A Tibetan-style dreamland

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

This showpiece of the Shangri-La Beijing's new $50 million wing is like a Zen gentlemen's club--one with 11 split-level spa suites featuring Tibetan-style ornamentation, including traditional latticed accordion doors. It uses an online questionnaire to discover spa-goers' element sign: Guests are deemed metal, water, wood, fire, or earth based on their personal preferences (sweet versus salty, morning versus night, etc.) so that therapists can customize treatments. The system isn't foolproof, however: The two-and-a-half-hour Enchanted Journey ($207; three treatments designed to invigorate jet-lagged limbs) sent our reporter into dreamland instead (massages, $88-$95).

Tel: 86-106-841-2211

Further reading:
* Chi Spa's website
* Hot List 2008

Well, we promised, and here it is, our video from last Sunday's New Amsterdam Market in front of the old Fulton Fish Market in (way) downtown New York. With tasting on their to-do list (and a few nibbles already in their tummies), Mollie Chen and Julia Bainbridge bounced from stall to stall, checking out what local New York farmers, cheesemongers, and popsicle aficionados had to offer. Despite the heat and the noise from the highway, market-goers were all smiles. And why wouldn't they be? They could walk just ten feet to get from oysters to rich breads to--Mollie's favorite--ice cream.

The happy couple
AP Photo

by Beata Loyfman

As soon as the ink dried on California Supreme Court's ruling against the gay marriage ban, Hollywood began celebrating. And before you could say "George Takei," comedienne Ellen DeGeneres announced her fall 2008 nuptials to Aussie girlfriend Portia Di Rossi. Now, thanks to Starpulse and HotelChatter we have some details of the event.

Not surprisingly, the couple has chosen one of the most gay-friendly (not to mention nudity-friendly) locales in the country: Palm Springs, California. The ceremony and reception will take place at the Riviera Resort & Spa, which is at the tail-end of a $70 million renovation. Word is they're gutting the entire thing, building a new spa, and increasing the size of the rooms.

Even if you're not part of the wedding party, you can still book your stay at the Riviera as of October 1. And if your visit coincides with Ellen's big day, we're dying to know if John McCain will show up to walk her down the aisle! Check out the semi-uncomfortable clip here.

Alright boys, who wants overtime?
AP Photo

by Guy Martin

Delta Flight 78, a nonstop between New York and Berlin, is an old Pan Am route left over from when only "allied" name carriers (British Airways, Air France, Pan American, and of course Aeroflot) were allowed to fly through the Soviet-approved air corridors over East Germany into the black heart of the Cold War. Americans on this flight usually feel the need to explain why they're going to Berlin. Most of the travelers are German and are headed home.   

My plane is well away from the gate in queue for takeoff. The flight attendants flurry up and down the aisles. The first odd thing is the recount, then the announcement: "Could passenger Katherine Harton please identify herself?" Then, more urgently: "If passenger Katherine Harton is aboard the aircraft, please identify yourself."      

Five minutes later, the plane peels out of the takeoff queue. "Ladies and Gentlemen," the captain says, "apologies for the inconvenience. We have a passenger who checked in but who didn't board. We can't fly with her bag, so we're returning to the gate, where the ground crew will take it off. Unfortunately, it's rush hour for nighttime departures here at JFK, so we've lost our position. We'll let you know what we're looking at in a delay. Again, apologies for the inconvenience." A gracious man.

Kamehameha's dramatic
staircase

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

In the late '90s, when Madjid Djamegari opened the massive King Kamehameha Club in the Frankfurt's industrial east, he was crowned the city's king of nightlife. After much anticipation, Djamegari has finally launched a spot for grown-ups, the King Kamehameha Suite, in a stunning historic building across from the Opera House. A wide, winding staircase leads to the second-floor dining room, overseen by American chef Alan Ogden. His hearty creations give German high cuisine an international twist: dorade on mashed potatoes with apple juice-infused blood sausages, or wild boar stew with hazelnut spaetzle. After dinner, guests relax in the compound's bars and lounges to talk euros over serious cocktails--this is, after all, the capital of banking (entrées, $29-$35).

Address: 20 Taunusanlage
Tel: 49-69-710-35277

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* If you're flying to nearby Berlin, please remember to board the plane

Me after four programs?
AP Photo

by Ondine Cohane

One of my very favorite trips has to be when I learned to surf in Sayulita, Mexico. My program at Surf Las Olas was an all women's week-long intensive for both seasoned wave riders and mere beginners to practice on breaks not far from Puerto Vallarta. At that point, Sayulita was low on the radar (that's since changed), so the town had this sleepy, low-key, fishing-village feel.

My classmates and I had two surf lessons a day plus yoga classes. By the second day I was standing on my board, by day four I was catching long rides, and by the end of the week my shoulders and arms were in the best shape of my life. The camp's teachers were incredible, with a lot of patience and great board tips. They also helped to calm those students with fear of the water, which can be a real issue when getting up the courage to paddle into a wave. But best of all, the teachers made the sport lots of fun; surfing is something that really benefits from an intensive approach. I was especially proud that I was the only guppy of my group who graduated to a goldfish--guppies are beginners, goldfish are intermediate and I think dolphins are advanced (or was it sharks?).

Anyway, I am very excited to hear that the camp is now adding Baja, Mexico as its next surf safari destination. As I have been to Todos Santos a few times and the surf around there is fantastic, I think I need to head to the new location soon. There are a number of fall and winter dates such as November 6-12, December 4-10 and January 8-14. It's time I became a dolphin after all.

Fasano's sexy rooftop pool
Photo: Hotelchatter.com

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

It's one of the great mysteries of life: Why has Rio, a city whose inhabitants have set the standard for chic in music, fashion, art, and design, never had the stylish hotel it deserves? (The wedding-cake pile Copacabana Hotel is, after all, more than 80 years old.) That long injustice is finally righted in the 94-room Fasano Hotel, where true taste and ingenuity--the meager lobby is broken into restaurant, lounge, and reception areas with flowing, richly textured floor-to-ceiling curtains--is accompanied by genuinely friendly service. Efficiency with élan seems to be the hotel's modus operandi, from the small lounge and rooftop pool (which, unlike the airy, mod ground-floor restaurant, is accessible only to guests) to the relatively tight but thoughtfully designed rooms, whose beds face a private balcony with views across the street to Ipanema Beach and which, courtesy of designer Philippe Starck, have been outfitted in masculine leathers and lustrous tropical hardwoods. The only drawbacks are the street noise and the skimpy porte cochere, which can quickly grow clogged, but consider these small prices to pay for having the best people-watching and wave-catching perch in Rio.

Address: 80 Avenida Viera Souto
Tel: 55 21 3202 4200

When to go: December through February is high season, but May and June mean lower temperatures and fewer crowds.
Which room to book: Any one on a high floor facing the ocean.

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* See why the Brazilian government rocks.
* Check out Conde Nast Traveler's May 2008 story on Northeast Brazil.

Bouley: a tasty kind of
health nut

by Mollie Chen

If you should ever find yourself lucky enough to be invited to Chef David Bouley's test kitchen, don't think twice. The tricked out Tribeca loft is close to my ideal apartment: cushy leather couches, shelves crammed with cookbooks, a gleaming open kitchen, and a chalkboard wall (for when that culinary inspiration hits). I was there last week for a special dinner to preview what Bouley and celeb nutritionist Oz Garcia have in store for their forthcoming restaurant at the Baccarat Hotel and Residences at Temenos, Anguilla. The night started out with Hendrick's and fennel martinis and ended, many dishes later, with an airy chocolate soufflé with a molten adzuki bean core. Over four hours (the time it takes to eat nine courses), the pair successfully indoctrinated me into the world of food functionality--not hard when you are being fed "good bacteria" in the form of Chatham cod with hon shimeji and baby shiitake mushrooms in black truffle dashi.

Go Brazil with Gilberto Gil
AP Photo

by John Oseid

Last week in Times Square, I had a riveting meeting with an important Brazilian cabinet official. Well, me and hundreds of other people jumping up and down to the guitar licks of a legendary singer/songwriter who just happens to moonlight as the Minister of Culture.

With a couple of capoeira-like swings of the leg, lean and dread-locked Gilberto Gil flew around the Nokia Theater stage like no sixty-six year old you've ever seen. A few samba hip shimmies were enough to bring the Brazilian-packed crowd to a frenzy. From falsetto scatting to a bit of Pink Floyd-era rock and a reggae version of the "Girl from Ipanema," he ranged freely throughout the music map. The bilingual bureaucrat bracketed his songs with messages on the need for global change and new perspectives.

Gil's legacy is framed in a fine BBC documentary on Tropicalia, the late-sixties multifarious cultural movement he led with fellow-Bahian Caetano Veloso and others. Street demonstrators and musicians, Tropicalistas mixed rock, folk and bossa nova. Too avant-garde for the military government of the day, though, they were arrested as subversives and sent into exile.

Maybe you'd like to take up watercolors on your next vacation?
Photo: Cavallo Point

by Brook Wilkinson

Renaissance Man Mark Schatzker just got back from a month in Europe mastering the arts (or at least attempting to). It's a pity he hadn't heard about Cavallo Point's new learning vacations, for he could have accomplished much the same with a single trip to San Francisco, rather than an exhausting, expensive Grand Tour of Europe.

Cavallo Point, the new hotel at Fort Baker that I blogged about last week, will soon debut an extensive array of educational programs for overnight guests and day visitors, all led by some of the sharpest minds in their fields. Imagine getting running tips from ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes, cooking with chef Traci de Jardins of San Francisco's acclaimed Jardiniere restaurant, or discussing Buddhism with Robert Thurman, president of the Tibet House.

The programs fall into three categories: Adventure & Well-Being, Culinary Arts, and Creative Arts. You can find a full list of them here. (Personally, I'm dying to take cheese 101 with the owners of my favorite cheese purveyor, Cowgirl Creamery.) Most programs are 3 to 5 days long, range in price from $1,225 to $2,700--not including accommodations--and include meals with your "teacher," plus ample free time to explore the Bay Area. If you register for a program by August 1st, you'll also receive one free night at Cavallo Point. It's never too late to keep learning.

Intelligent products

by Caroline Yost

It took me a while to jump on the green wagon, but of course, as soon as I caved in and stocked my cabinets with organic edibles, the movement expanded into a completely new direction: beauty.

Beyond my freshly greened kitchen, I wondered what other parts of my apartment needed sprucing. The potential danger of conventional beauty products is arresting: Parabens (found in some deodorants) have been linked to cancerous breast tissue, as well as reproductive system damage and phthalates (commonly found in hairspray, perfume, or deodorant) have been linked to liver, kidney, and lung damage.

All this is why I'm so excited about my introduction to Intelligent Nutrients. Created by Horst Rechelbacker, founder of Aveda, Intelligent Nutrients is a brand-new line of beauty products made almost entirely from certified organic ingredients. Now more than ever, green is the way to be.

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Behind an unmarked door on a dimly lit street in the middle of town, the Danish capital's best bar is busy six nights a week. Two utterly beguiling rooms in an eighteenth-century building have high ceilings and gray wainscoting. It all looks traditionally Scandinavian, but the cocktail menu ranges from the classic to the contemporary. Try a Burnt Fig (caramelized fig syrup with cognac and cream) or a Thai'ed Up Martini (Plymouth gin with Thai basil). All of Scandinavia is in the grip of a cocktail boom right now, but thanks to the charm of the premises and the expertise of the bartenders, Ruby shines the brightest.

Address: Nybrogade 10
Tel: 45-3393-1203

Further reading:
* Ruby's website
* Hot List 2008
* The Copenhagen guide

AP Photo

by Mollie Chen

I didn't get into yoga until I moved to New York but now, three years after writing my first astronomically large rent check, I know my downward dogs and my chaturangas and can chant om with a straight face. I'm convinced that over-stressed urbanites need yoga, lest they snap.

There is no shortage of studios in Manhattan but Pure Yoga, which opened last week, is the largest and glossiest yoga-only facility of them all. Founded in Hong Kong (an equally frenetic city), the company has seven studios in Asia, but this is their first foray into America. They've partnered with Equinox, known as much for its svelte, moneyed clientele as its top-notch gyms, and designed a sprawling 20,000-square foot facility on the lackluster stretch of East 86th Street. Marked by a verdant living wall (the first exterior one in the city), Pure Yoga is nicer than your average spa, with four oversized studios, two private practice rooms, and a comfy lounge area. Most studios are an in-and-out affair, but when I tried a class at Pure last week I found myself wishing I could hang out there all day--plus the sleek locker rooms are ten times nicer than my bathroom at home. There are 19 styles offered: everything from traditional Iyengar and Mysore to Pure Yoga originals like Zenyasa, a blend of Buddhist meditation and Vinyasa, and Pure Core, a targeted ab workout. What?s more, the brand has lured celeb yoga instructors away from other studios. Marco, who taught my class, counts Katie Couric among his devotees. Memberships are pricey (upwards of $130 a month) but that gets you unlimited access to all the classes--perfect if you want to try out different styles or just can't get enough.

No cars here, Buddy.

by Ondine Cohane

Looking through June's Conde Nast Traveler reinforces another major gap in my travel education, and a country that's seriously on my wish list: Greece. In the Great Greek Island Finder, Bob Payne picks his 20 favorite spots from beaches to hotels--it made me realize how much I am missing out. But having Greece on the brain actually started a few weeks before the issue's debut, when I heard about a new boutique hotel opening this June in Santorini, the Santorini Grace. It sounds right up my alley: Perched up on the northwest coast at Imerovigli village, it has only nine rooms, all with the kind of jaw-dropping vistas of the Aegean that I have always dreamed about. (Its sister hotel, the Mykonos Grace was a Hot List property this year and it sounds like the Santorini outpost is of the same caliber.) I imagine sitting on whitewashed, sun-dappled terraces (in this case I could even have my own private plunge pool), eating meals of grilled fish, drinking local wine, and taking occasional dips in the sea down below. For some reason, certain destinations fill me with the energy to move around constantly. For others, like this, I would want to ensconce myself on one single island for a week before venturing further afield. After I tried Santorini, I would hit Hydra, where an old factory has been reinvented as a barefoot-chic hotel called the Bratsera, and where donkeys are the main source of transportation. Then I'd be off to Mykonos for the legendary beaches, and finally Anafi, a quiet place for hiking and contemplation that Payne reports is frequented by Greek insiders.

Conde Nast Traveler's annual Islands Issue is now online (and on the magazine stands).   

* Top Greek islands for beaches, beauty, hotels, and more.

* A 4-page map of 20 Greek islands, plus three itineraries.

* Paradise found on St. Lucia.   

* Yes, Dorothy, there is such thing as an affordable Hawaii.

*  As Cuba enters its post-Fidel era, it's time for yet another look at The Remains of the Revolution. 

SUBSCRIBE to Conde Nast Traveler for only $1 a issue!

VIDEO: Laptops reviewed

All hail the MacBook Air laptop.  So narrow you could stuff it in an envelope.  So sleek and sexy, you could close it and use it as a cocktail tray.  But wait...Apple isn't the only player in the race to outfit business travelers with lighter, smaller, portable laptops.  In this month's Conde Nast Traveler, Mike Haney takes a look at the MacBook Air and two lesser known players, the Linux-based Eee PC and the HTC Shift which runs a version of Windows Vista.

I carried three of the latest?the much hyped MacBook Air and lesser-known models from two Taiwanese companies?on various trips and tried common tasks on each, including Web surfing, editing a Word document sent to me as an e-mail attachment, watching a movie, posting a blog entry, and uploading photos. Each laptop had its strengths and weaknesses, but the takeaway was clear: There's never been a better time to be a laptop-toting traveler.

Read the article to find out how each laptop fared.  Then watch CNT's Alex Pasquariello give the laptops the hands-on treatment in a video review.

AP Photo

Below, the Daily Traveler (aided by Conde Nast Traveler's Megan Montenaro) samples U.S. cities and their 4th of July goings-on for your firework-watching, hot dog-noshing pleasure. Don't forget the sparklers.

San Francisco, CA
The city by the bay is perfectly poised for fireworks: There's the Fisherman's Wharf celebration, Big Bang Beat at Pier 39, free sailboat rides at the Berkeley Marina, and live music at Jack London Square in Oakland. Want to be in the middle of the action? Take a ferry ride to Tiburon, ogle the fireworks overhead, and then watch the sun set over Mt. Tam. If crowds and communal grills aren't your thing, reserve a table at Spruce, a slick new Presidio spot from Chef Mark Sullivan (and it made our 2008 Hot List). He serves a fat, juicy burger with top-notch fries that can make you see stars and stripes.

Denver, CO
What better way to celebrate our country's independence than America's favorite pastime: baseball? The Rockies will take Coors field against the NY Mets this 4th. (Expect fireworks no matter who wins.) There's also a free concert by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in City Park and an old-fashioned celebration at the Four Mile Historic Park that includes a reading of the Declaration of Independence. For those who haven't been, the Denver Art Museum has a new wing designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libskind. The hard-edged titanium extension was inspired by the Rockies landscape (not to mention it's Libskind's first realized project in the States).

Minneapolis, MN
Home to the 2008 Republican National Convention, this city is streaming with patriotism (especially since this year is the state's 150th anniversary). On the 4th of July, fireworks, live music and picnics will dot the city's Mississippi riverside. There are also some great restaurants in town: Heidi's made Conde Nast Traveler's 2008 Hot List, and nothing on the menu is over $20, to boot. 

Washington, DC
The good news: Almost everything fun to do in Washington is free. One of our favorites is the National Gallery. Huge and diverse, it boasts highly focused exhibits that really let you sink your teeth into their artists. The basement café is worth a visit--even if just for a glass of wine--for its kinetic water sculpture, the only piece on display that's splashable. For eats: Colorado Kitchen is a quirky joint whose garlic cheese grits are worth poetry. The homemade donuts, too, warrant sonnets. And there are several places around the National Mall for prime fireworks viewing with a U.S. Capitol-backdrop.

Indoor comfort by the shore.

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Aquamare melds the best aspects of a villa rental and a posh hotel. A house for celebration is the idea behind this trio of glass-enclosed, shingle-roofed five-bedroom villas fronting a half mile of beach on Mahoe Bay. And though Hollywood A-listers cherishing their privacy and space (8,000 square feet per villa) have been the first to avail themselves of the enclave's concierge (who will arrange spa treatments or an excursion aboard the property's 62-foot yacht), those who will feel most at home are families or other small groups gathering for a special occasion. In addition to identical master suites in each villa (along with one double and one junior), there is an open kitchen off a high-ceiling great room that allows everyone to help stir the soup or observe the art of the personal chef, as well as a private infinity-edge pool. Furnishings are stylishly oversized, and as much thought has been given to the texture of the decor as to the (subdued) color, something you notice while standing on the pebbled floor of your master bath's private outdoor shower, wondering--despite the double latticework--how private it really is.                

Photo: Andrew Bush

* A photographer captures drivers cruising Los Angeles and the Southwest. Fascinating.

* Why? Jaunted has a photo here.

* Talk about an easy list.  Slate.com's presents the worst beach movies ever.

* Japanese are loved by hoteliers. Americans rank a lowly 11th.

* Jousting makes a comeback.

Fulton Fish Market circa 1947
AP Photo

For all you New Yorkers out there (and those of you in town for a visit), this Sunday marks the third gathering of the New Amsterdam Market at the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan. Vendors supporting regional and sustainable food systems--among them The Baker's Dozen (organized by Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery), Flying Pigs Farm, Saxelby Cheesemongers, and rick's picks--will sell their goodies in plaza fronting the iconic New Market Building from 11am to 4pm. Daily Travelers Mollie Chen and Julia Bainbridge will be there, video camera in hand, so if you can't make it this time around, be sure to check in with the DT next week for a virtual tour.

Further reading:
* For full details, visit the market's website
* Learn about the city's already thriving greenmarket system

Island a la nude.

by Beata Loyfman

Last week, we brought you our picks for top adults-only hotel zones. Today we crank it up a notch to satisfy your (secret?) naturist jones with three destinations dedicated to the clothing-optional lifestyle. I know what you're thinking: Unshaven, hemp-loving hippies munching on tofu burgers, realigning their chakras, and sleeping in hammocks on the beach (Woody Harrelson, I'm talking to you).

Well, not so fast. At these swank, adults-only spots, the only realignment you'll feel is when the masseur fixes that nagging kink in your lumbar spine:

Southern California's Sea Mountain Resort is a posh retreat for couples and single females (sorry guys) where the main attraction is bathing in the mineral waters of the local hot springs. Yes, naked bathing. There's also naked suntanning, naked massage, naked parties...you get the idea.

Nearby in Desert Hot Springs, the Living Waters Spa focuses on the rejuvenating benefits of the (naked) spa experience: Massages, wraps, mineral baths, and complete (naked) tranquility (sorry, can't stop). This means no swingers or sex parties allowed. For that sort of thing, try one of the Hedonism resorts.

A bit further east, 7,400 miles to be exact, Boayan is a private island in the South China Sea where you can fulfill your Robinson Crusoe fantasy, loincloth and all. A stay here includes a villa, a staff of 5, all meals, and a traditional Philippine boat with captain. Perhaps Woody should rethink his  40-day fast and bring his nudity-loving ways to the far east.

One of Goa's many beaches to
explore before dinner.

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Casa Sarita, in the Park Hyatt Goa, is unusual in several ways, starting with its self-taught female chef. Rather than wear traditional whites, Sarita Carvalho rules her open kitchen in a floral dress and head scarf, and turns out dishes of nuanced simplicity. Black and white tiles, hanging lamps, and simple furniture underscore the homey vibe. As is typical of Goa, seafood and pork dishes are the highlights. The difference is that spices are used judiciously: Kingfish curry isn't doused with coconut and red chilies, while pork vindalho is spicy and tangy, just as it should be. Beer or feni, a local spirit made with cashews or coconut, stands up to the robust regional flavors (entrées, $12-$60).

Address: Arossim Beach, Cansaulim
Tel: 91-832-272-1234

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* Goa Guide

View Larger Map

As temperatures rise in Gotham, so do a host of zany structures. In Conde Nast Traveler's July issue, hot off the press, Word of Mouth editor Kate Maxwell shows how to see them all in under 12 hours.

10:30 a.m.: Olafur Eliasson's Waterfalls
Various waterside locations
Start the day by catching a Circle Line cruise from South Street Seaport for a tour of the summer's main event. Danish artist Eliasson is pumping the East River up 90- and 120-foot-high metal scaffolds to produce four waterfalls. On the Brooklyn side of the river, a waterfall juts out from beneath the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where Walt Whitman was inspired by the city's clash of nature and artifice. A second one gushes below the Brooklyn Bridge, and there's a third at Pier 35, on the Manhattan side, giving a cascading lift to far east Chinatown. The final fall sparkles from the shores of the oft admired, rarely visited Governors Island.

12 noon: David Byrne's Playing the Building
Battery Maritime Building
Former Talking Head and longtime artist Byrne has designed a surround sound experience for Lower Manhattan passersby. Walk into the hulking Battery Maritime Building, by the Governors Island ferries, sit down at an organ, and "play the building": Each key is connected to beams and pipes and vibrates them to produce eerie, if not quite "Psycho Killer"-tempo, hums (Fri.-Sun.).

2 p.m.: Work's Vegetable Garden
P.S. 1, Long Island City
Among the industrial garages around the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, in Queens, Work Architecture Company has transformed a rock-strewn, cement-walled courtyard and summer chill-out area into a vegetable patch growing in a very urban version of dirt: cardboard tubes.

4:30 p.m.: Home Delivery
Museum of Modern Art
Prefab homes go upscale in the (currently) empty lot next to Midtown's Museum of Modern Art, where five high-end trailers are installed as part of the "Home Delivery" show. They include a 76-square-foot green-energy-powered aluminum cube that can be helicoptered in to the vacation spot of your choice.

6 p.m.: Chris Burden's Tower
Rockefeller Center
Burden, famous for having himself shot as a piece of performance art, is now obsessed with giant Erector Sets. He has constructed the ultimate Erector challenge: a 65-foot skyscraper to boost the Midtown skyline, at least for the summer.

7:30 p.m.: Jeff Koons on the Roof
Metropolitan Museum of Art
End your day with a visit to the Met's rooftop garden, and sip a beer in the shadow of a giant steel balloon dog, among other pneumatic sculptures by conceptual pop master Jeff Koons.

Venegas and her trusty accordion.
AP Photo

Starting today, the Daily Traveler will be hosting Global Beats, a weekly breakdown of the international music scene--from the latest artists to the most out-of-the-way music festivals--written by John Oseid, the author of Conde Nast Traveler's monthly Where Are You? puzzler.

I have an obsession and her name is Julieta Venegas.

These days the hottest rock music comes out of the Latin world and a waifish Mexican rockera you've probably never heard of leads the pack. Julieta Venegas was born in California, but the Tijuana-raised singer is no crossover queen--her eclectic Grammy-winning pop and rock compositions are all-Spanish-all-the-time. She's a rich and poetic lyricist, with a voice at times sweet and bouncy, at times haunting. Oh dear, stop me before I hit "Repeat" yet again.

Now you can get an easy Julieta fix yourself. Filmed onstage in Mexico City, the newly released concert DVD Julieta Venegas MTV Unplugged not only showcases her virtuosity--she plays accordion, acoustic guitar, and piano--but it's a lesson on the high-caliber contemporary Mexican music. Venegas rearranged her best-known songs with backing by everything from traditional Mexican brass to cellos. She's joined onstage by double-Oscar-winning Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain, Babel), who accompanies her on banjo, while Spanish hip-hop artist La Mala Rodriquez and Brazilian star Marisa Monte chime in as well. Some concert clips are posted on the Web site of the Spanish music channel MTV Tr3s, and the full concert DVD is available here.

For all things Julieta, pick up her hits album Realmente-Lo-Mejor. It includes her biggest international success, "Me Voy" (in which she matter-of-factly dumps a lover), the boppy, romantic tune "Limon y Sal," and the light-rap "Eres Para Mi."

Her playful and inventive videos are posted on both YouTube and MTV Tr3s. Don't speak Spanish? No hay problema! Here's one fan's fun blog on how to get the most out of Spanish videos.

Visitors to New York can catch Venegas headlining Central Park's Summerstage on July 12. She will also be at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square on September 11. A full international tour schedule is on her Myspace page.

Look for me; I'll be the gringo with stars in his eyes.

Aloft Cucamonga's colorful lounge.
Photo: msnbc.com

HotelChatter has the first-ever review of a Starwood's first Aloft hotel in the United States--Ontario, CA, to be exact. Check out their video, ratings, and run-down of the much-hyped Aloft Rancho Cucamonga here.

And here's what else the popular site has to say about the new digs:

Rates for this weekend were a little pricey for this area in between Los Angeles and Palm Springs at $139 a night (that's an Internet/no cancellations rate). Considering we stayed at a Palm Desert resort (albeit an aging one) for $94 a night two weeks ago, this is not really a budget stay. So Aloft--you better live up to the hype!

Starwood plans on opening an additional 16 Aloft hotels worldwide this year.

Further reading:
* About Aloft
* HotelChatter partnered up with Conde Nast Traveler for our Layover Nation Contest. Enter now!
* Check out what's new in nearby LA from chef Jose Andres

Nearly nude in Voda's dry banya

Every May, Conde Nast Traveler releases its Hot List, a collection of the best new hotels, spas, restaurants, and nightspots. Check the Daily Traveler every day for a new post from this year's list.

Step off Santa Monica Boulevard and onto the steppes of Russia in this sleek, contemporary bathhouse under a soaring 20-foot ceiling with exposed beams. This section of West Hollywood has long been a Russian enclave, but at Voda a hip mash-up of trendy spa services, such as the Siberian Wild Berry Scrub ($120), is proffered along with the traditional. The Russian banya treatment ($25) is a circuit of saunas, cold showers, and a platza session (the brisk massage with a venik, a bundle of hot-water-soaked oak branches and leaves). Don't forget your bathing suit so you can linger with a smoothie while lolling in the whirlpools and swimming pool (massages, $95-$250).

Further reading:
* Hot List 2008
* Check out what's new in LA from Chef Jose Andres
* Nearby Malibu makes it onto this year's Word's Sexiest Beaches
* An insider's guide to LA

Filled with glee at the prospect of
working (and instant
messaging) onboard.
AP Photo

by Barbara S. Peterson

Chances are you'd feel differently about all the new airline fees if you were getting something new for your money--especially if that something were to help ease the tedium of a long flight. Starting today, American Airlines will begin testing that premise with a sneak preview of Wi-Fi connectivity aboard two flights--one from JFK to LA and one in the return direction--allowing passengers to send and receive emails, download and send attachments, and surf the web while aloft.  If it works, American says it will roll out the service (possibly in a couple weeks) called Air Cell's "GoGo" on all of its 767-200s that fly on longer routes, such as New York to San Francisco, LA and Miami. Today's experiment will be free, but after that, the charge will be $12.95 per flight. 

One thing you will not be able to do is use internet voice services like Skype; those will be blocked, in keeping with the federal ban on phone calls. (In Europe, by contrast, inflight cell calls are permitted by law,  but not all airlines have the necessary hardware yet.) Otherwise, there are no limits on content. "It's exactly the same as if you were at a Wi-Fi hot spot at an airport or at your local Starbucks," says American?s Doug Backelin. He adds that the service will be able to handle a full planeload  of users. Eventually, it should be on most domestic flights--the service works only in the continental U.S. and so it won't be offered  on international routes.

American may be the first legacy airline to introduce Wi-Fi, but JetBlue has been testing a different service aboard a single plane since last December. And Virgin America says it will soon introduce the Air Cell service on all of its 15 A320s.

All business and first class seats in American's fleet have built-in power ports, and if you are consigned to a seat in coach, you can still plug in your laptop--power ports are scattered around the economy section . To find out where they are located,  look up the seat map for your plane.  More info on the Wi-Fi capability is available here and here.

Cavallo Point, an eco-hotel across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, opens July 1.
Photo: Kodiak Greenwood

by Brook Wilkinson

Apparently no one ever told the owners of Cavallo Point that going green couldn't also be luxurious. They've gone and created a hotel that is quite clearly both, within shouting distance of San Francisco. Cavallo Point sits on the site of the old Fort Baker, right at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. In the 1990s, the fort was decommissioned and became part of