America's Cup Comes to San Francisco Bay

The oldest active trophy in international sport, the America’s Cup, was named after a yacht called America, which first won the silver trophy in an 1851 race around the Isle of Wight. In the cup’s long history, it has been won by only five yacht clubs, most recently the Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco.

As the current holder of the cup, the Golden Gate Yacht Club will host the Royal Swedish Yacht Club in an America’s Cup challenge this summer. Preliminary events begin July 4 on San Francisco Bay, leading up to a final in mid-September. There will be as many as 17 match races between 72-foot wing-sail catamarans.

Free public viewing of the races will be available at America’s Cup Park at Pier 27/29, where you’ll

also find big-screen race coverage with live commentary; mouthwatering food and beverages; America’s Cup exhibits and merchandise; and autograph opportunities with the athletes. In addition, live music, family shows and comedy acts will keep the crowd entertained between races. You can also watch the races from Marina Green – to ensure a good view, purchase tickets for reserved bleacher seating.

If you can pull yourself away from the thrill of America’s Cup yacht racing, there is much more to see along San Francisco’s waterfront. The Exploratorium just re-opened at Pier 15 in the historic Embarcadero District after moving from the Palace of Fine Arts. This interactive museum entices visitors to explore and experiment with all five senses.

The Aquarium of the Bay at the edge of Pier 39, lets you experience life under the water of San Francisco Bay, which is home to fantastic creatures like moon jellies, sevengill sharks and colorful moray eels.

At dusk, look toward the mighty Bay Bridge to see the world’s largest LED light sculpture. The sculpture’s 25,000 lights shine each night along 1.8 miles of the bridge’s western span. The lights, which will help celebrate the opening of the new eastern span of the bridge this fall, will be on display until 2015.

And, don’t forget to visit that other famous bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, which spans the strait that connects the bay to the Pacific Ocean.

For more information about visiting San Francisco during the America’s Cup races, talk with your travel professional.

Emerging Destinations in Europe

Europe and its great capitals – including London, Rome and Paris – attract the most visitors during the summer months. If you feel Europe calling to you but would like to go somewhere a little off the usual tourist map, consider one of the places selected as Europe’s finest “up and coming” destinations by the professionals at Travel Leaders/The Travel Exchange: Croatia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Iceland.

                                                                                             

 For the second year in a row, Travel Leaders owners and front-line agents identified Croatia as Europe’s top up-and coming destination. There’s a lot to see in this country just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, including enchanting coastal islands, the historic walled city of Dubrovnik, Roman antiquities at Split, and the mountains, lakes and parks around the inland city of Zagreb. Cruise lines have also discovered just how up-and-coming Croatia is by including stops in Dubrovnik and Split on many eastern Mediterranean itineraries.

Much of Turkey’s unique flavor comes from its geographic position as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Top sights include the exotic city of Istanbul, with outdoor bazaars, mix of historic architectural styles, fragrant kebab restaurants and lively arts district. Turkey’s Cappadocia region is visually stunning, with slim outcroppings of rock called “fairy chimneys” and luxurious hotels built inside caves. But ancient sites like Ephesus offer you the opportunity to see some of best preserved Roman ruins.

The Czech Republic has beautiful landscapes of mountains, forests and gently rolling hills. There is no shoreline in this landlocked country, but the Elbe, Vltava and other rivers flow through. The capital of Prague has historic and cultural attractions that include stately Prague Castle, more than ten major museums and a historic Old Town. Visitors also enjoy the mineral springs and treatments at famous spa towns the western part of the country.

Fought over and ruled at times by Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Christians, Portugal has also been the center of a vast colonial empire. Visitors enjoy the vineyards of the Douro Valley, the center of port wine production; the capital city of Lisbon, which is full of parks, monuments, museums and architectural treasures; and the picturesque beaches of the Algarve region.

Iceland is a much more attractive destination than its name suggests. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the island has a temperate climate and is a hotbed of geological activity, with active volcanoes, leaping geysers and therapeutic hot springs. There are lots of outdoor pursuits to enjoy, including hiking, kayaking in fjords and sheltered inlets, and even golf – there are more than 50 courses, usually open May through September.

For more information about destinations that are off the usual tourist track, talk with your travel professional.

Music and More in Malmo

The fabled Eurovision Song Contest is a delight for music lovers – and for travelers. Held each year since 1956, the contest accepts one song from each European nation, broadcasts them on television and radio, then lets the public and professional judges cast votes for the best. The contest is one of the world’s longest-running television shows, and some of the featured singers – like ABBA, Julio Iglesias and Céline Dion – have gone on to international fame. The winning country enjoys a year of bragging rights and gets to host the next contest.

This year’s host is the city of Malmö, located on the southernmost tip of Sweden. Most of the events will take place at Malmö Arena, which has already hosted the Swedish Idol contest and many concerts. While tickets for the final show are sold out, they are still available for the first and second semi-final rehearsals and live shows, held May 13-16.

In addition to special events surrounding the contest, visitors will find lots of other things to do and see in Malmö, a Scandinavian delight. A five-minute train ride through the City Tunnel will take you from Malmö Arena to the heart of the city. You can explore the surprisingly international restaurant scene, from classic Swedish fare (in addition to meatballs, think rhubarb soup, grilled rack of wild boar, or cod with lobster sauce), as well as French, Thai, Vietnamese and Persian specialties. After dinner, pub-hop at the Slagthuset entertainment complex.

Malmö has wonderful historic buildings, including Malmö Castle, a fortress built in the 1530s, and Saint Peter’s Church, built in early 14th century Gothic style. But you’ll also find plenty of more contemporary Scandinavian designs, along with Sweden’s tallest building, the HSB Turning Torso created by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, who based this marvel on a sculpture called Twisting Torso. If the weather is fine, visit Malmo’s beaches – try Ribersborg beach, which offers 2.5 miles of sand and saunas for men and women. Bathing suits, while perfectly acceptable, are not required.

Malmö is also very well-connected: Copenhagen, Denmark, is easily accessible in less than a half hour via a train that runs across the impressive, five-mile long Öresund Bridge. Sweden’s motorways or short flights from the Malmö airport provide easy access to the Gothenburg, Stockholm and other Swedish cities.

To made plans for your visit to Malmö during the Eurovision contest or at any time, talk with your travel professional.