Category: tourism

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This Is the Story Behind the Secret Apartment in the Eiffel Tower

There’s more to the Eiffel Tower than meets the eye. Beyond its magnificent beauty, this popular tourist attraction holds something invisible to the naked eye: a secret apartment.

Anyone who has visited the Eiffel Tower can testify to its breathtaking views overlooking the city of Paris. And while it would be a dream come true to live at the top of the tower, the secret apartment was not constructed for livability. In fact, it was a bit of a con.

The tower was originally intended to be a temporary exhibit that would eventually be demolished in 1909. That didn’t sit well with entrepreneur Gustave Eiffel, who came up with a savvy solution to convince everyone to let his construction masterpiece remain a permanent part of Paris.

Eiffel contacted world-renowned scientists and allowed them to use the apartment as a laboratory for atmospheric measurements, astronomical observations and physics experiments. Just six years before its demolition date, Captain Gustave Ferrie utilized the tower for the French Army’s wireless telegraphy experiments that allowed the tower to broadcast signals all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to North America.

Once the tower was saved in the name of science, Eiffel had to turn down many offers to rent the secluded space. His guest list was short but did include famous scientist Thomas Edison.

However, in 2016, one vacation rental company made it possible for people to actually stay inside the tower. HomeAway converted a conference space inside the tower into a two-bedroom apartment. Four lucky contest winners got to stay in the space (located 188 feet above ground) in July of that year.

Until I can afford the flight to France, I guess a croissant will just have to do.

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Queen Elizabeth once went for a walk…

Queen Elizabeth once went for a walk near her Balmoral estate with one of her protection officers and met some American tourists who didn’t recognise her. They asked her if she’d ever met the Queen and she said “No”, then pointed to her officer and said “he has”. They didn’t connect the dots.

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There is a diamond mine open to…

There is a diamond mine open to the public in Arkansas, it is the only diamond mine open to the public. So far 31000 gems have been found since it became a state park in 1972, the visitors keep what they found.

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14 Fun, Free Things to Do in New York City

I love New York City. But it can be pricey, depending on what kind of traveler you are. Some folks want to dish out fistfuls of cash, go to Broadway shows, and eat at the nicest restaurants.

Other people, like me, prefer to experience NYC in the cheapest way possible. Sure, I’ll go out for a decent meal, but I also just like to wander around, people watch, and take in the sights and sounds in different neighborhoods.

Here are 14 things you can do for absolutely free in New York City if you happen to find yourself in that great city.

1. Explore the New York Public Library.

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Me hubiese quedado aquí todo el día

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2. Check out the galleries in Chelsea.

3. Of course, spend some time in Central Park.

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Traffic jam at the boat pond #CentralPark #nyc

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4. Take a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

5. Tour the Brooklyn Brewery for free.

6. Check out the different farmer’s markets in the city.

7. Take a walk on the High Line.

8. Watch the street performers (and tip them!).

9. Check out museums when they have free hours.

10. Go to the beach.

11. Visit Brooklyn Bridge Park.

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The Concrete Jungle ?. #newyork

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12. Join in on a free yoga class.

13. Find a free comedy show.

14. Cruise on the Staten Island ferry.

Got any other helpful (cheap) tips for traveling to the Big Apple?

Share them in the comments, please!

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The “Punxsutawney Phil” of Maine Predicts an Early Winter

All hail Passy Pete!

For the last four years, a lobster in Belfast, Maine, has correctly predicted whether summer would continue or winter would arrive early for her yearly visit.

His name is Passy Pete, and he forecasts the future by choosing between two scrolls – one that predicts six more weeks of summer (he’s kind of the anti-Punxsutawney Phil), and one that says winter is coming (soon).

For the first three years, Passy said we had six more weeks of summer to enjoy the warmth (and he was correct!). He also guessed (???) correctly in 2018 that an early winter was on the horizon.

He says the same for 2019, so maybe you can go ahead and swap out your closet.

It falls to Belfast baron Dave Crabiel to read from the scroll chosen by the lobster.

“Friends of Belfast, on this second day of September – Labor Day in the year 2019 – it’s in your best interest to collect your coats, tell your sister to return the ones you lent her, tell Cathy, the harbormaster, to remove the boats, and everyone get ready for winter.”

The crowd groaned at the news.

Crabiel and the other Belfast business owners came up with the idea when they noticed how steeply tourism dropped off after the July 4th holiday.

“While Belfast is a great community year-round, we certainly do see an increase in business in the summer with the tourists. So we thought, what if there was an anti-groundhog, somebody who could predict a longer summer, rather than predicting winter?”

It seems to be working; crowds gather to see the crustacean choose a scroll. As long as he keeps picking right, I imagine his legend will increase and more people will descend on Belfast to watch him do his magic every year.

Crabiel hopes the same.

“All four years up to this point he’s been accurate. So I don’t know – we’ll see. It’s not the result we wanted.”

A longer summer means more travelers, and more business for the town, of course, but what can you do? The lobster has spoken.

If you want to see the ceremony in action, check out this video:

As for Pete, he’s returned to the bay each year no matter which scroll he chooses, so you can’t pick your bone with him.

Take it up with Mother Nature, I guess. Or just get out your coats, gather some firewood, and settle in.

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These Photos Warn Tourists to Stop Riding Elephants in Thailand

Hundreds of thousands of Westerners visit Thailand each year, and one of the “must-try” activities is riding a majestic elephant. But tourists are now being urged to stop, thanks to the revelation of some truly heartbreaking photos.

A Twitter user posted several photos of elephants in Thailand being cruelly mistreated. Their keepers, called mahouts, keep them in line by hitting them with sharp metal hooks, often hard enough to draw blood. Their heads are covered in old wounds.

Around 3000 elephants are currently used for entertainment across Asia, and 77 percent are treated inhumanely, according to the World Animal Protection. Elephants are often ripped from their mothers prematurely, violently broken into submission, then subjected to a lifetime of abuse and isolation.

While Thai government agencies are working to end animal cruelty, officials also urge visitors to boycott businesses that treat their animals this way.

“We never support tourists riding the elephants,” a spokesperson for the Tourism Authority of Thailand told Yahoo! News. “Please don’t ride the elephants and don’t support this business.”

Photo Credit: iStock

There are about 3500 wild elephants in Thailand and about 4500 domesticated elephants. The domesticated elephants are classified as “working animals,” just like livestock. Animal advocates are working to change this classification in order to offer more protections to elephants.

If tourists want to enjoy these beautiful animals, one option is to visit a wild elephant sanctuary. There, tourists can observe and pet the animals, but cannot ride them.

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Check out the 20 Most Instagrammed Tourist Attractions in the World

Have you ever been to any of these spots?

If you don’t share your travel adventures on Instagram, did you really even go anywhere? I kid, I kid, but also you know exactly what I’m talking about.

You go to a popular tourist site and BOOM! You capture the moment and you put it on Instagram for your friends and family to see.

A study released by TravelBird revealed the top 20 most Instagrammed tourist attractions around the world.

Let’s see the list!

20. The Empire State Building – New York City, USA

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Presents Prime Shot Artist: @nymigs .. .. #NYCPS_nymigs .. .. Thank you for tagging your Stunning shots to #nycprimeshot & #nycprimeshots .. . ______________________________________ Selection made by : @sicvic . Primeshot Team: | Sam @nyctme @twtme | Vic @sicvic | Shahzeb @shazzy | Will @4th.photo | Jake @visuals.by.jake | Waldyn @deeno12 | . . Make sure to also follow us on Facebook & Twitter ~ NYCPrimeShot. We're also Selling NYCPRIMESHOT T-shirts so if you're interested in purchasing, Please send us a DM. ______________________________________ Primeshot Family Hubs/Hashtags #nycprime_ladies #natureprimeshot #usaprimeshot #nightshooters #liprimeshot ______________________________________ •Alliances• @AGameOfTones @Way2ill_ @ICapture_NYC @Weekly_Feature @ig_color @ig_nycity @moodygrams @portraitsnyc @theimaged @fatal.frames @nyc_explorers @gramheist @gramslayers @portrait_pros @milliondollarvisuals ______________________________________

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19. Myrtle Beach – South Carolina, USA

18. Yosemite National Park – California, USA

17. The Colosseum – Rome, Italy

16. Burj Khalifa – Dubai, UAE

15. Waikiki Beach– Hawaii, USA

14. The Grand Canyon – Arizona, USA

13. Machu Picchu – Peru

12. Niagara Falls – Ontario, Canada

11. Mardi Gras – New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

10. Oktoberfest – Munich, Germany

9. Notre Dame Cathedral – Paris, France 

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2nd August 2018 Paris, France??

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8. Times Square – New York City, USA

7. Big Ben – London, England

6. Las Vegas Strip – Nevada, USA

5. Berlin Wall – Germany

4. South Beach – Florida, USA

3. Walt Disney World – Florida, USA

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So beautiful any time of the day but especially at sunset ? . The castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom will always be one of our favourite views ✨ . Whenever we get to travel from England over to the USA, a trip to Disney is always squeezed in somehow as we just love it so much ? . . #waltdisneyworldflorida #disneyworldcastle #disneycastle #magickingdomcastle #cinderellacastle #magickingdompark #disneyworldphotography #orlandolove #lovedisneyworld #visitdisney #disneyworldparks #floridaholiday #uktousa #usaroadtrip #roadtripusa #americanroadtrip #floridaroadtrip #roadtripflorida #traveldisney #disneytravel #disneyworldlover #disneycouples #disneyhoneymoon #disneyworldorlando #disneysunset #castlesunset #travelusa #travelamerica #usatravel #americatravel

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2. Eiffel Tower – Paris, France

1. Disneyland – California, USA

How many of these spots have you shared on social media?

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