Top Stories on OffbeatTravel.com for 2009

Destination Paris: Landmarks, Monuments, and Neighborhoods by Patrice Raplee

Paris and élan, intertwined in a never-ending liaison that forms the fabric of the city’s society. Virtually every street in Paris is alive with the hum of creativity. From the ornate architecture and gorgeous French couture, to the heady aroma of fresh café au lait and warm croissants wafting on the breeze, Paris defines the nuances of living art.

Belmont Park Race Track...And They're Off! By Neala Schwartzberg

The horses come thundering down the track, the jockeys urging them forward. The crowd roars on its collective feet. You stand, shouting with everyone else: "Go, GO, GO!

And in an instant you're either a happy winner counting your money, or sadly ripping up your tickets. But wait, there's another race in about 20 minutes. You're at Belmont Park Race Track, and the excitement continues.

The Pleasures of Ponce Puerto Rico by Neala Schwartzberg

I'm sitting at a table in the open air La Terraza restaurant in the Ponce Hilton hotel. The sky is a cloudless blue, the sun is shining and there's a soft breeze. I'm having breakfast and watching a black bird raid the sugar, flying off clutching a yellow packet of artificial sweetener in his beak. I idly wonder what he's going to do with it. He can't possibly be using it for his coffee and there are other more appropriate nesting materials available. The sparrows seem to be doing fine with the bark of the palm tree. The parrot (in a cage) has his housing needs met.

This moment is made even more sweet by the fact that back home it's below freezing. But even if the weather up north was warm, it would still be a golden time to visit Ponce. This smaller sibling to San Juan has enough amenities to be comfortable but has not yet become a tourism magnet.

Cermak Plaza, Berwyn Illinois: A revolutionary art (and shopping) center going slowly to ruin by Neala Schwartzberg

Art in public spaces is no longer revolutionary. It's gone far beyond murals gracing public walls and humans of heroic proportions standing amid public buildings. We have cow sculptures meandering along public streets. Tableaux in store fronts. But one of the most cataclysmic developments has been to put artistic creations in the middle of a suburban shopping center.

More than 20 years later, this move is still steeped in controversy. But sadly time has not been kind, and upkeep has been lagging.

Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island by Fyllis Hockman

Hey, did you see that? The Nurse shark passed right over my head! Did you notice we made eye contact until my attention was caught by the sting ray gliding by my side. Okay, nothing unusual, you say, for a scuba diver, but I don't dive. In fact, I wasn't even wet.

I was standing in a clear, underwater acrylic tunnel in the Predator lagoon, watching any number of aquatic life forms go about their business all around me, totally oblivious to my intrusion. I was one with the fish; we shared a fish-eyed view of the coral-colored Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas, which, from our perspective, appeared as a towering, shimmering reflection in the water.

Old Havana (La Habana Vieja), Cuba: A journey into the past by George Bailey

Havana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba, is a city in a socialist country and not for the faint of heart to visit. It’s very different from the guarded communities of many of the popular packaged Cuban destinations. But if you’re fascinated with history, intrigued by old buildings, old cars and just plain curious a visit to this capital city of the largest island in the Caribbean is right up your alley.

Dahlonega Georgia: Wine Country, Gold Country and More by Neala Schwartzberg

I gave serious thought to making Dahlonega my second home. I would stay in the Top of the Square B& B. Charles, one of the owners, would make Cajun breakfasts for me every morning in the kitchen of Gabee's Cajun Restaurant and I would eat dinner in Crimson Moon then hang out and listen to the great music before going back to my spacious but cozy two-room suite. For a change of pace I'd hit the Back Porch Oyster Bar (one floor down from the B & B) for their delicious seafood. During the day I'd pan for gold, hike by the lakes and streams, and indulge my taste for wine tastings. On evenings when the Holly Theatre was doing a production, you'd find me in the balcony enjoying the performance. I'm still not ruling it out.

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