Recently in Miscellany Category

Our favorite funsters, Improv Everywhere, decided to spook the citizens of Brooklyn by enlisting at least 2,000 co-conspirators to walk invisible dogs on plastic leashes, all on the same Sunday afternoon. The leashes were on loan from the current owner of 51 Bergen Street, the factory space where the Invisible Dog toy was invented in the 1970s. The toy consists of a leash and dog harness that stands up on its own.  I remember having one of these invisible pets when I was growing up in a New York apartment building that banned dogs, and it gave me great pleasure to take it out on the sidewalk. But imagine if there were hundreds, even thousands of Brooklynites doing the same thing? Would such a stunt penetrate the famous New Yorker nonplussedness?

Hat-tip to GrrlScientist

It's that time of year again: yup, that's right, time to head outside and get lost in your local corn maze. According to The MAiZE, a leading corn maze company (yes, there is such a thing) based in Utah, the annual tradition lets family farms generate extra income by attracting day-trippers from nearby urban areas with their woven fields of corn. The MAiZE counts over 500 mazes in the U.S. (one in nearly every state), 15 in Canada, one in the UK, Italy, one even in Staszów in south-central Poland.
 
Rural theme parks that they are, corn mazes have been around for centuries, serving ceremonial purposes or amusing royalty in the days of kings and princesses. The "modern" corn maze has been around only since the mid-1990s when British maze developer, Adrian Fisher, claims to have created the first corn maze in Pennsylvania.

Cool or creepy? A Titanic-themed cruise, created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the the ill-fated vessel, will retrace its trans-Atlantic journey in April of 2012 (without an iceberg collision, we hope). The cruise, created by Miles Morgan Travel, will follow the original ship's itinerary, departing from Southampton, England, and stopping in Cherbourg, France and Cobh, Ireland, before arriving at the site where the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 15, 1912. There, 100 years after the ship sank, passengers will hold a memorial service for the 1,500 who lost their lives that day. The 12-day cruise will also include a stop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, so that the passengers may visit several of the cemeteries where the Titantic's victims were buried, before finally arriving in New York, the original ship's destination.

Those traveling on the commemorative vessel Bamoral will find it outfitted with many of the same touches used in James Cameron's epic film. "The whole voyage will be steeped in Titanic history," Miles Morgan, the trip's organizer, told the Telegraph earlier this year. "The food served will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear firsthand from historians who have studied the Titanic story." Right now, nine cabins have already been sold, for about $3,900 each. 

What's your take? Would you climb aboard the Bamoral to relive and remember Titanic's maiden voyage? 

[Titanic Memorial Cruise]
[Gadling]
[CNN]
[National Geographic Channel: Return to Titanic]

Image: via the Telegraph

Former Traveler staffer Christina Stockamore gets the inside scoop on One & Other, an imaginative art installation in London's Trafalgar Square.

If you've visited London in the last few months, chances are that you've stumbled across the unique art installation on display in Trafalgar Square. The project, called One & Other, was created by the British artist Antony Gormley, who was commissioned by the Mayor of London to create a sculpture atop the vacant fourth plinth in the northwest corner of London's Trafalgar Square. Instead of sculpting a statue out of bronze or marble, Gormley was moved by the idea to place real people on the plinth. The idea was to feature one performer or "Plinther" every hour for 100 days straight, and the last day of the project is October 19.

My aunt, Adrianne Foglia, was one of the 2,400 artists selected out of 34,224 applicants to perform on the plinth. At midnight one night late last month, she climbed up to the top and unfurled a huge banner that said "In Your Life, Who Do You Remember? Who Would You Thank?" I watched online as she began to recount in personal detail the long list of people who had touched her life. As she spoke, she scribbled their names on a canvas in colored markers to create an abstract mosaic next to the words: "People are the colors of our lives. Each one of us is a canvas." After she took to the plinth, I asked her to share her experience. Check our Q&A after the jump.

Katie Beddingfield recently popped back home to Washington, DC, for a quick break in her month-long All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) adventure on JetBlue. The half-time score:

Number of flights: 9
Cities visited: 5
Window seats scored (with empty middle seat, no less): 7
Airport floors slept on: 1 (JFK. Not as bad as you think)
Items lost: 1 (driver's license--returned 24 hours later. Crisis averted)
Desired flights sold out: 0

Yep. Priceless. I've been having such a blast since I set off September 8, for Oakland, that I actually haven't made much time to jot extensive musings. Suffice it to say, the AYCJ pass has not yet let me down. All of my JetBlue flights have been perfectly uneventful, on-time--and most importantly, bookable. My fear with such a bold offer was that the airline would collect its $599 from eager passengers and then make the pass all but impossible to fully use. Not so for me. I booked my recent western swing several days before departure (the pass requires 3-day advance booking), but then pushed to the limit booking my upcoming southern swing to Bogota, Colombia and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. With those legs pretty full, the JetBlue reservation agent apologized for being unable to assign a seat in advance, but assured me that I would indeed have a seat. "JetBlue does not oversell its flights," Rose said, "You'll be fine." (I can only hope we see another AYCJ pass offer once JetBlue's recently approved codeshare agreement with Lufthansa is cemented.)

Friend of IT Katie Beddingfield scored an "All-You-Can-Jet Pass" from JetBlue, a sweet deal giving you unlimited air travel for one month for $599 to any of the airline's destinations. She gives us the scoop on where she's going and how she's making the most of her pass. Read her initial post here.

It's a concept I'm trying to embrace: Less is more. But the competition among my fellow all-you-can-jetters to be the "best" is fierce. Like the guy who is trying to rack up as many miles as possible, entirely on weekends, often hopping between cities without leaving the airport. Then there is the duo attempting to stay no more than 12 hours on the ground between flights for 31 straight days. They even have official sponsors. Clearly, I am an underachiever.

In fact, until last week I was still wallowing in options--poring over the JetBlue timetable, reaching out to potential hosts, scouring the internet for creative digs and doings, and obsessing to align all the pieces as if they were one big Rubik's Cube.  After some hard choices, I am happy to report that I have commenced my "western swing" today (the first day for pass travel), on flight 315 departing Washington Dulles International Airport at 10:05 am, arriving in Oakland, California, at 12:39 pm.

After a few days enjoying friends and family in the Bay Area--and the liquid pleasures of Napa--I will fly to Los Angeles (Long Beach airport, actually, no quick ride to city center) for a couple days of Hollywood exploration. Then I'm off on a short trip to Portland, Oregon, for more sampling of the great grape and local foodstuffs. I will meet up with my husband in Las Vegas for what should be a memorable anniversary celebration before heading to Denver for more family time with the in-laws. At which point I will be ready for...a nap. With quick transits through New York and Boston, the tally for the first two weeks will come to seven cities. No record, but in my book more than deserving of a two-day break at home to pet the dog and re-pack for the southern swing.

File this under odd ways to entertain yourself during a flight: Heather Poole, a flight attendant and the Galley Gossip blogger over at Gadling, recently discovered that the latest mile high club to grace the skies is completely "G" rated. What's their common bond? Taking photos of themselves in airplane bathrooms. Poole noticed the trend while searching photos on Flickr, and quickly dubbed the self-portrait artists "Laviators" (MSNBC quickly followed up with a story of their own on the trend). Here, you'll find a music video of her findings put together by a fan.

 

What's your take? Odd and gross or quirky fun?

[Gadling, MSNBC]

There may be no better way to end a weekend than by paying a visit to the Cafe Hon in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood. After driving seven hours home from the Catskills this past weekend, I was starving, and recalculated the iPhone map to direct me to the eclectic eatery. Replete with a life-sized Elvis statue, a rack of neon sunglasses, and enough beehive hairdos to make you think you're an extra in Hairspray, this high-ceilinged restaurant anchors funky 36th Street and is easy to find thanks to the huge pink flamingo hung outside. Inside, the restaurant, with its attached bar next door, serves up a mix of American comfort foods with a Maryland twist. (One favorite element: the menu offers its own dictionary of 'Bawlmerese'.) I ordered the crab and shrimp pizza (which comes laden with cheddar cheese) and some mussels along with my cream of crab soup. So stuffed was I that I had to skip the pie, which I later learned was a huge mistake.

So what is a Hon anyway? The cafe's website defines it: "[T]he Bawlmer term of endearment, Hon, short for Honey, embodies the warmth and affection bestowed upon our neighbors and visitors alike by historic working-women of Baltimore." (And yes, my waitress utilized the phrase multiple times during our meal.) Every year, the restaurant's proprietor, Denise Whiting, holds the annual HonFest (pictured, above), a celebration of these women and their role in the community. This event basically manifests itself in the form of beehive hairdos, blue eyeshadow, leopard skin tights, and funky sunglasses, and appears, from the many photos, to be a complete hoot. HonFest just passed two weekends ago, but mark your calendars for next June.

Cafe Hon, 1002 W. 36th Street Baltimore, MD +1 410 243 1230

Photo: Hip2bDaniel via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

David Holmes probably needs no introduction. But just in case you haven't heard of him, he's the 40-year-old Southwest Airlines flight attendant whose in-flight safety announcement is making the rounds on YouTube. Traveler Contributing Editor Christopher Elliott asked him how he became the rapping flight attendant.


Q: Where did you come up with the idea of rapping an in-flight safety announcement?

Holmes: I did my first rap for our flight attendant graduation class. And I quickly realized, as I began flying, how many customers tune-out when we start demonstrating that very important information. I wanted a way to keep their attention. From there, it just took off.

Whose idea was it to tape your in-flight announcement and put it online?

The one that started all of this was recorded by a customer on her cell phone. We were having a great time and, at the end of the flight, she said "I'm going to put this on YouTube."

It sounded like you had a lot of practice with that particular song. Have you delivered that safety announcement before?

It's been an evolving performance. I have several versions to mix and match through any part of the flight.

I'm a sucker for street art (see here), and this adorable video makes for a fun Friday afternoon distraction. Made by the husband-and-wife animation team at London Squared, it highlights the often overlooked "voices" in New York City. Enjoy and happy weekend!

[Rocketboom via Vvynyl]

My heart almost skipped a beat yesterday when I saw the trailer for the new Where the Wild Things Are film, perhaps because the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak was one of my first encounters with the idea of running away - a concept that I still so closely associate with travel.

For those of you who don't know the premise, it's the story of Max, a bad little boy who was sent to bed without any supper. When he arrives in his bedroom, he finds it transformed into a magical forest, one inhabited by tremendous beasts who crown him king. But Max eventually grows homesick and returns back home, where his supper is waiting for him, still hot. The book was only 10 sentences long, but it won a Caldecott Medal and is considered a literary classic (did you know that Sendak named many of the beasts after his aunts and uncles?); its adaptation was written by Dave Eggers and directed by Spike Jonze. Mark your calendars for October 16, 2009, when the film will be released.

Is there a children's book that inspired you to travel? Let us know in the comments, or email us your favorites. 

Read More: Cinematical has some fantastic still images from the film. Read more about Sendak's life and work in the notes from "Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak" which was exhibited at the Jewish Museum in 2005. 

When a slip of the non-native tongue ends in sexual innuendo, things can get awkward. Our friends over at Glimpse, National Geographic's website for young people living abroad, just listed their Top Five Accidental Sexual Innuendo moments, and they're hysterical. One thing we learned: You shouldn't imply that you're "in heat," while visiting a Russian banya.

Have a cringe-worthy moment? Share your tips here.

Photo: Nick Fitzhugh

So I'm just back from a trip to New Orleans (much more on that to come) but before I get to all of those details, let me focus for a moment on my outgoing flight. My pilot was either a chatterbox or dreamed of one day being a comic, and made the most of his microphone and our undivided attention by unleashing a series of witticisms throughout the flight. At one point, he even referred to the passengers "sky pirates."

Now I'm all for the occasional banter, but after a while, I couldn't help feeling like it was all little much. Most of the time, I just want my flying experience to be one of vegging out--listening to music or reading without any interruption. So Captain Open Mike was beginning to bug me. So I wondered, what do you think is appropriate pilot-speak? Does hearing the pilot chatter make your feel more or less comfortable during a flight? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo: kfergos via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

As if you weren't bombarded enough with the 2008 Presidential campaign, we'll spare you the cheesy slogans and simply say, "Vote for IT!"

For those of you who don't know, we've been nominated for the Best Travel Blog. The polls close tomorrow at 5 p.m. EST (that's 2 p.m. on the West Coast), so please vote once today and once more tomorrow. All you have to do is go to Weblog Awards and click on Intelligent Travel!

Health magazine recently rated our nation's healthiest airports. The ratings are based on obvious criteria like safety measures, food options, cleanliness, delays, and overall traveler satisfaction. Having been to quite a few U.S. airports, I was a bit shocked by some of the top choices. They are:

1.  Phoenix Sky Harbor International
2.  Baltimore-Washington International Airport
3.  Chicago's O'Hare International
4.  Detroit Metropolitan
5.  Denver International
6.  Washington National
7.  Dallas/Fort Worth International
8.  Boston's Logan International
9.  Portland International
10. Philadelphia International

I don't know about you, but the last time I was in O'Hare, my stress levels were through the roof, after being stuck there for eight hours because my connecting flight decided not to show up. Sure, bigger international airports (like BWI, O'Hare, and DFW) tend to have healthier restaurant options and more lounges to relax in, but, in my experience, they also tend to have more flight delays and longer lines, often making them more stressful, and a hassle.

What airports do you think are worthy of being the healthiest?

Photo: courtesy Phoenix Sky Harbor International

How well do you know your presidential history? Take a gander with our online WorldWise quiz devoted to our past Chief Executives. Here's the first question:

George Washington took his oath of office in 1789 in the Federal Hall of what U.S. city, then the country's capital?

a) Philadelphia
b) New York City
c) Baltimore

Make your guess and find out the answer here! And find more quizzes online.

Photo: Dan Westergren

Part 1: Remember this photo? It's the grand prize winner of Traveler's annual "World in Focus" photography contest. It was taken by Geoff Pingree, a professor from Oberlin College, when he visited the Prado Museum in Madrid and came upon these people dressed as if they'd just stepped out of one of the canvases on the walls. The museum was staging theatrical performances based on paintings by Spanish masters, and this couple was playing King Philip IV and Queen Mariana.

Part 2: Alex Santosa of the endlessly entertaining blog Neatorama decided this photo needed a caption, and asked Neatorama readers to come up with a good one. As a prize, he offered an original cartoon drawn by Adam "Apelad" Koford, creator of the laugh-out-loud cats comic. Neatorama readers rose to the challenge and submitted 85 captions, some of them quite clever. I liked the one that said "Green. We should paint this ceiling green."

Part 3: The results are in! Apelad picked the winning caption, and it's hard to argue with his choice:
"You said everyone would be wearing a costume!"

Photo by Geoff Pingree, National Geographic Traveler photo contest