Its label as one of the United States’ most unique cities is in part due to its history of multiculturalism that permeates every aspect of life there. New Orleans is found on the banks of the Mississippi River, and there is a large portion of the city which is found below sea level. The city’s unique location was a liability when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. The Big Easy was ravaged by the storm, but has since rebuilt and is again a popular destination for tourists. In this video, WatchMojo.com learns more about the birthplace of jazz: New Orleans.
Venice is underwater again today, after tides yesterday caused the worst flood the city has seen in twenty years. Travellers and locals waded through the city wearing high boots. Strong southerly winds have been causing the Adriatic Sea to flood the lagoon city. Read more…
No one is saying global warming is good, but there are a few places in the world that will benefit - at least in a tourism capacity - from slightly warmer climes. Here is a list of global warming’s “winners:”
Many would disagree, but it is my opinion that autumn sucks. Everything’s dying, you have to rake, it gets cold, you just know what’s coming next (winter). Fortunately, Mother Nature has given us a gift to get through this tough time: beautiful foliage. And there’s no better way to enjoy this wonder of nature then by driving past it in your toasty car. If you’re looking for North America’s most beautiful autumn drives, here you go:
Black Hills, South Dakota Read more…
State Highway 126, Oregon Read more…
Denali Highway, Alaska Read more…
Natchez Trace Parkway, Tennessee, Alabama & Mississippi Read more…
Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Canada Read more…
Highway 88, High Sierra via Carson Pass, Calif. Read more…
Kancamagus Highway, White Mountains National Forest, N.H. Read more…
Southern Utah/Northern Arizona Read more…
Devil’s Lake State Park, Wis. Read more…
Green Mountains, Vt. Read more…
Route 120 between Ridgway and Lock Haven, Penn. Read more…
Columbia River Gorge Road (I-84), Ore. Read more…
Amish Country Byway, Ohio Read more…
Blue Ridge Parkway, N.C. Read more…
Coconino National Forest, Ariz. Read more…
Cities are sinking, we’re losing pieces of glacier every day; basically, the world is changing on a grand scale. This means that eventually, and unfortunately, some beautiful landmarks will not be around in the future. Here’s a list of locations you should consider checking out before it’s too late:
Oceans & Coasts:
The Caribbean Read more…
West Indian Ocean Read more…
Rivers & Lakes:
Colorado River Read more…
The Great Lakes Read more…
Forests:
The Appalachians Read more…
Forest Bridge of the Americas Read more…
Grasslands:
African Grasslands & Savannas Read more…
Patagonian Grasslands of Argentina Read more…
Deserts & Arid Lands:
Sonoran & Chihuahuan Desert Borderlands Read more…
Arid Lands of Namibia Read more…
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire - April 25, 2008) - As we approach May with its double header of public holidays at the beginning and end of the month it seems that most holidaymakers would prefer to have our bank holidays more evenly spread throughout the year. This was one of the findings of a survey about spring holidays among more than five hundred British travellers conducted by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community.
Seventy-four percent of respondents said that they would prefer public holidays to be more evenly spread throughout the year. Nevertheless, it seems that the spring breaks are a popular time for many us to getaway with 46 percent saying that they are planning a vacation during the May holidays, a slight increase on last year. Of these, 24 percent of travellers will be taking a long weekend break, 18 percent a week or longer and 10 percent a day tour. Forty five percent of respondents said they avoided travel on a public holiday.
Asked what they liked most about spring holiday travel, forty-five percent of the British travellers said that taking a break in May is a welcome relief after the long winter. Eighteen percent said it was because it is less crowded and 15 percent indicated that the prices were more reasonable than summer.
While 18 percent of the respondents said that they planned to holiday in the UK this May, slightly more (19 percent) were going abroad, despite the current drop in the value of the British pound against the euro. Convenience and less stress was the main attraction of holidaying in the UK for 24 percent of travellers while 23 percent appreciated the opportunity to learn more about their home country. Asked what they liked least about holidaying in the UK, half of all respondents cited the unreliability of the weather and less sunshine than abroad. Fifteen percent said the food, drink and hotels were cheaper abroad and the accommodation was better.
According to survey’s respondents the most popular parts of the country to visit this May are the North of England, followed by Wales, South of England and Scotland. The most popular countries to visit abroad are France followed by Spain.
More than 50 percent of travellers expect to be spending between two and six hours on their journey to and from their May holiday destination. It looks like the Brits could be enjoying a mixed range of activities this spring. Seeing a cultural attraction is the most popular for 16 percent of TripAdvisor British members while, 15 percent will be taking a city tour, 13 percent going to the beach and 12 percent visiting national parks or gardens. Eleven percent said they will be taking a cycling or walking holiday. Most (27 percent) will be staying at a hotel, while seven percent will be imposing themselves on friends or relatives.
It seems that little will deter British travellers from taking a break this May. Seventy-eight percent of TripAdvisor British members said increases in fuel prices will not affect plans, neither will the airport delays of 2007 for 91 percent, or concerns about the environment for 88 percent.
For more info http://www.tripadvisor.com
The end of 2007 witnessed a near-miraculous series of winter storms across the country, signaling what both skiers and ski resorts hope will be a record season—what better time to get the whole family into the sport? To aid first-timers (and parents brave enough to drag their brood to the slopes), we offer a series of sure-fire tips to make your next family foray as peaceful as a lazy run down a bunny slope.
BOSTON, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ — SmarterTravel.com, a comprehensive online travel resource, has compiled guidelines and advice to help travelers weather the busy holiday travel season. With ongoing issues like increased lost luggage, flight delays, the Traveler’s Bill of Rights and a busier-than-normal travel period expected, SmarterTravel’s tips will help prepare travelers for what lies ahead this holiday season, as well as how to avoid travel pitfalls.
“Recent reports have warned of the busiest travel season in years, with airlines already anticipating extended ground time and flight delays,” said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. “As these travel conditions may hamper an otherwise happy holiday season, we wanted to share some advice on how to expedite the airport experience and help remain sane during what could be a harrying time.”
This year, SmarterTravel recommends:
— Reserve Airport Parking. Two Web sites can help make parking less of a
hassle. AirportParkingReservations.com and the Park’N Fly Network both
provide information on rates and availability over the holidays.
Travelers should also look into local shuttles, taxi service or rides
from friends and family to avoid extensive fees and not getting a
spot.
— Leave Your Valuables at Home. When in doubt, leave it out. For
domestic flights, airlines are only responsible for up to $3,000 per
lost bag, which may not cover all your lost items. International
flights compensate for even less, so it’s better to be safe than sorry
when packing valuables. With hotels, if your room is broken in to,
only items left in the safe are covered, and most hotels charge a per
day rate for utilizing the in-room safe.
— Pack Smart. Leave packages or presents unwrapped, and brush up on what
is considered safe and unsafe by the TSA. Pack medications, valuables,
one change of clothes and jewelry in your carry-on and keep it with
you at all times.
— Be Prepared for Security. The 3-1-1 system is still in effect, so make
sure to place your toiletries in a quart-sized bag before getting in
line. Also, taking off shoes and jackets, removing your laptop from
your bag and getting cell phones and change out of your pockets before
getting to the metal detector can help speed up the process.
To help travelers stay sane this holiday season, SmarterTravel also put together a few quick tips, which include:
— Travel Early. To help avoid potential travel delays, travel on early
flights. Later flights are more likely to face delays. Plus, if a
later flight is cancelled, there might not be another flight until the
next day.
— Check in online. Not all airlines allow you to check in online, but if
you can, you’ll be able to skip one of the longest lines you’re likely
to encounter on your trip through the airport.
— Arrive early. While waiting around at the airport is almost no one’s
idea of a good time, it sure beats the alternative, which during
holiday rush periods can be missing your flight because you couldn’t
find a parking space or get through security fast enough.
— Remember that everyone is harried, and have a little extra patience.
The crowds, the weather, and the stress of the holiday season
guarantees that at least 90 percent of the people you interact with on
your journey are just as frazzled as you are.
SmarterTravel recently interviewed Nico Melendez from the Transportation Security Administration, and a podcast of that conversation is available at http://www.smartertravel.com/link/airport-security-tips-podcast. For more travel tips and information, visit http://www.SmarterTravel.com.
Yesterday, flying back from San Francisco, through Cleveland, our plane got hit by lightning. The flight attendant was telling us that we had started our descent when suddenly a flash of light appeared to the plane’s right… and the sound system got momentarily caught off. This was the second leg of a red eye flight, so I was fully awake at this moment. The flight attendant did not mention anything, but a couple of passengers turned around and asked: “was that lightning?”
Naturally, I did not know the answer, but the combination of the light and the sound system cutting off definitely make me a tad nervous…
So the first thing I did yesterday was inquire to see if this was even possible… and if so, why I’m alive and writing on this blog today.
Here are some answers to: Does Lightning Hit Airplanes?
From LiveScience.com:
A handful of jets have been blown up by lightning, including a Pan American flight in 1963 that killed 83 people. But scientists have since figured out how to mostly harness Nature’s fury. In the early 1980s, NASA (whose shuttle launch pad was struck by lightning the other day) flew a jet into a thunderstorm at 38,000 feet. It was hit 72 times in 45 minutes, and much was learned. Commerical planes are still hit about once a year, by some estimates. A strike typically starts at a wingtip, nose or tail and courses through the skin, which is often made of aluminum—a good conductor. The plane’s lights might flicker, but most of the energy just heads back into the sky if there are no gaps in the skin. Modern jets often employ advanced composite materials, which are not so conductive, so metal has to be added to the composites to carry the lightning.
From USAToday.com:
Lightning regularly strikes airplanes. In fact, as far as anyone knows, the odds are that each airliner in the USA will be hit by lightning once a year. (Obviously some would be hit more than once, some not at all.)
But, lightning has not caused an airliner crash in the USA or of a U.S. airline plane anywhere in more than 40 years.
Protection begins with the fact that airliners, and the majority of other airplanes, are made of aluminum, which is a very good electrical conductor. A lightning bolt’s electricity flows along the airplane’s skin and into the air. As you’ve found out, one danger is that the flash could blind the pilots for a few seconds, but I’ve never found any accounts of this causing any problems.
Lightning protection goes far beyond airplanes being good conductors of electricity, and the last airline crash in the USA blamed on lightning was more than 40 years ago. On December 8, 1962 lighting hit a Pan American Boeing 707 in a holding pattern over Elkton, Md. The lightning caused a spark that ignited fuel vapor in a tank, causing an explosion that brought the plane down, killing all 81 aboard.
This led to rules requiring that airplanes have built-in systems that ensure that a spark will not ignite fuel or fuel vapors in tanks or fuel lines.
Then, during a 1980s lightning research project, NASA flew an F-106B jet into 1,400 thunderstorms and lightning hit it at least 700 times. The lightning didn’t damage the airplane, but the data the jet collected showed that lighting could induce relatively small electrical currents that could damage electronic systems.
This led to regulations that require aircraft electrical and electronic systems, as well as fuel tanks and lines, to have built-in lightning protection.
From Physlink.com:
Since the outer skin of most airplanes is primarily aluminum, which is a very good conductor of electricity; the secret to safe lightning hits is to allow the current to flow through the skin from the point of impact to some other point without interruption or diversion to the interior of the aircraft.
So, there you have it. That’s why I am here today. God bless aluminium!
NEEDHAM, Mass., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ — TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, today announced the results of a survey of more than 1,200 travelers conducted from August 15 to August 20, revealing that 95 percent of respondents said the hurricanes of the past week are not weighing on their fall travel plans.
Thirty-three percent of travelers surveyed would cancel their travel plans, only if a hurricane hitting their destination was imminent. Eighteen percent said they would cancel their travel plans if there was a possibility of a hurricane hitting their travel destination. Sixteen percent of travelers said they would ride out the storm.
Fourteen percent of travelers are considering a trip to the Caribbean this fall.
“Travelers’ mindsets regarding hurricanes hasn’t changed despite the intense storm activity in the past week,” said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. “While they appear to be keeping close watch of the news, the threat isn’t keeping travelers away.”
About TripAdvisor Media Network
TripAdvisor® Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 28 million monthly visitors (source: comScore Media Metrix, Digital Calculator Report, June 2007) across eight popular travel brands, TripAdvisor® sites, bookingbuddy.com (TM), cruisecritic.com(TM), independenttraveler.com(TM), seatguru.com®, smartertravel.com(TM), travel- library.com(TM) and travelpod.com(TM). TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with nearly 22 million monthly visitors, five million registered members and 10 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 270,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr)
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