Travel Blog: News and Briefs
Hard Rock Park Files For Bankruptcy
by Michael Yessis | 09.26.08 | 3:17 PM ET
The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, theme park was “losing a whole lotta money,” according to the AP. A whole lotta World Hum commenters saw it coming.
Related on World Hum:
* Hard Rock Park Opens to ‘Awesome’ Reviews
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Yahoo! BuzzVideos: Venice Gondoliers, Mariachis and Bollywood for Barack Obama
by World Hum | 09.26.08 | 2:03 PM ET
In that order. We looked for similar videos supporting John McCain and couldn’t find any; if you have any, we invite you to post links in the comments section. We’d love to see them.
The Long Descent: Airline Fees Cross The Pond
by Eva Holland | 09.26.08 | 12:50 PM ET
It had to happen eventually. Taking a page out of the major North American airlines’ playbook, British Airways has announced that the airline is considering additional fees for “ancillary services.” According to the Telegraph, those fees could include “extra leg room, priority boarding, a glass of water, alcoholic drinks, use of lounges, luggage, and snacks and meals.” Hang in there, Britain. It could always be worse.
Photo by bribriTO via Flickr (Creative Commons)
Airport Signs From Around the World
by Michael Yessis | 09.26.08 | 11:23 AM ET
The design blog designworkplan has an intriguing photo collection of “wayfinding systems” at airports worldwide. Interesting discussion, too, of what makes for good airport sign design.
The Spanakopita’s Last Stand?
by Joanna Kakissis | 09.26.08 | 10:14 AM ET
Three-quarters of Greek adults and two-thirds of Greek children are overweight because of the decline of the famously healthy Mediterranean diet, writes Elisabeth Rosenthal in The New York Times. Just 20 years ago, Greeks were still regularly eating famously healthful staples like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and goat milk. But as Greek lifestyles grow more hectic and convenience trumps wholesomeness, fast food and high-fat, high-sugar processed snacks have invaded Greek cuisine.
Shrinking Planet Statistic of the Day: IP Addresses
by Eva Holland | 09.25.08 | 4:09 PM ET
According to Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet, so many people are now online worldwide that the supply of IP addresses—those 32-digit numbers that let our computers identify and connect with each other—are nearly used up.
Pakistan Grounds All Flights
by Eva Holland | 09.25.08 | 12:10 PM ET
The order comes in response to multiple bomb threats aimed at airports across the troubled country, the Telegraph reports. Benazir Bhutto International Airport has been evacuated, and the national civil aviation authority has declared a state of emergency.
Portland: America’s Greenest City?
by Joanna Kakissis | 09.25.08 | 11:38 AM ET
Oregon’s moody, wet and funky riverfront city started planning its growth more than three decades ago, creating strict land-use policies and taking other tough measures to preserve the city’s natural beauty. So it’s no surprise that it’s now considered the most sustainable city in the United States, according to a study by the grassroots organization SustainLane. It seems the American West has got the green sheen: San Francisco ranked second, while Seattle was third.
Photo by stuseeger via Flickr (Creative Commons).
The Dangers of Cave Tubing in Belize
by Jim Benning | 09.25.08 | 10:31 AM ET
A 52-year-old woman on a Carnival cruise drowned yesterday while on a shore excursion in Belize. She was tubing on the Caves Branch River—in what some say were questionable conditions—when, according to one account, she was swept under a rock. Reports USA Today: “A local news station in Belize, Channel 7 News, reports that most local tour companies that operate on the Caves Branch River had canceled their trips Wednesday due to poor conditions.” Obviously, her trip wasn’t canceled.
On the Perils of Luxury Hotel Rooms
by Eva Holland | 09.25.08 | 10:13 AM ET
In his latest column, San Francisco Chronicle travel editor John Flinn dares to ask: What is the point of those deluxe shower nozzles, high-end lighting systems and cutting-edge entertainment consoles, if you can never get them to work right? “The luxury hotel room you pay $400 and up to rent for 19 hours is marketed as an oasis of comfort and relaxation,” he writes. “But far too many of them turn out to be, for me anyway, chambers of annoyance and irritation.”
Kid From Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ Cover: ‘I Wanna Travel’
by Michael Yessis | 09.24.08 | 5:13 PM ET
Spencer Elden, who is now 17, is “so over” high school he’s ready to hit the road. You go, Spencer. Oh, and happy birthday, Nevermind.
The album was released 17 years ago today. To celebrate, a Nirvana performance in France of “Drain You”:
FAA Suspended Go!‘s ‘Sleeping Pilots’
by Michael Yessis | 09.24.08 | 4:22 PM ET
And with this news, we put to rest our coverage of the incident that led Anderson Cooper to admit his fear of exclamation points.
Update, 10:24 a.m. ET: They’re back.
Related on World Hum:
* ‘Sleeping Pilots’ Air Traffic Control Tapes Aired
* Go! Airlines Fires ‘Sleeping Pilots’
Une Baguette, S’il Vous Plaît: Cash-Strapped French Forgo Multicourse Lunches
by Valerie Conners | 09.24.08 | 12:01 PM ET
Gone are the days of languorous French lunches. As France’s economic crisis worsens, more French diners are opting for quick, cheap meals. The Guardian reports that restaurant-goers are “skipping the traditional aperitif, avoiding starters, drinking tap water, passing on wine and coffee and—at most—sharing a pudding.”
Don’t Mess with Bavarian Heritage: Cheap, Imported Lederhosen Dubbed ‘Yuppie Outfits’
by Valerie Conners | 09.24.08 | 11:23 AM ET
Better check your lederhosen and dirndls before heading to the Oktoberfest beer tents: If you’re not sporting a German-made getup you’ll likely fuel the ire of Bavarian purists.
‘Tintin’ Movie: A Victim of the Credit Crunch?
by Eva Holland | 09.24.08 | 10:20 AM ET
Forget about concerns over who’ll be directing: Before anyone can get behind the camera, the “Tintin” movie needs someone to foot the bill.
