Photo Credit: Drewski2112

The long awaited Boeing Dreamliner test flight finally came to fruition on Tuesday as crew and spectators numbering over 12,000 heads gathered to watch this epic display of top notch engineering. Set to be released nearly two years ago, this successful maiden voyage marked the beginning of a series of tests that must be completed before the 787 can be given the "ok" for for commercial use. The new date for public usage has now been moved to 2011.

This majestic craft is set to feature the most technologically advanced amenities and comforts for its passengers, with hopes of raising the bar for fliers everywhere, from first class to economy. New niceties like bigger windows, more luggage space, and more atmospheric lighting will take some of the jitters out of flying, and will make the experience more of a luxury than a necessity. With a price tag like $150 Million dollars each, you can imagine the level of elegence.

This line of 787 Boeing Dreamliners is predicted to change the way people travel, so this last Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 marks a day in history that will eventually be referenced in text books for an indefinite amount of time. During the Boeing Dreamliner test flight, the plane reached speeds of 207 miles per hour, while soaring over 15,000 above ground which are both perfect, typical numbers for a maiden flight of a plane with these specs.

Photo Credit: Keith Barlow

New York Winter Vacations are a holiday tradition for many families and individuals. Whether its the charm of the Rockafeller christmas tree, the city alight with millions of multicolored festive leds, or the endless activities offered through the day or night, New York is the prime place for a snowy adventure. The problem that most people get hung up on, and one thing that prevents certain people from taking these big city winter vacations are the crowds.

If you can get over the NYC holiday crowds, you can survive just about anything. Here are a couple of pointers that may make your life a little bit easier, or even your agoraphobic (that's fear of crowds) brother to tag along this year:

1. Plan your destinations and sightseeing excursions in places that aren't packed with natives trying to commute or just simply get back to their apartments. (Ie. go for less heavily commuted routes away from large corporate buildings and dwelling structures)

2. Map out your days in order of proximity. That means for instance, if you want to visit the Rockafeller Center, make sure to check out the ice rink next door.

3. If you are going to ride the subway, steer clear of seats and standing spots near the door, from experience, this can be the cause of much crowd hostility when you are in the way of other busy travelers.

Don't forget to read up on all of the great NY Events for the winter season! Stick to these simple tips to quell the crowd anxiety and make your New York winter vacations a breeze.

These top 10 popular vacation reads are just the thing to help you relax in between runs on the slopes. We’ve got romance, mystery, adventure, travel, humor, and grisly crimes. We’ve even got pirates! Nothing beats curling up with a good book, next to a roaring log fire, after a busy day’s skiing. Well written escapism is what’s needed, so here are a few suggestions.

1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
   Published 2009

   Dan Brown has produced a third installment in the adventures of Robert Langdon, the Harvard expert on cracking codes. No doubt, a movie is in the pipeline. This time, Langdon has only twelve hours to solve the mystery of the Freemasons and their rituals. The story has moved from Europe to America and is set against landmark buildings in Washington DC. Expect another frenetic page turner.

2. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by Bill Bryson
   Published 1989

   Bryson, an American who has settled in the UK, is a travel writer with a terrific sense of humor. He has written best sellers about America, the UK, Europe, and Australia. This book is an account of the two separate trips that he took around the US in the 1980s, beginning in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. He traveled over 13,000 miles, mostly by car, and the point of the trips was to seek out small towns and overlooked features, rather than the usual tourist magnets.

3. The Associate by John Grisham
   Published 2009

   Fans of legal thrillers are devoted to Grisham and this is his 21st novel. Several of his previous stories have been filmed and an adaptation of this one is scheduled for release in 2012. Partly based on a true story, the main character is a legal student named Kyle who is being blackmailed with regard to a secret from the past. Instead of a money ransom, Kyle is told to join a legal firm in New York and pass secrets on about a high profile trial. This has been described as ‘vintage Grisham’.

4. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
   Published 2009

   Pirate stories don’t come along too often these days! This is a posthumous novel from Crichton, best known for Jurassic Park. Director Steven Spielberg has announced he is to adapt it for film. The plot involves Captain Hunter and his band of followers, who embark on a daring mission to steal a fortune in gold from a heavily guarded Spanish galleon. The action takes place in the Jamaica of 1665. It’s got all the ingredients for adventure lovers.

5. Cross Country by James Patterson
   Published 2008

   This is the 14th book in crime novelist, James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. Patterson has a loyal fan base for Alex Cross, the African American criminal psychologist. In this story, he is asked to assist in a murder investigation concerning the murder of an old friend. This takes him to the criminal underbelly of Washington DC and to the Niger Delta, and to the seedy world of the slave trade and drugs trafficking.

Photo Credit: J. Stephen Conn

We've compiled a list of the 19 best guided tours in the US. Sometimes you need a little expertise and a guide with local knowledge will make a visit more enjoyable. The tours below, (with the exception of the self-driving tours), are all led by informative guides, whose experience will keep you safe and give you a fun time.

Walking Tours
The Wayfarers walking vacations include trips to Alaska, New Mexico, and the Coast of Maine. For stupendous canyon scenery, the 7-day Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion trip begins at the Grand Canyon and finishes in Springdale. Highlights offered are a visit to an old western movie town and a ghost town, and watching the sun go down over Grand Canyon.

Trek America organize walking / camping tours in National Parks and wilderness areas, including the famous Appalachian Trail Walk. The 10 day trip starts and finishes in New York City and goes through New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Self-Driving Tours
The lure of the open road awaits and the Trail Ridge Road, Colorado offers glacier formed peaks and forest in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Peaks reach more than 12,000 feet above sea level. This 55-mile route can be driven between half a day to a day.

To see the changing colors of fall, the Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire from Lincoln to Conway, (34 miles) is a terrific drive with access to trails for scenic walkabouts. The route goes through the White Mountains National Forest where moose, black bears, and deer are quite common sights.

Both these routes are highly recommended by touring guides for driving.

Boating Tours
Airboat USA specialize in trips into the Florida Everglades on airboats and swamp buggies, with trips lasting between 1.5 hours and 9 hours. The longer the tour, the deeper into the everglades, passengers will go. Spotting alligators is on the itinerary, and perhaps otters and deer, and there is a stop at an Indian Village. The ‘Dining with the Gators’ trip allows passengers to bring a picnic.

The San Francisco Bay Cruise Adventure is a narrated 1-hour tour run by Blue and Gold Fleet. Passengers can choose between indoor or outdoor seating as they sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and learn about the historic waterfront.

Photo Credit: nick.garrod

The American Association of Museums tells us that around 600 million visits to our museums are recorded every year. We've compiled a list of the top 10 museums in the US that is sure to rekindle your art appreciation. Families with young children, bored teenagers, and students doing research want different things from a museum and will have different expectations. A museum is there to entertain and educate, and they also serve as an historical record, reflecting our society.

Best Exhibits
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC

This is subjective of course, so the choice has been determined by the latest recorded figures for the most visited museum in the US, (5.8 million in 2006), and this branch of the Smithsonian came in at number one. The collection is a staggering 125 million specimens and artifacts, from the smallest bug to the dinosaurs and all life in between. Mineral Sciences also features and the famous Hope Diamond is on display.

Most Interactive
Exploratorium
San Francisco, California

People of a certain age will remember the days of ‘look, don’t touch’ when visiting a museum. All the exhibits were behind glass cases and there was an atmosphere of hushed reverence. How different they are today! Exploratorium inspired other science museums to follow suit with hands on exhibits. Here, visitors can make a rainstick or play with optical illusions. The topics covered include Human Origins, Sports Science, and Earthquakes.

Most Controversial
The Creation Museum
Petersburg, Kentucky

 

This is one of several museums in America to address the ‘young Earth creationist’ theory but it is the largest one of its kind in the world. Genesis is interpreted literally in displays that include Adam and Eve sharing the Garden of Eden with dinosaurs. Controversy between evolutionists and creationists provokes heated debate and this museum has received criticism from educators, scientists, and Christian organizations in opposition to creationism.

Most Bizarre
International UFO Museum and Research Center
Roswell, New Mexico

The famous ‘Roswell Incident’ in 1947 makes this a fitting location for the world of flying saucers and alien abduction. The alleged alien landing is part of the exhibition along with how the movie industry treats the subject of aliens and the mystery of crop circles. There is a large library dedicated to the UFO phenomena and any visitor who wants to be the victim of an alien abduction can take home a mock up photograph.

Photo Credit: Michael Kappel

These 8 best train stations in the US will give you a reason to travel. The ‘Golden Age of Rail Travel’ may have come and gone but reports say that the economic downturn has resulted in an increased use of our railway system. Passengers are returning to use trains for commuting and long distance journeys. There is a romance about train travel but today’s public demands modern amenities. Many train stations have undergone renovations to meet this demand and 21st century train travel looks like an exciting prospect.

1. Most Efficient
   Grand Central Terminal
   New York City
   Revered as one of the most famous icons of the Big Apple, the beautifully designed building is also known for its efficiency. The station has to operate well, as it deals with 426,000 passengers every day. Located in Manhattan, it is the transportation hub for all the Metro North services, as far as New Haven, and subway services going to the northern suburbs. In terms of the number of platforms, (44), it is the world’s largest station. The percentage of trains running on time is an impressive 98%. There is an easily found information booth in the middle of the station, several restaurants, and a shopping mall. 
2. Best Architecture
   Union Station
   Chicago, Illinois

   The US has a number of architectural gems amongst its train stations and Union Station is perhaps, the most admired for its interior. Opened in 1925, construction took ten years at a cost of $75 million and the design is in the Neoclassical style. Almost entirely underground, the station is the terminal for all Amtrak trains to the city and also serves Metra commuter rail passengers. The focal point of the building is the waiting room, named The Great Hall and its Corinthian columns, pink marble floor, statues, and barrel-vaulted, skylight ceiling. Several TV shows and movies have used the space for filming.

3. Best Historic
   Eureka Springs Station and Museum
   Eureka Springs, Arkansas

   The world of steam comes alive at this historic train station where passengers can book a train ride on a steam locomotive through the Ozarks. Lunch and dinner excursions are available. The station is a treasure chest of vintage rolling stock, an original turntable, and assorted railroad memorabilia and is one of the town’s most visited tourist attractions. Rail passengers first came to Eureka Springs in 1883 and the museum traces the history of the development of the railway and its importance to the area. The station also has a snack car and gift shop.

4. Most Improved
   Union Station
   Los Angeles, California

   Already admired for its architecture, it was still felt that improvements were needed to the station and an ambitious program was undertaken in the 1990s to improve passenger services and to improve the station environment. The station operates an Amtrak service and a Metrolink service and both services expanded. The Gateway Center bus terminal on station property improved its connections between buses and trains and its park and ride facility. Landscaping and artwork projects were deemed a great success, particularly the elevated gardens and waterfalls that muffled the noise from trains and buses. The pedestrian plaza was designed to be closed off for events. The improvements received a vote of excellence from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Continue reading to find out the rest of the 8 best train stations in the US...

Sixty years ago, Squaw Valley Resort was a brand new ski location with one charlift and a tiny lodge - not exactly the kind of town that comes to mind when discussing locations for the Winter Olympic games. But that all changed when resort owner Alexander Cushing campaigned to bring the largest collection of athletes to the sleepy Lake Tahoe-area ski town for the 1960 Winter games.

And, while it seemed like an unlikely outcome, Squaw Valley beat out three European cities and was awarded the honor of hosting the Olympic games.City planners and officials quickly got to work transforming the resort from a sleepy little ski area to a full-fledged ski resort with room for hundreds of thousands. That one tiny lodge turned into several hotels, ski lifts and an ice arena were added and restaurants and shops popped up all over. A new highway was built, conecting Squaw Valley to Reno, and in less than five years time, the town was ready for the Olympics.

Today, many of the structures that were built for the games no longer exist, but the life the Olympics breathed into the town of Squaw Valley is still visible today and Lake Tahoe now has the largest concentration of ski resorts in North America, Squaw Valley one of the more popular among them. The Associated Press interviewed David Antonucci, author of "Snowball's Chance: The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley and Lake Tahoe" who had this to say:

"The Olympics delivered a second economy to the area. The area had a fairly strong summer economy but by hosting the Olympics, it elevated the Tahoe area to a winter sports destination."

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Squaw Valley Olympic games, the resort will host 20 events from Jan. 8-17, including a reception for 1960 Olympians, a torch relay and more. Proceeds for the events that are not free go to benefit the new Lake Tahoe Olympic Heritage Museum. Discover the history and beauty of the area yourself with a visit to the area. And while you're there, partake in the 450 inches of annual snow on any one of the beginner or intermediate trails as well as any of the other Squaw Valley resort activities for non-skiers.

Photo Credit: larry_ami

Vacation rental companies are becoming more aware of the environmental impact that taking a vacation involves and there is a wide choice of eco friendly accommodation available. Here's a list of the top green vacation rentals in the US:

Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
Reno, Nevada

Conveniently located a five-minute drive from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the Tuscan themed complex has 1635 guest rooms, which include 600 luxury suites, all with mountain or pool views.  The furnishings are luxurious and guests enjoy the resort’s amenities, such as the spa with an indoor pool, the fitness center, a casino, and two swimming pools with poolside bars.  There is a shuttle service for the airport. Peppermill has drilled a geothermal well in order to conserve energy in a project that completes in January 2010, providing water and mechanical heat from a renewable source for the resort.

Coconut Palms II Beach Resort
New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Located at what is considered to be the safest bathing beach in the world, the resort consists of 1, 2, and 3 bedroom properties with access to an outdoor pool. Some of the accommodation has a Jacuzzi. Guests can participate in golf, tennis, horseback riding, or water sports. The lighting and air conditioning systems are designed for low energy use.

 

The Cottages at Spring House Farm
Marion, North Carolina

Six secluded mountain log cabins with outside hot tubs and wood burning fireplaces offer a location with excellent trout fishing and hiking trails. The cabins were constructed from stone and timber from the owners’ land and reclaimed antique lumber. The lighting, heating, and cooling systems are energy efficient, as are the windows. The laundry is efficient on water and the cabins have low flow shower heads.

Alpine Chalets
Newport, Oregon

The accommodation is situated eight miles from Newport on top of a bluff with views of the Pacific Ocean. Guests have private access to a quiet beach and there are whale-watching opportunities. There are chalets, (5 – 8 people), a Studio Apartment, (up to 4 people), and a Penthouse Suite, (up to 6 people). Energy saving systems are in place, the cleaning and laundry products used are biodegradable, and the laundry is water efficient.

Westwind Cottages
Franconia, New Hampshire

The cottages are close to Echo Lake in the Franconia Notch State Park, surrounded by the White Mountains. There is a pool, a playground, and miles of hiking trails. Each cottage has a charcoal grill and picnic table in addition to a kitchen or kitchenette. Energy savings and recycling is a priority and the linen and towels are re-used whenever possible.

Keep reading to see the rest of the top green vacation rentals...