Going Solo

by Erik Olsen on

For some pople, traveling alone is the only way to go. I often feel this way. I think you meet more people and tend
to throw yourself into the local culture a bit more when you are by yourself. Writer Lea Lane agrees.

In her new book, Solo Traveler: Tales and Tips
for Great Trips, Lea Lane takes a look at all the benefits derived from hoofing it alone, and offers her top ten
best places for doing so.

Here is the list:

1. Amalfi Coast , Top budget pick.

2. Canada, Top budget/solo-friendly pick.

3. Thailand, Top budget pick.

4. Grand Canyon, Top solo experience
pick.

5. Canyon Ranch, Top spa pick.

6. Cliffside Inn, Top lodging pick.

7. New York, Favorite solo city/domestic.

8. London, Favorite solo city/ foreign.

9. Peter Deilmann Cruises, Top river cruise
line.

10. Windstar, Top small cruise line.

Spring Breaking for Jesus

by Erik Olsen on

It seems we hear a lot these days about America’s faith…and if you’re not a devoutly
religious person, it sometimes seems there’s no escaping all this talk, unless, say, you go on vacation.

Well, now you may be out of luck there, too. Here’s an MSNBC’s story
about how God-fearing folks are now taking God with them to the
beach, and the forest, and wherever else they are going. Spring-breakers are out evangelizing rather than wrapping lips
around a beer bong, Bible-beating contests trump wet-T-shirt contests. What’s next? Baptisms at Daytona Beach?

Healing Through Words &Theater

by Adrienne Wilson on

Playwright, Sonja
Linden had picked up long ago on what last years media seemed to tune into
with films like Hotel Rwanda and this years HBO premeired, Sometimes in
April.  Her play which was seen in London way before the two film releases is about a young Rwandan woman who
finds herself alone in London and later writing personal accounts on the mass killings of Rwanda at a refugee
center.  The two character play then goes on to reveal transformations in each, one by writing for healing
and another by gaining a deeper understanding of the human condition. 

A Young Lady in
Rwanda is playing at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre and runs now until May 8, 2005.  For more
information check out their website.

America’s Most Endangered Historic Places

by Adrienne Wilson on

Here’s something to pay attention to if you were in a dark closet on Pluto or had absolutely no
clue, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
puts out this list every year of some of America’s most endangered historic spots.  Of course the best thing to do
is take action if we don’t want the little pieces of the past to crumble away into the modern world, but if taking
action requires too much energy then take a vacation.  That’s right.  This may be the only chance you’ll get
to see some of the cool sites like, Nine Mile
Canyon in Utah. 

Often referred to as, “the world’s longest art gallery,”  the canyon has more than 10,000 images carved into
it’s walls by Native Americans.  It has been on the endangered list for sometime as certain folks who lack
interest in the doodles on the walls would rather make it an industrial zone.  This is only one of America’s great
bits of history on the brink of extinction. You can find about other sites and how to get involved at the
National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

Ethics: Visiting an “Outpost of Tyranny”

by Erik Olsen on

What an interesting question is asked in this
article in the Christian Science Monitor: is it ethical to visit places that are rife with corruption, human rights
abuses and are just generally have a whiff of evil about them?

For example, what about taking a trip to a place like Zimbabwe, where strongman-President Robert Mugabe has encouraged
the takeover of white-owned farms, closed independent newspapers, and restricted political opposition. Just today
he’s in the news about the
widespread election fraud that has tainted the recent elections there. Is this a place you should be spending your
dollars? Supporting an economy that supports someone like Mugabe (quick aside: is it just me, or every time you hear
Mugabe you think of Will Ferrell in Zoolander?) is hardly the best way to show you care about what’s happening in parts
of the world.

Or, as a person quoted in the article says, “From the ground level, you’re supporting individuals who have done
nothing wrong.”

Interesting question indeed.