TripCart :: The Travel Blog

Southwest and Bar Refaeli help TripCart kick off Beach season

While half of the United States is buried in snow, Southwest airlines has decided to help out TripCart and cheer up the freezing citizens of the east coast by kicking off Beach Season. They even went to the trouble of painting a plane that will inspire people to plan their beach vacation on TripCart. You should not have trouble spotting this plane, pictured above but for the die-hard aviation nuts out there, the plane can be identified by the FAA Registration number on the tail of the 737-7H4 model, which is:

N922WN

Here are some popular beach destinations that Southwest flies to:

When you are finished with the Orlando, Florida places to visit, head to the coast for more places to visit in Florida -caladesi island state park, bathtub beach and sebastian inlet.

All over California - from glass beach in the north through pismo beach and  bolsa chica beach all the way to blacks beach in San Diego.Besides beaches, there are certainly lots of places to visit around Los Angeles, California

Besides the Norfolk, VA James river cruises, down the coast from Norfolk into North Carolina, follow in the footsteps of the Wright Brothers (without whom Bar Refaeli might not be decaled onto a 737) and visit Wrightsville Beach,Hammocks Beach State Park or Hatteras Beach.

And if a subway ride from JFK is about as exotic as you are getting this summer, head to Riis Beach, Orchard Beach in the Bronx, Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn or - if you are a fan of the Ramones - Rock Rock Rock Rock Rockaway Beach. Then head back to the city and enjoy some of the fun things to do in Manhattan and NYC.

Picture of the Day (05/03/07) - From TripCart

Sunrise in Tampa Florida sure is pretty.  Check out the caption on this one.

(thanks Damgaard)

Picture of the Day (03/07/07) - From TripCart

HDR at it's best, this shot comes from Jupiter Island in Palm Beach, Florida.

(thanks Stuck in Customs)

Tigger Takes it Out on Teen at Disney Orlando

Tigger just couldn't take it anymore, the heat, the bad food, the little girls pulling his tail, the constant photo ops; he finally lost it and apparently accosted the Monaco's son on Friday.  Jerry Junior was posing next to Tigger with the rest of the family when Tigger (the man in the big orange suit's name is Michael J. Fedelem) lashed out.  However, Tigger's union rep. claims that Jerry Junior was pulling and choking him and that he took a swipe at the boy in an effort to escape the assault.  The lawyers are already licking their chops like Pooh over a pot of honey.

(thanks jaunted)

Related posts: Best of the Best Amusement Parks and Rides • Top 10 Labor Day Destinations • Top 10 Places to Cool Off This Weekend • Stairway to Heaven Leads to Myrtle Beach?

Related travel guides: Theme Parks in Orlando, Tampa, Disneyworld and Central Florida • Kids and family in Orlando • Romantic vacations in Orlando • Luxury vacations in Orlando • Hotels in Orlando • Spas in Orlando

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

The 2nd Most Important Art Event in the World in Miami

The Art Basel in Switzerland is the "most important annual art show worldwide" and its sister show is going down in Miami starting tomorrow. The goings-on are centered around the city's Art Deco South Beach area and will combine tons of art with special exhibitions featuring music, film, architecture and design. Here's a bit more detail about the second most important art shindig in the world -

An exclusive selection of 200 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia will exhibit 20th and 21st century art works by over 1500 artists.

The exhibiting galleries are among the world's most respected art dealers. They will be showing exceptional works by both renowned established artists and cutting-edge newcomers. Special exhibitions will feature young galleries and video art. The show will be a vital source for discovering new developments in contemporary art and rare museum-caliber art works. Art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world will participate in the event. Top-quality exhibitions in the museums of South Florida and special programs for art collectors and curators, will make this art show a special place for encountering art and the art world – the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world.

 

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens

These beautiful balls are in the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens in Miami.

related travel guide: southern florida

(thanks carvalho)

"Hey Man, What are you doing for International Talk Like a Pirate Day?"

It always happens around this time of year - the high of Labor Day has worn off, and now you start your frantic search for where to get your Blackbeard on for International Talk Like a Pirate Day. ITLPD was started eleven years back by two friends, a few years later humorist Dave Barry picked up on the idea, since then it's gone international.

But if ye don't know where to drop your anchors this September 19th, the Washington Post has a roundup on some of the better places to set sail for-

• Hunt around for the man himself at Blackbeard's Lodge on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina. There's a free ferry to Blackbeard's old hangout and at Teach's Hole you can get your hands on "over 1000 items that relate to piracy."
• If you're more into a commercial thing then let Mickey get your back at the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride, now with new and improved Johnny Depp - new characters and movie enhancements have been added to this classic ride.  Afterward you and the fams can get right into the middle of the action at the Pirate's Dinner Adventure, there's meant to be lots of sword splay, action and vittles.
• Perhaps the appropriately planned (September 23rd) Portland Pirate Festival's the place for you this weekend - besides pirate music and souvenirs there'll be sword fights, cannon firings and plenty of reason to still talk like a pirate.

Northeast Florida and Panhandle Region Online

TripCart's been working hard this week - two travel guides in two days.  Today we're psyched to get out our newset travel guide from Northeast Florida and the Panhandle, if that name's too long you can always shorten it to the "Redneck Riviera."  You may be surprised to find there's a lot more going on here than just NASCAR and Spring Break binges-

You can experience nature afresh on the St. Johns River and its environs in the middle of the Florida peninsula, and on the Nature Coast south of the Panhandle.  Divers, don’t miss out on northern Florida’s unique caves, caverns, and sinkholes, featuring ghostly stalactites and stalagmites. You can check out the lovable manatee, which is currently enjoying a wave of public admiration and curiosity, on the St. Johns River, Crystal River, and other inland bodies of water in the region.

St. Augustine and Pensacola, on opposite sides of the state, feature many witnesses to their 300-400+ year pasts. Many of these are reminders of periods of war, and of the persistent attempts of the Spanish, French, and British to gain footholds on the New World. The Spanish architecture in St. Augustine enchants, as if transporting you to a Mediterranean fishing town from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Florida Yankees

Amelia Island is the southernmost island of the Sea Islands off the southeast coast.  This 13 by 4-mile island has been inhabited for over 4,000 years and for half a year, in 1817, the island was a rogue pirate republic that was eventually crushed by a U.S. naval force - it was just one of the eight flags that have flown over the island. 

TripCart is all over the South these days - we're planning on getting out our Northern Florida guide later this week.  In the mean time you're welcome to check out another wonderful video from our friends at TurnHere.  Featured below is Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, one of the last underdeveloped spots left in the Sunshine State.  This guy jams on the harmonica -