Will the real D.B. Cooper please stand up

by Jerry Guo on

I just came across a “confession letter” purporting to be from the infamous D.B. Cooper. In case you haven’t heard of this urban legend (except it’s true, so guess it’s not an urban legend), D.B. Cooper is the nom de guerre for the 1971 hijacker who parachuted into history with $200,000 in cash. He’s never been heard from again.

Every once in a while, like this week, you have a kook claiming to be the long-lost Cooper. Although the mystery hasn’t been definitively solved, there was an excellent in-depth article in an October issue of New York that gave a very educated guess (probably right).

It’s a hoot to think what would happen if D.B. Cooper pulled the stunt in 2007. One thing’s for sure, CNN would have enough filler for the next month.

Remember to tip the tour guide; he or she has a lousy job

by Jamie Rhein on

Almost every time I’ve taken a trip that has a tour guide, I’ve had a great time. For the most part, they are knowledgeable, engaging, and have a knack for creating a sense of wonder at various sights. The last tour guide who entertained us was this past summer in Seattle when we took The Ducks, a tour in one of those vehicles that can travel on land and on the water. Our guide started out dressed like a pirate and then changed hats and personas at different points along the 90-minute sweep through sections of the city.

Okay, sure this may sound like the silliest tour in the world, but it was a blast. The guide knew a ton of stuff about Seattle that I may have missed otherwise. Plus, if you’re with a group of fun people who are into having a good time, like we were, the world seems brighter. I’m always interested in seeing where other travelers are from, as well.

During the tour, I wondered how much a Duck tour guide might make. According to an article on the worst jobs, probably not much. Tour guides are on the list as the least well-paid. That’s one of the reason’s why their job is lousy–and one reason why it’s important to remember to give a tip at the end of a tour. Now, I wish we had given more.

Excuses for traveling: the marathon

by Catherine Bodry on

USA Today published a list of 10 warm-weather winter marathons, and reading the article got me thinking about how running a marathon makes a great excuse to travel. My friend went to Paris because she chose the Paris Marathon on a whim, and the Honolulu Marathon has been whispering my name for a few winters now.

I’ve considered training for a “vacation marathon” before; I figure the training will keep me in shape through the Alaskan winter, and I’ll get to visit someplace warm and maybe actually feel somewhat attractive in a bikini (running a minimum of 30 miles a week helps the bikini bod).

But there are a few potential problems to consider before you start busting out your Sunday long runs. For me, the biggest problem is training in cold weather and trying to race in warm weather. I don’t know the science of it, but what I do know is that in the past few years I’ve started overheating whenever I go for a run at my parents’ home in Seattle. Seattle. I can’t imagine how my body would respond to the heat of the tropics or the desert.

My other problem involves training in Alaska. Sometimes the weather here in Seward just plain sucks. The mere thought of having to put in a 15-mile run at any time during last week’s freezing rain downpour is enough to keep me safely tucked in my cozy bed with my laptop and some Sex and the City DVDs.

Of course, surviving winter up here generally requires you to force yourself to exercise, so the goal of a vacation marathon has the double result of keeping you in shape while rewarding you with a warm vacation. Unfortunately, I didn’t get myself motivated early enough and at this point I’m not sure I could start a hardcore training regime. So for me this year, it looks like a 5-miler in Florida over Christmas vacation and a lot of step-aerobics at the gym.

Maybe I’ll run that marathon next winter.

The worst U.S. cities for gridlock

by Catherine Bodry on

Our good buddy Christopher Elliott has laid out the 5 worst U.S. cities for traffic — and there’s only one surprise. It’s unfortunate that cities with the worst reputations haven’t been able to do any problem-solving. In more than a few of the blacklisted cities, the traffic is getting progressively worse.

So, what are they? First on the list is — surprise, surprise — New York City. Welcome to gridlock hell. With an already top notch public transportation system, there doesn’t seem to be any easy solutions on the horizon for the Big Apple. Elliott suggests that the only reasonable fix is congestion pricing — charging motorists who use roads during peak hours.

Next up is San Francisco, another no-brainer. And like New York, it’s got a great transit system in place. No problems easily solved there. Any suggestions?

Third is Seattle. I grew up there, and I watched the traffic go from bad to worse to I’ll-never-live-here-again. The city is getting a light-rail system, but I’m pretty pessimistic about it being able to alleviate traffic. But I’m hopeful.

Minneapolis came in 4th, due in part to the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. The city already had an awful traffic problem, but the 35W bridge was a main access point to the city. Not no more. The commute has been compared to Los Angeles’ nightmare — and that was before the bridge collapse.

At number 5 is Miami. It may seem like a surprising choice, but Elliott links to a list of construction projects and challenges you to disagree with him. He argues that he knows no one who regularly uses its mass transit system, and the roads can’t keep up with the city’s growth.

Wondering where L.A. is? Elliott listed it as a semi-finalist. If L.A. is a runner-up, then the winners must truly be awful.

Haunted Tours for Halloween Fun: West Coast Edition

by Kelly Amabile on

Want more haunted tour ideas? As promised, we’ve got some! Hop on your broomstick and fly with us to the western US, where we’ve uncovered eight more haunted tours to scare you silly this Halloween season:

Denver, CO: Morrison is a short distance from downtown Denver, but this Colorado Haunted History Tour sounds like it’s worth the trip out of town. Learn about the Hatchet Lady of Red Rocks and the Lecherous Indian Chief.

Hollywood, CA: Take a tour of the historic Hollywood Forever Cemetery with Karie Bible and visit the burial sites of famous dead celebrities.

Las Vegas, NV: We all know Sin City can be a scary place. But Haunted Vegas Tours explores the creepiest secrets of the city that never sleeps. Tours runs several nights each week, beginning at 9 pm.

Portland, OR: The Portland Haunted Tour is a 2.5 hour shuttle tour of 13 locations historically connected to secrets from the city’s chilling past.

Salt Lake City, UT: Ghost Tours of Salt Lake City and Ogden run every weekend and on Halloween, led by a professional storyteller with a skill for spooking!

San Diego, CA: Haunted San Diego urges you to call and reserve your plot (um, they mean seat) today for this tour of documented haunted locales.

San Francisco, CA: The Haunted Haight Walking Tour begins most evenings at 7 pm at a coffee shop, and ends at a haunted pub, where you never quite know what’s on tap.

Seattle, WA: Market Ghost Tours runs tours through the Pike Place Market. And don’t miss the Paranormal Pub Crawl on Halloween, complete with a Houdini seance at the end!

Not hitting either coast for Halloween this year? Then be sure to check out this list of the Top Ten Haunted Ghost Tours in America for frightful tours in in Chicago, New Orleans, Galveston and other parts of America’s haunted heartland — Happy Halloween!