Travel Blog
Are Introverted Travelers More Skeptical of Strangers?
by Eva Holland | 09.30.09 | 2:25 PM ET
That’s the question posed by World Hum contributor Sophia Dembling, in her latest blog post over at The Introvert’s Corner. It’s an interesting one, and the logical follow-up—is introvert skepticism an obstacle preventing interaction with the locals, a useful safety device, or both?—is too. For more on introverts out in the big wide world, check out Sophia’s Confessions of an Introverted Traveler and Six Tips for Introverted Travelers.
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Yahoo! BuzzTravel Song of the Day: ‘Jacksonville Skyline’ by Whiskeytown
by Michael Yessis | 09.30.09 | 1:14 PM ET
Dan Brown Tourism Hits D.C.
by Eva Holland | 09.30.09 | 12:06 PM ET
That was quick. Two weeks after the release of his latest, “The Lost Symbol,” and the Dan Brown-themed travel stories about the city where it’s set—Washington, D.C.—are already piling up.
‘When Souvenirs go Bad’
by Michael Yessis | 09.30.09 | 10:47 AM ET
Fark’s photoshoppers have transformed some classic travel souvenirs into some crude and lewd tchotchkes. Yes, that is Snoopy giving you the finger.
From Buenos Aires to Koh Chang: The World’s Worst Pizzas
by Eva Holland | 09.30.09 | 9:57 AM ET
Pizza addict Tom Gates is nine months into a year-long RTW, and in that time he’s encountered some truly disgusting pies—think maraschino cherry and french fry toppings. Check out his round-up of the five worst, and be ready for some vivid language and appalling images.
Video You Must See: Burning Man in Time Lapse
by Eva Holland | 09.29.09 | 4:42 PM ET
(Via The Daily Dish)
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Ojalá’ by Silvio Rodriguez
by Jim Benning | 09.29.09 | 3:33 PM ET
Alaska and the Cruise Industry Go to Court
by Eva Holland | 09.29.09 | 2:12 PM ET
With several major cruise lines headed into the courtroom to challenge Alaska’s $50-per-cruise-passenger “head tax,” Rob Lovitt takes a broader look at the uneasy relationship between the cruise industry and the state. Here’s his take on a return visit to Skagway after a 20-year absence:
I was gobsmacked by the changes. Instead of one ship, there were three, each of which probably carried 2,000-2,500 passengers. With 6,000-plus cruisers unloading simultaneously, Broadway was more or less impassable, and while the Sweet Tooth and Red Onion were still there, they were joined by the likes of Del Sol, Tanzanite International and other absurdly out-of-place outposts of Caribbean kitsch.
And it’s not just Skagway. A recent editorial in the Juneau Empire bemoaned the “yuck factor” created by the dozens of jewelry stores and trinket shops along the city’s main tourist drag. Written, surprisingly enough, by a local economic development booster, the piece didn’t single out the cruise industry, but it doesn’t take an advanced degree in tourism management to realize that cruise ships and curio shops go together like buffet lines and bulging waistlines.
Photo You Must See: Big-Wave Surfing at Cow Bombie
by World Hum | 09.29.09 | 1:02 PM ET
REUTERS/Ho New Surfer Mark Visser drops into a 36-foot wave at Cow Bombie, near the Western Australian town of Gracetown. The surf spot is located roughly 175 miles south of Perth.
The World’s Most Carnivorous Countries
by Michael Yessis | 09.29.09 | 12:11 PM ET
Good posted a clever interactive graphic. The most carnivorous country per capita? Denmark.
Body Cavities and the TSA
by Eva Holland | 09.29.09 | 11:27 AM ET
Over at Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow has a colorful rant speculating about the TSA’s response to the attempted assassination of a Saudi prince last month—by a terrorist dubbed the ass bomber.
‘If Air Travel Worked Like Health Care’
by Eva Holland | 09.29.09 | 10:05 AM ET
Jonathan Rauch has an imaginary phone conversation with a customer service representative at Air Health Care. Funny stuff. (Via The Daily Dish)
Video You Must See: Buried in an Avalanche
by Eva Holland | 09.28.09 | 5:09 PM ET
1:05—Skier starts his descent
1:24—Buried in avalanche
5:22—First sounds of rescuers
6:09—Daylight
(Via The Daily Dish. More details at Vimeo.)
Is it a ‘Golden Age’ for British Indie Bookstores?
by Eva Holland | 09.28.09 | 3:51 PM ET
Apparently, more than 60 new stores have opened in the U.K. in the past 15 months. That’s a nice counterweight to all the closures we’ve been covering. (Via The Book Bench)
High-Speed Rail Watch: From Russia to America?
by Eva Holland | 09.28.09 | 2:43 PM ET
A new breed of locomotive-less high-speed train will launch in Russia in December, running between St. Petersburg and Moscow—and Siemens, the German company behind the new model, is hoping to bring it to America next. The New York Times has the details.
