Actually, I’m a sucker that doesn’t have a single moment of time to take on any additional responsibilities, so my promise to Ken Levine went unfulfilled. Until now.

Yes, Ken Levine, today is the day. I am going to review your book. Try to contain your enthusiasm.

And to you, the internet reader, here is why I’m featuring the review of Mr. Levine’s book on UpTake:

A) I said I would.
B) I live in Seattle (Mr. Levine calls some of the Mariners’ games).
C) I’m moving to L.A. this summer to pursue my passion of screenwriting. Mr. Levine is an Emmy winning writer/director/producer of such TV hits as M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier and Wings, to name a few. This is an opportunity for kissing ass that cannot be overlooked.
D) I get paid per post.
E) The book is about travel, and this is a travel site.

So you, the reader, may be asking yourself, “Self, what has two thumbs and doesn’t give a flying crap about Whit Honea’s take on travel books?”

If I were allowed to answer I would say “most primates,” but I’m not allowed to answer because I work here.

Rules are stupid.

The thing is, you should care about my review of a travel book because, as I mentioned before, I am the editor of a travel site. This means that I am smarter than everyone that reads this blog, present company excluded. Also, I have a soft spot for Ken Levine. Nobody should have to sit through that many innings of Mariner baseball.

Let’s talk about the book: 

Ken Levine’s book, Where the Hell am I? Trips I Have Survived is very funny. If you’ve read travel books in the past you know that many of them tend to lean towards the not funny. Mr. Levine, however, has not created a typical travel book. No, he has built upon his years of sitcom sharpness and wit (no relation) to create an enjoyable read. The writing is such that you feel like you are right there, reading it.

The stories, a collection of true travelogues, cover “38 of the greatest cities in the U.S. and the world, and 12 average ones.”  Levine travels usually include his family, his TV/film cohorts, or the Los Angeles Dodgers. You can’t make this stuff up.

In addition to sharing his own experiences Levine has another objective, “to get you to approach your future vacations with an eye open to the absurd.” Mirrors don’t count. I believe that Ken Levine’s objectives are easily met. Or would be should I ever get another vacation.

Each section is fairly short, in fact this review is already longer than most of them. This makes for a quick read, which kind of makes me look like an ass for not reviewing the book sooner.

The style of writing that Levine uses is fluid, and it is an easy swim from tangent to tangent. Every destination is recorded in a series of paragraphs, notes, astute observations and one-liners. This isn’t an account of vast, panoramic settings and big pictures, but rather a fast-paced romp right through the heart of the matter. You don’t read the words so much as walk along with them, stopping every so often to point out the things that need it the most.

And then it’s over (I said it was a fast read). I was so caught up in the travel and the journey that I found myself looking down at the place my watch would be if I still wore a watch and wondering if my flight was boarding yet. Except that I’m not sitting at an airport bar top. I’m sitting in my home office, wearing pajamas and watching the clouds roll by. It feels like I should be going somewhere.

______________________________________

Where the Hell am I? Trips I Have Survived is available online for a very low price — so low that you could buy it with the change beneath your couch cushions, and therefore you should.

You can read more from Ken Levine on his blog, By Ken Levine. Also, Ken Levine is on the Twitter (where you can follow UpTake, or, if you’re really desperate, me).

My thanks to Mr. Levine for sending me a copy of his book for this review. I appreciate it. Apologies on the delay(s).

Here’s what’s going on in the world of travel:

USA Today has an interesting look at 10 popular travel stories.

The Tourist Trap looks interesting.

Welcome to the internet, Avid Blog! You look marvelous.

Take the Beatles tour of Britain, it’s fab!

Have you had life-changing experiences in the great outdoors? Outside magazine wants to hear about it.

Have you visited the Travelocafe?

Chicago’s Pierrot Gourmet celebrates Oktoberfest from September 24 through October 9, 2010.  Be there!

Bausch & Lomb want to give you a trip for two!

Win a trip to Australia!

And there you go, travel around the internets! Send us your links!

Buckle up, it’s go time:

Enter the Great Kiwi Adventure to win a trip for 4 to New Zealand!

The classic Italian coffee house (and its impressive guests).

Thinking about checking out the National Parks of France? Here’s a list of the top ten.

Taste Napa Valley at Rubicon Estate.

Mexico is looking for Arizona tourists… to have a good time.

TripAdvisor announces an iPhone app.

Enjoy Cancun in a boutique hotel.

Snorkel and explore off Maui’s coast.

The Top 5 places to eat ice cream at Walt Disney World (you know you want to know this).

KLM offers a new à la carte menu.

BP keeps Florida beaches off the best lists.

The untouched(ish) Society Island of Hauhine.

Cancun’s underwater museum rocks!

Check out the New England Aquarium package in Boston.

ABC presents Summer Travel Planning 101 (video opens automatically).

USA Today offers some tips on pet travel safety.

The Millennium Hotel in NYC is celebrating 20 years with a giveaway per day.

Hike Israel’s National Trail, it’s the destination and the journey.

The first Toy Story meet-up at Disneyland is FULL.

Looking to keep the romance alive while on the road? It can happen.

Are smartphones the new room key?

Win a trip to San Luis Obispo — sign up for the newsletter and you’re entered!

The 10 Best Amusement Parks (this list could use a good shuffle).

National Geographic on U.S. National Parks and travel.

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That just happened. Another rousing round of online travel tidbits for your consumption.

You’re welcome. Contact us via email or Twitter to get your link included next week!

Cliffs of Moher

The latest plan to revive travel to the Emerald Isle involves offering discounts to some of the country’s top tourist attractions (like the Cliffs of Moher, pictured above) to visitors who can prove Irish ancestry.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin, firms are being invited to come up with ideas on how to operate the project.  Current thoughts are that successful applicants would receive a credit-card type “pass” to use for their discounts.  The Certificate of Irish Heritage would not entitle the holder to any legal rights.

Those who hope to apply would be required to prove their claim to Irish ancestry with birth certificates, church or land records or wills.  While the diaspora consists of 70 million people across the globe the application process will exclude many of them (myself being one) from being approved for this program.  While we know my 5x great grandfather came to the US via Canada from Ireland we cannot trace him any further back than his arrival to these shores.

“I look forward to receiving proposals from firms on how we can enable millions of people with Irish ancestry across the world renew their link with Ireland,” Mr Martin said.

“I would urge applicants to be imaginative in their plans and come up with proposals that will help us identify concrete ways to further develop the bond between Ireland and its global family.”  (from breakingnews.ie)

I would urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to consider the fact that many of us with Irish heritage do not have access to the documentation necessary for this plan as records are missing, incomplete or just lost to time.

Until this plan comes to fruition- or if you can’t qualify- you can opt for  OPW Heritage Card to get you into many sites.

Jody Halsted shares her family’s travel adventures at Family Rambling. Ireland is her favorite place on Earth.

Photo by Jody Halsted

Southwest Plane Landing

Although you won’t see a Southwest Airline plane flying out of South Carolina until next year, the state is all abuzz about Southwest’s announcement to expand service to Charleston and Greenville Airports. This comes on the heels of more big travel news for South Carolina, where Carnival Cruise Lines kicks off expanded service out of Charleston, with year-round cruising starting on May 18th. In years past, Carnival has cruised seasonally during the winter, but this marks the first time they’ve sailed year-round.

So what does this mean for South Carolina? In all likelihood it boosts revenue in travel and hospitality throughout the state. Charleston and Greenville are both known as having steep airfares, with many travelers driving instead to Charlotte or Atlanta for fares that can be as much as $100 to $200 cheaper. As a low-cost carrier, this will decrease flight prices in both cities. If only Southwest could have started flying out of Charleston in time for Carnival’s kick-off of year-round cruises from Charleston.

It’s unclear what made Southwest decide on not only one, but both South Carolina cities. Greenville had originally thought Southwest would choose them for new service at the end of last year, but it fell through. Charleston and Greenville officials, along with South Carolina legislators, worked together to ink a deal to get Southwest to the state. There were discussions about subsidies being used to lure the low-cost air carrier, but none were offered in the airline’s decision.

The response from both cities has been tremendous, as many companies have already begun signing commitments to using Southwest Airlines to fly out of Charleston and Greenville. It hasn’t been announced when Southwest will start flying out of South Carolina, but in the meantime maybe this will begin to lower overall airfare prices prior to the launch.

Photo from djlpbb40 on Flickr.

Long story short, we care.

Sometimes Disney comes to you!

JetBlue is celebrating 10 years with $10 fares!

Are you a parent looking for something to do with kids in Seattle? Do you want it to be a great deal? Do you want it to help others? Well, you’re in luck.

Looking for an easy way to find the right national park for you?

Going to San Antonio for Memorial Day?

MTV and Coke want to make you a star!

Austin and San Diego want you to boycott Arizona.

Gadling has 5 great travel apps for the iPad.

Fun travel site that is new to us: Traveler’s Barista

What do Canadians think about vacations?

See how easy that was? And fun! Let your links fly, fellow travelers. We’ll salute them!

Looking for new iPhone Travel Photography apps? Here they are!

Upgrade: Travel Better tells us about the birds and bees, but not really the bird part.

Did business travel just change forever? Ask CNBC.

Check out the Ireland Travel Show (and stay here!)

Five reasons to travel Europe by train.

Traveling with kids? What’s happening in your destination city?

Learn about the Chemde Chemre Monastary!

Israeli airport not a fan of the scan.

JetBlue is offering $9 tickets within California — seriously.

Spring break is still in the air! Where will you stay? Check out these Spring Break hotels.

And scene.

If you would like to be featured in an upcoming edition of Travel Around the Internet please contact us — now with Twitter!

Please enjoy.

Obama signs Travel Promotion Act into law.

The New York Times says more taxes and more fees for air travelers. Personally, I’m against it.

Airlines and unions may disrupt U.S. flight.

The new hotel room key? Your iPhone (or the like).  There’s a booty call joke here, but I’m not seeing it.

Gadling questions the security of security.

Iran knows what’s in a name — and they’ll impound your jet for it.

Frommer says to bet on Vegas.

British Airways to use fuel made from city waste.

CNN reports a rise in voluntourism.

Wild Blue Yonder shares outlandish eateries across America.

A kid pushing tin? The FAA isn’t amused.

If you’d like to see your link included here use the contact information in the sidebar or follow UpTake on Twitter!

Once again, thank you for your time and here’s to safe and happy travels!

Cliffs of Moher

I’ve been reading, with interest, many of the plans the Irish Tourism Board has to boost tourism to Ireland this year.

2009 showed a 12% decline in Ireland’s tourism industry and Irish-American philanthropist Chuck Feeney has offered to fund a voucher program- up to $5 million- that is hoped to help bring Ireland’s tourist numbers up by 50,000 this year.

To encourage more Americans to visit Ireland $100 vouchers will be offered toward flights and accommodations.  At this time no additional information is available.

I would love to see a few things added to this voucher program to really make it appealing.

1. Airfare to Ireland is quite high right now.  Discounted airfares- especially from the central part of the US- would be a great incentive.
2. Lodging packages- including a castle stay- would be great.
3. A special rate for the OPW Heritage Card would get people out of the cities and into the smaller villages.

While $100 isn’t a lot of money it may sway families who plan to visit Europe this year but hadn’t made a decision on which country.  A family of 4 would receive a $400 savings (I am assuming each person would receive a voucher) which can add an extra day or two to an itinerary (any first-time visit should include the Cliffs of Moher, pictured above).

What would help lure you to Ireland this year?

Photo by JLHalsted

Jody Halsted shares destinations and tips for family travel at Family Rambling.She is currently trying to fit a trip to Ireland into her budget.

Want to stay in a bad hotel — or at least laugh at its website? Who doesn’t?

WorldHum’s Olympic take: From Beijing to Vancouver.

Redbook offers some good Walt Disney World advice.

Top Family Travel Sites according to National Geographic Traveler — they forgot one!

Traveling with a pooch? Phetch this stuff.

Great thoughts on travel writing from Nerd’s Eye View.

PBS tackles regional airlines – thoughts by Upgrade: Travel Better.

Travel passes by Virgin Media

Want to use credit card airline miles for that business trip?

Frugal Travel books flights the frugal way.

CNN Travel answers 10 frequent questions.

Can you help NYC kids get some fresh air?

And there you have it.  You’re welcome.

If you would like to see your site featured please contact me via the link in the sidebar.  See you on the Twitter!