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5. The Assassination of Jesse James

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert F. Ford, starring Brad Pitt, was filmed in various locations throughout Alberta, Canada. The locations add depth to the film and provide great destinations for set-jetters. One of these locations, Fort Edmonton Park, is offering wagon tours that highlight where key scenes were filmed within the park. Travel Alberta has excellent information about all of the locations used in the film as well as lodging, dining, and entertainment options in Alberta.

4. The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited is the story of three American brothers who take a trip across India in hopes of finding themselves and strengthening their relationship. Their trip is taken off course by a suicide attempt and a new journey begins. Here are a few behind-the-scenes videos from the shoot.

The All India Travel Guide offers tours ranging from 5 to 18 days which include stops at the Taj Mahal, Darjeeling, Eastern India, and Nepal. If you want to recreate the movie’s train ride, here is a beginner’s guide to train travel in India.

For something different, how about a volunteer vacation in India? Global Volunteers is just one organization that can help you make arrangements to do something good with your vacation. And as always, before leaving for India you should check the U.S. Department of the State’s advisories.

3. Transformers

Transformers brought us battling aliens, autobots, and great locations. One of these locations is White Sands in New Mexico.

The White Sands Monument is a truly unique destination.  These beautiful white gypsum dunes stretch as far as the eye can see. Situated in the heart of New Mexico, it is within driving distance of some of the most spiritual and quirky destinations in the country. White Sands Monument is within a few hours drive of both El Paso, TX and Albuquerque, NM. This is a desolate drive from either direction but there are some interesting points along the way, like the Trinity Site, the testing site of the first atomic bomb. Almogordo is the closest town to White Sands and your best bet for lodging, restaurants, and amenities. And don’t forget Roswell, a short drive from White Sands, and Mecca of all things alien.

For most, the white sands will resemble snow, the roads even have to be plowed but the heat will tell you otherwise. Make sure you stop at the information center when you arrive, there you can buy a plastic disc to slide down the dunes, it is fun for all ages and makes the long drive seem well worth it!

White Sands is only one of the location used in the movie, here is a complete list of locations.

2. Into The Wild

Into The Wild, based on the life of adventurer Chris McCandless, follows his quest to live in the wilderness away from the material world. Check out this list of locations. This is not another typical movie made in the location that offers the best tax breaks rather than the best scenery.

Sean Penn wanted to capture Chris’ journey in the most authentic way, by living it. Chris eventually died of starvation in an abandoned bus in the Alaska outback. To capture the isolation here, Penn brought the entire crew to the bus making a visually unique and stunning film.

For most, this will be the most intriguing location since it was the place where Chris died. The bus is located about 25 miles from Healy, Alaska.  Here is tourist information if you are interested in visiting Healy or think you can make it out to the bus on your own. If you want to live vicariously through someone else’s adventure, take a look at the 2007 Live Wild Tour in support of the release of the film. If you are interested in taking a guided tour of one of the trails Chris traveled, there is an Into The Wild Tour which leaves daily from Denali, Alaska.

1. Stardust

Stardust may not have been the biggest box office draw of the year but it did have the most stunning scenery.

This fairy tale with a big name cast including Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfieffer, and Claire Danes was filmed during the spring and summer of 2006 in the UK. Here is a guide to four of the main locations used in filming, for a list of all locations, check imdb.

Much of the film was made in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Here is a list of hotels in the area as well as a list of things to do and special events taking place.

The town of Stormhold in the movie is is actually Elm Hill in Norwich, England. Elm Hill is a beautiful cobblestone street lined with Tudors dating back to the 16th Century. It is now home to quaint art shops and antique dealers. Luckily someone has created a wonderful guide to Norwich, see it here or visit the city’s official guide.

Filming also took place in the woods near the Ashbridge House in Hertfordshire, England. The house is now a business school whereas the rest of the land is part of the National Trust. They offer guided tours of the property or you can walk on your own through an extensive network of country paths. If you would like to stay near Ashbridge, The Grove is close and has received excellent reviews.

Castle Comb, our fourth location, is located in Chippenham, Wiltshire, about 2 hours west of London. If you stay in this area, we recommend The Manor House. This 14th Century manor will make you feel like you have stepped right into the film.

For more information about travel to the UK and vacation packages, check out Travelocity.

And watch for our predictions of the most travel inspiring movies of 2008 in this week’s newsletter!  

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This week’s news segment is a special Summer Movie Extravaganza! We have been seeing a ton of hoopla about this year’s summer blockbusters and we did not want to be outdone so we are jumping on the bandwagon!

Here is our list of summer movies but not just any summer movies, the movies with the best filming locations. So get out your sun block, roll the top down, and get ready to head out on the best summer road trip ever! For another look at summer movies and their locations check out Fandango’s list which includes the movie’s opening dates and other films that were made in these awesome locations!

Hairspray    

Hairspray is based on the musical adaptation of John Water’s 1988 cult hit film. The movie looks fun with John Travolta playing a doting mother and newcomer Nikki Blonsky playing the lead Tracy Turnblad, a chunky teen who only wants to dance but doesn’t quite fit on her favorite Baltimore dance show. She ends up teaching the others a thing or two when she decides to integrate blacks and whites on the show. Set in 1962 this is a sweet musical with a message about race relations and acceptance. This version was filmed in Toronto but our hearts stay true to the original filmed and set in John Water’s hometown of Baltimore.

Scenes for the original movie were shot in Perry Hall High School, The Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, and Eastern Avenue. The Veterans Hall was used as the set for The Corny Collins Show, located in Parkland this VFW is still open and available for parties.  Eastern Ave in Baltimore is where Edna Turnbald gets a makeover at “Mr. Pinky’s Hefty Hideaway Shop”.  Fandago has more filming locations here or for more locations from John Waters movies check this article out.

There are plenty of other things to do in Baltimore. Here is a link to Baltimore’s inner harbor. The inner harbor is a great weekend trip with shops, restaurants, aquarium, and  historical walking tours all within a picturesque setting.

 

Live Free or Die Hard

We broke the news a few months ago that Bruce Willis was filming Live Free Die Hard and now it is here! Coincidentally this movie was also filmed in Baltimore, just outside the inner harbor. The Baltimore Sun documented some of the filming in downtown Baltimore here.

Die Hard 4 was also filmed in Downtown L.A. If you are heading to the left coast and are interested in some location information, here’s a good link.

Transformers

Transformers,  due out this summer, heats up as battling aliens and autobots bring their fight to earth. We are kids of the eighties so we can’t wait to see this movie but the real star is the setting.  Part of the movie was filmed in the White Sands Monument in New Mexico. 

The White Sands Monument is a truly unique destination. Though not actually sand, these are beautiful white dunes of gypsum that stretch as far as the eye can see. It is also very close to the Trinity Site, the site of the first atomic bomb.  Situated in the heart of New Mexico, it is within driving distance of  some of the most spiritual and quirky destinations in the country.   

Alamogordo is the closet town to White Sands and your best bet for lodging, restaurants, and amenities. The town has a few unique roadside attractions of its own, including a huge road runner (the state bird) made out of scrap metal which can be found on U.S. Highway 54-70.

There have been several films made in this area including Mad Love and Jarhead; here is list of some of them.

Also near by is Roswell, home to the UFO Museum, who knows you may see a UFO yourself.

White Sands Monument is within a few hours drive to both El Paso, TX and Albuquerque NM. We recently made the trek for ourselves and know that it can seem like this place is in the middle of nowhere, but stick with it because it is worth the drive. We drove down Interstate 25 from Albuquerque to Route 380. This is a desolate drive but there are some points of interest like the Trinity Site which you will pass on your left. Make sure you gas up and have snacks. Naively we thought that we would stop someone along this stretch for a bite to eat but instead we were starving all the way to Alamogordo.  After getting onto 54 which joins with 70 in Alamogordo things move more quickly and once in town you will find a variety of fast food and gas stations. You will also pass by the Holiday Inn Express which is where the cast and crew stayed while filming scenes for Transformers.

Once in the park it is like being transported to another world.  As Upstate New Yorkers it looked like snow to us, the road was even plowed, but the temperature was pushing 100 degrees and there is no shade. The sun reflects off of the white sand making it very hot but there are a few covered picnic tables around if you need a break or even to have a bite if you have packed a lunch.

Make sure you stop in the information center at the park entrance there you can buy used plastic disks to slid down the dunes on, it is fun for all ages and makes the trip and the heat seem well worth it! We have posted some pictures below!

This makes a great addition to a Southwest themed road trip. The amount of films made in the South West is actually overwhelming making it difficult to create a more comprehensive list of movie sites. From Santa Fe NM to The Grand Canyon the unique backdrop of the area has been film fodder for Hollywood literally since the beginning. The Tourist filmed in 1912 was filmed in Albuquerque and the tradition continues today as recent hits like Wild Hogs continue to be filmed in this area.  

Movies have had an important influence on the landscape and culture in the Southwest as well. For instance Sedona’s Gallery Row was the result of construction for the filming of Angel and the Badman in 1946. This John Wayne movie was only one of many filmed in and around Sedona in the middle of the century. Or how about a road trip based on just one film? Easy Rider anyone? Here is a great link with details to recreate this amazing drive on your own.

 

 

Spiderman 3

It’s finally here! Spiderman 3 has swung into theaters.  Spiderman’s powers are enhanced, his suit turns black and he struggles between his devotion to MJ and his duties as a superhero. This is a darker Spiderman who fights against the seduction of his new power. For more information see the official website.

Much of the filming for this movie was done in New York, Spiderman’s hometown. Over the past couple of months many attractions around the city have arranged events and exhibits in Spidey’s honor. For instance on April 30th the city offered a unique campaign including a spider exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, workshops on baby spider plants at the New York Botanical Garden, Green Goblin mask-making workshop at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and a scavenger hunt and a bug show at Central Park Zoo.  Check for other events around the city as there are sure to be more while the movie is in theaters.

We couldn’t have created a better map than the one created by Sony so here is the link. The interactive map links to various locations in NYC. You can see the location on the map and then see pictures and videos of scenes that took place there, it is very cool.

Like Sony, NY Daily News has also cornered the market on the best addresses and descriptions of filming so here is a link to their article.  So many fans in NYC taped exclusive video of the filming in NYC, Youtube is packed with them- here is one of our favorites, great stuff!

The movie also filmed in Cleveland, here is a link to an insider look at what took place during filming.

One more link- here is an interview with the location scout for Spiderman- great insight into how the sites are chosen.

Finally, Here are some pictures of Bryant Park which is featured in the film!

         

Ocean’s 13

They’re Back in Vegas for Ocean 13 and you know what they say about Vegas! This is the third installment of the Ocean movies. Who cares what the plot is! The stars are all back so it is sure to be a hot summer hit!

If you are looking to retrace the steps of this hot cast, you may want to stay at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, aside from being one of the nicest hotels on the strip it was used for exterior shots on the film. This is also where the cast and crew stayed during the filming of the first movie.  Don’t miss the Gallery of Art if you do stay here, who would think there would be a world class museum in the middle of the Las Vegas strip?

Here is a link to Fandango’s summer movie route with some other locations that were used in the film. They have included Fremont St which is famous for its illuminated ceiling and Shadow Creek Golf Course which they are reporting was a hang out for George Clooney and Matt Damon.

Once you have tired of gambling or have lost all of your money there is still plenty to do on the strip. Some highlights include gondola rides at the Venetian, the shark reef at Mandalay Bay, and the lions at the MGM grand. These are great activities for kids too! Vegas isn’t just for adults anymore. Here is a link with a few other ideas for activities.
 

There is so much to do on the strip that you may not leave it your entire trip but we would advise against this. The surrounding area is so beautiful, the Red Rocks are amazing and there are several places just outside the city that will take you out on a horse back ride or guide you through one of the many trails.  Here are some FAQs.

Evan Almighty

If you hadn’t noticed, all of our movies are remakes or sequels and our last movie is no exception. Evan Almighty is the follow up to the Jim Carey hit, Bruce Almighty. Steve Carell stars as a politician who is contacted by God to build an ark for the second great flood.

Filmed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia this setting is perfect for a summer vacation. There is so much to do in this pristine mountain region. If you are an adventurer there are several outlets that will take you white water rafting, for those looking to relax there are wineries and spas, and for anyone who wants to enjoy a country ride the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most beautiful drives in America. Here is a link with extensive articles and ideas for things to do and places to see in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  

For motorcycle enthusiasts here is a link to various motorcycle adventures throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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