The Buffalo News - Travel http://www.buffalonews.com Latest stories from The Buffalo News en-us Sat, 25 May 2013 09:06:29 -0400 Sat, 25 May 2013 09:06:29 -0400 <![CDATA[ Taking the kids: Give Mom the gift of ‘Me’ time ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130512/LIFE02/130519921/1072
Ditto for scarves (as much as I love them) and those fancy overpriced Mother’s Day brunches. (Are you listening, guys?)

This Mother’s Day, give the moms in your life something they will really appreciate – “Me Time with a Bow,” suggests Nancy Schretter, managing editor of www.familytravelnetwork.com.

And there’s no better time for moms to get that all-too-elusive time for themselves than on a family vacation – even at the airport. Kyle McCarthy, creator of www.familytravelforum.com, said she loves to steal time to get a pedicure at an airport spa. “I let them wait at the gate, since they always like to be early, and I relax until the plane is ready to board.”

Any mom – or grandma – who has traveled with kids, especially young ones, knows that all too often a vacation is not a vacation at all for moms. “It’s just like home without the washing machine,” one young mom told me glumly as she watched her kids splash in a hotel pool.

What she meant was that on vacation with the kids, moms still do everything they do at home – arrange meals and activities, mediate sibling squabbles, act as nurse when one child gets sick or another scrapes his knee – all without the conveniences of home. Too often, they come home exhausted, wondering why they left in the first place.

Don’t get me wrong. Of course, dads and partners do their part – more than ever – on vacation as well as at home. It’s just that I think most moms are still planners and organizers in chief and truth be told, typically feel guilty about stealing time for themselves. I know I always did. “Moms feel guilty about spending money just on them,” agreed Schretter, the mom of two daughters.

Amie O’Shaughnessy, creator of the family travel website, www.ciaobambino.com, suggests the gift ideally should enable moms to spend time doing something they never get the chance to do at home … like taking an art or photography lesson, a cooking class, going to a gallery with a guide or taking an architecture tour in a city. “The key thing is it should be something she’d never do at home and something that wouldn’t be more fun with kids,” said O’Shaughnessy.

Schretter suggests you surprise mom with “a little basket with a note that lets her know that the whole family wants her to enjoy some special time because she’s given them so much. It can come with a hotel or resort gift certificate to the spa, or a ticket for a special tour or shore excursion … something that’s uniquely her that you know she’d love. Have everyone give it to her – along with a big hug.”

I stole an hour for myself at the Four Seasons Baltimore Spa (www.fourseasons.com/baltimore) after a day exploring the city’s historical sites. Moms can do that even at Disney World with the new Senses spa at the Grand Floridian Resort.

But this me time doesn’t have to cost a lot – or anything. You can sign mom up for wonderful free city tours designed around her interests and led by volunteers.

“The best gift my husband can give me is an offer to hang out at the hotel pool with the kids while I go off on my own to wander,” said Pauline Frommer, co-president of Frommer’s Media and publisher of the Frommer guidebooks and website.

Kara Williams, one of the Vacation Gals, www.thevacationgals.com, suggests it’s easier to guarantee mom that time for herself if extended family or friends are part of the vacation equation. “We’ve invited my mom and mother-in-law on family trips – everyone wins,” she said. “The kids get special time with beloved grandparents and the husband and I get time away together while they’re being looked after by family.”

If you’re not traveling with extended family or friends, pick a place that has lots of planned activities for kids of all ages. Schretter suggests “great family-friendly all-inclusive resorts or cruise on a ship with superb kids/teens programs. With the kids busy enjoying so many fun activities it makes it easier (and guilt-free) for Mom to take a little time for herself.”

Guided tours with special family itineraries overseas from companies like Adventures by Disney (www.adventuresbydisney.com), Tauck Bridges (www.tauck.com/family-travel.aspx) and Backroads (www.backroads.com) also can guarantee that mom – and dad – are freed from working on a family vacation.

“Mom can simply relax and have a good time,” said Schretter.

And really, that’s the best Mother’s Day present you can give. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 12:59:55 -0400 By Eileen Ogintz

Tribune Media Services

]]> <![CDATA[ The Edge in southern Ohio is known for its beauty, wildness and biodiversity ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130512/LIFE02/130519923/1072
The 16,000-acre private preserve in southern Ohio is known for its beauty, its wildness and its biodiversity.

The preserve stretches 12 miles north from the Ohio River through Adams County on the east bank of Ohio Brush Creek and up to six miles east-to-west. It is home to the most rare and endangered plants in the state.

It gets surprisingly few visitors.

The preserve, known simply as The Edge, features woodlands, prairie openings, rocky outcroppings, giant promontories, clear streams, mountain coves, rocky hollows, cedar glades and waterfalls.

Its official name is the Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve. It lies 80 miles east of Cincinnati and 120 miles south of Columbus.

The Durrells, both professors at the University of Cincinnati, led the push to protect the botanical mixing zone that created the area’s incredible biodiversity. It is home to more than 1,200 plant species and is known for its stands of oaks, tulips, American beeches, yellow buckeyes and sugar maples.

It is one of the largest protected landscapes in Ohio, a partnership between the Nature Conservancy and the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal.

The Edge is not a park. Three trails and a small educational center are open to the public, but that’s all. There is a still-developing picnic area with displays off Wagoner Riffle Road.

The Edge features 30 ecological communities, eight of which are considered rare, and more than 135 rare plants and animals. The rarest plant in the preserve may be Canby’s mountain lover or cliff green, a plant found in only one other Ohio location. The northern white cedar is also rare. Its unusual animals include the green salamander and the Allegheny woodrat, the rarest Ohio mammal.

Four of the 11 main tracts are listed as National Natural Landmarks: The Wilderness, Lynx Prairie, Buzzardroost Rock and Red Rock.

The name The Edge comes from the preserve being at the western end of the Appalachian plateau. My most recent visit was a chance to again hike the Wilderness Trail, one of the best day hikes in Ohio.

It is a 2.5-mile loop through the deep woods. The trail goes through cedar glades, along gray limestone cliffs and into prairie openings.

It got its name in 1961 when Dr. Edward Thomas of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society participated in a hike. He later described it in his column in the Columbus Dispatch as a wild hike through “a howling wilderness.” The name stuck.

The yellow-blazed trail opened to the public in 2000. It winds through the 1,200 acres of the Charles A. Eulett Wilderness Preserve. Eulett was a popular Adams County teacher who brought classes to the area and worked with local landowners to protect it.

The mostly woodland trail is lightly traveled; I ran into just two other hikers. It is not always easy to follow. You take an old logging road from the early 1900s into the woods.

The south-facing forest is chestnut oak, black gum and tulip trees. The moist north-facing forest is beech, sugar maple and tulip trees.

The trail leaves Saw Mill Branch and rises above Cliff Run. It is a 60-foot drop to the stream flowing through a deep, shaded gorge. You will see 500-year-old white cedars along the cliffs. Boulders have fallen from the cliffs and are strewn in the bowl-shaped valley.

The trail moves onto what was once an old wagon road in the early 1900s. The forest is dominated by two shrubs: spicebush and paw paws. It then runs northeast along the base of the dolomite cliffs, where springs emerge. It is a prime wildflower spot in the spring.

You cross a small footbridge and enter a white oak forest. Follow the trail downhill to Bread Pan Run for views of Ohio Brush Creek in the distance. Bread Pan Run features several pretty waterfalls.

The trail leaves the run and ascends into a young scrubby forest of eastern red cedar, Virginia pine and tulip tree.

Then you enter an impressive forest of sugar maples and Chinquapin oak growing around fallen boulders from the cliffs above. Ferns and wildflowers abound.

The trail ends at what was once farmer Floyd Shivener’s cornfield, now a restored prairie.

To date, 172 species of birds have been found in The Wilderness. That includes 107 breeding species plus 11 species of high concern.

To get to The Wilderness, head east from West Union on state Route 125 for 7.2 miles. Turn left on Lynx Road in the hamlet of Lynx. Turn left on gravel Shivener Road and head north 0.7 miles. The road ends at the trailhead.

You can find the trail in a fence opening about 20 paces from the parking lot. Head back up the entrance road and look to your right. You will be hiking the trail clockwise. Visitors are asked to stay on trails to avoid damaging rare plants.

You can also visit the two other spots at The Edge that are open to the public: Lynx Prairie and Buzzardroost Rock.

The 500-acre prairie is known for its cedar glades or eastern alkaline barrens with its thin, rocky soils. There are dolomite and shale outcroppings. Three short loop trails lead through Lynx Prairie, the first tract in The Edge to be acquired in 1959.

There are 10 small short-grass prairies surrounded by forests of Virginia pines and red cedar. They are mostly flat, narrow and wet. Each is filled with different plant species.

Lynx Prairie is a tribute to Dr. E. Lucy Braun (1889-1971), a University of Cincinnati botany professor who studied plants in the area and led the push to preserve what became The Edge. Braun had studied Adams County for its rare plants in the 1920s. The Durrells were Braun’s proteges and fought the fight.

Today, 115 prairie patches survive at The Edge. Studies show that the prairies have shrunk by two-thirds since 1938.

The trail into Lynx Prairie begins at the rear of a cemetery behind the East Liberty Community Church. Look in the cemetery’s southeast corner for a fence opening. It is at its colorful best from late July through September.

To get to Lynx Prairie, take state Route 125 east from West Union. In the hamlet of Lynx, turn right and head south on Tulip Road. After 0.3 miles, turn left on Prairie Road into the church parking lot.

Buzzardroost Rock, a one-time Indian lookout, is 75 feet high, topped with a wood-and-steel observation deck.

It rises 500 feet above Ohio Brush Creek and offers some of the best up-high views in Ohio. You can see five miles north and south along the creek.

It is a three-mile round-trip hike from the trailhead off Weaver Road off state Route 125 to Buzzardroost Rock.

The trail is unmarked but easy to follow. You cross Easter Run, a small stream. It gets steeper as you climb higher on the 465-acre tract between West Union and Lynx.

The hike will take you through the woods and past shale barrens and giant boulders that have fallen from the cliffs above. There is a 50-foot-deep cleft atop the rock on the ridgetop, where vultures once nested.

The Cincinnati museum built the education facility. It is west of Lynx Prairie on a bluff overlooking Ohio Brush Creek.

For more information, contact the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, (513) 287-7041, www.cincymuseum.org.

You can contact the Ohio chapter of the Nature Conservancy (614) 717-2770, www.nature.org. You can reach the preserve at (937) 544-2880 or (937) 544-2188.

The state of Ohio has eight state nature preserves in Adams County: Chaparral Prairie, Johnson Ridge, Shoemaker, Whipple, Davis Memorial, Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs (part of The Edge), Adams Lake Prairie and Kamama Prairie. For information, call (614) 265-6561 or visit www.ohiodnr.gov/dnap. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 12:54:55 -0400 By Bob Downing

Akron Beacon Journal

]]> <![CDATA[ Travel deals ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130512/LIFE02/130519924/1072
• Receive two free nights on a seven-night vacation at One&Only Palmilla, a high-end resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. In addition to the free sixth and seventh nights (a savings of up to $4,540), guests receive a $200 resort credit, round-trip airport transfers, daily fruit and a welcome tequila gift. Prices vary. In mid-September, for example, a week in an oceanfront superior room costs $3,838 per couple, including taxes. Book by Dec. 11; travel by Dec. 18. Minimum seven-night stay required. Info: (866) 829-2977, palmilla.oneandonlyresorts.com.

• Travel to Florida’s Amelia Island by Sept. 2 and receive 15 percent off rates at 13 properties. Options include resorts, bed-and-breakfasts, select service properties and vacation home rentals. For example, a midweek stay at Addison on Amelia starts at $175, down from $205. Rate includes breakfast, afternoon happy hour, taxes and such amenities as bicycles and beach gear. At Amelia by the Sea, a two-bedroom condo is on sale for $225 per night, plus $25 taxes (vs. $265, plus $29 taxes); three-night minimum required. The weekly sale rate is $1,420, plus $156 taxes; the regular rate is $1,670, plus $184 taxes. Book by May 10 and mention the Amelia Island Great Summer Sale. Info: www.ameliaisland.com/sale.

• Celebrate Irish dance with Sceptre Tours’ Riverdance: The Gathering package. The six-night trip is $1,999 per person double and includes round-trip airfare from New York’s JFK, six nights at the Four Seasons Hotel Dublin and tickets to three Riverdance events on July 20 and 21. Priced separately, the trip would cost about $2,232 per person. Daily departures available July 15-19. Package is based on availability. Info: (800) 221-0924, www.sceptretours.com. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 12:53:33 -0400 By Carol Sottili and Andrea Sachs

washington post

]]> <![CDATA[ Swept up in a Toronto summer ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130512/LIFE02/130519925/1072
This summer, Canada’s largest city will be vibrantly alive.

Just watch out for construction.

The biggest news here is the planned opening this summer of Ripley’s Aquarium, a $130-million project that is Toronto’s first big new tourist attraction in two decades.

It will be home to 15,000 fish and other creatures. It also promises a moving walkway that passes through a tunnel below a 750,000-gallon shark lagoon.

On a windy April day, I walked to the aquarium in the shadow of the CN Tower to find dozens of workmen toiling on the unfinished glass building.

“When will it be done?” I inquired.

“Never,” said a grinning, hard-hatted workman. “The outside windows won’t keep out the rain, and the inside windows won’t keep in the fish.”

Ah, a little aquatic joke! The aquarium is supposed to start stocking fish tanks in June and open this summer, according to Ripley’s spokeswoman Erin Burcham.

But fish are not the only tourism story here. In furry mammal news, the Toronto Zoo has just welcomed two giant pandas from China, which arrived by Federal Express in March. With an exhibit opening Saturday, the zoo will showcase Er Shun and Da Mao for at least five years.

The third thing tourists should know about Toronto this summer is that there will be a lot of construction in this booming city. Spindly cranes reach for the clouds as new glass skyscrapers rise. The biggest disruptions are on Front Street, which is partly closed, and at Union Station – all part of a giant five-year renovation to modernize.

Many tourists are familiar with Toronto from its earnest days as a “Phantom of the Opera” one-note destination. Today, the multicultural city welcomes 2 million visitors a year from the U.S. – and this ever-growing city of 2.7 million people spreads out like a colorful quilt.

Most American visitors get the hang of riding the Toronto TTC subway with its U-shaped route. Many still shy away from the bright red streetcars, which require one to run into the street and jump onto a car packed elbow to elbow.

That is too bad, because the streetcars generally run east and west to supplement the subway, which primarily goes north and south. And the same $3 token works for both. Just elbow your way on. When you want to get off, pull the yellow cord.

This summer also will be lively at two of Toronto’s most endearing spots, St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market, two places that tourists often mix up.

St. Lawrence Market is literally a market. One giant hall has dozens of vendors and farmers selling fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, pastries – everything from halibut heads to tulips. There is a Saturday farmers market, a Sunday antiques market and more activities that spill out onto the streets. The market is on Front Street at Jarvis, a few blocks east of Union Station.

Kensington Market is a groovy neighborhood near Chinatown northwest of Spadina and Dundas. (Both streets have streetcars, so take a chance and ride one to the market.) During the summer, some days the area becomes a pedestrian-only zone.

One of the coolest little corners is where Kensington meets Baldwin, home of the Good Luck Shop (“the name brings good luck to the customers,” says the manager of the shop that sells games, socks, clocks, wigs and assorted low-budget merchandise.) Across the street is Global Cheese, from which the ripe smell of Stilton drifts into the street.

On the blocks nearby are wares for sale, including frilly petticoats, macrame hammocks, artisan bread, curried goat, chocolate truffles and buckets of parasols; in other words, all the necessities of life in modern Toronto.Getting around: Use public transit, unless you are physically challenged (subways have a lot of stairs and walking).

Lodging: Toronto is the biggest city in Canada, with major metropolitan city prices to match. Lodging is generally $180 to $350 a night. Make sure any hotel-rate quote includes taxes and fees.

Dining: Toronto’s varied dining scene means you can try high-end restaurants every night or choose tiny ethnic restaurants (my preference). Lots of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, hole-in-the wall spots save your budget without sacrificing flavor.

Money and phones: The Canadian and U.S. dollars are of equal value, so don’t expect a discount. Beware of international roaming charges on your cell phone; contact your carrier to confirm service and rates.

Crossing the border: Visitors ages 16 and older must show a passport, enhanced driver’s license or Nexus card at the border. Bring birth certificates for younger children.Ripley’s Aquarium – Set to open sometime in the summer at 288 Bremner Blvd., next to the CN Tower. Admission not yet set but other Ripley’s Aquariums are $24.99, $12.99 for children ages 3-11. (www.ripleyaquariums.com/canada/, (647) 351-3474)

Christian Louboutin Retrospective – You can see this exhibit on the history of the elite shoes and their designer at Design Exchange, June 21-Sept. 15; $10, $8 for students and free for ages 6 and under (www.dx.org, (416) 363-6121).

“Game On 2.0” – Check out an exhibit on the history of video games at the Ontario Science Centre. Now through Sept. 2; $22, $13 for ages 4-12 and free for ages 3 and under. (www.ontariosciencecentre.ca, (416) 696-1000)

CN Tower EdgeWalk – Season Three is now open for those who want to walk on the outside ledge of the tower. (www.cntower.ca, 416-868-6937)

Legoland Discovery Centre – This just opened near Canada’s Wonderland. It’s an indoor playland, with rides, LEGO building areas and replicas of the Toronto skyline built of LEGOs; $22, $18 for ages 3-13, free for ages 2 and younger. (www.legolanddiscoverycentre.ca/toronto/)• June 20-23: Redpath Waterfront Festival includes fleet of tall ships commemorating the War of 1812.

• June 20-29: Toronto Jazz Festival

• June 21-30 (especially June 28-30): Toronto Pride

• July 3-14: Toronto Fringe Festival

•Aug. 1-4: Caribbean Carnival (Caribana)

•Aug. 3-11: Rogers Cup

• Aug. 22-25: Toronto BuskerFest

For details on all these and other events, go to www.seetorontonow.com. ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 12:53:22 -0400 By Ellen Creager

Detroit Free Press

]]> <![CDATA[ Skip the Thruway and hop a train for a trip to Syracuse ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130505/LIFE02/130509730/1072
I was en route to cover a small exhibition of American modern art in Syracuse’s I.M. Pei-designed Everson Museum, and my plan was to head out and return while the sun was still in the sky. And the train – a mode of travel that has become all but impractical in this automobile-addicted region – turned out to be the perfect way to do it.

To most Thruway-savvy commuters in Western New York, the idea of stepping aboard a train seems as anachronistic as the rusting Central Terminal itself. We tend to view train travel as a feature of denser, busier cities like Toronto or New York City, or as a quaint luxury for nostalgic old-timers in no big hurry to get anywhere.

But there are at least two instances for which train travel – even in Buffalo, and even in 2013 – remains ideally suited to travelers’ schedules and budgets. These are trips to two culturally flourishing points east: Rochester and Syracuse.

Beyond the Salt City, some 150 miles to the west, train travel becomes one of two prohibitive things: too expensive or too slow. But we happen to live in a sweet spot of cost and speed when it comes to visiting Buffalo’s closest cultural competitors via rail.

My trip to Syracuse wound up being shockingly cost-effective. With a discount available through the New York State tourism website iloveny.com and a AAA discount on top of that, the grand total for a round-trip ticket to the Salt City rang up to a whopping $54. The ilovenewyork.com discount is available to everyone at least through May 31, and will likely be extended.

Short bus rides into and out of the city from Syracuse’s Regional Transportation Center increased that total by a full $4. And in total, for an eight-hour day that included plenty of time to check out the Everson, roam around downtown once the sun broke through the clouds and grab a bite near the Syracuse University campus, I dropped a cool $66.

Which is to say: Training it to Syracuse for a satisfying day-trip is not only doable, but a practically irresistible deal for any curious cultural consumer.

If you extend your trip to just a few hours longer by taking the 6 p.m. train back, you’ll find that Syracuse has much more worthwhile culture, cuisine and fascinating architecture than you can pack into a single dirt-cheap, daylong and fully refreshing mini-vacay.

Here’s one possible itinerary for a train-based trip to Syracuse. (Check Amtrak.com for actual departure times and prices, which vary from weekdays to weekends.):

7:43 a.m.: Depart Buffalo’s Exchange Street Station on the Empire Service train. Depending on the day, the trip ranges from 2 hours and 32 minutes to 2 hours and 47 minutes – roughly the same amount of time as driving. After a pleasant ride along suburban backyards and endless farms and a brief stop in downtown Rochester, you’ll end up at Syracuse’s clean and modern Regional Transportation Center.

If any shoppers tagged along for the ride, you can drop them off next-door to the transportation center at the sprawling shopping complex known as Destiny USA. This consumer dreamland, a kind of Walden Galleria on steroids, does not rank first on my list of reasons to visit Syracuse, but the 29 million annual visitors it receives from around the country will surely disagree.

10:30 a.m.: Take the bus or a cab from the RTC to Armory Square, the cultural heart of downtown Syracuse. At this time of the morning, it’s liable to be a bit sleepy. But check out Freedom of Espresso, a cute local coffee shop just off the square at 144 Walton St. Once you’re properly caffeinated, a stroll around the neighborhood will reveal plenty of cultural activity. There’s the kid-friendly Museum of Science and Technology (closed Mondays and Tuesdays and open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday) and the edgy Red House Arts Center, where you can catch art exhibitions and performances. Around the corner is Syracuse University’s Warehouse Gallery (350 W. Fayette St.), where you can typically catch a highbrow art installation.

Before you leave Armory Square, make sure to check out Sound Garden (310 W. Jefferson St.), the city’s coolest record shop. Every inch of its walls is plastered with the requisite poster art, and the store boasts an impressive selection of new and used vinyl along with a colorful staff that wouldn’t seem out of place in Nick Hornby’s “High Fidelity.”

Noon: Make your way either by foot or cab to the Everson Museum of Art (401 Harrison St.), a little less than a mile away from Armory Square. The museum, a hulking, otherworldly cube of a building designed by I.M. Pei that seems from both inside and out to be hewn from a single block of stone, opens at noon most days and is closed on Mondays. Right now, “American Moderns, 1910 to 1960: From O’Keeffe to Rockwell” is the show to see, through next Sunday. Next up is “An American Look: Fashion, Decorative Arts and Gustav Stickley,” from June 15 to Sept. 22.

2 p.m.: By this point, expending your mental energies on the Everson’s fine collection will probably have you famished. You can either head back to Armory Square, where dining options abound (two perennial favorites are Pastabilities, 311 S. Franklin St.; and Lemon Grass Restaurant, 238 W. Jefferson St.). But if you’re willing to take a pleasant milelong walk, you’ll come across the city’s famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (246 W. Willow St.), a place where the bite and sizzle of the food matches the wonderfully sassy attitude of the servers.

After lunch, head a few short blocks to 300 W. Erie Blvd., where the stunning art deco Niagara Mohawk Building, built in 1931, towers over the street.

3 p.m.: If you’re digging the vibe of Syracuse at this point – and it’s tough to see why anyone wouldn’t be – you can take a bus up to the lovely Syracuse University campus, where activities abound. Or you could just as easily head back to the RTC to catch the 3:53 Amtrak back home, as I did. (The next train usually heads back at 6:48 p.m.) Either way, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you’ve gotten your money’s worth.



email: cdabkowski@buffnews.com ]]> Fri, 3 May 2013 12:14:41 -0400 Colin Dabkowski
]]> <![CDATA[ Rick Steves: Europe by train could be the way to go ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130428/LIFE02/130429328/1072
For many tourists, the pleasure of journeying along Europe’s well-organized rail system really is as good as the destination. Train travel isn’t as flexible as driving, but it’s less stressful. I’d rather watch the landscape instead of fixing my eyes on the road. On a train, I can forget about parking hassles, confusing road signs, bathroom stops or Italian drivers.

A train traveler’s biggest pretrip decision is whether to get a rail pass, point-to-point tickets or a mix of both. It pays to do the math by adding up the approximate ticket costs for your itinerary. European rail fares are based primarily on distance traveled, so if you’ll be on the train for just short trips, point-to-point tickets are usually a better match.

The more miles you’ll cover on the train, however, the more likely it is that a rail pass makes sense. The Eurailpass is the most common multicountry pass, and many countries sell rail passes good for use in their country only. Most rail passes give you a certain number of train travel days to use within a longer “window” of time (for example, any 10 days within a two-month period). You can sprinkle these travel days throughout your trip (ideally to cover long rides), and pay out of pocket for short trips.

Online schedule sites can help with planning. Each country’s national rail company has its own website, but the site operated by Deutsche Bahn, the German rail company, has schedules for virtually all of Europe and can be the best place to start (www.bahn.com).

Riding the rails is much the same all over Europe. Ticket windows handle your ticket and reservation needs; or you can usually buy a ticket at a travel agency to spare yourself the long lines. Be sure, when necessary, that your ticket or rail pass is validated before boarding. Many express trains require an advance reservation; it’s smart to ask.

Wondering whether to splurge for first class? Nearly every train has both first- and second-class cars – each going at precisely the same speed. First class is cushier, generally with three seats across and fewer passengers. Second class comes with four seats across and more people. But today’s trains are so comfortable that the new second class feels as slick as the old first class – at a third to half the cost. I don’t bother to pay the premium for first class except during very busy times, such as holiday weekends.

When you’re on the platform, look for the posted train composition charts that show the order of cars (first class, second class and dining car) for your train. With this chart, you’ll know where to wait on the platform so that when the train stops, you’re already positioned to step right onto your car.

Nowadays, the old clackity-clackity rhythm of the rails has been replaced by the nearly silent swoosh of bullet trains. These super-fast trains are making European rail travel more time-efficient than ever.

Take the speedy Eurostar train, which barrels between Paris and London in about 2.5 hours via the Chunnel. Within minutes of departure, the train is zipping at 180 mph across the French countryside. The train travels so fast that, where the tracks parallel the highway, the cars you pass seem to be standing still.

Sleeping while rolling down the tracks can save time and money. With night trains, you can easily have dinner in Paris, sleep on the train, and have breakfast in Venice, Munich or Madrid. If a train ride is six hours or longer, it’s worth considering whether a flight (try www.kayak.com for low-cost flight options) or an overnight train is more convenient.

Sleeping cars require a paid reservation beyond the regular ticket price, but for less than the cost of a simple hotel bed, you get your own bunk with clean linen and an attendant who monitors who comes and goes as you sleep. What you miss in scenery is more than made up for by the entire extra day you gain for sightseeing.

Trains remain the quintessentially European way to go, and are the best option for romantics. Across the Continent, train stations are being remodeled into gleaming transportation hubs. Whether old or new, each station is a temple of travel. Just pick a platform … and explore Europe.



Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows that can be seen locally on WNED-TV. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook. ]]> Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:34:10 -0400 <![CDATA[ A guide to exploring Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130421/LIFE02/130429946/1072
In Coney Island, a statue portrays Robinson and Pee Wee Reese, the white Dodger who stood by him in the face of racist taunts. At the cemetery on the border of Brooklyn and Queens where Robinson is buried, admirers still leave baseballs and other mementos. And for fans who enjoy irony – or who remain bitter about the Dodgers’ departure to Los Angeles in 1957 – there’s a “No Ball Playing” sign at the housing complex where the Dodgers’ storied stadium, Ebbets Field, once stood.

Joseph Dorinson, author of “Jackie Robinson: Race, Sports and the American Dream,” says it’s no accident that the color barrier was broken by a Brooklyn team. “Jackie made it in Brooklyn, and no other place, because of the multicultural and ethnic diversity here,” he said. That diversity still exists here today.

Here’s a guide to exploring Jackie Robinson’s Brooklyn.The life-size statue in Coney Island shows Robinson and Reese arm in arm. It’s inscribed with the story of how Reese, captain of the Dodgers, “stood by Jackie Robinson against prejudiced fans and fellow players … silencing the taunts of the crowd” during a game in Cincinnati. The statue is located outside MCU Park, where the minor league Cyclones team plays at Surf Avenue and West 17th Street, near the last stop on the D, F, N or Q train to Coney Island.Robinson lived in several places in Brooklyn before moving to Queens and later Connecticut with his wife and children. On a tidy block in East Flatbush, a two-story brick house at 5224 Tilden Ave. with a rusting fence and peeling paint bears a plaque that states: “The first African-American major league baseball player lived here from 1947 to 1949.” Local officials have started an effort to landmark the house.

Robinson and his wife Rachel also lived for a time at 526 MacDonough St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Although much of the movie was filmed in the South, some scenes were shot on MacDonough because the filmmakers wanted to show the building’s distinctive front stoop, a common feature of Brooklyn homes. The production company used the Nazarene Congregational Church at 506 MacDonough St. for storage and wardrobe while filming, according to Nazarene’s pastor, the Rev. Conrad Tillard.

When Robinson first arrived in New York, he lived for a time with Nazarene’s then-assistant pastor, the Rev. Lacy Covington and his wife Florence. “Church and faith were central to Jackie Robinson’s success,” said Tony Carnes, who publishes an online magazine called A Journey Through NYC Religions.

Nazarene was considered a “mink coat church” at the time, Tillard said, with an educated, affluent African-American congregation. Robinson later came back to the church to “make an impassioned speech about the dangers of drugs,” Tillard said. Robinson’s son, Jack, who’d served in the Vietnam War, was a heroin addict.Robinson died in 1972, just a year after his son died in a car accident. They are buried, along with the Covingtons and Robinson’s mother-in-law, in Cypress Hills Cemetery. “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives,” reads the inscription on Robinson’s tombstone. Mementos left by fans at the grave include a bat and baseballs, with one ball bearing a handwritten note thanking Robinson “for being an inspiration, strong and courageous.” On a recent day, Ronnie Carvey, Taneisha Beckford and their 3-year-old son were among those stopping at the grave to pay respects, with Carvey explaining to his child that Robinson was a “famous baseball player.”

The cemetery entrance is 833 Jamaica Ave., Brooklyn, near the Cypress Hills stop on the J subway line, also reachable via the Jackie Robinson Parkway. Robinson’s plot is in section 6 on the Queens side of the graveyard, on Jackie Robinson Way near Cypress Road, across from a large stone mausoleum near a low black fence, tall evergreen tree and hedge row. A map can be found at www.nycin60.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/chcmap.png.Robinson retired after the 1956 season. Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, still a much-hated name in parts of New York City, moved the team to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. The park was replaced by an apartment complex at 1720 Bedford Ave., in Crown Heights, where a stone in a wall is inscribed with the words: “This is the former site of Ebbets Field.”

Ron Schweiger, Brooklyn’s borough historian, grew up going to Dodger games at Ebbets Field and met Robinson several times. As a Brooklyn public school teacher, he used Robinson’s story to teach his students about civil rights, even hosting Robinson’s daughter, Sharon, as a speaker at the school. Recalling a recent visit to the Ebbets Field site, Schweiger said that “if you go up the stairs and into the courtyard, you’d be standing in right field. When you walk closer to the entrance to the building and look at the sign over to the right of the doorway, there’s a sign: ‘No radio playing. No bike riding. No ball playing.’ ”

Long before Ebbets Field existed, beginning in 1883, Brooklyn’s baseball team played in Washington Park, which is better known as a Revolutionary War site for the Battle of Brooklyn. George Washington’s troops were defeated here in 1776 by the British, who used as their base an old Dutch farmhouse now known as the Old Stone House. After the ballpark was built, the Old Stone House served as a clubhouse for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Washington Park is located at Fifth Avenue and Third Street in Park Slope (nearest subway stop, F to Fourth Avenue). Exhibits in the Old Stone House describe its connection to baseball and the Revolutionary War.

Kim Maier, executive director of the Old Stone House, offers a couple of other fun Dodger facts: The team was called the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers because trolleys running along Third Avenue made it tricky to get into the park. And the man who built Ebbets Field started out as a ticket-taker at Washington Park, then worked his way up to control the team. His name was Charlie Ebbets. ]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:28:20 -0400 By Beth J. Harpaz

ASSOCIATED PRESS

]]> <![CDATA[ Jazz safari tracks down for great music in Toronto ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130421/LIFE02/130429947/1072
“Because there is so much happening,” he said.

As CJRT’s (Jazz FM 91.1) on-air host of “Jazz in the City,” producer, entertainment reporter, and Jazz Safari bwana for Toronto’s Jazz Safari, Bee, by his very nature, is happening.

He was christened James Terrence Shamus O’Malley Lyola Doyle by parents who told him, “We couldn’t decide what to call you, so we gave you all of them.” Jaymz became the name upon moving to Toronto, where he fronted a comedy punk-rock band called the Bee People. The Toronto Star’s Sid Adilman insisted he have a surname, and dubbed him Jaymz Bee. It stuck.

“There’s your man,” said Daniel, a poetry writing regular from a rear table at the Rex, our first safari stop. I suspected as much. Though Jaymz and I had yet to meet, even minus his safari hat – he wears it on international safaris to hot spots like Cuba, and in Toronto when he feels like it – you kind of figured that a guy with a bouncing-off-the-walls vibe, be–bopping to the music and gladly greeting many in his midst, might be Bee.

When entering at 6 p.m. on a Friday to the Hogtown Syncopators sound, the Rex was virtually full, as some nearby downtown offices were emptying out.

Daniel, who has been coming here since the 1980s, said the Rex “feels like an extension of my living room.” With live music seven days a week and traditional pub fare, it also serves as a hangout for University of Toronto music students who come to play, listen and learn, and performers at Toronto’s Jazz Festival, who come to rehearse for the annual event.

Around 7, it was time to board the bus, and Jaymz began rounding up 20 Jazz Safari participants. From downtown, we went to Kingsway, a residential neighborhood and the Old Mill, where in the Home Smith Bar the Shannon Gunn Trio was performing.

The trio already had the audience’s attention when the safari arrived. We seated ourselves on plush couches and chairs surrounding coffee tables. While Gunn sang soulfully, Samantha Brett said she had treated friend Amanda Gardiner to the Jazz Safari as a birthday present. Both were frequent Jazz FM listeners, and while Jaymz recommended Old Mill’s martinis, especially “French martinis,” the ladies opted for espresso ones.

It seemed as though we had just sat down when it was time to go.

“I want to take you to a variety of places,” Jaymz said. “Some where there’s traditional jazz … Latin jazz … one where there’s a vocalist. If I’m doing my job properly, there’ll be one or two places where you’ll come up to me and tell me ‘I don’t want to leave.’ ”

He was right. I didn’t want to leave Old Mill. I could have sat back in Home Smith’s comfort listening to Gunn until dawn.

But safaris, jazz and otherwise, must roll on. This one rolled to Roncesvalles, an old Polish neighborhood in Toronto that is the home of Gate 403.

The Jason Raso Band was playing modern jazz in a performance area carved out among the crowd. And it’s another packed house at Gate 403. I never took a seat here, as even glancing at fleetingly vacated ones elicited “Are you bogarting these seats,” a query I’d never heard before other than in reference to an illegal substance.

“I’m probably the only Chinese person to own a jazz club,” said Jin Ding, 403’s owner, as he showed me a plaque from the Chinese Business Chamber of Canada, bestowed on her and husband Xiaohong Yang as the Most Improved Entrepreneur award for 2012. The Gate features a full menu, and every month new art adorns its walls. Behind the bar, in front windows, and on rear walls are jazz musicians performing in art deco paintings by Gate 403 chef Kunimatsu Daisuki.

“I hope you all brought your passports, ’cause now we leave the mainland,” Havana to Toronto’s Eddie Bullen said as the safari arrived at Dominion On Queen in Corktown, so named most likely due to a wave of 19th century Irish immigrants from County Cork. The Dominion layout, where Havana To Toronto plays first Fridays monthly, is more formal with the stage up front and bar in the back.

“The foundation is jazz,” owner Sean Duranovich said. “But we also have blues, folk and comedy, five to seven days most weeks. And we also have 16 taps for Ontario craft beers.”

He said people came to his club in the early days because they knew the band. Now they come because they know they will hear quality music. As for the safari, he said: “It’s an injection … A ripple effect … It’s great for the live music scene.”

“You get a snapshot of the city,” said Jazz Safari veteran Stephen Drielsma, who was born in Holland and now lives in Toronto. “It’s always something different.

“It’s one of the reasons we go,” agreed Bonni DeFlorio. “You can’t go to four or five spots, arrive right at the beginning of the set.

“You wouldn’t go to them on your own,” she added.

Back downtown, with the night having flown by, the safari was now in the company of Steve Koven. And the keys were in Koven’s capable hands. A composer, performer and educator on York University’s faculty, Koven plays all over Toronto, and the Steve Koven Trio performs the world over, laying claim to being Canadian cultural ambassadors. The Jazz Safari gathered around Pantages Hotel’s Martini Bar for Koven’s spirited piano jazz.

The late Roger Ebert once said “King and Queen streets in Toronto are all by themselves reasons for the city to exist.” Spin on King, a Ping-Pong social club, actress Susan Sarandon’s creative collaboration, gives added reason to draw people onto King Street.

“People find it nostalgic,” one player told me, with owner Ryan Fisher adding “People love that ball boys come around,” scooping up loose balls. People also seem to like the eclectic menu where Spin patrons can find a Spinhattan, and, of course, a new north-of-the-border favorite, Buffalo Tofu, complete with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

And for those who go, here’s a tip: I’ve been going to Fran’s Restaturant since the 1970s. The first location I came across is still there, on College Street. There’s now a Fran’s attached to the Pantages Hotel, and also one on Front and Yonge streets. And a slice of Fran’s carrot cake with tea or beverage of your choosing is a perfect way to end your safari, or any type of day spent in Toronto day.The Jazz Safari is a fundraising promotion of CJRT (Jazz FM 91.1), a Canadian not-for-profit charitable arts organization, and is available for $500 per couple or $250 per person. For those wishing to stay overnight, a special Jazz Safari rate is available at the Pantages Hotel. To book your stay, call (866) 852-1777. ]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:18:51 -0400 By Carl Francis Penders

Special to the news

]]> <![CDATA[ One-Tank Trip: Dine like a native in Toronto ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130331/LIFE02/130339834/1072
Instead, the restaurant is full and Edith Piaf is blaring from the sound system over the cacophony of conversations. It’s a lot like entering an airport in the wee hours of the morning only to encounter a long security line.

But of course I should have known better. Since unveiling the city’s first restaurant devoted to First Nations cuisine in August 2011, chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe has been rewarded with a certain amount of fanfare – and a loyal following.

I enter the small establishment of wood block tables where the smell from a wood stove wafts in the air. The only signs of Bear Robe’s heritage are a buckskin robe, in a glass display case, that once belonged to the chef’s grandmother; a row of photographs of a First Nation brave in the downstairs hallway; and a giant silver eagle feather above the entranceway, paying homage to the word “keriwa,” which means eagle in Algonquin.

Bear Robe grew up in the Siksika Nation in Alberta, the son of a Blackfoot father and a Nova Scotian mother. He then ascended in the ranks of Canadian haute cuisine, working at Calgary’s famed River Cafe and under the watchful eye of acclaimed chef Michael Stadtlander at Eigensinn Farm, two hours northwest of Toronto, where multicourse meals are served to a fortunate few in a 19th-century farmhouse. So when he landed in Toronto with his polished pedigree (well, as polished as you can expect from a man with tattooed arms and a lip ring), the public took notice.

I start with a maple old fashioned: bourbon and black walnut bitters sweetened with maple. There’s also a large selection of Ontario wines and local microbrews, such as Great Lakes Brewing Golden Horseshoe Lager. The menu, as you’d expect from native-inspired fare, is heavy on the bison. Bear Robe receives the meat fresh from Alberta and uses it to make brisket, short ribs and an old fur-trader favorite, pemmican.

Once a staple for Lewis and Clark, pemmican was the protein powder of yesteryear, dried bison crushed into a concentrate and mixed with cooked fat upon dining. Bear Robe’s version is far more appealing: tender strips of bison marinated in a mahogany sauce and topped with peas and Saskatoon berries (blueberries with a bit more tang), served atop pan-fried bread.

The chef learned well from his mentor Stadtlander, the Alice Waters of Canada, who stressed farm-to-table dining long before the term existed. Even in midwinter, everything tastes fresh, including the rutabaga soup with pumpkin seeds and a hint of red wine, and a dish of sublime roasted Brussels sprouts, seasoned with bacon bits, pear and maple syrup. Just as tasty is a Lake Huron whitefish, line-caught by a friend, wrapped in bacon and doused in a pickled sea asparagus that was foraged from the salt marshes of Nova Scotia.

Bear Robe hopes to follow in the footsteps of Stadtlander one day and have his own farm. Judging from the crowd waiting for one of the 36 seats in his restaurant the frigid night I arrived, he’s also destined for a much bigger space closer to downtown.

If you want to taste authentic Canadian cuisine in an authentic space, now would be the time to try the innovative fare at Keriwa Cafe.Keriwa Cafe, 1690 Queen St. West, Toronto; (416) 533-2552; www.keriwacafe.ca ]]> Mon, 1 Apr 2013 07:48:07 -0400 <![CDATA[ Travel deals / Bargains from around the globe Take your workout to a luxury resort ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130331/LIFE02/130339835/1072
• With &Beyond’s Fly Me Around Botswana package, save thousands on internal flights on an African safari. Travelers choose from up to three lodges, with two nights required at Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp, Xudum Okavango Delta Lodge or Savute Under Canvas. Air transfers between lodges is gratis, a savings of $2,795 to $3,925, depending on the season. Sample trip: A seven-night package starting at $3,525 per person double includes two nights at Savute Under Canvas, two nights at Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp and three nights at Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge; three daily meals, including beverages (wine, beer, soda, etc.); safari game drives and walks; emergency medical evacuation insurance; laundry; and taxes. Departures through Dec. 31. Info: (888) 882-3742, www.andbeyondafrica.com.

• Two people cruise for the price of one on the seven-night Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon itinerary departing May 4. Adventure Life is offering the deal starting at $3,250 per couple, including port charges. The 18-passenger Tucano sails round trip from Manaus, Brazil, and cruises on the Rio Negro and Rio Jauaperi. Daily excursions include visits to Lago Janauari Ecological Park and the village of Novo Airao. Deal is available until sold out. Info: (800) 344-6118, www.adventure-life.com.

• Fly LAN or an affiliate carrier such as TAM Airlines from New York to any number of Latin American destinations and add a domestic flight for $27 or less. For the deal, you must book an economy seat on a round-trip international flight through Monday and travel Monday through June 30 (June 14 for Colombia and Peru). For example, fly from New York’s JFK to Santiago, Chile, for $999 round trip, plus $27 for the flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas (normally about $500). For Argentina, pay $949 from New York City to Buenos Aires, plus $13 to Salta (typical fare is $568). Taxes included. Info: (866) 435-9526, www.lan.com or tamairlines.com.



Deals sell out and availability is not guaranteed. Some restrictions may apply. ]]> Mon, 1 Apr 2013 07:47:43 -0400 <![CDATA[ Taking the Kids: Discover fabulous feasts ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130331/LIFE02/130339836/1072
Other than the drop-dead gorgeous views of the Pacific Coast, the main attraction here is the food – some 300 choices in all, much of it locally sourced – the fruits, vegetables, chicken, beef, ham and lamb. And despite all the kids, there’s not a chicken finger in sight.

“I don’t do kids' food at the brunch,” says Xavier Salomon, the executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, and he adds, parents rarely ask for it – not when kids can eat delectable mashed potatoes, roast beef, just-made sushi rolls, veggies in season and mini-quiches that they can serve themselves. “And, of course, they go crazy for the desserts,” he says with a smile.

Chef Salomon says he’s most proud that the food at the brunch is so fresh, coming from a dozen local farms and purveyors with 11 chefs cooking, slicing and serving as we eat. No wonder this brunch is so popular in the Bay Area that people drive an hour or more to indulge. For some, it becomes an annual tradition to celebrate a birthday or Easter.

Half Moon Bay (www.visithalfmoonbay.org), famous for its fall pumpkin crop and pumpkin festival, is also known for its spectacular beaches, redwood forests and hiking trails along the bluffs. The region south of San Francisco also offers terrific opportunities for families that want their kids to see where their food comes from. There are farms here that date back to the 1800s and many welcome visitors. Kids will especially like Harley Farms Goat Dairy (www.harleyfarms.com) in Pescadero, where they can ogle the baby goats and sample goat cheese and fudge made with goat milk.

The hotel sits high on scenic bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean with two golf courses, tennis courts, walking trails to the beach and outdoor fire pits. Some of the rooms even have their own private fire pits where guests can sit and take in the ocean views while the kids make s’mores with the hotel’ s’mores kits. Fun!

Wherever you live or are visiting, spring is a great time to visit a farm (all of those baby animals, www.farmstayus.com) or a farmers’ market (all of those fresh veggies, www.localharvest.org/).

Vacation is also a great time to encourage kids to try new foods and if you can afford it, splurge on a “special” meal, like brunch. It’s guaranteed to be memorable. (Another over-the-top brunch your gang is guaranteed to like is at the historic Broadmoor (www.broadmoor.com) at the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colo. (The kids will love the chocolate fountain!)

Of course, it’s not just big, fancy places where you can enjoy a memorable meal. At Dorothy’s Tamales in Fair Play, Colo., for example, we chatted up Dorothy, the 70-something grandmother and mother of eight who has won a loyal following for the tamales she learned to make from her grandmother.

You can also get your junior foodies into the kitchen. In Hershey, Pa., this spring, the Chocolate Lab at the Hershey Story (www.hersheystory.org) offers chocolate-themed classes daily. Kids also are invited to construct an old-fashioned toy pinwheel in the “Sugar, Spice, Slugs and Snails: Childhood in Early America” exhibit from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in April (www.hersheypa.com/).

And this summer, kids and teens not only get cooking lessons at Vermont’s Essex Resort and Spa’s Camp Cook (www.vtculinaryresort.com/campcook/), but they visit the chicken coop, the onsite gardens and local farms. (Rates start at $199 per night per room; the price for Camp Cook is $400 per child per week, not including taxes.)

Georgia’s Jekyll Island Club Hotel (www.jekyllclub.com/packages/kids-cooking-camp/) also offers a kids cooking camp this summer. And Atlantis in the Bahamas has a first-rate kids-size demonstration kitchen where your budding chefs, ages 6 to 12, can take a break from the sun and waterslides and make molten chocolate cakes, homemade pretzels and more.

Take the kids to visit a local food factory. A perennial favorite is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory tour in Waterbury, Vt., (www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/), complete with ice cream samples.

Did you know that the national headquarters for PEZ candies (www.pez.com) is in Orange, Conn.? You can even watch the production process and make your own dispenser. ]]> Mon, 1 Apr 2013 07:47:25 -0400