Drop Your Pants

Are you easily embarrassed? Maybe you can relate.

After dinner last weekend, I attempted to get up from my chair but a stabbing pain ran down from my stomach to the front of my left thigh. I had to grasp the table to lift myself up ever so slowly. In two days, I was at the Urgent Care Facility waiting for a checkup with the doctor. I was surprised to see a female doctor. And I thought “no way is she going to check me down there!” Wasn’t there an unwritten rule that male patients only meet male doctors?

Just to be clear, I have no problem with Dr. Biren, my regular-cool-male doctor, when he asks me to drop my pants to check my colon. I’ve even gotten used to the strange sensation of being in prison with an enterprising inmate poking at my rear insides.

I know what you’re thinking: “Raoul, you’re such a prude.” I guess I am. No one touches (nor even sees) me down there except my wife and Dr. Biren. So this female doctor … this was different. Now you’re talkin’ invasion of privacy! I want my lawyer!

I waited for her command to drop my pants. But instead, she said “Can you lift up your shirt? Where does it hurt? Is it here below your left stomach?” She proceeded to poke my tummy like the Pillsbury doughboy.It was a game we played. We both knew it would be easier if I dropped my pants but she wasn’t going to give the order and neither was I going to volunteer and show my family jewels.

She checked my vitals, checked my breathing, made me cough, asked a few questions and in a few minutes the ordeal was over. She asked me for a small gift —- a urine sample. Now that, I could do.

In the bathroom I understood what my 2 dogs go through whenever I take them for a walk: “Go pee Tonka. Go pee Tinker.”  Like a good doggy I delivered the goods. Proud of myself. I walked out to my car but I knew this was a temporary freedom because I was due for an ultra sound the next day.

So there I was in the hospital Imaging Room … alone with a large female nurse named Helga. A movie reel rolls in my head: I refuse to go “commando,” so she wrestles me to the ground, calls for backup and five other hairy, burly women with moustaches enter out of nowhere, strip me naked and hose me down as I shriek — “You’ll never get me copper!”

“Mr. Pascual? Mr. Pascual? Sorry to interrupt your daydreaming but could you lie down on the examination bed, please? Could you unbuckle your belt, please?”

“Here we go again,” I shivered. “So this is when I drop my pants. This is when the world ends. Does she not know that my Johnsons are on a need-to-see basis only? The nerve! Where’s my lawyer?”

“Excuse me Mr. Pascual. You’re daydreaming again. No need to drop your pants. Just lower it enough so I can put this cold, gooey, yucky gel on your bloated little tummy. Good boy! Now let’s see if you’re pregnant.”

She probes but doesn’t see anything so she asks me to stand. Still nothing. She makes me cough. Nothing. She takes ultra sound pictures and says she will submit the evidence to the doctor. I walk out a free man. Hours later, I get the results: No hernia! Yay! But it appears the pain must be from my groin. In other words, I had to schedule with my regular doctor for the next step.

I know for sure he’ll have me drop my pants but I’m glad it’s going to be Dr. Biren — my cool-Indian-doctor. Never thought I’d say that. Stay tuned. Pants drop in select theaters mid-February. Tickets on sale now! Not!

TGIF people! Let’s remember to always keep our pants up! Save the planet!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Richard of New Manila, Philippines

Video of the Week

Thanks to Jay of Makati, Philippines who shared a sophisticated comedy about
spilling on the table and other day-to-day frustrations.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA.

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines

I found these

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

The post Stuff That Make No Sense appeared first on Traveling Archive.

10 Mediterranean — Gifts for the Food Lover in Your Life

More than a mix of rich history, gorgeous beaches, and warm blue waters, the countries along the Mediterranean Sea and their people have a history of living longer and healthier lives and you can too! By simply following a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, even drinking wine with meals, you can prevent diseases and prolong your life.

MORE

Traveling Boy’s Brom Wikstrom on CBS Sunday Morning

Traveling Boy’s Brom Wikstrom received his 15 minutes of fame last Sunday. Of course, we’ve all known that Brom has been famous for years. The world-renowned  mouth painter appeared on CBS Sunday Morning with correspondent Lee Cowan. A diving accident in 1975 left Brom a quadriplegic. During rehabilitation, he learned to use a mouth stick to turn pages when reading. Towards the end of rehabilitation, he started mouth painting; a continuation of his talent and  passion for the arts. He developed an art program at Seattle Children’s Hospital and began a long association with VSA arts. In 1994, Brom became a full member artist of the International Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. His work has been shown around the globe, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, British Columbia, Austria and Australia. Join us as we celebrate the holiday season and pay homage to Brom on this CBS Sunday Morning clip, where he has turned a negative into a positive, helping countless others with disabilities, turning their lives around. On a personal note, I recently purchased a painting from a mouth painter in rural Costa Rica, who was once a student of Mr. Wikstrom.

SEE CBS Sunday Morning clip

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Alabama.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

Martin Scorsese Speaks

Fine words by Martin Scorsese

Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says.

When I was in England in early October, I gave an interview to Empire magazine. I was asked a question about Marvel movies. I answered it. I said that I’ve tried to watch a few of them and that they’re not for me, that they seem to me to be closer to theme parks than they are to movies as I’ve known and loved them throughout my life, and that in the end, I don’t think they’re cinema. Some people seem to have seized on the last part of my answer as insulting, or as evidence of hatred for Marvel on my part. If anyone is intent on characterizing my words in that light, there’s nothing I can do to stand in the way.

MORE

Newly Discovered Treasures Came From the Same Sunken Ship That Carried the Controversial ‘Elgin Marbles’

The “Mentor,” a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

Courtesy Jason Daley, smithsonian.com

In September 1802, the H.M.S. Mentor sank off the coast of Avlemonas, Greece, sending 17 crates of antiquities tumbling to the bottom of the Mediterranean. More than 200 years later, the Greek Ministry of Culture reports, marine archaeologists tasked with exploring the wreck have recovered gold jewelry, cooking pots, chess pieces and an array of other artifacts connected with the trove.

MORE

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

MORE

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Are you worried about the security of your hotel room when you travel? You never really know who else has a key to your room, or how good the locks and deadbolts actually are. Luckily, there are several easy, inexpensive ways to secure the room more effectively. Here are five of the best.

MORE

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Cruise ship life can be a little mysterious. Your choices aren’t always spelled out in black and white. The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time onboard.

MORE

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

MORE

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

MORE

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Travel advisors are well-equipped to handle just about anything travel-related. Give them a destination, a budget, and a few key interests, and they can whip up an entirely personalized itinerary that will make a client feel over-the-moon, as they make their travel dreams come true.

But what happens when an unforeseen travel nightmare occurs? We’re talking, “I can’t find my passport and I leave for my trip in a week!” or “Surprise, a bad storm hit, and all flights are canceled.”

MORE

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

What do Americans want when it comes to Bucket List travel? A group from Provisional Living wanted to find out not only what’s on those lists, but why and how they got there. What they found was pretty revealing.

MORE

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

MORE

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up.

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A Child’s Christmas In Wales

A poem by Dylan Thomas

One Christmas was so much like another,
in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound
except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep,
that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights
when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.

All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea,
like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street;
and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves,
and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find.
In goes my hand into that wool-white bell-tongued ball of holidays resting
at the rim of the carol-singing sea, and out come Mrs. Prothero and the firemen.

MORE

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

MORE

Question: How many Beatles’ Christmas fan-club songs were recorded?

Scroll down for the answer

Go Swimming in the Brazilian Desert in These Lagoons That Appear Like Magic Every Year

Courtesy Cailey Rizzo, Travel & Leisure

Nobody can put on an event quite like nature.

Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.

MORE

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

With a few simple guidelines, you can have better sleep tonight. At some point in our lives, for any number of reasons, nearly all of us will have difficulties sleeping and suffer from acute insomnia. This can lead to significant distress but have no fear. There are simple steps to take that will help you sleep better tonight.

MORE

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

New research has found the biggest worries that Americans have whilst on vacation, with the weather, accommodation, spending money and arguments all making the top five, with almost two thirds confessing to also worrying about work whilst away.

As well as determining the biggest worries that Americans have on vacation, with work featuring quite heavily for many, the biggest worries Americans have at the airport were also revealed, with fear of a flight being delayed or cancelled, luggage getting lost or damaged and missing the flight from being late topping the list.

MORE

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

Think the plastic straws you gave up sipping from are bad for our oceans? It’s time to consider the same about the sunscreen you use. Non-biodegradable sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals like oxybenzone have been proven to be toxic to coral reefs and other sea life. But travelers haven’t been as quick to widely abandon them for a natural alternative — so now some destinations are enacting sunscreen bans themselves.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

MORE

12 Things You Can Do to Handle Flight Delays and Cancellations

Courtesy Benet Wilson, TrippSavy

Odds are if you are a regular traveler — and even if you’re not — you will eventually experience a flight delay. These delays are caused by things including weather, air traffic control issues, mechanicals, crew problems, delayed aircraft, and airport security, to name a few. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks this data monthly ​and breaks it down by the airline, airport, and what caused the delay.

Below are 10 things you can do to help minimize the effects of delays and cancellations.

MORE

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

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Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats. It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo led by Kenta Toshima.

MORE

Half of Americans Would Take a Job With No Paid Time Off for a Higher Salary

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Half (49 percent) of working Americans would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance. Millennials (63 percent, compared to 47 percent of Gen X’ers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers) and men (57 percent, versus 41 percent of women) are the most likely to sacrifice paid time off for higher salaries.

MORE

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Nothing sours a trip like having your belongings stolen by a pickpocket. But chances are, if you travel frequently — or just happen to be unlucky — a sticky-fingered stranger will one day secretly separate you from your stuff. Since traveling sans cash, credit cards, and other valuables isn’t an option for most of us, I’ve rounded up a passel of pickpocket-proof clothing and accessories that’ll make you less of a target for thieves.

MORE

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

MORE

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: How many Beatles’ Christmas fan-club songs were recorded?

Answer: 7

Beatles’ Rare Fan-Club Christmas Recordings: A Complete Guide

The post Dylan Thomas Christmas, Brom Wikstrom appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Martin Scorsese Speaks

Fine words by Martin Scorsese

Cinema is an art form that brings you the unexpected. In superhero movies, nothing is at risk, a director says.

When I was in England in early October, I gave an interview to Empire magazine. I was asked a question about Marvel movies. I answered it. I said that I’ve tried to watch a few of them and that they’re not for me, that they seem to me to be closer to theme parks than they are to movies as I’ve known and loved them throughout my life, and that in the end, I don’t think they’re cinema. Some people seem to have seized on the last part of my answer as insulting, or as evidence of hatred for Marvel on my part. If anyone is intent on characterizing my words in that light, there’s nothing I can do to stand in the way.

MORE

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Mississippi.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

How Three Guys From Houston Are Cooking Up a Revolution in Texas Barbecue

A tiny suburban eatery is breaking all the rules to create some of the freshest-tasting grub on the horizon

By Brett Martin; Photograph by Jody Horton

I wish I could tell you that the “blood” in Blood Bros BBQ was literal. That sometime in the mid-1980s, three Asian-American friends in suburban Houston met under the bleachers of their high school football stadium and performed some kind of ritual with a drawn blade in which they swore eternal fealty in smoke and flesh. Sadly, no knife, no blood.

This is a different kind of tale: a great American story about the great American food. The brother part is real, anyway. Terry Wong and his younger-by-18-months sibling, Robin, make up two-thirds of the Blood Bros, whose year-old restaurant has made waves in the world of Texas barbecue. The third, honorary Bro is Quy Hoang, who has the distinction of being the first Vietnamese-American to work as a pit master in Houston.

MORE

Newly Discovered Treasures Came From the Same Sunken Ship That Carried the Controversial ‘Elgin Marbles’

The “Mentor,” a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

Courtesy Jason Daley, smithsonian.com

In September 1802, the H.M.S. Mentor sank off the coast of Avlemonas, Greece, sending 17 crates of antiquities tumbling to the bottom of the Mediterranean. More than 200 years later, the Greek Ministry of Culture reports, marine archaeologists tasked with exploring the wreck have recovered gold jewelry, cooking pots, chess pieces and an array of other artifacts connected with the trove.

MORE

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

MORE

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Are you worried about the security of your hotel room when you travel? You never really know who else has a key to your room, or how good the locks and deadbolts actually are. Luckily, there are several easy, inexpensive ways to secure the room more effectively. Here are five of the best.

MORE

Survey: Only About One-Third of Americans Say They Sleep Better in Hotels

Majority Believe Mattress is Less Comfortable Than at Home

As millions of Americans head out on vacation this summer looking for rest and relaxation, it’s likely that two-thirds of them won’t sleep as well as they do at home.

MORE

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Cruise ship life can be a little mysterious. Your choices aren’t always spelled out in black and white. The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time onboard.

MORE

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

MORE

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

MORE

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Travel advisors are well-equipped to handle just about anything travel-related. Give them a destination, a budget, and a few key interests, and they can whip up an entirely personalized itinerary that will make a client feel over-the-moon, as they make their travel dreams come true.

But what happens when an unforeseen travel nightmare occurs? We’re talking, “I can’t find my passport and I leave for my trip in a week!” or “Surprise, a bad storm hit, and all flights are canceled.”

MORE

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

What do Americans want when it comes to Bucket List travel? A group from Provisional Living wanted to find out not only what’s on those lists, but why and how they got there. What they found was pretty revealing.

MORE

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

MORE

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up.

MORE

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

MORE

12 Things You Can Do to Handle Flight Delays and Cancellations

Courtesy Benet Wilson, TrippSavy

Odds are if you are a regular traveler — and even if you’re not — you will eventually experience a flight delay. These delays are caused by things including weather, air traffic control issues, mechanicals, crew problems, delayed aircraft, and airport security, to name a few. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) tracks this data monthly ​and breaks it down by the airline, airport, and what caused the delay.

Below are 10 things you can do to help minimize the effects of delays and cancellations.

MORE

Question: Name the Beatle who was married to Maureen Cox

Scroll down for the answer

Go Swimming in the Brazilian Desert in These Lagoons That Appear Like Magic Every Year

Courtesy Cailey Rizzo, Travel & Leisure

Nobody can put on an event quite like nature.

Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.

MORE

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

With a few simple guidelines, you can have better sleep tonight. At some point in our lives, for any number of reasons, nearly all of us will have difficulties sleeping and suffer from acute insomnia. This can lead to significant distress but have no fear. There are simple steps to take that will help you sleep better tonight.

MORE

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

New research has found the biggest worries that Americans have whilst on vacation, with the weather, accommodation, spending money and arguments all making the top five, with almost two thirds confessing to also worrying about work whilst away.

As well as determining the biggest worries that Americans have on vacation, with work featuring quite heavily for many, the biggest worries Americans have at the airport were also revealed, with fear of a flight being delayed or cancelled, luggage getting lost or damaged and missing the flight from being late topping the list.

MORE

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

Think the plastic straws you gave up sipping from are bad for our oceans? It’s time to consider the same about the sunscreen you use. Non-biodegradable sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals like oxybenzone have been proven to be toxic to coral reefs and other sea life. But travelers haven’t been as quick to widely abandon them for a natural alternative — so now some destinations are enacting sunscreen bans themselves.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

MORE

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

By John Keats

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star’d at the Pacific — and all his men
Look’d at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

MORE

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

MORE

Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats. It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo led by Kenta Toshima.

MORE

Half of Americans Would Take a Job With No Paid Time Off for a Higher Salary

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Half (49 percent) of working Americans would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance. Millennials (63 percent, compared to 47 percent of Gen X’ers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers) and men (57 percent, versus 41 percent of women) are the most likely to sacrifice paid time off for higher salaries.

MORE

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Nothing sours a trip like having your belongings stolen by a pickpocket. But chances are, if you travel frequently — or just happen to be unlucky — a sticky-fingered stranger will one day secretly separate you from your stuff. Since traveling sans cash, credit cards, and other valuables isn’t an option for most of us, I’ve rounded up a passel of pickpocket-proof clothing and accessories that’ll make you less of a target for thieves.

MORE

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: Name the Beatle who was married to Maureen Cox

Answer: Maureen “Mo” Cox was Ringo Starr’s first wife.

Born Mary Cox; (1946 –  1994). Maureen “Mo” Starkey Tigrett was a hairdresser from Liverpool, best known as the first wife of Ringo Starr. When she was a trainee hairdresser in Liverpool, she met Starr at The Cavern Club, where the Beatles were playing. After finding out that she was pregnant, 18-year-old Maureen married Starr. When the Beatles broke up in 1970, so did the Starrs’ marriage, as Ringo’s infidelities were becoming more frequent, and his alcoholism was escalating. George Harrison once confessed how much he loved Maureen, which led to an affair.

Cox died at age 48 due to complications from leukemia. Maureen’s four children (including Zak Starkey, later drummer for The Who and Oasis), her 82-year-old mother, new husband Isaac Tigrett and ex-husband Starr were all at her bedside when she died. Following her death, Paul McCartney wrote the song “Little Willow” in her memory, which appears on his 1997 album, Flaming Pie, with a dedication to her children.

The post Martin Scorsese Speaks, Handling Flight Delays appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Kansas.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

How Three Guys From Houston Are Cooking Up a Revolution in Texas Barbecue

A tiny suburban eatery is breaking all the rules to create some of the freshest-tasting grub on the horizon

By Brett Martin; Photograph by Jody Horton

I wish I could tell you that the “blood” in Blood Bros BBQ was literal. That sometime in the mid-1980s, three Asian-American friends in suburban Houston met under the bleachers of their high school football stadium and performed some kind of ritual with a drawn blade in which they swore eternal fealty in smoke and flesh. Sadly, no knife, no blood.

This is a different kind of tale: a great American story about the great American food. The brother part is real, anyway. Terry Wong and his younger-by-18-months sibling, Robin, make up two-thirds of the Blood Bros, whose year-old restaurant has made waves in the world of Texas barbecue. The third, honorary Bro is Quy Hoang, who has the distinction of being the first Vietnamese-American to work as a pit master in Houston, a city with no shortage of either.

MORE

Newly Discovered Treasures Came From the Same Sunken Ship That Carried the Controversial ‘Elgin Marbles’

The “Mentor,” a vessel owned by the notorious Lord Elgin, sank in 1802 while carrying panels and sculptures looted from the Parthenon

Courtesy Jason Daley, smithsonian.com

In September 1802, the H.M.S. Mentor sank off the coast of Avlemonas, Greece, sending 17 crates of antiquities tumbling to the bottom of the Mediterranean. More than 200 years later, the Greek Ministry of Culture reports, marine archaeologists tasked with exploring the wreck have recovered gold jewelry, cooking pots, chess pieces and an array of other artifacts connected with the trove.

MORE

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

MORE

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Are you worried about the security of your hotel room when you travel? You never really know who else has a key to your room, or how good the locks and deadbolts actually are. Luckily, there are several easy, inexpensive ways to secure the room more effectively. Here are five of the best.

MORE

Survey: Only About One-Third of Americans Say They Sleep Better in Hotels

Majority Believe Mattress is Less Comfortable Than at Home

As millions of Americans head out on vacation this summer looking for rest and relaxation, it’s likely that two-thirds of them won’t sleep as well as they do at home.

MORE

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Cruise ship life can be a little mysterious. Your choices aren’t always spelled out in black and white. The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time onboard.

MORE

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

MORE

Question: Name the person who Paul recently called, ‘The REAL Fifth Beatle’

Scroll down for the answer

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

MORE

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Travel advisors are well-equipped to handle just about anything travel-related. Give them a destination, a budget, and a few key interests, and they can whip up an entirely personalized itinerary that will make a client feel over-the-moon, as they make their travel dreams come true.

But what happens when an unforeseen travel nightmare occurs? We’re talking, “I can’t find my passport and I leave for my trip in a week!” or “Surprise, a bad storm hit, and all flights are canceled.”

MORE

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Nothing sours a trip like having your belongings stolen by a pickpocket. But chances are, if you travel frequently — or just happen to be unlucky — a sticky-fingered stranger will one day secretly separate you from your stuff. Since traveling sans cash, credit cards, and other valuables isn’t an option for most of us, I’ve rounded up a passel of pickpocket-proof clothing and accessories that’ll make you less of a target for thieves.

MORE

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

MORE

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: Name the person who Paul recently called, ‘The REAL fifth Beatle.’

Answer: The Beatles’ long time producer, George Martin.

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

MORE

Go Swimming in the Brazilian Desert in These Lagoons That Appear Like Magic Every Year

Courtesy Cailey Rizzo, Travel & Leisure

Nobody can put on an event quite like nature.

Every year, the sand dunes at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil collect rainwater from about January to June. And come July, these dunes become temporary pools full of clear, warm water.

MORE

I’ve Been Thinking…

By Maria Shriver

At the recent Democratic debate, the final question posed to the candidates was one about friendship.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked each of them to describe a friendship they’ve had with someone who has different beliefs than them. The question came in light of what I wrote about last week, which was the uproar over comedian Ellen DeGeneres sitting next to former President George W. Bush at a Dallas Cowboys game. Lots of people seemed to be upset by the debate question, but I found it revelatory in terms of how the candidates answered it and how they didn’t.

MORE

A Farewell to Ming, the Siberian-Bengal Tiger Who Spent Three Years in a Harlem Apartment

Antoine Yates, Ming’s owner, once said that the tiger was his ‘only friend, really.’

In Apartment 5E of a housing project in Harlem, there once lived a Siberian-Bengal tiger named Ming. He had his own bedroom, and was lovingly cared for by his owner, Antoine Yates. Ming was well known to residents of the Drew Hamilton Houses — it was hard to miss his roaring and the distinct smell of his urine — but he went undetected by authorities for three years.

MORE

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

With a few simple guidelines, you can have better sleep tonight. At some point in our lives, for any number of reasons, nearly all of us will have difficulties sleeping and suffer from acute insomnia. This can lead to significant distress but have no fear. There are simple steps to take that will help you sleep better tonight.

MORE

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

New research has found the biggest worries that Americans have whilst on vacation, with the weather, accommodation, spending money and arguments all making the top five, with almost two thirds confessing to also worrying about work whilst away.

As well as determining the biggest worries that Americans have on vacation, with work featuring quite heavily for many, the biggest worries Americans have at the airport were also revealed, with fear of a flight being delayed or cancelled, luggage getting lost or damaged and missing the flight from being late topping the list.

MORE

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

Think the plastic straws you gave up sipping from are bad for our oceans? It’s time to consider the same about the sunscreen you use. Non-biodegradable sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals like oxybenzone have been proven to be toxic to coral reefs and other sea life. But travelers haven’t been as quick to widely abandon them for a natural alternative — so now some destinations are enacting sunscreen bans themselves.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

MORE

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

By John Keats

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star’d at the Pacific — and all his men
Look’d at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

MORE

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

MORE

Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats. It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo led by Kenta Toshima.

MORE

Half of Americans Would Take a Job With No Paid Time Off for a Higher Salary

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Half (49 percent) of working Americans would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance. Millennials (63 percent, compared to 47 percent of Gen X’ers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers) and men (57 percent, versus 41 percent of women) are the most likely to sacrifice paid time off for higher salaries.

MORE

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

What do Americans want when it comes to Bucket List travel? A group from Provisional Living wanted to find out not only what’s on those lists, but why and how they got there. What they found was pretty revealing.

MORE

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up. Also: perfume on a plane, tipping when gratuities are included, who can sit in an exit row, and more.

MORE

The post Swimming in the Brazilian Desert, Maria Shriver appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Idaho.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

10 Crowd-Free Alternatives to America’s Most Iconic National Parks

For every national park swarmed by visitors, dozens of state and federal preserves, parks, and monuments go relatively untraveled.

MORE

5 Easy Ways to Secure Your Hotel Room

Inexpensive, portable safety devices to take with you when you travel
Courtesy by David Dean

Are you worried about the security of your hotel room when you travel? You never really know who else has a key to your room, or how good the locks and deadbolts actually are. Luckily, there are several easy, inexpensive ways to secure the room more effectively. Here are five of the best.

MORE

WanderTours

Beth Whitman here. I’m the founder of WanderTours and am your (mostly) fearless leader.

I escort groups on most of our trips – the exception being photography trips and yoga retreats where professionals are there to guide and teach you. After my first book was released, Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo, women started asking me to bring them along on my travels. Wanting them to travel independently – as I had done for nearly 20 years up to that point – I was reluctant at first. But I recognized that not everyone has the energy, time or sometimes even the desire to plan their own travels. So I led my first tour to Bhutan in 2008.

MORE

Survey: Only About One-Third of Americans Say They Sleep Better in Hotels

Majority Believe Mattress is Less Comfortable Than at Home

As millions of Americans head out on vacation this summer looking for rest and relaxation, it’s likely that two-thirds of them won’t sleep as well as they do at home.

MORE

Secrets the Cruise Lines Don’t Tell You

Courtesy Erika Silverstein, Cruise Critic

Cruise ship life can be a little mysterious. Your choices aren’t always spelled out in black and white. The more you cruise, the more you pick up on the unofficial secrets the cruise lines don’t tell you — which give you more options, let you save money and generally allow you to have a better time onboard.

MORE

Protect Yourself Against Airport Checkpoint Theft

Airport theft is becoming a major problem for travelers, so make sure to get to your destination with all your items intact.

MORE

Question: Name the person who Paul recently called, ‘The REAL Fifth Beatle’

Scroll down for the answer

How to Renew a Passport in 24 Hours

Courtesy Shannon McMahon

By partnering with an existing service called RushMyPassport, FedEx is facilitating a nationwide solution for those who need very fast passport renewal.

MORE

7 Common Travel Crises and How to Conquer Them

Courtesy Denise Caiazzo, Travel Planners International

Travel advisors are well-equipped to handle just about anything travel-related. Give them a destination, a budget, and a few key interests, and they can whip up an entirely personalized itinerary that will make a client feel over-the-moon, as they make their travel dreams come true.

But what happens when an unforeseen travel nightmare occurs? We’re talking, “I can’t find my passport and I leave for my trip in a week!” or “Surprise, a bad storm hit, and all flights are canceled.”

MORE

Pickpocket-Proof Clothing: 10 Garments to Protect Your Stuff

Courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

Nothing sours a trip like having your belongings stolen by a pickpocket. But chances are, if you travel frequently — or just happen to be unlucky — a sticky-fingered stranger will one day secretly separate you from your stuff. Since traveling sans cash, credit cards, and other valuables isn’t an option for most of us, I’ve rounded up a passel of pickpocket-proof clothing and accessories that’ll make you less of a target for thieves.

MORE

How to Complain Effectively at a Hotel

Courtesy Charlyn Keating

Demand satisfaction when you have a valid complaint

MORE

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: Name the person who Paul recently called, ‘The REAL fifth Beatle.’

Answer: The Beatles’ long time producer, George Martin.

A Farewell to Ming, the Siberian-Bengal Tiger Who Spent Three Years in a Harlem Apartment

Antoine Yates, Ming’s owner, once said that the tiger was his ‘only friend, really.’

MORE

10 Ways to Get a Better Night of Sleep

By Brandon Peters, MD

With a few simple guidelines, you can have better sleep tonight. At some point in our lives, for any number of reasons, nearly all of us will have difficulties sleeping and suffer from acute insomnia. This can lead to significant distress but have no fear. There are simple steps to take that will help you sleep better tonight.

MORE

Two Thirds Of Americans Worry About Work Whilst On Vacation

Courtesy Calum McCloskey, 10 Yetis Digital

New research has found the biggest worries that Americans have whilst on vacation, with the weather, accommodation, spending money and arguments all making the top five, with almost two thirds confessing to also worrying about work whilst away.

As well as determining the biggest worries that Americans have on vacation, with work featuring quite heavily for many, the biggest worries Americans have at the airport were also revealed, with fear of a flight being delayed or cancelled, luggage getting lost or damaged and missing the flight from being late topping the list.

MORE

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans, and What You Need to Know

Courtesy Shannon McMahon, SmarterTravel

Think the plastic straws you gave up sipping from are bad for our oceans? It’s time to consider the same about the sunscreen you use. Non-biodegradable sunscreens that contain harsh chemicals like oxybenzone have been proven to be toxic to coral reefs and other sea life. But travelers haven’t been as quick to widely abandon them for a natural alternative — so now some destinations are enacting sunscreen bans themselves.

Here are some of the most popular destinations that have banned non-biodegradable sunscreens, and how you can switch to a responsible alternative.

MORE

On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer

By John Keats

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.
Oft of one wide expanse had I been told
That deep-brow’d Homer ruled as his demesne;
Yet did I never breathe its pure serene
Till I heard Chapman speak out loud and bold:
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star’d at the Pacific — and all his men
Look’d at each other with a wild surmise —
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

7 Things You Should Always Wear on a Plane

Courtesy Caroline Costellos

Be the best-dressed (and most comfortable) person in the cabin with our guide to in-flight apparel.

MORE

How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seat

MORE

Virtual Reality Helps Japan’s Elderly Travel the World

CNN Travel

Traveling from the canals of Venice to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a group of elderly people in Japan is seeing the world – without even leaving their seats. It’s all thanks to virtual reality, as well as a team at the University of Tokyo led by Kenta Toshima.

MORE

Half of Americans Would Take a Job With No Paid Time Off for a Higher Salary

Meanwhile, One in Three Workers Would Give Up Some Pay for Unlimited Vacation

Half (49 percent) of working Americans would accept a job with no vacation time if they were paid more, according to the 11th annual Vacation Confidence Index* released by Allianz Global Assistance. Millennials (63 percent, compared to 47 percent of Gen X’ers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers) and men (57 percent, versus 41 percent of women) are the most likely to sacrifice paid time off for higher salaries.

MORE

Behind the Bucket List: What Americans Really Want in Travel

Courtesy Tours.com

What do Americans want when it comes to Bucket List travel? A group from Provisional Living wanted to find out not only what’s on those lists, but why and how they got there. What they found was pretty revealing.

MORE

Are Airlines Tracking Your Flight Searches (and Raising Prices)?

Courtesy Caroline Morse Teel

Ms. Caroline Morse Teel, Senior Editor of SmarterTravel, investigates whether or not searching for airfare makes the price go up. Also: perfume on a plane, tipping when gratuities are included, who can sit in an exit row, and more.

MORE

The Best Navigation Tools to Keep You on Track on a Car Trip, Here or Abroad

Courtesy Catharine Hamm, L.A. Times

MORE

The post Ming is Gone, 10 Free National Parks appeared first on Traveling Archive.