The world's 10 best cities for coffee
- Vienna
- Seattle
- Havana
- Melbourne
- Lisbon
- Portland
- Oslo
- Sao Paulo
- Vancouver
- Taipei
10 amazing free hotel amenities
Because we like bullets, lists, and free.
- Fender guitar (at the Hard Rock, of course)
- Bike rental (yeah, yeah)
- Lending library (can they go out on permaloan?)
- Record player (painfully hip)
- Tanning butler (!)
- Pet goldfish (I worry about these fish)
- Art kit, with milk and cookies (for a night in)
- Rolls Royce Phantom (NBD)
- Remington typewriter (for one hour — start clacking away)
- Polaroid camera (pay extra for the photos)
- Book butler (let him/her choose your own adventure)
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the plane you were on crashed? Does bracing really help? Where’s the best place to sit? And, fundamentally, are planes designed so that you could survive?
In the premiere episode of “Curiosity,” which airs on the Discovery Channel at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, an international team of experts explores these questions by deliberately crashing a full-size passenger airplane into the remote desert along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The experiment of crash-testing an entire plane, something not tried since NASA did it in 1984, looks at what happens during a plane crash and the science behind passengers’ best chance for survival.
We have early details, ahead of the show airing. Check out the story, videos and interactive of what happens.
(Photos by Vance Jacobs for the Discovery Channel.)
The idea of a swimming hole seems quaint — maybe it’s just the phrase? — until you consider things like 60-foot natural waterslides and having to take a helicopter to the jump-off point.
Here’s our list of U.S. swimming holes not to be missed.
(Photo by Pat Shannahan / Arizona Republic)
Flight attendants from United and Continental are swapping neckwear to help with the merger of the two airlines. The movement has its own Facebook page.
As for the carriers, they’re allowing the dress codes to be bent.
More: How to merge two airline cultures? Swap scarves and ties
iPhones replace old-school room phones at this Vancouver hotel
The Opus hotel in Vancouver’s trendy Yaletown neighborhood is in the process of making the switch to iPhones, figuring that guests — especially those from the U.S. — will know how to use them and appreciate having a Canadian phone to eliminate international roaming fees on their personal phones.
Guests can take their room’s iPhone with them, and local calls are complimentary. Our hotel blogger hasn’t heard of this happening anywhere else.
Bumba Meu Boi
The “Bumbódromo” arena that hosts Bumba Meu Boi supports 35,000 spectators and is famous for being one of the only places in the world where you can see blue Coca-Cola advertisements.. Check out pictures geotagged at the #Bumbódromo.
In the tiny town of Parintins, Amazonas, Brazil, one of the largest, most vibrant festivals in the world just came to a close.
Called Festival do Boi-Bumbá, Bumba Meu Boi, or simply Festival, the 99 year old event celebrates a local legend about a resurrected ox. Two teams, Garantido and Caprichoso, compete in extended retellings of the story through two and a half hour shows full of flamboyant dances, singing, and parade floats.
Gorgeous photos.
