Jaunted

Holiday Travel / Tourist Traps / New York City / Events / → All Tags

What You Need to Know to Prep for the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting

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:

more ›

Apocalypse Travel / Thanatourism / Religious Travel / Egypt Travel / Ancient History Travel / Tourist Traps / Tourism / → All Tags

Good News: It's Not the End of the World

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:

more ›

Tourist Traps / California Travel / Los Angeles Travel / Landmarks / Tourists / Movie Travel / → All Tags

Cranky Angelenos Want to Create 'Tourist-Free Zone' Around the Hollywood Sign

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.

more ›

Tourist Traps / Tourists / New York City / Tokyo Travel / London Travel / Beatles Travel / Landmarks / Videos / → All Tags

The Three Best City Webcams for Live-Bragging Your Travel

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.

more ›

London Travel / Shakespeare Travel / Theatre Travel / Arts Travel / Literary Travel / Tourist Traps / → All Tags

Much Ado About a Partially Blocked View: Are the Cheap Seats at London's Globe Theatre Worth It?

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.

more ›

Space Travel / Tourist Traps / Florida Travel / NASA / Space Shuttles / Washington DC Travel / Los Angeles Travel / New York City / Tourism / Museum Travel / Science Travel / → All Tags

Mapping the Future Homes of the Four NASA Space Shuttles

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.

more ›

New York City / Tourists / Tourism / Landmarks / Skyscrapers / World Trade Center / Tourist Traps / New York Travel / → All Tags

Freedom Tower Finally Towering Over World Trade Center Site

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.

more ›

Art Travel / Los Angeles Travel / Tourist Traps / Tourism / → All Tags

Could Los Angeles' Funky Watts Towers Be in Danger of Closing?

Los Angeles' Watts Towers is off the beaten track, which may be its biggest problem. The endangered folk art installation with the name that sounds like an office building is suffering from lack of maintenance and visitors.

Italian artist Simon Rodia made the structures, with the tallest one reaching about 98 feet. The unusual outdoor exhibit is a site to see with 17 towering steel sculptures covered with mortar and decorated with broken glass, sea shells, pottery and ceramic tile and hand-painted Canton ware. Rodia made them without machines, scaffolding, bolts, rivets or welds; he used simple tools: pipe-fitter pliers and a window-washer's belt and buckle.

more ›

Museum Travel / Argentina Travel / Beatles / Beatles Travel / Music Travel / Tourist Traps / Buenos Aires Travel / → All Tags

The British Invasion Moves to Argentina Thanks to New Beatles Museum

When we think of the Beatles we usually think of Liverpool—or lately iTunes—but it looks like Buenos Aires wants to be one of the top spots when it comes to checking out their mop tops.

Rodolfo Vazquez, who we can only describe as a super fan, has collected over 8,500 pieces of Beatles history and has put it all on display for the public to check out. Back in 2001, the people at Guinness paid him a visit to certify that he had the largest collection of Fab Four junk in the world, and since then his collection has continued to grow. Unfortunately, the new space is only able to accommodate about a quarter of what he owns, so you’ll have to come back every year and hope that he rotates the displays in and out.

more ›

Movie Set Travel / California Travel / Tourist Traps / Tours / Movie Travel / Hollywood Travel / Lists / → All Tags

Three SoCal Studios Where You Can Tour Some Movie Magic

It’s fine if you don’t have the acting skills—or the body—to make it in Hollywood, because the movie studios are always welcoming new faces to the lot as long as they are willing to pay. This year, skip Disney and Universal and head to one of the other major attractions in Southern California—movie studios. Here’s our picks for three of the best:

· Paramount Pictures:
The Studios at Paramount Pictures run tours pretty much every weekday throughout the year, and they’re back from their holiday break so you should be all set. They’re the longest running studio in Hollywood, and you can bet your tour guide will mention that once or twice as he or she shares the ins and outs of the business (and name drops like crazy) as you’re shuttled from movie set to back lot.

more ›

Travel Tips / Tourist Traps / Art Travel / Las Vegas Travel / → All Tags

How to Interact with a Human Statue

Dude above is making bank—check out his "tips" lining the railing.

Above is one of the human statues that are to be found all around the Strip in Las Vegas, or for that matter, anywhere with a steady stream of tourists with coins jiggling in their pockets. This guy at The Venetian—imitating a generic Italian historical figure (we thought maybe Dante, then thought better)—is someone making a living from just standing still and being entertaining for doing just that.

We've seen human statues all over the world (the greatest concentration seems to be on Barcelona's Las Ramblas), and we've seen tourists make complete asses of themselves in the attempt to tip and get a photograph with the statue. So, for your future reference, we present:

The Etiquette of Interacting with a Human Statue.

more ›

New Year's Travel / New Year's Eve / Events / Lists / New York City / Times Square / Snow Travel / Travel Tips / Tourist Traps / → All Tags

Five Rules for Going to the New Year's Ball Drop in Times Square

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but New Year's celebrations can be so delightful! And since you've got a place to go—Times Square—let's go, let's go, let's go! Okay now ignore that attempt at rewriting the song "Let It Snow" and pay attention, because we're about to give you the lowdown on crossing New Year's in Times Square off your bucket list.

Many people, as we've come to discover, just flock to Times Square all willy-nilly for the ball drop, mistakenly thinking they'll have things like tons of port-a-potties or food vendors. Not true. It's a rugged experience, and you've got to prepare for it and know the rules. Aside from no alcohol allowed, there are five major guidelines to having a great time at the ball drop and still getting a view of the action.

The Five Rules for Going to The New Year's Ball Drop in Times Square...

more ›