America’s best cities for bikers

With gas prices slowly rising and temperatures across most of the country at comfortable levels, some Americans are leaving the car in the garage and biking to work, or using their two-wheelers to hit the outdoors. It helps, too, that cities small and large are encouraging pedal power by marking new bike lanes.

According to its 2010 Benchmarking Report, the Alliance for Bicycling & Walking, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., several cities across the country are making an effort to increase biker safety through distinctly marked bike lanes. Though most cities don't allocate significant amounts of money to encourage biking — New York City spent approximately $4 million on bike facilities in Fiscal Year 09, 80 percent of which was federal funding — some have long-term plans in place to increase participation.

The cities on our list are those, according to the report, with the greatest percentage of people who ride their bikes to work. If a city has a greater percentage of bicycling commuters, it's therefore more likely to be a bike-friendly city. The Alliance defines “city” as the city proper, not a Metropolitan Statistical Area.

America’s best cities for bikers

Portland, Ore., tops the list. Its neighbor, Seattle, lands in fourth place. Stephan Shier, owner of Dutch Bike Company in Seattle, says the best bike towns have a solid infrastructure in place, are flat and put a lot of effort into what he calls “traffic calming” effects, such as auto-restricted zones, cul-de-sacs and “chokers,” or longer extensions of curb which encourage drivers to slow down.

The city, he says, is “at least 10 years ahead of all other large American cities.” At several city intersections cars are directed away from bike lanes, not the other way around.

“Portland was a streetcar city,” says Tom Miller, chief of staff for the city's mayor. “We still have the footprint of the dense, walkable and thus bikable city. Many hotels offer free bikes for guests, [and] the city is changing one-car parking spaces to bike corrals that accommodate 12 bikes.”

Joining Portland and Seattle in the top five are Minneapolis, San Francisco and Tucson. The only two northeast cities that make the top 20 are Philadelphia and Boston, though Washington, D.C., comes in seventh. In total, 665,000 people bike to work everyday nationwide, or 0.5 percent of the population. The numbers have climbed slowly but steadily, from under half a million in 1990.

The city of Mesa, Ariz., No. 10, established its first official plan for improving and encouraging biking in 1997, when it had 62.4 miles of paths and over 10 miles of bike lanes. By 2002 there were 40 miles of bike lanes. An additional 10 were added in 2009, according to the city.

Further north, Denver has 23 miles of marked, on-street bike lanes. Currently, 1.6 percent of Denver's commuters bike to work, but the city aims to get that number up to 10 percent by 2018.

What's keeping these numbers from rising faster, says Shier, is that Americans have the wrong perception of biking in general.

“Everybody in the U.S. is biking on modified racing bikes,” says Shier, whose company imports urban two-wheelers built with Scandinavian simplicity and practicality. “Americans believe they need to cycle to work or participate in a weekend trek like Lance Armstrong, wearing spandex and working up a full sweat. But in Europe bikes are the vehicles of the common man. You climb on in your regular clothes and bike away.”

Source from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

Caribbean Islands have All Inclusive Resorts

All inclusive resorts are a popular form of vacation for families, especially in the Caribbean; but you won't find them on every island. The list below indicates your best choices for finding an AI. Note that some non-all-inclusive resorts do offer "inclusive plans" for meals and perhaps activities too; don't expect the utter freedom --of food, drink, activities-- of a full-on all inclusive resort, though.

Be aware that in some places that don't have all inclusive resorts, locals may be quite happy to not have them, in the typical meaning of a large self-contained resort. Still, you may find a smaller property that offers an "inclusive plan."

Americans head to Shanghai Expo

SHANGHAI - Stephen Brown has "always been fascinated with the idea of a world's fair." Mary Schnack is a businesswoman hoping to make connections in Shanghai. Brian Greenberg has long dreamed of visiting China.

They're among thousands of Americans heading to the Shanghai Expo, which opened last weekend for a six-month run. Nearly 200 countries and dozens of corporations are participating, with pavilions and exhibits showcasing culture, tourism, technology and a theme of environmentally sustainable cities.

The Expo has not received a lot of publicity in the U.S. Seventy million visitors are expected to attend in all, but only 3 million to 5 million will be foreigners. Still, Americans who do plan to attend have great expectations and often very personal reasons for going.

FIFA: Semifinals, final of WCup sold out

JOHANNESBURG – Some 130,000 World Cup tickets have been sold in the first 36 hours of the final phase, and the semifinals and final are sold out.

Traveling with grandkids can be trip of lifetime

That was the first of our many multigenerational vacations, all the more poignant because my dad died a few months later. Maybe that's why we still talk so much about that trip — the seafood feasts our housekeeper whipped up, seemingly effortlessly for us, the hours my dad, already ill, spent playing in the pool with the kids, the stellar snorkeling and gambling expeditions led my dad to a nearby casino, the bug bites that covered my 8-month-old daughter, and, of course, the Morning of the Coconuts.

At the time, it all seemed pretty exotic for our family. My mom had plucked a tiny ad from the New York Times and, sight unseen, (no Internet virtual tour in those days, no TripAdvisor reviews), had rented the place overlooking the ocean for two weeks. It wasn't quite what we expected, but that's another story.

What the gathering provided was unfettered time together to laugh and play and eat — time we didn't usually have because we lived thousands of miles apart. Today, more than 20 years later, grandparents and tour operators tell me, that's still what's driving other families like ours to corral their families on multigenerational trips.

What's changed is the kind of trips available. As baby boomers become grandparents and seniors become more active, families are opting for more far-flung and active adventures — fishing in Alaska, horseback riding at dude ranches, snorkeling off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, setting up camp — literally — at tree houses in the U.S. Virgin Island (www.maho.org) — some returning with grandkids to where they honeymooned, or sailing charters in the Caribbean (www.moorings.com), rafting and hiking in Colorado (www.epicsummer.com) touring Israel and Africa with a gaggle of grandkids, even shopping New York City's vintage stores.

"We had so much fun ... and spotted my oldest daughter's senior prom gown!" said Anna Mae Kremps, who lives near Pittsburgh. Thanks to the transportation arranged by www.shop-nyctours.com), Kremps said, "This 70-something grandma was able to keep up."

The Alaska fishing trip (http://www.bobscabin.com/) that included 78-year-old Pauline Hill and her 16-year-old grandson was such a hit that the family is returning this year and bringing along friends, reports Hill's daughter-in-law Pam from her home in Colorado.

Do that bucket trip now
These grandparents "are generally a fitter and more experiential-oriented travel crowd than their parents. So they are happy to take their grandchildren on 'adventures,' especially when they might have the opportunity to get a massage or go to yoga at the end of the day," observes Paul Lehman of Austin-Lehman Adventures (www.austinlehman.com). His company is booking more of these trips, including an Adventure Bar Mitzvah to Israel. Often, the grandparents pick up the tab, too.

And this may be the time to do it, says Gabe Saglie, senior editor of TravelZoo.com. "In terms of that bucket trip, do it now. We have not seen prices like this in a long time, if ever," he says, adding that you can negotiate even better deals when you've got a group.

The best part is you might be able to arrange a specific itinerary geared just for your family, as the Crews did when they took their family — 14 of them — to Tanzania with Wildland Adventures (www.wildland.com) to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

The Crews, incidentally, who live near Tampa, are a well-traveled couple, but said Jeri Crews, this trip with the nine grandkids was the most rewarding they've ever had.

"It was a real adventure," she explained. "Each member of the family got something out of it, and it was so thrilling to see the children discover things they hadn't ever thought of, or knew existed." One grandson, in fact, won a speech contest for recounting his visit to a village school.

Cruises remain popular
Of course, there are plenty of less exotic offerings, including YMCA camps like the YMCA of the Rockies (www.ymcarockies.org) with plenty of organized activities.

And families are still cruising — so much so that they represent one of the fastest growing segments of the cruise industry and cruise lines, like Norwegian (www.ncl.com), court them with everything from connecting rooms and suites (see the amazing options on Norwegian's new EPIC coming this summer) to family reunion packages aboard Holland America (www.HollandAmerica.com) and family memories deals on Crystal Cruises (www.crystalcruises.com). The more rooms you book, the more perks you receive.

Families are still renting houses together, too (www.discovervacationhomes.com) — everything from cabins on a private Minnesota island (www.ludlowsresort.com), where we hosted more than one multigenerational summer trip, to a South Carolina beach via Wild Dunes (www.wilddunes.com) where there are new "Family Matters" packages that offer 20 percent off villas for seven days, along with other perks to deluxe and budget European and Caribbean manses (www.hideaways.com and www.homeaway.com).

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Wet Sand - Use It - Love It

The Best of the Beach - Runaway Bay, Jamaica

Jamaica Villa Menu - a sampling of what your chef might prepare!

Caribbean Travel Checklist for Babies & Toddlers

• More Than One Hat. {it is windy on the beach... hats fly off in the wind and 2 year olds are not fast enough to catch them. neither are many parents.}
• 3-4 Swimsuits. {the air is humid in the tropics. no one likes putting on a wet swimsuit, especially cranky toddlers who have had ENOUGH of the beach and just want to go home to their collection of dump trucks.}
• A Few Boxes of Annie's Macaroni & Cheese. {this is especially helpful if you are staying at a private villa and don't want to ask your cook to prepare multiple dishes for each meal. hand over a box of these noodles and be done.}
• A Thermometer. {we all hope and pray our kids stay healthy while traveling but that isn't always the case and guessing if junior has a fever or not, is not fun entertainment.}
• Childrens Tylenol & Motrin. {because if junior does get a fever, you must treat it. letting a child sweat out a fever in 80+ temps, is not fair.}
• Any other medications you would use at home - bring them. {because they will all cost $5678.00 more in the Caribbean and be hard to locate.}
• Double the amount of swim diapers you intended to bring. {speaking of hard to find, 7 stores later we decided to let our son just swim naked - this had its own causualites... imagine. no swim diapers were located. a few pink ones were borrowed - see photos above}
• Two Tubes of Kiddie Sunblock. {leave one in the room and apply every am before you suit up. leave another in your beach bag so it is always with you and daddy doesn't have to go tromping back to the room dripping wet when you realize you left it by the bed.}
• Diaper Rash Cream. {even if you can't recall the last time you used this stuff at home, bring it. the tropics are hot and sticky when dry. add a wet swim diaper, and the itchy netting found in little boy bathing suits, and you could end up with a real problem area. apply liberaly, even if not needed.}
• Bug Spray for Kids. {because the adult stuff has way too much deet. eek.}
• Bandaids. {no explanation necessary - but a great example of how handy these can be is that we actually used one of the super strong fabric ones to patch up our beach ball giving it a few more hours of use. swell.}
• Yummy Earth Vitamin C Pops. {i'm not sure about the science behind this, but for whatever reason, my children's twisty car ride tummy woes are eased if we stick a lollipop in their mouths. might as well do double duty and give them a little vitamin c too!}

I'm sure there are more items I forgot, but as the sun slips behind the mountains and the smells from our dinner being lovingly prepared in the kitchen circle around me, I think it's time to forget all the drama of my forgetfulness and enjoy my second-to-last night on this beautiful island! Enjoy!

Cayman Carnival Batabano

Stylish Sandals for a Cause by Sseko Designs

Polarized Lenses - Don't leave home without them!

As many couples do, my husband and I often engage in the common spousal debate of fashion vs. function. This topic comes most frequently when we discuss shoes. What woman doesn't feel sexiest in a pair of heels? It doesn't matter what type of day I've had, how terrible I feel physically, or if my clothes are suddenly fitting a bit more snug, if I slip into a pair of heels, I'm cured. So the heels win over comfortable flats 99.9% of the time.

My husband is an avid deep sea fisherman, born on an island, and raised by the sea. He can't remember when he first acquired a pair of sunglasses with polarized lenses but he does know he's never purchased anything else since. I never understood it, likely because the ocean was so beautiful to my naked eye. I've been to most Caribbean islands and spent months on the beach, but seeing the ocean each time is like seeing it for the first time... the view never gets old.


Last week, on our first day at the beach, I decided to take my 2 year old boogie boarding for the first time, complete with my new Jackie O shades (black with mother of pearl accents, LOVELY!) when we were attacked by a rouge wave. It came out of nowhere and was 3 to 4 feet higher than the others that day. My choice was simple - hold the child - not the glasses and so there they went. Gone in an instant and our vacation had only just begun. Luckily, Mr. Sangster had a spare pair of shades to last me until we reached Kingston this week and I could replace my own.

The borrowed glasses never left my head. (Tommy Bahama, brown, polarized - say no more.) If ever I thought I had seen the ocean again and again for the first time, this truly was a new experience. All of the colors popped, the depth of the sea floor was visible from every angle, the clouds glowed whiter in the blue background and I was smitten. So yes, polarized lenses are a fantastic thing. Here's the dilema, why are all glasses sold with polarized lenses the opposite of attractive, at least from the ladies persepective? Not much time to research as we are still in Jamaica, but as soon as we get home, I will be on a mission to find a stylish pair I can call all my own. Should you find any retailers that sell something of the sort, please share.

Enjoy!

Room Photos from Sandals Emerald Bay, Bahamas

Instant Pocket

{my view for the next week}

Breezes Resorts March Madness Sale!

Book by March 31 for travel April 10 – June 11 to take advantage of these incredible savings. Blackout dates and restrictions apply. See below for complete details. Applies to new bookings only. Other dates are available at higher rates. 

TRAVEL: April 10 - June 11, 2010
BOOK BY: March 31, 2010 at 11:59pm ET

What's Included? At Breezes Resorts & Spas virtually everything you can eat, drink & do is included in one simple, upfront price with no tipping allowed. So leave your wallet behind and bring a healthy appetite for great food and endless fun. All on some of the best beaches in the Caribbean and Latin America. 


Sample Rates:
Breezes Panama starts at $78/night
Breezes Grand Resort in Negril starts at $138/night
Breezes Runaway Bay starts at $114/night
Breezes Trelawny starts at $81/night
Breezes Curacao starts at $104/night


Breezes Resorts are located in Jamaica, Bahamas, Curacao, Panama, and Brazil. All areas with easy airlift from most major US gateways and if you fly Condor from the UK.

New Sandals Emerald Bay Photos!