Gourmet magazine offers "Paris on a Budget" issue

NEW YORK -- Gourmet magazine is offering a "collector's issue" on the theme of "Paris on a Budget."

"Thanks to the new young chefs, Paris is reclaiming its title as food capital of the world," said editor in chief Ruth Reichl in the magazine's September issue. Moreover, Reichl says you can enjoy great meals in Paris without spending a fortune.

Among the low-cost culinary pleasures she discovered were the $30 table d'hote dinner at La Cave de l'Os a Moelle, 181 Rue de Lourmel in the 15th Arrondissement (fish soup, crudites, pates, beef stew, cheese, tarts and more); the $20 lunch menu at Cafe des Musees, 49 Rue de Turenne, Third Arrondissement (beer-cooked duck, warm leeks, sauteed potatoes and salad); and the $16 lunch with salad and pasta at Fish La Boissonerie, 69 Rue de Seine in the Sixth.

Other features in the magazine include a story on "The New Left Bank," by Alexander Lobrano, who has just published "Hungry For Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City's 102 Best Restaurants" (Random House, $16). Lobrano says hip neighborhoods in Paris have moved across the Seine to "the double-digit arrondissements" -- the 10th, 11th, 12th, 19th and 20th, where affordable real estate and old-fashioned charm are attracting young trendy residents and quirky shops. Recommended stops include Le Passage de Pondichery, 84 Passage Brady, for South Asian food, and Du Pain et des Idees, 34 Rue Yves-Toudic, described by Lobrano as "one of the best new bakeries in Paris."

Another section of the issue is devoted to reasonably priced accommodations, starting as low as $62 at the Hotel du Commerce in the Latin Quarter. The catch: a bathroom down the stairs, coffee and vending machines in lieu of breakfast and a "small, lumpy" bed, according to Gourmet.

Details in the magazine's September issue or online at http://www.gourmet.com.

Frommer's travel guide content now available for iPhone and iPod

NEW YORK -- Frommer's travel guides are becoming available for download to iPhones and the iPod Touch.

Digital editions of Frommer's 2008 guides to New York, San Francisco, London and Paris are $9.99 from Apple.com via the new Apple App Store and from iTunes.

More Frommer's guides will be out later this year for downloading.

Once the books are loaded, users can browse ad-free content without an Internet connection. The format also offers interactive maps, Web and phone links through the touchscreen interface.

To view a demo of the application, visit http://www.frommers.com/go/mobile.

The applications were developed by Modality, which specializes in transforming content for handheld devices.

Fall activities and events in the Poconos

SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE, Pa. -- A new food festival that offers a variety of active and outdoor programs in addition to the usual tastings is scheduled to take place Sept. 18-21 in the Poconos.

The Delaware River Food & Wine Festival includes a "Brew Master for a Day" program, mushroom-foraging, guided pheasant hunting, and a bike ride with stops for farm tours. A 35-course tasting menu is scheduled for Sept. 20 at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. Tickets are $85. Details at http://www.delawareriverfoodandwine.com.

Other fall events in the Poconos include the opening of a new $19 million indoor waterpark at Split Rock Resort & Golf Club, a four-season resort on Lake Harmony in the western Poconos, some time in September.

Local traditions include the foliage festival in the historic town of Jim Thorpe, Oct. 18-19, and Harvest & Heritage Days in Honesdale Oct. 11-12.

For a beautiful place to see autumn colors, head to the summit of Camelback Mountain in Big Pocono State Park for a view from the summit. Bring a picnic or dine at the Cameltop restaurant.

Details at http://www.800poconos.com.

Skyscrapers of the past, present and future in Conde Nast Traveler

NEW YORK -- Architecture buffs will want to take note of the buildings profiled in the September issue of Conde Nast Traveler.

The magazine looks at iconic skyscrapers from the past, distinctive structures built in the last few years, and the tall buildings of the future.

The skyscrapers of yesteryear included one that is no longer standing -- the Home Insurance Building, 10 stories high, in Chicago, which was demolished in 1931, important because its steel structure allowed for large windows. Others on the list are New York's Woolworth Building, 1913, Empire State Building, 1931, and Seagram Building, 1958; Chicago's Sears Tower, 1973; London's Lloyd's Building, 1986; and Hong Kong's Bank of China Tower, 1990.

More recent significant additions to skylines around the world include Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers, 1998; Dubai's Burj Al Arab, 1999; London's 30 St. Mary Axe, 2004; Taipei 101, 2004; and HSB Turning Torso, in Malmo, Sweden, 2005.

Joining the roster this year are Beijing's CCTV Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center and One Bryant Park in Manhattan. The next several years will see the completion of the Burj Dubai and later the Al Burj, also in Dubai; the Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China; the Chicago Spire; the Shard London Bridge; and Russia Tower in Moscow.

October is wine month in Virginia, with tastings, festivals and packages

RICHMOND, Va. -- October is Virginia Wine Month, with tastings, festivals and hotel packages around the state.

Wine events around the state include the Mount Vernon Wine Festival, Oct. 3-5; the Norton Wine and Bluegrass Festival at Chrysalis Vineyards in Northern Virginia on Oct. 4-5; the Oct. 11 Black Dog Wine and Beach Music Festival at the Chateau Morrisette in Floyd; stargazing, weather permitting, with telescopes and the help of an astronomer the evenings of Oct. 17-18, at Virginia Mountain Vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley; Norfolk's Town Point Virginia Wine Festival, Oct. 18-19; and a Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival at the Historic Long Branch plantation in Millwood, Va., Oct. 18-19, where 17 Virginia wineries will offer tastings.

You can read more about the state's wine trails and tours at http://www.virginia.org/wine, where you'll also find a variety package deals, including a "Women Wild About Wine" package at the Tides Inn in Irvington, Va. This is a girlfriends getaway on the Chesapeake Bay, including wine, cheese, chocolate, manicures, pedicures, wine tours and a picnic lunch, with prices starting at $335 per person per night, double occupancy.

A "Wine Lovers Scavenger Hunt" is being offered by The Mark Addy Bed & Breakfast in Nellysford, Va. Clues will lead you to area wineries, while the two-night package includes winery tours, breakfast, wine and a prize for those who figure out all the clues. Rates start at $429 weekends and $319 weekdays.

Ideas for cheap trips on the Web

NEW YORK -- If the word "staycation" makes you want to run screaming to the nearest travel agent, here are a couple of Web sites to help you get out of the house for a few days away without spending a bundle.

Uptake.com has a "Feelin' Broke" theme showcasing inexpensive lodging, like motels and campgrounds, and free attractions from parks to museums. Details at http://www.uptake.com/cheap--vacations.

Editors at IgoUgo.com have compiled a list of "Free (or nearly free) Vacations," including suggestions for ways to save money while traveling like home exchange, camping or volunteer vacations, and advice from IgoUgo members. Visit the IgoUgo Travel Blog for more inspiration.

Web sites for individual destinations are also trying to appeal to budget travelers. For Orlando, check out http://www.orlandoinfo.com/offers for discounts on attractions, packages and other deals. For Asheville, N.C., visit http://www.coolAshevilleSavings.com.

DiscoverAmerica with a new Web site covering all 50 states

WASHINGTON -- The Travel Industry Association has launched a new Web site called DiscoverAmerica.com, a one-stop site with content on all 50 states, dozens of cities, the five U.S. territories and a community section where travelers can post messages.

The content is primarily geared to international travelers and is available in five languages -- English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese. But browsing through the site provides plenty of inspiration, even for those of us who are already on U.S. soil.

The site can help you book hotels, find deals and activities and learn about places with a clickable map. You'll get a quick overview of each destination's geography, history and top attractions, with ideas for trips. In Idaho, for example, the site mentions Lewis and Clark sites, Sun Valley, the Shakespeare Festival in Boise, the Oregon Trail, tribal culture, whitewater rafting, and state parks like Bruneau Dunes and Castle Rocks, among other activities and destinations.

New ways to get foodie info on a map

NEW YORK -- Calling all foodies. Here's a new way to get recommendations for where to eat when you're playing tourist.

A new product called Mappetite combines a guidebook to basic landmarks with a restaurant guide, in a simple, lightweight fold-out map format.

The series offers $14 maps for New York and London now, with San Francisco due out in November and Chicago and Paris next year.

For example, if you're on the East Side of Manhattan, fold out that section of the map to reveal listings for Grand Central, the United Nations, the Whitney Museum and the Frick Collection, along with recommendations for restaurants ranging from the Oyster Bar to Cipriani Dolci to Burger Heaven, Serafina and Payard. The maps also show subway stations.

Details at http://www.mappetite.com.

New guide to women's history sites

CHICAGO -- A new guidebook is out for travelers interested in women's history sites.

"Guide to Women's History Sites and Resources" include listings for the homes of famous women from Harriet Beecher Stowe to Pearl Buck to Eleanor Roosevelt; national parks like the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, N.Y.; and museums like the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum in Chicago. There is also a section on Arizona's Women's Heritage Trail -- http://www.womensheritagetrail.org -- and the Boggsville Historic Site in Las Animas, Colo., where Kit Carson and his wife Josepha Jaramillo Carson lived.

The book can be ordered for $7.50 plus $1.85 shipping from the National Collaborative for Women's History Sites at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, University of Illinois at Chicago (MC051), 800 S. Halsted St., Chicago, 60607.

Appalachian Mountain Club programs for fall

BOSTON -- The Appalachian Mountain Club has several new programs to help you enjoy fall in the Northeast.

A series of themed, all-inclusive family weekends are planned throughout September and October at AMC's New Hampshire lodges. The programs will include guided nature walks, foliage hikes and naturalist programs, along with activities that vary by weekend like visiting an apple orchard, pumpkin and leaf crafts, wildlife watching and a haunted evening hike.

Rates start at $142, plus taxes, per person for adult non-members ($134 for members), and $92 per child 12 and under ($78 for members). The package includes two nights in a room for up to six people, dinners and breakfasts.

Also new this fall, a "Rivers to Peaks" destination package combines lodging for three nights, meals, and guided activities in New Hampshire's Pinkham Notch, part of the Mount Washington Valley. The package includes naturalist-guided walks and talks, canoeing or kayaking, a scenic ride on the Wildcat Express Gondola, and trail running or Nordic walking at Great Glen Trails.

Guests in the "Rivers to Peaks" program stay at AMC's Joe Dodge Lodge in rooms that accommodate up to five people. The package is $285, plus tax, per person for adult non-members ($260 for members) and is available for Sunday-Thursday night stays Sept. 1-Oct. 9.

One additional offer from the AMC provides a $25 coupon to guests traveling together to one of the organization's New Hampshire or Maine lodges as a way to encourage carpooling. The coupon can be applied to a future stay at an AMC lodge through May 31, 2009.

Details at http://www.outdoors.org/fallguide. Reservations at 603-466-2727.

Nobel winner Walcott faults Caribbean development

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Nobel Prize-winning poet Derek Walcott criticized the pace of tourism-driven development in Caribbean islands including his native St. Lucia, according to a report published Monday.

Walcott, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992, told a cultural festival in Guyana arts investment must increase as the region is increasingly exploited by the tourism industry.

"It is terrifying, all around there are huge hotels we are going to leave as monuments," he said at the Caribbean Festival of Creative Arts, according to the Stabroek News. "We are not leaving museums or theaters, because the governments say they can't afford it."

Guyana's president, Bharrat Jagdeo, countered that cash-strapped governments do their best to support culture.

Walcott, 78, has written poems that celebrate the cultural diversity of his native Caribbean but also evoke the darkness of colonialism, slavery and exile.

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