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Share Your #MontanaMoment for a Chance to Win a Trip to Big Sky Country

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:56:43 +0000

Visit Montana is currently running a photography contest on three social media platforms -- Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. The official state tourism board invites you to share your best Montana photos by using the hashtag #MontanaMoment. Participants will have the chance to win weekly prizes and weekly winners will be entered to win the grand prize of a National Park vacation package to Glacier National Park or Yellowstone National Park.

To see some of the winners so far, visit montanamoment.tumblr.com.

The #MontanaMoment contest runs throughout the summer, ending on August 26, 2013. The grand prize winner will be announced on or about September 15, 2013. For more details on the contest, see the #MontanaMoment contest rules.

(An aside: My one beef with this contest? Those who have never been to Montana don't have a chance to win because they haven't any Montana Moments to share. Let's hope the Montana Office of Tourism thinks of a way for those who have never visited the state to participate in future contests. Isn't that the point of a tourism board -- to lure new visitors to a destination, not just court return guests? )

Photo: Hold on Tight! by Donnie S. taken at the Last Chance Stampede in Helena, Montana

Secret Hawaii: Six Good Reasons Never to Leave the Hawaiian Islands

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:11:41 +0000

A travel blog is the last place you need to read about the biggest story of 2013 (so far). But I can't help wondering to myself why anyone (justice, politics, and moral outrage aside) would ever want to leave Hawaii. Here are six reasons why I think it'd be hard to leave, especially if you like "secrets."

Hawaii - "Hawaii Revealed: Big Island" [Islands Magazine]
Maui - "Maui: Is There Anything Left to Discover?" [National Geographic]
Oahu - "Off the Beaten Path on Oahu: Scenic Drives and Secret Beaches" [Go Hawaii Guide]
Kauai - "Kauai: Hawaii's Paradise" [Travel + Leisure]
Molokai - "The Secret is Out: The Magic of Molokai" [Travelocity]
Lanai - "Lanai Says Aloha to Good Times Again" [San Francisco Chronicle]

And a seventh reason, if you're able to pull some strings: Ni'ihau, the privately-owned "Forbidden Island," which has been mostly closed to outsiders since 1915. For information on why Hawaiians are happy, see "Aloha Secrets: Secrets to the Aloha Spirit" in Sunset Magazine.

Related Posts: Best U.S. Islands | America's Top Beaches

Photo of the Na Pali Coast, located on Kauai (Wikicommons)

100 Years on 'The High One'

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:48:22 +0000

It has been 100 years since the first summit of Denali, aka Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in the United States as well as North America. To commemorate this anniversary, writer Eva Holland visited Alaska in order to understand the geography of and our obsession with this challenging peak:

Denali is a puzzle that remains unsolved. It is a summit whose secrets have not been thoroughly unlocked. One hundred years later, only 50 percent of Denali summit attempts succeed, and more than 100 climbers have died during their efforts, including six in 2012 alone. Despite generations of improvement in weather forecasting, avalanche preparedness, and the creation of durable, lightweight, cold-weather climbing gear, Denali still poses the same challenge it always has.

The mountain has moods--and its occasional, violent, unpredictable tantrums have swallowed expeditions whole. It will not be taken lightly.

For more of this long form article and to see some gorgeous photos of Denali, read The High One: It's been 100 years since man first stepped foot on North America's tallest summit, sparking an obsession with Denali.

'Anchorman' Exhibit Coming to DC's Newseum

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:54:48 +0000

Hollywood cross-promoting one of its films in a museum exhibit isn't all that uncommon anymore. But the newest pairing of Paramount Pictures with Washington, DC's Newseum promises to be hilarious, if not informative.

"Anchorman: The Exhibit," based on the 2004 comedy featuring Will Ferrell, Christina, Applegate, and Steve Carell, among others, will invite Newseum visitors into a 1970s television newsroom, specifically to a recreation of the KVWN-TV anchor desk. There will also be props from the original film, including Ron Burgundy's jazz flute. No word on whether Sex Panther cologne will be wafting throughout the Newseum studio.

On the slightly more serious side, "Anchorman: The Exhibit" will explore "the rise of personality-driven news formats in the 1970s," according to Cathy Trost, the Newseum's vice president of exhibits and programs. The evolution of TV news is on display in the rest of the Newseum's permanent galleries.

"Anchorman: The Exhibit" will open on November 14, 2013, approximately one month earlier than the release of the film "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." It will run through August 31, 2014.

Related Posts:

Reading Queue: America's Worst Flight; NYC and Chicago Bike-Sharing; Bob Dylan Song Sites on a Map

Fri, 31 May 2013 13:38:20 +0000

Here is a round-up of the most recent USA travel articles that caught my eye.

Worst flight in America: The Cincinnati to Newark route that's rarely on time [Skift]
Can New York's Penn Station Ever Be Great Again? [The Atlantic Cities]
Then and Now: The Lincoln Memorial. Two nice articles with archival and current photos of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, from NatGeo's Intelligent Travel Blog and The Atlantic Cities.
36 Hours in Jackson, Mississippi [New York Times]
Chesapeake Bay Bridge Drive-Over Company Charges $25 To Anxious Customers [Huffington Post]
Bike-Sharing news from New York City (welcome, Citibike!) and Chicago [New York Daily News, Forbes]
Five Stops on a California Cheese Trail [New York Times]
Intoxicating Bend, Oregon [Gadling]
Universal's Simpsons Land Theme Park Includes Krusty Burger and Moe's [Gizmodo]
Bob Dylan's World: A map of every street, town, and city Dylan ever sung about (including dozens of points in the U.S.) [Slate]
You Could Be Forced To Sit In Amtrak's New Pet Car, And You'll Probably Hate It [Business Insider]
Summer on the Cape [Boston Magazine]

Photo: New York City's new bike-share program Citibike launched this week. [shinya]

Massachusetts Wants to Reward You For Your #WickedRoadTrip Photos

Tue, 28 May 2013 14:42:50 +0000

Traveling to Massachusetts this summer and plan to Instagram part of your trip? There's a contest for that.

Throughout the summer, Visit Massachusetts, the state's official tourism board, is running a contest to find the best Instagram photos from your Massachusetts road trip. All you have to do is post your Massachusetts photo to Instagram, tag it with @visitma and #wickedroadtrip, and wait to find out if you win. A winner will be contacted each week via Instagram through September 6, 2013.

If you need some Massachusetts travel inspiration in the interim, check out the #WickedRoadTrip tag on Instagram (or Webstagram) to see the latest photos or browse the tourism board's favorite Massachusetts Road Trip Routes.

Photo: @the_original_pauliep

It's Not About the Beach

Mon, 27 May 2013 07:30:26 +0000

Today is Memorial Day. Here are the memorials and monuments where you can honor the fallen. Read more...

Reading Queue: Best Barbecue in Texas; Climbing Denali; Endangered Jamestown; Oklahoma Rodeo

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:58:22 +0000

Here is a round-up of the most recent USA travel articles that caught my eye.

The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas [Texas Monthly]
36 Hours in Texas Hill Country [New York Times]
Should I Climb Denali? [Outside Magazine]
With Rising Seas, America's Birthplace Could Disappear [NPR]
Oklahoma Secret: Boley Rodeo [Reid on Travel]

Airstream 2 Go Puts the Great American Road Trip Within Reach

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:33:23 +0000

The classic road trip, complete with an iconic silver Airstream trailer, is no longer stuck in the land of daydreams now that Airstream 2 Go, the first Airstream rental company, has launched. Travelers in Los Angeles and Las Vegas who wish to explore California and the Southwest can book current model Airstreams, which are paired with GMC Yukon Denali SUVs and equipped with amenities like bathrooms (and showers!), kitchenettes, and flat screen TVs. For road trip amateurs, the company has even devised itineraries -- California Adventure and Southwest Sojourn. Keep in mind, however, that this road trip fantasy doesn't come cheap: weekly rental rates start at around $5,300.

For more information, visit the Airstream 2 Go website.

Related Articles:

For Rent: Airstreams [New York Times]
Swell on Wheels [Wall Street Journal]
Best Road Trip Travel Apps

Happy Birthday, Las Vegas!

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:43:57 +0000

Happy birthday, Vegas, you sexy beast.

On May 15, 1905, you were established as a town along the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. Today, you are more than just a stop between two western cities. You are a "jewel in the desert," "Sin City," and one of the top destinations for travelers in the United States. What makes you one of the most beloved places for a vacation? Perhaps we should ask About's Guide to Las Vegas Travel...