charleston Travel Guide

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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner's Interiors Will Be Filled with Southern Hospitality

May 6, 2010 at 11:00 AM | by | Comments (0)

In our obsession with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, we’ve been mostly focusing on its exterior and construction, but some of the coolest stuff is going to happen on the inside. And when we heard about that cold weather test, we knew there was no place we’d rather be than inside an airplane with that new cabin smell.

Boeing is sending some of its troops down south to just outside Charleston, South Carolina to get things rolling on the airplane’s interior. A spot for the new plant should be picked out this summer, and it will be responsible for making and assembling all the parts that are to be installed in the new birds by next summer. They will be working on stuff like the overhead bins, so let’s just hope they can squeeze in a few extra inches of room—we hate it when our wheels are like a centimeter too long.

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Public Servants Lead Charge Back To Expensive Travel

June 26, 2009 at 3:36 PM | by | Comments (0)

This week we were treated to the riveting story of South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, who used state funds to meet his lady-love journalist in Buenos Aires. Sanford told his staff he was on a much more modest jaunt to the Appalachian Trail, which indicates that maybe he had a shred of shame about the whole business, but in the end, he said, "Well, it's not like I have any presidential ambitions, right?" Last year's luv guv Eliot Spitzer opted for the more budget-friendly train tickets and D.C. hotel accommodations, but those were different times.

Sanford's not the only one who feels the world has turned around enough to allow for gleeful spoiling at taxpayer expense: The Detroit Free Press reported that the trustees of the city pension fund spent $380,000 on travel last year, and then tried to cover it up when the paper sued for records. With 21 trustees, that's an average of $18,095 per person, although one trustee, Ronald Gracia, spent $105,000 of it alone, including an $18,600 trip to Hong Kong.

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Most Missed Of 2008

January 2, 2009 at 4:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

We couldn't resist squeezing in just one more Jaunty in honor of our Craigslist-crazy Friday series. Here were the top places to meet and be met in 2008:

On the campaign trail:
Elections mean roving packs of staff going to where the primaries are for brief, frenetic, sleepless visits. If you're at your best on nine cups of coffee and two hours of sleep, you probably followed our primary series from Charleston to Indianapolis--and even to the president-elect's hometown of Chicago.

Movie tie-ins:
You didn't have to see "What Happens In Vegas" to let whatever happens, happen in Vegas. Don't forget that brawl on the set of "W." that made us happy to be alive or our Chasing Michigan series. We even followed the mustache to the scene of its hairy crimes.

In transit, of course!
It shouldn't take a wave of grounded planes, a visit to Love Field or an overnight stay in Atlanta for you to meet someone in 2009. Just tell us where you did it!

Related Stories:
· Chicago Hearts Obama, How About You? [Jaunted]
· Missed Connections in Shreveport: Mr. and Mrs. Bush Edition [Jaunted]
· Missed Connections: American Airlines Hubs Edition [Jaunted]

[Photo: kadanwa]

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Morgan Freeman Hurt: Please No "Miss Daisy" Jokes

August 4, 2008 at 5:30 PM | by | Comments (0)


Morgan Freeman was seriously injured in a one-car accident in Northern Mississippi late Sunday night. The 71-year-old "Dark Knight" actor was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis after being pulled from a 1997 Nissan Maxima that flipped over multiple times. His passenger, Demaris Meyer, was also injured, though authorities can't say for certain how seriously she was hurt.

Filmmaker Paul Saltzman, who visited the Oscar-winner in the hospital, said Freeman suffered a broken shoulder and broken arm. He recently wrapped work on a documentary project with Freeman about a newly integrated prom held in Charleston, Mississippi--an event the actor sponsored.

Related Stories:
· Morgan Freeman Injured in Car Accident [The Clarion-Ledger]
· Morgan Freeman Injured in Car Accident [Reuters]
· Google Maps coverage [Jaunted]

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JetAmerica All But Finished

April 8, 2008 at 2:14 PM | by | Comments (0)

On Monday morning, the future for JetAmerica looked pretty grim, but we were holding out hope that John Weikle could get his airline aloft. But after Skybus went down in flames, he decided to pull the plug on the new project.

Charleston Area Alliance President Matt Ballard says fundraising for the project has stopped, and the Daily Mail quotes Weikle as saying checks are going back to investors. That's the end of Jet America for now.

Meanwhile Ballard says a lack of leadership on national energy policy is what's killing airlines these days, not a bogus business model:

I think all of the investors here in the local area still believe in John Weikle's ultra-low cost carrier model. In fact, there were many who despite the Skybus announcement wanted to move forward...I believe John will make this model work in the US; it works for Air Asia and Ryanair.

Related Stories:
· Skybus Founder Says Refunds of Public Money Coming [Daily Mail]
· What the Skybus Shutdown Means for Jet America [Jaunted]
· Jet America coverage [Jaunted]

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What the Skybus Shutdown Means for JetAmerica

April 7, 2008 at 11:37 AM | by | Comments (0)

Skybus plans to file for bankruptcy in Delaware today, and that has a lot of people in West Virginia nervous. How's that? The founder of the 'bus, John Weikle, is now at work on JetAmerica, an ultra-LCC set to take off from Charleston in 2009.

Among those sweating is Yeager Airport Director Rick Atkinson:

[The Skybus shutdown] is like throwing a wet blanket on plans for Jet America...I don't see how we could go forward with this model.

Also worried is at least one local business leader--who's now frozen some of that seed money his group pledged to Jet America:

There's no way we would have done this if I didn't think Skybus was successful.

For his part, Jaunted pen pal Matt Ballard hasn't given up on the idea of Jet America. But we have to wonder: Does it count as an airline shuttering if the carrier never took a flight?

Related Stories:
· Weikle's Skybus Ceases Operations [Charleston Gazette]
· Top Secret Airline Watch: More Details on Jet America [Jaunted]
· Jet America coverage [Jaunted]

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Top Secret Airline Watch: More Details on JetAmerica

April 3, 2008 at 11:39 AM | by | Comment (1)

Though it's still a long way off, more details are leaking out about the planned ultra-low cost carrier JetAmerica. At present, we'll be waiting until at least 2009 to see some actual planes.

Until then, The Charleston Gazette has the details on what to expect:

The paint scheme--called the aircraft livery--features a tail with a blue background and white stars. The rest of the back-end of the plane will be red, with a white outline. The airline's name...and website will also be on the side of the plane.

While the model of plane is still under wraps, the aircraft will hold at least 120 passengers, one investor said.

As far as we can tell, president John Weikle, pictured, is still shopping around for a $40 million investment to help things along. And Matt Ballard--who we spoke with recently--says destinations and more information should be released soon.

Related Stories:
· Jet America Details Still Under Wraps [Charleston Gazette]
· Jaunted Interviews: Matt Ballard Fills Us in on Project New Horizons [Jaunted]
· Top Secret Airline Watch: Yeager LCC Will Be Called Jet America [Jaunted]

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Jaunted Interviews: Matt Ballard Fills Us in on Project New Horizons

March 18, 2008 at 10:01 AM | by | Comments (2)

A Jaunted Exclusive

We're obsessed with the idea of JetAmerica, the new ultra low cost carrier that could start flying in Charleston, West Virginia. But we don't really know that much about it. So instead of just speculating, we decided to actually ask someone who knows what he's talking about.

We got in touch with Matt Ballard, the President and CEO of the Charleston Area Alliance, a non-profit development group that chipped in some seed money to get Project New Horizons off the ground. Matt was bound by a confidentiality agreement and SEC regulations, but he did manage to illuminate some things for us.

One biggie: You won't see this airline till 2009 at the earliest.

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Top Secret Airline Watch: Yeager LCC Will Be Called JetAmerica

March 13, 2008 at 2:43 PM | by | Comments (0)


According to a Jaunted tipster, and now confirmed by the Charleston Daily Mail, Skybus founder John Weikle's Project New Horizons has an official name: JetAmerica, World Police. Ok, we made up the world police part. Besides, you would think an airline based at Yeager would go after a name like The Right Stuff -- nope.

JetAmerica Inc. was registered on Nov. 26 with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission.

JetAmerica is a name from the aviation bone yard. Seven California businessmen established an airline with that name in 1981 in Long Beach. The original JetAmerica started with flights between Long Beach and Chicago.

...an action adventure airline from the creators of South Park Skybus.

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Top Secret Airline Watch: Details Emerging on Project New Horizons

March 4, 2008 at 12:20 PM | by | Comment (1)

The nascent low cost carrier from Skybus founder John Weikle is one step closer to reality. Investors, including business alliances in Charleston, West Virginia, have cobbled together $3 million in seed money to start Project New Horizons.

There's understandably some skepticism about the project, in light of Independence Air's short-lived service to Charleston's Yeager Airport. Weikle told The Charleston Gazette the new project will be different:

Independence Air made use of the hub-and-spoke system, with its main hub at Washington's Dulles International, and competed with major carriers on nearly all its routes, Weikle said. The low-cost operation envisioned for Charleston, he said, "will offer point-to-point service" with no connecting routes, on routes not served by major carriers.

With the initial money in hand, Weikle is now looking for $40 million from institutional investors. If he can get that cash quickly, we could see a new airline by the end of 2008. As for potential destinations, we probably won't hear anything until next month.

Related Stories:
· $3 Million Airline Seed Is Planted [Gazette]
· Top Secret Airline Watch: Project New Horizons [Jaunted]
· New Airlines coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of CRW: Google Maps]

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Top Secret Airline Watch: Project New Horizons

February 27, 2008 at 10:36 AM | by | Comments (9)

Back in early 2003, an airline industry veteran named John Weikle left US Airways to start Skybus. And though the ultra-LCC has moved on, he apparently still has the start-up itch. Weikle's rumored to be backing a new airline that'll be based at Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia.

At this early stage, there aren't many details about Project New Horizons, other than the Bond movie name. A local business alliance is planning to chip in some money for the start-up. But the numbers being tossed out at this stage are frighteningly low; one official says $3 million is the goal for this round of fundraising. (Skybus started operations with $160 million in the bank.)

As for Yeager Airport, it seems like a decent candidate for a new ultra-low cost carrier. It currently has regional service on five of the six legacy carriers. Aside from some seasonal service from a charter airline, an LCC would be the first point-to-point carrier to touch down at CRW.

It's worth mentioning, too, that Skybus' home base of Columbus is just three hours from Yeager. Could we be gearing up for a Stateside version of the eternal Ryanair/Easyjet battle? We hope so!

Related Stories:
· Charleston Group to Invest in Discount Airline Startup [Daily Mail]
· Low Cost Carriers coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of CRW: Google Maps]

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Missed Connections in Charleston: Candidate Courtin'

January 25, 2008 at 4:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

Married man or woman seeks single or married registered voters for long-weekend-night stand. I'm leaving town Tuesday night, but before that, maybe we can have some fun!

If the candidates want to get the most votes for their shoe leather, they ought to go to Wal-Mart, the overwhelming winner for Charleston, South Carolina's Craigslist most-missed page. (It's okay, we can never find anything there either!)

If on the other hand you only need one vote of confidence, try these local hot spots:

Blind Tiger Pub -- This casual bar, voted Best Pick-Up Joint by the Charleston alt-weekly, City Paper, is named for Prohibition-era establishments which offered complimentary drinks for animal shows (thus skirting the no-selling law). These days, you can order your Wild Turkey legally. 38 Broad St.

Club H2O -- This newly opened disco is primed for '80s nights two nights a week and second chances. 8484 Dorchester Rd.

California Dreamin' -- Apparently it's okay to have West Coast designs even this far east -- so long as you have the soul patch to match. 1 Ashley Point Dr.

Related Stories:
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· 2008 Candidates Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Charleston Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: Jack Duval]

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