Video: animatronic recreation of the Gunfight at the OK Corral

by Sean McLachlan on

I’ve been in a Wild West mood lately. I used to live in Tucson, Arizona, and loved the tales of gunfights, gold strikes, and crooked gamblers. I’ve been rediscovering some of that lately and my thoughts turned to Tombstone, the West’s quintessential tough town. It was here that the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday faced off against the notorious Cowboys and shot them to pieces just outside the OK Corral.

“Cowboy” was a derogative term in that time and place, reserved for rustlers, brawlers, and other ne’er-do-wells. Honest people who handled cattle were called cattlemen, range men, or by the Spanish term vaqueros. Most were Mexican or black, a fact Hollywood has seen fit to forget. The Cowboy gang that operated near Tombstone loved to steal cattle, shoot up saloons, and do all that other stuff from which legends are made. Americans love their bad guys.

They love cheesy tourist attractions too. I mean, how couldn’t you love an animatronic recreation of the Gunfight at the OK Corral? It takes place all day, every day in Tombstone. I challenge you to watch this video without smiling. Yes, it’s hokey, yes, it a bit embarrassing, but damn is it entertaining! A much less hokey live show is performed in Tombstone every day of the week at 2pm.

Want more Arizona cheesiness? Have you seen… The Thing?

What will you do if the Mayan calendar is correct?

by Jessica Festa on
Lately, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the end of the Mayan calendar and 2012 marking the end of the world, as we know it. To help gain some insight, the people over at First Choice have created this infographic to give everyone a fun visual of where and how one could spend their last year on Earth. The group polled over 2,000 United Kingdom locals as well as some top travel bloggers. While 51% of participants said they would spend time with family, 22% said they’d want to see the world. How would you respond?

If you’re having trouble viewing the infographic, you can click here to see a larger version.

The 2012 Bucket List was created by First Choice – The Home of All Inclusive

10 free things to do in Dublin, Ireland

by Jessica Festa on

With the big St. Patrick’s Day festival in Dublin, Ireland, coming up it’s likely that people traveling to Dublin in the near future should expect to bring lots of extra cash. Although you may need to splurge on food and festivities, there are ways to help you save money on other aspects of your trip. To help Dublin travelers make their trips as budget-friendly as possible, here are ten free things to do in the city.

Stroll through the National Botanic Gardens

The National Botanic Gardens is home to various plants as well as serene woodland settings, lush trees, romantic bridges, and peaceful ponds that make for enjoyable scenery on a midday stroll. To help expand your knowledge of flora even further, programming that includes discussions, workshops, and films is available to the public. Furthermore, every Sunday visitors can take a free guided walking tour at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.Take a free walking tour of the city

When traveling through Europe, I swear by SANDEMAN’s NEW Europe walking tours. These tours are completely free and guides get paid in tips only. While this may seem risky, the quality of the tours is so high it really isn’t a problem for the guides. During the Dublin tour, you will learn the history of city sites in a fun and interactive way while also stopping off at a traditional English pub for lunch. If you still want more, sign up for their nightly pub crawl.

Explore Trinity College

Trinity College is not your average university college; in fact, it’s not only beautiful but historical. The college, which is the oldest in Ireland, was founded by Queen Elizabeth I in 1592 and features neatly manicured lawns, charming cobblestone paths, and beautiful Georgian architecture. While it’s free to walk around the campus and take photos, there is an admission fee to go see the ancient “Book of Kells” which is located in the Old Library.

Check out the street performers on Grafton

Street performing, or busking, is very popular in Dublin. If you want to increase your chances of seeing top-notch performances, head over to Grafton Street, which is the unofficial stage for street entertainment. Here you’ll be able to see everything from acoustic performers to people on stilts juggling basketballs.

Trek the Howth Coastal Path and feed the seals

At the northern tip of Dublin Bay, you will find the beautiful area of Howth Head (shown right). During a coastal walk of the region, you will be able to view Lambay Island, Ireland’s Eye, Baily Lighthouse, Howth Castle, and the Wicklow Mountains as you traverse over rugged cliff tops. Additionally, you’ll be able to feed seals once you reach Howth Harbour and stop for lunch at local pubs along the way. You can begin the hike east of Howth Village at the Balscadden Bay parking area and make your way around the Nose of Howth.

Learn some history and culture at a local museum

When visiting a city, it’s always a good idea to get a sense of the place by visiting a museum. One of Dublin’s best free museums is the National Museum of Ireland, which is actually a set of separate museums containing exhibits on archeology, history, culture, decorative arts, and more. Additionally, if you stop by the former Mariner’s Church there is the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, which allows visitors to explore the country’s maritime history. The museum is closed right now but will reopen on April 3, 2012. The Irish Jewish Museum, the National Photographic Archive, and Pearse Museum are also excellent free museums to add to your budget-friendly itinerary.

Get creative at an art museum

There are plenty of options in Dublin where you can experience high quality art for free. Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art features an array of impressionist and postimpressionist artists, with the main component being from Hugh Lane, an Irish art connoisseur who died in the 1915 sinking of the Lusitania. If you’re there April-June, you can enjoy a free summer concert series that takes place each Sunday. There is also the country’s most popular art gallery, the National Gallery of Ireland, where you can explore Irish and European art from the 14th-20th centuries. Other options for free art include the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Chester Beatty Library, and the Temple Bar Gallery and Studio.

Explore the Docklands

This is one of my favorite area’s of Dublin, especially since you don’t need to spend any money to enjoy its aesthetic features. There’s nothing like witnessing the city skyline behind the River Liffey and visitors will get the chance to take in unique art galleries, lively markets, beautiful bridges, Mayor Square, Chimney Park, Grand Canal Square, and lots of public art.

Get religious at a local church

While the more well-known churches like St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral charge an admission fee outside of mass times, there are many other beautiful and worthwhile places of worship that are free to enter. There is Saint Ann’s Church of Ireland (shown right), which incorporates an array of unique architectural styles and features memorials of well-known Dublin locals; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where you can see a 16th-century shrine of Our Lady of Dublin along with relics of Saint Valentine; and Saint Mary’s Pro Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Take in natural beauty at a Dublin park

There are many picturesque parks in Dublin where visitors can play sports, people-watch, read a book, or just lounge on a sunny day. First there is St. Stephen’s Green, with bright floral gardens, charming fountains, and various memorials honoring notable Dubliners. There’s also Phoenix Park, which was established in 1662 and is one of the “largest enclosed recreational spaces within any European capital city.” Merrion Square Park is also a worthwhile visit and features historical sculptures, beautiful gardens, and live performances.

Ancient city of Palmyra under threat from Syrian army

by Sean McLachlan on

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra may become the latest victim of the ongoing violence in Syria, according to a Global Heritage Fund report.

Palmyra, an ancient oasis city in the desert northeast of Damascus, remained untouched by the conflict until last month, when the Syrian army moved in. According to several reports by refugees since then, units from the army have taken up position at the medieval citadel overlooking ancient and modern Palmyra and have been shooting at anything that moves. Both machine guns and tanks are being used. One can imagine what a few tank shells can do to a 2000-year-old city.

Little is known about damage to this or other historic sites in Syria. Given the government’s eagerness to level modern cities such as Homs, it’s doubtful they’re showing any care for their national heritage. Sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya have all suffered irreparable damage during recent conflicts.Palmyra is one of the most impressive of Syria’s archaeological treasures. I visited it back in 1994 and the memories of wandering the Roman streets and temples, the sandy outskirts with their distinctive pre-Roman tower-tombs, and climbing up to the Arab citadel remain vivid. I also remember a local hotel owner who sat with me watching Syrian music videos and discussing the relative, um, “merits” of the female singers. I also remember the cheesy hustler who tried to sell me a “real Roman coin” made out of aluminum. He had the good grace, when I laughed in his face, to laugh along with me.

Are those two guys still alive? Is the hotel still there? Is every single one of my memories of a month’s travel going to be blackened by an evil dictator while world leaders dither and make sympathetic noises?

Yeah, probably.

[Photo of citadel courtesy Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. Photo of Roman ruins courtesy Franco Pecchio.]

15 palace hotels that will make you feel like royalty

by Jessica Festa on

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live like a king or queen? While you may not have been born into royalty, you can still live lavishly, if only for a weekend.

While five-star hotels can offer plush bedding, spacious penthouse suites, and high-class amenities, it’s nothing compared to the luxurious living offered at these palace properties. Genuine artifacts from centuries ago adorn the halls, acres of lush gardens, furniture made of gold – no expense is spared at a palace hotel. Not only that, but you’ll be sleeping in the same space as kings, queens, and society’s most elite members once did, long ago.

Sound like fun? Before you start planning your next royal getaway, check out the gallery below.

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