Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations

 Here is your chance to get the new book for your personal and/or school library.

Sensory Tourism: Senses and SenseScapes Encompassing Tourism Destinations: Jenkins PhD, Ian, Bristow, Robert S.: 9781800623583: Amazon.com: Books

Like in all forms of tourism inputs, sensory elements influence the experience in many ways.  Each sense may be highlighted for a particular type of tour, yet the other senses are always in the background and contribute to an opportunity for a multisensory event. For example, in culinary tourism, taste of a meal or the gustation may be in the forefront, yet the others can contribute to the enjoyment (or displeasure). Tasting unique cuisine is enhanced by the visual attractiveness of the setting, the tactile feeling of the food, the aroma lifting from the plate and the chatter in the setting from the kitchen.

November Hiking

 November is a great time for hikes. Except for hunters*, there are few bugs, and the temperatures are great.

Here some shots from AMC Noble View and map.

Take a hike.

* No hunting on Sunday's in Massachusetts, Yeah!

Election 2024

 Worth repeating.

What this election in 2024 is really about is Freedom.

The freedom NOT to be challenged by your race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

PLEASE VOTE.

Mr. Vampire (1985)

 Forget what you know about Vampires and watch 

Mr. Vampire (1985, 96 minutes) 

This film is a Color Horror/Comedy Film distributed by Golden Harvest.  This is the original hopping vampire film directed by Ricky Lau (Lau Chang Wei) who went on to direct three of the sequels before releasing the control of the theme to others.  It was produced by Sammo Hung.  Yes, you read that right, hopping vampires.  

This original title spawned several sequels and like many Hong Kong flicks, the titles were simply Mr. Vampire 2, 3 and you get the idea.  But the original is the best, just like the original Evil Dead is the best in my opinion.

Hard to find so enjoy this Trailor in the meantime.

Another plug for Shatter

 Two years ago, my brother's film Shatter came out.

Time for another Halloween film.

Watch it on Prime here or other steaming platforms.

House on Haunted Hill

 The great William Castle flick for your enjoyment this Halloween Season.

Watch House on Haunted Hill here.

On YouTube.

And since in Public Domain, easy to find on your streaming channels.

Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet

 

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) is barely visible to the naked eye after sunset for the next week or two.  But point your cell phone camera to the west, and use "night" option. This graphic is from Sky & Telescope.

Some shots from last night across a soybean field looking west at 8 pm central time.

Details of photos are Samsung Camera, Model SM-G781U, F-Stop 1.8, 1/3 second, ISO-5000, Focal length 5 mm, Maximum aperture 1.69.  (this is for sixth picture, others are about the same).

That is a plane crossing the bottom of the last pic.

2025 National Environment and Recreation Research (NERR) Symposium

 The call for abstracts and scholarships for the 2025 National Environment and Recreation Research (NERR) Symposium is open. The 2025 symposium will be held  March 30 – April 1, 2025 in stunning Virginia Beach! As in the past, NERR will focus on innovative research and practical applications spanning a breadth of topics within recreation, tourism, and environmental management.

Key information:

Abstracts Submission: 

Deadline:  November 25, 2024

Submission Link:  https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5ABasPee6yM1ggu

Types of presentations:  Oral presentations, poster presentations, Roundtable Sessions.

Format: Word format or PDF with two pages: The first page should be the abstract (maximum 500 words) plus title and the second page could be used for references, tables, and/or figures.

Scholarship Application:: 

Deadline:  November 25, 2024

Application link:  https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6VxK4kcUV1VdXWS

Format: Students should upload two required documents: (1) a cover letter; (2) a recommendation letter from faculty. Please include the student’s name in each file name (e.g., Smith_cover; Smith_faculty letter).

Questions? Please, contact:

RE Abstracts or symposium: Dr. Hung-Ling (Stella) Liu (hliu35@gmu.edu) or Dr. Ellen Drogin Rodgers (erodger1@gmu.edu) co-chairs

RE Scholarships: Dr. SammiePowers (spower5@gmu.edu).

Looking forward to you at NERR! 

Aurora Borealis in Southern Illinois

 Some pics from last night.

Aurora - 30 Minute Forecast | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

Bureau Of Labor Statistics

 Workforce data from Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

First a map about the weekly wage for the Leisure/Hospitality in the public local sector

Does the private sector do better?

Doesn't seem so

NESTVAL 2024 at Westfield State!

 First time in my memory, that Westfield State University hosts New England St Lawrence Valley Geographical Society!

For a link on the meeting see Upcoming Meeting – NESTVAL (aag.org).

And register here.

50 years ago today, in the Presidentials

 Some pics from 50 years ago.

Mt. Madison

Back when I had hair

Former Edmunds Col emergency shelter

So disgusted by crowds on Mt Washington, I waited until Lake of the Clouds to snap pic

Further south, another view of Mt. Washington

The USDA-FS map

Waiting a few days at Pinkham Notch, meant I had great weather to traverse the Trail above the timberline.

Future Dystopian Attractions: Benign Masochism in Dark Tourism

 Dark Tourism Futures: Thoughts, Ideas, Scenarios

 The Future of Dark Tourism by Philip R. Stone (channelviewpublications.com)

Philip R. Stone & Daniel W.M. Wright

Chapter 21

Robert Bristow, Alina Gross & Ian Jenkins

Future Dystopian Attractions: Benign Masochism in Dark Tourism

Bristow et al., examine the nature and future of ‘fright attractions.’ The chapter offers a critical account of how and why voyeuristic audiences are drawn to a fictional future of death and suffering, while insisting on a sanitised spectacle. Taking a cross-cultural approach, Bristow et al., anticipate the future of ‘fright tourism’ based upon a macabre interest in death, yet one that is disinfected from reality. With case examples from Japan, Mexico, and Romania, the study is grounded in notions of risk, folklore and mythmaking, geopolitics, religiously, and cultural identity. The chapter also suggests that a ‘benign masochism’ (of pain and pleasure) might be inherent in fright tourism and will remain a key issue for future (lighter) dark tourism attractions and tourist experiences.

Fifty years ago today on the AT

 Fifty years ago, we hike the trail between Sugarloaf and Spauling Mountains in Maine, the very last piece of trail to make the whole AT complete that was blazed and cleared on August 14, 1937.

Some pics and maps of the area:

and the LiDAR image

Today, 50 years ago, on Appalachian Trail

 The first day of September 1974, Avery LT was our camp after a 21 mile day.  Several nice views from the mountains along the way including mine, the same as Avery’s Silver Aisle picture.   Several LT’s are now found next to the pond.

Except for the lack of backpackers in the shot, this view has to be one of the most iconic views found along the whole AT.  I think it might top McAfee Knob!

The Bigelow Range was initially blazed by Helon N. Taylor, then Game Supervisor in Maine.  The trail was later improved in 1934-36 by the CCC.

A current map of the Mountain can be found here.

A highly recommended hike!

Forded the Kennebec River 50 year ago today

 August 1974 would end with the approach to the Kennebec River, first with a 20 mile day from Breakneck Ridge LT to Pleasant Pond LT.  As would be the norm for Maine, it was a wet day, and my boots were constantly wet.  On the last day of August, we crossed the Kennebec early in the morning with no problem.  My journal reported “Big .2 Mile! More like 400 feet or perhaps up to 600 feet. Got up to my crouch or pant legs.  No sweat….Dried out in sun on west bank especially boots and sox.”

The actual river gauge for that week shows the trend.  The river was flowing about 3000 CFS just north of Caratunk, slightly higher than the norm for the date (the Triangle).  Caratunk, is the Abenaki, first nation’s name meaning “forbidding or crooked stream” and interestingly enough Kennebec is “level water river’ or long quiet water.”

Approach road from Trail North.