Coolest places to ski, according to magazine

Coolest places to ski,according to magazine
NEW YORK -- This is the happiest time of year for skiing addicts -- the start of at least three months of their favorite sport. But the December-January issue of National Geographic Adventure points out that you can ski year-round if you're willing to travel. The magazine's picks for best places to ski around the globe for the next few months include Sestriere, Italy, where some of the 2006 Olympic events will be held; the backcountry terrain at Silverton Mountain Ski Area in Colorado; Wyoming's Jackson Hole, where the famed tram that has transported skiers up 4,000 feet for 40 years is scheduled to close forever at the end of the season; and Jay Peak Resort in Vermont, which gets 355 inches of snow a year just 31/2 hours north of Boston.
'European Christmas'
EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Travel guru Rick Steves has a new book out called "European Christmas," full of recipes, history and descriptions of the holiday season in seven countries -- England, Norway, France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. The $14.95 book, from the Emeryville, Calif.-based Avalon Travel Publishing, is a companion text to a PBS special, "Rick Steves' European Christmas," scheduled to air through the end of the year on PBS stations nationwide; schedules at http://www.ricksteves.com/ tvr/pledge/xmas/whereitairs.htm.
Flexible ship itineraries
LONDON -- A new concept in cruising the Caribbean has arrived in the form of a ship called easyCruiseOne. The ship's flexible weeklong itineraries offer a different port of call each day. Passengers may join or leave the cruise from any stop, as long as they stay on board for at least two nights and no longer than 14 nights. But there are no free buffets, and you have to pay extra if you want your bed made. The schedule starts with weekend ports of call in Barbados, followed by stops in St. Vincent on Mondays, Martinique on Tuesdays, the Grenadines on Wednesdays, Grenada on Thursdays, and St. Lucia on Fridays.
Holidazzle parades
MINNEAPOLIS -- The TCF Holidazzle parades have returned to downtown Minneapolis for the 14th year. The parades, sponsored by TCF Bank, are held Wednesday through Sunday evenings, from now through Dec. 23 at the Nicollet Mall. Each parade features brightly lighted floats, marching bands, celebrity grand marshals and some 250 costumed characters from children's stories. Details at http://www.tcfholidazzle.com. The parades start at 6:30 p.m. at 12th Street and Nicollet Avenue and continue for 30 minutes along Nicollet, ending at Fifth Street in downtown Minneapolis. Cinderella, riding in each parade in an illuminated carriage, will be played each night by a different woman chosen from among local community leaders.
Global Vision Awards
NEW YORK -- Travel + Leisure magazine has honored seven projects around the world for contributions to local economies, the environment or cultural preservation. Some of the projects featured in the magazine's December issue already have a tie-in with tourism as a way to promote economic development; others hope to lure travelers in the future once their goals are further along. The winners of the magazine's Global Vision Awards include an ecological restoration project in Mauritius; EcoTaj, a project through with Taj Hotels, Resorts & amp; Palaces in India, that encourages employees to volunteer in their communities; and a restoration effort in Falmouth, Jamaica, where locals are preserving the town's rich Georgian architecture in the hope of eventually drawing tourists.
Narnia at Disney
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- December at Disney World means Christmas, Mickey, and this year, Narnia. "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" takes place at the Magic Kingdom Dec. 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 20. Separate admission to the event is required. The "Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights," a display that started in an Arkansas home 18 years ago and was brought to Disney in 1995, can be seen through early January. The World Showcase at Epcot features holiday celebrations from around the world and across various cultures, from Kwanzaa and Hanukkah to Pierre Noel and Santa, through Dec. 30. A candlelight processional, choir and celebrity narrators telling the Christmas story unfold each night through Dec. 30 at Epcot's America Gardens Theatre at 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Disney's 22nd annual Christmas Day parade will be hosted by Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. If you can't make it to Florida to watch it in person, don't worry -- it airs live on ABC on Dec. 25.
Associated Press