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 2009 MiamiHerald.com Living 60 Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:50:13 EST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's PubSys miamifeedback@miamiherald.com http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/839622.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/839622.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Until recently, shelling out $100 or more at the hair salon seemed almost a necessity, especially in South Florida's culture of coif perfection. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/837488.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/837488.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Nicholas Lyon, 29, of Southwest Miami-Dade has serious heart problems, and his doctor tells him he should get flu and pneumonia shots to spare his body the stress of those illnesses. But he thinks he might put it off. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/826965.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/top-stories/story/826965.html Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:01 EST How weird a year was it? Here's how weird: O.J. actually got convicted of something. Gasoline hit $4 a gallon -- and those were the good times. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/840955.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/840955.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST The countertops are freshly painted red and the white shutters are propped up. Behind the counter, David Magee awaits his next customer. Before him are pints and quarts of ruby red strawberries, each a pyramid of perfect lusciousness. http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107669.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107669.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT 2009 atlas of anniversaries: Celebrations worth travel to http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107677.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/107677.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT LJ's barbecue and blues bring down-home vibe to Homestead http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/154231.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/154231.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT The good and the bad of celebs' 2008 fashion http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111084.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111084.html Sun, 09 Sep 2007 03:01 EDT Mediators foresee gloom, doom in condo industry http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111094.html http://www.miamiherald.com/1001/story/111094.html Tue, 15 May 2007 15:35 EDT Kids pop: This year's trends for really young hipsters 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/837488.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837488.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Nicholas Lyon, 29, of Southwest Miami-Dade has serious heart problems, and his doctor tells him he should get flu and pneumonia shots to spare his body the stress of those illnesses. But he thinks he might put it off. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837489.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837489.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST The worsening economy is boosting the tab for federal food-assistance programs, and with the rising costs has come an intensifying debate over whether -- and how -- the U.S. government can tackle simultaneously the paradoxical problems of hunger and obesity. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837486.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837486.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST There might be a way to predict whether young children will grow into active teens -- or fall prey to a more sedentary lifestyle. The key? Motor skills. A recent study found a link between object-control skills in childhood and fitness in adolescence. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837495.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837495.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST It's not specifically our job at the Nutrition Quiz to make you feel guilty for indulging in dessert. It's merely one of the perks. Take our quiz about the caloric values of your favorite treats. It's bound to spoil your appetite. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837503.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837503.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST The Medical Wellness Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine wants to remake you in the New Year. Sounds like a good idea for many of us. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/839217.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/839217.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST President George W. Bush on Tuesday will create three new marine monuments in the Pacific Ocean to protect the deepest place on Earth, some of the last pristine corals and sanctuaries for vanishing marine species. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/839219.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/839219.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST U.S. health care spending in 2007 grew at its lowest rate in nine years, due mainly to a slowdown in prescription drug spending and lower administrative costs for the Medicare program, according to a new government report released Monday. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837492.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837492.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: I was running playing tennis and felt a sharp pain in my left calf. I also felt a pop. I put ice on it and it swelled a little bit. I am sure that there is nothing broken but I am still hurting and limping and want to know how long this takes to heal. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837500.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837500.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: What's your New Year's skin resolution? A: This year, resolve to do one of the single best things you can do to fight the signs of aging: Add a retinoid to your nightly skin care regimen. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837485.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837485.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: Why do so many celebrities who depend on their looks get ghastly plastic surgery and fillers? Do they think they look great? Does good-looking only apply to someone 25 and then they try to look 25 some 30-40 years after that? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837496.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/health/story/837496.html Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:01 EST BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7: Workshop on the gifts of meditation and love. Facilitated by Phyllis Cohen of the Center for Health Transformation; 11:30 a.m.; Memorial Senior Partners Hallandale, 1726 Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach; $8, $4 members. 954-457-0501. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/834422.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/834422.html Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Get a dog -- not <em>just</em> to keep up with the Obamas -- grab a guitar and break out the gourmet baby food. Those are just some of the things you'll need to do in 2009 to keep your kids hip to the latest trends -- and what kind of parent would you be if you didn't? Like, so 2008. Here are some of the hot trends for kids for 2009, from Parents magazine. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/834420.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/834420.html Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:01 EST New mom Christine Chansley had read all about baby bottle tooth decay. Nearly every baby book on the market warns parents not to put children to bed with a bottle of milk, formula or juice. The practice can lead to tooth decay. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/826629.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/826629.html Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Each year, the kids and I spend December winnowing our list. Not the one for Santa; the one that has book titles on it. Figuring out which books were our favorites of the year is hard work. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/826877.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/826877.html Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Any given day, you might find Joseph, Sierra and Alyssa Bianco playing video games, watching movies or teasing the cat. Or they may be researching a prehistoric fish, discussing a doc-umentary or practicing cursive writing. Parents Mary and Joe Bianco are ''radical unschoolers'' who believe their children will learn more from this type of home-schooling than in a traditional classroom. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/825696.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/825696.html Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:01 EST The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is featuring its 12-story Mediterranean towers in this year's South Florida Holidays Rock gingerbread village display, up through Jan. 2. It can be viewed for free at the hotel front desk nearest the bell-hop stand. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is at 1 Seminole Way (off U.S. 441 north of Stirling Road near Hollywood); 954-327-ROCK (7625) or www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/825972.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/825972.html Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Usually, Cristina Perez's students at St. Agatha Catholic School begin penning their wish lists as soon as Christmas decorations pop up at nearby International Mall. This year, Perez wanted her sixth- and seventh-graders to think about gifts a little differently. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/819203.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/819203.html Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:01 EST From diapers to bedtime routines, newborns are bundled with challenges. But South Florida mother Kisha Holt encountered other obstacles nine years ago, when she tried to accessorize a baby room for the first of her four children. From bibs to growth charts, Holt discovered a racial void in the juvenile furniture, clothing and accessories markets. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/817644.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/817644.html Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Miami Seaquarium presents a dazzling display of holiday lights during its annual Winter Nights & Lights celebration. Enjoy magical light sculptures of reef fish, flamingos, dolphins, seals, sea lions, killer whales and other marine friends like the sea horse above. Top off the festivities with snow and fireworks. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/816309.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/816309.html Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Divine Performing Arts celebrates traditional Chinese culture through lavish numbers by dozens of colorfully dressed singers and dancers. But behind the show's beauty is a message so strong the Chinese government warned Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle not to welcome it. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/811966.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/811966.html Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:01 EST For much of his life, Aram Tchividjian has had the same conversation with strangers. They all want to tell him how much they like his grandfather, evangelist Billy Graham. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/809760.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/809760.html Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Ask anyone to name their favorite Christmas-themed movie, TV episode or song and you're sure to hear a wide variety of answers. That's because there are so many options from which to choose. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/839622.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/839622.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Until recently, shelling out $100 or more at the hair salon seemed almost a necessity, especially in South Florida's culture of coif perfection. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/839616.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/839616.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:01 EST I don't get manicures, or facials, or massages. But management of my long, thick black mane is something I don't trust to just anyone. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/839619.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/839619.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:01 EST WHITE SALE Bridal Sample Sale: Save up to 50 percent off original retail prices on hundreds of gowns from designers including Vera Wang, Reem Acra, Amsale, Kenneth Pool, Monique Lhuillier and Anna Maier-Ulla-Maija; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday; Saks Fifth Avenue, 9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour. 305-865-1100. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830502.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830502.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Since fashion critic Mr. Blackwell died in October, we no longer have his 10 Worst Dressed List to entertain us. That's too bad, because between the too-short skirts and diamond dresses, celebs offered up a lot of eyebrow-raising looks this year. Here's what horrified us -- and what we truly loved. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830501.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830501.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Former interior designer Claudia Pieschacon says she dreamed up her jewelry collection after spotting an exuberant ring on a woman's hand while wandering the streets of Paris. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830513.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830513.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Love 'em or hate 'em, leggings -- those stretchy, skin-tight stand-ins for pants -- refuse to die. In fact, the leggings trend has grown tremendously recently, with several brands dedicated solely to creating them. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830516.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/830516.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:01 EST The lowdown: South of Fifth Street is South Beach's relaxed residential oasis, where locals can escape the tourist traps and mega clubs. So it's only fitting that the breezy area would welcome Lace Beauty Lab. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/832090.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/832090.html Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Holiday Fashion Camp: Students can learn about fashion illustration, runway modeling and merchandising, trends, clothing redesign and fashion show production; 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Monday-Tuesday through Jan. 7 at SassyBB, 939 NE 19th Ave., Fort Lauderdale; $120 registration required. www.SassyBB.com or 954-765-1315. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/823973.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/823973.html Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:01 EST After the deep and ashen color palette of fall clothing, a surge of hard-candy hues is exploding into holiday jewelry. It's bright, brilliant and dripping with fun and a sense of possibility. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/823961.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/823961.html Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:01 EST When it comes to accessorizing an outfit, some people opt for a great pair of shoes. Others prefer jewelry. But for Mari Saka and her mother Suzy Aribu, it's all in the bag. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/823967.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/fashion/story/823967.html Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Some events call for retrospection and reminiscing, none so much as the arrival of a new year. From top 10 lists to the wise words of Auld Lang Syne, ruminating on the past is almost a requirement. But we're taking a cue from fashion visionaries everywhere and bucking tradition. Instead of looking back at some of 2008's do's (ruffles) and don'ts (rompers), we take a peek into the fashion future. Here, the spring trends we've resolved to try in '09. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840955.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840955.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST The countertops are freshly painted red and the white shutters are propped up. Behind the counter, David Magee awaits his next customer. Before him are pints and quarts of ruby red strawberries, each a pyramid of perfect lusciousness. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840954.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840954.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST There's been a new smoky scent in the air over Homestead since November, when LJ's Backstage Café opened in the Airport Plaza Arcade across from Air Reserve Park. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840964.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840964.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST From Lipton's California Dip and Campbell's Green Bean Bake to Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats and Borden's Six-Minute Fudge, there's a long and checkered history of food manufacturers creating recipes to promote their products. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840944.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840944.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Welcome to 2009. May it be sweet and natural, not artificial and weird. May your sweetener be the same way, and calorie-free, too. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840966.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840966.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: My eyes were like radar drawn to your recipe for fruit-filled Slovak dumplings in our local paper. I had not seen or heard of my old childhood favorite since my mother died 50 plus years ago. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840968.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840968.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Thinking of trimming the budget and waistline after the holidays? This pesto and bean soup is quick, easy on the pocketbook, healthful and delicious. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840940.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840940.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST I recently saw an ad announcing that Swanson's was adding a milder chicken stock to its line of ubiquitous broths. I admit I use chicken broth by the gallon, for everything from soups and sauces to a substitute for water when cooking rice for added flavor. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840952.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840952.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST When you're searching for movie-night meals, couch-friendly nachos are an obvious choice. Trouble is, they aren't very friendly to your waist. A small serving can pack as many as 600 calories and more than 30 grams of fat. And when you are noshing in front of a great flick, who's really going to stop with a small serving? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840959.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840959.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST I have a friend who says she is a vegetarian, but one day I saw her eating a hamburger. When I expressed my surprise, she said she eats ground beef on rare occasions. I called her a psychological vegetarian, but she said she was a semi-vegetarian. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840938.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840938.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Offering easy party nibbles can sometimes boil down to buying a platter of shrimp and cocktail sauce at the grocer. But there are ways to offer something a touch more creative and unexpected -- without sacrificing the easy part. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840947.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/food/story/840947.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:01 EST If America is truly a melting pot, soup often reflects the best flavors of our immigrant cultures. Southwestern Black Bean Soup is a fiber-rich soup based on two of the world's most common pantry staples: beans and rice. Beans and rice form a complete protein. When paired with a grocery list of nutrient-rich vegetables, you have a bowl brimming with good nutrition. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834440.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834440.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Bright red spikes of salvia flowers swayed in the winter breeze next to blue-flowering porterweed. Yellowtops, with flattish clusters of flowers, were forming a little colony, while the black-eyed Susans and the red-yellow Indian blankets formed sweeps of color in the wildflower beds at Broward College's north campus in Coconut Creek. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834433.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834433.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Working for the state's Office of the Condominium Ombudsman is dirty, sometimes even ''disgusting,'' work, say Bill and Susan Raphan, who supervise the Fort Lauderdale satellite office. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834430.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834430.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Seventeen years ago, Eddie and Anna Fuentes opened Victoria's Armoire in the Coral Gables building that house his father's printing business with a self-serving motive: Newly married, they wanted good furniture but couldn't afford the antiques they liked. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834435.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834435.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: Our dog, an old Doberman named Pansy, has lumps all over her body. The vet has checked every one of them with a needle and keeps a chart in her file so she can add any new ones and keep track of the old ones. Luckily, they're all benign fatty tumors that don't need to be surgically removed. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834437.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834437.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST I've opened Pandora's box on my home computer and laptop. An extensive catalog of free music is available for dinner parties, yoga classes and personal happy hours at my home thanks to recommendation from my friend, Leah. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834439.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/834439.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: Our condominium documents clearly state that no pickup trucks or motorcycles are allowed. Our board recently added to the rules that pickup trucks and motorcycles are allowed. When asked if they would be allowing the members to vote to change our documents, they said that the association attorney said it was not needed. What goes here? Why have condominium documents? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826640.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826640.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST You know you have a problem with clutter when your new 52-inch flat screen TV looks more like an old 19-inch, dwarfed by all that junk piled high around it. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826650.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826650.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Admit it: After all that shopping, tree trimming and ''Secret Santa'' skulking, you were almost over Christmas before it even arrived. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826648.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826648.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST A botanical refuge in the Miami Design District will offer a green oasis in an urban core, next to the Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH). http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826637.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826637.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Two Miami shopkeepers hunt and gather wares with far-flung flair. Their shop, Inzamia (pronounced in-zá-mia), is as striking a mixture of syllables as it is an exotic assortment of furnishings from three continents. The name, which was coined by the owners, brothers Sachin and Bhavin Dhupelia, pays homage to the places they have called home -- India, South Africa and Miami. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826647.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/story/826647.html Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:01 EST Q: My dog Brutus is a 150-pound Rottweiler. He's a gorgeous dog but he can be a bit of a bully when my female Rottweiler is in heat. I want to breed her to a dog with a better temperament so it's important that Brutus not mate with her. Unfortunately, it's hard to keep them apart -- Brutus will jump fences to get to her. I don't want to neuter him but I was considering a vasectomy. Our vet says he doesn't do this procedure but I read about it on your blog. Is Brutus a good candidate? http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/831310.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/831310.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Look ahead in 2009 and you'll look to the past. Every year brings noteworthly anniversaries, but this year those milestones may seem particularly momentous -- and well worth traveling to celebrate. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830527.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830527.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST JANUARY 24-31: Elko, Nev. -- National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. 25th annual roundup of silver-tongued ranch hands. 25: Ayrshire, Scotland -- Homecoming Burns Supper. Poet's 250th birthday party launches return-to-Scotland year. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830521.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830521.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST The manatee was clearly saying hello. He (or she, I didn't check) ambled up to our kayak with the quiet, aquatic intent of a 2,000-pound sea mammal. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830524.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830524.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST <strong>IF YOU GO</strong><p/>Like a condor swooping across the heavens, I rode a current of air, circling, as if searching for prey in the lush valley 1,600 feet below. There was no sound, save for the whisper of wind rushing past my ears. The fear was gone, but my heart still pounded against my chest. And from this lofty perspective, I saw, in the hazy distance, the outstretched arms of Jesus Christ. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/832913.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/832913.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Leave it to an economic slowdown to create bargains in travel -- so many of them that the mind reels. Here are four samples out of hundreds made available by anxious airlines, cruise lines, hotel chains and tour operators: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830533.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830533.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST One of the best ways to economize in Paris these days is to take advantage of the city's public bicycle renting program, which has grown to 20,000 bicycles and 1,450 stations since its inception a year ago. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830528.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830528.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Q: A few months ago, just before my wedding, my fiance and his best man went to Las Vegas for his bachelor party. He had purchased a package deal through Yahoo Travel that included a stay at the MGM Grand hotel and round-trip airfare on Spirit Airlines for both of them. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830525.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830525.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Where to go in 2009 Eager to get ahead of the crowds? TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) has identified the Top 10 emerging destinations in the United States. Lonely Planet has picked worldwide hot spots for 2009, while Cheaptickets' month-by-month guide recommends the best times for saving money next year. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830246.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830246.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST PERU: STEP LIVELY Argentina has tango, Austria the waltz and Peru has its marinera. It's one of the most stylized and refined dances around, with a great deal of coyness and flirting displayed between partners in Spanish colonial-style dress manipulating handkerchiefs in twitching, birdlike gestures. And the competition is fierce this month when dancers from all over the country descend on the seaside city of Trujillo. The grand finale is Jan. 28. http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/832762.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/832762.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST DEALS, DEALS Pay for a three-night package at Universal Orlando Resort in Florida and receive two additional nights for free, or pay for four and receive three free. Deal includes accommodations, admission to Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, and transportation between lodging and the parks. For example, a five-night vacation for a family of four at the Comfort Inn starts at $670, including taxes. Complete travel by June 27 (blackout dates April 4-18); book by Jan. 31. 877-801-9720... http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830522.html http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/story/830522.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 03:01 EST Jan. 10: WPA Walking Tour, Key West. Part of a series of tours led by history guides. Begins at Heritage House. 305- 296-3573; www.heritagehousemuseum.org.