No matter where you go in the world, you can see people tapping away on a Blackberry. It’s fair to say it’s taken the business world by storm (yes, the pun IS intended). In the past we have looked at iPhone applications for travelers. Now it’s the turn of the Blackberry. Here are the best free Blackberry apps for travelers.
10. Flight and Hotel Travel Search by Kayak
Search Kayak.com for deals on hotels and flights. You can also check flight status, useful if you’re on the move.
9. Tube Buddy
Traveling in London? Tube Buddy gives live departure boards for tube lines and Underground and DLR service updates.
8. SimulTravel GPS
This is a quick way to find a hotel while you’re traveling. You can even find out if the hotel down the street is a better deal than the one you are staying in.
7. OpenTable
Make free restaurant reservations at over 10,000 restaurants in the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom, and earn reward points while you do it.
6. HRS Hotel Organizer
This is a great way to find out about available hotels, their location and facilities. Book anyone of 250,000 hotels around the world from your Blackberry, even if it’s a last minute reservation.
5. The FastPages
This may be one of the quickest ways to get information, with thousands of mobile websites and touch-to-dial phone numbers instantly available.
4. Interlecta Translator
Translate the text you enter on screen and send it as an email or text message. Translate email as it comes in. Interlecta integrates machine translation by adding a ‘translate’ option to menus.
3. WorldMate Live
WorldMate Live integrates a range of travel options, including creating an itinerary, navigation, calendar sync, local search, hotel bookings, currency conversion and world clocks. Paid membership has additional features.
2. Navita Translator
This translation app supports 52 languages and is compatible with all BlackBerry smartphones. Translation is available for words and phrases in emails, SMS or when you type.
1. Trapster
Find out where the speed traps, red light cameras, and speed cameras are without having to communicate with CB radios and flashing headlights.
Find more useful BlackBerry apps on BlackBerry World.
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Any tourist who visits Transylvania (western/central Romania) and asks “where’s Dracula?” is likely to be directed to Bran, the home of a medieval building that many tourist brochures call “Dracula’s Castle.” The 
problem: Bran actually has no connection with Dracula, whether you’re looking for the fictional Transylvanian count or the factual Wallachian prince. The consolation: Bran Castle is a stunning and spooky edifice whose true history is an interesting tale in itself.
As you approach the castle, you will encounter dozens of stalls that exploit the supposed Dracula connection by selling vampire-themed T-shirts, mugs and masks, as well as specimens of folk craft and musical instruments. So Bran is, among other things, a great place to buy a goofy souvenir.
If this commercialization seems a shame, it is worth bearing in mind that the real story of this castle, first constructed in the 14th century, has a lot to do with trade. Situated on a major road that linked the principalities of Transylvania and Wallachia, the castle was a customs point as well as a place where mercenary soldiers guarded the border. The castle, located atop a cliff, was erected by the citizens of nearby Brasov, the most southeasterly of the major cities of Transylvania. It would retain the function of Transylvanian border checkpoint until the 1800s.
Like the castle in Hunedoara, Bran Castle saw two particularly intense periods of physical development: during the era of Transylvanian ruler János Hunyadi in the 15th century, and during the time when Gábor Bethlen governed the area in the 17th century. The tallest part of the castle – the spindly tower with the lookout post at its peak – was added in 1622.
The castle started serving a different purpose after World War I, when there ceased to be a border here because Transylvania became a part of Romania. Owned by Brasov city until that point, the castle was donated to the royal family of Romania. Queen Maria adopted it as a summer residence during the 1920s and a small chapel in the castle grounds contains her heart.
A lot of what you see in the castle now, as you follow the designated tourist route around its four floors, dates back to Queen Maria’s period. You can see the bedrooms for the different members of the royal family, as well as their dining room, library and music room. Some furnishings reflect the fact that the queen – who was born in England – was a fan of Romanian folk crafts. But in addition 
to her touches, some artifacts from the frontier days are also on display, such as weapons and medieval traded goods.
The castle can be visited from 9 am till 5.30 pm, every day except Monday. Having wound around the different chambers, the route finally leads you to the pretty courtyard at the castle’s center.
Next to the castle, there is a “village museum” containing peasant buildings that were transferred here from villages in the surrounding area. The houses were originally constructed between the 18th century and the beginning of the 20th century. You can look inside to get a 
taste of typical peasant interiors – as opposed to the royal version of them found in the castle itself.
Heavily tourist-oriented, the town of Bran has plenty of restaurants and hotels. Hanul Bran, with an extensive covered terrace that looks right up to the castle, is quite a pleasant restaurant. Try its “Castel” cutlet, a slab of pork topped by a big chunk of liver and slathered with melted cheese.
Related posts:
- Hunedoara: a True Gothic Transylvanian Castle …
Related posts:
- Hunedoara: a True Gothic Transylvanian Castle …
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- For the past month, 10 slabs of the Berlin Wall have been installed outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). According to thelocal.de,
“The 2.6-tonne slabs have been made available to artists, who have been
given free rein to make their own statements on each block of
concrete.” The wall will be on display until November 8, “being
symbolically toppled.” [thelocal.de]
- Through November 5, Omni Hotels is offering 40 percent off select stays in Austin, Chicago, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Diego, New Orleans,
San Antonio, Houston, and Tucson. Reservations must be made for travel between Dec. 2, 2009 and Feb. 10, 2010 (and excluding December 31). Fore more information, click here. [Omni Hotels]
Photo: currentevents via Flickr
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- Looking for a Thanksgiving getaway? Aspen, Colorado’s Hotel Jerome is offering a “120th Anniversary Celebration” package between November 25-29. For $1,889 (half the usual price–and the year the hotel opened), guests get: four-night’s accommodation for two in a junior suite, lift tickets for two days, and a full Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday evening. [Gadling]
- Want to celebrate the holidays with George and Martha Washington? Tickets to Mount Vernon’s annual Candlelight tours went on sale yesterday. Every year, the estate opens its doors at night, and leads tours of Mount Vernon, complete with hot apple cider, cookies, caroling, dancing, and even a special appearance of Mrs. Washington. Tours are offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from November 27 through December 13. Click here for more information and to make reservations.
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For most of us, hotel stays come with check-in and check-out dates. But many lodgings claim to have guests that refuse to leave, lingering in the rooms or on the grounds long after their scheduled stay. Check in to one of these hotels if you want to spend Halloween with real ghosts. And why limit it to Halloween? Since the spirits in these establishments are not staged seasonal events, ghost hunters can spend the night with specters year-round. In case you missed it: check out our list of Haunted Hotels of the East.
Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado
The
Stanley Hotel (above) was made famous in 1977 by Stephen King’s The Shining, but legend has it that the hotel was home to spirits long
before King modeled his “Overlook Hotel” after the property.
The
building sits on land originally owned by the British fourth earl of
Dunraven, who used it as private hunting reserve. Angry locals drove the earl out and automaker F.O. Stanley bought the
property in 1909 and opened the Georgian-style hotel. Some claim that
the bitter Lord Dunraven haunts the 4th floor, where lights switch on
and off mysteriously and furniture moves around by itself. In Room 412, one guest claims that he was possessed by an evil entity that drove him
to speak in tongues.
In the 1970s, King stayed in Room 217 of
the almost deserted hotel just before it closed for the season. While
it is uncertain whether or not King experienced paranormal
activity, The Shining generated a flurry of ghost sightings and other
eerie
events.
Guests who have stayed in Room 408 have reported hearing children
playing and laughing loudly outside their door but finding nothing when
getting up to investigate. They also claim to have left the room for a
few seconds only to return and find the entire room in disarray and
handprints of small children on the mirrors. Too scared to stay
overnight? The hotel also offers daily ghost tours.
Crescent Hotel and Spa, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Legend has it that several ghosts reside at the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa; eerie sightings have been reported in guest rooms, the lobby, the dining room and on the grounds. The most haunted room, 218, is home to the spirit of Michael, an Irish stonemason who fell to his death from the roof during the hotel’s construction and landed on the future site of the room. It is reported that he bangs on walls and turns the television and lights on and off.
In the late 1930s, Norman Baker leased the property for use as a controversial hospital and health resort. His ghost often appears outside the Recreation Room. Some claim that Baker’s lack of formal medical training is what led many of his patients to die here and never leave.
Stay a night at this hotel and you might experience these other ghostly sightings: a young woman carrying a crying baby; a bearded man who asks “are you waiting for me?”; or a young man who collapses and disappears on the floor.
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For most of us, hotel stays come with check-in and check-out dates. But many lodgings claim to have guests who refuse to leave, lingering in the rooms or on the grounds long after their scheduled stay. Check in to one of these hotels if you want to spend Halloween with real ghosts. And why limit it to Halloween? Since the spirits in these establishments are not staged seasonal events, ghost hunters can spend the night with specters year-round.
Logan Inn, New Hope, Pennsylvania
This 18th century tavern-turned-inn has a reputation for hosting numerous colonial-era spirits. The restless ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier has been spotted marching around the grounds. Guests also frequently see the specter of a little girl wandering the parking lot, but no one is sure who she is. Glowing orbs hovering in the lobby and hallways are also reported.
Room Six is the permanent residence of Emily, the long-dead mother of a former owner of the Logan. The room has an inexplicable scent of lavender that is attributed to Emily, and she is rumored to alter the thermostat and move guests’ luggage around the room.
Hotel Chelsea, New York City, New York Many writers, artists and musicians have found inspiration in the
Hotel Chelsea, which has been described as a “
cauldron of creativity“. But the
hotel, erected in 1884, is also known for its paranormal activity.
The hotel’s most famous spirit its probably that of Sex Pistols band member Sid Vicious, who is suspected of stabbing his girlfriend to death in Room 100. It seems that Sid’s ghost enjoys riding the east elevator. Other eerie presences include that of Thomas Wolfe, especially on the 8th floor, as well as Dylan Thomas, who infamously drank away his final days at the Chelsea. All told, about half of the Chelsea’s rooms are occupied by otherworldly figures.
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Home to more than cows and cheese, bars and beer, Wisconsin has a history of spooky sightings. Be prepared when the sun goes down…
Milwaukee has two haunts that are worth a visit: Heaven City Restaurant in Mukwonago offers fine dining in a beautiful old house and registered Wisconsin Historical site that is said to be haunted by A.J. Moore, a street preacher and early resident. The restaurant claims reports of ghost sightings, disembodied laughter and voices, doorknobs turning, and even feeling the touch of “an unseen child presence.” Allegedly situated near Native American burial grounds and underground tunnels that lead to a nearby river (it’s theorized these were used for gangster bootlegging activities), Heaven City has so many reasons to be haunted it can get confusing.
If eating amongst the spirits isn’t enough for you, stay a night at The Pfister, which is said to be visited by its former owner, Guido Pfister. Hotel employees insist that he isn’t scary–he just seems to be proud of the elegant hotel that he built in 1893.
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The strong wind continued to rush in and chase through the balconies of the hotel, rattling the shutters and rearranging the furniture as it went. There was a lot of cloud as well and it was quite cool but not inconveniently so as we set off quite early after breakfast to return the bike to [...]
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Summers on the shore, black-tie affairs, decked out ballrooms—the glorious yellow hotel known as the Ocean House that gazed over Watch Hill, Rhode Island, for almost 150 years harkened back to an earlier time.
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In the spirit of a forensics-leaning Halloween, here’s our list of 12 inns that hosted famous passings.
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