June 17, 2009
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Laurie D. Borman finds that mosquito hat nets are a must-have when visiting Denali National Park. |
Denali National Park, Alaska—The summer solstice approaches, and early June in Denali spells mosquitoes. Lots of ‘em. But if you don’t want to use a lot of nasty chemicals on your body, covering up is essential. For hikers in the squishy wet tundra, and mountain bikers who brave the park road near Wonder Lake, it means a mosquito head net. — Laurie D. Borman
June 11, 2009
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Wind towers under construction in Kodiak, Alaska, by Laurie D. Borman |
Kodiak, Alaska—Bears usually take over the news here, as this is the home of the biggest land carnivore, the Kodiak bear. You can see a towering Kodiak (stuffed, of course) on display at the Alutiiq Museum or the Baranov Museum in the town of Kodiak, or a real one on a bear-watching tour. But the big news today is that wind towers have started to rise. Five huge wind towers are being constructed on top of Pillar Mountain to help Kodiak rely less on diesel to power the island. The giant sleek blades lay still on the ground now, stretching out like disembodied gull wings. The structures were trucked up the mountain after closing streets in town to ensure room for the big loads. Here’s to making Kodiak even greener.— Laurie D. Borman
June 10, 2009
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Time Bandit docked in Homer, Alaska, by Laurie D. Borman. |
Homer, Alaska—The most-asked question of the harbor master here: “Is the Time Bandit in port?” Yes, the star of TV’s Deadliest Catch show about crab fishing is often tendered here. It’s actually become such an attraction that it has its own gift shop located across the street of Pier Two. Locals genially remark that it spends more time preening at tender than catching crab these days.— Laurie D. Borman
June 9, 2009
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Bear near Kenai River by Laurie D. Borman |
Stephen Colbert was right about bears. The critters are everywhere, especially in Alaska. Check out this grizzly bear that appeared roadside, causing a bear jam near the Kenai River. It finally ambled back into the woods to strip bark off a tree. One dude jumped out of his truck, camcorder and Coke in hand, unconcerned that he was 15 feet from a growling grizzly. Good thing the bear preferred the bark. — Laurie D. Borman
May 1, 2009
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Canadian Tulip Festival by cnmeriel |
A hundred thousand tulip bulbs bloomed into an international peace tradition. The bulbs were given to Canada as a gift of thanks from the Netherlands’ Princess Juliana for providing safe harbor during World War II. The flowers attracted tourists. The spring flowering grew into the 18-day Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa (May 1-18, 2009), with 3 million tulips now on display along a 15-km route. All tulip park entry is free, though there is a charge for various performances. See more at www.tulipfestival.ca.— Laurie Borman
April 7, 2009
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Students await entry at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s boyhood home on Auburn St. in Atlanta. All photos by Laurie Borman. |
Atlanta, Ga.—Two Nobel Peace Prize winners found inspiration in Atlanta. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born, rose to prominence, and buried here, leaves a legacy well worth following. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter still resides here a few days each month while he works in the Carter Center and Jimmy Carter Library and Museum. Trace their footsteps and find a sense of peace in Atlanta.
At the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, park rangers tour his boyhood home and tell of a mischievious boy who avoided piano lessons and stole his sister’s dolls to use their heads for baseball. Dr. King and his wife, Coretta King, are buried at the King Center, just down the street from the home. Learn more about King’s life at the visitors’ center or just stop to smell the roses at the International Peace Rose Garden in front.
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Fishing at the Sharon Kaye Brooks Memorial Lake on the grounds of the Carter Presidential Center. |
Open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., the gardens of the Carter Center are free to the public. A picturesque spot: fishing by the Japanese Garden, where a waterfall splashes. Paved paths lead past a sculpture dedicated to Carter for his work on eradicating river blindness disease, caused by a parasitic worm found in tropical rivers. The adjacent Jimmy Carter Museum is closing soon for a complete update, but will reopen in October this year.
President and Mrs. Carter can be spotted weekly at booth 8 in Manuel’s Tavern near the Carter Center. Established in 1956, the pub regularly hosts local Democrats, as evidenced by photos covering the walls. Try the Manuel’s hamburger for $5.95, or Jimmy’s favorite: fried chicken salad for $8.95. Maybe not peaceful, but it is heavenly.— Laurie D. Borman
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The cavernous Manuel’s Tavern features 27 beers on tap and dozens of local and import beers. Hamburgers with fries are just $5.95. |
March 30, 2009
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Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley (center) and others at one of 50 TouchSmart PCs, by Laurie Borman |
Chicago, Ill.—O’Hare airport travelers can tap into the city of Chicago’s website, explorechicago.org, via flashy HP touchscreen computers at one of two technology lounges that opened at the airport today. Visitors can view dozens of panoramic images of the city’s attractions, neighborhoods, and architectural wonders as well as book hotels and check out dining options on one of 50 TouchSmart PCs in the two lounges.
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A TouchSmart PC |
As the world’s second-busiest airport, O’Hare provides plenty of traffic for the sites. Chicago Office of Tourism Director Dorothy Coyle hopes the venues will attract visitors just passing through the airport to “give the city a second thought and make a positive impression.”
To help broaden the reach even further, explorechicago.org will be offered in French and Spanish starting this week, in addition to English. Unfortunately, you can forget about downloading videos or accessing Facebook at the lounges—the computers don’t offer other internet access.— Laurie D. Borman
December 9, 2008
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aloft hotel lobby courtesy of Starwood Hotels |
Chicago, Ill.— It takes a lot of guts to open nearly 500 hotels in the middle of a recession, but Starwood Hotels isn’t known for being timid. Think W, another of their brands. This time, aloft is a chain competing head to head with Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn. Except it’s stylin’. And very tech-savvy with CAT 6 cable for super fast wi-fi and RFID-ready locks (in a couple of years you’ll just need to wave your Blackberry by the door and it will recognize your signal for entry.) Lots of fun elements defy the value rates, things like a lighted, touch-sensitive bar in the lobby, liquidy-blue-under-glass elevator floors, and a decked-out fitness room. There’s no free breakfast, but the big glass walk-in showers in every room and triple-sheeted platform beds make up in comfort. One downside: wall unit heat and a/c units are a noisy low-tech distraction for this otherwise tricked-out property. Just turn up the volume on the 42-inch flat-panel TV.— Laurie Borman
November 6, 2008
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slingsafe 100 purse by Outpac Designs |
Years ago, I was in Paris, walking down the steps of Montmartre when a pack of small children surrounded me, hands touching my body. I shouted to my husband, who was a few steps ahead. He whirled around, cursed in French and they scattered like the wind. That’s when I noticed my purse was unzipped with wallet and passport sticking out. A few seconds later and the would-be thieves would have taken everything. That incident left me nervous about cash security while traveling.
Recently, I found a bag that really protects my stuff. The slingsafe 100 purse by PacSafe is slash-proof, tamper-proof, and snatch-proof—a real deterrant to a pickpocket. The shoulder strap’s imbedded wire cable can’t be cut by scissors, and the lining in the body of the purse is made with a patented stainless steel wire mesh. The bag also features inside and outside zippers, pockets, and a safety hook to secure the front flap.
For $50, it’s a steal.— Laurie Borman
October 21, 2008
Texas license plates adorn a gazebo in Houston’s Discovery Green Park by Laurie Borman
Houston, Texas—Take a free guided walking tour of three downtown Houston locations anytime. Just download the free audio walking tour from Houston Downtown. We booted up the iPod and walked around Discovery Green, a fantastic green space across from the George Brown Convention Center. Learned from the park’s director about the listening vessels, where you can hear whispers from across an exapnse of walkway, the free exercise classes on Thursdays, the outdoor spiral shower for bikers, and free wi-fi at the Lake House. A great free way to learn more about Houston.— Laurie Borman
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