Travel Blog
Travel Song of the Day: ‘Top of the World’ by Rascalz
by Eva Holland | 07.13.09 | 2:05 PM ET
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Yahoo! BuzzScott Simon: ‘I Love Tourists. They Remind us of What’s Remarkable’
by Michael Yessis | 07.13.09 | 1:14 PM ET
NPR’s Scott Simon delivered a great little essay this weekend about his love for tourists. “I love tourists,” he says, “because they put fresh eyes on familiar places, and remind us that wherever we look, we can find something amazing.”
‘Staycation’: The Word That Won’t Die
by Eva Holland | 07.13.09 | 12:23 PM ET
One step forward, one step back. (Via The Book Bench)
The Strange Case of ‘World Travel Watch’ and Toronto
by Eva Holland | 07.13.09 | 11:32 AM ET
File this under “bizarre adventures in globalized media.” When Travelers’ Tales editor-in-chief Larry Habegger called out Toronto—currently enduring a garbage workers’ strike—as a place to avoid in his “World Travel Watch” column, I doubt he expected to become a player in the city’s local politics. But then CNN picked up the column, the Mayor’s political opponents got ahold of the story, and suddenly Habegger’s latest was being offered as proof that the Mayor is mishandling the strike—and “causing devastating damage to our city” to boot.
A San Francisco travel columnist wreaking havoc on Canadian municipal politics? It’s times like these I get the urge to start singing “It’s a small world after all…” (Via Adam Radwanski)
The Sounds of London
by Michael Yessis | 07.13.09 | 9:40 AM ET
Giles Turnbull carried his audio recorder to 10 spots around London to capture its audio portrait. The Morning News features 10 snippets, including the sound of Waterloo Station and outside Royal Festival Hall.
What We Loved This Week: Grizzly Bears, ‘Among the Thugs’ and Matisyahu
by World Hum | 07.10.09 | 4:03 PM ET
Photo by Nathan Millar Eli Ellison
Guilty of writing superlative-laden tripe about Disney theme parks (hey, I had to pay the rent), I loved finally reading Carl Hiaasen’s wickedly funny book Team Rodent: How Disney Devours The World.
Embassy Architecture: Can the U.S. Build More Than Bunkers?
by Jim Benning | 07.10.09 | 3:08 PM ET
Our recent troubles with terrorists have wrought many changes, including the rise of American embassies designed with such a strong emphasis on security—at the expense of everything else—that they’ve become, as L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne puts it, “one-size-fits-all bunkers.”
But a new report issued this week entitled “Design for Diplomacy” from the American Institute of Architects suggests that, while security must be at the forefront of embassy design:
U.S. embassies can, and must, reflect American values and ideals. U.S. embassies should symbolize America’s vitality, enduring strength, decency, and innovation. These essential qualities contribute to the conduct of American diplomacy, encourage international commerce, and enhance cultural exchange.
Travel Song of the Day: ‘California Stars’ by Wilco
by Michael Yessis | 07.10.09 | 2:02 PM ET
Coming Soon: Neverland China
by Eva Holland | 07.10.09 | 1:19 PM ET
If you can’t make it to Neverland Ranch to pay your respects to Michael Jackson, don’t fret: There’s a Chinese replica in the works near Shanghai. (Via @KelseyTimmerman)
Travel Books and Graphic Novels: ‘A Natural Fit’
by Eva Holland | 07.10.09 | 12:37 PM ET
Whether in Burma, Naples or beyond, we’re fans of travel stories told in pictures—so it’s nice to see the travel book-as-graphic novel genre getting some love in this round-up from Perceptive Travel. Marie Javins writes: “Travel stories are charged with creating an atmosphere, their text inspiring imaginary visuals of foreign lands in the minds of the reader. Graphic novels are a natural fit.” Agreed.
French Tourists: The Worst in the World?
by Michael Yessis | 07.10.09 | 11:30 AM ET
Oui, according to a survey of hotel owners. Why? The French come across “as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant.”
The best tourists, according to the survey? The Japanese.
Site to Watch: Atlas Obscura
by Michael Yessis | 07.10.09 | 9:37 AM ET
The site’s not-so-modest goal: To catalog “all of the singular, eccentric, bizarre, fantastical, and strange out-of-the-way places that get left out of traditional travel guidebooks and are ignored by the average tourist.”
Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras created the site, and they’ll be looking to travelers to help with the cataloging. (Via @jodikantor)
Beer Lao Goes Global
by Eva Holland | 07.09.09 | 4:19 PM ET
After years as a staple on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail, cult favorite Beer Lao is finally making a serious push for leverage in more far-flung markets. From the New York Times: “Like a film festival winner without a distribution deal, the rice-based lager has struggled to turn cult status into anything other than good press ... The company, Lao Brewery, hopes to change that. It would like to see 10 percent sold abroad, and it is counting on Vang Vieng’s beer-loving backpackers to help them make the sale.”
For now, Beer Lao’s well-traveled devotees seem happy to help—the article has the details on the mostly grassroots import effort. But any bets on how long it’ll be before someone mournfully declares that Beer Lao tasted oh, so much better before the passport-less crowds got their hands on it? (Via Frommer’s Behind the Guides)
Africa Travel Tips ‘Not Related to Bandits, Thugs and Murder’
by Michael Yessis | 07.09.09 | 3:24 PM ET
Nicholas Kristof took some heat for his recent 15 travel tips column—here and here, for instance. One excellent response comes from WhiteAfrican.com, which put forth 15 Africa Travel tips and posted a handful more from readers. (Via Frank Bures)
Hybrid Double-Decker Buses Debut in London
by Michael Yessis | 07.09.09 | 2:30 PM ET
Six of them are now in use on Route 141. The city will assess just how much fuel and money it can save with the buses before expanding the fleet. (Via @joannakakissis, @ecogeek)
