The Westin does Angels & Demons in Rome

by Annie Scott on

Come out of hiding, closet Dan Brown fans. Come out of hiding and get thee to The Westin Excelsior in Rome!

In conjunction with the release of the new movie of Angels & Demons, The Westin Excelsior Rome (above) has partnered with Sony Pictures to create a lavish Angels & Demons Experience package that will run until early 2010.

The Angels & Demons Experience includes:

  • Luxury accommodation in a double room
  • The official Angels & Demons private or group tour
  • 20% off at the hotel’s restaurant and bars
  • 20% off the Angels & Demons theme menu at the Doney restaurant

Does the music on that website remind anyone else of Flight of the Navigator? Just checking.

“With the movie set primarily in Rome, this is the ideal opportunity to offer movie lovers and others a truly special and unique way to explore the city and get to know some of the movie’s original sites,” says Mary Goss Robino, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships for Sony Pictures. “We are delighted to be working with Westin Hotels & Resorts on this once in a lifetime package.”

I enjoyed the book (What? It argues that science and religion don’t conflict — interesting stuff!), and I bet the locations you’ll get to on your four hour private or group tour will be pretty great. If I remember correctly, you’ll be visiting Santa Maria del Popolo church, Piazza del Popolo, Saint Peter’s Square, Santa Maria della Vittoria church, the Pantheon, Piazza della Minerva, Piazza Navona, and Castel Sant’Angelo, as well as the Pope’s private chambers at The Vatican and Switzerland (that’s where CERN is). But, you know, no guarantees on those last two.

The Angels & Demons Experience packages are available for booking now, starting at €326 (about $443.76), and Angels & Demons the movie is coming May 15th!
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Five quick trip splurges to take with the Amazing Race’s million dollar win

by Jamie Rhein on

Now that Victor and Tammy have discovered that they get along with each other quite nicely, AND they’ve won the million dollar prize on Amazing Race 14, they could pool their resources for some dandy vacations and have plenty of money left over for two houses and the stock market. This is the time to buy. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.

Let’s say that Victor and Tammy only have a few days to squeeze in between their Amazing Race trip wins– considering that they came in first place five times and won trips for most of their Pit Stop triumphs. Just in case they are stumped about where else to go, I’ve thought of five places I’d head to in the U.S. if I were them. It doesn’t hurt to dream a little. Stay tuned for where I’d go in the world.

  • New York, New York: Spend three nights at the Plaza Hotel overlooking Fifth Avenue in New York City. For the summer, if you book two nights, the third is free. To add to the luxury, stay in the 2 Bedroom Suite with 5th Ave view Dining, 2 baths, butler service and a pantry. For the two nights that’ll be $7,000, not including tax and gratuity. Still that leaves a lot of moola for New York City fun.
  • Yountville, California: Dine at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, California. Ever since I read about Scott Haas’s experience dining here in his book Are We There Yet?, I’ve been salivating. Each day there are two new nine-course tasting menus. Haas spent more than $400.00 for his family of four. The tasting menu is $240 a person. Here’s today’s. Yum! Where to stay suggestion: Yountville Inn. There’s a Superior Room with two queen-size beds with breakfast included and complimentary wine tasting. Napa Valley would be a wonderful place for some R&R to celebrate a race.
  • Ogunquit, Maine: One of the first places I went on a solo adventure was Ogunquit. I didn’t stay, but visited a friend who was working there at a resort hotel. It was gorgeous. The Juniper Hill Inn is a beach front property within walking distance to the historic downtown and the Marginal Way, the path that leads to Perkins Cove. With a two-night stay you can get the Theater Package that includes two tickets to John Lane’s Ogunquit Playhouse, a summer theater outing. The most expensive rooms are less than $250 so there’s plenty of chump change for lobster and steamed clams to dip in butter. For the best of the best, MC Perkins Cove has a menu that’s sublime.
  • New Orleans, Louisiana: Whatever else Tammy & Victor decide to do in New Orleans, they need to eat breakfast at Brennan’s. I did that once, and it’s an experience not to forget. There are also many options for Creole style fine-dining, and a city that has a personality like no others. For slumber, my dreams point to a deluxe King room at The Avenue Garden Hotel in the Garden District. For $124 a night for a King bed Deluxe room, Tammy and Victor can certainly afford a room each.
  • Santa Fe, New Mexico: Friends of mine once said that said Santa Fe is the only place they’ve been that makes them feel like shopping. Seriously, this is probably the most aesthetically pleasing city in the U.S. My hands down favorite thing to do there besides linger at the Museum of International Folk Art is spend a couple hours at Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese style spa and retreat center. La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza has a gorgeous restaurant, La Plazuela with superb eats. For luxury, the hotel has La Terreza rooms and suites on the top floor that includes a roof top patio. A suite is $595.

Undiscovered New York: All the way to Coney Island

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Coney Island is New York City’s very own magical land of Oz. Just about everyone has heard about it – a derelict Brooklyn resort and amusement park stacked with ramshackle rides, Nathan’s hot dogs, sashaying mermaids and Vaudevillian freak shows – a seaside Gomorrah of fading glories and sandy cigarette butts. It is a place that is at once alluring and repulsive…drawing you in with its mysterious and nostalgic charms but never leaving you fully satisfied with what you’ve seen.

Unless you live in New York, there’s a good chance you’ve never made the trip out to the very last stop in Brooklyn at Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue. There’s a good reason why – Coney Island tends to be a polarizing place to visit. Some people hate it – stacked with second rate fried clam shops, indigestion and bad carnival rides. Other people visit and can’t get enough – it’s an area steeped in quirky history, unique stories and amusement park nostalgia. Love it or hate it, word has it that Coney Island, a seaside resort that has persisted since the 1860’s, may be on its last legs. The property was purchased in 2006 and the developers have plans to turn the area into a giant Vegas-style shopping mall.

If there was ever a time to go and visit one of New York’s more offbeat attractions, this would be that time. While each year has brought another 11th-hour reprieve, the strange sights of Coney Island are not destined to last forever. Where else can you gawk at contortionists and sword swallowers at one of the country’s last remaining circus sideshows? Or get tossed around on a rickety old roller coaster? Or eat some of New York’s best pizza? Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, Undiscovered New York is going all the way to Coney Island…
Getting Freaky
Coney Island is among the last places in the U.S. to see a real circus sideshow, complete with a man who hammers spikes into his skull, a fire and glass eater, and a snake charmer and contortionist, among others. It’s a bizarre show that somehow manages to be strangely beautiful in its oddity. Entrance fee is $7.50 for adults and just $5 for children.

Perhaps though you’re not satisfied just looking at circus curiosities? Perhaps you would actually like to try swallowing a sword or two yourself? Never fear, the Coney Island Sideshow School is here to help. Sideshow “professors” Donny Vomit and Adam Rinn teach eager students the fundamentals of fire eating, glass walking and “sticking foreign objects up their noses.” Grab your preferred foreign object and $600 and sign yourself up today.

Old-School Amusements
If old wooden roller coasters are your thing, consider the Coney Island Cyclone to be the grand dame of them all. It’s by no means a large coaster – in fact it’s dwarfed in size by wooden giants like The Beast or American Eagle, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up in sheer exhilarating surprise. The tiny coaster cars creak and groan, whipping around hairpin turns and threatening to splinter and shatter apart at any moment. If you have no other reason to come to Coney Island, this alone will make a trip worthwhile.

The other great amusement worth noting is Coney Island’s iconic Wonder Wheel. The wheel has become something of a celebrity having appeared in a number of movies and commercials, including The Warriors, First constructed in 1920, the iron giant has managed to weather more than 80 years of harsh New York weather, coming through with a perfect safety record.

Classic Charm
Clearly if you’re still reading by now, you’re interested in coming to Coney Island not for its modern conveniences, but instead for its creaky, dilapidated old glories. There’s a couple key spots for drinking and for relaxing that truly bring this point home.

Boardwalk regulars like to stop by Cha Cha’s, one of the many al fresco restaurants dishing up drinks and fried foods along Coney Island’s fabled boardwalk. But unlike the others, which can seem a bit mediocre, Cha Cha’s boasts its own stripper pole, neon day-glo murals of Coney Island and a collection of old junk that would make any landfill proud. Just the spot to down a few fried shrimp or a frozen margarita.

If you’re feeling a bit more energetic, then dust off those old roller skates. It’s time for an retro roller disco party at Dreamland Roller Rink. The rink makes its temporary home inside the majestic 1920’s era Childs Building, where skaters of all ages can come on Friday nights, gliding along to retro funk and soul music. The club will be reopening for the 2009 summer season on May 23rd.

[Thanks, Kendra]

Discovery Channel Gets Into The Travel Business

by Kraig Becker on

The Discovery Channel has announced that it is getting into the travel industry by launching “Discovery Adventures” later this year. The intent is to offer adventure travelers the chance to visit the places that often are depicted on the channel’s many outdoor related television shows.

Discovery has joined forces with established adventure travel operator G.A.P. Adventures and will soon be offering 30 trips to destinations around the globe. The website for Discovery Adventures is expected to go online in July, allowing travelers to begin booking trips at that time.

This new move from Discovery is in keeping with a strategy they announced some time back to extend their brand away from just television and into markets that make sense for their demographic. For example they intend to launch a line of outdoor gear under the Discovery Expedition label as well.

Personally, I’m big fan of the Discovery Channel. What adventure traveler isn’t? Hopefully they aren’t just slapping their logo on to existing tours from G.A.P. and calling it a “Discovery Adventure”, while charging customers an extra fee. I fully expect that these trips will come at a bit of a premium, but hopefully the Discovery brand will add something as well. For example, who wouldn’t want to explore the backcountry with Bear Grylls? The meals would be interesting at the very least!

Amazing Race 14, Recap finale: Maui, Hawaii where pigs are heavy

by Jamie Rhein on

After after a quick video clip refresher course of the various legs of Amazing Race 14, the three remaining teams bid adieu to Bejing and headed to Maui, Hawaii on the same Air China flight. Admittedly, several times during this episode, I felt the end of the trip feel–a bit of a sigh that the bulk of the excitment and surprise is over and home is near.

I felt sad to say goodbye to China since the last three weeks were spent there, but Maui offered gorgeous scenery and decent finale with some laughs and stiff competition.

First stop in Maui was Beach Access 118. As the teams headed off in taxis from the Maui airport, it was time to don bathing suits while still in the taxi for beach fun, although there wasn’t much fun involved.

In India, one team member had to schlep buckets of water and grain. In Hawaii, both team members had to schlep a pig. Poor pigs. What undignified ends to what may have been happy lives. After dressing the dead, skinned pigs in oil and traditional spices and herbs, and sliding a stick through the space caused by their pairs of tied together legs, the teams had to carry the 145 pound pigs along 200 yards of the beach to a traditional luau.

If you ever have to carry a pig hanging from a stick any distance, use Margie & Luke’s method. They rested the stick on their shoulders. The other method, carrying the stick at waist and chest level, doesn’t work, not unless you think dropping a pig several times might be a good way to tenderize the meat. Tammy & Victor’s and Jaime and Cara’s pigs showed up at the luau covered in salt water and sand, even though Victor told Tammy to not doubt her pig carrying abilities and Jaime wondered what was wrong with Cara for being so weak. Certainly Cara could take Tammy down if need be was the gist of Jaime’s yammering.

Once at the site where people were gathered for a luau, playing instruments in a fashion that seemed a bit lackluster if you ask me–not nearly as buoyant as those Romanian gypsies or Siberians in earlier episodes, the teams had to prepare a cooking fire-pit in the traditional luau way. Luke & Margie nailed it, and the other teams had to do theirs again.

When the teams left the musicians still playing, and the pigs buried in sand with barely a laugh or a quick goodbye, I wondered what the next step would be for the pigs? Would they ever be eaten or cleaned up to be ground into sausage or what?

For the three teams, no time to wonder about such trifles. Off they went to McGregor Point to hop on a two-person water craft to buzz out to 100 buoys to search for the next clue. That looked fun. Not as environmentally friendly as a luau, but fun. The teams had a blast. Margie & Luke kept their lead, passing Victor & Tammy and Cara & Jaime as they headed back to shore. There was laughing and smiling here with friendly waves.

Next stop was the surfboard fence along Hana Highway. Naturally, Jaime and Cara’s taxi got lost and they ended up at the wrong line of surfboards, something they knew right away, but this time Jaime had the eventual presence of mind to apologize to the driver for her attitude.

Just like with the entire season, this episode was anyone’s game. As Luke initially blazed through the task of building a surfboard fence by finding symbols painted on surfboards that matched each leg of the race, he became stumped by the last two. The more he was stumped, the more frustrated, which meant the more he couldn’t think clearly. Eventually, surfboards were scattered every which way while he kept messing up the last two to complete his fence.

Luke’s frustration was enough to give Victor and Jaime who were also playing this clever match game to catch up. As Victor found the last surfboard, Luke was in despair. Margie and Cara beseeched Jaime and Luke to work together, so they could get out of surfboard hell, I imagine.

While Tammy and Victor knew they were on their way to a million dollars, Luke and Jaime berated themselves in their own taxis for having faulty memories. Jaime couldn’t remember St. Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, and used as the symbol for the Church of San Antonio where they stopped during the first leg. Ironic, isn’t it?

Luckily for them, they each have people who love them dearly. Instead of shouting, “You stupid, stupid fools,” at them, Margie and Cara said the exact words needed to help them swallow the loss of the million.

As these last two teams made it to the finish line at King Kamehameha Golf Club, they realized that they were able to do what most teams don’t, actually finish the Amazing Race. The cheering, clapping and hugs from the teams who had been eliminated earlier helped add positive energy to the finale. Plus, there was enough time for Margie & Luke to talk about what it really means for a deaf person to finish the race. A heck of a lot. In probably one of the most emotional moments, Luke talked about how few parents with deaf children ever learn to sign and what it means to him that his mother does.

Then there was Victor, eloquent to the end, who summed up what makes traveling so darned special if you do it right. “You can have a lot of fun doing the crazy and unconventional. It makes life a whole lot more interesting,” he declared.

So, all you travelers out there, find something unconventional to do this week and have a smashing good time. Just remember everyone finished the Amazing Race alive, so keep it safe– unconventional and crazy is fine, but don’t be foolish.