AOL Travel Ideas

Summer in Italy: What to Do in Rome, Venice, Florence and Beyond

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-06-04T13:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Best Of, Arts & Culture, Food + Drink, Historic Sites

From sun-bleached terrazzos overlooking the Mediterranean to cobbled piazzas lined with gelato shops, Italy does summer right. Many visitors flock to the country's most notable sights -- the Colosseum in Rome, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, the Duomo in Florence and the Grand Canal in Venice. Others head away from the city, sampling food and wine in the Tuscan countryside, hopping from village to village in the Cinque Terre or paying homage to art in historic churches.

Summer is the best time to tour grand villas and their spectacular gardens; it's also host to slew of Italy's festivals, from horse races like the famous Siena Palio to smaller fetes of flowers, art, religion and music.
Each region has its own flavors, customs and history. Our Italy map will take you around the country, visiting the stories that make each area so special. Each pin highlights an article, photo, video or blog post from fellow travelers in the region. Click through to see AOL Travel, MapQuest, and Gadling posts, and come visit again -- we'll be adding exciting new stories all summer. You'll learn how to tackle Sicily in a day, or watch star chef Rocco DiSpirito share the secrets of Italian cooking in Sorrento. Read about other travelers' adventures in Turin, Pisa, Sardinia and more.

If you're traveling on an Italian vacation this summer we've got you covered. Find out how to get internet while you're here. Learn some Italian, including phrases you'll hope you don't hear. Pick the perfect beach or prepare your stomach for a culinary adventure.

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5 Summer Road Trips Inspired by Hollywood Movies

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-05-16T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture, Road Trips

The crazy, fun-loving buddies' road trip in The Hangover has inspired countless others to set out on their own memorable adventures. Two Hangover movies -- including the upcoming finale The Hangover Part III -- later, it's clear you don't have to head to Las Vegas to have the movie-inspired road trip of your life. From the stomach-dropping Grand Canyon scenery in Due Date to The Descendants journey along the lush roads of Hawaii, there's more than enough cinematic ground to be covered as you plan your next trip.

Check out the video below for a look at those and other summer road trips inspired by popular movies. For other movies that inspire travel, hop on over to Moviefone.

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Everydayer: Get Racey At Churchill Downs

MapQuest Discover — 2013-05-04T06:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture, Weekend Getaways

Home to the most exciting two minutes in sports (aka the Kentucky Derby), experience a day at Churchill Downs and its high stakes horse races during the spring and fall meets (late April through July 1, and late October through Thanksgiving weekend).

Read this thorough(bred) guide to a day at Churchill Downs on AOL's MapQuest Discover.

You may also like: Louisville Road Trip: Driving the American Horse Trail.

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Road Trip: Driving the American Horse Trail

Zach Everson — 2013-05-02T17:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Family, Arts & Culture, Weekend Getaways, Road Trips

Louisville is the ideal starting gate for a horse-themed road trip east, in part retracing the path America's iconic horse racing and breeding industry took as it largely migrated from Virginia to Kentucky. Begin under the twin spires of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, where the winner of the world's most prestigious horse race (held this Saturday) will earn his or her owners $1.24 million.

A short drive to the Bluegrass region takes you to the highly regimented Lexington-area breeding sheds. After a stop in Virginia to see steeplechases or maybe take an equestrian lesson, you'll end up on Assateague Island on Maryland and Virginia's Eastern Shore. There wild, er, feral horses frolic on the seashore and set their own agenda-which sometimes includes raiding travelers' campsites.

Giddy-up and happy tails.

Stop One: Louisville, Kentucky
Stop Two: Lexington, Kentucky
Stop Three: Northern Virginia
Stop Four: Assateague Island

Looking for more road trip ideas? Visit our Great American Road Trips home page.

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10 Innovative Green Hotels in the U.S.

Chris Gray Faust — 2013-04-22T09:17:00+00:00

Filed under: Hotel, Arts & Culture, EcoTravel, Luxury

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Everydayer: The (Un)Natural History of Alcatraz

MapQuest Discover — 2013-04-08T11:19:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

San Francisco's Alcatraz Island may conjure up images of notorious criminals and prison escapes into shark-infested waters, but the California island comes packed with colorful tales that stretch far beyond its 29-year stint as a federal penitentiary.

Take the 10 to 15 minute ferry tour operated by Alcatraz Cruises from San Francisco's Pier 33 to discover the island's history, first as a Civil War citadel, and how the island has evolved since the prison's closure in 1963.

Read the rest of Everydayer: The (Un)Natural History of Alcatraz on AOL's MapQuest Discover.

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Around The Block: Canyon Road, Santa Fe

MapQuest Discover — 2013-04-04T11:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture, Road Trips

The landscape of New Mexico has inspired generations of artists, and one of the best places to see how this southwestern art has evolved over the years is the historic Canyon Road.

About three miles south from the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe, the mile-long Canyon Road has grown to include more than 140 galleries and restaurants housed in traditional adobe buildings.

Read the rest of Around The Block: Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM on AOL's MapQuest Discover.

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Final Four Travel: Your Guide to Fan Stardom in Atlanta

MapQuest Discover — 2013-03-29T14:31:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

This year Atlanta, Georgia plays host to the biggest weekend in basketball -- but there's plenty more going on beyond the court in this city. With the world's busiest airport, a diverse population of a half-mill, and a hip Southern charm, it's called Hotlanta for more than just the weather.Check out what to do, where to eat, work out and -- most importantly -- watch the biggest games of the year by reading the full break-down of Atlanta on AOL's MapQuest Discover.

More: Best of Atlanta

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Five Best Places to Party In Michigan

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-03-25T10:59:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

These places all come hand-picked from Michigan's very own Wilson, a hard rock band whose members, according to our colleagues at Noisecreep, "take their partying very seriously."Wilson rounded up five of its favorite spots to party in its home state, including the Bronx Bar (left) in Detroit.

From Noisecreep: "Known as 'Detroit's Cheers,' just WAY darker and smokier. It's located in the historic 'Cass Corridor.' It's always filled with the up and coming Detroit 'talk abouts' and Wayne State students. The ambiance of this place will kinda freak you out if it's your first time plopping down one their dirty bar stools. It is very, very dim lit."

Read the rest of Wilson's picks at Noisecreep.

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Venice's Most Missed Neighborhood: Where to Go in Cannaregio

Kelly DiNardo — 2013-03-19T11:15:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

Sandwiched between the upper portion of Venice's Grand Canal and the northern quays overlooking the lagoon, Cannaregio is the city's most northerly sestiere and an area left largely unspoiled by visitors.

Wander through its streets, some just wide enough for one person, and you'll notice pieces of everyday Venetian life. Street markets overflow with crates of produce - thick fennel bulbs, vibrant green asparagus stalks and leaves of radicchio. The smell of pungent seafood - small octopus, sardines and crabs - wafts through the air. Venetian oarsmen practice along the lagoon and the district's quieter canals. Locals take in the sun as they sip a spritz, a fizzy cocktail made with Aperol or Campari, while lines of wash hang out the windows of homes with softly crumbling facades.

Cannaregio is a place to immerse yourself in the city's less aristocratic history. There are the Oratorio dei Crociferi, which was founded as a hospital for those returning from the Crusades, and the Madonna dell'Orto, a Gothic church dedicated to a statue of the Virgin Mary that was found nearby. Tintoretto painted two masterpieces in the church.

A site with a less kindly history is the Jewish Ghetto. In 1516, the Venetian leaders ordered that the city's Jews be confined to an islet in Cannaregio. The area, named after a nearby foundry, or geto in Venetian, was the first ghetto and subsequently gave its name to other such enclaves around the world. Beyond where they could live, other restrictions were placed on Venetian Jews as well, including what fields they could work in, when they could leave the ghetto and what they had to wear when they did.

In 1797, when Napoleon's troops arrived in Venice the gates were opened and the Jews were allowed to live in other parts of the city. Today, Venice has a small Jewish population with few living in the area still called the Jewish Ghetto, but the neighborhood retains its ethnic character. There is a Jewish baker, a kosher restaurant, Hanukkah lamps and synagogues still holding religious ceremonies.

Whether you want to take in the city's lesser-known history, a snack and a spritz with the locals or simply glimpse everyday modern Venice, meandering through Cannaregio is a must. Here are five spots worth searching out.

Torrefazione Marchi
This tiny café and coffee shop (top right) houses Venice's only coffee roaster. Tucked between a butcher and pizzeria on the busy Terra San Leonardo, the two-stool coffee bar is easily missed, which is why you'll find yourself sipping one of their aromatic specialty blends while elbow-to-elbow with locals who have popped into Torrefazione Marchi for a quick thimble of coffee or espresso.

Paolo Olbi
Shops teeming with Murano glass and carnival masks are omnipresent in Venice, but the city is also known for the handmade marbled paper that is often wrapped around photo albums, journals and trinket boxes. Off of Campo Maria Nova square, next to a gift shop selling Murano glass, you'll find Paolo Olbi's eponymous shop (center right). The shop is tended by Olbi or perhaps a kind, older woman who looks like your stereotypical nonna and just happens to be Olbi's sister. Olbi began his career as a bookbinder in the '60s and now handcrafts stunning journals and photo albums of pressed paper and smooth Italian leather. The designs feature classic Italian motifs like the Venetian lion.
>> Campo S. Maria; +39 041 528 5025

Jewish Ghetto
Few tourists make it past the gargoyle-decorated Pont delle Guglie bridge, which spans the Cannaregio Canal right where it flows into the Grand Canal. If you hook a right just before crossing the bridge and walk down Fondamenti Cannaregio, you can then take a right turn into the Jewish Ghetto (bottom right). Walk the neighborhood on your own, pick up a map and itinerary of notable sites at the Jewish Community of Venice Info Point or join a guided tour of the quarter's synagogues from Museo Ebraico, the small Jewish museum.

Cantina Azienda Agricola
In this small bar just a block off Terra San Leonardo, locals perch their cicchetti - Italian-style tapas - on the narrow wood counter along the back wall and chat about the latest football match, politics and neighborhood gossip. Behind the glass-enclosed counter, you'll find crusty bread opped with gorgonzola, paper-thin prosciutto, polpette (meatballs made of pork), fried rounds of pumpkin stuffed with cheese and a variety of fried fish. Wash it all down with a spritz of the house wine.
>> Rio Tera Farsetti

Al Timon
Venetians are fond of the giro d'ombra, a pub crawl from one cicchetti spot to the next. So make your way to Fondamenti degli Ormesini, along Ormesini Canal. Along the canal, you'll find several local spots, like Al Timon, serving up cicchetti (crostini with every imaginable topping are quite popular), wine and lively conversation.
>> Fondamenta degli Ormesini; +39 041 524 6066

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The Planet's Luckiest Places

MapQuest Discover — 2013-03-17T12:53:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

Let's face it: A river of green beer, or getting caught in an emerald-colored parade aren't going to do much for your luck this St. Patrick's Day. Instead, invest some greenbacks in getting to one of these auspicious sites, which have been drawing down-on-their-luck pilgrims for years. If all else fails, you'll have twisted your travel fate just by getting there.

Charging Bull, Wall Street

Granted, this guy seemed a bit beefier before the economy tanked in 2008. But the 7,100-pound bronze Charging Bull sculpture on New York's Wall Street still draws daily droves of tourists. Up until 2011, visitors liked to rub the bull's nether regions for good luck. Then officials barricaded it off amidst Occupy Wall Street furor. Hey, you can have your photo taken today, and consider yourself lucky it's not a real bull.

Read the rest of The Planet's Luckiest Places at AOL's MapQuest Discover.

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Taking on Austin for SXSW

MapQuest Discover — 2013-03-09T07:14:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

The South by Southwest Festival is underway, and our AOL colleagues are on the scene. To keep an eye on what's going on in Austin, check out some real-time updates from bloggers over at MapQuest. The MapQuesters also tracked down some experts on the Austin scene, and they've got some food and music recommendations from Foodspotting, Forkly and Spinner.

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'MAKERS': Maya Lin on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Beyond

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-02-26T09:51:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

One of the most visited spots in Washington, D.C. started out as a school project. Maya Lin developed the idea for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during her senior year at Yale University, a process that came together in a moment of inspiration.

After seeing the memorial site on the National Mall and researching for almost two months, Lin went to bed one night. "The next morning I thought let's cut open the earth and open it up," Lin says. "That's all it was."

She shares the full story behind her now-iconic memorial in "MAKERS: Women Who Make America," a documentary airing tonight on PBS. A joint project of PBS and AOL, "MAKERS" chronicles the past 50 years of the women's movement through the stories of Lin and other trailblazers. (Check the listings for local air times.)

Lin's design ignited a firestorm of protests from Vietnam veterans. But soon after it debuted in 1982, the memorial became a touchstone for veterans and played a key role in healing the nation's post-war wounds. Four million people now visit the wall every year. "I knew I was right," Lin says. "[The initial reaction] wasn't just about the aesthetics. It was about that I knew that if that project was built it would help people. I cannot answer why I knew that. I'd never known anyone who died. All I knew is if we could face death, face it honestly, only then can we get over it."

Lin's memorial also launched a career that has seen her create artwork and memorials throughout the world. You can see five of her can't-miss works in person in the destinations in the gallery below.

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Oscar Movies Trigger Travelers' Wanderlust

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-02-22T16:01:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

In Oscar-nominated movies, sometimes the scenery shines like the stars.In last year's best picture candidate "The Descendants," the Hawaiian eye candy almost upstaged George Clooney. In 2010's best picture winner "Slumdog Millionaire," you could taste the grit and hum of India. In 2003's "Lost in Translation," the bright lights and big crowds of Tokyo set the film's exquisite tone.

This year, the Oscar nominees shine a spotlight on a variety of wanderlust-inducing destinations. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul stars in the opening scene of "Skyfall," which is nominated for best cinematography. Vivid scenes from "Life of Pi" were filmed in Pondicherry, India's French Quarter. The musical "Les Miserables" counted on Gourdon, a village in Provence, as a stage for its scenes of early 1800s France.

Check out the video above for a look at those and other destinations that stand out in this year's crop of Oscar nominated films. For coverage of other movies that inspire travel, as well full-coverage of the Oscars Sunday evening, hop on over to Moviefone.

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Chand Baori: Inside Rajasthan's Famed Stepwell

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-01-14T16:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

A journey into Rajasthan's Chand Baori, the world's oldest and deepest stepwell.

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What's the Story Behind Laos' Mysterious Plain of Jars?

AOL Travel Staff — 2013-01-07T16:47:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

The purpose of the Plain of Jars continues to baffle researchers.

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The "Sleepbox" Makes Airport Dozing More Comfortable

AOL Travel Staff — 2011-08-15T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Air Travel, Arts & Culture

YouTube

A Moscow airport eager to cater to tired travelers has installed the "Sleepbox," a modular dorm room, in a terminal so travelers can get a little shut eye while waiting for the final boarding call.

The box, a brainchild of the design firm Arch Group, is essentially a tiny cabin with bunk beds and mood lighting. The BBC reports that the Russian design team is hoping that its boxes will be installed in terminals where travelers will be able to rent them for short periods of time.

By-the-hour hotel rooms may not have the best reputation, but the BBC reports that the "Sleepbox" is proving popular with Russian travelers. Though the current model being used in the airport is actually built for hostels (thus the bunk bed), Arch Group has designed a one-person model specifically intended for airport use.

The single person pods will have Wifi connections, a tv screen and easily adjustable lighting.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Drinks From Around The World That Really Aren't

Vilmarie Estrella — 2011-07-31T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

mountainhiker/Flickr

Scotch and Russian vodka are not merely drinks in their respective homelands, they are the manifestations of tradition and deeply held beliefs. This is the appeal of the exotic drink - that it offers centuries of refinement and craftmanship and a window into a different culture.

Scotch and Russian vodka are not merely drinks in their respective homelands, they are the manifestations of tradition and deeply held beliefs. This is the appeal of the exotic drink - that it offers centuries of refinement and craftmanship and a window into a different culture.

But many cocktails are not what they seem. Given names that are more evocative than accurate, they trick barflies into believing they're having an authentic experience when, in fact, they're being treated to a bit of refreshment thought up by a mixologist in far-off Flagstaff.

Don't be fooled. The list below unmasks the origin of a few poseur drinks.

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National Parks In Time Lapse (VIDEO)

Kate Auletta — 2011-07-29T13:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Arts & Culture

Friar Johannes M. Schwarz

Vimeo user Friar Johannes M. Schwarz took a road trip this month from California to Minnesota visiting friends and national parks.

The Catholic man of cloth took some breathtaking shots of some of our country's most exquisite national parks.

Schwarz writes on his Vimeo page: "Time was limited in the places leaving not much room for location scouting or waiting for ideal weather conditions. On the whole - I realized when making this video - it is rather a compilation than a unified video. So for me personally it lacks unity, the 'golden thread' connecting things or something...but as part of the extended cut these shots will however nicely serve to reminiscence about the trip."

Regardless, the end product is pretty sweet.

This video joins some of our all-time favorites of nature, like Terje Sorgjerd's look at Norways' Lofoten archipelago.

So on this rather slow-moving Friday, take a look at our country's bounty and enjoy!

WATCH:

Far and Wide :: Timelapse Cut from Fr. Johannes M Schwarz on Vimeo.

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Why Vancouver Kicks Ass

Marielle Bingham — 2011-07-27T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Hotel, Weird, Arts & Culture, Food + Drink, Nightlife

CanadaPenguin/Flickr

Sitting between three bodies of water and the Coastal Mountain Range, Vancouver benefits from gorgeous scenery. Mountains are well and good, but visitors would do well not to be distracted from the city's happening cultural scene. Sitting between three bodies of water and the Coastal Mountain Range, Vancouver benefits from gorgeous scenery. Mountains are well and good, but visitors would do well not to be distracted from the city's happening cultural scene.

Fast-paced Vancouver is buzzing with young artists, creative musicians, and all-around eccentric thinkers that create a unique twist on the typical "modern city." While wandering the city's bustling streets, pedestrian's pass stylish vintage stores, trendy little restaurants, and probably a few lively street performers.

Vancouver has found a way to maintain its status as Canada's frontier town: pushing boundaries. Visitors would be well-advised to join the maddeningly hip crowd.

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