Check out our list for best holiday parties, parades & fireworks!

Yes, we know the title is a bit long but we have a lot to say!  Twitter is the new Black since it went from something that many marketing, Internet, Web 2.0 and advanced users were doing to something even Oprah is now on overnight.  When something techy like a Blackberry or Twitter becomes super cool for leisure purposes, that’s when you can say it has come full circle into the masses (or at least the hip and trendy masses).

Twitter is MySpace on steroids because it is all about the status updates and it encourages you to post short entries many times a day rather than once a week.  Since Twitter only has around 15 million users, we are thinking we should provide a little background info on the hot new micro-blogging trend for many of our readers who may or may not be on Twitter already.  Twitter allows anyone to speak their mind in 140 characters or less much like cell phone text messaging meets the Internet.  Then they put a cool Web 2.0 twist on it.  So it is then text messaging meets Facebook as you can alert your friends or followers with each new post or mini blog entry you make.  You can give updates on what you are doing all day long.  Facebook calls this their Status Updates and what they are really doing is trying to compete a bit with Twitter.  Facebook does have their eye on the younger Twitter as you’ll notice how much Facebook now pushes their status updates as the main thing you see on your page.

In today’s time crunched world it seems most people do not have the time to write a full article or longer blog.  Instead they can just quickly throw up their ideas in more of a headlines type of way on Twitter.  Life is not all about reading books or writing full articles.  Life is crazy 1 million miles an hour with tons of random thoughts, hopes, dreams and wacky ideas.  And you can post all of these and more easily on Twitter.

Twitter hit the big time last week thanks to the Ashton Kutcher CNN Twitter race to 1 million followers.  journeyPod helped push the cause along as we rallied support for Ashton on Twitter in Atlanta at the CNN Center.   He grabbed headlines all week, going on Larry King Live and even Oprah.  So then of course Oprah had to get on Twitter and the rest is history as many of her non early adapter viewers jumped on Twitter probably 2 years before they would have. 

Some people have estimated that the Oprah exposure yielded Twitter an additional 1 million users.  I would say Ashton’s PR buzz all last week probably added another 1 to 2 million users.

Celebrities have a lot to gain from Twitter as their fans can really keep up with them and get that behind the scenes access not found anywhere else.  If you are a Limp Bizkit fan for example you would have known long before most people that their lead singer, Fred Durst, got engaged since he posted the exciting news on Twitter over the weekend.

Celebs can offer fans a small glimpse into their daily lives and really connect with them in a whole new way.   So follow your faves on Twitter and follow journeyPod to keep up with new celebrity sightings, celebrity chefs, restaurant openings and boutique hotels around the globe. 

Photo credit Oprah.com

For a tourist destination or resort to be awarded an eco-friendly certificate means so much more than just recycling or conserving energy. Tourism has a huge impact on "Mother Earth" when it comes to natural resources and habitat, and as global warming threatens our very existence and the world rallies together to honor Earth Hour, the need for eco-friendly tourist destinations is slowly being recognized as a necessity when choosing a vacation destination.

Now, don't be mistaken - eco friendly does not necessarily mean rustic. Don't worry, there's plenty of pampering going around in these special eco-friendly resorts and no one has to give up any luxurious little extras. So, sit back, relax and get ready to 'go green' as journeyPod guides you to the

World's Best Eco-Friendly Destinations:

From North America to Africa and even as far as Asia, we've discovered the most luxurious destinations for the eco-traveler. You can start by taking yourself on an unforgettable journey to Sri Lanka, home of the lavish Heritance Kandalama Hotel, listed among the world's top 15 best eco-friendly hotels. Heritance Kandalama is perfectly positioned with its back to the Kandalama rock where the mountains descend to the dry plains and a vast protected forest gives way to tea and spice plantations, enabling visitors to enjoy a wide variety of Sri Lanka's un-spoilt nature. Kadalama is also an ideal destination for archaeological enthusiast and historians offering a rare insight into ancient Buddhist ruins.

The hotel incorporates many features linking it with its environment and was designed by world- renowned architect, Geoffrey Bawa. Rocks, caves and cascades of rainwater add drama to corridors, foliage brushes the windows, flowering woodland creepers curtain balconies and the roofs are terraces of wild grass. Although Heritance Kandalama has received many international awards for their food and superb service, they are more importantly recognized for their commitment to the conservation of the environment in energy, water, waste management and sensitive purchasing. The fact that they maintain an eco-friendly system throughout the entire hotel seems to be Heritance Kandalama's main attraction. Even the hotel wastewater is recycled and used for plants, while the garbage is recycled and used as various subsidiaries.

A little closer to home, Mauna Lani Resort on Hawaii's Big Island has been named the only US property to be honored as one of the world's "Top Luxury Eco-Friendly Beach Destinations" by Condé Nast Traveler's. Their innovative solar system has earned the resort the distinction of generating the most solar electric power of any luxury resort in the world. And, their dedication to preserving Hawaii's natural resources, environment and culture is one of the most important parts of the resort experience.

However the Mauna Lani Resort's efforts to protect the environment stretch far beyond the resort itself. Their green sea turtle program, run in collaboration with the Oahu's Sea Life Park has consistently been praised for being one of the worlds best ecotourism attractions. In addition the resort was selected as one of only ten golf resorts in the world for the first-ever Green Golf Award by Golf Magazine. The water system pumps more than 3 million gallons of brackish water per day to water the 38 hole golf course. On the greens, the use of drought-resistance grass requires considerably less fertilizer and herbicides contributing to the resort's eco-friendly golf operation. Even the lavish Mauna Lani Spa is eco-friendly, operating a one-of-a-kind lava watsu pool using a 'green' photovoltaic system and creating an unforgettable aquatic body treatment complete with underwater acoustics and lighting effects.

Stay tuned for more of the World's Best Eco-Friendly Destinations – Part II

Not that we ever need a good reason to eat, drinks and be merry… this year's South Beach Wine & Food Festival was not to be missed - and we made sure of that!

In keeping with its tradition (and celebrating is 7th year), the Festival was a star-studded, fun (and food) filled extravaganza that brought together some of the world's most renowned culinary masterminds with foodies just like us!

The Festival featured food icons like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Govind Armstrong, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Tyler Florence, and hundreds of top chefs spanning the globe. This year's event also boasted many exciting and interesting gastronomic festivities and showcased vendors from all over the world.

Here are just some of the festival's signature events we got a chance to experience:

Grand Tasting Village

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Talk about a great way to kick off a culinary adventure! This two-day journey was sprawled across much of the beach along Ocean Avenue and featured everything from Lifestyle Seminars to a Grand Tasting - bringing together all of the excitement of this annual event.

The Grand Tasting Village offered tents filled with chef superstars, top wine and spirits producers and local restaurateurs offering a non-stop tasting and feasting of their best. The festivities also included a dance floor, music and an opportunity to rub elbows with chef celebrities attending the show.

Burger Bash - Hosted by Rachael Ray

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Despite the fact that everyone seems to be watching their waistlines these days - it was a relief to know that even for just one day everyone could put that diet-watch aside and enjoy this good ol' American tradition!

First inducted into the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in 2007, the Burger Bash was one of the weekend's most highly anticipated events - featuring an assortment of winning burgers from top burger-makers from around the country.

Whichever topping or condiment was chosen to accompany this delightful treat, each and every burger here was a hit! Located inside a tent right on South Beach, the Burger Bash was a meat-fest that offered attendees the opportunity to walk the tent and get a little taste from some of the best burger joints. Among this year's featured burgers, were winners of last year's "Burger Bash People's Choice Award" - Shake Shack. Though Radius of Boston beat out the competition, other noteworthy competitors included BTL (chef Laurent Tourondel) and Love Shack (chef Tim Love).

With no shortage of great burgers havens, our only complaint: we didn't have enough room to try them all (all 17 of them)!

"Best of the Best"

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Talk about a food-filled (three and a half-hour long) extravaganza of the some of the best from the best! Guests who attending this year's "Best of the Best" event enjoyed a spectacular and gluttonous experience by visiting a series of suites (houses within the American Airlines Arena), each featuring a sophisticated tasting from personalities like Alfred Portale (Fontainebleau Resorts), Kerry Simon (Simon LA), Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto), Michael Lomonaco (Porter House New York) and many many others; alongside champagne houses and 40 or so of the world's top wineries - who poured their finest. Talk about a great pairing!

All in all, this year's festival was amazing - though we're still trying to work off those calories!

For all you foodies out there, mark your calendars for the 2009 South Beach Wine & Food Festival - scheduled to kick off on Thursday, February 19th. Programming for next year's festivities are already underway, with Emeril Lagasse selected as the 2009 Tribute Dinner honoree.

Paris.  Tokyo.  New York.  Chattanooga.  Ok, so you caught us.  Yes, journeyPod usually sticks to the trendy destinations.  But once in a while, we like to throw in something a bit different.  Since most people have never been to Chattanooga, we wanted to shed a little light on this unique Tennessee city which offers a lot more than you would think.

Chattanooga is in fact a place where you can see 7 US States from one spot which happens to be over 1700 feet above sea level.  At the top of Lookout Mountain you'll find Rock City where you can take in the beautiful view and do some hiking.  Rock City offers ancient rock formations and breaktaking vistas.  Explore the caves and enjoy the gardens.  This is the type of attraction where you can get outside and participate in the fun. 

While you are up there, head over to Ruby Falls to descend 260 feet into the mountain.  They say it is an experience 200 million years in the making.  No worries, it will only take you about an hour to do the tour.  1120 feet underground you will discover Ruby Falls.  If you love spelunking or caverns or just hanging out underground, this is your type of attraction.

Chattanooga has a ton of outdoor activities from hang gliding to skydiving to white water rafting. 

The Tennessee Aquarium is one of the country's best featuring sharks, penguins, otters, and more.  Chattanooga makes for a great weekend getaway and is very family friendly.

Looking for Chattanooga hotels or places to stay?  We recommend The Chattanoogan which is an urban resort right downtown.  Luxury accommodations await you (and so does free WiFi).  They also have their own spa to take the edge off.

And we must mention the hottest club in town called The Mix.  You would not expect to find such a hip establishment in Chattanooga, but The Mix turns your Southern Stereotype on its head.  The Mix has a sleek interior with plenty of talent.  The crowd is a nice blend of young professionals.

Chattanooga is known for its BBQ.  Famous Dave's is a small chain, but don't let that fool you as their pulled pork is quite tasty.  You can also sample Sticky Fingers (with their multiple locations) or Sugar's Ribs.  Let us know which of these three you prefer!  And be sure to visit our BBQ Picks for the best pork barbeque in the country.

All in all, we really enjoyed our time in this under-rated city.  Checkout Chattanoogafun.com for more ideas and attraction info.

All right all you beach bums and sun worshippers out there… you have so many options, and so little time. But don't fret… THIS is what you have been waiting for. journeyPod has gone to great lengths to bring you a list of the top beaches in the world. While the best beaches may still be up for debate with some of you, we've gone as far as finding out where the elite relax, the studs surf and the bikini babes bronze. We highlight which beaches have the idyllic settings, powdery white sand and turquoise waters.

So grab your iPod, Gucci shades, your sexiest swimwear and cooler, and get ready to dig your toes into one of these top beach spots:

Maroma (Riviera Maya, Mexico): Voted "1 Beach in the World" by The Travel Channel AND the critics at journeyPod agree. Stay at the luxurious resort overlooking the beach, indulge in an all-day spa treatment or dine on the sand with that certain someone.

Phi Phi Island (Thailand): This ultimate tropical getaway boasts some of the best scenery imaginable – so make sure you bring your camera cause you're in for a delight. Stay in a private villa with an eternity pool overlooking the beach and enjoy the finer things in life.

Grace Bay Beach (Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands): Grab your scuba gear and get ready to dive into the most tranquil water imaginable.

Seychelles Islands: A honeymoon paradise, these beaches will cure all stress or worries. It's hard not to fall in love all over again while lying on the sensual sand and dipping into the heavenly and transparent water.

La Concha Bay in San Sebastian (Spain): After a day of wine tasting in La Rioja and the freshest seafood tapas imaginable - cool off with a dip in this picturesque ocean.

Elia Beach (Mykonos): Ever felt like sunbathing at a nudist beach? What better place to do this than with the Greek gods and goddesses in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Combining relaxation with music (and partying), this is definitely one of the sexier beaches on our list.

Cane Garden Bay (Tortola, British Virgin Islands): Hop on a sailboat for your sunbathing adventures and enjoy the glide across the smooth sensual waters of this beautiful island.

Ibiza (Balearic Island): Clubbers from all over watch the sun rise and set on the beach at Café del Mar. Enjoy the transient music and feel the vibe on this sexy beach.

St. Barts (Carribbean): Its hard not to catch a celebrity let loose on these beautiful beaches. Watch them let their hair down as they enjoy the talcum powdery sand and aqua blue ocean.

St. Tropez (France): Yachts, movie stars, and models can be found floating along the coast of this seaside French town.

Brela Beach (Croatia): Still a secret to most sun-seekers, Croatia offers beautiful secluded coves and waterfalls to aid in ultimate relaxation.

Timmendorfer Strand, Baltic Sea (Germany): Stretch out in a beach basket (Strand korb) on this powdery white beach. Enjoy a fresh fish sandwich and take a nice stroll at this heavenly hot spot.

Hanalei Bay (Kauai, Hawaii): You've got the mountains on one side and the endless ocean on the other as you sip on a scrumptious tropical cocktail. Could it get any better? We think not!

Matira Beach (Bora Bora, Tahiti): This dreamy beach will make you want to extend your trip and become a true beach bum. Take a boat ride and spot the dolphins swimming. Or simply sit and relax on the sand in mountain pose and just feel the rejuvenation.

Ipanema (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): Bikini babes flaunt their well-rounded figures at this sultry spot. The party is alive and well after-hours as the crowd enjoys the caipirinhas till dawn.

Arambol,Goa, (India): Meditate on this secluded beach and take in the striking view of your surroundings – like a breath of fresh air!

Bondi Beach (Australia): Australia's most famous beach located along the shores of Sydney – need we say more?! Grab yer mate and surfboard and get ready to hit the waves!

Coronado Beach (San Diego): Large palm trees dance back and forth over the ivory beach at this spot. So whether you decide to swim, surf, sail, fish or just sleep – this is sun heaven!

Now, for those of you who simply can't make it out to the real beach… we've got 2 top picks for best man-made hot spots:

Mandalay Beach (Las Vegas): Sand and crashing waves make this spot ideal for relaxation after a night out in Sin City. Sip on a Mango Margarita while spreading out on a poolside day bed and enjoy the eye candy!

Sun City (South Africa): A wave machine makes this pool sound and feel like the real thing! Enjoy a day of poker, sightseeing or golfing and let your mind drift while you lay waterside.