Happy Holidays to you, our awesome readers. We've already got everything we wanted—you guys.
Safe and awesome travels this long weekend!]]>
Happy Holidays to you, our awesome readers. We've already got everything we wanted—you guys.
Safe and awesome travels this long weekend!]]>
When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!
Hope you like rum. Since Venezuela is the producer for some of the world's best rums, it only makes sense that they've have a far better version of egg nog than most of the rest of the world. Their boozy, creamy holiday drink is called the Ponche Crema, and it's not just limited to Venezuela either; this is a drink enjoyed in the southern Caribbean as well, and since so many travelers head to spend Christmas break in the balmy weather, a Ponche Crema or two may be part of the holiday feasting.]]>
This may seems like the jankiest holiday gift shopping suggestion ever, but trust us for a moment; airport vending machines are a viable option for Christmas and Chanukah presents. We know because we've seen quite a variety of vending machines in our travels, and felt the pressure to buy last-minute hostess gifts just before jumping on planes.
No terminal has a better variety of random vending machines than JetBlue's Terminal 5 at JFK, but SFO's T2 and Tokyo-Narita are up there as well. What you want to look for are variety machines like the "U*Tique" machine pictured above. It's got everything from Jonathan Adler ceramic salt & pepper shakers to kits from The Art of Shaving, to those sparkly Lady Gaga bud headphones. Some super easy stocking stuffers in there.
A step up is obviously the Best Buy machine, with its iPods, Bluetooth headsets, GPS and gadget cases. ]]>
As we wind down the year in TSA and airport security, we can't help but notice that the agency has made very tiny steps in the direction of sanity. They've gone from generic terrorism alerts to targeted social media alerts. They've gone from defending the intrusive screening of 6-year-olds to not doing that any more. They've gone from delaying scanner safety studies and potentially covering up cancer risks to seeking public comment over the devices. And they've publicly launched investigations of their "few bad apple" agents, who seem to pop up everywhere from Charlotte to Honolulu.
So it's with a tiny tinge of regret that we post this video from the libertarians at Reason.tv, who hate airport security theater the way we hate inflatable pillows (we really hate inflatable pillows). One problem is that the TSA is really trying. It's just that it'd be nice if they'd try a little harder.]]>
Christmas markets are an advent of countries like Germany and Austria, but the honored holiday tradition has been adopted by cultures the world over.
In London, there's yuletide market merriment to be found stretching from the Thames to Columbia Road. Sprinkled throughout the city, these shopping fairs feature vendors hawking everything from fresh mulled wine to crafts to handmade jewels, offering ample opportunity to shop for presents and partake of seasonal cheer.
There are only a few days left to peruse the "chalet" stalls for last-minute gifts as you take in the sight of strung lights and sip on hot cocoa. We've highlighted three of the city's best Christmas markets:]]>
When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!
With only so much time left before the holidays, it's now that we get serious about winter treats. Gingerbread houses and candy canes are all well and good, but going farther afield to foreign Christmas traditions yields such yummy drinks as Glögg. This mulled wine is a decidedly Scandinavian tradition, but Iceland and Estonia like to get in on it as well.
Since Glögg is essentially just one version of mulled wine, other country's attempts at the beverage are also totally fine if Glögg isn't available. Germany/Austria/Switzerland's Glühwein is, for instance, an excellent substitute, as is the vin brulé of Northern Italy (especially the ski resort towns). Just be sure to serve it with a bit of gingerbread or a few ginger snap cookies on the side.]]>
Unfortunately Santa doesn’t open up the North Pole in the offseason for a behind-the-scenes look at what takes place in his workshop, but we might have found the next best thing. If the holiday stress and shopping is taking a toll on you this season, just consider taking a holiday timeout to visit the National Christmas Center. There’s no official museum all about Christmas, but this is pretty darn close.
Located in Paradise, Pennsylvania—right in the heart of Amish country—the place is dedicated to preserving and sharing memories of Christmas present and past. We don’t think there's exhibits dedicated to embarrassing holiday sweaters or home movies, but there are 15 different galleries and exhibits—along with a handful of smaller displays. In total there’s like 20,000 square feet of stuff to see and displays to wander through. ]]>