Happy birthday, Alaska!

By Budget Travel
October 3, 2012
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Courtesy <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lbeefus/43580452/" target="_blank">Tony Beeman/Flickr</a>

The Last Frontier turns 50 this year, and the deals are everywhere. Opening this month, Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge—the only accommodations in the spectacularly rugged Kenai Fjords National Park—is honoring the milestone with 15 percent off two or more nights in its rustic log cabins in the month of June*. At most Princess Lodges, your third night is free, and Holland America Line is discounting cruises up to 50 percent. And if it's your 50th, too? Try $50 off Rust's Flying Service adventure flights, a free daylong rail trip with Alaska Railroad, or a free second night at any of Denali Park Resorts' four lodges (travelalaska.com).

—Andrea Sachs, from the June 2009 issue of Budget Travel

*Updated for clarity on 6/3.

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Inspiration

Great Paris 'hoods: Around the rue de Belleville

A funny thing happened last year while I was living on rue de Belleville. The street suddenly became hip. Not because of me, of course, but because Gourmet's correspondent in France, Alex Lobrano, penned a lengthy article spotlighting the lesser-known quarters of Eastern Paris. He wrote about Belleville with respect, or at the very least curiosity, and it was a source of some local pride. But it was the source of some anxiety, too. Would our caf&eacute;s be overrun with tourists? Would we still be able to book a table at our favorite small bistro? I needn't have worried, because the fact remains that very few visitors are willing to venture "all the way" to Belleville. Never mind that Belleville is only a ten-minute subway ride from the center. The perception remains that this neighborhood is far away. It also has a reputation for being filthy, a rep that dates back to Belleville's industrial days and that has persisted throughout waves of twentieth-century immigration. The accusation is not entirely untrue&mdash;sidewalks and garbage bins do, in outlying areas, receive less city attention than in the postcard center. Some people also stay away from Belleville because it doesn't feel like Paris. On this hill, the geraniums have been replaced by graffiti, and bakeries are outnumbered by Chinese barbecue. The local faces reflect the country's immigration past: Greeks and Armenians from the 1920s, German Jews from the 1940s, Algerians and Tunisians from the 1960s, and most recently (and visibly), the Chinese. This sort of diversity makes some travelers feel insecure, but I can testify that Belleville is a safe and friendly place. Belleville is unabashedly populaire&mdash;of the people&mdash;with a strong sense of working-class pride. Its legacy as a hotbed of rebellion and creativity survives today. The area is packed with musicians and there are more artists working here than in any other Paris quarter. (It's no surprise that the annual Portes Ouvertes festival is held here.) To discover this neighborhood, I recommend taking the subway line 11 to Pyr&eacute;n&eacute;es. As you begin to descend the rue de Belleville, keep your eyes open for a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower twinkling in the distance. One of the first sights is on the southern side of the street at 72 rue de Belleville. Here, a plaque marks birthplace of the Edith Piaf, subject of last-year's Academy Award-winning film La Vie en Rose. Unveiled by cabaret star Maurice Chevalier, the plaque reads "On the steps of this house was born in the greatest destitution Edith Piaf whose world would later take the world by storm." A few steps further down the hill, you'll see the rue de R&eacute;beval snaking off on your right. This up-and-coming street is home to a growing number of good restaurants, my favorite of which is Le Chapeau Melon. Run by Olivier Camus, this wine shop and restaurant serves outstanding meals on Tuesday through Saturday nights. The four-course menu &euro;29 ($40) offers no choices, so be prepared to put yourself in the capable hands of the chef. Pick a bottle of vin naturel (untreated organic wine) from the shelf, or ask them to pour you something by the glass (92 rue R&eacute;beval, 19th arrondissement, 011-33/1-42-02-68-60). Zo&euml; Bouillon, a cheap and cheerful lunch place, is further down the street at 66 rue R&eacute;beval. This brightly-colored soup bar also serves fresh salads and desserts, along with wine and good coffee. Coming back to the rue de Belleville, cross the street and then make an immediately left to find one of the best bistros in Paris. Le Baratin is a poorly kept secret that's frequented by journalists, chefs on their day off, and in-the-know food travelers. Their two-course lunch at &euro;16 ($22) is one of the best deals in the city. Dinner a la carte is also outstanding&mdash;traditional bistro fare tweaked by the creative hand of Raquel Carena&mdash;but be prepared to spend closer to &euro;45 ($61) per person. The bill at night has a tendency to climb because of their exceptional selection of natural wines (3 rue Jouye-Rouve, 20th arrondissement, 011-33/1-43-49-39-70). Continue south along the rue Jouye-Rouve and you'll hit the Parc de Belleville, one of the city's more interesting parks. The panoramic view from the top (at rue Piat) is what earned this neighborhood the name of belle vue. In good weather, the park is filled with people reading, kissing, playing soccer, eating a picnic, or simply gazing out over the horizon. It's a long and sloping park, descending all the way to the bottom of the hill and dotted with fountains and flowering trees along the way. When you exit the park (after a short nap in the grass), you'll want to check out large-scale murals in the place Fr&eacute;hel at the intersection of rue de Belleville and rue Julien Lacroix. The one on the left was created in 1993 by Ben Vautier and depicts two workers lowering a giant blackboard that reads 'Il faut se m&eacute;fier des mots' (beware of words). The other work&mdash;a painting by Jean Le Gac that's several stories tall&mdash;portrays a detective who's looking for clues along the rue Julien Lacroix. Also in this place is the newly cool Culture Rapide, a bar that hosts an English-language Spoken Word night every other Monday (103 rue Julien Lacroix, 20th arrondissement, 011-33/1-46-36-08-04). Continuing toward the bottom of the rue de Belleville, you'll see a pack of Chinese eateries and a good number of divey caf&eacute;s. The most historic of these is La Vielleuse (2 rue de Belleville), but my favorite is Aux Folies. This building at 8 rue de Belleville used to host performances by Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, and other stars of the cabaret scene. Its lively terrace today serves as a microcosm of the neighborhood, mixing old-timers, young hipsters, and plenty of middle-aged "bobos". Sitting here on a sunny day, drinking a cheap demi (small beer) and watching the motley procession of people along the rue de Belleville&mdash;this has come to feel utterly like Paris, and also a bit like home. MORE ON PARIS We asked Gourmet 's European correspondent, Alec Lobrano, for his advice on dining cheaply but well in Paris (55 reader comments) Great Paris 'Hoods: Quartier d'Aligre Paris celebrates 120 years of the Eiffel Tower

Inspiration

Paris bistro buzz: Frenchie

Open for only a handful of weeks, Frenchie is a bistro worth checking out. The fact that I've allowed a full six days to pass since my last meal there is a source of deep and personal regret. I love its location on a tiny street at the very top of market street rue Montorgueil. I love the d&eacute;cor&mdash;exposed stone and brick, with timbered ceilings and chic industrial lighting. I love the friendly chef&mdash;the namesake frenchie who probably earned that nickname during stints at New York's Gramercy Tavern and with Jamie Oliver in London. Most of all, I love the inspired, careful and altogether delicious food. The menuShort and seasonal carte changes daily based on what's best at the market. Only two to three choices for each course, but every one of the available options looked delicious. Star starters during my visit included truite fum&eacute;e, asperges (house smoked trout with green, purple and wild asparagus) and salade tomates cerises&mdash;a revelatory mix of heirloom tomatoes, baby basil, cherries, and white balsamic. The winning main was canard au miel carottes aux epices fenouil&mdash;a honeyed duck breast whose sweetness was balanced by shaved fennel and spicy carrots. For dessert, I passed on pavlova and went for tarte au chocolate amer, caramel au beurre sale&mdash;bitter chocolate tart with salted butter caramel. To say this was 'rich' would be an understatement. The bill At dinner, the prix fixe is &euro;27 ($37) for two courses and &euro;33 ($45) for three. Sharing two nice bottles between six people, our final tally was &euro;42 ($57) per person for three courses plus wine. Less expensive wines are available by the carafe, and the lunchtime menu is cheaper at &euro;16/19 ($22/26) for two or three courses. The buzz It's mainly French press at this point, but (English-language food blogger) John Talbott clocked an early and adoring review. En fran&ccedil;ais, Le Fooding loved Frenchie, as did Le Figaro, L'Express, and blogger Chrisoscope. The coordinates 5, rue du Nil, 2nd arrondissement, 011-33/1-40-39-96-19. M&eacute;tro Sentier. Closed all day Sunday and Monday, and Tuesday at lunch. MORE FROM OUR PARIS BLOGGER Slimming down the lunch bill at Paris restaurants (10-plus comments) Practical Paris: What's closed on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays?

Inspiration

This weekend: Nantucket's refurbished Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum

Nantucket, an island in the Atlantic lying 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass., has a remarkable maritime heritage. There have been more than 700 shipwrecks off of its shores (earning the island the dour nickname "a graveyard of the Atlantic.") Just off a $3 million renovation and expansion, the Nantucket Shipwreck &amp; Lifesaving Museum will reopen this weekend. The museum's collection houses more than 5,000 objects&mdash;vintage photographs, period lifesaving and boating equipment, and the only surviving Beach Cart (think of it as a modern-day ambulance). Plus the museum posts on its walls harrowing tales of some of the area's most famous shipwrecks&mdash;like the Great Gale of 1879, when 68 vessels wound up wrecked on the shore. New this season is a retrospective exhibit on Madaket Millie, a local heroine who performed patrols of Madaket Harbor so faithfully that she was named an honorary officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for her life-saving efforts. Open through Oct. 12, 2009. Admission is $5. Call 508/228-1885 for more details.

Inspiration

The Vatican stays open to help Abruzzo earthquake victims

This Sunday, the Vatican Museums are opening their doors and donating all admission fees to families left homeless by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that rocked Abruzzo, a region northeast of Rome, on April 6. Museum staff will donate their salaries for the day and admit visitors from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. close. Admission is &euro;14 ($18.60) for adults. The museums are typically closed on Sundays, except for the final Sunday of each month when they're free. Pope Benedict XVI visited Abruzzo at end of April. His stops included a shattered medieval basilica near L'Aquila and the tents that have sprung up around the devastated town of Onna, where he offered hugs, prayers, and promises.