Search results for

Follow director Stewart Laing on his rounds in surprising, enchanting Glasgow.

A father and son cruise the Mediterranean in search of a new mythology.

Chris Colin experiences a Caribbean paradise from both sides of a resort’s walls.

A once-impenetrable country reveals itself to writer Matt Gross one meal at a time.

Beyond the Olympics in London’s East End

Tomato fight, anyone?

Pastry chef, Michael Laiskonis, shares his favorite things to do, see, and (of course) eat while in Bogotá, Colombia.

Minsk, the austere capital of Belarus and a former Soviet satellite, harbors Beatles cover bands, bookish bohemians feasting on salo and vodka, and the curious legacy of Lee Harvey Oswald.

For an ultra luxurious night lounging in black, purple and silver velvet interiors, slink inside the Bizarre Lounge. The ‘bizarre’ translates here into hip clientele, decadent cocktails and resident DJ Mysterioo pumping out high-octane sets. Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel, Bahrain City Center.

Overview

Overview

The West’s open spaces may be vast, but some of its richest treasures are concentrated in the northwest corner of Wyoming, home to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Both are located within a day’s drive of Jackson, the gateway for this 340-mile road trip featuring ops to ogle toothy summits, bizarre hot springs, geysers (more than anyplace else on the planet), bison, grizzly bears, and wolves.

You may not find an address online for this desert diorama in the middle of nowhere near Joshua Tree, CA. You can, however, get directions e-mailed to you, if you book. Walking into the grounds you enter a lifesized Barbie playland pop-up-book complete with themed trailers including (from left to right) “The Pioneer” western trailer, the “Integra-trailer” with alien antennae headbands, the girlie “The Fifi” trailer with a mini-trampoline, “The Lux” haunted house trailer (in honor of the lead singer for The Cramps) and more. Bizarre? Yes. But so are many things in Joshua Tree so embrace the weirdness, drink a beer, enjoy the hot tub, shoot a BB gun and make s’mores in the teepee.

Step off the beaten path that leads to Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise and head instead to the lesser-known, yet extraordinary Montparnasse Cemetery. Locals bring metro tickets to leave on Serge Gainsbourg’s grave in honor of his song “Le Poinçonneur des Lilas (The Lilas Ticket Taker).” Nearby rest the poet Baudelaire and eternal lovers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. A married couple by the name of Pigeon share a tomb that is as surprising as their family name. Susan Sontag opted for a minimalist grave, while artist Niki de Saint Phalle chose a rainbow-colored mosaic cat for the grave of her assistant Ricardo. Brancusi’s The Kiss sculpture stands at the head of his grave. Stop at a guardian’s kiosk when you enter the tranquil space and ask for a map of the luminaries who have made this their eternal resting place.

The Midwest is the king of kitsch and there is no better example of that in Minneapolis than the flamboyant flare of Betty Danger’s Country Club, the anti–country club where Tex Mex is served in supersized portions and the only golf you’ll find is miniature. No Pimms Cups and Southsides here. Instead, slushy margaritas and cans of wine can be sipped while spinning on their “revolving patio,” a Ferris wheel offering river and skyline views from your private dining and drinking car. For a whole 20 minutes, this may be the most bizarre-relaxing-scenic-fun way to down a drink in Minneapolis.