Best Trick or Treat in America

Friday, 21 October 2011

Best Trick or Treat in America- Trick or treating in one city's neighborhood may leave you with a ghoulish treat, a full-size candy bar, while knocking on doors in another may leave you feeling ghoulish yourself, stuck with a box of raisins.
Beyond the generosity of neighbors, there are also more strategic factors to take into consideration, such as how to get the most candy with the least amount of walking, and how to celebrate safely to make it home to enjoy your Halloween treats.

Real estate website Zillow.com took all those factors into consideration when crafting its third annual 2011 Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index, released today, ranking the 20 best cities in the country for Halloween.
Zillow used its own Home Value Index and Walk Score, along with population density and local crime data, to determine the rankings.
No need for a round of bobbing apples or a costume contest to break a tie here. The city of San Francisco came out the clear winner, topping even Seattle, which had come out on top in Zillow's previous rankings.
The top 20 cities vary in population, wealth , diversity and size.
The list includes cities from sea to shining sea, with Boston, Honolulu, Seattle and Chicago and San Francisco in the top five. But if you want a true candy rush, head West. The region is home to nine of the top 20 cities.
Zillow breaks the rankings down even further, listing the top five neighborhoods to trick or treat in each of the top 20 cities. If you're lucky enough to be in top city San Francisco, for example, head to Pacific Heights where, Zillow says, it's all treats and no tricks.
Only a week and a half remains until October 31, so finalize your costume, prepare your pumpkin bucket or pillowcase and see if your city made the best trick or treating list.
20 Best Cities to Trick or Treat:

1. San Francisco
2. Boston
3. Honolulu
4. Seattle
5. Chicago
6. San Jose, Calif.
7. Washington, DC
8. Los Angeles
9. Philadelphia
10. Portland, Ore.
11. Minneapolis
12. Pittsburgh
13. San Diego
14. Cleveland
15. Miami
16. Denver
17. Milwaukee
18. Virginia Beach, Va.
19. Baltimore
20. Albuquerque, NM

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Fall Colors off the Beaten Track

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Arizona

Everybody knows that autumn brings flaming foliage colors to New England sugar maples, oaks, beeches and more in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. But there are many other worthy spots around the world to admire autumn finery and appreciate the seasonal flow of time in nature. Here are a dozen of the best.
Arizona’s Sonoran Desert is known to aficionados as a desert with trees some of them deciduous hardwoods in the stream-fed canyons at the edge of the Sonoran. Oak Creek Canyon, north of Phoenix, is lined with oaks, maples and sycamores that fire up brilliant fall colors in October and November, especially along some of the side canyons that invite hikers welcoming the cooler temperatures of autumn. Unlike most other fall-color venues, from Oak Creek you can head back down to Phoenix and return to summer, polishing off your fall foliage tour with a day by the pool. Phoenix weather in October and November

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Arkansas

The landscape in northwest Arkansas' Ozark Mountains is very similar to New England. The best place to view the colors is Buffalo National River (actually a national park), where towering ridges shine in maroon, bronze, butterscotch and apricot. The ideal visitor gateway is the charming historic town of Eureka Springs; mid-October is the time to visit.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Eastern Canada

Not far from New England, but far less famous (and less crowded) are the forests of Eastern Canada. Maples, birches and aspens start turning as early as mid-September in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This is one of the few places travelers can enjoy superb, leisurely viewing without driving themselves: Canada’s VIA Rail runs multiday fall-color train journeys eastward out of Montreal. Through mid-October, Holland America Line offers week or longer sailings from Quebec City that visit the beautiful Gaspe Peninsula and Saguenay Fjord, whose forests are seen by relatively few travelers. Fall foliage train trips, Fall foliage cruises

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Oregon

Though they are much less imposing than the towering trees most associate with fall color, the 5- to 10-foot vine maples of the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range in Oregon may yield the most intense color found in any fall foliage, a palette of vermilion, salmon and magenta that seems magically more vivid on cloudy days (which come often enough after Labor Day). Oregon has the two best drives for vine maple color, the Mount Hood Highway (U.S. 26) heading southeast out of Portland, and the Santiam Highway (U.S. 20) between Corvallis and Sisters. Bend and Portland are the gateways; the best viewing starts in mid-September, or even earlier in dry years.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: British Columbia

Though larches range up into southern Canada, south-central British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley holds an entirely different natural venue for fall color: fruit orchards and vineyards. Stretching almost 200 miles north to south and framed by burly mountains and long, azure lakes, the apple, peach, pear, apricot and wine-grape farms that line the valley offer every conceivable hue throughout October, often into November. Their hues are complemented by the glowing gold of native cottonwoods. The launching point is Kelowna; a day trip either north or south from there is ideal, and the most scenic and colorful route is the short drive to Naramata from Penticton, overlooking Okanagan Lake. Okanagan Valley fruit

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Colorado

One of Earth’s most widespread trees is the aspen, found worldwide in the northern temperate zone, from Alaska to Siberia. Many aspen fanciers believe they reach their zenith in the Colorado Rockies, and one of the world’s biggest aspen stands is at the north end of the Elk River Valley, north of Steamboat Springs. One can drive for hours in the mountains near Steamboat Lake and see few trees other than aspens. A similar experience is found along the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway, which circles the mountains southwest of Crested Butte. Go early in autumn; few experiences match the aural, visual and aromatic pleasures of an aspen forest after the first fall rains have dampened the fallen leaves.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Alaska

While most people envision Alaska as a landscape of conifers, its river valleys are lined with birches and tall, sometimes quite massive cottonwoods. These majestic trees turn a glowing gold in September; the smaller birches that dot the landscape add a lighter shade of lemon-yellow. The best viewing is in and around the quaint log-cabin village of Talkeetna, which lies along the banks of the Susitna River. It’s a pleasant and easy three-hour drive from Anchorage, but those who’d like to view at leisure can hop on the delightful Alaska Railroad, which winds north from the Anchorage airport to Talkeetna and beyond; from mid-September on, the trains run weekends only.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Wisconsin

While travelers may think of Door County, Wisconsin, for its cherry orchards in July, the same trees create a rolling, pastoral landscape of burnished bronze, carmine and butterscotch in October as the leaves turn. This serene peninsula in Lake Michigan, three hours north of Milwaukee, also has apple orchards, though these don’t offer colors quite as vivid, and quiet country lanes through native birch and hardwood forests. While the cherry season is long past by fall, Door County is the fourth-largest producer in the United States, so there’s still plenty of jam, cider and other fruit products to enjoy not to mention fresh apple pie.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Sweden

The beautiful countryside of Sweden is at its best in the birch forests of the Dolarna lakes district, in the middle of the country four hours northwest of Stockholm. Tidy pastures dotted with horses are framed by blocks of birches dappled by fall’s slanted light, with a hundred lakes shining between the hills and the quintessential Swedish iron-red-painted homes tucked into farmsteads. The two towns bookending huge Lake Siljan, Mora at the north and Rattvik at the southeast, are both excellent visitor centers, with numerous hostels, small inns and B&Bs mostly geared toward the summer music festival season. Trains from Stockholm to Rattvik make reaching the area easy, though Sweden is also delightful for driving.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Germany

While northern continental Europe has many hardwood forests, a particularly impressive autumn experience is on offer in Germany’s Rhine River Valley, whose vineyards turn an array of colors from saffron to amber. The hillsides here hold maples, oaks and beeches that also change; innumerable tour boats and cruise boats ply the Rhine on day-trip or multiday outings. The 40-mile stretch of the Middle Rhine from Koblenz to Bingen was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002; scenic highways follow both sides of the river and are a delight to drive in late September and October.

Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Japan

Japanese maples are a staple of landscaping around the world, largely for their graceful shape and autumn colors — sometimes so vivid it’s hard to believe. The original home range of these trees centers on Japan’s island of Hokkaido, the northernmost main island in the chain. Sapporo, the island’s capital, is better known for skiing (“Blessed by Snow” is the city’s slogan), but its trees blaze in late September and October; nearby Chitose has an October festival devoted to fall foliage. A uniquely Japanese experience is a visit to a ryokan (hot springs guesthouse) with fall leaves scenting the air and coloring the scene.

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Life Expectancy By Country 2011

Wednesday, 3 August 2011

Life expectancy by country 2011- Scroll through this list of the top 20 countries where life expectancy is the longest. life expectancy in the country; U.S. spends more on health care per capita than any other country in the world.

Bermuda

Rank: No. 20

Bermuda life expectancy 80.71
Population
68,679 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 18% (male 6,212/female 6,129)
15-64 years: 67% (male 22,701/female 23,293)
65 years and over: 15.1% (male 4,304/female 6,040) (2011 est.)
Median age
total: 42 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 43.5 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
0.594% (2011 est.)
Birth rate
11.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate
7.57 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate
2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 80.71 years
male: 77.49 years
female: 83.99 years (2011 est.)

Anguilla

Rank: No. 19
Anguilla life expectancy 80.87
Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Population
15,094 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 1,861/female 1,764)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 4,855/female 5,427)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 577/female 610) (2011 est.)
Median age
total: 33.3 years
male: 31.9 years
female: 34.7 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
2.173% (2011 est.)
Birth rate
12.92 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 80.87 years
male: 78.32 years
female: 83.51 years (2011 est.)

Iceland

Rank: No. 18
Iceland life expectancy 80.90
80.90, Iceland ... still expect to live longer than men on average, though the gap in life expectancy .

Israel

Rank: No. 17
Israel life expectancy 80.96
Population
7,473,052 (July 2010 est.)
note: approximately 296,700 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2009 est.); approximately 19,100 Israeli settlers live in the Golan Heights (2008 est.); approximately 192,800 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2008 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 27.6% (male 1,057,113/female 1,008,978)
15-64 years: 62.2% (male 2,358,858/female 2,292,281)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male 331,034/female 424,788) (2011 est.)
Median age
total: 29.4 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 30.1 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate
1.584% (2011 est.)
Birth rate
19.24 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 80.96 years
male: 78.79 years
female: 83.24 years (2011 est.)

Sweden

Rank: No. 16
Sweden life expectancy 81.07
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.07 years
male: 78.78 years
female: 83.51 years (2011 est.)

Switzerland

Rank: No. 15
Switzerland life expectancy 81.07
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.07 years
male: 78.24 years
female: 84.05 years (2011 est.)
Switzerland's low infant mortality rate and universal health care contribute to the high life expectancy of its people.

Spain

Rank: No. 14
Spain life expectancy 81.17
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.17 years
male: 78.16 years
female: 84.37 years (2011 est.)
Do those daily siestas add to the life expectancy of the people of Spain Possibly. A decreased infant mortality rate also helps .

France

Rank: No. 13
France life expectancy 81.19
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.19 years
male: 78.02 years
female: 84.54 years (2011 est.)
The average life expectancy for women in France helps bring up the average for the entire country, since French men don't live as long .

Canada

Rank: No. 12
Canada life expectancy 81.38
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.38 years
male: 78.81 years
female: 84.1 years (2011 est.)
Canada's health care system adds to the high life expectancy of its people. The average lifespan for women is also quite a bit longer than men, helping to raise the country's overall average.

Jersey Island

Rank: No. 11
Jersey life expectancy 81.38
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.38 years
male: 78.96 years
female: 83.94 years (2011 est.)
This small island, a British Crown Dependency, has a low infant mortality rate, adding to the longer lives of its people.

Italy

Rank: No. 10
Italy life expectancy 81.77
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.77 years
male: 79.16 years
female: 84.53 years (2011 est.)
A slow-paced lifestyle, especially by the people of the Marche region, seems to contribute to high life expectancy for Italians. Fresh, organic food may also be a factor.

Australia

Rank: No. 9
Australia life expectancy 81.81
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 81.81 years
male: 79.4 years
female: 84.35 years (2011 est.)
A universal health care system and a decrease in a deady habit lands Australia on this list.

Hong Kong

Rank: No. 8
Hong kong life expectancy 82.04
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 82.04 years
male: 79.32 years
female: 84.97 years (2011 est.)
Although Hong Kong's pollution level is high, residents eat healthy and exercise often, adding years to their lives.

Republic of Singapore

Rank: No. 7
Singapore life expectancy 82.14
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 82.14 years
male: 79.53 years
female: 84.96 years (2011 est.)
Singapore is a wealthy nation and their health care system offers additional support for the elderly.

Guernsey

Rank: No. 6
Guernsey life expectancy 82.16
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 82.16 years
male: 79.5 years
female: 84.95 years (2011 est.)
Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel, is an extremely wealthy island. Residents eat well and have access to good health care.

Japan

Rank: No. 5
Japan life expectancy 82.25
Japan has a very low obesity rate, as most people dine on vegetables, fish, rice and noodles.
Japan low obesity rate

Andorra

Rank: No. 4
Andorra life expectancy 82.43
Andorra, located between Spain and France, is No. 4 on the list, based on the Andorrans diet and the fact that they get plenty of exercise.

San Marino

Rank: No. 3
San marino life expectancy 83.01
This small European state has a very low child mortality rate. Residents also tend to work in offices rather than in heavy industry, which impacts lifespan.

Macau

Rank: No. 2
Macau life expectancy 84.41
Macau a former Portuguese settlement has a strong health care system, which helps it land high on the list.

Monaco

Rank: No. 1
Monaco life expectancy 89.73
Monaco, the world's second-smallest country, lands in the No. 1 spot. The people of Monaco are typically wealthy, eat a healthy Mediterranean diet and have low stress.

Source: CIA World

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Beachfront Hotels: Introduction

Sunday, 24 July 2011

Beachfront Hotels: Introduction

Beachfront Hotels: Introduction- Memories from your beach vacation should involve the breeze in your hair and the sand in your toes — not the bill at the front desk. Budget Travel magazine’s challenge? To find 10 getaways under $150 that are less than a five-minute walk to the ocean's edge — a tall order for summer's peak season, when the average price of a waterfront hotel starts around $250 per night. Budget Travel steered clear of the Caribbean (hurricanes) and Southeast Asia (monsoons) to focus only on the most desirable summer destinations in places that don't strand you in the middle of nowhere (unless that's the point). The resulting collection of hotels and resorts, from the family-friendly mainstay of Myrtle Beach to Barcelona's sizzling shoreline, proves that wherever you want to go this summer, you can be right on the shore without breaking the bank.

Beachfront Hotels: Azul del Mar, Key Largo, Fla

Near the top of the arc that forms the Florida Keys sits Key Largo, long celebrated for its glamorous watering holes and unspoiled beaches. In 1948, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall shone a spotlight on the town with a film of the same name. Today, about 200 feet away from where the stars cracked wise at the Caribbean Club, stands Azul del Mar. Thanks to husband-and-wife proprietors Karol and Dominic Marsden, the eight-year-old hotel evokes the island's heyday. Facing Blackwater Sound and Florida Bay, guest rooms feature round porthole windows, faux Ionic columns and colorful accents throughout. Lounge on the lawn amid tropical trees, key-lime bushes and frangipani, or oceanside on the private, man-made shale beach.

Beachfront Hotels: Best Western Plus Beach Resort Monterey, Monterey, Calif.

Finding affordable waterfront digs in coastal California can be a daunting task — which makes this spot right on the beach such a pleasant surprise. Here, you're also adjacent to the 18-mile-long Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, which leads right to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, San Carlos beach (popular with divers) and Fisherman's Wharf. This is a "Best Western Plus" (as opposed to a straightforward "Best Western"), which means perks like free Wi-Fi. The 196 rooms are painted in sweet, muted tones of cream with cranberry accents and are furnished simply with wicker furniture. Floor-to-ceiling windows maximize the star attraction — the view of Monterey Bay.

Beachfront Hotels: Caribbean Resort & Villas, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

This summer, the year-old Myrtle Beach boardwalk has added a 187-foot-tall Ferris wheel to its already long list of attractions (cafes, street performers, fireworks displays). Just 16 blocks north is a stretch of beach that's sugary white, with shallow waters and low waves that are perfect for beginning swimmers. The Caribbean Resort & Villas is strung along the shore, with 438 rooms and suites spread across four beachfront buildings: the Cayman and the Dominican Towers, the Chelsea House Villas and the Jamaican Motor Inn — which is where you can still find mid-summer bargains. (Bonus: Guests here have access to the inn's own pool and beach deck.) The Cayman and Dominican Towers are both geared toward families with small children — they have indoor and outdoor tubing pools, a lazy river and hot tubs, plus an outdoor waterslide area on the north side of Cayman.

Beachfront Hotels: The Chelsea, Atlantic City, N.J.

The Chelsea lit up its retro neon sign in July 2008 along the southern end of Atlantic City's salt-and-pepper shoreline. With a distinctly Rat Pack vibe, the Chelsea channels the easy glamour of a bygone era with its poolside cabanas, fireplace lounges and in-house supper club, the Chelsea Prime, which serves classics like duck ragout and homemade pappardelle. Each of the 331 rooms and suites has boutique touches, like parrot-shaped white lamps, blue velvet curtains and upscale FACE Stockholm toiletries, and the hotel's expansive spa includes a seasonally heated saltwater pool. All guests have access to the Cabana Club, a 15,000-square-foot deck on the fifth floor, whose outdoor swimming pool and indoor lounge provide ocean views.

Beachfront Hotels: El Encanto de Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Though it's only about 60 miles northeast of the well-known resort community of Cabo San Lucas, the village of Cabo Pulmo has a rustic vibe that makes it feel a world away. A two-minute walk down a sandy path from the town's beach brings you to El Encanto de Cabo Pulmo, an inn comprised of three private suites with palm-thatch roofs, rattan chairs, vintage Oriental carpets and Mexican artwork. Opened in 2008, the solar-powered inn is hemmed by bountiful gardens designed and maintained by owners Robert Lerner and Diane Varney, who, now retired, both hold graduate degrees in botany. Set inside the eponymous national park, the town of about 100 residents has long been a haven for divers seeking out rare living coral reefs in some of the world's clearest waters. At night, the skies are nearly free of ambient electric light, presenting spectacularly clear views of constellations.

Beachfront Hotels: GBB Hotel Front Marítim, Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona has it all, so why not drop your bags at the beach to ensure your downtime here is well spent? Across the street from La Nova Mar Bella Beach — where you can rent sun beds and umbrellas and stroll the boardwalk — the four-star Hotel Front Marítim's 177 earth-toned guest rooms feel like they could have come straight out of an Ikea catalog, with clean lines, big windows and parquet floors. A night in means dining on Mediterranean cuisine such as grilled tuna topped with tomato and fried fillet of monkfish served with crisped garlic (a Catalonian specialty) at the house restaurant, Forum, which changes its menu weekly.

Beachfront Hotels: Hotel Napoleon, Menton, France

On the bright blue Bay of Garavan, about a 10-minute walk from the center of town, this chic retreat is just across the street from the beach — and less than a mile from the Italian border. (You can jog there on your morning run.) The 44-room hotel features light colors, airy rooms and soft, square armchairs in the lounge, which is right next to a small pool. It's worth spending extra for a room facing the sea — you'll be rewarded with a great view and a wooden balcony with a table and chairs. A road lines the entire seafront of Menton, but once the double-paned windows are closed, the whoosh of traffic is gone. Breakfast is served on the downstairs patio, under the banana trees. For the true Riviera experience, rent a lounge chair and umbrella (about $18 per day) on the private beach and have a waiter from the beach restaurant bring you a drink.

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What Are the Odds

Sunday, 10 July 2011

Plane Crash

When you’re contemplating a vacation, some travel scenarios are riskier than others. In April, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that no fatalities occurred on U.S. airlines or commuter airlines in 2010. Statistically speaking, flying on commercial airlines remains relatively safe. Furthermore, according to the National Safety Council, flying on a scheduled airline in the U.S. is safer than taking a railroad passenger train — including Amtrak — bus or car. But if flying still gives you the willies, consider taking a fear-of-flying class or research a fear-of-flying clinic in your area.

Shark Attack

Thanks to films like “Jaws” and the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week,” it might have something to do with large toothy fish in the sea. But consider the statistics. “In reality, only one person on average is killed annually in the United States by sharks,” said Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University in Miami. That pales in comparison to the 100 or more people who drown and tens of thousands of swimmers who struggle in deadly rip currents every year. “Clearly, rips are the real killers,” Leatherman said. “Yet most people do not even think about rip currents, much less fear their power or even know how to recognize them.” Read on for more stats on rip currents.

Rip Currents

Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of water moving in an offshore direction. They can occur along any coastline with breaking waves, but are prevalent along most U.S. coastlines. A rip current pulls swimmers away from the shore into deeper water at speeds of up to 8 feet per second — faster than an Olympic swimmer. They can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea, and thus are dangerous to all swimmers. Rip currents account for more than 80 percent of rescues performed by surf beach lifeguards, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States Lifesaving Association estimates that more than 100 people die each year due to rip currents on U.S. beaches.

Pirate Attack

Do you hesitate to go on a cruise or sailing vacation for fear of a pirate attack? Certainly, deadly pirate attacks have been in the news. In February, pirates killed four U.S. citizens who were piloting a sailboat several hundred miles south of Oman. The International Maritime Bureau reported that piracy at sea hit an all-time high in the first three months of 2011; pirates murdered seven crew members in that time period. Heart disease killed 616,067 people in the United States in 2007, and cancer killed 562,875, according to the CDC. Perhaps it makes more sense to lie awake at night worrying about diet and exercise rather than a pirate attack.

Catching Norovirus

Noroviruses are a group of viruses, previously known as Norwalk-like viruses, that can affect the stomach and intestines. In the United States, the CDC estimates that more than 21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis each year are due to norovirus infection. That means about one in every 15 Americans becomes sick with norovirus each year. Norovirus is also estimated to cause more than 70,000 hospitalizations and more than 500 deaths annually in the United States. The CDC lists three reasons:
1. Health officials track illness on cruise ships, so outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land. 2. Close living quarters may increase the amount of group contact. 3. New-passenger arrivals may bring the virus to other passengers and crew.
How can you prevent getting norovirus, Wash your hands often, avoid shaking hands during outbreaks, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Cruise ships have plenty of sanitizer stations these days. It’s a good idea to use them.

Murdered in Mexico

Last year, 111 U.S. citizens were reported to the U.S. State Department as having been murdered in Mexico. Meanwhile, millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year. While the odds are small that you’ll die from foul play in Mexico, you can take action to avoid drug-related violence while traveling there. The State Department’s website recommends avoiding the U.S. Mexico border. “You should be especially aware of safety and security concerns when visiting the northern border states of Northern Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.” Learn more by reading the department's travel warning for Mexico.

Hurricanes

The National Weather Service reports there were no fatalities from tropical storms or hurricanes in the United States in 2010. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina killed 1,836 people. When you average hurricane fatalities over the period from 2001 to 2010, the average is 116 deaths per year. Knowing that, will you change your vacation plans? Perhaps not, but it may interest you to know that 40 percent of all U.S. hurricanes hit Florida. See how many hurricanes have hit your state.

Tornadoes

The National Weather Service reports there were 45 deaths from tornadoes in the United States for all of 2010. However, 2011 is already shaping up to be the sixth-deadliest tornado year in U.S. history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with 536 tornado-related deaths so far, including 151 in Joplin, Mo. See where tornadoes touched down in May, typically the most active month for tornadoes in the United States.

Earthquakes

The National Safety Council’s report “Injury Facts 2011 Edition” says the lifetime odds of someone in the United States dying in an earthquake or other earth movement is one in 148,756. For perspective, the lifetime odds of dying from heart disease are one in six, dying from cancer is one in seven, and dying in a motor-vehicle accident is one in 88. Even being struck by lightning is a more likely scenario, where the odds are one in 84,079. Check the USGS website, Top Earthquake States.
What about the rest of the world? The 9.0 earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011 was one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world since record-keeping began in 1900. The earthquake and tsunami caused 15,538 deaths.

Motor-Vehicle Accidents

Driving is risky business. The National Safety Council reports that about 34,700 motor-vehicle fatalities occurred in the United States in 2010, making it a far more likely cause of death for Americans last year than dying because of a domestic airline crash, shark attack or norovirus infection, or being murdered in Mexico. In 2004, the World Health Organization reported that the highest road-traffic mortality rates are found in some Latin American countries. In El Salvador, the rate was 41.7 deaths per 100,000 population; in the Dominican Republic, it was 41 deaths per 100,000 population; and in Brazil, it was 25.6 deaths per 100,000 population.

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Most World Extreme Castles

Sunday, 26 June 2011

Extreme Castles: Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

Castles generally aren’t something you’d call run-of-the-mill, but some of the world’s historic castles take things to extremes. Here’s a tour of some of the most notable castles you’ll find — no castle-storming needed.
No place symbolizes the extremes of the romantic, fantastical castle ideal like Neuschwanstein Castle, rising from the hills near Germany’s border with Austria. The brainchild of Ludwig II of Bavaria — who also built several other extravagant castles, and left behind plans for still more — the 19th-century castle is a turret-bedecked, theatrically ornate confection that seems made for a fairy tale. No wonder Neuschwanstein reportedly served as the inspiration for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Extreme Castles: Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

Bounded by water on all sides, Eilean Donan Castle commands a dramatic landscape from a small island in the Scottish Highlands. In the castle’s early days, waterways were the main transit arteries in this inlet-filled region, and the castle — perched at the convergence of three sea lochs — was perfectly situated for defense. First built in the early 13th century as protection against marauding Vikings, Eilean Donan Castle has been associated with the Clan MacRae for centuries.

Extreme Castles: Predjama Castle, Slovenia

A castle on an island is one thing, but a castle in a cave? Slovenia has just that in the form of Predjama Castle, built in the mouth of Postojna Cave, about 100 miles east of Venice, Italy. The in-cave location provided excellent defensive capabilities for the castle, whose history goes back at least to the 13th century; these days, cave tours are popular with visitors to the castle.

Extreme Castles: Windsor Castle, England

Just west of London, Windsor Castle is huge, and it’s hugely old, too. According to the British government, Windsor Castle — one of Queen Elizabeth II’s official residences — is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. Its history dates back to William the Conquerer; in the nearly 1,000 years since then, Windsor has expanded to a floor area encompassing about 480,000 square feet.

Extreme Castles: Palácio da Pena, Portugal

With its multicolored exterior walls and its eclectic aesthetic styles, Portugal’s Palácio da Pena almost resembles a cake covered with colorful frosting. The romantic, fanciful castle was built on a craggy hill near Lisbon in the first half of the 19th century and incorporates elements of German, Moorish and other architectural traditions. These days it’s a Portuguese national monument and is used for state occasions.

Extreme Castles: Prague Castle, Czech Republic

Prague Castle is widely considered the world’s largest castle complex. Dominating the Prague skyline from a hill overlooking the Vltava River, Prague Castle has an area of about 750,000 square feet. The castle was probably founded around 880, and it houses the crown jewels and relics of the Bohemian kings who ruled from there over the centuries.

Extreme Castles: Bled Castle, Slovenia

Watch your step here! Bled Castle is dramatically perched on a 415-foot-high cliff looming over Lake Bled, in northwestern Slovenia. The ancient castle was first mentioned in an early 11th century document that called it "castellum Veldes" — the castle on the cliff. The strategic location and the great view have attracted visits by prominent officials over the years; some of the more recent guests have included then-first lady Laura Bush and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Extreme Castles: Burghausen Castle, Germany

At close to 3,500 feet long — that’s considerably more than half a mile — Burghausen Castle is believed to be the longest castle in Europe. Burghausen was founded in the 11th century or earlier, and it saw plenty of military action over the years; this led to the expansion of its fortifications over several centuries. Burghausen lies about 60 miles east of Munich, and it still boasts the majority of its medieval fortifications.

Extreme Castles: Citadel of Aleppo, Syria

Just which castle is the world’s oldest is up for debate, but Syria’s Citadel of Aleppo should at least be part of the conversation. Its history goes back to the Hellenistic period more than 2,000 years ago; even before that, the Assyrians built a temple on the site, and the biblical prophet Abraham is said to have walked these grounds.

Extreme Castles: Malbork Castle, Poland

Castles don’t come much bigger than the one in Malbork, Poland, near the Baltic Sea. The castle was founded by the Teutonic Order in 1274 and was expanded several times over the years to accommodate the increasing number of Teutonic Knights, of whom up to 3,000 may have lived here in the castle's heyday. It’s considered one of the best examples of Gothic brick castle complexes in existence.

Extreme Castles: Castle Stalker, Scotland

Few castles look lonelier than Castle Stalker at high tide. Castle Stalker — pronounced "stall-ker" — sits on what is usually a tiny island in western Scotland, although at low tide the water recedes enough that you might be able to wade over from the mainland. Castle Stalker may be one of the most-seen in the world, at least on screen: The 14th-century castle starred in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," appearing in the final scene as Castle Auuggh.

Extreme Castles: Chapultepec Castle, Mexico

There’s one castle in continental North America that has housed sovereigns: Mexico’s Chapultepec Castle, which Emperor Maximilian I called home during the short-lived Second Mexican Empire in the 1860s. The castle’s hilltop location in present-day Mexico City was once sacred to the Aztecs the modern castle’s history dates to the 18th century.

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Most Expensive Cocktails

Friday, 24 June 2011

Expensive cocktails

You thought the $14 martini was pricey? A sip from these could pay your house note.

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep
Cocktail: Woodford Reserve Mint Julep, Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
Cost: $1,000 USD

Original Mai Tai
Cocktail: Mai Tai, Merchant Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Cost: 750 pounds sterling, roughly $1,267 USD

  
Ritz-Paris Sidecar
Cocktail: Sidecar, Bar Hemingway, Ritz-Paris, France
Cost: 1,250 euros, roughly $1,670

 Macallan Single Malt Whiskey
Cocktail: Macallan 55, Single Malt Whiskey, Skyview Bar, Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Cost: 14.500 AED per 30 ml, roughly $4,000 USD

 Vegas's Ono Champagne Cocktail
Cocktail: Ono, XS at the Encore Wynn, Las Vegas
Cost: $10,000

The Diamond Is Forever Martini
Cocktail: Diamond Is Forever, Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, Japan
Cost: 1,800,000 JPY, over $22,600 USD

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Get High on Vacation

Thursday, 23 June 2011

Get High on Vacation: Sirocco, Bangkok

Travel provides perspective on life, and what better way to get that perspective than to physically rise above it all? Sip a cool one at a rooftop bar in Bangkok, Singapore or Switzerland; swing on ziplines in Colorado and Oregon; drive to the top of a volcano in Hawaii or climb peaks in California or Europe. Here are 16 destinations where you’re guaranteed to get high on vacation.
How about a serving of spectacular scenery with your cocktail? Sirocco, an al fresco bar and restaurant, is perched more than 650 feet above Bangkok, Thailand. The entrance is on the 63^rd floor of the luxury, all-suite hotel Lebua. Sirocco offers a Mediterranean menu, libations and nightly jazz. If it looks familiar, perhaps you caught a glimpse of it in the movie “Hangover II.”

Get High on Vacation: Meteora, Greece

Monks have lived atop the 1,800-foot-high rocky outcroppings in Meteora, Greece since the ninth century. More than 20 monasteries were built here, but only six remain. Monks originally ascended to their airy outposts via rope ladders. Visitors are now cordially welcome to climb the steep stairs that were carved into the rock in the 1920s. You won’t need to be athletic, but you will need determination. The Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron is the oldest and largest monastery and provides a dazzling view of the surrounding plain. Women are encouraged to dress modestly at all six monasteries. Ladies: If you didn’t pack a skirt, one will be supplied at the entrance. You can even wrap it around your blue jeans.

Get High on Vacation: Gondola, Telluride, Colo.

The gondola provides a free, 2.5-mile ride between Telluride, Colo. (8,750 feet), the St. Sophia station (10,535 feet) and Mountain Village (9,545 feet). In winter, it’s a lift for skiers and snowboarders; all year, it’s transportation for local and visiting pedestrians. Ride all the way from Telluride to Mountain Village in 15 minutes, or stop off at St. Sophia station for a hike, a meal at Allred's restaurant or simply a chance to breathe rarefied air.

Get High on Vacation: Tree to Tree Aerial Adventure Park, Portland, Ore.

Ever wanted to be a monkey for a day? Tree to Tree Aerial Adventure Park recently opened on Hagg Lake near Portland, Oregon and offers the opportunity to dangle as high as 50 feet off the ground. This playground amid Douglas fir trees features aerial ropes courses, ziplines and treetop obstacles. Put on a helmet and harness and move from treetop platform to treetop platform via wobbly bridges, tightropes and ziplines.

Get High on Vacation: 1-Altitude, Singapore

Care for an aerial view of Singapore with your Singapore Sling? Ascend to the top of 1 Raffles Place to 1-Altitude, an al fresco bar that towers 925 feet above sea level. It occupies 16,000 square feet across three levels and features a sunken bar and two mixologist capsules where guests can try their hand at concocting their own drinks. And yes, you most definitely can imbibe a Singapore Sling.

Get High on Vacation: Spa on the Rocks, Bali

AYANA Resort and Spa Bali boasts “Spa on the Rocks,” two spa villas perched on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean in Bali. The spa villas are not accommodations, but they do contain everything you need for a blissful day of spa going: changing room, restroom, bathtub, shower and sofa. Order the “Diamond Miracle” treatment and you’ll get two and a half hours of pampering, including a foot soak, massage, Thermes Marins Crystal Peeling, a bath using petals from 500 red roses, and a facial that uses a formula of sea quartz and diamond dust. When you’re finished, you can crawl off to rest at the 290-room hotel or one of 78 private villas spread out along the coastline.

Get High on Vacation: Hut to Hut Hiking, Via Alpina Trail, Europe

Fasten your boot laces and hike from hut to hut nearly 1,200 miles across Europe. The Via Alpina is a network of five trails that cross the alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France and Monaco. You’ll see some of the highest peaks of Europe, including Mont Blanc, 15,782 feet, and the Eiger, 13,025 feet. Want to read about it first? Author Brandon Wilson and his wife, Cheryl, trekked for 111 days along the Via Alpina from Trieste, Italy, to Monte Carlo, Monaco. He wrote a book called “Over the Top & Back Again.” The couple climbed and descended nearly 700,000 feet, or the equivalent of 12 Mount Everests. Wilson says the trail “allows you to experience wild nature, cuisine, legends and unique Alpine cultures for a look at Europe off the typical tour-bus circuit.”

Get High on Vacation: Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Leave the climbing gear at home and simply drive to the top of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano that towers 13,796 feet over the Big Island of Hawaii. Park the car and you’ll see 13 gleaming telescopes of the Mauna Kea Observatories. If you arrive at sunset, you might even catch a glimpse of the mountain casting a massive shadow on the ocean. It’s surreal, to be sure. Just be careful: The air is thin and you will likely feel faint when you step out of the car.

Get High on Vacation: Bungee Jumping, Glenwood Springs, Colo.

Care to hurl yourself 70 feet off a platform? Colorado’s only bungee jump recently opened at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colo. The park, midway between Aspen and Vail, features a gondola ride, tours of Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves, an alpine coaster, a four-dimensional theater, laser tag, a giant swing, a climbing wall, a simulated Conestoga wagon experience, bungee trampolines and a zip ride.

Get High on Vacation: Piz Gloria, Switzerland

Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant at 9,744 feet on Schilthorn Mountain near Mürren, Switzerland, starred in the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” In the film, Piz Gloria is an allergy clinic where Bond’s enemy Blofeld is hiding out. When Bond’s cover at the clinic is blown, he escapes by skiing down the mountain. You can ski down the mountain, too, but you had better be quite an accomplished skier. Travelers may wish instead to simply ride the cable car to the top and enjoy a quiet meal.

Get High on Vacation: Climbing at Yosemite National Park

The Yosemite Mountaineering School offers the opportunity to learn climbing skills on the big granite walls of Yosemite National Park. Go Climb a Rock is an introductory course that teaches beginners the basics of climbing and rappelling; other classes include Crack Climbing, Anchoring, Self-Rescue/Aid Climbing and Girls on Granite, a women’s only instructional course for beginner and intermediate climbers.

Get High on Vacation: Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, is on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It’s 12,500 feet above sea level. Leave from Puno, Peru, and take a tour boat to the Uro Islands, floating islands made of reeds. You can even stay overnight with the people of the Uro Islands, who predate the Incas and speak the Aymara language.

Get High on Vacation: Colorado Ziplines

Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Durango Mountain Resort are both opening new ziplines this summer. Jump on the Purgatory Plunge zipline, 80 feet off the ground at Purgatory, Durango Mountain Resort, and soar for more than the length of a football field at speeds of up to 35 mph. Two parallel cables allow thrill seekers to race each other.

Get High on Vacation: Gondola, Whistler, British Columbia

The Peak to Peak Gondola in Whistler, British Columbia breaks three world records. It’s the longest unsupported span (9,921 feet), the highest lift of its kind at 1,430 feet above the valley floor, and the longest continuous lift system in the world. The gondola links Whistler Mountain's Roundhouse Lodge with Blackcomb Mountain's Rendezvous Restaurant. The gondola not only provides access to 19 hiking trails, but you can use it to tour a black bear habitat, have high tea in an alpine hut or enjoy a wine tasting on a mountaintop patio.

Get High on Vacation: Heli-Hiking on a Via Ferrata, British Columbia

Via ferrata is Italian for “iron way.” More specifically, it’s a mountain route that already has fixed equipment such as cables, ladders and bridges and allows ordinary people to channel their inner mountaineer. Originally built in Italy’s Dolomites, via ferratas have spread across Europe, the United States and Canada. Canadian Mountain Holidays offers two via ferrata expeditions in British Columbia. The first includes a stay at the Bobbie Burns Lodge with a trek to the summit of Mount Nimbus in the Purcell Mountains. The second route is new this year and ventures through the Bugaboo Range.

Get High on Vacation: Mountaintop Yoga, Aspen, Colo.

The Aspen/Snowmass area offers mountaintop yoga. Enjoy an hour of open-air Hatha yoga at the top of Aspen Mountain near Aspen, Colo., followed by an intermediate backcountry hike.

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