The NY Times has their end-of-year picks, while the LA Times and Washington Post finally get their snow-season specials on the lift (where were you two weeks ago, guys?) Included are three separate articles about the here-to-fore little-known mountains of Big Sky, Montana–so much for that bit of “insider info.” The Guardian crashes the après-ski festivities with tip on the really unknown winter destination of Kashmir, written by the amazingly, frostily named Minty Clinch (seriously).

NYT End-Of-Year Bests
– “Budget Destination: Albania, Europe’s Rough Corner, Loosens Up”
– “Hotels: The Toiletries, the Concierges, the Spas. For 2007, Conspicuous Luxury Is In”
– “Luxury Destination: In Zambia, Safaris With a Penthouse Touch”
– “Party Destination: Amid the Minarets of Istanbul, Club Music Pulses”
– “Family Destination: The French Riviera is an Adult Playground, With a PG Side”
– “Buzzword: Carbon Neutral – Raising the Ante on Eco-Tourism”
– “Entrepreneur: The Sheik of Dubai”
– “Adventure: Yemen, An Arabian Oasis for the Intrepid”

Washington Post Ski Issue 2006
– “Deer Valley: A Little Snow-How”
– “Montana: Plenty of Snow For Everyone”
– “Berguen, Switzerland”
– “La Grave, France”
– “Sainte-Foy Tarentaise, France”
– “Slopes With the Most”

LA Times Winter Holidays
– “Montana: White open spaces”
– “Montana: A quick whoosh through Big Sky”
– “Finding thrills on those smaller hills”
– “Lift-ticket deals: Less green stuff, more white stuff”
– “Brand names resonate when it comes to online bookings”
– “FIVE REASONS TO…Explore spectacular Whistler”
– “Fat but so light on your feet”

The Guardian
– “Why Kashmir beats Klosters”

Previously:
– “Weekend Travel Section Roundup: Snow Report”

Albania
- ‘Albania’s ancient history surfaces’ (LA Times)

Monemvasia, Greece
- ‘Next Stop: Monemvasia, Greece’ (NYT)

Budapest
- ‘Budapest Is Stealing Some of Prague’s Spotlight’ (NYT)

Lake Tahoe for Foodies
- ‘Wine, and art, to flow freely at Lake Tahoe’ (SF Chronicle)

Holistic Mount Shasta
- ‘Soaking up Shasta’ (SF Chronicle)

Semi-Affordable SF Hotels
- ‘Cents and an S.F. sensibility’ (LA Times)

Newfoundland
- ‘The Age of Argument hits the outports’ (Globe and Mail)

The NYT’s Frugal Traveler, Matt Gross, continues his thrifty jaunt through the summer that started a month back in Lisbon. This week’s installment finds him in Albania, where he visits the capital, Tirana, and Gjirokastra- a UNESCO-designated “museum city” in the south. Though Albania is Europe’s poorest country, and is still regaining its footing after a toppled pyramid scheme destabilized the entire national economy in the ‘90s, Mr. Gross encounters much to enjoy – friendly locals, newly cosmopolitan city centers, cheap cuisine and drinks, and the “refreshing” regional brand of crazy. But he also, unsurprisingly, finds less than stellar infrastructure and many, many inconsistencies and contradictions. Currently he’s on route to Greece and Turkey, and is accepting travel tips from readers here.

Previously:
- “Around the World in 90 Days”

(image via Globe trotting anthropoid’s photostream)