In the October 2003 Print Edition

FEATURES

Experiences of a Lifetime Special Section

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From seeing the Northern Lights to bungee jumping in New Zealand, these 120 experiences prove that it’s not just the destination but what you do there that counts. Plus: Our Traveler/Yahoo! Travel online poll reveals your Ultimate Vacation, p. 81.

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Physical Adventures
Peter Benchley dives the South Pacific • Running the Grand Canyon's white water • Caving New Mexico • Golfing in Scotland • Kayaking in Alaska • Climbing Sydney's Harbour Bridge • Skiing Mont Blanc.

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Spiritual Retreats
Seeking renewal at India's Rameswaram Temple • The pilgrim's route to Santiago de Compostela • Inside a Navajo sweat lodge • Seeing sunrise at Machu Picchu • Communing with history at Shiloh • Trekking Tibet.

107

Cultural Pursuits
The classic African safari • Glimpsing the world of Kyoto's geishas • Buying a carpet in Turkey • Doing the tango in Buenos Aires • Celebrating Trinidad's Carnival • Traditional hula and "talk story" in Hawaii.

DEPARTMENTS

6

Editor’s Note
Details on current events, new features, and more.

8

Travel Talk
Letters from our readers.

15

Smart Traveler
How to get the lowest hotel rates now • Straight talk on airplane health • Best ways to renew your passport • South American hot spots • Penn Quarter: DC's next It neighborhood • Oenophile inns • Classic Parisian souvenirs • Five bargain trips for family R&R • A-List travel deals.

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On the Road
Virginia's Route 5 winds from Richmond to Yorktown, past plantations and colonial burgs, deep into American history. By Andrew Nelson.

42

Real Travel
How to get from point A to point B? A good map is a joy, while a bad map can lead, quite literally, to disaster. By Daisann Mclane.

44

Local Color
Nearly destroyed in World War II, Rotterdam has become the Netherlands' architectural showpiece. By Aart Aarsbergen.

45

TravelWatch
Tiamo resort, Bahamas • The wonder of dark skies • Best Practices: Lenox Hotel, Boston. By Jonathan B. Tourtellot.

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48 Hours
In Milan, style rules, and supermodels roam the streets, but the city's best food gets dished up in modest trattorias. By Raphael Kadushin.

54

Place of a Lifetime
A globetrotting National Geographic photographer digs into his Celtic roots on France's rugged Brittany coast. By Jim Richardson.

132

Trips
Music cities U.S.A. • Dispatch: New Zealand • What's new in San Antonio • Day trips from Geneva • Five family-reunion spots • WorldWise quiz • and more . . .

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Parting Shot
This issue's most memorable photo.