Tag Archives: tourist attraction

Go Wild at the Denver Zoo

Spanning more than 80 acres in Denver’s historic City Park and home to numerous endangered species, the Denver Zoo is itself a rare bird among animal parks. With Bear Mountain, it was the first in the nation to create a naturalistic habitat; since then it has gone on to build Predator Ridge for African wildlife, the world’s largest Komodo dragon exhibit, and various other sanctuaries for the threatened likes of Andean condors, Pallas’s cats and Bactrian camels. But there’s nothing like Mshindi—a rhinoceros who paints with a brush and whose works are on permanent display in the Pachyderm House.

The Grove: Mall-ing Cali Style

Picture 92West Hollywood’s Grove kicks the regular American mall experience’s butt. Stores vary little, but here it is all about the extras and Disney-esque outdoor shopping. Water in the main fountain dances, as made famous in the blockbuster I Love You Man, and a Green Grove Trolley drives through the mall’s cobbled walkways. It’s also always good for celeb spotting and the occasional Jonas Brothers concert. If opting for a teeny-bopper day, prepare for the included screaming girl stampede.

Big brand favorites reign at the Grove. Nordstrom and the Grove Movie Theater are central for staples like Anthropologie, Sephora, Crate & Barrel, Barnes & Noble, Apple, J Crew, Kiehls, Gap, Michael Kors, and more. Restaurants are familiar chains of upscale mall fare, like The Farm of Beverly Hills and The Cheesecake Factory, but California air and fountain entertainment majorly up the décor. Or for a little more local flavor, try LA’s famed Farmer’s Market adjacent to the Grove.

Amazing Views and Seafood at Barking Crab

If you’re visiting Boston, a must-see, albeit touristy, attraction is The Barking Crab located directly on the water in Fort Point Channel. Not your average clam shack, this casual seafood year-round hotspot boasts a funky nautical themed interior with wood burning stove. Fresh seafood is the focal point with items like Blue Point oysters Picture 12on the half shell, lobster and crab dip, steamers, shrimp cocktails and Old Bay crawfish.

In the warmer months, the restaurant opens the back deck complete with picnic tables, but closes the area in the winter. The interior section offers private tables and a small bar, but the restaurant is anything but formal. Don a lobster bib and your server will present you with a plastic bucket to deposit the shells from the gargantuan legendary and signature Neptune platter, which comes complete with a two-pound lobster and a four-pound mixed crab bowl, corn on the cob and coleslaw. The lobster ravioli here just may be the best in the city. The Boston cream pie is the perfect ending here.

Kids love to come here for the fun atmosphere and parents love the $7 kids menu, which even includes desserts for tots under eight. Check out the website at barkingcrab.com.