Over at Nomadic Matt's Travel Site, Matt takes Americans to task for their well-known reluctance to travel abroad, citing the oft-repeated statistic that only 15% of Americans own passports. He attributes the dearth of US travel abroad to a number of factors, including American fear and ignorance of the rest of the world, but I'm not sure these go very far in explaining the real reasons behind the phenomenon. So why don't Americans travel more?

For starters, Americans only receive (or demand) about two weeks off in vacation time per year, compared to a month or more in many European countries. Now, perhaps this is the fault of the American worker, who doesn't value his or her leisure time enough to demand more vacation time, or maybe it all goes back to the famous Puritan work ethic. Either way, I simply don't think it's true that Americans are afraid to travel to, say, Australia or China.

But Matt disagrees: "Americans are just scared of the world. I mean really scared. Maybe even petrified. In this post 9/11 world (even before it), Americans have been taught the world is a big scary place. There are terrorists outside every hotel waiting to kidnap you. People don't like you because you are American. The world is violent. It's poor. It's dirty. It's savage. Only Canada and Europe are O.K. but, if you go there, they will still be rude to you because you are American." This is course the stereotype, but do lots of Americans still feel this way?

So if Americans aren't scared, why don't they travel abroad more? Well, America is also one of the most varied, multi-cultured countries in the world, so perhaps Americans don't feel the need to travel beyond their borders. From natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, the Florida Everglades, and Denali National Park, to vibrant, multi-ethnic cities like New York, Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco, Americans can see a wide range of people and places without ever crossing a national border.

My fellow bloggers have a been on a Photo of the Day nature kick this past week, so I figured I would keep up the theme. This Sunday's nature shot comes to us from Flickr user ben.rulesalot, who noticed these two serene specimens on his trip to the Georgia Aquarium.

As much as any photographer might be tempted to crowd the frame of their shot with as much detail as possible, I happen to like Ben's approach here. Sometimes, "simple is better." And even though there are no humans in this photo, there's definitely an interesting "interaction" occurring between these two jellyfish that creates a story for the viewer to decipher. Jellyfish in love? Jellyfish protecting their turf? I'll leave it to you to decide...

Have any jellyfish photos you want to share with our readers? Or maybe some tasty seafood jambalaya? Why not add them to our Gadling pool on Flickr? We might just pick it as our Photo of the Day.

Amtrak's long-distance, full-service dining cars are something of an oddity in... well, just about every way. You have a skeleton crew trying to perform full restaurant-style service down the equivalent of an airplane aisle in the midst of light-to-moderate turbulence that comes and goes as it pleases. Since the dining car typically opens at a specified time for dinner, Amtrak's chefs have to cook and plate upwards of 100 meals in about an hour or so, in the same conditions.

And then there's the clientele that all this cacophony has to cater to: a very strange blend of relatively well-off Sleeping Car passengers combined with whomever from coach decides that they want to splurge on an upscale-ish meal. The interesting thing is that people get along. There's something about being on a dining car cruising across the open landscape that makes travelers want to mingle, chat, and generally have a good time. The whole operation is a remarkable experience to watch, if you're interested in that sort of thing, and - at least in my opinion - an absolutely delightful way to spend a meal. Where else can you eat good food, chat with your fellow travelers in a relaxed setting, and watch the beautiful countryside roll by?

Driving from Western Oregon to Bend in Central Oregon, a great route is the McKenzie Highway, Rt. 242. Snow closes this highway from November to July, so you've got to plan your trip for the late summer or early fall.

At the McKenzie Pass summit at 5325 feet in the Willamette National Forest, you'll be surrounded by lava beds as far as the eye can see. There are places to park so you can get out and do some exploring, and on a clear day, this is one of the most stunning places in the world.

Near the summit, you'll see a round structure built from the volcanic rock on top of a hill of volcanic rock. This is the Dee Wright Observatory, where visitors can peek through lava tube viewing holes at each of the major landmarks surrounding the area. Several of the tallest peaks of the Cascade Range are visible from the observatory, including Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, and the Three Sisters. Their bright white snowy peaks give a spectacular contrast to the dark gray lava beds all around you.

A paved 1/2-mile loop through the lava beds gives travelers a nice way to stretch their legs while taking in the scenery. Along the path are signs with interesting facts and information about the lava beds and how the scenery came to look this way. It's fascinating, and definitely worth a detour if you're anywhere near the area.

The U.S. election is heating up--even in Great Britain. Earlier this week [UPI.com reported the story on Oct. 7}, a man in London was shot three times because he was wearing a T-shirt in support of Barack Obama.

At the time of the shooting, the man was buying a cell phone and minding his own business when a guy came up to him and shouted racial slurs about the Obama T-shirt.. Not comfortable with the barrage of verbal abuse, the man zipped up his jacket and got into his car.

At that point, the nutcase pointed a gun at him and shot him--not just once once, but two more times for good measure. After being shot, Dube Egwuatu drove to call for help and was taken to a hospital. He said that the gunman had tried to get him to go somewhere with him.

I'll admit that I enjoy learning about mass transit, and I am probably what you might classify as a "rail enthusiast." This, however, is a trifle extreme. 43-year-old Darius McCollumn was arrested in New York's Penn Station Sunday night for "impersonating a transit employee." That was, indeed, his 26th arrest by transit police, the first of which occurred when he was 15 years old and involved him taking an E-line train full of passengers for a 6-stop joyride. More recently, in 2004 he was found by Long Island Rail Road police in its Jamaica, NY rail yards carrying several official transit keys and an employee uniform, while just earlier this year he was arrested for attempting to enter a restricted area in Columbus Circle, wearing another employee uniform.

Defenders of the man claim that he suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, though this has never been conclusively proven. He's never been jailed for long because, despite trespassing and other minor crimes, he's never hurt or put anyone in real danger. Meanwhile, in a story for the New York Daily News, McCollumn's mother (whom he lives with in North Carolina) says that she isn't surprised that he got arrested again, and that he went to New York on his own despite her warnings not to. See, now that's dedication.

That's according to the latest NYC Transit data, at least, which covers the past three years of service. The New York Post points out that while the days of broken-down cars and graffiti-filled stations, at least, is long gone, there is a significant trend downwards in the quality and reliability in subway services. Through June this year, the average number of delayed trains is up 24% from last year, and a whopping 71% from two years ago. Meanwhile, the average distance that rail cars travel between break-downs is down 7% from last year and 17% from two years ago.

NYC Transit blames the issues on more track work, rising ridership and decreasing income from federal and state sources. Unfortunately, none of those problems really seem to be going away - and NYC Transit is not the only organization battling the dangerous forces of system troubles. As gas prices increase, ridership on mass transit systems around the world is going up. Also, subway systems are not getting any younger. Many of the world's oldest transit networks have already passed the 100-year mark - some by a lot (London's Underground, the oldest subway system in the world, started service in 1863). Without adequate funding and support from the traveling public, mass transit systems will just keep getting less and less reliable.

(Via Gothamist)

If you are one of the two people who are members of Amtrak's Guest Rewards program, (hey, you and I can form a club!) then start riding those trains between now and the end of the year. Any Amtrak travel through December 12 will earn double the normal number of points, which works out to four points per dollar spent on train travel, or 1000 points if you travel on the high-speed Acela Express between Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston. To enroll for the extra-point-earning opportunity, log into your account at amtrakguestrewards.com and click on the "Register" button for the bonus offer.

Contrary to my previous verbal jabbing, the Guest Rewards program is actually very popular among business travelers along the DC-NYC-Boston Northeast Corridor. You can earn points through Amtrak travel, staying at a number of popular hotel chains, and through the associated Chase credit card. Guest Rewards points can also be redeemed for (besides Amtrak travel) hotel nights, car rentals, and gift cards to a variety of restaurants and retailers. Unlike the increasingly-stingy airline frequent-flyer programs, a mere six Acela trips (or three if you take advantage of this bonus offer!) will earn you a free unreserved coach seat on any non-Acela Northeast train. Also unlike airlines, Amtrak does not restrict the number of award seats on a particular train. If a seat is available, you can reserve it with points. Not too shabby.

Highways are, of course, an essential part of our national transportation system. Trouble is, at least in urban areas, they seem to go right through the areas that you would rather not see them go through. For instance, Seattle's Puget Sound coastline. Now, I've been to Seattle, and while I was there, I stayed in a hotel about a block away from the bustling waterfront, busy shopping areas and active nightlife. The only thing between me and the sights was a giant, towering road known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct. It's elevated, so getting across it wasn't a problem. That's not the point. It's big - about five stories. It's loud. It's a mass of bright lights at night. And, if it weren't there, I would've be able to see across Puget Sound from my hotel room.

Thus, you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the Alaskan Way Viaduct is, in fact, number one on the Congress for the New Urbanism's "Freeways Without Futures" - a list of the top ten freeways in North America that we really could just do without. And they're not roads that people are just running around complaining about - these roads actually have pleasant, viable alternatives that would free up valuable urban real estate and drive economic growth. Check out the article for the full list of roads, and if you live in one of those areas, consider adding your voice to the growing number of people calling for reasonable alternatives.

(Via Wired Magazine)

Train stations are not frequently thought of as a hub of transportation and commerce - in a lot of cities, they're worn down, dilapidated, built in what has become the bad part of town, and in many cases, abandoned. Thanks to the past couple of decades, though, and a remarkable public-private partnership of a number of organizations, Washington D.C.'s Union Station has become the antithesis to that mold. Now, it's a thriving hub with high-end shops and restaurants that sees 32 million people passing through every year - including 56% of all air/rail traffic between Washington, D.C. and New York City.

Completed in 1908, the building, like multitudes of other train stations, fell into disuse after World War II and eventually was all but abandoned. Amtrak passengers used a makeshift terminal behind the main building for many years during the 70s and early 80s. Thanks to a mammoth public-private partnership, however, WUS received a $160 million face lift, completed in 1988, that brought high-end retail, shops and restaurants to the storied building. This weekend (and, in fact, all year), the building is celebrating both the 100-year anniversary of its construction and the 20-year anniversary of its rehabilitation. Events this weekend include an exhibit of both modern and historic passenger rail equipment and a display of archival photos of the station. If you can't make it in the near future, though, check it out the next time you're in the city; it's a building worth seeing.

(Via CNN)