eJourna » books

Magnificent Mile Festival of Lights River Cruise and Other Special Offers

Ron — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:26 +0000

Join the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) for a special Chicago architecture river cruise on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 4pm to celebrate North Michigan Avenue’s Festival of Lights.

Santa and Reindeer, Magnificent Mile Holiday Lights Festival. Photo by Rex Libris.

For 50 years, the trees along North Michigan Avenue have been illuminated to signal the official kick-off of the holiday season in Chicago and around the nation. With the help of over 800 volunteers, The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival encourages everyone to join in the spirit of the holiday season and enjoy a host of festive experiences along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

In addition to the river cruise, this year you can celebrate the magic of the Lights Festival with a book and a postcard series that highlights the past of this historic annual event. Written by Ellen S. Farrar, the book, titled The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, is part of Arcadia Publishing’s popular series Images of America and can be purchased through Amazon.

Tickets for the river cruise can be purchased online through Ticketmaster. For more information on the Chicago Architecture Foundation, visit their website.

Other Special Offers

Visitors can also take advantage of other special offers including:

Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co.: Free Garrett’s Popcorn & Free Hershey Bar

Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co.
November 1 – December 31

Enjoy the sights and sounds of Chicago from a famous Chicago Trolley or Double Decker bus. Free Garrett’s Popcorn and Hershey Bars for all ticketed passengers.

http://www.coachusa.com/chicagotrolley/

Best Western River North Hotel: Gourmet Hot Chocolate Bar

Best Western River North Hotel
November 21–22

Enjoy complimentary gourmet hot chocolate and homemade cookies from 7–9 p.m.!

http://www.rivernorthhotel.com/

John Hancock Observatory: Santa’s Winter Wonderland More than a Thousand Feet Up!

John Hancock Observatory
November 1 — December 31

No better way to celebrate the holidays than for free from a thousand feet up! During November and December, one free youth (3–11) per full –fare paying adult. Check out www.hancockobservatory.com for our full schedule of Winter Wonderland events and for terms & conditions.

http://www.hancockobservatory.com/

The Doubletree Chicago Magnificent Mile: The Winter Wonderland Package

The Doubletree Chicago Magnificent Mile
November 22, 2009 – January 3, 2010

Package includes: One double queen room for two nights, in-door parking for one vehicle for two nights, two adult drink coupons redeemable at the lobby bar, two kids drink coupons redeemable at the lobby bar, four tickets to
view a movie of choice at the Navy Pier IMAX theater that includes “A Christmas Carol” in 3D.

http://www.doubletreemagmile.com/

For more details about Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, visit: http://www.themagnificentmile.com/

Photo by Rex Libris

New Mississippi River Travel Guide Series Starts with Quad Cities

Tonia — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:00:49 +0000

Quad Cities – St. Louis Author, Dean Klinkenberg, virtually lived in the Quad Cities in the summers of 2007 and 2008 exploring any place that might interest visitors. The John Deere factory tour reduced him to a giddy 10-year old; and neighborhood bars introduced him to the daily lives of Quad Cities’ residents. Festivals, the arts, attractions, and historical research kept him busy filling the pages of what would become a detailed and information-packed Quad Cities travel guide.

Quad Cities Travel Guide

“The Mississippi Valley Traveler — Quad Cities Travel Guide” is the first book in a series of travel guides under the name The Mississippi Valley Traveler that are designed for budget-conscious travelers of any age who want to explore the Mississippi River and the towns that grew up along its banks. The Quad Cities is comprised of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline/East Moline, Illinois; and surrounding communities.

Dean often comments, that while he lives in St. Louis, he considers the Quad Cities his second home. When he is in the Quad Cities, if he is not watching antique motorcycle races or listening to roots music, you will find him at one of the area’s brewpubs. He found the people friendly, informative, and always willing to lend a helping hand.

“The Mississippi River is the reason that settlers put down their stakes in the 1830s, and people still flock to its banks to fish, to bike, to enjoy a festival, or to enjoy the view,” said Dean. “The story of the Quad Cities is the story of a growing America, innovation and industrialization, and the shifting economies that continually make and remake cities. The Mississippi Valley Traveler pays respect to this history, while highlighting attractions well-known and obscure and locally-run restaurants and accommodations.”

The Quad Cities Travel Guide begins with an introduction of the Quad Cities, a history lesson, and an explanation about the author’s “My Picks”. He then presents special sections on each region in the Quad Cities that highlight the history of the city, attractions, restaurants, entertainment, and lodging. Each section contains a map that pinpoints areas of interest. Cities include Moline, Rock Island, East Moline, and Hampton in Illinois, and Davenport, Bettendorf, Riverdale, and Pleasant Valley in Iowa. There is also a special section on the Rock Island Arsenal Island. The book concludes with regional information that includes seasonal festivals.

Dean’s next guide book will cover the river from LeClaire, Iowa, to Lansing, Michigan, including historic communities such as Dubuque, Galena, and Prairie du Chien. He plans to have it completed by the middle of September. From there, he will continue north all the way to the headwaters region. Klinkenberg expects the series to be completed with the Upper Mississippi by the summer of 2011.

Currently, the Quad Cities Travel Guide can be purchased online at www.MississippiValleyTraveler.com and at various retail outlets in the Quad Cities area.

For information on the Quad Cities, also contact the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800–747-7800 or visit their website at www.visitquadcities.com.

Explore “A Place of Delicious Contrasts” with Lonely Planet’s New Japan Travel Guide

Tonia — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:00:52 +0000

Kaminarimon and Senso-ji in Asakusa, Japan. Photo by Foong Siew Kuen

Time to plan that next dream vacation, and with Lonely Planet’s new Japan Travel Guide it is easier than ever!

Nobody knows Japan like Lonely Planet. With 178 detailed and easy-to-use maps, expanded activities, itineraries and cultural coverage, the 100% researched and updated Lonely Planet Japan is the most in-depth guide to Japan available.

Coordinating Author and Kyoto resident Chris Rowthorn writes in his introduction: ‘First and foremost, Japan is a place of delicious contrasts: ancient temples and futuristic cities; mist-shrouded hills and lightning-fast bullet trains; kimono-clad geisha and suit-clad businesspeople; quaint thatch-roofed villages and pulsating neon urban jungles. This peculiar synthesis of the modern and the traditional is one of the things that makes travel in Japan such a fascinating experience.’

All Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. The new edition of Lonely Planet Japan is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give travelers the information they need to make the most of their trip, such as:

An architecture chapter leading visitors from ancient temples to modern towers
Reliable advice from resident and specialist authors – and locals
Japanese script in text and on maps, to make navigation a cinch.

With more maps and language content than any other Japan guidebook, this 11th edition unveils so much of the country, including:

The very best of shopping in Tokyo – ‘Tokyo is not as notoriously expensive as it once was, and shopping is one of the great pastimes of local residents. Shopping may not normally interest you, but the city’s seductive wares may sway you.’
Skiing in the Japan Alps – ‘Japan’s best ski resorts are found in the Japan Alps region of Central Honshu (mostly in Nagano and Niigata prefectures) and on the northern island of Hokkaido. The former lays claim to the highest mountains; the latter lays claim to the deepest and most regular snow in the country.’
Soaking in idyllic onsen – ‘The Japanese word for a hot spring is onsen, and there are more than 3000 of them in the country, more than anywhere else on earth – it’s like Iceland on steroids.’
Trekking to Kansai’s feudal castles – ‘Kansai is the heart of Japan. It is here that a truly distinctive Japanese culture came into being, and with it, those things that so many of us associate with Japan.’
Slurping soba at Kyushu food stalls – ‘Let the aromas and the chatty conversation guide you.’

Get the book, and start planning now!

Lonley Planet Japan (Country Guide)

– 11th Edition, published September 2009

Travel With Kids Without Breaking A Sweat: Fodor’s Launches New Line of Children’s Guidebooks

Ron — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:55:39 +0000

As travelers with kids, we know that sometimes seeing a city we’re visiting through the eyes of our children gives traveling a whole new perspective. We see things in a different light, experience the history of places and things more innocently, and in general do things and visit places that we might have missed had we been on our own.

The trick when traveling with kids is, of course, knowing what sorts of things are kid-friendly. How many times have you found yourself staying at a hotel geared for business travelers, with no kid friendly amenities? How many times have you found yourself going from restaurant to restaurant trying to locate one that won’t frown on children, or who actually serve kid-friendly fare? And how many times have you arrived at an attraction only to discover your children don’t meet the recommended age limit?

To help travelers with children, Fodor’s Travel recently announced Fodor’s Family, a new series of guidebooks for exploring America’s most iconic cities with kids.

Fodor’s Family guides include the best kid-friendly sights for visitors to see and do, while continuing to offer reviews of all the restaurants, hotels, shops, performing arts, entertainment venues and outdoor activities of a standard guidebook that would pack appeal for families on the move.

Each city’s guide is researched and written by a parent and long-time resident, infusing the guides with local insight and ensuring that every detail is up-to-date. In addition, the richly-detailed maps and recommendation-packed lists and charts that appear in Fodor’s long-trusted flagship Gold Guides permeate the Fodor’s Family books. These dual characteristics give parents and kids quick and easy ways to make the most of their time. Among other family-friendly features:

• Parently Practicalities: Sights and activities come with age-appropriateness ranges, kids admission prices, family-friendly hotel amenities, and transportation and packing tips.

• Neighborhood Top 5 Lists: The best spots for kids by area come with neighborhood charts to help locate family essentials like snack spots, ice cream places, bathrooms and playgrounds.

• Treasure Maps: Each city includes a themed map allowing kids to find the film locations of some of their favorite movies, or statues of the famous men on our currency…or more!

• Family Fun: A separate chapter lays out games for fun on the go and for distraction while waiting in lines or in the car plus smart travel tips specific to families.

The first guides available from the new Fodor’s Family line include New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington DC all in a small, portable trim size to remain hassle-free while on the move! More guides are promised in the future.