While people crowd downtown San Diego's Horton Plaza for ice skating and shopping around this time of year, the city offers a holiday alternative at the , which decks itself out in lights, fake snow and themed activities for Jungle Bells.

A highlight of the Jungle Bells celebration, which lasts until January 2, is the eco-friendly synthetic ice rink, the first time the zoo's offered the feature. But don't expect Rockefeller Center. This small rink is better for wobbly kiddies learning how to skate than adults looking to practice their figure eights. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-12-18T12:07:03-05:00 32.7381587 -117.14873 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/4/115854/540

A few weeks back, we told you that the beer industry was pushing December 5, the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition, as a natioal day of celebration, but we wondered why few people were partying.

Well now it seems a good few of you have gotten your acts together, and folks coast-to-coast are getting ready to celebrate like it's 1933. Here's our guide to the best Repeal Day parties going down this Friday: ]]> BS 2008-12-05T10:30:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/11/17/164934/42

The beer industry already makes plenty of bank from ale-soaked holidays like St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo, but now they’d like us to add one more.

The neighborly folks at the National Beer Wholesalers Association are encouraging Americans to celebrate the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition, which is just around the corner on December 5. (Cinco de Diciembre, anyone?)

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the day FDR and Co. said it was legally OK to booze again, and the wholesaler’s group wants you to know:

This anniversary is a great time to recognize the success of the past 75 years of effective, state-based alcohol regulation since the ratification of the 21st Amendment.

In other words... drink up!

Unfortunately, a quick search of the web turns up only one event marking this momentous day, and it’s a policy forum at DC libertarian think tank the Cato Institute. Come on now, people, we can celebrate the rebirth of the nation in a little more style than that! Know of some parties we don't?

Related Stories:
· Celebrate the Repeal of Prohibition on December 5, 2008 [Marketwire]
· Free to Booze: The 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition [Cato Institute]
· Beer coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: coopgas1]]]> BS 2008-11-18T12:03:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/14/84840/6914

If you're in Philly and craving steak frites or escargot, you're in luck, because a brand new French bistro opens today, just in time to celebrate Bastille Day.

Parc is the latest endeavor from Philadelphia restaurant mogul Stephen Starr, the man behind hotspots like Buddakan, Moriomto and El Vez. If you're familiar with any of those places, you can probably guess that the ambiance at Parc is less Left Bank, more Champs-Élysées.

Philadelphia City Paper has a walk-through of the elegant new space, which includes details like a 50-foot hand-crafted solid zinc bar, vintage fans and intricate tile work. No word yet on whether the food will be as exciting as the décor, so if anyone stops by today, be sure to let us know.

Related Stories:
· Parc [Official Site]
· Stephen Starr Gives us the Grand Tour [City Paper]
· Francophile Travel: Bastille Day in New York [Jaunted]

[Photo: Philadelphia City Paper]]]> BS 2008-07-14T11:00:17-05:00 39.949114 -75.170871 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/9/154036/4889

France's biggest holiday is coming up this Monday, July 14, but don't fret if you can't make it to Paris; Bastille Day is slowly but surely catching on in New York.

Of course, like most holidays celebrated in America, Bastille Day here is less of a cultural celebration, and more of an excuse to start partying early in the day (cf. St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo).

The festivities get going early, with the annual Liberty Festival and the famous waiters' race at Les Halles on Saturday. On Sunday there's an all-day block party and petanque tournament on Brooklyn's Smith Street, sponsored by Bar Tabaq.

The biggest bash is the French Institute's fete on Monday afternoon, which closes down 60th Street from Fifth Avenue to Lexington for an impressive array of French street food. There's also a special wine and cheese tasting inside the Institute's gallery for just $12.

Related Stories:
· Les Halles [Official Site]
· Bar Tabac [Official Site]
· Bastille Day at the French Institute [Official Site]
· New York Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: celesteh]]]> BS 2008-07-10T09:45:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/1/174743/1301

We've been so focused on July 2 and July 4, we almost forgot that today's Canada Day. Happy 141st birthday!

To mark the day, Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a speech at Peace Tower in Ottawa, and a formal flag-raising ceremony was also held on Parliament Hill.

There are some big things coming up for Canada this year: Quebec City will celebrate the 400th anniversary of its founding (two days from now!), British Columbia will turn 150 and Nova Scotia will celebrate 250 years of representative government. Parties: Always a good excuse for a visit!

Related Stories:
· Canada Day [Official Site]
· National Canada Day Celebrations Begin [CP, via Google]
· Parliament Hill Live Webcam [Official Site]
· Plan Your Canada Day [Ottawa Citizen]
· Canada Day [Wikipedia]

[Photo: etherflyer]]]> pbb 2008-07-01T17:48:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/3/31/163155/245

Got all your pranks ready for tomorrow? April Fool's Day promises to be a lackluster attempt at humor throughout the travel media. If last year is any indication, Gadling will be leading the charge with a full day of fabricated travel news.

Hopefully they can come up with something a little more funny than Airbus puns. Humph. We'll see. Also possible are some Chris Elliott yuks about airlines actually helping out consumers instead of infuriating them.

As for us, we'll be keeping up our always-straight-faced coverage of travel stories featuring the Pussycat Dolls and Heidi and Lauren.

Related Stories:
· Travel Media coverage [Jaunted]
· Holidays coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: hans s]]]> pbb 2008-03-31T16:36:50-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/