Famous Hawaiian Mule Ride Closed Indefinitely
Posted on 04/30/2018, 5:45 PM
One of the most popular tourism experiences in Hawaii has shut down, possibly for good. Travel Weekly reports that the operators of the long-running mule rides down the cliffs of Molokai have been evicted from the location where they stable their animals and organize riders for the daylong descent to Kalaupapa National Historical Park some 2,000 feet below. That idyllic seaside spot was once a "lep...
Hugely Popular European Destination Bans Apartment Rentals
Posted on 04/27/2018, 4:00 PM
Between 2015 and 2017, illegal vacation rentals, fueled by services such as Airbnb, shot up 50%. As a consequence, rent for locals skyrocketed 40%.For a small Mediterranean island without suburbs to expand to, what is there to do?If you're governing Majorca, an internationally beloved getaway in the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain, you impose a life-ruining fine of €400,000 (US $485,000) fo...
Floating Bike Path Being Built Around Italy's Lake Garda
Posted on 04/27/2018, 4:00 PM
A new cycling route that seems destined to be considered one of the world's most beautiful is under construction in northern Italy. Encircling the famously crystal-clear Lake Garda, which stretches from the foothills of the Dolomites in the north to vineyards and villas at the southern end, the 87-mile-long, 8.5-foot-wide path will give bicyclists the sensation of floating while pedaling 197 feet a...
New Alabama Memorial Honors America's Lynching Victims
Posted on 04/24/2018, 8:00 PM
A memorial to the nation's victims of racist terror lynchings opens in Montgomery, Alabama this week. Located on a 6-acre site overlooking the state capital, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice uses sculpture, text, and hundreds of weathered steel columns to honor the multitude of African Americans murdered throughout the United States by angry mobs and other extra-judicial enforcers of whi...
Dachshund Museum Opens in Germany
Posted on 04/24/2018, 3:30 PM
A museum containing more than 4,500 pieces of dachshund memorabilia—toys, artwork, ceramic figurines, photos, and more—has opened in the city of Passau in Germany's Bavarian region. Owners Josef Küblbeck and Oliver Storz, who began amassing their horde of wiener dog kitsch 25 years ago, told the BBC that their brand-new Dackelmuseum has the largest collection of dachshund-themed objects on earth—an...
What Fresh Hell Is This? Standing Airplane Seats
Posted on 04/19/2018, 8:00 PM
Just when you thought the aviation industry couldn't possibly find a way to cram more people onto an airplane—short of stashing passengers in the cargo hold or overhead compartment (like there's any room up there anyway)—some evil genius has devised the abomination pictured above. What you're looking at is the Skyrider 2.0, which was introduced by Italian company Aviointeriors at the Aircraft Inter...
Renowned Ocean Liner Reborn as Floating Hotel in Dubai
Posted on 04/18/2018, 8:00 PM
The retired Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner, which the Cunard Line operated from 1969 to 2008, has been transformed into a floating hotel in Dubai.Docked at the city's Port Rashid for a decade (the 2008 recession slowed down the remodeling project), the 13-deck ship has more than 200 contemporary rooms and suites, ranging from tiny cabins to opulent aeries with private verandas.The design, according ...
Coming in May: UFO Fests in Oregon and New York State
Posted on 04/16/2018, 8:00 PM
The search for signs of intelligent life in the universe hasn't turned up much so far. Even here on earth intelligent life can seem awfully hard to come by. But judging from the many UFO festivals held across the country each year, there are evidently still plenty of those who believe the truth is out there. Among this spring's crop of events dedicated to alien abductions, government cover-ups, and...
D.C.’s African American Museum Tests a Change to Its Admissions Policy
Posted on 04/04/2018, 12:00 AM
The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. is trying out a new admissions practice this month.Each Wednesday in April, visitors can simply walk up to to the building on Constitution Avenue, get in line, and gain entry to the museum on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at 10am, when it opens. That might sound like standard museum-going procedure, but not...
Priceline Ends "Name Your Own Price" Car Rentals
Posted on 04/02/2018, 8:00 PM
Yet another core offering of Priceline has been carved away.The website, which made itself famous beginning in 1997 as a place where travelers could place low bids for various products without knowing in advance the brand of the seller, has ended its "Name Your Own Price" feature for rental cars. The website now only offers set prices for its brand-blind rental car inventory. Because of the site's ...
