We’ve all been there, and we’ve all begrudged the long hours spent waiting for our next flight in an in-between airport. If you’ve got some long layovers in your near future, consider passing the time with these boredom-fighting tips. Use What You’ve Got If you know you’re going to have a ton of time on your hands, and you won’t be able to go anywhere but the airport terminal, make sure you’ve got what you need to keep yourself entertained … [Read more...]
An Afternoon in Brooklyn’s Park Slope
I recently spent a Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. There were a handful of places I wanted to visit to make the nearly 30 minute trip from Washington Square Park worthwhile. I played U2’s The Joshua Tree on my new iPhone 6S and boarded the D train to the Atlantic Av-Pacific St. From there, I intended to transfer to the 2-3 line, but there was a delay, so I boarded the Q train and took it one stop to 7 Av instead. This area was new … [Read more...]
Walking from New Jersey to New York and Back
Over the past 2 years, I’ve walked over the BMW (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg) bridges, which connect Brooklyn and Manhattan. This summer, I finally walked over the George Washington Bridge and highly recommend it to any urban explorer. As a car owner who lives in Pennsylvania, I drove as close as possible to the pedestrian entrance on the New Jersey side of the bridge. If you are a history buff (like myself), I recommend parking at Fort … [Read more...]
Layovers are great*
I am fortunate enough to participate in non-rev travel. This has its obvious ups and downs. I know where to find free WiFi in Houston International. I've spent dozens of nights sleeping in airports. And I’m certainly no stranger to being stuck in cities I’d rather not be in. When I was marooned in Paris last November, I was faced with the difficult decision of how to spend the next 24 hours. I was exhausted from a brief romp around Spain and … [Read more...]
Speck Collection iPhone Durable Case Giveaway
Recently a representative for Speck (maker of durable cases for a number of digital devices) reached out to me. With intriguing videos of phones being dropped from odd and often high places (see the 2000 foot drop video below) I accepted their offer to send me two samples, one of which we are giving away here (see below). The Review We set aside one case for testing - building the courage to drop our iPhone on the hard rug (while enclosed in … [Read more...]
Kidnapped In Africa – Part One
For me, Tanzania is a tainted country. If you can believe it, we were kidnapped and robbed within 24 hours of arriving into the country. So... let’s begin the tale. The night before the ‘incident’ took place, one of my best mates and I touched down into Dar es Salaam (the biggest city in Tanzania). As soon as we arrived we did what any proper backpacker would. We rushed from the airport to our hotel, check in as fast as humanly … [Read more...]
2013 Dave’s Travel Corner Travel Essay Contest
Of all the past travel writing contests, this was the most difficult year to narrow down the entries to the top three winners. We initially selected 11 from over 100 entries. One entry stood out from the others and was the unanimous choice for our top spot. After discussion among the three judges - the three top entries are: Bring Adventure Back to Europe, by Richard Bangs Without An Address, You Can’t Go Home, … [Read more...]
Benxi Water Cave
Today we visited the Benxi Water Cave - the temperature was about -9 Celsius outside while the inside of the cave was around 12 C - much more pleasant! This is the world's largest underground water cave system accessible by boat. Thousands of stalactites hang from the ceiling and the interior is lit up by both under water lights and lights near the ceilings. Beautiful eclectic pieces of stone line the riverbanks. The water is super clear and not … [Read more...]
Five Things to Consider on your Las Vegas Vacation
Planning a trip to Las Vegas can sure be exciting! All the cool hotels, bright lights, new people and even booze in the streets! But don't let your enthusiasm for adventure carry you away. There will be plenty of time to lose your head once you get to Las Vegas. The planning stages should be treated with the utmost diligence and respect. This is your precious Vegas vacation, after all! There are dozens of things you'll want to keep in … [Read more...]
Backpacking around Europe doesn’t mean leaving your iPhone at home
Backpacking around Europe doesn’t mean leaving your iPhone at home. Backpacking has become a hugely popular holiday choice in the US, with more holiday makers opting for a back to basics experience. The low-cost form of travel is renowned as one of the best ways to get to grips with a country’s culture and society. However, fitting all the items you need in a single backpack can be a struggle. To save you hassle while abroad, the packing … [Read more...]