Today, take a long at Taiwan, the largest island in the Republic of China, and formerly known as Formosa.  Generally thought of as a business destination, rather than a leisure one, Taiwan offers plenty to both types of travelers.

Here are a few things to do if you are visiting Taiwan:

1. Visit the National Palace Museum – Located in Taipei, the museum is home to the largest and most impressive collections of Chinese art and objects.
2. Rent a boat on Sun Moon Lake – Taiwan’s largest lake, it is divided into two halves by an small island, making it look the sun and the moon.
3. Cherry Blossom Season – A month of festivals and activities, February 20th – March 22nd, 2010.
4. Shop at the night markets – Shopping and food at Shinlin in Taipei, Liouhe in Kaosiung, and Fengija in Taichung.
5. Temples – Visiting Longshan Temple, along with other old, yet well preserved temples, make for a charming afternoon in Lukang.
6. Tea Time – Visit Assam tea farms near Sun Moon Lake.
7. Eslite Bookstores – Open 24-hours, so it’s perfect if jetlag has you awake when you should be sleeping.
8. Taiwanese Opera – Traditional costumes and makeup.
9. Taiwan Lantern Festival – Colorful paper lanterns dot the landscape, and cities have parties and celebrations.  It’s fun, but also culturally based.  February 28th – March 7th, 2010.
10. Wine tasting – Taichung Winery dates back to the early 1900’s.  A surprise to me since I didn’t know a thing about Chinese wine.
11. Go diving – Green island, a small offshore island, is full of coral reefs, volcanic formations, and beaches.  Great for swimming and snorkeling as well.
12. Great Buddha Statue – One very big Buddha, located in Mount Bagua in Changhua.
13. Try some bubble tea – Made in a variety of different styles, the iced tea with tapioca pearls is probably the most popular with visitors.
14. Catch a game – Baseball and basketball are popular spectator sports in Taiwan.
15. Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall – Built to honor the military and political leader, the hall is surrounded by a park and large square.
16. Tai Chi – Join early morning practitioners in Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
17. Surfing – The southern coast is a popular beach locale, and great for surfing.
18. Find serenity in a monastery – The Fo Guang Shan Monastery in the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan.
19. Watch a puppet shows – Street performances with detailed wooden puppetry.
20. Dragon Boat Races – Because everyone loves a boat race, and these look really cool!  June 1st – 30th, 2010.
21. Hike around Jade Mountain – At nearly 13,000 feet, it’s Taiwan’s highest mountain.
22. Karaoke – Very popular.

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

22 Things to Do in Taiwan

The book is a celebration of the 50 states and the US Territories, and features a combination of photos and content, organized by state.  You’ll also find regional information, road trips, history, culture and traditions, architecture, and the must-see and quirky spots across the country.  If you love road trips, you’ll enjoy the chapter highlighting the top road trips in the country, including the famous Route 66.

I’m hoping to eventually visit all 50 of the states, and this is a great reminder of what I’m missing in North Dakota, Missouri, and Tennessee.

With over 400 photos, this is a book you’ll want to pick up and leaf through time and again, and as you do you’ll see both how diverse we are. . . yet how much we have in common.

The USA Book is published by Lonely Planet, and is available through them, Amazon ($28.79), as well as at your favorite online or neighborhood book store.

Photo credit: Lonely Planet

Post from: Blisstree

The USA Book: A Journey Through America

Paris Las Vegas has teamed with Georges Duboeuf, one of the largest wine merchants in France and well known his product of Beaujolais wines, for a special Beaujolais uncorking package.  This is a perfect getaway for the wine enthusiast to enjoy a 5-day celebration full of Beaujolais Nouveau tastings, special events, and celebration.

Here’s what the package includes:

• Accommodations at Paris Las Vegas (up to 5 nights, valid November 18th – 22nd)
• 2 tickets to Wine 101:  Celebrate the Harvest (wine tasting seminar)
• Bottle of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau and 2 commemorative wine glasses
• VIP passes to Risqué nightclub

You can check out the full Beaujolais Nouveau festival schedule to learn all about the special events that are planned.  You must be at least 21 years of age to book this package.

Package prices depend on number of nights accommodation, and do not include taxes or gratuities.  As with all travel packages, be sure to do your do diligence as to what is and isn’t included, as well as the cancellation policy.

While it would be great to be in Paris, France for this celebration, Paris, Las Vegas may be the next best thing.

Photo credit: personal collection

Post from: Blisstree

Beaujolais Festival at Paris, Las Vegas

The Ford Amphitheatre – This outdoor venue in the hills north of Hollywood features a calendar of diverse music, from world music to jazz and blue grass.  It’s owned by the County of LA, and has 1,200 seats, providing an intimate outdoor music setting.

Concert at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles

Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk Hollywood – Originally an outdoor amphitheater, this venue, located at Universal Studios, was converted to an indoor one back in 1982.  It seats 6,000, and hosts national acts.  It’s known for its spectacular acoustics, giving you quality listening whether your in the front row or the last.

Grand Performances at California Plaza – Nothing is better than FREE musical performances, and that’s what’s offered up here throughout the summer.  It’s a favorite for local residents who come to watch up and coming local acts during the lunch hour and on weekends.  Located right downtown in the heart of things, crowds of nearly 6,500 people can be accommodates in this urban garden setting.

The Greek Theatre – Located in Griffin Park, this venue goes back to the 1920’s.  Lots of famous acts have appeared in this outdoor amphitheatre that will seat nearly 6,000.  Performances offered April through October.

Hollywood Bowl – This place is legendary (in photo), and your concert experience can include a picnic dinner, bottle of wine, and a spectacular sunset.  The venue is laid back, family-friendly, and can accommodate more than 17,000 people.  Despite its size, concerts here generally sell out, so if you want to catch a performance, be sure to plan ahead and get tickets in advance.  During the summer, the LA Philharmonic calls this spot home.

House of Blues Sunset Strip – You can catch nearly every genre of live music at House of Blues, from hip hop to gospel.  The iconic club looks like something transplanted from the south, with its rusty corrugated roof and factory-like look, but inside its all plush LA.  The Sunday Gospel Brunch is a big favorite.

Knitting Factory Hollywood – Related to the east coast indie-hip Knitting Factory, this location offers some of the most eclectic music you can imagine.  Mexican ska, Cambodian rock, and metalcore join emo, indie and classic rock.  The venue has 3 stages, often blending a diverse audience of music lovers.  Come back often, and you may discover the next greatest act.

Nokia Theatre at LA Live – The newest and glitziest of the live music venues, the Nokia Theatre boast 7,100 seats, none of which are more than 210 feet from the stage.  It’s a big venue, still trying to bring you that intimate music experience.

Walt Disney Concert Hall – Audiophiles will love this venue, with its expert acoustics.  The architecture is also great, and the seats have unobstructed views.  Primarily a venue for classic music, the LA Philharmonic plays here from October through June (after which they move to the Hollywood Bowl for summer performances).

The Wiltern – This venue gets its name from combining the two streets where it’s located – Wilshire and Western, and its Art Deco building can seat up to 2,300 on tiered floors.  Boasting good acoustics, this venue is often used for acts to tape a live concert album.

Photo credit:  SXC

Post from: Blisstree

10 Los Angeles Music Venues Worth a Visit

The Bronx:

• Boo at the Zoo – Along with zoos across the nation, the Bronx Zoo welcomes families on a haunted safari, a hayride, and to share in all sorts of ghoulish family experiences.  Offered weekend until November 1st.  Admission is $15 for adults, $11 for children aged 3-12 (FREE when wearing a wildlife costume and accompanied by an adult paying full-price admission).
• Halloween Hoorah! – New York Botanical Garden sponsors this full day of fun (and a little bit of learning) with opportunities to decorate pumpkins, play with leaves, and learn all about the mysterious vampire bat.  October 25th, 11 am – 4:45 pm.  Admission, which includes admission to the entire garden, is $20 for adult and $8 for children (ages 2-12).

Brooklyn:

• Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel – This high-tech haunted house was designed by the faculty and students at New York City Collect of Technology.  It’s open October 16 – 17th, 22nd – 24th, and 29th – 31st.  Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for students (ID required) and kids under 12.
• Halloween at the A-Scarium – New York’s Aquarium on Coney Island host scary sea yarns, an expert pumpkin carver, and trick-or-treat stations.  Experience monsters of the deep on October 24 – 25th, and October 31st – November 1st.  General admission, which includes admission to the entire aquarium is $13 for adults and $9 for children aged 3-12 (FREE when wearing a wildlife costume and accompanied by an adult paying full-price admission).

Manhattan:

• Pumpkin Festival’s Scarecrow Contest – Scarecrows pepper Central Park contest.  You’ll have to register online by Friday, October 16th, in order to entire your scarecrow, though.  You can view the all the scarecrow entries on Saturday, October 24th, noon – 5 pm, at the Bethesda Fountain.  The top 3 scarecrows from each age category will be displayed at the Arsenal Gallery.
• Nightmare:  Vampires – An interactive haunted house exhibit that will explore the history of vampires.  Designed to be education, as well as scare the pants off of you.  Dates:  October 14 – 18th, 20th – 31st, November 1st, 4 – 7th.  $30 in advance, $35 at the door.  October 24th is Kids Day, and children tickets available for $15.  Other than Kids Day, no child under 12 will be admitted with a parent or guardian.
• Village Halloween Parade – This annual community event is full of fun and quirkiness.  The parade is Halloween Day, and starts at 7 pm.  Various activities and community projects will be going on all evening.  If you don’t get can’t get down to the village, you can watch the parade on television (NY 1) starting at 8 pm.

Queens:

• Pick Your Own Pumpkin – A perfect activity for the whole family, the Queens County Farm Museum offers pumpkin picking on October 17th, 18th,24th, 25th, and 31st, weather permitting.  Admission is FREE, except for the 25th when a $5 per person admission is charged to support the Children’s Fall Festival.  Your pumpkins is priced based on its size.  I always want to get a BIG one!
• Haunted Hike – Head into Forent Park, and see if there really are things that go bump in the night.  Saturday, October 31st, 6 pm.  FREE.

Staten Island:

• Halloween Harvest Fair – A day of outdoor family activities involving crafts, games and costumes at Conference House Park.  Saturday, October 17th, 11 am – 4 pm.  FREE admission, and a $10 charge for an unlimited access pass for the inflatable slide and bounce house.  Those latter activities are for kids only.
• Halloween Extravaganza – The ghosts of the St. George Theatre get let loose for a night in this award-winning show.  Lots of special effects and illusions make for an entertaining show, although younger kids may be a bit too spooked.  Friday, October 30th, 7:30 pm.  Tickets:  $10-28.

Halloween in New York City is always entertaining!

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Halloween Activities in New York City

The book, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, is companion piece to the mini-series, but is also capable of standing on its own merits.  It is a captivating visual reminder of the very best that we have to offer.  Ken Burns is a marvelous storyteller, and he has captured the essence of who we are as a society in the series and book.  In his introduction he speaks about the park system, “for the first time in human history, land–great sections of our natural landscape–was set aside, not for kings or noblemen or the very rich, but for everyone, for all time.”

The book was written with Dayton Duncan, a longtime Burns collaborator, and the photography will delight any traveler has visited or longs to visit one of our 391 National Parks.  You can pick it up on Amazon for $29.25.

If you missed the mini-series (I recorded it!), you can pick it up in a 6-disc set.  $64.99.  The soundtrack, which features music heard in the series, is available for $14.49.

I know I said that I wasn’t going to mention it, but any of these items (or all of them in a nice package) would make a great Christmas gift for your favorite traveler.

Photo credit: Amazon

Post from: Blisstree

The National Parks: The Book, DVD & Soundtrack

One of the popular places to be during the holiday season, is New York City.  From the beautifully decorated department store windows, to ice skating at Rockefeller Center, to the parade and the Rockettes, and everything else that the city has to offer.

One of the highlights of the season is the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center.  The tree overlooks the ice rink, and the promenade leading to the ice rink from 5th Avenue, and is one of the most recognizable holiday symbols.  If you’re making plans for the tree lighting, mark this date on your calendar:

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009, 7-9 pm

The two hour program will include celebrity appearances, music, and lots of festivities.

If you can’t make it for the lighting ceremony, you can still see the tree on display until January 7th, 2010.  It will be lit daily from 5:30 am – 11:30 pm, all day on Christmas, and from 5:30 am – 9 pm on New Year’s Eve.

Photo credit: cchen @flickr

Post from: Blisstree

2009 Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center

The Signature is a slice of heaven, located just of the famous Las Vegas Strip, and is part of the MGM Grand resort complex.  It offers a non-smoking, non-gaming atmosphere, rather different than the usual Las Vegas experience.  The hotel offers all-suite, very luxurious, accommodations, and access to top notch dining, amenities, and personalized guest services.  All that, and you only steps away from the MGM Grand and its spa, nightlife, shops, and gaming.

It’s easy to be convinced of the luxury of the Signature, but how about that affordable part?  Right now the Signature is offering a couple of great promotional packages that can bring a stay within your budget.

• Fall for Vegas – Room rates include a $50 golf credit, $50 resort credit, $25 Grand Spa credit, 2 complimentary admission to Studio 54 or Tabu, and a complimentary bottle of wine after arrival.
• Stay 3 Nights – With a 3 night stay you’ll get a $75 resort credit.
• Stay 5 Nights – With a 5 night stay you’ll get a $150 resort credit.
• Stay 7 Nights – With a 7 nights stay you’ll get a $300 resort credit.
• His or Her Getaway – One bedroom suites (starting at $209/night), with champagne and strawberries on arrival.  Or pop and beer.  Package also includes four cocktails at Signature poolside, admission for four to Studio 54, 25% off spa services, and a $25 credit to Walter’s golf courses.

I was at the Signature about a year ago, and it lived up to its billing.  I loved the ability to get away from the hubbub of the casino part of the property, having a quiet place to work and sleep.  I think it makes a perfect location for a business trip.  The suites provide plenty of room and comfort to work, you have space for a quick meeting if you need time with you colleagues, the MGM Grand is on the monorail line, and you have everything you want within reach.  It would also be great for a romantic getaway.  With luxury like that you may not ever want to leave your room.

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Signature at MGM Grand

Post from: Blisstree

Affordable Luxury at MGM Grand’s Signature

In that case, consider a vacation in Boston, and take a class at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

The array of classes include “Back to Basics” which introduces the art of sauces.  You’ll get a brief history lesson, then head into the test kitchen to master some of the basic sauces and learn how you can adapt them to your own dining preferences.  And, of course, you’ll have an opportunity to share and taste test your masterpieces with your other classmates.

The school offers a full course curriculum in the culinary arts, and in addition offers a variety of recreational classes that includes:  Tapas, Italian cuisine, French cuisine, soups, pies and tarts, Greek cuisine, Asian cuisine, Sushi, and a whole lot more.

Take a day out of your trip to Boston and take a class!  And if Boston isn’t in your plans, check out cooking schools wherever you may be.  Most major cities will have some type of culinary program, although not all offer one-off registrations.

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Take a Cooking Class When You Travel

St Thomas, US Virgin Islands

There are sorts of perks that come with this Cent-sational Promotion including:

• 25 cent room nights at participating hotels, maximum stay of three nights
• $25 per person dining  credit
• $25 resort activity credit
• Virgin Islands commemorative quarter Scotiabank coin set

There is, of course, some fine print on the deal, and you will have to act quickly because these rooms will go in a flash:

• Promotion lasts for 25 days, from October 9th – November 2nd, or until the allotted number of packages have been sold.
• Travel dates must be between October 9th – November 15th, 2009, and participating hotels may have blackout dates.
• Reservations must be made through BookIt.com
• The promotion does not apply to existing booking
• Taxes and resort fees will apply

Participating hotels are:  Bolongo Bay Beach Resort, Carambola Beach Resort & Spa, Hibiscus Beach Resort, Hotel Caravelle, Marriott Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort, Secret Harbour Beach Resort, The Palms at Pelican Cove, Windward Passage, Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort & Spa.

This is a last minute, short term travel deal, but if you can clear your calendar and get away, this is a fabulous promotion.  Be prepared to be persistent and flexible.  I’m not able to get away during this time frame, but if I was I’d be poised at my computer ready to take advantage of this promotion.  A bargain like this can be worth the effort!

Photo credit: flickr

Post from: Blisstree

Grab a USVI Hotel Room for 25 Cents