I stumbled across this video on Vimeo. It’s an introduction video from Lewis Colam and the first of many to come. Lewis is a 24-year-old man from London. He’s spending approximately three months rowing from Miami to New York City. He’s doing all of this to raise money and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease research. Along the 1,400-mile journey, Colam will face many obstacles – prolonged sun exposure, bugs and the challenge of having no support boat or team following him along to ensure his safety. I enjoy following adventures like these, especially when they’re being documented on film. Check it out here.
For These Ladies, Paragliders Offered The Ultimate View Of Iceland. (Video)
Paragliding pilots have the ultimate perch to get out and see the world. For two Icelandic women, a planned camping trip to the highlands of their country turned into one of the most mesmerizing videos I’ve come across.
In July 2011 two girls borrowed a 4×4, filled it with camping gear and paragliders and drove up to the Highlands of Iceland.
They experienced a new side of their own country, found some extreme flying spots and quaint people, learned how to drive across rivers, up mountains and how to read maps.
4 weeks later, having killed the vehicle, they returned and made this film:
I can think of no better excuse to travel than to take up paragliding and meet other pilots around the world. In fact, I plan to do just that. Stay tuned.
Want to learn to really fly? If you live in the U.S. look up a paragliding school close to you. It’s less expensive than you think.
Travel For The Inexplicable Human Connection
Editing a contribution to the site from Jill Paris the other day I was reviewing her bio at the end of the article and took note of the reason why she travels: “for the inexplicable human connection.”
Those connections affect all of us when we travel, whether we know it or not, and it’s a big part of what makes the journey so special. For me, personally, I have wonderful stories of meeting random groups of friends on the steps of Montmartre as well as terrible, dark confessions of trips gone awry and of love lost. But the threads of all of these narratives help weave the tapestry of my life, and with them, I’ve become a better and stronger person.
Luke Rudkowski’s journey through France were affected by a kind stranger named Joel, the sort of person that opens his home to travelers and greets them with kindness and compassion. It’s a story of budget travel and of short lived relationships of the road — and it’s told perfectly above.
Video: Yosemite In Timelapse
Timelapse videos seem to be all the rage on the Internet these days but when they look as amazing as the one below, you can understand why. The 4 minute-44 second clip was shot in Yosemite National Park by filmmaker Shawn Reeder and it only serves to remind us just how beautiful that place actually is.
If you’ve never experienced Yosemite for yourself, there is no better time to go than in the spring. The crowds remain at a minimum and the weather is generally warm and comfortable, although snow can remain at the higher altitudes. Additionally, the winter run-off makes the park’s numerous waterfalls flow at top capacity making the already picturesque valley even more magical. Find out more about Yosemite and all the national parks at NPS.gov.
Video Of The Day: World Trade Center Back On Top of New York’s Skyline
As of today, the World Trade Center is back as the tallest building in New York City. Construction crews erected steel columns that reach over 1,250 feet high, just edging out the observation deck at the Empire State Building. The skyscraper isn’t expected to reach its full height for at least another year. When finished, the giant monolith will be capped with a 408-foot-tall needle that soars straight into the clouds. If you count the crown, the building will be the tallest in the United States and the third tallest in the world-however, many architects and experts argue against counting spires, antennas and masts that extend far above actual roofs of buildings. These purists will still hold the 108-story Willis Tower in Chicago as the tallest in the United States.
The time lapse video above by EarthCam gives us an idea of the construction so far (click here for a gallery of earlier pictures). When the tower is finished near the end of 2012, it will stand at a symbolic 1,776 feet tall in order to match the year the United States declared its independence.