Justin and Jessica in Italy! Gwyneth in Spain! The Kardashians in Bora Bora!

It seems impossible to open up a magazine or pull up an entertainment website without being bombarded with pictures of celebrities enjoying luxurious vacations.

It’s enough to give you a major case of travel envy.

Here at Hopper we wanted to dig deeper into celebrity vacation statistics to find out just how big a dent these mega-trips make in celebrities bank accounts.

According to a recent American Express survey, American households planned to spend about $1,200 per person on summer vacations this year.

That translates to an estimated five to seven percent of income dedicated to vacationing.

How do A-list celebrities’ compare to the average American family when it comes to their trips?

The Kardashians

Where: Dominican Republic
Hotel: Casa De Campo
How Much: $22,575 (estimated)
Income: $65 million
% of Annual Income: 0.03%

The Kardashians know how to vacation, descending en masse on luxury resorts from Bora Bora to Mexico. This year they hoofed it to the Dominican Republic, enjoying a few days at Casa De Campo, a 7,000 acre resort with stunning tropical vistas and interior design by none other than Oscar De La Renta. Villas here don’t come cheap, but a standard room can start at around $250 dollars a night.

Jessica Alba

Where: Amalfi, Italy
Hotel: Hotel Santa Caterina
How Much: $57,770 (estimated)
Income in 2011: $9 million
% of Annual Income: 0.64%

Jessica Alba and her family enjoyed the Mediterranean beauty and architecture of Amalfi, Italy this summer. The picturesque Italian town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its distinctive medieval architecture with strong  Byzantine influences. Alba, Honor and Haven luxuriated in style at the Hotel Santa Catarina, a 19th century seaside palazzo turned into a 5 star hotel.

Britney Spears

Where: Maui, Hawaii
Hotel: Grand Wailea
How Much: $28, 750 (estimated)
Income: $10 million
% of Annual Income: 0.29%

Britney Spears, her two sons and fiance jetted to Maui, Hawaii for the 4th of July. There they relaxed poolside at the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort on 40 acres of beachfront property. The grounds here are impeccable (and kid friendly!) with activity pools boasting water slides, rapids, and the world’s first water elevator.

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If you're a photographer for National Geographic Magazine, you become an authority figure within the photographic community and people ask you for advice. For Jim Richardson, veteran of 25 Nat Geo assignments, that advice has always been easy:

If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff.

Richardson isn’t suggesting that technique doesn’t matter; however, his point is clear. All the technical savvy and complex light setups will not improve a boring photo. Better subjects often do but they often require a lot of work to track down.

It’s a shame strong subjects—at least in relation to adventure photography—aren’t easier to find. Most of my favorite images are a result of hauling my camera further than my competition. Here are three examples where simply standing in front of interesting subjects trumped camera settings and technique:

It would be easy for me to say this image was easy to make. I asked the skier, Jerome Levesque, to wait while I got set up. I grabbed my camera, set it to aperture priority mode and dialed in f/2.8 and ISO40 to get a fast shutter speed. Then I stole an idea from ski photographer Reuben Krabbe and used my goggles to frame the shot. When Jerome skied down, I waited until he hit this pillow and hit the shutter.

By calling it easy, I would be ignoring a lot of hard work that isn’t visible. It was taken on a multi-day ski tour in the Cariboo Mountains. All six people on the trip were employed on either ski patrol or avalanche control teams. We’d honed our avalanche skills—using our avalanche transceivers, probes, and shovels in mock scenarios—until they were second nature.

We’d also studied the snowpack and dug enough pits to gauge the conditions and select safe slopes to ski. Because we felt the alpine was not safe, we found ourselves skiing in the trees.

This image took willpower. I sat swatting relentless mosquitoes in a sub-alpine meadow where a herd of bighorn sheep fed. I wondered if the sheep would become accustomed to my presence if I endured long enough. It took three hours, but eventually, I became an afterthought and the sheep walked within a few meters. I racked my lens out to 200mm and grabbed this shot.

Even a different perspective on a landscape can play an equal part to stronger natural light. I decided to drag my camera along on a speed hike up Old Man Mountain in Jasper National Park, despite the flat grey light that dropped from the sky.

After a two-hour climb, the light still looked dull, but the scene was epic. To create this image, I set my camera up manually — everything from shutter speed and aperture to white balance and focus. I set my stance and shot seven frames, taking care to move the camera on a single left-right axis. Once I’d retraced my steps and driven home, I used Photoshop to stitch the panorama into a single frame.

While images like the above landscape are possible to make alone, sometimes it takes a human element to add either scale or contrast to a photograph.

When my wife and I biked the Cuesta del Portezuelo in Catamarca, Argentina, we descended from an arid plateau to a sub-tropical rainforest. There were a dozen shades of green but little else, so I asked my wife to don her blue raincoat and ride ahead. A minute later, I’d stowed my gear and jumped back onto my bike to give chase.

As difficult as it is for a Canadian to admit, I love football. Forget that nonsense about it being “the beautiful game.” Nobody will ever convince me it’s more beautiful than a Canada vs. Russia Olympic ice hockey final. But I’ll agree that no sport’s fans compare in terms of dedication or emotional investment.

During the 2010 World Cup, I headed to downtown Mendoza, Argentina, moments after Diego Maradona’s team had earned its first victory. Amid the chaos, which included a roving parade setting off fireworks and smoke bombs, I watched a proud father set his daughter on his shoulders and join the crowd.

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A phenomenal hotel can turn a vacation into an extraordinary experience that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Fodor's recently revealed its 2012 Hotel Awards, which looked at the best hotels for the Trip of a Lifetime. They also issued awards for hotels in several other categories, like New & Noteworthy, Global Icons, and Trendsetters.

From Siem Reap to the Maldives, most of these locations are remote and exotic, but some are closer to home, in the Caribbean or Alaska. Besides the requisite luxury amenities and facilities, these hotels offer unique experiences that take advantage of their natural surroundings, from elephant trekking in northern Thailand to swimming with whale sharks in the Maldives.

Amanruya

Location: Bodrum, Turkey

Rates: Doubles from $1,000 per night

Amanruya resort exudes Turkish culture and architecture, with its stone cottages equipped with traditional fireplaces, its Mediterranean-inspired gardens, and its incredible Turkish meals.

Though guests can tour the nearby ancient ruins, many choose to relax in their rooms—each cottage has its own pool—and enjoy the views of the Aegean sea.

Amansara

Location:Siem Reap, Cambodia

Rates: Doubles from $950 per night

Owned by luxe hotel chain Aman Resorts, Amansara is a modern and sleek resort that was once the guesthouse of a Cambodian king.

After exploring the famed Angkor temples nearby, guests can return to the hotel by private tuk tuk and cool off in the hotel's pool.

Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Location:The Maldives

Rates: Doubles from $1,150 per night

One of the best things about this Four Seasons resort are its above-water Asian-style private villas—and the fact that the hotel is on its own private island.

Guests can snorkel with whale sharks and dolphins or just relax on the beach. This remote spot is a favorite with honeymooners.

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Not a lot of people live in hotels anymore, but it sounds like a pretty nice set-up.

Comic Louie Anderson described living at Las Vegas's new CityCenter in an article at the Wall Street Journal.

His first impressions:

I'll never forget the day I drove here to look at this place. I turned left off Las Vegas Boulevard, in the lane that was marked with the hotel name. You gotta love any place that has its own lane. As I entered, I went down a tunnel under City Center…Batman style! As I came up out of the tunnel, a valet was there to greet me. As he opened my car door he said, "Welcome, sir." I replied, "Thank you, Alfred!"

I was greeted by the "Director of Services," who would be showing me my possible new home. Wow, a "Director of Services." A lot of the hotels I've stayed in didn't even have maids. Before heading up to the unit we strolled through the lobby, which included two sitting areas, enough magazines to open your own newsstand, a billiards table and a cappuccino machine. I thought, forget a room, I'll just live in the lobby. I secretly wondered how long I could actually do that before security would finally get wise.

The director asked, "How do you like it?"

"You had me at the unlimited free cappuccinos!" I replied.

Read the rest at WSJ >

CityCenter is a 67-acre resort that doubles as a hotel and residence. It has 30 dining options, 45 retail stores, three spas, one permanent Cirque Du Soleil show, and 14 bars and lounges.

One-bedroom units at the complex start at $1.1 million. Two-bedroom units start at $2.8 million and three-bedroom units start at $5.9 million.

Big things are happening in Vegas. Don't miss: How Tony Hsieh Will Change Sin City Forever >

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Not that you’d ever pack all 40—but a quick review of this list of travel accessories should help you remember the essentials no matter what kind of trip you’re taking.

1. Your smartphone (or iTouch or similar) can be used in place of a bunch of individual travel accessories: maps, GPS, currency exchange converter, translation tool, mp3 player. Make sure you have a fresh backup in the cloud and you should be set. Though, putting too much reliance on a single device can backfire: On a recent press trip to New Brunswick, I ran over my iPhone in the rental car and smashed the screen so badly my data couldn’t be recovered.

2. Iodine tablets (two per quart of water) and a steel canteen like this one from Kleen Kanteen make for drinkable water in most backcountry.

3. An eco-friendly, biodegradable, phosphate-free multipurpose soap to wash your dishes, your clothes, and your body.

4.Mini-first aid kit with these essentials: band-aids, antibiotic cream, anti-nauseants, anti-diarrheals, antihistamines, analgesics, a single-use ice pack, a sterile bandage, and an EpiPen for those who are allergic to bee stings and pad thai.

5. A compact and energy-efficient headlamp that uses LED technology.

6. An immersion water heater can be inserted into a canteen and brings liquids to a boil within minutes. Here’s one for $20.

7. A multipurpose tool is a compact and lightweight way to bring your kit with you. You’ll have easy access to pliers, screwdrivers, a jackknife, a saw blade, and mini-scissors. Models vary. Check out these options from Gerber.

8. A portable solar power kit, like one of these units from GoalZero, so you can charge your electronics anywhere (if it’s sunny).

9. Protect your papers and electronics by storing them in waterproof pouches / drybags. In 2007, I went under the falls at Iguazu in Argentina. We were given drybags by the boat company but I forgot that my passport was in my pants pocket.

10.Bug spray, a mosquito net, and Afterbite. Add anti-malarials where required.

11. A pair of aquasocks—slip-on shoes with non-skid soles to protect your feet in the water. Also can double as shower shoes.

12. Small pump bottle of Febreze to freshen your clothes (in lieu of laundry, if you’re rolling lazy).

13. Socket configurations vary region-to-region, so bring a travel adapter. Choose an all-in-one unit, and make sure it includes a power transformer, or you could blow out your gadgets by using an incompatible voltage.

14.Camera, memory cards.

15. A travel sleep kit with eyeshades, earplugs, and a travel pillow. I also put a sleeve of Gravol in mine to help me sleep on airplanes.

16. Portable speakers— instant party, or a good way to kill down time.

17.Packing cubes help you fit more into a smaller space, and keep dirty clothes separate from clean ones.

18. Pack of biodegradable towelettes.

19. A no-pin twist laundry line allows you to hang your clothes to dry anywhere. I’ve also used this item to hang a sarong between bunks in a hostel dorm for extra privacy.

20. Pack inflatable hangers if you’re going to need unwrinkled clothes.

21. Quick-dry microfiber towel. Alternatively, use a sarong. They don’t dry as fast, but they are much more versatile.

22. Sunglasses, sunscreen, and Afterburn.

23. A travel door alarm adds security to shared or unlocked rooms.

24. A sleep sack— lightweight cotton or silk bag — to sleep in at hostels that don’t provide linens.

25. Carry an ultra-portable insulated blanket made of lightweight polyethylene and aluminum. If you’ve ever had to wait out the long wee hours between a hostel’s curfew and opening, you’ll appreciate this item.

26. Bring a toiletry kit that has a hook so you can hang it off the door knob or shower rod.

27. Keep thieves out of your stuff with a wire pack protector and TSA-approved luggage lock.

28. A survival whistle, if you’re going far off the grid.

29.Rum Runners are reusable, BPA-free soft plastic flasks. Manufactured in response to the exorbitant price of alcohol on cruise ships, they can’t be detected by X-ray machines. They’re also a lightweight and flexible way to pack along a bottle of wine.

30. Noise-cancelling headphones, to block out the sounds of other travelers.

31. A netbook or tablet makes it easy to get online and prepare documents, without the weight and expense of a laptop.

32. Reusable cutlery and a small bowl.

33.Rain gear, including a cover for your pack.

34. A portable electronics charger allows you to recharge multiple devices simultaneously while only using a single socket.

35. Dissolve oral rehydration salts in water and drink to treat severe dehydration.

36. A money belt to hide your cash, cards, and passport.

37. If you think you might be taking advantage of the Duty Free, pack an inflatable travel bag for wine or other breakables.

38. A tire patch kit fixes punctures in bicycle tires and other inflatables.

39. A portable digital luggage scale lets you weigh your bags before you get to the airport.

40.Duct tape is notoriously versatile, and while it won’t help you if you forget something like your solar power kit, it’s a go-to repair tool. The most unique use I ever put duct tape to was rebinding the spine of a book a travel companion and I were reading at the exact same time.

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A SoHo penthouse on W. Houston Street in New York City is on sale for $7.995 million.

The listing calls it the "Ultimate Penthouse."

The apartment has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus 14-foot ceilings and views all the way north to the Chrysler Building.

Welcome to West Houston Street.

The monthly real estate taxes are $2,954.

We love how open the penthouse feels.

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Most Americans are mourning the loss of the Twinkie following news that its maker, Hostess Brands, will shut down. But the baking giant's announcement spells the end for many other packaged treats. 

That list includes a smattering of fluffy baked goods like Ho Hos, Ring Dings, Donettes, Hostess CupCakes and bright pink Sno Balls.  

What's interesting about the Sno Ball is that it's actually just a jazzed-up version of another (and more famous) Hostess snack cake. Beneath a dusting of coconut flakes and a layer of marshmallow is an upside-down Hostess CupCake.  

More details about the Sno Ball's history and how the pillow-y treat is made are uncovered in an episode of the Food Network's "Unwrapped." We've pulled out the key points. 

The Sno Ball was introduced in 1947, shortly after rationing on goods like flour and sugar from World War II had ended.

The Sno Ball was introduced in 1947, shortly after the war, symbolizing the end of rationing on goods like flour and sugar. Not surprisingly, the sugary mounds were instantly popular with Americans who were just re-discovering their taste for processed baked goods.  

The coconut-crusted cake was when Americans were rediscovering their taste for 

For this reasons, 

For this reason, the sugary mounds were instantly popular with Americans who were just re-discovering their taste for processed baked goods.

See the full Unwrapped episode > 

Sno Balls were originally just chocolate cakes covered in marshmallow and coconut. The gooey orbs didn't receive creme filling or their signature pink tint until 1950.

See the full Unwrapped episode > 

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Thirty-two Americans were offered a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship on Sunday, joining alumni including Bill Clinton, Bobby Jindal, Cory Booker, Naomi Wolf, Wesley Clark, and Rachel Maddow.

Scholars go off to the University of Oxford for a postgraduate program.

Scholarships go to students who demonstrated:

• Literary and scholastic attainments;
• Energy to use one's talents to the fullest, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports;
• Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship;
• Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.

An impressive 7 students from this year's class come from Yale University, beating 6 at Harvard University.

So who are these geniuses? Here are photos and profiles from the Rhodes Trust:

Now check out our list of the best colleges in America >

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They are found in more than two-thirds of Japanese households and visitors to the country have marvelled at their heated seats, posterior shower jets and odour-masking function.

But for the company that has sold over 30 million high-tech toilets, commonly known as Washlets, global lavatory domination remains elusive, especially among shy US consumers.

"It's because of the cultural taboo over talking about toilets," said Hiromichi Tabata, head of the international division at Washlet-maker TOTO, a company that also makes bath tubs, kitchen taps, basins and plumbing fixtures.

"Americans avoid talking about those kinds of things so we can't expect success from word-of-mouth, even if they recognise our products are excellent.

"Many celebrities say they love the Washlet when they visit Japan, but the fervour is temporary," he added.

Pop diva Madonna gushed about Japanese culture during a 2005 visit and pointed to the Washlet as a key draw, saying "I've missed the heated toilet seats" -- the kind of free marketing most companies dream about.

For a nation that claims globally recognised brand names such as Sony and Toyota, the Washlet's relative lack of overseas presence comes as a surprise to many foreign visitors, even if they're initially baffled by its dizzying array of functions and Japanese signage.

In technology and hygiene-obsessed Japan, where restaurants provide a steaming hot towel for customers' hands, they're found in public toilets, office lavatories and over 70 percent of Japanese households.

"We thought that Japanese people, who are clean freaks, would like the idea of the Washlet," said spokeswoman Atsuko Kuno.

But when it hit the market in the booming 1980s, the high-tech toilet wasn't an immediate success in conservative Japan either.

Some viewers were irate over a 1982 television commercial for the newly-released Washlet which featured a girl trying to wipe black paint off her hand with paper, making a mess in the process.

"Paper won't fully clean it," she told viewers. "It's the same with your bottom."

But the provocative marketing eventually paid off by putting the unique toilets into the minds of consumers.

TOTO designed its Washlet by asking hundreds of its employees to test a toilet and mark, using a string stretched across the bowl and a piece of paper, their preferred location for the water jet target area.

The Washlet's functions, laid out on a computerised control panel with pictograms, include water jets with pressure and temperature controls, hot-air bottom dryers and ambient background music.

Another function produces a flushing sound to mask bodily noises -- a hit among the easily-embarrassed -- while some models have a lid that automatically swings open when users enter the restroom.

Others feature seats and lids that glide back into horizontal position, possibly solving gender battles over flipped-up toilet seats in the home.

Business continues to be robust for the toilet maker, whose rivals in the key domestic market include Lixil Group.

In the full-year to March 2012, TOTO posted a net profit of 9.27 billion yen ($114 million) on global sales of 452.7 billion yen, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier.

But only about 14 percent of that revenue figure was from overseas sales.

Despite the challenges in reaching foreign consumers, tapping the hotel market has met with some success, executives say, while China and other East Asian nations have seen growing demand "because they have cultures similar to Japan", Tabata said.

Localising products is also key.

Washlets sold in tropical markets such as Indonesia don't come with heated seats and blast lukewarm water into users' nether regions instead of the hot spray offered in chillier climes.

Despite the Washlet's relatively expensive price tag -- the cheapest sells for about $900 -- TOTO executives figure that liberal Europeans are a hugely promising bet, especially now that a Swiss rival is selling a similar product.

"We expect Europe will eventually get used to the idea of a heated toilet seat with warm water," Tabata predicted.

Monday is World Toilet Day, a day designed to raise awareness of the plight of people around the world without access to adequate sanitation. www.worldtoiletday.org

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Ryugyong Hotel, a looming, pyramid-esque construction site that has towered over the skyline of Pyongyang for decades, is finally nearing the end stages of its construction, with reports that the hotel may even be ready for business next year.

The Ryugyoung — affectionately known as the "Hotel of Doom" by observers — is set to be the tallest hotel in the world, and might even be a sign of new, more audacious North Korean capital.

However, the site won't just be a hotel. In an interview with Forbes' Simon Montlake, Egyptian telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris has confirmed that his North Korean venture would be based in the building.

Sawiris made his billions through the creation of Wind Telecom, which was eventually sold to a Russian group in a deal worth $6.5 billion. He then made an aborted attempt to get involved in Egyptian politics after the fall of Hosni Mubarek, but now appears to be focusing on telecoms ventures again. One of the most important of these ventures is Koryolink, North Korea's only cell network, that Sawiris operates as a joint venture with the North Korean government (with a 75:25 split).

Sawiris has also played a role in the funding of the Ryugyong, with $180 million invested for the building's facade, Bloomberg reported earlier this month.

Koryolink reportedly has over 1 million subscribers in North Korea. It is believed that the North Korean governments acceptance of the technology is part of a bid to increase overseas investment.

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Jill Eber and Jill Hertzberg — known in the real estate world as The Jills — have been selling homes in Miami for 25 years, and did a volume of $275.868 million in sales last year.

The duo, whose listings include the $100 million former Versace mansion, shared some tips to help homeowners avoid buyer's remorse" after purchasing what they thought was their dream home.

"Buyers start with an idea, like they're writing a book," Hertzberg said. "And sometimes it goes other places and ways. If you're a buyer, it's good to be open minded and listen to your agent when they give suggestions about what would really fit you best."

• Do research before picking your agent: Pick someone with a lot of experience who knows the current market. You want an agent that knows everything you don't.

• Be open minded: Sometimes buyers think they want to be in one neighborhood, but change their minds after visiting others. Cast a wide net to ensure you're picking the right area. The same goes for choosing a house versus a condo. "Explore and go through all the options; you don't want any regrets," Hertzberg said.

• Come with a wish list: Decide what is important to you ahead of time, like lots of light or minimal yard work.

• Don't listen to everyone's advice: When you're buying a home, friends are quick to offer advice about neighborhoods and amenities. If you listen to too many people, the advice will be conflicting and overwhelming.

DON'T MISS: Real Estate Agents Will Go To Crazy Extremes To Sell A House

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A 72-year-old man is donning dresses, scarves, and signature red stockings as the official model for a Chinese teen girl fashion line.

Liu Xianping's granddaughter is one of five recent college grads who created Yuekou, a female fashion store. 

Xianping's granddaughter told Chinese Newsweek his modeling career started by accident. "He picked up one piece and tried to give some advice on how to mix and match. We thought it was fun so we started shooting," she said. Looking like an extra straight off the set of "Gossip Girl," Xianping's photos made it to the store's website shortly after. 

The photos of the Karl Lagerfeld-esque gramps have gone viral, and online sales are booming. Since his modeling debut, online sales have increased fivefold.

See our favorite shots below:

SEE ALSO: Watch Samsung's extremely weird new ad about computers and ... beating puppies>

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Last month, Lufthansa opened the brand-spanking-new A-Plus Concourse at Germany's Frankfurt International Airport. Why's it so special?

Well, among other things, it's directly designed for the biggest, baddest airplanes out there. We're talking A340s, 747s, 747-8is, and the almighty A380. This week, we'll take you inside and all around this place through which some 6 million travelers will journey each year.

Click here to jump to photos of the concourse >

0500 hours.

The seatbelt sign is on and tray tables are up and locked. The LufthansaAirbus A380 named "Tokio" is on final approach to Frankfurt International and we're inside.

Seat 15K.

It's a window, upper deck, right over the hulking wing of this superjumbo. Looking out, the airport on the horizon glows with the fluorescence of its millions of lights, pre-dawn. Usually we're not super anxious to leave a plane to experience the airport, but Frankfurt is an exception.

Wheels down.

Turning off onto the taxiway, we can already spot the many Lufthansa crane logos that adorn each Star Alliance gate. It's pretty obvious who rules this coop.

Rounding a corner, the A380 aims for its new home on the ground—a long, sleek concourse with gates and facilities designed for its massive dimensions. Whereas the plane squeezes itself into other airports, like buttoning pants two sizes too small, here it finds Frankfurt's just-opened A-Plus Concourse is tailor-made with breathing room. Once we've parked, three jet bridges stretch out to welcome over 500 passengers into these fresh digs.

Yeah, we're pretty excited. New airport smell is second only to new airplane smell. And there is a smell—like a freshly produced toy just unboxed. Our passport is stamped beneath an unfinished ceiling. The exuberance we feel is not unlike that of a person typing "FIRST!" in a blog post comments section.

Willkommen.

Right now, the A-Plus Pier at FRA is the only thing like it in the entire world. That is, a concourse dedicated to the jumbo-est of jumbos. Come early 2013, Emirates will open a 20-gate A380 terminal, but FRA beat 'em to the punch. Lufthansa is so proud of the place that they just launched a full virtual online tour.

A-Plus, with its seven gates and floor space roughly equaling 25 football fields, has two big goals: cut down average passenger transfer time from 60 minutes to 45 minutes and serve as home base for A340s, B747-400s, B747-800is and A380s from Lufthansa and 26 other Star Alliance carriers.

Now consider that each Lufthansa A380 seats 526 passengers, all of whom are milling about this new terminal for a couple pre-flight hours looking for food to eat, duty-free caviar to buy, or a comfy chair to sneak a few winks. Now multiply that passenger number by every new A380/B747/A340 planeload that's also awaiting departure. It could be a crazy place but it's totally not, thanks to good design and forethought.

For them (and you), the A-Plus Concourse has 60 new shops and restaurants, like Hermès, Porsche Design, and what we think of as a duty-free wonderland. There's a Japanese restaurant, patisseries with pretzels, a McDonald's (of course), and five—count 'em—five new lounges. The only things there's not: free WiFi and an abundance of power outlets. You'll have to gain access to a lounge for all that.

Fun Fact: Frankfurt International Airport is the largest employment complex at a single location in all of Germany.

Another Fun Fact: If you'd like to check in to the A-Plus Concourse on Foursquare, it's listed under its German name: "Pier/Flugsteig A."

Disclosure: We traveled as guests of Lufthansa, but rest assured that all photos and opinions are completely our own.

A mobile with an A380 model dangles in the atrium.

You'll know you're in the A-Plus Concourse after passing through this atrium-like area.

Here's a double gate for quick boarding of one superjumbo or two smaller aircraft.

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Earlier this year, the New York Post alerted readers to "the city's first million-dollar parking space" and put the cost of the hot spot at 66 E. 11th St. into proper perspective: Purchasing it would be equivalent to paying a $115 ticket for illegal parking every day for 24 years.

So you're not a celebrity or camera-shy business mogul?

You might not be paying a cool million, but parking elsewhere can be pretty steep, too.

And the cost is only getting higher.

The cost of daily downtown parking in 56 prime central business districts across North America increased — with hourly parking rates growing by 3.7%, according to the Colliers International 2012 Parking Rate Survey, which included covered or underground parking garages.

These price increases are attributed to garage owners and operators using the growing demand for parking as an opportunity to impose modest rate increases.

The survey also found one city's astounding hourly parking rate at as high as $40, while the average monthly U.S. median unreserved parking rate is $166.26.

Million-dollar spaces aside, it's no surprise that it's back to the Big Apple for some of the priciest monthly, daily and hourly parking rates in the country, according to the survey.

(Note: All of these numbers reflect the median parking rate in these cities, unless otherwise noted.)

Top U.S. Monthly Unreserved Parking Rates
The customer is guaranteed a space upon entry.

1. New York City (Midtown): $562
2. New York City (Downtown): $533
3. Boston: $405
4. San Francisco: $375
5. Philadelphia: $313

Least expensive among the U.S. cities surveyed: Bakersfield, Calif., and Phoenix, both at $55.

Most surprisingly high priced North American city? Calgary, Alberta in Canada. The average monthly parking rate there is $439 (in U.S. dollars). That's the third highest price in North America, much higher than super-expensive U.S. cities such as Boston and San Francisco.

[InvestingAnswers Feature: 10 of the Most Extravagant Homes in the World]

Top U.S. Daily Parking Rates
The customer is permitted to park for a full day and is not affected by early-bird restrictions. 

1. Honolulu: $42
2. New York City (Midtown): $38
3. Chicago: $35
4. Boston: $33
5. San Francisco: $29 

Remember, those are the median rates; on the high end, parking spaces in Honolulu and Midtown Manhattan go up to $75 per day. The least expensive U.S. city in the survey? Greenville, S.C., at just $6 per day.

Top U.S. Hourly Metered Parking Rates

1. New York City (Downtown): $20
2 (Tie). New York City (Midtown): $19
2 (Tie). Chicago: $19
4. Philadelphia: $13
5. Los Angeles: $12.50

Those with money to burn can spend as much as $40 per hour in Midtown Manhattan. The cheapest? Again, Greenville, S.C., where the median hourly rate is just 75 cents. Two Florida cities — Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach — were next cheapest, at just $1 per hour.

[InvestingAnswers Feature: 12 Luxuries Only Billionaires Can Afford]

Top NFL Parking Rates

Beyond regular parking rates, prices tend to spike at popular events. Not part of the Colliers International survey — but football fans would say of equal importance — is which NFL team has the priciest pigskin parking. Here are the top five, according to the 2012 marketing team report from fancostexperience.com. (We won't even get into what a cold beer and a hot dog will run you.)

1. Dallas Cowboys: $75
2. Chicago Bears: $49
3 (tie). New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks: $40

The NFL average cost for parking is $27.35.

The cheapest? Parking for an Arizona Cardinals home page will only run you $10. The Detroit Lions are next at $11, while the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings charge $15 to park.

You Have To Find A Spot First

While the price to park steadily increases, it seems like the odds of finding city street parking are decreasing. According to a New York Times story, San Francisco is attempting to reduce frustrating circling time by employing new technology and the good old law of supply and demand. The program raises the price to park on its most crowded streets while lowering it on its more desolate ones. The results have been positive.

Never mind the price, it's having to parallel park at all, you say? There's nothing like a narrow space and a line of impatient cars in the rearview mirror to add to the task.

Well, if you know your car's turning radius, the distance between the front and the rear wheels, the distance of your front wheel to the corner of the front bumper and the width of the car you want to park behind, you're in luck: A multistep geometry equation can tell you whether your car will fit. Easy as that. This comes from an NPR report, "The Formula for Perfect Parallel Parking," which profiled University of London mathematician Simon Blackburn's "The Geometry of Perfect Parking."

No time for crunching variables? Then repeated practice it is. May China's Han Yue, the world record holder for tightest parallel parking job, be your inspiration.

SEE ALSO: The 10 most dangerous states for drivers >

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This is the Personal 3D Viewer from Sony.

Why We Love It: This device lets you watch movies in 2D or 3D HD with 5.1-channel surround sound. It also simulates the experience of sitting 12 feet away from a 150'' screen, and has two HD OLED displays for beautiful color and clarity.

The 3D Viewer plugs into your TV, allowing you to watch whatever you'd like, from primetime television to video games. And whenever you want the image to switch back to your TV, simply switch off the headset.

Where To Buy: Available through Sony.

Cost: $799.99.

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

Don't Miss: MR.BEER Brewmasters Select Beer Kit

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With only 1,249 new apartments expected in Manhattan all year — up from last year, but way down from 8,052 in 2007 — competition is intense.

Buyers are snatching up still-under-construction luxury condos at a rapid rate for the first time in years, according to The New York Times.

18 Gramercy Park is following the trend. It has just three of its 16 units left, and isn't scheduled to open until 2013.

The still-under-construction One57 high-rise, that was made famous by the 'dangling crane' incident during Hurricane Sandy, has sold 60 percent of its units. The penthouse in the building sold for $90 million, unseen to the buyer upon signing a contract.

200 E. 79th Street has contracts on 25 of the 39 units signed, and is still being erected.

In 2008, when the real estate market toppled, along with the economy, buying a not-yet-completed condo was financial suicide. It was feared that developers wouldn't be able to finish the project or make good on the promises in the contract.

But everything has changed, one developer tells the Times:

“We were inundated,” said Kenneth S. Horn, Alchemy’s president. “There is such a dearth of new properties that if you deliver a nice product with nice finishes in a good area, they’re going to sell.”

Now tour the inside of the still-under-construction One57 building >

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If I had a magical wardrobe, its door would be in Parma. Yes, Parma, the land of mythical maialini raised on the whey of hand-molded parmigiano to make prosciutto perfection.

No, my wardrobe would not transport me to the heady rooms of a prosciuttificio nor hallowed halls of a parmigiano factory. My Narnia is a land known as Gazzabuglio, a tiny shop in the sides streets of Parma's centro storico.

Gazzabuglio is a play on the word "guazzabuglio," Italian for disordered mess. This guazzabuglio, however, is very calculated. Part made-to-measure dress atelier, part fantasy closet, Gazzabuglio is packed ceiling-to-floor with an ever-evolving parade of vintage dresses, handbags, shoes, hats, and scarves carefully chosen by Letizia Sabini, a woman so elegant and chic that I don't know if I should curtsy or applaud.

The designer names are (almost) overwhelming: Chanel, Roberta di Camerino, Cavalli, Carven, Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton. But my yearly pilgrimage brings me here for only one: Hermès.

Since Letizia opened her boutique in 1977, she has been one of Italy's top purveyors of vintage Hermès bags and scarves, representing every era. Nevermind the shop's haphazard charm. Collectors quickly understand that Gazzabuglio is for the very serious. Bags and scarves are well researched and in mint condition, and Letizia will discuss every detail of the bag and where it came from.  For the novice like myself, every visit to Gazzabuglio is a lesson in lore and fact. Stitching, numbering, signatures — Letizia unfurls Hermès knowledge as she does each scarf. I am mesmerized.

Most of the time, I do not know if it is Letizia who is bewitching me or if my head is spinning from the colors of the scarves. The solution is easy: I pick out my scarf and walk across via Giuseppe Mazzini into Borgo San Giacomo, the tiny two-street area filled with clothing and furniture shops, for the only afternoon repose in Parma: prosciutto and melon from one of the many foodie spots along Strada Farini. Narnia has never tasted so good. Gazzabuglio; Borgo XX Marzo, 13, Parma, Italy; +39-0521-283-379.

Fathom: The travel website redefined. Follow us on Twitter @FathomWayToGo, tell us about your travels on Facebook, and sign up for our weekly wanderlusty newsletter.

SEE ALSO: The Most Expensive Shopping Streets In The World

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Red Sox pitcher John Lackey probably spent a lot of time relaxing at his gorgeous home in Newport Beach, Calif. this season since he was out with an injury, but now as he prepares for 2013, Lackey is selling it for just under $10 million, according to Realtor.com.

The 9,100 square foot home is right on the ocean and has amazing sunset views. Its features include a movie theater, pool, hot tub, and an iPad controlled audio-video system.

Lackey reportedly bought the home in 2010 for $8.4 million.

Here's the private entrance at the front of the house

Let's start outside...

One of the porches

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This week the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco will consider amending the city's building code to let micro-apartments become even more micro.

At present, dwelling units must be a minimum of 220 square feet of living space plus bathroom, kitchen, and closet — roughly 290 square feet in all.

The amendment [PDF] would reduce that minimum to 150 square feet of livable space, for a total area of 220.

If you could trade stock in real estate terms, now would be the time to buy cozy.

The proposal has stirred some debate in recent months. Developers say it's the natural response to soaring rents and a growing single population.

The average studio in San Francisco now rents for more than $2,100, and roughly two in five city residents live alone. Tenant advocates fear the new rule might displace affordable housing and set a dangerously cramped new living standard.

Like it or not, tiny seems here to stay. Several California cities — including San Jose and Santa Barbara — already permit 150-square-foot minimums.

Seattle has tested out micro-apartments, and earlier this year New York announced a pilot project for a micro-unit rental building. Cities outside the United States, like Tokyo and Paris, went snug long ago. A new micro-loft development in Vancouver, with some units as small as 226 square feet, rented out within a month.

Bay Area developer Patrick Kennedy of Panoramic Interests believes tiny dwellings will "get huge" for a number of social, economic, and planning reasons. Cities benefit from the expanded tax base, neighborhoods benefit from the infusion of people, residents benefit from the social dynamics of density. At a time when public budgets are crunched, says Kennedy, micro-unit buildings are also "a way of civilizing an area without using city or state or federal funds."

Micro-apartments feature prominently in a number of Panoramic projects. SMARTSPACE SoMa is a 23-unit building at 28 Harriet Street in San Francisco, with most apartments around 300 square feet, that has ample bike storage but no car parking. SMARTSPACE Mission is a larger micro-unit building at 9th and Mission, right across from Twitter, that Kennedy hopes will be done in 2014. If the city approves the new 150-square-foot minimum, he'll build micro-micro units too.

Kennedy believes tiny apartments are particularly well-suited for the active, car-free, single Millennials already coming to American cities. SMARTSPACE Mission will include spacious common areas that encourage residential camaraderie and balance out the spartan quarters themselves. Elaborate lobbies, a café, and a lounge area — kind of like micro-apartments meet the Ace Hotel, he says.

"You can have a lot of people in a space, but the impacts are all on the plus side of a ledger: you don't have any traffic, you just have people taking transit, riding bikes or walking, and spending money in a new neighborhood," says Kennedy. "I also think a higher concentration in one spot creates an interesting social dynamic that enhances the lives of the people there."

Kennedy sees four main challenges in designing an attractive micro-apartment. The first is where to put the television, which Panoramic resolves by including a flatscreen with every unit.

The next two are where to put the bed and dining room table. Panoramic address both problems by installing a modernized, Queen-sized Murphy bed that doubles as a daytime table. The fourth problem is storage. Panoramic units have high ceilings — some nearly 10 feet — which creates plenty of room for loft storage above the closet.

Panoramic also invests a great deal of money and effort into sound-proofing its units, says Kennedy. Thicker walls, acoustical mats, additional sheet rock, specially made electrical outlets. He likes to think a person can have a Primal Screaming therapy session without waking their next-door neighbor.

"High-density places need high-density sound-proofing," Kennedy says. "A small place can be quite pleasant provided you don't have to listen to your neighbors."

Still Kennedy recognizes there are natural limits to human confinement. He says the micro-apartment "sweet spot" is probably about 220 square feet, and that 160 is getting close to the minimum endurable standard. The biggest factor in tenant responses to micros is the type of lifestyle that's lived outside the apartment. "One-sixty is not a good size for a shut-in," he says.

SEE ALSO: 10 Sleek Space Savers That Are Perfect For A Tiny Apartment

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Just in time for the holidays we're giving you have a chance to win an iPad mini.  Become a newsletter subscriber now and you'll have a chance to win Apple's latest tablet.  If you're the lucky winner you will have all of these great features at your finger tips and can stock up on our favorite iPad mini apps.  Click below to enter and to start receiving one or more of our newsletters to keep up to date with the news you need to know.

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