Travel and the Spirit of Independence
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 07.03.07 | 5:55 PM ET
We’re taking the Fourth of July off, but we can’t help but reflect on some of our favorite Americana coverage over the last year or so, from the meaning of the term “Ugly American” and the new U.S. passport design to the revival of the great American cross-country road trip, the Grand Canyon Skywalk, the sounds of Jimmy Buffett and, naturally, the freedom to sink your teeth into some seriously good barbecue. (We’ll have to cover the pleasure of a good all-American breakfast burrito, such as the one pictured, for next year.) Herewith, some favorite World Hum links:
Is Getting a Passport Patriotic?
* We think so. Sure, the new design is a bit much and there’s a bit of a wait for new ones right now, but those are minor complaints in the big shrinking-planet scheme of things.
Is It Time to Retire ‘Ugly American’ From the Travel Lexicon?
* It’s worth considering. As a New York Times writer put it: “Let it be said that no group holds a monopoly on the title of ‘ugly.’”
The Roadside Motel: ‘Reinventing an American Icon’
* Classic old motels aren’t all disappearing. In fact, some are being bought up, restored and transformed into, yes, “boutique motels.”
Notes From the Barbecue Trail: From Lockhart, Texas to Lexington, North Carolina
* A celebration of brisket, sausage, ribs and even plastic knives.
Route 66 Hotels Face ‘Four-Lane, Divided Highway Called Progress’
* They desperately need some of that “boutique motel” love.
R.I.P. James Brown and R.I.P. (and Aloha) Don Ho
* Two great Americans who won’t soon be forgotten—the world over.
Jimmy Buffett at 60: Still Selling ‘Unsentimental’ Tropical Fantasies
* A sandal-shod American institution. How can you not love a guy who names an album “Banana Wind”?
A Former Peace Corps Volunteer as President?
* We don’t really believe Chris Dodd will be elected, but his campaign raises interesting questions about the value of experience abroad.
I Still Don’t Know for Whom the Bell Tolls
* A visit to Ernest Hemingway’s old Key West home prompts a meditation on writing and cats.
A Tale of Two Twains
* Mark Twain: Arguably America’s greatest traveler.
Could the New Grand Canyon Skywalk Attract (Insane) Base Jumpers?
* Just one of the many questions the new attraction raises.
Oprah Winfrey, Amanda Congdon and the New Golden Age of the Cross-Country Road Trip
* Yes, the great American road trip is back.
Email to friend
Twitter
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! Buzz
Jim Benning is the editor and co-founder of World Hum.
Michael 07.04.07 | 9:24 AM ET
uuuuuuuuufffffffffff, what is that?! Is this horrible food a dead spirit of the independence?! Pity, but kind of truth…
TambourineMan 07.04.07 | 2:28 PM ET
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, results just in…
Joey Chestnut beats Tsunami by three dogs…and the Mustard Belt comes home! Tis a great day for America.
Challenger, Joey Chestnut: 66 dogs (new world record)
Reigning six-time Nathan’s champ, Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi: 63 dogs
Damn, Tsunami’s spit-up at the buzzer was brutal to watch.
Happy 4th!
Elem 07.04.07 | 5:22 PM ET
Feeding on such food as on foro, American nation became the fattest. Natural food is a health