A year full of must-sees
BEST OF THE BEST | From the ultimate Urban Cowgirl experince to Holy Week in Sicily, '07 was a year full of memorable adventures
Trying to narrow down my Top 10 travel experiences of 2007 isn't easy.
It's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Even the bad ones have something uniquely lovable about them.
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Don't get me wrong. I like Top 10 lists as much as the next guy. And I like my job even more. So when the boss says, "Give me your Top 10 travel picks for the end of the year," I channel David Letterman and get to work.
So, after filtering down a year's worth of globe-trekking, here's my best of the best:
This 225-mile former railroad corridor cuts almost clear across the Show Me state, and it's my idea of the perfect bike path: long, flat and scenic. It's away from busy roads but close to quaint small towns with welcoming B&Bs and stick-to-your-ribs grub. We didn't even need a car or plane to get there. We put our bikes on Amtrak and took the train to the town of Sedalia, near the western end of the trail. I'd recommend giving yourself six days to do a leisurely spring or autumn ride. Summer's too hot and the mosquitoes are ruthless. Whenever you go, be prepared for rain. A heavy storm temporarily forced us off the trail, but we found shelter -- and a karaoke machine -- at Jim's Bar & Grill in Tebbetts. A great way to check it out for yourself is to join the annual Katy Trail Ride, a fully supported tour of the entire route that includes meals, camping spaces, hot showers and gear shuttle. It's scheduled for June 16-20. Visit www.bikekatytrail.com for more information.
Honeymoons are more about relaxation than religion. Mine happened to be in Sicily during the week leading up to Easter, so Jesus Christ factored heavily into this newlywed's vacation. The uber-Catholic, Italian island of Sicily holds some amazing Holy Week ceremonies and processions. My favorite takes place on Good Friday in the west coast city of Trapani. It's called the Procession of the Misteri, and it dates back to the 17th century. Twenty elaborate sculptures representing Christ's Passion and death are carried on the shoulders of local men, who weave their way through the crowded streets from 2 p.m. until the following morning. It's sad, beautiful and mesmerizing, largely thanks to the somber band music that fills the air.
This place is so remote, you need a float plane or boat to get there. And once you do, you won't want to leave. That's how I felt about this isolated resort made up of 20 safari-style tents, each tricked out with antique furniture, oil lamps and a fireplace. It's quintessential "glamping," or glamor camping, a perfect marriage of rugged outdoorsiness and luxurious pampering. We spent the days whitewater kayaking, fishing for salmon, hiking, horseback riding and spying on killer whales, bald eagles and black bear. At night we sat down to gourmet five-course dinners and tucked ourselves into 400-thread-count sheets. That's my kind of camping. Clayoquot's season runs from May 15-Oct. 2. Call (888) 333-5405 or visit www.wild retreat.com.
I've never owned a pet. And I'm not one of those people who goes ga-ga when they see a cute dog on the street. But this summer, I fell a little bit in love with a darling dolphin named Ripley. The Indianapolis Zoo offers dorks like me the chance to don a wet suit and get right in the water with these 500-pound aquatic mammals. For $185, you can dance with them. Feed them fish. Give them a hug. Feel their heart beat. And if you're lucky, they might just give you a peck on the cheek. For details, call (317) 630-2076 or visit www.indyzoo.com.
True, this year's hot air balloon festival in New Mexico was marred by an unusually high number of accidents, which left one California woman dead. But balloon pilots will tell you few places on the planet beat Albuquerque when it comes to flying one of these colorful contraptions. I felt nothing but peaceful as we gently glided 2,633 feet into the desert sky, surrounded by hundreds of similar vessels that make up the world's biggest ballooning event. Even if you don't get the chance to lift off yourself, it's well worth being a spectator during the nine-day festival -- especially during the special shapes rodeo, when the likes of Darth Vader and Noah's ark take to the skies. The 2008 fiesta takes place Oct. 4-12. See www.balloonfiesta. com for more information.
Chopped liver on the Lower East Side. Thin-crust pizza in Queens. Grilled pork and a durian fruit shake in Brooklyn. In the space of four hours, I ate my way through the Big Apple courtesy of Famous Fat Dave, a New York City cabbie/foodie/amateur comedian/tour guide. You name the theme -- sushi, garlic, midnight munchies, a sampling from all five boroughs -- and the affable Famous Fat Dave will drive you to the best nosh spots in town. You'll typically sample at least eight items during the minimum four-hour tour, priced at $100 an hour for as many as four guests, food included. It's a great way to venture out of Manhattan and see corners of the city you might otherwise miss. So buckle up and bring the Tums. See www.famousfatdave.com or e-mail dave@famousfatdave.com for more information.
Half a century ago last September, the nation watched as the Arkansas National Guard blocked nine African-American students from entering the all-white Central High School in Little Rock. It sparked a pivotal civil rights showdown whose 50th anniversary was celebrated throughout Arkansas' capital city this fall. The desegregation of Central High -- now made up of mostly black students -- happened before my time. But the excellent exhibit at the school's visitor center transported me back to this dark chapter in our country's past, making for one powerful, humbling history lesson. For more information, call (501) 374-1957.
Nestled on the shores of Lake Austin in Texas Hill Country, this intimate, 40-room resort has a cozy, laid-back vibe, making it feel like you're having a sleepover at your really rich girlfriend's house. My friend Katie and I paid a visit during the resort's inaugural "urban cowgirl" weekend, which meant we got to do goofy things, including pose for a photo on a Texas longhorn, learn how to dance the two-step and play Texas hold 'em. We spent a good portion of the day wearing our spa robes -- and a blissed-out look on our face from some of the best massages we'd ever had. Lake Austin has four more urban cowgirl weekends slated for next year: Jan. 31-Feb. 3, June 19-22, Aug. 21-24 and Nov. 20-23. Call (800) 847-5637 or go to www.lakeaustin.com.
What made these dinners so special? The food was fine, but the setting sealed the deal. In Costa Rica, we dined on tender rack of lamb by candlelight in a private bungalow in the middle of the rain forest, catered to by our own chef and waiter. Extremely romantic. Too bad I was with my friend, Nicole. At Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort, on a private island off Antigua in the West Indies, my husband and I had the beach to ourselves during a dinner under the stars. We ate fresh-caught lobster while the waves washed up within a few feet of our linen-covered table. With ambiance like this, I'd have been content with a cup of ramen noodles. See www.tabacon.com and www.jumbybayresort.com for more information.
New Englanders love their summer vacations in Cape Cod, and now I can see why. Beaches, whale-watching, taffy stands, cute seaside towns and messy, delicious clambakes. My husband, 6-year-old stepson and mother-in-law rented a house near the beach in the charming burg of Chatham, ideally positioned at the elbow of the Cape. Having our own house meant our multi-generational posse had plenty of room to spread out (read: not get on each other's nerves). We could cook our own lobster, eat it on our own deck and pretend our last name was Kennedy, if only for a week.