Traveling

[neoplacebo]

I remember feeling a sense of vestigal guilt by being an American when I visited the Nagasaki Peace Park. I did not see any other Americans there. I also did not notice any menacing or disparaging looks. And that was in 1975

[O Really]

Americans behaving badly - rude, crude, jingoistic, and abrasive - isn't new, and was generally tolerated as long as they brought money. But this seems different. It's becoming more like being German during WWII - painted with the stench of Nazi no matter how many times you may have risked your life to help your Jewish neighbor. Or, closer to home, being a guy from Massachusetts visiting Georgia in 1866.

[GoCubsGo]

I have a hunch traveling in yesteryear was different pre internet when large parts of the world population were uninformed.

The conversation devolved into where can we go?

Mexico and Canada didn't seem welcoming.

[O Really]

I have a hunch traveling in yesteryear was different pre internet when large parts of the world population were uninformed.

The conversation devolved into where can we go?

Mexico and Canada didn't seem welcoming.

I think you can get some idea of the Mexican and Canadian sentiment by the fact that they no longer feel comfortable in the US. Canadians who have wintered in South Florida for years are bailing. Legal citizens of Hispanic heritage are, at best, nervous. It's hard for that not to carry over when Americans visit their countries. Canadians aren't going to attack you - probably won't even insult you and if they did it would be "Sorry, but your president is an asshole, eh?" On the other hand, they probably aren't going to hang out with you.

[Vrede too]

I think you can get some idea of the Mexican and Canadian sentiment by the fact that they no longer feel comfortable in the US. Canadians who have wintered in South Florida for years are bailing. Legal citizens of Hispanic heritage are, at best, nervous. It's hard for that not to carry over when Americans visit their countries. Canadians aren't going to attack you - probably won't even insult you and if they did it would be "Sorry, but your president is an asshole, eh?" On the other hand, they probably aren't going to hang out with you.

Do we have any non-grudging friends left besides El Salvador and Hungary?


Kafka lives, a 2 year ordeal:

‘Drunk’ United Airlines pilot was forced into rehab for alcoholism. He actually had a concussion, lawsuit claims

[GoCubsGo]

FWIW, round trips to Europe are dirt cheap right now. Flights can be found for $500 round trip.

[O Really]

FWIW, round trips to Europe are dirt cheap right now. Flights can be found for $500 round trip.

Is that leaving out of NY?
Edit: whoa - San Diego to London $555ish

[Vrede too]

FWIW, round trips to Europe are dirt cheap right now. Flights can be found for $500 round trip.

Is that leaving out of NY?
Edit: whoa - San Diego to London $555ish

Atlanta to Amsterdam $532 for round trip, direct flights. Might be cheaper ones, I just looked at the search page.

[GoCubsGo]

Crazy isn’t it?

Hardly any Europeans are coming here and not that many Americans are feeling welcomed in Europe (Ted Cruz excepted ).

Airlines want to keep their routes and airport slots for the future so they just want to put fannies in the seats.

[O Really]

Non-stop to Athens from LAX - $388 and up.
Nice hotel in Plaka, view of Acropolis about the same price as a Holiday Inn Express.

[GoCubsGo]

Non-stop to Athens from LAX - $388 and up.
Nice hotel in Plaka, view of Acropolis about the same price as a Holiday Inn Express.

Book it Danno!

[1 CAT FAN]

I have a hunch traveling in yesteryear was different pre internet when large parts of the world population were uninformed.

The conversation devolved into where can we go?

Mexico and Canada didn't seem welcoming.

Be careful while traveling today, your Superstar Cultmaster says that AI is out to get you.

[Vrede too]

...

This might have been fun when I was younger. I never got into recreational biking with cars like those bikecentennial riders and the authors did last year.

Great American Rail-Trail: A car-free trail that crosses the country
This trail will change the way we explore the United States — and we think that’s pretty epic.

Last year, we biked 3,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean in Oceanside, California, to the Atlantic Ocean in Annapolis, Maryland. It was one of the most ambitious and exhausting adventures we’d ever taken on.

... We slept in vans, traded off who was riding, and biked 100 miles a day for 35 days straight.

... The biggest struggle of this trip was that this wasn’t some peaceful, off-the-grid adventure. For the most part, we were biking on busy highways and roads, battling shoulders that were barely a foot wide, cars going 70+ mph, and few safe places to stop and rest. We wore bright colors, trying to alert drivers of our presence to avoid getting hit.

... This leads to the great news, that there is already a cross-country trail in the works that will change the game when it comes to exploring America.

What is the Great American Rail Trail?

The Great American Rail Trail is a 3,700-mile car-free trail that crosses 12 states from Washington State to Washington, D.C. It is an iconic piece of American infrastructure that converts thousands of miles of abandoned railroad corridors and existing greenways into safe, multi-use trails for biking, walking, running, and even wheelchairs.



Today, the Great American Rail Trail is only halfway finished, but there are still wide stretches of it that are open for use. The route is designed to have wide, flat trails that are far away from any cars — which sounds like a dream compared to what we went through on our bike across America....

[O Really]

We've been on parts in WA and ID and the other end in PA and MD. Dunno if I'd care much for the Nebraska and Iowa parts.

[Vrede too]

US air traffic control staffing hit for second day, delaying flights

... More than 3,000 flights have been delayed, according to flight tracking data, as staffing shortages have impacted a widening number of airports, including Houston, Nashville, Dallas, Chicago O'Hare and Newark....

I wonder what this is costing the US economy. Thanks, MAGA.

[Vrede too]

Airports Refuse To Show Kristi Noem's Blatantly Partisan Government Shutdown Video Because The Hatch Act Still Exists

In case you haven't heard, the federal government is currently in the middle of a shutdown. Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a budget bill, but they also refuse to negotiate or offer the Democrats anything in exchange for their votes, so here we are, yet again. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is, of course, doing her part to make everything worse with a video she wants airports to play that blames the Democrats for the shutdown. Some are going along with it, but some are also pushing back and refusing, CNN reports, citing the Hatch Act.

If Noem had her way, everyone standing in an airport security line would see a video of her saying, "It is TSA's top priority to make sure that you have the most pleasant and efficient airport experience as possible while we keep you safe. However, Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our TSA employees are working without pay."

This certainly wouldn't be the first time DHS created a video for airports to play for passengers stuck in security lines, but those videos usually aren't blatantly political or wildly partisan like Noem's latest video is. That's a problem for airports across the country, since it would appear to violate the Hatch Act, a 1939 law passed specifically to ban members of the executive branch (other than the president and vice president) from engaging in political activity....

Refusing airports:
Las Vegas's Harry Reid International Airport
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airports in the greater New York City area
Port of Portland, which operates Portland International
Westchester County (White Plains, NY)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Bradley International Airport (Windsor Locks, Connecticut)
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport - Homeys!
John F. Kennedy International Airport
LaGuardia Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
New York Stewart International Airport (Newburgh, NY)
Philadelphia International Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Springfield–Branson National Airport (MO)

Patriotic heroes.

MAGA = Illegals, ALWAYS

[O Really]

Last week we were up at Big Bear Lake for a few days and managed to catch the peak of leaf-peeping. Not as brilliant as Blue Ridge or Vermont, but still the yellows were spectacular. And with a snow dusting at the highest peaks, made for some good views walking along the lake. That's the closest area to get good colour - generally the only way you'd know it's Fall around here is all the coffee shops start pushing pumpkin spice everything. And we get home to a heat burst. Today is 82 at the beach, up to 95 parts of inland. That's a hot day in August, never mind late October.

Next week, we're going out to Jacumba Hot Springs https://jacumba.com/ a small somewhat restored former almost ghost town in the desert along the Mexican border. We thought it would be cool temps - we may have been mistaken. The southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail is close by and we'll walk a bit on that, and should see some bright star display at night.

[O Really]

Hoo boy, well we didn't get to see many stars, but that was because the "super moon" was brilliant. It was so bright you coulda tossed a football back and forth and see it easily. Sadly, we also got an up close and personal view of the horrific damn wall that symbolizes "welcome to Amerika". Where's Reagan when you need him to say ""Tear down this wall"

Jacumba is a quirky little border desert town, populated largely by people who don't necessarily want to be found or who run out of other places to go, or who are into the mystic vortex stuff and can't afford Sedona. But they have the springs and the hotel/resort has been built into a very nice place - good restaurants, bars, and lodging. I had never been in a natural mineral hot springs before and was surprised that the water really is different. Feels very silky and slippery, and is more buoyant than regular pool water. Temp about 91-95%. Not officially a "bathing suits optional" place, but apparently there's a tolerance for skinny-dipping.

And then on the way up to the Desert View Tower, there were the "UFO Retrieval and Repair Service"
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6559635 ... FQAw%3D%3D

[Vrede too]

And then on the way up to the Desert View Tower, there were the "UFO Retrieval and Repair Service"
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.6559635 ... FQAw%3D%3D

All makes and models, I see.

[O Really]

Start of the Pacific Crest Trail. Obviously not very conducive to much of a walk, but supposedly it gets better once out of the desert. Lots fewer through-hike it than the Appalachian, but it gets a lot of day use further north.

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5897303 ... FQAw%3D%3D