Travel: Top 10 for '10
From the vineyards of Michigan to a Buddhist temple in South Korea, add these spots to your travel 'To Do' list
It was January, and I had a 3 p.m. flight to China.
(Lori Rackl/Sun-Times)
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Pics: Top 10 travel spots
At least I thought I did.
My plane actually took off at 10 a.m. — a fact I discovered too late to make it to O’Hare.
After rattling off every swear word ever invented, I made up some of my own, put in a frantic call to American Airlines and (gladly) forked over a $100 change fee to get on the next day’s flight.
Things got better as the year progressed. All told, I had the privilege of visiting 10 states and 16 countries on three continents in 2009. I traveled by plane, train and automobile. I squeezed into a tiny whitewater kayak in Reno, Nev., and boarded the biggest cruise ship ever built, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.
Based on last year’s globetrotting, here are my 10 picks for 2010. I hope you get to check out at least one of them for yourself this year.
Just don’t miss your flight.
Shanghai, China
China’s most populous city also is its most fascinating. Old mansions and colonial settlements stand in stark contrast to the “new” Shanghai, where shiny skyscrapers sprout from what was swampy farmland less than 20 years ago.
Get a bowl of succulent soup dumplings for $2 from a street vendor or dine in high style at one of the fancy eateries along the Bund, a historic area near the Huangpu River.
The Shanghai World Expo, May 1-Oct. 31 (en.expo2010.cn), makes 2010 a great year to visit; the world’s fair is expected to draw roughly 70 million visitors.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Don’t come here if you’re looking to escape the gringos — thousands of ex-pats call this colonial town home. Even so, San Miguel manages to keep its authentic Mexican charm while making way for artsy, free-spirited newcomers.
The steep streets are lined with colorful buildings dripping with bougainvillea. The scene is pretty — and social. I met more people here than anywhere else I visited last year.
Swine flu and drug violence made 2009 a rough one for Mexico tourism, but the country is gearing up for a big 2010: Expect a lot of fiestas as Mexico celebrates the 200th anniversary of its independence and 100th anniversary of the revolution.
Temple stay in South Korea
My most surreal travel experience of 2009 was the 24 hours I spent at a Buddhist temple tucked away in the mountains of Odaesan National Park, South Korea.
The country’s “temple stay” program gives tourists the chance to eat, sleep and pray alongside Buddhist monks in nearly 100 participating temples — about a quarter of which have English-speaking translators.
My visit fell on Buddha’s birthday, so the temple grounds were covered in colorful lotus lanterns. I sat in on a monk-led tea ceremony, gave my abs a workout during the labor-intensive prayer ceremonies and got a sneak peek at a lifestyle entirely different from my own (eng.templestay.com).
Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Mont.
Playing cowboy is fun, especially when you don’t have to eat beans out of a tin cup, sleep on the ground and herd cattle 12 hours a day.
It’s all about rustic luxury at this adults-only Relais & Chateaux ranch, where 23 log cabins are part of this secluded 600-acre property in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley.
The outdoor activities are endless: fly-fishing, hiking, horseback riding, tennis, wildlife viewing. In May, the ranch teaches guests cowboy basics during Spring Roundup weekends. Equally popular Artist Workshop weekends are held in the fall (triplecreekranch.com).
Old Mission Peninsula, Mich.
Nearby Napa is how I like to think of this 18-mile-long peninsula — home to seven unique wineries — north of Traverse City.
Bring your bike for a stellar weekend of cycling from vineyard to vineyard. Sleep among the grapes at the Grey Hare Inn, a vineyard B&B with three bedrooms, or book a room at Chateau Chantal and drink in the views of the surrounding vines and the beautiful bay (wineriesofoldmission.com).
Bavaria, Germany
This mountainous state in southeast Germany has some remarkably well-preserved medieval villages — Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Regensburg — with picturesque half-timber houses, cobblestone streets and quaint churches. It’s the stuff of fairy tales, with landscapes and castles that inspired both the Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney. This is a big year for Bavaria: the tiny town of Oberammergau puts on its once-every-decade Passion Play from May 15-Oct. 3 (oberammergau-passion.com) and Munich’s beer bash, Oktoberfest (Sept. 18-Oct. 3), turns 200 (oktoberfest.de/en).
Hong Kong, China
I like a place with paradoxes, so Hong Kong fits the bill.
This “special administrative region” of China is packed with people and stacked with skyscrapers. But it’s also wonderfully green, full of hilly forests and boasting the best hiking I’ve seen in an urban area.
I traversed about two-thirds of the 30-mile-long Hong Kong Trail, and I won’t soon forget the views along the way: dramatic coastlines, tiny islands floating off shore and countless buildings full of 7 million inhabitants — very few of whom I ran into in this isolated, urban wilderness.
Cu Chi tunnels near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Crawling through the Viet Cong’s tunnel network gave me a better appreciation of the Vietnam War than any movie or museum ever could.
My shirt was soaked in sweat as I scurried through the claustrophobic underground passageways while gunfire rattled overhead. (Tourists were shooting AK47s and M16s at a nearby range.)
My experience, of course, was nothing compared to real war. But it was a powerful experience, nonetheless.
Doha, Qatar
The capital of Qatar definitely ranks as one of the most interesting places I passed through last year.
It felt like I was on a movie set as I wandered alongside robed men and women shopping in the souk, or open-air market, full of exotic Middle Eastern spices and the scent of flavored tobacco being smoked through water pipes.
It’s fascinating to watch Western influences spread through this Muslim city, home to a Northwestern University branch campus and, as of last year, a Tribeca Film Festival and the first W Hotel in the Middle East.
London, England
Some spots never disappoint, and for me, London is one of them.
Ridiculously full of history, the city feels far away but comfortably familiar.
The knock on London is that it’s expensive, but between the free museums and great walks, it’s easy to keep busy without draining your budget.
It’s also fun to watch the city get in shape for the 2012 Summer Games.