Destination: United States
Students Abroad: Escaping the American Bubble
by Julia Ross | 11.05.07 | 2:24 PM ET
As we’ve noted before, rising interest in study abroad programs has sparked discussion about how to reduce costs and improve access so more American college students can take part. Now a lengthy Read More »
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Yahoo! Buzz‘Iconoclasts’: Jon Krakauer and Sean Penn in Alaska
by Jim Benning | 11.02.07 | 1:35 PM ET
It’s not often that an outdoor/adventure writer like Jon Krakauer gets more than a sound bite of TV time to talk about writing and the outdoors. So I was eager to see the latest installment in the Sundance Channel series “Iconoclasts.” The show features Krakauer and actor/filmmaker/provocateur Sean Penn traveling to Alaska, talking writing and filmmaking. The pair reflect on the life of Chris McCandless, the subject of Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild,” which Penn just turned into a film. They make a pilgrimage to the bus where McCandless spent his final days. Afterward, Krakauer shows Penn the ropes of ice climbing and they talk life philosophy. It turned out to be a pretty good, thoughtful hour of television.
The Other Problem With ‘Welcome: Portraits of America’
by Michael Yessis | 11.02.07 | 12:27 PM ET
The inclusion of an iconic Canadian landmark in a new U.S. government video designed to promote travel to the States has stirred up controversy, as it should. It’s an embarrassment, to be sure, but the most interesting—and important—thing about the video is the simple fact that it exists. U.S. standing has sunk so low in the world, and so many travelers are staying away from the country, that the government had to borrow some Disney magic, partnering with the company to create a video promoting America as a welcoming place. The seven-minute, 20-second video is already showing at Washington Dulles International Airport and Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and will soon be seen in the international arrivals areas at other domestic airports and at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide.
State Department Unveils ‘Portraits of America’ (and Canada)
by Eva Holland | 11.01.07 | 10:50 AM ET
Looks like someone in Washington forgot that “the 51st state” is actually just a cute nickname for the friendly neighbor to the north. The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security have released a promotional video called “Welcome: Portraits of America” aimed at changing the United States’ reputation as a country hostile to foreigners. The video, which is to be given “maximum exposure” in American airports and at U.S. embassies around the world, shows footage of the Lincoln Memorial, the Grand Canyon and other American landmarks, as well the Horseshoe Falls portion of Niagara Falls—a famous landmark in, uh, Canada.
Touring the Desolate Streets of America’s Ghost Towns
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.31.07 | 2:43 PM ET
A Halloween question: What are America’s ghost towns really like? Not exactly a trick-or-treater’s technicolor spookfest, writes Hugo Martin of the Los Angeles Times. Martin explored some abandoned towns in the West, offering a not-so-marketable tableau of death, decay, doom and depression. The creepiness includes:
U.S. Airline Fleets: Dingy, Dusty and Growing Old Fast
by Michael Yessis | 10.29.07 | 7:27 AM ET
Unfortunately for U.S. travelers, the fleets aren’t going to get any less dingy or more inviting anytime soon. None of the new Airbus A380s on order, and only 43 of the 710 Boeing 787s on the way, are destined for U.S. carriers, according to a New York Times report. Instead, major U.S. airlines are sticking with their graying fleets, with planes an average of more than 12 years old.
U.S. Ambassador’s Dog ‘Frisked’ At Canadian Customs
by Eva Holland | 10.25.07 | 3:33 PM ET
We’ve noted before that American customs agents are gaining a reputation among travelers for mechanical coldness, or even angry, intimidating behavior. But it seems American officials aren’t the only guilty parties.
Cancun to Times Square: How to Spot a Tourist Trap
by Julia Ross | 10.23.07 | 3:00 PM ET
How do you know a tourist trap when you see one? Aside from the double-decker buses and fanny packs, I’m usually alerted by a feeling I get: an overwhelming desire to flee mixed with befuddlement. The first time I visited San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, I remember thinking: I don’t get it. Choosing the world’s top tourist traps is sure to elicit heated debate, but ForbesTraveler.com has weighed in with its own list, nicely illustrated with a slide show and story offering tips for alternative experiences. Skip Times Square in favor of Central Park’s Strawberry Fields, writer Chris Colin recommends, or try the Valley of the Kings instead of the Pyramids at Giza.
San Diego Hotels Fill—With Wildfire Evacuees
by Jim Benning | 10.23.07 | 12:17 PM ET
Usually when I drive past Hotel Circle, a road near the 8 freeway here in San Diego packed with hotels, my heart goes out to the visitors there because, well, they’re staying in a place called Hotel Circle, with views of traffic zooming by on the freeway. It’s not the most attractive location San Diego has to offer. But that’s the least of the concerns of many guests staying in those hotels now. As would-be tourists and business travelers postponed visits to San Diego, canceling hotel reservations to avoid the raging wildfires, locals snapped up hotel rooms in droves as they evacuated threatened or even burning homes. A number of hotels have offered discounts to those in need.
Man Drives From New York City to Los Angeles in 31 Hours
by Michael Yessis | 10.19.07 | 10:51 AM ET
The man in question is Alexander Roy, and, to be precise, he did it in 31 hours and four minutes. How many laws did he violate? Can’t be precise about that, but since he claims to have made the coast-to-coast trip in October 2006, enough time has lapsed that he can’t be penalized for reckless, over-the-speed-limit driving, the New York Times reports. Another benefit of keeping his achievement a secret for a year: He can now use the news to promote his new memoir, The Driver.
Out of the Wild? Alaskan Town Considers Removing McCandless Bus
by Eva Holland | 10.19.07 | 5:57 AM ET
Future “McCandless pilgrims” could be in for a disappointment. The Alaskan town of Healy, located about 40 kilometers from the old school bus where Christopher McCandless died, is considering the removal, restoration or destruction of the bus before the next wave of greenhorns, inspired by the recent film adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book “Into the Wild,” arrive to pay tribute.
515 Years Later, Columbus Controversy Endures
by Eva Holland | 10.11.07 | 6:57 AM ET
In fourteen hundred and ninety-two…the Pinzons sailed the ocean blue? If descendants of Martin and Vicente Pinzon have their way, Christopher Columbus could be sharing some of the credit for his 15th century “discovery” of America. The two brothers piloted the Nina and the Pinta alongside the Santa Maria on the famous voyage, but have been largely forgotten today. “I’d like the name to get recognized,” Bob Pinzon told the AP. “I think Columbus got too much credit.”
David Byrne Goes to Graceland
by Michael Yessis | 10.10.07 | 7:01 AM ET
And beyond. Last month David Byrne and his daughter Malu spent a week driving from New York to Los Angeles, a road trip he chronicled with terrific detail and insight on his Web site. The former Talking Heads leader slept at Holiday Inns and Best Westerns, stayed at Dollywood until it closed for the night, digressed about ads for plastic surgeons in a Tennessee tabloid, ate Texas steak and made a pilgrimage to Graceland to visit another musician known for his eccentric choice in suits.
Mapping ‘Where I’ve Been’: Hope for America’s Lost One-Fifth?
by Julia Ross | 10.01.07 | 10:43 AM ET
Call me an optimist, but after recently discovering the mapping application Where I’ve Been, I see a ray of hope for the one-fifth of Americans who can’t find their country on a world map. The interactive map widget—a big hit on Facebook and launched on MySpace earlier this month—lets users color-code countries under “Where I’ve Been,” “Where I’ve Lived” and “Where I Want To Go,” yielding a travel thumbprint, of sorts, that can be loaded onto Web pages or blogs.
President Bush: Passenger Strandings ‘Just Not Right’
by Michael Yessis | 09.27.07 | 6:45 PM ET
The issue of airline passenger strandings now has the attention of the White House. According to the AP, President George W. Bush said today that “endless hours sitting in an airplane on a runway with no communication between a pilot and the airport is just not right,” and he asked Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters to meet with airlines to try to solve the problem.