Destination: United States
Traveling in Watercolor
by Michael Yessis | 03.13.02 | 12:41 AM ET
Photo illustration by Michael Yessis. Mr. Spencer built a boat in his backyard and then disappeared. Decades later, Michael Yessis tracks down his former neighbor and discovers an unexpected path to adventure.
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Yahoo! BuzzReader to L.A. Times: “Give Us the Material to Inspire”
by Jim Benning | 03.11.02 | 8:19 PM ET
Los Angeles Times reader Robin Harrington used to reach for the Travel section first on Sundays, but not in the months since September 11. Why? Harrington wants more coverage of travel to the Middle East and has been “bored stiff” by all the articles focusing on domestic travel. “Though many people may not feel safe traveling to the Middle East now, there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to read about it,” Harrington writes in a letter published Sunday. “I hope you will give us the material to inspire and prepare ourselves for a time in the future when we can experience the wonderful things this region has to offer: beautiful landscapes, mind-blowing antiquities and the warmth of a people so often portrayed negatively by our media.”
What Will Lure Wary Japanese Tourists Back to America? Ishii! Ishii!
by Jim Benning | 02.27.02 | 11:41 PM ET
Japanese tourists wary of traveling to the U.S. since September 11 just might make the haul again—not to see the state’s famed beaches or Yosemite National Park—but to see the newest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kazuhisa Ishii. Japan views its athletes playing in the U.S. as rock stars, according an article in the Los Angeles Times. Said Ko Ueno, director of Japanese travel for the California Division of Tourism: “If it plays out the way we’re hoping, baseball will be our savior in this tourism slump.”
September 11 Makes its Way Into New York Guidebooks
by Jim Benning | 02.19.02 | 2:35 PM ET
Also in the Sunday’s New York Times, Joseph Siano examines how guidebooks to New York are treating the devastation of September 11: “The creators of the Michelin Green Guide and the Mobil Travel Guide series, along with other publishers, had to quickly revamp their 2002 editions on New York to reflect a city whose social, financial and geographic landscape was violently altered.”
The Future of American Rail Travel
by Jim Benning | 02.19.02 | 2:23 PM ET
An editorial in today’s New York Times calls on Congress to help create a viable future for American train travel: “Congress must abandon its fantasy that Amtrak can be self-sufficient. Only then can it engage in an honest debate about the kind of passenger rail system the country needs, and how to pay for it.”
What is “Eco-Tourism” Anyway?
by Michael Yessis | 02.15.02 | 2:37 PM ET
That question and related issues were discussed recently in an engaging online chat hosted by Worldwatch Institute, a Washington D.C.-based research organization that focuses on global environmental and resource issues. Lisa Mastny, who has written about tourism and sustainable development, weighed in: “The real problem is that the phrase ‘eco-tourism’ has essentially become meaningless….It’s become little more than a marketing tool, and is increasingly deceptive for tourists who may think they are ‘doing the right thing’ when they may not be. This is why I am very encouraged by ongoing efforts to create an universal standard for eco-tourism and to certify those operators and hotels that meet it.”
Update: Iowa Man Takes Road Trip to Visit His Boxer Shorts, Jesus Night Light and Wal-Mart Jeans
by Michael Yessis | 02.02.02 | 1:10 AM ET
In August we reported on John Freyer, an arts student at the University of Iowa who planned to sell all his possessions on eBay. With the proceeds, he planned to travel around the world to visit his old stuff. He’s done it, and he got a book deal. Look for his tome in November 2002. Read his travelogue archive now at temporama.com.
Former Los Angeles Times Travel Editor Dies
by Michael Yessis | 01.29.02 | 1:20 AM ET
Jerry Hulse, who ran the Los Angeles Times travel section from 1960 through 1991, has passed away. In its obit, the Times reports that, in 1970, the Columbia Journalism Review said that Hulse was “widely considered to be the best travel writer in the country.”
The Future of Foriegn News in America
by Jim Benning | 01.29.02 | 1:14 AM ET
Foreign news coverage has long been on the decline in the United States. Has the paucity of international reporting fed American isolationism? Have the September 11 attacks prompted improved international coverage on network TV and in newspapers? If so, will it last? Former Los Angeles Times Editor Michael Parks examines these issues in the latest edition of the Columbia Journalism Review. “American newspapers have carried more stories about Afghanistan on page one in the four months since the September 11 attacks than in the previous four decades,” he writes.
Update: Cross-Country Cab Rider Detained
by Michael Yessis | 01.25.02 | 1:29 AM ET
Patricia Agness, the Florida woman who hired a series of cabbies to drive her to Juneau, Alaska, has been taken into custody in Northern California (see Jan. 23 weblog item below). According to an Associated Press report, a hotel manager called the police after she insisted on spending the night in the lobby. The police plan to evaluate her mental condition.
What Kind of Tip Do the Drivers Get for This?
by Michael Yessis | 01.24.02 | 1:42 AM ET
When Jacksonville, Florida resident Patricia Agness decided that she wanted to see America she made an unorthodox transportation choice: She hired a taxi. David C.L. Bauer of the Florida Times-Union writes that Agness secured the services of two local cabbies and set out for Juneau, Alaska. Less than halfway through the 10,000-mile round trip, however, the driving duo dropped out. Bauer reports that Agness hasn’t been fazed. She found a new cabbie in Santa Barbara and is currently making her way up the Pacific Coast. “I needed to get away,” says Agness, “and this is the best way to see the open road.” Maybe she has a point.
The Foreigner’s Guide to America
by Jim Benning | 01.22.02 | 1:47 AM ET
The United States can be a daunting country for visitors to negotiate. The Modern Humorist offers a, um, helpful guide. Among the insider tips: “Many large cities have ‘fifties’-themed diners, where you can be transported back in time to a more innocent era where hamburgers cost nine dollars.” Note: If you don’t want to experience genuine, American-style profanity, stick to the first page.
Welcome to North Korea. No Spitting! No Flower Picking!
by Jim Benning | 12.30.01 | 11:43 PM ET
South Korean tourists allowed into tightly controlled North Korea are treated to a long list of rules and regulations, little interaction with locals and, oh yes, a welcome ceremony that features a Filipino band performing “California Dreaming.” A Los Angeles Times article highlights just how political travel can be.
Gifts for the World Traveler
by World Hum | 12.20.01 | 12:52 AM ET
Photo by Michael Yessis. Get your autographed Geraldo Rivera Signature Travel Pistol while supplies last. Hurry!
Born to Be, Among Other Things, Wild
by Michael Yessis | 12.13.01 | 12:21 AM ET