The 25 Most Photographed Cities & Their Landmarks

Empire State Building
(all images from budgettravel.com; credit: Daniel Schwen/Wikimedia Commons)

It was interesting to find out what researchers at Cornell found after analyzing over 35 million Flickr photos. Below is a ranking of the most photographed cities and the most photographed landmark within that city. Most of the usual suspects are here but some are rather surprising. Links to each attraction is included in the ranking below.

Visit budgettravel.com for the full article. Tips are also featured from their photo editors for "breaking the mold" from the standard shots of each landmark. For example for number one ranked New York City, article reports that standard shot of the Empire State Building is a view from the street below. The tip: Broaden your perspective. By photographing an expected sight from an unexpected place can add a lot to your photo. Head 16 blocks north and up 70 floors to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck in Rockefeller Center, where you'll get the best view of the Empire State Building -- along with a 360-degree panorama view of the city.

1) New York City, New York, USA (Empire State Building)
2) London, England (Trafalgar Square)
3) San Francisco, California, USA (Union Square)
4) Paris, France (Eiffel Tower)
5) Los Angeles, California, USA (Hollywood Walk of Fame)

Cloud Gate Sculpture (credit: Kramer/flickr)

6) Chicago, Illinois, USA (Cloud Gate Sculpture)
7) Washington, DC, USA (Lincoln Memorial)
8) Seattle, Washington, USA (Space Needle)
9) Rome, Italy (Colosseum)
10) Amsterdam, Netherlands (Dam Square)

Fenway Park (image: Jerry Driend/Getty)

11) Boston, Massachusetts (Fenway Park)
12) Barcelona, Spain (Sagrada Familia)
13) San Diego, California, USA (Balboa Park)
14) Berlin, Germany (Brandenburg Gate)
15) Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (Paris Las Vegas Hotel)

Duomo (image: Alycia Rockey)

16) Florence, Italy (Duomo - Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)
17) Toronto, Ontario, Canada (CN Tower)
18) Milan, Italy (Duomo di Milano)
19) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Granville Island)
20) Madrid, Spain (Plaza Mayor)

Piazza San Marco (image: turinboy/flickr)

21) Venice, Italy (Piazza San Marco)
22) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (Independence Hall)
23) Austin, Texas, USA (Capitol Building)
24) Dublin, Ireland (O'Connell Street and The Spire of Dublin)
25) Portland, Oregon, USA (Pioneer Courthouse Square)

Pioneer Courthouse Square (image: Cacophony/Wikimedia Commons)

Hank's Haute Dogs: Chicago, Chorizo & More

Kakaako location (image credit: leyliagray/flickr)

When I first visited Hank's Haute Dogs in the Kakaako area of Honolulu to have the Chorizo Dog I was hooked. For me visiting Hank's is like a special event. At six or more dollars for one of the specialty dogs, it's a habit that can become expensive so I limit my visits. This weekend my appetite was for the Chicago Dog with all the classic toppings.

For first time visitors I recommend to start with the Chicago Dog ($4.95) topped with yellow mustard, raw onions, neon green relish; tomato, dill pickle, celery salt and hot peppers. You can have it with all the toppings or a combination. Otherwise my other favorites are the Chorizo ($5.50) grilled with brown mustard, grilled onion and cilantro; and the Andouille ($5.50) grilled, spicy with onions and Cajun spiced mustard. Each of these are delicious to the last bite. The only menu item I was disappointed with is the Fat Boy ($5.95). It's wrapped in bacon and deep fried which I found overcooked. I really love bacon so my expectations were really high.

Above: Chicago Dog. Below: Fresh Ginger Soda & Onion Rings.

On each day of the week Hank's offers an unusual dog not part of its everyday menu. The schedule is advertised as follows: Italian Beef Sandwich ($6.95) on Mondays; Alligator Andouille ($8.30) on Tuesdays; weekly specials such on Wednesdays; Buffalo Brat ($7.50) on Thursdays; Lobster Sausage ($10.50) on Fridays; Duck & Foie Gras Sausage ($9.50) on Saturdays; and the Kobe Dog ($8.50) on Sundays. All the dogs are made to order so expect a short wait depending on the crowd.

Add a side of onion rings dipped in panko batter ($3.75) or twice-cooked fries ($2.75-$3.95) with a root beer and it is a satisfying meal. For you vegetarians there is the No Dog ($3.75) comprised of avocado, tomato, onion, cucumber, Chinese parsley, spicy chipotle may and cheddar. Today I added a Fresh Ginger Soda ($3.25) from short list of tropical cocktails. It has that ginger 'bite' lacking from ginger ale soft drinks.

The eatery has free parking in the lot behind only Sundays and the limited street parking is metered. Visit the Kakaako location as the Waikiki location's menu is limited. The Kakaako location is open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-5pm. There is very limited seating inside and outside of Hank's. Otherwise grab your meal to go and head over to nearby Kakaako Waterfront Park. But hurry you definitely want to consume your meal while it's hot.

Visit hankshautedogs.com for more information. Hank's Haute Dogs is featured in an episode of the Food Channel's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives". Click HERE to view the segment.

Kakaako location interior (image credit: monajc/flickr)

Kakaako Makai Gateway Park: A Hangar for 800 Shirts

Upon leaving Kaakako Waterfront Park, I took a pause at the unusual display of hundreds of t-shirts flapping in the wind in the corridor called Kakaako Gateway Park. I learned it was an exhibit for Aloha Art Week in what the organizers hope becomes an annual exhibition. For 23 years, the same group has organized a similar event in Japan. The eventual sale of the shirts online benefits the recovery of Japan from March's earthquake and tsunami.

Also for families who want to make a day out of the area, the Hawaii Children's Discover Center (pictured below) is located steps from either either Kakaako parks. Strictly an interactive museum for the young or young at heart. 

The six-acre Kakaako Gateway Park serves two purposes ultimately. On what was formerly two city blocks of industrial buildings, it now is the entryway and extension to the Waterfront Park. As a flat and level lawn it is a contrast to the the rolling landscape of the waterfront park and is more flexible to host outdoor special events and exhibitions. 

Take a look at the park rules below. What are other objects that puncture the ground?

Kakaako Waterfront Park (Part 2): Points of Interest

See part one for the description and other information about Kakaako Waterfront Park and additional photographs.

Views of Diamond Head and Ala Moana Beach from Kakaako Waterfront Park

Amphitheater

Ehime Maru Memorial

From the Ehime Maru Memorial inscription: At 1:43pm on February 9, 2001 about 10 miles south of Oahu, Hawaii, the Ehime Maru, the fishing training vessel of Ehime Prefectured Uwajima Fisheries High School in Japan sank after a collision with the U.S. Navy Submarine, USS Greeneville. Four students, two teachers and three crew members perished in the accident.

This memorial with nine links of the anchor chain and the actual anchor from the Ehime Maru, honors the nine precious lives lost and serves as a place where their souls are remembered. This Memorial encourages safety and peace on the seas throughout the world provides an educational experience for the youth, and seeks to develop and strengthen the friendship between Ehime Prefecture and Hawaii and the overall relationship between Japan and the United States.

Point Panic

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Victim Memorial

Dedicated to those tragically killed or injured by impaired driving or other violent crime and to their families and friends whose lives are forever changed (from the plaque that fronts the memorial). 

Kakaako Waterfront Park (Part 1): Promenade & Park

Note: This post is separated into two parts. Visit part two for additional photographs.

A craving for Hank's Haute Dogs lead to a Saturday afternoon at Kakaako Waterfront Park. With Hank's packed with an early lunch crowd, I drove to the park a couple of blocks away to enjoy the eatery's Chicago Dog. More about Hank's later. Surprisingly uncrowded, the park provided a quiet respite from busy Honolulu.

At over 30 acres, the park lacks a sandy beach and this probably explains the smaller weekend crowds compared to nearby Ala Moana Beach. Visiting the park today it's difficult to imagine that twenty years ago this site was a massive landfill. Officially opened in 1992, Kakaako Waterfront Park is a rolling landscape with a 20-foot wide promenade stretching along the entire length of the park's ocean side.

The park includes a community amphitheater where Daughtry played a concert last fall, the Ehime Maru Memorial and water access to Point Panic, a popular spot for surfers and board riders. A central mound provides an ideal photographic point and 360-degree panoramic view.

The completion of the Kakaako Makai Gateway Park along Ala Moana Boulevard serves as a proper entry to the waterfront park. There is a free parking lot and metered stalls along side streets.

The park is located between Downtown Honolulu and the Ala Moana/Waikiki area. Park hours is 6am-10pm daily. The Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), created by the State of Hawaii legislature in 1976 to revitalize urban areas of the state, manages the park. Visit hcdaweb.org to more info about the park, permit information and the HCDA. Click HERE for the park fact sheet.

See part 2 of this post for additional photographs.

A Very Potter Musical: Goin' Back to Hogwarts

In my post about 'Potted Potter' my intention was not to deny the existence of 'A Very Potter Musical' or its sequel but just to say that a musical version about Harry Potter has not been developed or presented for Broadway or London's West End.

To satisfy those who emailed soon after writing about 'Potted', this post is to declare the existence of 'A Very Potter Musical'. Who knows? There just might be a producer brave enough to invest in development of the idea but it would likely take a huge amount of effort to ask 'Harry Potter' author J.K. Rowling to agree.  

After several million views on YouTube, it's unlikely the news of this Harry Potter musical parody would be startling. After all 'A Very Potter Musical' was originally called 'Harry Potter: The Musical' when it was first performed in 2009 at the University of Michigan. When a video of the the musical was posted on YouTube the same year, the video was removed for fear of a lawsuit. The video was reposted and rechristened under its 'A Very Potter' name. The video went viral leading to Entertainment Weekly declaring the show one of ten best viral videos of the year.

Elements, characters and plot points from the various books and movies appear in the parody. The musical tells about Harry Potter's return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as he and his classmates experience feelings of adolescence while the dark wizard Voldemort returns from the dead to take revenge on 'the boy who lived'.

A creation of StarKid Productions, a student-created theatre production group formed in Ann Arbor Michigan, the musical also offered the introduction of Darren Criss to the masses in the title role. His guest stint on the television musical "Glee" and his Billboard #1 recording of "Teenage Dream" from the show helped to secure him a regular role on the series and mass of new fans. Criss with A.J. Holmes composed the music and lyrics for 'A Very Potter Musical'. The book is by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden. The popularity of the musical proved durable enough to warrant 'A Very Potter Sequel' in 2010.

In case you are not one of millions who have already viewed a sample of the show, a video is posted above of the song "Goin' Back to Hogwarts". Visit the StarKid YouTube home page to see the entire show comprised of 23 videos. 

A cast recording of 'A Very Potter Musical' and 'A Very Potter Sequel' is available for download on the StarKid website.

(all images: StarKid Productions)

Air Rage + Recline Button = Fighter Jets

Air Force F-16 Jet (image: AV8NLVR/flickr)

This straight from the Washington Post:

A passenger hit the recline button and sent his seat intimately close to the lap of the guy sitting behind him.  What followed: a smack to the head, peacemakers diving about the cabin to intervene and a pair of Air Force F-16 fighter jets scrambling into the night skies over Washington.

Example of the offending recline button.
(image credit: scoobyfoo/flickr)

It happened late Sunday, just after a United Airlines Boeing 767 bound for Ghana with 144 passengers took off from Dulles International Airport.

Not long after the 10:44 p.m. departure for the overnight flight, the offending seat was lowered into the offended lap, and a fight ensued. A flight attendant and another passenger jumped in between, said sources familiar with the incident who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details.

The pilot has complete authority over the aircraft, a United spokesman said, and he decided to return to Dulles. A 767 can take off with 16,700 gallons of fuel and the full load of fuel weighs more than 57 tons. Although a 767 can get that weight airborne, it can’t land with it. The United pilot flew round for about 25 minutes, shadowed by the fighter jets, to burn off an undetermined amount of fuel.

Audio transmissions indicate that the two Air Force fighters scrambled from Andrews Air Force Base at 11:03 p.m, just as the plane reentered Washington airspace. Five minutes later, the fighter escorts took up position 1,000 feet above the jetliner as it headed toward Dulles, sources said.

Visit washingtonpost.com for the complete article. Everyone has their opinion on when or when not to recline. It's only a matter of time before it goes another step further.

Lantern Floating Hawaii on Memorial Day

(image credits: top, discoverhawaii/flickr;
bottom, ajorth/flickr)

Visitors who manage a stay in Honolulu, Hawaii during the Memorial Day weekend may want to take in the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony.  In it's thirteenth year this was the first time I got to join in the viewing experience. It is an amazing and moving sight to see.

Taking place along the shores of Ala Moana Beach and Magic Island since 2002, prayers and messages for the dead and suffering are drifted out to sea on floating lanterns. Keehi Lagoon served as the site for the event from 1999-2001. This year a total of 3,000 lanterns were launched, the most for the event ever. Over 40,000 lined the shores this evening as the first lantern was dedicated to the victims of March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan. For many the tradition serves as an act of letting go and remembrance.

The Lantern Floating is open to everyone regardless of nationality, race, faith or lifestyle. One unique aspect of the event is it combines the observance of the upcoming Obon season and Memorial Day. In July or August, Buddhists welcome the spirits of deceased loved ones and ancestors with bon dances and other Obon traditions.  Prior to the launch of lanterns was a series of speeches, songs, hula, traditional Buddhist chant and western choral music.

Visit lanternfloatinghawaii.com for information about the tradition and future events.