In the wild, the sight of a king cobra raised in a full warning stance has been known to stop elephants in their tracks. That makes sense, since a king cobra's bite releases enough venom to kill even elephants, and so most animals tend to give them a wide berth. Not us humans though. We take the animals—which are the world's largest venomous snakes—put them in zoos, and keep them behind really really thick glass. Because we're creative that way.

The system only works, though, as long as we mange to keep the cobras behind the glass. If you tried to get into the Bronx Zoo's Reptile House over the last few weeks, you know that doesn't always happen. It works most of the time, but sometimes things go awry, giving rise to mild panic and clever Twitter accounts. The Bronx Zoo cobra Mia is back in her enclosure of course, but in case you're still curious, here's...

Three Other Famous Zoos with Their Own Cobras:]]> Omri 2011-04-13T16:16:38-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/21/94044/0035

Travelocity’s cuddly/creepy garden gnome mascot is ready to hit the road again, and the travel website is asking fans to vote on where he should head next.

After hitting up Vegas (thanks to some voting from the crew over at Vegas Chatter!), the gnome jaunted down the west coast, hitting up Sedona and Arizona, but now he’s swinging back east. Thus, Travelocity has delved into the eternal Northeast travel battle: which city (after New York of course) is most worth a visit? Visitors to the gnome’s website are asked whether he should visit Boston, Philadelphia, or DC.

And so far, DC’s rumored Obama-era coolness is nowhere to be seen, as the district (14%) is lagging far behind Boston (46%) and Philly (40%). Cast your vote over at the gnome's website, and follow his travels—where else?—on twitter.

Related Stories:
· Pick the Roaming Gnome’s Next Adventure [Travelocity]
· Travelocity Hides Rising Prices With Fancy Words [Jaunted]
· Tell Travelocity's Roaming Gnome To Come To Vegas, Baby, Vegas [Vegas Chatter]

[Photo: Travelocity] ]]> BS 2009-07-21T10:19:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/24/143433/942

Along with the tasty barbeques and popping fireworks of the middle of summer come the re-enactments of historical battles. To help you plan fun excursions to watch guns go off, we're listing our favorite battle re-enactment sites all this week. Any suggestions or questions? Let us know.

So you've seen a little French & Indian War action and even some Samurai swordplay, but nothing's more prevalent in the Northeast when it comes to re-enacting battles than the Revolutionary War, and Philadelphia has your fix.

When the leaves begin to fall in October, war history buffs will get together in the historical quarter of Philly to re-enact the 1777 Battle of Germantown, the only conflict within city limits. Aside from shooting blanks, there will be eight historic sites to visit where you can interact with locals who love their city's olden days. While there is a fee of $10 to visit all of the spots of the festival, it encompasses traditional residences and a shuttle bus between all points. And let's face it; this re-enactment is fare more convenient to NYC-dwelling folk than the Fort Niagara one.

Related Stories:
· Revolutionary Germantown [Official Site]
· Revolutionary Germantown Festival [GoPhila]
· Historical Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: michael feagan]]]> JetSetCD 2009-06-24T15:17:11-05:00 40.0459164 -75.182230 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/7/205718/7384

If you ever find yourself visiting Philadelphia for the first time, the Liberty Bell is going to definitely fall into that category of "I've got to see it once, but OMFG there are way too many people here!" Fortunately, Jaunted has your how-to guide for checking this must-do tourist trap off your list. ]]> BS 2009-06-08T11:27:08-05:00 39.9505461 -75.148932 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/7/202928/6078

When it comes to hometown pride, you gotta hand it to The Roots. Despite all their album sales, Grammys, and even now a steady late night TV gig, the Philadelphia locals won't even consider a move to Manhattan. Most of the band still commutes via train to their Jimmy Fallon gig everyday, and despite that busy schedule, they still save their most exuberant show of the year for a homecoming: the annual Roots Family Picnic, which Jaunted was on hand for this weekend.

The Roots basically performed all day, kicking off the show with a mini-set at 2 p.m., then backing up Public Enemy later in the evening and closing out the show with a second, hour-long set of their own. The day was also a showcase of Philly's up-and-coming hip-hop scene, with homegrown acts like Santigold, King Britt and Written House.

Next up on the Philly music agenda: Check out a ton more local bands at the free Popped! 2nd Street Music Festival in Northern Liberties on June 20. Then Philly brings back its rock-ier side for the Xponential Music Festival, which takes place July 24 – 26 on the Camden Waterfront, with big-name acts like The Hold Steady, They Might be Giants, and Peter Bjorn & John.

Related Stories:
· The Roots Return Home to Philly This Weekend [Jaunted]
· Popped! Music Festival [Official Site]
· Xponential Music Festival [Official Site]

[Photo: Jaunted] ]]> BS 2009-06-08T09:02:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/4/13437/54531

Philly's favorite hip-hop sons, The Roots, will be taking a break from their gig as the house band on Jimmy Fallon's show this weekend and hopping on the Amtrak back home for their second annual Roots Picnic.

The band will be joined at the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing by a few thousand of their closest friends, along with a diverse array of artists, including TV on the Radio, Santigold, the Black Keys and Public Enemy.

At a not-so-insane $47 a ticket, the Roots Picnic is a welcome break from some of summer's more overpriced music festivals, and according to the forecast, all this rain should be out of the way in time for a sunny, 80-degree Saturday in Philadelphia. Jaunted will be there representing—come join us!

Related Stories:
· The Roots Picnic [Official Site]
· Questlove Swears He Won't Become a New Yorker [Jaunted]
· Jaunted Does Lunch with Questlove of the Roots [Jaunted]

[Photo: zachclean] ]]> BS 2009-06-05T08:47:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/4/24/14484/1073

· Buenos Aires: Beginning this weekend in the La Rural exhibition complex, the Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires brings over 1 million people together for the Spanish-speaking world's largest literature festival and book fair. Whether you're in the market to beef up your home library, tracking down signatures of your favorite authors or taking in a free lecture, the Feria is fun for all. Fluency in Spanish is of course highly recommended, but then we're sure they'll have language instruction for sale as well. Check out the full schedule for the fair, which runs until May 11, at its website. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-04-24T16:26:43-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/