Do you agree with the the travel writers' opinions on top train journeys? Any epic rail travel that should have made the list but didn't?
 
 
 Listed in order of votes with comments from SATW writers are the world's "Top 10" train rides:
1.      The Rocky Mountaineer offers spectacular two-day journeys through the Canadian Rocky Mountains from Vancouver to Banff or Jasper.    "The Rocky Mountaineer is humbling travel - both for the monumental landscapes it slices through and the appreciation of the workers who risked - and sometimes gave - their lives to build it." Betsa Marsh, freelance travel writer
 
2.      The Glacier Express is the famous Swiss mountain railway from St. Moritz to Zermatt, a 7.5 hour railway journey that crosses 291 bridges and burrows through 91 tunnels.
"Take the Glacier Express in winter - you will pass by skiers, people playing golf in the snow and spectacular alpine settings." James O'Reilly, publisher, Traveler's Tales
 
3.      Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad winds through rugged canyons in the remote wilderness of Colorado's two-million-acre San Juan National Forest.  The narrow-gauge train is pulled by a coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive along the same tracks traveled over a century ago by miners, cowboys and settlers of the Old West. 
 
4.      The Bernina Express from Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy, makes the highest rail crossing of the Alps, passing from icy glaciers to palm-shaded piazzas in just a few hours.  It crosses 196 bridges and passes through 55 tunnels, while winding around countless spectacular switchbacks.   You can take the scenic stretch from St. Moritz to Tirano for lunch in Italy in just three hours.  "The Bernina Express takes your breath away before dropping you off in the marvelous little Italian village of Tirano," Stan Wawer, travel writer
 
5.      Peru Rail, Cusco to Machu Picchu, carries passengers on a spectacular journey through the high Andes.  There are three levels of service, from backpacker trains to Vistadome cars to the luxurious blue and gold Hiram Bingham train, named in honor of Hiram Bingham, the explorer who discovered the Inca citadel in 1911.
The train passes by lush green fields and colorful villages in the foothills of the Andes and climbs along the Urubamba River through a dramatic canyon before reaching Machu Picchu.  "On the train from Cusco to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, it's easy to feel you're traveling into a mystery as you roll past secluded farms, squeeze between rugged mountains and, on my trip, become enveloped by low brooding dark clouds."  Susan Farlow, freelance travel writer
 
6.      The Coastal Classic Train on the Alaska Railroad winds through the wilderness between Anchorage and Seward. Massive glaciers are visible from the track as the train climbs into the Kenai Mountains and travels to the shores of Resurrection Bay for convenient connection to Kenai Fjords National Park, offering whale watching, sea kayaking, tidewater glacier viewing, fishing, and dog sled rides.
 
7.      The Royal Scotsman rolls through the ever-changing landscapes of sweeping glens, towering peaks and mirror-calm lochs as the train weaves through wild countryside and along virgin stretches of coast on two to seven night journeys in the Scottish highlands.  "Ancient castles. Misty moors. Stark cliffs, covered in black shadows from the clouds. Lochs. Chimneys sticking out of thatched roofs.  And Rob Roy and Braveheart waiting beyond every turn."  Steve Winston, freelance travel writer
 
8.      The Whistler Mountaineer in Canada is a three-hour ride along the magnificent coast of British Columbia, from Vancouver to Whistler, famous for its views of cities, old-growth forests, deep valleys, snowcapped peaks and seascapes.

9.      Mexico's El Chepe ventures into the imposing landscapes of the Sierra Tarahumara and into Mexico's famed Copper Canyon, passing through 87 tunnels and crossing 37 bridges.  The Copper Canyon is four times the size of the Grand Canyon - and deeper.  "Mexico's Chepe train from Los Mochis to Copper Canyon has it all: tall bridges crossing rivers, dozens of tunnels, a winding track that climbs high out of the canyon and, waiting for you at the end, the fascinating indigenous Tarahumara people." Eric Lindberg, freelance travel writer/photographer
 
10.  The Flam Railway is regarded as one of the highlights of the "Norway in a Nutshell" tour. The 20-km-long train journey from the mountain station of Myrdal down to Flam, beside a fjord, takes 55 minutes. On the journey, you have views of some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in Norway with a panorama of tall mountains and cascading waterfalls. The train moves slowly or stops at the best views.  "The Norway in a Nutshell ride fulfills its clever name, and stopping to let passengers take pictures is a real plus." Bob Jenkins, freelance travel writer.

See the story below on the nation's best beaches....what are your favorite Lake Michigan beaches?

By JAYMES SONG
Associated Press Writer
HANALEI, Hawaii -- If life is a beach, Hanalei Bay must be heaven.
This remote, two-mile crescent-shaped beach on Kauai where the emerald mountains meet the sparkling sea was selected No. 1 on "Dr. Beach" Stephen P. Leatherman's 2009 list of top 10 beaches, which was released Friday.
Hanalei beat out other shores stretching from San Diego to Cape Cod.
"The sheer beauty of Hanalei Bay is breathtaking," said Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research. "It's really an idyllic setting."
Hanalei features postcard views from every angle and is untouched by the feverish development that has transformed the coastlines of other islands. It's cherished by both locals and tourists as the perfect spot to swim, surf, snorkel or simply escape and unwind.
"It's just gorgeous," said Annie Meredith, who regularly surfs in the bay. "You've got green mountains, white sand, blue ocean -- that's kind of hard to beat."
The runner-up on Leatherman's list was Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Fla., followed by Coopers Beach in Southampton, N.Y., on Long Island; Coronado Beach in San Diego; Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii; Main Beach in East Hampton, N.Y., on Long Island; Cape Hatteras in Outer Banks, N.C.; Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Fla.; Coast Guard Beach on Cape Cod, Mass.; and Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island, S.C.
Leatherman based his selections on 50 criteria, including water quality and temperature, cleanliness, weather, sand, safety and facilities. And Hanalei is his personal favorite "getaway beach" in Hawaii.
"If I want to get away from it all and forget about the rest of the world, Hanalei is about the best place to go, as far as I know," he said.
Hanalei is located on Kauai's North Shore around the corner from the Napali Coast, the most stunning corner of the state. One side offers lush valleys, dramatic waterfalls and sculpted mountains with peaks that rise 4,000 feet. On the other is the Pacific, where dolphins and sea turtles can be seen.
The big attraction here is that it's not a big attraction. Unlike in the high-rise jungle of Waikiki, where thousands of glowing-pale tourists sprawl across the sand like eggs in a carton, there's plenty of breathing room in secluded Hanalei.
Newlyweds Dirk and Courtney McNealy, of Gainesville, Fla., noticed that there were only about 50 people along the entire two miles of beach on a recent weekday.
"Back in Florida, it seems there's 50 people in a 10-foot stretch," Courtney McNealy said.
The McNealys chose the so-called Garden Island for their honeymoon because they wanted a peaceful retreat.
"The water is nice. The sand is nice," Courtney McNealy said. "It's really beautiful."
Duane Kutsch, of Richland, Wash., said he enjoyed the slower pace and the space.
"It doesn't seem so big and commercial like Oahu," he said. "Oahu to me feels like Chicago, a huge city on the edge of the water. This still has a hometown feel to it."
The flight to Kauai from Honolulu takes less than a half hour. The 30-mile drive from Lihue Airport to Hanalei, however, takes nearly an hour along two-lane Kuhio Highway. The roadway eventually runs down the mountainside and crosses a one-lane bridge before entering the tiny town of Hanalei.
Egos, shoes and watches should be checked at the bridge. No one's in a hurry in this ultra-mellow community.
The village is a throwback to old Hawaii. There are sprawling plots of taro, which is used to produce poi, a staple in the Hawaiian diet. Neighborhood kids sell fresh leis on the corner. Gift shops, art galleries, surf stores and casual restaurants line the main drag.
"Most of us who live in the city are used to the hustle and bustle. This is anything but that," Leatherman said. "It's about as laid-back as you can get."
In the winter, swells and rip currents pick up in the bay and lifeguards are kept busy. Hanalei and surrounding areas have several top surf breaks. This is where three-time surfing world champion Andy Irons lives and honed his skills.
Even when the surf is up, parts of the bay are protected by an outer reef, so people can still swim safely. However, visitors should be aware of conditions and posted signs and check with lifeguards.
"Because of the beauty, it's deceiving," said Mark McKamey, who has been a lifeguard in the area for 17 years. "It's paradise so it gives them a false sense of security."
In the summer, the waters flatten out. Locals can be seen throw-net fishing, catching opelu and akule, a Native Hawaiian tradition.
"There's a good vibe overall," said McKamey.
There are three parks within the bay: Black Pot, Hanalei Pavilion and Waioli. Several surfing schools offer two-hour sessions for $50-$60 and rent gear.
Nestled between two rivers, Hanalei is the largest bay on the island of Kauai.
Leatherman said one of his favorite views of the bay is from The St. Regis Princeville Resort, located on the bluff. The 252-room hotel reopens in October after nearly a year of renovations.
Hanalei first gained fame when the hit musical "South Pacific" was filmed here five decades ago, and it hasn't changed much. The sailors sang "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame" at the bay, while neighboring Lumahai Beach is where Mitzi Gaynor made famous "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair."
More recently, the North Shore served as the backdrop in films from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" to "Tropic Thunder," which starred part-time local resident Ben Stiller, one of many celebrities who vacation or live here.
Ranked No. 2 in 2008, Hanalei will now be retired from the Dr. Beach's list. Its selection returns the top spot to Hawaii, which has won 12 times since Leatherman started the list in 1991. Florida beaches have been named tops six times, including last year with Caladesi Island. North Carolina won once. California placed No. 4 this year with Coronado Beach but has never claimed the top spot.

How? Upload your best vacation photo. We'll pick 10 of the best and let readers vote among the finalists for the winning shot. Include your name, hometown and where the photo was taken. One submission per person by May 10, 2009.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME, HOMETOWN AND WHERE THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN!

Here are the official rules.

Ever since I started watching the "Real Housewives of New York City," an extremely guilty pleasure, I've been intrigued by the fact that Simon van Kempen (husband of Housewife Alex McCord) runs a hotel in Manhattan.

Since I was going to New York last week for a Canadian Tourism conference, I figured I'd shoot Hotel Chandler an email and see if Simon would be game for showing me around the 124-room property.

I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email back from Simon himself, happy to take me up on my offer.

As much fun as it is to moan and groan about the ridiculousness of these RH characters, I have to admit that Simon was pretty darn normal in person. He's spent 25 years in the hotel industry, he knows it well, and he's happy to chat about it.

I thought he'd balk at my request to snap a few photos of him in front of the hotel (these pseudo-celebs can get very control-freakish about their image), but he gladly complied.

Hotel Chandler is in the Midtown/Murray Hill area of Manhattan, just three blocks from the Empire State building at 12 E. 31st St. It seems like a perfectly nice place to stay, especially now that rates have been reduced to as low as $189, at times, for a standard room. Even if you don't stay here, swing by for a cheap drink in the lobby bar during the Monday-Friday happy hour from 5 pm - 10 pm.

After spending my morning last week with the 7th housewife, I think I'm on Team Simon....

As of right now, I'm still planning on making it to our friends' wedding there in May. (Anyone know where I can get a cute face mask to go with my dress?) But I'll be monitoring the World Health Organization and CDC Web sites, among others, for travel advisories.

Here's the latest from AP, as of late afternoon on Monday:
ATLANTA (AP) -- The federal government is preparing a travel advisory instructing Americans to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
Dr. Richard Besser made the disclosure during a news conference in Atlanta, saying the advisory was being released "out of an abundance of caution."
Besser also reported 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States, including 20 in New York City. He said people can help keep the disease from spreading by taking everyday precautions such as frequent handwashing, covering up coughs and sneezes, and staying away from work or school if they're not feeling well.
Before the CDC changed its advice to travelers, U.S. airlines were reporting that some passengers have already changed or canceled their plans to fly to Mexico.
Spokespeople for US Airways, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines said Monday passengers have requested travel changes, but none of the carriers would say how many. The three airlines said their operations are proceeding as normal and they have not canceled any flights to Mexico as a result of the scare.
"The loads are a little bit less than they normally would be for this time of day, but we are not seeing mass bookings away," said Michelle Mohr, a spokeswoman for US Airways.
American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said his carrier has not had a lot of requests for travel changes, though there have been some.
Delta continues to follow CDC and government agency recommendations, spokesman Anthony Black said.
"We have seen minimal changes to customer bookings," he said.
Several airlines are allowing passengers to change their travel plans to or from Mexico without any fee or penalty.

It's been one heck of a year so far for Mexico tourism, what with the violence/safety issue and now this. Here's to hoping both problems clear up soon.

What do you think? Carry on as usual or play it safe and skip it?

At the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, Governor Quinn welcomed the first visitors to the site in more than four months.

Earlier this month, the General Assembly passed a $1.6 million supplemental appropriations bill to support the re-hiring of all 33 Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) employees who were laid off when the historic sites closed.

The following historic sites will reopen today (April 23) and most will resume a five day per week schedule:
Apple River Fort, Elizabeth
Bishop Hill
Hauberg Indian Museum at Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island
Cahokia Courthouse, Cahokia
Carl Sandburg, Galesburg
Dana-Thomas House, Springfield
Fort de Chartres, Prairie du Rocher
Fort Kaskaskia, Ellis Grove
Pierre Menard Home, Ellis Grove
Jubilee College, Brimfield
Lincoln Log Cabin, near Charleston

Washington, DC -- The U.S. Travel Association today expressed deep concern about newly released Department of Commerce data showing that overseas arrivals to the United States plummeted nearly eight percent in January. U.S. Travel called upon Congress and the Administration to create a nationally coordinated travel promotion program to compete for overseas visitors who spend an average of $4,400 per person, per trip and are critical to America's economic recovery.
"As any business will tell you, tough economic times demand increased investment in attracting customers," said Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "Congress and the Administration must act now to compete for global travel dollars and reverse the accelerating decline in U.S. visitation. Increasing travel to the United States is the most efficient form of economic stimulus." 
This latest news from the U.S. Department of Commerce comes only two weeks after the announcement that 633,000 fewer overseas travelers visited the United States in 2008 than in 2000, despite the fact that 48 million more international travelers took long-haul trips in 2008 than in 2000.  If U.S. overseas arrivals had kept pace with international long-haul travel trends from 2001-2008, America would have welcomed a cumulative total of 58 million more visitors, $182 billion in new spending and $27 billion in new tax revenue.  These visitors would have supported 245,000 American jobs each year.
The House of Representatives passed the Travel Promotion Act in 2008. The legislation would have created a nationally coordinated promotion campaign at no cost to U.S. taxpayers.  Studies show that such a campaign would attract millions of additional overseas visitors per year, resulting in billions of dollars of new visitor spending. A Senate companion bill, co-sponsored by a majority of U.S. Senators, did not receive a vote. The Travel Promotion Act is expected to be reintroduced in the 111th Congress in the coming weeks.

Why are foreigners staying away from the U.S.? And should we care?

Here they are.....do you have any to add?

GERMANY: Göttingen
International Handel Festival
Home to the world's oldest Baroque music festival, this tiny, half-timbered university town in Lower Saxony fêtes the glories of George Friedrich Handel's artistic output for two weeks each summer. A profusion of top-notch chamber concerts, late-night recitals and oratorio performances make use of the village's fetching historical venues, while opera presentations in the 500-seat Deutsches Theater boast the kind of cozy authenticity that is the stuff of dreams for period-instrument purists.

Don't miss out on the rest of Germany's highlights, including Oktoberfest, the Alps, and Berlin's vibrant, cutting-edge cultural scene. Discover more with Frommer's® Germany 2009 ($24.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-28784-2).

RUSSIA: St. Petersburg
The Mariinsky Theater
Named for its royal benefactress, Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II, and inaugurated in October 1860 with a performance of Mikhail Glinka's A Life for the Tsar, the Mariinsky Theater remains a crown jewel in the cultural life of St. Petersburg. The beautifully restored welcomes Mozart, Verdi and Puccini favorites as well as once-forgotten operas by Russia's own Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Rimsky-Korsakov. During the summer months, the theater glittering White Nights Festial draws operatic and classical music royalty - along with nearly one million Russians - to St. Petersburg for the motherland's largest public event.

The Heritage Museum and The Kremlin are two more reasons to start planning a trip to Russia. Discover these treasures and more in Frommer's® Moscow & St. Petersburg, 2nd Edition ($19.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-19403-4).

IRELAND: Wexford
The Wexford Festival
This southeastern Irish town's opera festival, which runs through October and November, abounds with a distinctly Gaelic allure. A sense of discovery that's just as potent as the municipality's omnipresent aroma of burning peat proves to be this festival's calling card: emerging young stars take part in little-known operas, presented with remarkable musical and dramatic merits under artistic director David Agler. Away from the festival's presentations, one can find myriad opportunities to revel in Wexford's charms, from poetry recitations in Thomas Moore Tavern to incomparable suppers at Forde's Restaurant and - should the muse strike you - the Guinness International Singing & Swinging Pub competition.

Frommer's® Ireland 2009 ($21.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-38749-8) provides the scoop on where to stay the night in an ancient castle and how to eat fish and chips like a local.

THE UNITED STATES: New York City
From the Metropolitan Opera, to Carnegie Hall, to a thrillingly modernized Alice Tully Hall - and let's not forget about outer-borough venues like the unique Brooklyn Academy of Music - there's a reason New York remains the cultural capital of the world. The Metropolitan Opera, now operating under the auspices of its innovative general manager Peter Gelb, has become an increasingly accessible institution. Likewise, a revitalized New York Philharmonic, led by native-son Alan Gilbert, can tackle symphonic rep ranging from Bach to Schoenberg. Splendid Manhattan-bound classical and operatic fare need not be experienced within confines of the Upper West Side, though: Le Poisson Rouge, a trendy Bleecker Street nightclub presents some of the best jazz, contemporary-classical and chamber music the city has to offer, allows its patrons to quaff hearty hefeweizens or smoky pinot noirs in an atmosphere so easygoing as to make Brahms and Ellington seem like kissing cousins.

The night doesn't have to end at the final curtain call in the City That Never Sleeps. Take full advantage of all NYC has to offer with Frommer's® New York City 2009 ($18.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-28562-6).

ITALY: Milan
Teatro alla Scala
Milan's operatic history - which dates back to the seventeenth century - is no less dazzling than the world-famous fashion houses that make this city one of the modern world's top destinations for cutting-edge design. [Teatro alla Scala has been the city's operatic pride and joy since the eighteenth century: the official opening of the La Scala season is almost always on December 7, the feast day of St. Ambrose, Milan's patron.] La Scala remains hallowed ground on which divas-in-the-making must prove their mettle, and where the world first heard Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Verdi's Otello, Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, Rossini's Turco in Italia and Bellini's Norma - and scores of other classics.

Milan is also home to museums featuring art by such towering geniuses as Michelangelo (his final sculpture) and Leonardo da Vinci (The Last Supper). Learn where to find these gems from Frommer's® Italy 2009 ($24.99, 978-0-470-28556-5).

FRANCE: Paris
Has any place inspired more operas than Paris, perhaps the most romantic city on earth? Paris's newest home for opera is the spacious but somewhat chilly Opéra de la Bastille, which boasts an unrestricted view of the stage from each of its 2,700 seats, but the city's most famous operatic landmark remains the opulent nineteenth-century Palais Garnier, familiar to lovers of Broadway's Phantom of the Opera. Don't miss a chance to visit Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, an Art Deco masterpiece that is one of Europe's prettiest theaters, or the devastatingly elegant Théatre du Châtelet. Also worth a trip is the Salle Favart, its frothy good looks an apt metaphor for the light-hearted attractions of its home company, the Opéra-Comique.

From the Louvre to Notre Dame, rely on Frommer's® Paris 2009 ($18.99, 978-0-470-28563-3) for a complete guide to all the city's sights, shopping, and restaurants.

THE UNITED STATES: Chicago
Chicago's Civic Opera House is one of the most beautiful buildings in a city that prides itself on its architecture. Built in 1929, this ageless amalgam of Renaissance revival and Art Deco has superb acoustics, excellent sightlines and sumptuous public spaces, including a handsomely proportioned lobby designed by Jules Guerin. The theater was home to several Chicago opera companies before its most distinguished tenant, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, arrived in 1954. The Lyric established the City of Big Shoulders as an international opera capital, offering the opera world's brightest stars in top-notch productions. After the Lyric season ends in late winter, Chicago's opera lovers hold on until spring, when the adventurous Chicago Opera Theater presents its three-opera season at the slick new Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millenium Park.

Want to know where to grab a slice of the best Chicago pizza on the way to the show? Pick up a copy of Frommer's® Chicago 2009 ($17.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-37371-2).

SWEDEN
The Drottningholm Court Theatre
Built in 1766 for the Swedish queen, Lovisa Ulrika, the Drottningholm Court Theatre-located in the Royal Domain of Drottningholm, only a short bus or boat ride from the capital city of Stockhom-is a thing of exquisite artifice. The theatre was a beehive of musical and theatrical activity during the late eighteenth century, but when Lovisa Ulrika's son (and political enemy), King Gustaf III was assassinated-an event used as the basis for Verdi's opera Un Ballo in Maschera,-the theatre fell into disuse; it was a storage facility for much of the nineteenth century. Drottningholm was recalled to life in the 1920s and now presents a brief summer season each year, with the repertory usually drawn from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Spring and summer tours of the theater and the palace grounds are relatively infrequent, in order to spare its eighteenth-century charms from the wear-and-tear of twenty-first-century life. Early booking is advisable.

Frommer's® Sweden 6th edition ($21.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-43214-3) captures all the highlights of this beautiful nation-everything from sophisticated cities to medieval towns, the Gota Canal, summer solstice festivals, and Swedish glass factories.

THE UNITED STATES: Santa Fe
In 1957, New York conductor John Crosby started an opera company in a highly unlikely locale: the breathtaking mountains of northern New Mexico. Crosby's impossible dream has endured: every July and August since then, Santa Fe Opera has presented an imaginative, exciting mix of familiar classics, rarely-performed treasures and brand-new works, their casts generally populated by the best young singers in America. Opera lovers from all over the world have been thrilled by Santa Fe's singular natural beauty, an element in the company's appeal celebrated by its dramatically proportioned adobe theater, which has unequalled views of the high desert landscape - and the heart-stopping beauty of its sunsets. Daytime hours in Santa Fe can be spent sampling the myriad charms of the city itself and of its thriving local community of world-class artists and artisans.

The oldest capital in the United States, Santa Fe is also known for its cutting-edge cuisine, some of the finest artwork in the world, and pueblo-style architecture. Explore this city and more of New Mexico with Frommer's® Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque, 12th Edition ($17.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-37188-6).

ENGLAND: Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Sussex
The thoroughly English character of Glyndebourne Festival Opera reflects the personality of its eccentric founder, John Christie, who developed the ambitious scheme to offer festival-quality opera performances on his East Sussex estate beginning in 1934. Christie's original theater was eventually replaced by a completely new facility in 1994, but the abiding presence of the Christie home and the continued involvement of Christie's descendants in festival life have allowed Glyndebourne to retain much of its original atmosphere. The operas of Mozart have been at the core of Glyndebourne's repertory for all of its existence, but more esoteric fare - including some world premieres - is also among the company specialties.

Explore more of England with tips from Frommer's® England 2009 ($24.99, ISBN: 978-0-470-28786-6), including where to find the best of literary England (Stratford-upon-Avon, Jane Austen country, and more); ancient and Roman sites, including Roman baths and "Hadrian's Wall"; and diverse museums and galleries, from the Tate Modern to the National Museum of Wales.

It's about an hour to an hour-and-a-half drive from the Basque Country's most
populous city, Bilbao.

The town of Laguardia makes an excellent base to explore the Rioja Alavesa wine region. The 13th century walled village is very pedestrian friendly, since cars aren't allowed within the town¹s walls.

The top place to stay near Laguardia is easily the Frank Gehry-designed
Marques de Riscal Hotel in Elciego. It literally looks out of this world,
with its titanium ribbons and avant-garde design. There's something special
about being in an ultra-modern building and looking out at a medieval hill
top village (Laguardia).

The 43 guest rooms (11 of which are suites) are equally modern and sleek.
They're also not cheap, as you might expect. Weekend rates in late April
were starting at $590 a night. Tip: Marques de Riscal is a member of
Starwood Hotel¹s Luxury Collection, so if you've racked up enough
Starpoints, you can redeem them for a free stay.

If you can't afford to stay here, at least have a glass of Marques de Riscal
wine in the high-ceilinged wine bar. But if your bank account can swing a
stay, ask for a room facing the church -- those are the best views by far.
Avoid Room No. 10, where I stayed. In the middle of the night, the ceiling
started leaking onto the hardwood floor. I was told it's a recurring problem
in that particular room.

The hotel has two excellent restaurants, a rooftop lounge and library and
the Vinotherapie Spa by Caudalie (a Paris-based company that also has spas
at the Plaza in New York and several tony properties in Europe). Many of the
treatments use grapes.

Get rates and info at luxurycollection.com/marquesderiscal.
Less expensive lodging can be found at the charming small hotel Antigua
Bodega de Don Cosme Palacio. It doesn¹t have a Web site but you can check
rates/availability at secretplaces.com.
The four-star Villa de Laguardia is another great option;
hotelvilladelaguardia.com.

Some Rioja Alavesa wineries worth checking out:
Ysios: domecqbodegas.com
El Fabulista: bodegaelfabulista.com
Baigorri: bodegasbaigorri.com
Marques de Riscal: marquesderiscal.com

Things to do in Doha:

† The sweet scent of shisha (flavored waterpipes) wafts through the air at
the Souq Waqif, an old Arabic marketplace recently rebuilt in its original
style. People flock here at night to eat dinner and shop for spices,
jewelry, pashminas -- even Christmas ornaments. Head over to the falcon wing
to watch wealthy sheikhs pay upward of $2,000 for these status symbol birds
of prey.
† For some desert thrills, go "dune bashing." Gulf Adventures can take you
on a wild ride in a 4 x 4 over the steep sand dunes to the Inland Sea near
the Saudi border. People also can rent ATVs and spend the night in a Bedouin
camp in the desert; gulf-adventures.com.

The world's highest hotel -- the Park Hyatt Shanghai -- is toward the top of that skyscraper that looks like a giant bottle opener. Read more about it here.

It's a pretty cool experience staying that high up, especially when the views are of the Huangpu River and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and other Shanghai highlights. I loved watching the barges with big TV screens advertising various products sailing along the river.

Hotels are going to be in high demand in Shanghai next year when the city hosts the World Expo 2010. Any recommendations?

I couldn't put it down during a transatlantic crossing last fall on the Queen Mary 2.

Bruns worked for Carnival Cruise Lines for a year, making him the only American in Carnival's history to work a full contract in the ships' restaurants. That gives you a sense of how difficult and draining life on a ship can be. It can also be one giant party, which helps make it so draining.

If the behind-the-scenes part of a cruise interests you, Ruby Princess offers the Ultimate Ship Tour for $150 a person. You'll get an up close look at parts of the ship normally verboten to guests. My one complaint: I didn't get to see the crew's cabins. After reading Bruns' book, I was intrigued to say the least...

Here's a snippet:

While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business), violence in the country has increased recently. It is imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable.

For the full alert, click here.

It should be noted that the State Department has labeled this a travel alert, not a travel warning, which is a more severe step aimed at discouraging Americans from traveling to a particular area.

Tourism is an extremely important source of revenue for Mexico, which is why the Mexico Tourism Board has been quick to respond to the State Department's recent alert by pointing out that Mexico is a) the 10th most visited tourist destination in the world, b) the country welcomed 22.6 million international visitors -- a 5.9 percent increase from the previous year -- in 2008, and c) the peso is down against the dollar, making Mexico an especially good value for American travelers at the moment.

Have you been to Mexico recently? If so, where? Did you feel safe?

Tour operator IsramWorld responded with this volley today:

New York - February 17, 2009: One of America's largest tour operators, New York-based IsramWorld has cancelled its tour programs to Dubai, it was announced today in the wake of the United Arab Emirates' decision to deny a visa to Israeli tennis player, Shahar Peer, to participate in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
"The UAE's action is an odious act of political bigotry," says A. Ady Gelber, president and CEO of IsramWorld, a leading U.S. tour operator for more than four decades and a prominent member of USTOA (the United States Tour Operators' Association), "and it reveals that despite its massive investment in tourism infrastructure, Dubai appears not ready to be a member of the world tourism family."
IsramWorld offers tours and packages to 56 countries on five continents. In the wake of the Camp David Accords, it was one of the first U.S. tour operators to offer a diverse program of tours to Egypt, and in 1994 it began offering tours to Jordan. "I am deeply disappointed in the UAE's decision, one that seems to spell a return to the grim dark days of division and discrimination," observed Gelber.
The Dubai Tennis Championships are sponsored by Barclays, Britain's fourth-biggest bank that in 2008 acquired the assets of failed U.S. investment bank, Lehman Brothers. 
According to a report in Sunday's New York Times, when U.S. tennis champion, Venus Williams, learned of Peer's visa denial she said, "All the players support Shahar, we are all athletes, and we stand for tennis." Peer and her family urged the Women's Tennis Association not to cancel the tournament because of the incident, but The New York Times took an unusually strong position in its article on the controversy, saying: "There is always going to be international conflict, and athletes in the middle. But they can't be abandoned there when there is a choice. Tennis should finish its business in the gulf this month, and say bye-bye, Dubai."
"We're saying 'bye-bye, Dubai,' right now," Gelber added.
 
Thoughts? Comments?

Feb. 9 & 10:
Merchandise Mart Conference Center (at the bridge where the Mart meets the Apparel Center). The massage guy says he'll be there until 3:30 p.m.

Feb. 13:
First National Plaza, 70 W. Madison St., Three First National Plaza, 14th floor.

Enjoy!