No Bear Wrestling in Alabama

 

 

Please, No Bear Wrestling in Alabama

 

Laws don't write themselves. A dedicated legislator has to recognize a pressing need for a law, write the law up in the form of a bill, submit the bill to various committees and debates where it's scrutinized and massaged, and finally put the bill to a vote. If legislators pass the bill, it can finally be signed into law. So, creating a law is a long, difficult process -- which means bear wrestling must have been a really big problem in Alabama. In fact, that's how "Bear" Bryant, a man who would become the legendary University of Alabama football coach, earned his nickname.
Now you might be thinking bear wrestling is outlawed by extension of another law, maybe one barring cruelty to animals or animal fighting of any kind -- be it dog, rooster or bear -- but no. Alabama devotes an entire section of its legal code to bear wrestling-related offenses, which make everything from training a bear to wrestle to charging admission to a bear wrestling match a class B felony.

photo:tampabay.com

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Best Places to eat in Los Angeles

From street food to high-end dining, there is something for everyone here. Below are some of the best places to eat in Los Angeles.

Pink’s Hot Dogs 
This is a Los Angeles institute, having been in business since 1939. Hot dogs are a quintessential American food, and you’ll find dogs done right at this family stand. You can get your dogs loaded up with all kinds of savory toppings that are bad for your health but so good on the way down. There are also vegetarian-friendly menu items for non-meat eaters, so everyone can get in on the action at Pink’s.

Angelini Osteria 
If you’re looking to take a few steps up from seafood, try this highly rated Italian restaurant, where you’ll find excellent pasta and meat dishes that will satisfy you and all your travel companions. It’s ranked number 10 in Los Angeles by Zagat’s.

Echigo 
Having a yen for good Japanese? Head to this joint, where you can enjoy perfectly fresh and delectable fish courses and other delectable dishes on this renowned menu. Zagat ranks this one at number eight in the city, so you really can’t go wrong here.

Patina 
This one is not for the frugal traveler but if you’re willing to shell out, it will make for one of the nicest dining experiences you will have in Los Angeles. Situated in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which was designed by Frank Gehry, this elegant restaurant offers a wholly elegant, delicious experience.

Loteria 
If a meal at Patina is unrealistic for you, head to Loteria, at the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market. The vibe here is low-key and prices for the delicious, fresh tortillas are budget friendly. Other items on offer include veggie versions of the tortillas and yummy tortilla soup.

Pizzeria Mozza 
Any venture involving Mario Batali is going to be a good one, so it comes as no surprise that Pizzeria Mozza serves up some the tastiest and most sophisticated pizzas in the city. Here you’ll find classic pies and more innovative takes on the pizza, as well as melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world baked goods.

Piccolo 
Traveling with a special someone? Then pick a night and splash out at this charming little eatery. You’ll find excellent Venetian-style Italian food that will surpass most other meals you’ll eat in the area and the reportedly romantic ambiance will set the mood for a special night with your significant other.

STK
If you’re craving a good steak and a chance to spot some of Hollywood’s hottest young stars, head over to STK for a good meal and a good schmooze. The meats, of course, are excellent but the side dishes are equally delectable and all reflect the innovative, slightly off-the-wall flare that hot Los Angeles eateries are known for. 

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Great American Travel Book

Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain
The author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn is known as a great humourist, but before he became a successful writer he was a river-boat pilot on the Mississippi River. Though a little slow to start, with a history of the river, this 1883 book leads into an entertaining account of Twain’s career as a steamboat pilot. The final section is an even more entertaining account of a trip he made down the river many years after he stopped being a pilot and had become the most famous writer in America.

Travels with Charley: In Search of America by John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck is my all-time favourite writer, as discovering his novels like Cannery Row and The Grapes of Wrath as a teenager turned reading for me into a pleasure not a chore. It was also through him and Hemingway that I discovered a love for America. In Travels with Charley Steinbeck took to the road with his French poodle Charley in an old camper van. He does a circuit of the country, talking to people, and musing, and produced an insightful look at his country at a pivotal time, as the 1950s gave way to the 1960s.

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
My wife gave me this book as a gift when we were planning our first American road trip together, from Denver through the Rocky Mountains to Salt Lake City – and back again by a different route. Desert Solitaire is an evocative account of the author’s time as a park ranger in Arches National Monument (now a National Park) near Moab, which we visited. It is one of the finest pieces of nature writing about the USA, and about the deserts of the American South-West, which we now call home.

Coming into the Country by John McPhee
John McPhee writes about the natural world with an acute observation, in lovely, lyrical prose. I bought this book as background reading for a visit to Alaska, and it was one of those wonderful chance buys that turned me on to both a fine writer and a fascinating part of the USA. It captures the history, landscapes, wildlife, and people of that remarkable state, from the Native Americans to the settlers and hunters, the bush pilots, and those scrabbling to make a living from this tough land.

 A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins
In 1973 Peter Jenkins, a 22-year-old graduate, decided to take his dog for a walk. The walk was from New York to Oregon, and to make it more interesting he went the long way round – via New Orleans. This first book describes the section of the walk from New York to New Orleans, and what makes it so special are the encounters with the wonderfully varied American people he meets. When you’re travelling in the States, you do meet a marvellously diverse range of people, who for the most part are overwhelmingly hospitable and entertaining, if not downright eccentric. A Walk Across America: The Walk West is the second part of the author’s epic trek.

Old Glory: An American Voyage by Jonathan Raban
One of the finest observers of American life and land is an Englishman, Jonathan Raban. He eventually made the American North-West his home and you could pick any one of his US books in your top choices. Hunting Mr Heartbreak, Bad Land, Passage to Juneau, and Driving Home are all entertaining and beautifully-written. My real favourite, though, is the award-winning Old Glory, in which the author takes a small boat down the Mississippi with his friend: Jack Daniels. There are as many misadventures as adventures in an insightful book about the South from this highly talented writer.

Blue Highways: A Journey into America by William Least Heat-Moon
William Least Heat-Moon, who has a mixed Osage-English-Irish ancestry, set off on a 3-month road trip in 1978, after he lost both his job and his marriage. He went to find himself, and to discover his America, living in the back of a van and sticking to what he called the ‘blue highways’, the back roads coloured blue in old Rand McNally atlases. He was drawn to places with names like Remote, New Hope, Simplicity, and Nameless, and his questing book rightly became a huge best-seller.

The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
‘I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.’ Those are the opening words of Bill Bryson’s first travel book, and he went on to become one of the best-selling travel writers of all time. I find his writing both hilarious and acutely-observed – it’s hard to be funny unless you are observant, but this account of two journeys made after the death of his father is touching too. For all its scathing humour, it’s a fond account of life in the MidWest and the innate goodness of the people who live there. I married someone from Iowa, so the truth and funniness of the book came through all the more on a recent re-reading.

 
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
In 1992 the emaciated body of a young man, Chris McCandless, was found inside an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness. The writer Jon Krakauer was drawn to the haunting story, and went to Alaska to try to trace the man’s journey, and find out what happened to him. Growing out of a magazine article, the book combines strong journalism with sensitivity, evoking as it does the harsh life of Alaska, and exploring why people are drawn to it. Anyone who’s ever been to Alaska will understand the book all the more.

Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller
First published in 2000 as Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance, this book sank without trace. On its republication five years later under a more appropriate title it became a road trip classic. The book is imbued with Miller’s Christian faith, and through it he describes an America that is spiritual, uplifting, and also great fun, as he journeys around in a camper van with his friend Paul. As with some of the other books on my list, like Travels with Charley or A Walk Across America, it is the people of America who make the book special.


Selection of ten great American Travel Book - Nikola M.

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Mexico Hotels 2013: What’s new in the destination

 The Delano Los Cabos

The Delano Los Cabos will open in 2014 with 114 rooms and 23 residences, as well as a modern restaurant and spa. El Ganzo, a 72-room boutique oceanfront property recently opened its doors at the marina in Puerto Los Cabos. Ritz-Carlton has formally announced a Ritz-Carlton Reserve property to be built in Los Cabos. The resort will have 124 private, single-story and oceanfront villas, each withviews of the Sea of Cortez. 

Secrets Marquis Los Cabos

AMResorts - Now Onyx Punta Cana, which will debut in November 2013 with 750 rooms; the Secrets Los Cabos, with 500 rooms slated to open in December 2013; and Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica, set to open in November 2014 with 446 rooms. AMResorts is also on track to launch a new brand: breathless. This will be an adults-only brand, similar to Secrets, but with a focus more on the "daring" travel, as opposed to romance. The first of these resorts are expected to launch this year. 

Las brisas hotel collection

 In February, Las Brisas Hotel Collection opened a new NIZUC Resort & Spa in Riviera Maya. The 274-suite resort has 29 private villas and is less than 20 minutes from the Cancun International Airport. The resort has six gourmet restaurants ranging from Mexican to Peruvian and Mediterranean fare. The resort also has  30,000-square-foot ESPA spa and wellness center, with beachfront private treatment rooms, saunas and relaxation pools. The new property features two white sand beaches adjacent to its adults-only section, villas with tropical gardens and VIP suites—most with their own plunge pools.

Sunscape Sabor Cozumel has officially opened its doors after extensive and time-consuming renovations. The resort is owned by popular Spanish ex-tennis player Rafael Nada, and is the second AMResort’s property in the popular Mexico tourist location. Sunscape Sabor Cozumel now has 330 rooms with various amenities. All guests experience the perks of the company's "Unlimited Fun" vacation concept, revolving around limitless access to a la carte dining and top-shelf spirits, scheduled daytime activities, live evening entertainment, fitness facilities, and more. The resort also offers the Explorer’s Club for kids, the Core Zone for teens, and the on-site Desires night club.

Barceló's Riviera Maya resort is gearing up for a multimillion dollar injection. The five-resort mega complex will undergo a $45 million investment in two phases, scheduled for completion in 2014. The renovation began on May 6 and will focus on the complex's Maya Beach and Maya Caribe resorts. Among the planned improvements are a complete renovation of Barceló Maya Beach and Barceló Maya Caribe lobbies; new bars at both hotels and two new a la carte restaurants. The complex will feature a new Barceló Maya Entertainment Center, along with a sports bar, bowling alley, teen disco, new kids club, watermark, paddle tennis courts and a redesign of the 18-hole mini golf course. But there's more. Upgrades will also be made to the internal infrastructure. The first phase includes expansion of the lobbies, construction of a new Lobby Bay, new Premium Lounge Club, new hospitality area, construction of roofed area to access all buildings and renovation of the buffet restaurant. 

Riviera Nayarit is gearing up for some major developments this year. Groups like IBEROSTAR, Grupo Vidanta, Tau Resorts and more are leading the charge. To date in 2013, an investment of $70 million has been committed to develop new hotels along Riviera Nayarit's coast. IBEROSTAR Playa Mita is one of the projects slated to debut this year. The 452-room resort will open in late 2013 in Litibu, located at the north end of the Banderas Bay. The new, all-inclusive property will have two pools, a Kids Club, four specialty restaurants, three bars and meeting facilities. Guest will also have access to the nearby Greg Norman-designed 18-hole championship golf course. This will be IBEROSTAR's 10th property in Mexico. Tau Resorts is a new development group focusing on creating high-quality timeshare resorts in Pacific Mexico. Two are planned for Riviera Nayarit, one of which will open this year. Tau Resorts Nahui will open in late 2013 with a total of 172 units in two-bedroom configurations. Community amenities will include a village, Beach Club, golf course, hiking trails and oceanfront water sports center. Finally, the Grand Luxxe Nuevo Vallarta, a Grupo Vidanta resort, opened in February 2010 with 108 rooms. By the end of November 2011, 288 more rooms were added. There is currently a new tower under construction with an additional 144 rooms, which is set to open in November 2013.

After a $15 million investment, Riu Yucatan is readying to reopen its doors on July 27. The Riu Yucatan, the hotel chain's first property in Mexico, has invested this large sum of money in the renovation which, together with the Riu Palace Mexico, Riu Palace Riviera Maya, Riu Playacar, ClubHotel Riu Tequila, Riu Lupita and the Playacar Conference Centre, forms the RIU complex in Playa del Carmen. The 507 rooms will receive new furniture and a brighter feel. The hotel will have three fresh water pools, including one new one and another with a swim-up bar. The hotel will debut RiuLand for tots with a menu of activities as well as a playground. Guests will also have access to sporting facilities as well as a gym, jacuzzi and spa.

Source: travelagentcentral.com

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