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Tagged With "Birth of the Space Age"

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Re: Boarding Etiquitte and Carry-on Bags

DrFumblefinger ·
I usually try to get a seat in a zone where I'm guaranteed bin space. I usually have a laptop bag for my computer and travel documents, which goes under the seat in front of me. The rest of the items, including spare eyeglasses, camera, medications and clothes go into my carry-on. I can't take the small risk of these items getting lost so I need that carryon with me. It's rare that gate-checked bags get lost but they can. Generally for trips of a week or less, I can get by with just a...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#121)

Paul Heymont ·
Watch this space tomorrow morning for a new picture!
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Re: Boeing's next seat squeeze...in the lavatory!

DrFumblefinger ·
I'm not sure a person with movement disabilities or who is very obese will be able to get around in that limited space anymore....
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Re: Books That Sent You Packing (your bag, that is)

DrFumblefinger ·
People always laugh when I tell them this but the book that most inspired me to travel was Arthur C Clarke's "2001 a Space Odyssey". It made me want to see the universe -- or at least Clavius Base on the moon. It wasn't until later that I learned I'd have to settle for staying on the planet. Little did I know those journeys would one day lead me to the home and friendship of the man who wrote the book that so inspired me.
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Re: SNCF: Oooops, we made the trains too big!

Paul Heymont ·
I suspect, although without evidence, that since the trains are very close to the previous size, that someone looked, saw a fairly familiar measurement and said, say “2.6 meters…that’s not so different from 2.5…OK!” Puts me in mind of the rocket that missed Mars because one team was measuring in metric units and the other in English… http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/
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Re: Airfares have remained flat for 20+ years

Travel Rob ·
I'm with 90% on that survey. Domestic Airline prices did rise steadily from 2009 to 2014 (even adjusting for inflation) according to the DOT. I do think we've had a price break this year because of the steep drop in oil prices. I'm not surprised most customers feel like they are paying more because of what they are getting now. Planes are packed, there's less seat space and a whole array of fees. http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/airfares/national/chart
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Re: Another Vegas Landmark Hotel to be Torn Down

DrFumblefinger ·
The Riveria was one of the oldest hotels remaining in Vegas and I'm not surprised that it's on the chopping block. I am a little surprised that the convention center is expanding that much. Many of the hotels in Vegas have their own (smaller) convention centers, in addition to the large center that is near the old Hilton hotel, so there seems to be no shortage of convention space in town. Always I wonder where they'll get the people to fill these places, but somehow they keep coming....
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Re: Discounts top all in passenger perks survey

Paul Heymont ·
I'd agree...in fact, the issue of space is what keeps me from considering some longer flights...and I have been known to change flights for the possibility of a 2-seat row rather than 3...better an aisle and a window without a middle!
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Re: Oct. 9, 2019: Space Needle at Night, Seattle, Washington

Travel Luver ·
Love the space needle!
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Re: Stockholm's "blue hall", where the Nobel awards reception dinner is held each year

DrFumblefinger ·
Garry's got it right. It was initially to be painted blue (like the Swedish flag), but the architect so loved the look of the space he left it as it was when made. Still, the name stuck. Sort of like Tunnel Mountain in Banff, which was to have a railway tunnel blasted through, although the rail was diverted and no tunnel ever made.
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Re: Air and cruise lines: Out of parking space?

PortMoresby ·
Along with end to end as shown in the photo, ships could also park side to side & instantly expand capacity. In Egypt the cruise boats do just that every day as there are lots of cruises & little dock space at stops along the Nile. Passengers walk through adjacent boats' lobbies to get on & off. With no passengers, crew could certainly find a way.
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Re: Air and cruise lines: Out of parking space?

Paul Heymont ·
Ah, the problems of sample illustration! The stock photo used doesn’t necessarily reflect the situation in all ports. In some, capacity is limited because space that doesn’t block channels is limited; in some others shore facilities are limited. These issues are especially severe for the super-sized 5-and 6-thousand passenger ships.
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Re: It's Euro-official: No more time switches

Paul Heymont ·
It's interesting to me that the most vocal opposition has come in countries that are at the east and west of Central Europe, perhaps in part because they are the ones already living a bit out of their 'natural' space. Some opponents of switching, or should I say, of ending switching, have pointed out that a large majority of those who participated in the public consultation were in Germany; it's not only Britain where attention was apparently focused elsewhere!
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Re: 100 Years of Flight in Kitty Hawk, NC

DrFumblefinger ·
I empathize with your rainy, muddy experience. That is no fun. As I recall, Kitty Hawk is also very windy, one of the reasons the Wright brothers chose it. They knew if they could fly their plane into the wind for some distance, no one could challenge the fact that they had flown a heavier than air machine. I regard this as one of the greatest stories of the 20th century. Two creative guys from a bicycle shop in the midwest designed and developed a successful flying machine. It didn't take a...
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Re: Museum find: GE's 'missing' electric car

DrFumblefinger ·
As I understand it, with hybrids the batteries charge when the car brakes are applied (transferring the energy of moving to the battery), so they're especially well adapted to city driving in places with lots of stop signs and traffic lights. Less useful for driving on open road because you don't brake often. So living in Brooklyn, I think the hybrid would be a reasonable choice for you. I don't think battery technology is anywhere near "ripe" yet, but as with the Mercury and Gemini...
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Re: The Forbidden City - Beijing China

Paul Heymont ·
Interesting your comparison to Versailles, on size (which omits the gardens, of course). The comparison that came to my mind was Topkapi, in Istanbul, where a series of courtyards encloses a huge space, with increasingly restricted access to each. In the first courtyard there were troops, palace services and more; the second was restricted to government officials and prominent visitors, in the third only the highest officials of the Sultan and in the last, only the family and its servants.
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Re: A new (better?) seat configuration?

Paul Heymont ·
Since one of the benefits of a window seat is something to lean on while (trying to be) asleep, the extra headrests look good to me... Also, the idea of using the space under the seat in front rather than the lap space of the seat behind seems worth exploring!
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Re: Lodi Garden, Delhi (Where Gumbo was #162)

Neil McAleer ·
Dear Karl - A beautiful sequence of images. I especially enjoyed seeing all the space(s) that you moved into and through and gave to your armchair companions through your fine images. Thank you. I plan to share your experience with my friend Ximena, who is planning to travel to India next year with a group of women friends. All my very best to you, Neil
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Re: Airbus designs a seat with storage but with less legroom

Paul Heymont ·
I love the idea of better storage space, but I'm not ready to put my legs in the overhead! I'm sure this design would work well with 40" pitch, but not with 30-32" as we mostly get. But perhaps if they made the bins about half the depth shown in the design, there might be footroom and storage.
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Re: Books That Send You Packing...

DrFumblefinger ·
I enjoy a good fiction book as well as non-fiction, especially if the writer is skilled. I really liked "Travels" by the late great Michael Crichton, my favorite of the nonfiction travel books I've read.. "Robinson Crusoe" made me want to visit tropical islands as a boy. "Fantastic Voyage" by Isaac Asimov intrigued me with traveling at a cellular level, within a human body no less (maybe lead to my current day job?) And my all-time favorite, "2001: A Space Odyssey". Made me want to travel to...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #4.5, 12/6/13

PortMoresby ·
It must be to left, out of the picture. I think you can see the edge. There's a space on the left of the beach that matches in both that's to the right of the red-roof building in the original.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 26, 2014: Big City, Small Details

Paul Heymont ·
Unbelievable density...unimaginable to me to live in such a tight space. It started a discussion here at home on the viability of cities, whether we could, with Marge Piercy, look forward to a future where cities do not exist—or to a future where, free of some of the economic and political structures of today, we could guarantee cities that are a pleasure to live in. In the meantime...I wish I could be in London to see these pictures at gallery size.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#61)

Paul Heymont ·
Actually, not what you'd typically go there for...although they have created a full-meal space more recently. More a place where you'd expect to get your just desserts. (wink, wink)
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Re: A Week in Lucca

Paul Heymont ·
I love the looks of Lucca in your pictures...and I'm fascinated to hear the history of the amphitheatre. When I first saw in Arles that the Roman colosseum there had become a fortress and a village in the years after the fall of Rome, I thought it was interesting and singular. Since then, I've heard of more, and realized the logic of it. As "Roman order" broke down after the 5th century, moving into an existing defensible space must have occurred in many places; what is unique about Arles,...
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Re: The airplane seat of the future

Paul Heymont ·
Good design is always encouraging, and some of this looks great (especially the cup-holder…no-brainer!) But I notice that the designs use the under-seat space for legroom, which would be great, but only if the airlines can provide enough overhead space that your bag doesn’t need to go there…
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Re: Will Mers Affect Mideast Airlines?

Travel Rob ·
I think because planes are a confined space ,people might be worried ,especially because some airports are taking certain actions. It makes sense that the air is not a problem, but touching things and then touching your face is easy to do on a long flight . I know I inadvertently touch my face while sleeping. Good advice the Doctor gave about using hand sanitizer in public places anyhow. I try to use that on planes,buses,libraries etc.
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Re: Everglades National Park (Shark Valley). Where Gumbo was #37

PortMoresby ·
I think I like the last landscape best of all, the sense of space and the fact that it's not at all what I expect when I hear "Everglades". Gumbo's travels, ever-enlightening.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 23, 2014: The sleeping cat, Angkor Temples, Cambodia

DrFumblefinger ·
Cats have the amazing ability to completely occupy whatever space they're in -- and do so in great comfort.
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Re: As if you didn't know: NY Gov calls NYC airports terrible

Paul Heymont ·
Well, fortunately LGA hosts no international flights except to and from Canada, and hey, they're family, right? No need to do heavy cleaning. Seriously, though: It's actually my favorite of all the NY airports. It's compact, I can park easily across the road from the main terminal and the luggage comes faster than at either JFK or EWR. It's even got a Todd English restaurant and a few other amenities. It doesn't dwarf me or make me feel lost in future space. To me, it's like a pleasant...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 24, 2014: Le Pouce de Cesar Sculpture - Paris

MAD Travel Diaries ·
  Paris may be famous for its architecture and many ornate historic sculptures scattered around the city but one of the more modern sculptures that is 50/50 with people is Le Pouce de César in the business district of La Defense. It...
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Copenhagen: More Than Nyhavn and The Little Mermaid

Caroline Coupe ·
  Copenhagen is an incredible city, a place where a rich history meets modern culture. The Danish capital boasts historic palaces and churches, sprawling gardens and parks, canals, and world-renowned fine dining. In preparing for my move here...
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JetBlue makes its fans blue: Less space, more fees

Paul Heymont ·
JetBlue announced Wednesday that it would not only start charging baggage fees, but will also reduce legroom in its planes to add 15 more seats per plane. The airline, which made its reputation as being customer-friendly and heavily advertised its...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Middleton Place

PortMoresby ·
  On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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Charleston and its Single Houses: Where Gumbo Was #79

Paul Heymont ·
TravelGumbo member Club2013, by e-mail, was the only one to correctly place Gumbo’s secret destination: Charleston, SC. He found the special characteristics in an almost generic “old town” streetscape, and hit the nail on the head....
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Airline Seats Shrink While Passengers Expand

Paul Heymont ·
Airlines have recently begun replacing many of their seats with lighter, slimmer seats that allow them to either offer more legroom or...surprise!...jam in more seats. As this article from the Sydney Morning Herald points out, it's not just that space...
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Films that affected your Travel destinations

DrFumblefinger ·
Conde Naste posted a nice piece on 50 films that most influenced travel, which you can find here. As a kid growing up on the Canadian prairies, I do recall films helping open my eyes to the great world out there.  Several come immediately to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov 6, 2013: The Brooklyn Museum...and Neighbors

Paul Heymont ·
Here’s the Brooklyn Museum, in a night view that has the dramatic lighting of a linen-era postcard. The museum is a world-class collection that doesn't get noticed as much as it should because it lives in the shadow of Manhattan’s...
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A springtime hike on the Yakima Rim Skyline Trail

DrFumblefinger ·
After a rather long winter I was ready for a pleasant dayhike.  While I’d rather head up to the mountains for a stroll in an alpine meadow, there’s way too much snow up there in April.  Fortunately in the Northwest there are some...
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Chicago — City of Skyscrapers & Cloud Gate

DrFumblefinger ·
Like the monolith in Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke’s monumental film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, “Cloud Gate” looks like an alien object dropped onto a terrestrial landscape (not the African Savannah, but rather into...
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Left Bank of the Tiber

PortMoresby ·
  I’d looked online for an apartment for my week in Rome, until I was sick of the thought of going.  At some point I came across a recommendation for a women’s hostel in Trastevere (Tras TAY veree), on what I came to think of as...
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A Day Among the Ruins

PortMoresby ·
  I chose Ostia Antica for a day trip from Rome, rather than the much longer trek to Pompeii.  Aside from a few school groups, I had this remarkable place almost to myself.     I realized that there’s a different crowd on...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 24, 2015: The Secret Garden

PortMoresby ·
  Many cities have private gardens tucked away from prying eyes, although in a big city anywhere they’re an enormous luxury.  London seems to be particularly adept at hiding some pretty large outdoor spaces, just as the country as a...
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ET, Call Home: A visit to the Arecibo Observatory

Paul Heymont ·
On our recent visit to Puerto Rico, we took an unplanned side trip to what might be called ET’s phone booth—a vast radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory that “listens” to space both for astronomical information and any...
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Travel to Where "Your Shadow Always Has Company"

Paul Heymont ·
Well, you can't actually visit the planet Kepler 16b; it's not even in our solar system. But graphic artists at the National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA) have made up dream travel posters for several "exoplanets" (planets that orbit other...
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Monterey Bay Aquarium: Oceans Apart

Lestertheinvestor ·
  Located directly on the Monterey Bay just south of Santa Cruz is a sprawling complex of nearly 200 exhibits of more than 550 species in a 2 storey building nearly 30 years old: the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA). Started in 1978, and open to the...
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San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)

Paul Heymont ·
  El Morro, the giant fortification that's guarded San Juan Harbor for nearly 500 years, is the sight we saw before we saw it. Its image is everywhere when you do online research for a trip to Puerto Rico; its "garitas"—small domed...
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SQUEEEZE, Please! United pushes in more seats

Paul Heymont ·
United Airlines has almost completed its installation of new seats throughout its fleet; the new slimline seats are also set closer together (as close as 30" pitch in some planes) and give United the equivalent of 14 more planes worth of space,...
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