What NOT to Wear on Halloween When Traveling

by Catherine Bodry on

Halloween is my all-time favorite holiday. I get so in to it, I win contests. (Seriously, I am the best Mary Katherine Gallagher you will ever meet. Maybe even better than Molly Shannon. See photo). So I’m not going to let traveling with a small pack keep me from creating a costume.

In 2004 I was in Vietnam over Halloween in the town of Nha Trang. The U.S. presidential elections were days away, and I often felt under attack from questions and accusations of other travelers about U.S. foreign policy. Needless to say, I did not meet one single traveler (except for one American) who supported Bush or the war in Iraq. So I thought it might be funny to poke a little fun at all the political tension surrounding the U.S.

I bought a plain white t-shirt and used my travel partner’s red and sliver sharpies to decorate what would be my costume: a Stupid American.In red block letters on the front we wrote “Proud to be an American” and decorated it with silver stars. But the back was the best. We giggled and hooted as we wrote “I heart oil,” I heart Big Macs,” and “I heart Texas.” We made circles with slashes through them for “Gay Rights,” and “Universal Health Care.” Inside big hearts we wrote “SUVs in L.A.,” “Britney Spears,” and “capital punishment.” We went on and on.

We thought we were clever and funny. We were wrong. I have never, ever felt so hated in my entire life as I did that night. I nearly got in a brawl with an Irish girl who told me that even if I thought I was joking, I was still 33% serious or some such nonsense. In a fit of desperation I pulled the “But I’m Canadian!” line, and people visibly relaxed and maybe even laughed a bit, until they realized I was lying. Apparently it’s okay to make fun of Americans if you’re not American — but if you are a U.S. citizen anything you say and do will be held against you. I learned the hard way.

I tried turning the shirt inside out, but the letters bled through. Eventually, a British guy suggested that if my guesthouse was close by, I should just go back and change. In tears, I did.

So, what’s the lesson to be learned here? First, I discovered just how much the rest of the world (at least Europe and Australia, which is where the bulk of the other travelers were from) really, really disagree with U.S. politics. Enough that they were willing to throw punches at me for what my citizenship represents — even though I didn’t vote for Bush nor do I support his policies. I don’t eat at McDonald’s and I don’t feel like I have a right (or a need) to drive a huge SUV. Second, I learned that no matter what my political leanings are, I’ve still got to answer for my country — and that’s no easy task. In the end, I really was a stupid American.

And finally, I learned that wearing kitty ears, which my friend Jen always travels with (see photo), is a much safer way to celebrate Halloween abroad.

Halloween at Theme Parks: Fright-fests and Fun for All Ages, Sort of

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a handy guide at WeJustGotBack.com that gives a run down on which theme parks in the U.S. have Halloweeny type thrills for particular age groups. Similar to movie recommendations, the site presents details about the theme parks Halloween happenings and the age range the fun is aimed towards.

A teenager might not get a charge out of the “Countdown to Halloween” musical act at Count’s Halloween Spectacular at Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA your toddler will–even your 10 year-old. But, take your young ones to Halloween Horror Nights at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida and Universal Studios in Los Angeles and you find yourself dealing with more nightmares than you could ever imagine. This one is recommended for the ages 16 and up. Watch the video on the Web site and you’ll see what I mean. (I warn you though, it’s the exact opposite of a meditation video of bubbling brooks.) Jason, Freddy, and Leatherface are just a part of the action. If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be in Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween, this might be for you.

Each Six Flags has Fright Fest, also meant to scare the wits out of you. This one is appropriate for middle-schoolers though, but is not appropriate for under 12. From the descriptions of the events at each park, one can see the difficulty with finding the right fit for a multiple age group family–or the kids who are moving into preadolecence. Then, it becomes a matter of finding one that is entertaining enough for your child who is past being enamored with Mickey Mouse, but too young to have Freddy chasing him or her down with a butcher knife. The great thing about amusement parks though, for a kid who gets bored with a younger sibling’s Halloween speed, there’s always the rides.

Guess which theme park the photo posted on Flickr by WeJustGotBack is from. Did you say Disney?

America’s Favorite Cities from Travel & Leisure and CNN

by Catherine Bodry on

60,000 people chose their favorite towns from 25 choices across the U.S., and the list is in. The results are divided into 9 categories and 14 subcategories, including Shopping, Food and Dining, Culture, and After Dark. The winners are to be expected: New York won a first-place favorite for diversity, ethnic food, and classical music. Also consistently near the top were Washington D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco. No surprises there.

Missing? Philadelphia didn’t get too many votes — one third place win for its Farmer’s Markets. Miami didn’t fare too well either with no top-three wins, and same goes for Orlando and Dallas.

What’s your least favorite city? (I think that’s a much more interesting question than asking about favorites.)

Check out the results at CNN, and get more info on methodology at Travel & Leisure.

Safe Sex Around the Globe

by Iva Skoch on

So Western Europe, particularly the Nordic countries, are ‘all that’? Maybe not, when it comes to safe sex.

There’s a very interesting graphic in this month’s Foreign Policy magazine regarding which countries practice safe sex and get STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).

The study (more parts of which appear here) was sponsored by Durex condoms and put together by Miguel Fontes of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over 317,000 people in 41 countries were surveyed about when they first had sex, what the rates of STD infection are, and whether they practice unsafe sex without knowing their partner’s history.

The worst of those surveyed? Norway. That country gets the worst record in terms of STD infection rate and percentage of people who practice unsafe sex. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are also on the wall of shame. Subsequently, those are also the countries with the highest standard of living. Is there a correlation here?

Yes Virginia, There is Something to do in Los Angeles after 2 a.m. in the Morning

by Neil Woodburn on

Friends of mine from New York who come to visit me in Los Angeles often express dismay and surprise at how early the city shuts down. Bars close at 2 a.m.?!??! There’s no where to eat at 3 a.m.?!?!?

Well, that’s not entirely true. Los Angeles does have its share of late night locations, but you really have to know where they hiding. Or, even easier, you can consult a recent LA Times article, Playing in the Dark, for a smattering of what the city has to offer; late night bowling, museum sleepovers, midnight movies, flower marts, dancing, casinos, and of course, restaurants.

So next time you visit LA, please don’t complain that there is nothing to do in the wee hours of the night; it might not be as spectacular as New York City, but we do have our late night haunts, thank you very much!