Travel Blog
What do Presidential Vacations Say About a President?
by Michael Yessis | 08.13.09 | 4:07 PM ET
Tom Swick has weighed in. Today, so does the Washington Post. One scholar says of presidents on vacation: “You have to show the country that you are getting respite from the job, but also that you are still ever at the ready. It’s a delicate balance.”
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Yahoo! BuzzBanff’s ‘Crasher Squirrel’ Goes Viral
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 3:23 PM ET
You can skip your daily visit to cuteoverload.com today—a Banff squirrel has the adorable quotient covered. The rodent snuck into a tourist’s shot, the shot made its way onto National Geographic’s website, and the rest is viral internet history.
Movie Tourism Hot Spots Worldwide
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 2:25 PM ET
Over at BootsnAll, Victoria Brewood rounds up some of the most famous movie locations outside America. They’re all solid choices (though “South America” is maybe a little too broad to be very useful for the keen movie tourist) and mostly linked to high-impact flicks, like “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings.” From my own experience I’d add a few spots in England, for the “Harry Potter” franchise and Udaipur’s Lake Palace, in India, where “Octopussy” was filmed.
Oh, and don’t forget about that friendly neighbor to the north—after all, a lot of those “American” movies you’ve seen were actually filmed in Canada.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’ by The Beatles
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 1:19 PM ET
Embassy to Traveling Brits: This is Not a Tourist Information Center
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 12:07 PM ET
The reputation of British tourists sure is taking a beating lately. This week, British consular officials, fed up with frivolous requests for help from their traveling citizens, have released the details on some of the more absurd questions they field. Said Juliet Maric, the British Consul in Alicante, Spain: “If you have a serious problem abroad—maybe you’ve been involved in an accident, have lost your passport or are a victim of crime, we can help you. But we can’t tell you who is allowed to use your swimming pool, pay your taxi fares for you—or do anything about the exchange rate.”
The Traveler’s Shoe Conundrum
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 11:01 AM ET
In his latest blog post, Frugal Traveler Matt Gross reflects on the impossibility of finding the perfect pair of travel shoes. I think most of us who’ve ever tried to pack light for a multi-purpose trip can relate.
William Shatner: America’s Favorite Negotiator?
by Eva Holland | 08.13.09 | 10:16 AM ET
Christopher Elliott has come across an unexpected statistic: According to a recent survey, 10 percent of Americans believe that William Shatner, the public face of travel clearinghouse Priceline.com, is “the best negotiator out there.”
Barack Obama clocked in just behind Shatner, with 9 percent of the vote—maybe the President should recruit “The Negotiator” for his ongoing battles with Congress?
A Reporter Explores New York’s Crowded Skies
by Eva Holland | 08.12.09 | 4:40 PM ET
In the wake of the weekend collision between a small plane and a helicopter over the Hudson, some tough questions are being asked about the volume of sightseeing flights in New York City’s airspace. The New York Times’ Russ Buettner went for a ride with a veteran pilot to see just how crowded the skies—and how great the views—can be.
Travel Movie Watch: ‘Paper Heart’
by Eva Holland | 08.12.09 | 3:36 PM ET
Publicity still via IGN The genre-bending new romance/comedy/documentary stars comedian Charlyne Yi as she travels North America interviewing strangers in an effort to understand what love’s all about. An assortment of celebrity buddies pop up as she goes—Yi is a peripheral member of the Judd Apatow crew—and, eventually, she runs across Michael Cera, of “Juno” and “Superbad” fame. The “doc” takes a new direction as the two strike up a relationship and the crew struggles to capture it all on film—but, as CBC’s Lee Ferguson points out, it’s not clear how much of the footage is genuine, and how much staged.
Genius meta-movie or hipsters gone too far? I’ll look forward to finding out, hopefully in between some armchair travel goodness. Here’s the trailer:
Travel Song of the Day: ‘That’s Entertainment’ by The Jam
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.09 | 1:56 PM ET
Greenland in Pictures
by Eva Holland | 08.12.09 | 1:10 PM ET
The Big Picture does it again, with a stunning photo essay of Denmark’s icy outpost.
Why Are There no Moving Sidewalks in New York City?
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.09 | 12:30 PM ET
It’s not as bizarre of a question as you may think. Paul Collins looks at plans for moving walkways—the “endless-travelling sidewalk,” in the words of one inventor—in New York and other world cities that never came to be. (Via Kottke)
Taking the ‘Flaubert Approach’ to Staying in a Hotel
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.09 | 11:43 AM ET
Rahul Jacob says travelers would be a lot happier if they didn’t “harbour illusions of a hotel stay bordering on perfection—just because we happen to be paying for it.”
Welcome to ‘Queuing Day’ in Beijing
by Eva Holland | 08.12.09 | 11:04 AM ET
The Olympics might be long over, but it seems Beijing isn’t done with its campaign for civic improvement.
In the lead-up to last summer’s Games, we covered the efforts on the part of local officials to tidy up everything from small talk to restaurant menus, and now, one year later, they’re tackling line-ups too—or rather, the lack thereof. The director of Beijing’s Capital Ethic Development Office is implementing monthly “Queuing Days” to encourage waiting in line at subway and bus stops, instead of the standard mad rush. The Globe and Mail’s Mark MacKinnon has the full story.
Who Are the 100 Greatest Writers of All Time?
by Eva Holland | 08.12.09 | 10:26 AM ET
According to the folks at This Recording, these are. The list has a few surprises—and a few surprising omissions. Isak Dinesen, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and Mark Twain are among the travel types that made the cut. (Via The Book Bench)
