New budget travel magazine debuts: Off Track Planet moves into print

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Off Track Planet, a Brooklyn-based online budget travel publication, takes its f-bomb dropping idiom into print today with the debut of an eponymous magazine.

Off Track Planet, for the uninitiated, is geared toward the 18-30 set and is particularly focused on undergraduates.

Accordingly, the publication directs its attention to several subjects of primary interest to college kids; among these: partying, volunteering, and hostels. This online article, which claims to have located a Buenos Aires “party hostel” that is also “clean and comfy,” ensnares two of these themes simultaneously.

Sample articles at the Off Track Planet webzine include an overview of Mumbai volunteerships, a guide to culturally-specific insults, a Berlin club primer, and tips for getting stoned in Vancouver.

This is, in other words, one publication that knows its market.

It is a tough time to launch a print magazine, though Off Track Planet sets off into print with a built-in audience and ambition to boot. The Off Track Planet empire is also developing a trip planning mobile web platform to debut later this year.

[Image: Flickr | frontlinefreddie]

The Nomading Film Festival goes west

by Jessica Festa on

As many Gadling readers probably remember, the first ever Nomading Film Festival took place on June 11, 2011, in New York, celebrating travelers who film and not just filmmakers who travel. The debut was a huge success, with over 200 attendees coming out to enjoy feature travel films, live performances, food, drinks, games, and win over $8,000 in prizes. Now, west coast travelers and film fanatics will be able to experience this unique festival too, as NoFF goes to Portland, Oregon, on January 28.

Winter Recess, as the event is being called, will feature the same films as NoFF 2011 as well as the premier of “One Foot”, which shows NoFF co-founder Bassam Tarazi‘s journey to Everest Base Camp. Not only should you attend Winter Recess to see authentic travel films, but also for the price, as tickets are only $9 and include a round of beer. The event will take place from 12-4 PM at the McMenamins Mission Theater and will be followed by an after party that will benefit various charities, including Teen Living Charities, ProjectExplorer, 100cameras, and the Matador Youth Scholarship Fund.

To buy your ticket, click here. For a preview of what to expect, watch this video from NoFF co-founder Joshua Wolff. And don’t worry east coasters, the Nomading Film Festival will be back in New York on June 23, 2012.


New York State Museum celebrates 175th anniversary

by Sean McLachlan on


The New York State Museum is getting old enough to be a museum piece itself. At 175 years it’s the oldest state museum in the country (and the largest), yet it’s constantly renewing its exhibitions and is anything but old and stuffy.

To celebrate, the museum is having a special exhibit called From the Collections, which shows the museum’s origins from an 1836 survey of the state’s geology, plants, and animals. Some of these original collections are on display, including minerals, the baleen of a whale, and information about some of the early researchers who got the museum going. One popular item is the Weebermobile, a one-cylinder car built in 1903 by Christian Weeber Jr. He began building cars in Albany as early as the 1890s.

Then there are the regular displays, such as the Native American art, a collection of Shaker artifacts, photos of Harlem in the 1920s, and a mastodon, shown here this photo courtesy Bob Keefer.

From the Collections runs until 1 April 2012.

Your bag’s perspective from Atlanta to New York

by Grant Martin on

Ever wonder what happens to your bag after you send it down the tunnel behind the gate agent at the airport? I was always under the impression that it was handled by a series of Oompa-Loompas who gently carry your bags from point A to point B on their heads, quietly singing the song of the baggage handler as glitter falls from the sky.

Apparently that’s not the case. The kind folks over at Delta Air Lines just released a video detailing a bag’s journey through the inner workings of Atlanta (ATL) and then over to New York City. To capture the film they strapped six cameras onto a package and sent it through the system, from the conveyor belts to the baggage trucks to the belly of the plane. Though the footage is ultimately an ad for their baggage tracking app, it’s still an interesting perspective.

Video of the day: Season’s Greetings from New York City

by Meg Nesterov on

We at Gadling love a good time-lapse video. Whether it’s at a busy airport in Moldova or the many personalities on the streets of Laos, there’s something about seeing life pass by at fast (or slow) speeds that’s entrancing. With Christmas a few days away and Hanukkah in full swing, we especially love feeling festive without the crowds, the cold, and the hassle. Today’s Video of the Day is perfect for getting into the seasonal spirit of New York City without actually being there. Photographer Cris Magliozzi of health, fitness and happiness website Greatist shot the video on a walk from Central Park to Rockefeller Center, taking in some of the city’s best decorations, carolers, ice skaters, and other revelry. Bonus: no holiday music! Think of it as our gift to you.

Want to give us something for the holidays? Post a link in the comments below or add photos to our Flickr Group for our next Photo/Video of the Day.

Hat tip to our friends across the pond at BBC Travel for tweeting the link.