Summer
Gen Con is happening
Day one at Gen Con: thousands of gamers (decked out in their requisite T-shirts), piles of games (books, rule books, dice, online game demos, etc) and in the various hotels around the Indiana Convention Center, hundreds of gaming sessions going on. If you love to game -- you can try out virtually any board or role-playing or war or computer game that's ever been made.
Just remember to get some sleep. And don't hit the bars too hard.
52 Maine lighthouses open their doors for a day
Blink… Blink… Blink…day and night, in rain, sunshine, snow and especially fog…mariners depend on lighthouses and tourists flock to their scenic locations, cameras at the ready. Except when the light station is remote or off-limits. But on Saturday, Sept. 12, you can explore 52 of the 68 iconic landmarks in the State of Maine during the nation’s largest -- and Maine’s first - - Open Lighthouse Day.
From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the light stations will be open to the public, including several normally seen only by boat or from a distance, including Matinicus Rock, Franklin Island, Egg Rock and Boon Island in York. Or visit easier to reach lighthouses that dot the coast from Portland Head Light to Dice Head in Castine and West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, near Canada.
The event is coordinated by the US Coast Guard, Maine Office of Tourism, and the American Lighthouse Foundation. Surrounding communities will celebrate their maritime heritage with stories of life on isolated rocky islands, shipwrecks and ghosts. (Folks swear the lighthouses are haunted at Woods Island in Biddeford, Hendricks Head in West Southport and Owls Head near Rockland.) Museums and visitor centers at Pemaquid Point, Marshall Point (Port Clyde), Grindle Point and other popular destinations will be open so you can pore over historic memorabilia and learn about what it took to man a lighthouse and how keepers and their families lived in less than romantic conditions. Today all but one of of New England’s lighthouses are automated but that doesn’t make them any less attractive.
Beginning 52 days before Maine Open Lighthouse Day, one light per day is featured at www.lighthouseday.com alongside information on which lights will be open to the public and how to reach them.
Posted by Janet Mendelsohn, Globe Correspondent
File photo of Portland Head Light by Mark Wilson/Globe Staff
Happy 50th to Kancamagus Highway
LINCOLN, N.H. – It’s a little jarring to realize something you thought had been around forever is actually younger than you. But the Kancamagus Highway, a 34 and ½-mile stretch of scenic roadway with a plethora of panoramic views dotting much of it, turns 50 this year, coming to life in 1959 – some six years after I did.
A two-day celebration, Aug. 14-15, is planned to mark the road’s birthday, said Jayne O’Connor, president of White Mountains Attractions in North Woodstock, which along with the U.S. Forest Service is coordinating the celebration.
On Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon there will be interpretive programs at the Lincoln Woods Visitors Center, the Discovery Trail, the Pemigewasset Overlook, the C.L. Graham Wangan Ground Overlook, the Albany Covered Bridge and the Blackberry Crossing Campground.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day, there will also be exhibits and historic house tours at the Russell Colbath Historic Site near the halfway point in Albany, which will also be the site of the official celebration ceremony from 2-4 p.m.
The Kanc, as it’s known, is a wickedly wonderful touring road, great for driving briskly and hugging its many twists and turns, and as part of the observance, a “Kruise the Kanc” scenic driving tour of the highway Aug. 15, adding “an historic ambiance in a setting that is largely untouched since the first motorists passed over the road,” O’Connor said. For more info, visit thekanc.com
At Red Roof Inn, 1-cent Mansfield/Foxboro rooms
Amid the travel industry slump, Red Roof Inns is launching a planned nationwide 1-cent room promotion at its newly renovated Mansfield/Foxborough location.
The online sale on rooms for Aug. 16 begins Friday Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. and goes till all 140 rooms at the Massachusetts hotel are taken for the night.
What's the catch? Red Roof is trying to push enrollment in its free RediCard frequent-traveler program. By signing up for a RediCard, you will get a couple days notice when the company springs another of these 1-cent sales at other locations around the country -- Deb Duray, a company spokeswoman says Red Roof is planning another sale at its Boston-Woburn location in the next couple months.
Besides the heads-up on the sale, there are also other perks to signing up. The company will send you information on special deals and promotions and every time you stay at a property you build points toward free nights or Delta SkyMiles. There are also other amenities like express check-in and free USA Todays during your stay.
Times are tough, yes? Mansfield/Foxboro may not be your idea of a fabulous destination but if you're really in need of a getaway getting a room for 1 cent still could be pretty sweet. Or perhaps this is just the time to invite the mother-in-law for a visit. Either she or you could enjoy the accommodations in lovely southwestern Greater Boston.
Festival of Fools in Vermont
The Burlington City Arts [BCA] program is one of many arts organizations in New England that opens the doors of creative thinking wide open. I love to look at what they have in store each year. This weekend, Aug. 7-9, is the Festival of Fools offering varied street theater celebrating circus arts, music and comedy with family audiences in mind. The streets of Burlington are interesting enough on their own, but the Festival makes them come alive.
Performers this year include Amanda Crockett on a high trapeze or twisting like a pretzel; Mr. Spin juggling eight balls and more; Modern Times Theater with puppet theater for the streets; A Loft Aerial Dance with Shayna Swanson - aerial artists who have chosen to express themselves though vertical space; Elec Simon from the hit show “STOMP” pounding on buckets and tapping in the streets of Burlington; Unicycle Lady - a one-woman wheelie, witty, wacky, silly suitcase circus; Gazzo with his world-renowned magic show; Masaji Terasawa practicing Amesaiku -"candymaker" – a Japanese art form believed to be over 2000 years old; and many more unique acts for the street.
Festivities kick off Friday, Aug. 7, on Lower Church Street and continue through the weekend in four locations all day long. Please call 802-865-7166 of visit online for more details.
Photo of Amanda Crockett; courtesy of Bruce Rohr
Virgin America, Delta launch summer, fall sale
With the anxiety of the ailing airline industry turned up for the fall season, Virgin America has kicked off its own late summer/fall sale, with one-way fares from Boston to either San Francisco or Los Angeles going for $119 or $139, with the higher price being for travel on Friday or Sunday and the lower for flights all other days.
The discounts, which require a minimum three-day advance purchase, are available for travel from Aug. 18 to Nov. 18, and tickets must be secured by Aug. 11.
Besides featuring a range of onboard media choices, Virgin was the first carrier to offer inflight WiFi on all flights. There is a fee involved for the service but if you can't live for even a few hours without the Net this is good news.
This move by Virgin represents just the latest in a series of sales launched by US carriers amid growing worries over the effect the recession will have on fall travel in which sales historically tend to slow after the heavier summer season.
Heightened industry concerns about the fall became apparent after Southwest leaped in with a no-holds-barred 48-hour sale earlier this month, triggering a small fare war. That sale, coming earlier and with more flexible (read aggressive) terms than autumn sales in past years, was widely viewed by analysts as a push by the industry, already struggling with sluggish sales and increasingly volative fuel prices, to fill seats.
*********************************
UPDATE: Delta also announced a systemwide fall sale, but this one focuses on leisure travel so comes with longer advance purchase times.
For domestic travel, you must buy at least 21 days in advance but no later than Aug. 14 for travel from Aug. 18-Nov. 19. Web fares on select seats are $59–$194 each-way, based on a roundtrip travel.
And internationally, tickets must be purchased no later than Aug. 3 for trips Aug. 18-Nov. 30, except Europe for which travel must end by Dec. 18. Web fares are $159–$429 each-way, based on a round-trip.
Here's the rest of the fine print.
Maine in-water boat show to launch
The ’09 boating season may be off to a slow start but sailors and power boaters hungering to get back on the water will find kindred spirits and perhaps their next vessel at the 7th Annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show, August 7-9, in Rockland, Maine. The state’s only in-water boat and home show will feature more than 70 boats afloat and 150 exhibitors on shore. Participating will be many of Maine’s finest artists, architects, boat builders, craftsmen, designers, furniture makers, marine gear vendors, and musicians. This year a new area is planned exploring alternative energy sources and building practices, energy audits, and sustainability. Returning faves include a model yacht pond, live music, a marine activities area for kids. Naturally there will be plenty of tasty Maine food.
The 7th Annual World Championship Boatyard Dog Trials on Sunday Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. gives contestants and their people a chance to show off skills to the amusement of one and all. The 2008 World Champ, a bloodhound named Truman, aka Special Agent K-9 entered by the Humane Society of Knox Count, was trained by local teens. Truman performed nearly the equal of 007 as he leaped from a tippy dinghy, kissed a femme fatale, disarmed special agents, responded to commands in multiple languages, knocked a villain off the dock and then slipped back under cover as a family dog. Soon after last year’s show, he adopted into a loving home. Registration is now closed but still this is a great event for families and dog lovers (and likers).
You’ll also want to catch the Great Pen Bay Zucchini Boat Regatta on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Tradition Shapes Innovation, the show’s theme, captures the true spirit of today’s Maine. Admission: $10 adults, under 12 free. Gates open at 10 a.m. daily. Harbor and Buoy parks, Rockland, Maine, on Penobscot Bay. No pets allowed. Info and directions: 800-565-4951 or www.maineboats.com.
Posted by Janet Mendelsohn, Globe Correspondent
In Wellfleet, wandering wood carver and Dar Williams
Wandering across America in the 1970s and '80s, Jonathan Kendall was a
flaxen-haired, blue-eyed, free spirited wood carver who described himself as
a Cabot descendent born of an Anglo-Catholic Movement father and a
seamstress mother who restored Thomas Becket's vestment garment (Archbishop
of Canterbury circa 1162). From New Mexico to New England, Kendall landed
with one of his partners Charles McLeod at Wellfleet's Our Lady of Lourdes
Catholic Church in 1976, bartering a summer's camp spot in exchange for a
pair of iconic hand-carved church doors. Today the church building which
fell into disuse is being restored as Wellfleet Preservation Hall, a
community and performance center. When it opens in 2010, so will Kendall's
doors.
Meanwhile across the street, Wellfleet Congregational Church will host Dar
Williams performing with the IBIS Chamber Music players to benefit the
restoration, Saturday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. (Williams married into a
musical, Wellfleet-going family and gives some of her summer time to
community projects; she helped the Wellfleet public library go solar in '08.)
If you don't know Dar's music, here's a sample: "It's Alright'' from her recent "Promised Land'' CD.
IBIS musicians come from the Boston Pops, National Symphony and Kennedy
Center Opera House Orchestra.
Kendall who died in 2004 would have bartered another wood carving for a $40
Williams concert ticket, but he'd no doubt appreciate the tribute of a
touring artist as famous as he was itinerant and unknown.
"Kendall was like Hansel in the Hansel and Gretel fable, leaving the crumbs
of his true story in a trail of art works," says Wellfleet resident Mark
Gabriele, a preservation committee member who researched the artist's life.
Kendall made notes on the backs of the art pieces, often with details about
the place where it was made. "There are owners of his work all around the
country. He was known to borrow cars and disappear with them. Whenever he
had a car, there was an irresistible urge to go someplace else." Gabriele
says.
Today you don't have to camp in a church yard or be an outsider artist to
barter your way around the world with your work. A Toronto-based artist
Katherine Dolgy uses SabbaticalHomes.com, to offer her paintings in exchange
for lodging. (SabbaticalHomes.com caters to academics seeking or owning property
for rent, exchange, or house-sitting.) Instead of rent, Dolgy leaves
paintings incorporating people, places or objects of personal importance to
the owner.
Anyone want to trade their Cape Cod beach house for a blog?
For concert info and tickets visit wellfleetpreservationhall.org, e-mail
Nicholas@wellfleetpreservationhall.org, or call 646/265-7952.
Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe correspondent
New ways to play in Maine's woods and mountains
If you think Maine is all about the coast, you need to venture inland and discover the lakes, rivers, woods, and peaks that define the region between Bethel and Millinocket. Not only does this region rival the coast for natural beauty, it's also wildlife rich. You won't see a puffin, but your chances of spotting a moose are high.
Making that easy is the new Maine Woods Discovery program, a collaborative venture by Alpine resorts Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Saddleback Maine; the rustic lodges and nature-based programs of the Appalachian Mountain Club and Maine Huts & Trails; and rafting and recreation outfitters Northern Outdoors, and New England Outdoor Center.
These entities have put together seven one- to three-day packages, each combining accommodations with activities and some meals, with rates beginning at $75 per person. Packages include geocaching, hiking, biking, paddling, rock-hounding, and craft-making. Read on for details.
Hit the Maine Birding Trail
If your favorite tweets come from feathered creatures, the Maine Birding Trail is for you.
Along with this spring’s official launch of the online trail, there’s a just-published companion guidebook, Maine Birding Trail (Down East Books, 2009) by Bob Duchesne, a Maine state representative, avid birder, and Maine Audubon guide who founded and has worked on the trail website since 2003. Duchesne says the project will continually change as birding sites are upgraded or protected according to the need for habitat protection. It’s his labor of love, developed in collaboration with Maine state government, Maine Audubon, and local birders.
The book identifies more than 260 accessible sites, dozens of other locations that are not part of the official trail and additional bird-watching venues in nearby Campobello and Grand Manan islands in Canada.
The book is not a guide to birds. In fact, there are no photos, no flight pattern charts or any of the other usual birding tools. It’s a travel guide to places throughout Maine from the southern beaches to Aroostook County, identifying which species you’re likely to see where. Chapters correspond to Maine’s official tourism regions rather than habitat zones.
In addition to driving directions and local maps, Duchesne gives visitors a heads-up on terrain. In Washington County, a Down East locale of undeveloped lakes where he says the tiny village of Grand Lake Stream has been the center of a robust hunting and fishing tradition since the 19th century, traditional sporting camps and lodges are marvelous places. Nearby, “the Little Mayberry Cove Trail begins at the outlet dam and follows the shoreline for 2 ½ miles through mature hemlock forest. Black-throated Blue Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Eastern Wood-Peewees are common among the many songbirds found along the trail.” The Pocumcus Lake Trail is good for Ruffed Grouse and “judging by the abundance of moose droppings, it’s also a pretty good corridor for wildlife in the thick woods.”
Posted by Janet Mendelsohn, Globe correspondent
Roadside food finds in South Carolina
Do you find yourself shuttling between Boston and points south on I-95 ?
In a road food story I shared some Georgia eateries from years of driving the East Coast. Now comes a new find off the highway near Florence,
S.C., in the former cotton and tobacco town of Darlington. You'd never know it
from the scruffy exterior -- or maybe you would -- but Bay Island Seafood has
been a local favorite for 20 years. Traveling with me was Charlotte Jenkins,
the owner-chef of Gullah Cuisine in Mt. Pleasant,S.C., who's a divining rod of sorts when it comes to food. We'd missed lunch and
the restaurants in Darlington had stopped serving, when she noticed the
faded blue storefront at 1316 South Main.
Inside, the seafood market sells whole pan fish like croaker, black bass, and
Virginia spot, while the kitchen turns out plates of perfectly fried seafood
done bone-in in the Gullah style. Just look in the seafood case and see
what's fresh (we chose the croaker), and the staff will fry it up. The
portions are generous, prices cheap (a 4-piece dinner cost $8.99), and
there's plenty of sit-down space as well as take-away. Willie Pearson, who
owns the restaurant, also sells big plastic bottles of his own hot sauce. The
label contains a dedication to his mother.
Charlotte had also wanted to buy a lottery ticket in Darlington because she
thinks small lotto stores are the luckiest, but we'd forgotten that, too.
After our meal, she said, "No worries. We hit the jackpot with Bay Island."
Bay Island Seafood
Darlington, S.C.
(843) 393-5986
Directions: From I-95, take Exit 164 (US 52 N.) toward Darlington. Continue
straight about 5.2 miles to Joe Louis Blvd. and make a U-turn to restaurant
on opposite side (US 52 S.).
Posted by Patricia Borns, Globe Correspondent
Photos by Patricia Borns for The Boston Globe
Celebrate St. Peter in Gloucester
Though the 5 day festival honoring the patron saint of the fishermen, St. Peter, began on the 24th, there are still 4 days left to join in the celebration. The festival is put on by the spirited Italian-American community of Gloucester, Mass. The St. Peter's Fiesta has been featured on The Discovery Channel, PBS's United Tastes of America and New England's own, Yankee Magazine. The 2009 festival started June 24 and ends this Sunday, June 28.
In 1927 an Italian-American fishing captain, Savatore Favazza, ordered a life-sized statue of St. Peter to be enshrined in the heart of the Italian district. The fishermen and their families began to pray to their patron saint and it wasn't too long after, that the wives and mothers of the fishermen made plans for an annual religious procession on June 29 in honor of St. Peter. Slowly through the years, this annual procession grew to a day-long demonstration of faith to the protector of all fishermen, which then of course turned into the 5-day celebration Gloucester still holds today.
Beyond the procession, the prayers and the mass, lies a full schedule of music, sports, activities, feasts and drink. Perhaps the most anticipated events are the Seine Boat Races and the Greasy Pole. The schedule is here, so you can plan you trip.
Photo courtesy of St. Peter's Festival Committee
Eat your vegetables
I love the food in Spain, but you can only eat wood-grilled lamb, roast hake, and huge juicy veal chops so many days in a row. And I confess to having trouble knowing quite WHAT I was eating in Basque country. It all tasted great but I couldn’t pronounce the dishes because their Basque names were composed primarily of the consonants x, z ,and q. So it was a relief and delight to reach Aranjuez (about 30 miles outside of Madrid), a farming region famous for its white asparagus and strawberries. Asparagus is available April-June, strawberries May-July. I came in June, went to Casa Juli (on Gobernación 12, [tel] 011-91-892-58-43) and had both. Mmmmmmm.....
Posted by Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent
Photos by Patricia Harris for the Boston Globe
Tips for kids flying alone
What's a parent to do?
With recent reports of children, including a 10-year-old from Boston, flying alone and ending up in the wrong place, families planning to have a child fly solo would be justifiably concerned.
That's why Cheapflights.com has put together its Parents Guide to Kids Flying Solo. Besides a list of airline policies and fees for unaccompanied minors, the guide offers tips for before and after flight.
“A number of airlines have changed the rules associated with transporting unaccompanied minors, so even if a parent or guardian has been through it before, it’s best to brush up on the regulations associated with your preferred carrier,” Mike Bennett, general manager for Cheapflights.com., said in a press release.
Some of the tips are obvious: Bring a cellphone and pack snacks. Others are more helpful: You can register your child's travel plans with the US State Department in case of an emergency. And, give your child a photo of the person who will be meeting him at the destination, with the person's contact information written on the back.
Summer's coming. Kids will be traveling alone. A tip or two from Cheapflights.com just might ease the way.
Strawberry 'Jam'boree
While I have a crush on most berries, there is none more flexible and satisfying than a ripe strawberry. Perhaps I am a bit biased having grown up among countless strawberry picking fields, with a mom and grandmother making the sweetest jams, and the makings for shortcake were always at an arm's reach. June in New England is strawberry picking month, and festivals celebrating the fruit can be found all over. This Saturday, June 20, is Canterbury Shaker Village's 1st Annual Strawberry Jamboree.
Celebrating the onset of summer and the village’s longtime love for strawberries, the jamboree is an open mic musical jam session featuring TJ Wheeler and Patrick “Hatrack” Gallagher, where visitors can sign up to play or simply enjoy the music. A Strawberry Bake-Off with Professional and Home Chef divisions will fill the air with some more sweet music. Visitors can also shop for fun and unique products, take home strawberries and strawberry plants, and enjoy the many children’s activities.
Tickets are $17 for adults, $8 for children ages 6-17, and children 5 and under visit free. In keeping with the times, there is also a $42 family rate. Check online to register for bake-off and other details, or call 603-783-9511.
Dog Running kicks off in Provincetown
We got our first family dog ever in September. Not long after, I became a dog freak. At least an Eva Freak [our dog's name]. Now I pay particular attention to anything dog. This Saturday's event in Provincetown has caught my eye, and seems like a terrific event for any expert or novice runner, that happens to stay active with their own Evas. Dog Run Dog is in its 4th year, and provides a 5K or 10K race circuit for dogs and their people. Dog Running, the generic term for Canicross, is quickly becoming both a popular recreational and competitive sport. Requiring very little training, Canicross is easy for anyone to start.
Dog Run Dog is Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. In its 4th year, the race is held in conjuntion with the Carrie A. Seaman Animal Shelter and Pilgrim Bark Park. This event is professionally timed and the top three teams are awarded the coveted Dog Bowl. Call 1-802-356-4444 for info or check online.
Photo courtesy Dog Run Dog
New England Pirate Faire in Gloucester
Pirates are not just for kids apparently. The New England Pirate Faire in Gloucester, Mass., this weekend, June 20-21, proves it. Buccaneers and Jack Sparrows will deluge Gloucester in this two-day festival of all things Pirate.
The New England Pirate Faire features a cast of over 100 actors and musicians, putting on a production to make you feel like you're an extra in the Pirates of the Caribbean. The Tortuga Marketplace will be set up for vendors to offer their pirate goods to visitors. All pirates need be on hand from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. each day. Admission for adults is $12; children pay $8. For details look online or call 781-346-102.
Photo credit Pastimes
Tips on backpacking with boyfriends
A really fun travel site is The Lost Girls, a blog by three twenty-somethings from New York who quit their jobs to make a yearlong, round-the-world jaunt. Besides cataloging their own trip, they sometimes invite others to blog, and this one comes from Hannah Dorland who offers these tips on trips with a Significant Other of the Mars persuasion:
1. Two people equals two mouths. A few granola bars, jiffy pop, grapes, and turkey jerky just don't cut it. Besides, men seem to get ravinous towards evening... I think the bear that snuck into our campsite in the middle of the night was in a better mood than my guy.2. Extra body heat in the tent does NOT mean that two sleeping bags aren't necessary. It's Minnesota. Even in the summer the nights get chilly, and as nice as cuddling may be it's no substitute for proper sleeping bags and/or blankets!
3. Being comfortable is key. When I backpack alone, I wear high-waisted baggy pants with tightly cinched belts, hiking boots, a bandana, and a sleeveless mens tee-shirt. This time, I wanted to look pretty and instead ended up chafing after 12 miles because my low-waisted jeans conflicted with my backpack waist strap.
4. Just because he offers to carry things, it doesn't mean he actually should. Chivalry is nice and all, but the heavy pack was mine, specifically purchased to fit my tiny 5'3" frame, and his upper back was SORE the next morning.
5. Three person rafts are meant for three people, not two people and two giant backpacks. Remember that packs can often weight as much as a small child, so count them as one! I ended up sitting on top of the two packs and paddling at an awkward angle... guess we should have rented a canoe!
Photo by iStockphoto.com
In the Motherland: best pizza in Sicily
RAGUSA, Sicily -- Whenever I’m in the Motherland, Francesco, my good pal and stalwart guide, humors my quest to find the best pizza in Sicily.
There’s some good stuff in the south where he’s from, strong examples in Palermo and more unique, thicker pies in Trapani. We ignore the question of ‘what is real Sicilian pizza?’ and just go with our taste buds.
In the end, we got to the point where, instead of calling places by their names, we’d just call them by their score on a ten-point scale. The place in the hotel down the hill with Speedy Gonzales on the takeout box? Pizza Sette. The seaside place? Sette Punto Cinque. Reigning southern champion? La Contea in Modica, where a pie with rocket, cured wild boar and parmesan (a combination that tends to send me over the moon with glee no mater in which state I find it) which earned it the Pizza Otto title.
Before I came back to the Motherland, Francesco started hinting at a new find: a place he was calling "Pizza Nove Plus.'' The "plus'' being for the food at Ristorante - Pizzeria Caravanserraglio (which we’ll get to in another post) hidden in the outskirts of Ragusa.
As a group appetizer, we order a tomato, mozzarella and basil pie. The sauce is sweet and acidic, the crust crisp and soft with wood-fired flavor. Plus, there’s milky sensuality from the mozzarella and a crisp, fresh bite from the basil.
Pizza Otto was dethroned in one bite.
Later, after a full non-pizza meal, I get edgy, thinking that I might not be back here for a while.
After the cheese course, I find chef Francesco Caravanserraglio wandering the floor and ask for another pizza.
Full to the gills, everyone at the table stares at me funny until it shows up, but Francesco dutifully has a slice.
The pie has a sort of flight path: “This won’t change my life,” I think over my first bites, but then the Parmesan and cured meat sweeten and begin working together.
I look over and Francesco has broken his fork-and-knife protocol and eats his pie with his hands. He pops the last bite of crust into his mouth with an "I-told-you-so'' smile.
Then he asks for another slice.
Ristorante - Pizzeria Caravanserraglio
via P.Nenni 78
Ragusa
http://www.caravanserraglioragusa.com/
**********************
Globe travel correspondent Joe Ray writes his own blog, Eating The Motherland and contributes to the English language version of Simon Says! the French food and lifestyle blog run by French food critic Francois Simon.
Photo by Joe Ray for The Boston Globe
Summer lineup at Foxwoods
There's more to Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods than gambling and their star-studded calendar for summer is a reminder of that. Coming to Mashantucket, Conn., are:
-- Keyshia Cole (June 5) with special guest Keri Hilson
-- Gladys Knight (June 6)
-- Crosby, Stills & Nash (June 13)
-- Comedienne Kathy Griffin (June 26)
-- Smokey Robinson (July 10)
-- Sting (July 19)
-- Tom Jones (July 24)
-- John Legend (Aug. 18) with special guest India Arie
-- The Steve Miller Band (Aug. 22)
-- Donna Summer (Aug. 28)
Other highlights include Cirque Illumination, a fantastical journey of the imagination, (July-September in the MGM Theater) and “Bodies: The Exhibition” (July-September on the Mezzanine level of the Grand Pequot Tower).
The Phantom Gourmet Summer Beach BBQ Party (June 19-21) will feature food from some of the world’s best barbecue teams, beer gardens, live music, and free mechanical bull and surf board rides.
And if gambling is your sole focus, there are 24 new table games in the Great Cedar Casino.
The complete entertainmnt schedule is available here.
Road trip essentials
If you're hitting the road this summer, Plymouth Rock Assurance, a Boston-based auto insurance company, has some tips to make your trip hassle free. They might seem like common sense but it never hurts to review.
BEFORE YOU GO
1. Check tire tread and pressure.
2. Check wiper blades for wear.
3. Check exterior lights.
4. Check driver’s license, registration, and vehicle inspection dates.
5. Keep roadside emergency supplies in your vehicle, including reflectors, flares, flashlight, and a reflective vest.
6. Bring an extra set of keys.
7. Get an auto insurance tune-up.
GETTING THERE
1. Plan. Know your route and estimate how far you plan to drive each day.
2. Learn about local traffic and safety rules.
3. Know your limits. Don’t drive when you’re tired.
4. Recharge and refresh. Take breaks at regular intervals.
5. Don’t multitask.
6. Turn the volume down. Keep the sound system low enough so you can clearly hear emergency sirens or a horn from another vehicle.
7. Appoint someone else to deal with the kids.
BE PREPARED TO BE AWAY
1. Make a checklist for your house as well as for your car. Suspend newspaper and mail deliveries, adjust the thermostat, have the lawn mowed, use lighting timers to discourage break-ins, and arrange for a friend or family member to spot check while you’re gone.
2. Unplug nonessential appliances and electronics to prevent the possibility of damage from lightning or an electrical surge.
3. Turn off water lines leading to your washing machine.
4. Leave a set of car keys with a neighbor if you’re leaving other vehicles at home.
5. Assign alarm duty to a trusted friend or neighbor.
Deal: Marriott's Global Rate Break
Book by June 2 for weekend stays (Thursday to Sunday) May 21 to Sept. 7 and you'll save 20 percent at participating Marriott hotels and resorts in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
The offer is available any day of the week at participating resorts worldwide, hotels in the Middle East and Africa, and Marriott Vacation Club and Grand Residences by Marriott resorts.
To book the Global Rate Break, visit here, and use promo code F5X, or call 1-877-MARRIOTT.
Deal: Radisson's Freeday
Radisson Hotels & Resorts, with more than 400 locations in 68 countries, is giving guests a break this summer with Friday as Freeday. From May 15 through Sept. 15, get a free Friday night stay when staying two or more consecutive nights (Thursday or Saturday night required).
The offer is available at participating Radisson hotels and resorts in North, Central, and South America; Asia Pacific; and at Radisson Edwardian Hotels in the United Kingdom.
Friday is Freeday must be booked a minimum of seven days in advance of your stay. Reservations can be made here, or by calling 800-333-3333.
Deal: Kimpton's Summer of Pride
From May 21 to Sept. 27, 2009, Kimpton is offering a special PRIDE rate code to members of the LGBT community to receive a complimentary weekend night when they book two nights at the best available rate. Plus, Kimpton is including a $50 dining credit for use at participating restaurants adjacent to Kimpton hotels.
“Kimpton is proud to be supportive of the LGBT community,” said Alan Baer, senior vice president of human resources and co-chair of the Kimpton Gay & Lesbian Employee Network. “As a company we are very involved in the communities we live in and contribute to dozens of LGBT organizations.”
The Summer of Pride offer is available in 20 cities including: Alexandria, Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland, San Diego, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Scottsdale, Vancouver, Vero Beach, and Washington, D.C.
Use the rate code PRIDE when booking. Some restrictions apply, based on availability. To book visit here or call 1-800-KIMPTON.
Deal: Marriott's Military Golf Program
Marriott is offering active, reserve, and military personnel a deal at 26 Marriott golf courses across the country. With Fairway Furloughs, members of the armed forces with a valid military ID card get discounted green fees/carts, ranging from $29-$69 after 3 p.m. any day of the week, year round. Tee times can be made up to three days in advance.
"In this country, we have hundreds of thousands of active, reserve, and retired military personnel who play golf, and we can't think of a better way to reward their unmatched dedication,'' said Bill Nault, vice president, Marriott Golf.
The complete list of participating courses includes: Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Desert Springs Golf Resort, Palm Desert, Calif.; Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Fla.; Grande Pines Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Grande Vista Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Hawk's Landing Golf Club, Orlando, Fla.; Renaissance Vinoy Resort, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Shadow Ridge Golf Club, Palm Desert, Calif.; Starr Pass Golf Club, Tucson, Ariz.; The Rookery at Marco, Naples, Fla.; Wildfire Golf Club, Phoenix, Ariz.; Cattails Golf Club, Kingsport, Tenn.; Griffin Gate Golf Club, Lexington, Ky.; Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, Lihue, Hawaii; Stone Mountain Golf Club, Stone Mountain, Ga.; Crane's Landing Golf Club, Lincolnshire, Ill.; Westfields Golf Club, Clifton, Va.; and Willow Crest Golf Club, Oak Brook, Ill.
For more information on the program, visit here.
- Anne Fitzgerald, Globe Travel Editor
- Paul Makishima, Globe Assistant Sunday Editor
- Ron Driscoll, Globe Travel staff
- Eric Wilbur, Boston.com staff
- Kari Bodnarchuk writes about outdoor adventures, offbeat places, and New England.
- Patricia Borns, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs travel, maritime, and historical narratives as well as blogs and books.
- Ethan Gilsdorf writes about off-beat places and experiences.
- Patricia Harris, a regular contributor to Globe Travel, is author or co-author of more than 20 books on travel, food, and popular culture.
- Chris Klein is a regular contributor to Globe Travel. His latest book is ‘‘The Die-Hard Sports Fan’s Guide to Boston.’’
- David Lyon, a regular contributor to Globe Travel, is author or co-author of more than 20 books on travel, food, and popular culture.
- Hilary Nangle is a regular contributor to Globe Travel. Her latest guidebook is Moon Maine (Avalon Travel, 2008)
- Joe Ray, a frequent contributor to Globe Travel, writes and photographs food and travel stories from Europe.
- Jan Shepherd is a frequent contributor to Globe Travel.
- Kimberly Sherman writes about unique happenings throughout New England.
