Photo Of The Day: Hidden Rock Wall

by Chris Owen on

This Photo of the Day comes from Gadling Flickr pool member James Wheeler who captured the image using a Nikon D5000. The image is titled “Hidden Rock Wall.”

James add this caption to the image: “These days, the mountains to the North of Vancouver are mainly used for hiking and recreation but these mountains have a long history of logging. There are many remnants of the old days of logging, not just stumps of the massive trees that used to line British Columbia’s coast but also rubble from the buildings used during the logging.

I noticed this rubble of an old building overgrown while doing the brothers creek hike just north of West Vancouver.”

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.

People To People Partners With MTV, Give Back

by Chris Owen on

People to People Ambassador Group will be sending over 100 students to Japan in July for the first time since a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit in 2011. This week, People to People launched the Act for Japan contest in partnership with MTV Act to give away one full tuition travel scholarship.

Platinum selling recording artist and People to People alum Jordin Sparks will act as the final contest judge selecting one student to travel to Japan to provide aid in communities devastated by the 2011 tsunami.

“MTV Act is all about connecting young people with opportunities to take action and celebrating incredible organizations like People to People,” Liza Vadnai, director of public affairs for MTV said in a release. “We’re honored to partner with them on this initiative, and know that this opportunity will be a life-changing experience for the winning student.”Students interested in entering the contest and participating in hands-on service projects through the Spirit of Japan program must submit a video explaining why they love Japan and want to give back by May 18, 2012. Jordin Sparks, who participated on a People to People program to Europe last summer, will select the contest winner. The contest is open to full-time students in junior high and high school ages 13-19. Contest submission details can be found at www.P2PActForJapan.com.

“MTV Act is dedicated to helping teens engage and take action. We couldn’t ask for a better partner to work with us to give one deserving student the opportunity to live out their dream by traveling to Japan and giving back to this amazing country,” Peg Thomas, president of People to People Ambassador Programs told Gadling. “Japan was a natural choice to launch our Service in Action programs, which we are organizing as part of our heightened commitment to building a better world through service.”


[Photo by PeopletoPeople]

VIA Rail Canada Debuts Mouthwatering New Train Menu

by Jessica Marati on

On most rail systems in the U.S. and Europe, chips and cookies count as “train cuisine.” But Canada‘s VIA Rail system is kicking it up a notch (boom!) with a new gourmet train menu on its legendary trans-continental Canadian route between Toronto and Vancouver.

The menu will include 78 brand-new dishes, which will be made to order with fresh ingredients and prepared on board by VIA Rail chefs. Certain menu items will be regional in nature, befitting the trans-continental voyage. Think dishes like French toast stuffed with cheesecake, roast beef ravioli sautéed with crispy bacon, and scallops and goat cheese sacchetti with truffles served a la nage in lobster bisque.

Sound inventive? The dishes were cooked up during a two-day Menu Creation Challenge, which roped in eight chefs to develop new dishes under the direction of Chef Martin Gemme. The results blow away the honey-roasted peanuts on Amtrak, that’s for sure.

The menu upgrade is part of a larger overhaul of VIA Rail‘s offerings, which include new packages spotlighting specific regions, like the Wonders of Eastern Canada and Rocky Mountain Coastal Circle, as well as improvements to more than 50 rail stations across the country.

What Does Disney’s Space Mountain Look Like With The Lights On?

by Kraig Becker on

Ever wondered what Disney’s famous Space Mountain roller coaster looks like when the lights are on? If so, you’re in luck because the video below was posted to The Disney Blog a few days back and it gives us all a behind-the-curtain look at one of the most iconic rides in all of the Disney parks.

The first Space Mountain opened at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, in 1975 and became an instant hit with visitors. The indoor coaster sends riders hurling through a series of sharp twists, turns and drops while remaining almost completely in the dark. That combination of speed and the tension of not knowing what would happen next has made it one of the top attractions in Disney parks ever since.

Rarely do guests in the park ever get to see what Space Mountain looks like when the lights are on, but in the video below riders on one of the park’s “Peoplemovers” passed by while the interior was completely illuminated. The result is a great look at the inner-workings of the ride, which still look impressive.


Photo Of The Day: Black Rock Beach

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Summer advances slowly. Flickr user LadyExpat (Back in Daejeon) captured this idyllic springtime scene on Black Rock Beach in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this past Wednesday.

It wasn’t always quite so lovely round these parts. Black Rock Beach, situated in Point Pleasant Park, was near the site of the public hanging of a notorious pirate in 1809. Today’s vision of the beach is not quite so violent, thankfully; it looks like a truly lovely place for a spring or summer picnic.

Have you got a great capture of the changing seasons? Sure you do. Upload it to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Our favorites from the pool end up as Photos of the Day.