Department
Glass walkway over Grand Canyon opens soon
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March 28 is the planned public opening date of The Skywalk on the western rim of the Grand Canyon, approximately 120 miles east of Las Vegas . The Skywalk, now in the final stages of construction, will be a cantilevered, U-shaped glass walkway suspended more than 4,000 feet above the canyon's floor and 70 feet out from the canyon's rim.
The Skywalk was developed by Grand Canyon West, owned and operated by the Hualapai Tribe, whose 2,000 members own nearly one million acres of land in the area.
Approximately 10 feet wide, the bridge's floor is made of layers of tempered glass several inches thick, supported by steel beams, with five-foot glass walls on each side. The top layer of the glass floor is replaceable in case of scratches that affect visibility. Shoe covers will be issued to visitors to avoid scratches and slipping.
The Hualapai see The Skywalk as a unique new way for visitors from around the world to view the Grand Canyon.
“Because this is the first project of its kind, we want to make every effort to ensure the experience is absolutely spectacular,” said Sheri Yellowhawk, CEO of Grand Canyon Resort Corp.
Denver Restaurant Week
The 3rd Annual Denver Restaurant Week runs from Feb. 24–Mar. 2. The seven-day celebration of the culinary scene in Denver is presented by Beringer Vineyards and sponsored by the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) and the Denver Newspaper Agency.
During Denver Restaurant Week, participating restaurants offer a multi-course meal for the fixed price of $52.80 for two (Denver is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level, one mile high).
A total of 120 metro Denver restaurants participated in last year's event, serving more than 54,000 meals. Many of the restaurants experienced record-breaking numbers, while the event's website received more than 100,000 unique visits with the average visitor spending 17 minutes on the site, viewing more than 40 menus.
“Denver Restaurant Week was created to celebrate how many changes there have been in Denver's culinary scene in the past few years,” said DMCVB president & CEO Richard Scharf. “We want to create an opportunity to encourage both residents and visitors to get out and explore new restaurants and also return to some of their old favorites.” For more information, visit www.denver.org or call 303-892-1112.
Pueblo Zoo reopens historic buildings
In April, visitors to the Pueblo Zoo will find two historic structures transformed into “Islands of Life,” a complex of exhibits illustrating habitats in isolation.
The complex brings new life to the buildings formerly known as the Animal House and Monkey Island, built in the 1930s as part of the New Deal federal employment programs. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with three other structures at the zoo, as the Pueblo Zoo Historic District.
Unique features of the buildings have been restored to their original charm, including a lighthouse, miniature boat, carved drinking fountain and a bas-relief decorated historic cage.
Animals in the new complex include Madagascar lemurs, San Esteban lizards, hyraxes, meerkats, fruit bats, squirrel monkeys and other exotic species. A major part of the project was the installation of two acres of xeriscape demonstration gardens, a bridge, pathways and patios as part of the zoo's water-wise landscaping program. The exhibit building itself is heated and cooled using geothermal energy.
For more information call 719-561-1452 or visit www.pueblozoo.org.
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
Afloral pirate ship will drop anchor, and Disney princess topiaries will color the landscape at the 14th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, Apr. 5–Jun. 3 at Walt Disney World Resort. Previously running for seven weeks, the festival expands to 60 days this year.
The pirate ship topiary will include intricately designed floral versions of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinker Bell. Other popular characters featured as topiaries throughout the park will include Mickey, Goofy, Donald Duck and Pluto as pirates, Minnie Mouse as a princess, and many more.
In all, there will be more than 70 topiaries—plus 30 million blooms, artfully designed floral beds, bonsai trees and rose gardens gracing the 300 acres of Future World and World Showcase.
The festival is known by gardening aficionados for its celebrity guest speakers, hands-on seminars, and innovative planting demonstrations and exhibits.
Evening concerts with a “Flower Power” theme provide live entertainment from top acts of the 1960s and ‘70s. Past lineups have included The Turtles, Davy Jones, The Association and other crowd pleasers.
Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden is back with hundreds of butterflies in a screened, walk-through enclosure. The family oriented Growing Future Gardeners area, complete with colorful (and tasty) planting ideas for kids and parents, doubles in size this year following an overwhelming response during its 2006 debut.
New themed weekend events will salute spring romance and Easter whimsy. Back are the child-friendly I Dig Bugs weekend, Art in the Garden weekend, and a Mother's Day celebration.
Other festival features include a Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion showcasing the plants used to create Guerlain perfumes; Disney Gardening at Home presentations of tips and secrets for your own gardening; kids' activities, including an upgraded Tinker Bell's Fairy Garden; Disney character meet and greets; and daily ladybug releases.
All festival gardening programs and exhibits are included in regular Epcot admission.
Air Force Academy revises access
The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs recently revised its base access policies, with the goal of returning to pre-9/11 ease of access for tourists. The Academy is a nationally recognized historic landmark and one of the most popular attractions in the Pikes Peak region. It is particularly known for the dramatic architecture of its Cadet Chapel. Visitors can now enter the base by either the north or south gates between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, by presenting a valid driver's license to the sentry in the far right visitors' lane. Cars will be inspected before entry. To find out more about visiting the Academy, call 719-333-2990 or visit www.usafa.af.mil.
Scandinavia: Europe 's best-kept secret
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Bergen, Norway
©Pal Hoff/Visit Bergen
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Perhaps you've “done” London, Paris, Rome and the other popular cities of Europe. Where now? For more and more travelers, the answer lies in Scandinavia, from its Viking past to a myriad of spectacular natural and manmade wonders.
The Scandinavian region consists of four countries— Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Each has its own distinctive culture, scenery and atmosphere.
Denmark vividly demonstrates why Scandinavia ranks among the most beautiful regions on Earth. It is the smallest of the four countries, with Copenhagen, “City of Spires,” at its heart. Must-sees include the famed Little Mermaid statue, Tivoli Gardens, the Amalienborg Royal Palace, and, for beer aficionados, Carlsberg Brewery.
In search of the Vikings? Norway responds. Oslo's Viking Ship Museum will blow you away with its ninth-century vessels, the best-preserved Viking longships ever found by archeologists. The Kon-Tiki Museum showcases the daring research voyages of anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl. In Bergen, gateway to the fjords, visit the lively Torget Fish Market or the Merchant's Quarter. Art reigns at the exquisite galleries of Lille Lungegardsvann Lake.
Stockholm, capital of Sweden, is built on 14 islands and was voted Europe's most attractive capital. You'll see why as you wend your way through its vibrant maze of medieval streets and ancient alleys. Enjoy sites such as the 13th-century Riddarholmen Church in the Old City center, and the Stockholm Royal Palace, the world's largest royal residence.
Beaver sausage is a decidedly Finnish specialty you can sample in Helsinki's Old Market Hall. Then again, you may simply prefer to tour this “Best-Designed City in Europe” for its splendid architecture. The 19th-century Senate Square, the Russian Byzantine Uspenski Cathedral and the island fortress of Suomenlinna are all must-sees.
While Scandinavia's cities have much to offer, no Nordic vacation is complete without visiting the countryside. Just a few worthwhile stops are Denmark's Kronborg Castle in Elsinore (the ghostly setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet); Norway's mountain train to Flåm, a journey literally above the fjords; and Finland's Olavinlinna Castle, the best preserved medieval castle in northern Europe.
Universal Studios does Mardi Gras
Every spring, Universal Studios in Orlando recreates the festive traditions of Mardi Gras in a family theme-park atmosphere. This year's theme is “Let the Music Move You.”
Every Saturday evening through April 14, the park will have three live concerts from a wide range of Louisiana blues, jazz and zydeco musicians. There will also be performances by big-name bands such as Huey Lewis & The News, The Doobie Brothers, The Four Tops and many more.
Bringing the sights and sounds of the Big Easy to Florida, there will be street performers, beads, and a spectacular parade each night with colorful costumes and a procession of Mardi Gras floats. Authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine is also on offer.
The evening Mardi Gras festivities are included with Universal Studios admission.
AAA members save 10% on select food and merchandise inside the park. Visit your local AAA office or www.aaa.com/universal to purchase discounted tickets.
Tahiti—closer than you think
The mere name seems to conjure up images of thatched huts over turquoise lagoons and isolated valleys filled with flowers and waterfalls. Thousands of individuals, couples and honeymooners have surrendered themselves to these romantic and beautiful islands.
Tahiti is the common name for the nation of French Polynesia, independent since 1998, which consists of 118 islands and atolls spread over an area the size of western Europe—allowing visitors to choose a destination as isolated or as sophisticated as they desire. It's also the name of the largest island, containing the capital, Papeete. Other major islands in the group include Huahine, Bora Bora and Moorea.
French and Tahitian are the official languages of Tahiti. However, in tourist areas almost everyone speaks English. If you're heading outside the resorts, it's a good idea to brush up on some basic French.
Flights depart nearly every day from Los Angeles on Air France, Air New Zealand or Air Tahiti Nui—the nonstop journey takes seven and a half hours.
In Tahiti, there are an infinite number of ways to get in touch with nature and, ultimately, yourself. Crystal-clear waters provide the ambiance for a catamaran sail or picnic on a private motu (island). Tahiti's lagoons are like giant natural aquariums where tropical fish swim up and eat out of your hand. Water sports abound, including glass-bottom boat tours, shark feeding excursions, and scores of white sand beaches where the only footprints you see are your own.
Hikers will find lush valleys crisscrossed by waterfalls, with surprises around every bend in the trail.
The main island offers vacationers a wonderful balance of unspoiled nature, beautiful resorts and, for those who prefer city life, Papeete's vibrant international flavor. A few must-sees include the Gauguin Museum, Botanical Gardens, Lagoonarium and Museum of Tahiti & Her Islands. For information on Tahiti, visit your AAA travel professional or visit www.aaa.com and click on “Travel.”
What happens to lost luggage?
Where does your luggage go, if you're unlucky enough to lose it at an airport? The answer may surprise you: it goes to Alabama.
Only a tiny percentage of the millions of bags handled daily at U.S. airports are lost in transit, and most of those are returned to their owners within a day or two. But if a bag goes unclaimed for a full 90 days and the airline still cannot find the owner, it is considered a permanent loss.
The luggage and its contents are then shipped to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. There, any usable items are cleaned, appraised by experts if necessary, and put on sale to the public.
The center's store covers more than a city block. Major departments include designer clothing, sports equipment, cameras, books, toys and jewelry. Most items are priced at 50–80% of their retail value.
Strange finds are not uncommon. One shopper bought a Barbie doll for her daughter and found $500 rolled up and stashed inside the doll's head. On another occasion, a $250,000 guidance system for an F-16 fighter plane turned up at the store—it was eventually handed over to the Navy. With newly arrived goods appearing on the shelves several times a day, shoppers never know from one day to the next what might be on offer: a suit of armor? A violin? A parachute? All have been seen here.
Due to the volume and rapid turnover of its inventory, the store can not help with inquiries about lost items. For more information call 256-259-1525 or visit www.unclaimedbaggage.com.
Two new exhibits at Denver museums
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
From Mar. 2–May 20, the museum features Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World. Celebrating the 300th birthday of the scientist, inventor, diplomat and philanthropist who is often called “America's favorite founding father,” the exhibit includes more than 250 original artifacts along with re-created settings and hands-on activities exploring Franklin's youth in Boston, his work as a printer, his civic visions and scientific research, political career and more.
Original versions of five of the nation's founding documents are also included in the exhibit. Franklin was the only American to sign them all. These historic documents—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Treaty of Paris, the Treaty of Amity & Commerce, and the Albany Plan of Union—are on display together for the first time in the Western states.
Colorado History Museum
The new core exhibit for 2007 is Tribal Paths: Colorado's American Indians, 1500 to Today. This exhibit looks at some of the major events in tribal history over the past five centuries: trade networks, encounters with newcomers, the removal of tribes to reservations, the boarding school experience, the modern civil rights movement and the experience of contemporary Native American culture in Colorado.
Did you know?
If you're heading to Mexico, China, Hong Kong or India and plan to do some souvenir shopping, be wary of purchasing glazed ceramic tableware—unless you'll be using it for decorative purposes only. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration warns that many glazed ceramics in these countries contain dangerous levels of lead, which can seep into foods and beverages if the item is used on your dinner table.
Transatlantic cruising Travelers who want to experience the style of the “good old days” (but with all the modern conveniences) should consider a transatlantic cruise.
Sea crossings between Europe and America are a considerably different experience from other cruises. While a few voyages include stops at ports (most often in the Canary Islands or Iceland), these are short diversions from the main event: the ship itself and the vast expanse of the open ocean.
Transatlantic voyages were once the heartbeat of commerce across the Atlantic, but today they are seasonal treats. Most sailings occur to fit in with the migration of cruise fleets from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean in the spring and their return voyages in the fall.
Eastbound crossings depart from New York, Boston, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and a few Caribbean ports. Westbound ships sail from Southampton, England; Barcelona, Spain; and other major European ports. Ships may take a long southern route past the Canary Islands, or a quicker northern route (starting from only six days).
For more information, contact your AAA Travel professional or visit www.aaa.com and click on “Travel.”
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