LP’s Middle of Nowhere

by Erik Olsen on

Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but over the last few years, Lonely Planet has seriously diversified it’s portfolio beyond guide books. I recently reviewed the superb Blue List 2007, and have been very much enjoying their newest New York City Guide, which came out in September. (I’ve only browsed it so far, but it is a SEROUS upgrade from their previous NYC edition). I plan to put it to use and review it in the near future.

But in the meantime, consider taking a look at The Lonely Planet Guide to the Middle of Nowhere. The good folks at LP have assembled 55 varieties of “nowhere”, broadening the concept to make nowhere a bit of a state of mind as well as place. The “nowheres” range from The Loneliest National Park in America (that is, Nevada’s Great Basin National Park) to the more obvious: i.e. the North Pole (a place where you can be “the only human being in an area 1 1/2 times the size of North America”) which appeals, I’m sure to the Ted Kazinski in everyone. The book is lavishly illustrated with photos and feels good to the touch, being hardback and perfect for the coffee table. The kind of book that friends will pick up and thumb through as they’re waiting for you to get ready, get dressed or do whatever you do wen people are waiting for you.

New York City Walk

by Erik Olsen on

Easily one of my favorite things to do in New York City is to walk. I’ve spent entire weekends just letting my legs
carry me around town, turning on this street or that according to absurd, random whims like whether the light is green or if the word I’m thinking of has an “R” or “L” in it (for Right or Left, obviously).

But Caleb Smith has taken the notion of walking Manhattan to an amazing extreme. He claims to have walked every single street on the island of Manhattan. That is a LOT of walking. One would have to make walking a full-time job almost to accomplish this. Of course, he got a lot of press for doing it, and like any modern day adventurer, even an urban one, he has a Web site.

The site maps out Smith’s effort and even provides a few pages about his favorite streets ,which I found particularly nice. In fact, I’d recommend anyone coming to the city who wants to do something more than just see a show on Broadway to check out his suggestions.

Caveat Emptor: FAA to Govern Commercial Space Flights

by Neil Woodburn on

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently regulates anything which flies over American airspace.

Except for rocket ships.

Obviously rocket ship launches haven’t been much of a concern over the life of the FAA. With the recent move towards commercial space flights, however, the FAA has decided to assert its authority and include this nascent industry under its control.

The FAA issued its first ever set of rules last week to prospective companies wishing to launch customers into outer space. Those seeking a license to do so (yes, they will be issued by the FAA) will have to abide by rules and regulations put forth by the FAA–such as mandatory training and staff medical evaluations.

Amazingly, the FAA will not demand any type of safety regulations for the next eight years. The belief was that instituting such safety precautions would impede the growth of the industry in its initial years. So, I repeat: companies offering flights to outer space do not have to prove that their vehicle is actually safe to do so. The FAA will, however, require that passengers sign a form relinquishing any rights to sue the government in case a tragedy does occur.

Wow. Better get your life insurance policy in order before taking off, folks!

Alternative Gifts for a Needy World

by Neil Woodburn on

If you are a regular reader of Gadling, chances are you’re an avid traveler. The chances are also pretty high that you’ve been to some pretty screwed-up places on this planet where the locals suffer from all sorts of poverty and disease.

At some point or another, while taking this all in, a certain thought has crossed your mind: how can I help? Shortly afterwards, you return home and do nothing about it.

Well, now is your chance.

Alternative Gifts is a non-profit organization that seeks to reallocate the money spent on frivolous gifts and convert it into “life-giving gifts to a needy world.”

Their homepage provides the following examples;

For the cost of dinner and a movie: Provide permanent, accessible clean water for village folk in the Andes.
For the price of an iPod: Provide a fully equipped doctor’s kit in North Korea with basic diagnostic tools to enable doctors to deliver better health care.
For the price of a video game: Provide a wheelchair and give mobility, independence, dignity and hope to persons with disabilities in Cambodia.

So, if you haven’t purchased all your Christmas presents yet, considering giving an alternative gift to someone who really needs it. I think we can all get by with one less iPod or video game under the tree this year, don’t you?

Top 10 Destination Spas

by Erik Olsen on

I have to make a confession: I’ve never been to a destination spa in my entire life. Yes, a few times I’ve gotten naked and climbed into a hot tub, or even into natural hot springs, but drop a bunch of coin on some place in the desert where you stretch and eat yogurt and get a massage. Never. Look, I’m not pooh-poohing it. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet…nor do I have the disposable income to justify going to one of these places. Heck I’d rather drop that kind of money on a new ipod which, let me tell you, would give me more peace of mind in the long run.

So…since I am not in any way an authority on spas, I am going to turn over the task of telling you which are the best ones to visit to this site. In this nicely written piece they lay out the top ten destination spas in the United States and they tell you what makes them so special. All the usual suspects (by this, I mean states) are covered. California, Hawaii, Arizona. Funny, you don’t find many spas in, say North Dakota or West Virginia. I wonder why that is?