Exploring Bahía Bustamante, Argentina

By Will Collier
February 2, 2015
Penguins in Bahia Bustamante
Courtesy Say Hueque

Called the "Argentine answer to the Galapagos" by the New York Times, the town of Bahía Bustamante is the ideal place for adventure-seeking and nature-loving travelers to explore beautiful Atlantic Patagonia.

Although fairly isolated from the major tourist destinations of Argentina, Bahía Bustamante can still be reached by a quick plane ride from Buenos Aires. Flying into either Trelew, 250 km to the north, or Comodoro Rivadavia, 180 km to the south, travelers can take a private transfer of about three hours the rest of the way. Alternatively, for a cheaper option, visitors can take a bus from Buenos Aires to the town of Garayalde, about 60 km away, and from there take a private transfer. A final option, and the most adventurous of the three, is renting a car and driving down the coast along the scenic Route 3. 

Open for tourism from October until April, Bahía Bustamante is known for its seaweed industry and ancient petrified forest. With a slower-paced lifestyle and an intimate connection to the land, locals are passionate about educating visitors on the area's abundant natural resources and eager to see them interact with the diverse, native flora and fauna. Housing hundreds of wildlife species including sea lions, penguins, and marine birds, the Atlantic coast of Bahía Bustamante is truly a nature lover's paradise. Here are our favorite must-do activities for your trip:

See Sea Lion and Seabird Colonies by Boat

Sail through the Malaspina Coast to observe seaweed harvesting in action and learn about the infinite species of seaweed and mussels that grow in the coves. Sail on over to the islands in the bay to search for wildlife including sea lions, marine bird colonies, and penguins. Get up close and personal with these animals, who enjoy sunbathing just as much as you!

Hike in the Petrified Forest

Journey back to ancient Patagonia more than 60,000,000 years ago! The Petrified Forest, known as "The Pyramid," remains one of the region's top attractions for a glimpse into the past. Hikes along moon-like landscape afford sightings of foxes, armadillos, and skunks living among petrified tree trunks and colorful rock fossils. A walk towards its highest point gives way to a stunning view of the desert steppe below. As much as modern society has changed the natural landscape, it's refreshing to visit the "original Patagonia" that is still intact and thriving.

Visit a Patagonia Estancia

Surrounded by expansive Patagonian estancias (Argentine ranches) that raise sheep, Bahía Bustamante gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the gaucho culture of Argentina in a unique way. Spanning 80,000 hectares, these estancias mostly funcution to produce sheep wool and meat. Visit the corrals and learn about daily farm tasks like shearing, weaning, classification, and the marking of the sheep. Depending on the season, you can even try out one of the ranch activities. For example, those who plan their trip for the Argentine spring will be able to shear a sheep—one of the 20,000 being sheared during this season!

Seaweed Harvesting

Ever wonder what makes dulce de leche so sweet and rich? It may come as a surprise, but the natural gelling agent in seaweed is widely used in the food industry, especially for thickening dulce de leche. Learn about the health benefits, the widespread uses of seaweed, and the importance of the industry in the area at a local harvesting factory. 

Of course, there is always the possibility of just relaxing on the beach with a glass of malbec and enjoying life.

This article was written by Will Collier on behalf of Say Hueque, a company specializing in tours to Argentina and Chile. 

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Don't Miss These Epic Super Bowl Sunday Ski Deals From Liftopia!

This Sunday, the only thing deflated will be the price of your lift tickets (we hope!) You might even want to skip the big game once you see the kinds of savings happening on Liftopia this Super Bowl Sunday! Here are some of the deals you can find on Liftopia's website for skiing in California, New England, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Utah, the Northern Rockies, the Midwest, and in the Pacific Northwest. Savings shown are based on regular walk-up window rates and are per person. California • Sierra at Tahoe: Up to 47 percent off; lift tickets start at $49• Diamond Peak: Up to 41 percent off; lift tickets start at $38• Bear Valley: Up to 36 percent off; lift tickets from $43• Soda Springs: Up to 36 percent off; lift tickets from $27.99• Mt. Baldy: Up to 62 percent off; lift tickets from $25• Snow Valley: Up to 45 percent off; lift tickets from $34• Boreal: Up to 29 percent off; lift tickets from $41.99• Squaw Valley / Alpine Meadows: Up to 20 percent off; lift tickets from $95• Homewood: Up to 13 percent off; lift tickets from $54 Nevada • Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort: Up to 23 percent off; lift tickets from $53.99 New England • Smugglers' Notch: Up to 43 percent off; lift tickets from $45.99• Mt. Abram: Up to 41 percent off; lift tickets from $28.99• Mad River Glen: Up to 44 percent off; lift tickets from $41.99• Sugarbush: Up to 46 percent off; lift tickets from $49• Camden Snow Bowl: Up to 51 percent off; lift tickets from $18.99• Pico: Up to 33 percent off; lift tickets from $44.99• Suicide Six: Up to 49 percent off; lift tickets from $33.99• Granite Gorge: Up to 45 percent off; lift tickets from $26.99• Magic Mountain: Up to 44 percent off; lift tickets from $34.99• Mount Snow: Up to 18 percent off; lift tickets from $74• Sunday River: Up to 20 percent off; lift tickets from $71• Stratton: Up to 15 percent off; lift tickets from $83 Colorado • Arapahoe Basin: Up to 28 percent off; lift tickets from $60.99• Copper Mountain: Up to 30 percent off; lift tickets from $89• Sunlight Mountain: Up to 28 percent off; lift tickets from $42.99• Granby Ranch: Up to 23 percent off; lift tickets from $46.99• Winter Park: Up to 20 percent off; lift tickets from $99.20• Loveland: Up to 21 percent off; lift tickets from $49.99 New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania • Titus Mountain: Up to 31 percent off; lift tickets from $30.99• Whiteface: Up to 30 percent off; lift tickets from $48• Shawnee Mountain: Up to 35 percent off; lift tickets from $38.99• Mountain Creek: Up to 34 percent off; lift tickets from $43.99• Plattekill: Up to 37 percent off; lift tickets from $36.99• Tuxedo Ridge: Up to 41 percent off; lift tickets from $24.99 Utah • Snowbasin: Up to 26 percent off; lift tickets from $65.99• Brighton: Up to 22 percent off; lift tickets from $55.99• Sundance: Up to 46 percent off; lift tickets from $34.99• Alta: Up to 13 percent off; lift tickets from $72.99• Eagle Point: Up to 38 percent off; lift tickets from $29.99 Northern Rockies • Mt. Hood: Up to 32 percent off; lift tickets from $49.99• White Pass: Up to 27 percent off; lift tickets from $44.99• Anthony Lakes: Up to 49 percent off; lift tickets from $17.99• Mt. Ashland:  Up to 37 percent off; lift tickets from $28.99 Midwest • Nordic Mountain: Up to 62 percent off; lift tickets from $16.87• Caberfae Peaks: Up to 57 percent off; lift tickets from $19.99• Little Switzerland: Up to 55 percent off; lift tickets from $18.98• Christmas Mountain: Up to 41 percent off; lift tickets from $23.99• Treetops: Up to 43 percent off; lift tickets from $22.99• Spirit Mountain: Up to 40 percent off; lift tickets from $26.99• Crystal Mountain: Up to 42 percent off; lift tickets from $38.99• Shanty Creek: Up to 40 percent off; lift tickets from $35.99 Pacific Northwest • Grand Targhee: Up to 27 percent off; lift tickets from $52• Red Lodge: Up to 28 percent off; lift tickets from $36• Snowy Range:  Up to 33 percent off; lift tickets from $29• Lost Trail: Up to 40 percent off; lift tickets from $23

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Best Super Bowl Recipes from Top Travel Destinations!

If you're invited to a Super Bowl XLIX get-together this Sunday, or throwing one yourself, you know there's more than just one game going on, right? The real smackdown is: Who is going to bring the most awesome food? Well, our friends at three of America's most popular travel destinations have shared their recipes and each of them is a touchdown! "NOT FROM" BUFFALO CHICKEN MAC N CHEESE The Sea Crest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth, Massachusetts, is one of our favorite ways to do Cape Cod, with perfect Silver Beach right outside your door, indoor and outdoor pools, amazing restaurants, and even some budget room options. Executive Chef Daniel Kenney serves up an imaginative riff on hot wings, including some locally sourced New England ingredients for you Patriots fans, to serve your football friends (and frenemies). Yields 6 servings Ingredients: 1 pound of boneless and skinless free-range chicken thighs 1 pound orecchiette pasta 1 quart fresh heavy cream 1.5 cups shredded white cheddar, Vermont 1 cup crumbled Great Hill Blue Cheese, Marion Mass. 1/2 cup goat cheese, Hubbardston Mass. 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 cup smoked bacon 1 cup Frank's Hot Sauce 1 cup panko bread crumbs Cracked white pepper Sea salt 2 cups corn oil 1 bunch fresh thyme 3 each fresh bay leaves 3 cloves garlic Preparation: Begin by covering the chicken thighs with the corn oil in a small baking dish, add thyme, garlic, and bay leaves, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook on a low temp (275˚F) for approx. 2 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked and fork tender (internal temp must reach 165˚F). Chill the chicken in the baking dish until fully chilled, then shred the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. Bring 2 gallons of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (approx. 7 minutes). Drain and chill the pasta and set aside. In a large heavy pot, place the cream and bring to a simmer and reduce slightly, then add the cheeses (reserve a small amount of each cheese for topping the mac n cheese later). On low heat melt the cheeses and then whisk together until the cheese and cream have emulsified and set aside. Take the bacon and cook in oven until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and chop the bacon into bite size pieces, set aside. Mix together the bacon, cheese sauce, shredded chicken, pasta and hot sauce and place in a baking dish, top the mixture with the remaining cheeses and sprinkle with panko bread crumbs. Bake in a 350˚F oven until golden brown and the center is piping hot, serve immediately with a chilled Sam Adams Beer. HAM AND JAM SLIDERS                                                                              Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain is an extraordinary getaway in Arizona (home of this year's big game). Executive Chef Beau MacMillan's sliders are a tasty timeout treat. Yields 12 servings Cheddar Biscuits Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 Tbs. freshly cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt         2 tsp. salt 1 cup + 2 Tbs. buttermilk 5 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped green onion, including tender green tops Preparation: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper and kosher salt until well mixed. Mix in butter until pea-sized. Add cheddar cheese and green onion and stir and toss lightly to combine. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk until the mixture forms a soft, slightly sticky ball. With lightly floured hands, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Form each portion into a rough ball and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Space the balls about 1-inch apart. Brush the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Bake at 350˚F for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Red Pepper Jelly Yields 2 1/8 quart Ingredients: 3 large red peppers, seeded and sliced 3/4 cups cider vinegar 3 cups sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 package Certo liquid pectin Place peppers in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped, but not pureed. Place chopped peppers in a large bowl with cider vinegar, sugar, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix well. Put mixture in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add Certo and continue to cook at a slow rolling boil for 35 to 40 minutes, until you can "drag" a spoon around edges of pan or until it passes the jelly test coating the back of the spoon or dripping from spoon very slowly. Snake River Farms American Bone in Ham  Ingredients: 1 large Snake River Farms American Bone-in Ham Preparation: Heat oven to 275˚F. Place ham in a roasting pan and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Heat for approximately for 12-15 min. per pound. When center of ham reaches 125˚F allow the ham to rest for 15-30 min. Keep covered with foil while resting. Assembly Slice biscuits in half and rub with a generous portion of red pepper jelly. Slice ham thinly and place in between biscuit halves. Enjoy! CHOCOLATE-COVERED FOOTBALL STRAWBERRIES 3800 Ocean at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach, FL, is a luxurious way to chill by the ocean, and Pastry Chef Brittani Szczecina has whipped up an appropriately football-inspired dessert that will leave you and your pals feeling anything but deflated! Yields 12 pieces Ingredients: 12 each fresh strawberries 1 package white chocolate 1 package dark chocolate Preparation: In a microwave safe bowl melt dark chocolate Holding by the stem, dip strawberry in chocolate, shake off excess and place on parchment paper Let the chocolate pool onto the paper and then pick strawberry back up and place in new spot. This helps to avoid little "feet" to form. Continue with remaining strawberries and let harden. Melt the white chocolate. Fill a piping bag and cut a very small hole. Pipe a vertical line down the entire length of the strawberry. Let harden. Once hardened, pipe five horizontal lines to form the threading on the football and let dry.  

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Off-The-Beaten-Path Singapore

If you're planning a trip to Singapore and would like to see the city-state beyond its usual tourist hotspots, check out AsiaRooms.com's list of 50 alternative things to do in Singapore. Here are 10 of our favorites. Explore an abandoned palace Tired of the mainstay photography haunts like Chinatown, Little India, and Tiong Bahru? Get behind the wheel and head to Istana Woodneuk. Located on a small hill between Holland Road and Tyersall Road, this place takes some effort to get to. The land still belongs to the royal family in Johor, and despite being empty and in slight disarray, it is still a magnificent sight and would make for lovely photographs. See Old Woodlands Town Centre before it's gone In its heyday in the 1970s, the town center was filled with people and activities. While it is no longer a bustling bus berth, there are still countless shops selling everything from mattresses to fresh fruits, and the food at the hawker center remains cheap and tasty. It is definitely worth making a trip down to explore the area and snap some photographs of its old school architectural design before it gets torn down. Head on over to Kranji's organic veggie farm Take the Countryside Express shuttle bus to Bollywood Veggies from Kranji MRT. This lush green sanctuary grows and sells organic vegetables, and if you like the farm-to-plate concept, sit and enjoy a meal here. The farm offers everything from lady fingers to spinach, and is particularly proud of their bananas. Don't leave without buying a thick, moist chunk of their signature banana bread. Swap supermarkets for farmers' markets Tick the following off your list: Kranji Countryside Farmers' Market, Dempsey's Loewen Gardens Market and PasarBella at Bukit Timah. The first boasts fresh local produce, and the latter two take a slant towards artisan foods. Playtime at Punggol Waterway If you're in the mood to work out, why not check out the newly-developed Punggol Waterway Park? The area is lush and beautiful, and feels like a departure from the hectic city streets. There are also playgrounds, exercise equipment, and eateries scattered along various points, so you don't have to worry about going around endlessly and getting bored. Check out an old playground on a retro set of wheels While you're exploring Punggol Waterway or one of Singapore's many parks and bicycle paths, why not rent a retro-looking but fully functional set of wheels from One Day Wheels? They offer two cool looking bikes that will make you look super hip whether you're intent on posing for photos, working out, or both. We think it would be especially fun to pose for photos at the iconic dragon sand playground in Toa Payoh on these bikes. Be a beach sloth If you prefer beaches to parks, head on over to Sentosa and enjoy living the life of a sloth at Tanjong Beach Club. The food here—especially the tuna tartare and desserts—are highly recommended. Lying on a sunbed for an entire day has never hurt anyone, right? Practically stand on water One of the hippest things to do in Sentosa is to Stand Up Paddle (SUP). Tired of lounging by the beach with a cocktail in hand? Sign up for a class that will really work your core. You'll be performing yoga poses on the paddle board before you know it! Support animal welfare organizations Animal lovers or those considering getting a pet would do well to visit Pasir Ris Farmway and check out not only the cute puppies in puppy mills, but ex-breeding dogs as well. Animal welfare group Voices For Animals regularly holds adoption drives for the ex-breeding dogs that breeders give up when they no longer produce big enough litters. The dogs are mostly HDB-approved and the adoption drive is held at Mutts and Mittens. You may also see creatures big and small from other animal welfare groups in the area. Litter your life with books There is a small but delightful collection of independent bookstores in Singapore that you ought to stop by, including Littered with Books, pictured above. Housed within a two-story shophouse, this bookshop along Duxton Road boasts a whimsical interior that's as fantastical as the books on sale. When you're there, look out for the little notes taped to the shelves—the owners scribble short, colorful reviews to draw your attention to books they'd read and want to recommend. Click here to see more off-the-beaten-path things to do in Singapore. This article was written by Sia Ling Xin, who travels and writes about it for AsiaRooms.com, a blog and online community focused on travelling in Asia. You can also find her on Twitter.

Inspiration

10 Awesome Celebrity-Narrated Audio Tours

We talked with the creative geniuses behind several big-deal celebrity audio tours for the scoop on how the stars were involved and what to know before you go. You can listen to four of the tours right now! In the meantime, we're holding out hope for an aviation museum tour featuring audio by Samuel L. Jackson. 1. Steve Buscemi: Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia Believe it or not, the audio tour for the eerie, once-abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary—famous for locking up Al Capone—was recorded a full seven years before Steve Buscemi nabbed the role of mobster Knucky Thompson on Boardwalk Empire (LISTEN TO THE TOUR!). As director of public programming Sean Kelley tells it, Buscemi himself volunteered to help the museum while scouting a movie at Eastern State more than a decade ago. Kelley took him up on the offer, and Buscemi recorded the tour in four hours at Carnegie Hall, after taking the subway into Manhattan from his place in Brooklyn. "He couldn't have been nicer," Kelley says. Now that Boardwalk Empire has gained so much traction, the penitentiary advertises Buscemi's tour prominently on its brochure, the website, and in the building itself. Want to hear something uncanny? When Capone was arrested and subsequently thrown into the slammer at Eastern State, he was driving from Atlantic City to Chicago, presumably after a meeting with the real-life inspiration for Knucky Thompson. What to know: The audio tour is three hours long, so allow enough time to hear it and visit the entire property. Photography buffs, bring your smartphone and your camera. There are so many bizarre artifacts and historic nooks to shoot here (including the dilapidated prison hospital and Capone's cell, complete with oriental rug), you'll rule Instagram for the day. Professionals, consider paying the $10 tripod fee, valid all season (admission $14, easternstate.org). 2. Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow: Victoria and Albert Museum, London The massively popular exhibit Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty has hopped across the pond from New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The show, which celebrates the late fashion designer's dramatic, imaginative clothes, debuts March 14. In the original audio tour, "Sarah Jessica Parker revealed how she was in awe of the designer during fittings for a custom piece, and when the two of them rode together to the Met’s ball, they remained respectively shy of one another," says Blaire Moskowitz, marketing manager for Antenna International, the company that produced the McQueen audio tour and several others on this list. What to know: The exhibit runs through August 2, but buy your tickets now: Tickets are sold by timeslot, and some are nearly full (admission about $27, vam.ac.uk). 3. Clint Eastwood: Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA The brand-new American Western Art wing of the Tacoma Art Museum has a familiar voice. Clint Eastwood's gravelly tamber narrates classic imagery of the west, including bucolic landscapes, mountain men, prairie animals, and cowboys immortalized by painters and sculptors like Thomas Moran and Alexander Phimister Proctor, plus contemporary works from Georgia O'Keeffe and Native American artists including Kevin Red Star.  What to know: After you've seen the art indoors, take the free Dale Chihuly mobile walking tour, which guides you through downtown Tacoma to visit the artist's glass installations. Just call 888-411-4220 on your cellphone and listen; Chihuly himself narrates part of it (LISTEN TO THE TOUR!) (admission $14, tacomaartmuseum.org). 4. Angélica Aragón: Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico City, Mexico While recording the audio tour for the bright-blue Frida Kahlo Museum, popular Mexican actress Angélica Aragón mentioned to the sound engineer that her grandmother used to be part of Kahlo's small circle of friends years ago. The museum hadn't known that! Aragon was initially hired for her gravitas and dignified voice that felt perfect for Kahlo's story—now even more so. What to know: Complement your visit to Kahlo's museum with a trip to the Anahuacalli Museum, also in Mexico City (admission about $4), which houses pieces from Diego Rivera's large pre-Hispanic art collection (admission about $6, museofridakahlo.org.mx). 5. Jeremy Irons: Westminster Abbey, London Oscar winner Jeremy Irons has the distinction of narrating the English-language audio tour for Westminster Abbey. Fitting, considering Irons played Pope Alexander VI on Showtime's The Borgias (LISTEN TO THE TOUR!). Travelers also have good things to say about the 90-minute verger-led tours of the abbey's notable spots, including the tomb of Saint Edward the Confessor, Poets' Corner (Chaucer and Dickens are buried there), the Cloisters, and the Nave. If you'd rather worship at the abbey than tour it, there is never a fee for that. What to know: Prep for your visit by downloading the abbey's free podcasts (itunes.com), which range from recordings of choral concerts to lectures (worship is free, admission about $30, verger tours about $8, westminster-abbey.org). 6. Dolly Parton: Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN Would you expect anything less than vocals from Dolly Parton herself at the Country Music Hall of Fame? Step into the Hall of Fame Rotunda, a skylighted room emblazoned with bronze plaques for each member of the Hall of Fame, and you'll hear her voice on the audio tour. As Dolly says, "This special room is round, to ensure that every Hall of Fame member has a place of equal importance, and the members’ plaques are placed randomly around the room—except for the newest members, whose plaques can be found alongside the painting." The painting she speaks of is Thomas Hart Benton's The Sources of Country Music, a canvas depicting fantasy musicians ranging from gospel singers to hoedown dancers, commissioned in 1973. What to know: Along with the must-do rotunda portion of the museum, 2015's lineup includes separate exhibits featuring the careers of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tanya Tucker, Ronnie Milsap, Alan Jackson, and Kenny Rogers (admission plus audio tour $27, countrymusichalloffame.org). 7. Jerry Seinfeld, Scarlett Johannson, and more: Central Park, New York City Name your favorite NYC-affiliated personality (Susan Sarandon! Anne Hathaway! Pat Kiernan!), and chances are he or she narrates one of the 41 locations on Central Park's newly updated audio tour, accessible from your cellphone via the Official Central Park App or by dialing the guide's phone number (LISTEN TO THE TOUR!). The most-accessed parts of the tour are the sculpture of Balto the sled dog (John Stoessel), Bethesda Terrace (George C. Wolfe), and the bronze Alice in Wonderland statue (Whoopi Goldberg)—but they're perennially popular locales, guide or no guide. Still, it can't hurt to have Brooklyn's own Oda Mae Brown on your side. Fun fact: All of the celebrities recorded the tour pro bono. What to know: When you download the Central Park app for the tour, you'll also get interactive location-based maps of the park, event listings (many of them free), a souvenir shop, and an index of points of interest with photos (free app, free entrance to the park, 646-862-0997, centralparknyc.org). 8. Jamie Lee Curtis: World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Honolulu, Hawaii Adding a very personal touch to the Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Jamie Lee Curtis reveals during the 75-minute USS Arizona Memorial audio tour that her father fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In her own words: "In 1945, he witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from the signal bridge of his submarine tender, USS Proteus." What to know: Head to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center first; from there, you can walk to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and take the Ford Island shuttle to the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. Walk-in tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early to boost your chances of getting in on the spur of the moment (free admission to the monument, audio tour is $7.50, nps.gov). 9. Joanna Lumley, Alan Rickman, David Nighy, and more: St. Mary's Church, Fairford, Gloucestershire, England Last year, after St. Mary's Church introduced its two-hour audio tour featuring a slew of famous UK actors like Joanna Lumley and Hayley Mills, attendance doubled to 75 people per day, all eager to hear the celebrities describe the church's vibrant Medieval stained-glass windows in detail. (Rumor has it Sir Ian McKellan declined, as he's an atheist.) Churchwarden Mike Godsal says Lumley's portion of the audio guide is the most popular. Of course, that could be due to the fact that she voices the tour's introduction, but we like to think it's because everyone wants to hear booze aficionado Patsy Stone from Absolutely Fabulous talk about church. What to know: All 28 windows date from 1501 to 1515, making St. Mary's the only church in the UK to boast a complete set. If you'd like a personal guided tour, contact the church office by phone or email (free admission, 01285-712611, stmaryschurchfairford.org.uk). 10. Kevin Bacon: NY Skyride, Empire State Building, New York City Okay, yes, NY Skyride, on the second floor of the Empire State Building, has only one Yelp star and is rated as a "terrible" "scam" on TripAdvisor, but die-hard Kevin Bacon fans who have $42 to blow are in for a treat. Take a seat in front of an 18-foot screen, and Bacon—or his voice, anyway—"flies" you around New York City in a "virtual tour simulator" contraption for half an hour. Worth the cash? Probably not. But if it this sounds like a blast to you, we won't judge. What to know: Buyer beware. This ride is not affiliated with the Empire State Building Observation Deck, so try it at your own risk. Many travelers say they were suckered into buying a combination ticket by a street vendor outside the building's entrance, so understand what you're getting into before handing over any cash (admission $42, skyride.com).