A Fire-breathing dragon in Florida? To celebrate the opening of new Fantasyland, Disney World's largest expansion in 41 years, a flying dragon appeared above Cinderella's Castle in Florida last night, as the new area's guardian against evil.


As the story goes, there was a curse cast upon Fantasyland long ago, which was lifted, doubling the area in size. Actually a variation of an ultralight vehicle, the dragon is a manned aircraft powered by an engine and assisted by a parachute overhead.

Not a regularly scheduled part of the park experience, future opportunities to view the dragon are unclear.

"Indeed your eyes didn't deceive you. Our dragon made a brief appearance as part of celebrating the grand opening of New Fantasyland. You never know where or when a dragon might appear again!" Disney spokesman Rick Sylvain told Inside The Magic.

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If you have more than a couple of hours to spare on a layover in Chicago, a great way to soak up some time is at the nearby gambling hall. Rivers Casino is only a few miles from the airport and is an excellent diversion away from the humdrum terminal newsstands and blaring overhead announcements.

To get there, exit security then head downstairs and take the CTA blue line one stop ($2.25 one way at time of writing) to Rosemont. From there, take the only exit and jump on a free purple shuttle bus that runs from the transit center 24/7. The entire one-way trip from the airport on public transportation takes 30-40 minutes while alternatively, a $10 cab will take about 10 minutes.

Rivers casino opened last year on the outskirts of O'Hare airport and is the only casino near the city. On a recent Saturday morning layover, we discovered nearly packed tables stating at $10 per bet and enough slot machines to make any casual casino-goer happy. There's also a modest dining selection, which offers an interesting alternative to the overpriced airport food.

Keep in mind that you'll have to renegotiate security upon return to the airport, and that carry-on luggage should go with you, so make sure you've got at least three hours to spare before your flight leaves.

[Photo credit: Flickr user conorwithonen]

I do not like zoos. I have no ideological problem with them, but every time I bring my children to a zoo, I feel drained - financially, physically and mentally - by the time we're ready to leave. When my wife and I had the first of our two children in 2007, I don't think I'd been to a zoo in more than 20 years.

Gallery: San Diego Zoo & Safari Park

But since then, I've been coerced into visiting zoos in Chicago, Brookfield, Illinois, Washington, D.C., Reston, VA, Zurich, Toronto, Baraboo, Wisconsin and a host of other places. And this week, I somehow got roped into taking my children to not one but two zoos: the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido.

These are reputed to be two of the best zoos in the world, but they're also huge places that you can't very well just duck into for a quick visit. Other than placating my sons, ages 3 and 5, my goal for the visits was to find out if these places were worthy of the hype and to determine if even a zoo-hater like me could be won over.

Good travel pushes you to let go of control, and Afghanistan is certainly one of those places. Here, daily life is dictated by security decisions, which roads are safe to travel on and which ones are not, and if you are trying to stick to a concrete plan, something will surely get in the way. Afghanistan is the place for serendipity, a place that when you come to understand that you have absolutely no control, you can give in to be open to the many things that can happen all around you.

There is a constant balance between fear and awareness of your surroundings and being open and receptive to the unknown. In the midst of conflict there is beauty; the call to prayer in the dark of the early morning, a stranger offering you a glass of tea, a young woman smiling because you asked her how she was doing. If there were a definition of daily life in Afghanistan for a traveler, it would go something along the lines of: constant change peppered with frequent tea breaks.

Traveling as a woman, I was at all times aware of my surroundings and my own presence in relation to the people around me. My headscarf always seemed to be falling off. Warm in the midday heat I would go to push up my sleeves, and then remember that they had to stay covered. Men were everywhere. There were stares, a lot of them, but a few moments into a personal exchange and those stares often turned to smiles.

As part of the "Birth of a Hotel" series, we're exploring these major trends in hospitality food and beverage concepts. From small plates to seasonal cuisine, we look at what's driving guests - and locals - to visit their local hotel for dinner, drinks, and every meal in-between.

"Today, everyone is a little bit more educated about food," says Jeff McInnis, the James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Miami's Yardbird restaurant. "I think that's a good thing ... America is definitely stepping in the right direction."

As home pantries evolve, so must hotel restaurants. No longer are guests satisfied with a standard dining room. The restaurant must be a reflection of the hotel's location, ambiance, and, ideally, have unique selling points all its own to draw in local guests.

"We are 100% targeting the local market," says Guy Rigby, vice president of food and beverage for Four Seasons, Americas. "If we get the local market, the hotel guests dine there."

Satisfying the "Foodie" Palate without Pretension

But just what lures in the local guest? A great meal ... but what makes a "great meal" is inherently subjective and constantly evolving.

One thing's for sure: easier access to what would formerly be restaurant-only foods means that hotels are required to cater to a savvier consumer.

"You can eat caviar on the couch in your underwear watching football if you want to ... and that's great," says Jacqueline Sainsbury, managing editor of Food Arts magazine.

But that doesn't mean that great food needs to be haute cuisine. The great escoffiers and high dining concepts of the 1960s aren't currently en vogue.

Playing with "street food" or "comfort food" and elevating it to a higher level is currently in favor at both hotel restaurants and the food industry in general, with chefs like José Andrés launching a food truck in addition to fine dining restaurants like The Bazaar in Los Angeles and Miami's SLS hotels.

"We're not trying to elevate [your food]," says Top Chef Season 5 contestant McInnis, who has worked for Orient Express' Keswick Hall as well as Ritz-Carlton resorts around the globe.

"We're trying to do the best damn fried chicken you've ever had."

The iPhone is beyond a doubt a beautiful piece of technology. Over the past few years, Apple's iconic device has set the standard by which all other smartphones are compared. But that beauty comes with a price, as anyone who has ever dropped their iPhone onto a hard surface can attest. A good case can alleviate that heartbreak, however, providing extra protection when you need it most.

Some of the best cases available today are designed and built by a company called SYSTM. They are durable, rugged and provide more protection than just about any other case I've found. Better yet, they're attractive, thin and don't detract from the look of the iPhone in any way. Here are two unique options that will ensconce your iPhone 4/4S or 5 in a protective shell that will keep it safe from just about any kind of danger.

SYSTM Vise ($49.95)
If you're looking for the ultimate in iPhone protection then the SYSTM Vise is the case for you. It provides three distinct layers of padding by first wrapping the phone in a soft rubber sheath, which is then covered in two pieces of outer armor that lock tightly into place around the device. This hard external shell is smooth, yet easy to grip, and features access points for the volume buttons and mute switch without obstructing the camera lens in anyway.

The Vise provides a fantastic level of shock absorption, which protects both the front and back of the iPhone, keeping it safe and secure when accidentally dropped, even from a substantial height. The corner and side pads are also reinforced to keep the fragile edge of the smartphone from suffering damage as well. Those areas can be especially susceptible to damage.

"A Taste of Vietnam" from The Perennial Plate on Vimeo.

For some upbeat and inspiring footage of Vietnam, watch this video. With an emphasis on the food of Vietnam, this video pairs creative music with professionally shot and edited film. This video is just one of many impressive videos from the folks at The Perennial Plate. Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine, the makers of this video, have a knack for capturing the entire culture of a place while still focusing on the food at large. Maybe it's because food is such an important part of our identity; maybe it's because food is such an important part of travel. No matter the cause, this video is gorgeous. And now I want to spend some time eating in Vietnam.

"The Magic Kingdom is the iconic place at Walt Disney World and Fantasyland is the favorite land," said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts in the U.S. and France in a Fox News report. "It's the heart of the Magic Kingdom and we're absolutely doubling the size of it, so I think that's major in our guests' minds."
Enchanted Tales With Belle
A new attraction, Enchanted Tales with Belle, is an interactive experience (as opposed to a "ride") that begins with an enchanted mirror transporting guests from Belle's house to Beast's library where Belle and Lumière invite guests to become part of a lively retelling of the "tale as old as time."

Unique here is that groups are small and many are invited to participate in the experience that brings guests up close and personal with live action characters from "Beauty and the Beast." This is not a passive, sit-around-and-watch attraction.

Cruise lines traditionally devote a great amount of resources collecting art that will adorn the walls of individual staterooms and public spaces. Thoughtful collections help ship designers tie in a central theme that often runs throughout the interior of ships and sometimes on the exterior as well. It's a high-stakes game of procurement and placement that can transform a ship into a floating display.

Not Your Mother's Art
Travelers who have done a cruise vacation on any number of mainstream cruise lines know about art auctions on board. That's not what we're talking about here.

Art auctions are a profitable revenue stream for cruise lines that entice participants away from the pool deck or casino with free champagne during the event. Called into question on numerous occasions, the value of art bought at sea is difficult to nail down and commonly appraised much lower on land.

Put that thought out of your mind. The cruise line art we're talking about today is the real deal, featuring creations by top tier artists like Romero Britto, Thomas Kincade and Peter Max.

Bringing Big Names Along For The Ride
Partnering with obscure and well-known artists, works take the form of paintings, lithographs and sculptures ranging from the traditional to over-the-top custom pieces designed specifically for a certain ship.

Royal Caribbean brought Peter Max along for the ride on inaugural sailings of giant Allure of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, and an on-board Britto store where works from Romero Britto are featured.

Thank cruise line art programs for sparking the idea of branding that has brought partnerships with celebrity chefs, big-name entertainment and normally land-based service providers to sea.