The itinerary: See Barcelona on the cheap
Bacelona on the cheap
Barcelona is beautiful, the food is fantastic and while you can drop a lot of money there, many of the city’s world-famous attractions are absolutely free. Don’t leave without seeing the work of architect Antoni Gaudi including the massive church La Sagrada Familia, still under construction nearly 90 years after his death. Gaudi’s strange and whimsical park, Parc Guell, is known for its undulating tiled seats and fairytale turrets. The city is also home to several Gaudi-designed apartment complexes, such as La Pedrera, and there are Gaudi lampposts on Plaza Real.
— The Associated Press
Deal: See Paris in winter
Astotel Hotels, a collection of 14 independent properties in Paris, is offering savings of up to 25 percent for stays through Jan. 19. For example, at the Hotel George Opera, two guests pay from $111 a night; a rate that includes breakfast, a one-hour river cruise, WiFi and afternoon soft drinks. The usual price starts at $149. Info: www.astotel.com/uk.
— The Washington Post
Hiking in North Carolina
One day, hikers will be able to step on a trail near one of Appalachia’s highest peaks and follow an off-road path all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. This year, North Carolina officials say they hope to make more headway on the 1,000-mile Mountains-to-Sea State Trail by commissioning a master plan, and a nonprofit group is working on a hiker’s guide. So far, 600 miles of trail have been completed. The nonprofit Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail says as many as 10 hikers per year are already completing the journey by following country roads where trails haven’t been built. http://www.ncmst.org/
— The Associated Press
Fun fact
Geysers have their own app
Yellowstone National Park fans can get a heads up on when Old Faithful and five other geysers are set to erupt thanks to a new app available for smartphones and tablets. Yellowstone has the largest concentration of active geysers in the world. The geyser app also features a link to a webcam so people can view live eruptions of Old Faithful and other nearby geysers. The National Park Service geysers app is available in the Google Play and Apple app stores.
— The Associated Press
This story was originally published December 31, 2014 at 12:46 PM with the headline "The itinerary: See Barcelona on the cheap."