Gadlinks for Monday 7.13.09

by Brenda Yun on


Well, it’s Monday, and it’s back to the grind for most of us. I, however, am down with the flu and am writing this from bed. I hope the rest of you are having a more healthy day. Here are the latest travel stories from the world wide web.

‘Til tomorrow, have a great evening.

More Gadlinks HERE.

Top 10 gambling destinations

by Martha Edwards on

I’ve never been much of a gambler. Maybe it’s because I’m cheap and parting with money that I’m probably not going to get back just doesn’t seem like a good idea, or maybe it’s because I’m not much of a risk taker. Nonetheless, lots of people love to gamble and as long as they’re not sending themselves into serious debt, all the power to them. But where does one go to gamble? The casino down the road is a bit boring .. and smelly. You could head to Vegas, but everyone does that. According to MSNBC, here are the top 10 gambling destinations in the world:

  • Aruba
  • Atlantic city
  • Goa, India
  • Macau, just off the coast of China (It’s just like Vegas, apparently)
  • Mississippi Gulf Coast
  • Monte Carlo
  • Nassau and Paradise Island
  • Niagara Falls
  • Sun City, just outside of Johannesburg in South Africa

I guess it shows how much of a gambler I am — I’ve never been to any of these places, other than Niagara Falls (but I went there for Maid of the Mist, not the slots)

How-To: Go Over Niagra Falls…And Survive. Maybe. (But Probably Not.)

by Willy Volk on

First, a few facts about Niagara Falls:

  • The Falls are actually 3 Falls, Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Only Horseshoe Falls is survive-able.
  • It’s 176 feet from the brink of Horseshoe Falls to the water below. However, because of the rock-lined base, the actual fall is only 70 feet.
  • Water rushes over the Falls at a rate of 150,000 gallons per second.
  • The first person to go over the Falls in a barrel and survive was a 63-year-old schoolteacher, Annie Edson Taylor (pictured). I don’t know if she was wearing her hat at the time.
  • Since then, 14 other daredevils have taken the plunge in barrels or other devices. One guy went in a kayak; another went over in a jet ski. Of those, 10 have survived.
  • Two people survived the plunge without any protection, including a 7-year-old boy wearing only a life preserver, and Kirk Jones, who jumped, sans preserver, in 2003.

In addition to being illegal (“stunting without a license” can cost you as much as $10,000), going over the Falls is not a “good” idea. Pretty much everything about riding in a wooden barrel over a raging waterfall is dangerous:

  • Being battered by the crushing flow of water inside a barrel can lead to a concussion — or worse.
  • Even if you survive the actual fall, the rocks below the Falls are huge, dangerous, and, um, rock-hard, capable of crushing the barrel (and a person) easily.
  • Then, of course, there’s always the water. Simply put, you could drown.

However, there are a few theories (not tested personally, mind you) about how to survive the world’s bitchin’-est flume:

  1. Find the “water cone.” Some people believe this protective cushion at the base of the Falls will soften the blow and allow you to live.
  2. Body surf. Other people believe riding the water like a body surfer allows you to slide down the Falls as opposed to splatting down it.
  3. Get close to the edge. Still other people think getting into the water as close to the brink as possible might be the key, as the water speed upstream could be lethal.
  4. Live right. This is my own personal theory. I can’t think of any other reason someone could survive.

Don’t think it sounds scary? Check out this trailer for IMAX’s The Falls, and I bet you change your mind.

[Photo: Cabinet Magazine]

Urban Exploring Tunnels Behind Niagara Falls

by Dave Luna on

Hundreds of years ago, people marched across continents and sailed over oceans to see what could be seen. Then, it seemed for a while that we ran out of new places to go. C’est la vie. Well, the advent of urban exploration brought “unseen or off-limits places” into the spotlight and anything old turned new again. Urban explorers sneak into areas like subway tunnels, catacombs, and storm drains to discover wonders usually hidden from human eyes.

Three pseudonymous urbexers known only as JonDoe, Stoop, and dsankt ventured into the depths of a hydro-electric power station to probe tailrace tunnels behind Niagara Falls. Dsankt chronicled the infiltration, and shared his take on the adventure with great flair. Their mission was hardly legal, so I cannot condone the troika’s actions. However, the expedition produced an amazing payoff with sights probably unseen for decades.

If you’re not up to reading the text, you should at least check out dsankt and Stoop’s gorgeous photographs. The stills really give you an excellent idea of how dangerous — yet inspiring — urban exploring can be.

(Thanks for the tip, Mike!)