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There are very few trains from Granada to Barcelona. The ride is approximately 16 hours long and traverses a great deal of mountainous terrain before arriving on the Mediterranean. The distance is too far for most bus lines and air travel within Spain is prohibitively expensive so I decided to take the overnight train. The atmosphere on the train was extremely festive and reminded me of something out of a spy novel. The bar car was a popular hangout with tourists from all over the world meeting and telling stories as the train sped through the warm night air. The train stopped periodically at deserted terminals for long periods of time. Sometimes I would get off a nameless, deserted station to enjoy a cigarette. Sometimes I just watched through the window. I have never been able to sleep well on any form of transportation but eventually I gave up and went to my seat, reclined as far as I could, felt instinctively for the pouch containing my passport and traveller's checks that lay against my skin. Eventually I did manage a few hours of fitful sleep.

When I woke the sun was shining through the window of the car. I looked out upon the country that passed by the window. We were passing through the outer suburbs of Barcelona. They looked to me like the suburbs of any major city. In the distance I could see the gun metal band of the Mediterranean Sea. Something stirred in me when I saw the sea for the first time. While the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel are both awe inspiring sights, both are also merely extensions of the Atlantic, a body of water from which I have lived no more than 3o miles for my entire life. I had never seen the Mediterranean before, a place which I had only read about in history books and European novels.

Immediately upon disembarking from the train I felt the thick humidity of the Mediterranean climate. I made my way from the train station through the crowds of the city with my pack heavy on my back. The central boulevard of the city, Las Ramblas, is a hot bed of activity. Tourists, street performers, vendors and prostitutes all mingle about this central artery of the city. My hostel, Barcelona Dream, was located on a street of Las Ramblas. Barcelona Dream is an excellent choice for low cost accomodations. The rooms are clean with balconies overlooking the street below. There are free lockers, computers, plenty of bathrooms and a spacious lounge with couches and televisions downstairs. The hostel was an interesting mix of all nationalities and I quickly made friends with a number of people from all over the world with whom I would check out this fantastic city.

After dropping my gear I made my way post-haste to the beach. The walk to the beach was a long one which took me down Las Ramblas again to its terminus by the docks of the Port of Barcelona. I could see the Olympic Village left over from the 1992 games with the magnificent metallic circles of the Olympic Rings. I made a left and followed the broad promenada which ran parallel to the Sea. Throughout Barcelona that June there were orange flower petals all over the streets which fell from the trees. Their color highlighted the vibrance of this ancient city. One of the first things I noticed was the pillar of Christopher Columbus with arm extended toward the New World. As I wandered east toward the public beaches I came across many arab vendors selling various hand made crafts and other sundry items. I did buy a pair of sunglasses from one of them to shield my eyes from the piercing sunlight that shone down. My walk took me past mansions crawling with ivy, government buildings flying the Spanish colors and modern art sculptures that stood in the open for all to admire.

The beach was extremely crowded. At that time I had become accustomed to Spanish beaches which are adorned throughout the season with nearly naked and gorgeous European men and women. The white sand was hot but the beach was large enough to handle the many tourists who basked in the sun. There were many other differences to beaches I had seen elsewhere in my travels. Patrols of vendors selling drinks or jewelry wandered the beach in packs of two or three. When I swam in the water of the Mediterranean it was blessedly warm, like the Gulf of Mexico in summer. The water was a flat grayish blue and there many flat stones of incredible colors in the surf. I took home with me two gorgous rocks that I found in the surf at Barcelona. I spent much of my time on the sands.

Over the course of my four days in Barcelona I saw and experienced much. One of my first stops after settling in for a day was the statue of Columbus. I paid the three euro for the ticket and rode the elevator up the narrow column to the observation deck at the top. Although the column is only fifty feet or so high it offers a magnificent view of the city. One can see the harbor, the surrounding hills, and the buildings of the city stretching into the hazy distance. The column of monument is so narrow, though, that it shakes in the wind which I found to be a slightly nerve-wracking situation. I did stay long enough to take my best photos of Barcelona.

I also made my way to the local history museum, which, as it turns out, is built on the Roman ruins of the original town of Barcino. The museum was built adjacent to the cathedral in the center of the city, within the original Roman walls, which still stand and ring the heart of the current city. The ruins themselves were discovered when the land was excavated during the construction of the current museum and becames its premiere exhibit, last stop for museum visitors. Along with a wonderful girl from Australia that I met in my hostel, I visited this museum. The primary exhibit in the museum was a study of Don Quixote. Don Quixote is a book that every American student studying Spanish has to read at some point or another. The work gives us the word quixotic, which means overly idealistic and the term tilting at windmills, a metaphor which signifies any obviously futile action. In Spain, however, the book takes on special significance and is considered a national treasure as much as the Puerta del Sol and the Alhambra. The exhibit detailed Spain the time of Don Quixote and particularly focused on Quixote's visit to Barcelona. I learned a great deal about Barcelona in that museum. I learned that Barcino was one of the original Roman towns in Spain, dating back over two thousand years. During the Civil War the town, along with much of Spain sided with Pompei against Julius Caesar. Barcino thrived through the centuries on trade and fishing. During the black plague in the 14th century Barcelona was almost wiped out just as most Mediterranean ports which engaged in heavy trade.

After learning all about Barcelona's long history we took the elevator below street level to the site of the Roman ruins. We walked over catwalks which extended over the remnants of a winepress which still has the fossilized remains of grapes on the floor. We also saw an ancient dyeing factory, which had the traces of bright colors used to dye cloth. The excavation told the story of a town that thrived on commerce millennia ago. While I would see even more remarkable exhibits in Rome later that summer, at that time, these were oldest archaelogical remains that I had ever seen.

Adjacent to the history museum sits the cathedral of Barcelona, a gothic masterpiece which sits atop the ruins of many ancient churches dating all the way back to the ancient Roman temples of Barcino. The cathedral is a magnificent example of gothic architecture with its soaring vaults, columns and chapels. In the center of the Cathedral is an open courtyard in the middle of which is a pool of water. A gaggle of swans swim in the water or walk around the courtyard creating a light and beautiful contrast to the austerity of the gothic church. I enjoyed the atmosphere of cathedral so much that spent half an hour sitting on a stone bench in silent enjoyment of the place.

After three weeks of travelling in Spain I did not set an ambitious itinerary of sightseeing but rather decided to wander about where ever I felt like going. In addition to the museum and sights I have already mentioned I also saw a city that was grimy with age, pollution and population. Many humdrum buildings on out of the way streets were decorated with magnificent graffitti murals of cartoonish figures. The streets were covered with flower petals and everywhere a bright sun shone down at all times. By night the city became a very exciting place.

Barcelona in many ways reminds me of tropical cities in America like New Orleans or Miami. All such cities by night are places of revels, mystery and danger. Barcelona is heavily trafficked by thieves, hookers and panhandlers who seek to make a living by fleecing the unwary tourist. I found it best not to walk too far from very public areas and to travel in groups. Barcelona more than compensated for this dark side, however, by its incredible variety of bars and clubs. Along the waterfront there are many small bars and big clubs where one can enjoy a refreshingly cool cocktail or dance to contemporary dance music and hip hop. All in all I found Barcelona to be an exciting city where I had a good time, learned a great deal about Spanish history, enjoyed lots of sunshine on its fantastic beaches and relaxed in the low key atmosphere. Barcelona was a great way to round out Spain before travelling on to France.

By Derek Wilson

Berlin is a city still fighting to throw off the negative image that engulfed it for most of the 20th century. In parts it is a modern, cosmopolitan city but it still has areas that have been neglected by governments and people alike. The visitor to Berlin can take in nearly 800 years of history strolling around Mitte, the middle of the city, and see sights as relevant to Berlin's foundation in 1237 as to the future years and decades to come within a couple of moments walk of each other. Berlin of course has many districts each with their own distinct and unique flavour from leafy Charlottenburg to post wall trend area Prenzlauer Berg. The tour described here is Berlin in a day, something that could be done by a traveller with a four wait between trains at the new Hauptbahnhof - the biggest station in Europe with an estimated 250,000 daily users. The condensed nature of this tour does not make it any less worthwhile to see - and by the time you're finished, your feet will assure you that a place in a beer garden has been hard earned!

This particular walk is best suited for those with imagination. Many of the sights are beautiful buildings, that is true, but the time will be more enjoyable to those who can imagine the scenes beyond the mere bricks and mortar. This tour takes in the very starting point of Berlin, now the Museum Island in the Spree, from when Berlin was an insignificant village with nothing other than fishing and local barter. Reducing this vibrant capital city of over three million people to little more than a hamlet on the small island is good starting point for the walk as this is the only way that the complete impact of Prussia on Berlin can be understood. The transformation from a quiet backwater to the bustling city it became under the eyes of the Prussian military kings is remarkable. The architecture from this time is second to none and many of Carl Fredrich von Schinkel's architectural masterpieces can still be viewed. After Schinkel's work is viewed you can then see another crucial phase of Berlin history, that of the Nazi era 1933-1945. Adolf Hitler firmly believed that Friedrich the Great and his mighty Prussia was the forerunner for his own leadership of the mighty Third Reich. Many of the Nazi sights in Berlin can still be seen but those who can transport their minds back through time to this terrifying part of the cities heritage will be rewarded with an emotional and thoughtful experience. And as quickly as the seemingly invincible Nazi regime fell a new system of government and oppression replaced it. The Soviets were eager to claim their reward for 20 million war-dead and Berlin was their showpiece prize. Despite failing to drive out the other victorious war allies they were able to impose their own Communist regime on the Eastern half of Berlin and Germany, leaving only West Berlin as an isolated island of capitalism in the red sea behind the iron curtain. This dark city was the setting for dens of spies to play their deadly games and you can stand in the very spot where Russian and American tanks stared each other down in 1961 across Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous border crossing through the Berlin Wall. Remnants of the wall are now scarce but a section is seen on this tour. As our timeline progresses beyond 1989 and the mauerfall one still needs imagination but now to look into the future to see what lies in store for this ever developing city.

We begin our tour at Hackescher Markt. Now this is one of the trendiest parts of town in the middle of Berlin and has enough cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs to keep you enthralled regardless of your entertainment preference. This was also one of the biggest Jewish quarters in pre-war Berlin. Around 170,000 Jews made their home here until 1933 but after the Nazi oppression that number dropped by a huge amount. There are currently 25,000 or so Jews in Berlin. The Hackescher Hofe is a stunning building that contains many bars, cinemas and theatres along with a dazzling facade. In Christmas the square here hosts one the most bustling markets in Berlin where you can pick up all sorts of warm food and presents. From here we go under the S-Bahn line and approach what is now known as Museum Island. This piece of land, essentially sitting in the middle of the River Spree, is where Berlin began. This was originally a small fishing village that was of little consequence to anyone. It was only when the mighty Prussia came to the fore, several centuries later that the free city of Berlin really began to make the world take notice. The Electors and Kings of Prussia that reigned here did so with mixed fortunes but Friedrich the Great is the most well known. His obsession with Prussia's military might ensured the Berlin economy ticked over but he was also liberal towards religions and this encouraged an influx of refugees from all over Europe. The economy was geared towards supplying the army both with men and the equipment, clothes and food needed to be ready for war. The island now plays host to some of the most spectacular museums in Berlin; The Pergamon, the Old Museum, the New Museum, the newly reopened Bode and the Old National Gallery. All are worth a visit in their own right.

From the Museum Island we walk through the Lustgarten towards Unter den Linden. Nowhere in Berlin can more history be viewed in one sight than the Lustgarten. It was originally the gardens of the Imperial Palace but had also been used as a military parade ground both by the Prussians and the Nazis. On one side it is flanked by the imposing Doric columns of the Old Museum and on the other there remains the wing of the Palace from which Karl Liebknecht declared a socialist republic after defeat in the First World War brought down the German monarchy in 1918. Liebknecht's dream was short lived as the Weimer Republic managed to quash the Communists to ensure it's own birth. However Liebknecht is remembered in Berlin by having his name lent to a huge Allee which passes through Alexanderplatz, a clossal square in the middle of town named after the Russian Tsar which visited the city in 1805. During the war the majority of the Imperial Palace was destroyed by allied bombing and the DDR tore down the ruins with the exception of Liebknecht's balcony wing. In this place they built the Palast der Republik - effectively the Parliament of the DDR but it also contained restaurants and a bowling alley. After the collapse of the DDR there was a great debate with what to do with the asbestos ridden building and it is now being torn down to be replaced with a replica Imperial Palace. This decision has angered many Berliners, not just at the frightful waste of 640 million Euros but at the fact this is another huge part of East German history which is being erased from history. From here we can also see the huge TV tower in Alexanderplatz. The construction was built in 1969 not only to beam TV signals but to show off the technological ingenuity of the East. Unfortunately the Politburo that ran the DDR were more optimistic than their talent should have allowed and a team of Swedish engineers were quietly brought in to finish the project. As a result no one knows how much the tower cost but it does stand at a whopping 359m tall, making it the second highest in Europe behind the Ostankino Tower in Moscow.

We now turn down the majestic Unter den Linden, the road which leads from the Lustgarten all the way down to the Brandenburg Gate. On the other side of the gate this huge street continues under the name Strasse der 17 Juni, all the way into Tiergarten park. This glorious boulevard was designed in order for Friedrich the Great to ride straight from his Palace to his hunting grounds. It also had the added bonus of intmidating visitors to the city who arrives through the Brandenburg Gate toll booth and reminding them of exactly who the boss was! Walking down Unter den Linden we pass the Prussian guard houses which now act as the German National Museum and as a home to the statue commemorating all war dead. This very memorial caused a great stir in Germany as to the right fashion in which people should remember the past. Given the special nature of Germany's history is intriguing to see that even something as standard in the rest of the world as a war memorial causes people to become uncomfortable.

The next stop on on our tour is Humboldt University. This is one of many universities in the city but it is the most famous and was home to several noble prize winners including Albert Einstein. Ironically the university was founded by Wilhem von Humboldt when the French were occupying Berlin in the early 1800s following the defeat of the Prussian army. Previous to this there was no major university in Berlin - perhaps an indication of just how much the previously mighty Prussia had declined over the years, led by a series of ineffectual leaders after Fredrik the Great. The magnificent buildings of the university were donated by the Prussian hierarchy to support Humboldt's push to increase education. It was originally called the Free University of Berlin and was only named after its founder when the Russians occupied the city after the second world war. And in front of the law faculty building is the infamous Bebelplatz. This is the very location Nazi students, roared on by propaganda chief Josef Goebals, staged the burning of the books in May 1933. From the law library and from all over the city students carted books that were deemed to be offensive the German nation and burned them in a frenetic rage. There is now a permanent memorial to this incident under the Platz, in the form of empty shelves with space for 20,000 books - the approximate number burned by the Nazis. This square comes complete with an irony that exists so often in Berlin as it was originally called Operplatz and intended to be a stagecoach parking lot for the adjacent opera house. This contrast between liberal culture and barbaric oppression is undoubtably one of the unique things about Berlin which gives the city it's distinct edge.

As we walk beyond Babelplatz we soon arrive at Gendarmmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin. The dominant building is Schinkel's concert hall and at either end are two large cathederals, respectively named the French and German. The French was constructed by French Hugonots who arrived in Berlin after fleeing oppression - while the Berlin rulers made them welcome they did insist they pay for their own cathederal! Much of the square lay in ruins for decades after world war two and it was only when the DDR softened it's attitude towards religion that the square was restored to it's former glory with the restoration of all the buildings. From the Gendermmarkt we move onto one of the most famous streets in all of Berlin, Friedrich Strasse. Presently this is a cosmopolitan shopping street filled with designer shops. But a mere twenty years ago the street was home to the most famous border crossing in the city between East and West, Checkpoint Charlie. This was where American and Soviet tanks stared each other down in 1961 and the world hovered on the verge of nuclear destruction. Thankfully sense prevailed in that instance but the two super powers continued to peer suspiciously over the wall at each other for years to come. The wall came into existance when Walter Ulbricht, Communist chief in the DDR, persuaded Nicolai Kruschev that this was the only way to stop the 'brain drain' that was strangling the East Germany economy. When the Berlin border was still freely passable hundreds of thousands of young Ossis - usually the talented ones, fresh out university with energy and ideas - were able to move to the West unhindred. The border was sealed overnight on the 13th August 1961, at first with barbed wire but the concrete blocks that made the wall soon followed. Laughably it was named 'the anti-facisit protection barrier' by SED chiefs but the nature of the border crossing (with it's guns, mines and tracker dogs) made it clear to everyone that it existed to keep one set of people in rather than the other out. Checkpoint Charlie is now a popular tourist attraction even if most Berliners prefer to avoid the tackiness of it all. The sign warning of the border crossing in the American sector and the small check point hut are both replicas. The Museum at Checkpoint Charlie is well worth seeing for anyone that has a day to spend reading not just about the history of Berlin in the cold war but about Hungary, Czecheslovakia, Poland, Romania and the USSR. It is a fantastic place but be well warned that the amount of reading to be done is phenomenal and no matter how brave and exciting the various escapes over/through/under/around the wall were, eventually they all merge into one another.

But now it is time to take a well earned rest. We have reached the half way point of the tour and lunch is required by all. The local recommendation - for tourists at least! - is the little pizza delhi on Friedrich Strasse. Alternatively the Cafe Adler provides good beer, good food and an eerie atmosphere. If you can still use your imagination just think about the CIA sitting three floors above you, binoculars trained over the wall...we will reconvene at the Checkpoint in 45 minutes for the second half of the tour. Please don't be late!

We had the privilege of living in San Diego, California for just under four years, when our children were quite small. The U.S. Navy sent my husband there to work on a ship, so we were lucky enough to be housed in Navy housing quarters; in San Diego, that meant we were only a couple of miles from the beach. While there was navy housing scattered all over the huge city, ours was in scenic Pacific Beach. We were even on a slight hill so if we craned our necks, we could see glimpses of the ocean from our front yard. We could also see the tower at Sea World, as well as the fireworks that were set off there every Saturday night during the summer months. The best thing we found about San Diego, however, was that there are countless things to do there. In fact, in four years of living there, we did not get to do everything on our list of things to do; there simply was not enough time and there are too many options!

One of our favorite spots in San Diego was the world famous San Diego Zoo. Not only does the zoo offer all that makes it famous - giant pandas, polar bears, amazing habitats for the animals, and a plethora of species, many which are endangered - but it also has a jungle-like beauty that makes visitors forget they are in the middle of a huge city. The zoo is laden with countless palm trees and other tropical plants. All paths are paved and there is shade to be found around every corner. There are many restaurants, snack shops, and snack stands all around the zoo, depending on the taste of the visitor, or if visitors bring their own lunch, there are plenty of picnic tables and area in which to rest and relax. The San Diego zoo offers special passes for groups or multiple day visits, and even season passes.

Our other favorite place to go in San Diego was Sea World. Not only was Sea World a refreshing place to visit on a warm summer day, it had all the wonderful attractions such as dolphins, penguins, polar bears, countless types of fish, sting rays, sharks, and of course the beloved Shamu. For anyone staying in San Diego for a week or longer, Sea World offers summer camp programs for children where they can make new friends and learn about sea life in a safe and fun setting. Our son went to the Sea World camps two years in a row and absolutely loved it.

Belmont Park is a small amusement center on Mission Beach in the central part of coastal San Diego. With an old roller coaster, several other rides, and many video games, Belmont Park is a fun place for children and adults even on the rare rainy days in San Diego. Yet on sunny days, the beach is just steps away; in fact, the view of the ocean from the top of the roller coaster is something to behold!

San Diego also offers the Gas Lamp District, which is a downtown area full of trendy restaurants and pubs, with all the streets decorated by old-fashioned gas lanterns. La Jolla, just north of the city, is another good place for restaurants, as well as shopping. La Jolla has been touted as a small version of Beverly Hills.

Still, our favorite place to go while we lived in San Diego was simply to the beach. Especially after moving to the northeast where we always have to park far away and pay an entrance fee to go to the beach, we enjoyed San Diego where we could simply ride our bikes or park and walk onto the beach, no charge. The beach was large, clean, and had plenty of lifeguards. When we got hungry, we could walk up the boardwalk to our favorite restaurant or find something at one of the many snack shacks.

All in all, San Diego is a wonderful place to visit and to live. Even if one must live on the eastern side of the city, the beach is not far away, the weather is delightful for much of the year, and there are always plenty of fun things to do. I would highly recommend a visit to sunny San Diego.

By Simon Woodhouse

In recent years, ecotourism has moved away from being the exclusive haunt of environmentalists, and shifted into the consciousness of your average holidaymaker (example - me). As with most things, there are degrees of ecotourism. Hardcore environmentalists might think nothing of tramping through the Himalayas, or paddling a canoe up the Amazon. I haven't quite managed that level of commitment just yet, but I do like the idea of interacting with the world at large, seeing it as it really is, and doing so in such a way as to cause minimal damage.

Societies changing attitudes to the natural world can be seen in the decline and fall of one particular industry - commercial whaling. Thanks largely to mass media exposure, as soon as people saw just what a barbaric practice commercial whaling really was, it didn't take long for organized public pressure to result in it being outlawed. This level of activism is understandable, because whales and dolphins are amongst the most beloved animals on the planet. Besides the decline in commercial whaling, attitudes toward marine parks are also changing. Though there's nothing quite as spectacular as seeing dolphins and orcas up close and in full flight, is it really fair on an animal whose natural home is the sea, to keep it penned up in a tank? With the best will in the world, a marine park can't offer the same environment as the open ocean. Though getting on a boat and spending a day at sea might not be as convenient as sitting in a marine park grandstand, it is the only way to see whales and dolphins at their best - in the wild and free to go wherever they please.

Whale watching tours out of Auckland, New Zealand, run nearly every day of the year (weather permitting). I first went on such a trip toward the end of May 2004. As I'd never been on that sort of excursion before I wasn't sure what to expect. The boat departed from the quayside around mid-morning, and made its way out of the harbor toward the open ocean. As Auckland Harbor is a very sheltered body of water, the conditions there don't reflect what might be happening out at sea. The harbor can be as flat as a millpond, whilst a little way out from shore there might be a heavy swell. On this particular day the sea conditions weren't a problem. There was hardly a wave in sight, something which made whale spotting that much easier. We'd hardly been going for more than about twenty minutes, when one of the crew pointed out a pod of dolphins.

New Zealand has quite strict rules governing the whale watching industry, and if the animals are feeding or sleeping, tourist boats aren't allowed to approach. Bearing this in mind, the boat's pilot stopped the engine and just let the vessel drift. Almost straight away the dolphins made a sharp u-turn and headed straight for us. For the next fifteen minutes or so they performed beautifully, as if they liked being the center of attention. They jumped out of the water, swam as close as they could to the boat, and even came along side escorting very young calves.

After this first encounter we headed further out to sea and came across a Brutus whale. Compared to the dolphins this creature was massive, easily as long as the boat. Then much to the excitement of the crew, it became apparent this was a mother and baby. As well as taking tourists out to look for whales, the team on the boat make detailed records of all their whale and dolphin encounters. This was the first sighting of young Brutus whale for along time. We followed the mother and calf for quite a while, as they seemed to be going in the same general direction as our planned route. Not long after that the crew spotted a mass of feeding gannets. This is a good sign, because it means there are schools of fish close to the surface, usually forced up by dolphins feeding on them from below. The crew maneuvered the boat right in amongst the birds (of which there were hundreds), switched the engines off and for about half an hour we just sat there. Though we saw no dolphins, this was the best part of the trip for me. The ocean was absolutely calm, there wasn't a breath of wind and the only sound was the birds diving into the sea.

Not long after this we had to head back to port. On the return trip we came across two more pods of dolphins, both of which stayed with the boat for at least fifteen minutes each. We were also shown just how environmentally concerned the crew were. Someone board dropped a plastic bag over the side, something that can be deadly to a whale if swallowed. Straight away the pilot stopped the boat, turned round and went back to retrieve the bag. We also came across a slick of what looked like oil floating on the surface. Though it's illegal, many container ships swill out their holds just after leaving port, and dump the residue of whatever they've just unloaded straight into the sea. One of the crew took a sample of the slick with the intention of giving it to the harbormaster, who in turn would have it analyzed and checked against the contents of vessels that had recently been in port.

Having left Auckland around mid morning, we didn't return again until late afternoon. I'm not much of a seafaring person, so I found being out on the boat all day pretty tiring. But the trip was worth it. Since then, I've never even been tempted to go to a marine park. Seeing animals in their natural environment, where they've got a choice about whether they want to be scrutinized or not, is so much more exciting than going to a zoo. Choosing to do this as part of a well-organized tour also ensures the animals are treated with respect. I can't recommend this experience highly enough, even to people who may not be particularly interested in dolphins and whales.

Malaysia is known internationally to be a multi racial country that is rich in tradition and culture. Last week the country was busy celebrating the Deepavali and Hari Raya festival and I was on a long holiday with my kids. My son love animals, he never misses any shows featured on Animal Planet. He was practically pestering me to take him to the zoo.
So last week I took my two kids to the National zoo located in Kuala Lumpur.

A concrete jungle of building and houses now surrounds the zoo that was once in a virgin jungle. This is because it is only 13km from the heart of Kuala Lumpur, which is one of the busiest cities in Malaysia. The best time to visit would be in the morning, as it could get quite hot during the afternoons. You will not be allowed to bring your own food or water but it should be purchased from the shops that are in the premises of the zoo.

If you want to avoid getting stuck in a traffic jam, as the roads are usually busy you could opt to take a taxi or use the Putra Line (train) that departs every 15 minutes. You will need to purchase the tickets that cost RM 15.00 for adults and RM 6.00 for children aged above 5 years old. Please have a brief look at the bulletin board before you enter the zoo, as it will contain information about the animal shows for that particular day.

The elephant shows will take place in the elephant Amphitheatre at 10.30am and 2.30pm, while the Multi animal show will take place in the Main Amphitheatre at 11.30am and 3.30pm. The elephant show will feature solely on the tricks performed by the elephants based on the commands of their keepers. You could also have a ride on the elephant after the show that will cost RM 3.00 per person. The elephants perform many acts that reveal their strength and intelligence, like standing on their hind legs and many more.

Multi animal show consists of performance by a variety of the zoo animals like the orang utan, seal, parrot, snake and otter. The zookeeper and the animals are sure to keep you entertained with their antics. They encourage the crowd especially the children to participate in the show by clapping hands and cheering the animals.

The snake show only starts at 8.30pm; you will only be able to witness this spectacular show only if you attend the night zoo. It is a show that will pump up your adrenaline, as the trainer will attempt to kiss the cobra on its head several times. You are allowed to touch the python and snap photographs with it. Other poisonous snakes are also featured in the show with the trainer carrying out some dangerous acts like holding it by the tail, staring face to face with it and so on.

Please note that the shows can be cancelled at anytime taking into consideration the animals health, mood and the weather. Rainy weathers may require the trainers to put the animals and themselves in a much greater risk. If it rains, the floor of the Amphitheatre would be slippery, it would be difficult to kiss the cobra exactly on the head and snakes are more active when it rains so the trainers may find it a problem to control the snake.
One minus point here is that the Main Amphitheatre is only covered by layers of transparent net, if it starts to rain you will end up getting wet. The show will be cancelled if it is a heavy rain so checks the weather report before you leave for the zoo and do not forget to pack an umbrella in your bag.

Night zoo gives you an opportunity to study the animal behavior during the night. Although this is a good effort to educate the public further about nature and the animals, the lights provided are not so bright, thus it will be difficult to see the animals clearly.
If you would want to bring your kids along to the night zoo it may not be suitable as insects such as mosquito can easily bite them and they could get lost as it would be very dark. It will also be past their bedtime and children usually get cranky or moody when they want to sleep. You could opt to take a train ride, which is free of charge if you must attend the night zoo, as it will be safer and you get to scan the animals on the premises at one go.

Another new edition to the zoo is the Children Corner. The animals displayed here is the Hedgehogs, Slow Loris, Ponies, goats, Chickens, Owl, parrots, bugs, beetles, Meerkats, monitor lizards and mouse. The children can take a ride on the ponies at 2.45pm only. This section is quite fun and educational for the children.

Other attractions in the zoo are the Tunku Abdul Rahman Aquarium as it consists of over 80 species of marine and freshwater aquatic creatures including invertebrates. The fishes displayed are quite large. There is a separate tank beside the aquarium reserved for the penguins.

The Reptile House exhibits a wide range of snakes from the tiniest to the largest. The famous King Cobra and the python are the most popular snakes sought after by the visitors. Scorpions, Iguana and lizards also fall under the reptiles list. Different types of crocodiles, tortoise and turtles can also be found here.

Savannah walk focuses on the mammals such as the African lion, Giraffes, Emu, Ostrich, Kangaroo, Tigers, Sun bears, Grizzly bear, Panther, Leopard, Puma, deer, Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Camels. There are also a variety of primates in the zoo such as the common monkey, Gibbon, Mandrill, Orang Utan and the Bearded Monkey.

Bird lovers will enjoy themselves in the Bird house that displays hundreds of species of birds such as Eagles, Hornbills, Peacock, Cockatoo, Bats, Parrots, Flamingo and the list just keeps going on.

The zoo has kept its level best to maintain a natural environment for the animals to ensure they feel right at home. Some of the animals here are sponsored by big organizations, the tiger is sponsored by May bank Group, while the camel is sponsored by the Am bank Group.

We can also do our part by keeping the zoo clean and educate our children about the animals. I made sure my son read all the information stated on the boards outside the animals cage so he will be able to understand the animals better. We also attended the feeding time and commentary given by the keepers for certain special animals such as the tiger and the deer.

Some useful tips to remember is as stated below;

Always bring along an umbrella and a cap

Explain safety measures to your children, as they could get lost easily in a crowded place.

Wear comfortable shoes, as the zoo is 63 hectares so you would be doing a lot of walking.

Bring along your binoculars so you can see the animals better.

Make sure to visit the zoo during the day so you can see all the animals because day animals or primates cannot be seen after dusk especially the Orang Utan.

If you have a toddler bring along your pram so that you do not have to carry the child the whole day.

Check the details about the shows so that you can plan your time accordingly.

If you are too tired to walk go for a ride on the train, as it is free of charge.

Keep your child busy by making him take down notes about the animals.

The National zoo is an excellent teaching ground about endangered animals but it still needs some improvements to make it a better place.

In the melting pot of Brazil, three quite different concepts of a square meal interacted delectably. The Indians, who were there first, contributed grains, vegetables and an appreciation of the abundant seafood. The Portuguese, who colonized Brazil, brought their stews and sweet tooth... and then imported African slaves who in turn added new spices and sauces.

Later immigrants introduced novelties from other nationalities: knackwurst, pizzas and hamburgers are fully assimilated by now. Brazil is a big country, with food to match. Whatever the recipe or its derivation, the raw materials couldn't be more auspicious.

Brazil is one of the world's leading cattle-producing countries, so the meat is first-class and relatively inexpensive. The South Atlantic provides a bonanza of fish and seafood. In the tropics, familiar fruits and vegetables are juicier than ever, and unfamiliar ones excite the adventurous palate.

You may not come to agree with the contention that Brazilian cooking is in the same class as French or Chinese (in my case Greek) cuisine for originality and grandeur, but you will certainly be glad to have made the acquaintance of Brazil's array of wholesome and fascinating food.

In Rio it is easy to find the right restaurant for your mood and appetite: a fish house on the beach or a candlelit French restaurant, a bohemian pasta parlor or a barbecue with waiters in Gaucho costumes. To find out what is going on in any restaurant, just look in the window (though in many cases there is no window at all, only tables overflowing onto the sidewalk). Restaurants post their menus beside the door, so you know the price range and specialties in advance.

Most tourists stay at Zona Sul beaches and quite logically take advantage of the many good restaurants nearby. But it is also worth exploring the central business district, which boasts a distinguished roster of French, German, Portuguese, Spanish and even Brazilian restaurants.

Hotels customarily include breakfast (cafe da manha) in the price of the room (fresh fruit juice, toast and rolls, butter and marmalade and coffee with hot milk). The hours are posted, usually 7 to 9 or 10 a.m. If you miss breakfast, you can catch up at a stand-up street-corner cafe. However, Rio's relaxing sidewalk cafes do not normally serve breakfast.

Meal times for lunch and dinner are uncommonly flexible. Lunch can start at 11:30 or 12:00, more fashionably at 13:00 or 14:00 and go on as long as you please. Dinner can begin as early as 19:30 or 20:00, but many restaurants stay open until 1:00 or 2:00, or until the last customer goes home. Most restaurants are open seven days a week.

The national dish of Brazil, "Feijoada", contains 18 or 19 ingredients and takes hours to prepare. It also takes hours to digest, which is why you will be wise not to order it at night. Most Cariocas eat it at lunch on Saturday, then take the rest of the day to recover.

If you like unusual combinations of tastes and textures, you will rave about "feijoada". This typically Carioca stew is a feast of black beans with sausage and other pork products and dried beef, flavoured with onions, garlic, chives, tomato, parsley and perhaps hot peppers, then served with boiled rice, cassava flour, shredded kale and (brilliant after-thought) fresh orange slices. It is almost obligatory to start or accompany this meal with a batida, Brazilian rum sour. Discreet "feijoada" fanciers follow this with nothing stronger than mineral water.

From Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul comes the cowboy food, "churrasco". Cariocas and tourists alike enjoy dining at churrascarias, which serve barbecued meat in the Gaucho style. Strips of beef or sausages, chicken or chops are skewered and roasted over charcoal. Authentically, the meat must be kept moist with brine; the spit is inclined at a 45-degree angle over the fire. Avery popular species of churrascaria advertises the rodizio system. For a fixed price, you get to eat as much as you want of all the barbecues in the house. Waiters arrive with one skewer after another, tempting you first with a sausage, then a chop, then a chunk of steak, a lamb cutlet... You do not have to know the language, but you need a formidable appetite.

The state of Minas Gerais, north of Rio, provides an exquisite little dish which would be worth ordering for its name alone: "tutu". A thoroughly prosaic translation would be black bean mush. But bean-lovers think "tutu" is too tasty to be true, being a subtle mixture of beans, bacon and sausage or jerked beef, manioc meal and onion, usually served with shredded kale and hard-boiled egg.

Brazil's foremest contributions to the art of cooking come from the northeast, where the Indeian, African and European currents meet. Rio is specializing in these spicy delights. Here are three of many celebrated dishes:

"Acaraje". A large fritter made from a batter of dried beans and dried shrimp, deep-fried in boiling "dende" oil, the yellowish palm oil indispensable to northern cooking. The resultant dumpling is split down the middle and liberally filled with a special sauce made of ground shrimp, chopped onion, peppers and perhaps a dash of ginger. It is served as a starter or snack.

"Vatapa” This Bahian specialty calls to mind shrimp creole, but it is more complicated, with subtly interacting flavors. The ingredients may include shrimp, fish, grated coconut, ground peanuts, cashew nuts, tomato, onion, hot pepper, ginger, coriander, olive oil, "dende" oil, pepper and salt. This is sauteed at length and served with rice cooked in coconut milk.

"Xinxim" (pronounced shing-shing), another name to inspire the imagination, is a chicken stew from Bahia. What makes it different from all other chicken-in-the-pot recipes is the addition of ground dried shrimp and the use of hot spices and "dende" oil. The hot sauce served on the side should be approached with caution.

Many Rio restaurants deal primarily in fish and seafood, often prepared according to Portuguese or Spanish recipes. As elsewhere, the price of lobster (actually crayfish or spiny lobster) could embarrass your budget. Other shellfish are within reasonable reach. Look for "zarzuela de mariscos", a thick Spanish version of a "bouillabaisse", or the Portuguese variants, "caldeirada" or "frutos do mar ensopados".

Generally, when they eat fish, Cariocas prefer a thick fillet, for they are nervous about fish bones. In many restaurants you will find dishes described vaguely as "filet de peixed" (fish fillet). The fish in question often turns out to be "badejo" (bass), tasty in spite of its anonymity, but sometimes overwhelmed by a thick sauce. You can also get excellent sole "linguado". The sauce called "belle meuniere" is a butter sauce complicated, with typical Brazilian enthusiasm, by the addition of shrimp, mushrooms, asparagus, capers and whatever else will make it seem luxurious. In the Portuguese restaurants, you can choose from many varieties of "bacalhau", dried salt cod usually baked in a rich sauce.

All over town you will find lunch-counter restaurants advertising "galetos" (spring chicken barbecued over charcoal). This makes a fast, cheap and often delicious meal.

Stand-up snack bars are everywhere. They are often called "lanches" (which means "snacks" not "lunches". These are the places to try some Brazilian appetizers (codfish balls, chicken patties, shrimp pies, cheese patties.

A recent development is the proliferation of American-style hamburger and hot-dog emporia, clean and brash and very popular with young Brazilians.

For snacks on the run there are countless pushcarts dealing in sandwiches, hot-dogs or popcorn. On many a Rio street you will find a lady from Bahia in her flowing dress, beads and white turban, sitting behind a tray of the richest but subtlest cookies and cakes imaginable. In a glass case beneath this she displays a few snacks home-made from the great recipes: "acaraje" and "vatapa", for instance.

Desserts in restaurants or at snack bars can be overpoweringly sweet, probably a combination of the Portuguese influences and the early boom of the Brazilian sugar industry. If they prove too much for your taste, switch to fresh fruit, which is varied and abundant and generally a joy.

In the tropical heat, you will work up a healthy thirst. No matter where you find yourself, relief is close at hand.

On the beach, barefoot salesmen walk past you every other minute offering soft drinks, mineral water, beer, or paper cups filled with iced lemonade or "mate" (pronounced MAH-chee) from their over-the-shoulder tanks. Here the Gaucho drink, "mate", is served very cold and sweetened; it tastes like tea with overtones of tobacco. Another Brazilian drink, bottled "guarana", is made from a fruit growing in the Amazon; it tastes a bit like cream soda.

Certain bars specialize in "caldo de cana", sugar-cane juice squeezed before your eyes in a special press. The soupy liquor is not as sweet as you would expect, and the after-taste is somewhat wooden.

Look for the bars advertising "sucos" (juices) with lots of fresh fruit on display. They serve as many as 20 different fruits, juiced as you watch. Do not limit yourself to the delicious orange juice; try some tropical specialties like "caju" (cashew-apple), "mamao" (papaya) and "manga" (mango).

Perhaps the favourite Carioca thirst-quencher (served at stand-up bars, sidewalk cafes and with meals in restaurants of all classes) is a "chope" (pronounced SHOW-pee), a glass of ice-cold draft beer.

Brazil's most popular aperitif, the "caipirinha" is similar to a Mexican margarita, but instead of tequila, the firewater is "cachaca", distilled from sugar cane. Ice and lemon soften the blow of this potent concoction.

A "batida" is a cocktail, usually whipped up in a blender, of "cachaca", ice, sugar and fruit juice. Among favourite flavours: lemon, orange, coconut and passionfruit.

Brazilian wines enjoy less fame than they deserve. The best of them come from Rio Grande do Sul, in the mild southern part of the country. There are reds, whites and roses to choose from. In hot weather all wines tend to be served chilled.

Brazilian beer is a great national asset, always served very cold. Draft (chope) is the favourite, but some restaurants only serve beer in bottles, sometimes large bottles.

After dinner many restaurants serve complimentary coffee, or you can have a "cafezinho" at one of the coffee bars. You are expected to pour sugar into the little cup (capacity just over 2 fluid ounces) before the coffee is poured. Brazilians like it very sweet, and very often.

There is no government tax on restaurant meals, but a 10 percent service charge is often added to the bill. If your waiter served you will, you might want to leave an additional 5 percent or more on the table.

Most restaurants offer an optional "couvert", often an overpriced dish of olives and pickled carrots, broccoli and cucumber and a few gulls' eggs. Feel free to wave it away if you do not find it appealing.

On most Rio restaurant tables are two shakers, one for salt and the other for tooth-picks. If you want pepper, ask the waiters for "pimenta"; you will probably be served a whole tray of condiments.

If a restaurant is full, it is not customary to join a table of strangers, even if only one person is occupying a table for four. You just have to wait for a free table.

A few key words that will help you read the food/drink catalogue and order are:

leite = milk
uma agua mineral = mineral water
um guardanapo = napkin
batatas = potatoes
arroz = rice
uma salada = salad
um sanduiche = sandwich
sopa = soup
acucar = sugar
cha = tea
vinho = wine
uma cerveja = beer
a conta = bill
pao = bread
manteiga = butter
um cafe = coffee
sobremesa = dessert
peixe = fish
fruta = fruit
um sorvete = ice cream
carne = meat
o cardapio = menu
frango = chicken
frito = fried
goiaba = guava
grelhado = grilled
lagosta = spiny lobster
laranja = orange
legumes = vegetable
limao = lemon
maca = apple
melancia = watermelon
morangos = strawberries
ovo = egg

I hope that this information will help you have a wonderful trip. Rio is beautiful and if you have the chance to dine there it will be an experience of a life time!!!

"Vancouver is a big city with west-coast attitude, but you never feel overwhelmed," is what the woman from Alberta said to me. We shared a seat on the Airporter Bus (the most economical way from Vancouver International Airport to downtown).

A four-day conference brought me to Vancouver, B.C. and most of my time was spent in a hotel ballroom. Thirty-six hours belonged to me and this is how I made the most of the journey.

The Vancouver Tourist Info Centre (200 Burrard Street) is the spot to begin any visit to the city. Maps, brochures, accommodation information and coupons are available, along with well-informed volunteers to help make the most of your visit. They can also help explain the Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund non-Canadian residents are entitled to.

With a strong Japanese population, sushi restaurants ranging from quick and cheap to chichi and upscale are everywhere. Three I enjoyed were Tokyo Joe's Japanese Restaurant, Mr. Sushi and Tsunami Sushi. Tokyo Joe's (955 Helmcken Street) and Mr. Sushi (775 Davie Street) were quick, cheap and tasty little spots. The selections at each are a bit overwhelming and include the basics such as maki sushi, nigiri sushi and sashimi. Luckily, both feature specials (or boxes) offering tastes off the menu. These start at $9.95 CAD.

My favorite was Tsunami Sushi (1025 Robson Street) because I had to catch my meal. Sushi, sashimi and edamame plated on color-coded dishes floated by on wooden boats and I grabbed what tempted me. A price sheet guided me so I didn't grab all the $5.95 dishes. The cost per plate varied between $1.95 CAD and $5.95 CAD. I complemented my meal with hot sake and a basket of vegetable tempura. Yummy! Total bill was about $30 CAD. Sitting at the counter around the floating boats is a good place to chat up the locals, too.

Breakfast one morning was a tasty salmon roll at the Granville Public Market on Granville Island. The Island is accessible by walking from Vancouver's downtown, but that looked boring so I took the False Creek Aquabus (water taxi), which was $2.50 CAD, much cheaper the cost of a taxi. While waiting at the Hornby Street dock (one of many docks along the waterfront), a seal occasionally popped its head above the water as it swam through False Creek towards English Bay.

Granville Public Market offers just about everything, from fresh produce to homemade jellies and local artwork to colorful flowers. Not everything sold at the Market can be brought back into the U.S., but some items can. I found some locally made spice rub for poultry and tea. Open daily between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., it's a great place for browsing and grabbing a bite for breakfast or lunch. Very close to the Market is Net Loft, an eclectic mix of artsy shops, galleries and other pretty, delicate things.

Sunset Beach Park is nice for walking along the waterfront. During my October visit, it was a comfortable 53-degree-Fahrenheit-day and this Floridian was bundled up in polar fleece and long slacks. Residents wore light jackets and many sported shorts. Beware: the path is shared with bikers and rollerbladers. Walking on the wrong side of the path will earn you an evil eye.

Vancouver is an excellent and easy walking city. As a solo woman traveler, I only walked alone during the day and relied on common sense to guide me away from sketchy looking areas. From Sunset Beach Park, Vancouver's southwest end, I walked at least 25 blocks to Chinatown in the northeast end. Although I felt safe, I would not recommend walking to Chinatown alone at night. Walking within Chinatown at night appeared as though it would be safe.

Unlike New York City's Chinatown where men whisper "Fendi," "Coach" and "Gucci" in the ear's of tourists (attempting to sell knock-off purses), Vancouver's Chinatown is an authentic community keeping in touch with the mother country. With limited time, I walked through the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. A lily pad layered koi pond welcomes visitors and is draped by a lazy weeping willow. The garden's walls create a sense of Chinese serenity but I laughed at the irony of classical Chinese-style buildings framed by the construction of 21st century high rises being built beyond Chinatown.

I stopped at the Chinese Cultural Center and learned about walking tours offered through Chinatown. Unfortunately, none were available to fit my schedule.

Wandering down Pender, Main and Keefer Streets, I took everything in. I sipped tea (and purchased more) at Ten Lee Hong Enterprises (500 Main Street) and browsed the spice shops and food markets. Dried lizard on a stick was being sold, along with dried scallops, seahorses and other dried critters. I'm not familiar with these delicacies and opted not to become familiar with their taste on this trip.

It was lunchtime, actually dinnertime with the time change, and I was desperate for food. Strangely, there aren't many Chinese Restaurants in Chinatown. I ended up at New Mitzie's Restaurant (179 East Pender Street) serving Western and Chinese cuisine. Although I could have ordered French fries with sweet and sour chicken, egg drop soup and lemon chicken was my lunch. The meal was okay and but wished I had found a more authentic dining spot. With drink, the meal was about $12 CAD.

Next was Gastown, just north of Vancouver's Chinatown. This part of town felt a bit gothic, yet trendy and chic with a touch of the wild west. There's a statue of Gastown's Founding Father, John Deighton ("Gassy Jack") on Powell Street. He earned the nickname for his "gassy" monologues as a saloonkeeper.

There was time to visit a couple of shops. One was Industrial Artifacts (49 Powell Street) selling furniture and accents crafted by recycled items. Street lights have been converted to candy dishes and lamps while industrial pieces like oversized gears from machine shops have been crafted to become coffee tables.

The other stop was at Hill's Native Art (165 Water Street), full of eye-catching masterpieces. Dozens of wood-carved, colorful masks cover the shop's entrance. Artists featured in the shop are from Canada's Northwest Coast First Nations who incorporate their heritage and 21st century influence into their work. Wood carvings, paintings and jewelry are some of the pieces on display and for sale.

If you want to enjoy more art, visit Gastown's Inuit Gallery (206 Cambie Street). Somehow I missed this gallery. I'm told it has a nice collection of stone and bone sculptures, wood carvings, drawing and tapestries. It's opposite the World's First Steam Clock, which is probably why I missed the gallery.

A busload of tourists surrounded what looked like an oversized grandfather clock and began taking photos. Not wanting to miss out on a Kodak moment, I joined in the picture taking frenzy. After the other tourists cleared, I noticed steam drifting from the clock and quickly read its history. It was built and designed by the owner of the Gastown Steam Clock Company, a horologist named Raymond Saunders in 1977. Every quarter of an hour, the clock whistles.

Gastown also has the typical tourist shops to purchase Canadian-made products such as maple syrup and maple cookies, pre-packaged salmon and fuzzy sweatshirts. But the coolest place I found to purchase Canadian food items is called Salmon Village (779 Thurlow Street) close to my hotel (the Sheraton Wall Centre, not in Gastown). Some of the products, like "Indian candy," (tender, twice smoked salmon marinated in maple syrup) and smoked salmon are made at the company's smokehouse in North Vancouver. All sorts of tempting treats like salmon jerky, salmon pate and gooey maple syrup are available for purchase. They can also help you ship items back to the U.S.

The most economical Canadian food items I found were at the local IGA (grocery store). Canadian maple syrup, pre-packaged salmon and salmon jerky were significantly cheaper than in the souvenir shops.

Away from Vancouver's downtown on the campus of the University of British Columbia is the Museum of Anthropology (6393 Northwest Marine Drive). The featured collection is from the Northwest Coast First Peoples and includes totem poles, feast dishes, canoes, masks and jewelry, to name a few. A 45-minute guided tour is offered throughout the day and is included in the $9 CAD admission.

There was so much I found interesting but one of the most fascinating was learning how the Native Peoples made four-sided boxes out of a single plank of cedar. They steamed a plank to make it pliable and formed a box. I was also impressed with the 4.5 ton wood carving by Haida artist Bill Reid called, "The Raven and the First Men." In 1980, the yellow cedar piece depicting a raven opening a clam shell and releasing Earth's first men, was dedicated. Members of the Haida Nation (referring to the indigenous people of Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands) brought sand to place around the sculpture, which is still part of the display.

Short on time (and it was pouring down rain), I grabbed a taxi vs. trying to figure out the public bus system to get to the museum. It was well worth the trip (about $44 CAD round-trip from downtown).

Having briefly tasted Vancouver, it's a region of North America I would like to return to on my own time. There is much more for me to discover and more sushi restaurants to sample.

- JA Huber

Monterey, California is one of the most beautiful places on earth. With its mild temperatures, crystal clear water of Monterey Bay, clean beaches, quaint town, fisherman's wharf, and other attractions, Monterey is a great place for honeymoons, romantic getaways, and family vacations. In fact, Monterey is not just for adults; it is also has many fun things to do with small children.

We were privileged to live in Monterey for two years when our children were small. We moved to Monterey with the Navy when our son was four, and the next year, we were expecting our second child. We soon found that Monterey is perfect for children primarily because the weather is so mild. Monterey has sunshine nearly every day of the year. While mornings often begin with fog, by mid-day, the blue sky has taken over and the sunshine is abundant. The only time it rained in Monterey for the two years that we were there was during the month of February. The rest of each year was sunny. This gave us opportunities for bike riding, hiking on local trails, and long walks on the beach. Our son loved to play with his toys in the sand on the beach, so we did that quite often, even though the chilly Pacific was normally too cold for swimming.

One of the highlights of Monterey for small children is the Dennis the Menace Park and Playground. Dennis the Menace Park, created by cartoonist, Hank Ketcham, has brightly colored, fun playground equipment for children. The slides are fast, the rides bumpy, and there are signs encouraging parental supervision and even participation. There is a statue of Dennis himself, a sunshine staircase, a train to climb upon, and many other attractions. Visitors to Monterey will love the fact that just across the street from Dennis the Menace Playground is the main beach in Monterey, with its palm trees and incredible views of the mountains on the other side of the bay. Just next to the playground is a large pond (with a beautiful island, of course) on which children and their families can rent a row boat or peddling boat and take a jaunt around the pond; again, complete with the palm trees and Monterey Bay just across the street, right in sight.

On those rare rainy days, or on days when the children have had a little too much sun, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a treat for children of all ages. Touted as one of the best aquariums on the planet, Monterey Bay Aquarium has amazing displays of marine wildlife including a plethora of fish, sharks, octopi, starfish, sea plants, and of course, the lovable and playful sea otters. The sea otters became endangered and almost extinct when they were easily hunted due to their seemingly fearless and playful view of humans. After spending many years on the endangered species list, sea otters today can be found all along the shores of Monterey Bay, playing among the rocks, lounging in the kelp, and cracking open crabs and shells with small rocks. The aquarium has a special sea otter habitat, as well as areas where children can watch videos about sea life and a special open pond where children can touch kelp, fish, starfish, rays, and other marine animals. In the main entrance to the aquarium, visitors will marvel over the giant two-story aquarium complete with a variety of fish and sometimes deep sea divers!

Fisherman's wharf is another favorite of small children because of the many shops carrying souvenirs and trinkets, but especially because of the crowds of sea lions and pelicans along the edges of the wharf. Sea lions can be heard barking incessantly, and their antics are always a treat for children and parents alike. Children will also enjoy the many restaurants on the wharf, all of which have a view of the bay, and parents will love the delectable sea food.

Lastly, take the children for a drive along 17-mile drive. This is one of the prettiest, most scenic drives you and your children will ever encounter. There are many places to stop and walk on the beach or climb on the rocks, and if you drive there at sunset, you are almost sure to see many of the deer that habit the Monterey Peninsula. Plus, the sunset is always something to behold. You and your children will have a visit you will never forget.

Recently, we discovered that our good friend was planning to run in his fourth marathon, but this time, he would be running in a marathon fairly close to our home: the Mount Desert Island Marathon that goes from Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor, Maine. This was a good chance for us to take a short road trip to Mount Desert Island, as we had not been for a visit in about seven years. The day we set out was a perfectly crisp, Maine autumn day; not only that, that fall foliage had been at peak status for the past several days, so color was still very abundant. We drove along what is normally a fairly boring highway, tree-lined on both sides; but on this day, we were awestruck time and time again by the reds, scarlets, golds, maroons, peaches, oranges, and many shades of brown. Even if we had never made it to Mount Desert Island, the day was so beautiful, the drive was enough.

Yet, when we turned south at Bangor, and drove through Ellsworth, the trees opened up and we could see even more trees on the rolling farmland in the distance. We passed small ponds, larger lakes, and crossed several rivers as we went. Finally, we found ourselves at the entrance to Mount Desert Island. We encountered the familiar road sign that directed us to either go left on Route 3 to Bar Harbor, or straight ahead on Routes 102 and 198 to Southwest Harbor. The Mount Desert Island Marathon began in Bar Harbor at 8:00 that morning and the route was to skirt the southern edge of the island and Acadia National Park. It then looped back up Route 198 to Route 102, and turned south again to end the grueling but beautiful 26.2 mile run in lovely Southwest Harbor. It was a little after noon, so we headed straight ahead on Route 102. Before long, we began seeing marathon participants running, jogging, walking, and trudging along the left side of the road. All participants were wearing the familiar numbers on the fronts of their shirts and jackets, and we began looking for our friend as we drove slowly along. There were mile markers that told runners their progress, and we saw many drink stands and resting stations. We did not really expect to see our friend running; spread out as they were, there were many people running the marathon.

Suddenly, there he was at mile 22, jogging along at a steady pace, so my husband jumped out of the car and jogged with him for about half a mile. We got a good laugh as my husband was dressed in blue jeans and hiking boots, but he claims that now he can say he ran in the Mount Desert Island Marathon! We drove on to the town of Southwest Harbor and parked so we could catch our friend at the finish line. We parked and enjoyed a lovely walk down the main road, along with the marathoners as they headed to the finish. The sky was a crystal blue and the leaves were simply breath-taking. After finding our friend's wife and setting up our cameras, it was not long before we saw our friend heading to the finish. We congratulated him warmly, spoke for a few minutes, and then gave him leave to rest, recover, and recuperate.

After our jaunt at the marathon finish line, we decided to spend the rest of our day driving around Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. The other times we had been to the island were in the spring and summertime, so enjoying a Maine autumn at this beautiful area was a special treat. We drove past the rocky coastline, up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, and back down into the quaint town of Bar Harbor. We had lunch at a delightful little seafood restaurant and then walked around the town, browsing in the shops. Finally we walked to the harbor to enjoy the view of the boats on the blue water, and then we wrapped up the day with ice cream at the Jordon Pond Creamery. I would highly recommend a visit to Bar Harbor. The people are friendly, the town lovely, and the scenery is unlike anywhere else on the planet.

Madrid is a hot city; temperatures regularly climb well into the 90's and over 100 in the Spanish capital, but traveling south toward Granada is like driving into a furnace. The cities that line the Mediterranean coastline of southern Spain all are bathed in sunshine and a dry sweltering climate. Granada is not located on the coast, however, but further inland ringed by the Sierra Nevada mountains. The countryside that flowed past my window on the large coach looked like the rugged face of another planet. The mountains were bare of trees and buildings but studded with colorful and jagged rocky outcroppings. The earth was red and looked dry, hot and hard from the endless sunshine. There were very few cars on the road and I had the feeling of travelling through a waste land. The ride was long and bumpy but we arrived at last in the desert town.

When one thinks of Granada one thinks of the Alhambra, the fantastical muslim fortress built by the Moors that resisted centuries of attempts by the reconquista to capture it. The fortess became synonomous with the determination of the Moors to maintain their foothold in Spain. Granada at last fell in 1492 as the last piece of Spanish territory to be recovered by catholic Spain. The conquest, which many thought would never happen, coupled with Colombus' discovery of North America marked the beginning of Spanish dominence in Europe. For the Spanish the Alhambra is a powerful patriotic symbol of their determination and military might. For muslims the Alhambra is no less a source of pride as its luxurious palace and stern military fortifications overlooking the town of Granada are testament to the architectural genius an creativity of Islamic culture. I made a point of including Granada in my itenerary so that I might see the Alhambra for myself.

My accomodations were small but very exotic. The hostel was oriented around an open air patio that was brightly tiled and filled with desert plants. I asked the French couple who ran the hotel what they did when it rained. They told me that in Granada it never rained more than 4-6 times per year. Although I have never been there the decor of the hostel and indeed every building that I visited in Granada was extremely reminiscent of the Middle East. The walls were all painted white with large windows open to allow the passsage of air but recessed to block the oppressive sunlight. Everyone I saw was heavily tanned and wore white loosely fitted clothing of cotton or linen. Most people drank tea or coffee and smoked heavily. I found Granada immediately exotic and irresistable.

I spent my first day in Granada exploring. Granada is an interesting blend of Spanish and Islamic culture. The city is very old with narrow streets and old medieval buildings with many balconies and windows. The vegetation of the city was very typical of desert plants with tall narrow pines and short shrubs as well the ever present cacti. Near my hostel was a large plaza surrounded by modern shops and a Cortez Inglais. Cortez Inglais is the Spanish answer to Walmart. Its many floors are filled with all modern trappings of department stores-clothes, electronics and many other sundry wares. The store also had a large, lavish supermarket and the entire place was blessedly air conditioned.

The most attractive part of Granada was the Moorish quarter Albaicin, an area of old buildings and narrow streets located across the river and in the shadow of the Alhambra. The Moorish quarter was like something out of Casablanca. Street vendors hawked various handrcafted treasures at tables, tents and small shops. There were many ornate and gorgous incense burners, tea drinking paraphanalia, embroidery and jewelry. One of my most memorable experiences in Europe was haggling over tea and jewelry with the vendors who seemed to savor the lost art. The Moorish section of town also had many tea houses, which was also a wonderful experience. My Lonely Planet guidebook recommended a few particular places among which was the appropriately named Kasbah, which I visited to get out of the heat and enjoy some arabic tea.

Kasbah is awash in ambience. The dimly lit cafe has many rooms and compartments separeted by ornate tapestries. I chose a secluded booth and lounged on cushion covered wood benches while looking over a menu that advertised more varieties of tea than I knew existed. Based on its description as sweet and spicy I chose a Tunisian variety of tea and a hookah of rasberry flavored tobacco. Smoking flavored arabic tobacco is a rich experience, even for those who don't smoke cigarettes or cigars. The tobacco is sweet and smooth with little burning. Along with the tea (which was truly amazing) and tobacco, the atmosphere of Kasbah is the closest one can come to the luxuries of the Middle East without leaving Europe.

During my second day in Granada I determined to climb the high hill upon which the Alhambra is perched and see the historic fortress. On foot in the desert heat this turned out to be quite a task. The streets leading up the hill are narrow and windy and I lost my way several times. I brought two liters of water with me and drank about a liter and a half on the long climb. As I came closer to my destination the sides of the hill became steeper and were covered with an infinite variety of plants and man made waterfalls. At last I crested the hill and got my first look at the fortress up close.

The Alhambra is ideally situated for defense. The hill on which it sits dominates the town and surrounding countryside, making an ascent by an attacker a daunting one exposed to cannon fire and archers. The walls of the fortress are thick, steep and smooth, offering no vulnerabilty to be scaled or penetrated. The Alhambra complex is basically composed of three elements: the military fortifications, the gardens and the palace. The military grounds are open to visitors for the whole day of visit but due to the volume of visitor's an entry ticket to the palace is only valid for a short time during which a visitor must enter or be refused admittance. For this reason I went into the palace first.

The Alhambra's palace is unlike any castle, palace or cathedral that I have ever seen. Strict muslim tenets forbid the portrayal of the human form in order to discourage idolatry so there are no portraits or realistic paintings in the Alhambra. For ornamentation every surface of Alhambra is instead covered with geometric patterns carved into the soft white stone. Each window and portico is lined with distinctive Moorish arches. In addition the Islamic architecture places a noted emphasis on symmetry which can be observed everytime one looks across a courtyard or down a path to see identical arches and windows. The Alhambra is filled with reflective pools, hanging gardens and balconies that overlook the mountains, gardens and the town of Granada. The palace was a very soothing and luxurious place to walk through. I found a bench in one of the many courtyards and stopped to write in my travel journal. As I scribbled my thoughts on the page the sound of water flowing from countless fountains added to the tranquility that I felt. Although its architecture and decoration are like nothing I have ever seen in Europe or America, I found the Alhambra's palace to be one the most luxurious places that I have ever seen.

Outside of the palace one comes to the extensive gardens. The gardens are filled with flowers, fruit trees and more fountains. At one end of the garden a small waterfall collects into a pool from which a narrow channell is carved and leads downhill toward the palace in a long graceful straight line. At each stairwell leading down the water collects into another pool which in turn empties into another channell. In this way the entire palace and gardens are awash with water. After leaving the gardens I made my way to the military portion of the compound.
The Alhambra is an elaborate fortification filled with hallways, narrow stairwells and turrets. As I climbed each turrets I would stop to peer out the narrow slits which archers used to pour down punishment on attackers. Atop the turrets a strong refreshing breeze blue though the blue sky was completely unblemished by clouds. The turrets of the Alhambra offered the best vantage to view the Sierra Nevada mountains and the town of Granada. The town below looked as though it had been transplanted from the desert plains of Israel. Granada looked from afar like a honeycomb of squat white buildings and desert shrubs and surrounded by bare gray hills. On top of the highest turret flew the Spanish flag which was caught by the strong breeze and unfurled yellow and red toward the town below.

Granada is a favorite of backpackers and tourists looking to find the most exotic cultural experiences that Spain has to offer. For this reason the city has an exciting nightlife. Typically people gather early in the night at indoor-outdoor bars and wine shops to enjoy aromatic Spanish wine and plates of tapas rich in olives, cheese and seafood. I stood around just such a cafe with new friends from my hostel. Most of my roomates spoke English and came from Australia, Canada and UK and we were all brought together by the same language to seek our entertainment in the Granada nightlife. After the small bar and eatery we barhopped in the Spanish section of town, taking in the good wine and atmosphere of modern Spanish bars. Everyone danced, drank and had a good time but the best was yet to come. Everyone who knows Granada knows El Camborio.

El Camborio is not located in the modern part of town but rather on a high hill across from the Almhabra. The nightclub is built into the rock of the hill and its ground floor is actually undeground. El Camborio doesn't open until 3 AM but everyone in Granada finishes there night there. My cadre of Anglophones and I had the dubious honor of arriving at the club first, precisely at three. We explored the subterranean passages of the nightclub, marvelling at each room and running our fingers over the cool stone. We made our way upstairs to the upperfloor. The upstairs of El Camborio is a 180 degree difference from the lower story. There is a large dancefloor and bar encased in glass an an enormous terrace for enjoying the cool night desert air and the brilliantly illuminated Alhambra. My friends and I sat down around a table with cocktails and enjoying the night. Before too long the sounds of new arrivals emanated from downstairs as people began to flock to the club. By four both floors and every dancefloor was filled with people dancing, drinking and having a great time. At a time of night when most clubs in the States would be closing up shop El Camborio was just getting started. I danced until I could see dawn lightening the sky to the East. I went home exhausted and spent a low key day relaxing and wandering around town before my departure for Barcelona the next day. I only spent three days in Granada but the experience is among the most vivid of any place that I visited that summer.

For gay men, travel in the United Stated for gay men could be a bit daunting. Ever since the horrific events that took place at Stonewall in the mid seventies gay and lesbian issues have been brought to the forefront of the American consciousness. Even today, gay marriage and other rights of gays and lesbians are being challenged in major political races across the country. Since Stonewall, gays and lesbians have made it a point to nurture and create communities that caters to their needs and wants. Most major cities have gone so far as to establish gay communities to help flounder this, Montreal being one of those cities which has created the largest gay district in North America. The mid western cities littered though out the United States are starting to follow suit. Columbus, Ohio has a flourishing gay area and here are some places that gays and lesbians traveling to Columbus must see during their stay.

When visiting a city for more than one night, one of your major concerns would naturally be where you are going to get your beauty rest. Fro gays and lesbians, this is a concern because they are going to want to feel free to hug their boyfriend and kiss their girlfriends without drawing gasps and strange looks. While visiting Columbus, I would suggest laying your pretty head at the Courtyard Marriott downtown Columbus. This three star hotel is within walking distance of the cities gay district and will their attendants will not raise an eyebrow when the book equipped with only a queen size bed for two men traveling together or turn their heads to see two men embraced in a passionate goodbye kiss feet from the doors that enter into the lobby. The only thing that one would have to be careful of is the close proximity also to the city's convention center.

There is more to picking a place to eat then finding a place to end your hunger. When visiting a city, what is the use simply eating a McDonald's or Chipotle? You can find one of those in any major city in the United States. That's no fun. When you have graced a different city with your presence, one of the best ways to experience the city's flava' is by tasting a different one. Like in most gay districts of cities in the United States, some of the best eateries can be found where the "Queens" play and this truth has not been lost on the land locked city of Columbus. While here, I would recommend walking from you hotel room just a few short block north on High Street and treat your taste buds to the delectable wares that can be found at 8. 8 is a new restaurant in Columbus that fuses upscale dinning with dirt cheap prices. Try their tuna fish and mushroom soup combo for $7, you will not be disappointed.

Now that you have settled in to your nice three star hotel room and filled your stomach with some local delectable eats, now it is time to research the real reason that you traveled to the middle of Ohio; to PARTY. Though cites such as Montreal, New York, Miami Los Angeles and San Francisco boast some of the sweetest eye candy, a good ol' fashioned, corn bread country boy should not be subtracted from the list as quickly as some may think to. This may be one of the reasons why some may surpass the larger cities to visit Columbus. For us folks that are in our mid to late twenties, the perfect place to let your hair down is at Q. Q is just walking distance from your Marriott oasis to the east. Though small, Q has two levels with lounging areas, a dance floor, square bar tops and a front bar, this little chib (Korean for house) can pack a big punch.As the night wore on the capacity of the little placed filled and I felt as if I was in Chicago at Hydrate on a Saturday night.

So the next time that you want to travel to a city to check out its gay scene, do not discount the Midwest. It has more to offer than one may think!

So you're scheduled for a conference or business trip to Albuquerque. Or your husband's mother's brother's wife's daughter-in-law lives there and just begged you to come visit. You're thinking, what the heck is there to do in Albuquerque? Why would anyone want to have a business conference there? Why would anyone want to LIVE there? Isn't that in the desert? Isn't it awfully hot? Isn't it true that not even Bugs Bunny could not find Albuquerque in the enormous flat mound of dust and tumbleweeds that is the southwest?

Well, I'm here to reassure you that Albuquerque isn't that terrible after all. There are a few (though not a huge amount) of interesting things to do, the landscape is pretty impressive, especially if you haven't been to the desert before, the heat is really not that bad, it's too high for scorpions and tarantulas, and the southwest feel is truly unique to this part of the country. There is a native american influence on culture and art (though we just call them "indians" around here, despite the non-politically correct stares that that word attracts on the east coast, it's what pretty much everybody uses here, even the native americans themselves), and also a lot of mexican/hispanic influence. There is a three-way mix of cultures (hispanic, white, and native american) which has forged a unique culture niche in New Mexico. Weather is usually great here, with clear blue skies almost every day. The sun is very strong, partially because of the altitude. If you're out in the afternoon in the summertime and you're too hot, step into the shade and you'll notice a temperature difference you won't find in most other climates. Make sure you wear sunscreen, and remember that even when it's scorching during the day, the evening is going to be cool (there is no moisture in the air to hold the heat in after the sun goes down) so be prepared with a light sweater even if it seems like a crazy idea during the day. If you come in the winter, though, it WILL be cold. I know it's the desert, but we have four seasons. So don't expect eternal heat, though it's no blizzard region.

Albuquerque is high desert, with some low, brushy vegetation, wide open spaces, and dramatic mountains as a backdrop. Albuquerque's altitude is around a mile (5,200 feet), so if you're coming from sea level, you may feel a difference, though it's generally not too bad at this height. If you get a little sleepy during meetings you can blame it on the altitude! I would wait a day or two, though, before heading up on top of the mountains, just in case, if that is on your itinerary. The Sandia mountains are named so because Sandia means "watermelon" in Spanish, and the mountains, being on the east side of the city, turn a bright pink during the sunset when the weather is right (and the weather is most of the time right). If you're interested in the mountains you can take the Tramway up to the top and look out over the whole city. You also see the barrenness of the landscape surrounding the city (Some find this depressing, but I think it's interesting) and the starkness of the mountainsides. Sandia Peak, which is where the tram takes you, is around 10,600 feet. If you're not used to going up on top of mountains, remember that it's going to be a lot cooler up there than it is at the bottom. But the view of Albuquerque is fantastic. One thing that is interesting to see is the Rio Grande river which runs through the city - if you don't see it immediately from up there, you can recognize it from the line of green through the otherwise brown scenery - full of trees and vegetation growing around the banks of the river. The Rio Grande itself it's actually that grand, though (not here anyway)...it's pretty shallow and pretty muddy. But it is much-needed water for this area. Unfortunately it's a little pricey to take the tram up to the top of the mountain, but if you haven't been in a lot of high places, it will probably be worth it. Your other option is to drive up to the peak. If you like scenic twisty drives, this one is for you. The most direct path goes up the "back" of the mountain (on the east side, away from the city) but there is also a dirt road which climbs up the west side, which starts on Tramway road and is a little more adventurous, but very cool. I don't recommend it in a rental car, however. There are lots of hiking opportunities on this side of the mountain, and even some short hikes to small caves that you may find interesting. Specifics for hikes can be found in a local trail book - they often change so I won't recommend something specific here.

Let's not forget that Santa Fe is just one hour's drive through the vast-seeming desert. There are more than rumors that in the next few years a commuter railroad (already operating in and around Albuquerque) will eventually go to Santa Fe from Albuquerque, hopefully with a connection direct to the airport. That would make the hour-long jaunt up north absolutely simple for business travelers, for example, which now can only be done with a rental car or expensive shuttle service. Santa Fe is another true cultural center for the area, and the capital of the state. The plaza and shops are similar to old town in Albuquerque, but nothing can feel quite like Santa Fe. Both there and in Albuquerque's old town, the shops are not lined up on the street but are attached and inter-woven with courtyards and cute alleyways, so make sure you wander of the street a little bit if you want to see everything. The layout is like this because the shops are in old adobe houses, inter-connected for families and with connecting courtyards and corridors. There is also the Santa Fe opera a little bit north of town, if you are into that kind of thing. It is very famous, though, and you should look into buying tickets early if you interested in going there. The Santa Fe Opera House is unique because it is basically an outdoor setting, and you see the sun set as you watch an evening show. Of course, the almost constantly clear weather of the New Mexico desert allows for this. Near the opera house you can find the outdoor Santa Fe flea market, which has imports from all over the world, and also native american work, local artists, local tastes, and lots of southwest jewelry (almost all silver, mostly turquoise and amber if you like those). But this, like all of Santa Fe, is a tourist area - don't look for used items in the flea market, and watch out for ridiculous prices. It's very interesting to look around, but a bit pricey for spending. Be especially wary of native american pottery - make sure it's authentic if that's what you're after, even if they advertise it as "indian pottery" it may be made in Indonesia or something. And half-price sales are common so don't fall for it, they just double the prices first. Still, you may find good souvenirs here if you are careful with your money.

Also in Santa Fe's downtown (plaza area) you will find two Spanish churches (Cathedral of St. Francis and a smaller one whose name I don't remember but is interesting because it has a "miracle" spiral staircase, built with no supports by an unknown wandering craftsman) and an art museum which is also nice and pretty unique. However, the museum is not very big so I recommend buying a ticket both for the special exhibit at the time, and the regular museum, since the special exhibit space is almost the same size as the rest of the museum. They have some interesting collections, but also because of the size, much of their collection is not on display so ask what is being shown before getting too excited about seeing works of Georgia O'Keefe or Ansel Adams. There is a separate Georgia O'Keefe museum if you are into that, but I haven't personally been there so I can't make much of a recommendation. If you ask around about how to get there, a drive out to Chimayo may be interesting. It is a small town famous for native american weaving and for a small church with "healing dirt". In truth, there's not a lot there, but the drive is scenic, the church is pretty interesting (not your typical "empty" cathedral), and there is an excellent New Mexican restaurant and Bed and Breakfast there called Rancho de Chimayo, where you can have authentic meals sitting outside and on a weekend, hearing southwest music as well.

A note on Interstate highway traveling in New Mexico - you may think the drive is boring when there is "nothing" all the way to the horizon, but I still enjoy that "boring" drive if I look around me. Get over that "why do people want to live here" feeling and realize, you're not forced to stay here, but take a look at how beautiful it really is. If you like storms (they are one of my favorite things), and you're lucky enough to be here in the rainy season, you'll notice in this flat land you can see the weather all around you, weather often so far away it is starkly different from where you are. You see it pouring on one horizon, blazing sun on the other, and black with lightning directly ahead of you. Be prepared for pretty sudden weather changes, both in and out of town, as cloud systems blow across the flat ground pretty readily. Just out of town, if you look to the west you'll see three gentle, extremely worn-down peaks on the horizon, remnants of old volcanoes. West of Albuquerque there is even a huge lava field near a town called "Malpais", which means "bad country" in Spanish. Though I haven't seen it, my Albuquerque-native friends have highly recommended that if you haven't seen a lava run before. It's about a half-hour drive east on Interstate 40. Also, especially if you are not from a "wide open and flat spaces" kind of area (for example, anywhere on the east coast), take notice of how you can see the highway stretching for miles and miles ahead of you. This especially dramatic when you come over the crest of a hill and see the highway stretch the next horizon. Again, some find this depressing, but just seeing it one time can be awe-inspiring.

So what is there to do in town? Well, you have the typical entertainments - games, bars, and even a small amusement park. But the unique things to see are the old town plaza and shops and the hot air Balloon Fiesta in October. The Old Town shops I mentioned are pretty similar to what you will see in Santa Fe - a central plaza which is historically the "center of town" from when the town was a much smaller settlement, and lots of intertwined, hidden and not hidden shops of all kinds. In general, Santa Fe shops are a bit more expensive since it is a little more "fashionable" for tourists there, so you might want to consider your shopping in Albuquerque instead (this doesn't mean you shouldn't LOOK in Santa Fe!). The most famous event in Albuquerque out of the whole year is the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. It is a hot air balloon extravaganza, one of the biggest in the world. And people really do come from all over the world to participate. Obviously, you are just lucky if you are in Albuquerque the first two weeks of October, and the rest of the year this doesn't apply as an activity, but I'll talk about it anyway in case you want to schedule your trip (or are forced to come here) in that time period. Here's the story with the balloon fiesta - some people just plain like hot air balloons. If this is you, you are going to LOVE it. There are more than 300 balloons ascending in one morning at times, and it is an impressive sight. They also have evening shows with entertainment and balloon glows (balloons on the ground lighting up with their torches), and special days for unique shaped balloons. If you can't think of anything more boring or bothersome than getting up at 4:30 to watch balloons fly into the air, here is my advice: no matter how bad you think it will be, it is worth seeing once. Go once. Because this is something rare, and you may actually be impressed by all the colors in the sky. But keep a close watch on the weather to avoid disappointment and hate in the event of a balloon-less windy or rainy morning. Don't go if the weather is bad.

Surprisingly, Albuquerque has a very nice botanical garden, despite being nestled in a dry, dusty climate. There are a nice variety of flowers and a butterfly garden ( a greenhouse like structure with plants that butterflies like and of course, lot and lots of butterflies fluttering all around you). A cute space lined with ivy is clearly the set for many weddings. There is a pond with the usual pond ducks and geese. There is also a great "children's garden" which I am sure will amuse you as much as any child. That was my favorite part. When you go the botanical gardens you can buy a ticket for the three attractions of the zoo, aquarium, and gardens, which can all be seen in one day. They are all nestled closely together. The aquarium is small but nice, the zoo has very nice habitats for the zoos I have seen, and the price for all three is pretty reasonable. These are all nice places to go if you start to feel sick from the brownness of everything (a common sickness for people from greener climates after a couple of days here). You'll notice that not only the ground and the mountains are brown, but so are the buildings, the light poles, and the highway bridges. It's a celebration of the tradition of adobe houses here. Many of the houses, especially in Santa Fe, are still made of real adobe (thick walls made of mud, meant to keep the houses cool in very hot weather), while others are just imitation, tan-colored stucco walls made to look like adobe. It takes a while to get used to this look, but when you adjust you start to see the beauty of these homes and buildings (for some really nice example of non-residential adobe edifaces, see the University of New Mexico campus - it doesn't have your typical college buildings). The university campus is complete with several museums, but I have never been to any of those so I can't vouch for whether or not they are interesting. Central to campus, though, is the duck pond, which yes, is just a pond but must be one of the greenest places in the city aside from the botanical gardens and is a nice place to spend the afternoon if you need to relax and read a book or some papers.

Last, make sure that while you are in New Mexico you don't miss out on the unique New Mexican cuisine. They say that the state question is "red or green?" because that's what they ask you at restaurants to find out with kind of chile (which is actually a chile pepper sauce) you want on your dish. And they ask you all the time because they put chile on EVERYTHING. You can even get McDonald's hamburgers complete with green chile. It can be pretty spicy, so be careful, but do give it a try. New Mexican dishes are similar to Mexican dishes, but in my opinion less greasy, with lots of chile piled over whatever you have. Also, try some guacamole and chips. It's more pricey than salsa at a restaurant because avocados are not cheap, but it's so worth it. And I'm pretty sure the homestyle, chunky guac you will find around here is better than the packaged "guacamole soup" (when it is more like a liquid and less like mashed avocados) they serve up in imitation mexican restaurants and other places outside the southwest. Last, if you're at a decent new Mexican restaurant they will serve you sopapillas with every meal, which is like a puffy, fried dessert bread that you eat with honey.

So, it's not so bad, is it? Give us a try. If nothing else, it is worth it to see the desert once and soak in some strong sun, and have taste of the southwest atmosphere and food. Enjoy!

The real treasure of Portugal is sitting in a cafe, drinking coffee, or a beer, or eating an ice cream. I was lucky enough to spend some weeks in Portugal, touring not the big cities but the tiniest ones in the country side, complete with crazy bus drivers navigating tiny yet extremely twisty and windy country roads, and luckily for me I was accompanied by a fantastic group of Portuguese-speaking yet English-speaking Portuguese-American immigrants, which probably made touring the poorer, friendliest villages a bit easier than for the average traveller. But this is where the life is...the small towns of hard-working, honest people who take care of even the unusual wandering foreigner passing by. I was there in the summer, and it was forbiddingly hot in the afternoons, but those are excellent times for napping if you're not on a tight schedule...and believe me, nobody in Portugal is anyway. We planned to go somewhere as a group at 5 and the bus arrives at 7:30... what happens between 5 and 7:30, you ask? Why, you sit in a cafe and drink coffee. Or a beer. And maybe have a chocolate. Obviously, life isn't like this everyday for any of us, here or there, but it's also not that common for a foreign traveler to kick back and enjoy that either. Try something new... instead of filling your itinerary with endless museums, monuments, and even cute restaurants and views, (and I know all those things are great too!), try to have a very loose schedule - taking chances - meeting people - finding out not everybody hates you if you can hardly speak in their language - bargaining with gypsies in a marketplace - watching the news or a football (soccer) game in the local bar and trying to figure out what is going on there. Any number of less-walked tours through the less-understood aspects of a culture. Sitting in a cafe and drinking beer -- think you can do that at home? You can't. You can't drink in the air, the smell of that different culture, another people, and an altogether deeper history than what you are used to. I guess you can try to have this experience in any foreign place, but for me it was in Portugal. I recommend finding your way deep into what I call the "backyard" of the country ... out in the long rolling greens, in the small villages of tightly-packed aged houses and shops, in a fantastically ornate ancient church, in the tiniest cafe you have ever seen.

If you're lucky in the countryside you'll happen upon the festival of a saint. That is something to see. Music from a local (or neighboring) march-style band, announces the celebration in a parade with the townspeople and perhaps a mock-up of the celebrated saint. But the most important part is probably the food. So much food...tables filled with fish (REAL sardines cooked whole... make sure someone teaches you the art of dissecting them for the best tasting experience), pork (perhaps from a whole pig roast, perhaps not) and hopefully some flavorful local sausage. Nobody is being conservative about filling themselves, and nobody is charging an admission fee. With that comes the wine...my favorite is the red wine from the countryside with special hard round breads cooked on a stone. After that, if you are even luckier there will be a band with some traditional music and you'll have the chance to dance wildly with someone who doesn't know a word of the language you speak. My favorite experience out of the feasts I attended was watching a four-person band with three accordians and one drum. The sound was unbelievable and seeing how captivated I was, a little old man who through signs explained that he would prefer to dance with me if his old legs weren't so weak, invited me for a beer instead (also with hand motions). Something else to try are the salty beans which they put in brine and you eat with beer like peanuts - these appear at festivals like candy at the bars but also sometimes in cafes.

Like everywhere in Europe, the country is filled with history, and even small villages have revered historic churches and other buildings. More personal elements of history, like a statue that people have hugged for centuries in order to bring them luck in love, ancient laundry basins built around natural springs, and an old blacksmith's shop catch my attention because I am not looking for famous landmarks these days.

Another interesting thing to see are the markets... in the village where I stayed they had one each sunday, full of delicious food cooked outdoors, fresh fruits and vegetables (and chickens or ducks!), and thousands of items of clothing, shoes, and other household items, new and used, for the bargaining. Granted, bargaining is tough when you don't know the language and they know you are foreign, but give it a try anyway... even at top price you won't pay nearly as much for things there as you would here, and they are certainly "cooler" since they are european and carry the sweet memory of buying in a foreign, almost magical place, perhaps even from the gypsies that move from market to market.

But it's museums, landmarks, and cathedrals you want, or even glitzy European shopping, they've got it too. Even the countryside is covered with such attractions. One famous city is Fatima. It's a religious place, but interesting for anyone to see, whether or not you are religious. There is an enormous church, and the tourism of the whole town centers around the story that Mary performed a miracle there... three shepherd children supposedly saw Mary there over a period of several months. For Catholics this place should be very sacred, but for me, it was just very interesting to see the story and the effects that it has in history. In general, though, cathedrals abound in Portugal (like much of the rest of Europe), and if you're not just interested in churches but want to "see the sights", in the bigger cities in the countryside you find thousands of shops, including sellers in the streets, and glitzier cafes. Late in the evening these are the places to find european style nightclubs and the crazier scene. You can be there till morning as many of the clubs are open all night.

Another famous city is Coimbra, home of the oldest university in country. This ancient yet still perfectly functioning university is incredible if you like to see old places of learning, full of history. This the Cambridge of Portugal. Try to get inside the library for a tour if you can ... the oldest rooms are no longer in common use but are breathtaking to see. And you will hear about the very old procedure for evaluating and graduating degree candidates that still takes place in the same intimidating meeting room as it has for centuries. My favorite part of the university in Coimbra was a tile on the wall with a portrait of a fox that the students all touch before taking their exams in the year's end. It is worn by the many hands that have touched it briefly over hundreds of years.

Last, don't forget to sample the all-important selection of wines and port wines while you are in the country they are named after! If you are in the countryside like I suggest, you have the perfect opportunity to see the beautiful orchards and vineyards, tour wineries, and taste some of the best wines in the world! Plus, you can buy bottles to take home of fantastic wines for astonishingly low prices. I bought a bottle of the best wine they have had in the last decade (corresponding to the best grape crop) for about ten euros (that's less than fifteen dollars). And if you're lucky, accompanying your wine tasting you will find some of the delicious appetizers that are typical in a formal Portuguese meal, for example bits of sausage and other meats, olives (I can't say enough about how fantastic the olives are), fried pieces of cod, and excellent home-baked bread.

Now let's face it, even if your aim is the countryside, when you show up (and leave) Portugal, it's going to be through the airport in Lisbon (Lisboa!), so you might as well have a look at the big city. One plus is that lots of people speak english there, so especially if you are shopping or buying professional services, or staying in a hotel, you probably won't be stranded without being able to communicate. Of course, being stranded and unable to communicate is my personal idea of adventure. But, this may be a good time to get adjusted to hearing a foreign language all the time with a little bit of safety net. Lisbon is beautiful, though. Try to get someplace high (this is not very difficult - well, it's difficult if you have to walk up the steep hills, but you certainly don't have to go very far) and get a good view of the city, then the river. If you want to cheat, take one of the old-fashioned trolley car (running on cables that adorn most of the streets!) up the hill instead of putting up your own effort. If you have a couple of hours free, go to the Castilho (an old castle/fort which you should be able to find by looking up and around you in the center of the city, but ask any fellow, better-prepared tourist and they'll know where it is) because it offers nice garden scenery, real castle walls and a fantastic view of the river and bridge. My only other suggestion is to get to a cafe and enjoy watching the people stroll by as you have an espresso, then a "fino" (draft beer).

As I keep saying, I strongly suggest that after a day or two in the city you take a wilder tour through the countryside, and if you get lonely (though you shouldn't, if you make any effort to interact with the locals, and the breathtaking landscape should be company enough), take a crazy bus ride to a nearby city to soak in the "civilization", feed the pigeons, and spend the night dancing. I hope you enjoy your time in this friendliest country that I have visited.

My first visit to Newport, Rhode Island was as a young, 24-year-old who was in love and engaged to be married. I drove there from Washington, D.C. to meet my fiance and stay at his parents' home for Christmas. We decided to take a drive down along the beach, and even got out of the car for a short stroll. Having grown up in Colorado, I was shocked at the cold, bitterness of the wind as it swept across Aquidneck Island; but the Atlantic Ocean was blue and beautiful, and Newport was all decked out for the Christmas holiday. My future in-laws' home was a 100-year-old former villa turned bed and breakfast. It was cozy and wonderful. We stayed five days before driving back to D.C. and getting married on New Year's Day.

After moving to California with the Navy, the next time we went to Newport was for my sister-in-law's wedding. We stayed again at the beautiful home of my in laws, but this time it was summer, and we were able to see more of what makes Newport tick. Newport is a summer resort that began as a place for summer cottages of the rich and famous back during the early part of the 20th century. Of course, the term "cottages" is subjective, as today many of those same cottages are giant mansions that are used as museums and theaters. People were drawn to Newport because of the mild summer climate that offered warm temperatures, as well as cool ocean breezes. Newport also might seem cold in the winter, but its snowfall is one of the lowest in New England. My first visit to Newport in the summer was delightful. We drove to nearby Portsmouth and had lunch at a local harbor pub. Later that evening, we went for a walk on the beach. Tourists were everywhere, but we did not mind.

My next visit to Newport was as a new resident. The Navy brought us there to live for six months; just long enough to give birth to our third child. Life was crazy then and our six months was from November to May, with most of that time finding us at about the 4 degree Fahrenheit mark on the thermometer. We also received several feet of snow. That year - the one time we made our home in Newport - all snowfall records were broken. Go figure.

Many more years went by and we did visit Newport one other time, for yet another wedding, but most of our married life seemed to be taking place in California. Yet, my husband finally got out of the Navy after twelve years and decided he wanted to be back on the East Coast. While we waited hopefully for a job to open up in Maine, we moved in with the beloved in laws with the big house in Newport. Of course, while their house seemed large when it was just me and my husband, it quickly shrunk when we added our three children, two dogs, and two cats. We spent 9-weeks that summer in Newport, but it was a time I would not trade for anything. We took our children to a Vacation Bible school at a local church, we took boat rides along the coast, we visited local farms and nurseries, we visited nearby attractions, such as Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, and of course, we spent a lot of time at the beach. There were tense times, as two families tried to reside together, but we all got along wonderfully.

Now, again, many years later, we still live in Maine and the in laws still live in scenic Newport. As the in laws are getting older and like to spend much of their time in Florida, we are often asked to go to Newport to house sit their many cats. It is always a treat to go back. Newport, Rhode Island is now like a second home to me. We like to take long strolls along the Cliff Walk that winds along the coast behind many of the famous mansions. We like to visit the eclectic restaurants down town, and we love to shop in the stores along the Brick Alley. Newport is home to so many attractions and visitors will enjoy eating, shopping, seeing the sights and going to the beach; but there is nothing like spending time in Newport as a resident. It has a charm that cannot be matched.

Although many people have heard of the famous battlefield of Gettysburg, few realize that another turning point in the American Civil War was happening at the same time, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The siege that had rocked the citizens for months finally came to a grueling end on July 4th, 1863, just one day after the Battle of Gettysburg ended. If you are a Civil War enthusiast or just a fan of the enigmatic beauty of the "Deep South," Vicksburg is a great choice for a vacation. The biggest attraction is Vicksburg National Military Park, which should certainly satisfy any historian's lust for the past.

What exactly happened in 1863? When Union forces attacked, all became chaos. Many of the citizens of Vicksburg, hungry and afraid, found themselves with barely enough protection from the elements; many became ill and died, or perished from starvation. This great, proud Southern city witnessed much death and heartache. If you're interested in going back in time to 1863, Vicksburg National Military Park is the place to start. Before leaving, you might want to do some research on the monuments and memorials you will be seeing; many Civil War buffs like to know the history behind the regiments whose monuments are standing in the park. Consider taking papers or pamphlets along, and telling the rest of the family about what you are seeing as you go along.

You can't visit the park without noticing the Illinois State Memorial; it is a huge, mausoleum-like building with all the marble solemnity of an ancient Roman tomb. I find it interesting to note that this Union regimental monument was built using Georgia rock. The Illinois memorial names those who fought for the state; their names can be found on plaques located throughout the monument. You'll also want to look for the Texas State Memorial; finished just four decades ago, it almost looks like an ancient plaza, with steps and standing columns. It was made of granite, and the statues of Southern soldiers are particularly worth a photo stop.

If you still haven't had your fill of Civil War history, you might want to drop by the Vicksburg National Cemetery to get a sense of the lives that were taken during the war. Sadly, thousands of Union men buried here have no form of identification and remain nameless. If you walk through the cemetery you will be struck by the countless tiny white stones, marching across the manicured grass. A monument here and there reminds visitors of what happened at or near a particular spot. You may notice that Vicksburg's National Cemetery gate resembles that of Gettysburg National Cemetery. Of course, Southern soldiers are buried in Vicksburg also, at a place called Soldiers' Rest.

If you like gunboats or anything pertaining to the water, you should love the U.S.S. Cairo museum. For years after its sinking, the Cairo stayed put on the bottom of the river until it was rescued, partially destroyed, and rescued again by determined workers. The bare bones of the boat can still be seen; it's a skeleton of its former self, but still a great piece of history. The museum also showcases interesting items that are worth a look.

Many homes have survived from the Victorian era to show us what life was like for wealthy citizens before the siege began. One of these homes is called Anchuca Mansion. The oldest part of the house came about in 1830, but other additions were built in the next decade. The siege does not appear to have harmed this handsome old mansion, and it stands tall as a reminder of Vicksburg's past. Anchuca Mansion is also an inn. For the right price, you can pass the time in Vicksburg from a wonderfully detailed Victorian suite. You'll recognize the house by its huge white front columns and delicate balcony jutting from the second floor.

Another beautiful Victorian home is the Balfour house, constructed before the Civil War. This is truly the kind of house that comes to mind when you think "antebellum." It is a multi-story brick home with white trim and stately white balconies. During the siege of Vicksburg, the home belonged to the wealthy Balfour family; if you look carefully, you can still see evidence of the siege by the chips in the walls. Planters Hall, built in 1834, is known for its fancy decorated entrance and black wrought-iron second story balcony. Cobb House, constructed in the early 1860s, may not have the architectural uniqueness of many of Vicksburg's homes, but it does have significance; it was a war barracks, taken over by General Slocum. Originally, it was a religious school known as St. Catherine's.

By Christina VanGinkel

Snowboard season is almost here. Each fall, it seems like it is a million days away, then before I know it I hear my son talking about the local mountain making snow to build up its base for the real snow that will be falling before too long. In our neck of the woods, which happens to be the very most northern part of Wisconsin and the beautiful Upper Michigan, the projected week for the opening of almost every mountain around us is the week of Thanksgiving. This is just the projected date though, and it often does not happen until the week or even two weeks later, (though occasionally before) all depending on how well the weather cooperates. In addition, when they do open, they often only open for a day or two, then close to groom for a few days, sometimes only staying open on the weekends themselves the first few weeks. Yet we heard last week that in a few spots around Colorado, a few runs and lifts were already open for business. This is a good example of the different schedules for skiing or snowboarding that you can find in different areas of the country.

Depending on where you live, these differences in time frames for opening runs, means that you might be able to plan a weekend getaway within driving distance, or it might mean a flight cross country. Of course, if you are willing, you can fly to somewhere at almost any time of the year and find snow worthy of skiing or snowboarding on, but the average person looking for a few days on the slopes cannot afford trips such as those that will get you to the majority of those hot spots.

So what is a traveler to do at this time of year that would like to get away for some early slope time? The best thing to do is actually get on the phone and call up the resort you are interested in visiting to see what their schedule is as far as runs and lifts that they have open. Some areas, such as those out west, can give you concrete information for the current and upcoming schedule for the next few weeks, while others, such as many that you will find across the Midwest, can only provide you with information relevant for the immediate future. As an example, a couple of years ago, the mountain closest to our home was open over the week of Thanksgiving, but then had to close the first week of December due to rain! The season did not get off to a steady start that year until the week of Christmas.

If you plan to visit an area where such occurrences are more common than some might imagine, avoid booking airline tickets in advance unless you can change the travel dates without too much of a hassle and overly excessive charges. You should also have a personal schedule that can be changed around, and lodging that understands that you might be cancelling at the last minute and needing to rebook a week or two later for the same reasons.

If you are just dying to get on the slopes and you do not have the ability to change your travel dates on the whim of the weather, picking a resort that is already well established with snow even early in the season is going to be your safest bet. This will hold true even if the overall cost is a bit higher than a similar resort in an area of the country where the weather likes to remind everyone that Mother Nature does what she wants to when she feels like it. The benefits though, are that many of these same resorts offer early bird specials to customers for some of these very reasons, so bargains on lift tickets, lodging, and even nighttime entertainment can be found.

If playing games with travel dates is just not your idea of fun at all, then you might want to hold off all together on such a vacation and travel later in the season. Do keep in mind that discounted prices can be a great reason to take that ski or snowboard vacation now and not in the throes of winter a couple of months from now though.

By J.L. Soto

Located on Central Park West at 79th Street in New York is one of the premier museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History. How impressive is it? To start it is so full of diverse displays and exhibits that it takes more than a one-day visit to properly view everything. If time is short and the children are in tow then make a beeline for the prehistoric exhibits.

Its exhaustive prehistoric fossil collections displayed in a continuous loop on the fourth floor are its most popular exhibits. Its dramatic displays of over 600 dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures like mammoths, giant megalodon shark jaws and dimetrodons will surely leave an impression with any first-time visitor, young or old. I know because I've seen the wowed reaction in people many times, even with those who aren't interested in dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are separated into two wings solely devoted to their groupings, the saurichian or lizard-hipped dinosaurs (represented by the long-necked sauropods) and the ornithischian or the bird-hipped dinosaurs (these include the infamous tyrannosaurus rex). Intermixed with the dinosaurs are fossils of other prehistoric reptiles like the flying reptiles and marine reptiles. After going through the dinosaurs, visitors will walk through the ancient mammals section, which is where the mammoth skeletons and others are found. These are also popular with visitors though they're not as famous.

Surely the highlight of any visit is seeing the actual remains of these long-gone giants, but there is more. Entire wings on other floors are devoted to current animal species, environments and cultures from several continents. Let's work our way down to the third floor which is devoted to current reptiles, primates, New York birds and animals, North American birds, and contains the upper level of the African mammals exhibit hall. Additionally, visitors will find exhibits based on Eastern Woodlands and Plains Indians as well as the Margaret Mead Hall of Pacific Peoples.
The highlights of the second floor are the first level of the Akeley Hall of African mammals. The statues of the elephant herd in the middle of the hall provides a good rest spot for the weary and gives a good vantage point of the other taxidermy displays. Nearby the hall is a wing of Asian mammals, though not as large the Akeley Hall the animal displays are just as magnificent. The rest of the floor features exhibit halls on African, Asian and Central and South American people.

The ground floor of the museum has the next most impressive exhibits (after the fourth floor). Inside the main entrance, visitors get their first look at the museum's lauded dinosaur displays. In the center of the large room as visitors pay their entrance fees, they are greeted by the sight of a skeletal long-necked sauropod rearing up on her hind legs in defense of her child against a nearby carnivorous theropod. The exhibits open to the public on this floor are incredibly diverse and range from animals to minerals. Visitors come face to face with a majestic life-size blue whale displayed at The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life where other marine life is shown. Other exhibits found on the ground floor feature North American mammals and forests, human biology and Northwest Coast Indians. Another popular area is the Guggenheim Hall of Minerals and the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems where nearly every kind of rock and precious stone can be found in a kaleidoscope of colors and all kinds of sizes. The nearby Ross Hall of Meteorites is also popular especially with kids and space buffs.

Speaking of space, adjoining the museum is the Rose Center For Earth and Space and home to the world-famous Hayden Planetarium. This architectural wonder features a clear-glass cube building and inside is an immense sphere adorned with planets from our solar system. A spiraling walkway with handrails detailing the universe's history, leads visitors into the sphere, which is actually the remodeled Hayden Planetarium with spectacular cosmos-themed shows.

Admission to the museum and the Rose Center is by donation. Anyone wanting to visit the planetarium or the museum's IMAX films and special temporary exhibits has to pay a fee. It is possible to just pay the suggested donation of a few dollars and skip the extras though the cashiers have to be told at the beginning that all that is wanted is general access to the museum, otherwise visitors will probably wind up paying for the IMAX films and have even less time to devote to the museum. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. and it can be reached by the city's subway and bus systems. For more information call 212-769-5100.

The bus ride from San Sebastian wove its way down out of the green foothills of the Pyrenees. As the bus entered the interior of Spain the landscape changed dramatically. Instead of the forests and hills, the mild Atlantic climate and seabreezes from the Bay of Biscay, we entered a country of brown and red with large wind worn rocks and mountains hammered by the sun. The outside temperature rose steadily from a comfortable 75 degrees to a scorching 95. The ride was long and exhausting and we arrived around sunset. The bus terminal was underground and was connected to the metro system. The metro reminded me of New York's subway system as the stifling heat was trapped by the tunnels and baked everyone as they waited for the trains. I found my way on the metro to Calle de las Huertas, the busy street near which my hostel was located. It was night as I left the metro tunnel and made my way through the streets seeking my accomodations. The air was hot and dry and filled with an incredible volume of sights, sounds and smells. I had never been so completely immersed in the Spanish language. Hundreds of people milled about; they were thin dark skinned people dressed in the height of European fashion. Eateries, cafes and bars emanated all manner of smells: acrid cigarette and cigar smoke, irresistable smells of seafood, spices, wine, roasted meats. The desert evening air blew pleasantly through the city, which was a relief after the hot sunshine. After getting these first glimpses of the Spanish capital I was excited to drop my bags and check out the city. In a week's stay I would not be disappointed by Madrid. While I had already experienced two wonderful Spanish cities in Santander and San Sebastian, Madrid was truly an explosion of life.

My hostel, Posada de Colon, was a very busy place. I bunked in a large room with 6 other guys. Most of my roommates were Americans coming from Boston, New York and California but there were others from Australia, Italy and France. Over the 8 days of my stay I would come to meet many interesting people. One of my roommates was Patrick, a dark haired Argentinian who relocated to Australia as an infant and spoke with a thick Aussie accent, was a skilled mountain biker and daily rode out into the desert heat for his rigorous training. Matt and Steve were Americans on their first trip in Europe. They came straight from Boston and though they wore the clothes and grooming of seasoned businessmen on holiday, at heart they were both rollicking frat boys looking for a good time. Everyone was a stranger and everyone was excited to be in Madrid. It reminded me of freshman year in college when no one knows anyone else and everyone makes fast friends. We all bonded instantly and would venture out into the nonstop party of Madrid's nightlife.

My hostel, while crowded, was well equipped with computers, bathrooms and showers, washing machines and dryers. The kitchen and courtyard were places of nonstop activity where the dozens of guests would come together to eat, drink, play cards and socialize with one another. The balcony of our room overlooked the nonstop activity of Calle Cruellas. a narrow street parallel to las Huertas that was lined with hotels and cafes. On any given night people would hang out, play music or drink wine from a nearby bar. The day I arrived Real Madrid won a major soccer match and all week green and white clad fans roamed the streets chanting fight songs and living it up in the streets around the hostel. Posada de Colon was ideally situated near the heart of Madrid. Several large plazas lined with cafes and wine shops were mere minutes away including Puerta del Sol, Madrid's answer Time Square or Piccadilly Circus. Several Metro stations could be reached on foot very quickly.

After a day of relaxing, taking in Madrid's cafes, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, my first priority was to visit the city's famous art museums. The big 3 in Madrid- are disparate collection of museums housing ancient and contemporary works from Spain, Europe and indeed everywhere else. My first stop was the Reina Sofia, a contemporary art museum known predominately for its collection of spanish exhibits. I visited this museum early, before crowds of tourists arrived. The exhibits that I saw were a wonderful collection of colorful and passionate work. Everywhere were the finest works of Picasso. I could not take my eyes off of the Guernica, a work which I had seen in books, but I was completely unprepared for its power when seen in person. The monochromatic masterpiece is much larger than I suspected. The exaggeration of the human form conveys the horror and hysteria of the Guernica massacre. The stark blacks, whites and greys came to life before my eyes. It was some time before I walked away from the great painting. In the Reina Sofia there were many other Picasso works as well as paintings by Joan Miro and Salvadore Dali. The art which I saw that day rivals anything I have seen in any art museum.

The following day I visited the Museu del Prado. The Prado specializes in older works from the Renaissance through the 18th century. The Prado's collection of religious artwork is unparalelled and reflects the deep influence of Catholocism on Spanish culture. My favorite works were those by Francisco de Goya, who is considered by many to be the greatest Spanish painter in history. Goya's 3rd of May contains many elements of the impressionism movement although it was painted a half century before impressionism's acceptance. The Prado also houses works by Velasquez, Titian, El Greco and other ancient masters. Outside of the Prado is an extensive botanical garden which I visited to escape the heat which is a constant feature of Madrid's arid climate.

Later in the week I visited Madrid's third major art museum the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. The Thyssen is very different from the Prado and the Reina-Sofia in that it does not specialize in any category of art. Rather the exhibits are an immense private collection sold to the Spanish government. The collection spans centuries and decades, serving as an art history lesson to the untrained eye. The collection contains lesser known pieces by Van Gogh, Monet, Miro and Dali. I was amused and somewhat homesick to see an American exhibit of 18th and 19th century landscape painting, depicting forests, waterfalls and mountains of the American frontier. The Thyssen rounds out Madrid's incredible exhibitions of art, but there was much more still to see.

A regular destination during my stay in Madrid was the Plaza Mayor. The plaza is surrounded by a red palace dating back to the 16th century. Nine of Madrid's oldest and most important streets intersect at the plaza and can be seen through the large archways which serve as Plaza Mayor's entrances. In the center is a statue of King Phillip II, one of Spain's most famous monarchs. The Plaza Mayor is a popular tourist spot and is always filled with people. Several cafes and restaurants are located inside the plaza as well as numerous shops selling souvenirs. Another feature of the plaza is the presence of street performers who dress up as statues and move in slow, eerie movements, thanking those who drop a coin into their cup. The Madrid tourist information center is located in the Plaza Mayor and has computers that visitors can use free of charge for 15 minutes.

Only yards away from the Plaza Mayor is the Puerta del Sol, the largest and most popular tourist destination. The Puerta del Sol serves as the heart of the city with the most important thoroughfares extending from the plaza to the various districts of the city. Thousands of people can be found in the large plaza day and night. Giant billboards and neon signs shine down upon visitors. In the center is a fountain and equestrian statue of King Charles III. During the day Puerta del Sol was a regular sight as I travelled along Madrid's streets admiring their architecture and window shopping. At night the plaza was a place for meeting up with friends and a cool place to hang out.

Madrid is a city with so many things to do and see. In addition to art and architecture the city has many gorgeous parks which are cool sanctuaries from the heat. The parks are always filled with people playing games or relaxing. The Casa de Campo is largest park in Madrid. On the outskirts of the city, Casa de Campo is filled with wooded paths, picnic tables and a very large lake. The lake is always studded with kayaks and rowboats. Nearby is the Palacio Real, or Royal Palace, an immense palace with extensive grounds. The palace houses the royal armory. Adjacent to the palace is the Cathedral de Almudena, a white cathedral of impressive size built for the Spanish royal family. Most of the buildings in Madrid were all built between the 16th and 20th centuries. In fact the city has only been the capital of Spain for the past few centuries, the medieval capital of Toledo has much older palaces. This modern character does not take away from Madrid's appeal, however, as the city is incredibly fashionable and beautiful in a more renaissance style.

The nightlife in Madrid is incredible. Most days during the summer people flock to the clubs and bars of Madrid. Bourbon Cafe on Calle Jeronimo is bar with a New Orleans theme. There are extensive wooden dance floors and a DJ playing contemporary American and European hip hop and dance music. Palacio Guaviria, on the other hand is a huge club near Puerta del Sol with many different rooms each with different themed music. The classic decor of Palacio Guaviria is set by plush curtains, chairs and sofas with chandeliers. Palacio is always filled with hundreds of people enjoying cocktails and dancing. In Madrid tourists and locals have no problem getting along and everyone focuses on having a good time. Everywhere my friends and I went we had a great time. After a week immersed in the irresistable culture of Madrid I found it hard to part company with the city and my new friends.

By Brandi M. Seals

Northwest Arkansas is known for many things. It is home to Wal-Mart, Tyson and JB Hunt. Its population is growing at a surprisingly rapid rate. And, Northwest Arkansas is famous for its arts and crafts fairs.

The arts and crafts fairs are held twice a year; once in the spring and once in the fall. They pack them all into two weekends a year. This weekend just happens to be one of those weekends. The area is full of craft fairs. There are several to choose from and they are in a variety of locations.

If you will be in the area any time between today and Sunday, you have an opportunity to check out what local crafters have for sale. Pick up some knick knacks for your home or grab up a quilt to give to your new niece or nephew. There is something for everyone at the numerous craft fairs taking place this weekend.

When you go to a craft fair, you need to be prepared to face a crowd. These things stay busy all day. You will also want to make sure you have cash on hand. I have yet to see a vender accept a credit card though a couple of venders have been known to take checks. Do not keep yourself from getting something you want, have cash on hand to make purchases.

Most people I know prefer to leave the kids at home as it can be hard to keep track of little ones in crowds. Plus, they do not seem to be as entertained by the quilt display as you are.

If you will be in Northwest Arkansas this weekend, be sure to check out one of these craft fairs. Otherwise, plan to come next spring and see what you can find.

Ole' Applegate
Highway 72 West
Bentonville AR, 72712

Dates: 10/18/2006 - 10/22/2006

The Autumn Fair is at two locations:

Ole' Applegate Farm - 1 mile west of Bentonville on Hwy. 72 (Admission $3)

Clarion Hotel & Convention Center - 211 Southeast Walton Blvd. (Free Admission)

Contact: 888-404-7478

Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival
Bella Vista AR, 72714

Dates: 10/19/2006 - 10/21/2006

Bella Vista Arts and Crafts Festival Location:

Off US Highway. 71 at Highway 279 and 340

Features:
350 exhibitors
Food
Music, Dance, and Kids' Activities

Contact: 479-855-2064

Bella Vista Wishing Spring Art and Craft Gallery
East of Highway 71 on County Road 40
Bella Vista AR, 72714

Dates: March - December

10am-5pm Monday through Saturday

Features:
350 exhibitors

Contact: 479-273-1798

Frisco Station Mall Spring Arts & Crafts Festival
100 N Dixieland Road
Dixieland Mall
Rogers AR, 72756

Dates: 10/20/2006 - 10/22/2006

9am to 9pm Daily
9am to 5pm Sunday

Features:
Indoor Craft Fair
250 exhibitors
Free admission and parking

Contact: 479-872-9917

Jones Center Fall Arts & Crafts Fest.
922 East Emma
Jones Center for Families
Springdale AR, 72765
Intersection of Hwy 265 and Emma Ave., Springdale

Dates: 10/19/2006 - 10/21/2006

9am to 8pm Daily
9am to 6pm Sunday

Features:
100 exhibitors
Indoor craft fair
Handicap accessible
live music and televised football game
Free admission and parking

Contact: 479-751-9313

Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Fest

Ozark Regional Arts and Crafts Fest is at two locations:

Embassy Suites
3303 Pinnacle Hills Parkway
Rogers, Arkansas
I540 to exit 83 in Rogers

Dates: 10/20/2006 - 10/21/2006

9am to 9pm

Features:
Free admission and parking
600 exhibitors

Holiday Inn Convention Center and NWA Convention Center
HWY 412
Springdale, Arkansas
I540 to exit 72 in Springdale

Dates: 10/20/2006 - 10/21/2006

9am to 8pm

Features:
200-250 exhibitors
Indoor craft fair
Handicap accessible
Free parking and admission.

Contact: 479-756-6954

Sharp's Show of War Eagle
11690 Sellers Place Rd.
Hindsville AR, 72738

Dates: 10/19/2006 - 10/22/2006

Features:
Food
Abundant parking
Located near War Eagle Mill

Contact: 479-789-5683

The War Eagle Fair
11036 High Sky Rd.
Off Highway 303
Hindsville AR, 72738

Dates: 10/19/2006 - 10/22/2006

Features:
300 exhibitors

Contact: 479-789-5398

War Eagle Mill Antique Crafts Show
11045 War Eagle Rd.
War Eagle, Arkansas

Dates: 10/19/2006 - 10/22/2006

8am - 5:30pm

Features:
Live music
Food vendors

Contact: 479-789-5343

Rogers Antique Show

Location:
Rogers Activity Center
315 W. Olive St.
Rogers, AR

Dates: 10/19/2006 - 10/21/2006

9am to 5pm Daily
9am to 4pm Saturday

Features:
Over 20 antique dealers
Large selection of collectibles

Contact: 479-273-2284

by Justin Goff

From time to time, visitors to Washington, DC will find themselves swept a few miles down the Potomac, disgorged by their tour buses in Old Town Alexandria for an afternoon. Likewise, business travelers occasionally find they have booked rooms near the King Street Metro Station, a growing neighborhood only two Metro stops away from Reagan National Airport and a short, scenic Metro ride from the Pentagon and from downtown DC.

While few travelers make Alexandria their primary destination, most learn to make the most of the time they spend here, taking advantage of our quaint little oasis from the hustle and bustle of the Beltway. Visitors shop, visit our historic buildings and musems, and enjoy street performances on Old Town's fair-like waterfront.

Most importantly, however, visitors eat. Alexandria has a well-earned reputation as one of the best places for a meal inside the Beltway, offering a bewildering array of choices, from boardwalk fries and burgers to French haute cuisine. This article highlights just a few of the best bets for newcomers to the Alexandria culinary scene.

First, a word about Alexandria's culinary geography: the closer you get to the water, or the closer you get to King Street, the more expensive everything gets. For the most part, then, the cheapest eats are to be found inland and on the side streets, or (literally) on the other side of the Metro tracks, to the west and north. This article presents a few choices from each price range and each area, but is in no way comprehensive or complete--even Alexandria natives can't possibly eat everything the city has to offer, and exploring new restaurants is a local pastime that can't be beat!

Visitors seeking low-fuss American fare generally do best to stick nearer to the Metro line, in the Upper King Street neighborhood. This area features a branch of the locally-famous Five Guys Burgers and Fries (near the intersection of King and Fayette, link), a no-frills Boardwalk-style lunch counter specializing, as you might have guessed, in juicy burgers and thick-cut peanut-oil fries (and, besides hot dogs, not much else). Waits can get long in the evenings and on weekends, so unless you call ahead, don't plan on treating Five Guys as fast food. Do plan on Five Guys for a late-night snack--their generous french fries are sure to keep you till morning.

The Upper King Street area also offers several options for sit-down American dining. The Tiffany Tavern (on King Street, link) is a regional bluegrass mecca, featuring live performances or open mikes nearly every night of the week. The food isn't spectacular--think East Coast diner food plus bar fare, slightly overpriced--but the casual atmosphere is a big draw for business travellers looking to unwind after a long day's work. Across the street, you can find the Rock-It Grill, the Tiffany Tavern's 1950s-style doppelganger, with worse music but better food. The Rock-It is also even more informal than the Tiffany Tavern, featuring karaoke, billiards, and--most importantly--specials almost every night of the week.

At the higher end of simple American cuisine, the Upper King Street neighborhood offers Joe Theismann's (yes, that Joe Theismann's) Restaurant (link), a slightly classier TGIFriday's clone with an unobtrusive sports-bar theme. Theismann's strong suit is undoubtedly its sandwiches and fries--the blackened chicken sandwich is particularly good.

As you move further down King Street, the dining options become a bit more culturally diverse. Sultan Kabob (Henry and Cameron, one block north of King) offers simple, affordable Persian cuisine with a heft dash of almost oppressive hospitality. Twin Asian eateries Asian Cafe and Non La (King Street) offer, you guessed it, pan-Asian cuisine, with the latter displaying a particular Vietnamese twist. (Non La also offers half-off entrees on Sundays.) The Austin Grill (link), a quirky DC-area tex-mex chain, can be found at the corner of King St. and Columbus. And even authentic Irish lunch-counter fare is available at Eamon's, which bills itself as a classic Dublin chipper (i.e., fish, more fish, and chips), though its fare is a little overpriced for anyone less than desperate for a fish-and-chips fix.

The Middle King Street area also features three of Alexandria's true local gems. Murphy's Pub (King Stree) is as authentic an Irish pub as you can find this side of the Atlantic--dark wood decor, hearty entrees, and good beer. Stick to the Irish classics here--meat pies, stews--and possibly some American bar food standbys. Taverna Cretekou (King Street, link) offers upscale Greek cuisine in a festive setting, including patio seating straight out of the Old World. Alongside familiar standards like roast lamb and spanikopita you can find a number of lesser-known Greek and Classical dishes--here, everything is worth a try. Finally, King Street Blues (oddly enough, located just off of King Street, on St. Asaph) offers the best of American Southern fare, with a distinct Creole-Cajun flair (link), served up in a quirky, narrow, three-story bar and dining room steeped in New Orleans style.

For its part, Lower King Street offers some of the very best and very worst (or at least most overpriced) of Alexandria dining. Here, the best bets and the best deals are found a block or two off of King. Near City Hall, just down the street from the Old Town Alexandria Visitor's Center, rabid anglophiles can treat themselves to pasties or an afternoon tea at The British Collection Company (South Royal), a cozy little tearoom and specialty shop featuring an array of British breakfasts and lunches. The teas are second to none. The Union Street Public House (Union Street) also has a certain British flair, though Americanized, offering upscale pub food, steaks, and a variety of craft beers in an elegant, Gilded-Age-themed dining room and bar, where the hospitality is second to none.

Two blocks on the other side of King Street, you can find side-by-side two of Old Town's best and most overlooked restaurants--Queen Street is, after all, two blocks out of most tourists' ways. Momo is a miniature hole-in-the-wall sushi bar offering consistently superb fish and a number of creative house concoctions. But be advised: Momo seats about 12, with its biggest table seating 4, so it's a poor choice for large parties, and you will want to have a back up plan in case there's a wait.

Just next door, the whimsically-named Bilbo Baggins (link) boasts Alexandria's largest and most eclectic beer and wine lists, as well as an inspired, crowd-pleasing menu of innovative, hearty American fare, served in a rustic dining room by an enthusiastic staff. Not only is Bilbo Baggins a venerable icon of Alexandria dining, it is one of those rare icons that meets and even exceeds expectations: this is a dining experience not to be missed.

Finally, the waterfront area of King Street does offer at least one solid and consistent value in the Fish Market, one block off the water on King. The Fish Market is iconic Tidewater/Down East seafood at its finest: simple, fresh, and usually fried. Everything is very good, but the crab imperial is especially addictive. Street-side outdoor seating also offers an Old-Country-Style view of the King Street waterfront's festival air. If you're only in Alexandria for an evening and you want a flavor of what life is like on the "Fun Side of the Potomac," the Fish Market is the place to be.

If you were to ask me to name the place in Ireland that sounds most whimsical, most intriguing, and the most fun, I would have to say County Limerick. Not only is the natural beauty and architecture stunning, but the age and mystery of its landscape adds considerably to its appeal. Some of the best sights you will see are in Adare; among them is the stately Victorian home known as Finnitterstown House. For the right price, you can actually rent this rustic lodge for a certain amount of time; just check their website. Finnitterstown's setting is pure Ireland; huge open fields and peaceful willows that provide a perfect place to soak in County Limerick's beauty.

The cottages of Adare are a wonderful sight; the simple architecture will pluck you out of the 21st century and plop you down firmly in centuries past. Many people think of these small thatched homes when they think of Ireland, and Adare's collection of historical homes certainly won't disappoint you. Like Finnitterstown, you also stay at some of these cottages periodically. Adare is home to an old crumbling fortress known appropriately as Adare Castle. It dates from medieval times, and though time has not been kind to its walls, it still provides an eerie historical sight. Many are hopeful that the castle will soon be repaired and revitalized to provide a greater experience for locals and travelers alike.

Adare Manor is not to be missed. If you have a picture in your mind of a cold stone castle with sharp turrets, high imposing walls, and gothic architecture, this is the place. Now a great stop for comfortable lodging, Adare Manor is a terrific place from which to enjoy the beauty of Limerick. This hotel was actually named one of the "Great Hotels of the World." If golf is your thing, you'll find it mentioned quite a bit here; the attached golf course is truly a wonder, resembling a cluster of manmade lakes and adding to the manor's intrigue. Adare Manor had its origins in the mid-19th century and is one of the most popular stays in this region of Ireland.

If you like old churches and monasteries, Adare is the place for you. The Black Abbey can be found in the village, and is a great religious attraction. Originally begun in the early 14th century, it has been renovated and is ready to receive a steady stream of tourists. Inside you will find simple but elegant pews, wall coverings, and huge arched doorways that bring the cathedrals of Europe to mind. Unfortunately, the Franciscan Friary of Adare is contrasted sharply; the opposite of Black Abbey's relative strength, the Friary is old and crumbling, covered with vegetation. It was begun in the 1400s. Despite its poor condition, a walk through the Friary gives you a sense of adventure; the beautiful stone arches and walls rising above the carpet of grass look like something out of a medieval tale.

Still haven't had your fill of castles? Try Fanningstown Castle. Though not located in Adare, it can be found in County Limerick and it should be easy to get transportation. Like most old castles, it had its birth pangs in the times when Englishmen tried to fortify their foreign lands. In this case, the Fitzgerald family was responsible for Fanningstown's origins. Over the years as it changed and grew, it became an icon of the region. There was actually a Fanning family connected with the castle, thus giving it the name it now holds. Fanningstown Castle is now an inn of sorts and offers many quiet places to sit and relax. Since this *is* Ireland, it will probably rain considerably during your visit, so it's nice to know there are places like Fanningstown where you can relax until the weather relents.

For a castle that seems unhindered by the passing of centuries, don't forget to check out King John's Castle. The huge round towers and soaring walls seem to fit our fantasies of medieval fortresses. It was built in the 13th century and completed throughout the 14th, but it doesn't look a day over two hundred! If you like stunning views, remember to see the River Shannon meandering lazily beside the castle. The fortress itself is not the only attraction: You can also see ruins of medieval homes, old walls and fortifications, and much more.

By Lacie R. Schaeffer

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The first time I went camping was when I was 13 years old. I was not actually jumping with joy because the outdoors always gave me an eerie feeling but I had no choice, as it was compulsory that I attend the camp. There was a variety of activities planned and one of it was jungle trekking.

The trail was upwards, the mud was all sticking to my shoes there were the leeches to deal with and the whole time I just wished, I could be in my home sweet home but than when night came I saw something that changed my mind about the outdoors forever. The stars were so beautiful and could be seen so clearly from the hill side that we were camping and the air was so fresh and cool that I told myself I should give nature a second chance.

I put my heart and soul into that camping trip and since then I have always gone camping or jungle trekking whenever I have the time. After I had settled down it was quite difficult for me to still maintain these outdoor activities until I visited the Malaysian National Park. It is a suitable place to be with your family, it is safe and educational for your children and you can still enjoy nature at the same time.

The Malaysian National Park is a tropical rainforest that is a 130 million years old and has evolved naturally without any major disruption or calamities. It is located in the heart of the Peninsular covering 4343 square kilometers spanning across the three states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. It is an extensive protected area of pristine, lowland and evergreen forest set aside to nourish our natural heritage of flora and fauna.

Your trip to Malaysia will not be complete without visiting this tropical rainforest that has earned the titles of The Best Kept Tropical Rainforest and The Great Natural Wonders of the World so don not forget to include it in your itinerary.

All the places in the park is a must see with breathtaking views and unique characteristics. Enjoy the magnificent view of Gunung Tahan one of the tallest mountains in Malaysia by trekking up Bukit Teresek which is located 1.7 km from Kuala Tahan.

If you are interested in limestone, there are many limestone outcrops in the park. Gua Telingga that is Ear Cave deprives its name from its structure that is shaped like a human ear. The Ear Cave is carved through a limestone crop with a stream running through it and is one of the famous caves here. It is damp, dark and is home to common life forms such as the round leaf bats and race snakes. There are drawings on the wall of the cave that indicates an interesting past. If you are a person who loves adventure and mystery than you can join in on the cave exploration also known as SPELUNGKING.

Have a brisk walk through the jungle from Kuala Tahan to Lata Berkoh which is roughly about 8.5km where a refreshing waterfall can be found that flows from the top of Tahan Mountain. The river is fast moving and the depth is about less than a meter. The stream joins Sungai Tembeling at Kuala Tahan. You are welcome to take a boat ride and enjoy the views of the river and it is certainly the best time to snap some lovely pictures of nature for your collection. The cascade marks the limit for the highest navigable point for the river. If you want to just relax and have a picnic with the family the deep pool below the rapids with its rocky area is most suitable. Swimming is restricted in these areas due to the strong undercurrent.

The boats belong to the Wildlife Department and make sure to make advanced bookings to avoid disappointments as the number of boats available is limited. The cost to hire a boat is RM 120.00 per boat for 4 persons.

Take a peek into the lives of the ORANG ASLI that is Man of the Jungle who are the original inhabitants or natives of the jungle. These people call themselves BATEK that means people of the rainforest after the wonderful tropical rainforest that they live in. Their livelihood is dependent on the forest as they eat yam and hunt small animals such as squirrels and monkeys with a blow pipe. They are short in stature, dark skinned and have curly black hair. There is another group of natives known as SOMOKBERI and there has been some intermarriage between these two groups. Their huts are simple and made out of thatched-palm and one family group lives together in one hut. Some natives still live a nomadic life by hunting and gathering food within the park.

There are various activities lined up in the park that will send your heart racing and pump up your adrenaline. The canopy walkway is 45 meters long and 510 meters long. It not only allows you to have a look at the wildlife from the summit of the park but also offers an opportunity to get to know the plants and animals that live in the Canopy itself. Minimal fees of RM 5 for adults and RM 3 for children are applicable and the walkway is only open to the public from Thursday to Sundays only.

Those you love fishing can put their skills to the test at Lata Berkoh and Sungai Keniam that are full with fresh water fish. Kuala Tahan is where the waters are more placid and is also teeming with fish. This is definitely a haven for all anglers with the Kelah fish that can weigh up to 20lbs but may pose as a challenge to catch due to its speed and agility as it can put up quite a fight when caught. The best time for fishing is February, March, July and August.

If you want to observe the wildlife at its natural habitat there are six hides located all over the park that can be reached by either walking or by boat. The hides are safe to watch the animals from even after it is dark. It gives you a chance to get a glimpse at the animals in the park that are usually shy who emerge to have a drink of water or lick some soil.

Jungle Trekking is one activity that will put your endurance to a test. There are many routes in the park, some are only up to a few hours while there are even routes that can take up to 9 days long. The routes are easy and safe as it has been clearly marked but it is still advisable to have a guide along the trekking. You will be able to hear rare songbirds greeting you as there is about 300 species of songbirds here and find some of the rarest orchids here in the park. There is up to 200 species of plants found in each hectare of the jungle, each jungle trail is unique in its own way but that is sure to offer an unforgettable experience for each trekker.

Those who want some adventure can go on a Night Safari, where you will be driven in a four-wheel drive for about two hours in search of animals as they are in the midst of finding their food. If you are lucky animals such as the Wild Boar, Jungle Cats, Deer, Birds, Snakes and Insects can be spotted. The powerful spotlights will be able to blind the animals temporarily during their search for food.

Water activities that you should not miss are the rapid shooting towards Trenggan River and the inner gateway of the park but prepared to get soaked with water. If you just want to relax, take the Sunset Cruise to enjoy the park in the evening and see the wonderful sunset or opt for the Night River Safari, which is a cruise along the Pahang River in search for animals.

As for the wildlife in the park, in the lowlands we have the tigers, leopards, sun bears, sambar dear, barking deer, wild pigs, tapir, elephants and the sumatran rhinoceros. The only problem is that these animals are rarely sighted, as they are shy and due to the density of the jungle. The jungle also offers them a natural camouflage, which makes it even more difficult to spot them. There is about 300 species of birds here with the Hornbill being the most easily sighted and other rare species such as the Broadbill, Drongo and the Blue-throated Bee-eater. The park also has its share of reptiles such as snakes, crocodile, tortoises, lizards and amphibians and is also rich with micro faunas like insects and butterflies.

The accommodations provided range from budget hostel to luxury resorts and the choice is up to you. Price starts from as low as RM 10+ up to RM 1000+ depending on the type of room you select. There are hostels, chalets and resorts, the hostel being the cheapest form of accommodation while the resort is more of a luxury. If you are visiting with kids it is better to select the Mutiara Taman Negara Resort and if you are visiting with your spouse than a chalet will do. There are many types of chalets, some with fan and others with air-cond according to your budget.

The travel agent in Malaysia that offers services and accommodations is Han Travels Sdn. Bhd. It offers a wide range of packages and services to choose from for your convenience and can be contacted via e-mail at enquiry@taman-negara.com.

The bus from Santander rose ever higher into the green hills, winding through narrow passes on the route east. Rock formations, stacked high with brown and red shelves of stone jutted up toward the roadside. Sometimes the shoulder would drop away and I would look over at the precipitous drop below. The countryside was an ever-present green with the occasional splashes of red in the form of rooftops on white houses. The ride took only a few hours. I sat with Vicki, a girl from Germany who spoke very good English and Spanish. She was going to San Sebastian to find a job in tourism. She told me many interesting things about Spain and the Basque country that we were entering. For myself I traveled to San Sebastian to satisfy a long curiosity. I had first read about San Sebastian and Basque country in a book I had read as a child called Bridle the Wind. In the story the main character travels from France through Basque country to his home in Spain in the years after the Napoleonic wars. His companion, a young basque girl in disguise as a boy, tries to teach him the difficult Basque language and unique culture. The scenery and culture depicted in the book capture my imagination. Hemingway also described this corner Spain in The Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell Tolls. I was very excited to see it for myself.

The Basque people are a mystery. The Basque language, Euskal, bears almost no relation to other languages in Europe. Some say that the Basques are a remnant of the first immigration of human beings into Europe and date back to the stone age. Others believe the Basques to be descended from Muslim tribes or Indian nomads. Whatever their origin the Basques have managed to weather the tides of invasion and conquest that have flowed through Europe for millennia. For this reason Basque culture is both unique and proud. Even to recent times Basque independence movements have consistently recurred. Although Basque country historically is comprised of territory in both Spain and France straddling the pyrenees mountains, at this point only a small portion of that country is autonomous.

San Sebastian, or Donostia as the basques call it, has many historic locations to visit. The Basque Art Museum houses many beautiful modern and classical paintings and sculptures. The museum, housed in a large medieval villa with a sunlit courtyard, also has many exhibits depicting scenes of traditional Basque farming and pastoral lifestyle. A journey up the slopes of Monte Urgull offer a glimpse of well preserved Napoleonic fortifications, complete with fortress and cannons. To the east, the precipitous slopes of Monte Ulia are notched with trailmarkers that signify the path of a catholic pilgramage route along the rocky crags of the surrounding mountains. This path should only be attempted by seasoned climbers, however, as it can be quite dangerous. In the course of my stay I did check out these beautiful landmarks, along with walking tours of the old town and a trip to the romanesque cathedral but the main purpose of my stay was to enjoy the leisurely and invigorating atmosphere.

I arrived in San Sebastian and I could immediately sense the differences between the city and other parts of Spain that I had seen. San Sebastian has a medieval aspect with many churches, palaces and beautiful buildings. The city is ringed with the foothills of the pyrenees. Three principle headlands divide San Sebastian's shore into two bays. San Sebastian's principle boatdocks are found in the Bay de la Concha. The Playa de la Concha, a large crescent shaped beach known for its placid surf is ideal for swimming, sailing and sunbathing. Monte Urgull, a large mountain headland dominates the bay, is crowned with a military fortress left over from the Napoleonic wars and a statue of Christ with arms outstretched. During my stay in San Sebastian I would often climb the wooded paths of Monte Urgull and sit on the benches and admire the idyllic settings: the view of the city and pyrenees to the south, the Bay of Biscay and Bay of la Concha to the north. To the east the Bay de la Zoriolla is more exposed to the rough surf of the Bay of Biscay. Playa de la Zoriolla's surf makes it a popular place with surfers and body boarders. I love to body surf so I spent most of my time at the Playa de la Zoriolla. The temperature of the water in the Bay was not very warm and reminded me of the Atlantic Ocean on the Jersey shore during the summer time.

The night life in San Sebastian is one of its premiere attractions. San Sebastian is known very well for its tapas bars. Tapas bars are small bars that serve platters of finger food for a low price along with their alcoholic beverages. Most tapas bars serve some for of seafood specialty along with cheese, cured meats and olives. Legend has it that tapas bars originate from an antiquated law that required bar patrons to eat one piece of food with every drink consumed in order to decrease intoxication. It is customary in San Sebastian to travel from bar to bar eating a few pieces of tapas and enjoying a few drinks. On any given night in San Sebastian hundreds of barhoppers crowd the narrow streets of the city's old town going from bar to bar enjoying the music, dancing, food and drinks.

Staying in San Sebastian offered me an opportunity experience more of a traditional spanish lifestyle. There are no grocery stores in San Sebastian but a central underground market filled with butcher shops, cheese shops and fish shops served the freshest foods. In my hostel, Lolo Urban house, each day the guests would take turns cooking fresh foods from the markets in the community kitchen. It was an immense pleasure to enjoy a fresh meal for breakfast, a picnic lunch on the beach or on Monte Urgull and then a light supper at the tapas bars. San Sebastian is also a place with an incredible international flavor. The superb beaches of the city attract thousands of surfers from places like Australia, Canada and the US and the nightlife draws tourism from every corner of Europe.

The four days that I spent in San Sebastian greatly exceeded my expectations. The beaches, mountains and scenery made for a relaxing and stirring setting. I often found myself reading and writing in my journal for hours. I also spent many hours on the beach, enjoying the sun and waves. The beaches were packed all week with thousands of gorgeous young people. At night, the tapas bars were always bustling and I found each night out lasted until the early morning hours. While I was looking forward to heading on to Madrid when my stay was over, I did feel a twinge of regret to leave such an incredible European paradise.

By Simon Woodhouse.

The first of the Lord Of The Rings films may have been released nearly five years ago (Fellowship Of The Ring, December 2001), and we've all watched them numerous times on DVD since then, but they're still just as good today as when they first arrived in cinemas. A combination of factors made them great - good acting, decent script, excellent special effects and spectacular scenery. The first three of these achievements are due in no small part to the people involved in the production; the scenery however, is pure New Zealand.

For those of you who might not know, New Zealand is spread across two islands - the North Island and the South Island. The Lord Of The Rings production visited various locations spread across the length of breadth of both islands. As the film crew stopped over in so many different places, I'll start toward the top of the North Island and work my way gradually down the country.

A good hours drive south from Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is the tiny coastal town of Port Waikato. A few brief scenes were filmed in the rugged countryside around the town, most of them concerning the journey of Aragorn and the hobbits as they made their way to Weathertop. Carrying on south, the small town of Matamata lies a couple of hours from Port Waikato. Here a lot more filming took place, as it's the location of the Hobbiton set. Guided tours are offered by the farmer on whose land the filming occured, but he's not allowed to alter or repair anything the movie people left behind, and what is there has been affected by several years of New Zealand weather.

The middle of the North Island is home to one of New Zealand's most active volcanoes - Mount Ruapehu. The desolate countryside surrounding the volcano doubled as the Gorgorath Plains, the Emyn Muil and the Black Gate of Mordor. The final battle at the end of Return Of The King was also filmed here. Mount Tongariro, near Ruapehu, played Mount Doom itself. The Rangitikei River flows away from the volcano, and part of it served as the River Anduin.

At the bottom of the North Island sits the New Zealand capital of Wellington. Seeing as the city is home to the production company who made the films, it's not surprising a lot of the location work took place in and around this part of the country. In fact, Wellington probably makes the best base from which to visit as many locations as possible, in the shortest amount of time. Within the city itself, an old quarry was used first as the location for the Helms Deep set, which was then taken down and the same spot turned into Minas Tirith. Mount Victoria, a hillside park in the very centre of the city, became the location for the hobbits first encounter with a Black Rider, and also served as the area where they were chased to the Buckleberry Ferry. Outside of the city, but all within a radius of fifty miles, are the locations used for the Osgiliath Woodlands, the Hobbiton Woods, Rivendell, Isengard, Crossroads of Mordor, and the approach to the Paths of the Dead.

Take the ferry from Wellington across the Cook Strait, and you reach the top of the South Island. Head west from Nelson, the largest town in the area, and you're in the Eregion Hills, landscape that served as the Rough Country south of Rivendell. Also in this area is Mount Olympus, and it was here that the Fellowship hid from Saruman's crows in the first film.

The central South Island region of Canterbury played host to one of the most stunning outdoor locations used in any of the three films - the Edoras set. In the middle of a river valley called Rangitata, sits the lonely silhouette of Mount Sunday. At the top of this wind-swept outcrop of rock, the set builders worked for eleven months to build Edoras. Though only used for six weeks of filming, the location nonetheless shows some of New Zealand's most impressive, if not a little bleak, countryside.

Landscape further south around Queenstown offered multiple locations, almost as many as dotted in and around Wellington. Within a fifty mile radius are the East Rd (scene of Frodo's flight from the Black Riders aided by Arwen in the first film), the Ford of Bruin, Lothlorien Woods, Fangorn Forest, the Plains of Rohan, and the Dead Marshes. Now we're nearly at the bottom of the South Island, and it's here the filming of the Misty Mountain scenes took place.

Almost 500 miles separate the first and last locations, with almost every major region of New Zealand used to some extent during the filming. The country couldn't ask for a better showcase of its scenery, and though many of the scenes were digitally enhanced, a lot of what appeared on the screen was totally un-spoilt. Organized tours are available of most of the major locations, but with a bit of planning and a hire car, you can see them all at your own pace. And if you're a walker, taking the time to head out on foot offers even better rewards. So if you've a hankering to visit Middle Earth, it's all here waiting for you.

By Misti Sandefur

If you planning a long car trip with your baby, you will need to know some of the necessities to pack for baby. This article should help you decide what to pack for baby the next time you plan a trip by car. To make things much easier, using your mouse, highlight the list of items below. Next, right click on the text you have highlighted and click print. When the box pops-up for you to select your print settings, make sure you select to print "selection." By printing out the list below, you will have a handy checklist for your next car trip. Beside each item you will notice a line, just place a check on each line once you have packed that item. Placing a check on each line shows you that item has been packed and you can move on to the next item. You can print this list out for each car trip you make.

Now, for the items to pack for baby:

___ An on-the-go bottle warmer for heating the baby's formula. If you like, you can choose a bottle warmer that plugs into your cars cigarette lighter.

___ Enough diapers to last for the whole trip.

___ A teething ring and teething medication if your baby has reached the teething stage.

___ Extra clothes and sleepers.

___ If you plan on doing a lot of walking at the destination your headed to, pack a portable, lightweight stroller to push baby around in.

___ A couple washcloths in a baggie. If you need to wash baby off, these will come in handy, and you can get them wet on your stop at rest areas.

___ Baby wipes.

___ If traveling during the summer, pack some baby sunscreen and apply to your baby when you're out in the sun. Or, you can also apply sunscreen to baby before you drive away, because the sun shining through a car window can also sunburn your baby.

___ Baby powder and lotion.

___ If you breastfeed, pack a breast pump.

___ Changing pad to use when changing baby. Also, in case you have to change baby on the side of the road or somewhere without a trash can near, small scented bags or trash bags will come in handy. Place the diaper in one of these bags, then when you are near a trash can, dispose of the bag.

___ First aid kit in case something was to go wrong. Hopefully you have a safe trip, but you must also prepare for an emergency just in case. Like the old saying goes... "better safe than sorry."

___ A few blankets.

___ Baby toothbrush and toothpaste. Yep, you still need to keep baby's teeth clean and healthy. Even if he or she has no teeth yet, you should brush their gums too.

___ Small toys to keep baby entertained during the car ride. It's even a good idea to have new toys the baby hasn't played with yet, because new toys may keep your baby's attention longer than a toy he or she has already seen and played with before.

___ Soothing CDs to calm baby or even put him to sleep, but check with the driver to make sure it won't put him or her to sleep.

___ If your baby is old enough to eat some foods, bring along plenty of snack foods.

___ Pacifier if your baby uses one.

___ Baby's favorite toy if he or she has one. You certainly don't want to leave without baby's favorite toy.

___ Extra bottles.

___ Bibs (disposable or regular).

___ Enough formula for the trip.

___ Diaper rash medication.

Those are the items I always packed when my kids were babies and we took long car trips. However, if you can think of anything else you need, by all means add it to your checklist as well.

Now, for a few tips on traveling with baby:

1. If the trip is long, make frequent stops and get your baby out of his or her car seat for a while.

2. Keep baby's diaper changed often to prevent him or her from developing a bad diaper rash.

3. Invest in a car seat with a hood. The hood helps keep the sun off baby while traveling down the road. Another good investment would be a couple shades with suction cups that will stick to the back windows in your car. These shades will also help keep the sun off baby.

4. Pack extra cash in case you need to buy something else for baby, or in case you run out of something and need to re-stock that item.

5. Have someone ride in the back with baby to keep him or her entertained during the long trip.

See, traveling with baby doesn't have to be daunting, and as long as you pack the right items your baby should stay happy. Have a safe and fun trip!

My first view of Spain came as the small RyanAir jet pierced the blanket of clouds floating over the Bay of Biscay. White wisps fluttered past the window and then below was a series of low green hills. I had never associated the color green with Spain. In my mind I always expected Spain to be a collage of red, yellow and white, but Santander, the small seaside town below was a vibrant green. The plane skimmed over the ground, losing altitude and I saw my first Spanish buildings. They were plane white houses with characteristice Spanish red tile roofs. The plane landed on Santander airports sole runway, taxied toward the terminal building and came to a stop. Everyone gathered their belongings and shuffled down the stairs and across the tarmac into the terminal building. The Spanish customs agent, a no nonsense man in a white shirt examined my passport, stamped it and let me into the country. I went to an ATM and withdrew 50 euros, the first time I would use the new European currency. I had been out of the country before to Canada, England and France but Spain was the first country I had ever visted where I didn't know the language. I was soon to find, however that every American knows more Spanish than they think and my ability to communicate grew throughout the 3 weeks that I was in Spain.

After taking a bus from the airport to the bus depot in downtown Santander I inquired as to where I could find my hotel. I was staying in a place called El Astillero, which I assumed was a part of Santander but I soon found out was actually a few miles away. I boarded another bus which wound its way inland, into the hills surrounding Santander. From what I could see from the bus window, Spain looked nothing like any place I had ever seen before. With the ring of green hills surrounding town, the many dilapidated apartment buildings nestled closely along the bustling boulevards, the crowds of people in tiny cars, on scooters and bicycles, Santander reminded me of pictures of South America that I had seen. I could only understand a small fraction of what the signs or billboards were advertising. The roadsigns were a bright blue. The people were a mix of all different colors. Some Spanish people looked much as you would expect with the dark weathered complexion of a people that come from hot and sunny climates. Other people were pale and looked the same as people from France or Spain. They were all very stylish in their hair and clothes.

I was able to intuit from my fellow passengers where I was supposed to get off the bus. Standing on the sidewalk in El Astillero, a few kind old ladies indicated that they had never heard of my hotel but pointed out the general direction the street that it was on. I shouldered my heavy pack and went to find my accomodations. After looking around, I couldn't find the street but a man who spoke a fraction of english pointed out where I was to go on a crude map which he drew on a sheet of looseleaf. With map in hand I made my way to the hotel along narrow windy streets. El Astillero was built on the side of steep hills surrounding bustling shipyards. An estuary flowed inland from the port of Santander to El Astillero, which appropriately means shipyards. The small satellite town is dedicated to handling the heavy flow of imports and exports from Santander. I located the hotel, which occupied a few floors in a ten story building which stood overlooking a park and the shipyards. The proprietor of the hotel was middle aged well dress Spanish woman. I stood in her living room as she calculated my bill and ran my credit card. She spoke no english but I understood when she scolded her young son for running around the house in his sneakers and I couldn't suppress a small laugh. She looked at me quizically and asked me in Spanish if I understood her. I said "Si, no zapatos." She laughed and said, "Si, si zapatos nada!" I knew at that moment that I would get along fine in Spain.

After the long journey and exhausting journey from London to Santander and then to El Astillero, it was a blessed relief to be in a room of my own. I took a long, hot shower and then a quick nap. After I woke I decided to take my first excursion into town. The proprieter gave me a map and pointed out prinipal areas of interest. A small yellow train called the Fev rain into town every 15 minutes and cost only 1 euro. The ride was very scenic. The outskirts of El Astillero were a unique blend of industry and nature. The color green was everywhere, in the hills and the trees but there were also large factories, shipyards and scrap yards. In a short time the Fev came to its terminal, which is across the street from the Santader bus depot, a place I had already been. The depot is at the base of high hill overlooking downtown Santander. A staircase winds its way up this hill to a park at the top so I decided to climb up and have a look. There were teenagers hanging out at the top of the hill laughing, listening to music and smoking cigarettes. The city fans out to the north with the buildings growing taller and more splendid as they approach the sea. The buildings to the south are dilapidated but in a different way than American buildings. The cracks, spanish moss and ivy that crept up their sides, small wooden balconies with peeling whitewash and clothes lines loaded with laundry are all charming and beautiful. In larger cities there are department stores and supermarkets but in smaller cities like Santander each of life's necessities is sold in its own small, privately owned shops. A maroon sign with yellow lettering that says Tobacos indicates a tobacco shop, a place where you can also buy envelopes and stamps. A green cross marks the location of a pharmacy. Bakeries sell extremely inexpensive and exquisite fresh bread, while cheese shops sell a variety of cheeses and cured meats for a pittance. One can go from shop to shop buying fresh ingredients for a picnic for no more than a few euros. All of this I saw below me in downtown Santander.

The wide boulevard below led to the sea; I decided to walk down the hill and to the waterfront. The walk to the water was less than a mile. The air grew cooler, which was pleasant because the day was hot and hazy. At the end of the road, which is called Calle Castilla, I came to the Bay of Santander, a long shore of docks and seafood restaurants. I followed the curve of the bayshore northeast as it wound toward the Peninsula de Magdalena, a thin fingerlike projection of land that separates the Bay of Santander from the Bay of Biscay. Along the shore I marveled at the large mansions which commanded an excellent of the sea. On the far side of the penisula is El Sardinero, the name that the locals give for the wide sandy beach that is Santander's principle attraction. It was late in the day so I decided to visit the beach first thing the next morning and I set off toward what appeared to be the fashionable district where the majority of Santander's bars and clubs could be found. As the sun set I walked along the waterfront promenade which was filled with people enjoying the seabreeze. There were lots of bars and bistros where people sat around enjoying drinks, dinner and conversation. The sound of Spanish was everywhere; it was at this point that I realized that while Santander is a large and beautiful city, it is not a tourist attraction. The people who go to Santander's beaches, bars and restaurants are almost entirely spaniards. During my stay I found this to be an incredibly refreshing facet of the town.

After a meandering walk I found what I was looking for-a large courtyard with steps on everyside that was filled with people. The courtyard, Plaza de Canadio, was shared by a number of bars and wineshops. People stood around or sat on the steps talking, drinking wine and smoking cigarettes. It was a young crowd and from what I could see a very stylish one which rivalled any crowd in a bar or club that I have ever seen in New York. I grabbed a drink and set on the steps enjoying a cigarette and listening to the chorus of voices which filled the courtyard. I didn't stay long as I was tired and wanted to get up early the next morning to go to the beach so I caught a bus back to El Astillero and went promptly to bed.

The next day I got up around 9 and packed a bag with clothes and a towel for the beach. I made my way downstairs and stopped in a small shop where I picked up a small loaf of bread, fresh chorizo and a hunk edam cheese. I packed this with a bottle of water and some figs for brunch on the beach. After getting off the Fev in Santander I was soon relaxing on a towel in the sunshine. I sat and read, ate my lunch, wrote in my journal and basked in the hot June sun. The water was cool with a rough surf, which reminded me of beaches that I have been to in Long Island and New Jersey. The coast of Cantabria, the region on the north coast of Spain, is studded with cliffs that drop abruptly to the sea. A strong breeze and rough surf are characteristic of the Bay of Biscay, which is a notoriously stormy body of water.

After I left El Sardinero I decided to check out the Peninsula de Magdalena. The peninsula is long and narrow, heavily wooded and rocky. I walked through the woods and clambered over rocks until I came upon a large palace. I soon discovered that the palace, a 19th century masterpiece with a superb view of the sea. The palace was a summer home, built for King Alfonso XIII. After walking around the palace I walked out the tip of peninsula to enjoy the stiff seabreeze that blew inland. The peninsula ended in a high promontory with waves breaking on the rocks below. The rocky shore and sea reminded me very much of beaches in New England. Having walked several miles that day already, I decided to head back to the hotel and get a good sleep before my journey the next day to San Sebastian.

Cantabria is a lesser known part of Spain. With the warm Mediterranean beaches of the South and the stylish and exciting cities of Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastian, most tourists overlook a town like Santander. I only discovered this hidden gem because of the fact that its air and seaport make it an ideal place to travel from England or France. I wholeheartedly recommend Santader to anyone travelling in northern Spain for its beaches, fresh seafood and night life. The journey to or from Madrid and San Sebastian is relatively short and inexpensive by bus. If you are ever in the region, be sure to stop in and sea a town that blends the best of Spain.

By Janie Blank

The first week of October is a beautiful time to visit Southern California. Actually any time is nice. They have pretty consistent weather with the exception of some rain in the winter. Right along the ocean it is usually quite a bit cooler and breezier than inland. As a matter of fact most people do not bring appropriate clothing, thinking it will be hot at the beach. Our days were in the low 70s, our evenings in the 60s and our nights in the 50s. There is also a strong breeze, in some places downright windy. For Californians it is Fall. They tend to dress a little more fall like than the tourists. We want to think it is perennially summer and bring white slacks and shorts when natives are wearing some fall colors.

It was made even more difficult for us because we flew into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday and promptly rented a car and drove to Palm Desert to spend time with friends until Wednesday morning. Palm Desert is a two hour trip heading east of LA. Our friends moved there recently from Orange County and this was just our second time in the desert, having visited Indio close to twelve years ago. The area has boomed. Virtually every inch of it is developed with lush golf course communities. As a matter of fact we were told there are 113 golf courses in the vicinity! The community college, College of the Desert, even has a specialty in golf management.

The weather in Palm Desert was more than twenty degrees warmer than LA. Here summer clothing is definitely appropriate, even required. So that made my packing a little more complicated. That and the fact we were totally casual in Palm Desert whereas the rest of the week we were on a company award trip in Santa Monica, with every day and evening scheduled. So we had the need of fancy clothes, business casual, and casual plus hot weather and cooler weather requirements. My husband had to take a sport coat and I had to come up with outfits for everything from a day at the pool in Palm Desert to an evening requiring a fancy dress and shoes on Saturday night. Three other nights required semi dressy dinner outfits. During the day we went to various Los Angeles area attractions such as Warner Brothers and the Getty Villa.

I used to have an aunt who traveled all over the world. She and her husband were one of the first to go to China in the 1970s. She used to amaze her sisters with the small suitcase she always packed. She told them she just wore the same few items over and over and washed them out. Her motto was: I will never see these people again! Good advice if you can get away with it but to be truthful these award trips are usually first class all the way and you definitely will see these people every year. That means you really do not want to take the same things you took last year and you cannot really get away with wearing the same top or shirt more than once. I did repeat some nice black slacks and some shoes and even a black shawl. The trick is to mix it up enough that the outfit as a whole appears different. A different color top and different jewelry usually is my strategy.

I also vary my shoes. This, as with most women, is a weak point for me. I would bring a different pair of shoes for every event if I had the room. As it was, on this trip I limited myself to just four pairs, and one of those was my tennis shoes, however, I ended up buying another pair while I was there! It turned out we had to walk four blocks to a nice dinner on Friday night and I just did not have pretty shoes I could walk in for that distance! Oh, the trials woman must endure. My husband on the other hand wore his favorite Mephisto walking shoes and packed his dressy loafers. That was it for him. How unfair!

As it was, we managed to take just one small and one medium roller bag and just one exercise style bag. A minor achievement if I do say so myself. My husbands pet peeve is too much luggage coupled with not wearing everything you brought. I try to explain you need options to be flexible in case an event turns out to be dressier or more casual than expected. It might rain or be colder than you anticipated. I think it pays to have options. I do not see it as a waste if every item is not worn. We agree to disagree on this and because he is hopeless at packing and so this is my job. I lay everything out for him and make him try it all on in advance. He may have a little too much but he usually has what he needs. He knows he can count on having the right thing to wear for every meeting and dinner and he knows I will be dressed appropriately.

We actually travel pretty extensively and I have a lot of experience at this. I do lay out a lot more than I actually take. The hardest part is anticipating each day and evening and trying to make sure you take things that are of the same or a similar color palette so some mixing and matching can be achieved, requiring fewer shoes and purses. I also have learned to remove the hanging bags that come in the luggage and just hang the clothing in a dry cleaning bag, fold over a couple of times, almost like rolling it, and then snap the straps across. This takes up a lot less space and weighs less now that the airlines have a fifty pound limit. By removing the bulk you can take more hanging clothes in a bag. I also might stuff the sleeves of his sport coat with more dry cleaning plastic, particularly on lightweight summer materials.

As it turned out for this trip, I think my husband wore every item I packed with nothing extra. This is rare but makes him quite satisfied! I cannot say I did not have an extra outfit but overall we got a lot of clothing into a pretty small space and still turned out looking pretty spiffy. Basically this was a piece of cake compared to the real challenge that is our next trip, three weeks in Europe in the Fall, where the weather is cooler and the clothes are much bulkier!

By Rich Carriero

I love Europe. I have always been fascinated with the cultures, cuisine, history and topography of Europe. When I was 16 I took a trip with my high school to London and Paris for 10 days. I grew up in New Jersey and at that point I had never been further from home than Washington DC so those 10 days felt like an eternity. I would finally get to see France, a place that I had dreamed of ever since I began taking French lessons in middle school. I would get to see Paris: the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, the Champs Elysees and the Place de Concorde. I would get to see London: Parliament, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly Circus. That trip was truly a wonderful experience-but it was not an eternity. It was just a small taste.

I went to college and after a long and arduous process, I graduated. I watched friends of mine travel abroad. I knew people who had traveled all over the world-Asia, India, Africa and even my beloved Europe. I yearned to travel like that. Ever since my first trip I vowed to go back. When it was time to graduate I saved up a few thousand dollars, which my family matched as a graduation present. I was the first one of my siblings and cousins to graduate and go on a gap year adventure. My parents had never even done it. I knew from the moment that I committed to my plan that it was different from my trip in high school. The trip in school was a very safe matter. I traveled with a large group of fellow classmates on an EF tour. Every arrangement was taken care of-from plane tickets to museum passes. All I had to do was come up with the money. When I sat down to book a flight I knew that there was a lot more to backpacking than I ever had imagined. I wasn't even 100 percent sure what backpacking was. This was part of the attraction of it, however. The trip in high school was like seeing Europe in a museum under glass. This time the barriers would be removed and I would immerse myself in Europe.

I bought a Lonely Planet book on Europe. Since the subtitle of the book was Europe on a Shoestring, I knew it was for me. The book was a big help for many ideas. You could peruse cities of any country in Europe and find out what there was to see in that country, where to eat, sleep, have a drink and go out at night. After doing a little research with Lonely Planet and the internet I realized that my first decision was to decide how long to go. Since most people do not yet have serious commitments after college graduation, it is a unique opportunity to get away but at the same time, for someone who has never traveled for an extended period; it can also be very scary. I feared being homesick, running out of money, getting sick or being robbed. I pictured every worst case scenario. I finally settled on 3 months as the right amount of time to really enjoy Europe without making too much of a time commitment.

My second consideration was where I could feasibly travel in 3 months. One of the things that Lonely Planet advised in the foreword of their book was to not plan too much into one trip. I decided to give myself some time in the places that I really wanted to see and to be flexible and therefore not plan too ambitious a trip. England and France were not a high priority because I had already seen both so I decided that my first serious stop would be in Spain. Spain had captivated me since I first read The Sun Also Rises. I wanted to see the green hills, brown deserts and red clay roofs of Spain. I allotted 3 weeks to this most important destination. But Spain is a big country and unfortunately I could not see all of it in that time. I knew that I had to see San Sebastian, Madrid and Barcelona so I started with those cities in the guidebook and decided to fill in the rest as I went.

After Spain I decided to follow the Mediterranean for a while. While I had been to Paris, I never got anywhere near the Riviera so I decided to follow the Riviera through Marseille, Nice and Monaco into Italy. At that point I was stuck. I gave myself one month from the beginning of the trip to reach the Italian border and then I could not decide which way to go. I went with the tentative plan of heading into Genoa and then curving north through Milan into Switzerland. I decided from that point to keep my plans fairly tentative but I still set some requirements of places that I would visit. I wanted to see Eastern Europe so I settled on Prague, Vienna and Budapest as must see places. There I had an ally since my girlfriend is originally from Budapest so we planned on meeting up at the end of my trip in the Hungarian capital where I would meet her friends and family and then we would travel to another country together before both coming home. With these plans in mind I set about learning the process of traveling Europe.

In Europe mass transit is truly an art form. Travel between European nations is excellent by land, sea and air. After doing some research on airfares I found that flying to London was much cheaper than flying to any other European nation. From London there are several no frills carriers like Ryan Air or Sky Europe that fly out of London's smaller satellite airports for incredibly low prices. So I decided to fly into London, stay for one night and then fly to Spain on one of these carriers. I chose Virgin Atlantic for my transatlantic flight. Virgin has excellent amenities in all areas. The flights are smooth and fast, the planes are large and comfortable, the service is prompt, professional and friendly and each seat has a hi-tech entertainment system. I booked the Virgin Flight for June 1st with a return trip set for August 31st. Since the Virgin flight was overnight, I booked a bed at the London Youth Hostel in Blackfriars for the night of June 2nd. The cheapest flight to Spain that I found was from London to a city called Santander on the northern coast in Cantabria. I had never heard of Santader but the $25 fare on Ryan Air was enough to pique my interest so after doing some research I discovered that Santander was a small fashionable city with many excellent beaches, fine seafood and very few tourists. That was enough for me. I booked my flight to Spain.

The internet makes backpacking so much less intimidating if you are willing to do the research. Between Lonely Planet, the internet and advice from friends, I found that I could so much with a little planning. There are several excellent websites for finding sleeping accommodations in any city like hostelz.com and hostelbookers.com. From my living room in New Jersey I booked sleeping accommodations in London and Santander on hostelbookers. My next task was to learn about travel around Spain. While European nations, with the exception of Russia, are generally small, Spain is still the approximate size of Texas so I wanted to be sure that I could get from city to city for relatively little money. I soon found that in Spain trains and airplanes from city to city within the country are very expensive. Buses, however, are a cheaper and relatively fast means of travel. At that point I promised myself that I would be flexible and so I did not book anymore of my itinerary whilst still in the United States.

My next task was choosing what items I would bring with me. It is extremely important to plan carefully what you will bring on a backpacking trip, since, without the load bearing and storage capacity of a car, space and weight quickly become precious commodities. The first and most important possession on a backpacking trip is, of course, the backpack itself. I did some internet shopping and decided on a large metal frame pack from LL Bean. I also bought a light sleeping bag for the contingency of camping out or sleeping in an uncomfortable bed. My next step was to choose my clothing based on utility and size. I chose two pairs of shoes; sandals and dress shoes. I picked out clothing that could be balled up or rolled up with little wear and tear. I tried to pick out as many pairs of shorts and short sleeve shirts as possible to economize space but I still brought a pair of jeans, dress pants and a dress shirt. Next came the very careful calculation of the bare minimum of underwear I would need so that I could get from laundromat to laundromat without running out. After choosing clothing I tried to consider whatever necessities I would need in three months. I decided on my LL Bean book bag for a day pack, a flashlight, combination lock, Swiss Army Knife and Leatherman tool, water bottle, notebook and pens. Once I had packed all of this in my newly arrived pack I chose a few paperback books to read. When the pack was completely filled I slung it over my shoulders, adjusted all of the harnesses and walked around for a while to get a feel for the weight. As I wandered around the house and back yard I tried to imagine carrying all of this stuff along unfamiliar roads in Europe. My pack felt awfully heavy. Still, at that point I had everything I needed and I was ready to go.

The night before I was to fly I experienced a great deal of anxiety. I was 26 years old, technically a man, but I was still going to be alone in many unfamiliar countries, the vast majority of which spoke languages that I didn't understand. I wondered if I could make it for 3 months. I wondered if I could avoid being robbed. I wondered if I would be able to make friends. I wondered if my money would last long enough. Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night. To make matters worse, when I woke up that morning I had the beginnings of a serious cold. My flight was at night so I wandered around the house all day. I tried to think if there was anything I was forgetting. I divided my funds into different sources; I had a credit card, debit card and travelers checks-with photocopies. I had a voltage converter with plug adapters for different countries. I had 2000 songs on my I-pod, a cell phone which had a digital camera and was a multiband phone that would work in Europe, a 35 mm camera with a dozen rolls of films. I left the keys to my car and copies of my passport with my parents. At long last they both came home from work and it was time to go to the airport.

The entire car ride to Newark Airport they kept giving me advice and trying to get me to relax. My mother, being a typical mom, loaded me up with medicine for every different kind of ailment that I could possibly get. In the months ahead I would give silent thanks for her foresight on numerous occasions. Once at the airport they saw me to check-in. I was worried that my pack would be too big, but it was fine. After many hugs and kisses it was time to say goodbye, which was a relief because I hate long goodbyes and they were making me nervous. I went through security and after a long wave goodbye I turned the corner and didn't look back. While waiting in the airport for an hour or so I read and listened to music and tried to relax. I called everyone one last time. My girlfriend was in tears, and while I tried to comfort her, I was really sad to leave her. Once again I was relieved once the flight began boarding. At long last the moment had arrived. I took my seat on the large Boeing 767 and waited for takeoff. When they closed the doors, taxied around the runway and took off I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders. Once that plane was in the air everything was out of my hands. That was the first moment when my trip began to feel like an adventure.

My first taste of Europe came in the form of the British accents of the Virgin flight attendants. I sat next to a young girl from Scotland who was returning home after a long trip around the states. We had a great conversation during which she gave me lots of advice about various European countries. It was interesting to be sitting next to someone whose journey in my home country was just ending while my journey in hers was just beginning.

Flying east across the Atlantic always seems so much longer than flying west. During an overnight, with the travel across 5 time zones the sun seems to set and then rise again only a few hours later. This effect is exacerbated by the short nights of summer in the northern hemisphere. When sun rose over the Atlantic I set my watch ahead to London time. When the plane landed at Heathrow airport I took my first look at the green grass and blue skies of Europe-a place I had not seen in a decade. After taking the train from the airport to London and then hiking to my youth hostel, I soon learned that despite my best efforts, I had still overpacked. Worse yet, my cold was at its worst and I had to drink Theraflu every few hours just to feel alright. It was an inauspicious beginning to my trip. I got the hostel too early to check in, but I was exhausted so I slept for a few hours in the lobby in a state of near delirium. When at last I could check in I dropped my pack and went promptly to take a long, hot shower. I was to discover in the months ahead that one of the best moments in any new city was the moment after checking into a new hotel or hostel when you can ditch your pack in a locker. Not only is a full hiking pack heavy, but also since you are carrying everything that you own on your own narrow shoulders, you feel so much more vulnerable to robbery. In each city I visited I would store my pack for the duration of my stay and only move around with my wallet or my day pack.

After my shower I wandered around London. I tried to remember the city that I had seen as a teenager but, with the exception of Westminster Abbey and Parliament, I found that I could not. It was nice to walk along the banks of the Thames, nonetheless, and look at people and places. I crossed the narrow steel thread of the Millennium Bridge, stopping to look back at the enormous dome of St. Paul's. From the bridge I could see Big Ben and the bicycle wheel of the London Eye. The sky was partly sunny and pleasant breeze blew across my face. After crossing the bridge I sat on a bench and made the first entry in my journal. In it I described the trip, the misery of my cold and my hope that the trip would be a fun and safe one. As an American, when you're in Europe, at first you constantly feel the need to keep reminding yourself that you are there, that America is an ocean away. This is scary and exhilarating feeling. My journey had just begun.

As all vacations do, our summer road trip from Santa Fe, New Mexico up and through the beautiful state of Colorado came to a close much too quickly. The day arrived when we were to drive from Colorado Springs back to Santa Fe, and then fly back to our home in Maine from there. Thankfully, the 24-hour virus I'd had the night before lasted just under 23 hours, and miraculously, I began feeling better almost as quickly as I had fallen ill. We left our hotel to another perfectly clear Colorado day and watched as the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak passed by our car window. At the last minute, we decided to make a right turn and have lunch in Manitou Springs, as the foot of Pikes Peak. After all, it was only about a six hour drive to Santa Fe, and we were not really in a hurry.

Manitou is the home of nine mineral springs in the area, and the name Manitou means "spirit." Once a popular health center for tuberculosis and other infectious maladies, Manitou Springs is now a popular tourist town with eclectic antique shops, restaurants, and specialty shops that cater to the feel of the old west as well as the modern ideology of multiculturalism. Manitou is colorful, fun, and incredibly diverse. We strolled around town a bit and had lunch at a local cafe. The shops offer something for everone, and at the top of the hill is the beloved Cog Railway that takes visitors to the summit of Pikes Peak - the very railway we were forced to forego because of my illness. Still, our time in Colorado had been wonderful and we were sad to leave.

Finally, at about 2:30 that afternoon, we headed south on Interstate 25 toward New Mexico. I drove while my mother and my two daughters slept and I relished the quiet as I took in the Colorado prairie lands. Other than the fairly decent sized city of Pueblo, the towns are few and far between in that part of the state, but the beauty, although different, is no less breath-taking than that in the rest of the state. I watched as the afternoon shadows across the prairie became longer and longer. It was a mesmerizing site.

We stopped for a break in the quaint town of Trinidad, just north of the New Mexico border. Trinidad is known as the jewel of the west, as it is an unusual town with a Victorian Old West look mixed with the adobe of the heritage from being on the Santa Fe Trail. The surrounding bluffs hug the town with its brick streets and historic buildings. We wanted to stay for a visit, but we had a quick snack, stretched our legs, and then drove on up Raton Pass toward New Mexico. After the steep pass, the highway stretched back out into the prairie lands, and we once again began seeing the famous Pronghorn Antelopes. We saw them by the hundreds, as they stood grazing very near the edge of the highway. Then came the very rare treat when we saw a small herd of elk cross the highway in front of us. They hopped the small wire fence alongside the road and trotted off into the sunset.

We finally arrived in Santa Fe just as the spectacular New Mexico sun was setting behind the mountains in the distance. We were glad to be back at my mother's house and it was time to pack to go back to Maine. We sat out on her flagstone patio, enjoying the warm evening and bemoaning the fact that the very next day would find us back in New England, amidst the black flies and mosquitoes that are so prevalent in June. Still, our trip had been a special one - a wonderful venture of reminiscing for my mom and me and a new adventure for my two daughters. We had seen so much in so short a time - mountains, wildlife, geological formations, tourist attractions, quaint towns, and most importantly, old friends. We had learned more about the geography of the area and we learned more about each other. It was the perfect summer vacation. We only hoped that one day we could do it all again very soon.

Driving from the eastern end of South Park on Route 24 to Colorado Springs is a favorite drive of mine. I was excited to take my mom and my daughters on this, our summer Colorado road trip, as I reminisced about all the times we drove this drive when I was growing up. My daughters were still reeling at the magnificent mountains; something they simply can't see where we live in Maine. Although, in my opinion, we were leaving most of the biggest and best mountains behind, we still had one more giant in our path before we descended on Colorado Springs - Pikes Peak. As we drove east, we could see Pikes Peak in the distance, the only mountain of its size on the Front Range.

Route 24 became very interesting as it wound through natural formations of giant boulders, tumbling rivers, and scenic small towns along the way. My mom and I planned that we would stop in the little town of Lake George, because there was a favorite restaurant we used to visit when I was young and we remembered it as having the best hamburgers west of the Mississippi. Our mouths were watering as we drove into the tiny town, but much to our dismay, the restaurant was closed. We were sad, but we headed on toward Woodland Park, where we knew we could find a place to have lunch.

Woodland Park is at the top of Ute Pass just 18 miles up into the mountains above Colorado Springs. It used to be little more than a bend in the road, but it has become one of the premier places to live and commute into the city. With spectacular views of Pikes Peak from anywhere in town, there is not a bad place to live in Woodland Park. We had old friends in Woodland Park, so after picking up lunch at the local Taco Bell, we drove into the surrounding hills to pay a visit.

After chatting for a while, catching up on old times, and making new memories, we said our good-byes and drove the winding drive down Ute Pass. We passed the quaint town of Green Mountain Falls, and glimpsed Santa Claus on top of the Peppermint Slide at the North Pole Amusement Park. The 25 minute drive brought us down into the heart of Old Colorado City, which hugs the western side of Colorado Springs. Although we were tired from our day of driving, we could not resist stopping off at the Garden of the Gods Park, where we visited the new, huge visitor center and watched a short film about how the giant red rocks were formed. We then drove on to our hotel to change, and then we had a wonderful Mexican dinner out with some more old friends. We went to an old piano bar type restaurant called El Sombrero Restaurante. We were delighted when a one-man band showed up just after our arrival, and began singing country and western songs. He had a voice that was a cross between George Straight and Randy Travis, and he could sing anything past and present. We made requests, sang along, and had a lot of laughs; and we all marveled at that talented singer who was singing in a small but good Mexican restaurant, when he should have been on the radio.

The next morning, we were up early with plans to take the girls horseback riding at the Garden of the Gods stable, and then to take the Cog Railway up to the summit of Pikes Peak. We also had plans to have dinner with more old friends later that evening. The day began as it should have, and we drove the girls to the riding stable, enjoying yet another sunny day in paradise; but just as their ride ended, I became ill with a 24-hour virus. I went back to the hotel and suffered in bed while my mom took the girls out to Michelle's Ice Cream Parlor downtown. She was not up to taking them up Pikes Peak, but they had a wonderful day in spite of the change in plans. We also had to cancel our dinner with friends, but we were able to pay them a short visit the next day before we left town. Sometimes the best laid plans simply must be changed to suit the situation.

On the third day of our summer road trip from Santa Fe, New Mexico through Colorado, we had already done and seen so much that it felt like we had been driving for well over a week. When we got up that morning, we were still annoyed about our over-priced dinner in the too-big hotel the night before in Vail, so we vowed to do something simple for breakfast - like fast food. We were all surprised and pleased to find a McDonalds just outside the hotel on the other side from where our car was parked. We laughed, wishing we had known about it the night before - a simple McDonalds dinner was all we had really wanted, not the loud, fancy hotel restaurant.

After a warm breakfast with the early morning Colorado sunshine streaming through the windows of McDonalds, we got into the car and back onto Interstate 70. We did not have far to go on the Interstate, as we were continuing with our sight-seeing route through the mountains on back roads and through small towns. We turned south at Route 9 and headed toward Breckenridge. I was excited to introduce my two middle-school aged daughters to the tiny town of Breckenridge. While growing up, my parents had owned a condo there, and we spent many weekends in Breckenridge, either skiing and ice skating in the winter, or hiking and horse-back-riding in the summer. It was a safe town where my brother and I could walk into town and play video games at the local arcade or see a movie at the old fashioned movie theater.

But when we arrived in Breckenridge on that June morning, I had much the same reaction I'd had the day before in Vail. It was different, but unlike Vail, Breckenridge was completely different. I looked up; the mountains were the same, although many more ski runs had been cut through the trees on the surrounding mountains. But the town was completely different. It was not as if only fifteen years had passed; it was more like a century had passed. The last time I had spent any time in Breckenridge, it was very much like quaint Leadville, that we had visited only the day before. Yet today, Breckenridge was a booming tourist town. Everything had been completely re-done, even the way the streets were set up. It was as if the old town had been swallowed up and a new one was in its place. While I had wanted to introduce my daughters to Breckenridge, the Breckenridge I had known and loved was nowhere to be seen. I made the quick, unilateral decision to simply stay in the car and keep going on to Colorado Springs. I wasn't up for any more surprises on this trip across my past.

Route 9 is an incredibly scenic drive any time of year, and we were treated to yet another gorgeous sunny day that is so typical of Colorado. We enjoyed the narrow, winding road that took us to the top of Hoosier Pass, also the mark of the Continental Divide, and then we followed the steep way down the other side, alongside the headwaters of the Platte River. My mom and I reminisced as we drove through the small but familiar towns of Alma, Fairplay, and Hartsel, and when we looked back over our shoulders, we could see Mount Princeton in the distance. Still my favorite mountain in Colorado, I was sad to be leaving it.

About that time, we came upon Route 24 in South Park and enjoyed seeing countless Pronghorn Antelopes as we drove the long, straight road east toward the front range of the Rockies. After at least forty five minutes on the high, grassy prairie of South Park, the trees began popping up again, and we started climbing up Wilkerson Pass. We stopped for a bit at the Wilkerson Pass rest area to take a few last photos of the now very distant Collegiate Range, and then we got back on Route 24 and headed east toward Colorado Springs, the last stop on our Colorado summer road trip. Although we had a few more stops to make, one might say we were on the home stretch of our trip, and it made me sad.

We Mainers were enjoying our road trip from Santa Fe, New Mexico, up through Colorful Colorado. It was colorful indeed, and although I had grown up there, this visit, like all the others, left me awestruck by the majesty of the mountains. When our car-ful of myself, my mother, and my twelve and thirteen year old daughters, arrived in bustling Vail that June afternoon, we were tired, hungry, and ready to relax. After a very busy two days of driving and sightseeing, we had booked our hotel in Vail for two nights so we could rest up a bit and hike a special mountain near Vail the next morning. As a teen, I had climbed the trail to Hanging Lake twice, and I could not wait to share the experience with my daughters.

Hanging Lake is at the top of a steep, nearly staircase-like, two-mile trail. Hikers come up over the last rise of the trail to find the completely transparent lake right at their feet. Huge rainbow trout swim fearless in the small lake, as fishing is not allowed. The mossy bottom looks velvety and inviting, but swimming is not allowed either. Hanging Lake is protected, which is why is stays so pristine. The best time to make the hike is in the early morning, setting out at the trailhead before sunrise. The trail is not difficult, but it is steep, and even those who are used to the altitude find it tiring. I knew we needed at least an hour or more to make it up the two mile trail, so we planned, tentatively, to leave our hotel at about 4:00 the next morning. We would drive the forty-five minutes to Hanging Lake trail, and then make our way up.

Yet, sometimes the best laid plans do not work out the way we think they will. As aforementioned, when we arrived in Vail, we were exhausted. The hotel was large and beautiful, typical of Vail grandeur. Yet, something just did not seem right. My memories of summertime in Vail as a child were of staying in a hotel right in Vail village, running through town with my brother, riding the free shuttle bus, playing in the woods, and visiting the local toy shops and candy stores. I remembered riding the Gondola to the top of the mountain and hiking down the grass-covered ski slopes. But on this day, Vail was not the way I remembered it. Of course it had grown significantly, but it was more than that. Vail seemed plastic. Although scenic mountains were all around us, it no longer felt like we were in the mountains of Colorado, but rather, it felt more like a slice of Southern California. It felt wrong.

But I kept my thoughts to myself. We walked down to the hotel restaurant only to find that it was packed and it doubled as a nightclub. Since we were so hungry, we went on in, but the music was deafening, even to my daughters who seem to thrive on loud music. The food took forever to arrive and we all had headaches by the time we ate. It was terribly over-priced, and totally disappointing, to say the least.

When we got back to the room, my daughters went for a swim and I told my mom that this trip was too short to spend it like this. We were all tired and we really just wanted to get out of Vail. Hanging Lake was in the opposite direction of where we were headed next, so even though it was a disappointment to me, I decided to scrap that part of our trip. Besides, I knew the altitude would probably kill me, on top of already being so tired. We decided to go ahead and check out of our hotel the next morning and head on down to Colorado Springs. We had friends to visit along the way, as well as friends there in town - and we had a full schedule of fun things to do there. Rather than staying two nights in Vail, we would stay two nights in Colorado Springs and that would be that. With our new plans made, we went to sleep that night and slept hard with the cool mountain air wafting through the windows of our too-fancy hotel.

Our summer vacation road trip that originated in Maine, had brought us to Leadville, Colorado. My twelve and thirteen-year-old daughters dozed in the backseat of the car while my mom and I chatted in the front. Leadville was only about a thirty minute drive from beautiful Buena Vista. I had been sad to leave Mount Princeton behind, but the mountains all along the west side of highway 285 were simply breathtaking. With another of Colorado's famous 360 sunny days per year, the sunshine was abundant under a clear, blue sky. The Collegiate Peak Range is one of the most rugged and picturesque areas in the state and we were right in the middle of it all. The highway began climbing sharply before long, and the trees and greenery began thinning out. The tops of the mountains no longer seemed so far away from us.

Leadville is one of the highest towns in the continental United States. Nestled near the Twin Lakes of Colorado, at a lofty 10,152 feet above sea level, Leadville has the look and feel of an old West mining town. Even in the middle of June, the weather at mid day was a breezy sixty degrees. We put on our newly acquired "Colorado" sweatshirts and parked the car at the bottom of the main street through town. We browsed in and out of antique shops which were quaintly set in historic buildings from the 19th century. We felt the altitude as we walked, huffing and puffing as though we had all been running a race. In spite of the bright sunshine, it was chilly and unforgiving. Leadville is not for the faint of heart. After only an hour or so, we were tired and ready for a break. Back near our parked car, we found an old fashioned ice cream parlor and we sat down to enjoy the sweetness.

Although I have visited Leadville many times in my life, I have never been there in the winter time. Somehow in all my years growing up and living in Colorado, summertime was the only reasonable time to visit Leadville. Intellectually (and logically) I understand why, but I am also intrigued by the idea of spending a winter there. After having lived in Maine for many years, I wonder just how bad the winters could actually be. After all, in spite of the cold, the sunshine will still be there for 360 days, which is far more light than we get back in New England.

Being in Leadville has always felt, to me, like a trip back through time, to a simpler lifestyle. Simpler, not that it's easier, but that life is more clear cut. Perhaps I have always secretly wanted to live in Leadville. Either way, I have always been a bit sad when it is time to drive away from town, and I was no less sad on this day. We finished our ice cream, got back into the car and headed north.

We set out on Route 24 north, a winding, mountain road that would ultimately take us back down to a more civilized altitude, to Interstate 70, and ultimately, to Vail. Having ridden with my parents on that stretch of Route 24 as a child, I had never driven it myself. Most of the way was a narrow, winding road that hugged the side of the mountains and dropped off into oblivion on the other side. I drove slowly and carefully, aware that one wrong move could send us sailing to the rocks hundreds of feet below the highway. Yet, in spite of the frightening drive, the view was more than a slice of heaven. It was late afternoon now, and although we still had several hours of daylight left, the sun sets early in the deep mountain valleys of Colorado. Sharp rays of light were shooting through the pine trees on one side of the valley, illuminating the dark red rocks on the opposite side. It was a colorful extravaganza for the eyes.

We soon came out of our heavenly valley and came suddenly upon Interstate 70, fast moving traffic, and the realization that we were back in the real world. Vail was only about 20 miles to the east, and the next stop on our Colorado road trip. We were looking forward to checking into our hotel, having a swim in the pool, and enjoying a fabulous dinner.

After leaving the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in southern Colorado, we continued our road trip from Santa Fe, New Mexico on up into the scenic mountains that give Colorado its nickname - Colorful Colorado. With the sand storm behind us (something we never see at our home in Maine), my mother and my two daughters and I began driving up the winding Poncha Pass which would ultimately take us over the mountain pass and into the town of Salida, where we were to stay on our first night out. After passing the summit, the road wound back and forth down through tall aspens and pines, with Poncha Creek tumbling along next to the highway. As we let the incredible scenery wash over our eyes, we marveled at the sudden change in landscape - from the severe, flat desert with yucca plants and a sand storm, to the lush forest where we drove now; only a short thirty miles or so away. As we rounded a bend in the road, we came upon a large sign welcoming us to the county, which read, "Now THIS is Colorado." We could not have agreed more!

Once we got settled into our hotel in Salida, we went back out into the crisp, Colorado mountain air and let the last bit of sunshine that day shine on our tired faces. Salida is a small town of just over 5000 residents, with one large main street running through town; yet for such a small town, it has every modern convenience one might find in a large city. As we drove down the road looking for a restaurant, we passed a Wal-Mart, several fast food restaurants, and other stores and businesses that gave the impression that Salida is well into the twenty-first century.

We dined that evening at the Windmill Restaurant, just down the road from our hotel. While the ambiance was a charming rendition of the old west, the food was only average at best, which did not measure up to the high prices. Still, we were hungry, so we enjoyed our meal. After an evening swim at the hotel pool, we went to bed early with because the next day held more adventure.

We awoke the next morning to another perfect Colorado sky. There was not a cloud to be found and the temperature was a perfect sixty-five degrees. We began driving north again on Route 285 out of Salida. We drove past farms and ranches, all growing in abundance in this fertile, protected, southern end of the Arkansas River valley. Our next destination was Buena Vista, a town I visited often with my family as a child. Buena Vista is at the foot of the Collegiate Peak Range, a group of mountains named after some of the Ivy League schools, such as Mount Princeton, Mount Yale, and Mount Harvard, to name just a few.

At Buena Vista, before exploring the small town, we turned west on Route 306 and drove past the majestic Mount Princeton, along the banks of Cottonwood Creek, to the Rainbow Lake Resort. While we did not plan to stay at the resort, we my mom and I wanted to show my daughters the lake, the cabins, and we decided to take a quick hike back into the woods to find a tree where my husband and I once carved our names. Alas, the tree could not be found. It had been more than a decade, and we assumed it had fallen prey to some of the prolific beavers in the area.

After leaving Rainbow Lake, we drove back down the mountain to Buena Vista and took a walk around the small park in the center of town. The park has playground equipment and a cool, still pond, complete with ducks and geese swimming lazily. We visited the old fashioned saloon where my husband and I spent one of our first dates together, and then we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area, Casa del Sol. Casa del Sol is a quaint, colorful restaurant with tasteful, cozy Mexican decor, and excellent food to match. We sat at a table in one of the back rooms which looked out onto the courtyard, complete with multi-colored tables and a fountain in the center. We wanted to linger for much of the afternoon, but we had a schedule to keep, so we soon headed north once again, our next stop being Leadville, Colorado, a town with one of the highest altitudes in the continental United States.

Upon arriving in Alamosa, Colorado, that fine summer day, we discovered that we were ahead of schedule. Our plan had been to arrive at 1:00 p.m. after driving up that morning from Santa Fe, New Mexico, have lunch, and then drive the approximately forty-five minutes to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. Yet we arrived in Alamosa at noon. My mother and I were feeling fine and my two daughters were itching to get out of the car, so rather than prolong the wait any longer, we picked up Subway sandwiches in Alamosa and then drove straight on to the Sand Dunes. We could see them in the distance; large, beautiful dunes set against the dark green of the Colorado mountains. It was certainly a sight to behold. The largest dunes are 750 feet high and the entire park covers about 150,000 acres.

I had visited the Sand Dunes many times as a child, and I had even taken my husband back there to visit once when our youngest daughter was a baby. Now that my two girls were twelve and thirteen years old, they could climb on the dunes, enjoy splashing in the creek, and make memories they could keep with them always. When we arrived in the parking lot with our sandwiches, the sun was high and warm, and since it was mid-week, as well as early June, there were not many tourists visiting the dunes. We found a parking spot right up front near a short trail to the sand and we ate our lunch at a picnic table. The warm, dry breeze delighted us, as we realized we were still quite acclimated to the humidity of the East Coast.

After lunch, we all took off our shoes and started down the trail toward the dunes. I remembered, as a child, walking on the hot sand and then splashing in Medano Creek, the underground stream that is only about ten miles long. Medano Creek is fed my the annual Colorado mountain snowmelt. Most years, Medano Creek flows in a wide, shallow stream across the bottom of the dunes, delighting visitors as a cool way to refresh themselves after hiking and playing on the dunes. Yet, as we walked out onto the dunes that day, we were disappointed to find that this was one of the dry years. Apparently, even seven years or so, the drought is such that Medano Creek is entirely underground. On the day of our visit, there was not even a mud puddle in which to splash.

In addition to the lack of creek water, the normal breeze found on the sand dunes seemed to be harsher than usual. We were only there for about twenty minutes when the wind began whipping up and we had to turn our faces away to avoid being sand blasted. We tried to be good sports, but when we saw other visitors heading for their cars, we joined them and decided to pay a visit to the impressive visitor center.

The visitor center was only a short drive to another part of the park and we found it a wonderful respite from the winds outside. We took in the fifteen minute movie that shows how the Great Sand Dunes originally formed, and why they are still there and forming today. When we emerged from the movie, we could see out the windows that the wind outside had turned into a regular sand storm. We could hardly see the largest dunes, which were only about a half mile away. After purchasing a book and a few postcards in the gift shop, we decided it was time to move on to our next stop. The sand dunes were lovely, but not in the middle of a storm.

We ran through the blowing sand back out to the car and checked our map. If the back roads on the map were correct (and truly existed) we could head west on a farm road from the sand dunes and meet back up with highway 285 that would ultimately take us to our destination for that night: Salida, Colorado. We set out across a bleak landscape of yucca plants and a road that could stand a few repairs. It was apparent that the blowing sand was not only at the Sand Dunes Park; we encountered it for at least twenty miles as we found our highway and headed north. Finally, we began climbing into the mountains and left the sand storm behind us.

June 8, 2006 was the first full day of our drive from Santa Fe, New Mexico to the mountains of colorful Colorado, the summer vacation we had been planning for months. We had just about gotten over the three-hour jet lag that had followed us from Maine, and we liked to think we were acclimated to the dry climate and high altitude of the southwestern desert. My two middle-school aged daughters were excited to be in a climate that was not humid and had few insects to speak of, compared with the infestation we had each summer in New England.

We all piled into my mother's Hyundai Tuscon at 7:30 that morning and headed north. We drove through Santa Fe and then got on highway 84 that heads to Taos. Our first stop was fairly soon, as my mom wanted to visit a friend whose horse had a brand new foal just days before. My girls were thrilled to see the frisky colt loping around his paddock, hiding behind his mother and peeking out at us. We only stayed about a half hour and then decided to pick up breakfast in Espanola. We found a McDonalds and figured it would be quick and easy. But it came as quite a surprise to us. My daughters are used to ordering the same thing whenever we have breakfast at McDonalds, which is about twice a month, back in Maine. Without looking at the menu, they ordered a number two meal, but when we all looked, it turned out to be something different that what they usually order. But that was the least of the surprises. My mother and I each ordered a breakfast burrito, something I order every single time I have breakfast at McDonalds. Imagine our surprise when we bit into the burritos and rather than finding green peppers, we tasted jalepenos. Breakfast certainly woke us up, turned our faces a bright shade of red, and sent us hurrying on our way toward Colorado.

After Espanola, we toyed with the idea of driving through Taos, as it is an incredibly beautiful and historic town with a breath-taking mountain scenery, as well as a heart-stopping drive across the Rio Grande gorge; but we decided that if we were going to see the Sand Dunes and still make it to Salida that night, we had better keep driving in a more direct route. So rather than turning off at Route 68, we stayed on 84 north and then veered off on 285 north, heading for the Colorado border.

Route 285 took us to places that looked like the setting for an old western movie, complete with cowboys and Indians. We drove for miles without seeing another car, nor a house or any other sign of civilization, other than the paved road on which we were driving. Finally we came upon an intersection called Taos Junction where we found a gas station with old fashioned pumps, meaning they were not the kind where you swipe your credit card and opt not to interact with another human being. This was the old pump where the black and white numbers flip over like some sort of ancient slot machine. We paid for the gas and set out again into no-man's land.

As we approached the Colorado border, the trees grew smaller and thinner, although we had not climbed much in altitude. We had come upon some sort of high desert/prairie and we could see forever. The few trees were thin and gnarled, and the ground covering consisted of yuccas, prairie grasses, and a few broken down wooded fences. As we drove along the arrow-straight highway, looking for any sign of life, we began seeing a few scattered homes and farms, as well as many wild pronghorn antelope. And then out of nowhere we came upon a giant sign that read, "Welcome to Colorful Colorado." We had to laugh as there was very little color and it was quite unclear that we were anywhere at all, other than the lone sign. We took photos next to the sign, commented about the lack of color and then drove cheerfully on. In the distance we could see something that resembled civilization. It must be Alamosa, Colorado - we'd made it.

Santa Fe was alive and kicking by the time we headed through the streets of town that morning on the first full day of our summer vacation. I marveled at the bright, unobstructed sunlight, so different from our typical summer haze in New England. The people of Santa Fe were humming with activity. The Native American sellers had already set up their blankets on the sidewalks around the Plaza, where they sold jewelry, pottery, and other beautiful wares. The many art galleries had opened their doors to let the fresh summer air waft in and around their colorful paintings. And tourists were everywhere. Since we had visited Santa Fe multiple times after my mother moved there, were we still considered tourists? I did not like to think so, but I found myself behaving as one. Rather than stopping at the Plaza, we drove on first to one of the local assisted living facilities so we could pay a visit to my 90-year-old grandmother. She was delighted to see us, but she suffers from dementia and was not exactly sure who we were. We then went back downtown to meet my aunt (my mother's sister) for lunch at the old La Fonda hotel. We sat in a quaint patio under a canopy with trees surrounding it and birds flying in and out. It was charming!

We then walked back to the Plaza and I watched as my middle-school aged daughters excitedly shopped among the blankets on the sidewalks. The turquoise and silver jewelry was breathtaking and they found it hard to choose among the many choices. We then stopped at a local candy store and bought dark chocolate truffles to round out our day. When we finally became tired, probably as a combination of the high altitude (7000 feet above sea level), the walking, the shopping, and of course the long traveling the day before, we drove back to my mother's house for a siesta.

Later that evening, after a cozy dinner on the patio of my mother's home, we decided to take a walk along the trails that meander through the desert surrounding the neighborhood where she lives. Santa Fe is lush, but in a much different way from the eastern part of the United States. There are living things growing everywhere, but they are all of a much different type of vegetation from where we live. There are cedar trees, pinons, cacti, yuccas, and various types of succulent ground cover. The paved trails that wind in and around much of Santa Fe, especially around the planned neighborhood communities, are a delightful addition. Each trail is wide enough for three people to walk side-by-side comfortably. The sun was sinking low on the western horizon and the sky was turning that pale orange and soon to be pink that makes for devastating sunsets in Santa Fe. As we strolled, we spotted jack rabbits, cotton tail rabbits, tiny but speedy lizards, giant beetles, a road runner, and many, many giant ant hills. We looked for coyote and deer, but they were hidden away someplace else. We also keep a very guarded eye for rattlesnakes, which are very prevalent in that area. Rattlesnakes usually see us before we see them, thus thankfully giving a warning rattle, but we were not going to take any chances. After walking a couple of miles, which once again was tiring for us, due to the altitude difference, we arrived back at the house to find doves and cotton tail rabbits all over the grassy lawn.

Since we were leaving to drive up to Colorado the next day, it was time to repack a bit, get to bed early, and map out the first day of our upcoming road trip. We all showered and then sat in the living room in our pajamas with the map and a piece of paper to write out our itinerary. We would first head due north to Alamosa, Colorado, and then go on from there, sight seeing, hiking, and basically drinking in the amazing scenery. At this point, my daughters commented on how much they loved Santa Fe and how wonderful it was not to have all the summer insects that plagued us back in Maine. They wanted to stay in Santa Fe forever. I assured them that if they loved Santa Fe, they would be crazy about Colorado, with its mountains and greenery.

After living in Maine for the past eight years, I forget how different the landscape is in New England compared with the desert southwest of the United States. Even though I grew up out west, Maine is home now, as are the plethora of trees, the severe green of the landscape, and the lush, rolling hills. New Mexico was a stark difference with its brown land, geometrically shaped mesas and buttes, and sparse succulent plants that prefer a dry climate. Even the people are different; it is almost like traveling to a foreign country, even though the language is the same - mostly. In Maine, the towns are small and quaint and the people are about 95% caucasian. In New Mexico, the towns are small and colorful in a different way, and while the racial content is mixed, the Hispanic population is quite large, as are those whose first language is Spanish. Also plentiful is the Native American culture.

The Hispanic and Native American influence is evident everywhere in New Mexico, as well as in most southwestern states. From the adobe and stucco homes to the blue tiled doors, the red tiled roofs, and the bright red geraniums growing everywhere, as well as the names of the towns and streets such as Taos, Camino, Pueblo, and of course, Santa Fe. Even the geographical and topographical landmarks have Spanish or Native American names, such as Arroyo, Mesa, and Rio.

When we arrived in Albuquerque to meet my mom and drive with her up to her home in Santa Fe, it was a refreshing change from the tree-lined highways in New England. We were used to driving along a tunnel of green with infrequent openings where we might see part of a town, or some farmland. But in New Mexico, we could see as far as the horizon and what we saw was delightful. If we looked south, we could see a thunderstorm wreaking havoc on a place probably one hundred miles away. To the north, the sky was clear, with only a few scattered clouds (an encouraging sight, as we were headed north). For much of the drive, if we looked to the east, we had to look up to the mountains, mainly Sandia Peak, which towers over Albuquerque and can still be seen quite clearly from Santa Fe, 70 miles away. But to the west, we saw perhaps one of the few things I do not like about New England: we saw a sunset on the horizon that was to die for. Yes, of course we have sunsets in New England, but in spite of all the other beauty, we often do not get to see them, unless we drive to the beach or to the top of a mountain, or somewhere else that allows us to glimpse the horizon amidst all the trees. The sunset we saw that night was not overly spectacular, but it was orange, yellow and pink amidst swirling clouds that looked like they'd been painted on the sky by Van Gogh with a wide brush. It was warm, pretty, and inviting, and a wonderful welcome to our summer vacation in the west.

By the time we arrived in Santa Fe, it was dark, other than a few shreds of light still hugging the western horizon. I assumed my daughters and I would see little else, so we settled in, just chatting for the rest of the drive, when suddenly a deer bounded out into the roadway. Thankfully, we were at a safe distance and did not hit it, but it startled us all. It was just a deer, but I marveled at yet another difference between New Mexico and New England. Our deer in Maine are small, sometimes not much taller than a large dog. The deer out west are quite large and have fluffy white tails that pop up when they run. I had forgotten those white-tailed deer, and it made me smile.

We got settled in at my mother's colorful adobe-like house that matched all the other adobe-like houses in Santa Fe, and slept the sleep of weary travelers. The next morning we awoke to a cloudless sky and clarity of air I had not seen in years. After becoming quite accustomed to hazy and overcast skies, the bright sunshine seemed a bit severe; but in a good way. One thing we learned out east - one can never have too much sunshine!

When making plans for our summer vacation this year, we had to build it around a trip to visit my mother who was scheduled to have eye surgery. We told her of our plans and she was thrilled, so we began designing our trip from rural Maine to Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is where she lives. My husband and college-aged son were not able to go, so I found myself making plans that included only me and my two middle-school aged daughters. We all had been to Santa Fe many times before, so it is somewhat a home away from home for us; consequently, we knew what we liked to do, and we knew what we did not need to see yet again.

As the plans got underway, I began thinking about the fact that Santa Fe is in the northern half of the large state of New Mexico, and not far (comparatively speaking) from Colorado, the state where I grew up and went to high school. As I was pondering the possibility of driving up to Colorado for a day or two, my mom phoned to say that her eye surgery had been postponed indefinitely. Did we still want to come? I could hear in her voice that she would be devastated if we did not, and we were looking forward to getting away from the heat and humidity of the east coast. The Southwest was calling and the plane tickets had been reserved. Yes, we still wanted to come. But now, we had freedom, we had possibilities, and we did not have a surgery or recovery to consider. Our summer vacation had just become a 100% vacation.

After talking it over with my mother, it was decided that after a few days in Santa Fe, visiting a few friends and relatives, we would drive north to Colorado and sight-see through the mountains for several days, before ending up in Colorado Springs in the fourth or fifth day, where we would visit more friends. By phone calls, email, and over internet link sharing, my mom and I planned our trek. Thankfully, my husband's work travel had earned him countless hotel points, so it looked as though our hotels throughout Colorado would be free. Also, since we were flying into Santa Fe, we would use my mom's car, a Hundai Tuscon, for her, myself, and my two girls; thankfully, we didn't need to rent a car.

On June the sixth, ironically, my thirty-ninth birthday, we boarded a plane in Manchester, New Hampshire. We took Southwest Airlines, the best deal on the planet, and they don't yet have service in Maine. It was a bit of a drive to New Hampshire, but definitely worth the money we saved. Since we had gotten our early boarding pass tickets on line the day before, we were in the early boarding line, so we all got seats together. For those of you unfamiliar with Southwest Airlines, there is general boarding with no assigned seats. The boarding takes place in three tiers, with those early boarders who snap up all the good seats; the middle boarders who take the rest of the good seats and a few of the lousy ones; and the late boarders who take what's left: middle seats and parties that rarely get to sit together.

Southwest took us through Baltimore, where we changed planes and had lunch, and then a quick stop in Kansas City, where we didn't even de-board. The flight was uneventful and the weather was perfect, so everything was on time. We all sat together, ate the peanuts, crackers, and sodas they gave us, and even watched a movie. Before assuming that Southwest Airlines shows movies on their flights, allow me to explain; we brought a portable DVD player with us on the plane that had a battery with about a three hour charge. We were able to watch one movie and part of another by putting the DVD player on the fold-out tray of the middle seat in our row. My daughters and I were entertained and the last leg of the flight went by so quickly, we could not believe we were already beginning our descent into Albuquerque. We had arrived!

Prince Edward Island joined Canada as a province shortly after Confederation. Canada became a nation in 1867 and PEI joined it in 1873. Since one of the major meetings to vote on becoming a nation was held here prior to1967. So to that end, the capital of PEI, Charlottetown, is also known as the birthplace of Canada. Home to over 168,519 persons, the Island is 104th largest island in the world and the 23rd largest in all of Canada.

Prince Edward Island the smallest of all provinces in Canada and is also the greenest. It is also home to a deep red earth that is conducive to farming. Many of the potatoes that the nation consumes come from PEI as do much of the fresh sea food.

There is much to do and see in the province of Prince Edward Island. Home to over a thousand bed and breakfasts, there are plenty of places to stay as well. Besides visiting beaches and lighthouses (we went lobster hunting while were camping on the beach), there are cultural centre, art museums, and much more to see and do!

One great thing to do and what is a do not miss while visiting Prince Edward Island is to visit the land of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy Maud Montgomery was an author who was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, Canada and it was here that she penned her classic Anne of Green Gables which has been read and cherished by millions of people world wide. In fact to prove this point, a visitor to my in-laws from Germany was so entranced by the book that she wanted to learn more about the author and story! She wanted to visit the place were the movies was filmed and we are fortunate enough to live close to the pioneer village were it was filmed in and every year they have Anne of Green Gables days.

Lucy Maude Montgomery was born on the Island in a small village called Clifton in 1874. Her mother passed away when she was two years old and her father subsequently left the island shortly after leaving Lucy to be raised by her maternal grandparents who lived in Cavendish, PEI. In 1890, she was sent to live with her father and new stepmother in Saskatchewan but returned to PEI the following year where she finished to elementary school and continued studying in order to become a teacher. She was inspired to begin her writing career and write her book while living on the Island with Anne of Green Gables being written in 1908 and followed Anne with the novel Anne of Avonlea, the following year. Years passed and she married a minister and moved on to Toronto, Ontario Canada raising a family while continuing to write. When she died in 1942, her remains were taken from Toronto and buried in her beloved Prince Edward Island.

The character of Anne Shirley has been well known and loved since her inception (so much so that she is very popular in Japan and the story itself has been translated into 15 different languages!) The story of Anne of Green Gables is presented every summer in the theatre at Charlottetown, PEI. The province of Prince Edward Island has honoured Lucy Maud Montgomery by making her child hood home into a museum, plus they have built an Anne of Green Gable house and together these tourist attractions draw over 350,000 visitors annually. Green Gables is located in Cavendish, PEI in the Prince Edward Island National Park.

Should you go there, you will definitely not want to miss enjoying a lobster dinner. PEI is well known for their lobsters (as well as other sea foods) and while enjoying the delicious dish, you will no doubt get treated to some down home fiddle music. This type of music makes its home in Prince Edward Island because the largest group of population, next to the Canadians are the Scottish, followed by Irish and then English, so you will be treated with the heritage of these countries with a twist of Canadiana as well!

If you want to travel to PEI, you can travel over the Confederation Bridge. This bridge is the longest bridge that covers icy waters and joins PEI to New Brunswick and is part of the TransCanada highway. This modern marvel covers 12.9 kilometres and 8.1 miles from point to point. The bridge takes about 10 minutes to cross and costs $40.50 for the average two axle vehicle.

No matter if you come by car or by plane, plan on spending some time in Prince Edward Island enjoying the sights, smells and sounds. You will be happy you did!

On one episode of the hit HBO show "Sex and the City" Carrie and Samantha boarded a train to travel from New York City to San Francisco. Neither woman had ever traveled by train before and was looking forward to an idyllic experience. What could be better than traveling across the country in a train?! However after discovering that their "luxury suite" was not so luxurious after all, their opinion quickly began to change. Both women were appalled to discover that the shower in their suite was situated right over top of the toilet and there was very limited space for them to move around in. This prompted Samantha to utter," Now I know why there was a murder on the Orient Express."

I used to feel exactly as Samantha did and then I wised up and taught myself a few tips to help ease the discomfort of train travel. However, unlike Carrie and Samantha, I have most often traveled coach as I could not afford any kind of suite (luxury or otherwise). These tips would apply regardless of what type of ticket you purchased. Train travel is train travel, that's all there is to it.

First of all make a trip to your local health food store or the natural alternatives section in your grocery store before you embark on your journey. What you are looking for are ginger, papaya, and valerian pills. All three of these are made of herbs that are a healthy and natural substitute for problems that might arise on the train. Ginger pills are excellent for preventing nausea and I generally take one an hour or so before getting on the train. Unlike antinausea pills sold in pharmacies, such as the ever-popular Gravol, they have no side effects and will not cause drowsiness.

Papaya pills, or super papaya pills as I sometimes buy, work as a digestive aid. It is recommended that you take one before a meal but I quite often take one directly after as well. If you are overly concerned that the food you are about to eat could disturb your stomach in some way then what I would do in this case is take one and a half before a meal. This is a preventative measure after all. Generally papaya pills come in chewable form and are pleasant to the taste buds.

The herb Valerian or Valerian root is excellent as an aid for occasional sleeplessness and restlessness. On the train I find it is something I would not want to be without! I take one or two pills an hour to an hour and a half before bedtime and then sit quietly in my seat to wind down from the day and prepare myself for sleep. Having some soothing music to listen to on a Discman or MP3 player goes a long way in facilitating this process.

Something else to remember is wear clothing that is loose fitting, comfortable and can breath while on the train. There's nothing worse than tight, constrictive, too warm clothing when you are in close quarters with other people and have so little space for yourself and your belongings! Also pay attention to your feet. If my feet feel tired and sore then my whole body feels it too. I like to slip my shoes off whenever possible and I massage them as often as they need it. In the evening I don shoes that are a combination slipper/shoe. Whatever you choose to wear on your feet on the train always keep safety and practicality in mind but also your own level of comfort.

I learned from many sleepless nights on a train to bring an eye mask with me, especially if my seat is close to either end of the train car where a light is left on all night to ensure the safety of the passengers and staff. Another suggestion I have is, if you have the room in your carry on bags (and my experience with trains is that they afford passengers a fair amount of leverage when it comes to carry on luggage) bring an extra blanket and small travel pillow with you. I've ridden coach and had times when I wasn't given anything at night to keep me warm and other times where I was given a barely there, thin, scratchy blanket and a miniscule flat pillow. Better safe than sorry- bring your own.

What can I say about the water dispensers situated near the bathrooms? Avoid! Yes that's right, don't drink it! This is my sincere advice to you. I learned the hard way and so did the party I was traveling with. Your train experience will be made a great deal worse if you find yourself violently ill and hours away from your destination. This is no way to begin or end a trip anyway. Instead bring your own water. I freeze bottles of water at home and then an hour of two before I am to leave for the train station I take them out of the freezer and let them begin to thaw. Take care not to fill your bottles right to the top though or you will end up with water all over yourself when you do finally open it. I bought myself one of those bags for babies used to keep bottles warm or cold, whatever the case may be and it works like a charm! The bags are insulated and hours after the train pulls out of the station you will still have refreshingly, cold drinking water! There might very likely be a piece of ice still in the bottle the next day. It has happened to me. The bags are an excellent "must" for train travelers. I take them on planes and for car travel as well. I cannot be without my water!

I recommend bringing nutritious snacks from home with you on the train and not buying any from the snack cart. I enjoy going to the dining car for meals but I never buy food otherwise (too risky!). If you are a tea drinker like myself, bring your own. This applies to coffee drinkers as well. Most of the time there is a room containing a sink, microwave oven and small refrigerator for passengers to use. Make good use of this room! Chamomile tea and also mint tea is very relaxing to an upset stomach so I never forget while packing for a trip to throw in a few teabags, just in case.

What other pearls of wisdom could I bestow on would- be train travelers? The bathrooms on trains are very small and very busy so bear this in mind. I wear a minimum of makeup on the day I board the train so my night routine will be reduced. Also I wear my glasses on the train instead of my contact lenses. Believe me when I tell you it is not the easiest thing in the world to put in or take out contact lenses in a small bathroom, when you have people knocking on the door, and you are constantly rocking. I have poked myself in the eye and fallen backwards or pitched forward so many times it is not worth recounting! Bring hair accessories such as clips, barrettes and ponytail holders with you as most passengers look like they are having a bad hair day when they disembark from a train. It's hard to look your best when you have so little room and so little time, plus not being able to shower kills me every time. It's one of the first things I want to do upon reaching the end point of my train trip.

There are so many lessons to be learned when it comes to taking the train. The greatest piece of advice I could give anyone will probably sound a little unusual but it was a lifesaver to me. Study and learn the art of self -hypnosis and you will never again have to endure the train experience but rather enjoy all it has to offer.

I suffered a panic attack on an eighteen-hour train ride from Montreal, Quebec to Halifax, Nova Scotia in the middle of the night a few years back. Everyone in the car was asleep but me. Every attempt to lull myself to sleep had failed. It was one o'clock in the morning and I was in a word, miserable with a capital M. I could no longer feel the lower half of my body from sitting in the same position for too long and not being able to stretch my legs out. I was cramped into such a small area and suddenly I felt like everything was closing in on me. Not being able to breathe any fresh air only added to the problems. A feeling of claustrophobia took over me and tears began to fall from my eyes. For a few minutes I actually thought I was going to lose my mind. It was horrendous.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I had never had an experience even remotely similar to that one until that day. Panic attacks meant nothing to me until I had one. I decided then and there that I would find a way to center and calm myself whenever the need arose. I found my solution in self-hypnosis. First you begin with simple breathing exercises, then you learn to rid your mind of all thoughts and just focus on what you are doing. Finally you learn to access what is inside of you and can call upon it whenever you are faced with a problem. Self-hypnosis is a way of effectively dealing with the stresses of life and it is an amazing tool. It worked for me and it can work for anyone who is willing to take the time to learn it. Guaranteed.

Train travel is not supposed to be excruciating, it is supposed to be enjoyable and satisfying. While airplane travel gets you to your destination swiftly, train travel affords you the opportunity to see the world in all its splendor as it goes by. What could be better than that? My suggestions should serve to help turn even the most cynical train passenger, into a blissful train traveler.

Even though fall is here, school has started and it makes it almost impossible to travel for any length of time, why not be a tourist in your own home town? More than not, we tend to overlook the own city that we live in with the hopes of bigger and brighter things.

Well, we did just that. The city I live in is quite large and has a lot of history behind it. It is one of the oldest cities in Canada (formed in 1847), so there is quite a few points of interest in my city that would appeal to someone interested in history.

One such museum is the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. This museum boasts about 40 WW2 planes (lovingly restored and flown regularly) as will as planes from the jet age. The museum is home to the only Lancaster bomber from WW2 in North America. It also contains many interactive displays, audio/video displays, a theatre, gift shop and restaurant is also on the premises. This is an interesting place to visit for those that are into history (such as me) and/or the airplane. (We have visited this museum as a family.)

Another interesting history museum is the H.M.C.S. Haida. This World War 2 tribal class destroyer and is now parked in Hamilton Harbour. This ship saw service in both WW2 and in Korea and still fires its guns everyday in salute and to make it more authentic to the visiting public, the soldiers are dressed in uniforms that are from that era. (I have visited this ship with a school trip).

If you have children, the Childrens Museum is a must see. This museum offers interactive things for children to do and since the displays change on a regular basis, the museum never gets boring. (I have gone there on a school trip as well.)

If you have a history of labour or unions in your background, this is a place you will want to visit. The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre is a celebration of the labour union and what it has done for the worker. Through a series of displays, it shows what the hardworking Canadians have done to shape Canada and make it what it is today.

If culture is a little more to your liking, the Art Gallery of Hamilton is a great place to go. After recently receiving a total make over, the AGH has totally revamped its look and is now home to one of the best collections in Canada. And what city would be without their symphony orchestra? The city of Hamilton is no different. It offers concert series throughout the season and if the theatre is what interests you check out the Du Maurier Centre for the latest in theatre productions. There is always something interesting to see there (I saw an Agatha Christie play with my mom there).

The out doors in the Hamilton and surrounding area are beautiful and a treat to visit any time of the year. Hamilton, Ontario Canada is situated on a large piece of land (called the Escarpment) that begins northeast of the city and goes on to form the basis for Niagara Falls. This piece of land (fondly known as the mountain here in Hamilton) is conducive to many waterfalls in and around the city and when the leaves change colour in the Autumn, it is a breathtaking spectacular! There are many public parks and conservations areas in and around the city that celebrate nature.

Also Hamilton is part of the Bruce Trail, which begins in the Niagara region and travels all the way up to Georgian Bay and literally, the longest footpath in Canada. If you are a plant lover, you will want to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens. The RBG is the largest of its kind in Canada and has something for everyone throughout the entire year. In January, you can see the cacti and the bulbs they are getting ready for spring, in May, children can visit the discovery garden, during the summer months, the RBG has many thousands of plants on display, during the fall months, you can see the fall mums as well as the beautiful fall colours and in the months leading up til Christmas, you can see the holiday plants that they have. All in all, it is a garden and plant lovers dream!

All in all, it pays to be a tourist in your own town because you never know what you will discover and what surprises lay in your own back yard!

By Misti Sandefur

Fall is a great time to enjoy the outdoors with your family. Some outdoor activities you can participate in with your family follows:

1. Take a bike ride. This not only provides time with your family, but it gives you all exercise, and we know exercise is important for your body and your health.

2. Enjoy a stroll in the park. Indiana has many parks and a few of them are the Brown County State Park (Nashville, IN), Clifty Falls State Park (Madison, IN), Harmonie State Park (New Harmony, IN), Indiana Dunes State Park (Chesterton, IN), McCormick's Creek State Park (Spencer, IN), Mounds State Park (Anderson, IN), Pokagon State Park (Angola, IN), Potato Creek State Park (South Bend, IN), Shades State Park (Waveland, IN), Shakamak State Park (Terre Haute, IN), Spring Mill State Park (Bedford, IN), White River State Park (Indianapolis, IN) and many others.

If you're not near any of the parks above, then you can always take a stroll in the park nearest you, or if the park is only an hour or less from where you are, make it a family outing.

3. If you have a rather large family, or you are having your annual family reunion, you can set up the volleyball net and enjoy a fun game of family volleyball.

4. Halloween isn't far off, so why not decorate your yard for the occasion. Take a trip to the store and purchase a few of those bright orange pumpkin bags to stuff with leaves, then return home and rake up leaves to stuff your bags with. Want to make it really fun? Before filling your pumpkin bags, have the family -- adults included -- jump in the pile of leaves.

Other than filling pumpkin bags and jumping in the leaves, your family can also gather hay or straw, some old coveralls, a straw hat, an old pair of shoes and a couple large limbs or sticks (for arms). Yep, I'm sure you know where this is going. Take all those items you just gathered and make a scarecrow. Next, sit your newly-made scarecrow up against the hay or straw. For the finishing touch, place pumpkins around the hay or straw.

Why not have an outdoor pumpkin carving contest of your own? Have each member of your family carve a pumpkin, and delegate one person to judge the pumpkins. (This person can join the fun and carve a pumpkin too, but his or her pumpkin can't be entered into the contest.) For the judging, you could have two winners if you like... one for the scariest looking pumpkin, and the other for the most creative or unique design. What about the prize? Simple, let one of the winners choose the next family activity, and the other winner could choose the next family outing.

When Christmas draws closer, make the outdoor decorating a family event. Have everyone in your family participate in hanging outdoor lights and etc. Everyone has different ideas, so you could put all ideas together and you just may have the best outdoor decorations in your neighborhood!

Family fun not only takes place at home, but it can also take place outside of your home. Whether you live in Indiana, or your planning a trip to Indiana, there are many events around the Indiana area your family can enjoy together, and following are a few of those events...

Head to Aurora, Indiana for the Aurora Farmers' Fair (http://www.aurorafarmersfair.net). This event will begin on October 4 and end on October 7. Aurora Farmers' Fair will have a variety of fun for your family: Rides, games, a giant parade, entertainment, a pet parade, antique tractor and equipment show, pedal pull, a visit from Quacky the Clown and much, much more!

Seymour, Indiana has hosted their annual Oktoberfest for 33 years, and this year they will celebrate again. Mark your family calendar for October 5 through the 7, and on one or all of those dates head to downtown Seymour to enjoy their 34th Annual Oktoberfest (http://www.seymouroktoberfest.com/)! Seymour's Oktoberfest will have a big flea market, 5k run/walk/wheelchair, baking contest, talent contest, crafts for the children, clowns, parade, hot air balloon race, carnival, free entertainment, polka contest and lots more. Each day the festival will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will last until 11:00 p.m.

Does your family enjoy gardening and crafts? Then you've got to load in the family car and make your way to the Hunter's Moon Festival hosted by Lanthier Winery in Madison, Indiana. While visiting the Hunter's Moon Festival, you and your family will enjoy gardening, crafts, tours of beautiful gardens and more. Admission is free. Call 1-800-41-WINES for further details.

The day after Thanksgiving would be a great time to walk off the big dinner you had the day before, and why not do that while you and your family enjoy Christmas in the Park in Brazil, Indiana. Not only will you walk off the "big dinner," but you'll also get your family into the Christmas mood.

Christmas in the Park has something for everyone! Some of the fun includes a parade, fireworks, musical events, and decorated homes and businesses.

If you're not going to be near Brazil the day after Thanksgiving you can join the other Christmas event in Corydon. Corydon will have their annual Christmas on the Square, and it will be held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. All the fun of Christmas will take place on 202 East Walnut Street.

Would you like to beat the Christmas rush? Grab the family and head to the Mansfield Village Old Fashioned Christmas Festival on December 1 through the 3. There your family can get some Christmas shopping done, enjoy eye-catching decorations and lots of lights, and the kids will love the visit from Santa. In addition to all that, there will also be a turkey dinner and horse and carriage rides. If you don't want to walk, there will be free trolly rides. Hours are: Friday, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Heated indoor space will be available, but limited. For more information call 765-344-1889, or e-mail info@mansfieldhilltopfarm.com.

Also in December, West Lafayette (downtown) will have their annual Dickens of Christmas. This event will take place throughout the day and includes musical entertainment, carolers, vendors, carriage rides, holiday lighting and much more. Call 765-742-2313 for more information.

With all the outdoor activities and the family events in Indiana you should have no reason why you can't enjoy quality time with the ones you love. Your family is precious, and they should be your number one priority, so enjoy the time you have with them, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

If there's an area you would like me to cover -- an area I've not done yet -- let me know the area by posting your comment and I'll cover it for you. If you'd rather not mention an area or events in the comment area, then you can send your request or event information to me via fax. My toll-free fax number is 866-653-9818.

Cherish each and every moment, and live every day to its fullest!