Television Program On Wood Ignites Passion In Norwegians

by McLean Robbins on

If you’re going to visit Norway, we’d suggest you do some reading before you arrive. And no, we’re not suggesting that you buy a phrasebook or learn how to navigate the local public transportation systems – we suggest that you seek some knowledge about a topic apparently of great interest to the population: wood.

This article in the New York Times today shows the country’s unprecedented reaction to a new television program about wood. Approximately 20 percent of the country’s population tuned in to some part of the show, which aired on a Friday night in prime time and featured four hours of programming and eight hours of a live fireplace shot. The article states that just over 20 percent of the population, a total of 1.2 million people, use wood for their home heating or stoves.

We in America might relate to the latter portion of the program – the Yule Log channel is often part of our holiday repertoire, along with classics like “Miracle on 34th Street.”

But we’re talking about 12 hours of a show on WOOD here, people.

What do you think? Would you attempt to have a conversation with a Norwegian about his or her love of wood on your next visit, or would you stick to something a bit safer, like the weather?

[Image Credit: Flickr user Rubber Dragon]

Great Hotel Bars Where You Can Celebrate National Margarita Day

by McLean Robbins on

If you thought Cinco de Mayo was the only holiday where you could celebrate your love for margaritas, think again. Today (February 22) is National Margarita Day. Yes, it’s a real holiday. No, there are no rules on whether you need to enjoy your libation on the rocks, frozen or swirled. We’re partial to the latter. To help whet your appetite (or give you inspiration for your at-home creation), we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite hotels where you can sip the famed tequila-lime concoction.

His and Hers at The Modern Honolulu

Drawing inspiration from a well-known book, the library-themed lobby bar at The Modern Honolulu, The Study, serves masculine and feminine takes on the traditional margarita. The Men Are From Mars includes Jose Cuervo Traditional tequila with St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, a dash of olive gastrique and a float ($14). The Women Are From Venus is Jose Cuervo Traditional tequila kissed with St. Germaine elderflower liqueur and sweet and sour “a la minute,” served up with a bonnet of cabernet ($14).

A Margarita of a Different Color at Tanque Verde Ranch

Tanque Verde Ranch takes pride in helping guests relax with the Ranch’s specialty Prickly Pear Margarita. This margarita is made with reposado tequila, Cointreua, Drambuie, bitters, freshly picked prickly pear juice from an on-property harvest, agave nectar and lemon, garnished with a lime ring.

Some like it Hot at Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa
The hotel’s Spur Restaurant & Bar serves a margarita sure to warm visitors up during cold winter months. Executive Chef Kevin Humphrey’s Spicy Margarita combines infused jalapeño tequila, muddled citrus, a passion fruit or blood orange puree, and is finished with a classic salted rim.


Keep it Classic at The Lodge at Tiburon
Tiburon Tavern at The Lodge at Tiburon has an upscale play on a classic with Matadora Gold Tequila, sweet agave nectar and fresh fruit juice, served over ice with a Gran Marnier float.


Go Artisinal at The Iroquois
Lantern’s Keep, at The Iroquois in Manhattan’s Theater District is known for serving perfectly crafted artisan cocktails. Celebrate National Margarita Day with their “Tequila Maid” made with tequila and lime, shaken with mint and cucumber.

If tequila is not your amigo… try Rancho Bernardo Inn
The Bar at this hotel serves a highly untraditional margarita, substituting the routine tequila for gin. The Rancho Gin-A-Rita showcases Nolet Gin, diced cucumbers, a dash of cilantro, agave nectar and a splash of orange juice and triple sec.

[Image Credit: Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa]

A Vintage Submarine And Icebreaker In Tallinn’s Seaplane Harbour

by Sean McLachlan on


Tallinn has been an important port and Estonia’s connection with the world since before recorded history. Because of this, the city has not one, but two museums dedicated to the sea. The Maritime Museum is housed in Fat Margaret, an old cannon tower that once protected the harbor. It has the usual assortment of old photos and gear, along with a very cool exhibit on sunken ships.

The other museum is far more interactive. Housed in an old seaplane hanger dating to World War I, Tallinn’s Seaplane Harbour Museum is filled with old ships and other maritime bric-a-brac.

Estonians seem to favor odd lighting in their museums. The Bastion Tunnels have a weird combination of red, yellow, and purple lights. At the Seaplane Harbor museum they seem to favor purple and blue. It gives the place a spooky under-the-sea feel.

Dominating the exhibit is the Lembit, a submarine built in 1936 by the English company Vickers and Armstrongs for the Estonian Navy. When Estonia fell to the Soviet Union in 1940 it was incorporated into the Red Banner Baltic Fleet of the Soviet Navy and saw action against the Axis powers. It managed to sink two ships and damage another.

Climb aboard and you’ll see an almost perfectly preserved submarine that was the cutting edge of technology of its time. You can visit the control room, periscope, radio room, torpedo tubes and cramped crewmen’s bunks all pretty much as they were. It didn’t feel too cramped to me until I read that it housed a crew of 32. Then I decided to enlist in the Army. Check out the gallery for some photos of this fascinating sub.

%Gallery-179305%As you walk around your eyes will be drawn upward by the two giant rotating propellers hanging from the ceiling. They’re so big you might miss the seaplane fitted with skis suspended nearby. A walkway takes you past other historic ships and an extensive collection of mines, presumably defused.

This is a fully interactive museum with touchscreen displays to teach you more about what you’re seeing. You can also man an antiaircraft gun and see how good you’d be defending Tallinn from an enemy air force. Then hop aboard a reproduction Sopwith Camel and try out a flight simulator. While I managed to save Tallinn from the bad guys, my flying skills showed that I should keep my driving on the ground.

Once you’re done with the indoor exhibits, head out back to visit the Suur Tõll, an icebreaker built in 1914 that saw service for several decades, clearing the Baltic Sea lanes during cold winters. Like with the Lembit, it’s well preserved and you can wander all over it. It seemed vast and luxurious compared with the submarine. The officer’s mess looked as big as a ballroom (it wasn’t), the quarters for the crew felt sumptuous (not!) and the engine room was like some Industrial Revolution factory. It takes a pretty tough person to be a sailor, and someone twice as tough to work in a submarine.

If you are at all interested in technology or the sea, don’t miss this place. Your kids will love it too. The museum has an excellent and reasonably priced little restaurant overlooking the hanger in case you get hungry.

Read the rest of my series: “Exploring Estonia: The Northern Baltics In Wintertime.”

Coming up next: Estonia’s Rich Art and Literature Scene!

[Photo by Sean McLachlan]

The Potential Of Google Glass For Travelers

by Kraig Becker on

One of the more interesting products currently in development at Google is a high-tech, wearable gadget known as Google Glass. In a nutshell, when worn like a typical pair of glasses, the device suspends a small LCD screen in your peripheral vision. When paired with a smartphone via BlueTooth, Glass is capable of displaying a variety of information without the user ever taking the phone out of their purse or pocket. Until recently, just exactly what information Glass could display, and what it would look like, remained a bit of a mystery. But earlier this week, Google released a video showing off the gadgets capabilities, some of which will come in very handy for travelers.

In the video, which you’ll find after the jump, you’ll see Google Glass helping someone navigate through a city, which is of course something we can all appreciate when visiting a new destination. Imagine simply asking the device to help you find a cafe, museum or other point of interest and then have it not only show you results, but also give you turn-by-turn navigation with visual prompts right on its tiny screen. That’s something that would certainly come in handy when navigating the congested streets of Paris or Rome.

But navigation is just the tip of the iceberg. The video also shows a user asking for a language translation and then quickly being provided the word that he requested. I think we would all agree that translation would be extremely helpful when visiting many foreign locales. It is easy to see future versions of Glass also being able to listen to and automatically translate full conversations in real-time or even providing written translations of signs, menus and banners too.Google Glass will come with a built-in camera, allowing the users to take still photos or video from their travels by simple issuing a voice command. Those images and videos can then be shared with friends and family via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The device has the potential to become the GoPro camera for the non-action sport crowd too, capturing all kinds of POV experiences from our travels.

Being location-aware, future iterations of the device could potentially allow users to leave augmented-reality notes for one another providing clues and suggestions on where to eat or stay while in a certain area. Then, as the user moves through those locations, he or she would see those notes appear on their screen as they pass by. The notes could include Yelp reviews, money-saving tips, hours of operation and a host of other information.

Google Glass is only currently available to app developers and beta testers, but Google is expected to bring it to market next year. The pre-production models run $1500 but that is expected to drop substantially when the consumer version becomes available sometime in 2014. Of course, we’ll also need to have a compatible smartphone (count on Android and probably iOS support) and a good data connection to make it all work. But the potential is there for a great product that can benefit travelers in many ways.

Now if they can just find a way to make them a bit more stylish.


Photo Of The Day: Wine Tasting

by Meg Nesterov on


What makes you enter an unfamiliar shop in a new city? An inviting window display? A big crowd (or lack thereof)? How about a funny sign like this Brooklyn shop, which advertises, “delicious free booze poured by a crazy French guy”? They had me at “delicious” and “free” wine; the French guy is just icing on the cake. It helps that the store looks cozy and friendly; the sign helps to show off their personality.

Share your favorite travel signs for the Photo of the Day by adding to the Gadling Flickr pool or tagging us on Instagram.

[Photo credit: Flickr user Mike GL]