Category — Best of

It’s that time of year—time for the ubiquitous New Year Travel round-up, and for budget minded travelers (and who isn’t, this year?)  Budget Travel Magazine’s Top Ten Destinations  2009 is an interesting read. Their picks include Austin, Washington DC, Hawaii, Budapest, Reykjavik,  Berlin, Cambodia, Panama, and Mexico.

Islands rank high in travel daydreams. Everyone has a list of islands. Travel and Leisure’s 2008 Best Islands is one of the most recent, but if you want to really delve into island dreams,  National Geographic Traveler’s Nov/Dec 2006 issue listed 111 of the best islands and archipelagos and ranked them in terms of sustainable stewardship.

It’s a little light on iconic tropical beaches-the 522 experts polled found that crowds and cruise ships can kill and island quickly. I don’t know how many of these picks have since been defiled by development (the article ran in 2006), but it is great daydream fodder. I’m clearly island deficient-of the 111 ranked, I’ve only seen 15. 

 Islands Magazine has several  island lists:  Check out the 23 best islands for snorkeling , the best islands for art , and, if you want to dream really big, the best islands to live on.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently released their “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” list for 2009.  The destinations chosen, they say “offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation and revitalization”.
2009’s Distinctive Destinations include:

Santa Barbara, California
Athens, Georgia
Saugatuck-Douglas, Michigan
Virginia City, Nevada
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Buffalo, New York
Lititz, Pennsylvania
Bristol, Rhode Island
Hot Springs, South Dakota
Franklin, Tennessee
Fort Worth, Texas
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

It’s kind of a relief not to see Washington D.C. on the list. It’s a lovely town, but it seems to make every list in an election year.

There has been a movie set almost anywhere you want to go. Movies can help add to the anticipation of a planned trip, spark memories from past voyages, and can set you scouring kayak.com for good airfares.
 
A word of warning: this can backfire. Before our Iceland trip, I rented Beowulf & Grendel, which I was told had stunning Icelandic scenery. It did, but it also frightened my kids (my kids are teens, so don’t tsk tsk me). Later, a dog-sledding guide introduced us to a dog whose 15 minutes of fame included lifting his leg on Angelina Jolie’s boots in the filming of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. “Why didn’t you make us watch that one?’ my son grumbled. 

 
Robin Locker created a list of 8 movies that inspire travel at BootsNAll Travel. She includes classics like Amélie (Paris), Sound of Music (Austria), Fellowship of the Ring (New Zealand), and Under the Tuscan Sun (Italy).

I loved the book Under the Tuscan Sun, and enjoyed the movie, but geography is the only similarity between the two–I had to go back and reread the book after I saw the movie, so concerned was I about encroaching senility.

What would you add to her list? I’d add A Walk in the Clouds (Napa Valley).

National Geographic Traveler’s (one of my favorite magazines) Nov/Dec 2008 issue  ranks 109 historical destinations, and I realize with a thrill that I’ve only seen 17 of them.  Ninety-two to go! I’d love to hear your favorites so I can target my travel lust more tightly.

Island Magazine’s 30 best undiscovered beaches of 2007 (hey, where’s 2008?)has me pouting–I’ve only been to two. And 2006 wasn’t a better year for me–I’ve only seen two of those. Clearly, I need more beaches in my life.

The Brothers Bloom the movie

Anse Takamaka