http://www.triporati.com/blog Cleared for Takeoff Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:00:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en January is a time for the dreaded dance of the New Year’s resolution. Gyms are packed, nicotine patches in short supply, folks are scrimping and saving and many look to their waistlines for resolution inspiration. For many, the battle of the bulge still reigns supreme on 2009 to do lists. ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2009/01/06/a-weighty-problem-for-air-india/ “Every picture tells a story,” goes the Rod Stewart song from 1971, and how true that is when you add a little context to an image that grounds it in its historical place. Chris Epting makes a habit of finding spots in the United States notable for cultural incidents—both earth-shaking ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2009/01/06/travels-in-the-american-culture/ Where will we travel this year? What are the “hot” places? Naturally this depends more on you than on anyone or anything else. The media can tell you what they think are the emerging spots for exciting travel but it all comes down to what you like and what you ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2009/01/04/hot-spots-for-2009/ As we close out another year and say good-bye (for now) to one of the best travel editors and writers in the USA (John Flinn of the San Francisco Chronicle, who's retiring today) it’s fitting to take a look at John’s collected Weird Travel Stories of 2008, and while we’re ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/31/weird-travel-from-2008-celebrations-for-2009/ As snow blankets much of the country from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine you can’t help but dream a bit about Hawaii and other tropical climates. Our President elect and his family have been enjoying some R & R in the land of Aloha, gaining strength and focus for the ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/29/aloha-spirit/ A few years ago I found myself in Adelaide, Australia in the days before Christmas. Because I'd been traveling around the continent, including in the searing outback of South Australia, Christmas was pretty far from my mind. But I encountered something in Glenelg, a seaside suburb of Adelaide, that brought ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/24/christmas-carols-in-adelaide/ Every year in December, my husband and I have the discussion about a tree. I have this vision, as a young girl, of going to New Jersey to cut one down every year. This was quite a trek from Manhattan and made for great memories. It’s a bit of a ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/20/christmas-tree-farm-adventure/ Many of us like to believe that we’re remarkable travelers, having visited dozens if not hundreds of countries and connected with people in many cultures, but a news story in today's San Francisco Chronicle about the death in Venezuela of a husband-and-wife team of travelers brought home what one meaning ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/15/the-deaths-of-two-amazing-travelers/ Japanese Bullet Trains or Shinkansen are modern marvels: sleek, fast and on time. These trains are magnificent, and a testimony to Japan’s resurrection from the ashes of World War Two. The first-ever Bullet Train made its last run today, 44 years after its debut for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The original model, ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/14/japanese-trainspotting/ Anyone who's been to Buenos Aires since the political and economic meltdown of 2002 is aware that the city has become the top gay travel destination in all of South America, and one of the most important in the world. A recent issue of the Economist provides a good summary of ... http://www.triporati.com/blog/2008/12/13/out-of-the-closet-and-into-the-wine-cellar/