Rolls Royce Luxury Travel Guide 2008

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors Limited

Dear RROC Member,

Welcome to this issue of the Luxury Travel Guide.

This magazine is published by Faircount LLC, publishers of the annual RROC Desk Diary, which we all have enjoyed for the last eleven years at no cost to club members.

This magazine features many articles on activities that we, as members of the RollsRoyce Owners’ Club, appreciate, such as travel, including the enjoyment of touring with our motor cars. Enjoy a drive down to Pebble Beach, featuring Al McEwan among others. As owners and enthusiasts, all of us appreciate the heritage and history of our cars and realize that the element of the motoring lifestyle that is most closely associated with Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars is touring.

In the pages of this special issue, you’ll visit the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Peninsula Hotels, and their fleet of New Phantom motor cars, with their owner, fellow club member Sir Michael Kadoorie. Enjoy a potpourri of interesting articles, on, “yes,” luxury camping and a fun article about fishing in Mexico, of all things. Experience limo rides to the Kentucky Derby, with a sidebar on a Silver Cloud III. And read about New Orleans, where next year’s Annual Meet will be held, and Meet Chairs Bill and Laura Borchert’s insider tips about that wonderful city.

Club member and historian Phil Brooks has written about his experience in the lovely Italian walled city of Lucca, where he and his wife, Sue, spent time last spring. He also writes about Curacao, Nic and Birte Moller’s 20 HP, and their marvelous Avila Hotel.

I hope that you enjoy this magazine, as it provides some interesting reading and perhaps inspires you to enjoy some unforgettable travel experiences – hopefully behind the wheel of your Rolls-Royce or Bentley motor car.

Sincerely,

Robin A. James President

club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Tara N. Wilfong

Photo: John Kelly, The Little Nell Snowmass Kitchen/Living Area

By David A. Brown

By Craig Collins

By Vera Marie Badertscher

By Heidi Bohi

THERE’S HEAVY - WAIT TRAVEL . . .

Having your own private jet means many things – luxury, comfort, security, timesavings, convenience, and spontaneity to name a few. Travel on your schedule – not the airline’s.

At IntelliJet International, we make aircra acquisition easy – even if it’s your rst. Our clients have already discovered the bene ts of aircra ownership. Whether your need is for business or personal use, having your own jet makes air travel an enjoyable experience.

When you’re ready to acquire an aircra (or upgrade one you already have), rely on the professionals at IntelliJet to assist you with our technical expertise and our innovative approach to nding the right aircra . You too will experience the integrity our clients have come to expect.

LuxuryTraveLGuide

North American Headquarters

701 North West Shore Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33609, USA

Tel. (813) 639-1900

Fax (813) 639-4344

European Headquarters

5 Ella Mews, Hampstead London NW3 2NH UK

Tel. 44 (0) 20-7-428-7000

Fax 44 (0) 20-7-284-2118

Publishers

Ross W. Jobson and Peter M. Antell

Editorial Director

Charles Oldham chuck.oldham@faircount.com

Consulting Editor

Philip C. Brooks

Project Editor

Ana E. Lopez Editor

Rhonda Carpenter

Assistant Editors

Iwalani Kahikina, Michael J. Tully

Art Director/Project Designer

Robin K. McDowall

Design and Production

Rebecca Laborde

Daniel Mrgan, Lorena Noya

Production Assistant

Kenia Y. Perez Writers

Graham Averill, Vera Marie Badertscher

Heidi Bohi, Philip C. Brooks

David A. Brown, Craig Collins

Claudia Jannone, Andrea Rademan

Michael A. Robinson

Eric Seeger, Julie Sturgeon

Brad Wetzler, Tara N. Wilfong

Cover Photography

Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited

Asian-Pacific Headquarters

Lvl. 21, Tower 2, 201 Sussex Str.

Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Tel. 61 (0) 2 9006-3370

Fax 61 (0) 2 8580-5047

Chief Operating Officer

Lawrence Roberts lawrence.roberts@faircount.com

Assistant General Manager

Robin Jobson robin.jobson@faircount.com

Project Director

Peter Lewis peter.lewis@faircount.com

Advertising Account Executives

Allen Coates

Annette Dragon

Sophia Leich

Bernie McDuffie

Business Development and Project Support

Edward J. Matthews ted.matthews@faircount.com

Edward C. Veprovsky ed.veprovsky@faircount.com

Controller

Robert John Thorne robert.thorne@faircount.com

Director of Information Services

John Madden

john.madden@faircount.com

Assistant to the Publisher

Alexis Vars

Administrative Assistants

Heidi Reis

Aisha Shazer

Ascending 42 stories into the skies above Century City, on nearly four private acres of landscaped estate gardens, The Century, an elliptical masterpiece designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, boasts panoramic views stretching from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean. Within this enclave of lush greenery and calming water features, owners will be pampered by an unrivaled arr ay of amenities and services, including an on-site restaurant. Now under construction are two to four bedroom condominium residences priced from $3.5 million to over $10 million. Limited collection of penthouses priced from $15.5 million to over $27 million. Registered with the U.S. Green Building Council with Anticipated LEED Silver Certification.

Suite 4150,

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Master chef Alain Ducasse’s extraordinary Louis XV restaurant offers an elegant dining atmosphere. Opposite: Ducasse has 20 international restaurants including Louis XV in Monaco, Adour in New York, and Le Jules Verne in Paris.

Photo by Bernard Touillon

expAndinG their culinAry empires

by AndreA rAdemAn

When the list of spectacular monuments that came to be known as the seven Wonders of the Ancient World was put together in the 200s b.c ., the known world centered around the mediterranean basin. the list therefore did not include marvels spread over the rest of the globe. Also absent from the list were any restaurants, as the phenomenon of such establishments did not come into being for another two millennia.

Photo by Mikael Vojinovic

Since those early days, when explorers from Lewis and Clark to Marco Polo expanded our historic parameters, modern technology is taking us in the opposite direction. With the four corners of the Earth more accessible than ever before, globalization is shrinking the world. In a new and sometimes controversial trend, household-name chefs are meeting global demand, or cashing in on their fame, by branding themselves as commodities, albeit rarified ones. Either way, they are creating a kind of list of culinary wonders of the world.

These chefs are opening restaurants beyond the borders of their home cities, countries, and even continents, often spending more time on the road than in the kitchen. This sometimes-controversial empire building requires more than cookery talent. It takes keen business acumen and boundless energy, not to mention the support of top-notch staff, to handle the operations of far-flung restaurants. The most successful practitioners both adapt to and influence the global culinary landscape. These are the best of the best:

Gastón Acurio and his German pastry chef wife, Astrid, are culinary pioneers who are bringing Peruvian cuisine to prominence, beginning with Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, London, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, and soon California, Florida, and New York. The Cordon Bleu graduates opened Astrid & Gastón (AYG) in a Lima suburb in 1994, where they gradually converted their French menu to an exploration of gourmet Peruvian cuisine with dishes such as foie gras, mango, and banana skewers with cane syrup sauce; duck magret over lúcuma (eggfruit) purée; tiradito of tuna and tumbo (similar to passion fruit) with shellfish rolls marinated in pisco; and Astrid’s quince sushi stuffed with tumbo. They followed this up with La Mar, a casual showcase of Peruvian seafood classics and sushi. Both menus list versions (sophisticated or simple, but fresh and delicious) of their jumbo crayfish salad in a chifa (Peruvian-Chinese)

glaze. Other restaurants, either open or in the works, include Los Bachiche (Peruvian-Italian); Madam Tusan (Peruvian-Chinese); Yoshi (Peruvian-Japanese); Yoshi & Ricci (Japanese-Italian); Chicha (regional Peruvian); and Nativa (cuisine of the Andes), which will be part of a boutique hotel chain. In his time off from writing cookbooks and appearing on a TV cooking show, Acurio is developing Diverxo, a supermarket with a gastronomy school, his own brand products, and a chef-designed food court.

Astronauts aboard the Russian spacecraft Progress, which launched in Kazakhstan in 2006, were fed caponata, roasted quails in wine sauce, and rice pudding with preserved fruit. Admittedly, this is not a typical space station meal, but neither is Alain Ducasse, the chef who masterminded them, a typical chef. His exceptional cooking made the elaborate Le Louis XV, at the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco, the first hotel restaurant to earn three Michelin stars. He matched that at his namesake restaurant in Paris’ magnificent Hotel Plaza Athénée. At present, his 20 restaurants on three continents share 15 Michelin stars. In London, he runs The Dorchester hotel kitchen; in Paris, he’s breathed new life into Le Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower; and in New York, Adour at the St. Regis Hotel has a computerized wine list, contemporary French cuisine, and a tasting menu that costs less than some main courses in Paris. Benoit, one of the last remaining authentic Parisian bistros – and the only one with a Michelin star – already has a sibling in Tokyo and now there’s one in the former La Côte Basque space, where the oldworld demeanor is enhanced by antiques from Ducasse’s personal collection and roasted chicken with French fries, steak au poivre with pommes soufflés, tarte tatin, profiteroles, and Champagne martinis like Le Crazy Horse adorn the menu.

Nobu Matsuhisa’s hot-as-wasabi restaurants stretch from New York, Los Angeles, and Miami to Europe and Asia, and he even consults for Crystal Cruises. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the world’s most famous Japanese chef. After apprenticing in

Left: Chef Gastón Acurio, along with his wife, Astrid, are introducing diners to Peruvian cuisine at their restaurants in Europe, the United States, and throughout Latin America. Above: Celebrity chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck with world-famous Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa at the annual American Wine & Food Festival in Los Angeles.

Photo by Ines Menacho

Photo courtesy of Spago Beverly Hills

Tokyo and cultivating his Latin-spiked Japanese “Nobu Matsuhisa style” in Peru, a weak economy chased him back to Japan. He then worked nonstop for eight months to build a “last chance” restaurant in Alaska, only to see it burn down on his first day off. With a shoestring loan, he debuted Matsuhisa to rave reviews in Los Angeles. Global fame, and a celebrity following, arrived when Robert De Niro lured him to New York to partner with restaurateur Drew Nieporent in the first Nobu. Such glamorous women as Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, and Cindy Crawford have swooned over his signature dish, broiled black cod, marinated for days in sake, mirin, white miso, and sugar, and garnished with hajikami (pickled ginger shoots) or Japanese pickles. It’s a staple of Japanese home cooking that, because of him, is emulated in restaurants worldwide.

Pizza potentate Wolfgang Puck turned the classic lox and bagel sandwich into his signature salmon and crème fraîche pizza. He and his then-wife, Barbara Lazaroff, took the starch out of fine dining when they launched Spago Beverly Hills in 1982. The innovative open kitchen, lawn furniture, and pizza and pasta menu stemmed from economic necessity as well as imagination, but a chef who kibitzed with the customers was pure Puck. Spago remains the flagship of an empire that has grown to 15 fine-dining restaurants, including the incredibly successful modernist steak house CUT, countless cafés, and fast-casual outlets; a food company; a cookware line; newspaper, radio, television, video, and Internet programming; six best-selling cookbooks; and the annual American Wine & Food

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Top, left: Wolfgang Puck’s flagship Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills makes the A-list for its exquisite cuisine, service, and style. Top, right: Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Gordon Ramsay is well-known for his delectable cuisine. Above: Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and guests celebrate the opening of Nobu in Melbourne, Australia, with a sake toast.

Photo by Paul Raeside

Photo courtesy of Spago Beverly Hills

Eagle Image –Dave Goudie

Festival. Even in a notoriously fickle town, Spago’s celebrity magnet hasn’t lost its pull because the exquisite food never takes second place to the A-list Hollywood clientele. Executive chef Lee Hefter (specialty: agnolotti, semo lina dough stuffed with white corn or a mix of Italian cheeses and topped with shaved truffles) and executive pastry chef Sherry Yard (specialty: Aus trian kaiserschmarren, a crème fraiche soufflé pancake) are the right and left hands of Puck, the son of an Austrian coal miner and a hotel cook who made California pizza famous and, with his company’s gross annual in come estimated at around $300 million, is still rolling in dough.

The F Word is the title of one of chef Gordon Ramsay’s TV shows and his favored epithet. The Scotland-born, England-bred bad boy chef, who once tossed out a leading food critic, enrolled in hotel school when an injury side lined his blossoming soccer career. He opened his flagship London restau rant, Gordon Ramsay, in 1998, and soon added Pétrus and Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s to his portfolio of restaurants in the U.K., the United States, and others from Tokyo to Melbourne, Ireland to Amsterdam, and Dubai to Versailles. His lastest cookbook is Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food, written between consulting with blue chip companies, putting out a line of tableware, and readying his California restaurant: Gordon Ramsay at the London. He has said, “I think the Californian approach to food is quite similar to mine: Fresh ingredients cooked simply and therefore packed with flavor.” Signature dish es such as braised pork belly with aubergine caviar, baby spinach, creamed onions and bacon, and cannon of Cornish lamb with confit shoulder, cooked for eight hours, are proof he’s no flash in the pan.

Renowned chef and restaurateur Joël Robuchon serves French dishes at L’Atelier in Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, and Hong Kong.

Photo by Durston Saylor

Joël Robuchon shocked the culinary world when he retired at the height of his career and handed over the keys of his res taurant to chef Alain Ducasse. The youngest chef to earn three Michelin stars had already been voted “chef of the century” and his restaurant named the best in the world when he left for Spain. A few years later, he reemerged, having translated his love of tapas bars and sushi bars into L’Atelier, where he serves modern French dishes at U-shaped counters in Paris, London, Tokyo, New York City, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and soon Tel Aviv.

Joël Robuchon, his fine-dining restaurant, has branches in Monte Carlo, Macao, and Las Vegas, where Celine Dion is a fan of the 16-course $350 tasting menu. A la carte dishes ($70 – $160) include such Robuchon classics as his layered gelée of caviar in cauliflower cream, free-range quail stuffed with foie gras, and his legendary mashed potatoes. He shares some of his recipes in a dozen cookbooks, including Simply French and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Jean-Georges Vongerichten earned his first four-star review from The New York Times at the tender age of 29, but an even earlier indication of his culinary genius came while, as a young boy in Strasbourg, France, his family of cooks nicknamed him “the palate.” At his first Manhattan eatery, JoJo, he gave French bistro cooking an Asian jolt with aromatic vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices

in lieu of traditional meat-based cooking. Since then, he’s added Jean Georges at Trump International Hotel and Tower (his showcase for rustic, aromatic French dishes such as young garlic soup, scallops, and cauliflower with caper-raisin sauce); Vong (FrenchThai); Mercer Kitchen (American-Provençal dishes and communal tables near an open kitchen); and Spice Market (the street foods of Vietnam, Thailand, and China, given the master’s touch). Aside from these and other restaurants in the United States, Paris, London, Bora Bora, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, he’s working on Japanese and Italian concepts. Of his four cookbooks, at least two are classics: Simple Cuisine and Cooking at Home with a Four Star Chef. He relaxes on St. Bart’s with his family and business partner, Phil Suarez, or retreats to his home kitchen to put together one of his favorite meals, dished from a street cart in Thailand.

Above: Respected culinary genius Jean-Georges Vongerichten specializes in Thai-French cuisine. Right: Vongerichten’s Spice Market has an elegant Asian design that is sure to enhance the dining experience.

Photo by Patrick Demarchelier

Photo by Daniel Del Vecchio

BERGDORF GOODMAN

BLOOMINGDALE’S NEIMAN MARCUS NORDSTROM

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

LAPRAIRIE.COM

one golden drop one de-aging minute one radiant face

Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold

Photo courtesy of Greater Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Blue Ridge Parkway

By gRAhAM AvERIll

ThE FAMoUS STRETCh oF RoAd MARRIES ThE MAN-MAdE WITh MoThER NATURE

In a rugged and remote corner of Western North Carolina, Mt. Mitchell rises dramatically above the valley floor to reach its peak height at 6,684 feet. It is the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States – a green, craggy peak surrounded by several other 6,000-foot giants. The string of behemoth mountains dominates the skyline, creating a series of jagged, rocky mountaintops. Skirting along the edge of these green mountains is the Blue Ridge Parkway, a narrow swath of a road that twists and dips with the contours of the southern Appalachians and forms America’s only “drivethrough” national park. For 469 miles, the Blue Ridge Parkway traverses the valleys and peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountain range, offering motorists an asphalt trail through the middle of a great eastern wilderness.

A motoring enthusiast’s dream, the Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles across the Eastern United States – seen here winding across North Carolina’s mountainous region – without a town or traffic light in sight.

America has a number of pleasure roads – Route 1 in California, State Road A1A in Florida, the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway in Idaho – but the Blue Ridge Parkway is the original destination road for discerning motorists. Since its creation in the 1930s, the parkway has become the most popular national park in the country, attracting 20 million visitors a year. Drivers come for the purity of a mountain road with no stoplights, no towns – no distractions but the road and the superlative forest surrounding it.

Understanding the gravity of building a highway through a wilderness, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s chief architect, Stanley William Abbott, said, “We had better design and build thoughtfully, sensitively, creatively, as we usher men and women into the presence of the natural gods.”

An Unlikely RoA d

The Blue Ridge Parkway begins at the northern tip of the Shenandoah National Park, west of Washington, D.C., and travels almost 500 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, heading south to the corner of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park below Asheville. The parkway was created to connect these two popular national parks and between these two points, the dark gray asphalt of the parkway snakes through the green forest of the southern Appalachians like a pencil-thin line on a sheet of crumbled green construction paper. It is a narrow, two-lane road that hugs the edge of each mountain it circumvents, offering postcard-worthy panoramic views at almost every turn. Look at the route on a map and you’d wonder why anyone would choose to put a highway on the ridgeline of the steepest, tallest, most rugged mountain range on the Eastern Seaboard. The obstacles that the natural terrain presented were tremendous. Architects were forced to bridge rivers

and blast tunnels mile after mile, all the while paying special attention to the delicate ecosystems they were intruding upon. The location of the road is so remote and unforgiving that most of the highway was built by hand using small tools because larger machines couldn’t be deployed in the depths of the mountainous terrain.

Drive the road for one mile, however, and you’ll understand exactly why the federal government chose this ridgeline to host the Blue Ridge Parkway. The highway undulates from its lowest point at 600 feet in elevation in the valley floor of Virginia’s James River to its highest point at 6,000 feet at the Richland Balsam Overlook in Western North Carolina. The overlook sits near the peak of the Great Balsam Range, a series of mountains dominated by spruce fir forest interspersed with the occasional high elevation bald – grassy mountaintops that Native Americans cleared for farming and grazing. The overlook is perched on the edge of Richland Balsam with views of the Cowee, Nantahala, and Plott Balsam mountain ranges in the distance. There are 200 of these overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway, opening these “natural gods” to any American with an automobile.

The massive highway project was one of the Civilian Conservation Corps’ (CCC) first major undertakings as part of FDR’s New Deal. Construction began in 1935, giving jobs to thousands of men suffering from a depression economy, while establishing a recreation infrastructure for future tourism. The southern Appalachian communities were some of the hardest hit by the depression, and by law, the architects designing the parkway had to use local labor for construction. The road was built in sections, with four CCC camps scattered along its route. Priority was given to the sections that most easily opened scenic areas for public use as well as those that would provide employment where it was needed most. Not everyone saw the intrinsic value of the parkway, however. Due to the tremendous cost of the road (the original price tag was projected at $16 million) and the broad scope of the project, one Michigan congressman referred to the Blue Ridge Parkway as “the most ridiculous undertaking that has ever been presented to the Congress of the United States.”

And Then The R e WA s T he AUT omobile

While the ‘30s were a decade of social unrest and economic uncertainty, the automobile managed to emerge from the period as a national obsession. At the turn of the century, the car was

Continued on page 27

Photo by Keith Lanpher/VTC

The Blue Ridge Parkway connects northern Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park (pictured) to the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina.

GIVE ME SHELTER – AND A DECENT WINE LIST

Hotels near the parkway that were good enough for our weary travelers

PEAk S of oTTER LoDGE , NEAR BEDfoRD, VIRGINIA

The parkway itself has plenty of places to spend the night. But if you’re not the type who likes the sound of mountain winds rustling your tent, your choices are much more limited. Fortunately, there’s the Peaks of Otter Lodge. This modernstyle hotel is situated at milepost 86 on the Virginia side of the parkway, but you’ll know you’re getting close by the sound of your ears popping. That’s because the lodge, and nearby Otter Creek and the James River, are the lowest elevation points along the road, measuring roughly 650 feet above sea level. While it may not be an overly swank resort, the lodge gets five stars for being right on the parkway – most area B&Bs require a half-hour detour. Very soon, on June 27, 2008, this will be the starting point for a Derby Bentley Society-sponsored RROC tour of the Blue Ridge. Participants will meet here and then make their way south on a tour under the leadership of club member Jack Triplett.

Planning Your Stay: Even if you can’t make the RROC event, the Peaks of Otter is always a good stopping point for any trip on the parkway. It’s open year-round, features a pristine lakefront, and offers reasonable room rates. While reservations are always recommended, they are required well in advance for the fall leaf season and holidays.

GRoVE PARk INN, A SHEVILLE , NoRTH C ARoLINA

If there had ever been an architectural movement called grand naturalism, the Grove Park would have been its flagship. Designed in the style of the old Western Railway Hotels, it was built in the early 1900s using boulders hewn from the mountain on which it stands. The main lobby features two-story-tall ceilings, walls made of rock, and a pair of opposing fireplaces that are each big enough to parallel park a Volkswagen. Out back, a long stone terrace overlooks an 18hole golf course, downtown Asheville, and the Appalachian Mountains – a view best enjoyed around sunset. With a combination of history, location, and amenities, it’s no wonder the Grove Park was chosen as a meeting point for RROC’s 2005 tour of Appalachia and as the site of the 1993 Annual Meet. The sight of British steel pulling up to the valets, posted near the rustic stone columns at the entrance, must’ve certainly left an impression.

Planning Your Stay: A popular hotel year-round, reservations are recommended to stay at the Grove Park, though less-expensive rates can usually be had during the early months of the year. The hotel features three restaurants as well as one of the mountains’ best spas.

CHEToLA LoDGE , BLoWING RoCk, NoRTH CARoLINA

Just outside of the college town of Boone, North Carolina, lies its more tranquil cousin, Blowing Rock. The town, set atop one of the Carolinas’ most scenic mountain viewpoints overlooking the highlands, is known for its collection of shops, restaurants, and inns – all set within a downtown that’s only a few blocks long. But anyone with a rare car knows that streetside public parking is not always a desirable option. On that note, the Chetola Lodge wins points with the motoring crowd for two categories: First, it’s a private resort, so the parking lot is gated (translation: There won’t be a group of teenagers sitting on the hood of your car, posing for pictures). And second, the lodge is within walking distance of downtown, so there’s no need to worry about finding a cab in this small mountain burg.

Planning Your Stay: Blowing Rock is a very popular town in the summer, but its small size means it only has so many hotel rooms. Make your reservations early, and don’t be surprised if hotels require a Friday and Saturday night stay in the high season.

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Photo courtesy of the Avery County Chamber of Commerce; Richard Washer

Top: North Carolina’s Avery County is known as “the Balcony of Blue Ridge,” because it has the highest average elevation of any county in the Eastern United States and is home to famous mountain peaks like Grandfather, Beech, and Sugar. Above: The serpentine Linn Cove Viaduct, a quarter of a mile long, is the most visited section of the almost 470-mile parkway. Opposite, top: The award-winning elevated viaduct roadway carries the Blue Ridge Parkway across part of Grandfather Mountain. Opposite, bottom: The Virginia Creeper Trail, an excellent choice for bicyclists, runs through the Blue Ridge Highlands along the parkway.

Photo courtesy of the Avery County Chamber of Commerce; Hugh Morton

merely a toy for the rich, but only two decades later, cars had become popular with the general public and were rapidly becoming entrenched in our national identity. During the fast-paced 1920s, auto prices were at their lowest while cars themselves were reaching the height of their popularity. In 1910, only one in 50 American families owned an automobile. By 1929, three out of four families owned an automobile. Car manufacturers emerged from the ‘20s as the most profitable industry in the country.

The auto was so rabidly popular at the time, other industries that were beginning to see the first signs of depression blamed carmakers for their loss in profits. Americans were simply spending too much money on cars. After the depression set in, Will Rogers noted the odd juxtaposition of sweeping poverty with the increasing interest in automobiles, saying, “We are the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poor house in an automobile.”

The expansive terrain of the United States made America the ideal market for the automobile. The car created mobility for your average American, freeing them from “the limitations of their geography,” and the modern vacation that centered around the automobile was born. The road trip, which we enjoy today almost as a natural born right, was just an emerging trend in the 1930s.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was designed to capitalize on this new generation of motoring vacationers. The newly formed Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Moun-

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Photo by D. Alan Covey/VTC

©Grandfather Mountain; Hugh Morton

tains National Park in North Carolina were drawing tourists from all over the country. As the country’s first destination road, the Blue Ridge Parkway was meant to capitalize on this enthusiasm by joining the two parks with a seamless driving experience that immersed the vacationer in a rural landscape. Abbott, the chief architect of the road, saw the parkway as a new way for man to connect with the land. The Blue Ridge Parkway was going to be a new kind of public space – not so much a highway as a 469-mile-long park that you could drive through.

Nature through Superior a rchitecture

The Linn Cove Viaduct is an elaborate double “S” elevated bridge that traverses the edge of Grandfather Mountain near Boone, North Carolina. For a quarter of a mile, the Blue Ridge Parkway hovers over the boulder-laden side of Grandfather Mountain, the tops of hardwoods and pines barely cresting the guardrails on either side. This bridge was the last piece of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be built. Twothirds of the parkway were finished by World War II; the rest was pieced together over the years, but the Linn Cove Viaduct stood as the missing link until 1983. The rocky crag that the bridge traverses presented a unique challenge, as the ecosystem was so delicate, so unique, that it was designated an International Biosphere Reserve.

Top: These quaint stone-arched bridges in Virginia lend a charming atmosphere to this section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Above: The parkway, seen here tunneling through one of Virginia’s mountains, is sometimes considered less of a highway and more of a “drive-through park.”

Opposite: Motoring across the parkway’s serpentine Linn Cove Viaduct offers stunning views of scenic treetops and distant mountain peaks.

©National Scenic Byways Program; www.byways.org

Photo by Jeff Greenberg/VTC

Engineers couldn’t simply blast a tunnel through Grandfather Mountain. They had to tread lightly, cutting as few trees as possible. The solution was the Linn Cove Viaduct, considered the most complicated segmental concrete bridge ever built. To create the serpentine curve of the viaduct, engineers had to employ every geometric alignment used in bridge building.

Even though the viaduct was constructed more than 50 years after Abbott began designing the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is exactly what the chief architect had in mind when he planned the road. Unlike most highways in this country, the Blue Ridge Parkway was not designed by engineers; it was created by landscape architects. In the early 1930s, Abbott was a recent Cornell University graduate still in his ‘20s whose greatest influence was Frederick Law Olmstead, the mastermind behind New York City’s Central Park. Abbott was a landscape architect who envisioned the Blue Ridge Parkway as a new form of green space in an increasingly motorized nation. As such, Abbott adhered to the strict guidelines of road building established by the National Park Service roads administrator. According to the park service, “A proper road should lie easily on the ground, blend harmoniously with the topography, [and] appear as if it had grown out of the soil.”

To accomplish this task, Abbott and his team of landscape architects created 800 detailed pen-on-linen drawings that laid the road out in excruciating detail. Putting that delicate plan into practice proved even more daunting as most of the ridgeline chosen for the parkway’s route had been ravaged by clearcut logging practices. The forests were devastated, the bare slopes plagued by erosion, the streams thick with debris. Abbott not only had to build a road that was harmonious with its landscape, he had to restore the landscape to its former glory. Mile by mile, Abbott and his team of architects rehabilitated the Appalachian Mountain ridge tops, shaping the ecosystem and transforming the mountain slopes into a forest that would merit national park status. As a result, much of the wilderness we enjoy today as we drive from one end of the road to the other is the fruit of the labor of landscape architects.

tips

By Eric Seeger

Local knowledge for enjoying the Blue Ridge Parkway

Slow Ride

If you’re coming to the parkway to relive youthful memories of skidding through turns in the Italian Alps, you might want to go somewhere else (check out a stretch of road called Tail of the Dragon near the North Carolina/Tennessee border). The maximum speed limit on the parkway is 45 mph, and motorists share the road with motorcyclists, cyclists, and joggers. Plus, there is rarely any shoulder to the road, so take it easy, leadfoot.

Seasons in the Sun

Knowing when to go to the Blue Ridge Parkway is probably the most important decision you can make in planning your trip. As its name suggests, the road is actually a park – and as such, it (or sections of it) will close during the winter. Early springtime, just as the leaves and the tourists begin their return, may be the most tranquil time on the parkway because crowding is minimal. By summer, the parkway will be in full swing with drivers, hikers, and cyclists. The higher elevation means temperatures are lower than you would find in the Piedmont, so open-top motoring – for you Drophead owners – is a welcome treat in the middle of July. The parkway’s tempo reaches its crescendo at leaf season. It is the most beautiful place to enjoy autumnal color, and the entire East Coast knows that. So if you’re getting infuriated by the driver in front of you who’s trying to take pictures while negotiating a winding pass, just pull off to the side for a few minutes and enjoy the fresh air. Remember, driving the parkway is supposed to be enjoyable, not another session of rush-hour traffic.

The Air Up There

If you plan to visit Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, bring a jacket. Temperatures at the top of the mountain can be 10 to 20 degrees cooler than in nearby Asheville.

Men at Work

With roadway carved out of mountainside comes the constant nuisance of falling rock and road maintenance. So there are often short sections of the parkway that must be closed for repair. Before heading out, call (828) 298-0398 to hear a recorded message listing that day’s closures.

Photo courtesy of the Avery County Chamber of Commerce; Jim Morton

VERBAL WARNINGS

Venture onto the road even for a brief section and you’ll be moved by the meticulous planning of Abbott and his team. After just a few short miles behind the wheel, tackling the sinuous curves of the parkway, you’ll likely find yourself on foot, hiking through the dense southern Appalachian forest. Long-distance trails and short nature trails crisscross the Blue Ridge Parkway from end to end. In Virginia, the Appalachian Trail parallels the road through the Shenandoah National Park, where it becomes the Skyline Drive. In North Carolina, the Mountains to Sea Trail, which traverses the Tar Heel State from the Tennessee border to the flat sands of the coast, zigzags through the parkway’s corridor. There are expansive parks, extensive trail systems, campgrounds, streams ripe with trout, all sitting on the edge of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is the realization of Abbott’s grand design. He wanted this pleasure road to extend beyond the typical panoramic view and showcase the minutiae of the wilderness. Abbott saw nature as the cure for the disease of over-industrialization, the respite modern man needed to cope with his increasingly hectic life. Under Abbott’s guidance, the Blue Ridge Parkway became a complete recreation escape offering a series of parks interspersed strategically throughout the route that give the vacationer an opportunity to immerse himself in the natural world, one mile at a time. According to Abbott, the Blue Ridge Parkway is as much about getting out of your car as it is about driving your car.

“They must possess versatility and beauty,” Abbott said about the series of parks he was planning. “Like beads on a string, they must become the rare gems in the necklace.”

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

By Eric Seeger

As the club members bid farewell and drive away at the end of this year’s meet in Williamsburg, Virginia, a few of them will be setting a course for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Jack Triplett, a long-time member and Virginia resident, has put together a tour, sponsored by the Derby Bentley Society, to take the adventurous few on a trip through the mountains.

Jack has led a few other groups along the parkway in the past, and this time he plans on keeping it an informal affair. Since there’s so much to see along the way, drivers are free to drive at their own pace, stop wherever they like, and regroup at the night’s lodging. And it’s not a problem if someone needs to peel off from the crowd early to get home. After Williamsburg closes on Friday, the group will drive a few hours to its starting point on the parkway, Peaks of Otter Lodge. From there, drivers will make their way out of Virginia and down the parkway at their own pace to the next night’s meeting spot near Blowing Rock (at press time, Jack was still finding a suitable stopover location). Sunday night will be spent at the Pisgah Inn near the south end of the parkway, and by Monday he expects the group to be crossing the Smokies into Tennessee.

©National Scenic Byways Program; www.byways.org; Gary Johnson

The Blue Ridge Parkway’s two-lane road hugs the picturesque landscapes of dense forests and expansive parks.

The Concours

d’Elegance: Pebble Beach’s Timeless Classic

By CrAIg CollInS

Seven years ago, when Al McEwan organized a 1,500mile tour for 50 pre-World War II Bentley automobiles from his hometown of Kirkland, Washington, to California’s Monterey Peninsula – and timed his caravan to arrive just a few days before the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance – he wasn’t thinking of making a lasting alteration to America’s most prestigious automotive event. He just wanted to drive his Bentley for a few days. “In 2001, the vintage Bentleys were featured at Pebble Beach,” McEwan recalls.

“And my good friend Peter Hageman and I thought: ‘Hey, Bentley owners are drivers. We should do a tour.’”

Left: The 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best of Show winner, a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Special know as the “Mormon Meteor,” crosses Bixby Bridge during the 10th Annual Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance. Below: View of Bixby Bridge from Highway 1 looking to the north.

Used

McEwan, an expert in foreign classic automobiles who showed his first car at Pebble Beach in 1981, is a veteran organizer of such driving tours; he’s arranged 11 CARavan events for the Classic Car Club of America. He has also been intimately involved in the Pebble Beach Concours for more than 20 years now, currently serving with his friend Hageman on its selection committee. He is also Chief Judge for the Concours’ Rolls-Royce prewar class. His Seattle-to-Pebble Beach tour, McEwan says, sparked immediate interest, both in the United States and abroad. “We had 12 cars from England,” he says, “and I later had to turn down eight more from England because I was oversold.”

In 2004, when Rolls-Royce Limited celebrated its centennial, McEwan launched another West Coast tour, this time including prewar Rolls-Royce automobiles. Again, the tour was a hit – so much so that the Concours’ co-chairs, Sandra Kasky Button and Glenn Mounger, asked McEwan to make it an official Pebble Beach event. The Pebble Beach Motoring Classic was born.

The addition of the Motoring Classic is a perfect illustration of how the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has managed to evolve from a local curiosity to an international event – the premier event of its kind in the United States and perhaps the world. After 58 years, the Concours, a stalwart guardian of automotive history and excellence, remains unafraid of change.

In all the ways that matter, however, the Concours is dependable as clockwork: Every August, about 175 of the world’s rarest, most expensive, and most historically significant automobiles drive across the famed lawn at The Lodge at Pebble Beach and converge on the 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links, vying for the “Best of Show” title – awarded to the automobile unique for its elegance, historical authenticity, and technical excellence. The cars are joined by thousands of automobile enthusiasts from around the globe.

The ConC ours: Define D an D r e Define D

Golf predates the automobile by several hundred years, of course, but at Pebble Beach, a place now perhaps most famous for “The Beautiful Game,” a passion for driving automobiles came first. The Monterey Peninsula’s iconic 17-Mile Drive was created in 1881 for the enjoyment of the first guests of the Hotel Del Monte, who explored the peninsula’s rugged cliffs, misty cypress forests, and serene beaches in horse-drawn carriages nearly 40 years before the Golf Links officially opened.

Throughout the early 20th century, the Del Monte Lodge –predecessor to The Lodge at Pebble Beach – periodically staged a European-style road race on the 17-Mile Drive, but it wasn’t until

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Left: Entrants in the 2007 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance cross Bixby Bridge. Below, left: Nearly 200 classic cars and thousands of spectators lined the famed 18th fairway of the Pebble Beach Golf Links ® during the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

1950 that the races became a serious annual event, under the sponsorship of the Sports Car Club of America.

Button, who is now the event’s sole chairman, says the Concours d’Elegance was added to the Pebble Beach Road Races almost as an afterthought, and was primarily viewed as a chance to buy and sell cars. “A lot of people who were racing had seen sports cars in Europe, many of them during the war,” says Button. “So a lot of the guys who were racing ... were saying, ‘Hey, guys. I’m starting to import these. Anybody want to buy one?’”

After the death of racer Ernie McAfee in 1956, the races were moved to nearby Laguna Seca, a safer raceway. Kandace Hawkinson, the Concours’ director of media relations and an event historian, says many people doubted the Concours would make it without the road races, but the following year, the Concours attracted 10,000 spectators.

In these early years, the Concours struggled to establish an independent identity. The Monterey Peninsula Herald

reported, before the first Concours, that entrants would be judged on “beauty and practicality,” but nobody seemed too sure of what that meant. For the first five years, the show’s top award went to cars just off the showroom floor. From the beginning, the Concours featured special classes for prewar and postwar cars, and soon individual marques had their own classes, beginning with Rolls-Royce.

Fortunately for the Concours, a handful of dedicated and assertive personalities began to establish a distinct identity for the event. In 1955, Phil Hill – the Santa Monica racer who had won the first Pebble Beach Road Races – entered the car in which he had learned to drive, a lovingly restored 1931 Pierce-Arrow. He surprised everyone, not least of all himself, by winning the Best of Show award, and established a trend that has lasted to this day: With few exceptions, prewar “classics” have taken the top award.

Another person to set the tone for the event was Lucius Beebe, the newspaperman, epicure, and railroad historian most famous for pithy quotes and the elaborate

Left: The Y-Job, designed in 1938 by Harley Earl, is often cited as the first “dream car” – the first car specifically built and displayed by GM to test the public’s reaction to new styling cues and options. It toured the country, presaging the magnificent GM Motorama. Above: The ocean view from the Pebble Beach golf course. Used by permission of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. All rights reserved.

pranks that had earned him expulsion from both Yale and Harvard. Beebe, who joined the Concours’ panel of judges in 1954, traveled to Monterey in his own private railroad car and wore a top hat and full morning coat to the event. He also wore white gloves, with which he inspected the cleanliness of the entrants’ fenders. He was an unapologetic snob who, he said, preferred the marques Rolls-Royce and Bentley, because they were simply “the best, like Bollinger’s, Colts’ firearms, suits by Henry Poole, and traveling Cunard.”

In the late 1960s – after the deaths of Beebe and the event’s first organizer, Gwenn Graham – the Concours went through what is now seen as a kind of Dark Age. “People weren’t sure where it was going,” says Hawkinson. “They didn’t know if they wanted it to be just more of a social event or if they wanted it to be a car event that was worldclass.” In her brief history of the event, published on the occasion of the Concours’ 50th anniversary, Hawkinson recalls two emerging shortcomings during the late 1960s and early 1970s: First, there was no consistency to the judging standards. One year, Best of Show went to a 1927 Bentley 4.5-liter Vanden Plas Tourer; a few years later, to a 1964 Maserati Mistral Coupé. Second, there was increasing criticism that Concours participants’ search for illusory perfection was becoming more a celebration of neurosis than excellence. In her history, Hawkinson recalls the tale of a woman who was late to a pre-event party because she had been cleaning the underside of her Jaguar with nail polish remover. By 1971, the Pebble Beach Company – owner of Pebble Beach’s lodges,

The 2007 Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance. The tour regularly brings noteworthy automobiles to the 17-Mile Drive.

Used by permission of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. All rights reserved. Molly Roberts

golf courses, and 17-Mile Drive – was considering dropping the Concours from its slate of events.

Everyone associated with the Concours today agrees that the watershed event in its history was the 1972 assumption of the co-chairmanship by Lorin Tryon and Jules “J.” Heumann, two local car enthusiasts with very clear ideas about what the Concours should – and should not – be.

“I think one of the most important parts of any competition is that it’s truly a competition,” says Button, “and judged fairly. There’s no sense winning or pursuing this holy grail of Pebble Beach Best of Show winner if the win doesn’t really mean anything.” Tryon and Heumann’s most important and enduring contribution to the Pebble Beach Concours, she says, was to make sure Pebble Beach’s Best in Show meant as much – or more – than any other competition. “Really, more than anything, I think Lorin had such an amazing, encyclopedic knowledge of cars, and got the right cars there,” says Button. “And J. worked hard to get the right expert judges looking at them. Whereas maybe prior to that, like a lot of these events, I think it had been more like a socialite event, where

you might have the local mayor judging the car – who might be a lovely person, but not really understand that even though that one’s shinier, this one over here might be more significant, or might be more correctly restored.”

Hawkinson says simply of Tryon and Heumann: “They really pushed the Concours to be the best event that it could be.”

The ConC ours Today

The era ushered in by Tryon and Heumann was characterized by several distinct traditions, refined over time: a focus on classic cars; the annual featuring of particular marques or special classes; and the occasional appearance of honored guests such as the famed designers Nuccio Bertone, Sergio Scaglietti, and Peter Morgan. Probably the most talkedabout Concours to date is the 1985 event, in which all six of the Type 41 “Royales,” built from 1927 to 1933 by the eccentric genius Ettore Bugatti, were gathered from around the world and brought to the Upper Lawn of The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

The tradition established by Tryon and Heumann in the 1970s was solid enough that they and their successors – Tryon passed away in 1999, and Heumann, who retired soon after, now serves as chairman emeritus – have felt comfortable adding to this solid foundation. The special classes introduced in the last decade, such as the Hot Rod and Microcar classes, have sometimes been met with skepticism by some purists, initially including Heumann himself. By 2001, however, Heumann had experienced a change of heart, showing up at the Hot Rod display in a leather jacket with ornamental flames. “Hot Rods are a part of automotive history,” he said. “If we can’t recognize that, we shouldn’t be doing this.”

To further combat the tendency toward obsessive – often excessive – restoration, the Concours introduced a Pres- Used by permission

of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. All rights reserved. Ron Kimball Studios

ervation Class in 2001. Since the Concours celebrates cars that can be driven, says Hawkinson, there is still much discussion about what “preservation” means. “Peter Hageman, who is the chief judge for our preservation classes, talks a lot about preserving the patina of the car,” she says. “To him, that means the car shows its life ... And yet cars are different from antiques in that we still want them to be usable. So there is that line: What do you do and when is it too much? And I think it’s going to be some time before we figure that out.”

This gradual shift in Concours philosophy, emphasizing entrants as functioning machines rather than museum pieces or objets d’art – has continued. While it has always been a requirement that Pebble Beach entrants drive over the lawn under their own power, some cars have been more serviceable than others. The Concours has, in the past decade, added two events to ensure it is known as something much more than a show for “dead cars” or “trailer queens”: the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, begun in 1998, and the Motoring Classic, which became a Pebble Beach event in 2005.

The Tour d’Elegance – a scenic drive around parts of the 17-Mile Drive, through the nearby village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and down the rugged Big Sur coastline – is meant to “showcase the elegance of the automobile in motion” and to celebrate the early history of Pebble Beach. The Tour is open to all Concours entrants, and – significantly, says Hawkinson – is used as a tiebreaker in the Concours. “In the case of a tie, the win will always go to the car that completed the Tour. And that’s made the difference from the start. It’s made the difference as recently as last year, in terms of who came out of the particular classes – and that means who goes on to compete for Best of Show.”

Says Button: “Those four wheels are for something. And you know, as much as I love the Pebble Beach Concours and the Concours events, driving your car is truly what it’s all about. That’s the fun. And what better place to do it than here? We take the Tour down the Big Sur coast, and to see those cars going over Bixby Bridge, or coming up the coastline, it almost makes you feel as if you’re back in the day.”

The Pebble Beach Motoring Classic, organized annually by McEwan, has become a favorite event for the handful of hardy souls willing to sit in a prewar classic for 10 days. Of the couple who drove their 1916 Packard Twin-Six Racer from Seattle to Pebble Beach in 2005, McEwan says simply: “Those guys were masochists.” Interestingly, a few of the Motoring Classic participants each year are also Concours entrants.

Opposite: Pebble Beach Concours Chairman Sandra Kasky Button with the 2007 Best of Show winner Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Right: Ambassador Stephen F. Brauer’s 1929 Rolls-Royce Derby Phaeton, S301LR.

Used by permission of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. All rights reserved. Stephen F. Brauer

It would have been inconceivable, even a decade ago, for an entrant to drive his or her car 1,500 miles before staging it on the fairway at Pebble Beach – but it’s an indication, says Button, of how the Concours has continued to stay fresh. Hobbyists, she says – referring specifically to the members of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club – are leading the way. “As much as they’re into authenticity, they’re obviously very into actively maintained motorcars that can be used,” Button says. “And I think we’re seeing that more in the hobby, and that’s a reflection of what you see on the field at Pebble Beach now: It’s less spit-and-polish, less about who’s got the shiniest chrome and who’s got every single screwhead lined up in the right direction, versus a car that’s been lovingly maintained, rallied, has a significant history, and is more elegant, even though maybe it’s less highly restored. Those cars are starting to win.”

VISITING PEBBLE BEACH AND THE MONTEREY PENINSULA

If you’re planning to visit the Monterey Peninsula in August for the Concours d’Elegance – or any time, for any reason – there a few must-sees. In making your way from one of the landmarks below to another, you’re sure to discover the hidden treasures of the peninsula towns of Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel-by-the-Sea:

17-Mile Drive

Originating in Pacific Grove at the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Esplanade Street, the 17-Mile Drive traces much of the route that was traveled by horse carriages more than a century ago. Much of the route hugs the Pacific coastline and passes through the famous golf courses and mansions of Pebble Beach. For a gourmet picnic lunch at one of the many turnout spots along the way, stop at the Pebble Beach Market, adjacent to the Lodge at Pebble Beach.

Chateau Julien Wine Estate

8940 Carmel Valley Rd.

Carmel, California 93923

(831) 624-2600

Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

On 16 acres at the foot of the Carmel Valley mountains, this scenic wine estate, anchored by a replica house from the French Alps, is open for tasting, tours, and private events. Tours are complimentary, but call ahead for reservations.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

886 Cannery Row

Monterey, California 93940

(831) 648-4800

http://www.mbayaq.org

10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily

The bohemians, fishermen, and saloonkeepers romanticized by John Steinbeck disappeared from Cannery Row with the collapse of the local fishery in the 1950s; the two-block waterfront stretch is now best known for its mind-boggling array of refrigerator magnets and T-shirts. One worthy destination, however, sprouted a quarter-century ago in a former sardine cannery at the north end of the street: the Monterey Bay Aquarium. One of the largest and most highly regarded aquariums in the world, its acclaimed exhibits – including the Outer Bay Wing and the cross-sectioned giant kelp forest – must be seen to be believed.

Point Piños Lighthouse

Asilomar Avenue, between Lighthouse Avenue and Del Monte Boulevard

Pacific Grove, California 93950

(831) 648-5716

Thu.-Sun. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Built in 1855 to guide ships on the Pacific Coast, the Point Piños Light – now surrounded by the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Links – is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States. Its lightkeepers still use the original third-order Fresnel lens, manufactured in France in 1853. Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo (The Carmel Mission)

3080 Rio Rd.

Carmel, California 93923

(831) 624-1271

Mon.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Established June 3, 1770, the Carmel Mission was the site of the first Christian confirmation in the New Spanish province of Alta California. It remains one of the most beautiful in the chain of missions that stretch from San Diego to Sonoma, and is the resting place of Father Junipero Serra, Franciscan founder of the missions.

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

A portion of the 2008 Pebble Beach show field will be devoted to the dream cars that debuted at GM Motorama.

oing in Style

the JockeyS aBoard millionS of dollarS’ worth of pedigreed horSefleSh aren’t the only people in america who are in for quite a ride on derBy day

By Julie Sturgeon

But with humans being the fun-loving partiers that they are, it’s only fitting those famous phrases have been expanded to include how the spectators themselves arrive at Churchill Downs on this first Saturday in May. From the college kids on a budget, to millionaires who never ask the final tab, getting to 700 Central Avenue in Louisville has become a large part of the day’s entertainment.

Perhaps it started when Steve Wilson was a governor’s aide in the 1970s. As director of special projects, he decided he could showcase his state’s tourism and economic development strengths while in the national spotlight far better than with a simple Greyhound bus caravan and police escort to the race. Eventually, it became the tradition to race the buses with celebrity passengers like Telly Savalas, Bob

“a nd down the stretch they come!” a Bc sports announcer dave Johnson’s trademark phrase is a staple at the kentucky d erby, along with elaborate hats, mint juleps, “my old kentucky home,” and “they’re off!”

Courtesy of Greater Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau

AP

Photo/Darron Cummings

rolls-royce and bentley owners

Above: A horse racing fan makes her way past the statue of Aristide, the first Kentucky Derby winner, in the paddock area at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Opposite: Jockeys urge their steeds to victory.

TOWERING

AND

FIERY VOLCANOES, VIRGIN

RAINFORESTS AND WARM HOSPITABLE PEOPLE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU MIGHT ENCOUNTER FIRST HAND IN THIS EXOTIC MARRIOTT DESTINATION.

In Costa Rica, you will be taken away by a different world full of pristine beaches, raging rivers, abundant wildlife and great biodiversity. Let your adventurous side run wild swinging from tree to tree on a canopy or just relax and take in the natural beauty while bathing in hot springs.

Marriott Hotels and Resorts of Costa Rica is the ultimate experience in a unique destination, combining the cultural beauty of Costa Rica, exceptional architecture and an unsurpassed level of service.

Going above and beyond. IT'S THE MARRIOTT WAY.

Puntarenas · San Antonio de Belen For more information visit marriott.com

Hope, and Lee Majors aboard urging on their jockeys … uh, drivers. So Wilson dreamed up the Pegasus Express – a private train that took the governor and his guests from Frankfort to Louisville in style.

Over the years, he acquired several collector railcars – including E.F. Hutton’s private quarters and tycoon Henry Flagler’s car, which had been parked at a private station underneath the Waldorf Astoria in New York City – and strung them together to form a rolling parade to envy. Flagler’s accommodations had an entire interior carved from the same walnut tree, so the grain from the china cabinet matched the grain on the table. It was a ride befitting top celebrities of the day such as Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, and Andy Williams. The speed aspect, however, hadn’t completely died.

“Sometimes I’d have to get to Louisville ahead of the train, so I would race there in the back seat of a state police car,” says Wilson. “The kind with doors you couldn’t unlock from the inside and the beg fence between me and the driver.”

Love Ly Limousines

Niki Monroe’s cell phone starts ringing incessantly the day after the Arkansas Derby. For the next three weeks, her main job at AJS Limousine Service is to make arrangements for executive town cars, SUVs, minivans, 15-passenger vans, and stretch limousines along the Louisville/Lexington corridor. “On that Thursday evening [before the Kentucky Derby], I have to say at 8 p.m., ‘I’m not taking any more phone calls,’” she says. “Because the bookings could go on and on and on.”

Even Wilson is now firmly ensconced in the limousine scene. As the founder of the 21c Museum Hotel on Louisville’s Main Street, he builds memorable hospitality moments around 21st century art. It translates to iPods® with a wide variety of music for guests’ listening pleasure, 42-inch HDTV flat-screen televisions, Wi-Fi®, 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets imported from Italy, silver mint julep cups, gourmet coffee makers, mini-bar refrigerators, and Malin+Goetz bath amenities. But perhaps the crowning icon at the moment is the hotel’s VIP car, a red-beaded limo created by artist Monica Mahoney to represent a giant pomegranate. Its wheels – and space for 12 – are in great demand for Derby Day.

Above, left: The red-beaded limousine created by artist Monica Mahoney serves as the VIP car for the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville.

Above, right: Detail of the red-beaded limo. The eye-catching automobile is in great demand for Derby Day.

Photos by Kenneth Hayden

While plans for the hotel were under way, Wilson stored his coup in a barn for nearly two years. He broke it out in 2005 to escort his personal guest, former Miss America and Kentucky’s former First Lady Phyllis George, to the Derby. “Naturally I had it cleaned up and detailed, but on the way to the race, the driver turned on the air conditioning and out from the vents flew little pieces of mouse nests, like confetti,” he laughs. Today, of course, all traces of its barn days have disappeared.

The city changes much of its traffic patterns on that famous Saturday to accommodate traffic, with a special route for all vehicles like Wilson’s that have the proper passes. But even those attendees who wait bumper-to-bumper to clear the gates at Churchill Downs aren’t exactly suffering. The limousine standard of bars and televisions are blasé for this event – it wouldn’t be Derby Day without a good stock of mint juleps. If the passengers are part of a particular horse’s human entourage, Monroe decorates the interior with the owner’s colors, using fabrics, or even flower bouquets. One Derby, she stuffed the limo with 50 balloons on the guests’ request.

“It takes me a whole day to find 50 balloons because everybody is running out of helium,” she reports. “And then five minutes after they got in the car, the passengers said to release them. Well, whatever they want to do. They paid for it.”

Private jet owners across America circle the next Kentucky Derby date on their calendar while the winner trots around showing off his ring of roses. In terms of heavy traffic, it ranks right up there with the Super Bowl and The Masters. “There are certain sporting events that a lot of the ultra wealthy go to and that is certainly one of them,” says Nathan McKelvey, CEO of jets. com in Quincy, Massachusetts. He saw his bottom line double in 2007 over the previous year, thanks in large part to annual events like this.

The attraction is simple. Securing a seat on a commercial flight is extremely difficult, and even the toniest of first-class travelers are subject to the same crowds, security checks, and baggage claim belts as the next guy. Private jets are at your beck and call, complete with a crew to handle luggage the minute you exit your car. The companies will even arrange for a driver pickup and hotel accommodations if you desire. At anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000 for the day, it’s a reasonable price to pay for expediency and privacy, notes Doug Turner, owner of Millionaire’s Concierge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Like the limo companies, jet services know how to make the ride pleasant. McKelvey is big on setting an expectation and

Flying Hig H

This photo: Mint juleps are a staple of the Kentucky Derby experience. Opposite: Horses and jockeys take the first turn at Churchill Downs.

AP Photo/David Harpe

playing to the excitement, so his Derby flights come complete with official guides, pamphlets, racing colors for the race entrants; a horse breeder’s catalogue; beginner and advanced riding instructional videos; a tack shop catalogue; and Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame champagne to accompany the ubiquitous mint juleps and occasional shrimp cocktails.

If children are on board, he throws in a Vermont Teddy Bear dressed in jockey silks or English countryside “hunt” outfits, movies and books with titles like National Velvet and Black Beauty, and puzzles with an equestrian theme. “But with the Derby, that’s a lot less frequent. It’s a much more corporate audience, and entertainers, who are coming and going,” he adds.

Once the plane lands, having entry into the prestigious parties and Row A tables on Millionaires Row at Churchill Downs becomes the next competitive sport. “The pre-parties are more exclusive sometimes than the race itself,” says Brian Wilder, president of Premier Sports Travel in Cary, North Carolina. But since only so many folks can cram into one space, suppliers like Tauck ® are trying to offer similar upscale experiences for the fans who find themselves on the wrong side of the glass. It will cost you just $4,100 per person (sans flight) in 2008 to attend soirees packed with live entertainment; enjoy an exclusive bourbon tour; visit a private horse farm for an up-close encounter with racing thoroughbreds; and spend Derby Day itself in a private hospitality marquee, feasting at a gourmet buffet, indulging in an open bar, and placing bets at a private pari-mutuel window.

But if there’s one drawback to this plan, it’s that the upscale tour company didn’t secure rooms at the Galt House, the official hotel of the Kentucky Derby. “Everybody wants to stay there. It’s our highest end product,” Wilder says.

HEADLINE COMPARISONS

Jamie Schworer’s cell phone backs up with messages every spring as people call to inquire if his 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III is available to take them to the Kentucky Derby. Schworer Beverly Hills Limousine Service has booked it over the years with such famous names as Charlie Daniels, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Clooney, Richard Marx, and Rodney Dangerfield, to name a few.

It only makes sense Rolls-Royce would be in such demand. After all, take a peek at the numerous ways journalists have used this top-of-the-line brand to describe race horses’ performances:

“Sea Bird II was tucked in sixth place at Tattenham Corner after being in a handy position throughout the race and with a quarter of a mile still to go, he was still on the bit. At this point jockey Pat Glennon stepped on the gas and they cruised into the lead like a Rolls-Royce, opening up an invincible lead of four lengths.” — racingworldindia.com

“The true measure of Secretariat’s greatness was his performances in big races. As former Pimlico general manager Chick Lang said, ‘He looked like a Rolls-Royce in a field of Volkswagens.’” — Ron Flatter, special to ESPN.com

“The Gun-Metal Gray Rolls-Royce. Spectacular Bid is the horse to beat at the Kentucky Derby.” — Time headline, May 7, 1979

“Asked what it feels like to ride Barbaro, Brette didn’t hesitate: ‘Like a Rolls-Royce,’ he said. ‘He just floats. Just floats along. He does everything you want to do. He can quicken. He can slow down. He’s just an ideal horse.’” The Boston Globe , May 16, 2006

The jockey who rode Bold Forbes to victory in the 1976 Kentucky Derby nicknamed his American equine “the Puerto Rican Rolls-Royce.”

Free Spirit S

When business coach Tiffany Victoria Bradshaw attended the race in 2003, she learned quite quickly one time-honored fact: The Kentucky Derby is a great equalizer. Bradshaw secured rooms at the Radisson, where her neighbors were horse owners and professional sports stars mixed on the same floor with guests who “were so low class, I needed an NFL escort to safely leave my room,” she reports.

Patricia Pasco may have recently viewed the Derby from a corporate box, but her favorite memories are of her poor graduate student days, when she crammed into the infield and sat next to two women dressed to the nines with their hats, set up with umbrellas and picnic baskets to spend the day. Meanwhile, streakers ran amuck, trying to climb the flagpoles, the mint sprigs in the juleps still had dirt clinging to their roots, and these two proper women “sat perfectly composed despite the upheaval around them,” Pasco recalls. “There was one thing that even the streakers stopped and paid homage to: ‘My Old Kentucky Home.’ There is something still so rebellious and

race – a young lady who happened to be the daughter of Max Fisher, one of the richest men in America at the time. Since Coleman’s father was an executive of a major liquor company, the Louisville native had some experience in how to behave on the 3rd floor of the Millionaires Row clubhouse. Being seen with an attractive woman only upped the ante a little. Coleman was thus part of the party (which included the CEO of Sara Lee) that pulled up to the Downs in a state trooper car, lights flashing, sirens blaring, and the passengers enjoying a six-pack of mint juleps. Four more state troopers acted as bodyguards for the party and even placed bets for the group.

“My friends all were wondering if I could ever associate with the common folk again,” Coleman says.

Sarah Provancher knows how to weave her way through residential neighborhoods to get to Churchill Downs, and she’ll gladly pay $20 to park in someone’s front yard and “hoof it” the last mile or so. Naturally, she tucks a pair of flat sandals or disposable flip-flops in her bag for the hike. Melissa Richards-Person thought jumping aboard a vendor’s tricked-out luxury coach bus was the better choice, until the driver decided to take a surface street route that brought the party down Third Street southbound past the University of Louisville. It was an old industrial area, with an aging concrete railroad overpass. “You can guess what happened next,” she says. “We heard a goosebump-inducing scrape over our heads, and then nothing because the driver just stopped.

Richards-Person assumed she’d just kissed her Derby dream goodbye, as there was no time to let the air out of the bus tires to

til the bus was free. “Getting home after the race was easy by comparison,” she reports.

In the true spirit of Derby fun, Jared Smith’s friends held his bachelor party at the race in 2007. The crew rented a large RV, complete with a slider so they could gain more space when they parked, and drove nonstop from New York City, playing cards, games, and watching movies en route. They met up with two more RVs full of friends in the parking lot. Construction that cost them an additional five hours on the return trip was the roughest patch they hit.

That makes them more fortunate than Chris Goldman, who flew from Texas to Nashville, Tennessee, where his Atlantaliving friends scooped him up to make the three-hour trip on north. Over the 11 years they stuck to this plan, the mishaps piled up. In the early days, they rented a cargo van, where Goldman was lucky enough to be behind the wheel when two of his buddies got in a wrestling match in the back while traveling 70 miles an hour. “Things were being tossed and smashed, and the van would swerve slightly as bodies were thrown against the side,” he recalls.

They also broke an RV windshield with an ill-timed baseball throw. They narrowly missed Richards-Person’s fate with a toolow bridge. But the clincher was when they woke up in a rented RV on Derby Day and couldn’t find the keys. They ended up finding someone who would replace the ignition, “but of course we paid for it dearly, and got to the track late in the day,” Goldman says.

And in the end, getting there is what counts.

Horse racing fans cheer during a race leading up to the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is the 10th race on the first Saturday in May.

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Photo by David A. Brown

Photo courtesy of Alaska Wilderness Voyages

Phantoms of the Peninsula

by Claudia Jannone

Peninsula Hotels scored a 2005 advertising coup by showing the opposite of what other international luxury property campaigns usually presented in order to entice guests. it hired a nnie l eibovitz – the photographer who has captured images of the world’s most famous power brokers, industry titans, and celebrities – to photograph its staff. in the timeless silver glow of black and white, l eibovitz revealed Peninsula staff at work. She captured Cheung

Tin Sang, a new york Peninsula Hotel pageboy, walking guests’ dogs through crowded Manhattan streets. a nother shot featured Martin o xley, the Hong Kong fleet manager of the Peninsula Hotel’s Rolls-Royces. l eibovitz snapped o xley with the hotel treasure, a 1934 Phantom ii. Message: dedication and work goes into providing our guests with the best service in the world. Message: We value our staff and know they form the heart of the hotels.

Movement into the iconic has always characterized the philosophy of the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong (ground zero of the group’s seven international properties), as exemplified by its status as the first hotel in Asia to employ pageboys and by its fleet of Rolls-Royces. Archival photos dating to the opening in December 1928 show the pageboys of the Pen, as the hotel is affectionately known in Hong Kong. As it was then, today’s pageboys exist only to deliver a sort of service that has been raised to an art form. Such dedication to service makes the hotel a realm where the impossible is made possible because saying “No” to a guest is deemed downright barbaric. The people at the top of the Peninsula hierarchy understand that the employees form the front line of customer service and choose applicants based on a dedication to caring and a passion to serve over what they deem as lesser technical skills.

In other words – the Pen is old school. On one visit I marveled at how taxi doors were opened for me. Uniformed pages swept open hotel doors upon my approach. The lobby’s musicians soothed my nerves, a fine counterpart to the clamor of the Hong Kong streets. Staff members bowed and fetched and would have been mortified at the notion of a traveler laden with anything larger than an elegant purse. Should I have wished, someone would even have carried my handbag.

Entry into the marvelous lobby of the Peninsula Hotel means entry into an oasis of civilization that only a truly grand hotel can provide by anticipating every need and completing it with a genuine smile. Peninsula properties regularly score top marks from travelers and travel industry insiders like Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. “The World’s Best Hotels” in Travel + Leisure for 2007 ranked the Pen first in Hong Kong and the rest of China, referencing its white glove service, 300 rooms, lobby orchestra, seven bistros, and spa. The Peninsula Beverly Hills drew praise for its 18th century French country atmosphere, the Peninsula Chicago for having two of the city’s best bistros, and the Peninsula New York for its proximity to Fifth Avenue shopping and an atmosphere redolent of society chic within a 1905 Beaux-Arts building.

Condé Nast Traveler ’s 2007 “Readers’ Choice Awards” ranked the Peninsula Hong Kong highest in East and Southeast Asia at 97.5. Readers put the Peninsula Beijing at 94.3

Clockwise from top left: The Peninsula Hong Kong’s pages are one of hotel guests’ introductions to a level of service that is truly exceptional. One of the Peninsula’s Rolls-Royce Phantoms, in the hotel’s signature Peninsula Green. The Peninsula Hong Kong’s fleet of extended wheelbase Rolls-Royces conveys visitors to and from the hotel in the height of luxury and comfort. Each of the Peninsula’s Phantoms is customized with hotel crests on its front doors.

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Black and white photos by Annie Leibovitz

Color photos courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited

and gave the Peninsula Chicago 95.1. The Condé Nast Traveler 2007 “Gold List” rated the Pen No.1 in Hong Kong and China at a whopping 96.0, a record the hotel bested in the 2008 “Gold List” with a rating of 97.5. Its nearest Chinese competitor, the Peninsula Beijing, placed at 94.3. The Peninsula Chicago scored 97.1, with the facility in Beverly Hills garnering a 94.6. Such high marks derive from a number of factors, sheer room size among them. Standard Hong Kong rooms are about 450 square feet, whereas the grand Peninsula Suite on the 26th floor comprises 4,000 square feet.

So, whence this iconic dedication to luxurious accommodation and superb service? In a word, Kadoorie. There is even a street in Hong Kong named Kadoorie. The Kadoorie family saga began in much the same way as did those of other savvy men who turned their eyes to the exotic Far East as they courted the favors of dame fortune.

Sir Elly Kadoorie hopscotched eastward across the empire on which the sun was ever rising, catching new dawns during

sojourns in Bombay and Shanghai before settling in Hong Kong. From the late 19th century, Elly Kadoorie had established successful ventures in Hong Kong – real estate, utilities, and finance. His son, Lord Lawrence Kadoorie, expanded upon what his father had begun with formation of CLP Holdings Ltd. His son, the Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie, now serves as chairman of CLP and chairman of the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH), which owns and operates the Peninsula Hotel Group and other properties. Although several hotels bear the Peninsula brand, only the hotels in Hong Kong and Tokyo are 100 percent HSH owned, as is Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club in Carmel, California. HSH also owns the Peak Tramways, which form yet another Hong Kong icon, and manages other properties and operations, such as the Business and First-Class Lounges of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited at the Hong Kong International Airport.

The history of the Peninsula Hotel began in 1928 when Sir Elly Kadoorie proclaimed that his stately creation would become “the finest hotel east of Suez.” Its location on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour proved fortuitous: Transoceanic ships carrying wealthy travelers docked there and the city formed the terminus of the Trans-Siberian railway at the time. It was a golden age in which a fine hotel could flourish.

Lord Lawrence Kadoorie proved his mettle as a business tycoon as he set about building the family holdings into a diversified empire until he was interrupted by the tide of history – war

Top left: The Peninsula Suite, the hotel’s largest suite, with two separate sitting areas, a conference room, mini-gym, private office, full harborview bathroom, three private washrooms, a guest washroom, and a fully equipped kitchen, has panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. Above: The Asian Tea Lounge, located in the Peninsula Hotel’s spa area, has a soothing water feature and is a perfect place to relax with a steaming cup of tea. Left: The thermal suite at the Peninsula features separate male and female saunas, steam rooms, showers, and ice fountains, as well as views of the harbour.

Photos courtesy of the Peninsula Hong Kong

in the Pacific. Several members of the family were interred by the Japanese in Hong Kong. Once freed, they went to Shanghai to stay at the family home Elly Kadoorie had commissioned there in the 1920s, but found that the ancestral Marble Hall had fallen to Japanese occupation. In 1943, the family underwent confinement in a detention camp in China, followed by being placed under house arrest at the Marble Hall. The good thing about bad historical times is that eventually they end. A philanthropist to his core, Lord Kadoorie turned the home into a recreation center for British and American soldiers after the war and later donated the Marble Hall as a place where gifted children could cultivate their talents. Today it bears the name Shanghai Children’s Palace.

The Honorable Sir Michael Kadoorie GBS, knighted in 2005, grew up as heir to the family fortune and became one of the world’s leading tycoons as well as a philanthropist known for supporting the disadvantaged and enhancing university facilities. Amidst all this activity of earning and giving, Sir Michael found time on the side to spend a bit by acquiring the Peninsula

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Above: A 1934 Phantom II, the crowning glory of the Peninsula Hong Kong’s legendary collection of Rolls-Royces, with Fleet Manager Martin Oxley. This Rolls-Royce, 60SK, was named “Most Desirable Car” at a March 2006 classic car show in Hong Kong. Left: Always at your service in Manhattan. Here, Cheung Tin Sang, a page from the Peninsula New York, walks four (and holds one) of the hotel’s special guests at the landmark corner of Fifty-Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue. Guests at all Peninsula hotels can expect superb service from dedicated staff members. Opposite, top left: One of the hotel’s Rolls-Royce Phantoms seen through the window of one of the Peninsula’s top-notch restaurants. Opposite, top right: The customized tread plates of one of the Peninsula Hong Kong’s Rolls-Royces. Opposite, bottom right: Among guests’ favorite amenities are the talents of chefs like Yuen Siu Cheung, a senior cook at Spring Moon, one of the Peninsula’s restaurants.

Photos by Annie Leibovitz

Hotel’s first fleet of Rolls-Royces. Previous to the exquisite RollsRoyce fleet, the hotel had used Ford Fairlanes – so utilitarian. Yes, the Fords came standard with right-hand drive, a necessity in order to negotiate the Hong Kong streets. Yes, they were large and well-suited to airport runs and chauffeur-driven jaunts around the territory. Elegance factor? Nil.

In 1970, Lord Kadoorie decided it was time to improve the quality of the hotel’s courtesy cars, the term courtesy used rather loosely as there is a fee for their use. Michael Kadoorie, not yet knighted, ventured that big Lincoln sedans would fit the bill for size and provide a move upward in status. This idea the Lord questioned. Why Lincolns when you can have Rolls-Royces? And a very good question it was. The son said that he suspected the British luxury moniker would prove far too costly. The father’s reply has gone down in corporate history: “Have you enquired?” The son’s perusal of automobile prices and consultation with a savvy tax accountant made such an extravagance look quite at tractive. As a British Crown Colony, Hong Kong granted purchas ers that supported England’s car industry a nice tax break. Unlike the Fords, the Lincolns did not come with the option of righthand drive, which would mean an expensive conversion. Michael Kadoorie worked out the mathematics and found that procuring Rolls-Royces would cost the hotel only 20 percent more than pur chasing Lincolns. Opting for prestige, the hotel board agreed and the Pen launched itself as the king of product placement. Thus did the hotel take delivery of the then record-breaking order of seven Silver Shadows, a record the hotel would continue to break with subsequent orders as the name Rolls-Royce became linked with the Peninsula Hotel Hong Kong. The original seven Silver Shadows were followed by eight of the same model in 1976. In 1980, nine new Rolls-Royces arrived (Silver Shadow II) at the Pen, followed in 1987 by eight Silver Spirits. In 1994, the Silver Spur III order of nine cars was upstaged by the hotel’s purchase of a 1934 Phantom II, a classic that remains a part of its fleet. In 1995, 1998, and 2004, a total of 14 new Silver Spurs went into service.

On December 14, 2006, the Peninsula Hong Kong unveiled its new fleet of 14 Phantoms, the largest single order ever for

Photos courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited

Photo by Annie Leibovitz

the automotive facility in Goodwood, England. Each extendedwheelbase Phantom features many bespoke elements, and all are painted in the signature color of the hotel – Peninsula Green. The 39 modifications to the cars meant changes to 269 standard parts, which the manager of Rolls-Royce’s bespoke program, Clive Woolmer, called comparable to a model year change. Ian Robertson, chairman and chief executive of Rolls-Royce, delivered the keys of the new fleet to Sir Michael Kadoorie. The green fleet instantly became a moveable feast denoting the Peninsula Hotel’s station in Hong Kong. Sir Michael noted, “The Rolls-Royces have become a tradition that could be likened to afternoon tea in the lobby.”

Each car sports a hand-painted single gold coach-line and is customized with hotel crests on the front doors. Bespoke elements include an enlarged trunk, boot luggage protector, hillhold function, a cool box for chilled towels, used towel storage, periodicals compartment, rear-seat climate controls and privacy curtains, LCD screens, 420-watt audio system, IDD telephone, and enhanced lighting. The Goodwood team selected the burr walnut veneers, with each car finished in veneer from just one tree to ensure perfectly matched color and grain. Sir Michael selected the color of the veneers. The 18 leather hides of each Phantom interior underwent the company’s signature tumble dying for a natural soft feel. Every car required 350-plus man-hours and the services of 25 designers and engineers, all of which resulted in a design that produces fewer emissions while delivering increased power and consuming less fuel than did the hotel’s previous generation of Silver Spurs. The iconic Flying Lady above the classic grill of the green cars came to denote the Pen. When the Peninsula Tokyo opened in 2007, inaugural

fanfare included introduction of two new bespoke Phantoms for chauffeuring VIP guests.

The new Phantoms fit in well with the Grand Dame of the Peninsula’s Hong Kong fleet, the 1934 Phantom II that is just six years younger than the Pen itself and was named “Most Desirable Car” at a recent Hong Kong classic car show. The former Crown Colony boasts of having more Rolls-Royces per capita than anywhere else in the world and mainland China has caught the Rolls-Royce bug. England’s fabled handmade brand saw sales double there in 2006 – in spite of China’s outrageous luxury taxes: a Phantom for which U.S. buyers would pay around $350,000 costs $800,000 there. Price does not matter for newly rich businessmen in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, whom the company says average about 10 years younger than buyers in other markets. The years 2004 and 2005 saw record orders of 792 and 796 cars from China. Chinese buyers may be young, but they demand quality.

Sir Michael Kadoorie represents a new breed of tycoon, one that knows how to work hard and play hard, with interests that run from photography and travel to piloting a helicopter. Long enamored with classic cars and a member of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club, he counts the Rolls-Royce marquee among his garaged lovelies. In May 2007 he completed the Scottish Tour in a 1912 L to E Silver Ghost, which brought him much pleasure in both driving the automobile and mixing with fellow Rolls-Royce Enthusiast Club members.

Sir Michael’s enjoyment of fine automobiles resulted in his creation of the Quail Rally, which he began more than a decade ago at Quail Lodge Resort in California. The event that started with a coterie of billionaire friends has grown to a deliberately limited affair for a select 3,000 attendees, only 30 of whom drive in the rally.

Photo courtesy of the Penninsula Hong Kong

For Sir Michael, the rally means a lovely quiet day spent in the company of fabulous cars and dear friends. He sees it as a special occasion wherein friends come together to enjoy themselves with their cars. As one participant noted, it’s like a five-star restaurant with a car show thrown in. Hosting the annual August rally gained Sir Michael the sobriquet “Mr. Hospitality.”

I think Sir Michael became “Mr. Hospitality” long before any notion of hosting a rally entered his mind. The business of a grand hotel is to become the very definition of hospitality, and he carries this definition in his bones. If his grandfather built “the finest hotel East of Suez,” then Sir Michael understands how to push even that superlative. Keeping a luxury hotel at the top of so many travel guides and awards lists demands a dedication to perfection to which only a few property owners in the world aspire. Sir Michael is at his core the essence of practicality. One story about his practical nature involves a site inspection of a new suite at the Pen. Impeccably attired in a bespoke suit, he got into the bathtub, lay back, and pondered the ceiling. He pointed to a light overhead and said, “That is disturbing. It must be changed.” He is also the guru behind every room’s electronic accoutrements - from thermostats and lights to televisions and remote controlled draperies.

The Peninsula Shopping Arcade is all serene elegance, a blissful respite from the clamor of Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. Populated by names like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dior, and the like, the arcade offers spectacular people watching with its fine goods. My favorite shopping memory arrived in the form of a Japanese tour group, all women, who descended upon Louis Vuitton in a handbag frenzy. As one clerk confided to me after the leather siege, the moment one lady chooses a purse, all the others follow suit. My other favorite shopping moment concerned gastronomic indulgence at the Peninsula Chocolatier.

Part of the pleasure offered by a grand hotel is superb dining and attractive watering holes. Hong Kong’s powerbrokers mark special occasions with dinner at the stylish Gaddi’s, a traditional French restaurant with an atmosphere that recalls the Pen’s neoclassical grandeur in 1928. This is the place for classic dishes like sautéed baby artichokes, or roasted milk-fed veal chops served on a ragout of potatoes, carrots, and pearl onions, or Scottish lamb served on gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, and chorizo. Gaddi’s, first in the city to offer chef’s table dining, consistently produces perfection – from starters to desserts, accompanied by the world’s finest wines.

Felix, designed by Philippe Starck, goes modern in décor and experimental in cuisine. Huge zinc cylinders enclose the bar areas, one for wine, the other featuring American cocktails. The cuisine weds Euro-American with Asian: Imagine a fish taco with avocado and sour cream that gets an Eastern kick from pickled ginger, or lobster and foie gras salad with kaffir lime and truffle dressing, or seared sea bass with curried potatoes and a sauce of fig, apple, and Cabernet. One of Starck’s more innovative touches is found in the male rest room, where urinals face a window offering gentlemen a 28th floor panorama of the city.

Reminiscent of the hotel’s colonial past, the Lobby Lounge, called simply the Lobby by insiders, serves traditional English high tea. The Lobby also welcomes guests to phone in drink orders from Phantoms en route from the airport, creating the perfect landing refreshment upon arrival at the Peninsula. That’s hospitality.

5 Star Villa and Spa Enclave next to 3 miles of deserted beach and jungle. Just 5 hrs from New Yorkto your plunge pool and tropical night. Prodigious spa for so few. Opening Autumn 2010 www.lestroissirenes.com

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Opposite page: The 14 extended wheelbase Phantoms that currently make up the Peninsula Hong Kong fleet are the most recent of a tradition of Rolls-Royces at the hotel that spans almost 40 years.

whimsical windsor

TuckeD Below The uniTeD STaTeS, ThiS onTario wonDerlanD STanDS Tall

By DaviD a. Brown

when rolls-royce introduced its stunning Phantom Drophead coupe at the 2007 Detroit auto Show, admiring onlookers no doubt pictured themselves with the top down and soaking up rays en route to somewhere fun. Fortunately, that wouldn’t be a very far drive from the Motor c ity. indeed, the a mbassador Bridge spanning the Detroit r iver links this renowned industrial center to a true gem of canadian majesty –windsor, ontario.

This photo: The Ambassador Bridge connects Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario. Above: Windsor’s riverfront is a popular spot for visitors and residents alike. Dieppe Gardens and, in the background, Casino Windsor, can be seen in this photo.

Image courtesy of Convention & Visitors Bureau of Windsor, Essex County & Pelee Island

United States from Canada involves traveling north. Crossing the bridge – or traversing the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel a couple miles to the east – is like passing through some magic portal that leads to a land of charm and fascination.

Light on the overtly touristy stuff, Windsor up-plays its his torical and cultural elements, dresses the scene with aesthetic accoutrements, and boasts a vibrant City Centre complete with fashion boutiques, trendy cafés keeping company with tradition al eateries, and an immaculate casino complex sporting the full spread of fine dining, luxury suites, and games of chance.

A balanced blend of style and substance, Windsor and its sur rounding communities offer a safe and visitor-friendly environ ment whose sensible layout and convenient roadways facilitate convenient travel. My first day in town, I bought a street map at a local gas station, cross referenced this with a visitor guide (avail able at most hotels and the Ontario Travel Information office on Park and Goyeau streets), and buzzed around town like a local.

Now, anyone can look good in the sunshine, but visit a town during less-than-ideal conditions and its true personality perco lates to the top. I recently gave Windsor just such an examination when a passing storm allowed me one day of Chamber of Com merce weather and one of dim, drizzly dreariness. No guided tours, no VIP treatment, no put-on-the-happy-face – just me and the maps.

In both scenarios, Windsor felt warm, inviting, and confident. Rain happens, but when you can look nice wet, you’ve got the goods.

Moreover, Windsor exudes an air of friendliness in which folks with cameras and tourist maps are greeted with smiles, rather than disdain. Twice during my visit, strangers stopped to point out local details and offer directions.

Even the wildlife fuels Windsor’s PR efforts. Flocks of tolerant Canada geese feeding and sunning themselves along the water front seem well accustomed to curious stares and camera flashes.

This photo: One of the 30-plus artworks in Windsor’s Odette Sculpture Park. Top: An aerial view of the city of Windsor.

Photo by David A. Brown

Image courtesy of Convention & Visitors Bureau of Windsor, Essex County & Pelee Island

In town, gray squirrels in their jet-black northern coats forage around green areas and make an admirable effort at standing still long enough for photos.

Here’s a glimpse of the Windsor I met.

PICTURESQUE PARKS

Every major city has a dominant feature of broad attraction and Windsor’s focal point must be its stunning waterfront parks. Creative landscaping, historical monuments, fishing alcoves, children’s playgrounds – all elements of a shoreline district with superb views of downtown Detroit, Belle Island, and the endless stream of recreational and commercial vessels navigating the river, as well as Lake St. Clair to the north.

Immaculately groomed and separated from Riverside Drive by long, grassy slopes, several kilometers of public grounds present a fascinating realm of visual feasting, nearly sufficient for a day’s occupation. The Riverfront Trail encourages biking, jogging, and Rollerblading, but casual strolls and picnics under shady oaks are also nice.

A few small parks, including one with an old-fashioned windmill, sit west of the Ambassador Bridge. However, the most scenic reaches of Windsor’s waterfront extend from the other side of the bridge to the eastern edge of City Centre.

Situated within Assumption and Centennial parks, Odette Sculpture Park enlivens the scene with more than 30 large-scale contemporary sculptures for public viewing. These expressions of imagination and artistic vision include:

“Eve’s Apple”: Edwina Sandys’ steel work captures that moment in the biblical story just after Eve had eaten from the fruit of knowledge. Bold and intriguing, the white hand – its fingernails painted red – holds a bright green apple with a prominent bite. The work conveys a complex turning point in which knowledge is achieved while innocence is lost.

“Tohawah”: Choosing an indigenous word for “swans” as a title, sculptor Anne Harris captures a fusion of untamed strength and precise elegance with her 38-foot-tall white figures.

“Tembo” (Swahili for “African elephant”): This family of bronze pachyderms by Derrick Stephan Hudson reflects the strength and loyalty of a mother to her children.

“Neish Do-Dem”: Twin totem poles hand-carved by Canadian craftsmen Wilmer Nadjiwon, past chief of the Chippewas of Nawash on the Bruce Peninsula, and Harold Rice, a carver from British Columbia. Made of white pine, Ontario’s provincial tree, the poles are intricately adorned with native symbols.

“Inukshuk”: Meaning “in the image of man,” the sculpture recreates a traditional Inuit landmark. This formation of delicately balanced stones guided Inuit travelers across barren expanses of

The sculptures that populate the Odette Sculpture Park in Windsor run the gamut from the realistic to the abstract. Pictured here is “Tembo,” a family of elephants in bronze.

Photo by David A. Brown

B u i l t f o r E n t e r t a i n m e n t.

Luxury meets entertainment at the new Caesars Windsor. The most opulent name in gaming has propelled Caesars Windsor into a lavish destination of unparalleled elegance. Indulge in our four-diamond hotel tower, enjoy world renowned acts in the 5,000 seat entertainment center, and live the life you were meant to live.

frozen tundra with a message of safety and reassurance. (A similar formation stands at the Civic Esplanade in City Centre.)

Others include frolicking penguins, a dancing polar bear, thought-provoking obelisks, dinosaurs, a giant bell, and a businessman on horseback. My favorite was “Morning Flight,” a swirling flock of multicolored birds linked in perpetual motion. Artist Gerald Gladstone captures the balance between individuality and interdependence with a creation that seems to defy its inanimate constraints.

Windsor honors its fallen servicemen with the Canadian Vietnam War Memorial in Assumption Park, next to the bridge, and at Dieppe Gardens, across from City Centre. The latter stands in memory of the members of the Essex Scottish Regiment killed during the 1942 landing in Dieppe, France.

Adding a look at transportation of yesteryear, the Spirit of Windsor – an old steam engine that once served southern Ontario’s passenger and freight needs – now stands in the Civic Terrace.

Some of the riverfront’s most spectacular views involve aquatic creativity. At the Bert Weeks Memorial Gardens (honoring a former Windsor mayor), you’ll find an elaborate fountain and reflecting pool well worth a visit. Farther east, Coventry Gardens, with its dazzling array of floral opulence, overlooks the spectacular Peace Fountain floating in the Detroit River. Illuminated after sundown, the fountain employs 67 nozzles that shoot 15,000 gallons of water per minute as high as 70 feet into the air. Computer programmed patterns vary the captivating displays every 24 minutes.

Windsor’s interior also holds several parks. Be sure to visit Jackson Park at Ouellette Avenue and Tecumseh Road and view the Queen Elizabeth sunken gardens, a lovely rose garden and a memorial to World War II veterans. To the southwest of City Centre, the Paul Martin Gardens of Willistead Park feature a collection of perennials rare to Essex County.

WINDSOR AT A GLANCE

Location: Situated at the western edge of Ontario in Essex County, Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada.

Population: 216,476

Language: English (primary) and French

Currency: Canadian dollar

Climate: Proximity to Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River produces a temperate climate with summertime highs in the 90s and 30s (in degrees Fahrenheit) for the winter lows. Located at the same latitude as northern California, Windsor enjoys the warmest climate of any Ontario city.

International Significance: The Detroit-Windsor corridor is the busiest Canada-U.S. border crossing. The two countries have the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world. Approximately $407 billion in total trade is exchanged each year, and 28 percent crosses between Detroit and Windsor.

Connection: There are five surface border-crossing points in Windsor-Detroit: The Ambassador Bridge (handling most of the truck traffic), the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (runs under the Detroit River), the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry (transports hazardous materials prohibited from crossing via the bridge or tunnel), a railway tunnel, and the Port of Windsor.

Industries: The Windsor-Essex region remains primarily a manufacturing-based economy with a leading position in automotive engineering, research, and power train technology. This region is recognized as a Global Center of Excellence for tooling, dies, molds, and automated machinery.

Chrysler Canada is headquartered in Windsor and the company’s minivan assembly plant is located here as well. Ford and GM also maintain large plants in Windsor. Automotive research technology and manufacturing has grown into a $30 billion industry with more than 500 auto-industry related companies based in Essex County.

Windsor’s advanced manufacturing includes dimensional vision gauging systems, robotics intensive automation machines, laparoscopic surgical instruments, turnkey gelatin capsule manufacturing plants, and superlight aluminum engines. Several advanced manufacturing research centers operate on the University of Windsor campus.

Wineries are numerous, as Essex County presents an excellent environment for grape production, with fertile soil condition and a climate offering longer sun hours and greater heat units than anywhere in Canada.

Outlook: fDi Magazine , the leading source of information for companies involved with cross-border expansion, recently ranked Windsor as North America’s Leading Small City of the Future. This recognition was based on business-friendly policies and a strong development program that includes several largescale projects involving public and private investment.

The Spirit of Windsor, located on the Civic Terrace, is another of the city’s many riverfront attractions.

BELONG HERE AND THE REST OF MANHATTAN BELONGS TO YOU.

Following the success of The Phillips Club, Millennium Partners is proud to announce the launch of Phase II at The Phillips Club. Spacious, elegant apartments in one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Manhattan.You’ll find a staff that knows you and your guests by name. Effortless ownership, luxury hotel services, a 24-hour concierge and preferred access to Reebok Sports Club/NY. These are just some of the many comforts that make The Phillips Club home. To inquire about fractional ownership, please call (212) 771-7700 or visit www.phillipsclubny.com.

The Detroit-Windsor area saw its earliest European settlement in 1701 when Sieur Antoine de Lamothe-Cadillac and 100 military and civilian personnel founded Fort Pontchartrain on the north side of the Detroit River. Europeans remained mostly on the north shore until 1748 when the Jesuits established a mission to the Huron Indians on the south shore near the site of the Ambassador Bridge. A French agricultural settlement developed along the Canadian side of the river between 1748 and 1760, thus making the area Canada’s oldest continually inhabited settlement west of Montreal.

In 1797, after the American Revolution, the original town site of Sandwich was founded near what is now Windsor. Established for French and British settlers choosing British rule after the American occupation of Detroit, Sandwich was the first urban settlement into what would become Windsor and the area’s first significant immigration of English speaking people.

Windsor’s original village was officially incorporated as La Petit Côte (“The Little Coast”) in 1854 – the year the Great Western Railway linked this area to the rest of Canada and ushered in a period of industrial development. Town status came in 1858 and the future Windsor officially became a city in 1892. It was renamed Windsor, after the castle in Berkshire, England.

Sandwich, Ford City, and Walkerville, which merged into Windsor in 1935, are now historic neighborhoods. The nearby village of Ojibway – incorporated as a town in 1913 – was annexed by Windsor in 1966 at the same time as the town of Riverside.

Windsor’s French heritage is apparent in street names, such as Ouellette, Pelissier, Francois, Pierre, Langlois, Marentette, and Lauzon; while road names like Huron-Church, Wyandotte, and Ojibway reflect the area’s Indian history.

Highlighting Windsor’s ethnic diversity, a monument to Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto stands in front of the namesake club on Tecumseh Road and Parent Avenue. Caboto landed on Canadian shores in 1497, and in 1925, a group of Italian immigrants established the club to help fellow countrymen assimilate into their new surroundings while retaining their values, culture, and traditions.

To reach Windsor’s waterfront from the Ambassador Bridge, exit Customs, work your way to the inside lane as quickly as possible, and turn left on College Avenue. Take the first one-way street north to the water and follow Riverside Drive throughout Windsor’s shoreline. Public parking lots are reasonably spaced, but meters and private parking lots are strictly enforced. From the tunnel, take Ouellette Avenue north to the water and head east or west along Riverside.

CITY sIgh T s

The nice thing about Windsor is that you don’t have to go far to find something interesting. A short drive east of City Centre, the amazing architecture at Willistead Manor is a must-see. Open for tours, this 15-acre estate includes the main dwelling built in the

Above, left: Visitors to Willistead Manor will be rewarded with views of impressive 16th-century Tudor-Jacobean architecture. Above, right: The Freedom Tower monument commemorates the Underground Railroad.

Image courtesy of Convention & Visitors Bureau of Windsor, Essex County & Pelee Island

Photo by David A. Brown

16th century Tudor-Jacobean style of an English manor house, a coach house, and a gate house.

Edward Chandler Walker, whose father Hiram Walker founded the world-renowned distillery located in Windsor, built the manor in 1904. The city now owns this historical site, which offers rental services for weddings, banquets, and other special events. Exquisite interior furnishings, an Elizabethan fireplace with an elaborate overmantle, and a magnificent staircase with hand-carved woodworks reflect the original owner’s appreciation for intricate detail.

Deeply moving is the Freedom Tower monument to the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War era, Windsor became one of the main entry points for slaves seeking freedom. Located in the Civic Esplanade, across Riverside Drive from the waterfront Civic Terrace, the monument is tucked into a grassy area with trees, so it’s easy to miss. By car, take Goyeau Street north toward the river, turn right (east) on Pitt and the monument is on the left near the west side of Casino Windsor.

Underground Railroad history also radiates from the Sandwich First Baptist Church on the northwest side of town. This and

ada’s second prime minister. Formerly the Essex County courthouse, this limestone building constructed in the classic Renaissance Revival style now serves as a community cultural center for the City of Windsor.

Back at City Centre, Windsor’s Wood Carving Museum on Ouellette Avenue south of Elliott Street displays an eye-popping array of traditional, contemporary, and historical carvings from Noah’s Ark to a life-sized figure of Shawnee leader Tecumseh.

Make time also for stops at Canadian Club Brand Heritage Center, Windsor’s Community Museum, and Walker’s Fine Candies – the city’s oldest chocolate factory (opened in 1920) where original recipes have been used for nearly nine decades.

EXCURSIONS

Outdoors enthusiasts will appreciate a visit to nearby natural areas like the Ojibway Prairie Complex on Windsor’s southwest corner. With dense Carolinian forest and one of the largest tallgrass prairie parks in North America, this nature preserve is home to a wide variety of birdlife including the tufted titmouse, red-bellied woodpecker, and indigo bunting.

21292-DFW-RollsRoyce-LTG_Mar11 4/29/08 3:25 PM Page 1

If you don’t mind a drive, complementing a Windsor visit with a jaunt along the Detroit River offers a different look at Essex County. As you head south out of Windsor, the sights and

Our Luxury Specialists can book your dream vacation to Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, Africa or the Middle East.

■ Many airlines to choose from

■ Deluxe accommodations

■ Earn Frequent Flier Miles

■ No advance purchase required

Sit back, relax and enjoy your trip in First or Business class. Mention Rolls-Royce Owners' Club to receive an additional discount.

FlyLuxury is a part of the Thomas Cook Group plc., a €12 billion revenue business, employing 33,000 people globally and operating a fleet of 97 aircraft.With a portfolio of market leading travel brands across Europe and North America, we are committed to providing the best quality products and services to our customers.

(800) FLY LUXURY – (800) 359-5898

WWW.FLYLUXURY.COM

sounds of city bustle meld into the peacefully pleasant trappings of rural life.

In LaSalle, take a few minutes to visit a roadside market for fresh local produce and a cheerful dose of small town hospitality. Along Essex County Road 20 (Front Road), LaSalle’s numerous marinas have earned the moniker “the Nautical Mile,” with sail and power vessels cruising local waters.

Anglers launching along the Detroit River, at Lakeview Marina on Windsor’s northeastern edge, or at any of the many marinas accessing Lake St. Clair’s south shore, find a bounty of fishing opportunity in area lakes and rivers. Likely targets include walleye, muskellunge, crappie, yellow perch, and the star of the show – smallmouth bass.

Late spring through fall offers consistent “smallie” action over flats adjacent to the main navigational channel running

and bentley owners

Anglers visiting the Windsor area can try their hands at landing crappie (pictured in this photo) or smallmouth bass (pictured below), two of the common catches to be found in the waters of the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.

Photos by David A. Brown

through St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Lake Erie. Rock piles with scattered weed beds present favorable habitat for artificial lures such as jigs and crankbaits. Good fishing exists throughout the area, but targeting deep spots inside the mouth of the Detroit River – or the St. Clair River, on the lake’s north side – consistently delivers jumbo smallmouth in the 5- to 7pound range.

South of LaSalle, a small bridge crosses the Canard River – the site of Canada’s first major engagement between British and American forces in the War of 1812. In these skirmishes, American forces under Brig. Gen. William Hull faced Lt. Col. T.B. St. George’s British troops based in Fort Malden. Also playing a key role in the Upper Canadian Rebellion of 1837-39, Fort Malden is now a National Historic site in the stately town of Amherstburg. Established in 1796 as a British fort, the town also served as a Canadian entry point for the Underground Railroad.

Nestled toward the southwestern end of the Ontario peninsula, Amherstburg’s provincial charm is inescapable whether you’re strolling the business district, visiting an ice cream parlor on Sandwich Street, touring the wineries of D’Angelo Estate or Sanson Estate, hiking a nature trail at Holiday Beach Conservation Area, or taking in the scenery along the Detroit River waterfront.

Fort Malden’s preserved buildings, original earthworks, and live military reenactments offer an interesting look at Ontario’s military history. Other popular sites include the Gordon House (circa 1798), the Park House Museum (circa 1799), the Gibson Art Gallery (circa 1896), and the North American Black Historical Museum, where exhibits describe Canada’s important role in the Underground Railroad.

Near the water, tall maples rustle in the breeze as the shady gazebos, sculpted flower beds, waterside benches, and vine-cov ered trellises of King’s Navy Yard Park offer a pleasant culmina tion to an Amherstburg visit. Once the base and supply depot for Britain’s Provincial Marine on lakes Erie (south) and Huron (north), the park now offers an enjoyable spot to sit and ponder dinner plans.

Back on County Road 20, a couple of miles north of Amher stburg’s historic district, the tiny Angstrom Park has a couple of benches that are ideal for watching sunsets over the Detroit River. Don’t miss the adjacent Wayandotte Indian Cemetery, which honors remnants of the Huron, Neutrals, and Petuns who were dispersed by the Iroquois, but regrouped and settled along the river.

When departing Windsor for the United States, you’ll access the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel via Goyeau Street. If you’re taking the Ambassador Bridge, follow Huron-Church Road west. Just before each portal, the duty-free shops offer watches, perfume, T-shirts, and mini bottles of authentic maple syrup for those im promptu pancake moments.

tips

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Windsor has a small airport on the south side of town, but international travelers usually fly into Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and drive into Ontario. An easy drive of maybe 20 minutes north takes you to the Ambassador Bridge exit. River crossings and customs clearance times vary with traffic. A passport is required for entering Canada and returning to the United States.

Interstate 75 accesses the Ambassador Bridge leading directly into Windsor. Once you clear the Customs and Immigration checkpoint, proceed out the main exit onto Huron-Church Road for access to most major roads.

Another option for crossing the Detroit River is the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel – the world’s only international subaqueous auto tunnel. Slow moving trucks can crowd the four-lane bridge, but highway officials usually open lanes for passenger-only vehicles. Trucks are not allowed in the two-lane tunnel, but during periods of heavy volume, progress often creeps at an agonizing pace. For tunnel information, visit www.dwtunnel.com.

For shuttle service between Windsor and Detroit Metro Airport, contact Robert Q’s Airbus at (800) 265-4948 or visit www. robertq.com. Transit Windsor offers city bus service, as well as transportation between Windsor and downtown Detroit. Call (519) 944-4111 or visit www.citywindsor.ca/transitwindsor.

Windsor’s accommodations range from rustic bed-and-breakfast inns to luxurious suites at Casino Windsor. For information on lodging, dining, and services, visit www.visitwindsor.com

The waterfront in Amherstburg. Just a short journey from Windsor, Amherstburg is home to historic Fort Malden, museums, wineries, and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Timeless Treasures

By Tara N. WilfoNg

each year, thousands of visitors converge on los a ngeles’ “m iracle m ile” for an unprecedented cultural experience. for along this mile-long stretch of Wilshire Boulevard – which extends from fairfax to la Brea avenue, and is also known as “museum row” – are the area’s top collections of art, nostalgia, and automobiles. a nd it’s this final niche that has enthusiasts and collectors alike descending on the city from near and far.

ChroNiCliNg The evoluTioN of The auTomoBile, The PeTerseN auTomoTive museum Takes visiTors oN aN hisToriCal jourNey Through los aNgeles

The Petersen Automotive Museum, brainchild of the late publishing mogul Robert E. Petersen and his wife, Margie, showcases one of the nation’s most comprehensive and historically significant collections of automobiles. From the rare and the classic to concept cars and today’s most unique standouts, the museum is a cornucopia of automotive sense and style. “While there are a number of quality automotive institutions across the country, which have extensive collections, there’s not another museum that covers the extent of collecting that we do,” says Richard G. Messer, director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “We collect all makes, models, years, and countries of origin when it comes to cars. And more importantly, through our ever-changing exhibitions, we continually strive to educate our visitors.”

The concept for the museum was one that Robert Petersen always held dear. As the publisher of such iconic magazine titles as Hot Rod, Motor Trend, and Rod & Custom, he dreamt of extending his educational reach to include a museum that would pay homage to the automobile. Described as a car fanatic who could just as easily wield a wrench as direct a board meeting, Petersen accumulated a number of successful magazine titles that, together, served as a window to his innermost passions. “Pete was fond of saying, ‘I pick titles of things I like to do,’” Messer explains. “He had 60 magazine titles and 10 specialty publications that were mostly geared towards his special interests.”

Even with such a successful run as a media mogul, Petersen’s dream was incomplete, until his healthy obsession for all things automotive culminated in his greatest

The Petersen Automotive Museum counts more than 250 rare and classic cars in its collection, the vehicles pictured in this article among them.

Opposite: The exotic 1925 “Round Door”

Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 Aerodynamic Coupe, 94MC, originally had a Hooper Cabriolet body. In the ‘30s, Jonckheere of Belgium fitted it with twin sunroofs, a large fin – its round doors – and a sloping radiator shell.

Top left: The Prince of Persia (and the future Shah of Iran), Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was the first owner of this dramatic Van Vooren-bodied 1939 Bugatti Type 57C. Its features include fully skirted fenders, a top that conceals beneath a metal panel when down, and a windshield that can be lowered into the cowl by means of a hand crank mounted under the dashboard. In 1959, the Bugatti was sold out of the then Shah’s Imperial Garage for a sum equivalent to roughly $275.

Above: Brewster & Co., owned by Rolls-Royce of America at the time, crafted this 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Derby Speedster. It is distinguished by gently curved door openings and rakishly flared rear fenders, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever built.

Left: This factory-modified 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 was powered by a 426-cubic-inch hemipowered engine, producing 425 horsepower. It was manufactured to qualify for the National Hot Rod Association’s “B” Super Stock competition and is one of 55 built.

Italian body by Ghia and a Dual Motors’ drivetrain and interior trim. Production was so limited that only a privileged few – notably “Rat Pack” members – were able to secure a place on the Dual-Ghia waiting list.

Left: A Can-Am vintage racecar, the 1967 Lola T70 IIIB Spyder, was powered by a small-block Chevrolet V-8. Though it was designed for endurance racing, the T70 proved most potent on the short-sprint races and was noted for its excellent aerodynamics and flowing lines.

vision: the Petersen Automotive Museum. Just before America’s leading publisher of special-interest consumer magazines and books sold his Petersen Publishing empire to private investors in August 1996, the 300,000-square-foot museum, named in his honor, was established.

The museum was originally opened in 1994 as part of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, but became entirely independent in 1999 when the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable and educational institution, was established through the further generosity of the Petersen family. In total, a $30 million endowment to operate the museum was granted by the Petersen family; it is one of the largest gifts to any museum in the United States.

The museum’s permanent collection features more than 250 rare and classic cars, as well as trucks and motorcycles.

Continued on page 74

international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Photos courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum

L.A.’S CULTURAL PARADISE

Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile is a onemile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard that was aptly named in the 1920s when A.W. Ross developed a shopping district in the tony neighborhood that included wider streets and ample parking behind the re tail stores for automobile traffic. Prior to his innovative concept of shopping dis tricts as drive destinations, downtown stores were geared toward pedestrians who would window-shop as they strolled the sidewalks.

Today, Wilshire Boulevard is also known as Museum Row because of its high con centration of quality art and cultural insti tutions. In addition to the Petersen Auto motive Museum, this famous thoroughfare is also home to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA as it’s commonly known, and the Page Museum at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits.

With more than 100,000 works of art, LACMA is touted as the largest encyclopedic museum west of Chicago. At its core, the institution serves as a resource to, and a reflection of, the many cultural constituents and heritages that make up the communities of Southern California. LACMA’s vast collection of art that ranges from European masterpieces, cutting-edge contemporary art, and American art from the United States and Latin America to Islamic, Korean, and Japanese art offers an undisputed educational, intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural experience to a wide array of art enthusiasts.

Part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Page Museum is located at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits, just down the block from LACMA. Archaeology buffs begin their trek at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits, where a treasure trove of fossils is still being excavated. Finds from the pits have been traced to the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 to 40,000 years ago. During that Ice Age, the earliest inhabitants of present-day Los Angeles were trapped in sticky asphalt deposits, which led to their demise but also preserved their remains in almost pristine condition. To date, the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits have yielded more than 3 million fossils – including the skeletal remains of sabertoothed cats, mammoths, giant sloths, horses, bison, coyotes, birds, rodents, and even some insects and plant fossils – and continue to reveal thousands of skeletal remains each year at Pit 91. Visitors can watch as paleontologists and volunteers search the site for fossils, then, once recovered, clean and preserve their finds. Once these history-revealing discoveries are recovered, they are transported to the Page Museum for proper identification, cataloging, and display.

As a cultural and historical hub, Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile is a testament to the diverse constituents that form the city’s heart. Visitors to this unique area are afforded an unprecedented educational opportunity that not only spans the ages, but also stretches the mind. Here, the experiences are nothing less than miraculous.

Top: An art installation at the Broad Contemporary Art Museum, part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Above, left: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is located on the “Miracle Mile” stretch of Wilshire Boulevard. Above, right: Locked in battle, a statue of a pair of saber-tooth cats is shown outside the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

“Everything we collect centers around our mission,” says Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “We aim to explore and present the history of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture, using Los Angeles as our prime example. We fulfill that mission by collecting and exhibiting cars that were not only built in Los Angeles, but also whose design was influenced by the people in Los Angeles or the motion picture industry.”

The cornerstone of the museum’s permanent exhibition space is its interpretation of the evolution of the automobile. Presented as a chronological tour through the streets of Los Angeles, visitors “stroll” through more than 30 life-sized dioramas that bring back the sights and sounds of the city from yesteryear. Beginning in a downtown 1901 blacksmith shop where one of the first automobiles in the city was built, museum-goers receive an up-close education of the automobile’s vital role in shaping the history and cultural landscape of present-day Los Angeles.

As the years progress and the automobile evolves, visitors are transported through such exhibits as a 1920s service station, a 1930s new car showroom, a 1950s drive-in restaurant, and a 1960s suburban auto garage. In addition, car enthusiasts enjoy the sights of the city as they stroll past the rolling hills of Malibu and gaze at the Pacific Ocean where a 1911 American

Top left: Ray Brown’s ’32 Ford Roadster had Eddie Meyer equipment, including heads, dual-intake manifold, and ignition, on the flathead V-8 engine. Brown raced it on the dry lakes in 1946 and 1947. Top right: The 1959 Ol’ Yaller Mark III was the third in a series of 10 racecars built by hot rod legend Max Balchowsky, who constructed it in his garage on Hollywood Boulevard from plans drawn in chalk on his shop floor. Ol’ Yaller has a tube chassis and an aluminum body, powered by a 414-cubic-inch Buick “nailhead” V-8 engine, a popular choice among hot rodders of the day. Balchowsky’s cars were regarded as unrefined junkyard dogs and were therefore compared to the similarly named dog in Disney’s ’57 film Old Yeller . Left: One of the exhibition spaces at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The museum strives to present automobiles in their original contexts in order to educate visitors about the history of the car and its impact on society and culture.

Underslung is stuck in the mud; or venture past a California highway patrolman hiding behind an authentic Los Angeles billboard and into an alley displaying a 1932 Twin Coach Helms Bakery truck.

“By showing visitors the cars in their original context, it gives the display added meaning,” Kendall says. “By viewing replicas of everything from gas stations and new car dealerships to coffee shops and auto body shops, as well as the cars that would have inhabited these places during each era, visitors gain a whole new perspective on how automobiles have shaped our lives.” At the end of the streetscape, the museum presents a “what’s next?” exhibit, where it explores the possibilities for the future of the automobile.

The museum’s Hollywood Gallery, a particular favorite among museum visitors, is a permanent showcase that highlights Southern California and Hollywood’s synonymous personas. With three themes – “Stars of the Cars,” vehicles owned by celebrities; “Cars that Starred,” vehicles made famous by movies and television shows; and “The Motion in Motion Pictures,” vehicles that helped transport the movie-making business to what it is today – the gallery features such iconic autos as Magnum P.I.’s famous red Ferrari, Austin Powers’ psychedelic Volkswagen Beetle, Thelma & Louise’s ill-fated Ford Thunderbird convertible,

Photos courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum

Fred Astaire’s personal 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Town Car by Hooper, and an original Chrysler “camera car.”

Complementing these famous rides is a number of rare and unique vehicles that are true works of art and design. Among them, a 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe by Jonckheere is an exciting addition to the museum’s collection. “Nothing quite has the panache as a Rolls-Royce,” Messer says. “This is one of the signature cars of our collection. It puts you on your knees; it’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s sexy, truly a work of automotive art.” Kendall adds that in Southern California, there seem to be more Rolls-Royces on the roads than in any other locale. “Here in Los Angeles,” he says, “you are what you drive, and few things make a more consistent, luxurious, and glamorous statement than a Rolls-Royce.”

Steven E. Young, chairman of the board of directors of the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation, as well as an avid automobile collector and racer, concurs. As an integral member of the museum’s operating committee, Young is not only charged with expanding the awareness and scope of the museum, but also is instrumental in overseeing pertinent acquisitions to the museum’s collection. “Rolls-Royce has figured prominently in the development of the automobile as well as the development of our museum,” he says. “The amazing quality of the Rolls-Royce brand continues to serve as a shiny beacon of what can be accomplished by skilled and dedicated craftsmen.”

The museum is dedicated to instilling this idea of the automobile as art form, educating a whole new era of car enthusiasts about the numerous opportunities that surround the car culture. From design, engineering, upkeep, and repair, museum-goers gain hands-on knowledge of these impressive machines in the institution’s May Family Discovery Center. Here, visitors can hop on a police motorcycle to learn how radar guns work, or step back in time and sit behind the wheel of a 1910 Ford Model T. Young

visitors are particularly taken with this area’s touch-and-discover theme, and delight in the historical garb that is available for dress-up and picture-taking opportunities.

For the more sophisticated set who prefer to reminisce about days and autos gone by, the museum pays homage to nostalgia this summer as it presents “Southern California: Vacationland U.S.A.” Returning to a time from the turn of the 20th century through the early 1940s when Southern California emerged as a vacationer’s dream – with its majestic mountains, warm, sandy beaches, and picturesque deserts – the exhibition highlights the early forms of transportation of the people flocking to this Pacific paradise.

As more vacationers traveled to California by car, the automobile industry began to respond by creating specialized camping trailers and other recreational equipment to make their trips more comfortable. Transporting a new breed of nature lovers and off-road adventurers, these specially adapted vehicles are the precursors to the modern Winnebago and SUVs. As visitors take a trip down memory lane to a time when the drive was as much of the experience as the destination, they’ll return to their automotive roots, when station wagons, house cars, and sleek trailers first hit the road.

With such fresh accompaniments to its permanent collection, the Petersen Automotive Museum is visual stimulation for the car enthusiast’s soul. However, as Messer is quick to point out, the museum isn’t just for “gear heads” or “guys who like cars;” it’s a tangible slice of life that resonates through the evolution of the automobile. “We like to joke that a man has to drag his wife into the museum just to see the exhibits, but when it’s time to leave, he also has to drag her out,” Messer says.

Embodying such broad appeal, the museum, which highlights such rare and elusive makes as the 1913 Mercer Type 35-J – considered by some to be the first sports car built in America – and the 1971 De Tomaso Pantera owned by Elvis Presley – complete with three bullet holes from when the King, in a temperamental outburst, fired at the vehicle for not starting – contends that at its heart, it remains an educational institution. “The automobile is a prism through which American life, as well as the growth of America, can be viewed,” Young explains. “We have a fundamental mission to teach visitors about art, history, science, and technology using our range of interesting and historical vehicles. Our goal when visitors leave is that they understand that the automobile’s impact on modern life is truly immeasurable.”

For More Information:

Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. (323) 930-CARS. www.petersen.org.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. (323) 857-6000. www.lacma.org.

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. (323) 934-PAGE. www.tarpits.org.

Photo courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum

The Petersen Automotive Museum is a popular attraction, and not just for automobile enthusiasts.

By Tara N. WilFoNg

the added attention, the region has maintained its rural character and inherent charm. Unlike other lakeside destinations, you won’t find huge mansions around the lake or big commercial centers in the heart of town. Instead, visitors are awed by the open, expansive areas of water and farmland.”

Indeed, standing on the bank of any of the Finger Lakes, you are immediately struck by the natural beauty of the land, where farms and wineries collide in a harmonious symphony of color, smell, and taste. Quaint cottages dot the shoreline and paint a dramatic picture with miles of vineyards in the background. Here, the stress and chaotic nature of everyday life seems to melt away, and visitors are left with a soothing, tranquil feeling that permeates their souls.

Although the area is vast – encompassing 9,000 square miles over 14 counties – it’s easily accessible. Within a day’s

Undoubtedly, most residents and visitors would agree that the essence of Finger Lakes Wine Country is its passion for, and its proclivity to produce, some of the finest wines in the United States. At first glance, one might be reminded of Napa or the Loire Valley, but for this region’s viticulturists, Finger Lakes possesses its own unique flavor.

With more than 100 wineries in the region, and more than 9,000 acres of vineyards, Finger Lakes has secured its place among the nation’s top wine-producing areas. In fact, outside of California, Finger Lakes has the largest concentration of re gional wineries in the United States. “Even with all our history, we are still considered an emerging region in the wine industry,” McLaughlin explains. “Wine connoisseurs are always looking for the best wines from the newest regions, and Finger Lakes certainly fits that criteria.”

Photos courtesy of Finger Lakes Wine Country

Photo courtesy of WGI

Photo courtesy of Corning Museum of Glass

rolls-royce and bentley owners

Taughannock Falls in the state park of the same name found in the Finger Lakes (Cayuga) region of upstate New York. With an astounding 215-foot drop, the falls stand higher than Niagara Falls.

Tapping into its long history of grape growing – farmers began growing and harvesting grapes in the region nearly two centuries ago before prohibition nearly stamped out all wine production other than those for sacramental consumption – vintners in the Finger Lakes region produce some of the best Riesling wines that even rival those from Germany. A major factor of their success is the area’s unique microclimate, which serves as a moderating effect, allowing the grapes to flourish. “Most of the major wineproducing areas of the world are influenced by a maritime cli mate, and for us, it’s the Finger Lakes, as well as the Great Lakes, that really make this region ideal for grape growing,” says Gene Pierce, co-owner of Glenora Wine Cellars in Dundee, New York, and Knapp Winery in Romulus, New York. “Because we are in a valley surrounded by these massive bodies of water, which con tinually generate heat, even during the coldest winter months, our vines are protected by the constant air movement over the warm water.”

With such an ideal climate, Finger Lakes is one of the few re gions in the world that is capable of producing rare and elusive ice

Above, left: A vineyard on a hill overlooking beautiful Lake Keuka, Finger Lakes, New York. Above, right: Foggy autumn morning in Watkins Glen State Park, New York. Below, right: Bunches of ripe black grapes hang on the vine ready to be picked in the major U.S. wine-producing region of Finger Lakes.

wine. Typically a product of Canada, Germany, and other parts of Northern Europe, ice wine requires frozen grapes to be harvested after the first major freeze when the temperature is roughly 8 degrees Fahrenheit. Conditions must be precise to produce the sweet dessert wine. Even so, because of the unique process in which the frozen grapes are pressed, yielding only a minute amount of water and instead allowing the pure sugar and flavorful solids of the grape to emerge, the average vine of frozen grapes is only capable of producing a single bottle of ice wine. With such extreme conditions, and a tiny window of opportunity, Finger Lakes has found a rare niche that is, according to McLaughlin, “a bragging right for our region.”

Another bragging right is the region’s three stellar wine trails, all of which skirt one of the Finger Lakes and afford wine aficionados the opportunity to sample the area’s different vintages and learn about the wine-making traditions of upstate New York. Cayuga Wine Trail has the distinction of not only being the area’s first wine trail – it was developed in 1981 – but it’s also the oldest in the nation.

As it winds around Cayuga Lake, encompassing 16 wineries that offer a range of award-winning wines, the trail leads visitors on a scenic journey past rolling hills, breathtaking waterfalls, and lush glens. After such visual stimulation, visitors are ready to tantalize their taste buds and take in some of the trail’s highlights, including sampling Port, Brandy, and champagne at Swedish Hill Vineyard; visiting the oldest winery on the trail, Lucas Vineyards; and tasting the hard cider at Bellwether, the only winery on Cayuga Lake that produces this particular refreshment.

Keuka Lake Wine Trail is home to nine wineries as well as some of the most beautiful vistas in the region. Highlights here include: Hunt Country Vineyards, a family-owned winery for six generations specializing in dry oak-aged Cabernet Franc and the elusive ice wine; and Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars, founded by Dr. Konstantin Frank, a pioneer grower of European wine grape varieties, and the first winery in the region to produce world-class wines.

Seneca Lake Wine Trail, which boasts the largest number of wineries at 36, offers visitors truly unique wine- and spirit-tasting experiences. At Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, guests can antique at a restored barn while sipping an array of vintages, or sample “Mystic Mead” at the family-run Lakewood Vineyards. At Glenora Wine Cellars, one of the larger operations in the region, producing approximately 55,000 cases of wine annually, guests can dine at Veraisons, the winery’s award-winning restaurant, which pairs local cuisine with Glenora wines, or relax at the Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars, a quaint 30-room escape with breathtaking views of the lake.

During the summer and early fall, Glenora is also home to some of the area’s best festivals, including monthly jazz festivals, which in the past have featured such well-known artists as The Rippingtons, Eric Marienthal, and Dave Brubeck. In September, the winery’s annual “Leaves and Lobster” bake is always a sold-out affair, with visitors flocking to Glenora for the fantastic fare and nature’s stunning display of fall foliage.

As visitors circumnavigate the lakes, sampling their favorite Merlots, Cabernets, Chardonnays, and Rieslings, among others, they have numerous opportunities to not only mingle and

Above: A wine enthusiast takes a moment to enjoy the vibrant aroma of his wine before one of many available tastings throughout the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. Right: Canadice Lake with a dramatic sky, one of the Finger Lakes in New York.

Kristan Reynolds photo courtesy of WGI

engage in sparkling conversation with other wine connoisseurs (and oftentimes winery owners), but also tour the cellars and learn about the wines particular to this region. “The wineries in our region are so different and diverse,” McLaughlin says. “Part of our charm is the range of our wineries, from ‘mom-and-pop shops,’ where the entire operation is confined to a small barn where the owners are the winemakers, to larger facilities with sophisticated production areas and blotter distribution. Here, people aren’t in the wine-making business as a hobby or a side job, they’re producing wine for a living because they are truly passionate about their craft.”

To help celebrate this passion for all things viticultural, a number of the area’s top wineries converge on Watkins Glen International, the area’s premier race track, for the annual Finger Lakes Wine Festival, New York’s largest wine celebration. This year, the festival, which features 80 wineries serving more than 600 different wines, takes place July 18-20. As connoisseurs compare vintages, the New York Wine and Culinary Center, an educational institution where visitors can learn about the state’s incredible wine and culinary pursuits, presents cooking demonstrations and classes as a delectable accompaniment to the featured wines.

Whether this region is a destination for you to tempt your palette with some of New York’s finest vintages, or a retreat to soothe your soul while surrounded by nature’s glorious bounty, Finger Lakes Wine Country is truly a treat for all the senses. “As a former resident of Finger Lakes, my best advice to visitors is to take your time and enjoy the scenery and the people who call this region home,” says Susan Buzzetta, who resided in Naples, New

York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. “Part of the charm of this area is its ability to make you slow down and truly experience all that it has to offer. Like the slogan says, ‘See the beauty, feel the history and taste the wine.’”

Wine and a rt, the Perfect Pair

Although wine may be the area’s foremost draw, there is another side of the Finger Lakes region that honors the area’s passion for cultural greatness. Besides the fine boutique shops, brimming with local art and antiques, that line the streets of the quaint towns and villages of Finger Lakes Wine Country, upstate New York is home to two world-class art institutions: the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

A gift from Corning Glass Works, now Corning Inc., Corning Museum of Glass was founded in 1950 as an institution to preserve and expand the world’s understanding of all things glass. With more than 35 centuries of glass in its collection, the museum not only features historically significant works, but also serves to educate the public on the technology and science of glass and glassmaking. “We are certainly an educationally focused institution,” says Yvette Sterbenk, communications manager of Corning Museum of Glass. “Like a scientific museum, we’re interested in showing the innovations of glass – everything from how fiber optics were not only made, but discovered, to how the space shuttle’s windows withstand heat.”

With a collection of more than 45,000 glass objects, ranging from a portrait of an Egyptian king to works by contemporary,

Left: At the Corning Museum of Glass, master glassmakers take hot, molten glass and turn it into beautiful bowls, vases, and other works during live performance Hot Glass Shows. Above: Seneca Lake is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail includes more than 30 wineries.

Photo courtesy of the Corning Museum of Glass

Photo courtesy of Finger Lakes Wine Country

living artists such as Dale Chihuly and Lino Tagliapietra, the Corning Museum of Glass houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of art and history in glass. This summer, the museum unveils the exhibition “Glass of the Alchemists: Lead Crystal-Gold Ruby, 1650-1750.” Opening June 27 and remaining on view through January 4, 2009, the exhibition explores the impact of alchemy on glass. “The alchemists of the 17th and 18th centuries actually changed the look of glass by creating pure, clear glass, as well as the vibrant ruby-red glass,” Sterbenk says. “They created the foundation for modern chemists to understand the processes behind glass chemistry.”

“Glass of the Alchemists” is presented as an accompaniment to the museum’s permanent offerings, such as the Glass Innovation Center, which allows visitors to explore the science, magic, and even wizardry of the material, and the truly unique glassblowing and glass forming classes, where the public creates their own works of art. A smaller exhibition, “Masters of Studio Glass: Joel Philip Myers and Steven I. Weinberg,” runs through October 19 and celebrates the diverse work of contemporary studio glass artists. Showcasing the artists’ accomplishments, as well as the versatility of the medium, “Masters of Studio Glass” honors the material and its capability to assume a wide range of expressions.

Complementing the museum’s magnificent collection and special exhibitions is its remarkable glass market, where visitors can purchase everything from handmade art glass and jew-

elry to wine glasses, dinnerware, and unique glass objects from around the world. “I think glass in all its forms really resonates with museum-goers,” Sterbenk says. “Glass is something everyone can easily relate to, and it’s an artistic medium that seems truly accessible.”

Less than a mile from Corning Museum of Glass is the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, the self-described “best

rolls-royce and bentley owners

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art has stunning collections of art and a unique museum store. Above: “Prayer to the Spirit of the Buffalo,” 1910, oil on canvas, by Joseph Sharp. Top right: The Museum Trading Post provides Western-themed items to suit all ages and all occasions.

Right: “Jury For Trial of a Sheepherder For Murder,” 1936, oil on canvas, by Ernest L. Blumenschein.

Photo courtesy of James O. Milmoe

Photo courtesy of Charles Swain

Photo courtesy of Rockwell Museum of Western Art

of the West in the East.” Commonly mistaken as a museum featuring the art of Norman Rockwell, it is in fact an institution that celebrates the Great American West through a variety of media, including sculpture, paintings, drawings, and pottery.

Founded in 1976 by Bob and Hertha Rockwell, collectors who amassed an astounding collection of Western art and artifacts, the cornerstone of the museum’s holdings is the Rockwell’s private collection. “When Bob and Hertha Rockwell first envi sioned the museum, they wanted the institution to grow and evolve through the interpretation of Western and Native Ameri can art and culture and educate many communities for a long time,” says Beth Manwaring, marketing and communications specialist for the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. “While that mission does not revolve around a single artist or collection, our museum does tell the story of the people, places, and ideas of the West through the eyes of accomplished artists, such as Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Albert Bierstadt, and Thomas Moran.”

In addition to telling an age-old story, each of the museum’s galleries assumes a specific Western theme, such as buffalo, Native American, wilderness, and cowboy. On the second floor, the Remington and Russell Lodge, a re-creation of a Western lodge, is devoted to part of the museum’s permanent collection, while the “Visions of the West” gallery, a vibrant interpretation of the West’s vivid hues, houses the remainder of the collection.

Two special exhibition galleries rotate new and traveling exhibitions, such as this summer’s show, “Yosemite 1938: On the Trail with Ansel Adams and Georgia O’Keeffe from the National Museum of Wildlife Art.” Opening May 30 and on display through September 1, “Yosemite 1938” serves as a photo album chronicling a photography expedition through Yosemite’s backcountry orchestrated by Adams for several friends, including O’Keeffe and David McAlpin. Adams’ photographs not only includes the stunning architecture of Yosemite’s landscape, but also intimate, candid photographs of his friends. Accompanying the exhibition are rarely seen photographs of O’Keeffe in her New Mexico home by photographer Todd Webb.

As the museum effectively transports you to the Old West through its visual displays, its Trading Post allows visitors to take home a piece of history with prints, reproductions, and books not only relating to its collection, but Western and Native American art as a whole. Stocked with everything from unique gifts and jewelry to the latest Western wear, the store provides a perfect respite before riding off into the sunset.

Watkins Glen’s “Racy” Past

For many Americans, racing is not only a hobby, but a way of life. In the late 1940s, when the United States saw an end to World War II and an introduction to one of the quintessential sports cars of the day, the MG, Americans wanted nothing more than to engage in healthy, fast-paced competition. So, with motor oil in their blood, and a thirst for speed, a nation of racing enthusiasts was born.

Tracing this American pastime to its roots, the spectacle of street racing was born in Watkins Glen, New York, a small berg tucked in the heart of Finger Lakes Wine Country. “Cameron Argetsinger, a law student at Cornell University who spent his summers in Watkins Glen, was a racing fanatic who loved speed, fast cars, and road racing,” says Mark Steigerwald, director of the International Motor Racing Research Center in Watkins Glen. “Because of his passion, he decided to create a formal road race circuit, where drivers would speed through the streets of the village and the state park, in the first postWorld War II race in the United States. On October 2, 1948, The Watkins Glen Grand Prix was officially born, and his dream was realized.”

The annual race drew thousands of spectators and forever changed the history of Watkins Glen. Every fall, the small, quaint village erupted into the national epicenter for one of the most respected races in the country. Hosting the top names in American

For a hands-on experience, Corning Museum of Glass visitors can make their own glass souvenirs, such as this pumpkin.

Photo courtesy of the Corning Museum of Glass

ly lead him to international fame as owner and captain of the America’s Cup winning yacht, Columbia. Although sailing would remain a lifelong passion, Cunningham’s primary focus was on building and racing cars.

At the inaugural Watkins Glen Grand Prix, Cunningham entered a car of his own design – a Mercedes body on a Buick Century chassis, affectionately dubbed “BuMerc.” Taking second place, Cunningham returned the next year with a new car, a Ferrari 166 Corsa, the first Ferrari racing car in the United States. Even with such a spectacular vehicle, Cunningham was passed in the final lap by his friend Miles Collier, giving him the second-place finish once again. “Briggs was really a pioneer in the sport of racing, especially here at Watkins Glen,” Steigerwald explains. “Although most of the racers were amateurs,

there were those few standouts, like Briggs, who were more well-heeled to afford the best machines, and in turn, give the crowd the most fantastic finishes.”

Even after the Watkins Glen Grand Prix was moved to a permanent track in 1956 with the construction of Watkins Glen International, Cunningham continued to support and drive in the race that put street racing on the national map. Today, Watkins Glen International hosts a new breed of race cars and race enthusiasts during its seasonal events. “There are a number of different races here at the Glen,” says Eiron M. Smith, director of communications for Watkins Glen International. “We’ve had every major racing series compete here at one time or another – from to Formula One – and during the course of a single season, we host close to 15 different series at the track.”

Ever mindful of its racing past, however, especially during this 60th anniversary year, the village of Watkins Glen and Watkins Glen International host the U.S. Vintage Grand Prix every year. This year, from September 5 to 7, racing fans will witness a reenactment of that legendary first race through the streets of the village. As hundreds of vintage cars return to this hallowed ground where street racing was born, fans and enthusiasts will watch as racers re-trace the miles on the original street course. “As you watch these vintage cars ‘race’ through the streets of the town, you’re really struck by how one man’s dream really shaped this area and the world of racing,” Steigerwald says. “Especially during this anniversary celebration, we remember that racing isn’t just a sport, it’s an endeavor.”

Corning Museum of Glass, 1 Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830. (800) 732-6845. www.cmog.org.

Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, 25 Gorham St., Canandaigua, NY 14424. (877) FUN-IN-NY. www.visitfingerlakes.com.

Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, 1 West Market St., Corning, NY 14830. (607) 936-0703. www.fingerlakeswinecountry.com.

Glenora Wine Cellars, 5435 Rte. 14, Dundee, NY 14837. (800) 243-5513. www.glenora.com.

The International Motor Racing Research Center, 610 South Decatur St., Watkins Glen, NY 14891. (607) 535-9044. www.racingarchives.org.

Rockwell Museum of Western Art, 111 Cedar St., Corning, NY 14830. (607) 937-5386. www.rockwellmuseum.org.

Watkins Glen International, 2790 County Rte. 16, Watkins Glen, NY 14891. (866) 461-RACE. www.theglen.com.

Left, top: Racing pioneer Briggs Swift Cunningham, Jr., at the wheel of “BuMerc.” Cunningham won second place at the inaugural Watkins Glen Grand Prix.Left, bottom: Engines roar down the front stretch to take the green flag for the start of the Camping World Grand Prix at the Glen.

Courtesy of WGI

Photo courtesy of the International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen

Curaçao

A Gem of the NetherlANds ANtilles

By PhiliP C. Brooks

Gracing Park Avenue in old New york, from 1926 all during the 1930s, was a lovely 20 hP hooper landaulette, GUk44. G.h. lambert, of 250 Park Avenue, ordered the car specially through hooper; besides all the usual accessories, he ordered a coach line forward of the front doors and silver plated lights and windscreen. covered one-and-a-half pages. the car was very elegant.

If a car that elegant lived for so long in such a capital of sophistication as Park Avenue, what is it doing today on a Caribbean island just off the coast of Venezuela? We went to Curaçao to answer this question, and we found not a remote island but a cosmopolitan center of the Americas and a most fitting home for such a car.

Today that charming little 20 HP landaulette lives at the Avila Hotel in Curaçao. Known as “the Black Swan,” she is a particular passion of her current owners, RROC members Nic and Birte Moller, who also own the Avila Hotel. The car is still very elegant and very largely original. Nic and Birte bought her in 1998 from Bill Pettit, who had owned her since 1951; other than rebuilding the engine, they only had to do light restoration. Somehow it seems appropriate that the car is now in Curaçao, the capital of the Netherlands Antilles, for those islands were governed by Peter Stuyvesant before he became governor of New Amsterdam, now New York! The Black Swan comes out for weddings, is used as a VIP conveyance at the hotel, and is a great favorite on the island. We had the great pleasure of riding around Willemstad in her, with the ladies in the rear seat and the landaulette roof folded back. People applauded as we passed by.

What is it about Curaçao that makes it so special and so unusual? Its history plays a big part. Curaçao was the home of the Caiquetio Indians, who lived there at least as early as 2450 B.C. The Spanish discovered the island in 1499, but they found no gold; rather, they turned Curaçao into a ranch, with sheep, cattle, goats, and horses. It’s a semi-arid island, with no forests, so ranching seemed appropriate. However, by 1634, the Dutch West India Company decided that Curaçao would make an excellent base for their trade in the New World, as well as a ranch, so they took the island from the Spaniards. The Dutch have been there ever since.

Photo courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Above: The Octagon Museum was once home to Latin American liberator Simón Bolívar. Here it shares real estate with another historic treasure, the Avila Hotel’s prized limousine, “the Black Swan.” Opposite page: Nic and Birte Mollers’ Black Swan is a lovingly maintained, custom-built 1926 Hooper landaulette used primarily for weddings and the convenience of VIP guests.

Photo courtesy of the Avila Hotel

With its large and excellent harbor, Curaçao became the center of the Dutch triangular trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. However, it did not develop a large slave population, largely because its agriculture was extensive in such a dry climate and its labor force was therefore not intensive. What slaves there were on Curaçao were freed in 1863.

Besides the Dutch and the Africans, others have come to Curaçao. Sephardic Jewish refugees from Brazil settled on the island in 1654, and they built the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. They are business leaders in the Netherlands Antilles.

Pirates would try to take the island from the late 17th century onward. Their latest effort was in 1929, when a Venezuelan rebel leader seized Fort Amsterdam and the island’s armaments and governor, ensuring that he would have safe passage back to Venezuela!

British forces seized the island during the Napoleonic era by sailing a small fleet into the Willemstad harbor when the populace was off celebrating New Year’s Day on January 1, 1807. The British exercised a benevolent rule until 1816, when the Congress of Vienna returned the Netherlands Antilles to the Dutch crown.

In 1811, Simón Bolívar, the great Liberator, stayed on Curaçao during a bad patch in the Venezuelan revolution against Spanish rule. Two Curaçao natives, Manuel Carlos Piar and Pedro Luis Brion, became respectively an army commander and the navy commander in chief of Bolívar’s forces during the

Venezuelan War of Independence. Ties between Curaçao and Venezuela have a long history.

Today Curaçao is the administrative headquarters of the Netherlands Antilles, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch government handles defense and foreign affairs, but the Netherlands Antilles Staten, or parliament, runs everything else. Members of the Staten are elected every four years. The governor, appointed by the queen of the Netherlands, is the head of the government. Each island in the Netherlands Antilles has an Island Council, whose head is also appointed by the queen.

Royal Dutch Shell set up a refinery on Curaçao in 1915. Much of the fuel for Allied warplanes came from this refinery during World War II. Shell withdrew from Curaçao in 1985, and the island government acquired the refinery. It is now leased to a Venezuelan company, PVDSA, and continues very much in operation.

Trade is brisk between Curaçao and Venezuela, as well as with Colombia, Europe, North America, and the rest of the Caribbean islands. This helps explain how an island with no noteworthy natural resources or agriculture can have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean. Ships sailing in and out of Willemstad, or along the coast off Willemstad, illustrate that: tankers and container vessels galore, huge modern cruise ships (Queen Mary 2 was in port one day), fishing boats, and little boats bringing fruits, vegetables, and souvenirs from Venezuela on a daily basis. Those colorful little boats arrive in Curaçao very early on weekday mornings, tie up in the harbor and sell their

This page: Situated on a pier, the Avila Hotel’s Blues restaurant and cocktail bar provides excellent views from its second floor. Opposite: The market in Willemstad. Prolific trade between Curaçao and Venezuela, Colombia, other Caribbean islands, North America, and Europe results in Curaçao having the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.

Photo courtesy of the Avila Hotel

wares, then sail back to Venezuela in the early evenings to load up for the next run.

There is a naval presence along the coast of Curaçao. U.S. Navy ships sail into Curaçao and along the coast frequently, on training and “show the flag” missions, and the Dutch navy patrols off the harbor entrance to Willemstad. One can spend hours watching the parade of different ships passing by.

Such a varied history, though strongly Dutch, has produced a truly cosmopolitan island. The official languages of Curaçao are Dutch and Papiamentu, a 17th-century Creole language developed on the island. Spanish and English are widely spoken, and most islanders are fluent in all four languages. Children of Curaçao are entitled to higher education in the Netherlands, and many go there for university. Business is conducted in all four languages, along with Danish and several others. Language is hardly a problem in Curaçao; when we visited, we found that people would start to speak to us in Dutch, then realizing that we were Americans, would switch in mid-sentence into perfect English. They’d throw in some words in Papiamentu as well, and we found that we could understand many of those words. The people are friendly, gentle, cultured, and exceptionally good in business.

Curaçao is a shopper’s paradise, being a crossroads port, and its shopping has been a main tourism draw for perhaps 100 years. It is also a wonderful place to relax and unwind, as we found to our great pleasure this spring. The food is as cosmopolitan as the society is, and the cultural life is rich. The beaches may not be as good as on Aruba, but there are more of them and we found them delightful.

The island’s characteristic architecture is a tropical derivative of 17th- and 18th- century Dutch building types. The islanders took advantage of the trade winds by moving living quarters to the second floors of buildings, with those floors surrounded by galleries. Plantation houses, or landhuises, generally kept the living quarters with galleries on the ground floors. Curvilinear or stepped gables are very typical of the architecture of the island. The capital city, Willemstad, is so well-preserved that it has been named a World Heritage Site, and the colorful gableended Dutch colonial buildings on Handelskade along the waterfront have been photographed so often that they are an icon.

Photo courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

Walking tours of Willemstad are popular and fascinating, and driving tours of the island bring a constant array of unexpected sights, ranging from little beaches to an ostrich farm, with an excellent restaurant that features the farm’s products.

One of the historic gems of Curaçao is a small, two-story octagonal house called “the Octagon.” The house was built, probably in the late 18th century, by a prominent Jewish lawyer and merchant named Mordechai Ricardo. In 1812, the Venezuelan revolt against Spain had seemingly failed, and the great Liberator, Bolívar, and his sisters fled to Curaçao. One of their friends was Mordechai Ricardo, and he sheltered the Bolívars. Bolívar lived in a house that is no longer standing, and his sisters lived in the Octagon. Bolívar was at the Octagon often, visiting his sisters and receiving guests, until he returned to Venezuela with stronger forces and eventually defeated Spain.

The house itself has two large rooms, one on each floor, each reached by a separate entrance. While it is hardly in traditional Dutch Curaçao style, it was arranged the same way, with the rooms placed to catch the sea breezes. It stands next to the Avila Hotel and the beach, with the Blues Wing on the jetty in front of it and the Octagon Wing immediately to the east. It has recently been restored by the Curaçao Monument Foundation and the Avila Hotel working together, and it functions as a small museum honoring Simón Bolívar. It is a lovely house and a fascinating museum, and it is well worth a visit.

On our quest to discover the story of “the Black Swan,” we came to Curaçao in late March and stayed at the Mollers’ Avila Hotel. The hotel is the only beachfront hotel in Willemstad, the others being scattered around the island. While the Avila Hotel has been established for nearly 60 years, its central building is the old governor’s house that dates back 200 years. The Mollers have restored and expanded it beautifully. They have also added three other buildings. La Belle Alliance was the first extension built and is a complex of wings and courtyards in

Top: The Dutch colonial La Belle Alliance at the Avila Hotel is a complex of wings and courtyards. Middle: Locally-sourced ingredients are integral to the amazing flavors created by Avila Hotel chefs. Bottom: The Avila Hotel’s Antillean Night features authentic Antillean cuisine. Here, an Avila Hotel employee dresses in traditional Antillean clothing for the occasion.

Photos courtesy of the Avila Hotel

Photo courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

Dutch colonial architecture. The Blues Wing is a wood building of private rooms with terraces or balconies and sits on a stone jetty right on the water. The new Octagon Wing, four stories tall and with wonderful views out over the Caribbean, is very contemporary European in feel and décor. Avila is the only hotel in the neighborhood of one- and two-story Dutch colonial homes and new condominia, and its new wings are so well done that they fit into the neighborhood seamlessly and unobtrusively.

There are several places to eat at the Avila Hotel. Blues restaurant and cocktail bar sits on a pier jutting out from the hotel, and the view from its second story is fine. Blues has live jazz weekly, and it’s a favorite watering hole of both local residents and hotel guests. An open-air restaurant called Belle Terrace sits on the terrace between the hotel and the beach. You dine under the stars at night, but umbrellas shield you from the sun and add a grace note to the ambience of the restaurant. The Schooner Bar, the hotel’s original bar, is shaped like the bow of a small schooner and is a landmark. Its Friday happy hour makes the bar a great place to meet local neighbors as well as hotel guests. The Pool Bar serves cocktails and snacks during the day and is a perfect place to go straight from the beach, which is immediately in front of the hotel. Wonderful breakfasts are served at Belle Terrace daily, with an interesting selection of European and American foods. The Sunday brunch, served at Belle Terrace, is very popular with local residents as well as hotel guests. We found the food both delicious and imaginatively prepared. We particularly enjoyed the Antillean Night, featuring authentic Antillean cuisine, and also the Sunday brunch. The service at all of the restaurants was consistently fine without being obtrusive.

The Avila Hotel is an important part of the history of Curaçao. It was the governor’s country home for many years, under both Dutch and British rule, and then a boy’s boarding school. It was a landmark private residence. It was a hospital

in the 1940s,

Top left: The bright colors of Willemstad’s streets reflect the richness of Curaçao’s culture and the energy of its people. Top right: This idyllic oasis is one of thousands of picture-perfect scenes throughout Curaçao. Above:

RROC members Birte and Nic Moller, owners of the Avila Hotel since 1977, stand in front of the concert hall at La Belle Alliance. The Mollers host music festivals on the hotel grounds.

Photo courtesy of Curaçao Tourism Corporation

Photos courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

and a number of the local residents were born in it. In 1949, Dr. Pieter Hendrik “Gungu” Maal turned the family home and hospital into a hotel, naming it “Avila” after a castle in Spain where he had stayed. Gungu Maal was a beloved doctor, and he became a beloved innkeeper as well, starting what is now the oldest continuously operated hotel in Curaçao. The hotel is such a landmark that the Netherlands Antilles government issued a series of postage stamps depicting the hotel – and its preservation of the natural environment – for its 50th anniversary, in 1999. This may be the only hotel in the Americas recognized by governmental postage stamps.

The Moller family bought the Avila Hotel in 1977. Nic Moller, his wife Birte, his daughter Tone, and their partner Paul Kok continue to run the hotel with great care, stressing personal attention, good order, and respectability, and wonderful hospitality. Nic and his family have become a significant force in the careful and responsible development of tourism in Curaçao, an island where the tourists do not overwhelm everything else. They feel that the island’s history, culture, and life patterns must be preserved and that the people must be fully involved in the development of tourism as a major economic force. For his efforts, Nic was made a Knight in the Order of OranjeNassau by the Dutch queen.

Curaçao has a thriving arts community, and the Mollers have become champions of it. We visited Landhuis Bloemhof, one of the 18th-century plantations that was originally devoted to collecting water rather than raising crops; it’s been owned for several generations by a very artistic family who are friends of the Mollers, and they have turned the main house into a meeting place for art lovers. Landhuis Bloemhof has exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and an archives, library, and reading room dedicated to the arts. We also visited the studio of a charming lady, sculptress Hortence Brouwn, who does outstanding work in

stone and concrete. Several of her works can be found at the Hotel Avila, as well as in other public areas of Curaçao. We also admired sculptures at the hotel by other artists, notably the statue of “Muchacho con Perro” (“Boy with Dog”) by Cornelis Zitman, which stands by the Octagon’s entrance porch.

However, it is in music that the Mollers and the Avila Hotel have truly made an impact. Nic comes from a musical family and trained as a baritone. He has performed regularly with local choirs, sung at Carnegie Hall, performed at coffee concerts held over the years in the lobby of the Avila Hotel, and made at least one CD recording of Schubert lieder. Several years ago, the Mollers started a series of programs called “Art in Avila.” At first they held art exhibitions in the hotel lobby. However, as the arts scene in Curaçao flourished and more exhibit spaces became available, they dropped the art exhibitions and concentrated on music. Recently, “Art in Avila” has offered musical festivals twice a year, with some of the world’s leading musicians performing. This year, we were strongly encouraged by Nic and Birte to time our planned visit so that we could attend the spring festival, a “Chamber Music Extravaganza.” This was an encouragement we could not resist.

For three days in March, we were treated to exquisite chamber music performed by violist Paul Neubauer, the festival music director; his wife, violinist Kerry McDermott; her sister, cellist Maureen McDermott; pianist André-Michel Schub; and clarinetist David Shifrin. What an extraordinary three days they were!

The first evening the group performed in the Fort Church, in Fort Amsterdam, the old Dutch fort guarding Willemstad and now the headquarters of the Netherlands Antilles government. The church was built in 1763, with an interior in good Dutch Reformed sobriety and a pulpit that is a Dutch baroque masterpiece in wood. While all the pieces played were superb, the real moment for this writer came

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

Make a quick escape to endless excitement. Go sailing in breathtaking turquoise waters or enjoy Bermuda’s beautiful pink sand beaches. Indulge in Bermuda’s fine dining after an afternoon of shopping or snorkeling. Whatever your pleasure, arriving in less than two hours from the East Coast will give you all the time you need to feel the love of Bermuda.

For affordable packages and to book reservations, please visit bermudatourism.com Bermuda. Home of the 2008 PGA Grand Slam.

“Who knew I was so close to bliss so sweet?”

when Shifrin, Neubauer, and Schub, enjoying themselves hugely, traded melodies back and forth in the Mozart “Kegelstadt” Trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, K. 498. That was a moment not to be forgotten. During the intermission, the audience – mostly lo cal residents – repaired to the courtyard for champagne.

Palace, with the governor and his lady present. The perfor mance was in the main salon of the Governor’s Palace, again an 18th-century building, but with a high level of classicism in the décor. Again, the music was glorious, with our favorite pieces being the piano solos of Schub and the Kreisler pieces played by Neubauer, a Kreisler devotee. Following the concert, the audi ence went to the Governor’s Garden, on top of the fort’s battle ments, for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. We chatted with Shifrin, Schub, and Patrick McDermott, brother of the McDermott sis ters, who acted as page-turner for Schub. What fun!

ance,” the meeting room and concert hall at the Avila Hotel. This room held a Bosendorfer piano – at last, an instrument to match Schub’s talents. All the musicians performed beautifully, and we particularly loved the McDermott sisters and Neubauer in their rendition of Haydn’s Trio for Strings, Op. 3, No. 1. This time the audience adjourned to Belle Terrace for coffee and pastries.

and their close friend, composer and pianist Wim Statius Mull er. Muller, a native of Curaçao, was on the music faculty at Ohio State, then went on to a distinguished career with NATO! He re tired home to Curaçao, where he is another leader in the arts movement. We returned with one of his CDs, which he composed and performs. One of the dances, a waltz en titled “Avila Beach,” is used on the Web site for the Avila Hotel. This chamber music festival was of a caliber not to be surpassed anywhere in the world. What made it so much more pleasurable, though, was that the performers and their families

Top left: The Avila Hotel’s Octagon Wing, though contemporary European in feel and décor, blends seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood of Dutch colonial homes and condominia. The Octagon Museum is visible to the left in this photo. Top right: Resting atop luxurious bedding with the scents and sounds of the ocean drifting in, great sleep quickly becomes a habit. Above: Curaçao resident and true Renaissance man Wim Statius Muller is a local proponent of the arts.

And “the Black Swan” is special, too. She proudly graces the hotel, along with the streets of Curaçao whenever she comes out. She’s quite the most elegant car on this cosmopolitan island, and she purrs. And that’s as it should be.

Photos courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

Photo courtesy of the Avila Hotel

club

rolls-royce and bentley owners

This photo: Mexico’s 28,500-acre Lake Comedero provides the makings for an unforgettable angling vacation. Opposite: Between jumbo largemouths, anglers will get plenty of practice with Comedero’s phenomenal numbers of quality-size bass.

mexican Bass

g TIme WITh LARgemOuThs sOuTh The BORDeR

By DAVID A. BROWN

That area is Lake Comedero, a 28,500-acre impoundment of the San Lorenzo River. Located mostly in Mexico’s Sinaloa state, with a brief northern reach into Durango, Comedero owes its existence to the Presidente José López Portillo Dam. Completed in 1985, the dam periodically generates power for local communities. January-February sees water released to irrigate tomato, corn, jalapeño, onion, and sugarcane fields.

For fishermen, Comedero offers nearly nonstop angling action in a gritty “Old Mexico” setting surrounded by magnificent mountain vistas.

Ron Speed Adventures runs its Mexican bass adventures out of the Pacific Coast resort city of Mazatlán, Mexico’s nearest metropolis. Mazatlán has an international airport, top-notch accommodations, and plenty of dining and entertainment to facilitate the front- and back-end of an inland-bound trip. A three-and-a-half-hour bus

flying toward mexico’s Pacific Coast, travelers who peer into the deep, jagged valleys of the sierra madres may wonder, “What’s down there?” Well, in at least one area, the answer is bass – lots of big, arm-stretching bass with appetite and attitude to spare.

Clockwise from left: Texas-rigged plastic lizards are very effective baits around flooded timber and steep drop-off edges. The crested caracara represents just some of the wildlife that can be spotted in the forests and cliffs that surround Lake Comedero. Aggression runs high among Comedero bass – even the small ones attack big lures with vigor. Anglers can often fish all day on Lake Comedero and not spot another recreational boat.

A recent visit left me awestruck by a destination whose dusty, uneven roads; frequent cattle crossings; and distinct lack of malls, theaters, and Internet cafés yielded one of the most relaxing and thoroughly entertaining excursions I’ve experienced.

Located in the village of Higueras, Lake Comedero Lodge comprises a collection of multi-unit dormitories and a kitchen/ dining hall – a complex built in the 1980s for the Japanese engineers in charge of the dam’s construction. Ron Speed Adventures bought the property after the project’s completion and has been hosting adventurous anglers here since 1987.

A word of warning: You really have to be up for the journey. Once you leave the coastal highway, there’s one way in and one

way out. Drivers expect jokes of “Dad, are we there yet?” and even after you’ve napped, sipped a cool beverage, and told all of your big-catch tales, you’ll still have a little more distance to go.

But that’s all part of Lake Comedero’s mystique – distant, detached, delightful.

For clarity, Mexico has several other impoundment lakes stocked with largemouth bass. En route to our destination, my group dropped off another fisherman at the lodge on Lake El Salto – another Ron Speed property. Comedero would be another two hours up a rough mountain road that wound its way between mountain slopes and dizzying drop-offs.

Anticipation grew with each bumpy kilometer, and when we pulled into Higueras, a crowd of giddy village kids rushed to

Welcome To

Experience the destination of Panama – rich with culture and history.

Experience Cuna de Vida.

Cuna De ViDa is a development that features extraordinary destinations and exclusive accommodations. Enjoy the surf side seclusion of palm-fringed white sand beaches and the company of wildlife in nature’s tropical canopy. Now is the time to come and explore a world far beyond the ordinary…the incredible, incomparable world of Cuna de Vida. Let your senses explore the opportunities below.

Cuna De ViDa Las PerLas is a secluded seaside sanctuary on the pristine shores of Panama’s Isla Del Rey where Cuna de Vida owners enjoy richly-appointed, fully-staffed villas, five-star personal service and world-class amenities. Featuring environmentally advanced technology, this resort caters to your needs like no other place in the world.

Cuna De ViDa estates is a truly elite opportunity to build the vacation home of your dreams on the pristine shores of Panama’s Isla Del Rey. Own a private homesite of 1-1/2 to 5 full acres, directly adjacent to Cuna de VIda Las Perlas and offering full access to all amenities and activities.

Cuna De ViDa Jet…Arrive in style at the world’s first International private airport. Start relaxing before you reach your destination with your own private flight from a variety of destinations.

Cuna De ViDa YaCht…complements any vacation by giving you more opportunities to infuse your senses with experience. From luxury cruising to game fishing, your private yacht is waiting for your call.

ro’s big bass.

FAVORABLE FACTORS

When the Mexican government flooded the Sierra Madre valleys, local fish populations were insufficient to support recreational pursuits. That changed a couple of years after the dam’s completion when local officials partnered with Ron Speed Adventures to stock Comedero with largemouth bass. But it wasn’t just any largemouth bass – they brought in Florida-strain largemouths, well-known for reaching hefty proportions.

Throughout Comedero’s history, the Mexican government has stocked these waters with tilapia. Local commercial netters capture many, but tilapia have high reproductive success rates, so there’s plenty for the bass to eat. Comedero also holds shad and crawfish, along with various insects and reptiles that fall into the water.

Before each day’s launch and after each return, I watched thick clouds of juvenile tilapia roaming the shoreline adjacent to Comedero’s dirt ramp at the base of the dam. Often, young bass would shadow the schools and pick off stragglers – a subtle microcosm of the lake’s food chain.

Geography further benefits the Comedero bass, as inhospitable terrain (steep, rocky mountainscapes), desolate location, and limited access points mean

seeing another recreational boat. This, plus a subtropical environment, yields healthy conditions for largemouth bass proliferation.

“There’s less pressure on the bass and [the climate] stays warm year-round,” said Charlie Jock, of Ron Speed’s Comedero Lodge. “The tilapia is such a good source of protein that the bass just grow faster in this system.”

Comedero’s largemouth flourish in diverse living quarters. The rugged Sierra Madres (“Mother Mountains”) offer many shoreline features. Among them: high cliffs with nearly vertical faces, dense clay mounds, loose rubble, and deep gorges littered with massive boulders.

“This lake has more different types of habitat than any lake I know,” Jock said. “There are saddlebacks [gullies between opposing hills], flats, points, brush, creeks – it’s a fisherman’s dream. Anything you like to fish is there.”

Flooded timber – from scattered branches dotting shoreline points, to vast open water stands – offers the most consistent opportunities. Fishing patterns change throughout the day, and with seasonal weather fluctuations. However, you can almost always find fish around madera seca (dead wood), as this dense structure provides shade and ambush points for feeding. At full pool (75- to 80-foot average center depths), Lake Comedero covers much of this habitat, but you’ll

Author David A. Brown caught his largest bass ever – an 8 1/2-pounder – on a spinnerbait fished in heavy shoreline timber.

still find plenty of upper limbs breaking the surface to mark this highly productive structure. Just be careful when fishing close, as some of the limbs have thorns.

A TASTE OF THE ACTION

On the first of my three-day trip, I partnered with fellow Floridian Larry Thornhill for a rainy opening round. Fishermen know that drizzly weather can offer some of the best action going. Lake Comedero is no exception and the fish didn’t let us down.

When my initial choice of artificial baits failed to produce, I showed my guide, Manuel Pudilla, my lure box and asked his opinion. He suggested a small chugger with a firetiger color pattern, but I opted for a larger plug with a blue finish. Twenty frustrating minutes later, I finally took Manuel’s advice, and after boating 21 bass in about two hours, I must say I wasn’t all that bothered by the “I told you so” look he shot me after each new release.

Late morning found Larry testing a new swimbait designed by Tru-Tungsten. This jointed lure’s first pattern was a tilapia finish that did an impressive job of imitating the lake’s primary forage.

Obviously, the resident bass felt likewise, because when Thornhill slung the swimbait deep into a cut between emergent branches, it had barely broken the surface when a monstrous explosion shattered the morning serenity. The bass missed its attempt, as well as a subsequent attack on Larry’s next cast. That’s fishing, but this resounding display of aggression gave us a jolt of exhilaration.

A midday meal awaited us on a hillside not far from the boat launch. In a propanepowered outdoor kitchen, lodge cooks prepared a traditional Mexican spread of fried fish, French fries, pinto beans, rice, and beef tacos. Fresh pico de gallo, lime slices, and hot sauce accompanied the meal served under a tarp enclosure.

My second full day on the water was unquestionably the most memorable trip I’ve ever experienced in a freshwater environment. Not only did I enjoy watching two others in my group lock horns with legitimate Comedero giants, including three over 7 pounds that posed for photos, but I boated my biggest bass to date – a plump Mexican largemouth of nearly 9 pounds.

Clockwise from top left: Wrestling big bass from dense structure takes skillful resolve. The madera seca or “dead wood” of Lake Comedero offers consistent fishing opportunities. An all-release policy has allowed Comedero’s bass population to flourish.

dero bass. All largemouths have small gripping teeth concentrated toward the center of their upper and lower lips. Normally it’s not much more than sand paper, but local fish sport some serious little daggers – probably an evolutionary trait developed for catching the thick-bodied tilapia.

Now, to allay any fears, you’ll never encounter a Comedero largemouth’s teeth unless the fish wiggles while you grip the stout lower jaw for a photo op. Fishing gloves eliminate even this little hazard, but largemouth bass are simply no threat to humans.

Artificial lures are less fortunate. Case in point: That firetiger chugger, which entered Mexico in new condition, left a battered and scarred wreck.

STUNNING SURROUNDINGS

When the bass are biting, it’s tough for serious fishermen to put down their rods and just look around. But Comedero’s majestic scenery is well worth a break from casting. Among the sites:

• Early morning finds the Sierra Madres slipping off dense, white cloud banks like a child shedding blankets.

• Rocky cliffs occasionally emerging from Sierra Madre forests resemble just about any figure and form your imagination fancies.

• Cactus and small shrubs cling to impossible perches, while trees with their entire root systems exposed by erosion’s perpetual march seem precariously pasted to mountain faces.

• Brilliant pink amapa blossoms punctuate the mountains’ drab greens and browns with fantastic floral fountains.

• A small wooden boat painted blue and white sits tethered to a shoreline stump, while a tilapia fisherman naps in the forest shade.

• Cormorants squabble in throaty grumbles over prime sunning limbs on which to dry their wings after a morning of chasing tilapia.

• Declining lake levels reveal Native American Indian petroglyphs on rock walls near the boat ramp. Likewise, low water uncovers stone walls and other remains of prelake rancheros.

ANGLING ADVICE

If you’re limited on space, a small tackle bag or a couple of plastic tackle trays with four lures will handle any scenario you fish on Lake Comedero. (Backups and color variations are wise.)

Topwater plug – Early morning, late afternoon, cloudy skies, or any low-light period present ideal topwater conditions. Some prefer a smooth, cigar-shaped plug, while others like models with concave faces. The former twitches across the surface like an injured baitfish, while the latter relies on a noisy chugging action to entice bass.

Spinnerbait – The combination of a pulsating rubber skirt with the vibration and flash of gold or silver blades grabs a bass’ attention and resembles a small cluster of forage fish. Straight retrieves are best for shallow shorelines, but in deeper water, anglers fare well by pausing their spinnerbait and allowing it to flutter into pockets amid flooded timber. Soft plastics – Rig 7- to 10-inch plastic worms and lizards Texas-style with a worm hook and a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce bullet weight slid onto the line, just above the hook. Move in close to the flooded timber and probe the gaps between branches by letting the bait fall to the bottom and hopping it at various depths. Productive colors include purple, junebug, pumpkinseed, and watermelon.

Square-bill crankbaits – Designed to imitate a small baitfish, this lure has a plastic “lip” or bill at the front, which allows it to bump over rocks, submerged limbs, etc. A good choice for rattling up a reaction strike during midday, when the bass hunker down into shady cover.

Lake Comedero Lodge provides fishing rods, but anglers are welcome to bring their own gear.

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

• Spectacular Sierra Madre sunsets fill the horizon with pink, purple, and orange eruptions.

This photo: The sunsets on Lake Comedero are not to be missed. Right: Mexican fishing guides on Comedero speak little English, but most understand the basics of bass fishing well enough to assist clients.

tips

SIDE TRIPS

Cosala – Once a bustling city of 500,000, Cosala’s existence was based on the gold and silver mining of yesteryear. Today, this friendly town with its proud arched entrance is home to about 25,000, most of who work in farming and copper mining. Visit the town’s museum for descriptions and images of its mining history.

Cosala features a classic colonial center with a beautiful Catholic church and a shady park where tropical foliage surrounds a wooden gazebo used for weddings and other special events. Merchants tend shop in a bustling business district dressed in bright pastels, while vendors hawk light meals and snacks from streetside carts.

Comedero nature watching – Between fishing trips, Lake Comedero’s encompassing forests and cliffs offer glimpses of diverse Mexican wildlife. Bird species include scarlet tanagers, crested caracaras, and Mexican blue jays – distinguished by long, thin tail feathers.

You’ll also spot the occasional iguana sunning itself on a ledge, whitetail deer foraging at the forest’s edge, or a coatimundi – a kind of Mexican version of a raccoon – frolicking amid the brush. Stepping aground may afford closer photo opportunities, but watch your footing: this is rattlesnake country.

Mazatlán – When schedules allow a couple of days before or after a Lake Comedero trip, this progressive coastal resort town offers a wealth of beach and watersports activities, offshore and inshore fishing, dazzling nightlife, and plenty of dining opportunities from traditional Southwestern to really fresh seafood.

COMING AND GOING

tips

Most major U.S. airlines fly into Mazatlán. From the airport, Ron Speed Adventures provides transportation to Lake Comedero. Drivers make scheduled stops at gas stations with snacks and clean restrooms.

If travel schedules require overnight stays in Mazatlán, the outfitter can arrange accommodations. My group stayed at El Cid, a top-notch resort on the Pacific beach with convenient access to the airport, as well as local shops and eateries.

You’ll need a valid passport to enter Mexico and to return to the United States. An international departure tax of approximately $20 is paid in cash at the airport.

For Mexican bass fishing excursions, contact Ron Speed Adventures at (800) 722-0006 or visit www.ronspeedadventures.com.

IF YOU GO

A few points to consider when planning a Comedero excursion:

Convenience Items: In addition to the midday lunches, Lake Comedero Lodge provided substantial breakfast and dinner buffets back at the property and plenty of beverages for the fishing trips. At each day’s conclusion, a tray of warm bean and cheese nachos and a pitcher of frozen margaritas awaited each group in their common area. Supermarkets, pharmacies, and convenience stores are pretty hard to find, so stock up on any personal needs or preferences before leaving Mazatlán.

Chips, cookies, and locally made snack items are available at roadside gas stations. You’ll also find stores, restaurants, and

The interior of the Catholic church in Cosala. The church is situated in the town’s colonial center.

various snack vendors in Cosala, a classic Mexican pueblo about an hour from Mazatlán (see sidebar: “Side Trips”).

Health Concerns: Don’t drink the water – seriously. Comedero Lodge supplied bottled water for drinking and teeth brushing. Lodge fare is safe and sanitary, but avoiding lettuce and other uncooked vegetables helps minimize the chance of gastric unpleasantries. When eating outside of lodge facilities, know that ice is often made from unpurified tap water. Also, food items prepared by street vendors are rarely safe for visitors. Packing a few Imodium® tablets is always a good idea.

Money Matters: In December 2007, we got 10 Mexican pesos to the dollar, but check with banks or major retailers to confirm the current exchange rate. American dollars usually work

at all but the smallest of vendors, although you can’t always count on getting your change in dollars. Furthermore, outside of Mazatlán you’ll have trouble using bills larger than a $20 for small purchases, so change your big bills into ones, fives,

Security: Lodge operators take obvious care to ensure client safety, but straying from group facilities or transportation can become risky in rural areas. When visiting small towns and villages along the way, keep cameras, wallets, cell phones, and other valuables close, and avoid walking anywhere alone after dark.

Communication: A couple of the lodge managers spoke clear English, but not so for the staff. Fishing guides spend several hours a day with mostly North American clients, so they have picked up some key words and phrases. My group’s guides were reasonably knowledgeable about fishing lures and tactics – enough so to respond well to various requests for position, speed, and angle changes.

Our trip coordinator advised us that tips of $15-$20 per person were appropriate for our guides, but anglers who catch trophy bass usually give a more generous gratuity.

As a fishery, sportsmen with passports won’t find a more promising venue than Lake Comedero for high numbers of big bass, with the ever-present possibility of boating the fish of a lifetime. As an angling getaway, the lake delivers the kind of sweet memory you go to when life becomes hectic, frustrating, or just boring.

I left Lake Comedero with two profound questions: “Why hadn’t I come before?” And “When would I return?”

This photo: The arched entrance to the town of Cosala. Below: A monument to the builders of the Presidente José Lopez Portillo Dam overlooks Lake Comedero.

Photo courtesy of The Resort at Paws Up

Examples of the luxury camping trend. This photo: Tent City, at The Resort at Paws Up in Montana, combines the best of the outdoors with the comforts of the indoors. Opposite, top: One of the wellappointed tents at El Capitan Canyon, a nature lodge on the Gaviota Coast of Southern California. Opposite, bottom: Guests at Safari West can stay amidst wildlife in comfortable environs that include fluffy beds and hot showers.

Fluffing It

CampIng For people Who Don’t Camp: It’s CatChIng

By CraIg CollIns

“Unique,” one of the most overused words in the english language, almost certainly describes mark Duggan. During the summer season at tent City – an exclusive canvas community near the main lodge at the resort at paws Up®, on montana’s Big Blackfoot r iver – the bartender and outdoorsman is probably the only person in north a merica to hold the title of Camping Butler. his job: to make your luxury camping experience as comfortable as possible. he’ll turn down the plush, custom-built bed in your tent. When you gather around the campfire at night, he’ll bring the fixings for s’mores on a silver platter. really. he’ll serve your campfire wine or cocktail in fine crystal. While you’re getting a hot-stone massage in the little village of oversized tents known as spa town, he’ll teach your kids how to build a tree-branch fort. If you’re lucky enough to catch a trout, a few hundred yards away in the river – the set of the famously lush fly-casting sequences in the robert redford film A River Runs Through It – Duggan will clean and gut it for you.

Photo courtesy of Safari West

Photo courtesy of El Capitan Canyon

The light of the Sun brings out the full majesty of the Pyramids, plays with sparkling exuberance on the ancient and illustrious cities served by the Nile, and caresses the luxurious beaches of the Red Sea and Mediterranean. Beneath the waves, the Sun’s rays highlight the glowing colors of the many sea creatures and corals. You will find the Sun’s light and warmth reflected in the open smiles and friendly greetings of the Egyptians themselves. Welcome to the land that first worshipped the Sun. www.egypt.travel

But mostly, if you’re not from these parts, he’ll answer questions and help you feel at home in this cluster of tents, which, on the outskirts of Paws Up Ranch property, spaced at least 100 feet apart, can feel pretty remote. “Most of the guests don’t do this sort of thing that often,” says Duggan, “and they have a lot of questions from the get-go. That first night, there are some jitters. I guess the main thing is to get them up to speed on where they are, and what’s around them, and not to fear that part of nature. We have the coyotes that’ll sing people to sleep at night, and that first night, if I don’t let them know about that, they can be pretty startled. It sounds like an episode of Rawhide or something.”

The Five-STar S

Nature is beautiful, sure. Everyone knows that. You’ve seen it at its best on television: clear running streams; rugged peaks; painted meadows. But if you’ve actually been camping or taken

a long backpacking excursion, you probably also know this: Up close, the Great Outdoors can be a brutal, nasty place. It’s hot. It’s cold. It has thorns and sharp edges and critters that bite, and plants that cause agonizing rashes. It’s wet. It’s dirty, sometimes smelly – and after a few days without electricity or running water, so are you.

When The Resort at Paws Up opened a few years ago on this century-old cattle ranch in Big Sky Country, the people who ran it understood its two main attractions. First, the luxurious accommodations: rooms and guest houses appointed with custom furniture and locally made art; a stylish restaurant offering some of the best food in the Rockies; and spa services that incorporate local healing herbs.

Second: the magnificent Montana outdoors. “The idea,” says John Romfo, the resort’s director of marketing, “was sort of: Okay, come to the resort, and during your seven nights’ stay, go camping one night as an adventure – but of course, you

Top: The interior of one of the tents at Paws Up. Above: The communal dining area of Paws Up’s Tent City.

Photo courtesy of The Resort at Paws Up

Photo by Pieter de Liagre Bohl

do it in luxury, in style. Our accommodations are extremely luxurious, and we thought: Well, let’s take a bit of that and put it in a tent outside.”

What was the reaction to a tent with fine linens, power outlets, and wireless access – with its own private bath suite and a communal dining pavilion and bar? Boffo. The next year, Tent City doubled its number of tents, to six. To keep up with demand and still retain its feeling of exclusivity and remoteness, Paws Up Resort recently opened another tent community: the River Camp, just a stone’s throw from the “Big Blackie,” a river that is, for fly-fishers, akin to the waters of Lourdes.

Paws Up’s general manager, Terre Short, says about half the guests who visit Tent City are families with kids who have always wanted their (reluctant) parents to take them camping, while the other half are usually couples, one of whom has always wanted to bring a (reluctant) partner to enjoy the outdoors. “They want to sit in the Adirondack chairs and sip wine and watch the sunset,” says Short. “Guests just want to get back in touch with nature, and do it in a very luxurious, almost spoiled way – you know, you’re not wanting anything, you’re very comfortable, you have a heated blanket and a down duvet, and you’re cozy in there when you wake up to the chilly morning and you hear the birds outside, the squirrels rustling around. You have that camping experience, but you’re not giving anything up.”

It’s a rare experience, most guests realize, to sleep under a bald eagle’s nest in the Rocky Mountains – and you can do it in Tent City, beneath a mating pair that has fledged eaglets in each of the past two years. “Boy, what a kick,” says Duggan. “They start out and you can barely see their heads over the nest, and then you see them on the edge of the nest, and then they’re up on a branch, and then they’re ruffling their wings, and that first flight is a big day in camp, watching them all take off like wobbly C-130s.”

The camp lodge is a tradition that goes back many decades, and is most obviously represented by the African safari. Many outfitters, such as Abercrombie and Kent, now operate luxury camping excursions to every corner of the world. If you want to enjoy five-star camping in the Okavango Delta, at the foot of Australia’s Ayers Rock, within view of Machu Picchu, or in the Rajasthani desert, you can call them or check availability from the list of lodges carefully compiled by a company known as Luxury Camps &

The Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, in operation since 1997, currently takes shape in the Bedwell River Outpost, a tent camp accessible only by boat or seaplane.

Photo courtesy of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

Lodges of the World (www.lclworld.com).

For whatever reason, options are more limited in North America, where the trend toward glamorous camping – “glamping” –is just beginning to take hold. LCL World’s list contains only one North American camp lodge, but it’s a spectacular specimen, the gold standard for luxury camping in this quadrant of the globe: the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort.

On the west coast of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, in the heart of Clayoquot Sound – an area whose lush coastal rain forests earned it a designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 – the Wilderness Resort, launched in 1997, has undergone several transformations in the past decade. It now consists entirely of the Bedwell River Outpost, a safari-style tent camp

reachable only by boat or seaplane, near several abandoned gold mine adits at the gateway to the island’s vast wilderness.

Since the beginning, when the resort was housed in an old coal barge on nearby Quait Bay, the resort’s mastermind, John “Cowboy” Caton – a former builder and rock band impresario-turned-resort captain – has been refining the luxury wilderness experience, and he’s not ready to leave it alone, even after having his resort’s excesses mocked last summer by Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. At the Outpost, it’s not enough for you to merely camp in style. Caton wants you to have adventures: He has 25 mountain bikes, 30 kayaks, and 30 horses on call for your explorations of the sound. His guides are ready at a moment’s notice to help you

activities. Left: The dining tent at Clayoquot. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort takes pride in serving guests meals crafted from the finest, freshest local foods.

Photos courtesy of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort

fly-fish the rivers, haul salmon and halibut out of the ocean, or visit local trails, First Nations villages, or hot springs.

“Our clientele is ... probably between the ages of 40 and 65,” says Caton, “affluent people who are spending most of their time in offices, behind desks, who are looking for that soft adventure holiday, where they can get out and actually do that stuff. You have to encourage them.”

Caton offers plenty of encouragement. This year he’s introducing a fleet of jet-assisted kayaks, for those who want to experience the sound without having to paddle every inch of it. Thanks to a small Honda four-stroke engine, there is now one place in the world where you can strap on a two-way headset and communicate with a seasoned wildlife expert as you cruise the intertidal zone in a motorized kayak: scouting for bears along a remote gravel bar in the morning; to the gray whale feeding grounds by afternoon; and back to camp for a gourmet meal, prepared from local ingredients and followed by a round of Cohiba cigars, armagnac, and casual fly-tying for tomorrow’s big fishing trip.

“We try to stay on a curve that gets our people out there and gets them active,” says Caton. “There are some people who wouldn’t even get in a kayak but for the fact that they know they can do that – paddle for any length of time they want and then fire it back up again. Those people, we can convince them at least to enjoy and experience what’s out there.”

Also new this season: Caton has negotiated an exclusive arrangement with London’s House of Hardy to open a tackle and fly-tying shop on the property, allowing guests to buy and use – or learn how to use – the world’s most distinguished brand of fly-fishing gear. He’s groomed a sheer rock wall free of slick moss and hired climbing experts to lead guests in practicing ascents and rappels. He’s added a fixed-roof, beachfront yoga studio and gym, and hired spa aestheticians who specialize in ocean-themed treatments – kelp wraps and salt scrubs. He’s introduced a “Horse 101” course for people who are not yet comfortable around one of his favorite animals. He’s even shipped in an old antique barber’s chair so that men who grow their requisite Grizzly Adams vacation beards can, at the end of their visit, sit cantilevered over the Bedwell River and get the full hottowels-and-straight-razor treatment.

The Outpost’s new gym contains a Nautilus® machine, stationary bikes, and treadmills. “At first, I kind of questioned why we were doing that,” says Caton, “when people could simply go out and run up and down the old mine road here in the valley. But there are a lot of people who, if they don’t have their machines, they don’t know what to do.”

At Paws Up, camping butler Duggan also notices that many guests, when they first arrive, aren’t quite sure what to do with all the natural splendor. “They take a few days to unwind,” he says. “I really love it when people say they’re going to give it five

or six days out there, because even the adults turn into completely different people by the time they leave. That’s what keeps me here.”

The O T her STar S Clayoquot Wilderness Resort and Paws Up are seasonal attractions, and they don’t come cheap: While everything – food, meals, outings, alcohol, even bushplane airfare from Vancouver International – is included in the price of admission at Clayoquot, the price of admission is still $1,500 a day per person.

In recent years, a few places have cropped up in the United States where you can camp in style without having to spend thousands, but such resorts are prone to disappearing: In the last few years, turnkey campgrounds have come and gone on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, on Texas’s Brazos River, and on Georgia’s Chattooga River.

Most – if not all – of the handful of reasonably priced campground resorts in the United States are in California, and of the three visited by the author, each has a characteristic or quirk that helps it to stand out from the crowd, to achieve a balance between over-the-top luxury and an authentic exposure to the natural elements.

About an hour south of San Francisco, Costanoa, an “eco-adventure resort,” allows guests to get as close to nature as they want – though here, on a relatively secluded slice of the San Mateo coast, the assumption is that guests want to be as close as comfortably possible. It’s an unusual setup, to say the least: on the grounds nearest the beach – and the traffic of Highway 1 – are campsites for RVs and guests’ own tents; behind these are villages of platform tents furnished with beds and night tables, heated mattress pads, electric lights, and locking doors and windows. The adjacent 40-room

Above: Peter Lang and his wife, Nancy, pose with their Bentley and some of the four-legged residents of Safari West, a wildlife preserve in California’s Sonoma County. One of the preserve’s luxury tents can be seen in the background. Right, top: A cheetah at Safari West. Right, bottom: A black and white lemur at Safari West. Photos courtesy of Safari West

One couldn’t fault a golf ball for wanting to remain aloft

a little longer.

The views are undoubtedly breathtaking, and fortunately, the sites below are equally inspiring. Luxurious spas, fine dining, world-class golf and 5-star hotels elevate the vibe that is San Diego. Plan your next visit at www.sandiego.org.

Torrey Pines Golf Course, home of the 2008 U.S. Open

Costanoa Lodge is essentially a hotel with a great room fireplace

Dinner at Costanoa can range from the campfire weenie roast to the Cascade Bar and Grille, a white-linen establishment that serves filet mignon, prosciutto-wrapped salmon, and salads of organic produce. Costanoa activities include guided hikes and horseback rides, a kid’s camp, surfing lessons, kayaking, and yoga classes. Within a few miles of the resort, guests can taste wine in the Santa Cruz mountains, go rock climbing, or visit the largest stand of old-growth redwoods south of San Francisco, at Big Basin State Park. Just a mile south of Costanoa, guests can visit Año Nuevo State Reserve, port-of-call for the world’s largest mainland breeding colony of northern elephant seals.

If wildlife accessibility is a factor that may decide whether you’re willing to sleep in a tent – and you’re not up for a full-blown African safari – you might consider Safari West. Just outside the wine country town of Santa Rosa, in California’s Sonoma County, Safari West is a 400-acre wildlife preserve lovingly stocked by Peter Lang, whose love of animals was inherited from his father, Otto, producer of classic television series such as Daktari, Flipper, and Sea Hunt.

Lang’s preserve, which is now home to more than 400 exotic animals, was his own private Africa for several years. His decision to make it a tourist attraction was a simple one. “I sort of got to the point where I thought I had enough money to live the rest of my life. And then I ran out,” he jokes. “So it was either go back to work or try to do this. And this seemed like it might be kind of fun.” Having his wife, Nancy – a former curator at the San Francisco Zoo, whom he met on safari in Africa – on board has been instrumental in making the preserve one of the area’s most popular attractions, for tourists and schoolchildren alike.

Safari West has many returning guests, some of whom come for a three-hour safari excursion to the Sonoma Serengeti, and

others who think the only way to experience the preserve is to spend the night in one of several luxury tents – polished wood floors, fluffy beds, hot showers, and optional in-room massage – where you can, throughout the night, listen to a near-continuous wildlife serenade.

At the right time of year – early spring – El Capitan Canyon, a nature lodge on the Gaviota Coast of Southern California, offers a different, but no less lovely, nightly serenade. In March, the canyon is green and lush, El Capitan Creek burbles over its stony bed under a canopy of sycamores and oaks, and at night, when the frog calls sound like bells along the length of the stream – just a few yards from your cabin or tent – the sycamore trunks are ghostly pale in the moonlight.

If you’re an El Capitan guest and you want to overindulge, that’s easy enough to do: simply get back in your car and drive to Santa Barbara, just a few miles away. Don’t be surprised, however, if you find you’d rather not. There’s a spa here, a perfectly serviceable deli and general store, and there are miles of trails that will allow you to explore the local llama ranch, the nearby beaches, or the forests and scrublands of the Gaviota Coast. One of the most popular activities for El Capitan guests is a leisurely pedal along a 3-mile trail connecting two state beaches. The views of the Pacific Ocean and California’s Channel Islands might include a few surprises, such as a dolphin pod or migrating gray whale.

“We operate just like a hotel,” says El Capitan’s general manager, Terri Bowman. “We have 128 cabins and 26 tents, and we have daily maid service. We have a spa service. We have yoga available seasonally, docent-led hikes, complimentary bicycles available for our guests.” While it’s not Bowman’s goal to create an outback five-star, she’s on a mission: to give guests a satisfying outdoors experience, without all the hassles.

“We don’t have butler service,” she says. “But we’re not camping, either. We’re sort of camping for people who don’t camp.”

Left: Visitors can enjoy the natural surroundings at El Capitan Canyon thanks to miles of trails that lead to beaches as well as forests and scrublands. Above: A massage at El Capitan Canyon’s spa will work out any kinks that might result from outdoor adventures.

Photos courtesy of El Capitan Canyon

New Orleans:

By Vera Marie Badertscher

Memories of New Orleans come wrapped in heat, color, and music. the hues of tropical fruits cover walls in shades of mango, persimmon, lemon, and lime. humidity peels the paint, creating abstract art along the sidewalk.

ready WheN yOu are

world. The wail of saxophone and thrum of guitar spill onto the street from alleys and small clubs, setting shoulders swinging and feet sliding into cozy bars. Everything ex cept the music moves in slow motion in summer in New Orleans.

In September 2005, our mental slideshow of the unique cityscape of New Orleans changed overnight from brilliant colors and architecture exuding sensuous charm to a black and white nightmare. Struggles to survive replaced exuberant celebration of life. A complicated city became more complex.

Three years later, the recovery remains far from complete, but tourists, some taking working vacations to help rebuild houses, schools, and hospitals, once more flow through the Louis Armstrong Airport. With flight schedules almost back to normal and 32,000 hotel rooms available in more than 200 hotels, New Orleans welcomes visitors. Some claim there is no such thing as a bad meal in New Orleans, and more than 900 restau rants, many brand-new, are dishing up Cajun and creole treats, seafood, whiskey bread pudding, and more.

Museums are open and the famous and convenient St. Charles trolley once more rolls through the Garden District. The flooding that followed Katrina barely touched the French Quarter, tourist central. Unless you are a regular visitor, you probably will not notice the changes in Mardi Gras.

One of the earliest settlements in the United States, the French Quarter displays marks of French and Spanish habitation. Plain walls abut sidewalks, hiding lush court yards behind rustic wooden gates. Bougainvillea rains fuchsia blossoms from wrought iron balconies. Best explored on foot, the short blocks of the Quarter stretch along a bend in the Mississippi River that gives the city one of its many nicknames – the Crescent

Opposite: Wrought iron balconies are an iconic detail of the architecture found in New Orleans.

Above: Mr. B’s Bistro, one of New Orleans’ finest restaurants, serves up regional Cajun and creole delights, such as crayfish. Right: The time-honored Krewe of Zulu parades first on Mardi Gras day.

Photo courtesy of Mr.B’s Bistro

City. Although streets run north/south and east/west in the adjacent business district, the diagonals of the old section almost guarantee you will get disoriented. That is good. Explore. Eat. Drink. Shop. Enjoy le bon temps

Royal Shopping

Whether people fly into New Orleans for a sporting event at the Super Dome, a convention like the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club Meet in June 2009, or just to explore, they enjoy shopping at one-of-a-kind stores. In neighboring shops, people stroll among paintings of “Blue Dogs,” diamond brooches from bygone eras, and voodoo dolls.

Sophisticated, refined Rue Royal (Royal Street), the place for art and antiques, parallels the boisterous Bourbon Street.

As you leave the business district along Canal Street, the 122-year-old Hotel Monteleone on Royal welcomes you. It stands taller than any other building in the French Quarter, but its graceful façade lets you know you have entered a special place.

Across the street, Mr. B’s Bistro provides an introduction to traditional creole cuisine. Creole food, by the way, represents the original fusion cooking, mixing Spanish, French, Caribbean, and African with locally grown products.

As you continue along Royal, keep a tight grip on your credit cards, lest they get too frisky when faced with serious temptations. Many stores here have been family-owned for three or four generations. Founders chose the convenient location just blocks from where ships unloaded fine furniture and other goods from Europe. In eight short blocks,

Top left: The flower-draped Court of the Two Sisters is an excellent choice for brunch. Top right: There’s no better place than Brennan’s to taste Bananas Foster – the restaurant invented the scrumptious dessert! Above: Waldhorn & Adler Antiques showcases stunning furniture, jewelry, and other antiques.

Photo courtesy of Brennan’s Restaurant

Photo by Terry Thibeau

Photo courtesy of Waldhorn & Adler Antiques

AFTER A CAREER OF PLAY, JACK NICKLAUS GOES TO WORK AT 40,000 FEET

Retirement is just a shift in focus for passionate people like Jack Nicklaus. Which is why he values his Citelines fractional jet ownership. From a meeting in Colorado to site work in the Bahamas, CitationShares delivers a more personal, professional approach to private flying.

Extraordinary pilots. Dependable people. CitationShares delivers service at a higher level.

CITATIONSHARES. IT RAISES JACK’S GAME.

you can browse through nearly 40 fine stores, if your feet don’t give up first.

Laura Borchert, co-chair with her husband of next year’s RollsRoyce meet, says that she and her friends like to have brunch in the flower-draped courtyard of The Court of the Two Sisters in the 600 block of Royal, and then stroll down Royal to see what tempts them. “Everybody has different tastes,” she says, but she is drawn into shops by “special little antiques and oddities that you can see as you are walking by.”

Resident Belinda Lazaro says, “Valobra on Royal is wonderful, with fine jewelry and estate pieces. Every time my best friend and I had lunch in the French Quarter, we would make a point to window-shop and daydream about the lovely sparkles in the windows of 333 Royal Street.” In the same block, Lazaro yearned for some of the estate jewelry on display at Jack Sutton Antiques (315 Royal).

New Orleans expert Kenneth Holditch mentions Waldhorn & Adler Antiques, the oldest continually operated store in town. Since 1881, the enormous store, at the corner of Royal and Conti, has offered antiques from around the world from gigantic English carved wardrobes to delicate French estate diamond jewelry. Insider tip: Check the limited hours. They are not open every day.

Just as the eyes and feet need a rest from the antique and art gawking in the 300 block, Café Beignet (334 Royal) comes to the rescue. Beignets are those sugary, light-as-air pastries that go with the chicory coffee served in New Orleans.

A popular place for brunch graces 417 Royal, a historic home for Brennan’s, a destination restaurant since 1956. The luscious egg dishes may bring people to “Brennan’s for Breakfast,” but the restaurant also earns our gratitude for inventing Bananas Foster.

Continued on page 130

rolls-royce and bentley owners

Top: Mardi Gras crowds of the young and the young-at-heart join in the fun to catch a prize. Above: The historic and boisterous Bourbon Street runs the length of New Orleans’ French Quarter.

Photo courtesy of the New Orleans CVB

Photo by Carl Purcell courtesy of the New Orleans CVB

RESTAURANTS

Resisting the temptation to list ALL the good restaurants, the writer offers a list of favorites from her visits and recommendations of natives.

ThE TRAdiTioNAl S

Antoine’s

713 St. Louis St.

(504) 581-4422

www.antoines.com

Started in 1840, it’s the oldest eatery in New Orleans. For a town with an anything-goes reputation, New Orleans clings savagely to its traditions, like Antoine’s.

Arnaud

813 Bienville St.

www.arnauds.com

Started in 1910. A favorite of Tennessee Williams, and Tom Wolfe said he had his best meal there.

Galatoire

209 Bourbon St.

(504) 525-2021

www.galatoires.com

Ken Holditch likes to sit at Tennessee Williams’ favorite table near the window and one of his favorite dishes is stuffed eggplant. Insiders ask for their favorite waiter by name.

Café du Monde

800 Decatur St.

(504) 525-4555

www.cafedumonde.com

In operation since the 1880s, this café helps visitors survive a day of shopping at the French Market.

ThE STUNNiNG NEwCoMERS*

(*In New Orleans, anything less than antique is new.) Stella!

Scott Boswell, chef/owner

1032 Chartres St. (504) 587-0091

www.restaurantstella.com

Fine dining in a charming house. August (a John Besh restaurant)

301 Tchopitoulas St. (504) 299-9777

www.restaurantaugust.com

Bill Borchert may be prejudiced when he recommends this and other Besh restaurants, like Lüke, because he grew up with the multi-award-winning John Besh.

Café Adelaide and the Swizzle Stick Bar

300 Poydras St. (504) 595-3305

www.cafeadelaide.com

In the Loews New Orleans Hotel. Named for Adelaide Brennan, this establishment is part of the Commander’s Palace Family of Restaurants.

MiSCEll ANEoUS FAvoRiTES

Napoleon house Bar and Café

500 Chartres St.

www.napoleonhouse.com

Typical New Orleans worn-wood bar area and palm-filled courtyard, with a surprising background of classical music.

Muriel’s

801 Chartres St. (on Jackson Square)

(504) 568-1885

www.muriels.com

After a good meal in the palatial dining room, ask for a tour where the ghosts play.

Below: The popular Galatoire promises traditional cuisine and an exquisite dining experience. Right: Café du Monde, the “Original French Market Coffee Stand,” serves coffee and beignets 24 hours a day.

Photo by Louis Sahuc

photo courtesy of the New Orleans CVB

Not that you should skip any of the glam, glitter, and history displayed along the next two blocks, but Lazaro points out, “M.S. Rau Antiques [at 630] is the spot NOT to miss. Specializing in uber-chic antiques and collectibles, they happen to have a $9 million Van Gogh in the store.”

The last couple of blocks cover the quieter end of the quarter and art galleries reign in the 700 block, with the well-known “Blue Dog” holding court at 721 at the gallery of George Rodrigue. Borrowing from a Cajun legend about a ghost wolf, loup garou, Rodrigue paints a large cartoon-like blue dog in various settings suggestive of the Cajun world.

Having worked your way to the end of the Quarter, cross over to Chartres Street (pronounced “Charters”) for trendy clothing or retro rags, or circle back by taking Decatur Street along the river to the upscale shopping at Canal Place. Some suggest the sprint down Royal as a warm-up for marathon shopping along 6 miles of stores (yes, 6 miles) along Magazine Street, outside the French Quarter.

Laissez Le bon temps rou Lez

No other city in the United States is so inextricably linked to one annual event as New Orleans is to the Mardi Gras festival. The roots of Fat Tuesday extend back to pagan springtime rituals co-opted and tamed by the Catholic church. The French who settled New Orleans brought their traditional pre-Lenten carnival to the New World. Partygoers say a raucous goodbye to meat, carne vale, from the Twelfth Night (12 days after Christmas) until the beginning of the fasting of Lent (40 days before Easter).

Although the whole event takes the name of Mardi Gras, the final day of carnival, that day is only the culmination of weeks of celebration. More than 50 spectacular parades entertain the crowds. The larger, complex floats of today do not fit in the narrow

streets of the Quarter, however you may watch walking groups, small parades of two or three blocks in length. And watching the people who are watching the parades provides endless entertainment in the French Quarter. For the major parades, head over to Canal or St. Charles streets.

Insider tip from Bill and Laura Borchert: If you want to avoid the worst masses of people, attend the parades a week before the final weekend. Residents of the Garden District provide the best view of the parades from their front porches. However, if you do not have time to make a new best friend before the next Mardi Gras, stake out a place along the sidewalk of St. Charles Avenue.

New Orleans natives stress that you can choose the type of Mardi Gras experience you want. In the X-rated version, show up in an outrageous costume, drink yourself into an alcoholic stupor, and make obscene gestures from your French Quarter hotel balcony. Wake up too hungover to attend Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral on Jackson Square. Note: Unless you are riding on a float, the law permits people on the streets to wear disguises only on Mardi Gras (Tuesday), and then, only from dawn to dusk.

However the G-rated (well, okay, sometimes leaning toward “R”) family fun is taking place in other parts of town on days leading up to the bawdy finale. Grab a copy of Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, or check his Web site for advance information. Decide which parades you simply must see.

Each parade consists of many elaborate floats plus marching bands and walking groups. Each is privately financed by a krewe, an organization that works all year to produce a ball or an extravaganza as well as a parade. Mardi Gras does not collect corporate or government money. Besides partying, krewes contribute heavily to local charities. The Borcherts rode on the Orpheus float this year. Bill calls the festival, “the greatest street party in the world.” Although there is no admission charge for the spectators, members of the krewes invest heavily, he says. They pay to ride, pay to give and attend parties, and buy thousands of dollars worth of those gold and green and purple beads that rain down on spectators.

Native Jo Ann Bird, who works at a French Quarter hotel, says one of her favorites, Babylon, which rolls the Thursday before Mardi Gras, has about 20 floats. She also likes the sheer size of Endymion, a male-only Krewe composed of about 2,000 members. Endymion features a celebrity each year. In 2008, Kevin Costner and his guitar headlined the parade. Bird chooses Rex, which leads the parades on Mardi Gras morning with approximately 27 floats, as the prettiest and few would disagree. Each year some new technology is added, from mechanized movement to fiber-optic displays.

Continued on page 135

Tales of the Cocktail, an annual culinary and cocktail festival, mixes up some of the drinks for which New Orleans is best known, such as the Sazerac. Cheers!

Photo by Kerri McCaffety

HOTELS

Here are some favorite unique French Quarter hotels. Expect to pay higher prices during all festivals, particularly Mardi Gras, and rockbottom prices in sultry summer.

Lafitte Guest House

1003 Bourbon St. (504) 581 2678

www.lafitteguesthouse.com

Fireplaces, four-poster beds, and unique décor in each room. This classic French Quarter building started as a private home in 1849. Owners have a culinary school in a Tuscan villa and are introducing culinary weekends here. Only 14 spacious rooms and suites, so book early.

Maison de Ville Hotel and Cottages (pictured bottom left)

727 Toulouse St. (504) 561-5858

www.hotelmaisondeville.com

Cozy hotel in a quiet area of the French Quarter with individual Audubon cottages nearby. Tennessee Williams always stayed in room No. 9 facing the courtyard. Other celebrity guests range from John James Audubon to Elizabeth Taylor.

Hotel Monteleone (pictured top left)

214 Royal St. (800) 535-9595

Family-owned since 1866, the Monteleone provides superb service and location, the Aria Day Spa, and Carousel Lounge. One of five Literary Landmark Hotels in the United States.

The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans

921 Canal St. (504) 524-1331

www.ritzcarlton.com

You get a three-fer at the Ritz-Carlton with two other choices within the same building.

For its Club Level customers, the Ritz-Carlton incorporates the Maison Orleans in the same building as the main hotel. Wine and a buffet of snacks handy at all times, two-person tubs, and 75 rooms with 24-hour butler service. Enter at 904 Iberville.

The Ritz also manages the Iberville Suites, with an entrance at 910 Iberville, on the French Quarter side of the building. The rooms are not as lush, but guests have access to the Ritz gym and spa. (866) 2294351 (www.ibervillesuites.com)

Soniat House

1133 Chartres St.

(800) 544 8808 or (504) 522 0570

www.soniathouse.com

Soniat is an historic property with 24 rooms, nine suites (no two alike), loaded with antiques. Three town houses and their courtyards made this hotel. You can breakfast in a lush courtyard with fountains and dappled shade of olive, magnolia, and guava trees.

Book the suite – why settle for just good when you can have decadent?

Photo courtesy of Hotel Monteleone

Jeri Hines Photography

Be sure not to miss the great fun of Lundi Gras (Monday) festivities on the river bank as Zulu, reigning monarch of the African-American Zulu Krewe and Rex, King of Carnival, arrive by boat at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. respectively. Music, food, and fireworks make Monday an all-day party.

Then on Mardi Gras itself, stake out your place on St. Charles Avenue, get food from barbecue vendors, and catch those beads and other trinkets that are thrown from the floats. And no, you do not have to disrobe to get the people on the float to throw a treat your way. Just yell, “Throw me something, mister!”

Arthur Hardy says that Mardi Gras bounced back a mere five months after Hurricane Katrina because it belongs to the natives of New Orleans. “People said, ‘I couldn’t save my house, but I could save Mardi Gras,’” says Hardy.

He emphasizes that the city does not do Mardi Gras for the tourists. It is a celebration for New Orleans, by New Orleans. Nevertheless, the city welcomes the million-plus visitors that show up as they greatly boost the city’s economy. And what is a parade without sidewalk spectators?

We Have Festivals

While it may seem overwhelming to choose among so many delights during Mardi Gras, festivals crowd the calendar yearround. So whether you want to experience food, music, or literary works, pick a festival to suit.

As Kenneth Holditch says, “In New Orleans, we do not have conferences. We have festivals.” Holditch was talking about a

scholarly gathering livened with banquets, performances, and workshops for writers. The retired professor, who has written several books about Tennessee Williams, was one of the founders of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, which takes place in late March (www.tennesseewilliams.net). Insider tip: Enhance your experience with a walking tour of Tennessee Williams’ New Orleans through Heritage Tours. The tour is offered on the festival Web site or call Holditch at 504-949-9805.

Bill and Laura Borchert try to take their family to the Jazz and Heritage Festival (www.nojazzfest.com) held at the Fairgrounds racetrack in late April and early May. A 38-year history, 12 stages, and a list of headliners that includes every important musician in the country mark this event. Food (of course!), crafts, and a Louisiana Folk Village keep you busy in between musician’s sets. Insider tip: Take the Gray Line ® bus from the waterfront instead of struggling with limited parking.

In May, the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (www. nowfe.com) delves into the culinary delights of New Orleans. Meet 75 chefs and 1,000 varieties of wine at the Super Dome, or attend lectures on wine and stroll down Royal Street with stops and sips at shops.

Wine may be essential with good food, but New Orleans is better known for mixed drinks like the Sazerac and the Hurricane. In July, Hotel Monteleone hosts Tales of the Cocktail (www.talesofthecocktail.com), with events throughout the French Quarter.

With so much to see and do, the choices are highly personal. For more options, consult www.neworleansonline.com or www.neworleanscvb.com.

Above left: Jazz and Heritage Festival. Above right: During the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, sip and stroll down Royal Street.

Photo by Richard Nowitz courtesy of the New Orleans CVB

Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

Travelers looking to do more on than just relax on vacation find Alaska’s offerings of adventures in breathtaking natural settings irresistible.

This photo: A view of Mt. McKinley with Wonder Lake in the foreground. Opposite: A guide with Chugach Adventure Guides (CAG) skis creamy June corn snow in the Tordrillo Mountains during CAG’s Kings and Corn trip.

The Great Land

NaTure adveNTurers Need Look No furTHer THaN souTHceNTraL aLaska

By Heidi BoHi

our most prized possessions always seem to be those that are just a little further out of reach – the piece of artwork the gallery owner keeps tucked in the back waiting for just the right owner, the hardto-find wine that, unexplainably, you find perched on the shelf of an out-of-the-way shop, or the perfect seashell barely noticeable among thousands of others scattered along the shoreline.

Tom Evans/CAG

And so it is with what many will tell you is “the real Alaska” –remote spots and in-your-wildest-dreams adventures that, while they may involve an extra leg of travel and you will pay for privacy and top-shelf service, promise to deliver nature-based travel experiences that few others will ever be able to add to their cache of memories. Although Alaska shares top billing with some of the most popular travel destinations in the world, attracting everyone from hard adventure adrenaline junkies to those who prefer to watch from the port holes of “floating hotel” cruise ships, with a mind-boggling 367 million acres that spans five very distinct sub-regions, it is one of the few places in the world that has not yet succumbed to the homogenization of the world. Because of its sheer size and relatively young age – Alaska will turn 50 next year – there are still countless travel adventures that are oneof-a-kind, once–in-a-lifetime opportunities that few people know how to even begin looking for.

Alyeska – the Aleut word for Alaska – means the “great land.” There are 100,000 glaciers, 3,210 rivers, 3 million lakes, the nation’s two largest national forests, 17 of the nation’s highest mountain peaks including Mt. McKinley (the tallest in North America at 20,320 feet), 44,000 miles of coastline, 29 volcanic peaks, 15 national parks and preserves, five species of salmon, 12 species of big game, and wildlife that outnumbers the people exponentially. The Southcentral Region boasts being home to many of these attractions and more than half the state’s population and is referred to as “Alaska’s playground,” dubbed so for its diverse offering of activities that range from the most extensive

network of roads and scenic byways to the city lights and cultural attractions of Anchorage – the largest city in the state with 283,000 residents – to world-class fishing, skiing, hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, glacier trekking, and marine-based activities. Besides the backdoor wilderness opportunities that are only minutes from the heart of downtown Anchorage, as the state’s transportation hub and home to Lake Hood, the largest and busiest floatplane base lake in the world, aircraft depart throughout the day for short flights to pristine wilderness areas that make visitors wonder if anyone before them has ever set foot there.

Tordrillo Moun Tains

Although relatively unheard of even to many Alaskans, the Tordrillo Mountains, a small range in Southcentral just 75 miles northwest of Anchorage, are likely to become known as one of the most remarkable adventure locations in the world, appealing to those who want extreme action and those who want to take it all in from the banks of a quiet stream. Despite their proximity to Anchorage and the soft and hard adventure possibilities that are a benefit of the vast, glaciated rivers of ice and towering peaks that extend for miles and miles, there is virtually no recreational activity here. For those who want to be the first to experience this dramatic display of nature, Chugach Adventure Guides (CAG), a full-service spring and summer guide service and expedition company, launches all adventures from its air-accessible, 12-guest Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, which is flanked by

A Chugach Adventure Guides pilot goes through his pre-flight checklist in front of the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. CAG’s private helicopter enables guests to take part in heli-skiing, heli-hiking, and heli-fishing experiences.

Photos courtesy of Chugach Adventure Guides

Mt. McKinley and two smoldering volcanic peaks, Mt. Gerdine at 11,258 feet and Mt. Torbert at 11,413 feet.

Quickly becoming known as the premier operator in the area, CAG offers exclusive three-, five- and seven-day lodging and adventure packages that include everything from heli-skiing gentle bowls and giant mountain faces, to heli-hiking, heli-fishing, river rafting, kayaking, and flightseeing. Although guests book their stays based around their favorite seasonal activities, unlike traditional lodge-activity packages, Chris Owens, co-owner and general manager of CAG, says flexible itineraries are customized on a day-to-day basis, according to the weather and the interests of everyone in the party, whether it’s drinking wine on the deck, soaking in the Swedish-style hot tub, inverted rock climbing, or paddle boarding between icebergs on the lake. It is not uncommon for clients to decide over breakfast how they want to spend the day, which is accommodated simply by the staff re-tasking the private helicopter that is on the property at all times for whisking guests away to the next adventure, or for flying into Anchorage to fulfill a special food or beverage

Right: Olympic Gold medalist (and CAG guide) Tommy Moe displays a king crab leg during a mountaintop feast at Kings and Corn. After dinner, Moe and his group skied corn snow chutes off the backside of the dinner table under the midnight sun.

The Perfect Wave

It’s the surfer’s ultimate dream – to find and ride their perfect wave with nobody out. Tropicsurf sets the standard in luxury surfing holidays. Regardless of your age or experience, allow us to tailor your ultimate surfing experience in safety, comfort and style.

request for high-end clientele. CAG will do whatever it takes, Owens says, to provide “high-touch” service and life-changing adventures that make its clients say, “Wow – I just had the very best day of my life.”

Heli-fishing is one of the most popular CAG adventures for clients who come from around the world, as the Talachulitna River drainage and surrounding rivers are teeming with sockeye, coho, and king salmon, and Dolly Varden and trophy class 30-inch rainbow trout, which are common in these waters, though Owens will not divulge the names of his guides’ favorite holes. “Part of what we offer is the lack of other people,” he explains, by combining motorized access with solitude. “Our guests wonder if there’s ever been another person out there before.” From a five-week stretch starting in early June, “Kings and Corn” allows guests to heli-ski the first half of the day while the corn snow is still firm and by late afternoon, guests switch gear to go heli-fishing for 35- to 50-pound king salmon before returning to the lodge for drinks, appetizers, and a gourmet dinner prepared by professional chefs.

Depending on the time of year, some guests enjoy being dropped off in secluded creek-carved canyons with rafts or inflatable kayaks, allowing them to fish the productive holes before the chopper picks them up and returns them to the lodge. Anglers also enjoy hopping from hole to hole, or for the less inclined, Owens says, the river and lakefront location means they can fish right out the front door of the lodge with a pole in one hand and a cocktail in the other – and because it is the land of the midnight sun, fishers take advantage of being able to fish whenever they want, for as long as they want. Either way, he says, it is one of the activities that appeals to all ages and abilities because all gear and instruction is provided and the shallow creek waters make kayaking effortless.

Winterlake

At the very center of Alaska’s history and culture is the quest for food. For thousands of years, and still today, Alaskans have celebrated the abundant and sought-after food resources that are as connected to the way of life as the midnight sun and the craggy peaks that once pushed up through the ocean floor. Alaska Natives and pioneers continue to supplement crab, salmon, halibut, scallops, shrimp, rockfish, caribou, moose, grouse, ptarmigan, walrus, and seal with six varieties of indigenous wild berries and delicacies like fiddlehead ferns, wild herbs and greens, strawberry spinach, and mustard leaves. While living off of nature’s pantry defines the traditional Alaska style of cooking, at the same time this young state is also welcoming culinary influences that come from a growing and changing population and enjoying better access to ingredients from around the world. As this naturebased culinary tradition continues, food in the wild is becoming an adventure in itself, drawing foodies and hungry travelers who will go anywhere to experience a five-star meal at the end of the trail – or in many cases, right on the trail.

“At first blush, it might seem that Alaska is too far off any culinary roadmap to be able to define a specific culinary style,”

Above: Tommy Moe paddles on a stand-up paddle board given to the lodge by surfer Laird Hamilton on Judd Lake in front of the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. Right: Skiers enjoy some laughs on the back deck of the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge while anticipating the powder to come.

Peter Hamre/CAG

Photo by Dave Reddick

says Kirsten Dixon, a renowned Alaskan chef and author, and owner of Within the Wild, an adventure travel company that offers backcountry guiding and two remote Southcentral lodges accessible by air only: Redoubt Bay Lodge, a bear viewing destination near Lake Clark Pass, and Winterlake Lodge, the Fingerlake checkpoint along the Iditarod Trail®. “But take a closer look,” she writes in The Alaska Homegrown Cookbook. “You will find that we have a unique and vibrant food culture that reflects our natural world, our social and cultural history, our geographic place on the earth, and our values of self-sufficiency and independence.”

Located 198 trail miles northwest of Anchorage along Alaska’s historic Iditarod Trail, Winterlake Lodge sits on 15 acres overlooking the lake for which it is named, a finger-shaped, two-mile lake where Dixon and her husband, Carl, fly guests in by floatplane and ski plane in the winter to take advantage of fishing, wildlife and bear viewing, hiking, dog sledding, cooking classes, wine and cheese tastings, massage, and especially the five-star regional cuisine prepared by Dixon and her staff of chefs that hail from Thomas Keller restaurants such as The French Laundry in Napa, California, and Jean Georges in New York City. Besides drawing some of the country’s top culinary talents, guests with sophisticated palates also make the journey as much for the lodge experience as for any one of the countless recipes she has become known for including: Gruyere Cheese Puffs, Russian Salmon Pie, Alaska Crab Cakes, Crab and Papaya Salad with Lime Dressing, and Pad Thai with Alaska Spot Shrimp – which was probably caught and flown to the lodge just hours before in keeping with Dixon’s table d’hôte style of basing the day’s menu

on the freshest ingredients available. “We do not have unhappy guests at Winterlake,” she says of discerning clientele that know her staff will come through with whatever they want, whether it’s a special meal request or sending the helicopter to the nearest grocery store 200 miles away to get their favorite brand of sparkling water.

To share their passion for the outdoors with their love of food, it is also not uncommon for Dixon and her staff to make special arrangements for guests to dine al fresco. In the winter, her husband mushes the dog team to transport guests – loaded with decadent homemade treats and hot drinks such as Winterlake’s famous hot chocolate, mulled wine, and pressed cider, along with different flavors of homemade marshmallows and Dixon’s wellknown Cherry Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – to the meadow behind the lodge where the Iditarod Trail runs. In early summer months, a common day trip includes flying guests to Ruth Glacier, three miles below the summit of Mt. McKinley, for a day of cross-country skiing, glacier trekking, and sunbathing, along with a gourmet smorgasbord, wine, and champagne, all prepared and served from an outdoor, hand-built ice kitchen. Priding themselves in surprising guests with out-of-the-ordinary touches on special occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries, the Dixons often fly all the guests, staff, and perfectly chilled Louis Roederer Champagne to see Mt. McKinley from Wolverine Ridge just behind the lodge “for a big adventurous toast to each other.”

“We are very authentic – there’s nothing terrific about us whatsoever. We live the lifestyle we enjoy sharing with others, which is about eating really well, drinking good wine, having

Kirsten Dixon, pictured left, and her husband, Carl, own Winterlake Lodge, above. Guests arrive at Winterlake Lodge by floatplane or ski plane to take part in backcountry adventures. Visitors also get to enjoy the fruit of Dixon’s culinary talents.

Photos by Jeff Schultz

champagne on the ridge at night, being close to nature, and just embracing the natural surrounding in which we live.”

IdI tarod t ra I l d og Mush I ng

Although the summer months between May and September are when most visitors come to the last frontier, as yearround residents will tell you, winter offers outdoor activities, adventures, and scenery that are exclusive to the longer season and certainly no less spectacular. While outsiders imagine the winterscape as being dark, frozen, and barren, temperatures in Southcentral on December 21, winter solstice, average 29 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit – mild by Alaska standards – and the clear blue skies and fresh white snow provide a dramatic canvas for winter phenomena such as hoarfrost on the trees and the mysterious aurora borealis, known as the northern lights – parallel rays of glowing red, green, blue, and violet light that form a curtain that billows across the sky.

Vern Halter, a professional dog breeder, Iditarod and Yukon Quest musher, and owner of Dream a Dream Dog Farm, says he and his team of 56 professional athletes – Alaskan huskies that are known as the best racing sled dogs in the world – are likely to be found howling at the moon at the very first sign of winter and the opportunity to take guests on winter treks and tours. One such tour is the Denali/Mt. McKinley Explorer, a three-day, two-night sled dog tour that takes groups of two to five people from Willow to Tokosha Mountain Lodge in Denali National Park and Preserve – 6 million acres of wildland and home to Mt. McKinley.

“It is what the real Alaska is about,” Halter says from his farm in Willow, a small community in the heart of dog mushing country and the first checkpoint for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, just 75 miles north of Anchorage.

Designed for all ages and abilities, the first day of the tour starts at the farm Halter owns and operates with his wife Susan, a veterinarian and also a dog musher. The morning is spent getting an in-depth education on dog mushing and the Iditarod, the equipment, gear, clothing and outdoor apparel, safety – which is included in the package – and learning about the dogs’ personalities and how they react to various commands and stimuli. That afternoon, guests learn how to drive a dog team with Halter and his guides and each student takes a dog sled on a 25-mile run that is one loop of 150 miles of wilderness trails that are right out the back door of Halter’s property.

On the second day, guides load the dogs and sleds in trucks before traveling about 90 minutes north, where they hook up the teams before setting out for the 15-mile trip to Tokosha Mountain Lodge, nestled on the bank of the Tokositna River at the foot of Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park. The lodge offers some of the best views of the mountain and the Alaska Range in the state and is located in the heart of unspoiled, spectacular wilderness that has the river on one side and Pirate Lake on the other, with large cottonwood, birch, and spruce trees that provide the perfect habitat for black bears, grizzlies, wolves, moose, eagles, swans, and other wildlife. That evening John and Marisa Neill, who homesteaded the location in 1968 before Denali National Park extended its borders, make a hardy, Alaska-style dinner, which is followed by guitar playing and singing by the campfire.

After breakfast on the third and final day of the trip, Halter and his guides take the group for another mush through countryside that features trails with several different views of Mt. McKinley and glaciers before connecting back to the road system and loading up the sleds and dogs for the trip back to Halter’s farm.

“Just being with the dog teams in the wilderness is one of the true great experiences,” Halter says of the adventure. “The dogs are lovers and incredible athletes – they have more fun than the

Vern Halter, owner of Dream a Dream Dog Farm, offers guests a chance to learn about dog mushing and work with Alaskan huskies – known as the best racing sled dogs in the world.

Photo courtesy of Dream a Dream Dog Farm

guests and the guests have a heck of a lot of fun. You just never get tired of seeing Mt. McKinley by dog team.”

Marine Habitat Yac H ting

Anchored at the base of a towering glacier in Prince William Sound while watching sea lions lounge on ice floes that look like nature’s pool rafts, the only sound you’re likely to hear is the person next to you whispering, “I didn’t know this really existed.”

Although yachting is not the adventure most people think of when planning a summer Alaska trip, for those wanting an experience that rivals any National Geographic documentary, Alaska Wilderness Voyages (AWV) offers private yachting trips through Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords National Park aboard Miss Brizz, a five-star, 54-foot, extra-wide, custom-built aluminum sailing yacht with a teak interior and amenities that include a full galley with top-of-the-line appliances, a Jacuzzi tub, leather couches and reclining chairs, a plasma TV and DVD player, stereos, and a washer and dryer. Three staterooms sleep up to six people and include a master bedroom and bath, and the back deck has more than 150 square feet with an awning that extends to keep passengers dry in inclement weather. There is also an inflatable NAIAD onboard for those who want to take up-close side trips that require a smaller vessel to access narrower waterways.

From the communities of Whittier for Prince William Sound expeditions, just 45 minutes south of Anchorage, or Seward, which is two hours south and is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, Miss Brizz sets sail for all-inclusive trips that range from four days to one week or longer and can take up to six passengers. Itineraries are customized according to passengers’ interests and usually include a combination of sightseeing, fishing, and exploring harbor towns along the coast, owner and captain Tom Konop says, though some guests prefer to leave the driving to AWV.

“We do not have a set itinerary,” Konop says. “This is your vessel – tell us what your dream trip is and we’re going to make it happen.”

Prince William Sound is known for having the densest concentration of tidewater glaciers in the world, some flowing several miles from ice-capped peaks before terminating in cliffs of ice that tower hundreds of feet above the water. Its 3,000 miles of shoreline and 2,000 salmon streams are surrounded by the Chugach Mountains in three directions and 50-mile long Montague Island and several smaller islands form natural breakwaters between the sound and the Gulf of Alaska. Waterfalls, wildlife, bald eagles, seabirds, otters, Dall porpoises, and whales are part of what yacht passengers commonly see.

Kenai Fjords National Park, the route that is accessed from Seward, derives its name from the long, glacier-carved valleys that are now filled with ocean waters. With more than 600,000 acres and five state marine parks, it is home to an overwhelming population of wildlife and is especially known for whale watching opportunities. In addition to being the gateway to Kenai Fjords, Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest communities, sitting at the base of Mt. Marathon and at the head of Resurrection Bay, and the surrounding waters offer some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in North America.

After spending the day exploring either of these marine areas, Konop says, guests enjoy a leisurely full-course dinner that features the day’s catch while anchored in one of his favorite coves where they can see thunderous-sounding calving glaciers while watching shooting stars against the evening sky. Before going to bed for the evening, crew will bait a halibut fishing pole so guests can enjoy fresh fish for lunch or dinner the next day.

“If you’re really looking to get off the beaten path and see more of the wilderness, that’s us,” Konop says.

Taking a trip aboard the Alaska Wilderness Voyages yacht Miss Brizz is a unique way to experience Alaska.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Wilderness Voyages

San Martino is the Romanesque cathedral in the southeastern corner of Lucca. Its belfry (seen here) was built in different time periods, depicted by the two colors of marble.

Lucca, City of Towers

By PhiLiP C. Brooks

The man at the Pisa airport’s car rental desk told us that we would have no trouble driving to Lucca, where we were to spend 10 days. “it’s simple,” he said. “All you do is turn right out of the airport and follow the Autostrada signs to Lucca, then take the second exit into town.” r ight. off we went, making the right turn out of the airport, and heading east toward Lucca. After driving for nearly two hours – the drive was supposed to take less than one – we found that we had never been on the Autostrada at all but on a parallel road well to the south. What we had to do was go north on back roads, over little mountains, and through charming villages, trying to figure out the map and the route signs, to get to Lucca. Many of the roads we were on would have been a tight squeeze for a silver Cloud, let alone a Phantom. Eventually, we knew we had arrived, for we saw massive city walls in front of us. We may have had a wrong start, but our destination more than made up for it.

We were to stay in an old farmhouse in the Tuscan hills just north of Lucca, and we needed provisions for our traveling companions and ourselves. Our friends had stayed there before. They remembered where the Essalunga supermarket was, so around the city walls we went. We stocked up with groceries, especially cheeses and wines. None of us spoke Italian, but between English, French, and German we got on quite well both in the supermarket and throughout Lucca. Up into the mountains we went to Capecchio, the farmhouse that dates back to the early 1800s and is still tied to Tenuta di Forci, the Forci estate. It’s a charming house, with massive stone walls, tile floors, central heat, and an incredible view as far as Lucca, Pisa, and the Mediterranean – on a clear day. Even in the rain – and we had plenty – the view of the clouds settling on the mountains and in the valleys is lovely.

Photo by Vito Arcomano, courtesy of Fototeca ENIT

Above left: A close-up of the Madonna on the facade of San Michele, another Romanesque church. San Michele is located in the old center of Lucca. Resembling a wedding cake, the cathedral rises upward in beautiful columned layers. Above right, top: Another of Lucca’s treasures is the Piazza Anfiteatro. Its stucco houses are a pleasurable sight. Above right, bottom: A bastion on the city wall of Lucca, with the esplanade on top.

Photo courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

mostly because the city is so beautiful and so fascinating. It is a bit off the beaten tourist path; a lot of tourists concentrate on Pisa and Florence, missing completely one of the gems of Tuscany. The houses in Lucca all seem to be about four stories tall, but they are punctuated by Renaissance tower houses, which are iconic to the city. Many houses seem to have had galleries on the second and sometimes the third floors, with the galleries now made into windows. With all their changes over the years, these houses depict a great architectural history.

Lucca has four concentric walls protecting it, some walls only in part but one set complete. The outer wall is now a spectacular park and pedestrian walkway. Within the walls is piazza after piazza, as well as little squares that compliment the piazzas. You can walk for miles down the little streets and through the piazzas, and we did just that. We fell completely in love with the city.

Lucca dates back to the time of the Ligurian Celts, who called the place “Luck” or “place of marshes.” It lies in the plain below the Tuscan hills, on the Serchio River. The Etruscans replaced the Ligurians, and the Romans replaced the Etruscans in Lucca. In 89 B.C., it became a Roman municipality and rose to prominence within the Roman Empire. Because of its strategic location on the Serchio, with many roads meeting at the town, Lucca became the capital of Tuscia under the Longobards. From the time of the First Crusade to Napoleon’s invasion, Lucca was a commune or independent city-state, and the Lucchesi practiced diplomacy adroitly to keep it that way. The city became a center of trade early on and in the Middle Ages a major player in banking and in the silk industry.

During those years, the merchant families of Lucca became very wealthy, and nearly all of them built tower houses. These houses had one room per story, with the business on the ground floor, living and entertaining rooms above, a kitchen near the top, and often an elaborate roof garden. There were nearly 160 of these tower houses in Lucca, and many are still there. They are splendid examples of Gothic, Romanesque (especially), and Renaissance architecture in the most vertical form possible. The skyline of Lucca today, even seen from across the plain, is a small forest of towers. Some of the best of these towers are on the main shopping street, Via Fillungo. We saw many tower houses and visited one, the Torre del’Oro, otherwise known

A worm’s-eye view of medieval houses in the city of Lucca. Lucca’s towered houses are charming dwellings spanning the Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance eras and are reminiscent of a small forest.

as the Clock Tower because of the Swiss clock mounted on the facade. But the best of them is the tower house of the Guinigi family, the Torre Guinigi, on Via S. Andrea: You should tour the building and its rooftop garden and admire the view from the roof.

The wealth of Lucca produced many churches, some of them spectacular. The Romanesque and Renaissance Cathedral of San Martino is remarkable, but the artworks in the cathedral are even more so: Tintoretto’s “Last Supper” and Ghirlandaio’s “Madonna with Child and Four Saints” are but two. The statuary is fascinating. One of the most interesting statues in the cathedral is a wooden crucifix known as the “Holy Face,” or “Volto Santo,” supposedly carved into the wood of a Cedar of Lebanon by Nicodemus. According to legend, it came miraculously to Lucca in the eighth century. The statue became legendary throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, and its image was used on the city’s coinage. The light levels in the cathedral are very low, especially to preserve the paintings, and massive restoration of the building is going on. It’s a bit of a challenge getting around in the cathedral, but it’s worth the effort. The interesting Cathedral Museum has many original paintings and sculptures from the cathedral and from other Lucchesian churches.

The first cathedral of Lucca was the Church of San Giovanni, located across the Piazza San Giovanni from the Cathedral of San Martino. It’s a much earlier Romanesque building, dating back to the 12th century, and archaeological excavations under the church floor have revealed much of the Roman town. It’s also a location for musical concerts held several times each week, often featuring works by a local composer: Giacomo Puccini.

The Piazza San Michele is the old center of town, dating back to the Roman Forum located there. At the side of this piazza is a gorgeous Romanesque wedding cake, the Church of San Michele. The west front of the church rises up in columned

the international club for rolls-royce and bentley owners

The facade of the cathedral of San Michele is rivaled only by its collection of artistic works within.

layer after layer, with even more columned layers on the church tower at one side. The artistic treasures within are legion – works by Andrea della Robbia, Pietro Paolini, Filippino Lippi, Baccio da Montelupo, and more. We kept coming back to the Piazza San Michele, and we could have spent hours in the church. It’s an amazing building on an equally amazing site.

But there’s so much more to Lucca. One of the most glorious parts of the city is the Piazza Anfiteatro. The original Roman amphitheater was built just outside the Roman walls of the town. It was a large arena, seating 10,000 people. During the long centuries after the fall of Rome, it became a quarry, as did so many others. But the basic structure remained, and in medieval times, houses and shops were erected on the ruins. These buildings used the basement, arches, and lower floors of the amphitheater, preserving the original shape of the place. Many huts sprung up in the center, as well. In 1830, the architect Lorenzo Nottolini demolished the huts in the center and leveled the piazza with the ground level of the houses, preserving a startling amount of the original amphitheatre’s structure. The piazza – the center of the arena – with the stucco houses and their varied rooflines is a lovely urban oasis. And if you go over by the one remaining Roman entrance, you can almost hear the gladiators marching in. There are many little shops in the Piazza Anfiteatro, nestled back in the Roman arches. Some of the shops are very touristy, but others have lovely merchandise. The view of the houses making up the Anfiteatro today is lovely in the sunshine, but when the dark clouds and rain came up, the yellow stucco of the buildings against the angry dark gray clouds became dramatic. There are nice little restaurants just outside, on the Via dell’Anfiteatro, and between the restaurants and the shops in the piazza, you can while away several happy hours. We ate exceptionally well in Lucca!

The Piazza Napoleone is a large square, lined with Renaissance and classical buildings. It is the administrative center of the city, and it has several outdoor restaurants. In the complex of municipal buildings is one of several Internet cafés, a popular one with many computers and very helpful staff. A large statue of Empress Marie Louise, Napoleon’s second wife, presides over the square. Eliza Bonaparte Baciocchi, Napoleon’s sister, was the ruler of Lucca under the Napoleonic Empire, but Marie Louise ruled the city afterward. Because we were all keeping in close touch with our families back in the States, we spent a bit of most days in the Internet café, the Piazza Napoleone, and the sidewalk cafés. We particularly liked one on the northeast corner, where the Via del Battistero runs into the piazza.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Lucca is its massive outer wall. It is completely intact, it is majestic, and it runs around the entire old city. Building of this defensive perimeter was completed in 1650 and took more than a century. The brick walls and

bulwarks tower over the outside ditch and embankment, now a grassy park. Ten bastions have embrasures for 126 cannon, along with powder magazines and storage rooms. The tops of the walls, all the way around the city, have plane and chestnut trees and a lovely esplanade, the Passeggiata delle Mura, which is now mainly a pedestrian walkway. Bicycle and scooter traffic is allowed on the esplanade, and automobiles used to use it: Apparently Puccini used to love driving his cars with abandon along the Passeggiata 90 years ago!

The outer walls of Lucca are so formidable that no enemy ever attacked them. In fact, the Austrians removed the cannon in 1799, and no one ever saw the need to put them back. The walls’ greatest defensive role was in 1812, when it saved the city from flood. The waters of the Serchio River rose up and up, but the citizens closed the city gates and remained dry behind the walls.

There are six gates through the walls, of which the Porta Santa Maria may be the loveliest. Because parking is at an absolute premium within the walled city, it’s best to park outside the walls and walk in. There are convenient parking lots at Porta Santa Maria and at Porta Sant’Anna, and there is often street parking to be found near other gates. When we came into town, we usually parked near Porta Elisa, on the east side of Lucca, or near Porta

The cathedral of San Martino is a Romanesque and Renaissance riot.

Photo courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

San Pietro, on the south side, and walked just a short distance

We kept running across evidence of Puccini in Lucca. He was born in a house on the Piazza della Cittadella, and his statue graces the piazza in front of the house. The house is a museum dedicated to Puccini, but it has been closed for some time. His favorite café is now the Antico Caffé di Simo, still good, on Via Fillungo. The orchestra pit of the Teatro del Giglio was redesigned by Puccini, and it’s home to the Opera Theater of Lucca festival every summer. An all-Puccini festival, “Puccini e la sua Lucca,” consists of concerts throughout the year. Puccini’s home for many years was in Torre del Lago Puccini, on the banks of Lake Massaciuccoli, which is at the foot of the Alps. Here Puccini composed most of his operas, and here every July and August is the main Puccini Festival. You can tour Puccini’s home, or you can just admire the view across the lake, which so inspired the composer.

Perhaps the magic moment for us, though, was one afternoon when we were walking back toward the Porta Elisa and our car parked just outside the walls. We went down a narrow street and came to an open space, with a garden and building on the left. The building was the Conservatory of Lucca, and we could hear students practicing in different rooms. The sounds of a piano, a trumpet, and a singer all came drifting out over the street; inevitably but beautifully, the sounds were mostly of Puccini and Boccherini, another favorite son of Lucca.

We enjoyed staying in our farmhouse, Capecchio, up in the Tuscan hills. Just up the road is the early Renaissance villa of the Forci estate, the country home of the powerful Buonvisi

family. They were great patrons of the arts in the Renaissance, gathering artists and scholars for visits and learned conversations over dinner. Michel de Montaigne and other Renaissance writers visited Forci often during this time. The villa, which had been started in the 14th century, was essentially completed in the 16th century. While the Buonvisis are no longer there, the villa still sits on its hilltop, with its long view down the valley to Lucca, and with its excellent winery next door. We got to know the people at the winery, and we thoroughly enjoyed several bottles of the estate’s excellent wines, olive oil, and honey while staying at the Capecchio.

Lucca is a good center from which to tour Tuscany. Pisa isn’t far from Lucca – Puccini walked to Pisa and back to go to his first opera performance, which was Verdi’s Aida. However, we chose to drive to Pisa and Livorno one day, visiting the seaside towns north of Livorno as well. Another day we took the train to Florence, which was easy to do from Lucca. We drove over to Lake Massaciuccoli, enjoying all the little towns along the way there. We drove around the Tuscan hills as well. We were delighted with the ease of getting around Tuscany, so long as we could read the maps properly!

What was so refreshing about our stay in Lucca was that, while it is a very historic town and an architectural gem, it is very much a living, breathing small city. It doesn’t have all the trappings of a tourist destination. Because of that, you really have a chance to get to know the Lucchesi, who are friendly and outgoing, and to see how they live. It is an utterly charming place, and it has rapidly become a favorite destination.

Photo courtesy of Susan M. Brooks

Take the good life with you.

Elegant Comfortable

High Quality

Fully Customized

Powerful

travelers’ resources

Planning Your Best Ski Vacation

BY BrAd weTzler

In the dead of winter, when it seems like you’ll never make it to spring, you’ve got a few options: You can stay at home and be miserable. You can fly south to, say, Acapulco or the Caribbean, and lie idly on the beach, getting a sunburn and heat stroke and never raising your pulse above its resting point. Or you can head for the mountains and strap your feet to skinny 6-foot-long boards and point them downhill, filling your soul with awesome views and fresh air, and feeling the absurd joy that comes with working your legs like jackhammers all day till they ache so bad you can hardly walk. The third option is the one for me. I’ve been an avid skier and outdoor journalist for more than 20 years. In that time, I’ve learned a lot about what you need to know to plan a ski vacation. Here’s everything you need to know before hitting the slopes.

The first thing you have to decide is WHERE to go. Fortunately, in the United States, there are hundreds of places to choose from – in just about every corner of the country. (Yes, Arizona has ski areas.) Each region, let alone each ski area, has its charms. Colorado, the land of light fluffy snow dubbed “champagne powder,” is world famous for the many and wide variety of ski areas it has. It’s home to dozens of resorts, ranging from small one-lift, family-owned hills to massive, glitzy resorts with faux-Tyrolean themes. Some of the more famous are Aspen, Vail, Steamboat, and Telluride. In Colorado, powder is king. The best skiers pray for it, savor it – they’d give their left arm (but not either of their legs) for the chance to make garlands in fresh, waist-deep snow.

But there are hundreds of resorts elsewhere to consider: Park City, Sundance, and Snowbird – each of them less than two hours from Salt Lake City – are three of Utah’s most popular ski areas. The Lake Tahoe area, where storms can dump 10 feet of snow in one afternoon, and British Columbia’s Whistler always rank in top-ten lists of North America’s finest ski areas. Meanwhile, East Coasters can head to New England’s Killington and Wildcat Mountain ski areas, among others. They’re all great places to learn how to ski. (But be forewarned the snow is icier in the Northeast, and if you’re not paying attention you can wind up doing the splits and cartwheeling head-over-heels onto your backside.)

One of the most convenient places for great skiing is Summit County, Colorado. Just an hour and a half from Denver, it’s home to four fine ski areas: Keystone, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin, and Breckenridge. Make Frisco, a small, centrally located village, your home base, and ski a different resort every day of your vacation. I’ve always been partial to Breckenridge, a former gold-mining town. It’s enormous, made up of three separate peaks, and it has slopes for every ability, not to mention a wide

Clockwise from top left: As a popular Colorado destination, Breckenridge, seen here at dusk, offers three separate peaks and slopes for all skiing abilities. Downtown Telluride’s main drag is lined with shops, restaurants, and quaint hotels. The Snowbird tram takes skiers to the top of Hidden Peak (11,000-foot elevation) in just seven minutes and provides access to the new Mineral Basin Area.

Photo courtesy Colorado Tourism Office, Matt Inden, Weaver Multimedia Group

Photo courtesy Utah Office of Tourism, Frank Jensen

Photo courtesy Colorado Tourism Office, Matt Inden, Weaver Multimedia Group

array of restaurants that will entertain those who’d rather shop than ski.

But if it’s glitz and 24-hour partying you seek, no ski area beats Aspen, vacationland of the wealthy and famous, with its gourmet restaurants and late-night clubs. There are actually three ski areas in Aspen – Snowmass, perfect for families and beginners, Aspen Mountain, the largest of the three, and Mary Jane, for experts only. My favorite area, however, is not in Colorado. I prefer Jackson Hole, in Wyoming’s Teton Mountains – definitely not for the faint of heart. The steeps there are thigh-burners and the views of the Wyoming plains below go on forever.

After picking a ski area, the next thing you’ll need to decide is, what time of year do you want to go? As you’d expect, holidays such as the week between Christmas and New Years are the busiest time of the year. President’s Day can also be a nightmare. On those days, you’ll be dodging crazed, incompetent skiers and waiting in long lift lines. I’d suggest planning your skiing trip for late February or March. By February, you need a break in the action of your everyday life. And March – well, it’s warmer and you don’t need to wear so many cumbersome clothes.

When you visit a ski area, expect to lay out some serious cash. Equipment, lodging, and lift tickets can cost thousands of dollars for a family of five. Staying in a condo or hotel right

on the mountain is the priciest way to go, but if you’ve got the coin, nothing beats its convenience. As soon as you unbuckle your boots, you can be sitting by a crackling fire with a glass of Cabernet in your hand.

Newbie skiers often ask: Should I buy equipment or rent it? Dan Gibson, a snow-sports writer and outdoors columnist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, suggests renting the first three to six times out. If you buy and you’re not yet sure if you even like the sport, you may end up with $700 or $800 worth of ski equipment in your garage. “If you decide you want to pursue the sport further, you should buy to avoid the hassle of renting each year.”

If you do buy, there are a few things you should know: Don’t buy used skis that are more than three or four years old. Skis have advanced drastically in the past few years. Previous to 2001, skis, which are made of various combinations of hard plastic, Kevlar ®, and sometimes wood, had relatively straight “side cuts,” meaning that their width remained the same from tips to tails. But today’s skis are shaped quite differently. They are wider at the tips and tails and narrower in the middle and along your boots. Dubbed “parabolic skis” or “shaped skis” they take less energy to turn. In fact, by simply shifting your weight to one side, they practically turn themselves. They’re definitely not your father’s skis.

info

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The time to start planning your ski vacation is now. Airfares are cheaper when you book early and hotels and condos at popular ski areas fill up fast. Do some research. Which ski areas would be best for your family or group? A great place to start is GORP (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/skiing.htm), an outdoor sports Web site with extensive coverage of snow-skiing. The editors of GORP have thought of everything: online ski-trip planners, guides to both U.S. and international ski areas, the best gear to buy, various top-ten lists, including (for advanced skiers) the best places for “extreme skiing.” Ski Colorado USA (www.skicolorado.com) provides a lot of information for those who want to go to that state. There you’ll find catchy write-ups of all the major Colorado ski areas, facts on ski schools, reports on snow conditions, offers to save you money, something they call a “lodging locator” to help you land that perfect place to lay your head after a day on the mountain, and more. Utah has a similar site (www.skiutah.com), which has well-written feature stories from authors who’ve skied the resorts, giving you flavor for what you’d experience if you go there. As mentioned above, ski clubs offer fun group trips. If you’re looking to join a ski club, check out www.snowskiclub.com. The site lists clubs by name, state, and city and offer links to various tour operators. For info on ski gear, check out REI ® (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) at www.rei.com or Outside magazine’s 2008 Buyer’s Guide at http://outside.away.com/outside/gear/gear. tcl?gear=Ski-Gear&gear_cid=10981.

Of course, part of the fun of spending a week at a fancy ski resort is looking good on the mountain. When it’s time to buy your ski apparel, keep these two rules in mind: 1) layers, layers, layers and 2) never, ever cotton. As outdoors athletes everywhere will tell you: Cotton kills. It holds sweat next to your skin, leaving you vulnerable to hypothermia. “Some people spend hundreds of dollars on high-tech base layers but then wear a cotton T-shirt underneath it,” Gibson says. “That’s like wearing a wet bathing towel.” He advises wearing three layers at minimum: a non-cotton base layer – preferably silk or polypropylene – that wicks sweat away from your body; a warm shirt – again not made of cotton; and a windproof, waterproof, or water-resistant outer layer or parka. If it’s really cold, he says, add another thermal layer, like a wool sweater or fleece pullover, under the jacket. “You can strip off a sweater or pullover and hang it on the fence next to a lift if you’re too hot, or leave an extra layer in the car or a locker if it looks like it might get colder as the day wears on.” In other words, give yourself some flexibility. As for jackets, the most expensive single item in ski apparel, you should talk to a knowledgeable employee at your local outdoors or skiing shop. As a basic rule, you should wear a waterproof design in the Pacific Northwest. In the rest of the country, warmth in the jacket is more important.

Don’t forget about your feet. You should first put on a pair of “liners” made of silk, wool, or a good synthetic. Over the lin-

ers, wear a good synthetic ski sock (SmartWool® Medium Cushion Ski Socks and Wigwam Outlast Ski Socks are perfect). Don’t wear socks that are too thick, as they’ll cut off circulation in your feet, which actually leads to colder feet. A hat is critical to staying warm, too, as heat rises in the body like a chimney. Hats, which come in all colors and designs, have long been a way that skiers express their personality, however, many serious skiers and snowboarders now wear insulated helmets instead. It makes sense: Why risk head injury or death from hitting a tree or rock at 40 miles per hour? A spare pair of gloves and goggles in your ski bag also come in handy.

To keep your home-fires stoked inside all that cool gear, you’ll need to make sure you eat a good lunch on the mountain. Most ski areas have heated, fast-food restaurants on the mountain itself, where you can expect to spend $12 for a burger and $8 for a bowl of Texas chili. While it’s fun and relaxing to take your skis and boots off and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate at noon, some serious skiers never stop for lunch. I’ve always enjoyed taking a sack lunch and eating it while I ride the lift. A sack lunch doesn’t have to be peanut butter and jelly. Add some classiness by packing a hunk of good Jarlsberg cheese, an apple, and a bar of dark chocolate.

No matter how athletic you are, if you’re a beginner, you’ll want to start by taking a lesson or two. Most first-timers are uneasy sliding on snow, not to mention getting on and off the chairlift. Neither of these talents are we born with. Lessons are also important so that you don’t develop bad habits early. And of course, if you’re out there without knowledge of proper technique, you’re more likely to injure yourself. Besides, these days ski school can be a lot of fun. You meet people in the same predicament as you – terrified – and most ski instructors are outgoing, enthusiastic, and, yes, even hilarious. Before your first lesson, make sure you tell the instructor about your ski experience. Ski lessons (in a group situation), which can cost as much as $110 for a full-day lesson, are worthless if you’re in a class that’s not right for you. If it’s too easy, you won’t improve. If it’s too advanced, you may wind up cowering on a slope you have no hope of skiing down. Pretty much everyone starts out

©REI, Drew Rozdilsky

©REI, Ivan Lasso

learning the snowplow, a fail-safe technique for slowing down, entailing pointing the tips of your skis inward. But after just a lesson or two, you’ll be skiing the easier slopes on your own. Of course, you’ll also learn about how ski slopes, or “runs,” are rated for difficulty. The least difficult and least steep slopes are marked with green circles. Steeper slopes or ones with difficultto-navigate bumps called moguls are marked with signs with blue squares. Expert runs are marked black diamond, and some runs are even marked double black diamond.

Obviously, you can go skiing with just your family or a group of friends. But if you’re looking for more camaraderie and convenience, and you want to save a little money, you may want to join a ski club. There’s probably one in your town. Going on a group trip lets you leave the tedious planning and details to the group leaders. They arrange the lodging and are able to snag discounts on lift tickets. And with groups, there are always feisty skiers on hand to party with after a day on the mountain.

Keep in mind that skiing can be a dangerous sport if you go too fast or don’t watch out for trees and rocks. And sometimes accidents happen regardless. I know this firsthand. Twenty years ago I took an awkward fall and tore my anterior cruciate ligament, one of the key ligaments that is necessary for knee stability. The injury required major surgery to repair, and it took a year of rehab to get it back to full strength. But that shouldn’t scare you away. The more you ski, the more you’ll improve, and with continued participation in the sport, new doors will open for you. You may eventually want to consider “snow-cat skiing,” in which skiers reach remote, virgin snow by riding up the mountain in snow-grooming machines, and heliskiing – similar idea, but using helicopters to transport you to remote locations.

With your new knowledge about this sport, you’ll never again consider hitting the beach for your winter vacation.

right: This jacket will be available in REI stores this fall. It comes in men’s and women’s, and is made with eVent fabric, which has excellent breathability for intense aerobic activity, such as backcountry skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing. Above, left: A couple glides on cross-country skis near Vail. Above, right: This skier catches big air at Snowbird Ski Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.

Photo courtesy Colorado Tourism Office, Matt Inden, Weaver Multimedia Group

Photo courtesy Utah Office of Tourism, Frank Jensen

Staying Connected

MainTaininG lineS oF CoMMUniCaTion

While aBRoaD iS noW MUCh eaSieR

By MiChael a. RoBinSon

James Martin knows firsthand the joys and pains of staying connected to the United States while traveling abroad. he’s something of a Renaissance man: a photographer, writer, and webmaster who has lived and worked as an archaeologist in italy and Greece.

An expert on the digital world with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology, Martin divides his time between living in northern California and a home he recently bought in the Lunigiana region of northern Italy.

Ironically, he doesn’t own a U.S. cell phone, saying he likes his quiet time and that coverage near his California home is spotty on a good day. But in rural Italy, cellular signals are strong and clear, and greatly preferred over conventional service.

“It can take an act of God to get a landline here,” Martin said in an e-mail interview from Italy. “I know – I have one for dialup, the only Internet service available here. Italians relocating to the U.S. are always amazed that they can call the phone company and BOOM! They have a telephone line that works. It doesn’t work that way in Italy.

“In some ways, this is one of the problems that spurred an almost universal adoption of mobile phones. You go to the phone store, pick out the phone you want, and you’re babbling away in seconds. It’s a dream come true. And you don’t sign those long contracts with the bogus ‘free phone’ offers that cost an arm and a leg in the end.”

owners

For Martin and other tech-savvy travelers, staying connected with family and friends as well as contacting restaurants, hotels, and other businesses abroad can be as simple as having the correct SIM card. That’s short for Subscriber Identity Module, a portable memory chip used in many cellular telephones.

The SIM card makes it easy to switch to a new phone by simply sliding the SIM out of the old phone and into the new one. Furthermore, several companies offer U.S. travelers the option of buying a SIM for use in Europe. Martin says the SIM card greatly simplifies traveling in many parts of Europe, particularly in Italy.

“When your SIM runs out there are many, many places to get them recharged, including most newsstands,” Martin adds. If you don’t like the provider, you buy a different SIM.

“I have a cell phone I bought about five years ago with an Italian SIM. Every year I go to the store and get it recharged for about $30. That lasts a long time, because I don’t call out much. Italians prefer to talk in person. They use their phones to call and say, ‘Meet me at the bar. I have something important to discuss.’”

Observers note the confluence of several factors that make global travel much easier for those who want to use technology to communicate back home as well as develop new relationships while abroad.

If nothing else, they say, the enormous growth in use of the Internet has taught people how simple it can be to form international relationships. Internet cafés – coffee houses that either provide Internet stations or have wireless connections – have proliferated throughout the world in recent years.

That means many travelers, particularly those on business, can take their laptops with them and do Internet searches, send and receive e-mail, and keep abreast of news back home. Many others will be able to take advantage of growing wireless con-

nections, particularly in large cities around the world but even in remote regions, observers say.

Furthermore, good cellular service allows travelers to use so called “smart phones” or personal digital assistants with keyboards that make emailing and Internet surfing easier. Younger travelers like sending and receiving text messages, which they can do from a smart phone or standard cellular device.

One disadvantage of using smart phones with numbers from the host country is that it becomes much harder to get locals to call them because of steep roaming charges. That means a native smart device may not provide an all-in-one solution.

For those who want to travel light or don’t want to invest in a smart phone, Internet stations can often be found in hotels or local businesses. On the surface, this seems simple but can quickly become complex because of differing keyboards. “If you don’t bring your own computer be aware that foreign keyboards can be a bear,” adds Martin, who blogs about his travels and files dispatches for the Web site About.com. “The Italian one is only slightly different, but the French keyboard will have you ripping your hair out in big chunks.”

International travelers will want to do a little advance planning to make sure they understand roaming charges to decide if renting an overseas cell phone makes sense or to see about getting a new SIM card with an international number. It is also wise to make sure the right electrical plugs or adapters are used and to decide what to do about computer access.

William R. Hill, an intellectual property attorney in Oakland, California, has been traveling to Mexico for several years and often takes his sailboat there. He takes a bifurcated approach: using both his cell phone with a northern California number and going to Internet cafés in the evening to check his e-mail.

“I’m not going to say that Internet access is as good as sitting here in my office at work or even that matter for my home office

Above: With some planning and preparation, cell phones can be an easy line of communication when traveling abroad. At right: SIM cards store key information that allows users to change mobile phones by simply swapping the SIM card from one cell phone to another.

in Point Richmond,” says Hill, a senior litigator with Donahue Gallagher Woods LLP. “But usually you do pretty well.

“Generally in Mexico the major hotels have wireless connections and there are Internet cafés in all of the cities. You can use your own laptop and hook up to their broadband or use their computer. You have to pay attention to the keyboards because they are not always in English.

“Cell phone service is getting much better. Five years ago in Mexico it wasn’t very good. The last trip I took [in March 2008], it was great. We really didn’t go anyplace remote. We were just in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán, and I had excellent cell phone reception in both of those areas.”

Although Americans traveling abroad can find cell phone signals, they must overcome a couple of technical barriers. First of all, there are differing cellular standards between the United States and most of the rest the world. So, let’s cut to the chase: If you really want a versatile cell phone, you want one that operates in at least two “modes,” but three are greatly preferred, and a “quad phone” is ideal. That’s because Europe and many other parts of the globe use a standard known as GSM, short for Global System for Mobile communication. The trade group GSM Association says 82 percent of cellular users, or roughly 2 billion people in more than 200 countries, rely on the technology.

Boosters say GSM makes international roaming a snap. However, roaming charges can run $1.29 a minute abroad, about double U.S. roaming fees, experts say. However, users get digital call quality as well as good data communication.

GSM networks operate in four different modes, or frequency ranges. Most work in the 900 megahertz (MHz) or 1,800 MHz ranges. The United States and Canada use the 850 MHz and 1,900 MHz bands.

Outside North America, most owners of modern mobile phones already tap into GSM. For Americans, those with the latest gadgets have extra frequencies embedded but need to make sure the phone is “unlocked” to gain access to other networks. That’s often as simple as making sure it comes unlocked at the time of purchase or asking the provider to unlock it.

“The coverage in Europe is probably the best in the world,” says Patrick Gentemann, founder and owner of Call In Europe, a business that is tapping into the growth in

Cell phone reception and wireless Internet connections – no longer restricted to just homes, hotels, and cafés – can often be found in even remote areas.

international business travel with low-cost cell phones and SIM cards. “All the EU countries developed cell phone technology much faster than in the U.S.

“For instance, there are 60 million cell phones in use in France. That’s more than the number of people who live there.”

That’s Gentemann’s edge: He’s an expert on the French and British markets. A native of Marseille, France, Gentemann formerly owned Futur Telecom, a French company he sold about two years ago. He got the idea for his new business when he realized people stopped returning calls when he used his U.S. cell number.

Whether you decide to use his service for France or the U.K., his two main markets, Gentemann suggests you avoid renting an international cell phone unless you plan to make only cursory calls. Rental plans typically costs $1 a day with airtime priced at 99 cents a minute, he says.

Call In Europe sells SIM cards for $29 each and charges 39 cents a minute for airtime, which is less than the $1.29 fee he says U.S. carriers would charge for international roaming. With a European SIM, U.S. travelers can forward calls to their U.S. number. That’s the best of both worlds, Gentemann says, because the phone appears local to callers on both continents.

Call In Europe currently has 1,500 customers and needs about 5,000 to break even, Gentemann says. He’s not worried about demand because he says 19 million Americans travel to Europe at least once a year but the number of actual trips totals closer to 90 million, meaning there’s a potentially big market in repeat travelers.

“Our product is not ideal for a tourist but good for people who travel at least once a year,” says Gentemann, adding he soon plans to enter Germany and Italy. “Once you buy the SIM, it is yours and you have the number. As long as you spend $60 a year, it is active and protected.”

Ironically, having a “European” phone can come in handy while traveling in the United States. Just ask Jan Hertsens, a native of Belgium and a security software architect at Facetime Communications, a Silicon Valley provider of security solutions for such applications as instant messaging.

Hertsens was recently on a trip to West Virginia, where he and some friends wanted to order a late-night pizza. Hertsens’ friend couldn’t get a signal on his U.S. cell phone along a mountainous road from the airport.

“Instinctively, I reached for my phone and said, ‘No problem, just use mine,’” Hertsens recalls. “Before he could give me a look that said, ‘Yeah, like that weird European thing is going to work

here,’ I grabbed the phone and said, ‘Got signal.’ My old tri-band Nokia had homed in on the strongest signal and negotiated a connection through my Belgian provider.”

As a technology expert and world traveler, Hertsens knows getting a cell signal or Internet connection is not the hard part. The challenge is making sure you have the right electrical plugs for the country you are visiting.

The U.S. electrical standard is 110 or 120 volts of power. Not only does most of Europe use what amounts to 240 volts, Hertsens says, but the grid operates on a different frequency. So having the right plugs becomes critical.

Hertsens recommends getting a Kensington Travel Adapter, an all-in-one device that makes connections possible in more than 150 countries. It was recently available on Amazon.com for less than $25. He urges travelers to avoid buying specialty plugs for specific countries, those that come in boxed sets, or those with built-in voltage converters, which he says have a tendency to overheat and could damage equipment. He offers a couple of other tech tips for traveling.

“Check out the ‘iGo ®’ system, available at your local electronics dealer,” Hertsens says. “The concept is what I call ‘one brick to rule them all.’ You get input cords that plug into wall outlets, cars, airplanes, and boats. The brick will eat whatever voltage you feed it, and automatically do any converting for you.

“There is even a last-hope option of charging a small device using regular disposable AA batteries. Not only does this allow you to get your cell phone up and running again in the middle of nowhere, it also allows you to give that extra recharge you need to finish your [mobile] movie on that transatlantic flight.

“Believe it or not, some airline companies don’t even offer power outlets in business class. But don’t get me started on that. That’s for another story.”

Kensington’s all-in-one Travel Adapter conveniently provides a power connection for laptops, cell phones, battery chargers, and other electronic devices.

Photo courtesy of Kensington

The

wonders on seven mile beach.

Unmatched alone, together unequaled, they make ownership at The Residences an experience like no other.

Imagine a lifestyle completely inspired and connected by water. Imagine defining details, each from a special place and time. Imagine all the amenities and services of the legendary Ritz-Carlton, steps away or delivered to your door. The sea, the setting, the Seven Wonders. World-class service. Wordly appeal.

Now imagine all of this starting at just $650,000. To learn more about the brand new opportunities within our ocean-to-ocean resort community, visit residences-cayman.com or call 345 815 7777.

Wonders,

seven

The 7

left to right: Ambassadors of the Environment Children’s Program by Jean-Michel Cousteau; Golf by Greg Norman; dining by Eric Ripert; Silver Rain, a La Prairie Spa; The Courts tennis program by Nick Bollettieri; the Endless Service Program by The Residences and service by The Ritz-Carlton.