Book of Lists

Welcome to the 6th annual edition of BJT’s Book of Lists. Every year, we wonder whether we’ve used up all the good ideas for this feature. But every year, our contributors surprise and delight us with fresh lists that are variously useful, fascinating, or fun—and sometimes all three. We hope you enjoy the material on the pages that follow as much as we’ve enjoyed compiling it for you. 

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 7 Unusual Pizza Toppings

 10 Hotels Where You Can Live Like a King

 3 Memorable Remarks by Philosophers

 5 Unusual U.S. Bed and Breakfasts

 7 Memorable Quotes about Travel

 8 Places Where Non-Skiers Can Pass the Time in Innsbruck, Austria

 5 Best Virtual Reality Apps for Travelers

 8 Historic London Pubs

 4 Turboshaft-Powered Helicopters You’ll Want to Fly Yourself

 10 Best Books on Polar Exploration

 8 Great Places to Fly a Kite in the U.S.

 8 Crazy Cocktails

 5 Summer Mountain Adventures for Kids

 7 Superb Napa Valley Red Wines

 10 Places to Get to Know American Authors

 9 of Europe’s Most Scenic Rail Journeys

 5 Most Popular Aircraft in Fractional and Owned Charter Fleets

 7 Exotic Scoops

 9 Best Annual Food Festivals

 4 Best Maine Lobster Rolls

 5 Great Wine Films

 10 Top Sights in Prague

 7 Acronyms Business Jet Travelers Should Know

 12 Places to Find Extraordinary Elevators

 6 Vintage Trailer Stays

 6 Exceptional Hot Springs

 12 Great Automobile Museums

 6 High-Tech Hotels

 5 Clever Aircraft Tail Numbers

 8 Busiest and Slowest Bizav Travel Days of 2016 IFR business aircraft flights in North America

 6 Cocktail Spots with Great Sunsets

 5 Offbeat Cruises

 6 Fantastic New Vacation Villas

 3 Airports with Elvis Presley Connections

 4 Notorious U.S. Bars

12 European Battlefields Worth Visiting

9 Places to Mine for Gems in the U.S.

6 Wicket Good Stays

12 Movies with Great Scores
 

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7 Unusual Pizza Toppings

1. Rattlesnake (Evel Pie, Las Vegas). At this Evel Knievel-themed pizzeria, the Snake River special features rattlesnake sausage.
2. Mayonnaise (Happy Joe’s, multiple Midwest locations). A BLT pizza employs mayonnaise, lettuce, and bacon.
3. Pistachio (Waypoint, Cambridge, Massachusetts). Pecorino, pistachio, and sage top a pizza called the Pig’s Face.
4. Cocoa (Adoro Lei, New York). The Giacomo incorporates cocoa, bacon, mozzarella, fig puree, Gorgonzola, and caramelized onions.
5. Kimchi (Avalanche Pizza, Athens, Ohio). The Crouching Kimchi Hidden Chicken pizza features kimchi, cashews, Mandarin oranges, chicken, cheese, and teriyaki sauce.
6. Honey (Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Chicago). One pizza employs speck ham, ricotta, Calabrian chilies, pine nuts, and honey.
7. Bone marrow (Herb & Wood, San Diego). Toppings on a pizza here include bone marrow, escargot, Gruyere, and caramelized onion.
—Helen Anne Travis

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10 Hotels Where You Can Live Like a King

1. Hotel de la Cite, Carcassone, France. Walt Disney based his Magic Kingdom on this hilltop delight, a departure point for Crusaders.(Ruthin Castle, North Wales, UK. King Henry VIII once owned this dungeon-equipped castle, which hosts medieval banquets.
3. Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Scotland. A favorite of Queen Victoria, this 19th century castle offers furnishings gifted by the king of Norway and dining at a world-class restaurant.
4. Chateau de Bagnols, Bagnols, France. This castle, built in 1217, has a drawbridge, towers, and antique-filled guest rooms.
5. Castel Porrona, Porrona, Italy. Dating from the 11th century, this castle has 25 rooms overlooking Tuscan vineyards and olive groves.
6. Castelo de Óbidos, Óbidos, Portugal. Book far ahead if you want the tower room in this 1,300-year-old walled castle.
7. Balfour Castle, Orkney Islands, Scotland. The world’s most northerly castle, Balfour is rented in its entirety.
8. Ashford Castle, Cong, County Mayo, Ireland. This hotel, which dates from 1228, overlooks Ireland’s second-largest lake. 
9. Castel Monastero, Siena, Italy. This 11th century hilltop castle offers a Tuscan Retreat Cookery program.
10. Castell de Cardona, Cardona, Spain. Built in A.D. 800 near Barcelona, this castle overlooks a quaint village.
—Chris Caswell

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3 Memorable Remarks by Philosophers

1. “A man cannot step into the same river twice.”—Heraclitus
2. “Thoughts without content are empty; perceptions without concepts are blind.” —Immanuel Kant|
3. “If a lion could speak, we could not understand him.” —Ludwig Wittgenstein
—Jeff Wieand

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5 Unusual U.S. Bed and Breakfasts

1. The Lodge at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, Texas, It overlooks a wildlife feeding area where you might see desert addax, gemsbok, deer, and wild turkey.
2. Cherry Wood Bed Breakfast and Barn, Zillah, Washington. Sleep in a 20-foot teepee, complete with bathrooms and refrigerators.
3. Braddock Point Lighthouse, Hilton, New York. Stay in a restored Victorian lighthouse on the shore of Lake Ontario.
4. Red Caboose Getaway B&B, Sequim, Washington. Sleep in a private caboose and breakfast in a private dining car.
5. Seven Springs Lodge, Tuscumbia, Alabama. Sleep in a grain-silo bunkhouse and check out a saloon inside a cave.
—Jill Dutton

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7 Memorable Quotes about Travel

1. "To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” —writer Dame Freya Stark
3. "The traveler sees what he sees; the tourist sees what he has come to see.” —journalist and philosopher G.K. Chesterton
4. "I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” —author Mary Anne Radmacher
5. "Airplane travel is nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo.” —Al Gore
6. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” —Mark Twain
7. “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.” —Yogi Berra
—Joe Sharkey

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8 Places Where Non-Skiers Can Pass the Time in Innsbruck, Austria

1. Goldenes Dachl Museum. The city’s most distinctive landmark, it was built for Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519).
2. Schloss Ambras Innsbruck. Originally a fort, it was transformed into a lavish palace in the 16th century.
3. Hofburg. A 15th century castle that features frescoes and paintings of Maria Theresia and her 16 children, including Marie Antoinette.
4. Swarovski Crystal Worlds. Includes the Chambers of Wonder and the Giant and his garden, featuring the world-famous gems. 
5. Gothic Hofkirche. Commissioned in 1553, it is one of Europe’s finest royal court churches.
6. Dom St. Jakob. A baroque 18th century cathedral filled with glorious artwork and decorative stuccowork.
7. Museum of Tyrolean Regional Heritage. Chronicles local history and art dating to the Bronze Age.
8. Volkskunst Museum. Highlights Tyrolean folk art, including hand-carved sleighs and Christmas cribs.
—Marilyn Jones

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5 Best Virtual Reality Apps for Travelers

1. Within. Informative and entertaining 360-degree video content from publishers including the New York Times and NBC.
2. Wall Street Journal VR. VR news stories, a 3D stock ticker, and morning briefings in a virtual New York apartment.
3. Google Street View & Photos. Preview your next vacation spot.
4. Google Arts and Culture VR. Audio guides accompany visual tours through curated galleries.
5. Claro. An elegant and serene puzzle game where you manipulate the angle of the sun to succeed.
—Chris Allsop

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8 Historic London Pubs

1. The Prospect of Whitby. Built in 1543, this pub became known as the “devil’s tavern” because of its reputation as a meeting place of smugglers and other seafaring scoundrels. 
2. The Jerusalem Tavern. The great composer Handel spent time here, as did 17th century artist and social critic William Hogarth.
3. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Yeats, Voltaire,  Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain frequented this pub, which was built during the Elizabethan era, destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt the next year.
4. The Grenadier. The Duke of Wellington regaled fellow drinkers here with his tale of defeating Napoleon at Waterloo.
5. The George Inn. The city’s only surviving galleried coaching inn, this establishment was a favorite of Dickens.
6. The French House. Charles de Gaulle frequently visited this pub, which was named for the WWII fighters who met here to plan operations aimed at thwarting the Nazis who occupied their homeland. As fate would have it, the first landlord was German.
7. Cittie of Yorke. Though this pub was rebuilt in 1920, structures on the site date from 1430.
8. Ye Olde Mitre. Dating from 1546, this pub boasts a cherry tree that the first Queen Elizabeth is said to have danced around.
—James Ullrich

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4 Turboshaft-Powered Helicopters You’ll Want to Fly Yourself

1. Airbus Helicopters H130. Learn to fly helicopters in this six-seat, VIP-configured model, as one Texas oilman is doing.
2. Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. The latest in a long line of single-turbine helicopters offers speeds up to 125 knots, a range of nearly 300 nautical miles, and the choice of the latest avionics.
3. Enstrom 480B. Introduced in 1993, the 480B has a maximum cruise speed of 115 knots and range of 370 nautical miles.
4. Robinson R66. Derived from the original two-seat R22, a popular piston-powered trainer, this five-seater provides 110 knots in cruise and a range of 350 nautical miles.
—R. Randall Padfield

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10 Best Books on Polar Exploration

1. In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette, by Hampton Sides
2. The Arctic Grail, by Pierre Berton
3. Scott and Amundsen: The Last Place on Earth, by Roland Huntford
4. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
5. Cook & Perry: The Polar Controversy Resolved, by Robert M. Bryce
6. Ghosts of Cape Sabine: The Harrowing True Story of the Greely Expedition, by Leonard F. Guttridge
7. The Home of the Blizzard, by Douglas Mawson
8. The Worst Journey in the World, by Appsley Cherry-Garrard
9. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk, by Jennifer Niven
—Jeff Wieand

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8 Great Places to Fly a Kite in the U.S.

1. Wildwood, New Jersey. North America’s largest kite festival, which takes place here every May, features workshops and kite makers.
2. Long Beach, Washington. Long Beach—home to the World Kite Museum—will host an international kite festival August 21–27.
3. San Diego, California. Great spots include South Carlsbad State Beach; Dog Beach; and Mission Bay Park, where San Diego’s Kite Club meets.
4. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The shoreline wind that aided the Wright Brothers helps kites soar, and nearby Sanderling Resort offers kite-flying lessons.
5. Grand Haven State Park, Grand Haven, Michigan. The park—which receives Lake Michigan’s breezes—hosts the Great Lakes Kite Festival every May. 
6. Edgewater State Park, Cleveland. Kite flyers gather on a grass field that overlooks Lake Erie and offers a great view of the city.
7. Brenton Point State Park, Newport, Rhode Island. Champions compete at the Newport Kite Festival here, held annually in July.
8. Clearwater, Florida. In the Tampa Bay area, miles of pristine public beaches offer kite-flying opportunities.
—Marilyn Jones

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8 Crazy Cocktails

1. Fiery Mandarin, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Phoenix. A combination of vodka, cranberry, lemon juice, and jalapeño.
2. Doc Holliday, Triple Creek Ranch, Darby, Montana. This huckleberry vodka and Elderflower liqueur mix will make you feel OK at the corral.
3. Breakfast of Champions, Bluebeard Bar, Indianapolis. Made with applejack and Montenegro liqueur.
4. XoCo Bell, XoCo, Raleigh, North Carolina. Popcorny sweet and spicy with 12-year single malt and roasted chile corn syrup.
5. King’s Voodoo, Trinity, New Orleans. A velvety concoction with sesame oil, bitters, distilled gin, and ginger liqueur.
6. Yuzu Marmalade Toddy, Hive, San Diego. With spiced rum, this is the best hot toddy anywhere.
7. Bull City Gingersnap, Bull City Burger & Brewery, Durham, North Carolina. This fizzy drink features spiced honey Lithuanian liqueur, ginger ale, vanilla cream, and lemon.
8. Noqoílpi, Hotel Chaco, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Inspired by Chaco Canyon, this drink incorporates BarSol pisco, passion fruit, green chile bitters, egg white, and petroglyph stencil.
—Margie Goldsmith

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5 Summer Mountain Adventures for Kids

1. Adventure Camp, Sun Valley Lodge, Sun Valley, Idaho. Send your children (6–10 years) with guides to explore rivers and streams, hike, bike, bungee and trampoline jump, and swim.
2. Epic Discovery, Vail, Colorado. Join your kids on a gondola ride up Vail Mountain, which leads to Epic Discovery with big-time thrills from ziplining to the coolest coaster ride on a mountain.
3. Stowe Adventure Camp, Stowe, Vermont. Kids hike, attempt a treetop ropes course, rock climb, and join a scavenger hunt.
4. Attitash Mountain Resort, Mt. Washington Valley, New Hampshire. Zipline with your kids from one mountain peak to another, ride the Nor’easter Mountain Coaster down the mountain, then cool off on the water slides or head for the giant trampoline.
5. Tweetsie Railroad. Blowing Rock, North Carolina. In the Blue Ridge Mountains, ride a train pulled by a steam locomotive, visit a recreated Western town, pan for gold and see animals in the park.
—Margie Goldsmith

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7 Superb Napa Valley Red Wines

1. Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet. Silky rich with a strong finish.
2. Duckhorn Vineyards 2013 Napa Valley Merlot Three Palms Vineyard. Possibly the finest Merlot produced outside France.
3. Far Niente 2014 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. This classic Cab exhibits ample tannins yet remains restrained.
4. Viader Red Wine Blend. An elegant Cab/Cab Franc blend from 1,300 feet up on Howell Mountain.
5. Trefethen Estate Cabernet. Bold wine from the Oak Knoll District.
6. Jarvis 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. Smooth and berrylicious.
7. Kapcsandy Estate Cuvée. The best of Bordeaux and Napa Valley.
—Bob Ecker

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10 Places to Get to Know American Authors

1. Hannibal, Missouri. Visit Mark Twain’s childhood home, a Twain museum, and a cave that he made famous, then cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat.
2. Amherst, Massachusetts. The Emily Dickinson Museum includes the home where she created her body of work.
3. Monroeville, Alabama. In Harper Lee’s hometown, the setting for her classic To Kill a Mockingbird, the county museum includes exhibits devoted to Lee and her friend Truman Capote. 
4. Salem, Massachusetts. See Nathancouiel Hawthorne’s birthplace, Salem Custom House (the inspiration for The Scarlet Letter) and Turner-Ingersoll Mansion (The House of the Seven Gables).
5. Salinas, California. In the town of John Steinbeck’s birth, the National Steinbeck Center houses a museum and archives. 
6. Concord, Massachusetts. Tour Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, and learn about her life in Concord.
7. Sleepy Hollow, New York. Visit the haunts of Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and Washington Irving’s home, Sunnyside, in nearby Tarrytown.
8. Concord, Massachusetts. See Ralph Waldo Emerson’s home, still filled with his possessions, then stop by Walden Pond, where Henry David Thoreau lived.
9. Atlanta. Visit the Margaret Mitchell House to learn about her motives for writing Gone with the Wind.
10. San Francisco. The Beat Museum displays artifacts related to Jack Kerouac and his pals.
—Marilyn Jones
 

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9 of Europe’s Most Scenic Rail Journeys

1. The Glacier Express. A seven-and-a-half-hour journey glides through some of Switzerland’s most stunning alpine scenery.
2. Rhine Valley Line. Zip along the historic river past villages stuck in time and vineyards topped with crumbling castles.
3. Cinque Terre, Italy. A short ride passes the most scenic stretch of the Italian Riviera and five idyllic, traffic-free villages.
4. St. Moritz to Tirano. Curling around mountains resistant to all but the Swiss engineer, this trip delivers magnificent views of ravines, glaciers, and sleepy villages nestled amongst the clouds.
5. Paris to Nice. After passing the lavender-blanketed fields of Provence, this trip terminates in the French Riviera.
6. Flam Railway. The best way to experience fjord country’s majesty.
7. Deutsche Bahn’s Black Forest Line. A mellow ride through Germany’s Black Forest showcases the region’s pastoral charm.
8. Trans-Siberian Railway. Connecting Moscow to Vladivostok, this iconic journey crosses eight time zones.
9. Centovalli Railway. This Italy-to-Switzerland alpine route offers stunning countryside and picturesque valleys.
—James Ullrich

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5 Most Popular Aircraft in Fractional and Owned Charter Fleets

1. Cessna Citation Excel/XLS (132)
2. Bombardier Challenger 300/350 (103)
3. Embraer Phenom 300 (67)
4. Bombardier Global XRS/5000/6000 (65)
5. Cessna Citation X (58)
—JetNet LLC

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7 Exotic Scoops

1. Oregon Black Truffle, Salt & Straw, Portland, Oregon. Thin slices of locally foraged fungus deliver surprisingly sweet pineapple notes.
2. Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Columbus, Ohio. Oven roasting enhances field-ripened berries.
3. Elysian Stout, Bluebird Ice Cream, Seattle. Features freshly brewed Dragon’s Tooth Stout from the adjacent Elysian Brewers.
4. Nova Lox, Max & Mina’s, Queens, New York. The savory accents are, indeed, small pieces of smoked salmon.
5. Christmas Tree, The Bent Spoon, Princeton, New Jersey. It tastes the way a Christmas tree smells.
6. Curry Coconut-Toffee, Ici Ice Cream, Berkeley, California. A bit spicy and electric yellow in color, but plenty sweet.
7. Roasted Garlic Almond Chip, Sebastian Joe’s, Minneapolis. Created as a final course for a garlic-themed specialty dinner.
—John Grossmann

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9 Best Annual Food Festivals

1. Taste of Chicago Billed as the world’s largest food festival, Taste of Chicago has been presented since 1980.
2. Bite of Seattle Offerings from 60+ restaurants plus craft beer tastings, live music, and more.
3. Maine Lobster Festival, This 70-year-old festival attracts visitors from all over the world.
4. Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival International culinary celebrities participate in this citywide event.
5. New York City Wine & Food Festival This Big Apple showcase presents world-famous chefs and benefits hunger-relief charities.
6. Salon du Chocolat Taste chocolates from five continents in a 20,000-square-meter exhibit space.
7. Austin [Texas] Food & Wine Festival Texas’s most celebrated chefs deliver everything from tacos to grilled steaks.
8. The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience  Hundreds of wineries and restaurants participate in this festival, which was first presented in 1992.
9. Melbourne [Australia] Food & Wine Festival More than a quarter of a million people attend this festival, which features upwards of 200 events.

—Marilyn Jones

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4 Best Maine Lobster Rolls

1. Bite into Maine, Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth. A seasonal food truck serves traditional Maine (mayo and chives) and Connecticut-style (melted butter) lobster rolls, plus new versions.
2. Red’s Eats, Wiscasset. You’ll forget the long wait when they hand you the state’s biggest and arguably best lobster roll.
3. Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster, South Freeport. A great way to refuel after shopping at nearby L.L. Bean or the Freeport outlets.
4. Eventide Oyster Co., Portland. This hip downtown oyster bar’s remake of the traditional lobster roll combines succulent meat with a brown butter vinaigrette inside a pillowy steamed bun.
—John Grossmann

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5 Great Wine Films

1. Sideways (2004). In this quirky Academy Award–winning film—which sparked sales increases of Pinot Noir and Merlot—two oddballs visit Santa Barbara wine country.
2. Bottle Shock (2008). The somewhat true story of the halcyon days in Napa Valley and how its wines came to beat their French counterparts in the famous 1976 Judgement of Paris.
3. A Walk in the Clouds (1995). A tangled romance set in Napa Valley features gorgeous shots of vineyards and wineries.
4. Somm (2012). Fascinating documentary about the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers.
5. The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969). As World War II is ending, a drunken fool played by Anthony Quinn becomes mayor of his town, then tries to save its precious wine from the Germans.
—Bob Ecker

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10 Top Sights in Prague

1. Old Town Square. Medieval architecture, a memorial to local martyr Jan Hus, and the soaring Gothic spires of Tyn Chruch.
2. Astronomical Clock. This huge 14th century marvel still works.
3. Church of St. James. The sumptuous interior contains great artwork and the priceless Madonna Pietatis.
4. Castle Square. Terrific city views and occasional concerts.
5. Prague Castle. One of the world’s biggest castle complexes housed nobles for a thousand years.
6. Jewish Quarter. This neighborhood offers a historic synagogue, a Holocaust memorial, and a museum about the region’s heritage.
7. Charles Bridge. Named for the Roman emperor who commissioned it, this landmark spans the Vltava River and connects the Old Town with New Town, as it has for 600 years.
8. St. Vitus Cathedral. A magnificent Gothic cathedral renowned for its stained-glass windows and dazzling architecture.
9. Strahov Monastery. Baroque monastery with a brewery, beer hall, and vineyard, and an attached library with rare documents.
10. Lennon Wall. Named by anticommunist dissidents who illustrated it with the singer’s quotes, the wall became a meeting place for the freedom movement until their triumph in 1989.
—James Ullrich

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7 Acronyms Business Jet Travelers Should Know

1. ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance—Broadcast). A tracking system business aircraft must have by 2020.
2. AOG (Aircraft on Ground). Aircraft grounded by sudden mechanical, electrical, or other issue.
3. APIS (Advance Passenger Information System). Border security network used to screen business and commercial passengers on international flights.
4. FL (Flight Level). Altitude, expressed in hundreds of feet above ground level (e.g., FL210 means 21,000 feet).
5. MTOM/MTOW (Maximum Takeoff Mass/Weight). Aircraft weight limit.
6. TAS (True Airspeed). Airspeed relative to the air mass in which an aircraft is flying.
7. TCAS (Traffic Alert/Collision Avoidance System). Onboard equipment for resolving traffic conflicts.
—James Wynbrandt

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12 Places to Find Extraordinary Elevators

1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE. The elevators in the world’s tallest building whisk you to the 124th-floor observation deck in about a minute.
2. Gateway Arch, St. Louis. Enter a tram of eight egg-shaped compartments for an unusual four-minute ride in which you ascend vertically, switch to horizontal travel, then descend.
3. Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand. Elevators to the 610-foot-high observation level are glass-fronted and glass-floored, so you can watch the ground speed away—and come rushing back on the descent.
4. Ericsson Globe, Stockholm, Sweden. A 20-minute curvilinear journey in exterior glass lifts take you to the top of the world’s largest hemispherical building.
5. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan. Double-decker elevators deliver you in 37 seconds to the 89th floor, which offers panoramic city views and the country’s highest restaurant.
6. CN Tower, Toronto. A glass-fronted elevator zips you to an outdoor observation platform in 58 seconds, and you can ascend another 33 floors for more lookout levels.
7. Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. The exterior glass elevator of Thailand’s tallest hotel transports you to the 84th floor, which revolves 360 degrees.
8. Suur Munamägi, Estonia. Ride to the highest point (1,043 feet) in the Baltic states, where an observation area showcases rural forest and lake landscapes of Estonia, Latvia, and Russia.
9. Eiffel Tower, Paris. Restored, computerized engines power your 1,050-foot multistage climb to dreamy views of the City of Light.
10. Bailong (Hundred Dragons) Elevator, Zhangjiajie, China. The world’s highest, heaviest outdoor elevator, which features glass walls, hugs the side of a cliff at a World Heritage Site.
11. Hammetschwand Lift, Bürgenstock, Switzerland. Europe’s highest exterior elevator rises 502 feet in less than a minute and yields dizzying views of the Swiss Alps and lakes.
12. AquaDom, Berlin. A transparent elevator within an 82-foot cylindrical acrylic glass aquarium lets you peer at sea creatures.
—Debi Lander

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6 Vintage Trailer Stays

1. The Shady Dell, Bisbee, Arizona. Choose from seven 1940s and 1950s trailers or a 1947 Chris Craft yacht or a bright blue Airporter bus redone as a Polynesian tiki palace.
2. The Vintages, Dayton, Oregon. Thirty-one restored and newly built retro-model trailers, each with two vintage coaster bikes, are in a 14-acre RV park in the heart of Willamette Valley wine country.
3. Kate’s Lazy Desert Airstream Motel, Joshua Tree, California. Six mid-century-themed restored Airstreams serve as the Western outpost of upstate New York’s celebrated Kate’s Lazy Meadow, the funky motel run by B-52s singer Kate Pierson.
4. Lakedale Resort, San Juan Island, Washington. Besides other accommodations, the resort offers (May through September) a 1978 Excella Airstream with a wooden deck right at lake’s edge.
5. El Cosmico, Marfa, Texas. High-plains desert digs include 11 vintage trailers, all with cedar decks, ranging from the 11-foot-long Amigo to the 42-foot Imperial Mansion.
6. The Sou’wester, Seaview, Washington. Supplementing lodge rooms and cottages are a range of trailers, from small, no-shower “rustics” to models with kitchens and living rooms.
—John Grossmann

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6 Exceptional Hot Springs

1. Takaragawa Onsen, Gunma, Japan. Healing and scenic hot springs, once used by samurais and shoguns.  
2. Minerva Springs and Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park. Algae in the multicolored water that flows here dyes the terraces brown, orange, red, and green.
3. The Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland. Mineral salts, sulfur, and silica-heavy mud offer multiple healing properties.
4. Terme di Saturnia, Saturnia, Italy. Enjoy two waterfalls and 98-degree pools high in sulfur.
5. Glenwood Hot Springs, Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Savor a relaxing soak with a snowy Rocky Mountain backdrop.
6. Yangpachen Hot Springs, Yangbajing, Tibet. Relish the view of the Nyaingen Tanggula mountain range while soaking in the world’s highest hot springs (14,764 feet).
—Jill Dutton

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12 Great Automobile Museums

1. Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles. A wild-looking, four-story building celebrates cars, many from Hollywood films.
2. Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan. See hundreds of historic and unusual vehicles (the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile!) and help build an authentic Model T.
3. National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky. About 100 rare ’Vettes and a place where you can take delivery of a new one.
4. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, Indianapolis. See Indy 500–winning cars.
5. Porsche Museum, Stuttgart, Germany. Check out Porsche’s first to latest, tour the factory, and even take delivery of a new car.
6. Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany. View 160 cars spanning 130 years, and stop by the gourmet restaurant.
7. National Automobile Museum, Reno, Nevada. Casino magnate Bill Harrah’s collection of 200+ cars, displayed in authentic-looking street scenes.
8. Museo Enzo Ferrari, Modena, Italy. Built at the Ferrari founder’s birthplace, this is a must for lovers of the prancing horse.
9. BMW Museum, Munich, Germany. Generations of Beemers, plus airplanes, motorcycles, and other examples of BMW engineering.
10. Donington Grand Prix Collection, Derbyshire, England. Arguably the world’s largest collection of Formula One Grand Prix cars and memorabilia.
11. Prince of Monaco Vintage Car Collection, Monte Carlo. Collected over a lifetime by Prince Rainier III, this eclectic assemblage includes more than 100 classics plus his six coaches.
12. Muscle Car City, Punta Gorda, Florida. If names like GTO, Chevelle, and Corvette warm your heart, head for this museum, which has more than 200 of the hottest GM muscle cars from the ’50s to the ’70s, plus a retro diner with great burgers.
—Chris Caswell

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6 High-Tech Hotels

1. Ecclestone Square Hotel, London. Offers 3D plasma screens, iPad room concierge, and complimentary smartphone.
2. Aloft Cupertino, Cupertino, California. Contact “Botlr,”the robot butler, with your cell phone to have towels or snacks delivered.
3. NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse, Berlin. Offers 3D holographic projection for business presentations.
4. Peninsula Tokyo, Tokyo. Entertain the kids with a digitally interactive Pokémon hunt designed for the hotel premises.
5. Yotel New York, New York. “Shaggy,” a concierge, can be downloaded to your phone. “Yobot,” a robot, handles your bags.
6. Hotel 1000, Seattle. Microsoft Surface tablets in each room, and a virtual-reality golfing experience.
—Chris Allsop

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5 Clever Aircraft Tail Numbers

1. N16EL (U.S.). A “Kitfox” sportplane built and flown by Nigel Moll, editor of BJT sister publication Aviation International News.  
2. M-ACHO (Isle of Man). A testosterone-rich Challenger 605.
3. G-ROWL (U.K.). A ferocious Grumman Tiger.
4. G-AYSX (U.K.). A sexual-orientation-revealing Cessna.
5. EI-EIO (Ireland). A six-passenger Piper Seneca said to have once been owned by a farmer named MacDonald.
—Mark Phelps

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8 Busiest and Slowest Bizav Travel Days in 2016 

Busiest*
1. November 3     11,099
2. October 20     10,656
3. October 13     10,539
4. September 22     10,434
*all Thursdays, as are nine of the 10 busiest
Slowest
1. December 25 (Christmas)    2,680
2. November 24 (Thanksgiving)    3,577
3. December 24 (Christmas Eve)    3,703
4. July 3 (before Independence Day)    3,916

Note: numbers are for IFR flights in North America
—Argus International

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6 Cocktail Spots with Great Sunsets

1. River’s End, Jenner-By-The-Sea, California. This Sonoma County bar and restaurant ­showcases the sinking sun past crashing Pacific waves and near-shore haystacks. 
2. The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan. Claim a rocker on the west end of America’s longest front porch (660 feet) or enjoy a 360-degree view in the hotel’s Cupola Bar.
3. House without a Key, Halekulani Hotel, Honolulu. Listen to live music while sipping a mai tai under the century-old kiawe tree on the westward-facing patio.
4. Das Loft Restaurant, Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom, Vienna, Austria. Glowing views of historic Vienna out the floor-to-ceiling windows compete with the unique “kaleidoscopic light” ceiling.
5. Pompano Beach Club, Bermuda. Whether in the air conditioned lounge or the open-air deck overlooking the Atlantic, the Sunset Bar lives up to its name when the weather cooperates.
6. Beach Bistro, Holmes Beach, Florida. Reserve one of four toes-in-the-sand tables on Anna Maria Island beach, where the view is as fine as the white sand.
—John Grossmann

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5 Offbeat Cruises

1. Container ships. On freightercruises.com, you can book comfortable passage on cargo and container ships.
2. Tierra del Fuego. Australis cruises explore Patagonia at the tip of South America, plus the legendary Cape Horn.
3. Icebreak to the North Pole. Aboard the world’s most powerful icebreaker on a cruise from Quark Expeditions, you’ll leave Murmansk, Russia, and smash ice all the way to 90 degrees north.
4. Australian Kimberly. True North’s small ships offer views of a raw and rugged coastline with spectacular waterfalls, ancient cave art, and wildlife from kangaroos to crocodiles.
5. Northwest Passage. With One Ocean Expeditions, you can travel between the Atlantic and Pacific across the top of Canada, visiting Inuit communities that have existed on the ice for centuries.
—Chris Caswell

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6 Fantastic New Vacation Villas

1. Canouan Estate, the Grenadines. Three spacious villas come with golf carts to whisk you to nine restaurants and bars.
2. Sa Punta de S’Aguila, Son Bunyola Estate, Mallorca. Virgin Limited’s five-bedroom sea-facing villa includes a pool. 
3. Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley, California. Spacious villas include a butler, two fireplaces, and a dining/lounging terrace.
4. The Sanctuary at Camelback Mountain, Paradise Valley, Arizona. Lush private residences contain three to six bedrooms, some with wraparound terraces and pools.
5. Pinney’s Beach Villa (#2007), Four Seasons Resort, Nevis. This three-bedroom property includes a plunge pool and comes with a dedicated “villa ambassador” to address your needs.
6. Rock Cottage Villa, Blue Waters Resort & Spa, Antigua. This newly restored, water-facing property is posh, stunning, and secluded.
—Margie Goldsmith

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3 Airports with Elvis Presley Connections

1. Prestwick, Glasgow, Scotland. Returning from Army service in 1960, Elvis stopped at this airport. A lounge now bears his name.
2. Stapleton Airport, Denver (closed 1995). Elvis flew his jet from Memphis to Denver just to pick up his favorite peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, which were delivered to the airplane.
3. Baltimore-Washington International, Baltimore. In 1977, Elvis met another rock legend, Led Zeppelin, for the third and last time when his jet was parked next to theirs on the tarmac.
—Heidi Ellison

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4 Notorious U.S. Bars

1. Esquire Tavern, San Antonio, Texas. This former Mexican Mafia hangout opened in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition.
2. Ear Inn, New York. During Prohibition, this was a speakeasy and brothel.
3. Pioneer Saloon, Goodsprings, Nevada. You can still see burn marks on the bar from the cigars of Clark Gable, who waited three days here to learn the fate of his wife, who died in a plane crash.
4. Exchequer Restaurant and Pub, Chicago. In the 1920s, this was a speakeasy frequented by Al Capone.
—Jill Dutton

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12 European Battlefields Worth Visiting

1. Thermopylae (Greece, 480 BC). Where a small force of Spartans and their Greek allies held off a giant Persian army.
2. Cannae (Italy, 216 B.C.). Hannibal’s classic defeat of the Romans.
3. Hastings (England, 1099). Key battle of the Norman Conquest.
4. Agincourt (France, 1415). Site of Henry V’s amazing victory.
5. Culloden (Scotland, 1745). Where Bonnie Prince Charlie met defeat.
6. Austerlitz (Austria, 1805). Site of Napoleon’s masterful defeat of Austria and Russia.
7. Waterloo (Belgium, 1815). Walk where Ney’s cavalry charged in Napoleon’s final battle.
8. Gallipoli (Turkey, 1915). Well-preserved trenches from the disastrous British-Anzac invasion.
9. Verdun (France, 1916). The overgrown trenches still harbor unexploded ordinance.
10. Monte Cassino (Italy, 1943). The bloodiest battle of the Italian Campaign in WWII.
11. Normandy (France, 1944). Hire a guide to visit far-flung “Longest Day” sites.
12. Bastogne (Belgium, 1944). Focal site of the Battle of the Bulge.
—Jeff Wieand

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9 Places to Mine for Gems in the U.S.

1. Crater of Diamonds State Park, Murfreesboro, Arkansas
2. Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine, Philipsburg, Montana
3. Emerald Hollow Mine, Hiddenite, North Carolina
4. Cherokee Ruby Mine, Franklin, North Carolina
5. Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, Virgin Valley, Nevada
6. Mason Mountain [Rhodolite Garnet] Mine, Franklin, North Carolina
7. Topaz Mountain Adventures, Santaquin, Utah
8. Last Chance [Amethyst] Mine, Creede, Colorado
9. Crystal Grove [Herkimer] Diamond Mine, St. Johnsville, New York
—Marilyn Jones

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6 Wicket Good Stays

1. Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, Massachusetts. A 20-year-old croquet lawn adjoins the pool and overlooks the Atlantic at this popular destination for bridal parties and family reunions.
2. Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island. This croquet-centric hotel’s signature cocktail, the Irish Peel, honors the admirable mallet stroke that directs both balls through the wicket.
3. Meadowood Napa Valley, St. Helena, California. Two world-class lawns host six-wicket tournament play and the simpler California golf croquet, both taught by a resident pro.
4. The Claremont, South West Harbor, Maine. A 133-year-old hotel that hosts croquet tournaments each August features two nine-wicket lawns for adults and a similar court for children.
5. Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, Georgia. A pristine six-wicket croquet court awaits in front of the hotel, as does expert instruction from club members.
6. Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, Florida. Guests at this Waldorf Astoria property can reserve court time and wield mallets on a well-manicured lawn adjacent to The Cloisters, the oldest of the resort’s properties.
—John Grossmann
 

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12 Movies with Great Scores

1. Ben Hur. Miklos Rosza’s score is the best thing about the movie.
2. Spartacus. The score by Alex North contributes to the best opening credits ever.
3. The Magnificent Seven. Elmer Bernstein’s score is almost ruined by the cigarette commercials.
4. East of Eden. Leonard Rosenman’s score perfectly complements a stunning performance.
5. The Sea Hawk. Erich Korngold’s score is the greatest of the great.
6. The Charge of the Light Brigade. Max Steiner’s best score.
7. Alexander Nevsky. Sergei Prokofiev later reworked the score for his eponymous oratorio.
8. Scott of the Antarctic. Ralph Vaughn Williams’s score later served as the basis for his 7th Symphony.
9. Vertigo. Bernard Hermann’s score adds greatly to the overall creepiness.
10. On the Waterfront. The only score that Leonard Bernstein wrote specifically for a movie. (West Side Story and On the Town employed music that he had composed for Broadway.)
11. The Blue Max. Jerry Goldsmith’s score soars like an airplane.
12. Wuthering Heights. A romantic score for a romantic film, by Alfred Newman.
—Jeff Wieand

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