6 Museums Where You’ll Never Find the Mona Lisa

1. Baked Bean Museum of Excellence (bakedbeanmuseumofexcellence.org.uk), Port Talbot, South Wales. In 2003 a wacky Brit (whose real name is Barry Kirk, but he had it legally changed to Captain Beany) converted his two-bedroom flat into a museum where he displays more than 200 baked-bean artifacts.

2. The Museum of Bad Art (museumofbadart.org), Dedham, Massachusetts. Forget MoMA―check out MoBA, dedicated to the collection and the exhibition of questionable artwork. Most of the collection has been moved to the Dedham Community Theater’s basement, just outside the men’s room.

3. Mütter Museum, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (collphyphil.org). Housing Dr. Thomas Mütter’s astonishing personal collection of off-the-charts anatomical and pathological oddities, the Mütter Museum has the liver (preserved in a jar) belonging to the famous Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker.

4. London’s Fan Museum (fan-museum.org), Greenwich, England. Set in two 1721 buildings, this jewel box of a museum is, in a word, fan-tastic. The only museum in the world devoted entirely to the art of fan making, it houses more than 3,500 mostly antique artifacts, some dating from the 11th century.

5. Sulabh International Museum of Toilets (sulabhtoiletmuseum.org), New Delhi. Bindeshwar Pathak, who considers himself a “sanitation crusader,” has traveled the world gathering key information on the history and the evolution of the toilet.

6. New Orleans Pharmacy Museum (pharmacymuseum.org). Enter this French Quarter museum and discover the world of antiquated medical devices and the art of voodoo. Keep an eye out for jars of leeches. The tonsil guillotine will leave you, well, speechless.

(Taken from Real Simple.)

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

In 2003 the BBC made a seven-part series on the book Seven Wonders of the Industrial World by Deborah Cadbury.

• SS Great Eastern
• Bell Rock Lighthouse
• Brooklyn Bridge
• London sewerage system
• First Transcontinental Railroad
• Panama Canal
• Hoover Dam

Seven Wonders of the Underwater World

The Seven Underwater Wonders of the World was a list drawn up by CEDAM International, an American-based non-profit group for divers, dedicated to ocean preservation and research. This list was based primarily on underwater areas that deserve protection according to a panel of experts.

• Palau
• Belize Barrier Reef
• Great Barrier Reef
• Deep-Sea Vents
• Galápagos Islands
• Lake Baikal
• Northern Red Sea

Seven Natural Wonders of the World

Similar to the other lists of wonders there is not a final consensus on which sites should be one of the seven, nor is there consensus on how many sites there should be on the list. Following are generally accepted as the seven natural wonders:

• Grand Canyon
• Great Barrier Reef
• Harbour of Rio de Janeiro
• Mount Everest
• Aurora
• Parícutin volcano
• Victoria Falls

There is a new seven natural wonders campaign hosted by he same entity that did the new seven wonders of the world. The final votes will be revealed in 2011. Follow here.

USA Today did a story on the campaign for new natural wonders, here.

New Seven Wonders

Wonders of the Modern World – New 7 Wonders Foundation

New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders. A popularity poll was organized by the private New7Wonders Foundation, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Winners:

• Great Wall of China
• Petra
• Machu Picchu
• Christ the Redeemer
  
• Chichen Itza
• Colosseum
• Taj Mahal

Other Finalists:

• Acropolis of Athens
• Alhambra
• Angkor Wat
• Eiffel Tower
• Hagia Sophia
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Moai
• Red Square
• Neuschwanstein
• Statue of Liberty
• Stonehenge
• Sydney Opera House
• Timbuktu

National Geographic did an article and photo gallery on the ancient versus new wonders.


USA Today’s New Seven Wonders

• Potala Palace
• Old City of Jerusalem
  
• Polar ice caps
• Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
• Internet
• Maya ruins
• Great Migration of Serengeti and Masai Mara
• Grand Canyon (viewer-chosen eighth wonder)

Modern Wonders of the World -- Engineering

Many lists of modern wonders of the world have been compiled. This one focuses on engineering feats and was completed by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

• Channel Tunnel
• CN Tower
• Empire State Building
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Itaipu Dam
• Delta Works/ Zuiderzee Works
• Panama Canal

Wonders of the Medieval Ages

Many of the places on these lists were built during or before the middle ages, but they would have been well known. Many travel lists were produced during the medieval times, but it is unlikely that the final lists were made during those times since the term "medieval" was not used until the enlightenment.

• Stonehenge
• Colosseum
• Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
• Great Wall of China
• Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
• Hagia Sophia
• Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Taj Mahal
• Cairo Citadel
• Ely Cathedral
• Cluny Abbey

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the first known list of remarkable man-made places to see. The Greeks made these lists and used the number seven because it was believed to be the representation of perfection and plenty. The lists were made by historians an scholars and then later compiled in the Middle Ages. Initially Ishtar Gate was the seventh wonder instead of the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

• Great Pyramid of Giza
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Statue of Zeus at Olympia
• Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
• Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus
• Colossus of Rhodes
• Lighthouse of Alexandria

9 Roller Coasters That Will Scare You Absolutely Silly

Ted Cromwell, creator of Coasterfanatics.com, has personally hit more than 300 of these undulating heart-stoppers. Here are some of his favorites.

1. The Voyage, at Holiday World (holidayworld.com), in Santa Claus, Indiana. The be-all and end-all of wooden coasters, this 6,442-foot-long course serves up nearly every single element that makes a coaster great: tunnels, unrelenting speed, lateral forces, air time, and giant drops.

2. Goliath, at Six Flags Over Georgia (sixflags.com), in Atlanta. With a high point of 200 feet, this steel coaster has mammoth hills that seem to go on forever.

3. Nemesis, at the Alton Towers Theme Park (alton-towers.co.uk), in Alton, England. Local building-code limitations on height forced the park to build the coaster in a trench. The tight surrounds amplify the speed.

4. Phantom’s Revenge, at Kennywood (kennywood.com), in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. In 1991 Kennywood broke the speed and highest-drop records with the Steel Phantom. After 10 years, the ride was modified to extend the drop and replace the coaster’s inversions with bunny hops. The result? An intense collection of speed and negative-G moments that will thrill even the most jaded theme-park veteran.

5. Thunderhead, at Dollywood (dollywood.com), in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A wooden twister harking back to the golden age of coasters on California’s beaches, this ride features more track crossovers than you can count, and it flies through the station halfway along the course.

6. Kumba, at Busch Gardens Africa (buschgardens.com), in Tampa Bay, Florida. Smooth-as-glass transitions, seven inversions, and an aggressive layout make this steel thrill machine the top of its class.

7. Millennium Force, at Cedar Point (cedarpoint.com), in Sandusky, Ohio. When Millennium Force was introduced in 2000, Cedar Point was the first park to build a ride higher than 300 feet. After the massive drop, this steel coaster stays close to the ground and covers 6,500 feet of track faster than you can blink.

8. SheiKra, at Busch Gardens Africa. Opening in 2005, SheiKra became the first vertical-dive coaster in the United States, with two giant hills that drop you 90 degrees to the tracks below.

9. Raven, at Holiday World. It may not be a giant wooden coaster, but this bird packs huge thrills. With the view completely hidden by surrounding trees, you won’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into until it’s too late!

(Taken from Real Simple.)

Passports

You should plan to always travel with your passport if you are exiting the United States. Since January 23rd, 2007 all persons traveling by air into the United States have been required to present a passport.

On March 27th, 2008 the departments of Homeland Security and State announced in a final rule that “full implementation” of the land and sea provisions of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative would begin June 1st, 2009.

In essence:

• To travel into the United States by air you must have a passport.

• To travel into the United States by land or sea you may have: a passport, a passport card, a state enhanced driver’s license, a trusted traveler program card (NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI), or military or merchant marine documents.

How to Get Your Passport in a Jiffy

What should you do when you plan an international trip and realize, mere weeks before departure, that your passport has expired?

Your Best (and Cheapest) Plan of Attack

Contact the U.S. State Department (travel.state.gov) to set up an appointment for an expedited passport at one of the 13 regional passport agencies. This will run you $60 in addition to application fees and overnight fees for a three-week turnaround, as opposed to the regular four- to six-week wait for a passport, says Cy Ferenchak, deputy spokesperson for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Passport seekers can also visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs website (travel.state.gov) to get more information.

Next Best Option

Enlist the help of an expediter service (there are more than 200). Although these services are pricier than the government route, most guarantee your passport to you in as little as 24 hours. One expediter service, rushmypassport.com, for instance, offers 24-hour service for $299, plus a $135 government fee. Expediter services usually have passport forms online, and the process includes mailing the forms along with original documents, such as proof of identification. Once your passport has been processed, your documents, along with the passport, are sent back to you. But before you send in documents to an expediter service, call ahead, says Robert Smith Jr., executive director of the National Association of Passport and Visa Services. These services have application quotas, so customers may need to contact several companies before they find one that can help them.

(Taken from Real Simple.)

Tipping and Bartering

Tipping

Professions that typically work for tips count on the gratuity for income and will provide better future service for those who tip appropriately. Housekeeping especially will go the extra mile in cleaning and may possibly leave more or better guest items such as the shampoos and lotions.

Tipping is discretionary, if you received particularly commendable service you might consider tipping more than average, if the service was poor then tip less than average.

It can be uncomfortable to be in a new situation and not be certain about customary tipping amounts. Do your homework before traveling to a foreign country.

The following is general tipping amounts for typical tipping situations within the United States:

Doorman: $2 for help with bags, $1 for a hailed cab.

Taxi driver: Ten to 15 percent. Add an extra dollar or two if he helps with the bags.

Airport porter: Most porters charge $2 for the first bag. If they don’t, you should pay at least that. Add a dollar or two for good service.

Other airport staff (ticket agents, flight attendants): Don’t tip them. It can be tempting to slip an agent a $20 bill in the hopes that you’ll get better treatment, but that comes off as smarmy.

Bellhop: $2 for the first bag, $1 a bag after that.

Housekeeping: $2 to $5 a day. Leave this tip daily, as you often have a different person cleaning your room each day. (Include a note so the housekeeper knows the money is for her.)

Concierge: $5 to $10 every time she helps you with something above and beyond the job description, like scoring hard-to-get tickets to a show.
(Taken from Real Simple.)

To learn more about tipping in the United States go here.

To learn more about tipping in foreign countries go here.


Bartering

When traveling find out if the country you are visiting usually uses bartering to negotiate exchanges. If bartering is expected, then know how to be prepared. To start, make sure to bring $1, $5, and $10 dollar bills, plus the equivalent in the appropriate currency. Do not carry very much on you at a time to minimalize the impact of petty theft, and to keep a low profile. Also, consider separating the amount that you do carry into two separate wallets so that when a negotiation is finalized you won't flash extra money while paying for the item.

When you find an item you are interested in, decide what amount you are willing to pay for the item. If you are in a busy area, listen to other negotiations to see what the process is and which tactics were more successful. Ask how much the item is and then make your counter offer.

The counter offer is usually one half of the original selling price. After another few exchanges the settling price is typically about 70% of the original price in a successful barter. In order to barter effectively, you must be willing to leave the item if they won't come down to a price that reasonable. If you really are willing to pay the high price, then send perhaps send a pal back after a few minutes to try again, but with different tactics and willing to pay the higher price. This will help to save face after you've put your foot down and it wasn't effective.

If you have seen the item elsewhere, mention that you saw it somewhere else and that their price was cheaper. Another tactic you could try is saying that a friend got the same item there at the price that you are hoping to pay. When you do purchase the item, you should try to use exact change, especially if part o your tactic was to say "that is all I have."

Go here to read about bartering in Mexico.

Go here to read about how bartering works.

Planning

THINGS TO ARRANGE BEFORE YOU GO

Your Itinerary

Know how you will travel while abroad. There are many options to find deals on flight, hotel, and rental car. Make sure that you know the terms when booking any of these and avoid pitfalls or scams. Know how will you get from the airport to your hotel, and how will you get to each of the sites on your itinerary.

As much as possible, plan to stay in larger hotels that have more elaborate security. Safety experts recommend booking a room from the second to seventh floors above ground level – high enough to deter easy entry from outside, but low enough for fire equipment to reach.

When there is a choice of airport or airline, ask your travel agent about comparative safety records.

Legal Documents
Have your affairs in order at home. If you leave a current will, insurance documents, and power of attorney with your family or a friend, you can feel secure about traveling and will be prepared for any emergency that may arise while you are away. If you have minor children, consider making guardianship arrangements for them.

Register your travel
It is a good idea to register your travel with the State Department so that you may be contacted if need be, whether because of a family emergency in the U.S. , or because of a crisis in the area in which you are traveling. Travel registration is a free service provided by the State Department, and is easily accomplished online at https://travelregistration.state.gov. (In accordance with the Privacy Act, the Department of State may not release information on your welfare or whereabouts to inquirers without your express written authorization.)

Credit
Make a note of the credit limit on each credit card that you bring, and avoid charging over that limit while traveling. Americans have been arrested for innocently exceeding their credit limit. Ask your credit card company how to report the loss of your card from abroad. 1-800 numbers do not work from abroad, but your company should have a number that you can call while you are overseas.

Insurance
Find out if your personal property insurance covers you for loss or theft abroad. Also, check on whether your health insurance covers you abroad. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide payment for medical care outside the United States . Even if your health insurance will reimburse you for medical care that you pay for abroad, health insurance usually does not pay for medical evacuation from a remote area or from a country where medical facilities are inadequate. Consider purchasing a policy designed for travelers, and covering short-term health and emergency assistance, as well as medical evacuation in the event of an accident or serious illness.

4 Crazy Rules You Need to Know Before You Travel

5 Tips for Avoiding the Latest Hotel Scam

WHEN TO USE A TRAVEL AGENT

When you are strapped for time. Earmarking guidebooks and comparing hotel prices can take weeks. A travel agent can quickly steer you to the right locations and hotels and book everything for you (but you still have to do the packing). And while agents do charge a fee, it may not be more than an extra night at a hotel.

When you have a complicated itinerary. Visiting several cities? “We know the fastest trains, where there’s a lot of traffic getting in and out of a city, and when it’s too much trouble to have a car,” says Judith Wolf, a Spain specialist at Frosch Travel, in Deerfield, Illinois. Agents also specialize in certain countries, so they know which sites sell a limited number of tickets and what days a landmark is closed. And since some agents work in large offices, “there are 70 other people I can go to if I don’t know something,” says Wolf. To find a local agent, consult the American Society of Travel Agents (asta.org) and search by ZIP code.

RESEARCH

• Know about the Safety of your destination.
• Know about the health risks at your destination.
• Know when and how to barter, and when and how much to tip.
• Know where the nearest embassy is located.

Make it a point to dress in a way that will not identify you as a tourist! Your destinations will likely be tourist destinations -- most of those locations will have "eyes on the street" that will allow for safety, but while traveling to quaint locations be careful not to become a target.

Introduction - Experience

Experiences have been shown to make people happier than possessions. Traveling experiences create memories, revitalize, and teach. Think back to your childhood -- do you remember what gifts/possessions you got for your fifth birthday? Do you remember the first time you went to Disneyland? Which of those impressions is stronger? Most likely the experience that created emotion, excitement, and closeness to others. Those experiences remain strong memories, but the desire for certain possessions fade, as does the newness of those items.

Traveling can also teach us -- it can teach us about others and about ourselves. Traveling subjects us to new people and places, new experiences and activities, new surroundings and environments, new cultures and ideals. Experiencing other foods, customs, architecture, or celebrations can reaffirm the importance of our own traditions and values, or it can build them.

What do you want to experience when traveling? Here is a small list of potential traveling interests or goals:

• Architecture
• Art
• Customs and Celebrations
• Engineering Wonders
• Food and Drink
• Geography - see indigenous animal species, rare geologic formations, etc...
• History
• Industry
• Music
• Natural Wonders
• Outdoors - hiking, sports, boating, surfing, skiing, etc...

Do you want to go everywhere and see everything, or do you want to get away from it all and relax? After establishing your vision for traveling, you could make a lifelong plan including feasibility of when and how.

When it comes to planning your trip you may want to research each of your areas of interest, determine the locations you would like to go to, look at almanac information, understand the accepted etiquette and customs, be prepared to barter, know how to travel safely, look into health concerns, and know what to do in case of an emergency.
The next entry will begin to address some of these areas.