You can all release your collective breathes. Relax. Allow your pulse to return to normal. The Four Corners' Next Destination list is here..........
But Adam, the Top Destinations list is missing! Yes, that is correct. I have decided to remove that element from my end-of-the-month reports. Whenever I travel somewhere new, I will report on it, but who am I to decide which places are best? You can read from my tales and recaps what I thought of a place, and whether or not it is worth a stamp on your passport. Other than that, it is all up to you. It was hard to keep on changing the list anyway. This way I can focus on all the places I (and quite possibly my readers) have never been, but don't garner as much attention. OK, so having said goodbye to Top Destinations, lets get down to business:
1) Kazan, Russia: Moscow and St. Petersburg get all of Russia's travel attention, but Kazan is actually high up on my list, and should be for others too. The city is located in the Republic of Tartarstan, south-central Russia, nearer to Kazakhstan. The city has a blend of Muslim and Christian cultures, and a brief look at some of the architecture in the city reveals some stunning stuff, some of it on the always reliable World Heritage Cultural Sites' list. I will let you see for yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/volga-region/kazan
2) Quito, Ecuador- I have been hearing good things about Ecuador's capital city. I have looked into a bit, it is a difficult destination to get to, probably needing two stopovers. However, the city's old town looks quite the area, and is filled with things to see. Quito, along with Krakow, Poland, was the first city to be designated a World Heritage Site. That is something special, if your entire city gets that billing.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Quito
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ecuador/quito
3) Windsor, Ontario, Canada- Now, for those of you living in America's northeast, this destination can be reached by car. Windsor is located on the Canadian land-bridge between New York state and Michigan. I, of course, am a huge fan of Canada: ethnically diverse, clean environment, friendly locals. Windsor is no different, and it actually boasts one of Canada's most diverse populations and highest number of visible minorities. This means that there is a wealth of food styles to choose from. Windsor is unique in the fact that is lies south of Detroit, and actually has fantastic views of Detroit's skyline. You may run out of things to do after too long, but I feel that Canada's cities are still good after all the sights have been taken in, wandering around and people watching is good for a long time.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Windsor_%28Ontario%29
4) Con Dao Island, Vietnam- An island located off of Vietnam's southeastern coast. I once ran across an article in the International Herald Tribune's travel section talking up this place as still relatively untouched by mass tourism and having breathtaking scenary. The French, during their colonial rule, used the island as a penal colony, and the structures can now be toured. It supposedly preserves large amounts of natural beauty, and some of Vietnam's best diving, an activity I have yet to get into. Vietnam actually ranks high on my list of places to go, and I think Con Dao will definitely compete for a spot on my itinerary when I do go. Check out the slide show from the IHT:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/23/travel/20100523CONDAO.html
5) Bay of Kotor, Montenegro- Bay of Kotor is actually a region in Montenegro, a small European nation located south of Bosnia that few have probably heard of. Bay of Kotor is supposed to be gorgeous, and has some UNESCO spots to boot. The area's main airport is in the town of Tivat, and is actually connected with some large European airports. Give it a look, some pictures seem to indicate its reputation might be well earned:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bay_of_Kotor
http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Bay_of_Kotor
Rick Steves, my rival and sworn enemy (Rick, for those of you who don't know, runs a large, popular, and expensive European tourism service, so his job as CEO or whatever is to basically just travel around Europe) appears to be onto Bay of Kotor as well......I guess he must be reading my blog posts:
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/tribune/kotor.htm
That should do for this installment folks. A brief announcement, I will be traveling to Washington D.C on August 15th for work, my very first work-related travel! I am quite happy with the destination, I haven't been to our nation's capital (outside of Dulles, that is) in many years. Look here for the recap of my triumphant return. Until then, always be on the look-out for whatever I might have to post here........
But Adam, the Top Destinations list is missing! Yes, that is correct. I have decided to remove that element from my end-of-the-month reports. Whenever I travel somewhere new, I will report on it, but who am I to decide which places are best? You can read from my tales and recaps what I thought of a place, and whether or not it is worth a stamp on your passport. Other than that, it is all up to you. It was hard to keep on changing the list anyway. This way I can focus on all the places I (and quite possibly my readers) have never been, but don't garner as much attention. OK, so having said goodbye to Top Destinations, lets get down to business:
1) Kazan, Russia: Moscow and St. Petersburg get all of Russia's travel attention, but Kazan is actually high up on my list, and should be for others too. The city is located in the Republic of Tartarstan, south-central Russia, nearer to Kazakhstan. The city has a blend of Muslim and Christian cultures, and a brief look at some of the architecture in the city reveals some stunning stuff, some of it on the always reliable World Heritage Cultural Sites' list. I will let you see for yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazan
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/volga-region/kazan
2) Quito, Ecuador- I have been hearing good things about Ecuador's capital city. I have looked into a bit, it is a difficult destination to get to, probably needing two stopovers. However, the city's old town looks quite the area, and is filled with things to see. Quito, along with Krakow, Poland, was the first city to be designated a World Heritage Site. That is something special, if your entire city gets that billing.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Quito
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ecuador/quito
3) Windsor, Ontario, Canada- Now, for those of you living in America's northeast, this destination can be reached by car. Windsor is located on the Canadian land-bridge between New York state and Michigan. I, of course, am a huge fan of Canada: ethnically diverse, clean environment, friendly locals. Windsor is no different, and it actually boasts one of Canada's most diverse populations and highest number of visible minorities. This means that there is a wealth of food styles to choose from. Windsor is unique in the fact that is lies south of Detroit, and actually has fantastic views of Detroit's skyline. You may run out of things to do after too long, but I feel that Canada's cities are still good after all the sights have been taken in, wandering around and people watching is good for a long time.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Windsor_%28Ontario%29
4) Con Dao Island, Vietnam- An island located off of Vietnam's southeastern coast. I once ran across an article in the International Herald Tribune's travel section talking up this place as still relatively untouched by mass tourism and having breathtaking scenary. The French, during their colonial rule, used the island as a penal colony, and the structures can now be toured. It supposedly preserves large amounts of natural beauty, and some of Vietnam's best diving, an activity I have yet to get into. Vietnam actually ranks high on my list of places to go, and I think Con Dao will definitely compete for a spot on my itinerary when I do go. Check out the slide show from the IHT:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/23/travel/20100523CONDAO.html
5) Bay of Kotor, Montenegro- Bay of Kotor is actually a region in Montenegro, a small European nation located south of Bosnia that few have probably heard of. Bay of Kotor is supposed to be gorgeous, and has some UNESCO spots to boot. The area's main airport is in the town of Tivat, and is actually connected with some large European airports. Give it a look, some pictures seem to indicate its reputation might be well earned:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Bay_of_Kotor
http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Bay_of_Kotor
Rick Steves, my rival and sworn enemy (Rick, for those of you who don't know, runs a large, popular, and expensive European tourism service, so his job as CEO or whatever is to basically just travel around Europe) appears to be onto Bay of Kotor as well......I guess he must be reading my blog posts:
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/tribune/kotor.htm
That should do for this installment folks. A brief announcement, I will be traveling to Washington D.C on August 15th for work, my very first work-related travel! I am quite happy with the destination, I haven't been to our nation's capital (outside of Dulles, that is) in many years. Look here for the recap of my triumphant return. Until then, always be on the look-out for whatever I might have to post here........
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