TypePad Featured Blogs

Intelligent Travel

From the world-famous National Geographic Society - and sharing that organization’s goal to inspire people to care about the planet - comes Intelligent Travel, the blog about “authentic and sustainable travel”. Spotlighting places, people, and practices “on the front lines of sustainable travel” the site highlights special places and their essential uniqueness for future generations. The result: posts from staffers and guest bloggers on such topics as Melbourne, Australia’s Homeless World Cup, an Eco-Adventure Weekend in Wales, and a funky art fest in San Antonio, TX. There are unique peeks at places as diverse as Nebraska and New York too. As you’d expect from a travel blog, you have your pick of posts, pictures,, and places from Africa to the United States, with other Categories such as where to stay, sleep, and eat thrown in for good measure. It’s a big planet, but this is one blog that makes it seem like a most comfortable and relaxing place to visit.

HX Philadelphia

We love to spotlight local blogs – that is, sites that cover a specific area. Readers get a taste of the region and have an inside track on where to go, eat, stay, and play. Case in point: HX Philadelphia, “the definitive guide to what’s going on in Philadelphia”. You won’t find the Liberty Bell here: a definite gay sensibility flavors this blog, as you’ll see in posts about what’s happening, but straight hipsters will also appreciate the wit and tips of the posts on eats, music, and events. This “totally biased, politically incorrect” blog makes liberal use of videos interspersed with witty comments, so you’ll get a lively mix of pictures and posts; the site is updated frequently as befits a “what’s happening now” guide, so check in frequently – especially if you’re planning a trip to the city of brotherly love.

Sailing Round The World

Have we got an adventure for you! Or more accurately, Rosie and Nick do. They’re a couple “that gave up great corporate jobs to fulfill a dream and sail around the world” with a crew of new friends and old. And that’s precisely what they’re doing right now, and you can follow their progress in the pages of Rosie and Nick Sail Round the World, their at-sea, as it happens account of their adventures. Right now they’re in the Pacific, sailing toward the Marquesas Islands (Northeast of Tahiti); past posts and pictures document their trips past the Galapagos Islands, through the Panama Canal, and some of the folks they met along the way. Their journey offers one of the more exciting ways to see the planet; you can download their itinerary and see where they are (and were), look at their photo albums, and share their experience (for most of us, unfortunately, that's probably from a desk in some snowbound city!)

Made in Brazil

The largest country in South America and only slightly smaller than the United States, Brazil is a fascinating, colorful, cosmopolitan mix of style, culture, music, food, and more – all captured in the pages of Made in Brazil, a site that’s sent to us right from the heart of the Southern Hemisphere. The site “collaborates with the media…to provide up to date news about the latest trends in the country”. With its colorful posts, pictures, and videos, the site all but has you hearing the samba music and smelling the suntan lotion on Copacabana beach. You can taste, see, hear, and experience everything Rio de Janeiro and the rest of the country has to offer (and it's a lot). There are Categories and blogs galore, all of which will provide you with many exciting, interesting hours – the well documented Brazilian appreciation of the body beautiful will see to that!

TripCart

So you have a vacation coming up and a couple of kids asking “are we there yet”? and you haven’t even started packing! That’s when you need TripCart, “the best place on the web to find things to do in the United States”. A tall order, since this is one big country, but TripCart lists destinations, activities, reviews, and resources to help you plan your getaway. Categories? You got ‘em, from A (Adventure) to W (Weblogs). Winter vacation ideas quite naturally head the list now, and you’ll find lots of great ski vacation ideas listed here along with a comprehensive list of Nature Park destinations; other ideas include roller coaster vacations for the kids, shopping for the wife, and Hawaii for everyone. This is just the tip of the iceberg – Alaska’s here too, of course – and with the planning and reservation capabilities, you’ll be able to answer, “yes, we’re there!” at the click of your mouse.

Celtic Adventurer

Have you ever seen the end of the world? Kevin Foley has – from the seat of a motorcycle. Last year, Kevin did something that many of us only dream of: he left his job in Dublin, Ireland with a plan to travel the length of North, Central, and South America on a motorbike. He would ride all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world – literally the end of the world. On February 1, 2008 Kevin completed his journey and stood at the tip of South America – a remarkable journey that’s recounted in the pages and pictures of his blog, Celtic Adventurer. Kevin’s posts on his various adventures along the way are fascinating reading, as he tells of making friends, dealing with mishaps, and encountering new cultures. One of the most intriguing posts: Kevin’s thoughts on how he’s going to get back.

Cheap Flights

Need to get from point A to point B quickly – and more importantly – cheaply? Then make it a point to check out the Cheap Flights blog, the place to find “the latest news on flights, flying, and airlines in the U.S.A.” Packed with information and updates and savings and deals, this is an invaluable resource for anyone planning to travel (and with the holidays coming up, that pretty much means everyone)! Lots of great tips here, from Flying Fit to hot button topics like airline etiquette (what do you do when someone starts flossing next to you at 30,000 feet?). Of course, there’s lots of stuff on virtually every airline, popular destinations and frequent flyer news. You can vote in assorted traveler polls too, making this one of the more reader-rich blogs we've seen in a while. Step on board!

Kitsilano

Vancouver is one of our favorite cities and it's nice to see there's a blog that touts its virtues. Kitsilano is a neighborhood on the west side of this jewel of British Columbia, and it's home to a vibrant mix of cafes, markets, shops, families and students. (Growing, too, as noted in a recent post about real estate!)  Vancouver is a premiere destination of the Northwest, and visitors can get invaluable glimpses into what makes the city so special, from eats, to lodging, to shopping.  (We've just linked to a few of the offerings - there are lots more to choose from, such as where to find (yes!) Tex-and Cal-Mex food. If you wish, you can also link to several Vancouver sites for a complete virtual tour of the city! Lots of local flavor abounds in the posts; the blog's writer -himself a resident- knows his neighborhood and his pride in it is evident.

Perrin Post Travel Blog

Anyone making plans to get away for a while should consider consulting the Perrin Post Travel Blog. Maintained by Condé Nast travel writer Wendy Perrin and team, this invaluable resource offers something for even the most seasoned traveler. Perrin suffuses her blog with expert advice and insider tips on topics as diverse as the majestic splendor of Anchorage Alaska hiking trails to the urban pleasures of New York street food. So whether you're traveling by plane, train, boat, or automobile, help smooth out your next vacation by sightseeing a few posts from the 2005 Travel Journalist of the Year. And if you're already "over there," find a free wi-fi and plan your next trip. 

New York Girl Eats World

Travel writer Nicole Cotroneo devours the globe while on assignment for The New York Times, globerati.com, and The Washington Post. New York Girl Eats World documents her adventures at home and abroad food first. She explains, "…most people turn first to food as a way of acquainting me with their culture, offering it with a pride and sincerity that transforms it into something more than sustenance. I think, true love." Travel with Nicole to the Amalfi Coast where she finds her "One Love," or peer over her shoulder in her own kitchen as she experiments with purple cauliflower. The posts are filled with colorful pictures, humorous essays and even a featured mouth-watering recipe column from J. Fortune, chef to international celebrities and politicians. Nicole has a way with words that make you want to meet her in Spain for tapas and wine. Bon appetit!

New Yorkshire Pudding

What does a New Yorker do when she has to leave her beloved city? New Yorkshire Pudding is one woman's open diary to life as an expat in London. Yes, Melissa misses the Upper West Side, yellow taxis, and the fast pace of the Big Apple, but you'd hardly know it. The posts are effusive, positive and open to all that London has to offer. From finding a flat, to exploring Borough Market and attending her first footy match — Melissa is taking on the Queen's land with heart. Equal parts travelogue and expat guide, other Americans moving across the pond will appreciate that Melissa is sharing tips, online resources, and even keeps photojournals. It's as if you were walking up High Street and stepping into a café yourself. Not moving to London just yet? Have a look at her equivalents page that compares New York to London.

Mad About Madrid

Alun John loves Madrid. After an eight-year stint in the capital of Spain, he returns at least three to four times a year to visit his beloved city. Mad About Madrid is his well-respected blog that looks like a website and acts as a travel guide. Although Alun's blog contains more than enough information to forgo a travel book, Alun recommends several books and guides you can take with you on your trip. The blog is brimming with Madrid history and culture, the music scene, walks through Madrid, and a virtual visit to bars and cafes. Of course, he also suggests where to eat and drink – and better yet – he tells us what to avoid. We love his post on local cuisine, and the fact he includes reasonably priced hotel options in the sidebars. Ready to go? Here's how to get there.

Branch Walks

Branch Clarke quit his restaurant job to walk across the country. Armed with an iPod, MySpace page, and a TypePad blog, he's documenting the trip, examining himself for personal change and raising money for Cancer. Not many people take New Years Resolutions this seriously. Even so, Branch is humble and the first to admit that many people have taken this trek before him. The writing on Branch Walks is compelling, sensitive, and humorous. Sometimes the jokes are subtle, sometimes intentional. It's hard to follow Branch's journey without wanting to ask him a bunch of questions. Thankfully, he's one step ahead of us -- archiving answers on his F.A.Q.. The route from Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, to San Francisco, California, will take six months at 20-30 miles a day. It's clear that his drive, curiosity and faith will get him across -- but how will he handle being a part from Lu?

Where the Hell is Matt?

Good question. Where the Hell is Matt chronicles the adventures Matt Harding, a Seattle video-game writer and designer who has made a name for himself as "that guy who dances on the Internet." Armed with a laptop, camera, and a dubious sense of rhythm, Matt travels the world pausing to dance happy jigs in exotic locales. The result is a series of captivating videos featuring Matt dancing with kangaroos in Australia, Matt dancing with laughing monks in Laos, and Matt dancing with elephants in Botswana (the elephants were not amused). At last count he's been to 55 countries and danced in about 45 of them, and was recently featured boogying amongst screaming Barenaked Ladies fans in their latest music video. Although it would be easy to attach a philosophical message to his efforts, Matt leaves that up to the viewer. "I'm just dancing," he says.

The French Journal

Vive La France! Francophiles will enjoy this regular serving of news, events, and cultural discussions about their favorite country. Unveiled this past August, The French Journal has already taken to blogging like a pig to truffles. There are photos, links, and long list of categories and other French websites so you can find just what you're looking for. The author lives in Boston but spends his days dreaming about his next trip to Paris. There are tips for book lovers, leads to magazine articles, and a summary of news and events every day. If you want to know about the French Elections, learn more about Toulouse Latrec, have a hankering for French cinema, or want to get a taste of the blue, white, and red before your next travels -- The French Journal is a great place to join like-minded friends before Bastille Day.

The World is a Kitchen

It's no secret that we love authors who use TypePad -- our bookstore is full of published writers who blog on the service. And while many use their blogs to carry on conversations with their readers from book to book, some enterprising authors create individual blogs for each new release. (You get unlimited blogs at our Pro level.) Such is the case with The World is a Kitchen, a new book that collects culinary adventures from around the globe, edited by Michele Jordan and Susan Brady. The compilation takes readers into kitchens from the Americas to Africa to Asia, with a few extra nibbles in Europe. The blog, on the other hand, is a feast of information from and about the book -- sample chapters, contributor bios, reviews, upcoming readings, culinary tours and classes, and links to prominent food/travel blogs. Simple, yet sumptuous, this smartly designed book blog is a great example of how sharing -- whether its food in a foreign land, or bites from a published book -- can make strangers into friends.

The Seagull Has Landed

One of the best things about blogging is that it has elevated armchair travel to new heights. Today's featured adventure is The Seagull Has Landed, written by an experienced British blogger on a pilgrimage through China and Tibet. Going by the handle "flipflop," he set out earlier this summer on the ancient Silk Road and has let us ride on his shoulder as his journeys have taken him inward as well as deep into Asia. Flipflop doesn't sugarcoat his adventure, there are posts of him getting sick from eating a bad meal as well as  places that will last in his mind as his most magical memories. If you're planning a trip to China or Tibet, reading through this blog will help you plan your own Kora. For those that want to sit back and enjoy the ride from the comfort of your own home, breathe deeply while taking in our hero's discoveries from the shiny Shanghai to the more distant, famed sacred mountain in Tibet, Mt Kailash,  As a bonus, the occasional sketch leaves us wanting more, and books and blogs in his sidebars offer even more resources for travel lovers.

Girl Solo in Arabia

Carolyn McIntyre is on the adventure of a lifetime. An experienced guide to the Middle East for Geographic Expeditions, McIntyre is traveling through 46 countries as she follows the 29-year journey that Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta took more than 680 years ago. Girl Solo in Arabia is filled with photos and insight to the architecture, history, and traditions of the Middle East. Less than a year into her mission, McIntyre has traveled through Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. Her blog has become an informal guide for travelers planning on going to the Middle East and inspiring verse for those who are afflicted with neverending wanderlust. The most rewarding side effect of following her adventure is discovering more facets to the Islamic world than what we glimpse on nightly news broadcasts. Learn about the City of the Dead and go to an Egyptian wedding, but by all means don't get ripped off in the Casbah.  McIntyre's trip offers an honest look at the lives and roles of women and, along the way, readers will also see which countries have decent Internet access. We've just got one question: Will  Girl Solo in Arabia turn into a bestselling travel memoir or will it go straight to the big screen?

Hummingbird

It's not always easy living green. Now think about how hard it must be if you're constantly traveling. Charlie, who works for a big airline, is searching for ways to travel light, and Hummingbird is his and friend Jo's megaphone for sharing their discoveries and letting the world know what we can do to make a difference. From questioning Expedia.com's recent effort to offer travelers "carbon offsets," to discussing environmental impacts from what we eat -- this new blog is bound to get noticed. Keep your eye on their list of places not to visit, as well as their growing post of endorsed destinations. No matter what your own personal decisions will be about eating foie gras, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Shark-fin soup, one thing we can all agree on is that Charlie and Jo's effort to make their life a bigger story is admirable from any viewpoint.

Upright & Stowed

Check in to Upright & Stowed and you'll find a writer who is so passionate about travel that his work and personal life blend into one never-ending journey. David Alport founded Out & About, a gay and lesbian oriented publication that delivers educated advice on where to play, eat, and hang out while traveling. After selling it to PlanetOut in 2000, Alpert now logs his trip reports, photos, and travel advice on Upright & Stowed. He's already been to nine different destinations this year! Mile markers you won't want to miss are his top 11, great hotel stays, celebrity travel sightings, and thoughtful opinions related to politics and travel. If you're not planning a trip, but would like to sit back at your desk and dream about your next adventure, have fun with his game Name That Travel Tune.

GearFlogger

In its first three months, GearFlogger has reviewed dozens of pieces of outdoor paraphernalia. From boots to caribiners to packs to stoves to tents, each item is illustrated, described, categorized by type and by manufacturer, and, if it qualifies, receives the "Denali Approved" badge of honor. Want a new ice ax before you tackle Mt. Rainier? Need to read up on the best route to the top of the mountain? Whether you're a grizzled veteran of high-altitude exploits or just a armchair mountaineer, before you gear up for your next "human-powered adventure," make sure you check out this adventurous new blog.