Travel Inspiration: Plan a Romantic Getaway to Rodanthe

Two unsuspecting strangers find themselves alone in a quintessential coastal setting and begin a life changing romance. Sound like the perfect love story?

Nicholas Sparks thought so when he wrote the best-selling novel Nights in Rodanthe, now a major motion picture staring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. The film tells the story of a doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son when he meets an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn. The two are forced to weather a storm together and in the process find a love that will stay with them forever.

Filmed in the Outer Banks, Nights in Rodanthe is sure to become one of the year’s most travel inspiring films. The movie is not only named for, but is also set in Rodanthe, a small town on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the Outer Banks, approximately 30 miles south of Nags Head, N.C. Rodanthe is the eastern most point of North Carolina, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pamlico Sound to the west.

The town’s peaceful seaside charm is the perfect backdrop for a romantic getaway without sacrificing the conveniences of a more urban setting. The Outer Banks offer dining, shopping, nightlife, and recreational activities to suit any taste. It is also easy to access any of the towns in the Outer Banks via North Carolina’s highways and bridges.

If Nights in Rodanthe has inspired you to plan your own romantic on location vacation in the Outer Banks, Sun Realty has a special just for you! Join them for a romantic 3-night or 6-night Outer Banks getaway between September 20th and October 20th and receive:

-Complimentary early check-in ($100 value)
-Complimentary departure clean ($100 value)
-Outer Banks gift basket ($50 value)

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Our Fringe Premiere Giveway Winner Announced!

And the winner is… Ben Prindle! Ben was picked randomly after giving us the correct to answer to our question “what is the name of Joshua Jackson’s character on Fringe” which is Peter Bishop of course! Congrats to Ben who has won 2 passes to the premiere of Fringe at the New York Television Festival in NYC! The event will take place Saturday night and includes red carpet arrivals and a Q & A session after the screening.

Thanks to everyone who entered, we had a great response! To see me pick Ben as the winner check out the video below:

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Fringe Premiere Ticket Giveway

The folks over at The New York Television Festival have been nice enough to give us 2 passes to the Fringe Premiere on Saturday 9/13 at the World Stages in Manhattan and we are giving them away to one lucky reader!

To enter, email the full name of Joshua Jackson’s character in Fringe to olv(at)onlocationvacations(dot)com (please add contest to the subject line). After you have emailed us, please also leave a comment letting us know you have entered but do not give away your answer! You must enter by Thursday 9/11 at 5:00 PM. We’ll randomly draw a winner amongst the eligible entries and will post a video of the drawing at 9 PM Thursday. The winner will be contacted after the drawing with all of the details via email.

The NYTVF was founded in 2005 as the industry’s first recognized independent television festival, providing a platform to elevate the work of artists creating for the small screen. Held annually each fall in New York City, the birthplace of modern television, the Festival unites artists, executives, industry figures, and fans together in one forum to celebrate the medium and to help shape its future.

Travel Inspiration found in the “Stargate”

This month, Stargate: Continuum was released on DVD. This meant huge excitement for longtime fans of the series but it should also be exciting for set-jetters as I predict this will be one of the most travel inspiring movies of the year! Why you ask? Because the film was partially shot in the Arctic, a rare feat for a production of this size.

This all came about because of an overzealous fan, Barry Campbell, who happened to work at APLIS. Campbell attended an autograph signing at a Stargate Convention and asked the film’s stars if they would like to go to the Arctic. The producers liked the idea and once it was ok’d by the Navy, Stargate’s writer, Brad Wright, began a script that would incorporate the Arctic.

The show’s director Martin Wood called filming in the region “amazingly complicated”. This was exemplified at one point when the cast and crew (cut down to only 7 people for the trip) waited nearly six hours in negative 50 degree temperatures for the Navy to drive a submarine up through four feet of ice.

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Travel Inspiration: X-Files Style

We skipped last week’s “Travel Inspiration” due to Dark Knight and Mamma Mia fatigue. They both have excellent locations which we have discussed in previous posts but we just couldn’t think about either film for one more minute. Yes, we know Heath Ledger was brilliant as The Joker and the stage version of Mamma Mia cheered up Meryl’s daughter after 911, we got it!

So moving right along, in theaters this week is X Files: I Want to Believe which was filmed in Vancouver as was the original TV series. And we all know Vancouver is Hollywood North, home to dozens of movies and TV shows includingJuno, Smallville, Psych, Supernatural, John Tucker Must Die, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Deck the Halls, even the highly anticipated Watchmen.

There are several factors that contribute to the amount of filming taking place in Vancouver, it is cheaper to film in Canada, that is probably reason number 1 but they also have a variety of studios and on location crews that help to.

All of these movie sets make Vancouver an excellent place for star searching. Wikipedia features a guide to common filming locations that are still be used for various movies or TV shows making all of theses locations good stalking ground. Read more

Travel Inspiration: “Journey to the Center of the Earth”

This week Journey to the Center of the Earth opens nationwide and is receiving more buzz for its digital 3-D effects than for its plot or acting. But what it lacks in storyline it makes up for in location. The movie is not only set in Iceland but was also partially filmed there.

Iceland is becoming a hot travel destination because of its diverse landscape that includes glaciers, hot springs, geysers, volcanoes, and lava deserts. Since Iceland isn’t exactly a tourism Mecca it is hard for many (including me) to picture what it is like or what there is to do. MTV sent a reporter to Iceland for a week and she posted details from her trip on their blog. I wouldn’t normally consider MTV a great travel resource but this is actually an excellent overview.

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and a good “home base” as it is the most populous city in Iceland. Like most cities there is an art scene, shopping, and many restaurants specializing in seafood. But to really get the full experience no trip to Iceland is complete without venturing out. Here are few recommended excursions.

The only real downfall (and the reason why few actually visit Iceland) is it can be cost prohibitive. You can cut expenses by staying in a hostel rather than a hotel and traveling by bus pass rather than car. It may also be more cost effective to take an all inclusive tour of Iceland. Another option might be winning a trip. Iceland Naturally is sponsoring a contest for 3 nights all expenses paid if you want to try your luck.

Journey to the Center of the Earth has shined a much needed spotlight on one of the earth’s most unique destinations. With the movie’s release, Iceland is sure to be added to everyone’s must see list.

Travel Inspiration “Wanted”

Wanted, had a huge opening last weekend, coming in second to Wall-E only because it opened in 800 less theaters across the country. The movie tells the story of a young man who, after learning his dead father was an assassin, is recruited into the same exclusive, superhuman association his dad once belonged to.

Wanted was filmed in Prague, Budapest, and Chicago. OLV brought you all of the Chicago locations as they were shooting last August, now we have even more travel inspiringinformation about Prague and Budapest.

Prague is not just the capital of the Czech Republic but also the cultural, economic, and political heart of the country. Since Prague was the primary filming location for Wanted, a large set was built in the city as director Timur Bekmambetov explained to MTV “we built a huge textile factory in Prague. The production designer, John Myhre, made ‘X-Men,’ ‘Chicago’ and ‘Memoirs of a Geisha.’ He’s built this huge set, and we’ve created a mythology in this world of weavers.”

Prague’s cityscape is still largely made up medieval cobblestone roads, traditional pubs, and ancient courtyards, all overlooked by a 1100 year old castle.  This is not to say the city doesn’t have its fair share of trendy cafes and boutiques. It would be easy to spend three days just exploring the city and admiring the architecture she is known for. But there is also a thriving nightclub scene in Prague, another illustration of the dichotomy between old and new in the city. Prague’s many options spill over into the vast choices for accommodations too. From hostels to luxury hotels, there is truly something for everyone. Read more

Travel Inspiration: My Dog Skip

After Blake got peed on, the world lost Mimi LaRue, these Shepard Fairey rip-offs started popping up everywhere, and we learned that Gidget has a blog, it seems like DOGS may be having the best week ever! All of this got us thinking about the greatest dog movies ever. Yes, Old Yeller is the ultimate classic, but the location, not so much, so here’s our pick for a great dog movie with a travel inspiring location to boot, My Dog Skip. 

My Dog Skip, starring Frankie Muniz and Kevin Bacon, is a heart-warming coming of age story about a boy and his dog. The movie is based on the best-selling memoir by the late Willie Morris and was filmed primarily in Canton, Mississippi not far from Yazoo City, where Morris was raised and the movie is set. Read more

Bannerman’s Island

One of the great things about this site is we try to expose our readers to some cool places where movies are filming that they may not have known about otherwise. On occasion even I am surprised by a location I come across while doing research for OLV.

Tonight I have been scouring the internet trying to find out more about Transformers 2 filming on the Brooklyn Bridge this Sunday so we can all hopefully meet up and check it out. In the process I came across some info about Bannerman Castle located on Pollepel Island (now better known as Bannerman’s Island) in the Hudson River. I live Upstate so I have travelled along the Hudson on a train many times and I have never heard of this before. It looks so cool and has an amazing history.

The island has always had a mystical appeal and was believed to be haunted by Indian Tribes before the Revolutionary War. In 1901 the Bannerman family, who had made their fortune in scrap metal, began construction on a simulated Scottish Castle, the ruins of which remain on the island today. The island, only about an hour north of NYC, can be toured by Kayak or Canoe. I have definitely been inspired and will be watching for the Transformers 2 filming dates on the island, that is one shoot I don’t want to miss! (And of course will let all of you know as well!)

-Christine

New On DVD: The Bucket List

The Bucket List is new on DVD this week and stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman who together do all the things they want to do before “kicking the bucket”. The movie, as you can imagine, takes place around the world creating many opportunities for travel inspiration. Check out this L.A. Times article for more on each location in the movie including France and Nepal.

This Week’s Travel Inspiration: Under The Tuscan Sun

I can’t believe we haven’t covered this movie yet! Though some might find Under the Tuscan Sun to be a bore (especially men) the scenery is undoubtedly travel inspiring! The movie was filmed primarily in Italy including the house where Diane Lane’s character lives which is specifically located in Cortona. The Tuscany Travel Blog has more information about the region but be aware, Tuscany (actually anywhere in Europe) isn’t that affordable if traveling from the U.S. right now. Though it may be a bit pricey, Cortona does make a wonderful fantasy getaway, About.com’s Travel Guide provides everything you will need to visit this medieval hillside town. Also keep in mind there is an Under the Tuscan Sun Festival in August!

-Christine

This Week’s Travel Inspiration: Eve’s Bayou

I was flipping through TV stations last week and came across 1997’s Eve’s Bayou. I was immediately reminded that it is one of the truly great travel inspiring movies. The movie, starring Samuel L Jackson, is about the Batiste family, the secrets they keep and the betrayals they have had to endure in rural Louisiana.

Eve’s Bayou was filmed primarily in Covington, LA though some scenes were also filmed in Madisonville & Napoleonville. The film’s gracious homes and moss draped Louisiana backwater exemplify the drama that draws so many visitors to the south each year. Watching the film, one can’t help but to long for a warm, sultry, southern summer night.

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