Here's an unusual piece of American history that illustrates the power of philanthropy and what happens when money is used for the purpose it was intended. Imagine what James Smithson must think if he can view Smithsonian Castle and all the other buildings that line the Mall in Washington D.C.? Possibly, he's pleased as punch.

Smithson, an illegitimate Englishman who died in 1829, left between $50 to $100 million dollars to the United States, a country he had never visited. His desire was for his money to be used "'for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.'"

If the slew of buildings that includes the Air and Space Museum, the American History Museum, and the African Art Museum isn't an indication of what can happen when one person's generosity is put to good use, I don't know what is. Of course, Smithson's money wasn't enough to create all of the Smithsonian's building, but still, consider what what can happen when there's a mighty good idea that has a healthy start.

In this article that first appeared in the Washington Post, Moira E. McLaughlin covers a bit of the history of Smithson's gift that consisted of 105 bags of gold. She also points out the significance of Smithsonian Castle, the Smithsonian's first building that is now used for the Smithsonian's administrative offices and information center. According to McLaughlin, the information center is a perfect place to begin a visit to the Smithsonian. It can help you orient the rest of your time there.

I've been to the Smithsonian several times and have never visited The Castle. Next time I'm in D.C., this is my first stop. In case no one has thanked you properly James Smithson,THANKS a million times over. Your gift was truly splendid.

If the style of the building looks familiar, it's because its architect, James Renwick, Jr. also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

Illegitimate Englishman donated millions to U.S.: Which museum bears his name? originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When the five people who ranged from an R& B singer moving to NYC to seek her fortune-- to a young man trying to get to Hartford, Connecticut and his sick grandmother as quickly as possible, sidled up to the Greyhound ticket counter in Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan, they weren't itching for a fight. What they wanted was some compensation for their Greyhound induced travel woes.

See, the bus they had taken from Cleveland had arrived two hours late. It's not unusual for a bus to be late. Traffic, weather and a bus breakdown can occur. Their bus's lateness was due to driver error. The driver, after a scheduled rest stop, had headed the bus back towards Cleveland for more than 70 miles.

What made this snafu feel worse is that they would have arrived earlier than the scheduled arrival time if it wasn't for the driver's mistake. If you've ever been on a road trip that has been lengthened by the wrong way, perhaps you'll recall that jumpy nervous twitch that ensues--the kind of feeling where any moment you could LOSE YOUR MIND.

As written in the previous post, Gadling knows these details because Gadling was there. Here's the rest of the story. What happens when a passenger does complain? Airlines take notice.

Continue reading Greyhound customer service delivers after bus heads wrong way for more than 70 miles

Greyhound customer service delivers after bus heads wrong way for more than 70 miles originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Top ten alternative lodging options

Top ten alternative lodging options originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In northwestern Ohio where the land is flat, flat, flat and family farms dot the landscape in a scene of bucolic sedateness, the Midwest turns wild west on Saturday nights from October through May. Off State Rte 29, between the Indiana border and Celina, a town with a population of 10,000, is Mack Arena, a non-descriptive rectangular building that one might blow right pass without noticing. Only the white corral-style fencing around one end of the building says animals. Looks can be deceiving. Inside, excitement and a dose of danger crackles. Who knew?

The clues to the wildness inside the industrial corrugate structure start at the dirt parking lot where a pungent odor of animals and leather waft over the assortment of pickup trucks, trailers and cars that gather here every Saturday evening. The announcer's voice can be heard over the crowd's din of shouts of encouragement and awe.

The yellow sign near the door touting, "Beware of Bull" is more of a welcome mat than a warning, however.

That's what Gadling found out a few weeks ago when we came upon the bull riding as an unexpected pleasure of Saturday night's entertainment--just two hours from Columbus. The allure of the wild west in the Midwest pulled our station wagon into the mix of vehicles.

Continue reading Midwest turns Wild West : Bull riding for the whole family

Midwest turns Wild West : Bull riding for the whole family originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hawaii seems like a beautiful place to live - great coffee, awesome surf conditions, nearly perfect weather at all times. But, hundreds of miles out in the Pacific, I imagine it starts to feel a bit isolated, especially with the high cost of flights from the islands back to the mainland US. But for those Hawaiian islanders looking to get away to the rest of the US for a while, Hawaiian airlines, has a pretty great deal.

For every inter-island round trip flight you book on Hawaiian Airlines, you'll get a discount on your flight from Hawaii to other destinations in the US. The discount starts at 10% (for one round trip flight) and goes all the way up to 100% (yep, a free flight!) after you've taken 10 round trip flights around the islands.

Inter-island flights began racking up points towards the discounts on August 3 and will continue through December 31, 2009. The discount can be applied towards flights booked for now through June 15, 2010.

The discount applies to flights to select cities in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

Hawaiian airlines offers free flights to the mainland originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As excitement for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver builds, most people who haven't planned ahead are looking for last minute accommodations for the event and finding rates to be quite pricey. During the Games, costs will be as high as the demand, but it seems that in the weeks leading up the event, there are plenty of deals to be had.

Right now though December 17, Whistler-Blackcomb, the official Alpine Skiing venue for the Games, is offering the third night free at many of its best resorts and hotels. The average nightly rate with the promotion works out to just $66 (CAD) for many properties in Whistler Village. Package deals that include two nights of lodging and two days of lift tickets start at $103 per person per night through December 21.

Travelzoo has put together a comprehensive list of the other discounts available in the area and the deals don't stop at accommodations and skiing. Flights, shuttles, and activities like snowmobiling are also on sale.

The games run February 12-28, and chances are they'll be even more discounts announced between now and then. So if you've got your heart set on a winter wonderland vacation in Vancouver but don't have a fortune to spend, plan your visit just before the Olympics to take advantage of these great deals.

Score deals to site of 2010 Olympics now originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Bourbon, beer, wine, and equines in Kentucky's Bluegrass region

Bourbon, beer, wine, and equines in Kentucky's Bluegrass region originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kids fly free to Vail this winter originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm not sure what it is about small countries that makes me so interested in them. Maybe it's the fact that they seem so manageable, so knowable. I could spend the next five years in, say, China, and still feel like I hadn't seen a fraction of what it has to offer. But in some of my favorite smaller countries-- Ecuador, Guatemala, the Czech Republic-- I've always felt like I have a fighting chance.

As for the countries below, the world's five smallest, you could get to know most of them pretty well in an afternoon. Here's a quick 'n dirty guide that proves that size, as the old adage goes, is not everything...

Vatican City

In a nutshell: The world's smallest sovereign state at just under two-tenths of a square mile, Vatican City is headquarters of the Catholic Church and home to the Pope. The Vatican, an enclave within the city of Rome, features the magnificent Sistine Chapel, famous for its Michelangelo-painted ceiling, as well as St. Peter's Basilica, the world's biggest Christian church.

Turn-ons: Carpenters from Nazareth, piety, extolling the Christian virtues of humility and simplicity in the midst of unparalleled opulence

Turn-offs: Prostitution, drugs, promiscuity, and just about anything else fun

Interesting factoid: The College of Cardinals has never made it to an NCAA Tournament.

Continue reading Little Countries, Big World: Gadling's pint-sized guide to the world's smallest countries

Little Countries, Big World: Gadling's pint-sized guide to the world's smallest countries originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Give and receive this holiday season. Instead of just booking your getaway, Intrepid Travel is upping the goodwill ante, donating 10 percent of all its new "Urban Adventures" sales to charity. This is a new collection of city-based experiences which is likely to appeal to a wide range -- from backpackers to business travelers. If you have a long layover or even want to see your own city from a different perspective, this new program from Intrepid could be a good fit.

Ten percent of every sale made in December will be donated to The Intrepid Foundation, which supports 35 community projects around the world. And, Intrepid will match each of these donations fully, doubling the final amount that will be sent to the foundation.

Urban Adventures are not expensive. They start at around $15 and go up to around $144. So, there's no reason not to check out this new experience, even if you are a local. This new experience was launched last month and is available in 26 locations around the world via 80 trips ... with another 250 expected to be added by the middle of next year.

Intrepid Travel saves the world with Urban Adventures charity connection originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Forty-two hours on a train in China

Forty-two hours on a train in China originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Tahitian truck treats: the finest fare in town

Tahitian truck treats: the finest fare in town originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Tourism experts say discounts, economic upturn will make 2010 a good year originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Top 7 adventure activities near Arenal, Costa Rica

Top 7 adventure activities near Arenal, Costa Rica originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading A review of Cheapflights.com's "Travelnomics: Calling on Cuba" guide

A review of Cheapflights.com's "Travelnomics: Calling on Cuba" guide originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Greyhound bus drivers

Now, how many of you heard about the Greyhound bus driver who headed the wrong way for more than an hour last week? Yep, last Saturday morning at about 7:14 a.m on October 31st, that's exactly what happened--a bus driver went the wrong way for more than 70 miles.

Here's an exclusive Gadling report that has yet to show up anywhere. Gadling knows because Gadling was there.

Continue reading Greyhound bus driver heads wrong way: Where's a GPS when you need one?

Greyhound bus driver heads wrong way: Where's a GPS when you need one? originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Drive a rental car to Florida for $1

Drive a rental car to Florida for $1 originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Top five winter-trip items you might not think to travel with originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Are the economics of Twitter airfares worth it?

Are the economics of Twitter airfares worth it? originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When picking out a haunted house to go to for Halloween fun with kids, it helps to know your child. Even then, it may not be a guarantee of a good time. When we headed into the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World a few days before my son's 6th birthday, I envisioned a shriek or two followed by chortles of glee--the mark of a delicious and welcome fright.

After all, his sister loved that ride when she was five, and she's the one that dressed up like a pink fairy princess for Halloween when she was his age. He was Darth Vader that growled out, "Beware of the dark side" in between his "Trick o' Treats."

But from the ride's first scream that pierced the dark, and every one of the floating, dancing holograph ghosts, he hid his eyes in my armpit and kept them there until the very end when we clamored out of the car--him, in relief that the ordeal was over. Happily, he immediately bounded back, ready for a different ride. When he remembers that day, he sees the Magic Kingdom as a good dream come true. That bad mother moment did not last long.

Bad mother (or bad dad) moments seem hard to avoid when accessing the various Halloween options. "How haunted is too haunted?" one wonders.

One the other side of the age spectrum are older kids who might want more than the Casper, the friendly ghost version of ghoulish. Anything less than heart-pounding fright is a big yawn.

Here are 10 tips for picking out an age appropriate haunted house experience so that no one is disappointed and your money is well spent.

Continue reading Ten tips for choosing the right haunted house

Ten tips for choosing the right haunted house originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.