Jeannette Kimmel: June 2009 Archives

• Lots of folks will make a national park their firework-watching destination this weekend (I'm heading to the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial), and the National Park Service has launched a website to give updates on events happening at national parks across the U.S.
  
  
• One ring to rule them all... or to see Italy, at least. Italian jeweler Damiani is offering round-trip airfare and a week in a hotel in any Italian city with the purchase of one of its Gomitolo rings. The rings start at $7,700.
  
  
• Amsterdam's got free music, and EuroCheapo breaks down the best places to groove on weeknights.

Photo: National Park Service

• Getting stoned with wallabies: Wallabies are eating opium poppies and creating crop circles in Australia's state of Tasmania. Tasmania's attorney general, Lara Giddings, told the BBC, "The one interesting bit that I found recently in one of my briefs on the poppy industry was that we have a problem with wallabies entering poppy fields, getting as high as a kite and going around in circles." Australia grows about 50% of the world's legal opium.
  
  
• Folks in Clarinda, Iowa, are "in the mood" to start construction this week on a museum dedicated to the life of Glenn Miller, who was born in the small town in 1904. The museum is expected to cost about $900,000.
  
  
• And speaking of Midwest icons, Harry Truman's Independence, Missouri, home will close on August 2 for renovations. The former president's home is expected to reopen in the spring of 2010.
  
  
• A brand new hotel has opened at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, though I doubt any people will be staying there anytime soon. The hotel, operated by D-Travel, is for goldfish only, and a place where people can leave their fish while on vacation.

Photo: Earth2Marsh via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

• Getting to and from England's airports just got greener. Folks traveling to and from Heathrow or Gatwick can hire an environmentally friendly door-to-door car service with Carbon Voyage.
  
  
• Harpers Ferry National Historic Park expanded by some 176 acres yesterday. The park, location in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, is the site of the Civil War's Battle of Harpers Ferry (1862).
  
  
• Oyster.com launched earlier this week. The website offers "undoctored photos" and reviews of (so far) some 200 hotels (the site also has a Celebrity Sightings section). Thanks for the tip, Gadling!
  
  
• Check out the Guardian for a great round-up of accessible hotels in the United Kingdom.
  
  
• Wellington, New Zealand, will play host to the second annual Asia Pacific Outgames, an international gay and lesbian sport, culture, and human rights event. Wellington expects 1,000 participants to attend the events in March 2011.

Photo: Carbon Voyage

• North Cascades National Park is adding four vintage buses to its fleet. The buses are replicas of the ones that toured the Stehekin Valley in the early 20th century.
  
  
• What ever happened to that architectural wonder? Infrastructurist has a cool photo essay of 11 train stations that were torn down and replaced.
  
  
• Geographic Expeditions is offering special discounted fares (like saving $1,700 on a trip in Rajasthan) on its trips to Bhutan, Kilimanjaro, the Galapagos, India, Laos, Vietnam, China, and Turkey. Check them out here.
  
  
• Patagonia and Texas Tourism have teamed up to give away two trips to the Rio Grande Valley and Big Bend National Park. Check the Patagonia website for details about the sweepstakes.
  

Photo: North Cascades National Park

• According to a report by the International Whaling Commission, whale watching generates more money than whale hunting. Patrick Ramage, director of Ifaw's whale program, told the BBC, "Whale watching is clearly more environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial than hunting, and whales are worth far more alive than dead."
  
  
• On June 29, London will introduce its first high-speed train, the Javelin. The 140-mph train will run on the new Channel Tunnel rail link tracks. The train will stop at the Olympic Village in Stratford in 2012.
  
  
• Starting today, Southwest Airlines will begin testing its inflight Wi-Fi service on four aircraft. The airline expects that the service, when implemented on all of its planes, will cost passengers between $2 and $12 to use.

Photo: Geert Vanneste

• Athens's New Acropolis Museum has finally opened. The museum has a view of the Parthenon and a glass floor that shows the archaeological remains underneath.
  
  
• How big are your bags? Illinois congressman Daniel Lipinski recently introduced a bill that would limit the size of carry-on luggage to 22"x18"x10", noting "current programs to control the weight, size, number and contents of carry-on bags are inconsistent, inadequate, confusing and outdated."
  
  
• Laid off? Take off! That's Intrepid Travel's motto. Through the end of the year, they're offering a 15% discount on their trips to anyone who's been laid off this year. All you have to do is show proof that you've been laid off.

• Check out Eurocheapo's tips on how to navigate the graffiti of Berlin.

• And speaking of graffiti, street artists in Istanbul's Beyoglu neighborhood are taking their art indoors. The district's municipal administration has given the artists a gallery, and two-dozen artists' work will be on display this month.

• Need gold? Head to Frankfurt! The city's airport has "Gold to Go" vending machines... no kidding. The Times UK reports "After inserting your euros in the slot there is a familiar whirring noise as if the machine is readying itself to spit out a can of lemonade or a bar of chocolate. Instead there is a satisfying clunk as a prettily wrapped bar of the world's favourite precious metal thuds into the dispenser. 'It's better value than the bank,' Romy Erhardt of TG-Gold-Super-Markt told The Times, 'And it's very convenient -- no waiting time -- you just put in your cash and a minute later you are an investor in gold.'"

Image: Istanbul's graffiti project

• The Great American Backyard Campout is next Saturday, June 27, and Shenandoah National Park is hoping you'll head to the mountains to celebrate. The park, located outside D.C., is offering a "Basics of Family Camping" overnight seminar, where rangers will teach families about all the camping necessities, like pitching a tent, building a fire, "leave no trace," and cooking.
  
  
• SeatGuru's most recent survey found that Singapore Airlines serves the best food, JetBlue has the most comfortable economy seats, and United has the rudest flight attendants. 
  
  
• London's National Gallery has just released an iPhone app called "Love Art." The free (yes, free) app has pictorial and audio tours of some 250 works in the museum.
  
  
• Today is Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the announcement of the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, in Texas. Recognized as an official holiday in 31 states, you can find celebrations around the country on the Juneteenth website. Click on the map for a listing of events happening near you.
  

Photo: Jeannette Kimmel

• Emil Jacob thinks he's found a solution to cramped cabin space. He's come up with the "step seat principle," which the Boston Globe describes as "elevating alternate rows of seats, from one to five steps above the cabin floor, to give passengers more room to lean back in economy class and enough space in business class to lie down, either by sliding their legs under the seat in front of them or stretching out in pods stacked on top of each other."
  
  
• It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a... hummingbird? Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley have found that male birds, when courting females, have a diving speed of 400 body lengths per second--"greater than [that] of a fighter jet with its afterburners on, or the space shuttle during atmospheric re-entry," according to the BBC.
  
  
• Still need something to give Dad this Father's Day? Give him the experience of a National Park. More than 100 parks that traditionally charge an entry fee are free this weekend, June 20-21.

Photo: courtesy Boston Globe and Emil Jacob

• Blow Up Hall 50 50 claims to be the most futuristic hotel in the world. The Guardian's Benji Lanyado headed to Ponzan, Poland, to check it out. Check out his video here.
  
  
• Want to get paid to go on vacation? You might just come out ahead by visiting Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds State Park. Visitors can dig for diamonds (and keep your findings!) in 37 acres of the park for a small fee ($7/adult, $4/child).
  
  
• Anne Frank--undoubtedly one of the most famous faces of World War II--would have been 80 years old this week, and the Anne Frank House museum is putting her diaries and other writings on permanent display.

Photo: Blow Up Hall 50 50

• In search of a Lonely Planet guide? Make sure you buy one before you get to Heathrow. Bookseller WH Smith announced that it will only sell Penguin guidebooks in its 200+ stores in airports and rail stations.
  
  
• International CouchSurfing Day has just passed, but that doesn't mean you still can't nab a free night's stay somewhere in the world. Visit CouchSurfing.com to find out who's offering their couch up for grabs.
  
  
• The Guardian's Ian Belcher visited Marionkren Abbey in Austria. But this is no ordinary abbey. It's a spa run by nuns who lead hikes, exercise classes, and offer massages.

Photo: Lonely Planet

• Last week, National Geographic presented President Obama with a map cabinet. This tradition has been going on since World War II, when Gilbert H. Grosvenor gave one to then-president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Check out the NatGeo News Watch to read more.
  
  
• Xanterra Parks & Resorts recently purchased rail cars from GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, which stopped operating in 2008. Xanterra plans to use the cars "to enhance the national parks experience."
  
  
• Paris, New York, Rome, London--you know the list of the world's most popular destinations. But there are plenty of great places that don't hit top tourism marks. Gadling's got a great list of the world's "second cities," from Osaka, Japan; Wellington, New Zealand; Melbourne, Australia; and Salvador, Brazil.

Photo: The White House

• Solar-powered cars? Italian auto designer Pininfarina and French battery manufacturer Bollore have announced that their solar-powered vehicle will be ready for sale in Europe by 2010.
  
  
• The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is promoting the use of Segways, noting that they allow "people to see more of the park in less time, with very little exertion - a welcomed option during the hot and humid months!" Kurt Repanshek at National Parks Traveler doesn't agree. What do you think?
  
  
• Want free food in New York? The folks at the New York Times dish out the best places to get free food (from pizzas to fried chickpeas) along with your beer in the Big Apple.
  
  
• After closing her doors after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Lady Liberty opens once again on July 4. Tickets go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13.

Photo: Inhabitat

• Don't like where you live? Move to Vancouver! According to recent surveys, the Canadian metropolis is still the most livable city in the world. Vienna, Melbourne, Toronto, and Perth rounded out the top five picks, while Harare (Zimbabwe) was named the least livable.
  
  
• "U.S. Amateur Parking" and "Stop Here When Flashing" are just two signs you'll see at an exhibition in Copenhagen this month.
  
  
• At Berlin's Weinerei bar, patrons drink as much as they want, and pay as little as they want. The bar has several locations. Eurocheapo says that most people end up paying more than their drinks were worth: "Whether it's because they are too sloshed to calculate the exact amount or just feel warm with goodwill towards their hosts, everyone seems to leave the Weinerei happy."
  
  
• Hotel deals galore: Book three nights at Jamaica's Half Moon resort and get the fourth night free, plus a guaranteed upgrade. Reservations must be made by August 31. Or, book two nights at any Omni hotel with your American Express card and save 25 percent. Click here for more details.

Photo: Judy B via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

• A new study finds that trains can be worse for the environment than planes. Key factors: how much infrastructure is needed for each form of transportation (tracks, parking structures, airports, etc.) and how many passengers the vehicle is carrying.
  
  
• Laughing at the Geographic: A recent study in which researchers tickled young gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans concludes that laughing is not a human-only expression of emotion--it started with our evolutionary ancestors. Some studies show that laughter may have originated further down the line than the great apes, as far back as rats.
  
  
• Researchers at the Smithsonian Institution determined that migratory Canada geese downed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15. Wildlife professionals may be able to help avoid future collisions based on the finding.

Photo: Rachel Cotterill

• Greenopia recently came out with this list of the 10 Most Beautiful and Green LEED Buildings, which includes libraries, museums, office buildings, and the first baseball stadium in the U.S. to earn LEED certification (Nationals Park, above).
  
  
• The end of the K-12 school year is coming up, which reminds many of a popular summer tradition: summer camp. But kids aren't the only happy campers anymore--adults are signing up for summer camps as well, and some of them include overnight stays.
  
  
• Continental Airlines has completed successful tests using biofuels, such as jatropha and algae, to power their jets. This technology could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent, the resources are produced domestically, and they could be put into place in the next three years.
  
  
• Love beer? This couple does. They couple traveled the world to find their favorite beers.
  

• Next time you're sitting in coach, close your eyes and imagine you're on a Saudi prince's (Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud) $485 million "flying palace." The plane, if you can call it such, has an on-board garage, five master suites with king-size beds, computer-generated prayer mats that always face Mecca, a concert hall with a baby grand piano, and a steam room.
  
  
• Want to explore all the wonders of a reef? Add the U.K. to your list. Just off the coast of Bournemouth, marine consulting company ASR Ltd. is constructing an artificial reef, designed to create more waves for surfers. The project is set to be completed this fall.
  
  
• India is getting in line to become one of the leaders in solar energy. The country plans to generate 20,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020, and 100,000 megawatts of power by 2030.

Photo: courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

• A BBC team has caught ghost bats on film for the first time. The bats, which live in Australia's Northern Territory, are the world's largest predatory bat.
  
  
• In an effort to encourage people to visit the National Parks, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced this week that entrance fees to 147 of the parks will be waived on three weekends this summer, June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16.
  
  
• Traveling cheapos might not feel as bad for staying at a Motel 6. The roadside motel chain has recently redesigned 38 of its properties with greener features like wood flooring (made from unused industry scraps) and fluorescent bulbs.

Video: BBC

Robin Williams said it best: "If you remember the sixties, you weren't there." But if there's anything to remember about the hippie-loving sixties, it's Woodstock, the iconic music and art fair of 1969. Some 32 artists--including legends Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and of course, Jimi Hendrix--performed in front of 500,000 people on a few hundred acres of land in Bethel, New York.

For years people have tried to recreate Woodstock, but despite their high-profile mud-slathered attempts, none have come close. But this year marks the three-day counterculture concert's fortieth anniversary, and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is celebrating by offering a whole season's worth of performers, including Earth, Wind, & Fire, Chicago, Peter, Paul, & Mary, Dave Matthews Band, Brad Paisley, and many others.

The Bethel Woods Center is also home to a museum, which will celebrate Woodstock with exhibits like Give Peace a Chance: John and Yoko's Bed-In for Peace, Rock Heroes: Woodstock-Inspired Selections from the Hard Rock International Music Memorabilia Collection, and even a motorcycle built by Orange County Choppers.

The summer lineup starts June 14 and ends September 26, so there's plenty of time to make plans to get up to New York and celebrate Woodstock, twenty-first-century-style.

Did you go to Woodstock? How do you plan to commemorate the event this summer?

• Who doesn't love penguins? Australia's Phillip Island does, and everyday they play host to the tuxedoed critters as they march their way at dusk from the ocean to the sand dunes. Springboard Vacations is offering a special package (from $645) that allows visitors to see the "penguin parade," too. The five-day/four-night Melbourne and Phillip Island package includes three nights at Melbourne's Hotel Lindrum, one night on Phillip Island, a two-day car rental, the Phillip Island Park Pass (includes entry to the Penguin Parade, Koala Conservation Center, Churchill Island, and the Nobbies Center). Click here for more details.
  
  
• Have you visited the world's smallest museum? While a museum in Superior, Arizona, claims it is the world's smallest, EuroCheapo gives the award to a museum in Macedonia.
  
  
• Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge National Historical Park have reopened after a seven-month renovation. Renovations include general restoration of the house, the removal of a parking lot, and a new exhibit on General Washington's leadership and the resilience of the Continental Army, which will open in August.

Photo: Laura Davidson Public Relations

• What could be better than wine and the beach? The Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project, which is helping to clean up 25 beaches this year. Find out how you can help by clicking here.
  
  
• Where can you take yoga, art, and beer-making classes? Bed-and-breakfasts across the country offer special classes--from cooking to ghost hunting--for guests. Check out bnbfinder.com and click on "specials" to find out what B&Bs in your state offer a little learning on your getaway.
  
  
• This September 17-26, Washington D.C.'s Shakespeare Theatre Company is hosting the National Theatre of Great Britain's production of Phèdre, staring Dame Helen Mirren. Check shakespearetheatre.org for ticket information.
  
  
• Today through June 7, check out DMY 2009: The International Design Festival Berlin, which will feature work by "youngsters" (emerging designers) and "veterans" (experienced designers).

Photo: Barefoot

• Have you got something to declare? That's what Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport asked travelers in a recent PR stunt (above), involving an alligator and some very curious passengers.
  
  
• Visit Amsterdam's Brouwerij 't Ij brewery on Fridays for a free tour. The brewery serves Belgian-style beer. The brewery is located on the east side of the city under a classic Dutch windmill.
  
  
• On June 20, the Hermitage Amsterdam is scheduled to open. The art gallery will be located in a 17th-century building that is a branch of the original Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.
  
  
• Camping through Europe? EuroCheapo has a great guide to some of the top campgrounds located in and around Amsterdam.

Forty years ago, Cleveland's river burned. Literally. The Cuyahoga River, which winds through Cleveland and Akron, was once one of the most polluted rivers in the United States, having caught fire more than a dozen times since 1868. When it burned in 1969, Time magazine described the Cuyahoga (which means "crooked river" in Iroquois) as the river that "oozes rather than flows" and where a person "does not drown but decays." Needless to say, the 1969 fire spurred environmental concerns and a plethora of environmental legislation was passed, including the Clean Water Act and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

But where is Cleveland today? According to MSNBC, Rock City still ranks among one of the most polluted cities in the U.S. (In fact, one fifth of the top 25 air-particle polluted cities are located in Ohio. Ouch.) But the city, if ever slowly, is hopping on the green bandwagon, trying to dispose of its bad rap.

• Though beavers have been extinct in Scotland for some 400 years, researchers marked the first formal reintroduction of the furry species into the Scotland wild last week.
  
  
• Can you see in the dark? Scientists in Japan have successfully genetically modified monkeys so that they will glow. Scientists hope this will eventually fight human diseases.
  
  
• In an effort to protect the state's bog turtles, Maryland officials have hired goats to "control plant growth."
  
  
• Tired of the same old history and art museums? Check out MatadorTrips's review of the top ten wackiest museums, from the Cockroach Hall of Fame Museum in Texas, to the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin, to the Museum of Bad Art in Boston.

Photo: Walkhighlands.co.uk