Blast gives birth to vibrant area

HALIFAX — It is one of Canada’s most historic and unusual neighbourhoods, but few outside of Nova Scotia have heard of it.

Spread over 10 city blocks in the north end of Halifax, not far from the narrowest part of the city’s massive harbour, the Hydrostone beckons to travellers who appreciate history, architecture and fine food.

“It’s a very vibrant part of the city,” says Peter Henry, an architect who lives a few blocks from the neighbourhood. “When you look around, it has stood up pretty well.”

Designated a national historic district, the Hydrostone remains the most tangible legacy of the single worst disaster in Canadian history — the Halifax Explosion of Dec. 6, 1917.

The massive blast, caused by the collision of a Belgian relief ship and a French munitions vessel, killed almost 2,000 people, injured 9,000 and destroyed 1,600 buildings, most of them working-class homes.

It was the most powerful manmade blast before the atom bomb. Windows were broken as far away as Truro, about 100 kilometres away.

With more than 6,000 people left homeless, the Halifax Relief Commission moved quickly to build Canada’s first public housing project.

The commission hired Thomas Adams, a town planner originally from Britain who drew his main influences from the Garden City movement in England.

Adams’s plan called for the creation of a neighbourhood unlike any other in Halifax — or in Nova Scotia, for that matter.

Construction started in 1918 and was mostly completed only 10 months later, an incredible logistical feat spurred by the need to provide better shelter to families forced to live in tents through the winter.

Bordered by Duffus Street to the north, Young Street to the south, Isleville Street to the west and Novalea Drive to the east, the Hydrostone includes 324 dwellings — mostly row houses, some duplexes and a few detached homes — designed by architect George Ross of of Ross & MacDonald Architects in Montreal.

All of the homes are made from tough, fireproof concrete blocks meant to look like cut granite — a welcome feature for tenants who had seen so many wood-frame homes collapse in the explosion onto coal stoves and burn to the ground.

“If you had just watched you family die in a wood-frame house, you’d want something that gave you a sense of additional security,” says Henry.

Hydrostone is the name given to the patented process used by a U.S. company to make the the double-T-shaped concrete blocks. Crushed granite and a cement mixture were pressed into the face of each block using hydraulic pressure.

The neighbourhood, less than one kilometre long, is also notable for its short, parallel, one-way streets and back lanes, where utility poles and other unsightly city trappings are kept out of sight.

But the neighbourhood’s most distinctive feature — aside from the dwellings themselves — is the wide, grassy boulevards in front of each straight row of homes, where neighbours have been known to gather for yard sales, Frisbee tossing, dog-walking and the occasional nap.

“It’s truly amazing that we don’t see more of this,” says Henry. “It’s part of what makes the Hydrostone so precious.”

When the project was completed, there was grumbling from wealthy residents in Halifax’s south end. Some complained the development was too fancy for its working-class tenants.

“Ask any architect who does public housing — the problem with making something that looks quite handsome is deeply troubling to the administrators,” says Henry. “They don’t actually want it to be nice.”

All of the homes remained rental units until they were sold off by the commission in the 1950s.

Today, the Hydrostone is considered one the more attractive and desirable parts of Halifax in which to live.

“It’s a pattern that has stood the test of time quite beautifully,” says Henry, noting that none of the buildings has been demolished in almost 100 years, even though many have had to be clad in vinyl siding to deal with persistent leaks.

“It’s a very intact neighbourhood,” he says. “Lots of people live here, but they don’t get in each others way.”

A renovated, 120-square-metre, three-bedroom row house in the Hydrostone can sell for about $275,000, but smaller units can he bought for less.

Henry says that even though the neighbourhood stands as an example of top-notch planning, it remains an unusual urban outpost because current municipal policies generally favour car-centric urban sprawl over people-friendly green spaces.

An eight-minute drive from downtown, the southern end of the neighbourhood is anchored by a European-style market that was restored to its original grandeur in 1993.

The market’s main floor includes four of the best restaurants in town, a bakery, a jewelry store, an antique shop, a spa, a gardening store, a yarn shop and an art gallery that features the work of Nova Scotia artisans.

Martha Suhr, a Hydrostone resident for the past eight years, says the neighbourhood has a cosy, secure feeling that appeals to families.

“The kids are always playing on the boulevard,” says Suhr, who works nearby at the Henhouse, a custom furniture and antiques store within the market. “There’s a nice community spirit ... I love the area.”

Typically, more than 200 children show up at the door every Halloween, she said, noting that the narrow streets force cars to slow down.

Suhr, who moved from Connecticut to Nova Scotia in 1972, says her two-bedroom end unit needed work when she moved in, and the renovations are ongoing. Still, despite its small size, there’s no wasted space in her home.

“They’re just a nice, comfortable size,” she says. “It has a nice, comfy feel.”

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On the web:

http://www.hydrostonemarket.ca

http://www.halifax.ca/visitors

Christmas in Christmas

Douglas Taylor became postmaster of Noel, Mo., the week before Thanksgiving last year. "I came from California," he said. "And I had no idea."

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2007, the Noel Post Office processed 30,428 Christmas cards and packages - double the usual volume of mail for this town of 1,500 people.

"We had cards from France, Canada, Spain and Great Britain, and from 34 U.S. states," Taylor said. Plus radio and TV crews. "It was a blur, but it was quite fun," he said.

Some senders ship cards to Noel with postage already affixed; others drive in from nearby Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas. Their envelopes and boxes are postmarked "Noel" with special holiday stamps and sent out.

Noel is just one of a number of places with Christmas names that see a lot of out-of-towners this time of year. Sometimes, the post office is the main attraction; sometimes, there are holiday light displays and Santa visits. Here's a look at Christmas in Christmas, Fla., Santa Claus, Ind., Bethlehem, Pa., and North Pole, Alaska.

Christmas, Fla.: This small town between Orlando and the Kennedy Space Center is a little like Noel. The most popular destination for out-of-towners is the post office. A special mailbox accepts letters for Santa Claus, which are answered by a volunteer.

Other holiday touches around town: Streets are named after reindeer, mail is collected in Santa-shaped boxes and a trimmed tree on the main highway never comes down.

Santa Claus, Ind.: In the summer, Santa Claus gets lots of visitors to its amusement park, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. But this time of year, tourism is all about Christmas. In addition to the post office, attractions include the Santa Claus Museum, Santa's Candy Castle, Santa's Lodge and the Christmas Lake Village Festival of Lights along a 9-mile trail, Dec. 13-14, with a parade, holiday concerts and craft show. Details on visiting the area at http://www.legendaryplaces.org/christmas/.

Although the Candy Castle dates to 1935 and has old-fashioned attractions like a sweet shop and a place where kids can compose a letter to Santa, there are also 21st century touches, like a North Pole webcam and an interactive computer network where children can chat with an elf or tell Santa what they want. If you can't visit, check out http://www.SantasGoodList.org, a free online activity.

Bethlehem, Pa.: Bethlehem's nickname is the Christmas City and its busiest time of year starts Nov. 28, with the lighting of the city's official tree. Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt for holiday shoppers runs Nov. 28-30 and Dec. 4-7, 11-14 and 18-21. It offers ice-carving, visits with St. Nick and food, including German and Austrian specialties.

The city also has a Main Street shopping district, decorated for the holidays, and on the South Side, a mix of shops, art galleries and eateries.

The town was named Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1741 by Moravian immigrants. Central Moravian Church hosts a Christmas show featuring hymns, carols and the story of early Moravians and their interactions with the American Indians. The show runs Dec. 4-6, 11-13 and 20.

Horse carriage rides, walking tours and night bus tours are also available. After Christmas Day, visitors can attend Christmas City Cirque performances, Dec. 27-28, or First Night Bethlehem, Dec. 31. Details at http://www.christmascity.org.

North Pole, Alaska: No, this isn't the Earth's geographic North Pole, located amid the Arctic Ocean. This North Pole, population 2,200, is almost 20 kilometres from Fairbanks and was officially named in 1953.

One of the big draws here, for anyone who cares to experience winter in Alaska this holiday season, is North Pole Christmas in Ice, an ice festival and sculpting competition. Last year was the first time the event was held. It featured a fierce contest between ice artists from Alaska and China carving a Christmas-themed sculpture from a block of ice.

This year's event kicks off on Thanksgiving Day with the illumination of a frozen turkey sculpture 8 feet tall and 18,500 pounds. There will also be an ice park with ice slides for kids opening Dec. 4 at the start of the two-day ice-carving competition. The park will stay open every day through the end of December. webcam competition coverage, schedule and hours at http://www.christmasinice.org.

On Dec. 6, a winter festival takes place at North Pole Plaza Mall followed by a tree-lighting ceremony and fireworks. Details at http://www.northpolealaska.com/.

North Pole's Santa Claus House includes a gift shop, Santa and real reindeer. "Every year we receive thousands of letters to Santa from kids all over the world," said manager Paul Brown. Some letters get posted on a wall there; others will be put online at http://www.kidssantaletters.com.

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Associated Press Writer Travis Reed in Miami contributed to this report.

20 stunning rock formations

It was day four on a backpacking trip through Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument when I came upon a field of stone spheres sitting in the sun. "Moqui marbles!" my guide shouted, stooping to inspect one of the tens of thousands of rock balls strewn randomly ahead.

At our feet, exposed but untouched in the sand, was a field stocked with one of nature's most bizarre geologic creations: Born in bedrock, moqui marbles are symmetrical iron oxide concretions that range from pea-size to spheres as big as softballs. The natural phenomena—also called shaman stones or thunder balls—erode over time out of solid stone, breaking free after eons entombed underground to roll into the light of day.

Rare rock formations like moqui marbles can stop a hiker in mid-stride. Indeed, you don't have to be a geologist to pause and appreciate the natural artwork of a skyscraping cliff or a tight canyon of multicolored stone.

See our slideshow of 20 Stunning Rock Formations.

For this story—"Stunning Rock Formations"—we highlight 20 geologic sites across the globe. From Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick to the famous chalk arches of Etretat in Normandy, France, these wonders represent some of the world's most famous geology—igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic or otherwise.

In Grand Staircase-Escalante, where slot canyons, hoodoos, cliffs and sandstone arches fill a 1.9-million-acre preserve, the bare land tumbles out of view like an art gallery designed by gods. "In the American West you can see the bare bones of the Earth," said Steve Kasper, a guide with REI Adventures who led the Grand Staircase trek.

Kasper, a veteran guide and lifelong geology buff from Truckee, Calif., travels to rocky corners of the West year-round for REI Adventures, bringing groups to hike, backpack and climb from Lake Tahoe to the deserts of Death Valley. He grew up in the East but was changed forever at the sight of Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during college. "There was something elemental and simple, something that connected with me, when I saw that geology," he said of the 14,505-foot mountain.

One day during my Utah trip, I followed Kasper into a slot canyon near the Escalante River. We hiked a dry tributary streambed then squeezed through a gap in sandstone 100 feet deep but almost too narrow for my hips to fit, a sliver of sunlight falling into the tight stone.

See our slideshow of 20 Stunning Rock Formations.

The geologic world we see today—from rock canyons to moqui marbles—is billions of years in the making. For time incomprehensible, magma flowed and rocks took form. Minerals aggregated. Floods cut earth to shape basins and canyons, now carved artwork of dirt and crumbling stone.

At sites like Mono Lake, an alkaline body of water in northern California, calcium carbonate deposits called tufa towers stand erect like arms reaching to the sky. The lake is among hundreds of sites in the West where travelers come with a primary purpose of looking at rocks.

Another site, Devils Tower, a 1,000-foot-high monolith of columnar basalt, stands like an immense tree truck against the Wyoming sky. Climbers reach and jam on the hundreds of cracks that lace the Tower's exterior, ascending for hours while hikers watch below.

Around the world, formations like Wave Rock in Western Australia are renowned tourist destinations. The 50-foot-tall wall of granite curls as a crashing wave, sacred to Aboriginal natives and a main attraction for travelers passing through the agricultural town of Hyden.

In Northern Ireland, Giant's Causeway is a seaside grouping with tens of thousands of interlocking basalt columns. Visitors photograph the innumerable hexagonal posts, which tumble like stair steps into the sea.

Click to the slideshow to see the stunning photos of tall mountains and tight canyons, from Utah to Northern Ireland—a journey through space and geologic time.

See our slideshow of 20 Stunning Rock Formations.

Inside the coolest hotels

Travellers looking for a memorable winter vacation might skip the Four Seasons Nevis and head to the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden.

This month the resort is furnishing guests with igloo residences complete with ice beds (don't worry, the hotel provides guests with a thermal sleeping bag and reindeer skins) $200 a night and up. Visitors receive a hot cup of lingonberry juice when they awake before going to thaw in the outdoor sauna.

Truly brave souls can embark on an all-day wilderness camp, in which they explore the outdoors on dog sleds, cook their own meals over campfires and sleep in cozy log cabins. Those staying on-site can take ice-sculpting classes, tour the surrounding area on ski or snowshoe and wind down with a drink at the Absolut Icebar.

But you don't have to put your vacation on ice to enjoy a once in a lifetime experience. With leisure travel flat for 2008 and forecasted to decline in 2009, according to the Travel Industry Association, hotels and resorts are finding they need to lure travelers not only with packages and deals but with madcap amenities as well.

In Pictures: World's Coolest Hotels

And those in the travel industry say now is perhaps a perfect time to sample the strange.

"There's one reward in traveling now, and that's escapism," says Juliet Kinsman, editor in chief of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a boutique luxury hotel company that also specializes in travel books. "People would rather spend two nights somewhere really special than a one-week holiday somewhere less expensive."

Sweet Spots
Whether occupying a room in which Judy Garland stayed or sitting next to Catherine Denueve at the hip Hotel Costes in Paris, there are plenty of one-of-a-kind ways to vacation.

Few experiences, however, are more escapist than a stay at a super-secluded destination hotel.

To get to Estancia Colome, an expansive Argentine ranch that sits 13,125 feet above sea level, you must fly into Salta City and endure a bumpy five-hour car ride through the Andes. But the end result, devotees say, is worth it: nine spacious suites with heated floors and high ceilings and verdant 150-year-old vineyards surrounded by a view of snow-capped mountain peaks. Visitors can explore the Andes through jogging and hiking trails, tour the winery and vineyards or just relax at the spa. And now that the hotel is adding an art museum, designed by American artist James Turrell, more travellers will likely make the trek.

Those with the means to travel to destination hotels, however, may choose to stay closer to home this year.

"People don't want something too lavish," says Syl Tang, chief executive of HipGuide, which tracks trends in fashion and travel. "They don't want to be seen as extravagant."

Instead of heading off on an African safari, Americans might choose the Caribbean.

There, they will find the Goldeneye Resort. This 18-acre Oracabessa, Jamaica, retreat is where writer Ian Fleming penned 14 of his James Bond novels, and the thatched-roof villas are named after some of the fictional spy's love interests. But stay at the writer's personal three-room house for a real treat: it features an outdoor claw-foot bathtub, sunken garden and mini movie theater. A floodlit tennis court and snorkeling on the nearby coral reefs give visitors plenty to do.

Another way luxury consumers can feel less guilty: going green.

Tang says that regions like Asia and Mexico have had green hotels for years, but now, as Western consumers grow more and more concerned about the environment--or as it gets cooler to become so--luxury lodges are following suit.

One example is Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, Calif., an unpretentious, eco-friendly hotel with just 30 rooms--some in wooden tree houses nine feet in the air and standing on stilts. Its buildings and furniture are made of sustainable materials, it uses reduced-wattage lighting and passive solar heat, and 90 of its 100 acres are protected for their rare, threatened and endangered species.

But whether exotic, socially conscious or just star-studded, cool is still an elusive, slippery thing, somehow managing to stay ahead--or above--the curve without succumbing to trends.

"Trendy is one thing, cool is another," says Ken Scrudato, traveling contributor to the cutting-edge culture magazine BlackBook. "Cool is something that's actually cultivated over time."

Which is probably why one of Scrudato's favorite hotels is the over 100-year-old Gore Hotel in London, where the likes of Judy Garland, Charles Dickens and 19th-century soprano Dame Nellie Melba once slept.

"The Gore, with its extravagant, aristocratic-bonkers-uncle decor, absolutely perfectly epitomizes London-British eccentricity and bohemianism," he says.

He's not alone: The Rolling Stones and Oasis are also fans. Now that's pretty cool.

In Pictures: World's Coolest Hotels

Affordable spots to escape cold

Spending winter in a major city is substantially less fun than those scenic television shots might lead one to believe. The sidewalks are icy, the skyscrapers work together to perform perfect wind tunnels and crazed hordes of holiday shoppers can make December almost intolerable.

When average daily temperatures dip far below freezing, it's time to get out of the city. But with the economy struggling, sunbathing on a private beach in Maldives may not be a financially feasible option. In Pictures: Affordable Places To Escape The Cold

Fortunately, getting warm this winter doesn't have to break the bank. Travelers who stick close to home, select up-and-coming locations and score travel deals from financially ailing resorts and airlines can get out of the cold for an affordable price.

Central America and the Caribbean deliver a major cost-saving advantage, according to Tim Leffel, author of The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money Is Worth a Fortune.

"If you're coming from the U.S., you don't have to pay very much to get there, and there's less jet lag, so you can really hit the ground running," he says. Better yet, both regions contain a plethora of lesser-known destinations where the U.S. dollar is especially strong.

Up-and-Coming Spots
Honduras, home of the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere, is behind the tourism curve, as just 383,000 non-Central American tourists visited the country in 2007. This is starting to change.

Leffel recommends the island of Roatan off the country's Atlantic coast, where travelers can expect warm weather and wallet-friendly hotel deals, like the $799 low-season dive special at Anthony's Key Resort. The price includes a room for seven nights, three meals a day, a tropical picnic, an island fiesta, a buoyancy control workshop and dive equipment and transportation for up to 23 dives. Roatan is especially attractive for new divers--certification there is cheaper than almost anywhere else in the world.

In Panama, where economic and political turmoil stifled investment in tourism as recently as the early '90s, chain super-hotels haven't been able to gain the foothold they have elsewhere in Central America--which keeps the area cheaper. Many travel experts are calling Panama the new Costa Rica, and Leffel likens the region to a pre-Ambergris-Caye-rush Belize.

Bocas del Toro, an Atlantic coast Panamanian archipelago, offers "the charm of the Caribbean Islands without the prices," says Leffel.

Another option is to head to the Caribbean. Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, "is booming from moderate prices to high-end luxury," says Mitchell Sukoff, branch manager of New York City-based luxury travel agency Altour. In the past few years, there's been a push by the local government to increase tourism there, which has resulted in a profusion of all-inclusive resorts. It's the same latitude and lifestyle as Jamaica, but much cheaper--a night at all-inclusive Punta Cana beachfront resort Allegro Playa Dorada costs a mere $73, compared with $235 at Sandals Montego Bay.

Opposing Strategies Across The Border
Travelers who choose balmy Mexico for a winter getaway would do well to stay far away from traditional beach destinations. "The five beaches that everyone goes to in Mexico are basically priced for Americans," says Leffel. Head just 30 minutes down the coast from the big tourist spots, he says, and you'll find more local flavor, fewer tourists and hotels for drastically reduced prices. He recommends the traditional village of Zihuatanejo over tourist-heavy Ixtapa, or the quiet Tulum instead of Cancun.

In the U.S., however, the best strategy is the exact opposite. Heading straight for the hot spots could be the best bet, since discounts abound.

Gabe Saglie, senior editor of bargain travel Web site travelzoo.com, says most hotels in warm locales see a drop in summer sales that recovers once the weather turns cooler. With the economic stress of this year, however, sales in many popular tourist destinations have not rebounded, which is driving hotel prices down.

"Domestically, the No. 1 destination is Vegas," says Saglie. "The MGM Grand just published a $59 deal [per night], which was the lowest price we've ever seen, plus a $300 fly-back credit if you return."

Similarly, Sukoff recommends Orlando, Fla., where luxury hoteliers accustomed to massive winter influxes are offering big price cuts. The Loews Portofino Bay hotel at Universal Orlando, for instance, is offering a winter price reduction that increases the longer you stay at the resort.

Sweetening the deal: Getting to these destinations is cheaper at the moment as airlines cut prices to fill seats.

Travelzoo's Saglie notes that big carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest and AirTran are all but lobbing discounted fares at passengers. For example, one recent three-day sale from multiple carriers offered $49 one-way tickets to destinations in Florida, and a recent round-trip special from Boston to Cancun was under $200. One of the best deals around is to one of the traditionally most expensive places: Hawaii.

A 15% drop in flights to and from the islands since September of this year has hotel managers aggressively recruiting guests with discounts. At the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa on Maui (average winter temp: 80 degrees), those who stay five nights get a $1,000 resort credit for food, activities and spa treatments such as the 80-minute Pohaku hot stone massage.

The most important advice is to act quickly. Says Mindy Joyce, senior marketing director of Travelzoo, "When we publish a deal, that goes out to 10 million people in the U.S. If you stall, and it's a really good deal, it's probably going to be sold out." In Pictures: Affordable Places To Escape The Cold

The season for tree lightings

NEW YORK -- Here's a holiday travel activity that's easy on the budget: Official Christmas tree lightings. They're usually free, though some drive-through displays charge admission by the car, and most are up through New Year's Day or a few days later.

The famous celebration at Rockefeller Center takes place Dec. 3, 7-9 p.m. If you can't be part of the crowd that night, stop by in person later in the season.

In Washington, D.C., the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse will be lit Dec. 4. Tickets for the ceremony have already been distributed, but you can see it through Jan. 1. On Dec. 2 at 5 p.m., the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

If you're visiting California, stop by the 30-metre fir tree at The Grove in Los Angeles, which was lit Sunday and is decorated with 10,000 lights and 15,000 ornaments.

On Christmas Eve in Louisiana, over 100 bonfires are built along the banks of the Mississippi in the locales of Lutcher, Gramercy and Reserve. It's an old Cajun tradition, to guide the way for "Papa Noel." Gray Line offers a six-hour trip to the event from New Orleans, including a tour of Destrehan Plantation and dinner. The cost is $76 for adults, $48 for children. Contact graylineneworleans.com.

In Salt Lake City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lights up Temple Square beginning Friday.

In Boston, Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree every year as thanks for relief sent from Massachusetts following the Halifax Explosion in 1917. This year's tree will be lit Dec. 4, 6-8 p.m., on the Boston Common.

The Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Daley Plaza takes place Dec. 2 at around noon.

Cincinnati's Norway spruce will be lit at Fountain Square on Nov. 28, with festivities starting at 6:30 p.m.

Detroit's tree was lit Nov. 21 at Campus Martius Park. You can go ice skating there when you visit.

Des Moines, Iowa, offers 5.3 km of "Jolly Holiday Lights," a nighttime drive-through display in Water Works Park, Nov. 25-Jan. 1. Admission is $9 US per car.

Atlanta hosts Macy's Great Tree Lighting at Lenox Square Mall the evening of Nov. 27.

Some cities have manmade lighting displays shaped like trees instead of the real thing. In Charleston, S.C., the "tree" of lights will be lit Dec. 6, 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m. in Marion Square. In Indianapolis, the holiday display also consists of thousands of lights, on view in Monument Circle beginning Nov. 28.

In Texas, on Dec. 7, Austin lights a manmade 47-metre-tall tree of lights strung from the city's Moonlight Tower. On Dec. 14, the city opens its Trail of Lights in Zilker Metropolitan Park, running nightly through Dec. 23, a 1.6 km, walk-through display of lighted scenes including Santa's House. In Houston, the Uptown Holiday Lighting begins Nov. 27 along Post Oak Boulevard.

Even Honolulu has an official Christmas tree. It will be lit Dec. 6 at Honolulu Hale, the local City Hall.

IT'S A WILD WONDERLAND

NEW YORK -- The Bronx Zoo is bringing in reindeer and turning off the lights at its holiday light show. Zoo officials have decided to hold a daytime Wild Wonderland instead of the usual nighttime event. On hand will be Clydesdale horses, reindeer and craft workshops where children can make eco-friendly tree ornaments.

Zoo officials say moving the event to the daytime will reduce its carbon footprint by an amount equal to the annual emissions of a three-person household. Winter Wonderland will open Dec. 6 . See bronxzoo.com.

SCORE BIG IN OTTAWA

OTTAWA -- A variety of hotel/hockey packages -- combining accommodation and tickets to an Ottawa Senators game -- are being offered by the city's tourism department and can be booked online at ottawatourism.ca.

A total of 39 Ottawa-area hotels, from budget to luxury, are participating in the Hockey Night in the Capital promotion. The cost ranges from about $131 to $375 per person and includes one night's accommodation, game tickets and a meal.

The packages, available throughout the NHL season, can also be booked at 1-888-OTTAWA-8.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree stands lit during the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York.

Global guide to tipping

Take a taxi anywhere in South America, and rounding the fare up to the next dollar amount is sufficient as a tip. If you're in an African city such as Cape Town or Nairobi, however, you need to tip 10% for a cab ride.

Going to India? Taking a taxi here means there is no need for gratuity at all.

While even the savviest globetrotter might know the best places to dine and the hippest hotels to stay at, knowing what to tip and when can be downright confounding. Those lucky enough to have the time--and money--for a trip abroad this holiday would be smart to heed local custom. In Pictures: Global Guide To Tipping

"Gratuity etiquette perplexes even the most experienced travelers," says Misty Ewing, director of public relations at Virtuoso, a luxury travel network that has travel consultants and ground operators in more than 70 countries. "Everyone has a different interpretation of what's expected and acceptable when showing your gratitude; too much or too little can offend."

At a luxury hotel in Japan, for example, if you try to tip anyone from the wait staff at a top restaurant to the hotel concierge, your gesture will be perceived as a rude and flagrant show of wealth. On the other hand, if you skimp on tipping at any restaurant in the United States or to a concierge who has helped fulfill multiple requests, you probably won't be welcome again.

Top Tips
While these conventions can leave travelers scratching their heads, experts say that there are a few basic rules of thumb to following about tipping.

"In most places around the world, it's better to give something than nothing--so if you're ever in doubt, tip," says Erica Duecy, editor of restaurants and hotels at Fodor's travel publications. "And in many cases, tipping customs can be broken down by area of the world, so what you're supposed to tip isn't going to vary too much from country to country in that region."

In most countries in Europe, for instance, the service charge is included in the meal; it's customary to add another 5% to 10% for gratuity, especially in high-end restaurants. If no service charge is included, add 15% to the total bill. For taxis, 10% is the right amount to tip, and for hotel porters, give the equivalent of $2 per bag.

Experts agree that when it comes to the concierge at your hotel anywhere in the world, you don't need to tip for advice such as what sights to see; but you should always acknowledge service. In Europe, $2 is enough for each simple request the concierge fulfills, such as arranging airport pickup or making restaurant reservations.

If your concierge is performing special tasks, such as arranging an after-hours tour of the Louvre, it's appropriate to tip $30 or more, depending on the difficulty of your request.

Accepted in Asia
Asia is one part of the world that has slightly different tipping customs for each country.

In Japan, tipping is an insult in any situation; but in China, giving 3% is expected at restaurants, while in Hong Kong, 10% to 15% is the norm if the gratuity isn't included in the bill. For taxis, you don't need to tip in China, but in Hong Kong, you should round the fare up to the next dollar amount.

In both China and Hong Kong, you should give hotel porters $2 to $3 per bag, especially at luxury properties, while $3 to $5 is a good amount for basic requests you ask of the concierge. You should incrementally increase this amount based on the complexity of your request.

What to Do Stateside
It's not always obvious what you need to tip in the U.S. While it's standard to tip 15% at restaurants, if you're enjoying a meal at an upscale spot such as the French Laundry in Napa Valley, it's expected that you'll tip at least 20%.

For taxis in cities such as New York City or Chicago, you should tip 15%, but in smaller cities or towns, you simply need to round up the fare to the next dollar amount. When you check into a hotel, you should give the porter $1 for each of your bags, but if you're staying at an upscale property such as the Four Seasons or the Ritz-Carlton, $2 to $5 per bag is more appropriate. Give on the higher end for especially heavy bags.

When it comes to the hotel concierge, give $3 to $5 for a basic service, such as arranging airport transportation. If the concierge fulfills a more difficult request, like getting you a last-minute 8 p.m. table at a restaurant that is typically booked weeks in advance, it's not uncommon to shell out $20 and up.

Follow these rules, and chances are you'll be less likely to be tripped up while traipsing around.

In Pictures: Global Guide To Tipping