TripCart :: The Travel Blog

Giant Field of Corn

If your driving through Ohio on you way back from the holidays you might want to stop by this giant field of corn with 109 hug concrete ears, Laughing Squid explains:

Last Monday we were in Columbus, Ohio visiting Jason Laskodi, our Laughing Squid Web Hosting support ninja. While driving through Dublin on our way back from lunch, we stopped by the site specific sculptural installation of 109 giant concrete ears of corn located in Sam and Eulalia Frantz Park. “Field of Corn (with Osage Orange Trees)” was created by Malcolm Cochran 1994 with funding from the Dublin Arts Council and is a tribute to Sam Frantz, who developed hybrid corn in the area from the 30’s through the 60’s. The installation honors the area’s agricultural past and is also reminiscent of America’s great roadside attractions.

(thanks Laughing Squid)

Picture of the Day (12/30/06) - From TripCart

The subway in Washington, D.C.

(thanks Teo)

Pay What You Want Cafes

Two new restaurants have opened up out west, one in Salt Lake City and one in Denver that not only offer you a wide range of buffet-style dishes but also offer you the opportunity to pay whatever you want for the food.  The idea is that the more unfortunate can come in and get a bite to eat for free or in exchange for an hour of work helping around and the better off can help foot the bill.  Time Magazine says that the pay-as-you-wish method has been tried before with varying degrees of success.  No word on whether or not the tip's optional too.

Picture of the Day (12/29/06) - From TripCart

At the local amusement park in Denver, Colorado.

(thanks ishrona)

7 Great Travel Tips

CNN Money has put together some great travel tips to help you get where you want to go easier, faster and with more comfort.  Their tips include how to get through security faster at the airport, how to get a hotel room in an overbooked hotel, how to upgrade your room without paying more, how to milk your frequent flyer miles, how to get first class seats for coach prices, how to get an upgrade on your rental car and how to get hooked-up after getting bumped off a flight.

Picture of the Day (12/28/06) - From TripCart

The incredibly impressive drive into Denali National Park in Alaska.

(thanks Unhindered by Talent)

NYC by Night

Arnold Pouteau's got HDR down to a science - his set of shots of New York City by Night are absolutely stunning.  This guy obviously loves the Big Apple and it definitely shows in the pictures he's got up on flickr right now.

Picture of the Day (12/27/06) - From TripCart

Nansemond, Virginia.

(thanks Angelrays)

How to Properly Complain

MSNBC has an interesting article about the best way to complain if you have a problem with your hotel. Here is one hotel manager's tips for getting what you want in the most kopasetic manner-

• Pick your battles - keep thing in perspective, there's no need to freak out about the number mandarins in your Asian salad
• Complain immediately - don't drag your feet for a month, if you've got issues complain as soon as something happens instead of waiting until your back home
• Make yourself understood - if you do write a letter make sure it's legible
• Don't hop to the top - if you have a problem with something, address those who are responsible first before going straight to the top
• Keep it within reason - you're not getting your whole stay comp'd for free just because room service was a little late with your order
• Be nice

Picture of the Day (12/26/06) - From Tripcart

El Paso, Texas.

(thanks The Jamoker)

Pick Your Suite

Do you like to bear near the elevators? Do you like to be at the end of the hall so no one hears your screams? Do you like being near the ground floor in case there's a fire. Do you prefer the top floors for the view? Do you like sleeping facing East so you get those early morning rays? Well, Hilton has decided to let you pick your room online starting next year at their Homewood Suites. This idea is so simple that it's sure to catch on quick with other hoteliers. The website will include pictures and descriptions of every room in the joint.

(thanks tripinform)

Picture of the Day (12/25/06) - From TripCart

"Uh, Mom, I think I'm going to be late for dinner..."

This amazing shot of the Denver airport was taken on December 22nd, 2006. Merry Christmas.

(thanks ashleyniblock)

Lighting It Up El Paso Style

Fred and Maria Loya's house gets lit up by over 100,000 lights this time of year. Every night at 6, 7 and 8 they kick on the lights, but they go full out by blasting the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's arrangement of "Mad Rush in Christmas" in one crazy display of Christmas cheer. The show continues to run until the New Year so if you're in the area definitely stop by and check it out, otherwise, you can get a little taste below-

Picture of the Day (12/24/06) - From TripCart

"The Freedom Tunnel is home to a legendary series of graffiti murals painted in the Amtrak tunnel under Riverside Park in Manhattan. The tunnel is named after the graffiti artist called 'Freedom'."

(thanks _bastian)

Crossing Over the Great Divide

Well, maybe you can't cross over all of the Grand Canyon but starting in March you'll be able to at least lean over the great abyss. The new walkway, dubbed Skywalk, will stick out about 70 feet from the rim of the canyon allowing visitors to peer down 4,000 feet to the floor of the chasm. A mere four inches of glass will keep them from plummeting to their death. The hope is that the new Skywalk will increase visitation to this remote Western side of the park where a mere 125,000 visitors came last year (compared to roughly four million in other parts of the park). We've been hearing about this thing for ages, hopefully it's finally close to fruition.

Related posts: Grand Canyon Skywalk Reviewed • Skywalk Over the Grand Canyon Up and Running • Kartchner Caverns in Arizona • Listen to the Desert • 18th Annual National Geographic Photo Contest Winners

Related travel guides: Golf near the Grand Canyon • Hotels near the Grand Canyon • Nature and wildlife near the Grand Canyon • Skiing near the Grand Canyon • Shopping near the Grand Canyon

Picture of the Day (12/23/06) - From TripCart

Near Tri-Cities, Washington.

(thanks Matt McGee)

Out of Control Prices on Airport Parking

No matter what kind of deal you got this holiday season on your plane tickets, chances are you'll still get raped when it comes to paying for parking you car while you're off drinking eggnog with the family. In Miami, airport officials decided to kick-off the season by increasing the prices on long term parking by 25%, but this increase still left them out of the top 10 most expensive airports in the country. It turns out Chicago's O'Hare has the priciest parking at 50 bucks a day, they are followed by Washington National ($36), LAX ($30), New York-LaGuardia ($30), and Boston Logan ($24).

Picture of the Day (12/22/06) - From TripCart

Crows on a line in Santa Barbara.

(thanks mici_angora)

Amazing Hi-Resolution Photos

We're always mesmerized by super hi-resolution photos and these are super fun to play with. That little red square in the inset is the top of the building you see in the picture. It's easy to waste some time here just looking around Boston. This image was taken from the Prudential Tower's Skywalk and is comprised of 612 overlapping images taken with a 300mm lens - this picture has a resolution of 95,000 x 40,000 pixels. Other hi-resolution shots on the site include Yosemite and Zion National Park. Sweet eye candy indeed.

(thanks wider angle)

Picture of the Day (12/21/06) - From TripCart

A sunflower in the Badlands, South Dakota.

(thanks Clearly Ambiguous)

Baby in the X-ray Machine at LAX

On Saturday a 56-year-old woman was unloading her valuables into the plastic bins at security in the LA Airport and apparently thought she should include her month-old grandson in the screening process. A screener watching the monitor was obviously surprised when the outline of a baby appeared on the screen and quickly pulled the baby out of the machine. Luckily the radiation levels of the machine are a 30th of the average mammogram and the baby was unharmed by the incident. The TSA wisely warns against this type of incident on their website where they clearly state: "Never leave babies in an infant carrier while it goes through the X-ray machine." It's been almost 20 years since the last time employees of LAX have X-rayed an infant - it happens to about one in every billion passengers.

(thanks boingboing)

Picture of the Day (12/20/06) - From TripCart

The inside of a cab in NYC.

(thanks moriza)

65 Million Americans On the Move Over the Holidays

Get ready for the grind. AAA and the Travel Industry Association expect over 65 million Americans to get off their couches and travel at least 50 miles from home over the Christmas/New Year's holiday. 53 million will hit the roads, another 9 million will make friends with the TSA, and another 3 million souls will bus it or hit the rails. The report also says that airline tickets are averaging about $12 a more than last year and that about two-thirds of those traveling will be crashing at friend's or relative's houses.

Picture of the Day (12/19/06) - From TripCart

What once was the Flushing Airport in Queens, New York.

(thanks JMcT)

3 of America's Most Beautiful Beaches Voted in Top 25 Sexiest Beaches in the World

Forbes Traveler recently compiled their very own list of the top 25 sexiest beaches in the world. Most of them are in the Western Hemisphere for some reason and three of them are in the US (though only South Beach in Miami is part of the Lower 48). Two beaches in Hawaii also made the sexy cut: Ka'anapali Beach in Maui and Kauapea Beach on Kauai. Here's Forbes' description of Kauapea-

The so-called "secret beach" on the northern rim of the "Garden Isle" of Kaui isn't such a secret anymore. Curious tourists regularly stream onto its majestic span of white-gold sand, which offers nice views of the Kilauea Lighthouse. Access to the beach is fairly rugged--getting there requires 15 minutes of agile hiking--but funseekers continue to make the trek.

 

Picture of the Day (12/18/06) - From TripCart

Midway Airport in Chicago.

(thank pablokorona)

A Burning Desire for Fresh Air Backfires

A Continental Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing with 160 people on board after a fire broke out. One of the passengers had charged non-rechargable batteries for their EcoQuest Fresh Air Buddy Personal Air Purifier. A company spokesman said that charging a regular battery "heats the battery to very high levels to the point where it can explode." The plane was on route to Portland from Houston when it was forced to make an emergency landing in Colorado Springs after the device spontaneously combusted. Five people were hospitalized and two seat cushions were replaced. The TSA is still trying to figure out who to charge with acts of terrorism.

Picture of the Day (12/17/06) - From TripCart

Parked cars on a street in downtown Boston. August 2006.

(thanks wili hybrid)

Shopping Madness in South Florida

Holiday shopping was a bit more adventurous than normal last week at the Altamonte Springs mall near Orlando. It might be safer to get your presents from one of the one-story outlet malls that litter the interstates throughout Florida-

Security camera video captured a 19-year-old man crashing his car through a mall entrance, down a hallway and into a perfume kiosk. But the driver wasn't done, he then headed toward an escalator. The car clipped the railing of the escalator then dropped down one level before landing on its side. None of the workers inside the mall were injured but it only took seconds for them to emerge from stores and hallways to the scene of the crashed car. The driver was admitted to a hospital for treatment of his injuries and for psychiatric evaluation. He told police responding to the scene that he was trying to commit suicide.

(thanks arbroath )

Related posts: Shopping Malls – a Traffic report that amazed our Web Analyst • Tigger Takes it Out on Teen at Disney Orlando

Related travel guides: Shopping in Central-Florida • Places-to-Visit in Central-Florida

Recommended Highlights in the region: University Mall - Tampa, Florida • International Plaza Mall - Tampa, Florida • The Florida Mall - Orlando, Florida

Picture of the Day (12/16/06) - From TripCart

A beautiful HDR of Mankato, Minnesota.

(thanks Coulsey)