Auto racing in Macau, bungee jumping in New Zealand, sailing on a windjammer up the Coast of Maine, crossing the Atlantic on the world's largest passenger aircraft, exploring ancient fortresses in Sardinia -- these are just a few of the far-flung diversions we're offering this month on GoNOMAD.com.
A model posing with autos
at the Macau Grand Prix.
Photo by Shady Hartshorne
Shady Hartshorne takes in the Macau Grand Prix and samples some of the former Portugese colony's famous fusion cuisine, Sony Stark takes a maiden voyage on the Airbus 380, which can carry more than 800 passengers, and Angela Corrias explores the Roman baths and other historic sites in Sardinia, and Shelley Seale tales us on a culinary tour of the provinces of China.
Susan McKee gives us the lowdown on what to see and do in Chicago, Bill Pfeffer tours the magnificent temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and Alexandra Regan takes an exciting but also relaxing family tour of Egypt, including a cruise up the Nile.
Shelley Seale tales us on a culinary tour of the provinces of China and Marie Javins presents a guide to Queenstown, New Zealand -- where to eat, where to stay, what to do and where to grab a pint.
This month we introduce Vern Hobbs to GoNOMAD readers with his lively account of a quick trip to Portland, Oregon, Marcia Frost with a tour of Harrison County, Indiana, and
Bill Reynoldson, with a super-scenic road trip through the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia.
All in all it's just another month of top-notch travel writing on GoNOMAD.
Don't forget to join GoNOMAD staff at the New York Times Travel Show Feb 26-28 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Email us for free passes.
New stories recently published on GoNOMAD:
A Culinary Tour of China: Eating & Drinking Delights
The “Eight Great Traditions” which represent the different styles of food across China are somewhat familiar to most of us – Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, noodles and dumplings. While these traditions are alive and well, modern China is a melting pot of exciting new fusion cuisines. Which is why I jumped at the chance to visit the country on a 12-day culinary tour. As I looked over the itinerary, I noticed the focus on both food and also wine. Wine? From China?
A Family Vacation in Egypt: Exciting and Relaxing Many tourists fly in and out of Luxor and bypass vibrant Cairo altogether. This is a mistake, for despite the challenges of visiting this sprawling city, the juxtaposition of ancient and modern in Cairo is spellbinding. And, in addition to sightseeing, we had a final goal -- to spend quality time together as a family and not to leave the country exhausted. As it turns out this was not too much to hope for.
Angkor Wat: Glorious and Inspiring
Dating from the sixth century, Siem Reap commemorates the Khmer Empire victory over Thailand. Populated with dozens of temple ruins that blend aspects of both Buddhism and Hinduism, the Angkor Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. What is your temple threshold? For many, the ‘Grand Circle’ of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm in a single day will suffice. Perhaps just Angkor Wat will satiate your appetite...
Portland, Oregon: Keeping It Weird “So what’s Portland all about?” I asked, knowing that cabbies are always intimately in-tune with the towns they serve, and also that as a group, cabbies are brutally honest, not prone to mincing words.“It’s a city of neighborhoods,” he said. Then pointing in every direction, he named all those neighborhoods in a quick cadence that I was scarcely able to digest: Downtown, Chinatown, Old Town, Alberta, The Pearl District, Broadway, Hawthorne...
The Macau Grand Prix: Fearsome Motorsports Competition
For more than 50 years, the Macau Grand Prix has been one of the world’s most fearsome motorsports competitions. Each November, a loop of downtown streets is blocked off with hurricane fencing and the metallic screaming that rises up from behind the barricades almost makes you think some kind of mythical beast is chained beneath the surface of the city. I was lucky enough to be invited by Macau’s Tourism office to witness this spectacle firsthand...
Experiencing For a While the History of Quebec I had visited Quebec City, a number of times but this was the first time I had come to take part in the SAQ New France Festival - for 13 years an annual extravaganza held by the Société des alcools du Québec. A celebration of the first Europeans to arrive in North America, it is an exciting event that takes a visitor back to the time when Quebec had its beginnings - that is if one forgets the indigenous inhabitants of that French Canadian province..
A Windjammer Tour of Maine's Craggy Coast
Having just graduated from college, I was ready to relax and relish the free time that spread out before me. So I grabbed my boyfriend Ty and we started driving north. Our destination was Rockland, Maine, the docking place of the windjammer Nathaniel Bowditch. This being my first summertime visit to Maine, I wanted to experience the state’s craggy coast the way it was meant to be seen — from the water....
Home Exchanges: A Great Way to Experience Other Countries
Home swapping is exactly what it sounds like: two parties agree to swap homes for however long they decide: a weekend, a month or even a year. No strings attached, no payments due. It’s a "what’s-mine-is-yours" concept for those who believe in the honor system and in true-to-life traveling. "When people first hear about home swapping, some get excited and some freak out," says Nicole Frank. "It’s really a love it or hate it idea..."
British Columbia: A Road Trip Through the Canadian Rockies
Hitting the road north from Penticton, Highway 97 snakes its way between long, slender lakes. Drenched in sun, the hillsides sloping toward the lakeshores are dotted with vineyards. Non-pretentious and welcoming, Quail’s Gate was a wonderful introduction to Okanagan wines for the non-connoisseur. Immaculate grounds, old-world charm, and a stunning view of Okanagan Lake make Mission Hills worth a visit, as well...
Fordongianus: Roman Thermal Baths in the Heart of Sardinia Italy is famously heaven for historians and a precious time capsule for the world of arts, but Sardinia is particularly cherished by archaeologists. The island is dotted with nuraghi, typical stone-made towers used as habitations, fortresses or even tombs, present in the whole territory as loose buildings or as part of complexes today deemed to be the island’s first examples of rudimentary communities...
Queenstown, New Zealand: Adventure Capital of the World
Queenstown is synonymous with adventure sports -- jet boating began here in the 60's, and commercial bungee jumping was invented here. But Queenstown attracted tourists long before AJ Hackett first bungied from the Eiffel Tower. People have been coming to relax in this idyllic natural setting by Lake Wakatipu, nestled at the foot of the Remarkables and Eyres mountain ranges, since Queenstown's first ski-field opened in 1947...
Aboard the Airbus A380, The World's Largest Passenger Aircraft
On November 20, Air France began using the world’s largest passenger airliner, the Airbus A380. Air France is the first of all European carriers to finally put the ‘pride of Airbus’ on a transatlantic stretch between Charles de Gaulle and JFK. So far there’s only one bird in the fleet and yours truly took a maiden voyage. I played hide and go seek in with my traveling companions the Super Jumbo soon after takeoff. The craft is big enough to get lost in...
Chicago's Top 10 Places to See & Things to Do
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods – 77 neighborhoods to be precise. Best known is Chinatown, just south of the Loop (Chicago's downtown). The ornate red and gold gate over Wentworth Avenue at Cermak Road marks the entrance to a dozen square blocks packed with 59 restaurants and twice as many shops. In fact, Chinatown is so tightly packed that it's exploded its borders – don't miss the new section north of Cermak...
Harrison County Indiana: Caves, Canoes, History and Wine
It’s a clash of the South and the Midwest in a piece of American history. Harrison County is such a mixture of variety in an unexpected land.
I found quite an odd selection of sites in one small area of Indiana. It remains Midwestern, yet it’s less than an hour’s drive from Louisville, Kentucky, so it shares many Southern influences. The center of this unusual area is Corydon, Indiana, the state’s first capital before Indianapolis...
From Italy to New Zealand: A Family's Story
Gerard Hindmarsh has written a “true tale” of his grandparents who, in the early 1900s immigrated to New Zealand from southern Italy. Part history, part embellishment, he recounts the experiences of his grandmother, Angelina, as she adjusts to life in this beautiful, wild land. Her close friendship with a local Maori woman, Wetekia, is a central part of the story of her own growth as a strong young woman...
