KUDOS FOR SUNDANCE. Sundance Resort ranks sixth (out of 50) in the Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards for 2005, tying with the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla. It is also the top-ranked mountain resort on the Conde Nast list of U.S. resorts. "The Conde Nast ranking is especially meaningful since this award is from the readers who have come to the resort and were so moved by their experience as to participate in the Conde Nast Traveler's poll," said Eric Sather, Sundance's general manager, in a press release.
MORE KUDOS . . . This time for Wahso, a restaurant in Park City, which is among the top picks for hotels and restaurants of Fodor's writers and editors for winter 2006. The properties on the list are designated as a Fodor's Choice for its Gold Guides. Other 2006 picks include the Red Setter Inn in Greer, Ariz. (hotels); George's at the Cove, La Jolla, Calif.; and Per Se in New York City (restaurants).
TOURISM IS BIG BUSINESS. If you were to judge a state by the amount of tourism dollars it gets from both domestic and international travelers, California is top banana. According to data from the latest "Impact of Travel and Tourism on the U.S. and State Economies," California took in nearly $72 billion in 2003 (the latest year for which there is data), followed by Florida ($56.3 billion), New York ($35.4 billion), Texas ($34.6 billion) and Illinois ($23 billion).
TOP DOGS. See Spot run . . . Wildlife Expeditions in Jackson Hole, Wyo., will offer one-day wildlife-viewing safaris in the Yellowstone area this winter that include a ride in a dog sled as your musher points out wildlife along the trail. This new twist on eco-tourism in the Jackson Hole area is courtesy of Frank Teasley, who has participated in Alaska's famed Iditarod race. The price: $230 per adult. Contact: www.wildlifeexpeditions.org; 888-945-3567.
E-mail: kclayton@desnews.com