1. Myrtle Beach - South Carolina
Birthplace of Wheel of Fortune star Vanna White, MYRTLE BEACH is a brazen splurge of seaside fun, an unmitigated stretch of commercial development twenty miles down the coast from the North Carolina border at the center of the sixty-mile "Grand Strand." Predominantly a family resort, it's packed fit to burst during mid-term vacations with leering, jeering students in fluorescent beachwear – if you've seen the movie Shag, you'll know what to expect. Fans of crazy golf, water parks, factory outlet malls, funfairs and parasailing will be in heaven, and the beach itself isn't bad. The widest stretch is at North Myrtle Beach, a chain of small communities among which Ocean Drive is the center.
South of Myrtle Beach lie Murells Inlet, a fishing port with lots of good fish restaurants, and Pawleys Island, a secluded resort once favored by plantation-owners and today retaining a far slower pace than its neighbors. Between the two on Hwy-17 is the beautifully landscaped Brookgreen Gardens (summer daily 9.30am–9.30pm; rest of the year 9.30am–5pm; $8.50; tel 1-800/849-1931), a former rice and indigo plantation with an outdoor display of American figurative sculpture, and the setting for many of Julia Peterkin's novels of gullah life. There's also a wildlife sanctuary, where you're likely to spot alligator and deer, and an hour-and-a-half boat tour around the area.
Far and away the most exciting city in Florida, MIAMI is a stunning and often intoxicatingly beautiful place. Awash with sunlight-intensified natural colors, there are moments – when the neon-flashed South Beach skyline glows in the warm night and the palm trees sway in the breeze – when a better-looking city is hard to imagine. Even so, people, not climate or landscape, are what make Miami unique. Half of the two million population is Hispanic, the vast majority Cubans. Spanish is the predominant language almost everywhere – in many places it's the only language you'll hear, and you'll be expected to speak at least a few words – and news from Havana, Caracas or Managua frequently gets more attention than the latest word from Washington, DC.
Just a century ago Miami was a swampy outpost of mosquito-tormented settlers. The arrival of the railroad in 1896 gave the city its first fixed land-link with the rest of the continent, and cleared the way for the Twenties property boom. In the Fifties, Miami Beach became a celebrity-filled resort area, just as thousands of Cubans fleeing the regime of Fidel Castro began arriving in mainland Miami. The Sixties and Seventies brought decline, and Miami's reputation in the Eighties as the vice capital of the USA was at least partly deserved. As the cop show Miami Vice so glamorously underlined, drug smuggling was endemic; as well, in 1980 the city had the highest murder rate in America. Since then, though, much has changed for two very different reasons. First, the gentrification of South Beach helped make tourism the lifeblood of the local economy again in the early Nineties. Second, the city's determined wooing of Latin America brought rapid investment, both domestic and international: many US corporations run their South American operations from Miami and certain neighborhoods, such as Key Biscayne, are now home to thriving communities of expat Peruvians, Colombians and Venezuelans.
Hand-picked by computer, CANCÚN is, if nothing else, proof of Mexico's remarkable ability to get things done in a hurry if the political will is there. A fishing village of 120 people as recently as 1970, it's now a city with a resident population of half a million and receives almost two million visitors a year. To some extent the computer selected its location well. Cancún is marginally closer to Miami than it is to Mexico City, and if you come on an all-inclusive package tour the place has a lot to offer: striking modern hotels on white-sand beaches; high-class entertainment including parachuting, jet-skiing, scuba-diving and golf; a hectic nightlife; and from here much of the rest of the Yucatán is easily accessible. For the independent traveller, though, it is expensive, and can be frustrating and unwelcoming. You may well be forced to spend the night here, but without pots of money the true pleasures of the place will elude you.
There are, in effect, two quite separate parts to Cancún: the zona commercial downtown – the shopping and residential centre which, as it gets older, is becoming genuinely earthy – and the zona hotelera, a string of hotels and tourist amenities around "Cancún island", actually a narrow strip of sandy land connected to the mainland at each end by causeways. It encloses a huge lagoon, so there's water on both sides.
When American Factors (Amfac), the owners of the Pioneer Sugar Mill, decided in 1957 to transform the oceanfront cane fields of KA'ANAPALI into a luxury tourist resort, they established a pattern that has been repeated throughout Hawaii ever since. There had never been a town at Ka'anapali, just a small plantation wharf served by a short railroad from the sugar mill at Lahaina. What Ka'anapali did have, however, was a superb white-sand beach – far better than anything at Lahaina – backed by a tract of land that was ripe for development and more than twice the size of Waikiki.
Ka'anapali's first hotel opened in 1963 and has been followed by half a dozen similar giants, whose four thousand rooms now welcome half a million visitors each year. It took a good twenty years before the resort began to feel at all lived in, however, and there's still nothing else here apart from the central, anodyne Whaler's Village mall. Ka'anapali is a pretty enough place, with its two rolling golf courses and sunset views of the island of Lanai filling the western horizon, but it's only worth staying here if you know you're happy with the same bland lifestyle you could find at a hundred tropical resorts around the world.
As for Ka'anapali Beach, it's divided into two separate long strands by the forbidding, 300-foot cinder cone of Pu'u Keka'a, known as the Black Rock. The sand shelves away abruptly from both sections, so swimmers soon find themselves in deep water, but bathing is usually safe outside periods of high winter surf. The rugged lava coastline around the Black Rock itself is one of the best snorkeling spots on Maui.
Nonguests of Ka'anapali's hotels are free to use the main beach, but there are also a couple of public beach parks just around the headland to the south. Both Hanaka'o'o and Wahikuli are right alongside Hwy-30; swimming is generally safer at Wahikuli, but the facilities and general ambience are more appealing at Hanaka'o'o.
Stretching for around a dozen miles along the southern coast of Oahu, and home to more than 400,000 people, HONOLULU is by far Hawaii's largest city. As the site of the islands' major airport and of the legendary beaches and skyscrapers of WAIKIKI, it also provides most visitors with their first taste of Hawaii. Many, unfortunately, leave without ever realizing quite how out of keeping it is with the rest of the state.
Honolulu only came into being after the arrival of the foreigners; from the early days of sandalwood and whaling, through the rise of King Sugar and the development of Pearl Harbor, to its modern incarnation as a tourist dreamland, the fortunes of the city have depended on the ever-increasing integration of Hawaii into the global economy. Benefits of this process include an exhilarating energy and dynamism, and the cosmopolitan air that comes from being a major world crossroads. Among drawbacks are the fact that there's little genuinely Hawaiian about Honolulu, and the rampant over-development of Waikiki.
The setting is beautiful, right on the Pacific Ocean and backed by the dramatic pali (cliffs) of the Ko'olau mountains. Downtown Honolulu, centered around a group of administrative buildings that date from the final days of the Hawaiian monarchy, nestles at the foot of the extinct Punchbowl volcano, now a military cemetery. It's a manageable size, and a lot quieter than its glamourous image might suggest. Immediately to the west is livelier Chinatown, while the airportPearl Harbor. lies four or five miles further west again, just before the sheltered inlet of
The distinct district of Waikiki is about three miles east of downtown, conspicuous not only for its towering hotels but also for the furrowed brow of another extinct volcano, Diamond Head. Although Waikiki is a small suburb, and one that most Honolulu residents rarely visit, for package tourists it's the tail that wags the dog. They spend their days on Waikiki's beaches, and their nights in its hotels, restaurants and bars; apart from the odd expedition to the nearby Ala Moana shopping mall, the rest of Honolulu might just as well not exist.
The sun-and-fun appeal of Waikiki may wear off after a few days, but it can still make an excellent base for a longer stay on Oahu. Downtown Honolulu is easily accessible, and holds top-quality museums like the Bishop Museum and the Academy of Arts as well as offering some superb rainforest hikes, especially in Makiki and Manoa valleys, just a mile or so up from the city center. You can also get a bus to just about anywhere on the island, while, if you rent a car, the North Shore beaches are less than two hours' drive away.
Relatively free from smog and byzantine freeways, SAN DIEGO, set around a gracefully curving bay, represents the acceptable face of southern California. The second biggest city in California may be affluent and conservative, but it's also easygoing and far from smug. Although it was the site of the first mission in California, the city only really took off with the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in the 1880s, and in terms of trade and significance it has long been in the shadow of Los Angeles. However, during World War II the US Navy made San Diego its Pacific Command Center, and the military continues to dominate the local economy, along with tourism.
Geographically speaking, Boracay is part of the municipality of Malay in the province of Aklan, which is located in Panay, one of a cluster of islands that constitute the central section of the Philippine archipelago.
Boracay can be reached from Manila by daily flights on Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit, Seair and Pacific Air. Caticlan is nearer the island, but the airstrip is short and narrow, and only the smaller planes of Asian Spirit, Seair and Pacific Air can land on it. The larger aircraft of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines fly to Kalibo, the capital of Aklan. From Caticlan it takes about 15 minutes by boat to Boracay; from Kalibo, an hour and a half by bus plus the 15-minute boat ride.
Once on the island, you will find out that getting around is simple and easy. There are three categories of transport: pedicabs and motorized tricycles shared with other passengers; individually rented bicycles and motorbikes; and the shuttle service offered by some hotels. Taxis are not available. However, since everything is more or less within walking distance, you will most likely join the majority of visitors in moving around the island on foot.
Boracay is seven kilometers long and divided into three barangays, or communities. Yapak lies in the north, Balabag in the center and Manoc-Manoc in the south. Within these barangays are smaller villages such as Angol, Manggayad and Bolabog.
Yapak is spread out over hilly terrain situated some distance away from the main tourist beat, but the shoreline is dotted with beautiful, uncrowded beaches and coves such as
While White Beach takes up most of the western shoreline,
Understandably hotels on White Beach attract the most guests. The northern end of the beach is "lorded over" by
White Beach extends into Manoc-Manoc, but the barangay features its own share of beaches worth visiting and exploring, including one named
You will find hotels like the longstanding
Tricycles ply Boracay Main Road and a handful of side streets but are not allowed on White Beach Path. Except for
To facilitate locating an establishment on the island, the nearest boat station is often specified in its address. Here a word on these stations is in order: Numbered 1, 2 and 3, they are used as stopping-off points by boats ferrying new arrivals from Caticlan. Do not, however, expect some well-constructed structure with a welcoming jetty for you to conveniently step on. To disembark, you can go for one of two options: Jump into the water and wade ashore or allow yourself the luxury of being borne aloft on the shoulders of some hapless porter. Happy landing!
8. Key West - Florida
A little island
Key West got its name when it was dubbed Cayo Hueso by early Spanish explorers, who found human bones (hueso) along the shore. That name was eventually corrupted to Key West and the monicker stuck.
In 1820, the island was bought from the Spanish for $2,000, quite a substantial sum in those days, and the purchaser was John Simonton, an Alabama businessman—a canny businessman, it might be added, whose name and descendants live on here and remain a powerful influence in the area.
Pirates were eventually driven out and the island's mixed population of English Bahamians, Southerners and transplanted northerners rose to 2,700, many of them happily engaged in the pursuit of wrecking ships, then salvaging the cargoes.
So profitable was that enterprising career, in fact, that one wrecker, a Bahamian named William Curry, is said to have worked his way to a million dollars, making him Florida's first millionaire and wealthy enough to buy a $100,000 Tiffany table service.
In the 1850s, however, a lighthouse was built, putting a bit of a damper on the wrecking business, and the town's industry began to change. A devastating fire destroyed the town in 1859. About the same time, cigar makers, fleeing war in Cuba, arrived in Key West, where they established a thriving industry. Key West's port was a hot spot, too, and by the 1880s, the city was said to be the wealthiest in the nation.
It was pretty much downhill from there until promoters in these Keys discovered that the real gold in these islands was incessant sunshine, clear seas and iconoclastically bohemian residents, all items of surpassing interest to the winter-weary and the weird watchers. Thus was discovered the gold of tourism.
Author Ernest Hemingway was sufficiently seduced by a visit to Key West to move here permanently. Here the author met Sloppy Joe, the owner of a local Duval Street bar, and the two often retired to the back room to drink copious quantities of whiskey and exchange tales. Joe's stories are said to have inspired several of Hemingway's books, and he wrote a number of his stories while living the very good life in Key West. You can tour his house, now occupied only by the descendants of his unusual six-toed cats. You can visit the bar, too, and join in the local discussions over which is the 'real' Sloppy Joe's,
Duval Street is the center of Key West life, with many hotels, guest houses, inns and bed & breakfasts, plus dozens of shops and restaurants, nestled into its tropical ambience.
Hemingway was just one of a host of writers and artists who have been drawn to this end-of the-world spot, where no one much cares how eccentric or outrageous you are. Playwright Tennessee Williams, who authored Streetcar Named Desire among others prize-winners, moved right in and today one of the town's theatres is named for him. Robert Frost spent some time here, and you can still see his cottage at
All of these spots are about a conch shell's throw from each other and from Duval Street. A leisurely walk is the best way to discover this enchanting island with its secluded courtyards, cascading rainbows of magenta, peach and purple bougainvillea, swaying palms, glowing hibiscus, and intricate Victorian gingerbread woodwork.
What also might be called a "district," although you'll be hard pressed to differentiate it from the rest of the island, is an area near the tiny airport where a number of hotels and a few restaurants can be found. It doesn't get too noisy since there are only a few flights a day.
One more possible "district" can be found just at the entrance to Key West. It's a small island called Stock Island, reportedly where the island's cattle and other stock were kept many years ago. Today the "stock" on Stock Island includes charter boats awaiting fishing fans, boaters and visitors who want to get a look at the crystalline waters that surround the islands. From here, too, you can take a
When Key West was the wealthiest city in the nation, many residents constructed handsome homes. Trimmed on the outside in ornate woodwork known as gingerbread, and on the inside in stained glass, acres of elaborate woodwork, and miles of embellished plasterwork, these homes have been restored and are today a pastel wonderland, many of them inns, restaurants or shops.
At the city's port, there's an intriguing outdoor-indoor market where you can buy everything from handmade jewelry to hand-rolled cigars.
Above it all shines a relentless sun, winding up each day with a festival known as Sunset at Mallory Dock. The daily celebration is viewed by many along with juggler/street-performer/animal-trainer/jewelry-sellers. It is an eclectic gathering at which all and sundry join in a celebration of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—which has an amazing array of definitions here in the nation's southernmost city.
The 2000 Olympics were a coming-of-age ceremony for SYDNEY. The impact on the city was all-embracing, with fifty years' worth of development compressed into four years under the pressure of intense international scrutiny. Transport infrastructure was greatly improved and a rash of luxury hotels and waterside apartments added themselves to the skyline. The City of Sydney Council spent $200 million to improve and beautify the city streets, public squares and parks, and licensing laws changed too, creating a European-style bar culture. Sydney now has all the vigour of a world-class city, with the reputation of its restaurants in particular turning the lingering cultural sneers to swoons. It seems to have the best of both worlds – twenty minutes from Circular Quay by bus, the high-rise office buildings and skyscrapers give way to colourful inner-city suburbs where you can get an eyeful of sky and watch the lemons ripening above the sidewalk, while to the centre's north and south are corridors of largely intact bushland where many have built their dream homes. During every heatwave, however, bushfires threaten the city, and sophisticated Sydney becomes closer to its roots than it sometimes feels. In the summer, the city's hot offices are abandoned for the remarkably unspoilt beaches strung around the eastern and northern suburbs.
It's also as beautiful a city as any in the world, with a setting that perhaps only Rio de Janeiro can rival: the water is what makes it so special, and no introduction to Sydney would be complete without paying tribute to one of the world's great harbours. Port Jackson is a sunken valley which twists inland to meet the fresh water of the Parramatta River; in the process it washes into a hundred coves and bays, winds around rocky points, flows past the small harbour islands, slips under bridges and laps at the foot of the Opera House. If Sydney is seen at its gleaming best from the deck of a harbour ferry, especially at weekends when the harbour's jagged jaws fill with a flotilla of small vessels, racing yachts and cabin cruisers, it's seen at its most varied in its lively neighbourhoods. Getting away from the city centre and exploring them is an essential part of Sydney's pleasures.
It might seem surprising that Sydney is not Australia's capital: the creation of Canberra in 1927 – intended to stem the intense rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne – has not affected the view of many Sydneysiders that their city remains the true capital of Australia, and certainly in many ways it feels like it. The city has a tangible sense of history: the old stone walls and well-worn steps in the backstreets around The Rocks are an evocative reminder that Sydney has more than two hundred years of white history behind it.
The six-lane coastal freeway that races past oil wells and offshore drilling platforms slows to a leisurely pace a hundred miles north of Los Angeles at SANTA BARBARA. Beautifully sited on gently sloping hills above the Pacific, the town's ubiquitous red-tiled roofs and white stucco walls of its low-rise buildings form a backdrop to some fine Spanish Revival architecture, while the golden beaches are wide and clean, lined by palm trees along a curving bay. Although a large portion of downtown has been replaced by a vast, upscale shopping mall, Santa Barbara has managed to retain its quaintly upscale yet relaxed character.
The mission-era feel of Santa Barbara is no accident. Following a devastating earthquake in 1925, the entire town was rebuilt in the image of an apocryphal Spanish Colonial past, with numerous arcades linking shops, cafés and restaurants, and a pedestrian-friendly layout that serves visitors well – a far cry from LA's all-consuming auto-worship. State Street, the main drag, is home to an appealing assortment of diners, bookshops, coffee bars and nightclubs. The few remaining genuine mission structures are preserved as El Presidio de Santa Barbara (daily 10.30am–4.30pm; suggested donation). At its center, the 200-year-old barracks, El Cuartel, stands two blocks off State Street on Perdido Street; the second-oldest building in California, it now houses historical exhibits and a scale model of the small Spanish colony. The more recent past is recounted in the nearby Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 136 E de la Guerra St (Tues–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm; suggested donation), full of Spanish and Victorian memorabilia.
State Street leads half a mile down from the town center to wooden Stearns Wharf. Built in 1872, it was nearly destroyed in November 1998, when a third of the pier was engulfed in flames; restoration efforts have now made it home to an array of shopping stalls and food vendors, with magnificent beaches stretching in either direction.
In the hills above the town is the beautiful Mission Santa Barbara (daily 9am–5pm; $4), with a colorful twin-towered facade, the so-called "Queen of the Missions," though it was one of the later ones constructed in California. A small museum displays artifacts from the mission archives. Other missions in the area are Santa Inés, just outside the kitsch Danish town of Solvang heading north on US-101, and La Purísima, the most completely restructured of all the missions, about twenty miles northwest of Solvang on Hwy-1.
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