How to Tour the Prison Where "The Shawshank Redemption" Was Filmed
Posted on 07/14/2022, 7:45 AM
Maybe you'll never make it to the shores of Zihuatanejo like Andy and Red at the end of The Shawshank Redemption. But hey, you can take a newly launched bus tour of the 1994 prison drama's filming locations in northern Ohio. Set in and around the town of Mansfield, located about midway between Columbus and Cleveland, the guided excursion, which debuted last month, takes riders to 10 places that...
This Himalayan Kingdom Is Adding a Tourist Tax of $200 Per Day
Posted on 07/11/2022, 7:00 AM
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan will finally reopen its borders to tourists on September 23, following an extended closure due to the pandemic. But the government has thoroughly revamped the rules for international visitors, incorporating, most notably, a daily tourism tax of $200. Strict and expensive restrictions on foreigners are not new in Bhutan. Closed to international visitors until 197...
In Florida You Can Get a Ticket for Playing Loud Music from Your Car
Posted on 07/06/2022, 7:00 AM
A new state law in Florida affects everyone who gets behind the wheel there—and that includes tourists on road trips, in rental cars, and anywhere else except maybe Tomorrowland Speedway at Walt Disney World. Under the regulation, which went into effect July 1, motorists on Florida's roads and highways are banned from playing car radios and other sound systems at volumes that can be heard from a...
White House Tours Are Back. How to Snag a Spot and What You’ll See
Posted on 07/05/2022, 10:30 AM
A full schedule of White House tours will resume in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 19, the Biden administration has announced. As the Associated Press reports, free tours of the iconic executive mansion were suspended when Pres. Joe Biden took office in January 2021, in accordance with Covid guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (After canceling tours at the start of t...
An Easy New Way to See Redwoods in the San Francisco Bay Area
Posted on 06/27/2022, 9:45 PM
A newly opened hiking trail in the San Francisco Bay Area supplies a wide-ranging survey of California's scenic wonders, all within a manageable distance and on easily traversable terrain. Located in the hills above the town of La Honda in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco, the 1.3-mile Grasshopper Loop Trail, which began welcoming hikers earlier this month, circles through coastal ...
Better Pack Light! Mishandled Checked Luggage Spikes at Airports
Posted on 06/23/2022, 7:00 PM
You can add lost luggage to the long list of problems plaguing air travelers in this summer of canceled flights, hours-long airport lines, and soaring ticket prices. U.S. airlines are mishandling checked bags this year at a higher rate than before the pandemic hit, according to data from the Department of Transportation. Out of every 1,000 bags checked, about seven get lost, delayed, or damaged—...
Canada Gets New Airline Refund Rules (They're Better Than America's)
Posted on 06/23/2022, 8:00 AM
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) announced this week that as of September 8, 2022, its regulations governing passenger protections will be expanded.Until now, flyers on Canadian airlines have been legally entitled to refunds as long as the flight disruption is deemed to be within the control of the operating airline—staffing, equipment, and the like.But soon, that will widen to allow passen...
Would You Take a 70-Day Bus Trip from India to the U.K.?
Posted on 06/20/2022, 2:30 PM
A bus trip that covers more than 12,000 miles, crosses into 18 different countries, and lasts 70 days will take place next year if all goes as planned. India-based tour operator Adventures Overland originally scheduled its truly epic Bus to London journey between Delhi and London for 2021, but, as you may have heard, the pandemic put the temporary kibosh on easy border crossings for tourism. As ...
Yellowstone Is Partly Closed: Here's How Getting in Works Now
Posted on 06/20/2022, 1:00 PM
Update, July 1: Yellowstone National Park will reopen significant sections of the North Loop Road on July 2. Check the park's official site (linked below) for the latest changes in public access.If Yellowstone National Park was part of your summer travel plans, you might have already heard about the dire floods that have washed out multiple roads and closed the park to visitors. Rainfall more than...
The Orient Express of the Fjords? Upgraded Cruises Coming to Norway’s Coast
Posted on 06/16/2022, 4:15 PM
Hurtigruten Norway, the ferry/cruise line/shipping service that has been schlepping local Norwegians, international tourists, and cargo along the coast of Norway since 1893, is expanding its traditional Coastal Express to include two upscale new offerings next year. Just in time for Hurtigruten's 130th birthday, the company will launch the Svalbard Express and the North Cape Express, two itinerar...
