Travel Mags - March 06

IN-FLIGHT INSIGHTS

In-flight magazines are one of the last, lingering airline freebies. And they may make excellent "desperation reads" as you circle over O'Hare for the 34th lap. But are they worth stuffing in your carry-on for serious, off-plane perusal? This month, we took a look at magazines from seven airlines -- so fasten your seatbelt, here's what we discovered.

NORTHWEST AIRLINES:
NWA WorldTraveler

BEST FOR:
Denizens of Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis who have a healthy respect for authorities.

DOES IT FLY?
If you live in one of Northwest's hub cities - or drop in often - you'll find plenty of local scoop on shopping, restaurants, museums and sports. Even the celebrity interviews have a local angle. "A Long Weekend" (the issue we examined touted Vegas' "Many Charms") tells the vacationally challenged exactly what to do - and where and when to do it: Breakfast! Shop! Lunch! Museum! Dinner! Show! Oh, please, can't we just sleep-off our hangover one morning? A promising story on Mexican-cuisine honcho Rick Bayless's favorite haunts south-of-the-border might have been helped by putting the writer on a plane instead of a phone (hint: you're an airline). Other articles on money, health and food were all penned by subject authorities (Motley Fool, Mayo Clinic, the Washington Post's restaurant critic on his DC dining faves).

DIVERSIONS:
Crossword puzzle, edited by Will Shorter.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
34 pages of airline info, plus 16 pages of pure advertising at the back, adds up to a hefty 50 pages.


ALASKA AIRLINES:
Alaska Airlines

DOES IT FLY?
Like most airline magazines, you'll find short items up front about cities Alaska serves. But in this case, there's some nice reporting about the exhibits, events and hotspots. Plus, where else are you going to find a shopping tip about knitted goods from the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers' Co-operative? Too bad the features are dry and draggy. A story on blogs seemed like old news, while the article anchoring a 17-page section on San Francisco read like a term paper - though we do like their concept of covering a destination each month, with separate stories on dining, lodging and activities (and they don't put us on a stupid schedule). While most pieces have adequate "if you go" info, we noticed a story with an exhaustive list of western ski resorts mysteriously left out Utah. You got it: Alaska doesn't fly there.

DIVERSIONS:
Crossword puzzle, provided by Penny Press.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
13 pages of airline info, but the entire issue is heavy on ads.


SOUTHWEST AIRLINES:
Southwest Airlines Spirit

BEST FOR:
General-interest readers, with a U.S. focus.

DOES IT FLY?
It's a tall order: put together a magazine that appeals to anyone who might toddle down the jetway. Most of the time, Spirit succeeds, with more - and generally better - content than the competition. "Heck, this is a REAL magazine!" you say, flipping the pages. We dug stories on real-life pet detectives, environmentally friendly fashion and Seattle's garage winemakers. A piece rating TV chefs got a bit tangled up in pandering to diverse readers (standings were based on a combination of Miss America categories and the NFL quarterback ranking method - yikes!). Travel stories take a backseat here, but the lone feature on Philly gave us some unexpected city "bests" - with lively writing and a nifty, numbered map that told us exactly where to find them (but more prices would have been nice, guys).

DIVERSIONS:
A quasi-funny quiz; two crosswords by Merl Reagle; four sudoku puzzles, also by Reagle.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
A lightweight 10 pages of airline info.


DELTA:
Sky

BEST FOR:
Worldly travelers who like plenty of cheek with their chic.

DOES IT FLY?
We can't help loving an airline mag that invokes the phrase "geek-lust" when describing techie toys and titles their collection of brief food articles "Pie in the Sky" (think about it). Then there's the SpaHound column on cruise ships with spas, wherein the author explores "the delicious possibilities of detox-retox." Sky is short on long features, but if you like quick, witty takes on assorted locales, along with the latest must-haves, must-sees, must-dos, must-reads and must-eats - this is your pick. The "Good Goes Around" department gets serious; in the copy we read they shined a light on the Nike Foundation's work with girls. We like that, too.

DIVERSIONS:
One crossword and two sudoku puzzles, supplied by Games Magazine.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
16 pages of airline info.


US AIRWAYS:
US Airways Magazine

BEST FOR:
Trust-fund babies or hubbies (residents of hub cities Las Vegas, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Charlotte, that is).

DOES IT FLY?
Hey, there! Could you be troubled to, um, tell us the prices at the restaurants and trips you cover? The tale of a dreamy sojourn at what we can only assume is a stratospherically costly resort on Turks & Caicos doesn't give us a hint at the pricing. Ditto an engaging piece from the mag's "itinerant gourmand," naming his top ten restaurant dishes for 2006. Really, we don't enjoy cagily chatting up a snooty reservationist to discover whether we can afford to sleep or dine. What's worse, a nature-cruise story begins to read like a gushing ad for Lindblad Expeditions (but of course, no prices - or any other info whatsoever that would let you duplicate the trip). On the plus-side, 20 pages of upfront items cover the gamut, from touring the Pentagon to Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp ($8,499 - thank you!) to artists who build whimsical (and, we'd guess, expensive) bird houses; 20 additional pages focus on doings in hub cities.

DIVERSIONS:
Two crosswords and a word game, by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
18 pages of airline info.


AMERICAN AIRLINES:
American Way

BEST FOR:
Busy, affluent intellectuals - who like to chow down an order of hash-browns now and again.

DOES IT FLY?
OK, so the story about sweat - that's right, sweat - might not be so fascinating if you're reading it while wedged in a coach seat next to that pudgy, perspiring salesman from Paducah. But we were intrigued by this bizarre topic. We were less amused by a whiney writer's quest for good Tex-Mex on the East Coast. Zzzzzz. A Seattle restaurant roundup revived us as it romped through seafood stand-outs, chili joints, coffee purveyors, soul food finds and the ultra-buzzy deli run by Mario Batali's dad. A delectable read, but nary a price. However, you've got to like a mag that not only interviews Juliane Moore, but also makes her give up her fave spots in hometown Manhattan (some addresses might be nice, though, folks). We do wish we had enough money to hire a "daily money manager," as another article recommends, or enough time to attend the time management course profiled in the "Taking Control" department. We'll have to settle for one of the recommendations in the nice, plump book section.

DIVERSIONS:
Mensa quiz, by Dr. Abbie F. Salny; crossword, by Roslyn Stark.

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
17 pages of airline info.


UNITED AIRLINES:
Hemispheres

BEST FOR:
Armchair travelers - or readers who have "people" to handle the pesky details.

DOES IT FLY?
Oh, "Three Perfect Days" department, you can make even a trip to a Caribbean island seem hectic and stressful with your marathon itineraries! It's enough to make us guzzle down that bottle of guavaberry liqueur you directed us to pick up. We do like the accompanying map with color-keyed, numbered destinations and monthly temperature chart, though. But what, perchance, might this adventure cost? In general, Hemispheres is more about departments than features, with sections on golf, booze and events. There's a resident car columnist (but no resident plane columnist) who kindly shares the sticker prices of his subjects - yet alas, a story on "opulent" winter lodges left us out in the cold, without so much as a phone number. Pardon us for getting all righteous, but did you ever think we might be interested in actually doing the things you write about?

DIVERSIONS:
Four sudoku puzzles by Wayne Gould; crossword by John M. Samson; horoscopes by Kathryn L. Silverton (ours said, "The road is calling your name" - how did she know??).

EXCESS BAGGAGE:
A fluffy 33 pages of airline info, but made a rotten pillow on our last red-eye flight.

Travel Mags - Jan 06

WORTH A TRIP: “With apologies to Keira Knightley, the real estate steals the show.” That’s Budget Travel’s take on the movie Pride & Prejudice, and they back it up with details on how you can visit the palatial English country estates that upstaged poor Keira. They’ve also got the scoop on nine other movie settings, including Brokeback Mountain (Alberta, Canada, subs for Wyoming), Memoirs of a Geisha (most locations are in California) and The Chronicles of Narnia, which was shot in filmdom’s favorite imaginary land, New Zealand. But don’t attempt to track down the Antarctic denizens from March of the Penguins. "Mating occurs in the most remote and inaccessible place on earth," a source cautions. And you thought singles bars were rough.

WORTH A FLIP: Surgeon & Safari? Nip and Tuck Journeys? Believe it or not, they’re actually the names of companies specializing in medical tourism. travelgirl says it’s easier than ever to arrange for “orthopedic surgery, heart surgery and even organ transplants in faraway locations.” The big motivation is price. One provider quotes an “eyelid cosmetic procedure” at $1,500, versus a $6,000 price tag in the U.S. But beware, physician references, proper patient screening and the skill of the anesthesia provider are all important factors. Some U.S. docs also mock the idea of “vacationing” post-surgery, since sun exposure and booze are no-nos. Bottom line, do your homework and consider all the angles before you nip off to have a tuck...

Turin isn’t typical, Travel+Leisure claims. “The city's Versace store had to close because locals wouldn't be caught dead in such ostentatious clothes, and Hermès has to stock plain white paper shopping bags so patrons can carry its understated luxury home without risking any fashion statements along the way.” Italy’s Motown (it’s home to Fiat) may be conservative, with Baroque-era arcades that lend a sense of mystery, but there’s plenty to see and taste when you get below the surface – much like a favorite local drink, the bicerin, that layers milk, chocolate and coffee…

You can go back, Gourmet says in their 65th anniversary issue. And they make amends for the lack of information provided back in the days when “you weren’t necessarily supposed to travel” but rather, “just read about other people who had.” Many places the magazine visited in the 1940s have been transformed by tourism – Napa, Mallorca, the Dalmatian coast. But following in the footsteps of M.F.K. Fisher, we revisit Auberge du Raisin, a Swiss inn that would still make the great food writer swoon, over 60 years after her original story...

The latest gazillionaire status symbol seems to be building an exotic resort. Outside Traveler reports on Kasbah Tamadot, Brit billionaire Richard Branson’s hideaway outside of Marrakesh, and Hosteria Rincon del Socorro, the wildlife refuge and “eco-retreat” in Argentina, created by Doug Tompkins, former owner of The North Face. For the less-flush among us, Tompkins’ offering is the more affordable, starting at $130 per person, including meals and wildlife safaris with local gauchos. Doubles at Branson’s Kasbah rise upwards from $378… More fascinated by the haunts of famous men from the past? German Life recommends you pay a visit to hotel and restaurant Zur Hohen Lilie, in Erfurt. King Gustavus Adolphus II of Sweden was a “longstanding guest” until he was killed in battle in 1632. A century or so earlier, Martin Luther (under an assumed name) enjoyed chatting about the Reformation with unsuspecting fellow lodgers…

“Vienna cool? Who knew?” R.W. Apple exclaims in Town & Country Travel. New, refurbished or reinvented museums deserve much of the credit. One, the Albertina, has “sparkling high-tech galleries for its hoard,” including “more than a million prints by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Durer and Rubens, as well as Rauschenberg and other modernists.” The Viennese music scene is as vibrant as ever. And when it comes to food, in this land of pastries “forget what your mother said and eat and drink between meals”… If you’ve been flirting with making a hardbound printed photo album using your digital vacation shots, grab this month’s Money. They’ve sampled six popular providers and handed out grades based on image quality, tools, flexibility and price. Shutterfly earns top honors, though the author recommends taking several sites for a test drive before forking over $30-50 for a twenty-page book….

WORTH A CLIP: To see how far digital photography has come, page through National Geographic Traveler, which went all-digital for their December/January issue. Then yank out the centerfold packed with tips from pros like Bob Krist, who says he switched to digital because “the immediate feedback, sometimes called ‘chimping’ [the ooh-ooh, ah-ah response to seeing a good image come up on your camera] is intoxicating.”

WORTH A CLICK: House sitting may be a great way to take a bargain vacation, according to AARP The Magazine – although you could find yourself sautéing fresh steak for a French cat’s breakfast or discover your “island paradise” is more like a tropical work camp. AARP recommends these websites for brave cheapskates willing to take the plunge: http://www.caretaker.org/ ($29.95), http://www.housecarers.com/ ($32), http://www.housesitworld.com/ ($40) and http://www.sabaticalhomes.com/ (house sitters can post ads for free).

WORTH A GAWK: Now you’ve got an excuse. Outside says “scientists have traced ‘fear response’ (your tendency to avoid things that might kill you) to a gene called neuroD2.” Some people may have smaller amounts of the protein the gene produces, which means they have less fear than the rest of us about scaling treacherous mountains, tackling class VI rapids or tasting that odd-looking item on the cruise ship buffet table…

Travel Mags - Dec 05

WORTH A TRIP: You’ve heard of fusion food – but fusion vacations? In Outside, Nick Heil tracks a heady mix of altruism and adventure on the Sight-to-Summit Expedition in Nepal, which brought together “thoroughbred” mountain climbers and eye surgeons to help restore sight to hundreds of elderly blinded by cataracts. After performing operations in improvised field hospitals, the gang headed off to tackle one of the Himalayas’ “celebrity” summits. But it soon becomes clear that the real peak experience was witnessing patients at the moment their bandages came off. “As the eye patches fell to the grass, one man leaped up and started dancing,” Heil reports, while an ecstatic woman exclaimed “‘It is like seven suns.’” Reader beware: you may find yourself rethinking that nice, margarita-soaked beach holiday you’ve been planning…

WORTH A FLIP: American Legacy (“The magazine of African-American History & Culture”) visits Salvador, Brazil, with “the largest concentration of people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere,” taking us from a church built by slaves where African drums replace the usual organ, to a Candomble temple where ancient African religion is practiced, to a poor district where the spirit of Malcolm X and samba swirl together…Fond of things that go bump in the night? Check into Baskerville Hall Hotel in Wales, The Sunday Times Travel recommends. Site of a famous Sherlock Holmes mystery, it also hosts “Haunting Breaks,” where guests might snap photos revealing “ectoplasm” or hold séances to summon a dead relative. At the least, the daunting gothic façade will send shivers down your spine…While Carmen Electra frolics on Aspen Mountain’s manicured Colorado slopes, not far away, intrepid adventurers are belly-flopping down treacherous tracks on souped-up air mattresses. Known as airboarding, the sport is relatively new in the U.S., Esquire says. It’s like “riding an Olympic luge, except headfirst and rudderless, with trees and boulders scattered across the track and medical help hours away by snowshoe.” Hooked yet? How about ripping down the mountain at speeds that would get you pulled over on the freeway? Fortunately, a guide explains, “‘Airboards double as air bags’”…If you’d prefer to chip away at mountains rather than hurtle down them, give opal mining a try. Fork over $90 a day, Country Discoveries reports, and you can search for rare black opals at the Royal Peacock Opal Mine in Nevada’s Virgin Valley – finders, keepers…

For those who remember Moscow’s food scene being glum as a guard at Lenin’s tomb, you’re in for a surprise. Gourmet claims “deciding among the many restaurants, cafes, and coffeehouse that have replaced the grim establishments of the past can be bewildering.” At a seafood spot, the “glass floor reveals huge sturgeon and carp swimming beneath your feet,” while a Ukrainian-style tavern “offers one dish more fabulous than the last” as you gaze on a grandmotherly figure tending “real farm animals” in a courtyard. Or get a taste of the lifestyle that sparked a revolution at Café Pushkin, “where the glories of 19th-century Russian dining are re-created”…It’s not your granddad’s trailer: “Far from a retirement den outfitted with La-Z-Boys, BaseCamp is a mobile outpost for adventurers,” Suface says of the latest silver bullet from Airstream. The new sleeper/trailer comes with a kitchen, two bunks, its own attachable tent and “a ramp to roll on off-road toys” – yet it’s compact enough be towed by almost any car…

To score a ticket for the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament in Germany, you practically have to offer up your firstborn. Budget Travel walks you through the labyrinthine lottery process, and also provides alternatives, including brokers who will merely demand thousands of dollars…travelgirl bares all to take in France’s “nude city” of Cap d’Agde, which numbers 40,000 naturists during peak season, complete with nude supermarkets, nude Internet cafes, even a nude post office. We especially like the hilarious nude Barbie dolls that illustrate the story (photos of real patrons are forbidden)...

WORTH A CLICK: For a more classic French experience, follow the lavender road, France Magazine advises. With the right information, furnished by Association Routes de la Lavande (www.routes-lavande.com), you’ll be able to track down hidden trails and villages “not even mentioned in the usual maps,” where waves of fragrant blooms intoxicate travelers.

WORTH A CLIP: Don’t know Jin Shin Jyutsu from Mandi Lulur? Nope, they’re not the latest Kung Fu stars, but spa treatments. Tear out SpaFinder’s “Asian primer” for explanations of all the trendy new treatments drifting over from the East. (FYI, those named above are a type of Japanese acupressure and a cleansing “body ritual” performed on Javanese brides.)

WORTH A GAWK: EEEUW! On January 26, Brisbane, Australia holds its Cockroach Festival, described as “the greatest gathering of thoroughbred cockroaches in the known universe,” according to Travel Savvy. In true Aussie style, “the winning cockroach is fed a glass of beer.” No word on whether tourists visiting for the big event stay in roach motels…

Travel Mags - Nov 05

WORTH A TRIP: Mere mortals might be a tad nervous heading off on a death-defying adventure with a Kennedy, so RFK Jr. corrals some assorted celebs to raft Chile's Futaleufu River -- and tells the tale in the winter issue of Town & Country Travel. It's a rip-roaring quest with a cause: fighting to protect the pristine white-water river from being dammed. Tackling Class V rapids, Kennedy says, "Time seemed to slow . . . and I noticed little things of beauty. Cormorants and geese basked on sunlit rocks; a kingfisher undulated by with a trout still flapping in its beak." The beauty of somebody famous writing about celebrities is that they come off as almost normal. Julia Louis-Dreyfus survives multiple dunkings; Dan Aykroyd tells ghost stories; and John McEnroe, who has been pretty much everywhere but never slept in a tent before, proclaims it the most memorable trip of his life.

WORTH A FLIP: The November Men's Journal sends you to a watery grave, with a wreck diving trip in the Truk Lagoon, where "you're swimming through some else's nightmare . . . surrounded by thousands of ghosts." During World War II, allied pilots bombed 45 Japanese ships to the ocean floor here, making for fascinating yet eerie sites filled with such evocative objects as "sake bottles filled with seawater, and phonograph records as thick as pancakes" . . . It may be one of the most civilized bike rides around. Bicycling reports that the Giro D'Vino in Lodi, Calif., has rest stops set up at wineries -- and they'll shuttle any bottles you purchase right to the finish line, where you can toast your 65-mile accomplishment.

France magazine's jazzy redesign results in more enticing tidbits and info-intense coverage -- which, in this issue, includes a Paris guide that tips you to the capital's burgeoning B&B scene, the latest ethnic dining spots, upcoming blockbuster museum shows and more . . . Diddy had his posse to guide him through the New York City marathon, but if you're eyeing a big-city race, have a look at the insider guides in this month's Runner's World. They include detailed scoops, from where your pals should be posted to cheer you on to the best spot to grab a Gatorade without getting trampled.

Outside goes down under to present 10 odysseys in Oz, including a gallop down the beach with novelist Jane Smiley as she explores the wilds of Noosa, north of Brisbane, by noble steed. "Horse tragic" is the Aussie term for equine aficionados -- but Smiley comes off more of a hero, herding cows and testing her mettle on a champion endurance racer . . . The king of bling, Swarovski, may lay claim to the world's sparkliest museum, according to German Life. Swarovski's Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds), near Innsbruck, Austria, is "a walk through different facets of reality and reflection." You'll recognize it when you spy the face of a crystal-eyed giant with a waterfall spilling out of his mouth. It gets weirder. Imagine a huge crystal wall 36 feet high and 138 feet long, paved with more than 12 tons of gems. There are works by Salvador Dali, Keith Haring and a multi-media installation by Brian Eno. And -- you guessed it -- the world's largest kaleidoscope.

For a little sparkle closer to home, visit the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art near Orlando. National Geographic Traveler says it houses the "world's most comprehensive collection" of Louis Comfort Tiffany works, with everything from blown glass and pottery to furniture and a 1,000-pound chandelier.

WORTH A CLIP: Skiing names the top 25 ski resorts in North America and includes a handy one-page grid that lets you compare all the stats. So while Mount Baker, Wash., wins for snowfall, with 639 inches, you might prefer the fact that Heavenly, Calif., gives you access to 200-plus bars and eateries.

WORTH A CLICK: Clickmeisters, go crazy! Download free subway maps to your iPod at http://www.ipodsubwaymaps.com; score events tickets on http://www.fatlens.com, which searches major vendors, plus eBay and Craigslist; or go to http://www.yellowarrow.net to find out what's up with the 300,000 arrows tagging oddball sites around the world (all in Budget Travel ) . . . Get the most out of flying with the aid of http://www.seatguru.com, http://www.flyertalk.com, http://www.webflyer.com and http://www.expertflyer.com/login.jsp (in Business 2.0 ).

WORTH A GAWK: She's sampled cat food, South African worms and barbecued dog, but Susan Hack can't choke down an eyeball taco served up in not some exotic byway, but Chicago. It seems the tacos-that-look-back-at-you have gained "a cult following on dozens of Web message boards" and are emblematic of how the Second City has snagged first place for ethnic foods, she reports in Conde Nast Traveler. What's next on the menu, little cat feet?

Travel Mags - Oct 05

WORTH A TRIP: "I woke up one morning last spring to find my life was a lie," Donovan Webster says in the National Geographic Traveler. Despite his Anglo-Saxon name and a proper New England family tree, DNA testing revealed his roots went much further afield -- to "click-talking Hadzabe in Tanzania . . . Lebanese Arabs, tribal Uzbeks in Central Asia, and Basques in Spain." Thanks to the Genographic Project (sponsored by the National Geographic mothership), now "anyone can have their own DNA analyzed to discover their ancestors' migration routes." Webster sets off to visit his "genetic family," on a "DNA heritage tour" that spans more than 100,000 years. It may be the most far-flung family reunion ever -- yet these relatives aren't so distant after all: "I could not imagine someone with whom I had less in common," he says of a Rift Valley tribesman in Tanzania. "But as we began talking, it was the things we shared that became obvious."

WORTH A FLIP: Camping Life offers a thoughtful starter guide to kids' backpacking, including pack weight (10 to 15 percent of body weight), duration (three miles a day, max) and fun (pick destinations "that end in a natural jungle gym"). And remember, "Their senses are directed to the small, funny-shaped rocks, ant hills, miniature gardens, smoothly weathered sticks," not the stunning views that dazzle you . . . Have we conquered our 9/11 fears? Travel+Leisure notes that "travel to foreign destinations by U.S. residents reached an all-time high last year," with visits to China surging 72 percent and trips to France up 28 percent . . . But if you'd prefer to stick closer to home, Outside Traveler (a twice-yearly special from Outside) gives you 10 great options, from sled-dog mushing in Minnesota to biking California wine country to a historic road trip down the Natchez Trace Parkway ending up in an 1830s log cabin B&B . . .

For those who thought the Scandinavians invented skiing, Backcountry sets us straight: It all began in the Lake Baikal/Altai Mountains region of Asia. Three intrepid travelers venture to find the sport's origins and discover Tuwa locals schussing through old-growth forests on "huge, wooden, handmade" skis wrapped in horsehair, wielding a single pole taller than they are . . . A world away, another slice of Asia -- Los Angeles's Chinatown -- has "morphed from an area littered with FOR LEASE signs into something approaching official hot-spot status," according to Sunset. Quentin Tarantino is reopening the "classic King Hing Theater" and more than 20 galleries have sprouted. It's a "split screen of now and then," with "art installations in one storefront while retired residents play mah-jongg under fluorescent lights in the next" . . .
This destination has a "prime slice of silky Mediterranean beachfront with the look of Rio and the vibe of Miami," with a Bauhaus core designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Would you believe Tel Aviv? City says that although words like "bombing," "attack" and "targeted" pockmark the headlines, the Israeli capital's original Ottoman-era architecture, and beaches "for every persuasion," rarely make the news. Plus, Tel Avivis "display resilience, an almost aggressive defiance to terror that is both inspiring and slightly mad" . . .
Budget Travel was inspired by companies that "do the right thing" to launch the Extra Mile Awards, honoring a diverse bunch, including Microtel, for free in-room phone calls; Club Med, for creating a teens-only hangout zone; and Continental Airlines, for an online calendar that shows exactly when frequent-flier seats are available.

WORTH A CLIP: Gourmet's 2005 restaurant guide covers 18 U.S. cities, dishing the best eateries for "business," spots with "buzz," "classics" and "neighborhood gems." Then it condenses the results into a nifty tear-out pocket guide.

WORTH A CLICK: Sure, your boat may soon "languish under a cover of snow," but a charter in the tropics is the perfect antidote, Sail says. It provides a how-to primer in print, plus an expanded list of bareboat company stats with Web links at http://www.sailmagazine.com/ (click on "Charter Cruising").

WORTH A GAWK: "Any spa treatment influenced by the Mayans, who ripped out the still-beating hearts of their sacrificial victims, is bound to involve more than a lemongrass rub," The Sunday Times Travel opines, introducing us to the Temezcal sweat ritual at Mexico's Kinan Spa with classic Brit wit. If that doesn't appeal, how about a Tasmanian spa that takes you wombat stalking to promote personal development? . . . For those who'd rather not get in touch with their inner selves, try exhibiting your outer self at Florida's annual Fantasy Fest (Oct. 21-30), Islands suggests, including the Epidermal Arts and Torso Tapestries Contest. "And leave all inhibitions at the door!"