Travel Blog
The Big Picture: ‘Our Muddy World’ in Photos
by Eva Holland | 07.23.09 | 4:47 PM ET
From “swamp soccer” to religious festivals and the annual Redneck Games, The Big Picture blog showcases mud-covered people around the world.
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Yahoo! BuzzPostmodern Reads From Around the World
by Eva Holland | 07.23.09 | 3:59 PM ET
The Los Angeles Times books blog, Jacket Copy, offers up a fun annotated collection of 61 essential postmodern reads—and, with authors hailing from Japan, Bosnia, Chile, Italy and beyond, it’s a globally flavored list. Turns out that extraordinarily long (or extraordinarily short) books that—among other listed qualities—play with form, comment on their own bookishness and blur reality and fiction know no borders. (Via Kottke)
Sam Neill: ‘You Can’t Beat a Flat Bed’
by Eva Holland | 07.23.09 | 12:34 PM ET
Publicity still from "Jurassic Park" via Hollywood.com The Kiwi actor, best known for his roles in “The Piano” and “Jurassic Park,” recently shared some funny and thoughtful travel reflections with the Independent. Among the highlights? Neill looks for “a sense of enquiry and wonder” in his travel companions, he finds grand old hotels “uncomfortable, patronising and with hideous furniture,” and he firmly believes that a first-class reclining seat is worth it on the red-eye: “You can’t beat a flat bed. It’s hardly a profound thought, but if you can sleep on a plane, you can function at the other end ... I know I should be waxing lyrical about other cultures, but the bed takes precedence, I’m afraid.”
These Cities are so Old!
by Michael Yessis | 07.23.09 | 11:25 AM ET
WebUrbanist lists the world’s 10 oldest still-inhabited cities. Do you know which of the 10 is in North America? (Via Kottke)
British Pubs: An Endangered Species?
by Alicia Imbody | 07.23.09 | 10:38 AM ET
The warning signs have been evident for some time. Now, it seems that the iconic British Pub may soon be a thing of legend, as the Times of London reports that pub closures in the UK are accelerating, with 52 going out of business every week and at least 2,400 pubs and bars closed in the last year. The British Beer & Pub Association blames a preference for drinking more cheaply at home, and higher taxes on beer.
‘The History and Future of Airport Design’
by Alicia Imbody | 07.23.09 | 9:18 AM ET
Slate has a great slideshow essay on the history of airport architecture. It shows how the evolution has come full circle, from the early days when all you needed was a grassy field, through innovative and artful designs that reflected the bygone days when air travel was still glamorous, to the glorified bus stations we’ve come to expect today.
Travel Movies: Road Tripping in Search of ... Something
by Eva Holland | 07.22.09 | 4:54 PM ET
We’ve paid tribute in the past to our favorite travel race movies—road trip flicks where it’s all about getting there. But there’s another breed of road trip movie, too, where the driver is looking for something bigger, more meaningful, than an interstate thrill. “Easy Rider” is a good example: Its tagline reads, “A man went looking for America. And couldn’t find it anywhere…”
With the famous motorcycle movie celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, I thought it was about time to call out a few of my favorites from the sub-genre.
Gadgets on the Cheap
by Eva Holland | 07.22.09 | 3:36 PM ET
Frugal Traveler Matt Gross has just posted his latest in the New York Times: the top ten travel gadgets that cost less than $50. It’s a good list—I’ve never been much of a gadget lover myself, but I especially liked his suggestions of a money clip instead of a wallet, a power strip with multiple outlets, and a good old notebook and pen.
Have We Reached a ‘Plateau’ in Air Safety?
by Eva Holland | 07.22.09 | 2:44 PM ET
After a couple of high-profile plane crashes so far this year, the Independent argues that we have.
Taco Trucks and the ‘Mobility Patterns’ of Young Urbanites
by Jim Benning | 07.22.09 | 1:37 PM ET
By now most people have heard of the L.A. Twitter taco truck phenomenon that is Kogi. Well it seems that Kogi’s success has spawned a slew of other food trucks in Southern California, from the Coolhaus ice cream sandwich truck to the Franken Stand hawking vegan sausages.
And the trend is going national, so if you’re in the U.S., look out for a gourmet food truck coming soon to a neighborhood near you.
Today’s Los Angeles Times story on the phenomenon includes an interesting bit of sociology.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Chicago’ by Sufjan Stevens
by Alicia Imbody | 07.22.09 | 12:42 PM ET
Travel Movie Watch: ‘A Perfect Getaway’
by Eva Holland | 07.22.09 | 11:38 AM ET
Beautiful people murdering each other on an isolated Hawaiian hiking trail: What’s not to like?
“A Perfect Getaway” opens August 7.
Scent and Travel, Continued
by Michael Yessis | 07.22.09 | 10:41 AM ET
Here’s another fine addition to the ongoing conversation about the power of scent in travel: Jenna Schnuer’s The Great Scent Escape. “So, perhaps, scent is a secret key back to places we love,” she writes.
Don George Writes his Commencement Address
by Jim Benning | 07.22.09 | 8:59 AM ET
In the span of a recent week, Don George attended his son’s high school graduation ceremony and his daughter’s college graduation ceremony.
He writes:
“[I]t made me want to write my own Commencement Address, to synthesize into some permanent word-granules whatever wisdom I’ve accumulated in my five-plus decades on this planet. In some ways it felt like my last opportunity to convey something essential, important, life-bonding, to my kids.
And so he did. His five lessons, all gleaned from his travels and applicable in all aspects of life, are in the new issue of Recce, which also features a classic Tim Cahill tale.
Happy 40th Birthday, ‘Easy Rider’
by Eva Holland | 07.21.09 | 5:21 PM ET
The road trip classic celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, and even though I’ve had my differences with the movie I didn’t want to miss the chance for a birthday shout-out.
“Easy Rider” has a couple of the key ingredients for a great road trip movie (and, for that matter, a great road trip) in spades: delectable scenery for the vicarious traveler, and plenty of contemplative fireside chats between driving sequences—the sorts of conversations that you’d find around a hostel common room, or share with your Couchsurfing host. It’s not a perfect movie, but it helped to define and then spread the idea of finding freedom on the open road. For that, I’m grateful.
Here are a couple of favorite scenes:
