The U.S. Travel Association gathers writers from around the world once a year, to explain what makes our country worth visiting. Fifty countries were represented at the event this year, in Las Vegas, and a few of us domestic travel writers were invited too.
The spectacle is one part trade show, one part press trip, one part speed dating. Before we converge, each destination and journalist decide online who they’d like to meet. Matches are made electronically, and each of us ends up with a schedule of 10-minute appointments, with five minutes between each.
It’s an exhilarating and exhausting process. We talk quick and find out all kinds of fun travel tidbits; we may seek more as projects near completion and the pandemic lifts.
Vegas got a chance to shine too, and the mantra was “intermission is over.” More entertainment acts are back on stage, similar to Broadway’s revival in New York. Count Cirque du Soleil among the troupes to return after 15 months away. “Mystere,” which was the first Cirque production in Vegas 28 years ago, was the first Cirque show to come back.
There’s one big difference in the show: Instead of a strenuous act of balance, resistance and strength by two men, two sisters are taking on the “Mystere” challenge. cirquedusoleil.com
Here’s a smidge of what else is new, or at least new to me:
Open in New York City is Hudson Yards, where the Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the hemisphere. The structure is suspended in mid-air more than 1,100 feet above ground. That means 360-degree views from a glass floor and angled glass walls. edgenyc.com
Nearly as high is the renovated Empire State Building observation deck, at the 86th floor, which has new, interactive exhibits. On the 102nd floor is an observatory with floor-to-ceiling windows. Get there in an all-glass elevator. On a clear day, you can see six states. esbnyc.com
Musician Phil Collins has long collected artifacts from The Alamo era and in 2014 donated 400 of these items to the state of Texas. Under construction is an exhibition hall to display them and articles from the San Antonio museum’s archives. Opening in 2025: a new visitor center and museum that goes beyond the Texas battle for independence from Mexico. thealamo.org
Black Cultural Heritage Tours is one stop for getting better informed about Black history and businesses of interest to travelers. The company is developing multi-day itineraries in different parts of the country, with one price including meals, lodging, tour admissions and daily transportation. You add on airfare to the starting point.
An eight-day exploration of south Florida, for example, covers Miami, Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Delray Beach and West Palm Beach. Civil rights history is important, says company founder Stephanie Jones, but it’s not the only significant topic for her tours. experienceblackculture.com
Whitewater rapids are being brought back to downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. A series of dams calmed the waterway after the Civil War, and a restoration plan affects 2.5 miles of river. That means rafting to river surfing when the job is done, but the timeline is fluid. grandrapidswhitewater.org
Reopening in 2022 is Motown Museum in Detroit, the humble home to dozens of music hits in recording Studio A, from Diana Ross to Michael Jackson. The birthplace of Motown Records is undergoing a $50 million addition that will not disrupt the historic buildings. motownmuseum.org
Kissimmee, Fla., bills itself as Vacation Home Capital of the World. That means 50,000 options in the area, modest confines at resorts with housekeeping service to mansions with themed rooms and an indoor basketball court. Reps are spreading the word as families plot how to get away together while staying away from Covid. experiencekissimmee.com
New in Minneapolis is the Indigenous Food Lab, at Midtown Global Market, where chef Sean Sherman is elevating Native American cuisine as he provides job training for at-risk populations. Sherman won a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award for his book, “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen.” indigenousfoodlab.com
Arkansas is spreading the word early that a swath of the state on April 8, 2024, will be directly in a solar eclipse Path of Totality, “the shadow zone of an eclipse that makes the entire spectacle visible.” See exactly where to go at arkansas.com/eclipse
The Harlem Globetrotters took off for a year because of the pandemic but recently resumed their antics and touring. The basketball stunt athletes will be in Madison on Jan. 2. Expect a rebranded show where the teams – whose lineup includes female athletes too – add support for social justice initiatives in the 150 cities they visit. harlemglobetrotters.com