If you want to go to Egypt, say the people behind the new All About Egypt website, you should know something about it before you go. We've already educated you about important stuff like grabbing Pizza Hut near the pyramids or getting 18 holes in during your Egyptian getaway, but All About Egypt thinks that a variety of information about visas, nightlife, history and pharaoh chronology is important too.
While this new website also seems to have enough links and advertising to tour operators to make it feel commercial, it still has a lofty aim for prospective travelers to Egypt--they say we should:
be aware and help raise consciousness of all the efforts conducted by egyptologists, scholars and the scientific community to preserve the universal legacy of ancient egyptian culture.
Phew. And we just wanted a nice place to go snorkelling.
Citizens of Illinois! Do you hunger for Presidential history yet dread the thought of driving down to Springfield, a capitol city so vile that governor Rod Blagojevich opts not to live there? Head to picturesque Galena, IL, instead. It's about a four hour drive from Chicago. Here you can tour the onetime home of Ulysses S. Grant while you also enjoy the town's charming architecture and seemingly endless supply of candy and antique shops.
And if you really can't live without a dose of Honest Abe, the state's most celebrated resident once gave a speech on the balcony of the DeSoto House Hotel. (If you're still not impressed, a scene from "Field of Dreams" was filmed down the street from the hotel.)
The Biltmore, the largest house in the U.S., has now opened up 10 rooms on its fourth floor, including a hall where servants hung out when they were off-duty and three dorm-like bedrooms for maids. It's the first time that this part of the "upstairs/downstairs" equation could be seen on a tour here. Fun fact: Biltmore's head housekeeper, the top of the chain, was paid $300 a month in 1898. That's over $6,500 in 2005 dollars.
Life is peaceful there. Although you can probably leave your construction hat and black leather pants at home...
In today's NY Times the 8,000 mile trail of Lewis & Clark is partially retraced with stops in Montana, Washington and Oregon. The famed trail is celebrating its bicentennial and might just deserve a little re-exploration.
The mother of all Lewis & Clark trail websites helps you plan your re-enactment, offers history lessons and you can even download "Meet Me in Montana" for a sing-a-long.
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by amandak
The Biltmore, the largest house in the U.S., has now opened up 10 rooms on its fourth floor, including a hall where servants hung out when they were off-duty and three dorm-like bedrooms for maids. It's the first time that this part of the "upstairs/downstairs" equation could be seen on a tour here. Fun fact: Biltmore's head housekeeper, the top of the chain, was paid $300 a month in 1898. That's over $6,500 in 2005 dollars.
Life is peaceful there. Although you can probably leave your construction hat and black leather pants at home...
