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...
Iceland To Welcome Tourists Who Recovered from Covid-19 or Got the Vaccine
Posted on 01/29/2021, 12:00 PM
For months, people in the travel industry have been buzzing about the predicted arrival of "vaccine passports" as a ticket to travel. But Iceland has added a new wrinkle to this concept. That nation's government announced on January 29 that visitors will be allowed to enter without undergoing a test upon arrival as long as they can show proof that they have either been vaccinated for Covid-19 or—a...
Hey, Lazybones! Now You Can Learn a New Language by Binge-Watching TV
Posted on 01/28/2021, 5:00 AM
Ask any immigrant: The best way to learn a language isn't in a class. It's through daily life. And a brand-new language-learning product is built on that principle. The recently launched Lingopie essentially sends students to Netflix to watch foreign-language shows. It's an ideal self-improvement concept for the isolation of our moment: Sit on your couch binge-watching junk TV and come out brill...
Two U.S. Airlines Launch Digital "Passports" for Passengers' Covid Status
Posted on 01/25/2021, 12:00 PM
Frommer's has been talking for months about the advent of vaccination passports, and it looks like the first iterations in the American air industry are here, by way of United Airlines and American Airlines. Both carriers have unveiled plans for portals—new additions to apps and websites—that are designed to both alert travelers to international health regulations and store the documentation needed...
Biden Announces Quarantine Requirement for Those Returning to the U.S. from Abroad
Posted on 01/22/2021, 9:00 AM
Federal regulations regarding travel are changing by the day—if not the hour. On the day after his inauguration as president, Joe Biden announced that, starting Tuesday, January 26, travelers entering the United States from abroad will be required to self-quarantine in addition to showing proof of negative coronavirus test results. Note that U.S. citizens returning from vacations in other countri...
Bad Tourists Are Faking Covid Test Results. Here’s How to Stop Them.
Posted on 01/21/2021, 2:00 PM
The advent of pandemic travel restrictions has given rise to a whole new subset of bad tourists. We're talking about the quarantine flouters, mask refuseniks, and other coronavirus corner-cutters and outright cheats who decide that the laws of government and virus transmission don't apply to them. But the most brazen members of this group might be the vacationers who falsify Covid-19 test results ...
On Day One, President Biden Makes Masks Mandatory on Planes, At National Parks, and Elsewhere
Posted on 01/21/2021, 12:00 PM
Over the last 10 months, common sense sat on the back burner. Even though 33 transportation unions, most airline CEOs, the good folks at Consumer Reports, and hundreds of thousands of travelers begged the Trump administration to create pandemic safety regulations for the spaces that don't fall under state control, no action was ever taken. It was a national shame, and one that Joe Biden rightly fe...
