contents 10/08

Photographs (clockwise from top): Stewart Ferebee, Lisa Eisner, Frédéric Lagrange.
Departments
- Letters
- Editor’s Note
- Ask T+L
- My Favorite Place: Gwen Stefani
- The pop idol and style maven talks about finding artistic inspiration in Tokyo’s Harajuku district.
Find Out More
Check out T+L’s special interactive features wherever you see

If you see a

, the article includes a slideshow.
- America's Favorite Cities 2008

- The results are in! How did opinionated travelers rank 25 top U.S. cities in 45 categories, ranging from food and shopping to people, culture, nightlife, and more?
Play the America's Favorite Cities bracket game and show us your favorite city.
- America’s Favorite City: The Final Round
- Two cities remain in battle for the best.

Great Humanitarian Trips Around the World 
- From helping hurricane victims to teaching orphaned street kids, outreach projects that need your help.

Wacky Presidential Election Hotel Promotions 
- Hotels are capitalizing on the U.S. presidential election in an unprecedented way, offering special packages and drinks for the occasion.

Crazy New Airline Stunts
- Feeling the pinch and needing to fill seats, airlines are inventing more creative promotions. Will they work?

World’s Strangest Restaurants 
- Below the sea, in the air, or on a bed, restaurants are going to extremes to attract attention.

Best Fall Festivals for Families 
- In an electoral season that promises change, the American harvest tradition is going strong.

40 Years Hiking the Appalachian Trail - The 40th anniversary of the Trails Act is a perfect time for hikers to get out and explore.

America’s Best Secret Neighborhoods 
- From Boston to San Francisco, once-fringe neighborhoods now beckon with cool clubs, groundbreaking restaurants, and secret hot spots.

TV Fan Getaways - How to see the iconic locations featured TV’s hottest shows.

The World’s Strangest Museums 
- Bunnies, bad art, and Burt Reynolds—the world’s strangest museums showcase some of the world’s quirkiest passions.

Do-It-Yourself “Amazing Race” Adventures 
- Didn’t make the cut for CBS’s ”Amazing Race?” No worries. Here’s how to re-create 10 of the show’s adventures on your own.

World’s Strangest TV Shows 
- Weird shows that make for must-see TV when you’re traveling.
- Global Art for a Cause

- PROJECT GLOBE: To help support responsible travel, Travel + Leisure called on artists from around the world to create works for a special auction. Here, a look at the project—and the art it inspired.
- 25 Secret Seaside Getaways

- From Mexico to the Mediterranean, T+L spotlights 25 up-and-coming seaside retreats where the dollar still goes far—and authentic experiences are well within reach.
- T+L’s Guide to Arts + Culture
- Our picks for the best of the new season, including the California Academy of Sciences’ opening, opera divas, Chanel Mobile Art, and more. Plus, quick trips to Rome, Berlin, and Mumbai.
- World’s Best Golf Resorts
- Pinehurst reigns as number one in the U.S., and other prime destinations are celebrated for getting the finer points right.
- 2008 T+L Family 50

- The 50 best places for families to stay in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

10 Unexpected U.S. Wine Trails 
- Fine wines are flourishing from Ohio to New Mexico.

Do-It-Yourself Digs 
- Don’t just watch Indiana Jones and the History Channel—anyone (including kids!) can get out there and unearth a treasure of their own.

How to Have a Hurricane-Proof Vacation 
- Smart tips for traveling during storm season.

The World’s Top 10 Stargazing Spots 
- From Costa Rica to Sweden, destinations where the night sky is a major attraction.

Fall Inn 
- Hotels with Amazing Fall Color Views.
- 2008 Worldwide Guide to Tipping

- How much to tip, and when? What’s standard in America might be taboo in Japan. Find the answers with T+L’s guide to gratuities around the world.
- Packing Tips for the Smart Traveler
- With ever-changing airline rules and restrictions, packing can be a nightmare. But it doesn’t have to be. We’ve rounded up the latest techniques, our favorite new rollaboards, and ways to pare down a carry-on. Plus, advice from expert travelers.
- The Real Los Angeles
- In a groundswell of appreciation for historic buildings, revitalized neighborhoods, and seasoned practitioners of modest arts, the city of forever young is flouting the old clichés.
- Hotel Rooms with a View
- After a meticulous seven-year restoration, the 15th-century Palazzo della Gherardesca opens its doors as the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, with remarkable frescoes, expansive gardens, and artisanal cooking.
- Delhi's New Beauty

- The capital of India has become the capital of its collective ambition—in fashion, business, government, and more.
T+L Journal
- Simon Doonan’s Palm Beach
- It may not be hip, but this Florida resort town has perfected the art of old-school glamour.
- Tokyo Cuisine: Hip New Trends
- Japan’s capital may be the most food-crazed city on earth.
- Munich’s New Modern Design
- The city of lederhosen and beer steins is having a design moment. T+L inspects the Bavarian capital’s new restaurants, shops, museums—and much more.
- Tangier’s Shopping Secrets
- The northernmost city in Morocco offers a stunning variety of antique furniture, textiles, and other authentic keepsakes.
- The Berkshires’ Best Art Museums
- The Berkshires’ most revered art museums, plus a sneak peek at MASS MoCA’s upcoming Sol LeWitt retrospective.
- The New Breed of Luxury Cars
- Test-driving the new Rolls Royce through the French countryside and the new Bentley along the coast of Maine.