East and Mid-Atlantic
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia

What's new in the East and Mid-Atlantic Region:

Each issue of thetouroperator.com destination magazine will feature what’s new in a region that is featured. This issue, we feature the states that comprise the Midwest region: NY, NJ, CT, DE, PA, MD, DC, VA, WV

Back to the Magazine Cover Page

CONNECTICUT

Milford Marketplace , a new 111,000-square-foot premier lifestyle center located on 13 acres at the highly visible intersection of Boston Post Rd. (Rte. 1) and Woodruff Rd, just off Interstate Route 95—the heavily traveled Boston to Washington, D.C. corridor—opened in November 2007. Its lineup of retailers includes Ann Taylor LOFT, Banana Republic, Coldwater Creek, Chico's, White House/Black Market, J. Jill, Jos A. Bank, Justice, Blue Tulip, Floris Nail & Spa, and People's Bank. In the coming months additional stores will open their doors at Milford Marketplace including Tengda Asian Bistro, Skewer Churrascaria, First Steps, and Yellow Moon. Since opening, Milford Marketplace has become an increasingly popular shopping and dining destination for shoppers in the city and surrounding areas. Contact: www.cblproperties.com, 781-647-3330.

Friday, March 7, 2008 marked the grand opening of the Palace, a swanky new nightclub in Hartford. Located in the same building that was home to Hartford’s legendary Brickyard, the Palace offers a much more comfortable environment for those who like to dance and party. It has, what one reviewer said, “thumping music, good booze and a light show that every nightclub could be proud of, kept the crowd energized all night.” Contact:the Palace, 860-293-2046 .

In New Canaan, the world famous Glass House, a personal favorite and an actual residence of internationally acclaimed architect Philip Johnson (1906-2005), has been opened to public tours by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Built in 1949 and described in one account as “ a profoundly influential work,” it had already been sketched in initial form by Johnson's mentor, Mies van der Rohe years earlier. The building is an essay in minimal structure, geometry, proportion, and the effects of transparency and reflection. The house sits at the edge of a crest in Johnson’s estate overlooking a pond. The building's sides are glass and charcoal-painted steel; the floor, of brick, is not flush with the ground but sits about 10 inches or so up. The interior is open with the space divided by low walnut cabinets; a brick cylinder contains the bathroom and is the only object to reach floor to ceiling. Tickets for the daily tours of the Glass House must be purchased in advance. Contact: www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org , 866-811-4111.

The new 825-room MGM Grand at Foxwoods, a $700 million development project, opened this spring at the Foxwoods casino/resort complex in Mashantucket. It will add nearly 2 million square feet of overall space, featuring significantly increased hotel, entertainment, restaurants and gaming venues as well as enhanced corporate retreat, meeting and convention resources. There will be a 4,000-seat theater, 5,500-square-foot outdoor pool, spa, shops, a new casino and 115,000 square feet of meeting space. Guests also get access to Foxwoods Casino Resort attractions, including two 18-hole championship golf courses. Contact: www.mgmatfoxwoods.com, 800-488-7777.

DELAWARE

A new 89-room Country Inn & Suites By Carlson has opened its doors for business in Dover. The hotel features an indoor pool, whirlpool and on-site fitness room. Other amenities include a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast and a 40-person capacity meeting room that provides fax and copy services. The hotel offers a variety of guest rooms including standard rooms, studio suites, one bedroom suites and an extended stay suite. All rooms feature complimentary wired and wireless high-speed FIOS Internet access with up to 15M download speed via wired connection. This Country Inn & Suites property is located close to Dover International Speedway, Dover Downs Casino and Delaware State University. Contact: www.countryinns.com, 302-677-0505.

The newest boutique hotel on Rehoboth Beach is the Hotel Rehoboth, which offers 52 guest rooms, including 11 terrace and balcony guest rooms and one executive suite. Our king and two queen bedded guest rooms offer luxury bedding and linens, granite bathrooms with luxury towels and amenities, large flat screen TVs with built-in DVDs, iPod compatible radios, high speed WiFi and broadband Internet access, gourmet coffee area with refrigerator and in-room safes. Its balcony and terrace hotel rooms create the perfect vantage point to relax and enjoy the fresh sea air and sights of Rehoboth Beach, which calls itself the " Nation's Summer Capital." Among its many amenities and services, the hotel has an outdoor sundeck and heated swimming pool, and provides shuttle service to the beach and boardwalk during summer months. Contact: www.hotelrehoboth.com, 302-227-4300.

The newest attraction in Delaware is a monster. Yes, a monster—a 46-foot tall supersize replica of the Monster Trophy given to race winners at the Dover Speedway. Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner was just one of the dignitaries scheduled to be on hand for the May 31 dedication of The Monster, which is located just outside Turn 4 at the speedway. The base of the monument will include a Walk of Fame, with 4-foot-high granite plaques touting the career accomplishments and Dover highlights of NASCAR's top talents. To make a visit to the Monster more attractive, the nearby Dover Downs Hotel & Casino now offers (Sunday through Wednesday arrivals) a two-night package with the first night free. Contact: www.doverspeedway.com and/or www.doverdowns.com/hotel/packages.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

The St. Regis Washington DC has reopened after a 16-month renovation that put 21st century amenities throughout the historic property while reducing the number of guest rooms from 193 to 175. The modern touches in the 1926 building include such things as television screens behind bathroom mirrors. Contact:www.stregis.com/WashingtonDC, 202-638-2626.

The Renaissance M Street Hotel, following an extensive $25.2 million makeover, has been transformed into an art gallery, complete with entertainment by acclaimed D.C. jazz artist Marcus Johnson, innovative Bar Arts cocktails and delectable culinary touches. Guests step into interactive life-size vignettes of famous Renaissance paintings and artworks showcasing the imaginative revitalization of six Renaissance properties - New York, Boston, Hollywood, Sonoma, Miami and Ross Bridge in Alabama on the Robert Trent Jones Trail. Contract: www.marriott.com, 202-775-0800.

Opened in March 2008, Thompson Hotels’ Donovan House brings a modern sophistication to the D.C. hotel scene. Each of its 193 rooms designed by Studio Gaia is adorned with 400-thread count linens, bath products by Fresh, flat screen TVs, i-Pod docking stations, complimentary WiFi Internet access and Dean & Deluca gourmet snacks. Contact: www.donovanhousedc.com, 202737-1200.

The Affinia brand made its D.C. debut on April 1, 2008 with the opening of The Liaison Capitol Hill. Formerly the Holiday Inn on the Hill, the property became an Affinia following a $12 million dollar renovation of the 343-room property. The hotel, the closest to the U.S. Capitol, maximizes its prime location on Capitol Hill by launching its new Cityscape positioning at The Liaison, which offers guests an urban escape centering around a sophisticated lobby that flows seamlessly into the restaurant, lounge, and bar areas, affording unique opportunities for social interaction. Iconic six-foot by six-foot paintings of world leaders, such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Margaret Thatcher among others, are placed throughout and designed to spark conversation and contemplation. The Cityscape features carry through to a rooftop bar that has spectacular views. Contact: www.affinia.com, 202-638-1616.

Madame Tussaud’s has opened in Washington. The wax attraction is an interactive experience; visitors can touch, see and hear major historical events and celebrities. At the opening celebration, Councilmember and former Marion Barry unveiled his wax figure—the attraction's fiftieth. Contact: www.madametussaudsdc.com, 888-929-4632.

The International Spy Museum has launched Operation Spy™, a groundbreaking immersive experience available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To celebrate this interactive adventure, Zola, the destination hotspot located at 800 F Street, NW, next to the museum, is offering a three-course prix-fixe lunch which includes an appetizer, entrée and choice of dessert, priced at $25 per person (excluding tax and gratuity), served Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Spy for a Day package includes tickets to Operation Spy™ followed by the three-course lunch at Zola (from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.) for $40 per person (all inclusive). For groups and private parties, dinner is another option, following the Operation Spy experience. Operation Spy can accommodate 15 participates at one time for an approximate one hour scenario, with the last session running at 7 p.m. Operation Spy™ allows adventure-seekers to assume the role of a U.S. intelligence officer with the assignment of locating a missing nuclear device on the verge of being sold to a rogue nation. This involved mission combines live-action, video characters, themed environments, special effects, and hands-on activities. Contact: www.spymuseum.org , 202-393-7798.

The house where Abraham Lincoln wrote a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation and retreated often from the bustle of a wartime White House opened in February 2008 after an eight-year, $15 million renovation. The house, a 34-room Gothic revival mansion on the grounds of the sprawling Armed Forces Retirement Home, is also known as the Soldiers’ Home. The National Trust for Historic Preservation will run the government-owned property. Built in 1842, it served as a 19th-century Camp David for at least three other presidents: James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes and Chester A. Arthur. Three miles from the White House on the third-highest point in Washington, the house provided a respite from the swampy heat of the city, then also prone to malaria. The house provides a glimpse into Lincoln family life. Lincoln commuted to work on horseback or by carriage. Visitors to the wood-paneled library — from which 23 layers of paint were removed — will be able to leaf through editions of the same books Lincoln read. In the bedroom where Lincoln is believed to have worked on the Emancipation Proclamation, a replica of the desk he wrote it on, now in the White House, will be part of a permanent exhibit. Contact: www.nationaltrust.org, 202-588-6000.

The Newseum, a spectacular addition to the tourism infrastructure of our nation’s capital, opened this spring to rave reviews from every quarter. The attraction/museum is a departure in its size and the experience of the electronic age of media. It has seven levels totaling 643,000 square feet, with the museum occupying 250,000 square feet and 70,000 square feet dedicated to exhibits. It also includes apartments and a restaurant by chef Wolfgang Puck. The museum has 14 galleries, 15 theaters, two broadcast studios and 130 interactive touch screens. The Newseum also features an outdoor news ticker and a 40-by-22-foot electronic media screen, visible from Pennsylvania Avenue. Contact: www.newseum.org, 888-639-7396.

Starting last July week, more people have been hitting the pavement in our nation’s capital. Not due to a marathon or individuals getting in shape for beach season, it is because guided running tours have come to Washington, D.C. Now, tourists and locals alike can get a newfound view of the city’s historical sites and notable landmarks, all while getting in some healthy exercise. City Running Tours, an organization dedicated to bringing guided running tours to major cities across the U.S., launched DC Run, is making the tours available on a one-on-one as well as group basis for fitness enthusiasts and runners who are visiting or live in Washington, D.C. Similar to a walking tour, sightseeing with DC Run involves running side-by-side with a guide who, along the way, points out sites and conveys the history of that particular site as well as little-known facts. Each of the guides is an experienced runner who is well versed in the city’s history. The company picks the runners up at their hotel or a central meeting place, operating 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are also running tours in New York, Chicago, San Diego and Charleston, S.C. Contact: www.cityrunningtours.com, 646-216-9989 .

The Shakespeare Theatre Company 's expansion, the $85 million Harman Center for the Arts, brings a new 776-seat performance space to downtown DC's Penn Quarter arts and entertainment district. Operating alongside the company's current stage at the Lansburgh Theatre, the new space gives theater lovers more opportunities to enjoy classic works and contemporary interpretations by one of the world's foremost Shakespeare companies. Contact: www.shakespearedc.org, 202-547-1122.

John Morgan , the Orlando attorney and entrepreneur -- best known for his pro-consumer Orlando law firm, Morgan & Morgan – has opened the new $22 million National Crime and Punishment Museum, in Washington, D.C. The interactive museum traces the evolution of crime and punishment in America. It is comprised of five areas: history, punishment, crime fighting, crime solving and the America's Most Wanted TV series. Displays will include a re-created crime scene, where guests collect potential evidence for the crime lab. Exhibits include handcuffs, the clothing of criminals and the car used in the Bonnie & Clyde film. Contact: www.crimemuseum.org, 202-393-1099.

The National Gallery of Art is playing host from March 30, 2007 to January 2009 to “Homer, Eakins and Bellows: American Paintings, 1870-1925”. This selection of paintings highlights the depth and richness of the Gallery's collection of works by the American masters Winslow Homer (1836–1910), Thomas Eakins (1844–1916), and George Bellows (1882–1925). Among the many iconic masterpieces on view are Homer's Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) (1873–1876), Eakins' The Biglin Brothers Racing (1872), and Bellows' Both Members of This Club (1909). Contact: www.nga.gov, 202-842-6353.

MARYLAND

A steak restaurant and several new fashion stores are, or will be, part of the Westfield Annapolis mall as part of its $100 million expansion. Stoney River Legendary Steaks opened this spring. The chain, which has ten locations, serves steaks in a mountain lodge setting. Garage, a Canadian teen fashion store; Ruehl, an Abercrombie & Fitch concept that targets 22-to-30-year-olds; and Guess are among the new retail stores. Contact: www.westfield.com, 410-266-5432.

The Richard and Patrician Hazel Delmarva Trail opened at the Salisbury Zoo on April 19. 2008. Visitors will be able to experience naturalistic exhibits for many of the Delmarva Peninsula’s native wildlife, including red wolves, no longer seen in the wild. Other wildlife along the trail will include whitetail deer, wild turkey, beaver and wood ducks. Contact: www.salisburyzoo.org, 410-548-3188.

Last December, the National Aquarium in Baltimore unveiled a new 4D Immersion Theater allowing visitors to get even closer to the sights, sounds and smells of the action. The 4D Theater combines high-definition drama with special sensory effects that bring on-screen images to life. Contact: www.aqua.org, 410-576-3800.

Port Discovery Children's Museum in Baltimore recently unveiled “Wonders of Water,” the first permanent exhibit to be on display at the museum since it opened in 1998.

Wonders of Water enables children to explore and understand everything that water can provide for the human body, environment and economy. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit provides an opportunity to load objects into water using a crane to see if the objects float or sink and why. The Wonders of Water exhibit features interactive water experiences for children ages 2 — 10. Contact: www.portdiscovery.org, 410-727-8120

Gaylord National Resort, located on the shores of the Potomac River within view of Washington, DC, opened this spring. The property has 2,000 guest rooms including more than 100 suites. It is one of the main focal points of the National Harbor, a 300-acre waterfront destination that incorporates quality retail, dining and entertainment. Contact: www.gaylordnational.com, 301-965-2000.

 RA Sushi Bar Restaurant opened its first mid-Atlantic location in Baltimore's Harbor East neighborhood on Jan. 21, 2008. The restaurant chain, which touts its contemporary design and hip music, is a 5,700 square-foot store that seats 175. The restaurant also features 30 outdoor seats during the summer months. Its signature rolls include the Tootsy Maki, a trio of crab, shrimp and cucumber wrapped in seaweed and topped with tempura bits, for $8. Dinner menu items include beef filet medallions with wasabi mashed potatoes for $23 and halibut with shiitake mushrooms and spinach for $18.50. Based in Scottsdale, the chain has 17 locations in California, Illinois, Texas and Florida. Contact: www.rasushi.com/ra2006.4xm.swf.

Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. last November opened the new Hilton Garden Inn at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The hotel is the second to open of two co-joined properties being developed by Presidential Hotel Investors and managed by Crestline Hotels & Resorts. The 183-guestroom Hilton Garden Inn joins the 165-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton that opened in September. The Hilton Garden Inn is located only one block from the city's picturesque waterfront and within walking distance to Baltimore's most popular neighborhoods for dining, shopping and entertainment. The 183 guestroom Hilton Garden Inn and the 165 suite Homewood Suites Hotel are co-joined properties that enable guests to choose either of the two Hilton brands in one convenient location. The properties share several amenities and services such as parking facilities, a fitness center and nearly 2,100 square feet of meeting space and are a short walk to Baltimore's historic harbor. Contact: www.hilton.com, 410-234-0065 (Hilton Garden Inn, Inner Harbor) and 410-234-0999 (Homewood Suites by Hilton).

NEW JERSEY Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. opened the Hampton Inn Parsippany in March 2008. The new select is adjacent to the Hilton Parsippany Hotel in the Mack Cali Office Complex of Parsippany. The Hampton Inn Parsippany offers 152 guest rooms and two suites. Additional guest amenities include complimentary hot breakfast and high speed Internet access. For recreation, guests have access to the indoor and outdoor pools at the Hilton Parsippany, as well as the fitness center. The hotel is owned by Highland Hospitality. Contact: www.hamptoninn.com, 973-290-9058. A prominent Cape May hotel owner has brought his brand of ultra-upscale hotels to Atlantic City with the recent opening of The Chelsea. Curtis J. Bashaw , co-owner of the Cape May landmark hotel Congress Hall, converted an Atlantic City Holiday Inn and the adjacent Howard Johnson hotel into a boardwalk luxury hotel. The new property includes conference facilities and a rooftop swimming pool with private cabanas. However, it will be most extraordinary for what it won’t have—a casino. The property is situated on the boardwalk next to the Tropicana Casino and Resort. Contact: www.thechelsea-ac.com, 866-393-3285. Opening in June 2008, The Water Club, A Signature Hotel by Borgata—the city's first boutique-lifestyle hotel—will combine elements of Borgata, while delivering a unique personality of its own.  The 43-story, $400 million hotel will feature 800 guestrooms and suites; Immersion, a two-story spa on the 32nd floor, 18,000 square-feet of meeting and event space; three Residences modeled after chic, urban lofts; five heated pools - indoor and outdoor, each offering a distinct experience; and six retail shops including La Perla, Hugo Boss, Just Cavali and Hearts on Fire, while offering direct access to and from the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa. The debut of The Water Club will complete Borgata's $600 million master plan development and allow more guests than ever before to experience the luxe lifestyle that defines Borgata. Contact: http://www.theborgata.com/Main.cfm?Category_1=17000&Category_2=17007, 609-317-1000. NEW YORK Monticello Motor Club to Open in Summer 2008. Anticipated to be the most exclusive race resort in the United States, the Monticello Motor Club (MMC) will open in the summer of 2008. Conveniently located just 90 miles from Manhattan, membership will be by invitation only. Created by car enthusiasts for car enthusiasts, MMC members can fuel their passion for performance and need for speed with unprecedented access to 220 racing days per year. With limited founding memberships available at $100,000, Monticello Motor Club is an unparalleled, 175 acre, automotive "field of dreams," built for car lovers with a passion for high speed performance driving. Located 90 minutes from New York City, Monticello Motor Club is an ultra-exclusive race resort designed for automotive enthusiasts. Membership privileges include unparalleled access to a challenging 22 turn, 4.1 mile road course and 30,000 square foot luxury clubhouse, offering a spa center, exercise and fitness facility, five-star restaurant, drivers lounge, trackside heliport and pro shop. Safety is a priority. Members will be grouped by experience level and vehicle type and have the option to participate in casual touring, advanced lapping, or wheel to wheel racing. By invitation only. Contact: www.monticellomotorclub.com, 877-578-7223. Scheduled to open in November 2008, the Comfort Inn & Suites hotel is ideally situated in the heart of Manhattan and within walking distance to the Broadway Theater District, Times Square, Madison Square Garden arena, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. The hotel offers free deluxe continental breakfast and hotel safe. Pets are allowed at this hotel for an additional fee. Guestrooms feature free wireless high-speed Internet access, flat screen/plasma TVs, in-room coffee makers, hair dryers, irons and ironing boards. Contact:www.comfortinn.com, 877-424-6423. The Waldorf=Astoria Collection late last year introduced the new Guerlain Spa Boutique at the legendary Waldorf=Astoria hotel in New York City. The Spa Boutique opening preceded the opening of the brand’s first Guerlain Spa on the 19 th floor of The Waldorf=Astoria in early 2008. The new Guerlain Spa Boutique will occupy the space just east of the main lobby adjacent to the legendary Waldorf=Astoria clock and will retail the exquisite skincare, fragrance, and makeup collections of Guerlain Paris. The Guerlain Spa Boutique will also serve as a luxury outpost and Spa booking lounge, affording visitors the opportunity to reserve Spa therapies from the ground floor and purchase the same fragrance and skincare used in each signature therapy. The Spa Boutique will also accommodate pre- and post-launch Guerlain Spa Gift Certificate sales. Occupying most of the newly designed 19th floor—most easily accessed by guests of the Waldorf Towers—the new spa will highlight Midtown Manhattan views throughout most of the facility. Contact:www.guerlain.com, 212-355-3000. NYC & Company , New York City's official marketing and tourism organization, has launched NYC Sunday Stays, a hotel promotion offering discounts and specials for guests. NYC Sunday Stays is an effort by New York City to improve Sunday hotel occupancy rates. NYC & Company has partnered with participating hotels to reduce Sunday room rates by 20 percent to 30 percent. In addition, guests will receive other hotel-specific amenities, such as discounted room service and restaurant dining, complimentary breakfast, free parking, room upgrades and more. Participating hotels include The Algonquin Hotel, Dream New York, Flatotel New York City, Grand Hyatt New York, Hilton Garden Inn New York/Staten Island, Le Parker Meridien New York, Loews Regency Hotel, The Mansfield, Millennium Broadway Hotel New York, Paramount Hotel New York, Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, Shoreham Hotel, The Carlton on Madison Avenue, The London NYC, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, The Roosevelt Hotel, The Sherry-Netherland, The Time Hotel, The Westin New York at Times Square and the five W New York hotels. Contact: nycvisit.com, 212-484-1200 . New York City’s famed Plaza Hotel , located just across the street from the southeast corner of Manhattan’s Central, Park , reopened in April 2008 following a three-year $400 million renovation. Built in 1907, The Plaza is a National Historic Landmark . The current owners of the hotel had originally planned to convert all of the property’s rooms into condominiums, but they settled on 282 hotel rooms and 181 apartments. Contact: www.fairmont.com/theplaza, 212-759-3000. The new Niketown New York at 6 East 57th Street in Manhattan features a touch screen in the front window of the store where consumers will be able to design on the street before an audience. People will be able to e-mail their designs from the touch screen to their friends, to their home computer or even purchase the design inside at Niketown. The screen will display a rotation of shoe designs from around the world that have been made by consumers at nikeid.com within the past hour. Each shoe posted will have the designer's name, the name of the creation, their country of origin, and the time it was designed. Ninety percent of consumers receive the products they designed within two weeks of placing their order. A select few designs from consumers will be chosen throughout the year to be produced in limited edition quantities and sold at Niketown. Those consumer designers will be recognized for their creations. The new retail location expands on the NikeID offering online at nikeid.com, where customers have been able to personalize and buy Nike products. Contact:www.nike.com, 212-891-6453. Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro this spring brought Ago Ristorante to the Greenwich, his TriBeCa hotel; the menu offers Italian favorites prepared in a wood-burning oven. The New York opening of the restaurant, which features elegant Italian cuisine, “had the makings of a summer blockbuster,” according to one review. This Tribeca restaurant is the fourth branch of the brand for chef-and-partner Agostino Sciandri. Contact: 212-925-3797 The Broadway Concierge & Ticket Center has pened a one-stop shopping center for tickets to most Broadway shows, whether the demand is for same-day, advance purchase or premium tickets. General Broadway information is available in six languages. The center can provide show recommendations, restaurant and attraction reservations, parking information, free neighborhood maps and other goods and services. Tickets are sold at full price. Contact: http://broadwayconciergeandticketcenter.com/ The InterContinental Hotels Group opened its ninth Hotel Indigo last summer in Amherst, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo. Just 20 miles from Niagara Falls, this 187-room hotel is Hotel Indigo's first property to open in New York. Hotel Indigo is a six-story, $6 million renovation of a Hampton Inn. The Hotel Indigo Buffalo-Amherst is owned and managed by Hart Hotels, Inc., under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group. Hotel Indigo Buffalo-Amherst will offer guests the dining options they want, featuring casual gourmet fare prepared quickly for the time-conscious traveler. The Golden Bean will showcase Hotel Indigo's unique approach to breakfast serving traditional morning favorites with a twist and Starbucks Coffee. Contact: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/in/1/en/hotel/buffr, 716-689-4414. PENNSYLVANIA Pittsburgh will soon have a tourist attraction to burnish the city's high tech credentials when the Carnegie Science Center opens “Roboworld,” a permanent exhibit, next spring, 2009. "Roboworld, at 6,000 square feet, will be the largest and most comprehensive robotics exhibit anywhere in the nation," said museum Director Joanna Haas in announcing the project. The $3.5 million exhibition will have more than 30 hands-on displays, grouped into three broader concepts: sensing, thinking and acting. It will include new robots and a few already on display at the museum, including an industrial welding arm that now shoots hoops. Carnegie Mellon University and local robotics companies are involved in planning, and the university's Entertainment Technology Center is designing some of the exhibits, including one narrated by Anthony Daniels, the actor who played "Star Wars" robot C-3PO. Contact: www.carnegiesciencecenter.com, 412-237-3418.   The new Mount Airy Casino Resort formally opened its doors to the public on Oct. 22, 2007, with a crowd that occupied nearly every seat in front of its 2,523 state-of-the-art slot machines. Located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, the $412 million Mount Airy Casino Resort is the first stand-alone casino to open in Pennsylvania. Mount Airy Casino Resort is built on the site of the former Mount Airy Lodge, which served as the signature resort in the region for more than half a century. The casino and resort complex includes four restaurants, including two fine dining restaurants, an upscale diner and a 24-hour buffet. Its 188-room hotel has a spa, salon and nightclub. Work on the 891-acre site continues, with an additional 212 hotel rooms, pool, and a casino with up to 3,000 total slot machines completed by the end of 2008. Contact: www.mountairycasino.com, 877-682-4791.   A relatively new but popular tour in Philadelphia is the seasonal boat tour of the Schuylkill River sponsored by the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, the non-profit organization responsible for the development of the lower banks of the Schuylkill River. Conducted by Hidden River Outfitters, the kayak journeys leave from Walnut Street Dock in Schuylkill Banks, make their way to the Fairmount Water Works, then return. The hour-and-a-half tours have a guide, and instruction is provided prior to departure. Contact: http://www.schuylkillbanks.org/, 215-222-6030, ext. 100. VIRGINIA Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is constructing a new aloft hotel—the aloft Dulles North—just north of Dulles International Airport, in Ashburn, Va. The 136-room property is scheduled to open in November 2008. The hotel’s website says it “ offers something bold and new to the culture-conscious traveler alienated by cookie-cutter, one size fits all experiences.  As a vision of W hotels is a sassy * savvy * space, offering intelligent design, accessible technology, and a social atmosphere of comfort and convenience.” Rooms feature nine-foot high ceilings, over-sized showers, state-of-the-art technology and modern amenities. All rooms will be equipped with an in-room safe and refrigerator. Contact: http://aloftwashingtondullesairporthotel.weebly.com/, 703-723-6969. Slave Life Finally Depicted at Mt. Vernon: The most famous—and most visited—U.S, presidential home, George Washington's Mount Vernon, has just added a piece of history that has long been known but, until now, was not really visible—a reconstructed slave cabin, similar to those that housed the slaves who worked the fields of its outlying farms. The tiny cabin—with its crudely cut log exterior, rough pallet on the floor and bare loft—stands in stark contrast to Washington's 11,400-square-foot mansion five miles away, with its opulent furnishings, white-pillared veranda and vistas of the Potomac River. Construction of the 16-by-14-foot dwelling was based in part on a 1908 photo of a dilapidated slave cabin, one of many that once dotted the 8,000-acre estate. In a letter written in 1798, a Polish visitor to Mount Vernon described "the huts of the Blacks, for one cannot call them by the name of houses," as "wretched" and "more miserable than the most miserable of the cottages of our peasants." Before the dedication of the cabin Sept. 19 (2007) the only depiction of slave life at Mount Vernon was a dormitory-style brick structure reconstructed on the farm nearest the mansion. The original residence—part of the estate's greenhouse, which burned down in the mid-1800s--housed 97 house servants and craftsmen, the "elite" of the estate's 316 slaves. Contact: www.mountvernon.org, 703-780-2000. An Italian restaurant opened last November on the fourth floor of the Hotel Palomar Arlington at Waterview when San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group LLC added restaurant Domaso Trattoria Moderna to its new 154-room Rosslyn hotel. The Hotel Palomar Arlington at Waterview is Kimpton's 10th hotel in the Washington area. Chef Massimo Fedozzi , originally from Genova, Italy, was most recently at the Portobello Yacht Club at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. He also opened Harvard's restaurant at the Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, Fla. Before moving to the U.S. in the 1980s, Fedozzi owned Ristorante Tous va Bien in Genova. Dishes at the Domaso Trattoria Moderna include oversized ravioli filled with potatoes, pancetta, goat milk butter and shaved Pecorino cheese; grilled jumbo shrimp with buckwheat polenta and lemon sauce and Costola di Vitello; and grilled veal chop, roasted cipolline and parsnips. Contact: www.hotelpalomar-arlington.com, 703-351-9170. The Carlyle Club, premiering world class big band entertainment with fine dining, opened across the river from Washington, D.C. in Alexandria in October. Located in the heart of Alexandria between two metro stations, the new grand art deco-style space features a large center stage and dance floor, a private dining room for 25 persons, and an expansive lounge and bar area. The Carlyle Club is open for lunch and dinner and provides entertainment at all services including a set dinner menu for the big name shows. Some of the other acts coming to The Carlyle Club include The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Artie Shaw Orchestra, Cab Calloway and The Rat Pack Tribute Show. The owner’s objective was to create a place with classic dining, dancing and live music, similar to the finer nightclubs of New York City in the 1930s and 1940s. Daily entertainment at lunch will typically feature piano performances, while evening entertainment will range from three-piece jazz ensembles to national headliners. Dinner for the national headliner shows will be in two seatings: the first show at 7 p.m. and the second show at 10 p.m. Dinner prices for the big name shows will range from $75-$100, which will include a four-course menu, (exclusive of beverage/alcohol). Contact: www.thecarlyleclub.com, 703-549-8957. Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Inc. last November opened the 236-room Westin Virginia Beach Town Center. The hotel is a focal point of the Town Center of Virginia Beach, a mixed-use "main street" style development located at the core of the city's Central Business District and the home to its cultural, business and retail activities. Developed by Armada Hoffler, the Town Center spans over 17 city blocks and provides a mix of upscale retail, luxury residential, Class A offices, an array of restaurants, as well as the new Westin Hotel and Residences. The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center shares a 38-story high-rise tower, the tallest building in the state of Virginia. The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center is a full-service, state-of-the-art, meeting-friendly hotel. Each of its guestrooms offer amenities and services that cater to business and leisure travelers in traditional Westin style with an oversized work desk, two-line cordless telephone with data port, high-speed wired and wireless Internet access. Contact: www.westin.com/virginiabeachtowncenter, 757- 557-0550 . WEST VIRGINIA A 108-room Quality Inn opened in October 2007 in Huntington. The hotel is close to the Huntington Museum of Art, the Blenko Glass Company and Camden Park, West Virginia's only amusement park. Marshall University, home of the Thundering Herd athletic teams, is just minutes away. Also nearby is Huntington Mall, offering more than 150 shops and services. There are several restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Contact: www.qualityinn.com, 304-525-7001. There is a new Comfort Inn in Shepherdstown. The 51-room hotel, which opened last November, offers many amenities and services, is close to the Antietam National Battlefield, rich with Civil War history and home to a visitor center, self-guided tours and a museum store. Shepherd University and historic downtown Shepherdstown are both just minutes away. The nearby Charles Town Races & Slots offers exciting gaming action, horse racing and live entertainment. Enjoy outdoor recreation nearby, including hiking, biking, golfing and more. The Prime Outlets-Hagerstown shopping center, plus a variety of entertainment venues, restaurants and cocktail lounges, can be found in the surrounding area. Contact: www.comfortinn.com, 304-876-3160.

 

Canaan Valley Resort , which is located outside Davis, West Virginia and features 39 slopes for beginning, intermediate, and advanced West Virginia skiing, and Timberline Four Seasons Resort have joined forces to offer guests the ability to ski both mountains at their leisure for one price. A new two-day pass allows skiers to enjoy over 75 slopes and trails, making a truly memorable trip to the mountains. In addition to fun on the slopes, Canaan Valley Resort offers a plethora of outdoor activities to whet an appetite for adventure. Cross-country terrain abounds in the valley, and guests without skis can choose to slide down the tube park, try their hands at airboarding or lace up their skates on the covered ice rink. Contact: www.canaanresort.com,304-866-4121.

Back to the Magazine Cover Page