Travel Blog
‘Travel Trick Shots’: Do They Ever Get Old?
by Eva Holland | 09.16.09 | 9:54 AM ET
In this gal’s opinion: Nope, never. If you agree, then you’ll probably enjoy this gallery of gimmicky tourist shots and optical illusions from the Courier Mail. If, on the other hand, you never want to see another goofy pose with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, then consider yourself warned.
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Yahoo! BuzzPhoto We Love: Fall Leaves in Minnesota
by World Hum | 09.15.09 | 5:02 PM ET
Maple, oak and birch leaves change color in Minnesota.
The Big Picture: Hurricane Ike, Before and After
by Eva Holland | 09.15.09 | 4:15 PM ET
On the one-year anniversary of the devastating hurricane’s passage through Galveston, the Big Picture bloggers have put together a fantastic before/after photo essay—click on the photos of last year’s destruction to see the same cleaned-up locations today.
$11 Billion in Losses Predicted for World’s Airlines in 2009
by Michael Yessis | 09.15.09 | 3:11 PM ET
Ouch. The estimate comes from the International Air Transport Association, whose chief executive Giovanni Bisignani said, “The global economic storm may be abating, but airlines have not yet found a safe harbor.”
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Destination Anywhere’ by The Marvelettes
by Eva Holland | 09.15.09 | 2:02 PM ET
Greyhound Hits the Road in Britain
by Eva Holland | 09.15.09 | 12:47 PM ET
The iconic—or infamous?—U.S. bus company rolled out its first British service yesterday, and the Guardian went along for the inaugural ride. Writer Steven Morris, with visions of Route 66 and “gleaming metallic 1950s” style vehicles dancing in his head, was underwhelmed by the modern-day Greyhound reality. He writes: “The closest Peggy Sue—as this bus is rather jarringly called—got to swamps was a sewage works on the fringes of London. The Thames had to stand in for the Pacific Ocean. On a chilly morning, the desert seemed a very long way away.”
The Best and Worst of the Airline Overnight Bags
by Eva Holland | 09.15.09 | 11:34 AM ET
Terminal Man Brendan Ross is one week into his 30-day challenge, and so far he’s been keeping busy. In his latest post, Ross collects, examines and ranks the overnight toiletry bags—you know, the ones given out to passengers whose luggage has been lost—from seven different airlines. The big winner? Southwest.
Video We Love: Gliding Down the Eiger
by Eva Holland | 09.15.09 | 10:41 AM ET
- 1:08—Sweet aerial shot of the mountain
- 1:23—The descent begins
- 3:17—End of the real action
At Least One Country Really Cared About the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s Arrival in New York
by Michael Yessis | 09.15.09 | 9:50 AM ET
And it wasn’t the U.S. OK, that might not be fair. Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg did show up at the festivities, and New York City tourism promoted a days-long 400th anniversary celebration.
But, according to the New York Times, the Netherlands went nuts, covering the just-ended festivities by sending “about 50 reporters to New York, with a major television station running nightly half-hour updates on the proceedings during prime time. And thousands of Dutch citizens crossed the Atlantic to take part, including Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.”
All that to celebrate the achievements of a Brit. So why the hubbub? “[H]is financial backer was the Dutch East India Company. (‘Who paid for the voyage,’ the crown prince said, ‘really counts.’)”
R.I.P. Patrick Swayze
by Eva Holland | 09.14.09 | 8:55 PM ET
The actor has died at age 57, after a two-year battle with cancer. Swayze starred in the surfing favorite “Point Break,” and his biggest success, “Dirty Dancing,” recently made our list of great summer vacation movies.
Dan Baum on Journalism and the Expat Life
by Eva Holland | 09.14.09 | 4:57 PM ET
In a recent series of tweets, the veteran reporter looked back on how he launched his career—by setting up as an independent foreign correspondent in Zimbabwe—and encourages young writers to follow suit. The tweets are collected on his website. Here’s a sample:
I still think going abroad—particularly to a place others avoid—is a way to make a name.
It’s a way to distinguish oneself from the mass of people who want to be writers.
It’s a way to call attention to oneself—by having something others don’t.
And it’s a way to do what we all got into this business for in the first place.
That is, to shine light into places the public needs to know about, but might otherwise miss.
(Thanks for the tip, Rob Verger)
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Heartland’ by U2
by Michael Yessis | 09.14.09 | 2:37 PM ET
Photo We Love: The Scarves of South Sulawesi
by World Hum | 09.14.09 | 12:36 PM ET
REUTERS/Stringer Indonesia A woman tries on a headscarf at a market in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Roald Dahl’s Childhood Candy Store Found
by Eva Holland | 09.14.09 | 11:29 AM ET
Call it Charlie and the Chinese take-out joint. A literary landmark has been rediscovered at the Great Wall of China restaurant in Llandaff, Wales—where researchers believe Mrs. Pratchett’s Sweet Shop, the store thought to be the inspiration for Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Twits,” was originally located. A historic marker will go up this week, and I’m sure the Dahl pilgrims won’t be far behind. (Via The Book Bench)
Are These the World’s Worst Wax Figures?
by Eva Holland | 09.14.09 | 10:43 AM ET
Check out the gallery—it’s no Madame Tussaud’s. (Via The Daily Dish)
