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IT—Inside Traveler
By Jessie Johnston and Emily King

August 31, 2006:

Castles in the Sun

Much to IT's chagrin, summer will soon be drawing to a close. There's still time for one last sunny fling, though, so this week our summer trilogy—successfully begun with the lowdowns on swimming pools and gelato—concludes with the highly anticipated third installment on … sand castles.

Now, we're not just talking your run-of-the-mill overturned-plastic-bucket-type sandcastle. No, indeed. We here at Inside Traveler have our eyes on the (il)logical conclusion of building impermanent structures out of wet sand: sand sculpture festivals and competitions. Those who want more from their beach time than salty hair and a tan have worldwide options for a sculpturally enhanced waterfront experience.

The UK's most celebrated seaside escape has been home to a granular Roman Empire since the June 1st opening of the World Sand Sculpture Festival Brighton, which runs until September 10th. The Lara Sand City outside the Turkish resort town of Antalya also features ancient themes, and will continue to host 30-by-50-foot sculptures, including Noah's Ark and the Trojan Horse, until September 30th. Other festivals are currently ongoing in Pêra, Portugal (to September 20th) and Parksville, B.C., (to September 4th).

Baffled by how sand and water alone can be persuaded to maintain such complex shapes? IT sure is. But unlike your desk-bound bloggers, you travelers still have a couple of opportunities to watch the art's masters in action this summer. Labor Day weekend will see Point Reyes National Seashore hosting its 25th annual Sand Sculpture Contest. And for the best of the best, head to Harrison Hot Springs, B.C., for the World Championships of Sand Sculpture. The competition runs from September 5th to 10th, with the sculptures staying on display until October 9th.

Internet Itineraries

For those of you who still enter trip itineraries into Excel spreadsheets (i.e. Emily's parents), IT has a new tool for you to try: Yahoo! Trip Planner. Emily has entered her recent road trip into the web-based application and she's confident to report that "Trip Planner is really cool and easy to use." She writes:

"It's simple to get started, especially if you already use Yahoo! mail or Flickr. Click on 'Create a Trip,' then enter your login and password—if you haven't used Yahoo! before, follow the new user process. Once you're signed in, the actual trip-creation is pretty intuitive.

"Trip Planner can be used before, during, and/or after your trip. Before you go, you can plan your trip by entering your itinerary in the 'Schedule View.' Here you can keep a list of every hotel, shop, and attraction you plan to visit (organized by date) and record vital information about each place, like the Zagat service rating for a specific restaurant. This information can then be seen in 'Map View,' which plots your itinerary on a Yahoo! map. During your trip, or after (as I did), you may add entries to the 'Trip Journal' (a blog), and illustrate your journal with photos you've uploaded into Flickr. Each trip gets its own URL, so you can distribute the link and share your trip with friends and family. The best part? The printable version allows you to organize your itinerary the way you like (by location, schedule, or category) and prints a thumbnail-size map next to each item, so you can easily find places along your route.

"There are several problems I've run into, like finding my trip through the Yahoo! search engine and getting RSS feeds sent to my Yahoo 360 page, but the Trip Planner Bugs message board was helpful and easy to use."

Check out Emily's itinerary to see Trip Planner in action.

From August 29, 2006:

IT's Restaurant Weakness

IT likes to eat. When we can, we like to eat well. But if gourmet's not an option we have no qualms admitting that we'll eat our fill of pretty much whatever you put in front of us. The week before last, though, we were delighted to have the opportunity to eat gourmet food in gourmand quantities. This worthy endeavor—which included dinner at Galileo followed the very next day by lunch at Vidalia—was brought within reach of our entry-level-salary-sized pocket books by the Washington, D.C. incarnation of Restaurant Week.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, restaurant weeks have sprung up in cities across North America as a way to boost business at top restaurants during otherwise slow periods (the dog days of summer, post-Christmas belt-tightening), generally by offering three-course prix-fixe lunches and dinners at deeply discounted, often cutesy, prices—lunch cost $20.06 in Boston this year, and $24.07 (24/7) in New York. An example: Jessie's $30.06 Galileo feast of baby octopus, black cod with couscous, and roasted peach in zabaglione would have cost more than twice that on an ordinary night.

While it's too late to partake in the festivities here in the nation's capital and a number of other cities, some places (New York, Baltimore, Dallas, Providence) have extended their promotions, either in their entirety or at individual establishments. Philadelphia, on the other hand, waits for all the college kids to get back before its restaurant week (September 10-15), and Miami has an entire restaurant "month" (which encompasses both August and September). For the last two weeks in September, nine cities and counties in Canada and the U.S. will participate in Dine Out (called City Dine north of the border), serving discount prix-fixe repasts and raising money for anti-hunger organizations.

So, there are plenty of opportunities left to splurge while feeling virtuous (both for saving yourself money and for helping the hungry). If you don't manage to dine regally on the cheap this year, keep your eyes peeled in 2007 for the crop of winter restaurant weeks, generally found to sprout in New York, San Diego, Vancouver, and Denver, among others.

Seashore Secrets

After a recent trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, Northern California native Laurel Kellner drafted a list of local favorites for IT. She writes:

"The scenery is gorgeous from Novato to Point Reyes Station, the gateway to the park. En route, don't miss the cheese factory on Point Reyes-Petaluma Road. Offering a divine selection of locally made cheeses, it's well worth the stop. At the entrance to Point Reyes Station a sign reads 'Population 350,' but the town is far from sleepy––especially on summer weekends when the farmers market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"For freshly-baked bread, pastries, and other goodies, move on to Bovine Bakery located on State Route 1, the main drag in Point Reyes Station. Crowded all day, the bakery serves coffee and home-baked pastries; it's a required stop for locals, day tourists, and diehard mountain bikers. In true California fashion, a variety of vegan options are available—try the dairy-free whole-wheat scone. (Note: Baked goods are half-off for the half-hour before closing at 5 p.m.). Sip your coffee next door at Point Reyes Books and peruse new, used, rare and local finds. Get your hippie fix at Tara Thralls Tie Dye Designs, offering everything from original T-shirts to full body 'union suits.' The store is open weekends and, according to the sign, 'Weekdays by appointment at 1-800-MOM-TARA.'

"Of course, the main reason to visit Point Reyes Seashore is for the beaches. Depending on your mood, I have a favorite to suit you:

"Best beach for tanning—Heart's Desire (part of Tomales Bay State Park) is on the bay side of the Point Reyes Peninsula. Offering seclusion from ocean winds, it's perfect for picnics and soaking up the sun. Plus, it's safe for kids to wade into the shallow, lapping waves, which are reminiscent of the Mediterranean.

"Best beach for surfing—Bolinas: You'll need a wetsuit for the 50-degree water, but it's the best spot for catching waves and a bit of local flavor. Among the surfers ambling down the street in this 'Venice Beach of the North,' you may spot a local in a leopard suit––complete with whiskers. The local museum in this quirky town hosts original art and photography exhibits.

"Best beach for kite flying—Kehoe seems to stretch forever with all-in-one-bliss: sand dunes, sea stacks, and starfish.

"Best beach for long walks—Limantour: You're likely to run into a pod of harbor seals that bask regularly on the sand bar where the lagoon meets the ocean (two miles north of where the parking lot trailhead hits the beach). Pooch in tow? Dogs are allowed on the southern half of the beach."

To get you in the mood for all this long walking, IT suggests you visit the Point Reyes National Seashore webcam, where you'll see a live view of Point Reyes Beach. Or check out "Quiet, Please" by Howard Norman in Traveler's May/June print issue.

E-mail your feedback and tips to InsideTraveler@ngs.org.

Bookmark IT! www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/blog/blog.html

Even though they won't be going back to school next week, Traveler's assistant to the editor Emily King and researcherJessie Johnston are nonetheless planning an imminent trip to Office Depot to pick up a kneadable eraser and a pack of colored pencils large enough to include "cornflower."

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