Feb 11th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
The U.S. State Department has issued a new Mexico travel warning, superseding last April's warning. Apparently, cartel violence stemming from drug trafficking, specifically violent struggles among the criminal organizations for control of trafficking routes, has resulted in a rising number of carjackings, kidnappings and gun battles throughout Mexico.
"U.S. travelers should be aware that ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Renewed Mexico travel warning threatens spring break travel plans
Feb 11th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
The U.S. State Department has issued a new Mexico travel warning, superseding last April's warning. Apparently, cartel violence stemming from drug trafficking, specifically violent struggles among the criminal organizations for control of trafficking routes, has resulted in a rising number of carjackings, kidnappings and gun battles throughout Mexico.
"U.S. travelers should be aware that ...Phoenix Art Museum opens exhibit on world religion
Jan 5th, 2012 at 3:00PM: The Phoenix Art Museum is one of the city's best art spaces. With more than 18,000 objects in its permanent collection, it brings everything from Picasso to medieval Japanese silk to central Arizona. Their Asian collection is especially good.
Now the museum has started the new year with a major new exhibition. Sacred Word and Image: Five World Religions covers the written word and painted image ...Musical instrument museum promotes global theme, locally
Jan 4th, 2012 at 4:30PM: The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona offers a look at the history of musical instruments from over 200 countries around the world. The interactive collection of instruments tells a story of musicians, instrument makers, recording studios, and musical traditions significant to our shared past, present, and future.
In 2012, the museum has a special focus on American Music. ...Tucson's beloved Grill restaurant closes
Nov 24th, 2011 at 5:00PM:
Today marks my second Thanksgiving outside of the US (in Turkey, ironically) and as nostalgic as I am for Pepperidge Farm stuffing and canned cranberry sauce, this week I am missing another important piece of my past: the Grill restaurant in Tucson, Arizona. A landmark of downtown Tucson for decades, Grill (true regulars know to leave off the "the") shut its doors this week, leaving many current ...Cocktails, Chilean style
Sep 26th, 2011 at 9:00AM: A few weeks ago, I was sitting at the bar of the very lovely Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa, outside of San Pedro de Atacama in Northern Chile. I'd just returned from an afternoon at 12,600 feet, exploring the Andean Altiplano Lakes of Miscanti and Miñiques, and I was feeling parched.
Small wonder I was thirsty; Atacama is the driest desert on earth. Visually and geographically, ..."Border Crisis" tour shows realities of life on Arizona-Mexico border
Sep 16th, 2011 at 4:30PM:
No matter what side of the fence you may be on regarding the U.S. immigration debate, there's a tour in Arizona that wants to show you what migrant life is like along the U.S.-Mexico border. Gray Line Tours of Arizona now offers the tour Border Crisis: Fact or Fiction, which is designed to give travelers an apolitical look at a very sensitive subject.
Gray Line's Border Crisis tour will take ...Petrified Forest National Park expands by 26,000 acres
Sep 9th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona just got bigger to the tune of 26,000 acres.
After years of negotiation, the National Park Service bought the land from a ranching family, the Daily Democrat reports. This land had been enveloped by the park when it expanded from 93,500 acres to 218,500 acres in 2004.
The park is famous for its colorful petrified trees scattered across the ...Gawker's Worst 50 States
Aug 25th, 2011 at 11:30AM: I've been following Gawker's newest series, The Worst 50 States. I've been enjoying following this series. In an effort to pin down not only the best states in the US of A, but, more importantly, the worst states, Gawker compiled a Gawker-invented rating system in order to rank our fair fifty. Granted, this rating system consists solely of the viewpoints of those on staff for Gawker, so the ...How to choose a great dude or guest ranch
Jul 19th, 2011 at 10:30AM: Hang on, I need to get something out of the way. "City Slickers." Okay, now that the inevitable has been mentioned, we can move on. Guest ranches--also known as dude ranches--are an excellent choice for a family vacation, regardless of season. Even if it's just two of you, many ranches cater to couples, ensuring you of an active and romantic holiday.
The guest ranch tradition was established in ...Five trekking options for adventurers with bad backs
Jun 3rd, 2011 at 1:30PM: If you've got a bad back or neck--and many of us do--it can make certain aspects of travel challenging, especially if you're otherwise healthy and active. Perhaps the most frustrating issue for adventure travelers such as myself is being limited to day hikes, unless there are overnight options that don't involve humping a 50-pound-plus backpack into the wilderness.
I suffered a moderately ...Win a legendary golf outing from Hilton HHonors
May 9th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Are you a golf fan looking for an epic escape with your buddies this year? Than you'll definitely want to enter the Legendary Golf Getaway contest from Hilton HHonors, which could send you and seven of your closest friends, on a once in a lifetime golf outing.
The contest, which launched last week, will award one lucky winner a fantastic prize that will take them, along with their guests, to ...Photo of the Day - Canyon hiking
Apr 17th, 2011 at 10:15PM:
Nature is all around us, but we don't often stop to admire it. A sudden rainstorm is more of an inconvenience than a wondrous thing when you're on your way to work and your clothes get soaked. That said, a hiking trip is a great way for travelers to rediscover that sense of wonder about the natural world. Today's photo, courtesy of Flickr user AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker, reminds me of that ...New water bottle stations in Grand Canyon make park safer, more "green"
Apr 13th, 2011 at 8:30AM: Stretching for 277 miles through the Arizona desert, the Grand Canyon is amongst the more impressive natural wonders you'll ever see. It is over 6000 feet in depth and at its widest point, it is 18 miles across. Everything about the place is truly epic in scale, and that is why the park receives nearly 4.5 million visitors a year. But all those visitors can have an impact on the environment there, ...Video of the Day - Desert Timelapses
Mar 22nd, 2011 at 7:30PM:
I think it's safe to say that the arrival of high quality, inexpensive digital SLR's is enabling more of us to see the world in a way we never thought possible. Today's Video of the Day from photographer Dustin Farrell is a breathtaking compilation of both day & night landscape timelapses from the great states of Utah and Arizona.
Using a Canon 5D Mark II with servo motors to take ...
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to gain light rail connector
Mar 10th, 2011 at 12:30PM: Phoenix's Metro light rail system opened three years ago but frustrated riders by leaving off a key destination - the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
In early 2013, plans have been announced for the opening of Sky Train which will light rail's 44th Street station with Terminal 4 and replace the current shuttle-bus system.
According to airport projections and the Arizona Republic, ...Photo of the day - Secret spot near Grand Canyon National Park
Feb 11th, 2011 at 5:30PM:
Today's photo of the day depicts a secret spot near Grand Canyon National Park. Everyone loves a secret hideaway, right? This image, of a hidden spot between Grand Canyon National Park and a national wilderness area, is quite some distance from more frequently visited areas in and around the Grand Canyon.
Flickr Gadling pool contributor SummitVoice1 snapped this image. The photographer ...Desert Solitaire: 3 Serene, Small-town Escapes into the American Southwest
Feb 3rd, 2011 at 10:30PM: If your image of the American Southwest is still dominated by visions of tumbleweed blowing through ghost towns, Old West saloons, and prickly cactus, it may come as a surprise to learn that this vast region has undergone dramatic growth in recent years, with many cities experiencing a decades-long housing boom and relentless suburban sprawl that only the Great Recession could put the brakes on. A ...Why your state sucks: the depressing but true map of America
Jan 27th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
The folks over at Pleated Jeans have come up with a funny yet painful new map of America. It doesn't show our cities or rivers or mountains, it shows our flaws. As you can see, each state is singled out for what they're worst at. Maps reveal a lot about the territory they cover, and this one shows more than some people may want to see.
I've lived in three different states and I have to say ...Grand Canyon had a fee free weekend
Jan 20th, 2011 at 11:00AM: Every time I think about the Grand Canyon, my mind is flooded with intense photographic memories from my first and only visit to the destination.
I was touring with my now defunct band in the summer of 2006. As you likely know, it's tough to make it as a musician--particularly if you're on the road (read Emily Zemler's newest piece on Alternative Press, No Money, Mo' Problems: Why even ...Daily Pampering: Private calligraphic portraits sessions in Sedona
Jan 14th, 2011 at 4:00PM: Sedona is a magical and mystical place. From the vortex of the Red Rocks to peak of the mountains, there's a special healing power that takes place in Arizona's desert retreat.
Mii amo, set in Sedona's dramatic red rock country at Enchantment Resort, has been ranked among the world's top destination spas for the past 10 years, thanks in part to its ability to attract unique artists, healers, ...
