Lisa Davis: Follow me on Twitter @LisaDavisMedia
A Memorable Visit to the Saguaro National Park
The majestic saguaro cacti at sunset
The Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona is one of the Southwest’s crown jewels, mostly because of the thousands of gigantic saguaro cacti that dot its sandy landscape.
In fact, the cacti almost have a celebrity status among the thousands of people who visit the park each year. Part of that has to do with the cacti’s enormous size, which for me is the main reason I make an annual pilgrimmage to the park. I also enjoy going there to get out of the city...
February 28th, 2011 | Phoenix | Read More
Chicago’s Restaurant Week 2011
If you are a foodie and are in Chicago, you’re in luck. Major luck. Starting February 18 and lasting for 10 days through February 27, over 200 restaurants will offer special prix fix menus starting at $22 as part of Chicago’s annual Restaurant Week 2011.
This is a great bargain considering that some of Chicago’s top restaurants will be showcasing their best dishes and spirits with three-course lunches and dinners. (According to the City of Chicago, “participating restaurants offer...
February 15th, 2011 | Chicago | Read More
Free Admission to the Art Institute
With Chicago bracing for what CNN is calling a “snow storm of historic proportions,” it might be an ideal week to tuck inside and take advantage of the remaining Art Institute’s Free Days.
Each year the Art Institute (111 South Michigan Avenue; map) offers free admission, which is a deal considering admission for adults is normally $18.
This year’s Free Days at the Art Institute run thru February 4, so there is still plenty of time to check out the Art Institute gratis, which...
January 31st, 2011 | Chicago | Read More
Volunteer Ideas in Chicago
This Valentine’s Day, give the gift of giving by volunteering.
You can spend the day with a friend or your significant other and work together to serve meals to the homeless; walk a dog; or help build a home through Habitat for Humanity.
Here’s a list of volunteer ideas in Chicago, good anytime of the year.
PAWS Chicago (1997 N. Clybourn Ave.; map it; 773-935-PAWS) – the city’s largest no-kill shelter for dogs and cats. Volunteer opportunities include walking dogs and taking care of...
January 31st, 2011 | Chicago | Read More
Chicago Restaurants Top AAA Five Diamond Ratings
Chicago has long now been known as a foodie town. From its famous deep-dish pizza, to Mexican cuisine-inspired masterpieces from chef Rick Bayless, Chicago’s culinary history has been rich and varied.
Critics are taking notice once again of Chicago’s powerhouse chefs and restaurants
Seven Chicago restaurants have received the prestigious AAA Five Diamond rating this year, the most of any North American city, according to AAA (also known as the American Automobile Association). The restaurants...
January 22nd, 2011 | Chicago | Read More
Ice Skating in Chicago
With January making its debut tomorrow in Chicago, winter will be in full swing in the Windy City.
One popular winter activity in Chicago is ice skating. It’s popularity could be partly because of Chicago’s snowy climate that keeps the ice thick and cold all season long. It could also be Chicagoans love of ice skating, a possible tribute to our mighty Chicago Blackhawks.
Here is a listing of some of Chicago’s best ice rinks. Grab your skates, gloves and a warm hat, coat and gloves (some...
December 31st, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Skiing and Snowboarding in Telluride, Colorado
There are many things that make people want to visit Telluride, Colorado, including the town’s award-winning dining; European alpine-style architecture (Legend has it that the first skiers there were Swedes and Finns in the late 1800s.); views of the San Juan mountains; and its ties to the Wild West, including a link to Butch Cassidy who robbed his first bank there in 1889.
Telluride's Night Lights and ski runs
But it is Telluride’s Ski Resort (565 Mountain Village Boulevard; map) that makes...
December 31st, 2010 | Ski & Snowboard | Read More
New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Looking for something last-minute to do this New Year’s Eve? Several Chicago establishments are throwing their own bashes with food buffets and midnight champagne toasts.
Here’s a sampling of some fun New Year’s Eve party options in Chicago to ring in 2011 in style. Because costs can change, please check with the establishment for their New Year’s Eve party prices.
The festivities at Joe’s Bar (940 W. Weed Street; map) starts at 9 p.m. and includes live music by Wedding Banned,...
December 28th, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Last-Minute Gift Ideas
While many holiday gift deals can be found at big-name stores like Target, Chicago also has some wonderful boutique stores that sell unique and fun presents that make for great last-minute gift ideas.
Armitage Avenue (map) in Chicago has several specialty boutique shops. Starting from Halsted Street and heading west on Armitage Avenue, you will find some of my favorite shopping haunts including:
Lori’s Shoes, 824 W. Armitage Avenue (map)
All She Wrote (stationary store), 825 W. Armitage Avenue...
December 23rd, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Top Chicago Bars for Holiday Decor and Cocktails
If you are looking to toast a cup of glögg with friends and family this holiday season. or simply enjoy holiday decorations, check out these bars in Chicago known for their holiday decor and festive cocktails.
And don’t forget that before or after enjoying a holiday drink, you can check out some of Chicago’s best Christmas events, including the Christkindlmarket, which runs through this Friday, December 24, and the Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights that stay bright through January 2, 2011.
Butch...
December 21st, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Chicago’s Christkindlmarket and Winter Wonderfest
It’s hard to believe this week is December. You have to wonder where the time has gone. It’s also almost hard to believe that we are in full holiday mode in Chicago.
For me, the holidays have seemed a bit surreal until today when I happened to be walking down Clark Street and strolled into Chicago’s Christkindlmaret.
For many of us in Chicago, the German Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza (55 Randolph St.; map), which is inspired by the Christkindlmarket in Nuremberg, Germany, is one of the...
November 30th, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Skiing and Snowboarding in Park City, Utah
Surrounded by three world-class ski resorts (Park City Mountain, Deer Valley and The Canyons), Park City, Utah (map) has what many skiers and boarders consider to be the best ski conditions in North America. The former mining town averages more than 360 inches of powder-like snow each year. That might explain why Park City has been named among the top ski towns in North America each year, including Deer Valley, which has also been rated the #1 ski resort in North America four years in a row...
November 30th, 2010 | Ski & Snowboard | Read More
ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo
This weekend begins the Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights that turn the city’s zoo into a winter wonderland of multi-colored lights and holiday decorations, music, and food.
The Lincoln Park Zoo (2001 North Clark Street; map) is one of the few free zoos in the U.S., and its ZooLights is are also complimentary thanks to ComEd.
Dates and Times:
ZooLights begins November 26 and runs through January 2, 2011. ZooLights will be open November 26 – 28; December 3 – 5; December 10 – 12;...
November 26th, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Holiday Events in Chicago
This Thanksgiving weekend in Chicago kicks off the holiday season with several key holiday events. Starting with the Thankgiving Parade on Thanksgiving Day, followed by the start of the Christkindle Market and more, you won’t be short on ways to spend some holiday fun time with family and friends.
Here is a sampling of some of the Chicago’s best holiday celebrations this year. Check back on iStopOver.com’s Chicago blog throughout November and December for more holiday event listings.
Sing-a-long-a...
November 24th, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Skiing and Boarding at Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado
While the celebrity sightings at the Aspen/Snowmass Ski Resort (travel guide) are some of the best in the world, so are the thousands of acres of groomed skiing and boarding trails that traverse across the area’s grand Colorado Rocky Mountains known to produce some of the U.S.’s freshest powder.
The news gets even better: This season the resort will have one of its longest, officially opening on November 25, 2010 and not closing until April 24, 2011 – that’s 151 days of skiing and...
November 22nd, 2010 | Ski & Snowboard | Read More
Chicago’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Originally created to lift people’s spirits during the Great Depression, Chicago’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates 77 years this year and will once again march down State Street on Thanksgiving (November 25).
The parade’s official Web site has maps of the parade’s route and viewing areas. The parade begins at 8 a.m., starting at State Street and Congress (map) and ending at State and Randolph, usually around 11 a.m.
This year the parade will include:
Visits from Santa Claus...
November 13th, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Vail: Your Next Ski Vacation Destination
Like cathedrals of ice and snow, the mountains of Vail are some of the most picturesque in all of North America. And so is Vail itself. It’s where Hollywood’s elite come to play in the winter with its high-end restaurants, and it’s where many skiers and snowboarders vacation, being drawn to Vail’s snow capped Colorado Rockies that provide diverse terrain for all levels, including steep runs that are challenging for experts and trails that are flatter and more serene for beginners.
A blue...
November 11th, 2010 | Denver, Ski & Snowboard | Read More
Chicago’s Haunted Haunts and Tours
Today’s Halloween and no better day than today to celebrate Chicago’s most haunted haunts.
Chicago is known for its legends, ghosts and haunted sites. A great way to see Chicago’s colorful and ghostly history is to take a bus tour with Chicago Hauntings (888-GHOST-91) based on Ursula Bielski’s nearly 20 years of ghost hunting and her “Chicago Haunts” series of books. While paranormal activity can’t be guaranteed, an in-depth tour and historical lessons of some of Chicago’s most...
October 31st, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Chicago’s Best Hot Cocktails This Winter
As the weather turns colder in Chicago and fall turns into winter, sipping a hot cocktail is especially nice on a wintery night.
Many of Chicago’s most popular restaurants make some deliciously creative hot drinks, and not just your standard coffee, hot chocolate or tea.
Atwood Cafe (1 Washington Street; Map) serves a Keoki Coffee made with Kahula, brandy, coffee and whipped cream. ($12)
Rebar (401 N. Wabash) makes a must-try Winter Magic Punch that serves at least eight people and is made with...
October 30th, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
Halloween in Chicago
Like Christmas, Halloween is a big deal in Chicago. From haunted houses, to spookey costume parades and pumpkin decorating contests, you won’t be bored this Halloween in Chicago.
Here is a list of some of Chicago’s most popular Halloween events and happenings.
Boo! at the Zoo – October 23 and 24 the Brookfield Zoo (3300 Golf Road, Brookfield, IL; map) puts on a Halloween party that includes a haunted house, scarecrow building, a corn maze and more. Festivities begin around...
October 22nd, 2010 | Chicago | Read More
How iStopOver Works
Recent Top Features
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The United Nations Headquarters in NYC
The New York City Traveler—March 1, 2011
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5 Great Los Angeles Hikes
The Los Angeles Guide—February 28, 2011
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A Memorable Visit to the Saguaro National Park
The Phoenix Traveler—February 28, 2011
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Five Reasons to Get Up and Go With Go City Cards
Rest of the World—February 28, 2011
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What’s Stonehenge Like in Person?
The London Traveler—February 27, 2011
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Visit Haunted London
The London Traveler—February 26, 2011
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A Trip to Limelight Marketplace in NYC
The New York City Traveler—February 25, 2011
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Family Fun At British Columbia’s Sun Peaks Resort
The Ski & Snowboard Guide—February 25, 2011
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Where to Eat: Venice, Florida
The Culinary Travel Guide—February 24, 2011
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The Beatles & More in Liverpool
The London Traveler—February 23, 2011