March/April 2013 by SPAN magazine

MARCH/APRIL 2013 Rs. 20

CHILL OUTat the

hot spotS

Dizzy for Disney Road Trip Adventures Budget Getaways

is on

EARTH DAY APRIL

www.earthday.org/ footprint-calculator

Watch some videos on green living www.earthdaytv.net

Make a difference in your community www.epa.gov/ epahome/acting.htm

Take this quiz and see the impact you have on the planet

Be an environment-friendly

shopper www.eco-friendly-digest.com/ eco-friendly-shopping.html

SOURCES: ComScore, 2010; TechCrunch, 2011; Mashable, 2011. Mashable 2012 (http://mashable.com/2012/02/14/ pinterest-daily-users-are-up-125-percent) “How to conserve water in the bathroom,” 2011-EcoFabulous.com (http://sustainability.tufts.edu/downloads/computer_brochures.pdf) Tufts Climate Initiative Computer Brochure, Tufts University Nike, Investors.nikeinc.com/Theme/Nike/files/doc_financials/2012Q1.pdf www.digitalbuzzblog.com/2011-mobile-statistics-stats-facts-marketing-infographic www.treehugger.com/green-food/treadmills-suck-kilowatts.html www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/pdf/cell-flyer.pdf NIKE and the swoosh logo are registered trademarks of Nike Inc.

March/April 2013

A LETTER FROM THE

PUBLISHER

http://span.state.gov For notification of new content, write to:

ezinespan@state.gov

Worship and Dining Guide for Traveling Indians By Kimberly Gyatso

Travel

New

Experiences in New Hope

From

the Local’s Eye View

By Carrie Loewenthal Massey

On the Road

Have

Budget, Will Travel

By Anne Walls

Top

Convention Destinations

By Candice Baker Yacono

ALEX WINTERS

By Carrie Loewenthal Massey

Music

The

Five Hot Spots

By Howard Cincotta

Dizzy for Disney By Jane Varner Malhotra

Coachella’s Floating Music Festival By Jason Chiang

Making

the Right Decision

By Don Martin and Wesley Teter STATEMENT FORM IV The following is a statement of ownership and other particulars about SPAN magazine as required under Section 19D(b) of the Press & Registration of Books Act, 1867, and under Rule 8 of the Registration of Newspaper (Central) Rules, 1956. 1. Place of Publication:

2. Periodicity of Publication: 3. Printer’s Name: Nationality: Address:

4. Publisher’s Name: Nationality: Address: 5. Editor’s Name: Nationality: Address: 6. Name and address of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than one percent of the total capital:

Public Affairs Section American Embassy American Center 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110001 Bi-monthly C.J. Jassawala Indian Thomson Press India Ltd. 18/35, Delhi Mathura Road Faridabad 121007 Walter T. Douglas American 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110001 Deepanjali Kakati Indian 24, Kasturba Gandhi Marg New Delhi 110001. The Government of the United States of America

I, Walter T. Douglas, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Front cover: Photograph © Getty Images

Articles with a star may be reprinted with permission. Those without a star are copyrighted and may not be reprinted. Contact SPAN at 011-23472135 or editorspan@state.gov

By Michael Gallant

Art Director Hemant Bhatnagar Deputy Art Directors Qasim Raza, Shah Faisal Khan Web Manager Chetna Khera Production/Circulation Manager Alok Kaushik Printing Assistant Manish Gandhi Research Services Bureau of International Information Programs, The American Library

Published by the Public Affairs Section, American Center, 24 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 (phone: 23472000), on behalf of the U.S. Embassy, New Delhi. Printed at Thomson Press India Limited, 18/35, Delhi Mathura Road, Faridabad, Haryana 121007. Opinions expressed in this 52-page magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Government.

31 32

Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort

Publisher Walter T. Douglas Editor in Chief Adele E. Ruppe Editor Deepanjali Kakati Associate Editor Richa Varma Hindi Editor Giriraj Agarwal Urdu Editor Syed Sulaiman Akhtar Copy Editor Shah Md. Tahsin Usmani Editorial Assistant Yugesh Mathur

Courtesy Nick Holeman

ith summertime just around the corner, it’s time to start planning your vacation. America has a lot to offer those who are planning their first visit as well as for return visitors. It is a vast country which requires repeat trips to fully explore and appreciate. Few other countries boast the variety of destinations enjoyed in America. No matter what you like when it comes to vacation spots—beaches, mountains, canyons, deserts, forests, rivers, lakes, bustling metropolises, charming small towns, adventure sports, museums or fantasythemed parks—America has them all, and more. This issue of SPAN is all about the different ways you can enjoy the United States—at the most-visited hot spots, on a road trip across the country, like a local in big cities and small towns, at budget-friendly destinations and at some of the most popular amusement parks in the world. Each article comes with tips on how to best enjoy the experience and return with memories to last a lifetime. I have always believed that the real fun in visiting any place lies in going beyond what it is famous for. For example, my home state of Nevada is betterknown for the casinos and spectacular resorts of Las Vegas. But there is much more to Nevada. It is also home to the spectacular Lake Tahoe; many museums, including one of neon signs; Highway 50, often called “the loneliest road in America;” grand mountain terrain and subalpine lakes at the Great Basin National Park; and the massive Hoover Dam with its Art Deco details. Las Vegas itself has more than just grandiose casinos and glittering nightlife. Did you know that it is also home to more than 10 million square feet of convention and meeting space spread over a variety of venues? In 2011, more than 4.8 million attendees traveled to the city to attend approximately 19,000 meetings, trade shows and conventions. So, when you plan your vacation in America, look beneath the surface to see what else states and cities have to offer. We would love to hear from you once you return from the United States. Tell us what you liked best and also what surprised you along the way. Write back to editorspan@state.gov.

V O LU M E L I V N U M B E R 2

Date: February 15, 2013

Correction: The name of Bruno Mars’ hit single on the SPAN Calendar’s December page iss “Just The Way You Are.”

Walter T. Douglas Signature of Publisher

The

cross-country road trip is an American rite of passage to

exploration and adventure.

ON THE By CARRIE LOEWENTHAL MASSEY

2 MARCH/APRIL 2013

ROA

Courtesy Andrew Hilty

Courtesy Nick Holeman

Right: A sign welcoming visitors to Seligman in Arizona. Far right: Nick Holeman in Arizona. Below: The Bonneville Salt Flats State Park in Utah was a scenic highlight of Andrew Hilty’s road trip.

TRAVEL

AD MARCH/APRIL 2013

or young Americans, the cross-country road trip is iconic—an often-embarkedupon expedition that’s “part of this classic American narrative of growing up,” says Andrew Hilty, a 24-year-old nursing student and recent veteran of the coast-to-coast trek. “There’s something so romantic about that kind of journey,” Hilty says. The romance comes from the off-thebeaten-path discoveries and unanticipated encounters travelers make along the way.

America’s Interstate Highway System weaves plenty of routes through mountains and parks, into cities and towns, across rivers and around lakes, leading from one ocean to the other. Common itineraries cross either northern states or southern states, depending on travelers’ needs and interests. Route 66 offered a path that crossed both, running from Southern California through the Southwest, turning north through parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri, ending in Chicago. The road no longer exists on most maps though, because the Interstate Highway System replaced it. Some states have labeled sections of converted highways “Historic Route 66.” Hilty took five days in 2012 to drive from his childhood home near San Francisco, California to his graduate school in Portland, Maine. He drove Highway 80 nearly the entire way—it is the most direct northern route—stopping overnight in Utah, Nebraska, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. He planned his route strategically to include places he had never been, like Nebraska and Iowa. Nebraska proved especially impressive, treating Hilty to his “favorite adventure” of the trip at the University of Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln. “One of my interests is in paleontology and…they had the world’s largest mammoth specimen. This thing is monstrously huge and completely dwarfed my expec4 MARCH/APRIL 2013

Photographs courtesy Nick Holeman

Which road(s) to travel?

tations. I was not disappointed,” Hilty says about the 14-feet skeleton. Exploring the lower half of the country, Nick Holeman, Branden Meadows and R.J. Ruppel chose a southern route from West to East and back again. The friends, who are finishing (or in Meadows’ case, just finished) their undergraduate studies at San Diego State University, drove from San Diego, California to Nashville, Tennessee, stopping in Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana and Alabama on the way. Heading back home, they visited Missouri, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. Holeman, Meadows and Ruppel count Dallas, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Nashville, Tennessee as their favorite spots. The cities offer

Above: Nick Holeman (from left), R.J. Ruppel and Branden Meadows at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Above right: Holeman (from left), Meadows and Ruppel took a side trip to visit the Superman statue in Metropolis, Illinois. Above far right: Truckee River at Interstate 80 in California. Right: Andrew Hilty stopped to see the 14-feet woolly mammoth skeleton on view at the University of Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln.

ÂŠ Getty Images

Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Interstate Highway System

weaves plenty of routes through mountains and parks,

Courtesy Andrew Hilty

into cities and towns, across rivers and around lakes, leading from one ocean to another.

MARCH/APRIL 2013

Expect, and enjoy, the unexpected Before leaving San Diego, Holeman, Meadows and Ruppel created an itinerary that planned their 15-day trip down to the hour. They also packed what they deemed to be essentials in an attempt to

Right: Gulf Shores in Alabama. Far right and below: The Arches National Park in Utah. Below right: Interstate 70 at San Rafael Ridge in Utah.

SouthParkFanatic/Wikipedia

“downtown areas [that are] great for people our age,” Meadows says. Holeman “fell in love with the southern hospitality and the southern accents… country music and good barbeque” in Dallas, he says. But nature won them over, too, with a night under the stars in Moab, Utah and an encounter with unique jellyfish on an evening walk on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. “The species of jellyfish did not sting you or harm you in any way. You were able to pick [them] up…” says Meadows. “They would light up with any movement…so the waves looked like they had little electrical currents running through them, one of the most amazing sights I had seen in nature.”

save some money along the way— peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a case of bottled water, Gatorade, blankets and pillows. While the rations were worthwhile, the itinerary was useful only as a vague guideline, Holeman says, as the travelers forgot to account for the time changes they would experience as they drove.

The absence of a strict plan ended up leaving welcome room for spontaneity. For instance, at the suggestion of a local they met at a gas station in New Mexico, the friends detoured to visit the White Sands National Monument. “It was one of the most gorgeous spots of the trip,” Holeman says. “There were huge dunes of white sand as far as

Courtesy Nick Holeman

for a Planning W

6 MARCH/APRIL 2013

hen the urge to hit the road is irresistible, go for the adventure, according to veteran cross-country road-tripper, Branden Meadows. But while the decision to execute a trip may be spontaneous, and the people you meet along the way excellent guides, Andrew Hilty and Meadows do recommend taking certain calculated steps to keep the journey safe

and smooth and budgets under control.

Research everything

Hilty relied on Yelp.com for reviews of restaurants and lodging choices. He especially wanted to be sure he chose hostels or hotels in comfortable neighborhoods.

Time the trip wisely Meadows recommends travel-

noticed Hilty when he entered the club. “When I said I was from California they...incorporated me into the show. They had me singing with them,” Hilty says. Hilty’s free spirit served him well throughout the trip, leading him to meet “really friendly” people. “You could tell [people] got excitement out of talking to someone who was

living in this temporarily transient state. They helped me along the way and hopefully I entertained them with my easygoingness at the time,” says Hilty. “Those human interactions are what make the experience so rich.” Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York City-based freelance writer.

U.S. Road Trip ing in the summer to guarantee the best weather possible. Heat can be a factor, however, so he cautions travelers to “have plenty of water and a good air conditioner.”

Insure your safety It is wise to join a service like AAA (www.aaa.com), which provides roadside assistance, flat tire changes, fuel delivery and

Go Online Route 66 http://www.nps.gov/nr/ travel/route66/

Road Trip USA www.roadtripusa.com

other emergency services.

Prioritize spending Do you love adventure sports? Uniquely cultural food? Whatever it is, skimp in other areas to save for your favorites. Meadows and his friends packed snacks to save money on the road so they could have the funds to indulge in unique taste sensations in the Southern cities they visited. —C.L.M.

Taking the Great American Road Trip

University of Nebraska State Museum

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ travel/The-Long-Way-HomeUSA.html

http://museum.unl.edu

White Sands National Monument http://www.nps.gov/whsa

you could see. The sun setting in the background was incredible.” Traveling without a plan paid off in the adventure category for Hilty, too. Had he predetermined a dinner stop in Erie, Pennsylvania, he never would have stumbled upon Jr.’s Last Laugh, where food came along with a comedy-filled dueling piano performance. The pianists

y l d n e e i v r i f Falleiotn-s for. w tinat tures des adven U.S.

Have Budget, By ANNE WALLS

Palm Springs P

Right: Downtown Palm Springs.

8 MARCH/APRIL 2013

comfortable lodging, and delicious places to eat…for cheap.

What to do Take yourself on a glitzy tour of Hollywood legends’ old haunts, starting at the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on Palm Canyon Drive. Then explore (for free!) the many hotels frequented by The Rat Pack, Clark Gable, Dinah Shore, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley and

more. Good places to start are The Ingleside Inn (www. inglesideinn.com) and Movie Colony Hotel (www. moviecolonyhotel.com).

conscious $59 per night. It has two outdoor pools, tons of amenities and is located right in the heart of the city.

Where to stay

A trip to California would not be complete without some authentic Mexican food and the best place in the city to get it is Las Casuelas Terraza (www.lascasuelas.com). A live band and a rocking dance floor make the night even more fun, and with most entrées around $13, this is one vacation experience your wallet will say “Ole!” to.

Just because you don’t have a movie star’s budget does not mean you can’t stay in a luxurious hotel. Try The Curve Palm Springs (www.curvepalmsprings. com), a boutique hotel with rooms starting at a budgetCourtesy Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism

alm Springs (www. visitpalmsprings.com) is a sunny Southern California oasis. This desert town came to prominence in Hollywood’s Golden Age of the 1940s and ’50s because it is only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles and became a favorite getaway for filmstars and film buffs alike. Now it is home to a vibrant arts scene, world-class golfing and tennis, and a bustling downtown shopping district. There are tons of art museums, restaurants, movie theaters and sports activities to explore and enjoy. Palm Springs also boasts a huge collection of midcentury modern architecture. The best part about this desert playground is that there are plenty of free activities,

Where to eat

Traveling can sometimes break the bank. But what if you could find amazing, diverse U.S. travel destinations that have beauty, culture, adventure and more â&#x20AC;&#x201D; at a bargain? It is more than possible to travel

on a budget and still have a blast, even with the whole family. Read on to discover five trip-worthy American cities that will put a smile on your faceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; without a load on your budget.

WillTravel

BUDGET TRAVEL

Courtesy Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism

California

Below: Palm Springs Art Museum.

MARCH/APRIL 2013

For an exciting and cost effective experience, sample coffee and treats from its locally-owned stores, take

One of the most popular restaurants in Asheville, Tupelo Honey (www.

tickets are only $25, so if you would like a little bit of theater culture in a beautiful mountain setting, this is the place for you.

Where to stay If you have come all the way here to see Shakespeare, where better to stay than the Bard’s Inn? Part of the Best Western chain of small hotels, this quaint lodge features great amenities and is located near both downtown Ashland and T. Charles Erickson/Courtesy Wikipedia

What to do

10 MARCH/APRIL 2013

Where to eat

For a small town like Asheville, the best move is to stay at a moderately-priced Right: The Folk Art Center in Asheville features works by Appalachian artists. Above far right: The Grove Arcade in Asheville.

shland is a Pacific Northwestern gem, a bucolic mountain town surrounded by rivers and rich forests. It is also home to one of America’s biggest Shakespeare festivals. If you are a Romeo and Juliet buff, or just love beautiful scenery, clean mountain air and great food, Ashland is the place for you. Attend the Shakespeare Festival, of course! The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (www.osfashland.org) was founded in 1935 and is among the biggest in the United States. There are nearly a dozen productions a year, and

Where to stay

tupelohoneycafe.com), is also one of the most diverse. Not only do they have Southern specialties like sautéed greens and fried green tomatoes, they also have a wide selection of vegan, gluten-free and soyfree meals. Healthy living never tasted so good.

Ashland

the Shakespeare Theater. Rooms are around $110 per night—a great deal.

Where to eat Fuel up in the morning with a delicious all-American breakfast at Morning Glory Restaurant. A local favorite often called “The best breakfast in town,” this friendly restaurant is famous for their bacon waffle as well as their low prices. Not for the faint— or un-hungry!

Below left: The outdoor Elizabethan stage at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Below: The Plaza in Ashland.

Demi/Courtesy Wikipedia

What to do

bed-and-breakfast like the Carolina Bed and Breakfast (www.carolinabb.com), a sweet little gem in a grand old Southern home located a half mile from downtown Asheville, and built in 1901.

Jane023/Courtesy Wikipedia

yourself on an art walk through the galleries, participate in one of the free yoga classes in the park, then hear some live music. Lots of fun for only a little cost (www. exploreasheville.com).

MICHAEL BOOHER © AP-WWP

sheville is an artist’s community tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, known for its healthy lifestyle and creative and eclectic locals. The city calls itself artsy, edgy and inviting, and after strolling through its architecturally and historically diverse downtown, you can see why. There are over 30 art galleries and the buildings are a diverse mix of Art Deco, Beaux-Arts and neo-Classical styles.

Asheville

ÂŠ Getty Images

North Carolina

Below: Downtown Asheville.

Alex Lockhart/Courtesy Wikipedia

Oregon

Below: The Mount Ashland ski area (http://www.mtashland. com/) near the town of Ashland.

MARCH/APRIL 2013

Savannah avannah is a classic Southern town steeped in history and culture and has numerous museums and town squares to explore. Nicknamed “The Hostess City of the South,” this quaint city has lots to show you and tons to discover so make sure you are

in the Garden of Good and Evil.” Savvy travelers will skip the official cemetery tour and grab their own map to do a selfguided (and free) tour!

What to do The Bonaventure Cemetery, located in the center of the Historic District, is an experience not to be missed (www. bonaventurehistorical.org). A popular attraction for more than 150 years, this cemetery has been called spooky and beautiful by visitors and was featured in the book and film, “Midnight

located in the Historic District in a building from 1851 and is near the Savannah City Market and other city sites. But you will be most fascinated by how much money is left in your wallet after staying here.

Where to stay When visiting such a historic place, it is only fitting to stay in a hotel steeped in a bit of that old-fashioned charm. The Inn at Ellis Square (www. innatellissquare.com) is

Where to eat

Photographs © Getty Images

Below and center: City Hall and a Victorian house in Savannah. Below right: Springtime bloom in Bonaventure Cemetery.

ready to walk!

Canoeists watch the Adirondack Scenic Railroad train arrive at a platform above the Moose River outside Old Forge in New York.

12 MARCH/APRIL 2013

Adirondacks Adirondacks offer hiking at low to no cost. Start just north of the small town called Old Forge and sojourn to a beautiful trail that leads you to not one but three breathtaking lakes—Bubb Lake, Sis Lake and Moss Lake. Bring a picnic and make a whole day out of it!

mertime, when hiking, biking, boating and camping abound.

What to do There are different regions to explore and each season offers different activities, most of them free. Try to see it all and the best way to do it is by foot. That’s right—hiking. During the spring, summer, and most of the fall, the

Where to stay MARY ESCH © AP-WWP

he Adirondacks is an outdoorsy lake region in New York with some of America’s most beautiful camping, hiking and adventure spots. Full of quaint villages, this six-million-acre civilized wilderness is larger than the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. The best time to visit, especially for your wallet, is the sum-

If you are in the South, you have got to eat some Southern soul food. And word on the street is that the place to do that is the wallet-friendly Sweet Potatoes Kitchen (www.yelp.com/biz/sweetpotatoes-kitchen-savannah). Besides the sweet potatoes that die-hards go crazy over, Sweet Potatoes Kitchen features banana pudding, chocolate chip pecan pie, and more. Salivating yet? We are, too.

A great place to stay is Old Forge Camping Resort (www. oldforgecamping.com), located in Herkimer County. This rustic recreation and lodging area hosts over 400 campsites on 130 acres and has a private lake to boot! The campground is near several local family fun centers and lots of outdoor activities. The

best part? You can rent a cabin for as low as $49 per night and a campsite for as low as $15 per night.

Where to eat When you are in the mountains, it is easy to work up an appetite. Good thing the Adirondacks is home to an authentic barbeque place like Mr. P’s Mountain Smokehouse (www. mrpsmountainsmokehouse. com). Located in Schroon Lake, Mr. P’s is a local favorite spot to feast on smoked meats and fish, chili and specialty desserts. The price is right, too! Anne Walls is a freelance writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California.

Georgia

Below: Forsyth Park in Savannah’s Historic District.

Below: Rainy marsh in the Adirondack Mountains.

MIKE LYNCH © AP-W WWP/Adirondack Daily Enterprise

New York

Below left: Visitors enjoy a view of the Adirondack High Peaks from Boreas Ponds.

MARCH/APRIL 2013

Tips for

business travelers he United States, like India, is a large and diverse country. First-time business travelers to America will find a patchwork of cultural attitudes and behaviors that may be different from what they had expected. Here is a collection of observations about America and Americans, culled from a variety of travel and business etiquette sources. Greetings • The usual American greeting upon meeting someone is, “How are you?”—and the acceptable answers are, “Great,” “Fine” or “Doing well.” You are not being asked an actual question about your well-being, just exchanging small talk. Attitudes • Do not hesitate to ask questions and seek help. Americans are friendly and approachable. This holds true for big metropolitan areas, including New York City, which can sometimes intimidate Americans from elsewhere as much as any international visitor. • Unless you know your companions well, avoid hot-button topics—or at least don’t be the first person to bring them up. Business • Be on time for meetings. If you are going to be late, notify someone. • In contrast to some other cultures, meetings and meals can seem rushed. Americans have been imbued with decades of management training stressing the need for short, focused business meetings, often with a written agenda and a summary of next “action steps” at the conclusion. • Americans will also schedule business meetings around meals. • Americans are polite but not evasive in a business meeting. “Yes” means “yes” and “no” means “no;” neither is a euphemism. Entertaining and gifts • An invitation to someone’s home is one of the few times it is appropriate to bring a small “house gift.” Most common: cut flowers, bottle of wine, book or small craft object from your home country. Dining • If you find the portions big, do not hesitate to ask for a take-home food container in just about any restaurant. It is quite acceptable to leave food on your plate. Many restaurants offer half portions. • The dinner hour in America begins at 1800 hours; 2200 hours is quite late for many restaurants. Later reservation times are more frequently seen in cities. Clothes • When “business professional” attire is expected, a coat and tie is appropriate for men, business suit or equivalent for women. Do not be fooled by Hollywood’s version of businesswomen in casual tops and extreme high heels.

By Howard Cincotta. He is a U.S. State Department writer and editor.

Top

Convention

Destinations By CANDICE BAKER YACONO

The United States is known for its vast conventions and trade shows, which can take up spaces the size of dozens of football pitches and host hundreds of thousands of visitors. The common analogy is that such shows are like small cities, with all of the related infrastructure, from cafés to business centers and lodging facilities. For the 18th consecutive year,

Las Vegas topped of America’s 250 l according to the Trade Show News Network, an online resource for the trade show and event industry. January, February and March are the most popular months for large trade shows, followed by October, June and December. Here is a look at five popular destinations for business conventions.

http://www.lvcva.com

Photographs by ISAAC BREKKEN © AP-WWP

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

Las Vegas, Nevada he Trade Show News Network says that seven of the network’s largest 10 shows were held in Las Vegas in 2011, including the number one and two shows: the annual construction industry CONEXPO-CON/AGG and the International CES, one of the world’s largest electronics trade shows.

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, $6.3 billion in revenue was raised in meetings and conventions in the city in 2011. More than 4.8 million attendees traveled to the city in 2011 to attend approximately 19,000 meetings, trade shows and conventions. More than 10 million square feet

of convention and meeting space is spread over a variety of venues, including the cavernous Las Vegas Convention Center, Mandalay Bay, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and the Venetian Congress, which are interconnected by public transportation like an overhead monorail and a never-ending supply of taxi cabs.

d the list by hosting

Above: Convention attendees check out NBC Universal content during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Left: Attendees at the CTIA wireless show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2013 15

BUSINESS TRAVEL

largest shows,

PHELAN M. EBENHACK © AP-W WWP

PETER COSGROVE © AP-WWP

space to convention facilitators, making it second only to Chicago’s convention center. Large-scale conventions and meetings comprise more than 10 percent of the area’s visitors, according to Orlando’s convention and visitors bureau, Visit Orlando. Some of the largest events held in the city include the Premiere beauty show, a trade show for those in the cosmetology industry, and MegaCon, a pop culture and comic book convention.

Orlando Orange County Convention Center http://www.occc.net

MARION CURTIS © AP-W WWP/Starpix

McCormick Place http://www.mccormickplace.com

New York City Left: The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York. Below right: Victory Motorcycles’ booth at the annual International Motorcycle Show at the Javits Center. Far right: Gaby Dior (center) with characters from “Dora the Explorer” at the Nickelodeon booth during the International Licensing Expo at the Javits Center.

Above: Participants at the 2012 Zumba Instructor Convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Left: Visitors at the Snowie shaved-ice kiosk at the annual trade show for the theme and amusement park industry, in Orlando. Below: The Orange County Convention Center.

Jim.henderson/Courtesy Wikipedia

erhaps best known as the home of Walt Disney World, Orlando is one of America’s top family vacation destinations, but also boasts a very healthy convention market. More than 50 million visitors travel to Orlando each year, and outnumber residents 25:1. The swampy region has been inundated with more than 400 hotels and 115,000 guest rooms. The Orange County Convention Center offers more than 2 million square feet of

Ingvar-fed/Courtesy Wikipedia

Orlando, Florida

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center http://www.javitscenter.com

ariety abounds when it comes to event space in the Big Apple. One of the largest event venues in New York City is the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which offers more than 760,000 square feet of exhibit space. Its location on the Hudson River is walking distance from many popular parts of midtown Manhattan. One of its largest events is the annual National Retail Federation Convention and Expo, held in January. The event brings in approximately 27,000 people from more than 80 countries who buy 16,500 hotel nights and generate $21 million in economic impact, the NYC & Company convention and visitor’s bureau says. The event has been held in New York for 102 years. In addition, the vertically oriented NY 5000 complex offers 5,000 guestrooms, RICHARD DREW © AP-WWP

Left and right: McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Above right: Deborah Eppstein is entertained by Sprockit, a robot that chatted with attendees at the Nebraska pavilion during an international biotechnology conference at McCormick Place.

100 meeting rooms and 225,000 of exhibit and meeting space in a square-block footprint. For smaller events, venues like Radio City Music Hall and Broadway theaters and sporting arenas like Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium offer panache, while massive convention hotels offer room blocks and modern facilities. For something different, event planners consider off-the-beaten-path options like

a 415-acre game preserve on Staten Island. New York City is a global transportation hub, making airfare and train fares affordable from most destinations, and offers a public transportation system that is available all day and night. It offers more than 75,000 hotel rooms, thanks to a sizable recent expansion of hotel facilities, and more than 18,000 restaurants.

MARY ALTAFFER © AP-WWP

Global Innovation Award program, which honors houseware retailers from around the world for their innovation. This year, India’s HomeTown will be honored. The International Housewares Association also announced that an honorary innovation award will be presented to the Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India at the 2013 show. The trust works to improve the lives of people who work in retail in India. Another popular venue in Chicago is Merchandise Mart, which focuses on the apparel industry and houses the annual National Bridal Market and National Prom Market, among other shows.

BETH A. KEISER © AP-WWP

hicago is America’s third largest city, with more than two and a half million residents. It houses the McCormick Place Convention Center, one of the largest convention centers in the United States with 2.6 million square feet of space. McCormick Place gets approximately 3 million visitors annually. It houses four main buildings as well as 173 meeting rooms, three large theaters and four ballrooms. A pedestrian promenade filled with restaurants, bars and shops links all elements of the center, and is ideally placed near major transportation hubs and premium hotels. Some of the largest shows to take place at McCormick Place include the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting, which can pump $120 million into the local economy, and the six-day International Housewares Association annual meeting. The association also sponsors the

M. SPENCER GREEN © AP-WWP

Chicago, Illinois

tlanta’s booming hospitality industry sustains 230,000 jobs and earns an estimated $11 billion per year in revenues. Several facilities like the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart, the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia International Convention Center compete for some of America’s largest trade shows and conventions. The Atlanta Convention Center offers 850,000 square feet in six halls of exhibit space, in the heart of the downtown area. One of its landmark features is its 14-story Grand Atrium. The facility is directly connected to a hotel with more than 1,000 rooms, and is set up with the latest technology. It also boasts a direct light rail link

from the airport. The state-owned Georgia World Congress Center boasts 1.4 million square feet of exhibit space in 12 halls, and is combined with the Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia Dome to create one of the largest sports, entertainment and convention center facilities in the world. The city sees 37 million visitors each year, a third of which come primarily for business purposes; they attend events like the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show, Dragon*Con, and the AmericasMart International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.

ERIK S. LESSER © AP-WWP

ELISSA EUBANKS © AP-WWP/AJC

Atlanta, Georgia

Above left: A Clairol demonstration at the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Above: A man depicting Speed Racer participates in the Dragon*Con parade in Atlanta. The science fiction convention draws thousands of participants every year. Below: The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Candice Baker Yacono is a magazine and newspaper writer based in southern California.

Atlanta Convention Center

Scott Ehardt/Courtesy Wikipedia

http://www.atlconventioncenter.com

The state-owned Georgia World Congress Center boasts 18 MARCH/APRIL 2013

1.4 million square feet exhibit space in 12 halls.

The

Five Hot spots

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a reason these are the five most popular travel and vacation destinations in the United States.

Photographs courtesy Wikipedia, ÂŠ Getty Images

By HOWARD CINCOTTA

rom the Hollywood sign and the Grand Canyon to the White House and the Statue of Liberty, the United States is replete with iconic images that reflect the history, myth and reality of the nation.

Here are the five most popular U.S. travel destinations, as measured by the number of annual visitors, American and international. The list has been compiled from Forbes.com, travel.yahoo.com and thetravelerszone.com.

Times Square New York City (38 (38 m million) illion)

ew York City can easily claim to be the most visited city in the United States, and Times Square, which has variously billed itself as “The Great White Way” and “The Crossroads of the World,” remains the city’s single most visited location. Situated at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, Times Square stretches for roughly five blocks in the heart of New York’s theater district, domi-

nated by enormous illuminated signs—some as tall as seven stories—known as spectaculars. It is also the site of the New Year’s Eve ball drop—for the last several years a sphere of crystal panels with computerized LED lighting—which descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square. The event draws more than a million visitors every year. Times Square has been a packed

and popular location for decades; in 1928, it already had 76 theaters producing more than 260 shows annually. Times Square declined to a seedy expanse after World War II, until a 1980s building boom and a 1990s campaign to remake the area led to its renaissance. Today, Times Square’s principal attraction continues to be the fascinating diversity of the people who flock there, to see and be seen.

Terabass/Courtesy Wikipedia

How Americans Travel Now Online travel sites offer a far greater range of services than ever before whether you want to book a flight, find a hotel room, or even plan an entire cost-saving vacation. Here are some examples. Expedia.com The original online book-your-flight travel site. Expedia offers great deals and is known for its “Build Your Trip” feature. Orbitz.com With Orbitz, users can simply type in their destination for a wide range of options for flights and hotel reservations.

Their travel agent is probably a Web site, search engine, or both.

Travelocity.com Travelocity will refund the difference in the cost of a vacation package if another customer books the same vacation at a lower price. Priceline.com Priceline’s chief distinction is “Name Your Own Price,” a price-negotiation feature where you enter the price you are willing to pay. TripAdvisor.com TripAdvisor allows you to read what other travelers think of the hotels and restaurants you are considering. TripAdvisor doesn’t book rooms; instead, it refers users to partner sites like Expedia and Travelocity. —H.C.

Sources: TopTenReview/Kiplinger/TravelSiteCritic

Times Square http://www.timessquarenyc.org

About the New Year’s Eve Ball http://www.timessquarenyc.org/ events/new-years-eve/index.aspx

Disney World in Orlando, Florida Disneyland in Los Angeles, California and

Above: Donald Duck in Mickey’s PhilharMagic, a 3-D concert movie at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Far right: Disneyland’s Splash Mountain.

alt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and the original Disneyland in Los Angeles, California, are a continent apart, but whether considered separately or together, they are among the most popular family and tourist destinations in the world. Visiting Disney World is more like a trip to a sizable city than a vacation resort, since it encompasses four major theme parks, two water parks, more than 20 resort hotels, and a host of other attractions. The Magic Kingdom theme park

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presents such classic Disney images as Cinderella’s Castle and the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Fantasyland nearly doubled in size in 2012 with new attractions and sophisticated animatronic figures built around the movies, “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Disney’s Hollywood Studios features shows and rides based on the Indiana Jones series and offers a chance to tour a working film studio. The fourth theme park, Animal Kingdom, has rides to view animals living in their natural habitat as well

as live musicals based on “Lion King” and “Finding Nemo.” Dominated by its emblematic Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Disneyland consists of themed lands such as Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland (Indiana Jones and a Jungle Cruise), Tomorrowland (featuring the Space Mountain thrill ride), and Mickey’s Toontown. Since its opening, Disneyland has hosted an estimated 600 million visitors, the largest cumulative total of any amusement park in the world.

Cd637/Courtesy Wikipedia

(33 million)

Cd637/Courtesy Wikipedia

TOM BRICKER

Popular Travel

Blogs

ombine world travel with the Internet and you end up with a vast array of sites, ranging from guides to luxury hotels to accounts of solitary backpacking in remote regions. Blogs abound as well, whether produced by restless couples who like to travel, write and photograph, or by communities of travelers contributing their adventures to a single site. Here are some popular, although very different, travel blogs.

Walt Disney World

Intelligent Travel, National Geographic A community travel blog that plucks some of the best travel writing around. The results are top-notch narratives combined with National Geographic’s stunning signature photography. Don’t miss the “Best Traveler Photos of 2012.” http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com

Camels & Chocolate

Christopher Elliott

Kristin Luna is a writer, photographer and self-described “travel addict” who is usually on the road more than half the year for feature writing assignments. She employs a vivid, distinctive voice in posts that cover much more than just her travel adventures. There’s usually a cute dog involved as well. http://www.camelsandchocolate.com

Elliott is a consumer advocate, columnist and constant traveler whose Web site contains entertaining tales of his own family travel adventures along with practical advice, scam alerts, news and links to other online travel resources. http://www.elliott.org/category/ the-ttroubleshooter —H.C.

Popular U.S. Locations on Photographs by Astro Spectacular, © Getty Images, Wikipedia

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com http://disneyland.disney.go.com

2012 proved to be a big year for mobile apps, but few experienced the explosive growth of the photo-sharing app Instagram. Here are the three most photographed sites in the United States by the Instagram community in 2012.

Disneyland, Los Angeles http://www.gramfeed.com/instagram/places/

3003018

Times Square, New York City http://www.gramfeed.com/instagram/places/

3001373

AT&T Park, San Francisco http://www.gramfeed.com/instagram/places/

910270

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Las Vegas Strip

Nevada (30 million)

he 7-kilometer stretch of highway known as the Las Vegas Strip has bright lights and a multitude of shows like those at Times Square, but the resemblance ends there. The Vegas Strip (technically outside the city limits) is synonymous with some of the biggest resort hotels in the world, including such spectacular examples of innovative architecture as The Venetian, MGM Grand, Luxor, Bellagio and Caesars Palace.

Las Vegas today features museums ranging from fine art and antique automobiles to archaeology and a history of neon signs; world-class restaurants and thrilling amusement park rides, plus shows and revues for every taste and age group, such as the Cirque du Soleil. A short drive takes you to desert sights such as the massive Hoover Dam and one of the largest artificial bodies of water in the United States, Lake Mead.

Las Vegas http://www.lasvegas.com/activities

Travel

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Kayakâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Airlines and hotels. Kayak will research airlines and hotels by your criteria, but it is not an online booking service. You will need to make reservations separately. One fun feature: click on a location on a world map to find the cost of traveling there. (Android, iPad, iPhone, Nokia, Windows Phone. Free.)

TripItâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Travel planning. Take all your flight plans, hotel and other confirmations and send them in e-mails to plans@tripit.com. TripIt provides you with a single organized itinerary, plus added information such as weather, maps and driving directions. (Android, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7. Free.) Courtesy tripit.com

Travelers have a plethora of choices for mobile device apps. Here are five that show up on many lists of most popular and highest rated mobile apps.

Courtesy kayak.com

Apps

Courtesy BrendelSignature © Getty Images

Wi-Fi Finder—Stay connected. Cool mobile apps won’t do much if you don’t have an Internet connection. Wi-Fi Finder will locate the nearest hotspot—one of half a million in its database—allowing you to continue tweeting about your travel adventures without pause. (Android, iPad, iPhone. Free.) —H.C. Sources: Wendy Perrin/Condé Nast Traveler/CNN Travel/TimeOut.com

Courtesy jiwire.com

XE Currency—For travel to multiple countries where fluctuating currency rates may be a mystery, XE can be a lifesaver by instantly providing the latest exchange rates. If you lack an Internet connection, XE will remember your most recent money exchange. (Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, Windows Phone. Free.) Courtesy xe.com

Courtesy aroundmeapp.com

AroundMe—Location finder. Standing on the street in a strange city and want to find the nearest café, bank, movie theater, gas station or ATM? AroundMe will pick them out for you, along with maps and distance to your location. (Android, iPad, iPhone, Windows Phone. Free.)

Courtesy Wikipedia

he National Mall and surrounding area in Washington, D.C. contain many of America’s best-known symbols of its history and heritage. Among the most iconic: the monuments to four presidents (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt) and three wars (World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam conflict). The newest: the 2011 memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr., hewn from a solid block of granite.

But the Mall, which stretches from the base of the U.S. Capitol building to the Potomac River, is more than memorials. It is lined with the Smithsonian Institution’s world-class museums. Among the most popular: Air and Space, Natural History, American History, Museum of the American Indian, and museums of Asian, African and modern art. In all, according to the National Park Service, the Mall area encompasses 80

National Mall and Memorial Parks

Smithsonian museums

http://www.nps.gov/nama/index.htm

Faneuil

Hall Marketplace Boston, Massachusetts

(20 million)

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http://www.si.edu/Museums

historic structures and more than 150 major historic parks, squares, circles and triangles, including 3,000 Japanese cherry trees. The Mall isn’t just about history. Each year, the National Park Service issues more than 3,000 permits for public events, from small and large political protest rallies to the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the July 4 Independence Day fireworks display.

Video of Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. http://goo.gl/YsJoE

Top 20

National Mall and Memorial Parks Washington, D.C.

Most Popular U.S. Travel Destinations

1. Times Square, New York City. 2. Disney World in Orlando, Florida

(25 million)

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Courtesy Faneuil Hall Marketplace

9. 10. 11.

aneuil Hall, built in 1742 by a wealthy Boston merchant, is the anchor for one of America’s premier urban marketplaces, with almost 50 shops, 13 restaurants, numerous food stalls and other services—all housed in a striking complex of neoclassical and Greek Revival architecture. A gilded grasshopper weather vane from 1742 adorns the top of the building, modeled after a grasshopper vane atop the London Royal Exchange. The marketplace consists of three long colonnade buildings known as North Market, Quincy Market and South Market, along with Faneuil Hall

itself. It is part of the Boston National Historical Park and is connected to the Freedom Trail, a walking tour of colonial-era Boston. Faneuil Hall declined in the mid-20th century and was headed for demolition when developer James Rouse joined with local architects and political leaders in the 1970s to restore it as the first of America’s so-called “festival marketplaces,” which have revived previously neglected urban areas and transformed them into major tourist attractions. Howard Cincotta is a U.S. State Department writer and editor.

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

and Disneyland in Los Angeles, California. Las Vegas Strip, Nevada. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, Massachusetts. Fisherman’s Wharf and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. Niagara Falls, New York. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina. Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois. Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona and Nevada. Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and in Los Angeles, California. SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida. River Walk, San Antonio, Texas. Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawaii. Grand Canyon, Arizona. Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Florida. Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts.

Compiled by Howard Cincotta

Faneuil Hall Marketplace http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com To share articles go to http://span.state.gov

MARCH/APRIL 2013

for

By JANE VARNER MALHOTRA

Tips for a fun-filled visit to Disneyland and Disney World.

TOM BRICKER

Courtesy Walt Disney World Resort

PAUL HIFFMEYER © AP-WWP/Disneyland

of Los Angeles, making Disneyland just one of many destinations for tourists in the area. The pleasant California climate and manageable scale of the park offer an appealing alternative to the massive Florida complex. Opened in 1971, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida has countless attractions and takes several days to fully explore. The theme parks include Magic Kingdom (similar in many ways to Disneyland), Epcot (evoking a permanent World’s Fair), Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom (featuring a drive-thru safari). Spread across 121 square kilometers, the area also includes two water parks, several golf courses, and over 30 resorts and hotels. Many visitors to Disney World stay within the resort or at a nearby hotel for four days or more, visiting a different Disney park each day.

he two Disney parks in the United States—Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida—draw millions of visitors from around the world each year seeking the magic only Disney can promise. Run with impeccable quality and that special sparkle, the resorts delight children and adults alike, even certain skeptics who avoid crowds and contrived amusement. If you are considering a trip to either of these legendary theme parks, a little advance planning will help you make the most of your time and ensure everyone comes out smiling. Covering just one square mile in Anaheim, California, Disneyland is the first Disney park, opened in 1955 and visited by Walt Disney himself. Other Southern California attractions surround the park, including beautiful beaches and the bustling city

TOM BRICKER

Far left: Topiaries of Prince Philip and Princess Aurora from “Sleeping Beauty” at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival in Walt Disney World Resort.

Left center: Radiator Springs Racers are shown at Cars Land, a Disney attraction based on the animated series “Cars” at the Disney California Adventure Park.

AMUSEMENT PARKS

Above: A fireworks display at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom in Florida.

Left: Guests enjoy a ride at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

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TOM BRICKER

Family Travel Tips early birds get the advantage of shorter lines for the more popular rides. Many suggest eating lunch around 11:00 a.m., to avoid the food kiosk lunch rush. Stay late at the park if the kids can handle it—as the sun sets, the park shimmers with nighttime Disney sparkle.

Take a break and see a show Head to an indoor show to get off your feet and into the cool comfort of one of the many theaters offering performances throughout the day. Some restaurants provide free entertainment, such as a Goofy-led dance party at the Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. In the evening, spectacular water and fireworks shows include Fantasmic! at both parks, and World of Colors in Disneyland’s California Adventure park.

Plan to come another time… …because you just can’t do it all at once! Enjoy what you can do without running the kids (or the parents) ragged. Just remember to pace yourself, smile and soak up that Disney magic! —J.V.M.

Above: Guests swing through the air aboard Silly Symphony Swings at Disneyland in California. Bottom left: California’s Disneyland Castle during Disney’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

What’s the latest? The Disney parks are constantly being improved and updated. Disney World, home of the Cinderella castle, offers an allnew expanded Fantasyland, including a sparkling castle for Beauty and the Beast. Technology-driven attractions such as the Phineas & Ferb Adventure search at Epcot or the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom provide fun, interactive clues for scavenger hunt games appealing to kids of all ages. Disneyland Resort—home to Sleeping Beauty’s castle—recently updated a second theme park, California Adventure, adding Cars Land based on the popular Pixar movie. Long lines for a ride on the Radiator Springs Racers or Luigi’s Flying Tires signal the success of the park’s newest addition. Little Mermaid “dark rides” (Disneyspeak for an indoor ride) in California Adventure as well as in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom offer an undersea journey with Ariel and friends. Jane Varner Malhotra is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.

Go Online Secrets of Disneyland http://goo.gl/5Pnro

Inside Disney’s New Fantasyland http://goo.gl/f2klZ

RAGB/Courtesy Wikipedia

Where Can I Find Vegetarian Food at Disneyland? http://goo.gl/N9Z79

30 MARCH/APRIL 2013

PAUL HIFFMEYER © AP-WWP/Disneyland Resort

tors may reserve simultaneous spots in California Two-to-four-hour wait Adventure and Disneyland times on some days at (covering both your popular rides can turn a Pirates of the Caribbean happy pile of kids into a cranky family pretty quick- riders and your Radiator ly. At the very least, review Springs fans, for example). a map the day before you Use technology enter the park and pick Loads of apps show the three or four must-see current wait times for difrides or attractions. Experts recommend going into the ferent rides, Fastpass availability, interactive far end of the park and park maps, show times working your way backward toward the entrance, and more, more, more! because most visitors tend Just a few examples include MouseWait, Disto do the opposite. neyland iGuide—Walkee, Guidebooks and Web sites provide detailed infor- and Lines by touringplans. com, a Web site full of mation and customized tools like crowd calendars routes based on visitors’ based on school holidays interests, ages and even heights! Some of the most and special events, customized touring plans, and comprehensive sites menus for food stands include touringplans.com, and restaurants. mousesavers.com, allears.net and the official disneyparks.disney.go.com. Go early/stay late Plan to be at the gates when the park opens, or Embrace the better yet, before that. Fastpass Magic Morning hours are Take the time to figure offered on certain days, out how to work the allowing guests to Fastpass machines, which enter the park as allow visitors to reserve early as 7 a.m. timed-entry spots on the Peak hours begin most popular rides, avoiding at 11:30 a.m., so long waits in lines. In general, you can only have one Fastpass reservation in play at a time, but read the fine print because visi-

Plan ahead

Worship

and

Dining Guide for

Traveling Indians By KIMBERLY GYATSO

Maintaining spiritual and dietary practices when you travel in the United States.

Los Angeles and San Francisco mosque searches complete with prayer times. The site features a PDF version of the Quran and mapping technology so travelers can easily navigate their way. Last, but certainly not least, www.yelp.com has a sophisticated search engine for places of worship and specific dietary needs. For example, one can search for halal, vegetarian or vegan restaurants within a chosen distance (thanks to the effective filter options) and have many options to choose from. Yelp continues to be one of the top choices for detailed, informed searches in major cities across the United States. Kimberly Gyatso is a freelance writer and humanitarian activist based in San Francisco.

H A L A L

MICHAEL CONROY © AP-WWP

V E G E T A R I A N

http://www.jainsamaj.org. The site also provides a list of other Jain Web sites. Another useful site, www. infopunjabidirectory.com offers a database of gurdwaras and temples in several U.S. states, along with Punjabi business listings. The site has an extensive restaurant directory for all states as well as every other business category a traveler could need. Punjabi DJ’s—bonus! The World Buddhist Directory, www.buddhanet.info/wbd, is among the top global registries of Buddhist temples and meditation centers. Wellorganized and easy to navigate, this Web site is an offshoot of Buddhanet. The site has helpful links to a multitude of centers, learning mediums and useful tips for Buddhists. As one of the world’s biggest online directories of halal restaurants and products, www.zabihah.com keeps the international traveler informed. After displaying search results, there are tabs for restaurants, markets, schools, businesses and even caterers. If you choose the mosque option, you are sent to www.salatomatic.com, a global mosque directory with detailed locations across America. California visitors have www. yourmasjid.com at their disposal for

LISA BILLINGS © AP-WWP

ne of the biggest challenges of traveling abroad is maintaining one’s religious routine and diet. If you are visiting the United States, fear not— American cities are well-equipped with worship and dining options for followers of all major religions. Here are some online directories for Indian travelers. A highly comprehensive online resource for traveling Indians is www.courtesyindia.com. Complete with temple and restaurant listings for all U.S. states, the site also provides a list of Hindu holidays so the global traveler can celebrate accordingly. CourtesyIndia provides a wealth of information including currency rates, Indian associations, current events and apparel listings. A good listing of Jain temples and places to eat is

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2013 31

Courtesy Anthony Sinagoga Photography Courtesy Anthony Sinagoga Photography

Right: Bucks County is home to many charming bed-and-breakfasts. 1740 House, just a few kilometers north of New Hope, is one such option for a countryside escape. Center: New Hope is filled with eclectic antique shops, restaurants, art galleries and more. Far right: The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope has been entertaining visitors since 1939. Below right: New Hope Station.

New Experiences

New

any international visitors to the East Coast of the United States rush to the Broadway Theatres of New York City, the historical sites of Philadelphia or the museums and monuments of the nation’s capital—but travelers from all over should be aware that lesser known points in between such major cities can be equally delightful to visit. Take, for example, the town of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Located right on the beautiful and historic Delaware River, New Hope is under an hour’s drive from Philadelphia and under two hours from the Big Apple. The town offers a unique mixture of charm, beauty and personality—and serves as a great launching point from which to explore the surrounding sights and cities. Stroll down New Hope’s Main Street, just a short walk from the riverside, and you will see a diverse mix of tourists and locals heading to restaurants, investigating shops or simply enjoying the town’s unique charm. On any given day, you might see young women looking at traditional Indian dresses at one of several India-themed boutiques, or gentlemen trying on imported tweed Hanna hats at CeltIberia Traders. You might also see children trying to get the attention of Butter, the cuddly cat asleep in 32 MARCH/APRIL 2013

the window of Farley’s Bookshop. Farley’s has been a fixture on Main Street for over four decades, says Jen Farley, who runs the shop with her sister Rebekah. Both sisters grew up in New Hope and have lived elsewhere, but returned to run the family bookstore. “This is a lovely place to live,” says Jen. Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson, who recently visited New Hope for the first time, describes the town as exceptionally pretty and friendly to visitors on foot. “It felt charming and quaint, and I noticed a strong artistic community there,” she adds. The arts are indeed important to New Hope, which boasts the historic Bucks County Playhouse just between Main Street and the river. According to its Web site (www.bcptheater.org), the structure was originally a grist mill and dates back to 1790, when it was built to replace the Hope Mills that had burned down not long before. Dubbed the New Hope Mills, the structure led the city to change its name to New Hope, replacing its previous identity as Coryell’s Ferry. Since it began operating as a theater in 1939, the Playhouse has presented high quality performances to visitors and residents alike, often featuring performers who also work on

Courtesy Mandee Kuenzle and the Bucks County Playhouse

By MICHAEL GALLANT

SMALL TOWN TRAVEL

Courtesy Smallbones/Wikipedia

Hope

Tired of big cities? Visit this personality-filled small town in Pennsylvania.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2013 33

Left: New Hope’s annual LGBT Pride Parade is hosted along Main Street. Left center: Residences in New Hope’s Springdale Historic District. Left below: A visitor at Ringing Rocks Park near New Hope enjoys “playing” a unique field of boulders that make a ringing sound when struck with a hammer. Bottom: Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope.

Broadway in New York City. While there is plenty to see and do in New Hope itself, visitors should also investigate the surrounding area of Bucks County. Travelers who enjoy boating, biking or horseback riding need not travel far to partake. Similarly, those fond of hiking can walk for kilometers through Washington Crossing Historic Park along the Delaware River, the site of George Washington’s famous 1776 crossing of the river to fight in Trenton, New Jersey during the American Revolution. Just over 30 minutes away from New Hope by car is Ringing Rocks Park, one of the most unique, fun and just plain bizarre spots to visit in Bucks County. After driving up winding roads, visitors leave their cars in a wooded parking lot and follow a path to a large open field of boulders. Even more interesting than the sight itself is the fact that, by striking the rocks with a hammer, you can produce musical tones. Some visitors even spend hours trying to create melodies by hammering certain rocks in the right sequence.

Courtesy Wikipedia

Michael Gallant is the founder and chief executive officer of Gallant Music. He lives in New York City.

Go Online New Hope

Bucks County

www.newhopepa.com

www.buckscounty.org

Bucks Country Ringing Rocks Park Playhouse Renovation video http://goo.gl/taibZ

34 MARCH/APRIL 2013

http://goo.gl/f9B0

Bryan Haggert y/Courtesy Wi kipedia

Part two of SPANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to authentic travel in American cities.

From the Alanscottwalke r/Courtesy Wi kipedia

Brooklyn

By CARRIE LOEWENTHAL MASSEY

ÂŠ Getty Imag

Chicago

Eye View In our January/February issue, young people from Boston, New Orleans, Seattle and San Francisco gave the inside scoop on the best sites, restaurants, bars and activities in the cities they call home. This time around, residents from

Brooklyn, Chicago, Austin and Portland share

Portland

LOCAL FAVORIT E

Axcordion/Co urtesy Wikiped ia

Austin

their secrets. As you plan your U.S. trip, tuck these tips between the pages of your travel guide, and your experience will surely transcend the typical: you will gain a genuine sense of the life of the locals in the destinations you visit.

To share articles go to http://span.state.gov MARCH/APRIL 2013 35

Visit Brooklyn

Top 5 Brooklyn vegetarian restaurants Halal restaurants in Brooklyn

Noremac mada/Cou rtesy Wik ipedia

Turner also likes Sea, a Thai rooklyn is not technically bistro that “is very romantic but is its own city—it is one of also great for just hanging out five boroughs of New with friends.” York City—but for 20somethings it can operate Nights on the town, as its own dearly-loved metropolis. Above: Motorcycles parked in front of “My favorite thing about Brooklyn often on the cheap Relish Diner in the is discovering it.… It’s a very excitOne of Turner’s favorite Williamsburg ing place to be at this time of our aspects of the Williamsburg area section of Brooklyn is its plethora of inexpensive in New York City. lives,” says Chelsea Miller, 22. nightspots. She recommends “Brooklyn is growing and developBerry Park for its “good beer ing, but still not losing itself…which selection and very attractive kind of mimics what many of us are rooftop seating area,” and The going through in our 20s.” Charleston, a rock bar with a Miller lives “right between the strong line-up of bands and a deal growing art and social scenes of that includes a free personal pizza Bushwick and the heart of pie with each cocktail purchase. Williamsburg, where there’s a lot of Both Turner and Miller say not fun and established places to go and to miss Nitehawk Cinema in things to do,” she says. The two neighborhoods form a sort of enclave Williamsburg that plays “a mix of for young adults, a community Miller new and old movies and serves cocktails and food based on the experiences as “very friendly and movie,” according to Turner. down-to-earth,” with “a really good And after the show? Take a mix of different types of people.” moonlit walk on the Williamsburg waterfront and catch the view of Good eats and drinks the Manhattan skyline. Among Miller’s top food spots is Roberta’s, a pizza place in Bushwick that is “absolutely delicious” with a “fun, hip vibe,” she says. Also not to http://visitbrooklyn.org/ be missed: Brooklyn Mac for macaroni and cheese dishes named after Brooklyn neighborhoods and landmarks. Miller also recommends Dunhttp://nymag.com/nymetro/ Well Doughnuts for vegan baked fare food/topfive/n_8683/ and Momo Sushi Shack, with its atmosphere that is “very unique and chill.” Fellow Brooklynite Erica Turner, http://goo.gl/fu0Qf 24, recommends Commodore in Williamsburg, a bar and restaurant that serves “the best [French] fries— http://dunwelldoughnuts.com it’s impossible to stop eating them.”

Dun-Well Doughnuts

Brooklyn New York City

36 MARCH/APRIL 2013

Below left: People relax at the waterfront where the Smorgasburg food fair takes place in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

BETH HARPA Z

Far left: Chocolatier Medhi Left: An employee stocks oranges at The Angel’s Chellaoui demonstrates Fruit Market on preparation techniques Knickerbocker Avenue in during an annual the Bushwick section of community barbeque in Brooklyn. Brooklyn.

“

Left: Suydam Street along Knickerbocker Avenue in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Below: Secret Project Robot, one of the many Williamsburg industrial buildings converted into art studios and galleries.

Jleon at en.wi

but still not losing itself...which kind of mimics what many of us are going through in our 20s.

kipedia

Brooklyn is growing and developing,

J. Crocker/Courtesy Wikipedia

ÂŠ Getty

Images

Above: Montrose Harbor, on the northern edge of Lincoln Park, in Chicago, Illinois. Right: Aerial view of Wrigley Field with the Chicago skyline in the background. Far right: The Chicago riverside.

38 MARCH/APRIL 2013

Chicago Illinois

he unofficial capital of the Midwest, ers, Grahamwich, which is downtown, Chicago is also a beach town. Sure, and Uncommon Ground in Rogers Park, there are harsh winters, but in the hot which the Green Restaurant Association summers Chris Olszewski, 22, a stuhas deemed the Greenest Restaurant in dent at Loyola University, spends his America. days on the Lake Michigan lakefront at one “It has a rooftop garden and their of the beaches in his Rogers Park neighbormenu changes based on the season. I hood. It’s a relaxing getaway right in the love their sweet potato fries,” Olszewski heart of the city. says. Beyond its sand and surf (or, lake) Chicago boasts all the urban diversity and intrigue a BBQ, Chicago style visitor could want. The city may be better known for its deep-dish pizza, but Chicago has great A neighborhood for everyone barbeque as well. Hernandez swears by Chicago neighborhoods are “all different,” Chicago q, a “really cute neighborhood says resident Gabrielle Hernandez, 23, and spot” that takes a gourmet spin on tradipart of their charm is the variety of activities tional barbeque. and ambiences they offer. Olszewski enjoys southern cooking, “Downtown is busy, Lincoln Park is coland loves going to Dixie Kitchen in lege-y and young, Old Town/Gold Coast is Evanston, Barn & Company in Lincoln more laid-back and nice…Wrigleyville is Park, Smoke Daddy in Wicker Park and super young and fun because it’s close to the Wishbone in Roscoe Village. baseball and all of the bars, and Wicker Park If you find yourself sampling the fare is really ‘hipster’ with cool dive places,” she in Wicker Park, head to Salud Tequila says. Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballLounge for pre- or post-meal drinks, park in America, built in 1914. Olszewski says. Or, trek back to Lincoln Olszewski counts Wicker Park and Park to check out Barrelhouse Flat, “a Bucktown as his favorite stomping grounds cocktail bar that looks like a speakeasy because of “the culture and shopping.” from the 1920s.” For unique dining experiences, Olszewski “If you go upstairs it has velvet high has recommendations all around town. They back chairs, amazing wood flooring, include Kuma’s Corner in Avondale for burgalong with a pool table,” he adds.

City of Chicago http://www.cityofchicago.org/

Rogers Park http://rogerspark.com

Vegetarian dining in Chicago http://goo.gl/kOEAo

ages

http://goo.gl/MtMrY

MARCH/APRIL 2013

ÂŠ Getty Images

Austin Texas

JACK PLUN

KETT © AP -WWP

ith its two big music festivals, Austin City Limits and South by Southwest, and the constantly available selection of live music performances, Austin certainly has a beat. But what makes the city truly great a hot spot for Mexican flavors. “Not only do the poets manage to is that it has everything else going for say things each week that really make Jolink recommends Zocalo Café for it, too. Food, outdoor activities and uniquely Austin attractions are part of me think, but the experience also per- “fresh, light and delicious” fare and Fonda San Miguel for “the best fectly exemplifies what it means to what lifelong resident Willa Jolink, Mexican food in town.” be an Austinite,” she says. 19, loves about her hometown. Austin takes the cake for best Also, “it’s hard not to love a city cuisine in other categories as well. Mexican and more whose inhabitants love it so much in Pittman claims Ramen Tatsu-Ya is Located in central Texas, Austin is return,” she says. “honestly the best Japanese ramen Left: Watching bat flights on Congress shop I’ve been to, including…in San Down to the swimming hole, Avenue Bridge is a popular activity at dusk Francisco and New York City.” His out on the town in Austin, Texas. other favorites include Nubian Queen If variety is the spice of life, Above: Fans gather at Zilker Park for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Lola’s for soul food and Cajun, and Austin is extra hot. In the summer, Below: The rowing team from the University Tam Deli & Café, “for all Vietnamese which “feels like nine months of the of Wisconsin-Madison work out on Lady Bird standards…and cream puffs!” year,” according to Travis Pittman, Lake in Austin. 28, head to the Barton Springs Pool just south of downtown. It’s “a beautiful freshwater pool on an offshoot of the Colorado River…The water http://acltv.com/ feels great and there’s tons of people watching,” Pittman says. After a day in the water, options http://austinslam.com/ abound for a night out. While, as Pittman says, “the quintessential Austin nightlife experience will always be on Sixth Street,” off the http://goo.g l/rDbp1 beaten path, there is no shortage of bars, restaurants or food trucks. Both Pittman and Jolink recommend a http://goo.g l/0kMZj visit to the Alamo Drafthouse. It is “the best movie theater chain in the country, which serves food and drinks, [and] has loads of special Right: Morning walkers stroll events and screenings,” Pittman along Lady Bird Lake, near a statue of the late blues says. musician Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jolink also likes the Austin in downtown Austin. Poetry Slam on Tuesday nights at Below: Sixth Street in Austin. the 29th Street Ballroom.

Austin Poetry Slam

Indian restaurants in Austin

sy Wikipe oore/Courte Larry D. M

MARCH/APRIL 2013 41

Halal food in Austin

dia

Austin City Limits

Oregon

Cacop hony/C ourtes y Wikip edia

RICK BOWM ER

ortland has earned its place as a West Above: Powell’s City of Books in Portland. Right: The Tom McCall Waterfront Park Coast haven for artists, scholars, bikalong the Willamette River in downtown ers and coffee enthusiasts alike. Its Portland. café culture breeds innovation, and its Bottom: Lovejoy Bakers in Portland’s accessibility to mountains, gorges and Pearl District. oceans make it an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. “There are creative minds throughout “[There’s] an amazing song list [Portland] who are passionate about whatever full of classic punk, as well as all they take up.… People care about their health, the karaoke standards. After you from fitness to food and the environment,” says [have] your fill there, head to Zoobombing resident Jenna Besaw, 25. Javier’s Taco Shop on North Lombard— is the phenomenon of adults it’s open 24 hours,” Sanchez says. on kid’s bikes plummeting In the heart of it all Besaw suggests venturing to Mississippi, down city streets from the Besaw lives in the Pearl District, a former hills of Washington Park into Williams and Alberta streets in northeast industrial area turned into a center for shopdowntown Portland. Over 10 Portland, and “funky and fun” Hawthorne years ago, Zoobombing started ping, art, dining and culture. “Extremely walkStreet and “slightly off the beaten path” out as a “open-source” bike able and easy to get around,” the Pearl offers Sellwood Street in the southeast section. club that was often at odds with access to downtown via streetcar, a waterfront Wherever you go, if it is winter and the community and police. But path “great for biking and walking,” and “some you are stuck in Portland’s constant mist, like so many of Portland’s eccenof my favorite inner city parks…Jamison you will need a good raincoat and boots. tricities, Zoobombing quickly A rose in bloom at Square and Tanner Springs,” says Besaw. “Don’t carry an umbrella,” says became interwoven into the patchthe International On a visit to the Pearl, Besaw says to seek out Besaw. “Everyone will know you are not work of the city. In 2009, the Rose Test Garden some of the new restaurants constantly emerging a local!” mayor of Portland, Sam Adams, in Washington Park, Portland. to showcase Portland’s “blossoming…culinary unveiled a functional public art talent.” Besaw’s current favorites include Isabel, Carrie Loewenthal Massey is a New York installation where Zoobombers can City-based freelance writer. Daily Café, Lovejoy Bakers, Oven & Shaker lock up their bikes in between the weekly Sunday night rides. and Mio Sushi. Look beyond the Pearl as well, http://zoobomb.net she encourages, especially to the city’s “excephttp://www.powells.com/ tional and affordable” food carts. Fellow Portlandian Alise Sanchez, 28, recommends the food cart pod by Portland State University, http://www.yelp.com/c/portland/ which sports Indian food at New Taste of India. vegetarian Also in the Pearl is Powell’s City of Books—perhaps not a tourist destination, but one both Besaw and Sanchez say not to miss. http://goo.gl/6aFY3 “It is such a quintessential Portland experience,” says Sanchez.

Vegetarian dining

Halal food in Portland

Hidden gems

LikeWh ere/Co urtesy Flickr

Portland has 95 officially recognized neighborhoods, and while you may not hit them all, there are several others worth exploring, such as North Portland. Sanchez lives in the St. Johns section of North Portland, where she recommends a meal at The Baowry, a new spot for “amazing” Asian fusion cuisine. If it is a Friday night, Sanchez likes Ducketts for “the best karaoke ever.” 42 MARCH/APRIL 2013

Cacoph ony/Co urtesy W ikipedia

Powell’s Books

ALEX WINTERS

COACHELLA’S FLOATING MUSIC FESTIVAL By JASON CHIANG

Over the past decade, has boldly transformed the concert industry and become one of America’s largest annual music

Coachella

Now, its promoters are taking on the next concert frontier: the ocean.

Fans enjoy a performance at the Silhouette Theater during S.S. Coachella. MARCH/APRIL 2013

MUSIC

festivals.

hen the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was founded in 1999, its organizers aimed to transform America’s modern festival-going experience. Just months before Coachella’s inaugural staging, the Woodstock ’99 music festival had been tragically marred by crowd violence, fires and nearly uninhabitable camping conditions. Amid a dark cloud over the industry, Los Angeles concert promoter Paul Tollett and his company, Goldenvoice, vowed to restore a sense of order and introduce a hint of luxury to the music festival scene. “With Coachella,” Tollett explains, “we asked, ‘What if Jay Gatsby threw a festival?’ ” referring to the protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby,” who is shown as surrounded by luxury and throws opulent parties.

Matt Biddulph/Courtesy Wikipedia

Courtesy @SSCoachella

ALEX WINTERS

Above: Celebrity Silhouette, home to S.S. Coachella.

MARCH/APRIL 2013

Top: S.S. Coachella passengers lounge at one of the poolside bars. Above center: Musician and DJ James Murphy. He curated a wine tasting session on S.S. Coachella. Above: Grouplove performs at the Mojave Tent during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. Left: Fans wearing glow sticks hang out at the Coachella festival in Indio.

Coachella http://www.coachella.com/

S.S. Coachella

http://ss.coachella.com

Below: Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells performs at S.S. Coachella. Right: Patrick Carney of The Black Keys performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.

or many people—musicians and festivalgoers alike—S.S. Coachella marked their first time ever aboard a cruise ship. Several performers onboard took time to share their first impressions on Coachella’s inaugural festival experience at sea.

“We’ve played Coachella twice and it’s my favorite festival by far. It’s always incredibly well organized and always a really wonderful time for everybody. When we found out the nature of the cruise—that it was going to be very relaxed and fans [hanging out] amongst bands—just the whole idea, we were absolutely for it.” —Alexis Krauss, Sleigh Bells “I enjoy this conceptually. There are so many things to distract us from the fact that we’re in the middle of the ocean, this vast abyss.” —Josh Tillman, Father John Misty “It’s interesting the way [music cruises like S.S. Coachella] capture a culture, a scene, and you have sort of a captive audience. The artists are here too and they’re all mingling. It’s an opportunity to hang out with some of your music idols.” —DJ Jason Bentley ALEX WINTERS

Matt Biddulph/Courtesy Wikipedia

Over the next decade, Coachella would soar to become one of America’s most popular and highest-grossing music festivals. Staged in the idyllic desert oasis of Indio, California, Coachella has annually featured premier musical talent like Jay-Z, Snoop Dog and Red Hot Chili Peppers as headlining acts. In 2012, the festival expanded to encompass two consecutive weekends, selling over 150,000 passes and grossing $47.3 million—the largest ever recorded for a single concert event, according to concert business trade publication Pollstar. Despite such unparalleled success, however, Coachella’s brain trust had no intention of resting on its laurels; in fact, they had already set their sights on conquering a new concert frontier—the ocean. In July 2012, Goldenvoice announced that it would bring the Coachella festival experience to the Atlantic Ocean, hosting a S.S. Coachella event on a cruise ship bound for the Bahamas and Jamaica. On December 16, 2012, I set sail on the maiden voyage of the S.S. Coachella, where acts included Sleigh Bells, The Rapture, Z-Trip, Black Lips and James Murphy. It was a luxurious concert venue with Celebrity Silhouette, the luxury cruise ship, serving as home to the S.S. Coachella. The 122,000ton ship, first launched in 2011, has 16 ship decks, a country club with a half-acre lawn, 12 restaurants, nine bars, a spa, an art gallery and even an Apple store. Live performances were available until 4 a.m. for the crowds of hipsters meandering throughout the Silhouette’s performance stages: the grandiose Silhouette Theater, comfy Sky Lounge and the rowdy outdoor Pool Deck, among others. If a truly “Gatsby-ian” atmosphere had been Tollett’s vision for Coachella, then this cruise ship was clearly the new high-water mark for festival lavishness. However, such luxuries did come

“What’s up, boat? Real talk: this is totally weird. But I’m having fun. In fact, this is awesome!” —Chris Keating, Yeasayer MARCH/APRIL 2013

Photographs by ALEX WINTERS

Father John Misty at a performance during S.S. Coachella.

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with a steep price—staterooms for the Bahamas excursion ranged between $750 and $2,000 per person. The annual three-day Coachella festival in California, by comparison, costs $349 for general admission. Despite S.S. Coachella’s exorbitant costs, the cruise experience offered several distinct advantages. One of the most uniquely refreshing experiences aboard the S.S. Coachella was the level of interaction made available with the musicians. Organizer Goldenvoice took full advantage of the contained environment by arranging leisurely activities onboard that mixed artists with passengers. Festivalgoers could attend a wine tasting curated by DJ James Murphy or have their fingernails decorated alongside the rockers of Sleigh Bells. Other performers could be regularly

spotted intermingling by the pool or socializing at dining halls and bars. Additionally, the actual musical performances were surprisingly sparse in attendance, perhaps due to the abundance of ancillary activities available onboard and the ship’s multiple performance spaces. The S.S. Coachella experiment marks an intriguing trend of music-themed cruises targeting young, affluent audiences. In the upcoming year, smaller cruise experiences built around individual acts such as 311, Kid Rock, Weezer and R. Kelly will take to the high seas. If you can afford to pay the price, these unique music cruises will deliver an intimate, premium concert experience that could never be found in a larger, landlocked festival environment. Jason Chiang is a freelance writer based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

Making the 5 Right Decision By DON MARTIN and WESLEY TETER

Deciding where to enroll for graduate school can be a tough call. ome prospective graduate students believe that their work is largely completed once they have submitted their applications to study in the United States. This is not entirely true. Many applicants are admitted to more than one program, and have to choose where they will attend. For some, the decision is an easy one. But for

many, deciding between two, three or more options causes a certain degree of stress. As you contemplate your decision, remember that you are the one going to graduate school—not someone else. You may decide to ask those whose advice you respect for their thoughts. However, in the end, it is your call. Here are some questions to ask yourself.

What is most important to me when making this decision?

addition, remember that prestige and rankings do not always coincide with quality. You need to choose the program you Finances? Program quality? Quality of faculty? Level of facul- believe is the best match for you—your success will ultity interaction with students? mately be dependent on who Student life? Location? Something else? For every appli- you are as a person and what cant the list and priorities will be perceived assets you bring to different. You need to base your your employer, and very little if any on the ranking or prestige of decision on your own circumstances, interests and goals. In your graduate program.

Application process? Faculty? Enrollment deposit? Scholarship? Program quality? Culture?

Finances?

EDUCATION

Location?

Go Online USIEF http://www.usief.org.in

If you defer or withdraw, and you really want to attend this institution, you will need to Reaching out to prospective students, demonstrate that by staying in touch, and following all guidelines applicants and admits is very telling about the way institutions treat their provided to you. It would not hurt to provide a written update every students, and perhaps their alumni too. If you have not been treated well, four to six months detailing where you are, what you are do not assume anything is going to improve after you enroll. In fact, once doing and what you have done you are there, what incentive is there regarding the deferral or re-application process. As the admisto treat you differently than before you arrived? Your enrollment decision sions staff review your application folder, they will find regular is not just about earning a degree. It updates there. This indicates to is about where you believe you can them that you mean business. be part of a community that cares about and wants to help each other.

What is the culture of the institution?

48 MARCH/APRIL 2013

in U.S. Higher Education

Recommendations from EducationUSA’s “If You Want to Study in the USA.”

Should I submit an enrollment deposit to more than one institution?

This is a good but tough question. If, after considering your options, you are absolutely deadlocked between two institutions, and enrollment deposit deadlines are approaching, you might do this. But do not send a deposit to more than two institutions. Many admissions officers compare their deposit lists. If it is discovered that you are on more than one Should I defer? Are you ready to enroll now? As you list, you will most likely be contacted by the admissions staff and have gone through the application pressed for a decision. This does process, your feelings may have not look good for you. changed or circumstances around By all means do not pay two you may have resulted in a need to step back and determine if this is the deposits and just let it go! This is best time to start your graduate pro- extremely inconsiderate and, some might argue, unethical. gram. You may be told that deferral Have the courtesy to withdraw is only granted in extreme cases. If so, you might consider withdrawing before it is too late for that instiand re-applying. We have rarely seen tution to replace you in their a situation where someone who was incoming class. Remember: send admitted, decided to hold off for that a letter of acceptance to the institution you wish to attend and letyear and re-applied, was denied. If you do decide to defer or withdraw, ters of regret to those you turn down. make sure you have addressed the following issues: Don Martin is a former admisa. Will any scholarship assistance I sions dean at Columbia, University have received still be available of Chicago and Northwestern; and author of “Road Map for Graduate when I do enroll? Study.” Wesley Teter is a former b. Is there an additional enrollment regional director for EducationUSA deposit if I defer? in New Delhi. He is also the editor c. For how long can I defer? of the multimedia outreach d. If I am withdrawing, what is the campaign, 10 Steps to Study in the United States. re-application process like? Would I enjoy it there? Remember, you are about to spend considerable time, energy and money to earn a graduate degree. Make sure you feel reasonably comfortable about the general atmosphere you believe characterizes the institution(s) you are considering. It is not worth being unhappy for one, two or more years.

How have I been treated as an inquirer/applicant/admitted student?

Edited by DON MARTIN and WESLEY TETER

lthough many organizations and publications do rank universities, there is no official list of the top universities in the United States. The U.S. government does not rank universities. Many rankings are subjective and may be based on criteria that do not include academic standards as a primary factor. Be particularly wary of rankings that do not explain the criteria on which they are based. The more established rankings can provide a starting point for your search, but the “best” institution is the one that is right for you. You may find it useful to make a comparison chart listing the differences among universities with respect to: • Research programs and facilities, including libraries and computer facilities. • Size of department (students and faculty) and size of institution. • Qualifications of the faculty. • Accreditation of the institution and, if applicable, the department or program. • Course and thesis requirements. • Length of time required to complete the degree. • Academic admission requirements, including required test scores, degrees and undergraduate grade average required. • Cost of tuition, fees, books, etc. • Availability of financial assistance. • Location, housing options, campus setting, climate and cost of living. • International student services and other services available on campus.

Take the next step and explore EducationUSA’s resources at www.EducationUSA.info.

ZAHID KHAN

ityscapes, an exhibition of photographs from three American cities, took place in New Delhi in January. The pictures trace photographer Akshay Puri’s travels through Chicago in Illinois, Baltimore in Maryland and Washington, D.C. “In each of these cities, my camera gave me [the] chance to capture the city’s character from the architecture, the roads, the limousines, the museums…, the American football stadium of Chicago, the Michigan lake with towering Chicago high-rise buildings as backdrop and certain close shots telling about the lifestyle,” says Puri. http://lalitkala.gov.in Courtesy Akshay Puri

he Chicago Children’s Choir mesmerized music lovers with their performances in New Delhi, Jaipur, Chennai and Bangalore in January and February. The Emmy Award-winning choir was founded in 1956 during the Civil Rights movement and is a multiracial, multicultural choral and music education organization working with children through music. Speaking about the choir before their performance in New Delhi, Ambassador Nancy J. Powell said, “The U.S. Embassy believes that people-to-people ties are the foundation for building healthy, positive relationships. …Tonight’s performance is particularly special because it creates bonds through the universal language of music.” http://www.ccchoir.org

H C

ashima Hasan, an Indian American program scientist at NASA, met with research scholars, students and faculty at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi in January. During her interaction, Hasan showed the students an animated feature on the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope, highlighting some of the major innovations of the mission. Hasan joined NASA in 1994 and was the program scientist for 12 flight missions. She is currently a program scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope (above) and lead for Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach. http://women.nasa.gov/hashima-hasan

RAKESH MALHOTRA

Courtesy U.S. Consulate General Mumbai

NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham

ver 100 international technology experts and South Asian NGO representatives came together in February for a twoday training on how to use technology for social good. TechCamp Mumbai enhanced digital literacy for NGOs and civil society groups working in the fields of education, entrepreneurship, women’s issues and rights, youth-led media and democracy building. The event was organized by the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai and Global India Fund through Samhita Social Ventures. http://techcampmumbai.org

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