The Daily Valet. - 7/27/22, Wednesday

✔️ A Vision of the Future

July 27, 2022

Wednesday, July 27th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

It’s a far-flung edition of The Daily. You’re now free to move about the newsletter.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Saudi Arabia’s New Wall City

The proposed mirrored complex will stretch for 75 miles and be taller than the Empire State Building

Straight out of a sci-fi film, Saudia Arabia’s plans for a ‘linear city’ located on the Gulf of Aqaba are definitely futuristic. But what kind of future are we talking about here? Optimistic community of tomorrow or dystopian hellscape?

When we think of modern showstopper buildings, we’re often imagining skyscrapers, but this bold design stretches lengthwise—for a whopping 75 miles.

According to the Wall Street Journal, when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directed authorities to develop land in the kingdom’s arid northwest, he demanded something as ambitious as Egypt’s pyramids. The result were two interconnected 1,600-foot-tall buildings running parallel to each other for (yes) 75 miles. When completed, it will be the largest structure in the world.

Dubbed the Mirror Line, the shiny structure will span coasts, deserts and mountains, and be connected by walkways. According to the plans, there will also be a high-speed train that runs beneath the buildings (because, again, 75 miles), a marina, a sports stadium and a vertical farm.

According to The Verge, the megacity has been strongly criticized from the start—with reports revealing problems from vast over-spending to oppressive treatment of local tribes and proposed danger to migrating birds.

And while it certainly seems impressive, the design details seem somewhat unrealistic (no matter how much money that sovereign-wealth fund throws at it). There will be no cars or roads, cloud seeding for rain and, somewhat inexplicably, a fake moon. Some of the renderings look like that meme of a missed utopian future. But, I guess that’s the point.

↦ FYI: An initial impact assessment of the Mirror Line said the development would have to be constructed in stages and could take 50 years.

Lower Airfares Are Coming Back

Ticket prices are finally starting to cool as peak summer travel season fades

If you've been watching airfare prices, then you know they went really cheap for a while. Then they started rising. Then flights were canceled and summer travel started to look like more of a hassle than it was worth.

But here's some good news: Travel experts say that flight prices usually drop in the fall, but this year's decline from the highs of summer is steeper than usual. The average airfare for round-trip domestic flights this fall is $298, according to data from travel booking app Hopper. That's down from May, when average fares exceeded $400.

If current trends hold, even better deals could come along for those who wait, analysts say. That's because a decline in consumer spending, a downturn in the labor market or the emergence of another COVID variant will lower airfare, reports CNBC.

Of course, there are all sorts of sites and apps that are designed to help you but where do you start? How do you prevent yourself from overpaying? We distilled the best expert advice into six cardinal rules. Follow these and you'll be sure to have plenty of cash left in your pocket to spend once you get to your destination.

↦ Read: How to score the best (and cheapest) plane tickets.

Partner

Need more energy? Put down the coffee. You don't need caffeine, but you could very well be deficient in a vital bodily element.

The Nugget Wars

Chicken nuggets are the next big competitive category in fast food

They're crispy. They're addictive. They're the thing picky eaters will happily eat when they refuse all other foods. And those little breaded beauties are the new battleground for fast food clout.

Chains like KFC and Boston Market are making big-splash introductions of chicken nuggets on their menus this month, setting up a potential rematch of the epic chicken sandwich wars of 2019.

According to Axios, chicken consumption is on the rise, so industry titans think they can boost profits by catering to the nugget-loving tastes of younger consumers. After all, Wendy's spicy chicken nuggets captured plenty of marketing attention (and helped generate 2 million Twitter likes for the brand's “most liked tweet of all time”).

Currently, there's an arms race in nugget innovation (and heat). McDonald's—which pioneered the McNugget in 1981—has brought back the beloved Spicy McNuggets for a limited time. Burger King has its spicy Ghost Pepper Chicken Nuggets while Boston Market just debuted its healthier version of nuggets in "signature" and "spicy" (but remember they're roasted rather than fried).

↦ FYI: All nuggets are good. But only some are great. Thrillist rated fast food nuggets and the top spot might surprise you.

The Latest Ace Lands in Toronto

And it’s got a suspended lobby

Ace Hotels are arguably one of the coolest hospitality groups around. Even if their rooms are a bit sparse for some, the lobbies and eateries are always places you want to be.

Canada just got their first Ace Hotel, housed in a new building by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, in Toronto's stylish and bustling garment district. The standout feature? The lobby is suspended from huge concrete arches.

Along the street front, an awning extends to shelter a walkway and swoops over the entrance to form a trapezoidal shape with curved corners. Inside, some furniture and lighting were custom-designed for the project, while other vintage pieces were sourced locally. The guest rooms were designed as urban cabins, with deep window benches for gazing out onto nearby landmarks, such as St. Andrew's Playground Park across the street.

The growing hotel chain now has 10 locations—most of which are scattered across North America. Ace opened an outpost in Sydney earlier this year following Kyoto's quiet opening during the lockdowns of 2020. Unfortunately, the Ace Hotel in London closed the same year.

↦ Dig Deeper: In honor of their 20th anniversary, our own Cody Gault examined how the Ace changed not just hotels, but how we travel.

In Other News

↦ Justice Dept. Investigating Trump’s Actions in Jan. 6 Criminal Probe

↦ Wildfires Are Setting Off 100-Year-Old Bombs on WWI Battlefields

↦ Is Selling Shares in Yourself the Way of the Future?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

An unexpected campaign ad

Audiobooks

Cookie cakes

Partner

Give Your Health a Boost

By upgrading your source for electrolytes

After decades of misinformed guidance, a growing body of scientific literature is revealing that low sodium levels may indeed be harmful to health. It's a shame how slow this information usually travels. Remember how long it took to get over the idea that low-fat foods lead to weight loss?

Sodium is a key electrolyte that we're often running low on—especially if we're active. And when we're low on electrolytes, we often feel run down or achy. Anyone following a low-carb, ketogenic diet knows about that (ever hear of the “keto flu”?) Thankfully, restoring your electrolytes is as simple as downing some LMNT. The tasty single-serving drink mix is used by everyone from pro athletes and Olympians to Navy Seals and has everything you need and nothing you don't.

That means a generous dose of salt, along with potassium and magnesium but absolutely no sugar, no artificial ingredients and no fillers. How many sports drinks can say that? Yeah, not many. And LMNT has a science-backed electrolyte ratio of 1,000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium. Plus, the fruit flavors are refreshing and sweetened only with natural, no-calorie stevia.

↦ Deal: Get a free sample pack (8 single serving packets) with any purchase.

Top It Off

Trail cap, $70 by Reigning Champ

After T-shirts, hats are the next best signifier of your interests without having to actually say it. They're also a summer vacation staple—a good cap will keep the sun out of your eyes and makes for the perfect throw-on accessory for those lazy days when you don't want to do your hair.

Of course, there's a lot of different caps to consider. The ultimate headwear accessory comes in a wide range of fits and fabrics—from classic 5-panel designs in canvas or twill to outdoorsy nylon options, and even trucker styles. We've picked some of the best and most unique hats out right now, so take your pick.