GEARING UP
Things that attach to other things to get your gear out of the way are good, and it is easy to get attached to what makes the Thirsty Tote, the Double Thirsty Tote and the Strolling Tote work. Made by Built NY, these neoprene bags are simple, stretchy and sturdy, made to carry baby bottles, diapers and other wet, dripping and possibly stinky items that need to be strapped onto strollers, car seats, bags, purses, luggage, etc., and kept out of the way or carried around while still being easily and quickly accessible. Not to mention washable and durable, and inexpensive enough that you can have a few so that one can be handy while the others are in the laundry. The snap that turns the top into a handle is surprisingly tough, and it turns out that the baby bottle can be full of liquid and heavy enough to yank on the handle without pulling the snap open. | $9.99-$19.99, jetsetbaby.com
YOU MUST BE DREAMING
Just after the movie is released in May, fans can set out on their own journey to crack “The Da Vinci Code” by following the trail through Paris, London and Edinburgh on two trips sponsored by Body Mind Spirit Journeys. Author Mark Amaru Pinkham, a researcher and Templar Knight and co-director of the International Order of Gnostic Templars, is a guest speaker on the trips, which begin in Paris. Stay three nights at the Ritz-Carlton while visiting the Louvre, St. Sulpice and the Madeleine Church before moving on to London to stop at Kings College, Temple Church, Westminster Abbey and the Rose Line before moving over to Edinburgh and the mysterious Rosslyn Chapel, along with other “Code”-related sites. Throughout the trip, Pinkham will focus on the research and theories put forth in “Da Vinci Code” (the tour is not sanctioned by Dan Brown or the book publisher), revealing his own research from his book “Guardians of the Holy Grail,” and the stops along the way will complement the lectures and discussions. Cost is $3,399 per person and includes some meals, accommodations, tour transportation, sightseeing with local guides, entrance fees and round-trip airfare from New York. Call 800-472-0821 or visit DaVinciCodeJourneys.com.
WEBSITE
opentable.com Not everyone knows about this wonderful free service, a way to make reservations at more than 4,000 restaurants nationwide. After registering basic information (nothing too personal), members then can book tables 24/7, searching for preferred dates and times, even seeking out new places based on their old favorites or other members’ recommendations. Instead of sitting on the phone listening to a busy signal or a recording for a popular New York restaurant, you can find out that the place is booked four months in advance and plan your trip accordingly, either trying for an 11 p.m. meal or checking out OpenTable’s suggestions for similar eateries in the area. In addition, each time a reservation is used, dining points are earned that can be turned into “dining cheques” redeemable for actual dollars at restaurants. Restaurants also come to know you as a flagged VIP once you honor 12 or more reservations, and the newsletter offers insider info on new restaurants and events.
BOOK YOUR VACATION
Dahling, it is hard enough to get to the well-known spots on a trip to Paris, let alone tracking down the bargains in the off-the-beaten-path stores without some kind of insider information. “The Paris Shopping Companion: A Personal Guide to Shopping in Paris for Every Pocketbook” ($14.95, Cumberland House) is here to help. Author Susan Swire Winkler (who writes the book with Paris native Caroline Lesieur) once lived in Paris and imports French linens to her shop in Portland, Ore., and knows the city well enough to share hundreds of shops. Included are clothing, jewelry, books, perfume, stationery, food, leather, cooking gadgets, collectibles, art objects and antiques, arranged by neighborhood with hand-drawn, easy-to-read maps that show the shops’ locations with corresponding numbers. The photos are a little grainy, but the multiparagraph descriptions for each store offer more than just a listing of the places’ wares, and the details alongside include what metro to take to get there. Bonus: restaurant suggestions, complete with details, thrown in every so often around clusters of shops.
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS | Top 20 Vegas Restaurants
The top 20 Las Vegas restaurants as voted by the participants in the 2005 ZagatSurvey.
1. Nobu, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 445 Paradise Road, 702-693-5090, nobumatsuhisa.com
2. Renoir, Mirage Hotel, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-791-7353, themirage.com
3. Picasso, Bellagio Hotel, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-693-7223, bellagio.com
4. Malibu Chan’s, W. Sahara Promenade, 8125 W. Sahara Ave., 702-312-4267, malibuchans.com
5. Le Cirque, Bellagio Hotel, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-693-8100, bellagio.com
6. Rosemary’s, W. Sahara Promenade, 8125 W. Sahara Ave., rosemarysrestaurant.com
7. Michael Mina, Bellagio Hotel, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-693-7111, bellagio.com
8. Bradley Ogden, Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-731-7110, caesars.com.
9. Lotus of Siam (tie with Bradley Ogden), Commercial Center, 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702-735-3033.
10. Prime, Bellagio Hotel, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-693-7223, bellagio.com
11. Andre’s, Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-798-7151; 401 S. Sixth St., 702-385-5016, andrelv.com
12. Nobhill, MGM Grand Hotel, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-891-1111, mgmgrand.com
13. Delmonico, Venetian Hotel, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-414-3737, emerils.com
14. Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, 3925 Paradise Road, 702-796-0063, delfriscos.com
15. Roy’s, 620 E. Flamingo Road, 702-691-2053; 8701 W. Charleston Blvd., 702-838-3620, roysrestaurant.com
16. Mayflower Cuisiner, Sahara Pavilion, 4750 W. Sahara Ave., 702-870-8432, mayflowercuisiner.com
17. Sterling Brunch, Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel, 3645 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-739-4111, ballys.com
18. Michael’s, Barbary Coast Hotel & Casino, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-737-7111, barbarycoastcasino.com
19. Steak House, Circus Circus Hotel, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-794-3767, circuscircus.com
20. Shintaro, Bellagio Hotel, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-693-7111, bellagio.com
GEO QUIZ | Where are these places?
1. Carthage, once a Phoenician settlement and later a Roman city, is located in which African country?
2. Nineveh, once the capital of the ancient Assyrian Empire, was located near the present-day city of Mosul in which country?
3. During the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge forced almost the entire population out of Phnom Penh in which present-day country?
4. In 1801, an Act of Union created the United Kingdom by joining Great Britain and which other island?
5. Shaka was chief of the Zulu people in the early 1800s in a region of which present-day African country?
6. Which East Asian country was opened to foreign trade in the 1850s by U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry?
7. The ancient kingdom of Kush adopted elements of Egyptian art, language, and religion. Kush was located in which present-day country?
8. In 1492, Christians conquered Granada, the last stronghold of the Moors in Europe. This city is in which country?
9. The island of Gorée, near Dakar, was one of the centers from which African slaves were sent to the Americas. This island is part of which country?
10. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended a war between the United States and which country?
1. Tunisia 2. Iraq 3. Cambodia 4. Ireland 5. South Africa 6. Japan 7. Sudan 8. Spain 9. Senegal 10. Mexico
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
