By the end of the month, air travelers will again need passports when flying between the USA and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean (including Bermuda). Faced with an overwhelming backlog of passport applications, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a temporary ruling in June that allowed air travelers to fly as long as they carried proof that their passports were pending, according to Travel Weekly (free registration).

But with that temporary reprieve about to expire, the DHS sent out a press release yesterday “reminding air carriers and the traveling public that the temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere using a Department of State (DOS) official proof of passport application receipt will end as scheduled at midnight on Sept. 30.” Next year, the law will be extended to include land border crossings, according to Travel Weekly.

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, today announced the top 10 attractions in the U.S. according to traveler popularity and TripAdvisor editors.

1. Magical Mecca: Orlando, Florida
2. Circus Atmosphere: Cirque du Soleil, Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Hawaii 6-0: Hana Highway, Maui, Hawaii
4. Grand Plans: Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
5. Park Place: Central Park, New York City, New York
6. Rock Show: Alcatraz, San Francisco, California
7. Perch Above the Peacock: Top of the Rock Observation Deck, New York, New York
8. Seaing is Believing: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay, California
9. Water-ful: Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas, Nevada
10. Animal Kingdom: San Diego Zoo, San Diego, California

Here’s the list of some of the Wackiest Festivals and Contests across the globe.

It’s on Fodors

Enjoy:)

eMarketer estimates that online travel sales in the five major travel markets of Europe – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – will total nearly $49 billion this year, up 27% over 2006. That’s the good news.

“Over the next four years, as the European online travel market matures, sales growth in the sector will steadily decrease,” says Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer Senior Analyst and the author of the new report, European Online Travel. “Conversely, that means competition for online travel dollars is going to increase.”

After peaking in 2005, personal travel and tourism spending growth (online and offline) by the 25 European Union member states entered a moderate phase, as evidenced by data published by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

“This year, spending by the EU-25 members is expected to grow only 2.4% over last year,” says Mr. Grau. “The newest members of the European Union — Eastern European nations such as Poland and the Czech Republic — will play a key role in stimulating future growth.”

Do you really think Ohio is a place where you can’t really hang around? Then I think you should brush aside your thought.

I got an article which has the list of 101 interesting things you can do in Ohio.

Read it here.

Enjoy the ride

China is likely to replace the United States as the world’s third most popular tourism destination next year, a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) official said. At present, China ranks fourth, after France, Spain and the United States.

Last year, China accounted for 5.8 percent of the global tourism market, a growth of 0.3 percent compared with two years ago.

Twenty-nine percent of tourists who traveled to Asia and the Pacific last year also visited China.

Xu Jing, regional representative for Asia and the Pacific of UNWTO, said the market share percentages of China and the U.S. last year were very close.

“I am confident China will overtake the US next year,” he said at the 2007 China (Qingdao) International Olympics & Tourism Forum, which concluded on Friday.

Source:ChinaDaily

Interesting. Now, THIS is really fascinating – it’s rather dazzling to see it presented this way.

I certainly thought this was enlightening. beyond our sun … It’s a big universe.

Antares is the 15th brightest star in the sky. It is more than 1000 light years away.

Now how big are you? And how big are the things that upset you day to day? Or for that matter, the things that are important? Keep life in prospective..!

LIFE’S BATTLE NEVER GOES TO A STRONGER OR FASTER MAN. BUT SOONER OR LATER, THE MAN WHO WINS IS THE MAN WHO THINKS HE CAN. SO WIN AND KEEP WINNING!!!

Dog Friendly has recently released its 2007 list of the Top Dog Friendly Vacation Destinations in the U.S. and Canada.

Boston - Take a boat or whale watching cruise. Walk the Freedom Trail, visit Salem and explore history at Minute Man Park. Your leashed dog is also welcome on the subway.

Vancouver – Walk the Capilano Suspension Bridge and park. Take a walking tour of Historic Gastown. Take the ferry and visit nearby Victoria and beautiful Butchart Gardens.

New York – Stay in luxury at many fine hotels. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. Take a walking tour of lower Manhattan. Ride the carriages. Watch a morning show. Shop in many famous stores.

San Francisco – Luxurious hotels, outdoor dining, the Golden Gate Bridge, Baker Beach and many off-leash areas. Ride the cable car to the Fisherman’s Wharf area and stroll with your dog.

Austin – Visit Zilker Botanical Gardens, catch a horse and carriage ride, dine in outdoor cafes. See the bats leave the Congress St Bridge at dusk. Use the city’s many parks.

Portland – Enjoy over 20 off-leash areas, an amusement park and the famous Rose Gardens. Dine at the Lucky Lab. Visit the Saturday Outdoor Market and hike in the Colombia River Gorge.

Northern Virginia – Dine or enjoy happy hour in dog-friendly Alexandria. Take the Canine Cruise on the Potomac. Visit outdoor monuments in Washington and Virginia.

Orlando – Stay at resorts such as the Portofino Bay and Sheraton World. Take a boat cruise, shop Winter Park, and dine at Sam Snead’s where Jeb Bush signed the doggy dining law.

San Diego - Off-leash dog beaches. Stay at Loews Coronado Resort. Shop at dog-friendly Otay Ranch Shopping Center complete with a dog park. Dine outdoors. Visit nearby Julian.

Dallas/Fort Worth - Ride a carriage, visit Pioneer Plaza, take a walking tour. Visit Fort Woof dog park and the Stockyard in Fort Worth. Dine on Texas BBQ at outdoor restaurants.

Once when people were asked – IS IT POSSIBLE TO BITE YOUR NOSE?

Every body thought it was impossible.. ……..
Until this guy came along, just watch how he makes the impossible possible…

According to BITKOM, 35.1 million vacations were booked online by Germans. That’s nearly one vacation booked online for every two Germans. The country’s total population was 82.4 million in July 2006, according to the US Census Bureau. Germans average 35 vacation days per year, compared with 13 in the US, according to the World Tourism Organization.

eMarketer Senior Analyst Jeffrey Grau said, “German leisure travelers are booking vacations online at strong rates that are allowing this market to close in on second place, behind the UK, in European online travel sales.”

Traditional travel agencies and tour operators have done well online in the UK. In Germany and France, however, travelers tend to go straight to online travel suppliers, according to Euromonitor International.