Byteful Travel Blog Carnival 4 – 2010 Dec 14


As the snow flitters down, so did the blog carnival entries flitter into my inbox.

Welcome to another shiny Byteful Travel Blog Carnival (BTBC, for short) where we discover fresh perspectives from every corner of the globe. (Even the corners that actually have warm weather, not that I’m jealous or anything.)

For this month, I encouraged fellow writers to submit holiday-related articles, and I’m happy to say that a few did just that. The lovely ladies over at The Vacation Gals were prolific, as usual, and I’m glad to say they put together three great travel articles related to this month’s holidays. One is a great piece about the best snowy vacation destinations, and the other two focus on all of the fun things to do in New York City this time of year. Also going with the theme, Jack over at Eyeflare published an article with some great tips on how to survive travel during this holiday season. And all of these should certainly come in handy in the coming few weeks.

Yet this carnival certainly doesn’t stop there. From Enchanted Rock to the World’s Largest Spanish Restaurant, this blog carnival covers the gamut. I was especially delighted that Madeleine Kane submitted some short travel poems that were pretty flippin’ hilarious. (Find out how you too can submit to this carnival farther down.)

If one of your articles is in this month’s edition, please be sure to retweet and stumble this article to get more attention to your own blog! It multiplies the reaching-power of this blog carnival very much which in turn helps more people discover your article.

Now let’s dive into the blizzard of words…

Travel Destinations

Jennifer Miner presents:
Best Winter Ski and Snow Vacation Destinations posted at The Vacation Gals, saying,

“Travel experts weigh in with their recommendations for best winter vacations in chilly destinations. Ski trip, anyone?”

Jennifer Miner presents:
Fun Things to Do NYC Christmas posted at The Vacation Gals, saying,

“New York City is a great place to spend a Christmas holiday vacation. Here are some fun, family-friendly events for a winter vacation in NYC.”

Jennifer Miner presents:
New Year’s Eve Events in New York City posted at The Vacation Gals, saying,

“Spending your winter holiday in New York City is wonderful. There are several annual New Year’s Eve events to explore before watching the ball drop in Times Square.”

Monique Rubin presents:
The Netherlands City Spotlight – Delft posted at Examiner, saying,

“Delft, with its picturesque canals and gable-roofed houses, is still as pretty as Vermeer’s picture “View of Delft”.”

Traci Suppa presents:
World’s Largest Spanish Restaurant posted at Go BIG or Go Home, saying,

“As we found out on a recent “date night,” the world’s largest Spanish restaurant is not actually in Spain. The 105-year old Columbia Restaurant is the jewel of Ybor City, the Cuban enclave in Tampa, FL.”

David Riggs presents:
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area posted at David Riggs, saying,

“After a wonderful Thanksgiving, it was time for a trip to one of my favorite Texas State Parks, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. I have visited Enchanted Rock many times since high school and the massive granite dome keeps me coming back.”

Travel Photography

Zhu presents:
Sights of Paris (Part I) posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying,

“I think that Paris is resting on its laurels. Because “it’s Paris”, because there are so many sights and because the city was once beautiful and famous, people visit it anyway. Yet locals don’t try to make it welcoming and everything is overpriced. Only in Paris one star hotels at the 7th floor of an old building with toilets outside the room cost €50.00 per night. Only in Paris a sandwich is €10 and a bottle of water as much as €4. And people suck it up — because it’s Paris.”

Travel Poetry

Madeleine Begun Kane presents:
Airing My Airline Gripes posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents:
Pat-Down Put-Down posted at Mad Kane’s Political Madness.

Travel Stories

One Family presents:
One Family’s Blog: Hiking in Oahu – A Trip Report posted at One Family’s Blog.

Nine presents:
Malden, Massachusetts posted at Abyssinia, Henry.

Tim Freeman presents:
Weekend in Rome posted at Madrileño Americano, saying,

“This post chronicles my visit to Rome for a 3 day weekend this fall.”

Travel Tips

Patti Lecron presents:
Step Lightly and Carry and Second Pair posted at A French Education, saying,

“Don’t take traveling light too far!”

Jack Norell presents:
10 holiday travel tips posted at Eyeflare, saying,

“Going away over the holidays? Make sure you pick up some tips from Eyeflare.com to make the journey easier. 10 top tips to smoothe your holiday season travels.”

Want to grow your blog’s audience?

You too can be a part of the Byteful Travel blog carnival! If you’re a writer, and you’ve written something that relates to travel in some way, I’d highly encourage you to submit a piece you’re proud of.

Why? Because blog carnivals are a fantastic way to get the word out about what you’re publishing on the web. I know this from firsthand experience because blog carnivals have been incredibly helpful in spreading the word about this site.

To request an article you wrote to be considered for inclusion next time, please submit your blog post (no more than 3 articles, please) to the next edition of the Byteful Travel carnival using the Byteful Travel carnival submission form. Your post must provide real value, and no spam-like articles will be accepted. I also require that anything that isn’t poetry be at least 300 words long. Past posts and future hosts can be found in the blog carnival index. And if you’d like to host the carnival itself, as I have done here, please contact me via the contact page.

The next carnival is in late February, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your travel articles then. Once again, a big thanks to everyone who submitted!

May your holidays be joyful and your rice pudding be plentiful.



Carnival of Cities for 2010 November 17


Frabjous Day!
Callooh Callay!

Today I once again have the honor of hosting the Carnival of Cities, a most exceptional traveling carnival which just so happens to be all about travel.

Yet this carnival is no ordinary carnival. Don’t worry. There aren’t any rides that could make you puke, and there certainly aren’t any scary clowns. And if you’ve been paying attention the past few weeks, you probably already know what a blog carnival is, but in the chance that you don’t, all you need to know is that you’re about to be exposed to some great travel writing from all around the globe.

A Trip around the World

As I said last time, the Carnival of Cities has been one of my favorite carnivals for a while now because it consistently includes some of the best travel-related articles on the web. This carnival is dedicated to highlighting any aspect of any specific city, and people often say that reading through it feels like a trip around the world.

Today’s carnival takes us all around the Americas and Western Europe, as well as giving us a small taste of what it’s like to go off-road in Uganda.

Are you ready for a trip around the world?

Africa

Kampala, Uganda – Mark Jordahl presents:
5 Things I Love About Kampala… but probably shouldn’t posted at Wild Thoughts from Uganda.

Americas

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – Beth Blair presents:
Family Activities in Winnipeg, Manitoba posted at The Vacation Gals.

Malden, MA, USA – Nine presents:
Malden, Massachusetts posted at Abyssinia, Henry.

Oriental, NC, USA – Darcy presents:
“ONC” posted at Of Winds and Water, saying,

“Oriental, NC is starting to feel like home even though we’ve only visited twice. The people and businesses are just that nice!”

Las Vegas, NV, USA – Mary Jo Manzanares presents:
Hotel Review: ARIA Hotel at City Center, Las Vegas posted at Traveling with MJ, saying,

“It’s big, it’s beautiful, and it’s green. To know the details read the review of the Aria in Las Vegas.”

Oklahoma City, OK, USA – Sheila A. Scarborough presents:
A dream in progress: American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City posted at Perceptive Travel Blog, saying,

“Amazing new facility under construction in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the intersection of Interstates 35 and 40.”

Sarasota, FL, USA – Gerard Walen presents:
Best beer bars in Sarasota, Florida | Road Trips for Beer posted at Road Trips for Beer, saying,

“The craft beer scene is exploding in Sarasota, Florida, a city that many consider a magnet for wealthy retirees and beach lovers.”

Dearborn, MI, USA – Dominique King presents:
See the bus Rosa Parks rode into history at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan posted at Midwest Guest, saying,

“Rosa Parks moved to Detroit in 1957, so it only seems fitting that the Montgomery, Alabama, bus she rode into history followed her to Michigan.”

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – Zhu presents:
Inside CBC Ottawa posted at Correr Es Mi Destino, saying,

“Of all the free activities scheduled in Ottawa, I chose to visit CBC Ottawa, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s local TV station. I worked on Sparks Street for a year, one block from the CBC Ottawa Broadcast Centre. I saw the flurry of journalists and TV crews every day, and I have always wanted to see what the headquarters looked like inside.”

Europe

Maastricht, Netherlands – Keith Kellett presents:
Exploring Maastricht « Travelrat’s Travels posted at Travelrat’s Travels.

Clermont-Ferrand, France – Patti Lecron presents:
The Vandal had The French Touch by P. B. Lecron posted at A French Education, saying,

“A rascally prank in a sister city, Clermont-Ferrand, France.”

Belfast, Northern Ireland – Kerry Dexter presents:
An Evening in Belfast posted at Perceptive Travel Blog, saying,

“A moving concert on The Falls Road with songwriter Cathie Ryan.”

Penzance, Cornwall, UK – Jack Norell presents:
Montol Midwinter Festival, Penzance, England posted at Eyeflare – Travel Articles and Tips, saying,

“The Montol Midwinter Festival is a riotous affair taking place in Penzance during the week before Christmas. With parades, bonfires, masks, and the Lord of Misrule, who could resist?! Great video to show the festivities as well.”

Participate!

You too can be a part of the sheer splendubiousness that is the Carnival of Cities. And honestly, you’d be silly not to consider it. For any writer, blog carnivals are an intelligent way to get the word out about what you’re publishing on the web. I know this because blog carnivals have been incredibly helpful in spreading the word about this site.

To request an article to be considered for inclusion next time, please submit your blog post (just one, please one that provides real value and is not spam) to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using the Carnival of Cities submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found in the Carnival of Cities carnival index.

And if you’d like to host the carnival itself, as I have done here, please contact the carnival’s maintainer at the following email address: Sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com. (But please be patient. I’m sure she gets plenty of email.)

I hope you enjoyed today’s carnival!

And until next time, beware of the Jubjub bird!
(Seriously, those things are lethal…)