It’s not a holiday themed picture, but it really kind of struck me as I was perusing the Gadling flickr pool. The contrasted starkness of pink on sand and faded blue could have easily lent itself to a wintry scene. Thanks, Patrick Powers.
Christmas house light shows for feeling merry and bright
In Pickerington, Ohio on Hail Ridge Drive, neighbors get together to create a computerized, animated Christmas light show that they sychronize to music. Cars line up for blocks as people wait their turn. As they creep along, they tune to a specific radio station that plays music that goes with the display.
Two years ago a friend of mine and I took our sons to see it, but once we saw the traffic, decided to park and walk. I was happy to see the Star of David and a menorah at one house. It made me think, what a great neighborhood that everyone participates in a creative outpouring of goodness. That’s how I see it anyway.
At the house towards the middle of the street we waited for Santa to make his appearance. We were told he had stepped out by his helpers who were passing out candy canes and collecting canned goods. According to one of Santa’s elves, enough cans had been donated to fill a garage.
The display is happening again this year. There are 17 houses included in what is called Picktown Lights. The show is going on through New Year’s so I think we’ll go there again. Canned goods are again being collected. Since food banks are running low this year, I hope this makes a killing.
Here are some other light displays in various parts of the U.S. that are also individual households. The most famous one is perhaps the one in Mason, Ohio. As I was looking for others on YouTube, I found its rivals. Enjoy.
1. The one in Mason, Ohio
2. Unknown location
3. Frisco, Texas
4. Brooklyn, New York
5. Another unknown location, but very relaxing. Be patient. It starts slowly
6. One from Pickerington, Ohio. This one has close-ups mixed in.
7. This one is to “Christmas Shoes,” my daughter’s favorite Christmas song. This one couldn’t be loaded, but here’s the link.
Dopplr goes live
In an earlier post, I mentioned that Dopplr, a social networking tool designed for travelers, had started beta testing and was sending out limited invitations. With the trial period wrapping up, Dopplr has just opened its door to the lay public. Now you too can share your travel plans with all of your friends and search for random occurrences when you’ll be in the sample place at the same time.
I’ve been test driving Dopplr for the last couple of months and will admit, it has come in handy once or twice. Do bear in mind though that the one random occurrence that did happen was between myself and The Bruce, the latter of whom spends 4 out of 5 days on the road during the workweek. If you don’t have as many gypsy wanderer friends, it may not be as useful to you. As far as the other dozen friends that I’m networked with — well I know their schedules well enough to not need to check online.
Dopplr may be best useful for its Facebook application, which allows you to indoctrinate more of your unsuspecting friends into the network. Otherwise your best six friends (whose plans you probbaly already know) may be the only friends that you’re linked to.
When you do decide to pull the trigger and join the community, the Dopplr Blog Tour is a good place to start.
Airport Cell Phone Waiting Lots
OK, call me slow (no, go ahead, I’ve gotten worse comments on this site). I only get to an airport every week or so, but I’d wondered what the signs saying “CELL PHONE LOT” meant. These are signs placed way out near the long-term parking lots, far from the airport and usually with an arrow directing traffic off somewhere.
Maybe my confusion has been signs like this one on the right. Maybe because it’s that I always go limo to the airport (just kidding).
Well, I reached the end of my curiosity rope and found out that many airports have set up short term “waiting” parking zones for those picking up travelers. They’re called anything from a “cell phone waiting area” to “cell phone lot” to “stage and go lot.”
The idea is that people (not commercial drivers) wait in these parking lots until called for a pick-up from inside the airport, rather than doing endless circles round the “arrival” pick-up area. They’re usually free for between a half-hour and one hour.
Great idea for those who are prevented from driving and talking at the same time, or those who haven’t discovered the possibility of checking on flight time arrivals using the one-billion or so websites out there.
The strange thing? Most airports have fifty or so temporary parking slots for those waiting for the call, while Houston’s airport has 1,000 spaces.
The benefits of traveling solo
Last night, I was talking to a friend who told me he had a non-refundable round-trip plane ticket to Madrid. I asked him when he was going, and he said, “Well, it depends if I can find someone to go with me. I just don’t want to go alone.”
I did my best to convince him of the merits of solo travel: the freedom it allows, the way it forces you to be outgoing and meet people, its uncanny ability for helping you discover more about yourself. I made some headway in my argument, and by the end of the night, he seemed convinced that, if it came to it, he would go by himself.
For anyone else who is deciding whether solo travel is right for them, Michaela Lola of Brave New Traveler has a thoughtful new article, “Solo Travel: 6 Reasons to Wander Alone” in which she makes a compelling argument for flying solo. The article hits all the standard reasons– setting your own schedule, enjoying complete freedom, taking on a challenge– and it also elucidates perfectly what I have always thought is one of the most important reasons to go it alone:
“[P]acks and pairs of backpackers seemed to be surrounded by an “invisible shield” – a force field that appeared impenetrable and intimidating to fellow travelers and locals. It was as though they had a sign stating Do Not Approach in bold, neon lights.”
Check out the full article here.