Hope you had a nice 4th of July. Here’s a linkfest to help you get over the post holiday hangover and blues, and scare the daylights out of you with some apocalyptic news bites.

First up, volcanoes are erupting left and right while you were snoozing on the weekend, or enjoying the fireworks and BBQ. KWTX reports that Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, the world’s most active, was putting on quite a show over the Fourth of July weekend. The volcano was pumping out lava from a series of steam explosions at the ocean’s edge. Aerial pictures taken on Friday morning showed lava spewing up to 150 feet in the air. Meanwhile in Italy, volcanic eruptions that started in May are continuing on Mount Etna.

Note that you can actually watch the lava tubes flowing at Kilauea. The things to do in Honolulu and Maui can’t hold a candle to watching the molten hot and awe-inspiring lava flow. One of these days, that volcano is gonna get real mad at all the pesky tourists and just blow its top. Photo by billso via flickr (creative commons).

Mandatory travel tip here: What do you do in case a volcano erupts under your nose? You go find a place where you can access the internet. Then you google ‘volcano safety tips’. You find the National Geographic page which answers aforementioned question. Then you read it. Then you follow it. Darn! Where the heck do you go looking for a mask when there’s lava flooding through the hotel lobby and the Concierge is hanging on for dear life from the chandelier? Or… You could just click here, read it now, and be fully prepared before you get anywhere near a volcano.

Continuing in the end-of-the-world theme, Disneyland is defenseless against the dreaded annual invasion of the Bats. Starting Nov 8th 2008, Anaheim will the home of the bats for the weekend. No joke. This is for real. Bats Day in the Fun Park, which started in August 1999 between the promoters of the goth/industrial & deathrock clubs, Absynthe and Release the Bats, has turned into a  3-day weekend event which happens toward the end of August, near Disneyland in Anaheim, Ca.

Fun events scheduled for the weekend include ‘The Bats Day™ Black Market’, ‘The Bats Day Ghoulish Gala’, ‘The Nightmare before Bats Day - Dinner Meet & Greet’, and ‘Bats Day in the Fun Park, which is the big spooky trip to Disneyland, Ca. for the Dark Alternative Subculture of all ages. All of these events, except for the spooky Disneyland trip, are held at the official Bats Day hotel, which provides a special Bats Day rate, for everyone staying in the hotel. Photo credit & copyrights - Batsday.net/Inspired Illusions

Huh? How come no one ever told me about a Bats Day hotel in Anaheim? I suppose they have a luxury King size rafter to hang from, instead of a bed. And a welcome bottle of blood instead of the usual champagne… Anyway, I poked around a bit, and here’s the inside dope on where the bats are gonna be hanging out at. The Official Bats Day in the Fun Park hotel will be once again the Doubletree Guest Suites in Anaheim California. The DoubleTree Guest Suites are happy to see our return once again. The special rate for 2008 is:
$139.00 + tax a night (double occupancy)
$159.00 + tax a night (triple occupancy)
$179.00 + tax a night (quad occupancy)

Each room is a 2 room suite and will sleep 6 people very comfortably. These room rates are good for the following days. Friday November 7th, Saturday, November 8th and Sunday, November 9th 2008. If you need another night a day or 2 before or after these dates, this rate will should be good as well. You can get this rate by making your reservations online or phoning it in and using the following codes. Phone: 1-800-222-TREE(8733) and ask for the “Bats Day in the Fun Park” rate. Online: http://www.anaheimdoubletree.com. when you reserve your dates, please enter “BAT” in the “Group/Convention Code:” section to ensure your special rate. Space is limited and this rate will only be good until October 7th 2008, so don’t delay. - Source: http://community.livejournal.com/industrialxxx/275335.html

If this ain’t good enough for you, then you might want to consider an ice cream social at the The Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa, celebrating the 33rd Annual Nude Recreation Week (July 7 to 13, 2008).

Posted on July 7th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News