http://www.miamiherald.com/living/index.html http://media.miamiherald.com/images/logos/rss_sitelogo.gif http://www.miamiherald.com/living/index.html 140 25 News, sports and entertainment from MiamiHerald.com en-us Copyright 2008 MiamiHerald.com Living 60 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:27:23 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's PubSys miamifeedback@miamiherald.com http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/782233.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/782233.html Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:01 EST 14 items guaranteed to inspire, "Oh, you shouldn't have.'' http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/794877.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/794877.html Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Find recommendations for cool and random gifts under $50; tech toys for less than $100; peace sign presents; planet-friendly picks; Florida goodie finds; DIY gifts from the heart; cool gift-wrap ideas; and gifts of wine, music, movies, books and more. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/789727.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/789727.html Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Whatever holiday you celebrate, there's no denying the thrill that comes to kids of all ages upon seeing a parade of lights, a fir tree capped with a glittering star, or the lighting of a menorah. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/797010.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/797010.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST My grandmother never tired of telling us about her first Christmas as a married woman during the Great Depression. There was no money for gifts or a fancy holiday feast, but my grandfather lovingly made her a cup of hot cocoa that morning -- the best cocoa she ever tasted -- from a splash of hoarded milk and a melted chocolate candy he'd bought for a penny. It was a breakfast she never forgot, and no lavish present ever moved her more. http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107669.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107669.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT The season for giving has begun http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107677.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107677.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT Visual arts afficionados find satisfaction beyond Art Basel http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/154231.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/154231.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT Photo exhibit unearths tough woman behind house of Chanel http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111084.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111084.html Sun, 09 Sep 2007 03:01 EDT Novel about siblings veers close to the heart http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111094.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111094.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT Medical robot is doctor's eyes in battlefield http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/698391.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/698391.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:07 EDT http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687183.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687183.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:13 EDT All your favorites http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687182.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687182.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:12 EDT Crossword, Sudoku, Jumble & more http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687181.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687181.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:10 EDT Today's winning numbers http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687180.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/687180.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:08 EDT Know before you go out today. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/705999.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/705999.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:06 EDT Miami's social events and people. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/698263.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/inside/story/698263.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:51 EDT http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/798595.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/798595.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Mount Sinai Medical Center, which has been suffering financially for years because of Miami Beach's shift to a younger demographic, is telling investors of its junk-rated bonds that it expects an operating loss of $18.5 million this year -- twice as much as last year. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/798635.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/798635.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST An American soldier is hit by enemy fire in Iraq. A Humvee speeds him to a field hospital outside the combat area. He looks up groggily to see a robot peering down at him. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/797862.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/797862.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:57 EST An American soldier is hit by enemy fire in Iraq. A Humvee speeds him to a field hospital just outside the combat area. He looks up groggily to see a robot peering down at him. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794715.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794715.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST From Venus de Milo to Takashi Murakami's Hirospan, human breasts have long inspired art. Mary Ellen Scherl, a breast-cancer survivor's daughter, takes the classic sculpting tradition of the bust and turns it into a 21st century public health statement with her Mamorial project. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794540.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794540.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Body: Monica Rumler, 24, 5-feet-7, 125 pounds, recent Barry University graduate who lives in North Bay Village. Her passion: Boxing. After starting to train earlier this year, she won the featherweight division in an amateur National Golden Glove competition in Hollywood in July. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794523.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794523.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST ''I have good news and bad news,'' the doctor told me. ``The bad news is you have a broken bone in your foot.'' And the good news? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794532.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794532.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST A little over a year ago, I was killing time on an elliptical machine at a local gym, using a wristwatch heart rate monitor to track the workout. The monitor had settings for my age, weight, sex and height, and kept a running count of the estimated number of calories used. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794542.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794542.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Most of us can't comprehend the devastation of losing everything -- our home and all its contents -- suddenly and with no chance of retrieving even one personal belonging. Yet some 842 homes were destroyed in the most recent Southern California wildfires, leaving the people who lived in them without shelter, possessions or, in some cases, much more than the clothes they were wearing when they fled. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/796148.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/796148.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:36 EST Mount Sinai Medical Center, which has been suffering financially for years due to Miami Beach's shift to a younger demographic, is telling investors of its junk-rated bonds that it expects an operating loss of $18.5 million this year -- twice as much as last year. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794525.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794525.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: I heard on the news that Viagra might actually improve an athlete's performance. How does that work and do you think it is true? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794535.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/794535.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST It is easy to work up an appetite while enjoying an outdoor festival. During our glorious Miami International Book Fair, I took some time off from the readings to check out the food court. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/794528.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/794528.html Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Sibling relationships, especially those between sisters, fascinate Julia Glass, winner of the National Book Award in 2002 for Three Junes and author of The Whole World Over. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/793891.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/793891.html Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Laurie Friedman fell in love with words after spending a chaotic first grade in three different classrooms. An early reader, she escaped into books. By the third grade she had discovered the wonder -- and miracle -- of stringing them together in her own stories. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790658.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790658.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Because you're not made of money, here are some hand-crafted gift ideas that are made with mostly heart -- not too much talent required! http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790668.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790668.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST They say that first impressions are everything. Could that hold true for gift giving? Would a Tiffany's necklace be the same sans that little blue box? Or a Godiva chocolate taste quite as sweet minus its signature Gold Ballotin box? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790664.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790664.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Little Tikes My Real Digital Camera: For the youngest member of the family. Usually this cutie is the subject of photos, not the photographer. That's about to change with this camera. It's a working digital camera designed for pre-schoolers. It has a tough case, big easy-to-use buttons and a protected LCD display. It can store up to 1,000 shots and comes in pink or red. For ages 3 and up. $44.99 at Sears, Circuit City, Radio Shack, Amazon.com and BJ's Wholesale Club. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790674.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790674.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST It's been used to fight the spread of nuclear weapons, end the war in Vietnam and save the whales. It's been reviled as hippie drivel, communist propaganda and secret Satanic code. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790665.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790665.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Turning photographs, videos and mementos into a unique gift for that special someone has always been popular, but modern technology and online resources provide today's shopper with many more choices when bundling that package of memories. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/788792.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/788792.html Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:01 EST The little apartment is crumbling. There are holes in the walls, pipes and wires exposed in the ceiling. Stuttering fluorescent lights drape simple furnishings in a dreary pall -- a large eating table, a cracked vinyl sofa, a set of drawers where a stereo sits. Four neatly made beds and a crib crowd two bedrooms. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790500.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790500.html Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Rabbi Chaim Lipskar moved to Brickell Avenue three years ago, amid the big building boom he hoped would bring hundreds of young Jewish families near downtown Miami. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790494.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/790494.html Sat, 29 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Parents, you can keep those flash cards and alphabet books. But there's another device in your home that can help develop language and visual skills. It's called -- hold on to your remotes -- the television set. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/789727.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/789727.html Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Whatever holiday you celebrate, there's no denying the thrill that comes to kids of all ages upon seeing a parade of lights, a fir tree capped with a glittering star, or the lighting of a menorah. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795360.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795360.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST There sits Coco Chanel -- fashion's grandest dame -- scrutinizing a model as she dresses. A cigarette dangles from her narrow lips, her mouth is bent into a distracted frown, eyes squint through the smoky haze. Dressmakers' scissors hang from a ribbon around her neck. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795355.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795355.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Like many people who exercise, Hallandale resident Wendy Lee found herself needing motivation to keep up with her workouts. So Lee, 47, turned to repeating affirmations like ''My destiny is to love my body'' or ''My destiny is to have defined abs and toned legs'' to keep herself encouraged. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/796861.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/796861.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST In an effort to bolster Miami's fashion industry, the Beacon Council is hosting an Italian delegation this week during a whirlwind, three-day visit meant to promote Miami as a promising business locale and a launch pad to Latin America. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795357.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795357.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Fashion lovers may want to head to the second annual In Fashion Photo, an exhibit featuring some 250 works by more than 35 top fashion photographers, including Slim Aarons, Miles Aldridge and Bettina Rheims. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795363.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/795363.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Lowdown: David Barton is a powerhouse in the gym world, with five eponymous gyms up and running (including one at the Flamingo South Beach) and four more in the works. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/796191.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/796191.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Baby Hummer Bugaboo, the $1,000-plus stroller, just got more elite. Fashion designer Marc Jacobs has collaborated with the Dutch company for a hyper-limited release of 15 -- count 'em: 1-5 -- strollers worldwide, at $1,500 a pop. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/796201.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/796201.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:01 EST BAUBLES, BANGLES, BEADS & BEAUTY Bling & Beauty: Dr. Jacob D. Steiger of Steiger Facial Plastic Surgery joins Melanie Loring of Jewelry by Melanie for this holiday kickoff event. Indulge your sparkle fetish by checking out the selection for all tastes and budgets and get facial rejuvenation tips and consultations with Dr. Steiger; 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday; Steiger Facial Plastic Surgery, 4675 Linton Blvd., Ste.200, Delray Beach; free. 561-499-9339. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/787000.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/787000.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Meaghan Mahoney is awaiting her next batch of buttery Salvatore Ferragamo satchels. The bumpy croc shoulder bags by Nancy Gonzalez shouldn't be far behind. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/787002.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/787002.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Whenever Bal Harbour Shops holds its annual fashion show, the event is chock full of the season's finest fashion, for organizers have the world's most luxurious labels at their fingertips. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/786997.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/786997.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Conceived and designed entirely for men, Monsieur does live up to its promise of ''an elite grooming parlor,'' as co-owner Golnar Ghovanloo puts it. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/787284.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/787284.html Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:01 EST SHOPPING BONANZA Black Friday Shopping Hour: Offers an array of savings and exclusive discounts throughout Thanksgiving holiday weekend; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday at Prime Outlets, 250 E. Palm Dr. (Southwest 344th St.), Florida City; free. 305-248-4727. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797010.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797010.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST My grandmother never tired of telling us about her first Christmas as a married woman during the Great Depression. There was no money for gifts or a fancy holiday feast, but my grandfather lovingly made her a cup of hot cocoa that morning -- the best cocoa she ever tasted -- from a splash of hoarded milk and a melted chocolate candy he'd bought for a penny. It was a breakfast she never forgot, and no lavish present ever moved her more. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/796994.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/796994.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Fill your belly and satisfy your soul with a bowl of ''boil fish'' anchored by planks of grouper in a light broth sparked with lime at Arline's Restaurant and Seafood in Miami Gardens. This family place is owned by Prancetta Washington, a real estate agent who runs it with help from an army of aunts and cousins and on weekends, her husband, Rawn, a longshoreman. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797012.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797012.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: I hope you can help save Christmas. I lost the only copy of my mother's recipe for a favorite cookie she calls Lemon Angels. They have cream cheese and lemon and I don't know what else. She always makes them for Christmas and she's pretty peeved with me, even though I know she could probably make them without the recipe. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797009.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797009.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST When our Desperation Dinners! cookbook appeared in 1997, the subtitle was ''Home-cooked meals for frantic families in 20 minutes flat.'' If we had it to do over again, we'd probably position the word ''Healthy'' squarely in front of ``Home-cooked.'' http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797020.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797020.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST My Chilean friends Maria Eugenia and Oscar Baeza are on the phone telling me they are coming to visit. Having ironed out the details of their arrival, we fall into a little ritual. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/796325.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/796325.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST People are passionate about cereal snack mixes. For our annual Desperation Holiday Recipe Contest, we asked readers to share their favorite ''customized'' party nibbles. And did they ever! http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/796995.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/796995.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST I got a real earful while watching the tube recently. Here's how the ad begins: What if we all said No? No to fake food. No to overprocessed food. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797005.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797005.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Just when I needed a laugh, a TV ad caught my eye. It showed a grown woman in a kitchen, looking stressed as she staggered toward the stove, struggling to hold a large pot, a colander, utensils and a package of spaghetti. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797006.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/797006.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST New children's baking mixes from King Arthur Flour aim to get kids into the kitchen, learning the skills to make tasty treats -- and, maybe, become lifelong bakers. We tried the K.A.F. Kids mix for ABC Twists, a sweet dough sprinkled with cinnamon sugar that can be shaped into letters. We put a couple of 8-year-olds on the job with minimal supervision, to see if they could prepare the twists alone. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/798039.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/798039.html Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01 EST THURSDAY Food New & Views: Favorite kitchen gadgets to give as gifts is the topic by host Linda Gassenheimer on Joseph Cooper's Topical Currents. Fred Tasker gives his wine gadget suggestions; 1:30-2 p.m. on WLRN (91.3 FM). Call with comments and questions during the show at 800-743-9576. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/790657.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/790657.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Think locally. It's all the rage, it's environmentally responsible -- and it's a terrific source for holiday gifts. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789940.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789940.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST The American Institute of Architects Miami Chapter presented 19 awards for outstanding design and 20 community, trade and professional awards to architects, designers, students and community leaders at its 54th Annual design competition last week. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789928.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789928.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST She retired at age 72 in 1996 as a public health pediatrician and traveled extensively to more than 50 countries. On those journeys, Marjorie Brown would notice the occasional artist sketching a beautiful scene, and she'd think, ``Wouldn't that be fun?'' http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789918.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789918.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST To make a garden sparkle for the holidays, turn on some lights. Twinkling lights capture the spirit of the season. But don't overdo it. A garden has a mood all its own, and holiday decorations should enhance it, not overwhelm it. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789923.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789923.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Contemporary tapestry art both builds on and transcends those famously hand-knotted Medieval unicorns surrounded by fields of flowers that adorned castles and homes. A collection of tapestries -- images produced from paintings specifically created for that purpose -- will be on display this week as a satellite of Design Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789931.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789931.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: Currently, my association has two vacant houses, one with a pool. Two owners are mowing the vacant properties. You have said that the fact that the landscaper is an owner creates no exemption if an injury or accident occurs. The association will have to pay, and the association's insurance will not cover the loss. Further, the board is discussing having volunteer owners mulch the common areas. They are aware of the insurance requirement, but are trying to save some dollars. I have strongly advised... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789937.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789937.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST If you love fresh flowers in your home but are routinely disappointed with store-bought bouquets that die far too quickly, you'll want to bookmark the website of Monica Pardo and Annette Dobrinsky. They deliver fresh blooms to your home through their company, Flowers At Your Door (FAYD). http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789921.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789921.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST In what is apparently the first legal action of its kind, an association of community-based organizations has filed a federal civil rights complaint against two of the three largest Wall Street ratings agencies, charging that their inflated ratings on subprime mortgage bonds disproportionately caused financial harm to African-American and Latino homebuyers across the country. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789942.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789942.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST It's possible to find free books, CDs, DVDs and video games without leaving your home, according to Adrienne Sylver, a Miami-based book lover and freelance writer. Through Swaptree, (www.swaptree.com), Sylver has completed about 35 trades for books, video games and other merchandise. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789926.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789926.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: I need to spay my dog, a 3-year-old mix named Holly. The trouble is, I'm so scared of anesthesia I can't bring myself to have it done. I'm a responsible dog owner and I would never let her breed another dog but I know she'll live longer if she's fixed. What should I do? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789941.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789941.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Name: Tropical snowball, dombeya Botanical name: Dombeya burgessiae `Seminole' Description: An African shrub that produces clusters of showy, dark pink flowers from fall through spring. The Seminole hybrid was created at the USDA Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami. Leaves are somewhat heart-shaped, and old flowers turn brown and stay on the flower stalks. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789933.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/789933.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: I planted my mango four years ago. It was about five feet tall when I bought it. The first year it had fruit but no fruit since then. It looks healthy and it's growing. What is wrong with it? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786940.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786940.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST As the annual Art Basel-Miami Beach visual feast approaches, you might wonder why any art-lover would venture north of the Broward-Palm Beach line. Between the Art Basel fair at the Miami Beach Convention Center, 20-plus satellite fairs and first-rate exhibitions at local museums, you'll get an eye-full right here at home. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786914.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786914.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST When guests check into the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, they are not just greeted by front desk staff, but two plasma screens showcasing a video collage of city scenes collected from the camera that sits perched on their roof. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786932.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786932.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST In this city sans zoning, in a residential enclave of cozy bungalows and children's play parks, sits one of the world's finest private art collections open to the public. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786931.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786931.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST For something so ancient, the rock face looked as content as a man who's just eaten a big slice of peach pie. ''Who made you?'' I whispered. ``Were you lonely when nobody came to visit for 400 years?'' http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786915.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786915.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Five years is too long between vacations. Just ask Amy and Matt Wilcher. The Ohio couple hasn't had a vacation since their Caribbean honeymoon five years ago. Now that they're parents, they're contemplating an entirely different kind of getaway with their 2-year-old daughter, but Amy Wilcher acknowledges, ``We simply can't think of anywhere to go that would be easy and baby friendly.'' http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786920.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786920.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Seasoned travelers know that it pays to look beyond information provided by the U.S. State Department on its website (www.travel.state.gov) when it comes to advice on visiting other countries. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786919.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786919.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Q: Can you help me with an airline reservation? I recently bought a ticket on South African Airways through Virgin Atlantic Airways to fly from Los Angeles to Johannesburg. My credit card was charged and the airline promised to send me a paper ticket. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786916.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786916.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST What I like best about Colorado is that most other people go there in the winter to ski, leaving it wide open -- and a lot cheaper -- in the early fall, my favorite time of year. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786925.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786925.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Nobody has put a bigger bet on Macao, the only place in China with legalized gambling, than the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which opened the 3,000-suite Venetian in 2007 as the cornerstone of a 20,000-room complex. Built to handle Macao's 55 percent annual growth in gambling, the casino is three times the size of the largest casino in Las Vegas. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786917.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786917.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST You can't know just by looking at a site whether it's OK, even if it has seals and endorsements. That's not to say that all online agencies are bogus -- far from it -- but when consumers moved from bricks to clicks, they lost that human connection. You can look a travel agent in the eye, but a cursor is impenetrable. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786826.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/786826.html Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:01 EST Dallas: Slow down and smell the mosses With Olafur Eliasson's exhibit Take your time, the idea is to do just that: Slow down and let the works wash over your senses. From a hanging fan that hums as it swings, to a cavernous room bathed in yellow light, to the smell of a wall covered in moss, the exhibit a the Dallas Museum of Art showcases Eliasson's work with light, color and space. ''Each work represents a little environment,'' Eliasson says. ``Each environment takes a little time for it to implement...