Video of the Day: Sheer terror on the Slingshot

by Mike Barish on

I hate scary amusement park rides. I understand that some people love roller coasters and loops and sudden plunges into dark caverns, but it’s just not for me. You can save your trips to Cedar Point and roller coaster road trips for someone else. Because, quite frankly, the looks on the faces of the two men in this video, combined with their deafening screams, basically sum up how I react to amusement park rides. Theme parks can be fun but mostly because so many of them serve turkey legs.

And seriously, that was not a countdown!

Sunken British warship to be raised, mystery solved

by Chris Owen on

In 1744, a mighty British warship sank off the Channel Islands, killing more than 1,000 sailors and carrying an estimated £500m worth of gold coins. Now, plans are being made to raise the ship and solve one of seafaring’s greatest mysteries.

“HMS Victory was the mightiest vessel of the 18th Century and the eclectic mix of guns we found on the site will prove essential in further refining our understanding of naval weaponry used during the era,” said Greg Stemm, chief executive of Odyssey Marine Exploration the American salvage company that found the ship and has been chosen to carry out the recovery.

The wreck of the 300 ft HMS Victory was a predecessor of Lord Nelson‘s famous 104-gun flagship, now a floating museum, was found near the Channel Islands in 2008, nearly 65 miles from where it was historically believed to have sunk.

Only a cannon, marked with the crest of King George I, has been recovered so far but the remains of the ship’s hull, an iron ballast, two anchors, a copper kettle and rigging have been spotted on the ocean floor where the ship was laid to rest 300 years ago.

The guns and other reclaimed artifacts will be displayed in British museums, however under British laws of salvage, the salvage company is likely to receive the bulk of any treasure found.

No matter, says Lord Lingfield, a relative of Admiral Sir John Balchin, who was onboard the warship when it sank. “We will have the satisfaction of solving a great maritime mystery that has been part of my family history since the 18th Century.”

Flickr photo by david.nikonvscanon


Luxury Travel: Visit England’s Highclere Castle, filming location of Downton Abbey

by McLean Robbins on
Fans of English history will leap at any chance to tour the country’s stately homes – but a private one-on-one with a real-life Earl and Countess might just be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Of course, any such experience comes with a price. For GBP 7,900, guests can step into the shoes of a Downton Abbey cast member with a private day trip to Highclere Castle, the filming location for the Emmy-winning series on PBS Masterpiece Classic.
Begin the day with tea and coffee in the private morning room after being personally greeted by the eighth Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, followed by a tour of the State rooms led by the Lord or Lady of the house. After a lunch with wines chosen from the Earl’s cellar, it’s off in one of the Earl’s private 4x4s to Beacon Hill.
After lunch, be transported in one of the Earl’s private 4×4 off-road vehicles to Beacon Hill. The 5th Earl of Carnarvon (who funded and assisted Howard Carter’s investigations, culminating in the discovery of Tutankhamen’s fabulous tomb in 1922) is buried at the summit and see the remains of an Iron Age fort. If the weather is inclement, enjoy an escorted tour of Highclere’s Egyptogology Exhibition.

The visit ends with the serving of High Tea, at which guests have an opportunity to gain an intimate and informal insight into the working life of the Countess. The package can be booked through Noteworthy Events.

Of course, if you’re simply a lover of the show and looking for a package that’s a bit less expensive – check out this hotel experience in New York that we covered a few weeks ago.

HipGeo iPhone app makes sharing travel easy

by Chris Owen on

HipGeo is a Los Angeles based development team with a passion for creating the most convenient way for people to keep track of what they saw, where they saw it, share it, and use what other people share to enhance their own travel experiences. Now, HipGeo has a new, free iPhone and iPad app that passively records your location as you travel. It can then mash your pics and comments into an animated map and travel diary for sharing.

“If Tumblr and Foursquare had a baby, it would look like the new HipGeo,” HipGeo’s chief product guy, Rich Rygg told cnet.

HipGeo automatically groups photos, comments, places, tags, likes, and dates together, allowing users to search and follow real travelers who go interesting places.

As users go about their normal posting, HipGeo creates place blogs with user generated content. In addition to seeing what friends and family are doing while traveling, we can also access this user generated information to help plan a trip or discover something interesting.

“HipGeo is attractive in that it seamlessly combines tools that are already popular on other platforms and redefines the social aspect of travel, ” says HipGeo on their website.

The app tags photos, adds captions, and pinpoints its location on a map but if you don’t want it tracking your every move, settings can be changed to record just certain locations.

The app is free but using it has a price. HipGeo warns that tracking GPS in the background “can dramatically decrease battery life.”

Photo: HipGeo


Experience luxury, culture, and adventure in Dubai through timelapse

by Jessica Festa on


Apparently, you can see a lot in 3 days. This timelapse video captures freelance filmmaker Aaron Mendez‘s short visit to Dubai and actually manages to capture a mix of experiences. Luxury travelers will enjoy seeing the pristine beaches, buzzing nightlife, and high rise buildings of the city, while the adventure-enthusiasts can witness off-roading, sandboarding, and camel riding in the desert. And for a bit of culture, Mendez gives a glimpse into traditional dances and ceremonies as well as an authentic beach-front hookah bar. The film was shot using a 5D Mark ll with 24-70mm and 70-200mm. And for those who like the background music, it’s “Midnight City” by M83.