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JANUARY 2013
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HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
TURKEY:
SWING TIME
Turkey takes the first
step toward Euro golf
mania in November when
the Montgomerie Maxx
Royal in Belek hosts the
Turkish Open, the country’s
debut on the European Tour.
The tournament will see 78
of the world’s best golfers
navigate the pine trees and
sandy ridges of the course
while trying to play up to
the standards of the man
who designed it: eight-time
European money champ
Colin Montgomerie.
PHOENIX:
EL MOTOR
TREND
The 10-year-old
NASCAR México Toyota
Series makes its U.S. debut
in Phoenix in March,
part of a supercharged
weekend that culminates
in NASCAR’s Subway
Fresh Fit 500. But
this is more than
a significant
achievement
in the history
of Mexican
motorsports.
It’s also a chance
for Americans to
catch a glimpse of
some exciting new
faces from the
Toyota Series,
including 21-year-
old Daniel Suárez
(
right), 2012
champion and
Sprint Cup hopeful.
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CHICAGO: COMPETITIVE STREAK
Already sports-crazed Second
City is ge ing a bumper crop of
big games this year. It starts in February
with two outdoor college hockey games
at Soldier Field’s inaugural Hockey
City Classic, continues the next month
with the Big Ten Men’s Basketball
Tournament at the United Center, and
culminates in September with the PGA’s
BMWChampionship. Tailgating should
commence immediately. Bring hot dogs.
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CORSICA: THE GRAND TOUR
The Tour de France celebrates its
100
th birthday by doing what all
centenarians dream of: fleeing to the
islands. The French territory of Corsica
hosts this year’s Grand Départ—the
ostentatious name given to the start of
the race—in which cyclists will zoom up
the island’s mountains, lean through its
narrow coastal roads and resist distrac-
tion by the gorgeous views.
THE BAHAMAS: PAST, PRESENT
The developer behind the recent
restoration of Nassau’s historical
GraycliffHotel has launched an even
more ambitious project: converting
the hotel’s environs into a “heritage
village.” The $20million plan includes
cobblestoned pedestrianmalls lined with
traditional Bahamian shops and eateries,
a coffee roaster andmore—all aimed at
giving visitors a deeper and
more textured understanding
of island culture and history.
FLORIDA, NEW
JERSEY, OHIO
AND NEVADA:
ROLL ON
According to the Chinese
calendar, 2013 is the year of the
snake. According to kids, it’s the
year of the amusement park. The
fun begins in Orlando, where
Disney’s Fantasyland expansion
will continue to debut a ractions,
including Princess Fairytale Hall.
Up inNew Jersey, Six Flags Great
Adventure is mergingwith its
Wild Safari animal preserve to
form the largest theme park on
the planet. In Ohio, roller coaster
mecca Cedar Point will open
GateKeeper, a record-breaking
winged coaster with a 164-foot
drop. Finally, for those who like
their thrills with a view, two
Ferris wheels with enclosed
capsules are scheduled to begin
spinning in Las Vegas. The
SkyVue will top out at 500 feet,
while the High Roller is poised to
become the largest Ferris wheel
in the world, at a lo y 550 feet.
A rendering of
Las Vegas’ High
Roller; below,
elephants at
Wild Safari
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