Three travel trends to try
Hot spot
Craving a little space this winter? Consider a desert dwelling.
One of the most spectacular places on earth is California's Joshua Tree National Park. People are drawn here not only by the breathtaking scenery but also by the dramatic weather, which ranges from bone-shaking thunderstorms to complete stillness. The area calls out for someone to erect a fabulous house that is open to the elements, with 360-degree vistas. Pretty Vacant Properties has done just that by creating a new kind of desert modern architecture where travellers can stay and be dazzled, if only for a weekend.
Architect Robert Stone's work is referred to as "a chance to reframe and recreate your own world.... The natural beauty of the desert landscape is the closest thing to a reboot of the human mind that you will ever find." At the end of a dirt road, two houses, Rosa Muerta and Acido Dorado, are tucked against a rock outcropping and situated within a 10-minute drive of the park. Joshua Tree also has a storied past as a rock 'n' roll retreat, New Age haven and fashion photographer magnet. According to the company's website, "Something magic happens when you find yourself in a place that isn't an imitation of somewhere else" (prettyvacantproperties.com).
A "grand" adventure
Can't afford to take the kids on vacation? Maybe your parents can... Grandtravel, which specializes in unique vacations for grandparents and their grandchildren, has dreamt up new ways for the two generations to bond. In Alaska, there's mushing across a glacier on a husky-pulled sled, an encounter with the four-time winner of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, panning for gold, rafting in Denali, cruising the Chena and Tanana rivers on a sternwheeler, and a visit to the world's largest chocolate waterfall, which incorporates about 3,000 pounds of the sweet stuff. Whew!
Other trips include training as the gladiators did in ancient Rome, learning to cook like an Italian in Tuscany, taking in London's hit theatre productions and dining atop the Eiffel Tower. In Washington, D.C., young and old can explore the International Spy Museum and various monuments and memorials — not to mention walk through the city's haunted area, complete with all the hair-raising details (grandtrvl.com).
Photo: Old Woman Rock at Joshua Tree National Park
