The live VIP performance will be an intimate acoustic affair and only a few lucky guests will have the opportunity to see Tony perform.  Tickets will be made available exclusively through the new Cabarrus County Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitor Information Center located at 10099 Weddington Road, Suite 102, Concord, NC.        “Tony Lucca is thrilled to be a part of this incredible race-week event at the Event Center of Concord and Great Wolf Lodge.  We have been coming to Cabarrus County for years as part of Tony’s normal touring schedule.  It is a truly beautiful part of the world and we’re glad to return!” said Jason Spiewak, president of Rock Ridge Music and Tony Lucca’s manager.

“The performance will take place in our brand new Event Center of Concord,” said Phillip Cunningham, General Manager of the Great Wolf Lodge.  “I am a big fan of music and a big fan of Tony’s.  We at the Great Wolf Lodge are excited that he will be able to perform in our new facility, and this will be a great way for us to showcase this as an events, parties and meetings center.  It is very versatile and we are very happy Tony will be helping us celebrate our kick-off party.”   

Lucca’s life-long immersion in music and his ever-deepening life experiences have resulted in a potently affecting body of work: his lyrics and vocal quality are instantly identifiable, even to those who have heard his music once or twice. Raised in Waterford, Michigan, Lucca

Find more…

Restaurants with three Michelin stars are few and far between, but on this fantasy culinary voyage we take in no less than ten, with 30 stars between them!

These establishments represent the very finest cuisine available on the planet, and this world tour offers a glimpse into menus created by chefs at the very top of their game. From snail porridge to dessert spread all over the tablecloth, join us as we traverse the globe in search of foodie heaven

Yountville CA, US – The French Laundry

We start our tour in sunny California named the Best Restaurant in the World by Restaurant Magazine in 2003 and 2004, The French Laundry in Yountville is chef Thomas Kellers masterpiece. T

Find more…

The Parus Trail at Zion National Park is a recent addition (1995) to the parks trail system. It connects the Campgrounds near the Visitor Center, the Human History Museum and the Canyon Junction shuttle bus stop.  Since private cars are not allowed to stop along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive from April through October, families staying in Springdale generally grab the town shuttle to the Visitor Center than hop on a Park Shuttle for the ride deeper into the Park.  The Parus Trail offers an accessible, dog and baby stroller friendly option to begin or end your visit with an hour long  1.7 mile one way stroll criss-crossing Oak Creek, Pine Creek and the Virgin River.   Bikes can be rented from Zion Outfitter located near the Visitor Center, sharing a parking lot with the Giant Screen Theater.

The word Parus means bubbling, tumbling water and this walk definitely lives up to its name.   This lower section of the river is more controlled than the upper reaches seen on the Riverside Walk.   A trailside exhibit points out the remains of an old dam and explains how water from the river still supplies nearby Springdale.    The design of the trail keeps the water in view as you navigate several footbridges along the way.

Due to the fact that there is little shade, this is a trail best done on cooler days or in the morning or evening on hot days.   We visited in the late afternoon on a warm spring day and found the trail almost empty except for a few very polite bike riders.  We are told it can be pretty busy on a summer morning however.  As with all the trails in Zion National Park, the Parus offers one stunning view after another.  The cliffs at this end of the canyon are not as steep or as sharp as those closer the Narrows but are beautiful in their own way.

Depending on your plans and energy levels, you can opt to walk a short section of the trail as far as the Museum, keep going to the end of the trail or turn around and stroll back to where you started.   For one way walkers, the shuttle bus stop at the end of the trail offers access to the rest of the sights and trailheads along the Scenic Drive, as well as the option of a quick return to the Park entrance when you are done for the day.

If you have walked on the Parus Trail let us know your thoughts.

 Tagged with: family travel, hikes, National Parks, Utah

Find more…

The Mtkvari river carves its way through the lush and dramatic cliffs of Georgia.  Its course runs like a tour through Georgian history.  Ancient fortresses and castles loom over the river, and ancient trading sites attest to Georgia’s rich history as a crossroads between Europe and Asia.  Eventually, the river’s meandering course passes by the hidden tunnels leading to one of Georgia’s most remarkable sites: the cave city of Vardzia.

It doesn’t look like a city or a monastery at first.  In fact, the porous, honey-combed rock face looks more like the set of a sci-fi movie.  But even to

Find more…

Remember when the concept was first revealed? Several decades ago we saw pilots casually starting to walk through airport concourses actually rolling a suitcase behind them. Wow, that’s clever!

And what was in that small black bag anyway? Is that where the pilot kept his supply of wing pins in case some lucky kid was invited up to see the cockpit at 25,000 feet?

All I knew for sure was that those aviators weren’t lugging their bags like I was.

Find more…

Whether the birds meet deadline or not, the human party goes on. The centerpiece is the 2012 Swallows Day Parade to be held Saturday. Organizers tout it as “the nation’s largest non-motorized parade.”

The 54th annual Swallows Day Parade will hit the streets of San Juan Capistrano with lots of horses, dancers and some 3,000 people participating in the 11/2-mile route along El Camino Real, Del Obispo Street and Camino Capistrano.

The Swallows Day Parade is the centerpiece of the Fiesta de la Golondrinas, marking the birds’ migratory return from a winter in Argentina.

Find more…

Find more…

In years past, the exhibition halls of LInstitut du Monde Arabe in Paris looked a lot more forlorn than did its lovely, lacy Jean Nouvel-designed exterior. Last month, after closing for two years for a five-million-euro renovation, the institute reopened with refreshed galleries in which to display hundreds of works of art and artifacts as well as video and audio meant to bring the Arab-speaking world to life.

“We first opened in 1987,’’ said Philippe Cardinal, the institute’s spokesman. “The mus

Find more…

As part of the weekend, Mr. Sparks will also screen the new Warner Bros. movie

Find more…

Molja Lighthouse is one of the world’s most unique hotel rooms, sitting 100m from the main shore of one of Norway’s most beautiful towns and providing the ultimate getaway for travellers looking for seclusion combined with the attractions of a town nearby.

Molja Lighthouse is ‘room 47’ of the stylish Hotel Brosundet, whose other rooms are on the shore nearby in the main building. The lighthouse room offers stunning views out into the Norwegian Sea and surrounding islands, as well as back onto the picturesque harbour of Alesund – perfect for creating some romantic memories! The light

Find more…

Three hotel chains have agreed to join a program that provides free rooms to wounded U.S. troops and their families.

National hotel chains Marriott and Wyndham and a smaller chain called AmericInn have agreed to participate in the “Hotels for Heroes” program. The program will allow Americans to donate their hotel reward points to wounded veterans and their relatives.

Pay to taste

After three years of financial losses, the showcase summer festival Taste of Chicago will start charging music fans if they want concert seats.

Find more…

A series of case studies, presented at the first China Responsible Tourism Forum (CRTF) in Beijing on December 16, confirmed that responsible tourism is firmly on the agenda among small and medium-sized enterprises in China.

“The highly innovative best practice case studies presented show that China is at the forefront of grass-roots responsible tourism development,” said Martin Craigs, CEO of the Bangkok-based Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

The sold out forum, organised by PATA in co-operation with the Organising Committee of the China International Heritage Towns Exposition, was moderated by CCTV Business News anchor Deidre Morris Wang. Coi

Find more…