Last week, I appeared on MSNBC with Alex Witt to share how to relive the settings of three Oscar-nominated films in Paris (“Midnight in Paris”), Kauai (“The Descendants”) and LA (“The Artist”).
I got asked this little chestnut recently: who would you travel with, past or present, given the choice. I thought back to the past — I once answered this with Crazy Horse — but decided pretty much all historical figures smelled bad. So the choice was easy, as I wrote for BBC.com/travel: Urban Meyer, the new Ohio State football coach. Here’s why: I’ve … Read on
Look at that. Paris’ Cafe de la Paix in the ’20s. Shot on silent ‘travel reel’ by American traveler named Burton Holmes. Apparently went on first Trans-Siberian, got first film of Japan. And coined the term ‘travelogue.’ I wish people still wore hats. Here’s the video from Travel Film Archive:
What are residents of Valentine, Nebraska called? Valentines? I hope so. Eleven years ago I was there in Valentine — amidst a six-week Great Plains roadtrip. I really enjoyed much of western Nebraska. A look at Fort Robinson, where Crazy Horse was betrayed (you can stay in the barracks if you want). A solitary walk through the open plains panhandle’s Toadstool Geologic State … Read on
The Stones are 50. Maybe it’s a birthday none of us really wanted, but it’s here — and we probably should join the party. I pretty much have been a Stones Freak since I saw the wonderful ‘Start Me Up’ video — made for about $350 and better than any other video they made — in 1981. When the follow-up, ‘Hang Fire,’ came … Read on
Quick! What’s the best Canadian city? The subject has led to a lively discussion on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree, something so prickly that Toronto-based author Andrew Potter suggested could actually bring about a civil war. Most people equate Canada with its natural beauty, or hockey, or Mounties, or beaver nickels. Last year I visited Canada six times, mostly to focus on Canadian cities … Read on
