Vacation Destinations

(Newser) - The nine most delicious getaway spa experiences, from the readers of Condé Nast Traveler . Mayflower Inn & Spa, Washington, Conn. Lake Austin Spa Resort, Austin, Texas Cal-A-Vie: Vista, Calif. More »

(Newser) - The Israelis want to build artificial islands in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Tel Aviv, and put an international airport on one of them. It's been talked about, on and off, for more than a decade; the project has finally been deemed feasable by a planning committee. The panel’s chair said the island chain is needed to support Israeli’s surging economy. More »

(Newser) - Sometimes vacations can be more work then, well... work.  Outside finds some gadgets, places and websites that makes the trail run a little smoother. Singapore's Changi Airport The MLC bag from Patagonia GreenGlobe.org More »

(Newser) - China's office of religious affairs has cracked down on the Tibetan practice of designating "living Buddhas," writes the Telegraph . A notice published yesterday forces Tibetan lamas to obtain Chinese permission before naming reincarnations. The exiled Tibetan government suggests the new rules signal that Beijing will try to name its own successor to the Dalai Lama upon his death. More »

(Newser) - Nicolas Sarkozy will set aside French-US tensions when he visits New Hampshire on vacation this month. The trip to Lake Winnipesaukee appears to be purely leisure, the Boston Globe reports, but it may part of the new PM’s promise to improve trans-Atlantic relations. And the town of Wolfeboro already knows how to handle high-profile politicians: Mitt Romney is a homeowner. More »

(Newser) - The largest online poll ever conducted wrapped up yesterday, and today the results became official. The seven wonders of the modern world, which were announced in Portugal, include an Asian engineering triumph and a South American religious monument, but not the Great Pyramid of Giza—the Egyptian government refused to cooperate with the competition. More »

(Newser) - Yes, Pamela Anderson (she's Canadian) was nominated (it was an open process) but, no - alas, she did not win.  The winners were: Sleeping Giant,  Thunder Bay Niagara Falls Rocky Mountains More »

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(Newser) - As part of its campaign to attract Western visitors to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China allowed Tiananmen Square memorials this year for the first time since the protests of June 4, 1989. The government maintains that the uprising was a counterrevolutionary riot and refuses to release details; a security crackdown in the square normally prevents citizens from commemorating the event. More »

(Newser) - A billboard featuring a scantily clad woman and indicating "problem" areas on her body is the talk of the Chicago area. The 10-by-36 ad for a salon and spa went up two weeks ago, and some local residents have their panties in a twist—understandable, because the model doesn't appear to be wearing any. More »

(Newser) - The Taj Mahal doesn't have any problems that couldn't be cured by a day at the spa. Centuries of pollution have left the enormous mausoleum with a yellow tinge; to restore its marble to pristine white, India is considering applying a clay mask. More »

(Newser) - Courtney Love, mother to Francis Bean, widow to Kurt Cobain, and unexplainable guest at Comedy Central's Pamela Anderson roast, is in the courts again. No drugs or assault on the docket this time: Beau Monde International, a plush rehab facility where Love spent three months in 2005, is trying to collect an unpaid tab totaling $181,000. More »