Destination: Massachusetts

A Visitor’s Guide to ‘Infinite Boston’

Calling all “Infinite Jest” tourists: This blog has you covered. (Via The Millions)


What if Martha’s Vineyard Had a Subway System?

It might look something like this. (Via Boing Boing)


Paying Respect to Buddha in Boston

Paying Respect to Buddha in Boston iStockPhoto

At a Boston park, Shelley Miller learned that a little Cantonese will go a long way

Read More »


Fall Foliage Around the World

Central Park, New York Photo of Central Park, New York City, by joiseyshowaa via Flickr (Creative Commons)

From Osaka to Chicago, seven photos of turning leaves around the shrinking planet

Read More »


What Would ‘Walden’ be Called if it Were Published Today?

According to this fun list of revised book titles: “Camping with Myself: Two Years in American Tuscany.” (Via The Daily Dish)


Photo We Love: Obama on Holiday

Photo We Love: Obama on Holiday REUTERS/Jason Reed
REUTERS/Jason Reed

President Obama, who clearly didn’t read Tom Swick’s open letter about his vacation plans, cycles on Martha’s Vineyard.


Interview With Rose Hamid: Flight Attendant, Hijab Wearer

Interview With Rose Hamid: Flight Attendant, Hijab Wearer Photo courtesy of Rose Hamid

How does she navigate the tensions between her profession and her faith in a post-9/11 world? Andrea Cooper learns more.

Read More »


Jeffrey Goldberg Goes Whale Watching

And if he had to summarize the Cape Cod excursion in one word? Awesome. From his blog over at The Atlantic: “I don’t mean ‘awesome’ in a juvenile way, I mean ‘awesome’ as in, ‘if God did indeed create the earth, he did a bang-up job in the large mammal department…’ It’s impossible to describe the sight of a finback whale forty feet from where you stand. I’ll say this—you and your problems shrink in significance.”


In Defense of Martha’s Vineyard

In Defense of Martha’s Vineyard Photo by twoblueday via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Photo by twoblueday via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Tom Swick may think President Obama could have done better for a vacation spot, but Lonely Planet’s Robert Reid begs to differ. Here’s his compelling list of 22 reasons why Obama was right to pick Martha.

Incidentally, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. would probably agree. Gates told Travel + Leisure in 2007 that the Vineyard was his favorite place.


Moon-Gazing Around the Globe

Full moon over London Photos by cybea via Flickr (Creative Commons)

From Puebla to Paris, 12 photos by moonstruck world travelers

See the full photo slideshow »


An Open Letter to President Obama: Martha’s Vineyard?

An Open Letter to President Obama: Martha’s Vineyard? iStockPhoto

Contemplating and celebrating travel

Read More »


Seven Images to Inspire Wanderlust: From Nicaragua to New Delhi

Cerro Negro volcano, Leon City, Nicaragua REUTERS

Indulge your armchair traveler with seven wanderlust-inspiring travel photos from around the world

See the full photo slideshow »


Still No Word on What Caused Scabies Outbreak Among Boston TSA Staff

Still No Word on What Caused Scabies Outbreak Among Boston TSA Staff Photo of Pohnpei's airport by Rob Verger
Photo of Pohnpei’s airport by Rob Verger

In late March, five TSA workers at Boston’s Logan Airport were infected with scabies, a nasty little bug that literally lives and breeds underneath the host’s skin.

The incident merited a posting on the TSA’s blog, reassuring passengers that there was basically no chance they could have contracted the bugs by going through security. (One of the many reasons why it would have been practically impossible for a passenger to become infected this way is that the TSA screeners wear gloves, and scabies is usually only spread through direct skin-to-skin contact.)

When I contacted the TSA this week to see if they had any leads in how the outbreak began, Ann Davis, the Public Affairs Officer for the TSA in Boston, said via email:

Read More »


Air Travel Now, in Numbers


Big Plane, Small Plane

Photo by MileageNYC, via Flickr (Creative Commons)

As of June 1, Emirates will cease using its A380s—the biggest commercial plane in the skies—between Dubai and New York City. The airline will be replacing it with Boeing 777s, citing the poor economy as the reason to use the comparatively smaller plane, which has fewer seats to fill.

At the other end of the size spectrum, a company in Massachusetts called Terrafugia has celebrated the first flight of a flying car they have engineered called the Transition. As the Middle Seat Terminal points out, “While most people would look at the gizmo and call it a flying car, Terrafugia—founded by five pilots, all MIT graduates—prefers to call the beast a ‘Roadable Aircraft.’” According to the company’s website, each plane is anticipated to cost $194,000.

How many of these tiny flying cars do you think would fit inside an A380?