Among his countless contributions to film, Newman voiced an elderly race car in one of our favorite travel race movies. For the legendary actor-philanthropist, it probably wasn’t a career highlight. But we enjoyed it.

The travel and restaurant critic was an institution in Los Angeles media. He was 82.

Horrible news is emerging that the widely acclaimed writer committed suicide in his Claremont, California, home Friday night. Wallace is perhaps best known for the novel “Infinite Jest,” but travel lit fans also know him for his typically footnote-laden 1996 Harper’s article, “Shipping Out: On the (Nearly Lethal) Comforts of a Luxury Cruise”—one of modern travel writing’s sharpest and funniest stories. (We were just singing the story’s praises a few months ago, in fact.) His 1997 appearance on “Charlie Rose” is well worth a look. Wallace was 46.

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Don LaFontaine, who did the voice-overs for more than 5,000 Hollywood movie trailers, has died at 68. LaFontaine’s trademark phrase, “In a world where...”, had tempted viewers into vicarious movieland travels for more than 30 years.

Not even in peace. Just take a rest. Yes, we all had a lot of fun with this clever new word this summer. We—travel writers, bloggers, even TV networks—lamented the high price of gas and the slow economy and declared it the perfect summer to stay home and explore our own backyards. We’ll take a staycation, we said, so pleased with the expression that self-satisfied grins followed its every use. Somewhere along the way, we lost our marbles.

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Dave Freeman, coauthor of 100 Things to Do Before You Die, died Aug. 17 after he fell and hit his head at home, the Los Angeles Times reports. Freeman’s 1999 book, which he cowrote with Neil Teplica, was subtitled “Travel Events You Just Can’t Miss.” It inspired legions of imitators and highlighted experiences such as running with the bulls in Spain and taking a voodoo pilgrimage to Haiti. 

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The family-run bookstore has been operating in Long Beach for nearly 75 years. It’ll be making way for a mixture of housing and art galleries, as part of a redevelopment project put together by the city. As for the owners? They’re going traveling. (Via The Book Bench)

Photo by Molly Bewigged via Flickr (Creative Commons)

A recent Village Voice story called him “perhaps the most beloved musician that the Democratic Republic of Congo has ever known.” According to the BBC, he died in Kinshasa. He was 82. You can sample his music here—it’s good stuff.

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* The Sound of Sunshine

He was 96 years old, the Los Angeles Times reports, and his work inspired many surf filmmakers, including Bruce Brown, creator of the wanderlust-inducing surf-travel classic, “The Endless Summer.”

The longstanding New York City diner shut its doors last weekend. Its owner, Florent Morellet, watched the Meatpacking District undergo an extreme gentrification makeover during his 23 years in business, before finally closing due to rent increases. The Times has a good story about what Florent meant to its patrons. Elsewhere, New York Magazine has the details on the restaurant’s final night of service, and on its private friends-and-family farewell.

Photo by Jeff Tidwell via Flickr (Creative Commons)

If it hasn’t already, the late comedian‘s brilliant routine about stuff will surely change the way you think about packing for your travels. Video below. 

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United will discontinue its low-cost airline, Ted, which launched in 2004. The move is part of a United-wide effort to offset rising fuel costs.