Rathaus-Glockenspiel
In the heart of Munich, pedestrian
traffic in the bustling Marienplatz square stands still at 11 a.m. as eager
tourists crane their necks to glimpse the historic Glockenspiel,
which sits atop the Neues Rathaus, or “New Town Hall.” The charming, 2-level
clock’s 43 bells and 32 life-size figurines re-enact 16th-century scenes,
including knights jousting and dancing the Schäfflertanz. The
performance lasts about 12 minutes.
When to Catch It: 11 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. daily, March through October
 |
| {from my trip to Germany in 2010} |
Changing of the Guard
Tourists assemble in front of Buckingham
Palace to see the red-coated soldiers bark orders and march in a 45-minute
ceremony in this quintessentially British display of pomp and pageantry.
When to Catch It: The guard begins assembling daily at 11:15 a.m., but
get there earlier to secure a decent spot. Occasionally canceled because of
heavy rainfall.
Dubai Fountain
Set against the great Burj Khalifa
Lake, a mesmerizing series of lights and graceful water jets makes up the great Dubai Fountain. At night,
it shines so brightly that it can be seen from space.
When to Catch It: 1 and 1:30 p.m. daily — except Friday, when it starts at
1:30 and 2 p.m. — as well as every half-hour from 6 to 11 p.m. nightly
Old Faithful
Yellowstone is home to the majority
of the world’s preserved geysers, in large part because it was America’s first
national park, established in 1872. Old Faithful’s eruptions aren’t the largest
or the most frequent, but true to its name, they are the most consistent —
shooting 8,000 gallons of water up to 180 feet into the air about every 90
minutes.
When to Catch It: You can see crowds gathering on the benches and
predicted geyser eruption times (plus or minus 10 minutes) on the National Park
Service’s Old Faithful live cam.
Symphony
of Lights, Hong Kong
The Symphony of Lights laser show
claims the entire spectacular Hong Kong skyline
as its backdrop. Divided into 5 parts, the 13-minute show builds excitement
slowly, until the tops of the skyscrapers erupt with radiance. While tickets to
the world’s largest light show are free it may worth the steep
cocktail prices at a roof top bar to view the show.
When to Catch It: 8 p.m. nightly. Suspended in cases of severe weather.
Bridge
Bats, Austin
During the summer 1.5 million bats emerge from underneath Congress
Avenue Bridge in downtown Austin. Hundreds of people gather to witness the world’s largest urban bat colony. The Mexican free-tailed bats migrate each spring from central
Mexico and devour up to 20,000 pounds of insects on these nightly flights.
When to Catch It: Crowds converge around dusk most summer nights.
Disneyland
Forever Fireworks, Anaheim, CA
This year the fireworks
display will join a new 1.5-million-light Paint the Night parade and World of
Color water show as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebration starting May 22.
When to Catch It: 9:30 p.m. nightly
Eiffel
Tower Sparkles, Paris
In 1999 20,000 flashing lights were
installed for its millennial New Year’s Eve celebration. Fifteen years later,
those same lights make the tower sparkle for 5 minutes at the top of every hour.
When to Catch It: Every hour from sundown until 1 a.m.
How many of these attractions have you been to?
