(This is an article written by correspondent-to-The-Trend-Curve, John Currie. With his numerous trips to France each year and a connoisseur’s love of art, good food, and high culture, we were delighted to receive this fabulous overview of this amazing city…from John’s perspective. ~Trend Staff)
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO:
1. Musée D’Orsay: home of an incredible Impressionist collection plus other great art (go up on the roof, off of the restaurant, for another great view of the city)
2. Musée Picasso: incredible collection of Picasso’s work covering his entire life plus special featured collections/exhibitions
3. Sunday afternoon Organ recital at Notre Dame (around 5:30pm)
4. Top of Tour Eiffel: yeah, it’s touristy, but on a good day or night, the view is amazing
5. The Catacombs: Almost no one goes but it’s a hoot; damp caverns under the city filled with millions of disinterred and reinterred bones in attractive patterns(!)
6. Walk the Champs Elysées at night; it’s beautiful, brilliantly lit and full of life
7. Eat at least one three-star meal; it’s terribly expensive but part of the unique culinary heritage of France and the tastiest memory you’ll ever have to savor.
8. Street & Flea Markets: the Puces des Clignacourt on the weekends for a maze filled with art, antiques, collectables, junk; paper, green and misc. markets occur all over the city including paper markets, flower & plant markets, pet markets
9. Sample the boutiques: the most beautiful food stores in the world (Hediard, le Grand Epicerie de Paris), the most famous couture houses in the world, tiny specialty shops
10. Walk, walk, walk: it’s a walking city filled with great architecture, wide streets, narrow alleys, fragrant aromas, and tons of French people, and it’s generally very safe. Take the Metro to a stop you’ve never seen and walk back. Walk le Marais at night to see the young and hip and visit hot night spots; walk along the quais by the Seine below street level; wander from the Louvre to the Opera Garnier; tour the Luxembourg gardens and rest in the Court Carée at the Louvre at night; explore, discover, delight!
John Currie is a fine and commercial artist, sculptor and plein aire painter as well as working as a designer and illustrator.
MUSEUMS:
Musée D’Orsay: if you can only see one, this is it. It’s a beautiful space, well laid-out, but it’s the collection that is the most compelling. The highlight is the Impressionist collection culled from many of the other museums.
L’Orangerie: Reopened in 2006 after 5 years of renovations, this is one of the premier art experiences extant. Two very large oval rooms, lit only by filtered sunlight, where you can stand and walk while surrounded on four sides by Monet’s triumphant Water Lilies, one suite of canvases per salon. You will be quietly, reflectively, delightfully overwhelmed. The collection of other artists paintings in a separate set of galleries is also outstanding; one friend of mine prefers these to those found at Musée D’Orsay.
Musée Picasso: Don’t go if you don’t like his work because that’s all it has. It’s an amazing compendium demonstrating his entire lifetime’s work. It shows us how he lived his entire life creating art, trying new things, exploring new ideas and techniques up until his death. The first time I went, I was overwhelmed by his talent, dedication and zealous pursuit of the new. Like him or hate him, he is one of the greatest and most focused artists ever. It also is tucked back a bit and so delivers a delightful walk.
Marmottan: Small, tucked on the west side and largely unheralded, notable for it’s collection of Monet’s collection of other artist’s work.
The Louvre: Massive, famous, overwhelming if you try to take it all in too quickly. Surf it for famous works (Mona Lisa, Winged Victory) or stroll it to be totally immersed in acres of art. This is THE place most visitors go and certainly the most famous museum in the world. It is also not on my list of favorites. Too much, too crowded together in an enormous space that NASA could use. LOTS of old paintings. If you like classic, romantic, Renaissance, story paintings, then go like the wind. If not…Do what some do: see Mona, Winged Vistory, and leave. There are nice shops and sometimes, temporary exhibitions in the carousel space below. Be sure to visit the foundations of the original palace deep below in the basement; it’s simple, fabulously quiet, and a wonderful respite from a harried day in the galleries. It is one of my favorite spots in the city. The sculpture garden just west of the main courtyard features nearly two dozen bronze and lead figurative sculptures by one of my favorite sculptors, Aristide Maillol. And heck, you can explore it for free!
Musée de Louvre
Musée Rodin: home of a great collection of the sculptor’s work including the Thinker and the Burghers of Calais. You also will find works by his partner and too-often overshadowed fellow sculptor. Camille Claudel. A temporary exhibition space hosts special shows throughout the year.
Les Invalides: Napoleon’s body rests here inside of a great stone vault. The French Army Museum is also nearby which is particularly interesting if classic European history appeals to you. Their rooms dedicated to WW II were opened a few years back as part of a remodel and they offer a splendid glimpse at this conflict and France’s military role in it as well.
The Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou
Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou: the famous “colored-pipes-on-the-outside” museum, recently refurbished and reopened and the home of a large collection of modern art, is in the Beaubourg {boh-boor’} district of Paris. The view from the top of the escalator is one of the best in Paris.
Musée de Quai Branly: Fabulous museum of ethnic art overlooking the Seine, near Tour Eiffel. One of the newest museums in Paris and both amazing architectural compendium of its organice interior spaces and its dynamic exterior—its four main facades are each unique from the others, the highlight of which is the growing, green wall. It was designed designed by Jean Nouvel, architect of the new Guthrie Theatre complex in Minneapolis. A new favorite.
Contemporary Art Museum: not the same as Beauborg and less visited; combine the two if you love modern art
Musé e de l’Armée: The French Army Museum. I am a military buff and a WW II enthusiast especially. The y opened an entirely new WW II Section a few years back and it is quite impressive. Information is accessible, the displays contemporary and the history, profound.
There are dozens more; these are the highlights and probably the most famous.
FAVORITE SPOTS
Les Bouquinistes: the little stalls along the Seine where old books, art, cards, art reproductions and odd bits and pieces have been sold forever
Les Bouquinistes along the Seine
Musée du Monde Arab: go to see the collection if you want, but be sure to see the building and its thousands of automatically operated lenses that open and close in response to sunlight like a myriad of camera lenses.
Saint Germain & Saint Michel: bohemian, arty, home of several of the universities and therefore a great view of the youth of Paris. Stop in the bookshops (everywhere) especially for les bandes desinées, the very grown up comic books and novels that the French consume like French fries.
Montparnasse: an artists and creative enclave filled with movie theatres, restaurants, and bars habited by everyone from Simone de Bouvoir to Hemingway to Currie…the cemetery there is a wonderful stroll
Walk from the Louvre to the Opera Garnier: a wonderful stroll past theatres, grand hotels, sidewalk cafes and brasseries; endless sidestreets to provide even more distractions
Opera Garnier: take a tour of this stunning icon or see a concert, opera or dance recital. Musée d’Orsay has incredible cutaway models of the opera as well as the architects drawings (at least, the ones that aren’t here in Minneapolis where most of them exist!).
FOOD & RESTAURANTS
These are all places I have visited and recommend; before you go, pick up a copy of the Paris Zagat Guide if you’re only going to get one; others recommended are Michelin, Gault-Millau, Time Out Guide to Paris Restaurants or Best Restaurants in Paris for additional references.
Unless otherwise indicated, reservations are either highly recommended or absolutely essential. Expect English fluency and sometimes English-language menus in the better restaurants.
MICHELIN THREE STAR:
Arpège: the most distinctive meal I had in Paris; inventive, unexpected, extraordinary. Sophisticated contemporary setting, very hushed and formal.
Taillevent: the best dining experience that I have ever had anywhere. Small, classically decorated in beautiful woods. Classic French cuisine with a few twists, extraordinary service and famous for being the most popular spot with Americans who have great taste and deep pockets.
Guy Savoy: nouvelle cuisine featuring seafood in a subdued, contemporary setting. More lively than Arpège but still very sophisticated. Colorful, even whimsical plate presentations complement the new tastes of France. Fabulous food.
Pierre Gagnaire: recommended on the basis of friends with whom I’ve eaten with at the other 3 star restaurants––some say, it’s even better than the rest.
(For all of these restaurants, expect to pay $150-250.00 for dinner; lunches can be less expensive).
TASTY BUT LESS COSTLY AND FORMAL RESTAURANTS:
Laurent: a Paris classic under new management in a park right in the heart of the Champs Elysées. Classic French cuisine in a formal, traditional setting of gold and brocade. Fabulous food (expect to pay $125-200.00 for dinner; lunch less expensive)
Spoon: the newest from Alain Ducasse featuring a hip collection of ethnic-influenced foods, especially Asian, as well as American and updated French classics in a cool, small, contemporary setting. Recommend as a lunch spot, too ($45-90. at lunch, up to $125 at dinner)
Cafe les Bouquinistes: a personal favorite for delicious, updated cuisine in a contemporary, intimate setting. Small menu, less expensive, often incredible and close to Saint Michel & Saint Germain ($60-100.) For great food, perhaps my recommendation as best value. NOTE: I ate here in late 2010—perhaps my 5th visit—and I was a bit disappointed. So a soupçon of caution. The always limited menu was not compelling and the price paid and food received was less than impressive. I will probably return but with wariness vs. my past enthusiasm.
Bofinger: the original Paris brasserie (beer, sausage and sauerkraut are always found in a true brasserie) as well as game, seasonal fare, and French classics. Insist on a table downstairs, preferably under the beautiful stained glass dome ($70.-150.)
Le Coupole: the classic French bistro done on an enormous scale, the hangout of artists writers and the generally cool for a hundred years. Open late, dancing until the wee hours downstairs, noisy, bustling, a great place to see and be seen.
Le Dome: down the street from le Coupole, another “round-named” restaurant, but this one famous for seafood. Smaller, more romantic and formal than Coupole, a charming traditional spot with a wide selection of fresh sea fare ($70.-150.)
Le Rotonde: and yet another roundy spot, here with a combination of seafood and traditional dishes. More relaxed but still very nice, fine without a tie ($60.-125.)
l’Amuse Bouche: tiny, charming, like eating in a French Auntie’s home. Delicious food, very traditional, surprisingly varied cheese course and less expensive than it could be.
Fouquet’s: a Paris landmark, recently redecorated and reopened at the top of the Champs. Traditional food, somewhat formal, reliable if not inspiring, but the location is great.
Blue Elephant: fabulous Thai food in a lush indoor garden setting.
le Fumoir: if you need a place that looks like New York and you want a great cigar, this is the place (but you still gotta speak French). A hip newish spot as well.
Note: If you like fresh oysters and shellfish, you’ll find them all over the city. If you don’t, too bad.
MODERATE PRICE RESTAURANTS
INEXPENSIVE/CASUAL:
A new favorite: A la Biche au Bois (45 Ave Ledru-Rollin 75012). Small, crowded, noisy, WONDERFUL traditional French neighborhood restaurant. Very few Americans, fewer tourists, and great, hearty traditional French Fare. The owner/chef speaks perfect English and is quite hospitable if you leave your American arrogance outside. You will eat and drink like a true Parisian.
And a second new favorite: Claude Sainlouis (27, rue du Dragon 75006). A bit bigger than A la Biche au Bois, a traditional French neighborhood restaurant with a delightful patina. It feels like it must have 80 years ago. Dark, woody and cozy. Very few Americans, fewer tourists, and great, hearty traditional French Fare and a substantial, affordable wine list. Some of the servers speak English and are very welcoming if you leave your American arrogance outside. This is the real Paris on a plate.
Leon de Bruxelles: the home of over a dozen presentations of fresh mussels and all the frites you can eat. Don’t like mussels? Don’t go.
l’Entrecote: steak & frites, my favorite for same at a moderate price.
Bistro Romain: classic cafe fare with all-you-can-eat carpaccios of salmon and beef and chocolate and all-you-can-eat mousse (!). I’ve had very nice duck breast here.
Hippopotamus: think of it as the Chili’s of Paris (there WAS a Chili’s in Paris, but it closed). Steak frites are the staple here but sandwiches, fish and poultry are also on the menu. Usually open very late, always busy, reliable if uninspiring, but a perfectly reasonable place for a casual meal before or after a movie.
le Sandwich Grec: this isn’t a restaurant but a kind of food; think of it as the best Gyros you’ve ever tasted. Freshly rotisseried slices of lamb in a baguette, pita, or flat Arab bread as well as salad, tomatoes, onions, yogurt and pepper sauces and stuffed with fries if you want. Grab one and a Coke for under $7.00 all over Saint Michel, parts of Saint Germain and occasionally in other parts of the city. My absolute favorite is on Rue d’Odessa in Montparnasse, the Manhattan. This is simply my favorite cheap food and street food in the city, if not the world. Honest.
le Pain Quotidean: killer brunch served family style at small or communal tables. Very casual. Great for Saturday or Sunday morning (check to make sure they are open on weekdays)
Angelina: the lovely place for tea but a favorite because they serve the world’s best cup of hot chocolate. I jive you not. L’Africaine is the thickest, richest cocoa in the known universe, served in china and silver and accompanied by fine pastries. This is absolutely one of my favorite places but refuse to sit upstairs; it’s better to miss it than get stuck up in that colorless, cramped hell.
OVERRATED RESTAURANTS/DON’T BOTHER
Chez Clement: (except perhaps for the fresh mollusks and shellfish)
Deux Magots: (only for tourists)
Mustang and Indiana: (both really crummy Tex Mex)
McDonald’s: oh, please
HOTELS
All of my hotel picks are very simple. If you want romantic or charming, look elsewhere. I go to Paris to be outside of my hotel.
HOTEL CELTIC*
15, rue d’Odessa
75014 Paris
01.43.20.93.53 (from US: 011.33.1.43.20.93.53)
Fax 01.43.20.66.07 (from US: 011.33.1.43.20.66.07)
It’s in Montparnasse, deep in the left bank in southern central Paris, half a block from the Rue d’Odessa exit from the Montparnasse metro stop. Six story walk up, no elevator. Generally, only French is spoken here. Very nice management, very inexpensive; a room with a full size bed (a gran lit) and shower is around $75./night. Toilets are available in some rooms or down the hall for most. If you don’t otherwise specify, your room will not have a shower or bath; they’re down the hall as well (but rooms w/o shower, bath and/or toilet are also cheaper). This hotel is a little dinge-y and tired but clean and quite convenient for Metro access, and has lots of movie theaters and restaurants very close by. In the summer, NO AC, so be warned. This used to be my personal favorite, a small near-dive with a friendly staff and rooms that used to be $20. For a romantic stay, a clean freak or someone who cannot handle stairs: stay away. I’ve pretty much moved across the street to the Berkeley for newer, nicer and an elevator…
HOTEL BERKELEY ***
2, Rue d’Odessa
75014 Paris
01.43.22.25.37 (from US: 011.33.1.43.22.25.37)
Fax 01.43.22.13.70 (from US: 011.33.1.43.22.13.70)
BERKELEY.HOTEL@wanadoo.fr
The same street as the Celtic and kitty corner to the metro stop ( a bit closer). It’s more modern, a little brighter, has an elevator (tho’ the smallest one you’ll ever see), and the staff usually speaks some English. In the summer, NO AC, so be warned. A full size bed with shower and toilet will run around $105.00 –15.00. For a regular tourist who speaks little French, I’d recommend this hotel over the Celtic.
TIMHOTEL GAITE MONTPARNASSE ***
8, Rue d’Odessa
75014 Paris
01.43.20.61.22 (from US: 011.33.1.43.20.61.22)
Fax 01.43.21.52.62 (from US: 011.33.1.43.21.52.62)
The same street, between the Celtic and the Berkeley, and just up from the metro stop . It’s more modern, a little brighter, has an elevator, and the staff usually speaks some English. In the summer, it has AC, so my moderately priced summer choice in Montparnasse. A full size bed with shower and toilet will run around $135.-165.00.
It has a nicer breakfast than the other two, and is pleasant but not otherwise better than the Berkeley. In the summer, though, the AC is worth the upcharge over the others. I promise. 95 degrees at 1:30 am does not a good night’s sleep make.
When you look at hotels, keep in mind that stars in France are assigned by the government and refer to features and amenities, not quality, cleanliness or service per se. * is the most simple, ***** the most feature-laden. In the case of these two hotels, the differences are elevator, e-mail, more modern toilet/bath facilities.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Slow down. In the U.S., we are obsessed about the destination and overlook the pleasures of the journey. Too often, meals are fuel stops and shopping is a chore with which to be dispatched. Take time to live your days in France the way the French do, with an appreciation for the bits and pieces, the turns and paths along the way. You’ll find that rather than going to the supermarché to buy all of your groceries is not nearly the adventure of going to the bakery, the pastry shop, the cheesemonger, the butcher, nor deliver anything like the quality you will find in the specialist shops. Sadly, supermarkets and fast food outlets are gradually killing off the true French shops, but they are still enough to provide you with more than a dash of delight.
Metro: Paris has a killer metro system. It’s inexpensive, goes everywhere (unlike New York, which basically only runs north & south) and is open from 5:30 am until 12:50pm. Buy a carnet (car-nay), a pack of 10 tickets instead of individual ones or a carte orange (cart oran-jyuh) for unlimited trips Sunday through Saturday or a multi-day pass. Maps are easy to follow; stops are near everything & everyplace.
Paris Metro's Line 5 crosses the Seine on the Austerlitz viaduct.
l’Indispensible: a guide to all of the arrondisements, block by block, street by street. Pocket size (bigger ones are available with more info but you want one of the little guys)This will let you find anyplace in the city. You’ll find these at all bookstores, the airport Tabacs and at many newsstands in Paris. Big bookstores or FNAC will have multiple versions (varying in page and map size and additional details) from which to choose.
Closed Sunday: Almost everything. No stores, post offices, government buildings will be open. Many of the best restaurants will be closed (victims of the 35-hour work week). A great day for strolling and visiting museums and ducking into one of the 100+ movie screens in the city. Unless the latter are on strike, every one of which I am aware is open on Sundays.
Entertainment Guides: Pariscope or le Spectacle, weekly guides, published every Wednesday, sold for about a euro and listing every movie, concert, museum, art activity, nightclub and etc. in Paris as well as the environs. About the size of Reader’s Digest and the easiest way to find out what’s going on, where & when.
Phones:
- Phone Cards: you’re gonna need one if you need to use a phone. Try to buy one with a chip versus the call-in-a-code-number kind which are becoming more common. To use a public pay phone in France, you’ll need one of their cards or a pre-paid LD card from the US. I travel with both. And a cell phone. But then, I’m like that.
- Cell phones: Most US phones will not work in France or Europe. You need to have global GSM capability. Phones can be rented and picked up in the US prior to travel.
- I recommend Telestial.com, but call and speak with someone rather than just using the website. Best prices, excellent customer service,and gosh, it’s handy—albeit a little spendy—to have a phone.
- If your cell phone DOES work in France, great, but WATCH OUT FOR HORRENDOUS TEXT MSG BILLS! Call your cell service before you go if you want to use your GSM phone in Europe. And don’t wait until you are there to do it; trust me. If you fail to do this, you might equal the $7000.00+ text bill that one person wracked up recently.
- Pre-paid Long Distance Card: from companies like IDT (my fave). A lot of dialing to place a call, but MUCH cheaper than calls to the US—and even around Europe—than regular French phone cards. You to call a toll-free number while in France that routes you back to the States, then dial an account number, security code and the number you wan to call. Good finger exercise.
Tabacs: little cigarette shops with phone cards and stamps as well as other odds and ends. You will always see a unique hexagonal sign outside of every one so they are easy to spot. And there are hundreds in Paris.
US Embassy: you won’t need it, but it’s nice to know it’s there, close to Place Concorde. Find it on your map and then forget about it.
WH Smith & Brentano’s: English language bookstores, the first on Rue de Rivoli near the Louvre and the second close to Opera Garnier. Travel guides, magazines, plus current books in case you need something to read on the way home.
Taxis: costs about average for a big city but lots more than the metro. Don’t plan on finding one late weekend nights or if the weather is crummy; there seem to be far fewer than in New York. I have waited hours on weekend nights without ever seeing an available cab.
Buses: I’ve never gotten into the habit but Parisian friends swear by them, and you have the advantage over the metro in that you get to see the city as you go. There are the Noctambus, night buses, which run all night along selected routes, so there is something of an option after 1:00am for getting around town (and you’ll get to be really close to Parisians).
CDG Airport Transportation: you can get back and forth via the train, Air France buses, taxis, and door-to-door shuttles. If you have a lot of luggage, the taxi will be the most convenient; train is the least expensive but you’ll probably combine it with a ride on the metro, so plan on going up and down several staircases with your bags; Air France buses are a bit more expensive than the train and the slowest mode with very limited stops from which you’ll have to catch a metro, cab or hike to your hotel––it’s a good option if you’re not in a hurry and your destination is close to the bus stop. There are shuttle service vans as well which must be arranged ahead of time. Check the Internet.
Free/inexpensive bike rentals: Paris popularized the free/cheap bike rental service, called Vélib. Check out their web site for details (www.velib.paris.fr).
Shopping; There are good deals to be had BUT the rate is not great BUT better than it’s been in while: 1 euro = $1.35 as of January 2011. The best buys are uniquely French items, especially if you can combine it with VAT refund of 12-13% for many purchases (there are restrictions, basically that you have to spend the equivalent of 175 euros in a single store in order to qualify for the refund; check your guidebook or a store for more details).
Consider obtaining your Euros *before* you go. Saves hassle and is only marginally more expensive than exchanging your satchel full of cash upon arrival.
Currency Exchange: Everyone has their preferences for where to exchange your money; I like the American Express office near Opera Garnier, getting cash from CitiBank via FedEx before you leave the States, or best of all, getting French cash from cash machines that are all over Paris and cropping up more and more all over France. There is no commission, the rate is as good as you can get and better than any exchange bureau. Check with your bankcard or charge card issuer to make sure yours will work.
Lunchtime: Two important things: first, most smaller shops are closed roughly between 12:00 noon and 2:00pm for lunch (larger department stores don’t follow this tradition) as are some museums and historical sites; second, if you don’t eat by 2:00pm, don’t plan on having anything special for lunch. Most better restaurants are closed between 2:00pm and 7:00pm.
Dinner: if you want to stand out as an American, eat between 6:00 and 8:30pm. Most Parisians eat dinner from 9:00pm on, certainly at the better restaurants. As in the States, better restaurants will get booked early, and the best often weeks in advance, so think ahead. Keep in mind that many of the best restaurants are not open at all on Sundays due to an odd side effect of the 35-hour work week.
Movies: Paris has more screens than Cher has outfits. Over 100 theatres and 300 films in any given week. New, old, American, French, and every international flavored film on the planet. Movies listed as V.O. are version originale––in their original language, with French sub-titles (sous titres) if that original language isn’t French. Movies listed as V.F. are dubbed into French, no matter the country of origin.
Guide books: There are two that I love, Access Paris and the Dorling Kindersley Travel Guide Paris. Either one will help make the city more accessible. Streetwise Paris is a great, durable folding map that is a helpful pocket reference, too. All are available at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other book and travel stores. There are several Smart Phone apps now for touring Paris, including one for the Metro that I recommend.
There are now lots of websites with France and Paris travel info, so surf before you go. Current concert and exhibition schedules are only some of the things you’ll find, sometimes with provision to buy tickets while still in the US.
Cleanliness is being prepared: Bring your own washcloth if you like using one; you’ll rarely find one in your hotel unless you’re spending the big bucks. And carrying toilet paper with you or at least a packet of tissues is sound advice; public toilets are often lacking it. Otherwise, carry a cheap paperback book…And a bottle of waterless antibacterial hand cleaner will come in handy more than once.
Panorama of Paris which shows some of its landmarks.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU
- Be polite
- Always say hello; always. When you enter a store, a restaurant, talk to a gendarme, buy stamps, ask for directions–say bonjour (bohn-zyour, daytime) or bon soir (bohn swah, evenings). And say please–s’ils vous plait (see voo play). Those two things will open almost every door; ignore them and expect to be equally ignored
- Say thanks—merci (mair-cee)–or goodbye–au revoir (aw ‘vwah)–whenever you leave or complete a conversation, and preferably, say both. The French simply expect and respond to politeness and are affronted when confronted with its absence
- The single biggest mistake Americans make in France is forgetting to be polite. We are guests, no matter how much money we may be willing to spread around, and so a dash of humility and a measure of respect will make the taste of every day infinitely more enjoyable. Oddly enough, if you smile too much they may think you a bit daft, but as my mother taught me to always smile, I still smile and say “hello” to people on the street––it is a habit hard to break. They may think I am a bit simple, but then, so do many of my friends
- A patient manner and sincere politeness will get you through even when you don’t speak the language. Speak French and come on like a bull and you’ll only meet people who won’t speak English, no matter how well they know it.
I love Paris and France and I hope that you find it half as wonderful as I do! Grab a guidebook or two, search the web for deals and info, and have a fabulous time!