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Here at TravelMuse, we’re raring to go now that 2009 has arrived and we have high hopes for our new President, Barack Obama. Nowhere is the inauguration excitement more prominent than in Washington, D.C., itself. That’s why we’ve released a special inauguration feature to help visitors make the most of their time in D.C. !



We invited Debbie K. Hardin, former White House staffer, to share some of her top tips. Working for the Clinton administration, as the director of presidential messages in the communications department, she attended a number of inaugural parades and balls. She was even in attendance for the first swearing in of President Clinton, so is well positioned to give us valuable insights from the best viewing venues and culinary creations, to historic experiences and affordable fun.

In addition to Hardin’s great insight, we also include the best places to eat, sleep and explore in and around Washington, D.C. Lastly, tell us where you plan to celebrate Inauguration Day in our poll, or elaborate in a comment below. Here at TravelMuse, we’re planning a team huddle in our conference room to stream and project the footage from 8:30 a.m. (PST)!

If you’re lucky enough to attend the inaugural events or are planning a future trip to our nation’s capital, TravelMuse will help you to research, organize and build the best trip possible. The inauguration feature can be found at http://travelmuse.com and includes insights such as:

• Inauguration Day Planning Tips—Whether you plan to join or avoid the crowds on January 20, this section helps you navigate the nation’s Inauguration Day offerings.
• 5 D.C. Hot Spots With Obama-Inspired Menu Items—Check out the culinary creations of chefs throughout the nation’s capital who salute the inauguration with special drinks and dishes ranging from the Obama Roll to vodka-and-fruit shakes.
• 7 Top Presidential Attractions in Washington, D.C.—Beyond the White House, these historic options get you and your family closer to the Chief Executive.
• 44 Free Things to Do in D.C.—Make your trip even more memorable with this list of affordable experiences.

For full details on our press release, click here.

It’s official. More people use the iPhone to upload pictures to Flickr than any other camera phone, and the gap is widening, according to Flickr's Camera Finder data. The Nokia N95 was previously the top camera phone, but thanks to the faster uploading capabilities of the 3G iPhones, it soon fell behind. Another factor that gives the iPhone an edge is the ease of submitting photos to Flickr while on the go and the ability to geotag your photos.

If you have an iPhone and a Flickr account, follow these easy steps to submit your photos through e-mail.

1. Get a Flickr e-mail address by going to www.flickr.com/account, and clicking on the e-mail tab. Click the link on the “Your Flickr upload email” line to create your Flickr e-mail address. It should read something like example at photos dot flickr dot com.
2. Once you have your Flickr e-mail address add it as a contact in your iPhone so you don’t have to type it out every time.
3. When you have a picture that you want to post, tap on the arrow/box icon on the left side of the slideshow navigator bar. Choose ‘Email Photo’ and the iPhone will automatically open a new e-mail with the photo attached.
4. Add your Flickr e-mail address as a recipient and the title of your photo in the Subject field. If you want to include a description, type it in the body of the e-mail below the photo.

With a couple of minutes of setup, you can join the ranks of iPhone owners using Flickr to show off their photographic talent!

A few recent iPhone photos uploaded to Flickr

View from the tent by NatalieHG, Ice skating at 30 Rock by Daniel Vuillermin, Glacier perito moreno by NatalieHG

Although the D.C. Council has done a bit of tightening of regulations for drinking during the Obama Inauguration, don’t worry: there will still be plenty of opportunity to party.

Despite its initial ruling that bars could continue to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. during the week of the inauguration, Jan. 17 to 21, the Council voted on Dec. 16 to scale back the regulation to 4 a.m. instead. Bars, nightclubs and restaurants can remain open 24 hours to serve food, provided they pay a fee. Although the drinking establishments who will benefit from D.C.’s huge crowds may be celebrating, the rule faces criticism from certain Council members and U.S. Senators, who argue that there is not adequate policing to enforce the 4 a.m. rule or guarantee security.

Whether you’re headed to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration or not, how do you feel about the looser rules? Will you be celebrating the inauguration and if so, where?

Some of the things I remember most about my journeys are the open, public spaces in many places in the world. I’ve always been a big fan of parks (thanks to growing up near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park), and I generally search them out when on vacation. But parks aren’t the only cool public places.

The Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit organization that works with people to “create and sustain public places that build communities,” has published a list of 60 of the world’s greatest public spaces. Among them are:

• Covent Garden in London
• The French Quarter in New Orleans
• Grand Central Station in New York City
• The Spanish Steps in Rome
• The Ridge in India
• The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali.

Pop quiz!

When I say “you’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” what do you think of? The movie A Christmas Story, of course! This cult classic has become a rite of passage in many homes, including ours. There are a handful of holiday must-sees that we watch year in and year out, and A Christmas Story is at the top of the list.

I’ve seen it dozens of times but did not realize that you can actually experience many of the sights and sounds of the movie in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Christmas Story House. The house is open year-round but really comes to life during the winter holiday season. The city of Cleveland is rightfully promoting this relatively unknown gem as one of the “must-see seasonal attractions” in the city.

The Christmas Story House has been completely restored “to its movie splendor.” The site states that “directly across the street from the house is the official A Christmas Story House Museum, which features original props, costumes and memorabilia from the film, as well as hundreds of rare behind-the-scenes photos. Among the props and costumes are the toys from the Higbee’s window, Randy’s snowsuit and zeppelin, the chalkboard from Miss Shields’ classroom and the family car.”

After touring this veritable shrine to holiday kitsch you can head down the street and dine at the Chinese restaurant where the family enjoyed headless Peking duck on Christmas day. Or if you have some shopping left to do, you can hit she museum gift shop and pick up {wait for it) a glowing, stocking-strewn leg lamp. Wonder if they offer overnight shipping…

(The following post was contributed by TravelMuse writer Laurie Bain Wilson.)

Travel is a great way for families to experience the holiday season’s joys, and it’s just as fun to unwrap the surprises that visiting a new destination brings than getting a handful of gifts. Here are some far-flung and close-to-home ideas for getaways where you can enjoy the holidays.

Canada

Our neighbor to the north beckons families to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler with its dozens of 12- to 14-foot tall Christmas trees all gussied up and in display in the lobby. But the best part of staying here for the holidays because each guestroom gets a fresh, live tree and decorations so families can create a home away from home. Nice touch: The trees are planted after Christmas at the resort’s golf course and surrounding areas. Call 866-540-4424 or visit www.fairmont.com/whistler. (Read our recent Whistler coverage!)

Across the Pond

Christmas in Europe is steeped in tradition thanks, in part, to the hundreds of authentic Christmas markets that are visually stunning and spiritually uplifting. In Austria, there is a Christkindlmarkt on in most cities throughout the country. One of the most engaging markets for children is Rathausplatz, a classic Christmas market in Vienna, located on the square in front of the City Hall. In addition to food and gifts and gluhwein (mulled wine) there is a collection of elaborately decorated trees in the square. Inside City Hall is where kids delight in Christkindls Werkstatt, the setting for thousands of kids to decorate cookies and make gifts. For more information about Austria’s Christmas markets visit the Vienna Board of Tourism at www.wien.info.

Oregon

Old-fashioned sleigh rides are free for resort guests at Sunriver Resort, located in Sunriver, Oregon, 15 miles from Bend. The resort also holds the distinction of boasting Central Oregon’s biggest holiday light display. Kids can have breakfast with Santa, enjoy a teddy bear tea and get an elf tuck-in. Bonus: Family Christmas sing-along concerts. Call 800-801-8765 or visit www.sunriver-resort.com.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

The combo of Western, Hispanic and Native American traditions make celebrating Christmas here a true cultural experience. Farolitos, small bags filled with sand and lit from within by votives, are Santa Fe’s traditional Christmas decoration and you’ll see them everywhere you go here, especially on Christmas Eve when Santa Fe Plaza, the city’s heart and soul, is decorated with 1,000 farolitos; cider is served, carols are sung and you can walk from here to the nearby Cross of the Martyrs, also outlined by farolitos. You’ll also see luminarias, small bonfires that are believed to have lighted the way for the Three Wise Men to Mary and the baby *****.

Make reservations at one of Santa Fe’s many restaurants to dig into the traditional Christmas meal of posole (dried corn like hominy in a thick soup or stew with chiles.) The Santa Fe ski area, known as Ski Santa Fe, located 16 miles from the Plaza, typically has all 43 of its runs open by Christmas. For more information, visit www.santafe.org.

New England

Dog sledding has become a popular New England adventure, and one of the few places you can do it is at the historic Mount Washington Hotel nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The resort also offers sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and skiing. Kids can snuggle in front of a fire with eggnog or cider and then get tucked in by one of Santa’s elves. Bonus: The “Family Fun for the Holidays” camp offers supervised day and evening activities for kids ages 4 to 12. Call 800-258-0330 or visit www.mountwashingtonhotel.com.

In Boston, lace up your ice skates and trace figure eights at Frog Pond at the Boston Common, America’s oldest park. Take skating lessons at the Boston Common Skating School; they make a nice holiday gift. The school offers classes for kids as young as 3, plus hockey skating lessons for your budding Gretzky. Call 617-635-2120 or visit www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org.

Keep the skating theme going and reserve the Disney on Ice Presents World of Fantasy package at The Langham, Boston hotel. The package includes accommodations for four, use of the fitness center and indoor pool, a Disney gift and four tickets to Disney on Ice’s Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Journey production (Dec. 26 to Dec. 30.) Rates begin at $199 per night. Call 800-791-7761 for more information on the package.

Three new luxury hotels enjoyed openings this weekend—the only question is: which one will you visit first?

Ski in Style at The Osprey

Have you ever fantasized about stepping outside your hotel right onto the ski lift? A new Vail ski resort, The Osprey at Beaver Creek, calls itself North America’s closest ski-in/ski-out hotel to a chairlift. Featuring luxurious amenities nestled in an alpine-chic boutique hotel setting, The Osprey’s guests can kick back and enjoy being pampered or can suit up with custom rental gear prepped by ski valets and head to the high-speed lift just 20 feet away. Plus, at the end of the day they can coast straight into the hotel’s stylish new bar, which hopes to become a hot après-ski scene thanks to its trendy tapas and custom cocktails.

A Big Island Resort

Sunning more your scene than skiing? The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel reopened this weekend with a traditional Hawaiian blessing after a two-year redesign. New amenities include a Mandara Spa, more spacious guestrooms, new restaurants and a spruced-up golf course. Although the hotel will not enjoy its official Grand Opening until March, the current soft opening is being described as a “dress rehearsal”—meaning that now is a great time to check out the buzz early. The hotel first opened in 1965 along Kauna’oa Bay on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast.

Another Wynn for Las Vegas

Legendary hotelier Steve Wynn also opened a new Las Vegas hotel today, Encore. Much like Wynn’s self-titled luxury hotel, located next door on the Las Vegas Strip, Encore will feature world-class accommodations along with a luxurious spa and top-notch shopping. New restaurants like Sinatra, which was created together with the famous singer’s family, are generating buzz, and nightclub XS will feature a poolside-oasis atmosphere.

But Encore isn’t just about VIP exclusivity: The hotel opened directly to the public today, instead of undergoing the usual red-carpet opening party. And, instead of featuring pricey headline entertainment in the new Encore Theater, family-friendly musical impressionist Danny Gans will be the venue’s first guest.