Other Spots in India

by Erik Olsen on

India, as you probably are aware, is one massive place. I was there two years ago and was blown away by how vast and variegated the country is. It is as true hodgepodge of cultures, languages, foods and peoples. Anyone who tells you they’ve seen India, well, unless they explain that they were there for a year or more, don’t believe them.

But with this in mind, there are lots of small, lesser-known places in India that are always worth checking out The Washington Post, in fact, runs a great little piece on exactly that, interesting out of the way spots that will help you come to know the country better. Definitely worth a read.

One for the Road: RoadTrip USA

by Erik Olsen on

Forget baseball, apple pie (who even eats the stuff
anymore?), and your mom…OK, be nice to mom…go buy her a card, in fact, just saying hi. Or better yet, give her a
call. Then come back.

OK, back? Great. How’s mom?

OK, now onward. Here’s the deal. All that is at
the heart of America might include those things above, but I have another suggestion: The Road Trip. Yes, from Lewis and Clark and what might be called the
first great road trip in American history to Jack Kerouac’s fictional gallivants across the continent, the Road Trip
has been an integral part of the American ethos from the get go. Who among us in college didn’t, on some random Friday
night, sit with a group of friends contemplating the coming weekend and then scream: "Road Trip!" at the to
of your lungs before pounding another beer and then hopping into the car…with a designated driver, of course.

But there are so many road tri possibilities out there. How can you possibly decide which one to take? How can
you possibly know all the alternatives? Folks, I have a suggestion.

Get your hands on the book Road
Trip USA by Jamie Jensen. Put out by the folks at Avalon Books, this weighty tome is so full of ideas that it would literally
take a lifetime to do them all.  Broken down by state and illustrated with a gazillion photos, the book offers
insight and advice, as well as much needed specifics, for how  and where to take your next road tri. From the
Delaware Shore and Rehoboth Beach to the road along the Appalachian trail to the ribbon of road beneath the gaping
skies of Montana, this book will be your travelers bible as you head out in the car. Just don’t get any of that
apple pie on your jeans as you drive and eat.

Art Not Oil 2006

by Adrienne Wilson on

One last plug for the night on an oil
related story. I know several of you (especially the last minute type who have to fill up that gas guzzling tank first
thing Monday morning before heading to the office space) are trying to avoid thinking about the topic, while the rest
of you eco and money minded individs are finding clever ways to beat the system or speak out against it. For those
fortunate enough to not have to rush-in and punch somebody’s time clock and feel like whipping a little sumthin’
sumthin’ up on canvas, why not paint your petro related frustrations then submit them to the 2006 Art Not Oil exhibition?

It’s not only about high gas prices
though, think corruption and the damage done by seedy companies in the industry. You can see additional details at the
website or by visiting London Rising
Tide. The exhibition will open in London on June 10, 2006. Closing date for entries is May 30, 2006. Sounds like
cool show to check on when in London during your summer holiday, provided the gas doesn’t break your bank beforehand.

Top 10 U.S. Cities Best Prepared for an Oil Crisis

by Adrienne Wilson on

Spring just arrived, summer is somewhere around the corner and gas prices are surging, again. Time to start
evaluating the cost of any potential cross-country road trips this season. Better yet, it’s time to start re-evaluating
where you live. I am. Sustain
Lane takes a close look at some of America’s 50 biggest cities and breaks them down into a list of the 10
best prepared for an oil crisis should one rise. For the most part many will not come as a surprise; NYC has the
most means of metro transportation available and a city not afraid to utilize it and well, Honolulu, on the island of
Oahu isn’t exactly that huge. You could walk the entire island if needed, but seriously, cities are ranked according to
factors like recent city commute practices, metro area public transportation, sprawl, traffic congestion, local food,
and wireless network access. With all the details found in the article you’ll want to know how your city stacks up and
what makes it best prepared for an ill oil situation. I already abhor driving unless it’s on long open roads and
judging from these factors I’d be quite out of luck here in Tampa.

The best prepared are as follows:

  1. New York City
  2. Boston
  3. San
    Francisco
  4. Chicago
  5. Philadelphia
  6. Portland
  7. Honolulu
  8. Seattle
  9. Baltimore
  10. Oakland

Putting the 'F' Back in Adventure Travel

by Adrienne Wilson on

Even if you swore you never saw it
before, chances are you’ll be seeing it more these days. And you’re probably thinking words like ‘funk’ or
‘free-spirit,’ but what I’m talking about is FAMILY. You heard right, according to this Cleveland.com
piece agencies are seeing an increase in adventure packed family vaca’s and I’m not talking about riding the Kinga Ka at Six Flags, folks. Think more towards a
Heli-Hiking tour like those offered by Chilko Lake Resort located 150 miles out of Vancouver. The story touches on the
author’s family fun-filled times bushwacking down a mountain and intense hiking up rocky ridges with her two teenage
daughters. Quite impressive.

Of course putting the ‘F’ in adventure travel is going to require you put the
‘dough’ on the table and these types of trips are certainly not cheap. Parents scraping to take their children on a
pricey trip to see Mickey Mouse at Disney World may be
tempted to look away, but the truth is some far-more incredible destination may only be a few extra hundred dollars.
When you’re talking about the kind of experiences Ogintz mentions like
kayaking along whales in Alaska, it’s soo worth it.

To start planning your own adventure travel family
vacation check out some of the sites found in the story listed below: