Gadling

In the United States most folks will agree without hesitation that the Napa Valley is the nation's eminent wine region. It doesn't mean necessarily the most fun though. This might perhaps fall instead to Hawaii, which has two wineries CNN/AP points out are quite entertaining to visit. A laid back experience, reflective of the Hawaiian lifestyle, Tedeschi Vineyards and Volcano Winery bill themselves as places the non-experienced wine lover won't feel intimidated by. One of the most interesting things is that they blend local ingredients, such as pineapple, into some of the wines they produce.

If you're around Reno, NV between the 12th and 15th of this month you might want to check out the annual Reno River Festival. MSNBC has a good preview piece on the event which is being held in the city's one-half mile downtown whitewater park. "Whitewater competitions, clinics, displays and demonstrations" will happen during the Festival, while the revitalized downtown core of Reno itself offers up an interesting array of cafes, restaurants and, of course, casinos.

Think it's time to put away the skies? If you have access to the backcountry of Colorado, this  Denver Post article will make you think otherwise. This is apparently one of the best times of year to head out that way via car for access to powder you might not normally touch during the regular season. Top places to consider include Loveland Pass, Mount Evans  and Trail Ridge Road. You should, of course, avoid those nasty avalanches if you can.

One of the best joys of paddling is getting to go places that are only accessible by boat. Such is the case of the Broken Group Islands, a chain of over 100 islands and rocks set in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada. Writer Matt Jackson takes us there in this well written MSNBC/Canoe & Kayak piece. Takeaways from his adventures include not messing with the sea lions, enjoying the best tidal pools have to offer and generally being blown away by the beauty of Canada's Pacific Northwest region.

Kayak? Canoe? Inflatable? Hard shell? What's the best choice to enjoy the roaring rapids as snow packs around the country begin melting? Rex Turner writes in MaineToday.com that you should think of buying a paddling boat as you would a car, asking yourself questions like what you will be doing with it and where you will be going. Another thing to think about is what paddling experience you already have - one used to a canoe may find a kayak daunting at first.

If you haven't had a chance to see the Mona Lisa yet, she's got a new room to greet the 6 million or so who come to see her each year at the Louvre.  As this CNN article tells, her new location is larger then the previous spot to provide more people a chance to catch a glimpse of that famous smile. The new gallery also provides space for other 16-century Italian paintings.

A great thread in the Lonely Planet forums from earlier this year talks about the worst American airports. As most threads like this go, opinions are all over the map, though there are some useful tips to be had from savvy travelers on making the most of the more crappy terminals around the country. I personally have never been fond of the United section of Washington Dulles - its long, narrow and very difficult to navigate when crowded. What's your worst airport and/or terminal?

This nice short story from California Culinary Academy graduate Heidi Schooley tells of her three month internship at noted winery, restaurant and cooking school Badia a Coltibuono in the Chianti region of Tuscany. She talks about her work with regarded chef Francesco Torre, her first meal in the famous wine growing region and generally what it was like to experience life in place where she felt the most amazing part of the journey was eating the food and not just cooking it.

Browsing through freelance writer job listings, I came across one of what seems like dozens these days for an online travel magazine. It, unlike others, looks to actually be a very cool site called Pology. Started this month, Pology wants to put a fresh face on travel writing by posting pieces which "convey visceral experiences that come about from submersion in a new culture (abroad or domestic). This isn't a publication that focuses on shopping, resorts, spas. We want stories that are saturated with life and are revealing of culture."

The stories and awesome accompanying photos definitely seem to be fitting that mission statement so far. 

From the files of James Wysong, a flight attendant (former?) who has a couple of books under his belt about life at 35,000 feet, comes a funny column about ways to annoy his kind and perhaps find yourself sitting on the tarmac or in jail. Some of his list includes actual events he has observed, such as opening an exit before take off to see if the slide works and pulling out a squirt gun which looks like a real weapon and spraying people. It's nice to see people like Wysong reminding us how stupid the human race can sometimes be.