travel

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Balloons That Won't Leave You Deflated

Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed a hot air balloon with the massive figures in the Macy's Day Parade? While I would have thought the balloons pictured in this WebEcoist round-up would be too poorly balanced to fly and land correctly, they apparently have no trouble soaring through the air. It does seem as though you'll need far more hot air to travel far with one of these fantastic flying structures, but isn't that a small price to pay to fly in a giant polar bear? I've never been in a hot... READ ON

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J.R.R. Tolkien Travel Posters

I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to go to Rivendell to spend time with the elves, and this fantastic art deco travel poster by artist Steve Thomas only makes that desire stronger. Steve's work has previously been featured on Mental Floss, as his arcade game propaganda posters were equally fascinating. This new series only shows how wonderfully diverse Steve's talent is, as well as how varied geek interests are. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings, or a fan of poster artwork, I highly... READ ON

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Obscura Day: 2010

On March 20th, Obscura Day was a worldwide celebration of "expeditions, back-room tours and hidden treasures in your hometown." 80 events took place in 20 countries, hosting more than 4,000 people -- with the general theme being really awesome stuff that happens to be in your neighborhood. The video below shows some highlights of what happened. If it piques your interest, check out more info on Obscura Day and mark your calendars for Obscura Day 2011! Obscura Day 2010 from Dylan D. Thuras on... READ ON

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Weird Hotels 'round the World

When it comes to accommodations, there's good weird and there's bad weird. I've stayed in a few of the latter kind -- like an uber-budget flophouse in Paris where the door wouldn't close all the way and stray cats would sneak into our room while we were sleeping. The hotels below, on the other hand, are trying to make a statement, being weird on purpose in a creative way, and generally look like comfortable places to stay. (Except maybe the oil rig escape pod.) Check 'em out. Jules' Underwater... READ ON

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5 Travel Destinations for Super-Adventurous Tourists

There's no shortage of destinations for adventure travelers. Intrepid souls can cliff dive, rock climb, or trek across the desert. That's not enough for some folks' wanderlust, though. They want to venture to destinations that are downright terrifying for most of us. Here are just a few of the scary locales you can pack a bag for. 1. The Other Way to Get Shipped to... READ ON

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Yam Wielding Grannies, Plastic Bugs, and Cilantro Ice Cream

This guest post is from North Carolina author and sculptor Joel Haas, who is traveling in Taiwan and taking plenty of pictures. Today's post is the third installment of Joel's travel reports (also see parts one and two), in which he visits Yangmingshan National... READ ON

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6 Days on a Container Ship

Today's awesomeness: excellent travel writing from Fred Scharmen, a man who spent six days aboard Dettifoss, a container ship. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel on a container ship, a sort of paid stowaway on a long, slow journey? Well, even if you haven't, I personally think about this a lot. Without further ado, here are some choice snippets from this engrossing travelogue: The only break was when Goodman, the Second Officer, invited me to come visit the bridge: "That sign... READ ON

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Documentary: The London Underground Map

In 1931, Harry Beck drew a diagram of the London Underground (aka the Tube), making visual sense of an extremely complex system. Today Beck's map is displayed in the Museum of Modern Art, and is considered a classic work of design. Beck's work is the template for modern subway and train maps, and his influence is seen worldwide in the way we conceptualize public transportation. Beck's central breakthrough was making a map that simplified geography to achieve maximum clarity. He reasoned that the... READ ON

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8 Ways to Cross the English Channel (without a boat)

The English Channel (La Manche) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Britain from France. The actual channel is the length of the entire southern coast of England, and contains many inhabited islands. When people attempt new ways of crossing the channel, they do it at the Strait of Dover, which is the narrowest point of the channel at only 34 kilometers (21 miles) between Dover and Calais. The cachet of crossing the channel is way out of proportion to its distance. There is something symbolic... READ ON

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The Amateur New York Subway Riding Committee

During spring break at MIT in 1966, Peter R. Samson saw this quote on the back of a New York City subway map: "A Flushing youth, who wanted his money's worth, rode all lines of the subway on a single token. With doubling back as needed, the trip totaled over 400 miles - more than the train journey from New York to Pittsburgh. It took him 25 hours and 36 minutes." This set in motion Samson's extensive efforts to duplicate the feat. Enlisting other students and some serious MIT hardware (including a... READ ON