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Jessica Festa

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Jessica is a New York based writer and world traveler. When she's not exploring the globe, she enjoys dancing, hiking, cycling, and checking out the New York nightlife. Follow her travels around the world and the Big Apple at http://jessieonajourney.com.

Traveler's Guide To Quirky Indiana

pork tenderloin Want to make your trip to Indiana more unusual? Simply add some of these quirky activities to your itinerary.

Follow The Tenderloin Trail

Indiana is famous for deep fried pork tenderloin sandwiches. In fact, they have a food trail that winds through the state called the Tenderloin Trail. The route hits the restaurants serving the best tenderloin sandwiches in Indiana. For example, The Mayberry Cafe in Danville offers a flavorful pork tenderloin sandwich the size of your head. Additionally, the eatery immerses guests in quirky nostalgia, as it used to be featured on the old Andy Griffith TV show. You'll see a vintage squad car outside, while re-runs of the show play on a continuous loop inside. For a full list of Tenderloin Trail eateries, click here.

Yelp Uses Public Shaming To Dissuade Fake Reviews

Yelp

While social travel review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor can be helpful for trip planning, one constant criticism is how easily it is for business owners to write or pay for fake reviews of their establishment to boost its rating. In Yelp's latest effort to discourage this kind of manipulation, they will be publicly shaming these businesses by displaying warning signs to readers (shown above).

The travel site is putting on their detective hats and watching for suspicious activity by business owners. For example, if many reviews are being submitted from the same Internet Protocol (IP) address, this can be an indicator. Once they find these "rogue solicitations," they warn users. According to Digital Trends, the alert will stay active for 90 days and will be removed after this period, as long as the business quits gaming the system.

"We want to make sure consumers are making informed decisions," said Eric Singley, Yelp's VP of Consumer & Mobile Products. "Yelp's automated review filter is working around the clock to flag these types of biased reviews, and we believe that you deserve the right to know when this type of activity is taking place behind the scenes."

Although this new idea has only been in place for a couple days, it's already working. For example, a Texan business owner who had purchased 200 positive online reviews was caught in Yelp's filter due to its overly "impressive results."

Mr. Singley notes that, while Yelp does have to be aware of these scams, for the most part their travel community is full of honest business owners.

For more information, check out Yelp's official blog post on the new initiative.

[Image via Yelp]

10 Remote Travel Destinations From Around The World

easter island

As technology and transportation advance, the world becomes smaller and smaller; however, that doesn't mean there aren't still out-of-the-way destinations with well-preserved history and culture worth exploring. Although tricky to get to, these 10 remote spots are worth the journey.

Easter Island

One of the most famous remote islands in the world, Easter Island, a special territory of Chile, is well known for its iconic moai statues (shown above). Located 1,289 miles from the closest inhabited island and 2,400 miles from Chile, it's one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. To get there, flights run to and from Santiago, Chile, Lima, Peru and Tahiti, although check with LAN Airlines ahead of time as they don't run daily from each location.

Bizarre Trampoline Bridge Proposed In Paris, France


Visitors to Paris may soon find themselves bouncing across the River Seine on a giant inflatable bouncy bridge. According to news.com.au, the idea was proposed by Paris-based architectural firm Atelier Zündel Cristea (AZC) during a local design competition.

"Our intention is to invite its visitors and inhabitants to engage on a newer and more playful path across this same water," AZC writes on their website. "We propose, now, a distinctive urban feature: An inflatable bridge equipped with giant trampolines, dedicated to the joyful release from gravity as one bounces above the river."

Not only that, but the structure is more environmentally friendly than putting up a new traditional bridge. The bizarre bridge features enormous trampolines in the middle of three 98-foot-round sections, with everything being held together with a cord. When the right amount of tension is present, the sides of the structure flip up to keep walkers, or bouncers, from tumbling over the side.

We're not sure how safe this is, but it sure looks like fun.

[Image via AZC]

How To Stay In A Castle On Your Next Trip

castle When trying to make your travels extra special, the accommodation can really make or break the ambiance of your vacation. Vacation rentals can help with this by allowing you to stay in all types of unique properties, from the bizarre and architecturally innovative to luxurious and historical castles.

While some of these properties feature rich history, others are more modern with medieval architecture and luxurious amenities. Either way, these castle vacation rentals will make you feel like a king or queen.

For a more visual idea of some top castle vacation rentals from around the world, check out the gallery below.

  • Bath Castle, Bath, England
  • Aldourie Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland
  • Al Jafar, Western Sicily, Italy
  • Castle of Ventura, Tuscany, Italy
  • The Castle On Saint John Island, St John, Caribbean
  • Agel, Languedoc-Roussillon, France


[Image above via Airbnb; Gallery images via FlipKey, HomeAway, OwnerDirect, Airbnb, Gary Heatherly, Cottages and Castles, Think Sicily, Beautiful Places]

TSA Removes X-Ray Body Scanners From Major Airports, But Some Will Remain

tsa For all those who are against having to go through X-ray body scanners at airport security, you'll be happy to know some are now being removed. During the past few weeks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been quietly switching them out for safer radiation machines.

While the main goal of the change is to speed up the lines at security checkpoints in major airports, the transition will also lead to less passengers being exposed to radiation.

So far these X-ray machines, called backscatters, have been replaced at Boston Logan International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Chicago O'Hare, Orlando and John F. Kennedy in New York.

One concern people have with the backscatters is the fact that the radiation has been linked to cancer at higher levels. Moreover, the machines produce images of passengers' naked bodies. The new millimeter-wave scanners help these problems by instead emitting low-energy radio waves similar to those in cellphones, as well as producing generic cartoon images instead of the person's actual body.

10 Best Underground Bars In New York

the vault at pfaff's

New York
offers many experiences for the traveler looking for a quality libation. As the weather gets colder and the streets get more crowded, try warming up away from the masses at one of these cozy, underground spaces.

The Vault At Pfaff's
643 Broadway

Located underground at Broadway and Bleecker in NoHo, The Vault at Pfaff's is a neighborhood bar and lounge inspired by Charles Pfaff's original beer cellar. The space played host to numerous actors and literary legends in the 1850s, such as Walt Whitman and Mark Twain. The bar pays homage to its history with refined touches like menus on newsprint, while also keeping the space modern with stylish interiors. On the menu, expect handcrafted cocktails, world-class wines, Champagne, beer and upscale bar bites like mahi mahi ceviche, filet mignon medallions and truffle mac and cheese.

10 Cultural Experiences To Have In Buenos Aires, Argentina

graffiti Traveling to Buenos Aires in Argentina? Add these experiences to your itinerary for a better view of local culture.

Graffiti Walks

Walking around Buenos Aires, it will immediately become clear the city has close ties with the arts, specifically graffiti. While many associate street art with vandalism, the works adorning the streets in Buenos Aires are created by talented and thought-provoking artists, many who are trying to send messages about politics and government. Porteños, or the people of B.A., are very passionate about politics, and you can often see protesting happening on Avenida de Mayo and in Plaza de Mayo. The city's graffiti is a symbol of these amorous locals. You can either wander around on your own or opt for a Graffitimundo Graffiti & Street Art Tour.

Exploring Zion National Park In Autumn

zion national park

As summer nears its end and fall is just upon the horizon, travelers are beginning to think about where to go to check out vibrant autumn foliage. One recommendation I have is to visit Utah's oldest national park, Zion.

The end of September is usually when the temperature begins to drop to a more bearable number in the 70s. Luckily, it's also when the flowers turn a rainbow of colors and the already beautiful park is enhanced with bright hues of purple, red, green, orange, yellow, blue and pink. If you want the best views of changing shades, hike to the higher areas where the colors tend to change first. It'll also reward you with a more encompassing view of the park. Think about starting in Springdale, skipping the highway, and taking the SR 9 to Virgin, then up to Kolob Terrace Road, viewing every layer of the mountains, canyons, forests and rivers until you reach over 7,500 feet.

For a visual idea of autumn in Zion, check out the gallery below.



[Images via Shutterstock]

New System Makes Hailing A Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi Easy In New York

accessible dispatch When people envision New York, what often comes to mind is the busy streets and the sea of yellow taxis; however, out of the approximately 13,000 cabs in NYC, only 233 are wheelchair accessible. So, in a city where, by law, you must hail a taxi on the street, how is someone who is disabled supposed to get one?

In order to help with the problem, a new system created by Metro Taxi has launched. Called Accessible Dispatch, the company uses a GPS system to tracks each of the 233 wheelchair-accessible taxis. These can be ordered by: No advance reservation is required, and the taxis will be able to take any passengers from Manhattan to any of the five boroughs, Westchester and Nassau counties and the three regional airports. There are no extra fees, as passengers pay the metered rate starting from when they get in to the vehicle to when they get dropped off. Additionally, all drivers who operate these taxis have been specially trained in wheelchair assistance, boarding and de-boarding conduct, as well as disability awareness and passenger sensitivity.

"This is an entirely new kind of service," said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky, "and it is a real and tangible reflection of our dedication to making quality taxicab service available to all those who want it."

[Image via Accessible Dispatch]

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