Many, many of us have lamented the departure of revered travel writer and editor Tom Swick from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the publication once graced with many of his Best American Travel Writing-winning essays. The panic of the newspaper industry, the assumption that the travel section really should be just glamorized advertising …

But for readers it might have turned out to be an interesting development. Tom Swick now has a regular column running on World Hum. It’s a little sharper maybe, a little more of that great Tom take on the world, eyes open wide, tongue sometimes in cheek. Not only that, but he’s just started his very own website and blog.

I am not the only writer, reader, and traveler who is grateful for Tom’s adherence to the highest standards and expectations of travel writing. His 2001 article in the Columbia Journalism Review answering the question, “Why is so much travel writing so boring?” continues to be a landmark. I will never forget the travel writing class I took from him in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2006 (nor subsequently nearly getting him lost while pretending to be a guide in the city’s subway system), and his affirmation that the first requirement of a travel writer is curiosity.

In his blog and personal webiste, Tom Swick says he hopes to reveal more about the world where he lives in South Florida than about himself. I think most of us will be happy with either.

I’m a big fan of Lost Horizon: A Novel, written in 1933 by James Hilton (and later made into the iconic 1937 movie Lost Horizon.)

The setting of the story is the mythical utopian Shangri-La, a beautiful place somewhere in the Himalayas that is so peaceful and stress-free that it stops aging.

If you ever leave there, the real world crushes in and you age immediately.

The story has captured imaginations for decades. As a Navy veteran, my personal favorite for irony is naming an aircraft carrier the USS Shangri-La (CV-38) – when reporters asked President Franklin D. Roosevelt where the 1942 surprising Doolittle raid on Tokyo had taken off from, he replied, “They came from Shangri-la.”

The reality was classified at the time; the sixteen heavy B-25 bombers took off from the carrier Hornet (none of the Army Air Corps pilots had ever flown off of a Navy carrier) and then because of low fuel, most tried to ditch in – more irony – China.

To broaden tourism appeal to the relatively remote area of Zhongdian, the Chinese government renamed it Shangri-La. Of course, there is really no such place.

Everyone has their own definition of a perfect destination; a peaceful respite where your cares don’t age you because you have no cares.

It’s not that the myth can’t somewhat become reality if you find your perfect place (we all look better, aged or not, when we aren’t stressed) but don’t depend on a tourism bureau to tell you how to find Shangri-La.

Looks like Thailand’s luxury tropical getaways are getting greener, with Paradee, a five star resort on Thailand’s Samet island leading the way. But if you’re looking for a cultural experience, it might be better to skip the resort, join the Koh Yao Noi’s Homestay Club and stay with the locals.

Green skiers can find out the environmental scorecard of various ski fields around the US over at Ski Area Citizens Coalition.

World Hum discusses The Myth of the Carbon-Neutral Air Traveler

An Air New Zealand Boeing 747 took a biofuel test flight the other day, hoping to discover how a biofuel made from the inedible nuts of the Jatropha plant would stand up to use at the high altitudes and extreme operating conditions required by aviation.

And if you’re looking for somewhere new to go this year, check out this list of the 15 of the Most Exotic Green Travel Destinations. Turns out I won’t have to travel very far – New Zealand is one of the places highlighted on this list. Of course, that doesn’t really surprise me – after all, it was voted best destination in last year’s Responsible Tourism Awards.

As we did last year, my family’s New Year’s Eve was spent in downtown Austin, Texas at the family-friendly First Night celebration.

Since budgets are getting pretty tight, I’m spending time exploring the delights that are right under my nose and are either free, or don’t cost much money.

Last night, I found Austin-based ArcAttack- pure performance heaven for anyone who likes electronica music and/or science (they also have a Singing Tesla MySpace page.)

These “electrical engineers in a garage” use DRSSTC’s (Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coils) – acting as separate synchronized instruments – to make music that also serves up a terrific light show. My husband and son saw them at Austin’s Maker Faire earlier this year, but First Night was my first chance to see their wizardry.

<—-  I’ve included a photo of the required electrical circuitry from one of their T-shirts, just in case you want to, you know, run out and build something similar in your spare time….

Their Web site’s Show Dates page has some upcoming Texas events, and last night they announced that they’ll be touring Europe in 2009, so keep an eye out and try to see them.

I shot some video myself, but it stinks. Below is a better one that I found from their Maker Faire performance (and here’s the URL if you can’t see the box.)

Is there a special, don’t-miss-them artistic or performance group from your hometown? Please tell us in the comments below.