Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpiece, Fallingwater, rests majestically above a waterfall in the woodsy, bucolic folds of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains near Mill Run. Completed in 1939, the famous multi-tiered spread is the only Wright-designed home open to the general public, and it still holds much of the original Wright-designed furniture, as well as original artworks by the likes of Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera.
Fallingwater is located about 65 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, making it an ideal day-trip destination. Go in fall to enjoy the area’s resplendent fall foliage, or in summer and early fall to take advantage of the excellent rafting in nearby Ohiopyle State Park. More than 14 miles of the Youghiogheny River Gorge lie within the heart of this fine state park. Visitors ply the Class III and IV rapids primarily in outfitter-guided rafts. The Middle Youghiogheny has Class I and II rapids and is more suited for beginners. This run is entirely inside the park, beginning at the Ramcat put-in and ending at Ohiopyle.
Photo credit: Fallingwater near Mill Run, Pennsylvania (Lykantrop/Wikimedia Commons)
When people think of glamor, fine food, or fashion, you can be damn sure they don't generally connect the dots to Pittsburgh. Indeed, this city is pretty low-profile unless you're discussing the steel industry or you're in a room full of Steelers fans during an NFL game. But it's got more of a cultural scene than you realize... just check our insider picks for proof.
The Carnegie Museum of Art has been innovative in its acquisitions since Andrew Carnegie founded it. In the beginning, at Carnegie’s behest, it focused on acquiring the “Old Masters of tomorrow” instead of the tried-and-“name” painters. Now fast-forward to 2001, when it purchased some 80,000 photographs from African-American society photographer Charles “Teeny” Harris. Its Hall of Architecture is one of the only surviving collections of architectural plaster casts—stand in the hall and be surrounded by history in miniature. L.A. would love to have the Warhol Museum, but instead this pop-culture landmark is in Andy Warhol’s childhood stomping ground, North Shore Pittsburgh. Backed by the Carnegie Institute, this is a wonderful collection of Warhol’s works plus homages to him, and works inspired by him.
Barbecue’s been a mealtime staple in Kansas City since the 1920s. The sauce recipe varies from one joint to another, but the meat’s always slow-smoked—you got it, nice and slooow—over wood, creating that distinctive rich flavor and fall-off-the-bone texture.
You can find great ‘cue all over KC, but you can't go wrong with Oklahoma Joe's, the joint that tops Zagat's survey of the country's best BBQ, not to mention that gets the locals' nod in the Kansas City Star reader poll. It’s no-frills spare ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, sausage or chicken, smoked over Missouri white oak and served with “the best sauce on the planet.” (Apparently someone figured out that modesty gets you nowhere.)
Though the St. Paddy's Day celebrations in Boston and New York City may be better known, Irish eyes are smiling on Savannah, Georgia, every March 17th, when close to half a million folks fill the streets for the second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country. Beer is not the only thing that's colored emerald during the holiday. Every fountain within city limits is dyed green in a ceremony that dates back over a hundred years. Green also reigns supreme on everything from hair to dogs, even green eggs and ham.
Photo credit: Lafayette Square, Savannah (Savannah Area CVB)
Despite the fact that The Canyons sports 3,700 skiable acres, 17 lifts, and 152 trails across eight mountains, along with six natural half pipes, five bowls, and two terrain parks, the resort largely remains one of Park City's best-kept secrets. But combine those stats with some of the world's lightest spring powder and its status is certain to change. Get there before the word really gets out.
Photo credit: Powder day at The Canyons, Park City (The Canyons Resort)
Denver Restaurant Week (DRW) kicks off today and will run for two weeks for the first time this year. During the culinary smorgasbord, the Mile High City’s largest foodie festival, all 281 participating restaurants will offer multi-course dinners for $52.80 for two. Last year, nearly 300,000 people participated during DRW and with the extra week and 20 percent more restaurants participating, city tourism officials are hopeful the 2010 event will set a new dining record.
Poplar Stream Falls and Flagstaff Lake, located in Maine's Carrabassett Valley area, are the first in a series of 12 planned state-of-the-art "huts" that will eventually thread together a 180-mile path through the state's mountainous western region. Today, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski during the winter months into either of these two backcountry huts, located 11 miles apart for added hut-to-hut adventuring. The well-appointed huts serve hearty lunches and dinners, plus are equipped with comfy bunkhouses, warming woodstoves, and hot showers!
Cross-country skiing trail at Flagstaff Lake, Carrabassett Valley, Maine (courtesy, Maine Huts & Trails)
Mardi Gras—French for “Fat Tuesday”—falls on the last day of Carnival and the day before Ash Wednesday. In 2010, that’s today, February 16, and you can expect N’awlins to be a festive sea of purple, green, and gold—not to mention the colors of the Super Bowl-winning New Orleans Saints! Join the celebrations on Bourbon Street, packed with all the feathers, sequins, beads, masks, floats, and partying you can handle. Following hard on the heels of Mardi Gras comes the equally excellent New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, held over consecutive weekends April 23-25 and April 29-May 2, 2010. This year's lineup includes acts by Pearl Jam, Simon & Garfunkel, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie, Darius Rucker, and Widespread Panic, among others.
Photo credit: Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras (courtesy, neworleansonline.com)
Climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, cruise the canals of Venice, scale the Pyramids, and spend the night in New York, New York. Only in Vegas, baby. While Las Vegas may pretend to be every other city in the world, none other quite compares. The first casino opened in 1941, and today the famous "Strip" hosts over 33 million visitors a year (and marries 100,000 of them).
Photo credit: Showgirls in Las Vegas (Digital Vision/Getty)
Download your free iPhone guide to Vancouver in time for the kickoff of the 2010 Winter Olympics this Friday. Lonely Planet has just released a new app with its top recommendations for trips to the Winter Olympics host city, free on the iPhone's app store or on iTunes now through March 1st, 2010.
