Learn about the Art of Counter Culture in the High Desert here.

I often take my travel privilege for granted as an American. I can hop on a Southwest flight and soak up the Santa Fe sun with the swipe of a credit card and a marginal dent in my FICO score, but in Cuba, many people save up all year just to visit the beach…. on the other side of the island.

And only now are they even allowed to vacation in their own country.

Raul Castro has lifted the ban against locals staying in hotels and frequenting its most pristine beaches.

Under Fidel’s rule, beaches and resorts were for foreigners only. How ass-backwards can a policy be? The exclusive Varadero Beach is on Cubans’ top “to-go” lists at the moment and the waterfront hotels are happy to accommodate their Cuban guests.

Even so, with an average $17/month income, most are still unlikely to be able to afford a night’s stay. And to add insult to injury, it must be paid in hard currency.

But at least its a step towards freedom. That, and the newly approved sale of cell phones and computers to citizens is if nothing else a sign that the days of Fidel’s heavy-handed regulation are coming to an end….

In most cultures, dragons are symbols of evil, doom and misfortune, but in Chinese culture, dragons are heros. They stand for happiness, immortality, procreation, fertility and activity.

Beijing International Airport’s newly opened Terminal 3 is a design tribute to these fiery beasts and the traditions of the Peking Dynasty.

Flying into Beijing in the dark is surely a feast for the eyes: the roof is red, a Chinese symbol for good luck, and the lights illuminate the dragon design against the night sky . Inside, carvings that imitate the famous Nine-Dragon Wall make for a nice art history lesson as you speed from your gate to to the underground train. A mini replica of the imperial gardens of the Summer Palace is in the works, and a massive copper vat used to store water for fire fighting in the Forbidden City is already smack dab in the middle of the terminal.

And just for fun, the ceiling is orange and changes from dark to light to show the most trafficked areas. I don’t think it has anything to do with Chinese superstitions, but it sure beats the drab gray walls and fluorescent light of most airport walkways. If you ever have trouble shaking a bit of bad luck, consider booking a flight to Beijing. Hey, it’s worth a shot…

Click  here to read my recent article on a girl’s getaway to Taos for Travelgirlinc.com.

It’s spicey!

Sometimes thinking outside the box means crawling inside it.

The Push Button House, designed by Adam Kalkin, is at first glance slightly less than impressive: nothing but a cumbersome, dirt brown metal container sucking up space in an otherwise attractive yard.

But looks can be deceiving. With the push of a button, what could easily pass for a Park Avenue living room emerges from this ugly cocoon. Filled with chandeliers, plush couches and the modern conveniences of electricity and running water, this is one lush lounge.

A collection of Push Button Houses, made from a recycled shipping containers, first appeared as installations at Miami’s 2005 Art Basel. Now these little brown pods are on their way to market.

Going a step further, and running at around $99,000, is Kalkin’s Quik House: a box kit for an entire abode.

And while the box house is conceptually quite chic, it can also do some good. Kalkin has plans to expand on this idea and make “inexpensive, quick, and environmentally sustainable” pods that can be used for displaced people around the world.

So, what can brown do for you? Apparently, a whole heck of a lot.

Lively bluegrass notes bounce off viga beams as margaritas begin to flow. Not a seat is empty. Vibrant art lines the walls as cowboys and city-folk converse in a lively manner. And for a moment, time stands still.

Welcome to the Taos Inn; one of the few places with the good grace to hold tightly to its Western heritage.
Founded on an artistic love for the New Mexico landscape and good old cowboy sensibility, the inn has been a Taos establishment since 1936, not to mention played host to the likes of D.H. Lawrence, Georgia O’Keefe and Robert Redford.

A neon thunderbird sign (the only one allowed in town) crowns a lively balance of Spanish Mission, Pueblo and Southwestern decor. But what truly makes this hotel a gem is its role as a patron of the artistic community. The Taos Society of Artists was founded here over 93 years ago, back when the hotel was a private residence. Rotating works from internationally acclaimed New Mexico artists are on constant diplay thoughout the premises.

The hotel comprises an collection of adobe homes, a cloister of former artist studios, and two pueblo-style houses. Pair these with an award-winning restaurant (Wine Spectator’s “Best of” Award nineteen years running) and a bar that hosts live music seven nights a week, and its no wonder everyone calls this place “The Living Room of Taos.”

With many hotels becoming a Disney-fied version of by-gone eras, its refreshing to see that not much at the Taos Inn has changed in over 72 years, aside from air-conditioning, wireless internet, and a killer sound system.

And frankly, would you want it any other way?

Prime Time in Taos

Click here for complete story on Powder.com that ran Jan 21. Photo courtesy Seth Bullington.