Death at Yosemite National Park. Sadly, a 22-year-old visitor to California’s Yosemite National Park recently decided to swim in what looks like calm water, but has a large hidden undercurrent. As a result, he was swept over a waterfall that was more than 500 feet high.
Venezuela earthquakes. On June 24th, two strong earthquakes hit Venezuela within minutes of each other – a 7.2 and 7.5. There has been damage to several regions of the country, and the rising death toll at the time of this writing is more than 1,700 people. The country’s main international airport was also damaged.
Record heat in Europe. Some of Britain’s streets are purportedly melting, and the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum in Paris had to be closed this week due to the temperatures, which rose higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas. At least 48 people have died from the heat in France alone.
Careful using public WiFi. Apparently, there are lots of fake public WiFi networks now that are designed to steal your data. At the airport or a business, check to see if there are two networks with a similar name, and if so, ask an employee which one is legitimate. Never enter personal information beyond your email password. If you find that you signed on to a fake network, change your email password immediately.
Japan increases visa costs. As of tomorrow, a single-entry visa for visitors to Japan will increase from 3000 yen (about $18) to 15,000 yen (about $93).
Cinque Terre rule. In Cinque Terre, there’s a rule against wearing flipflops because rescue crews got tired of picking people up when they tripped over their shoes. The penalty? Almost $3,000!
Hawaiian Airlines food. Hawaiian Airlines has discontinued free meals in economy class on almost all of its flights. Boo!
Royal Caribbean whale strike. On June 19th, a Royal Caribbean ship in Alaska apparently collided with a pregnant fin whale, which ended up on its bow. The Center for Biological Diversity has urged cruise ships to slow their speeds while traveling in whale habitats. The fin whale, which is the second largest animal on the planet (after the blue whale), is an endangered species.
Air Canada flight diverted when pilot suffers medical emergency. On June 24th, an Air Canada flight had to be diverted when the pilot apparently suffered a seizure. Passengers assisted so that the copilot could take over.
Dolly Parton attraction in Tennessee. Dolly has opened a “Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop” in Cornersville, TN, which includes a restaurant, general store, and a “Cup of Ambition” cafe.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, New York Travel Writers Association, and International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 43 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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