The 40th anniversary of the first moonwalk is swiftly approaching: July 20, 2009. And although it's been long in the making, Virgin Galactic moves ever closer to making a space journey a reality for private citizens willing to spend $200,000. (A bargain, really, considering that arranging private space travel today costs about $20 million.) On May 28, 2009, Virgin Galactic announced the successful completion of the first phase of tests of the rocket motor that will propel space tourists up, up and away.

There are still more tests to go, but at this point, the plan is to start sending passengers into space as soon as late 2010. (Delays are very likely, so no need to go into an oxygen-free environment just yet -- don't hold your breath.) There's no moonwalking in the cards, but there is traveling at 3,000 miles an hour to 70 miles above the earth's surface, experiencing weightlessness and a view of more than 1,000 miles in all directions.

If you want to get to this before the been-there-done-that's set in -- at current tally, there are 300 people from 42 countries waiting for their turn -- it's worth signing up early. You can accomplish this exclusively through luxury travel pros Virtuoso, who are the first "Accredited Space Agents."

In fact, Virtuoso founder Matthew D. Upchurch is a candidate to be among the first to make the trip. Whether he's on the very first flight will be determined by a lottery -- he's got a 1 in 14 chance. But hey, the odds of reaching the moon at all forty years ago had to be longer than that.

Like travel shows on television? Then you'll love Voyage.tv a new luxury travel site that offers original lifestyle programming that is available both online at www.voyage.tv and in 20 million homes via Video-On-Demand, The beautiful high-definition footage includes culinary tours, visits to spas and health resorts and shopping experiences. Right now Voyage.tv is showcasing the Caribbean with programming on 11 islands with future spotlights to include New York, Mexico, Hawaii, Tuscany, Bali and Marrakech.

Voyage also includes personal insights from local Resident Editors with dining and nightlife recommendations as well as articles from leading travel publications and video profiles of leading hotels and resorts. And if your viewing inspires you to action, Voyage has partnered with a third-party company (Trisept Solutions) to provide vacation packages. John Pasmore, the president of Voyages North America told the NY Times that he expects the revenue of the site to be equally divided between advertising and bookings. Advertisers appear in display ads but also in spots at the beginning of videos.

One intriguing feature is that Voyage.tv allows public access to its digital mash-up library of full motion video encompassing over 20,000 HD clips, as well as a library of stock images and, in the future, music tracks. Members are encouraged to combine this footage with their own travel video and photography and even produce their own 'feature' videos for the Voyage.tv site.

The owner of the Coco Reef Resort in Bermuda really wants you to buy a painting when you visit a new fine art gallery and restaurant in Paget, so much so that he'll make your vacation free if you buy some art. The new Caribbean fine arts gallery will be located in the former Triminghams store on South Road in Paget near the hotel. The Royal Gazette reports that the gallery will have an artist in residence available for visitors to watch working. The $7 million gallery, wine and tapas bar is due to open soon and will have a lavish look with marble floors, crystal chandeliers and "the most luxurious bathrooms in the region." As for the painting deal, a minimum purchase will be required. Rates at the Coco Reef start around $450 a night.

The new Spa of the Rockies, located next to the world's largest mineral hot springs pool at Glenwood Springs, Colorado was designed to appeal to both women and men. The spa offers flat screen televisions, fireplaces, and special massage treatments cater to men. Treatments include deep tissue massages as well as reflexology and sport manicures and pedicures. Two flat screen TVs are mounted above fireplaces in the two tub rooms named Symmetry and Repose. Before a massage, Spa of the Rockies' male guests can unwind with a mineral soak in rooms which are decked out in man-friendly colors and offer complimentary razors, aftershave and mouthwash. Spa packages combining multiple treatments and a stay at the Glenwood Springs Lodge are available. The pool itself can be a bit crowded and packed with families but it's still a pretty impressive sight. Since it is a hot springs pool it is over 90 degrees so this isn't the place for a refreshing dip on a hot day. All the more reason to spend the day in the spa and enjoy the pool after nightfall.

What's really rare is a place that provides true luxury outside this conventional mold -- a feat which I think is only accomplished by having a person of impeccable taste paying attention to every last detail of a guest experience. And to my mind, the exemplar is Hacienda San Lucas, in Copán Ruinas, Honduras.

Hacienda San Lucas is an eco-lodge has just eight rooms, and no, it doesn't have the latest bells and whistles. There's no flat screen TV, no whirlpool tub, no "in room console" where you can open and close your shades while lying on your bed. There's not even a telephone in the room -- which, come to think of it, is a luxury of its own kind. But owner Flavia Cueva is a person of impeccable taste, and she has rigorously thought through every single detail. The result is a total retreat that's simply and sensually luxurious.

When you arrive through the tropical lush greenery, you'll smell strong scent of burning wood, hear the pat pat pat of fresh tortillas being made, and see commanding valley views: in places, directly into the town's Mayan ruins, with the the wavy-topped mountains as a backdrop. The main building was Cueva's centuries-old family home, some nine years ago, she added guest rooms at a remove from the main building. The rooms feature pitched wide wooden planked ceilings, white plaster walls, adorned with local tapestries and art work and smooth stone floors. At night the entire property is lit by countless candles, in the rooms, along the walkways, and in the dining area.

In a quiet spot, there's Gaia, a dedicated yoga pavilion and meditation space with views into the Mayan ruins. Arrange yoga classes during your stay with excellent local teacher (and ex-pat Canadian) Leah Glatz, who frequently works with Aum Rak, a local Mayan shaman. Or attend an organized retreat: on August 8th-16th, Global Soul Adventures is running one of its acclaimed yoga retreats at San Lucas.

Summer will be here soon, and if you have not yet planned a vacation, now's the time. Here's an idea: The Ritz-Carlton, a name synonymous with luxury accommodations, just introduced two vacation packages made to create memories with "a selection of offerings that are not just about spending less, but experiencing more." The "Peace of Mind" or "Reconnect" packages are available in city and resort locations in the United States as well as abroad.

The Peace of Mind package includes accommodations, daily breakfast for two, Internet, local calls, parking and up to three complimentary nights The Ritz Kids special activities program is available for two youngsters. The Reconnect package includes accommodations and a credit to spend within the hotel. The range of value-added options are for travel between now and September 30, 2009.

You don't often hear "gourmet" and "airplane food" in the same title, but that's because Lufthansa hasn't teamed up with the chefs of The Ritz-Carlton until now!

Naturally, creating meals that can be mass produced and still impress at 30,000+ feet is quite the culinary challenge. Some of the best chefs in the industry, including Denver's Andrés Jiménez, New York's Thomas Surowka and Jacques Sorci, DC's David Serus, San Francisco's Nathan Beriau, Boston's Clayton Van Hooijdonk, and Ritz-Carlton Vice President, Culinary Corporate Chef George McNeill teamed up to create the finest airline dining experience we've ever seen, and they held an event at the NYC loft home (above) of Barry Appelman (father of the AOL Instant Messenger) and Ildiko Sragli to kick off the collaboration and allow guests to sample the culinary masterpieces!

The First Class and Business Class menus on Lufthansa flights will now include items like:

• Omelette with Mushroom Ragout, Potato Rösti, and Bacon
• Smoked Trout Mousse with Poached Leeks and Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette
• Seared Cod in Artichoke and Carrot Broth with Roasted Garlic
• Spinach Stuffed Gnocchi with sautéed Cremini Mushrooms and Pine Nuts in a Vegetable Butter Sauce

Have a look through our gallery below to see some of the mouth-watering dishes that will now be available in First and Business Class on Lufthansa flights!

Passport rules are changing on June 1 for Western Hemisphere travel. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. this year, get or renew your passport now, and think twice before planning a car trip to Mexico or Canada in June. That's because come next month (unless Congress changes the deadline), Americans will need to show a passport, a passport card, or other special document to return to the United States by land or sea from Mexico and Canada.

What do you need to do? Get reading, and get planning. According to an L.A. Times article pulled from Philly.com:

What you need now. Generally, you need a passport to enter the U.S. by air from any foreign country. If you enter by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda, you may not need a passport, but you will need at least a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship, plus a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license. Children 18 or younger need only a birth certificate for land and sea entry from these areas.

What you'll need starting June 1. The same rules apply for air travel -- passport required. If you're arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda by land or sea, you'll generally have several choices: a passport; a passport card; an enhanced driver's license; or a "Trusted Traveler" card such as SENTRI and NEXUS for frequent border-crossers. There will be exceptions for land and sea crossings from these destinations. U.S. and Canadian children younger than 16, for example, will need only proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate; in organized groups, the cutoff will be age 18.

Passengers on cruise ships that sail round-trip from a U.S. port may need only a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID (although the cruise line or foreign countries they visit may require a passport).

You'll find a summary of the current and new rules at a Web site maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The State Department's travel Web site is one-stop shopping for information on passports and passport cards. Click on "Passports for U.S. Citizens," and you can get instructions and forms.

Would you vacation in Sri Lanka? How about Rwanda? A recent Newsweek article rounds up some luxury resorts in countries where tourism has often been stymied by governmental instability. Some of these countries, such as Sri Lanka, the jewel of the Indian Ocean, offer some of the world's most beautiful vistas. But in Sri Lanka's case, governmental instability followed by a tsunami have kept tourists away.

For developing countries or countries seeking to regain a tourism business they have lost, it often makes sense to lure the luxury traveler. The new getaways in these countries are no bargain stays. A stay in a chalet at the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, shown above, costs more than $400 per person. In Bolivia you can stay at the Hotel Luna Salada, where most everything, the pillars, walls, chairs, floors, tables are made of monumental blocks of salt.

There's an undeniable lure in visiting places that haven't been overrun with tourism yet. Because the hotel chains haven't taken over yet, each stay offers something a bit unique. And while the staycation is currently in vogue, there's nothing wrong with stimulating the economy in far-flung locales.

Sometimes, the hardest part of choosing a vacation spot is balancing between your wants and the kids' needs. Sprawling out on the beach or sipping a cocktail by the pool works for you, but children need distraction ... constant distraction.

In perhaps the most creative travel offer I've seen this year, Eden Rock – St. Barths is offering an easel, a paint brush and a palate of watercolors. Rather than splatter aimlessly, each kid will receive a one-time lesson with the Eden Rock Artist in Residence (the next is still to be announced).

Even for the caliber of guest that you find at Eden Rock, this can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

During the lesson, kids will also be exposed to the gallery's exhibitions in progress. In the recent past, this gallery has been home to the likes of Richard Prince and Will Cotton. The natural St. Barths aesthetic plus that created by the artists invited to show their work in the gallery yields a unique combination that is sure to inspire any budding artist.

The lessons are only available when the artist in residence is, in fact, in residence, so check with the Eden Rock Hotel when making reservations. The program runs through August 2009.

In a Classicist column last summer we reminisced about the the golden age of motoring when one would embark on an automobile journey with elegant picnic and cocktails cases carefully stowed in the boot of the car. On May 19th we'll get another glimpse into the bygone era of traveling in true style when Christie's London South Kensington branch auctions off an amazing selection of vintage Hermès, Louis Vuitton and Dunhill luggage. With the favorable exchange rates currently in effect it's an enticing opportunity to build a collection with lasting value, while truly timeless luxury items are more appealing than ever.

"Harking back to a golden age of travel, vintage luggage encapsulates the glamor and decadence of a bygone era when journeying to a foreign land involved adventure, romance and style," notes Christie's' Director of Textiles Pat Frost. "These exquisitely crafted pieces evoke a time when the journey was as important as the destination. With iconic names including Louis Vuitton, Dunhill and Hermes leading the field and remaining very collectible they not only functional but design objects in their own right."

Highlights of the sale include two cream colored canvas and leather suitcases by Hermès from the mid-20th century, monogrammed "APW", estimated at about $2,200 - $3,000; two fine black cases by Dunhill and T. Anthony, the first of black leather in semi-circular form with one fitted tray and gunmetal hardware, the second of black fabric with leather strapping, lined in moire with various pockets and gilt hardware, est. at about $1,200 - $1,500; and a monogram hard-side case and cover by Louis Vuitton (above) with a beautiful patina to the the leather handle, est. at about $900 - $1,200.

The Ritz-Carlton Berlin is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a special "The Wall" travel deal, good through December 29, 2009. The package includes one night in a superior room, an upscale breakfast, a ticket to the Berlin Wall Museum and a souvenir piece of the toppled wall. Other amenities are a piccolo bottle of the famous Rotkäppchen sparkling wine and a pack of Zetti sweet crunchy chocolate chips, both of which are well-known former GDR brands that went on to conquer the West , as well as a DVD of the film Good Bye Lenin!, which received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Awards. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a "Gorbachev Cocktail."

Guests can book special city tours separately, such as the "Trabi-Safari," in which visitors can go sightseeing in a Trabant, a car produced in what was formerly East Germany. There also is a guided tour along the traces of the former border, either on foot or by bike. The package is priced at about $335 for a single room or $385 for a double room. To make reservations, call 800-241-3333, e-mail berlin.reservation@ritzcarlton.com or visit www.ritzcarlton.com.

Here's a sharp-looking suitcase that will stand out on the baggage return belt: the Penelope Op Art Suitcase, by Coach. Made of Op art coated canvas fabric with leather trim, the suitcase features two inside pockets on the interior back cover, two inside pockets on each interior side wall, three inside pockets on the interior front wall, a lock closure, and brass feet to protect scuffing. Measurements for medium: 27 1/4" L x 18" H x 8 1/2" W, $1,500. Also available: small, with all the same features, measuring 22 3/4" L x 15 1/4" H x 7" W, $1,200.

The economy has grounded one popular television host. Usually the Today show's Matt Lauer heads to exotic locales around the globe for "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?" This year Lauer will be popping up in various places around the United States because of the current economic crisis.

Given that so many people are struggling financially the Today show decided it was a bad idea to send Lauer off an extravagant junket. Instead, Lauer will embark on the time-honored American classic, the road trip, along with Meredith Vieira, Al Roker and Ann Curry. The focus will be on affordable vacation spots. It seems a shame to abandon this popular segment and to send the message to the American people that traveling abroad is a bad idea right now. The travel and tourism industry has already taken a tremendous hit, I think Lauer could have focused on affordable destinations outside the U.S. and still been in line with the current economic picture.