Jetsettersblog

Federal, state and local officials joined with the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) and their guests on Wednesday, Aug. 11, to officially break ground on the Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco — the northern terminus for the California High-Speed Rail system and a multi-modal facility that will accommodate 11 transit operators and serve more than 45 million passengers a year.

“Today, in breaking ground on the Transbay Transit Center, we are opening a new chapter in that history of progress,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “We are coming together to create jobs and revitalize our economy, and we are laying the first building blocks of a new ‘Grand Central Station of the West.’”

The project is estimated to create more than 48,000 jobs in its first phase of construction, which will last seven years. These jobs include the people who will design, build and operate the facility; the manufacturing jobs created by the materials being utilized in the facility; and the businesses providing consumer goods and services to workers and the passengers utilizing the Transit Center.

“This is one of the most important and transformational public transportation projects in America. Once the dust has settled, San Francisco’s skyline will be transformed — as will transportation, housing and employment choices for people across the Bay Area and beyond,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

The full Phase 1 (Transit Center) and Phase 2 (Downtown Rail Extension) project and build out of the Redevelopment Plan will also increase the gross regional product in the Bay Area by $80 billion.

“This is a historic day for San Francisco and for the entire state,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

“History will write that high-speed rail and a new engine for job creation and economic growth in California began today, with the groundbreaking of this project. It is a culmination of decades of planning to fulfill our city’s vision of leading the nation as a transit-first city and a hub of a modern high-speed rail system.”

For more than 40 years, San Francisco has been planning for the replacement of the outdated and seismically deficient Transbay Terminal at First and Mission streets.

The new one million-square-foot Transbay Transit Center will serve as San Francisco’s next landmark and will feature a 5.4-acre public park on the roof of the Transit Center.

The five-story Transit Center will include one above-grade bus level, a ground floor entrance on Mission Street, concourse level, and two below-grade rail levels serving Caltrain and future California High-Speed Rail.

The $4.2 billion Transbay Transit Center Project is funded by various funding partners including the federal government, the state of California, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the San Francisco County and San Mateo County Transportation Authorities and AC Transit, among others. The first phase of the program, which includes constructing the new Transit Center, is fully funded.

For more information, visit www.transbaycenter.org

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recognized Mexico’s Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and the Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca as World Heritage sites, maintaining its leading spot in the Americas for such sites and elevating it to a number six ranking of all countries worldwide.

Mexico now has 31 properties recognized by UNESCO and has had sites on UNESCO’s list since 1987, making it a leader in terms of its cultural, natural and mixed landmarks that warrant international recognition.

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, also known as the Royal Inland Road or the Silver Route, is the oldest route in the Americas. Lying along an 869 miles (1,400 km) section of this 1,615 mile (2,600 km) route are 55 sites and five existing World Heritage sites, such as the Protective Town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesus Nazareno de Atotonilco, the Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines, the Historic Center of Mexico City and Xochimilco, the Historic Center of Zacatecas and the Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Queretaro.
Starting in Mexico City and passing through Queretaro, San Miguel, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Durango, the route was actively used as a trade route for 300 years, from the mid-16th century to the 19th century, mainly for transporting silver extracted from the mines of Zacatecas, Guanajuato and San Luis Potosi, and mercury imported from Europe.

Although it is a route that was motivated and consolidated by the mining industry, it also fostered the creation of social, cultural and religious links between Spanish and Amerindian cultures, in particular.

Following a similar path to El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro is one of the newly minted routes of Mexico, A Colonial Experience, where one can learn more about Mexico’s independence and their participation in the Revolution wars. While traveling either the A Colonial Experience route or El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, there are several stops that offer an unusual travel experience.

When stopped in Zacatecas, a must-see is the Quinta Real Zacatecas, an eclectic hotel built into the grandstand of the restored San Pedro bullfighting ring, built in the 19th century and witnessing its last corrida (bullfight) in 1975.

Casa de Sierra Nevada is another lodging option, offering a colonial suite where travelers can experience the rich architectural history of San Miguel.

For travelers looking to kick off their shoes after exploring some of Mexico’s most exciting locales, a great stop is Dona Urraca Hotel & Spa, a restored 18th century private home that offers complete serenity and luxury.

The Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca (2010) lie on the northern slope of the Tlacolula valley in subtropical central Oaxaca and consists of two pre-Hispanic archaeological complexes and a series of prehistoric caves and rock shelters.

Some of these shelters provide archaeological and rock-art evidence for the progress of nomadic hunter-gathers to incipient farmers.

Ten thousand-year-old Cucurbitaceae seeds in one cave, Guila Naquitz, are considered to be the earliest known evidence of domesticated plants in the continent, while corn cob fragments from the same cave are said to be the earliest documented evidence for the domestication of maize.

The cultural landscape of the Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla demonstrates the link between man and nature that gave origin to the domestication of plants in North America, thus allowing the rise of Mesoamerican civilizations.

The Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca are located near another World Heritage site, the Historic Center of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Alban, a combination of pre-conquest, colonial and modern influences.

Some of the many sites in Oaxaca’s historical downtown include the main plaza, the government palace, the Cathedral of Oaxaca and the city market, as well as some of Mexico’s most ornately decorated churches.

The Camino Real Oaxaca hotel, housed in a former convent, offers visitors a unique lodging experience. The hotel’s Spanish Baroque architecture and authentic feel will transport guests back in time to the colonial Oaxaca of 1576 when it was constructed.

Crossing both the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and the Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca is one of the new Routes of Mexico, the Thousand Flavors of Mole, where travelers can discover not only the delights of mole but other archaeological and cultural treasures in Mexico City and Oaxaca.

UNESCO’s World Heritage list includes 911 properties from 151 countries that are considered by the World Heritage Committee as having outstanding universal value.

Once a destination is a deemed a World Heritage site, a country may receive financial assistance and expert advice from the committee to support activities for the preservation of its sites.

For more information on UNESCO and its list of World Heritage sites, visit http://whc.unesco.org.

For more information on Mexico, visit www.visitmexico.com

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. said it is gearing up for the November opening of The St. Regis Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico, the island’s first luxury project since 1997.

The company said the $172 million resort is nearly sold out for the December holidays, underscoring the recovery in luxury hospitality.

This month Starwood President and CEO Frits van Paasschen met with Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño, as well as owners and developers, to discuss future Starwood development in this key Caribbean market.

The St. Regis opening comes on the heels of two other key Starwood hotel openings in Puerto Rico: W Vieques, the first W Retreat & Spa in North America, and Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino – the first new full-service hotel and casino built in San Juan in more than a decade.

The Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino is also scheduled to become the first LEED Certified hotel in the Caribbean.

The addition of these three new hotels has doubled Starwood’s portfolio in Puerto Rico in just one year.

“Starwood has made a significant impact in Puerto Rico, helping to drive even more tourism and group travel to this easily accessible Caribbean island,” said van Paasschen.

“The enthusiastic response to our first W and second Sheraton in Puerto Rico has paved the way for the successful launch of The St. Regis Bahia Beach, Puerto Rico, which will satisfy pent-up demand for luxury lodging on the island. Looking ahead, we are very bullish about the growth prospects for all of our brands in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean.”

The St. Regis Bahia Beach features 139 guest rooms and suites, 26 estate home residences, an 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Remède Spa, oceanfront swimming pools, and Fern, a new restaurant by Chef Jean-Georges.

Offering two miles of sandy beach and views of the El Yunque National Rainforest, the newly constructed hotel occupies a prime location within a community committed to environmental preservation and sustainable development.

The St. Regis Bahia Beach is designated as a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.

“The tourism recovery is well underway in Puerto Rico, where we now provide a range of lodging options and a terrific outlet for SPG members to redeem points on a convenient Caribbean getaway,” said Denise Coll, president, North America for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “We are delighted to have grown so rapidly in this dynamic market, which has consistently earned high marks for its ease of access, strong infrastructure and dynamic mix of cultures.”

For more information, visit www.stregis.com