Travelers welcomed in the new year this week with their eyes on Turkey, Maui, Indonesia and Jack Nicholson. We welcome 2008 with a farewell. Next week we’ll debut a new end-of-the-week post, so here’s your final Zeitgeist.

Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
Istanbul Travel Guide

Top Mediterranean Escape
TripAdvisor (current)
Nice, France

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Follow Nicholson and Freeman in ‘The Bucket List’

Most Read Feature Story
World Hum (posted this week)
The Trouble With ‘Smile When You’re Lying’

Top It List Destination
Concierge.com (2008)
Mozambique

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Crime Fiction Where You Least Expect It

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Travelers are hoping for a white Christmas this year, or they’re just worried if they’re going to make it to their destination with minimal pain. Either way, they’ve found some great books to take along. Happy holidays to all. Here’s the Zeitgeist.

Top Ski Getaway
TripAdvisor (current)
Banff, Alberta, Canada

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
Ski Report: Smoothing Bumps for Boomers

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
15 Places to Visit to See the Real California
* The subhead “dare[s] you to disagree.” OK. Where are the California Missions?

Most Read Feature Story
World Hum (posted this week)
Travel Books We Loved in 2007

Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
Airport Staff at Heathrow and Gatwick to Strike

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
What’s Your Travel ‘Dealbreaker’?

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Airline Glitches Top Cause of Delays
* So it’s not all JFK’s fault?

Top User Video
TravelChannel.com
Christmas in Athens

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There’s a lot of love in the air. And anger. And curiosity about the 64-year-old German man who chugged his Vodka instead of giving it up at an airport security checkpoint. Here’s the Zeitgeist.

Most Popular Travel Story
Iloho (current)
Number of Air Rage Incidents Triples in 3 Years

Most Blogged Travel News Story
Buzz Tracker
Man Chugs Liter of Vodka in Airport Security Line
* Among the lingering questions about the incident: What does he want for Christmas?

Best Airport for Forming a Relationship With a Fellow Traveler
Sperling’s BestPlaces/AXE study
Philadelphia International Airport
* The study was “based on amenities per traveler, on-time performance and inclement weather,” USA Today reports.

Airport With Most Healthful Food Offerings
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

Most Read Feature Story
World Hum (posted this week)
Borat: Touristic Guidings to Kazakhstan and U.S. and A.

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Travelers have turned their attention to hitting the slopes—and making their money go far when they get there. Here’s the Zeitgeist. 

Top Ranked Travel Story
Propeller (this week)
Top 10 Budget Ski Resorts
* This list originated from The Guardian. Cervinia, Italy (pictured) rates No. 3.

Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
Best Budget Ski Resorts

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
Under Early Quebec Snow, a Jewel for Skiers

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Countries Where Dollars go the Distance
* Vietnam, Morocco and Bolivia are among the countries that make the cut.

Most Read Travel Story
USA Today (current)
New Passport Rules are About to Get Even Stricter

Most Blogged Travel News Story
Buzz Tracker
Continental Airlines Testing Cellphone Boarding Passes

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The holidays are here. So is winter. Travelers are coping by focusing on food—and escaping to Maui and sunny destinations. Here’s the Zeitgeist.

Best U.S. Airport Food
Zagat/Today Show Airline Survey
Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
* Zagat’s readers also selected the best international airport (Hong Kong) and other top picks.

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
Weekend in New York: A Sip for Après-Whatever
* Apparently New Yorkers love their $5 cups of chocolate these days.

Best Selling Travel Book
Amazon.com (current)
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
* The Onion’s Our Dumb World remains No. 2. 

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
‘Elderly White Women’ Look to Kenya for Sex Tourism

Most Read Feature Story
World Hum (posted this week)
On a ‘Round-the-World Trip, Should I Travel Alone or With a Companion?

Most Popular Travel Story
Iloho (current)
The Death of the Travel Blog

Top Island Escape
TripAdvisor (current)
Maui, Hawaii

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A holiday weekend is on the horizon, but travelers from Hong Kong to Las Vegas are already poised to cut loose. Here’s the Zeitgeist.

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Top 10 Foreign Cities for Americans to Get Arrested
* Mexico City (pictured) was No. 5.

Most Popular Travel Story
Iloho (current)
Debauchery Tourism Sets Holiday Trend
* From the story: “Las Vegas reigns supreme as the US capital of debaucherism.”

Top City For Nightlife
TripAdvisor (current)
Las Vegas

Most Read Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Woman in SWA Dress Debate Poses Nude
* That would be Kyla Ebbert, and is anyone surprised she said yes to Playboy? The title of her photo spread: “Legs in the Air.”

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Ten Places You Must Visit Before You Die

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Woman Seen Scattering Ashes at Disneyland

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Travelers leave no doubt this week that travel is a beautiful thing. Here’s the Zeitgeist:

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Flight Patterns
* The site creates artful visualizations of flight patterns (pictured) based on Federal Aviation Administration data.

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
See ‘The Last Supper’ as Leonardo Never Imagined
* View the masterpiece 16 billion pixels strong online.

Most Popular Travel Podcast
iTunes (current)
Beautiful Places With Tony Farley
* This week: Point Reyes National Seashore.

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
The Complexities of Keeping It Small and Simple

Most Read Feature Story
World Hum (posted this week)
Can I Have Meaningful Experiences Abroad if I Don’t Speak the Language?

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A little frisky this week, weren’t we? Travelers were teased by Singapore Airlines’ A380 and wooed by the Mouse, and we drooled over Dubai. Here’s the Zeitgeist. 

Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
Dubai Travel Guide

Top Ranked Travel Story
Propeller (this week)
Disney Lends Magic to U.S. Tourism PR Push

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Bacalar, Mexico 180 Degrees From Crowded Cancún (pictured above)

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Singapore Airlines to A380 First-Class Suite Passengers: No Sex For You

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Leftover Loot
* A primer on how to buy goods confiscated at airports by the TSA.

Highest Rated Island
National Geographic Traveler (Nov./Dec. issue)
Faroe Islands, Denmark
* One judge praised its strong “cultural integrity.”

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Travelers were intrigued by new standards set for airplane size and coast-to-coast speed—and even border delays. And they were seriously wondering what to do with their dreadlocks. Here’s this week’s Zeitgeist.

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Man Drives From New York City to Los Angeles in 31 Hours
* Commenters say he’s either a fool or an American hero. I vote for the former.

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Not Quite Business as Usual For Hotels in Fire Zones

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
10 Useful Secrets the Major Airlines Don’t Want You to Know

Most Read Feature
World Hum (posted this week)
Should I Cut My Dreadlocks Before Traveling to Asia?

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
Singapore Airlines’ Superjumbo A380 Makes History

Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
A380 Makes Aviation History

Top Ranked Travel Story
Propeller (this week)
Tighter Border Delays Re-entry by U.S. Citizens

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
Home, Sweet ... Yikes!

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Spain inspired wanderlust, Colorado spotlighted its hippie Mayberry and yet another British family went on a (yawn) Greek island cruise. And is anyone reading anything other than Elizabeth Gilbert these days? Here’s the Zeitgeist.

Most Viewed Travel Story
Telegraph UK (current)
Greek Island Cruise for the Whole Family

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
Mushrooms gone wild—Spanish style

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
The New York Times (current)
In Colorado, a ‘Hippie Mayberry’
* Because every state has its own Asheville.

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
New York City Guide

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
The Power Traveleler’s Checklist, Part One: Pre-Flight

Most Read Feature
World Hum (posted this week)
1,000 Places to Not go Before You Die

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Branson on Fossett: ‘He Truly Was the Adventurer’s Adventurer’

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This week travelers immersed themselves in the power of nature—and travel—from Yosemite to Mexico City to Easter Island. Here’s the Zeitgeist.

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
The Fall Glory of Yosemite National Park
* The Times also has a terrific slide show.

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Flight Stats

Most Read Feature
World Hum (posted this week)
Where the Roads Diverged
* “Wow,” said one commenter of Catherine Watson’s powerful Easter Island piece. “Easily one of the best travel stories I’ve ever read.”

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Three Travel Tips: Traveling With Your Laptop

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
What to Tip, in 77 countries
* Or, in the case of Japan, what not to tip.

Top Ranked Travel Story
Propeller (this week)
Online Guide To Thailand

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Travelers craved tips this week. The Zeitgeist is filled with stories about finding the best ways to squeeze the most out of a travel experience.

Most Read Feature
World Hum (posted this week)
Any Tips For Making a Cheap Hotel More Bearable?

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
USA Today (current)
How to Pick the Best Cruise Cabin

Most Read Blog Post
World Hum (posted this week)
Sex and the Stewardess: In Air Travel’s Glamour Days, Men Need Not Have Applied

Most E-Mailed Travel Story
New York Times (current)
When the Best Deals Don’t End in .Com

Most Viewed Travel Story
Los Angeles Times (current)
For Gays in Las Vegas, the Welcome Mat is Out

Most Popular Page Tagged Travel
Del.icio.us (recent)
Top 25 Travel Web Sites
* As selected by Travel+Leisure

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