Nov 19th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Civil War battlefields are some of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. The most famous battlefields, such as Gettysburg and Shiloh, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. But there are many other battlefields that are just as interesting but little-known outside their local area. Here are four that any history buff will enjoy. You'll notice all of them are west of the ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
arizona posts
Four forgotten Civil War battlefields
Nov 19th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Civil War battlefields are some of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. The most famous battlefields, such as Gettysburg and Shiloh, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. But there are many other battlefields that are just as interesting but little-known outside their local area. Here are four that any history buff will enjoy. You'll notice all of them are west of the ...The Western will never die at Old Tucson Studios
Nov 16th, 2009 at 10:30AM: The Old West was a place where there were gunfights on every street, the bank got robbed every day, and every saloon was filled with girls dancing the can-can. Well, actually it wasn't, but that's the way it seems from the movies, and a lot of those movies were filmed at Old Tucson Studios. Located a short drive west of Tucson, Old Tucson Studios is the perfect place to film a Western. There's an ...Photo of the day (11-12-09)
Nov 12th, 2009 at 6:30PM: Floyd Dean (fdean55) has some amazing pictures that just begged to be shared here with our Gadling readers. This beam of light shining through a cave at Antelope Canyon in Arizona really caught my eye. It's as if someone installed a Solatube on the roof of this place. Spectacular shot, Floyd. I'm sure this won't be the last time you see his work appear on our Photo of the Day. Are you a Flickr ...Tours of polygamist cities now available
Sep 20th, 2009 at 12:00PM: If you were in Hildale, Utah or Colorado City, Arizona yesterday, it was either because (a) you live there or (b) you were taking the first tour of polygamist country. Former Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints members Richard and Heber Holm, brothers, have launched four-hour tours of the two towns that are controlled by the largest FLDS community in the United States. Of ...Destination spas hard up for guests, slashing prices
Sep 19th, 2009 at 11:00AM: Upscale spas may not be accustomed to offering deep discounts, but the current economic situation has left them little choice. As a result, you'll be able to take advantage of some fantastic deals and go to spas that might be out of reach otherwise. Live like the wealthy (used to) for a few days.
For the top shops in the spa business, the International Spa Association (ISPA) says that visits are ...Think local for a low-cost wine-tasting trip
Aug 31st, 2009 at 12:00PM: When most people think of going on a wine-tasting trip, their thoughts tend to head west - to California, Washington, and Oregon. It's not surprising. From Napa Valley in California to Walla Walla in Washington, these states are some of the biggest producers of wine in the US. But if you don't live in one of these states, there's no need to venture far from home for a weekend of swirling and ...Should travelers boycott Arizona because of gun laws? Frommer leans towards yes
Aug 20th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Arthur Frommer, longtime travel book guru, posed a question about Arizona's "open carry" gun laws. In Arizona, Frommer found out, people can bring loaded guns to political rallies. That's what happened in Phoenix earlier this week when some of the protesters, who showed up outside the convention center where Barack Obama was speaking, visibly wielded guns--including an assault rifle. Such action ...Scenic America: The Four Corners
Aug 17th, 2009 at 3:00PM: When you're figuring out where to go for vacation, you might want beautiful vistas, clean air, ancient ruins, and traditional cultures. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking they have to go to some remote country to find all that. You don't. Head over to the Four Corners region and you'll get all that and more. The Four Corners, where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah ...Have you seen. . .The Thing?
Aug 3rd, 2009 at 11:30AM: As you drive through the desert along I-10 you see them--garish signs beckoning you to explore the mystery of "The Thing?" The signs are everywhere, 247 of them stretching from Arizona to Texas. The journey is long and boring, punctuated only by bad country music and Born-Again preachers on the radio. Finally you make it to Exit 322 at Dragoon, Arizona, and see the cheap yellow, red, and blue ...Best vacation day: Slide Rock
Jul 28th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Friends of mine recently returned from a trip to Arizona with news of a hands-down favorite day that pleased the whole family. Slide Rock State Park near Sedona made the parents, a 16-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl happy at exactly the same time. Amazing. For anyone who has traveled with an age range of children of both sexes, an activity that fits everyone's desires and ...Some hotel futures at risk
Jul 26th, 2009 at 12:00PM: The number of hotels defaulting on their loans surged 125 percent in May and June this year. Travel is down (no shit), which has an obvious effect on the top line. When there's no money coming in, it's hard to send cash out to meet some pretty hefty obligations. So, if none comes in, none can go out ... and defaults start to rise.
Some high-profile properties have defaulted already, including ...Photo of the Day (7.19.09)
Jul 19th, 2009 at 6:00PM: One of the great moments in any journey is the epiphany - that sudden realization you've discovered something truly spectacular. I like to think that Flickr user boobster*radley captured just such an epiphany in this week's image. Even if you've never been to the Grand Canyon, it's easy to imagine exactly what it would be like: taking that first walk up to the edge, surrounded on all sides by the ...Top 5 favorite roadside stores and attractions
Jul 2nd, 2009 at 2:30PM: There are roadside stores and attractions that are worth driving to. In some cases towns wouldn't exist unless it wasn't for the store. With the bounties of kitsch, confections, food, and often an array of items that offer endless possibilities of items to buy--or wonder who in his or her right mind would buy such a thing, some places are hard to resist.
According to the reader survey conducted ...Sinkhole travel: The Dead Sea isn't the only place to see where the earth has caved in
Jun 25th, 2009 at 12:30PM: The story about Eli Raz who fell into a sinkhole at the Dead Sea and wasn't found for 14 hours--alive, thank goodness, about environmental changes and the traveler's experience. In the case of Raz, the message is look, but be alert for heaven's sake when out in the natural world.
The Dead Sea, at the lowest point on earth, has 3,000 sinkholes along the coast and more coming. Raz is on a mission ...Top 10 national parks, thanks to TripAdvisor
Jun 6th, 2009 at 12:00PM: More than 3,000 TripAdvisor readers in the United States have selected the top 10 national parks. Big shock: nine out of 10 are out west. Only Maine made it onto the list. But, let's face it – if you want big, impressive national parks, you have leave the East Coast.
These readers are definitely interested in the national park scene. More than 70 percent plan to visit one this year, up ...Chattanooga, Portsmouth among top art destinations in the U.S.
Apr 18th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Who thought that Tennessee and New Hampshire would be some of the top towns in the country for art lovers. AmericanStyle magazine just issued the results of its twelfth annual arts destinations poll. Some spots are predictable. Others, like Chattanooga, will just blow your mind. This is the first year Chattanooga made the list, shooting all the way up to second in the mid-sized city category. If ...Two guys, two thumbs, one week and no money. Hitchhiking across the U.S.
Apr 16th, 2009 at 5:30PM: There's a line in the "The Hitchhiking Movie" that made me laugh. Ryan Jeanes, one of the two guys who decided one fine day to hitchhike across the U.S. from New York City to Berkeley, California in one week to test out the kindness of strangers says, after one car dropped them off at what looks like the middle of nowhere, "Three miles further and only 3,000 miles to go."
There are the rides one ...Photo of the Day (3.29.09)
Mar 29th, 2009 at 4:00PM: As luck would have it I'm currently tramping around New Zealand's Tongariro National Park. All the majestic outdoor scenery and beautiful vistas have me in a particularly "natural" frame of mind. Exactly the reason I chose Flickr user Tina Hsu's shot for today's selection. Tina took this photo near Sedona, Arizona. I love the reddish rocky outcroppings and the perspective, framed nicely by a ...Recession vacations: do more with less
Feb 23rd, 2009 at 4:00PM: Vacation plans are changing. This isn't exactly a surprise. With layoffs mounting and a careful eye trained on every expense, long vacations are becoming short, and short trips aren't straying as far from home. For some destinations, this is actually paying off. A handful of smaller cities are pulling in visitors that normally would set off for grander locales. Charleston, SC and Fort Meyers, FL, ...Pilot sues flight attendants over safety
Feb 23rd, 2009 at 12:30PM: Three Phoenix-based flight attendants are in the unusual position of defending themselves from pilot-instigated litigation. Of course, they deserve it. I mean, what would you do when people responsible for passenger safety report safety concerns to federal regulators? Either you can fix a problem or you can sue. Since the pilot is obviously a proud American, he chose the latter course. And, he's ...
