Gadling

TSA pees on Tom Sawyer

Andrew Evans — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Transportation, News, Travel Security

Start with three key ingredients: Detroit, a bag of urine, and the TSA.

Add an agressive pat-down at security and what do you get? A disgruntled man on a plane, soaked in his own warm pee and a national news headline!

On Nov. 7th, a male passenger flying from DTW to Orlando, Florida was selected for additional security screening. A bladder cancer survivor, the passenger carried an urostomy bag under his clothes--a plastic bag attached to his abdomen for collecting urine. Despite repeated requests to exercise caution in their search, the agents broke the seal on the bag, spilling the passenger's urine all over him.

Adding insult to injury of the American psyche, the poor guy's name was Tom Sawyer (not making this up), a Michigan special education teacher who is currently learning the true power of the internet. Obviously, this guy is pissed--he's already taken the issue to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.

An official response is still unknown, but the current threat advisory level is yellow.

TSA pees on Tom Sawyer originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ten great bands that I only discovered by traveling

Andrew Evans — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Algeria, China, Maldives, Denmark, France, Iceland, Canada, United States, Australia, Brazil, Middle East, Hong Kong

To travel is to trade.

From the 15th century Portuguese explorers to the overconfident 18-year old who crosses the ocean with a loaded iPod, travelers are always in the business of exchanging things: ideas, food, fashion, genes and diseases. Music is right up there, and with the ease of the MP3, we freely unload playlists to one another like apples in a market.

When I look over some of the best music I own, I realize that I only discovered these bands/musicians from traveling away from home, well outside my own musical comfort zone. Certain bands are universal, others still quite local (or were, once upon a time), but despite iTunes attempts to drench us all in far-reaching world tastes, some music is still homegrown. Here's a quick (and personal) top ten of my own discoveries accompanied by a slew of cheesy YouTube clips for your listening pleasure.

Trentemøller (Denmark) Something about dark, electronic music and the Nordic countries go hand in hand. Trentemøller has become a legendary DJ who plays across the globe, but had I never gone to Denmark, I would have waited five years for his music to work its way across the Atlantic.

Zero Degree Atoll (Maldives) I met the lead singer of this band in his home country of The Maldives, right after he performed a chilling cover or R.E.M's "Losing My Religion". Though he masters Led Zeppelin and his favorite band is Jethro Tull, his own music is sung in the Dhivehi languages and combines the local blend of Arabic and Indian influences.

Cheb Hasni (Algeria) You can't visit North Africa and not hear the signature sounds of Algerian Raï music blaring in the chaotic streets of the medina, day and night. Cheb Hasni is king of the genre--an Algerian man, who with his band, cultivated a global following before he was murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in 1994. I caught on to Cheb Hasni in Morocco and despite regular online research, have yet to listen to every one of his songs that make up his prolific discography.

Continue reading Ten great bands that I only discovered by traveling

Ten great bands that I only discovered by traveling originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Hilton's Top Twenty Travel Tweets

Andrew Evans — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Scuba Diving, Blogs, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Egypt, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, France, Spain, United States, Brazil, Middle East, Luxury Travel

OK, so how creepy is it for a grown man to follow Paris Hilton? Because I do, like, on Twitter.

I'm not ashamed--on the contrary--I love Paris and will always defend her, because that's what BFF's do for each other. For the record, I'm no follower-come-lately. I've been with @ParisHilton back to the time when she was barely hovering around one million followers. Since then, we've gone through so much together, she and I--Life's ups and downs, laughs and cries, canceled flights, denied visas, the works.

What I've learned about Paris is that she and I have SO much in common: We both love scuba diving, we both use superlatives freely, we like to fly carry-on only, we just adore baby animals and both enjoy deep tissue massage. Oh! And we're both 29 years old!

We're also crazy about travel--loves it--though if it was a contest Paris totally wins, chihuahua paws down. No matter that I've been to some 25 countries this year--Paris travels much, much more. In the last year she's been to France, South Africa, Brazil, Asia, and Anguilla. She also can't get enough of Vegas--heads there as much as possible on her private jet.

I always know where Paris is because she's forever sending little messages from such-and-such a place, often with a little picture to prove that she's really there. It's our more intimate version of postcards and over the years I've been collecting her digital missives in stacks.

Here's a few of my favorites from 2010, unedited and published in full with links for the sake of journalistic integrity (Thank you Paris!):

Continue reading Paris Hilton's Top Twenty Travel Tweets

Paris Hilton's Top Twenty Travel Tweets originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Greenlandic Riviera

Andrew Evans — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Climbing, Hiking, Stories, North America, Video, Camping, Ecotourism, Cruises

"Where did you get so tan?" they ask, and I tell them: "Greenland."

"But how?" they exclaim, laughing in sheer disbelief, because let's face it: the nameless friends we invent for the sake of trite opening dialogue are inherently dumb. Mostly, their minds are muddled with storybook imagery like scary snowstorms and Eskimo cliché, a random mix of Alaska, Siberia, and the opening sequence in Empire Strikes Back. They still think Greenland is like, cold.

This is my chance to correct them. Besides my sheepskin rug, my enviable neck tanline is my best souvenir from a blissful week on the sunny Greenlandic Riviera. What, you don't know it--the Greenlandic Riviera? What rock do you live under? What travel magazines are you not reading? The Greenlandic Riviera is exploding right now-it's already this whole thing and the real estate war is right around the corner.

Alright, I totally made that up. If you Google "Greenlandic Riviera" you get zilch--until now. See, that's the magic of the internet--once you say it, it becomes real. Greenlandic Riviera, Greenlandic Riviera, Greenlandic Riviera. If you build it, they will come.

The real Riviera was (and still is) in Liguria, the region that spans the northwest coast of Italy. Despite its 700-year old status as an iconic vacation spot, the original Riviera can be a little disappointing. For one, the coastline is all rocky and the towns comprised of overpriced boutiques selling pink sweater vests for men. There is nary a beach to stand on, and the ones that are any good are ultra-private. But no matter--history, tradition, and Hollywood have made "Riviera" mean everything we long for in a chic travel destination: escapism, romance, sunshine and sea.

Today, there are other countless Rivieras to choose from: on our planet today, actual people will non-jokingly refer to the English, Mexican, Russian, Chinese, African, and Australian Rivieras (also, French). Did you know that there's even a self-proclaimed Redneck Riviera along the American Gulf Coast where instead of seashells, earnest Alabama children collect shiny black tarballs to take home for "show-and-tell"?

Greenland's beaches come sans tarballs, (although the country's drive for oil exploration could change this, wink, wink). In fact, Greenland has the cleanest beaches I have ever seen: a mile-wide half-moon stretch of vanilla sand bordering clear turquoise shallows that are so clear, you can follow the gently waving seaweed below. There are no cigarette butts and no blowing trash. Also, there are no people, which is the recipe for a perfect beach. And who knows what you'll find as you stroll along the shore? A reindeer skull, a salmon-colored piece of wave-polished granite or a jumble of blue, microwave-sized ice chunks. What the real Riviera offers in fashion, culture, and high-life, Greenland makes up for with its elegant arctic beaches.

Continue reading The Greenlandic Riviera

The Greenlandic Riviera originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now Open: the Pentagon's super secret art collection

Andrew Evans — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Festivals and Events, North America, United States

Did you know the Pentagon collects art? The United States military began taking an interest back in 1840 and today, the total collection counts more than 15,000 pieces produced by some 1,300 actual American soldiers. Most of these artists are self-taught, enlisted military personnel and depict the sights and scenes of life in the armed forces--often at war and often in other countries.

I got a sneak preview of the exhibit a while back and was amazed by the talent and emotion depicted in the collection. From Vietnam to the Gulf War to Iraq and Afghanistan--these paintings explore an insider's view of war, sometimes tender and sometimes horrific yet utterly lacking in propaganda or modern media. One artist even painted on canvas torn from combat tents because that's what was available in Iraq.

Interested travelers can get a taste of our nation's long-hidden art reserve in Philadelphia, where 300 pieces have been chosen for a special exhibit, Art of the American Soldier at National Constitution Center. The show opens today, September 24, 2010 and runs until January 10, 2011, after which it will begin a national tour.

(Attack at Twilight; Roger Blum, Vietnam 1966)

Now Open: the Pentagon's super secret art collection originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eating whale in Greenland

Andrew Evans — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Food and Drink, North America, Video, Ecotourism

Don't hate me but I ate whale meat. More than once and from more than one species (cringe).

I didn't do it for the sake of boasting--I've eaten whale before in other countries. I did it because when you get invited over for dinner at somebody's house in Greenland and they serve you whale, you just eat it and smile and say, "Qujanaq"(thank you).

As a guest in Greenland, I was first served a tender whale steak smothered in caramelized onions, and honestly-it was good. I still felt uneasy about eating it, though--I was indoctrinated by the Save the Whales campaigns of the 1980s and still believe that commercial whaling is fundamentally unnecessary.

Perhaps more disturbing was seeing humpback whale on a plate, which I also tasted and felt guilty about. Hunting humpbacks is banned by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), and the species is still listed as endangered under the United States' Endangered Species Act. However, the IWC does include an "aboriginal subsistence whaling" clause that recognizes tradition and allows indigenous hunting communities to take enough for their own consumption, as long as its done "sustainably", meaning within the limits of internationally-recognized quotas.

The Inuit of Greenland have been whaling for a few thousand years and that won't change any time soon. While visiting the southern town of Qaqortoq, a minke whale was hunted and butchered right down in the harbor. What followed was an odd blend of ancient tradition and 21st century technology: cell phones buzzed around town to spread the news, and all the old folks gathered around to chat and linger. It was a big event--whole families walked in to look over the meat, people brought their own bags and carefully picked out the morsel they wanted. For a few minutes, I was able to suspend judgment and just witness the way life is lived in Greenland.

Continue reading Eating whale in Greenland

Eating whale in Greenland originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest

Andrew Evans — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Stories, North America, United States

Unexpectedly, I ended up in Seattle.

My bags were packed for a nice New York City summer weekend (shorts, t-shirts, flip flops) but instead I took off for Seattle. Wrong clothes, wrong place, though last-minute travel still carries a thrill of spontaneity, even when you're flying cross-country for a funeral.

Everybody has at least one friend in Seattle. It's that kind of city where you're bound to find that personal connection. And yet I never realized so many people lived out there--enough to fill up every cubicle on every floor of every earthquake-proof skyscraper. Back on the East Coast we like to think we invented all of America's big cities, but no . . .

I come from the other Washington--DC--where it gets unbearably hot and sticky in the summer; where men sweat through three-piece suits and women wear impractical shoes; where any day you might pick up the Post and know somebody who's in it and everyday there's some kind of vigilant protest brewing on the Mall.

West coast Washington is a little less uptight but a whole lot damper. The stereotype about Seattle's drizzled, overcast skies held true for me and in spite of summer, the day's "high" was a shoulder-shaking 52 degrees. Dark, unorganized clouds greeted me in the morning and I started to understand the whole coffee thing--how this one city had unleashed Starbucks on the rest of us like a misunderstood gift of the heart.

The day after the funeral, another friend I was crashing with whipped out a yellow legal pad and began making a list of things to see and do in Seattle. Mostly, he suggested I do a lot eating. We made plans to meet up for lunch at a popular Russian café; my friend slipped me the address as we walked downtown. I had no map and no idea how I would find him.

Continue reading Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest

Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playing Baseball in Greenland

Andrew Evans — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Video

"Hey, batter, batter, batter . . . saa-weeeeng!" doesn't translate directly, but the Greenlandic word for it is Anaasilluni, meaning to swing or to hit.

When I saw these kids batting around in the schoolyard, I smiled and thought, "Hey, isn't that cool? They're playing baseball!"--but actually no, it's not baseball. The game is called Anaalerooq, or "hit ball" and it's played all across Greenland. It might look and feel like baseball-here they're using an aluminum bat and a yellow tennis ball-but the rules are a little different. For one, there are only two bases, or "points".

I happened upon this outdoor gym class right at the start of the school season in a village so remote it took me three flights, two helicopters and a two-hour boat ride to get there.

When you arrive, Tasiusaq feels like it's the last village in the world. In fact, it's not even a village, but rather a "settlement" at the edge of Tasermuit ("small fjord"). A single dirt path runs between two lines of compact wooden homes, all brightly colored and with steep roofs. There were fish drying out on the clotheslines next to the clothes, and a few perky dogs tied up. Beyond that, the world was just bright blue sea and the grey granite pinnacles of a million unnamed mountains. In the far distance, there was a hint of white and the coolness sweeping off the ice cap.

I was told that only 67 people live in Tasiusaq and that 13 of them were students in this bright red schoolhouse. It's impossible for me to fathom what life is like in such an isolated place, but I do know that the inhabitants of Tasiusaq can't ever complain about the view.

Gallery: Tasiusaq, Greenland

Playing Baseball in Greenland originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Getting Around Greenland

Andrew Evans — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Video, Ecotourism, Airports

When it comes to travel, Greenland has its own rules-which are nature's rules really. In fact, nature rules so completely that the weather report determines your itinerary, as do the tricky logistics of Greenland's giant glacial geography.

For starters, Greenland is the least densely populated country in the world: for every human being who lives on the coastal fringe, there are 15 square miles of silent, empty ice rising up in the middle of the country. More than 80% of the land is covered by permanent ice cap, which can only be crossed by air or by skis.

Also, did I mention? There are no roads between any two towns. Getting from A to B in Greenland is very much an adventure in its own right.

What is most shocking about traveling in Greenland is how remarkably empty a place it is. Most of us have never confronted such vast, undisturbed landscapes--no matter how well-traveled we pretend to be. The feeling of being this tiny singular person up against such gargantuan nature is odd and overwhelming. Our intellects tend to panic a little--where are the highways, streetlights, the telephone wires, the ambient glowing dome of the suburbs at night? After you've arrived in some town, your mind ponders the landscape and begins to realize that the only way out is to hike--and then to where? On foot, most villages are a good 4 to 5 days apart--and that's in the summer when the weather is nice.

If you're the kind of traveler who enjoys wandering in their rent-a-car or hopping from one place to the next in some tightly-packed trip, please skip Greenland. For the others out there--those of who sit all week at desks with computers and crave the open outdoors, then Greenland is the pinnacle of our big hiking dream. Back at home, you might drive a few hours to reach the closest state park that's overrun with hot-dog roasters living in RVs with blasting rap music. In Greenland, a two-minute helicopter hop puts you into true and utter wilderness where if you don't know what you're doing, you'll die.

Continue reading Getting Around Greenland

Getting Around Greenland originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How green is Greenland?

Andrew Evans — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: History, Photos, North America

Is Greenland Green? The question and oft-given answer are cliché--even you've heard it before: that Iceland is really green whereas Greenland is covered with ice and snow.

Well, I'm about to set the record straight, right here, right now, because after spending more than a week in Greenland, I can tell you that Greenland is in fact, very, very GREEN.

Yes, it's true that a Europe-sized piece of mile-thick ice covers a good 85% of the country. However, the peripheral parts of Greenland are quite open and even lush, especially in the long sun of late summer. Imposing mountains and immense sloping valleys bleed with bright green, a stunning color that is made even brighter by the dry air and utter lack of pollution.

Viking explorer and cunning marketer Eric the Red named Grønland ("green land") in 982 AD because it was in fact green but also because he was trying to lull colonists from the warmer shores of Iceland. It worked back then, and a thousand years later, the colorful name of earth's least-known country still provokes a strange wonderment.

The following photo essay shows the true green of Greenland, unedited and unplugged. Whether or not it's intentional, the country shows a constant theme of the color for which it is named.

Gallery: Green things in Greenland

How green is Greenland? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gadling goes to Greenland!

Andrew Evans — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, North America, Video

So, there's this huge, ice-covered country at the top of the world--a place that we all fly over and love to overlook. Though perhaps you are more conscientious--perhaps you count yourself among the rare breed of traveler that is drawn to remote, disregarded landmasses where the mighty musk oxen roam. If that is the case--well then, Greenland is definitely the place for you.

I can say that with a straight face because I am blogging from Greenland right here, right now, even as the glowing green northern lights swirl outside my nighttime window. I'll be up here all week, investigating the country that all the maps tend to chop in half, or else distort wildly. To kickstart our Gadling coverage, I'm sending you this cheerful message of hope LIVE (nearly) from Greenland and--get ready for this: in Greenlandic! That's right. Good travelers know that learning a few words in the local tongue is always the best way to blend in with the locals, as is wearing national dress. For example, this reindeer-skin parka is de rigueur in much of Greenland (although quite inappropriate for the warmer month of September).

The local Inuit populace call their country Kalaallit Nunaat, which simply means "Land of the People". Now right away, I can tell you this is false advertising because honestly, there are not that many people in Greenland at all. This wee video clip was filmed in a village boasting exactly 50 inhabitants, all of which you can hear milling about in the background. In point of fact, Greenland is mostly empty, which is why it's so awesome.

*The author traveled to Greenland as a guest of Branding Greenland. This does not mean he is confederate to a sinister public relations plot. He is merely blogging from and about Greenland. Even so, the opinions expressed do not reflect those of the Greenlandic government, Gadling, or AOL.

Gadling goes to Greenland! originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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My own private Michigan

Andrew Evans — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Festivals and Events, Stories, North America, United States, Ecotourism

Labor day cometh--that final round of summer's three 3-day weekends. Are you going anywhere special?

Honestly, I don't know of a better time to travel. Most of the kids are back at school, ticket prices begin to drop, the air cools and the best parts of summer team up for one last hurrah: a lingering outdoor barbecue, a chance to go hiking in shorts, and a final dip in the lake that will last us 'til next spring. Sometimes I feel like Labor Day is meant for filling up on summer memories, an almost-pagan rite of preparation for the coming schedule of winter.

Labor day is also a time to go back to the places we love-to return to those most magical places we knew and loved as children. For me, that place is northwestern Michigan.

If Michigan is a left-handed mitten, the Leelanau peninsula sits right at the tip of the ring finger. It's not really close to anything-five hours from Detroit and even farther from Chicago or Toronto. I remember it took a long time to get there--the best places do.

When you see them for the first time, the Sleeping Bear Dunes are unexpected, mammoth and impressive. A scientist might explain how during the last ice age, retreating glaciers dumped a few million tons of fine-grain sand in a long ridge. A little kid will tell you that it's just this huge mountain of sand and that you can run and jump and fall down and not ever get hurt. These massive dunes form the steep-sloped shoreline of the Leelanau peninsula-the highest of which is covered with a wind-shaped mound of soft black sand.

Back when I was a kid, the black sand offered a boggling mystery and a bedtime story. Unlike the phony campfire Indian legends that get dropped on the heads of young innocents, the legend of the sleeping bear is legit. Chippewa tradition recounts the story of a mother bear swimming across Lake Michigan to escape a forest fire. Her two cubs follow behind but drown. The mourning mamma bear became the black-tinted dune and the cubs were transformed into the two sandy islets offshore: North and South Manitou.

When I was a boy, there were still heaps of black sand sitting at the top of the mountain-time has eroded much of the sleeping bear's color away, though the dunes themselves remain. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore protects and preserves a 35-mile stretch of pristine beach from the kind of "development" that has ruined so much of our American coastlines. There are no radios on the beach here, no gas-guzzling dune buggies or gaudy sno-cone stands. All you have are the clear waves gently slapping the sand, the backdrop grassy dunes and blanket of green forest. Honestly, it's probably the quietest place in Michigan.

Continue reading My own private Michigan

My own private Michigan originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA seeks standards for space travel

Andrew Evans — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST

The Federal Aviation Authority announced its intention to set standards for commercial space travel with the recent creation of the Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. Based at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, the new center will build a brand new bureaucracy around the barely-there industry of space travel, starting with safety measures for potential passengers and licensing requirements for commercial astronaut-pilots.

Physical training and medical checks will become likely pre-requisites for tourists before traveling into space. Also, that little safety video you all have memorized might last a few days longer than you're used to, (though they're likely to keep that one part about how "items may have shifted during flight").

Currently, Virgin Galactic is the largest commercial space operator, selling tickets to "space" for $200,000 a pop. Unlike most airlines these days, that price includes your luggage.

(Photo: Hanna-Barbera)

FAA seeks standards for space travel originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 10 blueberry destinations

Andrew Evans — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, North America, Iceland, Poland, Canada

It's blueberry season again and if you haven't already indulged at home, there's still time to stain your hands and face out on the road. The high bush blueberry plant is native to North America but you'd be surprised by just how many varieties are out there and all the different places they grow. You might also be surprised to learn that in the United States, there are over 40 blueberry festivals per year. Picking the top ten poses a challenge (sorry, Indiana) but you can't go wrong with any of the following:

Maine Wild blueberry plants carpet much of Maine's rocky terrain with reddish leaves and tiny, nibbly fruit that locals use in just about everything. Basically, you can't go to Maine and not eat wild blueberries because you will be standing on them. Before you go, make sure to reread the classic Blueberries for Sal, inspired by the islands of downeast Maine.

Iceland Technically, Bláber are bilberries (not blueberries), but try telling an Icelander that the blue-colored berries that grow wild all over their country (and called blue-berries) are not blueberries. They'll respond by informing you that Icelanders were calling them blueberries 500 years before America and it's other brand of blueberries were discovered. Icelandic blueberries are small and very sweet, ranging from dark purple to indigo in color. Blueberry season runs from August to early September. Be sure and sample the traditional blueberry soup (the best bowl I ate was at the one and only restaurant in Suðureyri, West Fjords).

Québec Blueberries reign supreme in the the Saguenay-Lac St. Jean region of northern Québec. So much so that the local go by the nickname "Bleuets" (Blueberries) and blueberry pie is a mainstay on every menu in every town. What's more, village bars brew their own blueberry beer, blueberry sauce is a common condiment and gas stations sell little packets of homemade chocolate-covered blueberries. Serious cyclists can even ride the 256 km "blueberry circuit", a fantastic bike trail (with it's own paved bike lanes) that weaves through the heart of Canada's blueberry country.

New Jersey If you're American and ate blueberries this week, chances are they came from Jersey. The Garden State grows more blueberries than anywhere else in the world. Jersey fruit are known for being plump, juicy and almost cartoonishly perfect, which is why we love them so. Next time you're dreading the drive, why not drop away from the madness of the Turnpike and go pick your own? It's easy, given the number of blueberry patches and farms, like this one.

Continue reading Top 10 blueberry destinations

Top 10 blueberry destinations originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Airport hotel hookup: a true story

Andrew Evans — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Hotels and Accommodations, Airports, Nightlife, Women's Travel

She was very blond and very thin--probably pushing fifty but still sexy in a silver, sleeveless, summer dress that cut off mid-thigh. I had met her back in the line at Managua when they first announced that our flight was delayed . . . for six hours. We groaned in harmony and commiserated: I just wanted to sleep in my own bed that night--she had to make a meeting in Detroit.

He was maybe twenty-five: scruffy from a week of not shaving and deeply tanned from the August sun. His black-brown surfer hair was pushed behind his ears and his board shorts hung low, showing an inch-wide band of boxer briefs. He piped in his own frustrations with a vague accent--half-Latino, I guessed. We were three strangers trapped in a Latin American airport, consoling one another with testimonials of just how much the airline sucked.

Armed with ten-dollar food vouchers, we hunted lunch in a Managua food court. I got mine to go but the two of them found a table and offered to watch one another's bags. Isn't it funny how only after a bit of conversation we'll gladly entrust our stuff with a person who only minutes ago was a perfect stranger?

We eventually made it onto the plane, then sat on the runway for another hour before taking off. At the ding of the seat belt sign, that blonde woman was up again, hovering down the aisle and leaning over his seat, spilling her neckline wide open and flashing her white teeth inside a moving frame of soft pink lipstick. Every ninety seconds or so, she tossed back a burst of long and shiny hair before letting loose with laughter that was as much lighthearted as it was rehearsed. The surfer guy mumbled back his approval, like a hunkier version of Charlie Brown's unseen teacher.

Continue reading Airport hotel hookup: a true story

Airport hotel hookup: a true story originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American Airlines kills puppies

Andrew Evans — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Airlines, Airports, News

Seven out of 14 young puppies died yesterday after flying American Airlines flight #851 from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. High temperatures and long flight delays were likely contributing factors, though further investigation is necessary to determine the exact cause of death.

American Airlines says they ship over 100,000 live animals a year. Some airlines refuse to ship dogs in the summer months due to the likelihood of heat exhaustion. American Airlines claims to adhere to temperature restrictions of 86° F when shipping live animals, which in this particular case, were overlooked. News reports put yesterday's morning temperatures in Tulsa at 87° F and climbing, while the plane spent over an hour waiting on the tarmac.

The Humane Society of the United States highly recommends against ever shipping animals by air unless absolutely necessary. The following guidelines specify that pets should not travel during the summer months or during any busy holiday travel season.

(Photo: Flickr/Richard Stowey)

American Airlines kills puppies originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sidesplitting travel podcast hits the air

Andrew Evans — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blogs, Podcasts, News

It's absolutely amazing what you find on the net: just the other day I was trawling around some safe-for-work soft core sites when I happened upon the Mike & Alex Show. Thinking I'd already seen that one, I just clicked onward. Later, however (while carefully deleting my browser's history), I realized that no, no, this was the MIke & Alex TRAVEL Show. "OH!" I laughed out loud, then sat down for the most thrilling half-hour of my life.

The podcast genre was long overdue for a kick in the pants and these two boys promise to do just that. For starters, both of their last names start with the letter "B", as in brilliant. Mike Barish and Alex(ander) Basek use their show to discuss everyday travel issues but without any of the soft-serve mollycoddling for which "podcast" has become synonymous. Also, these are funny guys who say funny things about travel stuff. In their very first audio issue, Mike & Alex take on Amsterdam's coffee shops and airplane movies and you'll agree with them 100%.

Honestly, I was hoping the show would sound less professional and more like emotionally-disturbed children taking razor blades to the Washington Post's travel section (there's still hope). I really have no idea who these two clowns are but ouch, my funny bone is hurting. Imagine your most hilarious guy friends sitting at the bar talking travel. In fact--Come to think of it, Mike Barish is the name of this guy I know who writes for Gadling.

Yeah, so a few things that might make the podcast funnier: some heavy-handed laugh tracks, more rubber chickens and perhaps a little tasteful post-racial repartee. Also, maybe they could play 30Rock really loud in the background?

To join the fastest-growing cult in the world, check out the site, the Twitter, and the Facebook. Otherwise, subscribe on iTunes and get ready for next week's trip to awesome.

Sidesplitting travel podcast hits the air originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The (Un)Wired: A Free Wi-Fi Manifesto

Andrew Evans — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: North America, Rwanda, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Airlines, Airports, Internet Tools, Consumer Activism

The year is twenty-ten A.D. and Wi-Fi should be free.
We travelers bear no grudge with you as long as you agree,
But if you're that one schmuck who likes to play it old school,
Charging folks for internet--well, then basically, you're a tool.

Your penny-pinching greed smells just like boardroom boredom.
It's out of touch and backwards, not to mention just plain dumb.
Please get with the program, be ye airport or hotel:
If you don't have free Wi-Fi, then you can go to hell.

Maybe somehow you're still stuck way back in 1999,
But nowadays, we're all online, everywhere and all the time.
We're riding on a bullet train to a place called progress,
Get on it or get off it; win or lose, more or less.

Now don't start waggin' your finger and talkin' 'bout capitalism.
'Cuz what you're doin' and what that is, capitalism it isn't.
You preach that competition matters most in a race,
But Bandwidth Bandit's the losing horse, so here's my trophy in your face.

Don't believe the suits who tell us bloggers we're too sassy,
'Cuz let me tell you dittoheads, "Do you know what's so not classy?"
Welcoming frequent flyers who only wanna soak their feet,
Then telling your five-star guest to go and check his email on the street.

Hey Luddite, while you're at it, dream big, don't stop there--
Stick your dirty hands in the water, in the men's room, if you dare.
You could make a fortune charging for all the stuff that should be free.
A nickel to wipe, a dime to pee, and half a buck to breathe.

Continue reading The (Un)Wired: A Free Wi-Fi Manifesto

The (Un)Wired: A Free Wi-Fi Manifesto originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 10 souvenir hats from around the world

Andrew Evans — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Jordan, Russian Federation, France, Ireland, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Panama, United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Middle East, Central America

Ever notice how every airport, tourist trap, and hotel gift shop is trying to sell you some kind of hat? That's because a hat is local. In a globalized world where McDonald's is universal and Duty Free in Dubai sells the exact same sunglasses and chocolate as Duty Free in Detroit, it's nice to know that there are certain things (like hats) that you can still only find in certain far-flung destinations. Once upon a time, the hats hanging in the back of your closet said loads about where you've been and what you're been up to, especially if you have the real deal. Read and learn:

Fez This red felt hat may be named after the tourist-loving Moroccan city of Fes, but it's traditionally found all across the former Ottoman empire as well as much of the Muslim world. Worn by: dancing monkeys, Muammar al-Qaddafi, bellhops in Cairo. Cheap knock-offs: The Shriners and some Istanbul bazaars. The Real Deal: Moroccan hatmakers, markets in Cyprus and the Balkans, the Turkish army.
Panama hat A finely handwoven straw hat still made in Ecuador, even though Panama takes all the credit. Worn by: Teddy Roosevelt,Panama Jack, and the poor laborers who dug the Panama Canal. Cheap knock-off: Paper imitations are made in China and sell for little while lesser-quality imitations are made and sold all over Panama for under $30. The Real Deal: Like sheets, what counts in authentic Panama hats is thread count. The tighter the weave, the better the quality (real Panama Hats will hold water and have more than 1,000 fibers per square inch). Hats must be made in Ecuador from the toquilla plant and have a black silk band around the base. Buy at fine shops in Panama, in Ecuador, or else for several thousand dollars at Christie's in London.

Continue reading Top 10 souvenir hats from around the world

Top 10 souvenir hats from around the world originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hotels sued for enabling peeping tom

Andrew Evans — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, News

ESPN sportscaster (and third place winner of Dancing with the Stars) Erin Andrews has filed a civil lawsuit for $1.2 million against seven hotels (including both Marriott and Radisson) for negligence, invasion of privacy, and emotional distress as they enabled an ambitious peeping tom to film her naked.

Illinois insurance salesman (creepy!) Michael David Barrett stalked Ms. Andrews as she traveled the country, learning which hotels the reporter was staying in--as well as her room number--from hotel staff. Barrett would then check into the adjacent hotel room and alter Andrews' peephole in order to film her naked and distribute the clips on the internet. He has since been charged, found guilty of interstate stalking, and sentenced to more than two years in jail.

Typically, hotels brandish non-disclosure agreements and front desk employees will refuse to give out names or room numbers of guests. Andrews says she is suing the hotels "for making my most personal moments public." The hotels named in the suit include the florid Marriott Nashville at Vanderbilt University, the Radisson hotel in Milwaukee, and an another unnamed hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Regardless of the success of the case, the hubbub is likely to increase enforcement of privacy policies at such middle-rate hotels.

Until that day, here's a small travel tip for hotel guests: if you don't want people peeking into your room, cover the peephole with a piece of tape, ~~a wad of used chewing gum, a clump or wet tissue~~, a post-it note covering the peephole, or whatever. It's that simple.

For further reading, check Robert K. Cole's excellent analysis of this situation.

(Photo: Flickr/Steve Garfield)

Hotels sued for enabling peeping tom originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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