Dad O'Rourke's Bench in Mill Valley, California

Originally a simple scenic lookout spot, the serene resting spot known as Dad O'Rourke's Bench is now a permanent testament to the man who made it his goal to share the location's singular beauty with anyone who was willing.

Sitting at the end of a casual trailhead on California's Mount Tam is a stacked stone semi-circle with a brass plaque set into it. This spot is a scenic lookout bench created in honor of local man Richard Festus "Dad" O'Rourke, who was known to refer to the site as "the edge of the world." As the plaque states, the bench was built by O'Rourke's family and friends in honor of his 76th birthday in 1927. O'Rourke, a member of the Tamalpais Conservation Club who preserved the area, was known to bring people he knew to the spot to share its sites, as he considered it possibly the most beautiful spot in the world.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/3c93fce8/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Cdad0Eo0Erourke0Es0Ebench/story01.htm

Love Letter Murals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Love Letter” is a series of 50 rooftop murals that can be viewed from the elevated train platform of the Market-Frankford line in West Philadelphia.

This project was a collaboration of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the talented artist, Stephen Powers (ESPO). These murals collectively express a love letter from a guy to a girl, from an artist to his hometown, and from local residents to their neighborhood of West Philadelphia. A tour is regularly conducted, mostly on board the train, alighting on the platform only a couple of times. Most of the murals were only seen as brief colorful flashes on walls of decrepit buildings.

from Atlas Obscura http://atlasobscura.com.feedsportal.com/c/35387/f/665719/s/3c93fce0/sc/10/l/0L0Satlasobscura0N0Cplaces0Clove0Eletter0Emurals/story01.htm

Help! CenturyLink sent me a modem I didn’t want

from Elliott http://elliott.org/problem-solved/help-centurylink-sent-modem-didnt-want/

Inside the Infinity

Working from home I’m curious… do you work from home instead of going into an office building? I was thinking about this when looking at today’s photo of a cool office building… I wonder if a cool office building even helps. If you like your job, then you don’t really mind what the building looks […]



from Stuck in Customs http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2014/07/17/inside-the-infinity/

“Dreams Are the Kind of Things You Can Borrow and Lend Out”

I always love Murakami’s work. The title of this post comes from a new short story published in the New Yorker. Here’s more: When I moved from Kansai to Tokyo to start college, I spent the whole bullet-train ride mentally reviewing my eighteen years and realized that almost everything that had happened to me was…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/dreams-are-the-kind-of-things-you-can-borrow-and-lend-out/

Love and occupation in the West Bank

A dispatch from the West Bank, Occupied Palestine Territories.



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/change/dear-haifa-story-love-occupation/

Travel Challenge: Finger Lakes New York

Image courtesy of Wikitravel.org Upstate New York and New England are must visits during the Summer. It can certainly get oppressively hot, but the region totally transforms over the Summer. No doom and gloom of late fall and winter, but instead lush landscape and fantastic outdoor activities. Situated between Rochester and Syracuse, the finger lakes […]



from Frugal Travel Guy http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2014/07/travel-challenge-finger-lakes-new-york.html

Behind the Traveler Photo Contest

Have you ever wondered what makes an award-winning photograph? Here's your chance to find out. Join the judges of the 2014 Traveler Photo Contest for a Google+ Hangout On Air, and get the inside scoop on how they chose this year's winners (they'll be announced at the end of July!) from more than 18,000 submissions.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/16/behind-the-traveler-photo-contest/

This Week in Travel – Episode 169

Regular hosts Jen Leo and Chris Christensen are joined by this week’s guest David Farley, author of An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church’s Strangest Relic in Italy’s Oddest Town This Week’s News: United being sued for bumping passenger baggage The TSA won’t let you board some flights unless your devices turn on Bette [...]



from Everything Everywhere Travel Blog http://everything-everywhere.com/2014/07/16/week-travel-episode-169/

Learning to surf? Go to Portugal

Portugal always understands you.



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/sports/8-reasons-portugal-best-place-learn-surf/

Citi Hilton Reserve Card: $100 Statement Credit Ending Soon

The Citi Hilton Reserve card is one of the top travel credit cards on the market and one that I’ve had for a couple years and plan to have in perpetuity as long as the card 1) Offers Gold status as long as you have the credit card open 2) Offers Diamond Status at $40,000 […]



from The Points Guy http://thepointsguy.com/2014/07/citi-hilton-reserve-card-100-statement-credit-ending-soon/

In Transit Blog: South Africa Cycling, With Cultural Side Trips

The new tour Cycling South Africa: Cape Town and the Garden Route takes riders to Table Mountain and also includes a visit with a traditional healer.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3c915222/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C0A70C160Csouth0Eafrica0Ecycling0Ewith0Ecultural0Eside0Etrips0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

I Heart My City: Shanna’s Minneapolis

Minnesota native and self-described travel addict Shanna Schultz makes a habit out of exploring the world—and of sharing tales of her adventures on her blog. But, not one to forget her roots, Shanna is also passionate about the things that make the Midwestern U.S. unique (check out her musings on A Midwest Travel Companion). Here are a few of her favorite things about her half of the Twin Cities.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/16/i-heart-my-city-shannas-minneapolis/

I Mustache For Your Patience

I’ve been slacking lately on the blog. I’m sorry about that. Balancing travel, home, life, the blog, and the book has been harder than I thought. This last week has been particularly busy – mostly for Rand. His company’s annual conference is taking place here in Seattle, which means he’s been running around non-stop. It […]



from The Everywhereist http://www.everywhereist.com/i-mustache-for-your-patience/

Brazil is a nation defined by soccer

“Brazil defines itself through World Cup wins."



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/sports/brazil-nation-defined-soccer/

How to Retire on $25,000 a Year: A Conversation with Mr. Money Mustache

Eight years ago, the man known as Mr. Money Mustache and his wife retired from traditional work—at age 30. They did this after saving money for five years and relentlessly paying off their mortgage. J.D. Roth spoke with Mr. Mustache about how they managed this non-traditional financial feat. Here’s a snippet from their conversation: “We…



from The Art of Non-Conformity http://chrisguillebeau.com/how-to-retire-on-25000-a-year-a-conversation-with-mr-money-mustache/

The naked bookseller of Quartzsite

He wears a broad-brimmed leather hat, velour t-shirt, a barely there paisley thong.



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/backroad-field-notes-meeting-naked-bookseller/

Brazil claims 'victory' in World Cup

Brazil's government calls the World Cup a triumph for the country's tourism industry.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/16/travel/brazil-world-cup-tourism/index.html

Airbnb announces complete rebranding with a “symbol of belonging”

P2P rental pioneer Airbnb has announced a new direction and a fresh look at an international event broadcast live from the original ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/airbnb-announces-long-expected-tours-activities-product-travelers/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=airbnb-announces-long-expected-tours-activities-product-travelers

More hotels offer loyalty points for posting photos on social media

Hotels are eager to garner organic social media attention from guests, as this is one of the most valid means of social ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/hotels-offer-loyalty-points-posting-promo-photos-social-media/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hotels-offer-loyalty-points-posting-promo-photos-social-media

Yes or no – has social media turned out to be a waste of time?

SOCIAL: Despite the constant presence of social media in the lives of millions of consumers, some businesses still question its relevance for ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/social-media-waste-of-time/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=yes-social-media-turned-waste-time

Japan’s ‘Master of Night’

To experience Kobayashi Kiyochika's woodblock prints depicting a 19th-century Tokyo in flux is to experience the foreshadowing of film noir.



from Intelligent Travel http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/07/16/japans-master-of-night/

Explorer: Fauna, Flora and Freighters in the Danube Delta

This region in eastern Romania teems with hundreds of species of plants, trees and fish, but questions remain about its preservation.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3c8f8898/sc/32/l/0L0Snytimes0N0C20A140C0A70C20A0Ctravel0Cfauna0Eflora0Eand0Efreighters0Ein0Ethe0Edanube0Edelta0Bhtml0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

Should Cali split into 6 states?

The proposal has successfully collected enough signatures to get on the 2016 ballot.



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/pulse/california-split-6-states/

6 needs of the Millennial traveler

Style, and a connection to the creative world.



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/6-needs-millennial-travelers/

Passengers tried to board with WHAT?!

The TSA posts images of what it confiscates on its Instagram account. CNN's Alison Kosik has the details.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/crime/2014/07/15/nr-kosik-tsa-items-instagram.cnn.html

Startup pitch: Hostel Rocket wants booking hostels to be seamless via any device

Having used, owned and run hostels, Hostel Rocket husband and wife team decided to try and address the difficulty of searching for ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/startups-hostel-rocket/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=startup-pitch-hostel-rocket

What is behind the trend by brands to split mobile apps

DEVICES: The evolution of mobile travel has seen a variety of strategies emerge – from evaluating whether to go first with a ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/mobile-apps-split-trend/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=behind-trend-brands-split-mobile-apps

A 9-step guide to becoming Mongolian

#6: Have eagles do your bidding.



from Matador Network http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/9-steps-becoming-mongolian/

In Transit Blog: Kimpton Now Rewards How You Act, Not Just How Long You Stay

In the new Kimpton Karma Rewards program, guests receive points for stays–and just maybe for attending a hotel wine hour.

















from NYT > Travel http://rss.nytimes.com/c/34625/f/642561/s/3c8d8fa2/sc/10/l/0Lintransit0Bblogs0Bnytimes0N0C20A140C0A70C160Ckimpton0Enow0Erewards0Ehow0Eyou0Eact0Enot0Ejust0Ehow0Elong0Eyou0Estay0C0Dpartner0Frss0Gemc0Frss/story01.htm

The Indian OTA ticket cancellation and modification dilemma

In India, cancelling a ticket online and getting a refund back to a credit card or bank account is a lengthy process. ...



from Tnooz http://www.tnooz.com/article/Leading-Indian-OTAs-talk-about-their-cancellation-and-modification-data/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=indian-online-travel-cancellations

Photo secrets of Marrakech

The gateway to Morocco's Atlas Mountains is a photographer's paradise -- but capturing it on camera isn't easy.

from CNN.com - Travel http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/08/travel/morocco-marrakech-photography/index.html