The first thing that usually dazzles tourists as they hit midtown in New York City is the view of the Empire State Building from almost any street. It stands at the commanding position of center of the city, and is also quiet central to a visitor's plans in NYC, being a tourist mecca. In order to keep up its appearances and continue to dazzle, the Empire State Building has just undergone at $550 million dollar renovation, with the lobby along accounting for $12.5 million of it.

Back in the 1960s, some aesthetic attempts at "modernization" took place—think the Mad Men-era's preoccupation with the future—and as a result, original Art Deco details of the building were covered up. This renovation has revealed at least two shiny Art Deco murals that fell victim to the 1960s revamp, and now they're back to giving the building's lobby an extra oomph of drama. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-09-24T09:27:05-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/15/143437/545

There's travel blog bait, there's travel blog bait, and then there's a train that takes you along one of the most scenic routes in these United States and serves you six half-pints of microbrews plus appetizers. Well played Alaska Railroad, well played indeed:

Take a scenic journey along Turnagain Arm with the world's best designated driver—the Alaska Railroad. The Microbrew Express travels 80 miles roundtrip from Anchorage to Portage and features an impressive assortment of the finest local microbrews and incredible scenery of Turnagain Arm.

We got tipped to this via The LA Times, which also notes that the BrewHouse beer menu includes Brewhouse Blonde and Oatmeal Stout. Tickets are $149 per person and cover the rail trip plus everything else. The event takes place Oct. 3 and purchases are obviously 21+.]]> Omri 2009-09-15T16:33:53-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/21/9653/97845

When in Paris, visit Jim Morrison's grave; when in Perth, visit Australia's most visited grave: the final resting place of Bon Scott, the AC/DC front-man who would've turned 63 this month.

But there's much more to an AC/DC pilgrimage than just visiting a grave—they've just launched a Highway to Hell Tour to show you all the AC/DC sites of Fremantle, the port town to Perth where Bon Scott grew up.

The tour takes in Scott's childhood home and schools, the Fremantle Prison where Scott apparently had a brush with the law, a commemorative statue the town's put up and finally, his grave. At the moment, the A$25 ($20), 90-minute tour only runs on Sundays (but it does so three times) and the operators hope to increase the frequency as it gets more popular.

One thing we especially like about this tour is that the tourists get to choose the playlist for the bus-ride. We're pretty sure we'd be belting out "It's A Long Way to the Top" the whole tour long.

Related Stories:
· AC/DC Fans Follow Bon Scott's Adventures [The West]
· Western Australia Travel Guide [Jaunted] ]]> amandak 2009-07-21T16:29:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/6/71222/16660

Whether your heart is still aching over her loss in last year’s election or the fact that she's still around, you better hustle up to Juneau, since time is running out for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Over the long weekend, she decided to light off some of her own fireworks by announcing she wouldn’t be seeking a second term, nor would she even be finishing out her term in office; she’ll be wrapping up her duties and stepping down by the end of July.

Go to Alaska and bring home a souvenir eBay can be proud of: go to Alaska’s Capitol Building and try to get her to sign your ticket stub. The facilities are open all summer, obviously to take advantage of all those cruisers looking for glaciers, moose, and 2012 presidential candidates. The tours last for about thirty minutes, are totally free, and run daily. The state legislature, governor, and lieutenant governor all call this building their home away from home. ]]> kjb 2009-07-06T11:12:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/2/74212/98652

If your summer vacation plans include a cruise to Alaska with your grandparents, then you might want to seriously start considering some alternate shore excursions. Sure you can wander through some shops and check out the Totem Poles in Ketchikan like everyone else, or you can pretend that you're a true deep sea fisherman fisherperson.

Imagine being on the Deadliest Catch TV show, except not having to lift a finger. On the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour, you’ll sit in a heated amphitheater right on the deck where you’ll be free to watch all the action while remaining totally safe. The crew will share some information about the ship, and before long you’ll be watching them haul in rockfish, cod, octopus, and king crab. Too bad they don’t bring drawn butter along. ]]> kjb 2009-07-02T08:47:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/29/32850/7719

Urban blog Infrastructurist just published a heartbreaking post bemoaning 11 gorgeous American train stations that have been demolished. One that's thankfully been spared: downtown Los Angeles's Union Station, routinely referred to as "The Last of the Great Railway Stations."

Opening in 1939 and costing $11 million, the station quickly became a central destination for the West Coast's passenger trains. It was not uncommon during the 1930s and 40s for 7,000 passengers a day to crowd into the station, which still provides the hub for Greater LA's many rail services. Even if you're not a passenger it's an architectural treasure worth incorporating into your Los Angeles tour. ]]> Omri 2009-07-01T17:39:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/26/8840/86514

TripAdvisor recently released their members’ picks for the best tours in America. While some were pretty blah, one that really stood out to us was the opportunity to trek through the wilderness in New Mexico with llamas by your side. You don’t actually ride the llamas, but they accompany you and your group, and apparently the critters are more than happy to carry your stuff. This leaves you and your back free to enjoy nature at it’s finest. Just remember to share your water bottle with your llama friend in case he or she gets thirsty.

The tours take you into New Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and all treks are at your own pace. The tour guides, and probably the llamas too, aren’t looking for a stressful journey. After you work up an appetite as you make your way through the Carson National Forest, you’ll be happy to enjoy a fresh meal. All trips serve up “Backcountry Gourmet” meals and the head guide works as a chef in the off-season—so your taste buds will be in good hands.

Tours start at just $99 if you want to experience their Take a Llama To Lunch day hike. If you’re looking to spend a couple nights in the woods, and really get in touch with your new furry buddies, 3 night tours start at $499. Just remember to bring some llama snacks with you; you probably want to get them on your good side as soon as possible.

Related Stories:
·TripAdvisor Tallies America's Top 10 Tours [Official Site]
·Wild Earth Llama Adventures [Official Site]
·Tours coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of some llamas: Big Grey Mare] ]]> kjb 2009-06-26T13:02:18-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/