Blogger Megan Fernandez

by Megan Fernandez on

Introducing another new blogger to Gadling, Megan Fernandez …

Where was your photo taken: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a rare cloudy day. The locals sincerely apologized for the weather.

Where do you live now: Indianapolis, Indiana.

Scariest airline flown: No scary ones, luckily. But I turn into a crybaby on any cable car.

Favorite place: Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

Most remote corner of the globe visited: Birgitzer Alm, a farm at the head of a toboggan run in the Alps, outside of Innsbruck, Austria. It’s not far from civilization, but just try getting there in winter, and you’ll know what I mean.

Favorite guidebook series: MapChick’s meticulously annotated maps of the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. A couple in Iowa publishes them, and in the early days of e-commerce, you could order one online on the honor system. You’d just send them a check when your map arrived.

Dream travel destination: The Galapagos Islands.

How did you get started traveling: I worked for a travel club, which is a rare bird in the industry. It used to run nonstop charter flights just from Indy to places like Turks & Caicos and Prince Edward Island. I doubt the city will ever have such nonstop service again. One day, I learned just how unusual the company was when I answered my phone and it was Arthur Frommer, calling to write an article about travel clubs.

Favorite means of transportation: Bicycle and funicular.

Most recent trip: San Antonio and Austin, with a pilgrimage to City Market Barbecue in Luling.

Photo Of The Day: Warming Up Around A Fire In The Mountains Of India

by Anna Brones on

Somewhere at the core of every human being is a pull to a fire. We are drawn to that place where we sit as a tribe around a source of warmth, sharing stories and building connections. That spirit is embodied in this photo by Flickr user arunchs, who snapped this scene of three men in Zanskar, a valley region in eastern India where nighttime temperatures can reach upwards of 20 below zero.

Maybe this is why we travel. Why we circle around a table with new friends. Why we gather around a group of street performers. No matter where we find ourselves, we are drawn to shared experiences, be it around a fire, a meal or simply a map.

Have a photo that embodies the spirit of travel? Add your photos to the Gadling Flickr pool to be chosen for the Photo of the Day feature.

[Photo Credit: arunchs]

Lonely Planet’s Best Worst Pick-Up Lines For Travelers

by Laurel Miller on


“I hope you’re not a monk, because I’d love go Tibet with you.” Cue sound of detonating bomb.

Our friends at Lonely Planet recently compiled a list of the best worst travel-themed pick-up lines, via Twitter. The results are hilarious, as well as cringe-inducing. Some of our favorites:

“This may not be India, but since I saw you, I’ve felt like I’m in Lucknow.”

“You must be from Paris, because you’re driving me in Seine.”

“Hey girl, you’re looking Varanasi.”

“Would you allow me Dubai you a drink?”

“Did you overstay your visa? Because you’ve got ‘fine’ written all over you.”

We were always taught that puns are the lowest form of humor. But it seems there’s a time and a place for everything (we were also taught not to use cliches in our writing). Here’s hoping these come-ons give you the, uh, tools you need for a great Valentine’s Day. Good luck out there.

[Photo credit: Flickr user debaird™]

Disneyland Princesses Get Their Own, New Land

by Chris Owen on

Disneyland Park in California will debut Fantasy Faire in March, a new interactive experience that gives guests a more personal experience with all the Disney princesses, all in one place. A natural expansion of Disneyland’s Fantasyland, the addition has Disney princess fans excited for the March 12, opening, now less than a month away. Like sister-park Disney World in Florida, a big emphasis is on getting park guests involved in the story, rather than sitting by passively, listening (or not) to a story being told.

Located next to Disneyland’s existing Fantasyland and Sleeping Beauty Castle, new half-acre Fantasy Faire will be an enchanting, immersive environment with fairy-tale buildings placed around a main square. Individual elements of Fantasy Faire have guests informally cast in roles, making for a more memorable experience. It’s a dream come true for princess fans that will now find all the Disney princesses in one place.

%Gallery-178418%Royal Hall is the main attraction where three princesses will be on hand to meet, greet and pose for photos by Disney photographers; guests can also take their own pictures. Separated into three different rooms, groups of guests are small allowing for more interaction.

The Royale Theatre is an outdoor audience participation venue doing six, 15- to 20-minute shows a day. The premise is a live action vaudeville-like show where Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones along with Rapunzel and Belle tell the stories of “Tangled” and “Beauty and the Beast” in a fun way with music and dance. Guest have a role here too, sneering at villains and cheering the good guys. After the show, stars of the show mingle with the crowd too.

Fairy Tale Treasures will be selling princess dresses and other merchandise.

Maurice’s Treats a food cart resembling the gypsy wagon owned by Belle’s father, which sells bread twists (cheese, chocolate, strawberry and almond cream) and the Boysen Apple Freeze, a slushy drink that looks suspiciously like the grog-like beverage we tried at Disney World in new Fantasyland.

Look for plenty of Disney’s signature attention to detail too.

Fantasy Faire takes the space formerly used for the Carnation Plaza Gardens. Not to let that venue be forgotten, a special crest is being put above one of the ornate doorways in the Fantasy Faire area with the initials C, P and G for Carnation Plaza Gardens and a carnation flower carved underneath.

Here’s more on Fantasy Faire in a video update:



[Photo Credit- Disney Parks]

Spiders Blanket The Sky In Brazil (VIDEO)

by Libby Zay on

As many of us in the northeast scramble because of heavy snow and delayed flights, at least we can rest assured knowing we don’t have it as bad as these people in Brazil. The terrifying video above shows a strange phenomenon: thousands of spiders dangling in the sky. According to Gawker, the footage comes from the southern Brazilian town of Santo Antônio da Platina, and was posted online earlier this week by 20-year-old web designer Erick Reis as he was leaving a friend’s engagement party. A bad omen, perhaps?

Brazilian news outlet G1 spoke with a local biologist who says the spider activity is actually quite normal. He identified the species as Anelosimus eximius, a “social spider” known for its massive colonies that create blankets of webs. The behavior might also seem familiar to people in Chicago, where each year the city experiences an influx of “flying spiders” – so many that earlier this year the Hilton’s Magnificent Miles Suites hotel formally requested guests keep their windows shut to avoid the annual migration. This species, known as Larinioides sclopetarius, spin their silk into balloon-like formations and ride lakefront air currents to crevices in high rises downtown.

Would sky spiders (or spiders that blanket the ground) ruin your vacation, or would you brave the invasion?