Travel

Choosing the Best Airplane Seat

The great debate… window or aisle and which airplane seat is best? It’s a question that has been asked multiple times and the discussion keeps raging on. Is there a scientific answer or is it more about personal preference? I’m here to get to the…

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Brady Pearson

It’s no surprise that the airlines continue to move the seats closer and closer, slowly eroding our legroom and lowering our comfort levels. Have you ever sat on an airplane and have the windows not line up with your seat? That’s because the seats have been moved to make room for more rows and more passengers per flight.

Of course this debate doesn’t include first class, because there is no bad seat in first. If you can afford first class or get upgraded, thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to make this Sofie’s choice. Enjoy that free champagne up there; us peasants will be fighting over the armrest like a bunch of wild animals. I’m not sure that people that fly first class have any idea what its like choosing and airplane seat.

The only real truth that has been answered is that the middle seat is by far the worst and should be your last choice. Only a real savage would decide to sit in the middle seat if others were available. This choice has too many variables to make it an acceptable choice.

Window or Aisle?

Statistically, the aisle seat is the most sought out when booking, and the window is a safe second choice. Most frequent travelers prefer the aisle for access to the restroom and the fact that they don’t have to climb over someone. Safety from blood clots is another reason aisle people love their seats. It allows you to get up and stretch your legs multiple times and at your own convenience. These reasons are why the aisle is statistically the number one airplane seat picked.

Window enthusiasts will advocate for their choice by saying you can sleep easier and are bothered less. They also boast about having control of the window shade, which is a power move for sure. Overnight flights make people chose the window first, because it allows them to lean on the side of the plane as a headrest, which makes sleeping much easier.

Worst seats on Airplane

Its no secret that the middle seat is the redheaded stepchild of airplane seats. Nobody wants it and only chose them when they have no other choice. Last resort middle seats are your punishment for booking your travel late. You don’t get your own anything in the middle except of coarse tray table.

Sitting in the middle makes you continuously jockey for the armrests and legroom with your row mates. Why chose this airplane seat? I can only think that you wish to sit with your loved one, but I always have my wife sit on the aisle as I sit in the window. Only if someone tries to sit in between us does my wife move to the middle.

I never want to sit in the first or last rows, always a bad choice. The last row almost never reclines and the first row never allows you to keep your personal belongings with you. Airlines tend to jam the last row in there so it may also have slightly less legroom, and on airplanes, every centimeter counts. The first row or bulkhead is a red herring; it looks like first class but is actually not convenient at all. The flight attendant will make you keep all your stuff in the overhead compartment instead of next to you, where you need it.

The seats in front of the emergency rows also doesn’t recline, so steer clear of those awful seats.

Exit door seats are also way over-rated, they boast that they have extra legroom, but they also don’t recline. In my experience, reclining is way more important than a little extra legroom. If you are extra tall however, these seats are your best bet.

For the love of all that is holy, stay away from the bathroom. You may think that these are good seats because they have easy access. WRONG! You will smell everything that comes out of people and there is no escaping some stinky poop. Beware of false conveniences.

Night or Day

If you are flying at night, the overwhelming majority of people prefer the window. This is obviously for sleeping purposes and not being bothered by your row mates.

During daytime flights, the aisle is the preferred seat. These allow people to have better access to the restroom and have more room overall to adjust during the flight.

Which seat is best for you is totally a personal opinion. I know that I almost exclusively sit in the window seat, but that’s my opinion. I can tell you that sitting in the middle seat is a fate I don’t wish upon anyone. They should just get rid of all middle seats and the world may actually be a better place to live. Imagine how much happier we would be if the middle seat never existed in the first place.

Photos Courtesy of thedailybeast, mrandmrsromance, dailymail, youtube

Destinations

Best Shows in Las Vegas

Vegas has all the gambling, shopping and eating you could handle and that doesn’t even include the countless shows you could see, but which are the best?

Published

50 mins ago

October 7, 2024

Brady Pearson

Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world for a reason, there are more things to do here than anywhere else in the world. Vegas has all the gambling, shopping and eating you could handle and that doesn’t even include the countless shows you could see, but which are the best? While rebranding the city as a family destination, Las Vegas still boils down to what hotel has the best casino, restaurants and shows. I chose my favorite shows for you to see in Vegas and why, so check it out and see some shows next time you are there.

All Shook Up

The King is alive in All Shook Up at Planet Hollywood in this awesome tribute show. Travis Allen is the master impersonator who perfectly embodies Elvis Presley in his voice, demeanor and stage presence. If you can handle the annoying screams of women lusting after Allen, then this show is great.

Blue Man Group

If you haven’t seen this sensory overload of a show then you need to fix that. The Blue Man Group is the ultimate in Vegas shows because it stimulates all the senses. Now at its new home at the Luxor in a specifically designed theater, just for their unique show, the Blue Boys are back and better than ever. Check out their show and scratch it off your list.

The Beatles: Love

The music of the Beatles mixed with the absurdity of a Cirque du Soleil show and you have the formula for an awesome evening. Head on over to The Mirage and checkout “Love” even if you aren’t a Beatles fan. It’s a true Vegas style show with tons of glitz and glamour and all your favorite classics from The Beatles.

Absinthe

Cruise on over to Caesars Palace and check out Absinthe, the seductive variety show is half Cirque-du-Soleil acrobatics and half brash comedy show with a dash of burlesque mixed in for sexuality. The show is meant to induce a form of hallucinations indicative of an Absinthe trip. Seeing this show is like drinking the funky green drink, so be prepared for a crazy time at this adult only show.

Penn & Teller

What’s a trip to Vegas without some magic? A boring trip is what. You have to see Penn & teller because it’s an awesome show and you deserve to laugh after you lost all your money at blackjack. The kings of comedy magic will split your sides and make you wonder, “How the heck did they do that?”

Purple Reign

No trip to Vegas is complete without hitting the outskirt hotels for some real deals and possibly the best cover band in the world. Purple Reign is the Prince tribute show at the Westgate that will make you believe that Prince is still walking the Earth.

See Cirque du Soleil in a gigantic pool with acrobatics and synchronized swimming, yep, check that off your bucket list. The Bellagio is home to the famous fountains and O, the most impressive Cirque show to date. This show is so over-the-top that it could only happen in Vegas and at the Bellagio. If you want to see a Cirque show, this is the one to see first. Romantic and beautiful, it will pull at your heartstrings and stimulate your brain.

Le Reve

Le Reve is the Wynn’s answer to O, and it may even be better. This show strays away from a story and focuses more on the incredible skill of its performers. You won’t believe what you see in this aquatic master class in acrobatics and performance.

Destinations

Endangered Heritage Attractions In the Americas

Let’s explore what heritage sites are in danger and why so we can understand what’s going on in our world.

Published

13 hours ago

October 6, 2024

Loren Thorn

We have reached a tipping point at many of our planet’s most beautiful and special destinations, and you may want to visit them before it’s too late. Whether it is environmental or human related issues affecting these historic and natural locations, they are in danger of being destroyed. The World Heritage Convention and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have picked these four heritage attractions as at-risk and in danger. These sites include the Everglades National Park and Belize’s Barrier Reef. Let’s explore what heritage sites are in danger and why so we can understand what’s going on in our world.

Belize Barrier Reef

Running Belize’s entire coastline, this living wall is protecting the environment from rough seas and is the largest reef system in the Northern Hemisphere. The reef is home to countless fish and coral species and is in danger from overfishing, poor water quality and development without environmental concerns. This is one of the planet’s best snorkeling and scuba diving spots and it may be destroyed by human interference soon. If we don’t enforce some strict environmental laws in the area soon, we may lose this amazing reef like we are already losing the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Chan Chan

In Peru an ancient civilization thrived before the Spanish Conquistadors invaded the area and even predated the mighty Incan civilization. The Chimu people built the largest mud brick city in the entire world at the site called Chan Chan. This incredible archeological dig is ever changing because rain and weather are turning the mud bricks slowly back into mud and the crumbling infrastructure will only increase over time. See this magnificent site before it’s gone forever. The Incas eventually conquered the Chimu people but they left a real mark on Latin America.

Everglades National Park

Located in Southern Florida and encompassing 1.5 million acres of swampland, The Everglades National Park is in danger because rising sea levels are saturating the freshwater table with seawater and many of the animals and plant life are dying off. The Everglades are home to many species of animals and foliage that thrive nowhere else on the planet. Home to alligators, crocodiles, manatees, and countless other rare species, the Everglades are in serious danger and so are all these beautiful animals. The rising sea levels are seriously affecting the region and it is beginning to show signs of deterioration.

Portobelo-San Lorenzo

This Caribbean port city was originally built to protect Spanish gold and other treasures so it was a favorite spot for pirates. Pirates ruled the Caribbean waters in the 17^th and 18^th centuries and no ship was safe from their plundering ways. The fishing town has some incredible ruins of the Old Spanish naval base to the large amount of sunken ships in the harbor. With plenty to explore and tourism increasing, this heritage site is in danger of being built over as there is no regulations in this region of Panama. Take in the Old Spanish architecture and the beautiful ruins before it’s too late.

Destinations

New Travel Alert for Europe During The Summer

The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer.

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2024

Loren Thorn

The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer. This comes on the heels of recent travel warnings for Europe, which are a response to increased chatter from terrorist organizations. There have been some major terrorist attacks and activity in Europe and specifically France in the past few years. Summer is the busiest travel season and many European nations count on this yearly boom for their gross national income.

Details

The travel alert is issued on May 1, 2017 and runs until September 1, 2017. The US State Department believes that with all the recent terrorism at busy tourist attractions in Europe and increases chatter show signs of impending danger. The extremists are hell-bent on spreading their fear and terror by attacking the western civilization at the heart of their freedom.

France

Recent attacks in France have made huge headlines and many people have been affected by these incidents. Paris is an international city with millions of tourists each summer, so a travel warning like this could hurt their bottom line. Will this travel alert make people reconsider their summer travel plans, only time will tell?

The Alert mentions Paris as a possible site where terrorism could occur and that should worry people with plans through that city.

Russia

Russia seems to be in continuous turmoil and this summer season is no different. The country has been the target of terrorists in the past and many of those are homegrown threats. If you have plans to visit Russia, I would check with the US embassy just in case.

Great Britain

Great Britain has many strong ties to the United States and that makes them and their territories targets of terrorist organizations. London is one of the most visited cities in Europe and now the State Department is warning US citizens about the threat of a terrorist attack in that city this summer.

Islamic State and al-Qaida

The two main terrorist groups responsible for all these threats and attacks are the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaida. They have plenty of operatives already in place all over Europe and these sleeper cells are waiting for the opportunity to strike. The US State Department doesn’t believe that these attacks are imminent but there are strong possibilities.

What You Should Do

If you already have travel plans for Europe this summer, it may be too late to change your plans. If this is the case, don’t worry, the odds of being in a terrorist attack are very minimal and just being smart will help you out. If you plan on traveling to the alerted areas, contact the local embassy or consulate and see if there are any new developments. Watch media and see if there are any new warnings.

Look for things that are odd or out of the normal but overall just try and enjoy yourself. Life is too short to let the terrorists win, let’s keep living our free lives and we will always win in the face of adversity.