Bucket List: Tourism Board Gets Iced
Posted on 09/03/2014, 2:15 PM
Visit Syracuse has tagged Visit Rochester and the I LOVE NY team in the Convention and Visitors Board version of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Taunting Rochester and undgergoing the ice at the start of last week's Great New York State Fair is Visit Syracuse Director, David Holder. The Great New York State Fair, held every year from August 27 to September 7, is vintage slice of Ameri...
Where was ABC's series 'The Quest' filmed?
Posted on 09/01/2014, 9:00 PM
ABC's groundbreaking reality competition series The Quest has not been a summer ratings bonanza. In fact, for its final few weeks, the network plans to air episodes back-to-back as to burn off its inventory so it can broadcast more lucrative programs. Nevertheless, its fans are passionate, and one of its central actors, Peter Windhofer, is achieving cult matinee idol status, as this fan shri...
Highland "Games"—Visit Scotland Banks on Outlander to Be New Game of Thrones
Posted on 08/09/2014, 2:45 AM
VisitScotland is banking on the new Starz TV series Outlander to out game Game of Thrones. Sword slashing, derring-do, lots of sex and violence along with a compellingly romantic narrative about Highlanders' striving for freedom provide the backdrop. Today, the tourism board unveils its new "Outlander" website that leads fans of the bestselling book series and the new Starz show throug...
Taking the Road That's Most "Emotionally Pleasing"
Posted on 08/08/2014, 11:45 AM
If it’s the journey that matters and not the destination, then Yahoo Lab’s latest initiative should improve travelers’ lives. According to a recently published paper, the scientists working for Yahoo will soon release a navigation app that will suggest routes that are the most “emotionally pleasant”. By that, they mean reasonably direct routes that are scenic and quiet. The app will be geare...
New App Finds Last-Minute Airfare Price Drops
Posted on 07/30/2014, 11:30 AM
Inspired by (actually very inspired by) the last-minute hotel booking app Hotel Tonight, a newcomer called Flight Tonight hopes to help travelers find those instances in which airlines suddenly slash fares at the very last minute. Humane last-minute fares are not easy to find, as anyone who has ever had to attend a faraway funeral or an unexpected meeting has discovered. But the app makers vo...
Finally! This Site Shames Hotels with Lousy Wi-Fi
Posted on 07/25/2014, 1:30 PM
One of the great annoyances of hotel stays today is that although nearly all properties boldly advertise they have Wi-Fi, not all of them prove to be truly high-speed once you check in. The signal may be too weak in parts of the building, the bandwidth may be clogged at night with other guests binge-watching Hulu, or the standard speed may only be good enough for the most basic e-mail functions...
College Town Idyll: Multicultural Middlebury, VT
Posted on 07/25/2014, 11:30 AM
To my left is a sign for a shop selling maple syrup. Over my right shoulder is the town green, looking as New England as New England can be. But passing me are, first, a whole swarm of eager young things chatting away in French. And then, a couple, one half of which has blond hair and blue eyes, having an intense discussion in what sounds like Chinese. And probably is Chinese because I’m i...
Cuomo Boosts Northern NY Tourism at Adirondack Challenge
Posted on 07/24/2014, 1:00 PM
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo may be hobbled by scandal in the corridors of power but on Indian Lake in the Adirondacks it was smooth sailing this past weekend. The Governor, Vermont counterpart Peter Shumlin and Cuomo's gal pal, Food Network's Sandra Lee kicked off the Adirondack Challenge, a three-mile white water rafting course on the pristine North Country lake. Teams included...
Riviera Nayarit, Part 3: Intense Huichol Art
Posted on 07/17/2014, 9:00 PM
Back in March, I was lucky enough to be in Mexico City (one of my favorite cities) and at the small guesthouse where we were staying, the owner had a striking work of art on the coffee table of the reception room. An actual cow's skull, it was covered with brilliantly colored beads, looking like a cross between something Sol Le Witt and Georgia O'Keefe would have created....had they ever col...
Riviera Nayarit, Part 2: The Saint of San Pancho
Posted on 07/11/2014, 3:30 PM
I find, when I travel, that the people I meet are often as memorable as the sights I see. That was certainly the case on my recent trip to the Riviera Nayarit. After wandering through the hippie chic, beach town of San Pancho (officially named San Francisco) I wandered into Entre Amigos, a vibrant community center (more on that below), where I met the director, ex-Californian Nicole Swedlow....
