Travel

New Islamic art museum in Qatar designed by architect I.M. Pei
DOHA, Qatar - Qatar's new Islamic art museum, designed by the famous American architect I.M. Pei, is the latest effort by this tiny, oil-rich nation to compete with rival Gulf countries for international attention and investment. Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates have also spent billions over the last decade to transform themselves from small desert towns to sprawling international cities. Much of the initial investment was in business, entertainment and sports, but there has also been a push toward promoting arts and culture.
      

New water park opens in Aruba
EAGLE ISLAND, Aruba - A new water park has opened in Aruba. The 2,600-square-metre Morgan's Island park opened in December near the La Cabana resort on Eagle Beach. The park features slides and rides with twists, dips and funnels, and a freefall, one-person water slide with a 21-metre vertical drop.
      

New York luxury hotels offering third night free
NEW YORK - Nine luxury hotels in New York City are offering a third night's stay free after you book and pay for two consecutive nights between Jan. 9 and Feb. 27. Details of the program are at http://www.nycgo.com/thirdnight.
      

New Orleans visitors' bureau optimistic about '09
NEW ORLEANS - A spokeswoman for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors' Bureau is optimistic about 2009 but says officials early in the year will be watching whether the national recession affects tourism numbers. Mary Beth Romig says no conventions have cancelled so far but companies may send fewer attendees to meetings.
      

Fortunes change: Economic slump means identity crisis for Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS - This is not just a place people are born and live. Las Vegas is an enterprise. It is a deal people enter, a set of givens agreed upon: More is better. Biggest is best. To live in Las Vegas is to stake your future on this enterprise - for better or worse.
      

New Year in New York City's Chinatown: culture, shopping, food
NEW YORK - The Year of the Ox begins Jan. 26 and stores all over Chinatown are selling bright red decorations to mark the new year. But while it's easy to pick up cheap souvenirs at shops around the neighbourhood, it's also worth spending a day seeking out the unfamiliar. You can sample new dishes, listen to a two-stringed fiddle called an erhu, or even visit a Buddhist temple.
      

New York City's New Year's Eve ball to be permanent fixture at Times Square
NEW YORK - Happy new year - in reverse! The massive Waterford crystal ball that descended in Times Square to ring in 2009 is being lit again and sent back up a 43-metre flagpole where it will remain year-round.
      

Rideau Hall rink opens and part of canal deemed safe for Ottawa skaters
OTTAWA - Visitors to Ottawa may wish to pack their skates. Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean and her spouse,Jean-Daniel Lafond, announced Monday that Rideau Hall's historic skating rink is now officially open to visitors.
      

Airlines in United States fly into new year with wave of fare sales
ATLANTA - A wave of fare sales has spread across the U.S. airline industry in the early days of the new year as the weak economy continues to put pressure on carriers to fill seats even after they drastically reduced capacity and some expressed willingness to cut more. Many experts and even executives at some airlines had expected that after deep capacity cuts went into effect starting in September, the number of fare sales going forward would be fewer and farther between. But fuel prices have come down significantly, and the weak economy has eroded demand for air travel.
      

What's new in Berlin in 2009
BERLIN - Berlin marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in October, but there are plenty of other cultural events going on as well. Here are a few of them: -"Long Night of Museums," when 100 museums open their doors from 6 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 and Aug. 29. With one ticket, patrons get admission to all participating venues and events and a shuttle bus to take them around; http://www.lange-nacht-der-museen.de.
      

Places to enjoy winter in North Dakota
BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakota had record snowfalls in December and the state's tourism agency has come up with lots of ways to enjoy winter there. They include: -Marked and groomed snowmobile trails, 2,900 kilometres of 'em; details at http://www.snowmobilend.org.
      

Nearly 740,000 Americans order passport cards for crossing borders
WASHINGTON - Nearly 740,000 Americans have ordered passport cards, a new document being offered by the State Department to speed border crossings by U.S. citizens travelling to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Beginning in June 2009, travellers will be required to present documents proving both citizenship and identity when entering the U.S. through a land or sea border. For Americans who drive to Canada or Mexico or cruise regularly to the Caribbean, but who do not expect to fly abroad, the passport card is a cheaper, smaller, more portable alternative to a conventional passport book.
      

Vcr Island film fest on social justice issues set for Feb. 6-7
COURTENAY, B.C. - The World Community Film Festival is "a showcase of stories of everyday heroes," say organizers. Heroes such as Hannah Taylor of Winnipeg (subject of the film "Hannah's Story"), an 11-year-old activist in the fight against homelessness; Wangari Maathai ("Taking Root"), the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize; and U.S. environmentalist and union organizer Judi Bari ("The Forest for the Trees").
      

Ho-Ho-Ho, you're on stage, at Houston's airport karaoke machine
HOUSTON - Tis the season for red-capped Santas and red-nosed reindeer. Sleigh bells ringing and snowflakes glistening. Stockings carefully hung and yuletide carols being sung . . . in an airport terminal. With a karaoke machine. Ho-ho-ho, hold that flight. There's a holiday surprise for travellers - and aspiring performers - passing through Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport this month.
      

Freezing temperatures: Ice-fishing season begins and it's a 'big ice party'
Every year, on New Year's Day, thousands of men toting only the bare essentials - a sleeping bag, fishing rod and booze - trek to northern Ontario for a ritual they wouldn't miss if hell froze over. In fact, they're counting on freezing temperatures: Ice fishing season is open. Derek Young, who calls -8 C weather "comfortable" and -15 C "very nice," has been doing it since he was five years old.
      

Heineken 'Experience' reopens in Amsterdam, includes high-tech exhibits
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The sweet smell of barley mash fills the brewing hall. Water and foam spritz down on visitors' heads as they watch a film about fermentation, as seen from the perspective of beer. Next up: the tasting. No wonder they call this the "Heineken Experience."
      

Total relaxation in U.S. Virgin Islands; for action, there's snorkelling, sailing
Don't just sit there. Pick a destination and plan a vacation, maybe to someplace a little exotic, where national parks come with tropical beaches, and boats rather than big RVs are a common mode of transportation - a place like the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit the National Park Service - http://www.nps.gov/state/vi/ - to see what you can do at Virgin Islands National Park, including snorkelling and sailing.
      

Golf resorts going upscale in Puerto Rico, hoping for affluent visitors
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico - This seaside stretch, a half-hour's drive east of the airport in San Juan, is not placid in midday. Construction equipment rumbles through the beachfront while workers sweat out installing the marble floors and granite countertops in developer Donald Trump's latest Caribbean venture. The 700-villa Trump International Golf Club and Residences is among several golf resorts on this Caribbean island that are either under construction or going upscale. Some have famous course designers like Robert Trent Jones, and many are attached to luxury resorts with well-known hotel brand names like St. Regis and Mandarin Oriental.
      

It's a plane. It's a hostel. No, it's Jumbo Hostel
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - When you exit Arlanda Airport on the highway toward Stockholm, you'll see a Boeing 747 on your left that looks curiously out of place. The plane sits idle and lonely on a grass-covered mound just outside the airport perimeter, without any recognizable airline colours.
      

Summer trips to U.S. national parks: reservations, websites, guidebook
NEW YORK - If you're thinking about a trip to a U.S. national park next summer, you may want to start researching your itinerary now. Campsites and cabins can be secured up to six months in advance at http://www.recreation.gov and the National Park Service has a wealth of free information online for individual parks. If you're looking for a guidebook, Fodor's has just published its 13th edition of "The Official Guide to America's National Parks," with listings for 391 national parks, including scenic trails, battlefields and other historic sites.