Friday, August 23, 2013

the health effects of coffee

Study: Heavy coffee drinking in people under 55 linked to early death

Study: Heavy coffee drinking in people under 55 linked to early death

When you make coffee with breakfast, or grab a to-go cup at a cafe before work, or raid your office's break room for a cup in the afternoon, you're probably not thinking about how scientists are studying it.
So we'll just tell you: Many studies have looked at the health effects of coffee, even though measuring the potential harms and benefits is not as easy as chugging a shot of espresso. Since a whole range of lifestyle and genetic factors influence a person's physical well-being, it's hard to know exactly if, or how, or to what extent, coffee would be good or bad for anyone's longterm health.
The latest study [PDF], published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found an association between drinking more than 28 cups of coffee a week and an increased risk of death from all causes, in people 55 years old and younger. One cup of coffee is 8 ounces.
That doesn't prove that coffee causes death. It also seems to contradict a study in the New England Journal of Medicine last year, which found that people who drink two or more cups of coffee a day have a reduced risk of dying from particular diseases than those who consume little or no coffee.
And a May 2011 study found that men who drink six or more cups a day had a decreased risk of fatal prostate cancer.
How are we supposed to decide how much coffee to drink, when the information about its health effects is more confusing than a cafe menu written in a foreign language?
Experts say that the optimal dose of coffee varies widely, depending on the person. Different people have different tolerances for coffee.
But in general, the authors of this new study emphasized a message of moderation.
The new study 
Researchers followed more than 40,000 people ages 20-87 for about 16 years.
They observed risks for heavy coffee drinkers in both men and women under 55 who drank more than four cups of coffee a day on average. In men who fit this description, the risk of death was 56% higher compared to non-coffee drinkers. In women, the risk was even greater - it doubled, compared to non-coffee drinkers.
The same association was not observed in individuals 55 and older, or in people who drank coffee in moderation.
"It appears that low doses of coffee are safe," said Carl J. Lavie, study co-author from the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans. "We did not see anything bad happening up to about 28 cups per week."
He added, "no increase in cardiovascular mortality at any dose in men or women at any age" was seen.
Caveats
But wait! Although study authors found a connection between heavy coffee consumption and death, they did not prove that frequent java indulgence causes death. There may be other underlying factors that explain this association.
"What if people are super hyper, driven, stressed out, drinking 10 cups of coffee a day?" Lavie said. "And it's not the coffee that's killing them, it's the fact that they're stressed out that's killing them."
Lavie still suggests that heavy coffee drinkers scale back on their consumption, however.
"I think that if I find that having four or more cups of coffee per day looks like it's associated with higher mortality, even though I don't know that it's for sure due to the coffee, to me that's enough reason to me to try and keep my coffee to below four a day."
The authors did not separate decaf coffee from regular, but "most people report they drink regular," added Dr. Xuemei Sui, study co-author from the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.
They also did not explore what people were adding to their coffees, so they didn't separate out whether the addition of sweeteners or milk had any effect on death risk.
But what about coffee benefits
There is, on the other hand, evidence from studies on type II diabetes suggesting that coffee can be good.
According to a 2009 meta-analysis, the risk of type II diabetes goes down with each cup of coffee consumed daily. Additionally, a 2007 meta-analysis found a correlation between increased coffee consumption and lower risk of liver cancer.
Such research is still not persuasive enough to tell anyone who doesn't already drink coffee to start.
How much coffee do you drink? 
"A 20 ounce cup, we would count that as two and a half cups," Lavie added.
For perspective, here are some measurements of that cup o' Joe you like to enjoy:
A short Starbucks coffee is 8 ounces. A tall is 12 ounces. A grande is 16 ounces, or two cups of coffee. Make it a venti and you've consumed 20 ounces.
Meanwhile, at Dunkin' Donuts, a small cup of coffee is 10 ounces. A medium contains 14. Order a large and you'll get ounces 20 ounces and XL, 24 ounces, or three cups of coffee.
Experts told CNN in 2012 that they would not make a public health recommendation concerning coffee because there just isn't enough solid evidence to do so.
"If you consume coffee, enjoy it," Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic said. "But I wouldn't necessarily recommend taking it up if you don't like it."
A lot of people already consider it a regular part of their lives. For nearly two-thirds of Americans, the daily coffee routine is just habit.
Get out of bed. Make coffee. Start your work day.
Have more coffee. Repeat.  Hope it won't kill you.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The 7 best streets to shop in Paris

Ooh la la! The 7 best streets to shop in Paris


As the pulsing fashion capital of Europe, if not the world, a Parisian shopping experience will offer everything from luxury haute couture houses to sprawling chainstores. If you’re searching for authentic French labels, or eccentric designer stores, you can take your pick of those too. Below is the definitive list of where to part with those hard-earned euros:
Rue de Rivoli
Why go
From boutique bargains to high-end marques, Rue de Rivoli delivers a great shopping experience. The street’s store directory reads like a who’s who of international brands, including Zara, H&M, Gap and Mango to name a few.There’s a huge BHV department store opposite the city’s Hotel de Ville, and numerous must-see landmarks are located just off this major street, including Museé du Louvre and the Tuilleries Garden. The old signage of the renowned La Samarataine store can still be seen, paying homage to the Paris of yesteryear. The dessert mecca, House of Angelina, can also be found on this street -boasting what may be Paris’ best hot chocolate.
Rue de Rivoli
What you should know
There are several tourist shops around the area near the Louvre, selling the usual trinkets and T-shirts, which can become very busy on the weekends. There is a shortage of dining choices on Rue de Rivoli itself but restaurants and cafés can be found in the close vicinity.
Boulevard Haussmann
Why go
For the Galeries Lafayette of course! The upmarket department store located on Boulevard Hausmann first opened its doors in 1895, and has since become a Parisian institute. The store comprises 10 floors, and boasts a beautiful glass dome and a central staircase in a stunning Art Noveau design. Throngs of locals and tourists alike descend on the store for Paris’ bi-annual sales (les soldes), where goods are marked up to 70% off.
Boulevard Haussmann
What you should know
In December, the Galeries Lafayette Christmas decorations become a must-see attraction, with the highlight being the giant Christmas tree, located under the glass and steel dome.
Rue St Honoré
Why go
Rue St Honoré with its sophisticated extension, Rue Faubourg St Honoré, is one of the most upmarket shopping streets of Paris. Dedicated almost exclusively to luxury fashion design houses, from the likes of Hermes, Lanvin, Gucci, YSL and Michael Kors; it promises an immense concentration of ‘chic’ along its narrow passages. Just a few steps away is the famous square of Place Vendome with yet more of the top names in the fashion industry. For the über -trendy, there’s Colette; a lifestyle concept store which sells everything from clothing to gadgets. If you’re still not convinced on just how posh this street actually is, it’s worth noting that the home of the French president, the Élysée Palace, can also be found on Rue Faubourg St Honoré.
Dior on Rue St Honoré
What you should know
Watch out for well-dressed thieves in this area! There have been numerous incidents where well-heeled tourists, oozing the scent of money, have been robbed of their bags, cameras, or credit cards on this strip.
Avenue Montaigne
Why go
The only street to rival Rue Faubourg St Honoré in terms of prominence, luxury and prestige;the Grande Dame of Parisian streets is the Avenue Montaigne. Once upon a time it was called the ‘Widows Lane’ as French widows would gather there in mourning. As I stroll along thequiet, understated street, I too, find myself mourning; my card’s spending limit, that is!
From deluxe fashion labels to celebrated jewelers, the regal list includes the likes of Chanel, Valentino, Gucci, Christian Lacroix, Fendi, Harry Winston and Bulgari. The majestic Plaza Athénée hotel is also located on this street, adding to the glitz and glamour already found in spades.
Versace on Avenue Montaigne
What you should know
The celebrity fly-trap of a restaurant, L’Avenue, is located on Avenue Montaigne. But be warned; some reviewers swear that the beautiful waitresses are a feast on the eyes whilst the food itself, leaves a lot to be desired.
Avenue des Champs-Élysées
Why go
Given the unambiguous honor of being the world’s most beautiful street, the ChampsÉlysées is certainly one of the most famous. Marked at its beginning by the Obelisk of Luxor (Concorde), and lined throughout by bosquets of square-trimmed trees, the avenue concludes at the Arc de Triomphe. The City of Paris tried desperately to prevent the ‘banalisation’ of the street, by attempting to prevent global chain stores from setting up shop, but nowadays the likes of Zara, H&M, Gap and Benneton can be found neighboring designer labels such as Guerlain, Hugo Boss, Lancel and Cartier. The highlight of a shopping expedition on this famed street is a visit to the flagship Louis Vuitton store at 101 Avenue des Champs-Élysées. The shop’s window décor, which changes regularly, is often a treat to view in itself. The long line of people waiting for a chance to spend hundreds of euros; is another.
Louis Vuitton on Avenue des Champs-Élysées
What you should know
The street is exceptionally crowded, regardless of the season. The cafés along the center of the Champs-Élysées are a tourist trap, offering humdrum cuisine at exorbitant prices.
Boulevard Saint Michel
Why go
Unlike the high-end shopping streets of Paris, the Latin Quarter’s Boulevard St Michel is a typical neighborhood with a laid-back vibe. Shop the likes of Bennetton, Sinéquanone, and NafNaf, together with relatively affordable French chain stores such  as Camaïeu, Jules and Etam. The street is also renowned for its bookshops – one of the largest being Gilbert Joseph, and shoppers can enjoy a break from their arduous spending in the beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg, a stone’s throw away. With La Sorbonne university located close by, the area is awash with cafés and bars catering to the young and hip.
Naf Naf on Boulevard Saint Michel
What you should know
Boulevard St Michel connects easily with other famous streets of the Latin Quarter, including Boulevard Saint-Germain (which offers additional shopping choices) and Rue Soufflot which leads to the Pantheon.
Rue de Rennes
Why go
One of Paris’ longest shopping streets; Rue de Rennes is certainly made for pavement pounding, bags in hand – Pretty Woman style. Again, the charm of Parisian shopping is that big name designers often rub shoulders with large international chain stores; and Rue de Rennes is no exception. Add to the mix a scattering of quirky boutiques, and you have a shopper’s paradise. Located just on the other side of Jardin du Luxembourg from Boulevard St Michel, the street’s beacon is the Montparnasse tower (Paris’ tallest building).
Rue de Rennes
What you should know
The city’s largest FNAC (selling all things electronic and literary) can be found on Rue de Rennes. Take care of crossing the street though, as its sheer width and double-lane traffic in both directions can pose a hazard.

Fashion Tv



watch.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Importance of the site in the business and how to make money from it

Website - Its importance for business


A website is a collection of pages representing a company, business or simply an idea on the World Wide Web (WWW) files. The information could be in the form of traditional media including text, images & sound bytes and the more recent media of video and animation.Typically, though not necessary, the first page that your website visitors will land on is the 'Home' page document. The home page is a 'master guide' which will lead into to all the other pages of your site.
The word 'site' is usually used in the context of the geographical location of a place but a website is not tied to any particular place. It is simply a virtual location in the 'cyberspace'. 'Web presence' can also be used to describe your website.
Depending on your business or idea and the time and resources you have, a website may consist of a one (typically called a 'brochure' website) or hundreds of thousands of pages. You should communicate your business requirements to your website design company, which in turn will be able to suggest the number of pages and any other functionality that will be useful for your visitors.
Websites are extensively used by corporates, big and small businesses and even individuals to provide information about their products and services and invite inquiries and hopefully orders. Multiple websites, targeting different geo-locations and languages, can also co-exist having cross-links to files on each other's sites or even share the same files.
Your Business and websites:
In today's time of internet popularity and globalization, a web page or website is a dynamic tool in the market for you to both acquire and service your clients. It enables one to make information easily available about themselves as well as the products and services they plan to offer.
Competition has never been fiercer and it has become necessary for every company and business to fight tooth and nail for every inch of that customer share. A website and a good website design combined with marketing and search engine optimization activities is playing an increasingly crucial role in helping businesses and individuals achieve their objectives. Online presence has lowered barriers to entry for smaller players and has provided an instant 'global reach at practically zero cost'. I am sure everyone has heard of the 'work from home mum' who makes thousands of dollars selling products on their ecommerce website. I can hear you say 'how is that possible'. Well, the simple answer is 'online presence' i.e. a website that allows you to sell your products or services to visitors paying through their credit card.
In my next article, I will talk about how easy it is nowadays to e-convert your interest or that hobby of what people thought was simply collecting garbage into a successful web based business. I think that is what EBay is all about 'One man's garbage is another man's antique'.



 Make money from your website



For millions of people web sites are the major source of income. Thanks to the various ways to monetize a site, it is possible to make a living as a web master. However, this doesn't mean that every web master is a millionaire. Well, if you know how to monetize your web site, you might not get rich but at least chances are that under the worst possible scenario, you will be able to cover your hosting fees and the other expenses you make for your site.
Currently the most profitable ways to monetize your site are CPM ads, CPC ads, CPA ads, direct sales of ad space, and selling merchandise/goods/services. These ways are described in this article.

CPM Ads Can Bring In Cents


CPM ads
 are the easiest form of site monetization because they require almost no effort on your side, but they are also the least feasible because as a rule (unless you have really high traffic and your audience is well-targeted), the rates are low. Some CPM ad networks pay as low as $.05 per 1,000 uniques, which means that you need millions of visitors in order to make $100-200 a month.CPM ads (an abbreviation for Cost Per Thousand) is the oldest type of site monetization. You put banners on your site and advertisers pay you based on the number of unique impressions/page views your site has.
Popups and layer ads pay a bit more ($.5-2 per 1,000 uniques/pageviews). They could bring you a few dollars a month but many visitors find them especially irritating and this is why many web masters are not willing to put popups and/or layer ads on their sites.
There are high-paying CPM ads – for instance ads paying $2-5 per 1,000 uniques but usually the networks that run them have very high traffic and quality requirements for the sites that are eligible. As a result, it is very hard to get into these networks and take advantage of these well-paid CPM ads.
There are many CPM networks we can recommend. For sites with lots of traffic the choice better and some of the good options areAdvertising.comTribalFusionCasaleMedia, and ValueClick because there CPM rates are good. AdBriteAdTollRight Media, and BurstMedia are also good. Some of these networks are CPM-only, while others have other types of ads as well. Google also has CPM ads, so you may want to try them.

CPC Ads Are a Profitable Way to Monetize a Site

The most popular CPC network is Google Adsense and even though there are other CPC networks, the income you can make from Adsense is much higher. The reason is that Google Adsense has many advertisers and if your site is in a profitable niche, CPC can be the best way to monetize your site. Additionally, unlike some of the other CPC ad networks, Google Adsense is open to publishers from all over the world.CPC ads (an abbreviation from Cost Per Click) are different from CPM because with CPC you get paid not when visitors view ads but when they click on them. The good news is that CPC rates are much, much better and as a result, it is possible to make a decent income even with a small site with not so high traffic. The key with CPC success is to have a well-targeted site in a niche where there are a lot of advertisers.
Usually CPC ads are text ads and you publish them in blocks. However, there are also intext ads, where the keyword is underlined and when the visitor puts the mouse on it, a tooltip with CPC ads appears. Intext ads are less obtrusive but it takes much more effort for the user to notice them (and above all – to click them), which means that your chances to make money are further decreased. Kontera is one of the most popular networks for intext CPC ads.
The list of good CPC ad networks is not as long as the list of CPM or CPA ad networks but still there is a choice. For instance, Google Adsense,Yahoo! Publisher Network (YPN)BidVertiserChitika, and Clicksor are generally considered top choices but since many CPM ad networks pay decent rates for clicks on their CPM ads, you might want to try them as well.

CPA Ads Could Make You Rich

Affiliate programs can make you rich because there are many products with really fat commissions. For niches such as health, finance, travel, etc. affiliate programs are a real golden mine.Currently CPA (an abbreviation from Cost Per Action) is the most profitable way to monetize a site in a profitable niche. CPA, also known as “affiliate programs”, pays you a commission when your visitors perform an action. Most often this action is a purchase, but it could also be something else – i.e. download a free trial, or signup for the service of the advertiser.
However, affiliate programs require a lot of efforts on your side and still there is no guarantee that the offers you pick to promote will convert well and will make you money. Sometimes even the highest converting offers won't convert on your site and the only thing you can do is replace them with other offers, hoping that they will convert better.
There might be hundreds of CPM ad networks but for CPA they are thousands. It is practically impossible to try all of them personally and this is why we would like to recommend some of the best to start with. AmazoneBayShareASaleCommission JunctionClickbankMax Bounty,AzoogleNever Blue AdsLinkShare, or PepperJam are just a few of the greatest CPA networks we can recommend.

Direct Sales of Ads

If you are not happy with the CPM rates of ad networks, or CPC and CPA don't convert well with your site, you could try to find direct advertisers. However, have in mind that such an endeavor is not necessarily bound to succeed and if your site doesn't have audience advertisers can't reach elsewhere, you will hardly be able to negotiate good prices. Still, for some sites direct sales of ad space are a viable alternative and this is why you could also try it.
Openads Ad Server and OIO Publisher Ad Platform are two of the sites where you could try your luck. AdBrite also allowa you to price your ad space. In fact, almost any major network gives you the chance to put a widget on your site to invite advertisers directly to advertise on your site.

Sell Merchandise/Goods/Services

In addition to CPA ads, where you are selling other merchants' products, you can try selling your own merchandise or products/services with your brand. This technique works well mainly for popular sites with loyal audience and is hardly the easiest way to monetize a site. You could try to sell merchandise/goods/services as a supplementary service and if you see that this monetization technique works, you can expand the business. CafePress is one of the best places where you can sell merchandise with your logo and the greatest thing is that they print on demand, which means you don't have to keep your merchandise in stock.                                                                              The monetization techniques we described here can be combined. You can run CPM ads together with CPA or CPC. You can also combine multiple ads from the same type (i.e. CPM, CPC, or CPA) from different ad networks, provided that this doesn't violate the terms of these networks. There isn't a universal prescription about the best way to monetize a site. The basic rule is that you need to try and see what works for you. The fact that a given monetization technique works for somebody else doesn't mean that it will work for you, so you need to try and see for yourself.


 






NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE


Watch .

Sunday, August 18, 2013

tips for recovering from emotional pain

 tips for recovering from emotional pain



When you brood over something, you're simply replaying the same thoughts without gaining new insights.
When you brood over something, you're simply replaying the same thoughts without gaining new insights.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rejection is so painful that it can even affect your thinking
  • Positive affirmations may be ineffective for people who have low self-esteem
  • Instead, try making a list of your best qualities
Editor's note: Guy Winch holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and has a private practice in Manhattan. He is the author of "Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt, and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries."
-- We sustain psychological injuries such as rejection and failure as we go through life just as often as we do physical injuries. But while we have access to ointments and bandages to treat cuts and sprains, we have no such tools to treat emotional pain.
In my book, I discuss the impact of seven common psychological injuries on our emotional well-being -- rejection, failure, guilt, loneliness, rumination, loss and bouts of low self-esteem -- and offer science-based treatments that ease the pain, accelerate healing and minimize long-term risks to our mental health.
Here are five questions people often ask about psychological injuries:
1. Why does getting rejected hurt so much?
Getting rejected activates the same pathways in your brain that get activated when you feel physical pain. In one study, participants who received Tylenol (acetaminophen) and were then asked to recall a painful rejection reported less emotional pain than subjects who received a sugar pill.
Rejection is so painful that it can even affect your thinking. For example, being asked to recall a painful rejection was enough for people to score significantly lower on subsequent IQ tests, tests of short-term memory and tests of decision-making.
Rejection is assumed to have developed as an early warning mechanism to alert us when we were in danger of being kicked out of our tribe, which in our caveman past would have been a death sentence. That is also why rejection makes us feel so detached and alone; it destabilizes our need to feel that we belong.
Guy Winch
Guy Winch
2. Psychologists are advocates of getting in touch with how you feel. If thinking about your feelings is good for you, how can brooding and ruminating be bad?
Reflecting on how you felt after a painful experience often leads to the kind of understanding and insight that reduces emotional distress and allows you to move on. But when you brood over something, you're simply replaying the same thoughts, memories or worries over and over, gaining no new insights and making yourself more upset and angry.
Ruminating in such ways can be "addictive" in that stewing over such memories or thoughts makes them more distressing, which in turn makes the urge to brood over them even more compelling. These ruminative cycles not only increase your emotional distress in the moment, but over time, the stress hormones that are released into your bloodstream can put you at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
3. Is it possible to prevent a significant failure from affecting your self-esteem?
Yes. Failure is damaging to your self-esteem because it distorts your perceptions; your goals seem out of reach, and your capacities seem unequal to the task. To prevent your self-esteem from taking a big hit, you have to overcome the feelings of helplessness that follow a significant failure.
Blaming your "lack of ability," lamenting your "bad luck" or assuming "it was not meant to be" will make you feel unnecessarily powerless. If you insist on casting blame, focus on aspects of the task that were in your control, such as your planning and execution.
Then, consider the many ways you can improve your planning, become better informed and better prepared, invest greater effort and resources along the way, and strengthen your willpower (which can be done with certain exercises). Then try again!
4. Why do people who have hurt another person's feelings still feel guilty even after they've apologized?
Guilt is usually a useful emotion, as it warns you when your actions or inactions might cause harm to another person, thus giving you an opportunity to rethink things or to atone for your wrongdoing.
As such, guilt is a great "relationship protector." But when your guilt is excessive or lingering, it can do more damage than good; it can impair your ability to focus and concentrate or even to enjoy life.
When people feel guilty after having apologized for their actions, it's usually because their apology was not strong enough to elicit true forgiveness from the person they harmed. People often leave out the most important ingredient required to make an apology effective: expressing clear empathy for what the other person felt and went through.
Once you convey that you truly "get" how the other person felt and demonstrate a clear understanding of how your actions (or inactions) affected them, they will be much more likely to convey authentic forgiveness, and your guilty feelings should ease soon thereafter.

5. Why do some daily users of positive affirmations still have low self-esteem?
Positive affirmations such as "I am worthy of true love" or "I will be a great success at work" are often ineffective for people with low self-esteem. They can even make them feel worse.
When statements fall outside the boundaries of people's established beliefs, they reject them. If someone feels unlovable, affirmations about how worthy of love they are will be rejected by their unconscious minds and only remind them of how unlovable they truly feel.
People with low self-esteem should use self-affirmations instead. Self-affirmations are statements that reinforce those qualities and attributes that you believe you already possess, such as "I would be a loyal, caring and supportive partner" or "I'm responsible and motivated, and I have a great work ethic."
Making a list of your best qualities and writing a brief essay about why a specific quality is important (and how you've expressed it in the past) is a much more effective daily habit for people whose self-esteem is low.

Days will change your life

What makes a great journey?
A guaranteed transporting experience, first and foremost.
But after that it all depends on how you define “journey.”
If your version is restricted to a paved surface, at least two wheels and an engine, with a clear point A and B (and let’s not forget the cupholders), this list may not be for you.
Or maybe it is -- if you’re flexible enough to allow an elevator shaft in Taipei or a flight of stairs on a remote island in the South Atlantic to also qualify.
And a reindeer sled or a pair of ice skates or a Ferrari-styled roller coaster car to constitute a fair SMT (Suggested Mode of Transport).
What makes these 49 trips (listed in no particular order) the “best” ones out there? Ruthless subjectivity and provocative resolve to hear back from you about the 500 better ones we overlooked.
Some of these journeys can (or must) be done in a matter of minutes. Others may require at least one lifetime.
All of them are moving adventures worthy of true road warrior spirit -- in the broadest sense -- and solid proof that “moving about” is humanity's greatest obsession.
What's your favorite journey? Share it in the comments section.

1. Moscow to Vladivostok, Russia

trans-siberian expressLake Baikal -- Russia's way of saying: "Look at me."
SMT: Train
Board the Trans-Siberian Express in Moscow and rumble east into Russia’s interminable backcountry where the (relatively momentary) appearance of Lake Baikal reminds you you’re not on Jupiter.
Pull into the port of Vladivostok, 9,300 kilometers, seven days and eight time zones later. Yep, you’ve just clickety-clacked across a quarter of the earth’s circumference.

2. Sydney to several remote pubs, Australia

SMT: Helicopter
The world’s only helicopter pub crawl we know of departs from Sydney, soaring above the city’s famed harbor and touching down at several historic drinking holes spread across the beautiful (but curiously out-of-focus by mid-afternoon) New South Wales countryside.

3. Inca Trail, Peru

SMT: Foot
The groundwork for South America’s legendary cloud-forest, Andes-hugging, thin-air trek to Machu Picchu was laid over 500 years ago.
And the payoff at the end of your four-day, 43-kilometer hike -- gazing upon the legendary “Lost City of the Incas” with your own eyes -- remains as life-enhancing today as it was for pre-Columbian royalty.

4. Cape Town to Cairo, Africa

SMT: Your wits and 10 weeks minimum
Cape-to-Cairo. It just rolls off the tongue. Launching an independent road trip the length of Africa, on the other hand -- 17,000 kilometers and 11 countries (or so), featuring Victoria Falls, Mt. Kilimanjaro, lion and Whirling Dervish encounters, etc. -- is a different story.
We can’t wait to hear about it.

5. Adelaide to Darwin, Australia

SMT: Greyhound Bus
It’s been called “the longest bus ride in the world” -- a debatable factoid you won’t bother disputing after rolling for at least 42 hours (plus a six-hour layover in Alice Springs) along the planet’s most desolate, Greyhound-friendly continental midsection.
The draw: spectacular side trip opportunities en route, from spectacular Katherine Gorge and Ayers Rock to an underground bunker hotel room in Coober Pedy. All cheaply chauffeured by a trusty Greyhound driver who has to stay awake for you.

6. 0 to 240 km/hr, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Ferrari World roller coasterPlease try to keep your arms, legs and internal organs inside the car.SMT: Ferrari Formula One-Styled Roller Coaster Car
Q: Does riding a roller coaster count as a “journey?”
A: On the world’s fastest one, a Grand Prix-themed beast with Ferrari-styled cars that accelerates to 240 kilometers per hour in four seconds, hits 4.8Gs and requires the use of goggles -- yes.

7. Amritsar, India to 'Shangri-La'

SMT: Royal Enfield
What’s really stopping you from touring India’s Himalayan foothills to the border of Tibet on a 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet? … Maps? A guide and team of on-call mechanics? A Royal Enfield motorcycle?
All of that’s included in TransIndus’s 15-day Trans-Himalayan Odyssey -- hairpinning through mountain passes, sweeping valleys and some of the most stunning alpine scenery you’ll ever witness astride India’s version of a Harley.

8. Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

SMT: Cable car
Buy your US$5 ticket at the Market St. turntable and line up with all the other tourists. Board either the Powell-Mason or Powell-Hyde line.
Roll north past Union Square, along the edge of Chinatown, up and over Nob & Russian Hills, and down to Fisherman’s Wharf, clanging all the way.
Check it off the list. You can bike across the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow.

9. Ground floor to 89th floor, Taipei 101, Taiwan

SMT: Elevator
We love the vertigo-inducing, glass-fronted ride up Toronto’s CN Tower too. But for the sheer pleasure of blasting above the stifling masses in a steel box that “pushes the limits of people-mover technology,” according to Popular Mechanics, nothing quite matches an elevator trip up Taiwan’s Taipei 101.
No longer the world’s tallest building and fastest elevator, it remains the greatest vertical road to instant urban tranquility. One way ticket to the 89th-floor observation deck, please.

10. C2C Trail, England

SMT: Hiking boot and walking stick (Optional: Flock of Sheep and Border Collie)
Northern England’s Coast-To-Coast Trail (a.k.a. the “C2C”) stretches 192 miles from the Irish Sea at St. Bee’s to the North Sea at Robin Hood’s Bay, rambling through England’s famed Lake District and other picturesque settings with kindly folk and pubs.
Yes, you’ll be walking across an entire country. No, it shouldn’t wreck your knees or take more than a couple of weeks.
More on CNN: 10 top road trip apps

11. South Rim to Phantom Ranch, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Grand Canyon mule trekFour legs good -- so much better than four wheels.SMT: Mule
Hoofing down Grand Canyon National Park’s main artery, Bright Angel Trail, into the world’s most famous cleft is just easier and more sure-footed on a set of four hooves.
Book your mule at least a year in advance for the “Overnight Ride,” which includes a night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon at historic Phantom Ranch.

12. Khan Khentii, Mongolia

SMT: Yak
There’s only one place in the world to experience a Mongolian Yak Safari -- and we all know where that is.
Peregrine’s 14-day intro to Mongolia starts in Ulaanbaatar and features a three-day trek into the vast Khan Kentii wilderness with nothing but a yak-driven support vehicle, some local herdsman and your emerging ancient nomadic spirit.

13. Reykjavik to … Reykjavik, Iceland

SMT: Rental car
Iceland’s definitive 1,339-kilometer loop around the country along Route 1 (or The Ring Road) winds past remote glacial plains and weathered lava lands, over narrow wooden bridges, along steep sea-cliff-lined switchbacks, past endearing towns with unpronounceable names (Kirkjubæjarklaustur anyone?), and so on.
In the summer, you get to drive it in uninterrupted daylight.

14. Rideau Canal, Ottawa

SMT: Ice skates
Come winter, Canada’s most famous recreational waterway (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) turns into a skateway -- and the world’s largest ice rink.
Hardy Canadian locals commute to work this way, along a maintained section that runs for nearly eight miles through downtown Ottawa. Yes, you can rent skates at the canal, hold a black briefcase and pretend you’re doing the same. 

15. Amsterdam, Netherlands to Istanbul, Turkey (or equivalent)

SMT: Anything on the ground. Nothing in the air
It really doesn’t matter how you do it, or which pair of polar European cities you start and finish from -- as long as they’re about a dozen countries apart and you don’t cave and fly anywhere.
Mile-per-mile, overlanding across Europe remains the most definitive cross-cultural voyage anywhere.

16. Naples to Amalfi, Italy

amalfi coast roadGreat roads are even better if someone else is doing the driving.
SMT: Taxi
Why deal with Italian traffic while trying to sneak breathtaking seaside views along the Amalfi Coast when you can just hop into the back of a taxi driven by an experienced local who can handle this winding, precipitous road while yelling at his wife on the phone while playing tour guide and gazing admiringly out at Capri himself?

17. Milford Track, New Zealand

SMT: Foot
“The finest walk in the world.” A few hikes around the globe have been granted this status, including New Zealand’s signature 53.5-kilometer foot path through the heart of Fiordland National Park -- which might just get the nod for its spectacular South Island imagery and trekker-friendly lodging along the 5-day route.
Guided tours can be booked through the Milford Track’s licensed operator, Ultimate Hikes.

18. Deadwood to Custer State Park, South Dakota

SMT: Harley Davidson
Home to the famous annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, South Dakota’s signature rider rite of passage is the Black Hills Run (a.k.a. “the steeplechase for bikes”) -- a rolling, winding, wildly scenic journey from the former gold boomtown of Deadwood to the bison-rich fields of Custer State Park, with a pullout at Mount Rushmore.

19. Tashkent Metro, Uzbekistan

SMT: Subway train
The Moscow and Paris subways get plenty of attention. May we now acquaint you with Uzbekistan’s pin-up subterranean rapid transit system?
The Tashkent Metro is one of only two subways in Central Asia. This one’s not just nicer than Kazakhstan’s, but is one of the world’s most unsung, ornate subways -- featuring 29 uniquely-designed stations of glass, granite, marble and carved alabaster, designed by prominent artists and architects.
There’s no red, blue or green line quite like it.

20. Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Canada

SMT: Car with good brakes and Gordon Lightfoot CD set
If there’s a bucket list drive in the Canadian Maritimes, it’s this 298-kilometer loop around the top of Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Island -- featuring stunning Atlantic Coast scenery, numerous small-town seafood stops, whale sightings and superb day-trip hikes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

21. Lapland, Sweden

Lapland tripAnd you thought they only worked one day a year.
SMT: Reindeer sled
In the Swedish Arctic, you don’t have to be Santa to get pulled by a team of reindeer through the pristine Scandinavian tundra.
Sign up for a four-day, deer sledding expedition guided by local Sámi herdsmen with Nature Travels, and it’s like Christmas came early in Lapland.

22. Esquel to Ingeniero Jacobacci, Patagonia, Chile

SMT: Train
Calling any 1930s-era steam locomotive that maxes out at about 45 kilometers per hour on even older narrow-gauge track an express may be a stretch.
Board La Trochita (a.k.a. The Patagonian Express) and the thinking is, why would you want to go any faster through 400 kilometers of haunting scenery at the bottom of the world in an old, rattling wooden train car?

23. Grenada to Cape Vincent, Caribbean

SMT: Foot, taxi, ferry, mailboat
Grab a taxi in Grenada, board the Osprey Express for the 90-minute ferry to Carriacou. Run to the mailboat docks parked at the Government Dock in Hillsborough to get you across the border to Union island.
From there, catch an early morning ferry to Bequia and then board the Bequia Express to St. Vincent.
Who’d have thought the best inter-island road trip in the outer-Caribbean would be this easy?

24. Big Sur and the rest of California Highway 1

SMT: RV
California’s most magnificent patch of coast, Big Sur, winds for 93 gorgeous, perilous miles between San Simeon (Hearst Castle) and Carmel -- summoning great waves of joy, awe and car-sickness all in one movable sitting.
Getting above it all in a motor home lets you make use of over a dozen federal, state and private campgrounds hiding along the Big Sur coast and experience the rest of California’s spectacular, paved edge along Highway 1.

25. Athens to Marathon, Greece

SMT: Jogging shoes
More than 550 official marathon races in 69 countries on all seven continents are held annually around the world -- but the first one was run 2,500 years ago by a single Greek herald named Pheidippides who, legend has it, raced from Marathon to Athens (roughly 26 miles) in 490 BC to announce victory over Persia before dying on the spot.
Train responsibly and you’ll fare better on this hilly route that attracts thousands of bibbed heralds running from Marathonas to Athens’ Panathinaikon Stadium in the annual Athens Classic Marathon -- held every fall.

26. Turbo, Colombia to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Pan-American-HighwayOne road, a few wheels, a million memories.
SMT: Reliable car with easily replaceable parts
If there’s an easy way to drive the length of South America, it’s along the Pan-American Highway -- a.k.a. “the world’s longest motorable road” (which, technically, begins in Alaska).
Skipping the North and Central America part should make journeying through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina a relative breeze. If you’re in Suriname, you made a wrong turn.

27. Calgary to Banff, Alberta

SMT: Car
The straightest shot from Calgary to Banff National Park is along the four-lane Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). But this is a road trip, right?
Opting for the alternate, two-lane route, Highway 1A, a picture-perfect, two-laner snaking along the quiet Bow river leads to the same pinch-me Canadian Rocky Mountain scenery at a far more enjoyable pace with some quaint small towns thrown in and a drive-by past the very spot where "Legends of the Fall" was filmed.
The moral of this story: wherever you are, don’t snub that “A” route.

28. Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

SMT: Reliable car with Mexican auto insurance
Driving 1,700 kilometers of Highway 1 in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula at 80 kilometers per hour from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas will take you 21.25 hours if you don’t stop.
But you will stop. Possibly to change a tire or placate a bored 18-year-old Federale at a checkpoint in the middle of nowhere.
Or, mainly, just to marvel upon one of the wildest desert-meets-seascapes on earth. Just don’t forget that insurance.

29. Oslo to Bergen, Norway

SMT: Train or mountain bike -- or both
Northern Europe’s most gorgeous mountain- and fjord-fringed terrain sits between Norway’s capital and the west coast city of Bergen. The easy way to see it: on the 290-mile-long Bergen railway.
The harder way: on mountain bike along dirt service roads following the tracks. The happy medium: On the train to the top of the pass and downhill to Bergen on a mountain bike.

30. Anywhere on Antarctica

SMT: Double-hulled ship, Zodiac boat and (important) foot
Reaching the huge tabular icebergs, frenzies of wild penguins and bleached, otherworldly shores of Antarctica may be the best approximation to interplanetary travel on earth -- but it ain't a real journey unless you actually set foot on the place.
The majority of cruise ship visitors admire the White Continent from a distance without ever leaving their ship.
For an up-close, intimate journey that lets you actually stand on Antarctica instead of squint at it from the Lido Deck, sign on with an IAATO-member vessel specializing in leading smaller groups and offering multiple shore excursions.

31. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Maasai Mara National parkHippos, zebras and just out of sight a bunch of mesmerized tourists.
SMT: Horse
Witnessing Africa’s animals in a Land Rover is thrilling. Interacting with them on horseback -- galloping alongside zebra, giraffe and antelope -- on a riding safari with moving camps and local Masai tribesmen in the mix is a whole other deal.
Equitours’ flagship tour, traversing Kenya’s wildlife-rich Masai Mara National Reserve, features 11 days of basically playing Hemingway without the gun.

32. Coast to coast, Corsica, France

SMT: Renault Clio
There are many places to go for a white-knuckle test drive in a small European car, but none as simultaneously scenic, charming and full of random goat herds as Corsica.
Test your skills on the west coast’s D-81 above Piana, Cap Corse’s D-80, and the interior’s D-623 near Restonica Gorge. D = Dramatic on any of them.
Train travel on the single-track Trinighellu (“Trembler”) line is a scenic alternative, carving across the island’s mountainous center.

33. Campbell River, Vancouver Island, Canada

SMT: Snorkel and fins
Every year, thousands of salmon complete their own incredible road trip up Vancouver Island’s Campbell River, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most populated spawning grounds.
A three-hour “Snorkel with the Salmon” tour is on offer from Destiny River Adventures with their final leg floating down a not-so-lazy river with a mask and snorkel.
Best salmon run viewing is between late August and mid-September when all five native Pacific species (pink, coho, chinook, sockeye and chum) are present.

34. Chiang Mai Hill Country, Thailand

SMT: Elephant
Thailand’s estimated 2,000 domestic elephants have (at least officially) retired from logging duties and in the best cases found a more sustainable life in the tourism industry.
Your first job before climbing aboard one: finding a company with a humane track record.
Elephant “treks” range from short guided walks in Phuket to longer expeditions in Northern Thailand’s Hill Country -- including a three-day tromp through the Baan Na Kled Hoi jungle near Chiang Mai, interacting with Thai hill tribes and an amazing creature you can’t quite believe you’re sitting on.

35. Chama, New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado

SMT: Narrow gauge train
Between late September and early October, the best fall-color experience on steam-powered wheels is chugging between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado on the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
Board at either end for a full- or half-day chug through Carson and Rio Grande National Forests, old sheep ranches and ghost towns lit up with autumn leaves.
Along the way, you’ll push beyond 10,000 feet at Cumbres Pass -- the highest pass reached by rail in the country.

36. Somewhere to wherever you end up, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladeshi rickshawAnd all for less than the cost of your coffee at the end of the journey.
SMT: Rickshaw
It’s the journey, not the destination. We’ve all heard that old road trip adage -- which has a special meaning while riding in the back of a brightly-adorned rickshaw in Dhaka, the unofficial “Rickshaw Capital of the World.”
Weaving through ridiculous traffic in one of 400,000 cycle-rickshaws at last count, who really cares where you’re actually going? Just savor the ride.

37. Jamestown to Halfmoon Hollow, Saint Helena, United Kingdom

SMT: Quads, glutes and calves
Napoleon, died eight years before “Jacob’s Ladder” was built on St. Helena to transport goods from Jamestown to the top of Ladder Hill.
That means climbing the vertiginous stone stairway’s 699 steps from sea level to 600 feet puts you in an elite group that even an exiled French emperor isn’t part of. Don’t forget to buy your souvenir "completion" certificate at the nearby museum.

38. Sunrise at Mt. Batur, Bali, Indonesia

SMT: Shuttle van, foot
Get picked up from your hotel in the wee hours and ascend the forested, volcanic flanks of central Bali’s, 5,633-foot Mt. Batur at pre-dawn.
Atop the crater rim at sunrise you can gaze out while your guide cooks eggs on steaming hot rocks before hustling back down the live volcano.
Contact Bali Sunrise Trekking Tours or numerous other companies offering this trip, or book your own guide independently with the Association of Mount Batur Trekking Guides.

39. Lukla to Everest Base Camp, Nepal

SMT: Feet and Lungs
Hop a quick flight from Katmandu to Lukla -- home of the world's most hair-raising landing strip. Then start walking.
At least a week is recommended for the 62-kilometer trek up to Everest Base Camp, winding through Himalayan imagery and mountain villages colored in prayer flags en route to the gates of the world's highest peak.
Before turning around, wish all those mid-May crazies luck who call this oddly crowded spot just the beginning of their upward journey.

40. Denali Highway, Alaska

SMT: Dogsled
You don’t need to be an Iditarod athlete to experience authentic dog travel in the Alaskan wilderness -- but you will need to go to mushing school.
Fairbanks-based Paws for Adventure runs half- and full-day mushing classes and dogsledding overnights for the rest of us who won’t be racing 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome this year.
Their signature Alaskan Range Expedition is five nights of dogsled travel up and around the Denali Highway and McClaren Glacier. Not a sound but falling snow and jingling collars.

41. Merzouga to Erg Chebbi, Morocco

camel trek, moroccoGreat journeys aren't always comfortable.
SMT: Camel
Anyone drawn to the romance of camel travel probably hasn’t ridden one lately -- but is there a more primal place on earth to experience it than in the world’s largest desert?
The massive dunes of Erg Chebbi in southeastern Morocco are your portal into the Sahara from the tiny camel-trekking-serviced village of Merzouga. Yeah, you’re out there.

42. Cape Town to Hermanus or further, South Africa

SMT: Car
The most relentlessly pleasant drive on the bottom of the world starts in Cape Town and skirts east along the Western Cape past charming seaside villages, vineyards, beaches and marine mammal overlooks to Hermanus -- “South Africa’s Whale Town.”
That’s the quick 120-kilometer version. Add a zero and you can continue this South African coastal odyssey all the way to Durban.

43. The Great Wall, China

SMT: Foot
China's Great Wall sees about 20,000 daily tourists in its busiest section near Beijing. But that just leaves other magnificent parts of this 21,000-kilometer, two-millennia-in-the-making, not-so-modest masonry project foot-traffic free.
For example, sign up for ICA's WildWall Extreme trek-a five-day camping trip along 40 kilometers of remote Great Wall in neighboring Hebei Province, and the world's most wondrous wall was built just for you this week.

44. New Delhi to Agra, India

SMT: Tour bus
Define “tour bus” anyway you like, but the roads out of Delhi are so much nicer when someone else has to drive them.
A mere 200 kilometers southeast of this madness takes you to Agra and that checklist-notching date with the Taj Mahal.

45. Scotsdale to Upper Sonoran Desert, Arizona

SMT: Hummer
In Greater Phoenix, one can admire only so much saguaro and roadkill from behind the wheel of a white rented Neon.
The cure: offroading deep into the area’s rugged outback, the Sonoran Desert, at night with an ITT GEN 3 Night Vision Scope when the temperature’s dipped below 120 and the tarantulas, scorpions, wild pigs and Gila Monsters are just waking up.

46. Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland

Chamonix skiing adventureWho said skiing was all downhill?
SMT: Skis and crampons
The Haute Route (High Route), Europe’s most famous backcountry ski tour, traverses 120 kilometers of glaciated terrain from Chamonix to Zermatt and has been called the “the hut-to-hut tour to end all hut-to-hut tours” and the “the lifelong dream of fanatical off-piste skiers everywhere.”
Mountain Tracks offers a nine-day, all-inclusive journey along a select route tailored to avoid over-trafficked areas.

47. Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

SMT: Car or foot
Even if you don't know the Dingle Peninsula yet, you already kind of do. Tucked away on Ireland's southwest coast in ultra-scenic County Kerry, it packs scores of classic Irish images.
Craggy mountains swaddled in mist. Tilted green hills matted with yellow gorse and lined with old stone walls. Sawtoothed, frothy Atlantic shorelines. An old fellow squinting at you by the side of a quaint back road in a gray tweed cap with his ten million sheep.
The Dingle Peninsula is a microcosm of the Irish coast in one ruggedly stunning package that you can loop around by car in a single day. But make it at least two-or three.
Or over a week, if you have the time and quad muscles to hoof around the peninsula on the 179-kilometer Dingle Way, one of the country's most spectacular long-distance walking trails.

48. Guadalajara to Amititán, Mexico

SMT: "Tequila Express” train
Most classic weekend road trips are much happier on the way there than backThe Tequila Express is one notable exception.
You can board in Guadalajara at 10:30am, roll past agave covered hillsides into the village of Amititán (a.k.a. the birthplace of tequila) where you’ll visit some of the world’s oldest tequila distilleries -- before returning in a raucous train car full of passengers loaded on tequila, conga-lining to a mariachi band. Salud!

49. Pitesti to Cartisoara, Romania

SMT: Car, motorcycle or (gasp) bicycle
A couple seasons ago, "Top Gear" host Jeremy Clarkson put South-Central European scenic mountain driving on the map by exclaiming, “This is the best road in the world,” while touring Romania's national route 7C (a.k.a. the Transfagarasan Highway) with an Aston Martin, Ferrari and a Lamborghini.
That's in spite of the potholes, crumbly hairpins and tempestuous conditions that make this secluded, serpentining 90-kilometer, former military route through gorgeous Carpathian mountainscapes (and right past Vlad the Impaler's old hilltop digs) undriveable between mid-fall and late spring.
So come in the summer.