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It’s kind of hard to grasp the extent of the oil spill the Gulf of Mexico. This NASA photo gives you some idea. Here’s a website called If It Was My Home that let’s you place the spill in the context of your own geographic area. Tens of millions of galloons of oil have leaked so far. Some estimates put the daily total of oil gushing out at upwards of 60,000 barrels. The Gulf Coast, of course, is a major tourist destination, not just for Americans, but for people from around the globe. So, Lonely Planet’s US travel editor Robert Reid went to access the short-term and longer-term impacts for himself. He speaks to us about his trip in this episode of our Talking Travel podcast. His bottom line: don’t cancel your Gulf Coast trip yet. Most beaches are still open, and you can still swim, but be sure to check before you head out.

Here are some links of interest from the podcast:

• Robert mentioned the Deepwater Horizon Response website
• The New York Times’ on-going look at developments
• BBC: Inside BP’s oil spill headquarters
• The Environmental Protection Agency’s oil spill response page
• AAA page on Gulf Coast beach closures
• USA Today graphic on oil spill’s effects

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(Photo: NASA)