So it’s 2013. We made it through the holiday travel crush, the potential end of the world, and the quest for the perfect New Year’s Eve celebration. It’s almost the first weekend of the year; can we take a breather now? This gentleman at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris is taking a bit of a time out, looking peaceful and enjoying the art/furniture (as well as perhaps the view of nearby Montmartre), almost looking as he was meant to be a part of the exhibit.
I was on my way to a party in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve and the Empire State Building was straight ahead of me. The colors were cool and alternating with the fluidity of a waterfall. Every now and then, the purples, blues, pinks, teals and greens would switch to silvers and whites. I’ve seen the Empire State Building in a lot of colors before, but this outfit truly suited the night. I took a video with my phone, but it didn’t turn out as well as this video I found on YouTube. Happy New Year, everyone.
Leave it to Dubai to ring in 2013 right. The city’s magnificent New Year’s Eve fireworks display illuminated the world’s tallest building, the iconic Burj Khalifa skyscraper, stretching more than 2,716 feet into the city sky. Sparks flew from the base all the way to the spire of the building as the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra performed in perfect synchronicity. It’s a spectacle fit for ushering in a new year.
As the year comes to a close, here’s a look back on how the world rang in 2012. From Sydney to Cape Town, these impressive fireworks displays highlight some of the most famous cities and landmarks throughout the world – whether that be the London Eye or the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Tonight’s celebrations are sure to be just as impressive, so circle back to Gadling tomorrow for some photos from the start of 2013.
New Year’s Eve may mean no more than the night before the first day of January to travelers with no special plans. Others choose to celebrate at favorite local places or exotic destinations around the world. Wherever they go, New Year’s Eve travelers are looking for a bargain and finding it and booking it at a variety of locations.
“Although travelers can never go wrong ringing in the New Year in iconic places like New York or Las Vegas. Some of the best deals and great experiences can be found in cities like Orlando, Chicago and San Diego, where you can stay over the holiday for under $100 per night,” said Clem Bason, president of the Hotwire Group in a Breaking Travel News report.
Hotwire.com has a list of the ten most popular New Year’s destinations, based on actual New Year’s Eve bookings, all at less than $100 per night:
Orlando, Florida
Chicago, Illinois
Las Vegas, Nevada
New York City, New York
Miami, Florida
San Francisco, California
London, England
San Diego, California
Los Angeles, California
New Orleans, Louisiana
“Booking trends show that travelers are opting for warm weather backdrops for their New Year’s Eve celebrations alongside the bigger, more traditional celebration cities,” said Bason.
This year, New Year’s Day is also the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation, setting 3 million slaves free and setting the political climate for the adoption of the 13th Amendment two years later.
That said, you’re probably wondering if we have any glitter makeup tips for New Year’s Eve. Well of course we do, as we see in this video: