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Tourist impact on Antarctic birds

We often worry about animals spreading diseases to humans, but not the other way around. Now, the discovery of human-linked pathogens in bird feces have revealed that humans may be causing animals in Antarctica to get sick. The phenomenon is called reverse zoonosis, and for the first time ever, it’s spread to the world’s most isolated continent. According to scientists, consequences of this new human-to-animal disease route could prove dire to Antarctic bird colonies, even contributing to the collapse of their population.

Microbiologist Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar at the Research Center for Animal Health in Barcelona rejected the idea that Antarctic animals were immune to reverse zoonosis and set out to collect fecal samples from 24 bird species across the Southern Ocean. Increasingly, birds and humans have been coming into contact in remote areas due to research centers and growing tourism numbers. From the fecal samples, scientists discovered bacterial species that cause food poisoning, salmonella, and other gastrointestinal diseases, supporting their conclusion that reverse zoonosis has already spread to Antarctic waters.

“We often think of polar environments as being too cold,” said Elliot, “and that disease transmission is not a huge threat, but the authors [of the study] have clear evidence that… bacteria can spread widely in polar environments.”

Since this is the first time Antarctic birds have been exposed to these pathogens, it could have devastating consequences for their survival. To reduce the impact of human pathogens on wildlife, scientists suggest better enforcement of rules surrounding the safe disposal of human waste in Antarctica. It may, however, prove to be an uphill battle as tourism in these far-flung reaches is rising quickly.

“While we should do as much as possible to reduce transmission,” Elliot says, “it’s hard to believe that we will stop tourism and science at these sites, and so it is hard to believe that humans won’t continue to transmit pathogens.”

H/T: Science

More like this: The ultimate guide for planning an epic trip to Antarctica

The post Tourists in Antarctica may be making penguins sick appeared first on Matador Network.

Hotel room floor plans from movies

Most movie lovers fantasize about stepping into the very places where their favorite movies take place, but often, those memorable spots are nothing but sets. Luckily, that’s not always the case. From the Caesars Palace suite in The Hangover to the hotel room in Pretty Woman, these are the real floorplans of the iconic hotel rooms where your favorite movies were filmed — and you can even book a room to truly immerse yourself in your favorite movie moments.

1. Pretty Woman — Regent Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California

Photo: Expedia

The Regent Beverly Wilshire is featured prominently in this classic Julia Roberts film. Much of the action takes place in a Los Angeles hotel, where Roberts’ newly-found luxury lifestyle plays a central role. The hotel’s striking Art Deco and Beaux Arts interior really define the movie’s aesthetic and lingers in viewers’ minds even once the film is over.

2. Lost in Translation — Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo, Japan

Photo: Expedia

In this quirky movie, Bill Murray plays an actor confined to this luxurious Tokyo hotel located in the Kenzo Tange tower. His hotel room is huge (500 square feet) and has incredible views of Tokyo’s skyline. The Park Hyatt is also a favorite among celebrities traveling to the city.

3. The Shining — The Majestic Yosemite Hotel in Yosemite National Park, California

Photo: Expedia

If you have a yearning for the macabre and have always wanted to stay in the hotel from The Shining, you’re in luck because you can book a room there. The real-life Majestic Yosemite Hotel isn’t actually haunted, but it is set in an incredibly peaceful area in one of the country’s most beautiful national parks.

4. Goldfinger — Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Florida

Photo: Expedia

Hotel rooms are some of the most famous settings in Bond films, and the Fontainebleau in Miami might be among the most iconic. Providing a crucial backdrop for Goldfinger, this hotel is where James Bond’s girlfriend was painted to death.

5. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California

Photo: Expedia

As the location for the Academy Awards ceremony for six years in a row, the site of Robert Kennedy’s assassination, and the backdrop for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, this hotel has definitely achieved icon status. Even though it’s not actually in Las Vegas, the hotel is inextricably associated with the famous film. Unfortunately, rooms are not available for booking, so you’ll have to live out your Fear and Loathing fantasies in other ways.

6. The Darjeeling Limited — Hotel Raphael in Paris, France

Photo: Expedia

Although it makes only a brief cameo in The Darjeeling Limited, Paris’s Hotel Raphael has a memorable, vintage aesthetic. Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman share a luxurious, opulent hotel room, which serves as a striking contrast to the aesthetic of the rest of the film. It may bear the fictional “Hotel Chevalier” name in the film, but the hotel is very real and available for booking.

7. The Hangover — Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada

Photo: Expedia

The Caesars Palace room from The Hangover is perhaps one of the most famous hotel sets in recent Hollywood history. This luxurious suite was the setting of much of the film’s action and hilarious shenanigans. This Vegas hotel was already popular, but the film’s success catapulted that popularity to new heights.


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The post 7 floor plans of hotel rooms from iconic movies appeared first on Matador Network.

History and future of minibars

High hotel minibar prices don’t surprise anyone anymore. Who among us has the energy to get worked up over $8 Cokes and $16 mini bottles of Johnnie Walker Black every hotel stay? Over the past half century, the minibar has gone from trendy new addition to regular hotel amenity to that box in the corner that’ll automatically charge you if you move the juice from its sensor pad.

After years of minibar neglect, it feels like the time for the minibar is over. Travelers of the future will have to put on pants and leave their room for a late night snack or drink. But in the face of criticism that the minibar is a relic, some hotels are reclaiming it. In fact, there’s a strong argument to be made that there’s never been a better time to be a minibar fan than right now, because the top hotels in the world are making the minibar relevant again.

One of the hotels doing so is Boca Resort in Boca Raton, Florida. People who stay at the property’s Yacht Club suites can choose what they want in their minibar before they arrive, whether that be juices from Whole Foods or craft beer from local breweries.

“This is an exciting opportunity to take something that people may have perceived in the past as dying or antiquated and have fun with it,” John Tolbert, the president and managing director of Boca Resort, told Matador Network. Guests can make their choices on an app or simply text what they want to see when they get back into their room, and the hotel staff makes it happen.

But the minibar didn’t start as a bastion of free choice.

How the minibar became a modern staple

Photo: Chubykin Arkady/Shutterstock

The minibar was invented in the 1960s by Siegas, a German company. The Madison Hotel in Washington, DC, opened in the ‘60s as well, and developer Marshall Coyne had the goal of making it the top hotel in the nation’s capital. One of the ways he did so was by tapping into the convenience of having a minibar full of snacks and drinks already in every room.

America’s complicated relationship with alcohol meant that minibars didn’t immediately stock beer and liquor, however. State Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agencies studied how self-serve alcohol fit into all of the Prohibition-era laws still in place. One of the plans in New Jersey was to have a master control switch on each minibar that could turn off service as soon as it passed the legal hour to sell alcohol in the state. Authorities eventually overcame their fears of people making their own drinking decisions, though.

In 1974, the minibar made its worldwide debut when the Hong Kong Hilton added a minibar with liquor into each of its 840 rooms. According to The Atlanticwrites in his book My American Journey that the Soviets logged $1,400 in minibar alcohol charges in one night. That’s the equivalent of around $3,125 today.

Those Wild West days were the first peak for the hotel minibar. Anyone who traveled in the ‘90s could count on a minibar stocked with questionably priced items no matter where they were. But as with all trends, once the minibar became commonplace, it started to lose its cool.

The long, slow decline of the hotel minibar

Photo: John And Penny/Shutterstock

From 2007 to 2012, minibar sales dropped 28 percent. Major hotel chains like Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt followed the money into minibars, and they followed the money out as well. They were phased out of newer hotel designs or simply left empty so that travelers could stock it with their own purchases from the liquor store across the street. Some boutique hotels tried to stymie the minibar losses by adding non-consumable items like sex kits, but all you have to do is visit a hotel to see how well that caught on. By 2014, respondents to a TripAdvisor poll ranked the minibar as the least important hotel amenity.

Hotels are generally fine with ditching something that doesn’t make money. An industry report in 2017 found that minibars make up just 0.4 percent of total food and beverage service revenue. The labor cuts into the cost, as does the labor of people complaining that they shouldn’t have to pay $9 just because they accidentally bumped the juice bottle off its charge sensor (one hotel estimates as much as 90 percent of automatic minibar charges are an error).

It can almost feel like hotels just don’t get us. As a writer for industry magazine Lodging put it, “when it comes to food and beverage, hospitality professionals are often at a loss over how to convert such a basic and essential commodity into a service that generates a profit while living up to guest expectations.”

It’s impossible to blame just one thing for the fall of the minibar. Trends come and go for an uncountable number of reasons. One was probably the cost. Recession-era travelers didn’t have the luxury to buy an item four times the cost it should be. The rise of the hotel bar should shoulder some responsibility as well. Because why would you want to drink Ketel One out of a paper coffee cup if you could go downstairs and order a bespoke cocktail at a hotel bar so cool that even locals go there?

We would be remiss not to mention the en vogue target for the death of all consumer items: the millennial. Millennials love to travel (and document said travel on social media) because traveling is an experience. Sipping the same minibar drinks you can find in your dad’s mancave fridge while in a new city is definitely not an experience.

Which leaves hotels with two options: ditch the minibar altogether, or make it an experience.

The rebirth of the minibar

Photo: W Hotel Costa Rica

It’s safe to say that the minibar is having a mini-revival, depending on your thoughts about how long something has to decline before it can “come back.”

“The days of the service provider telling you what you’re going to have and that’s good enough are over,” Tolbert said. It doesn’t make sense for some all-knowing hospitality worker to decide how much Diet Coke you should be allotted versus how much beer. “If those aren’t relevant to you, the majority isn’t relevant.”

Photo: Peter Wu via Chicago Athletic Association Hotel/Facebook

Hence The Yacht Club’s switch to an order-what-you-want style of minibar. People take note of where they can be pampered these days, and luxury hotels are providing said pampering. Plus, with increased customization, people can taste what the city has to offer before actually going out into the city. At a recent stay at the Kimpton Hotel Born in Denver, Colorado, my minibar options were local. Local whiskey, local beer, local snacks — everything. Similar local takes are happening at places like the Chicago Athletic Association, the Darcy Hotel in DC, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, the Source Hotel in Denver (which stocks items from the artisan market hall downstairs), and many, many others.

Taking the minibar concept even further is the W Hotel in London. Suite guests can order the Mega Bar to their room, which comes with a full bar, sound system, disco ball, and personal mixologist.

Photo: Boca Resort

Of course, you don’t have to take things that far. All that’s needed is some solid options and a somewhat personalized experience. A good minibar with a local focus is one of the best indications that you’re in a hotel that cares about (and takes care of) guests’ wants and needs. In other words, you’re less likely to find stained sheets at a hotel with a modern minibar. Stain-free and well stocked? That’s true travel luxury.

“The service provider no longer defines what luxury is,” Tolbert said. “The consumer does.”

Hotels that are worth it just for the minibar

Photo: W Hotel Costa Rica

W Costa Rica: It’s not only what’s inside that matters. The W Costa Rica has a locally designed mini surfboard that extend from the walls of each minibar. Plus, each of the 150 rooms has an in-room draft beer tap with local beer, and the bar extends out onto an outdoor patio.

The Yacht Club at Boca Resort in Boca Raton, Florida: In addition to the customized selection that awaits you before every stay, you can order up pre-mixed cocktails or have a cocktail cart bring you your favorite welcome cocktail.

The Ivy Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland: Once a historic brownstone mansion, the Ivy Hotel still has the feel of staying in someone’s private residence — in this case, the private residence of someone who has a very good taste in refreshments. The minibar stocks locally brewed kombucha and beer from Clipper City Brewing Co. and Heavy Seas. Hummus, raw honey, and locally-made hemp bars cover the snack side of things.


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The post How minibars went from dismal to dead to better than a real bar appeared first on Matador Network.

Popeyes emotional support chicken

Anyone who’s ever binge-eaten their way through a breakup knows that fried chicken can be used for emotional support. And anyone who’s been on a plane — or read the news — in the past couple years knows that using emotional instability as an excuse to get an animal on the plane for free isn’t exactly novel either. But combining both to allow a three-piece order of chicken to bring some spicy, greasy zen to the frantic and terrifying holiday travel season? Absolute brilliance.

So hats off to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, a fast-food chicken chain known to anyone who’s passed one in an Uber at 3:00 AM. This week, Popeyes introduced its new Emotional Support Fried Chicken to passengers at Philadelphia International Airport. A city — if you saw any post-Super Bowl videos — in desperate need of emotional support.

The new Emotional Support Chicken meal consists of three chicken tenders — soft and warm unlike harsh, bone-filled chicken — served in a paper carton that looks suspiciously like a real chicken.

Photo: Popeyes

In a press release, Popeyes said:

“Emotional support animals provide comfort and companionship, especially during a highly stressful time like air travel, but…some travelers are pushing the envelope with…peacocks, squirrels, and tarantulas. After seeing this, Popeyes decided to offer…Emotional Support Chicken — a gesture designed to bring holiday travelers some needed humor to what is one of the most stressful places to be during the holidays — the airport.”

They added that airlines, as of yet, have no restrictions on Emotional Support Chicken.

The meals will be available only at PHL’s Terminal C, and Popeyes didn’t specify if it had plans to make the rest of the country feel good too.

Though this move isn’t expected to deter anyone from claiming their Chihuahua as an emotional support animal this Christmas so they can bring it home for free, at least it’ll make deciding what to eat if you’re stressed out in Philadelphia a little easier. And maybe even make those post-holiday breakups a little easier to stomach.


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The post Popeyes is selling ‘Emotional Support Chicken’ for stressed holiday travelers appeared first on Matador Network.

How Epiphany is celebrated

For many places, such as Italy or Spain, the holiday period extends until the 7th of January. This is because these countries, along with many others around the world, celebrate Epiphany on the 6th of January. In Western Christianity, this commemorates the arrival of the Three Wise Men who followed the star to baby Jesus. In the Orthodox Church, Epiphany celebrates the Baptism of Christ, and so on this day, priests bless water through various rituals. The Orthodox festivities usually take place on the 19th of January, following the Julian calendar. Across the continents, Epiphany is celebrated in various ways such as processions of the Magi, the Three Wise Men, gift giving, a present-delivering witch, jumping into freezing water, and cakes with a hidden secret. Here’s how Epiphany is celebrated around the world.

1. Malaga, Spain

Photo: Q77photo/Shutterstock

In Spain, children generally receive presents from the Three Wise Men, rather than Santa Claus, and they leave shoes outside the door on the night of the 5th to be filled with gifts. Malaga is one of the many Spanish cities that hosts a parade, too, with the Magi on elaborate thrones and performers on floats tossing sweets to children in the crowd.

2. Warsaw, Poland

As in Spain and many other European countries, the 6th of January in Poland sees hundreds of Epiphany parades taking place through the streets of towns and cities across the country. Along with the Three Kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, the parades include figures of devils, angels, and the like. Warsaw sees the Kings on camels, a few llamas, and even a Chinese dragon as part of its procession.

3. Venice, Italy

Photo: Salvatore Chiariello/Shutterstock

Across Italy, it’s the good broomstick-riding witch Befana who visits children on Epiphany, bringing sweets and presents. But only in Venice can you watch several suspiciously masculine-looking Befana witches rowing down its most famous canal. This gondola regatta sees several ex-gondoliers dressed up in witch-like clothing and racing each other down Venice’s Grand Canal.

4. Lima, Peru

Much of Latin America also celebrates Epiphany, or Día de los Reyes, and it’s often given greater importance than Christmas. As in Spain, presents for the children arrive via the Magi, rather than Santa Claus, and children leave grass and water outside the door for the camels. On the 6th, there are big processions, such as the one in Lima, where the highlight is three policemen dressed as the Three Wise Men who ride on horseback through the streets.

5. New Orleans, Louisiana

Photo: Anne Power/Shutterstock

In New Orleans, as well as across the southeastern region of the US, Epiphany is celebrated with the baking and eating of cakes. These round King Cakes decorated with colored sugar are part of King Cake parties that take place from 6th of January to Mardi Gras. The cakes also contain a little figurine or token, and whoever finds it in their slice of cake is responsible for making the King Cake the next year or throwing the next Mardi Gras party.

6. Guatemala City, Guatemala

Guatemala City’s processions feature giant ornate statues of the Three Wise Men and the Virgin Mary which are paraded through the streets to the sound of sacred music. The streets of one of Guatemala’s oldest neighborhoods, Guardia Vieja, are filled with people and the sound of fireworks being set off. People also decorate the outside of their houses with images of Mary.

7. Istanbul, Turkey

Photo: Turkey Photo/Shutterstock

The Orthodox version of Epiphany celebrations, in contrast, involves stripping down to swimming trunks and diving into the icy water, such as the Golden Horn in Istanbul. Participants aim to retrieve a wooden crucifix that has been thrown in by the priest. It’s believed that catching the cross will bring health and prosperity, and hopefully protect from pneumonia.

8. Prague, Czech Republic

Swimming in cold water is a recurring theme when it comes to Epiphany celebrations. In Prague, participants in the Three Kings Swim dive into the Vltava River alongside the Charles Bridge. Many arrive in just their swimming trunks (and crowns for the Three Kings) and wait in the snow to be taken by boat out onto the river. If you participate, you receive a certificate and tons of hot spiced rum cider afterward.

9. Kalofer, Bulgaria

Photo: GEORGID/Shutterstock

In Bulgaria, the icy water dip goes one step further. Before the priest throws the cross into the water, a band of pipers and drummers jump in and begin to play. People also dance around in big circles in the water. Because the water is so cold, participation in the band is naturally considered to be a great display of strength and honor.

10. Russia

Cold water is also a vital part of Russian Epiphany celebrations. It’s thought that on this day the water becomes holy and is imparted with certain powers. Across the country, people cut crucifix-shaped holes in frozen lakes. The water is blessed and then the participants take a dip, traditionally three times to signify the Holy Trinity. The custom has become so popular that some lakes have lifeguards on duty.

11. Mexico

Photo: Playa del Carmen/Shutterstock

If jumping into icy water doesn’t sound appealing, then eating cake in Mexico might. Here, a sweet bread decorated with candied fruit called rosca de reyes is prepared. It’s shaped in a ring to resemble a crown, and inside there’s a little figure of baby Jesus. He’s hidden in the cake to represent the hiding of baby Jesus from King Herod.


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The post A guide to the most fascinating Epiphany celebrations around the world appeared first on Matador Network.

JetBlue two-day sale

Sometimes, the holidays can exhaust you before they’ve even arrived, and you may already be looking forward to 2019. JetBlue is helping you start the new year off strong by offering some insane flight deals. Valid for travel from January 8th through March 27th, one-way fares go as low as $34. Deals are available to cities all across the country, but also to sunny destinations perfect for a winter vacay, like the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Here are a few of the best values.

Long Beach, CA to San Jose, CA for $34
Orlando, FL to Atlanta, GA for $44
Las Vegas, NV to Long Beach, CA for $54
New York, NY to Boston, MA for $64
Fort Lauderdale, FL to Havana, Cuba for $99
Washington, DC to Nassau, Bahamas for $169

There are tons of destinations on JetBlue’s official sale site, so make sure you look through all the options to find your ideal winter getaway. To take advantage of these deals, you’ll have to move fast. The sale ends tonight at 11:59 PM ET.

H/T: Thrillist

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Traveling to Elista

On my journey from Murmansk, Russia, to Kerman, Iran, Kalmykia’s capital city of Elista wasn’t a destination I had planned on visiting, but merely a stop that appeared convenient on the map as I tried to reach the Georgian border before my visa expired.

The Republic of Kalmykia is a region surrounded by barren flatlands and located between the southern provinces, where ethnic tensions have caused decades of armed conflict, the Caspian Sea, and the rest of Russia. Descendants of the Oirats, the westernmost group of nomadic Mongols, Kalmyk people traveled across the Volga River in search of pasture lands in the early part of the 17th century, ultimately settling in this region after Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich allowed the formation of an autonomous government in exchange for protection against enemies coming from the east. Kalmykia became the home to the largest Buddhist community in Europe, with about 150,000 followers considering the Dalai Lama as their leader.

Elista, a city of white stupas, saffron-colored prayer wheels, and golden Buddha statues, is poorly connected to the rest of Russia. There are few trains that travel here and minivans come and go, leaving a cloud of dust behind. I arrived in the station north of town much later than anticipated, and found myself in a silent expanse of concrete populated only by sleepy taxi drivers parked around a very quiet kvass stall. Not much seemed to happen here, a conclusion reinforced by the fact that I was the only guest in the hotel I had booked, a yellow structure built of metal panels attached to a petrol station. While walking down one of the main roads, I found little more than empty convenience stores. At a roundabout devoid of traffic, a shrine peeked out among hundreds of prayer flags, a fading rainbow of fabric squares quivering in the wind. A larger temple emerged down the road, a mile away or so, reflecting the sun rays that had intruded from behind rain-swollen clouds.

The resplendent rooftop of the Golden Abode of the Buddha Shakyamuni is visible from a distance and helps people orient themselves in the city. Elista’s centerpiece was built in 2005 where a factory once stood and opened its doors to Buddhist followers a year after receiving the blessing of the 14th Dalai Lama in 2004.

The Tibetan temple, a 207-foot tall structure, contains the largest Buddha statue in Europe. Other than being the main attraction in Elista, the Golden Abode of the Buddha Shakyamuni also represents a small victory for Kalmyk people, a group that suffered from persecution because of their beliefs. During the opening ceremony, on December 27th, 2005, President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov dedicated the temple to the victims of Soviet oppression. The date was not coincidental, as it corresponded to the beginning of Kalmyk New Year, but also to the anniversary of the 1943 Kalmyk mass deportations.

Following a decade-long, anti-religious campaign on the part of the USSR, almost 100,000 Kalmyks, as well as Russians married to Kalmyks, were deported to Siberia over the course of four days in December 1943 during “Operation Ulusy.” Despite the fact that a large number of Kalmyks were fighting in the Red Army, Stalin had accused them of helping the Nazis during the invasion of Kalmykia in 1942. Nearly a fifth of the Kalmyks deported died in labor camps. Those who survived were allowed to return to their land only 13 years later, after Khrushchev rose to power in 1955 and denounced Stalin’s actions.

Despite its status as the largest Buddhist community in Europe, Elista’s small claim to fame is mostly due to its odd status as the world capital of chess. The Chess City building, a glass-domed, grandiose structure created to host the 33rd Olympiad and subsequent championships, was President Ilyumzhinov’s idea, a famous chess player himself, who decided to turn one of Europe’s most isolated and underdeveloped regions into a landmark for chess enthusiasts worldwide.

Formerly a land attractive to herdsmen for its fertility, the Kalmyk Steppe has become a region dry and extremely poor in natural resources due to intensive agricultural activity. Livestock raising, however, is still what a large amount of the population relies on to survive and the investment of millions of dollars in the president’s hobbies has not been without controversy.

On the square that bears his name, Vladimir Lenin salutes, almost hidden behind the grand pagoda and its prayer wheel. At night, red neon lights illuminate the Buddhist structure, while the former leader almost disappears completely. The Kalmyks are slowly taking back their autonomy, although their land has little left to offer.


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The post Visiting the beautiful city of Elista, Russia, the largest Buddhist community in Europe appeared first on Matador Network.

Winter trip to Tofino, Canada photos

1

We arrive on Canada’s Vancouver Island by ferry, and the drive to Tofino does not disappoint. The sun begins to dip below the tree line as we cruise along Highway 4, stopping at small roadside pull-offs to take in the ever-changing view.

2

We do some research and find the Crystal Cove Beach Resort, the perfect beachside campground. We arrive just after sunset and wander along the ocean’s edge, exploring the rugged shoreline.

3

The following day, after a breakfast of oatmeal with granola at our campground, we make our way down to the beach. An early morning cloud bank begins to give way to blue skies, and we stroll barefoot in the crisp air along the crashing waves.

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4

Sandy beaches and a lack of such dangers as reefs or sharks make Tofino an ideal place to learn to surf. As an adult female who had never surfed, I’d felt intimidated. After some research, I’d found Surf Sister, a female-led company that teaches both men and women not just technique but also explains swells and wave formation. They make us feel more comfortable and ensure we have a blast, teaching us that the ocean brings us gifts, and we just need to work for them.

5

Tofino is known for marine wildlife, so we decide on sea kayaking as an early afternoon fog moves in. We pick up paddles and head into the Clayoquot Sound with a guide from Tofino Sea Kayaking who knew every bird flying overhead, fish swimming below, and mountain in the distance. In a place filled with adventure companies, we were excited to find a local company that offered not only fun but also the chance to learn more in-depth about the place we were exploring.

6

With 200 days of rain a year, Tofino and the surrounding landscape are covered in both edible and poisonous mushrooms. We’ve never gone mushroom picking, so when the opportunity comes up we head into the wilderness. We learn the right way to harvest them and search for chanterelles, edible fungi that are a golden yellow and look like something from another world.

7

Tofino has no short supply of breathtaking places to watch an ocean sunset. We head to Long Beach with a packed picnic basket and munch on cheese and fruit as the sun dips below the horizon, taking the warmth of day with it.

8

We decide to splurge on an oceanside hotel and find the Long Beach Lodge, which we quickly realize is the ultimate cold water surf spot. With beachside rooms, we can put on wetsuits next to a fireplace in our room and walk out our back door less than 50 feet to Cox Bay, one of Tofino’s popular surf spots. Mid-session we warm up by a fire on their porch. I realize our research paid off with great pre- and post-surf comfort, something I definitely need while learning to surf in the not-so-tropical waters of Canada.

9

A surfer, board under his arm, looks at the waves. They waves directly out front look a little disorganized, but there are some better rollers to surf to his left.

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10

After surfing all morning, we eat lunch and decide to explore one of the many trails Tofino has to offer. We head to the Tonquin Trail, which meanders along the coast and through sweet smelling pine forests, taking in the island on our last day in Tofino.

11

Tofino has a rich cultural heritage dating back thousands of years. At the Kwisitis Visitor Centre, we explore some of the shops selling traditional artwork and sculptures. There are also culture walks with First Nationals interpretation, paddle trips in a First Nations dugout canoe, and other ways to immerse yourself in the rich history of this area.

12

As a fishing village, Tofino has wonderful seafood. Tucked into a beautiful marina and sitting on large stilts over the water we discovered 1909 Kitchen, a hidden gem with views of the surrounding mountains juxtaposed by the incredible calm of the water reflecting the evening light. We sipped wine and ate freshly caught seafood as we watched fisherman through porthole windows. We couldn’t imagine a better way to spend our last night in Tofino.

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The post How to have the perfect winter trip in Tofino, Canada appeared first on Matador Network.

Best ice skating rinks outside NYC

Much like with great pizza and bad taxi drivers, Christmastime ice skating isn’t limited to New York City. Sure, many of us grew up watching images of people gleefully gliding by in the background of The Today Show and thought, “Man, if only I was willing to pay three-quarters of my paycheck in rent, I, too, could have a scenic outdoor place to ice skate!” But you don’t have to — cities around the country have gotten into the urban skating game, as have national parks and even some beachfront hotels. Here are a dozen rinks around the country that are right up there with Rockefeller Center, and sometimes even better.

Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval — Roseville, Minnesota

Photo: Explore Minnesota

Not that it’s exactly an item on many people’s bucket list, but if you go to the Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval, you’ll have the honor of putting your blades on the largest artificial skating surface in North America. This 111,000-square-foot concrete slab stays frozen even when temperatures reach the 50s thanks to 84 miles of underground piping (take THAT, global warming). This time of year, the trees surrounding it are decked out in their Christmas finest, creating a brightly lit winter wonderland you would hardly believe existed if you came in the summer for inline hockey.

Alex and Ani City Center — Providence, Rhode Island

Photo: Alex and Ani City Center

The ice arena at the Alex and Ani City Center juts into the middle of the Providence skyline, and it’s probably best known for its ice bumper cars, a winter tradition that’s become the holiday signature of Rhode Island’s largest city. But even if you can’t score a bumper car, this picturesque rink is worth a few spins on the skates. The ice is set right in the shadow of the city’s two most iconic buildings: the Industrial National Bank Building and the Biltmore Hotel.

Siskiyou Ice Rink — Redding, California

Photo: Siskiyou Ice Rink

When you have some of the most majestic natural scenery in America, you don’t need a big city skyline for a stunning skate setting. The Siskiyou Ice Rink is a little municipal spot that sits under the watchful eye of Mount Shasta, a couple of hours up Interstate 5 from Sacramento, California. The rink is regulation NHL size and offers skate camps, daily lessons, and even adult hockey leagues during the winter.

Puddle Duck Pond — Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Photo: Strawbery Banke Museum/Facebook

Nothing says “pastoral winter in New England” like skating by 32 historic buildings under a narrow church steeple somewhere in rural New Hampshire. You’ll get that quintessential northern feel at the Strawbery Banke Museum, a 10-acre spot dedicated to preserving the history of the Portsmouth waterfront. Each winter, the museum sets up a rink on Puddle Duck Pond in the heart of its historic core, allowing skaters to feel as if they’re gliding through the colonial era.

Hotel Coronado — San Diego, California

Photo: Hotel del Coronado

Just because you choose to spend your Christmas vacation under palm trees draped in Christmas lights doesn’t mean you should miss out on the skating excitement. At least, not if you stay at the stately Hotel Coronado along the shores of San Diego. Here, you’ll find the annual Skating by the Sea event that brings a little piece of winter to Southern California. You can skate by the sunset, and when the weather gets “cold,” bundle up against those upper-50s wind chills next to your very own fire pit at Frostbite, the hotel’s rinkside lounge.

Beaver Creek Mountain Resort — Beaver Creek, Colorado

Photo: Beaver Creek Mountain/Facebook

Though Beaver Creek Mountain Resort isn’t the only ski resort in Colorado to put a rink in its village, the setting here is the most scenic. The village sits at the base of 1,800 acres of trails, where fireworks shows at night and couches around the rink during the day make it the picture of ski resort ice-skating fun. Did we mention it serves cookies at 3:00 PM every day too? It kind of makes the pretzel stands outside of Rockefeller Center look a little lacking, doesn’t it?

Eclipse Lagoon — Rockford, Illinois

Photo: Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

One might think December is the wrong month to visit botanical gardens in Illinois. But leave it to the people of Rockford, Illinois, to find a way to make the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens a legitimate attraction during the winter. The frozen-over Eclipse Lagoon is surrounded by the lush vegetation of the garden, and though it doesn’t offer skate rentals, if you bring your own the rink is free to use for skating or, on the north part of the lagoon, ice hockey.

Half Dome Village Ice Rink — Yosemite National Park, California

Photo: Yosemite National Park/Facebook

You’d be hard pressed to beat the view from this rink, where winter skating has been a tradition since the 1920s. The Half Dome Village Ice Rink sits at the base of the famous Half Dome rock face, one of the most iconic scenes from our national parks. And it’s perhaps the country’s greatest natural landmark to have its own skating rink. It isn’t the easiest to get to, and during some seasons it can require an icy drive into the mountains, but you’re rewarded with not only skating under an incredible view but also rinkside fire pits.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink — Washington, DC

Photo: Kristi Blokhin/Shutterstock

No matter how divided things are, the holidays stand as a time to put aside differences and agree on the most important things in life — like laughing at people who can’t ice skate. And no matter one’s position in Washington, DC, we can all get together on the Sculpture Park Garden Ice Rink just outside the Roman pillars of the National Gallery of Art and enjoy a good laugh at the expense of an uncoordinated parent trying to spend quality time with their kids.

Boston Common Frog Pond — Boston, Massachusetts

Photo: The Boston Common Frog Pond/Facebook

Don’t think too hard about what happens to the poor frogs when the famous Boston Common Frog Pond freezes over in the winter and turns into a skating rink. Instead, enjoy the snow-covered trees of one of the nation’s best urban parks as you skate under the Boston skyline before grabbing a cup of cocoa in the Frog Lodge. We’d mention USA Today named it the best outdoor skating rink in the US last year, but there’ll be plenty of people at the rink wearing Patriots beanies who will be happy to tell you themselves.

Wells Fargo WinterSkate — St. Paul, Minnesota

Photo: Wells Fargo WinterSkate

Minnesota’s capital city often gets overlooked because of its location next to the Super Bowl-hosting twin in Minneapolis. But the Wells Fargo WinterSkate showcases St. Paul’s charm and architecture in a way that provides a whole new appreciation for the city. The colorful rink lights up the gothic Landmark Center all winter long. On the off chance you’re the one person in Minnesota who doesn’t know how to ice skate, the rink offers free lessons on Saturdays.

MassMutual Ice Rink — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Photo: PPG Place/Facebook

Much like Pittsburgh’s skyline might be the most underrated in the country, so might its sprawling downtown ice rink, MassMutual Ice Rink. It’s one of the longest-running rinks in America — open from November 16 to March 6 – and sits under the castle-like spires of PPG place like an urban ice palace. There’s a Christmas tree right in the middle, and the rink is nearly 67 percent larger than the one at Rockefeller Center and offers 700 pairs of skates to rent. It even hosts a weekly Skate with Santa event all through December.


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The post The best American rinks to skate at this Christmas — that aren’t in New York appeared first on Matador Network.

Coziest bars in NYC during winter

Winter in New York City is no joke, and while you can have fun outside in the cold weather, you’re going to have to warm up sometime. NYC has myriad spaces where you can do exactly that, but there’s no better way to warm up than being indoors with a drink in hand. Unfortunately, that list is quite large and filled with places that are too open, too loud, and too commercialized. But lucky for you, there are also a ton of cozy places where you can have an intimate and relaxing experience. Here’s our list of the eight coziest bars for a winter drink.

1. DTUT Cafe

Photo: DTUT/Facebook

S’mores and beer are two universal likes, and combining the two is an act of genius. Located on the Upper East Side, DTUT is a cozy bar where you can make your own s’mores or indulge in some fondue. The craft beer menu is extensive, so we recommend trying something off that list, but there are cocktails and a number of wines, as well. DTUT even supports local and independent artists with all its mugs being handmade, using custom-made furniture, and displaying local art on the walls. If you want an unpretentious spot where you can kick back alone or with friends without being bothered, DTUT is for you.

Where: 1744 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10128

2. At The Wallace

The uptown area may not be where you’d want to go if you’re looking for a night of clubbing and bar hopping, but it’s definitely the place to be if you want to have a fun lowkey night and a few drinks. At The Wallace is quirky through and through, from the games (such as Trouble, Jenga, Operation, and Connect 4) to the decor (think lampshade over a fishnet-covered leg) to the drinks (like the Yoo Whiskey Hoo and alcoholic coffee slushie). It’s also known for its deliciously greasy eats, ranging from the Grilly Cheesesteak to the Wake N’ Bake hotdog.

Where: 3612 Broadway, New York, NY 10031

3. Lucky Dog

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Cheap drinks and dogs are two more additions on the list of things people like, and at this chill, dog-friendly dive, you get both. Lucky Dog is small, so seating may be hard to come by on a Friday or Saturday night, but you won’t feel crowded. While you may not be rubbing elbows with people, you’ll definitely feel a few furry friends run around your legs. Six dollar pints, $7 shot-and-beer combos, and $15 pitchers will ease the load on your wallet while you play with human’s best friend.

Where: 303 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

4. Union Hall

Whether you’re an avid reader, a fan of the written word, or not, Union Hall will make you feel right at home with its library-like decor and aesthetic. It spans two floors with a bar, restaurant, performance space, two indoor bocce courts, and an outdoor garden. You’ll feel most comfortable and cozy on the first floor where the library bar and fireplaces are. To be able to enjoy your drinks and avoid any possibility of crowds, try to visit during the daytime.

Where: 702 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215

5. Molly’s

Photo: Molly’s Shebeen/Facebook

There’s nothing cozier than a pub. Molly’s is authentic and non-touristy without any gimmicks — there’s even sawdust on the floor. The space operated as a bar since 1895 until Prohibition, when it then was used as a grocery store. After Prohibition was repealed, it became the pub locals know and love today. It’s open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and you can’t go wrong with the typical pub fare and Irish food on the menu. It’s the perfect place to take a load off with a pint or two, have conversations with friends, and maybe even make some new ones.

Where: 287 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10010

6. Camp

Camp is a small bar in Brooklyn where you’ll feel like you’re inside of mix between a log cabin and ski lodge, with wooden and brick walls, a fireplace, and leather furniture. The menu includes standard beers and cocktails, as well as winter-themed tipples like mulled wine and chocolate-infused drinks. For just $16, you can get a large platter of s’mores supplies to roast your own marshmallows. Board games are available to patrons — but no hot tub, though.

Where: 179 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

7. The Last Word

Photo: The Last Word/Facebook

Speakeasies are intimate and cozy affairs by their very reason of existence. Prohibition banned the consumption of alcohol, so many places had to operate covertly lest they be caught by the police and put out of business. There are several still-functioning speakeasies from that time, but they’ve become so popular that imitations — bars operating in a speakeasy-style — open up all the time.

The Last Word is an example of that, but it doesn’t try to lure you in under false pretences. While it did open in the back of a fake store, you can now walk along Ditmars Boulevard and spot the storefront and awning clearly displaying the bar’s name. The leather chairs and brick walls will give you that speakeasy vibe, and the weekly live jazz only adds to the experience. Its signature drink, The Last Word, is made up of London dry gin, green chartreuse, maraschino, and lime.

Where: 31-30 Ditmars Blvd, Queens, NY 11105

8. William Barnacle Tavern

William Barnacle Tavern has all the history but none of the excessive fuss and frills other speakeasies tend to deal with. The intimate St. Mark’s Place locale dates back to the 17th century and has gone from speakeasy to absinthe bar. While it deals mainly with different brands of the green fairy, there are beers available. We recommend trying an absinthe sour for $10 and watching as the bartender prepares your drink in the traditional way of placing a spoon with a sugar cube over the glass, lighting the cube on fire, and then pouring the liquid on top.

Feltman’s of Coney Island has partnered with WBT to serve its famous hot dogs, which you can order inside. On its right is Theatre 80, a performing arts venue where you can catch plays, stand-up comedy, musical acts, and even immersive shows.

Where: 80 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003


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