New Year celebration continues at Orchestra Hall

Continue to celebrate the New Year the Viennese way with waltz music and dance

'Salute to Vienna' comes to Chicago's Symphony Center
'Salute to Vienna' comes to Chicago's Symphony Center

Orchestra Hall at the Chicago Symphony Center has a delightful way to continue celebrating the New Year, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014.

Instead of traveling to Vienna for its annual New Year’s concert, merely go downtown Chicago for “Salute to Vienna,” an Austrian musical tribute of Viennese waltzes and dances.

The Strauss Symphony of America along with the Chicago Philharmonic, led by Viennese conductor Christian Schultz, will have audiences swaying to traditional waltzes.

The International Champion Ballroom Dancers and Europaballett-St. Pölten ballet dancers add their graceful interpretations. In addition, the concert features tenor Brian Cheney and soprano Monika Rebholz.

Salute to Vienna is 2:30 p.m., Jan. 5, 2014 at Orchestra Hall, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604. Tickets are $39-$105 but there is a 15 % discount for tickets bought before Sunday. Click here or call 312-294-3000. Use the promo code WALTZ for the tickets.

Combine affordable rates and fall color at Wisconsin Dells

A popular vacation spot popular in summer, the Dells’ lodges reduce rates after Labor Day even on weekends.

A popular vacation spot popular in summer, the Wisconsin Dells still have dynamic attractions in the fall when the trees are ablaze with oranges and gold and the lodges reduce rates, even on weekends.

Take a Ducks or Dells boat ride on the Wisconsin River
Take a Ducks or Dells boat ride on the Wisconsin River

There are lots of accommodation choices from indoor waterparks and resorts to chain hotels. Among the best of the total offerings of indoor entertainment, restaurants and lodging is Kalahari Resorts where guests can also bowl or swim up to an indoor bar and youngsters can do water-slides, carnival-style rides or play arcade games. A day pass is available for non-guests.

With summer vacationers gone, it’s easier to do a scenic river tour on by a World War II Ducks amphibian vehicle or an Upper Dells Boats tour to see “Stand Rock” where dogs and people have leaped.

But this is when the Wisconsin River’s banks are a blaze in red and gold

Tip: After doing the boat tour, stop in town at the 1875 photo studio of H.H. Bennett. The famed landscape photographer and photo-equipment inventor was the person who made the Dells famous with his “Stand Rock” leap photo. The studio is an amazing museum of photography and turn-of-the-last-century lifestyle history.

H.H Bennett's photo studio has a mock-up of the famous rock formation he shot
H.H Bennett's photo studio has a mock-up of the famous rock formation he shot

Fall is also when Circus World, a terrific collection of parade wagons and Ringling Bros. memorabilia, cuts its admission fee in half. Circus World is an easy 10 minute drive south of the Dells on US Highway 12 to Baraboo.

If time allows stop at the International Crane Foundation about two miles south of the Dells. Before going check to see if there is a festival or puppet demonstration. Cranes identify with whomever is feeding and caring for them so ICF staff dress in white and where crane-head puppets on their hands so the cranes will ID with other cranes instead of humans.

Fall is a great time to visit summer destinations such as the Wisconsin Dells.

Photos copyright Jodie Jacobs

Extend summer by doing something special Labor Day weekend

Take advantage of that extra day off work for a last-minute vacation.

Take advantage of that extra day off work for a last-minute vacation.

Fit in a Door County vacation to end the summer
Fit in a Door County vacation to end the summer

Door County, a Wisconsin peninsula separating Green Bay from Lake Michigan, is about 3 ½ hours north of Chicago. This is a place to just kick back, hike and bike the state parks and visit art galleries.

However, for a special treat, try to snag a ticket to “Grand Eloquence,” the peninsula’s last classical chamber concert of the summer season, Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. and plan to return home late Monday afternoon.

The concert is a repeat of one that sold out early in the series that is held in a fabulous, Gatsby-style, 35,000 square foot Ellison Bay estate.  The program is Gustav Mahler’s Quartet Movement in A minor for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano.

A dressy casual  (no shorts or flip flops) event, catered by Alexander’s of Door County, the concert benefits United Way of Door County and Midsummer’s Music Festival. Tickets are $150. For more information call 920-854-7088 and visit Midsummer Music.

Or, for summer’s waning days, plan trips to the northern suburbs of Chicago.

Check out butterflies or stroll the paths at the Chicago Botanic Garden
Check out butterflies or stroll the paths at the Chicago Botanic Garden

Visit the Chicago Botanic Garden. A butterfly is sure to land on your shoulder at “Butterflies and Blooms” in the garden’s net-enclosure. But the happening ends Sept. 2.

Fit in a visit to Long Grove. A historic village, settled in the mid-1800s, the town is home to such tasty shops as Long Grove Confectionery. However, it also has stores that carry wares from Italy, Ireland and other countries. Labor Day weekend features “Long Grove Around the World” to celebrate those shops.

Cap the weekend off with a picnic on the lawn and  concert at Ravinia Festival.

You can still picnic under the trees at Ravinia or get a dinner music package on Labor Day Weekend
You can still picnic under the trees at Ravinia or get a dinner music package on Labor Day Weekend

At Ravinia, hear violinist Johnny Gandelsman  play selections by Bach, Stravinsky, Glass and Biber Sept. 1 or pianist David Fung play Ravel, Scarlatti, Rachmaninoff Beethoven Sept. 2. Both concerts are 6 p.m. in Bennett Gordon Hall. Dinner packages are available. For tickets and more information visit Ravinia.

Photos (C) Jodie Jacobs

Five top things to do now in Chicago

Chicago simply does not stay still long enough to make any experience old or boring.

It doesn’t matter if you have visited Chicago or are now thinking of putting the city on your summer vacation list. Chicago simply does not stay still long enough to make any experience old or boring.

A tourist notes the "Bean" arch and reflections
A tourist notes the "Bean" arch and reflections

Millennium Park, home to the city’s famed “Cloud Gate” (“The Bean”) and Jay Pritzker Pavilion, keeps adding and changing sculptures and concerts.

The Art Institute of Chicago, connected to Millennium Park by the Sky Bridge over Monroe, moves from one block buster exhibition to the next. The theater scene, home of 200 live stage companies including Goodman and Steppenwolf Theatres and Broadway productions, keep turning out Jeff and Tony award winners.

Just as important, new restaurants pop up weekly and new and remodeled hotels cater to today’s plugged-in generation and suburbanites who want to take advantage of Chicago’s downtown attractions.

With so much going on, planning a weekend can either be fun or a challenge. Here are five top Chicago destinations that can be centerpieces of a great vacation minus the confusing what-to-do part.

Look for Marc Chagall's windows at the east end of the Art Institute of Chicago
Look for Marc Chagall's windows at the east end of the Art Institute of Chicago
  1. You don’t have to know anything about art to find something fascinating at the Art Institute of Chicago.  The world-class museum happens to be showcasing French Impressionism from the Musee d’Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and its own collection now through Sept. 29, 2013. However, adults and youngsters ooh and ah at the miniature furniture and interiors in the Thorne Rooms and Medieval arms and armor.
  2. If you make it to Chicago before Aug. 18 you can still catch Goodman’s beautiful production of “The Jungle Book.”  Another hot 2013 ticket is the “Book of Mormon.” At the Bank of America Theater through Oct. 06, 2013. This is  the writers’ and director’s recently revised production which many critics think is even better than the original.
  3. Visitors often talk about and recommend the Chicago Architecture Foundation’s river boat tour. However if the price or times don’t match your pocket book or schedule you’ll do fine with the other boat companies’ architecture tours.  If you don’t mind walking you’ll like the Architecture Foundation’s tours that go inside buildings.

    If you can't ID these Chicago landmarks now you will be able to after you take the Film Tour or an architecture boat ride.
    If you can't ID these Chicago landmarks now you will be able to after you take the Film Tour or an architecture boat ride.
  4. Movie and television producers love Chicago. To see where some of the 80 movies set in Chicago were shot such as “Dark Knight” and “Blues Brothers” take the Chicago Film Tour. The guides are knowledgeable. You see parts of Chicago that even locals have not visited. And you see clips on the bus while traveling.
  5. You’ve heard of China Town, which is fun and interesting. But other Chicago neighborhoods also have their own character and unique restaurants. You can learn more about the city and explore some of its culinary scene with Chicago Tours and Sidewalk Tours.

Enjoy Chicago!

Photos (C) by Jodie Jacobs

For More endless summer ideas visit summer blogs

Rail initiative combines destinations on bucket list

Cruising to Hawaiian ports means not having to fly to the west coast, then Honolulu and more airports to puddle-jump to different islands.

Take a train west to San Francisco across impressive mountain ranges. Do a Hawaiian cruise. The two bucket-list dreams may sound like different vacations in time and space.

Travel by rail through the Rockies to enjoy the scenery instead of watching the road
Travel by rail through the Rockies to enjoy the scenery instead of watching the road

But Vacations By Rail, a Chicago-based travel company that organizes train trips to national parks and across Europe has lately been partnering with Princess Cruises so that travelers don’t have to choose between a scenic land vacation or a cruise destination.

Among the latest pairings is a two-night trip through the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada Mountains to San Francisco from Chicago on the California Zephyr then on to Hawaii by cruise ship .

Travelers stay a night in the “city by the bay” then board the “Grand Princess” for a 14 night cruise to Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui and Ensenada, Mexico.  Cruising to Hawaiian ports means not having to fly to the west coast, then Honolulu and more airports to puddle-jump to different islands. After the Mexican stop, the ship returns to San Francisco.

The total trip of 19 days by train and sea can be extended. Options include returning to Chicago by Zephyr for a  22-day vacation or staying longer in San Francisco three to four days.

For more information visit Vacations By Rail  www.vacationsbyrail.com and call 877-929-7245.

Photo (C) by Jodie Jacobs

Knoxville: An easy roadtrip stop with a musical soul

Knoxville is a city of surprises and festivals

Music fills Knoxville's Market Square night and day
Music fills Knoxville's Market Square night and day

Imagine arriving at a market square lined with Asian, Southern and American Bistro-style restaurants with a statue that honors suffragettes and where blue notes and blue grass fill the air morning to night.

You have made it to Knoxville, Tenn., a perfect stop on Interstate 75  when driving north to Chicago, south to Orlando or on the way into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The city is full of surprises.

Sports enthusiasts know Knoxville as home to the Big Orange VOLs (Volunteers) of the University of Tennessee, an NCAA SEC Division I athletic powerhouse, and home to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

But when doing a road trip, what travelers may not know, is that if timed right, they can catch a city filled with glorious pink blooms during the Dogwood Arts Festival, a downtown food and music fest tied to opera during its Rossini Festival and some amazing southern comfort taste treats during its famed International Biscuit Festival.

Go up to Sunsphere's Observation Deck to see the town, UT and the Smoky Mountains.
Go up to Sunsphere's Observation Deck to see the town, UT and the Smoky Mountains.

If you go:

Visit the Sunsphere, the 1982 World’s Fair tower to see the Smoky Mountains from the Observation Deck during the day and have a cocktail in its cool Icon Ultra Lounge at night.

Consider the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park for accommodations. As a convention hotel, it is well located near downtown and the highways but also has the upscale “Windows on the Park” dining room with good food and views.

Drop by the town’s Market Square on Wednesday or Saturday May to November for the Farmer’s Market or anytime for music and food.

Try to do breakfast at The Plaid Apron in the charming Sequoyah Hills neighborhood and at Tupelo’s for lunch (the same as the popular Ashville eatery) in Market Square. For a good casual dinner go to the Downtown Grill and Brewery for really great hamburgers and beer or The Crown and Goose, a London gastro-pub in Knoxville’s old-town neighborhood for British flavors.

The Sunsphere's lounge is a popular night spot
The Sunsphere's lounge is a popular night spot

For some fun, value shopping stop at Mast General Store near the Downtown Grill. An old-fashioned, carry-everything place, candy is sold in barrels and local jellies and honey line shelves in the back.

Stop in at the Visitor Center downtown on Gay Street at noon because  a free, live music program is broadcast from there,  Monday through Saturday. However, the Visitor Center is also a great place and any time during the day to look for Knoxville and Tennessee food and crafts.

Photos (c) Jodie Jacobs

Live music is broadcast from the Visitor Center at noon, Monday through Saturday.
Live music is broadcast from the Visitor Center at noon, Monday through Saturday.

Three places you might not have on your Paris itinerary

Expand your Paris itinerary to include beautiful religious sites.

Instead of snapping a photo from a tour bus while passing Notre- Dame, stop to see the interior and take a tour of the tower.
Instead of snapping a photo from a tour bus while passing Notre- Dame, stop to see the interior and take a tour of the tower.

Like any great city, Paris is more than the sum of its restaurants and museums. It is also a city of remarkable holy places. Except for Notre Dame, tourists may not know the city is home to the Great Synagogue of Paris or the Moslem Institute of the Paris Mosquee. All three religious sites allow visitors and are worth a stop. Be prepared to gape in awe.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

The famous cathedral sits on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine River. A Paris landmark, Notre-Dame is a state property but operated by clergy as a Roman Catholic church so entrance is free and visitors can attend masses and services.

The Cathedral Tower and the Treasury have entrance fees but the Tower is worth visiting for its views of Paris and its gargoyles and the Treasury for its precious holy objects.

Find Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris at 6 Parvis Notre-Dame, Place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France.

Great Synagogue of Paris

The Great Synagogue of Paris (la Victoire) is the largest in France and built on the Romanesque style.
The Great Synagogue of Paris (la Victoire) is the largest in France and built on the Romanesque style.

The synagogue is also called La Victoire. The largest synagogue in France, it was constructed in 1974 by Alfred-Philibert Aldrophe with financial support from the Rothchilds.

As in Orthodox shuls, women sit separate from men. Visitors are welcome to attend services. For group visits or questions email [email protected].

Find Synagogue de la Victoire at 44, rue de la Victoire – 75009 Paris, France.

Moslem Institute of the Paris Mosquee

Founded 1926, the Mosque is a place of prayer. Its institute is a place of study and a cultural center. Its Moorish style arches and patio are beautiful and lend a peaceful feel.

Find the Moslem Institute of the Main Paris Mosque at 132,boulevard de grenelle, 5e Arrondissement, Paris, France.

The Moslem Institute of the Paris Mosquee
The Moslem Institute of the Paris Mosquee

Watch the presidential inauguration

Watch the inauguration on line or visit the Newseum website.

The Newseum Terrace overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue
The Newseum Terrace overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue

Arguably the best place to watch the inaugural parade and zoom in on the ceremonies on Capitol building’s west side, is high up on the Pennsylvania Avenue Parade Route. So think Newseum.

However, the museum’s roof and terrace are already spoken for by more than 500 broadcasters from 21 countries who are already setting up temporary studios and production areas there.

Among the broadcasters anchoring Inauguration Day newscasts from the Newseum are MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow and ABC’s Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos and Barbara Walters.

The Newseum, always a fun and interesting place to visit was designed to do multiple broadcasts.

Inauguration Day entry to the Newseum is already sold out but visitors can stop by the museum earlier in the weekend and put it on the museum list for next time in DC. Its terrace is among the best places to photograph the area.

A couple of alternatives to bucking the crowd in Washington is to catch the action on WGN which broadcasts across the US, your local TV station or the Newseum web site. The swearing-in ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.

More inauguration information and suggested places to visit at Inauguration Weekend.

Travel destination trends and tips

If hoping to travel on a peak week or weekend, be sure to book way ahead to get what you want.

If thinking about a getaway during Presidents' Weekend or Spring Break look for flights and rooms now.
If thinking about a getaway during Presidents' Weekend or Spring Break look for flights and rooms now.

Travel companies predict that vacation trips will increase in 2013.

If so, it’s not too late to start planning your trip to find the best deals. You also don’t want to hear sorry, we’re booked during Presidents’ Weekend, Spring Break or whatever.

“People are really starting to think about and book their spring break
vacations,” said Mike Going, president of Milwaukee-based Funjet Vacations.

“Now that the weather has turned cold and the holidays are over, everyone is ready for a warm, sunny vacation — which means that hotels and flights book up very quickly in January and February.”

January might sound a bit early to look at destinations and flights but Going said, “January is the peak booking month for spring and summer vacation.

The questions you should now be considering are where to go and how to save money.

In answer to the destination question Mark Drusch, Chief Supplier Relations Officer of CheapOair, a major online travel agency said, “Latin America; specifically Brazil, Panama, Colombia and Galapagos, the Gulf Coast, Oregon (specifically since this part of the country is relatively unexplored, and offers ocean, mountains and a great culinary scene) and South Africa.”

Drusch, who worked for major airlines, offered a few insider tips on savings and bookings.

Be sure to check fees, taxes and other details when comparing flight deals
Be sure to check fees, taxes and other details when comparing flight deals

He suggested that travelers look at deals offered by online travel agencies, particularly for daily specials to find best airfares, hotels and car rentals. But they should also know there are best days and times to book flights.

“Always check airline tickets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The airline RM systems update their demand algorithms overnight, therefore available seats are released in the morning,” Drusch said.

He also recommended taking advantage of email travel alerts and social media. “People may not want to be receiving another email, but fare alerts instantly let you know when a price for a certain flight has changed. On social media, a lot of companies post last minute “fire sales” where prices can be slashed up to 50%,” he said.

Because airlines now have a variety of fees and options, Drusch warned that consumers should be sure they are purchasing what they want and know what is included when comparing prices.

Two basic tips heard in the industry is 1. if hoping to travel on a peak week or weekend, be sure to book way ahead to get what you want and 2. you are likely to find better deals when you can be flexible.

Photos copyright to Jodie

Ten tips to turn ‘oh no’ into ‘ho ho’

The inevitable “oh, no” is on the horizon. No matter if you plan to travel this holiday season or someone is visiting you, there will likely be a travel snag or oops somewhere along the way.

Warning: The inevitable “oh, no” is on the horizon. No matter if you plan to travel this holiday season or someone is visiting you, there will likely be a travel snag or oops somewhere along the way. Busy as we are, planning really does make a difference.

Travel on the holiday or off-peak hours for better rates and fewer crowds. Photo is AA terminal at O'Hare Airport.
Travel on the holiday or off-peak hours for better rates and fewer crowds. Photo is AA terminal at O'Hare Airport.

Here are 10 tips, five for travelers and five for hosts that you may think you know or that you think you don’t need but invariably happen and matter. They could help turn “oh, no” into “ho, ho.

If traveling

* Old-fashioned advice that is still true: You think you stopped the newspapers and mail but you should also set a light timer in a couple of rooms and ask a friend or relative to check your mailbox or stoop for other items. Thieves also enjoy holiday time.

* Tech advice that is easy to forget: Charge your phone, pad, Kindle, whatever ahead of time but be sure to pack all of the charger plugs and wires. Sometimes the plug separates in an outlet and you have a worthless wire with you. No kidding. This does happen.

* Old-fashioned advice easy to forget: Just because it is winter does not mean you don’t need sun protection in a cream screen and hat. Don’t wait until you arrive because you may be in the sun before you have time to shop. Skin cancer is on the rise.

* Tech advice that is even truer today: You just think your passwords make you secure. If you are using free wifi in airports and public cafes there maybe someone in the area who has sniffer technology that can pick up the internet traffic floating around the lounge and area. Be sure the site you are accessing begins with https which signifies it is a secure site. Don’t go to http sites in public places.

* General advice you hopefully won’t need: Give your contact information to a neighbor so that if something happens to your home or condo, you can be reached. Storms and outages happen. Of course you know that, right?

Airports have museum and other giftshops to pick up last minute presents.
Airports have museum and other giftshops to pick up last minute presents.

If hosting

* Good intentions don’t always make good hosts: Holiday goodies can be yummy but check food and other allergies before guests come. Most people are aware of peanut allergies but some people are also allergic to all tree nuts and others need gluten-free or lactose-free foods. Luckily, grocery stores now have gluten-free and lactose free shelves and packages say whether product contains nuts or was made in a place that had nuts.

* Age does make a difference: Consider the age of your guests when planning activities and outfitting your home. You may need a pet or child gate. You won’t want to leave out small candies and popcorn that can cause choking or breakable items at child level. You may not mind if guests bring their dog but did you know dogs should not have chocolate so you have to put it out of reach?

Thousands of lights outside and miniature railroads and landmarks inside turn the Chicago Botanic Garden into a holiday destination.
Thousands of lights outside and miniature railroads and landmarks inside turn the Chicago Botanic Garden into a holiday destination.

* Find out ahead of time what movies or shows your guests might like and try to get tickets before they come. Popular shows and even movie-times do sell-out so you don’t want to be disappointed.

* Plan down-time: You don’t have to be doing something out of the house all the time. You can get movies on Netflix and at the library and download e-books from the library. Put out a couple of jigsaw puzzles and a Sudoku or crossword puzzle book.

* Look for fun out-of-the-house activities: Search ahead of time for the price, times and freebies at ice rinks, museums and walking or driving holiday light shows.

For more suggestions visit “Make the airport leg more fun” and “Ten tips to a smoother trip.”

Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday.

Photos copyright  Jodie Jacobs