The Starbucks Juggernaut

by Erik Olsen on

Just because we’ve blogged about coffee so many times before…and what a necessary elixir it is for any traveler…I thought y’all might be interested in this article about the rather impressive ambitions of Starbucks to become not just a purveyor of coffee, but of media and entertainment as well. Sure, you’ve seen the racks of CDs in Starbucks stores across the country. Some of them are even pretty damn good, i.e. the new Pearl jam album. But did you know that Starbucks in getting into the movie business as well?

Yes, it seems the company has been in discussions with folks like Jagger, Bono, Prince and Chris Martin to develop ways to promote the company. Soon, says the company, they might be selling books and all manner of other items to help you enjoy that cup of coffee as you sit in the Starbucks store and then go back and order another $5 latte. Amazing.

Nesting of the Giant Leatherback Turtles, Grand Riviere, Trinidad

by Karen Walrond on

This weekend, my husband, daughter and I took a road trip to the north coast of Trinidad for the nesting of the giant leatherback turtles in the village of Grand Riviere.  From about May through August, thousands of giant leatherbacks return to the beach on Grand Riviere to lay their eggs — currently, between 300 to 500 come ashore each night, each of them laying between 80 to 100 eggs in each nest.
It’s an amazing experience to watch these giant reptiles lumber ashore to find the perfect spot for their nests.  It is illegal to go on the beach at night without the company of a certified guide and payment of a license fee — however, the nominal fee is well worth the excursion.  Guides take groups of people out onto the beach with the help of a red light (regular flashlights disorient the turtles), and each guide is trained and knowledgeable about anything you’d ever want to learn about the turtles — the fact that it is believed that the turtles return to the beach on which they were hatched; that they generally love the waters of the arctic and northern oceans, and actually travel thousands of miles to the Caribbean and South America to lay their eggs, so that the warm sands provide the proper temperature for incubation; and that while they seem clumsy on land, they are incredibly fast in the ocean, able to outswim sharks, and dive deeper than whales.

Because flashbulbs are prohibited at night, it can be very difficult to photograph the turtles after sundown; however, in the morning at dawn, the most intrepid of turtlewatchers can return to the beach to catch the last glimpse of the last of the turtles finishing their nests and returning to sea.  The photos you see here were taken yesterday morning at dawn.

Enjoy.


Vulture, waiting to scavenge for turtle eggs, or worse, new hatchlings.


Giant leatherback patting down her nest, before returning to sea.


On her way home.

One Night Stand: Springfield, Missouri

by Adrienne Wilson on

Right now I’m resting in my cozy Sleep Inn hotel room after my long 20-mile walk on dusty Missouri back roads, freshly laid oil on Hwy 60W, and everything in between. I’ve come to call the state Misery rather than Missouri, but that is due only to some of the hardships faced on my walk yesterday. Now I could stay here curled up in bed with my jammies on, yet that would be nothing more than a wasted opportunity in a new city. So I’m opting to go out. I’m told the Bass Pro Shop is a pretty happening spot in addition to some of the places found on this Springfield, Missouri Convention and Visitors Bureau website. I’m really not in the mood to do much, but since eating is a requirement and my favorite part of my daily regime I wouldn’t mind a few food recommendations. Where is the good grub Springfield? If there’s something outside of food that shouldn’t be missed and must be feasted on, pass that on as well. If not for me, then do it for some of the other readers heading out this way.

Unless someone can convince me otherwise, it looks like I’ll be skipping out on my sweet rendezous with the city of Springfield, Missouri to head down to Branson this evening though I’m totally willing to change my mind provided there is something equally exciting and closer. I’ll report back later.

On Portland

by Erik Olsen on

Portland, Oregon is one of my favorite US towns. I used to make road trips down to Portland from Seattle, where I lived for five or so years, and always I felt both welcomed and more relaxed. It’s a laid-back, friendly place whose weather is not quite as Seattle’s and where you can always find amazing outdoors things to do and a killer place to have a beer afterward. Alas, the folks over at SF Gate didn’t quite get the proper Portland treatment. The article here rhapsodizes on Portland’s charms, but they find that Porlanders are less welcoming of the California crowd. I guess that’s true. In Seattle, we always had a thing against California folk (of, which, I am one by birth, a fact I often kept quiet), but it seems Portland’s anti-CA vibe is even stronger. It’s a good piece, but makes you wonder: can’t we just all get along?

China Makes Voodoo Dolls a No-No

by Adrienne Wilson on

If a voodoo doll with a pin attached ready for the pricking was high on your list of souvenirs to pick up while perusing the vendor stalls on Beijing’s streets then you’ll have to do some searching. (Think Shenzhen and Guangzhou.) Apparently the Chinese government doesn’t like these dolls and for various reasons, but placing the ban has created a craze according to this Newsweek piece found on MSN. Concerned authorities at the Industrial and Commercial Management Department claim the dolls encourage superstition and “promote feudalism and feudal beliefs.” Other citizens equally upset about the dolls and (whispers) maybe even a little afraid of an enemy they may have crossed in the past, are calling on the Communist Party to enforce a nationwide ban on the voodoo dolls. However, vendors sing a different tune where one individual believes teens purchased the dolls because they were cool, not because they were trying to hurt each other.

For those still looking to flatter their enemies by wasting countless hours of their own precious time with pricking, poking, and prodding at the plush, yarn or hand-made dolls can check the web where internet sales for the dolls continue to flourish. See MSN for the full details.