I stumbled upon a list of “The Best Places You’ve Never Heard Of” on the travel section of MSNBC’s Web site and I thought I would share the list with you. Maybe you have heard of these places, maybe you have been to these places, maybe you need some suggestions for your next destination - whatever the case, I thought I would indulge you all with a list of hidden gems.

• Willunga, Australia - a great spot for red wines, the Willunga Farmers Market and Russell’s Pizza, this destination is an hour south of Adelaide
• Chapada Dos Veadeiros, Brazil - a 253-square-mile national park with large quartz reserves
• Graskop, South Africa - a small, artsy community about four hours from Johannesburg
• Weymouth, England - great for divers and sunseekers, a cobblestone street English town
• Purnululu National Park, Australia - also known as the “Bungle, Bungle”, great for hiking beautiful, eroded sandstone domes
• Bergerac, France - great wine, food and shopping
• Gaziantep, Turkey - applauded for its food, particularly its baklava
• Moravsky Krumlov, Czech Republic - local castle is great for sightseeing and the town has a classical, romantic feel
• Wilson, United States - located in Kansas, the state park is renowned for its biking
• Tanabe, Japan - forested, hot springs and great hiking

The article first appeared in “Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine“. Each location was selected by a world traveler and the destinations are unique and special to these people, which gives the piece an interesting perspective. The article, published in the Sept. 2008 issue, offers transportation and lodging tips as well. For more information on any of these locations, read the article here.

And, if you have been to any of the places listed above, let us know what you think about them! What destinations would you add to a list of “the best places you’ve never heard of”?

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and PR executive, eFlyer editor (GO PHILS!)

We are enjoying several days in Chicago, visiting our girls and witnessing our younger daughter’s dedication ceremony as she enters her junior year in her nursing program at Loyola University. The Affinia Hotel, just half a block off of Michigan Avenue near Watertower Place, is our home for five days and has so far proven to be very comfortable and convenient. (It’s only a couple of blocks from Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s ER, too, a fact which became known to us yesterday morning, and which may be fodder for a future blog.) Gino’s East restaurant, located right next door, provided us with a great pizza the first night we got in.

The weather has been fantastic these last two days: high 70s to low 80s, light breeze, clear skies and mild evenings. It’s hard to believe we’re in the last week of September, and judging from the number of folks out strolling the sidewalks late into the night, everyone is thrilled by this return of summer. And for some Chicagoans, their joy will be complete if only the Sox can win the division!

Yesterday afternoon was spent strolling around Lincoln Park Zoo. Being a gardener, I have to admit I got as much pleasure from the beautiful grounds as I did the animal exhibits–and they are nothing to sneer at. What made the trip even more delightful was the fact that admission is free!! Families must surely enjoy such a great outing in the midst of the city.

This evening we indulged in more Italian cuisine in Old Town at Dinotto’s Ristorante, with everyone in our party more than satisfied with the range of appetizers and entrees we ordered. From there we walked a short block to a comedy show at The Second City e.t.c. (the second troupe at SC). Campaign Supernova, or How Many Democrats Does It Take to Lose an Election? provided two hours of topical humor that had everyone in the room roaring with laughter.

 With two full days left in this visit, we’ve got plenty of other options to fill our days and nights (and stomachs! Got to squeeze in a visit to a Garrett Popcorn Shop sometime.) John Wroblewski has provided us with some great recommendations, and Chicago is also the kind of city where you can find some fabulous places to dine or visit just by getting out, strolling around and keeping your senses alert.

Hope you’ve had a great weekend, as well!

 Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Unfortunately, I had to return early from my two weeks in Europe, but while I was there, I was able to experience the old-world charms of three magnificent European cities - Budapest, Berlin and Warsaw.

I was not sure what to expect from Budapest, but was immediately impressed upon arrival. The city is absolutely beautiful. After touring the more popular sights like the Citadel, castle, Parliament, we took a cruise on the Danube. From the river we had a great view of St. Margaret’s Island and the three magnificent city bridges that connect Buda to Pest. This city is a definite must for a Europe excursion.

Next, we ventured to Berlin. We stayed at the Kempinski Bristol Berlin on the Kurfurstendamm, or Kudamm, the main shopping boulevard in the city. There is so much to see and do in Berlin - from walking along what is left of the Berlin Wall, learning about the horrors of Hitler’s Nazi regime and the oppression of the Soviet communist reign, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Tor and much more. Unfortunately, I never got around to visiting the top floor of the KaDeWe like Alex Young suggested.

And, finally, we visited Warsaw, one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited in my life. Before Warsaw, we stopped in Bydgoszcz to visit my dad’s aunt and cousin. It was a smaller city, but full of charm nonetheless. Back to Warsaw, it is truly amazing how the city was able to rebuild the Old Town back to its original splendor after it was destroyed in WWII. Other sites worth visiting include the Jewish Ghetto, the Warsaw Uprising monument and Lazienki Park.

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and PR executive, eFlyer editor

Next Thursday I am leaving on a two-week tour through Europe. My traveling companion? My dad! We plan to visit Hungary, Poland (where my grandparents grew up), Austria, Switzerland and Germany for Oktoberfest. Nothing like drinking a few beers with your dad in Germany!

I am really looking forward to the quality time with my dad. I have been very fortunate to have a close relationship with him, and this trip is something we have always wanted to do. I can’t believe the time is already here! Planning, etc. for the trip feels like just yesterday, and I can’t believe that a week from today we will be in Budapest!

Over the course of two weeks, we will be roadtripping. Landing in Budapest on September 12 via Malev Hungarian Airlines, we will spend a day there, then fly to Berlin on the 13th. After 2 days in Berlin, we are picking up a rental car and heading to Warsaw. From Warsaw to Krakow, where we will reconnect with my dad’s aunt who lives just outside the city. While in Poland, we will also visit Czestochowa and Auschwitz. Then it is off to Austria with stops in Vienna and Salzburg. Back to Germany, this time to Munich, for Oktoberfest (I hope I can keep up!). There will, of course, be stops all along the way as driving will afford us the luxury to control our own timetable. After Munich, it is a quick trip to Zurich and then back to Berlin for the return journey home. Whew, I’m getting excited, but a little tired, just thinking about it!

As a teenager, my dad and his brothers spent a few months touring Europe with his mother, and he has always wanted to take me around to the places he saw. I spent 3 months studying in London, and when I mistakenly booked a trip to Edinburgh for a month after all my friends, it was my dad to the rescue again, flying out to join me. That was a much shorter trip, but we had an awesome time, so I am definitely looking forward to this trip! At the end of my studies, my mom, dad and grandmother joined me for trips around England and Italy. After traveling solo or with strangers (who become friends over the course of the trip) so much recently, it will be great to have a trusted traveling companion. Look out for lots of stories and reviews in upcoming blogs and GT issues.

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and PR executive

As Hurricane Gustav approached the Louisiana coast, I thought back to how lucky I was to have spent several days in the beautiful city of New Orleans just a few months before Hurricane Katrina hit in August of 2005. I really enjoyed my time there and consider myself fortunate enough to have seen the great city before devastation hit.

Laurie was attending a convention for her job and I joined her for some days of relaxation. Her work days were over by mid-afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to check out the city. In the mornings, I usually roamed around on my own, basically walking a different direction every day.

We stayed about a mile away from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. This is a spectacular facility (hosting about 95 conventions a year) spanning 10.5 city blocks along the waterfront. It is not simply spacious. It is beautiful and well run.

During the mornings, I checked out the French Quarter, the SuperDome, the lakefront art area and Harrah’s Casino. It was odd to see the French Quarter early in the day, when the wild crowds were not everywhere partying.

Together, we took a couple tours; one was a tour of hauntings. I am not a real believer in the supernatural, but this was an outstanding tour. I learned the origins of “graveyard shift” and “dead ringer”. Of course, some say it is simply folklore, good for naive tourists. Either way, it sounded plausible and was interesting,

The tour also pointed out the home of New Orleans royalty, Archie and Olivia Manning. Archie was a star quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in the early years in the 70s. Despite the team being horrible, Archie was excellent and the fans still love him (and his sons Peyton and Eli, current NFL star quarterbacks).

One of the best parts of our trip was after one of the tours. We decided to walk back to the hotel. We underestimated the distance, but we got to see so many great sites. We were very tired, but it was worth it.

Laurie was determined to eat some authentic New Orleans food, eschewing our cabbie’s suggestion of Harrah’s buffet. She eventually did find some good down-home cooking. Inspired by her, I even had a bowl of turtle soup (tastes like chicken).

We had our fortune told by some hipster in the Riverwalk Marketplace. I gave him no hints and I am not a believer, but I have to say he nailed some really oddball things in my life (past and future). Again, believe or not, but it was interesting.

We jammed quite a lot into those several days, and yet it was so relaxing (the Big Easy?). We really felt we experienced New Orleans. As the events of the last few years have unfolded, I feel horrible for the citizens of New Orleans, who have gone through so much. I also look back fondly at the wonderful times I had there.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist