USA TODAY travel writers' favorite places for 2011

— -- "What's your favorite place?" That's a question USA TODAY's leisure travel writers get a lot. Answers vary by year, but here are spots Laura Bly, Jayne Clark and Kitty Bean Yancey enjoyed most in 2011, along with best places stayed and lessons learned.

Enjoy, and happy travels.

Laura Bly

Favorite destination: Iceland

Most tourists come to this barren, delightfully bizarre outpost during the summer, when its raw landscapes are softened by wildflowers and long days give way to convivial nights fueled by such delicacies as fermented shark meat and an aptly named brandy, "Black Death."

But after two brief midwinter encounters here — including a magical rendition of the northern lights — I can't imagine a better time to visit. Prices drop with the temperatures, and hotels fully booked in summer have plenty of rooms. And when you're hurtling through the mid-afternoon darkness in a snow-laced gale, Icelanders' tales of trolls and elves seem even more believable.

Favorite hotel

Though I was too busy hoisting microbrews along the Colorado Beer Trail to wander its historic grounds, take in a concert or sample the world-class hiking a few steps away, I was thoroughly smitten by the Colorado Chautauqua.

Located at the base of the Flatiron range in the Brigadoon-like college town of Boulder, this year-round cultural and educational retreat is one of only three remaining Chautauquas — a movement Theodore Roosevelt called "the most American thing in America." My cozy, recently updated cottage (nightly rates are $125-$268) came with a screened porch, full kitchen and two hours of free Wi-Fi. No in-room phones or TVs, unless you bring your own — hard to imagine, given the tantalizing scenery and lineup of lectures and entertainment.

Lesson learned

Don't expect travel to cure all ills, particularly an iPhone addiction. Despite my best intentions (and a detox at one of the planet's most spectacularly unplugged destinations, the bottom of the Grand Canyon) I failed to meet last year's resolution to spend less time in front of a screen. Next year, I'm focusing on the positive: using that technology to chart better trips.

Jayne Clark

Favorite destination: New Zealand

I have only two quibbles with this genial nation perched on the far side of the map: They drive on the "wrong" side of the road — and it's really far away.

But its many attributes make it worth the journey. The topography is remarkable (it starred as Middle-earth in the Lord of the Rings movies, after all). And the verdant vistas are so color-saturated, you'd swear they were Photoshopped.

I swam with dolphins in the Marlborough Sounds, kayaked along the rugged Kaiteriteri coast, hiked in lush Abel Tasman National Park and jet-boated on the wild Dart River. I feasted on giant green-lipped mussels plucked fresh from the sea and sampled home-pressed olive oils at the edge of the grove they came from.

Not least, I met interesting characters, from the artist who hauled an old barn 180 miles and re-purposed it into a fabulous dwelling, to a sheep farmer whose land harbors a Hobbit village.

Best hotel

I have three favorites from 2011: An Artist's Garden on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick, Canada; The Beachcomber on Casey Key in Nokomis, Fla.; Lochmara Lodge on New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds.

I classify them as "nervous-breakdown hotels": the kind of place I'd want to settle into if I were suffering a meltdown. (No need yet.) They have no stars, no room service and no pretensions. They're cute but not cloying; restful but not boring. And each is memorable for its spectacular setting and attentive owners.

Lesson learned

Schedule time to catch a connecting flight, especially when it's the last of the day. I was to have an hour in San Francisco before taking an evening Air New Zealand flight. Mechanical problems on my United flight left us on the tarmac in Washington for a couple of hours. Luckily, the connecting flight was delayed. I made it (barely). But better planning would have spared me stress and a possible 24-hour delay.

Kitty Bean Yancey

Favorite destination: Northwest France

Though they are united by some of the world's creamiest butter and scrumptious apple products from tangy cider to throat-searing Calvados liquor, Normandy and Brittany offer two distinct and memorable experiences.

Brittany's Emerald Coast — secluded coves and long beaches topped by cliffs — is largely untrod by Americans. Once most French vacationers depart in September, you stroll well-marked paths without meeting another person. Independent walking tours, on which bags are ferried from hotel to hotel, are a perfect way to discover the rugged landscape.

Before or after, stop in Bayeux in Normandy, a medieval city that's a popular base for exploring the D-Day landing beaches. Walk manicured emerald lawns past rows of white crosses at Normandy American Cemetery and pay homage to those who sacrificed so much here and elsewhere. Bring tissues to dab at the tears that trickle.

Best hotel

I'm no fan of Donald Trump's bluster, but the man knows how to dispense hospitality. The 3-year-old Trump International Hotel Las Vegas isn't all it was intended to be — premium-priced and filled with well-heeled condo owners. Rates as low as $87 on a recent night have lured backpackers stacked four or more to a room. But Trump is a haven in Vegas: non-gaming and non-smoking, with studio-apartment-style suites including big marble bathrooms and kitchenettes with Sub-Zero mini-fridges. Another reason it's a "best": Staffers treat guests like millionaires.

Lesson learned

I once thought if I locked in low airfare, rental car and hotel rates, my trip was set. This year, with cost-cutting a major concern, I kept checking after booking and found that as more travel providers adopt a supply-and-demand business model, prices plummet in slow times. My big success was at carrentals.com (rates as low as $12 a day in Vegas, down from $20 when I first booked). Surveillance is a bit of a hassle, but the reward is big savings.