On eve of Route 66’s 90th anniversary, Barstow looks to a brighter, hand-painted future

BARSTOW, California — In the early 20th century, the small desert town of Barstow was a bustling stop on Route 66 between Los Angeles and Chicago, immortalized in a popular 1940s tune as one the places where travelers heading west could get their kicks.Now mostly known for its excessive heat, outlet mall and as home to the nation’s oldest remaining Del Taco, Barstow has struggled in recent years with vacant storefronts and dirt lots dominating an iconic portion of its historic Main Street, which

Oct. 7, 2016

[Around the Hotels] Roundup of hotel events and news

Michelin-star chef to visit Park Hyatt Seoul Michelin-star chef Andrea Aprea will be making a special visit to Park Hyatt Seoul’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone next week. Currently the head chef of Park Hyatt Milan’s Michelin-starred VUN Restaurant, Aprea will be presenting a five-course meal that fuses the best flavors from both Italian and Korean cuisine. Guests can enjoy this once in a lifetime gastronomic experience at Cornerstone during the restaurant’s dinner hours from 6-9:30 p.m. from O

Oct. 7, 2016

[Travel Bits] Travel news from around the world

‘Korea Sale Festa’ kicks off with huge discounts from retailersSouth Korea kicked off a nationwide shopping event Thursday with a variety of promotions, cultural and entertainment events to draw more shoppers at home and abroad, and revive the sluggish domestic consumption.The massive shopping campaign called the “Korea Sale Festa” runs until Oct. 9, involving major retailers, manufacturers and traditional markets, while cultural and entertainment programs for foreign travelers will be held thro

Sept. 30, 2016

Beliefs aside, Noah’s Ark in Kentucky is something to see

I’d been on Noah’s Ark all of 20 minutes when the question that hung over every step was finally put to me: “Do you believe?”It came from a man with a thin beard named Travis, who wore a Captain America T-shirt and had an excitable look in his eye. He was touring the new, five-story Ark Encounter with his wife and daughters after driving three hours from central Indiana.We stood on the ark’s second floor, in front of a display about the Garden of Eden, and Travis had just explained to one of his

Sept. 30, 2016

[Around the Hotels] Roundup of hotel events and news

Indian food fest at Millennium Seoul Hilton Millennium Seoul Hilton is offering a special Indian food festival buffet through Oct. 9 at the hotel’s restaurant, Cafe 395.Sponsored by the Indian Embassy in Seoul and the Indian Cultural Center in Busan, the event is a part of Sarang - Festival of India in Korea. The promotion offers authentic Indian cuisine -- best known for its diversity of flavors and spices -- prepared by guest chef Vikram Udaygiri. Starting at 91,000 won per person, the buffet

Sept. 30, 2016

Run with the bulls on Terceira island

VILA NOVA, TERCEIRA, Azores -- There are ways to look nonchalant when you stand on a street with nothing between you and an over 900-kilogram bull but a few skinny guys with a rope.Strike a vigorous stance with hands on your hips, for one. That projects machismo. Hands in your pockets can make you look fairly unruffled, too. Talking loudly and unconcernedly with friends shows you’re fine with a little danger.Crossing your arms, however, isn’t recommended. That might stray just a little into nerv

Sept. 23, 2016

[Travel Bits] Travel news from around the world

Seoul International Fireworks Festival The Seoul International Fireworks Festival is an annual event of extravagant firework displays by firework masters from home and abroad. It attracts more than a million spectators every year. Celebrating its 16th year, one of the most anticipated autumn festivals in Seoul is taking place outside the Yeouinaru Station at the Han River Park.Prior to the firework show, visitors will also be able to enjoy various live performances and hands-on cultural programs

Sept. 23, 2016

[Around the Hotels] Roundup of hotel events and news

Park Hyatt Seoul’s Autumn at the Park Park Hyatt Seoul is presenting the Autumn at the Park package until Nov. 30. It comes in two options, either basic or gourmet, and aims to provide a refuge for guests in the comfort of the city. Starting at 340,000 won, the basic package includes a one-night stay in a Park King room, and a skincare set from Aesop. The gourmet option includes everything in the basic package as well as a full-course dinner for two at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone.

Sept. 23, 2016

Japan choosing 88 animation travel spots to boost tourism

TOKYO (AP) -- Eighty-eight places in Japan are going to be designated as “animation spots” to encourage tourism, using train stations, school campuses, rural shrines and other fairly everyday places where the characters of popular “manga,” or Japanese comics, are depicted. Such landmarks number in the tens of thousands, given the popularity and volume of manga in Japan. But this is being billed as the official list for any fan’s animation “pilgrimage,” as the places are known as “seichi,” or “sa

Sept. 18, 2016

[Around the Hotels] Roundup of hotel events and news

Chuseok Package at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul will be offering the Chuseok Package for guests staying at the hotel from Sept. 1-18.The main component of the package is the Evening Chill-out promotion, which includes a late 2 p.m. checkout time, a discounted breakfast price of 30,000 per person as well as free access to the hotel’s sauna, pool and fitness studio. There is also happy hour for two from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Timber House, which has a wide selection of drinks and Japanese dis

Sept. 9, 2016

Where ghosts are guests

It was a dark and stormy night when I arrived at Nottoway Plantation, eager to get to my room, unaware of the ghosts.Western Louisiana was flooding. Roads were washed out, hotels in short supply. I had pointed my rented jeep toward one of the few places with a room, a mansion by the Great Mississippi River Road, 48 kilometers south of Baton Rouge that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.It was about 1 a.m. when I finally passed sugar cane fields surrounding the plantation on Ba

Sept. 9, 2016

[Travel Bits] Travel news from around the world

Seoul International Fireworks Festival The Seoul International Fireworks Festival is an annual event of extravagant firework displays by firework masters from home and abroad, attracting more than 1 million spectators every year. Celebrating its 16th year, one of the most anticipated autumn festivals in Seoul is taking place outside Yeouinaru Station at the Han River Park.Prior to the firework show, visitors will also be able to enjoy live performances and cultural programs.The 16th annual Seoul

Sept. 9, 2016

[Travel Bits] Round up of travel news from around the world

Seoul International Fireworks FestivalSeoul International Fireworks Festival is an annual event of extravagant firework displays by firework masters from home and abroad, attracting more than a million spectators every year. Celebrating its 16th year, one of the most anticipated autumn festivals in Seoul is taking place outside the Yeouinaru Station at the Han River Park.Prior to the firework show, visitors will also be able to enjoy various live performances and hands-on cultural programs.The 1

Sept. 2, 2016

Follow Beatrix Potter through Britain’s Lake District

When I was a little girl, my grandparents gifted me with a beautiful set of Beatrix Potter books for Christmas one year. I could barely wait for everyone to finish unwrapping presents so that I could sneak off to my room with my treasure. The first Potter story I read on that long ago Christmas Day was “The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher,” about a determined frog whose fishing trip turned out to be not quite what he expected.Now, all these years later, here I was wandering through the rooms of Hill T

Sept. 2, 2016

[Around the hotels] Round up of hotel events and news

Chuseok Package at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul will be offering the Chuseok Package for guests staying at the hotel from Sept. 1-18.The main component of the package is the Evening Chill-out promotion, which includes a late 2 p.m. checkout time, a discounted breakfast price of 30,000 per person as well as free access to the hotel’s sauna, pool and fitness studio. There is also happy hour for two from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Timber House, which has a wide selection of drinks and Japanese dis

Sept. 2, 2016

Lower Manhattan reborn 15 years after 9/11

NEW YORK (AP) -- Fifteen years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Lower Manhattan has been reborn. The revitalization of the city’s downtown, powered by $30 billion in government and private investments, includes not just the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site, but also two new malls filled with upscale retailers, thousands of new hotel rooms and dozens of eateries ranging from the new Italian marketplace Eataly to a French food hall, Le District. The statistics alone are stunning. There are

Sept. 1, 2016

[Travel Bits] Round up of travel news from around the world

Water splash parade at EverlandEverland is hosting the Summer Splash and Fantastic Summer Night festival, which is packed with programs such as splash parades, fireworks and a 3-D mapping show every night. During the day, guests can enjoy Jack’s Splash Parade, which sprays 84 tons of water from 40 water cannons and six floats, three times a day. At night when the heat dies down, the park’s Rose Garden will be turned into a midsummer night’s dream paradise as the garden is transformed into a fest

Aug. 26, 2016

Surfer heaven: Kauai’s north shore

The surf instructor Rick, sitting next to us, points out to vast ocean as we sit in the crystal-clear water, where he’s pushing a few beginners into waves.“A few months ago, there were 60-foot (18-meter) waves crashing right here,” he said, gazing out to where it looked more like a lake on a recent day in May. “This past winter was one of the best we’ve had for waves.”As summer started this year, locals were still feeling a hangover from their epic El Nino-driven winter. Stories flowed of how wi

Aug. 26, 2016

[Around the hotels] Round up of hotel events and news

Relaxing Chuseok Package at Banyan Tree Club & Spa SeoulIn celebration of Chuseok, Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul will be offering the Relaxing Chuseok Package for those staying at the hotel from Sept. 9-18. Starting at 590,000 won per night, guests who choose to stay at the Banyan Full Deluxe Room, Namsan Full Deluxe Room, Namsan Full Premier Room, Namsan Full Suite or the Namsan Full Premier Suite will be offered free breakfast for two at the Granum Dining Lounge, discount coupons to the Banyan

Aug. 26, 2016