Steps the U.S. Government Should Take Right Now to Protect Air Travelers
Posted on 03/02/2021, 1:00 PM
What should be the top priorities for the U.S. Department of Transportation when it comes to air travel? Consumer Reports has a few ideas. The advocacy organization sent a list of policy recommendations to the federal agency shortly after the swearing in of new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg last month. All of the items on the two-page list would improve air travel for passengers, but so...
Royal Caribbean's New Ship Set to Debut, but Only for Vaccinated Travelers
Posted on 03/01/2021, 10:00 AM
When Royal Caribbean launches its newest megaship, Odyssey of the Seas, only vaccinated passengers will be aboard. The cruise line has announced that tickets for the ship's upcoming debut this summer will go on sale March 9—and that everyone on the crew and the passenger list must have proof of vaccination against Covid-19 to participate. To make sure that it can clear that high bar, Royal Caribb...
Immersive (and Socially Distanced) van Gogh Show Comes to Major U.S. Cities
Posted on 02/25/2021, 7:00 AM
On December 1, 1883, Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, "But know this, brother, that I am absolutely cut off from the outer world—except from you." It was a common refrain in the artist's letters. He had a lifelong feeling of being isolated from those around him. "Indeed, this may be a small misery," he wrote in the same 1883 missive sent from the Dutch province of Drenthe, "but it is a...
Growing Desperate for Visitors, Las Vegas Ramps Up Reopenings
Posted on 02/24/2021, 1:00 PM
Thanks to the pandemic, visitation numbers in Nevada have dropped to their lowest levels in almost 30 years, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. It's no wonder that Las Vegas politicians, casino owners, and other people dependent on the tourism economy are eager to accelerate the city's return to some semblance of normal, even with restrictions such as mask requirements and capacity limits rem...
The New Official National Parks Trip-Planning App Gets a Rave from Us
Posted on 02/22/2021, 11:00 AM
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has released a new official app—and it's exciting. After years of forcing users to track down current information at each individual unit's website or local app, the NPS finally has replaced that scattershot method with a single download (free on Google Play and Apple's App Store) that's worthy of the national park system. The newly conceived compendium app c...
U.S. Airlines and CDC to Begin Contact-Tracing Passengers
Posted on 02/19/2021, 12:00 PM
Last week, the internet was abuzz with rumors that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was about to introduce a testing requirement on domestic airline traffic. The scuttlebutt was that the federal health agency would require proof of a negative test in order to board any flight in the United States. That didn't happen. The airlines reportedly pushed back, but common sense may have come into pl...
Follow in Frances McDormand’s Tire Tracks at “Nomadland” Filming Locations
Posted on 02/12/2021, 2:00 PM
In some ways, Chloé Zhao's Nomadland follows the template of classic film westerns such as those made by John Ford: Individuals struggle for survival and find community against the vast backdrop of wide-open American spaces. The main differences are that Zhao's film takes place in the 21st century, when you're more likely to head west in a Ford Econoline van than a horse-driven stagecoach, and th...
Canada's New Cruise Ship Ban Spoils the 2021 Alaska and New England Seasons, Too
Posted on 02/05/2021, 12:00 PM
On Thursday, the government of Canada announced a ban on sailing in Canadian waters that stretches for another year—through February 22, 2022. The rule, which forbids ships carrying more than 100 passengers from visiting Canadian ports, has far-reaching consequences that will even stop all cruises from the continental United States to Alaska. The problem arises from U.S. laws called the Jones Act...
Watched "The Dig" on Netflix? Here's Where to See What They Found
Posted on 02/04/2021, 12:00 PM
Alert: This post contains one minor spoiler about where the artifacts featured in The Dig were eventually put on display.The Dig, the latest breakout hit movie on Netflix, retells the 1939 unearthing of the Sutton Hoo burial. That name may mean nothing to you, but nearly every English schoolchild is taught all about the fabulousness of Sutton Hoo. England is a relatively small country packed with...
Amsterdam to Move Red-Light District and Restrict Cannabis Cafes
Posted on 02/04/2021, 9:00 AM
What do you call a red-light district when all the vice is removed? The "No-Longer-Naughty Neighborhood"? "Little Salt Lake City"? Amsterdam might have to come up with a new term soon. The Dutch tourism magnet known for its permissive ethos is moving forward with some long-discussed initiatives that will fundamentally change the character of the city, as well as the type of traveler who comes to v...
