Canada's newest attractions

Writers from around the world recently converged in Toronto to learn why Canada is a great travel destination. They were here for the Canadian Tourism Commission’s GoMedia event, which offered a chance to meet one-on-one with representatives of city and provincial/territorial tourism departments and hotels.

It was also an opportunity for local media to find out what’s new in their own country. Here’s a sample of what I learned:

Cliffhanger in B.C.

Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge, whose promotional tag line is “Naturally Thrilling Since 1889,” will open its newest and scariest adventure yet in the spring. “Cliffhanger” is a single-direction walkway, which, at its highest, is 90 metres above the Capilano River, and 213-metres long.

Each one of the attraction’s 16 anchor points are drilled into the rock face. In some sections of the narrow walkway very strong glass is all that separates the visitor from the canyon below. Check capbridge.com Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan Stargazers will appreciate a visit to Grasslands National Park, which recently joined Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park in becoming a designated Dark Sky Preserve. DSPs are sanctuaries from pollution of artificial lighting, and provide a better environment for nocturnal animals and stargazers alike. The Grasslands DSP, in southwest Saskatchewan, is one of 11 in Canada and currently the largest in the world, encompassing 527 sq km. Check sasktourism.com.

Northern Lights live!

It used to be if you lived in the south, you had to travel to see the Northern Lights. Now the Northern Lights will come to you.

Anyone with a computer can now view the Aurora Borealis live on-line. A web camera in Yellowknife, considered the prime location for aurora observation in Canada, captures colour images of the Northern Lights as they move through the sky. The camera goes live just in time to catch the dramatic increase in the intensity and frequency of the Northern Lights as the Sun approaches Solar Maximum (expected to be in 2013). The live feed is available at astronomynorth.com and on the Canadian Space Agency website asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/default.asp.

Dino tracks in Tumbler Ridge

Did you know that Tumbler Ridge is the dinosaur capital of B.C and home to the province’s longest track-way of dinosaur footprints (26), which were found in Flatbed Creek?

Now visitors can see these recreated dinosaur trackways, as well as interactive displays and skeletons of the great beasts responsible for the prints at the recently opened Tumbler Ridge Dinosaur Discovery Gallery.

A unique way to explore the footprints is with Wolverine Lantern Tours where special lights, dinosaur sounds and rushing water at the riverbank site create an otherworldly experience. Children can also explore in free Dino camps, while adults can take advantage of learning excursions. Check visittumblerridge.ca.

Adventure park

The new adventure park that opened at Horseshoe Resort near Barrie this summer has Ontario’s only zorb ride, which involves rolling downhill inside a transparent rubberized sphere about 3 metres in diameter. The park’s other main attractions include summer and winter tubing, one of Canada’s longest Zip Flyers, climbing wall, skateboard park and downhill mountain biking.

Prices vary depending on the season. Visitors can purchase tickets for individual attractions and an all-day access pass if available in the summer. Check horseshoeresort.com or call 1-800-461-5627.

Fundy a finalist

Only one Canadian attraction - the Bay of Fundy - has made it to the list of

28 official finalists in the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” campaign.

Swiss-born Canadian adventurer Bernard Weber is the brainchild behind this campaign and a previous one - the New 7 Wonders of the World.

New Brunswick tourism organizations have come up with a list of 11 reasons why their entry should win. The Bay of Fundy has the world’s highest tides

(16 metres - five to 10 times higher than any other), and is visited by 12 species of whales during the summer. Chosen by popular vote, the final 7 Wonders will be declared in 2011. For details or to cast your vote, check new7wonders.com or votemyfundy.com Mine Museum revamped The Britannia Mine Museum (formerly the BC Museum of Mining), which offers a unique glimpse into an industry that helped shape the province, has just undergone a $14.7 million refurbishment. The new Beaty Lundin Visitor Centre is complete with a theatre, mineral exhibits and interactive entertainment.

Visitors can also stroll the boardwalk, and take a peek at the community of restored historic buildings, the oldest dating back to 1905.

All this in addition to its popular existing attractions: An underground mine train, machine shop and the 26-storey landmark Mill Building (a National Historic Site). The museum is just north of Vancouver along the region’s famed Sea to Sky corridor. Check bcmm.ca.

writer@interlog.com

Florida on comeback trail

Aggressive marketing efforts, special promotions, and use of social media are helping Florida recover from the damage done to its tourism industry after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico this spring.

Though figures on financial losses have not yet been compiled, Florida has suffered economically from a drop in tourism -- the state's main industry, even though only five (all in the northwest) of the state's 67 counties were physically impacted by the environmental disaster.

"Before the spill, Florida's domestic travel had been increasing and we'd been outpacing the rest of the U.S. with (hotel) rooms sold," explains Kathy Torian corporate communications manager for Visit Florida, the state's official tourism marketing arm.

That all changed after the oil spill.

"We don't have income taxes, so we rely on sales tax, and tourism represents 22% of sales tax revenue," says Torian. "They're (researchers) all still trying to assess what the overall impact might've been."

However, in a state where nearly one million people are employed in the $60-billion a year tourism industry, even a 5% drop in business would be significant.

Though officials maintain no beach was ever closed in Florida due to the environmental disaster, Torian says the state's image was erroneously tarnished, by media reports that mentioned Florida immediately after showing images of oily marshes in Louisiana.

BP gave the state of Florida $25 million in compensation, of which about half was distributed to 12 counties for marketing efforts, which turned out to be "very effective." The April spill happened at the worst possible time, especially for northwest Florida, which gets 70% of its tourism business from May to September.

One method used to counteract the negative publicity was the introduction of a Florida Live feature on the Visitflorida.com website. Now a permanent feature, it allows potential travellers and others to access real-time information and images through a combination of twitter feeds, blog posts and webcams so they can assess the situation for themselves.

Meanwhile, a variety of promotions were introduced to lure visitors back to the Sunshine State. Online travel company Orbitz has advertised an "open beach guarantee" until the end of September offering hotel refunds for Florida travellers if the beach at the customer's destination was closed due to the oil spill. Orbitz spokesman Brian Hoyt says the company is considering extending the guarantee beyond this month or offering another promotion to drive consumers to the region.

Some destinations have been offering special deals or enticements of their own:

-- In Pensacola $100 US gift cards were given to travellers who spent the night in the area, a successful promotion that was re-introduced in mid-September.

-- Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key are offering free nights at more than a dozen properties through October.

-- Beaches of South Walton is enticing travellers to visit the Gulf Coast destination this month and next by offering $250 US gift cards good for either shopping or future travel on Southwest Airlines.

-- LaPlaya Beach Golf Resort -- a luxury beachfront, boutique resort on the Gulf Coast has an added-value Fall For You Package, including a resort credit, deluxe accommodations and complimentary resort fee and valet parking when booked now through Dec. 30 for travel Oct. 1-Dec. 30, 2010.

-- Every weekend this fall from Oct. 1 to mid November, the state waters off Panama City Beach (which had been closed for fishing temporarily during the oil spill as a precaution) will re-open for Red Snapper fishing.

"It's the single most popular fish because they taste great and they're fun to catch," explains Dan Rowe, president and CEO of Panama City Beach CVB.

For the latest promotions, check VisitFlorida.com and click on "Hot Deals" for updates on specials or click "Florida Vacation Auction," to save up to 60% on resorts, hotels and attractions.

Now that the Deepwater Horizon well has been capped, it's unlikely that any Florida beaches or coastline will experience effects from the Gulf oil spill, other than occasional sporadic sightings of tar balls. Tourist offices contacted by the Sun say local waters are monitored regularly and if any tar balls are discovered they are quickly removed.

Yet, Florida still faces challenges ahead.

According to Torian, research shows a significant number of leisure travellers are less likely to visit Florida now as compared to before the oil spill, which means the recent trend in market share loss -- and travel incentives -- are likely to continue.

That could make Florida a budgetwise choice this winter. For general tourism information check VisitFlorida.com or call 1-877-817-8789.

Paris fountain puts fizz into tap water

Eco-conscious Parisians can now get their sparkling water free and in unlimited supply at a new public drinking fountain installed by city authorities, which aims to wean consumers off bottled water and onto tap.

Unveiled on Tuesday in the Jardin de Reuilly park in the east of the city by publicly owned water company Eau de Paris, the fountain injects carbon dioxide into regular tap water to make it bubbly, and chills it before delivering it to consumers.

Separate faucets also provide a still version of the beverage, both refrigerated and unrefrigerated, and again pumped directly from the city's own public water supply

"Our aim is to boost the image of Paris tap water," said Philippe Burguiere, spokesman for Eau de Paris.

"We want to show that we're proud of it, that it's totally safe, and that it's ecological as there's no oil involved, no waste and no packaging," he said.

The French are the world's eighth biggest consumers of bottled water, downing an average of 128 liters (28 Imp gallons) each of the still or sparkling beverage in 2009, according to statistics from the Earth Policy Institute.

That generated over 262,000 tonnes of plastic waste, while just making the bottles consumed close to 4.5 million barrels of crude oil equivalent.

According to Burguiere, in Paris at least, there's absolutely no need for consumers to buy bottled water.

Half of the city's public water supply comes directly from underground springs located up to 160 km (99.42 miles) away. The other half is pumped from the rivers Seine and Marne then filtered, treated and tested to make it safe for consumption.

For lovers of sparkling water, however, switching to the tap version will still mean a trek to the public park rather than picking up a six-pack from the supermarket, and there's no guarantee that consumers will prove willing.

"This is a first, so we're going to watch how Parisians react and whether there's an uptake. Then we might gradually install others in the busiest parks," said Burguiere.

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48 hours in Munich

Got 48 hours to spare in Munich during Oktoberfest, the world's largest fair?

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a visit to Oktoberfest, where more than 6 million liters of beer are expected to flow this year.

Oktoberfest was first celebrated 200 years ago when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese and invited Munich's citizens to join the party.

This year from Sept 18 to Oct 4, actually falls largely in September these days, as October gets too cold.

Friday

5 p.m. - Take a first stroll across the "Wiesn," Oktoberfest's venue, to soak up the atmosphere: the aroma of cotton candy, roasted almonds and the scent of barley and hops of the main protagonist, the beer.

A turn on the Ferris wheel will give you a first view of the fair. For the more adventurous, try one of the stomach-turning rollercoasters now, rather than after sampling the beer.

The Toboggan, offering the sight of punters trying to stay upright on an uphill conveyor belt, is this reporter's all-time favorite. Its entertainment value makes up for its lack of gut-turning potential.

7 p.m. - Take it easy tonight if you plan to return for another session tomorrow.

If you're keen to rub shoulders with celebrities, head to the Hippodrom tent where Bayern Munich footballers, former tennis star Boris Becker and German actors are often sighted.

Young locals favor the Schuetzen-Festzelt tent, famous for its suckling pig in maltbeer. Even younger locals head to the Schottenhamel where Oktoberfest's first keg is tapped.

You'll find more traditional charm in the Hacker tent -- decked out in white and blue, colors representing Bavaria's skies -- at the Braeurosl or Augustiner tents. The latter is the only brewery that still uses wooden kegs for storage. Its beer is also served in the Fischer Vroni tent.

For a less pricey version and possibly more authentic Munich meal, try one of the city's many beer gardens.

The Augustiner near the Central Station is a favorite after-work meeting spot. The Chinese Tower in the English Garden is a classic, but farther away from the main festivities. Hirschgarten is more suited for families.

If the weather is not being kind to you, you could head to the area around Marienplatz to check out the city hall and the Cathedral and find a restaurant in the pedestrian zone. The Bratwurst Gloeckl offers good traditional food.

Saturday

11 a.m. - If you want to get into a beer tent but have made no reservation, be prepared to turn up before noon. Tents open at 9 a.m. on the weekends and while there is seating for some 100,000 people in total, they shut once they are full.

If you're at Oktoberfest during the opening on September 18, head there extra early on Saturday morning to witness the ritual tapping of the first beer keg in the Schottenhamel tent.

Mayor Christian Ude has a good track record of needing just two taps before shouting out "O'zapft is" - "it's tapped."

The tapping is such a big event in Munich's social calendar that the refusal of the wife of one former Bavarian government chief to wear the traditional dirndl there caused media uproar.

Over the past decade, Bavarian garb has become fashionable again. Try wearing lederhosen (if you're a guy) or a dirndl (for girls) if you're up for the authentic feel. You can often lay your hands on the kit in second hand shops.

If you are not inside a tent, watch the Parade of the Landlords and Breweries as they arrive in their horse carriage just before the opening or check out the "Boellerschiessen," the gun salute to mark the start of the fair.

If you are inside a tent, well done, you've made it. Enjoy the oompah of the brass bands. Find a table, order drinks and food -- you have to be seated -- and have fun. Prost!

Be aware though that the beer not only comes in a 1 liter 'mass' glass but at around 6 percent is also stronger than the brew you might be used to. Pace yourself or risk becoming a Bierleiche (literally translated: a beer corpse).

The liter will cost between 8.30 euros and 8.90 euros ($10.86-$11.65) this year, roughly 50 cents more than last year.

This year will be the first year with a smoking ban. Some tents will have small balconies for smokers to get out, some will spray their tents to get rid of the smells normally drowned in cigarette smoke. But most landlords seem to adopt the wait-and-see approach, so brace yourself for a bit of a surprise if you insist on lighting up.

11 p.m. - All but a few tents have served their last round now and will close shortly. A few places, like the Schuetzen-Festzelt, have a ritual last song of the night. So if you're into Rainhard Fendrich -- an Austrian pop star who goes down well with the Bavarian crowd too -- head to the Schuetzen for a recital of his love song "Weus'd a Herz host wia a Bergwerk" ("Because you have a heart like a mine." Yes, it works better in German).

You can either go on to Weinzelt (the wine tent) or the Kaefer tent, both of which still serve alcohol after midnight.

Alternatively, there are after-parties all over the city. Follow the locals. Surely, by now you will have befriended some. If you haven't, it may be because you didn't check out Oktoberfest's very own Bavarian dictionary at: www.oktoberfest.de/en/lexikon/.

Sunday

9 a.m. (or whenever you can make it out of bed) - To cure your hangover, try a walk around the English Gardens, one of the world's largest urban parks. There are plenty of museums and galleries but no shopping as stores are closed on Sundays.

If you're in Munich on the first Oktoberfest weekend, check out the Costume and Riflemen's Parade, a must-see if you want to know what traditional garb used to look like in the old days.

And if you still haven't had enough, return to the Wiesn to check out more beer, rollercoasters and amusement rides.

Look after your belongings, however. In 2009, the lost and found's list of curiosities included: one wire-haired dachshund, one superman costume, one pair of skiing boots, one music stand and four wedding rings.

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Fresh fare in Ohio

If people in Columbus, Ohio, say they've gone local, don't think they're crazy.

The city that unleashed culinary conveniences such as Wendy's and White Castle on the world is now fast garnering a reputation for superior dining with a distinctively local flare.

With a demand fuelled by students and faculty at Ohio State, America's largest university in terms of enrollment, and insurance mega-employer Nationwide, the city has an eager clientele ready to spend on all things mouth-watering from taco street vendors and curbside cupcakes to eateries serving fare from the owner's garden and internationally famous fine dining.

A recent weekend in Ohio's state capital set the table, expanding the mind to how flavourful locally grown food can be and expanding the waistline for those who cannot resist the lure of the famous Sugardaddy's brownies or the 3 Babes and a Baker cupcake truck that patrols city streets. While ordinary cities offer hotdog street vendors; cosmopolitan Columbus provides everything from tacos from various regions of Latin America to Japanese-style crepes and the regionally famous and not to be missed Jeni's Ice Cream.

This summer, the city hosted food and travel journalists from as far away as Canada, California and New York for a tour that, preliminaries aside, began at the table of Kent Peters and his Blackcreek Bistro.

Peters, whose first career job for national chain of restaurants kept him on the road and away from his young family, decided to go home and go local when he not only opened his own restaurant 10 years ago, but built a menu around his own garden produce and that of a nearby urban mini-farm called Sunny Meadows.

The result? Spectacular treats such as salads featuring rare heritage tomatoes not normally seen in restaurants.

"Serving and eating locally produced food is worth it. The taste experience, knowing that you are supporting your neighbours and having choices not found in other restaurants makes dining that much more of a special experience," Peters said.

The local food movement is not lost on even the city's high-end restaurants, including the Refectory. Located in a former church, its menu features local cheeses, produce, meats and eggs.

Ditto for Alana's in the trendy and dynamic University District, where chef/owner Alana Shock draws daily menu inspiration from the farm-fresh products and special supplies of the city's North Market. Shock's rapport and banter with customers is a Columbus legend and her restaurant a stop of choice for serious foodies passing through Columbus.

Food has also been a catalyst for change in Columbus, the most dramatic example being Rigsby's Kitchen in the trendy Short North. Owners Kent and Tasi Rigsby and their restaurant were the catalysts for transforming the Short North from a seedy centre of sin to a lively neighbourhood filled with good eating and fine art. Their menu varies with the available fresh food of the season, but always available are artisan breads produced nearby at the restaurant's own, private bakery.

Of course not all things gastronomic are serious. Foodies with a sense of humour cannot miss Knead Urban Diner, where the Mother Clucker chicken sandwich is just part of the fun for husband and wife owners Richard and Krista Lopez.

And lineups are common and a packed house the norm for Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace near the downtown core where locovore Liz Lessner offers not just funky dogs, but surprisingly scrumptious surprises such as melt-in-your-mouth fried leeks. Try them once and remember them forever.

But the best food-and-corporate combo lies outside the city limits at Woodhaven Farm near Johnstown, Ohio, where former stock broker Tami Cecil hosts cooking classes, corporate team-building through cooking and parties in a barn turned kitchen. She once bid adieu to a conference group of 80 dentists by giving each a pack of dental floss.

"We started this with no vision, just good karma," said Cecil, who is also a cookbook author and host of a TV show.

"When people are cooking and eating together, there's no better day," she said.

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Time for a mini-vacation

If this languishing economy has left you pressed for time and short of money, you might consider stretching that relaxing getaway into bite-sized breaks.

Experts say mini-vacations, brief holidays of four days or less, offer today's traveler a restorative pause without the pressure or expense of a long journey.

"The mini-vacation is a fantastic way of changing the scene without breaking the bank," said Amelie Hurst of travel website TripAdvisor.

"The trip you spend 12 months planning and pouring all your budget into has to live up to a dream," she explained. "With a mini-vacation travelers can find themselves more ready to go with the flow."

In a recent Trip Advisor poll of almost 1,700 Americans, 22 percent said they opted to take shorter vacations of two-to-four days due to finances and six percent said it was due to vacation time.

Peter Yesawich, CEO of Ypartnership, which tracks travel trends, said the weekend getaway has reigned as the most popular American leisure trip for over a decade.

Last year, with the economy still stuck in the doldrums, it accounted for almost half of all U.S. vacations.

"To Americans a vacation is a birthright," said Yesawich. "It doesn't matter how low the Dow goes, how high the unemployment, the majority Americans are still taking vacations."

Yesawich said work habits reinvented vacation habits in the prosperous 1980s and 1990s, when employment rates were rising, along with the number of two-income households.

"Work habits began to constrain vacation habits," he said. "We became more beholden to work and that drove vacation around weekends."

Yesawich said the Internet accelerated the trend and the latest economic downturn sealed it.

"Prior to 1996 there was a sanctity to Saturday, but that has disappeared in this 24/7 environment," he said.

Genevieve Brown, of Travelocity, said autumn is traditionally a popular season for mini-vacations because the kids are back in school and families have less time.

"People are still committed to taking vacations, but they're watching travel dollars closely," Brown said. "Shorter vacations make sense."

Brown said hoteliers have come up with creative ways to keep their price points strong as clients downsize. Many hotels tack on an extra day.

Margie Jordan, of ASAP Travel in Jacksonville, Florida, says mini-vacations seem to be gaining particular traction among busy executives who can't afford to flee the office for extended periods.

"It does take careful planning because you have fewer days," said Jordan, who suggests mini-vacationers decide in advance what's on their must-do-and-see list.

Yesawich believes that as technology continues to define work habits, vacations are growing shorter worldwide.

"It's not just unique to the United States," said Yesawich. "It's cascading around the world. The Germans, the Italians, the Japanese are all taking shorter vacations."

He thinks the trend will persist even after the economy recovers.

"The culprit here is time and that's not changing," he said. "The pace of life continues to quicken."

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Crowe's road trip with sons

Russell Crowe is showing his sons how to get back to nature - he's taking them on a road trip through Australia's Outback.

The Gladiator star has two children - Charlie, six, and four year old Tennyson - with his wife of seven years, Danielle Spencer.

And the doting dad decided to make good use of his time while singer Spencer is in a two-week stint of rehearsals, by heading out into the bush with his boys.

In a post on his Twitter.com blog, Crowe writes, "Her indoors has rehearsal every day for the next two weeks, so the boys and I are going on our first Road Trip. 600 kms into the bush. Cool. The wife thinks I'm bonkers (mad), but I love driving long distances."


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French fantasy in Deauville

DEAUVILLE, France — If the strident pace and relentless boulevards of Paris start to pall, and let’s face it, even the world’s most beautiful city can, sometimes, become de trop, then you can always opt for a fashionable weekend getaway to Deauville, the elegant resort in Normandy on the English Channel coast.

You would be following in the footsteps of Flaubert, or Monet, who painted there in the late 19th century. Or the glitterati in the Roaring Twenties, when the cream of fashionable society came to promenade on the Boardwalk; Buster Keaton, Josephine Baker, and Andre Citroen all came to Deauville to drink cocktails, bet on horses and generally spend time being voguish and elegant. They were the A-listers of the day, revealed in early monochrome photographs and magazine cartoons having a simply glorious time on the beach in daringly skimpy one-pieces and shockingly short haircuts.

Today, the Boardwalk runs along miles of golden sand, and is dominated by a row of beach houses, all with little white fences decorated with the name of a movie star, from Alda to Zellweger. Before Deauville started hosting a film festival, however, it was already a fixture on the cineaste lexicon thanks to the iconic Claude Lelouch 1966 movie Un homme et Une Femme, in which the romance between Anouk Aimee and Jean-Louis Trintignant is played out in the rain on Deauville beach.

In 1975 the American Film Festival began, and still runs for two weeks at the beginning of September. With an Asian film festival (March) showcasing films from Bollywood, Japan and China, Deauville has become a hub for filmmakers from across the world — a Cannes of the north in a sense.

Of course, Deauville began as something of a fantasy itself. Born from the fascination of early 19th-century French aristocrats for English seaside resorts, the lands of Dosville — next to the village of Trouville — were acquired in 1860 by a Parisian company that hired architect Delse-Francois Breney to build Paris-on-Sea. A mini version of the French capital was born, right down to the Haussmannesque style along the boulevards, so smart Parisians would feel immediately at home.

It still is terrifically smart. The Boardwalk is immaculate, the striped flags in perfect order. Beach huts are interspersed with bistros selling fruits de mer and chilled bottles of rose wine. Further back are the giant Belle Epoque villas of the early 20th century, whose owners perhaps frequented Deauville Casino, built in 1912, which is beside Place Yves Saint-Laurent (the designer had a house here). Behind the beach esplanade is the town with its boutiques, ice cream parlours and the half-timbered Town Hall set in a sward of emerald grass opposite a monument of 12 bells.

There are two race courses, Hippodrome Deauville La Touques, and Hippodrome Deauville Clairefontaine. Horse racing began in Deauville in 1864 and is still a major part of town life year-round. However even if you don’t want to gamble, you can spend a happy day wandering about branches of Hermes or Petit Bateau, and burying your toes in the sand before throwing good intentions to the wind, and indulging in the bikini-busting food produced in the surrounding Normandy countryside.

A must-see for historians is Villa Strassburger, the grandest house of the Belle Epoque, built in 1907 by Henri de Rothschild, and bought by U.S. newspaper mogul and racehorse owner Ralph Strassburger in 1924. The villa, which was donated to the town in 1980 by Strassburger’s son, is kept just as it was in the ’20s and ’30s.

Wonderful chintz furniture sits alongside gramophone players. Framed magazine cartoons show the style in which Strassburger lived. Here he is frolicking in the Deauville waves with chanteuse Edith Piaf and the Aga Khan; here he is enjoying champagne with singer Maurice Chevalier. It’s probably best not to make too much mention of the bathroom with its giant shower and walk-in sauna. The room was installed by the Nazis who commandeered the villa during the Occupation.

I stayed at Les Manoirs de Tourgeville, an extremely comfortable hotel in the nearby countryside. You can stay in the hotel proper, whose central square includes an indoor pool, or check into a suite in one of four circular manor houses, where each room is named after a famous actor.

Heading back to Paris, I concluded that for a slightly hedonistic, ultra-relaxed, luxurious, and gastronomic break in fresh, salty air, Deauville could hardly be beaten. It seems those celebrities in the Roaring Twenties had it right. Just make sure when you arrive you are pitch-perfect with their catchphrase: “Garcon! More of that bubble, si’l vous plait.”

IF YOU GO:

Deauville is 200 km northwest of Paris via the A13 highway. Tolls are about $14. Travel time is a little over two hours. There is frequent rail service to Trouville from Paris’ Gare St. Lazare either direct or with a change at Lisieux. See French Railways at scnf.com or Rail Europe, raileurope.com.

For information on travel in France, see francetourism.com. For more on Deauville, see deauville.com. Schedules for Deauville’s festivals can be found at festival-deauville.com (American Film Festival), deauvilleasia.com (Asian Film Festival), and congres-deauville.com (Classical Music Festival).

Les Manoirs de Tourgeville has room rates from $170 per night. Call +33 2 31 14 48 68 or see lesmanoirsdetourgeville.com

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Monarch butterflies flock to Point Pelee

ONTARIO - This might be the perfect weekend to witness the migration of thousands of monarch butterflies at Point Pelee National Park.

A park spokesperson estimated that more than 15,000 monarchs were counted in the Lake Erie-side park earlier this week.

For a few special days each autumn, Point Pelee is a temporary home to thousands of migrating monarchs.

As soon as favourable conditions occur, they begin one of nature’s greatest journeys by crossing Lake Erie. They cannot linger, for their destination is some 3,000 km further south in the mountains of central Mexico.

Why would this tiny insect make such a monumental journey? The answer lies in the monarch’s food plant.

Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat. It’s believed that both milkweed and monarchs evolved in the tropical regions of Mexico. As the milkweed adapted and its range extended, the monarch followed.

Milkweed is abundant and widespread in Ontario which allows the monarch populations to greatly expand each summer.

During the autumn migration, the visitor centre at Point Pelee National Park provides special programs on monarch migration, daily migration counts where visitors can join a naturalist at the tip to count the butterflies, a summary chart for the migration period, theatre programs and special exhibits.

The Great Lakes are a significant barrier to the monarch’s migration. As they move south, they search for shorter ways across the lake and the Pelee peninsula provides an excellent start.

Point Pelee’s shape funnels the monarchs to the tip.

If the weather is cold, they will roost in trees and wait for warmer temperatures and favourable winds to cross the lake.

If the weather is warm, they will often go directly across the lake without stopping in the park.

Monarch migration at Point Pelee is highly dependent on weather conditions and is, therefore, highly unpredictable. It may take you a half dozen visits before you catch a sizeable concentration.

A longtime friend, Bob Smith of Chatham, Ont. travelled to Point Pelee a few falls ago to catch a glimpse of the migration.

Smith returned home disappointed. Unfavourable weather conditions meant he didn’t even get to see a single butterfly.

As with most things in life, it boils down to luck.

Readers are encouraged to share their travel experiences or questions with Bob by calling 519-354-2000 ext 317, faxing 519-354-9489 or e-mailing bboughner@chathamdailynews.ca.

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Ontario charm in Bloomfield

BLOOMFIELD, Ont. -- I was on a drive around Lake Ontario when I decided to get off Highway 401 at Trenton and take the scenic route through Prince Edward County to Kingston. As I travelled the Loyalist Parkway (Highway 33 E) something cried out to me to brake at the village of Bloomfield. A major highway travelling through an historic village just seemed out of place. It was a great decision.

Things that struck me about this small rural community of 700 was there was only one flashing traffic light, no big-deal restaurants, chain stores or Timmies, just one Mac's Milk. Its Main Street whispers of yesterday. After parking (no meters here), I began to explore. It didn't take me long to realize this was an unashamedly old-fashioned village where proprietors still swept sidewalks in front of their shops and said hello to you before you even speak. This street consisted of historic buildings with new leases on life. It's filled with artists who have a variety of skills. To name a few, there is stained glass, pewter jewelry, hand-crafted guitars, quilts, fibre art, sculptured dolls, forged iron, woodwork and antique shops. There are cozy cafes, a hand-crafted ice cream place and I could get fresh pastries and decadent chocolates. Tucked away on side streets much of the same awaited me. In total there are about 70 artists you can visit. This village is filled with creativity just about everywhere you turn.

Celine Papizewska and Rick Gorus are a couple who relocated from the Toronto area 10 years ago (most of the business owners are laid-back, easygoing transplants) to open Diva Adornments.

"When we visited friends who had a cottage here we immediately fell in love with the beauty of the area and we even love it more today," Celine told me.

This is a place to spend time and indulge your inner diva. Ladies, check out the selection of lovely hats.

"Four ladies from Ottawa recently visited us to pick out the perfect hat to meet the Queen when she visited Ontario a few months ago," Rick Gorus says.

Across the street is the Bloomfield United Church. When I arrived at noon on a Sunday, church was just letting out. It was a Norman Rockwell moment. The mostly older crowd was dressed in their Sunday best and they took time to pass the day with each other. In addition to being a vibrant arts community, I learned many of the parishioners were part of a flourishing farm community. When you want an old-time meal, attend one of their community dinners. Farmers pick the vegetables and fruit that day and serve it the same evening.

Beside the church I enjoyed a coffee and piece of homemade Apple pie at Saylor House B and B and Cafй. It has a pretty patio set in a beautiful garden.

Take the time to rent, until the end of October, a cool bike ($35 for the day) from the Bloomfield Bicycle Company (www.bloomfieldbicycle.ca) on Main St. and ride the outskirts of the village. You'll see graceful homes, some made of lumber milled long ago in the village and large leafy maples that cast shadows across well tended gardens that reflect a pride of place.

If you arrive on Thursday Sept. 23, locals and professional entertainers perform in the evening at the Bloomfield Village Hall. Admission is by donation.

This lovely hamlet has plenty of B and B's that you can check out at www.pecchamberofcommerce.com or 1-800-640-4717.

The village is surrounded by a burgeoning grape and wine industry that will remind Niagarans of home, and the beautiful sandy beach of Sandbanks Provincial Park is located just to the south.

After spending a few lazy hours in this friendly village with people who gave it soul, I continued towards Kingston.

On the outskirts of the village stop at Hagermans' Farm Market, which is celebrating 105 years as a family-operated dairy and produce farm. The food was so fresh there was still soil on the root vegetables. Grab a selection of fresh fruit for the road.

Contact George Bailey at wonderful.life@sympatico.ca

How to get there

It's a four hour drive from Niagara. Take Highway 401 east to exit 522 (Wooler Rd.), Highway 33 to Bloomfield. GPS users can punch in 271 Main St., Bloomfield.

More Information

www.ontariotravel.net and punch in Bloomfield.

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All hands on the USS Intrepid's deck

NEW YORK — The USS Intrepid, survivor of armed conflict for America since 1943, finds itself in an entirely new battle zone.

The scarred aircraft carrier, forefront of the newly restored sea, air and space museum that bears its name, is fighting to lure tourists a few blocks from competing midtown Manhattan attractions to its berth at Pier 86 on the Hudson River near West 46th St.

Officials are ecstatic that almost one million people came back aboard in the 12 months since November of 2008, following a two-year refit in a New Jersey dry dock. That could swell even higher for all ages if the Intrepid gets hold of one of the retiring NASA space shuttles by 2012. More than 100,000 people have signed the shuttle2nyc petition and there’s lots of political clout behind the scenes.

One of the last Concordes is already available for exterior and interior inspection next to Intrepid, as is the USS Growler, the only strategic missile submarine open to the public.

Intrepid itself has now maximized use of its 277-metre length and 37,588-tonne displacement with a movie theatre and many new exhibits. A restored officers quarters and re-creation of the mess deck are also among the changes and — if you’re lucky — one of the remaining 3,388 men who served on her at the height of action in 1945 will be a guest tour guide or happen by for an emotional return.

Among the Intrepid’s veterans are former president George H. W. Bush and the late Paul Newman. More than 130 artifacts are displayed below decks and you can watch a vintage plane being restored on site.

The realistic kamikaze film and FX show is still part of the experience, near the exact spot on the waterline where the most devastating of the Japanese suicide plane attacks occurred. Almost 100 men were killed and many more wounded in the three worst encounters, before the next phase of Intrepid’s official service during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, then as a NASA capsule recovery ship and lastly, headquarters for FBI agents probing 9/11. A small section of World Trade Center steel is preserved here.

You are free to visit everything from the captain’s chair to the port and aft gun tubs to the anchor chain room, with each link weighing 68 kilos. The Exploreum is a new interactive area featuring a flight simulator and an opportunity to handle objects wearing astronaut gloves.

But for military aircraft buffs, the stars of the Intrepid show are lined up on the flight deck, a collection of more than 20 warplanes and helicopters from the Second World War to present day, representing many nations on both sides of conflict with Intrepid.

They include an A-12 Blackbird, Mig-21 and a Huey chopper.

For more information, go to intrepidmuseum.org.

lance.hornby@sunmedia.ca

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Focused Niagara Wine Festival

ONTARIO - This Niagara Wine Festival is all about balance.

Festival executive director Kimberly Hundertmark says this guiding philosophy meant some tweaks to the annual bash, which kicks off Friday.

"We really focused on our audience and what the audience enjoys and what they feel is successful," said Hundertmark.

That meant examining best practices at other festivals and ensuring the event responds to what the community and destination visitor is looking for, she said.

For musical talent, organizers focused on what was popular and what worked in the park setting, she added.

"There's no sense in reinventing the wheel," Hundertmark said. "And in some instances -- like the WestJet stage -- we do it pretty well."

The varied lineup ranges from the U2 tribute band Desire, to singer Michael Wainright and regulars like The Caverners and Nik and the Nice Guys.

Also, for the first time in a while the festival's Montebello Park headquarters will only be open Friday, Saturday and Sundays and not mid-week.

"We wanted to be sure we could deliver really incredible, well-rounded experiences and talent from beginning to end," Hundertmark said. "So we took our budget and were very focused with the dollars we had."

Wineries will also be grouped together based on their east or west location in the peninsula, so people can get a better sense of the specific Niagara wine areas or appellations.

"People can get an idea of the subtle local changes in winemaking practices and styles," she said.

The Grande Parade on Sept. 25 will also see an exciting change in the reintroduction of "gi-normous" helium balloons, said Hundertmark.

"I think that is going to be a lot of fun for people."

dfraser@stcatharinesstandard.ca

59th annual Niagara Wine Festival, Friday to Sept. 26

Most non-winery events take place at St. Catharines' Montebello Park and downtown.

This is a partial listing, and not all sponsors are included. For information, itinerary and complete entertainment roundup visit www.niagarawinefestival.com

Montebello Park: free park admission, free parking weekends and evenings at city garages and lots

-- opening night Friday, entertainment starts at 7 p.m. with WestJet Centre Stage the premier setting for most events;

-- Canadian Food and Wine Institute Lounge, passes $30 per person;

-- Vines Magazine Wine and Cheese Tasting Sept. 18, 19, 25, 26, 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.; Mayor's Invitational Grape Stomp, Sept. 18, 1-3 p.m.;

-- food and wine tastings by tokens purchased at park;

-- park access: Fridays, Sept. 17 and 24, from 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturdays, Sept. 18 and 25, from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m, Sundays, Sept. 19 and 26, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Parades:

Pied Piper Parade, Saturday, costume registration at 9 a.m., parade at 11 a.m., starts at Queen and Lake streets.

-- theme is Niagara's Wild Things, enter your child dressed as favourite wildlife animal or endangered species;

-- 59th annual Grande Parade, Saturday, Sept. 25, 11 a.m. downtown St. Catharines. Theme is How Green it Is.

Also (see festival website for more info):

-- Fine Food, Fine Wine, Live Arts, Pond Inlet at Brock University, Sept. 23, 7 p.m.;

-- The Standard Run for The Grapes, Dempsters Half Marathon and 5K, Sept. 19, 9:15 a.m., downtown/ park;

-- Liberty! Bicycles Off-Road Squeezer Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown/ park;

-- Discovery Pass for area winery and culinary experiences, Sept. 18, 19, 25 and 26.

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Sexiest cities in the U.S.

New York, Las Vegas or Los Angeles may seem like more likely choices but Austin, Texas has been named the sexiest city in the United States in a magazine survey.

Dallas, Houston and San Antonio also scored high marks in the ranking by Men’s Health Magazine that looked at birth rates, condom sales, rate of sexually transmitted diseases and sales of sex toys.

But cold-weather cities, including Portland, Maine which came in last and Burlington in Vermont, didn’t do as well.

“One possibility is that in an area where’s it’s hotter, people need to dress lighter and that puts pressure on them to look better and keep in better shape,” said Matt Marion, the deputy editor of the magazine.

Seven of the 15 sexiest cities in the poll of 100 urban areas were in Texas. In contrast, New England, with its freezing temperatures and parka-wearing populace, was home to many of the least libidinous cities.

The finding that amorous people tended to be more abundant in warmer cities such as Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, contradicts the notion that sultry weather makes people lazy and want to avoid physical contact with others.

Some cities renowned for their singles bars and hook-up scenes were also low in the ranking. Las Vegas was No. 70, followed by New York at 73, San Francisco at 74 and Miami at 88, contradicting their reputations as randy metropolises.

“They could be having plenty of sex in Boston, San Francisco and New York, but just less than in other places,” Marion said.

Yonkers, in New York, Charleston in West Virginia and Manchester, New Hampshire were also at the bottom of the list.

The full list can be found on http://www.menshealth.com/metrogrades

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Trails are open in Ontario

Hit the trail for adventure and explore the changing seasons by stepping into nature at special events into the fall.

"Now in its fourth year, Trails Open Ontario is a province-wide natural heritage tourism program that invites residents and visitors to experience the province's trails and natural spaces," said Liane Nowosielski of the Ontario Heritage Trust.

Enjoy some serenity now at Ontario's 250 conservation and nature areas teeming with hiking and biking trails.

Among the special places are the St. Clair River Trail to explore Bluewaterland around Port Lambton; a 28-kilometre cycling tour along the Train Trail from Collingwood to Stayner; and the Tay Shore Trail, showing off the flora and fauna around Victoria Harbour.

Here's a look at some of the upcoming events:

---

- The Grand River Tour on Sept. 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. explores the Dunnville Feeder Canal.

Starting at the Dunnville Memorial Arena, participants learn about the canal built in 1829 to tap into water from the river for the first Welland Canal.

The tour includes views of one of the largest expanses of provincially significant wetlands in Ontario.

- Wetland Ridge Side Trail in Niagara-on-the-Lake, has guided hikes along this section of the Bruce Trail on Oct. 3 leaving at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

Hikers will travel along the edge of a vineyard to a reclaimed wetland and view multi-layered rock formations of the Niagara Escarpment and the vineyards and orchards of the plains below.

- Watch for wildlife such as osprey, deer, beaver and wild turkey on a hike in Bloomingdale north of Kitchener on Sept. 18.

Starting at 8:45 a.m. at the Bloomingdale Mennonite Church, the tour follows the Grand River through lands formerly used as a gravel pit. There are flood plains, wooded areas and ponds that form a sanctuary for the wild critters.

- Discover the Maitland Trail, east of Goderich, on the Ball's Bridge hike on Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. and the Tiger Dunlop's Tomb tour on Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.

This is one of Ontario's last surviving "Pratt truss and pin" iron bridges and the hike travels through woodlots, across fields and along river valleys.

The other hike tells the "colourful story of Dr. William "Tiger" Dunlop's association" with the Canada Company and the founding of Goderich in 1827.

- Kincardine Trails has a four-kilometre hike Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. from Geddes Environmental Park that "meanders on varied terrain through wild fruit orchards, cedar forests and riverside meadows."

- Check out the Sauble Beach Cross Country Ski Trails on hikes Sept. 18 and 19 from 1 p.m. in Sauble Falls.

Hikes begin at the chalet and are routed through the rolling ski trails and surrounding forests offering "spectacular opportunities" for bird watching.

- The Saugeen Conservation Authority hosts a three-hour event at the Greenock Swamp Wetland Complex in Chepstow on Sept. 25 from 1 p.m.

Participants will learn about the swamp and its role as well as hike to the viewing platform at Schmidt Lake.

- Apps' Mill Nature Centre near Brantford has interpretive guided hikes through the historic property on Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For children, there will be nature crafts and "stream slosh" activities.

- Join the guided tour or take an independent jaunt along four new trails at the Yarmouth Natural Heritage Area in Sparta on Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Staff from the Catfish Creek Conservation Authority will lead the walks through the Carolinian forest including the Herb Kebbel Wetland.

- In North Huron, there's the Fall Colour Tour at the Wawanosh Valley Conservation Area on Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.

This includes a hike along the Maitland River and through woods and meadows with hot apple cider, displays and children's activities.

- Learn about the South Huron Trail's earliest residents on the Spirit Trail Supernatural Hike in Exeter on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

This guided hike around MacNaughton Park is part of the activities at the Haunted Huron event.

---

If you hike:

- To learn about all the Trails Open Ontario events: www.heritagetrust.on.ca

- Trail events are listed in the Doors Open Ontario Guide available at travel centres or by calling Ontario Tourism at 1-800-ONTARIO (668-2746).

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Hazy memories of Amsterdam

Amsterdam's canal district has long been a magnet for visitors, whether for its 17th-century architecture or its legalized prostitution and soft drugs.

Now it's on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Heritage List.

The canal district was one of 21 additions announced last month. That caught my eye because I have memories - fond and otherwise - of my first time there.

It was in 1970, when my wife and I were near the end of a long holiday trek around Europe. Our budget dictated that accommodation be cheap - i.e. a shared bathroom down the hall.

So when a hotel tout approached us outside Amsterdam's railway station, we blithely followed him along a canal, past scantily clad women sitting motionless in picture windows. This was the Red Light District (today it's marked on tourist maps) and it's where our hotel, the Anco, was located.

Our room measured little more than two metres by two and was on the top floor, up a narrow, spiral staircase so steep we took pains to avoid making the trip more than once a day.

I'll say this about the Anco: It was cheap. Cheerful, too, because it was a favourite of American and Canadian servicemen on leave. Perhaps one reason was that the bar stayed open until 4 a.m., closed for three or four hours to be hosed down, then reopened.

While my wife bathed and primped for dinner, I made many new acquaintances and drank many, many beers.

Dinner was to be our initiation into Indonesian cuisine. At the first restaurant, a waiter took one look at me staggering up the steps and shooed us away.

They were more forgiving at the second. I ordered bami goreng, full of odd things and spicy hot. They brought ice water, which made it worse. I remember demanding milk. The rest is a blur.

I was back in Amsterdam two years ago and went looking for the Anco. It's still there, and still cheap, but caters to the gay market.

The area UNESCO designated is composed of four curved canals that run parallel to each other and encircle the city centre in a half moon. The bank of the outermost canal is where the Anne Frank House is located. A narrated boat cruise is a relaxing way to see it.

The entire UNESCO World Heritage list can be found at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list.

In leisure travel news:

Five of Tasmania's convict history sites have also been added to UNESCO's list. Tour operator Goway includes some on a three-day stopover to an Australian vacation. Accommodation is in the Henry Jones Art Hotel, built by convicts. For details, visit www.goway.com/downunder/australia/tasmania/tas_travel_ideas.html.

A new brochure from Globus outlines faith-based escorted tours. Itineraries focus on the lands of Catholicism (Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and Ireland) and the lands of the Bible (Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Greece. Group rates are available for as few as eight passengers travelling together. Visit www.globusjourneys.ca.

Toronto-based travel journalist Lucy Izon has launched an entertaining i-Phone application, a trivia-style game about what makes Canada cool. Lucy calls it an evenings' entertainment for a twonie. Visit http://www.canadacool.com/AppForiPhone.html.

Doug English can be reached at denglishtravel@gmail.com or by mail c/o London Free Press, P.O.E. Box 2280, London, Ont. N6A 4G1

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Discovering Ontario's northern cities

Northern Ontario sounds so far away that some places in what is traditionally defined as the North market themselves as being closer to the heavily populated South.

North Bay uses the term "the near North." Parry Sound, once considered in the North for tourism purposes, is now lumped in with the South.

The situation would be laughable if not for the fact many in Southern Ontario think "up North" means Muskoka. Venture beyond that and you risk encountering bears or, worse, losing cell phone service.

You have to turn the provincial road map over to find the places I visited last month. There is the odd place where laptops stay silent, so the gadget-addicted may want to bail out at this point.

Some stops -- Cochrane, and especially Moosonee -- are indeed a long haul. But the first two, Sudbury and North Bay, are only four hours from Toronto).

So buckle up and join me for a quick two-city tour.

SUDBURY

Driving tips: Once you're on Hwy. 400, then Hwy. 69, it's four-lane 'til around Parry Sound. Just off Exit 214, south of Parry Sound, is a service centre housing a Tim's, Dairy Queen, Lick's Hamburgers, and gas station.

What to visit:

-- Science North: I liked it when I first visited nearly 20 years ago and it's even better now. Built of stainless steel (what else, given Sudbury's strong Inco link?) in the shape of a six-point snowflake, it's entered via a walkway that tunnels under five metres of rock more than 2 billion years old. Animals are brought out for visitors to handle, and the film currently being shown in The Cavern is in what they call 4-D because the seats move and water is sprayed.

But Franco Mariotti, a staff scientist who showed us around, says what makes Science North special is its team of Bluecoats, who will answer questions as long as you want to ask them. While you're there, try the Lake House, overlooking Ramsey Lake, for lunch.

-- Dynamic Earth: Outside is the much-photographed Big Nickel. Inside, visitors don hard hats and take an elevator 65 metres below ground. A video explains the meteor strike responsible for the minerals around Sudbury and sections are set up to show mining practices from a century ago to present day. Dynamic Earth is part of Science North; a combo ticket is available. Visit sciencenorth.ca.

NORTH BAY

Driving tips: Hwy. 11, which begins just north of Barrie, is four-lane to North Bay except for a 43-km stretch. From Sudbury, it's 90 minutes via Hwy. 17

What to visit:

-- Fur Harvesters Auction Inc.: Fur-bearing skins from 23 different animals arrive there from all over North America. They're graded, put into lots and offered at the three or four auctions held annually. Beaver, raccoon and muskrat make up 85% of the sales. Some of the most expensive individual pelts belong to lynx, which have the softest fur, and polar bears. China is the biggest buyer, Russia the biggest market. Only buyers can attend auctions but there are warehouse tours for the public. Visit furharvesters.com.

-- Lake Nippissing cruise: Chief Commanda II and its predecessor, Chief Commanda, have been a tourism mainstay since 1946. On the 90-minute cruise to the Manitou Islands, snag a cold drink and put your feet up while the crew barbecues burgers and wieners on the back deck. There's a 2.5-hour sunset cruise, with dinner option, to Callandar Bay, and Sundays the Chief spend four hours going to the Upper French River and back. Early booking is recommended for the fall colour cruises. Visit chiefcommanda.com or phone 1-866-660-6686.

-- Heritage Carousel and Winter Wonderland Carousel: Volunteers carved the animals on these nostalgic Waterfront attractions.

denglishtravel@gmail.com

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Sophistication at Fallsview Casino Resort

Well known for its glitzy casino -- the largest and most elegant in Canada with 3,000 slot machines and 130 gaming tables -- Fallsview Casino Resort has also earned a much-deserved reputation as one of the finest hotels in Niagara Falls.

Every year since it opened in 2004, the Hotel at Fallsview has been awarded the CAA/AAA Four Diamond Award, which recognizes excellent customer service and attention to detail.

So even if gambling is not your thing, the 374-room property provides everything a couple needs for a pampering weekend away: Luxurious rooms with a view, excellent gourmet restaurants and shops.

Start with a fine dining experience at Ponte Vecchio, which is named after and inspired by the medieval bridge that spans the Arno River in Florence, Italy. The atmosphere in the 100-seat restaurant reflects the Old World and the menu is designed to replicate an authentic Italian culinary experience for those who want it.

So along with popular Italian fare such as spaghetti and seafood pasta, the menu offers a heaping helping of traditional dishes such as swordfish served with grilled eggplant capponata and quail eggs. Complementing the food is an award-winning wine list with 600 selections.

After indulging in a delightful meal, we retired to R5, the resort's chic new cocktail and martini lounge, for drinks. With contemporary decor and live piano music, the lounge radiates a cool vibe.

We felt sophisticated simply sitting in a booth, basking in the glow of a fireplace and enjoying the breathtaking view of the Falls below.

"There's an interesting story behind the name," says Kevin Harding, communications manager for Fallsview Casino Resort. "For the longest time the

space was empty and referred to by its code on the resort's original blueprints, R5. When we decided to open a cocktail lounge and needed a name, somehow R5 just seemed perfect."

The drink menu at R5 is colourful, exotic and extensive. The selection ranges from common cocktails and martinis to some truly luxurious items,

such as a 1999 Chateau Petrus -- for $2,760 a bottle!

To complete a weekend of relaxation and pampering, plan on spending a few hours at the newly expanded spa.

Originally containing five treatments rooms, the spa has grown to 12 treatment rooms, including a "twin" room for couples, as well as a fitness room and pool. This serene space is a good place to say goodbye to stress while enjoying a massage or facial.

For those more familiar with Niagara Falls' kitschy thrills -- wax museums and fun houses -- Fallsview offers a refreshing and more sophisticated way to experience the city. In fact, there's so much to see and do that the resort is becoming a destination in its own right.

Take our word for it. We were so blissfully occupied we didn't leave the property for the duration of the weekend.

Thankfully, the spectacle of the Falls was just a glance out the window away so at least we can honestly say we saw them.

More information

Upcoming acts at the Avalon theatre include: Jeff Bridges, performing songs from Crazy Horse and others, Sept. 1-2; Tony Orlando, Sept. 9-10; Spirit of the Dance, Sept. 17-26; and Styx, Sept. 30-Oct. 2. For details on Fallsview Casio Resort, including the hotel, the spa and the entertainment lineup, see fallsviewcasinoresort.com. For reservations at Ponte Vecchio, call 1-888-325-5788.

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Touring Berlin's famous toilets

For tourists tired of traditional sightseeing tours, one Berlin tour guide is offering something altogether different: a tour of Berlin's public conveniences.

Tour guide Anna Haase wanted to take visitors to Berlin off the beaten track and came up with the novel idea of showing them some of the German capital's most famous toilets.

She takes groups around the city's lavatories, telling them about the history of the toilet's development from biblical times to the present day and showing them toilets ranging from the oldest and most primitive to the newest and most technical.

Haase came up with the idea of taking a closer look at Berlin's "WCs" (or water closets) after attending the annual International Tourist Guide Day in 2005 in Berlin, when the theme was 'oases of calm'.

"I thought my colleagues would probably all do tours of parks and churches, but I wanted to break a taboo and explain the history of Berlin's hygiene and toilet culture," she told Reuters.

Highlights of the tour include a visit to a toilet block dating from the late 19th century and a trip to the Kaiser's fully restored bathroom at the Potsdamer Platz square.

She also wants to use the tour to draw attention to the lack of toilets for tour groups in Berlin.

Haase says that the toilet tours are in demand, especially from clubs and societies, as well as from people with a specialist or professional interest in the topic.

"At first people tend to turn their nose up, but then they are generally surprised at the interesting facts that they learn about on the tour," she said.

In keeping with the tour's theme, the meeting point is at the 19th century toilet block at the Gendarmenmarkt square, whilst a restaurant called 'The Loo' is the finishing point.

There tourists are shown a Japanese automatic toilet which costs as much as a small car, according to Haase.

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Dollar goes a long way in Kiev

KIEV, Ukraine - In the end, it was “Shrek” who helped me find a good inexpensive restaurant in Kiev. Before I met the teenager dressed as the popular animated movie character, the situation had seemed hopeless. My Ukrainian language skills were minimal, the signs - in Cyrillic script - were baffling, and there was no tourist office in sight.

“Shrek,” and his tiger-costumed pal, were busy posing for photographs with visitors in Independence Square. But the pair took a momentary break to study my map and point out the location of a popular eatery called Puzata Khata (Pot Belly Hut), which served traditional Ukrainian dishes for a reasonable price.

Ten minutes later I was seated at a large wooden table, enjoying a hearty bowl of borscht and half a dozen varenyky or dumplings (in this case made with potatoes) with sour cream, surrounded by wall murals that evoked traditional village life.

The total cost for this filling and tasty meal was roughly $2.20. I could’ve added Chicken Kiev for an extra $1.70. And there was no struggling to decipher foreign menus. All the food on offer (and there’s a lot) is on view cafeteria-style so you just point out what you want.

It didn’t take long to discover the great deals extended to a lot more than just food. The next day I travelled to the Pyrohovo Museum of Folk Architecture, a popular open-air attraction with examples of centuries-old dwellings, farmsteads, wooden churches and windmills from throughout Ukraine. There were baptisms taking place in the churches, musicians playing traditional Ukrainian instruments such as the bandura and craftspeople engaged in painting, embroidery and wood carving.

You could easily spend a pleasant day here. And to think the admission to this family friendly attraction, was only about $2. The bus ride to the site, 13 km from the city centre, was also a deal at the equivalent of about 30ў.

I was starting to really enjoy travelling in Ukraine, which, in many ways, seemed to be an unsung bargain destination. Of course, it helps that the exchange rate has been favourable for North Americans lately. During a visit last month, $1 was about 7.76 Ukraine hryvnia or UAH. That is much better (for us) than it was a few years ago when $1 got you less than 5 UAH. Of all the people I met in Kiev, it was Irina Shebueva from the Sunflower B&B Hotel, who helped me the most in navigating the city. In a country where few people speak English, her assistance was invaluable.

Passionate about all that Kiev has to offer, she seemed to light up when meeting someone who shared her enthusiasm. She told me exactly where to catch the bus to the Pyrohovo Museum and equally important, when and where to get off. And when I showed her the list of places I wanted to visit, she made calls and checked the internet for opening hours, and gave useful advice for getting around - which saved me time and money.

I visited two places she suggested, which were just metres from the bus stop for Pyrohovo. One was the huge and colourful Bessarabsky produce and flower market, where you can get free local cheese samples and inexpensive tins of caviar; and the other was the PinchukArtCentre, a leading international gallery of contemporary art with free admission. Even the art centre washrooms, which give the sense of a wacky alternative dimension, seem worthy of artistic merit.

The Sunflower’s central location, one block from Independence Square, meant I could walk to almost all the main attractions. These included St.

Michael’s Gold-Domed Monastery - recently rebuilt to resemble the original dating from 1108; the Golden Gate; the Museum of Russian Art; St.

Volodymyr’s Cathedral and the House of Chimeras, adorned with unusual exterior sculptures.

I spent several more hours walking along the atmospheric, cobblestone street of Andriyivsky Uzviz (I’d suggest walking down the street and taking the funicular back up), where rows of craft stalls were selling Soviet-era memorabilia, matryoshky dolls, hand-painted plates and other handicrafts.

Perhaps the most notable building on the street is St. Andrew’s Church, a baroque building with five domes built in 1754 that towers over the upper level of the street. Farther down is the early home of author Mikhail Bulgakov, now a museum, which is worth a visit. Here, as everywhere, Ukrainian women can be seen attired in their finest apparel, some of it so dressy it makes you wonder what they wear for special occasions.

Two must-sees are St. Sophia Cathedral - built almost a thousand years ago, it’s the oldest standing church in the city and a Unesco World Heritage Site with many of its original mosaics and frescos intact - and the Lavra, founded in 1051 and set on 28 hectares with many gold-domed churches, museums with Scythian gold artifacts, and narrow caves which contain mummified monks, believed to have healing powers.

Though I spent more time in Kiev than in other Ukraine cities, there were clearly deals to be had elsewhere. My biggest coup occurred in Odessa, where I snagged a ticket to an opera performance at the Opera and Ballet Theatre for a mere $6. And this is no ordinary venue. Built in the 1880s by the same architects who designed the Vienna State Opera, it’s renowned for its shimmering-golden interior and superb acoustics. My seat was in the 12th row. I couldn’t help but wonder what they charged for balcony seats.

My excitement at getting into a performance for the equivalent of two Toronto bus tokens, was dampened slightly however, when I went to buy a small bottle of water at the bar and learned the price ($2.50) was nearly half the cost of my ticket!

But for a great night out under $10 who’s complaining?

If you go to Ukraine

The Sunflower B&B Hotel, is in the heart of historic Kiev at Kostelnaya 9-41, one block from Independence Square. Clean, quiet, sun-filled rooms start around $127 and include breakfast and internet access. Friendly English-speaking staff are helpful. Kiev is one of the main departure/arrival points for multiple-day cruises on the Dnieper River.

Cruise passengers often spend a few extra days in the city. The distance between the Sunflower Hotel and the dock is just a short walk and a funicular ride away, so you can save on cab fare. For more, check sunflowerhotel.kiev.ua. For more on Ukraine, visit traveltoukraine.org. For cruise information, see vikingrivercruises.com.

Exchange rates at the airport (the booth with the longest line gives the best rates) are comparable to anything you’ll find throughout the country.

But note it can be difficult to exchange Canadian currency and makes sense to take euros or U.S. dollars.

To experience a bit of Ukraine close to home, check out the Toronto Ukrainian Festival in Bloor West Village, which takes place Sept. 17-19 and includes a parade on Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. For more, visit ukrainianfestival.com or call 416-410-9965.

writer@interlog.com

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Show tests viewing public at Versailles

FRANCE - Wild, otherworldly creations from the mind of Japan's foremost pop artist took over the Versailles palace this week, to the fury of royalists bent on keeping the site pure of modern influences.

The exhibition by Takashi Murakami brings gleaming cartoon behemoths from the world of Japanese "otaku" culture into the muted grandeur of the Ancien Regime palace, throwing 17th century French aesthetics against hypermodern Japan.

Weeks before the opening, the prospect of manga-inspired fibreglass sculptures invading the former residence of Louis XIV prompted protests by a faction of royalist activists, who picketed outside the palace gates.

In an online petition titled "Versailles, Mon Amour," they accused palace curators of selling out to "financial art" and perverting the historical nature of the Versailles palace, last inhabited by Louis XVI.

Yet the noise did not discourage Murakami, a classically trained painter turned art world superstar, who put on a typically extravagant show featuring all but his most provocative works, which were left out as a concession.

Absent from the exhibition, which runs from September 14 to mid-December, are risque works like "My Lonesome Cowboy" and "Hiropon" which had worried critics with their graphic yet playful cartoon depictions of anatomy.

The artist said criticism of his work was nothing new, having already given rise to the phenomenon of "Murakami bashing" on the Web.

"These criticisms, I have also heard them on the Web," he told a news conference, speaking through an interpreter. "On the Web, there was even 'Murakami bashing' ... but all of this, in my opinion, comes from a misunderstanding."

Inside the palace, Murakami has deployed his signature "superflat" style in a combination of two dimensional imagery, video art and sculpture -- some of it complementing the muralled interiors, some of it jarring.

The result is a visual clash of cultures, a mash-up of Japanese anime and French classical art in which cartoonish figures face off against military heroes glowering down at them from giant oil paintings on the walls.

Visitors on their way into the palace are greeted by a massive gold-plated totem with conical spikes for teeth, and once inside they can trample on a flower-patterned carpet bursting with day-glo colours.

Some tourists milling around the palace grounds -- many unaware before they arrived that Murakami had taken over the space -- were amused. Others said they felt cheated out of a historical experience.

"I think they're kind of shameful to be in Versailles, I think Louis XIV would be flipping out," said Mike Cormier, an American tourist. "I didn't come here to see this: I came to see Versailles. If I wanted to see this I would have gone to Pompidou."

Jean-Jacques Aillagon, former French culture minister and head of the Versailles museum, struck back against critics and said no classical works had been moved to accommodate the Japanese artist.

"I think they're wrong. They have prejudices," he told Reuters Television. "The rule of the game is that we remove nothing from the palace."

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North Korea puts itself on show

North Korea held secretive national day celebrations at the Shanghai Expo on Monday, shutting out most visitors and media for a singing and dancing extravaganza that brushed over the country's diplomatic woes.

Isolated and poverty-struck North Korea is participating in the Expo for the first time and making a big push to impress China, its only real ally, to illustrate close bilateral ties that have been strained by the North's nuclear program.

But the performances of traditional Korean folk dances and songs by heavily made-up men and women put on by the North Korean delegation were only available to view on Chinese state television and by a handful of specially selected guests.

A brief, tersely worded statement on the Shanghai Expo's website (www.expo2010.cn) advised the activities were "not open to the public," and asked for people's understanding.

Chinese state radio quoted an unnamed North Korean official as saying their Expo national day "would make contributions toward friendship between the countries' peoples."

However, visitors and foreign journalists were cordoned off some 200 meters (660 ft) from the country's red carpet flag-raising ceremony in the morning and could only catch a glimpse of the dignitaries and guests filing into the auditorium.

"I hope North Korea can be more like China and open up. I think North Korea should learn from China and slowly, slowly change," said Zhao Kaicheng, 57, watching from afar.

North Korea also restricted international media from entering its national pavilion, whose theme is "Paradise of the People," showcasing its model capital Pyongyang and making no mention of the country's enormous economic problems.

Gu Ting, 24, from the eastern province of Jiangsu, said North Korea was a curious reminder of how China once was.

"This generation of Chinese have not seen what China used to be like, so we want to see the North Korean pavilion," he said, as he waited for the pavilion to open.

Many visitors who emerged after a four-hour wait to enter said there was little to see.

"We thought it was worth queuing up for because internationally there is very little exposure to the country," said Taiwan visitor Angel. "But the pavilion did not have much inside."

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Ancient Greece wows a first-time visitor

ATHENS, Greece -- Gazing up at the giant marble columns encircling one of the world's great wonders -- the Parthenon atop the Acropolis of ancient Athens -- makes me almost punch-drunk with wonder.

Previous excursions to historic places in Canada offered glimpses of logging museums or rusty wagon wheels but here I stand at the very roots of a civilization that existed not hundreds but thousands of years earlier. It strikes me that this was the dwelling place for some of the world's most remarkable minds -- Aristotle, Plato, Socrates and Hippocrates -- masters of philosophy, politics and medicine.

Visitors can roam through the remains of the great temples and ancient arenas, where the forerunners of modern sports took place. The Greeks were the first to become obsessed with competitive sports and began the Olympic Games. In an open stone arena I imagine the sound of the crowd chanting at proud runners, discus throwers, wrestlers and chariot-drivers as they performed naked for the god Zeus.

The opportunity to travel back to another world in another time exists not only in Athens but everywhere in this amazing ancient country and its islands. Every corner provides opportunities to visit ruins of temples, churches and monasteries of the Greeks, the Romans, the Corinthians and the Crusaders. Even today, a road trip through the countryside will take you places where village folk live much as they did hundreds of years ago.

Cruising away from the mainland on the ferry, tiny Greek islands appear out of the mist in the Aegean Sea.

Our first stop is Delos. Believed to be the birthplace of the god Apollo and goddess Artemis, the tiny island is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece.

Ancient stone huts indicate it was inhabited 5,000 years ago. Its treasures and people are still being discovered by dedicated archeologists who live alone on the island. Archeologists are the only people allowed to spend the night for fear that treasures still hidden beneath lava rock and ashes will be disturbed.

In Hellenistic and Roman times, Delos was a prosperous trading centre. Its ruins include beautiful mosaic floors and a 5,500 seat theatre. And who would have guessed they had indoor plumbing and a crude form of flush toilets 4,000 years ago? Only men were allowed to use these public bathrooms, where engineers had funnelled a flow of running water under the latrine benches.

The island's narrow streets once bubbled with vitality and, while roaming, I can almost hear the voices of people haggling over the price of fresh fish, olive oil, spices, spears and daggers, or treasures like gold, silver and precious stones that were imported from Egypt and other ports of the ancient world. Visitors can wander through the market square, and ruins of mansions, sacred temples and monuments.

A giant phallus -- it's once massive erection broken off over time -- points toward heaven. A symbol of lewdness and even comedy in today's world, I dared not giggle. This sacred monument was once worshiped as a symbol of fertility, strength and the very creation of life.

Sadly, this world was run on slave power. Almost half of the inhabitants were slaves, who were traded and sold cheaply by the thousands in the market square each day. As a result, despite the advanced intelligence of these ancient residents, with such cheap labour there was no need to invent the machinery that now drives our modern, polluted, world. Delos is a place of serious history -- there are no snow-cones or glitzy tourist shops here.

For an entirely different experience, take another ferry to the gorgeous island of Santorini, named by the Crusaders. A massive volcanic explosion with the power of 100 atomic bombs blasted the island to smithereens almost 4,000 years ago. The eruption wiped out the ancient Minoans who lived on the island, entombing them in a layer of pumice that is still being uncovered by archeologists. Even today the semi-active volcano still boils away beneath the ocean in a giant caldera filled with sea water.

Formed out of lava, Santorini is one of the country's most magical islands. Its barren, rocky terrain is dotted with black and red beaches. Towns full of white buildings, cafes and shops are situated on high cliffs with breathtaking views and fantastic sunsets.

While there, I made a trip to the top of a mountain with a mind-blowing view to an ancient monastery named after the prophet Elijah. Although ravaged by time, it still stands and provides a home for monks to live and pray in serenity.

Yes, the beaches, the nightlife and resorts of Greece are out of this world, but hearing the echoes of voices that reach back to the beginning of time is a once in a lifetime experience.

---

ISLAND OF CRETE -- I didn't know goats could climb trees. I didn't know the mythical God Zeus was born on this ancient island. And I didn't know I had the guts to drive a four-wheel-drive jeep along craggy winding roads on the edges of mountainous cliffs.

These things I learned on my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Greece and the island of Crete.

One of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, booking a jeep safari to explore some of its rugged mountains, flora and quaint villages showed me more in a one-day journey than I expected.

My trip leader, George, pronounced something like Hor-hey in Greek, made the trip even more fun with his wonderful sense of humour and his knowledge of the region.

George picked me up at my hotel in the morning and we headed out in jeeps with a eight other travellers. Some of the group drove and some simply wanted sit in the back to enjoy the open air and take in the sights.

Departing from the resort town of Rethymnon, we drove along twisting mountain roads lined with vineyards, fields full of fat sheep and groves upon groves of olive trees. We stopped for a break in the village of Castello, where we bought a bag of oranges and a snack of goat cheese and bread.

Back on the road, I drove along dirt tracks and craggy bumpy roads stopping in mountain villages where time seems to have stood still and folks live as they did a hundred years ago. Friendly old ladies showed off their handmade crafts with great pride.

We visited a 15th-century monastery with a breathtaking view and a friendly Greek Orthodox priest who offered us fruit.

Later we stopped at an amazing outdoor restaurant, Axos Place, where we drank the local beer and ate from platters laden with fresh goat cheese, olives, tomatoes, souvlaki and a delicious light goat cheese pastry. In the middle of the restaurant, where trees grew among the tables, the owner milked a goat and made warm goat cheese as we watched.

The owner, also named George, heartily encouraged us to try the local drink, Rakis, made from grapes. Served in a shot glass, I tasted it with my tongue and decided not to finish it. I can't describe the taste, but it was nasty. Several brave men in our group knocked it back, made priceless ridiculous faces, then asked for another.

After this break, we continued along more breathtaking mountain tracks while listening to traditional Greek fold music on the radio.

Along these craggy roads I saw a goat, leisurely standing on a big tree branch and calmly looking at the scenery. I thought it was hilarious but my guide George assured me it's perfectly normal for goats to stand in trees.

Shrubs with exotic-looking pink flowers, which George called sfakia, seemed to grow everywhere.

Along the way we pulled off to the side of the road and reached out to grab a wild pear off of a tree. It was not quite ripe, but tangy and delicious.

Dust in my hair, grit in my teeth and a bronzy tan on my face from a day in the sun, I ended my trip with a swim in the sea before heading back to our hotel.

IF YOU GO TO GREECE

TRAVEL TIPS AND INFO

-- When touring in Greece, wear a wide brimmed sun hat and bring a small backpack and bottled water.

-- To find out how touring this mystical land can become a reality, check out Transat Holidays or transatholidays.com for flights and vacation packages. For general information, check out tourgreece.com.

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Bob Dylan's paintings on show in Denmark

Forty new paintings by American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan go on show this weekend in Denmark, but museum-goers will hardly find "Blowin' in the Wind" or references to other famous lyrics in the pictures.

The exhibition at the National Gallery in Copenhagen from September 4 to February 20, 2011 presents scenes of everyday life in Brazil, done in bold acrylic colors by the man whose 1960s songs helped define an era and who continues to record and tour.

"The Brazil Series" represents a new chapter in the painterly activities of the 69-year-old Dylan, who has painted and drawn for decades and exhibited his watercolors in Chemnitz, Germany, in 2007 and London in 2008.

"Artistic crossovers are not always successful -- Bob Dylan's is," said museum director Karsten Ohrt. "This is another side of Bob Dylan, but still very much Bob Dylan."

Calling him "a remarkable visual artist," Ohrt dismissed as absurd the question of whether the museum would have shown the paintings if they had been done by someone other than Dylan.

But Curator Kasper Monrad told reporters at an advance viewing on Thursday there was no doubt that the exhibition came about "because it's Bob Dylan."

"He's perhaps the greatest musician and songwriter of the 20th century who has embarked on a new project," Monrad said.

"The paintings are not illustrations of the songs," he said.

"We don't see Shakespeare in the alley and so forth," he said, alluding to the song "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" from Dylan's 1966 Blonde on Blonde album.

In conversations with the gallery, Dylan said that if he could have expressed in song what he has now painted, he would have written a song instead, Monrad said.

The pictures were painted on canvass at Dylan's studio over a period of 15 months from early 2009 to March this year, Monrad said. They are based on sketches done on paper earlier by the artist who has visited Brazil many times.

Ohrt said Dylan's painting is evocative of the American Ashcan school and German expressionism, among others.

There are urban and rural scenes of Brazil and some of the pictures are like still cinematic shots. Others depict emotional dramas, such a quarrel between a father and son in a barber's shop.

The reclusive Dylan would not attend the opening and has not disclosed any plans to come to Copenhagen, Monrad said.

But Ohrt said he was sure that Dylan would turn up some day to see the Copenhagen exhibition, perhaps "unannounced and on a Monday when we are closed."

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Best Labour Day road trips

The long, lingering days of summer are starting to come to a close, and lazy weekends and warm-weather getaways will soon be nothing more than memories. Before you know it, you'll be back running shuttles to soccer practice and shoveling the driveway. Unless, of course, you plan one last summer fling.

Make the most of Labour Day this year by packing up the car and escaping for the weekend. With a map and a bit of wanderlust, you can manage to make summer linger for a few more days. That is, if you plan it right.

In Pictures: The Best Labour Day Road Trips

U.S. travel advocacy group AAA has seen an uptick in car travel this summer over last year, with a 5% increase in trips taken over Memorial Day weekend, and a 17% jump in car travel over the Fourth of July. During this year's Labour Day weekend, AAA predicts 31 million people will hit the road, a nearly 10% increase from last year. Most of those travellers will get behind the wheel: 91% of travellers intend to drive, while only 5% will fly.

It makes sense, since driving is often less stressful then flying. "We can't ignore the fact that the air travel experience has become less attractive," says Geoff Freeman, executive vice president of the U.S. Travel Association. "The hassles of flying--security delays and cancellations--are a contributing factor to finding alternative ways of travel."

With gas prices stable and consumers keeping a tight grip on their wallets, road trips are an attractive option for those looking for an inexpensive getaway. "For a larger family there's a definite cost savings over flying," says AAA spokeswoman Heather Hunter. "Our travel agents are reporting double-digit growth [in services provided] over last year."

Once you've decided to get behind the wheel, you've got to figure out where to go--no easy decision when you've got the wide-open American road in front of you.

You could take the last days of summer to help revive the tourism industry along the Gulf of Mexico, which has suffered staggering losses following this summer's oil spill, despite BP's injection of $70 million to promote travel along the coast. "The Gulf Coast is and has been open for business," says Freeman. "And one of the blessings in disguise in the oil situation is that it's brought our attention to many destinations that we wouldn't have thought about otherwise."

So skip those amusement parks in central Florida and head west to the panhandle instead. The drive along the coastline from Tallahassee to Silver Springs as Highway 98 weaves through animal refuges and citrus fields, kitschy mermaid shows and the remnants of early Spanish settlements. Want wildlife? Watch out for gators and turtles at Wakulla State Park, or snorkel with manatees at Crystal River Archaeological State Park. For the latest travel news, and for opportunities to help with the cleanup, visit GulfTravelUpdate.com.Mark the 75th anniversary of Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited National Parkway in the U.S., by taking part in ongoing celebrations that stretch from West Virginia to Tennessee. Over Labour Day weekend, festivals will fete everything from beer to poetry, folk life to kite-flying, all set among some of the most beautiful mountains in Appalachia.

For more spectacular views, Big Bend National Park's 30-mile Maxwell Scenic Drive supplies dusty ranches of long-ago rangers, terra-cotta cliffsides and a jaw-dropping expanse of sky that's revealed each evening to exhibit a sea of stars that puts any planetarium to shame.

Of course, if you're hearing the call of that open road as loudly as the rest of the country, you may not find them as open as you like. AAA's Heather Hunter says that the best way to avoid getting snarled in traffic is to plan an early departure, check roadways for potential construction and try to plan around peak travel times and anticipated delays.

And don't get frustrated if you do get caught in traffic. In the event of a problem, Hunter suggests that you try to "stay patient, be calm, and stop for the night if you have to." Just think, staying overnight extends your summer by one more day.

In Pictures: The Best Labour Day Road Trips

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Louisiana residents bemoan lost summer

On a typical summer weekend in Grand Isle, Louisiana, Frank Besson's small gift shop would be filled with customers picking up a souvenir as they headed back home from a weekend visit to the beach.

But this summer, business at the Nez Coupe is down about 95 percent, Besson said, as most of this coastal community's beaches remain shut. Motels are filled with workers hired by BP Plc to clean up its oil spill, not tourists.

Since BP's ruptured oil well was capped in July, no oil has flowed into the Gulf of Mexico and efforts are slowly shifting to recovery from clean up. But in Louisiana, the state that took the brunt of the worst oil spill in U.S. history, life is far from normal.

"We're still trying to clean up beaches with tarballs and oil," Besson said. "People are coming here to work, they are not here to spend money."

Grand Isle, a sport-fishing destination located on the southern Louisiana coast, also has some of the state's more popular beaches. It was hit hard by heavy crude oil after the April 20 blow out of the BP well, and the cleanup is still a major operation.

A few beaches are open as the summer nears its unofficial end on the September 6 Labor Day holiday, but people are advised to stay out of the water on at least one beach because it may sicken swimmers, according to the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals Beach Monitoring Program.

Of the 135 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline still covered in moderate to heavy oil, 115 miles are in Louisiana.

CLEANUP CONTINUES

Heavy machines are being used to separate sand from oil on Grand Isle's beaches and crab traps are set to check for signs of oil under the water, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Paul Zukunft, head of the government's on-scene oil spill response, said in an interview.

"We're in it for as long as it takes," Zukunft said. "Our effort is to make this environment as clean as possible, ideally what is was before April 20."

No oil is visible on the Gulf's surface, he said, and no new oil is washing ashore. In preparation for the expected final kill of the stricken Macondo well next month, the fleet of vessels once used to collect oil from the surface of the Gulf are back in port on standby.

The economic impact of the spill is apparent. Local charities have posted flyers along Highway 23, the main highway cutting through coastal Plaquemines Parish, offering hot dog lunches and free pet food.

Kristina Peterson, pastor of the Bayou Blue Presbyterian Church, said her parishioners are hurting.

"I've seen signs that women are starting to take in washing and ironing. Small businesses are closing," she said.

While more and more of the states waters have opened to recreational and commercial fishing, those who depend on the state's bayous to feed their family are still stuck.

One fisherman who asked not to be identified because he feared it might jeopardize a job application with Transocean Ltd, the owner of the drilling rig that exploded and sank causing the spill, said the oil has kept him from catching his supper.

"I've been fishing here my whole life," the resident of Lafitte, Louisiana, said. "I use the water as my food source and here you've been holding me back from fishing from three to four months. I ought to be compensated I figure."

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