Historic Royal Palaces To See, Or Rent

by Chris Owen on

The UK’s Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace. In addition to maintaining the physical structures, Historic Royal Palaces works to share them with the world through day tickets that might be great for those visiting the Olympics and seeking unique experiences between events.

“Our aim is to help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built,” says Historic Royal Palaces on its website.

While each of the five royal palaces in their care has survived for hundreds of years, they receive no funding from the Government or the Crown and depend on the support of visitors, members, donors, volunteers and sponsors. Four of them are available for hire too.

Tower of London
A breath-taking collection of finery in the newly presented Jewel House at the Tower of London features a unique collection of royal regalia that is still regularly used by The Queen in important national ceremonies. Also meet the Beefeaters and Ravens and enter the White Tower, the oldest museum in the world. Open daily, year round.

Hampton Court Palace
A temporary exhibition, called “The Wild, The Beautiful and The Damned,” is included in admission to the palace until September 30, 2012. The exhibit introduces visitors to the court beauties, lecherous rakes and ambitious courtesans who decorated the decadent world of Charles II and his successors. Open daily year round.

Kensington Palace
This summer, visitors can experience the momentous occasion of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897 or “Diana Glimpses Of A Modern Princess,” a small and elegant display of five dresses worn by the iconic princess. Open daily, year round.

Kew Palace
Kew Palace takes visitors behind the scenes to “George III’s Royal Kitchens” for the first time to reveal George’s eating habits and the management of an intimate royal household. Kew Palace is open this summer until September 30, 2012.

Daily tickets to see any one of the palaces are sold, but membership in the Historic Royal Palaces family enjoys free and unlimited entry to all palaces.


Flickr photo by kingsimmy

Video Of The Day: San Diego Fireworks Fail

by Meg Nesterov on


Millions of Americans went back to work today after the Independence Day holiday yesterday, and many began tweeting about the July Fourth fireworks display in San Diego. Apparently, due to a malfunction, instead of a 20-minute show, ALL the fireworks went off at one time, lighting up the sky for only a few seconds. YouTube user Andrew92106 uploaded today’s Video of the Day, showing off the short but sweet spectacular.

Hoping for a longer holiday? At least tomorrow is Friday. Keep the holiday mode going and share your favorite holiday travel videos in the comments below.

National Park Foundation Launches 2012 Photo Contest

by Kraig Becker on

The National Park Foundation has launched its 2012 photo contest giving aspiring photographers an opportunity to show off their skills while helping the organization spotlight America’s spectacular public lands. The competition, which is now in its 12th year, draws more than 14,000 entries on an annual basis.

The contest is open to amateur photographers 13 years of age or older. All images submitted for consideration must have been taken on U.S. public lands, such as national parks and forests, between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. Submissions are being accepted through the end of this year at ShareTheExperience.com.

The winner of the competition will be awarded a $15,000 cash prize, an annual Federal Recreation Lands Pass and have their photograph featured on that same pass in 2014. More than 500,000 of the passes are sold each year, which means that a large audience will have exposure to the winning image. Second and third place winners will receive $10,000 and $2500 and an annual pass respectively, while honorable mention winners will receive a two-night stay at a variety of hotels across the country. For more information about the prizes, click here.

If you’re a fan of the national parks and have taken some great photos over the past couple of years, you can enter your images here. If you don’t have any images to submit you still have plenty of time to visit a national park before the deadline.

Photo Of The Day: Fourth Of July In Indiana

by Elizabeth Seward on


Patriotism means something different to everyone, but today we each celebrate the home we have found in the United States. We celebrate today with things that complete any good party: food, drinks, music, the outdoors and a good show. In most places, the show tonight will be a fireworks display. For that reason, I chose this photo by Keith Pennington as today’s Photo Of The Day. A night sky in Lake Wawasee, Indiana, is misted over from the explosions of fireworks on a Fourth of July past. Enjoy your holiday and be safe.

If you have a photo you’d like to have considered for Photo Of The Day, just upload it to the Gadling Flickr pool.

Celebrate July Fourth On The National Mall

by Kraig Becker on

If you’re looking for a unique and fun way to celebrate Independence Day today, and you’re fortunate enough to live close to Washington D.C., you may want to drop by the National Mall to take part in the annual festivities. The iconic monuments and memorials that make up the Mall should make for an inspiring backdrop to a full day of events.

Among the more memorable attractions on the National Mall are the Washington Monument and the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. The three presidents to which those sites are dedicated all played a vital role in forging the U.S. as a nation and today they will each be remembered for their leadership.

Activities on the Mall begin with a parade along Constitution Avenue that gets underway at 11:45 a.m. and runs through 2 p.m. Following the parade a group of park rangers will gather at the Jefferson Memorial where they’ll present a portrayal of life in America circa 1776. The nearby Sylvan Theater will play host to activities for the Junior Rangers from 3-8:30 p.m. and a live concert featuring the U.S. Army Band will begin at 6 p.m. Each of these activities will help set the stage for the impressive fireworks display that will take place between 9:10-9:30 p.m.

Directions to the Mall can be found on the NPS website and visitors are encouraged to arrive early. There are no entrance fees to any of the events or monuments and it is sure to be both a fun and educational way to celebrate the occasion.

Happy Independence Day!

[Photo credit: Leafsfan67 via WikiMedia]