Destination: United States
A Truth About Hawaii Spoken in Jest?
by Sophia Dembling | 03.13.09 | 10:56 AM ET
Yup, I have to admit, I’m among those who laughed at the harsh Saturday Night Live sketch that has Hawaiian officials in a huff, as discussed by fellow World Hum blogger Pam Mandel. The Gallup Well-Being Index recently ranked Hawaii as the second happiest state in the nation, after Utah, but my limited experience with the state (three visits) introduced me to more hostility than happiness. I’m actually a little afraid of Hawaiians. I understand that they have reason to be pissed off, what with their paradise being paved over with hotels and low wages and all. It’s a problem with tropical paradises everywhere. So I’m not passing judgment, really. I’m just saying.
Email to friend
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! BuzzFrozen Dead Guy Days
by Joanna Kakissis | 03.13.09 | 10:19 AM ET
It's the time of year when a Colorado town celebrates its cryogenically frozen resident. Armed with her camera, Joanna Kakissis joined the party.
See the full photo slideshow »
Think You’ve Got What it Takes for ‘The Amazing Race’?
by Eva Holland | 03.13.09 | 9:52 AM ET
The Los Angeles Times’ Daily Deal blog has the details on a casting call for the hard-traveling reality TV show’s upcoming 15th season. Application videos are being filmed this weekend at open calls in 13 U.S. locations.
Morning Links: Japan’s ‘Ambassadors of Cute,’ Obama’s Position on Travel and More
by Michael Yessis | 03.13.09 | 8:06 AM ET
- Australia floats a plan to offer tourists free flights to the country, provided they spend a certain amount of money while visiting. (via Jaunted)
- IgoUgo lists 10 places to go to drink iconic drinks.
- Out: Sears Tower. In: Willis Tower.
- Airport living: A Finnish woman apparently spent more than two months calling Berlin’s Tegel airport home. (via Gridskipper)
- Japan unveils its “Ambassadors of Cute.” Metro has a photo.
- Kenya slashes visa fees to encourage more travelers to visit.
- The latest Washington Post Time Zones piece: Eating in Tehran with Thomas Erdbrink.
- The White House clarified President Obama’s position on travel: Travel on federal bailout money bad. A strong travel industry good.
- Finally, in the Onion TV listings: Crash Cab. Description: “In this hit game show, unsuspecting taxi passengers must answer general knowledge trivia questions correctly to prevent their cab from careening into the nearest storefront or bridge abutment.” (via @Marilyn_Res)
Got a suggestion? .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) your link.
Dark Days: ‘Cheers’ Bartender Gets a Pink Slip
by Eva Holland | 03.12.09 | 3:55 PM ET
Is nothing sacred anymore? Apparently not. Eddie Doyle, the real-life inspiration for Sam Malone and Co., has been laid off from Boston’s famous “Cheers” bar after 35 years. Doyle had stayed on long past the finale of the television series he helped launch, and was a fixture on the Boston tourism circuit.
“At the height of the show’s popularity,” the AP story notes, “3,000 people would pass through the bar daily and 5,000 on weekends.” A friend and fellow bartender called it “the end of an era,” and praised Doyle’s gift for chatting with customers: “If you want to feel good about yourself you go in and see Eddie Doyle, whether you were a total stranger or a longtime friend.” (Via The Remote Island)
Lt. Gov to SNL About Hawaii Skit: That’s Not Funny!
by Pam Mandel | 03.12.09 | 2:29 PM ET
According to Hawaii’s Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona, “Hawaiian Hotel,” a Saturday Night Live skit (video below) in which two grass-skirted, uke-playing, hula-dancing, minimum wage entertainers abuse guests at a hotel restaurant is not funny.
The skit “went too far in its negative depiction of Hawaii’s native people and tourism industry,” Aiona said. He added he wouldn’t let “such distortions go unchecked” when the economy is doing so poorly.
West Virginia: Reversal of Fortune?
by Jenna Schnuer | 03.12.09 | 1:44 PM ET
Oh, West Virginia. We feel for you. It can’t feel good to show up dead last on Forbes’ list of the best states in which to live. Word of your ranking comes on the heels of your governor’s plan to boost the state’s image. Maybe the campaign will also help brighten the spirits of residents and, eventually, lead to a better than 50th out of 50 ranking for both the emotional and physical health of residents. We know somebody has to come in last, but we look forward to seeing you move up the list. You and your people deserve better.
Capt. Sully: Author, Poet
by Rob Verger | 03.12.09 | 12:55 PM ET
The famous Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger is going to be an author. And, reportedly, a poet. The two-book deal with William Morrow is reportedly worth between 2.5 and 3 million dollars, Crain’s reports. A memoir will be first, and the second book will be poetry, The Daily Beast reports.
A “My Turn” column he wrote for Newsweek reportedly was used in lieu of a book proposal.
It’s easy to overdose on Sully-mania, as it is to be cynical about the book deal and think “enough already.” And while half of me is sick of hearing about Sully, the other half thinks: right on. If he wants to write a book, fantastic. Besides, how many pilots out there have inclinations to write, but no outlet? How many people in any profession, for that matter?
In his column in Newsweek, he wrote of himself and his family: “The trajectory of our lives has changed forever. And we’re determined to make good come out of this in every way that we can.” And now it seems that that includes a book, or two.
Headed to Austin for SXSW?
by Eva Holland | 03.12.09 | 11:26 AM ET
Well, consider me envious. The sprawling festival somehow stays right on top of the music, film and new media/tech scenes, and it’s hosted by one of the country’s favorite smaller cities to boot. Just in case you haven’t already got your every minute mapped out, I’ve rounded up some last-minute recommendations and ideas.
The SXSW Insider’s Guide has a hot thread debating the year’s must-see bands (and hey, some of the posters even give helpful rationales/context for their picks), while the Screengrab bloggers offer their picks for must-see documentaries (parts one and two) and narrative feature films.
More Good News for Eco-Roadtrippers: The ‘Green Freeway’
by Joanna Kakissis | 03.12.09 | 11:11 AM ET
The governors of Washington, Oregon and California could start work as early as this summer on installing several alternative fueling stations on a highway stretching along the Pacific Coast, according to news reports.
If local and federal leaders agree to the plan, the states would allow only new businesses that have clean-fuel options and battery swap-out docks to operate as rest stops. These new businesses would not have to pay rent until they start making a profit. The states are hoping to pay for the venture with some of the $15 billion in energy-related stimulus money.
If this all works out, motorists with electric cars will be able to charge or swap out their vehicles’ batteries while those with cars running on biodiesel, ethanol or compressed natural gas can fill up at the pump.
Best Cities to Drink Coffee
by Terry Ward | 03.12.09 | 10:33 AM ET
REUTERS Terry Ward takes a look at seven of the best cities in the world to sit and sip
Morning Links: The Zion Curtain, Pynchon and Baedeker, and more
by Michael Yessis | 03.12.09 | 10:00 AM ET
- Utah may tear down the “Zion Curtain” and make it easier to get into bars. Will that boost the state’s tourism?
- See Europe ... in New York City.
- Kurt Andersen in Nicaragua: “[T]he country has become one of those Places on the Verge, discovered by cognoscenti but not yet overrun.”
- Yes, Los Angeles has a bike culture. Matthew Segal immerses himself.
- MetaFilter celebrates Baedeker travel guides—“the de facto travel guide for international men of leisure”—and how they served as a research tool for Thomas Pynchon.
- Man sues US Airways for $1 million after it allegedly lost his Xbox and gave him “an unconscionable runaround.”
- Man jumps into Niagara Falls and survives, only the third person ever to do so.
- Welcome, Big World Magazine.
- Finally, another U.S. Senator, another embarrassing airport incident. If only someone had caught Sen. David Vitter’s alleged outburst on video like Cathay Pacific caught the Airport Auntie.
Got a suggestion? .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) your link.
From ‘CSI’ to ‘Castle’: Traveling the World, One Crime Show at a Time
by Eva Holland | 03.11.09 | 3:46 PM ET
We’ve written before about crime novels being a prime source for vivid place-based writing. But how about traveling vicariously through the now-ubiquitous crime show? I’d argue that television travel can be just as effective and enjoyable.
Of course, a forty-four minute episode doesn’t allow for the same richness and depth of detail as you’d find in a book, but you can pack a lot of local color—both sights and sounds—into even the briefest street scene. Think of the all-powerful CSI franchise: from the juicy opening shots of the Las Vegas strip or the Manhattan skyline—sorry Miami, I just can’t handle Horatio—to the plot lines often derived from existing local traditions, quirks or trends (think the original CSI’s frequent tributes to Vegas’ wild mob-ruled past), each of the shows is deeply rooted in its host city. And while the main story lines are certainly glitzed up and sensationalized (not to mention acted out by improbably attractive law enforcement officers), you can still pick up a lot of legit local detail from them: I first heard of narcocorridos in a CSI episode about the Mexican community in Las Vegas, and saw handball played for the first time in an episode of CSI: NY—now, walking around Queens during my stay here, I see the game being played daily.
Las Vegas Hotels for Every Tax Bracket
by Eva Holland | 03.11.09 | 12:52 PM ET
Over at the Los Angeles Times daily deal blog, Jen Leo has a breakdown of Vegas hotel bargains by price—and the low end starts at just $6.25 per night. The list ranges from less than $10 to a little over $100 per night, and there are some surprising deals. The Excalibur for $24 per night? That’s about how much an off-strip hostel bunk will cost you, too. (I know which one I’d choose.)
Where We’re Eating: Tel Aviv, Minneapolis, New York City
by David Farley | 03.11.09 | 1:47 PM ET
Find yourself in Tel Aviv, Minneapolis, or the Big Apple and not sure where to eat? Try these restaurants:
Montefiore, Tel Aviv
Set in a restored 1930s building (on the ground floor of the hip new boutique hotel of the same name), this Tel Aviv eatery infuses Mediterranean ingredients with Vietnamese dishes to mouthwatering success. The consome with silky foie gras ravioli is a must.