South Dakota in Photos

by Adrienne Wilson on

It’s safe to say I don’t really know diddly-squat about South Dakota and I’m not going to waste my time or your time trying to get your tourist dollars into the marvelous state. I don’t get paid for that. Thankfully someone out there does care enough about the state and all its fascinating attractions to do a photo essay on the land. This month at Go World Travel the online magazine features almost all of South Dakota’s note-worthy sights in a very well-done piece by Sheri L. Thompson. Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, the Badlands, the Mammoth Site, Needles Highway, Black Hills National Forest, Wall Drug, and Four Mile Old West Town are all there.

After exploring the photo essay and text I learned a lot more about the area and knew a lot more than I actually gave myself credit for. I wouldn’t mind making a quick jaunt through the area this fall though it’ll probably be very cold. If South Dakota is on your radar visit this Go World Travel piece and the tourism site to start planning your trip now!

High Tech Himlayas

by Erik Olsen on

If you don’t know the name Xeni Jardin, then you probably don’t spend much time reading blogs…not the best ones anyway. She’s been all over the place in the last few years, penning pieces for Wired, Boing Boing, etc. She’s also got a few gigs on NPR and this one on traveling to the Himalayas is definitely worth a listen.

Entitled Hacking the Himalayas, she takes us on a tour of this high-elevation nation and talks about how technology is changing the culture and way of life there. Filled with history and color and vibrant sound, it is superb, as fine an example of multi-media journalism as I’ve seen in a while (there are lovely photos and print versions as well). I would love to see more pieces like this, stories about the transformative powers of technology around the world in far-off places.

LA Times on Bahia

by Erik Olsen on

One of the best trips I’ve ever taken was a long, long trek up the coast of South America. I went so far, actually, that I ended up back in Los Angeles having made the entire trip over land and sea. But one of the absolute highlights of that trip was when I found myself in the Brazilian town of Bahia. Bahia provides a mesmerizing mix of Afro-Brazilian, indigenous and Portuguese culture that comes alive in the music food and architecture of the place. I was there during the annual Carnival celebration, about as riotous (in the good way), libidinous and extravagant an event as there is on the planet. And as and you can tell from a piece I wrote about the experience, it was once in a lifetime.

There is so much I could say about Bahia, but I’d fill up many pages doing so. So go over to the Los Angeles Times and check out the piece that writer Janet Eastman did on the town. It captures marvelously the sights, smells and sounds of the city.

To Africa?

by Erik Olsen on

Why, just today Adrienne gives us an excellent post on Africa and a lovely new series of books on the continent. Well, if you’ve ever fantasized about going to Africa, then perhaps it’s time to actually do something about it. Perhaps it’s time to finally, um, pull the trigger and get yourself over to the continent. Of course, you first have to decide what you want to do. Is it animals you want to see? Is it outdoor adventure like paddling up the Nile or jumping off waterfalls? Well, you’ll have to decide. But to get more facts and ideas, I suggest you give this piece over at the LA Times a read. Jane Engle helps you understand all that you need to know to get to the continent and what to do once you’re there.

State of States

by Erik Olsen on

Ever wanted to learn more about your state or, for that matter, someone else’s? You know, the basic stuff like the capital and famous people from there and what schools there are. Well, over at this site called Netstates there is basic information and a WHOLE lot more. I stumbled upon the site and thought it rather lame at first, but then the deeper I got, the more I realized what an incredible amount of information there was there. If I were planning a trip to, say Utah, I’d hit this site and spend a while learning about it. Honestly, check this site out. The navigation is easy and there is a lot to learn.