Trying to decide on the Caribbean island that’s best for you? I know, the decision can be a toughie, but shouldn’t be too much of a strain. The Miami Herald features an excellent piece highlighting noteworthy hotels, environmental aspects, restaurants and the basic ‘why’ you should come questions all there to help you plan. Ready to go nude? Try visiting St. Maarten’s Orient Beach to score your full body tan. Need a good reason to head over to St. Lucia? If beautiful beaches aren’t enough, grab a sunset cocktail at Ladera and just lounge to the sweet sounds of island music. Whether it’s live or from the stereo I’m sure there will be some coming from somewhere. Oh, and there’s my personal island favorite – Trinidad & Tobago. If you can’t make it for Carnival next year try planning a week long getaway to hike and bird watch. There’s always a blissful thing to do in Trinidad & Tobago – if you ask me. See the Miami Herald for all their spicy Caribbean island recommendations.
GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of October 22
Can everyone say TGIF? Boy, am I glad the first hint of the weekend has arrived. It’s been a long one and if your week happened to have been as hectic as mine then you may have missed some of these Gadling pieces, but never fear – they are here.
5. Paris Too Hardcore for the Japanese?:
Culture reads are always fun in my book and seeing how different tourists react in certain countries is also good info to know, but something about this piece on Paris being too tough on Japanese strikes me as odd. I’ve never heard of a city that caused one to seek psychological counseling after your return. Is there anyone out there who can back this up?
4. World’s Most Expensive Restaurants:
Follow poor Erik as he accidentally gets in on a dinner bill at one of NY’s most priciest restaurants and regrets ever showing up. After sharing his own personal story he points those that like having restaurant tabs starting at about $370 a person to this Forbes List of most expensive restaurants. Chow down for me, because you won’t find me there.
3. New York Times Looks at Los Angeles:
Erik lives in New York. Neil lives in Los Angeles. I live in Limbo. What better set of travel bloggers could one possibly find? While I stay out in the land of Limbo I can thank Neil for holding his ground in LA to help provide honest criticism on the City of Angels when folks like the NY Times try to sum it all in one go. If you’re considering travel to LA, read Neil’s blurb and this pretty good read from the NY Times as well. Then let us know what you think.
2. Dirty, Filthy, Nasty, & Unclean Airplanes:
Some find horror in film, but I find horror in real life. I call it soiled seats, filthy carpet and greasy windows 35,000 feet in air. I’m sure you’ve been on a dirty airplane a time or two. Well, reading this piece will probably have you reaching for that barf bag next time you fly.
1. Smoke-Free Hotel Rooms:
With this news I’m sure some non-smokers lungs are singing praise and screaming hallelujah! Yes, it looks as though Westin Hotel & Resorts along with the Marriott are banning smoking altogether in their chain of hotels. Good news for us, but I’m sure those not ready to kick the habit are either pouting or puffing it up in some shady smoked-filled motel room.
Wine Camp
In keeping with the continuing trend of adult summer camps, wine lovers now have a weekend of their own to sneak away to and engage in their passion.
Joel Stein of Time Magazine recently spent a couple of days in Napa Valley at Crush Camp where he and fellow oenophiles picked, crushed, and blended a variety of grapes and then consumed their end product in hefty quantities. Stein, who paints an ironic picture of affluent yuppies paying $875 to pick grapes alongside migrant laborers being paid $2 a bucket to do the same thing, seems to have had a nice time on the retreat.
This year’s Crush Camp, organized by Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, occurred last month, however, and if you are interested in attending, you’ll have to wait until next season.
There are similar opportunities at other wineries throughout the fall and early winter as well. One of the more popular, according to an article in rival Newsweek, is the St. Supery’s “Harvest Adventure,” also in Napa Valley. This one is only half a day and $295. According to its website, it includes “grape harvesting and a grape stomp followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the winery and barrel room for a taste of last year’s wines in progress.” Unlike Crush Camp, participants actually get to use their feet to stomp the grapes, making it more kitschy, and as a result, far better in my book–as long as I don’t have to drink what Fungal Frank from Modesto just squished between his toes.
On Chinese Street Food
Go World Travel features a fine culinary travel piece by Larry Jer who after spending months in China decides to risk everything to sample – Chinese street food. We’ve all been tempted on one journey or another to give into the aromas drifting off the grill or pan from some street chef looking to tantalize your taste buds, fuel your stomach as well as make an honest living. Sometimes trying those delicious smelling street treats isn’t as easy as one might think. For Larry having Chinese street food was much like a trip to the circus. I can understand that, but it wasn’t until Larry found he needed to get the weight he’d lost by avoiding most foods in China that he gave in to the street vendors. In addition to developing balls or courage to try the food for weight concerns, he also found gobbling down silkworm added dimension to his stay in China. How about that? Dimension in silkworms? Mmm…
Read the rest for yourself. Foodies can surely appreciate Larry Jer’s very nicely written travel tale.
Gourmet Travel and Food Series
Travel and food are two of my greatest loves. Thankfully they can easily be enjoyed together. In fact, great food compliments travel like great wine compliments a fine meal.
For me, combining these two loves into a career would be the dream job of the century. Gourmet magazine Editor-in-Chief Ruth Reichl has managed to land such a job and I think I hate her for it.
Reichl has a new PBS show on air called “Diary of a Foodie” in which she travels and eats. And, I don’t mean down to the local grease bucket for a cheeseburger.
No, so far Reichl has traveled to China, Barcelona, Italy, and Seattle to indulge in area specialties and evoke salivation from our glands.
This is a great show, but not one to be enjoyed at home with a frozen pizza-unless you really want to ask yourself, yet again, what are you doing with your life?
Our North American readers can check their local listings here.