Archive for April, 2010

The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas: JFK’s History, Tragedy, and Conspiracies

April 30th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. West destinations

Have you ever wondered if the truth is out there?  That there’s more than meets the eye? 

There are plenty of conspiracy nuts out there—even if you’re not one yourself, you’ve surely got some weird Uncle Ted or that cryptic neighbor who’s always suspiciously peaking out from behind his closed shades that subscribe to alternative explanations of big news events (such as volcanoes in Iceland) involving little green men, shadowy government operatives, bad Dan Brown novels, and corporate cover ups.

There have been some great conspiracies in American history – such as the so called Lunar Landing, where NASA booked a cheap flight to the Nevada desert to film footage of Neil Armstrong instead of the more costly trip to the moon. Or Elvis faking his own death to turn his back on celebritydom (and maybe landing in a nursing home in East Texas). But the granddaddy of them all is the JFK assassination, and there’s a very unique museum—right near several Dallas hotels—dedicated to the tragic event and one of the most talked about conspiracy theories ever.
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Acapulco Hot Spots

April 27th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico

The 35th Annual Tianguis Turistico tourism fair is taking place in Acapulco this week. The event, held at the Acapulco Convention Center, brings together all elements of the Mexico tourism industry and is attended by travel professionals from around the world. Acapulco hotels are filled with people from travel companies and travel publications during this time.

I figure that these travel industry professionals, many of whom have come to Acapulco year-after-year for the show, are a pretty good source for tips on Acapulco vacation activities. I’m not just listening to their words however, I am also studying where they themselves spend their time when not in the convention center. Here are some of the places the travel professionals congregate, which means they are strongly endorsed options for your own trip to Acapulco:

La Quebrada Cliff Divers
These Acapulco icons are an impressive sight no matter how many times you see them soar off the jagged cliffs into the waves over 100-feet below. Even if you watched the event on ABC’s Wide World of Sports as a kid, you can’t comprehend all of the potential dangers until you see the divers in person. The precipice actually slants backward, meaning that the performers have to jump out to clear boulders at the point where the crag meets the sea. The narrow opening of ocean where they land is only 15-feet across and churns in a swirling green foam. It is nerve-wracking to watch, yet impossible not to. Most of the travel professionals take in the show over drinks from the balcony of the La Perla hotel, which I recommend as well.
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See Branson for a Song

April 22nd
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Midwest destinations music

I must admit, I’m not much into musicals—granted, I do enjoy a show every now and then, but the idea of people suddenly breaking out into song and dance, especially in awkward, dramatic, or climatic situations,  just seems absurd to me (unless of course, you’re Buddy the Elf). But I think I’m in the vast minority. Especially since millions of people, like my wife, can’t get enough of Glee.

In fact, many people plan their vacations around singing and dancing. You’re first inclination might be to book a New York vacation and give your regards to Broadway. But show me the latest mega-musical in Manhattan, and I’ll direct you to a little town called Branson in the Show-Me State with a number of theaters that rivals Broadway and offers a greater variety of live performance genres. Before you break a leg and start booking reservations at Branson hotels, here’s what you can expect.
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Enjoying Madrid

April 20th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
destinations

Madrid is finding itself one of the most popular countries in Europe right now. With volcanic ash clouds from Iceland shutting down airports in England and northern Europe, travelers on both business trips and Europe vacations have been taking trains, cabs, and buses to Spain in an attempt to get back to the United States.

My husband was one of those very travelers. Stuck in London last weekend with no information about when Heathrow might reopen, he and a group of fellow travelers took the chunnel train to Paris and then chartered a bus for the 15 hour-drive south to Madrid. They arrived to their Madrid hotels in time to shower and change clothes and then went straight to the airport where they were lucky enough to fly standby back to the US.

While my husband felt fortunate to get a seat on a flight, he was disappointed that he didn’t get to spend even a couple of hours enjoying Madrid. For those travelers who do have a day or two to kill in the bustling Spanish capital, here are some of the sights and activities you should try to fit in:

The Prado Museum: This world-famous museum displays not only great art by Spanish painters, but also treasures from Italian and Flemish virtuosos. Don’t miss works by the Spanish triumvirate: El Greco’s attenuated and ethereal saints, Goya’s expressionistic dark paintings, and Velazquez’s clear portraits of the royal family.
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The World Grits Festival in South Carolina

April 16th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast destinations events and festivals

Have you ever told anyone to “kiss your grits“? You don’t have to be named Alice, or even live in the South to do so. But if you’d rather open your lips wide to consume the veritable southern dish than pucker them up, you’re in luck. Book a last minute cheap flight and head southbound to the World Grits Festival which is being held this weekend in St. George, S.C.

This tiny town of 2,000 people swells to nearly 50,000 each year on a weekend around tax time (man, would I sure love to tell the IRS to, “kiss my grits!”) to host the event, a most appropriate honor given that more grits per capita are eaten here than any other place in the world! The town is right near the intersections of I-95 and I-26, a short drive from the Carolina coast–so after checking out of your Charleston hotel, or driving back north from your spring break Florida vacation, swing by for the greatest grits around.

Before we continue though, some of you may be asking: What exactly are grits?
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Mexico City’s Contemporary Art Show

April 15th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico destinations events and festivals

The IRS  is taking its cut today, which means that media outlets are looking for creative takes on tax stories. One recent news item highlights a deal that Mexican artists can make with their government – they can pay their taxes in paintings. That’s right – for every five works the artists sell, they can opt to give the government one painting as a tax payment instead of having to cough up cash. Which means that the amazing Diego Rivera or Rufino Tamayo painting that you see in a museum on your next Mexico City vacation may actually be on loan from the Mexican IRS, which collected works from both artists in lieu of taxes.

This program, in place since 1957, has allowed the Mexican government to amass a huge collection of works from some of the country’s most famous painters. A 10-member jury of artists, which changes every two years, makes sure that nobody unloads lemons on the government either. The paintings, which cannot ever be sold, remain part of the country’s cultural heritage.

If you are traveling to Mexico this week and want to check out some the paintings that may well soon make their way into the Mexican government’s collection, don’t miss the Zona Maco Art Show.  It is well-worth an excursion from your Mexico City hotels to visit the country’s largest annual contemporary art fair, where the works of 900 artists from 20 countries around the world are all shown under one roof at the 10,000 square foot Centro Banamex.
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Airline to Charge for Overhead Bin Space

April 8th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
news

The big news in travel yesterday was Spirit Airlines’s announcement that it is going to start charging for space in overhead compartments. That’s right. Just when you thought airlines had come up with all the ways they could to get more money out of vacationers – including Ryanair’s pee fee – they found another. Sure we all love cheap flights, but doesn’t it seem like this charge is a bit extreme, even for a bargain airline?

For travel starting on August 1, passengers will have to pay up to $45 to place a carry-on in the overhead bin. This payment will also allow said travelers to board the plane first. Any personal items that fit under the seat in front will still be free…for the time being anyway.  A spokesman for the airline tried to couch the fee in a positive light by saying that it will reduce the number of carry-on bags, which will speed up boarding and deplaning.

Spirit Airlines claims that unbundling all its services will help reduce fares by having customers pay for only the services they want and use. They say that those who don’t use every service on the plane are subsidizing those who do and that it not fair. (Spirit Airlines’s own pee-fee can’t be far behind if that is their way of thinking.)
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Tee Up a Trip to Augusta for The Masters

April 7th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast events and festivals

Perhaps you’ve heard a thing or two about this guy named Tiger. That he’s a pretty good golfer, had a little car accident back in November, and got into a little a bit of trouble for a couple of things that aren’t really suitable for printing on this family-friendly site. Of course, all of those are gross understatements (especially the “couple of things” comment—I think it was actually more like 15), just like simply saying The Masters is a big golf tournament.

In the eyes of most, it is the only tournament that matters. Many golf enthusiasts have had their Augusta hotel rooms booked for over 12 months, and future travel plans scheduled years in advance. That’s why Tiger Woods, an owner of four green jackets, chose to break his “indefinite” leave from golf with The Masters, making it even more of a must-see event. Actually, media circus and fandom mayhem is probably more like it. But one thing is certain: regardless of whether or not Woods wins his fifth Masters title in his return, this will be an Augusta vacation experience you will never forget.
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Mexico City Views

April 7th
2010
by Becky Youman
posted in:
Mexico

According to a recent article in the Washington Post, the skies over Mexico City have cleared dramatically since the 1990s. The country’s capital, where birds used to purportedly drop dead in flight because of the pollution, has made such positive steps towards reducing air contamination that it is now being held up as a model for the developing world. In fact, Mexico will host a UN climate-change conference later this year and many international experts are saying that the country’s successful efforts to control emissions can be offered up as examples to cities in China, India, and other fast-growing countries.

While the residents of Mexico City obviously benefit from the cleaner air, so do those visiting on Mexico vacations. Not only is it more pleasant to walk around these days, but there are also some great views to be had now that the skies are mas o menos clear. Travelers are often surprised to wake up to stunning views of snow-capped volcanoes from their Mexico City hotels instead of smog and grime.

While the views in Mexico City will still obviously depend on the weather, there are some places where your odds of taking in spectacular sites go way up. Here are some of my favorites:
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Revisit the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee

April 6th
2010
by Matt Wilson
posted in:
U.S. Southeast destinations

It might be known as the Battle of Pittsburg to some, but if you plan a visit to the Civil War battlefield by booking a Pittsburgh hotel reservation, you’ll be a long ways off. That’s because Pittsburg Landing is actually in Tennessee. Also known as the Battle of Shiloh, it was home to some of the most fierce fighting in the War Between the States, and featured some of the biggest names on both sides. Confederate Generals A. S. Johnson and P.G.T. Beauregard launched a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant and his Union forces, and nearly defeated him had reinforcements not arrived on the second day from Gen. Don Carlos Buell.

It was, at the time, the bloodiest battle in U.S. history, with nearly 25,000 casualties combined from both sides (including Gen. Johnson). On the 148th anniversary of when it was fought, it remains today a beautifully kept memorial to the brave men who battled on bothsides, and is a must see for any Civil War buff. And with its close proximity, it’s an easy drive for anyone on a Memphis vacation to step back in time and enjoy this historical place firsthand.
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