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Orlando has several factors that make it a convenient destination for a quick grown-up getaway: Great airlift from most major East Coast and Midwest gateways (with flights of one-to-three hours and round-trips as low as $169); a moderate climate (with the exception of June to September when temperatures and humidity soar); and several resort complexes that are located amid abundant nature, such as on Shingle Creek (shown above; courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes), and outside of the theme parks, but close enough to allow easy access if you so choose. Here are my suggestions for two exceptional places to stay to enjoy a romantic getaway in Orlando ” (via today.msnbc.msn.com ) by Donna Heiderstadt

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This story, Orlando for Grown Ups — Part I, originally appeared on ShermansTravel.com.

This absurd stunt was his idea. Jack is a foodie’s foodie, possessed of boundless appetites and an ironclad liver. He has 2,987 Chowhound posts. He reads Menupages in bed. But this is too big a task for one, so he’s coaxed you along as his wingman. Together you will devour the daylights out of the culinary candyland that is Las Vegas, Nevada.

There is ground to cover. Vegas is no longer defined by splashy casino-side restaurants, though there are still plenty of those. For food lovers the parameters have expanded tenfold: to off-Strip ramen joints, far-flung suburban pizzerias, chef’s haunts in Chinatown mini-malls.

You have packed Excedrin, Maalox, Lipitor.

Jack slides behind the wheel of the rental car. You take a deep breath and open the passenger door.” (via travelandleisure.com ) by Peter Jon Lindberg

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“We couldn’t believe it when we pulled up. Where was the hotel in the photos?” Travelor27 wrote in a review titled “Website Photos VERY Misleading” and posted last month on TripAdvisor.com.

All travelers have been there at one point or another, because it’s hard not to fall in love with the gorgeous marketing photos that hotels use to entice guests. Who can resist swaying palm trees, pristine beaches and luxury decor?

But buyer beware: That resort advertising itself as an oasis of peace may turn out to be next to a noisy construction site.

Welcome to the art of the hotel photo fakeout, where careful framing, zooming and cropping can turn a property into paradise — or at least a place where you’d definitely consider booking a room.

Here are some other common tactics hotels use to entice you with pictures:

Taking a photo from a certain angle

This is often done so that you won’t see a building looming over the pool or the beach.

Getting dressed up for picture day

Accessories can make an ordinary hotel room look extra cozy or opulent, so you might see lots of special touches in a photo that won’t materialize when you get there.

Sexy lady phenomenon

Resort marketing materials will often show an attractive woman surveying an invitingly empty pool.

“The reality is, the pool will be covered with screaming kids or there’s a raucous pool party going on, but what they want you to think is that it’s completely empty except for this one woman who is always very sexy,” Garfinkel said. “Marketers for hotels absolutely love this.” ” (via .cnn.com ) by A. Pawlowski, CNN

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Picture of  Kristin Cavallari  from imnotobsessed.com

Ventura is asking a federal judge in Minnesota to issue an injunction ordering officials to stop subjecting him to “warrantless and suspicionless” scans and body searches.

The lawsuit, which also names Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and TSA Administrator John Pistole as defendants, argues the searches are “unwarranted and unreasonable intrusions on Governor Ventura’s personal privacy and dignity and are a justifiable cause for him to be concerned for his personal health and well-being.”

The lawsuit said the pat-down “exposed him to humiliation and degradation through unwanted touching, gripping and rubbing of the intimate areas of his body.” ” (via msnbc.msn.com ) by AMY FORLITI

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APONIENTE - EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARíA, Spain

In the exclusive world of America’s and Europe’s top chefs, Ángel León has been getting some hard-won respect. His 22-seat restaurant, Aponiente, which opened in 2005 in a small port village in southern Spain, specializes in sustainable seafood; it was awarded a Michelin star last year. Mr. León, 33, is an insatiably inventive and curious chef who is always trying to invent techniques with traditional products — using unusual (to say the least) ingredients like fish eyeballs (as a sauce thickener) and plankton.

BENU - SAN FRANCISCO

Not long after Corey Lee, Thomas Keller’s wunderkind chef de cuisine at the French Laundry, left to open his own place, San Francisco’s food critics were waiting hungrily for the debut of Benu, which finally opened in August. Despite the high-altitude expectations and prices (the 12-course menu is $160), the response has been impressive. Michael Bauer, food critic at The San Francisco Chronicle, recently awarded the chef three and a half stars and noted a “beautifully crafted menu that looks eastward for inspiration.”

DINNER BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL - LONDON

The highly respected British chef Heston Blumenthal, winner of three Michelin stars at his Fat Duck restaurant, has been researching British recipes that date as far back as the 14th century. They will serve as inspiration for his new, much anticipated outpost, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which is scheduled to open in London’s Mandarin Oriental hotel at the end of this month. While dining on dishes like hay-smoked mackerel with a lemon salad and gentleman’s relish, guests will be able to see into the kitchen through a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and watch its modern stainless steel pulley system, modeled on a 16th-century design for the Royal British Court’s kitchens.

M. WELLS - LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.

If there happens to be an uptick in passengers on the 7 train to Queens, it might be thanks to the word-of-mouth engendered by this retrofitted diner, overseen by Hugue Dufour, formerly chef at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, and his wife, Sarah Obraitis. When it opened in July, M. Wells served only breakfast; it is now open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the intention of opening for dinner once a liquor license is obtained. For now, the menu is a glutinous celebration of Montreal and American dishes and ingredients like pickled pig’s tongue, escargots and bone marrow, and a much-loved breakfast sandwich.  ” (via  nytimes.com) by GISELA WILLIAMS

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