Travel plan idea blog

Angels and Demons / BA and AA Alliance?

No doubt the long awaited movie Angels and Demons will generate increased interest in traveling to Rome this summer. The movie, which opened in the US and around the world a few days ago, is a sequel to The Da Vinci Code and is set almost entirely in Rome. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon, a symbologist (is that a real profession?) who races around Rome in an affort to solve clues and thwart a diabolical plot directed against Vatican City (Still officially the world's smallest country, despite other contenders).

Several Rome based tour operators are already offering Angels and Demons themed walking tours of Rome, taking in such landmarks as the bustling Piazza Navona, the Castel Sant'Angelo and of course, St. Peter's Square itself. And some Rome hotels are also offering themed packages; the Westin Excelsior Rome, as well as the more famous (and more expensive) Hotel Hassler at the top of the Spanish Steps.

Although much of the movie was filmed in Rome, the Vatican doesn't allow filming in their country, so the production crew constructed a huge model of the façade of St. Peter's Cathedral for some of the exterior shots. I have been to Rome, although it was about 25 years ago (during my backpacking days!) and I'm sure that watching the film will just make me want to go again.

Speaking of evil and diabolical plots, American Airlines and British Airways are once again trying to merge to create one huge airline. The two airlines currently codeshare as well as allow frequent flyer travel on each other' flights. The last attempt by BA and AA to merge was back in 2002; the plan failed due to concern to access to slots at London's Heathrow Airport. Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin Atlantic recently opposed the idea, saying that he could not guarantee his airline's survival if that happened. I personally don't think the merge would be a good idea; it seems as though it would just be too much of a monopoly with transatlantic flights. And what about all the words that are spelt differently in the US and the UK (color, colour, etc) - just how much confusion would that cause?

Guest entry by Mancunian

Mexico, Canada, Hawaii

This article recommends a few Mexico family vacations. They have the usual resorts but also some more interesting ideas like jet boat tours along the Puerto Marques Lagoon "down the river where early Tarzan films were shot". I imagine kids would enjoy that kind of movie tourism.

North of the US, this article talks about Canada. Seems like Canada's image is changing to a cooler, more adventurous vacation destination:

The Calgary Stampede, the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Ford World Men's Curling Championships are all listed as particularly outstanding activities. The book suggests trying out eco-tourist destinations in Churchill, Man., to see polar bears up close or to kayak down the rapid-filled Slave River in the Northwest Territories.

And still in the US, but further than Mexico or Canada we have some Hawaii vacation deals in this article. Supposedly the hotel specials in that article will help make up for increasing airfare prices.

Movie tourism with an Indiana Jones theme

It may be dorky, but I am a big Indiana Jones fan. I still use the opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark to work with my ESL students on active and passive voice (they describe what Indy does and what happens to him).

So anyway, this Kayak blog on Indiana Jones movie tourism obviously caught my attention. They mention some destinations Indiana Jones fans might appreciate a little bit extra:

Egypt - day trips from Cairo, the Egyptian museum, and ruins.

Jordan - the ‘Canyon of the Crescent Moon,’ the purported resting place of the Holy Grail was set in Petra (which hopefully some readers will remember).

Sri Lanka - apparently Temple of Doom was set in India but filmed here.

Nepal - great for trekking (we have a few blog entries about Nepal - I think this is the oldest).

What books / movies have inspired you to travel?

Now that I think about it most of the movies that inspired me to travel have made we want to go places I haven't been yet.

Before Sunrise really showed some wonderful shots of Vienna. I haven't been there yet, but it has been very high on my list ever since I saw that movie. The sequel, however, Before Sunset wasn't nearly as inspiring for me even though it was set in Paris.

When I was in college I read Jack Kerouac's On the Road which inspired me to travel without a plan (funny considering the name of my blog here but hey now I'm old and like to plan stuff) and I did actually go on a 3-week roadtrip with a friend where our goal was to get to the youth hostel in Orlando. We didn't know it would take 3 weeks to get there but we definitely had fun on the way.

More recently, my wife and I saw Elizabethtown and now we really want to take a road trip - we did drive from New York to Algonquin Park to Ottawa and back but somehow that didn't seem like a real road trip - maybe because it was too scripted.

So what movies have inspired you?

Hostel rooms in converted prisons

Does anyone here know the TV show, Redemption Hill. I've never seen it, but I learned about it by accident and was surprised to see it is closely related to travel.

Apparently it was filmed in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand at Napier Prison. Apparently travelers can spend the night there: "Accommodation includes converted cells (double rooms with loo and sink), comfortable dormitories, share rooms and original cells for the 'real experience'."

Thinking that some people might enjoy the prison experience without actually getting convicted of a crime I found a few other hostel / prisons:

Langholmens Vandrarhem STF/HI, Stockholm, Sweden

Renovated 1840's prison cells in central Stockholm, 500 meters from the subway. This used to be Sweden’s largest prison. The cafeteria is open 24 hours a day. Rates are cheaper if you are a Hostelling International member.

Jailhouse Accommodation, Christchurch, New Zealand

The old Addington Prison is not really in the city center, but the staff gets good reviews. Some people said that their room (cell?) was kind of loud...

Hostel Celica in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Lonely Planet says this is the hippest hostel in the world. It's in a good location in the center of Ljubljana, near the main station.

Hi-Ottawa Jail Hostel, Ottawa, Canada

Promises a realistic prison experience. They also play up the haunted theme with tours of the prison and its ghost stories.

The Bucket List

One of our readers, Jill, found this article on The Bucket List, a movie in which Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play cancer patients who end up traveling together.

According tot he article, if you and a partner were to imitate the trip it would cost the two of you $105,730. That includes $54,320 for 14 days on a private jet, $249 each for skydiving, $1,448 to $1,616 each for a night in Chateau de la Chevre d'Or, Eze, France, $10,465 per person for a safari, $1,299 each for China, $4,795 per person (first class) or $6,795 per person (deluxe) for India, $2,695 per person for Nepal, and $4,335 per person each for Egypt.

Now these are very expensive options. You could go to any of these places for a lot less (though the China price doesn't seem too bad because it includes airfare).

Botswana to benefit from movie tourism?

Here's an article on Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, famous for The English Patient, filming in Botswana. The project is a film version of The Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency which is Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling novel.

The film should show us Gaborone, Botswana's laidback capital as well as Makgadikgadi Pans - huge salt flats in northern Botswana.

Botswana is known for spectacular wildlife, but certainly not for movie tourism.

Publicist Joey Sapieka said that visitors will be able to visit to the actual set after an agreement to keep it intact for the next decade.

"We have secured a 10-year license, which is also renewable, so people who watched the movie or read the book would still be able to tour the set for years to come," he said.

Here are a couple of videos. Honestly, neither Makgadikgadi Pans nor Gaborone looks all that great compared to the wildlife:

Botswana Makgadikgadi Pans (not English)

Botswana- Streets of Gaborone

Safari Zambia & Botswana

Gettysburg Civil War Tourism in Pennsylvania

So I got an email from someone who read this old PA with kids travel plan, and had a slightly different plan. He asked for some advice specifically about Gettysburg, PA:

I was thinking of taking US 15 into Hershey PA this summer and saw it goes through Gettysburg. Is it worth a stop? I'm into all that history stuff but I'm not sure the wife and kids are...

Anyway, here's he plan: Gettysburg, Hershey, Dorney park, 4th of July BBQ and whitewater on the Lehigh. Good times. Didn't realized I'd be passing Gettysburg, so thats a bonus. Screw em! We're stopping. What should we do at Gettysburg?

For official information, here's the official military park website. I've collected some less official information from fellow travelers:

1. Expect a lot of walking in nature since the land has been preserved. You can also do a car tour where you drive from point to point and listen to the tour guide tell you stuff but you are still just looking at some very nice landscape. If you kids like to play, take them to devels den at the base of litte roundtop, it's a giant rockmaze your kids can climb through.

Watching Gettysburg the movie first with the family could make the trip more meaningful. It is truly a solemn, goose bumpy kind of place. Beautiful and so quiet.

2. There are certified battlefield tour guides for hire at the visitor center. I highly recommend that you hire one. Your wife and kids will then understand a little better what happened there.

3. I have gone several times. Had the kids watch Gettysburg with me their first time...so they were thrilled to be where the 207 Maine charged down the hill...and at sundown we walked the route of Pickets charge together across the field, over the Emmittsburg Road fences and to the same Angle you see in the movie. You can even recreate Picketts charge if you like and realize exactly why it didn't work.

Almost no amenities for good food, or clean bathrooms, but the 'burg is an excellent place to go for the history. Rte 15 could not be an easier drive. The tour guides are great. The town a chotchke infested tourist trap.

4. Rent the audio / car tour... be prepared with water and a lunch. its an all day affair... there are a lot of ghosts there.. be respectful to the fallen. also hit the "Electric Map" place.. will give you a good overview of the battle... climb Little Round Top, walk through the Wheat Field, Devils Den, and go to the "High water mark of the Confederacy".. humbling place.

5. Every July 3rd our reenacting unit traces the steps of the 8th Virginia during Pickett's Charge. We start off from Seminary Ridge with full flags and battle gear, no musketts because the park won't allow it. It's an exhausting and sorrowful experience. By the time we get to the point where the 8th Virginia reached Cemmetary Ridge we are exhausted. You realize that even those Confederate soldiers that did make it to Cemmetary Ridge were probably exhausted by the time they got there.

A separate reenactment is scheduled for the weekend right after the 4th of July. It doesn't take place on the battlefield but at a local farm near by. You might find it interesting if you have never seen one. The reenactment has gone down hill over the years and a lot of reenactors like myself avoid this event which we call Goofysburg because of poor treatment by the organizers.

6. If you have time you may want to visit the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg. It is a few years old and gives you a first hand look at equipment and the military. Harrisburg was the big staging center for the Union when the trains came from the north. I could never imagine the march they had because there was only one train to Gettysburg for the troops.

The South came within the distance of the Susquehanna at Camp Hill of raiding Harrisburg, about 2-3 miles. The day they planned to go over the river was the day Lee called for the invasion of Gettysburg.

7. I love Gettysburg. I find it fascinating. Not sure how kids will react. Depending on how old they are, rent Gettysburg the film (based on The Killer Angels") and maybe that will get them psyched. Then go, hire a tourguide or do the driving tour (buy the CD or tape in the giftshop and drive it). You can do the cyclotron (360 degree painting) while you're there. Richard Dryfus narrates it, and they light up different parts of this massive painting. Kinda cool for setting the stage.

When you're at Little Roundtop, there's a good story I heard. When Chamberlain was Gov. of Maine after the war, he got a letter from an anonymous reb soldier who said he was on the hill that day. He had Chamberlain lined up, but for some reason couldn't pull the trigger. He cursed himself and lined it up again, but again didn't pull the trigger. He said he was now glad he didn't pull the trigger, but he wanted him to know: he had him!

Chamberlain was an amazing American. Wounded by bullet fire six times in the war. He served to the end, became Governor of Maine and later Professor and the President of Bowdoin College. What a life!

There's a nice campground nearby. I like to go camping there and then do the park.

Well that's what I was able to gather - would you like to share your Gettysburg experiences or travel tips?

Harry Potter theme park, Charles Dickens theme park, religious theme parks, and your ideas

If you have been to Disney World, Universal Studios and Disneyland and are looking for something a little bit different, some interesting new theme parks have been in the news recently.

A theme park called the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will open in 2009 at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida. The 20 acre park will feature rides and attractions based on the films, rather than the books and initial designs have apparently been approved by JK Rowling, the author of the hugely successful books.

I can imagine a Harry Potter theme park being successful – the books have sold an estimated 325 million copies around the world, and the movies have earned more than $3.5 billion at the cinema.

But I’m not so sure about this next park. A theme park that’s just opened in the UK is based on the novels of one of England’s most famous authors – Charles Dickens. Dickens wrote mostly about squalor, poverty and hardship in Victorian England – subjects that perhaps don’t immediately seem to lend themselves to a theme park.

But Dickens World, built at a cost of around $120 million, on a disused dock close to the town of Chatham, is expected to attract 300,000 visitors a year. The attractions at the park include a recreated jail, a schoolhouse and Ebenezer Scrooge’s haunted house. But the biggest attraction promises to be a boat ride through a recreation of the London sewers.

Religion doesn’t seem to be an obvious subject for a theme park, either. But plans have just been announced for a 25 acre theme park in Northern India, which will "recreate great moments in Hindu mythology" with a mixture of rides, museums, shows and other features. Vietnam already has a Buddhist themed park which, rather ambitiously I think, offers a recreation of heaven on earth as one of its attractions.

Religious theme parks are nothing new – Florida already boasts the Holy Land Experience and several other religious themed parks are being planned or have just opened. In Tennessee, Bible Park USA is in the works, costing $200 million and another religious theme park is proposed for Mesquite, Nevada – some 80 miles from Las Vegas.

A $27 million “Creation” museum opened in May 2007 near Cincinnati, telling the story of creation from the Biblical viewpoint, as opposed to a scientific one. Not surprisingly, the museum attracted thousands of protesters outside its gates – almost as many as the 4000 visitors who went inside on opening day.

I had no idea there were so many theme parks until I started to research this article. Personally speaking, I would be interested in seeing a James Bond themed park. Does anyone else have any other offbeat ideas for theme parks? Or has anyone visited an unusual one?

Guest entry by Mancunian

Pirates of the Caribbean movie tourism

A recent Kayak.com newsletter recommended some spots in the Caribbean for pirate fans:

Port Royal, in Kingston Jamaica: a setting for the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy that has some real pirate history including St. Peter's Church, Fort Charles, Gallows Point (where pirates were hung), Grogge Shop (where you drink), and Montego Bay (for a Calico Pirates Cruise).

Pirates of the Caribbean II and III were filmed in the Bahamas. Tourists can take a 25-minute boat ride to Blackbeard's Cay, visit the "slightly cheesy but very entertaining Pirates of Nassau Museum", and see Fort Charlotte's underground passages and dungeons.

St. Lucia has the Brig Unicorn, an authentic 140-foot replica of an 18th century ship which was featured in The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Dominica has Shipwreck Cove and a cruise up Pantano River where the Black Pearl anchored.

Whitewater rafting: Chattooga River and Deliverance movie tourism + Ocoee olympic rafting + more US rivers

The Chattooga River was in the movie Deliverance. Its lesser claim to fame was being the Chattooga was being the first river in the Southeast to be designated "Wild & Scenic" by Congress. The Chattooga is wild and beautiful - as you raft, the Sumter and Chattahoochee National Forests provide a great setting for your whitewater experience.

Cherokee National Forest has several whitewater rivers including the Nolichucky, the French Broad, the Tellico, the Conasauga, and the Hiwassee. However, the most famous is the Ocoee River, where the 1996 Olympic Canoe and Kayak Slalom events were held. Start at the Ocoee Whitewater Center.

Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River from Buena Vista, CO to Salida, CO is another nice run. Expect a full day trip with a lunch stop included. Some of the best water in the country, when the levels are right. The flows usually peak between the 1st and 3rd week of June Its a definite fun day, the most popular commercially run river in the United States.

I have some friends who are doing the Lehigh in PA for the 2nd time this summer. Last time they stopped halfway down in the mountains for a big BBQ picnic, then kept going. It was great. In the spring and fall they do a release on the Lehigh and you can get class 4 and 5 rapids. The various operations only bring out the 10 man rafts for such events. During the summer, you probably go on the 6 person rafts.

I have another friend who recommends the Nolichucky River near Erwin, Tennessee. The Nolichucky is a clean river that winds through North Carolina and Tennessee. There is a variety of whitewater rapids that cut their way through an awesome gorge.

Not far from Erwin, TN is Nantahala Gorge near Bryson City in the NC Smokies. It is good for beginners with a #3 rated difficulty. The water trip takes about 2 hours in a raft. It's a great introduction to whitewater rafting. It's said to be the most popular River in the Southeast - no surprise considering the beauty of Nantahala National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Happy Easter everyone! If you're looking for some conversation ideas while you spend time with the family, ask them about a rafting trip one spring or summer weekend. It could be a nice family outing.

Visiting cities from Constellation and Elizabethtown: road trip!

When I wrote about the Elizabethtown-style road trip, I mentioned that my wife and I are seriously considering a roadtrip of our own. We've started to plan things out some including a few ideas from the movie like Elizabethtown & Louisville, KY plus Memphis, Tennessee. But I didn’t mention exactly how I'd get from New York down to Memphis or what I'd do after. Well, I've looked at a few maps and I came up with this. I tried to keep the drives reasonable - I'm not as young as I used to be driving 18 hours straight no longer appeals. Anyway, here are the cities in order and the approximate times from one city to the next:

New York
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (3 hours)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (3 1/4 hours)
Charleston, West Virginia (4 hours)
Louisville, KY (50 minutes)
Elizabethtown, KY (2 1/4 hours)
Nashville, Tennessee (2 hour drive)
Memphis, Tennessee (the link is an old blog about free things to do there - 3 hours to next city)
Huntsville, Alabama (the link is about tourism and the movie Constellation - 4 hours to next city)
Knoxville, Tennessee (6 hours) - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Richmond, Virginia (2.5 hours)
Baltimore, Maryland (1 3/4 hours)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
New York (home)

Now there may be some great things to see that I don't know about so if I'm driving right by something cool, please leave a comment and let me know.

In the future I'll try to give you a more detailed idea of what we plan to do in each city. To be honest, some of these cities I chose because I recognized the name and they seemed to be in the right place when I looked at the map so I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing in each city...

Casino Royale travel contest

Here's a travel contest aimed at promoting Casino Royale (I talked about Italian Casino Royale movie tourism a while back). It only takes a minute to enter and the prize sounds pretty cool:

One (1) Grand Prize Winner and guest will enjoy a 7 night trip valued at over $150,000 for two adults at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas. You'll stay at The Bridge Suite, the world famous $25,000 a night, 4800 square feet suite. In your suite, a 007 welcome arrival briefcase will be waiting, containing a trip dossier. A staff of butlers and personal concierge will be available.

Wish me luck!

Romance on the beach vacations

A couple of Filipino film stars I' had never heard of apparently shot a romantic scene in a resort called Matabungkay Beach Resort and Hotel(in Lian, Batangas). This article reads more like an advertisement but maybe the resort really does deserve all this praise.

The love between Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion may have faded, and the footprints they laid on the sun-kissed sands of Batangas may have long been washed out by the ocean, but the resort wherein they shot their romantic chase scene for the movie P.S. I Love You is still alive and kicking.

Don't go looking for luck though; apparently Cuneta and Concepcion had a very short marriage...

Speaking of romance and luck, if having a baby sounds lucky to you then you might be interested in a procreation vacation. This article will tell you about the "Stork Getaway Package" and a few other ideas.

If you're a babymoon critic like a commenter on this old entry about romantic vacations including babymoons, then maybe you can still enjoy the romance part without the procreation part.

Huntsville, Alabama: Constellation movie tourism

Constellation was filmed in Huntsville, Alabama. Now Huntsville plans to cash in on movie tourism by providing "self-guided 'Constellation Tour' maps that point visitors to sites that are shown in the movie". According to this article, Huntsville has more to offer tourists than just a few movie locations.

Chief among these is the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. It sounds pretty cool, with flight simulators that I guess people can experience. There's the Space Shot, a kind of ride that "rockets" you 140 feet into the air with four Gs. And then there's a roller coaster with Martians listening to country music - I guess you have to experience that one before you can grok it.

Alabama artist John Moore's mural was in Constellation and you can see it in EarlyWorks museum where you can also try on old costumes and blow up coal mines (simulations I hope).

This local article lists a few more places in Huntsville that were in the movie: "EarlyWorks Children's Museum, Huntsville Museum of Art, North Alabama Railroad Museum, State Black Archives and Museum, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Melvin's BBQ, Humphrey's Bar & Grill, The Chop House and Glenwood Cemetery."

Digression: That last one, Glenwood Cemetery reminds me of what I wrote a few days ago when I blogged about Central Cemetery in Vienna, Austria. I said most people don't think of putting cemeteries on their travel itineraries, but here's another one. And then there's Pere Lachaise in Paris, a cemetery so cheerful that workers from nearby business go there for lunch.

Anyway, regarding Huntsville. The official Huntsville website has useful information for tourists. You can get discount coupons, sign up for good airfares delivered to you via email, create a travel itinerary online, find nearby golf courses, etc.

To me, Huntsville sounds good. There's stuff to do but it's not likely to be overly crowded with tourists. I don't know how hot it gets down there in the summer, but I'm definitely thinking that if I can't get to Europe (remember the airfares I was writing about a couple of days ago?) I might do a US city like Miami or Chicago and then something smaller, like Huntsville.

Boston trying to become more of a movie tourism destination

Here's an interesting article (though I found it when it was over a month old) about how cities are trying to attract tourism dollars by offering tours of movie scenes. Boston, for example, is getting in on the act:

Pop quiz: Name a movie or TV show shot or set in Boston. "Ah ... 'Mystic River'?" answers Matt Lambek of Cambridge, Mass., settling into his seat before a showing of "The Departed," the new Martin Scorsese juggernaut partially filmed here. " 'Good Will Hunting,' " adds his date, Alex Wenger.

Other movie patrons round up the usual suspects: "Boston Legal," "Ally McBeal," and that stranded-in- syndication favorite, "Cheers."

Boston has a ways to go before it catches up with New Zealand though:

"You can argue that 'Lord of the Rings' was the best unpaid advertisement that New Zealand has ever had," remarks Bruce Lahood, US and Canada regional manager for Tourism New Zealand. "In the last decade New Zealand has been the most successful country to benefit from movie tourism. We've been looked at and case-studied from many angles."

Movie tourism in Italy: Casino Royale, Star Wars, and more

Here's an interesting blog entry on an Italian vacation that involved lots of movie-related attractions. I'm not talking about the famous places in Rome, but I am talking about places like Villa Balbianello on Lake Como (scenes in the upcoming Casino Royale were shot there). And places like Reggia Caserta where palace grounds, the waterfall, and buildings were used for the coronation scene in Star Wars: Episode One (computer modifications changed the look quite a bit apparently).

Anyway, for some interesting movie tourism ideas in Italy, follow the link above.

Movie themed tours

Here's an interesting article on tours that are designed for fans of a certain movie or TV show. Called movie vacation packages, the article mentions Harry Potter themed vacations, Pirates of the Caribbean tours, The Da Vinci Code scavenger hunt vacations, Pride and Prejudice tours, Sideways tours (wineries near Santa Barbara from the movie), Sex and the City lecture tours in new York, and other types of themed travel.

Of course not all themed travel has a movie theme. From farm tours in Iowa to California's old gold mines and ghost towns, there are tons of niche travel experiences waiting for us.