Photo Of The Day: The Signs Of San Francisco

by Anna Brones on

Over dinner recently, a fellow Gadling blogger, some other travel lovers and I were discussing the merits of San Francisco. We decided that our favorite part about it was that it just has that special amount of “funk” that is hard to find in other cities. It’s hard to describe, but if you have been to San Francisco, you know what I am talking about.

That feeling is perfectly captured in this photo of colorful and slightly seedy signs on a main drag in the city of hills and streetcars. It’s busy, and you get the feeling that behind every sign is a story. Makes me want to go and spend a sunny day exploring.

Want your own photo featured on Photo of the Day? Submit it to the Gadling Flickr Pool or on Instagram by mentioning @gadlingtravel and tagging #gadlingtravel.

[Photo credit: pkorsmok]

Photo of the Day (03.13.10)

by Mike Barish on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/borderfilms/sets/1575505/

Whimsy. People don’t talk about whimsy much when discussing travel. They talk about philosophy, introspection, packing lists and logistics. They talk about food and hotels and TSA horror stories and airport experiences. Lost in all of that is whimsy. Gadling loves all that other nonsense, but we also appreciate coy smiles, inside jokes and creativity. So, when I came across this photo by Flickr user borderfilms (Doug), I immediately knew that it deserved to be featured as our Photo of the Day.

I have no clue whether this is the result of a clever use of Photoshop or a cheeky photo op created by a sprightly packer, but I don’t really care (well, if it’s Photoshopped, I’ll be mildly disappointed). What’s important is that it’s not your traditional travel photo. It’s not a cliché road trip moment with a traveler giving a thumbs up in front of a sign. It’s original. It’s unique. It’s whimsical. And we need more whimsy in our lives.

Update: The picture is real. It’s part of a set by Doug Murray called Adventures of Hula Girl. Check it out here.

Are you part of the whimsical minority who finds (or creates) whimsy wherever you go? Submit your images to Gadling’s Flickr group right now and we might use it for a future Photo of the Day.

Zombies invade Texas town

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Hackers delivered a warning to played a prank on Austin, TX commuters this morning, according to local television station KXAN. Near the intersection of Lamar Blvd. and Martin Luther King Blvd., an electronic traffic sign cautioned: “ZOMBIES IN AREA! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”

To make matters worse, they are NAZI zombies, as you’ll see from the video below.

Local motorists appear to have taken it in the intended spirit. Jane Shin, a University of Texas sophomore, “thought it was pretty funny.” But, the authorities did not share her sense of humor. Sarah Hartley, spokesperson for the city, called the hack “really serious” and reminded us all that “it is a crime.” Breaking a padlock and bypassing the password to an electronic street sign is a class C misdemeanor in Texas.

And, I understand why. When zombies really are in the area, we need to be able to take the NAZI zombie threat seriously.

[Thanks, Christine. Photo by Wyscan, licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.]