New Pod Hotel to Open in Manhattan in June
I just got word that a second pod hotel, The Pod 39 Hotel, will be opening in the Murray Hill section of the city in June. The 367-room hotel will be located in a 17-story building at 145 East 39th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues. I stayed in the first Pod Hotel on East 51st Street after it opened and, while I thought the space was adequate even at a meager 60 to 120 feet, I was woken up in the middle of the night by all the people coming and going to the shared bathroom. Pod 39 will remedy that problem by having private bathrooms in all guestrooms. The $119 starting rate will also offer guests access to the rooftop lounge and use of the mounted iPads in the lobby. A projection wall of guest photography will also be showcased in the lobby. Rooms feature a bed, flat-screen television, desk, drawers, and bathroom, and very little space for anything else. But c’mon, we’re talking Manhattan. How much time do you really want to spend in your room besides sleeping? For single travelers and couples, it’s a great deal. The owners also have plans to expand to Boston, Chicago, Philly and DC.
Myanmar (Burma) will have a landmark year in 2015, when it holds its first national elections since 1990. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is favored to win a sweeping majority of seats, but foreign diplomats are already worried that the military will rear its ugly head once again, rigging the election in favor of its de facto party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). The reforms of late 2012, early 2013 brought much needed democratic changes, optimism, and a surge of international travelers, many of whom were waiting for the release of Suu Kyi, the Burmese activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. These last two years have also brought a surge of capital primarily from China to build up the cities. Chinese investments have already changed the look of Vientiane, the historic capital of Laos on the Mekong River. Now the cranes and condos could very well change the look of Yangon (formerly Rangoon), Myanmar’s major city. If you want to visit the golden pagodas, colonial-era buildings, traditional shops, and 40s-era mansions, go now before the city is dotted with sleek new skyscrapers. Then take a river cruise to Mandalay, stopping at small villages along the way to get a real taste of Southeast Asia. 
If you’re yearning for a genuine wilderness experience in the northeast, one where you can breathe in the pine-scented air and stare in awe at a moose while throwing out your fly for brookies and landlocked salmon, then it’s hard to top the locale of the Medawisla Lodge. Located on the shores of Second Roach Pond in Maine’s legendary 100-Mile Wilderness Region, Medawisla has been attracting outdoor lovers to this pristine spot since 1953. But never has it looked so good. The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) just reopened 
The Florida Keys are basically small spits of land connected by bridges on the Overseas Highway. Surrounding you is the water of ocean and bay, but it’s hard to get too far off the beaten track on land. No Name Key off of Big Pine Key is arguably the most remote section of the Upper Keys. The best to way to see the island is from the seat of a sea kayak with Bill Keogh as your guide. For 20 years, Keogh, owner of 
St. Lucia wellness resort