8 Fall-Foliage Cruises

A bib that puts you in the driver's seat If your road trip is too fast-paced for sit-down dining, strap on a BeltzBib and don't think twice about dribbling drive-through delicacies all over your clothes. The bib—modeled here by BT staffer Nicholas DeRenzo—hooks over the shoulder, and any food that falls short of your mouth should wind up in a four-inch pouch that's waterproof and, we assume, ketchup- and mustard-proof, too. dans-products.com, $8. When every drop counts A full six feet wide, the tandem-like Dualbrella should adequately keep two people from getting wet while exploring a new city. Unfortunately, while the jumbo shield doubles your coverage from the rain, it also doubles your dorkiness as tourists. hammacher.com, $40. A guilt-free way to let loose If the person sitting next to you on a flight plops down a GasBGon "flatulence filter seat cushion," should you make a stink and ask to switch seats—or be thankful your gassy neighbor was considerate enough to come prepared? Tough call, especially if the cushion in question is the "Tush Down" model, covered in football-patterned fabric. The seat's carbon filter—designed to muffle the sound and absorb the smell of breaking wind—is supposed to be replaced every three to six months for most users...but more frequently for tailgaters who consume lots of beer. gasbgon.com, $25. See 8 of the world's weirdest hotels. A sorta-portable hardware store Versatility is the big selling point for Swiss Army tools, but this Giant Knife—which weighs two pounds, serves 141 functions, and costs a whopping $1,400—is ridiculous. And it's not only the price that's impractical. Just imagine the trauma of watching it get tossed into the confiscated bin at a TSA checkpoint. wengerna.com, $1,400. Ooh la la: A travel bidet If you're one of the eight or nine Americans who's accustomed to using a bidet at home, you'll definitely want to know about the battery-powered Renaissance Premium Travel Bidet, which enables you to wash up down below at hotels and restrooms that haven't yet embraced this European hygiene fixture. It comes with two nozzles, two AA batteries, and a sleek gray travel bag. sanicare.com, $40. Sit back, relax, and slip on a Slanket Not every flight has a blanket for every passenger and—come to think of it—no flights have blankets with sleeves. But fear not! A petite, travel-size Slanket conquers both of those conundrums and costs $8 less than the original Slanket, which is intended primarily for couch use. theslanket.com, $25. Check out the world's weirdest restaurants. Bedbugs beware Available in two-ounce bottles easily taken on the go, Rest Easy's all-natural pesticide kills bedbugs and bed mites. But we have to raise the issue: If you think you're going to need to use this on your vacation, perhaps you should be staying at a different hotel. resteasy4bedbugs.com, $6 for two 2-ounce bottles. Peal protection Bruised produce can be a bummer, but don't let that stop you from traveling with your favorite delicate fruit. The plastic BananaBunker—available in five colors and in one unmistakable shape—safeguards snacks from getting banged around in your bag. Flexible and extendable, it can accommodate all but the largest bananas. bananabunker.com, $7.

VERMONT ROUTE 100 Stamford, Vt. to Newport, Vt., 216 miles Snaking through the center of Vermont all the way from the Massachusetts border to Canada, Route 100 feels less like a state highway than one long, rambling backcountry path. A strict billboard ban preserves every vista as the road winds between the peaks of Green Mountain National Forest and passes through quaint valley towns like Hyde Park and Weston, population 631. With only farm stands, country stores, and covered bridges breaking up the landscape, you'll consistently feel 200 miles from the 21st century. Don't miss: The seven-mile stretch through Granville Gulf State Reservation, a favorite for leaf peepers, is also home to the multitiered, 35-foot Moss Glen Falls, which can be seen from the road. Trip tip: The Vermont Curiosities guidebook ($16) goes beyond foliage, introducing travelers to little-known gems around the state, from roadside barbecue joints to hole-in-the-wall museums. GREAT LAKES SEAWAY TRAIL Massena, N.Y. to West Springfield, Pa., 518 miles Consider this scenic waterfront byway an inland version of California's Route 1—minus the traffic. Among the highlights of the 500-plus-mile drive: the St. Lawrence Seaway's imposing Eisenhower Lock, the 28 historic lighthouses skirting the shores of the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, and Lakes Ontario and Erie, and the country's ultimate aquatic spectacle, Niagara Falls. Forty state parks along the way supply ample spots for camping, as well as opportunities for everything from bird-watching to shipwreck diving. Don't miss: Presque Isle State Park, a sandy, 3,200-acre peninsula near Erie, Pa., has miles of untouched beaches to explore. Trip tip: Ditch the tired car games in favor of the Seaway Trail's new geocaching trail: a high-tech treasure hunt where you use a GPS unit to locate natural and historic landmarks. Supplies are available at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center's online gift shop. BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY Waynesboro, Va. to Cherokee, N.C., 469 miles One of the New Deal's most ambitious endeavors, this curvaceous "park to park highway" links Virginia's Shenandoah National Park with North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains via dozens of hairpin turns and 26 tunnels cut through Appalachian granite. Spot a 19th-century farm or postage-stamp-size town at the bottom of a verdant mountainside and you'll realize how seemingly unchanged the road remains since its inception in 1935. Don't Miss: Concerts of traditional Appalachian banjo and fiddle music start at 10 a.m. Sunday through Thursday at the Blue Ridge Music Center, located in Galax, Va. Trip Tip: Banjo music is the ideal soundtrack for this drive. Get in the mood with Drive Time: Blue Ridge Parkway($8), a CD compilation of Appalachian music with songs by Aaron Copland and John Williams. FLORIDA'S OVERSEAS HIGHWAY Key Largo to Key West, 113 miles Spanning more than 100 miles of the Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean, this one-of-a-kind road is actually the largest segmented bridge in the world, crossing the water in 42 places as it hops across the 1,700 islands of the Florida Keys. At dozens of spots along the route, side streets let drivers tackle a stretch on foot or bicycle, or break for snorkeling through a shipwreck at San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park and sunbathing at Bahia Honda State Park. Don't miss: The Seven Mile Bridge—only a slight exaggeration, at 6.79 miles long—connects the Middle and Lower Keys and rises 65 feet above the water, high enough to gain unobstructed 360-degree visibility. Trip tip: Read Ernest Hemingway's To Have and Have Not, which is set in Key West; then visit the eccentric author's home, now a museum at the end of the highway. HISTORIC ROUTE 66 Chicago to Los Angeles, 2,448 miles First immortalized by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, this original mega-highway has long personified the American dream of escaping hard times and making it big out West. Although you won't find the 84-year-old road on maps anymore (it's been replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System), you can still follow the classic drive from the small towns of the Midwest and Great Plains through the deserts of the Southwest and on to Los Angeles. Don't miss: The 400-mile-long Oklahoma portion best embodies the retro spirit most 66 travelers are looking for, with ghost towns like Texola and Americana-rich sights such as the 66-foot-tall soda bottle marking Pops restaurant in Arcadia. Trip tip: Find (and stay on) the historic route with Here It Is! Route 66 The Map Series (historic66.com, $12), eight foldout maps with full driving directions and recommendations for the most worthwhile stops. MONUMENT VALLEY Kayenta, Ariz. to Mexican Hat, Utah, 43 miles Nothing about dusty U.S. 163 in northeastern Arizona prepares you for the otherworldly structures that rise out of the desert floor just a few miles north of Kayenta. Along the Utah/Arizona border, Monument Valley is a dreamlike panorama of giant red mesas, sandstone buttes, and freestanding rock formations soaring as high as 1,000 feet. When the highway leads north into Utah, the earth seems to invert, and the towering red rocks give way to the ancient, deep-set canyons carved by the San Juan River. The drive is short, but it might take you hours, thanks to the sheer number of compelling photo ops. Don't miss: The 17-mile dirt road looping through Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is postcard-perfect, especially when the sun sets over natural rock statues like the 450-foot Totem Pole spire and the rounded pinnacle known as The Thumb. Trip tip: It's nearly impossible to watch any of the seven westerns director John Ford filmed in Monument Valley—including Stagecoach, The Searchers, and Fort Apache—and not want to see this environment firsthand. GOING-TO-THE-SUN ROAD Glacier National Park, Mont., 50 miles Here's one case where the name of the route actually does justice to its grandeur. The only drivable passage through Glacier National Park, Going-to-the-Sun Road has segments that hug the side of the Rocky Mountains, providing jaw-dropping views of the park's dense cedar forests, glacial lakes, and, of course, slowly diminishing glaciers: Only 25 glacial fields (ones larger than 25 acres) remain, a sixth of what existed in 1850. Sightings of wildlife like grizzly bears, bald eagles, and moose are common; drive slowly to (safely) take it all in. Don't Miss: At Logan Pass, elevation 6,446 feet, you can hike even higher into the mountains, where some of the crags stay snowy all summer. Trip Tip: Rent and watch the opening scene of The Shining; the overhead driving shots show Jack Nicholson and family navigating Going-to-the-Sun Road's dramatic twists and turns. MOUNT EVANS SCENIC BYWAY Idaho Springs, Colo. to Mount Evans Summit, Colo., 28 miles This drive is all about superlatives: In addition to being the shortest trip to make our list, it's also North America's highest paved road, inclining some 7,000 feet in less than 30 miles. And it also has one of the shortest driving seasons: Memorial Day to Labor Day, weather permitting, which, lucky for us, is the best time to take in its yellow wildflowers, bighorn sheep, and a dizzying survey of the Rocky Mountains and Continental Divide at the 14,230-foot summit. Don't miss: Five miles before the byway's end, pull over for a sky-high picnic along the glassy, glacier-fed lake at Summit Lake Park. Trip tip: The weather on the Alpine tundra can change quickly; you could see rain, snow, 80-degree sunshine, or all three—in one day. An all-weather jacket such as Marmot's lightweight Essence ($160) will serve you well—it's waterproof, nylon-lined, and has integrated cooling vents. CALIFORNIA ROUTE 1 Orange County, Calif. to Mendocino County, Calif. 655 miles The Pacific Coast Highway shows off the country's widest range of wow-inducing waterfront scenery, from the pristine beaches of Malibu to the cliffs of Big Sur, over the Golden Gate Bridge, and through the colossal redwoods of Humboldt County. More than 400 miles of the route run within sight of the ocean; drive south-to-north if you want a little distance from the road's edge, or north-to-south to feel the sea spray on your skin. Don't miss: Destined to be replaced by a tunnel in 2011, the landslide-prone pass 500 feet above the ocean known as Devil's Slide is this year's biggest last-chance thrill for adventurous drivers across America. Trip tip: The California Coastal Access Guide is the Golden State road-tripper's bible, with full-color maps and abundant details on where to swim, camp, hike, fish, and pull over for the best ocean sunsets—nearly 900 public points in all.

Drink sky-high wines The Radisson Blu Hotel London Stansted Airport literally elevates customer service at its Angels' Wine Tower Bar. The 42-foot-tall, steel-and-glass structure holds up to 4,000 bottles of wine and bubbly at a time. Once you make a selection, bar "angels" strapped into harnesses gracefully glide up the side of the illuminated tower to retrieve your bottle.011-44/1279-66-1012, connected to Stansted's main terminal by an enclosed walkway, radissonblu.co.uk/hotel-stanstedairport, glass of wine from $8. Whip up gourmet airport food Executive chef Jean-Claude Plihon—a globe-trotter who's lived in Barbados and Egypt—helms Grand Hyatt DFW's Epicurean Studio, where you can prepare alternatives to typically lackluster airport and airplane food. The three-and-a-half-hour cooking classes include lunch, plus a DVD with a live recording of the session and recipes for the dishes prepared. Topics range from "French Cuisine Decoded" to "Destination: Lima, Peru." 972/973-1234, Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, Terminal D, granddfw.hyatt.com, $95 per class. Pamper travel-weary muscles The words bliss and relaxation don't apply much to airports these days—unless you've landed at Hong Kong International, home to the Regal Airport Hotel. As planes crisscross high overhead, guests can sunbathe by the outdoor pool and garden, get a massage in one of the Om Spa's alfresco bamboo cabanas, soak in a hot tub, or indulge in a pedicure at the foot massage salon. Even travelers with short stopovers can squeeze in a visit to the spa; give the staff your time frame and request a one-of-a-kind treatment, like a charcoal-bamboo body wrap. 011-852/2-286-8888, regalhotel.com, massages from $116. Pilot your own set of wheels Guests at The Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel are treated to complimentary use of adult- and child-size BMW Cruise Bikes. Pedal-friendly trails lead to Flight Path Park—the perfect place to spot takeoffs and landings—and to the riverfront McDonald Beach Park, where the Fairmont keeps beehives that produce its signature honey. Bonus: Anglers heading home with a vacation's worth of catch can store their salmon and halibut in the hotel's departures-level fish freezer, kept at a chilly 15 degrees minus Celsius. 866/540-4441, above the U.S. departures terminal, fairmont.com/vancouverairport; guests must apply in advance for a free membership in the Fairmont President's Club to be eligible to use the bikes. Tee off at 32 courses The Fit4Flight fitness center at the Radisson Blu in Oslo's Gardermoen Airport is equipped with more than just weights and machines. A golf simulator programmed with 32 virtual courses tests the mettle of beginners and pros alike. Guests flying solo can rent the simulator by the hour to perfect their swing, while groups of up to 14 can band together for a serious game. Stop at one of the solariums, and you might even be able to convince people back home that you were actually out on the green. 011-47/63-93-30-00, linked by a walkway to Oslo Airport, radissonblu.com/hotel-osloairport, simulator rental $32 per hour.

Great local meal... A tofu curry with garlic naan, which I washed down with a hot chai, from a street vendor by the beach in Kochi. My favorite part... Without a doubt, the Taj Mahal. [PHOTO] It's one thing to see pictures of it, but to see it in person is truly an unforgettable experience. [PHOTO] When I first saw the white palace—the ultimate memorial to love—my eyes immediately teared up with excitement, awe, and gratitude. Moment when things got tense... When I arrived at the Taj Mahal, I was in a state of bliss. Within minutes, however, my bliss was interrupted by hoards of people asking to have their picture taken with me as if I were some celebrity. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I was stopped by several hundred people. [PHOTO] What I should have packed... Bug spray. I thought that since I was going during the dry season I could forget about bugs. Not only was I completely wrong, but I ended up having a severe allergic reaction to the bites I got on a daily basis. Worth every penny... I asked my guide to take me to a reputable jeweler in the Pink City, a.k.a. Jaipur. [PHOTO] At the jewelry store, I was treated like a Maharaja princess! They let me try on jewels that were worth millions of dollars. [PHOTO] In the middle of playing dress up, I found a gorgeous 15-strand tourmaline necklace that I just had to have—even though it was out of my price range. Fun surprise... Visiting the Agra Fort at dusk. [PHOTO] The concierge at my hotel tried to talk me out of it, but I'm glad that I did it anyway because there were hardly any people there and the weather was much cooler. From the fort, I had the most extraordinary view of the Taj Mahal—I had no idea that you could see it from there. It was a magical moment, as there was smoke surrounding the Taj Mahal because of a nearby cremation and the sun was setting. [PHOTO] Total rip-off... Taxis! It is one fourth the price and much faster to take auto rickshaws. [PHOTO] Besides, you can get some awesome pictures from them, since there are no glass windows. Never again... Will I ignore my gut. I was desperate for a massage, as my back was killing me from sleeping in hard beds. My intuition told me to leave once I met the therapist, who struck me as creepy, but I decided to get the massage anyway. About five minutes into it, I began to be touched in very inappropriate places. Every time I complained, the therapist kept telling me that this is how massages are given in India. I left a few minutes later. I'm still laughing about... The different modes of transportation used in India. In a span of five minutes, I'd easily see a taxi, a car, an auto rickshaw, a motorcycle, and a bicycle, as well as people walking, running, and riding elephants, camels, and water buffalo. [PHOTO] Hotel I liked... The luxurious Oberoi in Agra, where my friend and I treated ourselves to dinner. As our car pulled up, I was instantly wowed by the opulence. It was one of the most stunning hotels I've ever seen. [PHOTO]