Miami's Art Scene
LARGER THAN LIFE: An artist in front of his painting at the ArtCenter/South Florida (Karen Chen)
No one really goes to Miami for the art, do they? It's the beaches, the bars, the booze, and the... bikini-ed babes... that draw hordes to South Beach's golden shores. But as I'm always on the lookout for great places to satisfy my culture craving—even when my main objective is to get a tan—I'm happy to report that Miami's actually got an art scene that is alive and flourishing.
One of the coolest places in South Beach—and one of the coolest places I've stumbled upon in a long time—was the ArtCenter/South Florida on the popular Lincoln Road pedestrian mall. We happened upon the unassuming art depot while strolling along the road looking for a place to eat. If you manage to get away from all the hawkers vying for your business at the restaurants, stop in at these collective artists' studios for a break from the crowds.
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June 08, 2009
Vancouver: A City on the Move
Granville Island in Vancouver (Al Harvey/courtesy, Tourism Vancouver)
Okay, a show of hands: Is there anyone out there who hasn't witnessed how beautiful Vancouver is? If you’ve never been there, go. Take the kids. Show them an extraordinary place.
This way-cool city on Canada’s raw West Coast is pretty much Ground Zero for X-Gamers. Every way-out-there-sport has a venue in this city—from kayaking alongside whales to scare-your-mother mountain biking on the infamous North Shore. Next February, Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympic Games. But the time to visit Vancouver is summer.
From seemingly endless sandy beaches to salmon-spawning streams flowing from tree-lined Olympic ski slopes, Vancouver is a foaming double-espresso of wild nature sprinkled with vibrant city. This is the poster child for the Pacific Northwest. Make that the YouTube clip of the Pacific Northwest, because this is a city on the move. Everyone is cycling, sailing, running, kayaking, swimming, cliff-jumping, golfing, or just plain old paragliding. Life doesn’t get much richer for vacationing families who can't wait to Just Do It.
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April 09, 2009
Best Cheap Eats in Washington, D.C.
The back terrace of The Tabard Inn (courtesy, The Tabard Inn)
I was in New York City last weekend and ate at some really great spots, all on the suggestion of friends who lived in the city. It occurred to me then that the best travel guides for any given place are its residents, especially true for food recommendations if you have friends who love to dine out. They've already figured out the area's best joints for pizza and burgers, they've sought out the best brunch spots to nurse a hangover with an eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary, and they know which restaurants are really worth the $25 for the salmon fillet and which ones aren't.
In that spirit, I give you my picks for the best bites in my current hometown (and of the last six and a half years), Washington, D.C. And to sweeten up the pot, these places are cheap, too. Sure, some of the best meals you can have in any city will set you back a good $200, but like my philosophy with movies, the tried-and-true favorites are the ones you can go back to over and over again and not get bored—or go bankrupt. Especially with money as tight as it is for most, all you really need is a good healing bowl of $6 noodle soup.
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November 24, 2008
Head to the Heel of the Boot: Puglia, Italy
BRICK BY BRICK: Trulli houses in Alberobello, Puglia (Peter Adams/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty)
Tuscany has been hyped ad nauseum, leaving the rest of Italy open to folks who prefer not to follow the masses. This is especially true in fall, when most of the backpackers have left the country with guidebooks in tow and the Italians return from their summer vacation. One of my favorite parts of the country is in the southeast, Puglia, known as Giardano d’Italia, the Garden of Italy. With its rich soil, the region is known for its bounty of fruits, vegetables, and wines. Families can bike through olive groves, picnic on the Adriatic shores, visit the Roman ruins of Egnazia, and spend an afternoon hiking through the beehive-like buildings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Alberobello. Spend your nights at Masseria Torre Coccaro in Savelletri, where acres of olive groves and gardens surround a 14th-century watchtower.
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November 06, 2008
The Best Thai Food in Ko Phi Phi
CURRY LOVE: Papaya Restaurant's green curry (Claudio Stein)
Every once in a while (and by that I mean twice in my life), I have the pleasure of experiencing a dish, a meal, or a restaurant that is so wholly satisfying that I could die happy on the spot. The third such time I'd ever experienced this was during my month-long trip through Southeast Asia, on the little island oasis of Ko Phi Phi off the western coast of Thailand, and immediately it was love.
Although I had originally only planned to stay for a few days, I lazed around Ko Phi Phi for much longer than I'd expected. It was due to a mix of the island's mainstay of happy-go-lucky backpackers, its beautiful beaches, and its laid-back vibe that washed away all worries with the tide. But perhaps one of the biggest reasons for my extended island lounging was because I had stumbled upon the greatest restaurant I had ever eaten at to date: Papaya Restaurant. My Brazilian friend, who had been to the island five years before and had vowed to himself that he would return, tipped us off—almost too enthusiastically—that the best place to eat on the island was unequivocally Papaya Restaurant. Soon we'd find out that he wasn't alone in his praise of the tiny open-air restaurant.
Papaya was owned by a very warm Thai man named Ror, who reminded me of an adorable panda, but who, ironically, was a former champion Thai boxer. Ror had found his calling as a cook post-boxing career, and thank god for that. Every night, every table in the 15x25-foot space was filled to capacity with customers happily lapping up aromatic curry dishes, refreshing papaya salads, and tangy pad thai. After our first meal there, we never ate anywhere else on the island again (save for breakfast from the local 7-Eleven... but had Payapa offered breakfast, you better believe we would have been there.)
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July 29, 2008
Exotic Istanbul
TRUE BLUE: Istanbul's Blue Mosque (Glen Allison/Photodisc)
An older man strolls down one of Istanbul's main thoroughfares during rush-hour, dragging his two pet brown bears in
tow. Except for several tourists, who stare in utter amazement, throngs of Turks walk by on their way to work oblivious to a scene that would either halt traffic or send people fleeing in terror in most cities across the globe. Yet here in the former city of Constantinople, a metropolis of over six million people that Mark Twain befittingly dubbed the "eternal circus," surreal visions are the norm. Istanbul is laden with incongruities: the mix of Eastern and Western cultures, antiquity and modernity, as well as wealth and poverty. The result is a unique and complex city that continually stimulates all five senses as families wander through its streets.
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July 22, 2008
Things We Like: LAN Airlines Business Class -- Finally an Airline that Gets Air Travel Right
As domestic airlines connive of ways to charge us for… everything while in transit, it's rare to find something praise-worthy relating to air travel. Let this be the exception that proves the rule: LAN Airlines has succeeded where U.S.-based carriers consistently fail: by putting the passengers' needs before the industry's ever-expanding cost-cutting measures.
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July 16, 2008
San Francisco in Summer
SUPER SPAN: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (Brand X Pictures)
Sure, I've heard that Mark Twain line at least a hundred times: "The coldest winter I ever had was the summer I spent in San Francisco." And yes, it's not exactly beach weather. But who wants to lie on a beach when you can have so much fun in the city? On a trip to San Fran last summer, we hung on the outside of cable cars up and down the hilly city, walked Lombard Street, the most crooked street in America, took a ferry from Fisherman's Wharf under the Golden Gate Bridge, saw the massive redwoods at Muir Woods, dined on the shores of Sausalito, had my Ghirardelli ice-cream fix at Ghirardelli Square, and ate dim sum in Chinatown (where my uncle tried to convince my son Jake to try his jellyfish, saying it was just noodles). The highlight, however, was the Exploratorium. Housed within the walls of San Fran's Palace of Fine Arts, the museum contains countless hands-on activities that investigate the realms of science and art. I was having so much fun that the kids told me it was time to leave! Stay at The Handlery, located in Union Square, close to the cable car and within walking distance of Chinatown. They have an outdoor pool, but did I mention that Mark Twain quote?
Hit the road this summer with Away.com's guide to the best active-minded itineraries around the U.S., including two that start or end in San Francisco.
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February 14, 2008
Trip of a Lifetime: Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
Think of the Great Barrier Reef as the world's ultimate underwater safari. One teeming with more exotic fish and sea life than your local aquarium will ever know, including sharks, dolphins, six of the seven species of sea turtles known to man, and a mind-boggling 2,000 types of fish (with new varieties found every year). Many of these fish are neon-colored, floating against a backdrop of blue, pink, and yellow coral to produce a kaleidoscopic world that rivals even the most explosive of Jackson Pollock's drip paintings.
The Great Barrier runs closest to the mainland near Cairns, located in Australia's northeastern state of Queensland and about two hours by plane from Sydney. Close to a million people each year make the pilgrimage here. Once in town, many visitors choose to spend their time on Green and Fitzroy islands, two islands that are not technically on the "Big Reef." However, less than an hour by boat from the city wharf in Cairns, the snorkeling off these two islands can be just as good as the Great Barrier. Outfitters run half- and full-day trips in glass-bottom boats so you can witness this mesmerizing underwater world without ever getting wet.
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January 14, 2008
South Africa: The Adventure of a Lifetime
January signals the heart of summer in South Africa, the ideal time to visit Cape Town, a city that can easily match Sydney, San Francisco, and Rio for its sheer beauty.
Table Mountain, often draped in its iconic tablecloth of clouds, forms a spectacular backdrop. A short drive away are the exquisite beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay, and the precipitous cliffs of Chapman's Peak and Cape Point. You should give yourself at least a week to explore Cape Town and Cape of Good Hope Peninsula; to try the award-winning wines in Stellenbosch and other Winelands' towns an hour to the north (younger kids will still enjoy things like bike rides, hot-air balloon rides, or a trip to a crocodile farm); and to spend a day in the nearby coastal town of Hermanus to the east, the whale-watching capital of South Africa. Farther east is the famous Garden Route, a five-hour drive amidst forest, lagoons, and coastal towns, including the surfing mecca of Plettenberg Bay. Having traveled so far to reach South Africa, make the most of your trip by taking a quick flight to Kruger National Park in the northeast part of the country for a three- to five-day safari. You'll be hard pressed to top that combo anywhere.
Photo: Cape Town, South Africa (Mark Skinner/courtesy, South Africa Tourism)
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