May

Five Minutes from Antarctica: Amazing Places on Earth

by Joyce McGreevy on May 13, 2019

The International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand is the only specialized Antarctic attraction in the world. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Christchurch is home to the only specialized Antarctic attraction in the world.
© Joyce McGreevy

A Cool New Zealand Experience

Arriving at Christchurch Airport, I overhear a family discussing one of the most amazing places on Earth.

“We should stop by Antarctica.”

“Do we have time? It’s almost 3:30. Mum’s expecting us.”

“No worries. It’s only five minutes from here. A waddle, really.”

“Kids, do you want to go to Antarctica? We’re just popping in for a bit.”

It’s the most matter-of-fact call to adventure I’ve ever heard.

Intrigued, I roll my suitcase past waiting taxis, hang a left, and tag along on the the World’s Most Casual Expedition.

Funny, it doesn’t look Antarctic! Christchurch is the logistics center for the
Antarctic research expeditions of NZ, the U.S., Korea, and Italy.
© Joyce McGreevy

What’s It Like to Travel Antarctic Terrain?

Minutes later, we’re staring at what look like giant tractors. Hägglunds are all-terrain amphibious Antarctic vehicles designed to clamber over the roughest, iciest terrain. A driver calls, “Last run of the day, lovies!”

A Hägglund outside the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand shows visitors what it’s like to navigate the coolest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Not your average parking lot. Across the street are the headquarters
of the U.S. Antarctic Program.
© Joyce McGreevy

As our suitcases rest comfortably in a locker, we discover how it feels for scientists to travel in Antarctica.

Bones shake, brains rattle, and stomachs flip. We picture the real thing: going up and down steep icy slopes. Through treacherous water. Across flat land that may hide a deadly crevasse.

Somewhat wobblier for the experience, I approach the main building. A sign says “Gateway to Antarctica.”

Extreme cold weather clothing on display at the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand shows visitors how to dress for the coolest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What the cool crowd’s wearing in Antarctica this season.
© Joyce McGreevy

Why Is the Antarctic Center in Christchurch?

One of five official “gateway” cities, Christchurch has designed the International Antarctic Center to let the public experience what life is like in the coolest place on Earth.

A replica of an ice cave at the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand shows visitors what it’s like to explore the coolest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A replica ice cave is eerily convincing.
© Joyce McGreevy

Instead of just looking at exhibits, you explore them. These range from a full-scale ice cave to an explorer’s hut and its surroundings, complete with changing weather and visibility.

It’s so immersive that afterward, says a guide, some folks feel “exhilarated and a bit bedraggled.” That’s probably in keeping with the effects of an actual Antarctic sojourn.

A replica of Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova hut at the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand shows visitors what it was like to live in the coolest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Step into the hut from Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition (1910-1913).
© Joyce McGreevy

By honoring New Zealand’s cultural heritage of Antarctic science and stewardship, the Center has attracted many prominent visitors, from prime ministers to presidents. But none have been more warmly welcomed, says our guide, than “Ed.”

Who Was “Ed”?

Our guide says: A shy Auckland city boy and beekeeper who secretly dreamed of adventure.

Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand shows what inspired Edmund Hillary to climb Mt Everest and explore the coolest place on earth, Antarctica. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

A secondary-school ski trip to New Zealand’s Mt Ruapehu inspired “Ed” to seek adventure.
© Joyce McGreevy

As “Ed” later wrote in his autobiography, “I returned home in a glow of fiery enthusiasm for the sun and the cold and the snow—especially the snow!”

Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary embodied the spirit of exploration to some of the most amazing places on Earth. (Public domain)

In 1953, Tenzing Norgay and “Ed”—a.k.a. Edmund Hillary—reached the summit of Mt Everest, the world’s highest mountain.
© Joyce McGreevy

Five years later Ed Hillary led the New Zealand contingent of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic expedition. His team became the first to reach the South Pole overland since Robert Scott’s tragic journey of 1911–1912.

Hillary’s enthusiasm for snow had, in the understated words of our guide, “turned out rather interesting.”

So folks must have been “rather pleased” when Hillary stopped by the Center, especially when he praised the realism of the world’s first indoor Antarctic Storm.

How Do You Create the Perfect Storm?

Designed to simulate a blizzard on the South Pole, this snow and ice experience takes place in a special room complete with icy surfaces, wind chill machine, stunning lighting effects, subzero temperature drop, and authentic Antarctic blizzard audio.

The Storm Room at the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand shows visitors what it’s like to experience the coolest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

“Hurry!” the guide says. “You don’t want to miss the blizzard!”
© Joyce McGreevy

As visitors don parkas and boots, eagerly awaiting their chance to be blasted into human ice cubes, I question my own eagerness. After all, I’ve lived in Chicago.

The Storm Room at the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand shows visitors what a blizzard is like in the windiest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Even the Windy City can’t top Antarctica’s record as windiest place on the planet.
Winds exceeding 198 mph have been recorded.
© Joyce McGreevy

Why Does This Continent Captivate Us?

Author Jon Krakauer says Antarctica has “mythic weight. It resides in the collective unconscious of so many people, and it makes this huge impact, just like outer space.” But I think that’s only part of it, because Antarctica—our most vulnerable continent–also registers the huge impact we humans make.

Uniquely lacking in permanent residents, this continent models the cross-cultural heritage of protecting our global home.
Isolated from other continents, it connects to every continent through its oceanic and atmospheric effects.
Farther than most of us will ever travel, this continent connects the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the daily choices we make.

Oh, I see: Antarctica is even closer than I realized.

A replica of the C-130 Hercules interior at the International Antarctic Centre, in Christchurch New Zealand lets visitors imagine what it’s like to make to the long flight to the coolest place on Earth. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Think Economy’s rough? The C-130 Hercules is equipped with skis for landing on ice.
© Joyce McGreevy

Discover one of the most amazing places on Earth in a new podcast series, “Antarctica Unfrozen,” here.

Explore New Zealand’s heritage of Antarctic science, here.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Adventure Travel/Cultural Heritage & Traditions/New Zealand

Apr

Flights of Fancy

by Joyce McGreevy on April 1, 2019

In the early days of aviation, airlines had to transport passengers one at a time by hand.

Travel Innovations Soar Every April

Every year on this day, the travel industry announces innovations that push the boundaries of creative problem solving and take air travel to new heights. Here are airline upgrades that made aviation news in Aprils past.

A figure with suitcase at an airport evokes the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]

Today more people than ever are able to experience being stuck at airports.

Travel Technology Takes Flight

In April 2017, Emirates Airline delivered a game changer: plans for the world’s largest commercial aircraft. The April 1 ad campaign went viral as Emirates debuted the Triple Decker APR001, the first jet in history to feature an onboard swimming pool, park, and gym. See video!

Not to be outdone, Virgin Airlines rolls out news-generating inventions with such consistency that by March 31 at 11:59pm aviation buffs are poised for updates.

So it was on April 1, 2013 when Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson announced “the technology required to produce the world’s first glass-bottomed plane.” This technological innovation, which coincided with the expansion of Virgin Atlantic Airways domestic service within Great Britain promised “an unrivalled view of Scotland.”

A crowded commercial airline interior evokes the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]

Starting today, many airlines will offer games like “Musical Chairs” and “Twister.”

Clear Leadership

While public reaction was tempered, skeptics reflected a more fractured view: Would Virgin Airlines’ upgrades shutter the competition? Could engineers hold up their end of Branson’s glass bottom? Or in shattering the glass ceiling of aviation technology, had their creativity hit a breaking point?

Oh, I see: While some cheered the First Glass Service, others saw a glass plane half empty.

Branson responded with transparency, revealing April after April that he would always take great panes to floor his passengers. Subsequent upgrades included:

In-flight Spin Classes, offering passengers frequent flyer points for every kilometer cycled. “The harder you spin, the more you’ll grin,” commented a spokesperson known to be a big wheel.
The Dreambird 1417: Its high-tech flexible wings created a flapping motion that moved the plane forward and generated electrical power for the cabin.

A food truck and commercial airplane on a runway remind the author of the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]

As of April 1, McGreevy’s Law will require airline meals to contain up to 10% actual food.

Dogging the Competition

On April 1, 2017, Branson unleashed his most popular airline upgrade yet, the Canine Crew: Video

Few airlines had the pedigree to compete. But one Canadian carrier proved it’s never too late to learn new tricks. Determined to get a leg up, WestJet uncaged its Furry Family policy: Video.

People playing with water by an airplane remind the author of aviation traditions and innovation. [Image public domain]

Now economy passengers can enjoy free post-flight spa treatments.

Taking Care of Business

Other airlines refused to roll over and play dead.

Southwest Airlines made a splash with “Cash Lav,” an onboard game show that turned a visit to the smallest room into a chance to win big bucks. The series, which aired 01/04/16, yanked chains nationwide. But when critics pooh-poohed it, airline execs sent it down the drain.

Video: Pilot Episode of Southwest Airlines “Cash Lav” is Flush with Humor

By contrast, Swoop Airlines of Canada had passengers down in the dumps when it announced an April 1 price hike on in-flight facilities. Tags like #ThisStinks! and #SoCrappy! spread online as many cried foul. Get the full scoop here.

An unsmiling traveler on an airport escalator evokes the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]

Passengers are obviously very excited by commercial airlines’ April 1 upgrades.

Snacks on a Plane!

Canada’s WestJet solved air travel’s scariest problem: in-flight beverage carts that block the aisle. For too long passengers had returned from the loo only to get stuck in a slow-moving conga line. WestJet’s creative thinkers installed rails that let robotic snack canteens glide overhead, air-dropping snacks and beverages onto tray tables. Or laps.

Video: Robotic Automated Light Food Handler (#RALFH) Tosses Cookies

man walking a cow reminds the author of airlines’ creative problem solving and policies regarding animals. [Image public domain]

Animal airline passengers can now bring along their Emotional Support Humans.

Room at the Top

As competition for creative problem-solving went full-throttle midair, other sectors of the travel industry elbowed their way onboard. With no armrest for latecomers, success belonged to those who kept their feet on the ground, their head in the clouds, and their tray tables under the seats in front of them.

Some companies formed alliances. But the merger of aviation and five-star accommodation had already reached its zenith on April 1, 2009 with the debut of The Hotelicopter. In a shocking twist, the world’s first flying hotel never took off. Soaring demand kept the luxury rooms out of reach of even the highest flyers.

Video: Hotelicopter Generates Spin, Raises Reservations

An astonished looking construction worker reminds the author of the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]

Airlines will offer discounts to passengers who help build the planes.

Trending Travel Take-Offs

As home-centric businesses get in on the act, flights of fancy innovation will transform all aspects of travel, even staycations.

Airbnb announced a spin-off brand one recent April 1. Recognizing that “every hero needs a hideaway,” the home-share business launched “Lairbnb,” complete with unique transportation to the airport. See the ad.

Not to be caught napping, Lucid Mattress delivered a wakeup call with the April 1 roll-out of ShareBED. View here.

The Future of Travel Is Ahead

Experts confirm that the travel innovations of April 1, 2020 will differ from those of the present day. But while no one can predict the present, today’s headlines could herald incredible examples of creative problem-solving.

So ignore any naysayers who insist, “It’s all fake news on the first of April.” (Fools!)

A moving sidewalk at an airport reminds the author of the need for aviation innovations and creative problem solving. [Image public domain]

Linking motorized walkways from LAX to JFK will reduce overcrowding in planes.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy Comments

Innovations/Rides (Land, Sea, Air)/Worldwide Sites

Mar

On the Road Again: The Art of Travel

by Meredith Mullins on March 25, 2019

Center of the Nation sign, a roadside sign that invites the art of travel. (Image © DMT.)

In search of America
© DMT

Discovering America: Roadside Signs and Attractions

What keeps you going isn’t some fine destination but just the road you’re on, and the fact that you know how to drive.
—Barbara Kingsolver

There are hundreds of quotes about the art of travel (and the art of living), especially words that suggest that the journey matters as much as the destination . . . often more.

This philosophy is right on target when exploring one of the cornerstones of American life—the road trip.

Four million miles of highways can tell a good story—the roadside signs and attractions offer a realistic glimpse into the fabric of America.

South Dakota state road sign, showing the power of road signs for the art of travel. (Image © DMT.)

Welcome to South Dakota.
© DMT

From the Burma Shave ads of the 50s and 60s that stretched their storyline into six sequential signs to the roadside signs and attractions of today, we are given a window to the character of the people and places along the highway.

All we have to do is look.

Oh I see. What a great way to discover America.

Horse sign, an unusual roadside sign encouraging the art of travel. (Image © DMT.)

Americana at its best
© DMT

In the Beginning . . .

WE’RE WIDELY READ
AND OFTEN QUOTED
BUT IT’S SHAVES
NOT SIGNS
FOR WHICH WE’RE NOTED
Burma-Shave

When you ask what roadside signs are lodged in memory, most people who were in a car in the 50s and 60s will smile as they recall the Burma Shave signs.

The company was known for its innovative roadside advertising. Each of the six signs posted at intervals along the road had one line of verse. The grand finale was BURMA-SHAVE—the brushless shaving cream of the time.

The poems were often quoted; and travelers, it was said, could never read just one of the signs. The fun was putting the poem all together.

WE DON’T
KNOW HOW
TO SPLIT AN ATOM
BUT AS TO WHISKERS
LET US AT ‘EM
Burma-Shave

THE CROWD
YOU SEE
AROUND THAT STORE
ARE BURMA SHAVERS
BUYING MORE
Burma-Shave

DON’T LOSE
YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
Burma-Shave

The signs worked well for the company, growing its brand significantly and, in many instances, increasing attention on highway safety. Sadly, the last of these signs disappeared from the roadside in 1966.

Hell Is Real! roadside sign encouraging the art of travel. (Image © iStock/tacojim.)

We All Need a Little Humor in Our Lives

Several creative characters on today’s highways have continued the inventive roadside spirit of keeping drivers amused, informed, and awake.

Vince Rozmiarek of the Indian Hills Community Center in Colorado posts a few pearls of wisdom each week on the community center’s sign.

DOGS
CAN’T OPERATE
MRI SCANNERS
BUT CATSCAN

PUNS ABOUT
COMMUNISM AREN’T
FUNNY UNLESS
EVERYONE
GETS THEM

TURNING VEGAN
WOULD BE A
BIG
MISSED STEAK

MY MOOD RING
IS MISSING
AND I DON’T
KNOW HOW I FEEL
ABOUT THAT

PROCRASTINATORS
ANONYMOUS
MEETING
POSTPONED
INDEFINITELY

Indian Hills Community Center roadside sign, encouraging the art of travel. (Image courtesy of Indian Hills Community Center.)

Indian Hills Community Center’s Creative Genius
Photo Courtesy of Indian Hills Community Center

The El Arroyo Restaurant in Austin, Texas shows the same genius in their changing billboard.

Six out of seven dwarves aren’t Happy.
Anything I say before coffee cannot be used against me.
Dear Math. Grow up and solve your own problems.
Treat your mom to a margarita. You’re probably the reason she drinks.

And, one in an attempt at highway safety:

If you’re reading this sign, you’re not watching the road.

Guided by Roadside Signs

Roadside signs provide more than just a smile for highway travelers. They also tempt those on the road to the food and sights of the region.

Who could resist love, peace, and chicken grease?

Love, Peace, andChicken Grease roadside sign, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © Lauren Gezurian-Amlani.)

Or pork with an attitude?

Pork with an attitude roadside sign in Memphis, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © Lauren Gezurian-Amlani.)

Or 24-hour coffee?

24-hour coffee roadsign, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © iStock/anna42f.)

Or Bar and BBQ at the Redneck Riviera?

Redneck Riviera roadside sign, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © Lauren Gezurian-Amlani.)

Along with the temptation of local culinary treasures comes the need to break up long drives with roadside attractions—from the historic to the bizarre.

Every state has “roadside attraction pride,” from the world’s largest this and that to art installations to historic monuments to seductive entertainment conglomerates.

A roadside sign with a burger and apple pie, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © DMT.)

We can travel to Montgomery, Alabama, for the world’s largest brick; to North Pole, Alaska, for the world’s largest Santa Claus; to Cawker City, Kansas, for the world’s largest ball of twine; to Scarborough, Maine, for the world’s largest chocolate moose; and to Cottonwood, Idaho, for the world’s largest beagle, which also happens to be the Dog Bark Park Inn, a dog-friendly hotel.

The Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood, Idaho, a roadside sign and roadside attraction, encouraging the art of travel. (Image courtesy of Dog Bark Park Inn.)

The Dog Bark Park Inn in Idaho
Photo courtesy of Dog Bark Park Inn

In addition to the plethora of “world’s largest” things, we can also find the artistic and bizarre.

Don’t miss Salvation Mountain in Niland, California; Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas; the Ventriloquist Museum in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky; the Jello-O Museum in Le Roy, New York; an alien-themed brothel in Amargosa Valley, Nevada; Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obisbo, California; or the world’s largest collection of the world’s smallest versions of the world’s largest things in Lucas, Kansas.

Salvation Mountain, California, one of the roadside signs and roadside attractions that encourage the art of travel. (Image © iStock/Steven Kriemadis.)

We might be surprised with the number of Stonehenge replicas across our great nation, including Foamhenge in Natural Bridge, Virginia; Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska; and Bamahenge in, you guessed it, Alabama (Elberta).

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota, one of the road signs and roadside attractions that encourages the art of travel. (Image © DMT.)

Some of America’s roadside attraction legends are still going strong.

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota features a series of innovative scrap metal sculptures at intervals along a 32-mile stretch of highway.

The Mitchell Corn Palace in South Dakota takes pride in its more than 127-year history as the only corn palace in the U.S.—replacing the corn-mural walls every year with 13 different colors of corn.

And the single spot in the U.S. where four states meet still attracts thousands of visitors each year, all trying to strike a precarious balance between Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado (can you really be in more than one place at the same time?).

At Four Corners, a roadside sign and roadside attraction in four western states, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © Frank Mullins.)

Aside from the legends and the bizarre, there are subtle things we drive past that make us smile or give us a ping of nostalgia, as if we are perhaps seeing the last vestige of a particular America.

Lemonade stand, one of the roadside signs and roadside attractions, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © DMT.)

The roadside signs and attractions will no doubt be different the next time we travel that road. Some other country may soon boast the world’s largest ball of twine or the largest chocolate moose.

Acme Feed and skyscraper, a roadside sign of change, seen with the art of travel. (Image © Lauren Gezurian-Amlani.)

As with any good journey, change is a constant. The art of travel is to enjoy the journey.

Welcome to California road sign, encouraging the art of travel. (Image © iStock/Mirolslav1.)

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Author’s Note: I dedicate this post to my parents (and all parents who venture on family road trips with kids). My parents’ patience and bravery in orchestrating numerous road trips resulted in my having seen many of the things that I mention in this article. The Corn Palace and Four Corners are still vivid memories years and years later, and the world’s biggest ball of twine still makes cameo appearances in my dreams.

Meredith Mullins 4 Comments

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