glendive, Miles City and Terry. The two gems are the Range Riders Museum in Miles City and the Cameron Gallery in Terry. Evelyn Cameron was a sporting and elegant Englishwoman who came to Prairie County with her husband on their honeymoon in 1889 and took such a liking to it that they decided to stay.

They were unsuccessful businesspeople, according to Donna M. Lucey’s splendid biography, “Photographing Montana,” struggling also to earn a living at ranching, farming and raising polo ponies. But Mrs. Cameron took thousands of photographs of the people and ranches of Terry until her death in 1928, about 200 of which are displayed in the storefront museum.

The story of how Ms. Lucey discovered Mrs. Cameron, which one can learn from the book or by striking up a conversation with Wynona Breen, one of the museum’s volunteer directors, is almost as interesting as the pictures themselves. In the late 1970s, Ms. Lucey writes, she was traveling through Montana seeking pictures to illustrate the Time-Life Books series on the Old West, and heard of “an old farm woman in the eastern part of the state who was hoarding a cache of glass-plate negatives made by a woman during the frontier days.”

Ms. Lucey tracked down the farm woman, Janet Williams, a friend of Mrs. Cameron’s, and persuaded her to share her trove. (Ms. Breen said that Mrs. Williams had been keeping it a secret even from her and the rest of their friends.) The old woman’s basement, Ms. Lucey writes, was “a historian’s dream: some 1,800 negatives, 2,500 original prints, letters, manuscripts and diaries detailing life in pioneer Montana over a period of 35 years.”

The photographs are remarkable for the quotidian detail they record. There are formal portraits but also intimate unposed shots and depictions of agricultural operations, local events and native fauna.

The Range Riders Museum is just across the Tongue River from downtown Miles City, on the site of the Fort Keogh cantonment, a cavalry camp built in 1876 by Nelson A. Miles as a bulwark against Indian attacks after the Battle of Little Bighorn.

While Alec was disappointed to find the museum short on Custeralia (Custer’s Last Stand took place more than 100 miles away), he was captivated by an exhibition of more than 400 antique firearms. He liked the painstakingly reconstructed dioramas of local battles and cattle ranches, and a vast time warp of a banquet hall — still in use — its walls covered with plaques about onetime citizens.

His favorite room was full of photographs of Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow Indians from the area. The Crows’ name for their tribe is Absaroka, which happens — by way of a fit of delivery-room inspiration my wife and I have yet to live down — to be Alec’s middle name. Historians interpret it to mean something like “children of the crow,” or “children of the large-beaked bird.”

According to Evan S. Connell’s biography of George Armstrong Custer, “Son of the Morning Star,” white men marveled at the Absarokas’ appearance. One general said that their long hair, which they dressed every morning with bear grease, lent “exceeding grace and beauty to their movements.”

We decided to give ourselves Indian names. Alec said mine would be Writes With Pen, and that he should now be called Takes Gymnastics. He named Frankie, his baby sister, Little Bear.

As for his mother, there was some debate, although Alec eventually settled on The Lady Who Lets Me Have Lucky Charms for Breakfast.

It was very much a case of wishful naming.

IF YOU GO

 

WHAT TO DO

Paddlefishing —Drive 17 miles north of Glendive on Montana State Highway 16 to the diversion dam in Intake. The season usually starts around May 15 and runs until 800 fish have been caught on the Yellowstone, though catch-and-release continues for up to 10 days
( http://www.glendivechamber.com/paddlefish/paddlefishing_regulations.html ).

You can buy a fishing license and a special paddlefish tag on the state’s Web site at https://app.mt.gov/Als/Index , or in Glendive at the Beer Jug, 313 North Merrill Avenue, Glendive, Mont.; (406) 377-9986.

Baisch’s Dinosaur Digs, 323 Road 300, Glendive, Mont; (406) 365-4133, www.dailydinosaurdigs.com .

Evelyn Cameron Museum, 101 Logan Street, Terry; (406) 635-4040; www.evelyncameron.com .

Range Riders Museum, 435 L. P. Anderson Road, Miles City; (406) 232-6146

 

WHERE TO STAY

Charley Montana Bed & Breakfast, 103 North Douglas Street, Glendive; (406) 365-3207, www.charley-montana.com .

Historic Olive Hotel, 501 Main Street, Miles City; (406)-234-2450.

WHERE TO EAT

Twilite Dining and Lounge, 209 North Merrill Avenue, Glendive; (406) 377-8705.

Mexico Lindo, 501 Main Street, Miles City; (406)234.3485

600 Cafe, 600 Main Street, Miles City; (406) 234-3860

    Prehistoric Creatures Under Big Sky, NYT, 17.7.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/travel/escapes/17Montana.html

36 Hours in Cincinnati

July 19, 2009
The New York Times
By KASSIE BRACKEN

WITH the quiet momentum of a work in progress, Cincinnati is finding an artsy swagger, infused with a casual combination of Midwest and Southern charm. The city center, for decades rich with cultural and performing arts venues, now offers a renovated Fountain Square area and a gleaming new baseball stadium with views of the Ohio River. Efforts to transcend the damage from several days of race riots in 2001, which nearly decimated the city’s Over-the-Rhine district, are slowly progressing. Transformations are taking place in surrounding areas — as well as across the river in the neighboring Kentucky cities of Newport and Covington — with their cool music venues, funky shopping outlets and smart culinary options.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) TRANQUILLITY AND ETERNITY

A graveyard may not be the most obvious place to start a trip, but Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum (4521 Spring Grove Avenue; 513-681-7526; ( www.springgrove.org/sg/arboretum/arboretum.shtm ) is not your average resting place. The arboretum, designed in 1845 as a place for botanical experiments, features 1,200 types of plants artfully arranged around mausoleums and tranquil ponds. Roman- and Greek-inspired monuments bear the names of many of Cincinnati’s most prominent families — Procter, Gamble and Kroger included. Admission and parking are free, and the office provides printed guides and information about the plant collection.

6 p.m.
2) WHERE HIPSTERS ROAM

The Northside district has recently blossomed into a casually hip destination for shopping and night life, particularly along Hamilton Avenue. Vinyl gets ample real estate at Shake It Records (4156 Hamilton Avenue; 513-591-0123; www.shakeitrecords.com ), a music store specializing in independent labels; if you can’t find a title among the 40,000 they carry, the owners will track it down for you. For a bite, locals swear by Melt (4165 Hamilton Avenue; 513-681-6358; www.meltnorthside.com), a quirky restaurant friendly to vegans and carnivores alike. Order the Joan of Arc sandwich ($8.45), with blue cheese and caramelized onions atop roast beef, or the hummus-laden Helen of Troy ($6.95), and retreat to the garden.

9 p.m.
3) LOCAL BANDS, LOCAL BEER

Saunter next door to find 20-somethings in skinny jeans mingling with 30-somethings in flip-flops at Northside Tavern (4163 Hamilton Avenue; 513-542-3603; www.northside-tavern.com ), the area’s best spot for live music. Sip a pint of Cincinnati’s own Christian Moerlein beer ($3.50) and listen to jazz, blues and acoustic rock acts in the intimate front bar, or head to the back room, where the best local bands take the larger stage. Wind down with a crowd heavy with artists and musicians at the Comet (4579 Hamilton Avenue; 513-541-8900; www.cometbar.com ), a noirish dive bar with an impossibly cool selection on its jukebox and top-notch burritos ($5) to satisfy any late-night cravings.

Saturday

9:30 a.m.
4) THE AEROBIC ARABESQUE

The fiberglass pigs in tutus that greet you outside the Cincinnati Ballet (1555 Central Parkway; 513-621-5219; www.cincinnatiballet.com) might indicate otherwise, but don’t be fooled: the Ballet’s Open Adult Division program is a great place to get lean. Start your Saturday with a beginning ballet class (90 minutes, $14), as a company member steers novices through basic movements. More experienced dancers might try the one-hour Rhythm and Motion class, which combines hip-hop, modern and African dance. Regulars know the moves, so pick a spot in the back and prepare to sweat.

11:30 a.m.
5) A BRIDGE TO BRUNCH

If John Roebling’s Suspension Bridge looks familiar, you might be thinking of his more famous design in New York. (Cincinnati’s version opened in 1867, almost two decades before the Brooklyn Bridge.) The pedestrian-friendly span over the Ohio River provides terrific views of the skyline. Cross into Covington, Ky., and walk about two blocks to Greenup Café (308 Greenup Street; 859-261-3663; greenupcafe.com), a homey outpost that offers a hearty brunch in vibrant parlor rooms. Traditional dishes like eggs Benedict ($9.75) and quiche Lorraine ($8.75) are expertly rendered; try a side of goetta ($3), a mixture of ground pork and oats brought to Cincinnati by German immigrants.

2 p.m.
6) TRACING A LEGACY

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (50 East Freedom Way; 513-333-7500; www.freedomcenter.org; adult ticket, $9 until the end of summer) is a dynamic testament to Cincinnati’s place in the antislavery movement. Multimedia presentations, art displays and interactive timelines trace the history of the global slave trade as well as 21st-century human trafficking. Leave time for the genealogy center, where volunteers assist individuals with detailed family searches.

4 p.m.
7) REVISITING NEWPORT VICE


For decades, Cincinnatians scoffed at their Kentucky neighbors, but that has been changing in the last few years with the revitalization of Newport’s waterfront and historic housing district. Still, relics of the town’s vice-filled past remain. For a taste, head to Sin City (822-824 Monmouth Street; 859-291-8486; www.sincityantiques.com ), an antiques store that features grainy black-and-white stills of police raids dating from Newport’s heyday as the “other Las Vegas.” Inside, 27 vendors sell Victorian to mid-20th-century collectibles. York St Café (738 York Street, entrance on Eighth Street; 859-261-9675; www.yorkstonline.com ), an 1880s-era apothecary, has been transformed into a three-story restaurant, music and art space, where wood shelves are stocked with kitschy memorabilia. Bistro fare includes the Mediterranean Board (an array of shareable appetizers; $18) and a delicate fresh halibut with spinach and artichoke ($23). Leave room for the excellent homemade desserts, including the strawberry buttermilk cake ($5).

7 p.m.
8) STAGE TO STAGE

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (962 Mount Adams Circle; 513-421-3888; www.cincyplay.com ), which won a 2004 Tony Award for best regional theater and celebrates its 50th anniversary next season, offers splendid vistas of Mount Adams and a solid theatergoing experience. A lesser-known but equally engaging option can be found at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (Corry Boulevard; 513-556-4183; www.ccm.uc.edu ). Students dreaming of Lincoln Center perform in full-scale productions like “Batboy” and “The Barber of Seville.” Though main stage tickets are $26 to $28, studio shows are free; check the online calendar for showtimes and locations.

10 p.m.
9) BALLROOM BLISS

Head back to Newport’s Third Street and its bars and clubs — the best of which, Southgate House, is set in an 1814 Victorian mansion that resembles a haunted fraternity (24 East Third Street, Newport; 859-431-2201; www.southgatehouse.com ). It hosts local and national acts dabbling in everything from bluegrass to death metal. On a typical Saturday night, music fans of all ages and sensibilities roam the three venues: an intimate parlor room, a laid-back lounge and a ballroom with a capacity of 600. There is no cover charge for lounge shows; tickets for parlor and ballroom shows are usually $5 to $25.

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) REBIRTH OF NEIGHBORHOOD

As the epicenter of 19th-century German immigrant society, the neighborhood known as Over-the-Rhine once teemed with breweries, theaters and social halls. Though the area fell into disrepair, and parts remain rough around the edges, an $80 million revitalization effort has slowly brought back visitors. Walk down Main Street between 12th and 15th Streets for local artists’ galleries and the Iris BookCafe (1331 Main Street; 513-381-2665), a serene rare-book shop with an outdoor sculpture garden. A few blocks away, Vine Street between Central Parkway and 13th Street offers new boutiques including the craft shop MiCA 12/v (1201 Vine Street; 513-421-3500; www.shopmica.com ), which specializes in contemporary designers like Jonathan Adler and Kenneth Wingard.

1 p.m.
11) DESIGNS TO BRING HOME

Before heading home, find inspiring décor at HighStreet (1401 Reading Road; 513-723-1901; www.highstreetcincinnati.com ), a spacious and sleek design store. The owners have carefully composed a cosmopolitan mix of textiles, clothing and jewelry by New York and London designers as well as local artists, showcased in a creatively appointed space. A free cup of freshly brewed red flower tea makes it all the more inviting.

THE BASICS

Delta and Continental have nonstop flights from Newark Liberty International Airport, starting at $277, according to a recent online search, and Delta has a nonstop flight from La Guardia, starting at $341. Downtown Cincinnati is a 25-minute drive from the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport. A rental car is recommended; parking is available on the street and at numerous garages.

The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza (35 West Fifth Street; 513-421-9100; www.hilton.com ), a national historic landmark, is in the Art Deco Carew Tower. It has 561 renovated guest rooms; standard rate for a double room starts at $129.

The Westin Cincinnati (21 East Fifth Street; 513-621-7700; www.starwoodhotels.com ) is right in the downtown area; many rooms feature views of the newly restored Fountain Square; rates begin at $129.

    36 Hours in Cincinnati, NYT, 19.7.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/travel/19hour.html

My favourite US national park is ...

It would be a crime to close any of America's parks.
We asked experts for the best ways to enjoy the epic landscapes of 10 national parks

Wednesday 15 July 2009
10.14 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Andy Pietrasik.
Interviews by Joanna Walters
 

"The best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst." That's how Pulitzer prize-winning author and historian Wallace Stegner described America's magnificent national parks.

California was the inspiration for the national park system - early visitors to Yosemite were so awed by the grandeur of the scenery that it was the first special area to be preserved by the government for public use. It sowed the seeds for the first national park to be created at Yellowstone eight years later in 1872, "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people".

It is a cruel irony then that it should be California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who has proposed the closure of 220 state parks in order to save money and balance the books. Just to be clear, these are parks run by the state of California - closures would restrict access to the mountains of the Sierra Nevadas, the beaches and wetlands of Big Sur, and the deserts of San Diego among others - not those run by the National Park Service (NPS).

The NPS has already warned that it might take control of six California state parks if they are not kept open. But there is no suggestion that national parks are facing closure - indeed they have seen their budgets increased this year to make improvements to roads and facilities.

More Americans will be holidaying at home this year because of the recession that has given rise to the proposed park closures. And when "the economy is not in shape, that bodes well for the park service", according to David Barma, chief of public affairs for the NPS. The latest figures from the NPS show an increase in the number of park visits over the first four months of this year and bookings are up at national park campsites.

Nowhere does the great outdoors better than America. It is epic - cinematic - in its scale and beauty. There are deserts, great lakes, swamps, canyons, mountains, rivers, forests, oceans and beaches. It would be a crime to close any of it.

We asked 10 experts to share their favourite wild spaces with us.

1. Best for wilderness: Katmai and Kenai Fjords National Parks, Alaska
The expert: Ken Burns, filmmaker, whose latest TV series, National Parks, America's Best Idea, premieres in the US on PBS on 27 September

At the Brooks River Falls in Katmai in summer there can easily be 50 grizzly bears gathered as thousands of salmon from the Bering Sea swim upstream to spawn. It looks almost anthropomorphic, a grizzly symposium, and the human observers are definitely outsiders - the bears own this place and they are seriously gorging on fish. You're coming all the way to Alaska for the pristine wilderness, so do also drive to Aialik Bay, Kenai, to see humpback and orca from kayaks and watch the glacier "calving" great booming chunks into the sea, sending the seals on the ice floes bobbing furiously - it's a transformational experience.

• Where to stay: Katmai: Brooks Campground, protected from bears strolling nearby by an electric fence. Kenai: camp in Abra cove or stay at the Aialik Bay Cabin.

2. Best adventure: Rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon
The expert: Abe Streep, Outside Magazine

As far as epic adventures go, this is a classic: roaring down the canyon through a 100-degree desert landscape looking up at jagged layers of vermillion rock, some half as old as the planet itself, in wild water that's very cold. It's not about "wanting" to do it in your lifetime, it's about "needing" to do it. They stagger the raft permits, so it's not crowded. You shoot the rapids like a bucking bronco, hanging on for dear life, then float on a smooth section past Native American ruins. It takes two weeks for a full trip, but you can get the idea in four days if that's all you have, camping on beaches, feeling like a little ant under the massive walls and taking day hikes to hidden waterfalls.

• Oars.com organises rafting trips lasting from four days to a full canyon trip of 18-19 days; +1 209 736 4677. Prices ???

3. Best-kept secret: Precipice Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine
The expert: Robert Earle Howells, National Geographic Adventure Magazine

You've done the gorgeous drive up the coast of Maine, now for aptly-named Precipice Trail. The first thing you see are all sorts of warning signs - this hike, well it's really a non-technical climb, is not for the faint of heart or those prone to vertigo - then you notice all the iron rungs drilled into the rock from long ago, to help you monkey up the exposed eastern face of Mount Champlain. Getting to the top gives you a heck of a rush and you're looking down at magical islands and coves in the bay, and inhaling spruce and fir. Your reward is the freshest catch from the lobster men for dinner - nothing fancy, just the critter and 100 napkins.

• Stay: There are two campgrounds in Acadia National Park. You can make reservations for Blackwoods Campground only. Seawall Campgrounds operates on a first come, first served basis. Campgrounds normally fill up early in July through September, so plan to arrive early. The Claremont Hotel's waterfront cottages, from $152 (£92) per night, minimum three nights; +1 207 244 5036.
• Eat: Beal's Lobster Pound, 182 Clark Point Road, Southwest Harbor, +1 207 244 7178.
• Further information: acadia.national-park.com.

4. Best on two wheels: New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia
The expert: Karen Brooks, Dirt Rag Mag

Mountain bikers are no longer the enemy of the National Parks - there's been a lot of diplomacy and more trails are now being allowed, and designed so that we don't wreck the place. The New River Gorge is known for white water rafting, but there are four mountain-bike routes through beautiful forest, built along railway lines that used to serve the coal industry. It's a buzz to bike through a canopy of trees where all you see is lush greenery, right next to the gushing, tumbling river, and maybe the odd fly-fisherman. Biking in West Virginia is generally rough and tough, but these trails are a little more mellow. And the autumn foliage is to die for. Prepare to get mud on your face.

• Where to stay: There's a choice of RV sites, economy cabins, car-camping or primitive camping at Rifrafters Campground, Fayetteville, West Virginia, +1 304 574 1065

5. Best off the beaten track: Back-country hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
The expert: Marcus Woolf, writer for Backpacker and guidebook author.

The most-visited national park in the US drew 9.4 million visitors in 2007, according to the National Parks Service. But strike out to the north-east, into the back-country and you'll get some solitude – there are 800 miles of hiking trails - and can absorb spectacular views across the rolling mountains bathed in milky haze to the horizon. The misty 'smoke' is actually not weather but plant respiration on a scale and diversity to rival a rainforest - it's dreamy stuff. From the cosy wooden huts of LeConte Lodge, take the Rainbow Falls Trail, past the wonderful plunge, to the top of Mount LeConte and connect at high elevation to the Appalachian Trail then eventually to the Maddron Bald Trail wending through ancient forest. Doss down in your sleeping bag in the three-sided shelters along the way.

• Stay: Smoky Mountain Park campsites. All backcountry campers are required to have a free backcountry permit (available at most ranger stations and visitor centres). Camp in a designated site or shelter. Campers need reservations to stay in any shelter, and 14 tent areas also require reservations. Campers can make reservations by calling +1 (865) 436 1231. LeConte Lodge, $110 per adult, per night dinner, bed and breakfast +1 865 429 5704.

6. Best for wildlife: Yellowstone Park, Montana/Wyoming in summer, and Everglades, Florida, in winter
The expert: Mark Wexler, National Wildlife Magazine

The first national park in the US may seem over-exposed, but when you've been haunted by the howl of the wolf pack and the grizzly is ambling by, you'll appreciate it's the best. If you want to escape the camera-clicking crowds clustering the Old Faithful geyser - magnificent as it is - and rushing at some poor buffalo, head into the wilds on foot or horseback. Here, you stand the chance of seeing see black bear, bobcat, grey fox, mountain kingsnake, white-headed woodpecker, spotted owl, beaver, chipmunks etc. My winter favourite destination is the Everglades. Make for Alligator Alley and you'll definitely encounter reptiles but the birds are fabulous, a line of white ibis flying against the sinking sun, the endangered wood stork, bald eagles. Hike the Anhinga Trail on boardwalks over the swamps and listen to the feathered hosts waking up at sunrise.

• Stay: Camping in Yellowstone. Headwaters of the Yellowstone B&B, Gardiner, Montana, +1 406 848 7073, rooms from $140; Mountainview Cabin with full kitchen for up to 4 people $165.
Hiking trails in Yellowstone; Horseback riding outfitters and guides; Sleep in traditional native rough huts in the Everglades, seminoletribe.com +1 863 983 6101.

7. Most extreme activity: Slot canyoneering, Zion National Park, Utah
The expert: Kate Siber, adventurer and writer for Outside and National Geographic Adventure

The Subway is one of Zion's more trippy, tunnel-like slot canyons, sculpted by millennia of wind and water, where sunlight glows round corners, turquoise water swirls in rock cauldrons and the psychedelic walls undulate in abstract curves. The deal here is the wow-factor of being deep in this narrow space that looks as if Gaudi or Dr Seuss concocted it in a daydream. A couple of abseils, scrambling, some chilly swims (pack a drybag) and wading in ankle-deep water ups the adventure quotient, but it's not generally dangerous, particularly with a guide. If you don't want anything to do with ropes, you can boulder and hike in part way from the bottom and get the gist.

• Stay: Primitive and tiny Lava Point Campground in Zion is free. Many other camping and lodging options. Information and canyoneering guides at www.zionrockguides.com, +1 435 772 3303.

8. Best family camping: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California
The expert: Stuart Bourdon, editor of Camping Life Magazine

The parks overlap, so it's a Sierra Nevada two-for-one, and each has record-breakers. Giant redwood (sequoia) "General Sherman" in Sequoia is one of the largest trees on Earth at 275 feet (83.8 metres), and grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five out of the 10 largest trees in the world. Kings Canyon has Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the Lower 48 at 14,505ft (4,421m), with a shark's tooth peak, and the US's deepest gorge - who knew? Campsites are designed for car-camping - neither backcountry nor motor-home – with basic fire pits and showers. Spy black bears on wilderness day-hikes. Kids enjoy Crystal Cave – a marble cave - and the stone staircase up Moro Rock - a large granite dome in the Giant Forest - where the view extends for 300 miles on a clear day.

• Stay: Lodgepole and Dorset Creek are the largest and busiest campgrounds and the only ones that can be reserved in advance. All other sites in the parks are first-come, first-served daily. nps.gov/seki, +1 559 565 3341.

9. Best view: The Teton Range of mountains from Jackson Lake Lodge, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The expert: Stephen Freligh, Nature's Best Photography Magazine

From the patio at the lodge, there's an utterly incredible view of the Grand Tetons, all jagged and snowcapped, across a beautiful piece of open country, where you can easily see moose wandering and perhaps a bear. The beautiful Jenny Lake is in the foreground and the mountains are so close, you feel you could touch them. It is one of the most amazing views in the world, with the spirit of the American West and the pioneer feeling of being so close to nature. The view is very accessible for park visitors, but hike a few minutes from the lodge towards the view and you'll leave the crowds behind.

• Stay: camping at Jackson Lake. Jackson Lake Lodge, Moran, Wyoming, +1 307 543 2811, rooms from $219.

10. Best challenge: Learning to rock climb in Yosemite National Park, California
The expert: Jo Whitford is a certified Yosemite Mountaineering School Instructor, who has climbed all over the US and the world and has settled on Yosemite as her base

Climbing on granite in Yosemite, even a small slab, is inspiring because you know El Capitan is just around the corner, where the world's best climbers scale its intimidating 1,000-plus vertical metres. I guide on the Girls on Granite two-day course, on which beginners learn basic knots and techniques for hooking fingertips into seemingly-invisible cracks to edge up 40-metre mini-cliffs. Intermediates scale steeper climbs with smaller finger-holds, and learn to follow a leader up the climb. Catch a glimpse of stunning Half Dome mountain and aspire to climb that one day as you learn to abseil down.

• Girls On Granite is a two-day climbing and hiking package, with tent-cabin accommodation - beginner or intermediate: $181 (£110). Other rock-climbing lessons/guiding also available, all through Yosemite Mountaineering School +1 209 372 8344.

    My favourite US national park is ..., G, 15.7.2009,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jul/15/usa-national-parks-wildlife-holidays

36 Hours in Malibu

June 21, 2009
The New York Times
By LOUISE TUTELIAN

LOCALS call it “the Bu” — a laid-back, celebrity-filled beach town that sparkles in the collective consciousness as a sun-drenched state of mind. With the busy Pacific Coast Highway running through and no discernible center of town, some of the best of this small city, with around 13,000 residents, can disappear in a drive-by. The staggering natural beauty of the sea and mountains is obvious, but pull off the road and stay awhile, and you’ll find more: a world-class art museum, local wines, top-notch restaurants and chic shops.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

What’s so appealing about Malibu’s little slice of coast? Visit Point Dume State Preserve (Birdview Avenue and Cliffside Drive; 818-880-0363; www.parks.ca.gov ), and you’ll see. A modest walk to the top of this coastal bluff rewards you with a sweeping view of the entire Santa Monica Bay, the inland Santa Monica Mountains and, on a clear day, Catalina Island. A boardwalk just below the summit leads to a platform for watching swooping pelicans and crashing waves. To feel the sand between your toes, drive down Birdview Avenue to Westward Beach Road and park at the very end of the lot on your left. You’ll be looking at Westward Beach, a gem that most visitors miss. Strike a yoga pose. Sigh at will.

7 p.m.
2) CHASING THE SUNSET

Little known fact: Most of Malibu faces south, not west. That means sitting down at just any seaside restaurant at dusk won’t guarantee seeing a sunset over the water. But the aptly named Sunset Restaurant (6800 Westward Beach Road; 310-589-1007; www.thesunsetrestaurant.com ) is a sure bet, with just the right orientation. Claim a white leather banquette, order a $5 carafe of wine and select a tasting plate of cheeses (three for $10; five for $15), and settle in for the light show.

9 p.m.
3) SHORE DINNER

If you’re going to spot a celebrity, chances are it will be at Nobu Malibu (3835 Cross Creek Road, in the Malibu Country Mart; 310-317-9140; www.nobumatsuhisa.com ), one of the famed chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s many restaurants. The sushi ($6 to $12 for a two-piece order) is sublime, and the pan-seared scallops with cilantro sauce ($16 for a two-piece portion) are a favorite. Dinner for two is about $100 without wine, and reservations are essential. The front room is convivial but noisy; the subtly lighted back room is quieter.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) WALK THE PIER

The 780-foot long Malibu Pier (23000 Pacific Coast Highway; 888-310-7437; www.malibupiersportfishing.com ) is the most recognizable (and, arguably, only) landmark in town. Take a morning stroll out to the end, chat with the fishermen and watch surfers paddle out. You’ll be walking on a piece of Malibu history. The pier was originally built in 1905 as a loading dock for construction material, and it was a lookout during World War II. It crops up in numerous movies and TV shows. But storms took their toll, and it closed for repairs in 1995, finally reopening last summer — to the relief of local residents.

10 a.m.
5) ANCIENT ART

The Getty Villa (17985 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-440-7300; www.getty.edu ) is just over the city’s southern border in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, but no matter: it shouldn’t be missed. The museum, built by J. Paul Getty in the 1970s to resemble a first-century Roman country house, contains Greek, Roman and Etruscan vessels, gems and statuary, some dating back to 6,500 B.C. On the second floor is a rare life-size Greek bronze, “Statue of a Victorious Youth,” a prize of the museum. In the outside peristyle gardens, watch the sun glint off bronze statues at the 220-foot-long reflecting pool. Admission is free, but parking is limited, so car reservations ($10; $15 from July 1) are required.

1 p.m.
6) MAGIC CARPET TILE

Even many longtime Angelenos don’t know about the Adamson House (23200 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-456-8432; www.adamsonhouse.org ). The 1930 Spanish Colonial Revival residence is a showplace of exquisite ceramic tile from Malibu Potteries, which closed in 1932. Overlooking Surfrider Beach with a view of Malibu Pier, the house belonged to a member of the Rindge family, last owners of the Malibu Spanish land grant. Take a tour and watch for the Persian “carpet” constructed entirely from intricately patterned pieces of tile. Other highlights: a stunning star-shaped fountain and a bathroom tiled top to bottom in an ocean pattern, with ceramic galleons poised in perpetuity on pointy whitecaps in a sea of blue.

4 p.m.
7) VINO WITH A VIEW

The drive to Malibu Wines (31800 Mulholland Highway; 818-865-0605; www.malibuwine.com ) along the serpentine roads of the Santa Monica Mountains is almost as much fun as tipping a glass once you get there. Set on a serene green lawn, the tasting room is really a stone and wood counter under striped awnings. Sidle up and choose a flight of four styles for $9 or $12. Or buy a bottle (prices start at $14) and lounge in one of the Adirondack chairs pulled up to tables made from barrels. (Tip: Regulars request the horseshoes or bocce ball set at the counter.) And don’t miss the collection of vintage pickup trucks spread around the property.

7 p.m.
8) FARM TO TABLE

Terra (21337 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-456-1221; www.terrarestaurantla.com ), in the building that was once the original Malibu jail, is an intimate gathering place serving organic meats and nonfarmed fish, with most produce grown in its own gardens. Start with oven-roasted organic baby beets ($13) and consider the pounded filet mignon with roasted tomato, broccolini and Terra Farms arugula ($32). Dinner runs about $65 for two, without wine. In warm weather, French doors open to a spacious patio decorated with thousands of fragments of broken Malibu Potteries tile, the better to ward off evil spirits.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) CATCH A WAVE

Surf shops offering lessons and board rentals line the Pacific Coast Highway (P.C.H. in local lingo), but Kai Sanson of Zuma Surf and Swim Training (949-742-1086; www.zsstraining.com) takes his fun seriously. Mr. Sanson, 35, a Malibu native, was named L.A.’s best surf instructor last year by L.A. Weekly. He’ll size you up with a glance and gear the instruction to your skills. Lessons for two are $80 a person. His tales of growing up in Malibu are free. Locals also give Malibu Makos Surf Club (310-317-1229; www.malibumakos.com ) and Jeff White of Captain Kahuna’s Wave Travel Adventures (310-863-3802) high marks.

Noon
10) BRUNCH IN STYLE (OR NOT)

Put on your oversize sunglasses if you’re going to Geoffrey’s Malibu (27400 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-457-1519; www.geoffreysmalibu.com ). Geoffrey’s (pronounced Joffreys) is the hot meeting spot for the well-heeled with a hankering for a shiitake mushroom omelet ($18) or lobster Cobb salad ($32). Its Richard Neutra-designed building overlooks the Pacific, and every table has an ocean view. Or if you just want to kick back with The Malibu Times, head to Coogie’s Beach Café (23750 Pacific Coast Highway in the Malibu Colony Plaza; 310-317-1444; menu at www.coogies.malibu.menuclub.com) and carbo-load with Coogie’s French Toast: bagels dipped in egg whites with cinnamon sugar and served with peanut butter and bananas ($10.50)

2 p.m.
11) SHOP LIKE A STAR

Whether it’s diamonds or designer jeans you’re after, the open-air Malibu Country Mart (3835 Cross Creek Road; www.malibucountrymart.com ) is the place to cruise for them. Its more than 50 retail stores and restaurants include Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture and Malibu Rock Star jewelry. In an adjacent space, the new luxe Malibu Lumber Yard shopping complex, with stores like J. Crew, Alice + Olivia, and Tory Burch, opened in April.

THE BASICS

Malibu, a 21-mile-long strip of a city, hugs the Pacific coastline northwest of Los Angeles and extends a couple of miles up into the Santa Monica Mountains. It is approximately 25 miles or a 45-minute drive (with minimal traffic) from Los Angeles International Airport. A car is essential.

Malibu Beach Inn (22878 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-456-6444; www.malibubeachinn.com ) recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation to achieve its blend of chic and Zen tranquillity. Its 45 rooms, most facing the ocean and nearly all with fireplaces, are small but amenity-laden. The most impressive touch is nature’s own: waves breaking below your balcony. Doubles start at $325.

Casa Malibu Inn on the Beach (22752 Pacific Coast Highway; 310-456-2219), a rustic 21-room vine-covered inn six steps above the sand, has been a celebrity hideout since the 1950s. Lana Turner ducked studio tension there, and more recently, Jamie Lee Curtis and her brood made it a weekend retreat. Ask for one of the beachfront rooms (Nos. 101 to 108). Doubles start at $169.

Villa Graziadio Executive Center at Pepperdine University (Via Pacifica on the Drescher Graduate Campus; 310-506-1100; www.villagraziadio.com ) has 50 rooms featuring views of the ocean and mountains. Doubles start at $209.

    36 Hours in Malibu, NYT, 21.6.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/travel/21hours.html?8dpc

36 Hours in Research Triangle, N.C.

June 14, 2009
The New York Times
By J. J. GOODE

TELL North Carolinians you’re heading to the Research Triangle, and they’ll probably ask “Which school are you visiting?” Yet the close-knit cities of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill are marked by more than college bars and hoops fans. Visitors not bound for Duke, the University of North Carolina or North Carolina State come to see buzz-worthy bands, dine on food from farm-worshiping chefs and explore outdoor art. From its biscuits to its boutiques, the Triangle occupies a happy place between slow-paced Southern charm and urban cool.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) ART INSIDE OUT

Anyone who has visited the Met or the Getty might scoff at the relatively succinct collection at the North Carolina Museum of Art (2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh; 919-839-6262; www.ncartmuseum.org ). But the lack of tour bus crowds means unfettered access to the Old Masters and contemporary heavyweights like Anselm Kiefer. The real treat is the adjacent Museum Park, more than 164 acres of open fields and woodlands punctuated by environmental art like Cloud Chamber, a stone hut that acts as a camera obscura, with a small hole in the roof projecting inverted, otherworldly images of slowly swaying trees on the floor and walls.

5 p.m.
2) TOWER OF BAUBLE

There’s no pigeonholing the eclectic wares in this four-story indie minimall collectively known as Father & Son Antiques (107 West Hargett Street, Raleigh; 919-832-3030), and including Southern Swank and 2nd Floor Vintage. The organizing principle, if there is one, might be high design meets kitschy Americana, as the intermingling of vintage disco dresses ($18), Mexican wrestling masks ($20) and Eames aluminum group chairs ($250 to $500) attests.

7 p.m.
3) UPSCALE DINER

Memorable meals are easy to come by in the Triangle owing to its high concentration of accomplished, produce-fondling chefs like Ashley Christensen. She left one of the area’s top kitchens to open Poole’s Downtown Diner (426 South McDowell Street, Raleigh; 919-832-4477; www.poolesdowntowndiner.com ) in a space that began as a 1940s pie shop. Diners sitting in the bright-red booths dig into Christensen’s low-pretense, high-flavor dishes, like a starter of lovably sloppy fried green tomatoes crowned with local pork smoked over cherry wood ($11), and the Royale ($13), an almost spherical hunk of ground-in-house chuck roll seared in duck fat, topped with cheese and perched on a slice of grilled brioche.

10 p.m.
4) CHEERS TO THE CHIEF

For most bars, a popular politician’s visit would be a game-changing boon. But the Raleigh Times Bar (14 East Hargett Street, Raleigh; 919-833-0999; www.raleightimesbar.com ) was packed well before Barack Obama showed up the day of the state’s Democratic primary. The owner, Greg Hatem, painstakingly restored the century-old building that once housed its namesake newspaper and decorated the walls with old newspaper clippings, paperboy bags and other artifacts from the defunct daily. Mr. Obama bought a $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon (and left an $18 tip), but anyone not campaigning might choose one of the more than 100 other beers ($1 to $68), including esoteric Belgians and local brews you won’t find elsewhere.

Saturday

10:30 a.m.
5) ECO JUNK

The Scrap Exchange (548 Foster Street, Durham; 919-688-6960; www.scrapexchange.org ) is a “nonprofit creative reuse center” specializing in industrial discards or, for those not versed in eco-jargon, a bazaar of modestly priced former junk donated by Carolinians and scavenged from local businesses that include a hosiery mill, a zipper factory and a parachute plant. Even if you’re not one of the giddy artists, teachers or theater producers who comb for utilitarian treasures, plan to spend at least an hour rummaging in a cool-struck trance through test tubes (20 cents to $1), empty fire extinguishers ($3 to $5) and swaths of double-knit polyester ($1 a yard).

Noon
6) TACO TIME

Anyone not on a hunt for serious Mexican food might drive past Taqueria La Vaquita (2700 Chapel Hill Road, Durham; 919-402-0209; www.lavaquitanc.com ), an unassuming freestanding structure with a plastic cow on its roof, just five minutes from Duke’s campus. But if you did, you’d miss tacos ($2.19) made with house-made corn tortillas, uncommonly delicate discs topped with exceptional barbacoa de res (slow-cooked beef) or carnitas (braised-then-fried pork) that you eat at one of the picnic tables out front.

2 p.m.
7) RIVER WALK

One of the Triangle’s charms is that its urban trappings are so easy to escape. A 10-mile drive from downtown Durham brings you to Eno River State Park (6101 Cole Mill Road, Durham; 919-383-1686; www.ncparks.gov ). Its trails pass through swaying pines and follow the river past patches of delicate purple-and-yellow wildflowers and turtles sunning themselves on low branches in the water.

5 p.m.
8) GOING WHOLE HOG

Small towns and back roads, not cities, have a monopoly on great barbecue. What makes the Pit (328 West Davie Street, Raleigh; 919-890-4500; www.thepit-raleigh.com ) a striking exception is Ed Mitchell, the legendary master of the eastern North Carolina art form of whole hog cooking. Now instead of trekking 100 miles to porcine meccas like Ayden and Lexington, you can dig into pilgrimage-worthy chopped or pulled pork — made from pigs purchased from family farms and cooked for 10 to 14 hours over coals and hickory or oak — just a short stroll from the Capitol Building. A chopped barbecued pork plate with two sides and greaseless hush puppies costs $12.

7 p.m.
9) ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM

The Triangle is college basketball country, home to two of the winningest teams and some of the most rabid fans in N.C.A.A. history. But soon after the madness of March, the more tranquil local baseball fans stream into the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (409 Blackwell Street, Durham; 919-687-6500; www.dbulls.com ). The Bulls, founded in 1902 as the Tobacconists, recently became the Tampa Bay Rays’ AAA affiliate. The major league-quality play comes at minor league prices ($7 to $9 a ticket).

10 p.m.
10) BIG BANDS

Nirvana played at the Cat’s Cradle (300 East Main Street, Carrboro; 919-967-9053; www.catscradle.com ) for the first time in pre-“Nevermind” 1990 to about 100 people. A year later Pearl Jam played to three times as many, filling just half the standing-room-only space. This summer the Cradle, just a mile from downtown Chapel Hill, hosts acts like Akron/Family and Camera Obscura that probably won’t be playing for such small crowds for long. Ticket prices vary but $15 is about average.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) DRIVE-THRU BISCUITS

There are several places in Chapel Hill that serve a distinguished Southern breakfast. Diners linger over gravy-smothered pork chops and eggs at Mama Dip’s (408 West Rosemary Street; 919-942-5837; www.mamadips.com ) and peerless shrimp and grits at Crook’s Corner (610 West Franklin Street; 919-929-7643; www.crookscorner.com ). But for a morning meal on the go that’s equally unforgettable, roll up to the drive-through-only Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen (1305 East Franklin Street; 919-933-1324), where the iced tea is tooth-achingly sweet and the main course is fluffy, buttery and filled with salty country ham ($2.02) or crisp fried chicken ($3.40).

THE BASICS

Several airlines offer flights between the New York area airports and Raleigh-Durham International Airport for as low as $150, according to a recent online search. Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill are 20 to 40 minutes apart from one another and public transportation is infrequent, so if you’re planning to visit at least two points on the Triangle, you should rent a car.

The 150-room Umstead Hotel and Spa (100 Woodland Pond, Cary; 866-877-4141; www.theumstead.com ), about 15 minutes from downtown Raleigh, has a pool, an elegant adjoining restaurant called Herons and an on-premises spa that offers massages and facial treatments. Doubles are $249 to $399 (there’s often a two-night minimum).

Whether you stay in one of the seven impeccable rooms, garden cottage (complete with a porch swing) or 1700s-style log cabin at Arrowhead Inn (106 Mason Road; 919-477-8430; www.arrowheadinn.com ), 10 miles from downtown Durham, you’ll enjoy imaginative breakfasts made by a co-owner, Phil Teber, and have access to six acres of manicured lawns, gardens and magnolia trees. Weekend rates start at $150 for a room with a fireplace and double bed and reach $325 for the Carolina Log Cabin.

The Carolina Inn (211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill; 800-962-8519; www.carolinainn.com ) is not your typical on-campus hotel. In-room massages, dry cleaning service and a lobby whose Southern grandeur extends to the hotel’s 184 rooms make it much more than just convenient lodging for parents visiting the University of North Carolina. Rates start at $168.

    36 Hours in Research Triangle, N.C., NYT, 14.6.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/travel/14hours.html

Philadelphia’s Gardens of Delights

June 5, 2009
The New York Times
By JUDITH H. DOBRZYNSKI

FROM vest-pocket urban green spaces to colossal Edens like Longwood, the former du Pont property that sprawls over 1,050 acres, the Philadelphia area is laden with public gardens. Some hometown boosters claim it has the country’s largest concentration of them.

You might even say the city has a plethora of gardens. But plethora means “too many,” and there can never be a surfeit of gardens, can there? Especially not in spring and early summer, when a garden visit can chase away the spirit-dampening effects of a long gray winter.

Greater Philadelphia Gardens, a promotional group, lists 29 members. To narrow the field I picked four that charge no admission (Longwood charges $16 per adult), and one, Chanticleer, that costs just $5 for adults. The selection, as it happened, provided a mix of history, terrain, setting and atmosphere — and a few unexpected encounters with wildlife.

When I arrived at the Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens in Devon, Pa., early one mid-May morning, the air was cool, and though the sky was cloudless, the thick tree canopy allowed only a few glints of sun through. I picked up a map at the visitor center, then started down a winding, paved trail, spotting no one. But the dulcet songs from many birds above indicated that I wasn’t totally alone, and that I might be in for something special.

Jenkins Arboretum is tailor-made for those who like azaleas and rhododendrons. In springtime, its 46 acres are ablaze with pink, white, peach, rose, red and purple blossoms — Purple Splendor azalea and pinxterbloom azalea, to name a few. Tall white oak, mountain laurel, common persimmon, black locust, white ash and other hardwood trees (the names provided, thankfully, on tiny black plaques) act as the background. At my feet were native jack-in-the-pulpit, alumroot, ferns, wild blue phlox, dwarf crested irises and a farrago of other small flowers.

So gorgeous was the picture that, as I rounded a corner, I was not surprised to find a painter at her easel, trying to capture it, and then — a little farther down the path — another one.

From Jenkins, I drove a few miles southeast to Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, where the tag line is “A pleasure garden,” and I could not agree more. Nor, probably, could the children who were gleefully rolling down the lawn of the central hill while I was there.

The garden is next to a 1913 mansion, but it was developed beginning in 1990 and has a modern feel. There’s an Asian woodland, a water garden, a serpentine planting of Garnet Red mustards and a ruin set in a garden.

It pays to look hard. In a fountain at the ruin, there are faces carved into those rocks. Round rocks have become acorns, and flat stones are marked with the veins of leaves. Beyond a curve in the path near the water garden, where lilies float and deep-blue irises line the edge, you’ll find two neon-green Adirondack chairs. While I admired their brilliant color, two ducks flew inches over my shoulder, startling me.

What particular blooms will you find? Here’s a sampling: Japanese snowbells, purpley-pink primula kisoana, bright orange poppies and pink-and-white tulips. On one path, near the 1728 house, Chinese dogwood and grape hyacinths; on another, white dogwood trees; near the waterwheel, blue clematis.

Farther south in Delaware County, Swarthmore is the very definition of that old cliché, the leafy suburb, but it’s a flowery one, too. On the way to the Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College, I passed home gardens whose pink and rose azaleas acted as hors d’oeuvres, whetting the appetite — which was soon sated. The whole campus, some 330 acres, is actually the arboretum, and garden staff members can direct you to which of the more than 3,000 ornamental plants are blooming.

Or you can pick up a map and turn on your cellphone. Dial (610) 717-5597, watch for cell pictograms as you walk around the campus, and you’ll be guided on a tour of featured perennials, viewing blooms like Ruby Slippers lobelia and Purple Smoke baptisia.

I decided simply to wander. The plants, labeled with Latin and common names, are spread throughout the campus but are grouped in “collections” of peonies, lilacs, rhododendrons and so on. Some roses, in a crescent-shaped garden, were already out in May — large-flower climbers like White Dawn and Silver Moon and a pale, soft Harison’s Yellow Hybrid. Scott also has several courtyard gardens, like one at the science center that has a variety of blue and purple flowers set against rocks, bamboo and river birch trees.

Be careful of the brochure boxes around the campus. More than once, the brochure came with hundreds of ants.

Heading to Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia, I wondered: Could this possibly be the way to the country’s oldest existing botanical garden? So near the airport, trolley tracks and oil tanks? Yes, Bartram’s, which dates back to 1728, is an urban oasis. John Bartram traveled all over the eastern United States to gather and bring back trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants to these grounds, which descend gracefully to the banks of the Schuylkill.

You can descend along a winding trail down to the river, too — Philadelphia high-rises are off to the left, industrial hulks to the right — passing trees like osage orange, green ash, river birch and baldcypress, intermixed with wild ginger and pachysandra. Woodlands and specimen gardens, not ornamental gardens, dominate Bartram’s. The pretty flowers mainly populate the upper gardens, near the 1728 house, where you’ll find wild blue geranium, light blue stars and blue flag irises.

George Washington visited here, and so did Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, for whom a white-flowering tree was named (Franklinia alatamaha, alas, blooms in late summer, so I did not see the flowers). Were it not for Bartram, the tree would be extinct. The last wild one was seen in 1803.

Another history lesson awaits about 20 miles north of Philadelphia, at the Highlands, a late-18th-century Georgian residence. Most people come to see the mansion, but off to its right lies a two-acre formal garden exemplifying the Country Place Era style that flourished from around 1895 to 1940. While catering to personal wishes of the owners, the designers sought to respect the land and use historical motifs.

The garden is being restored, and some parts — the vine-covered walkways on both sides, for instance — are not complete. Walk through them anyway; a grass allée meets you, stretching to the far end of the garden, where sits a classical male bust.

Off to the side is a little parterre garden, four rows of four plots, anchored at the center by an armillary sphere. The plants fall into three categories — medicinal, culinary and scented — and include orange and apple mint, chives, golden lemon thyme, apothecary’s rose, bronze fennel, purple cornflower, and lavender, all in various stages of bloom.

The colors, the scents, the scenes — there and at the other four gardens — are just a sampling of what visitors will experience. I’m already thinking about a return trip to Philadelphia, for another group of gardens, some other time.

IF YOU GO

An overview of gardens open to the public in the Philadelphia area is at www.greaterphiladelphiagardens.org .

In some cases, the gardens are free, but there is an admission charge for the houses on the sites.

Bartram’s Garden (54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia; 215-729-5281; www.bartramsgarden.org ) is open daily, except holidays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.

Chanticleer Garden (786 Church Road, Wayne, Pa.; 610-687-4163; www.chanticleergarden.org ) is open Wednesday to Sunday, April to October, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Fridays till 8 p.m., May to August; $5 for people over 16.

Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens (631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon, Pa.; 610-647-8870; www.jenkinsarboretum.org ) is open daily, 8 a.m. to sunset. Free.

Highlands Mansion and Gardens (7001 Sheaff Lane, Fort Washington, Pa.; 215-641-2687; www.highlandshistorical.org ) is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to dusk. Free. House tours are Monday to Friday, 1:30 and 3 p.m.; $5.

Scott Arboretum (Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pa.; 610-328-8025; www.scottarboretum.org ) is open daily, dawn to dusk; office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Free.

    Philadelphia’s Gardens of Delights, NYT, 6.6.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/travel/escapes/05Gardens.html

The U.S. Issue

In Alaska, a Wilderness to Call Your Own

May 31, 2009
The New York Times
By AMY VIRSHUP

AS I lifted my kayak paddle out of the waters of Thomas Bay in Southeast Alaska, I paused for a moment to listen to the soft susurration of rain on the surface of the water. Gossamer veils of fog lay over the dark spruce and hemlock hills that disappeared in the mist above me. In the background, the roar of Cascade Creek provided a constant backbeat, a reminder that this part of Alaska really is a rain forest, getting more than 100 inches of rain annually.

It’s a good climate for ducks, and later, back at our cabin perched on the pebbled beach of the bay, I watched a line of waterfowl paddle by, diving under the water then coming up with fish in their beaks. Tilting their heads back, they slid their catch down their long necks.

My husband, my son and I had arrived at the cabin earlier that day, on a water taxi out of Petersburg, a fishing town on the northern tip of Mitkoff Island, in the Inside Passage of Alaska, about 16 air miles southwest of our destination. Air or boat was the only way to get there, which was just the way we wanted it. In planning my family’s trip, I had been looking to get off the grid, somewhere without roads or electricity or other tourists, so that we might really experience Alaska on its own terms. But with a 9-year-old whose camping experience was limited to a few nights in a tent in our front yard, backpacking into the wild seemed impractical.

Then, browsing online one night, I’d stumbled across the idea of renting a public-use cabin. These are simple backcountry accommodations offered by various state and federal agencies in Alaska at bargain rates — about $35 a night. A cabin, unlike a tent, has a roof. And a wood stove by which to dry our supposedly waterproof boots. And hooks to hang all our newly purchased L. L. Bean rain gear. The one that caught my eye, Cascade Creek Cabin, was in the Tongass National Forest, a swath of 17 million largely roadless acres. The online description promised “Berry picking and wildlife viewing,” plus a hiking trail with “access to waterfalls, a whitewater canyon, pristine lakes and alpine areas frequented by mountain goats.” I signed us up.

And so, at 8 a.m. on a misty August morning, the three of us headed out for our two-night adventure. We were toting sleeping bags and pads, a camp stove and cooking gear, food for three days — including halibut we’d caught on a fishing expedition the previous afternoon — and a supply of fresh water. On top of the boat were the two kayaks we had rented for our stay. Scott Roberge of Tongass Kayak Adventures, who had rented us the gear and who was dropping us off at the cabin, added to our pile a bag of spray skirts, life vests and other kayaking supplies, including an emergency kit and a radio we could use if disaster struck.

Like hotels, cabins have check-in times, and we pulled into Thomas Bay well before our scheduled noon arrival. As we motored up, we could see the trim brown cabin sitting at one end of a half moon of pebble beach; at the other end, Cascade Creek tumbled into the glacial gray waters of the bay. A skiff was moored in the water out front, and smoke curled from the chimney. The previous night’s guests were still in possession, so we dropped our bags outside and decided to check out the Cascade Creek Trail at the opposite end of the beach.

As we walked along the beach, a pair of bald eagles flew out of the trees and over the bay. The sleek head of a seal bobbed to the surface to get a better look at us. According to a book of hiking trails I had picked up in Petersburg, the first mile of the trail was rated “easiest,” and we happily made our way along, first on a softly padded trail that led past moss- and lichen-covered tree trunks, and then on a series of boardwalks installed by the Forest Service. Stretched over the boards was a black plastic mesh for traction. That seemed like overkill until we crossed the wooden bridge over a waterfall, where the trail took a sharp turn upward.

It was raining by that point, and the trail alternated between steep sets of log stairs — the Forest Service seems to have been conducting a contest on how many ways you can turn logs into steps — puddles and slick muddy trails that sucked at our boots. My son’s feet were quickly soaked, and at one point I fell and hit my elbow so hard that my entire hand went numb for a good 10 minutes.

After an hour of hiking we hit a big blow-down area, with tree trunks scattered like pick-up sticks across the trail. Gingerly we climbed over the fallen trunks, trying to keep the outline of the trail in sight.

According to the trail description, about two and a half miles in we would reach a junction that would take us to Falls Lake. There we’d find a rowboat that we could take to yet another trail, which would eventually lead us to Swan Lake.

But among the scattered trees, it was hard to know how far we had come — or how much farther we had to go — and our determination was faltering. With the rain coming down harder, we decided to turn back.

By the time we made it back down to the beach, it was a little after noon, and we were greeted by the putt-putt of the outboard motor as the previous night’s tenants headed home. The cabin was ours. We quickly reconnoitered the place: Inside were two sets of bunks — one single, one double — a table and benches, a work counter and a wood stove (there was also a diesel stove, which we left untouched). A small cache box on the exterior wall provided safe storage for food. The front porch looked out over Thomas Bay and the beach.

An outhouse and a woodshed stocked with logs and axes were out back, connected to the cabin by a boardwalk. Blueberry bushes surrounded us. A small stream rushed along to the bay.

We settled in, getting the wood stove going and then propping our boots around it to dry. Earlier tenants had left behind a miscellany of items, among which we discovered a trivia game called Alaska Wild Card. Over lunch, the three of us competed to answer questions about the 49th state and its flora and fauna. “In Southeast Alaska, approximately 80% of bald eagles nest in which kind of tree?” (Sitka spruce.) “What does Denali mean?” (The High One.)

A key source of entertainment was the guest register, which had entries dating back decades. Flipping through it, we soon learned that we were hardly the only people to find the Swan Lake trail too daunting. And, as the rain kept coming, varying from a fine mist that barely kissed our faces to a downpour that turned the nearby streams into gushing faucets, we discovered that we weren’t the first to experience that aspect of the Alaskan climate firsthand either. “Rained every day,” wrote one correspondent, who had visited the cabin 20 years ago.

It was hard to know how seriously to take some of the entries. One writer claimed to have found a bear in the lower bunk. A member of the Harr family from South Dakota noted that they had “caught dolly varden, cod and some other fish but no salmon or halibut. Jerry got a bear that I skinned for him. Fun.”

And what had happened to the fur trapper who, in 1997, recorded a tale of woe, with his boat engine quitting, his food supplies and cigarettes gone and no way of letting the outside world know? “I will never leave town again without letting people know where I am going,” he’d vowed.

After our afternoon paddle, we cooked dinner, grilling our fresh halibut fillets over a wood fire that we battled to keep going in the rain.

As a kind of cabin-warming gift, our Petersburg travel agent had given us a slim volume entitled “The Strangest Story Ever Told” by Harry D. Colp. Mr. Colp had been a gold prospector in the area in the early part of the 20th century, and in the 1930s he had written up his experiences, but put them aside and never published them. In the 1950s, his wife discovered the manuscript in a box and had it published in a small edition.

AS the long Alaskan summer evening waned — we were getting about 16 hours of daylight — we retreated to our bunks, and I put on a headlamp and read aloud from the memoir. As it turned out, our peaceful spot was known by the locals as the Bay of Death because a landslide had wiped out a village of 500 Tlingit people here in 1750. And their unquiet ghosts had seemingly haunted the place. In each chapter, Mr. Colp told of prospectors who had come to the area to search for gold and how they’d seemingly been driven mad by malevolent spirits. In one, a grubstaker named Charlie is set upon by “the most hideous creatures. I couldn’t call them anything but devils, as they were neither men nor monkeys — yet looked like both. They were entirely sexless, their bodies covered with long coarse hair, except where the scabs and running sores had replaced it.”

Charlie, understandably, had hightailed it out of there.

We, on the other hand, were visited only by a small cruise boat that motored through the bay, seemingly on its way to somewhere else, and by a set of porpoises that gracefully curved through the water. Even the porcupine that we’d been told had been plaguing the cabin stayed away. Maybe he was trying to keep out of the rain, too.

Things were so quiet, in fact, that we slept in the next morning, then foraged for blueberries in the bushes around the cabin to make blueberry-studded pancakes. The boys chopped wood, splitting the enormous logs in the woodshed into manageable pieces. I read. My son read. We went out for a paddle up the coast headed toward Scenery Cove and Baird Glacier, at the northern edge of the Stikine Ice Field, a remnant of the once vast ice sheets that covered much of North America in the Pleistocene Epoch. If the previous day had been rainy, this one seemed record-breaking, with water falling straight out of the sky and the pure aquatic rush down mountains providing a constant soundtrack.

That night we sautéed the halibut with some white wine and read about more spooky doings on our peaceful bay.

The last morning after breakfast, the skies lightened, so we went out for a paddle to Ruth’s Island nearby. As we approached the rocky point at the island’s southern tip, a group of curious seals appeared, popping their heads out of the water just feet away from the kayaks and then making a big show of splashing into the bay behind us.

The water taxi was coming back to pick us up at about noon, and as we paddled back we saw that the cruise boat that had motored through the bay the night before was now moored at the far end of the beach near Cascade Creek. As we were loading our kayaks onto the boat for the trip back to Petersburg, a floatplane suddenly came roaring overhead, skimming above the treetops as it came in for a landing on a nearby bay. Moments later it reappeared and taxied up to the cruise ship, no doubt letting off a new group of guests for an Alaskan adventure. That was fine, I thought, but it really didn’t beat a cabin and a wood stove and the soft sound of rain on the roof.

WHERE CIVILIZATION EXISTS ON THE FRINGES OF THE BACKCOUNTRY

When I started planning my family’s trip to Alaska I knew I wanted to spend part of our stay somewhere truly remote, unreachable by road and far from other people. Backpacking into the wilderness seemed daunting (I had read “Into the Wild,” Jon Krakauer’s account of Christopher McCandless’s death in the Alaskan wilderness), but using a cabin as a base seemed to provide the right mixture of getting away from it all and relative comfort.

It was relative, though: While cabins are a step up from tents, they generally have no electricity, indoor plumbing or heat other than a wood or oil stove. They do have bunks, but no mattresses, cooking stoves or utensils. Plan on bringing sleeping bags, pads, a cookstove and cooking gear, and all necessary food and drinking water (or a water purifier). Firewood is usually available, but not guaranteed.

At www.recreation.gov you can search by location, dates available or special features, and the Web site is a good place to start looking for a public-use cabin. It includes cabins and campsites on federal lands throughout the United States. There are also cabins on state land available from the Alaska Department of Parks and Outdoor Recreation ( dnr.alaska.gov/parks/cabins/index.htm ).

I began with some basic parameters: We were planning to be in Alaska in early August, wanted to travel part of the Inside Passage by ferry and wanted a site with hiking trails nearby. I quickly closed in on the Cascade Creek site, which was within the Tongass National Forest, and booked it after setting up the required free account on recreation.gov. Our cabin was $35 a night, and because I ended up changing our dates slightly, I also had to pay a $10 rebooking fee. Rules put in effect this year allow only one change of date.

Many of the bigger towns along the Inside Passage (again, bigger is a relative term) are served by Alaska Airlines with service from Juneau or Anchorage and with connecting flights to Seattle. Flights between Juneau and Petersburg are $198 each way. The more scenic way to travel is by the Alaska Marine Highway ( www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs ) , the state’s ferry service. The fast ferry, the Fairweather, sails every Tuesday and Friday from Juneau to Petersburg, leaving at 8 a.m. and reaching Petersburg by noon. The adult one-way fare is $66. Children 6 to 12 are half price. Children under 6 travel free.

Dealing with the logistics of travel within Alaska can be confusing and difficult from afar, so we used an Alaska-based travel agency to book our connections and accommodations other than the cabin. We used Viking Travel, which happens to be based in Petersburg and specializes in custom Alaska tours (800-327-2571; www.alaskaferry.com ). They build all your choices into one package, to which they add a 10 percent fee.

We found that extra expense worth it, since Anne Volk, our agent, knew the ferry and flight schedules and was able to do things like line up a water taxi ride to the cabin and back. The outfitter she used was Tongass Kayak Adventures ( www.tongasskayak.com ; 907-772-4600). For clients who are arranging their own travel, the owner Scott Roberge charges $200 each way for locations within an hour of Petersburg. He also rents kayaks, $60 a day for a double; $50 for a single. They come with life jackets, spray skirts and an emergency kit, including flares and a radio in case something goes seriously wrong. That last bit of equipment was particularly welcome, as there was no cellphone coverage anywhere near our cabin — which was exactly how I’d planned it.
 

AMY VIRSHUP is a deputy editor in the Culture department of The Times.

    In Alaska, a Wilderness to Call Your Own, NYT, 31.5.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/travel/31alaska.html?8dpc

36 Hours in Grand Canyon

May 31, 2009
The New York Times
By BROOKS BARNES

MORE than a mile deep at its most majestic, the Grand Canyon can still drop the most jaded of jaws. The sun sparkling across the exposed rock, the delicate curl of the Colorado River, the birds chirping in the pinyon pines — and then a bus grinds past you on a hunt for the best postcards in the park. Yes, the Grand Canyon is big in every way, including the category of tourist trap. Over four million people visit this remote corner of Arizona each year, and the experience can be a bit “death by gift shop,” if you don’t plan ahead — a necessity even if crowds and kitsch are your thing. During peak season, May through September, hotel rooms sell out months in advance, ditto for those mule rides, and certain rafting trips can be a year-long wait or more. Ah, wilderness!

Friday

5 p.m.
1) THE MAIN EVENT

Save the best for last? Not on this trip. After driving the 81 miles from Flagstaff, Ariz., the destination where most air travelers land, head to El Tovar Hotel (Grand Canyon Village, 928-638-2631; www.grandcanyonlodges.com ) The historic lodge, purposely built at such an angle that guests must leave their rooms to see more than a glimpse of the splendor, features one of the easiest access points to the canyon rim. Stretch your legs with a walk along the eastern portion of the 13-mile rim trail, which may leave you out of breath at 7,000 feet above sea level. Resist the temptation to go off the trail; park officials say about one person a year falls and dies and others are injured.

7:30 p.m.
2) EAT HEARTY, FOLKS

El Tovar may look familiar — the exterior of the hotel had a cameo in “Vacation,” the 1983 road-trip movie. Clark Griswold, a k a, Chevy Chase, pulls up in his pea-green station wagon and robs the front desk. He should have at least eaten dinner first. The restaurant at El Tovar (928-638-2631, ext. 6432) is by far the best in the area. As twin fireplaces blaze, relax with an Arizona Sunrise (orange juice, tequila and grenadine; $5.99) and take in the wall-mounted Hopi and Navaho weavings. For dinner, start with a house salad with pinyon vinaigrette ($7.40) and pick between the venison rib chops ($35.40) and beef tenderloin with wild shrimp ($34.90) for the main course.

10 p.m.
3) STAR STRUCK

If dinner got a bit pricey, take comfort in a free show afterward. Because there is so little pollution here — the nearest cities, Phoenix and Las Vegas, are both 200 miles or more away — the night sky is crowded with stars. Pick up one of the free constellation-finder brochures in the lobby of El Tovar and gaze away. Bonus points for anybody who can find the Lesser Watersnake constellation.

Saturday

5 a.m.
4) SUNRISE SONATA

The canyon’s multiple layers of exposed rock are glorious in the morning light; download the soundtrack to “2001: A Space Odyssey” as a dawn complement — the combination heightens the experience even further. Take a morning run or walk along the rim trail heading west and keep your eyes peeled for woodpeckers making their morning rounds. Don’t bother trying to make it to Hermit’s Rest, a 1914 stone building named for a 19th-century French-Canadian prospector who had a roughly built homestead in the area. These days, it’s — you guessed it — a gift shop and snack bar.

9 a.m.
5) HOP ON

Those famous mules? Buy the postcard. The animals smell, walk narrow ledges carved into the canyon wall and come with a daunting list of rules. (Reads one brochure: “Each rider must not weigh more than 200 pounds, fully dressed, and, yes, we do weigh everyone!”) Join the modern age and tour the canyon aboard an Eco-Star helicopter, an energy-efficient model built with more viewing windows. There are several tour companies that offer flights, but Maverick Helicopters (Grand Canyon National Airport on Highway 64; 928-638-2622; www.maverickhelicopter.com/canyon.php ) has a new fleet and friendly service. The tours are personal — seven passengers maximum — and are priced according to the length of the trip, with the longest being about 45 minutes at $225 per person. Ask the pilot to point out the Tower of Ra, a soaring butte named for the Egyptian sun god.

12 p.m.
6) PACK A PICNIC

The nearest town and the location of the heliport, Tusayan, Ariz., is a disappointing collection of fast-food restaurants, motels and souvenir shops. Get out of Dodge and pick up lunch at the deli counter tucked inside the general store at Market Plaza (located a mile or two inside the park gates; 928-638-2262). It’s nothing fancy — pastrami sandwiches and the like for about $5.95 — but it will at least save you from an order of junk food.

1 p.m.
7) DESERT VIEW

Hitting this tourist hotspot at midday will keep you clear of the throngs that assemble for sunrise and sunset. The view is still stupendous. From the historic Desert View Watchtower (26 miles past Market Plaza on Highway 64 East; www.scienceviews.com/parks/watchtower.html ), constructed in 1932, you can see the Painted Desert, a broad area of badlands where wind and rain have exposed stratified layers of minerals, which glow in hues of violet, red and gold. Park rangers give daily talks about the area’s cultural history.

3 p.m.
8) PLAY ARCHAEOLOGIST

Outdoorsy types will want to do another hike — more power to them. For those who have had enough of the canyon for one day, another of the area’s cultural treasures still waits to be explored. About 800 years ago, Wupatki Pueblo (about 34 miles north of Flagstaff on Highway 89; 928-679-2365; www.nps.gov/wupa ) was a flourishing home base for the Sinagua, Kayenta Anasazi and Cohonina peoples. The remnants of 100 rooms remain, including a space that archaeologists identified as a ball court, similar to those found in pre-Columbian cultures.

5:30 p.m.
9) WHO SCREAMS?

If heights aren’t your thing, relax: You’ve made it through the hard part of the Grand Canyon. Regroup after the drive back to civilization (or what passes for it here) with ice cream cones on the patio at Bright Angel Lodge (about two blocks west of El Tovar; 928-638-2631; www.grandcanyonlodges.com ), which features an old-fashioned soda fountain. It no longer carries Grand Canyon Crunch — the coffee ice cream with caramel swirls and chocolate chip chunks was too expensive to manufacture in limited quantities — but try a strawberry shake ($4.86). Inside the rustic motel is a newsstand, one of the few in the park.

7 p.m.
10) DINNER AND A DANCE

Apart from the dining room at El Tovar, the food here can be alarmingly bad. But give the Arizona Room (929-638-2631; www.grandcanyonlodges.com/dining-418.html ) inside the Bright Angel a whirl. The dishes are a mouthful in name — chili-crusted, pan-seared wild salmon with fresh melon salsa and pinyon black bean rice pilaf, $22.15 — if not exactly in quality. The good news: window tables overlook the canyon. Afterward, hang out around the stone fireplace in the lobby. With any luck, you will catch one of the randomly presented Hopi dancing demonstrations.

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) WILD SIDE

Kaibab National Forest, 1.6 million acres of ponderosa pine that surrounds the Grand Canyon, is a destination on its own for nature lovers and camping enthusiasts. After saying goodbye to the world’s most famous hole in the ground, stop on the way back to Flagstaff to explore the Kendrick Park Watchable Wildlife Trail (Highway 180, about 20 miles north of Flagstaff; www.wildlifeviewingareas.com ). Elk, badgers, western bluebirds and red-tailed hawks are relatively easy to see, along with short-horned lizards and a variety of other forest creatures. The Grand Canyon area is also home to scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes and Gila monsters — but those are (mostly) confined to the canyon itself.

THE BASICS

Numerous airlines fly between New York area airports and Flagstaff, Ariz., including US Airways, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Most flights require a connection. Round-trip fares for travel in June start at around $300, according to a recent Web search.

El Tovar Hotel (off of Village Loop in Grand Canyon Village; 888-297-2757 ; www.grandcanyonlodges.com/el-tovar-409.html  ) is by far the most upscale lodging in the area. It’s also centrally located and sports a recent $5.2 million renovation. Rates for a standard double room start at $174 a night.

Also nearby is Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins (a short walk from El Tovar; 888-297-2757; www.grandcanyonlodges.com/bright-angel-lodge-408.html ), a cabin-style motel built in the 1930s that is bare bones but surprisingly comfortable following a $2 million sprucing up in 2007. Standard rooms with a private bath start at $90 a night; rim cabins start at $142.

More modern options are available outside the park in Tusayan, Ariz., but amenities are slim. Red Feather Lodge (106 North Highway 64; 866-561-2425; www.redfeatherlodge.com ) is as good a motel as any. Standard rooms with king-size beds start at $149.

    36 Hours in Grand Canyon, NYT, 31.5.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/travel/31hours.html

On the Path of Walker Evans

April 24, 2009
The New York Times
By LAURA M. HOLSON

OUTSIDE the Middle of the Road antiques store on Highway 14 in Sprott, Ala., there is a well-worn patch of dusty gravel and matted weeds where curious travelers park to view what was once the local post office.

“This is one of the most photographed buildings in the county,” said Donna Hale, pointing at the structure where, until the 1990s, farmers picked up their mail and bought locally grown corn and beans, much as their parents and grandparents had done in the Depression. The post office was built in 1842, she said, and served as a general store where children fished penny candy out of glass jars while their parents sipped cold Coca-Colas under the covered porch, sheltered from the searing sun.

Ms. Hale owns the antiques shop that replaced the post office. She motioned to a faded poster tacked to a back wall. It was a copy of a black-and-white photograph of the building taken in 1936 by Walker Evans, whose images for New Deal agencies have come to define Depression-era poverty in the rural South. It is barely recognizable now, the building painted white, the second story toppled by a storm. Still, there are a few reminders of what Evans might have seen when he stopped by 70 years ago: a hand-painted Sprott sign hangs on a wall and an old refrigerator is stocked with Coke.

Few guidebooks navigate the highways that stretch from Birmingham to Selma. And as I listened to Ms. Hale I realized I had stumbled upon my own private tour. Conversation, it seems, is the best way to discover Walker Evans’s Alabama.

Through May 25, Evans enthusiasts can see photographs and some of the 9,000 postcards he collected during his travels as part of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Those interested in experiencing that world on a weekend trip can spend tranquil days exploring the roads Evans drove around Birmingham, Marion and Greensboro.

Evans is best known for his photographs for “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men,” which chronicled rural poverty in the Depression. The book was written by James Agee, who along with Evans lived with three sharecropping families for a month not far from Greensboro in Hale County. It was published in 1941 by Houghton Mifflin and, in time, garnered praise from social critics as well as the ire of some who said it portrayed Southerners as backward and ignorant.

But “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” contains only a small selection of the nearly 1,000 photographs Evans took while working in the mid-1930s for the Farm Security Administration and the Resettlement Administration. And it can seem as if little has changed in the close-knit towns that sprang up along the country roads that zigzag across central Alabama.

In Eutaw, where former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s grandfather grew up, the son of a sharecropper, a town square is ringed mostly by covered walkways, the paint of storefronts tattered by rain and heat, a pastiche of faded green, chocolate and pink against a blue sky. “We don’t see many out-of-towners here,” said a man who stopped to ask if I needed directions.

In Demopolis, a city of about 7,500 along the Tombigbee River first settled in 1817 by aristocratic French refugees, the faded outline of a Coca-Cola advertisement is visible against the brick wall of a warehouse in its historic business district, the words “relieves fatigue” painted white on a red background.

Most buildings there are well-preserved brick or clapboard, with upscale shops like the Mustard Seed, a gift boutique, co-existing alongside the local pawn shop and the Beehive salon, which was bustling on a recent Friday. The town too has a small theater district that, according to local history, was popular in the 1920s among fans of operas, plays and minstrel shows.

Other towns are easily experienced passing through. Twenty miles away in Uniontown, three men had set up a roadside stove in front of a burned-out building where they served $2 bowls of boiled crawfish, a washed-out canopy shielding them from the hot sun.

After sampling the sweet meat, I asked one of the men stirring a bubbling aluminum pot if he knew of any nearby restaurants to stop for dinner. “This is our supper,” he said matter-of-factly as he ladled a generous helping of crawfish into a container a woman had brought from home. He said nothing more, and I left, acutely aware I was an outsider.

This rural part of Alabama, much as it was when Evans was roaming its back roads, remains visibly divided by race, money and class. The state retains scars of its violent past. As the cradle of Confederate rebellion, divided from the North over slavery in the Civil War, Alabama still had lynchings of blacks well into the civil rights era. It was the focus of racial revolution in the 1960s, with protests and civil unrest in Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma.

Frank Stitt, the chef and owner of the Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham who has helped redefine Southern cooking, suggested I visit Greensboro. Incorporated in 1823, Greensboro is in Hale County and not far from Akron, where the families Evans photographed for “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” lived and worked. Among locals it is better known for its catfish raised in ponds situated on the outskirts.

“People here have always had a strong bond to the land,” Mr. Stitt said, “because for many years, after the Civil War and the Depression, the land was their only sustenance.”

“They were happy to have a bowl of beans and cornbread,” he added, “truly grateful if they got a piece of fish to eat.”

One evening this month, the parking lot outside Mustang Oil, an old two-pump gas station about a mile from downtown Greensboro, was crowded with cars and pickup trucks. A friendly shopkeeper I had met in nearby Marion told me to go to Mustang Oil and order the grilled catfish, hush puppies and fried okra for $12.99. “But it’s a gas station,” I said. “You won’t be disappointed,” he said, giving me a knowing look.

Inside, the linoleum floors were scuffed with age, the walls decorated with stuffed birds and mounted heads of deer that were shot by local hunters. Diners sat in hard-backed chairs, chatting while they waited for one of two friendly waitresses to deliver plates of steaming food on plastic trays. A woman sitting across from me smiled and, with little prompting, offered an hour-long history of the town.

I should visit the main street before I left, she said. When I drove through, it looked much as it did when Evans was there, only streets were cleaner and smoothly paved, and clothes in shop windows reflected a modern age.

When my plate arrived, I hungrily dove in — the okra was crisp, not soggy, the fish glistening with lemon juice and pepper. It was neither fussy nor complicated, much like the conversation.

Marion, where Evans photographed the H. G. Thigpen corner grocery and hardware store, is the Perry County seat and has a complicated history worthy of any Southern town. According to local lore, the first Confederate uniform and flag were designed there. It is also where Coretta Scott King attended high school. (She grew up 12 miles away.)

Luckily, it escaped damage during the Civil War, and several buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including Kenworthy Hall, a house designed by Richard Upjohn. For $10, visitors can listen to a cellphone tour arranged by the Perry County Chamber of Commerce. Unlike some other towns, Marion appears to have thrived since Evans’s time there.

Toward the end of my trip, as I barreled along a stretch of highway back to Birmingham, I was struck by something I had not imagined when admiring Evans’s black-and-white photographs: The landscape is saturated with color.

At sunset the horizon turned the color of fresh egg yolk. The round tops of trees formed a patchwork quilt of green — emerald, jade and olive — stitched together with the white blossoms of low-growing dogwood. The clean scent of new fallen rain smelled like blue. I parked in a shallow ditch on the side of the road to appreciate the moment, snapping a photograph of an old truck to remind me of the journey.

IF YOU GO

 

READING

“Alabama Off the Beaten Path,” by Gay N. Martin (GPP Travel, 2006).

“Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” is in paperback (Mariner Books, $18).

 

WHERE TO STAY

The Hotel Highland at Five Points (1023 20th Street South, Birmingham; 205-705-3450; www.thehotelhighland.com ) has large rooms for $113 and suites for $151.

 

WHERE TO SHOP

Anderson-Barnes Antiques and Collectibles (207 Washington Street, Marion; 334-683-2000) has an assortment of glasses, dishes, books and jewelry.

WHERE TO EAT
 

Mustang Oil (2205 West Main Street, Greensboro; 334-624-9301) offers a local menu. Fried catfish with two sides, including fried okra or baked beans, is $8.99. Grilled catfish is $12.99. Diners can fill up their gas tank after dinner at one of the two pumps.

Chez Fonfon (2007 11th Avenue South, Birmingham; 205-939-3221) is a French restaurant owned by the chef Frank Stitt. A charcuterie plate of pâté, cured meat and grilled sausage is $15. Steak frites are $21.95.

    On the Path of Walker Evans, NYT, 24.4.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/travel/escapes/24alabama.html

The Calm of the Swamp in Georgia

March 13, 2009
The New York Times
By C. J. HUGHES

THE alligator crouched on a bank in the Okefenokee Swamp and leered its tight-toothed grin — a sphinx daring travelers to pass.

My canoe measured 17 feet, and this refugee from the Jurassic Age looked about half that size. Even so, it seemed that a flick of its thick tail, as jagged as a buzz saw, could send the boat (and its unnerved cargo) reeling. Instead of a thump or a bump, though, the alligator slipped indifferently away, nosing beneath the dark water, until just a few bubbles marked its passing.

Coming face to face with an alligator is just one of the many pleasant chills to be discovered in the Okefenokee, whose striking landscape spills across 685 square miles in the southeastern corner of Georgia. Indeed, it shows that a swamp, no matter what time of year, can be a perfect spot for a flat-water-canoe camping trip. (Yes, this was a winter trip, but winters in Georgia are a bit different from winters, say, in Maine.)

And winter just might be the best time to visit the Okefenokee. Though nights spent in a tent can get cold — the 30s, low enough to keep a wool hat on in the sleeping bag — the days can warm up to a sun-drenched 70 degrees, as I found out on a trip two months ago.

Relative to May, when 90-degree days are often coupled with shirt-soaking humidity, the winter air is dry, which also deters biting insects. And those who despise snakes may be reassured that the corals, rattlesnakes and water moccasins — the swamp’s venomous serpents — are also laying low.

More profound, perhaps, is that in the cooler months, people are scarce, too. Once I put in at the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area in Folkston, near the Florida border, mile upon mile of embankments flush with lush plants slipped past without a glimpse of another person.

One of the few on the quiet water was Matthew Weand, a graduate student in forest ecology from Lexington, Ky., one of a group of six in three canoes. “I prefer the quiet,” he said, dipping a paddle beneath the surface.

Our chance meeting also reinforced the fact that visitors have to share the Okefenokee’s nearly 120 miles of canoe trails with some 15,000 alligators.

“We kept asking each other, ‘How do you behave around a gator?’ ” Mr. Weand said of his trip. “ ‘What if it smells a dog on a person?’ ”

At one point, he said, he spotted a floating 10-footer that had bulging, walnut-size eyes — a kind of Marty Feldman with sharp teeth and scales. It seemed to block the way.

“But then it sort of vanished,” he said, “and we went right over it.”

But obsessing over toothy reptiles can distract from more subtle pleasures, like the swamp’s pristine terrain, which can be amply savored on the type of three-day overnight trip I completed to Monkey Lake and Coffee Bay, following a triangular 21-mile course.

The Okefenokee is made up of three kinds of landscape: prairie, cypress forest and scrub-shrub. Prairie makes up the eastern section, and like its namesake out West, it’s flat, open and dotted with unkempt bushes. Reeds rustling in the soft breezes nuzzled small blossoms of a plant called marsh beggar’s-tick, whose eight yellow petals provided rare specks of color.

Unlike on the High Plains, though, water laps against all vegetation. In fact, Grand Prairie, which, at almost four square miles, has one of the swamp’s widest horizons, often looks like a yard where someone left a hose running too long.

The water trail through Grand Prairie is well marked, but the white-tipped posts are often beside the point. The way ahead was fairly obvious, as it was the one patch of water that’s not a riot of plants.

There are eight campsites in the Okefenokee. Most of them are 600-square-foot wooden platforms, often suspended above the water, with a tin-roof lean-to and an outhouse.

The Monkey Lake platform, where I slept the first night, actually sits on land. But the “squelch squinch” sponginess of the soil made it almost impossible to walk on. (Okefenokee means “trembling earth” in either Creek or Choctaw, depending on which scholar you ask.)

If days are hushed, the nights are eerily silent.

“Sundown is one of the most beautiful times, because the frogs start singing, then crescendo, then all at once, they stop,” said Don Berryhill, a longtime Okefenokee acolyte with whom I spoke after my trip.

“It’s part of what makes it so mysterious,” added Mr. Berryhill, a Waycross, Ga., resident who has also taught ecology classes in the swamp, “and why I go there every opportunity I get.”

The few noises I heard in the swamp often carried in odd ways. Coming around a bend on the second day, headed to Coffee Bay, my paddle nicked the hull and startled a clutch of sandhill cranes. As they took flight, their squawks sounded like squeegees on a dry windshield. Another time, three far-off deer darted and bounded across the wide watery plain with a frothy rush that seemed to echo endlessly.

The Okefenokee’s water is glassy for the most part. Despite being the headwaters for two significant rivers — the Suwannee and the St. Mary’s — there’s barely a current. That stillness makes the water, which is as shiny and black as buffed obsidian, a near-perfect mirror. Clouds drift in the sky, and below. My canoe sometimes seemed suspended in air.

On the afternoon of the second day, my trail connected with remnants of the Suwannee Canal, a well-defined 40-foot-wide passage that cuts deep into the swamp’s center, generally east to west, past cypress forest and lower-slung scrub and shrubs.

The canal is the most traveled part of the Okefenokee, and serves as a handy sampler of all three local topographies. As it cuts deeper into the swamp, though, it gives way to pines, cypress and that most evocative of Southern plants, Spanish moss, which clings spectrally to limbs and branches.

If all that sounds vaguely familiar, blame it on Pogo. The comic-strip possum, created in the mid-20th century, lived there, and the verdant forest settings drawn by Pogo’s creator, Walt Kelly, are spot on.

But for the canal itself, thank Henry Jackson, an Atlanta lawyer who, in 1891, with the help of hired convicts, tried to drain the swamp. He hoped to sell newly created farmland, as had happened a few years before in the Everglades.

“The thinking was, they were already getting rich in Florida,” said Chris Trowell, of Douglas, Ga., a former history professor who has written books about the swamp. “So, they wanted to get rich here as well.”

Though a 15-mile channel was eventually finished, Mr. Trowell added, a sandy ridge proved difficult to breach, even for Appalachian gold miners, and the project faltered. But Mr. Jackson had a backup plan: harvest the cypresses. That led to nearly 30 years of intensive logging of the rot-resistant trees, many of which dated from the 1600s. (A few stalwarts remain, in hard-to-reach groves in the northeast corner.)

Cypress, whose bell-bottom trunks feel as hard as concrete, was used for shingles, barrels and railroad ties. Though almost every cypress was cleared before the federal government took over the swamp in 1936, tens of thousands have since grown back, thriving on the Okefenokee’s 53 inches of rain a year.

“Despite the canal, the swamp is pretty much still in a wild state,” said Blaine Eckberg, a ranger with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the swamp. “And that’s what makes it unique. Ninety-five percent of the wetlands on the East Coast were drained or filled in, even the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.”

To preserve that keen sense of wildness, it’s better to avoid the whining flat-bottomed motorboats that ply the canal. A solution is to cut over to the Hurrah Trail, which doesn’t allow motorized craft and parallels the canal for two miles, starting near the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area’s put-in point.

On the third day, with the sun bearing down and a breeze riffling the water, this muted trail served as an emblematic backdrop for the last leg of my trip. Chunks of dark peat bobbed in the water. Pitcher plants swallowed bugs in their banana-shaped leaves. Turkey vultures turned circles overhead. The swamp, with its damp breath, pressed in intimately.

The primal ooze probably looked much the way it did in 1913, when J. C. Bradley, a Cornell University entomologist, led scientists wearing pith helmets into the still largely unexplored region.

A “swamp,” Mr. Bradley wrote later, “suggests mysterious and uncanny places, half lights, and weird creatures in noiseless activities, bent upon the fulfillment of their varied destinies. Here indeed is life in its fullest intensity, without the disturbing human element.”

Especially in winter.

IF YOU GO

There are three entrances to the swamp for overnight canoe trips, including Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, seven miles southwest of Folkston, Ga. Overnight permits cost $10 a person a night (912-496-3331; www.fws.gov/okefenokee ). Sites must be reserved by telephone, Monday through Friday, from 7 to 10 a.m.

Okefenokee Adventures (Route 2, Folkston; 912-496-7156; www.okefenokeeadventures.com ) sits canalside and rents out canoes and kayaks for $20 a day for overnight trips. Kayaks are easier to paddle but have less room for gear.

At the western entrance of the swamp, in Fargo, boats can be rented at Stephen Foster State Park (17515 Highway 177; 912-637-5274; www.gastateparks.org/info/scfoster ). Canoes are $15 for four hours and $50 a night. But you still need the federal overnight permit.

At the swamp’s northern entrance, in Waycross, rentals are available at the private Okefenokee Swamp Park (5700 Okefenokee Swamp Road; 912-283-0583; www.okeswamp.com ). Canoes are $18 a day; they cannot be rented overnight, or reserved. The park also has family attractions, like a miniature-train ride.

    The Calm of the Swamp in Georgia, NYT, 14.3.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/travel/escapes/13okie.html

36 Hours in Washington, D.C.

January 18, 2009
The New York Times
By HELENE COOPER

WASHINGTON is suddenly hip again, infused with the heady double-barreled combination of a new crowd of idealistic young political worker bees, who actually believe they can change the world, and the arrival of America's first black president. It's even cool to wave the Stars and Stripes. And in the honeymoon months of the Barack Obama presidency, before the country's marriage to its new president undergoes the usual souring, a trip to the nation's capital is just the ticket. Why, it would almost be unpatriotic not to visit.

 

Friday

6 p.m.
1) EARLY HOUSE PARTY

Hobnob with the Beltway arrivistes at Eighteenth Street Lounge (1212 18th Street NW; 202-466-3922; www.eighteenthstreetlounge.com ). Enter through the door next to the Mattress Discounters — there's no sign outside — take the stairs and voila! A multilevel row house, with room after room of velvet couches and fireplaces, awaits you. There's a back deck for spring and summer after-work cocktails, and the crowd is a mix of Yes We Can activists and Middle Eastern and European World Bank types.

8 p.m.
2) EAT LIKE OPRAH

Take a taxi to Capital Hill, to Art and Soul Restaurant in the Liaison Hotel (415 New Jersey Avenue NW; 202-393-7777; www.artandsouldc.com ). Oprah Winfrey's former chef, Art Smith, owns this restaurant, and it is command central for big inauguration parties. Yes, you've already had a cocktail, but you're not driving, so be sure to try the margarita, Perfected at the bar before sitting down to eat. The menu will remind you that, yes, Washington is a Southern city — don't even think of missing the Chesapeake Bay fry to start. It's a combination of deep-fried seafood — clams, calamari, shrimp, oysters with, of course, okra. Land and Sea hoecakes (with blue crab, beef and brie) are ridiculously good. If you're still hungry, then go for the pork chop with red-eyed gravy. And the babycakes — miniature coconut and chocolate cupcakes. Dinner for two, with cocktails, wine and dessert, is about $140.

10 p.m.
3) FREEDOM WALK

With luck, you did not wear the five-inch Prada heels tonight, because you're about to walk off that pork chop as you head down the National Mall. Your destination is the Lincoln Memorial ( www.nps.gov/linc ), with ole Abe backlit at night. Washington's monument row is always best viewed at night, when the tourists are gone and the romantics are strolling arm in arm. On election night, the Lincoln Memorial was an emotionally charged spot: Illinois was sending another of its sons to Washington. Since then, the monument — long the first destination for African-American visitors to Washington — has become almost a retreat, as residents and visitors alike come to read the inscription “With malice toward none, with charity for all” and to ponder America the Beautiful.

 

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) MORNING SIT-IN

Breakfast at Florida Avenue Grill (1100 Florida Avenue NW; 202-265-1586), a soul food institution, is a dip into the past, evoking the feel of lunch counter sit-ins and the civil rights movement. The place has been serving greasy and delicious Southern cooking since 1944. Buttery grits, Virginia ham, biscuits and gravy, even scrapple — all surrounded by photos of past Washington bigwigs as various as Ron Brown, the former Commerce Secretary, and Strom Thurmond, the former South Carolina Senator. Mr. Obama might have to keep his shirt on if he follows his predecessors here.

10 a.m.
5) 1600 PENNSYLVANIA

We know. It's the ultimate in touristy. But come on, it's the White House (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; 202-456-7041; www.whitehouse.gov ). To schedule a public tour, first you'll need to find nine friends to come with you. Then call your Congressional representative to schedule. (Not sure who? Go to writerep.house.gov.) These self-guided tours — which are allotted on a first-come-first-served basis about one month before the requested date — allow you to explore the public rooms and the gardens. Sorry, you won't be able to check out the indoor basketball court Mr. Obama might put in, but you will get to see the East Room, the Diplomatic Reception Room and the dining room where they have those swanky state dinners.

Noon
6) HELLO, BETSY

No, not that Betsy ... there are no star-spangled banners at Betsy Fisher (1224 Connecticut Avenue NW; 202-785-1975; www.betsyfisher.com ). This stylish and funky boutique is port of call for those deputies in the new Obama administration. (Mr. Obama's transition spokeswoman, Stephanie Cutter, gets her Diane von Furstenberg dresses there.) The owner, Betsy Fisher Albaugh, always has cocktails and wine on hand to occupy the men who invariably are dragged into the store.

2 p.m.
7) GO REPRESENT

It took six years to complete, but the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (Capitol Hill; at the east end of the Mall; 202-225-6827; www.visitthecapitol.gov ) finally opened last month. The subterranean center is meant to relieve the bottleneck that used to serve as the entryway for visitors to the Capitol. It does that and more, although the reviews have been mixed; some critics say it assumes a life of its own that is too separate from the Capitol itself. See for yourself — you can book a tour via the Web site, or just show up and wander around. The center has a rotating display of historic documents that can range from a ceremonial copy of the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery to the speech President Bush delivered to Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks.

7 p.m.
8) PARTY CHASER

O.K., enough with the federal touring, it's time to hang out with the real Washingtonians. Head to the always hopping U Street Corridor, and plop yourself on a stool at Local 16 (1602 U Street NW; 202-265-2828; www.localsixteen.com ), a popular Democratic hangout. There are multiple lounges and, best of all, a roof deck, where you can see the city lights while you sip your predinner watermelon martini. A lot of Democratic fundraisers habituate the place, so don't be surprised if there's a private party in one of the rooms.

8:30 p.m.
9) POLITICAL DISH

Have dinner a few blocks away at Cork Wine Bar (1720 14th Street NW; 202-265-2675; www.corkdc.com ), which might have the best fries in town. The owners, Khalid Pitts and Diane Gross, are friends of Barack (well, Mr. Pitts is director of political accountability with the Service Employees International Union, which endorsed Mr. Obama, and Ms. Gross has worked with the Democratic political establishment for years). The menu includes both small and big bites, from marinated olives and cheeses to duck confit and sautéed kale. And for goodness' sake, don't forget those fries! They are tossed with garlic and lemon. In fact, order two helpings. Dinner for two with wine, around $60.

10:30 p.m.
10) SMOKE-FILLED ROOM

Puff away the rest of your evening at Chi-Cha (1624 U Street NW; 202-234-8400; www.latinconcepts.com/chi-cha ), a hookah lounge where you can smoke honey tobacco out of a water pipe and sip late-night cocktails. The eclectic crowd dances to rumba and slow salsa into the wee hours, and there's always a diplomat in a corner couch doing something inappropriate — avert your eyes, enjoy your hookah and sway to the beat. You could be in Beirut. O.K., let's try that one again. You could be in Marrakesh. Well, maybe Marrakesh with Brazilian music. If you want to keep the night going, stop by Ben's Chili Bowl when it's at its busiest.

 

Sunday

8 a.m.
11) RIVER IDYLL

Washington is known for beautiful mornings along the Potomac River, and a perfect way to see it is from a canoe. Thompson Boat Center (2900 Virginia Avenue NW; 202-333-9543; www.thompsonboatcenter.com ), just where Georgetown meets Rock Creek Parkway, offers canoe rentals starting at $8 an hour and $22 a day. Paddle up the river, and you might catch a Senator (or a Saudi prince) having coffee on the patio of his stately home.

12:30 p.m.
12) LIFT YOUR VOICE

St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Church (1419 V Street NW; 202-265-1470; www.saintaugustine-dc.org ), which calls itself “the Mother Church of Black Catholics in the United States” is one of the oldest black Catholic churches in the country. The 12:30 Sunday Mass combines traditional black spirituals with gospel music. The place has been rocking with particular fervor since Election Day 2008.

THE BASICS

Hotel Palomar (2121 P Street NW; 202-448-1800; www.hotelpalomar-dc.com ) is a Kimpton boutique hotel in the heart of Dupont Circle. Rates start at $150.

Hotel Monaco (700 F Street NW; 202-628-7177; www.monaco-dc.com ), also a Kimpton hotel, is in the Penn Quarter neighborhood across from the National Portrait Gallery and near the International Spy Museum. Rooms from $180.

Hotel Tabard Inn (1739 N Street NW; 202-785-1277; www.tabardinn.com ) is a budget alternative (some rooms share a bathroom) filled with charm; think Old England not far from the White House. Rooms with shared bath start at $113; with private bath, $158.

    36 Hours in Washington, D.C., NYT, 19.1.2009, http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/18/travel/18hours.html

36 Hours in Phoenix

November 30, 2008
The New York Times
By RANDAL ARCHIBOLD

LIKE the myth behind its namesake, Phoenix seems to have come out of nowhere to rank as the nation's fifth largest city. Even long-timers have a tough time explaining the city's appeal. Phoenix has left no firm mark in pop culture, aside from a bit role in the opening shot of “Psycho.” The list of famous area residents is rather short: Barry Goldwater, John McCain, Jordin Sparks are among the better known. And the city is an inferno in the summer. The other nine months of the year, however, are gorgeous and sunny, making it a perfect time to visit the city's new bounty of top-notch golf courses, fashionable resorts, eye-opening museums and cool night life.

Friday

3 p.m.
1) MYSTERY CASTLE

All sorts of people, some of them rich and famous, once flocked to Phoenix for health reasons, at least before smog became a big problem. But perhaps none was stranger than Boyce Luther Gulley, an architect from Seattle, who arrived in 1930 to recover from tuberculosis and, while he was at it, built a “castle” largely from found objects. His daughter, Mary Lou, now elderly, occasionally helps out on tours of what is known as Mystery Castle (800 East Mineral Road, 602-268-1581), a trippy monument to Mr. Gulley's imagination. The home is adorned with all sorts of stuff, including tree branches for chairs, crooked windows and Indian artifacts.

6 p.m.
2) TACOS AND MARIACHI

The border is just three hours away by car and more than a third of the city's residents are Latino, so Mexican food rules. Phoenicians argue over the best restaurants, much the way New Yorkers debate pizza, but it is hard to top Garcia's Las Avenidas (2212 North 35th Avenue, 602-272-5584; www.garciasmexicanfood.com ), a family-run restaurant known for its traditional menu and cavernous setting. A mariachi band often drifts from table to table, belting out ballads. No, the menu is not daring, but the plates come heaping with home-style favorites like tacos and enchiladas that won't damage the wallet. The juicy Carnitas de Puerco ($9.50) are worth a try.

9 p.m.
3) HOLLYWOOD IN PHOENIX

The juggernaut of downtown construction — which includes a convention center expansion, a hotel and condominiums — has spared a few jewels, including the historic Hotel San Carlos (202 North Central Avenue, 602-253-4121, www.hotelsancarlos.com ). Hollywood stars like Mae West and Marilyn Monroe slept in this 1928 Italian Renaissance-style landmark, which still exudes an air of European refinement. Patrons today take their drinks to the rooftop pool and relax under the stars — the ones in the sky, that is.

Saturday

8 a.m.
4) SOUTHWEST OMELET

Locals will invariably steer you to Matt's Big Breakfast (801 North First Street, 602-254-1074, www.mattsbigbreakfast.com ), a popular diner that serves heaping plates of Chop and Chick (that's cutesy for a pork chop and eggs, $8.50). But the place is tiny and the line outside can be unbearable in the heat. A more clever option is to wait until brunch is served at the Welcome Diner (924 East Roosevelt Street, 602-495-1111; open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), a few miles east and several decades back in terms of décor. It's the type of place where the cook chats your ear off while serving up simple, countertop fare like a fried egg sandwich on sourdough ($4). Granted, it's not exactly roomy, either, but there's usually no wait and the running banter can't be beat.

10 a.m.
5) REBORN BUNGALOWS

You won't confuse it with SoHo, but some marketers are trying to brand the burgeoning cultural scene in central Phoenix as, um, CenPho. A cluster of galleries, boutiques and restaurants have opened in rehabilitated bungalows along once-forlorn Roosevelt Street, where you'll find exquisitely torn clothing and artwork by the up-and-coming — or came-and-went. Start at Made Art Boutique (922 North Fifth Street, 602-256-6233; www.madephx.com), an eclectic boutique that carries vintage magazines, ceramics and jewelry. Farther up the street is Conspire (901 North Fifth Street, 602-237-5446; www.conspirephoenix.com ), featuring the works of local clothing designers and artists and a coffee bar to boot.

Noon
6) BOUGIE BILTMORE

Shopaholics may want to check out the recently remodeled Biltmore Fashion Park (24th Street and Camelback Road, 602-955-1963; www.shopbiltmore.com ), a largely open-air mall that has about 70 high-end shops, including Cartier, Cole Haan and Ralph Lauren. If that puts you in the mood for more elegance, head for the nearby Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa (2400 East Missouri Avenue, 800-950-0086; www.arizonabiltmore.com), a 39-acre oasis of garden and green where rooms start at about $300. You don't have to stay here to walk the grounds and take in the Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced architecture and stunning gold-leaf ceiling.

2 p.m.
7) BEANS AND ART

A sure sign that Phoenix is hip, or getting there, is the rich espresso and other caffeinated delights at the Lux coffee bar (4404 North Central Avenue, 602-266-6469; www.luxcoffee.com ), a cheery spot for a midday pick-me-up. The baristas will gladly explain how the specially picked beans are roasted on-site in an old Victoria Lido roaster. But the austere, metallic décor and frequent art shows are just as inviting.

3 p.m.
8) UGLY PAST

American Indian culture runs deep here, with several active tribes and reservations in the region. Just about all of them have contributed displays or material to the Heard Museum (2301 North Central Avenue, 602-252-8848; www.heard.org ), renowned for its collection of Native American art. It has won high marks for an exhibit on Indian boarding schools, which captures the little-known experience of thousands of children bused, sometimes forcibly, from their reservations to government schools in order to erase their culture and “civilize” them. Haunting photographs, old uniforms, oral interviews and memorabilia offer a powerful look at this chapter in history.

6 p.m.
9) FLASHY DRINKS

Phoenicians love a good meal as much as the next city slicker, but apart from the posh parlors at the many country clubs, this is a laidback town. No wonder, then, people flock to Binkley's (6920 East Cave Creek Road, 480-437-1072; www.binkleysrestaurant.com ), where topflight contemporary American cuisine with a slight French influence can be enjoyed in golf shirt and shorts. Allow extra time to get there: it is 35 miles north of downtown Phoenix and traffic can be unforgiving. The location, a mini-mall with a rent-a-car outlet, may seem uninviting, but the chef, Kevin Binkley, who was among the top 20 contenders this year for a James Beard award, is full of surprises. The amuse bouche is a specialty and Mr. Binkley serves them serially, one more exotic than the other. The last was a piña colada lava lamp, a pineapple consume with simulated caviar served on a brightly flashing coaster. By comparison, the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin ($38) may seem a little pedestrian, but it doesn't disappoint.

10 p.m.
10) DANCING WITHOUT STARS

If you've never been in a music video, but always wanted to know what it felt like, make your way to the Sky Lounge (132 East Washington Street, 602-229-1110; www.skyloungephoenix.com ), a Latin club with a busy dance floor and very fit people. If rock is preferred, one intriguing place is Alice Cooperstown (101 East Jackson Street, 602-253-7337; www.alicecooperstown.com ), named after the shock rocker and Phoenix resident Alice Cooper. Food, drinks and live bands. The servers wear “Alice eyes” make up. Need we say more?

Sunday

10 a.m.
11) URBAN DESERT

Phoenix is surrounded by desert, but if marching through the hot, dry plains doesn't sound appealing, stop by the Desert Botanical Garden (1201 North Galvin Parkway, 480-941-1225; www.dbg.org  ). Spread across 50 acres in Papago Park, the garden is an oasis of towering cacti, redolent flowers and surprisingly verdant plants in the middle of the urban grid.

BASICS

Several airlines serve Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, including JetBlue, Continental and US Airways. Round-trip fares from Kennedy Airport in New York start at around $350 for travel in January. Renting a car is a must, but be forewarned: you'll need to take the rental car shuttle after collecting your bags to get to the rental center.

For luxury, check into the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, which offers a choice of eight swimming pools, a golf course and well-reviewed restaurants. Rooms start at $300, depending on the season, and go much higher.

Less touristy is the Royal Palms Resort (5200 East Camelback Road, 602-840-3610, www.royalpalmshotel.com ), which manages to offer a measure of seclusion amid the city's sprawl. Palms, gardens and fountains abound, transporting guests from the surrounding hubbub. Rates start at $400.

Kinder on the wallet, but much less secluded is the new Sheraton Phoenix Downtown (340 North Third Street, 602-262-2500; www.sheratonphoenixdowntown.com ), a 31-story, 1,000-room tower with modern conveniences like flat-screen TVs, speedy Wi-Fi connections and contemporary décor. Rooms start at about $200.

    36 Hours in Phoenix, NYT, 30.11.2008, http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/travel/30hours.html

36 Hours in Burlington, Vt.
 

November 2, 2008
The New York Times
By KATIE ZEZIMA

IT is no surprise that Burlington, a city whose biggest exports include the jam band Phish and Ben & Jerry’s, has a chill, socially conscious vibe. But for all its worldliness — antiglobalization rallies and fair-trade products abound — Burlington has lately turned an eye to the local. The Lake Champlain shoreline has undergone a renaissance in recent years, with gleaming new hotels, bike and sailboat rental shops and parks with sweeping views of the Adirondack Mountains. But perhaps the strongest emphasis on local can be found in the city’s developing restaurant scene, where menus are now filled with heirloom tomatoes and grass-fed beef from (where else?) Vermont. And you’re practically required to wash it all down with a local microbrew.

Friday

4:30 p.m.
1) STROLL, SHOP AND STARE

With its eclectic mix of students, activists, artists, families and professors (the University of Vermont is based here), Burlington offers some interesting people-watching. Take in the sights at the Church Street Marketplace (2 Church Street), a wide, four-block concourse that is the city’s social center and home to more than 100 shops and restaurants. The pace is slow, leisurely and crowded, so be sure to leave plenty of time to explore. Pop into Sweet Lady Jane (40 Church Street; 802-862-5051; www.sweetladyjane.biz ) for funky women’s clothes and accessories; Frog Hollow (85 Church Street; 802-863-6458; www.froghollow.org ) to check out treasures created by Vermont artists; and Lake Champlain Chocolates (65 Church Street; 802-862-5185; www.lakechamplainchocolates.com ), where a hot chocolate doubles as a meal, and we dare you to eat just one truffle.

7:30 p.m.
2) CHIC CHIANTI

Long known as a town for gravy fries, pizza and other collegiate staples, Burlington has had a flurry of upscale restaurants in recent years. L’Amante (126 College Street; 802-863-5200; www.lamante.com ) helped lead the charge. If one were to take Tuscany and add a splash of Vermont, the result would be this hearty yet crunchy menu. Try the bruschetta of local baby squash ($10) and New York strip with white beans, tomato and Swiss chard ($27). It’s sleek and low-lit, yet somehow informal, despite