Photo of the Day: Norway Fjord in Spring

by Jeremy Kressmann on

SPRING! That wonderful time of year when suddenly even the coldest places burst with new life and color. Today’s photo, taken by Flickr user Josh Loves It in Norway, is a great way to celebrate the return of this warmer season. The photo comes to us from Norway’s scenic Lofoten Islands, an isolated archipelago of isles located way up north beyond the Arctic Circle. These normally frigid islands burst with springtime color and scenery: pink and yellow wildflowers, glassy rivers and jagged peaks with a dusting of snow. You can almost smell the fresh air as you gaze at the scene.

Have any great photos from your own travels? Why not share them with us by adding them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

US map of stereotypes

by Meg Nesterov on


We here at Gadling love maps and infographics, so we’re enjoying this tongue-in-cheek US map of stereotypes, ranging from “rainy hipsters” in the Northwest, to “old peeps” down in Florida by blogger and artist Haley Nahman. We’re a bit puzzled over some of the stereotypes such as the “fashion bloggers” in the Carolinas, but can’t argue with the “mountains and meadows and maybe some animals” in Montana and the Dakotas. Hawaii and Alaska aren’t included on this map, but I’d guess something involving “hula and LOST” and “Eskimos and strip clubs.” The artist is a “life of the party” Californian and seems to be partial to food and animal descriptions. Which stereotype of the US do you hail from?

Photo of the day – Sunset in Manhattan

by Meg Nesterov on

Sunsets are a common staple of the travel photo album. We tend to associate them with palm-tree-lined beaches, desert landscapes, and misty mountains. Yet this photo by Flickr user jameskadamson has nary a cactus or foothill in sight. Taken in New York City, it’s a beautiful perspective on the building’s architecture and the photographer’s favorite time of day. Want more sunsets? Check out yesterday’s video of the day for 365 sunsets around the world.

Taken a unique perspective on a common subject? Add your photos to Gadling’s Flickr Pool and we may choose one for a future Photo of the Day.

Skiing in a former Taliban stronghold: Malam Jabba, Pakistan

by Sean McLachlan on


Thumbing your nose at the Taliban has never been so fun.

The Malam Jabba ski resort in the Swat Valley of Pakistan has been a battleground between the Pakistani army and the Taliban for years. When the Taliban seized the area in 2006 they blew up the resort. They decided that skiing is unislamic, probably because it’s fun. Well, the Muslims in the Pakistani army didn’t agree with this interpretation of Islam and when they retook the region in 2009, they rebuilt the resort. Now they’re hosting a skiing competition to show off the new facilities, the BBC reports. Six Pakistani teams are competing. No news on the winners yet, but the only losers are those grumpy nutcases in the Taliban.

The army, which runs the resort, is hoping to attract tourists to the region. It used to draw intrepid foreign skiers but the fighting, which continued into last year, scared them away. Judging from the above photo, the skiing looks pretty good. Unfortunately it’s hard to tell what the facilities are like now because this picture was taken in 2005 by M. Sajid Ishaq, before the Taliban got their hands on it.

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Photo of the Day – Sierra Nevada

by Elizabeth Seward on

If the Sierra Nevada mountains warm your heart, welcome to the club. This voluminous range houses Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft.), the highest point in the contiguous United States. The Sierra also features Yosemite Valley, Lake Tahoe, three parks, 20 wilderness areas, and two national monuments. Covering land in both California and Nevada, the Sierras are a much-loved destination for those traveling in the West–especially those who are into winter sports.

Heavy snowfall in the area this winter has translated to happy skiers and snowboarders. And while those on the slopes have been having a blast, the recent snowfall has simultaneously replenished nearby reservoirs. Wondering what ‘heavy snowfall‘ means? Nearly 20 feet of snow in the combined months of November and December.

This shot was snapped by a creative photographer out of California, Hilary Hulteen. If you’d like to submit your best photos for our Photo of the Day, just upload them to the Gadling Flickr Pool.

[photo by Hilary Hulteen]