Jan 29th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
The neighborhoods that makes up the city of Chicago are in constant motion. It is a city of crime, segregation and flourish, a city of constant despair and rebirth. Because of that cycle, there's always a neighborhood on the cusp of development or the brink of disaster, which means new edgy properties opening and closing – and vying for the tourist dollar.
It's that competition that ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Budget Guide 2013: Chicago
Jan 29th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
The neighborhoods that makes up the city of Chicago are in constant motion. It is a city of crime, segregation and flourish, a city of constant despair and rebirth. Because of that cycle, there's always a neighborhood on the cusp of development or the brink of disaster, which means new edgy properties opening and closing – and vying for the tourist dollar.
It's that competition that ...Outtakes From Delta Air Lines' New Safety Video
Jan 16th, 2013 at 9:00AM:
Late last year you may remember that Delta Air Lines produced a new on-board safety video. It was a replacement to the now-famous Deltalina video, updated with new hosts and a dash of humor. Widely applauded by the community for balancing light-hearted content with informational rules, several versions of the video are now in place among the 722 aircraft in Delta's fleet.
As a bonus, this ...
Use These Programs To Shorten The Airport Security Line
Jan 15th, 2013 at 11:00AM:
The security situation in this nation's airports is in a constant flux. Checkpoints differ from terminal to terminal and it seems like there's always a new rule or restriction governing luggage. It's actually partially built that way for a reason; part of the Department of Homeland Security's strategy involves variety in your checkpoint experience. That's why sometimes you'll be directed ...The World's Largest Sound And Light Show: Hong Kong's Symphony Of Lights (VIDEO)
Jan 8th, 2013 at 1:00PM:
Each evening at the stroke of 8 p.m., Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour is illuminated with a cacophony of dancing lights and laser beams, accompanied by a blaring soundtrack of synthesized music. It's the Hong Kong Tourism Commission's Symphony of Lights, a wonderfully tacky celebration of the city's energy, spirit, diversity - and luminescence. The nightly spectacle includes more than 40 ...Budget Hong Kong: Coward's Route To Victoria Peak
Dec 29th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
The tram to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The elevators to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The Santorini cable car. Any ski lift, anywhere.
They're memorable travel experiences, sure. But they're also experiences that strike anxiety into the hearts of heights-fearing travelers, like myself.
So when faced with the prospect of a thrill-inducing funicular railway ride to the top of Hong ...Travel Resolutions: 9 Goals To Help You Travel Better In The New Year
Dec 29th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
You could commit to working out more, or reading more books instead of watching television, or not eating lunch in front of your computer (all of which we should be doing regularly) but we all know that a few weeks after the clock hits 12:01 a.m. on January 1, resolutions tend to go straight out the window.
To keep resolutions, we have to set goals that we really want to achieve, and when ...Budget Hong Kong: Journey To The Past At The Hong Kong Museum Of History
Dec 27th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
"The Hong Kong Story," a permanent exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of History, isn't your standard collection of artifacts. Chronicling more than 6,000 years of natural and cultural history, the massive exhibition occupies eight galleries across nearly 23,000 square feet, with more than 3,700 static and interactive exhibits. The endeavor took more than six years and HK$200 million (US$25.8 ...Budget Hong Kong: Renting A Room At The Notorious Chungking Mansions
Dec 26th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
There are two types of travelers: those who would go out of their way to avoid a place like Hong Kong's notorious Chungking Mansions – and those who would elect to stay there.
I'd probably put myself somewhere in the middle.
Nestled between luxury emporiums on one of Hong Kong's most expensive thoroughfares, the Chungking Mansions is a chaotic complex of shops, food stalls, ...Exploring The Marvels Of Croatia's Modric Cave
Dec 26th, 2012 at 9:00AM: Twist your head to the right, your body to the left and wiggle through the crack, urged the guide leading us through Modric Cave in Croatia. Pretending I was a pretzel worked. After dragging my lagging left leg through a fissure between caverns, I re-lit my carbide miner's lamp and stood stunned by the beauty of crystals sparkling on the curvaceous stalactites. My husband, who was a spelunker in ...Budget Hong Kong: The Best Cheap Eats For Under US$5 A Bite
Dec 21st, 2012 at 12:00PM:
Tourists come to Hong Kong for a number of reasons: business, shopping, sightseeing.
Me? I came to eat.
I have long heard about Hong Kong's famed cuisine, with its unique blend of Chinese, Western, Japanese, Southeast Asian and international influences. The city is home to dozens of celebrity chefs and boasts 62 Michelin-starred restaurants. It's regularly called the culinary capital of ...Budget Hong Kong: The City Of Blinding Logos
Dec 20th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The streets of Hong Kong have a way of accosting you with neon lights and ostentatious logos. Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani lay claim to the Central District, while Tiffany & Co. and Burberry dominate Tsim Sha Tsui. Causeway Bay is a cacophony of luxury labels from around the globe, and let's not forget the lesser brands that sit on every street corner: McDonald's, Starbucks, 7-11. ...Hayete: Beautiful Budget-Friendly Beirut Guesthouse
Dec 9th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Hayete, a budget-friendly guesthouse in Beirut, is a rare bird: stylish, in a fantastic location, and relatively inexpensive.
Budget-minded travelers who also enjoy a bit of style are usually out of luck when it comes to accommodations. Budget-friendly options generally consist of hostels, folksy guesthouses, smarmy bed & breakfasts and budget hotel chains – all honorable and ...A Chicago O'Hare Layover Option: Rivers Casino
Dec 6th, 2012 at 1:00PM: If you have more than a couple of hours to spare on a layover in Chicago, a great way to soak up some time is at the nearby gambling hall. Rivers Casino is only a few miles from the airport and is an excellent diversion away from the humdrum terminal newsstands and blaring overhead announcements.
To get there, exit security then head downstairs and take the CTA blue line one stop ($2.25 one way ...Sunrise At Izapa, Mexico: The Place Where Time Began
Dec 2nd, 2012 at 10:00AM:
WINTER SOLSTICE, 2011 – The darkness enveloped us like a warm blanket as we walked carefully toward the center of the ancient ruins of Izapa. We carried a flashlight but did not turn it on, believing our eyes would adjust to the dark. With no warning, from the direction where I thought the royal throne should be, light shot into our eyes, blinding us to a halt.
"Make some moves with ...Cleveland New Mexico: Where Cars Go To Die
Nov 21st, 2012 at 11:00AM:
A shabby peach convertible hogged the front yard. It stretched out like a sunbathing teenage girl would – at a long diagonal, facing the street, just begging to get picked up.
I walked right up to her, crouching down at the battered grill, where both headlights were missing, like gems pried out of a ring's bed. I'd forgotten how much headlights, when you're squarely in front of an ...South America Captured Beautifully In Video
Nov 18th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Watching this journey through South America will fill you with wanderlust unparalleled. The composition of this video is amazing. It captures the beauty of the region, from the people to the cities to the landscapes, and the score is subtle and moving. Cheers to Vimeo user Vincent Urban for a job well done. We're amazingly jealous. ...
In Bali With Baggage: Rince
Nov 8th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
[read earlier parts of "In Bali With Baggage" here]
As I wander Bali for the next few days, I can't stop thinking about the pink lotus incident, how bending down to pick up that flower inaugurated a flood of emotional introspection. On my last day here, I stop into a restaurant and have an iced coffee and, as I've been doing a lot of lately, pull out my notebook within which I've been ...Gore Vidal's Old House
Nov 7th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
In later years...President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Longworth, congratulated me every time we saw each other: "You got out. So wise."
"Reflections on Glory Reflected,"
-- Gore Vidal, in United States: Essays 1952-1992
The day Gore Vidal died rain fell hard on the roof of his old house alongside the ruins of Our Lady of Carmen in Antigua, Guatemala. Braids of thick plaster ...In Bali With Baggage: Monkeys, A Cat, A Lotus Flower
Nov 7th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
[read earlier parts of "In Bali With Baggage" here]
Madai and I study the tourist map and decide our next stop will be a place marked as "The Monkey Temple." It is in Ubud, in the midst of a forest overrun with monkeys.
As we make our way, I find myself growing giddy, like a kid. One thinks one has hung out with monkeys because one has seen so much of them on TV and in movies. Wearing ...Flew American Airlines, Nothing Happened
Nov 7th, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Flight 371, Sunday night, hurricane Sandy lost in our contrails. I'm on the last flight out of LaGuardia and heading into Chicago, the last flight home before New York airports shut down and the city buttons up for the storm.
This will be my fifth flight on American Airlines in four days, starting in Chicago, passing through St. Louis, turning around in Dallas, going back through Chicago ...
