Tag: Politics
Should Billy Carter’s Service Station Become a National Historic Site?
by Eva Holland | 12.04.09 | 3:40 PM ET
The Plains, Georgia gas station once run by the former First Brother could become part of a proposed Jimmy Carter National Historic Site—and, predictably, not everyone thinks that’s an appropriate use of taxpayer funds.
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Yahoo! Buzz‘The Cuban Revolution Explained to Taxi Drivers’
by Michael Yessis | 12.04.09 | 11:55 AM ET
José Manuel Prieto is “eternally amazed by the tremendous popularity of the Cuban Revolution among the taxi drivers of the world.” He explores what that means in an essay in the Nation. (via Arts & Letters Daily)
World Travel Watch: Demonstrations in Venezuela, Clashes in Namibia and More
by Larry Habegger | 11.19.09 | 2:10 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Senators, Draw Your States!
by Michael Yessis | 11.17.09 | 2:44 PM ET
Love the way National Geographic is celebrating Geography Awareness Week. It invited all U.S. Senators to “draw a map of their home state from memory and to label at least three important places.” The first batch of maps are in, including one from Minnesota’s Al Franken.
Drawing his home state from memory was simple. Remember, this is the guy who can do all 50 from memory in under two minutes.
Remaining Venetians Stage Mock Funeral for the City
by Eva Holland | 11.16.09 | 3:04 PM ET
Frustrated residents carried an empty coffin to the mayor’s office this weekend, in a mock funeral procession designed to highlight the city’s dwindling full-time population. Venetian officials responded by calling the funeral stunt “premature”—not the most forceful rebuttal I’ve ever heard, and none too comforting for those of us who’d like to see the city live for a long time yet.
Looking East: 20 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
by Rick Steves | 11.11.09 | 5:08 PM ET
On the delights of the former Eastern Bloc
World Travel Watch: Protests in Nepal, Tensions in Nicaragua and More
by Larry Habegger | 11.05.09 | 7:47 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Is a ‘Gerontocracy’ to Blame for the Cuba Travel Ban?
by Eva Holland | 10.29.09 | 3:06 PM ET
Double X writer Kerry Howley, while calling for an end to the ban, highlights some stats about the age of those who still support it. “The future belongs to the would-be tourist,” she writes. “[W]hen you exclude the 65-and-over set, the percentage of people who support a change of policy shoots up to 62.”
World Travel Watch: Monster Shark Off Australia, Deadly Driving Games in Bulgaria and More
by Larry Habegger | 10.29.09 | 10:44 AM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Photo You Must See: Flag-Waving in Montevideo, Uruguay
by World Hum | 10.23.09 | 3:56 PM ET
Suporters of Uruguayan party Frente Amplio fill the streets for a campaign rally in the capital, Montevideo.
World Travel Watch: Dengue in Nicaragua, Instability in Bosnia and More
by Larry Habegger | 10.23.09 | 12:11 PM ET
Larry Habegger rounds up global travel news
Interview With Nicholas Kristof: Traveling and Tweeting Under ‘Half the Sky’
by David Frey | 10.21.09 | 10:53 AM ET
Photo by Fred R. Conrad David Frey asks the author about his dream vacation, Twitter, travel to hellholes and the trip that changed his life
Finally Some Good News on Travel in Mexico
by Peter Ferry | 10.16.09 | 10:21 AM ET
iStockPhoto Drug cartels. Murders. The news is often bad out of Mexico. Peter Ferry journeys beyond the headlines.
Looking for the USSR in Moscow
by Michael Yessis | 10.13.09 | 3:02 PM ET
World Hum contributor Jim Heintz says that one of the hardest things to find when visiting the Russian capital “is a sense of how bleak life was under the hammer and sickle.” He writes:
Unlike Rome or Athens, where the tourist is called upon to imagine the glory that once was, in Moscow you have to visualize what wasn’t there. Walk into a food store and imagine the shelves empty; picture the store without a clever name or attractive logo—its sign would have read only “meat” or “milk” or “products.”
These days it’s unlikely that one’s tour guide briefs the secret police at the end of the day. Your hotel may not be cute or comfy, but it’s probably not overtly scary like the Rossiya, a signature Soviet monstrosity that’s now a vacant lot. In a way, this may be kind of a disappointment: Going to the Evil Empire had more cachet than a trip to the Overpriced Capital.
U.S. Ambassador Turns Travel Blogger
by Eva Holland | 10.12.09 | 10:39 AM ET
The new U.S. ambassador to Canada has been blogging his life up north, reflecting on everything from his first taste of poutine to a childhood road trip to Niagara Falls. Look out, blogosphere—that’s some well-connected competition. (Via The Globe and Mail)
From Bhutan to France: Gross National Happiness
by Eric Weiner | 10.09.09 | 12:26 PM ET
On the intersection of place, politics and culture
Did Airport Security Ruin Chicago’s Olympic Bid?
by Eva Holland | 10.05.09 | 11:32 AM ET
Michelle Higgins ponders the impact of U.S. border control policies on Chicago’s failed bid for the 2016 Summer Games. For my part, I suppose that could have been a factor—remember the visitor shortfall in Beijing after China tightened its visa restrictions—but beyond any specific considerations, I’m just not sure about the assumption that 2016 was Chicago’s to lose. After all, the United States has already hosted the Olympics eight times, while Rio’s winning bid will mean the first Games ever on South American soil. It’s about time, isn’t it?
China Closes Tibet to Foreign Travelers
by Jim Benning | 09.23.09 | 2:25 PM ET
Why, you ask?
According to the AP, the closure is designed to ensure stability during celebrations of the 60th anniversary of communist rule in China, which will be marked Oct. 1. The closure will remain in effect through Oct. 8.
Officials have also curtailed kite flying in Beijing.
Critics will shake their heads, but I can think of no better way to celebrate authoritarian rule. Nicely done, China.
Reviving Brand America
by Rick Steves | 09.17.09 | 11:57 AM ET
REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz Exploring Europe, exploring travel as a political act
Passengers Bill of Rights Loses a Fan
by Eva Holland | 09.11.09 | 10:25 AM ET
Christopher Elliott explains why he’s no longer in favor of a proposed bill.