It's almost morning in Iceland.

I can think of a few million reason why I'd like to be in Iceland right now. For starters, the temperature is only climbing into the mid-50's tomorrow. (Well, they use Celsius, so I guess it's climbing into the elevens.) Also, they're getting 18 hours of sunshine right now, which is fantastic. And last, I'd like to spend some quality time in the Blue Lagoon. It's $28 to get in, 100 degrees in the water, and they have a full menu of spa treatments. Their spa products are also available online -- but considering a bottle of algae body lotion is $61, you might as well just swing for the airfare, no?

It's a cold day in Dubai. Sort of.

Let me preface this by saying that I love, love, love Dubai's total lack of simplicity. They've got the world's tallest hotel, the futuristic Burj al-Arab, looming 1,053 feet over an artifical island. They've got the Palm Islands and The World. But most importantly, it's 93 degrees in the shade and they've got skiing. Hey, why not? Ski Dubai is located inside the Mall of the Emirates, which (naturally) is one of the biggest malls in the world. A full-day lift ticket costs $73 and gives you access to five runs and a snowpark (the biggest in the world, if you hadn't guessed). It'll also get you rental skis, a jacket, snowpants, socks and a helmet -- all the things you don't pack when heading for the Arabian Peninsula.

Better than Six Flags!

I don't understand why theme parks around here don't look anything like Xcaret Eco Theme Park in Playa del Carmen. I guess rollercoasters are fun in their own way -- except for the nausea -- but can we discuss the total superiority of this place? You can snorkel a coral reef, snooze on the beach, relax in a lagoon, swim in an underground river, take a snuba tour, see a rodeo, swim with dolphins...you get the point. Plus they have all sorts of awwww-inspiring animal exhibits. And it's only $53 to get in ($80 extra if you want to bond with Flipper).

Fly away with me.

In about 15 minutes, the grass-skirted man of questionable sobriety will ride this Purple People Eater off a pier and plunge into the chilly Baltimore Harbor thirty feet below. As far as free entertainment goes, it really doesn't get much better. Last October's Flugtag -- a Red Bull-sponsored event in which participants vie for the chance to pilot doomed human-powered flying machines -- was so fantabulous that I briefly considered driving out to Nashville for the June '07 event. (Among other highlights, a family shoved its matriarch off the pier facedown, whereupon she executed the most painful and presumably unintentional belly-flop in history. Woohoo!) But this may be one of those things where you benefit from the element of surprise (and horror, and pity). The ongoing event stops in Austin on August 25th; check the website for location updates.

All this rain makes me want vino.

The nasty weather on the East Coast today is reminding me of Sonoma, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Last time I was there, we were chased out of our wine tastings by mudslides -- luckily not before we had a chance to stop at Benziger Family Winery, a biodynamic farm with a fabulous and cheap tractor tour ($10). They even provide wool blankies if it's rainy and freeeeezing. My favorite tidbit: In lieu of icky pesticides, they breed bug-eating bugs to kill off the plant-eating bugs. My favorite grape: The 2004 North Coast Sauvignon Blanc. My favorite gadget: GPS, which is nice when the roads you know are flooded.