photo by comicbase

For wine lovers -- and those who want to learn more about wine -- trying new producers and varietals brings never-ending enjoyment. If the choices seem daunting, however, next time you're in the market looking over the wine selections, consider holding a blind tasting.

Blind tasting wine is a good way to educate yourself about the characteristics of grape varietals and the effects that region and producer have on the final product. You can start with only two wines or several. Try comparing producers by buying a single varietal from them, e.g., which winemaker makes your preferred style of merlot? Compare regions: can you tell the difference between Santa Barbara pinot noirs and those from Carneros? What about comparing prices -- is there much difference between a seven dollar bottle of cabernet versus one that costs thirty? Or maybe you'd like to try to differentiate between wines using the same varietal of grape produced in different countries, such as a syrah made in the Rhone Valley of France compared to a shiraz made in Australia?

When comparing your anonymous wines make notes. Compare color, clarity, body, the bouquets (how they smell), mouth feel, how 'hot' the wine is (the higher the alcohol content, the 'hotter' it tastes), and your plain simple enjoyment of the wines. Obviously the more you know about the characteristics of a varietal, the better you'll be at identifying it, e.g., the cat spray smell of some sauvignon blancs, or the musty, manure-like aroma in French burgundies. Practice will sharpen your nose and your palate and you'll soon not only be able to recognize what you're tasting, but appreciate all the subtle nuances you missed when you knew exactly what wine was in your glass before you tasted it.

photo by RW Photobug

Hopefully your turkey is more attractive than this guy.

photo by Heather F

On the way to Yosemite National Park is Jamestown, and located there is the 1849 Mining Camp created and maintained by Gold Prospecting Adventures. It's a historical re-creation of a genuine gold camp and a fun opportunity for individuals and families to learn history and get their hands dirty while searching for real gold.

The objective of the camp is to provide an experience similar to that of the Great California Gold Rush. Participants learn the history of the area, how traditional gold panning equipment works, and then search for gold themselves. The camp provides several prospecting packages, ranging from two hour goldpanning and sluice box sessions to 3-5 hour expeditions in which the already panned earth is dug out to allow you to get to the 'fresh' bedrock beneath. Overnight camping packages are also available. Participants are allowed to keep all the gold they find and should reasonably expect to find some on the two hour or longer courses. For those who are caught up in the excitement of the gold rush, professional prospecting courses are available which show you how to hunt for gold with the latest technology available and how to stake your claim if you find a hotspot.

photo by Rev Dan Catt

The traditional children's game of hide and seek has been reincarnated into a worldwide quest that people of all ages can play. Geocaching requires your feet, a GPS device, and your natural curiosity to find objects that have been hidden by other people all over the world. 

Geocaching relies on a GPS unit. It's a handheld electronic device that can be purchased in outdoor and electronic stores. It can determine your location on the planet within 6-20 feet via latitude and longitude. It's most often used to pinpoint where you are (such as in emergency situations). But in geocaching you also use it to locate an object (cache) that has been hidden and whose coordinates you know. The hidden cache can be a logbook, a memento, a picture -- anything that isn't perishable or dangerous. Cache owners often hide their caches in locations that they find particularly beautiful or meaningful, wanting to share it with the searchers. Once found, the searchers either replace the cache for other searchers to find, or take it along with them to deposit somewhere else per the cache owner's request. The results of the find are then recorded on the geocaching.com website, which is where further geocache hunts can be selected.

While finding treasures via GPS seems to take some of the fun out of the hunt, you'd be surprised by how difficult it can be. The GPS doesn't lead you exactly to the cache. Often you can't reach the coordinates in a straight line: rivers, buildings, and other barriers may stand in your way. When it comes down to it, you still end up hunting around just like a pirate searching for the hidden X.

photo by Ethnocentric

If you've ever fantasized about being a performer in a production like Cirque du Soleil, you may want to consider taking a trip to Beijing and learning acrobatics from the masters.

The Beijing International Art School, formerly the Beijing Acrobatic School, is the largest secondary art school in China. The course study emphasis is on the circus arts, aka acrobatics, although you can also learn martial arts and dance. The school is a large modern facility boasting 360,000 square feet and 22 training gyms. It is open to local and international students of all skill levels. On campus housing is available or students may live off campus in Beijing City. The school suggests students undertake a minimum one year term of study but shorter summer classes are also available. Acrobatic students study six days a week and international students have the option of attending additional Chinese language classes or minoring in other subjects.

Students have the added benefit of being eligible to participate with the Circus China, the largest state circus in China. Other chances to gain valuable on-stage experience may be obtained by the joining the school's team of performers which competes in several circus festivals around the world.

photo by canadianfamily

We are confronted by numerous diet pitfalls on Thanksgiving Day. Faced with a bountiful spread that may includes starchy and fattening side dishes, pies, and given the temptation of a major NFL football game on TV, it's easy to write the day off as a caloric loss and lounge around the house. But Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a day you look on with dietary regret if you're willing to get off the couch and tie on your running shoes.

Around the country on Thanksgiving Day you will be able to find 5k races open to amateur runners, joggers, and walkers. Usually called Turkey Trots, these 3.1 mile races encourage people of all fitness levels to run or walk off the calories they'll soon ingest at the Thanksgiving bounty. Nearly all races are wheelchair and stroller friendly and open to all ages, making them ideal for families. Signups can be made online or through local sponsoring businesses all the way up to the day of the race. A T-shirt is often included in the price of the run so you can proudly proclaim that you pounded the miles while your friends napped in a tryptophan induced daze. It's aThanksgiving tradition you can be proud of.

photo by kar_jirayu

There are plenty of reasons to visit exotic Thailand, from its glittering golden temples to its wild and tasty cuisine. Here's one more incentive: when you book smartly, a portion of your trekking fee can be donated to a local charity in need.

ResponsibleTravel offers various charity treks including a 10-day adventure to Thailand's Golden Triangle region. The trek emphasizes respectful and responsible immersion in the Thai culture to get a true sense of the region. In addition to the initial hotel stays in Bangkok you will spend overnights in villages in stilt houses, bamboo long houses, and other local accommodations. You won't be separated from Thailand by the glass windows of a tour bus, you'll be down on the ground, seeing village life up close and interacting with the locals. You'll hike through lush jungles, cross streams, shop in local markets, and sample true Thai food. Stunning cave temples, pagodas, and a visit to an elephant farm are also scheduled.

The trek encourages learning about the Thai culture while causing as little environmental damage as possible. The tour company donates money through Climate Care to offset the equivalent CO2 emissions of your international flight. Best of all, approximately $300 of each trek is donated to The Pattaya Orphanage Trust.

photo by The Pink Princess

Turkish Delight, or rahat lokum, was originally made for a Turkish sultan who had grown tired of hard candy. It is a sweet, jelly-like confection that is highly addictive. Since the treat is often difficult to purchase outside of Turkey, try making your own version for the holidays.

Turkish Delight is relatively inexpensive to make and contains few ingredients. What you'll need most of is time. The candy is made in two parts. The first involves bringing sugar and water to the soft ball stage. The second requires you to constantly stir a paste of corn starch, cream of tartar, and water until it takes on a glue-like consistency. The two mixtures are combined and flavoring and food color added and then relentlessly stirred over low heat for about an hour. When the mixture turns a golden color it is then poured into a well-oiled pan and allowed to sit at room temperature. Again, more patience is required, because the jelly mixture should ideally sit for a day or two before slicing with an oiled knife. Cubes are then tossed with equal parts corn starch and powdered sugar.

Traditional flavors of Turkish Delight are rose, mint, and lemon. Lightly roasted pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts are common. But you can make your own unique version of this classic candy by trying different flavor essences or by substituting strongly flavored tea water for the usual rosewater.

photo by Foot Fun

The term yoga refers to the state when individual consciousness merges with the cosmic consciousness. To get to that mystical existence, several physical and spiritual techniques are performed. These are the forms of yoga. 

There are many routes to achieving this perfect synergy, from 'power' Ashtanga yoga that emphasizes athleticism and aerobics, to Bikram yoga performed in heated rooms, and Iyengar yoga, which incorporates props. An easy way for beginners to practice yoga is the peaceful Hatha form, which focuses on meditation, breathing, and holding the positions to maximize the stretch. 

A typical Hatha yoga class is very relaxing and slow-paced. It begins with opening mantras (gajananam), and then moves on to breathing exercises (pranayama). Control of breath is an integral part of yoga and is a skill which you can use all day every day to relieve stress. After the breathing exercises your class will shift into poses (asanas) which are performed on comfortable mats. While you may fear that you'll be asked to contort your body into extreme positions, the reality is that many yoga poses are in fact stretches you have done since you were a child in gym class. The key is exact positioning, holding the pose, and breathing through it. The poses are carefully selected to increase blood flow throughout your body, gently massage your internal organs, and relieve tension. Hatha yoga isn't intended to exhaust you, but to relieve and relax you. As you progress, you'll find yourself with better posture, more energy, and a limberness you may have thought you'd never achieve.

photo by jimg944

The most thorough way to learn a foreign language is to immerse yourself in the culture that speaks it. Not only will you pick up the slang and pronunciations specific to your region of study -- which might not be taught in a book or audio course -- it's an opportunity to learn about another lifestyle and develop a true love for the peoples with whom you will communicate.

AppleLanguages is just one of several companies that provides the means to learn Russian in its country of origin. The school is located in St. Petersburg. It will arrange shared student housing, apartments, or the chance to live with host families. You can learn Russian through the standard program of 20 lessons/week or the more intensive course which includes 5 cultural lessons. Advanced private courses are also available. Tours to various sites around St. Petersburg such as a Russian steam bath, the Hermitage Art Gallery, Yussupor Palace and other places are offered to ensure your stay in St. Petersburg is fun in addition to being informative. The option is also there to split your courses between the schools in St. Petersburg and Moscow, giving you a chance to explore the differences between the two cities.

If you're already fluent in Russian but would like to sharpen your skills, you may sign up for the school's work experience program which allows you to work in Russia in a variety of fields. Volunteer work is another way to polish your Russian.