Club Q Q107-Loyalty Club (Southern ON Only) v4

[Babygirl1]

Blumenau, Brazil
Though Oktoberfests are celebrated all over Brazil each October, it’s Blumenau’s that provides attendees with a quintessential German aesthetic. In 1850, German immigrants founded the town, situated in Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. And it’s obvious: the German Village (Vila Germânica) in the city centre features German-style buildings that take visitors out of Brazil and drop them smack-dab in the middle of Bavaria. And in October, that means Oktoberfest. A reported 700,000 visitors annually flood the town to eat, drink and dance – to an oompah-samba fusion, we assume. Dates: Oct. 6-23 (credit: Flickr/May Pazinato)

[Babygirl1]

Hong Kong
The thriving expat community in Hong Kong has done a fine job – for 19 years now – of importing lederhosen and sauerkraut for a waterfront Oktoberfest at the beginning of each November, sponsored by the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel. This year will be especially festive, as the Marco Polo German Bierfest celebrates its 20th anniversary. Expect three straight weeks of lively debauchery (last year, nearly 40,000 guests crammed into the traditional tent for live music and pork knuckles). The real question isn’t whether or not you should go. It’s “How many 1-litre beer steins can I fit in my suitcase home”? Dates: Oct. 21-Nov.12 (credit: www.gbfhk.com)

[Babygirl1]

Brisbane, Australia
The upside of opting for Brisbane’s Oktoberfest instead of Munich’s is the former’s spectacular spring weather. And, the sheer joy that comes with vacationing in Queensland, of course. The Aussies do it up right for two weekends each October at Oktoberfest Brisbane, held at the RNA Showgrounds. Reserve a Bavarian VIP Table and invite seven friends (the table seats eight) for an elevated view of the space, a full spread of specialty German dishes, sausages and pretzels, and take-home Oktoberfest beer steins. Bottoms up! Dates: Oct.7-9 & 14-16 (credit: www.oktoberfestbrisbane.com.au)

[Babygirl1]

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
The United States’ largest Oktoberfest is situated in none other than – Ohio? It’s true, East Coast sceptics: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is a no-nonsense weekend of fantastic beer, food and entertainment. Schnitzel, pretzels and strudel are washed down with 1.6 million ounces of beer annually. Stock up on complimentary souvenir mugs as you sample Spaten, Erdinger and Konig Ludwig beers and stroll along the streets of downtown Cincinnati. In your food coma, make sure to catch the “Running of the Wieners” and the “World’s Largest Chicken Dance” on Sunday at Fountain Square. Dates: Sept. 17-18 (credit: www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com)

[Babygirl1]

Stockholm, Sweden
Beer festivals are well underway in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and throughout Scandinavia by the end of each September, but it’s Stockholm’s Beer & Whisky Festival – also known as Stockholm Oktoberfest – that’s made the cut in this case. Swedes add whiskey to the mix for two consecutive weekends, giving visitors the chance to try libations from nearly 100 exhibitors. Sign up for beer and whiskey “schools”, where novices and seasoned drinkers alike get the chance to learn from experts in Level I and II classes. Thirty-four thousand attendees took part in the festivities at Congress Centre last year, so be sure to reserve your tickets soon. Dates: Sept. 29-Oct.1 & Oct.6-8 (credit: www.stockholmbeer.se)

[Babygirl1]

Dublin, Ireland
Swap the Guinness for Erdinger this fall at Oktoberfest Dublin, one of the many beer festivals happening around the Emerald Isle. Free for all attendees, the ode to Bavaria features a mouthwatering menu of bratwurst, spätzle, Burgundian ham and other traditional German dishes. Visitors eager to stay late are required to purchase a 6€ wristband, guaranteeing a hearty meal to help soak up the wheat beer in the wee hours. One euro from every wristband sold helps disadvantaged children from Dublin – an excuse in itself to raise a glass. Dates: Sept.22-Oct.9 (credit: www.oktoberfest-dublin.de)

[Babygirl1]

Denver, Colorado, United States
When Samuel Adams is the official sponsor of an Oktoberfest, it’s healthy to question the German celebration’s authenticity. In this case, though, Jägermeister is also a major sponsor – and so we’re in. Oktoberfest Denver kicks off with a ceremonial tapping of a Sam Adams Oktoberfest keg of beer, and continues for two full weekends of themed costumes, live music and tasty cuisine. Coloradans and the 250,000 visitors who stop by each year take competition very seriously: the Stein Hoisting Competition starts on the first Friday with pre-qualifying rounds and continues for two weekends until the strongest – and hopefully soberest – contenders throw down on the following Saturday night on the German Stage. Dates: Sept. 16-18 & 23-25 (credit: Flickr/ crystallum)

[Babygirl1]

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Sacrifice a water puppet show or a trip to the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City this October for a hearty helping of German music and food. The German Business Association adds legitimacy to this lederhosen-clad party, acting as its official sponsor. Oktoberfest Vietnam, held at the Windsor Plaza Hotel, features German games, nightly raffles, all-you-can-eat food, and – of course – beer, that last year attracted more 14,000 guests. A tad smaller than Munich’s guest list of 6 million, Saigon’s offers a smaller-scale version of a traditional beer garden. Dates: Oct.7-8 & 11-15 (credit: www.oktoberfestvietnam.com)

[Babygirl1]

Windhoek, Namibia
Namibia’s capital honours its colonial German roots every year at the country’s largest sports club, Sport Klub Windhoek. Rowdy crowds chow down on authentic German cuisine over a fun-filled weekend, serenaded by oompah bands flown in from the ex-Motherland itself. Make sure your camera is on hand, as waitresses compete to see who can carry the most steins of beer. Join expats and locals alike to wash knockwurst, Wiener schnitzel and Bavarian pretzels down with Windhoek Lager, a Euro pale lager that’s made its mark worldwide. Cheers! Dates: Dates: Oct. 28-29 (credit: Getty Images)

[Babygirl1]

The world's weirdest hotels

By Robin Esrock
Robin Esrock takes us on a tour of some of the weirdest hotels around.
As much as I like nice hotels, there’s no denying they tend to be generic. A bed. A bathroom. A coffee machine. Sometimes there are robes in the closet. Sometimes there’s a smell like somebody died. You sleep, you leave, the next person arrives, and within weeks, you can hardly remember anything about the experience at all. Not so with the hotels below, all of which makes for good fodder at dinner parties. You might not be pampered, and there won’t be stars tacked onto the front wall, but what an experience!

Jumbo Stay - Sweden
I struggle to sleep on planes because I struggle to afford a business class ticket that might give the zzzz’s a slice of hope. Jumbo Stay, a permanently grounded 747-200 aircraft, might just change that. The plane has been converted into a hostel with 27 rooms and 76 beds, complete with an onboard café and luxury cockpit room. It’s located nearby the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, should new arrivals feel the need to get back on a plane. Meanwhile, the jury is out whether you can technically join the mile high club by staying in an airplane hotel. (credit: Jumbo Stay )

[Babygirl1]

Karostas Cietums – Latvia
There’s a variety of prison hotels out there, some of which have found themselves into luxury catalogues, like Boston’s Liberty Hotel. But for a real prison experience, and a Soviet one no less, head to Latvia for a night of pure discomfort and psychological torture. On arrival, the guards confiscate your passport, conduct a harsh interrogation, and lock you up in a dark cell that once housed condemned political prisoners. Fun activities come in the form of cleaning toilets with toothbrushes, and being yelled at in a Baltic language. The guards are actors, but they take their roles very seriously, so no amount of smiling or begging will do you any good. You paid for an authentic Soviet-era experience, you may as well suffer and enjoy it. (credit: Karosta Cietums )

[Mmmme...]

Good night my friends...
Sleep well
I am whipped.... and need sleep...
Night... night

[Babygirl1]

Propeller Island City Lodge – Germany
Most hotel rooms have art, but what happens when your room itself becomes a work of art. Located in Berlin and billing itself as a luxury boutique hotel, Propeller Island is more like an imagination run amok. One diamond-shaped room is floor to ceiling mirrors. Another has coffins for beds. One has all the furniture upside down, while one looks decidedly like a torture chamber. There’s also the padded cell (in green leather) and a levitating bed. The rooms are the creation of a German artist named Lars Stroschen, determined to shock and amuse with his one-of-a-kind creations. Is it art? Possibly, but at 79 to 190 euros a night, it’s definitely a weird hotel. (credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwil...hd/2970333735/ / CC BY 2.0
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[Babygirl1]

Capsule Inn Akihabara – Japan
If Propeller Island is a little too individualistic for you, consider joining the rat race and staying in Tokyo’s famed capsule hotel. Measuring 1m x 1m x 2m, your room is basically an elongated cigar tube, albeit one equipped with a single bed, television set, radio alarm clock and air conditioning. Forget doors, you front load yourself into a see through pod that looks disturbingly like an oven, neatly stacked above and adjacent to your neighbours. Your clothes are stored in locker room, and the bathrooms are communal. Their website mentions things like Bruce Willis in the movie Fifth Element, and controlling your environment “as if you were in a spacecraft.” It costs about $45 a night, based on single occupancy, although there are group capsules for two to four women. The only thing missing is suspended animation and someone to wake you up when you arrive in Pandora. (credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maurizio_mwg/2515790491/ / CC BY 2.0

[Babygirl1]

The Shady Dell - USA
There’s no shortage of bizarro south of the border. Motels shaped like dogs, duck concierges, the California’s Madonna Inn with its 110 individually themed rooms. I’m going to go with Arizona’s Shady Dell with its 11 converted vintage aluminum trailers. Dating back to the 1950’s, each trailer is themed and fully loaded, a sort of dreamland for those accustomed to trailer parks. Leopard print, martini glasses, it’s all in the name of good fun and kitsch. There’s also an old school 50’s diner and gas pump. I once stayed in a caravan hotel in Western Australia. It smelled vaguely of Vegemite. (credit: The Shady Dell)