NYT: When in Doubt, Insure

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June 14, 2010

By DAVID A. KELLY

IT’S only June, and already what a year it’s been for travelers: volcanic ash clouds shutting down dozens of European airports; unrest in Thailand, Jamaica and Greece; an oil spill undermining the plans of vacationers bound for the Gulf of Mexico coast. The summer — with its risk of hurricanes and the threat of airline strikes — promises little respite.
No wonder so many people are looking into travel insurance. “We’ve seen a nearly 50 percent increase in calls since the Icelandic volcano eruption in April,” said Bob Chambers, director of operations for the San Diego-based CSA Travel Protection. “The calls are coming from prospective customers inquiring about plan coverage for things such as the volcano, oil spill and other events, as well as current customers seeking reassurance they will be covered.”
Other companies are reporting similar interest. Daniel Durazo, director of communications for Access America, in Richmond, Va., estimates that his company has received a 30 percent increase in inquiries since April.
But navigating the complexities of travel insurance can be onerous, especially since it’s unclear exactly what kind of insurance is needed for what eventuality. Different policies offer coverage of accidental death; emergency medical care and evacuation; canceled, interrupted or delayed trips; and lost, damaged, stolen or delayed luggage.
To decide which policy is right, first identify your concerns. Are you looking for trip cancellation insurance in case you get sick or need to return home early or can’t go at all? Or are you looking to protect yourself against a trip being interrupted or delayed — which was the situation during the recent volcano?
Next step: price it out. Costs can vary from about 3 to 16 percent or more of the total trip price, depending on the traveler’s age, and the cost and length of the trip. According to John W. Cook, president of QuoteWright.com, a Web site that compares travel policies, the price for a comprehensive policy for a 55-year-old from New York going to Europe on a $3,000 trip would vary from $102 to $486.
“It’s not unusual for plan costs to vary over 300 percent, so make sure you shop around for the best coverage,” Mr. Cook said. Sites such as QuoteWright or InsureMyTrip.com compare policies according to various criteria, including price and coverage details.
It’s important to understand the limitations of various policies. In situations where potential problem scenarios aren’t covered, or you’re concerned about loopholes, consider purchasing a “cancel for any reason” option, which “allows a traveler to cancel a trip for any reason whatsoever, no questions asked,” said Samuel H. Rabin, senior vice president of the Tzell New Jersey Travel Group, who noted that such policies come at a price. “The premium is an additional 50 percent of the base premium of the normal comprehensive plan, and it only pays out 75 percent of your losses, not 100 percent.”
Here’s a primer on how travel insurance works in various scenarios:
Volcanic ash clouds Experts say the Icelandic volcano could erupt intermittently for quite a while and that ash clouds could form at any time. So far, such clouds have generally been considered a “weather situation” by insurance companies, and expenses related to the disruption — including hotels and transportation — have been covered under trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed connection and travel delay policies. However, if an ash cloud is currently hovering over a particular region you are flying into or out of, or is imminently expected, new policies probably won’t cover it until the condition clears. Thus, make sure to purchase insurance while ash is not an issue.
Airline strikes In general, strikes by workers on airlines or trains are “named perils” and, if specified in the policy, are covered, though the insurance should be purchased before a strike is announced. For example, the recent strike by Spirit Airlines pilots, or a strike by British Airways’ cabin crews would be covered by trip cancellation, trip interruption or travel delay policies, as long as the strike is reasonably unforeseeable at the time you buy your policy.
“If you cancel your trip due to a strike, the insurance would have covered expenses associated with the cancellation,” Mr. Rabin said in an e-mail message. “If you were stuck and couldn’t get home due to the strike, your expenses would have been covered (up to the cap, of course, which varies by policy).”
Civil or political unrest Travel disruptions due to political or civil unrest, or by State Department travel warnings, are generally not covered by insurance. Most policies won’t reimburse you for expenses related to riots, protests or police activity. However, if the disruption is a result of a terrorist incident and the city is on your itinerary during the event, the policy will most likely cover it.
Oil Spills Oil spills are not typically “named perils” and are usually not covered. Insurance is a highly regulated industry, and new perils such as oil spills the size of the one in the Gulf of Mexico are typically not included in existing policies. “If you want potential coverage for trips impacted by an oil spill, purchase a plan with a ‘cancel for any reason’ option,” Mr. Cook said. “That will provide a safety net for reasons not covered under basic plans.”
Hurricanes Hurricanes are covered as weather events or natural disasters, and insurance must be bought before the storm is named. Also, your destination would have to be made uninhabitable or your flight unable to leave for a minimum of 24 hours in order for the policy to pay out. “The biggest thing about coverage for a hurricane is that it’s got to be unforeseeable at the time of purchase and you cannot cancel your trip out of worry or fear,” Mr. Cook said.
Medical emergency Medical expense and medical evacuation insurance covers urgent medical assistance when something unforeseen happens while you’re abroad, or when you need to be evacuated. Both are usually part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy and are included in the price.
“Consider what would happen if you’re riding a camel in Egypt and get thrown off it,” said David Rowell, publisher of The Travel Insider Web site and newsletter, who recommends travel medical insurance. “If you have medical evacuation insurance, you can have a helicopter fly out to get you. It takes nine seats to put a stretcher in a plane. That’s a huge cost that people never think about when it comes to medical evacuation.”
Also consider Tour operators and cruise lines often sell insurance, but it is not always advantageous to travelers who adjust a packaged trip. For example, if you’re taking a cruise but buying the airfare on your own, or adding a few days before or after the cruise, it probably makes sense to buy insurance separately, so that the whole trip (and not just the cruise or tour portion) is covered. Also, most tour operator and cruise line plans exclude their own bankruptcy.
You should also make sure you understand your existing insurance policies (medical, for instance) and what it covers when you’re traveling. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts covers medical emergencies for its members when they’re traveling abroad. Medicare and Medigap plans provide little or no coverage outside the United States, so purchasing travel medical insurance can be an important consideration.
Finally, know whether the policy provides primary or secondary coverage. Primary coverage tends to be more expensive, but the company pays claims first. If you’ve purchased secondary coverage, you’ll have to first tap your homeowners’, personal medical or other insurance that might apply.

36 Hours in Richmond

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October 18, 2009

By JUSTIN BERGMAN

AS the heart of the old Confederacy, Richmond, Va., watched with envy as other cities like Atlanta and Charlotte became the economic and cultural pillars of the New South. But Richmond may finally be having its big moment: a building boom in the last few years has seen century-old tobacco warehouses transformed into lofts and art studios. Chefs are setting up kitchens in formerly gritty neighborhoods, and the city’s buttoned-up downtown suddenly has life after dusk, thanks to new bars, a just-opened hotel and a performing arts complex, Richmond CenterStage. Richmond is strutting with confidence, moving beyond its Civil War legacy and emerging as a new player on the Southern art and culinary scene.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The tattooed artsy crowd may have moved on, but serious shoppers and people watchers are still drawn to Carytown’s half-mile stretch of boutiques, vintage clothing stores and cafes. This colorful strip is Richmond at its most eclectic, from floppy-haired musicians, to gay hipsters with pierced eyebrows, to mothers from the West End suburbs pushing strollers. Check out local T-shirt designs at the Need Supply Company (3010 West Cary Street; 804-355-5880; www.needsupply.com). Peruse the retro ball gowns, tiaras and cigarette cases at Bygones (2916 West Cary Street; 804-353-1919; www.bygonesvintage.com). Or seek Japanese anime, underground graphic novels and comics at Chop Suey Books (2913 West Cary Street; 804-422-8066; www.chopsueybooks.com).

8 p.m.
2) FRESH DIRECT

The locavore food movement was late in coming to Richmond, but residents have taken to it in a big way at the perpetually packed, year-old Mezzanine (3433 West Cary Street; 804-353-2186; www.mezzanine3433.com). The head chef, Todd Johnson, is particular about his produce, meats and seafood, handpicking the Virginia farmers and fishermen he buys from. The ever-changing, seven-foot-tall chalkboard menu recently included green curry quinoa with gingered bok choy and oyster mushrooms ($16) and tempura soft-shell crabs in a tomato and cucumber broth ($25). A downside: the outdoor patio looks out over a pair of glowing golden arches across the street.

10 p.m.
3) CASH BAR

Richmonders used to flee downtown for the suburbs come 6 p.m. But these days, the capital’s young politicos gather at Bank (1005 East Main Street; 804-648-3070; www.bankandvault.com), a century-old bank that’s been transformed into a swank night spot, complete with a bar made with the building’s original marble, a martini lounge in the old president’s office and a cavernous downstairs club, Vault. Eavesdrop at the bar and you might pick up some juicy political gossip about Gov. Tim Kaine.

Saturday

10:30 a.m.
4) A ‘HARLEM’ RENAISSANCE

The historic African-American neighborhood of Jackson Ward was so prosperous after the Civil War that it was known as the Harlem of the South. Then came a long decline that left its streets riddled with empty storefronts. Of course, it wasn’t long before artists moved in. Now, P.B.R.-swilling students from nearby Virginia Commonwealth University descend for First Friday gallery hops. For an art walk of your own, start at Gallery5 (200 West Marshall Street; 804-644-0005; www.gallery5arts.org), in a mid-19th-century building that used to be Virginia’s oldest fire station. Also worthwhile is Quirk (311 West Broad Street; 804-644-5450; www.quirkgallery.com), which has offbeat offerings, as its name suggests.

Noon
5) TASTE OF HAVANA

Don’t expect to find amazing ethnic food in Richmond — this is fried okra country, not an immigrant town. The one exception is Kuba Kuba (1601 Park Avenue; 804-355-8817; www.kubakuba.info), a hole-in-the-wall cafe founded by a Cuban émigré, Manny Mendez. The dishes are authentic up to a point — pressed Cuban sandwiches with roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese and mustard ($6.95) share the menu with Spanish paellas ($17.95) — but Richmonders line up just as much for the straight-out-of-Havana vibe. The waitresses sway to Cuban music, and Kuba Kuba also doubles as a bodega: after lunch, load up on Café Bustelo and Our Lady of Guadalupe candles.

2 p.m.
6) THREE-SIDED WAR

Even if you are not a history buff, a trip to Richmond wouldn’t be complete without learning something about the Civil War, still known by a few die-hards as the War of Northern Aggression. The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar (500 Tredegar Street; 804-780-1865; www.tredegar.org; $8 entry) takes a less pro-Southern approach. The interactive museum, opened three years ago, tells the story of the war from three perspectives: that of the Union, the Confederacy and the slaves. The museum itself is a giant relic, housed in the old 1861 Tredegar Gun Foundry, a major munitions factory during the war.

3:30 p.m.
7) INTO THE TREES

Need to shake off post-museum torpor? How about maneuvering through the trees like Tarzan? Across the river in the Stratford Hills section, trained instructors at Riverside Outfitters (6836 Old Westham Road; 804-560-0068; www.riversideoutfitters.net) lead groups on tree-climbing expeditions along the James River that include harnessed walks along limbs 40 feet above the ground and zip-lines. They claim it’s easy enough for a 6-year-old to do it — albeit on smaller trees. The rates vary, but start at $150 for two hours for these five or fewer.

7 p.m.
8) HAUTE HOME COOKIN’

Trust Steve Jurina, owner of the industrial-chic bistro LuLu’s (21 North 17th Street; 804-343-9771, www.lu-lusrichmond.com), to get comfort food right. He was the longtime chef at Millie’s Diner, revered by locals for its nap-inducing Sunday brunches and down-home atmosphere. LuLu’s is a gussied-up version of Millie’s for the polo-shirt-wearing yuppies who’ve snapped up lofts in the renovated tobacco warehouses in Shockoe Bottom, one of Richmond’s most historic neighborhoods. Arrive early to grab a bamboo booth, and start with the tasty crab and lobster fritters ($11) before moving on to the High-Falootin’ Mac and Cheese, made with white Cheddar, Parmesan and Gorgonzola and topped with grilled shrimp ($20). For over-the-top gluttony, order the deep-dish chocolate and peanut butter pie ($5) for dessert.

9 p.m.
9) TUNES AND TATTS

Escape Shockoe Bottom before the clubs start to fill up — it is party central for drunken college kids on weekends. A less raucous spot can be found uptown at the Camel (1621 West Broad Street; 804-353-4901; www.thecamel.org), which is establishing itself as the premier venue to catch up-and-coming Southern rock and bluegrass bands, acoustic singer-songwriters, and jazz and funk musicians. If it’s an off night, go down the street to Empire (727 West Broad Street; 804-344-3323), a dive bar near V.C.U. where sleeve tattoos are part of the informal dress code.

Sunday

11 a.m.
10) BATTLE OF THE BRUNCH

There’s a new war being waged at the Black Sheep (901 West Marshall Street; 804-648-1300; www.theblacksheeprva.com), a cozy restaurant with barn-wood wainscoting and church pews for benches. Brave eaters have attacked all six two-foot-long subs, each named after a Civil War-era ship, in what the menu calls “The War of Northern Ingestion.” Served on French baguettes, the CSS Virginia is topped with fried chicken livers, shredded cabbage and apples ($12), while the USS Brooklyn has jerk barbecued chicken and banana ketchup ($14). A warning: each behemoth can feed at least two.

1 p.m.
11) ART FACTORY

Once an industrial wasteland across the river, the Manchester neighborhood has emerged as an arts district with more loft apartments. The anchor is the former MeadWestvaco packaging plant, which has been turned into a huge art complex with 75 studios and three galleries. Stroll through the mazelike Art Works (320 Hull Street; 804-291-1400; www.artworksrichmond.com), where artists sell their works, many for under $200. Then head to Legend Brewery (321 West Seventh Street; 804-232-3446; www.legendbrewing.com), order a pint of Oktoberfest or the other seven brews on the deck, and take in the view of a city making up for lost time.

THE BASICS

Delta, JetBlue, US Airways and other carriers offer nonstop flights between New York and Richmond. Nonstop round-trip fares later this month start at $147, according to a recent Web search.

A car is the best option for getting around; buses run infrequently and don’t reach every part of the city.

The Jefferson Hotel (101 West Franklin Street; 800-424-8014; www.jeffersonhotel.com) defined luxury when it opened in 1895, and it hasn’t lost any of its luster, with its stained-glass domed skylight and 262 rooms decorated with reproduction Southern antiques. Doubles from $235 a night.

Housed in an old department store, the Hilton Garden Inn Richmond (501 East Broad Street; 804-344-4300; hiltongardeninn.hilton.com) reopened in February following a two-year renovation. Doubles from $99 a night.

36 Hours in Berlin

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By DENNY LEE

CLUNKY Trabants belching car exhaust along Karl-Marx-Allee. Red-and-yellow East German flags fluttering from storefronts. Retro-chic bars that resemble cold-war bomb shelters. The Berlin Wall may have fallen 20 years ago next month, but in certain pockets of this pulsating German capital, it seems to be going back up — at least for those too young to recall what life was like in the German Democratic Republic. From stylish hotels that resemble 1970s Soviet housing to boutiques that elevate kitschy East German goods to high design, Berlin is still divided — on whether the Iron Curtain was cool. There’s even a German word for it, “ostalgie,” a combination of the words “ost” (east) and “nostalgie” (nostalgia).

Friday

5 p.m.
1) EASTERN TIME ZONE

Few vestiges remain of East Berlin. Bullet holes have been filled in, squatters evicted and weedy lots paved over for entertainment complexes. But spend enough time strolling the twisting backstreets and you might come across a building, a courtyard or a block that looks frozen in 1989. Most are on the city’s fringes, but there’s a stretch of Auguststrasse, the art mile in the Mitte district, in drab contrast to the slick galleries and Ikea-fied apartments. A former Jewish hospital at Nos. 14-16 is still gray as charcoal. A block away, at No. 5a, one side of a courtyard is pocked with bullet scars. Look now, before construction cranes encroach.

7 p.m.
2) TV DINNER

The Sputnik-inspired Television Tower was erected in the 1960s by East Germany to demonstrate its technical superiority. At 1,207 feet, it remains Berlin’s tallest structure, as well as one of its most touristy. Skip the line by dining at its space-saucer-style restaurant, Telecafé (Panoramastrasse 1A at Alexanderplatz; 49-30-247-5750; www.tv-turm.de), which offers revolving views of the once-divided city. It’s every bit as cheesy and memorable as it sounds. Not much seems to have changed since Erich Honecker was the leader of East Germany: dishes like veal roulade with potato dumplings (15.50 euros, about $23 at $1.50 to the euro) are served by older waitresses with big perms. Reserve online and early (at least six weeks ahead) for the sunset seating. After dinner, stroll Alexanderplatz, where a colossal open-air exhibition on the Wall (www.fallofthewall09.com ) is up until Nov. 14.

11 p.m.
3) PARTY LIKE IT’S 1989

For modern beats in a retro lounge, climb the rickety scaffolding to Klub der Republik, or K.D.R. (Pappelallee 81; www.myspace.com/klubderrepublik), a grungy hangout in Prenzlauer Berg named after the Palace of the Republic, the dismantled East German parliament building. Indeed, the globe lamps were salvaged from there. The music, as eclectic as the beer selection, is played by a rotating cast of floppy-haired D.J.’s. If there’s music across the street, pop by Ballhaus Ost (Pappelallee 15; 49-30-47-99-7474; www.ballhausost.de), a former dance school that occasionally hosts late-night gatherings.

Saturday

10:30 a.m.
4) HELLO, LENIN!

Berlin has 170-plus museums, but only one examines how ordinary East Berliners lived under Communist rule — another example, perhaps, that reunification is a work in progress. The small, privately financed DDR Museum (Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 1; 49-30-847-12-3731; www.ddr-museum.de) opened in 2006 and offers a playful trip behind the Iron Curtain with authentic artifacts and archival film. Those haunted by the 2006 Oscar-winning film “The Lives of Others” should also pay a visit to the Stasi Museum (Ruschestrasse 103; 49-30-553-6854; www.stasimuseum.de), housed in the former Stasi offices.

Noon
5) EMBASSY SWEETS

If the weather is nice, head north to the leafy district of Pankow, where the East German elite lived. Along the way, stop by Stavanger Strasse, the old embassy row where the Cuban flag still flies, before heading to Majakowskiring, a road lined with stately villas including No. 29 — the former home of Wilhelm Pieck, the first president of East Germany. For hearty salads and sweet plum cakes, sit under the linden trees at Majakowski Gasthaus (No. 63; 49-30-4991-8250), an inn with a delightful garden cafe. End your visit at the Schönhausen Palace (Tschaikowskistrasse 1; www.spsg.de), a baroque castle that once served as the seat of the East German president; it is scheduled to reopen in December.

3 p.m.
6) NEUE GALLERIES

Karl-Marx-Allee, the monumental but graying boulevard of Stalinist architecture, is welcoming a steady parade of art dealers. In the last year or so, galleries like Capitain Petzel (No. 45; 49-30-2408-8130; www.capitainpetzel.de) and Krome Gallery (No. 82; 49-30-280-946-59; www.krome-gallery.com) have planted their flags along the concourse, giving other new art districts in Berlin a run for their money. Private collectors are also taking over palatial spaces, including Sammlung Haubrok (Strausberger Platz 19; 49-30-8061-9287; www.sammlung-haubrok.de), which showcases contemporary artists like Jonathan Monk and Martin Boyce.

5:30 p.m.
7) CUDDLY CARS

Berlin was a huge city even when it was divided. To cover more ground, see old East Berlin behind the wheel of a Trabant, the plastic car that was a symbol, for better or worse, of the Communist regime. Trabi-Safari (49-30-2759-2273; www.trabi-safari.de) has a cuddly fleet that chortles past landmarks like the East Side Gallery in Friedrichshain (www.eastsidegallery.com), at the longest existing piece of the Wall, which is being unveiled next month after a controversial mural restoration. Tours start at 30 euros.

9 p.m.
8) WESTERN BEOUF

See how the other side lived. While East Berliners were scouring markets for fresh fruits and vegetables, Iggy Pop and others were drinking absinthe and ordering entrecôte at the Paris Bar (Kantstrasse 152; 49-30-313-8052; www.parisbar.de), in the upscale Charlottenburg district of what was West Berlin. The storied bistro still wears its affluence on its sleeve. On a recent Saturday, there were white-shoe bankers popping Champagne bottles, an artsy couple with electric-blue hair and two elegantly dressed woman squeezed into a wine-red leather banquette under a large photograph of Yves Saint Laurent. Steak frites for two, with wine, about 100 euros.

Midnight
9) PARTY SPREE

During the cold war, Berlin turned its back to the Spree River, which was itself divided. Now the riverfront has some of the city’s coolest night life, whether it’s the urban beach bars that seem to wash up wherever there’s open space or the perpetually long lines outside the Watergate Club (Falckensteinstrasse 49; www.water-gate.de). If it’s warm, beat a path to Club der Visionäre (Am Flutgraben; 49-30-6951-8942; www.clubdervisionaere.com), a riverside bar in Kreuzberg that feels like a shipwreck overrun with hip 20-somethings. When the sun rises, spy the concrete watchtower across the street; it’s one of the last surviving that were built by East Germany to police the wall.

Sunday

11 a.m.
10) PEOPLE-OWNED GOODS

Plastic blue egg cups. Interflug luggage tags. Vintage drink carts. For groovy East German goods at moderate prices, bring your tote bag to Arkonaplatz, a little park at the edge of Mitte that becomes a retro-trendy flea market on Sundays (www.troedelmarkt-arkonaplatz.de). Cute cafes ring the park. Still looking for those big sunglasses? Walk along Bernauer Strasse to the sprawling flea market at Mauerpark, or Wall Park (www.mauerparkmarkt.de). While the quality has gone down, there are still some treasures among the pirated DVDs.

2 p.m.
11) (ALMOST) FREE WINE

Continue your capitalist spending spree in Prenzlauer Berg. Retail highlights include VEBorange (Oderberger Strasse 29; 49-30-9788-6886; www.veborange.de), a cluttered antiques shop that has a huge assortment of funky lamps and ostalgie memorabilia, and Da Capo (Kastanienallee 96; 49-30-448-1771; www.da-capo-vinyl.de), a music shop that carries artists like the Puhdys, who once recorded for the state-run Amiga label. When you’re finished, work your way to Weinerei Forum (Veteranenstrasse 14; 49-30-440-6983; www.weinerei.com), a wine bar where customers rent a glass for a euro or two. Pour as many whites and reds as you like. Before leaving, just throw some bills into the glass jar, based on what you think you owe. Socialism never tasted so good.

THE BASICS

Continental flies nonstop to Berlin from Newark Liberty International Airport, and Delta flies nonstop from Kennedy Airport. Fares start at about $570 this month, based on a recent online search.

After a drought, a wave of hotels is opening on both sides of where the Berlin Wall once stood. To the east is the Ostel (Wriezener Karree 5; 49-30-2576-8660; www.ostel.eu), a “communist retro” hostel with East German interiors, not far from the Ostbahnhof. Doubles with private bathrooms start at 61 euros ($91.50 at $1.50 to the euro); bunk beds start at 9 euros.

A worthy rival in the former West Berlin is the Arcotel John F. (Werderscher Markt 11; 49-30-405-0460; www.arcotel.at), a cosmopolitan hotel with 190 rooms, starting at about 108 euros, based on a recent Web search. It’s a good value because of its central location, well-designed furniture and attentive staff.

Where Maine Comes Out of Its Other Shell

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Explorer

By PORTER FOX

ON an overcast morning in late July, high above the swirling current of the Damariscotta River in Maine, Barb Scully stood in her roadside kiosk to sell her catch. A steady procession of summer folk, road trippers and locals cruised down River Road and stopped to browse the coolers and say hello. Every few minutes, a cordless phone would ring, and she would rattle off a list of prices, times, weights and tides.

Ms. Scully fits the image of the Maine fisherwoman well. Her tawny biceps and burly Muck boots contrast with a pearly smile and sea-green eyes. Her clapboard home along the rock-ribbed shore of the Damariscotta, a 15-mile bolt of the Atlantic that juts into midcoast Maine, completes the sketch. There is a derelict Chevrolet Nova in the backyard, and the forest leading down to the riverbank is strewn with buoys, wire traps and spools of rope.

The likeness, however, ended at Ms. Scully’s pier. Dangling from her dock were 100 plastic mesh cages that didn’t look anything like the iconic metal traps found on nearly every lobster boat in Maine. Her cages were shorter and squatter, and the shellfish her two children had just cleaned didn’t look anything like the clawed, red critters adorning some of the state’s license plates. They were oysters, and on the last Saturday of July at Ms. Scully’s stand, they were outselling Maine’s celebrity crustacean 50 to 1.

“I shipped 17,000 oysters last week,” Ms. Scully said, passing a plastic bag of freshly plucked oysters to a summer resident from New York City. Ms. Scully, who founded the Glidden Point Oyster Sea Farm in 1987 and runs it with the help of her two children, said it took a while to get the hang of oyster farming. “The first year I killed 90 percent of them,” she said. “It took 12 years to break even.”

People have been shucking oysters on the Damariscotta River for more than 2,000 years, evidenced by quarter-mile-long piles of shells, or middens, left by Native Americans on the riverbanks. But overfishing and pollution in the 19th and 20th centuries wiped out almost all of the oyster beds along the Eastern Seaboard, and it took until the late 1970s for marine biologists at the Darling Marine Center, University of Maine’s marine biology laboratory on the shores of the Damariscotta, to discover that the river was prime for replanting.

As it turns out, the same cold, nutrient-rich water that made Maine the kingpin of the lobster industry also produces perfect oysters. The Damariscotta’s water is some of the cleanest in the Northeast and gives the oysters their distinctively briny taste. Because Maine oysters take two to four years to grow to maturity, compared with a year or two in warmer waters, they also develop firmer meat, a deep cup and a thick shell that makes for easier shucking.

These days there are 12 ma-and-pa farms like Glidden Point scattered along the banks of the river. Every year, they ship more than two million oysters to restaurants like the Tabard Inn in Washington and the raw bars at Balthazar and Craftsteak in New York City.

If the Darling center was the birthplace of the oyster’s resurgence, then the port villages of Newcastle and Damariscotta are the shellfish’s hometowns. They share the Main Street Bridge that spans the river’s headwaters and edge a crescent harbor filled with wooden day-sailers and classic 1960s fishing boats. From the mid-18th century to the early 20th century, the towns were among the busiest shipbuilding centers in New England — with 30 shipyards turning out 400 boats in that time. But with the demise of the shipyards, the pride of the towns comes these days in a long, bony shell.

On a recent Friday, tourist shops selling oyster T-shirts, mugs and cocktail napkins lined Main Street in Damariscotta, the bigger of the two towns. At King Eider’s Pub, the host waltzed around a tiny oyster bar carved into the second floor, passing out a self-published magazine that described the intricacies of oyster farming.

By sundown, the center of all-things-oyster had hit full swing across the street at Schooner Landing’s dockside bar. All summer, the restaurant hosts free-oyster Fridays, and an hour into the event, Larry Sidelinger, the shucker, had pried open a half bushel of freshly harvested oysters from the Pemaquid Oyster Company, just a mile and a half down the river.

Several dozen motorcyclists, yachtsmen and tourists crowded around the tented bar. When someone asked Mr. Sidelinger how he had become so good with the knife, he hollered in a thick Downeast accent, “Dumb and dumbah!” Then he flashed his “Oysters Make You Moyster” T-shirt and slid two meaty half shells down the bar.

Oyster farmers on the Damariscotta all grow the same species of oyster, yet each farm has developed surprisingly different strains and tastes by planting in different depths and locations.

The closer the farms are to the mouth of the river, where the water is saltier, the brinier the meat. Plots closer to the riverhead tend to produce a slightly mellower, sweeter flavor. Pemaquids, like Ms. Scully’s Glidden Point oysters, are farmed near the riverhead then submerged at the river mouth for a week to purge river bottom sediment that collects during harvesting. The extra measure ensures the meat will be clean and adds a saltier finish.

Chris Davis founded the Pemaquid Oyster Company in 1986 with five friends and was among the first to adapt research at the Darling center for commercial use. He was starting his doctorate at the center when he first began farming, and he said that many of the Damariscotta’s aquaculturists had studied there at one time or another.

Mr. Davis and his partners forged many of the tools that oyster farmers now use, including plastic cages to incubate seedlings and drum sifters to separate mature oysters from smaller ones. With a recent spike in fuel costs and last summer’s drop in lobster prices because of shrinking demand, he added, even lobstermen are starting to grow oysters to bolster their bottom line. At last count, more than 25 oyster farms had popped up along the Maine coast in the last decade, Mr. Davis said.

Of all the oyster farmers working the Damariscotta, perhaps none have refined their technique as Ms. Scully has. Before going into business, she was a marine biologist for 12 years with the state Marine Resources Department.

Like most farmers, Ms. Scully, 46, gets her seedlings from local fisheries and grows them in cages for a year until they are almost an inch long. Then she plants them in water at least 40 feet deep to make the shells extra thick for easy prying and to add a touch of sweetness to the meat. She waits four years before harvesting them — usually by donning a wetsuit and diving to the river bed to collect them by hand.

Ms. Scully is among the few farmers who still dive for their oysters. She says the technique is less disruptive for the shellfish and ensures superior taste. When she brings them up, her children, Morgan, 15, and Benn, 13, chip barnacles off the shells on a wet storage dock where the oysters wait for shipping.

The extra care Ms. Scully takes adds hundreds of hours to the process, but the result is a uniform shell and a buttery, briny taste that Sean Rembold, the chef at Marlow & Sons, a cafe and raw bar in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, describes as “majestic and beautiful.” Rowan Jacobsen, who wrote “A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Oyster Eating in America” (Bloomsbury USA, 2007) even calls it “one of the world’s great oysters.”

For Ms. Scully, there was never any other way. “I don’t care to spend my life doing something I know I can do better,” she said. “I might be the most picky aquaculturist in the state of Maine. Maybe in the world.”

MAINE OYSTER CULT

GETTING THERE

Visitors can fly to Portland, Me., and drive the 60 miles north on Interstate 295 and Route 1, which can take up to two hours in the summer. You can also fly Cape Air from Boston to Rockland, Me., then drive 26 miles on Route 1, west to Damariscotta. Rental cars are available at both airports.

HOW TO GET AROUND

The best way to see the Damariscotta River is from the water. Midcoast Kayak (47 Main Street, Damariscotta; 207-563-5732; www.midcoastkayak.com) leads river tours and rents sea kayaks that visitors can paddle to some of the middens.

The Damariscotta River Association (207-563-1393; www.draclt.org) maintains riverside trails with access to several middens.

WHERE TO EAT

The Glidden Point Oyster Sea Farm (707 River Road, Edgecomb; 207-633-3599; www.oysterfarm.com) sells its catch on site.

The copper bar at the Damariscotta River Grill (155 Main Street, Damariscotta; 207-563-2992; www.damariscottarivergrill.com) is a great spot to taste half shells on ice, local fish and produce. A half-dozen Pemaquids run $11.

The oyster bar at King Eider’s Pub (2 Elm Street, Damariscott; 207-563-6008; www.kingeiderspub.com) serves oysters and traditional pub fare. Fresh-picked native crabs, $9.

Schooner Landing (40 Main Street, Damariscotta; 207-563-7447) serves Maine classics like lobster stew, $9, and the fried-clam rolls are $12.

WHERE TO STAY

The Flying Cloud Bed and Breakfast (45 River Road, Newcastle; 207-563-2484; www.theflyingcloud.com) overlooks the river and has five rooms with private baths, starting at $85.

The Newcastle Inn (60 River Road; 207-563-5685; www.newcastleinn.com) is a slightly larger, spiffier variation, with 14 rooms, starting at $135.

Seeing Chicago by Water Texi

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Seeing Chicago by Taxi, With a Venetian Twist
By RUSSELL WORKING
IT’S a standard tourist activity in a Chicago summer: you descend from Michigan Avenue to the quay along the Chicago River, board a tour boat and glide along listening to a guide on a loudspeaker talk up the architecture and rib the poor tourists from Wisconsin. You get a pleasant, breezy introduction to the heart of the city. But for a more intimate, independent and easygoing waterborne view, there’s a do-it-yourself alternative: create your own tour by water taxi.
From late spring through fall, water taxis ply the river and venture out into Lake Michigan. They operate like buses, following scheduled routes that take you to standard tourist stops like the Willis Tower (until recently called the Sears Tower) with its 103rd-story Skydeck, or Navy Pier, where you can take in a show or whirl around on a 15-story Ferris wheel. But you can also travel by water taxi to lesser known spots like Chinatown or a new museum about the river and its bridges. And you can stop whenever you want for lunch.
Two companies run distinct, though partly overlapping routes. Wendella’s Chicago Water Taxi starts at a dock below Michigan Avenue and heads west on the river, around its sharp bend to the south, and all the way to Chinatown — a trip of about three and a half miles that takes a half-hour each way. Shoreline Water Taxi goes south only to the Willis Tower, but ventures out eastward into Lake Michigan.
Whatever your ultimate goal, it makes sense to start on the north end of the Michigan Avenue Bridge and glide along for a while to the west, squinting upward at the skyscrapers as you check out some of the city’s renowned architecture. A helpful book is Jennifer Marjorie Bosch’s “View From the River: The Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise” (Pomegranate Communications). Slim enough in paperback to fit in a backpack, it allows you to identify the buildings and gulp down popcornlike bites of architectural history.
There are dozens of landmarks, including the Marina City towers at 300 North State Street, designed to resemble corncobs; the sprawling Merchandise Mart at North Wells Street, built in 1930; and the Civic Opera House on North Wacker Drive, constructed in the Art Deco armchair form and nicknamed Insull’s Throne after the tycoon who commissioned it.
A sunny day on the water is also a fine time to contemplate the river’s squalid history. It once carried a greasy soup of raw sewage and hog remains from the stockyards into Lake Michigan. In “A View From the River,” a resident recalls: “Bubbles of methane formed on the bed of the river and rose to the surface. ... Some of these bubbles were quite large and when they burst, a stink arose. There were many local names for this part of the river, most unprintable.”
Engineers dug a canal to reverse the flow in 1900, sending a pungent hello from the citizens of Chicago downstream toward the Mississippi River and St. Louis. Nowadays kayakers ply the river, and its banks are lined with expensive water-view condos and gleaming commercial towers.
The Chicago Water Taxi’s LaSalle/Clark Street stop lets passengers off at Fulton’s on the River, a seafood and steak house, and across Clark is the Flatwater Restaurant, a pleasant place for lunch, also at river level. This is also close to the theater district: several of Chicago’s main theaters lie within two blocks of the river, along with the Joffrey Ballet at 10 East Randolph Street. This stop is also a good access point for strolling the newly opened Riverwalk toward Michigan Avenue and beyond.
After the river bends south, both water taxi companies stop near the Willis Tower, where new glass-floored retractable bays at the Skydeck allow adventurous sightseers to scare themselves silly staring 1,353 feet straight down at the street. Across the river is Union Station, whose Beaux-Arts Great Hall has been featured in movies, including “The Untouchables.”
On weekends, you can continue south on the Chicago Water Taxi to Ping Tom Memorial Park (named for a Chinese-American civic leader), and proceed on foot under an ornate gate into Chinatown, with its hole-in-the-wall restaurants and stores selling barrels of ginseng or aquariums full of live frogs.
Stop in at the one-room museum dedicated to the revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, whose photos include some from Sun’s visit to Chicago shortly before he played a leading role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty in 1911. At Chinatown Square, an outdoor mall, browse stores selling green tea and Chinese cookies, a Chinese newspaper’s offices and your choice of restaurants.
Back at the other end of the river taxiway, in the southwest corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, is the new McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. There, visitors see the inner workings of a drawbridge and learn about the river’s history, including the arrival of Jean Baptiste Point Du-Sable, a black French pioneer who settled here in the late 1780s.
Across the river is Billy Goat Tavern, a watering hole favored by generations of reporters. A dimly lit cheeseburger joint may not be everyone’s choice, but fans of that dwindling medium known as the newspaper will love the old photos and the memorials to legendary journalists like Mike Royko.
From either Michigan Avenue or the LaSalle/Clark stop, it’s a short walk to the House of Blues on North Dearborn, where the Sunday morning “gospel brunch” includes a buffet with blackened catfish, jambalaya, fried chicken and omelets, along with exhilarating African-American worship and music.
For a nice ride out into Lake Michigan, take the Shoreline Water Taxi to the Navy Pier, change boats and go to the lakeside museum campus that is home to the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. All are worth serious time, but for generations of children, the must-see has been the Field’s dinosaur skeletons, including a Tyrannosaurus rex named Sue found in South Dakota in 1990.
Closer to the city center, though, the Navy Pier is home not only to carnival-like stalls and shops selling souvenirs and ice cream cones, but also to an indoor garden, a stained-glass museum and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. “Richard III” opens in September, but the current hit is Second City’s “Rod Blagojevich Superstar.” Mr. Blagojevich himself, despite smarting from the scandal that cost him the Illinois governorship this year, took a turn onstage to lampoon himself at a June performance, reciting lines from “Henry V” and inviting the cast for dinner (“We’ll be serving tarantulas”).
Before you leave the pier, buy a ticket for the Ferris wheel and spin upward for another view of the lake and the city. And, of course, the river, where the taxis are still making their way.
WATER TOURS AND LAND EXCURSIONS
WHERE TO STAY
The Hotel Sax (333 North Dearborn Street; 312-245-0333; http://www.hotelsaxchicago.com/), beneath Marina City towers, is a stylish place to stay, with a dark lounge filled with leather and velvet furniture. Standard doubles start at $169.
The Wit Hotel (201 North State Street; 312-467-0200; http://www.thewithotel.com/) is a chic new place whose rooftop bar has become an instant hit. Rooms from $179.
WHERE TO EAT
Spring World (2109 South China Place in Chinatown Square; 312-326-9966) serves the spicy food of Yunnan Province, with entrees starting at about $8.
Billy Goat Tavern (430 North Michigan Avenue on the lower level; 312-222-1525; http://www.billygoattavern.com/), still a journalists’ watering hole, offers a newspaper-themed atmosphere and cheeseburgers starting at $2.95. Take the stairs down from upper Michigan Avenue.
House of Blues (329 North Dearborn Street; 312-923-2000; http://www.houseofblues.com/) offers live music every night. There is a cover charge of $7 to $10 after 10 p.m.; entrees start at $10.99 for a hamburger. Sunday brunch is $37.50, including taxes.
Flatwater (321 North Clark Street; 312-644-0283; http://www.flatwater.us/) is at river level and serves a brunch that includes crab cakes Benedict ($14) or dinner entrees starting at $24. There’s a wood-paneled interior and riverside tables to watch the boats.
GETTING AROUND
For Wendella’s Chicago Water Taxi (400 North Michigan Avenue; 312-337-1446; http://www.chicagowatertaxi.com/), go down the stairs on the north side of the Michigan Avenue Bridge by the Wrigley Building, then follow the signs to the taxi dock. An all-day pass costs $4 on weekdays, $6 on weekends and holidays.
To use Shoreline Water Taxi (401 North Michigan Avenue; 312-222-9328; http://www.shorelinewatertaxi.com/), take the steps down on the northeast side of the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The fare to 200 South Wacker Drive is $3; to the Museum Campus via Navy Pier, it’s $10.

Travel: 36 Hours in Oslo

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By STUART EMMRICH

THE first thing anyone who knows Oslo says when you mention that you are headed there is, “It’s really expensive.” The second thing they say is, “No, I’m not kidding. It’s really expensive.” And, indeed, a visit to Oslo brings with it immediate sticker shock: a bottle of water costs the equivalent of $6, a small glass of beer will set you back $10 or more, and a bottle of wine at dinner can practically equal a month’s mortgage payment back home. But you quickly, if grudgingly, accept the damage done to your wallet after a few hours strolling around this beguiling city — particularly in summer, when the sun’s last rays still haven’t faded by 11 p.m. and the locals, unshackled from the oppressiveness of the Scandinavian winter, seem to be in a nonstop party mode.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) ROYALTIES

If you walk down Karl Johans Gate, the main drag of central Oslo, a tree-lined promenade bordered by restaurants, cafes and upscale stores, you’ll eventually find yourself face-to-face with the Royal Palace, the mammoth, cream-colored home of the Norwegian royal family. As such, the palace (Henrik Ibsen Vei 1; 47-22-04-87-00; www.kongehuset.no) is open to the public only a few hours each day. In summer, one of those times is 4 p.m. on Friday, when an English-language tour (95 kroner, or $15.15 at 6.27 Norwegian kroner to the dollar) is given to visitors. You’ll get a CliffsNotes version of Norwegian history from the informative guides as well as a spectacular view of the city from the windows that open to the royal balcony.

5:30 p.m.
2) SAY ONKEL

For a predinner drink, you might want to join the lively crowd at Onkel Donald (Universitetsgata 26; 47-23-35-63-10; www.onkeldonald.no), an open-air cafe opposite the National Theater, where the inviting aroma of burgers being cooked on a huge outdoor grill wafts over the young patrons as they share pitchers of Ringnes beer (245 kroner) and bowls of moules frites (159 kroner).

8:30 p.m.
3) FRUIT OF THE SEA

The restaurant Solsiden, set in a converted warehouse on the waterfront, offers an ideal setting for dinner, particularly when staff members roll up the huge canvas window shades and patrons can watch the sun as it begins its slow descent across the Oslo Fjord. Local seafood is the specialty at this spot (Sondre Akershus Kai 34; 47-...; www.solsiden.no; dinner only), which is open only from May to September, with many diners starting off their meal with a huge platter of fruits de mer. Dinner for two, including dessert and wine, should run about 1,600 kroner.

10 p.m.
4) ON THE HOUSE

When the Oslo Opera House (Kirsten Flagstad Plass 1; 47-21-42-21-00; www.operaen.no), designed by the hot Norwegian firm Snohetta, opened in 2008, the Norwegian capital got more than a world-class performing arts center. It also got an unlikely playground. At almost any time of the day or night, hundreds of visitors scramble all over the building’s sleek, gently angled Italian marble surface, inching their way up to the plaza-like rooftop. Think of it as a cultural institution that doubles as a jungle gym.

Saturday

10:30 a.m.
5) ON THE FJORD

The sun’s been up for hours by now, so stir yourself and enjoy its rays while taking a boat trip around the Oslo Fjord, gliding past bucolic islands dotted with the colorful summer homes of the city’s well-to-do residents. Boats (Radhusbrygge 3; 47-23-35-68-90; www.boatsightseeing.com) leave from a dock opposite the Oslo City Hall, and a two-hour ride costs 230 kroner.

1 p.m.
6) ON THE TABLE

After returning to land, head over to nearby Aker Brygge, a lively waterfront development of bars, restaurants and a huge indoor shopping center. There are plenty of dining options here, but probably the best place for lunch is Lofoten Fiskerestaurant (Stranden 75; 47-22-83-08-08; www.lofoten-fiskerestaurant.no), particularly if you can snag an outdoor table. Summer offerings include mussels in white wine (139 kroner) and baked sea pike served with lemon risotto (268 kroner). Reservations essential. Afterward, stroll around the area, popping into the Nobel Museum, City Hall and perhaps the shopping center, where among dozens of shops you will find a stylish Scandinavian housewares store called Kitch’n (Stranden 3; 47-22-83-45-20), selling everything from elegant salad bowls (495 kroner) to brightly colored rolls of toilet paper (29 kroner each).

4 p.m.
7) A PLAYWRIGHT’S HOUSE

Yes, behind every great man is said to be a woman. But how many women all but chained their elderly husbands to their desk for two and a half hours each morning, demanding that they put in a full quota of work before letting them escape down the street for a leisurely lunch and a welcome drink? That seems to be the legacy of Suzannah Thoresen, the wife of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, as entertainingly recounted by the English-language guides at the Ibsen Museum. (They also let you know that she was so penurious that Ibsen had to go behind her back and secretly order the expensive French fabric he coveted for the drawing room windows.) There’s more here than the retelling of domestic squabbles, however, as you walk through the painstakingly restored home where Ibsen, long self-exiled from his home country, spent his final years and wrote his last two plays, “John Gabriel Borkman” and “When We Dead Awaken.” (Henrik Ibsen’s Gate 26; 47-22-12-35-50; www.norskfolkemuseum.no; 85 kroner for a guided tour.) Don’t miss the short black-and-white film about Ibsen’s life and career, which includes newsreel footage of his funeral. It’s shown in alternating Norwegian and English versions. (The Norwegian one is oddly compelling, even if you don’t speak a word of the language.)

8 p.m.
8) TRY THE REINDEER

For a sampling of traditional Norwegian cuisine, like medallions of reindeer in a sauce of port and raisins, head over to Engebret Café (Bankplassen 1; 47-22-82-25-25; www.engebret-cafe.no), a quietly elegant restaurant set in a low-slung 17th-century building. If the weather is nice, grab one of the 20 or so outdoor tables, where the voices of the other patrons are softened by the sound of the bubbling fountain in the adjoining courtyard. Dinner for two, including dessert and wine, will run about 1,400 kroner.

10:30 p.m.
9) NIGHTCAP OR NIGHT STARTER

After dinner, walk down to the waterfront until you encounter the park surrounding the famed Akershus Castle, a cannon-protected fortress that offers romantic views of the Oslo Fjord. Following the winding path will eventually lead you down to the bars of the Aker Brygge promenade, like the barge-like Lekter’n (Stranden 3; 47-22-83-00-60), where many of the city’s youth are getting ready for their night to shift into high gear.

Sunday

11 a.m.
10) WE ALL SCREAM

Two words: “The Scream.” You can’t visit Oslo without seeing this masterwork by Edvard Munch, which is on view at the National Gallery (Universitetsgata 2; 47-21...; www.nasjonalmuseet.no), with helpful signs leading you along the way. But take a few moments to check out other, lesser-known works, like several pieces by the painting duo of Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude, whose “Bridal Voyage on the Hardanger Fjord” is described as “one of the most important in Norwegian art.” A total immersion in Edvard Munch, both of his own work and of the art he collected, can be found across town at the Munch Museum (Toyengata 53; 47-23-4...; www.munch.museum.no).

1 p.m.
11) SCULPTURAL PARK

The Vigeland Sculpture Park (www.vigeland.museum.no) is the work of the sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who not only designed the park itself but also created the more than 200 sculptures that dot its grounds, including the massive Tower-of-Babel-like centerpiece known as the monolith, with its collection of writhing, naked bodies carved out of a single granite block. The park, which you can reach either on a short ride on the No. 12 tram or through a pleasant walk through a lovely residential neighborhood, is extremely popular with the locals. On a recent afternoon, the crowd included picnickers, sunbathers, families out for a stroll, and even two groups of rival cheerleading squads practicing their routines. (Was “Bring It On” a big hit in Norway?)

THE BASICS

Continental has nonstop flights from Newark to Oslo Airport Gardermoen, with airfares starting at about $610 round trip for weekend trips in September. Slightly lower fares can be found on US Airways and SAS, but they require a stop along the way. The best way to get into downtown Oslo from the airport is Flytoget, the express train, which leaves every 10 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to get to Central Station. The one-way fare is 170 kroner ($27 at 6.27 kroner to the dollar) if you buy it from a vending machine; 200 kroner if you buy it from a ticket clerk. (A taxi could cost as much as 775 kroner, or about $125, one way.)

First Hotel Grims Grenka (Kongens Gate 5; 47-23-10-72-00; www.firsthotels.com/en) is a modern, sleek hotel in the city center, right next to the National Museum of Architecture. Free Wi-Fi in the rooms and a lively bar on the rooftop. Rates for a double room start at about 1,550 kroner, about $247, a night, based on a recent check on the hotel’s Web site.

The Thon Hotel Opera (Christian Frederiksplass 5; 47-24-10-30-00; www.thonhotels.com), part of a popular, midrange Norwegian chain, is across from Central Station. It has views of the nearby Opera House from many of its 434 rooms, as well as from the glass elevator rising from the sleek lobby, the terrace bar on the fourth floor, the inviting Scala restaurant and the treadmills in the hotel’s vest-pocket gym. Rates for a double room start at around 1,140 kroner a night, when booked through the hotel’s Web site.