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A trip to Seattle wouldn’t be complete without a trip 520 feet into the air on the world-famous Space Needle, but a trip 32 feet underground might be just as enlightening because Seattle is actually a city built on top of a city.

Originally Seattle was built on old tidelands, which often flooded, and the great fire of 1889 basically doomed the original city. Seattle was rebuilt, but one to two stories higher than the original. Initially, much of the old city was barricaded to and many pavements were raised which left some storefronts and sidewalks below street level. Ladders were commonplace and allowed pedestrians and shoppers to enter stores and use the previously established walkways. This system didn’t last long though and soon everything was paved over, leaving an underground city.

For an up close and personal tour of the city with a tale-filled traveling companion, check out Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour. This 90-minute tour seems to take you back in time over one hundred years, to an era when this city last saw the sun. It’s a walking tour so be sure to dress appropriately and for tourists looking for a bargain, purchase a Go Seattle Card and pack in as many activities as you can into each day for one low price.

Get ready for the 12th annual Bermuda Music Festival, to be held on the island nation, October 3 through 6, 2007. An impressive array of vocalists and musicians are scheduled to perform, including the O’Jays; Lionel Richie; Earth, Wind & Fire; Smokey Robinson; and Natasha Bedingfield. Opening acts include comedians Steve Harvey and Tommy Davidson.

The Wednesday night event will be held at the Fairmont Southampton Resort and the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night events will be held at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish.

All Festival passes range from $230 to $310 per person. Individual event tickets range from $50 to $100 per person. Tickets may be purchased online via TicketWeb.

Visiting Bermuda
Bermuda is easily reached from the east coast of the United States via non-stop flights from New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Accommodations vary from large resort hotels to small, collections of beachfront cottages. No rental cars are permitted on the islands, but the bus service is reliable and taxis are plentiful, if slightly expensive.

Want a smoking vacation? How about Chimney Rock Park in North Carolina.

Hiking in the mountains is a soul stirring experience with uplifting vistas at every turn, but it can also be a bit exhausting. Chimney Rock Park gives you a chance to take a that deep breath and really enjoy the magnificence that is the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

The park offers 1000 scenic acres and views that stretch a breathtaking 75-miles. The hiking trails offer a little bit of something for everyone, so the most energetic hiker will be satisfied and the youngest child and oldest grandparent will also be able to explore and experience the mountain peaks.

One of the most alluring aspects of Chimney Rock Park is the 404-foot waterfall. A fall so impressive that it’s featured in the movie The Last of the Mohicans. The Hickory Nut Falls trail is rated easy and this short 1.5 mile roundtrip trail is beautiful and gently deposits you at the base of the falls.

And the most fascinating feature of the park is its namesake, Chimney Rock itself. A trip to the top of this 500 million year old monolith is possible but takes a bit of work. The expedition begins with a three mile drive up the mountain, then a 198 foot tunnel takes you to an elevator, which whisks you up 26 stories in only 30 seconds. After this trek a quick introduction by the tour guide takes you through the ubiquitous gift shop and snack bar back outside where a flight of stairs takes you to the finish line; the top of Chimney Rock.

As children, we often entertain fantasies that adults long ago learned to write off as impossible: unicorns don’t exist, we are not related to Superman, and we most certainly cannot be mermaids. Though these facts still hold true, technology is allowing us to come closer and closer to experiencing childhood dreams and the Poseidon Undersea Resort is one of them.

Located off the shores of Fiji, Indonesia, Poseidon promises to be a spectacular, exciting, and unique vacation experience. The resort is five star, costing $1500/night for a prime suite on the seabottom. Yes, you read correctly: Poseidon’s luxury rooms place you at the bottom of the ocean floor, in prime viewing location of all the beautiful and wondrous fish and sea life that you might never have seen otherwise. And if you’re wondering how you’ll get there, the answer is simple: in a luxury submarine.

The 550 square-foot suites at Poseidon will be equipped with spotlights and fish feeders to aid guests in their underwater experience. Each room will feature strong, transparent acrylic walls allowing for incredible 270° views out into the 5,000-acre coral gardens. Rooms include comfortable furnishings and relaxing jacuzzis, along with many of the luxury services guests expect at five star resorts. The hotel will also feature an underwater restaurant, bar, library, wedding chapel, spa, and a special 1,200 square-foot luxury suite.

We may not be mermaids, swimming freely beneath the surface of the sea, but places like Poseidon Undersea Resort will certainly allow us to feel like a childhood dream has finally come true.

Samsonite Luggage has come a long way since it was first introduced in 1958. The colors are sharper, the pieces now have wheels, and the shapes accommodate all of the latest electronic gadgetry. However, Samsonite is still known for its reliability and its sturdy construction.

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Travel hits rock and roll head on in Led Zeppelin Crashed Here: The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America by Chris Epting but the book doesn’t quite deliver as a travelogue.

The organization is a bit loose and doesn’t lend itself well to tourists moving from one rock and roll location to another. If you’re thinking about a road trip vacation with some of music’s most famous locations as the highlights, this book has more than 600 landmarks listed, but you’ll have to do a bit of work to get them lined up for your trip as nothing is laid out in traditional travel book fashion.

If you’re simply looking for rock and roll trivia this tome is loaded with fascinating facts and information and a few tidbits that seem a bit pointless. Each entry is handled with the same voice, with the theft of Paula Abdul’s car receiving as much reverence as what may possibly be rock and roll’s strangest death, the Russian roulette/accidental suicide of Johnny Ace between sets on Christmas day.

Led Zeppelin Crashed Here: The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America is an excellent book for rock aficionados who love to load up on trivia but ones who are more likely to stay home than hit the road.

More than 650,000 fans expected to attend the US Open August 27th to September 9th, and since the event is quickly approaching, it’s a good idea to get your plans in motion. The US Open started 126 years ago and has the distinction of being the world’s highest attended sports event. The event is being held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is located in Queens, NY. If you are planning to attend, officials are strongly recommending mass transit as the primary way of getting to the event since this is New York City after all and Shea Stadium has been under ongoing construction. Tickets to the tournament can be purchased through Ticketmaster or the ticket box office at the Tennis Center. Additionally, Full Season and Mini Plan ticket packages are available and might be the more economical event if you wish to attend more than a few days of the tournament. If you are the ultimate tennis fan and you want an eternal connection to the Tennis Center, consider ordering a personalized paver on the Avenue of Aces, which is the pathway between the east gate entrance and the Arthur Ashe Stadium. They range in price from $2500 to $25.000 and all proceeds from your purchase are donated to the UTA Tennis & Education Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentoring to at-risk children. Prior to the tournament, check in at www.usopen.org to review the transit suggestions and security information.