French Laundry break

French Laundry break
The French Laundry, a Napa Valley restaurant considered one of the best in the country, will temporarily close after New Year's Eve and won't reopen until sometime in the spring.
Chef and owner Thomas Keller will use the time to renovate the kitchen and modernize the wine cellar in the Yountville, Calif., restaurant. He also will concentrate on his new restaurant in New York, which is opening in February in the 80-story AOL Time Warner building at Columbus Circle.
Aquarium presentsprograms on sharks
Sharks have taken over the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston.
To help people understand and appreciate sharks, the aquarium is offering a four-month educational campaign that continues through Dec. 12.
SharkFest features new shark and ray species, daily shark programs, special events, speakers and an art exhibition called "Jaws" (Just Art With Sharks).
Special events range from saddling up with sea horses (find out what sea horses and sharks have in common) to sleeping with the sharks.
For more information, call (843) 720-1990 or visit www.scaquarium.org.
Underwater weddingsin the Cayman Islands
In honor of its quincentennial, the Cayman Islands will try to set a world record for underwater weddings.
Cayman Aqua Vows will provide couples the opportunity to tie the knot Nov. 15 in an underwater ceremony off Seven Mile Beach.
An official land ceremony and sunset beach reception will follow.
Couples can marry or renew vows underwater in scuba gear or in a submarine. Guests may watch either from a semi-sub, above the water in a boat, or by snorkeling.
Customized packages start at $799 for those wishing to get married, $599 for those wishing to renew their vows, and $499 for those wanting to witness the event.
For more information, call (800) 368-4014 or visit www.caymanislands.ky on the Web.
Trails provide toursof bamboo forests
One of the largest bamboo forests in North America has completed a trail system for visitors. Bamboo Giant Nursery in Aptos, Calif., southeast of San Francisco, features 15 acres and more than 40 varieties of bamboo timber.
Three self-guided walking tours lead visitors through towering stands of bamboo from around the world, ranging from rare and exotic to common varieties.
The nursery also stocks an extensive selection of bamboo plants for sale.
For more information, call (831) 687-0100 or visit www.bamboogiant.com.
A tall order: roomsmade for hoops teams
Live large -- at least for an evening -- in an NBA suite at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
The 440-room hotel is owned by the Maloof family, which also controls the NBA Sacramento Kings.
To accommodate the team while it's in town, the hotel has created 22 rooms built to the players' sizes. The rooms are equipped with 8-foot-tall doors, 8-foot-long beds, shower heads 6-foot-6 high and big furniture.
When not occupied by an NBA team, the rooms are available to the public.
The NBA Grand Suites start at $600 per night on weekends and $400 midweek; the NBA Junior Suites start at $379 per night on weekends and $179 midweek.
For more information, call (866) 725-6773 or visit www.palms.com on the Web.