How I Became The Third Southwest Airlines Dress Code Victim: “Sir, You’re Too Hot To Fly.”

Like what you see? Subscribe to the full RSS feed.First off, let’s cut to the chase: I’m ridiculously sexy. Since my days in the Young Buff Boys of Broward County beauty pageant in Fort Lauderdale, I’ve been insanely hot. I mean off-the-freakin’-charts hot. No matter how many layers of Guess and […]

Get The Most Out Of Your (U.S.) Dollar

Rob over at GoBudgetTravel.com has a great posted titled “Where your Dollars aren’t so Weak“, complete with a pretty, color-coded map of the world. He notes: [N]ot all international currencies have strengthened relative to the dollar. The dollar is still the most influential currency in the world today, and when it weakens many other currencies […]

Great Tip Tip: What to Tip in 77 Countries

This one’s quite bookmark-worthy. Justin Glow over at Gadling has a quick reference sheet for What to Tip in 77 Countries.

Inspiration for Your Crappy Travel Photos

That headline’s a bit tongue in cheek of course. I don’t really think your photos are crappy. But you might. Here’s a bit of inspiration from a modern master of photography: Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop. - Ansel Adams That’s right. If you can take just one great […]

Print Your Own Travel Vaccines At Home!

Well, not exactly. The technology’s not here yet, but it’s in the mail. Via Travel Gear Blog: HP has announced that they will begin to sell a patch that is placed on your skin, and through tiny needles embedded in the patch, a vaccine will be “printed” into your arm. Since the needles barely […]

Culture Shock: The Japanese Institution of Public Drunkeness

Mike over at Mike’s Blender introduces us to the idea of public drunkeness in Japan: While most people in the West are content to toss their cookies in the privacy of their own home, here in Japan, the trains and train stations have somehow become the designated area for this pastime. Ride the last train pretty […]

The Best Quote I’ve Heard In a Long Time (via The Quest for an Authentic Life)

Filed somewhere between half a dozen Fight Club quotes and this one from the BnA forums might be this, a quote from Richard Bode’s Beachcombing at Miramar: I have a choice, the same choice that faces every man. I can live a frivolous life, trying to impress others with the house I live in, the clothes […]

Sometimes First Class Is Cheaper Than Coach

From the illogical airline logic department, Elliott notes: Always check the first-class options on a flight. Amazingly, they may be less expensive than the economy class tickets. That’s what reader Joe Farrell discovered when he reserved a flight on Continental Airlines. “We were looking for a cheap fare from Hartford to Tampa, and I noticed that the […]

Hiking The Pemigewassett Wilderness, New Hampshire: Pemi East Side Trail to Wilderness Trail

Magnificent white birch trees of the Pemigewassett Wilderness K was booked with work for Labor Day weekend, so I decided to take a “walk in the woods” as Bill Bryson would say. Last Sunday, I headed up to Lincoln, New Hampshire - not far from the foot of popular (and quite touristy) Loon Mountain - […]

New Google Earth Features Hidden Flight Simulator

The Wired blog is reporting a hidden feature in the latest version of Google Earth. Apparently, at any point in time, you can hit “[CTRL/option]+ALT+A” (for PCs), and you’ll be given the controls of flight simulated plane to fly through Google’s virtual world: Google is about to take you around the world again, the new […]

Photo of the Moment: Montreal As Seen From The Lachine Canal

God, I love this city. © Copyright fermata.daily

See Berlin, Germany By … Go-Kart?

Kart4You (site’s in German, sorry) provides go kart rentals for “touring” downtown Berlin and environs. I don’t have any other info (in English anyway) except for this video: I’m sure the idea of sitting four inches off the ground in an eighty pound plastic and tin go kart while getting passed by a barrage of […]

Man vs. Wild Relaunched/Revised: Longer, Better, Faster, Stronger

It appears, after a few months of Man vs. Wild fans and the press gnashing their collective teeth, that the show is set to return in a longer and more comprehensive format. Via Bear’s blog: The new shows will also now be two hours long, instead of one - partly because so many of the […]

Safety Tip: How Not To Set Your Face On Fire While Camping

Today’s health tip o’ the day comes out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Via FOX News: An 81-year-old Milwaukee man has sued the makers of Brut cologne after it ignited and burned parts of his hands, chest and neck. He is seeking unspecified damages from Helen of Troy Ltd., an El Paso, Texas company that owns and markets […]

Backpacking Humor (via Zits)

It’s not often that you find backpacking and RTW travel humor in mainstream media sources. Dave found a rare exception in this recent Zits comic strip. Great stuff!

Do You Know What “Backpacking” Really Means?

Forum goers over at LonelyPlanet’s ThornTree forums have gotten into a rather heated discussion over the meaning of the term “backpacking”. Who knew there was so much confusion over such a fundamental word in the traveler’s life? For me, it’s simple: backpacking means traveling cheaply with a backpack. Period. Whether it’s in the […]

First Look Gear Review: MSR Hubba Solo Tent

If you’re planning to solo trek, backcountry camp, or tent your way around the world solo, the MSR Hubba Solo Tent is so lightweight and compact, it’s practically an afterthought to throw in your pack. A stale $50 EMS gift card from last Christmas and EMS’ annual summer super savings sale (not sure what it’s really […]

Google’s Flight Search Makes Booking Flights Easy

Nina over at JustWandering.org points us to Google’s Flight Search. It might save you a few extra minutes of having to type the flights you’re looking for into each of the top travel sites. Side note: it’s a bit similar to BookingBuddy.com or Kayak.com, but with Google’s super simple patented interface.

On Living In The World

I found this one particularly interesting today. Via WhyGo: Most people are on the world, not in it - having no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them - undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate. - John Muir

Sacrificing Goats To The Airline Mechanic Gods

I see stories like this and think, “If only in the United States …” Via Reuters: KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Officials at Nepal’s state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday. I can think of a few airlines here […]

Turns Out Motel 6 Does Not Leave The Light On For You

Upgrade: Travel Better points us to an Adage.com story as proof that: To conserve energy, the ultra-budget chain doesn’t really leave lights on. So says their folksy pitchman Tom Bodett. So you know it’s true. Good to know. It’s interesting to note that Bodett seems happy to promote budget, no-frills travel at all [ahem] costs: The […]

Wait … So You Can’t Play With Yourself On Domestic Flights?

The Denver Post is reporting: A 42-year-old Kentucky man faces federal charges after several witnesses aboard a flight from Louisville to Denver International Airport told an FBI agent that they saw him exposed and touching himself, according to an arrest affidavit. Froula was wearing a polo shirt, khaki shorts, sunglasses and had an iPod strapped to his […]

The Harsh Challenges of Traveling with Children

Backpacker Movie Review: A Map for Saturday

A Map for Saturday is a fantastic documentary on the life-altering effects of long-term travel. A while back, I bookmarked the film’s website and figured I’d order the DVD at some point. A few months later, I unexpectedly received an e-mail from the film’s producer and director, Rhode Island-native Brook Silva-Bragga, who noticed […]

Free Real-Time Visa and Passport Info Finder

I just stumbled across a great and (allegedly) up-to-date visa and passport info finder via Delta Airline’s website. Definitely a link to bookmark for any RTW traveler!

Budget Travel Costs of 94 Cities around the World

Rob over at GoBudgetTravel.com has put together a list of Budget Travel Costs of 94 Cities around the World. It’s always impossible to know how accurate such lists are and international economies are always changing. But it should provide most backpackers and long-term travelers a reasonable jumping-off point.

How To Fight Malaria Without Medication

Spend any time on the Thorntree or BootsNAll travel forums and you’ll no doubt hear backpackers discussing which vaccinations are most prudent when traveling abroad. Seasoned travelers and travel health professionals agree almost universally that the most frightening and deadly disease to be aware of is malaria. According to Wikipedia: It is widespread in tropical and […]

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