Photo Of The Day: Coca Cola Everywhere

by Jessica Marati on

Like the golden arches, the green-backed mermaid and the swooping “Just Do It” check, the red and white Coca Cola logo is that ubiquitous symbol of American capitalism that’s near impossible to escape abroad. Flickr user Kurt Schmidt captured today’s Photo of the Day on the Cvjetni Trg in Zagreb, Croatia, achieving the vintage effect with the help of Instagram. He must have read our recent editorial about whether the mobile editing application is bastardizing travel photography, because he apologized for using the filter: “just liked it!” he wrote in the description. But in this photo of such a classic icon, it works.

Have you encountered symbols from home in the places you least expected? Upload your travel shots to the Gadling Flickr Pool and your image could be selected as our Photo of the Day.

15 Bizarre Natural Wonders

by Jessica Festa on

Here at Gadling, we love finding the quirkiest, most bizarre and out-of-the-ordinary aspects of travel from around the planet. While we’ve told you about some of the world’s strangest natural wonders before, there are just too many unworldly aspects in nature to uncover in one list.

Have you ever witnessed hot pink lagoons littered with feeding flamingos in the desert? Or enormous frost-covered trees that look like menacing monsters? How about waterfalls so red they look like blood? There are no limits to what you can find when you begin to roam the Earth.

To help make your next trip a little more unique, check out 15 bizarre natural wonders in the gallery below.

[image via Brocken Inaglory]

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Photo Of The Day: Horseshoe Bend

by Melanie Renzulli on




The very best travel photos should trigger two desires. First, they should inspire the viewer to want to travel to the place that is the subject of the image. And, second, they should instill in the viewer a curiosity about the art and craft of photography.

Today’s photo of the day satisfies both of these criteria. Oilfighter used his Canon 5D Mark II DSLR to photograph sunset at Horseshoe Bend, the famous spot within the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River bends. In his description of the photo, Oilfighter tells us a brief story of why he decided to photograph Horseshoe Bend on that day. Additionally, he provides info on the lens and filter he used, thereby giving a welcome photography lesson to accompany this marvelous shot.

Share your best travel images with us by adding them to the Gadling Flickr photo pool for a future Photo of the Day.

Photos: Space Shuttle Enterprise’s Epic Final Journey

by Melanie Renzulli on


Seeing NASA’s Space Shuttle Program come to a conclusion has been tough on space travel geeks. Luckily, over the past few months, NASA has given us a few final treats as the shuttles make their way to their new museum homes.

The journey of Space Shuttle Enterprise has been particularly epic because of its barge trip on the Hudson River this week. In order for Enterprise to get to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, located on New York City‘s Hell’s Kitchen waterfront, it had to sail down the river past some of the city’s major landmarks. In case you missed it, here are some photos of that most unusual barge journey past the Statue of Liberty, the new Freedom Tower being built at the World Trade Center site and the buildings of lower Manhattan.

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Exploring The Culture And History Of Peru Through Food

by Jessica Festa on

While not widely known as a food destination, Peru is one of my all-time favorite countries for delicious cuisine. Not only is eating out in the country extremely affordable, the dishes are often influenced by other cultures and time periods. Moreover, Peru’s unique landscape of coast and Andes Mountains allows for fresh ingredients and delicious food staples – like potatoes, corn and quinoa – to be used in a variety of ways.

Dining Tips:

  • Eat at local restaurants, and take advantage of their set menus. You’ll usually get a soup, entree, juice and sometimes a desert for less than $3.
  • Don’t drink the tap water.
  • The sauce that is usually put on the table is aji, and is spicy. Try it before pouring it all over your food.
  • If you get the chance to eat in a local’s home, take it. This is how you’ll really get to learn about the culture through food. You can do a homestay, or take a tour that includes a lunch in a home, like Urban Adventures’ Sacred Valley Tour in Cuzco, Peru.
  • While tipping isn’t expected – except for 10 percent in very upscale venues – it is appreciated.

For a better idea of cuisine in Peru, check out the gallery below.

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