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8.01.06
Come Back To New Orleans
The world-class restaurants are open, Mardi Gras and JazzFest are back. The only thing missing is the tourists. According to a story in today's USA Today, New Orleans is waiting for tourists to return to the city one year after Hurricane Katrina. Many places popular with tourists escaped much of the storm's damage, but visitors have yet to come back. READ MORE

6.8.06
Sweden's Urinals Get A View
Travelers who don't much care for smelly, dirty urinals are in for a treat at Sweden's Arlanda Airport. A story in USA Today says that as a way to eliminate foul odors in the airport urinals officials have redesigned the men's bathrooms, decorating them with glass artwork depicting a flowery Swedish meadow. The reasoning is that using glass sheets instead of tiles eliminates odors, as odors emanate from the gaps between tiles. Still, I much prefer a copy of the day's sports section over my urinal. READ MORE

6.6.06
Unrest Stalls East Timor Tourism
An article in today's USA Today details how recent unrest has stifled East Timor's fledgling tourism industry. After it gained independence in 2002, tourism was seen as a hope for the country's economy, attracting backpackers, cyclists and divers. But recent violence has made tourists think twice about visiting the nation. READ MORE

6.1.06
How To Get A Visa For Libya
If you want to travel to Libya, first check out a Travel Q & A article in today's Washington Post. The article gives the 411 on how to get a visa for Libya, which you still can't get in the U.S. READ MORE

4.12.06
Your Tour Guide For Today
Will Be . . . Your iPod
An article in today's USA Today details how travelers now have the option of downloading podcast audio tours. The self-guided tours can be put on an iPod, and the tours are laced with sound effects, theatrical readings and local celebs. READ MORE

4.7.06
To Really Travel, Find Religion
In his latest travel column in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Thomas Swick preaches the benefits of finding God — or at least using religion as a way to enhance the travel experience. Swick writes: ". . . religion is still an integral part of people's lives, an invaluable key to understanding not only their culture and history but who they are: their behaviors, motives, prejudices, desires. (As we have searingly seen in the Middle East.) Going to church (or temple or mosque or synagogue) should be as high on a serious traveler's itinerary as visiting a market or attending a game." If you've had an interesting experience exploring the religious customs of a place you visited, tell us about it in our forum. READ MORE

4.6.06
The Music of Mali
There's an excellent story in today's New York Times Travel Section about the rising popularity of Mali music and how people are flocking to that West African country. If you love world music, check it out.

Lazy Frog Joke Angers French
A British budget airline is drawing the ire of a French population already stirring with unrest. According to a story in The Guardian, after many British flights to France were disrupted due to widespread protests in the country, a Yorkshire airline posted a cartoon on its website of a French frog blocking a runway with a placard that read "I am lazy." READ MORE

3.21.06
Tourism Boycott for South Dakota?
Some groups are calling for a tourism boycott of South Dakota after the state banned nearly all abortions, according to a story from last Friday on CNN.com. The ban prohibits all abortions except to save a women's life, with no exceptions for rape or incest. After it was passed, the state was flooded with calls by people giving their opinion of the law, both pro and con. Some groups have called on people to boycott South Dakota's tourist attractions, which include Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. READ MORE.

3.20.06
What is Your Global IQ?
United Planet, a nonprofit group that works for cross-cultural understanding, has a Global Intelligence Quiz designed to test people on how much they know about the world. Let us know how you scored.

3.12.06
UK Paper Launches
Travel Writers Competition
The UK newspaper the Guardian is kicking off a new series of Netjetters, a competition that gives travel writers the chance to win cash, a camera and a three-month trip around the world in return for writing a regular travel diary about their experiences. MORE INFO

11.14.05
Next Stop: Rwanda
Ten years ago, Rwanda entered the global consciousness as the site of one of the most notorious genocides of the last 50 years. But today, its citizens are rebuilding the country, and they want tourists to come see it. According to an article in the UK newspaper The Independent, visitors to Rwanda will find a land of natural beauty, with national parks containing wildlife such as gorillas, hippos and crocodiles. But, it is still Rwanda. What do you think? Can a land scarred by genocide become a destination for tourists? Take up the discussion in our forum.

11.07.05
The Rise of the Adventure Diva
Travel writer Holly Morris, author of Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine, was featured on the National Public Radio program On Point last week. You can still listen to the interview on the show's website. Morris, who is also the executive producer and director of the PBS program Adventure Divas, talked about her travels in Cuba, India, Borneo, and about being the first woman to ride in the traditional camel race in Timia, Niger. The show also centered around the experiences of women travelers and how they are changing the notion that the globe-trotting adventure lifestyle is for men only. We were so taken by the program that we started a new forum for women travelers.

10.11.05
Putting the "Travel" Back in the Travel Channel?
It may be hard to imagine, but once upon a time the Travel Channel actually had shows about travel. That's right. The channel that has given us shows on the hidden secrets of elevators and was a pioneer in poker on television once had shows about people traveling around the world. Unfortunately, great programs like Alby Mangels' Adventure Bound and the Lonely Planet series gave way to shows about every haunted building in the Western hemisphere and behind-the-scenes looks at Las Vegas casinos. Although we're hesitant to jump back on the Travel Channel bandwagon, it does seem the channel is slowly returning to its roots. New programs like Stranded with Cash Peters and Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show people traveling to actual foreign countries. And, in what is perhaps the most encouraging development, the Globe Trekker series (formerly the Lonely Planet series) is returning to the channel on Saturday nights at 10 p.m. eastern. According to the Travel Channel website, this week's program has Ian Wright traveling to Cambodia. Now maybe we should start a campaign to get Alby Mangels back on the air.

09.14.05
The Fists of Fury as Peacemaker
Most martial arts fans know Bruce Lee for planting a whoopin' on bad guys in such films as Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon. But a war-ravaged Bosnian city plagued by ethnic strife is looking to the image of Lee as a symbol of peace and healing. A life-size bronze statue of the Dragon will be erected in the city of Mostar within the next few months, according to a story on Yahoo. Mostar was nearly destroyed during the war between Muslims and Croats in the 1990s. And ethnic tension remains. Local authorities say Lee's statue is a symbolic protest against that ethnic division, as he is someone all ethnic groups can relate to. The Mostar association stated, "[The statue will] be a reminder of our childhood dreams of a just world where crude physical force does not matter, but skill, speed, and the will to fight for justice does."

08.10.05
Stepped Out, Will Be Back Soon
Computer problems in June and the arrival of my second child in July have squashed plans for Restless Me's Summer 2005 issue. Rather than rush out a half-assed edition, we'll try to put the full ass into our next edition in September. See you then.  -D.M.

Come Back to Colombia
Colombia might be a great place to visit for Robert Young Pelton and other adrenaline junkies who like tangling with would-be kidnappers and dodging the crossfire of a civil war. But other than those folks, it's about the least-likely destination for tourists on the planet. Yet, the Colombian government is hoping that will soon change. According to a story on CNN.com, President Alvaro Uribe's government is trying to make the country a tourist destination by making it safe for foreign visitors and changing Colombia's image abroad. If they can make it safe, Colombia sounds like a great place to visit, complete with Caribbean beaches, virgin Amazon jungle and high Andres peaks. READ

07.10.05
Fight Back Against Terrorism: Travel
Last week's bombings in London that killed more than 50 people were not just an attack against the city's populace, but also against the city's half-million visitors, says travel writer Simon Calder in the July 9 edition of the UK newspaper The Independent. He points to other attacks in Egypt, Bali and Kenya, and says the London attacks are the latest blow to the psyche of today's travelers. But Calder urges defiance. "Even though the attack was targeted haphazardly against humanity, rather than specifically at tourists, it is a natural reaction to want to stay safe at home," he writes. "Yet the best response to those who seek to diminish our lives is to expand our horizons: to travel more, not less; to celebrate our freedom to meet people across the world; to understand their lives, hopes and fears." Take up the discussion about terrorism and travel in our forum.

05.27.05
No More Pretzels for Northwest Fliers
After axing free meals for passengers in February, Northwest Airlines is now taking away free pretzels too. The airline hopes the move will save $2 million a year. Passengers still get free soda, but must pay for food. (A three-ounce bag of trail mix goes for $1.) Meanwhile, Hooters Air is experiencing growth. Those who enjoy SI's swimsuit issue can check out the airline's photo gallery that runs with the story at USAToday.com.

05.04.05
U.S. Warns on Traveling to Egypt
Following several attacks on tourist sites in Cairo, the State Department has issued a travel warning for anyone going to Egypt. The warning urges travelers to stay away from crowded tourist areas and to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. Last month there were three terrorist attacks in Cairo, one in the Khan El Khalili bazaar, one near the Egyptian Museum and one near the Citadel. And last fall, terrorists killed more than 30 people in an attack on a hotel in the Sinai resort of Taba.