What Type Of Traveler Are You? [POLL]
I suspect that many of you reading travel from time to time but I’m curious as to what “type” of traveler you’d categorize yourself as?
What Type Of Traveler Are You?
- Vacationer - I take a few trips a year when I get time off from work (32%, 7 Votes)
- Round-the-World Traveler - A journey of a year or more (23%, 5 Votes)
- Long Term Traveler - I'm not sure when I'll stop moving around (23%, 5 Votes)
- Adventure/Outdoor Traveler - Mountains, woods, you name it I'm there (14%, 3 Votes)
- Backpacker - It's the same pair of underwear for a week mate (9%, 2 Votes)
- Armchair Traveler - I don't really travel but love to read about it (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 22
Loading ...Of course these labels can change so it might be fun to revisit this poll in a year from now. I’ll be posting the results next week and if you think I’ve missed a major category of traveler, let me know and I’ll be sure to add it to the list.
A Beginner’s Guide To Star Trek Conventions
Boldly go where many geeks (including myself) have gone before at one of countless Star Trek conventions around the world. Today is the release of the latest Star Trek movie on DVD and if it’s got your hooked you might consider stopping by one of the major conventions along your travel route.
A Star Trek convention is an experience many travelers will marvel at (for better or for worse) and if you’ve never been this is your beginner’s guide to Star Trek conventions.
Where To Find Them
There are several major Star Trek-only conventions and some that are parts of larger general science fictions ones like Comic Con. Held all over the world there are a few official resources you can check that will list the major conventions.
- StarTrek.com Official Site – You can get a good list of Star Trek and science fiction conventions at the official site, which also includes the biggest Star Trek convention in the world. It’s held in Las Vegas annually every summer.
- Creation Entertainment – Organizers of large Star Trek conventions, and the next on is at the end of January. At the convention will be several Trek actors, including William Shatner and Patrick Stewart.
- Containment – A list of smaller conventions, mostly around the US.
- Fed-Con – Europe’s largest Star Trek convention will be held in Bonn, Germany at the end of April 2010. While strongly Trek-oriented there will also be cast and activities for other shows including Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Torchwood.
These are just some good places to start but if you’re looking for a convention in Bangkok or Cairo, there probably is one. You shouldn’t have to Google around too long before finding it.
Tickets
Convention prices vary but the bigger the convention the bigger the price tag. Tickets range anywhere from $25-400 for a weekend. If you’re headed to the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas or going to Comic Con it’s a good idea to get tickets as far in advance as you can. You’ll generally save 20-40% on the price of tickets this way.
Those of you headed to smaller venues can call the day of to see how busy things are. Conventions that aren’t sold out as they’re going on will usually cut you a very good price break at the door. The less enthusiastic you look to get in, the better your chances will be of getting a good price. (I’m not sure why but I’ve found that to be quite common.)
What’s Inside
You’ll find people dressed up as Klingons, members of Star Fleet, or perhaps even the occasional Borg. Around you there will be discussions of warp drives and which Star Trek’s top intergalactic destinations. Conventions are colorful, active events that will bring out your fantasy, science fiction, or ren faire nerd in you. There are lots of (overpriced) merchandise for sale, actors from various shows, and discussion panels.
Conventions have really gained stream and evolved to cater to wider audiences within the past 6-8 years. (For example, Comic Con is now a mega-event with growing audiences each year.) More and more Star Trek conventions are becoming general science fiction conventions so you’re likely to find something you enjoy even if you’re not a Trekie (or Trekker).
Star Trek: The Experience
Moved from the Las Vegas Hilton, Star Trek: The Experience themed attraction will be opening in Las Vegas Neonopolis Mall sometime in 2010. One of the main attractions of the original was a “live” transporter pad that beamed you from one part of the USS Enterprise to the other. It’s not a Star Trek convention but a good alternative if you’re looking to be in Las Vegas sometime later next year.
Why A Convention?
You can add a new dimension to any trip by visiting some of the more unorthodox events that might be in town and a Star Trek convention is one of them. It’s certainly an experience you’ll find difficult to forget. (The first person you see dressed as a Vulcan or hear rapping in Klingon is hard to erase from memory.)
A Star Trek convention is also where you’ll see lots of people who were inspired by the concept of Star Trek to travel and explore planet Earth and the cultures who call it home. Even if you decide on not hitting up your local sci-fi convention, they can be a good way to get a discount at nearby hotels.
[photos by: PaoloSerena, San Diego Shooter, cranberries]
Parts Of Texas You Can’t Capture With A Camera
November 13, 2009 by Anil P.
Filed under Culture, Food, Pictures and Video, Travel
Those of you who subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter know that I was recently in Dallas, Texas. I had a set of decent travel photos to share from Dallas and the surrounding areas but my camera malfunctioned. It wasn’t a dead camera battery as happened to me in Kansas this past spring but I was disappointed to lose these pictures.
Fortunately I was able to witness many things in Dallas and other parts of Texas that I probably couldn’t completely capture in a digital picture. Texas is a fascinating place culturally and can easily overload your senses and stomach.
Texans Love Texas
One of the first things that’s evident when you speak with most anyone from Texas is their love and knowledge of the lone star state. It’s a different tone of nationalism than you’ll find in other parts of the US and it’s more about Texas than the nation as a whole. Mention to anyone that you’re from out of town and you’ll learn a lot about Texas from some enthusiastic Texans.
Variety
Although I was in Dallas, I’ve been to other parts of Texas including Austin. You’ll hear that Austin isn’t “real Texas” in Dallas but the variety between the two is part of what makes Texas such a unique place to visit. Love it or hate it each city is diverse in its own right.
Wild West Feel
Perhaps it’s a result of television, the cowboy hats, or Clint Eastwood, but once you’re in Texas things change. There’s an air of capriciousness as if you’re on the edge of the frontier. The “no guns allowed” signs help to add to that effect.
The Microscope
When you’re in Texas you begin to see it’s a little like a microcosm of the entire United States. There’s a little of New York City, Kansas, and California as well as all of the other cultures you can find in the US (which is a very wide range) in Texas.
Everything Really Is Bigger In Texas
The cars, the food portions, and the personalities are all bigger in Texas. It’s hard to get a feel for this effect in pictures but it’s immediately noticeable as soon as you leave the airport or drive into a Texan city. There’s a lot to overload your all of your senses.
Granted a good photographer could probably capture these things on film. Like many aspects of different places, you won’t get the full effect without going yourself. Had my camera been working I would have tried to capture these things I experienced and felt in digital pictures but I hope my words helped to show what parts of Texas you can’t (easily) capture with a camera.
[photos by: atmtx, wootam!, Gadget Virtuoso, stevesheriw, jeremy.wilburn, J.McPherson]
Questions and Comments Frequent Travelers Hear Frequently
The more you travel the more you’ll hear people you encounter say the following things. Frequent and long-term travelers often hear these remarks whenever their plans or past travels come up.
Tell me have you heard (or said) the following at some point?
- “Must be nice.”
- “I wish I could do that.”
- “I wish I had the money.”
- “You don’t have kids yet do you?”
- “When are you coming back/going home?”
- “What do you do for a living?”
- “Where have you been?”
Two other great travel bloggers also added to the discussion on Twitter. Stephanie Yoder from 20 Something Travel @20sTravel says:
Carrie Marshal @globetrotteri who writes My Several Worlds tweets:
Funny, I was just asked that yesterday by someone in Texas when it came up that I had been to the Philippines. There are certain stigmas attached with traveling and travelers. I’d be curious to hear what you’ve heard or would add to this list? I’ll be taking a closer look at the issue next week and look forward to your comments.
[photo by: tranchis]
