 Antiques market, Lucca, Italy (Photo: Gio Palatucci) In Case You Missed It (ICYMI): A weekly digest of interesting news stories about social media, travel, and tech. Today's #FriFotos theme is "FOR SALE." Search #FriFotos on Twitter to see users' submissions and retweet your favorites or share one of your own.
Travel apps seems to be the theme of the week-- new apps, best apps, free apps-- here's what you missed:
Cool off this summer by taking a dip in the world's most amazing hotel pools
"I want to go to there" moment of the week:
For more social/travel/tech stories, follow me on Twitter: @giopalatucci
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 Posted by Gio Palatucci When I travel, I'm usually on a mission to find one thing: a delicious meal. Some people enjoy seeing famous landmarks or exploring top museums, but for me, it's about engaging my senses– particularly my taste buds–to discover the true essence of a place. Which is why it was a no-brainer when I chose to visit Portland, Oregon last month. Portland is known for its growing restaurant scene, diverse food truck offerings, plethora of microbreweries, and coffee obsession. Plus, it has plenty of green spaces to walk, hike, and bike off all those calories. So falling into those categories-- eating and exercise-- here are five things I love about Portland.  Stepping Stone Cafe's giant pancakes (Photo: Gio Palatucci) 1. Breakfast I live in Washington, D.C. and although the city's food scene has made significant strides in the past few years, there's still one category where it's lacking: breakfast. Sure, D.C. has a decent number of weekend brunch places that cater to the hungover crowd with bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys. But what I'm craving is a greasy spoon kind of joint where the griddle is fired up 7-days a week and the laminated menu hasn't changed in 15 years. Portland was the answer to my breakfast lover's lament. Walking into Stepping Stone Cafe, a 50s-style diner, I'd found just what I'd been looking for-- cheesy omelettes, waitresses that never let your coffee cup get less than half-full, and gigantic pancakes larger than my head. Oh, the pancakes! I ordered a blueberry short-stack, foolishly thinking two of these thick yet fluffy disks would barely satisfy my hunger. Several insanely good forkfuls later, half of the stack still remained. I sheepishly conceded defeat to the waitress who quipped that I, "did a pretty good job," before whisking the plate away. Pretty good? Consider that challenge accepted! I'll be back, Stepping Stone, you just wait. To hit all of Portland's best breakfast places in one trip, I recommend consuming the most important meal of the day, twice a day. Besides Stepping Stone Cafe, try: Pine State Biscuits, for artery-clogging breakfast sandwiches; VooDoo Doughnut, a city landmark; and Mother's Bistro, for their ginormous cinnamon buns (drool). 2. Beer You are guaranteed to drink well in Oregon, which according to the Oregon Brewers Guild, is home to 87 breweries. And when in Portland, you don't have to go to a fancy brewpub or upscale bar to sample the state's finest. Craft beers are on tap everywhere, even in some unlikely places. Take for instance, Portland's Major League Soccer stadium Jeld-Wen Field where the concessions stands have several Widmer Brothers beer on tap. I sampled a lot of different beers on my trip, but the greatest discovery was Portland's own Rogue Ale's Hazelnut Brown Nectar which was just awarded the title of best brown ale by some fancy authority on all things good brews. I'm no beer connoisseur but for the average beer consumer like me, the light, nutty flavor of this beer knocked my socks off. Hands down the best beer I've ever had. I didn't encounter a bad spot to throw back a few libations during my trip, but here are some standouts I'd recommend: The divey Marathon Taverna for a pre-Timbers match drink; upscale sports bar Thirsty Lion Pub for its wide beer selection and good food; Coalition Brewing Company for cheap beer flights that make up for the slow service; and Beulahland an eccentric yet cozy alehouse that's the perfect place to spend several hours catching up with friends.  Photo: Gio Palatucci 3. Bike Lanes There's only one way to get around Portland and that is by bicycle. Bikes are as ubiquitous in Portland as coffee shops or recycling bins. Wheels overflow the bike racks, fix-it and rental shops are on every corner, and the city's bike lanes aren't shoved off to the shoulder, they are painted right down the center of main avenues. I like to ride but I am a terrible cyclist. I'm too timid, petrified of going down steep hills, and awkwardly fumble with the pedals when a red light turns green. But in Portland I felt at ease. Cars yielded to me and waited patiently (read: didn't honk) as I slowly crept across intersections. It was a thrill to ride around Portland, and not only did biking become a quick and easy way of getting around town but it also allowed me to explore parts of the city I might not have otherwise discovered.  Multnomah Falls (Photo: Gio Palatucci) 4. Hiking Green spaces are everywhere in Portland. There are so many urban hiking trails, walking paths, gardens, and other public green spaces to enjoy. But the highlight of my trip was renting a car and taking a short, 40 minute, drive to see the Columbia River Gorge. The dazzling Multnomah Falls is the star attraction of this National Scenic Area located on the edge of Oregon's Mt. Hood National Forest. The falls are the first thing you see when you approach the entrance to the park and it's just a short climb to cross over that gorgeous bridge. You could spend an entire day in the park exploring all the different paths, which I would rank at an easy to medium level of climbing difficulty. But any muscle aches and pains are totally worth the climb. Be sure to scale the Angel's Rest overlook to take in stunning views of the river and surrounding mountains. Other green spaces to enjoy while in Portland include: International Test Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and Forest Park. 5. People I was astounded by the warm hospitality shown to me by all Portlanders I met. The best food and drink recommendations and hiking suggestions came from people who were eager to share their favorite local haunts. I'll admit that I was a bit worried before coming to Portland that the people would be like the crazy characters from the quirky IFC series, Portlandia. But the folks in Portland were quite the opposite-- down-to-earth and very friendly. As my travel partner astutely described, the punk-rock, artsy, tattooed, hipster, or whatever-you-want-to-call-it vibe, many outsiders attribute to the city, is much more of a style than an attitude. So I owe a huge 'thank you' to proud Portlanders like @andiamo, the staff at the Jupiter Hotel (@jupiterpdx), Matt at @portlandbeer, @GR8FoodCartsPDX, @allisonejones at Portland Monthly Magazine, @daveotuttle, @NatGeoKrista, @OBethPhoto, @TheyCallMeNels, @TDavidsonIII, Bethany and Ted of @twoOregonians, and the many others I met on- and off-line. Thank you for sharing your favorite places to eat, drink, hike, stay, and explore in the great city of Portland. I'll be back. Let's grab a Rogue beer or two. What do you love about Portland? Tell me in the comments section below. GP
 The Tower of London (Photo: Gio Palatucci) In Case You Missed It (ICYMI): A weekly digest of interesting news stories about social media, travel, and tech. Today's #FriFotos theme is "MUSEUMS." Search #FriFotos on Twitter to see users' submissions and retweet your favorites or share one of your own.
The London Olympics is set to be the most social Olympic games to date with athletes, sponsors, and the Games itself harnessing the power of social tools unlike ever before:
The 2012 Travel Bloggers Exchange (TBEX'12) got mixed reviews. What's your take?
An airport hotel Don Draper would love: Photos transport us back to the Golden Age of travel in Europe.
The world's most social landmarks according to Facebook:
"I want to go to there" moment of the week:
For more social/travel/tech stories, follow me on Twitter: @giopalatucci
ICYMI: Hipmunk Raises $15 Million, So You Want to Be a Travel Blogger?, Midnight Sun in Iceland6/15/2012
In Case You Missed It (ICYMI): A weekly digest of interesting news stories about social media, travel, and tech. Today's #FriFotos theme is "ROOFTOPS." Search #FriFotos on Twitter to see users' submissions and retweet your favorites or share one of your own. Travel tech startups continue to grow. In the latest news, Hipmunk-- the travel booking site that organizes travel options not by price, but rather the amount of "agony" involved in getting to you destination-- has received $15 million in a second round of funding. The company plans to expand its international offerings as well as double its staff. So you want to be a travel blogger, eh? Let's hope you're in Keystone, CO this weekend for the 4th Annual Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) to learn from and network with the industry's best. Can't make it Colorado? Check out these resources and join TBEX when it heads to Europe this September.
I love this insightful piece by one of my favorite travel blogging duos, Uncornered Market, about life lessons learned climbing Africa's highest peak.
"I want to go to there" moment of the week:
For more stories, follow me on Twitter: @giopalatucci
A Taste of Montreal: My latest project for National Geographic Traveler is live in the iTunes store.6/12/2012  A screen shot from National Geographic Traveler magazine's new app for iPad, "A Taste of Montreal." Posted by Gio Palatucci I am excited to announce the launch of my latest project for National Geographic Traveler, the stunning new iPad app, A Taste of Montreal. I served as project manager and producer for this app, helping guide the project from idea to finished project. It was a rewarding experience for me, learning how all the components of a digital magazine app come together. While many print publishers, particularly magazines, struggle to redefine themselves in the digital age, National Geographic Traveler is taking risks and innovating with incredible products like A Taste of Montreal. It was a pleasure to work with the talented Traveler team to produce this amazing app. I hope you all enjoy it! More about A Taste of Montreal: Food is your guide to exploring Montreal's rich history and culture. The special iPad app takes you on a gustatory tour of the city's top restaurants, markets, hangouts, and iconic foods. Plus, the city's insiders give their local take, recommending favorite places to eat, shop, and explore. The photos in this app-- shot by the incredibly talented Catherine Karnow-- are absolutely stunning! You will want to eat the dishes right off the screen. Also enjoy interactive bonuses like 360 views and video, as well as a recipe section so you can sample a taste of Montreal in your own kitchen. Download an app for your iPad today: iTunes Store.
ICYMI: Flying Gets Social, Make Pinterest Work for Your Travel Brand, Ancient Rome in Photos6/8/2012  California's PCH (Photo: Gio Palatucci) In Case You Missed It (ICYMI): A weekly digest of interesting news stories about social media, travel, and tech. Today's #FriFotos theme is "OCEANS" in honor of World Oceans Day. Search #FriFotos on Twitter to see users' submissions and retweet your favorites. Could the skies be getting friendlier again? Several new initiatives aim to make flying more social. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is launching a new "social booker" service-- using Facebook to pair travel companions-- which will compliment its "social seating" service announced earlier this year. Also jumping into the social travel game is Latvian airline, AirBaltic, whose "SeatBuddy" program pairs seat mates based on their mood.
 Posted by Gio Palatucci Last Wednesday, Google announced the launch of a brand new service called Google+ Local. The platform helps users “share and discover great local places,” everything from restaurants and hotels to dry cleaners and supermarkets. With the launch of Google+ Local the search engine giant has now integrated its business directories and user reviews into one seamless web experience-- Local is housed within Google Plus and reviews can also be found via Google maps and search. Plus, the addition of Zagat ratings (the two companies announced their partnership last fall) brings a higher degree of authority to reviews than say, Yelp or Foursquare. So what does Google+ Local mean for travelers and travel bloggers who may currently rely on other review sites to conduct trip planning research? I was invited to the Google offices in DC last week for a soft-launch event. Here’s what I discovered:  Google+ Local's hotel pages make it easy to search availability and book right from Google. Google+ Local: Great for Travelers Google+ Local has many features that are great for travelers who are researching a trip. Search: Google is the king of search and the niche search function of Google+ Local may be its best feature. Two separate search boxes allow travelers to type in something like “ice cream” in the first box and their location, say, “Portland, Oregon,” in the second box, producing hyper-focused search results. Reliable Ratings: In addition to niche search, another benefit to travelers is the integrated Zagat rating system. Zagat's famous 1-25 rating is a bit easier to interpret than the old 1-5 rating system employed by Google Places. Zagat's name brings authority and trust to Google+ Local, and, another bonus, Open Table integration lets you make a reservation right from the restaurant's Google+ page. Hotels: Travelers will love the hotel booking feature that is a part of Google+ Local. Depending on the hotel chain/brand, travelers can find price comparisons (from sites like Booking.com and Travelocity) and links to book a room displayed right from the Google+ Local page. Despite its many positive features, there are a few drawbacks to Google+ Local. Although getting place recommendations from people in your Google+ circles is meant to be an asset of the new service, it is not always reliable. The section comes up blank if none of your friends have written a review-- which unfortunately happens often and will continue to happen until Google+ gains more widespread popularity. Another downside is the absence of a bookmarking feature or another way to save listings for a later date. If I'm planning a future trip, this would come in handy. And finally, the last thing missing is an app for iPhone (currently Google+ Local is only available on Android).  The not-so-good-looking Google+ Local review on my Google+ profile. Google+ Local: Tough on Bloggers With so many social networks and review sites popping up, it's difficult for travel bloggers to stay current on these platforms without spreading their content too thin. This is why bloggers will like the integration of Google+ Local with Google+ profiles. All reviews you write are attributed to your Google+ Profile which means less content for bloggers to maintain. Despite the link, I'm not a fan of how Google+ Local reviews post directly to your Google+ feed. If you’re control freak like me, about your social profile appearance and how content is displayed, you won't like the design of Google+ Local integration with your Google+ Profile. The postings look sloppy and don't include your photo uploads. It would be nice to have a "Local" tab on your profile page-- similar to "Photos" or "+1s" where all your reviews could be housed, organized, and managed. Google+ Local is still in beta, but it's off to a good start. With a few tweaks I think it can grow a strong user base and be a great tool for travelers and travel bloggers alike. What do you think? Will you be using Google+ Local to write reviews or research a trip? GP
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