James Dean Burial Site - Fairmount, Indiana

James Dean

ROAD TRIP TO JAMES DEAN GRAVESITE

Fairmount, Indiana.  This is no Pere Lachaise in Paris, France where Jim Morrison and Edith Piaf rest.

It is a small town between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.  Not a destination in itself, but if you are driving in the area, it maybe worthwhile to detour.

Off Route 31 you get the sense of why James Dean escaped to Hollywood.

When you walk into the Fairmount Historical Museum, you will be won over. 

The museum is full of the actual items owned by James Dean.  There are four rooms packed full of James Dean's own clothes, letters, photographs, school reports, motorbikes, toys and other memorabilia donated both by the local community and by his film star friends.

Park Cemetery itself is a big place, far bigger than you'd expect of a town with a population of less than 3,000, so the map they give you at the museum is essential. And there it is: a modest headstone bearing his name and the years 1931-1955. Nothing more. It's no different from the hundreds of other headstones here, just as Fairmount's no different from thousands of other towns in the Midwest.

The 2011 James Dean Festival will take place from Thursday, Sept. 22nd through Sunday, Sept. 25th. The festival's main attractions will be the Annual Museum Days and the Annual James Dean Run.

Museum Days, a four-day long remembrance celebration, will feature live music performed on the Main Street stage; free showings of "East of Eden," "Rebel Without a Cause" and "The Giant;" James Dean look alike contest, dance contests, and a number of other events and activities suitable for children and adults of all ages.

The James Dean Run will take place at Fairmount's Playacres Park and feature car judging, flame throwing contests, music, trivia and much more.

The James Dean Festival is the quintessential festival for fans that wish to honor and celebrate the young actor who personified what it meant to be "cool" - James Byron Dean.

TRAVEL - PHILIPPINES - INTRAMUROS - MANILA

TRAVEL - PHILIPPINES - INTRAMUROS - MANILA

Intramuros Front Gate

My office in 2009 through 2010, was in the port area of Manila, Philippines and right outside of this gate of the old walled city.  Intramuros is the oldest district of the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila during the Spanish Colonial Period. Located then along Manila Bay and south of the mouth of Pasig River, its thick defensive walls were built by the Spaniards in the 16th century to protect the city from invasion. Its name in Spanish, intramuros, literally "within the walls", meaning a city enclosed by thick, high walls and surrounded by moats.

Old City Map

Often, I would go there to conduct business such as work permits and banking.  My fiance, now my wife, suggested we tour Fort Santiago.

Pearl at Fort Santiago Entrance

The fort was the site of several key battles over the years.  Built in 1571 it was destroyed in 1574.

Pearl at the cannon

Me at the cannon

Golden Foot Print of Rizal

1896.  A national hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal, was held prisoner by the Spanish and executed nearby on December 30, 1896.  Moments before his execution by a squad of Filipino soldiers of the Spanish Army, a backup force of regular Spanish Army troops stood ready to shoot the executioners should they run awry. The Spanish Army Surgeon General requested to take his pulse: it was normal. Aware of this the Sergeant commanding the backup force hushed his men to silence when they began raising "vivas" with the highly partisan crowd of Peninsular and Mestizo Spaniards.  His steps are traced in gold.  It was powerful to see.

Unlikely Soldier

Later, after the Spanish-American War, Intramuros was the headquarters of the US Army.  The US trained Filipino soldiers and we got to try on their uniforms.

Pearl looks serious

In 1941, the Japanese invaded and kept many prisoners in the dungeons of Intramuros.

Pearl in the Dungeon

Pearl in front of Casa Maynila

After touring Fort Santiago, we headed over to Casa Maynila.  It is a reproduction of how people lived in the 1800's Reproduction because, during the Battle of Manila in 1945, every building was destroyed.  Not many pictures on the inside because it was forbidden to take photos.  We would have done it anyway, but the guards haunt you.  I guess they get a bonus if they catch you.

Pearl at the garden of Casa Maynila

I highly recommend the Carlos Celdran tour.  We caught the last bit of this one as we had to go work an overnight shift.   Carlos Celdran is not only knowledgeable but he is hilarious and some of routines make the history come alive.  You can book him here.  Overall, the tour of Intramuros was inexpensive and historical.  We made a lot of our own fun.  We went in January so it was cooler than usual.  But still beware the tropical sun and drink plenty of water.

Philippines Travel Guide - Palawan

Palawan Province

PALAWAN:

The history of Palawan may be traced back 22,000 years ago. The discovery of bone fragments of the Tabon Man in Quezon, anthropologists believe they came from Borneo. Known as the Cradle of Philippine Civilization, the remains of the ancient man were found along with his tools and a number of artifacts.

SPONSOR:  Princess Diana Dolls

To Do:

Puerto Princesa Underground River

Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines

Underground River on Palawan

A bottomless cave under the rocky marble and limestone sea cliff of Mt. Saint Paul  is also present on the Island, where an 8,000 meters underground river course exists.  It is known as one of the world’s wonders and also considered as the longest underground rivers in the world. The special feature of the park is to ride a boat and go inside the cave with a flashlight exploring the beautiful religious- like images of stalagmite and stalactite, which are all breathtaking views. 

 

 

Take the Sabang Beach Adventure Tour.

Overall great place to explore whether you are visiting the Philippines or already live there.

SOUTHWEST Update - Working through cancellations

Southwest Airlines is experiencing relatively few flight delays and cancellations while they are proactively inspecting some Boeing 737s.  For more information about these inspections.

If your flight is delayed or canceled and you would like to reschedule your trip in accordance with Southwest accommodation guidelines Online Rebook

For Customers who did not purchase their ticket via southwest.com, please call 1-800-435-9792 to rebook your travel plans without paying any additional charge.  Also, Customers holding reservations for a canceled flight may request a refund for an unused ticket/travel itinerary.

Link to ehow article on Southwest Cancellation policy.

Southwest may cancel 300 flights Sunday 4/3/2011

Southwest canceled hundreds of flights over the weekend as it inspected 79 aircraft from its Boeing 737 fleet after one of its planes with a gaping hole in the fuselage made an emergency landing, the airline said on Saturday.

The airline said was canceling some 300 flights on Saturday, a day after the emergency landing, and could cancel around that number again on Sunday.

"We don't at this time know what the impact will be, but it's possible that it could be in the 300-flight range again tomorrow," Southwest spokesman Brandy King

Travel Tips - Postponing or Canceling

If your flight gets canceled or postponed, see if it can be rescheduled.  Getting a new date may be better than hanging around the airport for an indefinate period.

* If you decide to travel at a later date, call your travel agent or your airline as soon as possible for details on how to reuse your ticket.  Generally, tickets must be used no later than one year from the date of purchase.  Some changes may require a fee and/or an additional fare payment.

* If your originally scheduled flight was canceled and you decide not to travel, you can receive a full refund.  To arrange for a refund, call your travel agent or call Southwest Customer Service.  Southwest Airlines 800-435-9792 update - (This number has been ringing busy) 


** Great Authentic Movie Posters.  Double sided from studio to movie theater.  GREAT TITLES GREAT PRICES **

American Airlines in battle with Online Booking Sites

Expedia Cancels Relationship with American Airlines Over a  Price Dispute

Expedia Inc. removed American Airlines’ airfares from its travel website today.  They claim the new pricing model from AA is “anti-consumer and anti-choice,” making it harder to compare American ticket prices and options with those of other airlines, the online travel agency said in an e- mailed statement.

American doesn’t expect a “significant” drop in sales from Expedia’s move, said Ryan Mikolasik, a spokesman for American Airlines. On Dec. 23, Expedia omitted American fares from prime search displays on its site, though customers could still buy tickets. This widens the conflict between online travel agencies and airlines, such as American, that seek to drive more consumers to their own websites. Fort Worth, Texas- based American, owned by AMR Corp., has developed a system called Direct Connect that provides fare pricing and options directly to larger online travel agencies.

Last month, American pulled its listings off Orbitz Worldwide Inc., while Delta Air Lines Inc. notified three online travel sites -- CheapOAir.com, OneTravel.com and BookIt.com -- that it terminated them as authorized travel agents.

American spokesman Mikolasik said that while consumers can’t buy American tickets on Expedia anymore, the airline’s fares and schedules remain on Egencia, Expedia’s corporate travel website.

Travel App Review: AUTOSLASH.COM - Car Rental Site

AutoSlash.com

Very useful site when booking a rental car.  It is superior to Priceline and other all in one sites, the search feature will automatically enter promo codes for you.  It also tracks changes in pricing once you reserve your car, AutoSlash sends you an alert so you can re-book if the price drops.  Rental car agencies are known for changing their pricing on a daily basis. 

I used the site for a recent trip and compared to Priceline, I got a better price and it was easier to use.  I was also impressed with the coupon section.  I always find myself clipping coupons and not using them or misplacing them.  The coupon page of AutoSlash is convenient.

AutoSlash.com also has a helpful blog on it's site that advises the traveler on the tips and tricks to get the most and spend less on their car rentals.  Recently, they had a tip on their blog about how rental car companies charge you for "free airline miles" when you rent. 

Whether you are travelling for the holidays or you travel for business, check out AutoSlash.com.