{"id":36839,"date":"2014-12-30T23:15:53","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T15:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=36839"},"modified":"2014-12-30T20:50:42","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T12:50:42","slug":"destinations-getting-attention-for-2015-milan-cuba-queens-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/12\/30\/destinations-getting-attention-for-2015-milan-cuba-queens-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Destinations getting attention for 2015: Milan, Cuba, Queens and more"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The observatory at the 1 World Trade Center in New York is set to open its Observatory in late spring of 2015. Joe Mabel \/ Flickr<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NEW YORK \u2014 See Cuba before it changes. Check out the Expo in Milan. And if you\u2019re heading to New York City to see the view from 1 World Trade Center\u2019s observatory (scheduled to open late spring), take the subway to Queens and see if you can figure out why it topped Lonely Planet\u2019s \u201cbest in the U.S.\u201d destinations for 2015.<\/p>\n

Several major anniversaries will also be marked by a variety of events in 2015, including 70 years since the end of World War II, the 60th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland and 10 years since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.<\/p>\n

Europe<\/h6>\n

The Milan Expo opens in May for six months and is expected to draw 20 million visitors. The Expo is the modern incarnation of the old World\u2019s Fairs that thrilled 19th- and 20th-century guests with new products and technology. The theme of the Milan Expo is food and nutrition, and dozens of countries will be participating. The U.S. will be doing its part by sending six authentic food trucks to Italy featuring regional American and ethnic fusion menus. Milan\u2019s famous opera house, La Scala, normally closed in the summer, will host performances daily during the Expo.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in Europe: Jan. 1 marks the day Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency. Pilsen, in the Czech Republic \u2014 home to pilsner-style beer and a Gothic cathedral \u2014 and Mons, Belgium, known for history ranging from World War I back to the ancient Romans, have been named 2015 European Capitals of Culture. And Norway made a number of \u201cwhere to go in 2015\u201d lists, thanks to its connection to Disney\u2019s blockbuster \u201cFrozen\u201d film.<\/p>\n

Anniversaries<\/h6>\n

Singapore celebrates its golden Jubilee \u2014 50 years since independence from Great Britain. Vietnam celebrates 70 years since independence from France and 50 years since the first U.S. combat troops arrived at Da Nang, which some historians say marked the start of the Vietnam War \u2014 even though Americans had been sent to the country in prior years.<\/p>\n

A number of U.S. museums and historic sites will be hosting exhibits and events to mark 150 years since the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the end of the Civil War.<\/p>\n

The new year also marks 70 years since the end of World War II, both the defeat of Nazi Germany and the atomic bombing of Japan that ended the war in Asia. Hiroshima and Nagasaki are planning memorial services on the August anniversaries of the bombings, along with numerous arts projects and peace-themed events throughout the year.<\/p>\n

In New Orleans, Aug. 29 is 10 years since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. \u201cCome see the new New Orleans\u201d is a mantra in the tourist industry there for showcasing trendy emerging neighbourhoods and a vibrant restaurant scene.<\/p>\n

South Dakota expects crowds for the 50th Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in September and the 75th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August.<\/p>\n

Cuba<\/h6>\n

The news that the U.S. intends to normalize relations with Cuba could lead to a rush of travellers hoping to experience the island before it loses its frozen-in-time culture to an onslaught of U.S. chain stores, hotels and tourists. But don\u2019t pack your bags just yet: For the near future, the only way you can legally visit Cuba as an American citizen is to take a \u201cpeople to people\u201d cultural exchange tour licensed by the U.S. government. The tours are expensive and itineraries are limited.<\/p>\n

New York City<\/h6>\n

Two big openings take place in the Big Apple in 2015: the observatory at 1 World Trade in late spring and the new Whitney Museum of American Art in May in Manhattan\u2019s Meatpacking District near the High Line and the Hudson River.<\/p>\n

The city also got a Christmas gift from Lonely Planet, which named the borough of Queens as \u201cbest in the U.S.\u201d destination. Manhattan has been giving ground to trendy Brooklyn in recent years, but the elevation of Queens as the next big thing was a bit of a surprise. Not that New Yorkers and tourists alike don\u2019t love Queens attractions like the 1964 World\u2019s Fair grounds, the hipster beach scene in the Rockaways, Chinatown in Flushing, the Asian and Latin American ethnic mix in Jackson Heights and the emerging industrial-chic ambience of Long Island City. But the borough is not quite on tourist radars yet \u2014 though the Lonely Planet pronouncement may change that.<\/p>\n

Theme parks<\/h6>\n

Universal Studios Hollywood debuts two new attractions in 2015: Springfield, an immersive area opening in spring surrounding The Simpsons Ride, and Fast & Furious\u2014Supercharged, a thrill ride opening in summer based on the film series.<\/p>\n

Disneyland opens \u201cFrozen Fun\u201d in January in Anaheim, California, with a sing-along, \u201cOlaf\u2019s Snow Fest,\u201d and meet-and-greets with Anna and Elsa, among other attractions. The California theme park also celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, with celebration details to be revealed at the end of January. Disney World near Orlando, Florida, has several 2015 openings, including a new Italian restaurant, Trattoria al Forno; an Africa Marketplace at Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom; and at the new Disney Springs complex, three restaurants, STK, Morimoto Asia and The Boathouse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 See Cuba before it changes. Check out the Expo in Milan. And if you\u2019re heading to New …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":36840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-travel","mauthors-beth-j-harpaz","mauthors-the-associated-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}