I hope we can all take some time out of our pre-Thanksgiving travel madness to enjoy some down time with some pre-Thanksgiving travel stories. On behalf of all the writers here at Gadling, we wish you all a day full of gratitude and filled with loved ones.

• It looks like fellow Gadling writer Mike Barish has been really busy lighting up the travel blogosphere lately! Check out his holiday guide to NYC at World Hum and his commentary on strange signage in Australia at Intelligent Travel.
• Here are some great American train trips for under $100. [via BootsNAll]
• I told my students I will be traveling to the Middle East for two months and the first thing they asked me was, "Isn't it dangerous there?" To which I replied, "Well, every place is dangerous." Of course, some places are safer than others. [via Journey Etc]
• I'll be traveling with a good girlfriend of mine, which has gotten me thinking about what makes a good travel partner. Here are a few good questions to ask if you're searching for the best travel mate. [via Tripbase]
• Turkeys may look mean, but as long as you're not a vegetarian they taste good -- all over the world. [via Vagabondish]

'Til tomorrow, have a great evening!

More Gadlinks here.

Gadlinks for Wednesday 11.25.2009 originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Charlotte - The Carolinas Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held this Thursday, November 26. This 62th annual parade is one of the largest get togethers of Carolinians that takes place during the year.
• Brunei - Brunei's annual Festival of Sacrifice will be held this Friday, November 27. This is also known as Hari Raya Korban or Hari Raya Aidiladha. Goats and cows are sacrificed to commemorate the actions of the Islamic Prophet Ibrahim. The meat is then distributed among relatives, friends and the less fortunate.
• England - The Draught for Drought Winter Beer Festival will be held at the New Inn in Witney from November 26-29. The festival will have an extensive selection of ales, traditional cuisine, and live entertainment. The event is a benefit for the African Children's Fund's "Draught for Drought" program. The proceeds help East African communities to find sustainable ways of capturing and storing water.

Get out and go: Events around the world (November 25-30) originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• All the bugs bite them instead of you. I'm totally that person, and let me tell you, people loooove sharing a hotel room with me. I wake up swollen, blotchy and itchy, and whoever I'm with wakes up smooth-skinned and well-rested. Life isn't fair.
• They're good with languages. Some of us have skills and some of us don't. If you don't, hang with someone who does; you'll find your travels much easier. Body language counts.
• They're hard bargainers, so you don't have to be. Besides getting you sweet deals, they'll look like the bad guy as they fight for that one-baht knockoff. Reap the benefits without looking like an a$$hole.
• They can eat and drink whatever they want. You'll be certain to have the bathroom when you'll need it, and you will also be more likely to sample unfamiliar cuisine.
• They walk your pace. This trait is key -- I'm a fast walker and my BFF is slow. We both get frustrated. Go shopping with your potential partner before your trip -- if they plow through the mall like a lineman about to make a tackle while you stroll along, sidetracked by any shiny object, have a heart-to-heart about the realities of exploring a city together.

Uncommon traits of a good traveling companion originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading New website, PublicEarth, shares hidden gems from around the globe

New website, PublicEarth, shares hidden gems from around the globe originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Your traveling partner can make or break your trip, so you should probably choose carefully when planning a joint trip. Here are five traits of traveling companions you should avoid (and I've excluded the obvious, like snorers and kleptomaniacs):

The ditcher: The companion who bails on you at the first whiff of romantic interest, night after night. Besides getting annoyed at being stuck with the romantic-interest's own travel partner or, worse yet, sitting alone at the bar, you might find that you can't budget on splitting the cost of hotel rooms when your friend finds a long-term lover.

The puker: I'm not only talking about a weak stomach -- there are folks out there who can't ride a tricycle without tossing their mother's chocolate-chip cookies. Forget about taking an all-night bus ride as well as sampling local cuisine. And I hope you don't need the bathroom, because they'll be in there all night.

The druggie: Ditch the traveler who just wants to get effed up every night (unless you do, too), is in to buying illegal street drugs, and generally makes you nervous crossing international borders in Asia.They're nothing but trouble, and you could go down with them.

The complainer: I once met a girl when I was traveling from Athens to Rome who wouldn't shut up about how she just wanted McDonald's, how dirty Athens was, how much she missed Michigan, etc. I'm normally a very cheery person, so when she suggested we travel together, I changed my itinerary, stat. A little homesickness is normal, but who wants to hang with someone who's a constant downer?

The money-obsessed: This type can go both ways; either their budget is tighter than a Thai prostitute's tube top, or looser than said prostitute's you-know-what (is that metaphor too tacky to write? Apologies). Moderation may be boring, but it's probably also key to enjoying a longer trip. You could find yourself dining alone while your companion indulges in yet another cup of instant noodles, or dragged along for a trendy, spendy dinner. Make sure your budgets are in agreement before you leave.

The top five worst traveling companions originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Who was tops in Zagat airline survey? originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• I didn't realize there were so many travel contests going on during the holiday season! That would obviously make sense, but this great list gives us the 411 on how you can enter and win. [via About.com]
• Photography is my weak suit when it comes to traveling. Here are some really helpful tips on how to improve your photo-taking skills. [via Journey Etc]
• When the weather gets warmer, I am hoping to make it to eastern Europe -- and I'll be taking this guide to eastern European food with me. [via Travel Fusion]
• Talk about a different way to travel! How about travel by color? [via Open Travel]

Gadlinks for Monday 11.23.09 originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hank Leukart, while savoring blueberry pie and a cup of chai at the University of Zoka in Seattle proclaimed it the best coffee shop in the world. As what happens when one proclaims something the best in the world, he immediately began to wonder if he overshot by his gushing. What does he know anyway? After all, had he been in every coffee shop in the world? Of course not, but he has been to a few.

In his essay, "searching for the best coffee shop: a lifelong quest for caffeine nirvana" on his blog without baggage, Leukart extols on the virtues of several coffee shops in various parts of the world. Read his essay and you'll have visited through his eyes several coffee shops that range from Afro Cafe in Cape Town, South Africa to Latte Da in Lee Vining near the east entrance of Yosemite.

To make it to the best coffee shop list,according to Leukart, there are seven attributes a great coffee shop must have:

1. great coffee
2. great tea/Chai,
3. comfortable seats for relaxing and intermingling
4. a full menu of good food
5. free Internet access
6. laptop outlets
7. an unlocked bathroom

My current favorite coffee shop is the Crimson Cup in the Clintonville section of Columbus, Ohio. It doesn't have a full menu, but it has all the other attributes. Although there isn't a full menu, the eats are fresh baked and awesome, particularly the offerings from Pattycake Bakery that specializes in vegan treats.

For anyone in need of a caffeine fix, check out the side bar that accompanies Leukart's article. He has several suggestions.

By the way, Leukart doesn't drink coffee. He's a fan of chai. I love chai, but have yet to find a coffee shop that serves it unsweetened.

Great coffee shops around the world: What makes a great one anyway? originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Remember the coffee revolution of the Nineties, when what used to cost 25 cents at some crappy diner suddenly cost $3 at a snooty cafe? Well, at least instead of drinking what looked and tasted like dishwater you now got something that tasted like actual coffee. Ah yes, I was in graduate school then and the coffee revolution came along just at the right time! But coffee has been around a lot longer than that, as a new/old coffeehouse at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia shows.

Americans have been drinking coffee since before they've been called Americans. A local wigmaker and caffeine junkie named Richard Charlton opened a coffeehouse at Williamsburg more than 240 years ago, when Virginia was still a colony. Today Colonial Williamsburg, an interesting and authentic recreation of a Colonial town, has reopened this coffeeshop on the same site. You can sit in 18th century style while sipping a coffee, chocolate, or tea. You're not allowed to dump the tea into the sea, that was in Boston, but Charlton's coffeeshop was the scene of angry colonists confronting the British-appointed governor of Virginia colony to protest the Stamp Act in 1765.

This wasn't surprising. Coffeeshops were places to meet and discuss politics. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson drank coffee at Charlton's shop. There's no record of what they talked about over a good cup of Joe, but we can imagine. Did hepped-up caffeine addicts create the superpower we know today? Stranger things have happened. . .

Drink coffee the way George Washington used to originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Where to go for fast food - the flowchart edition originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In Japan, they bathe in beaujolais originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Mexico - Birders will unite in the Yucatan Peninsula for the Yucatan Bird Festival from November 19-22. For the 8th consecutive year, the festival offers a wide range of field trips, exhibits, conferences, and a "birdathon." Objectives of this annual festival include promoting the rich diversity of bird species found in the Yucatan and developing a conservationist culture among tourists and tour providers.
• California - The California Surf Festival celebrates awareness and support for surf history preservation this weekend from November 19-22. It is an international event destination bringing people from all over the world to Oceanside, California, to experience surf culture through films, music, art, photography and interaction with those who embody the culture as well as highlight the surf community of California.
• Amsterdam - The International Documentary Film Festival begins this Thursday, November 19. The film extravaganza will present over 300 documentaries over the course of 10 days, ending on the 29th.
  
• Israel - Shalem Dance Festival will begin this Thursday, November 19 in Jerusalem. Over 50 Israeli and guest dancers perform in original contemporary dance works. This year's highlight will feature contemporary dance ensembles from Africa. The festival ends on the 21st.

• India - The Mim Kut and Pawl Kut Festival will be celebrated this Friday, November 20 in Mizoram. Celebrated in the last week of November or the first week of December, the festival celebrates the completion of the harvesting season.
• Helsinki - This year Helsinki's Chocolate Festival has a larger "box," as it is held at Wanha Satama fair centre November 21-22. The festivali celebrates the diversity of the sweet stuff. Choco-connaisseurs share their sweet wisdom about the impact of chocolate on health, wellbeing, history of chocolate, production and variety.
  

Get out and go: Events around the world (November 18-21) originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If these questions make you feel ignorant, you're not alone. Michael Lynn, a prof at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, has conducted to nationwide tipping surveys and has found that a third of the respondents don't know to leave 15 percent to 20 percent of the tab at a restaurant. Throw hotels and drivers into the mix, and it's unsurprising that the rules aren't understood as clearly as they could be.

So, USA Today and I are helping you know what to tip and when. A recent article by Gary Stoller provides some good ideas, and I've tossed in a few of my own.

Continue reading Tips for tippers: it isn't what you expect

Tips for tippers: it isn't what you expect originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tokyo is the top dining city in the world, according to the latest Michelin Guide. With 11 restaurants at three stars, it's pushed past Paris, the former top dog in the culinary world. Eight of the nine Tokyo restaurants with three starts retained their Michelin ratings year-over-year, and three were bumped up from two stars to three for 2010. Paris has only 10 three-star restaurants in the 2010 Michelin Guide, and New York only has four.

According to Oyvind Naesheim, Nobu Hong Kong's executive chef, "Tokyo is an unbelievable city for food," continuing, "The passion and perfection at some top Tokyo restaurants show us why this city is so outstanding in fine dining."

Two thirds of the 197 Tokyo restaurants listed by Michelin focus on Japanese food, focusing on common styles includingfugu, soba, sukiyaki, tempura and sushi. Three of the 11 three-star spots went to French Restaurants.

In total, Tokyo has 261 stars, more than any other city in the 23 countries that Michelin covers. Look for the list of Tokyo three star restaurants after the jump.

Continue reading Tokyo restaurants tops in Michelin

Tokyo restaurants tops in Michelin originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the Wild Wild West: Dine in a trailer park originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Obama lifted a 22-year ban preventing HIV-positive people from traveling to the States. Umm.... FINALLY! [via The Economist]
• If you're traveling around Europe and America you should have no trouble satisfying your daily coffee craving. [via Moon]
• Is H1N1 preventing you from traveling? Here are some sound travel tips to keep you healthy on the road. [via CNN Travel]
• I love juicy travel secrets! Here are a three great ones from my friend Katie over at Tripbase.
• If you have a stomach made of steel, then you should hit the streets in these street food meccas. [via BootsNAll]

Gadlinks for Wednesday 11.11.09 originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• I love companies that give back. Here are five travel outlets that make giving part of buying. [via Jaunted]
• Yikes! As a single female traveler, I've been wary of couchsurfing. This give me more reason to avoid couchsurfing altogether. [via True/Slant]
• I read this article on the plane recently and was really moved by what this graffiti artist is doing to share his vision of the world. [via Hemispheres]
• This is a nice, comprehensive guide to wine tasting in South America. [via BootsNAll]

More Gadlinks HERE.

Gadlinks for Friday 11.6.09 originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading The Spice Isle: Making the most of a cruise stopover in Grenada

The Spice Isle: Making the most of a cruise stopover in Grenada originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is the best day of the week, in my opinion: You're in a midweek groove, but the weekend is in sight. That's a perfect metaphor for how I'm feeling this week in life, too. I'm past the midpoint of many things in life, but the end is nigh! We have a whole lot of great travel reads to be thankful for as well, so let's get started.

• This astute article details the dark side of adventure holidays. [via Telegraph]
• I'm ready for a sushi revolution, but are you? [via Hemispheres]
• Trip Advisor advises us on how to protect the world's most important places. I'm all for it! [via Blisstree]
• We all know about those negligent pilots who claimed to be using their laptops and bypassed their arrival city, but what's the truth behind pilots, laptops, and air safety? [via The Week]

More Gadlinks HERE.

Gadlinks for Wednesday 11.4.09 originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Plan your airport layover with T+L's Airport Navigator originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.