Best Independence Day travel movies of all time

by Chris Owen on

America’s Independence Day is a time of celebration with friends, family and maybe a few thousand other people at a festival or event. Over the holiday weekend there might also be time to watch a movie or two and there is no shortage of patriotic films to view.

Kaboose.com has a top ten list and Kaboose movie expert Jane Louise Boursaw and associate producer, Bethany Porter, have chosen their picks for the top ten patriotic movies of all time. Take a look at this list of the best Independence Day travel movies of all time.

On the Town
Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin are three sailors on shore leave in New York City. They’ve got 24 hours to fill up with fun and romance before they’re due back on the ship. When those guys get off the boat and burst into song-wow!

They’re jazzed about being on shore leave, even more so in “New York, New York,” one of the greatest cities in the world, complete with the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. Brings to mind that famous Life Magazine photo of the sailor who grabbed and kissed the first girl he could find after WWII. Those were the days!

Rocky
Sylvester Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, a struggling boxer working in a meat factory in Philadelphia. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed is supposed to win their exhibition fight, but someone forgot to tell Rocky, who makes the best of his shot at the big time.

Rocky has a one-in-a-million shot at winning the fight on the 4th of July, but he goes for it anyway. Go for your dreams – especially in America where opportunities lurk around every corner-or, in Rocky’s case, up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Independence Day
The aliens are coming! The aliens are coming! Don’t worry, though. With Bill Pullman and Will Smith on the job, humanity will prevail!

Things look bleak, but the Pres bolsters the troops with his “fight the aliens” speech: “We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

The Music Man
A con man comes to a Midwestern town with a scam using a boy’s marching band program, but things don’t go according to plan. Especially not with Marion the Librarian in the neighborhood.

A snappy parade, a marching band with 76 trombones, and a town united – don’t you love happy endings?

Miracle
It was the moment that stopped the 1980 Olympics. Lead by coach Herb Brooks, a group of formerly slacker college kids caused one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history, winning the gold medal over the Soviets.

Because nothing stirs patriotism like a good Olympics movie-especially when you’ve got Kurt Russell watching your back.

Apollo 13
It’s 1971, and astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert are en-route to the moon in Apollo 13-but when an explosion shuts down the craft’s electrical power, their chances of getting home are slim to none as the nation holds its collective breath.

This dramatization of real-life events has you believing in the power of the human spirit. Sure, “Houston, we have a problem,” but thanks to the ingenuity of NASA and the perseverance of the Apollo 13 crew, this story is nothing short of miraculous. Their suspenseful re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere is the longest four minutes ever!

Forrest Gump
In this Oscar-award winning film the main character, Forrest Gump, tells the story of his life as he waits at a bus stop. Although he is of below average intelligence, the lovable Forrest Gump has an extraordinary tale to tell and you’ll fall in love with his unique personality in this comedy-laced drama.

As the film progresses Forrest meets famous historical figures and fights for America on the battlefields of Vietnam. You’ll also recognize several uniquely American pop-culture phenomenons and historical events that Forrest takes part in.

American Legends
In this animated feature, viewers learn about real American heroes and legends through classic Disney storytelling.

From Johnny Appleseed to Paul Bunyan and John Henry, kids will love this adventure-filled glimpse of American history.

Schoolhouse Rock: America
This fun-filled, animated feature is the perfect way to teach younger children about milestones and big events in American history.

With its memorable patriotic songs and lively storytelling this film teaches kids all about America while keeping them engaged and entertained.

Top Gun
This piece of 80s pop-culture quickly became a classic with all-American super-star Tom Cruise as the rebel pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. We follow Maverick as he trains at the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School and attempts to play by all his own rules.

This is the perfect mix of American rebel attitude and kitsch. We get a glimpse of the lives of daring American pilots (fictitious though they may be) and we get to watch Tom Cruise sing “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin'” who could complain?

Flickr photo by Qfamily

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Confederate submarine set upright for first time since 1864

by Sean McLachlan on

The H.L. Hunley made history back in 1864 when it became the first submarine to successfully attack an enemy ship. Launched by the Confederacy as a way to break the Union blockade of Southern ports during the Civil War, it sank the USS Housatonic on 17 February 1864 and itself mysteriously sank shortly thereafter.

Crew members hand cranked the propeller to make the sub move forward and its one weapon was a bomb set at the end of a long pole. The idea was to ram a ship with the bomb, which would then explode and leave a hole below the waterline. That’s what happened when the H.L. Hunley attacked one of the warships blockading Charleston harbor, but the sub never returned from its mission.

The Hunley was later found and brought to the surface. Now after several years of restoration the Confederate submarine has been placed upright for the first time since its sinking. The sub had been found resting at a 45 degree angle in a layer of silt and was kept in the same position until now. Moving it to the upright position has given researchers a look at a side of the ship unseen since 1864.

The researchers have found some holes on that side but are unsure if they are natural erosion or the cause of the Hunley’s sinking. Analysis of the bones of the eight crew members showed they died of a lack of oxygen. Interestingly, they were all at their posts as if nothing was going wrong.

You can visit the lab where this historic sub is being studied. The Warren Lasch Conservation Center is located in North Charleston, SC. You can also see a different Confederate submarine at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge.

[Photos courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Travel Blogger Broke-Ass Stuart Brings Cheap Thrills to TV

by Chris Owen on

Called “A travel show that’s on the map but off the beaten path”, Young, Broke and Beautiful, debuted this week on the IFC network starring funnyman, writer/blogger Stuart Schuffman (aka Broke-Ass Stuart). The new show goes to some of America’s largest cities but typically avoids touristy stuff to revel in cheap, underground offerings and weird people.

In the season premiere of the 6-city summer series, Stuart dives right in on his mission to uncover the hidden, cheap attractions that might be overlooked in mainstream travel guides. According to Stuart, known for his popular guidebook Broke-Ass Stuart’s Guide to Living Cheaply in San Francisco being a “broke ass” is a state of mind where life is not about the stuff you have, but the stuff you do.

In the New Orleans episode of the new show, Stuart hangs out with a fangmaker (for humans), cooks gumbo, talks New Orleans music history, then hits an all-night bounce party at the NOLA Art House.

Also available in paperback, a free chapter of Young, Broke and Beautiful is available to download on Schuffman’s Facebook page.

“Broke-Ass Stuart’s philosophy is to write for busboys, poets, social workers, students, artists, musicians, magicians, mathematicians, maniacs, yodelers and everyone else out there who wants to enjoy life not as a rich person, but as a real person” says TheFutonCritic.

Let’s take a look at what’s coming up on Young, Broke & Beautiful , Fridays at 11 p.m./10 p.m. Central on IFC.

A Day of Rebuilding at New York’s Ground Zero

by Paul Brady on
While in New York, I was thrilled to check out the High Line, a newly expanded elevated park that’s captivated city-dwellers. But there’s bigger and more meaningful construction happening downtown, at the site of the former World Trade Center-and the soon-to-be home of the new World Trade Center.

With my videographer, Stephen Greenwood, I booked a 17th-floor room at the Millenium Hilton hotel, directly across from and facing the site. With a couple of cameras, we set out to capture a day’s worth of work at the newly rising office complex and the memorial to the attacks of September 11, 2001, the latter of which is scheduled to open by the 10th anniversary of that day.

Here’s what we saw.

Traveling the American Road – A Day at Ground Zero


Half Dome cables in place in Yosemite

by Kraig Becker on

The most iconic hike in Yosemite National Park opened this past week when the Park Service announced that the cables are now in place on Half Dome, the giant slab of granite that is one of the most recognizable landmarks in that park.

During the summer months, the Half Dome hike has become a popular draw for Yosemite, so much so that permits are now required to make the 16-mile round trip hike to the summit. Along that route, hikers gain more than 4800 feet in altitude, which means that the trail gets extremely steep at some points. In order to make the trek safer and more accessible, the National Park Service installs metal cables each year. Those cables serve as hand holds for those making the trip to the top, helping them to ascend the more treacherous sections of the trail.

As you can imagine, the Half Dome hike is a strenuous one, and not just because of the physical challenges of the trail. During the summer, Yosemite Valley can get quite warm, which can cause problems for hikers who don’t bring enough water with them. Afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon either, and the last place you want to be when the lighting starts crackling exposed on a giant slab of rock at altitude.

But those that do make the hike are rewarded with fantastic views of the surrounding California countryside. The Yosemite region is amongst the most beautiful locations in any national park, and the summit of Half Dome towers above the area, offering a breathtaking reward to those that manage to complete the hike. It is well worth the effort.

[Photo credit: Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press]