Bring your car: America’s 10 least walkable cities

by Anna Brones on

It may come as no surprise that San Francisco ranks as America’s #1 walkable city, but what about the rest of the country? After compiling a list of the “walkability” of 40 American cities, Walk Score gives us a good idea of what cities are pedestrian friendly and which ones require cars. The bottom ten cities on the list give us a few places where pedestrians are far and few between and driving is the name of the game (read: expect to spend a lot of money on gas). So where can you plan on packing away your walking shoes and donning your driving cap?

  1. Jacksonville
  2. Nashville
  3. Charlotte
  4. Indianapolis
  5. Oklahoma City
  6. Memphis
  7. Kansas City
  8. Fort Worth
  9. El Paso
  10. Mesa

The listing of cities does however lay out their most walkable neighborhoods, so if you’re planning a trip to one of these places, give it a look.

[Via Huffington Post Green]

It’s Important to Type the Name of Your Desintation Correctly

by Martha Edwards on

I recently came across this story about three Norwegian tourists who planned a trip to Rhodes in Greece, only to end up in the French town of Rodez instead. They booked their trip through the Internet, you see, and made a mistake when typing the destination. Despite efforts of Rodez locals to make their stay pleasant, the confused tourists promptly returned to Norway.

But while Rodez probably doesn’t have beaches, at least it’s still in Europe — I think the mistake could have been much more profound. They could’ve ended up in Rhode Island, or maybe even Greece, New York. Imagine the shock if they had booked a trip to Paris, France and ended up in Paris, Ontario? I’m sure the Canadian town is lovely but it’s not exactly a bustling metropolis. Or say you wanted to visit family in Memphis, TN, and ended up in Memphis, Egypt?

The point it, there are wayyyy to many similarly-named places in the world. Consider this fair warning an be careful the next time you book a trip online.

World Championship Barbecue-Cooking Contest, May 17-19

by Willy Volk on

Also known as “Super Bowl of Swine,” the World Championship Barbecue-Cooking Contest sounds like a mighty fine time — at least, if you like pork. Shredded, pulled, piled high, or on a slab, this Memphis tradition features opportunities for you to pick up some BBQ tips for yourself (if you sign up for the Cooker Caravan, a free guided tour of the teams), as well as the chance to help select the winner.

Don’t be so preoccupied stuffing your belly that you miss the Ms. Piggie Competition. Unlike any beauty contest you’ve ever seen, this contest pits grown men squeezed into tutus and snouts parading around a stage, singing. Is it hilarious…or awful? You be the judge.

Either way: it’s in Memphis. This is also a great opportunity to check out Beale Street and Graceland. When I was at Beale Street a few years ago, each time we walked into a bar, any band that was playing immediately went on break. Was it me?

Photo of the Day (12/23/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


This photograph taken by teokaye on a Greyhound ride in Memphis, TN back in 1999 doesn’t exactly scream Christmas or holiday anything. While the hook seen on the man’s right hand serves as an interesting focal point teokaye provided some really sweet details and back story on what was going down. It was Christmas Eve and the man talking was a Jehovah’s Witness. The man apparently had politics on his mind. Teokaye notes that he said Bill Clinton was alright, but George Bush was going to be better. No comment from me, but great photo. It sort of tells the tale that you never know who you’ll run into at any particular time of year. I hope that both Teo and the man without a hand are both having happy holidays this 2006.