Who would guess? A large saltwater lake has appeared in Death Valley, one of the hottest, driest places in the Western Hemisphere. Named Lake Manly in honor of W. L. Manly, who led and heroically rescued the first party of white emigrants who entered Death Valley in 1849 it stretches across the floor of the valley. But it won’t be there long, and the last time it appeared was in 2005. A historical appearanceLake Manly - courtesy of Percepture Lake Manly is back after a rare significant rain fall in 2023. So, the time to see it is now, and most of the major roads into Death Valley are open (like California Route 190) with access to all the major park attractions like Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Ubehebe Crater, Artists Drive, Golden Canyon/Gower Gulch Trails, and Racetrack Road, just to name a few. Interestingly, the floor of Death Valley was part of a vast lake system during North America’s last major Ice Age. As the lakes vanished around 10,000 years ago, massive salt deposits were left behind creating the floor of the valley. There is also a vast aquifer system underneath Death Valley, a true American oasis.A timely getawayAn aerial view of the Inn at Death Valley - courtesy of Percepture Only two hours from Las Vegas and four hours from Los Angeles, Death Valley is an easy escape from the worried, rushing world. Ancient waters bubble up from the ground to support an entire ecosystem at the Oasis at Death Valley, a secluded resort off of CA 190 tucked into the 3.4-million-acre Death Valley National Park (the largest park in the Lower 48). This winter vacation destination offers spring-fed pools averaging a comfortable 87 degrees, the lowest USGA golf course on earth, cascading bougainvillea-adorned gardens, and a spring-watered date palm grove. Dating to 1927, the historic property encompasses two lodging options: The Inn at Death Valley and the family-friendly The Ranch at Death Valley, both part of a recent $250 million renaissance. For more information on booking a stay, visit oasisatdeathvalley.com.The sign at Death Valley National Park - courtesy of Percepture

With summer travel in full swing and families traveling to enjoy Broadway experiences this season, Hilton New York Times Square has unveiled an Aladdin's Times Square Palace suite complementing the hotel's close proximity to Disney's Aladdin the Musical on Broadway. Perfect for families enjoying a staycation or traveling in for their first Broadway adventure, the immersive suite draws inspiration from the timeless musical ballads and venturous storylines from the hit Broadway musical and has been masterfully transformed to welcome guests into “A Whole New World” within the tale's Arabian desert kingdom known as Agrabah. Located just feet away from the New Amsterdam Theatre, Hilton New York Times Square guests will feel seamlessly transported to Aladdin's city of mystery with only a one-minute walk between the production's intricate Cave of Wonders set and the elaborately designed Aladdin's Times Square Palace suite. Genie lamp decor - courtesy of Hilton New York Times Square “Our location in Times Square offers an exceptional homebase for travelers and families visiting New York City for Broadway, with the hit show Aladdin the Musical at the New Amsterdam Theatre just steps away from our doors,” said Thomas Caska, general manager, Hilton New York Times Square. “We're thrilled to partner with this incredible musical to transport our guests to the fictional world of Agrabah where guests can embrace the magic of the show, creating an exclusive, memorable stay at our property in the heart of the Big Apple.” Aladdin's Times Square Palace Suite View of the Aladdin palace suite - courtesy of Hilton New York Times Square Designed by Broadway's top dressing room designer for its most legendary stars, Devin Sparkles Design, the spacious one-king bedroom studio corner suite complete with a pullout couch allows for “High Adventure” in the magical world of Agrabah while taking in wall-to-wall views overlooking Manhattan. As guests step into their desert oasis, they'll encounter a selection of show prints adorning the wall along with costume and scenic design sketches. Agrabah-inspired furnishings include bedding, Moroccan wall sconces, a selection of magic carpet Moroccan rugs, Jasmine-inspired silks throughout, a magic genie lamp light, lago-inspired bird light, and bright curtains that truly transform the suite into Agrabah. The “Cave of Wonders”-style washroom features gold mirror and bath accents including vases and gems. The Aladdin's Times Square Palace suite experience includes two “Genie-tini” cocktails and two Magic Mocktails, a lively wake-up call from the Broadway musical's Genie himself, Michael James Scott, Aladdin coloring materials for kids, complimentary breakfast for up to four guests and complimentary parking. Guests that book the enchanted suite will also receive up to four complimentary Premium Orchestra tickets to see Broadway's Aladdin the Musical and show merchandise upon arrival to the theater. 'Aladdin the Musical' Hotel Experiences Try a Genie-ini at Pinnacle Bar & Lounge - courtesy of Hilton New York Times Square Available through October 31, 2023, guests can visit the hotel's website or call (212) 913-9488 to reserve the suite. Rates for the Aladdin's Times Square Palace suite and tickets start from $599 per night and must be booked 72 hours in advance. If the price of a night in Agrabah seems a little too much, there's good news: any Hilton New York Times Square guest can enjoy magical experiences including a genie lamp photo opportunity, “Genie-tini” cocktails and Magic Mocktails served at Pinnacle Bar & Lounge, a Genie wake-up call upon request, and Aladdin coloring activities. For more information about Hilton Hotels & Resorts, visit Stories.Hilton.com.

Universal Orlando Resort shares new details about all the ways guests can eat, laugh and make mischief with the Minions in the highly anticipated Minion Land on Illumination Ave. – an immersive new area created in partnership between Universal’s award-winning creative team and the acclaimed filmmakers from Illumination. Opening this summer at Universal Studios Florida, the new land expands upon the wildly popular Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction and will debut a new collection of experiences for guests of all ages inspired by the beloved Minions franchise. As soon as guests enter the land, they’ll be greeted by a fun, photo-worthy “Minion Land” marquee featuring 22 Minions before embarking on the mischief that awaits along Illumination Ave. From blasting their way to supervillain stardom in Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast to savoring tasty dishes at the Minion Cafe to snacking on banana-flavored popcorn at Pop-a-Nana and meeting fan-favorite characters along the way, here are details about the exciting new experiences that await in Minion Land: Play in the Villain-Con Minion Blast Illumination's new Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction - courtesy of NBCUniversal Guests can put their villainous skills to the test in Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast – an all-new attraction where guests compete against each other in a fully interactive gaming experience that’s so much fun, it’s a crime. Afterward, guests exit through Evil Stuff, an all-new retail location where they can stock up on Villain-Con and Minions merchandise. More details about Villain-Con Minion Blast will be revealed soon. Indulge in Minion-themed Treats Rendering of Bake My Day at Universal Orlando - courtesy of NBCUniversal It’s Minions in the kitchen, mischief in the dining room, and tons of tasty food at the new Illumination’s Minion Cafe – the marquee dining location within Minion Land. This immersive new eatery offers something for every palate in a highly-entertaining dining experience that features three themed areas designed after beloved Minions Kevin, Stuart, Bob and Otto:the Kitchen – where guests will get a glimpse of the equipment and gear the Minions have used to whip up the cafe’s menu; the Breakroom – where guests can dine in the Minions’ break space that includes everything from “Office Safety Tips” to a vending machine stocked with mischievous items; and the Dining Room – a vibrant space adorned with colorful artwork courtesy of the Minions and more. Guests can also enjoy their meal on an outdoor patio that overlooks the fun of Minion Land. Just as eye-catching as Minion Cafe’s incredibly-themed surroundings is its delicious menu – the latest example of how Universal Orlando’s award-winning culinary team continues to raise the bar when it comes to theme park dining. Guests of all ages can enjoy inventive, family-friendly fare featuring nearly 20 items inspired by memorable characters and staples from the Minions franchise, including eclectic “despica-bowls” such as Otto’s Noodle Bowl, Agnes’s Honeymoon Soup and Carl’s Crispy Cauliflower (vegan offering); delectable handhelds such as the Steak & “Cheese Ray” Sandwich; adorable desserts such as Bob’s Teddy Bear Chocolate Cream Puff; a kids’ menu for the “mini Minions” in the family that includes items like the Mini Boss’ Mega Melt; and so much more. The Minion Cafe will also feature an express window with a limited menu for those looking to satisfy their mischievous cravings quickly and return to the mayhem in Minion Land. Other Minion Land treats to come: Bake My Day: Topped with a massive pink cupcake that’s visible from anywhere in the land, Bake My Day is a whimsical retail location and bakery featuring a selection of Minion-themed sweet treats, including cupcakes, macarons, s’mores and more, along with exclusive Minion-inspired merchandise like apparel, plush, drinkware, accessories, keychains and more.Pop-A-Nana: Banana-flavored popcorn, anyone? This walkup location features sweet and savory popcorn inspired by the Minions’ love for bananas. Here, guests may also find an assortment of cute popcorn buckets, including the Minion Selfie bucket. Freeze Ray Pops: Guests can cool off with a visit to Freeze Ray Pops, featuring a variety of colorful popsicles inspired by Gru, the Minions and Vector – along with beverages. Interact with Characters Guests can meet, greet and interact with beloved characters like the Minions, Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes, plus new additions from the hit film “Sing” – Rosita, Gunter and Johnny – at an outdoor Illumination Theater facade. Guests can also discover murals, photo ops and more throughout Minion Land that celebrate additional characters from popular Illumination films. Minion Land is yet another example of how Universal Destinations & Experiences is raising the bar on immersive storytelling for the entire family using beloved stories and franchises often seen in films. —For more information about Minion Land and Universal Orlando Resort overall, visit www.universalorlando.com.

Imagine this: After previewing where you want to travel to in the metaverse, you finally decide which subterranean hotel to book. The day of the trip you head to the airport in an electric shuttle and breeze through security thanks to a quick and simple biometric passport screening; you've packed your in-ear language-translation device but not much else, because most things you need can simply be 3d printed when you get to your destination. And you're not just going to a physical place, but back in time to experience a particularly fascinating moment in history. Sound too wild to be true? It seems like science fiction now, but a new ground-breaking report "The Future of Travel," commissioned by airline easyJet, claims this may just be what future decades of travel look like. Heading up the report, Professor Birgitte Andersen of Birkbeck College, says, “This next 50 years will bring the largest technological advances we have ever seen in travel and tourism. Aspects of how we holiday will be transformed beyond recognition; in the future holiday-makers will be queuing at the hotel buffet to have their breakfast omelettes and fry-ups 3D printed by machines, our heartbeat will become our passport, and in-ear devices will translate the local language in real time and enable us to speak the local lingo. Looking forward, by the year 2070 the destinations we fly to, the type of accommodation we stay in, and the experiences we have, will have changed immeasurably.” The report forecasts innovations in airport journeys, air travel, accommodation, and holiday experiences, with the help of data and contributions from Europe’s leading futurists and experts from the worlds of aerospace, innovation, and engineering. Below are some of the highlights from the report. Biometric Passports Artistic rendering of future seamless airport security - courtesy of easyjet.com The airport journey and air travel experience will be revolutionized by technological advances. Heartbeat and biometric passports will replace the traditional passport for passengers to breeze through their airport. Much like fingerprints and the retina, every person’s cardiac signature is unique. Passengers’ heartbeat signatures and biometric details will be logged on a global system in the same way finger-print scanning technology works today. "Try Before You Buy" Experiences Vacations, even the most budget-friendly, are a considerable investment compared to most other expenditures. What if you could take part in a "try before you buy" system before committing to a trip? Utilizing bionic and metaverse technology, people could now "sample" a vacation before making the full investment by experiencing holiday previews. This might allow for more efficient planning, in terms of specific hotel locations and desired experiences.In-flight UpgradesArtistic rendering of future airplane ergonomic seating - courtesy of easyjet.com Ergonomic and biomimetic sensory plane seats will become the norm, with smart materials adapting to passengers’ body shape, height, weight, and temperature, providing the ultimate tailored comfort flying experience. Inflight entertainment will be beamed directly in front of passenger’s eyes, via optoelectronic devices, replacing the need for onboard screens or downloading movies before you fly. Local Language Support Devices Several translation apps offer a similar service by scanning written signs or documents and converting to other languages, but nothing as yet exists to make real-time conversations easier for foreign travelers. The report predicts that soon local language in-ear devices will be available to take on vacation to translate the local language in real time and even enable visitors to speak the local lingo. More Sustainable Hotels Artistic rendering of 3d printed hotel food - courtesy of easyjet.com As technology advances, we will see significant advances in the accommodation experience abroad. 3D-printed hotel buffet food will allow tourists to print whatever they want to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner, while reducing food waste. Similarly, 3D-printed, recyclable holiday clothes on arrival at the hotel will remove the need for suitcases and fast holiday fashion as travelers can print the clothes required in their hotel rooms, tailored to their perfect fit and style, and recycle the materials for the next guest to enjoy. To save on energy, hotels will be able to harvest energy from its guests’ footsteps in order to generate power, essentially becoming "human-powered." Subterranean hotels will also be built into the fabric of the earth that are super energy efficient and at one with the environment. Personalized Hotel Rooms All hotel rooms will be smart rooms with beds already pre-made to exactly desired firmness, ambient temperatures and favorite music playing based upon preferences you select in advance of booking the holiday. A holographic personal holiday concierge will accompany vacationers to provide up to date destination information and assistance throughout their stay.Underwater Adventures The report also imagines new ways to see more of the world. Consider this the ultimate upgrade from your traditional cruise experience exploring the seas: the underwater "sea-fari." These would be aquatic adventures onboard submarines for tourists deep beneath the sea discovering marine life in underwater "marine parks." While much less exotic than the underwater marine park prediction, the report also sees beach vacations getting an upgrade and that e-foiling, cable skiing, and flyboarding will become the norm at oceanside destinations, truly taking water sports to another level. Time-Traveling Experiences One of the most intriguing ideas from the reports are "time-travelling" experiences. Tomorrow’s travelers will be able to vacation in the past by wearing haptic suits at historical sites that enable them to immerse themselves in live historical surroundings marveling wonders of the ancient world like the Colossus of Rhodes during a stroll in Rhodes Town, or cheering among the crowds of the original Olympic Games in Ancient Greece. The report also included a survey to gauge how interested prospective travelers would be about all the different potential technology and travel features. Time-traveling trips took the top spot when it came to most anticipated with 42% of those surveyed looking forward to those vacations. Most people were also excited for "try before you buy" metaverse previews (23%), language translation devices (24%), smart hotels (25%) and subterranean hotels (26%), "sea-faris" (32%), and biometric passports (38%). — Click here for the full report.