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Family Travel Guide
Carnival of Cities for 01 July 2009

Sheila

1 Jul 2009 | 2:56 pm

Welcome to this edition of the Carnival of Cities, where we take you around the world with one blog post. The next edition is scheduled for July 15 and will be hosted on the Perceptive Travel blog. If you’d like to host this bi-weekly (fortnightly) blog carnival, let me know via email to sheila “at” sheilascarborough “dot” com. Off we go…. Cities in the Americas Seabrook (near Houston) Texas, USA Julie Pippert presents Discovering Seabrook, a charming coastal town just outside Houston posted at Being Savvy Houston, saying, “Get to know Seabrook,…
Family travel in South Dakota: the 50 state series

Sheila

30 Jun 2009 | 9:19 pm

Every Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook. Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word. Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state. We’re going in…
Great Travel Links for 29 June 2009

Sheila

28 Jun 2009 | 10:28 pm

Welcome to a short list of useful reads from around the Web - I used to post this on most Mondays but have been a bit, ahem, diverted lately. *** A huge thank you to the blogs who hosted the bi-weekly/fortnightly Carnival of Cities recently: Nerd’s Eye View, UpTake Attractions, Ajay’s Writings on the Wall, Fear and Loathing - The Gonzo Papers and Eyeflare. The next edition of this blog carnival (featuring posts about any aspect of a SINGLE city) is scheduled to be hosted here on Family Travel. Submit your posts here by noon CST 30 June. *** From TravelSavvyMom: …
The Vacation Departure Maniac

Sheila

28 Jun 2009 | 10:02 am

I’m a holy terror before we leave on vacation. That’s because I want to leave a tidy house (Beds made! Vacuumed! Light timers prepped!) the fridge cleaned out, cat & fish sitters covered, everything packed properly and not just jammed into suitcases, car cleaned before we pack it, decent snacks in a cooler so we don’t buy overpriced crap on the road….see? Total perfectionist maniac. Which is fine, except I never allow enough TIME to do all my maniacal stuff. I insist on cramming it into the last 4 hours before departure so that everyone, including myself, wants to…
Family Travel in Tennessee: the 50 state series

Sheila

23 Jun 2009 | 8:37 pm

Every Tuesday until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook. Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word. Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state. We’re going in…

LA Times Travel
Legoland scraps plan for Michael Jackson tribute figure

Brady MacDonald

2 Jul 2009 | 4:09 pm

Legoland California has scrapped plans to unveil a 4-inch-tall, Lego-figure tribute to the late Michael Jackson “due to unresolved legal issues,” the Carlsbad kiddie park said in a news release this afternoon. Officials would not elaborate on the legal issues. The park earlier said it would add the Jacko Lego on Friday to the Southern California [...]
Be my guide: Austin, Texas, music scene is packed with good, bad and weird bands

Mark Milian

2 Jul 2009 | 2:12 pm

Readers seemed to have endless suggestions for my stop in Austin on my two-week, music-driven trip. No wonder. This city lives and breathes music. I tried to hit as many spots as I could, which made for a long night of good, bad and just plain weird performances. The weirdest was Patrick Wolf at Antone’s. A [...]
Anime robot Gundam to hold court in Tokyo

Susan Derby

2 Jul 2009 | 10:23 am

Attention, anime fans: The giant robot Gundam, from the Japanese TV series of the same name, will be standing tall in Tokyo this summer. The 59-foot high statue — which will be able to strike a pose with its 50-plus moveable parts and eject mist and light beams — will hold court at the entertainment complex Odaiba in [...]
Chicago O’Hare sees delays due to United Airlines computer problems

Jen Leo

2 Jul 2009 | 8:32 am

It’s not a pretty sight at Chicago O’Hare. The Chicago Tribune reports that a United Airlines computer glitch has caused serious delays and grounded the airline’s flights at the airport. Look at the picture of passengers backing up at Terminal 1. The expressions on their faces seem a little bit tame to me. United Airlines acknowledges [...]
Punta Mita, Mexico: $1,234 off Four Seasons stay

Susan Derby

1 Jul 2009 | 4:02 pm

Yes, hotel rooms in Mexico are still on sale, and that includes the luxury ones, many of which are now available for more moderate prices. Case in point: The Four Seasons resort in Punta Mita is offering an unusual “Experience More” package that translates to rooms for around $220 a night this summer. Deal: At the [...]

The Perrin Post
Buy a 7-Night Cruise in Southeast Asia and Get 6 Nights on Land for Free

Conde Nast Traveler

2 Jul 2009 | 7:45 am

Book a seven-night Star Clippers Southeast Asia cruise and get six nights of land packages for free.
Up to $2,000 Off Authentic Tours of Remote Lands with Geographic Expeditions

Conde Nast Traveler

1 Jul 2009 | 6:23 am

If you've got the means, as well as two to three weeks to spend on the other side of the world, delving beneath the surface of a different culture and gaining access to authentic experiences that are otherwise off-limits, you'll want to jump on Geographic Expeditions' unprecedented discounts. GeoEx never reduces its prices. Except now.
NYC Restaurant Week Serves Lunch for $24, Dinner for $35

Conde Nast Traveler

30 Jun 2009 | 6:32 am

Make your reservations for New York City Restaurant Week, July 12-31, when lunch is $24.07, and dinner is $35.
50% Off Silversea Cruises

Conde Nast Traveler

29 Jun 2009 | 11:07 am

Silversea, a perennial favorite of Condé Nast Traveler readers, is offering two-for-one deals on dozens of sailings, for 39 worldwide itineraries, through the end of the year.
Rugged Overseas Tours for 60% Off in July, 30% Off in August

Conde Nast Traveler

26 Jun 2009 | 6:41 am

See Angkor Wat on a trip to Cambodia with Intrepid Travel for less than $50 per day. Photo submitted by Condé Nast Traveler reader x100. By Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals Intrepid Travel, a tour operator with an emphasis on...

THIS JUST IN (BUDGET TRAVEL)
Disney unveils faux Obama on the Fourth of July

Brad Tuttle

2 Jul 2009 | 1:11 pm

Call it Faux-bama. Or perhaps Robobama. After a long renovation, the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom reopens this Saturday, July 4, and inside is a new guest: an Audio-Animatronic version of President Barack Obama. [+] Enlarge photoDisney Imagineer John Cutry programs an Audio-Animatronics figure of President Barack Obama (Courtesy Disney)The statue moves and talks, with words that President Obama himself recorded at the White House earlier this year. With the cooperation of White House staffers, Disney even incorporated Obama's sense of fashion and style, including…
"Barstool-style" seating on a Chinese airline?

Sean O'Neill

2 Jul 2009 | 7:04 am

Would you accept "barstool-style" seating in exchange for a cheaper plane ticket? That's the question China's Spring Airlines is considering. The low-cost carrier has more demand for its flights than it has planes, says Britain's Sky News. The company president says the new plan would be "like catching a bus, with no seat, no luggage consignment, no food, no water." The company needs to get approval from regulators first, adding that government officials have been positive so far. Back in 2003, aircraft manufacturer Airbus researched the idea of "standing-room seats" but abandoned the idea,…
Readers' best national park photos

Kate Appleton

1 Jul 2009 | 1:49 pm

Click the image to launch the slide show. (Courtesy Ketchie/myBudgetTravel) We asked, and you came through with spectacular photos from U.S. national parks, including this shot of Glacier National Park from myBT member Ketchie. See the slide show. Inspired? We've also got practical advice to help you get outdoors: National Parks (Minus the Crowds) maps out itineraries for four popular parks. Try planning your visit around one of this summer's free admission weekends, and browse our national park deals.
NYC: The MAve Hotel opens July 2, with a discount

Kate Appleton

1 Jul 2009 | 1:19 pm

It's not so easy to open a sleek boutique hotel these days in Manhattan, where room occupancy is down and practically everything's on sale. The new MAve Hotel has taken note and trimmed rates to lure guests. Enlarge photo(Courtesy of Sonheim Photography)An Urban Full (full-size bed) starts at $169 and a Madison (queen-size bed) at $189 through September 7, plus the Stay NYC Style promotion gives you a third night's stay for free until mid-August. Seize the moment as the MAve's current plan calls for rates to jump to $249 for an Urban Full and $269 for a Madison. The 72 rooms have modern…
196 airlines you should avoid

Sean O'Neill

1 Jul 2009 | 8:00 am

Europe has one of the best safety records in the world when it comes to airplanes. Its safety rules are considered the gold standard by many. Yet many airlines based outside of Europe operate below essential safety levels. Member states of the European Union (E.U.) ban these airlines from operating in their countries. In case you're curious, the E.U. has posted a PDF file naming the airlines blacklisted in Europe. You'll only encounter most of these airlines if you're flying in developing countries such as Gabon and the Kyrgyz Republic. The good news? No airline based in North America is on…

The Daily Traveler by Condé Nast Traveler
Raving for the Congo and the Kids

Conde Nast Traveler

2 Jul 2009 | 11:16 am

Two years ago Cypriot/Congolese fashion model Noella Coursaris started the Georges Malaika Foundation (it's named for her father). The GMF began sponsoring its first group of sixteen girls last year, covering their tuition, supplies, uniforms, and meals.
Photo of the Day: Fourth of July Fireworks

Conde Nast Traveler

2 Jul 2009 | 8:00 am

Share your travel photos and memories in our 2009 Dream Trip Contest. You could be just a few clicks away from a $25,000 trip to anywhere you choose.
Our Hawaii: Local Celebrities Share Their Love

Conde Nast Traveler

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

In the special Hawaii coverage in the July issue of Condé Nast Traveler, we asked some of our favorite tastemakers and personalities such as Lost's Emile De Ravin and Josh Holloway to tell us what they love most about the islands. Read on, than use the comments link to share some of your favorite memories of Hawaii.
Wildlife Tales from Kiawah Island

Conde Nast Traveler

1 Jul 2009 | 11:00 am

Turns out you don't need to book a flight to Africa to partake in a wildlife safari. Heck, you don't even need to get up from the computer. Just click over to nature blog, run by the resident biologists at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina (a state that could use a little good news these days).
Photo of the Day: New Delhi Temple

Conde Nast Traveler

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 am

Share your travel photos and memories in our 2009 Dream Trip Contest. You could be just a few clicks away from a $25,000 trip to anywhere you choose.

Europe A LA Carte
See the Berlin sights by rickshaw

Heather Cowper

2 Jul 2009 | 12:52 pm

When I was last in London for a weekend, I noticed rickshaws in some of the tourist spots, ready to pedal you from one sight to another and save your weary feet. So when I was sightseeing in Berlin this spring, and saw more rickshaws I realised that this is a trend and that rickshaws are not just for South East Asia or India, but a cute way of seeing the cities of Europe too. We had teenagers in tow and when we spotted the rickshaws at the end of Unter Den Linden, the boulevard that runs down to the Brandenburg gate, it seemed an ideal opportunity to get there without exhausting ourselves.
An Afternoon at Ulriksdal Palace

Marcus Cederstrom

30 Jun 2009 | 4:01 pm

Ulriksdal Palace is situated just north of Stockholm in Solna. The palace is close enough to be a perfect afternoon outing. The subways head out in that direction and will leave you with about a 15 minute walk through a national park. After wandering through the park you’ll come across the castle on the shore of Edsviken which leads out to the Baltic Sea. Built during the 1600s, Ulriksdal Palace was once used as a country residence for the royal family. However, the palace has been accessible to the public since 1986. Unfortunately, the palace is only open to visitors during the summer…
Another gorgeous Slovak castle – Smolenicky Zamok

Amanda Kendle

29 Jun 2009 | 11:51 pm

One of my former students in Slovakia just sent me pictures from her recent wedding, and I was blown away by how pretty the setting was – it reminded me of Bojnice Castle but she told me they actually had the photos taken at Smolenicky Zamok chateau, not far from Bratislava near the town of Trnava. When I did a little research, it turned out to be no surprise that it reminded me of Bojnice Castle, because these two buildings were both actually owned by the Palffy family at some time. Sadly, the Smolenicky Zamok is actually not the original building – the 14th century version was…
A Park full of Art – Frogner Park in Oslo

neha

29 Jun 2009 | 10:47 am

Norway is known for some of the best scenery in the world and a small sampling of this can be found at the popular Frogner Park in Oslo. They park is spread over a large area and represents the life’s work of famous Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. Not only was he involved with the park’s architectural setting and layout but he also created a set of 212 full-sized sculptures that tower over the park today. The park’s magnificent wrought-iron gates and bronze and granite sculptures are designed in clusters across six sections. These massive, detailed structures depict the various…
Guest post: Can you get a high quality London hotel for under £100?

Karen Bryan

29 Jun 2009 | 6:32 am

In this guest post Rajul Chande of London Hotels Insight answers the question “Is it possible to find a high quality hotel in London for under £100 a night?” with three emphatic yeses. “It’s hard to find what I’d call “genuine value” in London hotels. This is because the city has year-round demand and a structural shortage of hotel rooms. Even in the recession, London hotels have suffered less of a dip than elsewhere. A recent survey by TRI Hospitality Consulting showed that London was the only major European city to show annual growth in occupancy in May. Tower…

Photostream from Daylife

Intelligent Travel: From National Geographic Traveler
50 Books of Summer

Janelle Nanos

2 Jul 2009 | 11:18 am

Renting a villa in Umbria this summer? Perhaps you're hiking in Nepal or just lazing on a Bermuda beach. Or you may be taking the kids on their first U.S. road trip. Whatever your plans, we have a book for you, selected from Traveler's online Ultimate Travel Library of classic and new reads with a great sense of place. Each of these books will illuminate your destination, give you unexpected tips on what to see and do, and keep you turning pages during that long flight or that sunny poolside afternoon.[50 Books of Summer]Photo by Hans F. Meier/iStockphoto.com
"The Ledge" Opens in Chicago

Janelle Nanos

2 Jul 2009 | 9:34 am

One of my favorite things to do when I arrive in a new place is go to the highest point, it helps me get my bearings and lays out the landscape in front of me like a huge buffet table that I'm eager to dig into. But I do admit to the occasional bout of vertigo when it comes to actually looking down. So my stomach feels a little queasy right now just thinking about "The Ledge," the new glass-enclosed feature of the Skydeck in the Sears Tower in Chicago, which opens today to the public. These new glass balconies are suspended 1,353 feet (412 meters) in the air and extend 4 feet (1.22 meters)…
Bike Florida: Trail Boosts Sustainable Tourism

Margaret Nepomuceno

2 Jul 2009 | 8:55 am

What better way to explore some of the country's greatest natural treasures and historic sites than a bicycle tour through the back roads of Florida? And now, you can do it any time of the year! In an effort to help make Florida tourism greener, non-profit organization Bike Florida is bringing back year-round, long-distance bicycle touring for the first time in 25 years. To inaugurate the new initiative, Herb Hiller and Linda Crider, co-founders of the modern-day Florida bicycling movement, will lead a week-long bicycle tour this October 10-16, starting and ending at Palatka, a rural county…
I Heart My City: Lindsay's Pittsburgh

IT Blog

2 Jul 2009 | 7:50 am

Greetings, city-lovers! Lindsay Welsh calls Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home, and she's got heaps of advice on what to see and do in the city.Want to see your city on IT? Copy and paste our list of fill-in-the-blank questions into an e-mail, fill in your answers, and send your responses to IntelligentTravel@ngs.org. And if you're still waiting for us to feature yours, fear not! We're going to keep posting as long as we keep getting them (please include photos and links!).Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is My City The first place I take a visitor from out of town is The Strip. When I crave middle…
Daily Radar: 07.02.09

Jeannette Kimmel

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 am

Kangaroos in London? Australia's Kangaroo Island was promoting a free trip to the "Galapagos of Australia" by placing 20 kangaroo statues around London. Check out the photo gallery of all of the kangaroos here. Also, be sure to check out the site's RooTube, where you can watch kangaroos in their natural habitat.German scientists have discovered what they believe to be the world's oldest musical instruments. Three flutes--dating back some 35,000 years--were found in Germany's Hohle Fels cavern.Taking a leap of faith? Look no further than Brave New Traveler's photo essay on the 12 Most…

Travel Rants Blog
Time out for me and Travel Rants

Darren Cronian

19 Jun 2009 | 12:58 pm

When I started writing this blog I never imagined that I would win the Travolution award, talk on stage at the PhoCusWright blogger’s summit in Berlin, be interviewed on BBC radio, and meet so many passionate people involved in the travel industry. As my regular readers will know, I write this blog in my spare time, [...]This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this. Time out for me and Travel Rants
On Travel-Rants – Travel-Rants Apology to DialAFlight

Darren Cronian

19 Jun 2009 | 12:58 pm

Travel-Rants Apology to DialAFlight. Travel-Rants offers an unreserved apology to DialAFlight in respect of a post published on this website during the past several months. DialAFlight contacted us on several occasions pointing out that they believed this particular post (they were not objecting to any of the other handful of posts about them on Travel-Rants) was [...]This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this. On Travel-Rants – Travel-Rants Apology to DialAFlight
I’m boycotting WH Smith over travel guide books

Darren Cronian

10 Jun 2009 | 4:04 am

News this week that WH Smith has signed an exclusive deal with Penguin travel guides in their 460+ shops, including most airports and train stations has disgusted me. On the rare occasion I do purchase a guide book I want choice not restricted to a certain brand. You will not be able to purchase guides from [...]This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this. I’m boycotting WH Smith over travel guide books
Holidays with Thomas Cook safe despite Arcandor collapse

Darren Cronian

10 Jun 2009 | 2:32 am

I have received a number of emails from worried consumers regarding the news that the main shareholder, of Thomas Cook, Arcandor, has gone into administration. Please do not panic as far as I am aware your holiday is safe. The information I have at the moment is that your holiday is not affected because the tour [...]This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this. Holidays with Thomas Cook safe despite Arcandor collapse
Hotel building work ruins holidays

Darren Cronian

9 Jun 2009 | 3:24 pm

I seem to be writing about hotels a lot lately, but when I book a holiday I assume that the travel agent or tour operator is up-to-date with any planned building work in my hotel and I would not be happy if I walked into the middle of a building site. Consumer concerns Today, I received an [...]This post was syndicated from the Travel Rants blog. Signup for the free Travel Newsletter or subscribe to the Travel RSS feed for regular updates like this. Hotel building work ruins holidays

Happy Hotelier
3 Reasons why you should visit Henley Royal Regatta once in your Lifetime

Happy Hotelier

1 Jul 2009 | 10:45 am

Post from: Happy Hotelier 3 Reasons why you should visit Henley Royal Regatta once in your Lifetime Today is the start of the Henley Royal Regatta. If you have a chance you should visit it. Here are three reasons: The first Reason: Even if you are not a rowing type you should, once in your lifetime, visit the Henley Royal Regatta. It’s a real happening! Last year I had the honor of attending this event on invitation. The invitation included access to all enclosures. Years earlier we had disappointed our friends enormously by arriving one day late for an earlier invitation, caused by too…
Hotelier Ian Schrager into Chicago Ambassador East Hotel?

Happy Hotelier

29 Jun 2009 | 4:39 am

Post from: Happy Hotelier Hotelier Ian Schrager into Chicago Ambassador East Hotel? According to Chicago Business Ian Schrager is negotiating with the present owners to buy the 285-room Ambassador East with its “Pump Room” restaurant at 1301 N. State Pkwy in Chicago. Not really a “boutique” size property I would say. But comments are that he could be the man to re energize this 1926 built landmark hotel. East Ambassador Chicago Pump Room Bar Reportedly Peter Dumon and David Bossy, the present owners, have settled on a $25-million offer from Ian. Together with a former…
Lost under the Hood

Happy Hotelier

28 Jun 2009 | 5:29 pm

Post from: Happy Hotelier Lost under the Hood Lost under the Hood - Tim Street / French Maid TV Why I got lost under the hood of computers, software and camera’s the last couple of weeks which prevented me from churning out many new blog posts that I have in my sleeve: I upgraded to Wordpress 2.8, but had to upgrade to Thesis 1.5.1. first. I just had installed Thesis 1.5 last month on the recommendation of fellow travel bloggers Todd Lucier and Darren Cronian. In upgrading to Thesis 1.5,1 I lost a lot of my Thesis 1.5 settings. It seemed to be a bug somewhere, but I couldn’t…
Top 25 Travel Blogs of 102 ranked according to Alexa by Frothy

Happy Hotelier

19 Jun 2009 | 5:34 pm

Post from: Happy Hotelier Top 25 Travel Blogs of 102 ranked according to Alexa by Frothy Top 25 Travel Blogs of 102 ranked by a another List lover Frothy blogs according to Alexa with some need to of editing by me: Blog/Company Alexa Rank 1 on my way to where 8 2 ANTARCTICA RESEARCH ADVENTURE 8 3 Unforgettable Sydney …
2009 The Hague Sculpture – Read My Lips

Happy Hotelier

14 Jun 2009 | 2:52 pm

Post from: Happy Hotelier 2009 The Hague Sculpture – Read My Lips On Tuesday June 9, 2009 I was present at the official opening of the 2009 The Hague Sculpture exposition by the Prime Minister of The Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende. First there was a opening session in one of the oldest churches of The Hague, The “Kloosterkerk” (or church of the convent). The CEO of The Hague Sculpture , The Mexican Ambassador in The Hague, a trustee of The Hague Sculpture and some other persons held speeches. The Prime Minister got the first brochure of the exposition. Thereafter the…

Traveling Mamas
Your Questions Answered: Great Vacation for Special-Needs Kids

MountainMama

1 Jul 2009 | 11:23 pm

Recently this note was emailed to us via our Ask page: Here is a big one. We have an 18-year-old son with autism and a daughter also with special needs. Despite the autism, he is very social wanting to play with younger children, which can make a family destination stressful for us. Any suggestions? We usually do beach vacations in Michigan and have done Florida before. We live in the Chicago area. I also think a connecting flight would be hard for us. Any “special” all inclusives you may know about? This one was a tough one for the Mamas, as it’s not a travel niche…
Win a Spa Getaway Vacation in Napa Valley, CA

MudslideMama

1 Jul 2009 | 1:59 pm

Quick - who here loves California’s wine country, spa treatments, and long weekend getaways? Really? Me too! Imagine that. I’m excited because one of my favorite resources for luxury family vacations, Ciao Bambino, is running a giveaway that seems tailor-made for me: A 3-night stay for a family of 4 in Napa Valley’s Solage Calistoga, plus a (get this) MUDSLIDE spa treatment for two. No wonder I’m excited. Honestly, part of me considered keeping quiet about this - giving myself a better chance to win - but then, that wouldn’t be fair. Solage Calistoga, after all,…
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Giveaway

DesertMama

1 Jul 2009 | 6:16 am

Today kicks off National Ice Cream Month and Traveling Mamas gets to participate in the fun by teaming with Blue Bunny Ice Cream and offering a giveaway of…you guessed it! Ice cream! You might be wondering what ice cream has to do with travel, besides being the perfect snack along the journey (especially if you’re road-tripping in the hot summer months). Well, if you’re traveling through the Midwest with kids (or without!), you don’t want to miss Le Mars, Iowa, home to the Ice Cream Capital of the World Museum. More ice cream is made in Le Mars - home of Blue Bunny -…
Winning Wednesday: Diaper Bag from AllModernBaby.com

MountainMama

30 Jun 2009 | 11:42 pm

Congrats go out to lucky commenter #38, Aisling, who wrote: “I’d love to win this to give to my niece who’s working hard to get everything their new baby needs and is relying a lot on gifts and hand-me-downs.” I am thrilled that it sounds like the Skip Hop Duo Deluxe Edition Diaper Bag in Navy Blossom will go to someone who can truly use it. Aisling, I’ll email you to get your snail mail address. Again, we select all of our giveaway winners via the random number generator random.org. If you didn’t win this time, keep an eye on TravelingMamas.com — we love to…
Q&A with a Travel Writer: Candy Harrington, Author of Barrier-Free Travel

MountainMama

30 Jun 2009 | 6:19 am

At Sun Studios in Memphis. Traditionally we talk to other traveling mamas here at Traveling Mamas, but we’re making an exception for successful travel writer and book author Candy Harrington. She is the editor of the print (and online) publication Emerging Horizons and she penned Barrier-Free Travel, which will be released in its third edition later this summer. This heralded book is a “nuts and bolts guide for wheelers and slow walkers,” covering everything from the logistics of air travel and how to protect your wheelchair in flight, to how to find an accessible hotel room…

Laptop Road Trip
JennyCraig: Little Changes, Soup for Dinner

Michelle

29 Jun 2009 | 12:40 pm

I’m an all or nothing person. I’m either all in, 100% or I’m not. My go for it type of personality is great to many things but it’s also led me to many years of yo-yo dieting. I’d start on a new program or diet and follow it for a few weeks—–then crash and burn. I didn’t know if the JennyCraig program would just be more of the same but I wanted to try. In May I realized I was at my all time heaviest—-except for being pregnant—-and I knew I had to do something. One of the reasons I think I’m able to stick with this program…
Jenny Craig: Ten Pounds Lost!

Mchelle

24 Jun 2009 | 9:10 am

The yellow glob of fat you see is what 5 pounds of fat looks like! EW! My Jenny Craig goddess counselor Christy had the replica of the glob of fat in her office and I had to take a picture! Because I’ve lost 5 of those, I’ve lost a total of 10 pounds using JennyCraig and it feels wonderful. I’ve never lost weight this slowly before but I have to say that after 10 pounds, I’m starting to see a difference. It feels great and I’m motivated to stick with it. One reason that I think JennyCraig’s program has worked for me AND for my daughter Grace is because…
Florida Getaways: Enter Florida Travel Life Contests!

Michelle

18 Jun 2009 | 8:50 am

I’m an ocean and beach lover that is landlocked in the Midwest, which is one of the reasons I love to travel. I also subscribe to a number of travel magazines, and FloridaTravelLife magazine is one of my favorites. FloridaTravelLife has three fabulous trip contests going on right now, check out the contests on FloridaTravelLife.com. The magazine is giving away three incredible vacations in Florida: Portofino Island Jupiter Beach Hawk’s Cay If you love Florida vacations as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to check out the magazine…and it won’t hurt to enter…
Jenny Craig: Obesity Epidemic and Me

Michelle

17 Jun 2009 | 1:00 pm

I’m short. Five pounds looks like twenty on me. So any small weight gain shows up on me faster than a taller person. I’m not obese but I’m close enough and have a family history that shows me that being at a healthy weight is critical to my health. I’m also hitting my mid-40’s and I have a family history of hypertension and thyroid disease. As I get older, it’s even more important to keep my weight at a healthy level—the deck is stacked against me with my family history and prevention is the key! It’s no longer about looking good in a…
Family Travel: Gas-X Commercial, Planet Unicorn Song

Mchelle

16 Jun 2009 | 10:05 pm

Kids and car travel can wear down even the most patient parents. It’s a fact that children of any age who get tired, hungry and off their regular routine will make mom and dad crazy. We all know that our offspring will, at times, push us to the brink after a long car ride. I’m a mom, I can handle it. What I can’t handle is the TV commercials, jingles and theme songs. Every year, before a family road trip, my kids seem to “latch on” to a popular TV commercial, jingle or theme song. Last year, the girls thought a commercial about GAS was funny. This year,…

Global Travel News
Watching whales and dolphins

2 Jul 2009 | 2:46 pm

In Whakatane, New Zealand, you can come and swim with the dolphins or watch the beautiful and gigantic whales. It’s a lot of fun and even kids would surely enjoy this amazing adventure. It surely is a kind of experience that you will never ever forget. Lots of tourists flock Whakatane just to have this experience. There are boat rides regularly that you can book so you can set sail with no
Hello Philippines, Mabuhay!

29 Jun 2009 | 7:52 am

The Philippines is made up of 7,107 beautiful islands and its capital is Manila that is located on Luzon Island. The Philippines is mostly a Catholic country but the lower region, Mindanao, is mostly a land for the Muslims.There are lots of tourist attractions around the Philippines and one of their best tourist attractions is none other than the Boracay beach. It’s located in Panay Island in the
The secret of Lima

24 Jun 2009 | 10:01 am

Lima is the capital of Peru and the centre of almost everything in the country. For that reason, it’s no wonder why the city have a good number of museums, churches and other historical structures that will surely entertain any tourist. The city even has an archeological site which proves the area has been inhabited as early as year 500.But with all the structural and archeological finds in the
Spear-fishing in Sicily

23 Jun 2009 | 9:30 am

Sicily is also known for fishing and they export sardines and tuna and Sicily has lots of fishing ports. To name just a few of its important ports: Messina, Mazara del Vallo or Augusta.Sicily is really one of the best places to go for spear-fishing. It’s one of the most popular attractions of Sicily and many come here to go spear-fishing but spear-fishing is not for the amateur swimmers and
Macau - gambling paradise made in China

18 Jun 2009 | 5:16 am

Macau is known to be the Asian version of Las Vegas. There are hotels and casinos everywhere! Many Asians come here to gamble and it’s more active at night than during the day time but of course, casinos never close so some casino gamblers stay in the casino for days without ever leaving in the hopes that they’d win big.Of course Macau is not just a gambling paradise. A matter of fact, Macau was

Everything Everywhere: Around the World Travel Blog
Daily Travel Photo – Giza, Egypt

Gary

2 Jul 2009 | 1:23 pm

Pyramid at Giza Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Follow me as I travel around the world.
Win a FREE copy of National Geographic’s “USA 101: A Guide to America’s Iconic Places, Events and Festivals”

Gary

1 Jul 2009 | 6:12 am

It is now July which means vacations and road trips. In honor of July I’m giving away five copies of USA 101: A Guide to America’s Iconic Places, Events, and Festivals by Gary McKechnie. Here is the review of the book from Amazon.com: Countless travel books display some aspect or region of America, but USA 101 stitches together a whole crazy quilt of iconic places, events, fairs, and festivals that celebrates our country in all its quirky diversity. Whoever you are, wherever you’re going, whatever you like to do, it’s here somewhere. And if you just stay home and travel…
Winners of the “Lost On Planet China” Contest

Gary

1 Jul 2009 | 5:42 am

After a lengthy delay, I have finally had an afternoon to sit down and pick the five winners of the free copy of “Lost on Planet China” by J. Maarten Troost. There were 118 entries. I selected 5 random numbers from Random.org and these were the winners: Travel Business Consulting Daniel Sendecki bruleeblog Rene Katey …..yes, winners also get a free link :) I’ve sent the email addresses of the winners to the person organizing the contest at Random House and they should be in contact with you after the July 4th holiday. Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere…
July 2009 Desktop Wallpaper

Gary

1 Jul 2009 | 2:19 am

July 2009 Desktop Wallpaper. Kinderdijk, Holland. Widescreen Download (1920×1200) | Standard Width Download ( 1280×1024) Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Follow me as I travel around the world.
Daily Travel Photo – Queensland, Australia

Gary

30 Jun 2009 | 2:13 am

4 mile beach as seen from helicopter. Whitsunday Islands, Queensland. Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Follow me as I travel around the world.

Vagabondish
Photo of the Moment: Load the Luggage, Hat Yai, Thailand

Mike Richard

29 Jun 2009 | 11:29 am

© M Rego Burrows From the photographer: At the station sending off a friend returning to Lopburi Province. The simplicity of this train station came as quite a shock, and wake up call, after only recently having spent 6 months in Tokyo, Japan, where efficiency and convenience is a norm at their stations. The man carrying the luggage reflects metaphorically that modern day conveniences should never be taken for granted, and that hard work still truly exists. Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved. Photo of the Moment: Load the Luggage, Hat Yai, Thailand
Photo of the Moment: Glimpse of a Cairo Market, Egypt

Mike Richard

27 May 2009 | 7:55 am

© T U R K A I R O Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved. Photo of the Moment: Glimpse of a Cairo Market, Egypt
Photo of the Moment: Caños de Meca, Andalucía

Mike Richard

26 May 2009 | 7:45 am

© J Gutierrez Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved. Photo of the Moment: Caños de Meca, Andalucía
Photo of the Moment: The Human Cost of the Iraq War in Normal, Illinois

Mike Richard

25 May 2009 | 8:23 am

© soundfromwayout In the photographer’s words: “the human cost of the Iraq War grows every day. How many more boots will be standing at silent attention before this war ends, before Iraqis and American soldiers are out of harm’s way?” - Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary, AFSC Each boot represents a solider from Illinois who has been killed in the Iraq conflict. www.afsc.org/eyes/ Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved. Photo of the Moment: The Human Cost of the Iraq War in Normal, Illinois
Photo of the Moment: Under Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Iceland

Mike Richard

19 May 2009 | 12:16 pm

© Daníel Örn Original post © Vagabondish.com. All rights reserved. Photo of the Moment: Under Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Iceland

The Amateur Traveler
Amateur Traveler 4th Anniversary Episode

chris2x

29 Jun 2009 | 11:18 am

This is a special Amateur Traveler episode that talks about the history of the show. It also includes one of the early episodes (episode 9 on Bad Hotels). It was recorded at the Park Royal resort on Cozumel click here to download (mp3) Show Notes Bad Vacations - Bad Hotels - Travel Nightmares - Episode 9 Park Royal Cozumel
Travel to Prague in the Czech Republic - Episode 189

chris2x

20 Jun 2009 | 8:30 am

The Amateur Traveler talks to Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll of UncorneredMarket.com about Prague where they lived for 5 years. Audrey and Daniel are currently traveling around the world and talked to me from El Salvador. Audrey and Daniel talk about the touristy things to do in Prague like the Prague castle, the Charles bridge and Wenceslas Square. They also talk about the touristy things that they would recommend skipping like Karlova street and its souvenir stands (they even give us a shortcut through the university and the Karolinum to avoid it). They would not; however, skip drinking Czech…
Ancient Athens - The Agora, The Acropolis and the Parthenon - Video Episode 49

chris2x

16 Jun 2009 | 1:05 pm

Visit Athens with the Amateur Traveler: This video shows the ruins of the ancient Agora which was the marketplace which is now surrounded by the picturesque neighborhoods of Plaka and Monastiraki. Monastiraki hosts the Athens flea market and the Plaka has colorful shops and cafes. Above this area is the Acropolis with its best known temple the Parthenon. The Acropolis (”highest city” in Greek) has been probably been inhabited since paleolithic times, or at least since the age of Mycenae. right click here to download (m4v) right click here to download (Apple TV) Show Notes The…
Travel to Bavaria and Southern Germany - Episode 188

chris2x

13 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

The Amateur Traveler talks to Jason and Janie about their trip to Bavaria and Southern Germany. Jason and Janie had perviously been on the Amateur Traveler on Travel to Barbados - Episode 109. The talk about visiting the Black Forest with its wineries, Geramany’s tallest waterfall and the world’s largest cuckoo clock. They also visited the walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg (which may have been spared the ravages of the 30 years war by a hard drinking mayor) is the home to a wonderful Christmas market as well as a Christmas museum. The Rothenburg…
Traveling to Beijing, China with a Tour - Episode 187

chris2x

6 Jun 2009 | 8:30 am

The Amateur Traveler talks to Joy Dupont about taking a guided tour to visit Beijing, China. Joy talks about the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Lama temple, the Temple of Heaven and the Hutong area of Beijing which still looks like old China. We talk about shopping at silk factories, cloisonné factories, jade factories and the world’s largest herbal drugstore. We also talk about an area of Beijing like a Chinese Greenwich Village called “798″. Regent China Tours is the tour company that Joy uses. From street food, unidentifiable food to the Bai Family Courtyard…

elliott.org
Broadsided by Budget’s $422 car repair bill — what’s next?

Christopher Elliott

2 Jul 2009 | 4:38 am

Terry Boyle rented a car from Budget in Edinburgh, and when he got home, he found an unpleasant surprise from his car rental company: a $271 repair bill.
Expert reveals best Independence Day parties in America

Christopher Elliott

2 Jul 2009 | 4:03 am

Michael Guerriero is the author of Party Across America! 101 Of the Greatest Festivals, Sporting Events, And Celebrations in the U.S.. Laid off from his corporate job, Guerriero used his severance pay to fund a cross-country trip to find the best parties in America. I asked him about the top spots...
Are car rental companies downgrading their categories to rev up revenues?

Christopher Elliott

1 Jul 2009 | 3:45 am

P.J. Zornosa is a longtime Alamo Rent a Car customer. He knows what to ask for when he's renting a car, and knows what to expect. Or at least, he thought he did.
How badly to you hate the middle seat? New survey says you’d rather visit the dentist

Christopher Elliott

1 Jul 2009 | 2:59 am

More than half of of Americans would rather go to the dentist than sit in the middle seat, according to a new survey by 3M Privacy Filters. Some 54 percent would prefer a visit to the doctor's office than getting stuck in one of the uncomfortable seats. An even higher number (56 percent) would...
Shatner + laughing gas = hilarious Priceline commercial

Christopher Elliott

30 Jun 2009 | 12:36 pm

Can't. Stop. Laughing.

Travel + Leisure: Articles
The World's Most Spectacular Tasting Rooms

25 Jun 2009 | 1:09 pm

See our slideshow of The World’s Most Spectacular Tasting Rooms. When it comes to tasting rooms, what’s outside your glass is often as important as what’s inside it. “The taste of wine is largely contextual,” says Ray Isle, wine editor for Travel + Leisure ’s sister publication Food & Wine . “If you’re on your honeymoon, sipping rosé from a paper cup on the French Mediterranean, it will taste fantastic. Later, if you drink an identical …
The World's Top Biking Cities

18 Jun 2009 | 9:57 am

See our slideshow of The World’s Top Biking Cities. Open the garage, grip the handlebars, stand on the pedals, and go. That’s all it takes for Joseph Duffy, a graphic designer in Minneapolis , to start his morning commute to work. But what lies ahead—a 15-mile route starting on converted railroad beds in the suburbs and ending on the dedicated bike lanes of the city’s downtown core—is a trip made possible only by a decade of planning to make the city fully …
Letters 07.09

15 Jun 2009 | 11:13 am

Maria Shollenbarger’s “Exploring France’s Basque Country” [ May ] is beautifully done—but I don’t love how it starts. She says that everyone in Carmel, California, is retired, newly wed, or nearly dead. I have lived in this lovely town for 34 years and am none of the above. This fall I plan to take time off from work to drive around French Basque Country with my boyfriend, using her article as a guide. My favorite thing about that region is that the people …
Editor’s Note 07.09

15 Jun 2009 | 11:11 am

I’m off to Argentina and Brazil later this week while various voices within this country continue to advocate closing U.S. borders and restricting travel to control the spread of the influenza A(H1N1) virus, or swine flu. No one at this point can confidently predict the course of the epidemic, but H1N1 appears to have characteristics that may well make it more challenging than the common flu, an annual event that cuts a significant swath through the U.S. population. In the days …
Ask T+L 07.09

15 Jun 2009 | 11:07 am

Q: Can you recommend any good tour operators offering rafting trips on the Colorado River? —Tom O’Neal, Cove Neck, N.Y. A: There are several outfitters to choose from, whether you’re looking for a one-day outing or a longer, more intensive experience. Rocky Mountain Adventures (one-day trips from $67 per person) goes to the Upper Colorado, where Class I and II waters are easy and calm. In Utah, Western River Expeditions (day trips from $71) leads an eight-hour journey down …

Upgrade: Travel Better
The return of Hannibal Class: Standing seats on airliners make a comeback

Mark Ashley

1 Jul 2009 | 9:06 am

Spring Airlines of China is making a request to regulators to permit the reconfiguration of its aircraft to include standing-room “seating.” When I first saw this, I had to check the calendar to make sure it really was July 1, not April 1. But sure enough, it’s being picked up by news services and MSNBC. The standing jet could accommodate 40% more passengers compared to a traditional plane. It could also help airlines cut 20% of their costs, while lowering airfares for consumers. Mr Wuan added: “It’s just like bar stools. The safety belt is the most important…
Upgrades and Downgrades — blood tests, airline uniforms, pirate cruises, sand wars, and more

Mark Ashley

30 Jun 2009 | 7:55 pm

Downgraded: Bali’s public health strategy While a vigorous attempt to contain the spread of the H1N1 flu virus is understandable and sensible, Bali is taking the notion to a new level: Upon landing at Bali’s airport planes will be taken to a remote aircraft parking area where the plane and its passengers will be sprayed with disinfectant. Passengers will then be disembarked and subjected to thermal scanners. However, the Jakarta Globe is reporting that Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport is now requiring all arriving international air passengers to undergo a blood test.
United wants travel agencies to foot the credit card processing bill

Mark Ashley

29 Jun 2009 | 8:14 pm

United Airlines is innovating again… with new ways to pass costs onto others. This time, the issue is credit cards. Tom Botts explains: United [on Wednesday] informed a currently unknown number of travel agents that they would no longer be able to use the industry reconciliation system, ARC, to process tickets which were paid for with a credit card. United is asking these travel agents to process credit card transactions themselves and then report the sale as a cash transaction. Until now, when a travel agency (or OTA) has sold a published ticket on United (or any other carrier) the…
Discount airline absurdity, distilled

Mark Ashley

26 Jun 2009 | 12:59 pm

Very cute ad by Air New Zealand, mocking the fees, surcharges, and inconveniences that give discount airlines a bad name. It comes on the heels of their “Nothing to Hide” ad campaign and inflight safety video that feature NZ staff wearing nothing but body paint. Nicely played! (Correction: the ad is from January 2009. Don’t let its age detract from your enjoyment.) (via @laurably)
A step up for economy class seating

Mark Ashley

25 Jun 2009 | 8:03 pm

A Cambridge, Massachusetts independent designer has come up with some interesting alternative designs for inflight economy seating. The key concept: making use of the empty space that’s currently headroom. Emil Jacob’s website offers a range of patent-pending design options, from double-decker business class to tiered economy class designs. The Boston Globe recently profiled Jacob and his designs. “I was looking up at all the height, and I thought it was absurd that people are suffering down here,” Jacob said. “Just a couple of steps away there is a lot of space…

digg.com: Stories / Travel & Places / Popular
Top 10 train stations where you wouldn't mind being delayed

2 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

There are railway stations around the world that offer more than hot beverages and gloomy stationary stores. A select few are actually so nice they're almost part of your holiday.
The Story of the String Train [PICS]

2 Jul 2009 | 3:10 am

It was planned to be built 30 years ago, back in 1970s. It was called the “super string transportation system” and was claimed to come to replace the existing rail road technologies.
The Best Summer Road Trips on a Budget (Map)

1 Jul 2009 | 10:20 pm

Travelers are getting back to the basics, seeking to experience the world on a budget and taking the time to explore their own backyards. For many, that means hitting the road.
11 vacations sure to please your inner geek (slideshow)

1 Jul 2009 | 2:15 am

From the Space Academy for Adults to next month's Comic-Con 2009 in sunny San Diego or a Lord of the Rings movie location tour in New Zealand, there are plenty of vacation opportunities for those who believe -- oh, say a few days of live action role-playing games -- beats a week at the beach.
Top 10: World's Most Bizarre Festivals

30 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pm

The Cow Painting Festival in Luxembourg or possibly Alaska's Moose Dropping Festival? These festivals are as weird as they come...

On The Beach Blog
We’re giving away goodies on Facebook

admin

11 Jun 2009 | 2:28 am

Over at our Facebook fan page we are giving away a holiday voucher with a value of £1000 towards your next holiday that you book online on the On the Beach website. All you need to do is either become a fan if you are not one and use the suggest tool on the On the Beach Facebook fan page to help us get to 15000 fans. When we hit that number one fan will be picked at random to win the voucher. We will also be giving away ten £25 vouchers to be used towards your next holiday booked online at http://www.otbeach.com. As well as this offer we are also giving away a £100 voucher to the person…
11 Awesome Comic Book Hideouts

admin

27 Nov 2008 | 7:55 am

James Bond has some cool settings, but even the most breathtaking location is no comparison to what has been conjured up in the minds of those doodling comic book geniuses. From stunning island nations complete with secret hideaways to orbiting space stations, comic books never cease to amaze! Genosha Genosha: This fictional island country in the Marvel Universe is home to many of the Marvel comic book characters. The island is located off the coast of Africa, just north of the real-world country of Madagascar. It’s described as a beautiful island free of political unrest and has an…
7 Most Extreme Cliff Diving Spots On Earth

admin

20 Oct 2008 | 8:38 am

After an arduous climb up to the top of a waterfall or massive cliff, are you feeling brave enough to take a flying leap from the peak of your destination? How about if it means that you have to jump through narrow crevices into icy cold waters, risking your life because of the height of the jump and the chance that you’re going to pummel straight into the side of that cliff? Some crazy people out there aren’t afraid to take these chances, or are at least brave enough to overcome those fears. Here’s a look at nine of the places where they go to do those insane jumps. La…
10 Seriously Unusual & Outlandishly Weird Asian Hotels

admin

23 Sep 2008 | 7:48 am

As a whole, Asia is one of the most innovative continents in the world. From the latest in technology to the most unbelievable hotel designs in the world, the Asian continent is, to say the least, one-of-a-kind. Japan, China, India, and other emerging Asian nations are home to some of the weirdest hotels anywhere in the world. Maybe it’s their imaginative thinking or maybe they just have a more innovative culture? Either way you slice it, Asia has some of the most off-the-wall hotels on the planet. Here are 10 of the most strange and offbeat hotels across the massive continent of Asia.
6 Very Unconventional MMO Virtual Hotels

admin

29 Aug 2008 | 7:17 am

For most of us, booking a hotel involves checking out our favourite travel website or calling the hotel directly, but for MMO fans, it’s a bit different. For MMO players, booking a hotel involves checking in to their favourite online virtual hotel within their MMO game of choice, whether it be SL, WOW or one of the other games. Travel has gone virtual within these MMO’s, which is probably quite a smart thing to do given then cost of fuel now and the recent rash of bankrupt airlines. The biggest names in the international hotel industry are getting onboard with this trend for…

soultravelers3
Wow! Guggenheim Bilbao!!

Soul Travelers3

29 Jun 2009 | 8:45 am

Wow! Guggenheim Bilbao !!June 24, 2008Yes! This stunning titanium masterpiecethat is the world famous MuseoGuggenheim, absolutely lives up to Yes! This stunning titanium masterpiece, that is the world famous Museo Guggenheim, absolutely lives up to the hype and still impresses in person, no matter how many pictures you might have seen. It is also one of the most fun museums for family travel! Even for non architecture fans, one can instantly see why it has been called the most important structure of it's time. Kudos to California architect & truly masterful artist Frank Gehry.
Basque Folk Dancing in Bilbao, Spain

Soul Travelers3

23 Jun 2009 | 7:34 am

Basque Folk Dancing in BilbaoJune 23, 2008One of the great delights of family travel, is the spontaneous joyful moments that seem to come out of One of the great delights of family travel, is the spontaneous joyful moments that seem to come out of nowhere. We went to Bilbao to see the fantastic, world famous Guggenheim and didn't really expect to find the area so charming as I had read some negative things about it. Despite it not being a travelers campground, we ended up really enjoying the Sopelana campsite that was at a nearby beach and they even had good free wifi, sea view and…
Happy Father's Day Traveling Dads!

Soul Travelers3

21 Jun 2009 | 8:49 am

Happy Father's Day Traveling Dads!June 21, 2009This American holiday greets us on a beautiful day in Barcelona and fills me with thoughts of great gratitude. England This American holiday greets us on a beautiful day in Barcelona and fills me with thoughts of great gratitude. I am so grateful to my own father and how his love of adventure, travel and museums enriched my life and helped make me who I am. He always included his family, each of us four kids in his never ending dreams and explorations. We did a lot of traveling and moving, often living large on little with the focus on what…
Questions & Answers About Soultravelers3 Family Travel

Soul Travelers3

17 Jun 2009 | 1:01 pm

Questions & Answers About Soultravelers3 Family TravelJune 9, 2009"How do you travel the world andwhat exactly does extended familytravel look like?" "How do you travel the world and what exactly does extended family travel look like?"We get so many questions via our blog, email, Twitter, Youtube and Facebook, that I have a hard time keeping up with them, so I've decided to add them as a post from time to time. That way I can easily link back to them if they come up again. I still haven't finished our FAQ's so perhaps this will be a way to do that as well. I will also being…
Family Travel Photo-France

Soul Travelers3

10 Jun 2009 | 1:38 pm

Family Travel Photo-France June 10, 2008The spectacular Puy du Fou theme parkis one of the best family travel gems in France with outstanding shows that The spectacular Puy du Fou theme park is one of the best family travel gems in France with outstanding shows that educate and entertain and puts Disney to shame. We were absolutely blown away by the quality of the shows and can not recommend it high enough. The chariot race in this photo took place in a coliseum and they were going fast! They even had live lions and tigers and was so well done that it totally allows…

The Cranky Flier
JetAmerica Delays Launch One Month, Screws Travelers

CF

2 Jul 2009 | 6:52 am

I don’t know how many of you brave souls actually booked a ticket on JetAmerica, but if you were planning on flying before August 14, it looks like you’re out of luck. I received an email from someone yesterday who was looking to book a flight at the end of the month on JetAmerica.com, but the flights weren’t for sale. After further review, it appears that all flights between the original launch of July 13 and August 14 are out of the system. Could this actually be a glitch? I tried to call the reservations line, but I gave up after about 10 minutes or so. I have this…
A New Addition to the Cranky Family

CF

1 Jul 2009 | 10:30 am

There’s good news in Crankyville this week. No, it’s not a new writer. No, we’re not having a baby. I’m very happy to welcome a new sister-in-law into the family. While we left Jackson Hole on Sunday, my brother Quinn (aka Dr Cranky) and his girlfriend Jeanine stuck around a couple more days for a romantic getaway. He popped the question and they’re now happily engaged. To keep this aviation-related, here they are ready to board their Delta Connection flight yesterday from Jackson Hole to Salt Lake. Wanting to do something nice for them on their flight home to…
Volaris Lands in Los Angeles, First Destination North of the Border

CF

1 Jul 2009 | 7:44 am

Volaris brought its first flight into LAX yesterday, and I headed out to the airport for the airline’s press conference celebrating the event. I must admit that I liked a lot of what I heard about Volaris, but these are some incredibly uncertain times for the airline right now. Volaris is now flying a single daily trip from LAX to Toluca (outside Mexico City) and another one to Guadalajara. They’ll be starting flights to those cities from Oakland as well, and at the press conference yesterday, Volaris Managing Director and CEO Enrique Beltranena (bottom left in the picture, though…
Ryanair Wants To Let People Bring Unlimited Carry On Bags

CF

30 Jun 2009 | 6:55 am

It’s incredible to think about how the title of a post or article really sets the tone for a story. For example, if you saw the recent Dow Jones article entitled “Ryanair To Ban Check-In Baggage And Airport Check-In,” you might be surprised to know that it’s referencing the exact same piece of news that I’m discussing here today. The only difference? I see some good in this idea while Dow Jones is clearly going for the sensational, eye-catching headline. Now before we get into this, I should start by saying that I doubt it’ll actually happen. Ryanair chief…
Flying In to Jackson Hole (Trip Report)

CF

29 Jun 2009 | 7:26 am

Awhile ago, the discussion came up about how much more I would be willing to pay to fly out of Long Beach than out of LAX. For this trip to Jackson Hole, the answer was roughly $60 per person. For $441.40 per person, we were able to get excellently-timed flights out of Long Beach via Salt Lake on Delta. We could have paid about $380 to fly United out of LAX via Denver, but it was worth the extra money to fly out of my home airport and to avoid having to fly all the way to Denver and then back to Jackson Hole. The trip itself was fantastic, though it was spent mostly on regional jets. Flying…

PeterGreenberg.com
Renting Cars from Dealerships

Peter Greenberg

2 Jul 2009 | 2:49 pm

Now here’s a little trick you may not know about: you can actually rent cars directly from car dealerships. Here’s how it works… Toyota, Ford, and Lincoln Mercury actually have dealerships around the country where you can rent a car right off the lot. You can rent the latest model or your favorite type and if you really like that specific car, you can even buy it later. The most useful benefit of doing it this way is that if you’re really attached to a specific model, there’s usually more availability at a car dealership than at a car rental agency. But compare that to…
Thailand Hotel Guide: From Luxury to Budget, From Bangkok to Phuket

Peter Greenberg

2 Jul 2009 | 1:51 pm

Thailand is not called the Land of Smiles for nothing. The country’s history, varied architecture, flavorful food, and great shopping experiences are a draw, but it’s the locals who make a lasting impression. Kind, helpful and welcoming, with Buddhist values of compassion, care and humility are ingrained in the national personality, which translates into a hospitality industry known for outstanding service. Many visitors to Thailand try to spend time in the big city, on the beach, and in the north, so a typical itinerary would include Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. With plentiful hotel…
Yemenia Airlines Crash Brings Call for Expansion of European Airline Blacklist

Peter Greenberg

2 Jul 2009 | 1:34 pm

In the wake of the tragic crash of Yemenia Airlines Flight 626 near the Comoros Islands, it has been revealed that French safety inspectors had serious doubts about the Airbus A310 craft and had banned it from entering the country in 2007. Though the airline had not been placed on the European Union’s safety-related blacklist of air carriers forbidden to enter the EU, the French had banned that particular Yemenia plane from entering France. The fact that safety inspectors had previously discovered problems with the plane has led to calls by some, including the EU’s transportation…
July 4, 2009: St. Petersburg, Russia

Peter Greenberg

2 Jul 2009 | 10:50 am

Peter is broadcasting his radio show this Saturday from on board Viking River Cruises’ Viking Surkov in St. Petersburg, Russia. Featured guests include: Blogger/columnist Chris Elliott, discussing á la carte pricing from airlines, and the new rules regarding pilot flight hours. Geraldine Norman, director of the U.K.-based Friends of the Hermitage Club and author of The Hermitage, giving us a peek into the museum’s secret rooms and the items that aren’t available for public viewing. Chris Epting, author of The Birthplace Book, sharing some “must-see” places in…
EZ Passes for Rental Cars

Peter Greenberg

1 Jul 2009 | 1:10 pm

If you’re a commuter, you know that an EZPass is a great way to save time at tollbooths. And now some car rental companies offer their own version of the EZPass. If you rent with Avis or Budget, an electronic pass called EToll lets you drive through toll plazas without having to dig for change or wait in line. The pass costs $2.50 a day plus the toll costs. Right now, this option is available in the Northeast, Colorado, Texas, parts of Chicago, even Puerto Rico. Travelocity has a program where you can get a travel pass when you book car rentals for travel in the Northeast and Midwest.

USAToday Travel
Plane diverted to Albuquerque after passenger disrobes mid-flight

1 Jul 2009 | 6:43 pm

A US Airways flight to Los Angeles was diverted to Albuquerque after a passenger removed all of his clothing mid-flight, forcing ...
More hotels invest in videoconference rooms to cut costs

1 Jul 2009 | 3:45 pm

Marriott International and Starwood Hotels will introduce expensive, high-end videoconference systems at several properties by ...
Sears Tower unveils 103rd floor glass balconies

1 Jul 2009 | 2:10 pm

Visitors to the Sears Tower's new glass balconies all seem to agree: The first step is the hardest.
Visit charming Charleston, S.C., on the cheap

1 Jul 2009 | 2:00 pm

You don't need deep pockets to enjoy this town of pastel buildings, narrow alleys and quaint, secluded gardens.
Fans pay tribute to Michael Jackson at sites around the world

1 Jul 2009 | 11:29 am

Less than a week after Jackson's sudden death in Los Angeles, his fans are bringing new notoriety to sites associated with the ...

What a Trip
Blog Your Way to Antarctica - What a Trip!

Nancy D. Brown

1 Jul 2009 | 2:26 pm

Posted by Nancy D. Brown Emperor Penguins photo courtesy Quark Antarctic ExpeditionsWant to visit Antarctica in February compliments of Quark Expeditions? Bloggers have a chance to win a 12 day, all expense paid trip on the cruise ship Lyubov Orlova, a 112 passenger ship. You can join me in entering the contest, or you can vote to send me on this adventure of a lifetime. Here's what I had to say in my official entry: "Toto, we must not be in San Francisco," remarked Nancy Brown, as she awoke from her dream. The northern California adventure travel writer was still reeling from the news that…
Gruyere, Switzerland, What a Trip

Nancy D. Brown

28 Jun 2009 | 10:49 am

Posted by Nancy D. Brown Swiss Countryside photo taken from medieval village Gruyeres. Photo by Nancy D. BrownMy favorite tips and locations for visitors to Gruyere, Switzerland in the canton (district) of Fribourg. Thank you to Laura Braissant of La Gruyere Tourism for assistance with this post. The first place I take a visitor from out of town is to the "Maison du Gruyere" cheese dairy at the foothill of the medieval village of Gruyeres. There you can discover the secrets of the famous Gruyere AOC cheese and see how it is made. Did I mention that they give samples? When I crave Gruyere…
Shure Sound Isolating Earphones Product Review

Nancy D. Brown

21 Jun 2009 | 10:48 am

Posted by Nancy D. Brown Shure SE115 EarphonesAs soon as the package arrived on the front porch my 17-year-old was all over it like a curious toddler. "What's in the box? Can I open it? Oh, earphones. I need new earphones. The ones that came with my iPhone suck. Okay if I try them out?" Mistake #1, letting your teenage daughter test Shure's newest earphones. The SE 115 Sound Isolating Earphones are going to engage any music lover. The fact that they come in shades of pink, red, blue and black appealed to the iPhone and iPod users in the house. Matching accessories for their gadgets; sure.
Nancy D. Brown's Schwyz, Switzerland

Nancy D. Brown

15 Jun 2009 | 1:00 am

Posted by Nancy D. Brown Myten Big and Small by Nancy D. Brown My favorite tips and locations for visitors to Schwyz, Switzerland. Thank you to Monica Muller of Schwyz Tourism for assistance with this post. The first place I take a visitor from out of town is to the main square of Schwyz where you can see the beautifully painted historic town hall. Here you can also take in the beauty of the two majestic mountains called Mythen. When I crave Schwyz cuisine, I turn to the oldest restaurant, Schwyzer Stubli or Wysses Rossli. To escape work I go to the car free mountain village Stoos.
Nancy D. Brown's Entlebuch, Switzerland

Nancy D. Brown

8 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

Posted by Nancy D. Brown Entlebuch, Swiss CowMy favorite tips and locations for first-time visitors to Entlebuch, Switzerland. Thank you to Maurus Stockli of UNESCO Biosphere Tourism for assistance with this post. The first place I take a visitor from out of town is to the UNESCO biosphere reserve. To escape work I get on my mountain bike and head out into nature. For complete quiet, I can hide away at the Schrattenfluh, a picturesque mountain near Sorenberg. If you come to Entlebuch, get your picture taken at Heiligkreuz. If you have to order one thing off the menu at Restaurant Bahnhofi,…

Newyorkology
JetAmerica delays Newark debut to Aug. 14 - Jaunted

2 Jul 2009 | 3:21 pm

JetAmerica, which was scheduled to start flying July 13 from Newark with tickets from $9, has started telling passengers service will instead start Aug. 14, according to an e-mail obtained by Jaunted travel website. From Newark, JetAmerica plans to service Toledo, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Lansing, Mich.; and Melbourne-Vero Beach, Fla. JetAmerica, technically not an airline, is a public charter company contracting with Miami Air International to provide and operate its aircraft. Image source: JetAmerica’s official website. Earlier: JetAmerica to debut at Newark with airfares from $9
MAve hotel opens on Mad Ave with rooms from $169

2 Jul 2009 | 2:30 pm

The MAve hotel opened for business today with rooms from $169 per night, up to $509 per night for the penthouse suite. Construction is complete on all of The MAve’s 72 rooms. The only incomplete area is half of the lobby, which will eventually house a restaurant or cafe, a hotel spokesman told NewYorkology. Room service is now offered through the Olana Restaurant. The hotel offers free wi-fi in all rooms and public spaces, and guests are offered free breakfast as well. Rooms have 9-1/2 foot high ceilings, modern furnishings, pillow-top mattresses, H20 Aquatics bath products, 32-inch…
Whitney Museum drops admission to $4 for 4th of July

2 Jul 2009 | 10:17 am

In honor of Independence Day, the Whitney Museum of American Art is dropping admission to $4 on the Fourth of July. Regular adult admission is $15, though the museum has pay-what-you-wish admission on Friday evenings. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.It’s located on Madison Avenue at 75th Street. Image credit: Jasper Johns, b. 1930, Three Flags, 1958, Encaustic on canvas, Overall: 30 7/8 × 45 1/2 × 5 in. (78.4 × 115.6 × 12.7 cm) Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; 50th Anniversary Gift of the Gilman Foundation, Inc., The Lauder Foundation,…
Broadway parody: CollegeHumor's 'Web Site Story'

2 Jul 2009 | 9:30 am

CollegeHumor.com takes some stabs at social networking sites in a “West Side Story” parody. The actual Broadway revival of “West Side Story” is playing the Palace Theater, located at 1554 Broadway. Earlier: ‘West Side Story’ revival opens on Broadway Broadway’s blogging, podcasting and map-mashing
Statue of Liberty crown tickets sold out until Labor Day

2 Jul 2009 | 7:49 am

While the Statue of Liberty is on track to reopen her crown to the public on the Fourth of July, tickets to climb up her steps are already all-but sold out through the Labor Day weekend. Tickets first went on sale June 13 and demand was so high that the website and telephone lines were difficult to access. (The website has been slow again this morning.) Only 30 people per hour will be allowed to take the stairs to the crown under escort from a National Park Service ranger. It’s important to note that currently the plan is to keep the crown open for two years only. After that, it will…

TravelPod
Green, Wet Ireland - Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

2 Jul 2009 | 5:33 pm

Jump to the full entry & travel map Dublin, County Dublin, IrelandGreetings from Dublin where we finally have Internet!   It has been a couple of fun -filled days.  Yesterday and today were especially full of activities and fun!  I asked the boys this morning in our group at the B&B to rate yesterday and Robert said "I'd give it at 10 but then I'd have to give the next great one a 12.  It was a fun day.  We dug peat in the rain (we got very wet!),  Next we went to the community center where…
It's been awhile! - Seoul, Korea Rep.

2 Jul 2009 | 5:33 pm

Jump to the full entry & travel map Seoul, Korea Rep.It's definitely been awhile since I last wrote. I've actually started to write many times, but there's so much to say, so much I've been experiencing on many different levels that it can be difficult to know where to start, and how to end. But, here it goes....I've been here for 4 months now. I can't believe it's already been 4 months! And I can't believe it's only been 4 months! That appears to be the paradox I am currently experiencing.Overall, my experience living and working in Korea has been mostly positive. But, I am starting to hit…
We're back in socal...but still posting :) - Riverside, California, United States

2 Jul 2009 | 5:29 pm

Jump to the full entry & travel map Riverside, California, United StatesAlright, we're back. We'll still be posting blogs, but to clear things up, we're back in socal.  So as the blogs dribble in, you get to choose or read them or delete.  :)Jan, Paul's mom came down 3 weeks before we left and knocked one more item off her bucket list: swimming with a dolphin. :)  So here are two great photos to enjoy of Jan living life big! It was really awesome...Back to the ol' J-O-B grind... Paul interviewed for the LAX project today.  We've enjoyed your emails and…
Keep River Np to Kununurra - Kununurra, Western Australia, Australia

2 Jul 2009 | 5:24 pm

Jump to the full entry & travel map Kununurra, Western Australia, AustraliaEmbarked on a 8km walk through a lovely section of the Keep River National Park seeing sandstone formations similar to the Bungle Bungles and some spectacular flowers. Heading toward Kununurra we had a look at the Ord River Dam. Lake Argyle is the largest fresh water lake in Australia.
Vancouver: the "Best Place on Earth" - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

2 Jul 2009 | 5:24 pm

Jump to the full entry & travel map Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaAll our Vancouver stuff, including blogging about re-entry culture stress, is here.

The Lost Girls
Lost Girl of the Week: Merry Padang

2 Jul 2009 | 7:19 am

From the moment The Lost Girls touched down in Indonesia during our RTW trip, we were completely enchanted by the peaceful and effortless existence held so dear by islanders, who are without a doubt some of the kindest and most smily people we encountered on our journey. So we're thrilled, and definitely a bit nostalgic for our old nomadic life, to have a native Indonesian, Merry Padang, as our Lost Girl of the Week. Merry's traveled extensively since she was a little girl, choosing to "move around in the world, for really, no apparent reason, but for adventures" - no better reason if we do…
5 Ways to Walk and Ride Like an Italian

1 Jul 2009 | 8:00 am

Earlier this week, Lost Girl Patty Hodapp—currently studying abroad in Florence—shared eight ways to eat and drink like an Italian. This week, she offers up her tips for surviving the notoriously terrible traffic (and crazy drivers) in Italy.Today's Lesson: 5 Ways to Walk and Ride Like an Italian1. Italians love to drive fast I’ve been to lots of big cities including Paris, London, and New York, and out of all of them Italian drivers are hands down the most aggressive (and often the most reckless!)2. Stop signs and cross walks are optional for drivers in Italy. Don’t assume vehicles…
My Five Favorite Destinations: The Brittany G Edition

29 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

When Lost Girl Brittany Gotschall wrote to share some of the places that she'd already visited by her early 20s, we had to tip our caps. When it comes to the sheer number of passport stamps and miles traveled, she's almost got the three original LGss beat! Since she's she's quite a seasoned vagabond, we figured she could handle our super-simple travel challenge: To come up with a short list of her five destination and her reasons why. Picking favorites wasn't easy, but Brittany handled our request like a champ! ******In my short 25 (almost) years I have been fortunate enough to visit some…
The 10 Best Tours in America

26 Jun 2009 | 9:18 pm

ADP: While I've always been a fan of independent travel—exploring a place with little more than a map, a phrase-book and a sturdy pair of walking shoes to guide you—there's still something to be said for the packaged tour. By putting yourself in the hands of someone with considerable local know-how, you're bound to discover aspects and angles of a destination you might never have discovered by wandering around on your own.As you've probably already realized through personal trial and error, some tours—and tour companies—deliver the goods just a little bit better than everybody…
Destination Sydney: Getting Vivid with It

25 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

Earlier this summer, while friends were pulling out shorts and bikinis in preparation for Memorial Day barbecues, I was cramming tights and sweaters into a carry-on bag and preparing to go Down Under for the winter. Why head to Australia just as the chilly weather has arrived? I made the journey from New York to Sydney—a 26-hour marathon flight that included a three-hour layover in L.A.—in order to be one of the first to experience Vivid Sydney, a three-week sensory extravaganza that’s one of the city’s most extensive and anticipated celebrations since the 2000 Summer Olympics.I wrote…

The Cruise Log - USATODAY.com
Another Princess cruise ship gets a major makeover

1 Jul 2009 | 10:37 am

The days of rapid growth at Princess Cruises may have come to an end (for the first time in years, the line doesn't have a single ...
Fire on Royal Princess: A Cruise Log reader offers a first-hand report

1 Jul 2009 | 7:13 am

There were some scary moments for passengers aboard the Royal Princess last month when the ship's engine room caught fire during a ...
Today's debate: Has the trend to 'extra charge' eateries on cruise ships gone too far?

30 Jun 2009 | 10:07 am

Royal Caribbean's announcement last week that its soon-to-launch Oasis of the Seas would have a record 24 eateries was the talk of the cruise ...
Carnival: Coup in Honduras won't affect cruise ship calls in Roatan

30 Jun 2009 | 8:24 am

(8:30 AM ET) -- Industry giant Carnival says its cruise ships will continue to visit Honduras in coming days despite a military ...
What's the secret to . . . getting a last-minute deal for a cruise this summer?

29 Jun 2009 | 10:03 am

It's Monday, Cruise Loggers, and that means it's once again time for our "Reader Tip of the Week" feature -- a chance for you, ...

The Travel Blog by TravelPod
22 Quietest Places in the World

starlagurl

2 Jul 2009 | 12:39 pm

A little while ago, ForbesTraveler.com featured 10 of the quietest places in the world. I wanted to see what TravelPod bloggers thought about all these places. I posed the question to people in the forums and we expanded our list. What are your favourite places to go for peace and quiet? 1. The Hoh Valley Jwmoles found the Hoh Valley fascinating Hoh Rain Forest – A real, live rainforest, right in the middle of the U.S. (well, not in the middle). This place is unreal. There’s an area here called the Hall of Mosses that looks like a scene out of a Lord of the Rings movie.
Your feedback shapes TravelPod’s future

starlagurl

30 Jun 2009 | 9:10 am

We’ve had some great feedback about the new interface over the last month and we just wanted to recap some of the changes we’ve made in response. Your feedback and input is greatly appreciated and really important for making TravelPod the best it can be. So we thank you all for sharing your ideas with us and taking the time to report bugs. Here’s a list of the changes we made because of your feedback: Reordering entries is now as simple as dragging and dropping them on your List of Entries Added city pins to compliment the highlighted countries on the Travel Map on the…
TravelPod’s new Update Express

starlagurl

29 Jun 2009 | 11:29 am

We’ve all been in that situation before. You’re sitting at a substandard internet cafe waiting for your favourite website to load (TravelPod, of course). The computer looks like it came from 1982 and you’re using some kind of sketchy dial-up connection. There’s no way you’ll be able to upload photos, but you just want to input a brief text update to let your friends know where you’re at. Update Express to the rescue! By going to www.travelpod.com/update you can bypass all the fancy stuff that makes TravelPod so cool on faster computers. You can cut right to…

Today in the Sky - USATODAY.com
Just like Vegas? Miami International considers slots to help with budget deficit

1 Jul 2009 | 12:55 pm

Miami-Dade County officials thinking adding slot machines at Miami International could alleviate some of the airport's financial woes, ...
N.C. man takes up tree-sitting in battle against Wilmington airport

1 Jul 2009 | 11:27 am

A North Carolina man climbed a tree in his yard and refused to come down for nearly a week in a dispute with the authority that runs the Wilmington ...
Today's chat ... and Today in the Sky schedule update

1 Jul 2009 | 11:18 am

Hello Today in the Sky readers. I'm back at work today after a long break. With that, we'll resume the weekly chat today ...
Sole survivor of Yemenia crash 'didn't feel a thing'

1 Jul 2009 | 9:12 am

The teenage girl who was the only survivor in Tuesday's Yemenia Air disaster apparently "didnâ€™t feel a thing" in the crash. CNN ...
Delta drops Dubuque; 'Heartbreaking' pullout leaves city with one airline

1 Jul 2009 | 8:41 am

Delta Air Lines will drop Dubuque as a destination, a move that will leave the Iowa city with just one commercial carrier. Delta will discontinue ...

RickSeaney.com
Believe it or Not: Chinese Airline Considers “Standing Room Only”

Rick Seaney

2 Jul 2009 | 12:20 pm

Four year old Spring Airlines, based in Shanghai, is a low cost carrier that could put Ryanair and its unabashedly cheapskate ways to shame. Because Spring is looking at the idea of “standing room only” for some of its passengers. Here’s the situation: unlike a lot of airlines around the world, Spring apparently has more passengers than it knows what to do with. They are buying more planes, but they won’t be delivered until next year. So…if they fill a plane with standing passengers, they can shoe-horn in 40% more than in a regular jet. Now, the stories…
NEWS: United Computer Outages Creating Big Delays at O’Hare

Rick Seaney

2 Jul 2009 | 6:54 am

UPDATE: Computers are back up If you’re flying in or out of Chicago’s O’Hare today, stay in touch with your airline. Especially if you’re flying United! Just in time for Fourth of July holiday travel - according to several news reports, there has been a computer outage affecting United Airlines, resulting in delays and cancellations. You can see that for yourself on FlightStats. The United Airlines website acknowledges an “airport check-in system issue” and the resulting delays/cancellations. Apparently United employees are now using a “manual…
MSNBC Includes FareCompare & Twitter in “Money Saving Strategies”

Rick Seaney

1 Jul 2009 | 10:10 am

People are getting it. In Rob Lovitt’s column called “Dollar-saving strategies for summer travel” for MSNBC, he points out that following individual airlines on Twitter to learn about their latest deals would “be a time-suck of epic proportion”. His advice? Cut to the chase. “[FareCompare] recently launched individual Twitter accounts for 100 cities, so you can cut to the chase via city-specific posts like: $219r/t Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale down 8%, [http://bit.ly/1HMxT] #LAX #fare. Just don’t blink.” -Rob Lovitt, MSNBC July 1, 2009 By…
Northwest Passengers - They Moved Your Terminal at LAX!

Rick Seaney

1 Jul 2009 | 7:08 am

This starts right now! Northwest passengers flying in/out/through Los Angeles will no longer go to Terminal 2 at LAX - Northwest will now be based out of Terminal 5 and 6, which is where merger partner Delta is. Got that? Believe me, it’s a looong trek if you go to the wrong terminal - from one end of the airport to the other. Again, for Northwest flights, head to Terminal 5 and 6. I’m told they’ve changed the signs, but who bothers to look when you “know” where you’re going? Note: for the time being, Northwest will still have separate check-in counters…
Attn. Summer Vacationers - Yes, it Really is Time to Buy

Rick Seaney

1 Jul 2009 | 6:31 am

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating… If you want to fly this summer - within the U.S. - get your tickets now. Haven’t you noticed? The pace of those fast-and-furious airfare sales has cooled. Yes, there are still good deals - but not nearly as many - and we’ve recently seen 2-airfare hikes, the first of the year. I give all the details about this in my latest column for ABCNews.com - check it out. And although the Faithful Readers of this blog are probably sick of hearing it, this too bears repeating: save time and money by following FareCompare deals…

Wandalust
Sir Richard Branson Launches New Travel Community For Travel Lovers

29 Jun 2009 | 6:40 pm

© tobybarnes Cyberspace has lots of travel communities, blog collections, and user comment pages for travel. But I guess it could always use one more... Sir Richard Branson, whose 360 Virgin brand co...
Have a Ball - in Dublin...

20 Jun 2009 | 9:19 pm

MSNBC recently looked at the city of Dublin and said that despite the hard economic times, visitors to the Irish capital can still have a ball there.While Ireland's famed "Celtic Tiger" ...
Dining in Vienna

11 Jun 2009 | 8:48 pm

It's been years since I've been to Austria. This MSNBC piece made me think about going back. Vienna is one of Europe's cultural capitals. And while the music and the art and the archetect...
Barcelona: Things to Do

7 Jun 2009 | 8:15 am

I've been to Barcelona, but not in this millennium/ I'd love to go back. I saw a piece in the NY Times not long ago on tings to do in the city. At least it was an article on things the autho...
Antalya: Turkey's Mediterranean Playground

28 May 2009 | 8:49 pm

© mavi_melek Antalya is Turkey's Mediterranean playground. The beaches are beautiful. The water is warm. The nightlife is varied and moderately sophisticated. There are added attractions. The site...

View from the Wing
Double Miles on Delta and Northwest Through End of Year for Co-branded Amex Cardholders

Gary

2 Jul 2009 | 6:22 am

Delta and Northwest are offering double miles on all flights through the end of the year for Delta Amex cardholders. Registration is required no later than September 30. There’s no limit to the bonus, and you don’t have to buy your tickets with the card. Travel date is what’s relevant, the bonus applies to tickets purchased earlier in the year provided that you register and travel during the July 1 through December 31 promotion period. (Hat tip to One Mile at a Time.)
Citi’s Thank You Rewards is Only the Most Recent in a Long String of Proprietary Points Program Devaluations

Gary

1 Jul 2009 | 3:34 am

Reader Phil passes along by email a nice retrospective on some of the ‘loopholes’ that proprietary rewards progreams (earn points in their non-airline program, they buy you tickets on airlines) have offered in the past. The touchstone of course is the devaluation of the Thank You Network program, which used to buy you a ticket between two cities with no cap in price, folks would buy exraordinarily expensive tickets and cancel the itineraries, using credits towards other travel. Then Citi realized this wasn’t profitable for hem, they offered a fixed point redemption chart…
Bonus for Transferring Hotel Points to Air Canada Aeroplan Miles

Gary

30 Jun 2009 | 11:19 am

Aeroplan is offering 5000 bonus miles for converting hotel points into 20,000 miles or more. Registration is required, and the bonus can be earned once per hotel partner. With this promo, 20,000 Starwood points become 30,000 Aeroplan miles. The offer also allows 1000 bonus Aeroplan miles for converting hotel points to 5000 Aeroplan miles. This is valid for transfers through August 31. Aeroplan really is one of my favorite programs. They have a favorable award chart for most destinations, no blocking of partner award inventory, and favorable routing rules as well. It takes 120,000 Aeroplan…
Fighting Corruption in Kathmandu

Gary

30 Jun 2009 | 11:08 am

The Nepalese government plans to issue pants to airport workers that have no pockets. A spokesman said trousers without pockets would help the authorities “curb the irregularities”. The move comes after the prime minister of Nepal said corruption was damaging the airport’s reputation, AFP reported. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) said it had sent a team to the airport to “observe the growing complaints about the behaviour of airport authorities and workers towards travellers”. “We discovered that the reports were…
Why Travel Insurance is Usually a Bad Deal

Gary

29 Jun 2009 | 6:29 am

Via Wendy Perrin on Twitter, the New York Times has a column on one family’s difficulty securing a refund from a travel provider after purchasing insurance and needing to use it. In this case, the travel provider offered the promised refund in the form of a travel credit, which wasn’t useful as one of the travlers has since passed away. The family thought the coverage offered them a cash refund but the terms of the coverage in fact did not. In this case I’m less sympathetic than the columnist and probably most readers. In the end it sounds like the family got cash, depsite…

Living Jet Set
Get a Banging beach body now with Super Human Mark Briggs of P90X Plus

Rob

30 Jun 2009 | 5:57 am

Mark Briggs Before & After Photo 1. How did you get involved in P90X and wind up being in a video working out with Tony Horton? Everything started for me back in 2002. Being miserably out of shape, I bought the Power 90 program off of the informercial. From there, Slim in 6 was my next program. I ended up being selected as one of the success story winners from Slim in 6, and that won me a trip to Hollywood. My last night there, I met Tony during a dinner party. He had just finished running his first test group through P90X, and he told me all about the program. Tony’s…
Finally: How YOU Can Live a Jet Set Life Like Us

Rob

23 Jun 2009 | 6:57 am

Jet Set Life’s New Product Video – “Flash Video” It’s time to let the cat out of the bag and reveal a few more details about the product Kim and I have been working on. It’s called Secrets of Successful Muses and will officially launch live from St. Tropez via Ustream on July 16th at 10 am EST! Here’s the fast track: Watch the video above and get on the early alert list below (so your eligible for the 24 hour discount). Sign up now for the Early Alert list… First Name: Primary Email: Choose Which List You Want: Secrets of Successful Muses Jet…
Lake Como: From Caesar To Clooney

Rob

9 Jun 2009 | 6:19 am

This is a guest blog from travel guru Thomas Quinlan. Is it possible that one of the best travel destinations on earth has been known about for 2,000 years, and that you’ve never heard of it? Or that you’ve seen it in Hollywood films and never realised it? That famous people from Julius Caesar to George Clooney have called it home? All this (and more) are true of “Lago di Como”, or Lake Como, situated in the north of Italy. Carved out in the shape of an upside-down “Y” by glaciers long ago, the Lake Como area has had a human presence for thousands of years.
Confessions of a Jet Setter: The courage to design the life you want

Rob

2 Jun 2009 | 6:37 am

Follow Rob (and Kim) on Twitter here. I receive letters everyday from around the world for all sorts of things. This particular letter just really stuck out for me and I wanted to share it with you (with Billy’s permission). Rather than making comments on the letter I decided to let it stand on its own and listen to your comments. As I believe this letter will resonate differently with different people. As Mike Myers in coffee tawk says – Discuss! Hey Rob, Just wanted to drop you a quick to say thanks. I’ve watched your site for a while but resisted taking the…
Outsourcing Sales Calls: The next level in effective Lifestyle Design

Rob

27 May 2009 | 7:08 am

Follow Rob (and Kim) on Twitter. Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Keith Wolf from Virtual Appoint (virtualappoint.com). As many of you know I am a HUGE fan of outsourcing. Keith has taken outsourcing to a whole new level. He has identified (and fixed) a problem that most people encounter when they enter the world of outsourcing- making effective sales calls. Let’s get right to the interview. 1) Keith, would you start out with a little background about you and the types of things that you have done prior to Virtual Appoint? Sure, after graduating from the University of Texas, I…

My Jet Set Life
Living La Dolce Vita – Melissa O’Young Living & Learning Italian in Italy

Kim

26 Jun 2009 | 6:15 am

One of my favorite jet-setters is someone that I am proud to call my friend, Melissa O’Young. Rob and I actually met Mel in Mykonos last summer after partying at Cavo Paradiso and shared a taxi back to town. She truly lives her life full-out and without excuses. She has an unmatched zest for life and is a fascinating person. You may recall her from the blog that Rob did on her muse. Without furthur ado, I give you, Melissa O’Young. Enjoy! It is true when people say one of the best ways of learning a language is to go and live in the country where the language is spoken. I spent a…
The Brazilian Wax Exposed

Kim

19 Jun 2009 | 1:19 pm

The Brazilian wax is gaining widespread popularity in the Puritan founded culture of the USA. Believe it or not, ladies of all ages are going hair-free. And like anything else, not all estheticians are good at delivering a great Brazilian. Let’s face it, just because you can wax an eyebrow, doesn’t mean you have any business waxing my business. I feel like I’ve been around the block of Brazilian waxing and I can tell you from personal experience that if you mistakenly get someone who does not specialize in this type of waxing, you will be sorry. There are a lot of…
Guest Blog: Jet Setting in the Lanzarote

Kim

29 May 2009 | 6:02 am

Nick Ball has lived on Lanzarote for eight years and is the editor of Lanzarote Guidebook – the in-depth island information guide which you can download for free online. Today he’s letting the JSL viewers in on the secrets of the Canary Islands. Lanzagrotty? You must be kidding. Whilst Lanzarote, a small speck of Spain, located off the coast of west Africa, has a reputation as little more than a package holiday destination in the UK it’s regarded as the coolest of the Canary Islands by continental Europeans. Thanks to the work of a famous local artist and architect called…
Finding the Perfect Bikini with Agustina, owner of Nina Swimwear

Kim

21 May 2009 | 5:33 am

Agustina Palacio: Owner/Designer Nina Swimwear I am a self-proclaimed bikini-aholic. I have more swimsuits than I know what to do with, just ask my husband. And honestly, it’s never enough. I’m constantly searching the globe for new styles, colors and designs. I love mixing and matching my colors and styles. Yet, it was not until I began visiting South America that I realized that if there was such a place as “Bikini Heaven”, this would be it! The beaches of Punta del Este and Rio de Janeiro were filled with the best bikinis (and bodies) that I had EVER seen. I thought…
Wi-Fi in the Sky!

Kim

8 May 2009 | 6:19 am

It’s official! The airlines are finally getting with the program and offering in-flight Wi-Fi! Now, we can send email to co-workers and family, check the weather and even shop from Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, BlackBerries and iPhones at 10,000 ft! Finally, this is one change in air travel that we can be excited about. Currently Gogo is the leader in airline wifi, but rest assured, lower cost companies like Row 44 are hot on their tales and starting to match their service, cost and speed. Here’s a break down of who’s offering Gogo. How much is costs and which flights have it. Gogo…

Joe Sharkey At Large
Air France Flight 447: The 5 W’s (Continued)

joesharkey

2 Jul 2009 | 8:21 am

After a month of speculation and kibitzing by the civil authorities and the media, we still have very few answers on why Air France Flight 447 crashed in the ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, not longer after leaving Brazilian air space. Here’s an update based on new information from the French air-accident report agency. From that update via Reuters, here is a section that caught my attention: “‘The plane was not destroyed while it was in flight. It seems to have hit the surface of the water in the direction of flight and with a strong vertical…
United Departures Snarled at O’Hare by Computer Problem

joesharkey

2 Jul 2009 | 7:57 am

Just as the July 4 holiday weekend looms, United Airlines passengers are jammed up at Chicago O’Hare by a computer glitch, source unknown. [UPDATE: Here's a way better story from the Chicago Tribune Web site.] The problem is affecting departing United mainline and regional-partner flights. By mid-morning, United mainline flights were departing a mere 15 percent on time, and United Express regional carrier partners were dragging along at about the same rate, according to data from Flightstats.com, which will update throughout the day. Let’s hope this isn’t a sign of months to…
Aviation Buff

joesharkey

1 Jul 2009 | 6:25 pm

Hey, psychotics and other crazy people read the papers and get on airplanes too. So do you think this loon might have read this story? Just askin’.
Middle-Seat Misery

joesharkey

1 Jul 2009 | 8:02 am

The first strategies a young business traveler learns are the ones for avoiding that dread middle seat, at least to the extent possible. There are those of us who have flown an unnecessary several thousand miles or so at the end of the year just to ensure that we re-qualfy for the elite status that gives us the best shot at priority seat choice — that is, avoiding the middle seat. So here’s an interesting survey today from 3M Privacy Filters, which makes among other things products to protect your laptop-screen privacy from prying eyes in the next seat. (Which of course adds up to…
Please, Gov. Sanford, You Really, Really Have to Be Quiet and Take a Nap Now

joesharkey

30 Jun 2009 | 2:38 pm

From the “You cannot make this stuff up” news and travel beat, South Carolina Gov. Sanford now says he has had liaisons with other women besides the Argentine chickie-chickie he was “visiting” when he said he was hiking the Appalachian trail. (Which assertion, of course, gave new and enduring meaning to the phrase “hiking the Appalachian trail.”) (And while we’re on the subject, can someone please not ruin the phrase “Crossing the Khyber Pass?”) Anyway, in this AP account via the WSJ Online today, Sanford says that he had other, uh,…

itravelnet.com Travel Blog
Featured Travel Site: Harefares

itravelnet

29 Jun 2009 | 7:19 pm

Harefares index the routes of nearly all low cost airlines in Europe.The great feature about Harefares is that it shows you alternative airports close to your chosen departure and arrival airport. This opens up possibilites that you may not otherwise have been aware of.harefares.comTravel Directory: Low Cost Airlines Resources
Travel Photo: Lighthouse Beach Promenade, Kovalam - India

itravelnet

25 Jun 2009 | 8:51 pm

Location: Kovalam - IndiaPhoto: Lighthouse Beach PromenadeKovalam is in the deep south of India in the state of Kerala, not far from Thiruvananthapuram.Travel Photo Gallery: Kovalam Photo Gallery
Featured Travel Site: FON

itravelnet

22 Jun 2009 | 8:15 pm

FON is the largest WiFi community in the world. Community members, Foneros, share some of their home internet connection and in return gain access to free Wifi worldwide.The site has a searchable map of wifi hot-spots around the world, and if you don't have a home to offer wifi, you can but FON wifi Credit.fon.com
Travel Photo: Ippoton, Rhodes Old Town - Greece

itravelnet

18 Jun 2009 | 7:30 pm

Location: Rhodes Old Town - GreecePhoto: IppotonIppoton (Street of the Knights), Rhodes Old Town - Greece.Travel Photo Gallery: Rhodes Old Town Photo Gallery
Featured Travel Site: earthTV

itravelnet

15 Jun 2009 | 10:18 pm

earthTV - the world's biggest remote controlled TV camera network broadcasting 24h live video footage from locations locations in Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Oceania.earthtv.comTravel Directory: Web Cams

Gadling
Photo of the Day (7/2/09)

Kent Wien

2 Jul 2009 | 6:00 pm

Filed under: Photo of the DayStyggiti took this HDR shot at Kenwood, California. The tone mapping technique used isn't too unrealistic, and because of the wonderful detail and stunning sky, I think it deserves a spot in Gadling's Photo of the Day.HDR photography combines three or more images that are shot at different exposures and combined using some sort of HDR software to create a rather stunning shot. Occasionally the pictures can look a bit too science fiction, but Styggiti managed to get just the right amount of detail in this picture of a winery in California.Are you a Flickr user…
Dim Sum Dialogues: HKSAR Establishment Day

Stephen Greenwood

2 Jul 2009 | 5:00 pm

Filed under: Asia, China, Dim Sum DialoguesGrowing up in America, I've been accustomed to celebrating the 4th of July with the typical afternoon barbecues, long days at the beach, and nights of firework displays. When I found out that July 1st was Hong Kong's equivalent holiday, I guess I imagined similar celebrations - with seafood replacing the dogs & burgers and maybe a few more firecrackers set off in the streets. I was wrong. I quickly learned that the laid back barbecues have been overlooked for good old fashioned demonstrations of free speech. For those out there that might not…
Copilot peeing in public cancels JAL flight from Honolulu

Scott Carmichael

2 Jul 2009 | 2:30 pm

Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines, NewsOf all the reasons to have your flight canceled, I'm pretty sure this one is high on the "no frikkin way!" list.The copilot of JAL flight 75 from Honolulu to Narita was arrested by local police for urinating in a park. The copilot had consumed a bottle of wine and 5 bottles of beer, when the urge "to go" was clearly greater than the urge to find an appropriate place to relive himself. When a police officer saw him, the copilot was arrested and delivered to the police station. He was then detained for two nights before being released…
Gadlinks for Thursday, 7.2.09

Aaron Hotfelder

2 Jul 2009 | 1:30 pm

The weekend is almost here! Huzzah! Now here's a look at the best of the rest from the travel world... Bootsnall lets you know how to get off the "Banana Pancake Trail" in Thailand. Wronging Rights is one of the most well-written and funniest(?) blogs out there on injustice in the developing world. Do check it out. Is this an incentive or a punishment for quitting smoking in Saudi Arabia? The New York Times' Photojournalism blog features an interesting but depressing look at high-rise office buildings and the workers who occupy them in a series called Life Behind Glass. Over at Vagablogging,…
Best bar in the world is not where you'd expect it

Scott Carmichael

2 Jul 2009 | 1:00 pm

Filed under: Food and Drink, Europe, NetherlandsLonely Planet and Singha beer released the results of their "best bar in the world" contest. The winner is a small corner bar in the heart of Rotterdam called "De Witte Aap" (the white monkey). I am at a total loss how this bar was able to reach the top spot - I have been there, and while it isn't a bad bar, it's miles away from being the best bar in the world. In fact, there really isn't anything special about this bar. They do offer regular live entertainment and the same assortment of beer and snacks that you'll find at most decent Dutch…

PlaneBuzz
PlaneBusiness Banter Now Posted

29 Jun 2009 | 11:08 am

This week's issue of PlaneBusiness Banter is now posted. Last week on the airline side the news was headlined by Republic Holdings, which went on a little bargain basement buying spree last week, as you all know. Now that Frontier Airlines (pending bankruptcy court approval which we are certain will take place) and Midwest are going to be under the "Republic Holdings Umbrella" what does this mean for the domestic US airline market? Frankly, the land grab raises a lot more questions than we have answers for -- at least this week. Then there is Boeing. What a mess. What a complete and total…
TGIF: It's a Cat Pant Day

26 Jun 2009 | 7:58 am

It's Friday. It's already 85 degrees here in Big D. And it's not even 10 o'clock yet. Not a good sign. My trusty Apple iPhone weather app informs me that it will be 103 later today. Hmmmmm. You know it's really hot when the cats pant. I've written before about this. We all know dogs pant all the time. But have you ever noticed how cats, being the more discreet and elegant animals that they are, are not that enthusiastic about showing public displays of pending heat stroke? So when you open the door to a little face that has a jaw dropped and a little tongue furiously darting in and out --…
Why Are Changes in Air Fares Worthy of National News Coverage?; It Doesn't Have to Be This Way

26 Jun 2009 | 7:53 am

I'm sure glad the general public got to see a slew of those stupid "at the airport live" reports yesterday dished out from a local reporter -- stationed at their local airport. The occasion? Rising air fares. CODE RED. CODE RED. Beep. Beep. Beep. Oh my god Ethel, grab the children, bring them inside and make sure the doors and windows are locked. Is there any other industry that all of us utilize on a fairly regular basis that has its prices examined so closely by the media? Seriously. Why is this? I mean, how would other industries fare if every time they raised a price, we were treated to a…
Virgin's Richard Branson on Jimmy Fallon Tonight

24 Jun 2009 | 8:32 pm
LSU Takes College World Series

24 Jun 2009 | 7:03 pm

Whew. For a couple of innings tonight I suffered some ugly thoughts of having to wear that Orange Pimp Suit. And of having my picture made while wearing it. And of having said picture then posted here on PB. However, LSU was successful tonight in beating the University of Texas Longhorns 11-4 to take the NCAA College World Series National Championship. One of the big reasons was that guy right here. Chad Jones. In his other life, he plays safety for the Tiger football team. But in this tournament, he was fantastic in the role of relief pitcher. Then there was Jared Mitchell, the tournament's…

Location Independent Blog | Live and Work Anywhere You Choose
How To Tell Your Loved Ones You’re About To Leave Their Lives And Become Location Independent

Leigh Haugseth

30 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

Image by mikebaird ** This post was written by Leigh Haugseth. Find out more about Leigh below ** It’s not unusual to experience some backlash when telling your friends and family about your switch to a location independent lifestyle. Fortunately from my own personal experience, most people are very supportive and curious. But there are also those who are unsure of and cynical about your choice.When you’re going through a major transition in your life, any sort of negativity can make you doubt yourself – and there is simply no room for doubt when taking the plunge and starting…
Weekend Update: It’s Here, She’s Not (Yet) & A Crowdsourcing Project

Lea Woodward

28 Jun 2009 | 11:30 am

Welcome to this week’s “Weekend Update” – our weekly round-up of the main goings-on at Location Independent HQ and a heads up of some things to come… The 2nd Edition Is Out! Almost 18 months after I wrote and released my first ever book, the 2nd edition is now out! X Marks The Spot: An Indispensable Guide To Living & Working From Anywhere was written mainly on location in Grenada in 2007, as a way to gather everything in one place that we’d learned about becoming and being location independent. The 2nd edition is basically a revised & updated…
Community News For June 2009

Lea Woodward

26 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

The Community News feature is another monthly feature we’re starting on the blog in our ongoing quest to open up and expand the Location Independent community. Each month, we hope to highlight members of the Location Independent community who have exciting news and updates to share on their location independent life – or their quest to create one. If you’d like to share your news with the rest of the community and be featured on this blog, please do get in touch with us – we can’t guarantee to feature everyone but we’ll do our best to highlight the most…
The Ultimate Mobile Office Set Up For The Location Independent Professional

Lea Woodward

23 Jun 2009 | 2:00 am

Image by italianjob17 After a few years of running my own business – with 2+ of those running it from various locations around the world such as Panama, Thailand and South Africa, we’ve learned a few things about how to run an efficient business without the usual paper entrails that are common in a typical office. We’ve tried a number of different apps services over this time and have now got a set-up that works well for us, costs us far less than when we first started and keeps things as streamlined and efficient as possible. I’ve written a few posts about this before…
Weekend Update: A Site Overhaul, New Features & The 2nd Edition

Lea Woodward

20 Jun 2009 | 10:29 pm

There are very few benefits I can think of, from being awake at 4.30am on a Sunday morning – but of those few, being able to write this post with no distractions on Twitter or elsewhere is one of them – yep, pregnancy is most definitely kicking my ass at the moment but with only 11 days to go until my expected due date, it should hopefully not be for too much longer! This weekend’s update is focused around the Location Independent site and some of the new features we’ve got coming up for you… Site Overhaul If you’ve been on to the site recently (as opposed…

Tony Wheeler
Budapest

Tony Wheeler

28 Jun 2009 | 8:20 am

Maureen and I visited Budapest last week. It rained the whole time we were there, but we still had an interesting visit to a city which – for me – manages to combine some of the flavour of Prague and Vienna. Check our Budapest city guide and then some views from our trip:Stop here and have a look at this wonderful sight? Well perhaps, in fact it means don’t go any further … if you’re a tourist. Shoes on the Danube has to be the most poignant memorial I’ve seen for a long time. Along the riverside are ‘scattered’ 60 pairs of old shoes, cast in…
Faroes Photo Album

Tony Wheeler

20 Jun 2009 | 3:07 pm

From my recent trip to the Faroes I’ve posted blogs on the pretty little village of Gjógv and the island of Mykines, the place to go if you want to see puffins. I also spent some time in the capital city – Tórshavn – drove around all the major interconnected islands (linked by bridges and some often seriously scary tunnels) plus I took a ferry south to the island of Suduroy. Here are 10 photos summarising my Faroes travels. Even flying in to the Faroes can be spectacular, here’s my first view of the islands, a typical sheer cliff face on the island of Vágar as I…
Signspotting in Copenhagen

Tony Wheeler

12 Jun 2009 | 3:26 pm

En route to the Faroe Islands I stopped off in Copenhagen and caught Doug Lansky’ Signspotting show. Doug has put together two Signspotting books for Lonely Planet, photographs of the weird and wonderful signs you bump into all over the world. In Copenhagen they’re blown up to lifesize so they look just like their original context and for some reason they’re even funnier that way than in Doug’s book. Sponsored by the Scandinavian student travel organisation Kilroy they’ll be in Copenhagen until the end of the June before moving on to Arhus in Denmark, Edinburgh…
Mykines - Faroe Islands

Tony Wheeler

11 Jun 2009 | 12:51 pm

There’s not a better day trip in the Faroes than a visit to Mykines. Continue beyond the airport on Vágar Island to the port of Sørvágar. A ferry shuttles across to the one settlement on the island, the 17km trip takes about 40 minutes and costs about US$10. I was one of three passengers. En route we passed the Faroes iconic island Tindhólmur. It would be a slightly oval shaped cone, grass-covered and rising steeply (everything in the Faroes rises steeply) to a knife-edged ridge. Except somebody has taken a knife to that knife-edge ridge and neatly chopped one side of the…
Gjógv – Faroe Islands

Tony Wheeler

8 Jun 2009 | 1:18 pm

I’m staying in the very pleasant (and busy too) Gjáagarður guest house/youth hostel in Gjógv. It’s a very pretty little village, but that’s no feat … every village in the Faroes is very pretty. They all look like the toy villages in some kid’s model railway, neat little primary-coloured houses all tidy and trim. That’s helped by the fact that you’re often looking down on them, a lot of the time in the Faroes you seem to be way high up, looking down on toy town below. The Faroes? They’re a group of islands directly north of Ireland. Way…

tripso.com
Expert reveals best Independence Day parties in America

Christopher Elliott

2 Jul 2009 | 3:52 am

Michael Guerriero is the author of Party Across America! 101 Of the Greatest Festivals, Sporting Events, And Celebrations in the U.S.. Laid off from his corporate job, Guerriero used his severance pay to fund a cross-country trip to find the best parties in America. I asked him about the top spots for this Fourth of July.
Traveling by air this summer? 4 things you should do

Janice Hough

2 Jul 2009 | 3:35 am

This summer -- particularly this summer -- there a few things worth doing differently, when it comes to air travel.
Will the Consumer Financial Protection Agency help travelers?

Charlie Leocha

2 Jul 2009 | 3:34 am

The White House is proposing a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. This agency will oversee consumer lending and take the consumer side of lending away from the banking regulators who have presided over credit card and mortgage abuses. What will this mean to travelers?
New Orleans tops favorite destinations list for July 4th

Brian Ek

2 Jul 2009 | 3:34 am

Priceline's 6th annual survey of the 50 most popular destinations for July 4, 2009 is out today. The survey is based on more than 30,000 hotel room booking requests made by customers using priceline.com’s Name Your Own Price® hotel reservation service.
What we’re reading: Vegas casinos lay off workers, 747-8 moves ahead, ANA orders more Dreamliners

Steve Surjaputra

2 Jul 2009 | 3:33 am

Two Las Vegas mega-hotels are facing economic problems. Boeing's 747-8 extension of the tested 747 is moving forward. ANA gives the delayed 787 a vote of confidence.

NYT > Travel
Q&A: Day Trips From Limerick

By DAVID G. ALLAN

2 Jul 2009 | 2:43 pm

"I'll be staying in Limerick and I would like to make short one- or half-day trips when I have free time."
Celebrating the Sounds of Appalachian Strings

By NICK KAYE

2 Jul 2009 | 2:38 pm

For 85 years, strummers, pickers and fiddlers have met in the North Carolina hills on a spring weekend to play homage to old-time music.
Practical Travel: Twitter Comes to the Rescue

By MICHELLE HIGGINS

2 Jul 2009 | 7:16 am

From bad airplane seats to poor room service, customers are getting surprisingly fast responses to their tweets.
Frugal Traveler: Hunting for Treasure in Paris's Marchés aux Puces

By MATT GROSS

1 Jul 2009 | 9:55 pm

In the city's legendary flea markets, the Frugal Traveler hopes to find some prized items and bargains among the bric-a-brac.
Airline Has Nothing to Hide. Really.

By BETTINA WASSENER

1 Jul 2009 | 5:46 pm

The in-flight safety instructional video and a companion ad series show employees of Air New Zealand unclothed, concealed only by body-painted uniforms and strategically placed props.

NYT > Escapes
Celebrating the Sounds of Appalachian Strings

By NICK KAYE

2 Jul 2009 | 2:22 pm

For 85 years, strummers, pickers and fiddlers have met in the North Carolina hills on a spring weekend to play homage to old-time music.
Away: A Jazz Voice Finds a Mellower Range

By LISA A. PHILLIPS

2 Jul 2009 | 1:53 pm

When it’s time for the jazz singer Sheila Jordan to work on arrangements, she heads to Middleburgh, N.Y.
High & Low | Coeur D’alene, Idaho: Outdoors for All Seasons

By BETHANY LYTTLE

2 Jul 2009 | 12:18 pm

Residents of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a city of about 42,000 surrounded by lakes and protected forest, like to compare it to living in Lake Tahoe without the high prices.
A House in the Woods, After the Woods Are Gone

By JIM ROBBINS

1 Jul 2009 | 11:18 pm

When my wife and I bought land in Montana, the stands of timber were so dense you couldn’t walk through parts of the property. Then the beetles came, killing the stately old trees.
On Location: A Second Home, a Starter Budget

By MARIANNE ROHRLICH

1 Jul 2009 | 10:17 pm

A Brooklyn couple made their first home purchase a weekend house in the Catskills, decorating it with pieces acquired through Craigslist, thrift shops and yard sales — even items found on the street.

SandWagon
Side Trips In # TravelTwitterLand

Sandwagon

26 Jun 2009 | 10:21 am
View from the Sandwagon - Colossi of Memnon, Luxor

Sandwagon

7 Jun 2009 | 2:08 am
LEAVE THE HANGER! Landcare Australia

Sandwagon

21 May 2009 | 12:06 am

Landcare Australia are calling all travel writers and photographers to write for a reason.They need your help to get the general public engaged with the task of saving our planet. There are prizes for winning contributions! Landcare’s Your Planet Needs You campaign is asking individuals to register the skills they are happy to offer for a local environmental project. They need you to write a compelling argument for getting involved and registering interest in saving our planet.Written submissions should be no more than 100 words, visual submissions should be a 30 second video or a…
New Feature: Lost In ....

Sandwagon

14 May 2009 | 3:51 am

..not Space, but various locations around the globe. Here's the low down on the feature as recently pitched to a travel website. I'll run it myself on Sandwagon, so that the idea lives on.Travel content, be it in print or online, has always showed us how not to get lost. Heaven forbid that we wandered off with just our sense of discovery guiding the way.The big questions are:• Are trips doomed to disaster without the aid of a travel writer’s ‘Top Ten Must-See List of Unmissable Sights To See Before You Die’?• Do travellers disappear into black-holes if they leave their hotels…
Golden Blocks Shore Dive: my piece for The Independent

Sandwagon

10 May 2009 | 5:13 am

Yet to perfect your giant stride entry or the throwing yourself backwards off a boat method? Then the Dahab way is for you.The laid back Egyptian village set on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, around an hour north of Sharm El Sheikh, has enough shore diving sites to keep divers busy for at least a week or so.In fact shore diving seems to satisfy visitors' demands so much that none of the local dive schools have yet invested in a Zodiac boat for off-shore diving.Read about my shore dive at Dahab's 'Golden Blocks' as featured by On The Road at The Independent:Travel.

Budget Travel Tips - EuroCheapo
Amsterdam: New Hermitage Museum opens in Amsterdam

Amy Goemans

2 Jul 2009 | 6:15 am

The June, 2009 opening of the Hermitage in Amsterdam. Photo by wizse. By Amy Goemans— On June 19, 2009, the newly renovated Hermitage Amsterdam opened its doors to reveal the best of Russian culture. Located on the Amstel River, this museum is a grand venue. The Hermitage Amsterdam’s building, known as the Amstelhof, dates back to 1682, when it served as a retirement home for elderly women. Now it houses a museum showcasing the opulent lifestyles of Russian nobility and their collection of artwork from ages past. The museum’s opening ceremony was a grand affair attended by…
Barcelona Art: Free (and cheap) museums, and more

Regina W Bryan

1 Jul 2009 | 8:32 am

Going up at the CaixaForum in Barcelona. Photo by Hector Milla. By Regina W. Bryan Cheap or even free is a great price in an expensive town like Barcelona. There are many museums in eastern Spain’s capital city, some with high entrance fees, such as Casa Batllo, and others with ocassional free admission. Let’s explore the latter. 1. CaixaForum Funded by the Catalan bank, La Caixa, the CaixaForum museum offers rotating exhibitions by national and international artists. The last show I attended was the Mucha collection, which was fantastic. CaixaForum is free, open every day of the…
Alphabetical Tourism: Europe from A to Z, and especially L

hiddeneurope

30 Jun 2009 | 8:35 am

The station at Schaanwald in Liechtenstein. Photos © hidden europe. By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries— Remember George Dubya? Here in Europe he is still revered as a remarkable pioneer in “alphabetical tourism.” After all, during his first-ever visit to Europe in June 2001, the presidential itinerary featured Spain, Sweden and Slovenia - or perhaps it was Slovakia. Even Dubya himself was a shade uncertain, but he did a grand job in covering up his doubts. From Vaduz to Vilnius In any case, given the fact that most visitors to Europe have only the haziest notion about their…
Paris: The best in casual nightlife

Liz Webber

29 Jun 2009 | 8:53 am

The terrasse at Bar Ourcq. Photos by Liz Webber. By Liz Webber in Paris— For most tourists, Paris days are spent visiting museums and snapping photos of monuments. But what about Paris nights? After dining at your nearest brasserie, check out these local haunts in the best neighborhoods for casual nightlife. Along the canal In the summer months all the bars along the Canal St. Martin and the Bassin de la Villette put out tables and chairs along the “terrasses” so customers can sit outside and look out over the water. It’s a great place to spend a warm evening or a lazy afternoon.
London: Website helps you navigate the city’s confusing streets

Justin Bergman

26 Jun 2009 | 8:43 am

Consult Walkit.com for a route along Regents Canal. Photo: Ed.ward By Justin Bergman in London— As any visitor to London (and probably more than a few residents) can attest, getting around the city on foot can be maddeningly confusing. Because London grew over the centuries by swallowing up neighboring villages and towns, there’s little rhyme or reason to its layout. Hence the existence of mews, the charming narrow alleys where wealthy Londoners once had their stables. And even narrower passageways like the one behind Whitechapel Gallery, where Jack the Ripper is believed to have lived.

Write to Travel
Guest Post: How Childhood Travel Can Influence Your Writing by Mindy Friddle.

KIWIWRITER

25 Jun 2009 | 12:35 am

Write To Travel is pleased to welcome author Mindy Friddle. Mindy, who is on a WOW blog tour to promote her new book Secret Keepers, offers an interesting guest post about childhood travel and writing. But first a little about Mindy who lives, writes, works and gardens in South Carolina where she directs a community-based writing program. Her first novel, The Garden Angel (St. Martin’s Press/Picador) was selected for Barnes and Noble's Discover Great New Writers program in 2004. Secret Keepers, her second novel, was published by St. Martin's Press in May. For more information, visit Mindy's…
FAM and Press Trips - Good or Bad for Travel Writers?

KIWIWRITER

12 Jun 2009 | 5:52 pm

Press Trips and FAM tours have been around for years. Popular with some writers, not so much with others, they have always generated discussion about how ethicial they are.Sheila Scarborough, one of my blogging colleagues over at Perceptive Travel blog, who has recently been on a couple of 'blogger' FAM tours - one to Kansas and one to Hawaii - raises these issues in an interesting and thought provoking post Are blogger fam trips a good idea or are they Jurassic PR?It's a post that all travel writers should read.
How to Avoid Bad Travel Writing...

KIWIWRITER

11 Jun 2009 | 3:47 am

World Hum has an entertaining article by travel writer David Farley on 'How to Write a Bad Travel Story'.Tongue in check, David explains how easy it is to write a bad travel story and offers a series of tips that will ensure that you do.Read it carefully. You might just find that you are actually using some of those tips in your own writing. That's fine if you want to write bad. But I'd rather be writing good, no, make that great, travel articles. So I'll be bookmarking David's article to ensure I avoid his tips.
Weekly Top 10 Blog Posts for Writers...

KIWIWRITER

6 Jun 2009 | 10:35 pm

1. The Uncomfortable Facts About Plagiarism2. Is Freelance Writing Suited To Your Personality?3. Success Stories: Susan Gunelius4. 5 Ways to Increase Your Writing Income5. The Cycle of Creativity and How to Ride It6. Drano for writers: 10 tricks to get the words flowing again7. Guest Post: 5 Writing Tips From the Editor-in-Chief of Alive Magazine8. The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Getting Paid9. The Power of Paper for Everyday Life10. Feng Shui On Steroids: Design Your Space to Achieve Your Goals
Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers...

KIWIWRITER

28 May 2009 | 10:36 pm

1. 8 Types of Freelance Writing Pitches or Why You Didn’t Get the Job2. 5 Ways to Salvage Writing Disasters3. How to: Solve an editor’s problem4. Wordflab Surgery: How to Put Your Writing Under the Knife5. From Creative Writing to Creative Marketing

Go Green Travel Green
Green Travel Guide: Books and More

Elizabeth

2 Jul 2009 | 8:27 am

A reader recently emailed asking us about where to find the best green travel guide. Julie wanted information about green travel including hotel and green vacation suggestions but specifically wanted the information in a book format (not online.) We haven’t done many book or travel guide reviews on this site, but I sent her some ideas and wanted to share with you what I sent to her along with some further research I’ve done. Also, if you have suggestions for books let us know and we will pass them along to her. Green Travel Guides These green travel guides focus only on…
Change Your Name on an Airline Ticket: Lessons Learned

Kimberly

30 Jun 2009 | 8:23 am

Last fall, I posted about my failed attempts to change my name on my American Airlines plane ticket. In the end, I was able to travel on that ticket without paying a fee — but it wasn’t easy. Read on to learn how to fly with your current ticket, without paying any fees, plus 5 tips for tips for flying without changing your ticket. The Backstory I bought an international plane ticket in March, got married in June, and changed my name in August. My plane ticket was for December. I called American Airlines three times to change my name and they told me it would cost either $100 or…
Green Flights: Is it Possible?

Elizabeth

25 Jun 2009 | 8:37 am

Earlier this week, I published the Find Cheap Airline Tickets Cheat Sheet. As what usually happens when we mention anything related to airplanes, we get some criticism. “Aren’t you green?” “Don’t you care about the environment?” “Flying is terrible.” Yes, we agree that planes are the worst mode of transportation when it comes to their environmental impact. In fact we’ve written a lot about this including about how Airplane Air is Toxic, Principles for Choosing Green Transportation, and a Guide to Carbon Offsets. So, this begs the question,…
Find Cheap Airline Tickets: Cheat Sheet

Elizabeth

23 Jun 2009 | 9:01 am

People often ask me “What’s the best search engine to find a cheap airline ticket?” The simple answer is that there is no one best search engine, rather, it depends on where you’re going and when you can go and your flexibility in both of these. In short, you’ll find the cheapest airline ticket when you’re flexible about your dates and about your destination. So, what I’ve done here is compile all the best search engines for finding cheap plane tickets. They are categorized depending on what type of travel resource you’re looking for. It’s…
Giveaway: Free CamelBak Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Elizabeth

19 Jun 2009 | 11:51 am

In case you missed this week’s posts about the new CamelBak Stainless Steel Better Bottle (BPA Free and Insulated) and the Stainless Steel Water Bottle Smackdown — we have a CamelBak to give away. Just leave a comment on yesterday’s post and you’ll be entered to win. (Continental US residents only please.) Next week on Tuesday be sure to stop by — I’ll be posting one of my favorite tips from How to Find Cheap Airline Tickets. Have a great weekend! originally posted at Go Green Travel Green Giveaway: Free CamelBak Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Jaunted
JetAmerica Cancels Flights Just as We Head Out to Celebrate America This Weekend

juliana

2 Jul 2009 | 5:04 pm

We're taking off early for the Fourth of July! JetAmerica will probably spend Independence Day trying to get the landing slot issues cleared up but we'll be off on a much-needed trip. See you guys again on Monday! FAME: Where to Celebrate the Fourth of July Tubing: Good Old-Fashioned Fun Nude Beaches in the U.S.Also: We Have a Competitours Contest Winner! LAME: JetAmerica Delays Launch Date Until August 14th The Problem With Seat Back TVs The TSA Could Care Less About ClearAlso: Booking Engine and Airline Seat Maps Out Of Sync
Breaking News: JetAmerica Delays Launch Date Until August 14th

juliana

2 Jul 2009 | 2:49 pm

Yesterday we got all sorts of worried that JetAmerica would not be taking off on July 13 as initially announced because we couldn't plug in any new flight dates until August. But a call to the reservations/marketing inquiries hotline let us know that the upstart airline's website was just having a bit of "server error" and that our reservation was still good. Still, we remained skeptical and with good reason. Just as we were wondering why JetAmerica hadn't fixed its "server error," an email came in to us from a Jaunted reader booked on the inaugural flight out of Newark to Toledo. Jet America…
Paris: When A Two-Minute Phone Call at The Airport Costs $50

EricRosen

2 Jul 2009 | 2:24 pm

When we got our June credit card statement the other day, we discovered a mysterious charge for about $52. Upon further investigation with the help of the credit card company, we learned that the charge was for a phone call we’d made from a pay phone at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris…in April. Thanks to some wonky phone battery issues, we’d had to use one of those phones that accepts credit cards in order to leave a friend a voicemail that we’d arrived. The call lasted under two minutes, and cost more than a good meal out.
So Over Staycationing; We Want Delta's Sale Fares To The French Riviera

JetSetCD

2 Jul 2009 | 1:39 pm

If you've been doing that horrible thing of "staycationing" this summer, then getting cabin fever is absolutely inevitable; we recommend planning a real autumn trip to take the edge off. After all, they say the recession is beginning to end, right? Airfares too are starting to go up, although this isn't a great thing for travelers hoping to head to Europe after delaying such trips for so long. If places like Nice on the French Riviera and Madrid make you fill with delicious wanderlust and the urge to break out a caftan and your sunglasses, then we recommend checking out Delta's fall sale…
Amsterdam: The Hermitage Amsterdam Looks Pretty But Needs a Better Opening Exhibit

juliab

2 Jul 2009 | 1:19 pm

You know how when someone tells you they’re going to Amsterdam you give them a knowing look and think “I know what you’ll be up to, you dissolute human being”? Well you’d better stop doing that because this summer the 'Dam is all about the culture. The Stedelijk Museum is running a mobile exhibition round town while it’s under refurbishment, the Royal Palace in Dam Square has just reopened, and on June 20, the Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg, no less, opened up a branch in a 17th-century building that used to be an old folks’ home.

HotelChatter -
We'll Be Kicking Back With Some Summer Cocktails on Independence Day

juliana

2 Jul 2009 | 3:54 pm

We're taking off early for the Fourth of July! See you guys again on Monday! SUITE: New Summer Cocktails at Hotels The W South Beach Has FINALLY Opened! Omni's Got A Sweet Summer Amenity: Flip Video Cameras ALSO: W Washington DC to Highlight Emerging Artists HOSTEL: Starwood Announces St. Regis Bermuda, Opening...In Four Years The Remnants of the W Las Vegas Dream Still Remain
A Festive Cocktail For the Fourth From Andaz WeHo

Jenna

2 Jul 2009 | 3:11 pm

We've kicked off our Summer Cocktails series where we profile fun new summer drinks that hotels are making. Got one we should know about? Send us the recipe with a photo of the drink. Otherwise, enjoy and @reply us when you're wasted! Happy Fourth! Well, almost. Doesn't the whole world have tomorrow off? Anyway, if you're still at work and still reading this, staring longingly at the empty cubicles and getting increasingly frustrated as you realize that nobody is returning your call cause they're already on vacay, you're probably thinking a cocktail sounds real, real good right about now,…
Maui: We Go Cuckoo for Pupus at The Fairmont Kea Lani’s New Luana Lounge

globetrotting gourmet

2 Jul 2009 | 3:03 pm

Our most memorable childhood meals were bite sized delights served on a beverage napkin with frilly toothpicks, so it’s no wonder we swoon for the pupu. These island-style hors d’oeuvres are a staple of Hawaiian luaus and happy hours, every bit as much as the Mai Tai, Piña Colada, Blue Hawaii, and Lava Flow. The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui celebrates the pupu at its new Luana Lounge. (“Luana” is the Hawaiian word meaning to be at leisure, enjoy pleasant surroundings, to live in comfort and ease.) The new lobby bar features a new theme, new menu, new bar, new décor and new…
Herradura: Hotel Villa Caletas Needs To Quit It With Those Ads For Its Spa and Residences

globetrotting gourmet

2 Jul 2009 | 2:02 pm

We got all Diane Lane “Under the Tuscan Sun” as we pulled up the windy hill to Hotel Villa Caletas in Herraduras, Costa Rica. We’re a sucker for sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific (especially from cliff side vantage points) and all the pomp and circumstance en route led us to believe we were in for something really special. As in five star special – the elite status this misguided member of Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica fancies itself to have. Reality check: three stars is more like it.We must’ve suffered a bad case of beer goggles, because as soon as we…
Westin's New Heavenly Bath Amenities Now Available

Jenna

2 Jul 2009 | 1:18 pm

Ohhh, new toiletries! You know we're sorta obsessed with hotel toiletries — the good ones, that is (think separate shampoos and conditioners rather than some kind of hair-assaulting/insulting shamp-condi hybrid) — and we get kinda excited when we hear of a new line of 'em coming out. Not surprisingly, news of Westin's new Heavenly Bath Line brings joy to our hearts — but not to our hair and skin just yet, since we haven't had the chance to try 'em out ourselves: Specially designed to soothe the senses with a blend of botanicals and natural ingredients, the collection is…

SmarterTravel.com: Travel Advice
Keeping in Touch While in Europe

2 Jul 2009 | 6:13 am

With so many available mobile options, you're still able to phone home and keep tabs on your friends. Or, call them to gloat about all the sights you're taking in.
Five Great Vacation Deals Available Right Now

1 Jul 2009 | 9:00 pm

This week, the Deal Detective uncovers discounted deals to popular destinations like Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, and the Caribbean.
Taxes and Fees on Air Travel: How Big a Bite?

29 Jun 2009 | 8:58 am

Travelers seem to be a favorite target for taxing authorities, and each time we fly we pay a laundry list of various fees and taxes. Ed Perkins highlights the worst of the worst.
Heading to the Airport? Use This Checklist Before You Go

28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

New fees to keep track of, security protocols that may be overwhelming ... Our handy to-do list will help you get to the airport, through security, and to your gate with ease.
Group Travel, Vacation Rentals Leads to Cheap Trips

28 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Maybe it's the economy. Maybe it's the need to reconnect. At beach houses and on sailboats, in city condos and mountain cabins, families and friends are joining forces on vacation.

Ed Perkins
Keeping in Touch While in Europe

2 Jul 2009 | 6:13 am

With so many available mobile options, you're still able to phone home and keep tabs on your friends. Or, call them to gloat about all the sights you're taking in.
The Truth About 'Guaranteed' Dollar Rates

25 Jun 2009 | 6:53 am

With the dollar slowly losing ground to the euro and pound, you can expect to see more "guaranteed dollar rate" deals. But are they any good? Ed Perkins tells you what to look for.
European Budget Motels: The Low-Low End

18 Jun 2009 | 8:38 am

You'll have more options for budget accommodations if you're heading to Europe this year. Ed Perkins pounds the pavement, lays his head on several low-end pillows, and reports back.
Travel Insurance Offers Limited Hurricane Benefits

11 Jun 2009 | 12:33 pm

What type of travel insurance provides coverage during hurricane season? What is covered under typical policies? Ed Perkins answers these and other trip insurance-related questions.
Out of Control Car Rental Fees

4 Jun 2009 | 7:06 am

Ed Perkins breaks down car rental fees and identifies which extras you can safely waive in order to save money.

DeliciousBaby.com
Jet Lag Haikus

30 Jun 2009 | 8:26 am

Dan R from New York City sent in these Haikus, and I thought they were too fun to keep to myself! Baby jet lag bad West East harder than East West More crying at 3? Google "jet lag" Others afraid or... Too late! Screwed just like you. I will sleep or not I may cry or I may not make room in your bed Related Links JetLag Survival Guide for Babies, Toddlers and Kids
Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris

29 Jun 2009 | 6:59 am

"Camera Lens" Window at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris The images in my Photo Friday post were from the Institut du Monde Arabe on the Left Bank in Paris. The windows don't just look like camera lenses, they open and close depending upon the amount of sun streaming through, which makes this a very interesting building to sit and watch. On the top floor there there is a nice (if expensive) Middle Eastern restaurant, with a gorgeous view of the city, but the real find is the hidden cafeteria serving middle eastern stews and kabobs in a college like atmosphere. In summer, after…
Photo Friday: "Camera Lens" Windows

25 Jun 2009 | 9:45 pm

I thought I'd try something entirely different for Photo Friday this week. Who can guess where these pictures were shot and explain what's special about this building? For bonus points, if you have a post about this building link to it in comments! Update: To Learn the answer, Click Here Photo Friday: Please Share Your Photos: Share a favorite travel photo by adding your link below. First timers, here is more Information about Photo Friday
Shameless Promotion: Dog Jaunt Blog

24 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am

By DogJaunt Chloe, the DogJaunt mascot My friend just started a new blog, Dog Jaunt focused on traveling with small dogs. I know little about this subject, but I love her pragmatic approach, great writing and adorable dog Chloe. If you want to know more about topics like keeping your dog safe in a car, staying in hotels with a dog, or traveling by small plane, this is a great place to start.
Reader Question: Renting a Car Seat

23 Jun 2009 | 12:00 am

This is a reader question from Susan who will be renting a car and wants to know about the safety of renting a car seat. As Susan knows, I've written much about this subject, including two investigations of unsafe car seats at rental car agencies. I've also heard from many readers who have had bad experiences at rental car agencies around the country. Unsafe Rental Car Seats Hi Debbie, I came across your blog b/c i am traveling with my 3 month old baby to Boston. Thanks so much for all the great information. It's a short flight, but I will need to rent a car. I read one line where you say you…

Viator Travel Blog
London’s Royal Palaces

Scott Mc

2 Jul 2009 | 3:10 pm

It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but, okay, I will admit it for all of us. Part of our fascination with England – even for many of those born and raised there – is the Royal Family – one of the last remaining monarchies in the world. They’re all over magazines just like real celebrities. Their faces stare at us from mugs and plates and T-shirts. History is full of them. We all want to see inside their houses. So, I did it. I went to London and I visited a whole lot of Royal palaces. Did not meet a prince, but, given the history of princesses I’m kind of glad of that. But here,…
Vatican Confidential: Behind the Scenes of the Guided Tour Industry

Scott Mc

30 Jun 2009 | 3:59 pm

Editor’s Note: Recently one of our contributors (who has asked to remain anonymous) needed some money. Originally from London but living in Rome, he decided to get a job as a tour guide in Rome. He ended up working with one of the dozen of companies that specialize in hard-sell Vatican tours (street hustle, large groups, uninspired staff, mediocre experiences). Unfortunately we know some of the experiences described below are what give “guided Vatican tours” a bad name. And we wish it were otherwise. It is frustrating for a company such as Viator, since we only work with…
The Caribbean’s Most Underrated Islands

Scott Mc

29 Jun 2009 | 3:44 pm

When it comes to the Caribbean, there’s a temptation to just head to whichever island is easiest to get to. After all, they’re all just beaches and cocktails, yes? But sometimes it pays to look beyond the usual suspects, island destinations such as the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. A connecting flight to one of the smaller, less-visited islands can pay dividends for those prepared to spend a little longer in the air. And amongst the more interesting options are these four. Underrated in the Caribbean: Anguilla Massage hut at Shoal Bay East, Anguilla In recent years, the…
Contest: Las Vegas Dinner & Show

Scott Mc

28 Jun 2009 | 1:31 am

Editor’s note: The contest is now closed and we’re pleased to announce the winners! It was not an easy decision, there were many great entries. In the end we selected 2 runners-up and 1 grand prize winner. The runners-up are Shawn (his answer: 6 kids, $200 a month wages, wife needs break. thanks) and Dana (Two Lovebirds / Perched and Dined / Over the Strip / Were Roasted). Shawn and Dana, we are sending you a promo code good for 5% off your next Viator booking, as our way of saying thanks! The Grand Prize Winner? A unanimous decision, our Las Vegas team voted C. Mayes the Grand…
New York’s 9/11 Ground Zero Museum Workshop

Scott Mc

26 Jun 2009 | 10:33 am

Many emotions are embedded in the idea of ‘travel’. Some of these emotions are pure joy - discovering a new culture, making new friends in a far-flung country. Sometimes the emotions are raw, painful, sobering - touring post-Katrina New Orleans, visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. While few people chose to travel in pursuit of tragedies, occasionally a tragedy helps put a destination into meaningful context. No where is that more true than New York City. The attacks of September 11, 2001 are easy to overlook nowadays; New York is healing, moving on, looking forward…

SmarterTravel.com: Travel Deals
Hilton Offers Specials at European Destinations

2 Jul 2009 | 1:43 pm

Hilton makes it affordable to stay on international soil, with various deals at hotels around Europe.
Free Breakfast With Stays at Holiday Inn

2 Jul 2009 | 1:40 pm

At participating Holiday Inn hotels, you can get a $20-per-room breakfast voucher for the hotel restaurant.
Europe Sale Fares on Lufthansa From $416 R/T*

2 Jul 2009 | 10:53 am

Flights to cities across Europe are on sale from Lufthansa, including Florence, Frankfurt, London, and Madrid. Travel is valid into November, and tickets must be booked by Tuesday, July 14.
JetBlue Caribbean and Latin America Sale Fares From $29 O/W*

2 Jul 2009 | 10:35 am

JetBlue's new sale features flights to destinations such as the Bahamas, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Travel is valid through Friday, July 31.
$16 R/T Spirit Sale Fares*

2 Jul 2009 | 8:19 am

Spirit's latest members-only sale is available for booking through 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. Destinations include Cancun, Montego Bay, Orlando, and San Juan.

TravelBlogs
Living Large on a Small Budget: Interview with Nora Dunn

Eric

30 Jun 2009 | 5:00 am

Nora Dunn with her boyfriend Kelly. If you’ve ever dreamed of quitting your job, selling your stuff and setting off to travel the world, it may be comforting to know that others have treaded that path before you. Take Nora Dunn, for example. In 2006, she set out to travel the world with her boyfriend, Kelly. Three years later, they’re still travelling, and Nora has just published her first book, while also building a loyal following on her blog, The Professional Hobo. In this interview, Nora talks about what inspired her to set out to travel, some of the downsides of long-term…
My Life in Havaianas

Eric

28 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pm

In March 2008, Loquinha Gauchinha moved to Brazil with a simple desire to take ownership of her life. She is now living the expat life in Porto Alegre.
Ploomer’s Plight

Eric

25 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pm

With no job, house, or car to speak of, Rich Plumadore took the plunge and headed out to travel around Indonesia (and beyond).
Late, For Nowhere in Particular: A Reflection

Eric

24 Jun 2009 | 5:44 pm

Rolling down some back-road cloaked in the bliss of anonymity, one arm in contact with the wheel at the point that encourages my wrist to flop carefree at the end of it, head bobbling to a slow rhythmic beat that doesn’t match my rousing vocal accompaniment to Life is a Highway that’s cranked up so loud it’s oozing from the Yukon like displaced mortar, I come across this. THIS is temptation. THIS signifies a certain head toss to the grinding pressure of today’s world, a ballsy show of throwing caution to the wind. If you look at it with just the right tilt of your head, you’ll get…
“Quest for the Kasbah” by Richard Bangs

Eric

22 Jun 2009 | 10:01 pm

Desert dune in Morocco. Photo by Claire Hamilton. Editor’s note: This book review contains affiliate links. Review by Craig Martin from Indie Travel Podcast I haven’t yet made it to north Africa, so when the chance came to read Richard Bangs’ Quest For The Kasbah, I snapped it up. Richard tries to take us with him through a narrative of several visits to Morocco. He also makes a few philosophical detours to connect his growing understanding of the kasbah with modern, western life. Quest For The Kasbah by Richard Bangs. The book is a tie-in to a new American TV show called…

World Hum
What We Loved This Week: Turkish Coffee, Tinariwen and ‘Goin’ Places’

The World Hum Editors (WorldHum@worldhum.com)

2 Jul 2009 | 4:45 pm

Ben Keene Since seeing Youssou N’Dour with his band at the “Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas” celebration last month, I’ve been unable to stop listening to West African music. Currently in heavy rotation on my iPod: the austere yet entrancing guitar tones of the Touareg collective Tinariwen.
Travel, Politics and the U.S. Flag

The World Hum Editors (WorldHum@worldhum.com)

2 Jul 2009 | 3:29 pm

Photo by debaird via Flickr (Creative Commons) Timothy Egan has noticed something during his recent travels in the U.S.: “a surfeit of American flags.” In his story in the New York Times, he takes a shot at explaining the abundance of Stars and Stripes. For a look at how the flag flies outside the U.S., check out our American Flag in a Shrinking Planet slideshow.
American Flag in a Shrinking Planet

The World Hum Editors (WorldHum@worldhum.com)

2 Jul 2009 | 2:39 pm

Images of the the Stars and Stripes around the world.
Photo We Love: The Glass Ledge at Chicago’s Sears Tower

The World Hum Editors (WorldHum@worldhum.com)

2 Jul 2009 | 2:05 pm

REUTERS/Frank Polich Kids stand on just-opened Skydeck Ledge on the 103rd floor of Chicago’s Sears Tower.
J.G. Ballard’s Shanghai vs. J.G. Ballard’s London

The World Hum Editors (WorldHum@worldhum.com)

2 Jul 2009 | 12:49 pm

Reason looks at the life and legacy of J.G. Ballard, comparing the dueling influences of Shanghai and London on his life. In Shanghai fear and hunger and violence were right in front of him; there were dead bodies lying in the streets where he bicycled. As an adult in the comfortable London suburb of Shepperton, by contrast, Ballard had to look under the surface to find the darkest parts of the human psyche.

Brave New Traveler
White Man, Asian Girl: Who Decides The Nature Of Love?

Gizmo Joensen

2 Jul 2009 | 7:48 am

A common sight on the streets of cities like Bangkok and Pataya is portrayed from the eyes of the girl. Shy / Photo: a hundred visions When cruising the streets of any hectic Asian city you will see them. You will judge them. You will either respect them and it or you will not. You might see them walk hand in hand. Maybe he will have an arm around her. Maybe she will cling to him as if there’s no day tomorrow. You will see her dedication to him. And maybe you will see how much he enjoys the attention of a young feisty girl. It’s all about the love between two people. A young Asian girl…
The Myth Of The True Traveler

John Fairhurst

1 Jul 2009 | 6:42 am

Is vacation the enemy of travel? Not so, reveals the author in a provocative exploration of the tourist/traveler debate. Wisdom from experience / Photo: tiago.ribeiro “Up top,” the old man said. He demonstrated, opening wide to reveal his tongue touching the roof of his mouth. “Easy, see?” Sure. Already the tiny hut was hot. We sat in a half circle around the rusted oil drum, five Americans and the old Aleutian. Inside the drum a fire torched, causing sweat to run down our naked torsos. A rough ceiling hung inches overhead. Heat and sweat. A small room. The old man wanted to know if…
Fight Or Flight? Handling Sexual Harassment In Sierra Leone

Allison Cross

30 Jun 2009 | 8:01 am

Photo: Allison Cross Journalist Allison Cross ponders how to deal with aggressive men in a culture steeped in inequality between the sexes. “Do you have a husband?” It’s a question I get asked every day, sometimes two or three times. It’s usually as I ride on the back of a motorbike on my way into town from my house, which is out in the country. Clutching tight to the small handle on the back of the bike, doing my best not to fall off, I’ll lean forward to try and hear the driver as he talks to me from inside his bulky helmet. “Are you married?” he’ll ask, again. In the…
The World’s 12 Most Spectacular Houses of Worship

Eva Holland

29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

Eva Holland rounds up holy buildings that offer a powerful religious or historical significance, attracting travelers and spiritual seekers worldwide. There are all kinds of reasons why travelers seek out temples, mosques, synagogues and churches on the road. These holy buildings literally house tradition and history, offer insight into local cultures, and do so while putting irreplaceable works of art and architecture on display — often for free. And of course, they’re also popular destinations for spiritually-minded visitors, too. Whether you’re seeking buildings with…
Back From TV Land

Ian MacKenzie

28 Jun 2009 | 1:35 pm

A moment’s rest in the Azores, Portugal. Greetings readers! You may (or may not) have noticed I haven’t published an editor’s update for almost a month. That’s because I was off gallivanting in TV land, working with the crew on the reality series Word Travels. Now in its third season, the show follows the talented travel writers Robin Esrock and Julia Dimon as they scope out stories and battle deadlines around the globe. I was privileged enough to work with the small team that makes the magic happen, visiting three countries in 3 weeks: Georgia, Italy and Portugal. In…

Travel Guru (CBS News)
Former Nirvana Bassist Is Small-town Politico

2 Jul 2009 | 5:26 pm

Former Bassist For Nirvana Stays Active In Wash. State Politics
Jackson Portrait Displayed In NYC Car Showroom

2 Jul 2009 | 5:25 pm

Rarely Seen Michael Jackson Portrait Displayed In Luxury Car Showroom Near NY's Apollo Theater
LA Judge Postpones Gerard Butler's Arraignment

2 Jul 2009 | 5:24 pm

LA Judge Postpones Arraignment For Actor Gerard Butler, Charged In Scuffle With Paparazzo
Peru Bus Collision Kills 23 Near Lake Titicaca

2 Jul 2009 | 5:22 pm

Police Say Bus Crash Kills 23 In Head-on Collision Near Lake Titicaca In Peru
US Wants Privacy In New Cyber Security System

2 Jul 2009 | 5:19 pm

Homeland Security Moving Cautiously On New Program To Detect, Stop Cyber Attacks

A Days Outing Blog
This Saturday is the 4th of July!

Elizabeth

1 Jul 2009 | 9:24 am

It’s great that the 4th of July is on a Saturday this year. We can all stay up late celebrating with friends and watching fireworks. Last year, we spent the day in the historic small town of Scottsville, VA. We watched the home town parade and waved as my daughter and her grandfather rode a very special tandem bike down Main Street. July 4th is the celebration of that day in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. The declaration recounted the grievances of the 13 colonies against the British crown and declared the colonies to be free…
The Best Day Trip in Myrtle Beach

Elizabeth

27 Jun 2009 | 8:10 am

If you want to take a day trip while visiting Myrtle Beach, S.C., you can head south to Pawley’s Island and visit the famous Hammock Shops. You’ll find tons of great food — from a simple hotdog at the corner stand to a four star restaurant where you can eat inside, or in the summer you can brave the heat and sit outside over looking a small playground. The Hammock Shops offer a wide selection stores with toys, dresses, shoes, bags, local art, sporting goods, fishing items, beautiful jewelry and of course, the famous hammocks. One of our favorite places is The Candy Cottage in the…
What is Paddle Boarding?

Cathy

24 Jun 2009 | 7:16 am

Paddle Boarding is fun, really fun for all ages. Paddle Boards are like long surf boards that you stand on and use a very long canoe like paddle. With another family this weekend we rented two of them from a great family owned company in the Outer Banks, Outer Banks Stand Up Paddle. They delivered the boards right to the house we were staying in. After 15 minutes of instruction, we were off. We initially brought the boards to the shallow sound and it was perfect for getting the feel of the boards and great for the kids. The adults in our group had a much harder time learning to…
Is this Poison Ivy?

Elizabeth

22 Jun 2009 | 10:39 am

How many times have you been asked – “Is this poison ivy?” I know I hear it all the time when we’re on a hike in the mountains or even at a park walking through a meadow or woods. My brother’s trick for remembering poison ivy is simple. Posion ivy has three leaves - so the trick is 3 words - “do not touch.” Plants that look similar to poison ivy, but are not poisonous, like Virginia Creeper, have five leaves - so the trick here is 5 words - “I will not harm you.” Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule for the many plants you may come across, but something as easy…
What is the Summer Solstice?

Cathy

18 Jun 2009 | 11:52 am

June 21st is the summer solstice. It is officially the first day of summer and is the longest day of the year! It is also known as Midsummer because it is roughly the middle of the growing season. While we are celebrating the summer solstice this weekend, solstices really occur twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth’s axis is most oriented toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes. So what are you going to do to celebrate the summer solstice? Here are a few ideas to consider- Summer Solstice Wine Festival at James River Cellars,…

Carrying On
Having fun is hard work

Kyle Wagner

1 Jul 2009 | 9:36 pm

So, I know I had promised to write every day on this trip, but first I had a crazy drive for my first time helming an RV (as the only adult on the trip, by the way) — hail, blowing rain, fog over Vail Pass in the dark, a site that wasn’t pull-through for my first time in a campground at 11 p.m. It was so bad I told my daughters I was just waiting for the locusts to start. Driving an RV is harder than it looks, especially when it’s through Utah dust storms — one literally pushed the vehicle so hard it felt like someone reached down and smacked it from the side. Then…
On the road again…

Kyle Wagner

25 Jun 2009 | 2:23 pm

Whew, the logistics of heading out in an RV are kind of complicated if you live on a small street in downtown Denver that’s known for its random gunfire and muggings. I didn’t want to have the neighbors see me packing it up, and I was worried something might happen to it, and I wasn’t all that keen on trying to maneuver it around the tiny, narrow, car-filled side streets of my ‘hood anyway, so I’ve decided to leave a day early, straight from Camping World. So I called Glenwood Canyon RV Resort near Glenwood Springs, and they had a space for us…but…
I’m posting this from 32,000 feet…

Kyle Wagner

16 Jun 2009 | 10:26 am

I admit that I like being able to get online from my airplane seat, as I sit here on an AirTran flight from Florida to Pittsburgh after having paid $9.95 to hook up with GoGo’s inflight WiFi service. Rates for the privilege — available now, as far as I could find out, on select AirTran, American Airlines, United, Delta, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines flights — are that much for flights under three hours and $12.95 for longer, not bad considering that it reportedly costs $100,000 per plane to install the equipment. Heaven knows I would hate to just be sitting here…
Vote for your favorite place on Earth

Kyle Wagner

8 Jun 2009 | 3:24 pm

After six months of discussion, the travel site Stood There has come up with 100 places to consider for the title of Greatest Place To Stand On Planet Earth 2009. You can visit the list here to vote, with the choices including such groovy U.S. spots as El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, the Bean in Chicago and Las Vegas’ Strip. Europe has 34 sites. Let me know what you think of the list. You also can post your photo of the locale — it’s kind of fun to see how many you’ve been to (I’m at 44, including all U.S. sites except for the one in Alaska, the only state…
National Geo trip winners back from Peru

Kyle Wagner

5 Jun 2009 | 1:16 pm

The 15 youth on the National Geographic Kids Hands-On Explorer Challenge Expedition Team, including Wyatt Jordan, 10, of Briggsdale, and Grace Kennedy, 12, of Castle Rock, returned June 3 from their trip to Peru. They took a total of 34,330 photos, including shots of their visits to the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, the Peruvian rain forest and a school in the Andes. The explorers also learned Peruvian dances, tasted termites and other local foods and got up close and personal with some jungle creatures. You can look at their photos and read their blogs here.

Recent Kayak Deals
$699 & up: 6 Nights in Tuscany & Venice w/Flights, Car Rental

1 Jul 2009 | 4:54 pm

Group/family vacation based on 4 guests this fall
$109: 72-Hour Sale: Orlando Villa Resort Close to Disney

1 Jul 2009 | 9:04 am

FREE shuttle to Disney; tropical-like setting
$84 & up: Summer Sale: New York City Hotels (Save 30%)

30 Jun 2009 | 9:36 am

Choose from 25 properties in popular locations

Perceptive Travel Blog
Breakfast in Mexico

Tim

1 Jul 2009 | 9:25 am

I’ve been hanging out in Mexico for the past month and have a few weeks longer here. When I go out for breakfast, I’m pretty happy. In many countries it’s tough for a traveler from the U.S., Canada, or Europe to get jazzed up about the typical local breakfast. That fish ball soup or innards with [...]
The Hector Fund: micro-financing comes to world music

Antonia Malchik

1 Jul 2009 | 3:59 am

This is for all those fans of organizations such as kiva.org and dreambank.org — people who, like me, think their small change can make a difference in someone’s life, whether it’s making a dream come true or providing a livelihood for someone to climb out of poverty. The Hector Fund is a new micro-financing scheme built [...]
Politics Eliminates Dead Sea from World Wonders Contest

liz

29 Jun 2009 | 5:03 am

It might be a natural wonder, but the Dead Sea can’t be entered into the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest because of politics. The contest’s rules require that if a nominated site, such as the Dead Sea, is located in more than one country, all the countries involved must form an Official Supporting Committeee (OSC) [...]
Green Travel News Worth Reading

liz

27 Jun 2009 | 4:32 pm

Getting to and from England’s airports just got greener with the launching of Carbon Voyage, an environmentally friendly door-to-door car service. And while in England, let Walkit.com help you get around. This website, launched by environmentalist and walking advocate Jamie Wallace, maps out walking route 14 different British cities. (read more…) Go Green Travel Green offers some [...]
Admit it: Sometimes traveling with kids just plain sucks

Antonia Malchik

26 Jun 2009 | 10:35 am

Here’s the scene: I am sitting in an aisle seat, the usual lack of leg room a given. My 21-month-old son John is screaming at the top of his lungs because I won’t let him toddle past my legs into the aisle (the “fasten seatbelt” sign refuses to budge). Luckily, the middle seat is empty, [...]

Guardian Travel
Ledge of the world at Sears Tower in Chicago

2 Jul 2009 | 9:56 am

Glass ledge suspended from the 103rd floor of Chicago landmark skyscraper pushes fear of heights to the edge
Ten best budget restaurants in Leeds

Tony Naylor

2 Jul 2009 | 1:16 am

As the Leeds Loves Food festival kicks off today, Tony Naylor picks the city's 10 best value eateriesFood blog: know Leeds? Share your tips on the best places to eat for under a tenner1. Piazza By AnthonyWidely regarded as the city's best restaurant, Anthony's is an expensive, esoteric experience. However, chef-owner Anthony Flinn has wasted no time in launching a number of affordable spin-offs. The latest, Piazza, has transformed the ground floor of Leeds' iconic Corn Exchange into a day-time cafe, restaurant, bar and gourmet food store. You may bemoan such gentrification (this building…
Utah bars open for business

Paul Lester

1 Jul 2009 | 12:32 pm

The pursuit of happiness, one of the inalienable rights of man laid out by America's forefathers in the Declaration of Independence, just got much happier for bartenders in the state of Utah.Utah, whose population is mostly Mormon, has ended a decades-old requirement that forced bar patrons to fill out an application, pay a fee and become a member of a "private club" before entering establishments serving alcohol. The rule change should be welcome news for Hollywood celebrities attending next January's famous Sundance film festival and for those visiting the state's many celebrated ski…
Virgin Atlantic to cut 600 jobs and tenth of services

Tim Webb

1 Jul 2009 | 11:42 am

Firm announces it will reduce capacity over winter as rival BA asks Acas to mediate in pay and jobs dispute with unionsVirgin Atlantic has announced plans to axe almost a tenth of its services this winter with the loss of up to 600 jobs as the recession continues to bite into the airline industry.The Richard Branson-led company said it would not run its daily service from Heathrow to Chicago this coming winter and was suspending one of its two daily services between Heathrow and Hong Kong.It added that there would be additional frequency reductions on some other routes throughout the winter,…
Summer in the city

1 Jul 2009 | 1:54 am

The entries for our June photo competition capture life in some of the world's busiest cities. See our pick of the best and the winning shot

Get A Room!
Get A Room! Moves Up the T-List

Don

30 Jun 2009 | 6:00 pm

Remember my surprise back in January 2008 when I discovered that "Get A Room!" had actually ranked on the prestigious "T-List?"Click here to see how the T-List looked back then, when "Get A Room!" was listed at #247.I am happy to report that a little over a year later, Get A Room! has moved up to #168 on the T-List, according to the April 2009 update from the Happy Hotelier.My thanks to the
Hotel Promotions that ROCK!

Don

24 Jun 2009 | 5:30 pm

Check out the Candlewood Suites Classic Rock Summer Tour '09 promotion. You get additional Priority Club rewards points, free music downloads, and a chance to win a $1,000 Ticketmaster gift card.I love it when rock and roll and hotels come together. And I love the slogan for this promotion: "Check in. Rock out!"You can get registered by logging onto www.candlewoodsuites.com/classicrock. Also
On the Road Again...

Don

16 Jun 2009 | 7:45 am

I'm off to represent the Landmark Hotel Group at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Bus Association in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.It's my first year visiting this event, and I'm looking forward to meeting some fresh faces and running into familiar ones!I will have information with me on the latest from our family of hotels, including the opening of The Comfort Inn North
Virginia Beach Hotel Offers Family "Bail Out!"

Don

26 May 2009 | 1:13 pm

In a previous post, I shared hotel packages that were popping up in order to add value to a hotel's product with the hopes of increasing demand for hotel stays in one market or another.With government bail outs making the news so frequently these days, the clever crew at the Crowne Plaza Virginia Beach-Norfolk has created their own "Family Bail Out" Package:Our Family Bail Out package includes
Crowne Plaza's "Sisters in Laundry" Clean Up!

Don

12 May 2009 | 5:37 pm

Congratulations to Miss Ella King and her sister, Miss Geraldine Henry, sisters who have kept up with the laundry at the Crowne Plaza Virginia Beach-Norfolk for the last 25 years for receiving the 2009 Virginia Beach Hospitality Award for Hotel Employees of the Year.Yes. I said 25 years. I thought I should repeat that since that sort of longevity in any job is virtually unheard of these days,

Neil Duckett
This Is Japan!

Neil

29 Jun 2009 | 10:57 pm

If you`ve been to Japan you`ll recognise lots of these images, if you haven`t then this is a great video showing many different facets of Japan. This is Japan! from Eric Testroete on Vimeo. Similar Posts: Japanese Television from Youtube Soothing Glimpses Of Tokyo Japan Is Convenient #2 Tilt Shift Pictures Of Japan Japan Is Convenient #3 Post from: Neil Duckett This Is Japan!
HP Mini 2140

Neil

25 Jun 2009 | 7:10 pm

I’ve had cause recently to pick up a new laptop. I didn’t want to go to the expense of buying a hamburger with the lot and truth be told, i don’t need that level of computing at the moment anyway. With a combination of size and performance being the major concerns i started shopping around the increasingly popular “Mini PC” market and after some due diligence settled on the HP Mini 2140. How’s that for a headline too by the way, MJ dying this morning?! It takes a while getting used to the lower screen resolution and the keyboard is probably 80% if not more…
Sashimi In Shibuya

Neil

22 Jun 2009 | 8:08 pm

I went for a bite to eat with a friend last night a Sashimi place in Dogenzaka. I generally go the easy options when i eat raw fish … Nigiri Sushi and nothing too adventerous at that. Last night i wasn`t in charge of the menu so it was a bit out of my comfort zone. Despite my initial hesitation i gave everything a go and enjoyed most of it. The cooked fish head was right up my alled though, had it a few times and recommend it to anyone. But when push comes to shove i guess i tend to go places i`m a bit more familiar with the whole menu, like last Friday nights Yakatori ……
J-Babe Of The Week #29 Sayaka Isoyama

Neil

10 Jun 2009 | 5:28 pm

Thanks to regular reader DougYoonK i’ve been able to appreciate the beauty of Isoyama Sayaka 磯山さやか who entered the world on the 23rd of October 1983. Actress and Model, Sayaka likes karaoke, watching high school baseball games, and learning about idols. Born in Hokota, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan her nickname is Isocchi (いそっち) Special talents include Baton, trumpet, rollerblading, sign language, and spinning plates. I love this shot, hopefully that bikini features prominently on the beaches of Japan this summer. She’s not bad at English either scoring a level 3 in…
92 Brush Head Massager

Neil

7 Jun 2009 | 8:45 pm

Work getting you down? Troubles on the home front? or if just need a good head massage … then this will appeal to you. I love having my bald head massaged and, despite looking a little silly, i think this would feel great. For a mere 2800 yen you can get one …. and i just might satisfy my curiosity and buy one. All the details and some more pics of the massager in action here … in Japanese only though.Similar Posts: Sasebo Burger – Best Hamburger in Japan Ear Cleaning Parlours In Japan Women Wearing Fundoshi Furukawa Hanabi Party Top 5 Websites I Can`t Live Without…

Indie Travel Podcast
Weekly Photo – Giza, Egypt

Gary Arndt

1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 pm

Great Pryamid of Giza Happily produced by The Indie Travel Podcast, proud winners of Lonely Planet's "Best Podcast 2009" -- Check out our free podcast in iTunes. Weekly Photo – Giza, Egypt
Rough Guides Giveaway

Craig and Linda

1 Jul 2009 | 4:57 pm

We have three Rough Guides to give away over the next two weeks! Three entrants will will one guidebook of their choice from the Rough Guides range. The rest of us can score 20% off anything in their online store using the coupon code “ROUGH”. And that’s not bad either. How to enter There’s an mp3 attached to this post, but you can only see it in your RSS reader or iTunes. Listen to the audio and email us the codeword by July 16 to go in the draw. You can email using the contact page or here: Your Name: (required) Your Email: (required) Subject: (required) Your…
Six indie places to soak up the sunshine this summer

Andy Hayes

30 Jun 2009 | 5:00 pm

As summer arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, many indie travellers are getting excited thinking about soaking up those rays. With a little research, we found six places where you can get away from the crowds and join the “in” crowd for some fun in the sun. Lastovo Island, Croatia Croatia is an up-and-coming hot-spot in Eastern Europe, with hordes of tourists descending on the cities of Split and Dubrovnik along with the arrival of mainstream low-cost carriers. While these cities are great for exploration and sampling the Croatian lifestyle, try getting some fresh air by heading out to…
Travel Wallpaper :: July 2009 :: Kinderdijk, Holland

Gary Arndt

30 Jun 2009 | 1:25 pm

Regular width (1280 x 1024) Widescreen (1920 × 1200) Happily produced by The Indie Travel Podcast, proud winners of Lonely Planet's "Best Podcast 2009" -- Check out our free podcast in iTunes. Travel Wallpaper :: July 2009 :: Kinderdijk, Holland
Christchurch, New Zealand

Craig and Linda

29 Jun 2009 | 6:32 pm

Happily produced by The Indie Travel Podcast, proud winners of Lonely Planet's "Best Podcast 2009" -- Check out our free podcast in iTunes. Christchurch, New Zealand

Responsible Travel
53% make responsible flight choice

Justin

22 Jun 2009 | 8:40 am

Where travellers are offered a meaningful choice they demonstrate their responsibility in significant numbers. Travellers choose carbon efficient flight options when offered them, with 57% of users selecting the cheapest/lowest carbon option and paying an average premium of 19% over lowest cost/higher carbon options. Read the full blog here from Harold Goodwin International Centre for Responsible Tourism www.icrtourism.org
Global sustainable tourism accreditation and criteria will not work

Justin

22 Jun 2009 | 8:37 am

At first thought a global sustainable tourism criteria or accreditation scheme might seem like a good idea - all organisations marketing sustainable tourism would need to comply with it, and tourists would know at a glance from a logo that the holiday met certain criteria. Eco-labels have worked elsewhere so why not in tourism? Here I will argue that in practical terms there is unlikely to ever be a global accreditation scheme, and that - while tourism accreditation schemes can be useful - such schemes are limited in what they can achieve in creating change. In fact, a global scheme could…
Responsible tour operators and hotels against Heathrow expansion

Justin

22 Jan 2009 | 9:23 am

Last week we did a survey of over 900 of our responsibletravel.com members and staggeringly we found that 75% are against plans for a third runway at Heathrow. I was on the BBC News Channel on Thursday evening talking about the results.Indeed, just like the rest of the travel industry, most of the members that we work with are dependent on aviation to generate business. However, it's a total myth that everyone in the tourism industry backs an expansion. As one of our members said this week this is just ‘more hypocrisy from our government who talk the talk on the environment but never walk…
2009 travellers will spend wisely on classic trips

Justin

16 Dec 2008 | 4:28 am

Looking into my crystal ball for 2009, I'm predicting a further increase in traditional holidays closer to home and a return to longer more classic travel experiences, as travellers aim to get maximum value from their holiday budgets. I think 2009 will be one of the toughest years that the travel industry has ever faced. It’ll be tough for travellers too – many won’t take a holiday at all whilst others will cut out second and third holidays, choosing to stay at home – a ‘staycation’ – or with friends instead. Those that can afford additional breaks will explore much closer to…
The future of tourism

Justin

17 Nov 2008 | 5:48 am

The environmental cost of travel has been well discussed in the media, and tourism has taken a battering. In our hope to kick start a positive and forward thinking debate around the future of tourism last week we launched a new website http://www.futureoftourism.com , which lays out a vision for the future of the tourism industry and welcomes your ideas, thoughts and contributions. The site is launched to coincide with the publication of a special dedicated ‘future of travel’ December issue of Geographical, the official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society and our media partner for…

nerd's eye view
Aloha, Holoholo Wale.

nerd's eye view

30 Jun 2009 | 6:41 am

That title makes no sense unless you happen to know that the name of my Hawaii blog was Holoholo Wale. I’m really sad to tell you that my World Hum Hawaii blog has been shut down. It was a business decision, a lay off, essentially. World Hum had to cut loose the half dozen or so bloggers they’d added to the site early this year. There’s a post here from one of the editors and one more aloha from me here. I have nothing but respect for World Hum crew. It’s been great to work with them — none of my writing gigs have come with the rigorous editorial oversight that…
A Handful of Reviews

nerd's eye view

29 Jun 2009 | 6:16 pm

The great thing about being unemployed — okay, one of the great things — is the amount of time it frees up for reading. I’m oh-so-bookish and it’s been really nice to finally plow through the piles of reading material that’s stacked up next to the bed. And one of the fun things about being bloggy is that I’m on the receiving end of lots of media — I get books and CDs and music to review. All in all a serendipitous situation for someone with time. Here are a few lighting round reviews. Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before:…
Our Hawaii Stays

nerd's eye view

29 Jun 2009 | 1:57 pm

Disclaimer: We were comped for our Waikiki stays. On Kauai, we received 2 nights free and 3 at a very deep discount. It’s occurred to me that as much as I came back from Hawaii full of stories about new places, I never did write about where we stayed. And I should have, because they were great places. Let’s get right to it. Outrigger on the Beach, Waikiki: This is a lovely property, you guessed it, right on the beach. It’s been remodeled recently and the rooms are in lovely earth tones. We got total VIP treatment — they’d put us in an upper floor beach front room…
Lessons from a Press Trip that Did Not Happen

nerd's eye view

28 Jun 2009 | 8:29 pm

Everyone screws up. Even the most seasoned of travelers has a story about that one time when… And if you are nice enough, those sheepish travelers will share their disaster stories with you. It will make you feel a little better, but it’s a bit like putting iodine on a scrape. Ouch. People will take pot-shots at you if you accept the terms of writing in exchange for travel. Let them. It’s your call, pal. There’s a lot of contention about bloggers and press trips and you’re going to have to find your own way. Not every one practices disclosure. I happen to think…
Muy Rico!

nerd's eye view

27 Jun 2009 | 6:50 pm

El Estascion used to be a Taco Bell or some kind of “Mexican” take out. It’s still got the counter, the sturdy booths, the arched brickwork. But there’s nothing faux Mexican about it anymore. When you walk in, either the father or one of the two sons greets you with a smile showing sparkling white teeth — one of the sons waxes his mustache into perfect curls on each end, one of them is so tall you can’t quite believe it when he stands up. The women who staff the kitchen have thin arched eyebrows, maybe painted on, and their black hair is pulled tightly…

About.com France Travel
Getting to Southwest France

28 Jun 2009 | 11:15 am

Southwest France is one of the most amazing, most beautiful and most unique areas of all of France, but many stay away because they think it is remote or hard...
The Beach in Paris

19 Jun 2009 | 11:21 pm

Few people think of sunbathing as a past-time in Paris, but the "Paris Plage" (French for Paris Beach) proves you can do both city and beach. Along a stretch of...
Côte Vermeille's Undiscovered Catalan French Beach Towns

14 Jun 2009 | 5:47 am

The magnificent vistas of the Côte Vermeille have inspired some of the world’s most famous artists—indeed, they sparked an entire style of painting. It’s easy to see why. As you stand...
Finding Romance in Versailles

9 Jun 2009 | 12:51 am

Guest writer Elizabeth Cron just visited Paris with her boyfriend, and she found it wasn't as easy for him to get swept up in the romance of Paris. Luckily, the...
French Sea Water Spas

5 Jun 2009 | 11:30 pm

A popular pursuit in France since the 1960s, the Aquitaine is a prime destination for pursuit of thalassotherapy. Thalassotherapie, translated to mean sea water cure, was discovered by a Tour...

Suite101: Family Travel Articles
Bowmanville Annual Festivals, Ontario, Canada

18 Jun 2009 | 6:42 am

Bowmanville's annual festivals are great small town community events for anyone to enjoy old fashioned fun.
Celebrate America's Birthday in Philadelphia

14 Jun 2009 | 9:53 pm

The adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is recognized as America's birthday.
Family Vacation in Sequim, Washington USA

10 Jun 2009 | 3:21 pm

Sequim, Washington, offers affordable family travel adventure spring, summer and fall. Beachcombing, kayaking, hiking, swimming and biking are accessible by car and ferry
Planning for International Travel

10 Jun 2009 | 10:31 am

Planning ahead for your overseas vacation will allow you to focus on enjoying your trip.
Cheap Summer Vacations

10 Jun 2009 | 8:24 am

Even when times are tough, every family deserves a fun summer vacation. Here are some ideas for wonderful and cheap summer vacations.

Tim Leffel's Cheapest Destinations
Cambodian Picnics, Green Vermont, and Being Stuck in an Earthquake Zone

tim

2 Jul 2009 | 10:34 am

Yes it’s time for another fine issue of Perceptive Travel, where we circle from Cambodia to China to Vermont, then go around the world again with a rundown of graphic travel novels from Marie Javins. Michael Buckley goes picnicking at the ruins of Angkor Wat, Carolyn B. Heller finds herself in an earthquake zone in China [...]
Mexican Buses Rock!

tim

30 Jun 2009 | 1:34 pm

I’ve talked before about how great the Mexican bus system is, but this is one method of transportation that keeps getting better. I am writing this blog post on the bus itself, on my 4-hour ride from Zacatecas to Leon. Yes on the bus—they have Internet access now on the executive class ones from ETN [...]
Your News Intake While Traveling

tim

29 Jun 2009 | 12:51 pm

One of the wonderful things about traveling is you can remove yourself from the incessant silly faux-news chatter going on in your home country. OK, Michael Jackson died and it might have been drug-related. Do we really need to know any more than that? Wake me up when it’s settled. It does pay to keep an [...]
Mexican Fiestas Have it All

tim

25 Jun 2009 | 4:53 pm

Where I am currently spending a month, in Guanajuato City, offices, the university, and banks are shut down for four days so that everyone can have ample time to party. This is a common occurrance in Mexico and the reason doesn’t really matter, but in this case it’s to celebrate the start of rainy season. [...]
My Guanajuato Home Base

tim

23 Jun 2009 | 1:00 pm

Since I’m halfway through my month of kicking back in Guanajuato, Mexico with my family, I suppose it’s time to talk about where I’ve been logging in from. Since I have worked myself into a job that’s portable, I am spending a tad more than six weeks in Mexico and a tad less than two weeks [...]

soultravelers3
Wow! Guggenheim Bilbao!!

Soul Travelers3

29 Jun 2009 | 8:45 am

Wow! Guggenheim Bilbao !!June 24, 2008Yes! This stunning titanium masterpiecethat is the world famous MuseoGuggenheim, absolutely lives up to Yes! This stunning titanium masterpiece, that is the world famous Museo Guggenheim, absolutely lives up to the hype and still impresses in person, no matter how many pictures you might have seen. It is also one of the most fun museums for family travel! Even for non architecture fans, one can instantly see why it has been called the most important structure of it's time. Kudos to California architect & truly masterful artist Frank Gehry. No,…
Basque Folk Dancing in Bilbao, Spain

Soul Travelers3

23 Jun 2009 | 7:34 am

Basque Folk Dancing in BilbaoJune 23, 2008One of the great delights of family travel, is the spontaneous joyful moments that seem to come out of One of the great delights of family travel, is the spontaneous joyful moments that seem to come out of nowhere. We went to Bilbao to see the fantastic, world famous Guggenheim and didn't really expect to find the area so charming as I had read some negative things about it. Despite it not being a travelers campground, we ended up really enjoying the Sopelana campsite that was at a nearby beach and they even had good free wifi, sea view and…
Happy Father's Day Traveling Dads!

Soul Travelers3

21 Jun 2009 | 8:49 am

Happy Father's Day Traveling Dads!June 21, 2009This American holiday greets us on a beautiful day in Barcelona and fills me with thoughts of great gratitude. England This American holiday greets us on a beautiful day in Barcelona and fills me with thoughts of great gratitude. I am so grateful to my own father and how his love of adventure, travel and museums enriched my life and helped make me who I am. He always included his family, each of us four kids in his never ending dreams and explorations. We did a lot of traveling and moving, often living large on little with the focus on what…
Questions & Answers About Soultravelers3 Family Travel

Soul Travelers3

17 Jun 2009 | 1:01 pm

Questions & Answers About Soultravelers3 Family TravelJune 9, 2009"How do you travel the world andwhat exactly does extended familytravel look like?" "How do you travel the world and what exactly does extended family travel look like?"We get so many questions via our blog, email, Twitter, Youtube and Facebook, that I have a hard time keeping up with them, so I've decided to add them as a post from time to time. That way I can easily link back to them if they come up again. I still haven't finished our FAQ's so perhaps this will be a way to do that as well. I will also being…
Family Travel Photo-France

Soul Travelers3

10 Jun 2009 | 1:38 pm

Family Travel Photo-France June 10, 2008The spectacular Puy du Fou theme parkis one of the best family travel gems in France with outstanding shows that The spectacular Puy du Fou theme park is one of the best family travel gems in France with outstanding shows that educate and entertain and puts Disney to shame. We were absolutely blown away by the quality of the shows and can not recommend it high enough. The chariot race in this photo took place in a coliseum and they were going fast! They even had live lions and tigers and was so well done that it totally allows…

Rand Peck, A Life Aloft.
My Last Posting From This Address

Rand Peck

14 Jun 2009 | 7:05 pm

Exploring the Bangkok canal system(Now the pictures work!!)This will be my last posting from this BLOG address. Unfortunately, the HTML here has become so jumbled, it's unusable. Please click here to find my new BLOG, Rand Peck, A Life Aloft.
My daughters engagement party at home

Rand Peck

27 Apr 2009 | 6:20 am

Thanks to everyone who has offered suggestions concerning my BLOG. Nothing has worked however, but some investigation has revealed that I'm not the only BLOG to suffer irregularities. I plan to eliminate this BLOG and start a new one next fall. I'll supply an address here though before I shut this one down.Thanks very muchRand NOTESI'll be away from my keyboard for a while, so to get your aviation photography fix, click over to Mark Lawrence's blog and see what he's put together. I think you'll enjoy it. As I take breaks from studying, I'll add pics to the bottom of this posting too.Visit…
What are your numbers? No, not V1 or V2. Off to Asia again! And hello Scotty.

Rand Peck

9 Apr 2009 | 10:20 am

I just received an email from a reader who was unaware of my Asian updates at the end of this blogpost and suggested that I note it here. Thanks, good idea! If you drop down to the bottom of this blogpost you'll be able to follow along as I fly a 13 day inter-Asian trip.And... Thanks to all who have visited from Airliner.netThis post has little to do with flying so I'll be brief. Believe me I'm no expert, nor do I intend to preach, but I think that the message is important. I had a bit of a scare recently, a reality jolt and thought that I'd share the experience. If you know your blood…
Floatplane flying in Paradise

Rand Peck

30 Mar 2009 | 8:00 pm

but first, a few...- Announcements -I apologize for not keeping up with my Ask the Captain column, but have answered many questions just today. Also, click on my photo contest page to view our April winner. A Northwest Airlines DC-6B over Waikiki Beach, inbound from SEA or PDX -Notice that she not only sports a red tail, but wing tips and nose too. NWA started Honolulu service in 1948 and by 1953, operated a fleet of 25 Douglas DC-6B's, considered by many to be the finest piston engined airliner ever built.Although when I arrive here each time I'm flying a magnificent Boeing 757, in my mind…
Lockheed Constellations in Maine and who is Chris Sloan?

Rand Peck

20 Mar 2009 | 6:20 pm

John Wegg from AIRWAYS Magazine sent an email..."Rand, how far from Lewiston, Maine do you live?" And a few days later I was off to the Auburn-Lewiston Airport in Auburn, Maine. This is familiar territory for me, having spent many years flying in/out of here for Air New England in my youth. In fact I ran into an old friend, Ron Russell from ANE, now spanning the globe as a G-IV captain. My mission though was to attend the inaugural ceremonies, transferring ownership and signaling the beginning of a restoration that would return one of the worlds premier airliners to the skies. Pictured above…

Travel the Home Exchange Way
Sunday Times: 'Home exchange is more than just free holiday accomodation'

Lois

30 Jun 2009 | 8:00 pm

'House-swapping was once considered something of an oddity, along with cycling to work and composting vegetable waste. Suddenly, it is fashionable.' 'Home exchange is more than just free holiday accomodation' is an excellent article by a 'serial home swapper', published in the Sunday Times last Sunday, and covers many questions asked about home exchange. This is a good article for even very experienced home exchangers to read, and pass on to friends who may be interested in the home swapping concept. The author deals with what can be seen as a downside, i.e. having to tidy and clean your home…
Listen to Jo Discuss Home Exchange on BBC Radio iPlayer

Lois

25 Jun 2009 | 9:19 am

Missed Jo discussing home exchange (and kids and music festivals) on BBC Radio Berkshire this afternoon? Listen on iPlayer for the next week. Jo's bit starts about a third of the way into the programme (01.12.24) and carries on throughout the next half hour. Thanks, Jo - and well done for plugging Home Base Holidays so well on the BBC!
BBC Radio Berkshire: Home Exchange Featured Today

Lois

25 Jun 2009 | 2:46 am

Listen to Home Base Holidays' seasoned radio star, Jo Piercey, talk about her family's home exchange experiences on the Sarah Walker Show, BBC Radio Berkshire, this afternoon at around 2 pm GMT. Jo has become Radio Berkshire's home exchange expert and has been invited to take part in live studio discussions at least twice before. I think Jo should be paid a retainer! It's not surprising that she has been invited back again as Jo has a natural, relaxed style, perfect for radio. Her enthusiasm for the benefits of home exchange holidays is obvious, and she fields those awkward questions radio…
Home Exchange - Children Welcome but ...

Lois

22 Jun 2009 | 7:59 am

'Yes, this really is London' is the caption under this photo of Ruislip Common on Hidden London, a source of information on the many London attractions not generally known to visitors. The home in Ruslip described below would be an excellent home base for anyone wanting easy access to central London combined with the more relaxing atmosphere of an outer suburb and a particularly good location for families: "Semi detached 1930s house in Eastcote, Ruislip, only a few minutes walk from the nearest tube, excellent links to central London, (30 mins to Baker Street) 6 stops to Wembley, yet also…
Finding a Home Exchange in London ... within 10 Minutes

Lois

16 Jun 2009 | 8:21 am

I was delighted to read a review of Home Base Holidays in the article, 'Going On Holiday? Finding a Home Swap' on Apartment Therapy and to know that the author and her friend had been able to find an exchange to London within 10 minutes of joining and adding photos! Now, to be honest, it usually does take much longer than 10 minutes to find a suitable home swap, and Grace's article touched on the importance of allowing plenty of time for arranging an exchange before the dates wanted. But I wasn't too surprised to read that she and Kelley (whose apartment is on offer and is pictured below) had…

TravelMuse News Feed
Literary Attractions in Dublin

25 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Fans of James Joyce and other Irish writers can keep themselves busy exploring Dublin’s many literary attractions and pub crawls.
Irish Greens: Dublin’s Outdoor Attractions

25 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Dublin helps Ireland earn its nickname the Emerald Island with plenty of parks, gardens and golf greens to satisfy most outdoor enthusiasts.
Paris: Charming City With Historical Beauty

25 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

The French capital lives up to its hype, with world-class museums, restaurants, shopping and historical sites. Check out our local expert’s recommended favorites.
Dublin Shopping: Irish Crafts to Guinness Souvenirs

25 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

From vast shopping malls to funky boutiques, a souvenir for every taste can be found in Dublin.
Dublin’s Pubs and Grub

25 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pm

Check out these restaurants, pubs and clubs for a traditional or not-so-traditional Irish night out.

Moms Minivan Blog
Join MomsMinivan.com at PBS Parents.org

Road Trip Mom

26 Jun 2009 | 10:07 am

Last summer I had the pleasure of appearing as a featured "expert" at the PBS Parents website to talk about keeping kids entertained on the road. This week I have been invited back!We are discussing ways to save money when traveling with your kids on the road, and creative ways to keep the kids entertained in the car without emptying your wallet.Please click over and join in the Q & A discussion!All material copyright ©MomsMinivan.com
Multimedia message - Bonnaroo Bound!

Road Trip Mom

11 Jun 2009 | 10:56 am

Moms' weekend getaway with friends. In the car line for Bonnaroo! 40 license plates so far!All material copyright ©MomsMinivan.com
Multimedia message

Road Trip Mom

4 May 2009 | 7:02 pm

Roadtrip Mom at the wheel! This is the only way to drive.All material copyright ©MomsMinivan.com
Multimedia message

Road Trip Mom

4 Apr 2009 | 10:14 am

It does exist! We signed the book along with all the others who have left their mark at the mailbox at the very end of the island.All material copyright ©MomsMinivan.com
Melissa and Doug Travel Games

Road Trip Mom

4 Apr 2009 | 7:49 am

My cousin Kirsten is taking a road trip with her kids this weekend in Oregon and found some great new products she recommends! They are called "Flip to Win"Here's what she says:We got Hangman and the Travel Bear Hunt - and both are good. Memory looks fun. There are No parts to lose except the pen on Hangman (which has a clip to store the pen when it's not being used).Here's More:These fabulous, travel-style games bring new fun and convenience to old family favoritesInnovative flipping pieces won't get lostIncludes one game board with erasable whiteboard, self-storing marker and eraserGreat…

Rick Steves: Blog Gone Europe
Jackie Steves Goes to Spain, Leaving Mom and Dad Only a Blog to Read

26 Jun 2009 | 5:23 pm

When I was a young guy, my friends knew how well I cooked. When there was a big party, they said, "Why don't you bring chairs?" I still don't bring any dishes to a party...but what I cook up is travel plans. I just love helping friends and family plan their trips. It's what I do. In the last week, I've been immersed in helping plan our daughter's Iberian escape. (Later in the summer, Jackie will be assisting on our family tours ' Rome to Paris, two weeks ' orchestrating the kids' activities. But on the way to Rome, she's dropping into Spain for her own little vacation.)As a parent (and her…
Surviving the Psychological Economic Crisis

24 Jun 2009 | 11:54 am

While in Spain recently, I saw a guy wearing a T-shirt that read "Surviving the Psychological Economic Crisis." If you lost your job or your retirement savings, the crisis is real. But apparently lots of people are still working and still committing themselves to travel this summer. I'm leaving for Norway in four days and ready for fish balls.Having just been in Europe for two months, I was trying to get a feel for how the "crisis" was playing out in the tourist industry there. It's hard to say. It seemed many restaurants were deathly quiet...almost too quiet to properly assess for my…
Iran: Death to Election Fraud

22 Jun 2009 | 11:35 pm

Readers have been asking me for my take on the situation now unfolding in Iran. How have my experiences filming a public television show there last year shaped my impressions of current events?I plan to explain my thinking about this issue in an op-ed piece for the Seattle Times, which is scheduled to run in next Sunday's edition (June 28). Since we don't know how this situation will end, of course it's far too early to talk about cause and effect. But, as someone who has traveled to Iran recently, this is my hunch: When I visited Iran a year ago, I sensed that they would eventually win their…
Media Musings

18 Jun 2009 | 6:12 pm

I was just in LA working to promote my new Travel as a Political Act book. I got to be on the Tavis Smiley Show (which will air nationally on PBS starting this Friday). He is a beautiful man, and it was a joy to sit down with him (cameras rolling) and explain how my passion for getting value out of travel fits his passion for America getting it right. It's occurring to me that being a PBS celebrity and living in Seattle isn't the best recipe for getting media exposure. Media is commercial ' advertising is its lifeblood. I went to Rachael Ray headquarters last week in NYC for an "informational…
Nomads and Cuff Links

17 Jun 2009 | 10:44 am

I was on the terrace of a fancy Dubrovnik hotel in jeans and a T-shirt. A big shot was at the next table with his hair just right, a coat and tie, and fancy cuff links. I thought, wouldn't it make more sense if the poor and powerless were the ones who had to dress up like that?In Dubrovnik, the cruise ship crowds were so intense that we literally could not do our filming in the middle of the day. The city was inundated...a human traffic jam. I got a bit down. Then, as is so often the case, things cleared out and the town regained its charm. Those who stay after the tenders have stopped…

Guidespot - Fresh Guides
Sweaty, Sexy Tennis Players

2 Jul 2009 | 2:24 pm

In case you weren't aware, it's Wimbledon! And between the sweat and the load grunts, it's not hard to imagine the players doing well, other things. And since some of the players are downright hot, tennis isn't as boring as you might think it is. So in the spirit of Wimbledon, post a picture of a hot tennis player.
Nintendo Accessories Every Girl Should Want...

2 Jul 2009 | 2:18 pm

Unless you’re an avid gamer and can back it up, wearing too much gaming gear makes you look like a poser. Personally, I prefer geek-chic — or as I call it, Lipstick Geek. I’m still feminine, yet I can generally hold my own (or try!) with most games. And yes, I’d definitely be wearing a skirt to any LAN parties or Wii Tournaments. Just because I'm a girl-geek doesn't mean that I need everything to be pink! Here are some awesome accessories any female Nintendo Fan might want...
Extreme Acts of Patriotism

2 Jul 2009 | 12:42 pm

Extreme, and, I admit it, even moderate patriotism, kind of freaks me out you guys. Think Mao-esque murals and bad country songs ("I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free . . ."). This 4th I am choosing to explore the more extreme acts of patriotism (I'm sure this will put me on some suspected terrorist list somewhere, but it's a risk I have to take). Please add your own favorite patriotic moments.
What's Your Favorite Michael Jackson Song?

2 Jul 2009 | 10:32 am

It's been a week since Michael Jackson died, and in that week the nation went crazy for MJ. People started snapping up the singer's albums right and left (Amazon even sold out of CDs), and Michael Jackson reclaimed his top-of-the- charts status: the three best-selling albums last week were “Number Ones,” “The Essential Michael Jackson” and “Thriller”, and that doesn't even include online sales (which tallied at about 2.3 million downloads). Now that I think about, Michael should have faked his death years ago, it would have helped with that ridiculous amount of debt he racked…
OOOOOO! Ahhhhhhh! Flickr's Funkiest Fireworks Fotographs.

2 Jul 2009 | 10:32 am

I <3 Fireworks. And, apparently, so does everyone on Flickr. Include your favorite firework photos HERE!

Travel Guides
Knowing better Krakow, the polish pearl

Travel Advisor

2 Jul 2009 | 11:11 am

If you think about Poland, don’t you dare to say that you think first to Warszaw. It would be totally wrong! The city of Krakow, located in the south of the country, not far from the Tatra Mountains is the natural best and first choice for anyone visiting Poland. And I tell you further why. The Market Square, or Rynek Glowny, is one of the biggest and most spectacular medieval markets worlwide If you are a first age teenager or student, you may not forget one basic thing: The Jagellonian University of Krakow is one of the world’s oldest, and today is the country’s most…
Things to do in Milan

Travel Advisor

2 Jul 2009 | 4:21 am

Milan is one of Italy’s richest and largest cities, and situated on the fertile plains of the Po Valley in Lombardy. This was originally a large Celtic settlement back in the 7th Century BC, and it was known at that time as Mediolanum. It has always been a successful and affluent place, and has been overseen by many different rulers in its time including the Goths (600AD), French, Austrians and Spanish. Milan was heavily bombed during the Second World War, and over a quarter of the city was completely destroyed, but despite this many of the cities greatest historic, religious and…
World’s most fascinating elevators

Travel Advisor

30 Jun 2009 | 8:22 pm

It is hard to describe or to explain the fascination exerted agains us people, by the elevators. I am sure that, for a jungle or countryside raise child, the elevators are by far the most interesting and fascinating thing in a big city. In my opinion, there is a strange similarity between elevators and caves. Many people are O.K. in an elevator even due to this similarity, while other people are deadly frightened by both, elevators and caves. Another important issue are the sexual fantasies that everyone had in an elevator. Most of the people have even fulfilled for real these fantasies. In…
Agfa Launching Dc-600w WaterProof Camera this Month

travel boy

30 Jun 2009 | 2:05 pm

Agfa is a European multinational corporation which develops, manufactures and distributes analogue and digital products and systems for the making, processing, and reproduction of images. Recently they have announced the launch of their upcoming camera code name “DC-600w” According to the company it is an underwater digital camera that is waterproof up to 10 meter. To make sure you capture all the special moments and produce stunning results it features a 6 Megalpixel CCD image sensor along with a fixed focus lens and 5x digital zoom. In addition to that it comes with a 2.4 inch…
Top 7 Cheap Hotels in Barcelona

Travel Advisor

30 Jun 2009 | 8:00 am

Barcelona is a modern and vibrant city, and has a reputation for cutting edge architecture and avant garde design. This was the home of one of the most iconic architects in the world, Antoni Gaudi, who left his signature upon the city in a number of amazing and beautiful buildings and structures, from fountains right through to his masterpiece, the stunning Sagrada Familia cathedral. Barcelona also has a reputation for an energetic and exciting nightlife, and in recent years it has become a Mecca for party people, who come here from all around the world to have a good time. If you are…

The Wide Wide World
101 Favorite Pictures

Craig

30 Jun 2009 | 11:01 pm

I’m not prepared to call them our best pictures, but here are 101 of our favorite pictures. If you’ve got too much time on your hands you can wander through all our RTW pictures here. ShareThis
Letter to Lucy

Dani

28 Jun 2009 | 10:59 pm

Dear Lucy, I am writing to you from my own breakfast table while Maryland songbirds trill a familiar morning soundtrack. Next to me is our family kitchen, complete with sharp, usable knives and well-worn cookbooks, pages stained with drops of vanilla or soy sauce. Caroline and Conor are still asleep in their cozy beds on pillows that smell like home; cats curled against them—one for each. A gentle wash of light spills across our little wooden deck and, after days of drizzle and chill, the sky between the trees’ leafy branches sparkles blue—all the neighbors’ chimneys…
Home

Craig

25 Jun 2009 | 10:58 pm

“All travel is circular… After all, the grand tour is just the inspired man’s way of heading home.” -Paul Theroux, The Great Railway Bazaar Home from The Wide Wide World on Vimeo. ShareThis
The Space Between

Craig

23 Jun 2009 | 10:58 pm

As we roamed Madrid we found ourselves living in the space between when one thing ends and something new is about to begin. Our great adventure, conceived over lunch in a neighborhood restaurant two years earlier, planned in great detail for nearly a year — and lived for the previous ten months — was coming quickly to an end. Endings, no matter the circumstances, always come as a surprise to me. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were wandering through Old Town Quito, wondering if we’d made some kind of crazy mistake by taking this trip. Now, home was…
Cris & Pablo

Craig

21 Jun 2009 | 10:23 pm

Our friend Cris was Conor’s third-grade teacher, imported from Spain, to teach in the Spanish immersion program in Montgomery County, MD, public schools. She was one of several excellent teachers from Spain to come to our community. At a time when many Americans were focused inward, our children had the tremendous benefit of being in the classroom each day with gifted teachers from a different country, a different culture. We met Pablo in Washington too, when he was doing important research on child labor issues in third-world countries. More important for our story, Cris and Pablo met…

m-Travel.com and Travel Distribution News
0 to 7,000,000 in few years – consumers accessing Travel sites via mobile browsers soars – But is that the only story?

m-Travel.com

2 Jul 2009 | 3:53 am

The number of consumers accessing information and services via their mobile browsers hit a record high for many markets by the end of last year. The US in particular has experienced phenomenal growth with an increase of almost 62% during...
Line up for The Get Funded Show@WTM announced

m-Travel.com

2 Jul 2009 | 3:18 am

The line up of Travel Gurus and Investors who will be heading the panel at The Get Funded Show@World Travel Market is here! With a potent mix of travel expertise, entrepreneurial flair and investment experience. The Get Funded Show@World Travel...
United Airlines asks agents to pay credit card fees

m-Travel.com

2 Jul 2009 | 2:44 am

United Airlines is in news for its decision to “make some travel agents pay the credit card fees on flights that they book”. The airline told an unspecified number of travel agents that starting July 20, they will no longer...
Flo Lugli joins Wyndham

m-Travel.com

2 Jul 2009 | 2:41 am

Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed Flo Lugli as executive vice president of marketing, responsible for the strategy and execution of the Hotel Group’s global marketing efforts. Previously, she was senior vice president of commercial in the Global Distribution Services Division...
Ryanair’s customer care is better than BA’s: report

m-Travel.com

2 Jul 2009 | 2:37 am

Ryanair has stated that BA “charges passengers high fares but delivers a dismal on-time performance and a ridiculously high rate of lost baggage”. The airline made this statement as it welcomed the release of punctuality, flight cancellation and baggage performance...

HOTELMARKETING.COM
Rate integrity in a down market

2 Jul 2009 | 12:05 am

Participants of a recent Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management Thought Leaders in Revenue Management Roundtable discussed ways to avoid price dropping and issues of managing rate integrity in current market conditions in Asia.
The incredible shrinking airline

2 Jul 2009 | 12:04 am

U.S. carriers long accustomed to elbowing their way to market share by adding planes and routes and destinations are now scrambling to see who can shrink the fastest, changing the entire business model, writes Travel Weekly.
Amadeus unveils new mobile solutions

2 Jul 2009 | 12:03 am

Amadeus launched a new series of mobile solutions aimed at corporate travel managers and business travelers. The new tools are meant to offer location and itinerary-based information to those who are on the go, while also enabling travel managers to track their personnel abroad so as to improve security.
Formulas for choosing the right online marketing channel

2 Jul 2009 | 12:02 am

Seomoz.org has a great article on the potential and probable best online marketing mix tactics to be used based on a number of factors. Great read for marketers looking for new online marketing food for thought.
5 steps to SEO success abroad

2 Jul 2009 | 12:01 am

One of the most challenging tasks in search engine optimization is optimizing for an international audience. iMedia Connection includes five SEO best practices for overcoming the obstacles inherent to managing multiple international microsites.

The Astute Recorder
John Adams: The Organic-Food President

2 Jul 2009 | 4:57 pm

Inspired by a family tradition of farming, John Adams had an intrinsic love for homegrown fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, as featured in a The American Heritage Cookbook, a possible menu to celebrate the most revered day for the 2nd U.S. President, July 4th.
Shrimp Boiled in Beer and a Tuskegee July 4th Menu

2 Jul 2009 | 4:47 pm

The African-American Heritage Cookbook features recipes honored by the Tuskegee Institute. Also, a July 4th menu.
Chef Jud's July 4th chocolate ganache and American buttercream cupcake recipes.

29 Jun 2009 | 3:19 pm

Why cupcakes rule, and don't tread on me. Southern California pastry chef Jud Kilgore shares his recipes for July 4th cupcakes and ganache.
Don't drive pork over the Pali. Rainbow Drive-In's delicious bites.

29 Jun 2009 | 3:17 pm

Phillip Roberts talks about why it's not a good idea to take pork across the Pali, gives his review of the Rainbow Drive-in in Honolulu and shows his beautiful photos of the South Shore sunset, Menehune Bank, Coconut Island and Kailua Beach.
Where to Eat and Stay Near Angels Gate, Los Angeles Harbor Lighthouse

24 Jun 2009 | 9:58 pm

Angels Gate (Los Angeles Harbor) Lighthouse in San Pedro is an excellent backdrop to a fishing trip or day at the beach about 30 minutes south of Los Angeles proper.

The Gypsy's Guide
High Tea at the Merrion

Angela K. Nickerson

1 Jul 2009 | 6:00 am

As a little girl I loved all things elegant and all things dainty. I was quite the girly girl, a trait which my mother indulged a bit. Every once in a while she would take my sister and I to high tea at the Adolphus Hotel in our hometown of Dallas. In the elegant sitting room, we perched on the silk and damask sofas, practicing our best manners and enjoying acting like grown ladies with tea
Ashford Castle

Angela K. Nickerson

29 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

Travel is about extraordinary experiences. Sampling raw horsemeat in Japan. Singing for the King and Queen of Norway in Oslo. And checking out Devil’s Tower in my Ford Escort surrounded by thousands of Harley-lovers during Sturgis – well, that won’t happen again either. And I am quite certain I will never have another hotel experience like Ashford Castle. All of the trite superlatives apply
How Hot is It?

Angela K. Nickerson

28 Jun 2009 | 10:24 pm

Today at our house it reached 110 F. That's just freakin' hot. And our A/C quit this afternoon, so it isn't much cooler inside our house. I was feeling rather sorry for myself laying around and trying to stay cool when I looked outside and realized that we aren't the only ones suffering... These are the friendly little squirrels who live in our tree. They had dug up the plants in that pot
Eight Questions for my Traveling Companion: Leslie

Angela K. Nickerson

28 Jun 2009 | 12:34 pm

I'd issued invitations to several people asking if they would like to go to Ireland with me, however it didn't work out for anyone. Two days before I left, I mentioned the trip to my friend, Leslie, who to my delight was able to come with me. So, meet Leslie... AKN: Why did you say "yes" to my impromptu invitation to go to Ireland? Well, there are six reasons... First, I was suffering from
Photo Friday: Encounters in Ireland

Angela K. Nickerson

26 Jun 2009 | 6:00 am

I've had more than my fair share of good animal encounters here in Ireland. Here are just a few photos from the last two weeks... These guys were munching grass on the Hill of Tara... As the sun was setting along a little country road, this swan went out for a swim... And we came upon this swan family with three signets, too. One of the birds at the Ireland

Kathika Travel Website
Photo of the Day 7/2/2009 Shola Grasslands

traveldesk

2 Jul 2009 | 7:37 am

The Travel Photo of the Day for 7/2/2009 is of Shola Grasslands and was taken by wildxplorer Photo credit: wildxplorer Kudremukh National Park is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Western Ghats of India. The Western Ghats is one of the 34 hot spots for bio-diversity conservation in the world. The wet climate of the area’s shola grasslands has resulted in thousands of streams. At the park, you will find a diverse selection of animals, including tiger, leopard and wild dogs. Get an extra month for free with our FlyClear Discount Code. This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog.
Sports Teams and Stadiums in Philadelphia

Kristin Kizer

2 Jul 2009 | 1:36 am

Philadelphia is jam packed with sports teams and stadiums. There’s something for every sports fan as long as you time your trip right. And for the fans of the four major sports in America, Philly actually has a major sports league team for each one. Photo credit: littlerottenrobin westbrook-littlerottenrobin343 Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles made it to the superbowl in 1980 and then again in 2004 but both times they were defeated. The ball club was…
Travel Photo of the Day 7/1/2009 Dubia in the Fog

traveldesk

1 Jul 2009 | 7:00 am

The Travel Photo of the Day for 7/1/2009 is of Dubia in the Fog and was taken by 7_70 Photo credit: 7_70 The Burj Dubai is the tallest structure built by man in the earth’s history. This picture was taken from more than 2,625 feet off the ground. The cost to build the Burj Dubai is believed to be more than $4 billion. Construction on this building will reportedly be finished in September of 2009. Want to see you message here find out how on our advertising page. This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts. Travel Photo of the…
Historic Landmarks in Boston

Kristin Kizer

1 Jul 2009 | 2:03 am

It’s well known that Boston is a historic city filled with significance to the United States of America but not many people know that Boston actually is home to a remarkable 55 National Historic Landmarks. Rather than list them all here, we’ll just give you the run down on some of the most popular ones. Photo credit: ~si Old City Hall Old City Hall Boston’s Old City Hall was home to the city council in from 1865 to 1969. The Old City Hall was one of the first French Second Empire style buildings built in the United States and unfortunately it is one of the only remaining…
Travel Photo of the Day 6/30/2009 Castle of Monfort

traveldesk

30 Jun 2009 | 7:00 am

he Travel Photo of the Day for 6/30/2009 is of the Castle of Monfort was taken by dynamosquito Photo credit: dynamosquito Castle of Monfort is located in France and was built during the middle age wars between the English and the French. During that time, this castle was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The green scenery in this picture surrounding the Dordogne River is stunning.6/30 Want to see you message here find out how on our advertising page. This post originally came from Kathika Travel Blog. Stop by and read our most popular travel blog posts. Travel Photo of the Day 6/30/2009…

BEEN-SEEN.COM : TRAVEL by DESIGN
Getting carried away

1 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

In case you haven't noticed, we live in a very strange world. And if you happen to be in Sonkajärvi, Finland, on the 4th of July, you'll know it for sure. Brace yourself for the World Wife Carrying Championships. It's almost surreal but the event is basically a relay race for brawny men and their over-the-shoulder wives. The prize? Their wives' weight in beer. Everyone is invited to compete, but the minimum weight for the wife is 49 kilos. 'If it is less,' say the organizers, 'the wife will be burdened with such a heavy…
Lush Istanbul

30 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

It looks more like a boutique hotel you'd find in New York, but Lush is actually in Istanbul, Turkey. A self-proclaimed 'highly individual place' in the Beyoglu district (near Taksim Square), Lush is a stylish city hotel with a difference. Far from the ornate Moorish style the Middle East is better known for, Lush hides an assortment of contemporary designs behind its traditional Victorian townhouse exterior. Having said that, it doesn't ignore its roots. At least one of the rooms is a modern spin on old-world Ottoman, and many rooms have Turkish baths alongside…
Europe by Designers

29 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

You don't have to travel to see exhibitions any more. You should, but you don't have to. This month, you can not only catch a great exhibition from the comfort of your sofa, but you can also gain a fascinating insight into Europe - through the eyes of designers. Europe by Designers has been organized by HUG United (Hype Up Gallery Utd), and here's how they describe their project: 'an international artistic project whose aim is to unveil a multitude of images of Europe from the inside and from the outside. Design as the expression of a cultural vision, a political vision,…
Michael Jackson

28 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Michael Jackson passed away June 25th, 2009 in Los Angeles, CA. He was also known as the "King of Pop" by millions of people around the world. He sold more then 750 million records in his career and his album thriller is the best selling record of all time.I remember years ago traveling to India and walking into a small record shop, in it they only had local artists except for one foreign album, Michael Jackson's Thriller. Thriller alone sold more then 100mi...
The End of the Line

27 Jun 2009 | 10:00 pm

Here's a chilling thought. Scientists predict that if humans continue fishing the way that we do, we'll see the end of most seafood by 2048. That's bye-bye fish. Sayonara sushi. The End of the Line, a new feature documentary film, outlines the devastating effects of the human appetite for seafood. The End of the Line is An Inconvenient Truth with a marine flavor. The film follows investigative reporter Charles Clover (author of the book of the same name) as he travels the world from Gibraltar to Tokyo, confronting politicians and restaurateurs about their…

Matador Network
New York City’s Newest Urban Park Opens

2 Jul 2009 | 4:27 pm

The long-anticipated High Line opened in New York City on June 8. Matador Change editor Julie Schwietert takes you up to New York City’s newest park to check out the view. When I moved to New York City 10 years ago, the Meatpacking District was a sketchy, marginal neighborhood frequented by prostitutes and drug users. Today, it’s a neighborhood populated by trendy, expensive boutiques, name-dropper restaurants, and some of the city’s edgiest, most exciting architecture. It’s also the location of New York City’s newest park: the High Line. So named because the…
U.S. Colleges Are Overrated & Overpriced

2 Jul 2009 | 3:25 pm

Photo: Joe Shlabotnik Like famous fast food brands, the American university is quickly becoming just another junk-filled, hype-inflated product being sold to consumers worldwide. This year, over half-a-million students will flock from all over the world to attend the most expensive colleges on earth. But why? It doesn’t matter to foreigners that the cost of our colleges is outrageous or that the quality of education in the United States is, and has long been, questionable. Regardless of the diploma, an American education carries worldwide prestige. Saying that you studied in America is like…
Indian Court Decriminalizes Homosexuality

2 Jul 2009 | 2:12 pm

Gay Pride Parade in Bangalore, Photo: Nick Johnson In a historic judgment following an eight year long legal battle, the Delhi High Court today read down the controversial Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that criminalized homosexuality. The court held that if Section 377 was not amended in the case of consenting gay adults, it would directly violate their fundamental rights as stated in Article 21 of the Indian constitution (every Indian citizen has equal opportunity of life and is equal before law). This section, however, will continue to exist for non-consensual same sex cases…
Ten Things That We Expect To See On The World’s First Live Hostel Cam

2 Jul 2009 | 10:20 am

A hostel in London lets voyeurs peek into a fourteen bed dorm. Whooo…huh? St. Christopher’s. Photo: Skrivanet St Christopher’s Inn Hostel at London Bridge has flipped on a few webcams, hoping to shed light on what really goes on inside of a dorm room. The thing is, most of us already know what happens – not much. Here are ten things that we expect to see on the hostel’s live cam: 1. The dazed glee of a person who has the room to themselves from 8:22-8:34pm and their sigh as three girls from Bakersfield show up at 8:35, like, ready to p-a-r-t-y. 2. People realizing that they…
White Man, Asian Girl: Who Decides The Nature Of Love?

2 Jul 2009 | 7:48 am

A common sight on the streets of cities like Bangkok and Pataya is portrayed from the eyes of the girl. Shy / Photo: a hundred visions When cruising the streets of any hectic Asian city you will see them. You will judge them. You will either respect them and it or you will not. You might see them walk hand in hand. Maybe he will have an arm around her. Maybe she will cling to him as if there’s no day tomorrow. You will see her dedication to him. And maybe you will see how much he enjoys the attention of a young feisty girl. It’s all about the love between two people. A young Asian girl…

Halogen Life - Recent Stories
When Was The Declaration Of Independence Signed?

2 Jul 2009 | 3:50 pm

It isn't when you think. John Adams once wrote to his wife Abigail, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival." Wait a minute. July 2nd? ...
Recession 101: Recessionista Fashion Tips & Tricks

2 Jul 2009 | 3:42 pm

What is a recessionista? Upon Urban Dictionary scrutiny: 1) A person who is able to stick to a tight budget while still managing to dress stylishly. Used in a sentence: She's superstylish, always able to buy a round of drinks and still seems to be wearing a new outfit every time you see ...
Second Star To The Right, And Straight On Till Morning

2 Jul 2009 | 2:50 pm

Not to belabor a point, but we thought this would send you into the weekend on a wistful, but oddly hopeful note. It's the view from Los Olivos, Calif. That light is emanating from Michael Jackson's Wonderland Ranch this morning. ...
BAGGAGE CLAIM: Grill On Your Getaway With The Smallest Portable Grill

2 Jul 2009 | 2:34 pm

It wouldn’t be 4th of July without an old-fashioned BBQ blazing in the background. For those of us who’ll be away this weekend, here’s a way to take that charcoal-burnt goodness out on the road. Introducing, the Grilliput Portable Grill. Durable and compact, the Grilliput comes in a thin ...
Coffee Talk: You Are What You Drink

2 Jul 2009 | 2:11 pm

According to Yahoo! Shine, your coffee drink says a lot about who your are personally. We couldn't agree more. True that the inky warmer is mainly drunk to percolate the pulse and enliven the spirits (who are we kidding - we drink it to make it all the way through that 7 a.m. meeting with one ...

MiceChat
Disney and Theme Park News & Discussion Round-Up

Dustysage

1 Jul 2009 | 8:49 am

Summer is officially in full swing and you can track the progress of Disney’s Summer Nightastic and its effect on the parks in various discussions on MiceChat. Along the way, we’ll see how Disneyland’s Tomorrowland looks at night with new lighting and mini Forrest, video of the revised Electrical Parade at California Adventure, and one [...]
Hong Kong Disneyland Expansion

Dustysage

30 Jun 2009 | 9:24 am

Hong Kong Disneyland is set to expand with three new lands wrapped behind the far side of Adventureland. The new lands will include unique attractions with some familiar influences. Grizzly Trail will feature a Big Thunder Mountain style roller coaster in a Grizzly Mountain setting, Mystic Point will have a Haunted Mansion style ride with [...]
Dateline Disneyland: Studio Tour, Celebrate, Cosmic Trees, More

Dustysage

29 Jun 2009 | 5:48 am

Dateline Disneyland takes a tour of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank with the folks from D23. Cosmic trees have been planted in the Tomorrowland spot where waves of water once soaked tourists The “Celebrate” parade has gotten a new pair of bookends. The earth is moving at Disney’s California Adventure as seating takes shape [...]
Disneyland Paris: From Sketch To Reality

Dustysage

28 Jun 2009 | 4:28 pm

Disneyland Paris is arguably the most beautiful of Disney’s Magic Kingdom style parks. With its ornate castle, beautiful arcades, enhanced versions of classic attractions, and delightful nuances, Disneyland Paris was built to improve upon the classic park that Walt built in design and style. The entire process of designing Disneyland Paris was captured in glorious [...]
Weekend Update: The Luxo Edition

Dustysage

26 Jun 2009 | 11:08 pm

Lots of sparkling lights for you today, and the electro synth magnetic musical sounds of Disneyland Resort’s Electrical Parade. A very special desk lamp has come to life at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park in Florida with the debut of a giant robotic version of Pixar’s famous Luxo Jr. We return to Bok Tower Gardens in [...]

Traveling the Green Way
Happy Green Travels!

Sonya

1 Jul 2009 | 11:18 pm

Happy Green Travels Everyone! This is my final post for Traveling the Green Way. From November 2008-July 2009, I loved my time writing this green travel blog. I’ve been so inspired by green travel topics spanning hotels to trains, ecotourism to voluntourism and more. If you want to reach me, please feel free to contact me via: Twitter: twitter.com/travelinggreen StumbleUpon: travelingreen.stumbleupon.com Email: ecosonya@gmail.com Image courtesy of www.freephoto1.com
Great Green Reads

Sonya

1 Jul 2009 | 4:04 pm

More and more green travel guides are coming onto the market. But what about reading a green book while traveling? From climate change to green living, there are endless green book subjects and titles available. Better yet, Sony’s Reader Digital Book eBook reader and Amazon’s Kindle paperlessly indulge holiday reading habits. Here a few great green reads from Harper Collins: The Weather Makers. How We Are Changing The Climate And What It Means For Life on Earth by Tim Flannery Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver Bottomfeeder. How to Eat…
Cool Camping Gear

Sonya

30 Jun 2009 | 9:34 am

Are you updating your camping gear this summer? Guyot Designs has cool camping gear that makes it possible for every camper to travel light. One of my faves is the Firefly whose LED light converts your wide-mouth bottle into a camp lantern whether for tent nightlight or nighttime trails. If you need dishes, their Squishy Bowls (above) are stylish, functional choices. The flexible food grade silicone bowls are collapsible for easy packing and excellent for hot and cold foods. The MicroBites Utensils (above) brings your kitchen to your campsite. These 2 lightweight 5-in-1 utensils are…
Green Vancouver Island Hotel

Sonya

29 Jun 2009 | 10:42 am

Fancy staying at a green hotel in British Columbia? “Green initiatives are a cornerstone” at Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa on Vancouver Island. Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa reduces its environmental impact in 5 areas: Water Conservation; Energy Conservation; Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The lodge features double-paned windows, reused wood furniture, low-flow plumbing, heat-pump heating and air conditioning systems and bio-filtration pond. Says the company: “While Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa has consciously incorporated environmental concerns…
Carbon Negative Eco-Bottles

Sonya

27 Jun 2009 | 8:33 am

What is your favorite stainless steel water bottle? My latest eco-fave bottle is The Standard from Guyot Designs. This well-designed, stylish bottle is durable and convenient with its attached lid. All the company’s single wall bottles are compatible with The Gription, The Splashguard and standard wide mouth water purifiers and accessories. The company says the bottles are carbon negative. Says Guyot Designs: “Each stainless steel bottle we sell through our website is now part of our C-Minus program. Every bottle we produce carries 100lbs of verified green house gas…

Heidi's weekly Blog
Book Review:

heidia

27 Jun 2009 | 7:35 pm

Healthy Child and Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home By: Christopher Gavigan A book full of information on how to minimize your child’s exposure to chemicals, pollutants and allergens.
Free Range Kids with Lenore Skenazy Part 2

heidia

20 Jun 2009 | 7:52 pm

This is the second part of my interview with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free Range kids.
Lenore Skenazy: Free Range Kids

heidia

13 Jun 2009 | 6:55 pm

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to talk with Lenore Skenazy author of Free Range Kids: Giving our children the freedom we had without going nuts with worry.
Dominguez Canyon, Colorado

heidia

30 May 2009 | 2:56 pm

Mothers Day camping in Western Colorado
Air Travel

heidia

23 May 2009 | 8:04 pm

I have not written about traveling by air recently and thought I should do so. Last month, while Erik was away on a canoe trip with work (on the austerely beautiful Green River in Utah), I traveled solo to Richmond, VA with my 7 month pregnant belly and Cora. Yeah, I guess I was not solo but I was the only responsible one around.

TravelBrook
Sleeping At the Airport

Michael

30 Jun 2009 | 1:58 am

At the end of the week I have to make a trip to San Francisco. It’s a one day trip that will see me fly halfway across the country on Friday, then back home on Saturday. I’ll only be gone for slightly over 24 hours. With that in mind, it seems kind of silly to stay at a hotel for this trip. I don’t want to drop $100+ on a room that I’ll spend, at most, 4 hours in. So, I’ve decided to skip the luggage, skip the room, and just spend the night at the airport. If you’re traveling on a tight budget (or if you’re just a tight-wad like me) you can all kinds…
Don’t Obsess over Online Booking

Michael

29 Jun 2009 | 2:14 am

If you’re a penny-pinching tight-wad like me, chances are you spend FAR too much time online, trying to scrape a few dollars off the total cost of your travel expenses. I just found myself having spent over 2 hours on various travel sites attempting to get the cheapest rate on a trip to San Francisco at the end of the month. After all that time what happened? I saved a whopping $8 – and ultimately chose not to do that because it would require booking on two different sites, which is a royal pain. So what does this teach us? Basically that the sites are all the same. Sure, there is…
Review: The Wellington Hotel – New York City

Michael

26 Jun 2009 | 12:31 am

When traveling, it’s often a good idea to research your hotel options. If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve decided to do just that. As I write this, I’m sitting on an uncomfortable bed, in a hot room, in The Wellington Hotel in New York City. Tomorrow I will be heading back to my home in Texas, having had a great trip to New York in spite of this hotel – not because of it. For starters, the rooms are very small. That’s not a big problem for me, because I didn’t intend on spending much time in the room anyway, but you should know going into it…
Passport Demands take a HUGE Dip

Michael

21 Jun 2009 | 11:28 pm

The LA Times is reporting that things are slowing down at the Sate Department. The number of passport requests are dipping so low that people that are applying are getting their passports in three weeks or less. The State Department said last week that it expects to issue 12 million passports in this fiscal year, which is down 25% from last year. Demands is dropping so fast and furious that the State Department has been force to make “painful reductions” to the number of contract employees. Still, if you’re planning on taking a trip anytime soon that will require a passport,…
Heading off to New York City

Michael

5 Feb 2009 | 10:14 am

Today the wife and I are driving to Dallas. From there we will take a plane to New York City and we’ll be spending 3 days or so in the city, attending the kinds of things that first-time tourists do. Right now we’ve planned to see “Mary Poppins” on Broadway. We’ll be stopping by the Statue of Liberty, and also dining at a restaurant called “Ninja”. In addition that we’ll be spending some time at the “New York Comic Con” which I’m also quite excited about. It’s looking like a good trip, and I’m excited to have the…

A Luxury Travel Blog
Hotel Indigo grows in USA

Paul Johnson

2 Jul 2009 | 4:52 pm

Hotel Indigo has announced the opening of Hotel Indigo St. Louis Central West End following a $10 million renovation by Roberts Hotels Group of the historic Bel Air West Motel, which first opened in 1958 as the city’s first motel. The Central West End property is the first of three Hotel Indigo properties planned for St. Louis; additional hotels are slated to open in University City and the downtown convention district in 2011 and 2012, respectively. With the addition of Hotel Indigo St. Louis there are currently 28 Hotel Indigo properties open worldwide and more than 60 hotels under…
Hilton Maldives/Iru Fushi Resort & Spa opened by President of the Maldives

Paul Johnson

2 Jul 2009 | 4:36 pm

The Hilton Maldives/Iru Fushi Resort & Spa officially launched this week in a ceremony hosted by the President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed. And to celebrate the resort team created a human Hilton logo on the pristine white sands of the island’s beach. The stunning 52 acre private island resort joins the award-winning sister resort Conrad Maldives Rangali Island as part of Hilton’s ongoing expansion in the Maldives, which will also see The Beach House join the Waldorf Astoria Collection on 1 November and The Doubletree by Hilton Malé open in the capital in 2011. Joining…
Unusual requests at luxury hotels

Paul Johnson

2 Jul 2009 | 4:28 pm

You’ve probably heard of some of the ridiculous demands made by celebrities and musicians, but have you ever wondered what the most unusual requests ever made by guests in luxury hotels are? Well, look no further! As part of their “91 days of summer promotion”, Great Hotels of the World has revealed some of the funniest guest requests ever made at their member hotels around the world. From requesting a bath full of ice to bungee jumping off the top of the building, some of these requests you will be able to relate to, whereas others are just plain ridiculous.You can view…
Forget swimming with dolphins… what about swimming with pigs?

Paul Johnson

1 Jul 2009 | 2:12 pm

This little piggy went to market, and this little piggy went…swimming in the Bahamas?! This may not be how the nursery rhyme ends, but when staying at Royal Plantation Island at Fowl Cay, it really is possible to go ‘swimming with the pigs’! Each of the six-villas on the stunning 50-acre Royal Plantation Island come with their own motorboat, so guests can easily hop across to Pig Beach on neighbouring uninhabited island Big Major Spot, for one of the most unusual holiday activities possible. Here they can marvel the curiously graceful water ballet of the island’s rotund wild pigs, who…
Evian Royal Palace earns itself a 5th star

Paul Johnson

1 Jul 2009 | 1:02 pm

The Evian Royal Palace hotel - which I reviewed on this blog back in 2006 - is enjoying its centenary celebrations and now has more cause to celebrate because it has gained a 5th star. Book a stay at the hotel for any dates in July 2009 and you can enjoy a 100 € per room and per day credit. The same offer extends into August at the resort’s sister hotel, the Hotel Ermitage.

Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide
End MountainTop Removal: Philanthropic Travelers in Appalachia

info@exquisitesafaris.com

21 Jun 2009 | 10:10 pm

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
The Advent of Philanthropic Travel

info@exquisitesafaris.com

14 Mar 2009 | 6:48 pm

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel: The Globalization of Empathy

info@exquisitesafaris.com

26 Jan 2009 | 3:17 am

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
Every Saturday in Nairobi: Philanthropic Travel in Kenya

info@exquisitesafaris.com

30 Dec 2008 | 5:40 am

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.
What Should a M/Billionaire Give -and What Should You?

info@exquisitesafaris.com

21 Dec 2008 | 5:17 pm

The Exquisite Safaris philanthropic mission integrates a guided visit to a humanitarian outreach project into every private, luxury, epicurean experience we create. These personal introductions create authentic cross cultural friendships that generate trust, respect, and generous donations funding philanthropic travel projects worldwide.

Vacations Blog
Red, White and Boom!–Columbus, Ohio Celebrates Independence Day With a Bang

Ed Lamaze

2 Jul 2009 | 9:55 am

Let the Celebrations Begin! Summer is officially full on! June is quickly becoming a memory (it’s been two whole days now) and it’s time to turn focus to July. July is a special month for us as a nation for in this month we celebrate one of the most significant events in our short history. My birthday! Some like to think that the parades and fireworks displays, backyard barbecues, cookouts and community gatherings centered around the July 4th weekend are in celebration of our nation’s independence. Whatever helps you sleep at night, friends. That stuff is for me!
Sometimes Fireworks Are Scary

Whit Honea

1 Jul 2009 | 10:54 pm

Disneyland in Anaheim, CA feels pretty patriotic on the 4th of July. Photo by W. Honea
Naja’s: American For Beer

Kim Tracy Prince

1 Jul 2009 | 10:02 pm

Patriotic Party Time Naja’s Place, a divey little bar on the Redondo Beach Pier south of Los Angeles, CA, is known for its endless selection of beers from around the world. On July 4th they open at 10am and the band, Land Sharks, starts at 8pm. Flag t-shirts are on sale now for $10. The pier is accessible by foot, bicycle, car, or boat.
Patriotism at The Empire State Building - New York City

Britt Reints

1 Jul 2009 | 2:03 pm

American Flag over the observation deck of the ESB This photo was taken on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, a must see destination on any vacation to New York City.
Enjoy the 4th in Seattle!

James Austin

1 Jul 2009 | 2:01 pm

Seattle Sparkles on the 4th of July Photo from flickr creative commons by mr.bmonroe

Visit The Coqui
Cattlemen’s Caribbean BBQ Competition 2009

Coqui

20 Jun 2009 | 3:53 am

Are you are BBQ lover? Will you be in Puerto Rico June 27-28, 2009? If yes to both, then why not check out the second annual Cattlemen’s Caribbean BBQ Competition and Outdoor Festival that will take place at the Puerto Rico Convention Center, San Juan on June 27-28, 2009. Teams and professional chefs will be competing over the two days in various types of BBQ, including Puerto Rico’s very own Lechon. There is even a competition for kids teams. Saturday June 27, the three main events will be: Lechon Asado competition BBQ Chef challenge Children’s Hamburger Challenge. Sunday June 28,…
Fee Free Weekends at Old San Juan Forts

Coqui

17 Jun 2009 | 4:20 pm

Perfect timing for Fathers Day… The National Parks service is offering three summer weekends with zero cost entrance fees. In Old San Juan, this means that you can visit El Morro Fort and San Cristobel Fort for $0 (normal entrance fee is $3 per fort or $5 for a ticket to both El Morro and San Cristobel). During the summer the Fee Free Weekends will be: June 20-21, 2009 July 18-19, 2009 August 15-16, 2009 In addition the entrance fees to the 2 forts will also be waived on National Public Lands Day, September 26 and Veterans Day, November 11, 2009. So add these dates to your diary. Weekend…
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Coqui

13 Jun 2009 | 10:23 am

Yes, It’s old and yes some areas are in need of some tender love and care, but without a shadow of a doubt Old San Juan is a MUST SEE for any one visiting Puerto Rico. Old San Juan offers something for everyone: Awesome views, beautiful architecture and sculptures, historical sites, museums, plazas (great for people watching), restaurants for all tastes, bars and nightclubs to dance the night away. Kids can even fly a kite on the grounds in front of El Morro. You certainly won’t be stuck for things to do. Getting to Old San Juan: If you are not staying in Old San Juan the easiest way to…
Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern in Puerto Rico

Coqui

8 Jun 2009 | 6:59 pm

A couple of months ago the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern visited the island of Puerto Rico to film an episode for the current series. On June 9, 2009 at 10pm EST you can see Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern in Puerto Rico on the Travel Channel. On his tour of Puerto Rico Andrew, discovers the flavors and history of the island; ‘from the deep-fried treats brought in by Africans to the roasted pork made popular by the Spanish’. So where did Andrew go on his culinary tour of Puerto Rico? Old San Juan Here he visited one of the oldest bakeries on the island and one…
Puerto Rico to host 2009 FIBA Americas Championship

Coqui

5 Jun 2009 | 6:48 pm

Basketball fans in Puerto Rico can celebrate as they will be able to see teams from South America, North America, Central America and the Caribbean take part in the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship. The event was originally to be held in Mexico, but the organizers decided that a new venue was needed for this years competition. The FIBA Americas Championship is an important competition in International basketball as it is a qualifier for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, that will take place in Turkey. This years event will be held at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan between August 26 to…

Johnny Jet's Weekly Newsletter
Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Kia orana! We left off last week from the South Pacific island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. This week, we visit neighboring Aitutaki, which many compare to Bora Bora ... minus the French. If you're looking for a tropical island setting for a family adventure or a romantic escape that's cheaper than Tahiti, but with the same incredible views and a ton of sea life (though not much human life) and all the comforts of home (Internet, T

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