This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will look much different. The parade route, which normally spans miles, will now be a one-block radius, and producers of the parade are describing it as a made-for-TV event, rather than something designed to be watched in-person. This, however, is for the best, seeing as large crowds aren’t safe during the pandemic. Instead, all the magic of the parade and of New York City will be brought into the homes of Americans around the country. While speaking to the Today show, the parade’s producer revealed a sneak…
Author: Keith Langston
If you need to take a break this winter, nobody can blame you. It’s been a rough year and we all deserve a vacation at this point. And luckily, many hotels and resorts around the nation are slashing pricing and offering some very exciting deals. Check out the list of hotels and resorts below and plan your next getaway now. Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Lake Geneva is one of the midwest’s most famous vacation destinations. It’s close to Milwaukee and Chicago, making it a perfect day trip, and with a whole array of lodging options,…
Saturday Night Live has become a global sensation. It’s been running for 46 seasons and has been on since 1975. Throughout the years the sketch show has created numerous memorable characters and performances, some of which have even been about travel. With these sketches, the magic of travel can live on, even during the COVID pandemic when many of us can’t explore as much as we want to. From airplane satire to the worst hotel experience of all time, here are the 10 best sketches in SNL history that capture the nostalgia (and headaches) of travel perfectly! 10.) Your…
Everyone knows that the travel industry has been dealt a massive blow in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and many travelers are now wondering what 2021 will bring. What will travel look like in the year to come? Well, here is what five industry insiders have to say about travel, and what’s to come… Travelers want bigger rooms at hotels… Guests are looking for bigger rooms because they’re looking to spend more time in them. For example, rather than eating in a restaurant, more travelers are looking to eat takeout or room service in their hotel rooms. Nadim…
Many airports and airlines are starting to offer pre-flight COVID tests to help build confidence among travelers. According to the Washington Post, over 100 countries already require a negative COVID test before entering, and now, domestic interstate travel in the US could mimic those practices. The travel industry (especially airlines) is desperate to rebuild the assurance of safety among travelers. Pre-flight COVID tests could be the answer. Currently, United and Hawaiian offer COVID testing on select routes and JetBlue created a program that allows all passengers to partake in at-home testing. There are also airports that have their own testing programs,…
Travelocity recently released their annual holiday travel forecast. This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans report that they’ll be staying home during the holidays. In fact, the study concluded that a whopping 57% of Americans will NOT be traveling this holiday season. This means that roads and airports might be looking pretty empty for those who are planing to make the journey home. Thanksgiving Travel Thanksgiving travel is always rough…even without a pandemic. Many workers only get a few days off (some only get Thanksgiving Day off), so the travel window that many Americans have is quite…
When the pandemic ends, will travel be different? Will travelers themselves be different? Some travel experts believe so, and they think it could be a game changer for protecting the beauty and health of our planet. Sven Lindblad, founder and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions was speaking with Travel Weekly when he described the new movement, called regenerative tourism. He stated, “Sustainable tourism was largely defined on the concept of doing no harm. The concept is to ensure that when we go someplace, we don’t damage it and we make sure it’s available for future generations to also enjoy…With regenerative tourism,…
We all know that cruising has been one of the hardest-hit industries during the COVID pandemic. With close quarters, no room to social distance, and tons of shared spaces, cruise ships have repeatedly become outbreak hotspots during the pandemic (there have been at least 42 instances on cruise ships). Because of this, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents about 95% of all oceanic cruising vessels around the world, has announced that all their members will suspend cruising until at least 2021. ABC News reports that the cruise industry will instead “use the remainder of the year to prepare…
A new study released by Harvard states that flying is actually safer during the pandemic than things like grocery shopping and eating out. The study, which was conducted by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, analyzed 13 peer-reviewed studies that have been done on air travel since the pandemic began. From their findings, air travel has actually been remarkably safe. The study says that the airline industry’s multilayered approach to safety is most likely the key. The air industry hasn’t relied on just one method of protection from the coronavirus, instead, it has layered multiple efforts such as routine…
On November 1st, Peru will reopen its doors to travelers from around the world. The nation is set to begin allowing flights of up to eight hours long, meaning passengers can now arrive from cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta, Toronto, Mexico City, San Jose, and more. Passengers will also be also to skip quarantining if they can provide a negative COVID-19 test result upon landing. This also means that Machu Picchu, one of the greatest wonders on the entire planet, will be reopening to visitors. The famous historic site will be operating at 30% capacity, meaning that only 675 people…
According to the Washington Post, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has met to begin their discussions on what factors will go into their decision-making about which COVID-19 vaccines to approve. While some vaccines, like those of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, have been put on pause due to potential health risks, the vaccine trials of Moderna and Pfizer have been extremely promising. The Post even reports that there’s a small chance that one (or both) of the companies could even receive approval sometime in November. However, while November could be pushing it, chances of having a vaccine approved in…
Every nation has its legendary creature. Some walk on earth, others swim through our oceans, and some even soar into the night sky. But what connects them all is that they captivate the imagination and curiosity of people from around the globe…and sometimes, they can even be based on fact, rather than fiction. The Bili ape, for example, was thought to be a legend for decades. Locals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo claimed there were massive, human-sized apes in the Bili forest that could even hunt and kill lions. These apes weren’t caught on camera for the first…
High-speed rail in America is something that’s normally laughed at. For some reason, this country believes that “it just won’t work here…” But what most Americans don’t know is that Amtrak already operates a version of high-speed rail on the east coast along what’s known as the Northeast Corridor. The NEC travels from Washington DC to Boston, and stops in major cities and towns like Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Providence, and more. The train that runs this track is known as the Acela Express, and it’s an electrified, high-speed train. The train has also been extremely successful and is set to…
With the ongoing pandemic, everyone is looking to travel. They’re looking to escape the cities, get out into nature, and take road trips, RV getaways, and camping adventures. And a new study from Kampgrounds of America (better known as KOA) has released their findings from a survey that proves America is choosing tents and campers over hotels and resorts. In KOA’s North American Camping Report for Fall 2020, they surveyed campers and RVers about their travel trends over the last few months, and here are some of their findings: ~ 21% of leisure travelers took camping trips after the COVID lockdown…
A new app is currently being trialed by United Airlines on flights between Newark and London, and Cathay Pacific on flights between Hong Kong and Singapore. The app, called Common Pass, seeks to standardize the way that airport officials can verify someone’s COVID-19 test results. According to the Independent, officials currently struggle to verify COVID-19 test results. With results being just printed pieces of paper, verifying authenticity is difficult not only because making fake copies is easy, but because there’s often a difference in languages and different countries even have different ways of testing. But the new app seeks to…
The website NetCredit has used the advice from Goodreads users to compile a list of the most popular books set in each country around the world, proving the vast power of good literature. From epic romances to daring adventures, and even witty humor on remote islands. Here are 12 of the most famous books set in countries around the world. The Help United Staes of America Set in 1960’s Mississippi, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help became a smash hit as it revealed the interpersonal relationships between southern women and their black maids. The book remained on the NYT Bestsellers List…
Everyone wants to experience the spooky, creepy, wonders of Halloween, but many wonder which outdoor destinations they can visit during the ongoing pandemic, and if there are places they can visit to get some scares, without endangering their health. The answer is there are tons! America is loaded with haunted forests, caves, cemeteries, and more. While visiting a haunted town like Salem is always fun, there’s no need to be near civilization to get your haunt on…simply visit one of these truly terrifying outdoor destinations! The Bell Witch Cave Tennessee The Bell Witch was a supposed supernatural entity that began…
According to the Independent, the head of London’s Heathrow Airport wants flights between New York City and London to resume in November. Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye stated that with Heathrow’s new in-airport COVID-19 testing, it would be feasible to begin allowing passengers from American to return once again, and potentially even bypass the UK’s notorious two-week quarantine policy. However, this is all still in negotiation. Despite the corporate demand for travel to reopen between the two metropolises, the science behind the virus complicates the decision. According to a study by Johns Hopkins, testing isn’t 100% accurate, especially if someone is…
Many don’t know about the small, isolated island in the South Atlantic called St. Helena. And for those who do know of it, they probably know of it because of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was here that he was exiled after losing the Battle of Waterloo. The island, whose closest neighbor is the continent of Africa (some 1,200 miles away) is a British Overseas Territory and is one of the most isolated inhabited islands on Earth. It was the perfect place for the English to banish Napoleon to make sure he never came back. After 10 weeks at sea, Bonaparte finally…
JetBlue is joining other airlines like Hawaiian and United by offering pre-flight COVID testing. According to the airline, this will help customers know they’re flying safely and will help anyone visiting destinations that require a negative test result to avoid quarantining. The test can be administered at home and the results will come in 72 hours or less. The airline is partnering with medtech company Vault Health to supply the test. ABC Boston reports that the Vault Health website references its price as $150, however, we reached out to JetBlue directly and confirmed that JetBlue passengers will be getting the test…