Drinking Laws Loosen in Utah
Park City's main street (Latham Jenkins/courtesy, Park City CVB)
As anyone who’s been to Utah (or rather, a bar or restaurant in Utah) knows, the state has got some of the most peculiar and strict drinking laws in the country. But that's all about to change. Starting today, July 1, 2009, the Utah Legislature will no longer require clubs and bars to charge their customers a "membership" fee for entry. This fee was effectively a cover charge that lasted for only three weeks if you were not already a member or couldn't get a member to “sponsor” you. Consider this a huge feat, especially if you're like me and hate paying for anything other than your drinks.
This decision follows last year's adjustment when single shots increased from 1 to 1.5 ounces, the accepted amount for a shot.
Bill Malone, CEO and President of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, believes that with all these new changes, "guests will no longer be able to use antiquated alcohol rules as a reason to shy away from a Park City vacation, meeting or convention."
Wondering where the best spots are to get a drink, now that it's so much easier to stroll into a bar in Utah? We've found the best places to quench your thirst in the state's various ski resort towns, in and around Salt Lake City and Park City.
BONUS: Click after the jump for a recipe for a great drink for summer, concocted by a local Park City bartender.
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June 26, 2009
New Habitat Opens at the International Crane Foundation, Wisconsin
HOME ON THE RANGE: Grey-crowned crane (Mike Endres/Wanderlust Photos)
This past Saturday, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) unveiled a new 15-acre Spirit of Africa habitat at its headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin. I happened to be up in the area for a visit to nearby Wisconsin Dells with my family, so we dropped by the woodlands facility for a closer look at these majestic birds on the opening day of the new exhibit. The ICF is the only place in the world where you can see all 15 species of cranes, including the endangered whooping crane and red-crowned crane.
Unlike a zoo, where you can sometimes feel quite distant from the animals, the ICF's holding pens and open habitats allow you to get fairly close to these statuesque birds, which have become potent symbols for conservation because of threats to their survival that include habitat loss, predation, and pollution. Being there with small kids was a stark reminder that some of the species we were viewing might not even be around by the time my kids become adults. The ICF is dedicated to worldwide efforts to conserve the species as well as the grasslands and wetlands on which they depend for survival.
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June 16, 2009
Lonely Planet Launches New iPhone City Guides for 20 Cities Worldwide
Despite what you might read in the news these days, some travel publishers aren't taking the death of print lying down. In fact, you could say they're reveling in it. Witness Lonely Planet, the go-to guidebook for budget-conscious backpackers (and even well-heeled travelers like my in-laws) for decades. With a savvy Web presence that actually long predates all of today's Web 2.0 chatter, Lonely Planet has just released a series of iPhone City Guides for the iPhone and iPod Touch for 20 cities including London, New York, Rome, Tokyo, and Paris. Regularly priced at $15.99 and available from the iTunes App Store, its San Francisco city guide is currently available for a nominal fee ($.99) until the end of June.
What you'll get is a download containing all the editorial expertise (eg. the best hotels, restaurants, attractions, itineraries) from Lonely Planet's well-researched print guides, but now nicely packaged in a portable, location-based interface that allows you to scroll through maps and customize and save your favorite items. The content, photos, and maps also remain available offline, so no sweat about roaming fees if you happen to be strolling Las Ramblas in Barcelona and need an instant recommendation about where to find the best tapas. And while I can safely say that a downloadable e-guide will never usurp my dog-eared collection of Lonely Planets in terms of sentimental value, these iPhone guides do offer the clear advantage of automatic (and free!) updates whenever new editions become available. Check it out and let us know what you think!
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June 11, 2009
Statue of Liberty Crown to Reopen on July 4th
WELCOME BACK: Statue of Liberty, New York (Photodisc/Getty)
After being shuttered for over eight years following the events of 9/11, the Statue of Liberty will reopen its crown to the public on July 4, 2009. Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m. EST. Purchase them online at www.statuecruises.com or by calling 877-523-9849. You'll have to act quickly, though, as only 240 people per day will be allowed up to Lady Liberty's crown in groups of ten, no more than three times an hour.
Crown tickets are a mere $3 on top of the reserved ferry tickets to 12-acre Statue of Liberty National Monument, which cost $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for children ages 4 to 12. Up to four tickets can be reserved per customer once during any six-month period and are eligible for visits up to one year in advance. Note that free "monument access" passes are also available to enter the monument and ascend the lower pedestal but not the crown; these passes are issued by the ferry operators and will be printed on your ferry ticket. --Erin Pak
For help planning your New York City vacation, visit Away.com's New York City Travel Guide.
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June 05, 2009
Bulk of California State Parks May Close
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California (Robert Holmes/CalTour)
In an effort to narrow the massive California state deficit, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed, among other cuts, the closure of 220 of the 279 state parks and beaches to save about $213 million over the next two years. The state's famed park system attracts nearly 80 million visitors a year.
Parks on the chopping block include Point Lobos near Carmel; Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay; Bodie State Historic Park, one of the best-preserved Old West ghost towns; Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; Will Rogers' Southern California ranch; the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento; Big Basin Redwoods, the oldest state park; and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, home to the world's tallest tree.
The 59 parks that will remain open are said to be the only ones that generate more revenue than they cost to operate. These include Old Town San Diego, William Randolph Hearst's Castle, and many popular San Diego County beach campgrounds. Opponents of the plan, however, argue that this analysis is incomplete and short-sighted, not considering the effects of job loss and tax revenue loss from businesses near the parks.
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June 03, 2009
National Parks to Be Fee-Free This Summer
IN THE LAP OF THE GODS: View from Angels Landing in Zion National Park, Utah (Nathan Borchelt)
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the National Park Service will offer three fee-free weekends this summer at 147 of its park units (a further 244 of the country's parks are already free). Parks affected by this announcement include blockbuster names like Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park (the full list is available here). Speaking at a press conference in Ohio's Cuyahoga National Park, Salazar announced that admission fees will be waived on the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, 2009. The Department of Interior anticipates that the increase in park tourism—and the direct benefits to sagging local economies—will offset the estimated half-million-dollar loss each day in entrance fees.
Start planning your fee-free weekend now with Away.com's Parks & Outdoors Travel Guide, including destination guides, expert advice, photos, trail descriptions, and more.
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May 25, 2009
¡Cuba Libre!: Should the Ban on Travel to Cuba be Lifted?
LONELY LAMENT: Guitarist in Trinidad, Cuba (Chris Cheadle/Digital Vision/Getty)
The incoming Obama administration got the presses buzzing with speculation this past April that it was about to reverse the decades-long ban on travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens. Turns out the changes fell some way short of early predictions, with only a partial loosening of restrictions on travel and remittances by Cuban-Americans. However, pressure is still being applied by proponents of an end to the outright ban, the only such restriction for U.S. travelers anywhere in the world. Travel website Orbitz.com recently entered the fray, launching an online petition that it hopes to use to lobby the new administration to drop the ban, in place now since 1962. You can sign the online petition, plus learn more about travel to Cuba, at OpenCuba.org.
Do you think the travel ban to Cuba should be lifted? Leave your comments below.
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May 21, 2009
PSA: New Border Control Rules to Go Into Effect on June 1, 2009
Don't get caught on the U.S.-Canadian border without the required documentation this summer. On June 1, 2009, all U.S. and Canadian travelers will be required to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. This is part of new requirements under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). WHTI-compliant documents for entry into the United States at land and sea ports include the following:
- U.S. or Canadian passports;
- Trusted Traveler Card (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST/EXPRES);
- U.S. Passport Card;
- State or province-issued Enhanced Driver's Licenses (when and where available).
U.S. and Canadian children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
For more information about the coming WHTI changes, visit www.GetYouHome.gov.
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April 30, 2009
Airlines Ease Reticketing Restrictions for Mexico Travel
The swine flu outbreak has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend that U.S. citizens avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico. Most major airlines have eased their otherwise-strict reticketing policies in the face of this threat. Orbitz has pulled together links to major airlines' policies on reticketing to Mexico, a useful resource for those of you who already have tickets booked. Happy travels (just maybe not to Mexico right now).
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April 17, 2009
Top Travel News Stories This Week
Time for a roundup of this week's biggest travel news stories. I spend tons of time reading blogs, news sites, and Twitter so you don't have to!
- President Obama announced on Monday that he will be allowing Cuban Americans to travel to Cuba, and send gifts and money to the Caribbean nation as often as they like, as long as recipients aren't senior government or Community Party officials. The President described the policy shift as a showing of America's good faith and a step towards leaving behind the attitudes from the Cold War that have tensed relations over the last 50 years.
- As a result of a week of anti-government protests and political turmoil in Bangkok, many governments, including the UK, Australia, and Russia, issued travel warnings against visiting the Thai capital. As of Thursday, the British Foreign Office has ended its warning against all but essential travel to Bangkok.
- United Airlines joined Southwest and others on Wednesday by imposing stricter rules for "seatmates of size," saying that if a passenger cannot fit into a single seat, buckle their seatbelt with an additional seatbelt extension, or put the seat’s armrest down, the airline will ask that passenger to pay for an extra seat or stay behind. The rather controversial policy prompted US Airways and Southwest to clarify their policies regarding overweight fliers, emphasizing leniency and willingness to accommodate passengers.
- President Obama made another important travel announcement, saying on Thursday that he plans to create a high-speed rail system interconnecting many of the country's larger cities. Though a step in the right direction for the environment and cutting foreign oil dependency, Slate magazine takes a hard look at how the proposed rail lines would affect American taxpayers.
- Despite the recent travel warnings made by the U.S. State Department and universities across the country, The Los Angeles Times reports that Mexico's top tourist destinations are up to 26 times safer than similar cities in the U.S.
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