Category Archives: Off Topic

Most Iconic Soft Drinks of Each State In America

Food, Off Topic, ,
a map of the united states of america with different bottles of soft drinks
image from Thrillist

I can’t say that I’m a big fan of soft drinks but I do enjoy a cold soda on occasion.

When flying, my drink of choice is ginger ale and/ or water. Otherwise, there isn’t really a time that I consistently drink soda.

On our recent trip to Atlanta, we visited the World of Coca-Cola. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed during the visit. I expected to learn some details about the history of Coke but left feeling like the place was one massive marketing pitch. (Check back for a future post about our visit.) Continue reading Most Iconic Soft Drinks of Each State In America →

NASA’s Cool Aerial Photo of NYC & Facts About “Heat Island Effect”

NYC, Off Topic, ,
a satellite view of a city
image from NASA

Gothamist shared a photo which NASA had posted as its image of the day, featuring a look at Manhattan.

The photo reveals some interesting details about the “heat island effect” along with the photo.

Since I’m from New York City (Brooklyn!), I was interested in finding out more about the photo.

According to NASA, The narrow island of Manhattan, located between the Hudson River and the East River, is a familiar feature to crews on the International Space Station. 
Continue reading NASA’s Cool Aerial Photo of NYC & Facts About “Heat Island Effect” →

Close Call: Plane Almost Hits Sunbather

Off Topic, Travel News, ,
a plane landing on a beach
screen capture from video

I came across a pretty crazy story while skimming through the news on Yahoo.

According to GrindTV, a sunbather on a small German island came extremely close to being hit by a small plane. The plane was landing at an air field nearby. Luckily everyone is OK (besides some damage to the fence on the beach) but there is footage to show just how lucky the beachgoer is.

This close call took place on the island of Dune in the Heligoland archipelago. The airport on the island has three short runways, the shortest being just 846 feet. Landings and takeoffs are said to be demanding and require experience.

Continue reading Close Call: Plane Almost Hits Sunbather →

Feeling Lonely? Dine With An Unusual Guest In Japan

Off Topic, Travel News, , ,
a woman sitting at a table with a stuffed animal
Image from CNN

Are you the type that’s uncomfortable dining out along? If so the Moomin House Cafe in Tokyo can help.

The cafe seats lone customers with stuffed animals called Moomins so they won’t have to sit and dine alone. (Stuffed animals are also brought to groups so they can get a turn sitting with them.) I don’t know, if you ask me, I’d guess that dining with a stuffed animal is much more awkward than dining alone!

Continue reading Feeling Lonely? Dine With An Unusual Guest In Japan →

How Much Of The U.S. Have You Seen?

Off Topic, Travel Articles,

a mountain range with trees and textI like to consider myself a well-traveled person. During our travels, we try to see lots of sites and come away with lots of great, local experiences.

However, when it comes to seeing the United States, I feel like I haven’t seen nearly enough of the country. I didn’t have a ton of interest in exploring the US up until the past few years. On some of our local trip, I’ve definitely been impressed, especially during our week spent traveling around South Dakota. Continue reading How Much Of The U.S. Have You Seen? →

Most Common Languages Spoken In U.S. After English & Spanish

Off Topic, ,

a map of the united states of america

If someone was to ask you what the most common language spoken after English in the U.S. was, I think an overwhelming majority would pick Spanish. Now let’s break it down a bit further. What would you guess the third most popular language would be?

Without looking at any articles, data or maps, my guess would be Chinese.

This isn’t a topic that I was sitting around thinking about on a rainy day. Always on the lookout for interesting things related to travel to pitch in with the blog, Kim sent me an article from Gizmodo.

The topic: The Most Common Language Spoken In The U.S. After English and Spanish

Continue reading Most Common Languages Spoken In U.S. After English & Spanish →

27 Genius New Products You Had No Idea Existed

Off Topic,

a poster of a couch and a tent

Most of you may have noticed that I love Buzzfeed’s lists, quizzes and other fun content that they post.

Back in November, Buzzfeed had a list of 27 Genius New Products You Had No Idea Existed.

(I recently reviewed a product which I feel could fit this description in some ways. Check out my post about the newest card in my wallet, Nomad’s ChargeCard.)

Continue reading 27 Genius New Products You Had No Idea Existed →

Could You & Your Partner Pass U.S. Immigration Marriage Interview?

Off Topic, ,

a flag on a poleHow well do you know your significant other? Enough to pass a U.S. Immigration marriage interview? If you’re not so sure of the answer, Buzzfeed is here to help.

When I saw the title of the post from Buzzfeed, I had to laugh. The post, Could You And Your Partner Pass A U.S. Immigration Marriage Interview lists 46 potential questions that you could might get asked (during the interview).

The article states that your foreign spouse’s green card includes an in-person interview with the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services. The purpose of the interview is to find out if you marriage is real and not one just being done for the green card.

Continue reading Could You & Your Partner Pass U.S. Immigration Marriage Interview? →