Moon Staff Blog
About this blog
The Moon Water Cooler is a place for Moon staffers to share what's new in their world. Check back often to hear about author events, book releases, travel trends, and maybe even some staff recommendations for what part of the world to explore next.
Recent Posts
- Two Reasons This Week is Awesome: Earth Day and National Park Week
- The Glory, the Groundwork, and the Grind of Travel Writing
- Finding Pizza Nirvana in Nashville
- Guest Interview: Exploring Offbeat Mexico with Churpa Rogers
- Guest Interview: The People's Guide to Mexico Authors Carl Franz and Lorena Havens
- Guest Post: Top 10 Gifts for Road Trippers
- Hawaii Giveaway Winner Announced
- Win a Round-Trip Ticket to Hawaii from Moon and Hawaiian Airlines!
- Why Moving to Belize Isn’t as Hard as You’d Think
- From Dosas to Dumplings: My Eight Favorite Toronto Restaurants
- Guest Post: At Least We Have Pizza – The Cost of Living in Mexico vs. New York City
- Hawai'i: A Foodie Paradise — Part Two
- Hawai'i: A Foodie Paradise — Part One
- Exploring California via Road Trip with Moon California Road Trip
- Enjoying the Outdoors in the Black Hills of South Dakota
Guest Post: Blue Ribbon Road Trips
The 4th of July may have come and gone, but road trip season is still going strong. Despite the destructive forest fires, massive power outages and 110-degree heat waves that got the summer of 2012 off to a less than perfect start, there’s still time for you to make some good memories. For drivers especially, the fact that gas prices have been going down means it makes sense to hit the road, if only so you have something cool to say when people ask “… What did you do on your summer vacation?” more >>
Guest Post: Road Trip Travel—Fired Up for the 4th of July
Despite the ongoing economic doldrums, for 2012, Americans are feeling more upbeat than ever when it comes to planning 4th of July road trips. With gas prices down by 10 to 20 percent from the $4+ per gallon highs they hit in April, more Americans are planning to hit the road, and we’re traveling farther for our fireworks and fun. According to a recent study by the American Automobile Association (AAA), more than 42 million Americans will hit the road to celebrate Independence Day. This number is the biggest ever, and considerably more than any year since the previous peak year, back in 2007. more >>
Guest Post: Summer Solstice Fun
There are millions of great reasons to hit the road and see the USA this summer, but today (June 21st) is the summer solstice, so if you are going to get out there and have some fun, you better get busy or the summer of 2012 will quickly fade from future into the past. The summer solstice, marking the longest day (and shortest night) of the year, has traditionally been one of the most important days of the calendar, and cultures around the world have marked the day with a variety of celebrations and activities. Most famous of these is probably the 5000-year-old Neolithic monument at Stonehenge in England, where massive stones have been arranged to line up with the solstice sunrise and other significant dates, serving as super-sized calendar, astronomical observatory and pop culture icon (think “Spinal Tap!) more >>
Guest Post: Hollywood Road Trips Part II
Travel has been a staple of story-telling since stories were first told, and, as I outlined in my post last week, the side-by-side development of motor cars and motion pictures in the first half of the 20th century created what now seems like an idyllic dream of fun on the road. But with Bonnie and Clyde, Arthur Penn’s 1967 film starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the road trip movie took a much darker turn. Violently bloody and anarchic, Bonnie and Clyde is credited with introducing all sorts of bad behavior into the road trip movie, and these themes (and actor Jack Nicholson!) dominated movies for decades: the iconic cross-country motorcycle movie Easy Rider came out in 1969, featuring one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, followed by the seriously musical Five Easy Pieces. more >>
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.