by Kurt Stolz

Over the past several days, we’ve seen state officials focus on one aspect of the reopening more so than any other that is causing the number of new coronavirus cases to spike: Indoor dining.
Restaurants face great challenges when they try to reopen their dining rooms. Ventilation systems can create complex patterns of airflow and keep viruses aloft.  As a result, simply spacing tables six feet apart, in line with current …

Review and Test Drive: 2020 Volkswagen Passat 2.0T SEL

by Paul Riegler

Introducing the redesigned 2020 Volkswagen Passat.  If you liked the recent editions of the Passat (and there’s a lot to like), you will undoubtedly like the new one as well.
We last looked at the Passat some two years ago in GT form, a vehicle that offered tighter handling and a sporty and more powerful V6 powerplant. The 2020 redesign focused on updating the exterior design, bringing it a bit more …

Happy Fourth! Celebrate the Holiday with Our Photo Essay of Patriotic Sunsets

by Paul Riegler

As is our custom, we at FBT celebrate Independence Day in the United States, the Fourth of July, with captivating and patriotic sunsets.
While we’ll be listening to the Boston Pops perform last year’s concert (due to the cancellation of this year’s due to the pandemic), accompanied by some star-spangled fireworks, there’s nothing like a beautiful sunset to gaze upon. As the sky changes to a vivid red from white and blue, Conductor …

Here’s What’s Open and What’s Closed for the 4th of July Observance

by Kurt Stolz

Today is the Third of July, not the Fourth, but because Independence Day in the United States falls on a Saturday, the holiday is being observed on a Friday in terms of what is open for business. This year the observance of the holiday will differ from past years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Independence Day a federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence after the Continental …

July News Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Past Month’s Headlines

by Paul Riegler

It’s July, we’re halfway through the year, and it’s time to see how up-to-date you are with travel, aviation, and coronavirus news from the past month. What a month it’s been!
Take our travel news quiz and you could win a piece of airline and travel history including items from Pan Am, Cunard, and TWA.
In last month’s quiz, which was one of the more difficult ones, the question asking what Boeing’s …

Great Moments in Travel History – July 2020

by Jesse Sokolow

Falling between June and August, July is the seventh month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It was named after the Roman general Julius Caesar as it was the month of his birth. Before that, it was known as Quintillis, or the fifth month of the ten-month Roman calendar.
The month is typically the start of the “dog days” of summer, a period of hot, humid, and uncomfortable weather. The ancient …

Europe Poised to Reopen Borders to 14 Countries, But Not to Americans or Russians

by Anna Breuer

After four months, the European Union is preparing to reopen its borders, but the list of countries whose citizens will be able to enter will be very short.
Fourteen to be exact.
The Committee of Permanent Representatives, which is comprised of the ambassadors of EU member countries to the bloc, agreed late Friday to allow citizens of Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, …

Milton Glaser, Who Designed ‘I ❤ NY’ Logo, Dies at 91

by Paul Riegler

Milton Glaser, an American graphic artist known for work as varied as the “I ❤ NY” logo, a 1967 poster of Bob Dylan with psychedelic hair, and the creation of New York Magazine, died Friday in New York City.
Mr. Glaser was 91 and Friday was his birthday.
With wit and whimsy, Mr. Glaser modified the vocabulary if not the entire language of American design in his work in advertising, product design, …