Recently in Travel Category
'Patel Motel Story' film: How Indian immigrants found their footing in the US hotel industry | CNN
A new documentary on the history of Indian hotel ownership in the USA is making the rounds of film festivals. I was surprised to learn that Gujarati involvement in the hospitality industry goes all the way back to World War II, beginning with Kanji Manchhu Desai, who came to America via Trinidad. Desai was in the country illegally (overstayed his visa) and was asked to run a Sacramento hotel owned by a Japanese-American who was sent to an internment camp. He would advise friends from back home, "If you're a Patel, lease a hotel," and he helped many of his kinsmen get established in the business.
Tulsa has several hotel management companies owned by people named Patel: Pete and Tina Patel of Promise Hotels, Andy and Anish Patel of Anish Hotels, and Robert Patel of Leisure Hospitality Management.
In the 1980s, when I would look for cheap places to stay while traveling, I noticed that most of the tourist courts and park-at-the-door motels, built in the glory days of pre-Interstate road trips, were run by immigrants, mainly Indian, but I had assumed this change had happened in the 1970s as the old highway alignments were bypassed. Around that same time, a Burtek co-worker of Indian descent who grew up in Trinidad told me that his father changed his surname from Patel (pronounced Bur-TEL) to his middle name because he didn't want to be associated with the reputation attached to that name in Trinidad; this must have been in the 1930s or 1940s.
"His acclaimed show is based on the idea that a person can prepare for any difficult situation by rehearsing in a highly realistic setting. This season, he presents that premise to pilots, placing them in controlled situations and observing their behavior. These scenarios range from the expected (flight simulators that re-create potential crashes) to the absurd (auditions for a fake music competition, where pilots play judges who must offer honest feedback to singers).
"Behind the comedian's staged vignettes is a serious idea: After analyzing the flight-recording transcripts from decades of air disasters, Fielder believes that co-pilots have been either intimidated into silence or outright ignored when raising alarms midflight. His rehearsals, even the ones that seem silly, are designed to build confidence so the second-in-command feels more empowered to speak up-and the captain is more inclined to listen."
Clear-channel station - Wikipedia
One of the pleasures of night-time driving is scanning the AM dial to pick up local broadcasts from across the nation. This article lists all 103 Class A (formerly Class 1-A, Class 1-B, and Class 1-N) medium-wave stations in North America: 57 in the lower 48, 16 in Alaska, 16 in Canada, 13 in Mexico, 1 in the Bahamas. Only 28 states and Washington DC have a clear-channel station. Oklahoma has two: KOTV (formerly KVOO) 1170, Tulsa, and KOKC (formerly KOMA) 1520, Oklahoma City.
The 21 states without a clear-channel station: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Five former clear-channel stations in Canada and Mexico have gone dark entirely; two in the US (WOWO 1190, Fort Wayne, Indiana; KGA 1510 Spokane, Washington) reduced power to allow stations on the same frequency to broadcast at night.
Hand & Racquet : London Remembers
A real-life Leicester Square pub beloved of comedy greats like Tommy Cooper and Tony Hancock, it was forever memorialized by writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson as Tony's local in Hancock's Half Hour. Closed circa 2008, demolished for new development in 2015.
Flying with Vestibular Migraine - Best Tips for Vertigo and Dizziness - The Dizzy Cook
Most stable places to sit on the plane, helps for pressure changes, nausea, and annoying smells, and many other travel tips that might be useful even if you don't suffer from vestibular migraines.
Blue Spring Te Waihou walkway to open ahead of summer - NZ Herald
One of the most beautiful places my family and I have ever been: Water so crystal-clear you can see the plants waving in the current at the bottom of the stream, surrounded by a canopy of tall evergreens. Soon to reopen after being closed for a year because of a rockslide at the end of the trail with a parking lot.
"Work to restore public access to the Blue Spring / Te Waihou Walkway is underway, almost a year after the track closed. South Waikato District Council awarded the project to build a new track at the Leslie Rd end of the walkway to Keir Landscaping and Structures earlier this month."
The St. James was our last civilized night's sleep before our near-100-mile Philmont trek, and our first real meal off the trail this past July. Glad to see the tradition going on. "Situated in Cimarron, New Mexico, at the entrance to the Enchanted Circle, the St. James Hotel is more than just a lodging destination; it offers an invitation to immerse oneself in the history, flavors, and rugged charm of the Old West. Originally under the stewardship of Bob Funk Sr. and the Funk family since 2009, the reopening under Chad and Alyse Mantz will ensure the family's love for Western heritage continues into the future. With their leadership, this historic hotel and its acclaimed bar and restaurant are set to reclaim their status as New Mexico's premier destination for adventure, hospitality, and unforgettable dining experiences."
A neat way of tracking her travels, going back to 2008.
What is the Wada Hoppah? The proposed Charles River ferry could ease Boston traffic. - CBS Boston
The proposed water shuttle route would run from Watertown to near North Station, with stops along the way. (They need an MIT stop.) I love this idea. Brisbane has ferry service along its river -- a long route from the University of Queensland to the cruise ship terminal at Hamilton, a shorter route focused on the CBD, South Bank, Kangaroo Point, and New Farm, and three short-hops to carry people directly across the river.
Mojave Desert ghost town Amboy fights to survive on Route 66 - Los Angeles Times
"AMBOY, Calif. -- It's a Friday afternoon in mid-May and a Czech biker is eating an ice cream cone at the counter of a gas station along a desolate stretch of the Mojave Desert. Outside, his entourage crowds around a towering Atomic Age sign for a group photo before speeding away along Route 66.
"A British couple sip hot tea, though the mercury is pushing 100 degrees. A young woman in a crop top sits cross-legged in the middle of the street while a man films her, seemingly oblivious to the traffic whizzing by. On some days, small planes land on the dirt airstrip so their occupants can grab a root beer float or chili dog.
"'It's in the middle of nowhere in the desert, but you see a multitude of different types of people in Amboy,' said Kyle Okura, 31, who owns Roy's gas station, along with the rest of the ghost town, after inheriting it from his father last year. 'That's what's so amazing. You hear stories from all different parts of the world.'"
