http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2009, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:03:10 EST Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/01/24/TRseromance_0127.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/01/24/TRseromance_0127.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:58:04 EST http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2008/05/01/TRrushmore_0504.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2008/05/01/TRrushmore_0504.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 2 May 2008 12:45:14 EDT Rapid City, S.D. — Visitors from around the globe stand in reverence in the shadows of America's Shrine of Democracy, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt once called Mount Rushmore. They have come to salute one of America's most recognizable icons and four of our most famous presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. Few who visit this colossal carving on a cliff in South Dakota leave unaffected. "These sculptures represent America, and their backdrop is the sacred Black Hills," says Mount Rushmore superintendent Gerard Baker, one of the few American Indian park superintendents in the country. (His brother, Paige Baker, is superintendent at nearby Badlands National Park.) http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/05/01/TRrefundtrips_0501.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/05/01/TRrefundtrips_0501.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 1 May 2008 15:20:31 EDT Personal finance gurus say you should use the tax rebate check arriving this week — or later this summer — to pay down credit card debt or add to retirement savings. But if you decide to use the windfall to hit the road, consider these trips: $300 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/05/01/trcruise_0501.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/05/01/trcruise_0501.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 1 May 2008 11:36:40 EDT PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — Gas prices are leaping toward $4 a gallon, food prices are soaring, the economy is in a tailspin and families are cutting back expenses to weather the crisis. All that might seem to spell a gloomy forecast for the travel and vacation industry, but at least one segment, cruise lines, say they expect to weather the current choppy economic seas without major disruptions. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/04/10/TRspas_0413.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/04/10/TRspas_0413.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:20:36 EDT Mont-Tremblant, Canada, and Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands — A blizzard had halted flights from the East Coast to the Midwest when I padded through the snow to the outdoor hot tub at Quintessence, a boutique hotel in the Laurentian Mountains of eastern Canada. The handrail on the tub was coated with ice, but the water was toasty. I propped my chin on a snowy ledge so I could look at frozen Lake Tremblant beside me and reclined in the water to gaze at the snowflakes, stinging my face just a little before they melted into swirls of steam. Icicles formed in my hair as I decided to do the proper Nordic thing and take a dip in the adjoining cold pool — around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I only made it in up to my waist before I retreated to the hot tub. My skin felt like it had been pricked by tiny pins. That's what's supposed to happen. Open the pores with heat, close them again with cold. Repeat several times and then plunk down on a lounge to relax. Completely. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/va_stories/2008/04/10/TRvaspa_0413.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/va_stories/2008/04/10/TRvaspa_0413.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:54:57 EDT Williamsburg, Va. — The challenge, said spa designer Sylvia Sepielli, was to take the essentially modern construct of a spa and integrate it into the fabric of one of the country's premier historical destinations. You can get a massage or facial at the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg. You can get a manicure or pedicure or sit in the whirlpool. But the spa's signature treatments, modern interpretations of healing and relaxation practices of the last five centuries, take you into a time machine. Each incorporates therapies drawn from the prevailing attitudes toward health and wellness in a specific era. In sum the five experiences highlight wellness traditions not only across time but also across the ethnic groups that have left their imprint on Williamsburg. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/02/07/TRtransatlantic_0210.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/02/07/TRtransatlantic_0210.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 9 Apr 2008 15:29:42 EDT http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2008/04/08/trlakewales_0409.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2008/04/08/trlakewales_0409.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:21:43 EDT Lake Wales, Fla. — One expects a Swiss chalet to be surrounded by snow, not sand, but this is Polk County, the land of the unexpected — some would say the downright quirky. So what's the big deal about Chalet Suzanne, a country inn in Central Florida that's been a top romantic getaway and honeymoon destination for almost 80 years? It's just your average flamingo-pink Swiss chalet, with two dozen-plus rooms and an on-site soup cannery known for manufacturing the "Moon Soup" Apollo astronauts enjoyed on the space missions of the 1960s and '70s. You'll also find a few leftover cans of sterile Florida well water bearing the label NASK, for Nuclear Attack Survival Kit, that were processed there in 1962 as a response to the Cuban missile crisis. This Swiss chalet has no ski lift, but it does have a sod airstrip out back should you arrive flying your own twin-engine aircraft or helicopter. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/03/25/trmadison_0326.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/03/25/trmadison_0326.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:00:14 EDT Madison — The concentration of elegant 19th-century homes here has long drawn visitors who love architecture and history. But, for a long time, there wasn't much beyond what you can see through the windshield and not many reasons to get out of the car. Downtown dining was limited to a strictly OK meat-and-three. A handful of chain motels were clustered near I-20 just outside of town. That's all changed. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/03/20/TRyorkshire_0323.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/03/20/TRyorkshire_0323.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:00:57 EDT Yorkshire, England — Armorial crests, ancestral portraits and a Great Hall to display them in. Even if we're not to the manner born, we can all dream of being kings and queens for a day in the noble houses of Yorkshire. Travelers who venture an hour by fast train out of London to this northeast quadrant of England discover elegant spa towns and wild vales and moors. England's largest county is a favorite of hikers, golfers and lovers of the grand country estate. "This area has the greatest built heritage in Britain," contends Sir Thomas Ingilby, deputy chairman of the Yorkshire Tourist Board. "Everyone knows the châteaux of the Loire, but there are only 17 of them. We have 48, built over a 1,000-year time span." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/02/28/TRgreece_0302.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/02/28/TRgreece_0302.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:20:34 EST Mykonos, Greece — I thought I knew myself. At least, I thought I knew what kind of vacation I like — a topic that occupies an enormous chunk of my waking hours. Point me toward the Uffizi or some other vast museum and I'll be happy for days. Hand me a ticket to a London West End theater or some tragic Italian opera and I'll think I'm in heaven. My vacation philosophy until now? Give me a lively city and let me cram in as much culture as possible. I'm happy to let others soak up the scenery and show me their pictures later. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/25/trmexico_0125.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/25/trmexico_0125.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:19:09 EST CANCUN, Mexico — Going wild in Mexico doesn't have to mean a tequila-fueled beach vacation dancing on tabletops surrounded by carousing spring-breakers. In fact, the big party destination of Cancun is a short distance from lush parks hosting wildlife of another sort. Neon pink flamingos, howler monkeys, brilliant toucans and mysterious sea turtles are just a few of the locals you can meet by trading la vida loca for a more nature-friendly trip. Cancun and its surrounding area of the Riviera Maya are Mexico's top destination for international travelers, drawing more than 3.5 million visitors a year. The beach was the lure for the first visit my wife and I took six years ago. But since then, we've returned to explore the Northern Hemisphere's largest barrier reef off the coast, natural springs pocking the Yucatan, mangrove swamps, salt marshes and thick jungle. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/23/TRromance_0127TR.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/23/TRromance_0127TR.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:55:50 EST Peter Island, British Virgin Islands Corks pop. Crystal clinks against crystal. Some couples chat with one another. Others hold hands and observe a gentle silence. We are gathered on the highest point of Peter Island Resort in the British Virgin Islands to watch the sun set. Each couple is provisioned with their own iced bottle of Moët et Chandon, their own plate packed with fruit and cheese. The sky obligingly puts on quite a show. It slowly turns fuchsia, then deep magenta. And at last, in a brilliant flash of light, the huge Caribbean sun swoops down into the sea. There is a collective sigh. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/03/trcheapuk_0106.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/03/trcheapuk_0106.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 4 Jan 2008 18:13:31 EST London — With the dollar worth about half a British pound, American visitors on vacation in London might as well hand over their wallets at the airport. But you can see London and not break the bank if you base yourself outside the capital. "London is a major city, and like most major cities it's more expensive than out-lying areas," said Joanna Allen, a New York-based spokeswoman for VisitBritain, the country's tourism agency. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/03/trcheap2_0106.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/int_stories/2008/01/03/trcheap2_0106.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 4 Jan 2008 18:13:30 EST 1. Several chain stores such as Boots, Marks & Spencer and Pret a Manger offer a wide selection of takeaway foods at affordable prices. 2. Museum lovers should take advantage of free admission at 238 museums and galleries in London, 11 in Scotland and eight in Wales. 3. The Original London Walks at www.walks.com offers more than 300 informative walking tours throughout London as well as Explorer Days, one-day sightseeing tours to places such as Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury and Oxford. A regular London walk costs about $12.