So you want to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Join the club, or rather the crowds as the Rock Center tree spectacle clogs the plaza and Fifth Avenue sidewalks starting November 30, when the official tree lighting ceremony goes down.

The 74-foot-tall Norway spruce cut from Pennsylvania is already upright in Rockefeller Plaza, but you'd barely know it from all the scaffolding surrounding the site. We stopped by yesterday for these photos, and noted that the tree's lower hanging branches are currently being delicately trimmed, a la ikebana times a thousand, to prep for its moment in the spotlights.

If you'll be in Manhattan on November 30 and want to soak up a bit of that Miracle on 34th Street-style, wholesome holiday spirit, here's the details you need to know:]]> JetSetCD 2011-11-16T10:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/11/11/04340/797

It's Veterans Day today, and it's also 11.11.11 as the date goes. Naturally tourist sites have been preparing for both, but with the major difference that Veterans Day takes place in the US and focuses on looking at history and remembering while 11.11.11 happens around the world, with a focus on the future.

For some however, it's actually a lack thereof (the future) with the belief that the world will end today. Well it hasn't yet, and Egypt's Great Pyramid can attest to this. Fearing negative attention and spiritual ceremonies, the Great Pyramid was closed to tourists. The AP notes that only the pyramid was on lock-down: ]]> JetSetCD 2011-11-11T10:35:33-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/20/9514/65157

Ever wanted your picture with the famous white "HOLLYWOOD" sign above Los Angeles? Of course you do, who doesn't? Well, LA residents apparently aren't a fan of the practice of hiking up into the hills for the bucket list photograph, especially LA residents who happen to live in the shadow of the letters themselves. They're fuming about a recent increase in tourists trekking near their property, and they're meeting to (try to) do something about it.

NBC Los Angeles fills us in on the NIMBY debate:

The homeowners trying to discourage sightseers, led by the Hollywoodland Homeowners Association, say the roads beneath the Hollywood sign are too narrow to accommodate both the residents and tourists who often come in tour vans and buses.

Tourists using smartphones can find a variety of suggestions when it comes to finding a viewing area, and some "rogue" websites encourage visitors to use private roads to reach the sign.

]]> JetSetCD 2011-09-20T13:12:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/8/15/84548/9388

Sometimes there's no better way to gloat about your travels than doing right in someone's face...virtually. This is why God made webcams (okay maybe also for security, weather and checking on traffic, but whatever). We've gather our three favorite major city street webcams together, for your future bragging pleasure:

· Abbey Road, London, UK
Hands down this is our favorite webcam on the internet. Not only is it huge with okay video quality and sound, but it's run by a legitimate website (Abbey Road Studios itself) and the thing has been around since at least 2003. We can vouch for it ourselves, having Beatles-walked across the zebra-stripe crossing a couple times, though we've yet to go barefoot a la Paul McCartney. In case you have no idea why this pedestrian crossing in the north of London is so famous, take a look at this.]]> JetSetCD 2011-08-15T10:26:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/5/31/12212/3823

The quintessential London theatre experience, at least for Bard fanatics, is an afternoon or evening at Shakespeare's Globe. In the open-air structure on the Thames' South Bank, visitors take in stripped-down stagings of the classics. There are no elaborate sets, no breathtakingly beautiful costumes, and the most hard-core—or spendthrift—theatregoers will find themselves standing for three hours or more just as their entertainment-hungry counterparts of yesteryear used to in the Yard.

Those who prefer comfort over historical fidelity can sit of course, on tufted cushions if they so choose. Based on our experience sitting in a slightly cheaper section with partially-blocked views, pinpointing a "bad seat in the house" proves challenging. So, good news for those looking to save a bit of cash on tickets. Just remember this Globe isn't actually the original Globe, but that's a factual matter for Wiki-ing.]]> Heidi Atwal 2011-05-31T12:40:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/4/12/163440/865

Houston is so pissed right now. Why? Because they were passed over in NASA's decision on where to retire the four remaining space shuttles. Instead, four other US cities will welcome different crafts for permanent exhibits, reaping in the tourist dollars that follow anything space travel-related. Let's see who got what, shall we?

· Cape Canaveral, FL: The original home of the shuttles is Kennedy Space Center, so of course they get to keep one. The Space Shuttle Atlantis, which originally launched in 1985 and completed 35 flights, will settle in for posterity at the Visitor Center. Atlantis will fly again before powering down, with a final launch scheduled for June 28.]]> JetSetCD 2011-04-12T16:34:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/4/11/04821/2153
Freedom Tower (left, under construction), as seen from 5th floor of the W Downtown

It's 75 degrees outside right now in New York City, and though it's technically still spring, the summer tourist season is ramping up. As usual, visitors will be making the rounds of the Empire State Building, Macy's Herald Square, Central Park, Apple 5th Avenue and the World Trade Center site, but unlike in recent years, there's actually something to see now at Ground Zero.

That's right; Freedom Tower is making serious headway. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-04-11T12:39:21-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/