Saturday, January 7, 2012

Washington, D.C. leads U.S. in attracting new residents

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Among those who moved last year, the nation's capital was once again the most popular destination.

According to a United Van Lines annual migration study, which took into account 146,000 interstate moves, nearly twice as many Americans moved to Washington, D.C. than moved out, making it the most migrated to destination in the nation for the fourth year in a row.

Often, people go where the jobs are. As unemployment soared throughout most of the nation over the past four years, jobs were being created in or near D.C., thanks to one big employer: The government.

The federal government hired about 150,000 workers, not including postal employees, since 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of the new jobs were in D.C. and the surrounding areas in Northern Virginia and Maryland. And government salaries have been increasing, sometimes dramatically, drawing in many affluent professionals -- the kind likely to hire a large, full-service mover like United -- to the area.

Other states that attracted far more people than they lost included North Carolina, Florida, Oregon and Nevada.

Illinois saw the biggest exodus, according to United's survey, with 61% of its moves going outbound. New Jersey, New York, Michigan, West Virginia and most of New England -- Maine Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island -- also saw big net losses.

One surprise was North Dakota, where 56% of United interstate moves were outbound. That was despite the oil-fueled boom that helped keep the state's unemployment rate the lowest in the nation.

United's annual study has shown to be a good predictor of the more precise migration data that comes out later in the year from the Census Bureau and Internal Revenue Service.

"The United Van Lines' study has been shown through the years to accurately reflect general migration patterns in various regions of the country," said Carl Walter, vice president for the company. To top of page

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CNN Student News Transcript - January 3, 2012

(CNN Student News) -- January 3, 2012

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Vietnam surgery removes tumor twice man's weight

(CNN) -- A Vietnamese man is recovering in the intensive care unit Friday, a day after surgery that completely removed from his right leg a tumor twice his body weight, according to the hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

The growing tumor had rendered the patient, Nguyen Duy Hai, virtually immobile until his surgery.

The excised tumor weighed 180 pounds (82 kilos), according to the hospital, a bit less than the 200 pounds (90 kilos) estimated before surgery.

Hai, 31, of Da Lat City, has Von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis, said Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon, chief executive officer of FV Hospital, where the 12-hour procedure was performed.

The autosomal dominant hereditary disorder is the same disease that contributed to the extraordinarily large head of Joseph Merrick, whose story was dramatized in the 1980 film, "The Elephant Man," explained Guillon.

The tumor "may return," Guillon wrote in an e-mail to CNN, "but we can operate him again, and it won't never reach such a size anymore."

Doctors expect that Hai's cardiac and pulmonary functions will return to normal during the next 10 days. After that, Hai faces rehabilitation, physical therapy and possible help from the hospital's clinical psychologist to deal with issues pertaining to body image, Guillon said. "This patient lived all his life with this tumor. It was part of him."

Hai also needs to learn how to do things that his body had forgotten, including using the leg he had never used normally, Guillon added.

The tumor was first discovered when Hai was four years old and had grown to its enormous size since then.

Hai had undergone a surgery to amputate his leg -- and with it the tumor -- in 1997, but in 2001, the tumor grew, and no doctors agreed to operate on him, according to the hospital.

Furthermore, his family could not afford surgery, and very few surgeons in Vietnam can treat neurofibromas, Guillon said.

The surgery was considered risky with a 50% success rate for a number of reasons, Guillon explained. "First, such a giant tumor has developed its own blood system with huge arteries branched out from the normal vascular system. Therefore, one of the main risks was abundant bleeding."

Doctors used a "cell saver," which suctions and filters the patient's blood before re-injecting it into the body, along with extra blood for the surgery.

The second and third risks lay in heart function ("How would a heart react when a tumor with twice the weight of a patient is removed?") and the effects of a long -- more than 13 hours -- anesthesia, Guillon said.

Leading the surgical team was Dr. McKay McKinnon, a specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery from Chicago.

McKinnon has been credited with removing a 200-pound tumor from a woman in the U.S. state of Michigan in 2000, as well as a 176-pound (80 kilo) tumor from a Romanian woman in 2004.

Aside from McKinnon, no one else on the team had any prior experience with Hai's condition or performed such a surgery before, Guillon said. "Though the surgical techniques used by Dr. McKinnon are usual and routinely used by our surgeons, the difference lays in his experience: he knows what to expect and what to do at specific crucial moments."

Finally, the team of Vietnamese surgeons and anesthetists had never worked with McKinnon before, and communication issues could turn dangerous in an operating theatre, Guillon said, adding that two of the three Vietnamese surgeons also go by "Dr. Thai."

Nonetheless, the communication among all in the operating theatre went "extremely well," Guillon said.

During the surgery, FV Hospital set up a live video feed for other doctors and hospitals to watch.

Video during the surgery showed five people assisting in the disposal of the excised tumor from its own gurney into a yellow container, which was then sealed.

A small piece has been sent for examination; the rest will be incinerated as with all biological waste, Guillon said.

The cost of the surgery was estimated at $20,000, but the hospital said it will charge 60% of the cost, which will be covered jointly by the Red Cross of Da Lat City and sponsors.

The hospital said it is financing all the traveling costs and accommodation for McKinnon, who is performing the surgery free of charge.


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Friday, January 6, 2012

Singer Etta James leaves hospital

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Terminally ill singer Etta James was released Thursday from a Southern California hospital, her manager said.

"She is home with her husband and family by her side," said Lupe De Leon. "Her condition remains stable."

James, 73, was hospitalized two weeks, battling the final stages of terminal leukemia and suffering from dementia.

The "At Last" singer spent New Year's Eve watching the ball drop with her sons, Donto and Sametto James, in her hospital room, said Donto James, who played drums in his mother's Roots band for 15 years.

Paul Wright, a lawyer who represents the sons in their dispute with Etta James' husband over who makes decisions for her, said Sunday that the singer is "nearing the end of her time, but she's a tough lady."

The judge overseeing James' conservatorship approved an agreement last month in which husband Artis Mills is the conservator, but he must equally share "end of life" decisions with the sons, Wright said.

Mills is also limited in how much of her estate he can spend and he cannot "encumber her music catalog," Wright said.


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Olympics ticket holders can return unwanted tickets

London (CNN) -- Unwanted tickets for the 2012 Summer Olympics can be sold back starting Friday, organizers said Thursday.

Those who have already bought tickets directly from organizers will be able to sell unwanted seats for full face value.

Some of the tickets were sold more than a year before the events and may no longer be wanted.

"The resale process will allow those who are no longer able to attend or no longer want their tickets to sell them to other sports fans and help ensure that venues are full at Games time," the London Organizing Committee (LOCOG) said in a news release.

LOGOC hopes to cut down on unwanted tickets being sold through third parties or illegally at inflation prices.

The tickets will not become immediately available, however. The tickets indicated for resale will go into a pot and be released at a later date.

Tickets already bought through authorized third parties are not eligible to be resold through LOCOG's website.

Ticket allocation has been one of the few problems facing organizers. Complaints poured in after many people said they had missed out on tickets to top-tier events during the early rounds of sales opened to British residents.

Also, on Wednesday organizers admitted "human error" last year led to 3,000 people being sold 10,000 tickets to synchronized swimming events that simply did not exist. It said it discovered the mistake after comparing final seating configurations with the number of tickets sold for the events.

Over the Christmas period, those people were contacted by mail and automated phone messages to give them the opportunity to get tickets to other top-tier events as compensation, at no extra cost.

Local media have reported that some of those allocated only synchronized swimming tickets will be now be in the stadium for the finals of some of the main track events, at a fraction of the face value of those seats.


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Bombs kill 2 Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad (AP)

 
People inspect dead bodies at the scene of a bomb attack near Nasiriyah, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. Wave of explosions struck Shiite neighborhoods on Thursday, killing and injuring dozens of Iraqis and intensifying fears that insurgents are stepping up attacks after the U.S. troop withdrawal that was completed last month. (AP Photo)AP - Roadside bombs killed two Shiite pilgrims amid a string of explosions in Baghdad on Friday, the day after the country's deadliest sectarian violence in more than a year left scores dead, officials said.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

60 slain in Iraq bombings

Baghdad (CNN) -- Attackers killed at least 60 people in Iraq on Thursday in strikes that targeted Shiites and renewed fears of sectarian violence, authorities said.

The deadliest attack was a suicide bombing targeting Shiite pilgrims just west of the southern city of Nasiriya. It killed at least 36 and wounded 72 others, police and Interior Ministry officials said. A series of blasts in Baghdad left 24 dead and dozens wounded, an Interior Ministry official said.

The violence raged as Shiites made a pilgrimage to the city of Karbala, south of Baghdad, leading up to Arbaeen, one of the holiest days of the Shiite calendar. It arrives next week and marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, who was killed in a seventh century battle in the Iraqi city.

Gen. Qassim Atta, the Iraqi commander of Baghdad security operations, said that "terrorist groups take every chance they get to incite sectarianism."

Martin Kobler, the U.N. special representative in Iraq, condemned the strikes and urged Iraqis to "remain steadfast in the face of those who are using violence" and trying to undermine the country's efforts to succeed as a democracy.

"These casualty figures are people, women and men, the youth of the country and its children. These are mainly civilians, and one life taken per day is one life too many. And this has to be stopped," Kobler said.

Violence raged for years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq between members of Iraqi's Sunni minority, who held power during the era of Saddam Hussein, and its Shiite majority, which gained power after his ouster. Iraqis have been concerned about an increase in Sunni-Shiite violence after the U.S. military withdrawal from the country last month.

Sunnis in Iraq have felt marginalized by the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite. That anger intensified after he ordered the arrest last month of Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who was charged with ordering bombings and assassinations, a charge he denies.

The bomber in Nasiriya struck an Iraqi Army checkpoint where buses carrying pilgrims were parked. Most of the casualties were pilgrims, police and an Interior Ministry official said. The city is located in Thiqar province.

A triple bombing in Baghdad's Sadr City area Thursday morning killed at least nine people and wounded 35, an official with Iraq's Interior Ministry said.

The first bomb -- attached to a motorcycle -- detonated near a group of laborers who were searching for day jobs in the Shiite neighborhood, according to the official. Shortly after that, two other bombs detonated in quick succession nearby.

The sprawling neighborhood of Sadr City is a Shiite enclave.

Car bombs exploded successively in northern Baghdad's predominantly Shiite Kadhimiya district on Thursday morning, killing 15 and wounding 31, the Interior Ministry official said. The bombs exploded in two busy squares that were about 150 meters (nearly 500 feet) apart.

Kadhimiya is busy with many Shiite pilgrims who started their pilgrimage walking to Karbala, and security has been jacked up accordingly.

Atta said it was too soon to tell who was behind what appeared to be coordinated attacks in Baghdad. However, he said he believes it was "what remains" of terrorist groups trying to incite sectarian rifts.

Iraq has a large Shiite population in the capital and across southern Iraq.

Iraq has been engulfed in political turmoil that has threatened to unravel the government.

Al-Hashimi said al-Maliki's charges against him were politically motivated and fled to the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

His arrest warrant was issued just days after the Iraqiya bloc suspended its participation in parliament amid complaints it was being cut out of the political process. Iraqiya, a cross-sectarian as well as Sunni-backed bloc, castigated the al-Maliki government, saying it had shunned cooperation despite the power-sharing arrangement.

It said it is considering sending a request to parliamentary leaders to withdraw support for al-Maliki and come up with a new prime minister to form a post-occupation government.

There have also been mounting calls for federalism from at least three predominantly Sunni provinces. Al-Maliki has called federalism a recipe for the partitioning of Iraq.

The bloc loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a key ally to al-Maliki, has called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections.

Al-Maliki managed to forge a fragile coalition and secure a second term in office because of backing from followers of al-Sadr, the powerful leader of the notorious Mehdi Army that fought some of the fiercest battles against U.S. forces.


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Rick Santorum's tax plan

Former Sen. Rick Santorum's narrow loss in Iowa has raised his stature as a serious contender in the GOP race for the White Hosue.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Presidential candidate Rick Santorum's proposals to change taxes haven't drawn much attention yet. But that is likely to change now that his standing in the Republican field has risen.

The former conservative senator from Pennsylvania would reduce the number of income tax brackets from six to two (10% and 28%) and triple what his campaign identifies as the personal deduction that parents can claim for their children.

Santorum would also eliminate the so-called marriage penalty, which often causes two-earner couples to owe more in federal income taxes than if they filed as single individuals.

In addition, he would eliminate both the Alternative Minimum Tax and the estate tax. And he would reduce the capital gains rate from 15% to 12%.

For businesses, he would cut the corporate income tax rate in half to 17.5% and eliminate it entirely for manufacturers. Plus, he would increase the research and development credit and reduce the tax burden on U.S. companies that choose to bring back their overseas profits to the United States.

Generally speaking, Santorum proposes to simplify the tax code.

But at the same time he proposes to keep on the books many of the largest and most popular deductions, such as those for health insurance, retirement savings and mortgage interest.

And he would continue the long-lived tradition of treating industries differently in the eyes of the tax code. "The plan would still tax different forms of business income differently," the Tax Foundation noted in its preliminary assessment of the plan.

Santorum also emphasizes his desire to use the tax code to support the family -- which he calls the "first economy."

There's been no formal third-party analysis of Santorum's plan so far. But his proposal to boost tax breaks for families may run counter to at least one oft-stated Republican beef: the number of households that end up having no federal income tax liability because of all the tax breaks they're entitled to.

"Interestingly, by using tax expenditures to support these families, Santorum would likely add significantly to the number of households that pay no income tax," wrote Urban Institute resident fellow Howard Gleckman in the blog TaxVox.

What's more, Gleckman noted, "because [Santorum's plan] cuts rates significantly but does not eliminate tax preferences -- and even expands a few -- it would very likely add trillions of dollars to the federal deficit."

The Santorum campaign did not respond to CNNMoney's requests for comment. To top of page

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Man says he didn't know explosives were in bag

(CNN) -- An Army Green Beret charged with trying to take explosives on an American Airlines flight over the weekend told investigators he didn't realize he had C-4 in his carry-on bag, according to a criminal complaint.

Trey Scott Atwater, 30, waived an initial court hearing Tuesday and remains in jail. He was arrested Saturday after Transportation Security Administration screeners found the explosive material in his bag.

According to the complaint, Atwater told the FBI he is a demolitions expert with the Army's 7th Special Forces Group and had recently returned from his third deployment to Afghanistan. Investigators said Atwater explained it was his practice to carry at least two blocks of C-4 explosives on any operation. He added that when he packed his bags to leave Afghanistan, he brought along the bag in question but "had no recollection of there being any C-4," the court document said.

Investigators said Atwater told them he grabbed the bag to use as a carry-on when he traveled to Midland, Texas, for the holidays and put children's items in it. The Green Beret told authorities he didn't see explosives in the main compartment of the bag and was "surprised that the C-4 was in the bag when it was located" by TSA screeners at Midland International Airport, according to the complaint.

Officials did not disclose the amount of explosives found.

The court document says Atwater had another run-in with airport security while leaving Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Christmas Eve en route to Texas when a military smoke grenade was found in his bag. "The smoke grenade was confiscated, and he was admonished before being allowed to continue on his trip," according to the criminal complaint.

When asked about the earlier incident in Fayetteville, the complaint said, Atwater admitted it had happened but that he had "forgotten to mention it" during his initial interview with law enforcement after he was arrested in Texas.

Law enforcement officials have said Atwater was not involved with anything nefarious. One official also noted he was not carrying a detonator or an initiator and therefore it would not have been possible for the material to blow up.

If convicted, Atwater would face a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to Daryl Fields, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Western District of Texas.

According to the Pentagon, Atwater carries the rank of specialist first class and is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His service awards include the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal.


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Weight-loss surgery may lower heart attack, stroke risk

(Health.com) -- Obese people who decide to undergo stomach surgery to speed weight loss may lower their risk of having -- and dying from -- a heart attack or stroke, according to new research.

Swedish researchers followed 4,047 very obese men and women for an average of 15 years. Roughly half of the participants opted to have weight-loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) at the beginning of the study, and those who did were 33% less likely than those who skipped surgery to have a heart attack or stroke. They were also 53% less likely to die from one.

After 15 years, the people who underwent surgery had lost 16% of their initial body weight, on average, while those who didn't have surgery maintained roughly the same weight.

Surprisingly, though, the amount of weight loss among the surgery patients was not associated with the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death.

"The benefit is similar at [both] smaller and larger subsequent weight losses," says lead author Lars Sj str m, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of internal medicine at the University of Gothenburg.

Health.com: 5 ways to cut your heart attack risk

The findings were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study, though relatively large, may not have been quite big enough to detect subtle relationships between weight loss and heart risk. (Only 199 participants in the surgery group, or 10%, had a heart attack or stroke, and just 28 died from one.) But it also could be that the health benefits associated with post-surgery weight loss vary from person to person.

"Not everybody who has obesity has the same health risk," says Edward H. Livingston, M.D., the chairman of gastrointestinal surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. "A lot of people are obese, but that obesity doesn't affect them that much."

For instance, although none of the study participants had diabetes, people with higher pre-surgery levels of the hormone insulin had a lower long-term risk of heart attacks and strokes than people with lower insulin levels who also had surgery. High insulin levels may therefore be important to consider when identifying candidates for bariatric surgery, Sj str m says.

Health.com: Could you have Type 2 diabetes? 10 symptoms

Livingston says surgery may be especially beneficial for people who have diabetes. On the other hand, he says, obese patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) may see a relatively small reduction in long-term heart risk because hypertension is largely hereditary and is less likely to be affected by weight-loss surgery.

Mitchell Roslin, M.D., chief of bariatric surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City, says the new study is notable because it tracked heart attacks and strokes over a long period of time, not just reductions in heart-disease risk factors such as cholesterol or blood pressure.

Bariatric surgery is still a relatively new procedure, however, and little is known about how well or how poorly people do over decades, Livingston says.

"We really don't know [the] long-term benefits or risks."

Health.com: Surgery is no quick fix for obese teens

Of the 2,010 study participants who had surgery, 68% chose vertical banded gastroplasty, 19% underwent banding, and 13% had gastric bypass. The first two procedures involve banding or stapling the stomach to reduce stomach capacity (and appetite). Bypass surgery, meanwhile, creates a detour of sorts in the digestive tract that affects how food is absorbed.

A major shortcoming of the study is that the researchers didn't randomly assign the participants to have surgery. Even though the authors took into account factors such as smoking and cholesterol levels, the patients who decided to go ahead with surgery may be different in key ways from those who decided against it, Livingston says.

"People who understand bariatric surgery are individuals who are more motivated to address their health issues," he says. "The people who didn't pursue bariatric surgery are probably less likely to take care of themselves, or willing to take care of themselves, so the two groups of people are fundamentally different. I think it's that difference that accounts for the better outcome."


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Stocks: New Year's rally fizzles

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks fell Wednesday as investors refocused on Europe's debt crisis following a brief respite in the previous session.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) was down 35 points, or 0.3%, in late morning trading. The S&P 500 (SPX) declined 5 points, or 0.4%. The Nasdaq (COMP) lost 12 points, or 0.4%.

Stocks rallied Tuesday following strong manufacturing reports from China, India and the United States. But the tone was cautious Wednesday as jitters surrounding Europe's debt crisis resurfaced.

"We had a bit of economic news today, but I think it has more to do with European banks possibly needing more capital and general debt concerns in the eurozone," said Anthony Conroy, head trader at BNY ConvergEx Group.

Shares of Italy's UniCredit plunged on the Milan stock exchange after the bank announced a €7.5 billion offering of new shares. The offering drew lackluster demand despite a steep discount, according to local media reports.

European banks are facing new capital requirements this year and conditions in the wholesale funding market remain chilly.

The European Central Bank recently pumped nearly €500 billion into the banking sector, but much of that money appears to have been redeposited at the central bank. Banks have stashed a record €453.2 billion at the ECB's deposit facility, according to data published Wednesday.

Shares of U.S. banks pared Tuesday's gains, with Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) and JPMorgan (JPM, Fortune 500) all lower.

Meanwhile, reports that Spain might seek rescue funding also weighed on sentiment. But a spokeswoman for the Spanish government told CNN the reports were "a complete lie" and "radically false."

On Tuesday, negotiators representing Greek bondholders said that progress had been made towards a deal to halve the nation's debt load.

"We're still watching Europe simmering now. We have another summit coming up and the problems are all still there," said Scott Brown, chief economist for Raymond James.

European Union leaders hold their first summit of 2012 on Jan. 30. Political leaders hashed out a fiscal agreement in early December, but investors remain skeptical about how effective it will be.

World markets: European stocks were also lower. Britain's FTSE 100 (UKX) lost 0.9%, while the DAX (DAX) in Germany shed 1.2% and France's CAC 40 (CAC40) slid 1.5%.

Asian markets finished mixed. The Nikkei (N225) gained 1.2%, while the Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) fell 1.4% and the Hang Seng (HSI) lost 0.8%.

Companies: Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) named PayPal president Scott Thompson as its new CEO.

Ford (F, Fortune 500) shares rose after the automaker said sales rose 10% in December and were up 17% in 2011. Shares of crosstown rival GM (GM, Fortune 500) eased after it reported a sales increase of 5% in December and 14% for the year.

Caterpillar (CAT, Fortune 500) shares fell after the construction equipment manufacturer announced it will expand its research and development center in Wuxi, China.

Dunkin' Brands (DNKN) shares climbed after the company announced it plans to double the number of its Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the United States in the next 20 years. The chain currently operates about 7,000 restaurants nationwide.

Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) announced a 2-for-1 stock split, after its stock rallied 105% over the last year. The company also plans to increase its quarterly dividend 33%.

Economy: The Census Bureau said factory orders rose 1.8% in November, following a 0.2% decrease the month before. Analysts surveyed by Briefing.com were expecting an increase of 2.1%.

In the afternoon, the Commerce Department will release data on auto and truck sales for December. Auto sales stood at a 4.36 million annual rate in November, while truck sales were at a 5.98 million rate.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar rose against the euro and British pound and the Japanese yen.

Oil for February delivery rose 22 cents to $102.74 a barrel.

Gold futures for February delivery rose $9.10 to $1,609.60 an ounce.

Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury fell, pushing the yield up to 1.97%. To top of page

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The 10 ultimate Bahamas experiences

(Lonely Planet) -- The Bahamas. Seven hundred islands. Twenty-five hundred cays. Four days of vacation. What do you do?

From Nassau to the Out Islands, here's our cheat sheet for the Bahamian best in exploring, imbibing and just plain loafing.

1. Kayaking & kiteboarding, Exumas

Hundreds of cays swoosh over a 120-mile span of crystal blue in the Exumas, a shimmering natural playground anchored by lonely coves and critter-filled reefs. Glide past palmettos and plovers near George Town or paddle to iguana-owned shores in Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park. Adrenaline junkies may prefer swooping the gusty banks by kiteboard.

Lonely Planet: How to plan the perfect destination wedding

Visit www.starfishexuma.com and www.outislandexplorers.com for kayaking info, www.exumakitesurfing.com for catching air. Find need-to-knows for Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park at www.exumapark.info.

2. A goombay smash at Miss Emily's, Abacos

Miss Emily's Blue Bee shines like a bright blue gumdrop near the center of New Plymouth, a gingerbread town clinging tight to windswept Green Turtle Cay on Abacos. For decades, yachties and day-trippers have drifted into the Blue Bee for jug-poured goombay smashes -- the drink was created here -- and the easygoing charm of Violet Smith, Miss Emily's daughter. Tack your business card to the wall.

Ferries depart the Green Turtle Ferry Dock near Treasure Cay ($15 roundtrip).

3. Diving with friends, Andros

Divers swap stories and lies at Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros, where the only thing better than peering over the Tongue of the Ocean is talking up the adventure with friends. And everyone's a friend at this affable, family-owned retreat near Fresh Creek. With its home-cooked buffets, eco-friendly accommodations and laugh-filled happy hours, Small Hope serves up everything but the camp songs.

4. Junkanoo, Nassau

Christmas doesn't leave Nassau on lullabies and sugarplums. It parades out of town in a jostling blast of whistles, horns, drums, and cowbells that whirls down Bay Street in the wee hours of Boxing Day. In this brightly costumed celebration, which traces its roots to West Africa and plantation-era religious rites, neighborhood teams compete for prizes.

If you miss the parade on Boxing Day, there's a second one on New Year's Day and a warm-up in the summer.

5. Stylish loafing, Harbour Island, Eleuthera

Roving roosters and sputtering golf carts are part of the charm in Dunmore Town, a chichi Harbour Island village where Wall Streeters, supermodels and kitesurfers come for the shimmering pink sand beach. Beyond loafing, requirements are few: lunch at Sip Sip, cocktails at Rock House and mingling at Vic Hum, where the basketball court doubles as a dance floor.

Lonely Planet: Culebra vs. Vieques -- Puerto Rico's contrasting islands

6. Aquaventure & aquariums, Paradise Island

Got the grownup blues? Hurtle back to your childhood with a 60-foot plunge, a bobbing river ride and a shark-encircled waterslide at the 141-acre Aquaventure at Atlantis, on New Providence. More than 20,000 exotic fish and sea creatures -- from orange Nemos to stately manta rays -- float past in the resort's vast-but-walkable network of tanks and lagoons.

7. Apres-snorkel at Nippers, Abacos

Mother Nature smiled when she created Great Guana Cay, a breezy isle floating just a few kicks away from the fish-and-coral treasures of the Great Abaco Barrier Reef. Nippers Beach Bar & Grill adds a wink to that smile with cold Kaliks, beach-shack conviviality and free use of its snorkel gear. The Sunday afternoon pig roast is a legend.

The ferry to Guana Cay ($25 roundtrip) docks beside the Conch Inn in Marsh Harbour.

8. Pirate wanderings, Nassau

Governor Woodes Rogers may have expelled Nassau's pirates in 1718, but that doesn't mean they actually left. Engaging displays about parrots, peg legs and Blackbeard keep swabby legends alive at the Pirates of Nassau Museum while the 260-year-old Graycliff Hotel charms guests with swashbuckling tales of its buccaneer founder. A statue of Rogers stays vigilant from his pedestal in the middle of town.

9. Smith's Point Fish Fry, Grand Bahama

Every taxi driver on the island knows the way to the Fish Fry, a Wednesday night tradition at Smith's Point, east of Lucaya on Grand Bahama. Locals queue early for grouper, lobster and snapper, fried up Bahamian-style under a wooden shack by the sea. Trust us, everyone's here or on the way. Stick around for after-dinner dancing.

10. Friday-night jam at Elvina's, Eleuthera

First-timers always ask the same question: Where did all these people come from? Elvina's, a ramshackle roadside shack in lonely Gregory Town, lures 'em in from far and wide for short sets by native musicians and traveling pros. Who's here? Low-key locals, gregarious old salts, sun-baked surfers and, occasionally, Lenny Kravitz.

(Elvina's should actually be number one, but we're hiding it here out of selfishness.)

Lonely Planet: Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations


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