Video: Cities Across The Globe

by Elizabeth Seward on

CITY #3721 from Lam Ho Tak on Vimeo.

You can board a plane and fly to any city on this planet. No matter where you go, you’ll find familiarity amid the unfamiliarity. Paved and braided highway systems weave through cities and carry pairs of headlights through the dark night, one after another. Pedestrians congregate on street corners and wait for the opportunity to cross and then do so together as a herd. The buildings get taller; the cars get smaller; the chaos appears to increase, but within it there is a machine that is moving through its commands and that machine knows no barriers. In this video made by Lam Ho Tak, a student at the University of Hong Kong, that machine is documented at work in cities across the globe. Already the winner of several awards, this video is an entertaining short mix and matching color tones, subdued lighting, motion, and other elements of city life that act as a common denominator for cities everywhere.

10 Title-Holding National Parks In The United States

by Jessica Festa on

National parks hold some of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the country, and sometimes even the world. Not only do these destinations make for great hiking, biking and adventure sports, but they also allow you to view one-of-a-kind facets you can’t find anywhere else on the planet.

While Black Canyon of the Gunnison holds the title of being the country’s newest national park, Yellowstone was the world’s first, being established in 1872. Additionally, Sequoia National Park features the world’s largest tree; Great Sand Dunes National Park holds the highest sand dunes in North America; and Death Valley is said to be the hottest, lowest and driest place in the United States.

For a more visual idea of these title-holding national parks, check out the gallery below.

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[Image above via Jessie on a Journey; Gallery images via Big Stock]

Those Growling Medieval Guys Might Be Right

by Chris Owen on

A new report says those Capital One growling medieval guys might just be right when it comes to choosing which credit card to travel with. One insider has some tips on why and how to travel internationally with finesse.

“I recommend the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card, or any other Capital One card, for travel abroad; [because] none of their cards carry foreign transaction fees,” says personal finance blogger David Seaman in a Business Insider report.


Seaman agrees with the common notion that using a major credit card is a good idea to get a better exchange rate. But urging travelers to check the fine print in credit card agreements, he warns, “many credit cards now charge a ‘foreign transaction fee’ on every single one of these purchases, which usually is around 3% to 4%. Although this isn’t bad for a cup of coffee, if you spend $200 or $300 in a weekend, that added fee begins to pile up rapidly.”

Another card not charging foreign transaction fees is the Discover card, also noted by Seaman. He suggests taking along a reasonable amount of currency, which can be converted into local currency, just in case there is a problem with a card – an issue that can happen to anyone.

Travel agents commonly advise calling the card company to let them know our plans any time travel takes us out of our normal spending area to avoid a red flagged transaction for secure card companies.



[Flickr photo by Images_of_Money]

Study Shows Visitors To National Parks Up, Time Spent In The Parks Down

by Kraig Becker on

According to USA Today, a new study indicates that the number of visitors to America’s national parks has risen over the past twenty years, but the amount of time they actually spend in the parks is going down. The National Park Service, which conducted the study, says that even though many of the parks, such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, have seen record numbers of visitors in recent years, those travelers are actually spending 15 percent less time inside the park while they are there.

Park officials say that a major reason why visits are now shorter than they were two decades ago is that an increasing number of travelers are booking their accommodations outside the park boundaries. Many of the larger parks actually have rustic lodges and campsites that have been popular places to stay for years, but it seems that fewer visitors are choosing to book them when they make their vacation plans. This accounts for at least a portion of the decline in the length of visits, as the study showed that 4.5 million fewer guests stayed the night inside the parks in 2011 than they did in 1994. That’s down 25 percent in just 17 years.

It seems that the parks are as popular as ever but camping isn’t as viable of an option as it once was. This runs directly counter to market trends, which show that Americans have increased their spending on outdoor recreation an average of 5 percent over each of the past five years. Apparently that spending is going into other outdoor activities and travelers are electing to stay in a comfortable bed rather than a tent.

For the Park Service these trends aren’t necessarily alarming, just enlightening. The record number of visitors tells the NPS that travelers still want to visit the parks, they just have other plans on how to spend their time there. The challenge for the Park Service will be to adapt to the changes and continue to provide visitors with what they want and need.

Photo Of The Day: Bending Creek

by Chris Owen on

This Photo of the Day comes from Gadling Flickr pool member `James Wheeler who captured this image titled “Bending Creek” at Squamish-Lillooet, British Columbia, CA, using a Nikon D5000.

James was on a three-week road trip through British Columbia out of Vancouver, exploring Penticton, Champion Lakes, Moyie Lake, Waterton lakes, Kootenay National Park, Banff, Jasper, Yoho National Park, Glacier National Park and Sun peaks.

Camping most of the way, James planned on staying at a hotel every five days or so to gain Internet access so he could upload photos.

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Tips for getting featured: in your Flickr account, check “Privacy and Permissions,” and check “yes” on “Allow others to share your stuff.” Adding information about your image does not hurt your chances either.