You may not be aware of this, but it snows regularly on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Yes, you read that right--at a staggering 13,790 feet, the dormant volcano Mauna Kea (“White Mountain” in the native Hawaiian tongue) dons a sparkling cap of snow in wintertime. (Its counterpart, Mauna Loa, does the same, although snow on the latter is less visible due to its more rounded peak.) Because of Mauna Kea’s unique assets, native Hawaiians have long considered it a sacred site.

Incidentally, the summit of Mauna Kea is also an ideal place for stargazing, given its height and remoteness from major cities. Hence, it now houses several of the world’s leading astronomical observatories. Native Hawaiian groups are displeased with these developments, protesting that the developments defile the sacredness of the site.

Photo courtesy of the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai'i.

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Posted in Educational & Historic, Green Travel, Hawaii, Nature & Outdoors
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I grew up in Florida so it's only natural that I was born with an innate love of bone-chilling, heart-pounding, hair-raising amusement-park thrills. But like most junkies, I eventually tired of the same old thing and went in search of new kicks. This is how I became obsessed with America's weirdest theme parks. Check out my top five picks below.

5) The Holy Land Experience - This theme park is a Vegas-style miniature version of certain sights in Israel. It boasts Judeo-Christian "thrills" such as the world's largest indoor model of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea Scrolls cave, and a faux-Jerusalem street market. But there are no rides, making this park lower on my list.

4) Dollywood - America's favorite buxom blonde has her own amusement park and it's a knee-slappin', foot stompin' good time. Only at Dollywood could you enjoy a sawmill-themed roller coaster, watch an "artisan" make soap, and then top off the day with some delicious meat on a stick. Dollywood is jolly good, y'all.

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Posted in Family & Kids, Guides & Planning, Offbeat, Road Trips, Theme Parks
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Welcome to The Window Seat Podcast!

In this episode, we're exploring some of the greatest cities in the world: New York, Los Angeles, London and New Orleans – after dark. You'll hear from New Yorkers about their favorite things to do in the city that never sleeps, see a movie in a Hollywood cemetery, find out where Londoners go for a night on the town, and get a tour of the French Quarter's lurid past.

Listen to the whole show: [26:40]

Download Episode #5: Cities (mp3) (right click and select 'save as')
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New York [6:59]
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Who knows New York City better than ... New Yorkers? A few Manhattanites reveal what they love about their city at night.

Los Angeles [7:14]
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After New York, Los Angeles is the most populous city in America, with nearly 13 million people – no wonder traffic is so bad! Locals on both coasts have a long-standing debate over which is better: New York or LA? When it comes to nightlife, both are heavy contenders – even if LA is notorious for shutting down at 2 a.m. Reporter Apryl Lundsten discovered there are still plenty of things to do in Los Angeles before last call.

London [6:09]
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London is a modern metropolis made up of dozens of picturesque villages – some as ancient as Canterbury Tales. Evolved from settlements and manor houses, these boroughs have turned into urban neighborhoods, bustling with nightlife. Reporter Laurel Moglen talked with a London travel expert to find out what Londoners do – after hours.

New Orleans [8:33]
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Known as the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans starts jumping as soon as the sun sets. Bourbon Street is more crowded at 9 p.m. than 9 a.m. – which is when most people are sleeping off the effects of a night of fruity drinks. If you've been putting off going to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, you should know that tourism has rebounded and most of the city's hot spots have reopened. Reporter Apryl Lundsten tours The Big Easy.

Posted in No Specific Category
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An article in the Wall Street Journal leads with this statement: You'll never look at, or reach into, an airline seat-back pocket the same after reading this.

The columnist goes on to describe a number of disgustingly horrific things passengers do on planes; things they would never do in most public settings. Let’s just say that after reading this, I’m operating under a strict BYOB policy. That is: Bring Your Own Blanket.

The truth is, there may not be much you can do to stop the bad behavior of other passengers, but there are some coping tactics that you can use to make the flight as enjoyable as possible. I talked to The Window Seat editors to get their tips on manufacturing some ambiance on your next flight, even if the guy next to you happens to be picking his nose.

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Posted in Air Travel, Offbeat
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With Memorial Day weekend just around the bend, it’s time to start planning your summer beach reading list. Yesterday, the AP came out with a list of books that “blend food and travel,” including the appetite-worthy titles of Hamburger America and Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris, the latter of which the author blogged about here on TWS just last week.

As far as my list is concerned, I’ll kick off my summer with Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, which is my book club’s next selection, but beyond that, I’m not sure. Should I go with a Pulizter Prize winner, the best-seller list on the New York Times, or one of my friends’ picks on the book recommendation sharing web site Good Reads?

If you’re looking for a suggestion, here are five books I’ve recently read that I think will pair well with sandy toes:

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Posted in Beaches
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