WikiTravel

by Erik Olsen on

Most folks have probably spent some time messing around on Wikipedia. I know I have. In fact, the other night I literally spent four hours just browsing through all the pages and links dedicated to Pink Floyd (and yes, I’m going to read the new book out about them…when I can get the reading time).

But if you are a serious traveler and you have not spent some time playing around on WikiTravel, you’re missing out. The guides here are nicely filled out (for certain areas, that is), by people who know these places well or who have been there. It is like have a  Lonely Planet or Rough Guides online and for free.

And sometimes the info is even better than you get from a Rough Guides or Lonely Planet because it’s more nicely fleshed out and there are links to the various sites mentioned. I am adding WikiTravel to my bookmarks, BIG time.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of June 11

by Adrienne Wilson on

Let’s keep this short and sweet. The week is over and it’s time to round up some our five favorites you may have missed, so here they are:

5. Armenia Dispatches List:
For those of you who have been with us for a while you probably noticed how the categories disappeared and reappeared after some site maintenance and in the midst of the shuffle some really cool posts got buried underneath the rubble. Luckily Erik managed to retrieve all the dispatches done while visiting Armenia last year. If you didn’t catch them before then be sure to check them out now. Erik tunes us into the sounds of Bambir, the power of chess and the tales of a fine road trip through the region.

4. Future Tourist Sites that Hope to Remain Hidden:
Neil ponders an interesting subject found in the Los Angeles Times – how to keep future tourists away from sites that contain chemical agents and radioactivity. Apparently a Waste Isolation Plant in New Mexico is facing the challenge of how to warn people of the future that the artifacts found beneath the surface are dangerous, deadly and should not be touched. But how? Something to think about…

3. Indian City, USA:
We never blog enough about Native American travel sites and cool destinations to visit out in lands like Oklahoma. Agree? Well I had the chance to visit Indian City, USA in Anadarko, Oklahoma recently and if you’re in the area or planning to be you may wish to check out my blurb on the area. It’s just about the only thing out there to check out.

2. The Trib on Great Hikes:
Wish there were more people out there doing rather than just saying they’re going to do or telling you what’s really cool to do though they’ve never stepped foot on the land to begin with? Yeah – me too. Thankfully Erik points out a piece done by a guy who is the real deal on providing the 411 on great hikes around the country. If you’re looking for the best in hikes for the summer give this article a glance.

1. Paddle Stuff:
Summer is right around the corner and what could be better than man paddling through the sparkling crystal blue waters of some lake with the cool, light summer breeze brushing across his face? The answer is absolutely nothing. Okay, I’m sure somethings, but not most. If you’re looking to  become a paddle fanatic or tighten up your skills be sure to look at this small Paddle Stuff guide form Erik. It’s basically a list of links, but some fine ones in getting geared up and prepared to hit the water.

Walk Around the Pyramids

by Erik Olsen on

This is a pretty cool video put together by a guy named Jason Clay that shows the Pyramids of Giza in a kind of stop-motion progression.

Clay writes that he took one picture every ten steps as he made his way in a long walk around the pyramids, and the effect is pretty interesting.

The Trib on Great Hikes

by Erik Olsen on

Always good to hear about great hikes from those who actually do them. Hey, I’m not going name any names here, but let’s just say that I’ve had a few conversations with folks in the New York media world who tell me that those fancy “Top Hikes in the West” pieces are often cobbled together by interns who do their reporting on the Web. Again, no names, but this is what I hear. I’m sure the more reputable mags like Outside and Nat Geo don’t pull this stuff ,but you know it happens. I mean, I guess it makes sense. Who’s going to fly some kid around the country to do a couple of hikes so he can write a 500 word piece about it?

Well, the Chicago Trib brings us a nice list of hikes that you can be sure a bona-fide because the guy writing knows them well. He’d done them all. The hikes are from all over the country: Oregon, Colorado, Utah…great places to set out for a long, long ramble.

Summer at the Ski Resorts

by Erik Olsen on

The snow has all melted and the crowds have left for the beaches, but that doesn’t mean the fun stops at various US ski resorts around the country. Many of the biggest resorts, and a few small ones too, keep their ticket booths open to accommodate outdoor folk in search of warmer thrills.

This piece in CNN takes a look at what some of the resorts are doing this summer to provide opportunities for mountain bikers, campers, fisher folk, golfers, horseback riders, et al. The piece covers most of the big ski states like Colorado, Utah and California and does justice to most of the areas providing this kind of fun. Myself, I’ve always been partial to Mammoth Mountain whose summer mountain biking is epic. Ditto Whistler/Blackcomb, which gets short shrift in the piece.