Destination: United States
Movies: Searching for the ‘Essential DNA’ of Los Angeles
by Michael Yessis | 09.04.08 | 4:19 PM ET
The Los Angeles Times counts down the 25 best L.A. movies of the last 25 years. To make the list, a “movie had to communicate some inherent truth about the L.A. experience,” writes Geoff Boucher. The top pick: L.A. Confidential.
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Yahoo! BuzzThe Sounds of Los Angeles in Musical Form
by Jim Benning | 09.04.08 | 1:18 PM ET
NPR’s “Day to Day” recently asked musicians to send in their “takes on the California Dream,” and the show just highlighted its favorite: a song composed entirely of sounds of urban Los Angeles, from squeaking bus brakes and clicking skateboards to clacking shoes. It turns out that the 25-year-old artist who created it, Quinn Kiesow, has done the same (albeit in shorter bits) for other cities, including Madrid and New York. You can hear them all here. The Los Angeles recording took 80 hours to produce. It’s particularly intriguing because Kiesow offers great color commentary over it.
‘When the Levee Breaks,’ Then and Now
by Eva Holland | 09.03.08 | 10:00 AM ET
New Orleanians are letting out a collective sigh of relief following Hurricane Gustav’s less-destructive-than-expected pass through the area. This time around, thankfully, the levees held—but as Wired reminds us in this look back at the much-covered blues classic When The Levee Breaks, flood anxiety along the Mississippi had been around for decades before Hurricane Katrina, and isn’t going away anytime soon.
How Does Sarah Palin Rank in Foreign Travel Experience?*
by Jim Benning | 09.02.08 | 10:52 AM ET
Inquiring traveler minds want to know. Of course, John McCain earned big points in our U.S. Presidential Candidates Travel Scorecard earlier this year. And while we’ve yet to complete a full analysis of his new running mate, initial reports on the Alaska governor are not promising.
Barack Obama and ‘The American Wanderer’
by Michael Yessis | 08.29.08 | 12:04 PM ET
Michael Powell offers an intriguing examination of the American tradition of “wanderlust ambition.” A familiar subject, but I like Powell’s angle: He gets into the story through Barack Obama’s personal story, and talks about whether or not “Americans desire a lodestar rather than a wanderer in their leaders.”
Related on World Hum:
* The 2008 U.S. Presidential Candidate Travel Scorecard
New Orleans Keeps An Anxious Eye on Hurricane Gustav
by Eva Holland | 08.28.08 | 1:40 PM ET
Although the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina falls tomorrow, residents of New Orleans have another major storm on their minds. Hurricane Gustav, currently hovering around Cuba, is expected to pick up speed over the Gulf and could arrive in southern Louisiana and Mississippi by late Sunday or early Monday.
Havasupai Tribe Closes Flood-Damaged Area of Grand Canyon
by Michael Yessis | 08.27.08 | 12:11 PM ET
Travelers won’t be able to return to Supai Village—beloved for its remoteness, plunging waterfalls and turquoise pools—until the tribe repairs the trail that leads to the area. The Havasupai tourism office expects the repairs to take at least six months.
Labor Day Travel Down in 2008. Time for a ‘Barbecation’?
by Eva Holland | 08.26.08 | 10:21 AM ET
That’s the prediction from AAA, according to Reuters, and the expected downturn is blamed on the usual suspects this summer: high gas prices and a low U.S. dollar. Reuters also suggests that many Americans may stay home and have a barbecue instead—so if “barbecation” becomes the new staycation, remember, you heard it here first.
Traveling ‘Typo Vigilantes’ Sentenced in Arizona
by Eva Holland | 08.25.08 | 5:01 PM ET
When I first heard about Jeff Deck’s traveling typo hunt this past spring, I never dreamed that his quest would lead him to a criminal record. But, as the AP reports, a rogue apostrophe on a vintage, hand-painted sign at Grand Canyon National Park was his undoing: Deck and an accomplice pleaded guilty to defacing the sign (to correct the error), and were given probation, along with a one-year ban from all national parks.
‘American Journeys’: The Age’s ‘Book of the Year’
by Julia Ross | 08.25.08 | 4:40 PM ET
Images From the End of the (New York City Subway) Lines
by Michael Yessis | 08.22.08 | 2:12 PM ET
The New York Times just posted an interactive and incredibly absorbing photo and video chronicle of the “mystery, lonesomeness and beauty” to be found at the end of New York City subway lines. Andy Newman’s accompanying essay is a great read, too.
Elvis Week in Memphis, a ‘City of Losers’
by Eva Holland | 08.15.08 | 11:15 AM ET
It’s been 31 years since the man who elevated white jumpsuits to an art form passed away, and—as in every other year since—the fans are still flocking to Graceland to commemorate his life and death. Yes, it’s Elvis Week again in Memphis. In honor of the event, the Independent’s Alistair McKay offers this short, compelling profile of Memphis, the “city of losers” that produced the King. Said one interviewee: “I don’t think that this music or this city could have existed, separate from each other.”
Philadelphia’s Newest Attraction: It’s ‘Comcastic’
by Valerie Conners | 08.15.08 | 11:13 AM ET
The Liberty Bell. Independence Hall. Cheesesteaks. The lobby of cable giant Comcast’s world headquarters? The list of Philadelphia’s attractions has grown by one this summer, surprising pretty much everyone in the City of Brotherly Love, not least of all, Comcast.
In Praise of Amtrak (Again)
by Eva Holland | 08.14.08 | 3:25 PM ET
The Telegraph’s Paul Mansfield is the latest British travel writer to enjoy traveling America by rail. His ride on the Sunset Limited is shared—as all good train rides should be—with a colorful cast of characters, and his story makes for an enjoyable read.
Americans Driving Billions of Miles Fewer Than Last Year
by Michael Yessis | 08.14.08 | 2:19 PM ET
According to an AP story, “Americans drove 53.2 billion fewer miles November through June than they did over the same eight-month period a year earlier.” I still think this guy is wrong.
Related on World Hum:
* The $4 Gallon Survival Guide
* ‘Gas Tourists’ Head for Mexico