Stuff Canadian people like

Last week, I attended a celebration of the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center hosted by the Canadian Tourism Commission. The logic goes like this:

  1. The 2010 Olympics are going to be in Vancouver.
  2. The Olympics will be aired by NBC.
  3. NBC is based at Rockefeller Center.
  4. NBC also airs the Rockefeller Tree lighting.

Is it a stretch? Yes, but it was also a lot of fun — particularly because of the abundance of stuff Canadian people like, including bison burgers and snowshoes. Never has a single venue in Rockefeller Center been so Canada’d out.

So, this one’s for you, Canadians, I can only assume that this gallery will make you squeal with glee!
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And by the way, Vancouver hotels are all booked up for the Olympics, but you can still get in on the big celebration by visiting Rentalo.com and checking out Canadian rental apartments and B&Bs.

Put your Paws Up for the holidays this year

While the rest of the world is trekking out to Rockefeller Center to see the tree or hanging around Times Square while waiting for the ball’s big drop, head the other way. “The Last Best Christmas Vacation” package from the Paws Up resort in Montana pulls together everything you’d want in a traditional winter holiday celebration … along with the luxurious touch that you’d expect at a remote, upscale and high-touch destination.

From December 22 – 29, 2009, you can hole up in one of the Paws Up villas, dash off on snowmobiles or push yourself along on cross-country skis, while the world continues its rush without dragging you along. As part of this six-day/five-night package, you’ll also be able to enjoy sleigh rides and an old-fashioned tree-trimming party. The basics are covered, too, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, a half-day winter adventure, a decorated Christmas tree (and some egg nog, of course!), nightly ice skating and an open fire nearby. If you have some talent, take part in the Gingerbread house building contest … while wearing the Paws Up wrangler stockings you’ll be given.

Christmas Eve, of course, is when the magic will happen. A special menu will be put together in Pomp, the Paws Up restaurant, and the highlight of the party for the kids will be a special visit from Santa Claus.

So, put civilization behind you this December, and create a vacation experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Enjoy nature, and frolic in the snow … and eat, sleep and relax at a resort that will positively blow your mind.

Good news for a lucky bride at 30 Rock

If you think you can write about true love — your own, specifically — you have a shot at a honeymoon suite high above Manhattan. Brides magazine is looking to make a lucky couple even luckier, with the winners nabbing a night at the Top of the Rock. In 150 words or less, the mere length of a Gadling blog post, all you have to do is rattle off what makes you and your husband special.

A luxurious night in this rare destination not enough for you? Yeah, I figured. So did the folks over at Brides. Greed is rewarded with a trip to the Four Seasons Bora Bora in Tahiti. On a rate-per-word basis, you’ll never find a gig that pays like this!

Compete for the Brides Mile-High Honeymoon Suite, and take a look at what you could win!

Rainbow Room loses pot of gold

New York’s Rainbow Room is about to close its Rainbow Grill restaurant. Perched atop 30 Rockefeller Center, the restaurant has accumulated a reputation for dazzling views and putting you on top of the world in as close to the literal sense as possible. This week, the restaurant suffered its own fall … a 65-storey fall, to be exact.

The Rainbow Grill, which serves pricey Italian-style food, will shut down on January 12, 2009. The bar, banquet facilities and weekend dinner-dancing will live on, however. The twin culprits are the general economic decline and a dispute with its landlord, the “pirates” at Tishman Speyer.

Of course, everyone in Manhattan is entitled to a second act, and the Rainbow Room may come back. The Cipriani family, which owns the landmark restaurant, calls the decision temporary.

[Via MSNBC and Gawker]

Photo of the Day (12.28.08)

We’ve been doing holiday-themed photos all week, but I couldn’t resist doing one more. Not when they look as cool as this shot of Rockefeller Center from Flickr user Bernard-SD. The lighting and perspective on this are just awesome. Does this remind anyone else of a vanishing point drawing? I also like the way this photo further emphasizes the height of the building by sandwiching it between two flagpoles.

Have any great travel photos you’ve taken during your holiday this year? Why not share them with our readers on Gadling? All you have to do is upload them to our Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just use one of yours as our Photo of the Day.