Destination: United States
A Solar-Powered City to Debut in Florida
by Joanna Kakissis | 04.10.09 | 12:22 PM ET
Photo by albertheaps via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Hey, if the United Arab Emirates can build a giant eco-city in the desert, then sunny Florida should do just fine with a solar-powered town near Fort Myers, in the southwestern portion of the state.
Reuters reports that the developers of the planned $2 billion Babcock Ranch—an environmentally friendly city of 19,500 houses and some six million square feet of space including retail and offices—say it will run on what they bill as the world’s largest photovoltaic solar plant.
Let’s just hope the Sunshine State’s sun city isn’t underwater by the end of the century.
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Yahoo! BuzzIs Whole Body Imaging Coming to an Airport Near You?
by Rob Verger | 04.10.09 | 10:49 AM ET
Will full-body scanners eventually replace the traditional metal detector as a primary screening device at U.S. airports? It seems likely, reports Joe Sharkey for the New York Times. “Robin Kane, the agency’s acting chief technology officer, said that the initial results from pilot tests at some checkpoints at 19 airports in the United States had been so good that the idea of using the machines as the standard checkpoint detectors made sense,” Sharkey writes.
“Assuming tests continue to be positive,” Sharkey adds, “the machines will eventually be used at most domestic airports.”
The Critics: ‘Fast & Furious’
by Eva Holland | 04.09.09 | 10:29 AM ET
Publicity still via IGN When I listed Fast & Furious as one of my travel movies to watch for in 2009, I have to admit that my tongue might have been straying towards my cheek. I certainly never expected that the movie—the fourth installment in a fading franchise—would smash box office records and enjoy the biggest April weekend opening ever. But with an unexpected $70 million (and counting) in the bank, I suppose the movie qualifies as a phenomenon of sorts. With that in mind, I decided to check it out and see if there were any vicarious travel thrills to be had in between all the lingering shots of hot (auto) bodies.
Would You Take a Trip to TV Town?
by Sophia Dembling | 04.08.09 | 4:19 PM ET
Photo by Sophia Dembling Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. It’s the only town in the world named for a TV show. In 1950, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show (which started on radio), the producers challenged a town to change its name to Truth or Consequences and the anniversary show would be taped there.
This southern New Mexico town, then called Hot Springs, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the change and from then on, its patron saint celebrity was host Ralph Edwards, who returned to the town many times until his death in 2005.
T or C has voted a couple of times since on whether it should return to its old name, but the TV name has stuck. After all, towns called Hot Springs are a dime a dozen.
Desert Solitaire: Inside an ‘Airplane Graveyard’
by Rob Verger | 04.08.09 | 12:54 PM ET
A sign that the airline industry is struggling in the poor economy: airlines are putting more planes into storage. “The number of planes in storage has jumped 29% in the past year to 2,302,” the AP reports.
Both this week’s AP story and a February 2006 New York Times story by Joe Sharkey take readers inside the Evergreen Maintenance Center in Arizona, with vivid descriptions of the rows of planes parked in the desert. Each article uses the word “ghost” or “ghosts” to describe the feeling of the motionless planes.
IHOP Hits 50 States: That’s a Lot of Pancakes
by Jenna Schnuer | 04.08.09 | 11:13 AM ET
While diners, taquerias, clam shacks, bbq shacks and waffle houses are the unofficial official dining establishments of Flyover America, IHOP deserves an honorable mention. There’s something to be said for the easy comfort of knowing exactly what you’re going to get and, Starbucks aside, no chain does it better than IHOP. It’s a nice thing when you’re on the road for a while (or, let’s be honest, slightly tanked after a night out).
As of the April 7 opening of its South Burlington, Vermont pancakery (our word, not theirs), IHOP is now open in each and every one of the 50 states. We raise our forks—loaded with a heaping helping of Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity—in salute.
Empire State Building Goes Green
by Joanna Kakissis | 04.08.09 | 10:35 AM ET
The trendsters have spoken: Either you’re a greenvolutionary or you’re just another energy-sucking monument. So the Empire State Building, helped by $20 million from the Clinton Climate Initiative, aims to become the Art Deco landmark with a LEED rating, according to Reuters. The eco-makeover will include upgrading the building’s 6,500 windows and adding eco-friendly heating and air conditioning systems, insulation and energy-efficient lighting. The whole project is expected to cost about $100 million and is intended to cut energy consumption in the 102-story skyscraper by 38 percent.
Further Thoughts on Continental Connect Flight 3407
by Rob Verger | 04.07.09 | 3:16 PM ET
It’s been nearly two months since Continental Connect Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center, New York, while on its approach to Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. Over at Ask the Pilot, Patrick Smith analyzes the most recent news, which he describes as “fascinating and disturbing.” While initially ice had been a prime suspect, Smith writes, “Investigators are focused instead on what appears to be an egregious case of pilot error.”
Obama Administration Wants Controls on Antarctic Tourism
by Joanna Kakissis | 04.07.09 | 2:30 PM ET
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants to limit landings in Antarctica from ships carrying a lot of tourists in an effort to save the continent from further environmental degradation, Reuters reports. Speaking to a joint session of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting and the Arctic Council, Clinton also said the U.S. is offering new rules for lifeboats, to better protect passengers in stranded or sinking cruise ships. One cruise ship was already stranded this past winter, while some 150 crew and passengers had to be rescued in late 2007 after their ship struck ice and sank.
Around the World in Five Dates
by Terry Ward | 04.07.09 | 12:04 PM ET
iStockphoto The language of love may be universal, but the etiquette of dating is not. Terry Ward looks at courting from Tehran to Tokyo.
Rooster Racket on the Chicken Isle
by Pam Mandel | 04.07.09 | 11:15 AM ET
Oddly, it’s one of the first things you notice about Kauai. They’re everywhere, it seems: all over the airport souvenirs, on the grassy shoulder to your right when you’re driving your rental car out of the airport, scratching along the path that goes down to the beach ... Chickens. Feral chickens.
Farewell Ukulele Player John King
by Pam Mandel | 04.06.09 | 2:44 PM ET
Uke players around the world are saddened to learn of the death of ukulele master John King. He was a popular teacher—many of my ukulele playing friends took lessons from him here in the Pacific Northwest and were looking forward to his upcoming classes at the Portland Uke Fest. His blog, Nalu Music, includes exhaustive back information about the history of the uke, his tour schedule, quotes about the ukulele, sheet music for skilled players, and lots, lots more. John King was a writer, a musician and an advocate for Hawaiian music and his instrument of choice.
Here’s John King playing Ka Ipo Lei—a love song for David Kalakaua the last king of Hawaii—on his uke. John King died much too young. He’ll be missed.
Rock, Paper, Angry Volcano Goddess
by Pam Mandel | 04.06.09 | 11:47 AM ET
From Menehune Land Sales, LLC:
And it was then that I saw her, bathed in the full moon light, a female Menehune. She was beautiful, regal, similar to the male Menehune I had seen many years ago. Seeing her on our property was truly magical. It was the sign I had been waiting for. I was being directed not to sell the land as a whole, but to share the property in Menehune size pieces with those who wanted not only to own land on Maui and perpetuate the myth of these awesome little people, but to become stewards for this land and the spirit it possesses.
In other words, “How about a tenner for the Menehune?” Actually your contribution will go to Froyam Edel, the Menehune appointed real estate agent. He’s selling the land to you, dear reader, in one foot square parcels. For $9.99 (a little more if you want the embossed seal) you’ll get, well, a paper certificate, and not much more than that.
From Wilt to Woodstock: A Pop Culture Road Trip
by Chris Epting | 04.06.09 | 10:27 AM ET
Photo by Chris Epting Chris Epting has written numerous books on roadside attractions. Here, he reveals 10 favorite offbeat landmarks.
See the full audio slideshow: »
Travel Writing: Not Exactly a Racket
by Tom Swick | 04.03.09 | 4:36 PM ET
REUTERS/Carlos Barria Contemplating and celebrating the world of travel