Become a Street View Trekker

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Google recently kicked off a pilot program to partner with tourism organizations and non-profits to allow third parties to use Street View Trekker camera gear to contribute imagery to Google Maps. Their first partner, the Hawaiian Visitors and Convention Bureau has already begun photographing popular walking and hiking routes on the Hawaiian islands. In the very near future, we’ll be able to view 360° interactive images from Mauna Loa, Volcano National Park, Onomea Bay and much more.

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Google is open to requests from local tourist boards, non-profits, universities, local governments agencies and research organizations to borrow the 42 lb. Street View Trekker equipment. If you’re interested here’s a link.

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Maps Too

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The other day we shared a group of wonderful, whimsical original travel posters created by Toronto-based artist JazzberryBlue . Who knew that there was also a fantastic series of equally colorful and amazing abstract maps of the world’s great cities. Check them out and of course visit the artist’s website to see more maps and support the art.

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Visit Twin Peaks

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It’s so rare these days to see original travel poster art. So, I am really digging these wonderful original works by the Toronto-based artist who goes by the name Jazzberry Blue. Visit the self-taught artist’s website for more colorful travel art and maybe buy one or two of the terrific giclée prints while you’re there.

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Nightvision

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If you are an Europhile like me, then you will love Luke Shepard’s stunning time-lapse film “Nightvision”. Based on a 21 country, 36 city, 3 month whirlwind photo shoot through Europe, the beautiful Kickstarter-funded film is comprised of thousands of carefully chosen photographs artfully strung together. Opening at the iconic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and closing at Krystallen in Copenhagen, “Nightvision” is a travel treat. By the by, the music is “Outro” by M83.

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Apple Tours

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If you are a genuine Apple fanatic, Cheaptickets.com’s self-directed Pilgrimage tour will allow you to follow in the footsteps of the late Steve Jobs. The full-on Apple Tour offers a scenic and historic route around California starting in San Francisco and coming full circle to end at the city’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Along the way Apple pilgrims can visit the birthplaces of both Steves (Wozniak & Jobs), see the first Apple plant, the first Apple store and Apple HQ. I love my iPhone and iPad, but this may be a bit much.

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Old School Cool

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If you’re old enough, you probably remember the endlessly entertaining View Master. Well, now the lead photographer from the old View Master company has created a way cool, old school way to save and share your travel memories. Image3D allows you to create your very own View Master image reels from your uploaded images. The sets, including the viewer, start at $30 and include online image and text editing. How fun is that?

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What Kind of Book Lover Are You

This brilliant infographic by Laura E. Kelly is an homage to the iconic Linnaean classification charts that most of us studied in science classes. But instead of plants and animals, Kelly describes and classifies “reader species”. If you’re a book lover, then you’re bound to find yourself somewhere on the infographic.

Kelly has also written a fascinating story about her process in the development of the graphic that’s well worth a read here.

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Please Sir, I Want Some More

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I’ve seen book-inspired t-shirts, book posters, even book-inspired street art, but never ice cream flavors inspired by literary works—now that’s literally cool.

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Just when I manage to kick the Ben & Jerry’s habit, the folks at Quirk Books have created this tongue-in-cheek series of ice creams inspired by famous titles and book quotes. All that I can say is “Please sir, I want some more”.

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Strange Bedfellows

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Steimatzky is Israel’s leading bookseller with at least 160 bookstores and outlets around the country. Founded in 1925, the chain is anything but stuffy. They’ve been known in recent years for a series of clever and entertaining advertising campaigns. Their latest asks the question : What would it be like to go to bed with a favorite literary character?

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Amazon Can’t Replace This

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In my ongoing obsession to visit or document every quirky secondhand bookshop, I offer you La Caverne aux Livres in the suburban Paris town of Auvers-sur-Oise. Located next to the town’s railway station, this terrific little bookstore occupies a repurposed 19th century train repair building and two decommissioned 19th century postal rail carriages. The shop has an eclectic collection of used titles. And as you would expect in a town with such strong Van Gogh connections—he’s even buried here—there are a wide variety of art books to choose from.

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Posted in Art, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments