Free Republic

World-renowned chef, author and Emmy winning television personality Anthony Bourdain visits Libya in the next episode of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," airing Sunday, May 19, at 9 p.m. ET. Follow the show on Twitter and Facebook (CNN) -- Following Libya's revolution, oil production has been restored and the country has slipped from the front pages. Once more, Libya has become North African rather than southern Mediterranean, and news dispatches surface only when Western government's worst fears appear close to being realized. As most Libyans admit that after four-plus decades of Moammar Gadhafi, it will take time to build a mature...

Passenger satisfaction on airlines has risen to its highest level since 2006, before baggage fees became widespread, according to the J.D. Power & Associates 2013 North America Airline Satisfaction Study released Wednesday. O'Hare's main airlines, United and American, continued to score poorly though. Southwest Airlines, the main carrier out of Midway airport, continued its streak of high rankings. Baggage fees continue to be a source of passenger dissatisfaction but the impact is less pronounced than in the past, as passengers gradually become more accepting of the fees, the study said.

The Mail On Sunday today exposes the massive international security risk posed by a gun that can be easily made with new 3D printers. We built the weapon, which is capable of firing a live round, from blueprints available on the internet – then smuggled it on to a packed Eurostar train. Two reporters passed completely unchallenged through strict airport-style security to carry the gun on to a London to Paris service in the weekend rush-hour, alongside hundreds of unsuspecting travellers. The pistol, capable of firing a deadly 0.38-calibre bullet, was produced in under 36 hours using a revolutionary £1,700...

Do you dream of living on Mars? Then turn on your webcam. You've got an application video to make. Mars One, a Netherlands-based group that wants to turn the colonizing of Mars into a reality television phenomenon, has started accepting applications for its astronaut selection program. In just two weeks, more than 78,000 people from more than 120 countries have applied. You don't need previous experience in rocket science, astronomy or really anything to apply for the Mars One astronaut selection program - but you will need to be at least 18 years old and have nerves of steel. Mars...

The Obama administration spent between $2.52 million and $2.77 million for hotel rooms and rental cars during the president's 2012 trip to Mexico for a G-20 summit, MailOnline has learned. Government travel documents available online show that the State Department contracted with a travel agency to spend between $1,889,383 and $2,078,327 on hotel rooms alone, for the President, the Secret Service, and the rest of the State Department and White House staff and VIPs. And rental cars for the trip cost between $630,760 and $693,836, according to a separate contract document. That paperwork disclosed that on previous visits to Mexico,...

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Wednesday backed a plan that would temporarily eliminate spending cuts disrupting U.S. air travel, while lawmakers in Washington scrambled to avoid blame as the impact of the reductions began being felt across the country.

In response to a lawsuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit ... ordered the TSA to give the public a 90-day comment period, which the agency did not do when it launched the scanning program. The TSA began the comment period online in March, and so far it has been getting an average of 26 comments a day — nearly all of which blast the TSA and the scanners for a variety of reasons .... To add your comments, visit www.regulations.gov and type in the case code TSA-2013-0004.

Every time I say “Just when I thought the TSA couldn’t stoop any lower”, the TSA goes and does something that proves that yes, they absolutely *can* stoop lower. On February 9, Nathan Forck and his wife Annie, along with their three children, were at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on their way to Orlando for a family vacation to Disney World. The Forcks’ three-year old daughter, Lucy, has spinal bifida and is confined to a wheelchair. They got through the TSA security checkpoint quickly and without incident but as they were getting ready to walk to their gate to board...

We all hear the news reports – laptops, tablets, jewelry, cash, and more… stolen from passengers by sticky-fingered TSA agents. Thefts became such a problem that even the TSA had to step up to the plate and take action.In recent years, the TSA has fired over 400 agents for allegedly stealing from passengers in our nation’s airports.Thanks to ABC News and a Freedom of Information Act request, the TSA is releasing the names of the airports where those employees worked. Predictably, many of our nation’s busiest airports also rank at the top of the list for the number of TSA...

Detroit Gets The Destination Nod Over Chicago DETROIT (WWJ) – Detroit is better than Chicago!! That’s according to at least one travel writer, who has compiled a list of over-rated destinations and suggested alternatives. While Michiganders can give you a plethora of choices in the state that are select and unique it’s always nice to get a nob from outsiders. Among the reasons David Landsel tells travelers to try the Motor City over the Windy City? World-class architecture, a great music scene, and cheaper and better beer. • Typical Detroit neighborhood • Community activists in Chicago promote "peace"

Long security lines, ever changing rules about what is and is not allowed, manhandling pat-downs... Thanks to the TSA, air travel is unpleasant enough as it is and now we have to worry about TSA agents stealing from us? And there's no way to NOT have them go through your luggage.They go through your checked baggage and rifle through your carry-on. You have no choice but to submit to this if you want to be able to board your flight.So what is a law abiding air traveler to do in order to protect his or her belongings from the very...

We've seen an alarming number of stories about sex attacks on female travelers in recent weeks, from a Swiss tourist who was gang-raped in India to an American student who was raped in a van in Rio de Janeiro. It doesn't mean that women shouldn't visit foreign places or that no parts of those countries are safe. But women traveling in these areas should do so with extreme caution and a knowledge of the culture. We rounded up eight popular tourist destinations where women should be extra cautious, based on reports from Human Rights Watch, the State Department, and crime...

Crowdfunding for NASA – in a round about way. Unknown to most people, NASA is barred from purchasing advertising. Recently a campaign on Indiegogo was launched to purchase a trailer to run prior to the next Star Trek film which will soon be in theaters across the country. As quoted from the campaign; "When the Space Shuttle landed for the last time, many Americans thought NASA was closed for good. Nothing could be further from the truth. Right now, men and women from the space program are designing and building next generation space vehicles to go to new destinations in...

President Obama's job approval polls have dropped to 46 percent and the Fed says the jobless rate will remain high for the next two years, so it was time for a road trip. When things are going badly at home, presidents often go abroad to shift the focus away from their failures, so the president left the country this week for what was seen in the press as a symbolic, ceremonial visit to the Middle East to repair frayed relations with Israel. Obama joked he was "getting away from Congress" by visiting the Holy Land. And the Associated Press said...

Update on Carnival Dream March 14, 2013- 10:45 am The Carnival Dream has a technical issue with the ship’s backup emergency diesel generator which our engineering team is currently working on. Yesterday, during regularly scheduled testing of the ship’s emergency diesel generator, a malfunction occurred. At no time did the ship lose power and the ship’s propulsion systems and primary power source was not impacted. The ship is at dock in St. Maarten. All guests are safe and comfortable. There were periodic interruptions to elevators and restroom services for a few hours last night. However, all hotel systems are functioning...

Uncomfortable seats and sky-high airline fees are among the top complaints among air travel passengers, according to the results of a consumer survey. In TripAdvisor’s annual air travel poll, in addition to limited legroom and exorbitant ticket prices, 2,000 respondents in the US also named unpredictable flight delays, long security lines and “other passengers” -- notably loud, crying children -- the top five pet peeves about air travel. The survey also found that more US passengers will be flying the global skies this year, with 67 percent of respondents indicating they plan to take an international flight this year, compared...

FNN exclusive: The Obama administration, still smarting from the disclosure of their previous fake skeet shooting, scheduled a skeet shooting session with reporters and cameras invited. Obama, aka "The One", had Reggie Manlove as his partner for the session. Obama had his Roy Rogers outfit on: Mom jeans, Roy Rogers boots with matching buckskin shirt and white hat and Reggie had his Dale Evans outfit on: leopard skin pattern leotards, Dale Evans boots with matching pink silk blouse with yellow scarf and dayglow orange hat. Ande4rson Cooper and Chrissy Matthews both had to leave early after wetting themselves due to...

Honolulu (HawaiiNewsNow) - Accorrding to the 2012 Point-in-Time Count, there are nearly 6,300 homeless across the state. A proposed house bill would establish a program that helps those not from Hawaii return to their home state and reconnect with their family. State Representative Rida Cabanilla is proposing House Bill 533, which establishes the 'Return-to-Home' program and is seeking $100,000 in appropriations to fund the endeavor. "It's (the program) only for select individuals that can really benefit from the program, meaning they have support services, they want to go home, but they can't go home," Cabanilla said. "That sort of stuff."...

My daughter is transferring from DC to Denver and she is taking me to Denver next week to look for a place for her to live. We plan to make it a mini-vacation so any help with restaurants, landmarks, must-sees is greatly appreciated! We will have a car. Thanks in advance.

After a year of medical problems and working too many hours, taking short vacation. Dallas and San Antonio. Soliciting freeper tips and hot spots for senior tourist who can still walk.

A few days ago, I checked with a half-dozen Washington-area hotels, ranging from the luxe Willard Intercontinental to the not-so-luxe Hampton Inn, and found that all had rooms available for this weekend’s Obama inauguration festivities. That was a huge change from Obama’s first inauguration, in January 2009, when nearly all the area’s hotel rooms were sold out. On Saturday, as Obama supporters arrived for the Monday ceremony, I checked with those hotels again. I asked if they had a room available for arrival on Saturday, staying three nights and departing on Tuesday, January 22. All still have rooms available. Earlier...

TSA offers holiday travel guidelines: No gravy in carry-onsBy Alexandra Jaffe - 11/22/12 04:21 PM ET Holiday travelers cannot bring certain Thanksgiving food favorites on planes, according to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) guidelines that ban the carrying of food items ranging from cranberry sauce to gravy. In a post Thursday on the TSA's blog, agency blogger Bob Burns warns holiday travelers to pack liquids, including "gravy, jams, jellies, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, sauces, soups, wine, liquor and beer," in their checked bags. "Eggnog can be an alternate to fuel depending on who’s mixing it. Sometimes there’s a fine line...

Ready to fly out of Los Angeles today to get to your family before Thanksgiving? Not so fast. Los Angeles’ labor unions have decided to protest on Thanksgiving Eve – one of the busiest travel days of the year – to snarl traffic around Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). President Obama’s favorite union, the Service Employees International Union, is spearheading the obnoxious effort; it’s supposed to last from 11 a.m to 4 p.m., virtually the entire day. The LAPD says that travellers should arrive 90 minutes earlier than usual. LAX already advises people to arrive two hours in advance.

It was a quiet night at U Fleku, Prague’s premier beer hall. I sat at a long wooden table in the main bar, a Teutonic shrine to dark wood. Waiters scurried about, balancing trays of glasses filled with the rich dark lager that’s brewed on site. The evening entertainment started: a scowling, mustachioed accordionist playing Que Sera Sera. As I finished my beer, the accordionist paused and hunted through his pocket, looking miserably at some loose change. A heavy hint? The majority of travellers to the Czech Republic rarely strike farther than Prague, treading the tourist trail of Charles Bridge,...

Anyone up for a drive over Red Mountain Pass?Don't get carsick.

Glenwood Springs to Denver through Rocky Mountains

'World's worst airline' launches online booking Air Koryo, the North Korean carrier described as “the world’s worst airline”, has finally moved into the digital age with its first online booking service. The state-owned airline, which is the only one in the world with just one star according to the ranking service Skytrax, now sells flights from Pyongyang to Beijing and Shenyang in China, and Vladivostok in Russia, on its website. The website (www.airkoryo.com.kp/en), which launched in August, promises “easier, quicker, reliable booking and ticketing services.” Early reports seems to suggest the website is unlikely to help the North Korean flag...

Brace yourselves: Researchers at University of Huntsville in Alabama say they are using "Dilithium Crystals" in a new fusion impulse engine that could cut the travel time to Mars down to as little as six weeks, not the six months it takes now. Txchnologist, an online magazine sponsored by General Electric, talked to team member and aerospace engineering PH.D. candidate Ross Cortez, he said "The fusion fuel we're focusing on is deuterium [a stable isotope of hydrogen] and Li6 [a stable isotope of the metal lithium] in a crystal structure." "That's basically dilithium crystals we're using," he said (Snip) The

What takes 200 hotel rooms, four jets, five helicopters and 35 motorcade vehicles? A typical presidential trip, according to The Travel Channel, which goes behind the scenes in its special "Travel Like a President," set to air Tuesday. Andy Singer, the network's general manager, says the show is "designed to give viewers an all-access, unprecedented look at the enormous level of detail and thought that comes with the territory when you are the leader of the free world.” It looks at famed presidential accommodations, such as the Waldorf in New York, and follows President Obama during a vacation to Hawaii.

Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything from staffing, housing, flying and entertaining President Obama and his family last year, according to the author of a new book on taxpayer-funded presidential perks. In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family. Author Robert Keith Gray writes in “Presidential Perks Gone Royal” that Obama isn’t the only president to have taken advantage of the expensive trappings of his office. But the amount of money spent on the first family, he argues, has risen tremendously under the Obama administration and needs to be reined in. Gray told The Daily...

It’s no secret that American carriers lag far behind their Asian counterparts when it comes to service and amenities. None of the big three U.S. airlines — Delta Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines — cracked the top 50 in airline consultancy Skytrax’s annual poll of the world’s best airlines, which was released this summer.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., launched a Twitter tirade against American Airlines Friday night after experiencing delay problems involving a flight to D.C... @marcorubio: Trying to get to DC for early morning votes tonight but let's just say this has not been the best week in American Airlines history. A sample of more of Rubio's tweets: @marcorubio: Delaying flight for "maintenance" to squeeze connectors from other flight, oldest trick in book.Feel bad for crew.#cmonman #AmericanAirlines

Chicago tops nation in tax burden for travelers For an average visit to downtown Chicago, a traveler will pay about $40.31 in combined taxes per day, a study finds. Three Florida cities tied for lowest cost. By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times September 10, 2012 Chicago, the city that brought us deep-dish pizza, Oprah and "da Bears," is also home to the nation's highest tax burden for travelers. The lowest taxes imposed on travelers can be found in the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and West Palm Beach. Those are among the findings of new research by the...

This is one way for an airline to build customer support: host a mid-flight, bikini-clad beauty pageant. AFP reports that the Vietnamese carrier VietJet hosted a Hawaiian-themed dance contest to celebrate the airline's maiden flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the tourist hub of Nha Trang, but got in trouble -- not for the parade of scantily-clad women -- but for making the mistake of not first gaining permission by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam. The airline "violated local aviation regulations" by organizing "an unapproved show on a flight," Nguyen Trong Thang, chief inspector of the Civil Aviation...

....breathtaking scenes with the Discover America’s signature song ‘Land of Dreams’ written and sung by Roseanne Cash, viewers don’t get a raincheck on the campaign’s multicultural theme and the spiral in the sand that builds the Open Society Logo in opening scenes. Such is the power of subliminal.  Discover America is $12.3 million dollars worth of free advertising for Soros. Blame Brand USA for the Open Society’s free advertising ride. Brand USA is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, with headquarters based in Wa, DC. “Brand USA was established by the Travel...

If diplomatic achievements were measured by the number of countries visited, Hillary Rodham Clinton would be the most accomplished U.S. secretary of state in history. When her plane touched down at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington on Tuesday morning, the former first lady and America's top diplomat completed an epic 13-day journey of 27,000 miles -- about 2,000 miles more than the circumference of the Earth -- through and over Europe to Asia and then doubling back to the Middle East.

> This is a chat I just had with Allegiant Air. They showed that I had seat 32E but on their online seat assignment chart only shows 30 rows. In order to have any baggage, I had to pay $30. The thing about the charge was they didn't put that in until the very last step in booking confirmation. Why don't they just put their damn fares at they want to charge rather than screwing with us. Below is my chat. Please wait, an agent will be with you shortly. Your chat session has started.. Cheryl: Thank you for contacting...

Passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight are upset after an emergency landing left them stranded in Houston for at least 10 hours on Sunday....

Brought out of the dark depths of the United Nations Millenium Development Goal (UNMDG), the call is out for a billionaire's tax. It's been on paper for years now, but few believe it. The United Nations on Thursday called for a tax on billionaires to help raise more than $400 billion a year for poor countries. An annual lump sum payment by the super-rich is one of a host of measures including a tax on carbon dioxide emissions, currency exchanges or financial transactions proposed in a UN report that accuses wealthy nations of breaking promises to step up aid for...

Passengers say their problems is not with rules at the airport. They understand why drinks are not allowed through security, but when they buy one while they wait for their flight, they say the TSA shouldn't ask to test it. Passengers say traveling is a big enough stress, but now some are worried the drinks they are getting are not safe.

Here Come The OS Class Wars: Orbitz Finds Mac Users Spend More On Hotels Than Their PC Counterparts Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/25/2012 20:45 -0400 In a finding that many have subliminally known about for years, but never been actually proven, yet is still quite shocking, the WSJ is reporting that tourism portal Orbitz "has found that people who use Apple Inc.'s Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see." Which is not really surprising:...

Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., is a busy man. The freshman Republican is introducing a critical new bill for gun owners, battling Medicare fraud and trying to roll back what he sees as environmental regulations that will cripple the economy in his district. First, Griffith is sponsoring a new bill designed to end lots of headaches for law-abiding gun owners. The resolution would allow transportation of a firearm from one state where a gun is legally possessed to another where it is also legal. That means states traveled through between the two states would not be able to charge the gun...

Watchdog group sues for transparency on Michelle Obama vacation expenses 9:51 AM 06/06/2012 A government watchdog group has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Secret Service in an effort to obtain records detailing Michelle Obama and the Obama daughters’ February 2012 President’s Day weekend ski vacation to Aspen, Colorado. The lawsuit is a more aggressive followup to Judicial Watch’s February 21, 2012 FOIA request with the U.S. Air Force — seeking all records mission taskings, transportation costs and passenger manifests — and the U.S. Secret Service — seeking all records...

part ii saturday stokehow my son spends his saturdays...in his own words. (this is a follow-up to two-year-old stoke which is below...surfing with his father...if you haven't seen part i, it is definitely worth the watch before part ii) This is from Chet (the father)He was 2 1/2 when I shot this (part i). He's a giant kid for his age though and as fearless as they come. Most people think he's four because of his size and coordination. The water housing muffles just about all the audio, unfortunately. But yes, he squeals with delight the entire time... Jim Caldwell...

Emirates? Lufthansa? JAL...? _____________ ___________ Try Olivia... India's premier long-distance luxury coach line! Their motto: Travel Redefined... Olivia.in   h/t El Roberto

Boisterous celebrity foodie Anthony Bourdain is leaving his long-time post at Travel Channel for a new show on CNN, where he will essentially be doing the exact same thing — weighing in on dining and culture from around the world.

“SUMMER’S almost here!” the Transportation Security Administration’s chatty blog is currently informing us. That means more people at the checkpoints, of course. The blog offers many tips for summer travelers, including, “Please get to the airport early to account for the increased passenger load.” Then there is my personal favorite: “Don’t wear clothing with a high metal content.” Right: do not show up at the checkpoint in that suit of armor, all of you medieval festival re-enactors. Just pack it neatly, along with any sunscreen or lotions in excess of 3.4 ounces, in your luggage. But a useful tip that...

When you're trying to connect with your god, it helps to find some peace and quiet, if you can. But that was, indeed, no such problem for the architects of these impossibly built monasteries. Constructed at dizzying heights on the sides of mountains, they ensured only the most devoted - and vertigo-free - followers would join them for prayer. Go to link to view amazing pictures. This is not for the faint of heart.

Real-life Futurama tube-transport will catapult you from New York to Beijing in 2 hours The Simpsons have the monorail. Futurama has the Tube Transport System. The difference is that tube-transport is a fantasy — at least for now. The folks at ET3 want to make what they call "Evacuated Tube Transport" a reality. Their proposed maglev system would be capable of propelling six-person-capacity cylinders to speeds of over 4000 miles per hour, making it possible for people to travel from New York to L.A. in just 45 minutes, or from New York to Beijing in two hours. What's more, ET3...

Looks like I'm going to be going to Panama City FL on business and have to stay overnight. Unfortunately I won't get to go to the beach! :-( The closest hotel to where I'm going looks to be the Wingate in Lynn Haven. It seems to have good reviews on line. Is this a decent part of town for a woman alone? Inquiring minds would like to know. Thanks!