America's Great Wilderness Spots

The U.S. has millions of acres of protected public lands. These are among the most beautiful — and isolated.

By Scott Bowen

Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex

Heath Korvola/Getty Images

True escape from city life doesn't have to mean a trip outside the U.S. Inside America's borders are some of the most remote, pristine spots on the planet.

The U.S. has more than 100 million acres of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), public lands that — since the 1964 passage of the Wilderness Act--are protected from human influence and disruption. For the outdoorsy traveler looking for remoteness, solitude and a sense of nature, Wilderness areas offer all these things in abundance.

To highlight some of America's best wilderness areas, we generated a list based on two criteria: The wilderness areas had to be either the most sizable, acreage-wise, in their given region, or they had to offer something truly unique unto themselves.

World's Most Beautiful Cities

Tight streets, a famous university and glimpses of parks, commons and courtyards dominate Cambridge, England. North of London, the city is accentuated by the River Cam and buildings both new and old, such as historic King's College Chapel and Cambridge University's modern Centre for Mathematical Sciences.

Larger cities are often just as beautiful. Tokyo, home to 50-story high-rises and traditional villas, is a favorite of Amanda Reynolds, member of the U.K.'s Urban Design Group, a collaborative body of architects, landscape architects and urban planners. But it's not just Tokyo's architecture that typifies its beauty. The city has a sense of structure and order as people smile and bow to each other, yet it explodes with energy as the narrow streets come to life with neon lighting after dark, she says.

Five of the World's Most Beautiful Cities:

1. Paris

2. San Francisco

3. Sydney

4. Florence

5. Cape Town

Have Miles but Can't Get a Seat? How to Snare One

by Scott McCartney
Thursday, January 14, 2010

provided by

Even though recession-weary consumers may want to cash in frequent-flier miles to get free trips and upgrades more than ever these days, it's gotten harder to snare those awards.

Continental Airlines, the only U.S. airline to report award redemptions monthly, says awards and upgrades claimed in its frequent-flier program were down 20% in the first 10 months of 2009 compared to the same months of 2008.

And this year may be even tougher. Since airlines aggressively reduced capacity through the economic downturn, they've filled flights fuller with paying customers and appear to have reduced availability of award seats and upgrades. As the economy picks up, passenger demand for seats will get tighter.

Best Times to Book Your 2010 Summer Vacation

By Christine Sarkis, SmarterTravel.com Staff

The post-holiday, early-winter doldrums provide an ideal time to start daydreaming about summer vacation. Whether that means a camping trip in a national park, some serious beach time, or a European jaunt, timing is everything when it comes to finding the best deals and availability.

But is booking early always the right approach? Here's the rundown on when and why to book summer cruises, vacation rentals, and trips to Europe and national parks.

Machu Picchu, Barcelona church on threatened list

By KAREN MATTHEWS, Associated Press Writer Karen Matthews, Associated Press Writer – Tue Oct 6, 11:49 am ET

NEW YORK – Peru's Machu Picchu ancient ruins, Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona and a New Orleans elementary school are among the cultural heritage sites threatened by neglect or overdevelopment, a preservationist group said Tuesday.

The World Monuments Fund's watch list for 2010 includes 93 sites in 47 countries, ranging from Phajoding, a remote monastery in Bhutan, to the bridges along Connecticut's scenic Merritt Parkway.

"The 2010 watch makes it clear that cultural heritage efforts in the 21st century must recognize the critical importance of sustainable stewardship and that we must work closely with local partners to create viable and appropriate opportunities to advance this," World Monuments Fund President Bonnie Burnham said.

The monuments fund, dedicated to saving important landmarks around the world, said a new underground rail line in Barcelona will run perilously close to Gaudi's masterpiece, which was designed as an 18-tower church telling the tale of the Holy Family and has been under construction since the 1880s.

‘Hidden Paradise’ in Cebu Lures Visitors

CEBU CITY -- A mountain resort in southwestern Cebu is fast becoming a destination of tourists looking for a place far from the hassles of city life.
The P30-million Hidden Valley Resort lies on a 12-hectare hillside property in a secluded valley in Barangay Lamac, Pinamungajan town. The “hidden paradise” is a favorite venue for retreats, meetings, conferences, reunions, outings and even honeymoons.
While most resorts are owned by the rich, Hidden Valley is owned and managed by the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC).
The resort and the amenities that the villagers now enjoy were nonexistent 40 years ago.

‘Paraw’: More than just an Ilonggo Sailboat

ILOILO CITY – Fisherman Jayde Pauchano Sr. and his crew were racing the paraw in the Iloilo Strait toward Bundolan Point when tragedy suddenly struck. The wind and waves became rough, toppling the native boat’s mast and flipping it to its side.
Fortunately, a motorized boat with journalists on board was around to pluck the four crewmen out of the waters. The paraw was later put up and towed to safety, with Pauchano staying to guide it.
Luck refused to abandon Pauchano that day of Feb. 22. His other boat, 2 Angels, won over 74 participants in the 23.8-kilometer Paraw Regatta Sailboat Race from Sto. NiÒo Sur Arevalo in Iloilo City to Bundolan.
The city holds the Paraw Regatta Festival yearly to recognize the creativity of the Ilonggo people in paraw-building. “We have been doing this for the last 37 years. It has been like a community bonding already,” said Edwin Trompeta, regional director of the Department of Tourism.
Since the Spanish times, paraw-building has been a tradition for the Ilonggo people, known to be shipbuilders and seafarers. They have used the boat not only as a means of transportation but also as a source of livelihood.
Distinct character
Pauchano, 61, has joined the Paraw Regatta since 1973. His father taught him how to build the boat when he was a child – a craft that the fisherman eventually perfected by creating the double outrigger boats.
The paraw is built from a carved keelson or a long beam of wood connected to the floor of the boat with plywood planking for the sides. The hull is pointed at both front and back ends.
Measuring 31 m long and 30 m high, the boat’s distinct feature is its slim hull with a length-to-beam ratio of 20 to 1. To stabilize the vessel, it is fitted with outrigger floats made of bamboo.
Its sails are originally made from woven matting, but nowadays, they are stitched up from synthetic awning materials. The forward sail or layag knives the wind as fast as 20 to 30 nautical miles per hour.
Like Pauchano, Cesar Engallado believes that boat-building is in his blood. “My father was the one who actually made the paraw and he just taught me how,” Engallado said in Filipino.
A veteran regatta participant, Engallado loves to gaze at his most prized possession as it gently sways to the rhythm of the wind. He needed at least P30,000 to build the boat. “We buy the materials one piece at a time,” he said.
Joining the race has become a lifelong hobby for him. He started participating when he was 5 years old.
For Pauchano, the paraw is not only a sport but also a means to feed his family of 12. During off-season, he uses a smaller boat to catch fish.
“Sometimes, we catch eight kilos of fish, but at times, we only have two kilos,” he said. He earns a meager amount of P200 to P800 per catch, but has managed to send his children to college.
The paraw also helps ease the burden of day-to-day life, Engallado said. “It helps us forget our problems in life especially when we win.”
He had earlier worked as a checker in a brokerage firm in Parañaque City, but when the firm closed due to financial difficulties, he decided to return to Iloilo and build the paraw instead.
Today, Engallado, 42, alternates fishing and baking in a bread shop in Guimaras so he could keep his boat. “This has been a tradition for us. The paraw is already a part of our lives,” he said.
Fishermen like Pauchano still prefer the paraw over the motorized ones. “The paraw is faster,” he said.
Wind power
The sailboat is considered economical and environmentally friendly since it only needs the wind to propel it. After all, Iloilo is where two winds converge.
With the theme, “Sailing the High Seas, Mooring for More,” the Paraw Regatta Sailboat Race was the highlight of the four-day festivities in the city. The winning boat received P14,000 in cash prize.
More than the money, Rene Cortum, tourist operational officer, said “others joined because they enjoyed it and they really wanted to support Iloilo.”
Last year’s race attracted 40,749 tourist visitors, mostly Koreans.
For Pauchano and Engallado, the paraw is not only a boat but a symbol of a rich heritage of craftsmanship and ingenuity.
Vanessa Hidalgo, Visayas Bureau, www.inquirer.net