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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Jetcetera: South Park, Twin Cities & The Caribbean

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Minneapolis, Minnesota [Photo by Aaron Landry/Flickr]

·South Park creators build eco-friendly Steamboat Springs ski home [USAToday]
·Avoiding credit card fees overseas [CNT]
·Google offering free wifi for the holidays at various airports [MSNBC]
·Stellar eats in each of the twin cities [Frommers]
·The Caribbean's best bars that are right on the beach [T+L]


Sydney's Coolest Karaoke Bars

sydney%20karaoke%20bars.jpgBelting out crap pop songs in Sydney's karaoke bars is a great way to burn off stress and meet new people. Karaoke, once a novelty in Sydney, has become a popular alternative to the 9 to 5 pub and club scene. No longer just for drunken dares and birthday parties, singing karaoke is popular with workers, travelers, and of course, our Japanese friends. One of the best things about karaoke is that you can get drunk on great Japanese beer (Kirin, Ashai, Sapporo). The worst: Waking up with a hangover and having to watch yourself singing Billy Joel's "Goodnight Saigon" on a friend's cell phone. There are numerous karaoke boxes scattered around the city, each with a slightly different setup. Typically, you hope to find a couch, microphones, and a karaoke machine packed with songs that are too embarrassing to have on your iPod.

Click here to view the map. >>

Wheels Up: Flights, Thanksgiving Travel & Skiing

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La Tania, France [Photo by john wardell/Flickr]

·The world's most terror-inducing slopes [T+L]
·Experts projecting a drop in Thanksgiving travel [MSNBC]
·All you need to know for planning a trip to Riviera Maya [LAT]
·368 flights canceled due to Spain's Air Iberia strike [AP]
·Low-cost airlines accounting for 30% of the market [USAToday]



Monday, November 9, 2009

Jetcetera: Mexico, NYC's East Village & The New Dubai

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Beirut, Lebanon [Photo by sorgul/Flickr]

·Is Beirut the new Dubai? [Jaunted]
·Airline delay list for September [AP]
·Hotel rates down almost 9% this year [MSNBC]
·A now mellow former Mexican colony with a colorful history [LAT]
·Eating and shopping ones way thru Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods [AP]
·A proper staycation in NYC's East Village [NYT]


Paris Tea for Neo-Colonialists

parisbreakfasts2mariagewhite.jpgParisians adore their salons de thé. We've taken it upon ourselves to round-up teh City of Light's best-known bastions of the "French art of tea." These are places that conjure the bygone Belle Époque with their potted palms and sumptuous service -- a tradition set apart from the British version by its abhorrence of milk in tea, and from the more austere Asian incarnations by its partnership with pastry. Here's a rundown of our favorite French-style tearooms.

Click here to view the map. >>

Wheels Up: Oltrarno, Connecticut & Tailgating 101

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Florence, Italy [Photo by jrgcastro/Flickr]

·Tailgating tips from a self-proclaimed professional [CNN]
·Connecticut cancels nearly all spending on tourism [NYT]
·Hotel building boom focuses on boutique brands [NPR]
·Exploring yoga at its source: in India [AP]
·Exploring Florence's burgeoning arts district: Oltrarno [NYT]


Friday, November 6, 2009

Jetcetera: TX Music Fest, Caribbean & College Towns

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Austin, Texas [Photo by speedye/Flickr]

·A preview of Austin's Fun Fun Fun fest taking place this wkend [Austinist]
·10 Caribbean islands that are easy on the wallet [MSNBC]
·America's coolest college towns [CNN]
·An Ohio town where the west began [NYT]
·Toronto in a bubble in terms of housing market [USAToday]


London Hangover Spa Treatments

best-hangover-day-spas.jpgIt can be hard to pick yourself up after a hard night out, and many a London spa is hip to that. While most don't use the unseemly word "hangover" in their marketing brochures, many offer "detox" or "cleansing" treatments for all manner of poisons. And because this is London, where even your spa attendant may be nursing a rough one, they're sympathetic to your pain. We've singled out a few day spas that offer toxin extraction to get you feeling human again -- and in shape for the pub.

Click here to view the map. >>

Wheels Up: Trains, Berlin & Hawaiian Islands

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Nashville, Tennessee [Photo by flc/Flickr[

·Luxury resort to open in down and out Rhode Island [AP]
·Choosing which Hawaii is right for you [MSNBC]
·36 hours in Nashville [NYT]
·Berlin: where the wall first fell finally gets a makeover [Spiegel]
·The world's most eye-catching subway stations [T+L]


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Jetcetera: Glaciers, A Chef Classic & In-Flight Wifi

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Fox Glacier, New Zealand [Photo by dave_apple/Flickr]

·Ojai Valley Inn & Spa to welcome Celebrity Chef Classic Nov. 13-15 [HC]
·The world's most unique places to visit [Forbes]
·Airlines banking on in-flight Internet [MSNBC]
·AirTran introducing add-on fees [USAToday]
·New Zealand's Fox Glacier: the world's most accessible glacier [Gadling]


Los Angeles Tiki Bars

grassskirt.jpgThe tiki bar was invented in Los Angeles, when Ernest Gantt opened "Don the Beachcomber" back in 1933. Since then, the concept of the Polynesian drinkery has bounced to the South Pacific and back, colonizing the rest of the West Coast and the world. Back in LA, summer is heating up. Weathered Angelenos can already feel the potential onslaught of a full-fledged heat wave. So, those interested in toasting the summer season with a cool drink in hand might consider (re)visiting your local LA tiki bar, as the city is home to several. Here are six of our favorites.

Click here to view the map. >>

Wheels Up: French Art, Canada & Portugal

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Vancouver, Canada [Photo by Rick Leche/Flickr]

·France's Pompidou Center is on the move [AP]
·Canada's secret slopes [CNN]
·New York City Opera striving to make comeback [NPR]
·A Southeastern Portuguese town that's attracting a stylish international set [NYT]
·Expedia eliminates booking fee [USAToday]


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Jetcetera: Berlin, Cheap Paris & Iceland

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Reykjavik, Iceland [Photo by Kristin Sig/Flickr]

·Iceland Express to offer direct flights between Newark & Reykjavik [Gadling]
·What airline cutbacks mean for your flight [AP]
·Discount shopping in Paris [Frommers]
·A basic guide to Berlin attractions [LAT]
·Destinations where you're most likely to run into newlyweds [MSNBC]


Manhattan Winter Drinking & Dining Outdoors-ish

mainpicforoutsidediningnewyorkcity.jpgWhen most restaurant/bar backyards and gardens have pulled in their tables and chairs, there are some that promise a year-round "outdoor" space. Yes, even in Manhattan. After all, we will settle for a car-exhaust fumed, ugly sidewalk cafe seat most any day of the year we can. It comes as no surprise then that backyard gardens are becoming enclosed, heated, and winter-proofed at all costs for the blustery days ahead. Where are these temperature-regulated, vegetation-filled, patio furniture-strewn oases? A guide awaits you, and feel free to comment on malfunctioning heaters or less than waterproof roof coverings.

Click here to view the map. >>

Wheels Up: Dubai, Coco's France & Ace Hotel

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Dubai [Photo by fatboyke/Flickr]

·Ace Hotel lets BUTT mag curate homoerotic movies for guests [NYT]
·Dubai to debut world's biggest town early 2010 [AP]
·Three northeastern weekend escapes [CNN]
·Colorado town votes to legalize marijuana [MSNBC]
·A Coco Chanel tour of France [T+L]







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Gridskipper is a blog about travel and leisure, written especially for urban dwellers who appreciate the need to get off the grid from time to time. More About...

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