GEARING UP
The bad thing about laptop bags: They’re bulky and unwieldy, and often have too much extra space and padding. The good thing about laptop bags: That padding is what keeps your computer from getting banged around. But anyone who travels for a living and courts a rotator cuff injury from lugging around the whole kit and caboodle should check out Built NY and its new line called Electric, which includes a snug Laptop Portfolio Case with neoprene interior and scratch-resistant exterior, the whole of which is so streamlined it seems to hug your laptop. The pocket along one side is big enough for files and cords, and the carrying options include reinforced handles and a padded, detachable shoulder strap (comes in black, neon green and brown). Built NY also carries a Charger Bag with six compartments, and Electric Pockets, small, colorful ditty bags about the size of a fat luggage tag, big enough to hold a cellphone or MP3 player and attach to a suitcase, purse or stroller. | Laptop Portfolio Case $69.99, Charger Bag $29.99, Electric Pocket $17.99-$22.99, builtny.com
ONLINE
athleticmindedtraveler .com There are plenty of sites that list the nearest gyms to the airports or hotels with good fitness centers, and this one does those things too – but it is much more comprehensive than that. It also features running and walking routes and maps, biking options and bike shops, healthy restaurants and health food stores, shops for gear in case you forgot your bathing suit, and where to golf or find an outfitter for more intensive activities such as kayaking. The downside: it costs $19.95 for a year. But if you’re serious and travel a lot, it might be worth it. Check out San Diego or Toronto, which they offer for free as a trial.
TRAVEL BY NUMBERS|
| Top 10 Places to Retire
The most popular places to retire (with net retirees received 1995-2000), from Charles F. Longino Jr.’s book “Retirement Migration in America,” as reported in Where to Retire magazine:
1. Phoenix (41,010)
2. West Palm Beach, Fla. (30,810)
3. Las Vegas (29,609)
4. Fort Myers, Fla. (20,872)
5. St. Petersburg, Fla. (13,746)
6. Sarasota, Fla. (13,436)
7. Naples, Fla. (13,434)
8. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (13,322)
9. Tucson (12,264)
10. The Villages, Fla. (10,594)
BOOK YOUR VACATION
Girls just want to have fun, and reading through “50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America” ($15.95, National Geographic) offers up some terrific ideas on how to do just that. From the quintessential birthday blowout in Las Vegas to an adventure escape at the Grand Canyon to pampering retreats in Red Mountain, Utah, and New Age, N.Y., the trips focus on letting loose with your sisters without breaking the bank. Each excursion features tips for the best things to do while in the area, places to stay and eat, and websites to check out ahead, and some even supply stories from women who have done the getaway. The book is divided by type of trip – spirit booster, retail therapy, friends reunion – and then is simply narrative, thus tough to navigate, but does offer some escapist armchair traveling if your girlfriends aren’t ready to go right now.
REAL DEALS
The week’s best travel bargains around the globe, by land, sea and air.
Stay at the Inn at Perry Cabin, an Orient-Express hotel in St. Michaels, Md., and get three nights for the price of two. Good through March 31, the package also includes different extras each night, including board games delivered to your room and in-room cordials. Deal is $540 per couple for three nights; taxes of 9 percent are extra. Info: 866-278-9601, perrycabin.com.
Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire has a ski and stay package starting at $79 per person double per night for Sunday-Thursday stays and $95 Fridays and Saturdays (taxes are an extra 8 percent). The package includes accommodations, breakfast and lift tickets for the day of arrival and each night of lodging. Nordic skiers receive a trail pass, equipment rental and 90-minute group lesson each day. Cheapest rates apply to rooms at the Lodge at Bretton Woods. Priced separately, room starts at $99 a night, and a one-day lift ticket starts at $57. Info: 877-873-0626, bretton woods.com.
– The Washington Post
THE ROOM REPORT
LAS PALOMAS
460 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe, NM, 877-982-5560, laspalomas.com.
RATES: Start at $179 for studio; $280 per night for 1 bedroom with sleeper sofa in living room; check website for seasonal specials. Free parking.
STAY HERE IF YOU’RE: Smart, looking for a quiet spot and especially if you need more than one bed and someone doesn’t mind sleeping on the reasonably comfortable sleeper sofa.
IT’S CLOSE TO: The Plaza, a mere three blocks away.
THE ROOMS ARE: Warmly decorated and situated in private adobe casitas, some Spanish Colonial “Territorial” and some American Indian “Pueblo” styled. Leather couch, tile bathroom, kitchenette, dining room setups, showers, fireplaces. Very comfortable. More closet space would be nice.
THEY PUT ALL OF THE MONEY INTO: Offering a balanced experience. Each casita is nicely situated with well-manicured courtyards and walkways between; there’s a fitness center and hot tub, and a daily complimentary deluxe breakfast is offered with made-to-order waffles, hard-boiled eggs, toasting items and fresh fruit. Espresso drinks and hot chocolate are available upon request all day, and there’s a nice sitting room with games off to one side.
THE BOTTOM LINE: This charming place is a hidden gem.
GEO QUIZ
1. With heating prices rising throughout the United States, what South American country sold heating oil to U.S. communities below market price in November and December, 2005?
2. In November 2005, Angela Merkel was sworn in as the first female chancellor of which country north of Switzerland?
3. In November 2005, archaeologists announced the discovery of a mass execution site of ancient Mayan royalty located in the Petén rainforest of which Central American country?
4. What increasing economic activity do most of the countries in the Caribbean depend on as a major source of revenue?
5. The rail tunnel beneath the English Channel connects the island of Great Britain to which country?
6. For more than a decade what country has been the leading producer of nuclear energy?
7. The Kansai region, an important center of Japanese industry and commerce, is located on which island?
8. The country that borders both the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian Sea is the world’s leading producer of pistachio nuts. Name this country.
9. The leading grain crop in Bangladesh is a staple food for the country’s people. Name this grain.
10. Through which strait located between Iran and the northern tip of Oman do tankers carry millions of barrels of oil each day?
ANSWERS: 1. Venezuela 2. Germany 3. Guatemala 4. tourism 5. France 6. United States 7. Honshu 8. Iran 9. rice 10. Strait of Hormuz
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
—————————————-
NOTES
“A River Runs Through Us” Artposium, will be May 26-27 at the Historic Steam Plant Theater in Salida. The Artposium includes four main-stage presentations: environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-
Claude, author Kent Haruf and artist David Goldes. Ray Kitson, owner of Headwaters Outdoors, will discuss the life of river rafters; Fred Rasmussen, Trout Unlimited fisherman, will give a program on the art of flyfishing; Denver Post columnist Ed Quillen will talk about how Salida has shaped the Arkansas River; and local artist Sherrie York will show you how to build a nature journal.
Cost is $249 per person. Visit coloradoartranch.org or call 303-279-5198. Register for the Artposium online at coloradoartranch.org/artposia.htm.
– Compiled by Andrea Labak and Dane Strom
