Joe Martinet

Climber Joe Martinet en route to the the base of Everest's Lhotse face, between Camp 2 and 3.

For six months, starting last September, Joe Martinet went to the gym twice a day for six days a week. He spent hours on a steep treadmill, wearing climbing boots and a 25-pound backpack. Then he hit the StairMaster and lifted weights.

When Martinet, 37, wasn't at the gym, he biked or ran near his home in Reston, Va. On the weekends, he'd drive 100 miles to Shenandoah National Park and scramble up one of the peaks, the tallest of which exceed 4,000 feet.

Martinet, a mountain climber who has scaled Alaska's Denali (20,320 feet), was training to summit Mount Everest this month.

His body wasn't the only thing Martinet, who develops satellite and cellphones, dedicated to his quest to summit the world's tallest mountain: a guided trip through Himalayan Experience cost about $55,000. 

On May 5, nearly a month into his expedition, Martinet's Everest dreams ended long before he ever got the chance to summit.

Himalayan Experience's lead guide Russell Brice announced that day that it was no longer safe to climb the peak, in what was described as a "somber" conversation in an account posted on the company's   website. Minimal snowpack and warm temperatures, among other factors, had led to dangerous conditions, including rock fall and avalanches. 

"[The decision] was almost a blindside," Martinet told msnbc.com. "To me, it wasn’t an option in my mind. When it hit, I was amazingly frustrated ... I’m frustrated I never got to try and find out if I was good enough."

Martinet will not receive a refund, though the company has said members of this year's expedition can receive a discount if they choose to try again in 2013.

Still, Martinet considers Himalayan Experience a top-caliber climbing outfit. Martinet heard and saw two separate mini-avalanches and could hear the ice crack and groan as it moved in a particularly treacherous section. "It was really dangerous this year from what they explained to us," he said.

Two Sherpas have died so far this season -- one after falling into a crevasse and the other reportedly from altitude sickness, according to National Geographic magazine.  More than 200 people have died climbing Everest since 1950.

The cancellation of the Himalayan Experience expedition, however, is the first time that a guided trip on Everest has been abandoned at this point in the two-month climbing season, according to professional guides.

Teams typically begin an expedition in April and spend a few weeks moving between camps in order to acclimate to thinning oxygen levels. No one has reached Everest's peak yet this season, but guides are hopeful that improving conditions will lead to several hundred summits by the end of May, which marks the start of monsoon weather.

"It was kind of unusual and kind of shocking to us that [Brice] pulled out," Todd Burleson, president of Alpine Ascents International, told msnbc.com. Burleson first summited Everest in 1992; his company is currently leading eight clients, who paid $65,000, up the mountain.

Since the Himalayan Experience trip was canceled, Burleson said, more snowfall has helped stabilize fragile ice and rock in the Khumbu Icefall, a specific area of concern for Brice. Sherpas and guides have also established safer routes through the treacherous section known as the Lhotse Face.

Multiple attempts to reach Brice and Himalayan Experience were unsuccessful, but the company listed a number of reasons for the controversial decision on its website.

Of particular concern, it said, were how the team's Sherpas were reacting to the conditions. They felt temperatures were too warm in the early morning, when climbers would be moving through the precarious icefall. The team was also frightened by the rockfall on the Lhotse Face, which had caused accidents. "A few more warm days like today in combination with big gusts of wind will see these rocks flying again," the site read.

Michael Fagin, who provides forecasting services for Everest teams and runs everestweather.com from Redmond, Wash., said the spring had been very dry and windy. In the past week, winds had reached up to 80 mph; climbers on Everest prefer them under 30 mph. Since Everest does not have a weather station, Fagin relies on several forecast models. The recent snowfall and an expected break in the winds should lead to a summit window soon, Fagin said.

Eric Simonson, Himalayan program director of International Mountain Guides, said that to cancel an Everest expedition so early was "quite unprecedented," but added it is unreasonable to expect every team to agree on how to handle difficult conditions.

"They’re betting on there being a problem and all the other expeditions that have stayed are betting on our ability to mitigate that problem. I don’t think it has to reflect poorly on anyone."

Simonson said his team hopes to establish the summit route by May 18. "If the weather complies," he said, "we could be seeing summits shortly thereafter."

Mark Jenkins, a writer for National Geographic magazine, is attempting to climb Everest as part of a joint expedition between National Geographic and The North Face. His team, Jenkins said in an e-mail from Everest's Base Camp to msnbc.com, is looking to summit before or May 25 depending on the weather, and that other teams were eying May 19.

"At this point," Jenkins said, "I believe we have a strong team and a fair chance at the summit. We’ll see."

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Geographic-North Face expedition, led by accomplished mountaineer Conrad Anker, canceled its plans to summit via the West Ridge due to icy conditions, but will still attempt to reach the peak via a different route.

Last year, a total of 537 climbers reached the peak from two routes. Simonson expects that at least 400 or 500 will try to summit in the next two weeks.

Martinet doesn't want Brice's concerns about safety to bear out for fear that tragedy could strike the teams still on the mountain. But it remains difficult for him to consider the alternative: he could still be on Everest, climbing his way to glory.

"There's no way for someone like me to go back next year," Martinet says. It would mean saving up another $50,000, convincing an employer to give him two months off and accept a time-consuming training schedule.

For the coming weeks, Martinet, who was laid off from his job just before he left for the expedition, plans to spend time with his wife and plot his next trip. He's considering Peru after meeting fellow climbers on Everest who had specific recommendations.

"I don’t know what it’s going to turn into yet," Martinet says of the experience. "It’s not settled for me yet. I hope it doesn’t haunt me."

He is, though, left with some good memories of Everest: "It was just a great place to be as a climber. To meet Conrad Anker, to be hanging out at Base Camp. To be in that environment and go through the Khumbu Icefall was phenomenal, I loved it. It was what I had gone for -- I wish I could have done more."

Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at msnbc.com. Follow her on Twitter here.

More from msnbc.com:

• For summer travelers, sand is thicker than blood
• Video: Find old-fashioned family fun at summer festivals
• Flying high: Seven new airport expansions

Elizabeth Ruiz / EPA

Beach vacations are popular, in part, because they are affordable to other getaways, according to findings from the 2012 Flip Flop Report, released Wednesday.

With summer starting just weeks away, you might be starting to plan that big trip to visit the folks or other family.

Unless, that is, you’re like many travelers and you’re planning on hitting the beach instead.

That’s among the findings of the 2012 Flip Flop Report, a global survey sponsored by Expedia.com and released on Wednesday. When asked if they could take only one holiday, 33 percent of respondents said they’d prefer the beach vs. 10 percent who said they’d want to visit family or relatives.

“Beaches are definitely top of mind right now,” said Joe Megibow, vice president and general manager. “But even if you take seasonality out of it, beach-going and travel have been best friends for years.”

The survey, which included 8,599 consumers in 21 countries, also found that:

• 52 percent of respondents worldwide expected to vacation at the beach in the next 12 months, up from 45 percent last year, although, sadly, only 23 percent of Americans expected to do so;
• When at the beach, 60 percent of Americans preferred doing nothing/relaxing vs. exercising (13 percent) and “posing for pictures you wouldn’t want business associates to see (2 percent);
• 38 percent of Americans cited prevalence of sharks when picking a beach vacation vs. 67 percent of Singaporeans and 70 percent of Brazilians;
• 2 percent of Americans have sunbathed nude vs. 8 percent of Spaniards and Indians and 15 percent of, wait for it, Germans.

Silly statistics aside, the most telling insight, perhaps, is that 77 percent of travelers (and 78 percent of Americans) cited the “estimated price of total vacation” as their top concern when choosing a beach destination.

“It’s less about whether they spend more or less; it’s more about how much buying power they have with their budget,” said Megibow. “As flights get more expensive, they don’t fly or they fly and spend fewer days.”

That impression is echoed in two other reports released this week. On Tuesday, AAA released its annual Memorial Day forecast, projecting that budget-minded consumers will still travel but that they’ll stay closer to home, take shorter trips and decide to drive rather than fly.

Also on Tuesday, a new report from Deloitte suggested that 54 percent of Americans would take a trip between June 1 and Labor Day, a slight increase over the 52 percent who did so last year. With airfares and gas prices up over last year, says the company, travelers will be on the lookout for deals, discounts and complimentary amenities.

For fliers, that may mean choosing airlines that don’t charge to check bags or use onboard Wi-Fi; for hotel guests, seeking out complimentary breakfasts and free parking. At Expedia, the priority travelers are placing on their budgets has prompted the company to launch what Megibow says is its largest summer sale ever, with some 12,000 participating hotels in 700 destinations.

As for the 77 percent of Americans who don’t expect to take a beach vacation in the next 12 months, one last study might be worth considering. Released last month, a paper by researchers at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health in the UK revealed that visits to coastal environments resulted in greater calmness, enjoyment and refreshment than visits to other outdoor locations, such as rural settings and urban parks.

By that token — and regardless of the dent it may make in your budget — a beach vacation could be priceless.

More stories you might like:

• High-profile pat-downs: First Geraldo, then Kissinger
• Report shows 'gaping hole' in airport security
• Video: Gun parts found in stuffed animals at R.I. airport

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

Travelscape Images / Alamy

Orchard Road in Singapore gets its name from the plantations that lined it throughout the 19th century. Nowadays, it's a singular shopping destination, with 22 malls and six department stores.

For the seasoned traveler, few things are as gratifying as when someone notices an object you bought during your journeys, be it from Paris, Tokyo or São Paulo. The thrill isn’t just in the nod to a jet-setting lifestyle — it’s also in the chance to reminisce about a past adventure.

Slideshow: 10 of the world’s top shopping streets

No matter which type of shopper you are, perusing a country’s wares is an essential part of traveling — not just because of what you might buy, but also because of the experience you’ll have while doing it: discovering a store, falling in love with something fantastic, interacting with a salesperson and walking out with a treasure.

More from Departures.com

• World’s most opulent villas
• Best restaurant art collections
• 10 stunning hotel penthouses
• 25 top travel apps
• Top yoga retreats

Yuri Gripas / Reuters

American chain Five Guys excels at made-to-order burgers with fresh beef on a squishy bun, and hand-cut French fries.

Fast food may conjure up those ubiquitous Golden Arches, but the concept has come a long way from frozen burgers and limp fries. The best fast-food chains around the world are getting serious about quality, offering up bowls of slow-simmered pork ramen, freshly baked baguette sandwiches, and sustainably caught fish for the masses.

Slideshow: See where to find the best fast-food chains

For travelers looking to eat like the locals, fast-food chains represent a convenient, often inexpensive taste of how everyday residents in far-flung cities like to eat. Some menus are more traditional than others: Teremok in Russia serves cooked-to-order blini with classic Russian toppings like caviar or smoked salmon; while Goli Vada Pav No. 1 in India adds modern twists like cheddar cheese to vada pav, the fried potato patty sandwich that’s an Indian street food staple.

Many chains have long-standing histories in their home country: “We’ve been around since 1951, so it’s like we’re a part of the fabric of the province,” says Josée Vaillancourt of the Canadian rotisserie chicken chain St. Hubert. “If people want to live the Quebec way, they have to try our chicken.”

German seafood chain Nordsee began as a commercial fishing enterprise way back in 1896 and now sells a rotating selection of sustainable seafood. Spokesman Michael Scheibe says a visit to the chain allows travelers to share both history and “the German love for seasonal products.”

Keep in mind that etiquette may be different than what you’re used to at American homegrown fast-food chains. At Nordsee, for example, it’s common for strangers to ask to share a table, while Saudi Arabian fried chicken chain Al Baik provides separate seating areas for women with families and single men. Some of the chains are less “fast food” and more “date-night” in atmosphere; sit-down Italian franchise Rossopomodoro, for example, features wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas and local wines.

Granted, fast-food chains aren’t exactly hidden gems. A steak at Brazilian chain Giraffas will probably not replicate the experience of an authentic churrascaria; a bowl of ramen at Ippudo may not match the thrill of discovering an underground noodle shop in Tokyo. But they have their own quirky appeal and dish out a quick fix of local culture and cuisine.

More from Travel + Leisure

• World’s top fast-food restaurants
• A-List: World’s top travel agents
• See Travel + Leisure's slideshows
• See Travel + Leisure's blog

Lucy Pemoni / AP

The USS Missouri, or "Mighty Mo," served in World War II, the Korean War and the Gulf War and is now anchored in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In our current rapidly changing academic environment, today's studies quickly become yesterday's test results. Students learn the material, test on it and move to the next subject matter. In this quick-paced mode, U.S. history rarely makes an impression on children, but it's one of the most important lessons each one should know. After all, as the old adage goes, if we don't know our history, we're bound to repeat it.

To more fully educate kids -- and make sure it sticks with them -- consider taking them to one of these top historical sites where they not only can learn history, but they also can experience it through interactive exhibits, firsthand accounts and thought-provoking audio-visuals.

1. Washington, D.C.

Our nation's capital, Washington, D.C., is the prime location for learning about our national government and how it functions. At the U.S. Capitol, children can see how our senators and congressmen craft bills that are voted into law, or visit the U.S. Supreme Court, where visitors may watch the justices hear and vote on cases with national implications.

However, this district also is a treasure trove of American history. At the National Archives and Records Administration, visitors can see the original documents that formed the basis for the American government: the Charters of Freedom, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence.

The Smithsonian Institution alone covers more topics than you can digest in a single visit: American history, American Indian history, air and space, arts and industries. The material is so vast it fills 19 museums and galleries, as well as the National Zoological Park.

Then there are the memorials and monuments that commemorate many of our great leaders, along with the many men and women that gave their lives in service to our country. Many of these attractions are located along the National Mall, although several more are spread throughout the city. And, of course, there's the White House, where the president lives and conducts business.

Of special note: Although not based in U.S. history, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum should be included on every family's itinerary. At this museum, kids will get a deeper understanding of the persecution and murder of the Jewish people in Europe before and during World War II.

Recommended Hotel: Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.

2. Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, Va.

See where the United States of America got its start at Jamestown, America's first permanent English colony, settled in 1607. At the Jamestown Settlement museum, you can see how these earliest residents developed their community with such re-created settings as a Powhatan Indian village, 1607 English ships and a 1610 colonial fort.

Nearby at the Yorktown Victory Center, families can see where the British surrendered to American and French forces to effectively end the Revolutionary War, which set the stage for the official formation of the United States of America. This museum showcases life during these times through an open-air exhibit walkway and many indoor exhibition galleries.

In neighboring Colonial Williamsburg, visitors can explore a re-created 18th-century town complete with original buildings, homes, shops and public buildings encompassing more than 300 acres. Not only can you see how daily life during this era was conducted, but you also can learn the stories behind the political movement that led to the fight for independence from England.

Recommended Hotel: Great Wolf Lodge Williamsburg.

3. Philadelphia

Like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia is home to numerous historic sites and attractions that played a role in American history. For instance, there is Carpenters' Hall, the meeting place of the First Continental Congress, or Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were brought to life. Then there is Pennsylvania Hospital, the country's first hospital, which was co-founded by Benjamin Franklin. The Liberty Bell Center is home to the iconic symbol of freedom for America. And who doesn't want to see the U.S. Mint, where pocket change and commemorative coins are made?

A great starting point is the Independence Visitor Center, where you can get a comprehensive overview of the city's culture and history. To aid you in navigating the city's attractions, consider the AudioWalk and Tour, a 74-minute narrated walking tour of the city's historic sites and parts of Society Hill.

Recommended Hotel: Loews Philadelphia Hotel.

4. Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii

On Dec. 7, 1941, America experienced a horrific attack on home soil when Japan bombed the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. More than 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded, with 350 aircraft destroyed or damaged. All eight battleships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were sunk or badly damaged. The next day, Congress declared war on Japan, and three days later, on December 11th, Congress declared war on Germany. The United States was now involved in World War II.

Located on the island of Oahu, the Pearl Harbor Memorial Museum and Visitor Center is part of the Pacific Historic Parks, although the USS Arizona is managed by the National Park Service. The memorial is constructed over the remains of the sunken battleship, which is also the final resting place for much of its crewmen killed during the attack. Visitors can tour the site by purchasing tickets at the visitor center, where they also can see a 23-minute film documenting the attack. In addition, an audio tour is available to guide you through the visitor center and surrounding area.

Seeing this site and hearing the survivors' first-person accounts of this life-altering event are something both children and adults should experience.

Recommended Hotel: Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa.

5. Manhattan Project, in Tennessee

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, it became clear that the United States had to enter World War II. As such the "Manhattan Project" was initiated, which consisted of three cities that would produce the world's first atomic weapons. Unlike its counterparts -- Los Alamos, N.M., and Hanford, Wash. -- Oak Ridge, Tenn., was built specifically for this project. Carved out of 59,000 acres of rural farmland in 1942, this city rapidly grew to a population of 75,000 people in less than three years -- all without anyone knowing of its existence.

In Oak Ridge, three main buildings -- K-25, X-10 and Y-12 -- housed the majority of the work that produced plutonium 239 and uranium 235 for the atomic bombs. Today, visitors can see some of these facilities as part of the free bus tour offered by the American Museum of Science and Energy. In fact, at AMSE, visitors can get an in-depth look at Oak Ridge's history at the museum's exhibit "Oak Ridge: World War II's 'Secret City.'" It's amazing to see not only what was accomplished in this new town, but also the great lengths everyone involved took to ensure its secrecy.

Of special note: Take the kids to nearby Clinton, the site of the first integrated high school in the country. At the Green McAdoo Cultural Center, they can see how these turbulent events unfolded in a small Southern town, and learn how the community refused to give in to outsiders who insisted on creating havoc wherever they could.

Also a short drive away, families can stop at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris. This living history museum features pioneer, frontier and early artifacts of mountain life in the southern Appalachians. While the museum is stocked with a number of items, the focus actually is on the people who carved a way of life for themselves out of some very harsh conditions.

Recommended Hotel: Wilderness at the Smokies Resort.

6. Gettysburg, Penn.

Touted as a turning point, the Battle of Gettysburg resulted in 51,000 casualties -- the war's bloodiest battle -- as the Union squashed General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North. At the Gettysburg National Military Park, you can examine this conflict from start to finish, beginning at the National Park Service Museum and Visitor Center. Here you will find interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and relics of the battle, as well as more extensive information in the Resource Room and the Museum Bookstore.

To further explore the park, you can embark upon a tour of the battlefield with a licensed battlefield guide or take a guided bus tour. You also can discover the battlefield at your own pace. In addition, there are year-round Ranger programs to aid visitors in learning about the people and events of Gettysburg. In fact, there are several geared specifically for children, including the Junior Ranger program, where kids complete three activities in order to become official Junior Rangers.

Of special note: A related site worth visiting is Shiloh National Military Park in Shiloh, Tenn. The site of "Bloody Shiloh," Shiloh National Military Park commemorates the April 1862 battle that resulted in more than 23,000 casualties.

Recommended Hotel: Wyndham Gettysburg.

7. Plimoth Plantation, in Massachusetts

At Plimoth Plantation, families can travel back in time to when Native Americans and the Pilgrims cohabitated. The bicultural museum offers an interactive learning experience, utilizing interpreters, exhibits and programs to teach about the Wampanoag people and explore issues that have affected their community throughout the ages. Plimoth holds children's programs, including week-long summer clubs and overnight 17th Century Sleepovers. Kids typically have the choice to have a Pilgrim or a Wampanoag experience.

Together, families can tour the Mayflower II, stroll around a Pilgrim village from the 1600s, view rare breeds at the barn or make period crafts. Similar to Williamsburg, staff at Plimoth are dressed in period pieces, making history more fun for children. The historical experience doesn't end at lunchtime. At Patuxet Cafe, families sit down to sample foods that resemble a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal, signifying the meeting of two the cultures. For picky eaters, the restaurant also serves American favorites, like cheeseburgers and fries. Plimoth offers an entire day to become immersed in another world and to appreciate the struggles of each community as they joined together to survive in the New World.

Recommended Hotel: Hyannis Harbor Hotel.

8. Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, in Southeast

In the 1830s, the Cherokee Indian people were forced from their homelands throughout the southeastern United States and relocated to reservations in Oklahoma. Hundreds of Cherokee died during this mandatory march west, and thousands more died due to the consequences of this move, earning this event the name "Trail of Tears." The routes taken to evacuate and relocate the Cherokee have been collectively documented and commemorated by the National Park Service in the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

The trail encompasses nine states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee -- and includes homes, sites, cultural centers and state parks with historical significance to the Trail of Tears. Because it is so widespread, visitors have the opportunity to learn about this momentous event in American history without necessarily making stops at every site.

Recommended Hotel: Staybridge Suites Chattanooga Downtown.

9. Space Center Houston

The official visitor center for Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston delves into man's foray into space, examining the evolution and advancement of both the equipment and technology necessary to send a man to the moon and beyond. Visitors also can see firsthand what goes into being an astronaut, from training to completing a mission.

In addition, families can take part in a NASA tram tour, where they get to journey through the Johnson Space Center, with such highlights as the Historic Mission Control Center, the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility and the current Mission Control Center. Because the space center is working year-round, you may even get to see astronauts training for an upcoming mission.

Especially for children, the Kids Space Place invites kids to experience life as an astronaut via interactive exhibits and themed areas that showcase the various aspects of space, as well as the manned space flight program.

Recommended Hotel: Houston Regency Houston.

10. Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site, in Atlanta

The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that was instrumental in obtaining equal civil rights for all residents of the United States, regardless of skin color. To learn more about this historic figure in American history, a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site is essential. Located in downtown Atlanta, the site is comprised of several facilities, including the Visitor Center, Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center and the Birth Home. There are several exhibits that document the life and career of Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the progression of the Civil Rights Movement. Especially geared for children, the "Children of Courage" interactive exhibit in the Visitor Center examines the story about the children of the Civil Rights Movement.

To assist you in making the most of your visit, the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Site Web site features three itineraries that range from 30 minutes to three hours.

Recommended Hotel: Four Seasons Atlanta.

More from FamilyVacationCritic.com

• 10 Best Caribbean Family Resorts
• 10 Best Indoor Water Park Resorts
• 10 Best Nights at the Museums

 

Abdelhak Senna / AFP/Getty Images

Any meander in Marrakesh should start in the famous square of Djema El Fna, with its storytellers, snake charmers, henna artists and smoky ad hoc kitchens.

As any traveler worth their soles knows, to walk around a city is to experience its true essence. “Your brain functions quite differently when you walk,” says Scott Bricker, director of America Walks, a national nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health benefits of putting one foot in front of the other. “It’s good for your health, both physical and mental, and good for your fellow man, because you engage with the community you’re walking among.”

Slideshow: See the world's top walking cities

Pretty much any city can be experienced on foot, as the hordes of multilingual tour groups thronging the European capitals will attest. But what is it exactly that makes a city perfect for strolling? Is it a certain sort of pedestrian-friendly urban design? The streetscapes themselves, with their distinctive architecture and attractions? The climate? The warmth and vibrancy of the residents? Or is it perhaps something more ephemeral?

Of course, there are obvious peripatetic pleasures that most good walking cities have in common. A sense of history, gorgeous buildings and must-see landmarks (or views) all make for an experience better savored on foot. There’s also a specific kind of commerce that helps make a cityscape charming to explore by walking — like the ubiquitous sidewalk cafés without which cities like Paris, Vienna and Venice would be lesser versions of themselves.

Sometimes, though, it’s the less tangible things that make walking through the world’s urban centers uniquely fascinating. Like the smells of baking pan quotidien that emanate from countless boulangeries in early morning Paris, or the way the light glitters and reflects off of Tokyo’s glass skyscrapers. Or simply the childlike joy many of us feel when set loose in a strange, labyrinthine streetscape that promises adventure and the chance to get wonderfully lost. (Buon giorno, Venice!)

More and more cities these days seem to be inviting pedestrian exploration. Metropolises that have traditionally seemed daunting to walkers are reinventing themselves as strolling cities par excellence — for example, Cape Town (now luring visitors with new waterfront walking routes) and Hong Kong (with its leafy urban walking trails). Even Los Angeles and Atlanta — “two cities renowned for car culture,” as Bricker notes — are revitalizing their downtown areas to encourage walking.

From the High Line to Harajuku, we’ve found the world’s best urban environments in which to lose yourself for a few hours (or days), complete with iconic routes to explore.

More from Departures.com

• World’s most opulent villas
• Top spring travel destinations
• 10 stunning hotel penthouses
• 25 top travel apps
• Top yoga retreats

Tim Hales / AP

Designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond, the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture is made up of 63 percent recycled steel and incorporates the five Olympic rings.

LONDON -- Red, twisted and 72 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty, the ArcelorMittal Orbit now looms over the Olympic Park as the tallest sculpture in Great Britain.

Designed by Turner Prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor and architect Cecil Balmond, tabloid newspapers have branded it "the Eye-ful Tower," "the Godzilla of public art" and worse. Others say it looks like a roller coaster gone badly awry.

Even London's normally garrulous Mayor Boris Johnson struggles to describe the $36-million structure. "It is very absorbing to look at," he says. "It has got that weird enigmatic tubey Fallopian quality about it if I'm being totally blunt."

'A 45-second conversation'
The idea for what has been called a "deconstructed Eiffel Tower" was formulated in 2009, when Johnson and steel magnate Laksmi Mittal discussed creating something dramatic for the Olympics while attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.  

"This was conceived in a 45-second conversation in a cloakroom!" Johnson recalled on Friday, as officials announced the 2,000-ton tower had been completed.

Mittal contributed $31 million to the project, with the rest of the cost being covered by public funds. However, the sculpture has proved controversial at a time when the U.K. is grappling with massive spending cuts.

Kapoor says he expected to evoke a mixture of responses to his latest work. "When you make a new addition of this scale to the London skyline, its bound to be controversial, and there are those who love it and those who don’t and we'll see what time does," he said.

Bad neighbors for Team USA? Occupy protesters face eviction

Kapoor noted that Paris's iconic Eiffel Tower was considered "the most tremendously ugly object" by many when it was first built. 

Belmond, who described the looping structure as "a curve in space," said he thought people would be won over by it.

Visitors will be able to pay $24 to go up the 35-story structure in an elevator when it opens during the Olympic Games in July.

Olympic housing crunch: London landlords evict tenants to gouge tourists

On a clear day, views from its observation deck extend for 20 miles across London and the green hills beyond.

Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor

A diverse community in East London will welcome the world to Britain for the 2012 Olympic Games. Meet residents and hear how they feel about having a huge, world stage in their backyard.

Launch slideshow

The tower will be at the heart of a new 560-acre park, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, that will include a lush river valley, biking trails and a tree-lined promenade. 

Brits revel in gloom ahead of Games, but don't believe the gripe

After the Games, Johnson says he expects millions will visit the Orbit, and that it will be become a landmark. 

He believes other Londoners will come to love it, too.

"I think so," he said, then paused. "In the end."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:

• Now towering over London: 'The Godzilla of public art'
• France's 'Monsieur' Normal takes office ... unmarried
• Too busy to put the kids to bed? Try 24-hour daycare
• 88,000-mile voyage? Plastic card found after 33 years
• Bad neighbors for Team USA? Occupy camp axed

Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world

Courtesy Patrick Henry

The Warren R. Henry is a dome car that was built in 1955 for the Union Pacific Railroad.

With Amtrak on pace to set another ridership record this year, it appears millions of Americans are reserving seats on the nation’s rolling stock. Some are going a step further and reserving entire cars.

“Chartering a private rail car is a civilized way to travel,” said Bart Barton, publisher of Private Varnish, the magazine of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO). “It’s a step above Amtrak — and sometimes two or three steps.”

And just like Amtrak, the business is seeing a rebound. “Last year, the charter business was down,” said Barton, “but during the first part of this year, it seems to be coming back pretty strong.”

“Mostly it appeals to people who have a love of railroads from the '40s, '50s and '60s,” said Patrick Henry, owner of the Warren Henry, a 1955 dome lounge car with a formal dining room, and the Evelyn Henry, a 1954 sleeper car with six double bedrooms and one queen suite. “It’s Americana at its finest.”

Courtesy Patrick Henry

The Warren R. Henry offers a panoramic viewing room upstairs.

It’s also a more diverse experience than many people may realize. As the leading organization for private rail-car owners, AAPRCO currently lists 63 cars available for charter, ranging from “party cars,” designed for special events and other one-day excursions, to combination sleeper/lounge cars configured for multi-day, cross-country trips.

Among the most posh are the so-called “business cars,” luxury-appointed sleeper/dining cars that railroad executives utilized to travel in comfort as they conducted business around their steel-railed empires.

The Chapel Hill, for example, features mahogany interiors, original brass hardware and vintage railroad silver and china. With a formal dining room, lounge area and four bedrooms, it’s a classic example of what fans of private train travel refer to as a yacht on rails.

Not surprisingly, such travel doesn’t come cheap. On the Chapel Hill, a three-day charter between Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., will cost around $20,000 as will a similar trip between Chicago and San Francisco on the Warren and Evelyn Henry cars. The former sleeps six; the latter, up to 10.

“It sounds like a lot, but remember, that includes a chef, a steward and your food and beverage,” said Henry. “In most cases, it also includes your alcohol which is really popular because it’s about the only thing to do other than watch the scenery go by.”

The rates also include the haulage fee — currently $2.10 per mile — that Amtrak charges to pull private cars as well as other ancillary charges.

There are also less expensive ways to get a taste of the experience. As past president of AAPRCO, Stan Garner operates the Pony Express, a 1941 baggage car turned party car with paneled walls, antique bar and parquet dance floor. Designed to carry 25 to 30 people, one-day excursions between Los Angeles and San Diego typically run $4,500 to $5,000, making it a unique venue for birthday parties, anniversaries and weddings.

“It’s about enjoying the trip,” said Garner, “instead of trying to get somewhere in a hurry because you’re just not going to.”

That’s a big part of the appeal for John Bertini, a Houston urologist who has chartered private train cars on several occasions for family vacations. “It’s an opportunity to slow down, to enjoy a different perspective and to spend time together,” he told msnbc.com. “It’s something we don’t get to take advantage of in our hurried lives.”

Which, says Bertini, speaks to yet another benefit of traveling by private train car — the benefit of what it isn’t.

“It’s not having to take your shoes off; it’s not having people be rude to you, and it’s not having to be crammed in a seat for hours,” he said. “Imagine the opposite of your typical travel experiences — that’s what the private rail-car experience is like.”

More stories you might like:

• World's longest water coaster opens in Santa Claus, Ind.
• Geraldo Rivera calls TSA screening 'manual rape'
• Video: Gun parts found in stuffed animals at R.I. airport

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

Courtesy Holiday World

Thrill seekers who don't mind getting wet are in luck. On Friday, Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., unveiled Mammoth, the world's longest water coaster.

When it comes to attracting customers, the attractions business is often likened to an arms race in which competing parks do battle over who has the biggest, fastest and wildest rides.

These days, you could say it’s being fought with water cannons as parks invest in new water rides that promise faster speeds, steeper drops and more intense thrills.

Case in point: the new Mammoth “water coaster” opened Friday at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind. Located in the park’s Splashin’ Safari area, the ride features seven hills, multiple twists and turns and a length of 1,763 feet, making it the longest water coaster in the world.

“It’s bigger than big,” said spokesperson Paula Werne of the 69-foot-high, $9-million ride. “We thought Wildebeest [the park’s existing water coaster] was huge but Mammoth takes it up a whole other notch.”

Other parks are also unveiling new water rides this summer, a trend that observers say speaks to both the competitive nature of the business and consumers’ expectations.

“If you’re not keeping up with the latest and greatest, you’re going to have trouble getting the kind of attendance you need to be successful,” said David Sangree, president of Hotel & Leisure Advisors LLC. “And with prices as high as $30 to $50 a day, you have some pretty high expectations.”

“The perception of water parks and water rides is making a shift,” said Brad Goodbody, marketing manager for ProSlide Technology Inc., the company that created Mammoth. “Previously, they were seen as theme parks’ poor cousins but now you have rides that will get people to come back month after month.”

If that sounds appealing, here are three new rides that’ll be making a splash this summer:

Courtesy Holiday World

Riders of Mammoth, the world's longest water coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Ind., could experience feelings of weightlessness during the ride.

Mammoth
Like Wildebeest and a handful of other water coasters, Mammoth uses the same linear induction motor (LIM) technology — basically a series of magnets — that newer roller coasters use to propel passengers uphill. Seated in six-person circular rafts, riders may find themselves facing forward, sideways or backwards and may even experience the weightless feeling known as “air time” as they crest each hill.

“There’s nothing like seeing your friends and family members getting soaked, getting scared and screaming and laughing,” said Werne.

Mile High Flyer
Visitors to Water World in Denver will also be able to notch a water coaster experience this summer, albeit on a slightly smaller scale than at Splashin’ Safari. Set to open in mid-June, the LIM-powered Mile High Flyer will feature five hills, four-person rafts and speeds of 15 to 20 mph. In a novel twist, the park is incorporating sound effects, including the familiar click-click-click of a traditional coaster lift hill.

King Cobra
Take your typical tube slide, outfit it in red, white and black scales, and have it end in the gaping maw of one of the scariest species of snake on the planet and you have King Cobra, the newest addition to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Jackson, N.J.

Once in the belly of the beast, riders race down side-by-side tubes, hitting speeds of up to 32 mph, before plunging down a 25-foot, 50-degree slope that resembles a cobra’s extended hood and fanged jaws.

“It’s not a new technology,” said spokesperson Kristin Siebeneicher. “It’s a way to evolve the classic thrill of a waterslide.”

Alas, you’ll have to wait a little longer to experience it. The ride is expected to open in early July.

More stories you might like:

• Video: Frequent flier abuse?
• Take mom somewhere free for Mother's Day
• American Airlines to overhaul premium seats

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

Matt Sayles / AP

In this April 25, 2012 photo, the entrance to the Beverly Hills Hotel is seen in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Beverly Hills Hotel is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Travelers looking forward to a little luxury in the coming months may want to look backward instead. From Boston to Beverly Hills, iconic hotels are celebrating their 100th anniversaries with historic tours, special events and package deals.

“The years between 1897 and 1912 represented a golden age of outrageous luxury hotels,” said Andrew K. Sandoval-Strausz, associate professor of history at the University of New Mexico and the author of “Hotel: An American History.”

In fact, 1912 can be considered something of a watershed year. “It’s not just what came before; it’s what came after,” said Sandoval-Strausz. “The income tax was imposed in 1913 by the 16th amendment. Before that, rich folks just had a colossal amount of untaxed income and there had been a burst in hotel building to accommodate them.”

Alas, those days are long gone — heck, for most us, they never existed — but it’s still possible to get a taste of the good life at hotels that recall that golden age. For history buffs and well-heeled travelers, here are three hotels celebrating 100 years of luxurious lodging:

The Beverly Hills Hotel
Before there was a city of Beverly Hills, there was The Beverly Hills Hotel, which opened its doors on May 12, 1912. Ever since, the famous “Pink Palace” has served as a swanky second home for celebrities and Hollywood stars from Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Travelers interested in reliving that rich history can sip vintage cocktails in the Polo Lounge — try the Rebel, inspired by Dietrich, or the Norma Jean, named for Monroe — or book the Centennial Celebration package, which includes accommodations, breakfast for two, two vintage cocktails, a 100-year keepsake candle and box of chocolate truffles. Prices start at $660, which, needless to say, is a wee bit more than the $12 a single room cost in 1912.

The Fairmont Copley Plaza
1912 was a big year in Boston with the opening of Fenway Park, the Franklin Park Zoo and, on August 19, the Copley Plaza. Designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, who also designed the Plaza Hotel in New York, the Beaux-Arts landmark offered rooms for just $3.50 per night.

A century later, the hotel is now wrapping up a $20 million renovation and celebrating its centennial with 100 days of events, activities and package deals. The Celebration of a Century package, for example, starts at $100 and includes lodging for two, a private hotel history tour and history booklet.

And speaking of special celebrations, the hotel is offering an even better deal to any guest who stayed at the hotel on their honeymoon. Bring your original bill and they’ll charge you the same rate you paid on that happy occasion.

Ritz-Carlton Montreal
Known as the “Grande Dame of Sherbrooke Street,” the Ritz-Carlton Montreal was not only the finest hotel in the city when it opened on December 31, 1912, but also the first in the world to bear the Ritz-Carlton name, in honor of legendary hotelier Cesar Ritz, who helped establish it.

Alas, Montreal-bound travelers will have to wait to experience it as the hotel closed in 2008 to undertake a $150-million renovation that will showcase redesigned rooms, private residences, a Tiffany store and restaurant by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud. A reopening date hasn’t been announced, although the hotel is accepting reservations for arrivals from June 1 and beyond.

More stories you might like:

• Video: Frequent flier abuse?
• Take mom somewhere free for Mother's Day
• American Airlines to overhaul premium seats

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

The Plaza

This Mother's Day, consider treating mom to an Eloise Tea at The Palm Court, The Plaza, in New York.

Tea time provides a rare opportunity to combine something kids love (sweets!) with something moms demand (good manners!). Treat mom to a tea party this Mother’s Day at one of these delightful locales.

Eloise Tea and Simply Charming Tea at The Plaza – New York, N.Y.
“Skibble” off to The Plaza for a tea named for the hotel’s precocious fictional guest, Eloise. The menu includes such “mahvelous” items as kid-friendly finger sandwiches, mini chocolate cupcakes, Eloise shortbread cookies, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Guests can sip cold pink lemonade or hot peppermint tea. (Daily. $30 children, $50 adults.) Afterwards, be sure to stop by the pink, pink, pink Eloise Boutique to watch Eloise movie clips, take in park views and purchase all things Eloise.

If you’re worried your little darling doesn’t have the table manners to attend such a fancy affair, sign up for a Simply Charming Tea. Lisa Taylor Richey, creator of Manners To Go, teaches children and their adult companions tea-specific etiquette such as how to properly pour tea as well as everyday manners like how and why to make eye contact. (Offered quarterly. $150 for etiquette instruction, tea for one child and one adult, an Eloise keepsake and "The Golden Rules of Etiquette at The Plaza" book).

The Peninsula Chicago

Afternoon Tea at The Lobby with Peter Bear, the mascot of The Peninsula Chicago.

Afternoon Tea at The Lobby, The Peninsula Chicago – Chicago
Well-behaved girls and boys dine on ham-and-cheese finger sandwiches, mini burgers, crisped rice treats and Jell-O squares while sipping tea or hot chocolate at The Lobby. Peter Bear, the mascot of The Peninsula Chicago, stops by to greet young guests tableside. Adults are served more sophisticated fare, like salmon with dill cream cheese and roasted vegetable with hummus. (Daily. $18 children, $25 with souvenir teddy bear. $42 adults or $50 with glass of Champagne.) 

Madeline’s Tea at Bemelmans Bar, The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel - New York, N.Y.
Inspired by the petite main character of the famous French book series, the Madeline Tea takes place in Bemelmans Bar, which is lined with murals painted by the author and illustrator himself, Ludwig Bemelmans. In addition to standard tea-time finger sandwiches, guests can choose from such buffet options as Teeny burgers and fries, Pipito’s crudités and dips, and an Eiffel Tower hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top. (Saturdays. $50 adults, $25 children.)

Nursery Tea at Crown & Crumpet Tea Salon - San Francisco
Decorated with an eclectic mix of playful flowered prints, this tea shop has a bright, modern feel different from many old-school tea houses. Children are presented with their own mini three-tiered stand stacked with small sandwiches, a house-made crumpet, and miniature sweet treats ($15). Tiny tea goers can wash down their nibbles with a pot of apple juice, hot chocolate or fruit tea served with heart-shaped sugar cubes. Adults can choose a similar tea-time menu ($28) or order quiches, salads and full-sized sandwiches from the lunch menu ($10-16). To ensure children are on their best behavior, you can order a princess-themed craft to keep young hands busy ($5).

Story Time Tea with Mrs. B at The Grill at Morrison House – Alexandria, Va.
Children are treated to a pot of hot chocolate and finger sandwiches, scones with jam, and bite-sized desserts at The Grill at Kimpton’s Morrison House. Grown-ups enjoy such dishes as curried chicken salad sandwiches, crab salad profiteroles, a sliver tray of sweets and organic teas. A Mother’s Day Tea on May 19 will include corsages and boutonnieres for “dress-up” and children will make cards and poems for their moms. (Monthly. $28 children, $38 adults.)

Manners instructor Rebecca Czarniecki (a.k.a. Mrs. B) hosts these Story Time Teas. Czarniecki recites a story or poem, oversees a craft project and visits with each table to give etiquette tips. She says, “Tea provides an environment where you can teach children and adults a variety of manners – how to hold silverware, use correct body language, and send thank-you notes to follow up after the event. And who doesn’t love a cup of tea?”   

Related

• Take mom somewhere for free on Mother's Day
• Slideshow: Awkward mom photos
• Moms rule! I’m a great mom because …
• From sweets to bling, last-minute Mother's Day gifts

Woods Pierce

Staunton, Va. is blessed with the backdrop of the Shenandoah Valley and the main artery of Beverley Street, whose brick buildings amount to one of the highest concentrations of showy late-19th-century architecture in any U.S. town.

Driving across America, it’s all too easy to lose your mooring amid the commercial thicket of the same old fast-food outlets and big-box stores.  

Slideshow: See the greatest Main Streets in the U.S.A.

But push on a mile or two beyond the interstate exit, and you may discover a town that’s anchored by a distinctive Main Street — one with grand architecture, eclectic small businesses and community-oriented features such as a park or theater. Often it thrives thanks to locals who have made a conscientious effort to fight the general decline of Main Street.

The work of such activists and preservationists is acknowledged each year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Great American Main Streets Awards and by the American Planning Association’s Great Places in America: Streets. We scoured their recent designations to select the most vibrant, distinctive downtowns worth the trip.

You’ll find these great Main Streets across the U.S., from mining towns such as Silver City, N.M., to stately, red-brick Staunton, Va. Yet our list does skew east of the Mississippi, favoring towns that were established before the age of the automobile — and so display the DNA of a pedestrian and bike-friendly environment.

Not that a walkable layout can guarantee a thriving Main Street. Take York, Penn., where the 1978 shuttering of the last of four downtown department stores triggered a period of decay. The turnaround was slow going, as landowners aided by various programs renovated nearly every Victorian and Classical Revival façade. Now, on the first Friday of each month, local businesses stay open late, with special events and discounts.

Port Townsend, Wash., went through its own reinvention. Expecting a shipping boom, 19th-century residents built out the town in high Victorian style — only to find themselves on the wrong side of Puget Sound when the railroads connected to Seattle. It’s been reborn as an arts center around the main drag, Water Street.  

Second chances are just as American as a homespun Main Street, and with the recent economic downturn have come do-it-yourselfers seeing opportunity in cheap abandoned storefronts and converting them into bakeries or boutiques.

So it’s well worth driving a extra few miles to see what Main Street lies ahead.

More from Travel + Leisure

• Best secret beaches on Earth
• America's best and worst airports
• Europe travel: Best money-saving tips
• World's most unusual hotels

Federico Gambarini / AFP - Getty Images

Take mom to the zoo to celebrate Mother's Day. (But don't forget to buy some flowers.)

Mothers everywhere will be lavished with love, cards, flowers and, perhaps, breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day on Sunday.  On their special day, moms are also being offered free admission and activities at zoos, gardens, golf courses and other attractions around the country. Some offers are free; at others, mom gets in free if you buy one admission ticket. Here are a few for you and your mom to consider.

Take mom to the zoo 
On Mother’s Day, moms can see the cute zoo babies and all the other animals for free at many zoos around the country, including the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Minnesota Zoo near the Mall of America, and at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, where Grammy Award-winner Irma Thomas will headline a day of fun and music.

Active moms
Moms accompanying a paying guest will get to golf for free on Mother’s Day at the Wolfdancer Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Lost Pines, Texas, and at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, Wis.

In Bretton Woods, N.H., moms can take a free zip-line tour on Mother’s Day at the Bretton Woods Canopy Tour at the Omni Mount Washington Mount Washington Resort with the FOGO (fly one, get one) program.

And, as it has for more than 20 years, the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park in Cañon City, Colo., will be letting moms in for free on Mother’s Day. (No accompanying ticket purchase required.) The park is home to one of the world’s highest suspension bridges, at 956 feet high, and spans a quarter mile across the canyon.

Slideshow: Happy Mother's Day

It takes a village – and some gardens
On Mother’s Day, moms get in free at Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, Mass., where there will be a “moms vs. kids” tug-of-war and special guests ranging from actors portraying an 1830s midwife to members of the Maternal Association, who will discuss the joys and challenges of raising children in the 19th century.

In Ashville, N.C., moms get in free with the purchase of a youth or adult ticket at the Biltmore Estate. In addition to being the largest private home in America (250 rooms; be glad you don’t have to clean them), the Biltmore has elaborate gardens and grounds designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

“Edith Vanderbilt, Biltmore’s original mom, was a great mom and hostess who entertained many families over the decades,” said LeeAnn Donnelly, spokeswoman for the Biltmore Estate. “We celebrate moms today keeping her flare for hospitality in mind.”

Hershey Gardens, the 23-acre botanical garden in Hershey, Penn., is celebrating its 75th anniversary and is offering free general admission to moms on May 13. So is the nearby Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue.

And for families who want to begin celebrating Mother’s Day weekend early, keep in mind that National Public Gardens Day takes place this year on Friday, May 11, and offers free admission to moms – and anyone who downloads a coupon – at dozens of public gardens around the country.

Of course, after all that golfing, zip-lining and walking through gardens, a relaxing session at a spa might be in order. Throughout Mother’s Day weekend, street teams will be roaming 15 U.S. cities (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Buffalo, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., Kansas City,  Detroit, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Milwaukee and Cleveland) handing out SpaFinder.com gift cards worth $100, along with tote bags filled with flowers, coupons and other goodies.

Why would attractions, golf courses and spas want to shower all this (free) love on moms? “Because getting you in the doors now can pay long-term dividends for them if you become a repeat visitor or recommend the attraction to your friends and family,” said Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance.

Doesn’t “nothing in life is truly free” sound like something a wise mom would tell you?

Other stories you might like

• Slideshow: Awkward mom photos
• Moms rule! I’m a great mom because …
• From sweets to bling, last-minute Mother's Day gifts

Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter. 

Francisco Rosario

Pedro Luis Ferrer

Music
On June 3, Cuban bohemians young and old will crowd SOB’s nightclub to see Pedro Luis Ferrer, a controversial Havana folksinger blacklisted by the government for years for his tongue-in-cheek criticism of the revolution. (A concert originally slated for May 10 was postponed due to illness.) In a country where the average monthly salary is around $20, and few Cubans can afford luxuries that tourists enjoy, his song "100% Cubano" has a deceptively comic tune and biting lyrics: “Since my Cuba is 100 percent Cuban…tomorrow I’ll reserve the best hotel in Havana...with this money of mine I earned cutting sugarcane.”

Although some U.S. musicians still have problems securing visas to Cuba, says SOB’s owner Larry Gold, these days it’s exponentially easier to bring Cuban acts to the United States. “It’s not like during the Clinton era,” Gold says, when Cuban musicians came after decades of isolation and “there was a real taste of the forbidden fruit.” Now, Gold says, “We consistently do all types of Cuban music, from son to timba to trova. Cuban music has the mother lode of rhythms — so many different rhythms within such a small country.”

In the West Village, Havana Alma de Cuba has a $5 mojito happy hour Monday through Friday, and complimentary cigars for customers Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (though not the real deal from Havana). Another tasty option worth a trip — but just to Brooklyn, don’t worry — is Pilar Cuban Eatery in Clinton Hill, which serves a mean marinated roast pork pernil. 

Art
One of Fidel and Raul Castro’s biggest talking points is the island’s free education system, including art schools which have produced a wealth of edgy, often conceptual contemporary art. Through June 23, the Center for Cuban Studies celebrates its 40-year anniversary with a show of painting, sculpture, drawings and mixed-media pieces by 25 Cuban artists, including up-and-coming emerging creators and those who came of age during the 1970s and 1980s.

For collectors looking to do more than browse, Chelsea’s Magnan Metz Gallery represents big-name Cuban artists, such as Alexandre Arrechea, a former member of the installation collective Los Carpinteros.

History
After all the eating, dancing and mojitos, leave time for a quiet Sunday afternoon in Central Park, spending time with the father of Cuban nationhood, Jose Martí. (Or a statue of him, at least, at W 59^th Street and 6^th Avenue.) Exiled in 1880 after being sentenced to six years in prison for organizing against the Spanish, Martí fled to New York, where he penned some of his most esteemed essays and poems — of which every good Cuban can quote dozens by memory for any occasion.

The statue shows a proud Martí on his steed forging into the war for independence from Spain, where he died on the battlefield in 1895. 

Related stories

• Reporter's notebook: Return to Cuba
• US loosens strictures on traveling to Cuba
• Video: American tourists quick to travel to Cuba 

Kate Appleton

Originally built in 1922, Jane's Carousel has 48 glass-eyed horses, with ornate saddles and gold-leaf detailing, that are housed in a pavilion in N.Y.'s Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Brooklyn’s waterfront has long been famous for its skyline view, but now there’s a new way to enjoy it: from the saddle of an ornately carved horse at Jane’s Carousel. Built in 1922, the restored carousel spins within a modern glass shed below the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

Slideshow: See where America's best carousels are

It took exceptional devotion to complete the 27-year restoration of Jane’s Carousel, but most of us can easily relate to the nostalgic appeal of a merry-go-round: the sound of the organ, the whimsical wooden animals pumping up and down, the lights reflected in the mirrors. And while carousels aren’t likely to be the reason you travel, they’re often placed somewhere iconic (Boston Common) or beautiful (Santa Monica pier), where you’d be drawn naturally. The ride is an added, affordable delight.

“The carousel was the first form of mechanical recreation and the original root of modern amusements,” says Bette Largent, president of the National Carousel Association. The earliest carousels date back to around A.D. 500, though you’d hardly recognize them: rather than lit-up spectacles, these were baskets hand-spun around a central pole. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that carousels as we know them came into existence.

Today, roughly 400 merry-go-rounds are in operation across America, whether in city parks or at kid-friendly attractions such as zoos. Michigan’s Grand Rapids Museum finds its own way to incorporate the wild: its carousel is housed in a glass building that juts over a river. With a little imagination, you’ll feel as if you’re about ready to gallop through the water.

If you want more of a tangible rush — as far as carousels go — swing by Cedar Downs Racing Derby in Sandusky, Ohio, where the mechanical horses reach speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and move back and forth as they vie for first place.

So what is in store for the future of carousels? Well, according to Largent, it’s a nod to the past. “The latest trend is a return of the wooden carousel,” says Largent. “We may indeed have as many woodcarvers today as during the height of the industry in the early 1900s.”

More from Travel + Leisure

• Best secret beaches on Earth
• America's best and worst airports
• Europe travel: Best money-saving tips
• World's most unusual hotels

Slideshow: The Golden Gate Bridge

/

San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge turns 75 this month. Look back at the history of the bridge in our slideshow.

Launch slideshow

What is 1.7 miles long, is painted a fetching shade of international orange and turns 75 this month?

California’s Golden Gate Bridge, of course.

Referred to by the San Francisco Chronicle as a “$35 million steel harp” when it first opened to automobile traffic on May 28, 1937, the Golden Gate is one of the world’s most well-known suspension bridges and is a classic “must-do” experience for visitors to San Francisco.

“It’s a giant piece of Art Deco architecture, an engineering marvel and an international icon that has a lot of meaning and memories for a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” said David Shaw, director of communications for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservatory, a nonprofit group.

On Tuesday, in preparation for a year-long Golden Gate Bridge anniversary celebration, a new 3,500 square-foot Bridge Pavilion opens to the public.

Located in the southeast plaza on the San Francisco side of the bridge, the pavilion houses interpretive exhibits about bridge-related history, engineering and innovations and will serve as a welcome center for a wide variety of bridge-related activities.

Also opening Tuesday is the renovated historic Round House, which will be the staging area for new 45- and 60-minute daily public tours of the bridge (including the first night-time bridge tours), and the site of a photo booth that uses “green screen” technology to provide backdrops of bridge locations, such as the top of the tower, that are inaccessible to the public. “It will allow visitors to get photos of themselves on the bridge on those days when the bridge pulls its disappearing act and hides in the fog,” said Shaw.

The year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge officially kicks off May 27 with a full day of events throughout San Francisco. Events include displays of bridge-related memorabilia and educational exhibits, a display with at least one car from each year from 1937 to the present, a parade of historic boats, music and dance performances and art installations. The day will end with a grand fireworks display. 

“For the 50th anniversary of the bridge, in 1987, they closed the bridge to automobiles and opened it just to pedestrians. Thousands more people than they imagined showed up,” said Shaw. “Homeland Security is now much tighter, so we won’t be doing a bridge walk. But the bridge sidewalks will be open and the bridge will also be open to automobiles and bicycles.”

Visitors who can’t make it to San Francisco for the Memorial Day weekend event can still join the party. Seventy-five tributes to the Golden Gate Bridge are planned, consisting of a series of public arts, cultural and history events, and are being presented by Bay Area museums, cultural centers, arts organizations and children’s groups throughout the year.

“It’s said that the East Coast has the Statue of Liberty and the West Coast has the Golden Gate Bridge,” said Shaw. “And while the Statue of Liberty has a clear message, the message of the bridge is a bit more personal: It’s the gateway to San Francisco and to the Pacific, but everyone attaches their own meaning to it.”

More stories you might like:

• Heathrow feeling the heat as Olympics approach
• Woman 'too fat to fly' sues Southwest Airlines
• Video: Uniforms causing illness, airline employees claim

Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter. 

Kieren Messenger

Food safety is a point of pride at the Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh's central square, where there are frequent inspections and leftover food is disposed of nightly.

What’s a trip to Ho Chi Minh City without a steaming bowl of pho eaten curbside, while perched on a tiny plastic stool? Or a stroll through Mexico City without a stop for tacos al pastor, dished up from a wheeled cart? For connoisseurs of local cuisine, streetside dining is a way to explore delicious foods, many of which are unavailable in restaurants, prepared by dedicated specialists. But it has its risks: of the 70 million Americans who travel abroad each year, it is approximated that 46 percent report varying degrees of food- or water-borne illness. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in fact, advises against consuming street food in developing countries. That’s why it’s as important as ever to be armed with some street-food savvy when you’re on the road.

Slideshow: See where to go and what to order

Follow the locals
In a busy marketplace, you can often tell if a stall is reputable based on the line. But pay attention: Mexico City street-food guide Lesley Téllez avoids stalls that draw a primarily young — and less cautious — clientele. Instead, she looks for “a mix of workers, policemen and older customers.” And knowing local mealtimes means you can beat the crowds to get the freshest foods.

Cleanliness counts
“Keep an eye out for signs of cross-contamination,” says Douglas Powell, professor of food safety at Kansas State University. Check that prep surfaces look clean, cold foods are kept on ice, and raw foods are stored separately from cooked. Téllez prefers stands where vendors who handle food don’t touch money.

Related video: 'Around the World in 80 Plates'

Bring your own utensils
There’s no way to tell if chopsticks or forks have been given more than a quick rinse.

If possible, watch your food being cooked
And avoid precooked seafood in particular, advises Jeff Koehler, author of the forthcoming cookbook "Morocco" (Chronicle Books; $29.95). Dishes containing raw meat, and ice-based drinks or desserts such as ice cream that may have been made with unfiltered water, are off-limits. Reheated rice is also a breeding ground for bacteria.

Look for cooking methods that reduce microbes
Pickling vegetables and using citrus juices can reduce the levels of dangerous microorganisms, Powell points out, but they won’t remove your risk entirely. Some spices, such as chiles, turmeric and epazote, a pungent Mexican herb, also have antibacterial properties.

More from Travel + Leisure

• Best secret beaches on Earth
• America's best and worst airports
• Europe travel: Best money-saving tips
• World's most unusual hotels

Photo courtesy Marchi Mobile

The $3 million eleMMent Palazzo is a rolling mansion that allows the owner to skip the sacrifices of a 5-star hotel.

There’s nothing worse than having to rough it on the road. But with the new eleMMent Palazzo, the days of suffering at a 5-star hotel are a thing of the past.

The $3 million mansion on wheels guarantees that the road-weary 1-percenter can live in the accustomed lifestyle, even when they’re hours away from home or don’t have a place to fly in the private jet.

Better yet, the Palazzo, produced by Vienna’s Marchi Mobile, is nearly as environmentally friendly as some of the latest battery-electric vehicles, the 20-ton, 40-foot rolling palace delivering a full 13 mpg out of its 510-horsepower turbo diesel.  That’s better than the Bentley Mulsanne or Rolls-Royce Phantom II an owner now can comfortably leave behind in the 10-car garage at home. 

Relief at the Pump: Oil Prices Slip Below $100 

Credit the eleMMent Palazzo’s aerodynamics and lightweighting.  There’s a wind-cheating front spoiler, the maker notes, along with a carbon fiber rear diffuser.

EleMMent “offers reduced fuel consumption of up to 20% by its trendsetting aerodynamics, thus creating economic and ecologic harmony,” says its Austrian manufacturer.

With a top speed of 93 mph, it’s very possible the enthusiast owner just might prefer to handle the driving chores, but for those who prefer to have Jeeves behind the wheel – with the proper coach license, of course – there’s a separate bunk bed for the staff up front.  No uncomfortable mingling with the celebrities. 

Ford Sells Off Key Parts Plant 

One thing’s clear, you won’t confuse the Palazzo for the typical, low-rent mobile home converted from a conventional bus.  One of its most distinctive visual features is the three-circle windshield, the central glass looking a lot like a designer monacle, cleared of rain or sand – since Arab oil sheiks are expected to make up many of the customers – but a unique triple wiper system that spins like a windshield.

Photo courtesy Marchi Mobile

There is plenty of space for a family gathering.

Of course, all that shouldn’t matter to the jet-setting, er, road-going traveler who’d buy one of these customized behemoths.  For them, it’s all about having the comforts of home – or mansion, if you prefer.

The interior of the eleMMent measures a comfy 430 square feet.  But you can expand that by 80% with the push-button pop out that ensures you’ve got enough space for the entire investment club.  And if it’s a dance party, another feature is a pop-up roof terrace adding yet 250 square feet more space.  It features an awning, of course, as well as that essential heated floor. 

Top Ten Vehicles for Teens 

The living quarters are divided into a lounge area and a large master bedroom.  To get rid of that road grime, there’s a large shower with a rainfall showerhead.

“Relax with your friends by having a chilled drink from one of the bars on your fully automatic liftable flybridge lounge or on the welcoming couch area inside,” explains Marchi Mobile.

And in case those friends you meet later traveling on the yacht don’t quite believe how nice life can be on the road, the company notes that “Remote video access allows you to show your friends the exterior and interior and also permits to pre-set the lighting and temperature for your return to the vehicle.”

So, while life sometimes requires sacrifice as you race from one family mansion to the other, it’s good to know that you’re never again going to have to settle for a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton. 

Andy Rain / EPA file

Passengers are pictured at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 in March. Reports suggest that the UK's flagship airport may struggle with passenger traffic during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

With the London 2012 Summer Games less than three months away, Heathrow, the event's host airport, is already under fire for the Olympic-sized lines that have been greeting arriving passengers in the immigration halls.

Customs checks for illegally smuggled drugs and arms have been reduced at UK airports in an effort to combat long lines and wait times, according to a weekend report in The Guardian, citing "senior immigration officers and border force unions."

Last week, UK Immigration Minister Damian Green told the BBC that while “there is a problem,” improvements were being made. “For the Olympic period, we are guaranteeing that there will be, at peak times, full manning” of border control desks.

BAA owns Heathrow and five other airports that serve the UK, but is not responsible for immigration wait times.

Heathrow claims it is the world's busiest airport in terms of international traffic. It served nearly 70 million passengers in 2011 and is currently operating at capacity. It will be the entry point for at least 80 percent of Olympics-bound passengers, and an estimated 59,000 athletes, family members and spectators.

Msnbc.com spoke with Colin Matthews and John Holland-Kaye, BAA's chief executive and commercial director, respectively.

Q: When did Heathrow begin planning for Olympic Games traffic and how did you go about it?

A: Colin Matthews: Heathrow’s planning for the London 2012 Games began during the bid process for London about five years ago. Since then the Heathrow team has been in Beijing in 2008 and Vancouver in 2010 to observe the operational challenges created by both Summer and Winter Games. Heathrow also met with the airport operators who successfully delivered Games transport in Athens and Sydney.

Related: Uh oh Heathrow! Long lines, waits hit travelers months ahead of Olympics

Q: The news has been full of stories lately about arriving passengers having to wait for more than two hours in the immigration halls. Is that what visitors will encounter when they arrive for the Olympics?

A: CM: Immigration is controlled by the Home Office [the UK government agency that oversees immigration and passports]. Immigration waiting times during peak periods at Heathrow recently have been unacceptable, but the good news is that the government recently announced it is going to devote more resources in that area.

Q: The airport is really the front door to the city. It’s the first — and last — place visitors will see. What are you doing to insure Heathrow will make a good impression?

A: John Holland-Kaye: Our strategy involves best practices and recommendations from prior host airports, construction of the temporary terminal for Olympic athletes departing from the Games and investment in additional facilities for Paralympians in the existing terminals. We’ve also been working in collaboration with other airport stakeholders and rehearsing and testing our facilities at their capacity.

Slideshow: Venues for 2012 London Olympic Games

Oda / Getty Images

From Wimbledon to Wembley Stadium to The Dome, a look at the venues for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Launch slideshow

Q:  How much is Heathrow spending to make the airport games ready? Where do the funds come from?

A: JHK: Heathrow has invested over £20 million [about $32.4 million] in providing a great experience for athletes and regular passengers during the Games period. These funds are entirely Heathrow’s contribution.

Q: What special amenities, exhibits or temporary services will be in place?

A: JHK: We’ll be dressing up the airport. There will be Olympic-themed art exhibits and each passenger terminal will feature theatre and celebrations to surprise and delight passengers.  For example, one walkway is going to look like a swimming pool and you’ll feel as if you’re walking on water. There will places where passengers can take photos standing on podiums, next to images of athletes. And we’ll do things like set up a 100 meter track so kids can race against each other.

Slideshow: London calling

Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

From Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square, the venerable old town oozes history and Dickens.

Launch slideshow

Q: Everyone loves Olympics-related souvenirs. Will passengers be able to shop for those at the airport?

A: JHK: Yes, there are special souvenir shops set up for Olympics souvenirs.  It’s also the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee [marking 60 years of the Queen’s reign], so we’re selling a lot of souvenirs for that. And, royal wedding souvenirs are still very popular.

Q: What are some insider tips about Heathrow you can offer to travelers, Olympics-bound or not?

A: JHK: A few quick ones: There’s an Olympic-themed art exhibit land-side in Terminal 5; there are two family security lanes in each terminal [look for the rainbows] and kids get a sticker when they go through; and at the duty free cosmetic shops in each terminal, you can get a facial or a hand massage for free.

More stories you might like:

• Woman 'too fat to fly' sues Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines reverses course, refunds dying veteran
• Flight attendants claim new uniforms make them sick

Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter. 

Matt Stroshane / Disney

Ooh La La on the Disney Fantasy is inspired by an elegant French boudoir adorned with velvet-tufted walls, Victorian furniture and Louis XIV-style chaise lounges. For adult guests only, the lounge is part of Europa, a nighttime entertainment district that celebrates European travel.

A Disney Cruise can trigger thoughts of in-your-face cartoon characters and a shipload of screaming kids.

Yes, Mickey Mouse and the gang are on hand to pose for photos and there is no shortage of children on these ships. But those seeking adult-focused fun and kid-free spaces will not be disappointed by a Disney Cruise. I recently sailed solo on a media preview sailing of the company’s new ship, Fantasy. Sailing sans children allowed me to explore the grown-up side of this family-focused cruise line.

Davina Chojnowski of Boston found the spa to be a romantic place to spend time with her husband on their honeymoon. “I'm pretty sure we had a spa treatment every day,” she said. After side-by-side spa treatments, couples can nibble strawberries and sip some bubbly on a private verandah with a hot tub and double lounge chair in one of two spa villas.

Kent Phillips / Disney

The Disney Fantasy includes Satellite Falls, a circular splash pool with benches and a rain curtain, exclusively for adult guests.

Dive into calm pools
There are two splashy spots on Fantasy where adults can escape the boisterous family fun of the ship’s main pools. Grab a cocktail at the swim-up Cove Bar and cool off in one of three freshwater pools that make up the Quiet Cove Pool. Satellite Falls is a water-lover’s heaven with a circular splash pool and a cascading rain curtain.

Dine like royalty
In addition to three elaborately themed main dining restaurants and casual poolside fare provided in the price of a Disney Cruise, there are two adult-only restaurants aboard Fantasy. French-inspired Remy is the most lavish. Dinner starts with a Champagne cocktail made tableside, followed by up to nine small courses ($75) with optional wine pairings ($99).

In addition to dinner and brunch ($20), adults can enjoy a high tea ($15) at Palo, an upscale restaurant specializing in Northern Italian cuisine. Bring fancy garb and a big appetite to enjoy these swanky venues.

Drink and dance the night away
The ship’s nighttime district, Europa, provides a virtual journey through Europe with a lively Italian piazza, an Irish pub with plenty of TVs on which to watch the latest game, and a London dance club. The Skyline bar features changing scenes of European skylines, complete with miniature animated cars and people. As a Francophile, my favorite is Ooh La La, a femininely French bar inspired by a jewelry box with lush furniture and a Champagne-bubble chandelier.

Act like a kid again
Christine Hardenberger, owner of Magical Mouse Plans Travel, said that although Disney is widely known as a family-centric brand, about 30 percent of Disney vacations booked though her agency are for adults traveling without children.

Matt Stroshane / Disney

Those aboard the Disney Fantasy watch "Buccaneer Blast!" – a fireworks show choreographed to music featuring songs from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

Despite more than 70,000-square-feet of space on Fantasy dedicated to those 18 and older, many adults embark on a Disney Cruise because they want to experience the joy of reconnecting to their inner child. Vacationers want to chuck their to-do lists and business suits in favor of a spin down the AquaDuck waterslide or dancing at an all-ages pirate deck party complete with fireworks.

Explore the Caribbean
After sister ship Dream began its shorter, three- to five-day itineraries last year, Fantasy was designed to keep cruisers busy during weeklong sailings, said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Fantasy’s Caribbean itineraries alternate between an Eastern route (with visits to St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and a Western route (stopping at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel). All include a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, which features Serenity Bay, an adult-only slice of beach paradise.

Get the Disney Experience
Ozer Balli, Disney’s vice president of hotel operations, believes adult cruisers sailing without children choose Disney Cruise Line because “the brand offers a trust factor and a quality level that never disappoints.”

Kimberly Button, a former Disney Cruise Line employee and author of the Disney Activity Guide app, is planning a Disney Cruise vacation this year. “There's just something special," she says, "something that you really cannot even explain or put your finger on but you know that it's there, that you find on Disney and no other cruise line.”

More articles you might like:

• Top spring travel destinations
• It's a tall world ... Starbucks to open in Disney parks
• World's most unusual hotels
• Spa Week: just what the accountant ordered

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

An aerial view of sandstone formations May 2, in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

AP reports -- SALT LAKE CITY -- A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order will require two of Utah's oldest coal-fired power plants to improve control of pollution that has drastically reduced visibility across a region that includes five national parks and redrock wilderness.

Pollution controls at a pair of PacifiCorp power plants in Emery County "do not comply with our regulations," EPA Regional Administrator James Martin wrote earlier this week in the 79-page order. He signed out the 34- and 42-year-old plants for improvement, rejecting Utah's less stringent pollution controls but upholding broader efforts by the state to reduce haze across southern Utah.

PacifiCorp said it was already upgrading pollution controls at the Hunter and Huntington power plants and planned more improvements by 2014 that would bring them into compliance with the new requirements.

Read the full story.

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

An aerial view of sandstone formations May 2, in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

Slideshow: America's national parks

Nearly 400 national parks can be found all across America, and feature breathtaking vistas, rock formations millions of years old, and more.

Launch slideshow

Follow @msnbc_pictures

After a day at the beach, you wander back to your villa and, right on cue, a personal chef stops by to grill lobster tails — and does the dishes afterward. That’s the kind of above-and-beyond service to expect at Secret Bay, a stylish newcomer on the Caribbean island of Dominica.

Slideshow: See all the top 2012 hotels

You know the markers of a lousy hotel (poor service, snooze-inducing design, mediocre food), so what makes a hotel one of the best — not just recommendable, but groundbreaking? For our seventh annual It List, Travel + Leisure editors traveled the globe to test out new and renovated hotels. The results are in, and our favorite 50 hotels showcase the best the hotel industry has to offer this year.

Consider Tierra Patagonia, a spectacular resort that rises from a glacier-scape on the edge of Torres del Paine National Park. Rooms are stocked with local comforts (handwoven throws, armchairs upholstered in light Patagonian wool), but it’s the only-possible-here activities that you’ll be talking about for months after your stay, such as fording the Baguales River on horseback or shearing sheep by hand with the help of gauchos.

More From Travel + Leisure 

• Best secret beaches on Earth
• World’s most delicious street food
• Best New York hotels
• Strangest travel phobias

In Italy’s untrammeled Basilicata region, director Francis Ford Coppola opened his fifth stunning hotel project: Palazzo Margherita. With only nine guest rooms, it feels much like your own private estate — one that happens to be owned by a Hollywood mogul, with hand-painted frescoed ceilings, glass chandeliers and a hidden inner courtyard.

Courtesy of Petit St. Vincent Resort

Petit St. Vincent Resort, set on a private island, offers 22 stone-walled, thatched-roof cottages along a beach, with a waterside restaurant.

Closer to home, we love the Washington School House in Park City, Utah, for its French and Swedish antiques and easy access to the ski slopes, and Florida’s St. Regis Bal Harbour — part of a $700 million development on Miami Beach — for its Jean-Georges Vongerichten poolside grill and eye-catching entrance hall.

You can enjoy a different kind of water view from the Conrad New York, a Zen-inspired respite in the Financial District that overlooks the Hudson River. Further north, New York’s of-the-moment neighborhood Chelsea finally has a trendy hotel to call its own, thanks to the opening of the steel-and-glass Hotel Americano near the High Line. The modern hotel reveals irreverent details Johnny Cash might appreciate (harmonicas in the mini-bar, denim bathrobes in the restrooms).

Whatever your definition of a great hotel, you’re sure to find it in Travel+Leisure’s 2012 It List.

More stories you might like:

• Goodbye Norma Jean: Marilyn Monroe sculpture moving west
• Oregon man who stripped to protest TSA wants a trial
• LaGuardia, LAX named America's worst airports 

The late filmmaker Colin Clark may have had his “week with Marilyn,” but travelers to Chicago will likely have to settle for one last weekend fling.

On Monday, the city will begin removing Forever Marilyn, the 26-foot outdoor sculpture of the iconic actress, ending her run as one of the city’s most controversial pieces of public art.

The sculpture, created by Seward Johnson and located on Michigan Avenue, recreates the famous scene from the movie “The Seven Year Itch” in which Monroe stands over a New York subway grate as a passing train sends her skirt billowing up around her thighs. In that scene, the actor Tom Ewell stands next to Monroe with a bemused look of longing and wistfulness.

In Chicago, the reaction has often been more bawdy than bemused. “There are people standing between her legs, making obscene gestures, taking pictures up her legs,” said Andrea Cordts, a local communications manager who blogs at Chicago Quirk.

“The scene in the movie was so iconic — she’s so bashful and coy — but this one, it’s no, there’s her underwear,” she told msnbc.com.

“Everybody’s entitled to an opinion,” countered Melissa Farrell, executive assistant at the Zeller Realty Group, which commissioned the piece and owns Pioneer Court, where it’s currently located. “Art is supposed to start a conversation and we like providing public art that does that.”

The installation, says Farrell, has been among the site’s most popular installations, drawing foot traffic in excess of 40,000 people per day. “We have crowds of people 24 hours a day — people taking photographs of her and with her, wedding parties, Marilyn impersonators ...”

As for Marilyn’s pending departure, Farrell notes that the installation was always meant to be temporary and was scheduled to be removed this month even as it was being unveiled last July.

“People call me all the time to ask how long she’ll be up,” she told msnbc.com, “because they want to plan a trip to Chicago and don’t want to miss it.”

If you’re among that cohort, you’d better hurry — or shift your travel plans a few thousand miles west. Marilyn, it seems, is moving to Palm Springs, Calif., where she’s expected to reassume her iconic pose on May 24.

Hey, whatever blows your skirt up, right?

More on Itineraries

• Photos of Marilyn Monroe, six weeks before death, headed for auction
• Marilyn Monroe statue unveiled in Chicago
• Best affordable city hotels in the US
• Neighborhood tours show different side of a city

Rob Lovitt is a longtime travel writer who still believes the journey is as important as the destination. Follow him at Twitter.

Reuters file

A "ring of fire" glows around the dark moon on Jan. 26, 2009, as seen from Bandar Lampung in Indonesia during an annular solar eclipse.

Eclipse-chasers have been known to plan their expeditions months or even years in advance, but if you can get to the western United States, there's still plenty of time to plan your party for this month's solar eclipse. If the skies are clear, all you have to do is look up — with the proper eye protection, of course.

The May 20 event won't be quite as spectacular as a total solar eclipse, but if you can make it to a 200-mile-wide strip of territory that extends from the Oregon-California coast to northwestern Texas, you just might see a rare "Ring of Fire" eclipse near sunset. And that zone of annularity runs through some of the most picturesque parts of the country, including the Grand Canyon and 32 other national parks.

Outside the strip, Westerners will see a partial solar eclipse for the first time in seven years.

"Think of Pac-Man taking a bite out of the sun," Jonathan Jarvis, director of the National Park Service, said in a news release. "That 'bite' will take out 55 to 80 percent of the disk of the sun, depending on where you are, and that's still a very special experience."

The park service has put together an interactive website that shows you where the eclipse will be visible, lists events tied to the eclipse and provides more online resources about the phenomenon. Don't dawdle over your travel plans: Some of the park events, such as a viewing session from New Mexico's Petroglyph National Monument, are already sold out.

This eclipse will be an international spectacle that's not to be missed. Over the course of three and a half hours, the moon will blot out at least part of the sun, as seen from earthly locales stretching from Southeast Asia through China and the Pacific to North America and Greenland. Because of the moon's position with relation to Earth, the lunar disk will never block the sun completely, but will leave at least an edge of the solar disk exposed.

Safety first
For that reason, it's important to use the proper protection when gazing at the eclipse, even during the "Ring of Fire" phase. You can buy safety glasses for less than a buck each from Telescopes.net, with all of the proceeds going to support Astronomers Without Borders. Eclipse shades are available as well from Rainbow Symphony and lots of other online vendors.

You can also put a solar filter on your telescope or binoculars — but regular sunglasses won't do the trick. The filters should be specially designed for solar viewing. Same goes for your camera: Unless you know what you're doing, taking a picture of the sun without the proper filter is a good way to ruin your point-and-shoot. NASA's top eclipse expert, Fred Espenak, offers a guide to photographing any kind of solar eclipse easily and safely.

National Park Service

A graphic shows U.S. national parks within the zone of annularity for the May 20 solar eclipse. A partial solar eclipse can be seen from parks outside the zone that are marked in orange. Click on the interactive map.

Another way to view the eclipse is to fashion a "pinhole camera" from a box, aluminum foil and a sheet of white paper — or even from just two squares of cardboard. This Exploratorium webpage shows you how. The simplest way to get a sense of the eclipse is to find a semi-shady spot and watch the circles of sunlight falling through tree leaves. During a partial eclipse, the circles will turn into half-moons or crescents. If the sun goes annular, you'll see bright rings on the ground.

If you're in the Western states, the best time to look will be in the late afternoon of the 20th. NASA has put a clickable map online that shows you when the different stages of the eclipse occur for the locality you click. One caveat: The times are listed as Universal Time, so you'll have to subtract seven hours for Pacific Daylight Time, six hours for Mountain Time, or five hours for Central Time.

Where to go
You can track eclipse visibility using the maps available from NASA or the National Park Service, but how do you pick just the right place? Paul Doherty, senior staff scientist for the Exploratorium in San Francisco, advises matching up the maps with places that are accessible and tend to have clear skies. Eclipser's Forecast Desk provides long-term projections of global sky conditions for the hard-core eclipse-chaser, and when you get within 48 hours of the event, the Clear Sky Chart can give you a better idea what to expect.

It's a good idea to scout out your location in advance if you can, and it's also a good idea to retain some flexibiliity in your itinerary, just in case you have to shift your base of operations to find a clear patch of sky. I'm planning to head for Crescent City, Calif., to see a close-to-sunset eclipse over the Pacific, but from what I've been hearing about the fogginess on the coast, it'd be prudent for me to check out some vantage points farther inland.

Make sure you've got good western exposure, though. "You don't want mountains to be in the way," Doherty said. The farther east you go, the later the eclipse occurs — and the closer the sun will be to the western horizon. Some observers have dubbed Albuquerque, N.M., as the prime urban spot for seeing this eclipse, but the "Ring of Fire" will flash there just before sunset. That means you'll need a clear line of sight to the far horizon.

Hang onto those glasses
After the eclipse, you can put your sun-viewing glasses through another tryout during the transit of Venus on June 5. Over the course of several hours, the planet Venus will be visible as a tiny speck of black, making its way across the sun's disk for what Doherty calls a "micro-eclipse." This map from NASA shows that the transit will be visible from most of North America in the hours leading up to sunset (although Alaskans will be out of luck this time around).

The same eclipse safety rules apply to the transit: Don't gaze directly at the sun with your naked eye. Use the proper solar filters on your telescope, binoculars or camera. Feel free to make a pinhole projector, although Venus' tiny speck will be much harder to track than the effects of a solar eclipse.

Looking even farther ahead, there's a total solar eclipse on tap for Nov. 13, with the track of totality running across the northern tip of Australia and a wide expanse of the Pacific. That's the year's big prize for eclipse-chasers, but time is running out to make arrangements for a trip to Cairns or a Pacific cruise.

"A year or two is the rule for getting to a total solar eclipse," Doherty said. "But there's always this tradeoff between time ahead and money spent. If you want to go the less expensive way, plan early. If you're willing to pay a little bit more, go late."

The good news is that Americans have plenty of time to plan for a convenient total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. On that day, the path of totality will stretch diagonally across the United States, from Oregon to North Carolina. 

"That eclipse, you're just going to be able to drive to," Doherty said. "So if you miss this one, start planning now for 2017."

Tune us in online
To hear more tales of eclipses past, present and future, join us tonight for "Virtually Speaking Science," an hourlong talk show that plays out on BlogTalkRadio and in the Second Life virtual world. Doherty (a.k.a. Patio Plasma) and I will be at the StellaNova Small Auditorium, courtesy of the Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics, starting at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT/SLT).

If you miss the live event, don't worry: It'll be archived by "Virtually Speaking" on BlogTalkRadio as well as iTunes.

On Friday, head on over to the Cosmic Log Facebook page for our weekly "Where in the Cosmos" picture puzzle. If you're the first to solve the riddle, you'll be eligible to receive a pair of sun-viewing safety glasses for this month's eclipse and next month's transit. In the meantime, check out these podcasts from previous episodes of "Virtually Speaking Science," plus links to eclipse-related resources:

• Get set to chase a solar eclipse
• Photo gallery: Greatest hits from solar eclipses
• Interactive graphic: What causes a solar eclipse?
• 12 must-see skywatching events in 2012
• All about solar eclipses on msnbc.com
• Podcasts: Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto on Yuri's Night
• JPL's Dave Beaty on the search for life on Mars
• Shawn Lawrence Otto on science and politics
• Ig Nobel impresario Marc Abrahams on silly science
• Rocket scientist Robert Zubrin on Mars exploration
• Propulsion expert Marc Millis on interstellar spaceflight
• Sean Carroll on the puzzling frontiers of physics
• Rand Simberg on the private-enterprise vision for spaceflight
• Martin Hoffert on the future of energy policy
• George Djorgovski on science in virtual worlds
• Alan Stern on suborbital research and NASA's mission to Pluto
• Col. 'Coyote' Smith on the outlook for space solar power
• Tim Pickens on rocket ventures and the Google Lunar X Prize

Corrections for 10:25 p.m. ET: A couple of the Web links went to information about the November total solar eclipse when they should have referred to the May annular solar eclipse, but that's been fixed. I've also fixed the reference to the eclipse's timing in Albuquerque. From that location, the annular phase will last a little more than four minutes, from 7:33 to 7:38 p.m. MT, followed by sunset a little after 8 p.m. I originally (and erroneously) wrote that the "Ring of Fire" would occur four minutes before sunset.  

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding Cosmic Log's Google+ page to your circle. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for other worlds.

Richard Engel wants you to pack your bags as he takes you inside Egypt's famous Pyramid of Giza.