2010 › May

Fat Tire Festival comes to the Black Hills

by Kraig Becker on

Mountain biking fans looking for a new destination to ride should set their sights on the Black HIlls of South Dakota at the end of May. The scenic, and historic, Rapid City area will serve as the host of a unique and action filled weekend, running the 28th through the 31st, which will include a variety of races, live music, barbecue, and much more.

The 4th annual Black Hills Fat Tire Festival will feature more than 30 different rides and six races that will appeal to riders of all ages and skill levels. Those races include the Cowboy Hill Sprint Climb, which will test the riders’ legs against the surrounding Black Hills and the Fat Tire Trail Challenge which will put all of their riding skills to the test.

The weekend isn’t just about the rides and races however, as there are a host of other activities on tap as well. Those activities include a bike swap to raise funds for local trails, a geocaching scavenger hunt, a pub crawl, and film festival with categories such as “The Big Dawg” and “Best Crash”. The entire weekend wraps up with an awards ceremony that includes live bands and real western barbecue on Sunday.

For a full weekend of events in the amazing Black Hills, plan on hitting Rapid City and the Black Hills Fat Tire Festival at the end of May. Whether you’re planning on riding or just coming to enjoy the show, you’re sure to have a great time.

Indulge in a ‘Sex and the City 2’ themed evening on May 26

by Annie Scott on

New York City won’t be sleeping on May 26th as Sex and the City 2 rolls into theaters at midnight. If you want to make a full evening extravaganza of the highly anticipated premiere, check out the SATC2 Midnight Movie Madness package from On Location Tours.

The May 26th NYC romp will begin at 6 PM with a Sex and the City Hotspots tour including a visit to the shop where Charlotte bought her Rabbit, a peek around the Meatpacking District and a cosmopolitan at the bar Aidan owned. Then, there will be a decadent dinner at Fresco by Scotto, followed by the screening, and after that? Admission into Marquee nightclub, definitely a Carrie-worthy destination.

Secretly, with over 40 stops, it’s also a really good way to get acquainted with a saucy side of NYC. Tickets are $179 and must be booked in advance, so call your mom or your girlfriends and start thinking about outfits. Visit the website for more information.

Cold water without a cooler – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Sometimes, we travel without a cooler (when we’re taking a shorter trip or don’t have enough room). But even without the cooler, we always have a way to have ice cold water with us.

To make cold water last the whole day, put a couple bottles of water in the freezer the night before*. Naturally, they’ll all turn to bottles of ice. An hour into the day, after the ice melts a little, you have a nice cold drink of water. When you see a water fountain, you can add more water — or, add water from unfrozen bottles.

In most developed countries, tap water is as good (or better) than bottled. Plus it’s cheaper and greener (of course, it’s ok to use the same bottles over).

* Be sure NOT to insert FULL bottles into the freezer! They might explode or leak when they melt, if the bottle has cracked from the pressure.

The Plaza Hotel launches its own fragrance line

by Melanie Nayer on

You’re used to luxury hotels offering up customized amenities like bath salts and slippers, but would you want to smell like your favorite hotel?

New York‘s landmark hotel, The Plaza, introduced its signature scent last month. Appropriately called “The Plaza,” the eau de parfum was created exclusively for the hotel by Krigler, a popular New York City-based fragrance house.

The New York Times blog writes:

“We wanted to create a modern fragrance that appeals to the senses and characteristics that the Plaza Hotel embodies: grace, beauty, elegance and style,” said Kristin Franzese, executive vice president of retail. She also alluded to the hotel’s best selling bath robes and linens as inspiration for the luxurious new souvenir. “People love to leave with a little piece of history.”

The signature scent is a blend of bergamot, grapefruit and iris, with amber and leather undertones. Guests can buy the perfume exclusively at the hotel’s store, Plaza Beauty, for $95 for a 1.7-ounce bottle. It’s also available as a soap ($18) or candle ($65).

India’s Kaziranga National Park has world’s highest tiger population

by Sean McLachlan on

Zoologists studying at Kaziranga National Park in Assam, India, have declared that it has the greatest density of tigers in the world–32.64 per 100 square kilometers, in fact. By way of comparison, Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is in the number two slot, has “only” 19.6 per 100 square kilometers.

Park officials say there’s such a healthy population because of the large amount of tasty wildlife such as deer and buffalo for the tigers to eat, as can be seen in this amazing slide show from the BBC. Less edible for tigers but equally interesting to visitors are the rare Indian Rhinos, of which two-thirds of the world’s population live in the park.

Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular destination for safaris. Visitors can ride an elephant through forest and grassland in order to spot the diverse population of animals and birds.

It’s wise to remember that wildlife is truly wild. Back in April a Dutch tourist was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Kaziranga. The park also has large numbers of King Cobra, the longest venomous snake in the world. Acting with caution and listening to your guide will keep you safe from most dangers, however.