Tag: War Travel

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Riot Training Tourism? Okay Then.

November 19, 2012 at 5:21 PM | by | Comments (0)

As has been well-documented by scientists and statisticians, travel has never been less dangerous. In both broad and specific senses that's a very good thing, since more people can travel to more places, but for dangerous travel aficionados it's becoming a problem.

As has also been well-documented by scientists and statisticians, British tourists are among the world's worst people. They throw stag parties that are by turns crude and destructive, and their outrward behavior is sometimes indistinguishable from low-level rioting. Where do you think this post is going?

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A Wander Around Barcelona's Castell de Montjuïc

November 15, 2012 at 12:13 PM | by | Comments (0)

Right about now, you might be day-dreaming of a beach vacation or somewhere the sun shines all day and the people are hot, hot, hot. Come with us on a Spanish adventure, more specifically to Barcelona. The city is known for fine beaches, partying until the wee hours of the morning, tapas and lots of sangria. While we partook in a little of each—maybe more than a little when it came to the sangria—we brought a little history and culture into our days with a castle visit.

Montjuïc, historically speaking, was the the area that the medieval Jewish community buried their dead, thus the Catalan translation of Jewish Mountain. Now it sits to welcome cruise and cargo ships from the Mediterranean, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the city below. The park area is not easy to reach; either by climbing the steps on the front or riding the funicular from the port, it takes some sweat or fears.

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For American Airlines, Veterans Day is Something Celebrated All Year

November 12, 2012 at 2:06 PM | by | Comments (0)


We spotted (and Instagrammed) this Flagship Independence yellow-ribboned jet at JFK recently

With so much awful press for American Airlines lately, we'd like to point out one very positive continuing agenda of AA: their honoring of both enlisted military and veterans. There's several specific ways we can think of where AA deserves a round of applause for this:

· Veterans Day may have been yesterday, but their Yellow Ribbon Fleet flies year-round. At least six of the airline's planes have been painted with a special livery featuring a yellow ribbon of remembrance on the tail and "In support of all who serve" on the fuselage.

· Honor Flights. Ever been in an airport and see the hallway lined with American flags for a procession? That's for one of American's special flights where, for free, they transport veterans to visit the landmarks and monuments to their service in DC. We actually encountered one arriving AA Honor Flight at SFO and it can be quite a moving moment.

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Inside the Canadian D-Day Landing Museum on the Beaches of Normandy

Where: France
September 6, 2012 at 12:17 PM | by | Comments (0)

Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold, Sword...fifty miles of the Normandy coastline in northern France that changed the world forever as the British, Canadian and American armed forces invaded Europe on D-Day: June 6th, 1944.

Driving the entire length of these beaches on our recent stay in Normandy, we find it's a seriously bizarre mix of post-war seaside houses, golden sandy beaches, concrete bunkers and war memorials.

Of all the World War II heritage sites in this historic area, we found the Canadian Juno Beach Centre, just to the west of Courseulles-sur-Mer, the most informative of the lot.

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Mission Accomplished: Refueling Fighter Jets in Mid-air with the US Air Force

August 15, 2012 at 4:24 PM | by | Comments (0)

"This is my day off!"

Not words you want to hear from a man in a flightsuit, controlling a plane on which you're flying. That is, unless it's Wayne Hanna, who spends his work days in American Airlines aircraft maintenance and his free days as a KC-10 Extender Flight Engineer with the U.S. Air Force Reserve.

Hanna would be the reason why yesterday thousands of passengers on AA flights out of New York-JFK Airport witnessed an Air Force KC-10 Extender plane taxiing around and parking at a gate. His seemingly crazy idea to bring together his two passions to draw attention to the upcoming NYC Air Force Week was given the green light. So we joined him onboard the aircraft for an up-close demonstration of what to expect during the event.

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Found: a Nazi Travel Pamphlet Advertising the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Where: Germany
August 10, 2012 at 1:04 PM | by | Comments (0)


In times of war and in times of peace, countries still hope to pull in those tourism dollars. We see it now, with North Korea and the Arab Spring, and you can bet your butt that it was most certainly the same back in the lead-up to World War II in a Reich-ruled Germany. The year was 1935 and it was a dark time; the Luftwaffe was created as were the Nuremberg Laws, and Hitler was already defying the Treaty of Versailles by building submarines.

And yet, amidst all that, the country managed to continue their tourism push in advance of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. We recently came across a pamphlet from this period, aimed at American travelers crossing the ocean to visit Germany for the purpose of cheering on their countrymen at the Games, but also—as it's obvious from the wording of this pamphlet proclaiming Germany "The Beautiful Country"—to have a look around the more pastoral, traditional towns. In other words, it was lightweight propaganda.

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So You Want to Ride in a Torpedo-Toting PT Boat from World War II?

August 6, 2012 at 11:57 AM | by | Comments (0)

531 PT Boats plied the waves for the Allied powers during World War II. These torpedo-toting motorboats of 70-80 feet were designed to zip up to large ships, attack, and zip away. The American military called them the "Mosquito Fleet," Japanese forces gave them the nickname "Devil Boats," but these days we just know them as museum pieces, since only 13 still exist, 3 or 4 of which are still operational.

What happened to the rest of 'em? Well, PT boats were made of wood, wood which was then burned or re-used at the end of the war. Countries celebrating their victory while simultaneously worrying about piecing together a broken Europe and getting their boys back into the workforce weren't thinking about putting PTs up on plinths. Heck, it would be nearly another twenty years before John F. Kennedy, former commander of PT-109, would become president and spark the public fascination with these boats.

Now, of those 3-4 left seaworthy, two are now to be found in Ohio of all places, the newest pieces of the collection of the also very new Liberty Aviation Museum.

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How to Ship a B-17 Bomber: Shrinkwrap!

August 2, 2012 at 9:00 AM | by | Comments (0)


"My Gal Sal" after ditching on the Greenland icecap

There's a B-17E Flying Fortress Bomber sitting in a hangar Cincinnati's Blue Ash Airport. It is one of three still surviving, and yet its army green body is gathering dust, unused and mostly unseen. All that is about to change.

Cincy's Local 12 reports that the World War II-era aircraft is about to be transported (not flown) to a new, more visible home within the National WWII Museum in New Orleans before Blue Ash closes down for good on August 29. But how exactly does one go about shipping a delicate vintage airplane? Naturally by using shrinkwrap:

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Five Jewish Historical Sites to Visit in Amsterdam

February 14, 2012 at 6:12 PM | by | Comments (0)


A display at the Verzetsmuseum

All this week, traveler and writer Lilit Marcus will share her favorite unique spots in Amsterdam, a city Jaunted can never get enough of.

As a Jewish traveler, or simply one interested in checking out the local Jewish sites, there’s more to do than simply patronize kosher restaurants. Holland lost the largest percentage of its Jewish community during the Holocaust, and since then the country has worked overtime to make sure that the community’s history didn’t disappear. These sites help give a broader picture of Jewish life in Amsterdam—past and present:

· Verzetsmuseum
The Verzetsmuseum (Resistance Museum) paints a picture of what life was like for ordinary Dutch people during the German occupation. The rooms in the center depict everyday life, complete with food rationing and forced military service, while rooms on the side share stories of Dutch citizens who worked against the Nazis and in some cases paid with their lives. The museum successfully gives a broad representation of what Holland was like during the war without resorting to victimhood.

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Right Now is Not the Best Time to Day Trip to the DMZ

December 19, 2011 at 8:15 AM | by | Comments (0)

So, North Korea's "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il died this weekend—at 8:30am local time on Saturday, to be specific. According to NK state media and CNN, the cause of death is heart attack. The sudden news will start this week with uncertainty, as North Korea enters a period of mourning (until December 29) and South Korea holds emergency government meetings.

Naturally we're thinking about how all this will impact travel, and while weekending in Pyongyang isn't exactly around the corner, the tense situation between North and South Korea will almost certainly end visits to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), at least temporarily.

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Obama Heads Down Under, Picks Up Some Uggs for Malia and Sasha

Where: Australia
November 17, 2011 at 9:05 AM | by | Comments (0)

After a couple of failed trips, Air Force One finally crossed the international dateline from Hawaii to Australia, touching down in the capital city, Canberra. Barack Obama became only the fourth US President to visit the Land Down Under this week right on the heels of Queen Elizabeth's royal tour.

While this was a much shorter visit than the Monarch, it marked the 60th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, a defense treaty between the US, Australia and New Zealand. Obama even got a bonus opportunity to strengthen the friendship between himself and Julia Gillard, the Australian Prime Minister

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How to Send a Holiday Card to Troops Overseas This Holiday Season

November 16, 2011 at 1:59 PM | by | Comments (0)

You might not be able to make it to an overseas military base to thank a soldier in person this holiday season, but there is still time to send the troops a holiday card through the Red Cross Holiday Mail For Heroes program.

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are partnering for the fifth time to ensure all Americans have the chance to send "a touch of home" to U.S. military members who are far away from their homes during the holidays.

To send a holiday card to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, all you need to do is write out a card using the salutation "Dear Service Member," include a note of gratitude, and send it to the address below by December 9, 2011:

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