Loch Ness monster or libidinous? You decide.
The week's strange travel news.
Lewd logo?
Victorian morality is apparently thriving in New Zealand's Kapiti Coast, where community representatives argued this month over whether their new tourism logo is too sexy. Created by local firm Eden Design, it features a stylized green-and-blue K. The letter's upper half juts up in mountain-like fashion. Harmless, right? Not so fast. Kapiti Coast councillor Ross Church said he'd heard from an unnamed Scot that the logo looks like the "Loch Ness monster on legs." Jackie Elliott of the Otaki Community Board said: "I have had feedback from the public that this "k" image with its bent leg … is more than mildly pornographic." Local sheep said: "Baa! Baa!"
Sorry, I love Antarctica more
To mark the first UN-sanctioned International Day of Happiness (March 20), G Adventures ran an Internet-based survey on the link between travel and happiness, and got some surprising results. For instance, the Toronto-based company discovered Antarctica is the second-most popular dream destination after Australasia. Seventy-one per cent of the 2,321 respondents feel travelling is "more vital to their happiness" than getting married or having a child, and 25 per cent are happiest travelling solo. As great as travelling is, this all sounds kind of cold.
Doris Day digs dogs
One way to celebrate Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month is to spoil your dog rotten. Witness April's "Kudos to Canines" promotion at the Cypress Inn, owned by legendary actress-singer Doris Day. The pet-friendly boutique hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., is inviting dogs to perform tricks to get an upgrade for their owners – rooms include upscale dog beds and bowls. Pampered pooches can also snap up the new Yappy Hour menu, with doggy treats like Chowhound Chicken and Muttloaf. Packages start at $275 a night, and includes a free breakfast and cocktails for dog owners. But is this blatant discrimination against cats?