Win big with Trazzler’s travel writing contests

by Sean McLachlan on

Do you ever read Gadling and say “I can do that”? Well, travel website Trazzler is looking for new talent. This July and August they’re accepting submissions for their On the Road Writing Contest.

They’re looking for short (about 65-120 words) pieces about “the in-between places, quirky attractions, scenic drives, irresistible pitstops, natural oases, sleepy forgotten towns, places of pilgrimage, roadside enigmas. . .” You get the picture. Prizes include free stays at luxury Fairmont hotels and freelance contracts to write for Trazzler. If you want to break into the crazy business of writing, a paying contract is a damn good prize.

To get some inspiration, check out their writing guidelines and some of the sample entries on the website. Don’t forget to read the rules carefully! A consistent complaint editors and judges have is that writers don’t read submission guidelines carefully enough, leading to otherwise good entries getting rejected.

Trazzler is also hosting a Smart Travel Writing Contest and the Mendocino Writing Contest. Both have some cool prizes. It looks like Trazzler is the place to be for budding travel writers.


Photo courtesy user ohad.me via Gadling’s flickr pool.

Europe’s relaxed attitude toward nudity makes American travelers uncomfortable

by Laurel Miller on

While the image of a naked Rick Steves getting a rubdown in a Turkish bathhouse might be a bit TMI for many of us, the seasoned traveler, guidebook author, and travel show host makes some excellent points in a recent CNN article on Europe’s cultural tolerance for nudity.

According to Steves, who starts the piece with a flashback from a 1978 trip, “if you can leave your inhibitions at home, you can better appreciate some of the amazing experiences Europe has to offer.” Like, perhaps, ogling soapy boobies on a Belgian billboard, or admiring “sunbathing grandmothers [with] no tan lines,” in southern France. Or visiting museums.

Actually, Steves himself admits to being “uncomfortable” when confronted with all the nekkidness Europe has to offer, but he’s quick to point out that the trend is often rooted in a historical, sociological context. Turkish baths, for instance, were partly designed as a gathering place, where Muslim women could socialize, celebrate the birth of a child, or search for a suitable bride for their sons (and you think your mother-in-law is bad). And, he adds, he likes “a continent where the human body is considered a divine work of art worth admiring openly.” Cheers to that.

[Via Tribune Media Services]
[Photo credit: Flickr uses historic.brussels]

Postcrossing celebrates five years of postcard revolution

by Sean McLachlan on

There’s something very special about sending or receiving a postcard. It’s one of the simple joys of travel, yet in the age of email, Skype, and social networking, you’d think the old-fashioned postcard would have become a thing of the past.

It hasn’t. Thanks to Postcrossing, a postcard trading organization, postcards are undergoing a revival. Postcrossing turns five years old this week and in that short time it has racked up some staggering statistics–more than 4.7 million postcards have been sent by more than 190,000 members to about 200 countries. Those postcards have logged 25,771,990,953 km. That’s 643,093 laps around the world!

One odd aspect of Postcrossing is that most correspondents are complete strangers. Postcrossing wants to start a “postcard revolution” by getting people to start sending more postcards, not just to their friends and family, but to random fans around the world.

Postcrossing is free to join. Members put their address into a secure database. When you request to send a card, another member’s address is sent to you. Once your card is received and registered, you’re next in line to get a card from another stranger! It’s a lot of fun and a good way to spread international friendship and teach geography to your kids. I and at least one other Gadling blogger are Postcrossing members. So if you’re tired of only receiving junk mail in your mailbox, give Postcrossing a try.

In case you’re wondering, this is the mailbox just outside the post office in Harar, Ethiopia. That’s the left arm of yours truly sending some cards to my son and some fellow Postcrossing members.

National Geographic awards prestigious medal for first time in 30 years

by Kraig Becker on

Earlier this week the National Geographic Society honored Dr. Roger Tomlinson and Jack Dangermond with the Alexander Graham Bell Medal, an award that hasn’t been given to anyone in 30 years. The two men are visionary pioneers in the area of geographic information systems (GIS) who have had a massive influence on the way we think about geography and the use of geographical data to analyze problems.

The Alexander Graham Bell Medal has only been given once before and that was way back in 1980 when explorers and mountaineers Bradford and Barbara Washburn were honored for their efforts to fill in the blank spots on maps. The award, which is obviously named for the famous inventor who also happened to serve as the Society’s second president, is awarded for extraordinary achievement in geographic research. Tomlinson and Dangermond certainly epitomize that.

Tomlinson, who is known as the “father of GIS”, first conceived and developed the concept while working with the Canada Land Inventory back in the 1960’s. His work would go on to change geography as a discipline and he now consults with nations and scientists from around the world on the best ways to manage natural resources and project urban development.

Dangermond has had a similar impact on the way we view geography, founding the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) with his wife back in 1969. ESRI now has the largest install base of any GIS software program, with more than 1 million users, spread out over 300,000 organizations, including businesses, NGO’s, governments, and more. Those organizations use the software to analyze and project trends in environmental changes, shifts in urban development, and our impact on the world around us.

The two men are rock stars in the world of geography, and their influence is felt across the discipline without question. The fact that it has been so long since anyone else was awarded the Alexander Graham Bell Medal is a testament to the impact they have had on the science. Congratulations to both men.

[Photo credit: National Geographic Society]

Recession kills Chapel Hill Museum, threatens others

by Sean McLachlan on

The municipal museum in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is the latest victim of the recession. It closed its doors on Sunday after 14 years in operation. The town council had only earmarked $20,000 for the museum in the 2011 budget, far short of the $49,000 it needed to stay open.

The Chapel Hill Museum explored the history and culture of this prosperous university town with displays on early settlers, desegregation, works from local artists, and a popular fire engine from 1914. More than 15,000 people visited the museum every year and it was a regular destination for school groups.

With budgets getting cut across the country, the Chapel Hill Museum may be the canary in the coal mine for cultural organizations. The Battleship New Jersey was recently saved from a budget cut, but a nearby children’s garden had to reduce its hours after getting less funding than it needed. Numerous parks and historic sites in New York also face closure.


Photo courtesy Siera Heavner via Wikimedia Commons.