Travel Notes: Nov. 25, 2012
The workshop making wall baskets will begin at 10 a.m. A $10 donation for supplies is requested.
The Mountain Winds Trio will perform Civil War-era music at 10 a.m., and everyone can join in singing Christmas carols at 3 p.m.
Contact the Beverly Heritage Center for more information at 304-637-7424 or i...@beverlyheritagecenter.org. Visit www.beverlyheritagecenter.org or in person at 4 Court St., Beverly, WV 26253, and on Facebook.
Charlotte to Heathrow
TEMPE, Ariz. -- US Airways Group Inc. has won permission to fly from its hub in Charlotte, N.C., to London's Heathrow airport.
US Airways plans to begin the flight in March using Airbus A330s.
Right now, US Airways flies from Charlotte to London's Gatwick airport, but business travelers generally prefer Heathrow. A US Airways spokesman said the airline hasn't decided what it will do with the current Charlotte-Gatwick flight.
The new route is in addition to the Philadelphia-to-Heathrow service the airline currently offers.
Free 'cellphone lot'
IMPERIAL, Pa. -- Pittsburgh International Airport is offering free parking for folks who want to sit in their cars and wait for arriving passengers to call on cellphones to say they've arrived.
Allegheny County Airport Authority officials are hoping the plan will prevent motorists from congesting the curb near the airport's terminal or the access roads around it by driving around in circles waiting for cellphone calls from arrivals.
Drivers can now park free for an hour in the extended-term lot farthest from the terminal, and pay only $1 for a second hour of parking. After two hours, the spots will cost $8.
Lorraine Motel balcony open
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis is now open for visitors for the first time since the National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991.
The museum says visitors on Monday were able to stand on the spot where King was fatally shot on April 4, 1968.
The museum stands on the grounds of the former Lorraine Motel, where King stayed while supporting a sanitation workers strike. It includes various exhibits about the history of the civil-rights movement and allows visitors to see the room where King stayed.
The balcony will be open temporarily, likely closing around the time when renovations to the museum end in 2014.
Ski slope app
DENVER -- Skiers and snowboarders accustomed to tracking how many runs they've done will soon have access to a smartphone app to track their jumps and spins too.
Vail Resorts Inc.'s EpicMix application changed the industry in 2010 by using radio-frequency ID tags in lift tickets and passes to communicate with scanners on lifts to tally riders' vertical feet and runs.
Now the company Active Network has developed a smartphone app to count a skier or snowboarder's jumps, spins and other hill stats, such as average hang time. It works with the help of a motion sensor made by Golden, Colo.-based Mosoro that is based on Bluetooth LE technology. The app will likely come out early next year. The app will probably be free, while the sensor is around $100.
Exotic animals show
WESTON, W.Va. -- Grant Kemmerer III brings his "Wild World of Animals" traveling wildlife show to Stonewall Resort for the weekend of Dec. 7-9 for entertainment and education.
In addition to Siberian tigers and snow leopards, the weekend also will feature a variety of holiday performances by regional groups and different holiday-themed craft and culinary demonstrations.
Steve Ludwig, director of sales and marketing at the resort, said "Wild World of Animals" has had TV appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "Piers Morgan Tonight" and "Good Morning America."
Shows take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 7, and 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 8. Guests also will have the opportunity throughout the day to "meet" the animals, learn about their habitat and habits and interact with "Wild World of Animals" staff.
Holiday activities include musical performances by the Madrigal Singers of Clarksburg and Maggie Ludwig and selections from "The Nutcracker Suite" performed by the Diamond Dancers.
Resort packages, including tickets for "Wild World of Animals" and overnight lodging on Dec. 7 or 8, start at $89. Additional tickets can be added for $10 per ticket.
On the weekends of Nov. 30-Dec. 2, Dec. 14-16 and Dec. 21-23, guests will enjoy musical performances by regional children's choirs and the Glenville State College Bluegrass Band, a variety of holiday-themed culinary demonstrations and craft workshops and evening fireside storytelling and a Sunday brunch with Santa from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday through Christmas.
For additional information, or to make reservations, contact Stonewall Resort at 304-269-7400 or visit www.stonewallresort.com.
Dinner sampler
RONCEVERTE, W.Va. -- Greenbrier Valley Dinner Samplers will take place at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Edgarton Inn B&B.
The fundraiser for the Ronceverte Public Library will feature a one-of-kind meal by Chef Reed VanDenBerghe. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at the library, 712 W. Main St., Ronceverte, or by calling 304-647-7400.
Columbus Zoo for kids
DUBLIN, Ohio -- The Dublin Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering a "Kids Go Free -- Columbus Zoo Wildlights Getaway" package that includes free kids admission to the Columbus Zoo, free kids meals at several Dublin-area restaurants and an overnight stay at a choice of six Dublin hotels.
Visitors can book the package by visiting www.irishisanattitude.com. The package is available through Jan.1.
Many of Dublin's hotels offer free breakfast and complimentary shuttle to the Columbus Zoo. Among the attractions featured at the 24th year of the Columbus Zoo's Wildlights display is the new animated holiday light show featuring new songs, new elements with the return of the 24-foot diameter globe as the centerpiece.
For more information, visitors may call the Dublin Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-245-8387.
Old-fashioned Christmas
BEVERLY, W.Va. -- The historic Randolph County town of Beverly will celebrate its annual "Old Fashioned Christmas" Dec. 1.
Festivities offered will include the Beverly Presbyterian Church Bazaar and lunch and holiday specials and sales at local businesses. Victorian Santa and caroling will add to the holiday atmosphere. Leslie Gordon will lead a basket weaving workshop for homemade holiday gift-giving at the Beverly Heritage Center.
The church will serve homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts and sell holiday gift baskets and baked goods from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The workshop making wall baskets will begin at 10 a.m. A $10 donation for supplies is requested.
The Mountain Winds Trio will perform Civil War-era music at 10 a.m., and everyone can join in singing Christmas carols at 3 p.m.
Contact the Beverly Heritage Center for more information at 304-637-7424 or i...@beverlyheritagecenter.org. Visit www.beverlyheritagecenter.org or in person at 4 Court St., Beverly, WV 26253, and on Facebook.
Charlotte to Heathrow
TEMPE, Ariz. -- US Airways Group Inc. has won permission to fly from its hub in Charlotte, N.C., to London's Heathrow airport.
US Airways plans to begin the flight in March using Airbus A330s.
Right now, US Airways flies from Charlotte to London's Gatwick airport, but business travelers generally prefer Heathrow. A US Airways spokesman said the airline hasn't decided what it will do with the current Charlotte-Gatwick flight.
The new route is in addition to the Philadelphia-to-Heathrow service the airline currently offers.
Free 'cellphone lot'
IMPERIAL, Pa. -- Pittsburgh International Airport is offering free parking for folks who want to sit in their cars and wait for arriving passengers to call on cellphones to say they've arrived.
Allegheny County Airport Authority officials are hoping the plan will prevent motorists from congesting the curb near the airport's terminal or the access roads around it by driving around in circles waiting for cellphone calls from arrivals.
Drivers can now park free for an hour in the extended-term lot farthest from the terminal, and pay only $1 for a second hour of parking. After two hours, the spots will cost $8.
Lorraine Motel balcony open
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis is now open for visitors for the first time since the National Civil Rights Museum opened in 1991.
The museum says visitors on Monday were able to stand on the spot where King was fatally shot on April 4, 1968.
The museum stands on the grounds of the former Lorraine Motel, where King stayed while supporting a sanitation workers strike. It includes various exhibits about the history of the civil-rights movement and allows visitors to see the room where King stayed.
The balcony will be open temporarily, likely closing around the time when renovations to the museum end in 2014.
Ski slope app
DENVER -- Skiers and snowboarders accustomed to tracking how many runs they've done will soon have access to a smartphone app to track their jumps and spins too.
Vail Resorts Inc.'s EpicMix application changed the industry in 2010 by using radio-frequency ID tags in lift tickets and passes to communicate with scanners on lifts to tally riders' vertical feet and runs.
Now the company Active Network has developed a smartphone app to count a skier or snowboarder's jumps, spins and other hill stats, such as average hang time. It works with the help of a motion sensor made by Golden, Colo.-based Mosoro that is based on Bluetooth LE technology. The app will likely come out early next year. The app will probably be free, while the sensor is around $100.
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