Gaza Tourism: The Oil of Palestine

by Kelly Amabile on

The airport does not operate, alcohol is forbidden and the city is cluttered with rubble from bombs. But Gaza’s
tourism director has a vision for the future, and he’s beginning to take small steps towards what he hopes will be a
thriving economic revenue source one day.

This Baltimore Sun
article elaborates on the current non-existent tourism industry in the battered region, which must become stable
and peaceful for its own inhabitants first, before others can ever be welcomed in large numbers. And that is exactly
the strategy the tourism department will take first,
encouraging Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza to appreciate the historic landmarks and beautiful coastline of
the area. There are ancient mosques and churches, important archeological sites and Mediterranean beach resorts with
inexpensive rates for seaside views. But there is also so much that needs to be done to make all of this attractive to
the outside world. It’s encouraging to read about some folks inspired with hope and determination to make it
happen.

Ghostly Getaways

by Kelly Amabile on


October would not be complete without a zillion
Halloween-themed vacation ideas. Expedia is currently featuring a selection of
ghostly getaways
as part of their Ten to Know series. Some of the places they suggest include stays at these scary but stylish
hotels:

– Book a night at Colorado’s famous

Stanley Hotel, where Stephen King penned half of his terrifying The Shining.

– Visit the

Equinox Resort and Spa in Vermont and watch for a glimpse of Mrs. Abe Lincoln and her children
wandering around the third floor.

– Climb aboard the
Queen Mary in
California for a creepy stay with ghosts of crewmen and cooks from cruises past.

– Or visit another famous California hotel near the water… I actually visited here this past August
but did not spend the night. It is a beautiful historic building, but I had no idea that the
Hotel
del Coronado was spooked as well!

DC Art Deco Architecture Tours

by Kelly Amabile on

This past Sunday afternoon a friend and I attended a lecture at
the Smithsonian’s Renwick Art Gallery led by
Linda Lyons, architectural historian and chair of the Art Deco Society of
Washington, who shared an extensive collection of slides showcasing deco designs throughout the region. Lyons run
occasional tours on art deco architecture in MD/VA/DC and is the author of the Society’s Metro Deco Guide to
art in the Washington area.

Although I knew that certain art deco designs are dominated by travel-inspired themes, I learned more about the
connection between the two from Lyons presentation. She shared photos of building facades adorned with Egyptian
ziggurat shapes and Aztec motifs, symbolizing the lure of the exotic, and explained how the rise of modern
transportation during the early 20th century made fantasizing about these faraway places a reality. Nautical porthole
windows, glass block and streamlined horizontal and vertical building design details all signaled a new era for speed,
motion and travel.

Unfortunately, Lyons does not yet have any new tour dates scheduled, but did say that there will be one of the famous
Kennedy-Warren building in January 2006. Other bus and walking tours cover
commercial buildings (like the landmark Greyhound
Bus Terminal), municipal government buildings, cinemas (like the recently restored
Silver Theater) and residential
apartment buildings. Here is an example of a tour done
earlier this year. Contact the society directly to get further
info.

(Special thanks to Becky for discovering this urban art adventure with me!)

Ipod Mypod Yourpod Ourpod

by Erik Olsen on

A very nicely written ode to the
iPod from the San Jose Merc. Taking a bit of the historical long view, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang rhapsodizes about how
these wonderful little white boxes of joy have perfectly captured, and perhaps have helped define, the Zeitgeist. That
is, that we increasingly live and indulge in a world of media that we define. The choices are ours, dear friends, and
what I want to listen to (and when) is all mine, all me, and right back at ya. And more, the iPod is also becoming an
instrument of social importance. After all, what should you think about the guy with all that Neil Diamond on his iPod.
Do you really want to be friends with him? Perhaps you do even more.

It’s an eloquent paean to this brave new era of personal expression, personal fulfillment…even if the damn things cost
the annual salary of some third-world workers.

Glen Caynon National Park

by Kelly Amabile on

Although not a reality yet, Backpacker Magazine heralds
Glen Canyon as the next great national park. Almost a year after Erik wrote about the
re-emergence of Glen Canyon, the magazine gives us an
updated peek at the amazing natural restoration that is unfolding in southern Utah. This
narrated slideshow vividly illustrates how the
disappearance of Lake Powell is bringing renewed life to over 125 canyons for wildlife to flourish and for hikers to
explore. Learn more about conservation efforts at the Glen Canyon Institute
and read about grassroots efforts to get national
park status for the area.