SanLuisObispo.com: Travel

Luxury without gambling: Atlantic City's next wave

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:34 PDT

One has a salt-water spa, two celebrity chef restaurants, twice daily maid visits, 330 rooms and zero slot machines.

Another has an $18,000-a-week floral budget, five swimming pools and 800 rooms but no roulette wheels, craps pits or blackjack tables.

Two of Atlantic City's newest hotels are wagering customers will flock to this seaside resort with gambling all around them and stay for something other than the tumbling dice.

US unveils new rule on airplane fuel tanks

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:34 PDT

A device to prevent airplane fuel tanks from exploding must be installed on certain passenger jets and cargo planes, federal officials said Wednesday, 12 years after such an explosion destroyed TWA Flight 800, killing all 230 people aboard.

The new safety requirement, announced by Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, applies to new passenger and cargo planes that have center fuel tanks like TWA 800, a Boeing 747, which exploded over the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island on July 17, 1996, after takeoff from New York's Kennedy Airport.

The rule also requires airlines to retrofit 2,730 existing Airbus and Boeing passenger planes built since 1991 with center wing fuel tanks with the changes over the next nine years. The retrofit schedule is based on the normal aircraft maintenance schedule.

Finding an affordable vacation home without work attached is nearly impossible

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:39 PDT

I've never wasted vacation time on any of my houses. What I've done instead is used time away from the office to get COMPLETELY away.

Of course, while I'm away, I think about all the things I have to do when I get back.

Sometimes, I'm so bored with relaxing after a couple of days that I volunteer to help people I meet with their chores.

Deserving designer

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:39 PDT

Vern Yip is HGTV's answer to Tim Gunn: When Vern shows up on a show, you know that everything is going to be just fine.

Yip shot to popularity on the Learning Channel's budget-decorating show "Trading Spaces," where many a homeowner, learning that Yip was their decorator, was heard to give thanks.

He's now on two HGTV shows: host of "Deserving Design," which just started its second season providing room makeovers for deserving folks, and one of three judges on the network's signature hit, "Design Star," which seems determined to do "Project Runway" one better in the backstabbing/feuding/meltdown department. A recent episode featured a sobbing departing designer asking for his mom.

It's in the bag: This traveler won't go anywhere without a good rucksack

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:44 PDT

For 10 years, I've traveled with a black Lowe Alpine daypack. It's a teardrop-shaped nylon bag with a foam-padded back, two side pockets for water bottles, a front pocket for strapping in a camp shovel and one zip pocket in the lid, just big enough to hold a wallet and sunglasses. When I went to Costa Rica for a week in February, that bag - about the size of a college student's book pack - and a large camera bag was the sum total of my luggage.

These days, the rucksack is a little on the ratty side. The hip belt is held together with two knots, the zipper closes only partway, and, frankly, it never really fit that well.

This past spring I began looking for a replacement. First and foremost, I wanted a bag that fit my 6-foot-3 frame. I wanted it to be versatile - big enough to carry gear for two nights in the bush or a week in Costa Rica, but small enough that it could work well for a day hike. I wanted it to have water bottle pockets and an interior pocket for a hydration pouch. I also wanted it to be fairly low-profile - I like that my simple black daypack doesn't call attention to itself. Here are the contenders:

Ride man-made rapids in western Maryland

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:44 PDT

There's a man- made river atop a mountain in western Maryland.

The $24 million splashy concrete-and-rock course operated for paddlers by Adventure Sports Center International stretches 1,700 feet and drops 24 feet through nearly nonstop rapids. Rafters and paddlers then ride a conveyor belt from the pool at the end of the C-shaped course back to the pool at the beginning of the run and do it again.

The unusual facility sits atop 3,115-foot Marsh Mountain and next to the Wisp Resort, a ski area, in Garrett County in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains.

Take a 'staycation'? Get out: Your home is among this summer's most overhyped destinations

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:44 PDT

Summer has just begun and I am already tired of hearing about some vacation destinations. But not so tired that we won't run stories about these places ourselves. Sometimes the beaten path is the beaten path for a reason.

Still, there is a certain amount of eye-rolling repetition in the news these days about places tied to big summer events. Or a certain trend. Here's my list of the most overhyped and overexposed places of the summer of 2008:

-Your home: Every few years a cutesy new vacation term dreamed up by some marketing types starts making the rounds. There were "babymoons" (a trip just before having a baby) and "oblications" (those mandatory trips to see the relatives - something an Orange County Register writer more than a decade ago termed "tours of duty"). There are "mancations" - where guys go off to blast birds or just drink a lot.

Prices may be high, but you can still take that summer trip with these cost-cutting tips

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:44 PDT

The dollar tanked long ago. Now the prices of gas and airline tickets are soaring - as is the cost of a gallon of milk. In the face of this economic storm, hail begins to fall - the real stuff, pounding the roof over your head. You turn on the television for a weather update only to find political pundits prattling on about the presidential candidates.

Just when it seems you can't afford a summer vacation, you've probably never needed one more.

Take heart. There are ways to get out of town without breaking the bank. We asked travel experts and dug through savvy sources to uncover ways to save on that much-needed, well-deserved summer getaway, whether it's a grand tour of Europe or a road trip to Grandma's house.

Camping on the Great Wall: China's sprawling structure offers access you might not expect

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:44 PDT

My eagerness allowed me to storm up each thin step to the first lookout tower. We scaled the spindly stone trail, sometimes on all fours on the near-vertical parts, grabbing the cracked stone dotted with rocks and weeds.

Huffing and puffing, I looked back to see my girlfriend, Amanda, far below. I caught my breath, letting her catch up. She remarked with a tinge of annoyance, "Aren't we walking (gasp) on the world's longest (wheeze) grave site?"

True. Accounts state that up to 10,000 workers have died building the Great Wall of China, which the Chinese call the Long Wall. It has been rebuilt, modified or lengthened through 2,500 years of Chinese history

Contemporary art thrives beyond New York City

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:34 PDT

It's no surprise that art connoisseurs regularly flock to New York for a fix of what's hot or just to revisit timeless classics - the Big Apple is the definitive art capital of the United States. But beyond Fifth Avenue, Chelsea and Long Island City - indeed, an hour north of the George Washington Bridge - there are treasures to be found upstream.

Far from the city lights, in the rolling hills of the Hudson Valley, lie two bona fide sanctuaries of modern art. One is Storm King Art Center, a mecca of monumental sculpture spread out over 500 manicured acres, where you're just as likely to catch an exhibition of works by a mid-century great as that of an established sculptor of our time.

A half-hour east, across the river, is Dia:Beacon, the flagship exhibition space of the Dia Art Foundation. The museum is remarkable - and not just for its must-see-before-you-die permanent collection. The serenity of the space, nurtured by natural light that radiates in through the roof, left me marveling that it was once a Nabisco packaging plant.

In a ditch cut through a Welsh peat bog, one small town conducts snorkeling races

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:34 PDT

What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.

Gordon Green, of Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales, is the founder of the World Bog Snorkeling Championship, now in its 23rd year. It will be staged Aug. 25. Green, 73, is originally from Manchester, England, where he was a production manager for an ice cream company. He and his wife moved to Wales 33 years ago.

Q. You started this... sporting event, right?

Lawmakers seek separation for FAA, airlines

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:13 PDT

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at ending the Federal Aviation Administration's sometimes cozy relationship with the airline industry and reversing purported complacency on safety oversight.

Several House Democrats and Republicans led by Public Works and Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., said they were introducing the bill to force changes on the FAA that it has been reluctant to make on its own.

"We don't trust the FAA to do this on their own, and that's without regard to whatever administration is in place," Oberstar said. "There is a culture at the FAA that is evolving and changing and we need to change it more."

Travel Q&A: Spa weekends in New Mexico?

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:39 PDT

Q. I'm considering going to New Mexico for a high-end spa weekend. Any ideas? - K.C., Morgan Hill, Calif.

A. In my dream world, the nation's philanthropic foundations rise up in horror at the plight of the Fourth Estate, realize how inexorably linked our downsizing is to the future health of the democracy and put this watchdog industry back on sound financial footing. Then, maybe then, I could be paid to perform such public services as reviewing high-end spas in the Southwestern desert. (Oh, sure, we could beef up the investigative reporting team, too. I'm a reasonable woman.)

Until then, we'll have to rely on unbiased reports from those who do go to spas as regular ol' paying customers. But wait, she says, pulling tongue out of cheek. Who does that these days? Many spa magazines and Web sites are closely aligned with the spa industry itself. They may have terrific spa experts on staff, but I suggest you weigh their reports with the proverbial grain of salt (from the pink sands of paradise, to be used in your $150 salt scrub).

2nd near collision occurs at JFK airport in week

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:28 PDT

Two airborne planes - one landing and the other taking off - came within a half-mile of colliding at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday in the second such incident at the airport in a week, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The FAA moved quickly to change takeoff and landing procedures at JFK on perpendicular runways - the kind of runways involved in both incidents.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said a Delta Flight 123 was arriving at the airport Friday when the pilot decided to abort his landing and execute a "go-around" - a routine procedure often used during heavy congestion. That caused the Delta flight to intersect with the flight path of Comair Flight 1520, a regional jet that was taking off on another runway.

Congress tries to ease restrictions on Cuba travel

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:03 PDT

Democrats controlling Congress are trying to loosen restrictions on allowing people of Cuban descent to visit their relatives on the island.

But efforts underway in Congress - including a measure adopted by a Senate panel on Thursday - appear unlikely to loosen the restrictions before President Bush leaves office in January.

Bush opposes efforts gaining steam in Congress to ease a longstanding embargo and recently-toughened travel restrictions on Cuba. His veto promises have carried the day despite majority support for loosening restrictions on travel to Cuba and trade with the authoritarian state.

American Airlines flight makes emergency landing

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:33 PDT

An American Airlines flight has returned safely to the Dallas airport after a pilot discovered a problem with the equipment that keeps the plane stable.

Flight 1767 to Palm Springs, Calif., landed about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. There were 123 passengers on the flight.

The MD-80 aircraft will be out of service while the equipment problem is investigated.

Northwest Airlines to cut 2,500 jobs

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:08 PDT

Northwest Airlines Corp. said on Wednesday it will cut 2,500 jobs because of high oil prices, and will soon begin charging $15 to check luggage and up to $100 to redeem a frequent-flier award ticket.

The airline said it expects the new fees to add $250 million to $300 million a year in revenue.

Northwest said the job cuts - which represent about 8.3 percent of its work force - will include front-line and management workers. It said it will start with voluntary departures and leaving open jobs unfilled before moving to furloughs to reach the 2,500 total.

travelgirl recommends: Sweet Savannah; paints for the planet

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:10 PDT

You'll feel like you are the commander-in-chief in this historic bed-and-breakfast in the heart of Savannah, Ga. Not only do they serve a scrumptious breakfast with homemade muffins and quiche, but the friendly staff also makes you feel welcome with a relaxed cocktail hour in the evening. The Presidents' Quarters inn is a 150-year-old building that was totally refurbished over the last year. The inn has a small courtyard that's so captivating a travelgirl may never want to leave this relaxing setting, despite the lure of Savannah. But if you do depart the lovely premises, take just a few steps out the door and you'll find yourself on Oglethorpe Square in the heart of downtown. Oh, and that sweet praline on my pillow at night is enough to keep me coming back.

Rooms at The Presidents' Quarters (www.presidentsquarters.com) start at $209.

- Janice McDonald

Travel Q&A: Finding accommodations in San Luis Obispo

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:16 PDT

Q. How can I find hotel accommodations in San Luis Obispo with an attached, fully equipped kitchen? - A.R., Sunnyvale, Calif.

A. As travelers economize this summer, we wouldn't be surprised to see home rentals and extended-stay hotels - which feature full kitchens - become more popular. Skipping a few restaurant or even fast-food meals can offer big savings, especially for families.

Here's a rundown on what's available:

Reporter divulges where to get bargains and see great beaches in Puerto Rico

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:16 PDT

What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.

Former Charlotte Observer staff writer Danica Coto has covered the Caribbean as an Associated Press reporter in Puerto Rico for the past year. Coto, 30, is originally from Costa Rica.

Q. Where do you live, and what's it like?