WIBlog

Q&A: Why Backpacking Isn't Just For Hippies

2009-11-23T21:00:00.003-06:00

They're a group of travelers often plagued by stereotypes. They're just too busy moving to stop and defend themselves.

Backpackers have plied their craft for decades in different incarnations, loosely defined by their slim budgets and light packing. But characterization pretty much stops there -- these aren't just collectives of 21-year-old rolling stones on the hippie trail who delight in not bathing. They're often quite the opposite -- grizzled business execs, adventurous mothers of four, even more adventurous grandmothers of twenty -- countless people of countless backgrounds all engrossed in and addicted by the freedom and thrill that comes with a simple approach and wide-eyed attitude to traveling. They're a community always looking to welcome new members and share their stories and advice. With that in mind, we've gathered some of the best and brightest in the game to share their invaluable experience and secrets to convert the unconverted -- that unexpected item that saves your trip, when it's okay to splurge, and why a trip to Southeast Asia is ideal for beginners.

Like our post last week on the wonders of Mexico, our expert roundtable again has a diverse group of experts with much wisdom to offer. Without further ado, our esteemed backpacking gurus:

Shawn Stafford is an experienced solo backpacker whose upcoming world excursion is being documented at his blog, Rerunaround. Follow him on Twitter @shawnosaurus.

Brian Peters is a respected and well-known travel blogger who keeps travelers informed about the least expensive ways to travel the world. He is the author of the upcoming e-book, No Debt World Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling Around the World – Even in an Economic Downturn, which is not only a handbook for anyone who dreams of traveling around the world, but is also filled with inspirational stories and reflections from world travelers. The e-book also includes audio and video files available for instant download. Peters’ blog, No Debt World Travel, was recently recognized by BootsnAll Travel as one of the “Best Round-the-World Travel Blogs” for 2009.

Kate McCulley is currently anchored in Boston, but she lives to get away as often as she can. She recently spent time in Buenos Aires and dove into Mexico to take advantage of the prices due to swine flu. While her first love is backpacking through Europe, particularly Italy and France, her latest love is for fabulous Las Vegas. Check out her blog for advice, stories and run-ins with Ice-T, and find her on Twitter @adventurouskate.

Dawn Miller just got back from a business-oriented trip to San Diego, California and spend just $20/day on lodging. While her colleagues were spending $200/day on lodging, she was saving her money for a long, south Caribbean adventure next month, taking her to Barbados, St. Vincent and most of the beautiful Grenadine Islands and St. Lucia. And if there's money left -- Grenada! She's visiting her in-laws, several real estate projects as a Realtor and Certified International Real Estate Specialist, and just exploring many great islands! Follow her on Twitter @DawnMillerHomes and her site here.

1. Let's say I'm an amateur / first-time backpacker. What city or region, in your experience, would be most likely to transform me into a bleeding-heart backpacker for life, and why?

Southeast Asia is the best region for anyone to get started in. The weather is warm to tropical, the food and accommodations are cheap and the people are friendly. Places like Thailand and Cambodia can provide everything from big city attractions to lots of animals and outdoorsy things to do - all at affordable prices. Europe is a little too expensive for the first time backpacker and to me, a bit overexposed.

- Brian Peters

Maybe one of the classic locales like Thailand or Guatemala (pictured left) would be best. You don't want it to be too similar to your home. And you also don't want it to be too shockingly crazy either.

- Shawn Stafford

While most would associate "back-packing" to European countries or even Australia, I have an extreme addiction for the Caribbean. With a bit of planning, while having the ability to still remain flexible, one can truly "island-hop" on even the smallest budget. A trip to Santo Domingo for business I discovered a cargo ferry going to San Juan, Puerto Rico twice a week for as little as $90 roundtrip. Or the daily, affordable ferry leaving Trinidad going over to touristy sister island Tobago. Though the ferry only takes a 3-4 hours, is very reliable and leaves several times a day, most mainland Trinidians never visit. Or my next trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines where I can visit many smaller islands for around $20-30 round trip. The smaller the island, the more helpful and accommodating the locals are, and the more opportunity you really have to be taken care of by them.

- Dawn Miller

2. There are some myths and stereotypes surrounding backpackers and the practice of backpacking. Which myth irks you the most and why?

Not all backpackers are 21 year old potheads. Surprise!

- Shawn Stafford

That backpacking is for the young only, or just out of school or that it is not for families. That the backpacker lifestyle is one of few baths and being hungry all the time because you're not eating. All wrong, all wrong! Of course the stereotypes play better in media since the bad stories attract more attention. But they are not true. I've met whole families, including husband, wife, infant, baby and grandmother in a hostel. Every demographic is represented backpacking. The vast majority of backpackers like showers and eating and do both while on the road.

- Brian Peters

The myth that "backpackers" are grimy, non-educated, near homeless nomads is just not the case! I would rather bunk with five complete strangers in a hostel as a single traveler on a budget than not to have visited the country or city at all. I would rather pack limited amount of clothing and wash them several times than to have paid hundreds of dollars in checked baggage! Whether its business or personal, I often find myself traveling alone. These are the most rewarding experience as I really have no other choice than to "fend for myself" and to talk to locals and understand more about the country, culture, food, city, and more.

- Dawn Miller

3. Packing lightly is surely a must. But what item, perhaps overlooked in the past, has surprised you in how much you've used it on backpacking trips? How come?

I've never touched a bandanna in my home life. When backpacking though one is surprisingly super-handy. A bandanna will save you from horrible sunburn, stop the bleeding, hold all the berries you pick, blindfold a hostage, keep the sweat out of your eyes, tie things to your pack, be an impromptu tablecloth, or even work as the worst blanket ever. Douglas Adams advises every galactic hitchhiker has a towel for many similar reasons. I never leave home without a towel either.

- Shawn Stafford

There are a few things that will always double in usage, as you need them. I always make sure I carry some rope to tie my bags together, which also doubles as a clothes line.

- Dawn Miller

I always thought traveling with my iPhone would be a bad idea, but it has been SO useful, even without any phone signal! I convert currency instantly, I use the translator, I read classics like Around the World in 80 Days for free, I Facebook chat with my friends at home when I'm in a cafe with Wi-Fi. It's really a miraculous travel tool.

- Kate McCulley

4. Careful budgeting is on the minds of many backpackers. Still, either before or during an expedition, what have you found yourself spending a little extra on to ensure a successful adventure? Why?

Never cut corners when buying shoes. Nothing will ruin your backpacking life faster than cheap shoes. Good shoes not only protect your feet and keep you mobile, but they also help your knees, back and state of mind. Underwear may be a close second.

- Shawn Stafford

Sometimes you just have to splurge to ensure that you have decent place to stay. If you haven't done your research beforehand and arrive in a new area blind, you don't want to stay in the first place you find if it is a dump. There are some real dives out there and you've got to bite the bullet to stay at the expensive place. Hopefully that expensive place is just another hostel for $10US more.

I did splurge on my birthday to get over to Macau and stay at the Venetian for a weekend. That bill for TWO nights could have easily paid for a room in SE Asia for a month but I don't regret it. It's my birthday!

- Brian Peters

As a single, female traveler, I always put safety in front of inexpensive. I have been fortunate to have friends living in the other countries I have traveled alone to, or have local contacts made through friends where I am visiting. Spend a few extra dollars and feel safe and maybe even have a few more amenities!

- Dawn Miller

5. In planning or researching a trip online, what have you found to be a valuable resource?

YouTube has a lot of great videos on what to see at a destination! That surprised me. It's a great way to get a sense of a destination before you arrive and find out about some places to see.

- Kate McCulley

Fill an RSS reader with all the blogs, sites, and tools that you can find on backpacking. They'll randomly cough up tidbits and advice that you need to see. You'll see articles and ideas that you never thought to Google on your own.

- Shawn Stafford

6. Dorm living, hostel-hopping and couchsurfing lends itself to meeting some otherworldly people. Who has been the most interesting / bizarre person you've bunked with and why?

Oh my God, I've met so many odd people in hostels and from couchsurfing. There was the time I woke up in London, the only girl, while nine guys slept in nothing but their underwear and money belts. There was the couchsurfer in Buenos Aires who greeted me by licking my face. But most memorably, there was the Italian man in Budapest who kept kissing my friend's hand, then proposed to her, then introduced her to his whole extended family, including his wife, who laughed and was clearly used to his antics.

- Kate McCulley

I have been fortunate enough not to have an extremely bizarre person that I had to room. To be honest, I had to think about this question. Maybe I am that bizarre person, or hopeful I am just a tolerant person. However, the answer is: an American! She did not want anyone in our room, didn't want to talk to anyone, didn't want to share anything, not even a stick of gum. We were stuck with her for three months!

- Dawn Miller

(Many thanks to our contributors!)
(image credits: Chantal Foster, GoGap, Brian Dreilinger, feserc)

Q&A: Why Is Mexico So Freakin' Awesome?

2009-11-13T09:19:00.027-06:00

Tulum, Mexico

Hey you -- yeah, you -- stop hogging the party punch and get over here. We want you to meet a friend of ours, and they just so happen to be freakin' awesome. Some notes before you go. Yes, we are aware: staggeringly gorgeous, but try not to trip over yourself. They're the modest type, so stare silently in awe and just soak in every last corner. From the old-world beauty and turquoise waters of its Mayan Riviera to the magnificent mountains of Monterrey, you could get lost for decades just trying to record every inch of greatness in its vast landscape. And speaking of old-world, we can't think of anyone who balances that charming tradition (see: monolithic step pyramids in Chichen Itza) with such sharp modern sensibilities (see: vibrance of modern Mexico City), retaining its heart and character despite having been through countless struggles over thousands of years. What's that? You're shy? Don't speak Spanish? Poor excuses, muchachos and muchachas. If you need any more convincing, we've got plenty of more reasons why you should meet Mexico -- we've rounded up the Web's top experts and travelers to give us the inside scoop on what makes this dazzling nation one of the world's most fulfilling trips. Now andale!

Our esteemed roundtable features Mexico experts from many backgrounds:

Bruce Poon Tip is the CEO of Gap Adventures, a massively successful travel company that serves more than 90,000 thrill-seekers each year with an emphasis on sustainable and authentic experiences. Check out his site here and follow him on Twitter @brucepoontip.

Stephanie Diehl is the owner of Travel Designed by Stephanie, which specializes in destination weddings and honeymoons, group trips and solo adventures. Follow her on Twitter @traveldesigned.

Jessica Lomelin was born in Cancun to a Mexican-American family and has traveled the country far and wide. She blogs here and tweets here.

JoAnn Miller has lived in Mexico for forty years and is a specialist in English as a second language. Follow her on Twitter @jabbusch.

1. Mexico has spectacular ancient ruins. Which ancient historical site awed you the most and why?

I think I have to say Tulum. First of all the first time I went to Tulum was 15 years ago and the area surrounding was very different back then. Playa del Carmen was a hidden gem and there was yet to be something called the Mayan Riviera! The spectacular thing about Tulum for me is its location. Overlooking the warm blue seas. The contract between the bright turquoise water with the ancient stone grey is spectacular. I also like to imagine the ancient Mayan people roaming the grounds and bathing in the warm waters. Kind of like a Mayan summer beach house!

-- Bruce Poon Tip

Being from the Yucatan, I'm going to have to say Tulum. It's an amazing area with such history, culture and breathtaking scenery. You can feel a spiritual presence and learn a tremendous amount of information. For the soul seekers, I recommend visiting during the solstice and equinox. Locals venture out to Tulum to celebrate the turning of the seasons and celebrate with the Mayan gods.

-- Jessica Lomelin

I think the smaller sites are often the best. Teotihuacan is too touristic now. It is nice to go once, but I'd really recommend: Monte Alban in Oaxaca (on a foggy day you feel like you are in a magical floating city), Cacaxtla in Puebla (for the murals, but it has been closed for the last few years for restauration) and Xochicalco in Morelos (the site of a prehispanic "astronomical convention" to regulate the calendar--it also has an observatory).

-- JoAnn Miller

2. We've heard there are beaches outside of Cancun. What beachside community do you consider the best in the country and why?

I have to say I am partial to Mazatlan. Not necessarily because of the water but more because of the community. It is a great place to roam the streets and very easy to get around. It is still very inexpensive and harks back to the days when Mexico really appealed to the original snow birders. It is just the right size with a enough tourist to give it a bit of structure but not too many that it loses its charm.

-- Bruce Poon Tip

The Riviera Maya has so many spectacular beaches. The beach at Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita is fantastic. It is part of a protected area near Puerto Morelos. The beaches of Tulum and Akumal are incredible as well. But the best beach in the entire Riviera Maya, in my opinion is Playa Maroma. The color of the water and the depth of the beach is like none other I have EVER seen.

-- Stephanie Diehl, Travel Designed

It's hard for me to share my secret gem, but I am in love with a small, bohemian beach town outside of Cancun called Akumal (pictured right). It's a small, small area that has one villa, one small grocery store and a handful of locally-owned restaurants. It's the type of place where you sit with your toes in the sand, enjoy the locals and a few families strolling around and indulge in your fish and ceviche that was just hand-picked from the ocean moments ago. They also have a lagoon that offers one of the most serene, picturesque snorkeling areas. While it's small, the quality of untouched terrain and schools of fish and natural sea life is hard to come by. You'll find the gate owner, who is around 75+ yrs old, and has been there for decades and decades. The village is very simple, untouched and serene. It's one of the few areas outside of Cancun that you can escape to and feel like you're in a whole other world.

-- Jessica Lomelin

3. What is the most treasured possession that you've purchased from Mexico, where did you get it? Is there a good story behind it?

I have so many souvenirs from Mexico, my husband says I could open a gift shop of my own!! Mexico is a country full of amazing artists and their works are in so many different mediums. There are works of art available in every price range.

I LOVE Oaxacan art the best. The fine details of the painted alebrijes (pictured left) and animals are really nice. I also love the black pottery, especially pieces that have cut out patterns so I can put a candle in them.

I have recently been turned on by Pineda Colvina silk designs and have started a new collection of those. I have a huichol pattern I am extremely fond of as well as a Diego Riviera and a Frida Kahlo. Those two I intend to frame.

Huichol art is fascinating as I cant imagine the patience it takes to place all those tiny beads in such intricate patterns.

There is also Talavera -- painted pottery. It can be found in two typical varieties. One in the traditional blue on white designs or brightly colored paints. The brightly colored are often of fruit or jalapeno designs. In Los Cabos I visited a gallery that featured something new to me, black on white designs, which were striking.

I also enjoy, but unfortunately don't own, Sergio Bustamante works. REALLY cool works of art.

Don't forget the silver, silver jewelry and table ware, silver trays, frames and boxes, silver EVERYTHING!! Pewter is also very affordable in Mexico as well and many fine pieces to be had.

On a more affordable level, I like nicely hand painted or handcrafted magnets. In Puerto Vallarta, near the Malecon there is a jewelry shop I love to visit that features miniature paintings that I adore.

-- Stephanie Diehl

4. I want to impress a friend with an expert-recommended, delicious dish. What menu item do you consider essential to a Mexico visit, and if possible, where would you buy it from?

I love the cream soups of Mexico. But something new to me is sangrita -- a sort of bloody mary mix that is a non alcoholic side drink to a glass of tequila. Each bartender in Mexico has their own special recipe.

-- Stephanie Diehl

Mexico's cuisine is too vast to cover in a few sentences. It really depends on the part of the country and the time of the year. Most dishes can be found in Mexico City, but they are better in their homeland: Puebla: mole poblano and chiles en nogada (Fonda de Santa Clara), Oaxaca: mole negro, rojo and amarillo, Michoacan: carnitas and pozole, Yucatan: queso relleno, cochinita.

-- JoAnn Miller

I would say a classic meal that you must order when on the coast is Ceviche (pictured right). It's a cocktail of fresh seafood topped with lime and salsa. It is unbelievably fresh and to die for! To eat like a local, you must eat at the taco stands and order the specialty's, whether its tacos al pastor or quesadillas con queso oaxaca. Finally, top it off with a glass of Jamaica or Horchata.

-- Jessica Lomelin

5. What Mexican city do you feel deserves far more tourism fanfare than it's been given? Why?

One of my favorite cities is 160 miles northwest of Mexico City, called Queretaro. It's very colonial and contains a beautiful mountainous landscape. You can visit the iglesias and stroll through the markets on cobble stone streets. The history and preserved culture makes you realize why Mexico is such a fascinating country.

-- Jessica Lomelin

Well to be honest the city I think that deserves more tourism fanfare is Mexico City. Too many people see it as a crowded unsafe place to visit. But Mexico City is fantastic and while you must be careful like any capital city in the world, it has so much to offer. So much culture, heritage and endless entertainment. There is fine food, wine, museums and outstanding nightlife. I think it is one of the most and underrated cities.

- Bruce Poon Tip

Many, many thanks to our experts, and let's hope their words inspire you to get to this wonderful country.

Strange Love: Weird Romantic Getaways Across The Globe

2009-11-09T10:31:00.015-06:00

(source: Flickr)

If we've learned anything from Bonnie and Clyde or the annual Kate Hudson romantic vehicle, love makes people do funny, inexplicable things. But some types of love isn't fit for mainstream audiences. To loosely quote the immortal Meat Loaf: "I would do anything for love... but I won't do that." Today, as you're surely aware, Meat Loaf's vague idea of "that" can be more readily obtained than one ever might have imagined -- all the evidence you might need can be found within the Craigslist's "casual encounters" section, and it's not just a bunch of people proclaiming they will walk 500 miles (or 500 more). These star-crossed, alternative lovers need romantic vacations like everyone else, but they need something more -- something particularly special -- to kindle that spark we were talking about. We're here to explore these idiosyncracies of the human heart for all the couples and potential couples who need a travel destination to explore their feelings. If your idea of a romantic retreat might involve ironing a shirt while hang-gliding at 10,000 feet or a conference of leather and motorcycles, then you might wish to read on. If not, it's still wise to get educated -- you never know till you try.

STAR TREK CRUISE
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, through St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Grand Turk

(source: startrekcruise.com)

Sometimes conventions just aren't enough to bring out your inner Klingon. The folks behind the official Star Trek Cruise know this, and they've equipped their event to ensure love can be found at nearly every corner of their ship. Proud sci-fi couples and bachelors have the opportunity to meet actors behind the characters from all editions of the TV and movie franchises, catch screenings of old episodes and flicks and carouse with like-minded fans. The Caribbean Sea isn't the final frontier and the boat isn't exactly the S.S. Enterprise, but this seems like the closest thing to a proper on-board meat market that a Trekkie can attain.

EXTREME IRONING
Recommended actions: Hang gliding in California, mountain-climbing in Colorado, water skiing in Florida

By design, the word "getaway" means leaving behind the unending, soulless routine of domestic responsibilities. Then there's extreme ironing. Yes, it's a real "sport," and it's helping ho-hum old couples fight their wrinkles in countless ways. Your hubby's Oxford shirt or wife's blouse may not achieve that ideal level of crispness when you're whipping in the wind as you lay your makeshift board upon the arched back of a lover, but that's not exactly the point. For one, your shirts and blouses need a reason to shine at your next dinner party, and extreme ironing is the only way to make plaids patterns appear 3-D. Secondly, it's sort of beautiful in its symbolism for long-term lovers -- it says sure, we're gonna take out the trash and do the dishes for the next fifty years, but you and me, we're gonna make it sexy and extreme every single time.

FANTASYLAND HOTEL
West Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

So much fetish, so little time. Or so say the folks behind the grab-bag themed hotel Fantasyland, who literally bet the house that they can provide any unique fantasy a couple might desire. But we're not talking the sleazy-depraved-type fantasy -- they leave those for the love motels (or the folks listed below this entry). These fantasies err more along the cuddly, historical, and dorky, transplanting you via wallpaper and decor to create your most colorful love scenes. 120 of 355 rooms are equipped with themes. Ever wanted to get cozy in an igloo but can't stand the cold? Thought so. There's even a Jacuzzi! Want love like the Polynesians but can't make the flight overseas (or get a time machine)? "Drift off on a warrior catamaran boat under full sail" or "slip into a giant Jacuzzi surrounded by lava rock, being filled by a gentle waterfall," just like the movies (or Polynesia?). Or you could pick the room with the truck in it. Restrictions: Zilch. Except that they aren't real. There's that.

(photo: West Edmonton Mall, via Flickr)

CARIBBEAN KINKINESS: LEATHER IN ALL WEATHER
Jamaica

Ah, leather. What can't it do? Despite what you might have seen at the Bass Pro Shop, it's practical apparel for a deep-sea fishing trip. In fact, the folks at "Kink in the Caribbean" (linking to their site brings up all sorts of non-work-safe wonderment, so Google at your own risk), the world's island vacation scene for the obscene, high-heeled and pain-loving, would prefer that you wear leather for all types of island activities. Or wear nothing at all, if that's your bag -- clothes are optional pretty much everywhere you go. Whatever happens, couples or singles who attend the seven-night Kink in Jamaica must be more than confident in their own kinkiness or they'll leave with a host of unwanted welts and bruises. The island literally a becomes a wink-wink nudge-nudge "playground," with every dank dark dream encouraged as long as you play "safe." Just make sure you plan your pain threshold accordingly -- this from their site: "Sand can be extremely abrasive on the skin…Jamaican palms are quite often the home of nasty red ants…the sun can get excruciatingly hot." Not just trip advice: Life advice. (photo source: kinkinthecaribbean)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Motorcycle Resort
Western North Carolina

When a travel agent describes something as "thigh-tingling" and "tire-burning," make sure you know what you're getting into. Leather lovers the world over can trek through the Great Smokie Mountains at Mountain Brook Resort for a Harley honeymoon.

Psychic Cruise
Barcelona

If you felt some strong energies that we'd list this, then this might be the cruise for you: ESP, clairvoyance, spirituality from other dimensions, Miss Cleo -- if you feel you maintain a level of consciousness that needs a seven-day reprieve from the "normies" of this planet, you'll find the Sea Angels Cruise through Europe to be quite rewarding to find the swami of your dreams. Take classes to up your craft, have mind-conversations with fellow riders, talk smack about how the world's not ending in 2012 but actually 2034 -- this is romance, people.

Translators and language specialists: We need your help!

2009-11-08T13:03:00.012-06:00

Where I've Been, in case you haven't noticed, is only equipped for English. We want to change that, and we can. Using Facebook's Translations application, you can help us.

If you think you can comfortably translate English into any of the languages listed below, Where I've Been needs your assistance! We want to spread the international reach of Where I've Been by translating the buttons, phrases and links in the navigation throughout our site. E-mail me, Eddie (eddie@whereivebeen.com) if you think you can help strengthen the community.

We will compensate you for total work done. Strikethru indicates we have acquired this translator.

~~Italian~~
Polish
~~Portuguese~~
~~Spanish~~
Mandarin Chinese
~~Arabic~~
~~Russian~~
~~Indonesian~~
Japanese
~~Swedish~~
~~French~~

If you speak a language not on this list that you'd like represented on Where I've Been, let us know -- we'd love to make it happen with your help.

Ice Breaker: Winter's Best Bets For Snow Sports

2009-11-03T06:32:00.003-06:00

"I do not participate in any sport with ambulances at the bottom of the hill," so said noted humorist Erma Bombeck. "There are really only three things to learn in skiing: how to put on your skis, how to slide downhill, and how to walk along the hospital corridor," said Lord Mancroft of Britain. Ski fanatics appreciate quips like these; if it means their lift lines will be less crowded, then they're more than content to let the haters keep hatin'. There's no denying that attaching plastic boards to your feet and whipping down an icy hill for sport could eventually require medical attention, but that's kinda the point. The raccoon mask tan left by the goggles isn't attractive, either: People do pretty messed-up things to achieve those few seconds of endorphins, and as mountains and lifts expand become cheaper and more plentiful, it's a risk more and more people are taking. They're spraying powder all over, from the classic purple mountains majesty in Colorado to the glistening Alps of Switzerland to the daring peaks of... Wisconsin? (Yes, Wisconsin.) Leave the fearful humorists behind to find out the best places to get your ski on, whether you're pizza / french-frying on the bunny slopes or cutting black diamonds.

COLORADO: STILL THE ONE

Vail, Colorado
Opening: Nov. 20

Vail has been touted as the finest skiing in North America since the 1970s, and there's no reason to stop touting-- the mountains never left, after all, and Vail happens to host the highest ski mountain in North America. It's also seen its share of substantial development in that timeframe, fashioning a European-style village centre with eclectic restaurants and family activities accessible by the city's free public shuttle service. Even if you can't get enough of Vail's charm, fanatics have been buzzing ever since the introduction of the Epic Pass, which grants unlimited access to a half-dozen ski resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly [in Lake Tahoe], Arapahoe Basin).

Vail saw a dip in tourism due to the economic downturn last year, but it has reportedly already seen a 13 percent increase of business in anticipation of the upcoming season. Perhaps it was in part due to the fact that Colorado has already seen a nasty fit of snow in October, which undoubtedly gave some natives cabin fever, waxing up their boards and skis weeks in advance. Colorado is also amping up interest by running their "Snow At First Sight" video contest, where poor souls who have never seen snow can win a chance for a three-month adventure.

THE GREAT WHITE NORTH

Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

When you're focusing on not hitting a tree, it can sometimes be difficult to stop for a moment to understand that you're over a mile above sea-level and standing upon snow-draped monoliths. Many of the finest resorts carry gondolas to rein in that extra thrill. The mercifully slow, enclosed vehicles are a major reason why Whistler Blackcomb reigns as the best skiing in Canada, as their gondola rides between two mountains stretch a full 2.75 miles.

But it's not just that gimmick that makes Whistler one of the perennial stars of the ski world. The area has over 100 restaurants and dozens of shops, its far-reaching diversity pleasing tourists from all continents. They've put in millions of dollars over decades to make Whistler the best, and it very well may be.

Whistler will see a serious uptick in traffic due to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, but it will be where the serious action happens.

CLASSIC SPLENDOR

Grindelwald / Zermatt, Switzerland

It's only natural that the birthplace of traditional skiing as we know it today, the Alps, still houses some of the absolute best sites in the world for winter sports. Grindelwald, roughly an hour outside the Swiss capital Bern, hosts an old-fashioned European ski town complete with smoking-chimney chalets, with mostly mom-and-pop hotel joints that provide an authentic immersion experience. Its centerpiece glacier has seen serious effects from increasing temperatures over the years, but it remains a landmark reputed for decades and featured in various films. Make sure to book your trip to the charming small town in advance, as its popularity has increased exponentially over time.

Zermatt remains one of the premier sites in all the world, as its long seasons, lengthy runs and presence on the stunning, jagged summit of Matterhorn mountain have amplified its presence among the ski world at large. Like so many Swiss ski towns, the village is passenger car-free to reduce emissions and instead served by electric shuttles. This is another site to book early, but if you might want to avoid holiday crowds and opt for early- or late-season tours.

BEST OF THE MIDWEST

Granite Peak Resort
Wausau, Wisconsin
Early season opening: November 21

To some Midwesterners, the Rockie Mountains are but a distant, expensive pipe dream, the stuff of postcards -- winter sports in the Great Plains revolve around ice hockey. But the Plains are less flat than they're given credit for, enough for more than just saucer sledding. Charles Skinner sure thinks so -- he invested $15 million to open Granite Peak in 2000, opening the floodgates for a new breed of slopes ideal for the crowd less inclined to lease a timeshare out West year after year but who still want a similar quality experience. Skinner's resort features a 710-foot drop with 75 available ski runs equipped with some of the fastest ski lifts around, jetting you back to the top in just three minutes. That can make for an exhausting day, but you can rest easy by the fireplaces at the two homey chalet lodges. 710 feet up doesn't exactly mean snow at all times, but 500 snow guns ensure the powder is fresh year round. In all, Granite Peak is an impressive attempt to mimic the best aspects of America's best resorts. Read more about it and book tickets here.

Touting Time: GoBackpacking

2009-10-29T11:00:00.003-05:00

You can sense the fierce passion before you visit the site: Its domain name immediately commands you, beseeches you. The most irreversibly devoted know no other response to what they've experienced in independent travel than to preach what they've learned in earnest hope that they'll convert someone otherwise unfamiliar with the art.

But Dave, the head priest of GoBackpacking.com, doesn't have a lick of condescension in his voice, assured that if he can give someone a small push, they can ably make their own treasured discoveries. "I traveled around the world, visiting 22 countries over 20 months," Dave says. "I was robbed. I got sick. I met amazing people. I felt lonely. I felt inspired. I felt frustrated. I felt free. It was perfect. This blog is dedicated to inspiring and motivating others to make their travel dreams come true."

Dave documents his past backpacking experiences with skilled insight, but his contributions don't end with slice-of-life journal-style entries. GoBackpacking carries helpful articles and interviews with experienced backpackers and commentary on important news from the travel realm. The GoBackpacking Twitter account is also one of the more active of the travelsphere, a hyperactive and helpful extension of the excellent GoBackpacking main landing site.

Though it has existed for more than a decade, GoBackpacking got a shiny revitalization in September, and the site's aesthetic often operates like the most astute backpacker should. Its front page is packed lightly with just the essentials, and his self-described editorial style is as follows: "Write about whatever gets you excited, and don’t forget to use spell check." It's this freewheeling, friendly attitude that makes GoBackpacking an excellent read for both the veteran and the uninitiated. Check it out here.

The fringes of total destruction

2009-10-27T09:00:00.003-05:00

That guy yelling into the megaphone on the street corner – he can’t wait to prove he was right about 2012 all along. But most of us? We’re not gonna be ready. Existence itself -- whatever your beliefs -- doesn't necessarily have to CC us on a memo when it decides the party has ended. Sometimes, whether by forces natural or human, things just happen. Can't seem to find the time to map out that family road trip? Second honeymoon? As far as we can see, the impending doom of all we know and hold dear is as good of a reason as any to take that getaway you always feel you've deserved. It's an easy sell on your loved ones: "Honey, can you hop on Orbitz and check airfares to London? The world's supposed to end in a few years, and I would hate to watch Big Ben collapse on television not having been." Compare notes with us as we mark off Earth's essential visits before they all come a-crashing down.

Place: Ancient Mayan Ruins at Uxmal / Chichen Itza
Where: Yucatan Peninsula
Why: One stone, two birds?

Its often tough to avoid mixing business with pleasure. Nicolas Cage in National Treasure knows what we're talking about: Sometimes you're just sightseeing in colonial America and on the way realize that you need to steal the Declaration of Independence so you can extract a clue from the back to continue your pursuit of obscene wealth as a career treasure hunter. Your Mayan mission will be a slight variation on this: You get to explore one of the most awe-inspiring ancient civilizations, its gorgeous stone step pyramids still retaining their majesty and painstaking attention to detail. At the same time, it will be your task to further decipher the Mayans' knowledge of astronomy to prevent the upcoming destruction of our planet so as to preserve humanity and all lifeforms that call this place home. Give us a call if you've got any issues with booking. Good luck!

Place: Great Barrier Reef
Where: Queensland, Australia
Why: With or without the apocalypse, it still might disappear in 20 years.

The Great Barrier Reef is, in short, a gem of our natural world -- an interconnected web of thousands of reefs that stretches over 100,000 square feet and brims with countless species and colors. It's so massive that it's visible from space; perhaps that's the feat that will deter our alien overlords from destroying us when pressed to make a decision. Unfortunately, it's not much of a laughing matter: Scientists fear the worst for the Reef regardless of armageddon, saying that in as soon as 20 years, warming waters may kill off every coral lifeform and thus most of the biodiversity and greatness. It's a morbid, depressing situation, but the least we can do is pay our respects before it disappears.

Place: Ancient Rome
Where: Rome, Italy
Why: Western civilization did a pretty decent job.

If the world effectively ends and humans aren't necessarily to blame -- asteroid, rapture, alien war, that kind of thing -- Western civilization can praise these Ancient Romans for holding the line pretty well. They didn't last forever and they weren't perfect, but they gave us some principles to build upon (thank the Greeks too), some mistakes to learn from and some pretty sweet buildings. It's the relative preservation of these buildings that make Rome a glorious visit; structures like the Pantheon, with its all-seeing eye on the ceiling (the Oculus), or the open-air Colosseum could be fine sites to watch the sky fall, if only for the nostalgic pride you'd like to share with ancestors.

Place: Tokyo
Where: Japan
Why: Get your dose of modernity before it's obliterated for eternity.

It'll be tough to see Tokyo ushered into oblivion, as it has exemplified the exponential possibilities of commerce and technology. The billions of flickering lights, the unerring hustle, and the remains of traditions past render the old fishing town a beacon of human prosperity in the 21st century and beyond. It's a testament to our tolerance that millions of people willingly jam themselves into skyscrapers and subways and still operate with some peace. But will anyone be upset to see Hello Kitty merchandise leave?

Place: Freedom Worship Baptist Church
Where: Blanchester, Ohio
Why: The world's largest horseshoe crab!

Let me just write that again: Yes, the world's largest horseshoe crab! Now exhale. It's 68 feet long, sits in a church parking lot and accommodates up to 65 people inside its shell. Some faithless fool once told Pastor Jim Rankin it was neither feasible nor advisable to build the world's largest horseshoe crab inside a church parking lot. But Rankin, bootstraps firmly in hand, channeled the passion and will of the pioneers to prove that structures of giant sea creatures are what the people of Blanchester, Ohio, want, residing some 600 miles from the closest body of salt water. And he celebrated the anniversary of the massive structure the only way we know how: Hiring Evel Knievel's brother to jump the crab on a motorcycle. A country that truly knows no bounds.
(Honorable mention: New York City)

Weird Eats: Bizarre Concept Restaurants Around the World

2009-10-20T08:00:00.008-05:00

You know how T.V. dinners got their name? You have to be completely distracted by the television to actually eat the microwaved meal without a gag. When we eat just to survive, it goes with the territory that your meals won't stray far from the norm too often. But you and I both know that the norm can become mind-numbingly boring. To many menu maniacs, food is not just a means to an end but a means for bizarre worship. These obsessive culinary artists make the plate their canvas and go absurd lengths to create the proper sanctuary and ambiance, where their concepts and vision can find the proper space to attach an experience to the mundane act of eating. Such artists have attracted the eyes of curious consumers worldwide, who will often go to lengths as great as the artists themselves to try something exotic. So strap in and have a taste -- the Cowboy Burger at Applebee's will still be there when you get back.

7. Felony Franks
Chicago, IL
(Get served by ex-cons!)

Hot dogs sell themselves, especially in a city that reveres them as much as Chicago. But only the boldest wiener entrepreneurs take risks to stick out in the crowd. A classic example is the Wiener Circle, where traditional service by day becomes raucous and insulting at night -- their greasy dishes are served with a side of nasty from the person handling your food. A sunnier version of this risk-taking spirit is embodied in Felony Franks, where nearly all of the cooks and prep staff are former criminals who have cleaned up their acts and become master chefs of the famous Red Hot. The owners' goal is to promote second chances and humanize individuals who have made mistakes and paid their dues. Its concept has caused controversy, but the food hasn't: Instant classics like the Misdemeanor Wiener and Freedom Fries have already created return customers.

6. Absolut Ice Bar
Stockholm, Sweden
(Everything is made out of ice.)

Some things sound really spectacular and brilliant on paper but become less spectacular upon their execution. Draw me up some blueprints for a building made completely out of ice, and in turn I'll probably try to think of some way to make a pun about that idea being "cool" (thanks, Arnold). Which is exactly what Absolut Vodka has accomplished: furnishings, walls, bars all looking like they were hit with an ice sceptre. Ask me to hang here every weekend -- even in VIP -- and I still might balk at the chance to be freezing cold while indoors. Regardless, tourists have come decked in thick coats and ordered vodkas on the rocks with enough frequency that the owners have seized the opportunity to open another location in London.

5. Mars 2112
New York City, NY, USA

Your neighborhood cosmic mini-golf and cosmic bowling make their best effort in pouring on the spacey kitsch, but is that enough? Owners of Mars 2112 sure don't think so. They're going to infinity and quite possibly beyond in their devotion to their concept, having built their futuristic station on 35,000 square feet on two different levels. Its big budget gives it the authentic appearance of a film set (as authentic as a Mars station could be), with servers in flashy garb and alien costumes. Unfortunately, the restaurant's menu has been criticized for being just above space food in terms of quality. But it's a nifty visit for a restless touring family or sci-fi nerd.

4. Vampire Cafe
Tokyo, Japan
(Bloodsucking never goes out of style, apparently.)

From Dracula to Buffy and now Twilight and True Blood, vampires have oddly captivated one generation to the next in an almost exponential way. What will be the final nail in the coffin? Vampire Cafe has remained undead since 2001 and could see a spike in tourism with the recent craze. The place is decked in red velvet and black and illuminated by candles and certainly looks like a joint where a respectable bloodsucker might entertain a few victims (or tease them endlessly with will-they-or-won't-they vampire/human lust). There is a fixed menu of food in miniature coffins and decked out with blood-red whenever possible. Just don't expect too much garlic.

3. Ogori Cafe
Kashiwa, Japan
(Hope that the person in front of you in line is kind.)

Many goofy concepts revolve around a gaudy decor that fits some themed vision. But Ogori Cafe is almost cafeteria-boring in its design; it's their philosophy that makes them unique. Unsuspecting eaters walk in, order what looks good and then receive something entirely different -- the meal that the person in front of them ordered. Each person is at the mercy of another, and if someone tries to cheat the system they will be promptly accosted by the staff. So would you be polite or a pest? It's a brilliant social experiment that forces you to trust (or not trust) complete strangers.

2. Opaque Restaurant
Los Angeles, CA
(Make sure you trust your reflexes.)

Remember how we talked about the necessity of a T.V. distracting you from nasty microwaveable dinners, forcing you to trust that every bite is something savory and healthy? Luxury restaurants in California, Europe and China are taking that a step further by forcing diners to eat in pitch black. After you order drinks in the dimly-lit waiting area, you're escorted to the depths below and served by a legally blind wait staff, while undefined "security and safety measures" are taken to ensure an enjoyable experience. The belief is that shutting down one sense heightens the others, creating an aromatic and intense dining experience. Just make sure you don't wear white.

1. Lucky's Graveyard Restaurant
Ahmadabad, India
(Yeah, that's literal.)

Lucky's Graveyard Restaurant (hope that's the real name) sits directly among a real-life Indian burial ground. It's kind of like Weekend at Bernie's -- except that it's every day of the week! The owner believes the corpses to be good luck, and that the patrons aren't as scared by graveyards -- in Hinduism, he reminds, death is seen as "an opportunity for rebirth." Yeah, I'd still be a little terrified.

New feature: Multiple photo uploads

2009-10-15T11:43:00.008-05:00

Greetings, Where I've Been faithful. Feel like it's been far too long since we updated you on exciting new endeavors that our programmers have ventured out on. Pour a warm beverage, adorn yourself in your favorite Snuggie, and follow me on a fantastical tour into the wide world of WIB.

You may have noticed that it was a bit difficult to upload photos of your trips in the past -- while you could upload one at a time for a specific destination, there was little wiggle room in the way of personal albums and multiple uploads. We firmly believe that wiggling should be given the proper time and ample space. With that in mind, we're happy to unveil an updated, streamlined version of our photo section, where you can ably create albums, upload multiple photos at a time, and import photo albums from Facebook.

Let's take a quick gander at my updated profile page (which has quite the potpourri of stunning portraiture and photography). If you're following along at home, head to the "Photos" section of your Where I've Been profile.

As you can see, you now have full functionality to upload travel albums where they're most appreciated -- right here at Where I've Been. (Pardon -- I just shed a tear.) It's a natural progression for us, as our users now can more accurately document their trips and scrapbook where they've been while also sharing with users who are interested in learning more. You will only import and share from Facebook what you choose to share. You can also create a new album within Where I've Been. Just hit "Add photos," choose which ones you want (hold "control" to select multiple photos at a time) and hit "Save." Try it out for yourself and tell us what you think.

By the way, if the site feels buggy (we know it has been), it's because we're testing out a bunch of new features like this to make Where I've Been more relevant and interesting to you guys. The fact is that in the past few months we've doubled our programming team, who will significantly increase our ability to attack problems when they occur and help us roll out cool new features like this one. If something isn't working, be sure to leave us feedback on the Where I've Been community page, and don't be shy.

Thanks for hanging with us and stay tuned for some more developments in the pipeline!

Exploring The World's Most Haunted Resorts

2009-10-13T08:14:00.003-05:00

People forget all kinds of things on vacation: phone chargers, wallets, pillows. But if there's one thing the cleaning lady doesn't like to find, it's the hovering, shrieking, undead soul of a former human being. It's entirely inconvenient; for one, you never know when they're going to make a mess of themselves. They're just so temperamental! Plus, they usually only whisper one or two phrases over and over again, acting like nagging, needy children. Despite our best wishes, these unwelcome guests have been making residency in some of the otherwise-finest vacation escapes for many years, and it's probably best to survey the worst ones before you book your next trip. Like a picturesque, Victorian getaway in California, where possibly suicidal former guest Kate Morgan likes to flick on lights and open drawers in room 3312. Or the ultimate haunt in Cimarron, New Mexico, at a former outlaw cowboy hotel where restless spirits avenge fatal poker games by pushing over room intruders and smoking cigars in non-smoking halls. Whether you want to avoid spirits that don't involve alcohol or you simply like the surprise of unexpected company, check out Where I've Been's listing of the five most ghastly resorts.

5. Rosarios Resort
Orcas Island, WA

Sometimes swagger can't be contained by the bounds of human life alone. Fans of Tupac Shakur might agree. So might those who have experienced the hard-drinkin', Harley-ridin', high-heel-stompin' ghost of Alice Rheem, wife of Donald, who owned the famed Rosarios Resort in San Juan Islands, Washington.

In the roaring, Prohibition-era 20's, high-strung locals often chafed at the flamboyance of Alice Rheem. While living in San Francisco, she'd frequent every speakeasy and have her fill until she got absolutely schnockered. It is believed her husband tried to rein in her flamboyant lifestyle upon purchasing property in the quiet Orcas Island. But Alice, ever the juggernaut, would sport her fiery red dress before hopping on her motorcycle, drinking and playing cards with younger men at the area general store, and returning home a sloppy mess. She died in 1930 due to complications from her alcoholism, but her spirit never left. Patrons of Rosarios Resort have repeatedly heard clunking high-heels in the night. Visitors who sleep in Alice's old room -- where she was believed to have brought back some of the aforementioned young men for questionable dalliances -- have been known to hear soft groans and felt fingers run across their heads. The afterlife -- too boring for Alice Rheem.

4. Hotel del Coronado
San Diego, CA

At the end of the 19th century, the newly wealthy masses of the West had plenty of money to burn but little spark to do so. Thus, the construction of the fantastical Victorian beachside Hotel del Coronado in San Diego was met with much fanfare, and 24-year-old Kate Morgan hoped that at some point her husband, Thomas, would meet her there. The wealthy couple frequently checked into hotels under fake names in the early 1890s. Kate would lure ogling male guests into high-stakes poker games with her husband, who was able to defeat them consistently enough to make a living for the couple. However, prior to her arrival at the Coronado, Kate had learned she was pregnant, and Thomas quarreled with her before leaving her alone at the hotel and resuming his lifestyle as a traveling gambler, promising his return to her in San Diego on Thanksgiving.

The Coronado, today

When Thanksgiving passed without his return, Kate was infused with worry and paranoia. She often appeared in front of hotel employees pale and sickly, apparently affected by ingesting large amounts of quinine, a substance used to perform abortion. One day, she traveled into San Diego and purchased a gun. The following morning, at the front steps of the beach, she was found dead with a bullet wound to the head. It was immediately ruled suicide and quickly covered up; however, it was later discovered that the bullet caliber did not match the gun she had purchased, leading many to believe she was murdered. Whatever the case, shortly after her death, many employees reported odd activity in and around her room, 3312. Apparitions of a lovely female figure appeared next to windows. Lights continued to flicker despite constant replacement. Murmurs were frequently audible. Objects have been found in different places. Could the disturbed soul of Kate Morgan be urging guests to re-investigate her untimely death? Whatever the case, the spooked may want to steer clear of room 3312.

3. Omni Netherland
Cincinnati, OH

Turns out "Till death do us part" bit is for the chumps -- true love maniacs stand by their spouse past the grave. Just ask the spirit of the "Lady in Green." In 1929, developer John Emery sought to build a towering hotel in downtown Cincinnati. The ambitious project was destined for failure, but as the Depression hit, Emery was fortunate in his ability to find a large pool of construction workers for the project. The height of the building and machinery involved made the site extremely vulnerable to accidents, and in 1930 the worst happened -- a man fell to his death, but his body was never found. As construction continued, a woman in a green dress showed up frequently in hopes of finding her lost husband. The hotel was finished the following year and soon played host to luminaries like Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy, with a charming art-deco style and splendid Hall of Mirrors.

Still beautiful but slowly falling apart, renovation began on the Omni in 1983, and soon notoriety for the building would build in a way developers hadn't expected. Entering the "Hall of Mirrors" to initiate development plans, a construction worker in the empty hotel noticed a woman in a green dress standing above some equipment at the far end of the room. He called at her, and she nervously fled. Later, workers reported seeing a similar figure, who gazed at them as they worked; they thought her to be an employee of the hotel, but her dress appeared quaint. Then she would vanish. Was she ill-fatedly hoping to find her worker husband? Was she protecting the men from her husband's fate? Or was she simply hurting from a lack of hard-hat lovin'? I recommend starting your own construction project at the Omni to find out for yourself.

2. St. James Hotel
Cimarron, NM

The evil twin of the Hotel del Coronado. Rather than focus on the fat of the land, the St. James Hotel gave refuge to lawless cowboys; it was a place where wild young bucks filed in and brought over more ruckus from the nearby saloons. Outlaws like Wyatt Earp, Jesse James and Buffalo Bill were all said to have visited there. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't a place where these outlaws simply traded stories and kicked back some moonshine before peacefully heading to bed. At least 26 people were killed at the St. James, and their souls still haven't gone quietly, despite the place's newly cleaned-up, historical image.

Most restless among the dead has to be the former Thomas James Wright, the benefactor of a hotel poker game who was shot in the back before he could enjoy his winnings. He's taken out his revenge on Room 18, where visitors have been physically pushed or subject to a maniacal ball of orange light. There are even rumors that mysterious deaths had occurred in the room when rented out, which has led the place to close off 18 to visitors. Nearby Room 17 is said to be occupied by the former wife of the owner, whose rose perfume scents the hallways and whose figure is sometimes seen floating. A dwarfish ghost, nicknamed "The Little Imp" by staffers, is known to play tricks by moving objects. Aside from these three resident haunters, the St. James has an assortment of sporadic visitors that bring cold air, flickering lights and mischievous poltergeist activity throughout the years, perhaps looking to re-live their old hootin' and hollerin' thrills of the cowboy days. Such variety makes St. James one of the best (or worst, depending on your view) sites to encounter the undead.

1. Pluckley, Kent, North Wales

Sure, so the quaint country village of Pluckley, Kent, is far from the definition of "resort" in the traditional sense of the word. But having read the previous tales of the undead, aren't you compelled to confront the moaning buggers on your own? Someone has to be willing to clean up their unfinished business. In fact, if you're really into this business, Pluckley is easily the world's most heavily-haunted ghost resort, a pleasant village where it's hip to be a hovering grey vapour.

The Guinness Book record-holder for the most haunted village in the U.K., Pluckley features a grab-bag of your favorite troubled characters. Collect all 14! There's your classic church ghost, a woman in a white dress that hangs out in Dering Chapel and Dering Manor whose image once frightened a big game hunter into shooting at her, and her companion, a woman in a red dress, who repeatedly searches for the unmarked grave of her deceased infant child. If you're going to the bar looking for a fun-loving ghost like Alice Rheem above, then you'll be disappointed -- the ghost of the local pub Dering Arms sits and peers longingly out the window, never bothering to order a beverage. There's a monk, a gypsy woman, two hanging bodies, a screamer, a miller, a phantom horse-driven carriage, and a woman who died from eating poisonous berries. If you're bored with this functioning village of troubled spirits, the town has even more lore for the taking -- modern visitors will never venture into the Screaming Woods at night, where less friendly ghouls shriek and holler every evening. You don't earn a Guinness Book record for nothing, and Pluckley's charming cast of characters makes it the most authentic haunted getaway around.

(Photos: Orcas Island by Stu Seeger, St. James by Kati Gordon)

Interview: Travel Expert David LaHuta

2009-10-07T12:50:00.005-05:00

David LaHuta (courtesy of his web site)

“I’ve always considered myself an explorer," says travel maven David LaHuta in his online biography, "but what I enjoy most is finding the beat of the local culture. A destination is only as colorful as the people you meet along the way." Since starting his career as a travel writer a decade ago, LaHuta hasn't stopped moving, his passion earning him gigs at Travel + Leisure, Budget Travel and Newsweek and on-air stints as correspondents for "Everyday with Rachael Ray," CNN's "America Morning" and FUSE's "The Sauce." Keeping in spirit with his thesis statement, LaHuta's wanderlust led him to set up residence in the tiny island of Bermuda in the spring of this year, where he's been faithfully documenting his interactions with the area in his blog.

David was kind enough to take the time to talk travel writing, island living vs. the big city, why Bermuda isn't as remote as we might think, and even how to save a few bucks on travel in Bermuda.

1. Travel journalism seems like it can be both incredibly enriching and ridiculously exhausting. What possessed you to become a travel writer?

My passion for traveling began at a young age, when my parents took my brother and I on a two-month road trip across the United States. We visited about forty states and most of the major National Parks in one summer. I was only ten, but I knew right then and there that traveling was something I wanted to do for living. At the time I didn’t exactly know how I’d go about accomplishing that goal, but those realizations would come with age. I eventually earned a bachelors degree from the College of Journalism at the University of Maryland at College Park and took an unusual path to where I am today. Instead of getting “a real job” I traveled around the world with money I’d saved up from various odd jobs. I backpacked across Europe, lived in London, Sweden, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, freelancing at every step. After hopping around for a few years I moved back to the Caribbean and took a job as the government and politics reporter for the St. Croix Avis, the island’s daily newspaper. It was a great experience and one that really opened my eyes to the world of journalism. After a few years in the Virgin Islands I moved to New York City and took a job at Budget Travel magazine, where I was an editor for five years. The magazine opened lots of doors for me, most notably a stint as the travel and adventure correspondent on Rachael Ray’s syndicated talk show and my current position as a freelancer for Travel+Leisure, Caribbean Travel+Life and others. Being a travel writer is indeed enriching and exhausting but as I like to say, if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life.

2. This past spring, you packed up and decided you wanted to make Bermuda your home base -- a pretty exotic choice. When did you first visit there, and how did you decide it was the place for you?

I was just a kid the first time I visited Bermuda—one of those great family vacations that you remember for years to come. We visited the Crystal Caves, built castles on pink sand beaches, drank virgin daiquiris at the swim up bar of the Grotto Bay Hotel. It was all so perfect, so Bermudaful as people like to say here. For a kid from New York City it was the ultimate getaway: Sunny and exotic but just a 90-minute flight from JFK. Regarding my most recent move, I have my wonderful wife to thank for that. She was offered a job by a local insurance firm and considering I was already freelancing from home, the move to warmer climes was a no-brainer for us. Five months in life couldn’t be better: I started Bermuda Shorts, a lighthearted blog about island life and have seen my most recent story published in the New York Times—titled 36 Hours in Bermuda, it’s a great resource for anyone wanting to plan a quick weekend getaway to the island.

3. You're a native of New York City. What's the biggest thing you miss about the big-city lifestyle compared to the island one? Or do you miss a thing?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss watching the Mets play baseball in their fancy new park this summer. And New York City pizza just can’t be beat. But there’s something to be said for removing oneself from what’s comfortable and familiar and relocating somewhere that’s exotic and new. It’s part of the reason why I’ve moved around so much throughout my life. New York will always be there, but the opportunity to live somewhere far-flung and exciting might not. Naturally my wife and I jumped at the chance to move to Bermuda, but living on an island does have its idiosyncrasies—what I consider trading big city headaches for tropical hiccups. Instead of listening to garbage trucks rumble down 14th street for example, I now go to sleep to a cacophony of tree frogs. Instead of the subway, I ride a scooter. Instead of delivery, I cook. Simple tradeoffs really, but island life has always agreed with me. I like living in a place where I can wear flip-flops year-round.

4. Maybe it's just me, but it feels like Bermuda is one of the more overlooked spots when it comes to getaway-type tourism. Is it the remoteness? The Bermuda Triangle thing? Do the locals like it that way?

I wouldn’t call Bermuda remote. After all, it takes less than two hours to fly here from most east coast cities. Once you get here however, it does feel pretty far removed from the rest of the world, mostly due to the idiosyncrasies I was talking about earlier. Bermuda’s not like other islands to the south. It's in the Atlantic, not the “no shirt, no shoes, no problem” Caribbean. First of all, it's an incredibly wealthy island, so you can expect colonial buildings with fresh coats of candy-colored paint and roads lined with lush vegetation. And then of course there are the British influences that come with being a colony—the cars on the left with steering wheels on the right, the afternoon tea, the shorts and knee-high socks. That said Bermuda may be quirky, but overlooked it is not. Cruise ships pull into its western port at the Royal Naval Dockyard almost daily and the airport has seen tons of visitors pass through each week. Even in a tough economy people are still coming, however much of that is due to the hefty discounts brought on by the country’s 400th anniversary celebration, including hotel deals and special events throughout the year.

5. Let's say I happened upon a fat wad of cash and decided Bermuda was next on my to-do travel list. When is the best time / season to travel there? What do you recommend in the way of shoestring-budget travel?

Bermuda sees most of its tourists from late May through early September, but that’s not necessarily the best time to visit. Peak season brings crowds and crowds bring higher prices, certainly on airfare and in hotels. If you’re on a tight budget then the best time of year to travel to Bermuda is during shoulder season, just before and just after the busiest peak season months. In Bermuda that means April and October. It’s still plenty warm, which means you’ll have the island’s pristine pink sand beaches largely to yourself. Best of all, hotels drastically reduce their rates. So instead of paying $300 a night for a fancy hotel, you can often score a room for around $150 a night, which if you’re planning a five-night stay amounts to a pretty significant savings. For hotel and airfare deals be sure to read my blog, Bermuda Shorts, also, don’t miss the Bermuda tourism website which often has special web-only offers. Finally for cheap flights, don’t miss the updates from Airfarewatchdog.com, which tracks airfare to and from your favorite destinations worldwide. And as for me, well, I’ll be on the beach.

This Fall's Stress-Free Escapes

2009-10-06T08:00:00.009-05:00

Gellert Bath & Spa - Budapest

The past few weeks, a good portion of the Northern Hemisphere has been greeted by a fat sucker-punch of wind before their morning commute. This 'economy' character is like that nagging in-law who was supposed to pack up and leave your house a week ago and has just kinda stayed there, sitting in your favorite chair and eating the last of your mint Milanos. School started, books start to surround students and teachers like paper fortresses. Heck, we're stressed out just having written those last few sentences. Can we all just stop and breathe for a second? Actually, a full week or so of easy breathing might do a whole lot of good. Let's just put this out there: Stress is a demon. Get an exorcism. There's no reason to hold yourself back. Let Where I've Been run through some of the world's most relaxing destinations, where stress is an afterthought and the truly important questions are asked: "Red or white?" "Medium or well-done?" "Shaken or stirred?"

Thermal spa treatments
Budapest, Hungary

In Eastern Europe, living in a spa resort is less about the vague concept of "relaxing;" true stress, to them, must be "healed." This may seem like some scary witch-doctor type behavior, but this is a philosophy they take very seriously, and you're best served letting them work their magic and basking in the spoils. Hungary is one of the handful of countries in the region rife with natural springs that harbor various minerals that soothe the skin; Budapest alone has about 120 recreational hot springs, giving it the nickname "Spa City." Perhaps most well-known is Gellert Bath and Hotel, offering 13 different baths and pools on their premises that are included in a hotel package. It's an affordable stay compared to similar-type resorts all over the world given Eastern Europe's lesser traffic and push for tourists; fly in to a cheap landing city in Europe like Dublin and take an EasyJet flight to Budapest and let a trade professional from a lineage of trade professionals (or thermal bath faerie witch doctors?) help you relax -- er, heal -- in a way you didn't know you could.

Treebones Resort
San Francisco, CA

The view from Route 1 along the California coast is enough to make your mind drift away into blissful nirvana (yeah, you should probably pull over first). But the Treebones Resort believes there is a proper way to experience the true character of the scenic Big Sur area, and they've thus synthesized a fine compromise between appreciating nature, practicing sustainability and still living a luxurious weekend.

Each of their "yurts" -- that is, spacious, tent-like standalone cabins, are decked out with cozy beds and tasteful furnishings, all while stationed strategically for optimal views of the coast and star-gazing. Each yurt can stand to be visited by their massage expert, Linda, who specializes in a wide range of moves from Swedish to cranial to deep tissue. Upon sunrise, visitors flock to the world-class Wild Coast Restaurant, which is encased by a garden that not only plucked from and used in meals but also enriched with nutrients from kitchen scraps -- they've got the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing down to a T. It's ideal for parents and singles who want all of the nature and beauty of a camping trip while still desiring those extra indulgences (and guilt-free, no less). And don't take it from us -- Michael Phillips, who recently won our $500 Mobile Giveaway, used his cash to become one of Treebones' newest proud patrons.

Sail The High Seas with a Bahamas Jaunt
Norwegian Cruise Lines
Miami, FL / Nassau, Bahamas

Boat trips aren't the drawn-out, never-ending excursions you map out on a sheet of papyrus months in advance before presenting to the queen. You don't even have to take more than a few days off your work schedule to be the junior Magellan you'd always dreamt. Cruise providers, such as the excellent Norwegian Cruise Lines, are making the four-day boat jaunt not only possible but affordable and simple, and their upcoming Bahamas getaways are the perfect excuse to gather your family and clear the mind. Sip a few boat drinks and watch as the hull of their Norwegian Sky liner cuts through the crystal Bahamian waters, the giant ship fresh from a $15 million renovation. Depending on your stress level, you can choose the tiers of your wildest pampering desires: Bachelors or bachelorettes can rest their bones in the penthouse, which is furnished deceptively like any of the finest luxury hotels -- until you remember you're on a BOAT. Families or big partiers will want to consider one of the many spacious and hip villas; whatever you choose, you'll be riding in style from Miami to Grand Bahama and Nassau, and NCL's commitment to quality ensures the load will be taken from your shoulders.

Summit Views
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

Bed and breakfast seems like an ancient art, but sometimes it takes a quaint tradition to clear the cobwebs. But Summit Views, settled in the gorgeous Mornington Peninsula of Victoria, Australia, isn't exactly your classic mom-and-pop B&B joint -- all of the charm of the art is amplified to almost absurd proportions. Each luxury apartment is 300 meters high and constructed with 180-degree views of Arthur's Seat and the Melbourne skyline at your disposal on your personal balcony. Rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art televisions and king-size beds are laid out with the richest cashmere and goose down. They're light on the breakfast aspect, serving a simple bread-and-butter type deal, but by day you'll probably want to explore the scenery up close anyway. Stop by Port Philip Bay, the Peninsula Hot Springs or Arthur's Seat State Park and you'll be effectively unwound. Victoria is best experienced between November and April, so book accordingly.

Where I've Been interviews Nick Hawkins (@whereishawkins)

2009-09-30T16:20:00.000-05:00

With the Olympic committee grand announcement coming up on Friday, October 2nd, Where I've Been were thrilled to interview Nick Hawkins, who just fairly recently returned from a trip to Rio - one of the four 2016 Summer Olympic Games nominees. If you haven't start following him already on Twitter, you should do now! Nick regularly discusses his passion for travel, life experiences, soccer, and just general, fun-lovin' chit-chat. You can also explore his blog here http://whereishawkins.com/blog/ and look through his photo albums of his previous travels.

Here's what Nick had to say about his awesome trip:

How long were you in Rio and where did you stay?
I ended up staying in Rio for a week in Ipanema. It was far from the downtown area, but I like the idea of being next to the beach. There were a decent amount of relatively inexpensive hostels in the area, but I decided on The Mango Tree, which was a decent place to stay and not a party hostel. First rate place, and under $30 a night.

What were some of the neighborhoods like? Safe? Dangerous?
You know, I didn’t feel like I was threatened because I was practicing common sense. You’d hear all these horror stories of someone who knew someone whose cousin went to Rio and got mugged or something along those lines, but generally they leave out the part about them being drunk or stupid. Of course, being a big guy with a big camera around my neck made for a prime target, but I’m sure the smart ones thought it might be a trap.

I did a favela tour, and it wasn’t what I expected. I thought we’d have to worry about guys with guns and other nonsense, but it was pretty safe. Of course, there are rules to entering the favela, and you have to respect them.

But any major city has crime problems. We both live in Chicago, and we know that there are areas where you should and shouldn’t go after dark. It’s the same everywhere.

What methods of transportation did you use to get around Rio?
Local bus and Metro. It’s the only real way to get around the city. It was not too expensive and actually pretty nice. Once you figured it out, it was a good way to go. The only downside is that you had to sort of know where you were going since stops weren’t announced. Rio’s traffic was pretty bad, so there was a lot of sitting. But taxis were plentiful and relatively inexpensive.

Did you encounter many locals? How were you perceived by them?
I always make it a point to hit local bars. I was lucky enough to be in Rio during a Brazil/Argentina World Cup qualifier (where Brazil won 3-1) and met some cool people, who found it funny that a gringo would be excited to see Maradona upset at his team losing. And I enjoy meeting people from other places – isn’t that why we travel? Even sitting on a park bench, carrying on a conversation with someone about pets is a nice moment and shows us how that there’s little difference between people around the world.

What are some things you learned about Rio that you never knew before?
For some reason, I had this impression that Cristo Redentor (the large statue of Christ the Redeemer) was extremely tall, but it’s only 130 feet high (including the pedestal.) It’s actually 20 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty (just the statue, not the base.) I guess I just had imagined it being a lot bigger.

Again, the favelas were interesting to go into. Essentially they’re self-reliant communities, ruled in part by the local drug lords. Sure, they’re impoverished, but it doesn’t mean that everyone in there is bad. People that live in there have a code that crime isn’t tolerated in the favelas, because crime invites the police in, and when you operate a lucrative drug enterprise, the last people you want are the police around. So if you commit crimes in the favela, you might end up dead as a result. It sends a serious message to the residents. Again, don’t be stupid and you shouldn’t have a problem. And you can’t blame the residents of the favelas – they’re just trying to get by like everyone else.

Also, the concept of driving while intoxicated seems relatively new to people. Apparently it used to be that during massive traffic jams you’d have people selling beer so you could have a beer while you waited in traffic.

What was your favorite moment of your trip, and why?
It’s hard to single out one particular moment of the trip. Even when the weather wasn’t cooperating and I went to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain and was in the fog, I was still having a great time. I think that when it comes to traveling, we forget to pause for a moment and go “I’m in Rio, how awesome is this?” All the moments were special, and it’s not just about checking items off your list of things to see. It’s the sights and smells that make a trip memorable.

On Oct 2nd, the Olympic Committee will be announcing the host city for the 2016 summer Olympics. What's the overall vibe in Rio regarding the Olympics 2016? Do you think Rio would make a great host city? (cleanliness? good facilities?)

I think that the Olympics for Rio would be a fantastic benefit to the country. They’re already preparing for World Cup 2014, so a lot of the tourist infrastructure will be in place. The overall vibe is a lively one, and I think that the city has the most to gain from the Olympics.

Olympics are a terribly messy proposition. They’re always overbudget and tend to leave a lot of white elephants. I just think it makes a lot of sense to reward Rio with the Olympics.

What is one key piece of advice you would give to someone traveling to Rio for the first time?
Keep your mind and eyes open, especially on the beaches.

Can you name one thing you'd change about Rio?
Other than the obvious poverty in the favelas, not really.

Wanna know more about Rio? Be sure to visit Where I've Been's destination pages or shoot us an email at support@whereivebeen.com

Don't forget that tomorrow, Thursday October 1st, you could win a trip to Rio (or the three other Olympic nominees). Tune in to Twitter and follow us @whereivebeen and FIND OUT HOW!

Safe and happy travels!
Katy (@whereivebeen)

WIB on the Web (again): FareCompare

2009-09-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

My blogging residency at FareCompare has come to a close today with a post highlighting the ins and outs of the Olympic-nominated cities for 2016. We're all over that beat, my friends. Check it out.

Thanks again to the folks at FareCompare for the opportunity. Hope we didn't overstay our welcome.

Travel Tuesday recap (9/29)

2009-09-29T21:08:00.001-05:00

Good evening, all.

I wanted to take the time right now to say a HUGE thank you to all of our participators in #traveltuesday. Since early summer, the hashtag itself has exploded and taken off to great levels! I am very impressed, every week, at all of the travel information I have retained and the great relationships I have made through Twitter. I hope that all of you, oldies and newbies to the hashtag, enjoy Tuesdays just as much as I do and will continue to use it as a place to unite and share adventures & tips.

If you missed #traveltuesday this week, don't fret. I have summed up some of my personal favorite moments from today. Please feel free to add anything else in the comment box below. :)

@BrooklynNomad 25 Interesting (And Odd) New York Facts http://su.pr/4uEIr4 #traveltuesday #lp
@umarket 7 Habits of Highly Effective Travelers: http://bit.ly/2Pziv #traveltuesday #travel #lp
@velvetescape: Great article on dress codes around the world http://bit.ly/11unJl #traveltuesday
@TravelEditor: Tips for sleeping better on airplanes: http://bit.ly/GHmX1 #traveltuesday
@earthXplorer: It's #TravelTuesday - Time to get your passport messy!!! :)
@DawnGilbertson: US Airways is finally on Twitter! Follow the Tempe carrier @usairwaysnews. #TravelTuesday
@Forbes_Traveler NFL's Top 10 Tailgating Towns - http://bit.ly/Xv9MS (expand) - Nice list! #traveltuesday
@TravlandLeisure Leaf-peeping? Stay-cation? Baby-moon? What are your least favorite travel terms? #TravelTuesday
@offbeatguides We're taking 20% off all Offbeat Guide orders! Go 2: www.offbeatguides.com & type in twitter20 for 20% off! #traveltuesday

Cheapflightscom: SULLY'S BACK! The Hudson River hero pilot returns to the cockpit. I would feel so safe flying with him. http://ow.ly/rILB #traveltuesday

@AuthenticCoast 10 ways to fall in love with the Nova Scotia Authentic Seacoast this autumn http://bit.ly/4EXTAI #TravelTuesday

@triponadeal: Weird and wonderful beaches of the world http://is.gd/3MKpz

BestWesternATX: “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller #quote #traveltuesday

Thanks again for a fantastic day and see you next week on #traveltuesday :) Fingers crossed that we'll be a trending topic!! If you have any ideas, or just feel like talkin' about travel, feel free to email me anytime at support@whereivebeen.com.

Cheers,

Katy

Where I've Been's Olympic Giveaway!

2009-09-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

Want to explore one of the 4 cities nominated for the 2016 Olympics?

Enter for a chance to win a round-trip coach-class airfare for travel to Chicago, Madrid, Rio, or Tokyo in the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway.

All you gotta do is:

* Follow Where I've Been on Twitter. Not on Twitter? Join here today--it's free!

* On Thursday, October 1st, keep tabs on our Twitter page -- we'll present the special message for you to re-tweet. The winner will be announced on the @whereivebeen Twitter page on Friday, October 2. If YOU are selected as the winner, make sure you Direct Message [DM] us, @whereivebeen, within 24 hours after contest ends. In

your DM, include the city (Chicago, Madrid, Rio, or Tokyo) you want to go to. To qualify, all entries must be received between the hours of 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 to 9 a.m. CT on Friday, October 2nd, 2009. Limited to one [1] entry per person/twitter address.

Here are the official rules, folks...

Description of the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway: Via online method only, entrants will

have the opportunity to win one [1] roundtrip coach class airfare to one the

following cities: Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, or Rio de Janeiro. Entrants must be a follower of @whereivebeen on Twitter and must retweet the entrance message, to be tweeted

Entries will be officially accepted by Where I've Been starting at 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 to 9 a.m. CT on Friday, October 2nd, 2009. Contest runs for full twenty-four [24] hours only.

The Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway Eligibility: The Where I've Been Giveaway is open only to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States (including the District of Columbia), and citizens/residents of countries within the European Union, who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Employees of Where I've Been, LLC, and their respective parent companies, affiliates, promotion and other vendor agencies involved in the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway, as well as the immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee, are NOT eligible. Void in Alaska, Hawaii and where prohibited or restricted by law. The Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

The Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway timing: The Where I've Been Giveaway begins at 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 to 9 a.m. CT on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 (the “Promotional Period”).

How to enter The Where I've Been Giveaway : To enter, follow @whereivebeen on Twitter. Then, retweet the contest message to be provided Thursday, October 1st. The winner will be notified via the @whereivebeen page. Winner will be required to contact Where I've Been by Direct Message [DM] via Twitter within twenty-four (24) hours if you have been notified you are a winner. All entries must be received by 9 a.m. CT on Friday, October 2nd, 2009. Limit one (1) entry per person/twitter address.

Grand prize winners prize selection and notification: Odds of winning are based on eligible number of entries. Winners will be selected at random by official Where I've Been staff member. Grand Prize notification will be completed on Oct 1st. Potential Grand Prize winners will be notified via the @whereivebeen page on Twitter and asked to DM their contact information and desired city (Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, or Rio de Janeiro) they want to go. If any winner notification remains unanswered for more than twenty-four (24) hours, the prize will be forfeited in its entirety and an alternate winner will be selected. The Grand Prize is not transferable; no prize substitutions or cash alternatives are allowed except as may be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Prize and approximate retail value:1 (1) Grand Prize: One [1] roundtrip coach class airfare vouchers valid for travel to one {1} the following cities: Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, with an Approximate Retail Value of $1,000. Actual value may vary based on airport fluctuations, and points of departure. Winner will not receive the difference between actual and approximate retail value. Traveler must make trip between December 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, but are subject to availability and blackout dates. Sponsor will not replace any lost, mutilated, or stolen tickets to Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, or Tokyo. All federal, state, and local taxes and fees are the sole responsibility of the winner. Sponsor will comply with all income tax reporting obligations.

By entering the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway, participants release and hold harmless Sponsor, and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Where I've Been Giveaway or any prize won, including any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of this offer, administration of the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway or in the announcement of prizes. In the event Sponsor is prevented from continuing with the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway, or the integrity and/or feasibility of the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway is undermined by any event including but not limited to fire, flood, epidemic, earthquake, explosion, labor dispute or strike, act of God or public enemy, satellite or equipment failure, riot or civil disturbance, war (declared or undeclared), terrorist threat or activity, or any federal, state or local government law, order or regulation, order of any court or jurisdiction, or other cause not reasonably within Sponsor’s control (each a “Force Majeure” event or occurrence), Sponsor shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to abbreviate, modify, suspend, cancel, or terminate the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway without further obligation and, if so, Sponsor reserves the right, but not the obligation, to award the prize from among all valid and eligible entries received up to the time of such Force Majeure event. All entries are the property of Sponsor and are not returnable. The laws of the State of Illinois (USA), without regard to its conflict of law rules, will govern these Terms. Any action relating to this Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway shall be initiated only in the state and federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois (USA).

Online Registration: This Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway is intended for viewing in the United States and European Union only and shall be construed and evaluated according to U.S. & European law. Do not enter the Where I've Been Olympic Giveaway if you are not located in the 48 contiguous United States or if you are not a legal U.S. resident, or not a legal resident of a European Union state. Repetitive automated electronic submission of entries is specifically prohibited, and any such entries will be disqualified. Entries will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the twitter address submitted at the time of entry. In the event of a dispute, the potential winner may be required to provide proof that he/she is the authorized account holder of the identified twitter account, and Sponsor’s decision will be final. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries, including any error that may result in an erroneous appearance of qualification for a prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any problem or technical malfunction of any computer equipment or software that results in loss of entry.

WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY COMPUTERIZED SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE WHERE I'VE BEEN OLYMPIC GIVEAWAY IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGE FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

NO ENTRY FEE. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER, PLAY, OR WIN. THE FOLLOWING CONTEST IS INTENDED FOR PLAY IN THE UNITED STATES AND CITIZENS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ONLY. DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST IF YOU ARE NOT LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES OR EUROPEAN UNION.

The Next Episode: Announcing WIB's Vegas Mobile Giveaway!

2009-09-22T07:00:00.012-05:00

In case you're not in the know, sometimes we just like to give stuff away. Just ask Michael Phillips, who is gladly taking home $500 in Travelers' Cheques for an upcoming trip along the gorgeous Route 1 in California, where he's opted to mix in stunning views of the coastal scenery with some old-fashioned pampering at the Treebones Resort. Check out a preview of Michael's trip on his blog, and scope his Where I've Been Map for just a hint of the exploits that lay documented throughout his and his wife's extensive travelogue.

On to more good stuff: Hot on the heels of Michael's travelers' cheque treasure-trove, Where I've Been is excited to announce our next Mobile Giveaway, where we'll be sending a lucky traveler and a companion of their choosing on a round-trip flight to Vegas for a two-day, three-night stay in a hotel on the Vegas Strip, along with a special celebration package! All you have to do is become another one of the proud Where I've Been Mobile Community. First let's hammer out the details of the giveaway:

The Vegas getaway promotion runs from Sept 22nd to October 13th. So act fast! On October 15th, we'll select the winner at random.

The winner will be given a choice of when they choose to travel, anywhere from November to January. The winner must fly out of a major airport.

As of now, this giveaway is only open to the United States and Canada. But we promise we haven't forgotten the rest of the world--we're still working on making the current promotion and all future giveaways of this kind international, so stay tuned to find out more.

So you're down for debauchery? We knew you had it in you. So how do you enter?

To sign up, text the word "travel" to 89074, and you should get a response confirming your place in the WIB Mobile Community and your entry into the Vegas mobile giveaway.

This message will remind you that "Standard rates apply"--in other words, however your texting plan is set up with your service provider, you will be charged that amount for each text you receive from us. It'd be the same as receiving a text from a friend. Can we be your friend? We're not into funny business, so let it be clear:

We're not going to to spam you. No signing you up for jokes, no semi-frequent philosophical questions, no late-night pillow talk. Just stuff that we think can help you out--free round-trip airfare, big discounts, and hints about potential giveaways. You'd like that, right? We thought so.

If you decide you don't like what we're dishing out, all you have to do is text "stop" to 89074. It's that easy. And we won't be offended -- promise.

Have we convinced you yet? We hope so. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to e-mail support@whereivebeen.com. Whether you go to simply to people-watch, to take in a show or to roll the dice on a big payday, the lights of the Vegas Strip shine infinitely brighter in person. You'll never know until Wayne Newton's 70-year-old botoxed smile blinds you from up close, so join the WIB Mobile Community today!

Cheers,
The Where I've Been Team
support@whereivebeen.com

Touting Time: Offbeat Guides

2009-09-22T06:54:00.017-05:00

As much as the Internet has accelerated conventional wisdom, it's also given us the freedom to realize that the conventional wisdom is often, well... complete bull. A fine example of this old wisdom could be represented by your local book retailer's travel guide section. The benefit of the travel book is the convenience of getting it and the ability to hold it in your hands. But what if your store has only a few titles? And if you find the title you need, how do you know its advice is worth its salt? Why should I trust a dude/dudette who might have completely different interests in the first place?

Unconventional wisdom tells us that cities have more to offer than what any one book can cover, especially in the way of niche interests; there could be 100 pages of your 150 page guidebook that you never read. You can probably see where I'm going with this: Why couldn't you have a guide trimmed to your every whim? That you can hold in your hands and cherish for its foresight and level-headedness and its uncannily agreeable tastes? Offbeat Guides is making that leap.

Check out their site and you'll get an immediate feel for their aesthetic: No frills, simple, and catered to you. It's easy to like before you even get to the guide part -- just by telling their engine where you want to go, where you live now and your name, it almost feels like they're about to vest you with some sort of intensely-personalized secret agent rolodex. And it's kinda like that, minus the secrecy part--you're an agent of your own domain. When you finish their first five steps, you'll be presented with a rough draft of your guide, which can be chopped and added onto through their interface. A lot of the information comes from familiar sources like Wikipedia, but if it gets too cluttered with background info you can chop it off in favor of the real meat and potatoes--a handy guide of every hip event in that city, as well as the weather forecast for each day you're traveling. And we're talking about a pool of 30,000 cities to choose from and counting--not too shabby. Add it to your cart and request it in PDF or the pricier glossy-guide-format and in a few days, your shiny, personal guide will be delivered right in advance of your trip. Amazon Kindle owners will be happy to find that they can easily download and store a digital copy of their personalized guide. All the stops: pulled out.

In all, it feels like one of those ideas that everyone has hoped for but no one has executed the right way. Offbeat's approach, however, is inviting and easy. And judging by the way they've run it so far, you can bet their beta version will continue to get stacked with even more stuff to add or subtract to your guides to help your further your journey into full-on customized nirvana. It makes a weekend jaunt to an unknown destination incredibly less clumsy and infinitely more hands-on.

Where I've Been salutes Offbeat Guides' appreciation for the little things that the little guy / girl wants -- they manage to do the dirtiest work in the cleanest, sleekest way possible. Cheers.

You can also keep up with some sage advice and travel news -- particularly for the tech-savvy traveler -- on Offbeat's Travel Blog.

UPDATE: Great news -- Offbeat Guides likes Where I've Been users so much, they're offering 20% off any purchase! Simply use the coupon code 'whereivebeen20' at the checkout page to receive your 20% discount.

The Next Episode: Announcing Wib's Vegas Mobile Giveaway

2009-09-22T06:35:00.003-05:00

The commercials are omnipresent: Dude works in cubicle, dude becomes king of the universe in blurry montage in Las Vegas, dude returns to cubicle with smug smile and refuses to dish on the details with a hammy "Whatever happens in Vegas..." liner. Does everything really have to be such a secret? There's a better chance he's using that as a euphemism for "I was really drunk and have nary a clue what I did." (see: "The Hangover.")

Whatever cubicle guy's reason for being so guarded, we at Where I've Been like to be a little more forthright. Vegas has been immortalized in print, on screen and by your one slightly-crazed aunt for decades, and yet they still only tell part of the story for the average traveler. Grab our coattails and let us take you on a crash course through Las Vegas, the mecca of money, merriment and mistakes.

Get a better view of the lights.

You might not be able to see a star in the sky in Vegas, but who needs natural light anyway? The work is truly an achievement, and there are plenty of spots to take in a more complete view. After you've sauntered down the Strip, the best sights might be afforded at the top of the gaudy Eiffel Tower replica at Paris Las Vegas. Stratosphere Tower offers a magnificent 360-degree panorama view of the city from the center of it all. The Palms has three tall towers from which to take in the lights, but you'll pay a pretty penny for food and drink if that's your gig. Many visitors prefer the view from Mix at THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

Troll for celebs.

You can call it vapid or pointless (it is both), but keeping tabs on celebs is just too much fun. While the resident celebs of Vegas might seem like re-tread jokes, Vegas remains one of the top celebrity playgrounds. Drop into these places and you might find yourself in a delightfully awkward pose in a TMZ post the next day.

Cursory imagination might tell you all the stars hang at Planet Hollywood, but even if you spot a stray VIP'er, that seems like boring advice. The truly dedicated (a nice word for "just below stalkers") might want to check shopping centers like Spago, located in the Forum Shops, for celebs going on sprees. The best spot for finding young guns is the club scene, particularly at the Palms Hotel, and you might wanna try your luck at the clubs within the Venetian and MGM Grand and at the hot pool party Rehab, hosted by the Hard Rock.
Eva Longoria Parker of "Desperate Housewives" fame is planning on opening a new restaurant, Beso, in the giant Crystals retail center. Plan on hitting up Beso around New Year's 2010 for a chance to hobnob around the ribbon-cutting gala for her famous pals. Toby Keith firmly placed his boot in the behind of Vegas with the opening of his twangy hangout I Love This Bar. Robert De Niro didn't leave Vegas after his turn in Casino - he opened AGO, located in the Hard Rock Hotel, with top restauranteur Agostino Sciandri and Nobu with Nobu Mastuhisa has successfully franchised both place to numerous other cities. They're prime material for celeb fishin'.
The best thing of all: When all fails, you have the wax museum. Madame Tussaud's is one of the best-known wax museums on the planet, and it makes for a great photo-op spot, as well as a place to debate whether or not certain "celebs" ever merited a wax statue made of them. First topic of discussion? Criss Angel.

Away from the glitz

While most Vegas newcomers aren't always coming to explore the more refined, artsy tastes, there are a number of offbeat destinations that could enrich your trip.

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit has chilling and fascinating leftovers from the tragic disaster, from little things like cookware to not-so-little things, such as a 15-ton chunk of the ship itself.
The Palazzo Casino shops hosts Bauman Rare Books, a rich collection of antique literature and is a veritable goldmine for English majors and casual readers alike. Its crown jewel is an encased second edition of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar from 1691. Kind of a big deal.
The lost art of pinball is preserved at the Pinball Hall of Fame, where visitors can trace the history of the game with a multitude of different models. And they know the draw: Nearly each and every machine is playable.

Play your part

Not convinced you have the chutzpah and cash to keep up with whatever trend is hitting the Strip the week of your visit? Why not master your own fashion domain? Thrift stores surround Vegas, and perhaps you'll stumble upon a gem -- where do you think Siegfried and Roy give their old jumpsuits? If you're willing to pony up a little extra cash, Buffalo Exchange at Flamingo and Maryland offers a fine collection of vintage mixed in with last season's modern looks. Wanna get even more out of season? Find a Savers, of which there are a few in the metro area, which specializes in clothing. It's about how you wear it after all.

WIB on the Web: FareCompare

2009-09-21T14:32:00.007-05:00

Hiyo WIB faithful! I'm excited to announce that I'll be taking the reins for a few guest articles at FareCompare, the excellent flight search engine that combs the earth for the cheapest of the cheap airfares. My first set of posts runs today, mostly involving the fine art of backpacking and the better places to start your excursions.

Read the intro here, then some more on Peru, Dublin, and Istanbul. Hope ya dig 'em.

Cheers,
Eddie
Where I've Been

Uncovering the New Seven Wonders of the World

2009-09-15T14:52:00.001-05:00

We humans sure do love ranking things. And the more abstract the subject the better -- things like beauty, or talent, or... "wonders." Remember in 2007 when we decided to renovate our selections for the Seven Wonders of the World? Just a few years have passed, and the aching desire to scratch that itch has returned. This itch comes back courtesy of the New7Wonders team, who are saddling wide-eyed web surfers with the responsibility to vote for the newest addition to the storied canon, the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World." But as frequent viewers of T.V. talent shows can attest, Internet democracy can be cruel and unforgiving, with unconventional candidates often tossed aside in place of gimmickry or mere name value. With that in mind, we're going to examine the underdogs of the forthcoming New Seven Wonders of the Natural World voting process, taking you on a guided tour of the less-heralded marvels of Mother Earth from Venezuela to Jordan to Korea giving our best Vegas shot at predicting their odds to win. (Note: We will not accept calls from your bookie.)

The Jeju Islands
South Korea

Why it's wondrous: Glance at the picture to the left and you might mistake the massive crater of Mt. Hallasan for some sort of ancient battleground for the gods, or maybe a secret lair for an on-screen archvillain; local legend certainly believes it a creation of unimaginable powers. However you slice it, the Jeju Islands seem more fantasy than reality, and it's no small wonder that such natural anomaly is one of South Korea's titans of tourism. Mt. Hallasan is the highest point in South Korea, home to the country's only natural lake, and a key archeological site for its "lava tubes," or large caves that once acted as magma pipe systems and contain a bonanza of plant and animal fossils. But just because it's chock full of dead and dormant stuff doesn't mean it's suffering from a lack of life--over 1800 plant species and 4000 animal species call the island home, highlighted by the ruby-red azalea fields that blanket the mountain. Inherent to South Korean lore are Jeju's mysterious carved-basalt-stone statues that resemble old cranky grandfathers, who are believed to exist to protect the island from demons.

Why it probably won't win: The New Seven Wonders will pit a few mountains against each other, and chances are not all will advance. And despite its beauty and resume, Jeju doesn't necessarily carry the name value of a Kilimanjaro or Table Mountain. We'll put the odds at 32-1.

Black Forest
Germany

Why it's wondrous: Don't be fooled by its eerie Tolkien-reminiscent moniker: The Black Forest will not swallow your soul into certain oblivion, though its supposed impenetrability led old outsiders to believe it housed werewolves, dwarves, sorcerers and the like. Tourists are more likely to gush about the area's greenery and hike-ability, as the Black Forest is prime real estate for towering pines, firs and mountain trails. The preserve is almost perfectly rectangular and sprung from the remains of an ancient glacier. The forest attracts travelers quite often due to the old-fashioned whimsy of its main inhabitants, who still cling to traditional dialects and rituals, like their famous giant pom-pom hats. Not to mention they know the key ingredients to making a killer clock and a mean bottle of cherry schnapps.

Why it probably won't win: When you think of "natural wonders," do you think of pine trees or paradise? Unless its preceded by "rain," the word "forest" alone sadly evokes a sense of commonality more than awe. And while the residents of the forest wear pretty awesome hats, they don't necessarily contribute to the natural beauty of the landscape. Not to mention the whole place sounds like a curse waiting to happen. Odds: 107-1.

Jeita Grotto
Lebanon

Why it's wondrous: It's a veritable palace of stalagmites, stalactites and countless other geological terms you forgot in high school -- we're talking about the stuff of sultans, all in rock form. But for thousands of years, after its prehistoric human inhabitants moved out, the Jeita Grotto's beauty was only overseen by underground rodent-kings. It wasn't until 1836 that its lower cave, only reachable by boat, was re-discovered by a passing missionary and entered the public awe. And the discoveries have just kept on coming: Jeita contains the world's largest stalactite at a maximum height of 120 meters (390 feet), cavernous depths that reach over 6,000 feet below the surface, and the Middle East's longest cave complex, spanning some 22,000 feet. It wasn't even until 1958 that its upper cave was discovered, which now resides as a major tourist pathway to scope out the sites without damaging them. Jeita's natural springs also provide clean water for over 1.5 million people in nearby Beirut. It's stunning enough that its overseers don't allow photographs below, making it something to see in person to truly believe.

Why it probably won't win: The Jeita Grotto has some rich history to burn, but its local prominence hasn't seemed to reach as far as the international community just yet. It's only been officially open to the public for about fifty years, part of that time closed for civil war, and it's already gone through a number of name changes. Still, as the only cave among the 28 nominees, it's a dark horse candidate to sneak past the final cut. Odds: 28-1.

El Yunque National Rainforest
Puerto Rico

Why it's wondrous: For a small country like Puerto Rico, it was a major victory for locals in 2007 when President George W. Bush officially sanctioned the El Yunque National Forest to hold its current name rather than its former generic title, the "Caribbean National Forest." Until that point two years ago, the rainforest has seemed relatively neglected by the touring public at large, which is shameful considering it was one of the first official nature reserves in the Western Hemisphere (1876). El Yunque hosts 28,000 acres of biodiversity and one of the larger peaks of Puerto Rico (which shares the name of its forest). Within the vegetation is a largely unsung set of landmarks, including the cascading Coca Falls, and some ancient petroglyph art leftover by the Taino peoples. And while El Yunque doesn't carry the opportunity to run into kooky creatures like monkeys, it's become a haven for bird-watchers who seek out the critically endangered Puerto Rican Amazon parrot, of which only 30 are believed to exist anymore.

Why it probably won't win: There's already the ubiquitous Amazon rainforest to compete with, but the fact that El Yunque has a recently-changed name, a smallish overall surface area and a lack of knockout landmarks within its confines pretty much solidifies its longshot status. Odds: 128-1.

Iguazu Falls
Brazil

Why it's wondrous: "Don't go chasin' waterfalls." Right? The quote was well-meaning, but those four words might've been the most unadventurous advice that pop superstars TLC ever gave. ("No scrubs" was pretty fortuitous for its time.) "Yeah, but Internet guy," you might be telling me. "That line was, uh, a metaphor, I'm pretty sure." Fair enough, I might tell you (cue blushing, crying). But had TLC visited Iguazu Falls, the majestic curtains of water that stand as the fantastical centerpiece of the Iguazu River valley, they might've chosen to tweak their choice in figurative speech. Iguazu Falls is worth spending your life chasing, best encapsulated by another quote, this one by awed visitor Eleanor Roosevelt: "Poor Niagara!" Iguazu's centerpiece, the massive Devil's Throat, is the fitting cataract that divides the Argentinian and Brazilian border; standing on its edge, you might be convinced it is the true point where the world ends. The Devil's Throat is flanked by hundreds of smaller waterfalls that by themselves would be highly-regarded attractions, and unlike the similarly spectacular Victoria Falls, Iguazu offers eye-opening views from almost any point within.

Why it probably won't win: I'm kinda cheating here: Iguazu has a pretty decent chance of getting selected by folks as it's the only waterfall to appear on the list, and people (except TLC) tend to hold a special adoration for waterfalls. But the fact remains that Iguazu Falls doesn't have the name value of some of the other contenders, and I think that's kind of a drag. I'm hoping that this here post garners Iguazu some support. I'll put the odds at 8-1.

Announcing Where I've Been's $500 Mobile Giveaway Winner!

2009-09-14T09:19:00.008-05:00

A few weeks ago we called for entrants to our inaugural Mobile Giveaway, a contest that yielded its victor a cool $500 in American Express Travelers' Cheques to be used for any impending travel expenses. We weren't just whistlin' Dixie: We're happy to present the $500 fat ones to entrant Michael Phillips. Cheers, Michael! Stay tuned in the coming weeks to the Where I've Been site and this very blog for similar giveaways.

Michael just so happens to be a sort of travel maniac, as evidenced by he and his wife's recent return from a 13-month honeymoon that took them around the world, from places like California to Austria to Ghana to Laos. You can read all about their exploits on their fascinating blog. We caught up with Michael in the heat of his excitement to find out how it feels on top of the world and to find out where his wanderlust--and $500--might take him next.

1. So you've won $500 in Travelers' Cheques. How does it feel? Who do you have to thank for your epic success?

It feels great! The years of grueling training, hard work and sacrifice have finally paid off. My biggest thanks obviously go to the "Where I've Been" team for being so cool as to offer the sweepstakes and prize.

2. You've mentioned to us that you have upcoming travel plans that you hope to use the $500 for. Can you hash out your itinerary and what that $500 might go to?

Well, my wife and two year old daughter just left for a month to visit family in Austria so I have some time on my hands. I think I'll use the $500 to go somewhere down the coast south of San Francisco. There's a place around Half Moon Bay I've heard about that has ocean-view campgrounds and yurts. That sounds like a pretty good combination to me. My goal is to stretch the $500 as far as I can and see how many different travel-related things I can do. I'll send you a full report when I get back!

3. You're no stranger to traveling -- you and your wife have kept a travel blog with archives that go back to 2004. What's been your most memorable travel experience and why?

Between my wife and me we've been lucky enough to be able to travel to over 30 different countries and each one has had something wonderful and remarkable to offer. If I had to choose one travel experience, I'd have to say that the 13 month around-the-world trip we went on for our honeymoon is by far the most memorable.

We did everything from organic farming in Normandy and Greece to volunteering in a refugee camp in Ghana to teaching English in China. I even had the chance to do an 8 day, 600-mile solo bike ride from Bangkok to Chiang Rai in the north while my wife taught English in a remote Thai village school.

Even though it's been 4 years since we've returned from the trip we still talk almost daily about all the beautiful places we went, the cool things we got to do, and the wonderful people we met. It was was a great way to start off our new life together.

4. Up till this exciting point, what's the most you've won in a contest or giveaway before?

I haven't actually entered that many sweepstakes or contests but I think the last thing I won was two extra vacation days at my company's holiday party last year. Guess I can combine them with the $500 travelers checks and make a long weekend of it!

Scintillating Bahamas Shipwreck Dives

2009-09-03T15:16:00.021-05:00

It was once a morbid spectacle reserved for the brave and well-funded, but thanks to advancements made by dedicated underwater explorers before us, the perfection of SCUBA has afforded every curious soul the chance to run their finger along the rusty old ironsides of a sunken ship. Some of the larger boat cemeteries reside off the coast of the Bahamas on the sandy floors of the Caribbean Sea, where once-wayward ships of all sizes now spawn a wellspring of marine life by creating artificial reefs. Snorkel just 15 feet and swim with Loggerhead turtles; dive a bit deeper near Nassau to discover beat-up boats once frequented by a certain on-screen secret agent, or strap on an oxygen tank and descend into darker waters where vessels are eerily well-preserved. Whether you're interested in the education and thrill that comes with swimming with marine life or you're just interested in telling a new ghost story, shipwreck diving off the Bahamas remains an ideal diving point for both intrigued beginners and starry-eyed hobbyists alike.

The Sapona

Location: South of Bimini
Depth: 20 feet

If you're looking for a history lesson along with your marine biology one, the Sapona might be your best bet in all of the Bahamas. Built by Henry Ford in 1911, the 270-foot concrete cargo steamer was built to transport troops in World War I; however, its construction wasn't complete until the end of the war. With no sense of duty or purpose, the poor Sapona entered a life of crime--instead of being scrapped it was sold to a man named Bruce Bethel, who used the giant steamer as a rum runner and alcohol storage facility during Prohibition and had plans to transform it into a floating nightclub where patrons could gamble and booze up in private. Two years after its purchase, the Sapona was stricken by a hurricane, which drove the ship aground between Cat Cay and South Bimini, and the ship never fully descended beneath the surface. With most of its contents still visible, the U.S. Air Force used the ship as target practice around World War II, rendering its exterior completely bombed-out and decrepit, looking run-down and haunted like the true warship it never got to be. Today, the site of the Sapona is one of the most popular shallow dive wrecks in the Bahamas, particularly as a practice dive. An amateur explorer can easily stand in the abandoned engine room, or witness the countless bulletholes and leftover ammunition from its target practice days. There's lovely orange coral along the bow, and you can count on seeing giant lobsters and schools of hundreds of reef fish.

The Wreck of the Hesperus

Location: North Bimini Island
Depth: 15-20 feet

One of the most inviting aspects of shipwreck diving in the Bahamas is that you don't have to be a pro to take the plunge. The Hesperus, a cement barge whose name cheekily references the famous Longfellow poem, sits around north Bimini at just 15 feet below the surface--a depth that requires only a mask and snorkel. But just because the Hesperus is in shallow waters doesn't mean there's any lack of sights. By day, the reef plays host to dozens of species of fish including barracudas, snapper, mackerel and the shiny, rotund African Pompano, with the added potential of catching a nurse or reef shark lurking for a meal. The sun creates a tunnel of light that allows a snorkeler a distinctly clear view of the ship's structure and spoils as well as its brilliant coral and living creatures without the need of a flashlight, which makes the area an ideal spot for underwater photography. As the sun sets, though, you'll probably want some form of illumination to get a glimpse of the half-dozen giant loggerhead turtles that find refuge (and dinner) underneath the Hesperus, certainly the biggest draw of the site. So if you're looking to swim with a wealth of marine life without donning a couple cans of oxygen or simply want a place where the whole family can ably catch a snapshot of some bright underwater life, the Hesperus is a good bet.

Other shallow wreck to consider in the Bahamas: Sugar Wreck (West of Grand Bahama)

Tears of Allah Wreck / Vulcan Bomber Wreck

Location: New Providence
Depth: 45 feet / 40 feet

James Bond's freewheeling approach to international surveillance has literally helped put hundreds of beautiful tourism spots on the map, and the Bahamas is no exception. The 1983 Sean Connery comeback flick Never Say Never Again was essentially a remake of the classic Thunderball, and both used Bahamian sites for some thrilling shipwreck diving scenes. In its heyday, the ship Tears of Allah was a 90-foot, drug smuggling freighter that was intercepted by authorities and actually purchased by the producers of Never to be artificially sunk and used as a prop in the film. The site is now a popular dive for the moderately skilled and a good one for beginning scuba divers, particularly ones interested in underwater photography -- there is said to be virtually no current and great visibility in the artificial reef created by the phantom shipwreck, aiding in a nice view of the pretty but potentially dangerous lionfish and other wildlife.

Just nearby is another fallen movie prop, the Vulcan, which was created by producers of Thunderball to appear as a felled plane with steel pipes and a fiberglass sheet; now only the steel skeleton remains of the prop, making it more like a tent-like structure than a plane this day. Regardless, it makes for a fine dive site for its unthinkably bright coral and similarly good photography, often said to be one of the best underwater photography spots in the world. Scuba diving: just another life skill James Bond has mastered with ease.

Other moderate-depth wrecks to consider in the Bahamas: Wreck on the Wall (New Providence); Edmond Williams (New Providence, features a 'shark wall')

Theo's Wreck

Location: Grand Bahama
Depth: 100 feet

If you're willing to brave the greater depths, you're much more likely to find ships that are remarkably well-preserved -- almost as crisp as the day they sunk. A great example of a splendid Bahamian deep dive is Theo's Wreck, a 238-foot freighter near Grand Bahama that sunk in 1982 to 100 feet below the surface. Originally built in Norway in 1954 as the M/S Logna, the ship was set for a number of high-priced renovation projects until the funding was never received and the ship was set to be jettisoned into deep waters. Years at the bottom have turned Theo's into a beautiful garden of coral and sea fans, making it appear like some sort of marine revitalization art project. The front of the hull, which you can almost see clearly above the surface, is covered in bright orange false gorgonians. It's a veritable five-star hotel for marine life, offering all sorts of nooks to accommodate countless kinds of clientele. The impossibly radiant colors make Theo's Wreck a go-to night dive for experienced explorers, who seek out parrotfish, sharks, grunts, lobsters, rays and turtles. It's bar-none one of the best dives in the Bahamas, offering pure visibility and an exhilarating sightseeing experience.

Dig WIB? Got a minute?

2009-09-02T14:17:00.007-05:00

By Travel

Ahoy, Where I've Been faithful -- hope you've enjoy the tweaks we've been making to the site. (Check out the front page and let us know what you think, as we'd love to hear from you.)

In the meantime, we here pleased to announce that we're one of the nominees for Divine Caroline's "Love! This Site" Awards! Divine Caroline is a site designed specifically for warm, smart and adventurous women (though men can join too!). So do you dig us? If you wouldn't mind quickly registering for a free account at Divine Caroline and dropping in a quick vote for us, we'd just feel so fuzzy inside. If a blog could blush, we would make it so -- all because of you.

Thanks for your support, and as always keep us informed on what you love and hate on our site.

Cheers,

The WIB Team

Stunning Travel Mysteries

2009-08-31T14:18:00.002-05:00

Cell phones, GPS and black boxes have prevented modern-day travel disasters from being full-fledged unsolved mysteries--the kind that actually make you lose sleep the night before a trip. But sometimes fate opts to swallow its victims into a black hole of nothingness, leaving only a trail of scant clues and an open door for intricate theories about what might've happened. (Not to, y'know, scare you or anything.) We all know about the Bermuda Triangle and the Titanic, but history has provided us an ample crop of lower-profile legends that still warrant the same shock and wonder. And often there's enough of a trail left over that curious readers can visit the sites in question and investigate the mystery for themselves. From ghost ships to UFOs and disappearing aircraft, gather around the light of the Where I've Been campfire and let us spin you a tale. But proceed with caution.

The Dyatlov Pass Incident

In 1959, a group of nine young, experienced Russian skiers, led by Igor Dyatlov, were to set up a camp in the Ural Mountains with the goal of reaching the most difficult mountain, Otorten. Due to worsening weather and snow storms, they had to deviate from their plans and set up camp on another slope. When weeks passed and their safety telegraph was never sent, their families demanded a search. Authorities descended upon the mountains and finally discovered their abandoned campsite -- and what was found horrified and astounded the search team.

The skiers' tent, now covered in snow, had been torn open from the inside. Left behind in the tent were the skiers' boots and shoes, and authorities followed the skiers' bare footprints to find two of them dead under a tree, both dressed in their underwear, and then three more skiers' bodies in between the tree and the encampment, including Dyatlov's (pictured left). One man had a minor fracture in his skull, but it appeared all were attempting to return to camp and had died from hypothermia. Despite some odd clues, authorities suspected no foul play -- that is, until they found the four other bodies two months later.

Three of these bodies had fatal injuries; one had major skull damage, while two had sustained serious chest fractures -- all of the injuries given with the brute force "of a car crash." One woman was missing her tongue. However, there were no signs of struggle and no other footprints, and the injuries were too forceful to be inflicted by other humans. Additionally, the bodies were found with significant levels of radiation, and some had an unnaturally orange skin color and abnormally gray hairs. Some were wearing patches of clothing from their fellow skiers, suggesting they were taken from the corpses of the already-dead, but every skier was certainly under-dressed enough to suggest they had left in haste in the middle of the night. Investigators, baffled by the circumstances, concluded that the skiers had been killed by an "unknown compelling force." However, government authorities demanded that the investigation be halted and all documents become sealed as top-secret, including this nugget, which became public years later: 50 kilometers south of the incident, around the same time of the tragedy, another group of independent hikers had reported seeing strange orange spheres in the sky.

The cloud of fear surrounding the Cold War era spawned lots of sci-fi alarmism and UFO sightings, but the Dyatlov Pass Incident--its area now named for the ski group's leader--was troubling enough to deserve such panic. While more documents have been released since the event, the mystery behind the incident was never solved.

The Mysterious Death of a Hollywood Starlet

On January 16th, 1942, TWA Flight #3 crashed into Table Mountain near Las Vegas, Nevada, killing all 19 passengers on board. One of them was Hollywood superstar Carole Lombard, the wife of actor Clark Gable. To this day, the crash was attributed to a navigational error by its pilot; however, the series of odd events that led up to the disaster suggest there might have been much more at play.

Carole Lombard was a successful socialite as well as actress, and up until the time of her death her major venture had been the raising of over $2 million for war bonds, as she was an important face for World War II rallying in the United States. Stationed in her hometown of Indianapolis and about to return to California, she opted at the last minute to take TWA Flight 3 rather than her normal train route. The flight had been routed from New York to Indianapolis and had been scheduled for one more stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before arriving in Burbank, California. After Lombard (pictured right) boarded, the pilot announced that the plane would be landing in St. Louis and delayed due to inclement weather. The weather around St. Louis was perfectly clear at the time, though, and passengers were confused as to the true reason why the flight would be delayed the next two hours.

Finally, the plane departed; however, when it arrived in Albuquerque, passengers were oddly requested to relinquish their seats to a number of army pilots, which was rare at the time and particularly strange when one of the passengers was as influential as Lombard. Albuquerque's proximity to Area 51 in Roswell also aroused suspicions later on. The flight crew was also replaced in Albuquerque, and Lombard insisted she keep her seat; however, another unscheduled stop had to take place, this time a re-fueling mission near Las Vegas. After completing the re-fuel, the experienced pilot inexplicably took off nearly seven miles off course and far lower in altitude than necessary. The bizarre errors led to the explosive crash into Table Mountain, which incinerated all evidence within the plane.

In 1985, about 100 classified FBI documents were released to reveal that UFOs were sighted near the same area as the crash site, and evidence suggested that the Army pilots from Albuquerque were put on the plane to go investigate the occurrences, and Ms. Lombard might've been caught in the conspiracy. Lombard would later be considered the first female casualty of World War II, and to this day the event is still considered a freak accident.

The Sinking of the S.S. Valencia

After watching Capt. Jack Sparrow fight off CGI skeletons in Pirates of the Caribbean, it became a bit easier to laugh off the idea of a "ghost ship" trolling the seas. But ask scraggly sailors and maritime veterans in Vancouver about the S.S. Valencia disaster, its crash site known as "The Graveyard of the Pacific," and it won't be as easy to crack jokes.

Until the cinematic demise of the Titanic, it was the tragedy of the S.S. Valencia that haunted the minds of travelers mulling sea voyage. The ship, carrying 164 passengers on a route not normally traveled by the crew, embarked off the coast of San Francisco and set off for the port of Victoria when strong winds and low visibility of stars caused crew members to lose track of their positioning and sight of land. As they tried to maneuver through Vancouver Island, known for its jutting rocks, the ship slammed into a reef that slashed a massive hole into the ship's hull. As water flooded in overnight, the captain attempted to steer the ship toward shore only to hit more rocks. Against his orders, lifeboats were lowered--improperly. In the confusion, some rafts flipped upon lowering, knocking all of its passengers into the water, while two others capsized and at least one--number 5--disappeared. All women and children died, many of them never identified, clinging to the ship cold and terrified as it slowly descended. Some lifeboats that had embarked successfully with survivors were never found, including lifeboat number 5.

A shroud of mystery entered after the investigation. Months after the event, sailors spotted a ship near Vancouver Island that resembled the Valencia, seen with a number of apparitions holding on to the mast in horror. Similar sightings were reported in the years after the event, often by shipmates not known to fabricate. Various fishermen off the Vancouver coast reportedly spotted lifeboats carrying skeletons that had drifted into a cave, but they were never found. Twenty-seven years after the disaster, when the case was all but in the back of the minds of sailors, the stray number 5 lifeboat was found drifted ashore, its paint still in very good condition, with no passengers aboard. Part of that lifeboat is currently on display at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia.