Inanimate Travel Companions

by Dave Luna on

I did a US roadtrip over the summer with my good friend Dom Panarello, and we brought two plastic animal figures along for the ride. As we traveled the country, we’d snap pictures of them in front of famous landmarks and beautiful landscapes. They’ve seen Mount Rushmore, Yosemite National Park, and The Alamo. Lambchop and Piglet even graced the historic stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

I’ll be honest; it was always a bit awkward to pull two bits of plastic out of my pocket and find a place to balance them for a picture. Also, I often found myself explaining the concept to other tourists in an effort to make myself appear less odd to them. (I don’t think it worked.) Though, I’m glad we got the pictures because they definitely add some character and humor to my trip photo album.

Do you take any items — stuffed animals, garden gnomes, rubber chickens — on holiday with you? I’d love to know… and see pictures.

Wag Hotels

by Adrienne Wilson on


Forget traveling with the kids. On my flight out from Jersey into Orlando I noticed unusually high numbers in canines on board and few children. Unless everyone flying in with their dog was heading home then they had to be taking their pet to some animal-friendly hotel, but where? Since I don’t have any pets, nor do I live in Orlando I didn’t exactly set out to find pet-friendly hotels in the Orlando area, rather just hotels catering to puppy and kitty in general. That being said, I bring to you Wag Hotels. Based out of California, this line of uppity, yet affordable pet boarding and kenneling, looks like a pretty nice place to take your pooch. During their stay at Wag Hotels pets will have the opportunity to play with other pets and make new friends all under the care and supervision of the extensively trained staff. Does your dog need a massage? How about a swim the pool or even a peaceful nap? Wag’s experts can see that it happens. In short, if you happen to be in the Sacramento or San Fran, CA areas or heading there make sure you don’t over look placing your pup in some average old pet-friendly haunt. Give them star treatment!

Killer Animals

by Erik Olsen on

Lions and
tigers and bears, oh my! Sharks and snakes and tarantulas, oh my!

Let’s face it, probably the most
frightening thing you can imagine happening to yourself is being somehow eaten, bit, torn apart by some raging, wild
animal. It is a fear the quivers there in the shadows within your deepest cortex. Despite the fact you are much more
likely to be hit by a car or fall down stairs and break your neck, your greatest fears of death usually have something
to do with scary beasts.

And to help you better understand your fears, and perhaps to make them worse, the
good folks at the Times Online (the UK
version) have got a piece about all the scary critters who mean you harm out there. From elephants who will stomp you
into pink mush, to sharks that will swallow you whole, to even little scorpions whose venom will paralyze you and kill
you in seconds, this is a finie list of all the fun stuff that can happen to the unwary (and tasty) traveler.