Category: travel

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This Map Compares the Education Level in Each State to a Corresponding Country, and it’s Offending Everyone

We all know Americans like to think they’re number one at just about everything, but the truth is…that’s just not the truth. In fact, perhaps it’s their low education levels that makes them believe such a thing in the first place!

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation, American students rank 28th in math and science scores (for those not good at math, it means there are 27 better countries). The educated people at Home Snacks made a map of the United States comparing each state with a foreign country that is said to have similar education levels, using the United Nations Development Program index. Understanding this map will take knowledge of both United States and world geography, which means you’ll most likely get it if you live in the Northeast.

usmapfinal-YkBDxYHere it is zoomed in, if that helps you focus.

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The Northeast and Midwest tend to be on a similar track as European countries.

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While the Southeast is largely comparable to Central America and Africa.

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The Northwest appears to be the most diverse.

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Although the Southwest is pretty diverse in its own right.

I guess like everything else in America, there are advantages and disadvantages to living in every nook and cranny of the country – but I’m not placing any bets on people deciding to forgo their home state for better education grounds anytime soon.

(h/t: Someecards)

We know you can choose a lot of sites to read, but we want you to know that we’re thankful you chose Did You Know.

You rock! Thanks for reading!

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Startling Report Finds the U.S. Has Over 47,000 Bridges That Are “Structurally Deficient”

Rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure has been a big talking point among politicians over the past several years, but it doesn’t seem like any real action is ever taken.

And the news isn’t getting any better. A new report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association revealed that more than 47,000 bridges in the U.S. are in bad condition and need urgent repairs. The organization estimates that it would take 80 years to repair all the bridges in the U.S. that are deficient.

Stillwater Bridge, MN
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The term “structurally deficient” doesn’t necessarily mean that a bridge is in danger of collapsing, but it does mean that a bridge needs repairs and renovations. Clearly that’s not a good thing.

Alison Black, the chief economist for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, said, “In addition to those bridges that are structurally deficient, about 4 out of 10 bridges across the country need some sort of major rehabilitation work. So unfortunately, it’s not just these 47,000 structures that need to be fixed.”

Arlington Memorial Bridge, VA
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The report says that the deficient bridges in the U.S. are crossed 178 million times each day. Many notable bridges are on the “structurally deficient” list, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Arlington Memorial Bridge that connects Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, and the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge that stretches across the San Francisco Bay.

San Mateo Bridge, CA
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

To add insult to injury, 2018 saw the slowest rate of repairs in five years. According to Black, “There’s not a lot of new money. It really is just keeping pace with project costs and inflation. I think if we saw a significant increase in the federal funding side of this that would really go a long way to help states that are trying to provide some of these repairs and fix these bridges.”

Let’s all hope that our local, state, and national politicians can work together to repair our infrastructure and ensure the safety of the millions of Americans who drive across these bridges each and every day.

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Australia Just Banned Travelers with Domestic Violence Charges From Entering the Country

Good on ya, mates! Australia just took a stand against domestic violence in a major way. Pay attention, world!

The country made headlines in the past when it denied visas to singer Chris Brown and boxer Floyd Mayweather due to their domestic violence convictions, and now the nation has decided to ban all visitors to Australia who have a conviction for domestic violence against women or children.

The law became official on February 28, 2019, and applies to anyone from any country who is seeking a travel visa to Australia. Also, if a person is currently visiting or working in Australia on a visa and they have a record of domestic violence, they will be kicked out of the country.

Australia’s Immigration Minster, David Coleman, said, “If you’ve been convicted of a violent crime against women or children, you are not welcome in this country.”

Coleman and other Australian politicians believe that this is a step to lower Australia’s domestic violence. “By cancelling the visas of criminals we have made Australia a safer place,” Coleman said in the public statement. “These crimes inflict long lasting trauma on the victims and their friends and family, and foreign criminals who commit them are not welcome in our country.”

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20 Photos of Entirely Wholesome Encounters with Uber/Taxi Drivers

Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft have changed the transportation game and made a car ride readily accessible to everyone. But, in return for that convenience, you get kind of a mixed bag when it comes to the driver that you get.

You might get the silent type of driver who doesn’t want to say a word, or you might get a total chatterbox who tells you their life story. Or you might just get a total character.

Here are 20 photos people shared of funny and weird things they experienced on their rides.

1. “My Uber Driver Was A Slimmer, Cooler, Mustached Version Of Myself”

Photo Credit: Reddit

2. “This Bangkok Taxi Driver Being A Real Bro”

Photo Credit: Reddit

3. “Funding Our Uber Driver’s Vacations!”

Photo Credit: Reddit

4. “My Uber Driver Had An NES Set Up In The Backseat”

Photo Credit: Reddit

5. “My Friend Is A Lyft Driver And Turned His Car Into A Voter Registration Booth”

Photo Credit: Reddit

6. “In The Back Of A Taxi. It’s A Fair Request”

Photo Credit: Reddit

7. “Our Halloween Uber Driver Asked Us To Pose For A Picture With Her That She Could Send To Scare Her Husband – Who Was Worried About Her Driving Out Late. Mission Accomplished”

Photo Credit: Reddit

8. “This Is My Uber Driver Beni, He Took Me To The Hospital And Keeping Me Company Since Most Of My Family Lives Out Of The State”

Photo Credit: Reddit

9. “My Cab Driver Tonight Was So Excited To Share With Me That He’d Made The Cover Of The Calendar. I Told Him I’d Help Let The World See”

Photo Credit: Reddit

10. “A Note Hanging From This Taxi Driver’s Steering Wheel”

Photo Credit: Reddit

11. “I Just Rode With The Highest Rated Uber Driver In NYC”

Photo Credit: Reddit

12. “Sign In A Taxi Cab”

Photo Credit: Reddit

13. “I Don’t Think The Uber Riders Will Find My Halloween Decoration As Funny As I Do”

Photo Credit: Reddit

14. “We Asked Our Cab Driver What The Best Tip He Ever Got Was. Turns Out He Had Received That Tip Earlier Tonight!”

Photo Credit: Reddit

15. “My Uber Driver Has Sticky Notes From All Of His Passengers On The Roof Of His Car”

Photo Credit: Reddit

16. “My Uber Driver Was Dressed Like Superman”

Photo Credit: Reddit

17. “Welcome To The Peach State! My Atlanta Lyft Driver Has Peaches Ready For Her Riders!”

Photo Credit: Reddit

18. “Starting My St Patrick’s Day In This Uber”

Photo Credit: Reddit

19. “My Uber Driver Picked Me Up From The Airport In 5 Minutes, Which Is Insane Considering He Drove All The Way From 2002”

Photo Credit: Reddit

20. “Getting Out Of My Lyft And The Driver Handed Me His Business Card”

Photo Credit: Reddit

Let’s hope all our upcoming rides will be this eventful!

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Meet the Man Who’s Been Living on a Cruise Ship for 13 Years, aka “The Captain”

He has taken his lunch and dinner every day at the same corner table now for thirteen years. Slim and distinguished, the passenger is lovingly known by the Seven Seas Navigator crew as “The Captain.”

Photo Credit: Forbes

Morton Jablin is 94 years old, sharp, and quite elegant-looking. So, why has he chosen to spend the last 13-years on a boat?

Jablin was born and raised in Brooklyn before he went abroad with the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence in WWII. After he returned to the States in 1946, he worked as a pharmacist, married his wife Charlotte and raised two children. He eventually started a successful lace-making business.

Throughout their marriage, Jablin and Charlotte traveled all over the world on various cruise lines. When Charlotte passed 13 years ago, Jablin decided to make his globetrotting full time and settled on the Navigator as his new home.

Living on the ship has allowed Jablin to keep a simple routine – one that ensures he knows where everything is, which is particularly important because he is steadily losing his eyesight and is now 90% blind. Other than the occasional doctor appointment, he no longer participates in shore excursions. “Charlotte and I had already been everywhere.”

His corner table in the Compass Rose Dining Room is permanently reserved for his daily lunches and dinners and is set for him exactly the same way for every meal.

Photo Credit: Regent Cruises

His suite has been customized to meet his needs, and he exercises daily by walking on a deck that is usually empty. Casinos aren’t his thing, but he enjoys the onboard musical performances.

Family visits him when the ship docks in Miami, and he can always call them on his cell phone. Although other passengers will sometimes start conversation, Jablin really considers the crew as his friends and family.

Jablin summed up his life at sea this way. “I couldn’t achieve this lifestyle anywhere else. If I need a nurse or doctor, someone is in my cabin within five minutes. No matter what the time of day, if I need something, someone is here in 10-15 minutes. If I weren’t on this ship, I would have to have someone living with me.”

“Where else could I feel this secure and safe? Life on board couldn’t be better,” he said.

He kind of has a point, don’t you think?

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This Woman Silenced Her Bullies in the Best Possible Way

The world can be so cruel to anyone who seems a little different, and the internet has only made it easier for hateful cowards to hide behind their keyboards as they spew their vitriol everywhere.

That’s what was happening when a young Sikh girl named Balpreet found a snapshot of herself online along with some negative comments about her appearance – particularly her facial hair.

However, her response, thoughtful and affecting, is what ended up garnering attention. Her self-confidence, self-awareness, and grace in the face of ruthless bullying is a thing of beauty. It is something we could all aspire to reach.

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You go, girl. You go.

Source

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America’s Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge is Set to Open Soon

Still planning on where to take your summer vacation? You might want to consider heading to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where the longest suspension bridge in the United States is set to open soon.

The Gatlinburg SkyBridge is located in that town’s SkyLift Park, and, from photos and videos of it, it looks like it’ll be incredible.

The bridge offers amazing views of the Smoky Mountains, is 680 feet across and 140 feet high.

The SkyLift takes tourists from the center of Gatlinburg to the top of Crockett Mountain and back, where they can enjoy a restaurant, a bar, and a gift shop.

It looks amazing! Unless you’re afraid of heights…

Posted by Gatlinburg SkyLift Park on Thursday, January 10, 2019

Judging by social media posts, it looks like the SkyBridge will open in either April or May. Just in time for tourist season!

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20 Gorgeous-Yet-Affordable Hostels Around the World

Whether you’re an avid world-wanderer or just someone who likes to get away for the occasional weekend, it’s ALWAYS in your best interests to plan out your trip. A few minutes of research can save you so much money and aggravation with flights, accommodations, and everything else.

Hostels can be a bit of a crapshoot, as any seasoned traveler knows. That’s why this list of 20 hostels all over the world that look pretty swanky but won’t totally empty your bank account is CRUCIAL.

Take a look at these hostels and see if maybe you can squeeze them into your next travel itinerary.

1. 99 Surf Lodge, Tola, Nicaragua

2. Central Backpackers Hostel, Catba, Vietnam

3. Lucky Lake Hostel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

4. Hostel Celica, Ljubljana, Slovenia

5. The Farm Hostel, Bali, Indonesia

6. Away With the Fairies Hostel, Hogsback, South Africa

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Who says backpackers don't take baths?

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7. Rodamón, Marrakech, Morocco

8. Zostel Ooty, Ooty, India

9. Bambuda Lodge, Bocas del Toro, Panama

10. Jumbo Stay, Stockholm, Sweden

11. Fauzi Azar Inn, Nazareth, Israel

12. St Briavels Castle, Gloucestershire, UK

13. Sydney Harbour YHA, Sydney, Australia

14. Caveland, Santorini, Greece

15. Red Boat Hostel, Stockholm, Sweden

16. The Circle, Da Lat, Vietnam

17. Sunset Destination Hostel, Lisbon, Portugal

18. Héraðsskólinn Hostel, Laugarvatn, Iceland

19. Cascada Verde, Uvita, Costa Rica

20. ArkaBarka, Belgrade, Serbia

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#Belgrade#serbia #Danube

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Now, who’s got the travel bug?!?!?!

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Check Out the 10 Most Expensive Cities in the World

Is the cost of living absolutely insane in your city? I live near NYC, and yeah, it’s pretty brutal.

That said, I was actually pretty surprised by some of the entries on this list of the world’s most expensive cities. San Francisco didn’t even make the cut, which seems kind of insane given the horror stories I’ve heard about rent in SF.

As recently reported, there is actually a three-way tie for the most expensive city in the world right now between Hong Kong, Singapore, and Paris.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This analysis of the world’s most expensive cities was done by the Economist Intelligence Unit and this is the first time in the Unit’s Worldwide Cost of Living report that three cities tied for first place.

The group took over 400 items into consideration to compile the list, including the cost of food, school, recreation, clothing, household fees, etc.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Singapore has been named the world’s most expensive city for five years in a row but this year it has company with Hong Kong and Paris. A strong U.S. dollar means more expensive American cities. New York moved up six spots and Los Angeles jumped four spots on this year’s list.

Take a look at the top 10 below.

1. (3-way tie) Hong Kong, Singapore, and Paris, France

Photo Credit: Public Domain

4. Zurich, Switzerland

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

5. (2-way tie) Geneva, Switzerland and Osaka Japan

Photo Credit: Good Free Photos

7. (3-way tie) Seoul, South Korea, Copenhagen, Denmark, and New York City

Photo Credit: Pixabay

10. (2-way tie) Tel Aviv, Israel and Los Angeles, California

You can download and study a full copy of the report HERE.

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If Driving and Shooting Real Tanks is Your Idea of a Great Vacation, We Got You

If you’ve always been itching to drive, shoot, and handle real war tanks, a south Texas ranch might just be the ideal destination for your next vacation.

Around 100 miles west of San Antonio, a post on an 18,000 acre ranch allows holiday-makers to handle tanks through courses or over old vehicles. Other activities at DriveTanks, include shooting mortars and firing machine guns.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Former active duty Green Beret and Houston police officer Todd Digidio conceived the idea of providing tanks and guns for the unique experience of operating them as they were originally designed.

His collection includes American, Russian and German tanks, anti-tank guns, mortars and machine guns from every period and country.

Photo Credit: Instagram

After a little training, participants are set to satisfy all their adrenaline-junkie desires – perhaps a drive and shoot on the 1944 Sherman tank, the same model featured in the Brad Pitt film Fury. The one at DriveTanks is the only fully operational Sherman E8 left in the world.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Fun this powerful comes with a price tag. Set-up and shoot one of the big guns, like a U.S. 105 mm Howitzer from WWII, for a few hundred dollars. Fire some rounds on the machine gun of your choice for about the same. Or go whole hog with a tank and track package that will set you back about $3000. All-inclusive lodging is available on site too.

Guests have said having access to all this incredible firepower is better than any roller coaster. So, if you’re burned out on crowded amusement parks and boring beaches, get in touch with these guys about a day crushing cars on a Chieftan MK6 tank. All ages welcome.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Because the best RNR is smoke in the air and dirt in your hair.

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