The Global Scavenger Hunt is looking for competitors

by Katie Hammel on

Ever watched “The Amazing Race” and longed to run around the world, racing through airports, darting in and out of countries and competing challenges? Well, if you’ve got about $10,000 to spare, you can, as a competitor in the 2010 Global Scavenger Hunt.

The event, which is described as being “like Survivor, The Amazing Race and the Eco-Challenge all rolled into one except with much more cultural interaction” is limited to 25 teams and takes place over three weeks in April. The teams will visit ten countries while traveling west around the world from Los Angeles to New York and competing in challenges in order to win the title of “World’s Greatest Traveler”.

Contestants must apply and go through a screening process and pay an entry fee of $9,900 per person, which covers accommodations, all flights, and 40% of meals. The event kicks off on April 9, 2010.

The event isn’t all airport mad-dashes and physical feats though. According to the website, the goal isn’t to race through each country as fast as you can, performing outlandish stunts as you go, but to connect with each culture (though with only 2-3 days in the country, that may be difficult) through the challenges. Each team is also asked to raise $1 per kilometer (which equals the daunting figure of $40,000 per couple) for a total of $1 million raised per event for the Great Escape Foundation, a nonprofit that funds long-term projects and micro-loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Photo essay of Blue Highways and what’s changed over the years

by Jamie Rhein on

Haunting, thought provoking and gorgeous are some of the adjectives that come to mind when looking through the photographs of Ed Alior at CNNTravel. Alior has retraced the route that William Least Heat-Moon made famous when he traveled along the back roads of the U.S. and wrote about it in his book “Blue Highways.” Alior’s photographs attest to how things can change over the years and what has remained the same.

Along with presenting ten of Alior’s lush photographs of back-road scenery, CNN’s feature, “Back-road adventurer on America’s ‘Blue Highways'” includes an interview with Heat-Moon.

In the interview, Heat-Moon talks about how he has seen the U.S. back-roads’ landscape change over the years, both for the good and the bad. There’s a tone of melancholy for what has changed–most noticeably the Mom and Pop establishments that have given way to hard times or the competition of chain restaurants.

Heat-Moon has also noticed the sprawl of cities into suburbia and on out into rural areas. As he puts it, a “‘quarter of a century ago, towns that still had limits — discernible edges — now can look like they’re getting swallowed by an inoperable cancer. . .'”

The repercussions, he feels, have altered the genuineness of place and that we haven’t done much as a country to see what all this sprawl has cost us. On the other hand, he does point out positive change. It’s change that is heart-warming.

As Heat-Moon traveled in the last ten years, he’s noticed that there’s more racial harmony and the racial slurs he used to hear pepper conversations are not being said.

Read the rest of the interview here. I was particularly interested in his take on how travel has been altered. One thing Heat-Moon has found, if you’re looking for a cheap place to stay off the beaten path these days, lots of luck.

Thanks to Jaunted for pointing me in the direction of this read.

Mark your calendars for the 2010 Death Race

by Grant Martin on


If this year’s Death Race is any indication, I’m totally onboard for 2010’s race. The annual competition that takes place every year in Vermont just finished, and our old friend and contributor Erik Olsen put together a video for the New York Times detailing the trials of competition. Dubbed “survivor meets jackass,” competitors are pitched against each other in a 24 hour race carrying rocks up hills, chopping out stumps, crawling under barbed wire and even assembling legos. It sounds, well, miserable, but like an enlightening experience. Take a look.

Photo of the Day (4.17.09)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

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It’s officially race season– Boston’s world-famous marathon is this Monday, St. Louis’ is on Sunday, and Nashville’s is next Saturday. It’s enough to make even the most shiftless degenerates among us think about maybe getting in shape. Possibly. (Screw it, there’s always next year.)

The photo above from flickr user ultraclay! was taken in 2006 at (obviously) the Thomas G. Labrecque Classic, a four-mile race in New York’s Central Park. This year’s TGL race is going to be held this Sunday in Central Park, so if you’re in New York, head on out there to see some of the whitest thighs this great nation has to offer.

Want your photo considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Upload your pics here.

The Volvo Ocean Race heads Eastward

by Grant Martin on

Somewhere in the South China Sea, seven VO70s are pushing northeast towards Qingdao. They’re part of the Volvo Ocean Race, the round-the-world sailing competition that happens once every four years, pitting the best in technology and skill against some the wildest oceans on the planet. It’s an intense, nine month race, with stops around the world in five continents, in port racing, fanfare, glory and loss. More than one team has experienced hardship on the seas, both technical and fiscal — team Russia just pulled out of the race because they couldn’t afford the massive fees.

Later this spring, after a treacherous crossing of the South Pacific and a hook around Cape Horn, the fleet will work its way up past Brazil and towards the US. May 9th in Boston marks their only event in the United States, so if you’re interested in seeing the amazing group of ships you should stop by for the in port race. After that they’ll be headed to Western Europe and finally towards the finish line in St. Petersburg.

We’ll keep you updated on the fleet and their arrival into Massachusetts. In the meantime, check out the media intensive volvooreanrace.org for a wealth of updates, news, pictures and data.