At times Naples has seemed like a hard city to love, with a reputation for vice, unemployment, and garbage. Over at the New York Times, Michael Kimmelman files an update from the center, where the "loveliness" is now impossible to overlook. Still, the city as a whole remains in a "funk," and it's not at all clear that the pristine beauty of the city center is something that will spread through other, less-touristy parts.
The city's Madre Museum, devoted to contemporary art and partially housed inside a "glorious," consecrated church, recently tried to turn the garbage stereotype on its ear: to accompany an exhibit, it put together an ad campaign that used works that were partially composed of trash.
Fresh camping gear makes the Great Outdoors a bit more modern
The leaves are changing, the air is getting crisp. It's a great time of the year for camping. We've rounded up some neat (and affordable) gadgets to help you weather the wild. And keep these in mind for any outdoorsy folks on your holiday gift list this year. It's a water bottle! No, it's a flashlight! Wait—it's both! The LightCap is a one-liter bottle that has a solar panel on the lid. Charge it in the sun all day and you'll have up to six hours of light to guide you at night. ($25) There's nothing like drinking wine around the campfire. But who wants to lug around fragile bottles that you have to drink in one sitting? The Bota Box holds four bottles' worth of California wine in a lightweight box with a handle. It stays fresh more than a month after opening (about $20). Souped-up tents are out, apparently. Hammocks are the new black. REI's travel hammock won't break the bank, and comes with a built-in mosquito net to protect you from the little beasts ($39). The Hennessy Hammock comes with netting, a detachable rain fly, and support ropes. "It's especially popular with teens who don’t want to sleep in the big tent with Mom and Dad," says the site (from $80). The lightweight, pocket-sized HYmini charger converts wind and solar energy into a power source for all your gadgets. In just 20 minutes, you can tack 40 minutes of life onto your MP3 player or take an additional 20 photos with your camera. Think of all the power you could harness on a long bike ride (from $50). Find these and more thought-provoking ideas for camping gear at TrustyPony.com, the travel goods blog. What products make your life easier on the road?
Philly's Please Touch Museum gets a new building and new exhibits
Dedicated to children 7 and younger, the expanded Please Touch Museum opens this Saturday (Oct. 18). Its new home in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park is Memorial Hall, a Beaux Arts gem opened in 1876 to host a World’s Fair. Compared with its former digs, the museum now has three times more exhibition space (plus expanded parking outside). A magical Alice in Wonderland exhibit takes visitors down the Rabbit Hole in a former in-ground swimming pool. No matter what the weather is like outside, kids can experiment with waterwheels and toy boats at an indoor water play area. My daughter Ella and I had loads of fun at the museum’s special press preview last week. When we wandered into the Roadside Attractions exhibit, it didn’t surprise me that Ella, already a backseat driver, went straight for the kid-size hot rod with flames streaking alongside the car side panels. She must've been a racecar driver in her previous life! A ride of a different sort capped off our visit. We took a spin on the museum’s newly restored 1924 Dentzel Carousel, with 52 hand-carved animals. It's housed in a beautiful glass-enclosed space. This Saturday’s opening festivities begin with a brief welcome from Mayor Michael Nutter and include a performance by Fandango—a rock band that entertains kids—and costumed characters that will interact with visitors all day long. Please Touch Museum, 215/963-0667, pleasetouchmuseum.org, open daily, $15, free for babies under the age of 1, carousel rides $3, parking $5. —Helen I. Hwang, author of All Grown Up: Please Touch Museum and its Move to Memorial Hall (available at the museum’s kids store beginning Nov. 1).
Travel news roundup
A few travel stories that caught my eye this past week: 5 reasons to travel during the holidays Will this year be the best time to travel — ever? [CNN] Carnival fuel surcharges being eliminated The cruise line will eliminate the cost on 2010 bookings — the same time a price increase goes into effect. Some customers sailing in 2008 and 2009 will be eligible for refunds. [Miami Herald] A look at smoking bans worldwide in a nifty mash-up map [Jaunted] Best Guidebooks to NYC Fodor's, Lonely Planet, and HG2 all come in for praise [New York Times] Trying to translate snow to sand Sandboarding in Oregon: not as crazy as it looks at first [Boston Globe] Swiss bunker becomes first zero-star hotel The windowless, underground hotel, not yet open to the public, will have "images from the outside" projected on a large screen. [AP via Yahoo]
