Exploring Hakone Gardens, Chocolate Travel, California Wines and Lansing, MI

WORLD FOOTPRINTS

At 100+ years old, Hakone Gardens is a National Trust and one of the oldest Japanese estate and gardens in the Western Hemisphere. In honor of its centennial, Hakone is celebrating its beginning and lasting endurance with multi-year events and activities. Historian and Hakone Foundation Board Member, Connie Young-Yu, shares the richness and history of this oasis that sits on the edge of Silicon Valley. We'll examine the emerging trend of chocolate travel with travel writer and Chocolatour publisher, Doreen Pendgracs. Speaking of wine...California has been a leader in developing and implementing sustainable programs in a number of industries, but most prominently in its winemaking practices. Allison Jordan with California's Wine Institute takes us on an excursion through the state's famous winegrowing regions and she offers the backstory behind their earth-friendly practices. Lansing, Michigan has blossomed into a dynamic cultural center and the city has grown far beyond the small plot of land that European explorer Hugh Heward discovered while canoeing down the Grand River in 1790. Lori Lanspeary from the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau tells us why Lansing, home to Michigan State University, is much more than a college town. Finally, we'll shine a destination spotlight on the Dominican Republic and Cabo San Lucas from the floor of the Adventure Travel Show in Washington, D.C.